普曜經

Chapter 21: CONTEMPLATING THE TREE

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

“When the bodhisattva had attained perfect enlightenment, the devas came and praised the Buddha. Afterward, the Tathagata sat upright, single-mindedly gazing intently at the Bodhi tree without blinking. He took the joy of meditation as food and liberating wisdom as drink, abiding peacefully and without harm.

For seven days and nights, he gazed at the Bodhi tree at the place of enlightenment to repay his debt of gratitude to the tree. When the seven days had passed, the devas of the Desire Realm each brought ten thousand vessels of scented water. The devas of the Form Realm likewise brought scented water with which to bathe him.

They all came together to the Buddha and first bathed him with innumerable kinds of fragrant water. The devas, nagas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas bathed the Tathagata’s body with scented water. The fragrant water overflowed and splashed upon them.

Through the blessing of that scented water, they all formed the resolve for unsurpassed, true, and perfect enlightenment.

“At that time, all beings received the blessing of the permeating fragrance, and its perfume never left their bodies. When the devas returned to their palaces, they could no longer perceive any other fragrance.”

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

“There was a deva named Universal Transformation. He prostrated himself at the Buddha’s feet, then rose, joined his palms, and asked the Buddha:

“‘The Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree for seven full days, absorbed in meditative samadhi. What was the name of that samadhi?’

The Blessed One replied:

“‘That samadhi is called Joy as Food. The Tathagata abided in this meditative concentration of Joy as Food for seven days and nights, gazing at the Bodhi tree without blinking.’”

The deva Universal Transformation then praised him in verse:

Ever practicing all the disciplines,

The joy of meditation gave rise to mighty power,

Causing Mara to lose his path.

I cast myself down in homage to the Buddha,

Taking refuge beneath his feet,

With a heart filled with joyous thoughts.

At that time, all the devas

Were likewise overjoyed beyond measure.

Those devas who abide in tranquil concentration,

If they understand that lineage,

Will end lust, anger, and delusion,

And possess infinitely profound wisdom.

You dispel the doubts of devas;

How is it that you possess the ten powers,

Clearly comprehend the ten directions,

And understand all Dharma gates of liberation?

Out of compassion, for seven full days,

Your mind pure as empty space,

You sat serenely and utterly unmoving,

Gazing at the tree without blinking.

O revered Lion among Teachers,

Why did you sit for seven days,

Continually gazing upon this tree,

And thereby remain still, leaving no trace?

From the place where the vow was made,

The Lion, for the sake of all beings,

Fulfilled his original vow,

Sitting serenely without rising.

Thus the Blessed One’s mind

Remained peaceful upon that very seat.

The One Possessing the Ten Powers

Carried out all the teachings,

Knowing the origins and ends of devas,

And the vows they made in former lives.

Having heard the scriptures and instructions,

He always followed their teachings.

The One Possessing the Ten Powers,

Fearless, with his vows fulfilled,

Therefore sat for seven days

Without ever leaving his seat.

Courageously contemplating only the tree,

He subdued everything.

Seated impartially at the place of enlightenment,

He extinguished all defilements.

Pure and profound,

He thereby brought peace to beings.

For this reason, he renounced the household life,

Practiced the true Dharma,

Departed far from every blemish,

And was no longer subject to fear.

Thus he brought the noble assembly to fulfillment,

Never engaging in unlawful conduct.

Patient endurance, favors, affection, and existence,

And all immeasurable practices—

He severed the roots of every fetter

And regarded them as mere dust and soil.

For a long time, he saw that beings,

Through attachment to self and what belongs to self,

Were submerged beneath the skandhas and hindrances;

I knew how to eliminate them all.

From ancient times, I accumulated these practices

And reached the shore beyond delusion.

I brought all skandhas and hindrances to their end,

Using wisdom to cleanse away the self.

I severed desire and anger.

Beings lost in ignorance

Are like the moon reflected in water;

I dispelled these so they would remain no more.

That practice is undisturbed;

Within my mind, I clearly understood.

What had been subdued in the past

Was entirely extinguished.

Now, for your sake,

The accumulated delusion that casts beings into the great hell—

The Buddha uproots it all,

So that none will return there again.

Having removed all skandhas and hindrances,

He helps extinguish their very roots.

He destroys the four inversions,

Curing and cleansing them until none remain.

These perceptions are mistaken thoughts;

I know the root of the scriptural Dharma,

And therefore cause them to be completely extinguished,

Never to arise or turn again.

The body’s sufferings are sixty-five;

Its faults comprise thirty impurities.

In the present there are forty;

Those arising number sixteen.

In the present there are eighteen;

Thus there are twenty-five.

At the place of enlightenment, all were ended.

The noble treasures number twelve;

Those who are afraid number twenty-eight.

Because I transcended this karma,

I crossed beyond through the power of diligence.

Having awakened, I never regress.

I discerned five hundred matters

And completely mastered them all.

The hundred thousand Dharma teachings of the past—

I utterly severed all their fetters.

Their sources number ninety-eight,

Filling every place,

Upon which sentient beings depend.

I put all habitual tendencies to rest,

And the dark net of ignorant wrong views.

I dried up the four rivers of defilement,

Leaving them no power of their own.

The Blessed One expounded the Dharma and proclaimed the teaching. He taught that sensual desire, flattery, and attachment to one’s self must be abandoned. His aspiration was luminous and boundless.

Out of compassion for the world, he used the true discipline to teach the way to uproot all greed, enabling his disciples to eliminate deviant conduct, uphold true practice, cast aside reputation, diligently extinguish every affliction, cross to the farther shore beyond birth and death, and free themselves from attachment to self. The merit of meditation brought about mental concentration, enabling one to cross the four torrential currents and overcome the karma of sorrow, fetters, arrogance, and heedlessness, subduing these things so that they would never arise again.

Through correctness, mental concentration was attained; the defilements were restrained and deluded thoughts eliminated, as though the roots of a tree had been pulled out. His resolve crossed to the farther shore, causing all such things to cease; he abandoned every abode and uttered the lion’s roar with exceedingly great power. Sovereign throughout the three realms and dependent upon nothing, he extinguished every sphere and, with the clear wisdom of meditation, cut away enmity, just as the Lord of Devas causes all faults, like his own entangling net, to be utterly severed.

Through thirty-six practices of diligence, here in the midst of the world, he used the forces of wisdom to sever craving completely. These are precisely the roots of the defilements that bind and cling, the poisonous root of ultimate suffering. With the power of luminous wisdom, he cut them away until nothing remained. With the eye of wisdom, he skillfully corrected and purified them.

For those who are upright, he used the mighty medicine of illumination to cure the illness of ignorance, causing the great tree of delusion to be left without roots. Within this very sphere, he practiced with the utmost sincerity. With his mind, he broke apart the dead ground of anger. A mind intent upon other things is an enemy and a thief.

I drew dry the twelve seas to extinguish the smoke and flames of the realm of thought, revealed and illuminated the three higher knowledges, eliminated all dust and impurity, kindled the blazing flame, delighted in the gate of liberation, and cleansed every blemish; therefore, I gave instruction. I comforted all beings, abandoned thorn-like perceptions, and emptied all reverberating echoes. Understanding diligence clearly, I sought purity, just as rubbing wood together produces a bright flame.

Furthermore, like a fountainhead, his mind was utterly still. With the forces of wisdom, he swept away the defiled mind and brought about mental concentration; this was called raising the banner and faithfully upholding the teaching. He himself could understand clearly; having subdued every matter, he brought forth a loving heart.

Through these five sensual desires, he understood wealth and honor and abided in the practices, casting aside deception. From the root arise the defilements; there the obstructing fetters contend in discord. I comprehended them all, attained meditative samadhi, knew every inward matter, and established a sense of shame.

Perception and non-perception were thereby attained. Having gathered all these practices, he thoroughly understood all that he possessed and cast aside every thought and every form of bondage. One who practices in this way casts everything away until nothing remains.

Through the virtue of diligence, I subdued all things and attained the three gates of liberation. For this reason, without conditions I did not conceive notions of inferiority, pleasure, impermanence, or a self of my own; rather, beneath the Bodhi tree I utterly eradicated the roots that produce conceptualization and seek the six forms of decline. All these impermanent things constitute vast defilement.

With the luminous understanding of a noble one, I eliminated all craving and desire, surpassing even the light of the sun and moon. Those who harbor craving and desire seem suspended in empty space; comprehending the three higher knowledges, with a countenance of surpassing beauty, I forever ended birth and death and crossed the great ocean. Through the power of diligence, I transcended lust, anger, and delusion.

Through the wondrous practice, I severed attachment to self. By the six paramitas, I dispelled countless worldly defilements, and my mind ended all suffering upon the paths of birth and death. I then delighted in cutting off both what came before and what followed, without falling into either extreme; impartial toward all, I attained liberation.

Among the multitudes of heterodox practitioners holding wrong views, not a single one attained the ambrosia. I completely eradicated the roots of birth and death; the four great elements were no more, and all the ayatanas likewise came to an end. In seeking the treasure of wisdom, I obtained immeasurably much.

The precious radiance of the Path leads to fearlessness and is the inner bliss of innumerable Buddhas. With few desires, I practiced correctly according to the teachings, distinguished the source, and clearly knew the deeds performed in former lives. Because throughout hundreds of millions of kalpas I had given many jewels, innumerable treasures, and ambrosia, I therefore thoroughly understood this gate of training.

Delighting in gentle conduct, I heard innumerable teachings concerning the Dharma in the world and also analyzed dependent origination as arising together and ceasing together; the mind’s thoughts arose and stirred like wild horses. My eyes were pure and radiant, seeing throughout the ten directions. I beheld all sentient beings as plainly as a fruit seed in the palm of my hand.

The deeds of former lives were likewise perfectly clear. Throughout hundreds of millions of kalpas I had cultivated the paramitas, fully comprehending the unreality of thought; many times I awakened to inverted karma, concerning which the devas had contended in the past: whenever that was so, this was likewise so.

At that time, I had reached the deathless state. The reason one endowed with the Ten Powers practices loving-kindness is that, being compassionately mindful of sentient beings, one exercises the power of loving-kindness. Now that I had attained the ambrosial Dharma, endowed with the Ten Powers, I exercised the power of compassion to teach and transform all beings.

Therefore, within the ambrosial Dharma, I constantly exercised the power of equanimity to subdue all. Through this teaching and transformation, I entered the deathless realm. The reason for practicing a joyful mind is to bring joy to all beings.

Thus, the power of sympathetic joy subdues all. Therefore, I established myself and dwelt within the ambrosial Dharma. Mindful of the Ten Powers throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, I encountered the Buddhas of the past and made offerings to them; for that reason, I came to abide within the ambrosial Dharma.

I had originally made this vow: “If I do not subdue the armies of Mara and transform those holding wrong views, I shall not rise from this seat.” Without negligence, I crossed to the other shore, shattered the net of delusion accumulated over innumerable kalpas, and abided in vajra wisdom to attain the Ten Powers, without the slightest attachment. I subdued all outflows and brought them to an end. Only after attaining that power did I rise from my seat.

Bathed and purified, I was free of every stain; now the World-Protecting One endowed with the Ten Powers, sovereign and free, had crossed to the other shore of the three-thousandfold world system.

Firm as vajra, he constantly cultivated the practice of impartiality. Hundreds of millions of devas made immeasurable offerings, together with innumerable celestial maidens.

Such disciples of the Buddha all had their causes and conditions; seated upon the throne of the noble sages, they attained great sovereignty.

Beneath the tree were a thousand precious vessels containing innumerable fragrant waters with which to bathe the World-Protecting One. The three-thousandfold world system thereby attained sovereignty. Such disciples of the Buddha all had their causes and conditions.

The reason the bodhisattva did not leave his seat for seven days and nights, but gazed intently at the tree, was that during those seven days and nights, while gazing at the Bodhi tree, he inspired seven billion people to arouse the aspiration for the Path. He contemplated in stillness. The earth quaked in six ways.

At that time, the Buddha rose from the lion throne. His mind was peaceful and joyful, and his body was light and at ease. At the proper time, there at the site of enlightenment, he gazed upon the Bodhi tree. Like a lion, utterly without fear, he meditated upon the Dharma gate of liberation, the practice of the noble sages.

Chapter 22: THE MERCHANTS OFFER CAKES

At that time, the company of Trapusa and Bhallika, together with five hundred merchants traveling as companions, were present. The trees, flowers, and fruits were then luxuriant and flourishing, emitting the sound of the Buddha, while for seven days they neither swayed nor moved.

At that time, a Brahma deity named Shigan, dwelling in the Brahma Heaven, saw that the Buddha had newly attained the Path and had sat in serene stillness for seven days, with no one yet offering him food. He thought: “I must find someone to offer food to the Buddha.” He then caused all five hundred merchants to encounter an obstruction and be unable to continue onward.

In a former life, Shigan had been a friend of the five hundred merchants. Wishing to deliver them, he therefore brought this about.

Trapusa and Bhallika were greatly frightened and assembled with everyone to deliberate. At that very moment, the devas spoke this verse:

The Tathagata has attained Buddhahood;

His aspirations have been fulfilled.

You should offer food to him,

And through this, the Buddha will teach the Dharma.

The five hundred men then went together to the tree deity. Brahma transformed himself into a deity who radiated light, his form distinctly visible, and said to the merchants:

“Now there is a Buddha dwelling in the land of Kuru, beside the Nairanjana River, and no one has yet offered him food. You are the first to encounter this fortunate opportunity. If this is indeed the intention of the devas, you will certainly obtain great merit and blessings.” Hearing the name “Buddha,” the merchants were all filled with joy and said:

“The Buddha must surely be an extraordinary and supremely honored being, revered by celestial deities, and no ordinary person.”

They immediately mixed flour with honey, brought it together beneath the tree, bowed their heads, and offered it to the Buddha. The Buddha thought: “Out of compassion, the Buddhas of the past accepted the offerings of donors. According to their Dharma, they all held alms bowls; I should not receive food in my hands as other ascetics do.”

At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings on Mount Pana obtained four bowls of blue stone and wished to use those bowls to hold the food. Then a deva prince named Radiant Light said to the Four Heavenly Kings:

“Now there is a Buddha named Sakyamuni who is worthy of using these bowls. They are not implements for you. He is now receiving food. You may take them and offer them to the Buddha.”

The Four Heavenly Kings, together with the deva prince, immediately took fragrant flowers, music, banners, parasols, and the bowls. As swiftly as one might extend an arm, they descended to where the Buddha was and together presented their offerings to him. The Buddha thought: “If I accept only one bowl, the others will not be pleased. I should therefore accept them all.”

King Dhrtarastra was the first to offer his bowl to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted it and thereupon recited this verse:

Now you offer a bowl to the World-Honored One;

You shall obtain the precious vessel of Dharma.

You yourself shall attain the bowl of quiescence,

And your mind shall never lose mindfulness.

Next, King Virudhaka offered his bowl. The Buddha accepted it and spoke this verse:

Whoever offers a bowl to the Tathagata,

His mind shall attain right mindfulness.

The Four Heavenly Kings shall guard him in peace,

Until he awakens to purity.

Next, King Virupaksa offered his bowl. The Buddha accepted it and spoke this verse:

One who bears a bowl of purity,

With a pure mind, offers it to the Tathagata;

His body and mind shall always be light and at ease,

And devas, nagas, and spirits shall praise him.

Finally, King Vaisravana offered his bowl. The Buddha accepted it and spoke this verse:

Upholding the precepts without breach or transgression,

You offer the bowl in perfect fulfillment.

With a donor’s faithful and undistracted mind,

You cause virtue to suffer no loss or decline.

After accepting the bowls, the Buddha stacked them upon his left palm and pressed down upon them with his right hand. The four bowls immediately merged into one, with four rims still visible. He then further praised them:

In former lives, I offered bowls

Thus they shall receive this recompense.

Now these four bowls have been obtained;

The four divine kings have all arrived.

After the Buddha had spoken these verses of praise, he used these bowls to receive the honey cakes offered by the merchants. He pronounced this blessing for them:

“Those who now give alms wish those who partake of the food to be endowed with strength. May the families of the donors, throughout successive generations, attain all they desire; may they enjoy longevity, a fine complexion, beauty, and good health; may they behold the Buddhas; may they live joyfully and peacefully, free from illness; may they possess wisdom, eloquence, and lifelong vigor. Evil spirits shall not be able to approach and trouble them. Because they have established merit with wholesome intentions, benevolent spirits shall always protect them, instruct them in the foundation of the Path, and bring them benefit. May they live in harmony, without hardship or toil, calamity or adversity.

“Those of right view, who with faithful delight and reverence, purity and freedom from regret, make offerings to the Virtuous One, shall thereby gain immense merit and benefit. Their blessings shall gradually increase, and no misfortune shall remain.

“The sun, the moon, the five planets, the twenty-eight constellations, celestial spirits, and spirit kings shall constantly accompany and protect them. The Four Great Heavenly Kings shall especially commend and reward the virtuous.

“Dhrtarastra in the east, Virudhaka in the south, Virupaksa in the west, and Vaisravana in the north shall protect you so that you encounter no calamity. You shall possess lucid wisdom and profound learning; honor and serve the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; abandon evil dharmas; remain heedful; and attain complete well-being. By planting merit, one gains merit; by practicing the Path, one attains the Path. Because in former lives you encountered the Buddha and served and attended him single-mindedly, this shall bring you the foremost karmic reward. In this very life you shall be protected, clearly understand the truth, always enjoy wealth and happiness, and yourselves attain nirvana.”

After hearing the Buddha’s blessing, all the merchants aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, true, and perfect enlightenment. When the Buddha had finished his meal, he cast the bowls into the air. A heavenly prince named Subrahma immediately caught them and presented them to Brahma. Hundreds of billions of Brahma gods circumambulated the bowls together, making offerings and paying homage to them.

Because the virtue of the Blessed One is peerless, and because he further praised their meritorious deeds, through this merit all those merchants in future lives shall become Buddhas named Honey-City Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Those to Be Tamed, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.

At that time, after the Teacher had bestowed the prediction, he subsequently taught and transformed innumerable bodhisattvas. Those who received the prediction became irreversible from the Buddha path. Hearing the Buddha’s prediction, they rejoiced with great delight. Then their brethren joined their palms, took refuge, and dedicated their entire lives to the Tathagata.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“After the Tathagata attained perfect enlightenment, he immediately used his spiritual power to move his seat into a rocky cave. Recalling his former vow, he wished to liberate sentient beings.

“He reflected: ‘Birth and death fundamentally arise from the twelve links of dependent origination. When conditions give rise to dharmas, birth and death come into being; when those dharmas cease, birth and death cease. Because one acts in such a way, one receives the corresponding result.

If no arising occurs, it naturally comes to an end. All sentient beings take mind as their animating principle. This principle is obscure and dim, without form; it gives rise by itself to consciousness and perception and, following karmic formations, assumes a body.

The body is impermanent and without a master; the spirit is impermanent and without form. The mind changes, turbid and difficult to clarify. Arising and ceasing by itself, it has never stopped: one thought passes, and another arrives, like grass and wood drifting upon water, or like a bubble that vanishes in the water and immediately forms again.

As for the three realms—the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm—and the nine grounds of the spirit, all likewise depend upon consciousness and cannot escape suffering. Obscured and dark, beings cannot know themselves; therefore this is called delusion. How could they know to seek the Path?

The Path is exceedingly subtle, empty and tranquil, free from thought; it cannot be known by the ordinary mind.

“‘There are ninety-six kinds of worldly paths, all believing in sacrificial rites; who among them knows that these are mistaken? They all delight in life and seek security, crave flavors, and delight in beautiful forms and sounds; therefore they cannot delight in the Buddha path.

“‘The Buddha path is pure and has nothing whatsoever. Upon examining oneself and the myriad things, all are impermanent. If I were to tell them that the world is impermanent, that the world is entirely suffering, and that this body is not mine but is empty and has no real existence, who would believe me?’

“He wished to remain silent and not teach the Dharma to the world, and so he entered meditative concentration. A ray of light from between the Buddha’s eyebrows shone upon Sakra, Lord of the Gods. Sakra knew that the Buddha did not wish to expound the sutras.

Out of compassionate concern, he thought: ‘The beings of the three realms will suffer a great loss, for they will not know the supramundane Path. Upon death, they will fall into the three evil destinies; when will they ever escape? Only after an exceedingly long time does the world encounter the appearance of a Buddha.

A Buddha is difficult to encounter, like the udumbara flower. I must now entreat him on behalf of all beings and beseech the Buddha to teach the Dharma.’ He then descended to the rocky cave together with Pancasikha. At that moment, the Buddha had just entered concentration.

Sakra immediately instructed Pancasikha to play his lute and praise the merit of the Buddha’s original vows in verse:

Hearing praise of the Ten Powers,

Destroyer of hindrances, tranquil and still,

Whose radiance penetrates the seven heavens,

Whose fragrant virtue surpasses sandalwood,

The wondrous Lord of Gods has come,

Praising and wishing to behold the Buddha.

Brahma and Sakra, their hearts reverent,

Bow low and wish to hear.

The Buddha long possessed vows and practices,

Diligently striving for a hundred kalpas,

Giving universally to the four kinds of beings,

So that the ten directions received great beneficence.

He observed the precepts with utmost purity,

Compassionately aiding sentient beings;

With courageous wisdom he entered meditative knowledge,

And with great compassion revealed and taught the sutras.

Having amassed innumerable ascetic practices,

Today he has attained this merit.

Through the powers of morality, patience, concentration, and wisdom,

He subdued Mara, causing the earth to resound and tremble.

His virtue encompasses heaven and earth;

His spiritual wisdom surpasses divine kings.

His excellent marks are beyond compare;

The eight tones shake the ten directions.

His aspiration is lofty as Mount Sumeru;

In purity and beauty none is his equal.

Forever freed from lust, anger, and delusion,

He no longer suffers old age and death.

We beseech you to emerge from concentration

And have compassion for gods and humans.

Open for them the treasury of the precious Dharma;

Expound the ambrosial treasure of wisdom.

Enable them to dispel all sorrow and distress,

End all danger, and attain peace and security.

May the deluded behold the Right Path;

May those with perverse doubts perceive true words.

All sincerely aspire and delight,

Wishing to hear and receive without weariness.

Open the Dharma of deathlessness,

And compassionately instruct all beings.

At that time, the Blessed One considered the customs of worldly people and reflected: ‘This Dharma is exceedingly profound. Its realization is boundless. The attainment of supreme perfect enlightenment is tranquil, subtle, difficult to reach, and difficult to know.

It cannot be conceived by the mind or expressed in words. It is not a state that ordinary people or sages can attain. None of all the teachings can be imitated; by preserving the source, one reaches cessation.

Only by being utterly unattached to everything attained does one reach complete non-arising: infinite, cool, attaining no place whatsoever, possessing absolutely nothing, transcending the six realms, without conception, without aspiration, without grasping, without discussion, without instruction, without echo, without existence, without accumulation, quiescent in all conditioned activities, and reaching unconditioned karma that is never cut off.

Even if I were to instruct people in the roots and branches of this meaning—that the myriad things are impermanent; that wherever there is a body, there is suffering; that the body is not truly a body but is empty and has no real existence—people would not understand the defilements, falsehood, and suffering. All possessions, including family, retinue, and relatives, do not truly belong to anyone. Though these words are true, they appear contrary to common understanding; who could believe them?

It would be better for me to remain silent.’

At that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

Far removed from sorrow, serene,

Radiantly bright and undefiled

I have attained

The unconditioned nectar.

If I now proclaim it,

No one will understand.

Thus it would be better

For Me now to remain silent,

Casting aside all words,

Neither thinking nor attaining.

Thus, naturally,

Like empty space,

The mind, thoughts, Dharma, and intention

Allow consciousness to be liberated.

Non-conceptuality is foremost;

Knowing the capacities of others—

This cannot be expressed

By means of written words.

For entry into the meaning of the Way

Does not lie within specialized learning.

All Buddhas of the past,

For the sake of sentient beings,

According to their understanding

And in accordance with those causes and conditions,

Spoke in keeping with such karma.

Yet there is no Dharma at all,

Nor is there even that;

Whether existent or nonexistent,

All arises through causes and conditions,

And thus there are birth and aging.

Neither does that conceive

Either existence or nonexistence.

Throughout hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas,

Beyond all calculation,

In former lives

I personally followed the Buddhas,

Yet never attained

Such Dharma-patience:

No self and no person,

Nor any lifespan.

If one has attained

This Dharma-patience,

Then there is no birth,

And sentient beings do not die.

This is the root of purity:

Both self and dharmas are empty.

When Buddha Dipankara

Bestowed a prediction upon Me,

Out of compassion

For immeasurable sentient beings,

I would not have sentient beings

Come to beseech Me.

Now, for the sake of sentient beings,

I have moved Brahma

To descend and exhort Me

To turn the Dharma wheel.

Now My true Dharma

Is pure in this way.

Brahma has descended here

To encourage and assist Me

In turning the wheel of true Dharma,

Subtle, wondrous, and free from defilement.

Through understanding it, sentient beings

Liberate their consciousness.

Chapter 23: BRAHMA BESEECHES THE BUDDHA TO TEACH THE DHARMA

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

—At that time, the Tathagata manifested a majestic ray of light from between His eyebrows. That light, called Illuminating Birth, caused hundreds of thousands of Brahma gods to arouse the aspiration. It illuminated all the three-thousandfold Buddha-world. Then Brahma Sikhin, relying upon the sacred intent, acted precisely in accordance with the Buddha's thought.

The Blessed One remained silent and would not teach the Dharma. Brahma thought, “I should now go before the Buddha and beseech Him to turn the Dharma wheel.”

At that time, Brahma Sikhin, surrounded by a retinue of sixty-eight thousand Brahma gods, went before the Buddha, bowed his head and prostrated at His feet, then withdrew to one side and said to the Buddha:

“We humbly beseech the Blessed One. No one in the world can bring deliverance, and the world is now on the verge of ruin. Why is this? The Tathagata, the Utterly True One, has attained the unsurpassed true and perfect Way and is the Supremely and Perfectly Awakened One, yet His meditative mind remains tranquil and He will not teach the Dharma. The world is fettered by every kind of suffering and submerged in the three realms. We beseech You to turn the Dharma wheel and teach and transform sentient beings.”

He then recited these verses:

We humbly beseech the Blessed One

To purify sentient beings.

Who else shall exhort and guide

The hundreds of millions of beings,

Giving wisdom as alms?

Let them hear the Perfectly Awakened One

Expound the true Dharma

And vanquish all hostile rebels.

At the proper time, beat

Immeasurable Dharma drums;

Thereupon, blow

Immeasurable Dharma conches;

And raise aloft

The supreme banner of Dharma.

Who shall reveal

The great and radiant Dharma?

Surely You will summon clouds

And pour down a great rain of Dharma.

May it always be scattered everywhere

Upon the seats of the great sages.

You will fully cure

Every illness,

Extinguishing the burning fires

Of sensory afflictions,

And showing beings

The path of tranquility,

Peaceful and refreshing,

Without further sorrow.

Teach them the unconditioned Way

And guide them toward the truth.

Always arouse compassion

And reconcile all disputes.

Surely You will open wide

The Dharma gate of liberation,

Expounding the most sincere meaning,

Free from all anger.

For those blind in darkness,

Open their eyes so that they may see;

Completely cure them,

That they may attain the supreme Dharma eye.

Neither gods nor humans,

Nor even Brahma gods,

Neither gandharvas

Nor the asura people,

Can completely cure

These feverish illnesses.

Only the Holy Venerable One,

The sun and moon of the world, can do so.

Therefore, I now

Beseech the Dharma King.

This deed now surpasses

Those of all the gods.

With this merit,

I beseech the Tathagata:

Please set in motion

The unsurpassed Dharma wheel.

The Blessed One then silently assented. Seeing that the Buddha remained silent, Brahma Sikhin, out of compassion for the gods, the people of the world, asuras, dragons, ghosts, and spirits, and wishing them all to attain deliverance, scattered various kinds of sandalwood incense over the Buddha and suddenly vanished.

At that time, the spirit of the Bodhi tree, named Dharma Radiance and also called Dharma Joy, Dharma Intent, and Dharma Upholder, came before the Buddha and addressed Him:

—In which land will the Blessed One now turn the Dharma wheel?

The Buddha replied:

—At the place where the seers descended, in the Deer Park of Varanasi.

The tree spirit said to the Buddha:

—At the place of the seers in the Deer Park of Varanasi, the population is too small. You should not teach the Dharma there.

The Buddha told the tree spirit:

—Do not speak in this way. Why? Because in former lives I established a Dharma shrine in that place. Six trillion times, I made offerings there to six trillion assemblies of Buddha-Blessed Ones, and countless seers came to dwell and practice there.

“In Varanasi, the gods and dragon spirits all praise the immeasurably great Dharma and bow their heads to take refuge. Recalling their origins, hundreds of billions of Buddhas all turned the wheel of Dharma amid this forest of the seers, in tranquil serenity, free from dark ignorance. Therefore, I too shall turn the wheel of Dharma amid this forest of the seers.”

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

—At that time, the Blessed One had accomplished all that was to be done. He was free from every affliction, had severed all obstacles, cleansed Himself of sensory afflictions, and was without any defilement. He had subdued the hostile Mara, attained omniscience, and saw throughout the ten directions.

He had attained the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of the Buddhas. His wisdom penetrated all things without obstruction. With the Buddha's eye of the Way, He surveyed the entire world, thinking, “Who should be the first to receive this teaching?

Who can quickly comprehend it? Whoever has little lust, anger, and delusion—for that person I shall first teach the Dharma.” The Buddha then thought of Udraka Ramaputra, who possessed little of the three defilements. “I shall go to him.” As soon as this thought arose, the Buddha knew that the ascetic had died seven days earlier.

The second ascetic had also died that very day.

Then, from the sky, a heavenly spirit addressed the Buddha:

—Revered Blessed One, it is indeed exactly as the Great Sage has known: they have both passed away.

The Buddha again thought, “Formerly, My royal father sent five men to accompany, attend upon, and assist Me. These ascetics endured hardship and performed much strenuous practice. I should now expound the scriptural Dharma for them and instruct them first.”

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

—At that time, the Blessed One rose from beneath the tree. At that very moment, I proclaimed the event throughout the great three-thousandfold world so that all might know of it.

The Buddha gradually journeyed onward to the Deer Park in Varanasi, the dwelling place of the seers, and went directly to where the five men were staying. When the five saw the Buddha approaching from afar, they agreed among themselves, “Friends, do you see the ascetic Gautama coming? He is confused and irresolute and has failed to attain his aim.

In observing the scriptural precepts and undertaking the many meritorious practices, he has acted contrary to and strayed from the path of cultivation. If he comes here, none of us should rise or go out to welcome him.” Yet as soon as the five men saw the Buddha approaching, radiant with majestic spiritual power and possessing immeasurable sacred virtue, they could not force themselves to remain seated. Spontaneously, without anyone prompting the others, they all rose from their seats, went forward to welcome the Blessed One, and said together:

—Welcome, Holy Venerable One!

Then one of them received his Dharma robe, another took his alms bowl, another went ahead to spread out a seat and invite him to sit, another bowed his head in homage, and another fetched water for the Buddha to wash his feet. At that time, the Buddha asked the five men:

“You agreed among yourselves not to welcome the Tathagata. Why did you not hold firmly to your resolve? I reflect that, because of me, you have long endured unrest and encountered many hardships. Now I shall repay your kindness.

“You should know that I have attained the fruit of perfect enlightenment, reached omniscience, and see throughout the ten directions. I have attained purity and am free of all afflictions, serene and sovereign. With regard to all dharmas, I am no longer obstructed. For your sake, I shall teach the Dharma that transcends birth, old age, illness, and death.” At that time, the five men bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet and, repenting, reproached themselves: “We were foolish and deluded, not knowing what was true and right; we were arrogant and would not submit.”

Having spoken, they reverently prostrated themselves upon the ground and reproached themselves deeply.

At that time, the Blessed One emitted light from his body. That light illuminated the three-thousand-great-thousand worlds of the Buddhas, reaching everywhere without exception. From within the light, these verses spontaneously resounded:

From Tusita Heaven, his body

Descended in spirit into his mother’s womb.

In the Lumbini Garden,

He was born and took seven steps.

At once he uttered the lion’s roar;

The Four Heavenly Kings and Sakra received him.

His voice surpassed Brahma Heaven;

Most honored throughout the three periods of time,

He extinguishes all evil destinies.

He left home to study the Way,

Establishing the practice of diligent austerity,

And went to the foot of the Bodhi tree.

He subdued the hostile maras

And attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Now, at the abode of the seers,

He turns the wheel of the true Dharma.

Brahma reverently entreated him

To expound the unsurpassed Dharma.

The Able Sage silently assented,

Out of compassion for all beings.

He vowed to establish it firmly

In the Deer Park at Varanasi,

Where he would turn the great Dharma wheel,

Supreme and unsurpassed by any.

Those who wish to hear the true Dharma,

Who in the past accumulated virtue countless times,

Should swiftly come to that place

And hear the true Dharma in due time.

A human body is extremely difficult to obtain;

Encountering a Buddha in the world is harder still.

The precious Dharma is difficult to encounter;

Abandon the eight evils and all adversities.

Today is precisely the time

To meet the Buddha, hear his teaching, and gain faith.

Cast off all calamities

And hear and accept the Dharma taught by the Buddha.

Though for countless successive kalpas it has not been heard,

May one now encounter the Dharma at once.

Today it shall be heard;

Do not be heedless or indolent.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“The earth spirits proclaimed: ‘By the Buddha’s sacred decree, erect a high seat so that he may turn the Dharma wheel.’ From his golden mouth, the Buddha, the Great Sage, declared: ‘I am the foremost and most honored one throughout the ten directions. Beneath the Bodhi tree, I subdued Mara’s armies and utterly severed the root of suffering!’”

At that time, the Able Sage, the Blessed One, abided in quiescence. He had shattered the afflictions of suffering, fulfilled his aspirations, and was no longer bound by anything. Throughout a hundred kalpas, his deeds had been dedicated to liberating sentient beings. In his turning of the Dharma wheel, there was no one who did not rejoice. Abiding in radiance and endowed with awesome spiritual power, he encouraged and transformed innumerable hundreds of thousands of true disciples of the Buddhas. Throughout a hundred billion Buddha lands, he had performed countless Buddha deeds in the presence of the Buddhas, revealing the exceedingly gentle voice and true merit of the Tathagata. With profound compassion, he encouraged and aided all people and kept them in mind.

Beholding his radiant majesty, cultivated through the means he had contemplated for hundreds of thousands of kalpas, he sent forth a thunderous voice, likewise for the sake of sentient beings. He rained down water possessing eight qualities, extinguishing all that was experienced, and cultivated the faculties, powers, factors of enlightenment, meditative contemplation, gates of liberation, concentration of mind, right attainment, and the nature of the Way.

For innumerable kalpas, in accordance with the dharmas he had heard, he personally established practices and accumulated the Dharma of the Way. He distinguished among medicines and clearly understood the karma of sentient beings. Whenever anyone fell ill, he healed that person, causing them no longer to think upon the defilements of worldly toil through many lifetimes.

The Buddha is the physician of the Dharma who liberates sentient beings. By turning the Dharma wheel, he brings boundless liberation. From innumerable kalpas onward, the renown of his spiritual powers and the wondrous Dharma of the Way has spread everywhere; all virtues constitute accumulated goodness and the giving of Dharma.

He thoroughly understands medicine and has fulfilled his practices and vows. Though dwelling among the poor and destitute, he has no craving that would lead him to pursue wealth through deluded inversions. The Buddhas are guiding masters who constantly turn the Dharma wheel.

They do not think of wealth, gold, or silver, but delight in relying upon purity. Fragrant flowers, blended incense, powdered incense, palaces, wives and children, and even their own bodies—they neither delight in these nor regard them as happiness. They relinquish sensual pleasures in the heavenly and human realms, set their resolve upon seeking the Buddha Way, turn the Dharma wheel, practice generosity, aid sentient beings, and fully uphold the precepts.

Throughout a hundred kalpas, they constantly practice patience, vigor, and diligent cultivation, without timidity, increase, or decrease. Intent upon meditative contemplation, they attain spiritual powers, develop wisdom, fulfill their aspirations, turn the Dharma wheel to dispel the fever of affliction, and establish the Dharma of the Way.

At that time, a bodhisattva named Arousing the Resolve to Turn the Dharma Wheel praised this Dharma as surpassing all worldly treasures. Of all precious things, the treasure of the Way is supreme. The Way is exceedingly beautiful, splendidly adorned, and pure. A thousand rays of light from the Way illuminate the whole world. With a sincere heart, the bodhisattva personally brought fragrant flowers, banners and canopies, curtains of pure gold, and vessels filled with perfumed water. Reverently joining his palms, he asked to bathe the Bodhisattva, so that all impurities of the mind might be completely cleansed and well-being established.

At that time, the Blessed One immediately turned the Dharma wheel. To encourage and assist him, the bodhisattva again joined his palms, made offerings to the Blessed One, and spoke these verses in praise:

Dipamkara Tathagata

Bestowed the pure, sacred prediction:

“You shall attain the Buddha’s enlightened resolve,

A lion, the Honored Teacher among humans.”

At that time, he made his vow,

Taking the practice of Dharma as his model,

So that, upon attaining the Buddha Way,

He would encourage and support the Dharma of the Way.

Entering innumerable kinds of karmic activity,

Always for the sake of all

The various kinds of sentient beings,

He aided those from the ten directions to assemble,

Encouraged and assisted all clans,

And proclaimed the turning of the Dharma wheel.

With joined palms, they personally rendered service,

Bowed their heads, and prostrated themselves.

There beneath the Bodhi tree,

He purified devas and humans.

Those who practice pure karma

And make offerings to the Able Sage

All stand motionless,

Requesting him to expound the great Dharma wheel.

All people assembled there

Could never finish praising his virtue.

Throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world,

Pervading all of space,

Devas and asuras,

And all beneath heaven bowed their heads.

His voice surpassed those of all devas;

For a moment, no one could believe it.

Everyone rejoiced,

And all gazed reverently upon the Tathagata.

Brahma, master of himself,

Had a voice like rain and thunder.

Hundreds of thousands of countless billions

All came together and assembled.

Throughout innumerable billions of kalpas,

He practiced the true Way correctly.

When Buddha Sakyamuni

Spoke with Kaundinya,

He taught suffering, emptiness, and the absence of self,

Saying that the eye is impermanent,

And that the ear and nose do not endure,

But naturally become obscured.

The head and face are likewise conditioned by nature;

None of the faculties abides permanently.

Through contemplating in this way,

There is neither self nor lifespan.

For all dharmas

Arise through causes and conditions.

If one abandons those views and attachments,

One sees them as empty space.

One sees neither perception nor fabrication,

Nor does one perceive sentient beings.

Whether conditions are pure or impure,

One must not depart from this.

The five skandhas do not arise;

Their arising is exceedingly painful.

They bring forth the abyss of craving and attachment,

And practices following them increase and diminish.

By constantly contemplating equality,

One attains the true meaning of the Way,

Leading to the cessation of all dharmas;

Upon clearly understanding them, one can cease them.

When conceptual thoughts arise,

Do not follow and act upon them.

Constantly cultivate the practice of luminous wisdom,

And follow the Way in this manner.

Right amid the activity of causes and conditions,

Establish nothing whatsoever.

Although abiding in consciousness,

Do not unite with causes and conditions.

Chapter 24: KAUNDINYA

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

—At that time, the Tathagata revealed the Dharma and clearly explained the origin and arising of the twelve links of dependent origination:

From ignorance arise formations; from formations arises consciousness; from consciousness arise name and form; from name and form arise the six sense bases; from the six sense bases arises contact; from contact arises feeling; from feeling arises craving; from craving arises grasping; from grasping arises becoming; from becoming arises birth; and from birth, aging, sickness, and death gather together, forming a great mass of suffering.

If ignorance ceases, formations cease; when formations cease, consciousness ceases; when consciousness ceases, name and form cease; when name and form cease, the six sense bases cease; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; when contact ceases, feeling ceases; when feeling ceases, craving ceases; when craving ceases, grasping ceases; when grasping ceases, becoming ceases; when becoming ceases, birth ceases; and when birth ceases, aging, sickness, and death all cease. Then the grievous suffering associated with the five skandhas no longer remains. When conditions are present, it exists; when conditions are absent, it does not exist.

The Tathagata clearly understood the origin of these six sense faculties and twelve links of dependent origination. Therefore, he freely realized that all dharmas are naturally without an originating source. The followers of non-Buddhist paths do not understand the emptiness of all dharmas or their lack of origination through these causes and conditions.

These dharmas have always been thus. The Buddhas of the past understood them clearly and explained them distinctly for sentient beings. Only by clearly understanding this Dharma can one attain quiescence.

Therefore, in order to reveal and teach the twelve links of dependent origination, they turned the Dharma wheel. Kauṇḍinya understood that Dharma. Kauṇḍinya means one who understands the root and the branches.

Because all defilements were completely extinguished, the Three Jewels were established: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the noble Sangha are the names of the Three Jewels. The proclamation spread throughout the world and resounded as far as the Brahma heavens: “Today the Tathagata has turned the pure Dharma wheel. The World-Protecting One, the Most True, has established the Three Jewels, which people in the world can scarcely attain.”

Kauṇḍinya and the other five bhikshus, together with six billion devas, attained the pure Dharma eye. A further eight billion celestial beings of the form realm attained the pure Dharma eye of unsurpassed, right, and true awakening. Eighty thousand people of the world who attended the Dharma assembly also attained the pure Dharma eye and transcended all suffering.

At that time, the Buddha’s voice was heard throughout the ten directions. Celestial spirits in the sky heard a harmonious proclamation: “The World-Honored One of the Ten Powers, Śākyamuni, has turned the Dharma wheel among the sages in the Deer Park, expounding the twelve links of dependent origination and teaching all beings so that they may fully understand them.”

When the Buddhas throughout the ten directions heard that proclamation, they all remained silent. The devas, nāgas, asuras, and attendants of those Buddhas addressed their respective Buddhas: “That voice, distinctly explaining all dharmas, is heard everywhere here. Excellent, World-Honored One! Please quickly make your intention clear. Why do you remain silent?”

In former lives, silently and diligently relying on this power of the Path to train in the Path, he surpassed innumerable hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas and personally attained Buddhahood. Now this One of the Ten Powers has diligently cultivated and attained Buddhahood. He turned the Dharma wheel three times, comprising twelve aspects of practice.

This threefold turning of the Dharma wheel, comprising twelve aspects of practice, is without any mind of the past, present, or future. Therefore, upon hearing that proclamation, hundreds of billions of people awakened the power of wisdom and established themselves on the Great Path. They all thought: “We should emulate that Buddha’s awesome spiritual power and diligent vigor, so that we may swiftly attain the honored fruition in the three times, provide the world with the eye of the Path, and enable all beings swiftly to attain unsurpassed, right, and true awakening.”

At that time, eight celestial princes came and assembled together. They were Divine Marvel, Celestial Marvel, Joyful Delight, Increasing Joy, Sandalwood, Great Joy, Serene One, and Serene Discipline.

These eight celestial princes of equal rank from the Pure Abodes, together with one thousand celestial princes, all came and assembled to hear the World-Honored One turn the Dharma wheel. The Great Sage then said to the celestial prince Great Divine Marvel:

—This sutra is now called “The Universal Splendor Great Vaipulya Dharma.” Bodhisattvas delight in entering the realm of the Buddhas; light radiates everywhere from their bodies, and through diligent vigor they themselves attain Buddhahood.

Because the Tathagata has taught it, we shall therefore receive and retain it, read and recite it, faithfully practice it, and teach it again to everyone.