說無垢稱經

Fascicle Six

XII - Chapter on Contemplating the Tathagata

At that time, the Blessed One asked Vimalakirti:

“Good man! Formerly, wishing to see the body of the Tathagata, you came here. How do you see the Tathagata?”

Vimalakirti said:

“I contemplate the Tathagata as utterly beyond anything that can be seen. Thus do I contemplate him. Why?

Because I contemplate the Tathagata as not coming from the past, not going into the future, and not abiding in the present. Why? Because when I am told to contemplate the suchness of the Tathagata’s form, that nature is not the suchness of form and feeling; it is not the suchness of feeling and perception; it is not the suchness of perception and formations; it is not the suchness of formations and consciousness; nor is it consciousness.

It does not abide in the four elements and is identical with the realm of space. It does not arise from the six ayatanas and transcends the six faculties. It is not defiled within the three realms, is far removed from the three impurities, accords with the three liberations, and has attained the three knowledges.

It is neither knowledge, yet it is knowledge; it is not comprehension, yet it comprehends all dharmas without obstruction. Ultimate reality is not a limit; suchness is not ‘thus.’ In seeing the object of suchness, there is nowhere to abide; with regard to the wisdom of suchness, there is no illumination. The natures of wisdom and the object of suchness are both free from duality.

It is not born from causes, nor does it arise through conditions. It is neither characterized nor uncharacterized; neither its own characteristic nor another’s characteristic; neither a single characteristic nor a different characteristic. It is neither that which is characterized nor apart from that which is characterized; neither identical with nor different from that which is characterized.

It is neither that which characterizes nor apart from that which characterizes; neither identical with nor different from that which characterizes. It is neither this shore, the other shore, nor midstream; neither here, there, nor in between; neither within, without, both, nor neither. It has neither gone, will go, nor is going; neither has arrived, will arrive, nor is arriving.

It is neither wisdom nor its object; neither that which cognizes nor that which is cognized; neither hidden nor manifest; neither dark nor bright; neither standing nor moving. It has neither name nor characteristic; is neither strong nor weak; neither abides in one place nor departs from one place; is neither defiled nor pure; neither conditioned nor unconditioned; neither utterly quiescent nor not quiescent. There is not the slightest matter to display, nor the slightest meaning to express.

There is neither generosity nor stinginess; neither observance nor violation of precepts; neither patience nor anger; neither diligence nor indolence; neither concentration nor distraction; neither wisdom nor ignorance; neither careful recollection nor forgetfulness; neither emergence nor entry; neither going nor coming. All speech and activity are extinguished. It is neither a field of merit nor not a field of merit; neither worthy of offerings nor unworthy of offerings; neither that which grasps nor that which is grasped; neither that which appropriates nor that which is appropriated; neither a characteristic nor without characteristics; neither acting nor nonacting.

It has no number and is free from all numbers; it is unobstructed and free from every obstruction; neither increases nor decreases; is equality itself. It is identical with ultimate reality and equal to the nature of the dharmadhatu. It is neither that which designates nor that which is designated, transcending every nature of designation; neither that which measures nor that which is measured, surpassing every nature of measurement.

It neither proceeds toward nor turns away, transcending all proceeding and turning away; is neither strong nor weak, surpassing all strength and weakness; neither great nor small, broad nor narrow. It is neither seen, heard, perceived, nor known; free from all bonds, it is serenely liberated. It enters realization in equality with omniscient wisdom and realizes that sentient beings are nondual.

It comprehends all dharmas as undifferentiated and clearly knows that all are without offense or fault, without turbidity or stain, and without obstruction. It is free from all discrimination; neither made nor produced; neither false nor real; neither arising nor exhausted; neither has existed nor will exist; without fear or defilement; without sorrow or joy, weariness or delight. In discriminating all things, there is no apprehending subject; for all names and words, there is no speaker.

“Blessed One! Such is the bodily form of the Tathagata. It should be contemplated in this way and not otherwise. One who contemplates thus is said to practice right contemplation; one who contemplates otherwise is said to practice wrong contemplation.”

At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! In what realm did this Vimalakirti die before being born in this Saha world?”

The Blessed One said:

“You should ask him yourself.”

Sariputra asked Vimalakirti:

“In what realm did you die before being born in this world?”

Vimalakirti said:

“Venerable Sariputra! You are thoroughly acquainted with the realization of dharmas. Is there even the slightest dharma that can perish or arise?”

Sariputra said:

“Vimalakirti! There is not the slightest dharma that can perish or arise.”

Vimalakirti asked:

“If you clearly know through realization that all dharmas neither perish nor arise, why do you ask me, ‘In what realm did you die before being born in this world?’ Venerable Sariputra! What do you think? In what realm do men and women created by illusion die before being born here?”

Sariputra replied:

“Of those illusory men and women, one cannot say that they die or are born.”

Vimalakirti said:

“Has not the Tathagata said that all dharmas are like illusions?”

Sariputra said:

“Indeed! Indeed!”

Vimalakirti said:

“If the intrinsic nature and characteristics of all dharmas are like illusions and magical creations, why do you ask in what realm I died before being born in this world? Venerable Sariputra! Death is the characteristic of the cessation of formations; birth is the characteristic of the continuity of formations. Although a bodhisattva dies, he does not cut off any formative characteristic of wholesome dharmas. Although a bodhisattva is born, he does not perpetuate any formative characteristic of unwholesome dharmas.”

At that time, the Blessed One said to Sariputra:

“There is a Buddha-world named Abhirati, and its Tathagata is called Akshobhya. To liberate sentient beings, Vimalakirti died in that realm and was born in this one.”

Sariputra said:

“How marvelous, Blessed One! This great being is truly unprecedented. He was able to leave a pure Buddha-land and willingly come to this place filled with defilement and impurity.”

Vimalakirti said:

“Venerable Sariputra! What do you think? Does sunlight delight in mingling with the darkness of the world?”

Sariputra replied:

“No, householder! As soon as the sun rises, darkness vanishes entirely.”

Vimalakirti said:

“Why does the sun pass over Jambudvipa?”

Sariputra replied:

“To shine its light and dispel darkness.”

Vimalakirti said:

“So too does a bodhisattva, for the liberation of sentient beings, take birth in an impure Buddha-land without mingling with its afflictions, solely to dispel the darkness of sentient beings’ afflictions.”

At that time, the entire assembly yearned to see Abhirati, that pure Buddha-land adorned with meritorious qualities, as well as the Tathagata Akshobhya and the assemblies of bodhisattvas and shravakas.

Knowing the thoughts of the assembly, the Blessed One told Vimalakirti:

“Good man! The entire assembly and all the sages gathered here yearn to see Abhirati, the pure Buddha-land adorned with meritorious qualities, the Tathagata Akshobhya, and the assemblies of bodhisattvas and shravakas. Manifest them so that their wish may be fulfilled.”

Vimalakirti then thought: “Without rising from this seat, I should use the power of spiritual mastery swiftly to move the world of Abhirati, together with its encircling Iron Mountains, groves, gardens, ponds, lakes, springs, streams, caves, valleys, oceans, great rivers, Mount Sumeru, surrounding mountains and hills, sun, moon, stars, devas, nagas, ghosts, spirits, assemblies, palaces of Sakra and Brahma, assemblies of bodhisattvas and shravakas, villages, towns, cities, capitals, and dwellings of men and women, young and old;

and, in full, even the Tathagata Akshobhya, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the great bodhi tree, those seated and listening to the Dharma, the oceanic assembly, and the precious lotuses reaching the Buddha-lands of the ten directions and performing the work of the Buddha for sentient beings.

Three jeweled stairways naturally rise from Jambudvipa straight to the summit of Mount Sumeru. The devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, wishing to behold, venerate, and make offerings to the Tathagata Akshobhya and hear the Dharma, descend each day by these jeweled stairways. The people of Jambudvipa, wishing to see the dwellings, gardens, and groves of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, ascend by these jeweled stairways.

The pure world of Abhirati, established through the convergence of immeasurable meritorious qualities, extends from the water disk below to the Akanishtha Heaven above. I shall place it upon the palm of my right hand, like a potter’s wheel or a garland held aloft, and bring it into this world to display it to the assembly.”

Having thought thus, Vimalakirti, while still upon his couch, entered samadhi and manifested supreme spiritual power. He swiftly took the world of Abhirati, placed it upon the palm of his right hand, and brought it into this world. Those shravakas, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, and members of the assembly in that world who possessed the divine eye became frightened and cried together:

“Who is carrying us away? Who is carrying us away? We beseech the Blessed One to protect us! We beseech the Sugata to save us!”

At that time, the Buddha Akshobhya, employing skillful means to teach sentient beings, said:

“Good men! Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid! This is done by the spiritual power of Vimalakirti, not by the Tathagata.”

The devas, humans, and beginners of that realm who had not attained the supreme divine eye remained serene, neither perceiving nor knowing what had occurred. After hearing these words, they were startled and asked one another:

“Where are we going?”

Although the realm of Abhirati entered this world, this world neither diminished nor increased, and the Saha world did not become constricted. Although the two worlds intermingled, all beings saw their dwellings just as before, without any alteration.

At that time, the Blessed One Sakyamuni said to the assembly:

“Do you see the world of Abhirati, the adorned Buddha-land of Akshobhya, and its bodhisattvas and shravakas?”

The whole assembly replied:

“Blessed One! We see them.”

Vimalakirti then used his spiritual power to manifest supremely marvelous celestial flowers and various powdered fragrances, which he gave to the assembly to scatter as offerings to Sakyamuni Buddha, the Tathagata Akshobhya, and the bodhisattvas.

The Blessed One said to the assembly:

“If you wish to accomplish a Buddha-land adorned with meritorious qualities like this, you bodhisattvas should study and practice the bodhisattva practices formerly cultivated by the Tathagata Akshobhya.”

When Vimalakirti thus manifested the world of Abhirati through his spiritual power, eighty-four nayutas of devas and humans in the Saha world aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, each wishing to be born in Abhirati. The Blessed One bestowed upon them all the prediction that they would be born in the Buddha-land of the Tathagata Akshobhya.

At that time, Vimalakirti had used his spiritual power to bring the bodhisattvas of the Tathagata Akshobhya’s realm of Abhirati for the benefit of sentient beings in this Saha world. When this work was completed, he returned that realm to its original place. As the two realms separated, the assemblies in both places saw it happen.

The Blessed One then said to Sariputra:

“You have now seen the Tathagata Akshobhya and the bodhisattvas of the world of Abhirati, have you not?”

Sariputra replied:

“Blessed One! I have seen them. I pray that all sentient beings may dwell in a Buddha-land adorned in this way. I pray that all sentient beings may accomplish such perfect merit, blessings, and wisdom and become in every respect like the Tathagata Akshobhya. I pray that all sentient beings may attain spiritual powers and mastery like Vimalakirti.

“Blessed One! We have gained excellent benefit by being able to behold and draw near this great being. If sentient beings merely hear this supreme Dharma gate, they should be known to have gained an excellent benefit; how much more so if, having heard it, they believe and understand it, uphold it, read and recite it fluently, explain it to others, and diligently cultivate it through skillful means.

If sentient beings attain such a supreme Dharma gate, they attain the treasury of the Dharma jewel. If sentient beings believe and understand this supreme Dharma gate, they perpetuate the lineage of the Buddhas. If sentient beings read and recite this supreme Dharma gate, they become bodhisattvas and companions of the Buddha.

If sentient beings uphold this Dharma gate, they preserve the unsurpassed true Dharma. If anyone makes offerings to this Dharma, it should be known that the Tathagata is present in that person’s home. If anyone copies and makes offerings to this supreme Dharma gate, that person preserves all merit and omniscient wisdom.

If anyone rejoices in this Dharma gate, that person establishes a great Dharma assembly. If one explains to another even a single four-line verse from this supreme Dharma gate, one attains the stage of nonretrogression. If a good man or good woman believes in, understands, upholds, delights in, and contemplates this supreme Dharma gate, that person receives the prediction of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.”

XIII - Chapter on the Offering of Dharma

At that time, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:

“Although I have heard the Buddha and Manjusri teach hundreds of thousands of distinct Dharma gates, I have never before heard this inconceivable Dharma gate of liberation through sovereign spiritual transformation. According to my understanding of the meaning taught by the Buddha, if sentient beings hear this Dharma gate and believe in, understand, uphold, read, recite from memory, and explain it to others, they are certainly vessels of the Dharma, beyond all doubt.

How much more so if they diligently cultivate it in accordance with principle! Such sentient beings have blocked every dangerous road leading to the lower realms and opened every road leading to the good realms. They will always encounter all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, vanquish every false doctrine of non-Buddhist teachers, destroy all the violent armies of Mara, purify the path of bodhi, dwell securely in the marvelous Dharma, and follow the path traveled by the Tathagata.

“Blessed One! If sentient beings hear this Dharma gate, believe in, understand, and uphold it, and even diligently cultivate it in accordance with principle, I and my retinue will reverently make offerings to such good men or good women.

“Blessed One! If this Dharma gate is upheld, read, recited, and explained in any town, village, city, or capital, I and all my retinue will go there to hear the Dharma. Those who do not yet believe, I shall cause to believe. Those who already believe, I shall protect in accordance with the Dharma so that they encounter no obstruction.”

At that time, the Blessed One said to Sakra, Lord of the Devas:

“Excellent! Excellent! It is just as you have said. You have rejoiced in the sublime Dharma gate taught by the Tathagata. Sakra, Lord of the Devas, you should know that all Buddhas of the past, future, and present who realize unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment teach and reveal this very Dharma gate. Therefore, if any good man or good woman hears this Dharma gate and believes in, understands, upholds, reads, recites from memory, explains, copies, and makes offerings to it, that person thereby makes offerings to all Buddhas of the past, future, and present.

“Sakra, Lord of the Devas! Suppose Tathagatas as numerous as sugarcane stalks, reeds, bamboo, sesame seeds, and grains of rice filled the trichiliocosm. Suppose a good man or good woman, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, reverently honored, praised, served, and presented those Tathagatas with the finest human offerings and the most excellent necessities conducive to well-being.

After those Tathagatas entered parinirvana, suppose that person erected seven-jeweled stupas to enshrine the full bodily relics of each one. Each stupa would be as broad as a world of four continents and rise as high as the Brahma Heaven, displaying emblems of the Dharma wheel and adorned most beautifully with fragrances, flowers, banners, canopies, jewels, and music. Having erected a seven-jeweled stupa for each Tathagata, suppose that person spent another kalpa or more than a kalpa reverently making offerings, honoring, and praising them with every supreme offering—garlands, incense, ointments, powdered fragrances, clothing, banners, canopies, lamps, jewels, and music.

What do you think? Would the merit gained by that good man or good woman through these deeds be great?”

Sakra, Lord of the Devas, replied:

“Blessed One! It would be exceedingly great! Sugata! That merit would be difficult to measure. Even throughout hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas, one could not fully describe the measure of that person’s merit.”

The Buddha said:

“Sakra, Lord of the Devas! So it is! So it is! I tell you truly: if a good man or good woman hears this inconceivable Dharma gate of liberation through sovereign spiritual transformation and believes in, understands, upholds, reads, recites from memory, and explains it to others, that person’s merit far surpasses the former person’s. Why? Because the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas arises from this Dharma gate. Only the offering of Dharma can truly honor this Dharma gate; material wealth cannot.

“Sakra, Lord of the Devas, you should know that the merit of unsurpassed bodhi is great, yet the merit of one who makes this offering of Dharma is greater still.”

The Blessed One said to Sakra:

“In the inconceivably distant past, innumerable and incalculable kalpas ago, a Buddha appeared in the world named Medicine King Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Sugata, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. His world was named Great Adornment, and the kalpa was named Pure Adornment. The Tathagata Medicine King lived for twenty intermediate kalpas. He had an assembly of thirty-six trillion nayutas of shravakas and twelve kotis of nayutas of bodhisattvas. At that time, there was a wheel-turning king named Jeweled Canopy. He possessed the seven treasures, ruled the four great continents, and had a thousand sons, all handsome, courageous, and capable of defeating enemy armies.

“At that time, King Jeweled Canopy and his retinue reverently made offerings to, honored, praised, and served the Tathagata Medicine King for five intermediate kalpas, presenting him with the finest offerings of devas and humans and the most excellent necessities conducive to well-being. After five intermediate kalpas had passed, King Jeweled Canopy told his thousand sons:

“‘You should know that your royal father has made offerings to the Tathagata Medicine King. You too should reverently make offerings as your royal father has done.’

“On hearing their royal father’s words, the thousand sons joyfully obeyed and said:

“‘Excellent! With one accord, we and our retinues shall reverently honor, praise, and serve the Tathagata Medicine King for five intermediate kalpas. We shall present him with every supreme offering conducive to well-being and the most excellent necessities of life.’

“At that time, one prince named Moon Canopy, dwelling alone in a secluded place, thought: ‘I have reverently made offerings to the Tathagata Medicine King. Is there any reverence or offering more excellent and supreme than this?’ Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, a deva in the sky said to the prince:

“‘Moon Canopy, you should know that among all offerings, the offering of Dharma is the most excellent.’

“The prince immediately asked, ‘What is called the offering of Dharma?’

“The deva said to Moon Canopy:

“‘Go and ask the Tathagata Medicine King: “Blessed One! What is called the offering of Dharma?” That Buddha will explain and reveal it to you.’

“After hearing the deva’s words, Prince Moon Canopy went to the Tathagata Medicine King. Reverently and earnestly, he bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times, withdrew to one side, and said:

“‘Blessed One! I have heard that among all offerings, the offering of Dharma is the most supreme. What are the characteristics of this offering of Dharma?’

“The Tathagata Medicine King said to the prince:

“‘Moon Canopy, you should know that the offering of Dharma means honoring the sutras spoken by the Buddha, whose character is exceedingly subtle and profound, difficult for the world to believe, difficult to fathom, difficult to see, esoteric, essential, undefiled, and definitive in meaning. They cannot be known through discrimination, for they are the treasury of the bodhisattvas. Such sutras of dharani are sealed with the Buddha’s seal; they distinguish and reveal the irreversible Dharma wheel.

From them arise the six paramitas. They perfectly preserve what should be preserved and accord with the practices that are factors of enlightenment. The seven factors of enlightenment personally lead the way.

They teach and reveal great loving-kindness and great compassion, rescuing sentient beings and bringing them happiness. They lead beings far from every attachment to views and every hostile Mara. They distinguish and elucidate the profound principle of dependent origination, teaching that inwardly there is no self and outwardly no sentient being; that at either extreme or in between there is no living being and no person who is sustained; and that there is not the slightest intrinsic nature of a pudgala.

They accord with emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, nonaction, and nonarising. These Dharma sutras lead people to wondrous enlightenment and turn the Dharma wheel. Devas, nagas, and gandharvas reverently honor, praise, and make offerings to them.

They guide sentient beings to make offerings to the great Dharma and perfect the great gift of Dharma for sentient beings. All sages and noble ones uphold them, and they disclose all the wondrous practices of bodhisattvas. These Dharma sutras are the refuge of the true meaning of the Dharma.

From them arises supreme and unobstructed wisdom. They clearly teach that all dharmas are impermanent, suffering, nonself, and quiescent; they give rise to the four udanas, the four seals of Dharma. They eliminate all stinginess, misconduct, anger, indolence, false mindfulness, evil wisdom, and fear, as well as every false doctrine, wrong view, and attachment of non-Buddhist teachers.

These Dharma sutras give rise to the dominant power of wholesome dharmas for sentient beings, vanquish every army of the evil Maras, and are praised by all Buddhas, sages, and noble ones. They can eliminate the great suffering of birth and death and reveal the great bliss of nirvana. All Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the three times teach them.

Whoever delights in hearing these sutras, believes in and understands them, upholds them, reads and recites them from memory, reflects upon and contemplates their profound meaning, causes them to shine forth, establishes, distinguishes, and reveals them clearly, explains them lucidly to others, and preserves the true Dharma through skillful means is said to make the offering of Dharma.

“‘Furthermore, Moon Canopy, one who makes the offering of Dharma disciplines all dharmas in accordance with the Dharma and cultivates all dharmas in accordance with the Dharma; follows dependent origination; abandons all wrong views; cultivates the patient acceptance of the nonarising and nonproduction of dharmas; realizes the absence of self and sentient beings; does not oppose the principle of causes and conditions; neither disputes nor gives rise to divergent doctrines; abandons self and possessions and is not bound by them; relies on meaning rather than words; relies on wisdom rather than consciousness; relies on the definitive meaning taught in the sutras and never relies upon or becomes attached to words of provisional meaning in worldly scriptures;

and relies on intrinsic nature rather than a pudgala’s view that apprehends something as attained.

By awakening to and understanding dharmas according to their nature and characteristics, such a person enters the inclusion of the unconditioned treasury, brings alaya to cessation, and eliminates ignorance through old age and death; puts an end to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress; and contemplates those twelve links of dependent origination as having neither an end nor a place of arising. Such a person vows that sentient beings will abandon all attachments to views.

This is the supreme offering of Dharma.’”

The Buddha then said to Sakra, Lord of the Devas:

“Having heard the Buddha Medicine King teach that the offering of Dharma is the most supreme, Prince Moon Canopy attained the patient acceptance that accords with the Dharma. He immediately removed his precious robe and ornaments and presented them to the Tathagata Medicine King, saying: ‘Blessed One! After the Buddha enters parinirvana, I vow to preserve the true Dharma and practice the offering of Dharma in order to protect it. I beseech the Tathagata, through his spiritual power and compassionate blessing, to enable me to vanquish the difficult-to-defeat hosts of Mara, preserve the true Dharma, and cultivate the practices of a bodhisattva.’

“Knowing Moon Canopy’s supreme intention, the Tathagata Medicine King immediately predicted:

“‘After the Tathagata’s nirvana, you will preserve the stronghold of the true Dharma.’

“Upon hearing the Buddha’s prediction, Prince Moon Canopy rejoiced beyond measure. With pure faith in the noble Dharma during the dispensation of the Tathagata Medicine King, he renounced the household life and went forth into homelessness. After ordaining, he courageously and diligently cultivated wholesome dharmas and assiduously practiced virtue.

Not long after ordaining, he attained the five spiritual powers and ultimately acquired dharani and unobstructed eloquence. After the Tathagata Medicine King entered parinirvana, through the wisdom and spiritual powers he had attained, he turned for ten intermediate kalpas the wheel of the true Dharma formerly turned by the Tathagata. For ten intermediate kalpas, Bhikshu Moon Canopy turned the wheel of the true Dharma, protected the true Dharma, and practiced with courageous diligence.

He established hundreds of thousands of kotis of sentient beings in nonretrogression from unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment; taught fourteen nayutas of sentient beings and completely disciplined their minds in the vehicles of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas; and, through skillful means, instructed immeasurable sentient beings so that they were born in the heavens.

The Buddha said to Sakra, Lord of the Devas:

“The wheel-turning king Jeweled Canopy of that time was no one else. Do not doubt or think otherwise. Why? You should know that he is now the Tathagata Jeweled Flame. Those thousand sons are the thousand bodhisattvas of the Auspicious Kalpa who will successively become Buddhas. The first was the Tathagata Krakucchanda, and the last will be Ruci. Four Buddhas have already appeared in the world, while the remainder will appear in future ages. Moon Canopy, the protector of the Dharma at that time, was none other than I myself.

“Sakra, Lord of the Devas, you should know that among all the offerings established for the Buddhas, the offering of Dharma is the most honored, most excellent, most supreme, most wondrous, and unsurpassed. Therefore, Sakra, if you wish to make offerings to the Buddha, make the offering of Dharma, not merely offerings of material wealth.”

XIV - Chapter on Entrustment

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Maitreya:

“I entrust to you this great Dharma of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, which I have accumulated throughout immeasurable and innumerable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas. These sutras are preserved by the Buddha’s majestic spiritual power and blessed by the Buddha’s spiritual power. After the Tathagata enters parinirvana, during the evil age of the five turbidities, you must likewise use your spiritual power to preserve and protect these Dharma sutras and expound them throughout Jambudvipa, never allowing them to be lost.

Why? In the future there will be men, women, devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, and others who have planted immeasurable, excellent roots of virtue and whose minds have gained profound and extensive conviction regarding unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. If they do not hear these sutras, they will lose immeasurable excellent benefits.

Those who hear them will certainly believe and delight in them, arouse a rare aspiration, and joyfully and reverently accept them. I entrust these good men and good women to you. You should remain mindful of and protect them so that they encounter no obstruction.

When they hear, receive, and study these sutras, they should also expound them extensively according to the Dharma gate taught by the Buddha.

“Maitreya, you should know that, generally speaking, there are two kinds of seals that characterize bodhisattvas. What are the two?

1. The seal characterized by belief and delight in ornate expressions.

2. The seal characterized by having no fear of profound Dharma gates but instead realizing and entering their nature and characteristics.

“You should know that bodhisattvas who esteem, believe in, and delight in ornate expressions are beginners.

“You should know that bodhisattvas who are neither defiled by nor attached to profound Dharma, who have no fear of inconceivable spiritual mastery or subtle sutras concerning the Dharma gate of liberation, and who, after hearing them, believe, understand, uphold, read and recite them from memory, explain them to others, truly realize and enter them, cultivate diligently, and attain pure, supramundane faith and delight are bodhisattvas who have trained for a long time.

“Maitreya, you should know that because of four conditions, beginning bodhisattvas harm themselves and cannot attain profound patient acceptance of the Dharma. What are the four?

1. On first hearing profound sutras never heard before, they become frightened and doubtful and do not rejoice in them.

2. Having heard them, they slander and disparage them, saying, ‘I have never heard these sutras before; where could they have come from?’

3. When they see good men and others upholding and teaching this profound Dharma gate, they do not wish to draw near, revere, or bow to them.

4. Thereafter, they treat them arrogantly, resent, humiliate, and slander them.

“Because of these four conditions, beginning bodhisattvas harm themselves and cannot attain extremely profound patient acceptance of the Dharma.

“Maitreya, you should know that there are also four conditions through which bodhisattvas who believe in and understand profound Dharma gates nevertheless harm themselves and cannot quickly realize the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas. What are the four?

1. They disparage beginning bodhisattvas newly cultivating the Mahayana.

2. They do not delight in instructing and explaining the Dharma to them.

3. They do not deeply revere extensive and profound training.

4. They delight in teaching sentient beings through worldly material gifts but do not delight in the pure, supramundane gift of Dharma.

“Because of these four conditions, although bodhisattvas believe in and understand profound Dharma gates, they nevertheless harm themselves and cannot quickly realize the patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas.”

After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, the bodhisattva Maitreya rejoiced and said to the Buddha:

“The Blessed One’s Dharma is exceedingly rare, and the Dharma expounded by the Tathagata is exceedingly wondrous. I shall completely abandon the faults of bodhisattvas described by the Buddha. I shall preserve and never allow to be lost this great Dharma of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, which the Tathagata accumulated throughout immeasurable and innumerable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas. If, in the future age, any good man or good woman studies the Mahayana, that person will indeed be a true vessel of the Dharma. I shall place these profound sutras into their hands and give them the power of wisdom to uphold, read and recite from memory, copy, and make offerings to these sutras, to practice them without error, and to explain them to others.

“Blessed One! In future ages, if anyone hears this sutra and believes in, understands, upholds, reads and recites it from memory, practices it without error, and explains it to others, it should be known that this occurs through the preservation and blessing of my majestic spiritual power.”

The Blessed One said:

“Excellent! Excellent! You are indeed most virtuous. The Tathagata rejoices that you accept and preserve this true Dharma.”

At that time, the entire assembly in this realm and all the bodhisattvas who had come from other directions joined their palms and said:

“Blessed One! After the Tathagata enters parinirvana, we too shall come here from worlds in other directions to preserve and prevent from being lost the great Dharma of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment realized by the Tathagata, and we shall expound it extensively. If good men or good women believe in, understand, uphold, read and recite this sutra from memory, practice it without error, and explain it to others, we shall protect them and give them the power of memory so that they encounter no obstruction.”

At that time, the Four Great Heavenly Kings in the assembly also joined their palms and said:

“Blessed One! In whatever village, town, city, or capital this Dharma gate circulates, we and our retinues, commanding our hosts, will go there to protect those who hear and those who teach this Dharma gate, so that they may expound, uphold, read, and recite it. We shall ensure that the surrounding region, extending one hundred yojanas in every direction, remains peaceful and secure, free from obstructing dangers and from anyone lying in wait to cause harm.”

At that time, the Blessed One told the Venerable Ananda:

“You should uphold this Dharma gate and explain it to others so that it may circulate widely.”

Ananda said:

“I have upheld this Dharma gate. What is the name of the Dharma gate taught by the Tathagata, and how should I uphold it?”

The Blessed One said:

“This Dharma gate is named ‘The Teaching of Vimalakirti: The Dharma Gate of Liberation through Inconceivable Sovereign Spiritual Transformation.’ You should uphold it under this name.”

After the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the bodhisattva Vimalakirti, the bodhisattva Manjusri, the Venerable Ananda, all the bodhisattvas and great shravakas, and the devas, humans, asuras, and others rejoiced, faithfully accepted it, and practiced accordingly.

End of Fascicle Six