佛說佛地經

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha dwelt in a most sublime and wondrous radiance, adorned with the seven treasures. He then emitted a great halo of light that illuminated all boundless worlds and magnificently adorned immeasurable, utterly limitless lands. That sublime radiance transcended the sphere of activity of the three realms and surpassed all conceptions arising from worldly roots of virtue; it was the mark of utterly sovereign, purified consciousness.

At the radiant manifestation of the Tathagata, assemblies of great bodhisattvas gathered like clouds. Devas, dragons, humans, nonhumans, and others beyond reckoning also constantly attended upon him. They received and upheld the vast joy of the Dharma, performed every deed beneficial to sentient beings, extinguished the harsh defilements and entanglements of affliction, and, through this adornment, remained far removed from all maras.

The adornments of the Tathagata’s basis were great mindfulness, wisdom, and conduct, which served as the path of passage; great calm abiding and sublime insight, which served as skillful means; and great emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, and liberation, which served as gateways of entry. The adornments of his merit were beyond all measure.

Established among the assembly of the Great King of Precious Flowers, within the great palace, was the Buddha of Utmost Purity and Awakening. He manifested nondual conduct within the signless Dharma, abided in the Buddha’s dwelling, attained the equality of all Buddha-natures, and reached the state where no obstruction remained. He turned the sublime Dharma, his activity unobstructed; that which was established there was inconceivable.

Passing through the three times, the Dharma-nature is equal. The Buddha-body pervades all worlds. Regarding the wisdom of all dharmas, there is no longer doubt or limitation.

Perfect awakening is accomplished in every practice, and no uncertainty concerning Dharma-wisdom remains; wherever the body manifests, it cannot be conceptually distinguished. All bodhisattvas who rightly seek wisdom attain the nondual mind of the Buddha, abide upon the supreme farther shore, and are free from all intermingling characteristics. The Tathagata is liberated through ultimate sublime wisdom; his realization is without boundary.

The Buddha-ground is equal throughout the Dharma realm, its nature pervading space and extending through the future. Gathered with him were innumerable assemblies of great shravakas, all disciplined and all children of the Buddha.

Their minds were well liberated, their wisdom was well liberated, and their moral discipline was pure. They wished to hear much and retain the joy of the Dharma. Having accumulated learning, they reflected skillfully upon what should be reflected upon, spoke skillfully concerning what should be spoken, and acted skillfully in what should be done.

They had perfected the treasures of wisdom: acute wisdom, swift wisdom, keen wisdom, liberating wisdom, supreme discriminative wisdom, great wisdom, vast wisdom, and unequaled wisdom. They possessed the Three Knowledges, attained the foremost bliss in the present life, and abided in the great, pure field of merit. Fully endowed with tranquil deportment, great patience, gentleness, and harmony, they had skillfully practiced the noble teaching of the Tathagata.

There were also immeasurable assemblies of great bodhisattvas who had come together from various Buddha-lands. They abided in skillful means and journeyed freely in the Dharma of the Mahayana. Their minds were impartial toward all sentient beings. They were removed from both discrimination and nondiscrimination regarding every kind of differentiation. They had shattered all crookedness and forever abandoned all discriminative fixation belonging to shravakas and pratyekabuddhas. They had obtained the vast joy of the Dharma, transcended the five fears, and advanced solely toward the stage of nonretrogression. They had ended every oppressive pain and affliction in the minds of sentient beings and were present at that time. Among them, the Bodhisattva Sublime Birth was foremost.

The Blessed One then said to the Bodhisattva Sublime Birth, “Sublime Birth, you should know that five kinds of dharmas encompass the ground of great awakening. What are these five?

“They are called the Purified Dharma Realm, Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, Wisdom of Equality, Sublime Observing Wisdom, and Accomplishing Wisdom.

“Sublime Birth, you should know that the Purified Dharma Realm is like space. Although many kinds of material forms appear within it, one cannot say that space possesses those forms, for its essence has only a single flavor.

“The Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm is likewise. Although it manifests many kinds of forms and clearly knows all spheres of experience, one cannot say that it possesses many forms, for its essence has only a single flavor.

“Just as space, although material forms appear within it, has no characteristic that must be abandoned and is not defiled by those forms, so too is the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm. Although it manifests the mental natures of all sentient beings, because it is true reality, it has no characteristic that must be abandoned, nor is it defiled by those forms.

“Just as space contains all karma of body, speech, and mind, yet space itself performs no activity, so too is the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm. It encompasses every wisdom-transformation that benefits sentient beings, yet the Purified Dharma Realm itself performs no activity.

“Just as many kinds of material forms arise and cease within space, while space itself neither arises nor ceases, so within the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm, wisdom-transformations that benefit sentient beings arise and cease, while the Purified Dharma Realm itself never arises or ceases.

“Just as many material forms within space increase and diminish, while space itself neither increases nor diminishes, so too within the Tathagata’s quiescent Dharma Realm, the manifestation of Tathagatas and the ambrosial noble teaching may increase or diminish, while the Purified Dharma Realm itself never increases or diminishes.

“Just as space contains the inexhaustible material forms of the ten directions, and the realm of space has no boundary, while space itself neither comes nor goes, neither moves nor turns, so too is the Tathagata’s quiescent Dharma Realm. Its many kinds of activity in teaching, benefiting, and bringing peace and happiness to all sentient beings throughout the ten directions have no limit. The Purified Dharma Realm is likewise limitless, and that Dharma Realm neither comes nor goes, neither moves nor turns.

“Just as the three-thousand-great-thousand world system within space is at times destroyed and at times formed, while the realm of space undergoes neither formation nor destruction, so too is the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm. It manifests immeasurable forms of attaining complete and perfect awakening or of entering great nirvana, while the quiescent Dharma Realm neither attains complete and perfect awakening nor enters nirvana.

“Just as the many material forms contained within space may disperse, burn, dry up, and be transformed, while the realm of space is neither transformed nor damaged, so, based upon the Tathagata’s pure realm and the realm of sentient beings, the many training rules concerning transgressions and violations committed through bodily, verbal, and mental karma arise and become known, while the Purified Dharma Realm bears no mark of alteration or damage.

“Just as space contains the great earth, great mountains, light, fire, water, the retinues of Shakra, the sun, the moon, and many other things, while the nature of space possesses none of their characteristics, so, based upon the Tathagata’s pure realm, there are the skandha of moral discipline, the skandha of concentration, the skandha of wisdom, liberation, the knowledge and vision of liberation, and other skandhas, while the nature of the Purified Dharma Realm possesses none of their characteristics.

“Just as, through many kinds of causes and conditions arising in succession, the three-thousand-great-thousand world system and immeasurable worlds revolve within space, while the realm of space is never stirred, so within the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm, immeasurable manifestations of Buddhas and their assemblies revolve in complete abundance, while the quiescent Dharma Realm is never stirred.

“Furthermore, Sublime Birth, Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom is like images appearing in a perfectly round mirror. In the same way, based upon the Tathagata’s mirror of wisdom, the objects of consciousness appear as reflected images. Thus the perfect mirror is used as an analogy. You should know that the perfect mirror and the Tathagata’s mirror of wisdom are entirely equal; therefore this wisdom is also called Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom.

“Suppose a great round mirror bears the reflection of a fortunate and joyful person. The beautiful mirror hangs high above, utterly unmoving, while immeasurable sentient beings come and go. Looking into the mirror, they see what is beautiful and what is ugly, and therefore wish to retain the beautiful image and abandon the ugly one.

“The Tathagata’s luminous mirror of wisdom is likewise. It is the quiescent Dharma Realm, uninterrupted and unmoving. It enables immeasurable, countless sentient beings clearly to perceive defilement and purity, so that they may preserve purity and abandon defilement.

“Just as a beautiful round mirror is transparent, its light shining everywhere, pure and undefiled, so the Tathagata’s Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, in terms of Buddha-wisdom, is entirely freed from all suffering caused by the afflictive obstructions and cognitive obstructions. Supremely clear, it serves as the basis of concentration; its pure sustaining power is unmoving, its light shines everywhere, and it brings benefit and happiness to sentient beings.

“Just as the nature of a round mirror responds to conditions, causing many reflected forms and appearances to arise, so the Tathagata’s Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, dependent upon conditions at all times, causes many forms and appearances of wisdom-images to arise. Many images, not merely one, appear in the round mirror, yet the original nature of the mirror contains no images, and the mirror itself neither moves nor acts.

“In the same way, within the Tathagata’s luminous mirror of wisdom, not merely one but many wisdom-images appear; yet the perfect mirror of wisdom contains no wisdom-images, and this mirror of wisdom is originally unmoving.

“Just as the round mirror and its images neither unite nor separate, and the conditions appear without gathering together, so the Tathagata’s Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom and its wisdom-images neither unite nor separate, neither gather nor disperse.

“Just as a clear round mirror reflects every place upon its surface and images arise in transformation according to conditions, so the Tathagata’s Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom does not depart from immeasurable conditions when performing wholesome dharmas, for all wisdom-images arise in transformation dependent upon conditions. There are forms of wisdom-images belonging to the shravaka vehicle, forms of wisdom-images belonging to the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and forms of wisdom-images belonging to the unsurpassed Mahayana.

These appear in order to help followers of the shravaka vehicle gain deliverance by relying upon the shravaka vehicle, to help pratyekabuddhas gain deliverance by relying upon the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and to help followers of the Mahayana transcend by relying upon the unsurpassed vehicle. Just as a luminous mirror contains every reflection—including the shapes of the earth, great mountains, enormous trees, houses, and vast palaces—yet makes no discrimination while reflecting them, so in the Tathagata’s Perfect Mirror Wisdom, all images from the Ground of Utmost Joy to the Buddha-ground appear within the mirror of wisdom.

All worldly and supramundane dharmas appear there in their entirety, yet that luminous mirror of wisdom makes no discrimination.

“Just as images appear when a round mirror is unobscured, so too is the Tathagata’s great round mirror of wisdom. Without dividing beings into ugly or beautiful, wrong or right, nor obstructing sentient beings, wisdom-images appear based upon it; yet the mirror of wisdom is not itself an instrument fashioned for such use.

“Again, just as images appear because a round mirror is unobstructed, so too is the Tathagata’s Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. The wisdom-images that appear harbor neither attachment nor aversion, nor delusion toward sentient beings; yet the mirror of wisdom is not itself an instrument fashioned for such use.

“Just as a round mirror does not manifest images by being separated from them, so too is the Tathagata’s Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. The wisdom-images that arise are wholly purified through their accommodation of Dharma activity, even toward sentient beings who lack faith; yet the mirror of wisdom is not itself an instrument fashioned for such use.

“Furthermore, Sublime Birth, the Wisdom of Equality is perfected and accomplished through ten kinds of characteristics: (1) realizing the supreme signs that increase joy and loving-kindness toward sentient beings, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (2) realizing all reception and dependent origination, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (3) realizing and abandoning the differing characteristics of characteristic and noncharacteristic, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (4) vast and universally saving great loving-kindness, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (5) unconditional great compassion, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature;

(6) manifesting in accordance with the aspirations of sentient beings, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (7) causing all sentient beings respectfully to receive what is taught, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (8) seeing that worldly quiescence is everywhere of a single flavor, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; (9) seeing that the worldly dharmas of suffering and happiness are of a single flavor, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature; and (10) cultivating and realizing the ultimate perfection of immeasurable merit, through the complete perfection of the equality of Dharma-nature.

“Furthermore, Sublime Birth, Sublime Observing Wisdom is like a world that sustains the realm of sentient beings. The Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom is likewise: it sustains all dharanis and samadhis and is the sublime Dharma of the Buddhas’ unobstructed eloquence.

“Just as a world with its sentient beings gives rise to immeasurable causal conditions and to the characteristics of consciousness—mind and matter—so the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom can produce all cognition, sublime unobstructed wisdom, and the many causal conditions of characteristics and consciousness.

“Just as a world contains beautiful things and delightful, adorned places such as gardens, forests, ponds, and lakes, so the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom contains exceedingly precious adornments of Dharma, such as the paramitas, the factors of awakening, the Ten Powers and fearlessnesses, and the distinctive qualities of a Buddha.

“Just as a world contains continents, the sun and moon, the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Thirty-Three, Yama, Tushita, Delight in Transformation, Mastery over Others’ Transformations, the Brahma-body heavens, and many other beautiful realms, so the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom contains the causes and effects of flourishing and decline, the worldly and supramundane, and the spheres of perfect realization belonging to shravakas and pratyekabuddhas; every sphere is fully observed.

“Just as a world provides extensive enjoyment for sentient beings, so the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom manifests all assemblies of the Buddhas. A great rain of Dharma descends, enabling sentient beings to receive the great joy of the Dharma. Just as within a world there are the five paths of samsara—the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and devas—so within the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom, all the differing spheres of cause and effect within the five paths are clearly manifested.

Just as within a world there are the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, so within the Tathagata’s Observing Wisdom, all distinctions of cause and effect in the three realms are fully manifested. Just as within a world Mount Sumeru and other great kings of precious mountains appear, so within the Tathagata’s Observing Wisdom, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas appear in majestic power to guide beings, and profound and vast teachings are proclaimed.

Just as the vast and profound ocean within a world cannot be overturned, so within the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom, heavenly maras, followers of non-Buddhist paths, and proponents of divergent doctrines can never overturn that profound realm of Dharma and teaching.

“Just as a world is encircled by great and small ring-shaped mountains, so the Tathagata’s Sublime Observing Wisdom never departs from the entire circumference of the particular and common characteristics of all dharmas.

“Furthermore, Sublime Birth, Accomplishing Wisdom resembles the bodily karma of diligent service among sentient beings: sentient beings seek to obtain many benefits and exert themselves in every undertaking. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of a diligent body: the Tathagata manifests many kinds of arts and crafts to break the arrogance of sentient beings, employing this power of wisdom and skillful means to lead them into the noble teaching and bring them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Furthermore, sentient beings possess the bodily karma of enjoyment, and therefore experience many different forms and spheres. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of an enjoyment body: the Tathagata enters the many different spheres of sentient beings and manifests as one of their own kind, yet in an honored position. By manifesting as one of their kind, he gathers in and subdues all sentient beings of different kinds, employing this power of wisdom and skillful means to lead them into the noble teaching and bring them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the bodily karma of undergoing experience, by which they undergo the karmic fruits of wholesome and unwholesome actions. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of a body that undergoes experience: the Tathagata manifests the undergoing of difficult practices cultivated through many lives and many kalpas, employing these skillful means to lead sentient beings into the noble teaching and bring them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the verbal karma of continual discourse, by which they successively converse and remain bound in the characteristics of such discourse. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of eloquent speech: in accordance with each joy of the Dharma, the Tathagata expounds words and meanings with wondrous skill, employing this power of wisdom and skillful means so that sentient beings of little wisdom give rise to faith as soon as they hear, thereby leading them into the noble teaching and bringing them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the verbal karma of expedient communication: they successively communicate with one another, and their particular karmic function is to condemn evil and praise goodness so that they may live together. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom initiates the transformational verbal karma of skillful means: the Tathagata establishes proper fields of training, repels the karma of heedlessness—indulgence and laziness—praises diligent practice, and establishes teachings of faith and conduct that accord with both principle and capacity. Employing this power of wisdom and skillful means, he leads sentient beings into the noble teaching and brings them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the verbal karma of exposition: they successively instruct one another and advocate treatises of provisional meaning. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of discerning speech: the Tathagata severs the immeasurable doubts of sentient beings, employing this power of wisdom and skillful means to lead them into the noble teaching and bring them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the mental karma of discrimination and decision: they themselves decide and choose what can and cannot be done. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of a decisive mind: the Tathagata discerns the forty-eight thousand different mental activities of sentient beings, employing this power of wisdom and skillful means to lead them into the noble teaching and bring them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the mental karma of fabrication, by which they perform many actions and initiate karma. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of a fabricating mind: the Tathagata observes the karmic activities of sentient beings—what they do and do not do, what they gain and lose, what they grasp and relinquish, and so forth. Employing this power of wisdom and skillful means, he remedies the fabrications of sentient beings and leads them into the noble teaching, bringing them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the mental karma of initiation, meaning that they create many kinds of karma. Likewise, the Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of an initiating mind: desiring to proclaim the Dharma that remedies the mental karma of initiation, the Tathagata reveals the joy of that Dharma through phrases, letters, words, and meanings. Employing this power of wisdom and skillful means, he leads sentient beings into the noble teaching and brings them to the accomplishment of liberation.

“Again, sentient beings possess the mental karma of reception, by which they experience suffering and happiness. The Tathagata’s Accomplishing Wisdom is the transformational karma of a receptive mind: the Tathagata carefully considers and determines responses to particular questions and bestows distinct predictions according to those fit to receive the meanings concerning the past, present, and future. Employing this power of wisdom and skillful means, he leads sentient beings into the noble teaching and brings them to the accomplishment of liberation.”

The great bodhisattva Sublime Birth then addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One, is it only the Tathagata who, within the Purified Dharma Realm, possesses harmonious enjoyment in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor, or can bodhisattvas also do so?”

The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Sublime Birth, “Bodhisattvas also possess harmonious enjoyment in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor.”

The Bodhisattva Sublime Birth again addressed the Buddha: “What is the harmonious enjoyment of bodhisattvas in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor?”

The Buddha replied, “It belongs to bodhisattvas who have realized the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas. When those bodhisattvas attain patient understanding within the nonarising Dharma, they counteract dualistic conceptions. That is, they are freed from the two kinds of conception concerning self and other and therefore attain an impartial mind. From that time onward, their two kinds of deluded conception concerning difference and otherness no longer arise. Thus they possess harmonious enjoyment in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor.”

The Bodhisattva Sublime Birth again addressed the Buddha: “May the Tathagata clearly state an analogy to help bodhisattvas understand this profound meaning, so that, in accordance with circumstances and conditions, they may transmit it widely and enable sentient beings who hear it immediately to realize the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas.”

The Buddha said to Sublime Birth, “It is like the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Before entering the Variegated Grove, they can never experience its qualities or enjoy the harmonious experience in which there is neither self nor possession of self. Once they enter the Variegated Grove, however, they no longer possess a discriminating mind and may enjoy it freely. The Variegated Grove possesses such virtue that, once the devas enter it, whether in regard to its phenomena or their experience of the heavenly reward, they enjoy it harmoniously without conceptual thought.

“Likewise, if bodhisattvas have not realized the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas, they can never attain an impartial mind, impartial equanimity, or a state without distinction from all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.

“If dualistic conceptions remain, practitioners cannot abide in harmonious enjoyment in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor. If they have realized the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas, they are freed from dualistic conceptions and therefore attain an impartial mind, without distinction from shravakas and pratyekabuddhas. Because their minds are impartial, they can abide in the nature of equanimity and in harmonious enjoyment in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor.

“Furthermore, Sublime Birth, it is like great and small rivers before they enter the ocean. Their bases differ, their waters differ, they rise and fall, and their differences are formed according to the capacity of their channels. Their waters provide a limited basis for the lives of aquatic creatures. Once those rivers enter the ocean, however, their bases no longer differ, their waters are no longer distinct, their waters have no measurable limit, and their common activity has neither rise nor fall. The water then provides a vast basis for the lives of aquatic creatures.

“Bodhisattvas are likewise. If they have not yet entered the great ocean of the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm, each of their bases differs, and their wisdom varies in increase and decrease, being either lesser wisdom or different wisdom. According to the activity of that wisdom, all their actions and creations differ.

Some sentient beings rely upon these forms of wisdom as their basis and thereby perfect roots of virtue. Once bodhisattvas have entered the great ocean of the Tathagata’s Purified Dharma Realm, however, their basis is no longer different, nor does their realization-wisdom differ. Their realization-wisdom is immeasurable and neither increases nor decreases.

They possess harmonious enjoyment in which phenomena and wisdom are of a single flavor, and they serve as the basis for immeasurable sentient beings to perfect roots of virtue.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

When the Blessed One had spoken this sutra, the great bodhisattva Sublime Birth, together with all the bodhisattvas, the great assembly of shravakas, and the worldly beings, devas, humans, asuras, and others, rejoiced greatly upon hearing the Buddha’s words, faithfully accepted them, and practiced accordingly.

THE SUTRA OF THE BUDDHA’S SPEECH

Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by the Tripitaka Master Bodhiruci

Translated into Vietnamese by Bhikshuni Tinh Quang

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Upper Pavilion of the Great Forest at Vaishali, together with an assembly of eight thousand great bhikshus and eighty-four thousand great bodhisattvas. There were also immeasurable multitudes of learners and those beyond learning, who surrounded the Buddha to hear the Dharma.

At that time, within the assembly was a bodhisattva named Supreme King of Majestic Virtue. He rose from his seat, arranged his robes, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and said: “Blessed One, the Tathagata previously taught the sutras of the Buddha’s speech, yet he also said that they were not the Buddha’s speech. Blessed One, what does this mean, and how should it be received and upheld?”

The Buddha then told the Bodhisattva Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue: “Good man, as you have asked, the sutras speak of the Buddha’s speech and of what is not the Buddha’s speech. Good man, this means that nonspeech itself is the Buddha’s speech. Good man, reflect upon this well. Today I shall explain it for you.”

The Bodhisattva Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue again addressed the Buddha: “Excellent, Blessed One. I wish to hear.”

The Buddha said: “Good man, to say ‘not speech’ is itself the Buddha’s speech. Good man, because that Buddha-speech is called the most profound bodily karma, what I teach does not lie outside bodily karma, verbal karma, and mental karma. Yet it is not words and therefore cannot be spoken; it is also called wordlessness. Good man, any speech concerning form is not the Buddha’s speech. Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue, form is not speech and is not the Buddha’s speech. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are not speech and are also not the Buddha’s speech. Good man, where there is no speech concerning form, and no speech concerning feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, that is called the Buddha’s speech.

“Good man, if there is verbal karma of body, speech, and mind, it is not the Buddha’s speech. Good man, if there is no verbal karma of body, speech, or mind, that is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, speech concerning the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, or space is not the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, where there is no speech concerning the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, or space, that is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, speech involving greed, anger, or delusion is not called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, where there is no speech involving greed, anger, or delusion, that is called the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, if there is speech that is conditioned or unconditioned by outflows, it is not called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, speech that is neither with outflows nor without outflows is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, any fearful speech is not the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, speech concerning a thing or a nonthing is not the Buddha’s speech. Good man, what is a nonthing yet is not speech concerning a nonthing is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, if one says of a dharma pure in its intrinsic nature that it has been attained or realized, this is not the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, that which is neither intrinsic nature nor other-nature is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, if there is true speech or untrue speech, it is not called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, where there is neither true speech nor speech that is not true, that is called the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, if there is speech of ‘this,’ whether spoken by ordinary beings or spoken by noble beings, it is not called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, where there is neither the speech of ordinary beings nor the speech of noble beings, that is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, if there is inner speech, outer speech, or inner-and-outer speech, it is not called the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, where there is no inner speech, outer speech, or inner-and-outer speech, that is called the Buddha’s speech. If, concerning any dharma, words depend upon form or depend upon feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, they are not called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, if, concerning any dharma, there is no form upon which to depend and no feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness upon which to depend, such speech is called the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, if there is speech concerning faculty, object, and consciousness, it is the speech of Mara the Evil One and the speech of Mara’s followers; it is not the Buddha’s speech. Good man, where there is no speech concerning any ayatana, that is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, speech made through discriminative cognition of form, or through discriminative cognition of feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, is not called the Buddha’s speech.

Good man, speech made without discriminative cognition of form and without discriminative cognition of feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness is called the Buddha’s speech. Regarding this meaning, Mara and Mara’s followers cannot attain such a state.

“Furthermore, good man, a bodhisattva sees that form is without self and also makes no discrimination concerning what is not possessed by a self. Likewise, one sees that feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are without self and makes no discrimination concerning what is not possessed by a self. Such a one is called a bodhisattva.”

The Bodhisattva Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue then addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One, on the basis of what meaning does verbal expression exist? What is called verbal expression?”

The Buddha replied: “Good man, it is that to which Mara Papiyan clings. Furthermore, good man, if a bodhisattva sees form without giving rise to the thought, ‘I am thus,’ and likewise does not give rise to the thought, ‘I am thus,’ regarding feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, such a bodhisattva possesses no speech anywhere. Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue, for good men, the supreme matter is to sever all speech, sever all obstructions, extinguish every kind of conceit, cut off all bonds, abandon the two extreme views, and abandon all perceptions, because they are without speech.

Why can even the existence of words not be spoken? Because nonspeech is called the Buddha’s speech. Good man, therefore, regarding this meaning, you should know that this alone is the Buddha’s speech.

“Good man, it is neither body nor bodily action; neither speech nor verbal action; neither mind nor mental action; neither action nor nonaction; neither slander nor nonslander; without arising, perception, location, abiding, or loss; neither quiescent nor presently active. Its expression is unmoving yet is also not unmoving, and it does not abide. Naturally unborn, it is yet not nonarising. This is the Buddha’s speech. Because language has no capacity to reach it, it is called the Buddha’s speech.

“Good man, when a bodhisattva can give rise to such contemplation, it is called the Buddha’s Speech of the Study of the Supreme Light of Wisdom, the Cooling Buddha’s Speech. It fills the bodies of all sentient beings with joy, awakens the minds of all sentient beings, leads toward Buddha-wisdom, receives and upholds the principles and meanings, brings universal joy to all assemblies of bodhisattvas, clarifies delusions, and enables entry into the Dharma realm.

It skillfully determines the course toward the Dharma wheel, turns the wheel of Dharma, beats the great Dharma drum, subdues the realm of Mara and brings hostile opponents to submission, vanquishes all sentient beings following non-Buddhist paths, rescues and protects those upon evil paths, and adorns the Buddha-lands. Such a bodhisattva will assuredly sit at the seat of awakening and is praised by all Buddhas. Thus has the bodhisattva sat at the seat of awakening; thus has the bodhisattva attained the bodhisattva-dharani.”

When the Buddha taught these Dharma gateways of the Buddha’s speech, the noble Bodhisattva Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue perfected all the factors of awakening and immediately attained the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas. Twenty-six thousand bodhisattvas attained dharanis and samadhis; eight thousand bhikshus attained the Dharma without outflows; and other sentient beings all generated the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. Through their spiritual powers, they immediately caused many kinds of flowers to rain down as offerings to the Blessed One.

When the Tathagata had taught this Dharma gateway, the noble Bodhisattva Dragon Supreme King of Majestic Virtue and the entire great assembly of devas, dragons, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and others rejoiced greatly upon hearing the Buddha’s words, faithfully accepted them, and practiced accordingly.