大寶積經

Venerable Mahakasyapa said, “World-Honored One! How extraordinary that those people hear this Dharma teaching and yet have no aspiration for disenchantment and detachment!”

“Mahakasyapa! If a person possesses the following four qualities, then even though he hears this Dharma teaching, he still will not aspire for disenchantment and detachment. These are the four: great heedlessness, no firm belief in the results of karma, no firm belief in the great hells, and no firm belief that he himself will die.

“Furthermore, there are those who do not aspire for disenchantment and detachment because they possess the following four qualities: in the vigor and health of youth, they rely upon their own strength; they are infatuated with sensual pleasures; they delight in drinking intoxicants; and they do not reflect and contemplate so as to understand.

“If a bhiksu possesses the following four qualities, he slanders unsurpassed bodhi: when evil karma ripens, he does not know to confess and disclose it and does not clearly understand the results of evil karma; he engages in defiled sexual conduct with a bhiksuni; relying upon the fact that his upadhyaya and acarya are revered by many people, he follows a teacher to study but, out of jealousy, disparages his teacher as being poorly learned.

“Mahakasyapa! If a person attains the following single Dharma, he fully becomes a true sramana or brahmin: with regard to all dharmas, his mind abides nowhere.

“Mahakasyapa! Suppose a person falls from the summit of a mountain and then thinks that there is no earth, no trees, and no dense forest, imagining only empty space until his breath ceases.

“Those who cling to dharmas are likewise. If they cling to the existence of the eye, ear, and so forth, and also cling to the characteristics of the eye, ear, and so forth; or if they cling to form, feeling, and so forth; or if they cling to observance of the precepts, great learning, moral shame and dread of wrongdoing, spiritual cultivation, attainment of bodhi, and so forth—none of these are the Dharma of sramanas or brahmins. If there is conceptual attachment, they will be harmed. What harms them? It is precisely greed, anger, and delusion.

“If they cling to the characteristics of the eye, ear, and so forth, then on seeing forms, hearing sounds, and so forth that are pleasing or displeasing, they will certainly be harmed by the eye, ear, and so forth. Having been harmed, they will suffer grievous harm within the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and devas.

“Why are they harmed? Because of conceptual attachment.

“What is called conceptual attachment? It is attachment to self and what belongs to self; attachment to male and female, earth, water, fire, and wind; attachment to a corpse that is blue-black, decomposing, or reduced to white bones; attachment to supreme liberation; attachment to the notion that another has a small share of liberation or that this person has no share at all in liberation; attachment to direct realization; thinking, ‘My recollection differs from the past and differs from the present; I am the past; I am the present’; and even attachment to nirvana, thinking, ‘I have attained nirvana.’ Thus, one gives rise to conceptual attachment regarding all dharmas.

“Mahakasyapa! In brief, those who cling give rise to thoughts and perceptions concerning everything. Even within the nature of emptiness, they still entertain every kind of perception and thought. None of these are the Dharma of sramanas or brahmins; none are the practice of sramanas or the practice of brahmins.

“Mahakasyapa! The Tathagata teaches that the Dharma of sramanas and brahmins is like empty space and the earth. Empty space never thinks, ‘I am empty space.’ Likewise, sramanas and brahmins never declare of themselves, ‘I am a sramana; I am a brahmin.’ Dharmas also do not declare themselves to be the Dharma of sramanas or brahmins. Neither creating nor eliminating—this is called being a sramana or a brahmin.

“Mahakasyapa! Suppose that in the darkness of night, someone waves his hands and feet and moves his head and face, then says, ‘I am making sport of the world! I am making sport of the world!’

“What do you think? Of whom is he making sport?”

“World-Honored One! That person is only making sport of himself, for in the darkness of night there is no one there of whom he could make sport.”

“Mahakasyapa! Likewise, if a bhiksu goes to an aranya, beneath a tree, into an empty dwelling, or to an open place and contemplates that the eye, ear, and so forth are all impermanent, and that forms, sounds, and so forth are also all impermanent, thinking, ‘I shall proceed directly to nirvana,’

“such bhiksus merely weary themselves in vain; theirs is not the true practice of a sramana, because they hold very many erroneous attachments.

“They recognize the characteristics of the eye, ear, and so forth, and then laboriously cultivate in order to extinguish the eye, ear, and so forth. If, regarding the faculties, their objects, and consciousness, they regard those three as distinctly knowable, they give rise to discriminating thoughts concerning those three. If they give rise to discriminating thoughts regarding what they see and know, how can they attain one-pointedness of mind?

“Mahakasyapa! Profound bodhi is extremely difficult to reach, difficult to enter, and difficult to acquire the requisite provisions for. What is called one-pointedness of mind? It is to search exhaustively and yet find not even a single dharma. That is to say, the eye, ear, and so forth cannot truly be found. All dharmas have no true existence, for such is their original nature. The nature of mind is originally unborn. Because all dharmas have no true existence, that mind cannot be apprehended.

“For if the past, present, and future are unobtainable, then there is nothing that can be done.

“What is called ‘nothing that can be done’? Whether old or new, nothing can be created; therefore, it is called ‘nothing that can be done.’

“Herein, the mind of the past is not liberated, the mind of the present is not liberated, and the mind of the future is not liberated. Wherever mind may be, it is entirely unobtainable. This is one-pointedness of mind; this alone is called entering the category of mind.

“Mahakasyapa! In the future, members of the fourfold assembly will cling to the belief that the eye, ear, and so forth are annihilated, while regarding the skandhas as truly existent things.

“The Tathagata teaches that the skandhas are like scenes in a dream. Yet they will assert that dreams truly exist, reasoning, ‘Because the world speaks of dreams, they must exist. If dreams did not exist, people would have no dream perceptions to describe. Therefore, while asleep, we give rise to dream perceptions. Indeed, because the skandhas have causes, they are said to be like dreams. If the skandhas were nonexistent, one should not say that the skandhas are like scenes in a dream!’

“Those foolish people regard dreams as truly existent. When they hear this Dharma teaching, they slander it. Among them will also be bhiksunis who falsely claim before their donor households, ‘I am an arhat.’ Or, relying upon shallow and coarse understanding, they will say that they have attained direct realization. There will also be upasakas and upasikas who, after hearing verses recited from the sutras and Vinaya, will say, ‘I have attained direct realization.’

“Mahakasyapa! At that time, there may be bhiksus who have long dwelt in aranyas, diligently cultivating for twenty or thirty years. For the sake of the Buddha-Dharma, they will go to an upasaka who has only newly given rise to faith for a single day, and they will merely proclaim empty words to one another. They will say, ‘Because even emptiness is empty, I completely know everything! I completely know everything!’

“Some bhiksus, after hearing this Dharma teaching, will discuss it with one another. Those who hear them will become frightened and will say, ‘Laypeople and monastics should not associate with these persons but must keep far away from them, for they are not teachers.’

“Some who expound the principles of the profound Dharma will instead be despised and abandoned by laypeople and monastics.

“Even now, although the Buddha teaches the sublime practice of purity, few people understand it. How much more will this be so in the future, when even those with a little understanding have passed away! At that time, among one or two thousand bhiksus who teach the Dharma, it will be difficult to find even one who truly understands, believes in, and enters the wondrous Dharma. Among them, some bhiksus will not even be able to recite a single sentence, much less understand it clearly.

“Mahakasyapa! At that time, laypeople and monastics together will disparage and revile this teaching.

“If there are bhiksus who diligently strive to increase the wholesome and eliminate evil, reducing their sleep and energetically cultivating and studying during the first and last watches of the night, they will certainly be envied and maligned by others, or even killed. Sutra teachings such as this will disappear. Bhiksus who practice in accordance with the Dharma will also all vanish. At that time, those who possess wisdom, who are pure and undefiled, and who clearly understand the wondrous Dharma should honor this sutra teaching, deeply believe in it and revere it, and assemble together in aranyas.”

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke these verses:

“The wholesome Dharma taught by the Buddha

Accords with the ultimate truth:

The skandhas have no solid reality.

They should be regarded as dreams.

In future ages, the bhiksus,

Their minds contentious and agitated,

Will make no distinction between senior and junior

Merely empty names.

The words spoken by bhikshus

Are also spoken by householders;

In the teaching at that time,

Monastics and laypeople speak alike.

Bhikshus tell laypeople,

“You understand this rare Dharma;

This itself is the Buddha’s bodhi—

You have already attained the fruit of the First Ground!”

Thinking in their hearts that they have seen the Dharma,

They associate closely with householders,

Who then offer these bhikshus

The finest articles of worship.

These bhikshus declare

That all their words are true;

They befriend householders,

Saying, “We have seen the Dharma.”

People in the future age

Will leave home for gain and support;

They will not follow the true Dharma

And will destroy the path of bodhi.

“I shall teach you the path;

Stay close to me and follow no one else.

Before long, you will attain

What I myself have attained.

“This is the state of quiescence;

I shall explain it clearly to you.”

Amid a great multitude,

They will corrupt the Buddha’s teaching.

They are like bands of robbers,

Savage-hearted, vicious, and treacherous,

Who assault and destroy towns and villages

And plunder great settlements as well.

These bhikshus are likewise:

Unwise and deeply foolish,

Of little wisdom and prone to wrongdoing,

They cling to self and cling to a lifespan.

Having departed far from the Buddha’s teaching,

They abide in fixed views,

Proclaiming themselves arhats,

Their hearts filled with overweening pride.

In the midst of a great assembly,

Before the community of bhikshus,

They boast of their great wisdom

And of a fame possessed by few.

At that time, any bhikshu

Who truly practices in accord with the Dharma

Will be hated and reviled by them,

And denounced as no disciple of the Buddha.

The great bodhi of all Buddhas

Will then be slandered;

The devas, grieved at heart,

Will constantly lament to one another.

The devas who have faith in the true Dharma,

Seeing the wheel of the true Dharma

Of Buddha Shakyamuni disappear,

Will fall to the ground in anguish.

The devas will praise the Buddha

And extol the Dharma-gates;

They will praise the Sangha, the field of merit,

The beloved children of all Buddhas.

“We shall no longer hear

The Buddha’s wondrous Dharma.

Shakyamuni has entered nirvana,

And, failing to understand, beings cherish delusion.”

The devas of the Four Great Kings and the Trayastrimsha devas

Will raise a mighty proclamation,

Announcing throughout the heavenly realms:

“The lamp of Dharma is now about to be extinguished.

“You who have heard the Buddha,

If you do not draw near the Tathagata,

The devas and nagas of future times

Will harbor bitter regret.

“Throughout innumerable kalpas,

For their own sake and the sake of others,

The Buddhas endured every hardship,

Only afterward attaining Buddhahood.

“These are the words of all Buddhas,

Who, to teach and transform sentient beings,

Expounded wholesome Dharma-gates;

Now they are about to disappear.

“Deceivers will appear in the world,

Committing many dreadful offenses;

They are emissaries of Mara, evil maras,

Freely uttering malicious words.

“Deceitful and deeply foolish,

They dupe the simple-minded;

Whether angry or not,

They revile their teachers and the true Dharma.”

Hearing the proclamation of the heavens,

All the higher realms will grieve;

The Four Heavenly Kings and humankind

Will likewise be burdened with sorrow and pain.

Yaksha spirits will assemble

In the city of Atavaka,

Raising terrifying cries,

As tears fall from both their eyes.

The beautiful jeweled halls,

Majestically adorned, of the devas

Will all lose their radiance,

Becoming dark like heaps of earth.

The celestial palaces, once beautiful

And exceedingly lovely and delightful,

Will now lose all their majestic splendor;

No pleasure will remain in beholding them.

The devas will gather together

At the place where the Buddha was born;

Rolling upon the ground, they will wail,

Their grief and suffering ever increasing.

“I descended from heaven to earth

And passed through kingdoms and cities;

Everywhere the Buddhadharma had sunk into oblivion,

And nowhere could it be seen.

“Throughout all Jambudvipa,

The true Dharma has declined;

Those who have left home are oppressed,

And therefore the devas lament and weep.”

For seven full days the celestial palaces

Will everywhere lose their radiance;

For seven days the devas too

Will constantly grieve and lament:

“Alas, O Great Hero!

In former times we encountered You;

How could we have known that now we would not see You,

And that Your words would also come to nothing?

“The Buddha often dwelt in Shravasti,

Where we came to pay reverence.

Now, seeing the place, we remember Him,

And grieve and weep all the more.

“And here is the Deer Park,

Where the Buddha formerly dwelt

And turned the Dharma wheel of the Four Noble Truths;

We ourselves heard and witnessed it!

“Now the world is dark;

People neither honor nor cherish one another.

Having created causes of wrongdoing,

They will certainly be born in the three lower realms.

“The many celestial palaces in the heavens

Now all stand empty;

The sentient beings of Jambudvipa

Have no guide and no one to save them.

“The places where the Buddha practiced walking meditation

Are now ruined and desolate.

The Dharma King has entered nirvana,

And the world has lost its peace and happiness.”

Amid the assembly of Trayastrimsha devas,

Shakra, Lord of the Devas,

His heart tormented by grief,

Will lament and weep aloud.

Thus the hosts of devas

Will constantly praise the Tathagata,

Regretting that they are far from the World-Honored One,

Who once was their teacher of Dharma.

Unable to partake of amrita,

They will also cease their music and song;

The hosts of devas, in this manner,

Will grieve at heart for six months.

When the asuras hear it said

That the true Dharma has become empty and lost,

They will summon one another

And lead their armies against Trayastrimsha Heaven.

The kings and rulers of Jambudvipa

Will destroy the Buddha’s rules of discipline;

Precisely during this period,

The devas and asuras will wage war.

Born into the lower realms,

Very many bhikshus

And many bhikshunis as well

Will undergo every kind of suffering.

Householders will commit offenses,

And lay followers will violate shila;

Contending, they will denounce one another,

And thereby fall into the lower realms.

Women who commit evil deeds

Will likewise enter the three evil destinies;

When these things flourish,

The world will know no peace.

At times people will pass through settlements,

Or flee into mountains and forests;

Through anxiety, fear, and hardship,

Everyone’s lifespan will be short.

Everywhere there will be many thieves and bandits,

And famine and thirst will spread;

The crops will fail,

And insects will cause further devastation.

The world will be filled with poverty, hunger, and suffering;

After human beings die,

Many will be born as hungry ghosts

And endure immeasurable torment.

Offerings made to monasteries and stupas,

And articles dedicated to the Sangha of the four directions,

Will at that time be taken by the bhikshus,

Who will divide them all among themselves.

After the Buddha’s nirvana,

Such sufferings will abound;

You must quickly strive with diligence

And never look back.

So many foolish people,

Devoid of wisdom and wholesome faculties,

Their karma ripened through delusion,

Will swiftly fall into the lower realms.

You should delight in explaining, reading, and reciting the teachings;

Wisdom arises from these practices.

Those who cultivate wisdom and the mind

Will swiftly be born in good and excellent realms.

Constantly contemplate with wisdom,

And train correctly according to the Buddha’s words;

Utterly freed from all bonds,

You will swiftly attain the path of nirvana.

The true Dharma will not remain for long;

You must strive to cultivate with diligence.

The Buddha has fully spoken His words;

Hasten to reflect upon them truly and rightly.

After this kalpa has passed,

For a full sixty great kalpas,

Even the title ‘Buddha’ will not be heard;

How then could anyone delight in it?

When the time of famine comes,

Hunger and suffering will be endless;

Even mothers and children

Will kill and devour one another.

At that time, even one’s own children

Will walk about in terror, never at ease;

Though dwelling within their own homes,

Their hearts will remain anxious and afraid.

Seeing and hearing these events,

Know clearly the suffering of samsara;

Who among the wise

Could still delight in or desire it?

Ignorance is the root of birth;

Women are the root of desire;

The body is the root of suffering;

Therefore, these must be left far behind.

Foolish sentient beings in the world

Are intoxicated by sensual desire for women;

Those able to free themselves from delusion

Will attain the path of nirvana.

When this Dharma is expounded,

Do not incur evil retribution;

Those who deny cause and effect

Must fall into the lower realms.

The undefiled Dharma of merit and virtue

Is empty, empty, and without attainment;

Quiescence itself has no permanence,

Therefore you must quickly understand it clearly.”

The Buddha told Mahakashyapa: “If a bhikshu or any other person can perfect this foremost Dharma and seeks the undefiled Dharma, one should tell him: ‘With regard to all dharmas, let the mind abide nowhere.’

“O Mahakashyapa! A bodhisattva must cultivate steadfastly.

“What is steadfastness? What is cultivation?

“Steadfastness means steadfastness of mind and steadfastness in diligence.

“What is called steadfastness of mind? A bodhisattva reflects: ‘Only after making offerings to one Buddha, and even after making offerings to Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, will I give rise to a single thought seeking the Buddha-path. Thereafter, only once in as many kalpas as the sands of the Ganges will a Buddha appear in the world. Because I have formed aspirations as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, I will obtain a human body on one occasion, and even after receiving human bodies as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, I will hear a single sentence of Dharma, give rise to luminous wisdom, and gain great benefit on the path to unsurpassed bodhi.’

“A bodhisattva should give rise to such a steadfast mind.”

The bodhisattva further employs many skillful means to gather in the wisdom of the Buddha, seeking it through many ascetic practices and embracing the Buddha’s wisdom through many ascetic practices. A bodhisattva must possess such a steadfast mind.

– O Mahakasyapa! I shall now relate an analogy for you. Through analogies, the wise can understand the meaning explained above: that through many ascetic practices one can attain unsurpassed bodhi, and that even throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges one should never cease or rest. If one continues practicing and studying without ceasing throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, one can directly realize unsurpassed bodhi. A bodhisattva should arouse such a steadfast mind, increasing the strength of diligent endeavor and never abandoning the path to unsurpassed bodhi.

Having aroused such a mind, a bodhisattva should not grasp what is a proper basis or what is not a proper basis. Grasping obstructs the unsurpassed path. If a bodhisattva does not grasp what is a proper basis or what is not a proper basis, that bodhisattva will soon attain unsurpassed bodhi.

– O Mahakasyapa! Suppose someone were to give away treasures sufficient to fill the entire great trichiliocosm. If another person faithfully accepts and upholds the scriptures taught by the Buddha that accord with bodhi, that person’s merit would surpass the merit of the former giver.

– O Mahakasyapa! A bodhisattva also possesses a steadfast mind, yet even this steadfast mind is unobtainable. Therefore, a bodhisattva’s cultivation should never cease or rest.

How extensively must a bodhisattva cultivate? The bodhisattva must cultivate every Dharma that is to be cultivated. If there remains even a single thought that cannot be thoroughly understood, all such Dharmas must be cultivated. Although those Dharmas of cultivation cannot be expressed, they are nevertheless the most excellent Dharmas of cultivation—namely, steadfastness of mind.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“Though there is no mind, thoughts of mind arise,

And great fear will then appear:

Will I succeed or not succeed?

How will this matter turn out?

Through constant reflection and thought,

One becomes trapped on one side,

Slandering the path of the true Dharma,

And therefore fails to attain bodhi.

This is an indolent mind,

Not the mark of bodhi.

Such a person doubts everything,

From the Buddha down to the sravakas.

Without cultivating, one nevertheless seeks

The Dharmas of the sages and Buddhas;

It is not through mere speech

That the fruit of peace and bliss is attained.

One must possess faith and joyful aspiration

To accomplish the great Dharma;

It is not through mental conjecture alone

That the supreme and wondrous Dharma is attained.

Through one Dharma, one accomplishes

All the practices one has cultivated.

Having understood that supreme Dharma,

One should diligently cultivate for Buddhahood.

– O Mahakasyapa! By being able to perfect this Dharma, even without drawing near to and making offerings to the Buddhas, a bodhisattva knows with certainty: ‘I shall attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.’

– O Mahakasyapa! A householder bodhisattva has three practices that can benefit the path of bodhi: for the sake of omniscience, one develops profound faith and makes vows; one does not become attached to household activities; and one firmly observes the five precepts.

When a householder bodhisattva possesses these three qualities, that bodhisattva can accomplish six things: obtaining the recompense of birth among noble sages; not being mute, stammering, or deaf; quickly understanding the Dharma upon hearing it; bearing oneself with dignity while walking and standing; possessing profound and steadfast faith and feeling no fear toward the extremely profound Dharma; readily understanding and awakening upon hearing the Dharma; and swiftly attaining the stage of non-retrogression.

Regarding the six Dharmas above, one should clearly recognize five obstructions: divisive speech, false speech, lack of aspiration, jealousy, and attachment to the five sensual desires.

A householder bodhisattva must also cultivate three Dharmas: always maintaining the wish to renounce household life; respectfully honoring sramanas and brahmins; and keeping away from teachers of Dharma who are not of the same kind, for one should not study heterodox teachings that do not belong to the Buddha’s path.

– O Mahakasyapa! A bodhisattva must also study three Dharmas: always accord with the Buddhas; diligently cultivate oneself in order to teach others; and train in loving-kindness toward sentient beings.

A bodhisattva must also draw near to three Dharmas: completely refraining from beating others, not reviling anyone, and granting fearlessness to those who are afraid.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“Do not draw near to inferior people.

Upon seeing one who is not upright,

Quickly keep far away,

As one would avoid a venomous snake.

Do not follow or study other paths;

What is contrary to propriety must be abandoned,

As though one had seen a rabid dog,

For it leads to falling into the lower realms.

If, through attachment, one follows others

Of the same clan along an evil path,

Then, upon hearing the supreme and wondrous Dharma of ‘emptiness,’

One should give rise to joyful aspiration.

One should respectfully honor and serve

Bhiksus who abide in tranquil emptiness,

Increasing extensive learning

And thereby giving rise to wisdom.

Those who draw near to bodhi

Should be revered by everyone.

Meet with them to inquire and learn,

And good roots will soon arise.

Those who wish their wisdom to increase,

Like a lotus flower growing in water,

Must listen extensively to the true Dharma,

So that their good roots may grow ever greater.

Through the increase of wisdom,

One can end the outflows,

Accomplish majestic fearlessness,

And become one of great wisdom and utmost diligence.

To benefit everyone,

One must first benefit oneself;

Householders must abandon

The beating of sentient beings.

Arouse the resolve to seek bodhi

And never retreat from the Dharma;

One’s body will be healthy and beautiful,

And everyone will respect and cherish one.

If one cultivates loving-kindness,

One will escape the three lower realms

And, in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three,

Enjoy the fruition of abundant bliss.

When one’s celestial body has died,

One will not fall into the three evil destinies,

But will be born among human beings

Into a noble and honored family.

One’s body will be dignified and beautiful,

And no one will despise or ridicule one.

Devas and nagas will follow and protect one

As one practices in accordance with the true Dharma.

One will enjoy excellent and wondrous circumstances,

And people will respect, esteem, and cherish one.

One’s sleep will be peaceful,

And upon waking, one’s mind will be at ease.

Being protected by the devas,

One will neither fear nor be frightened.

The vast Dharma described above

Brings such abundant benefits.

Householders and monastics

Also gain great benefit:

It causes wisdom

And good roots to flourish in everyone,

Brings peace to those who are afraid,

And leads to the unsurpassed fruit.

Seek only omniscience,

And do not yearn for the heavenly realms.

Such a person becomes aligned

With the right path and right wisdom.

Because of these good roots,

One will never again fall into the lower realms.

One will attain wisdom and the three higher knowledges,

And become well trained in the three undefiled states,

Perfecting all the merits

That the Buddhas have perfected.

The Honored One in the world

Is reverently worshiped by everyone;

One who reveres the Tathagata

Is foremost among the assembly.

If one who still lives as a householder

Can arouse the unsurpassed resolve,

Then, for such people, I shall teach the essentials of the Dharma;

You should listen attentively.

– O Mahakasyapa! A householder bodhisattva must possess three qualities: one must keep away from worldly heedlessness and amusements, the exchange of gifts, and the choosing of auspicious days and favorable hours; one should remain pure and avoid accepting too much; and one should diligently and energetically study the true Dharma.

Householders must also do three things: not obstruct a teacher of the Dharma, invite and encourage teachers to expound the Dharma, and always light lamps and torches.

Moreover, they must never do these three things, for if they do, they will assume a woman’s body: they must not prevent their mothers from listening to the true Dharma or meeting bhiksus; they must not prevent their wives from meeting bhiksus or going to hear the true Dharma; and they must not violate their wives through an improper mode of intercourse.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“One should always possess faith

5And light bright lamps and torches;

Then one will obtain the Buddha’s eyes,

Pure and free from defilement.

Through these pure eyes,

One clearly understands all knowable Dharmas.

Because one understands what is knowable,

One knows the Dharmas of the past

And likewise knows those of the present,

Without discriminating the future;

There are no three kinds of characteristics.

If these three kinds of characteristics exist,

One must abandon the third characteristic.

The characteristic called non-characteristic

Is entirely identical in meaning.

Although the Buddha spoke of the faculties,

Dharmas have no root or foundation.

If discrimination arises here,

One loses the path of bodhi.

Having purely cultivated the Buddha-eye,

One directly realizes all Dharmas.

This statement is bodhi,

As was just revealed.

The Dharma cannot be revealed,

Nor can it be destroyed.

All Dharmas are like empty space;

Therefore, this is called revelation.

The Buddha proclaimed this meaning

To teach the household assembly

Always light bright lamps and torches,

And clearly attain the Buddha-eye.

Do not obstruct those who teach the Dharma,

The teaching of Shakyamuni;

Then you shall never enter the three evil destinies,

Nor incur the retribution of being born blind.

Always seek and invite others

To proclaim the most supreme Dharma;

By the power of these wholesome roots,

You shall turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel.

If anyone prevents his mother

From hearing the wholesome Dharma,

He shall take birth as an ugly woman,

Blind and hunchbacked, burdened with many faults;

Unable to behold forms,

Or to hear sounds,

Dwelling in a place of darkness,

No different from bats and rats.

If one becomes jealous of one's wife

And obstructs her spiritual cultivation,

After the end of one's life and death,

One shall take the body of an ugly woman:

With yellow hair and blue eyes,

Dark-skinned and blind,

Lame in the legs and malicious at heart,

Deaf in the ears and given to much talk.

With many faults such as these,

One shall soon acquire an ugly and evil body;

Because of the causes and conditions of defiling desire,

One shall be hated and envied by one's husband.

O Mahakashyapa! A bodhisattva householder should not do these three things: Regardless of whether goods donated by others are many or few, fine or inferior, if the owner has not invited him to do so, he should not give them away; he must not obstruct anyone who wishes to renounce household life, and should encourage those who have not yet renounced household life to do so; when he sees someone building monasteries or stupas, he should assist them and must not exploit the construction to misappropriate money or goods."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Wealth donated by another

Must not be given where it was not intended;

One must not obstruct the intended gift,

For misusing it incurs wrongdoing.

Before the donor,

One should stand upright with palms joined.

If there are too few people here

To provide for the Sangha,

One must follow the donor's instructions

And contribute one's labor to help others.

Drinks and food,

Even things of little value,

Must be used according to the donor's wishes;

Do not give the donor cause for resentment.

If anyone wishes to renounce household life,

Whether a child or another relative,

The bodhisattva should consent

And must not create obstacles.

May sentient beings dwell in peace and happiness;

May they attain nirvana.

May my original vow be fulfilled;

May I teach the unsurpassed Dharma.

When you know that you have committed a fault,

Do not allow body and mind to become defiled;

Do not remain forever in grief

And thereby become tainted by afflictions.

O Mahakashyapa! A bodhisattva householder should also not do these three things: he should not traffic in men or women; he should not give poison to anyone; and he should not associate with those who engage in these deeds."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Do not traffic in men,

Nor traffic in women;

Do not give poison to anyone,

And keep far away from those who do these things.

Because they cause suffering to sentient beings,

The devas constantly reproach them;

No matter where they go,

Their hearts fear that they will be harmed.

Their sorrow and anxiety increase each day,

And calamity and suffering torment their bodies;

They die prematurely and bring about their own ruin;

Therefore, these deeds must not be committed.

The Buddha clearly knows the causes

Of these and other faults and offenses;

He briefly teaches a small portion of them

To admonish the bodhisattvas.

O Mahakashyapa! A bodhisattva householder should also not do the following three things: he should not go to the houses of prostitutes; he should not associate with matchmakers; and he should not remain in slaughterhouses or butcher shops."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Do not go to the houses of prostitutes,

Places of impurity and heedlessness;

People of the world will revile you

For associating with base desires.

If you go there, the wise who know of it

Will surely rebuke and reprimand you;

You will invite disaster and harm upon yourself,

And because of this will often die young.

Nor should you associate

With matchmakers for men and women;

Those who seek wives or husbands

Will treat you with contempt for associating with them.

Slaughterhouses and butcher shops

Must also be avoided; do not pass through them.

Such places are never praised

By those who are wise.

The Tathagata clearly knows

These deeply grave faults;

For the sake of those who err,

The Buddha now speaks truthfully.

Disciples of the Buddha must thoroughly understand

The teaching proclaimed by the Buddha;

They must receive and uphold it in accordance with the Dharma,

And their practice will bear fruit.

Sentient beings who cultivate the noble path

Quickly attain the fruit of nirvana;

The Buddha teaches for such people,

Not for the wicked.

O Mahakashyapa! There are three things that a bodhisattva householder must practice: while at home, he should contemplate his own body and life as temporary, like a guest; regarding wealth already given away, he should regard it as securely stored; regarding wealth not yet given away, he should regard it as being a hundred yojanas distant from him, and should not entertain the thought of hoarding wealth for his wife and children."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Constantly contemplate death:

My life will not last long.

Property and wealth

Should be given away to sow merit.

Do not leave wealth to wife and children,

Nor retain it for your own body;

Give it to others,

And gain enduring merit.

Diligently seek the Buddha path,

And do not give rise to arrogance;

If you abandon wholesome dharmas,

You will constantly incur harm.

Like children playing games,

Who eat a little and are not satisfied,

Your taste of the Dharma remains slight;

Though you have faith, it is difficult to make it firm.

If you do not practice courageously and vigorously,

You remain truly far from the path;

If you never cease propagating the Dharma,

This is called the ultimate Dharma.

The Buddha now teaches these Dharma methods

For the sake of the great assembly;

Whoever clearly understands them

Is one possessed of omniscience.

With wisdom, skillfully contemplate,

And let the heart become disenchanted with the body;

Constantly reflect with right mindfulness,

As though standing in the Buddha's presence.

O Mahakashyapa! If a bodhisattva householder accomplishes the following three dharmas, he will not regress from the path to unsurpassed bodhi: If his parents do not believe in the Three Jewels, he causes them to develop faith; if his parents violate the precepts, he encourages them to observe the precepts; if his parents are greedy and miserly, he encourages them to practice giving. He praises the path to unsurpassed bodhi and teaches the Dharma to others. This is the first dharma by which one attains non-retrogression from unsurpassed bodhi.

A bodhisattva householder clearly knows who is worthy of offerings and who is not. He makes offerings to those worthy of offerings and does not make offerings to those unworthy of them; yet even when he does not make offerings, he still maintains loving-kindness toward them. This is the second dharma by which one attains non-retrogression from unsurpassed bodhi.

A bodhisattva householder works laboriously to acquire wealth, does not squander it, does not allow it to be lost, and does not give it away indiscriminately, but should preserve it carefully. Even so, he gives and makes offerings impartially to pure shramanas and brahmins and to sentient beings, and he does not obstruct others who likewise practice giving. This is the third dharma by which one attains non-retrogression from the path to unsurpassed bodhi."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Bodhisattva householders

Who seek unsurpassed bodhi

Should perfect three wholesome roots

And advance directly to unsurpassed awakening.

If their parents, regarding the Three Jewels,

Hold wrong views and have no faith,

They should exhort them to give rise to faith

And cause them to abide in the supreme Dharma.

If their parents are greedy and miserly,

They should exhort them to practice giving and goodness;

If they violate the precepts, exhort them to observe them,

And also exhort them to cultivate wisdom.

They should travel throughout the four directions,

Seeking and inviting Dharma masters

To teach the Dharma and liberate others;

Through this, their wisdom increases.

Cause those who violate the precepts to observe them;

Cause those without faith to develop faith;

Cause those without wisdom to cultivate it diligently;

Through this, one attains non-retrogression.

Upon meeting a wise bhikshu

Who observes the precepts and is greatly learned,

One should respectfully remain close to him

So as constantly to inquire and learn.

Through this, householders

Attain non-retrogression from bodhi.

Upon meeting one of profound virtue,

Who understands the path and possesses great wisdom,

Such a person is worthy of reverence;

Offer your own person in service to him.

This demonstrates a heart of reverence and faith.

The Buddha previously said:

Without faith, one cannot

Give rise to the great resolve for bodhi.

Wisdom beholds the wondrous Dharma

And swiftly brings great benefit;

Within all the sublime dharmas,

Realization and entry are not difficult.

Knowing oneself and also knowing others,

One gains great benefit herein;

Being in accord with the supramundane Dharma,

One's wisdom thereby increases further.

Whatever money and possessions

Have long been accumulated

Should not be guarded forever,

But given to practitioners.

Whatever wealth is later acquired

Should likewise be given away;

Ever diligent in giving,

One will surely attain Buddhahood swiftly.

Upholding the precepts together with sentient beings,

With a loving heart, impartially practice giving"

Giving with a pure heart,

Utterly without the least expectation,

From silver and money to precious jade and gold,

Gladly giving them all;

Courageously giving everything,

And dedicating all the meritorious deeds performed

To the Supreme Vehicle,

The path of bodhi, the great awakening.

If an offering accords not with the Dharma,

Though one gives to humans and devas,

It is not equal to giving in accord with the wholesome Dharma

To a single poor and lowly person.

Striving diligently in quest of the Dharma,

Through the Dharma one attains clear understanding;

From the supreme path, wondrous wisdom arises,

And one realizes unsurpassed bodhi.

O Mahakasyapa! If, after giving rise to the aspiration for bodhi, a householder bodhisattva possesses any of the following three qualities, he will pass into the Sravaka Vehicle and enter nirvana. There is one kind of person who fears the three evil destinies, regards the unsurpassed path as too burdensome and difficult, does not diligently cultivate the roots of goodness that he formerly cultivated, does not delight in seeking the wholesome Dharma, and becomes discouraged, considering it painful. This is the first quality. If he possesses it, he will lose the aspiration for bodhi, pass into the Sravaka Vehicle, and enter nirvana.

There is another kind of person who, when practicing giving, is not joyful, and after giving, regrets it; nor does he dedicate the merit toward seeking the wisdom of a Buddha. If a person possesses this second quality, he will lose the aspiration for bodhi and quickly pass into the Sravaka Vehicle and enter nirvana.

There is yet another kind of person who does not diligently and energetically practice the conduct of the Mahayana but delights only in seeking extensive learning. Because his roots of goodness are inferior, he quickly enters nirvana. This is the third kind who loses the aspiration for bodhi, passes into the Sravaka Vehicle, and enters nirvana."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Having given rise to the aspiration for bodhi,

If one does not follow right conduct,

One falls away from the Buddha Vehicle

And enters the path of the Sravakas.

Though still believing in great bodhi

And having no indolence at heart,

Because of ignorance and stinginess,

One is therefore obstructed.

Grateful to the Buddha, one observes the precepts

And diligently practices giving;

The paramitas will be perfected,

And realizing bodhi will not be difficult.

The mind creates various evils,

And the mind also delights in making offerings;

If the minds of sentient beings remain steadfast,

They will bear fruit in the world.

If one can abandon these three faults

And dedicate merit to great bodhi,

One will become a Blessed One

And realize unsurpassed bodhi.

O Mahakasyapa! If a householder bodhisattva possesses any of the following three qualities, he will fall away from the path of bodhi and attain parinirvana in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. There is one kind of person who, though he has given rise to the aspiration for bodhi, is stingy with the true Dharma. There is another kind who delights in consulting calendars and stars and in predicting worldly good and bad fortune. There is yet another kind who, because of indolence, is unable to study and cultivate all the factors conducive to bodhi. If householders who have given rise to the aspiration for great bodhi possess these three faults, they will fall away from the Mahayana, enter the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and attain parinirvana.

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"One who is stingy with the true Dharma

And refuses to instruct others

Will pass into the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle

And fall away from the unsurpassed path.

Having cultivated the Dharma of the Mahayana,

If one then pursues good fortune and avoids ill fortune,

This is not a mind of right faith;

One will surely become distant from the Buddha path.

One who can wholeheartedly believe and delight

In the steadfast path of bodhi

Will never pay homage to heavenly spirits,

But will serve only the Buddha.

If one possesses pure faith

And does not seek the fruit of rebirth in heaven,

One can attain the Buddha Vehicle

And be called an unsurpassed being.

If one’s heart delights in bodhi

And one does not worship heavenly spirits,

No matter where one is born,

One’s body will be handsome, beautiful, and strong.

O Mahakasyapa! Because of three qualities, a householder bodhisattva receives an ugly, dark-complexioned body: taking a lamp from a Tathagata’s stupa; showing anger toward people engaged in disputes and lawsuits; and reviling dark-complexioned, unattractive people who have nothing to do with oneself."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Taking a lamp from a stupa,

Or extinguishing an offering lamp,

One receives a dark-complexioned body,

Black as a raven’s feathers.

Disparaging a dark and unattractive person,

Saying, ‘I am fair, while you are dark,’

Because one disparages another,

One receives a dark and unattractive body.

One must carefully guard the mouth;

Calamities and faults issue from the mouth.

According to the karma one has committed,

One will receive its karmic result.

O Mahakasyapa! Because of the following three qualities, a householder bodhisattva will be born into a family of artisans. Though one has personally undertaken the five precepts, one drinks liquor when pressured and invited by guests, or invites others to drink. One will therefore be born into a family of artisans. This is the first quality.

Though one personally observes celibate conduct, one brings other people together and causes them to engage in impure sexual acts. One will therefore be born into a family of artisans. This is the second quality.

Seeing someone diligently reading and reciting the sutras and Dharma teachings while construction work is underway at one’s own house, one tells him, ‘You should stop reading and reciting and continue working for me.’ Because of this, one will be born into a family of artisans. This is the third quality."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Offering liquor for others to drink,

Drinking liquor with one’s relatives,

Because one drinks liquor and becomes intoxicated,

One is then born into a family of artisans.

Unable to make needles or knives,

And unskilled in any other craft,

One can only sit and move one’s hands,

Working the bellows before the furnace.

Though personally cultivating celibate conduct,

One tells others to engage in sexual acts;

When the recompense of this life is exhausted and one dies,

One will be born into a family of artisans.

Unable to make needles or knives,

And unable to work the bellows,

One knows only how to swing a great hammer

And strike the anvil to forge iron.

Telling another to abandon reading and recitation,

After one has died,

One will be born into a family of artisans,

With a mind perpetually dull and darkened.

Unable to work the bellows,

And also unable to hammer and forge,

Driven by karmic retribution,

One damages implements and wares.

The Buddha has given this admonition:

One must guard one’s words when speaking;

Never instruct another

To commit any evil deed.

The suffering of samsaric birth and death

Arises from craving and attachment;

One must diligently cultivate wholesome dharmas

And keep far away from evil dharmas.

O Mahakasyapa! If a householder bodhisattva possesses the following three qualities, he will be born into a wealthy and noble royal family; his body will be handsome, dignified, and beautiful; he will be respected and loved by everyone; and he will be intelligent, skillful, diligent, and never indolent. When a householder first encounters a sramana or brahmin, he immediately reveres and trusts him and makes offerings of food, clothing, medicines, bedding, and other necessities. This is the first quality. A householder steadfastly keeps his original vows, practices in accordance with his words, and never speaks falsely. This is the second quality.

A householder reveres, trusts, and makes offerings to sramanas and brahmins who are fully endowed with virtuous conduct, and is also able to receive and study the true Dharma from them. This is the third quality."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Those who possess wisdom,

Upon seeing persons accomplished in discipline and learning,

Should give rise to joyful hearts

And constantly follow them to inquire and learn.

Having received their instruction,

One should make offerings in accordance with the Dharma,

Giving them the necessities of life,

Without ever harboring regret.

This is the firm and steadfast Dharma

That must be followed and practiced;

One will accord with the wisdom of a Buddha,

And swiftly attain what is difficult to attain.

Through deep and steadfast faith,

One proceeds directly toward great bodhi;

Cultivating the path of wisdom,

Realizing the Buddha path will not be difficult.

Dwelling in the unsurpassed Dharma

And aspiring to attain the wondrous Dharma,

One should receive the seven noble treasures

And realize the fruit of nirvana.

One will be born into a noble family,

With a beautiful and dignified body;

One’s food and clothing will all be luxurious,

And one will realize unsurpassed nirvana.

Practicing the Supreme Vehicle

As praised by the Buddha,

One attains pure and wondrous nirvana;

This is the most excellent fruit.

For the meritorious deeds one has performed,

The corresponding results never cease;

Though hundreds of kotis of kalpas may pass,

This karma will still not be lost.

O Mahakasyapa! A householder bodhisattva who fulfills three qualities will cultivate roots of goodness and, until he realizes unsurpassed bodhi, will never experience the pleasures of the five worldly desires:

A householder receives and upholds the five precepts, does not praise the pleasures of the five desires to others, and diligently cultivates his own karmic practices. He further makes this vow: ‘I shall cease associating intimately with all women. From now until I realize unsurpassed bodhi, may I never encounter the pleasures of the five worldly desires.’ This is the first quality.

A householder who hears this scripture and gives rise to faith, aspiring to the fruit of great nirvana, may accept and uphold this teaching yet keep it concealed and fail to put it into practice. When another person explains and inspires him, he should immediately cease concealing it and diligently put it into practice. Through this root of virtue, he will attain unobstructed and unattached eloquence. In this present life or at the time of death, this person will behold the Buddha. After death, he will be reborn in a heavenly realm and, before long, will realize unsurpassed bodhi. This is the second matter.

A householder bodhisattva dedicates all the roots of virtue he has accumulated to unsurpassed bodhi. He takes no delight in the objects of the six senses, wealth, rank, or office, nor is he attached to his family and kin. Through the unconditioned mind and the unconditioned fruit, he swiftly realizes unsurpassed bodhi. This is the third matter.

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"A householder who observes the five precepts,

Skillfully preserving and safeguarding them,

Does not consort with women

And gives rise to disenchantment with such things.

The unsurpassed Dharma gates

He diligently cultivates without weariness;

If he commits an unwholesome fault,

He quickly repents and abandons it.

All roots of virtue he cultivates

He dedicates to bodhi;

Through this wholesome merit,

He soon leaves behind the pleasures of the five desires.

He constantly acquires broad learning

And teaches the true Dharma to others;

He gives rise to great loving-kindness and compassion

And seeks unsurpassed bodhi.

Having heard of these benefits,

He should give rise to wholesome thoughts;

He should distance himself from defiled desires

And swiftly accomplish the Buddha path."

Mahakasyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: "Blessed One! What is the name of this Dharma scripture? How should we now receive and uphold it?"

The Buddha told Mahakasyapa: "This scripture is called 'The Teaching of the Three Forms of Disciplined Conduct.' It is also called 'The Proclamation of the Bodhisattva Precepts.' It is also called 'Entering All Dharmas Together.'"

After the Buddha had spoken this scripture, Venerable Mahakasyapa, the entire assembly, devas, nagas, the eight classes of beings, and the others who heard the Buddha's teaching were all filled with great joy, faithfully accepted it, and put it into practice.