說無垢稱經

Fascicle Five

X — Chapter: The Buddha Fragrant Terrace

At that time, Shariputra thought: “The time for the meal is approaching, yet these great bodhisattvas have not finished discussing the Dharma. Where shall we shravakas and the bodhisattvas take our meal?” Knowing Shariputra’s thought, Vimalakirti said:

“Venerable sir! The Tathagata taught the eight liberations to the shravakas. Since you have already understood them, do not allow thoughts of material food to defile your mind; listen instead to the true Dharma. If you wish to eat, wait a little while, and you shall have food such as you have never had before.”

Having said this, Vimalakirti immediately entered the Subtle and Wondrous Tranquil Samadhi. Through his supreme spiritual powers, he caused the bodhisattvas and great shravakas to see, in the upward direction, beyond as many Buddha lands as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, a world called All Wondrous Fragrances. Its Buddha was named Supreme Fragrant Terrace, and he was presently dwelling there in peace and security.

In that land was a wondrous fragrance surpassing all others; even the fragrances found among devas and humans and throughout the Buddha lands of the ten directions could not compare with it. Every tree in that land emitted a sweet fragrance that permeated every place. In that land there was not even the name of the Two Vehicles; there was only an assembly of pure great bodhisattvas who listened to the Tathagata there expound the Dharma.

In that land, all towers, palaces, promenades, gardens, and garments were made of wondrous fragrances. The fragrant food eaten by the World-Honored One and the assembly of bodhisattvas in that land was supremely wondrous, and its fragrance permeated immeasurable Buddha lands.

As that Tathagata and the bodhisattvas sat together to take their meal, a deva named Fragrant Adornment, who had profoundly aroused the aspiration for the Mahayana, made offerings to the Tathagata and the bodhisattvas of that land.

At that moment, the entire assembly here saw that Tathagata and the bodhisattvas seated together taking their meal, together with all these events.

Vimalakirti asked all the bodhisattvas:

“Good sirs! Who among you can go there and bring back some of that wondrous fragrant rice?”

Because of Manjushri’s awe-inspiring spiritual power, all the bodhisattvas remained silent.

Vimalakirti asked Manjushri:

“Why do you not grant your empowering aid to this assembly, allowing matters to come to this?”

Manjushri said:

“Householder! You should not disparage or slander these bodhisattvas. As the Buddha taught: Do not disparage those who have not yet learned.”

Then, while still upon his couch, Vimalakirti conjured before the assembly a bodhisattva whose body shone like radiant gold, whose excellent marks were majestic, and whose awe-inspiring brilliance outshone the entire assembly. He said to him:

“Good man! You should go upward, beyond as many Buddha lands as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers from this Buddha land, where there is a Buddha land called All Wondrous Fragrances. Its Buddha is named Supreme Fragrant Terrace and is now taking his meal together with the bodhisattvas.

Go there, bow your head at the Buddha’s feet, and say: ‘In the lower direction, Vimalakirti bows his head at your feet and respectfully inquires whether the World-Honored One has little illness and little affliction, whether his movements are light and easy, whether his strength is in harmony, and whether he dwells in peace and happiness. From afar, his mind turns toward you; he circumambulates you to the right hundreds of thousands of times, bows at the World-Honored One’s feet, and asks to receive some of your leftover rice, so that he may return to the Saha world below and perform the work of a Buddha.

This will cause sentient beings who delight in inferior pleasures to aspire to great wisdom and will also cause the excellent renown of the Tathagata’s immeasurable virtues to spread everywhere.’”

Thereupon, before the assembly, the conjured bodhisattva rose into the sky, where everyone in the entire assembly could see him. Through swift spiritual power, in but a moment he arrived in the land of All Wondrous Fragrances, bowed at the feet of the Buddha Supreme Fragrant Terrace, and conveyed the message: “In the lower direction there is a bodhisattva named Vimalakirti, who bows his head at your feet and respectfully inquires whether the World-Honored One has little illness and little affliction, whether his movements are light and easy, whether his vital strength is in harmony, and whether he dwells in peace and happiness.

From afar, his mind turns toward you; he circumambulates you hundreds of thousands of times, bows at your feet, and asks to receive some of the World-Honored One’s leftover rice, so that he may return to the Saha world below and perform the work of a Buddha. This will cause sentient beings who delight in inferior pleasures to aspire to great wisdom and will also cause the excellent renown of the Tathagata’s immeasurable virtues to spread everywhere.”

Seeing this conjured bodhisattva, whose excellent marks were majestic and whose wondrous, supreme, awe-inspiring brilliance was extraordinary, the bodhisattvas of the upper region praised what they had never seen before, saying: “From where has this great being come? Where is the Saha world? Why are its pleasures called inferior?” They then asked the Tathagata Supreme Fragrant Terrace:

“We beseech the World-Honored One to explain this matter to us.”

The Buddha said:

“Good men! In the lower direction, beyond as many Buddha lands as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers from this Buddha land, there is a Buddha land called Saha. Its Buddha is named Shakyamuni Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One. He is presently dwelling there in peace and security amid an age of the five turbidities, teaching the true Dharma to sentient beings who delight in inferior teachings. In that land there is a bodhisattva named Vimalakirti, who abides in the Dharma gate of inconceivable liberation. Wishing to reveal the wondrous Dharma to the bodhisattvas, he sent this conjured bodhisattva here to extol the virtues of my name and praise the majestic qualities of this land, so that the bodhisattvas in that world may increase their roots of virtue.”

The bodhisattvas of that land all said:

“What virtues does that bodhisattva possess that enable him to manifest such great spiritual powers and such fearless strength?”

The Buddha Supreme Fragrant Terrace said:

“Good men! That great bodhisattva has accomplished a supreme Dharma of great merit. In a single instant, he conjures immeasurable and boundless bodhisattvas. He sends these bodhisattvas throughout all the lands of the ten directions to perform the work of a Buddha, bringing benefit, peace, and happiness to immeasurable sentient beings.”

The Tathagata Supreme Fragrant Terrace then took a fragrant bowl filled with food infused with many fragrances and handed it to the bodhisattva conjured by Vimalakirti. At that very moment, nine million great bodhisattvas in that Buddha land spoke with one voice and petitioned the Buddha there:

“We wish to accompany this conjured bodhisattva to the Saha world below, to behold Shakyamuni Tathagata, bow to him reverently, and hear the true Dharma. We also wish to behold and pay homage to Vimalakirti and the bodhisattvas there. We beseech the World-Honored One to grant us his empowering aid and permission.”

The Buddha of that land taught:

“Good men! Now is the proper time; you may go. You must restrain the fragrance of your own bodies before entering the Saha world, lest the sentient beings there become intoxicated and heedless. You must conceal the forms and marks of your bodies before entering the Saha world, lest the bodhisattvas there become ashamed. You must not regard that Saha world as inferior and thereby create obstacles for yourselves. Why is this? Good men! All lands are like empty space. Because the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, wish to bring sentient beings to maturity, they manifest Buddha lands according to those beings’ inclinations—some defiled and some pure. Their appearances are not fixed, but in truth all Buddha lands are pure and do not differ from one another.”

At that time, the manifested bodhisattva received the bowl filled with rice and, together with the nine million bodhisattvas of the Sangha, relying upon the majestic spiritual power of the Buddha of this realm and the power of Vimalakirti, suddenly disappeared. In an instant, they silently appeared in Vimalakirti’s house in the Saha world. Thereupon, Vimalakirti manifested nine million lion thrones, magnificently adorned and identical to the lion thrones previously seen.

All the bodhisattvas came and took their seats. The manifested bodhisattva handed the bowl filled with rice to Vimalakirti. The rice was imbued with a subtle and wondrous fragrance, which spread throughout the great city of Vaisali and the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world.

All the worlds were pervaded by its fragrance. The brahmins, elders, householders, humans, nonhumans, and others in the great city of Vaisali smelled this fragrance, praised it as unprecedented, and were filled with immense wonder, their bodies and minds invigorated. In this great city, the Licchavi king named Moon Canopy, together with eighty-four thousand Licchavis, adorned themselves splendidly and entered Vimalakirti’s house.

Seeing the great multitude of bodhisattvas there and the lofty, spacious, and magnificent lion thrones, they all rejoiced as never before, bowed to the bodhisattvas and great sravakas, and then withdrew to stand to one side.

At that time, the earth deities and deities of the sky, as well as the devas of the Desire Realm and Form Realm, smelled that fragrance and, together with their retinues—countless hundreds of thousands and millions—entered Vimalakirti’s house.

Vimalakirti said to the Venerable Sariputra and the other great sravakas:

“Venerable ones, partake of this ambrosial food bestowed by the Tathagata. It is perfumed by great compassion. Therefore, do not eat this food with the narrow mental activity of the lesser vehicle. If you eat it in that manner, you will certainly be unable to digest it.”

Among the assembly, some sravakas of lesser capacity thought, “There is so little food; how can it possibly satisfy this entire vast assembly?”

The manifested bodhisattva said:

“Do not use your own meager merit and wisdom to measure the immeasurable merit and wisdom of the Tathagata. Why is this? The waters of the four great oceans may be exhausted, but this fragrant and delicious food can never be depleted.

Suppose that every sentient being in the three-thousand-great-thousand world were to take a portion of rice, each portion as large as Mount Sumeru. Even if such enormous portions were eaten for an entire kalpa or for more than a hundred kalpas, this food would still not be exhausted. Why?

Because this food is born from the inexhaustible qualities of moral discipline, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. Even if immeasurable sentient beings throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world were to eat this remaining fragrant food of the Tathagata for hundreds of thousands of kalpas, it would never be exhausted.”

Then the entire assembly ate this food, and all were fully satisfied, yet food still remained. After eating this rice, the sravakas, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, and all others in the assembly experienced physical ease and bliss, like the bodhisattvas in the world called Adorned Abode of Universal Peace. After experiencing every kind of ease and bliss, all the pores of their bodies emitted a fragrance like the fragrant trees in the world of All Wondrous Fragrances, which constantly emit immeasurable subtle and wondrous scents.

At that time, Vimalakirti asked the bodhisattvas from the world of All Wondrous Fragrances:

“Do you know how the Tathagata of your world teaches the Dharma to the bodhisattvas?”

Those bodhisattvas all replied:

“The Tathagata of our world does not teach the Dharma through words or letters. He uses fragrance alone to discipline all the bodhisattvas. The bodhisattvas in our world all sit beneath fragrant trees. Those fragrant trees emit exquisite perfumes. Upon smelling these fragrances, the bodhisattvas attain the Samadhi of Adornment with All Virtues. Having attained this samadhi, they become endowed with all the virtues of a bodhisattva.”

At that time, the bodhisattvas who had come from the world above asked the bodhisattva Vimalakirti:

“How does the Tathagata Sakyamuni in this world teach the Dharma to sentient beings?”

Vimalakirti said:

“The sentient beings of this world are extremely obstinate and difficult to teach. Therefore, the Tathagata here must use stern words to discipline and instruct them. How does he use stern words to discipline and instruct them?

He teaches: this is the realm of hell; this is the realm of animals; this is the realm of hungry ghosts; this is a place of calamity; this is a place where faculties are deficient; this is evil bodily conduct, and this is the karmic result of evil bodily conduct; this is evil verbal conduct, and this is the karmic result of evil verbal conduct; this is evil mental conduct, and this is the karmic result of evil mental conduct; this is killing, and this is the karmic result of killing; this is stealing, and this is the karmic result of stealing; this is sexual misconduct, and this is the karmic result of sexual misconduct; this is false speech, and this is the karmic result of false speech; this is divisive speech, and this is the karmic result of divisive speech;

this is harsh speech, and this is the karmic result of harsh speech; this is frivolous speech, and this is the karmic result of frivolous speech; this is craving, and this is the karmic result of craving; this is anger, and this is the karmic result of anger; this is wrong view, and this is the karmic result of wrong view; this is miserliness, and this is the karmic result of miserliness; this is breaking the precepts, and this is the karmic result of breaking the precepts; this is hatred, and this is the karmic result of hatred; this is indolence, and this is the karmic result of indolence; this is mental distraction, and this is the karmic result of mental distraction; this is delusion, and this is the karmic result of delusion;

this is what is to be learned, and this is what lies beyond learning; this is observing the precepts, and this is violating the precepts; this ought to be done, and this ought not to be done; this is yoga, and this is not yoga; this is complete eradication, and this is not complete eradication; this is an obstruction, and this is not an obstruction; this is committing an offense, and this is emerging from an offense; this is defilement, and this is purity; this is the right path, and this is the wrong path; this is wholesome, and this is unwholesome; this is mundane, and this is supramundane; this is blameworthy, and this is blameless; this is with outflows, and this is without outflows; this is conditioned, and this is unconditioned; this is virtue, and this is fault;

this entails suffering, and this does not entail suffering; this entails happiness, and this does not entail happiness; this is to be disenchanted with, and this is to be delighted in; this is to be abandoned, and this is to be cultivated; this is samsara, and this is nirvana.

The Dharma has immeasurable approaches such as these. Because the minds of the sentient beings in this world are obstinate, the Tathagata teaches such Dharma approaches here to establish their minds and bring them under discipline. It is like fierce elephants and horses that cannot be tamed: they must be beaten until the pain penetrates their bones and marrow, and only afterward can they be subdued.

In the same way, the sentient beings of this world are obstinate and difficult to teach. The Tathagata therefore employs skillful means, using such bitter and painful words to guide them earnestly, and only afterward subdues them and leads them into the true Dharma.”

After hearing this, the bodhisattvas who had come from the world above rejoiced as never before and said together:

“How wondrous! The Blessed One Sakyamuni constantly performs what is difficult to perform. Concealing his immeasurable noble virtues, he manifests such skillful means of discipline. To bring poor and lowly sentient beings to maturity, he employs these methods of discipline for their benefit. The bodhisattvas of this world also endure suffering and every kind of hardship, perfecting a great compassion and diligent vigor that are supreme and exceedingly rare, steadfast and inconceivable. They assist in proclaiming and propagating the Tathagata’s unsurpassed true Dharma and bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings who are difficult to teach.”

Vimalakirti said:

“Indeed, it is just as the householder has said. Śākyamuni Tathagata is able to accomplish what is difficult to accomplish. Concealing his immeasurable noble qualities and fearing no hardship, he employs skillful means to tame such obstinate sentient beings who are difficult to liberate. The bodhisattvas born in this Buddha-land are likewise able to endure hardships. They perfect a supreme, steadfast, and inconceivable diligence born of great compassion; assist in proclaiming the Tathagata’s unsurpassed true Dharma; and bring benefit and happiness to immeasurable sentient beings.

“Householder, you should know this! When bodhisattvas in this Sahā world practice the bodhisattva conduct and benefit sentient beings, the merit they gain in a single lifetime exceeds the merit gained by bodhisattvas in the world of All-Wondrous Fragrance who practice the bodhisattva conduct and benefit sentient beings for hundreds of thousands of great kalpas. Why is this? Because in the Sahā world there are ten ways of cultivating wholesome Dharma that are not found in the other pure Buddha-worlds throughout the ten directions. What are the ten?

1. Protecting the poor and suffering through generosity.

2. Protecting those who violate the precepts through pure morality.

3. Protecting the angry through patience.

4. Protecting the indolent through diligence.

5. Protecting those whose minds are distracted through meditative concentration.

6. Protecting the ignorant through supreme wisdom.

7. Teaching the Dharma that eliminates the eight difficulties in order to protect all sentient beings afflicted by the eight difficulties.

8. Expounding the true Dharma of the Great Vehicle in order to protect all those who delight in lesser teachings.

9. Protecting those who have not yet planted wholesome roots by means of excellent roots of virtue.

10. Constantly bringing all sentient beings to maturity through the unsurpassed four means of attraction.

“These are the ten ways of cultivating wholesome Dharma. They are found in their entirety only in this Sahā world and are not found in the other pure Buddha-worlds throughout the ten directions.”

The bodhisattvas from the Buddha-land of Wondrous Fragrance then asked:

“How many dharmas must the bodhisattvas of this Sahā world perfect so that they remain unharmed and, after passing away from this world, are reborn in another pure land?”

Vimalakīrti replied:

“The bodhisattvas of this Sahā world must perfect eight dharmas so that they remain unharmed and, after passing away from here, are reborn in another pure land. What are the eight?

1. A bodhisattva reflects thus: ‘I should perform wholesome deeds for sentient beings without expecting wholesome rewards.’

2. A bodhisattva reflects thus: ‘I should undergo every suffering and affliction on behalf of all sentient beings. Whatever roots of virtue I acquire, I shall dedicate entirely to them.’

3. A bodhisattva reflects thus: ‘Toward all sentient beings, I should maintain a mind of equality and a mind free from fear.’

4. A bodhisattva reflects thus: ‘I should break the pride of sentient beings and regard them with reverence and loving-kindness as I would the Buddha.’

5. A bodhisattva possesses superior faith and understanding regarding profound scriptures never heard before; upon hearing them, the bodhisattva neither doubts nor disparages them.

6. A bodhisattva feels no jealousy upon seeing others receive gains and offerings, and does not become arrogant when personally receiving gains and offerings.

7. A bodhisattva disciplines the mind, constantly examines personal faults, and does not malign the faults of others.

8. A bodhisattva is not indolent, delights in seeking wholesome dharmas, and diligently cultivates the factors conducive to enlightenment.

“If the bodhisattvas of this Sahā world fully perfect these eight dharmas, they will remain unharmed and, after passing away from here, will be reborn in another pure land.”

When Vimalakīrti expounded this wondrous Dharma within the great assembly to Mañjuśrī and the other bodhisattvas, hundreds of thousands of sentient beings generated the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, and ten thousand bodhisattvas attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

XI — CHAPTER ON THE BODHISATTVA CONDUCT

At that time, the Buddha was still expounding the Dharma to the great assembly in the Āmra Grove. Suddenly, the place of assembly became radiant, vast, pure, and beautiful, and the entire assembly appeared resplendent with a golden hue.

Ānanda immediately addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! What does this sign portend, that the place of assembly has suddenly become so radiant, vast, pure, and beautiful, and that the entire assembly appears resplendent with a golden hue?”

The Buddha told the Venerable Ānanda:

“This is because Mañjuśrī, Vimalakīrti, and the great assembly respectfully surrounding them wish to come to this gathering. Therefore, this sign has appeared in advance.”

Vimalakīrti then said to Mañjuśrī:

“Together with the great beings, we should go to pay homage and make offerings to the World-Honored One, behold him with reverence, and listen to the wondrous Dharma.”

Mañjuśrī said:

“The time has come. Let us go together.”

Vimalakīrti then manifested his spiritual powers, causing everyone in the great assembly to remain seated upon their lion thrones. He placed them all in the palm of his right hand and carried them to the Buddha’s presence. After setting them upon the ground, they all reverently bowed at the feet of the World-Honored One, circumambulated him clockwise seven times, withdrew to one side, and stood with palms joined, facing the Buddha.

The great bodhisattvas descended from their lion thrones, reverently bowed at the feet of the World-Honored One, circumambulated him clockwise three times, and then withdrew to one side, where they stood with palms joined in reverence, facing the Buddha.

The great śrāvakas, Śakra, Brahmā, the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the world, and the others also descended from their seats, reverently bowed at the feet of the World-Honored One, and then withdrew to one side, where they stood with palms joined in reverence, facing the Buddha.

The World-Honored One then cordially greeted the great bodhisattvas and the entire assembly in accordance with the Dharma, saying:

“Great beings! Return to your seats.”

In obedience to the Buddha’s command, the bodhisattvas all returned to their places and sat down with utmost reverence.

The World-Honored One said to Śāriputra:

“Did you see the supreme great bodhisattva’s free exercise of spiritual power?”

Śāriputra replied:

“Yes, I saw it.”

The World-Honored One asked again:

“What do you think of it?”

Śāriputra replied:

“I regard it as inconceivable. Having witnessed this great being’s inconceivable exercise of meritorious spiritual power, I can neither calculate it, conceive of it, measure it, nor praise it exhaustively.”

At that time, Ānanda addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! Never before have I smelled the fragrance that I now perceive. What fragrance is this?”

The Buddha said:

“Śāriputra! This fragrance issues from the pores of these bodhisattvas.”

Śāriputra said to Ānanda:

“This fragrance also issues from our pores.”

Ānanda asked:

“Why do your bodies emit this fragrance?”

Śāriputra replied:

“By his free exercise of spiritual power, Vimalakīrti dispatched a magically created bodhisattva to the Buddha-land of the Tathagata Supreme Fragrant Terrace in the upper region to request the food left over by that Buddha and bring it back as an offering to the great assembly in this house. All who ate that food now emit this fragrance from every pore.”

Ānanda asked Vimalakīrti:

“How long will this fragrance remain?”

Vimalakīrti replied:

“This fragrance will remain until the food has been fully digested.”

Ānanda asked:

“How long will it take for that food to be digested?”

Vimalakīrti replied:

“This food permeates the body for seven days and seven nights, after which it is gradually digested. Although it takes a long time to digest, it causes no illness.”

Long-lived One, you should know! If those of the shravaka vehicle who have not yet entered the stage of the certainty of rightness, free from arising, eat this food, it will not be digested until after they have entered that stage. If those who have not yet become free from desire eat this food, it will not be digested until after they have attained freedom from desire.

If those who have not yet attained liberation eat this food, it will not be digested until after their minds have been liberated. If bodhisattvas of the Mahayana lineage who have not yet aroused the mind of unsurpassed bodhi eat this food, it will not be digested until after they have aroused the mind of unsurpassed bodhi. If those who have already aroused the mind of bodhi eat this food, it will not be digested until after they have realized the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

If those who have already realized the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas eat this food, it will not be digested until after they abide in the stage of non-retrogression. If those who already abide in the stage of non-retrogression eat this food, it will not be digested until after they abide in the stage of having only one birth remaining.

Long-lived One, you should know! It is just as in the world there is a king of medicines named Supreme Flavor. If beings are poisoned throughout their bodies and are given this medicine to drink, that great king of medicines will not be digested so long as those poisons have not been completely eliminated. Only when the poisons have been entirely removed will the medicine be digested. Those who eat this food are likewise. So long as all the poisons of the afflictions have not been eradicated, the food will not be digested. Only after the afflictions have been eradicated will it be digested.

Ananda said:

– This great being has obtained such inconceivably fragrant food and is able to perform the works of the Buddha for the sake of sentient beings.

The Buddha said:

– So it is! So it is! It is exactly as you have said. This Vimalakirti has obtained inconceivably fragrant food and is able to perform the works of the Buddha for the sake of sentient beings.

The Buddha said to Ananda:

– Just as Vimalakirti has obtained fragrant food and uses it to perform the works of the Buddha for the sake of sentient beings, so too, among the lands throughout the ten directions, there are Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of light; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of the bodhi tree; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of bodhisattvas; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by revealing the excellent marks of the Tathagata’s physical body; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of magically created beings; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of clothing; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of bedding; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of food and drink; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of gardens and groves; Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of towers and palaces; and Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by means of empty space. Why is this? It is because sentient beings are disciplined through these skillful means. There are also Buddha lands in which, for the sake of sentient beings, written words are used to explain such analogies as an illusion, a dream, the moon reflected in water, an echo, a wave, an image in a mirror, a floating cloud, a city of gandharvas, and Indra’s net, thereby performing the works of the Buddha. There are Buddha lands that perform the works of the Buddha by using spoken sounds and written words to explain the nature and characteristics of all dharmas. There are also Buddha lands that are pure, tranquil, and still, without speech or verbal expression, without disparagement or praise, without anything to be sought, without conceptual proliferation, and without any demonstration. The manifested sentient beings thereby become tranquil and naturally realize and enter the nature and characteristics of all dharmas; in this way the works of the Buddha are performed.

Thus, you should know! The Buddha lands throughout the worlds of the ten directions are boundless in number, and the works of the Buddha performed therein are likewise immeasurable and boundless. In brief, every mode of deportment, every movement and repose, and every act of receiving, using, and carrying things out is a manifestation for disciplining sentient beings. Therefore, all of these are works of the Buddha.

Furthermore, all the four maras and the eighty-four thousand afflictions in the world torment and harm sentient beings. The Tathagatas use these very dharmas to perform the works of the Buddha for the sake of sentient beings. Attaining this Dharma gate is called awakening and entering into all the Dharmas of the Buddha.

When bodhisattvas enter this Dharma gate, although they see Buddha lands adorned and purified by the fulfillment of immeasurably vast merit, they do not become delighted or attached; and although they see Buddha lands devoid of merit and filled with impurity, they do not become sorrowful or angry. Possessing supreme faith in all Buddhas, they reverently praise what has never been before. All the merits of the Buddhas are equally and perfectly fulfilled, for they have realized the utterly true and equal nature of all dharmas. In order to bring diverse sentient beings to maturity, they manifest diverse Buddha lands.

You should know! Although the ground in the various Buddha lands differs in quality, the empty space above them is entirely the same. Likewise, you should know that, in order to bring sentient beings to maturity, the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, manifest different physical bodies, yet they remain unobstructed, and their merit and wisdom are ultimately perfect and entirely equal.

You should know! All Tathagatas are equal in their supreme radiance and physical bodies, perfect and limitless; in their excellent marks and beautiful characteristics; in their noble lineage and purity; in morality, meditative concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation; in their powers, fearlessnesses, and unique qualities; in great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity; in benefiting beings and bringing them peace and happiness; in their deportment, deeds, right conduct, lifespans, teaching of the Dharma, and liberation of beings; and in bringing sentient beings to maturity and purifying Buddha lands.

In all these respects they are equal, supremely perfect, ultimate, and inexhaustible. Therefore, they are all alike called Perfectly Enlightened Ones, Tathagatas, and Buddhas.

You should know! If I wished to distinguish and extensively explain the meanings of these three terms, even if you listened without interruption for an entire kalpa, until the end of your lifespan, you would still be unable to comprehend them fully. Even if all the sentient beings in the great trichiliocosm were each like Ananda, endowed with mnemonic retention and foremost in learning, and listened without interruption for an entire kalpa until the end of their lifespans, they still could not comprehend them fully.

The meanings of these three terms—Perfectly Enlightened One, Tathagata, and Buddha—cannot be explained exhaustively and ultimately by anyone other than a Tathagata. Thus, you should know! The bodhi of the Buddhas possesses immeasurable merit and unhindered eloquence and is inconceivable.

After the Buddha had spoken thus, Ananda said:

– World-Honored One! From this day forward, I shall no longer dare to declare that I possess mnemonic retention and am foremost in learning.

The Buddha said:

– You should not entertain such a thought of retreat. Why? From the past until now, I have only said that you are foremost in mnemonic retention and learning among the shravakas; I did not say that you are foremost among the bodhisattvas. Say no more. Those who possess wisdom should not attempt to measure the deeds of bodhisattvas. You should know that the profound depths of the great ocean may still be measured, but no one can measure the vast ocean of a bodhisattva’s wisdom, mindfulness, meditative concentration, mnemonic retention, and eloquence.

You shravakas should set aside the deeds belonging to the domain of bodhisattvas and contemplate them no further. Within the span of a single meal, Vimalakirti has displayed such miraculous transformations and spiritual powers as all the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, even over hundreds of thousands of great kalpas, could not display.

At that time, all the bodhisattvas who had come from the upper region bowed to Shakyamuni, joined their palms respectfully, and said:

– World-Honored One! When we first arrived and saw the impurities of this Buddha land, thoughts of contempt arose in us. Now we feel ashamed and remorseful, and we have cast aside those thoughts. Why? The domain of the Buddhas possesses inconceivable skillful means. In order to bring sentient beings to maturity, they manifest Buddha lands such as these in accordance with the diverse inclinations of those beings.

“Most Venerable World-Honored One! We beseech you to bestow upon us some Dharma so that, when we return to the world of All Wondrous Fragrance, through that Dharma we may always remember the Tathagata.”

After that bodhisattva had spoken thus, the World-Honored One taught:

“Good men! There is a bodhisattva’s Dharma-gate of liberation called ‘the finite and the infinite.’ You should reverently receive it and diligently cultivate and study it. What are called the finite and the infinite?

The finite refers to conditioned dharmas, which arise and cease. The infinite refers to the unconditioned Dharma, which neither arises nor ceases. A bodhisattva should neither bring the conditioned to an end nor abide in the unconditioned.

Why does a bodhisattva not bring the conditioned to an end? Because bodhisattvas do not abandon great loving-kindness, great compassion, and great equanimity, but always arouse the mind of supreme aspiration; they honor and firmly maintain mindfulness of omniscience, never forgetting it; tirelessly bring sentient beings to maturity; never relinquish the four means of attraction; preserve the true Dharma without sparing body or life; cultivate wholesome dharmas without ever being satisfied; delight in establishing skillful means of dedication; seek the true Dharma without weariness; expound the teachings without concealment; always delight in beholding, making offerings to, and serving all Buddhas;

enter birth and death without fear, and though encountering prosperity or decline, feel neither joy nor sorrow; never despise those who have not yet trained, while revering those who have trained as they would the Buddha; reflect properly and rationally upon the manifold afflictions; do not become attached to the joys of seclusion; do not crave or cling to their own pleasures; rejoice deeply in the happiness of others; when they attain meditative absorptions, liberations, samadhis, and meditative attainments, regard them as hells and do not become attached to them, while regarding their passage through birth and death as a flower garden and never growing weary of it; regard those who come begging as spiritual friends; give away all their possessions without regret;

dedicate all merit to omniscience; regard those who violate the precepts as persons to be rescued and protected; regard the paramitas as parents and quickly bring them to fulfillment; regard the factors of enlightenment as attendants and bring them to consummation; always diligently cultivate all wholesome dharmas; delight in adorning Buddha-fields; delight in praising other Buddha-fields and in swiftly perfecting their own Buddha-field; swiftly perfect the excellent and fully complete marks of adornment through pure practice, becoming great, unobstructed donors; attain purity and adornment of body, speech, and mind by completely abandoning evil deeds and violations of the precepts; make body and mind firm and enduring by abandoning all afflictions of anger;

quickly bring their practice to consummation through having passed through innumerable kalpas of birth and death; make their minds courageous, resolute, and steadfast by tirelessly hearing of the immeasurable merits of the Buddha; in order to uproot the hostile enemy of the afflictions, cultivate skillful means with the sword of prajna; in order to shoulder the heavy burden of sentient beings, clearly understand the skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas; in order to vanquish all the armies of Mara, practice with powerful vigor and without indolence; in order to preserve the unsurpassed true Dharma, abandon pride and diligently seek wisdom and skill in teaching; gain the respect, affection, and obedience of the world by always delighting in few desires and contentment;

remain undefiled by worldly dharmas while conforming with the whole world, never impairing proper deportment, yet manifesting every kind of activity, giving rise to wondrous superknowledges and wisdom, and benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to all sentient beings; retain all the true Dharma they have heard; possess wondrous wisdom, right mindfulness, and dharani; give rise to wondrous wisdom that knows whether faculties are superior or inferior, dispel all the doubts of sentient beings, attain unobstructed eloquence, and expound the true Dharma without hindrance; enjoy the excellent bliss of humans and devas by diligently and purely cultivating the ten wholesome courses of karma; open the path to the Brahma heavens by diligently and vigorously cultivating the four immeasurables;

attain the supremely wondrous voice of a Buddha by diligently requesting teachings and then rejoicing in and praising them; attain the supremely wondrous deportment of a Buddha by constantly cultivating the excellent tranquility of the three karmas; cause their cultivation to increase beneficially in every thought because their minds are not attached to any dharma; skillfully discipline the bodhisattva Sangha by constantly encouraging sentient beings to cultivate and study the Mahayana teachings; never lose any merit because they are never heedless; cause their wholesome roots to increase progressively by delighting in cultivating the great vows; seek to adorn all Buddha-fields by constantly and diligently cultivating vast wholesome roots;

and bring their practice to an ultimate and inexhaustible fulfillment by constantly cultivating skillful means of dedication.

“Good men! Practice such as this is called a bodhisattva’s not exhausting the conditioned.

“What is a bodhisattva’s not abiding in the unconditioned? Although a bodhisattva practices emptiness, he does not delight in personally realizing that emptiness. Although he practices signlessness, he does not delight in personally realizing signlessness.

Although he practices wishlessness, he does not delight in personally realizing wishlessness. Although he practices non-action, he does not delight in personally realizing non-action. Although he contemplates all conditioned phenomena as impermanent, his mind does not grow weary of wholesome roots.

Although he contemplates everything in the world as suffering, he deliberately continues to take birth within birth and death. Although he delights in contemplating inwardly that there is no self, he never abandons or becomes disgusted with his own body. Although he delights in contemplating outwardly that there are no sentient beings, he continually teaches and guides them without weariness or fatigue.

Although he contemplates nirvana as ultimately quiescent, he never falls into cessation. Although he contemplates complete seclusion as peaceful and blissful, he never grows weary of body or mind. Although he delights in contemplating that there is no alaya, he does not discard the treasury of pure Dharma.

Although he contemplates all dharmas as utterly unborn, he always shoulders the responsibility of benefiting sentient beings. Although he contemplates the uncontaminated, he continues without interruption to revolve through birth and death. Although he contemplates non-activity, he acts to bring sentient beings to maturity.

Although he contemplates non-self, he does not abandon loving-kindness and compassion toward sentient beings. Although he contemplates non-arising, he does not fall into the fixed attainment of the two vehicles. Although he contemplates all dharmas as utterly empty and quiescent, he does not render empty and quiescent the merit he has cultivated.

Although he contemplates all dharmas as utterly transcendent, he does not become separated from the wisdom he has cultivated. Although he contemplates all dharmas as utterly unreal, he always abides in perfect contemplation. Although he contemplates all dharmas as utterly without a master, he always diligently seeks spontaneous wisdom.

Although he contemplates all dharmas as having no manifest characteristics, with regard to the definitive meaning he establishes the seed of Buddhahood, that is, awakening.

“Good men! Practice of this Dharma is called a bodhisattva’s not abiding in the unconditioned.”

Good men! Because bodhisattvas always diligently cultivate the provisions of merit, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they diligently cultivate the provisions of wisdom, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they perfect great compassion without decline, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they perfect great compassion without decline, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Because they bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they bring all Buddha-Dharmas to ultimate perfection, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they bring to complete perfection the Buddha’s adorned form-body, endowed with all excellent marks, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they attain the Buddha’s wisdom-body, all powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Because they teach and transform sentient beings through skillful means, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they contemplate perfectly with subtle and wondrous wisdom, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they ultimately perfect and adorn Buddha-fields, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because the Buddha-body abides eternally and inexhaustibly, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Because they constantly benefit sentient beings, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they receive and uphold the meaning of the Dharma without abandoning it, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they accumulate inexhaustible roots of virtue, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they preserve their roots of virtue without allowing them to be severed or lost, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Because they wish to bring their former vows to complete fulfillment, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they do not seek eternal quiescent cessation, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they perfect pure and wholesome aspiration, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they increase pure and wholesome aspiration, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they constantly disport themselves in the five superknowledges, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they perfectly fulfill the six superknowledges of Buddha-wisdom, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Because they perfect the provisions of the paramitas, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because their former intentions have not yet been completely fulfilled, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they tirelessly amass the treasure of the Dharma, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they do not delight in seeking lesser teachings, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they steadfastly uphold their vows without retreating, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they are able to bring their vows to ultimate fulfillment, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Because they accumulate all the bliss of the wondrous Dharma, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they bestow the bliss of the Dharma according to each person’s capacity, they do not bring the conditioned to an end. Because they clearly understand sentient beings’ afflictive illnesses, they do not abide in the unconditioned; because they eradicate sentient beings’ afflictive illnesses, they do not bring the conditioned to an end.

Good men! For bodhisattvas neither to bring the conditioned to an end nor to abide in the unconditioned in this manner is called abiding in the Dharma-gate of liberation concerning the exhaustible and the inexhaustible. You should diligently cultivate it.

At that time, the bodhisattvas from the Buddha-field of the Tathagata Supreme Fragrant Terrace in the world All Wondrous Fragrance, having heard this Dharma-gate of liberation concerning the exhaustible and the inexhaustible, gained insight into the teaching. Their hearts were uplifted, and each of them rejoiced beyond measure. They offered immeasurable quantities of the finest fragrant flowers and ornaments to the Blessed One, the bodhisattvas, and the Dharma-gate of liberation concerning the exhaustible and the inexhaustible that had been taught. They also scattered many of the finest fragrant flowers throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world system, until the flowers covered the ground knee-deep.

The bodhisattvas then reverently bowed at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him clockwise three times, and praised and extolled Shakyamuni, the bodhisattvas, and the Dharma that had been taught. Thereupon, the bodhisattvas from the world Wondrous Fragrance suddenly vanished and, in an instant, returned to their own realm.

End of the Fifth Fascicle