大方廣佛華嚴經

26. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: THE TEN GROUNDS

(Chinese Edition, From Fascicle 34 Through Fascicle 39)

At that time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Hall of the Treasury of Mani Jewels within the palace of the Heaven of the King Who Freely Enjoys the Transformations of Others, assembled together with great bodhisattvas who had come from other directions.

These bodhisattvas were irreversible from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. They abided within the realm of the wisdom of bodhisattvas, entered that which the Buddha enters, and cultivated diligently without ceasing. They were well able to manifest various spiritual powers and to teach, transform, discipline, and subdue all sentient beings at precisely the appropriate time.

To accomplish all great vows, throughout all kalpas, all lives, and all lands, these bodhisattvas constantly cultivated diligently, never becoming indolent or resting even briefly. They had perfected merit, wisdom, and the provisions supporting the Path; universally benefited sentient beings without ever falling short; and attained the bodhisattvas’ prajnaparamita of skillful means. They manifested entering birth and death and entering nirvana, yet never abandoned or neglected the practice of bodhisattva conduct.

They skillfully entered all the meditative concentrations, liberations, and samadhis of bodhisattvas. In wisdom, spiritual powers, and all their deeds, they had attained mastery. They had attained mastery of all the spiritual powers of bodhisattvas.

Without making any movement, within a single thought they could reach all the bodhimandas of all Buddhas, serve as leaders of the assemblies, request the Buddhas to teach the Dharma, preserve and uphold the Buddhas’ true Dharma, and, with vast minds, make offerings to and attend upon all Buddhas. They constantly and diligently cultivated bodhisattva conduct. Their bodies appeared throughout the worlds.

Their voices pervaded the Dharma-realm of the ten directions. Their minds and wisdom were unobstructed, universally beholding all bodhisattvas of the three periods of time. They had all perfectly cultivated every virtue; even throughout ineffable kalpas, their virtues could not be fully described.

Their names were:

Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, Ratnagarbha Bodhisattva, Padmagarbha Bodhisattva, Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Lotus Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Sun Treasury Bodhisattva, Sūrya Treasury Bodhisattva, Stainless Moon Treasury Bodhisattva, Universally Manifest Adornment Treasury Bodhisattva, Vairocana Wisdom Treasury Bodhisattva, Wondrous Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Sandalwood Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Flower Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Kusuma Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Utpala Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Heavenly Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Merit and Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Unobstructed Pure Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Virtuous Qualities Treasury Bodhisattva, Nārāyaṇa Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Stainless Treasury Bodhisattva, Free from Defilement Treasury Bodhisattva,

Eloquence Adornment Treasury Bodhisattva, Great Radiant Net Treasury Bodhisattva, King of Pure Majestic Virtue and Radiance Treasury Bodhisattva, King of Golden Adornment, Great Merit, Virtue, and Radiance Treasury Bodhisattva, Pure Virtue Adorned with All Marks Treasury Bodhisattva, Treasury Adorned with the Virtuous Marks of Vajra Flames Bodhisattva, Radiant Flame Treasury Bodhisattva, Treasury Illuminated by the Light of the King of Constellations Bodhisattva, Empty-Space Unobstructed Wisdom Treasury Bodhisattva, Wondrous Voice Unobstructed Treasury Bodhisattva, Dhāraṇī Virtue Upholding the Vows of All Sentient Beings Treasury Bodhisattva, Ocean Adornment Treasury Bodhisattva, Sumeru Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Treasury Purifying All Virtuous Qualities Bodhisattva,

Tathāgata Treasury Bodhisattva, Buddha Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva, Liberation Moon Bodhisattva…

There were innumerable, immeasurable, boundless, unequaled, incalculable, unreckonable, inconceivable, unfathomable, and ineffable great bodhisattvas such as these. Vajragarbha Bodhisattva was the leader of this great assembly.

At that time, empowered by the Buddha’s spiritual might, Vajragarbha Bodhisattva entered the Bodhisattva Samadhi of the Radiance of Great Wisdom. After he entered this samadhi, immediately, throughout the ten directions, beyond worlds as numerous as the dust motes in ten koṭis of Buddha-lands, in each direction there appeared before him Buddhas as numerous as the dust motes in ten koṭis of Buddha-lands, all identically named Vajragarbha Buddha. They said to him: “Excellent! Excellent! Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, you are able to enter this Bodhisattva Samadhi of the Radiance of Great Wisdom.

Good man! In each of the ten directions, Buddhas as numerous as the dust motes in ten koṭis of Buddha-lands all empower and protect you. Through the power of the original vows and the awe-inspiring spiritual might of Vairocana Tathāgata, and also through the power of your supreme wisdom, they wish you to proclaim the inconceivable radiance of the Buddha-Dharma to the assembly of bodhisattvas. This is:

To enable them to enter the grounds of wisdom; to gather all roots of goodness; to skillfully discern all Buddha-Dharmas; to acquire extensive knowledge of all dharmas; to become skilled in teaching the Dharma; to purify nonconceptual wisdom; to remain undefiled by all worldly dharmas; to purify supramundane roots of goodness; to attain the realm of inconceivable wisdom; and to attain the realm of the wisdom of those possessing all-wisdom.

Furthermore, it is to enable them to attain the beginning and culmination of the bodhisattvas’ Ten Grounds; to explain truthfully the distinguishing characteristics of the bodhisattvas’ Ten Grounds; to remain mindful of all Buddha-Dharmas; to cultivate and discern the undefiled dharmas; to skillfully discern and contemplate the excellent adornments of the radiance of great wisdom; to skillfully enter the gateway of definitive wisdom; wherever they may be, to teach the Dharma sequentially and fearlessly; to attain the radiance of unobstructed eloquence; to abide on the stage of great eloquence and make skillful determinations; to remember the bodhisattva mind without forgetting it; to bring all realms of sentient beings to maturity;

and to reach all places universally, definitively awakening everyone.

Good man! You should eloquently expound the skillful distinctions of this Dharma gateway. Namely:

By relying upon the spiritual power and wisdom bestowed through the Buddhas’ empowerment; by purifying your own roots of goodness; by universally purifying the Dharma-realm; by universally embracing sentient beings; by deeply entering the Dharma-body and the Wisdom-body; by receiving consecration from all Buddhas; by attaining the loftiest and greatest body in all worlds; by surpassing all worldly paths; by purifying supramundane roots of goodness; and by perfecting wisdom of all modes.

At that time, the Buddhas of the ten directions together bestowed upon Vajragarbha Bodhisattva a body of supreme brilliance; bestowed upon him the wisdom of unobstructed eloquence; bestowed upon him pure wisdom capable of skillful discernment; bestowed upon him the power of excellent recollection, free from forgetfulness; bestowed upon him wisdom capable of skillful and lucid determination; bestowed upon him the wisdom to reach all places and bring awakening; bestowed upon him the power of sovereign mastery in accomplishing the Path; bestowed upon him the Buddha’s virtue of fearlessness; bestowed upon him the wisdom and eloquence to contemplate and distinguish the Dharma gateways of those possessing all-wisdom;

and bestowed upon him the perfectly sublime adornments of the Tathāgata’s body, speech, and mind.

Why was this?

Because the attainment of this samadhi is necessarily so; because his original vows had arisen; because his profound mind was pure and wholesome; because the wheel of his wisdom was pure and wholesome; because he had skillfully accumulated the provisions supporting the Path; because he had skillfully cultivated and refined his practices; because he remembered immeasurable vessels of Dharma; because he understood pure faith and comprehension; because he had attained unerring comprehensive retention; and because he had skillfully received confirmation through the wisdom-seal of the Dharma-realm.

At that time, all the Buddhas of the ten directions extended their right hands and stroked the crown of Vajragarbha Bodhisattva’s head.

After the Buddhas had stroked his head, Vajragarbha Bodhisattva emerged from samadhi and addressed the entire assembly of great bodhisattvas, saying:

Disciples of the Buddha! The vows of the bodhisattvas are skillfully determined, unmixed, and impossible to perceive; as vast as the Dharma-realm; as ultimate as empty space; pervading all Buddha-lands; extending throughout the future; liberating all sentient beings; receiving the empowerment and protection of all Buddhas; and entering the wisdom-grounds of the Buddhas of the three periods of time.

Disciples of the Buddha! What are the wisdom-grounds of great bodhisattvas?

Disciples of the Buddha! The wisdom-grounds of great bodhisattvas comprise ten stages. The Buddhas of the three periods of time have taught them, will teach them, and are now teaching them; and I also teach them in this way.

These are the ten wisdom-grounds:

The first is the Ground of Dedication. The second is the Ground Free from Defilement. The third is the Ground of Radiance. The fourth is the Ground of Blazing Wisdom. The fifth is the Ground Difficult to Conquer. The sixth is the Ground of Direct Presence. The seventh is the Far-Traveling Ground. The eighth is the Immovable Ground. The ninth is the Ground of Excellent Wisdom. The tenth is the Dharma Cloud Ground.

Disciples of the Buddha! I do not see any land in which the Buddhas there do not teach these ten wisdom-grounds.”

Why is this so? Because this is the supreme path of great bodhisattvas leading toward bodhi, and it is also a Dharma gateway of purity and radiance.

Children of the Buddha! This is beyond the reach of conceptual thought; it is precisely the realization-wisdom of the great bodhisattvas.

Having spoken, Vajragarbha Bodhisattva fell silent and explained no further.

At that time, the assembly of bodhisattvas heard the names of the ten stages of wisdom but heard no explanation. They all yearned to hear and thought: Why has Vajragarbha Bodhisattva merely stated the names of the ten stages of wisdom without explaining them?

Liberation Moon Bodhisattva knew the thoughts of the assembly of bodhisattvas and thereupon spoke verses to question Vajragarbha Bodhisattva:

Why does the one of pure awakening,

Endowed with mindfulness, wisdom, and merit,

State the names of the Ten Wisdom Stages,

Knowing them clearly, yet not explain them?

All here are resolute,

Courageous and without timidity;

Why state the names of the Stages,

Then remain silent without explaining them?

The meaning and purport of the Ten Wisdom Stages

All in this assembly wish to hear;

Their hearts are without fear or weakness—

For their sake, please explain them.

This entire assembly is pure,

Serene, immaculate, and free from indolence;

They are steadfast and immovable,

Endowed with merit and wisdom.

They look upon one another with reverence,

All equally thirsting and yearning,

Like bees longing for sweet honey,

Like the thirsty thinking of ambrosia.

Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, the greatly wise and fearless one, heard Liberation Moon Bodhisattva speak these verses. Wishing to gladden the hearts of the assembly, he then spoke in verse:

The stages of bodhisattva practice

Are the supreme foundation of Buddhahood;

To elucidate and explain them clearly

Is rare and exceedingly difficult.

Subtle and difficult to perceive,

Beyond thought, transcending the domain of mind,

They give rise to the realm of the Buddhas;

Those who hear will become confused.

One who guards the mind like vajra,

Firmly believes in the Buddha’s wisdom,

And knows the mind-ground to be without self,

Can then hear this Dharma.

Like colors painted in empty space,

Like the traces of wind in the sky,

The Buddha’s wisdom is also thus:

Its distinctions are exceedingly difficult to perceive.

I reflect that the Buddha’s wisdom

Is supreme and inconceivable;

People of the world cannot receive it,

Therefore I remain silent and do not speak.

Liberation Moon Bodhisattva addressed Vajragarbha Bodhisattva: This great assembly is now fully gathered. All have well disciplined their profound minds, thoroughly purified their thoughts, skillfully cultivated all practices, skillfully trained in the aids to the path, and skillfully drawn near to hundreds of thousands of kotis of Buddhas. They have perfected immeasurable merit and roots of goodness, abandoned delusion, and are no longer defiled. With profound minds they believe and understand, and within the Buddha-Dharma they do not depend upon the instruction of others.

Child of the Buddha! Please avail yourself of the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power and expound this teaching for the assembly. This assembly of bodhisattvas is capable of realizing and knowing such exceedingly profound matters.

Wishing to restate this meaning, Liberation Moon Bodhisattva then spoke in verse:

Please speak of the bodhisattva practices,

Supreme and utterly secure;

Clearly distinguish all the stages

Through which pure wisdom attains perfect awakening.

This assembly is free from defilement;

Their aspirations and understanding are bright and pure.

Having reverently served immeasurable Buddhas,

They can comprehend the meaning of all the stages.

Vajragarbha Bodhisattva said: Child of the Buddha! Although this assembly has thoroughly disciplined and purified its cultivation and thoughts, abandoned ignorance, doubt, and delusion, and does not depend upon the instruction of others regarding the exceedingly profound Buddha-Dharma, there are still beings of shallow wisdom. If they hear these exceedingly profound and inconceivable matters, they will give rise to doubt and delusion and consequently endure suffering for a long time. Out of compassion for such beings, I remain silent.

Wishing to restate this meaning, Vajragarbha Bodhisattva spoke in verse:

Although this assembly’s wisdom is vast and pure,

Their insight keen, able to penetrate the profound Dharma,

Their minds unmoving like the King of Mountains,

And incapable of being overwhelmed, like the great ocean,

There are those newly cultivating, whose understanding has not yet matured,

Who follow discriminating consciousness rather than wisdom;

Hearing this, they would doubt and fall into evil paths—

Out of compassion for them, I therefore do not speak.

Liberation Moon Bodhisattva again addressed Vajragarbha Bodhisattva: Child of the Buddha! Please avail yourself of the Buddha’s spiritual power and distinctly expound this inconceivable Dharma. Such persons will receive the Tathagata’s protection and blessing, enabling them to believe and accept it. For when the Dharma of the Ten Stages is taught, all bodhisattvas are assuredly kept in mind and protected by the Buddha. Because they are kept in mind and protected by the Buddha, they give rise to courage concerning these stages of wisdom. For these are the foremost practices undertaken by bodhisattvas to perfect all Buddha-Dharmas.

For example, in writing characters, all are founded upon the letters of the alphabet. No character, even ultimately, is in the least separate from the letters of the alphabet.

All Buddha-Dharmas take the Ten Stages as their foundation. By practicing the Ten Stages to their ultimate completion, one attains omniscience. Therefore, Child of the Buddha, please expound them. These people will surely be kept in mind and protected by the Tathagata, enabling them to believe and accept.

Wishing to restate this meaning, Liberation Moon Bodhisattva spoke in verse:

Excellent, Child of the Buddha! Please expound

The stages of wisdom that lead into bodhi.

All the Sovereign Ones throughout the ten directions

Will protect and keep in mind this fundamental wisdom.

To abide in this wisdom is also ultimate;

All Buddha-Dharmas arise from here.

Just as writing depends upon the letters of the alphabet,

So too does the Buddha-Dharma rest upon the stages of wisdom.

At that time, the great bodhisattvas in the assembly simultaneously raised their voices toward Vajragarbha Bodhisattva and spoke in verse:

With sublime, undefiled wisdom,

And boundless wisdom and eloquence,

Proclaim profound and beautiful words

Corresponding to the ultimate truth.

Mindful and steadfast in pure practices,

With merit amassed through the Ten Powers,

Use eloquence to distinguish their meaning

And speak of these most excellent stages.

With concentration and moral discipline fostering upright minds,

Free from self-conceit and wrong views,

This assembly harbors no doubts;

We beseech you to let us hear the teaching.

As the thirsty long for cool water,

As the hungry long for delicious food,

As the sick seek excellent medicine,

As bees crave fine honey,

So too are we.

We long to hear the ambrosia of Dharma.

Excellent, greatly wise one!

We pray that you explain the Ten Stages,

By which the unobstructed Ten Powers are attained,

Together with all the practices of the Buddhas.

If we are able to hear them,

We shall faithfully accept and diligently cultivate them.

At that time, the Blessed One emitted from between his eyebrows a pure radiance named Bodhisattva-Power Blazing Light, accompanied by countless hundreds of thousands of rays, illuminating all worlds throughout the ten directions. The beings in the three evil paths were entirely freed from suffering. This radiance also shone throughout all the assemblies of all the Buddhas, revealing the inconceivable spiritual power of the Buddhas. It further illuminated the bodies of the bodhisattvas in all worlds throughout the ten directions who had received the Buddhas’ blessings to teach the Dharma. Having accomplished all these things, this radiance formed a brilliantly shining cloud-net dais that remained suspended in the sky.

At that time, the Buddhas of the ten directions likewise emitted such radiance and manifested all these same phenomena. It further illuminated the Buddha and the great assembly in this Saha world, as well as the body and lion throne of Vajragarbha Bodhisattva.

From within the brilliantly shining cloud-net dais suspended in the sky, through the Buddha’s spiritual power, a voice spoke these verses:

The peerless Buddha, like empty space,

Possessing the Ten Powers and immeasurable supreme virtues,

Most excellent and unsurpassed within the world—

Shakyamuni Tathagata grants his blessing.

Child of the Buddha, avail yourself of the Buddha’s spiritual power

And reveal this most excellent and supremely honored treasury:

The vast wisdom-stages and their excellent, sublime practices;

Relying on the Buddha’s awesome power, distinguish and explain them.

If one receives the Tathagata’s blessing,

The treasure of Dharma will enter one’s own mind;

The bodhisattva’s Ten Stages will gradually be fulfilled,

And the Buddhas’ Ten Powers of Wisdom will likewise be perfected.

Whether one is in the depths of the sea or amid the conflagration of an eon,

If capable of receiving this Dharma, one will surely hear it;

But those who give rise to doubt and have no faith

Will never hear such meaning.

Expound the Ten Stages in full—the path of supreme wisdom;

Enter and abide in them sequentially, cultivating them stage by stage.

According to these practices, the realm of wisdom arises,

For the benefit of all sentient beings.

Vajragarbha Bodhisattva surveyed the ten directions and, wishing to increase the assembly’s pure faith, spoke in verse:

The great path of the Tathagata

Is subtle, wondrous, and difficult to know;

Apart from thought, yet not non-thought,

It cannot be perceived by seeking.

Neither arising nor ceasing,

Its nature pure, ever quiescent—

Those free from defilement, penetrating and wise

While proceeding within that realm.

Its intrinsic nature is originally empty and quiescent,

Nondual and also inexhaustible;

Liberated from all realms of existence,

It abides in the equality of nirvana.

It is neither beginning, middle, nor end,

Nor can words reach it;

It transcends the bounds of time,

Its characteristic being like empty space.

The Buddha’s realm is quiescent and extinct;

Speech cannot reach it.

The realm of the Ten Grounds is likewise thus,

Difficult both to express and to apprehend.

Wisdom arises in the Buddha’s realm,

Forever beyond mental conception;

It is not the skandhas, ayatanas, or dhatus;

Wisdom knows it, but thought does not.

Like the trace of a bird flying through the sky,

It is difficult to indicate and difficult to describe—

The meaning of the ten wisdom grounds

Cannot be discerned by mind or thought.

Compassion and the power of vows

Give rise to practices that enter the Ten Grounds;

The mind is gradually brought to fulfillment,

Yet this is not an object of deliberation.

This realm is difficult to behold;

It may be known but cannot be spoken.

By the Buddha’s power, I shall explain it;

The assembly should reverently receive it.

The realm of the wisdom grounds

Could not be fully told in millions of kalpas.

I shall now speak only briefly

Of their true and actual meaning.

May the assembly reverently await;

Relying on the Buddha’s power, I shall speak

The wondrous and supremely excellent sound of Dharma,

Using corresponding words and analogies.

The spiritual powers of immeasurable Buddhas

Have all entered my body.

What is difficult to reveal here,

I shall now explain in small part.

Disciples of the Buddha! If there are beings who have deeply planted roots of goodness, skillfully cultivated practices that aid the Way, are able to make offerings to the Buddhas and serve as good spiritual friends, skillfully accumulate pure and wholesome dharmas, are adept at gathering in and skillfully purifying the profound mind, establish vast aspirations and give rise to expansive knowledge and wisdom, and always keep loving-kindness and compassion before them—for the sake of seeking the Buddha’s wisdom, attaining the Ten Powers, attaining great fearlessness, attaining the equality of the Buddha-Dharma, saving all worlds, purifying great loving-kindness and compassion, attaining the Ten Powers and wisdom of all modes, purifying Buddha-lands without obstruction,

knowing all three periods of time within a single thought, and fearlessly turning the great Dharma wheel—

Disciples of the Buddha! When a bodhisattva gives rise to such thoughts, the bodhisattva takes great compassion as foremost, superior wisdom as predominant, subtle and skillful means as the means of practice, and the supreme profound mind as that which gathers them in; is sustained by the Buddha’s power; possesses immeasurable wisdom that skillfully observes, courageous power of discernment, and the manifest power of unobstructed wisdom; accords with naturally arising wisdom; is able to receive all Buddha-Dharmas and employ wisdom to teach and transform; is as vast as the Dharma realm, as ultimate as empty space, and continues throughout all future time.

Disciple of the Buddha! As soon as a bodhisattva first gives rise to such a resolve, the bodhisattva transcends the rank of ordinary beings, enters the station of a bodhisattva, and is born into the family of the Tathagata. No one can say that the bodhisattva’s lineage is defective. The bodhisattva has left the worldly realms and entered the supramundane path, attained the Dharma of bodhisattvas, dwells in the place of bodhisattvas, enters the equality of the three periods of time, and, within the lineage of the Tathagata, is certain to attain unsurpassed enlightenment. A bodhisattva who abides in such dharmas is said to abide on the “Bodhisattva Ground of Joy,” because the bodhisattva accords with unmoving suchness.

Disciples of the Buddha! A bodhisattva abiding on the Ground of Joy accomplishes abundant joy, abundant pure faith, abundant loving delight, abundant gladness, abundant jubilation, abundant exultation, abundant courage, abundant freedom from contention, abundant harmlessness, and abundant freedom from anger.

Disciples of the Buddha! A bodhisattva abiding on the Ground of Joy gives rise to gladness through recollecting the Buddhas; gives rise to gladness through recollecting the Buddha-Dharma; gives rise to gladness through recollecting the bodhisattvas; gives rise to gladness through recollecting bodhisattva practices; gives rise to gladness through recollecting the purification of the paramitas; gives rise to gladness through recollecting the excellence of the bodhisattva grounds; gives rise to gladness through recollecting the indestructibility of bodhisattvas; gives rise to gladness through recollecting how the Buddhas teach and transform beings; gives rise to gladness through recollecting the ability to benefit beings;

and gives rise to gladness through recollecting entry into the wisdom and skillful means of the Buddhas.

This bodhisattva further reflects: “I rejoice because I have turned away from and left all worldly realms; I rejoice because I draw near to all Buddhas; I rejoice because I have departed far from ordinary beings; I rejoice because I am near those endowed with wisdom; I rejoice because I have forever ended all evil destinies; I rejoice because I serve as a refuge for all beings; I rejoice because I behold all Tathagatas; I rejoice because I am born into the Buddha’s realm; I rejoice because I enter the nature of equality of all bodhisattvas; and I rejoice because I am far removed from every terror and dread.”

Why is this? Because when a bodhisattva attains the Ground of Joy, the bodhisattva forever escapes all fears—namely, the fear of being unable to sustain life, the fear of ill repute, the fear of death, the fear of falling into evil destinies, and the fear of the imposing majesty of great assemblies.

Why does the bodhisattva forever escape these fears?

Because this bodhisattva has abandoned the perception of self and does not cherish even the body, much less possessions, the bodhisattva does not fear being unable to sustain life.

Because this bodhisattva does not expect others to make offerings to the bodhisattva, but is solely devoted to giving to all beings, the bodhisattva does not fear ill repute.

Because this bodhisattva has abandoned the view of self and has no perception of self, the bodhisattva does not fear death.

Because this bodhisattva knows that after death the bodhisattva will certainly not be separated from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva does not fear falling into evil destinies.

Because, throughout all worlds, no one’s aspiration equals this bodhisattva’s, much less surpasses it, the bodhisattva does not fear the imposing majesty of great assemblies.

Disciples of the Buddha! This bodhisattva takes great compassion as foremost and possesses vast aspirations that nothing can obstruct. Moreover, through diligently cultivating all roots of goodness, the bodhisattva brings them to accomplishment.

Those roots of goodness are as follows: superior faith; abundant pure faith; pure understanding; resolute conviction; the arising of a compassionate mind; accomplishment of great loving-kindness; freedom from weariness; adornment with a sense of shame and moral dread; accomplishment of gentle and harmonious conduct; reverently following, honoring, and valuing the teachings of the Buddhas; cultivating roots of goodness day and night without ever being satisfied; drawing near to good spiritual friends; always cherishing and delighting in the true Dharma; seeking extensive learning without ever being satisfied; correctly contemplating in accordance with the Dharma heard; keeping the mind free from reliance and attachment; not craving gain, fame, offerings, or honor;

not seeking any provisions for sustaining life; giving rise to an insatiable mind that accords with reality; seeking the stage of all-wisdom; seeking the Buddha’s powers, fearlessnesses, and exclusive qualities; seeking the paramitas and the various gateways that aid the Way; abandoning all flattery and deception; being able to practice in accordance with one’s words; always keeping one’s words truthful; not defiling the family of the Tathagata; not forsaking the bodhisattva precepts; giving rise to all-wisdom; maintaining a mind as steadfast and unmoving as the King of Mountains; not abandoning any worldly matter while accomplishing all supramundane paths; tirelessly cultivating the dharmas that aid the path to unsurpassed bodhi; and constantly seeking the unsurpassed Way.

Disciples of the Buddha! A bodhisattva who accomplishes such practices for purifying the ground of the mind is said to abide on the “Bodhisattva Ground of Joy.”

This bodhisattva accomplishes great vows, great courage, and great functions as follows:

The bodhisattva gives rise to vast, pure, resolute knowledge and understanding, and reverently presents every kind of offering to all Buddhas without omission; this vow is as vast as the Dharma realm, as ultimate as empty space, and continues without rest throughout all future kalpas.

The bodhisattva further makes this great vow: “I vow to receive all Buddha-Dharmas; I vow to gather in all the Buddhas’ wisdom; I vow to protect all the Buddhas’ teachings; and I vow to preserve all Buddha-Dharmas.” This vow is as vast as the Dharma realm, as ultimate as empty space, and continues without rest throughout all future kalpas.

Again, he makes a great vow: May I draw near to and make offerings to the Buddhas whenever they appear in any world—descending from the Tusita Heaven, entering the womb, dwelling in the womb, being born, leaving the household life, attaining the Way, teaching the Dharma, and entering nirvana. May I become the foremost among their assemblies, receive and practice the true Dharma, and at the same time turn the Dharma everywhere. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May all the vast practices of the bodhisattvas be indestructible and unmixed, encompassing all the gates of the paramitas and cultivating the purity of all grounds of wisdom. May all bodhisattva practices—the universal characteristic, particular characteristic, identical characteristic, differing characteristic, characteristic of formation, and characteristic of disintegration—be expounded exactly as they truly are. May I teach and transform all sentient beings, enabling them to receive and practice these teachings so that the ground of their minds may develop and increase. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May I teach and transform all classes of sentient beings—those with form, those without form, those with perception, those without perception, those who are neither percipient nor non-percipient; those born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, or born through transformation; all those bound to the three realms and born anywhere among the six destinies; and all those encompassed by name-and-form—causing them to enter the Buddha-Dharma, forever transcend every worldly destiny, and abide in the path of wisdom concerning all modes of existence. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May I clearly see and know through the power of wisdom all the vast and immeasurable worlds—coarse or subtle, dwelling chaotically, dwelling invertedly, or dwelling properly; whether entering, departing, or arriving; differentiated like Indra’s Net—the immeasurable worlds throughout the ten directions, diverse and unlike one another. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May all lands enter a single land, and may a single land enter all lands. May immeasurable Buddha-lands be universally purified and adorned with radiant objects. May they transcend all afflictions and accomplish the pure Way. May immeasurable multitudes of sentient beings endowed with wisdom completely fill them. May I enter everywhere the vast domains of the Buddhas and, in accordance with the minds of sentient beings, manifest before them so that they all rejoice. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May I share one aspiration and one practice with all bodhisattvas, free from rivalry and hostility, accumulating all roots of goodness. May all bodhisattvas be equal in their objects of contemplation, always assemble together, and never abandon one another. May we freely manifest many Buddha-bodies; spontaneously know within our own minds the domains of the Buddhas; attain spiritual powers of wisdom and awe-inspiring might from which there is no regression; journey freely throughout all worlds; manifest bodies in every assembly; enter everywhere into all places of birth; accomplish the Mahayana; and cultivate the inconceivable practices of bodhisattvas.

May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May I cultivate the bodhisattva practices while riding upon the irreversible Dharma wheel, so that none of the three karmic activities of body, speech, and mind are ever in vain. If anyone should see me even briefly, may that person become certain in the Buddha-Dharma. If anyone should hear my voice even briefly, may that person attain true wisdom. As soon as anyone gives rise to a mind of pure faith, may that person forever end all afflictions. May I attain a body like the great Medicine King Tree and a body like a wish-fulfilling jewel, and cultivate all bodhisattva practices. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Again, he makes a great vow: May I attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment throughout all worlds. Without departing from a single pore, may I manifest within every pore birth, departure from the household life, arrival at the place of enlightenment, attainment of perfect enlightenment, turning of the Dharma wheel, and entry into nirvana. In every thought, may I attain the power of the Buddha’s great wisdom and the Buddha’s domain, and, in accordance with the minds of all sentient beings, manifest the attainment of Buddhahood so that they attain quiescence.

With all-knowing wisdom, may I know that the entire Dharma Realm is precisely the characteristic of nirvana. With a single voice, may I teach the Dharma and cause the minds of all sentient beings to rejoice. Though manifesting entry into great nirvana, may I never cease the bodhisattva practices.

May I manifest the ground of great wisdom and establish all dharmas. Through the spiritual power of wisdom of the Dharma, the spiritual power of unimpeded movement, and the spiritual power of magical illusion, may I freely transform throughout the entire Dharma Realm. May this vow be as vast as the Dharma Realm, ultimately equal to empty space, and continue throughout all future kalpas without ceasing.

Disciples of the Buddha! A bodhisattva dwelling on the Ground of Joy gives rise to such great vows, with such courage and such great function. Taking these ten gates of vows as foremost, he completely fulfills hundreds of thousands of countless great vows.

Disciples of the Buddha! These great vows are accomplished through ten clauses concerning what can be exhausted.

These are the ten clauses concerning what can be exhausted:

The exhaustion of the realm of sentient beings; the exhaustion of the realm of worlds; the exhaustion of the realm of empty space; the exhaustion of the Dharma Realm; the exhaustion of the realm of the Tathagatas; the exhaustion of the realm of objects contemplated by the mind; the exhaustion of the realm of domains entered by the Buddha’s wisdom; and the exhaustion of the realms of worldly turning, the turning of the Dharma, and the turning of wisdom.

Only when the realm of sentient beings is exhausted will my vows be exhausted; and so forth, until only when the realms of worldly turning, the turning of the Dharma, and the turning of wisdom are exhausted will my vows be exhausted. Yet because the realm of sentient beings, through and including the realm of the turning of wisdom, can never be exhausted, these roots of goodness and great vows of mine can likewise never be exhausted.

Disciples of the Buddha! After a bodhisattva has made such great vows, he attains a mind intent on benefiting others, a gentle mind, a compliant mind, a tranquil mind, a disciplined mind, a quiescent mind, a humble mind, a well-nourished mind, an unmoving mind, and an undefiled mind. He reaches the ground of pure faith and possesses the functioning power of faith.

He can believe in the Tathagata’s original practices and realization; believe in the accomplishment of all gates of the paramitas; believe in entering the supreme grounds; believe in the accomplishment of the powers; believe in the complete attainment of fearlessness; believe in the generation and growth of the unique and indestructible qualities of a Buddha; believe in the inconceivable qualities of a Buddha; believe in the boundless and centerless domain of the Buddha that comes forth; believe in entering, in accordance with conditions, the Buddha’s immeasurable domains; and believe in the accomplishment of the fruit.

In brief, he believes in all bodhisattva practices, up to and including the wisdom, grounds, teachings, and powers of the Tathagata.

Disciples of the Buddha! This bodhisattva further reflects: “The true Dharma of the Buddhas is so profound, so tranquil, and so quiescent; it is thus empty, signless, wishless, and undefiled; it is thus immeasurable and vast. Yet ordinary beings, in their conduct, fall into wrong views.

Blinded by ignorance, they raise aloft the banner of arrogance, enter the net of craving, and wander through the dense forest of deceit, unable to escape by themselves. Their minds are constantly accompanied by greed and jealousy, and they continually create causes and conditions for birth among the various destinies. Greed, anger, and delusion produce karma that increases day and night.

Fanned by the winds of resentment, the flames of their consciousness blaze without ever being extinguished. Whatever they say or do is inverted. The floods of desire, existence, ignorance, and views continually activate the seeds of mind, mentation, and consciousness.

In the field of the three realms, the sprouts of suffering grow once again, never apart from name-and-form. As name-and-form increase, they form the village of the six ayatanas. Within it, contact arises through their interaction; from contact arises feeling; conditioned by feeling, craving arises; as craving increases, grasping arises; as grasping increases, existence arises, and with existence there is distress.

Sentient beings thus increase the fruits of suffering. Yet all of this is empty, devoid of self and what belongs to self, without knowing or awareness, without perception or feeling, like grass, trees, stones, and walls, and also like echoes and reflections. Nevertheless, sentient beings remain unaware and do not understand.”

Seeing that sentient beings cannot escape such fruits of suffering, the bodhisattva gives rise to great compassion and wisdom and reflects: “I must rescue all these sentient beings and establish them in ultimate peace and happiness.” Because he reflects and arouses this resolve, the radiant wisdom of great loving-kindness arises.

Children of the Buddhas! Following such great compassion and great loving-kindness, when a great bodhisattva abides on the First Ground with a profound and earnest mind, he is never miserly with any possession. Seeking the wisdom of the Buddhas, he cultivates great relinquishment. Whatever he possesses, he is able to give it all away: money, grain, treasuries, granaries, gold, silver, mani jewels, precious gems, ornaments, elephants, horses, carriages, servants, subjects, cities, towns, villages, gardens, forests, towers, his wife, children, and relatives, his head, eyes, hands, feet, blood, flesh, bones, and marrow. He begrudges none of these, seeking the vast wisdom of the Buddhas.

This is called the accomplishment of great relinquishment by a bodhisattva abiding on the “First Ground.”

Children of the Buddhas! The bodhisattva practices such great giving with a mind of loving-kindness and compassion because he wishes to rescue and protect all sentient beings. Moreover, he seeks worldly and transcendent benefits; because he is never satisfied, he accomplishes a mind free from weariness.

Having attained a mind free from weariness, he has no timidity toward any sutra or treatise. Because his mind is free from timidity, he accomplishes knowledge of all sutras and treatises. Having attained this knowledge, he can properly discern what should and should not be done.

In accordance with the superior, middling, or inferior faculties of all sentient beings, and according to what is appropriate for their liberation, their capacities, and their habitual tendencies, he enables them all to obtain benefit. Through this, the bodhisattva attains worldly knowledge. Having attained worldly knowledge, he knows the proper times and understands measures and numbers.

Because he possesses moral shame and moral dread and diligently cultivates practices that benefit both himself and others, he accomplishes the adornment of moral shame and moral dread. By diligently cultivating the practice of liberation without regression within these practices, he develops steadfast strength. Having attained steadfast strength, he diligently makes offerings to the Buddhas and is able to practice the Buddha’s teachings exactly as instructed.

Children of the Buddhas! The bodhisattva thus accomplishes ten dharmas that purify the Grounds of Wisdom. They are compassion, loving-kindness, relinquishment, freedom from weariness, knowledge of sutras and treatises, understanding of worldly dharmas, moral shame and moral dread, steadfast strength, making offerings to the Buddhas, and practicing in accordance with the teachings.

Children of the Buddhas! Having come to abide on this Ground of Joy, through the power of his great vows the bodhisattva sees many Buddhas. He sees a hundred Buddhas, a thousand Buddhas, a hundred thousand Buddhas, a hundred million Buddhas, ten billion Buddhas, a hundred billion Buddhas, ten trillion Buddhas, a hundred million nayutas of Buddhas, ten billion nayutas of Buddhas, a hundred billion nayutas of Buddhas, and ten trillion nayutas of Buddhas.

Before all these Buddhas, the bodhisattva, with a great and profound mind, reverently honors, serves, and makes offerings to them of clothing, food and drink, bedding, medicines, and all other necessities. He also makes offerings to the entire Sangha. The bodhisattva dedicates all the merit and roots of goodness arising from these deeds to unsurpassed bodhi.

Children of the Buddhas! Because he makes offerings to the Buddhas, this bodhisattva succeeds in gathering sentient beings through the Dharma. He gathers sentient beings by means of the first two methods of attraction: giving and kind speech. As for the latter two methods of attraction, he practices them only through the power of faith and understanding and has not yet fully comprehended them.

Of the ten paramitas, this bodhisattva excels in the dana paramita. He practices the other nine paramitas according to his strength and capacity.

When this bodhisattva diligently makes offerings to the Buddhas and teaches and transforms sentient beings, he does so entirely to cultivate and purify the dharmas of the Grounds of Wisdom. He dedicates all his roots of goodness to the state of wisdom of all modes. They become increasingly luminous and pure, refined and fully developed, and can be employed at will.

Children of the Buddhas! It is like a goldsmith skilled in refining gold: by repeatedly placing the gold in fire, he makes it increasingly bright, pure, fine, and pliable, so that it may be fashioned as he wishes.

So too, when this bodhisattva makes offerings to the Buddhas and teaches and transforms sentient beings, he does so entirely to cultivate and purify the dharmas of the Grounds of Wisdom. He dedicates all his roots of goodness to the state of wisdom of all modes, and they become increasingly luminous and pure, refined and fully developed, so that they may be employed at will.

Children of the Buddhas! A great bodhisattva abiding on the First Ground should approach Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and spiritual benefactors to seek instruction and ask questions. Concerning this Ground, he should never be satisfied in seeking its characteristics and attainments, for he wishes to accomplish the dharmas of this Ground of Wisdom. He should likewise approach Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and spiritual benefactors to seek instruction and ask questions, never being satisfied in seeking the characteristics and attainments of the Second Ground, the Third Ground, and so forth through the Tenth Ground, for he wishes to accomplish the dharmas of those Grounds of Wisdom.

This bodhisattva clearly understands the obstructions and their antidotes, the accomplishment and deterioration, and the characteristics and fruits of the Grounds of Wisdom. He also clearly understands the cultivation through which a Ground is attained, the dharmas that purify a Ground, the progressive cultivation leading upward from a Ground, what constitutes a Ground and what does not, the superior wisdom of each Ground, and the irreversibility of each Ground. He also clearly understands how to cultivate and purify all the Grounds of Wisdom, until he passes into the Ground of the Tathagata.

Children of the Buddhas! The bodhisattva clearly understands the characteristics of the Grounds in this way. Beginning on the First Ground, he initiates uninterrupted cultivation and continues without interruption until he enters the Tenth Ground.

Through the luminous wisdom of these Grounds of Wisdom, he accomplishes the radiant wisdom of the Tathagata.

Children of the Buddhas! It is like an experienced caravan leader who wishes to guide a company of merchants to a great city. Before setting out, he first thoroughly inquires about the favorable and unfavorable conditions along the road and whether the destination is safe or dangerous, accessible or inaccessible. Only after fully preparing provisions and necessities does he set out with the company.

Children of the Buddhas! Although that caravan leader has not yet set out, he already knows thoroughly all the favorable and unfavorable conditions of the route and all its dangers and points of safety. He skillfully plans and prepares provisions and equipment without allowing anything to be lacking, and thus he is able to guide the company of merchants safely and intact to the great city.

Children of the Buddhas! The bodhisattva is the same. Abiding on the First Ground, he thoroughly understands the obstructions and antidotes of all the Grounds of Wisdom, and even knows thoroughly how all the Grounds of Wisdom are purified and how one passes into the Ground of the Tathagata. Only then does he fully prepare the provisions of merit and wisdom, guiding sentient beings across the perilous road of birth and death until they safely reach the city of wisdom of all modes.

For this reason, the bodhisattva should always diligently cultivate the pure and excellent practices of all the Grounds of Wisdom until he realizes and enters the Ground of the Tathagata.

Children of the Buddhas! This is called a brief explanation of the gateway through which a great bodhisattva enters the First Ground. If explained extensively, there would be immeasurable and boundless hundreds of thousands of countless distinctions.

Children of the Buddhas! A great bodhisattva abiding on this First Ground most often manifests as a king in Jambudvipa, wealthy, powerful, and sovereign, constantly safeguarding the true Dharma. Through the practice of great giving, he is able to gather sentient beings and skillfully eliminate their affliction of greed and stinginess.

In everything he does—whether giving, kind speech, beneficial conduct, or cooperation—he never departs from mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, or mindfulness of the Sangha. He never departs from mindfulness of bodhisattvas who practice together with him, nor from mindfulness of the bodhisattva practices, the various gateways of the paramitas, or the Grounds of Wisdom. He never departs from mindfulness of the powers, the fearlessnesses, or the unique qualities of a Buddha.

He never departs from mindfulness of the wisdom of all modes.

This bodhisattva further reflects: “Among all sentient beings, I should be foremost, victorious, supremely victorious, wondrous, exquisitely wondrous, exalted, unsurpassed, a guide, a general, and a commander, and ultimately one upon whom they may rely to attain the wisdom of all modes.”

If this bodhisattva wishes to leave the household life in order to diligently cultivate the Buddha-Dharma, he is able at once to relinquish his home, wife and children, and the five sensual desires, enter the household of the Tathagata, go forth into homelessness, and train in the Way. Having gone forth, he cultivates diligently and vigorously. In the space of a single thought, he enters a hundred samadhis, beholds a hundred Buddhas, knows the spiritual powers of a hundred Buddhas, can cause the worlds of a hundred Buddhas to quake, can travel to the worlds of a hundred Buddhas, can illuminate the worlds of a hundred Buddhas, can teach and transform the beings in a hundred worlds, can live for a hundred kalpas, can know the events of the past and future throughout a hundred kalpas,

can enter a hundred Dharma gates, and can manifest a hundred bodies, with each body manifesting a hundred bodhisattvas as its retinue.

If, through the bodhisattva’s supreme power of vows, he freely manifests beyond the numbers stated above, then even in a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, or as many as hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas, these manifestations could not be calculated or known.

Bodhisattva Vajragarbha, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke these verses:

If one cultivates wholesome deeds

And possesses all pure qualities,

Makes offerings to all World-Honored Ones,

And accords with the path of compassion;

Whose faith and understanding are exceedingly vast,

Whose aspirations are likewise pure,

Who, seeking the wisdom of the Buddhas,

Brings forth this unsurpassed resolve;

Who cultivates all powers of wisdom

Together with the fearlessnesses,

Perfects all qualities of Buddhahood,

And rescues and gathers in all beings;

Who, to attain great loving-kindness and compassion

And turn the supreme Dharma wheel,

Adorns and purifies the Buddha lands,

Brings forth this most excellent resolve;

Who in a single thought knows the three times,

Yet makes no discriminations

Concerning their distinctions in time,

In order to reveal them to the world;

In brief, seeking from all Buddhas

Every supreme virtue,

One brings forth a vast and great resolve

Whose measure equals the realm of space.

Compassion comes first, wisdom is the guide,

And both accord with skillful means;

With a mind of pure faith and understanding

In the Buddhas’ immeasurable spiritual powers;

Unobstructed wisdom manifests before one,

Awakened by oneself and not through another;

Seeking to possess in full what all Buddhas possess,

One brings forth this most excellent resolve.

When a disciple of the Buddha first gives rise

To such a wondrous, precious resolve,

He immediately transcends the state of ordinary beings

And enters the domain in which the Buddhas move.

Born into the household of the Tathagata,

His lineage is free from fault;

He becomes equally endowed with the Buddhas

And will certainly attain unsurpassed awakening.

As soon as such a resolve arises,

He immediately enters the First Ground;

His aspiration cannot be shaken,

Just like Mount Sumeru.

He abounds in joy and delight,

And also in pure faith;

His mind is immensely courageous,

And filled with gladness.

He remains far removed from contention,

Affliction, harm, and anger;

He is reverent, compliant, and straightforward,

And carefully guards the six faculties.

Whatever wisdom is possessed

By the unsurpassed Savior of the world,

I shall attain it all—

Remembering this, he gives rise to joy.

Having first entered the First Ground,

He immediately transcends five fears:

Fear of being unable to live, ill repute, death,

Evil destinies, and powerful assemblies.

Because he does not greedily cling to a self

And does not cling to anything belonging to a self,

Such disciples of the Buddha

Remain far removed from the five fears.

They constantly practice great loving-kindness

And always reverently believe and comply.

Endowed with the virtues of conscience and shame,

They increase wholesome qualities day and night.

They delight in the true benefit of the true Dharma

And do not delight in sensual pleasures;

They contemplate the Dharma they have heard

And remain far removed from clinging conduct.

They do not covet gain and support,

But delight only in the Buddha’s bodhi;

Single-mindedly seeking the Buddha’s wisdom,

They are wholly devoted, without any other thought.

They cultivate the paramitas,

Remaining far removed from flattery and deceit;

They practice in accordance with the Buddha’s words

And abide in truthful speech.

They do not defile the household of the Buddhas,

Nor forsake the bodhisattva precepts;

They take no delight in worldly affairs

And always benefit the world.

Never weary or satisfied in doing good,

They seek ever more to advance upon the supreme path;

They delight in Dharma in this way,

In accord with meaning and virtue.

They constantly bring forth great vows,

Vowing to behold all Tathagatas,

Protect the wisdom and true Dharma of the Buddhas,

And embrace the unsurpassed path.

They constantly give rise to vows such as these:

To cultivate the most excellent practices,

Bring all beings to maturity,

And adorn and purify the Buddha lands.

May all Buddha lands

Be densely filled with disciples of the Buddha,

Equal and united in one resolve,

Whose deeds are never performed in vain.

At every pore,

May they simultaneously attain perfect awakening—

Such great vows as these

Are measureless and boundless.

The realm of space and the realm of beings,

The Dharma-realm and nirvana,

The appearance of Buddhas in the world,

The realms of Buddha-wisdom and mind,

The wisdom realized by the Tathagatas,

And the complete exhaustion of the three turnings of the Dharma—

Only when all these come to an end

Will my vows come to an end.

Yet as these are inexhaustible,

So too are my vows.

Having made such great vows,

His mind becomes gentle, pliant, and well-regulated.

He is able to believe in the virtues of the Buddhas,

And, contemplating sentient beings,

Knows that they arise from causes and conditions;

He then gives rise to loving sympathy:

“Sentient beings suffer in this way;

I must now liberate them.”

For the sake of these sentient beings,

He practices giving.

His royal throne and precious treasures,

Even elephants, horses, and carriages;

His head, eyes, hands, and feet,

Even his blood, flesh, and bones—

He relinquishes and gives them all,

Without any regret.

He seeks all kinds of scriptures and writings,

Never knowing weariness;

He thoroughly understands their meanings

And is able to accord with the ways of the world.

Adorning himself with conscience and shame,

He becomes ever firmer in cultivation;

He makes offerings to immeasurable Buddhas

With reverence and veneration.

Constantly cultivating in this way,

Never weary by day or night,

His roots of goodness become ever more radiant and pure,

Like true gold refined in fire.

The bodhisattva abiding here

Purely cultivates the wisdom of the ten grounds;

His deeds encounter no obstruction,

But become complete and uninterrupted.

Just as a caravan leader,

For the benefit of the merchants,

Carefully inquires which roads are easy or difficult

And leads them safely to the great city,

So too, one should know, is the bodhisattva

Who abides upon the First Ground.

Courageous and unobstructed,

He reaches the Tenth Ground.

Abiding upon this First Ground,

He becomes a great lord of virtue;

He teaches sentient beings through the Dharma,

With a loving mind that causes no harm.

Ruling over Jambudvipa,

He teaches and transforms all its beings,

Causing them all to abide in the practice of great relinquishment

And perfect the wisdom of the Buddhas.

Wishing to seek the most excellent path,

He relinquishes his royal throne

And, within the Buddha’s teaching,

Cultivates courageously and diligently.

He immediately attains a hundred samadhis

And beholds a hundred Buddhas;

He causes a hundred worlds to quake,

And his radiance illuminates a hundred lands.

He delivers the beings of a hundred lands,

Realizes and enters a hundred Dharma gates,

Can know the events of a hundred kalpas,

And manifests a hundred Buddha-bodies.

He also manifests a hundred bodhisattvas

To serve as his retinue;

If his power of vows is sovereign and free,

His manifestations surpass these numbers beyond measure.

Concerning the meaning of the First Ground,

I have briefly described only a small part;

Were I to explain it extensively,

It could not be exhausted in a koti of kalpas.

The bodhisattva’s most excellent path

Benefits all sentient beings.

The Dharma of the First Ground is such as this;

I have now finished expounding it.