佛說無言童子經

At that time, in the assembly, there was a bodhisattva named Pure Lotus, who asked the bodhisattva Wordless:

“Regarding the questions that you, Son of Good Family, raised and addressed to the Tathagata, surely you have already witnessed the subtle and wondrous answers and conduct? Is the Dharma you received and assimilated truly delightful?”

Wordless replied:

“Son of Good Family! From the beginning until now, I have never asked about the Dharma, nor have I received anything. Through what condition, then, could I attain a Dharma to assimilate and allow it to permeate my heart?”

Pure Lotus said:

“Son of Good Family! Have you never attended upon the Tathagata and listened to and received the Dharma?”

Wordless replied:

“That is not so!”

He asked further:

“Why?”

He replied:

“I am not such a Dharma vessel!”

He asked further:

“Are you not a vessel for the Dharma that is taught?”

He replied:

“That is so!”

He asked further:

“What kind of vessel are you?”

He replied:

“With respect to all kinds of dharmas, I am no vessel, nor am I otherwise.”

He asked further:

“Son of Good Family! If you are not a vessel, by what means will you realize the unsurpassed, right, and true path?”

He replied:

“The path is not a Dharma vessel!”

He asked further:

“Upon careful examination, is that path not a vessel for the Buddha-Dharma?”

He replied:

“If that path were apart from the Buddha-Dharma, then the Buddha-Dharma would not be a vessel. Moreover, that path is not apart from the Buddha-Dharma. Furthermore, when speaking of the Buddha-Dharma, it is itself the path; and that path itself is the Buddha-Dharma.

Son of Good Family! I do not wish to cause the Dharma-path of the Buddhas to be separated from the defilements, nor do I ever strive after the path—how much less would I wish the Buddha-Dharma to be separated from the path? Why is this so?

Because where there is Buddha-Dharma, it is not apart from the defilements. Moreover, those defilements are not apart from the path. To comprehend the defilements of desire is called the Path.

Therefore, I do not conceive of what belongs to a self, nor do I discriminate the Buddha-path. Those of other views each conceive and discriminate. I do not seek the path elsewhere.

If someone seeks these other things elsewhere, that is seeking what is other. If, again, someone has no other seeking, that person does not discriminate.”

He asked further:

“What constitutes otherness?”

He replied:

“To discriminate an ego-self as not the same as the path is called otherness. To regard the four great elements as different from self, person, life, and lifespan; to regard mind and thought as different; and to regard lust, anger, and delusion as different—this is called otherness. If one can clearly understand that the ego-self is naturally pure from beginning to end, and that the path is naturally pure from beginning to end, this is called non-otherness.

When self, person, life, lifespan, lust, anger, and delusion are naturally pure, and the Path also is naturally and ultimately pure, this is called non-otherness. If they were different, one could not seek what is other, but would have to seek within this body composed of the four great elements. Within the ego-self one would seek all dharmas; yet seeking in this way, one would seek without attaining anything.

If, amid non-attainment, one establishes attachment, then there is nothing to which one is attached. Since there is no attachment, there is no place. All dharmas have no abiding place and possess no original limit.

If there is no original limit, that itself is the true original limit. Because the true original limit is not cut off from any limit, it does not conceive a present limit; it has neither a bounded limit nor an immeasurable limit. Such is the original limit of all dharmas.

If one enters this limit, there is neither thought nor absence of thought; one is neither within samsara nor in cessation, but is ultimately in cessation and fully awakens to all dharmas. If one enters cessation through this Dharma, one attains quiescence; and one enables those who have not entered cessation to attain cessation. As the Blessed One has said, one who cannot discipline oneself cannot be liberated into quiescence; one who does not follow the teaching cannot attain cessation.

That such a person might wish to instruct and transform others and enable them to attain cessation is impossible. One who has oneself attained quiescence, is liberated in accordance with discipline, and has crossed over to the unconditioned can ferry across those who have not yet crossed over. When deeds accord with these words, that is precisely bodhisattva practice.

If one wishes to reach the Dharma of cessation, one must accordingly cultivate bodhisattva practice. One will then be able to comprehend all practices and attain the characteristic of the Dharma-realm. One who practices in this way can behold every root of virtue, and one’s eyes will no longer see the activities bearing the marks of Mara and his retinue.

Such a person should accordingly cultivate and gather this Buddha-Dharma without losing samadhi. Practicing in this way, the practitioner instructs and transforms sentient beings, proclaiming the teaching throughout all realms and bringing them to the realization of non-self. Practicing in this way, the practitioner receives all dharmas and causes the defilements to be naturally exhausted.

Practicing in this way, although acting in the world, the practitioner is not tainted by or attached to worldly customs. Practicing in this way, the practitioner upholds the five skandhas without abiding in consciousness. Practicing in this way, the practitioner assumes the four great elements while standing unmoved in the Dharma-realm.

Practicing in this way, the practitioner gathers in the ayatanas and reaches the gateway of liberation. Practicing in this way, the practitioner manifests the various realms, yet crosses over through the perfection of the limitless; walks alone upon the great path; enters the three realms; and manifests the defilements without being stained. Practicing in this way, the practitioner perfects the limitless perfection of generosity, without conceiving of the limitless and without any abiding place.

So too with morality, patience, diligence, single-minded concentration, and wisdom: in perfecting the limitless perfection of wisdom, the practitioner does not conceive of wisdom and has no abiding place. Practicing in this way, the practitioner does not abandon any practice, and what one cultivates and carefully examines is ultimately pure. Practicing in this way, the practitioner who cultivates bodhisattva practice can follow and cultivate the path, and not merely to this extent.

One who practices as a bodhisattva has no duality. Only where there is no duality is there bodhisattva practice. In practicing the bodhisattva path, when there is neither ego-self nor anything belonging to a self, when one does not conceive of possessing a body and there is no receiving, that is bodhisattva practice.

One who cultivates this path has no fetters or obstructions and eliminates all defects; only then is one a bodhisattva. One who cultivates this path encounters neither hardship nor danger, and clearly comprehends and distinguishes that which neither comes together nor is conditioned; only then is one a bodhisattva.”

He asked further:

“What is meant by the correct designation ‘bodhisattva’?”

He replied:

– Such a person does not clearly understand the meaning of the Way. One is called a bodhisattva because one follows the teachings of the Way and brings forth quiescence; does not violate the Buddha’s teachings; upholds the words of the Dharma; supports and protects the noble Sangha; remains unmoved in the mind of the Way; does not abide in the states of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas; does not disturb the pure nature; and does not proclaim words concerning the ineffable. One ultimately fulfills the essential vow: to ferry across those not yet ferried across, bring peace to those not yet at peace, and cause those not yet delivered into nirvana to attain nirvana. One takes up and sustains the defilements without falling into desirelessness; contemplates the place where the unborn arises and examines emptiness, yet does not forsake the multitudes of beings; contemplates signlessness without conceiving attachment to the Way; practices wishlessness while taking birth in accordance with worldly convention; and seeks the Buddha-body without being tainted by any desire. One contemplates the conditioned and thoroughly understands its conclusion, yet suffers no loss and is not deluded. One acquires worldly wisdom, takes up the weapon of knowledge to subdue the enemy of the five skandhas and the calamities of the six kinds of decline, and transforms the arrogant. One adorns oneself with generosity and purifies Buddha lands; adorns the mind with moral discipline and completely fulfills one’s aspirations; dons the armor of patience and instructs those afflicted by anger; and, steadfast in diligence, becomes as indestructible as vajra. Amid confusion one resolutely maintains meditative concentration without attachment. One’s wisdom is luminous, yet one does not loathe the impurity of worldly life. One practices skillful means in every situation, traces the Way to its ultimate source, cultivates loving-kindness, and is peaceful and gentle, awakening living beings. Practicing great compassion, when one sees beings who have not yet been delivered, one comforts and nurtures them, causing them to dwell securely and practice sympathetic joy. One always protects the faculties of those who have no refuge. Practicing equanimity, one contemplates without remaining forever in quiescent extinction; thus does one cultivate contemplation. One follows and receives the profound and subtle work that is difficult to equal, which śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot attain. One remembers the treasury of ancient meanings and does not dwell upon worldly writings. In many ways one accords with all beings. One adorns the body with the beauty of the marks, adorns the mouth with words corresponding to conduct, and adorns the mind by never abandoning the resolve for the Way. With joyful superknowledges one can manifest everywhere. Wherever one abides, one keeps the mind like the earth and receives the reverence of all beings. One cleanses every impurity, like fire consuming everything. When hardship and decline assail, one is like fire; one’s mind is like the wind, without feverish affliction and moving without obstruction; one’s mind is like empty space, never harboring sorrowful thoughts and sustaining all dharmas. One realizes dharani; remembers without forgetting everything heard and known; possesses perfect eloquence; can delight living beings by explaining the Dharma joyfully; and is established by all the Buddhas. One can cultivate one’s own mind and make it pure, accord with the dharmadhatu, clearly understand the four nutriments, and form no conceptions concerning responses. Through dignified deportment and proper observances one purifies oneself; one’s deportment and observances while traveling are pure. By cultivating right action, one’s walking, advancing, and halting are fully perfected, while one cultivates the practice of “emptiness.” One delights in secluded dwelling while teaching and transforming beings, yet does not loathe places of assembly. One delights in meditative reflection without troubling the mind. One is never impoverished but possesses all the riches of the sages and noble ones. Worshiping at shrines, one subdues the corrupt and evil mind. Entering the wilderness, one cultivates fortitude; one’s mind is resolute and cannot be destroyed. One practices benevolence and ultimately attains nirvana, yet the responsive body returns and is not utterly extinguished. One accords constantly with ancient virtues and former aspirations, repays what was previously received with mindfulness, and thinks wholesome thoughts in one’s conduct. For the sake of living beings, one studies with diligent effort, selects what is essential, and exhorts and transforms the ignorant. Having cultivated wholesome karma, one is not scorched by afflictions. One can discern and act with great compassion, travel everywhere, and guide beings toward the Three Vehicles. One harbors no doubt. Having examined and contemplated all dharmas, whenever questioned one can answer, and none fail to revere one. One’s eloquence is unobstructed, and none fail to accept one’s words. Having established one’s original vows, one explains them clearly and gently. Wherever one arrives, all rejoice. One speaks at the proper time and never misses the occasion. Through the merit of generosity, one is revered by people like the full moon. One’s disposition and resolve are gentle, and one’s words are never coarse or harsh. Whatever one encounters, one can patiently endure. One’s faculties do not wither, and one skillfully cultivates the mind. One conveys people impartially back and forth like a bridge, and delivers living beings from the four torrents like a great ship. One is also like a guiding master who leads all travelers. One always takes the initiative in rescuing all followers of other teachings and establishes Buddha-work for the entire populace.... Therefore one is called a bodhisattva. One does not regress from any such practices and other meritorious virtues. Only when one possesses inconceivable and perfect wisdom of the Way is one called a bodhisattva.

Thereupon, Bodhisattva Pure Lotus addressed the Buddha:

– Venerable World-Honored One! As I now observe Bodhisattva Wordless, whose wisdom and eloquence proclaim and elucidate the teaching of the Way with such perfect penetration, before long he will attain the unsurpassed, right, and true Way, become a Supremely and Perfectly Awakened One, and widely turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel. Moreover, if anyone hears the Dharma spoken by Bodhisattva Wordless, believes and delights in it, reverently follows it, and does not disparage it, that person will before long attain the complete Dharma of these merits and virtues.

The Buddha said:

– So it is! It is exactly as you have said, without the slightest difference! Bodhisattva Wordless has realized the Samadhi of Luminous Wisdom. In the instant he brings forth the resolve, by means of a single phrase of Dharma he can analyze and explain it for hundreds of thousands of kalpas without ever exhausting its meaning.

Bodhisattva Pure Lotus again addressed the Buddha:

– Excellent, World-Honored One! I pray that you will have compassion for me and for this assembly, those who, possessing roots of virtue from former lives, have gathered here and will adorn themselves for the sake of the scripture. May the Tathagata, the Utterly True and Perfectly Awakened One, expound and explain this Samadhi of Luminous Wisdom. If bodhisattvas hear this teaching, they will all realize the Samadhi of Luminous Wisdom. If anyone receives it and extensively uses it to deliver all living beings, that person will swiftly attain the unsurpassed, right, and true Way and become a Supremely and Perfectly Awakened One.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Pure Lotus:

– Listen attentively and reflect well! I shall explain the Samadhi of Luminous Wisdom for you!

– Excellent, World-Honored One! I gladly wish to hear it!

Bodhisattva Pure Lotus received the teaching and listened attentively. The Buddha said:

“O son of noble family! What is called Wisdom Illumination is another name for the light of the noble ones. Why is it called Wisdom Illumination, the light of the noble ones?

Because this light dispels every obscuration, defilement, and darkness; passes through all impediments; and transcends impurity and weakness. Therefore it is called the Samadhi of Wisdom Illumination. It realizes the nondual Dharma and observes lucidly, without hesitation.

Its wisdom has no companion, looks up to no one, and eliminates every fault. The instant it arises, it responds at once; it discerns cessation, comprehends the one wisdom, and thoroughly understands the wisdom of the three times—past, future, and present. It purifies the three fields, illuminates the three realms, embodies the three gates of liberation, comprehends the three higher knowledges, propagates the Three Jewels, elucidates the Three Vehicles, purifies the Three Eyes, destroys the three roots of defilement, illuminates the three great assemblies, and determines what has not yet been determined.

These are called the three great assemblies.

“It penetrates and comprehends mind, mentation, and consciousness; distinguishes the categories of the skandhas and the functions of the ayatanas; clearly knows the karmic results arising from the conjunction of causes and conditions; and cuts off indiscipline, torpor, doubt, and wrong views. It understands the Dharma realm, is able to expound original nonbeing, examines the original limit of the supreme Thusness, and possesses the foremost expedient means of the noble ones.

It clearly understands all written characters, sounds, and echoes. Wherever it enters and abides, if one delights in expounding the teaching, one’s speech cannot be refuted; one’s eloquence is unobstructed and cannot be restrained. When one extensively proclaims the Dharma and cannot be subdued, one knows the distinct faculties of all beings, decisively severs the sources of inferior and middling capacities, penetrates existence and illumination, nonexistence and ignorance, and reaches the three teachings (?).

One maintains responsive explanations, attains dharani, and proclaims the radiant purport of the Samadhi of the Sun’s Course, the Samadhi of Immeasurable Verses, the Samadhi of Discerning and Proclaiming the Vajra Seat of Awakening, the Vajra-Like Samadhi, the Samadhi of Awakening Free from Anger, the Samadhi of Courageous Resolve, the Samadhi of Subduing the Realm of Mara, the Samadhi of Sunlight Illumination, the Samadhi of the Wondrous Mara Not Shining upon Any Sphere, the Samadhi of Wisdom without Bounds Entering the Banner Adorned with Garlands beyond Conceptual Thought, the Samadhi of the Flower of Illumination through Mature Intimacy with All Dharmas, and the Samadhi of Emitting Immeasurable Light and Entering Sounds;

the Samadhi of the Virtuous Activity That Fully Discerns the Destinations of All Sounds, the Samadhi of Excellent Abiding That Universally Reveals All Meritorious Deeds, the Samadhi of the Radiance of Wisdom at the Place Where All Dharmas Are Established, the Samadhi of the Supreme King Who Equally Enters the Minds of All Sentient Beings, the Samadhi of Discerning That All Dharmas Are Entirely Exhausted and Abide Nowhere, the Samadhi of Understanding the Equality of Beings without Anger, the Samadhi of the Ultimate, Eternal, and Unmoving Non-Nothingness of All Dharmas, the Samadhi of the Collected Traces of Nonattachment to All Dharmas, and the Samadhi of the Transcendent Emblem That Instructs and Transforms All Views.

Thus, nothing obstructs any wisdom.”

The Buddha said:

“O son of noble family! There are sixty thousand samadhis such as these. In a former age, when I saw the Buddha Dipankara and received his prediction, I immediately attained these samadhis. Furthermore, all these sixty thousand gates of samadhi enter the Samadhi of Wisdom Illumination. The Samadhi of Wisdom Illumination is the chief of all samadhis. Only by entering and abiding in it does one attain the great illumination.”

The Buddha said:

“O son of noble family! Just as the palace of the sun shines upon the world and manifests four unprecedented functions, what are these four? It dispels all obstructing darkness; emits light that shines far and wide; reveals all forms and appearances; and causes every activity that is to be undertaken to arise and become established through the sun.

The Samadhi of Wisdom Illumination is likewise. If a bodhisattva abides in this concentration, he manifests things never before seen and likewise brings forth four functions. What are these four?

He dispels all the darkness of afflictions and defilements; shines the immeasurable light of wisdom far and wide; perceives the mental conduct, forms, appearances, and characteristics of all sentient beings; and, in accordance with their training and practice in the Three Vehicles, reveals and establishes the activity of the path.”

The Buddha said:

“O son of noble family! Suppose there were a great eight-faceted wish-fulfilling jewel, beautiful and radiant, perfect, pure, and wondrous, without flaw, stain, sediment, or impurity. If it were placed atop a banner, its light would shine for forty yojanas.

Whatever people desired and requested, it would enable them all to fulfill their wishes, and each would obtain that benefit without fail. The great wish-fulfilling jewel begrudges nothing whatsoever. If a bodhisattva attains and abides in this Samadhi of Wisdom Illumination, his noble wisdom is unsurpassed and majestic in just this way.

Pure and radiant like a wish-fulfilling jewel, he eliminates all afflictions, bonds, defilements, and impurities. He abides in the samadhi of the eight pure, subtle, and wondrous moral precepts and possesses the qualities of wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. He is pure in truthfulness and skilled in expedient means, dharani, eloquence, discernment, and patience; there is nowhere he does not penetrate.

Through that purity, nothing can withstand his light. Free from blemishes, he raises boundless great compassion as a great banner, illuminating all the immeasurable Buddha lands. In accordance with the former aspirations in the hearts of each sentient being, all receive an explanation.

Such a bodhisattva rescues sentient beings obstructed within the three realms and the five destinies, bringing them all to the Great Path without entertaining any conception of doing so.”

The Buddha said:

“O son of noble family! Consider empty space: boundless empty space can contain all Buddha lands, hold all bodies of water, and encompass all the fires at the end of a kalpa. When those fires burn, all sentient beings have nowhere to advance or retreat.

The bodhisattva gives them a refuge and becomes a dwelling place for them. The realm of empty space extends far and wide; neither darkness nor light can delimit it, and nothing obstructs it. The Samadhi of Wisdom Illumination is likewise.

If a bodhisattva abides in this concentration, he reveals and guides sentient beings and all dharmas to a place of refuge. Those without refuge are received into his refuge. He plants every root of virtue and the causes and conditions for their fruits, opens and liberates their minds, guides innumerable sentient beings, reveals the path to them, teaches and transforms them, bestows the bright eye upon them, and strengthens them through causes and conditions.

To the multitudes who have not attained liberation and remain forever in wrong views, he reveals a place of refuge.

“Even if some have not brought forth roots of virtue, have not become vessels of the path, and do not abide in the originless, he teaches and transforms each of them, revealing that they can become expansive vessels of the Dharma. He discloses and awakens in them the resolve for unsurpassed, perfect, and true enlightenment, while also revealing the stations of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas. Those who hear me teach the Dharma, accept it, and practice it will attain its fruit.

To those who aspire to the Shravaka Vehicle or Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, he should proclaim and thoroughly explain the essential meanings of the six canons (the six scriptures?) that they had forgotten, enabling them to enter the gate of Dharma. Accordingly, for assemblies of bodhisattvas who seek the path, he should proclaim the six paramitas, the four immeasurable acts of kindness, and skillful means for encouragement, assistance, and guidance.

For each of them he thoroughly clarifies these teachings, bringing joy to their hearts, causing them never to regress, and enabling them to realize unsurpassed, perfect, and true enlightenment. This is called revealing a place of refuge for all kinds of sentient beings.

“What, then, is called revealing a place for all dharmas? Suppose a bodhisattva personally expounds with his own mouth the eighty-four thousand scriptures and treasuries of Dharma. If people harbor doubts, hesitation, or indecision and come to present their questions, the bodhisattva always maintains single-minded resolve and resolves each person’s uncertainty. He may expound and distinguish the meaning of a single sentence throughout hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas, whose number is difficult to measure. His wisdom is immeasurable, vast in darkness and light, unobstructed, inexhaustible, and without boundary. This is called revealing a place for all dharmas.”

The Buddha said:

“O son of good family! Just as a great torch casts its light afar, revealing all forms that had been screened off, obscured, or hidden, so too is the samadhi called Wisdom-Illumination, whose light brings such benefit. If a bodhisattva abides in this samadhi, then with a single mind of Wisdom-Illumination he can reveal the passages and verses of all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and sentient beings throughout the immeasurable and incalculable Buddha lands of the ten directions. There is none whom he does not see; yet he neither travels any distance nor moves from his resolve. The mind of Wisdom-Illumination contemplates without bounds!”

The Buddha said:

“O son of good family! When the samadhi of Wisdom-Illumination is applied to the foundations of mindfulness, it perceives the source of all dharmas. When applied to the four right efforts, it causes those who have not yet aroused the aspiration to bring forth the source of wisdom.

In relation to the bases of spiritual power, it is the source of tranquility of body and mind. In relation to the faculties, it abides at the source of noble realization. As for the powers, it is called the power of wisdom.

In relation to the factors of awakening, it enters the source of wisdom. As for the Path, it abides at the source of right view. Contemplating quiescence is the contemplation of detachment.

Practicing sincerity is the source of wholesome cessation. The noble truths are the source of wholesome, quiescent wisdom. Mindfulness of refuge is the source of the purport of suchness.

Analytical discernment is the source of the meaning of the Dharma. Attaining superknowledges has the exhaustion of the defilements as its source. Practicing the holy life has the arising of great compassion and the four immeasurable states of mind as its source.

All-embracing mindfulness is the source of contemplation of the Dharma. Among the paramitas, the perfection of wisdom is the foremost source. Skillful means has responsiveness to the minds of sentient beings as its source.

The ten powers take as their source the knowledge of what is limited and unlimited, what is possible and impossible, and so forth. Fearlessness has as its source the clear comprehension of the equality of the Buddha-path. The exclusive qualities of a Buddha have unobstructedness throughout the three times as their source.

What is called the eye is the Buddha-eye that adorns the body. The mark on the crown and the mark between the brows have invisibility as their source. The adornment of the mouth has as its source the proclamation of the scriptural Dharma without encroaching upon or harming others.

The adornment of the mind is the practice of samadhi without departing from its source. O son of good family! Thus, all dharmas proceed toward and return to the source of wisdom.

This is called the samadhi of Wisdom-Illumination, the primal source of all dharmas.”

When the Buddha spoke these words, the bodhisattva Pure Lotus attained the samadhi of Wisdom-Illumination. Another ten thousand bodhisattvas also attained that samadhi. The great trichiliocosm quaked in six ways, and a great radiance shone throughout the ten directions. At that time, all those assembled—devas and humans alike—each brought flowers and scattered them over the Buddha as an offering. Thereupon, all the bodhisattvas in the assembly who had set their resolve upon the Great Vehicle addressed the Buddha, saying:

“Never before have we heard even the name of this samadhi, much less an extensive explanation and analysis of its principles. Today, having gained the merit of making offerings to the World-Honored One, we pray that we may attain this samadhi and gradually advance in its practice. Through this vow, we shall attain this meditative concentration; of this there can be no doubt. We have gained an excellent benefit and are exceedingly fortunate to have encountered and heard of this samadhi. If anyone hears of this samadhi and responds with joyful faith, that person’s merit will be difficult to measure. Such a person will never forsake the bodhisattva mind and, before long, will also attain this samadhi.”

The Buddha said:

“Indeed! It is exactly as you have said, without any difference! Those who lack virtue and have not planted roots of goodness cannot encounter this samadhi, much less hear of it. Still rarer are those who rejoice in it and faithfully follow it. Only by remaining near a good spiritual friend or following an enlightened teacher can one come to believe in and delight in this meditative concentration.”

Just as the Buddha was finishing these words, a bodhisattva emerged from the spine of the World-Honored One. His body was the color of purplish-gold and was adorned with the thirty-two marks and embellished with the eighty excellent characteristics. The instant he emerged from the spine, the bodhisattva’s body emitted an immense, dazzling radiance without limit, eclipsing every other light; only the radiance of the World-Honored One remained visible. That bodhisattva bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him clockwise seven times, then stood before him and addressed the Buddha, saying:

“World-Honored One! The Tathagata Wondrous Wisdom-Bearer, the Most Venerable, the Perfectly Enlightened One, respectfully sends you immeasurable greetings! Are your activities and repose healthy and strong?

Is your gait light and easy? Is your vital strength peaceful and secure? He has sent me to convey his greetings to the Great Sage and has also dispatched an assembly of six billion bodhisattvas to this gathering to hear the scriptures expounded, attend upon the World-Honored One, bow their heads in reverence, inquire after him, and listen receptively.

Furthermore, I also wish to behold the great assembly of bodhisattvas from the worlds of the ten directions, and the bodhisattva Wordless, whose wisdom and eloquence enable him to expound the teachings fluently and initiate those who have not yet heard of the meditative samadhi of Wisdom-Illumination. O Deva among Devas! I beseech you to expound the Dharma in response to these bodhisattvas, enabling them to attain the samadhi of Wisdom-Illumination and acquire the immeasurable radiance of the Great Dharma before they return to this Buddha land.”

Thereupon, Shariputra asked before the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! In which direction is the Buddha called the Tathagata Wondrous Wisdom-Bearer, the Most Venerable, the Perfectly Enlightened One? Is he presently dwelling in the world and expounding the Dharma? Is his land far away or near? What kind of land is it? I also ask you to state the name of this great being and tell us where the assembly of six billion bodhisattvas is now.”

The Buddha told Shariputra:

“To the east of here, beyond Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, is a world called Abiding at the Root of Indestructible Vajra. The Tathagata Wondrous Wisdom-Bearer presently dwells in that realm.” The Buddha then said to Shariputra, “Why is that world called Abiding at the Root of Indestructible Vajra? From the lowest depths beneath that land to its uppermost surface, it is exceedingly firm, solid, and indestructible, being composed entirely of vajra.

This is all the fulfillment of that Buddha’s original vows. Why is this so? Because that Buddha’s firm vajra practice advances freely and without difficulty, while the bodhisattvas cultivate vajra practices with courageous, enduring firmness that cannot be destroyed.

Only through the majestic power of their own bodies, vast and fully perfected, could it become so. If that world had been formed from mud and earth, it would have been shattered, broken apart, and scattered in every direction. Those born in that world have bodies like vajra, equally firm and indestructible.

Therefore, that realm is called Abiding at the Root of Indestructible Vajra!

“Furthermore, Shariputra! You asked what this bodhisattva is called. His name is Vajra Companion. In the span of a single thought, this bodhisattva Vajra Companion passes through Mount Cakravada and Great Mount Cakravada, traverses Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and emerges from the spine of each of Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. This bodhisattva is sustained by the meritorious, majestic spiritual power of all those Buddhas, and also by his own wisdom of the six superknowledges and the power of his bases of spiritual power. Therefore, the bodhisattva is named Vajra Companion.

“Furthermore, Shariputra! As to your other question—where is the assembly of six billion bodhisattvas? You should put this question to the great being himself. He will explain it to you!”

The Venerable Shariputra asked Vajra Companion:

“O son of good family! Where does the assembly of six billion bodhisattvas abide?”

Vajra Companion replied:

– The Buddha has praised the elder as foremost in wisdom. Then may the worthy Shariputra use the eye of wisdom to seek out where these bodhisattvas are, from root to branch?

Shariputra used his noble eye of wisdom to search everywhere in all directions, yet he could not discern where the bodhisattvas were. Bodhisattva Vajra Retinue replied:

– Venerable Shariputra! You have fellow practitioners whose resolve and understanding of liberation equal your own; have them seek their whereabouts!

Shariputra immediately summoned Aniruddha and asked him to search. With his divine eye, pure and surpassing the sight of gods and humans, Aniruddha observed and searched throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world as one might behold fruit and precious jewels in the palm of one’s hand. Yet, though he sought the bodhisattvas, he remained utterly unable to discern them, nor could he see the place where they dwelt. The worthy Aniruddha told Shariputra:

– I have searched everywhere, yet I still cannot discern where these bodhisattvas are!

Bodhisattva Vajra Retinue said to Shariputra:

– Worthy ones! You possess only the physical eye and can no longer claim to have the divine eye! How can it be called contemplation in conjunction with meditative samadhi when, though you observe all lands everywhere, you do not see those lands and cannot see where the assembly of bodhisattvas is?

Shariputra asked:

– Son of good family! What kind of divine eye do you possess that you say our divine eyes have not seen?

Vajra Retinue replied:

– Shariputra! My divine eye has never perceived form. From the distant past until now, Shariputra, the assembly of disciples, and the great shravakas have been unable to see me. What, then, are the qualities of the divine eye? Nor could its majestic radiance ever be fully revealed!

Shariputra asked again:

– Son of good family! What kinds of appearances have you seen that you say we have never beheld from the distant past until now?

Vajra Retinue said:

– Elder, have you ever seen the world called Abiding in the Firm Vajra and the Tathagata Wielder of Wondrous Wisdom, the Perfectly Enlightened One?

Shariputra replied:

– Only today have I heard the name of that world! By what cause may it be seen?

Vajra Retinue said:

– Shariputra! Such Buddha lands and their assemblies of bodhisattvas, people, and sentient beings cannot be fully described. Each is born by a different path, unlike the others. When bodhisattva-mahasattvas behold them with the divine eye, nothing is overlooked and nothing remains beyond their vision. Although all pratyekabuddhas possess the divine eye, they cannot behold them; how much less could shravakas hope to see them?

When these words were spoken, sixty thousand people who had formerly sought the Shravaka Vehicle and the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle rejoiced greatly and immediately brought forth the resolve for unsurpassed, right, and perfect enlightenment. With one voice they praised:

– May we attain the Dharma eye of the Buddha and no longer employ the divine eyes of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, which remain shrouded and obstructed. The Dharma eye of the Buddha is boundless and peerless, and nothing can obstruct it.

At that moment, Bodhisattva Vajra Retinue, just as he appeared, entered samadhi in right concentration. Establishing a spiritual response and following the Buddha’s sacred command, he manifested supernormal powers. Through Bodhisattva Vajra Retinue’s transformations, majestic virtue, and the boundless power of wholesome merit accumulated in former lives, he enabled everyone throughout the entire assembly to see with their own eyes sixty kotis of bodhisattvas within the Buddha’s body.

They were all seated cross-legged upon lotus blossoms, with palms joined, listening to the sutra. They were neither near the Buddha’s body nor far from it. All this was a spiritual response arising from the Tathagata’s vast and infinite beneficence.

Moreover, the Tathagata’s body neither increased nor diminished, and nothing obstructed it. It appeared exactly as before, wholly unharmed. The entire assembly was both awestruck and delighted, rejoicing at this unprecedented event.

With one mind, they joined their palms, bowed to the Buddha, and then stood. Each of them praised:

– Incomparable! Incomparable! The bodies of the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, are vast, and their noble majesty is immeasurable! Their miraculous transformations and meritorious virtues are beyond all reckoning. Only thus could sixty kotis of bodhisattvas be accommodated within the Buddha’s body, seated and listening to the sutra, while the body of the Noble One remained as before, neither increasing nor diminishing.

Bodhisattva Vajra Retinue surveyed the entire assembly and proclaimed:

– Therefore, you should all know that the body of the Tathagata, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One, is precisely the vast and infinite Dharma body. It has no marks or characteristics and is neither square nor round. This body has no boundaries and cannot be measured. If the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, were to form the thought that all the waters, great oceans, rivers, streams, lands, continents, forests, plants, mountains, and earth contained within the three-thousand-great-thousand world should enter the Buddha’s body, his body would neither increase nor diminish but would remain exactly as before. Moreover, worthy ones! Assemblies of bodhisattvas numbering in the thousands and myriads from innumerable kotis of hundreds of thousands of Buddha lands beheld from afar the World-Honored One’s wondrous luminous marks, pure and free from defilement. They all set forth, wishing to behold the Noble One, make inquiries, and listen to and receive the scriptures. For the sake of the whole world, they exhorted the gods, humans, Shakra, the Brahma kings, and the Four Heavenly Kings, enabling them to receive protection and take refuge, and thus to come and hear the sutra. If they had not come, they would not have witnessed these miraculous transformations and would have been unable to bring forth the resolve for enlightenment. Because the Buddha wished to teach, transform, and liberate sentient beings, the Tathagata placed the bodhisattvas within his body, where they listened to and received the Dharma without encountering any obstruction or difficulty. Some bodhisattvas dwelt within the earth, entered jeweled chambers, and perceived themselves seated upon lotus blossoms. All this occurred through the spiritual majesty of the Buddha! His virtue in the Way is lofty, far-reaching, majestic, and immeasurable.

Through the Buddha’s sacred command and the majestic power of Vajra Retinue’s vow, all sixty kotis of bodhisattvas simultaneously emerged from the pores of the Great Noble One. They bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet and circumambulated him seven times to the right. Then, through the majestic power of their supernormal abilities, they each conjured a wondrous seat and personally sat upon it.

At that moment, Bodhisattva Vajra Retinue addressed the Buddha:

– World-Honored One! Why is Bodhisattva Wordless named Wordless?

The Buddha said:

– Ask this bodhisattva the question yourself. He will explain it to you!

Vajra Retinue asked Wordless:

– Son of good family! Why do you call yourself Wordless?

Wordless remained silent. Though asked three times in this manner, he still gave no reply. Vajra Retinue then asked once more:

– Why did you not reply when I questioned you three times?

Wordless replied:

– I searched for these words but could find them nowhere! Therefore, I did not answer you. Moreover, son of good family, in principle one should not ask Wordless why he was given the name Wordless, for what is called “Wordless” means that no words are spoken and no sound is made.

Vajra Retinue asked again:

– If there are no words, why does your mouth now utter speech?

Wordless replied:

– I follow the Dharma to the ultimate end of the speech of the Buddhas, and I likewise follow it to the ultimate end of the speech of sentient beings.

He asked again:

– What is called the Dharma in relation to the speech of the Buddhas?

He replied:

– Just as with all the Buddha’s expositions of the sutras and Dharma, I employ the power of intention in reverent accord with that divine might; so too is it here. Therefore, I have now fully attained the Dharma of the speech of all Buddhas. If those sounds accord with written words, are free from corruption, and expound the sutras and Dharma, then that is the Dharma pertaining to the speech of all Buddhas.

Again they asked:

– What is meant by fully comprehending the speech of sentient beings?

He replied:

– To expound the Dharma for every kind of sentient being in accordance with their language, sounds, and intonations—that is to fully comprehend the speech of all sentient beings and people.

Again they asked:

– Son of good family! How long has it been since you lost the power of speech?

He replied:

– Since I lost mental conception!

Again they asked:

– Son of good family! Why do you say this?

He replied:

– For this reason, I neither draw near to mental conception nor reject it; my mind entertains no thought, and my mouth utters no words.

Again they asked:

– Son of good family! From where does speech arise? Does it arise from the mind? Does it arise from the body?

He replied:

– It does not arise from the body, nor does it arise from the mind! Why is this? Because the body is impermanent and has no mastery over itself, while the mind is like an illusion. Therefore, speech arises neither from the body nor from the mind.

Again they asked:

– From where, then, does it arise?

He replied:

– If you wish to inquire into the matter of exposition, from where do words arise? They arise from emptiness. Emptiness has no form and cannot be seen. Why, then, do you now question me? In truth, they depend upon emptiness, which is invisible and without shape!

He replied:

– Son of good family! Therefore it is said that they are like empty space, which cannot be seen. The question, as well as the words themselves, is like empty space and cannot be seen. Empty space can never be perceived and has no characteristics. Therefore, when one seeks all dharmas and words, none can be obtained. Just as words, when sought, cannot be obtained, so all dharmas are quiescent and tranquil. Discourses, speech, sounds, and words are likewise. All dharmas are like words suddenly uttered by a person, whose location cannot be known. Speech is like empty space; its location cannot be seen. All dharmas are also like empty space and have no location. Words are formed through the conjunction of causes and conditions. All dharmas likewise arise from conditions. When one searches for the source and location of dharmas, from where do conditions arise? It cannot be found. Since it cannot be found, there is no place of arising, and thus no place of birth. Since there is no place of arising, there is no place of emergence. Since there is no place of emergence, there is no place of manifestation. Since there is no place of manifestation, there is no trace of the eye, no trace of form, no trace of consciousness, no trace of the ear, nose, mouth, body, or mind, no trace of dharmas, and no trace of mental consciousness. Where there is no trace, there is neither going nor coming. Neither going nor coming is called walking alone. One who walks alone has nowhere to go and perceives nothing in relation to any conditioned activity. If one gives rise to such contemplation, will one surely behold that which has never been seen?

Again they asked:

– What is it that has never been seen?

He replied:

– Neither born nor arisen.

Again they asked:

– What is meant by neither born nor arisen?

He replied:

– That which cannot be examined, with no one who comes!

Again they asked:

– What is meant by that which cannot be examined, with no one who comes?

He replied:

– Empty space cannot be seen, and no one comes! Empty space is equal. All dharmas are likewise equal, like empty space. Therefore, all dharmas are equal, just like empty space. Thus it is said that all dharmas are equal, like empty space.

Again they asked:

– What is meant by all dharmas being equal, like empty space?

He replied:

– They have no companions! Because all Buddhas are equal, all dharmas are ultimately equal. The past has always been equal; the future has always been equal; and the present has always been equal. There is no discrimination among these equalities, because the original limit of all dharmas is thus and suchness. The original limit has no origin; the original limit is suchness; the original limit is truth. The original limit has no origin, and the original limit is equal, without difference. This is called having no “two limits,” nor any such distinctions. What is called duality? Because one reckons a self and what belongs to a self, it is called duality. If one does not cling to the body and does not reckon a self or what belongs to a self, then there is no duality. What is called “having duality”? The existence of the eye and form is called duality. Ear and sound, nose and fragrance, tongue and taste, body and contact, mind and dharmas—these are called duality. In brief, if one can cling to any dharma, that is called duality. Yet even if duality exists, it cannot be obtained. Why is this? Because when one contemplates this non-attainment, there is no duality and no words. As for dharmas, mind, mentation, and consciousness, if one does not cultivate these three matters, this is called nonduality. This nonduality cannot be expounded. Why is this? Because wherever there is speech, it does not depart from duality. Only where there is no speech is there nonduality.

Again they asked:

– As for what is called nonduality, who creates duality?

He replied:

– Nonduality cannot create duality! Why is this? Even if one were to devise countless skillful means, wishing to transform nonduality and make it into duality, it could never be accomplished.

Again they asked:

– Is the teaching of the Dharma and discipline dual, or is it nondual?

He replied:

– The Dharma and discipline are nondual, steadfast and difficult to move! Why is this? Because they have no characteristic of words and nothing can subdue them. They open and guide the way through wordlessness; they cannot be broken or impaired, for they are indestructible. Therefore, the steadfast guiding path is said to be nondual.

At this point, Bodhisattva Vajra Companion addressed the Buddha, saying:

– Venerable Blessed One! All that Bodhisattva Wordless has proclaimed and elucidated is indeed due to the mighty beneficence of the Samadhi of Wisdom’s Radiance.

The Buddha said:

– All that he has spoken is due to the beneficent power of the Samadhi of Wisdom’s Radiance.

At that time, the bodhisattvas from the land of the Buddha Wondrous Wisdom Holder asked Wordless:

– Son of good family! What Dharma did you study that your wisdom and eloquence should be so majestic and immeasurable?

Wordless replied:

– As the Buddha has said, all dharmas are established from the precepts!

Again they asked:

– Son of good family! We pray that you compassionately condescend to take pity upon us and distinguish, expound, and establish the precepts for us!

He replied:

“Worthy one! Such precepts do not abide in the body, nor do they abide in speech or mind. This is called establishing the precepts.

Such precepts abide neither within nor without, nor in between. This is called establishing the precepts. If there is no conceptualization, nothing pondered, and no instruction conveyed through words, this is called establishing the precepts.

There is neither response nor nonresponse, neither mindfulness nor non-mindfulness, nor any other mindfulness; this is called establishing the precepts. One abides neither in the wholesome nor in the unwholesome, neither with the world nor beyond the world; neither present nor absent, neither harmful nor harmless, neither with outflows nor without outflows, neither acting nor not acting, neither in birth and death nor in nirvana.

This is called establishing the precepts. If one establishes an analogy in this way, then one who abides has no abiding place with respect to any principle. One does not abide in any dharma and does not give rise to the thought, ‘I have spoken words that proclaim, elucidate, and distinguish.’ Worthy one!

Therefore, this is called the precepts. Whatever can be spoken abides in duality. That true original limit and that abiding place both arrive at the absence of any foundation.

Moreover, it is in the Dharma realm that I am said to abide and engage in discourse. Yet anything discussed can ultimately never be apprehended. Those words likewise have nothing they contemplate, and that proclamation and elucidation likewise have nothing they conceptualize.”

He was asked again:

“Son of good family! If that cannot be apprehended and has nothing it contemplates or conceptualizes, then what is being expressed in words?”

He replied:

“It is the spontaneous nature that cannot be apprehended, that has nothing it contemplates and nothing it conceptualizes, which naturally speaks forth!”

He was asked again:

“Who speaks those words?”

He replied:

“Worthy one! They are my words! They immediately cease completely and have no place of arising.

Why is this so? All words that expound the Dharma proceed toward cessation, and all dharmas have no place of arising. Where dharmas arise cannot be known.

All visible phenomena presently existing are devoid of form, and their location cannot be apprehended. Why is this so? Because that state of tranquility is utterly exhausted and devoid of all characteristics.

That original limit is without verbal teaching. Therefore, the Blessed One said that the mind of the past cannot be conceived or grasped. The minds of the future and present are likewise so.

They arise and immediately cease; they disintegrate and vanish, suddenly appearing, readily changing, impossible to seize. What form or kind could they possess? Whatever one wishes to grasp, the concepts one establishes, false notions, dependencies, reception, and conceptualizations are all like magical illusions.

Therefore, when investigated to the utmost, everything spoken is empty and unreal. Its meaning cannot be apprehended, nor can it be expressed through existing words or proclaimed by the mouth according to the mind’s thoughts. Why is this so?

Because there is neither creation nor anything practiced. Those who comprehend and give rise to an orientation toward this meaning no longer employ the words of the mouth, nor do they employ the notions possessed within the mind. Yet when proclamation, elucidation, differentiation, and exposition occur, they resemble an echo responding to a resounding cry.

Just as the Transformation Tathagata makes proclamations, the exposition of such a person is likewise so. Such a person can preserve the meaning taught by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is inconceivable to all beings in the world; skillful means cannot restrain or halt it, and the establishment of the Dharma through eloquent speech cannot be shaken.”

The bodhisattvas praised Wordless, saying:

“Excellent! Excellent, Son of good family! How well you have spoken these words! This is the gateway for entering the Dharma! We too have heard that the return to the gateway of reality is, in truth, a gateless gateway, equal to empty space. That Buddha, the Blessed One, and the bodhisattvas manifested and spoke in this way. What we have received is likewise so!”

At that time, Bodhisattva Vajra Companion asked Wordless:

“Son of good family! Come, let us go together to the world Abiding in the Firm Vajra Foundation, behold the Tathagata Wielder of Sublime Wisdom, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and observe that land.”

Wordless replied:

“Moreover, Son of good family! When you hear this, this very place is the world Abiding in the Firm Vajra Foundation, and the Blessed One Wielder of Sublime Wisdom is also present here. Why should I abandon this place and go there?”

Vajra Companion asked:

“This world is presently composed of mud and earth, not of vajra!”

Wordless replied:

“Son of good family! In the instant you form the thought, you can pass beyond Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges and traverse Mount Cakravada without obstruction. Yet are you capable of taking hold of this Buddha realm and lifting even a single mote of its earth? Only then could you know that this world is composed of mud and earth.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Bodhisattva Wordless entered the meditative absorption of the Vajra Seat samadhi. Immediately, this trichiliocosm naturally became exceedingly firm and indestructible, entirely transformed into vajra. At that time, Vajra Companion exercised great power and manifested spiritual transformations. Donning the great and steadfast armor of virtuous precepts, he attempted to lift a single mote of earth from this land but was unable to do so. He thought to himself, “How extraordinary! Never before has there been anything like this! Is this magnificent manifestation established by the Great Sage, or is it a miraculous transformation evoked by Wordless?” Vajra Companion addressed the Buddha:

“Revered Blessed One! Previously, in the instant I formed a thought, I passed through Mount Cakravada and Great Mount Cakravada and beyond Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Yet today, when I attempt to lift a single mote of earth from this realm, I am unable to do so! Revered God among gods! By whom has this awe-inspiring spiritual power been established? Is it through the gracious sacred command of the God among gods, or through a miraculous transformation evoked by Wordless?”

The Buddha said:

“It was established by Bodhisattva Wordless! Why is this so? Because Bodhisattva Wordless entered the meditative absorption of the Vajra Seat samadhi, he caused this trichiliocosm to become exceedingly firm and incapable of being damaged, entirely transformed into vajra. If a bodhisattva abides in this samadhi, then according to his intention, however many Buddha lands he wishes to transform into vajra will immediately become so as he desires, while the noble mind of wisdom manifests the virtue of the path. When he enters meditative absorption through this samadhi, he causes all Buddha realms to become vajra, inviolable and indestructible. All this lies within the domain of the awe-inspiring spiritual power of that samadhi.”

At that time, Vajra Companion and the six billion bodhisattvas accompanying him addressed the Buddha:

“What Dharma must a bodhisattva practice to realize the Vajra Seat samadhi?”

The Buddha said:

“Son of good family! A bodhisattva possesses four dharmas by which he realizes this Vajra Seat samadhi. What are the four?

– First, his resolve is as firm as vajra, and he constantly maintains the mind of the path that transcends all roots of merit.

– Second, his nature and conduct are complete, and throughout innumerable kalpas he cultivates skillful means and adorns the great undertaking.

– Third, he enters the profound Dharma and discerns the origin of the twelve links of dependent origination.

– Fourth, his noble wisdom is perfected, entirely without defect or outflow.

These are the four.

There are also four things in which a bodhisattva delights. What are the four?

– First, he transcends through the virtue of wisdom and fully possesses the five superknowledges.

– Second, through the gateways of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, single-minded liberation, samadhi, and meditative absorption, his mind is free from heedlessness, and he delights within himself.

– Third, he establishes the precepts and abides in the Dharma realm, dwelling where there is no foundation and accomplishing luminous wisdom.

– Fourth, he ultimately realizes perfect sincerity in accord with the profound meaning, clearly understands the scriptural meaning of quiescent cessation, and comprehends all dharmas without exception.”

There are also four further things. What are the four?

– First, following great compassion, one cultivates the four brahmaviharas.

– Second, one practices the prajnaparamita and the six perfections.

– Third, through skillful means, one practices the thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening.

– Fourth, for the sake of all sentient beings, one cultivates the gates of liberation and the Four Noble Truths. These are the four.

There are also four further things. What are the four?

– First, the actions performed by the body are like vajra.

– Second, the words spoken by the mouth are pure, subtle, gentle, and likewise like vajra.

– Third, one maintains a steadfast mind that cannot be moved, likewise like vajra.

– Fourth, one’s resolve and nature cannot be destroyed.

These are the four dharmas that bodhisattvas cultivate in order swiftly to attain the Samadhi of the Vajra Seat of Awakening. When these words were spoken, the bodhisattvas immediately attained this Samadhi of the Vajra Seat of Awakening.

At that point, the Bodhisattva Wordless himself addressed his father, General Lion, saying:

“Great sir! Have you not seen the Buddhas appear in the world, their virtues renowned far and wide, their sacred majesty immeasurable, and their wisdom of the Path lofty and unsurpassed, beyond compare, unprecedented, difficult to equal—truly difficult to equal? No image or comparison can illustrate how their compassion, from ancient times until now, has been manifested in its entirety. The Buddhas have guided and shown the way to innumerable sentient beings, leading them through nirvana to the Great Peace. I pray, great sir, that you arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, right, and true awakening!”

General Lion replied to Wordless:

“You should know that, seven days after you were born, a deva came, examined your physiognomy and destiny, and said that you would arouse the great aspiration for awakening. The Buddha, the Deva of Devas, observed with the eye of the Path and knew my resolve and conduct. Day and night, morning and evening, this mind has contemplated the Buddha’s Path. I have not aroused a mind of refuge in any other teacher, but entrust my life solely to the boundless Great Sage.”

General Lion and his principal wife, their male and female relatives on both the paternal and maternal sides, together with five hundred groups of attendants, all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, right, and true awakening. The Bodhisattva Wordless himself replied to his parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, and everyone else, saying:

“Today you have aroused the great aspiration. You must diligently cultivate and adorn the mind of awakening!”

They immediately asked:

“What is meant by arousing the aspiration and adorning the mind of awakening?”

Wordless replied:

“There are forty practices that adorn the mind of awakening. What are these forty practices?

1- To have wholehearted faith in the Buddha’s Path, without doubt or disparagement.

2- To delight in the Dharma and cause it to abide forever.

3- Not to slight or scorn the noble Sangha, but to be respectful and humble.

4- Always to associate with good spiritual friends.

5- On seeing bodhisattvas, to regard them as Buddhas.

6- Never to harbor a harmful mind toward sentient beings.

7- Respectfully to serve elders and venerable benefactors.

8- To maintain an impartial mind toward those one loves and those one dislikes.

9- To enter the Dharma without weariness.

10- Diligently to listen to the sutras.

11- Upon hearing their essential meaning, to honor and study it.

12- To expound it for others.

13- To have no expectation of receiving assistance.

14- To realize that the Dharma has no master.

15- To think in accordance with what is appropriate.

16- To practice that which is without a root.

17- Not to cherish or begrudge anything one loves.

18- To observe the precepts without ever allowing any deficiency or breach.

19- To proclaim and elucidate the Dharma, spreading the power of patience.

20- To practice diligence so that it pervades everywhere.

21- Fully to cultivate meditative concentration and one-pointedness of mind.

22- To contemplate in accordance with the category of wisdom.

23- To employ skillful means in teaching and transforming sentient beings.

24- Never to neglect whatever encouragement and assistance can be offered.

25- To follow and protect the multitudes of beings.

26- To discipline one’s own mind and subdue the intentions of others.

27- (The twenty-seventh dharma is missing from the original text.)

28- While instructing and teaching concerning desire, not to become attached to worldly defilements.

29- Always to abandon noise and disorder and delight in tranquility.

30- To regard dwelling in seclusion as a praiseworthy virtue.

31- To cultivate the practices of sages and noble ones while knowing proper measure.

32- Always to practice contentment, remaining unshakable.

33- While abiding amid worldly dharmas, not to mingle with the dust of the world.

34- To follow the six steadfast dharmas.

35- Furthermore, not to abandon the practice of the four means of kindness.

36- Always to uphold steadfast vows.

37- Never to destroy the roots of wholesome virtue.

38- Not to be heedless regarding the practices one studies.

39- Not to delight in the Lesser Vehicle.

40- To keep the mind of awakening unmoved.

“Devoting oneself wholly to faith, maintaining a subtle and wondrous resolve, remaining free from timidity, abandoning every evil, committing no transgression, perfectly fulfilling all merit, gathering renown, amassing immeasurable blessings, bearing the Dharma of the Path, and remaining irreversible at the seat of awakening—these are the forty practices of a great person, by which all transcendent wisdom is revealed and developed. Through these virtues, the precious mind of awakening adorns itself. At the very instant this aspiration is aroused, the arising roots of virtue throughout the Buddha realms of the trichiliocosm all appear before one’s eyes, and one need not seek them far away. It is like the sun in the midst of space, illuminating every place.”

General Lion replied to his son:

“Noble One! From time to time, you should return to visit us. Remember to meet with your relatives so that you may instruct, admonish, aid, and protect them, causing everyone to become irreversible and ultimately attain unsurpassed, right, and true awakening.”

Wordless replied:

“Great sir! You should know that there are also ten practices of bodhisattvas which the Buddhas and great beings behold and constantly keep in mind. What are the ten?

1- Always to practice diligently, wishing to bring peace to sentient beings, without thinking only of obtaining great peace for oneself; to maintain strong bodily vigor and offer much encouragement to advance; and, upon seeing the weak, to comfort and instruct them clearly.

2- To relinquish all roots of virtue one has created and dedicate them to everyone, never harboring anxiety; and to exhort those capable of being transformed to arouse the mind of awakening.

3- To don the armor of great virtue and make this personal vow: ‘If these sentient beings attain the Buddha’s Path and receive the true Dharma, I shall honor and serve them with offerings; only thereafter shall I attain supreme perfect awakening.’

4- For the sake of the true Dharma, to relinquish body and life without abandoning the true scriptures; to proclaim and distinguish the meaning of ‘a single section’; and throughout hundreds of thousands of kalpas to disseminate it everywhere.

5- To don the armor of great virtue, without laziness or weariness and without harboring timidity.

6- All dharmas are originally pure. If, upon hearing this statement, one is not frightened; if one does not place limits upon the Great Path, abandon the Buddhadharma, or regard it as empty—then what one observes and perceives is known to be not vacuous. It is equal with the self and likewise equal with sentient beings.

7- Since one is equal with sentient beings, one is equal with the Dharma.

8- Since one is equal with the Dharma of the sutras, one immediately develops faith and delight.

9- Being equal with empty space, one does not fall into cessation and contemplation, nor does one again fall into the paths of affliction and suffering—birth, aging, illness, and death.

10- Upon seeing the movements of all worlds and the toil, suffering, faults, and defilements of innumerable sentient beings, Mara Papiyan may arise and come to speak of every difficulty, admonishing and disparaging one by saying: ‘The Buddha’s Path is difficult to attain, and the Dharma of the sutras is difficult to encounter. It would be better to seek the state of a sravaka at once and quickly gain deliverance.’ Although a bodhisattva hears this, one remains steadfast and single-minded, arousing a boundless resolve, without indolence or weariness, without retreating or turning away, and without abandoning the Great Vehicle.

One continues to abide in the true, correct, and certain Dharma; one’s words and deeds correspond; one never entertains expectations; one acts with utmost sincerity; and one does not deceive oneself, the devas, sentient beings, or the Buddhas of the ten directions.

“These are the ten Dharma practices of a great person. The practices of bodhisattvas are precisely what the Buddhas behold and what all noble ones constantly keep in mind.”

When these words were spoken, General Siṃha and his retinue immediately attained the Dharma-patience of gentle conformity.

At that time, the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda:

“Receive this Dharma scripture, retain, read, and recite it, and expound it fully and extensively to others. Why is this? Because the arising of the virtue of all the Great Sage Buddhas of the past, future, and present proceeds from this gateway of the scriptural Dharma treasury.

Today, the bodhisattva Wordless has come here, contemplated the Ultimate Truth, proclaimed this immeasurable Dharma gateway, and exhorted and transformed countless people, causing them to train in the Buddha path. Therefore, Ānanda, if you wish to uphold the Dharma treasury revealed and transmitted by all the Buddha-Blessed Ones of the past, future, and present, you must uphold this scripture, cherish it in your heart, and extensively teach others this gateway of the Dharma treasury, thereby inspiring innumerable sentient beings and people and enabling them to attain the Buddha path.

Whether the Tathagata is present in the world or has entered nirvana, if anyone receives and upholds this scripture, that person thereby establishes the attainment set forth in the Buddha’s sacred instruction. If they retain, read, and recite it and practice exactly as taught above”—the Buddha said to Ānanda—“they will acquire three kinds of immeasurable merit. What are the three?

“First, they mutually protect the true Dharma.

“Second, they personally understand the mind of the path.

“Third, they exhort those who have not yet formed the aspiration to awaken the mind of the path.

“These are the three kinds of merit and virtue that cannot be measured. Even if the Tathagata were to praise such meritorious deeds, he could not exhaust them, much less could a śrāvaka.”

At that time, among the assembly were seven hundred million bodhisattvas. Having heard the Buddha’s words, they all rose, wishing to safeguard the true Dharma, and each said:

“We shall together uphold the Blessed One’s true scripture and disseminate it far and wide. We shall preserve this scripture, expound it to others, and exhort them to awaken the aspiration for the path.”

The bodhisattva Wordless addressed the Buddha:

“Most honored Blessed One! Can the Dharma that can be expounded fluently and through which Perfect Awakening is realized truly be grasped and retained?”

The Buddha replied:

“No, it cannot.”

He again asked the Buddha:

“For what reason, then, do the bodhisattvas, those sons of good family who follow what the Buddha has taught here, all rise and take their stand, wishing to preserve the true Dharma?”

The Buddha replied:

“I use this to nurture the sons of good family. I employ such forms because I wish there to be protection. Yet in that unconditioned state, no Dharma can be apprehended that I might proclaim to them. Through written characters and verbal teachings, they protect the Dharma in accordance with this intent. Verbal protection means practicing the path without spoken questions and explanations and without written characters. This is called protecting the true Dharma. Furthermore, son of good family, there are two ways of protecting the true Dharma. What are the two?

“First, only through ‘non-apprehension’ does one reach the true Dharma. What is to be protected must always accord with it; it is not protected through words.

“Second, one must not accord with any falsehood. Upon hearing the teaching, one is immediately able to practice it, without seeking praise through arrogance or heedless self-indulgence. These are the two.”

Wishing to make offerings to the Buddha, the bodhisattva Wordless, and this scripture, the bodhisattvas caused celestial flowers to rain down everywhere and scattered them over the Buddha, the bodhisattvas, and the entire great assembly. They proclaimed:

“May the Blessed One Śākyamuni remain in the world for a long time! May this scriptural Dharma naturally spread throughout Jambudvīpa!”

When the Buddha had spoken thus, the bodhisattva Wordless, General Siṃha and all the officials accompanying him, the bodhisattva Vajra Companion and the six billion bodhisattvas, and the others, Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, Ānanda, the devas, humans, asuras, and all the rest who heard what the Buddha had taught rejoiced without exception.

The Scripture of the Wordless Youth — End of the Second Fascicle.