勝思惟梵天所問經

At that time, Brahma Superior Reflection asked the Deva Never-Retrogressing:

“O Deva! How does a bodhisattva attain steadfast vigor?”

He replied:

“O Brahma! A bodhisattva neither perceives a single characteristic in any dharma nor perceives differing characteristics. This is called a bodhisattva’s attainment of steadfast vigor. With regard to all dharmas, a bodhisattva does not destroy the Dharma-nature, does not become attached, does not eliminate, does not increase, does not diminish, and does not perceive defilement or purity apart from the Dharma-nature. This is called the foremost steadfast vigor. Therefore, the bodhisattva’s body and mind remain unmoved.”

The Blessed One then praised the Deva Never-Retrogressing:

“Excellent, excellent!”

He then said to Brahma Superior Reflection:

“As the Deva Never-Retrogressing has just explained, the immovability of body and mind is the foremost steadfast vigor.

“O Brahma! The Tathagata recalls that in the past, while carrying out all practices, I cultivated steadfast vigor, observed the precepts and dhutanga practices, and revered and made offerings to the Tathagatas, yet I did not receive from them a prediction of attaining unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment.

“Furthermore, I often dwelt in secluded places, sat in meditation and contemplation, cultivated extensive learning, cherished sentient beings, and constantly provided them with all necessities. I diligently and vigorously performed every difficult ascetic practice, yet I still did not receive a prediction from the Tathagatas, because at that time I aroused vigor while abiding in body, speech, and mind.

“O Brahma! Later, when I achieved steadfast vigor such as the Deva has just described, only then did the Tathagata Dipankara Buddha bestow upon me the prediction that in a future life I would become a Buddha named Shakyamuni.

“O Brahma! Any bodhisattva who wishes to receive a prediction from a Tathagata should cultivate steadfast vigor as the Deva has just described and should not give rise to attachment to vigor with regard to any dharma.”

The Brahma said:

“Blessed One! What is the vigor that is equal throughout the three times?”

The Buddha taught:

“O Brahma! The mind of the past has ceased, the mind of the future has not yet arrived, and the mind of the present does not abide. A dharma that has ceased no longer arises; a dharma that has not yet arrived bears the characteristic of non-arising; and a dharma that does not abide abides in the true characteristic. Thus, it is neither past, nor future, nor present. That which is neither past, future, nor present is called intrinsic nature. Such intrinsic nature is itself unborn.

“O Brahma! This is the vigor that is equal throughout the three times and that can enable a bodhisattva swiftly to receive a prediction.

“O Brahma! If a bodhisattva accomplishes such a dharma of patience and believes that there is nothing to relinquish in any dharma, this is called the bodhisattva’s vigor in generosity. Believing that all dharmas are free from the outflows is called the bodhisattva’s vigor in morality. Believing that all dharmas cannot be harmed is called the bodhisattva’s vigor in patience. Believing that all dharmas have no place from which they arise is called the bodhisattva’s vigor in diligent practice and teaching. Believing that all dharmas are equal is called the bodhisattva’s vigor in meditative concentration. Believing that all dharmas are free from discrimination is called the bodhisattva’s vigor in prajna.

“O Brahma! A bodhisattva believes that all dharmas neither increase nor diminish and are neither wrong nor right; constantly practices generosity without seeking repayment; always observes the precepts without greedy attachment; practices patience, clearly knowing that both inward and outward are empty; practices vigor, clearly knowing that there is no place from which anything arises; cultivates meditative concentration without any reliance; and cultivates prajna without grasping at characteristics.

“O Brahma! A bodhisattva who accomplishes such a dharma of patience may outwardly manifest the cultivation of all dharmas, yet is never defiled by them. Such a one is called a person who has attained the equality of all dharmas.

The bodhisattva is not shaken by worldly conditions such as gain and loss, praise and blame, acclaim and disparagement, suffering and happiness. The bodhisattva must transcend worldly conditions and should neither exalt nor demean himself, being neither joyful nor sorrowful, neither agitated nor heedless, without a dualistic mind, far removed from views and attachments, and having attained the nondual Dharma. Toward sentient beings who cling to dualistic views, he arouses a loving mind, seeks ways to teach and transform them, and accordingly assumes a bodily form.

This is called the foremost steadfast vigor and the attainment of the selflessness of persons. Through patience, he arouses a loving mind toward sentient beings in order to teach and transform them.

When the Tathagata expounded this Dharma of great vigor, eight thousand bodhisattvas attained patience with regard to the non-arising of dharmas and all received from him predictions of attaining unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment. Although each would dwell in a different realm, they would all attain Buddhahood and share the same name: Steadfast Vigor.

At that time, the Venerable Mahakashyapa, who was in the assembly, approached the Buddha and said:

“Blessed One! Suppose a great dragon wishes to make rain. It always sends rain upon the vast ocean and does not rain elsewhere. Bodhisattvas are likewise: they always shower the great rain of Dharma upon those whose minds are vast, but they do not expound it to those whose minds are narrow.”

The Buddha taught:

“O Kashyapa! So it is, so it is, exactly as you have said! The reason the dragon kings do not send rain upon Jambudvipa is not that they are selfish, but that this place cannot contain such a vast amount of rain. Why is this? The raindrops of the dragon kings are as large as cart axles, and Jambudvipa cannot contain them. If such rain were to fall upon that continent, its cities, towns, villages, forests, mountains, ponds, and lakes would all float away like jujube leaves. Therefore, the dragon kings do not send rain upon Jambudvipa.

“O Kashyapa! These bodhisattvas do not shower the rain of Dharma upon other sentient beings, not because their minds are selfish, but because those sentient beings lack the capacity to comprehend these dharmas. For this reason, bodhisattvas bestow that unsurpassed, inconceivable rain of Dharma only upon those whose wisdom is profound, vast, immeasurable, and boundless and whose minds are as expansive as the ocean.

“O Kashyapa! Just as the great ocean can contain rain whose drops are as large as cart axles without increasing or diminishing, so too can these bodhisattvas, for one kalpa or a hundred kalpas, either hear and comprehend or expound the Dharma gateway of serene quiescence without increasing or diminishing.

“O Kashyapa! Just as the great ocean receives the waters flowing into it from hundreds of rivers, yet all blend into the single salty flavor, so too, although bodhisattvas hear a great many teachings and comprehend innumerable treatises and doctrines, they understand them all as having only one flavor: the flavor of emptiness.

“O Kashyapa! Just as the great ocean is pure and undefiled, and turbid, filthy rivers that flow into it all become clear and clean, so too can these bodhisattvas purify every kind of affliction, anger, resentment, malice, and defilement.

“O Kashyapa! Just as the great ocean is exceedingly deep and vast, bottomless and immeasurable, so too can these bodhisattvas enter the profound and wondrous characteristics of dharmas. No shravaka or pratyekabuddha can equal them.

“O Kashyapa! Just as the great ocean contains an immense quantity of water and many precious jewels, so too have these bodhisattvas accumulated immeasurable Dharma, immeasurable wisdom, and immeasurable treasures of the Dharma. For these reasons, the minds of bodhisattvas are said to be as vast as the great ocean.”

Kasyapa! Just as the great ocean accumulates immeasurable varieties of precious jewels, so too do the bodhisattvas penetrate countless Dharma gateways in their practice, amass Dharma treasures, and bring forth immeasurable collections of Dharma treasures.

Kasyapa! Just as the great ocean produces three kinds of treasure—the first of little value, the second of great value, and the third of inestimable value—so too, when bodhisattvas expound the Dharma, they teach beings according to whether their faculties are keen or dull, enabling them to attain liberation. Sometimes they employ the Dharma of the Lesser Vehicle to enable beings to attain liberation; sometimes they employ the Dharma of the Middle Vehicle to enable them to attain liberation; and sometimes they employ the Dharma of the Great Vehicle to enable beings to attain liberation.

Kasyapa! Just as the great ocean does not exist for the sake of any one particular being, so too do those bodhisattvas not generate the aspiration for bodhi for the sake of only one particular being.

Kasyapa! Just as the great ocean gradually becomes deeper and gradually accords with what is desired, so too do those bodhisattvas gradually advance toward the profound and wondrous knowledge of all things and gradually accord with what is desired.

Kasyapa! Just as the great ocean does not retain a corpse overnight, so too do those bodhisattvas not retain the mind of a sravaka or pratyekabuddha. Nor do they retain those who harbor minds of greed, violate the precepts, are deranged, angry, indolent, distracted, or deluded, or who cling to views of a self, a person, a being, and so forth.

Kasyapa! Just as, when the kalpa comes to an end and this world is consumed by fire, the ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, ravines, and brooks dry up first and only afterward does the great ocean dry up, so too is it when the true Dharma is destroyed: those who practice the true Dharma of the lesser path perish first, and only afterward is the true Dharma of the bodhisattvas, whose minds are as vast as the ocean, destroyed.

Kasyapa! Those bodhisattvas would rather relinquish their bodies and lives than relinquish the true Dharma.

Kasyapa! The waters of the great ocean may dry up, but the profound and wondrous true Dharma of the great bodhisattvas will never be exhausted.

Kasyapa! Do you think that bodhisattvas cause the true Dharma to be lost? You should not think so.

Kasyapa! It is like a vajra jewel in that great ocean called the Treasure-Gathering Jewel. This jewel abides in the great ocean of a thousand worlds. When it transforms into a vajra mani jewel, even when the seventh sun appears and fierce flames blaze upward as far as the Brahma world, that mani jewel is neither burned nor destroyed. If this jewel were brought to the great ocean of another world and caused that world to burn, such a thing would be impossible. Bodhisattvas are also like this. When the true Dharma is being destroyed, seven kinds of false Dharma appear. Only then do bodhisattvas depart for other directions. The seven kinds of false Dharma are:

1. Teachers of non-Buddhist doctrines.

2. Evil spiritual friends.

3. Those who misuse the Dharma of the path by following erroneous ways.

4. Those who trouble and disturb one another.

5. Those who enter the thorny forest of wrong views.

6. Those who are unable to eradicate unwholesome roots.

7. The absence of anyone who realizes the Dharma.

When these seven kinds of false Dharma appear in the world, those bodhisattvas know that its beings cannot be delivered. Only then are they reborn in the lands of other Buddhas, where they may constantly encounter Buddhas, hear the Dharma, and teach beings so that their wholesome roots increase.

Kasyapa! Just as the great ocean serves as a dwelling place for immeasurable beings and enables them all to dwell in happiness, so too do bodhisattvas serve as a refuge for beings, enabling them to attain the happiness of the heavenly and human realms and of nirvana.

Kasyapa! Just as the water of the great ocean is exceedingly salty, so that beings coming from elsewhere cannot drink it, so too are bodhisattvas beyond the power of maras and non-Buddhists to harm.

Kasyapa! Just as beings dwelling in the great ocean do not seek water elsewhere to drink but drink only the ocean’s salty water, so too do bodhisattvas have no need to seek elsewhere for the flavor of the Dharma to drink, but drink only the flavor of the Dharma of the Buddhas.

At that time, the Venerable Mahakasyapa addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! The great ocean, though deep and vast, can still be measured; but bodhisattvas cannot be measured by any sravaka or pratyekabuddha. Therefore, it is said that the minds of bodhisattvas are like empty space.”

The Buddha said:

“Kasyapa! The waters of all the great oceans in worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges can be measured, but the vast wisdom of bodhisattvas cannot be measured.”

At that time, the Blessed One restated this meaning in verse:

Just as the great ocean contains all waters,

Yet waters from everywhere cannot fill it,
So too are these bodhisattvas,

Ever seeking the true Dharma, never content.

Just as the great ocean receives all rivers,

All flow into it, with neither excess nor lack,
So too are these bodhisattvas,

Hearing the profound Dharma without increase or decrease.

Just as the great ocean is by nature not turbid,

And all polluted waters flowing into it become clear,
So too are the bodhisattvas,

Purifying every defilement of affliction.

Just as the great ocean is deep and bottomless,

So too are these bodhisattvas;
Their wisdom and merit are beyond measure,

And no non-Buddhist can comprehend them.

Just as the great ocean has only one flavor,

Unchanged though a hundred rivers pour into it,
So too are the bodhisattvas,

Hearing and accepting the Dharma’s single flavor of emptiness.

Just as the great ocean within the world

Does not exist for only one particular being,
So too are the bodhisattvas,

Generating the aspiration for the path for the sake of all.

Like the ocean jewel called Treasure-Gathering,

Through which many precious jewels come to be,
So too is the bodhisattva treasury;

From the bodhisattva treasure emerge the Three Jewels.

Just as the great ocean holds three kinds of treasure,

Yet the great ocean makes no distinctions,
So too do bodhisattvas expound the Dharma,

Delivering beings through the Three Vehicles without distinction of self or others.

Just as the great ocean gradually deepens,

So too are these bodhisattvas;
Resolutely cultivating merit for the sake of beings,

They gradually enter deeply into the Great Vehicle Dharma.

The great ocean does not retain corpses;

So too are these bodhisattvas:
Generating the pure aspiration and vowing to attain bodhi,

They do not retain the ways of sravakas or pratyekabuddhas.

Just as the great ocean holds an ancient precious jewel

That is not burned when the kalpa is consumed by fire,
So too, when the Dharma is about to perish, bodhisattvas

Attain wisdom and preserve it, preventing its destruction.

Just as that precious jewel is not burned or lost

But moves to a great ocean in another direction,
Knowing that beings are not vessels for the Dharma,

The wise bodhisattvas journey to other realms.

When the three-thousandfold world is about to perish,

The kalpa fire rises and burns heaven and earth;
A hundred rivers and a thousand streams all dry up first,

And only afterward is the great ocean exhausted.

Those who practice the lesser path are also thus:

When the Dharma is about to perish, they perish first.
Courageous bodhisattvas do not cherish their bodies,

But preserve the true Dharma and prevent its destruction.

Whether the Buddha abides in the world or has entered nirvana,

The Three Jewels within their minds cannot perish.
With profound and pure minds, they abide in the Dharma

And practice the path by means of those wholesome teachings.

Hundreds of thousands of beings dwell in the ocean,

Yet the ocean does not exist for any single species.
The bodhisattvas’ generation of the aspiration is also thus:

It is for the deliverance of all beings.

The great oceans throughout the worlds of the ten directions

Hold vast amounts of water, yet these can be measured;
But the paths practiced by the bodhisattvas

Cannot be measured by sravakas or pratyekabuddhas.

The realms of empty space throughout the worlds of the ten directions—

Even empty space can still be measured and calculated;
But bodhisattvas practice throughout the realm of empty space,

Vast and boundless, difficult to fathom or assess.

Kasyapa, you should know that the bodhisattvas,

With courageous, diligent, and steadfast minds,
Vow to become Buddhas and deliver sentient beings;

None can equal them, much less surpass them.”

A treasury of merit vast as the great ocean,

A supreme field of merit worthy of offerings,

And also the unsurpassed great king of physicians,

Healing all the illnesses of sentient beings.

A refuge and a source of deliverance,

A landing place, a bright lamp, the ultimate path;

The eye of the world that clearly sees ignorance—

To gain this eye is to drink ambrosia.

They are the Dharma kings of the world,

The discerning wisdom of Shakra,

The practice of the four dhyanas of Great Brahma,

The turning of the Dharma wheel by Brahma Heaven.

They are guides endowed with great wisdom,

Clearly revealing false paths and the true path;

Courageously abiding in great bodhi,

Serenely extinguishing the defilements of affliction.

Purely cultivating wholesome Dharma like the full moon,

Radiating light everywhere like the sun;

The wisdom of bodhisattvas ever increases,

Like great thunder pouring down the rain of Dharma.

Like the lion king, they are fearless;

Their minds are ever disciplined, like the king of elephants.

Bodhisattvas are steadfast like Mount Sumeru;

None of the maras can destroy them.

Free from impurities, they are clear like water;

Possessing mighty power, they are like fire;

Unobstructed, they are like the wind;

Immovable, they are like the earth.

Bodhisattvas are free from narrow-mindedness,

Uprooting pride, greed, and jealousy;

Like excellent medicinal trees, they make no distinctions,

And are undefiled by the eight worldly dharmas.

Bodhisattvas are like the udumbara flower,

Which cannot be seen even in countless millions of kalpas;

They know the profound kindness of the Buddhas and repay it,

So that the seed of Buddha-nature is never extinguished.

They steadfastly practice loving-kindness with a mind of great compassion,

And cross beyond by means of sympathetic joy and equanimity;

They free their minds from the five sensual desires

And constantly seek the treasure of the Buddha-Dharma.

In practicing generosity, they are foremost;

In upholding the precepts, none are their equal;

In skillfully dwelling in patience, none surpass them;

They diligently exert themselves without weariness.

Through meditation they perfect all spiritual powers

And journey to immeasurable Buddha lands;

They constantly encounter the Buddhas and hear the Dharma,

Then teach others whatever they have heard.

They skillfully know the courses of conduct of sentient beings,

According to whether their faculties are keen or dull;

This is called skillfully knowing the power of expedient means,

Lighting the lamp of wisdom so that beings may be delivered.

They are able to understand all dharmas,

Fully comprehend sentient beings, and attain liberation;

Practicing steadfastly, they know things as they truly are,

And thereby clearly understand reality as it is.

They correctly contemplate all dharmas:

Whence they come and whither they go.
They skillfully know that dharmas neither come nor go,

But ever abide in Dharma-nature, never moving.

Seeing that all conditioned dharmas are empty,

They increase their great compassion to save all beings;

Because beings suffer through delusive thoughts and afflictions,

They cultivate the path in order to deliver them.

Ordinary beings discriminate between self and what belongs to self,

And therefore dwell in various wrong views;

Bodhisattvas understand the true mark of all dharmas,

Eliminate all attachment to views, and expound the Dharma.

They take the impermanent to be permanent, the impure to be pure,

The non-self to be self, and suffering to be happiness;

Because ordinary beings are inverted, they crave and cling,

And cannot know their former lives in samsara.

Clearly knowing such inverted views,

That there is no self, no person, and no sentient being,

Bodhisattvas thus cultivate the right path:

Impermanence, suffering, non-self, and purity.

Kashyapa, you should know! Of these bodhisattvas,

I constantly praise their merits and virtues.

Their courses of transformative practice can never be exhausted,

Any more than the particles of dust throughout the earth.

One who gives rise to the irreversible resolve for bodhi

Is worthy of offerings filling the three-thousand-great-thousand world system;

There is an offering surpassing what is presently offered—

That person is worthy to receive this offering.

If anyone gives rise to the resolve and vows to become a Buddha,

That person thereby reverently makes offerings to me,

And has likewise reverently made offerings

To all Buddhas of the past, present, and future.

At that time, Brahma Excellent Reflection addressed Bodhisattva Manjushri:

“Bodhisattva Manjushri! The bodhisattva should entreat the Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, to protect and preserve this Dharma gate, so that sentient beings in future ages may rely upon the majestic power of the Tathagata to cultivate and widely propagate this Dharma gate.”

Bodhisattva Manjushri said:

“Brahma, what do you think? Do you believe that, with regard to this Dharma gate, the Tathagata has any real dharma to preach, explain, present, or protect?”

The Brahma replied:

“No.”

Bodhisattva Manjushri said:

“Brahma, from this you should know that all dharmas cannot be spoken or presented; they are neither destroyed nor protected. To protect this Dharma gate would be like protecting empty space.

“Brahma, if a bodhisattva were to say, ‘I protect this Dharma gate,’ you should know that this bodhisattva’s words would be incorrect. Why? Because this Dharma gate transcends all speech and presentation. This is called a bodhisattva’s delight in freedom from contention.

“Brahma, if any bodhisattva in this assembly thinks, ‘Today I have heard the Dharma,’ you should know that this bodhisattva has not heard the Dharma. Why? Because only non-attachment to hearing the Dharma is called hearing the Dharma.”

The Brahma asked:

“Bodhisattva Manjushri, upon what principle do you say that only non-attachment to what is heard is called hearing the Dharma?”

Bodhisattva Manjushri said:

“Brahma, only when the ears, eyes, nose, tongue, body, and mind are not defiled by afflictions is it called hearing the Dharma. Why? Because then these six ayatanas—the ears, eyes, nose, tongue, body, and mind—do not become attached to forms, sounds, fragrances, flavors, tangible objects, or dharmas.”

At that time, within the assembly were thirty-two thousand heavenly beings, five hundred bhikshus, three hundred bhikshunis, eight hundred upasakas, and eight hundred upasikas. Upon hearing Bodhisattva Manjushri teach the Dharma in this way, they all attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas and said together:

“So it is, so it is, Bodhisattva Manjushri! It is exactly as the Bodhisattva has said. Only non-attachment to hearing the Dharma is called hearing the Dharma.”

At that time, Brahma Excellent Reflection asked the bodhisattvas who had attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas:

“When you speak in this way, does it mean that you have not comprehended this Dharma gate?”

The bodhisattvas replied:

“According to what we have heard, not comprehending is called hearing.”

The Brahma asked:

“How do you understand this Dharma gate?”

They replied:

“Brahma, not understanding is itself understanding.”

The Brahma asked:

“What dharmas have you realized that you are said to have attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas?”

They replied:

“Brahma, because none of the dharmas can be realized, we have attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.”

The Brahma asked:

“What do you consider to be practice in accordance with the Dharma?”

They replied:

“Brahma, not following conditioned activities is itself practice in accordance with the Dharma.”

The Brahma asked:

“Have you perhaps not thoroughly understood and penetrated this Dharma gate?”

They replied:

“Brahma, we have thoroughly understood and penetrated all dharmas and no longer discriminate between self and other.”

At that time, within the assembly was a heavenly being named Stainless, who said to Brahma Excellent Reflection:

“Brahma, if anyone is willing to hear the Dharma gate of this sutra but does not receive a prediction from the Tathagata, then I shall grant that person a prediction for the path”

the fruit of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Why is this? Because this Dharma gateway never disregards cause and effect, but is able to bring forth all wholesome dharmas, vanquish the enmity of Mara, free beings from all attachment and aversion, purify the minds of sentient beings, and bring peace and happiness to all who possess faith.

Through this Dharma gateway, all anger and hatred are eliminated. It is the field of practice of those who are truly good, the object of the mindful protection of all Buddhas, and the Dharma jointly guarded by all devas, humans, and asuras in the world. Whoever resolves to practice this Dharma gateway will attain the stage of non-retrogression.

As this Dharma gateway is true and free from falsehood, it leads to the seat of enlightenment. As this Dharma gateway is true and free from error, it enables sentient beings to understand the Dharma of the Buddhas. Through this Dharma gateway, the Dharma wheel can be turned, all forms of doubt can be severed, and the noble path can be revealed.

Those who seek liberation should listen well to and comprehend this Dharma gateway. Those who wish to attain the dharanis should receive and uphold it well. Those who seek merit should expound this Dharma gateway.

Those who seek the bliss of the Dharma should protect and uphold it, for it can bring everyone the great peace and happiness that lead to nirvana. Because of this Dharma gateway, evil maras and adherents of non-Buddhist paths cannot harm those who cultivate it, and those who practice and uphold it are worthy of receiving offerings. This Dharma gateway causes those of keen faculties who practice it to rejoice.

It brings joy to all who possess true wisdom. It can bestow wisdom upon everyone and free them from wrong views. It can bring radiant understanding to the wise and dispel ignorance.

Because the words and phrases of this Dharma gateway are arranged in proper sequence, it enables one to expound it skillfully. Because this Dharma gateway is ultimate and skillful, it is expounded in accordance with its meaning. Because this Dharma gateway brings many benefits, it teaches the truth of the ultimate meaning.

This Dharma gateway is cherished by those who delight in the path and the Dharma. This Dharma gateway is something from which the wise cannot part. This Dharma gateway is a great treasury for those who practice generosity.

This Dharma gateway is a cool pool for those afflicted by heat. Through this Dharma gateway, one can regard the wrathful and the compassionate alike with an impartial mind. Through this Dharma gateway, the indolent can become diligent.

This Dharma gateway enables those beset by discursive thoughts to attain meditative concentration. This Dharma gateway bestows the light of prajnaparamita upon the ignorant.

O Brahma! This Dharma gateway is always treasured by all Buddhas.

When the Deva-son Stainless expounded this Dharma gateway, the entire trichiliocosm shook in six ways.

The Buddha then praised the Deva-son Stainless:

“Excellent, excellent! It is exactly as you have said.”

At that time, Brahma Supreme Thought addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! In the past, did the Deva-son Stainless hear this sutra in the presence of the Tathagatas?”

The Buddha said:

“O Brahma! In past lives, this Deva-son Stainless heard this Dharma gateway in the presence of six billion four hundred million Tathagatas. Furthermore, after forty-two thousand kalpas have passed, the Deva-son Stainless will attain Buddhahood and be called Stainless Adornment, and his land will be called Jeweled Adornment. From now until he attains Buddhahood, whenever a Buddha appears in the world, the Deva-son will offer all manner of necessities to that Buddha and listen to this Dharma gateway.

“O Brahma! The bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, devas, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and others in this Dharma assembly who attain the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas will all be born in the land of Jeweled Adornment.”

At that time, the Deva-son Stainless addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! I do not seek bodhi, aspire to bodhi, desire bodhi, delight in bodhi, contemplate bodhi, or discriminate concerning bodhi. Why, then, does the Tathagata bestow a prediction upon me?”

The Buddha said:

“O Deva-son! If someone were to cast grasses and trees, together with their trunks, branches, and leaves, into a fire and say, ‘Do not burn! Do not burn!’ it would be impossible for them not to burn merely because he had spoken thus.

“O Brahma! A bodhisattva is likewise. Although a bodhisattva does not seek bodhi, aspire to bodhi, desire bodhi, delight in bodhi, contemplate bodhi, or discriminate concerning bodhi, know that this bodhisattva has already received predictions from all Buddhas. Why is this? Because bodhisattvas who do not seek bodhi, aspire to bodhi, desire bodhi, delight in bodhi, contemplate bodhi, or discriminate concerning bodhi thereby receive from the Buddhas predictions of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”

At that time, five hundred bodhisattvas in the assembly addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! We now do not seek bodhi, aspire to bodhi, desire bodhi, delight in bodhi, contemplate bodhi, or discriminate concerning bodhi.” As soon as they had all spoken thus, through the Buddha’s spiritual power they saw, in the direction above, eighty-four thousand Buddhas bestowing upon them predictions of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

The five hundred bodhisattvas then addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! It is exceedingly rare! It is exceedingly rare how skillfully the Tathagata expounds the Dharma. If a bodhisattva does not seek bodhi, aspire to bodhi, desire bodhi, delight in bodhi, contemplate bodhi, or discriminate concerning bodhi, know that this bodhisattva has already received predictions from the Buddhas. Blessed One! We have seen eighty-four thousand Buddhas in the direction above bestowing upon us predictions of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Manjusri addressed the Buddha:

“May the Blessed One protect and uphold this Dharma gateway, so that it may remain magnificently adorned and endure forever in Jambudvipa. If a good man or good woman hears this Dharma gateway, even if countless kinds of maras wish to harm them, they will be unable to do so. Whoever receives and upholds this Dharma gateway can bring forth the resolve to seek unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Manjusri:

“So it is, so it is! Listen well. So that this Dharma gateway may long endure in the world, I tell you to summon the hosts of devas, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, kumbhandas, and others, who should recite a mantra and constantly support and protect this Dharma gateway.

If Dharma masters, good men, or good women recite this mantra, devas, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, kumbhandas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, and others will constantly follow and guard them. If any good man or good woman loses the way while traveling, or recites this mantra in a village, in the wilderness, in the Sangha’s quarters, in a secluded dwelling, at a place for walking meditation, or amid an assembly, these spirits will constantly follow and protect that person.

Through all manner of wondrous powers and favorable conditions, they will enable the Dharma master to expound skillfully with firm and unhindered eloquence, never forgetting anything. They will prevent every kind of enemy and bandit from approaching to cause harm, and ensure that all the Dharma master’s activities—walking, standing, lying down, and sitting—are peaceful and auspicious.

“O Manjusri! The mantra is as follows:

-Đa dật tha, Ưu đầu lệ, đầu đầu lệ, ma lệ, giá lệ, ma cù giá lệ, thất ly, di hy, sơ ly di ly, hầu lâu hầu lâu hầu lâu ác bà lệ, bi đa địa khư khư lệ, khư lệ khư lệ khư nê, a tăng nê, già đề ma tử lệ, ma na, sa bà nê, bạt đại kiền đại, tát bà lưu đế, bà la bà già đế, tân đầu lệ. Nam-mô Phật đề tỵ tà, giá ly đế lệ. Nam-rnô Đạt ma da, ni già sa ni. Nam-mô Tăng già da, sa bà hệ, đa ba bế, tỵ dụ ba thiên đa ni, tát bà ba ba ni, mai đề ly mê, tát bà phù đề tỵ da, tát đa ni ly trì thứ, bà lam hồng ma ba đồ, ma hà ly sư tỵ, bát la xa đá, đa đa la chỉ sắt thiên đế, tát bà già la hạ. Nam-mô tát bà Phật đề tỵ da, tất triền đố, mạn đá la, bát đại san bà hạ.

Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva! If any great bodhisattva wishes to cultivate this supreme Dharma gateway, that bodhisattva should uphold and recite this mantra. One should not jest or allow the mind to become distracted.

In every movement, one should always maintain a pure mind, keep no leftover food, always have few desires and know contentment, dwell alone, remain far from noisy and bustling places, constantly practice loving-kindness and compassion, always delight in wholesome Dharma, refrain from deceit, speak truthfully, and delight in seated meditation and expounding the Dharma. One should abide in right mindfulness, always remain far from wrong thoughts, delight in cultivating the dhutanga practices, and no longer feel joy or sorrow over gain and loss.

One should aspire toward nirvana, become disenchanted with birth and death, maintain an impartial mind free from affection and aversion, remain equanimous toward union and separation, and harbor no attachment to one’s own body or any possessions. One should fully perfect the dignified deportments, always observe the precepts, remain gentle and continually endure harsh words, always be cheerful, and constantly practice goodness.

Whenever one meets anyone, one should welcome and greet them, relinquish pride, and mingle with others harmoniously and joyfully.

Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva! Good men who recite this mantra and cultivate in this manner will, in this very life, attain the following ten powers as Dharma masters:

1. The power of mindfulness: Not forgetting any Dharma.

2. The power of discernment: Skillfully employing expedient means to select among the Dharmas.

3. The power of Dharma: Always following the sutras and clearly understanding their meaning.

4. The power of steadfastness: Always maintaining the bodhicitta and cultivating in accordance with the Dharma.

5. The power of moral shame and dread of wrongdoing: Protecting oneself and others.

6. The power of learning: Being fully endowed with wisdom.

7. The power of dharani: Being able to put into practice everything one has heard.

8. The power of joyful eloquence: Receiving the mindful protection of the Buddhas.

9. The power of profound Dharma: Being fully endowed with the five superknowledges.

10. The power of patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas: Swiftly perfecting the wisdom of omniscience.

Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva! If a Dharma master can recite

this mantra and practice in this manner, know that this Dharma master will attain the ten powers in the present life.

When the Tathagata expounded the wondrous power of this mantra, the four great heavenly kings were all awestruck, and the hairs on their bodies stood on end. Together with their retinues of innumerable ghosts and spirits surrounding them, they approached the Buddha, bowed their heads in reverence, and addressed him:

“World-Honored One! We four heavenly kings have attained the fruit of stream-entry. If any Dharma master diligently cultivates according to the Buddha’s teaching, we shall always command our retinues—from officials and soldiers to spirits and common people—to protect that Dharma master. If any good men or good women mindfully preserve, uphold, recite, and expound this Dharma gateway, we four heavenly kings shall always go to where they are, whether in cities, towns, villages, open fields, or within rooms, and whether they are monastics or householders. We shall attend upon them and provide them with necessities, enabling them to dwell in peace and security without weariness, and preventing any Māra king from approaching to cause disturbance.

“World-Honored One! Wherever this Dharma gateway is found, we four heavenly kings shall act in accordance with it so that, throughout the surrounding area for one hundred yojanas, no devas or children of devas; nāgas or children of nāgas; yakṣas or children of yakṣas; or kumbhāṇḍas or children of kumbhāṇḍas will be able to approach and cause harm.”

At that time, Heavenly King Virūpākṣa spoke this verse:

All the retinues I possess,

My relatives and the common people,

Shall together guard and protect

And make offerings to that Dharma master.

Heavenly King Virūḍhaka spoke this verse:

I am a child of the Dharma King,

Transformation-born from the Dharma.

Those Buddha-children who arouse the aspiration—

I should make offerings to them all.

Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra spoke this verse:

If there are any Dharma masters

Who uphold the sutras of the Buddhas,

I shall always follow and protect them

Throughout all the ten directions.

Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa spoke this verse:

Those who have aroused the aspiration for the Way

Should receive offerings.

None among all sentient beings

Can comprehend them.

At that time, a son of Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa named Good Truth presented the Tathagata with a precious parasol made of the seven treasures and spoke this verse:

Reverently, O World-Honored One,

I uphold this Dharma gateway

And expound it widely to others;

My resolve shall always remain thus.

The World-Honored One knows fully

The deeds I performed in past lives:

When I first aroused the aspiration for the Way,

I sincerely sought the Buddha Way.

World-Honored One, whose crown cannot be seen,

I present this precious parasol

In hope of attaining likewise

The excellent mark of the invisible crown.

With a mind of loving reverence,

I gaze upon the Tathagata.

May the Honored One, Perfect in Both Wisdom and Merit,

Compassionately regard me.

I seek the Buddha’s pure vision;

May I behold Ajita.

The wise World-Honored One

Then answered him in verse:

After the end of your life,

You shall immediately be born in Tuṣita Heaven.

Descending to birth from that realm,

You shall behold Maitreya Buddha.

After making offerings for two thousand years,

Only then shall you enter the monastic life.

Having entered the monastic life,

You shall devotedly and purely cultivate the holy life.

All the Buddhas of the Auspicious Kalpa—

You shall encounter every one of them,

Make offerings to them all,

And rely upon them in your cultivation.

After more than six billion kalpas,

You shall attain Buddhahood.

Your name shall be Jeweled Parasol,

And your land shall be exceedingly pure and adorned.

There shall be only the bodhisattva Sangha,

To whom you shall expound the wondrous Dharma.

Your lifespan shall last a full kalpa;

After that Buddha enters final nirvana,

The True Dharma shall abide for one kalpa,

And the Semblance Dharma for half a kalpa.

That supreme and pure Dharma

Shall bring peace and security to sentient beings.

At that time, Śakra Devānām Indra, surrounded by countless hundreds of thousands of devas, addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! If any Dharma master upholds this Dharma gateway, we shall all follow, protect, and make offerings to that master. Wherever this Dharma gateway is recited or expounded, we and our retinues shall go there to listen. We shall increase the Dharma master’s awe-inspiring power, free that master from fear, and ensure that the orderly sequence and meaning of the Dharma are not lost.”

At that time, a son of Śakra Devānām Indra named Good Protector presented the World-Honored One with a precious parasol interwoven with many kinds of jewels and spoke this verse:

I always know in accordance with truth

The World-Honored One’s deeds in past lives.

I too shall act in that same way,

Seeking a Buddha’s omniscience.

Long ago, the World-Honored One

Gave away every possession.

I too shall act in that same way,

Relinquishing all that I possess.

I am now a child of the Dharma King;

I uphold this Dharma gateway

And expound it widely to many people,

Thus repaying the Tathagata’s kindness.

Those who accept this Dharma gateway

Are likewise the same as I.

I shall assist those people

In attaining the Way of bodhi.

World-Honored One, the śrāvakas

Are unable to protect this Dharma.

In the fearful age to come,

I shall protect this Dharma gateway.

World-Honored One, comfort me

And also dispel the doubts of the devas.

I too wish to become

A Buddha like the World-Honored One.

The Buddha, perfectly versed in wisdom,

Bestowed a prediction of omniscience:

“In the future, you shall become a Buddha,

No different from me today.

After more than one hundred billion kalpas,

And another hundred billion kalpas beyond,

You shall then attain Buddhahood,

With the name Wisdom Accomplishment.”

At that time, the lord of the Sahā world, the Great Brahmā Heavenly King, addressed

the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! If any good man or good woman is able to expound this Dharma-gate, I shall relinquish the bliss of meditative concentration and go to make offerings to that person. Why? Because this Dharma-gate gives rise to Śakra, the Great Brahmā Heaven Kings, and other honored ones.

“Furthermore, any good man or good woman who expounds this Dharma-gate will receive offerings from the Brahmā Heaven Kings and from all devas, humans, and asuras in the world.”

The Heaven King Wondrous Brahmā spoke these verses:

Bhikshus and bhikshunis,

Good men and good women,

Who uphold this Dharma-gate

Are worthy of the world’s offerings.

Even if there is but one person

Who practices this Dharma-gate,

I, the Heaven King Wondrous Brahmā,

Must make this clearly known.

Spread out many beautiful flower seats,

Reaching as high as the Brahmā heavens;

Seated upon that precious throne,

One should expound this Dharma-gate.

If, in an evil and corrupt age,

One is able to hear this Dharma-gate,

One should give rise to a rare and wondrous resolve,

Rejoicing and exclaiming, “Excellent!”

Even if immeasurable worlds

Were filled everywhere with great fires,

One should still cross through them

To come and hear this Dharma-gate.

If anyone wishes to hear

The Dharma-gate that opens the Buddha Way,

One should make offerings as great as precious Mount Sumeru

To the person who hears this Dharma.

At that time, the World-Honored One manifested wondrous spiritual power, causing Māra Pāpīyān and his māra armies all to come before the Buddha and say:

“World-Honored One! Together with our retinues, we make this vow: Wherever this Dharma-gate circulates, the Dharma teacher, those who hear the Dharma, and that land shall be free from the deeds of māras. We shall constantly come to protect and support them.”

The World-Honored One then emitted a ray of golden light that illuminated this entire world and said to Mañjuśrī, Prince of the Dharma:

“Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva! The Tathagata abides in such a Dharma-gate in order to benefit Dharma teachers. For as long as this Dharma-gate remains in Jambudvīpa, whether for a long or a short time, the Buddha-Dharma will likewise not perish.”

At that time, the beings in the assembly scattered all manner of flowers, incense, and powdered incense as offerings to the Buddha and said:

“World-Honored One! We pray that this Dharma-gate may circulate widely and remain forever in Jambudvīpa.”

The Buddha then said to Venerable Ānanda:

“You should receive and uphold this Dharma-gate.”

Venerable Ānanda replied:

“Yes, World-Honored One, I shall receive and uphold it!”

The Buddha said:

“Ānanda! The Tathagata now entrusts this Dharma-gate to you. You should receive and uphold it, read and recite it, and expound it to everyone.”

Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! If someone receives and upholds, copies, reads and recites this Dharma-gate, and expounds it to others, how much merit will that person obtain?”

The Buddha said:

“Ānanda! Consider however many written characters, passages, and verses of this Dharma-gate that person receives and upholds. Suppose someone, throughout an entire lifetime, were to offer all kinds of supremely wondrous requisites that bring happiness to all Buddhas and the Sangha. If another person merely makes offerings to this Dharma-gate, reveres and honors it, and praises it, that person’s merit will surpass the former person’s, because in the present life that person will obtain the following eleven treasuries of merit:

1. The treasury of seeing the Buddha: One obtains the divine eye.

2. The treasury of hearing the Dharma: One obtains the divine ear.

3. The treasury of seeing the Sangha: One becomes irreversible within the bodhisattva Sangha.

4. The treasury of inexhaustible wealth: One obtains a treasury of precious riches.

5. The treasury of the physical body: One becomes fully endowed with the thirty-two excellent marks.

6. The treasury of retinues: One’s retinues cannot be harmed or destroyed.

7. The treasury of hearing Dharmas never heard before: One becomes able to receive and uphold the Dharma-dharanis.

8. The treasury of recollection: One obtains unobstructed eloquence and delight in expounding the Dharma.

9. The treasury of fearlessness: One refutes all non-Buddhist teachers of doctrine.

10. The treasury of merit: One brings benefit to all sentient beings.

11. The treasury of wisdom: One obtains the Dharma of all Buddhas.”

When the Buddha expounded this sutra, seventy-two nayutas of bodhisattvas attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas; immeasurable sentient beings gave rise to the aspiration to attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment; and the minds of innumerable sentient beings eliminated all outflow-tainted dharmas and attained liberation.

At that time, the Venerable Ānanda arose, adjusted his robes, bared his right shoulder, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and said:

“World-Honored One! What is the name of this Dharma-gate, and how should it be received and upheld?”

The Buddha said:

“Ānanda! This Dharma-gate is called ‘Equally Gathering and Upholding All Dharmas’; practice and uphold it accordingly. It is also called ‘The Adornment of All Dharmas’; practice and uphold it accordingly. It is also called ‘The Questions of Brahmā Superior Contemplation’; practice and uphold it accordingly. It is also called ‘Mañjuśrī’s Discourse on the Meaning’; practice and uphold it accordingly.”

When the Buddha had finished expounding this Dharma-gate, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva; Brahmā Superior Contemplation; Equal Practice; Net Radiance Bodhisattva; the Elder Mahākāśyapa; the Venerable Ānanda; the bodhisattvas who had assembled from worlds throughout the ten directions; and the eight classes of beings, including devas, nāgas, yakshas, gandharva kings, and asuras, all rejoiced greatly and faithfully accepted the Buddha’s teaching.