觀察諸法行經

CHAPTER THREE: PROPHECY OF ENLIGHTENMENT

II—Thereupon, the Blessed One again addressed the great bodhisattva King of Joy:

“O King of Joy! Suppose a bodhisattva, relying upon the beings who belong to me, were for as many kalpas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges to practice giving, uphold the precepts, cultivate patience, arouse diligence, enter meditative concentration, and cultivate wisdom. Suppose another bodhisattva were to have faith in and understand the selflessness of all dharmas.

The latter would surpass the former in the accumulation of merit produced and would swiftly attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Why is this so? O King of Joy!

In the distant past, incalculable kalpas ago—beyond calculation, beyond measure, immeasurable, and inconceivable—at that kala (immovable), at that samaya (equality), a Tathagata appeared in the world named King of the Majestic Wheel of Precious Light, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons to Be Tamed, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.

His world was named Possessing Treasures, and the kalpa was named Should Go.

“Furthermore, O King of Joy! At that kala and that samaya, the Possessing Treasures world of the Blessed One, the Tathagata King of the Majestic Wheel of Precious Light, was rich, abundant, and exceedingly delightful. Its numerous inhabitants gathered together amid lively activity.

The ground was as level as the palm of a hand and had no potsherds or gravel. Gold and silver were abundant, and it was as soft to the touch as a garment of ki-chan-lau-ni-ka. Eight interconnected roads, splendidly adorned, were entirely the color of blue vaidurya.

Golden Jambunada lotuses naturally grew throughout most of the land. The flowers were as large as cartwheels, beautiful in color and richly fragrant. That world was vast, containing as many as sixty-four kotis of hundreds of thousands of continents.

In each set of four continents were sixty-four kotis of hundreds of thousands of cities. Each of those great cities was thirty-two yojanas wide, had walls made of the seven treasures, and was inhabited by many kotis of nayutas of hundreds of thousands of beings. Each great city was surrounded by twelve thousand villages, towns, wards, and settlements.

Every one of those great cities was surrounded and adorned by five hundred pleasure gardens filled with all kinds of precious trees bearing fragrant flowers and fruit. Each of those gardens contained thirty-two lotus ponds filled to overflowing with water complete in the eight qualities. Golden sand covered their beds, and precious railings interspersed with blue vaidurya surrounded them.

Precious utpala, padma, kumuda, and pundarika lotuses and others grew in those gardens. Birds such as geese, wild geese, melodious-voiced birds, peacocks, mandarin ducks, kalavinkas, and jivajivakas dwelt among those utpala, padma, kumuda, and pundarika lotuses, each giving forth its own song.

“O King of Joy! At that kala and that samaya, the Blessed One, the Tathagata King of the Majestic Wheel of Precious Light, had a garden named Lovely to Behold, where the Blessed One resided. The king who ruled that realm, named Possessing the Moon, dwelt there together with seventy-two kotis of sravakas and eighty-four kotis of bodhisattvas, all of whom were irreversible. O King of Joy! The realm ruled by King Possessing the Moon contained seventy-two kotis of inhabited places. Eight roads interconnected those places.

“Furthermore, O King of Joy! The realm ruled by King Possessing the Moon was sixty-four yojanas wide, with walls of the seven treasures, railings of the seven treasures, all kinds of precious gate pillars, and rows of tala trees, all hung with nets adorned with small bells. Furthermore, O King of Joy! At that kala and that samaya, within the realm ruled by King Possessing the Moon was a king named Precious Moon. Throughout four thousand continents he freely turned the wheel of sovereignty and governed his kingdom in accordance with the Dharma.

“Furthermore, O King of Joy! In every region governed by that King Precious Moon and King Possessing the Moon, palaces and residences made of the seven treasures had been constructed. Each was four yojanas wide and had seven enclosing walls, and so forth, up to and including nets adorned with bells made of the seven treasures encircling them and nets of mani jewels covering them from above.

Within those palace residences, in the four directions, were four great gardens. The first was named Variegated Painted Chariots, the second Ever-Blooming Flowers, the third Rare to Behold, and the fourth Delight in Right Conduct. All kinds of trees grew in those great gardens: precious trees, flower-bearing trees, fragrant trees, fruit-bearing trees, necklace-bearing trees, garment-bearing trees, music-producing trees, phusa trees, trees surmounted by the moon, and trees crowned with the blazing sun.

Each of those great gardens contained four great lotus ponds filled to overflowing with sandalwood-scented water, surrounded by precious railings, with Jambunada golden sand covering their beds. Precious utpala, padma, kumuda, and pundarika lotuses covered those ponds, while mandarin ducks called together in harmony.

“Furthermore, O King of Joy! King Precious Moon had forty-two thousand women who ranked among celestial maidens. Foremost among them was a great celestial consort named Possessing Merit. Her radiant beauty far surpassed that of the devas. Furthermore, O King of Joy! King Precious Moon had twelve thousand sons, all of surpassingly wondrous appearance, inspiring faith and affection in everyone who saw them. The foremost son possessed perfectly complete and pure beauty, and his entire body was adorned with twenty-eight marks of a great man.

“O King of Joy! King Precious Moon left his palace and went to the garden named Joyful to the Mind and Lovely to Behold, where he wandered and enjoyed himself. Suddenly, upon the instep of the foremost celestial consort, Possessing Merit, a child was spontaneously born. He was of surpassingly wondrous appearance, inspiring faith and affection in all who saw him, and was endowed with all twenty-eight marks of a great man. At the moment of his birth, the child spoke these words: ‘All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, have no abiding place, and do not remain at rest; the deluded turn toward conditioned dharmas.’ The child then continued by speaking these verses:

All conditioned phenomena are impermanent and do not remain at rest;

They neither abide nor endure; the deluded turn toward conditioned dharmas.

Ordinary and lesser beings conceive this to be lasting peace,

For, indulging their desires, they lack right mindfulness.

Humans and devas who pursue ‘existence and desire’

Are all impermanent, and their essential nature comes to an end.

Never yet have they found satisfaction in desire;

Unstable, painful desire is the root of suffering.

There is a Blessed One named Precious Light;

He teaches the undefiled, unconditioned Dharma,

Wherein the faculties become quiescent and are no more,

And the noble, uncontaminated bliss of bodhi.

Hear now these words that I present:

A Tathagata’s appearance in the world is difficult to encounter.

Therefore, let us go together before the Blessed One, the Well-Gone One,

The Deva above devas, whose conduct is radiant.

“O King of Joy! At that time, King Precious Moon addressed the youth in verse:

Are you a deva, naga, yaksha, or spirit?

Youth, explain this meaning to me.

Immediately upon being born, you spoke such words

And uttered praise of the Buddha-Dharma.

Where did you die before coming into this world?

What is your name? Tell me!

Light shines everywhere throughout the garden;

You manifest the majestic spiritual power of supreme virtue.

The youth replied:

In the eastern quarter there is a great man,

A guiding teacher named Sumeru Assemblage.

I died there and came into this world;

I wish to behold Dharma King Precious Light.

Thus, Supreme Dharma is my name;

I now vow to cultivate the wisdom of a Buddha.

If you wish to hear the most honored teaching,

You should go together with me before the Well-Gone One.”

O King of Joy! At that time, King Moon-Jewel, together with the youth Dharma-Supreme, the women, the princes, and a great multitude surrounding them, went weeping to the Garden of Loving Regard, toward the place where the Blessed One Jewel-Light-Majestic-Wheel-King Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, was dwelling. Having arrived, the king bowed at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, and withdrew to stand to one side.

The great multitude accompanying the king also bowed at the feet of the Blessed One Jewel-Light-Majestic-Wheel-King and withdrew to stand to one side. After the youth Dharma-Supreme had paid homage at the feet of that Blessed One, he cried out there and spoke these words: “Blessed One! The Tathagata Sumeru-Accumulation sends his greetings and asks whether the Blessed One has little illness and little affliction, whether he dwells and travels at ease, and whether his strength and activity are comfortable.” Having spoken, the youth stood before the Blessed One Jewel-Light-Majestic-Wheel-King Tathagata, faced that Blessed One, and spoke these verses:

Supreme One, recipient of inconceivable offerings,

Most Victorious One, who expounds the practice of noncontention,

You liberate immeasurably many sentient beings;

Lord of Humans seated upon the throne, I now bow to you.

In these three thousand realms, you are the King of the Teaching;

The Blessed One skillfully bestows the treasure of Dharma,

Extensively proclaiming for beings the precious treasury of Dharma,

Defeating King Mara and the armies of rakshasas.

Amid the assembly, like the moon, you shine everywhere,

Proclaiming the path that crosses to the shore of liberation;

Teacher of the five powers and the five faculties,

Sugata endowed with the five eyes, I take refuge in you.

The Teacher has utterly departed from all afflictions;

Journeying throughout this land, you are a wheel-turning king,

Having cast off the three defilements, your vision is like an eye—

A pure eye, free from worldly impurity.

Mahoragas, humans, and all living beings—

None fails to turn toward the Supreme One.

The Most Victorious One is neither high nor low;

I now reverently bow to the Kinsman of the World (one close to the world).

In gain and nongain, your practice remains impartial;

Your marks blossom like flowers, O moon among men (moon-like noble being?).

Like a lotus flower, you are unstained by worldly dharmas;

The Kinsman of the World can sever the branches of craving.

Well disciplined and completely perfected, your mind is subdued;

Impartial in giving and morality, your mind is free from anger.

Sentient beings difficult to tame have all been tamed;

O moon among men, Sugata whose mind is subdued (?),

Your speech is gentle, skillful, and pleasing;

When you speak, you can move the three-thousandfold world.

Devas, nagas, asuras, and humans as well

Each think, “It is for me that he speaks.”

This is emptiness, devoid of the nature of a sentient being;

It has no marks, and aspirations also dissolve and depart.

Here you teach that there is “no place of departure”;

There is likewise no coming, nor is there death.

The dharmadhatu is unmoving and has no abiding place;

It clings neither to the former world nor the world to come.

The interval between them is like empty space;

You teach this Dharma beyond conceptual thought.

The Blessed One constantly speaks of ultimate reality;

Within it, beings of all worlds revolve in delusion and confusion.

Like the blind, filled with affliction and wrath,

They give rise to notions of self and person.

These dharmas resemble clouds and illusions;

What the eye beholds is unmoving and empty.

If one attains this supremely wondrous acceptance,

The Teacher will continually watch over such people.

It is like drawing many things in empty space:

There is no place, not a single place to abide.

Thus, one naturally knows the place of abiding;

Therefore, there is not a single place to abide.

All sounds, when heard, possess no reality;

Nor can any abiding place be perceived.

Whether hearing or speaking, it is likewise so;

Their original nature is unmoving and empty.

The essential character of the Victor through Dharma is also empty;

One will behold manifestations as illusions.

If one sees reality without discrimination,

One will behold the Sugata in the same way.

Realms and nonrealms—all realms are equal;

All Buddhas are equal, and the Buddha’s virtues are equal;

All dharmas are equal, quiescent, and empty;

All sentient beings are equal in being devoid of a sentient being.

The inexhaustible is wholly extinguished within exhaustion;

The inexhaustible is wholly extinguished, yet not within exhaustion.

That exhaustion is not exhaustion; exhaustion is inexhaustible;

Such acceptance continually accords with this.

Discrimination—through discrimination, discrimination arises;

Yet all dharmas have no place from which to arise.

Even if they have arisen, they have never arisen;

Such acceptance continually accords with this.

Seeing is always devoid of any essence of seeing;

Or what is seen is not as it is contemplated.

Or one sees these dharmas as empty;

Such acceptance continually accords with this.

Never has the former world truly been known;

Because the Most Victorious ultimate reality is not known.

Reality is forever without reality; if it is penetratively known,

Then that former limit (the former world) is accordingly cut off.

Within boundaries, one does not rely upon the boundless;

One never abides on this shore or the other shore.

If there is no abiding place within the three realms of existence,

Then one abides within ultimate reality.

If one abides within ultimate reality,

Then there is no abiding place within the three realms.

If there is no abiding place within the three realms,

Then one perpetually abides in ultimate reality.

If form is seen as resembling gathered foam,

And feeling is known to be like a floating bubble,

While perception is like a blazing flame,

Then, knowing thus, one abides in ultimate reality.

The aggregates are conditioned and impermanent;

When discerned, they resemble the trunk of a plantain tree.

Knowing the mind to be the same as an illusion,

That mass is then dispersed and extinguished.

If one skillfully cultivates loving-kindness and compassion,

Depending neither upon oneself nor upon others,

And cultivates the pure, supreme practice of mindfulness,

One will become a Buddha, pure as a deva.

If one completely departs from all pervasive afflictions,

Then one has never engaged in grasping or attachment.

Renouncing every possession, abandoning them utterly—

Such giving is praised by the Buddha.

If one sees the body as resembling the moon in water,

Knows spoken words to be like echoes,

And knows the mind to be like lightning in the sky,

Such morality is supreme within the three realms.

If, upon reaching the other shore, one has perfected patient acceptance,

One’s mind is not harmed by external circumstances.

Skillfully knowing the six faculties to be like an empty village,

Such acceptance is praised by the Sugata.

Fearless, if one delights in solitary tranquility,

Illuminated wisdom repeatedly traverses its sphere.

Body and mind are quiescent, and one’s conduct is upright and pure;

Such vigor is supreme within the three realms.

If one extinguishes the intrinsic nature of affliction,

The person of quiescent wisdom is empty of discrimination.

If perceptions do not revolve within the three realms,

Such samadhi is praised by the Sugata.

If one knows that no person exists herein,

One immediately attains supreme wisdom.

Thus, departing from conceptual proliferation, one becomes quiescent;

Within the three realms, that wisdom is unsurpassed.

If one is never weary amid existence,

Enduring hardship while practicing for kalpas in the words of wisdom,

And never aspires to an inferior vehicle,

Then all the hosts of Mara are struck with terror.

It is like taking a single drop of water from the ocean:

What I have spoken of the Most Victorious One’s supreme virtues

Is but a drop; the Buddhadharma is vast and boundless,

And its farthest shore has never been reached.

O King of Joy! At that time, when the youth Dharmottara recited these verses before the Tathagata Jewel-Light Majestic Wheel-King, the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world-system shook in six ways. Hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of musical instruments sounded simultaneously, and fragrant substances, garlands, anointing perfumes, and powdered incense rained down. Eight thousand bodhisattvas all attained patience with regard to the non-arising of dharmas. King Precious Moon, together with the women, the youths, and that great assembly, all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

O King of Joy! The youth Dharmottara then addressed the Tathagata Jewel-Light Majestic Wheel-King, saying: “World-Honored One! By which samadhis will great bodhisattvas be able to embrace all dharmas?

How will they embrace Buddha-fields adorned with meritorious qualities? How will they fully assemble congregations of shravakas and bodhisattvas? How will they obtain unsurpassed wealth and enjoyments?

How will they transcend all maras and evil afflictions? How will they perfect right mindfulness, right intention, right orientation, moral shame, moral dread, steadfastness, and wisdom? How will they retain all that they have heard?

How will they perfect the five superknowledges and supreme wisdom? How will they attain unattached, joyful eloquence and dharani? How will they perfect eloquence?

How will they perfect the six paramitas? How will they perfect birth, family, lineage, physical form, and enjoyments? How will their speech and actions bring delight?

How will they perfect all meritorious qualities? How will they become skilled in entering and emerging from meditative concentrations, liberations, and samadhis? How will they perfect the various meritorious qualities of wisdom and, though they have not yet attained universal wisdom, constantly perform Buddha-works for sentient beings?”

When the youth had spoken thus before that Buddha, the Tathagata Jewel-Light Majestic Wheel-King said to the youth Dharmottara: “Youth, listen! Listen carefully, and give rise to wise reflection! I shall expound it for you. If great bodhisattvas perfect this samadhi, they will attain these qualities and immeasurable, innumerable other supreme meritorious qualities beyond reckoning; they will also swiftly proceed to the seat of enlightenment. Youth, there is a samadhi called Definitive Contemplation of the Practices of All Dharmas. Having attained this samadhi, great bodhisattvas transcend every realm of mara and swiftly awaken to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.”

For that youth, the Tathagata then extensively expounded this samadhi in verse:

As one speaks, so should one act;

Having acted, one does not speak falsely.

Body, speech, and mind are pure,

Possessing loving-kindness that brings benefit.

Never neglect compassion,

And grow weary of sensual conduct.

For the Dharma, ever joyfully seek;

Nor abandon wisdom and vows.

Be skillful in kindly speech,

Entering into the understanding of sentient beings.

Be unstinting in bodily deeds,

And entertain no craving for the body.

One should immediately abandon harsh speech,

And let the mind engage in no idle proliferation.

Rescue sentient beings from suffering,

And awaken those who are heedless.

Teach the diligent what accords with the path;

Lead the remorseful out of remorse.

Do not abide in the perception of sentient beings.

(The Sanskrit text is missing one line.)

Do not discriminate in perceiving phenomena;

Remain far removed from smoke and grasping.

All marks shall also be extinguished;

Remain unmoved amid enjoyments.

One should constantly seek wisdom,

And remain far from worldly speech.

One should seek to attain the supramundane,

With right mindfulness never forgotten.

Mindfully accord with all dharmas;

In this way, one will become wise and skillful.

Bring all tasks to completion,

While according with worldly conduct.

One should believe in karmic retribution,

And abandon the mind of disbelief.

One should have faith in all Buddhas,

And constantly remain mindful in accordance with this.

One should always confess one’s faults,

And rejoice in accumulations of merit.

Also entreat all Buddhas,

Paying homage and turning toward the World-Honored Ones.

Always subdue pride and conceit;

Never weary of doing good.

Always diligently practice what accords with the path;

Whatever you intend to do, do not abandon it.

Accomplish the practice of true cultivation;

One should understand the causes of what is produced.

Do not follow merely nominal designations;

When reproached, do not become angry.

Do not cling to words,

Nor think that they are ultimately real.

There is no need to abide in the Desire Realm,

Nor among the classes of the Form and Formless Realms.

As karma is formed, so its retribution is undergone;

One should believe in that result.

Share one’s possessions for others’ use,

And teach without disparaging or harming.

Be impartial toward sentient beings,

And harm not even a single person.

Be angry neither with the diligent nor the indolent;

Do not resent what others attain.

Fulfill the wishes of others;

Guard your vows in accordance with the Dharma.

Never depart from moral discipline;

Pride and conceit must be eliminated.

Transform the faults of resentment and anger,

And uproot delusion as well.

Do not allow sensual craving to arise and act;

Be content with whatever is obtained.

Abandon attachment to relatives and intimates;

When there is no gain, do not become dejected.

When gain is obtained, do not become elated;

Rejoice only in attaining the benefit of Dharma.

Always distribute things impartially,

And one should abandon hoarding.

On hearing abusive words,

Patiently endure them in silence.

Always guard your speech,

And speak of the Bodhi Vehicle.

Constantly exhort others to diligent practice;

Draw near to those who strive energetically.

Always inquire of the wise,

And thoroughly cultivate right concentration.

Do not abandon dwelling in secluded places;

Abide in dhutanga practices and fewness of desires.

One should have faith in and understand emptiness,

Without attachment to anything.

Do not rely upon or remain in settlements;

Have no sensual craving within the realms.

Do not perceive a self within,

Nor become attached to objects of experience.

Extinguish all inverted thoughts,

And constantly guard the mind.

One should give rise to wisdom,

And constantly perform deeds of right conduct.

Let that mind be neither fearful nor fainthearted;

One should be mindful of the pure field of merit.

All conditioned activities must be relinquished;

Having given, seek no reward.

Do not even entertain the thought of observing moral discipline,

And make no discriminations regarding patience.

Do not conceive the arousal of diligence,

Nor rely upon meditative concentration.

Do not forget any dharma;

Through wisdom, one should awaken and penetrate.

One should enter all the paramitas,

Reflecting on unprecedented illumination within meritorious qualities.

Hearing of others’ meritorious qualities, do not become resentful;

Regard the conditioned and unconditioned with an impartial mind.

At all times, take nirvana as your support;

Always remain far removed from the conditioned.

Constantly recognize liberation as peaceful and secure;

Regard the village as though it were a murderer.

Always give rise to love for the state of nirvana,

And constantly abide in harmonious patience.

With a joyful countenance, never wear a frown;

On seeing others, be the first to inquire after them.

Treat elders with loving compassion and respect,

And skillfully maintain continuity of the mind of wisdom.

Never rebuke or punish others;

If disputes arise, cause them to become peaceful.

Always praise places of tranquility,

And constantly teach sentient beings to unite in harmony.

Toward the loved and the unloved, keep the mind impartial;

Always seek the Gateway of Dharani.

Love all living beings as a mother does;

Love the noble ones as a father does.

Love and honor intimates as though they were kin;

Love bodhisattvas as Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.

Love the Dharma as you love your own body,

And seek to hear it without weariness or satisfaction.

Having heard the Dharma, correctly cultivate it;

Always make offerings to the Tathagata.

Have faith in and understand the supreme Dharma,

With neither timidity nor indolence of mind.

Always make offerings to the Three Jewels;

Always patiently endure improper words.

Never cherish attachment to your own body,

Nor be greedy or miserly regarding your lifespan.

Lead a pure life and always beg for alms;

Do not abandon the dhutanga practices, and follow the proper sequence.

Never depart from dwelling in secluded places;

Farther and farther away, one must leave the crowds behind.

Do not delight in dwelling together with householders;

Do not create disorder among renunciants.

Neither flatter nor deceive; speak kindly first,

And teach many people to enter the wisdom of the Buddhas.

When teaching the Dharma, let the mind be fearless;

Skillfully employ expedient means to discern others.

Always give rise to the Buddha within the mind,

And constantly recollect the Dharma without heedlessness;

Likewise, always show reverence toward the Sangha.

Always make offerings to the wise,

And constantly draw near to those wise in skillful means.

Always practice non-contention with those in concentration;

Assist the diligent with a benevolent mind.

Also be mindful of cultivating the Dharma and have faith in meritorious deeds.

Teach and transform sentient beings, causing them to do good;

Love those who possess faith, with an upright mind.

When confronted with suffering, be able to dispel it.

Always rely on timely practice; abandon what is untimely.

Always practice fearfulness and a sense of shame;

Amid those evils, give rise to shame and fear.

Having completely abandoned improper practices,

Always draw near to those who practice rightly.

For liberation, safeguard the precepts,

And also seek to enter the noble practice.

Constantly contemplate and cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness;

Always draw near to the four right efforts,

And the four bases of spiritual power will be perfected,

While the faculties will also arise.

One should seek the powers as well as samadhi,

And constantly examine the seven factors of awakening.

Always cultivate the eightfold path;

Seek also to gather shamatha,

And through vipashyana always give rise to the Truth.

When the mind rejoices in accord, examine it;

Within the Dharma, rejoicing in accord again gives rise to joy,

And one will also transcend all objects of attachment.

Hearing of the non-abiding place, do not be afraid;

Regarding what cannot be attained, do not be heedless.

Always aspire to the practice of bodhi.

Believe in and esteem the Buddha’s practice that is to be performed.

One should become disenchanted with and abandon the practice of sense-objects,

And also abandon practices previously performed.

Purify your own karma and do not speak of others’ faults;

Never violate the disciplinary practices, but always observe them.

Diligently study the precepts of individual liberation;

Abandon what is untimely and always rely on timely practice.

Skillfully considering both going and returning,

Know the measure of good things and restrain yourself;

Be content as one within the noble lineage,

And also seek entry into the higher knowledges.

In samadhi, one must take up the object of concentration,

And know how to enter meditative practice.

One must enter what is desired and give rise to it in the mind,

Following precisely the words of the guiding teacher.

One should also embrace the teaching of non-self;

If there are diligent practitioners, cause them to rejoice.

Mindfully cultivate it as the supreme essence;

This samadhi must always be kept in mind.

Having heard, trust in the right practice of the shravakas;

One must train in accordance with the path of the pratyekabuddhas.

The lineage of all Buddhas destroys the path of Mara;

This samadhi must always be sought.

The practice of supreme awakening is initiated through giving;

Those who do not regress practice as the Blessed One taught.

The many expressions of wisdom are the practice of the wise throughout the kalpas;

The true ocean of learning is the domain of Dharma practice.

Within this realm, revere the Dharma;

Faith and understanding are the gateway to truth.

This manifestation is the dwelling place of the Buddhas;

In this treasury of Dharma, seek precious jewels.

Within this field, seek that fruit;

The fever of afflictions is within the pleasure garden.

Delighting in upholding the Dharma—this is the garden;

Craving and views are that samadhi.

If one seeks the pure dharmas, this mother gives them birth;

Those who have desires attain non-reliance.

The supremely wondrous marks will captivate them,

And all beauties conforming to those marks will also appear.

Here one abides in an adorned land;

Here one also hears and preserves the teaching.

All manner of things arise; this accords with awakening;

The words are pure and the speech is true.

One can also transcend the realm of Mara,

Gather what is far-reaching, and don armor.

Slay the afflictions by relying upon discipline;

This also shatters all unwholesome things.

One wishes all wholesome qualities to flourish,

And wishes aspirations to serve as adornments.

Even Mara cannot destroy the great assembly;

The exposition of this is also inexhaustible.

This seeks equality with the world;

The treatise masters of non-Buddhist paths are not right and true.

This can transcend the Dharma of the shravakas;

This is the condition for the excellence of the pratyekabuddhas.

This preserves the wisdom of omniscience;

Here also abide the destinations of sentient beings.

This can truly instruct and admonish people.

At this time, choose the words of a good spiritual friend;

For those with immaculate faculties, this is the divine eye.

And if one wishes to seek the Dharma eye,

Seek a teacher of Dharma—this lights the torch.

Seek words of true vows—this makes them real;

Seek one capable of giving—this is relinquishment.

Seek the view of liberation—this accords with diligence;

Seek those who delight in samadhi—this is pure faith.

If one wishes to hear the ocean of Dharma, this is right practice;

The phrase that settles the currents of delusion—this is power.

If one wishes to seek the path of Dharma, this is the equal master.

To adorn matters with purity and subtle wonder,

Discipline one’s own mind—that is Brahma conduct.

Skillful means for seeking the Dharma—this is the joyful mind;

And non-retrogression—this is the sphere of practice.

This is the practice toward which speech proceeds;

Always be mindful of the wise, whose faculties are keen.

This is the initial work of skillful means;

The lordly man, the bull among kings—that is the banner of wisdom.

If one wishes to seek supremacy, that is like a bow and arrow;

Seeking non-self is naraya (?).

If one proceeds toward universal wisdom, this is the road;

Seeking wholesome liberation is equality in precepts.

This is the place where devas constantly pay homage;

This is the place where nagas continually scatter flowers,

And where humans all present offerings.

Rare yakshas offer excellent praise;

Hundreds of arhats also bow in joyful homage.

The supreme devas of bodhi also extol it;

All Tathagatas remain mindful of it themselves.

If one wishes to guard the faculties, that is the fortified citadel;

Abiding according to the Dharma accords with skillful means.

Relying upon samadhi, one attains equality;

Those who harbor doubts are caused to scatter and dispel them.

Those who harbor delusion are all caused to sever it;

The affliction of arrogance is caused to perish.

Those who wish to reach the other shore can be ferried across;

For the bonds of illness, this is good medicine.

For those who are ill, this is true treatment;

It can extract the poisoned arrow of affliction.

If one wishes to accord with reason, one gives rise to reflection;

In the assembly, one fearlessly roars the lion’s roar.

In the presence of the Sugata, seek to hear the Dharma;

And this constant path is nirvana.

It can sever all evil destinies,

And transcend every place within the three realms.

If one seeks a realm of merit, this is its adornment;

The vajra-like samadhi is here with it,

Giving rise at last to the lion throne.

In seeking merit, this is never lost;

All that one wishes to seek is gathered herein.

When constantly deficient and weary, it causes one to yearn upward;

Where vigor has not yet arisen, this arouses aspiration.

For those clinging to conditions, it establishes stability;

It shelters distinct Dharma practices and causes them to abide.

Possessing the essence of equality, this brings accomplishment;

For those relying on objects of pride and heedlessness, this dispels them.

Those who seize things arrogantly are caused to relinquish them;

It comprehensively knows every kind of wisdom throughout the entire ocean.

If one seeks wisdom, it arises from this;

If one seeks to establish an assembly of merit, this is never lost.

For those relying on the three realms of existence, this ends the aspiration;

In seeking bodhi, there are always no characteristics.

The dharmas of the three times are empty;

Having known this, do not relinquish them.

At all times, wisdom and skillful means

Act for the sake of all worlds.

The Buddha lineage laments;

Buddha-wisdom comes from there.

Do not seek out faults

In those teachers of Dharma,

And do not disparage

What you have seen but not yet studied.

Do not be angry with teachers of Dharma;

Draw near to and honor them.

Upon hearing the truth, know it as true;

Do not slander the wise.

When giving the Dharma, desire no material thing;

When teaching the Dharma, do not be miserly.

When hearing the Dharma, honor it wholeheartedly;

Do not let the mind become distracted.

Teach the Dharma with all your heart.

If you see people delighting in desire,

Do not cease giving them the Dharma;

Do not engage with other matters.

Patiently endure forthright questions,

Whether they ask for the sake of liberation

Or ask with malicious intent;

In such cases, cultivate patience.

Regret and doubt alike

Are all severed for their sake.

If you see those who have not attained the path,

Proclaim the path for them.

When contemplating this samadhi,

One readily attains the wisdom of the Blessed One.

In all deeds and all offerings,

Remain beside the teacher of Dharma.

Seek the supreme eightfold path;

Do not engage with other matters.

If an evil mind contends,

Subdue what is difficult to subdue.

Do not rely upon that “equal sufficiency”;

One should seek the bases of spiritual power.

Mindfulness, wisdom, and the spheres of practice—

Those who seek the Dharma

Give rise to them and all declare:

If the practice of bodhi is initiated,

The expressions of Buddha-wisdom are manifested,

And all those realms abide securely,

Teaching and transforming sentient beings.

If that teacher of Dharma speaks,

Its flavor is exceedingly delicious.

If that person practices in the aranya

And seeks the spiritual powers of free play,

Then they roar the lion’s roar.

The practices of those wise ones

Are praised together with quiescent cessation.

When fever is severed, there is coolness;

This is the phrase “not falling.”

The teaching of benefit releases bonds;

Joy and bliss arise in the body.

That mind is both awestruck and joyful;

The wise freely exercise wisdom.

They seek all-pervasive wisdom

And have pure faith in those dharmas.

Abiding in Buddha-wisdom without regressing,

They are resolutely dedicated to bodhi.

Pure dharmas are cultivated in accord;

All evils are cast away.

The dark auxiliaries are destroyed,

And pure dharmas then return of themselves.

Those who train in the precepts,

If they wish to seek merit,

Those people will attain it.

If they seek it, they will accord with it;

Those people will attain

The marks of dignity within the body.

This practice the Buddha knows and approves.

Having drawn near to the noble ones,

Bright wisdom illuminates within wisdom;

Universal wisdom and Buddha-wisdom are perfected.

Abiding here, they will behold

The wise and dignified ones.

Herein lies great power.

When the wise ask about their doubts,

Those doubts are eliminated,

And all afflictions are utterly extinguished.

Herein the Buddha-Dharma arises

And is praised by the Victorious One.

They leave behind evil realms

And all the afflictions they possess;

They do not lose any merit.

If they aspire to merit,

They associate with the wise.

Their love of the Dharma is supreme,

And they rejoice in the Dharma-eye,

Drawing near to the courageous.

Their exposition of Dharma flows like a stream.

If they wish to acquire skillful speech,

Once they have spoken, they protect

What is possessed by those who teach the Dharma,

And understand all causes and conditions;

They delight in meeting those on whom they may rely.

They skillfully accord with all dharmas,

Whether harmonious or not harmonious;

The essence of wisdom and skillful means are distinguished

After all dharmas have been explained.

Thus all dharmas are revealed;

Wisdom contemplates true reality.

To sever the net of craving,

All attachments of desire must be abandoned;

When ignorance therein dissolves,

Manifest radiance will be attained.

Comprehensively knowing their nature within,

That state is said to be nonattachment.

Knowing the mind and its manifold thoughts,

These have been extensively explained here;

Form and name encompass

What is spoken of therein.

Observing the six sense faculties

As one beholds an empty village,

And knowing external contact,

One will come to behold Buddha-wisdom.

If one is free from the three kinds of speech,

One apprehends what lies within;

And when the three kinds of craving are extinguished,

This is what is taught therein.

It is taught that one should abandon within;

If that which is produced there,

Together with existence, is utterly severed,

This is taught within this samadhi.

The arising of compounded illness is ended forever,

And one departs from what is called the poison of death.

Within the quiescence of all suffering,

The currents of discrimination,

All anxieties that agitate joy,

And evil thoughts are dispersed,

Bringing pure skillful means to perfection.

If one practices this Dharma,

Fully endowed with discernment,

And if there is a quest for supreme attainment,

It brings illumination amid evil anger.

If there are deluded eyes,

Herein the Buddha’s thunder resounds.

When the wheel of Dharma is turned,

This powerful practice is extolled.

Whatever worldly wisdom there may be

Is entirely eliminated herein.

If there are turbid and disturbing afflictions,

Herein all views are destroyed.

Whatever reliance on self there may be,

Whatever is received, given, or preserved,

All are fully explained herein,

Without confusion in Buddha-wisdom.

Thus one will attain excellence,

And all dharmas will continually increase.

This is the skillful path of wisdom,

Where pure dharmas ever gather in quiescence,

Far removed from all evil karma.

Always cultivate mindfulness of the Buddha-Dharma;

It is said that the outflows will not arise.

Do not sever the lineage of the Blessed One;

One must abide therein,

So that the Dharma lineage may shine forth

And the noble Sangha may embrace all.

One should subdue disputatious teachers

When adherents of other paths seek to rise.

When the Dharma is taught and called excellent,

They will offer praise.

Constantly practice the bodhi conduct,

Without conceptual thought therein.

Like the moon, toward all sentient beings

Always give rise to the thought of friendship.

Regarding all dharmas, be like the sun,

Always maintaining right reflection;

Continually give rise to the perception of the Teacher

Within the contemplation of this samadhi.

This samadhi is like a king,

Extensively taught for sentient beings,

Guiding the wise,

And bringing right faith in pure dharmas.

The fruit of amrita ripens to perfection,

Causing mindfulness to abide in former lives.

One is not defiled by entering the womb

And grows weary of childish ways.

When the virtues of the Buddha, the Great Sage,

Are praised without limit;

When the wisdom of the Blessed One is upheld;

When what the Sugata taught

Is transcribed with wisdom;

And when it is proclaimed—merit will be attained.

Having departed far from other paths,

This is the immovable state.

Words accepted by the world,

The words of all Buddhas,

The virtues of Buddhas of the past,

The aspirations sought in future lives,

And the Buddhas abiding in the present—

These are all precious treasuries.

To lead sentient beings into the practice,

The vehicle of the shravakas is taught.

Together with wisdom that never forgets,

This is the seal of the Buddha-Dharma.

From this comes vigor;

This is the unchanging jewel,

And all wisdoms are swiftly perfected.

Those wishing to inquire into the Buddha’s virtues,

Insatiable in their love of Dharma,

Will extinguish all fires of affliction

And perfect the wisdom of skillful means.

Separately contemplate the earth dhatu;

The water dhatu will enter within.

Enter the samadhi of the fire dhatu;

For the wind dhatu there is no abiding place.

The space dhatu is free from delusion;

It appears within the wisdom dhatu,

Causing entry into the Dharma-dhatu,

And disenchantment and departure from all conditioned activities.

It causes all defiled craving to dissolve

And deepens revulsion toward the oceans of existence;

It eliminates every calamity,

And other practices are also clearly understood.

Were one to speak of them, there would be no end.

Amid undefiled skillful means,

One will accordingly know the way forth.

Having abandoned the view of self,

One must also leave far behind what belongs to self.

Defiled attachment must be eliminated,

And arrogance should be subdued.

Like a dog going about in search of food,

One should have no greed when alms are given.

Once one has eaten, one should be fully satisfied;

Having eaten, one should know contentment.

One cannot do without the warmth of the skandhas;

The great flood must swiftly be crossed.

No treatise can refute one;

Be pure and upright, clinging to no conditions.

Depart far from sloth and torpor,

And draw near to those who teach the Dharma.

Immediately transcend restlessness and frivolity;

One should also extinguish doubt,

Cause all desires to dissolve,

And depart far from laziness.

The self cannot be found;

Cause non-self to become manifest.

Do not abide in attachment to life,

Nor should one cling to dharmas.

Do not contend over the Dharma;

Speak words equally consonant with the meaning.

With a mind skilled in reflection,

Know that all conditioned activities possess nothing.

One must draw near to the wise

And be timid in no place.

Therein one must have faithful understanding;

Among the assembly, do not be afraid.

Speak of the virtues of others;

Do not exalt yourself.

The conduct of universal wisdom

Must always be practiced.

Do not cling with desire to any dwelling place;

Be like a bird that flies away without a trace.

Do not practice for gain or offerings,

Nor be preoccupied with your own body.

Let the mind not decline;

Skillfully know the place for walking meditation.

One must accord with the cultivation of mindfulness;

Do not conceive or cherish expectations.

One should also seek liberation

And always dwell in a tranquil place.

Constantly be mindful of cultivating the pure conduct;

Through samadhi, it will quickly be attained.

Loving-kindness rests in an impartial mind;

Compassion embraces and guides beings in accord.

Use sympathetic joy to delight in the Dharma;

In equanimity, all must be relinquished.

Through moral discipline, cherish others;

Through samadhi, awaken to the Dharma;

Through wisdom, do what should be done,

So that afterward there will be no remorse or distress.

One must bring forth inexhaustible wisdom

And should also speak skillfully.

Though the word “self” enters into speech,

When speaking, seek no gain.

Do not delight in miscellaneous talk;

Thus abide without weariness or deficiency.

Neither reject nor grasp anything more;

All dharmas are the bodhisattva’s domain.

Do not destroy or disperse any dharma.

Thus teach with lucid clarity,

Without deceiving sentient beings.

One must take refuge in the Three Jewels

And fully embrace the true Dharma.

The vows one makes must be steadfast;

Do not delight in the Lesser Vehicle.

Day and night one should diligently apply oneself.

For the sake of seeking all dharmas,

Universal wisdom returns from there.

The Buddhas are this treasury;

Samadhi is like the ocean.

O Joyful King! At that time, the Tathagata Treasure-Light Majestic-Wheel King extensively expounded this “Samadhi of the Decisive Contemplation and Teaching of the Practices of All Dharmas” for the youth Dharma Supreme in verse. When he taught this samadhi, King Treasure-Moon, his sons, and his retinue attained non-retrogression from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. A full thousand beings aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, and the stages of training of immeasurable beings advanced.

O Joyful King! What do you think? Who was the youth named Dharma Supreme at that former time and on that former occasion? Was he someone else? You should not regard him as another person. Why is this? Good son, because you yourself were the youth named Dharma Supreme at that former time and on that former occasion.

Good son, as for the one called King Treasure-Moon at that former time and on that former occasion, he is none other than the great bodhisattva Maitreya today. The sons of that king are none other than these great bodhisattvas assembled and seated here.

O Joyful King! At that time, the great bodhisattva Dharma Supreme, together with his father, mother, elders, friends, and spiritual companions—a full thirty-six thousand kotis of beings—renounced the household life and went forth under the teaching of the Tathagata, the Blessed One Treasure-Light Majestic-Wheel King. O Joyful King! Because they delighted in the teaching of that Blessed One, very many became bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas.

At that time, the Blessed One, knowing the meaning of this matter and wishing to illuminate it further, then spoke the following verses:

I recall that, many kotis of kalpas ago,

There was a Supreme Victor named Treasure-Light.

His Sangha was exceedingly numerous,

As were the bodhisattvas who had ended the outflows.

That Buddha-land was delightful and pure,

Naturally adorned like a celestial palace;

Its ornaments, gardens, villages, towns, and cities

Were strewn with flowers, smooth and level as the palm of a hand.

Within it was a king named Treasure-Moon,

A sovereign ruling freely over thousands of continents.

Perfect in merit and wisdom, he was a sage,

Possessing vast spiritual powers and boundless treasuries.

The king was enjoying himself in a pleasure grove

When his queen conceived and gave birth to a youth.

Named Dharma Supreme, he was worthy of beholding,

Adorned with excellent marks and radiant golden form.

As soon as the youth was born, he spoke wondrous words,

Proclaiming and praising the Buddha’s Dharma.

He spoke of the evils of household life, devoid of leisure and virtue,

And also declared the faults of sensual desires.

He transformed and guided his parents and relatives;

The wise youth resolved to establish them in pure faith.

That king rejoiced and leapt with delight,

Then proceeded toward the Supreme Victor, the Great Sage.

The youth did not return inside the palace,

But remained with his father in the grove.

Together with their relatives and the great assembly,

Thirty-six kotis came before the Blessed One.

When that mighty elephant among kings arrived

And beheld Treasure-Light, the Dharma King,

His heart grew still more joyful, filled with supreme devotion;

He bowed at his feet and sat to one side.

Dharma Supreme also bowed at the feet of the Supreme Victor,

Then joined his palms and attended upon the Blessed One.

Having thus paid reverence to that Buddha,

The youth extolled him in verses of praise.

He offered abundant praise to the Supreme Victor,

The teacher and guide endowed with the true qualities of the Dharma-body.

The king, his sons, and all their followers

Aroused the aspiration for bodhi.

Dharma Supreme then questioned the Buddha,

Who taught this samadhi, quiescent and free from defilement:

Vigorously abiding in that samadhi,

One awakens to bodhi and subdues Mara.

The Honored One among Bipeds accepted his request,

Knowing that the youth’s mind possessed pure faith.

He then taught him the samadhi difficult to behold,

And praised its mighty virtue in verse.

That Buddha taught this samadhi,

The bodhi of all Buddhas, quiescent and free from defilement.

The king, his sons, and all his subjects

Then abided in Buddha-wisdom, never to regress.

Many trainees and those beyond training were present there;

They heard of such a quiescent samadhi.

Moreover, many kotis of beings

Aroused the aspiration for bodhi.

The king, his sons, and all their followers

Were caused to renounce and grow weary of the pleasures of the five desires.

At that time, the youth was their leader;

Thereupon they renounced the household life and went forth.

All who cherished the Teacher’s instruction—

Humans and devas throughout every place—

Became followers of that Sugata, exceedingly numerous,

Their number impossible to calculate.

Joyful King! In that former age,

You yourself were the youth called Dharma Supreme!

The one who was his royal father then

Is now the bodhisattva Maitreya!

All the princes who lived at that time

Are none other than the assemblies seated here!

Those beings within this continuum of realms,

Having understood, were established in pure conduct.

Therefore, having heard this quiescent samadhi,

You should accept and uphold it with constant pure faith.

Always teach it to others without stinginess;

Then Buddha-wisdom will not be difficult to attain.

The measure of that merit cannot easily be determined,

Even if described throughout immeasurable kalpas.

If you can uphold this supreme and excellent samadhi,

Teach it to the assemblies and do not be heedless.

At that time, the great bodhisattva Joyful King addressed the Buddha, saying:

“Rare indeed, Blessed One! This samadhi brings such abundant benefit, being able to bestow upon bodhisattvas Dharmas of merit and virtue and cause them to progress in their successive births. Blessed One! When bodhisattvas attain this samadhi, which Dharmas should they approach, cultivate in mindfulness, and practice extensively? Which Dharmas should they not approach, not cultivate in mindfulness, and not practice extensively? Excellent indeed, Blessed One! Which Dharmas should they possess, and which should they not possess? Blessed One, I pray that you will explain this extensively for me! O Sugata, I pray that you will distinguish it for me! Which Dharmas should a bodhisattva possess, and which should a bodhisattva not possess?”

The Buddha said:

– O Joyful King! A bodhisattva, while coursing in samsara, knows no weariness. A bodhisattva makes no distinctions among sentient beings. A bodhisattva does not appropriate wealth. A bodhisattva is impartial in giving. A bodhisattva never fails to respect the training; in observing the precepts, he gives rise to nothing. His mind is neither afflicted nor timid. He has no erroneous conceptions and does not attain anything through unreflective thought. A bodhisattva does not kill sentient beings, steal others’ possessions, or become attached to another’s wife. He does not speak of evil deeds, utter divisive speech, use harsh words, or engage in frivolous talk. He does not covet what belongs to others or follow anger and hatred. He does not hold a multitude of views as dense as a forest of practices. He does not transgress the aspiration for bodhi, slander the Dharma, or behave arrogantly toward the Sangha. There is none among those worthy of reverence whom he does not respect. He has no fear of the gates of liberation and no weariness in working for others. He neither praises himself nor disparages others. In conduct that perpetuates samsara, he does not acquiesce; in conduct that does not perpetuate samsara, there is nothing with which he does not accord. Having made a vow, he will certainly never alter it. Whatever he has undertaken, he will certainly never abandon halfway. He is grateful for what others do, yet seeks no recompense for what he himself does. He does not despise the powerless or look down upon those who have not yet studied. He does not cling to wife and children and harbors neither affection nor aversion. He keeps no private secrets from his teachers, and when serving as a teacher, conceals nothing of the Dharma. Regarding all dharmas, he entertains no thought of destruction. He does not weary of giving the Dharma and is neither indolent nor disheartened in seeking the Dharma. He does not preach because he is bound by gain, nor make friends for the sake of gifts. He does not flatter others while attending upon them, nor is he double-tongued. He does not approach and serve others through deceit. He does not despise the Dharma. He is free from notions of self and what belongs to self, does not cling to the body, and does not cherish his life. He holds no view of self and creates no enmity. Whether something is true or untrue, he does not malign it. When confronted with corrupting dharmas, he does not angrily expose them. His affection is not merely temporary, and he does not betray his friends. He does not deceive those with whom he is intimate. With regard to what is true and untrue, he does not offend through raising up or casting down, nor does he practice deception. He does not direct others at an improper time. Toward other sentient beings, he entertains no thought of rivalry. In undertaking affairs, he is not indolent. He does not impair patience, answer harsh words in kind, bind himself to enmity, or bully the lowly. He takes no delight in following jocular speech. With regard to fine delicacies, there is nothing he will not relinquish; with food and drink, there is nothing he will not share. When giving, he does not offer inferior things. He does not engage in improper conduct with women or entertain defiled thoughts toward men. He does not abandon right faith or relax his observance of the precepts. There is nothing of which he is not ashamed and remorseful, and nothing that does not inspire moral dread in him. He is not deficient in merit or learning. Having given, he does not regret it, and with regard to wisdom, he is not confused. There is nothing within the Three Jewels that he does not revere. He does not regard conventional truth as enduring, nor does he enter into attachment regarding ultimate truth. He holds no dense forest of views and does not grasp at a self. He does not lose right mindfulness, nor does he practice anything contrary to the right efforts. He does not become intoxicated by the bases of spiritual power. His faculties are not weak, and his powers are not feeble. Regarding the factors of awakening, there is nothing he does not understand. He does not waver from the Path. In samadhi, he does not cling to characteristics. In shamatha, he does not abide in a fixed state; in vipashyana, he makes no discriminations. With regard to knowledge and liberation, he does not realize them for himself alone. He encounters no obstruction concerning the truths. Regarding the perfections that carry one to the other shore, there is none he does not arouse. He is not attached to the aggregates, does not rely upon the dhatus, and does not seek attainment at an improper time. Among the shravakas, he holds no view of personal realization (100). Toward all bodhisattvas, he is never anything but a teacher. Regarding the ayatanas, he entertains no conception; regarding the various objects of cognition, he has no reliance. Through his own karma, he is not born in the lower realms. While dwelling in the womb, he experiences no suffering. In samsara, he has no delight, yet neither does he conceive of samsara as suffering. Wherever he is born, he has no fear. For all sentient beings, he is always a field of merit. He lacks no seed of virtue, yet when planting seeds, he never harbors expectations. For recipients who are fields of merit, nothing is left empty or wanting. In giving, he imposes no limits; in observing the precepts, he imposes no limits; and likewise, he imposes no limits upon patience, diligence, meditation, or wisdom. He also imposes no limits upon his course through samsara. His loving-kindness excludes no one, and his great compassion is impartial. He has no pride of family, no pride of wealth, no pride of physical appearance, no pride of sovereignty, no pride of retinue, no pride of great learning, no pride of observing the precepts, and no pride in dwelling in solitary places. He has no arrogance concerning the dhutanga virtues or contentment with few desires. He has neither the pride of pride nor anger and delusion, nor any latent tendency toward craving. Amid inverted views, he does not take them as true. Regarding purity and impurity, he does not regard them as two. He does not crave rebirth in the heavens or delight in sensual desire. He certainly does not associate intimately with those whose karma differs from his. He is never lacking in diligent accord and does not uphold worldly doctrines and disputations. Toward followers of non-Buddhist paths, he never fails to have compassion. Regarding things, he entertains no binding conceptions. He does not seek pleasure for his own body, harbors no feigned affection, and does not rely upon Mara. O Joyful King! Once the great bodhisattvas have made their vows, they certainly never change them until they finally reach the seat of bodhi (150). O Joyful King! These great bodhisattvas are all free from such faults. What they themselves should not do, they ought never to do. Among them, who is capable of practicing this Dharma? O Joyful King! Bodhisattvas must not malign others. A bodhisattva who does not malign others naturally attains stability. In every undertaking, he must remain unmoved and unremitting and must shoulder the heavy burden. He must not follow what is dark. In what is pure, he must bring benefit. In practices of limited scope, he must transcend limitation. He must also enter immeasurable practices. He must distance himself from the things that nurture attachment, yet he must never distance himself from the measure of the Dharma. He shall attain liberation from the suffering of birth and death. Once born into a life governed by discriminative thought, however, he will not be liberated. He must not adopt unwholesome karma. He must gather and restrain the faculties. In giving rise to afflictions, a bodhisattva must be miserly; in giving the Dharma, a bodhisattva must be neither miserly nor withholding. He must not study the teachings of non-Buddhist paths. He must skillfully cultivate whatever the Buddha has permitted him to study. Regarding tolerance of wrong views, he must be intolerant; regarding tolerance grounded in right view, his patience must be complete. In performing evil deeds, he must be indolent; in performing wholesome deeds, he must arouse diligence. Concerning birth in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he must put the thought out of mind. When roaming by means of the five supernormal powers, he must savor meditative concentration. Regarding terrifying incantations, the paths of poisoning, and rites for raising substitutes to die in another’s place, he must remain ignorant; regarding supramundane knowledge, he must cultivate wisdom. Like the moon, he must regard all sentient beings with an impartial mind and cause pure dharmas to increase. Like the sun, he must dispel darkness and produce the radiant light of wisdom. Like the earth, which is removed from both extremes, he must regard all sentient beings with an impartial mind. Like water, whether encountering what is clean or unclean, he must feel no aversion toward any impurity.

One should be like fire, burning away all afflictions. One should be like the wind, adhering to none of the dharmas. One should be like empty space, possessing immeasurable wisdom.

One should be like the ocean, never weary or satisfied in seeking roots of goodness. One should be like Mount Meru, unable to be overcome by other doctrines and arguments. One should be like the lotus, undefiled by the eight worldly dharmas.

One should be like trees, making no distinctions. One should be like the spiritual lineage, whose Dharma is inexhaustible and cannot be trampled by the afflictions. Amid the courses of sentient beings, one should proceed toward them without clinging to any course, while inwardly proceeding toward nirvana.

One should cultivate a field of goodness and remove the piercing thorns of evil and anger. One should skillfully choose faith as the beginning of practice. One should attain the great fruit by teaching the Four Truths.

One should gain great benefit within the Buddha-Dharma. One should attain unobstructed liberation-wisdom in samadhi and samapatti. One should attain joy through the joy of Dharma.

One should cross beyond the mire of suffering in birth and death. One should enter into accord through skillful means. One should perform wholesome karma and free oneself from what is discordant.

One should cultivate careful and patient discernment in realization. One should speak kindly, grounded in inward pure faith. One should become a steadfast friend all the way to nirvana, for such is the most excellent friendship.

One should be sincere and honest, without deceit. One should be upright, without flattery or crookedness. One should be gentle and easy to dwell with.

One should be pleasing, with inward faith and tenderness. One should go everywhere, adapting and moving in accord with circumstances. One should bring beneficent nourishment through great compassion.

One should cultivate ardent longing for the seat of bodhi. One should be free from craving amid sensual desires. One should bring fulfillment to the shravakas.

One should offer guidance and transformation to the pratyekabuddhas. One should maintain mindfulness of roots of goodness. One should remain alert to what is unwholesome.

One should safeguard the true Dharma. One should ensure that the lineage of the Three Jewels is never severed. One should cause all wholesome dharmas to blaze brightly.

O King of Joy! Great bodhisattvas should extinguish all evil karma. O King of Joy!

I have spoken briefly of the unwholesome qualities that bodhisattvas do not possess. As for the practices and wholesome dharmas that should be cultivated, I have declared that they do possess them. Thus should you train!

Such is the instruction I have given!

When the Buddha taught this sutra, the great bodhisattva King of Joy rejoiced, as did the great bodhisattvas who had come and assembled from other directions, together with the great assembly of devas, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and others. Upon hearing the Buddha’s words, none failed to rejoice in accord with them. Filled with joy, they leapt with delight, unable to contain themselves, and diligently made offerings. They all rejoiced exceedingly in what the Buddha had taught.