諸經要集

Chief Editor: Thích Nguyên Chơn

II. VENERATING STUPAS

Consisting of seven sections: Introduction, Scriptural Evidence, Cultivating Merit, Karmic Responses, Circumambulating Stupas, Entering Monasteries, and Restoration.

II.1. Introduction

[19c] The Tathagata manifested a wondrous body whose radiance pervaded the trichiliocosm. Although the Perfectly Awakened One had entered nirvana, his eighty thousand relics still remained. Thus, the jeweled stupa emerged from beneath the earth at Vulture Peak; images of the Buddha remained in stone caves, carved from precious wood, painted on paper and silk, cast in gold, and engraved in jade.

The Tathagata left behind both whole-body relics and fragmented bodily relics^[1]. The gathering together and distribution of relics for stupas were both truly wondrous. Their radiance illuminated layer upon layer of darkness, and their meritorious blessings aided countless sentient beings, causing their excellent renown to spread afar and followers of heterodox paths to turn their minds toward faith.

The construction of stupas began during the time of King Ashoka and reached China at the beginning of the Great Tang dynasty. Thereafter, throughout successive generations, many stupas were erected, and their miraculous transformations were manifold. Therefore, the scripture states: “Whether the True Dharma remains in the world or the True Dharma is destroyed”—this is precisely what is meant.

II.2. Scriptural Evidence

The Sutra on the Samadhi of Contemplating the Buddha states: “The Buddha left his image in a stone cave beside the pool of a poisonous naga in the kingdom of Nagara. At that time, the Buddha sat within a stone chamber and manifested eighteen kinds of miraculous transformation to subdue the naga. He then projected his body into the rock face, which shone like a bright mirror. From within the rock, his image radiated outward. Viewed from afar, his image could be seen; approached closely, it disappeared. Hundreds of thousands of devas came to make offerings to the Buddha’s image. Even now, he is still teaching the Dharma.” (To this day, that image still remains and will continue to endure until the coming of Maitreya.)

The Mahasamnipata Sutra states: “In the Garden of Illumination east of the palace of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three stands a stupa enshrining the Buddha’s hair. In the Parusha Garden south of the palace stands a stupa enshrining the Buddha’s robe. In the Garden of Joy west of the palace stands a stupa enshrining the Buddha’s bowl. In the Garden of Chariots north of the palace stands a stupa enshrining the Buddha’s tooth.”

The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom states: “Shakra, Lord of the Devas, brought back the bodhisattva’s hair and robe and enshrined them in a stupa erected outside the eastern gate of his palace.”

The Chronicle of King Ashoka states: “Having given rise to faith, the king asked the spiritual practitioner:

– In the past, I have wantonly killed many people. What wholesome karma should I now cultivate to free myself from those offenses?

– The only way is to erect stupas, make offerings to the Sangha, rescue prisoners, and assist the poor and destitute.

(Thus, the Sutra of Parables states that in the royal palace, the king regularly offered the four requisites to twenty thousand shramanas, honoring them with a wholehearted reverence beyond description.)

[20a] The king asked:

– Where should stupas be erected?

The spiritual practitioner immediately used his spiritual power, raising his left hand to cover the sunlight and producing eighty-four thousand rays of light that shone throughout Jambudvipa. Wherever a ray reached was a place where a stupa should be erected. These are precisely the locations of the Ashokan stupas that exist today.

At that time, the king wished to erect stupas for the relics, so he led the four divisions of his army to Rajagriha to retrieve the relics from the Buddha-stupa built by King Ajatashatru. The king then had that stupa restored to its former condition. Afterward, he also retrieved relics from seven other Buddha-stupas.

The king also went to the village of Rama, where a naga king led him into the naga palace. The king requested relics to venerate, and the naga king immediately shared some relics with him. The king had eighty-four thousand caskets of gold, silver, vaidurya, and crystal made in which to enshrine the Buddha’s relics.

He further ordered eighty-four thousand precious vessels made to hold those caskets. The king also had innumerable banners, streamers, and canopies made as offerings to the relics. At the same time, he commanded spirits to instruct the one hundred million households in the villages and cities throughout Jambudvipa to erect stupas in honor of the Buddha.

At that time, the kingdom of Takshashila had 3.6 billion households. Its people asked the spirits for 3.6 billion caskets of the Buddha’s relics so that they might erect stupas. The king then made arrangements for the people of that kingdom, ordering that a small portion of relics be given to each of them so that there would be enough for the requisite number of stupas to be erected and venerated.

At that time, in the city of Pataliputra, there was an elder named Yashas. One day, King Ashoka came to him and said:

– I aspire to erect eighty-four thousand stupas throughout Jambudvipa on the same day.

The elder said:

– Excellent! At the principal mealtime on the full-moon day, Your Majesty should order them erected, so that precisely that number of stupas may be completed simultaneously throughout Jambudvipa.

Thus, in a single day, eighty-four thousand stupas were erected. The people of the world rejoiced exceedingly and together called them the stupas of King Ashoka.”

The Great Sutra of King Ashoka states: “At that time, eight kingdoms divided the Buddha’s relics among themselves. After receiving eighty-four thousand relic-grains and a separate share of the Buddha’s mustache, King Ajatashatru brought them back to his kingdom. Along the way, he encountered the naga king Nandopananda, who demanded a share of the relics. King Ajatashatru refused, whereupon the naga king said:

– I am a naga king and possess more than enough power to devastate your kingdom.

Frightened, King Ajatashatru had no choice but to give the Buddha’s mustache to the naga king. Returning to his naga palace, eighty-four thousand leagues beneath Mount Sumeru, the naga king erected a crystal stupa to enshrine the Buddha’s mustache. As for King Ajatashatru, upon returning to his kingdom, he placed the relics in a casket of pure gold, made a lamp capable of burning for one thousand years, built a stupa using sand and water from the Ganges River, and then buried the relic casket beneath that stupa. [20b] Much later, after King Ashoka had conquered King Ajatashatru’s kingdom, he married a consort who was eight feet tall, whose hair was as long as her body, and who possessed all the auspicious marks.

At the king’s command, a physiognomist examined her features and said, ‘This consort will bear Your Majesty a child whose skin is the color of pure gold.’ The king immediately appointed her his second consort. The queen mother grew jealous and constantly sought a favorable opportunity to eliminate the second consort. One day, when the consort had been pregnant for ten months and was about to give birth, the king had to leave the palace on official business.

Seizing that opportunity, the queen mother ordered that a sow about to give birth be found, and then said to the consort:

– Younger sister, you are still young, and this is your first childbirth. Therefore, you should not expose your face to the open sky.

As soon as her face was covered, the consort gave birth to a boy whose golden skin illuminated the entire palace. The queen mother secretly took the infant away and killed him, placed a piglet beside the consort, and then berated her:

– You claimed that you would bear His Majesty a golden-skinned son, so why have you given birth to a pig?

The queen mother then struck the consort with a staff tipped with a wheel^[2] and confined her in the garden behind the palace, forcing her to grow mustard greens. Upon returning to the palace and hearing the queen mother’s report, the king was greatly displeased. A long time afterward, while strolling in the garden one day, the king saw the consort and suddenly felt love and longing for her, so he had her brought back into the palace. As she gradually regained intimacy with the king, the second consort related in full what had previously occurred. Upon hearing this, King Ashoka was greatly horrified and immediately ordered eighty-four thousand consorts put to death. Afterward, the king also had a prison built outside the capital to punish criminals.

Knowing that the king would fall into hell for killing his wives, Yashas sent the bhikshu Xiaosan to explain the Dharma so that the king might gain faith and understand its principles. The king then asked:

– I have killed eighty-four thousand wives. Can that offense be redeemed?

The bhikshu replied:

– For every person you have killed, you must erect a stupa and place a relic beneath it. By doing so, Your Majesty will be freed from guilt.

King A-dục then went to seek the Buddha’s relics enshrined by King A-xà-thế. At that time, an assistant general^[3], who was already one hundred and twenty years old, led five hundred men throughout the country to retrieve the relics. When the relics had been found, the king was overjoyed and entrusted them to the spirits, each of whom was to carry relics back to his own place. The king ordered that, on the same day, the relics were to be delivered to eighty-four thousand locations. The spirits said:

– Because many mountains lie between them, the various places cannot communicate with one another.

The king said:

– Return to your respective lands, make all preparations, and hang up wind bells. I shall command an asura to cover the sun with his hand so that the whole world may share the same hour.”

The Ānanda Sutra records: “When only one thousand two hundred stupas had been completed, the banners had already been woven but had not yet been hung, and the flowers had not yet been offered. The king constantly feared that he might die. Therefore, six days later, he invited the Sangha to the royal garden to receive offerings. At that time, the arhat Ưu-ba-quật-đa accepted the king’s invitation and brought eighteen thousand arhats with him. Venerable Quật-đa had a handsome appearance and smooth skin, while the king was physically unattractive and had rough skin. The Venerable then spoke this verse:

[20c] When I practiced giving,

My mind was pure, my gifts were fine.

It was not like the king’s giving,

Offering sand to the Buddhas.

After hearing this, the king said to his great ministers:

– Because I offered sand to the Buddha, I have received such a karmic result. Why should I not cultivate reverence for the Blessed One?

Afterward, the king ordered a search for the stupas of the Buddha’s disciples from the time when the Buddha was in the world, such as Ca-diếp, A-nan, and others. The king personally went to those stupas, sincerely and reverently paid homage, expressed his sorrow, and made offerings of every kind. The king also erected a great stupa for each disciple and offered one hundred thousand measures of precious jewels to each stupa.

When the time came to make offerings to the stupa of Bạc-câu-la, the king asked:

– What merit did this person possess?

Venerable Quật-đa replied:

– He was foremost among those free from illness, but he did not teach even a single phrase of Dharma to anyone and always remained silent.

The king ordered his officials:

– Offer one coin.

The officials asked the king:

– Merit is inherently equal. Why does Your Majesty offer only one coin to this stupa?

The king said:

– Listen to my verse:

Though he dispelled ignorant delusion,

And his wisdom illuminated all,

Though Bạc-câu-la existed,

What benefit did the world receive?

Afterward, that coin returned by itself to the palace. Seeing this extraordinary event, the officials together praised that arhat:

– Alas! The Venerable maintained the practice of few desires and contentment; he had no need even of a single coin.

From that time onward, the king continually made offerings to the bodhi tree. A queen named Đê-xá-la-hi-đa thought: ‘The king greatly loves me, but now he forsakes my beauteous body to go to the bodhi tree. I should therefore find a way to make that tree die so that the king will no longer go there. Then the king will consent to take pleasure with me.’ The queen ordered someone to pour hot milk over the bodhi tree, causing it to wither and shed its leaves. When the king heard that the bodhi tree had died, he was so overcome with grief that he fainted. Seeing the king remain sorrowful, the queen wished to please him and therefore asked the reason. The king said:

– If that tree no longer exists, neither can my life continue. The Tathagata attained enlightenment beneath that tree. Now that the tree is gone, what need have I to live?

The queen then ordered cold milk to be poured over the tree, and it immediately revived. When the king heard the news, he rejoiced and went to the bodhi tree, gazing upon it without taking his eyes away. Afterward, the king ordered that the tree be watered with one thousand vessels of scented water, causing it to become far more beautiful than before, lofty and luxuriant.

Later, the king purified his body and mind, held an incense burner upon the shrine platform, bowed to the four directions, and, thinking inwardly, declared aloud:

– Noble and holy disciples of the Tathagata dwelling in all places! Out of compassion, please accept my offerings!

When the king had spoken these words, three hundred thousand bhikshus assembled. Among them, one hundred thousand were arhats, and two hundred thousand were noble ones still in training. On this occasion, the people, palace attendants, crown prince, officials, and king created immeasurably great merit, beyond all reckoning.”

[21a] The Saṃyukta Āgama Sutra records: “King A-dục asked the bhikshus:

– Who within the Buddha-Dharma constantly practiced giving on a vast scale?

The bhikshus said:

– The elder Cấp Cô Độc practiced giving on the greatest scale.

The king asked:

– How did he give?

– He spent a hundred million thousand measures of gold in giving.

After hearing this, the king thought: ‘That elder was able to spend a hundred million thousand measures of gold in offerings. Now that I am a king, why should I give only a hundred million thousand measures of gold? I shall give ten billion measures of gold, exhausting even my private treasury, and I shall offer all my queens, beautiful women, great ministers, and crown prince to the noble Sangha.

Afterward, I shall use four billion measures of gold to redeem them. By calculation, I shall thus have given nine billion six hundred million thousand measures of gold.’ When the king became gravely ill, he knew that his life was nearing its end. He had always wished to use ten billion measures of gold to create merit, but now, before his vow had been fulfilled, he was about to pass into the next life, still lacking four hundred million measures of gold.

Therefore, the king ordered precious jewels to be taken to Kê-đầu-ma Monastery as offerings. He even offered the remaining half of an a-ma-lặc fruit. The king bowed at the feet of the Sangha, inquired after the great noble ones, and said:

– I ruled this realm of Jambudvipa, and this realm was mine. Now my wealth has been exhausted, and I no longer have authority over it. Only this half of an a-ma-lặc fruit remains. Please accept it so that my merit may increase.

The elder Da-xá ordered the a-ma-lặc fruit to be ground and added to pomegranate soup. In this way, every member of the Sangha received a portion.

The king then asked his attendant ministers:

– Who is the king of Jambudvipa?

The officials replied:

– It is Your Majesty himself.

The king sat up, looked in the four directions, joined his palms in homage, recollected the Buddha’s merit, and, thinking inwardly, declared aloud:

– I now offer this realm of Jambudvipa to the Three Jewels.

The king had a document of confirmation written, sealed it, and stamped it with an ivory seal. When this was done, the king passed away.

At that time, the crown prince and the people made offerings of every kind and arranged the funeral according to the royal rite of cremation.”

The Dharma Benefit Sutra records: “This country now belongs to the Three Jewels. Why, then, should the crown prince be installed as king?

When the officials heard the people say this, they spent four hundred million measures of gold and brought it to the monastery to redeem the country.”

The Treatise on the Good View records: “King A-dục used nine billion six hundred million gold coins to erect eighty-four thousand jeweled stupas and extensively gave many kinds of offerings.”

II.3. Erecting Stupas

Question: From the sutras and treatises cited above, the reasons for erecting stupas are now understood. But it is not yet known what the word ‘stupa’ means, how many kinds of stupas there are, or whether stupas may be erected for ordinary beings.

[21b] Answer: Because Sanskrit and Chinese differ, and because translations were made at different times, earlier and later, different technical terms came into use, and the written forms likewise exhibit many variations.

Stupa: in Sanskrit it is called tháp-bà, translated into Chinese as “a square mound”; or in Sanskrit it is called caitya, translated into Chinese as “a place where evil is extinguished and goodness arises”; or in Sanskrit it is called đẩu-tẩu-ba, translated into Chinese as “protection and praise,” as when one protects and praises a person worthy of protection and praise. The correct Sanskrit pronunciation of stupa is stūpa, translated into Chinese as “shrine.” A shrine means an edifice, namely, a sacred shrine.

The erection of a stupa has three meanings:

1. To signify the eminent virtue of the person enshrined.

2. To inspire faith in others.

3. To repay kindness.

If an ordinary bhiksu possesses lofty and venerable virtue, a stupa may also be erected in his honor. Stupas should not be erected for other people.

Stupas, or caityas, are erected at four places:

1. The place of birth.

2. The place of attaining enlightenment.

3. The place of turning the Dharma wheel.

4. The place of nirvana.

There must certainly be caityas at the places where Buddhas are born and attain enlightenment. A Buddha is invariably born beneath an aśoka tree, translated into Chinese as the “sorrowless tree.” This is the place where the consort of King Śuddhodana gave birth to the crown prince; therefore, that tree is called the Caitya of the Birth. The Tathagata attained enlightenment beneath the bodhi tree; therefore, that tree is called the Caitya of Enlightenment.

The places where the Tathagata turns the Dharma wheel and enters nirvana are not fixed. The Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel to liberate the five bhiksus at the Deer Park. This park measured twenty-five fathoms in both length and breadth. One fathom was equal to eight feet. People in ancient times were tall and large in stature, so one fathom equaled eight feet. Altogether, twenty-five fathoms equaled twenty trượng. Today, throughout India, people establish representations of the turning of the Dharma wheel. They choose a beautiful location of those dimensions, erect three pillars, and place three wheels upon them to signify that the Buddha of old turned the Dharma wheel of the Four Noble Truths three times. Such places are called Caityas of the Turning of the Dharma Wheel.

At the place where the Tathagata entered nirvana, a stupa was erected to enshrine his relics; it is called the Caitya of Nirvana. Today, a monastery named the Nirvana Monastery has been established at that site, which is a fixed location. If one considers all the places where stupas containing relics have been erected, however, the location of a Caitya of Nirvana is not fixed. These four kinds of stupa are all called stūpas.

The Vibhāṣā Treatise states: “Suppose someone erects a great stupa at a place where the Tathagata was born, turned the Dharma wheel, and so forth, while another person takes a small stone and likewise makes a stupa at one of those places. The merit of the latter equals the merit of the former who erected the great stupa, because both acts are equally venerable. Whether one erects a large or small stupa in honor of the Tathagata or Mahābrahmā, the merit is the same, because the deed is identical.”

The Āgama Sutra states: “There are four classes of persons worthy of having stupas erected in their honor: a Tathagata, a pratyekabuddha, a śrāvaka, and a wheel-turning king.”

The Sutra of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination states: “There are eight classes of persons for whom stupas may be erected: a Tathagata, a bodhisattva, a pratyekabuddha, an arhat, an anāgāmin, a sakṛdāgāmin, [21c] a srotāpanna, and a holy wheel-turning king. No stupa may be erected for anyone below the rank of a wheel-turning king. Upon seeing a stupa whose exposed finial^[4] has only one tier, there is no need to bow, because it is not the stupa of a holy person. The stupa of one who has attained the first fruit has an exposed finial of two tiers…, up to the stupa of a Tathagata, whose exposed finial has eight tiers. Any stupa with an exposed finial of eight or more tiers is a Buddha stupa.”

The Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: “When one wishes to establish a monastery, the land must first be measured. The site designated for the stupa must not be to the south or west of the monastery, but must be to the east or north, and it must not encroach upon the place where the Buddha is enshrined. The place for the Sangha must be to the west, while the south is to be used for the Sangha’s quarters.

A Buddha stupa must be built in a high, dry, and open place. Within the stupa precincts, one must not wash, dye, or dry robes, nor spit. Niches for offerings must be made on all four sides of the stupa.

Images of lions, birds, beasts, and so forth must be painted there. Banners and canopies must be hung in the stupa. Flower gardens and groves containing many kinds of fruit trees should be planted around the stupa.

Flowers growing in those gardens should be used as offerings to the stupa. If those trees were planted by donors of their own accord, the donors should say: ‘The flowers in this garden are to be offered to the Buddha, and the fruit is for the Sangha to use.’”

The Buddha said:

– The donors’ words must be followed. If there are many flowers, some may be given to garland makers to string into wreaths for them. The remaining flowers must be assessed. If they have value, the monk responsible for incense and lamps should sell them to purchase incense as an offering to the Buddha and to repair the stupa. If those flowers are sold for a large sum of money, it should be deposited among the Buddha’s inexhaustible goods.^[5] If anyone says that the Buddha is free from greed, hatred, and delusion, yet personally takes the flowers to adorn himself and enjoys the fruit, that person will incur severe karmic retribution.

The Buddha taught: “Caityas must also be made. If relics are present, it is called a stupa; if no relics are present, it is called a caitya. At the places where the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, turned the Dharma wheel, and entered nirvana, images of bodhisattvas and pratyekabuddhas must all be erected.

Where the Buddha’s footprints have been carved, beautiful canopies must be placed as offerings to those caityas. Regarding offerings, the highest class is an offering to a Buddha stupa, while the lower class is an offering to a caitya. If wind or rain suddenly arises, the offerings must be gathered up and placed in a sheltered location nearby.

One must not say, ‘I am an elder, a venerable one who dwells in the araṇya and goes on almsround, so I will not do such work.’ Otherwise, one commits a Vinaya transgression.^[6] If robbers arrive, during the emergency one must not hide the objects enshrined at the stupa or the property of the Sangha. Objects offered to the Buddha should be used to adorn the Buddha image; the sitting mats of the Sangha should also be spread out, and food and drink should be arranged where the robbers can see them.

If the robbers give rise to kindness and ask questions, the bhiksus should not be afraid but should go out to meet them. Younger monks should take heed: if robbers suddenly arrive, they must not hide any goods, but should tell them that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent. After saying this, they should depart.

This is how one should respond when confronted by the calamity of robbery.”

II.4. Resulting Retribution

[22a] The Sutra of Minor Unprecedented Events states: “The Buddha told Ānanda:

– Suppose that every blade of grass and every tree throughout the four continents became a person who had attained one of the four fruits of a śramaṇa or had become a pratyekabuddha. Suppose further that one person spent his entire life offering those beings the four requisites, and after they passed into cessation, built a stupa for each one and offered incense, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies to those stupas. Again, suppose a good man or good woman constructed hundreds of thousands of koṭis of great halls, adorned like the palace of Śakra, lord of the devas, with eighty-four thousand jeweled pillars, eighty-four thousand jeweled windows, eighty-four thousand jeweled windows in the open courtyards, and eighty-four thousand towers adorned all around with various treasures, as offerings to members of the Sangha from throughout the ten directions. That person would gain abundant merit. Yet this merit would still be less than that of a person who, after the Buddha entered nirvana, made a stupa as small as an āmalaka fruit, with the shaft of its exposed finial as fine as a needle and the tiers of its exposed finial as small as jujube leaves, and enshrined within it a relic as small as a mustard seed or a Buddha image as small as a barley grain. The merit of the latter would exceed that of the former by a hundredfold, a thousandfold, ten-thousandfold, or hundreds of thousands of myriads of times; it is beyond calculation.

Ānanda! You should know that the Tathagata possesses immeasurable merit, including immeasurable merit belonging to the aggregate of moral discipline, the aggregate of meditative concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation. He possesses spiritual powers and transformations, the six pāramitās…, and immeasurable merits such as these.”

The Sutra of the Supreme Intention states: “Ānanda joined his palms and addressed the Buddha:

– Today, when I entered the city of Rajagriha to seek alms, I saw a large and beautiful pavilion that had just been completed, secluded both within and without. A householder had offered that pavilion, together with all four requisites, to the Sangha of the four quarters. After the Tathagata enters nirvana, if someone builds a stupa as small as an amalaka fruit, with a finial shaft as slender as a needle and tiers as small as jujube leaves, enshrines within it a relic as small as a mustard seed, and makes a Buddha image as small as a barley grain, which of these two meritorious deeds would yield the greater merit?

The Buddha told Ananda:

– Suppose that those who have attained the fruits of the śramana path and pratyekabuddhas filled the four continents, as numerous as a forest of sugarcane, a field of reeds, or a bamboo grove. If someone were, throughout his entire life, to provide those holy ones with all four requisites and, after they entered nirvana, were also to build great stupas, light lamps, burn incense, hang banners and streamers, and offer robes and other things in worship, what do you think? Would that person's merit be great?

Ananda replied:

– Blessed One, that person's merit would be exceedingly great.

The Buddha said:

– Ananda! Let us set that aside. In Śakra's celestial palace there is a lofty tower suspended in the sky called the Ever-Victorious Hall. It is adorned with many kinds of precious objects, eighty-four thousand of each kind. If a man or woman were to make hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Ever-Victorious Halls and offer them to the Sangha of the four quarters, while another person, after the Buddha had entered nirvana, obtained a Buddha relic the size of a mustard seed, [22b] built an enshrining stupa as small as an amalaka fruit, with a finial shaft as slender as a needle and tiers as small as jujube leaves, and made a Buddha image as small as a barley grain, the merit of the latter would exceed that of the former a hundredfold, a thousand myriads of kotis of times, and an asamkhya of times; no analogy could express it. Why is this? Because the merit of the Tathagata is immeasurable. Even if the Saha world were ground into fine dust, and beings as numerous as those dust particles were successively to attain the four fruits of the śramana path or become pratyekabuddhas, and a male or female householder were throughout an entire lifetime to make offerings to all those holy ones and, after their passing, were also to erect stupas and make offerings to them, that merit would still not equal the merit of one who made a stupa to enshrine a Buddha relic as small as a mustard seed, or even enshrined a Buddha image as small as a barley grain. This person's merit would exceed that of the person described above a hundredfold, a thousand myriads of kotis of times; it could neither be calculated nor illustrated by analogy.

Ananda! Thus, when all the Tathagatas of former times were still cultivating on the causal ground, they knew that the realm of sentient beings is originally pure in its own nature but is defiled by the adventitious dust of afflictions. They did not enter the pure realm of sentient beings, but remained in the world and expounded the profound and wondrous Dharma to all sentient beings, helping them remove the obstruction of afflictions.

They might have regarded those beings as lowly, yet because of their magnanimity, they instead gave rise to a mind of reverence, respectfully regarding them as great teachers, and brought forth prajna-wisdom, a mind of dharani, and a mind of great compassion. By following this Dharma, bodhisattvas attain the stage of avaivartika^[7]. Relying upon wisdom that knows reality as it is, they attain skillful wisdom and realize unsurpassed bodhi.”

The Nirvana Sutra states: “If one offers to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha a single stick of incense, a single lamp, or even a single flowering branch, one will be born in the Immovable Land. If one carefully safeguards the possessions of the Buddha and the Sangha, sweeps the place where the Buddha is enshrined or where the Sangha resides, makes an image, or builds a stupa as small as a thumb, one will give rise to a joyful mind and will likewise be born in the Immovable Land. That is a Pure Land perpetually adorned, unaffected by the three calamities^[8].”

II.5. Circumambulating Stupas

The Sutra of the Bodhisattva's Former Practices states: “While the Buddha was still in the world, one day he and Ananda entered the city of Shravasti to seek alms. At that time, a brahmin was entering the city from outside. Seeing the Buddha leaving the city, his entire body encircled by a radiant halo, the brahmin rejoiced and was filled with elation. He circumambulated the Buddha once, bowed with his head at the Buddha's feet, and then continued on his way.

The Buddha smiled and told Ananda:

– Upon encountering the Buddha, this brahmin immediately rejoiced and, with a pure mind, circumambulated the Buddha once. Through this merit, from now until twenty-five kalpas hence, he will not fall into the lower realms but will enjoy boundless happiness among devas and humans. At the end of twenty-five kalpas, he will become a pratyekabuddha named Trì-thấn-na-kì-lê. For this reason, anyone who circumambulates the Buddha or a Buddha stupa will, wherever born, receive immeasurable merit and blessings.”

[22c] The Sutra of Đề-vị states: “The elder Đề-vị addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! Scattering flowers, burning incense, lighting lamps, and bowing are all forms of offering. What merit and blessings are gained by circumambulating a stupa?

The Buddha taught:

– Circumambulating a stupa brings five blessings: first, in a future life one will have a beautiful body; second, one will have a pleasing voice; third, one will be born in heaven; fourth, one will be born into a royal household; fifth, one will realize nirvana.

Why does one gain beauty? Because one rejoices upon seeing a Buddha image. Why does one gain a pleasing voice? Because one circumambulates the stupa and expounds the sutras. Why is one born in heaven? Because one's mind does not violate the precepts while circumambulating the stupa. Why is one born into a royal household? Because one bows one's head at the Buddha's feet. Why does one attain the path of nirvana? Because one possesses abundant merit.

The Buddha taught:

– Circumambulating a stupa involves three things: first, when lifting the foot, one should be mindful that one is lifting the foot; second, when lowering the foot, one should be mindful that one is lowering the foot; third, one must not look from side to side or spit around the stupa.

One should circumambulate clockwise. The sutras and Vinaya all teach that circumambulation must proceed clockwise. If one circumambulates counterclockwise, one will be rebuked by spirits..., and even a person who walks counterclockwise around a heap of barley will be censured by people of the world.

The present practice of circumambulation accords with the principle of heaven: one proceeds from west toward north, bares the right shoulder by arranging one's robe, and respectfully faces the Buddha. One may circumambulate a hundred times, ten times, seven times..., each number expressing a particular meaning. Moreover, the customary three circumambulations express offerings to the Three Honored Ones, the cessation of the three poisons, the purification of the three karmas, the eradication of the three lower realms, and the opportunity to encounter the Three Jewels.”

The Avatamsaka Sutra contains this verse:

When wishing to circumambulate a stupa,

One should vow that sentient beings

May practice deeds of merit

And fully comprehend the meaning of the path.

When circumambulating a stupa three times,

One should vow that sentient beings

May attain the ultimate mind

And never lose the four joys^[9].

The Sutra of the Five Precepts for the Wise states: “Circumambulating a stupa three times signifies reverence for the Three Honored Ones—the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—and also signifies mindfulness of extinguishing the three poisons: greed, anger, and delusion.”

The Sutra of the Three Thousand Rules of Deportment states: “Circumambulating a stupa entails five things: first, lower the head and look toward the ground; second, do not step on insects; third, do not look from side to side; fourth, do not spit before the stupa; fifth, do not stand within the stupa precincts conversing with others.”

The Mahasamnipata Sutra states: “The Buddha told the Brahma kings:

– Both now and in the future, my shravaka disciples maintain three karmas corresponding and consonant with the three kinds of bodhi. Whether beyond training or still in training, they fully observe the precepts, are widely learned, cultivate wholesome practices, and liberate sentient beings throughout the three realms. Donors build stupas, establish monasteries, and offer every requisite to my shravaka disciples. I entrust them to you: you must protect them and their relatives and not allow violent rulers to subject them to lawless persecution.”

[23a] At that time, the Great Brahma Heavenly King, Shakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, the dragon kings, yakshas, and others all joined their palms, faced the Buddha, and said:

“Great Virtuous World-Honored One! Together, we shall protect all stupas and monasteries dedicated to the Tathagata, all pure places, and all householders or monastics of future generations who build stupas and establish monasteries for the World-Honored One’s shravaka disciples, enabling them to escape every fear and calamity. If donors provide them with food and drink, clothing, beds and seats, medicines, and all such necessities, we shall protect those donors as well.”

The Sutra of the Seven Buddhas states: “There are eighteen deities who protect monasteries:

1. Wondrous Voice

2. Brahma Voice

3. Celestial Drum

4. Praise of Wondrousness

5. Praise of Beauty

6. Mara the Wondrous

7. Fragrant Voice

8. Lion

9. Wondrous Praise

10. Brahma Resonance

11. Human Voice

12. Servant of the Buddha

13. Praise of Virtue

14. Wide-Eyed

15. Wondrous-Eyed

16. All-Hearing

17. All-Seeing

18. Universal Vision.

“Since monasteries have deities protecting them, those who dwell in monasteries should also be diligent and must not be indolent. Otherwise, it is to be feared that they will incur retribution in this very life.”

II.6. Entering a Monastery

Explanation:

— According to the customs of the Western Regions, whenever a man or woman arrives at the gate of a monastery, that person immediately gives rise to joy at encountering the monastery and should first arrange their clothing properly and make one general prostration. After entering through the gate, they should make another prostration, then proceed slowly and directly, without looking from side to side. Thus, the Nirvana Sutra states: “When entering the Sangha’s dwelling place^[10], there are seven practices: arousing faith, making prostrations, listening to the Dharma, being wholehearted, contemplating the meaning of the Dharma one has heard, practicing in accordance with the teaching, and dedicating the merit to the Mahayana so that many people may benefit.

Those who uphold these seven wholesome practices gain merit surpassing all else, beyond analogy.”

The Sutra of the Householder Ugra states: “The Buddha said:

“‘Householder! When a lay bodhisattva enters a monastery or vihara, he should stand outside the gate and make prostrations. Afterward, he should enter the monastery and reflect: “When shall I be able to dwell in a monastery, a place beyond worldly toil and defilement?”’”

The Treatise on the Ten Stages, the Vibhāṣā states: “When a lay bodhisattva enters a monastery, he should first prostrate fully to the ground outside the monastery gate, thinking: ‘This is the dwelling place of good people, the dwelling place of those who cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity; therefore, I should pay homage.’ [23b] If he sees monastics whose deportment is complete and dignified, he should respectfully bow to them, draw near, and inquire after their well-being.”

The Sutra on Self-Love states: “At that time, a king came to where the Buddha was. Upon seeing the vihara from afar, the king immediately descended from his carriage, folded his parasol, set aside his sword, removed his shoes, joined his palms, and walked straight toward it.”

The Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: “When walking, look straight ahead; when turning back, turn the entire body. When taking a step, place the heel down first and the toes afterward. Walk with the gaze directed toward the ground to avoid a distracted mind and to protect living beings. This is the deportment of a non-retrogressing bodhisattva.”

The Record of Monastic Regulations in the Western Lands states: “Upon reaching the Buddha’s shrine, make three prostrations, circumambulate three times, and chant three verses of praise. Only after completing the homage should one go to the Sangha’s quarters, make one prostration outside, then enter to pay respects to the senior monk and proceed in order down to the most junior, making three prostrations to each. If the Sangha is numerous, make one general prostration. If one sees something contrary to the Dharma, one must not criticize it. By voicing criticism, one forfeits one’s own goodness; this is not what should be done when entering a monastery.”

The Nirvana Sutra states: “Those who enter a monastery should put aside knives, staffs, and miscellaneous articles before entering. Putting aside knives and staffs means relinquishing anger and resentment toward the Three Jewels; putting aside miscellaneous articles means relinquishing the mind that makes requests of the Three Jewels. Only after abandoning these two faults should one enter the monastery.

Circumambulate the Buddha clockwise and never counterclockwise. If an obstacle forces one to pass on the left, one must constantly remain mindful that the Buddha is on one’s right. When entering or leaving the monastery, face the Buddha and make prostrations.

Always remember that the essence of the Three Jewels is one. Why is this? One who awakens to the Dharma and is endowed with merit and wisdom is called a Buddha; the path to which the Buddha awakens is called the Dharma; and those who study and practice the Buddha’s path are called the Sangha.

Therefore, the essence of all ordinary and noble beings is the same and not twofold. When entering a monastery, bow the head and look down at the ground; do not look upward. If insects are seen, do not harm them.

One should chant praises extolling the Three Jewels. Do not spit within the monastery grounds. If grass, rubbish, or filth is seen, it must be cleared away.”

The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya states: “After entering a monastery, one must first pay homage to the Buddha’s stupa, then to the stupas of shravakas. Afterward, pay homage to the most senior elder, continuing down to the fourth-ranking elder.”

The Mahīśāsaka Vinaya states: “If one enters a monastery where many members of the Sangha are present, one should pay separate homage only to one’s teachers and make one general prostration to all the others before departing.”

The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya also states: “One must pay homage to the Tathagata’s stupa and to the stupas of the five assemblies of monastics.”

The Five Hundred Questions on Matters of Discipline also states: “A disciple must pay homage to the teacher’s stupa in gratitude for the teacher’s kindness.”

The Ekottarika Agama Sutra states: “When inside a stupa, one must not bow to another person.”

The Sarvāstivāda Vinaya states: “Before a Buddha’s stupa or a shravaka’s stupa, people must not bow to one another.”

The Five Hundred Questions on Matters of Discipline also states: “To bow to another person before a Buddha’s stupa constitutes an offense.”

[23c] The Sutra of Three Thousand Rules of Deportment states: “One must not pay homage while seated in an elevated place. Nowadays, in certain monasteries and lay households, monastics and laypeople sometimes sit upon beds while paying homage to the Buddha. This is exceedingly arrogant. If one wished to bow to a king, how could one do so while remaining upon a bed? If such conduct is impermissible even before a worldly king, how much less could it be permitted before the King of Dharma?”

The Vinaya-mātṛkā Treatise states: “One must not wear shoes or sandals inside a stupa.”

The Five Hundred Questions on Matters of Discipline states: “If shoes, sandals, or socks are new and clean, they may be worn when making prostrations.”

The Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: “When receiving another person’s homage, one must not remain silent but should ask whether that person is healthy and at ease and whether the journey has been tiring.”

Explanation: If a man, because he has encountered some calamity, must go to a monastery to request lodging for the night, he must not lie upon the Sangha’s bedding and mats. If he has no bedding of his own, he should borrow bedding in accordance with the rules, but he must not share a bed with a member of the Sangha. Thus, the Ratnarāśi Sutra states: “If one shares a bed with a member of the Sangha, half of one’s body will wither and die, and one will fall into hell and undergo extreme suffering.”

While members of the Sangha have not yet gone to sleep, one must not sleep before them. One must not frolic, laugh, or speak words contrary to the Dharma, thereby losing dignified deportment and disturbing everyone’s minds. If, because one is seeking the Dharma and cannot go outside at night, one urinates, defecates, blows one’s nose, or spits, no offense is committed. When sleeping, one should lie on the right side with one leg resting upon the other and resolve inwardly to rise early, as soon as the sky begins to brighten. This is the mark of one who has adopted the causes of the monastic life.

Therefore, the sutra states: “Lying on one’s back is the sleeping posture of an asura; lying face down is the sleeping posture of a hungry ghost; lying on the left side is the sleeping posture of a lustful person; lying on the right side is the sleeping posture of a monastic.”

One must rise early, before the members of the Sangha awaken. Wash the face, arrange the clothing properly, and go before the Sangha’s quarters.

The Sutra on the Deportment of Novices states: “If one wishes to enter the teacher’s room, one must snap one’s fingers three times.”

The Sutra of Three Thousand Rules of Deportment also states: “When entering the teacher’s room, one must fully observe five rules: first, snap one’s fingers outside the teacher’s room; second, remove one’s head covering; third, make a prostration; fourth, stand upright and sit only when the teacher permits it; fifth, do not neglect to retain and recite the sutras.”

The Mahasanghika Vinaya records: “A disciple should rise early, go to the teacher’s room, step into the room with the right foot first, bow at the teacher’s feet, and ask whether the teacher slept well.”

The Commentary on the Good Teaching^[11] records: “When a disciple attends upon the teacher, six positions should be avoided:

1. One must not stand directly in front of the teacher.

2. One must not stand behind the teacher.

3. One must not remain too far from the teacher.

4. One must not come too close to the teacher.

5. One must not stand in a higher place.

6. One must not stand upwind.”

One should stand slightly to one side, neither too near nor too far away, so that one can hear even the teacher’s quiet words and the teacher need not strain. When practicing in this way, one must never stray far from the teacher in any of the four deportments.

The Commentary on the Good Teaching records: “A disciple following the teacher must not step on the teacher’s shadow.”

[24a] Explanation: If women enter a monastery, they should likewise observe the rules above, but they must not sit in front of men; engage in conversation, laughter, or jesting; adorn themselves with rouge and powder or paint their eyebrows; or behave playfully in ways contrary to proper decorum. They must not casually take others by the hand or touch their bodies. They should guard their thoughts and maintain a solemn countenance, obey the instructions of those in the monastery, take incense in proper order, make offerings single-mindedly, repent, and reproach themselves, saying: “I have been born as a woman and am constantly beset by hindrances.

I lack the causes and conditions for cultivating this wondrous Dharma; I have no independence and must act according to the wishes of others. How painful this is!” They should display earnest sincerity. If they see a novice monk, they should pay homage to him as they would to a senior monk.

They must not withhold respect because he is young, for although he is junior to a senior monk, he is more venerable than a layperson. They should do their utmost to observe such rules. There are many rules that must be followed; they are fully set forth in the chapter on Laymen and Laywomen in the one-hundred-fascicle work The Grove of Pearls from the Garden of Dharma.

When male and female lay practitioners have completed their practices and wish to leave the monastery, they should make three bows before the Buddha stupa, circumambulate it clockwise three times, join their palms and offer praises, and then leave through the monastery gate and make one more bow. When they see members of the Sangha, if only a few are present, they should make three bows to each one; if many are present, they should make three bows to the assembly as a whole in farewell.

The Commentary on the Good Teaching records: “When paying homage to the Buddha, one should circumambulate three times, make three bows, bow toward the four directions, raise both hands and place them upon one’s head, and then withdraw while walking backward. When the form of the Tathagata can no longer be seen, one should bow again, then turn forward and walk away.”

Going to a monastery creates causes and conditions for transcending the world; building a monastery plants the cause for rebirth in the Pure Land; making offerings to the Sangha plants the cause of liberation. Because impure people of the world, coarse in mind and disposition, enter the pure precincts of a monastery, it is feared that they may behave contrary to proper decorum. Therefore, they should relinquish a small portion of their wealth as an offering to the Three Jewels to redeem their own faults. In this way, it becomes clear that monastics give the Dharma, while laypeople give material wealth. When conduct accords with proper rules, both those within the monastery and those in the secular world receive benefit.

II.7. Repairing Old Monasteries and Stupas

The Sutra on Resolving Doubts in the Semblance Dharma records: “Building something new is not as good as repairing something old. Performing meritorious deeds is not as good as averting calamity.”

These words are entirely true!

If old monasteries and stupas are allowed to fall into disrepair, shrines to decay, and dwellings to collapse; if straw doors and leaf walls cannot keep out dust, thatched roofs cannot ward off dew and frost, walls and doorways lie in ruins, refuse fills the steps, and paths bear no human footprints; if the Sangha has departed to seek shelter elsewhere, yet no one repairs or tends the monastery, allowing it to decline further with each passing day, then there will be no end to the offenses incurred.

At night the monastery has no lamps or torches; by day no flowers are ever arranged and no banners hung. In the shrine hall no one recites sutras, and the incense burners hold only cold ashes. Thus evil spirits act wantonly, while benevolent deities offer no protection.

Monasteries do not long endure solely because monks are arrogant and indolent; the Buddhadharma has declined also because laypeople lack reverence. Faced with such circumstances, if one remains unconcerned, what more can one hope to seek?

[24b] The Jewel Accumulation Sutra records: “The face of a worthy man displayed the marks of one destined to become a king. When a physiognomist saw them, he gave his daughter to the man in marriage. Later, on one occasion, the man entered a monastery and leaned his staff against a wall. Because he gave rise to such arrogance, the marks of kingship disappeared, and he was also cast into hell.”

The Satyaka Sutra records: “There was a person who disliked a monastery and its stupa and therefore ordered that they be moved elsewhere. Such a person belongs to the class of wicked and rebellious sentient beings and deserves severe punishment.”

The Sutra of the Ten Wheels records: “If a bhiksu destroys a monastery and kills sentient beings, when he is about to die, every joint and bone will ache painfully, and for many days he will be unable to speak. After death, he will fall into the Avici Hell and undergo every kind of suffering.”

The Sutra of the Three Thousand Rules of Deportment records: “There are five rules concerning sweeping a stupa:

1. One must not wear shoes or sandals.

2. One must not turn one’s back toward the Buddha while sweeping.

3. One must not cast down the clean earth from the stupa.

4. One must not remove old flowers from the Buddha image.

5. One must wash one’s hands once each day and personally wipe the Buddha image with a clean cloth.”

There are also five rules:

1. One must sprinkle the ground with water before sweeping.

2. One must sprinkle it until the earth is evenly moistened.

3. One must wait until the water has soaked in.

4. One must not sweep against the proper direction.

5. One must not sweep against the wind.

There are also five further rules:

1. One must not discard the clean earth from the stupa.

2. One must pull out weeds with one’s own hands.

3. One must move the earth in the middle toward the lower area.

4. One must not heap refuse in the four corners.

5. One must sweep clean the area extending six paces before the stupa.

(This refers to those occupied with duties, for whom the area is therefore limited to six paces. Those who have leisure should sweep farther out, which is even better.)

The Sutra of Mindfulness of the True Dharma records: “If sentient beings with pure minds make offerings to the Sangha and sweep the Buddha’s stupa, when they die they will be born in the Heaven of Delight. Their bodies will have neither bones nor flesh and will never be soiled. A fragrance will spread from them for one hundred yojanas, and they will be as pure as a bright mirror.”

The Sutra of Mindfulness of the True Dharma also records: “If sentient beings understand fields of merit and, upon seeing that a Buddha stupa or Sangha dwelling has been damaged by wind and rain, give rise to the meritorious intention to repair it, replaster and mend it, or ask others to restore the old stupa, then when they die they will be born in the Heaven of White Bodies. There they will enter a vaidurya grove and enjoy the pleasures of the five senses with celestial maidens. When their heavenly karma is exhausted, they will be reborn as human beings with fair and radiant bodies.”

The Sutra of the Storehouse of Miscellaneous Treasures records: “Sweeping Sangha dwellings across an area as vast as the entire continent of Jambudvipa does not equal sweeping an area the width of one hand at a Buddha stupa.” (The Satyasiddhi Treatise says the same.)

The Sutra of the Collection of a Hundred Karmic Conditions records: “Sweeping the grounds of a monastery brings five merits:

1. One eliminates the afflictions in one’s own mind.

2. One removes all filth from the ground.

3. One dispels arrogance.

4. One brings the mind under control.

5. One increases merit and will be born in a good place.”

[24c] The Sutra of the Stainless Pure Maiden records: “Sweeping a stupa brings five merits:

1. One’s own mind becomes pure, and others who see it also give rise to a pure mind.

2. One is loved by others.

3. One causes the devas to rejoice.

4. One accumulates the karmic causes for receiving a beautiful appearance.

5. After death, one will be born in a fine heavenly realm.”

The Sutra on the Deportment of Novice Monks records: “There are five rules for sweeping a stupa:

1. One must not turn one’s back toward the stupa.

2. One must not sweep against the proper direction.

3. One must sprinkle water.

4. One must sweep thoroughly.

5. One must sweep section by section while withdrawing backward.”

The Ekottara Agama says: “There are five rules for sweeping a Buddha stupa:

1. Sprinkle the ground with water.

2. Remove tiles and stones.

3. Sweep and level the ground evenly.

4. Maintain an upright mind while sweeping.

5. Sweeping Unclean Places Clean.

After sweeping them clean, one should scatter a branch of fragrant flowers upon the ground as an offering. By doing so, one will obtain immeasurable merit.”

The Avatamsaka Sutra contains this verse:

Scatter fresh and lovely flowers as adornments,

Arrange beautiful flowers into canopies and curtains;

Flowers of myriad colors are strewn everywhere,

As offerings to the Tathagatas throughout the worlds of the ten directions.

The Shorter Sutra on the Extinction of the Dharma records: “Later, when the Fire Kalpa arises, all places that have ever served as monasteries will remain unburned; even the places where earthen mandalas^[12] of the Vajra Realm^[13] (of Esoteric Buddhism) were constructed will remain unburned.”

The Sutra of the Bodhisattva’s Former Practices records: “Long ago, while the Buddha was still in the world, one day he said to five hundred arhats:

‘Each of you, tell me what merit you cultivated in past lives that has now provided you with the causes and conditions to encounter me and attain the path!’

At that time, an arhat named Bhagadari rose from his seat and said:

‘Blessed One, I recall that innumerable kalpas ago, the Buddha Dipankara appeared in the world. After that Buddha entered nirvana, his relics were divided so that people could build stupas and make offerings to them. During the age of the decline of the Dharma, there was a poor man who had no means of livelihood and therefore made his living selling firewood.

One day, he went beside a marsh to gather firewood and saw an exceedingly magnificent monastery and stupa. He approached the stupa, gazed reverently upon the Buddha image, rejoiced, and bowed in homage. He saw that only wolves, birds, and wild animals sheltered there.

The stupa was filled with filthy grass, vegetation, and thorns; there was not a person or even a footprint to be seen, nor anyone making offerings. Seeing this desolate scene, his heart overflowed with sorrow and compassion. Although he did not understand the Tathagata’s great virtue, he gladly cut away the grass and vegetation, swept away the mud and refuse, circumambulated the stupa eight times, bowed in homage, and then departed.

Through that merit, after his death he was reborn in the Abhasvara Heaven, where he dwelt in an immense palace made of various precious substances. Its light was dazzling, and its beauty surpassed that of all other heavenly realms and was beyond description. When his lifespan there ended, he returned to become a wheel-turning sage-king one hundred times, possessing all seven treasures and ruling the four continents.^[14] [25a] Thereafter, whenever he died, he was invariably reborn into royal households, noble clans, or families of wealthy elders.

His wealth was limitless, and his appearance was exceedingly handsome and without equal; all who saw him rejoiced and regarded him with affection and respect. Whenever he walked, the roads naturally became clean, while flowers of every kind rained down from the sky.’

Bhagadari said:

‘That poor man of long ago was none other than I today. Through the merit of sweeping the stupa, throughout one asamkhya and ninety kalpas I never fell into an evil realm. Wherever I was born, whether in the heavens or in the human realm, I naturally enjoyed wealth, honor, glory, and boundless happiness. Now, in my final body, I have encountered the Buddha, renounced wealth and honor, gone forth into homelessness, and attained arhatship, complete with the three knowledges, the six supernormal powers, and the eight liberations.

If anyone performs even a single good deed for the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, though it be as small as a strand of hair, wherever that person is born, the resulting blessings will be immeasurably great.’” Correct.

The Sutra of Parables records: “During the time of the Buddha Vipasyin, Prince Jeta offered a male servant and a female servant to a monastery to attend to its sweeping and cleaning. Through that merit, in life after life the prince always obtained a palace made of the seven precious substances. At the two sides of its gate, a man and a woman would naturally appear, each holding a precious bowl filled with the seven kinds of treasures, which could be used without ever being exhausted.

At night, more than five hundred celestial soldiers on horseback constantly guarded the palace, and no one dared approach it. He also possessed the seven treasures of a wheel-turning sage-king: the golden wheel, the white elephant, the blue horse, the divine jewel, the precious woman, the treasurer, and the general who commanded the army.”

The Sutra of the Miscellaneous Treasures records: “Long ago, in the kingdom of Sravasti, a wealthy elder built a monastery and stupa. After his death, he was reborn in the Trayastrimsa Heaven. His wife thought of her husband day and night and was therefore constantly sorrowful and distressed. To ease her longing for him, she frequently went to sweep, clean, and repair the monastery and stupa that he had built. At that time, her husband descended from heaven to where his wife was and asked consolingly:

‘Are you sorrowful because you miss me?’

The wife asked:

‘Who are you?’

The husband replied:

‘I am your husband. Through the merit of building the monastery and stupa, I was reborn in heaven. Because I saw that you missed me and frequently went to sweep, clean, and repair the monastery and stupa, I came here to visit you.’

The wife said:

‘Please come closer.’

The husband then said:

‘The human body is foul and unclean, so I can no longer come near you. If you wish to become my wife again, diligently make offerings to the Buddha and Sangha, sweep, clean, and repair the monastery and stupa, and at the same time make a vow to be reborn in my heavenly realm. If you are reborn there, I will surely take you as my wife again.’

The wife followed her husband’s words, cultivated various merits, and vowed to be reborn in heaven. Later, when she died, she was reborn in heaven and once again became husband and wife with her former husband. The couple then went together to the Buddha, heard him expound the Dharma, and both attained the fruit of stream-entry. They then returned together to the heavenly realm.”

[25b] The Treatise on Discerning Merit records: “Long ago, in the city of Sravasti, there was a childless married couple who were very diligent and possessed reverent faith in the Three Jewels. The wife died early, and through her reverent faith in the Three Jewels, she was reborn in the Trayastrimsa Heaven as a celestial maiden of surpassing beauty, unequaled by any other celestial being. The celestial maiden thought, ‘I am exceedingly beautiful, but no one here is worthy to be my husband.’ With her divine eye, she saw that her former husband had by then gone forth into homelessness and grown old.

Although his wisdom was limited, he possessed wholehearted faith and constantly and diligently swept and cleaned monasteries and stupas. Seeing this, she knew that he would certainly be reborn in heaven. The celestial maiden therefore descended, radiant with brilliant light, and stood before him.

Upon seeing her, the bhiksu asked why she had come. The celestial maiden replied:

‘I was your wife in the past, and I am now a celestial maiden. I have seen that no one in heaven is worthy to be my husband. I have also seen that you practice diligently and zealously sweep and clean monasteries and stupas, and therefore I know that you will be reborn in heaven. I hope that when you are reborn there, you will dwell in the same place as I and become my husband once again. For this reason, I have now come to tell you.’ Having spoken, the celestial maiden returned to heaven. After witnessing this event, the bhiksu swept and cleaned monasteries and stupas even more diligently, accumulating still greater merit, so that he became worthy of rebirth in the Tusita Heaven. Remembering her former husband, the celestial maiden came to him and said:

‘Your merit and blessings have increased greatly, so you are now worthy of rebirth in the Tusita Heaven. Henceforth, I can no longer become your wife.’

Having spoken, the celestial maiden departed. Upon hearing this, the bhiksu practiced with even greater diligence and attained arhatship, complete with the six supernormal powers and the eight liberations.”

The Sutra of the Hundred Causes and Conditions records: “Long ago, while the Buddha was still in the world, there lived in the city of Kapilavastu an exceedingly wealthy elder whose riches were beyond measure. His wife gave birth to a very handsome son, whom everyone who saw cherished. When he reached adulthood, the son encountered the Buddha, requested permission to go forth into homelessness, and attained arhatship. At that time, the Buddha said to the bhiksus:

– Ninety-one kalpas ago, after the Buddha Vipasyin appeared in the world and then entered nirvana, King Bandhumati gathered the Buddha’s relics and erected a stupa made of the four precious substances as an offering. Later, that stupa became slightly damaged. A child who entered the stupa to play saw the damaged place and joyfully called upon everyone to repair it together. He then made a vow and departed. Through that merit, for ninety-one kalpas the child did not fall into the hells, the animal realm, or the realm of hungry ghosts, but was always born among humans and devas, enjoying happiness. He was always honored by humans and devas, renounced the household life, and attained the Way.

Upon hearing the Buddha speak, everyone joyfully accepted and obeyed.

The verse says:

Relics preserved in eighty thousand stupas,

Precious ornaments hung a hundred fathoms high.

[25c] Phoenixes interspersed with sacred crows,

Golden trays supported the Buddha’s hands.

Bracket sets^[15] and carved rafters rose densely;

Jeweled nets stretched across the stupa roofs.

The precious ground resembled golden sand;

Wind bells rang with limpid tones.

A thousand carved forms seemed alive;

Ten thousand painted images shone resplendently.

Amid clouds and mist they often vanished and appeared;

Immortals and spirits suddenly came and went.

Morning mist lingered halfway up the stupas;

Streaming banners brushed the clouds of heaven.

Even flying ni^[16] dared not breathe;

How could the vast kun^[17] hope to behold them?

Golden cords spread across the blessed ground;

The heavenly reward is surely not in vain.

May the boat of compassion bear us onward—

How could the other shore remain far away!”

III. COLLECTING THE MIND

This section consists of four parts: Introduction, Ten Recollections, Six Recollections, and Making Vows.

III.1. Introduction

The mind of an ordinary being constantly pursues external objects and is as difficult to restrain as an ape or a mad elephant. The three kinds of karma are stirred into activity, and the bonds of conditions increase ever further. Therefore, the Buddha established the teachings so that one might constantly discipline body and mind.

A sutra states: “One should be the master of the mind and not allow the mind to be one’s master. If the three kinds of karma—of body, speech, and mind—create no evil, then the body of precepts and the wisdom of the mind will be steadfast as a mountain.” Another sutra states: “When the mind is restrained in one place, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.” Yet the nature of the mind is deluded and inverted, with the view of self foremost.

The afflictions are difficult to tame because the disturbing defilements^[18] are continually active. At all times they rage fiercely and are difficult to restrain. Unless one withdraws to a secluded place, one cannot destroy the three poisons.

Do not let the body become heedless; do not let the mouth utter useless words. Remain wakeful and sleep little; often sit quietly; moderate food and drink; contemplate the true Dharma; understand that neither existence nor nonexistence is truly established; sit upright, maintain right mindfulness, and bind the attention before oneself. This is called collecting the mind.”

III.2. The Ten Recollections

The Ekottarika Agama states: “At that time, the Buddha told the bhiksus:

– You should cultivate ten practices by which you will attain supernormal powers, eliminate all distracting thoughts, and realize nirvana:

1. Recollection of the Buddha

2. Recollection of the Dharma

3. Recollection of the Sangha

4. Recollection of the precepts

5. Recollection of giving

6. Recollection of devas

7. Recollection of cessation of thought

8. Recollection of the breath

9. Recollection of the body’s impermanence

10. Recollection of death.

Recollect the Buddha, Dharma, and noble assembly,

Recollect the precepts, giving, and devas,

The cessation of thought and the breath,

And finally recollect the body and death.

[26a] First, single-mindedly recollect the Buddha: The bodily marks of the Tathagata are replete with every virtue. His body and wisdom are boundless, and he fully knows the coming and going through all paths of birth and death. Cultivating this one practice leads to nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the Buddha, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the Buddha.

Second, single-mindedly recollect the Dharma: Eliminate sensual craving and be free from minds of defilement, thirst, and craving. Never again give rise to thoughts of desire or of aversion to desire, and become free from the illnesses of bondage and affliction, as though freed from every odor. Harbor no evil or distracting thoughts. In this way, one will attain supernormal powers and realize nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the Dharma, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the Dharma.

Third, single-mindedly remember the Tathagata’s noble assembly: The noble assembly has perfected true and upright conduct, free from crookedness. Its members dwell harmoniously, seniors and juniors alike, and comprise the four pairs and eight classes of noble beings.^[19] They should therefore be revered and served. Thus one eliminates distracting thoughts and realizes nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the Sangha, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the Sangha.

Fourth, recollect the precepts: The precepts can eliminate all evils, bring the work of the Way to fulfillment, and cause people to rejoice. The precepts are a jeweled necklace adorning the body and revealing every beauty. They are like an auspicious vase that fulfills every wish. Through them, one immediately eliminates distracting thoughts and realizes nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the precepts, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the precepts.

Fifth, single-mindedly recollect giving: Once one has given, one should never regret it or seek recompense, and one will swiftly obtain benefit. If reviled or beaten by others, one should arouse loving-kindness and not become angry. By constantly arousing the mind of giving without interruption, one eliminates distracting thoughts and realizes nirvana. By never departing from recollection of giving, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of giving.

Sixth, single-mindedly recollect the devas: Do no evil with body, speech, or mind. Cultivate and perfect the body of precepts, so that the body emits light illuminating everywhere. One will obtain wholesome fruits and fully perfect all the practices of a deva’s body, eliminate distracting thoughts, and realize nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the devas, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the devas.

Seventh, recollect the cessation of thought: Eliminate thoughts and conceptions; be careful and thorough, not hasty. Always maintain a unified mind, delight in dwelling in quiet seclusion, constantly cultivate skillful means, enter samadhi, and continually remain mindful of non-greed. One will obtain brilliant radiance, eliminate distracting thoughts, and realize nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the cessation of thought, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the cessation of thought.

[26b] Eighth, exclusively contemplate and remain mindful of the breath: When the breath is long, contemplate and know, “I am breathing a long breath.” When the breath is short, one should likewise contemplate and know, “I am breathing a short breath.” If the breath is exceedingly cold or hot, one must also contemplate and know, “I am breathing a cold breath” or “I am breathing a hot breath.” By discerning whether the incoming and outgoing breaths are long or short, one eliminates distracting thoughts and realizes nirvana. By never departing from contemplation and mindfulness of the breath, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the breath.

Ninth, exclusively remember and contemplate the body: The body consists of hair of the head, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, gall, liver, lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, feces, urine, saliva, tears, mucus, blood, pus, brain matter, and so forth. One should reflect: What is the body? It is earth, water, fire, and wind. This body was produced by one’s parents; from where did it come, and after death, where will these six faculties be reborn? Contemplating in this way, one eliminates distracting thoughts and realizes nirvana. By never departing from recollection of the body, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of the body.

Tenth, exclusively remember and contemplate death: Dying in this place, one is born in another, passing back and forth through the various realms. When life is lost, the faculties decay and disintegrate like rotten wood. The life faculty is severed, and one is separated from relatives and kin, without form, shadow, appearance, or shape. By recollecting in this way, one eliminates distracting thoughts and realizes nirvana. By never departing from recollection of death, one acquires these virtues; this is called recollection of death. The verse says:

The Buddha, Dharma, and noble assembly,

Down to recollection of the body and death—

Although all alike are recollections,

Their meanings are nevertheless distinct.

III.3. The Six Recollections

III.3.1. Recollection of the Buddha

The Treatise on Distinguishing Merits states: “What is recollection of the Buddha? The Buddha’s body is like vajra and never deteriorates. When he walks, his feet remain four inches above the ground, yet the thousand-spoked wheel patterns on the soles of his feet are imprinted upon the earth. The insects beneath his feet remain safe and secure for seven days; if they die, they are all reborn in the heavenly realms.”

In ancient times, there was an evil bhiksu who had originally been a non-Buddhist ascetic and had disguised himself in order to slander the Buddha. He followed the Buddha and stepped in His footprints, killing insects and then blaming the Buddha for their deaths. Yet when the dead insects came into contact with the Buddha’s footprints, they immediately came back to life.

When the Buddha entered a city or settlement, as soon as He passed through the city gate, heaven and earth shook, and a hundred kinds of musical instruments sounded of themselves without being played. Those afflicted with a hundred kinds of illness, such as blindness, deafness, muteness, speech impediments, and so forth, were all restored to health. Upon seeing the excellent marks of the Buddha, they were delivered according to their practices.

The merit of His saving and liberating beings cannot be reckoned; among all the myriad practices, saving and liberating beings is foremost. This is the meaning of mindfulness of the Buddha.”

[26c] III.3.2. Mindfulness of the Dharma

Question: The Dharma is the unconditioned, desireless path free from outflows. The Buddha is master of all dharmas, while the Dharma is master over all fetters. The Dharma gives rise to all Buddhas, and the Dharma gives rise to the path of Buddhahood. If so, why is mindfulness of the Dharma not practiced first and mindfulness of the Buddha afterward?

Answer: Although the Dharma is subtle and wondrous, beyond conception and discussion, it is like a treasure hidden beneath the earth: though it is present everywhere, people who understand it must point it out before it can aid those who are poor and destitute. The Dharma is likewise. Although its principle is profound, subtle, and wondrous, without the Buddha, the Dharma would not be revealed. Therefore, mindfulness of the Buddha comes first and mindfulness of the Dharma afterward.

III.3.3. Mindfulness of the Sangha

The twelve worthy ones^[20] who have realized the four pairs and eight individuals neither covet nor contend over worldly affairs. They instruct and guide gods and humans and serve as an excellent field of merit for sentient beings.

In ancient times, there was a bhiksu of little merit named Brahmadatta, who lived with a community of one thousand two hundred and fifty. Every day, when the Sangha went on almsround, they obtained no food, yet they did not know whose fault it was. The Buddha instructed the Sangha to divide into two groups.

One group then obtained food, while the other obtained none. The latter group was again divided into two, and one group obtained food while the other still obtained none. They continued dividing in this manner until only two people remained: one obtained food, while the other did not.

Only then did they learn that the bhiksu Brahmadatta had no merit. Even when food reached his bowl, it naturally vanished. Out of compassion, the Buddha personally placed food into Brahmadatta’s bowl.

Restrained by the power of the Buddha’s merit, the food did not vanish. The Buddha also wished this bhiksu to acquire merit in his present life, so He had two bhiksus who had attained the attainment of cessation^[21] partake of Brahmadatta’s food. Brahmadatta immediately acquired merit.

At that time, when King Prasenajit heard that the Buddha had given food to that bhiksu of scant merit, he addressed the Buddha:

– Now I too wish to create merit for this bhiksu.

Having said this, the king ordered someone to bring rice. At that moment, a crow flew down, took a grain of rice in its beak, and flew away. Seeing this, the man reproached it:

– The king is creating merit for Brahmadatta; why do you take it away?

Upon hearing this, the crow carried the grain of rice back to its original place. Thus, through the power of the Sangha’s merit, birds and beasts could not harm this bhiksu. From this it is known that by cultivating an excellent field of merit, one can not only liberate oneself but also enable others to attain the paths of the Three Vehicles. This is the meaning of mindfulness of the Sangha.

III.3.4. Mindfulness of the Precepts

The precepts include the five precepts, the ten precepts, the two hundred and fifty precepts, and as many as the five hundred precepts. All possess the function of restraining body, speech, and mind, stopping transgressions, guarding the six sense faculties, and eliminating thoughts of desire. Only when one is pure both inwardly and outwardly does one accord with the essential nature of the precepts^[22].

In ancient times, two bhiksus were traveling together to see the Buddha. On the way, they crossed a desolate wilderness where there was no drinking water. In that place was a small pond teeming with living creatures. [27a] One bhiksu strictly observed the Vinaya and placed the preservation of the precepts foremost.

He thought: “If I drink this water, I will certainly kill a great many sentient beings. I would rather sacrifice my own life than fail to preserve the precepts completely.” Having thought thus, he did not drink the water and died, whereupon he was immediately reborn in a heavenly realm. The other bhiksu thought: “I must drink this water to preserve my life so that I may meet the Buddha.

Who knows into which realm I might be reborn after death?” Having thought this, he drank the water and harmed a great many sentient beings.

When he arrived, the bhiksu wept and addressed the Buddha:

– The companion who traveled with me has died.

The Buddha pointed to a heavenly being and asked the bhiksu:

– Do you recognize this heavenly being? He is your companion! Through the merit of preserving the precepts completely, he was reborn in a heavenly realm and has come here today. Although you have met Me, you remain very far from Me. Although he has died, he is always by My side. Now that you have met Me, you see only My physical body; how could you know the true body of the precepts? Therefore, the sutra states: “The Pratimoksa is your teacher. If you can uphold the precepts and cultivate them in due sequence, that itself is the eternally abiding and indestructible Dharma-body of the Tathagata.” There are three kinds of precepts: conventional precepts, precepts of the path, and precepts of concentration. The five precepts, eight precepts, ten precepts, and full ordination precepts are conventional precepts. The outflow-free Four Noble Truths are the precepts of the path. Samadhi and meditative contemplation are the precepts of concentration. Only by using wisdom to govern and restrain oneself, thereby making one’s conduct free from outflows, can one attain the precepts of the path. A sravaka’s observance of the precepts is compared to a flower placed upon the knee: at the slightest movement, it falls. A great being’s observance of the precepts is like a flower fastened in the hair: whether walking or standing, it does not move. In observing the precepts, those of the Lesser Vehicle place emphasis upon the body; with the slightest movement, they transgress the standards of dignified conduct. In observing the precepts, great beings take the mind as essential and are not constrained by external forms. The standards of the Mahayana and the Lesser Vehicle differ; therefore, guarding the body and guarding the mind also differ. Although inward and outward observance differ, the aim of both is to reach nirvana. This is called mindfulness of the precepts.

Furthermore, the Parinirvana Sutra states: “Those who wish to draw near the path must possess four joyful intentions, which they should carefully remember and cultivate. First, never abandon the joyful intention of mindfulness of the Buddha. Second, never abandon the joyful intention of mindfulness of the Dharma.

Third, never abandon the joyful intention of mindfulness of the Sangha. Fourth, never abandon the joyful intention of mindfulness of the precepts. Having fully recollected and clearly understood these four joys, they must further aspire to deliver beings and seek liberation from the body.

Only thus can they put an end to the three realms of hell beings, animals, and hungry ghosts. Although they may still pass back and forth through the realms of gods and humans, in no more than seven lifetimes they will cross beyond the ocean of suffering. (Mindfulness of giving and mindfulness of heavenly beings are as explained above.)

The Sutra of the Three Thousand Deportments states: “One should recollect five matters:

1. The merits of the Buddha

2. The Buddha’s Sutra of Precepts

3. The wisdom of the Buddha

4. The Buddha’s kindness, which is exceedingly great and difficult to repay

5. The Buddha’s diligent cultivation leading to nirvana.

One should also recollect five things:

1. The bhiksu Sangha

2. The kindness of one’s teacher

3. The kindness of one’s parents

4. The kindness of one’s fellow students

5. All people, whom one should help attain liberation and freedom from all suffering.”

[27b] The Sutra of Places states: “Just as the sands in the great ocean are so numerous that they cannot be reckoned, so too the calamities and blessings experienced sooner or later by those who create good or evil karma cannot be fully counted. At death, those who have done evil will be reborn in evil realms, while those who have done good will be reborn in good realms. Calamities and blessings each have their appointed place, and even one’s retinue—parents, siblings, spouse, children, and so forth—is predetermined. Only upon attaining the path can one escape from these things; without attaining the path, one cannot bring them to an end.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

– You must contemplate your own bodies as impermanent!

At that time, a bhiksu addressed the Buddha:

– I contemplate impermanence in this way: in the world, some people live only to the age of fifty.

The Buddha said:

– Do not speak in this way!

Another bhiksu addressed the Buddha:

– People in the world live to the age of thirty.

The Buddha said:

– Do not say this!

Another bhiksu addressed Him:

– People in the world live only to the age of ten.

The Buddha said:

– You should not speak in that way!

Another bhikshu said that people in the world live for only one year.

The Buddha also said:

– That is incorrect!

One bhikshu said that people in the world live for only one month, while others even said that life lasts for only one day or one hour.

The Buddha also admonished them:

– You should not speak in that way!

At that time, a bhikshu addressed the Buddha:

– A human life lasts for only a single breath.

The Buddha said:

– That is so! If one breathes out but does not breathe in again, one immediately passes into another life. Human life passes swiftly, lasting only for a single breath!”

The Vinaya-mātṛkā Sūtra states: “When teaching the Dharma, bhikshus should constantly remember to contemplate the body as suffering, empty, impermanent, without self, and impure, without interruption. Why is this? One must constantly keep twelve matters in mind in order to accomplish the noble Dharma. The twelve matters are:

1. Accomplishing oneself

2. Helping others attain accomplishment

3. Aspiring to obtain a human body

4. Being born into a noble lineage

5. Giving rise to profound faith in the Buddha-Dharma

6. Upon birth, obtaining the Dharmas without the need for strenuous effort

7. Upon birth, possessing all faculties intact

8. Encountering a Buddha appearing in the world

9. Aspiring to expound the true Dharma wherever one is born

10. Aspiring that the true Dharma one has expounded will always abide in the world

11. Aspiring that the Dharma will long endure and that people will follow it in cultivation

12. Always cherishing a compassionate heart toward all sentient beings

One who fully possesses these twelve recollections will certainly attain the noble path.”

III.4. Making Aspirations

The fruit of Buddhahood is lofty and remote; those who wish to ascend to it must proceed through successive stages. The clouds of Dharma tower on high; those who wish to reach them must follow the proper sequence. Therefore, when one first arouses a sincere resolve, its great virtue shines forth into future lives; when one establishes vast vows, those wondrous aspirations pervade the realm of empty space. The arising of a single thought immediately brings an auspicious response lasting innumerable kalpas; half a moment of reverence immediately brings the ambrosia of the entire great trichiliocosm. [27c] The making of great vows is precisely the root of the Mahayana and the path leading to omniscient wisdom^[23].

The Treatise on the Stages states: “The aspirations made by a bodhisattva may be summarized into five kinds:

1. The aspiration to arouse the resolve.

2. The aspiration concerning birth.

3. The aspiration concerning the sphere of realization.

4. The aspiration of equality.

5. The great aspiration.

When a bodhisattva first arouses the resolve for unsurpassed bodhi, this is called the aspiration to arouse the resolve. Aspiring in future lives to take birth in a wholesome realm for the sake of sentient beings is called the aspiration concerning birth. Aspiring to rightly contemplate all dharmas and attain immeasurable spheres of contemplation rooted in wholesome qualities is the aspiration concerning the sphere of realization. Aspiring in future lives to accomplish the bodhisattva’s four means of gathering beings is the bodhisattva’s aspiration of equality. The great aspiration is itself the aspiration of equality.

The bodhisattva further makes ten great vows:

1. To make every kind of offering to immeasurably many Buddhas.

2. To safeguard and uphold all the true Dharma of the Buddhas.

3. To fully comprehend the true Dharma of the Buddhas.

4. To be born in the Tushita Heaven and eventually attain parinirvana.

5. To practice all the right practices of a bodhisattva.

6. To bring all sentient beings to accomplishment.

7. To be able to manifest and teach in all worlds.

8. That all bodhisattvas may employ the single skillful means of the Mahayana to guide beings to liberation.

9. That all skillful means and right practices may be unobstructed.

10. To attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

A bodhisattva abiding on the First Ground presently practices by means of pure faith and skillful means, and regarding matters in future lives makes ten great vows:

1. With a pure mind, always to aspire to make offerings to all Buddhas.

2. To receive, uphold, and preserve the true Dharma of the Buddhas.

3. To entreat the Buddhas to turn the rare Dharma wheel.

4. To practice in accordance with the right practices of a bodhisattva.

5. To fully mature all suitable vessels.

6. To possess the power to manifest in all worlds.

7. To purify one’s own Buddha-land.

8. That all bodhisattvas may share a single skillful means and teach by means of the Mahayana.

[28a] 9. That all endeavors to benefit sentient beings may never be in vain.

10. That all sentient beings in the worlds may attain anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and perform all Buddha-works.

Verse:

The herding staff—faith is foremost;

The lute string—its essence lies in gentle balance.

How can the leaping ape be subdued?

The galloping horse is inherently hard to restrain.

Habitually pursuing sounds and forms,

Competing for fame, rank, wealth, and honor;

Having entered the mansions of kings and nobles,

One again delights in the homes of common folk.

Still the mind and settle karmic burdens;

Examine each thought and end all faults.

Relying upon the seven factors of enlightenment^[24],

One shall escape the three wrong paths^[25].”

Notes:

^[1] Fragmentary remains 碎身: bones remaining after cremation. For example, the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha are fragmentary bodily relics, whereas the relic of Prabhutaratna Buddha within the Prabhutaratna Stupa is a whole-body relic.

^[2] Luntou 輪頭: a type of tree resembling a wooden staff.

^[3] Xiangfu 相父: the prime minister of the preceding dynasty.

^[4] Dew basin 露盤: a multilevel wheel-shaped architectural structure above the finial base of a stupa.

^[5] Inexhaustible property 無盡物 (also: inexhaustible treasury, inexhaustible wealth): property donated by devotees, or surplus property, which a monastery lends to others, using the interest to pay for repairs and the maintenance of the monastery. It also means capital and interest that circulate inexhaustibly.

^[6] The offense of transgressing the Vinaya (越毗尼罪): the offense of violation, consisting of failure to observe the precepts established by the Buddha.

^[7] Avaivartika 阿鞞跋致: the stage of non-retrogression.

^[8] The three calamities (三灾): throughout the world’s four periods of formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness, sentient beings appear during a certain period of the abiding kalpa, while at the final stage of the destruction kalpa the world is completely destroyed. During the abiding kalpa and the destruction kalpa, three kinds of calamities occur in succession; these are called the three calamities.

^[9] The four joys 四喜: four kinds of joy, namely, joy in the recollection of the Buddha, joy in the recollection of the Dharma, joy in the recollection of the Sangha, and joy in the recollection of the precepts.

^[10] Sangha quarters (僧房): dwelling quarters for the monastic community.

^[11] The Treatise of Good Views (善見論): another title of the Samantapāsādikā Vinaya Commentary.

^[12] Earthen altar 土壇: an earthen platform upon which images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, samaya symbols, and offerings are placed in Esoteric Buddhist practices.

^[13] Vajra Realm 金剛界 (S: vajra-dhātu): the Tathagata’s inwardly realized virtue of wisdom. Its essence is exceedingly firm and cannot be defiled or destroyed by afflictions, just as a vajra is so firm that no other object can damage it. According to the Vajraśekhara Sūtra, the Vajra Realm is represented by a diagram called the Vajra Realm Mandala.

^[14] The four continents (四天下): the four great continents ruled by a Wheel-Turning Sage King with a golden wheel. They are Pūrvavideha in the east, Jambudvīpa in the south, Aparagodānīya in the west, and Uttarakuru in the north.

^[15] Dougong 斗栱: a short supporting bracket atop a beam.

^[16] Ni 蜺: the name of a kind of cicada.

^[17] Kun 鵾: a species of bird resembling a crane.

^[18] Messenger 使: another name for an affliction. Because afflictions lead people to sink into the realm of delusion, afflictions are called “messengers.”

^[19] Four pairs and eight individuals 四雙八輩: four pairs and eight stages. The noble ones of the Lesser Vehicle comprise four fruits and four approaches. An approach and its corresponding fruit form one pair; thus four pairs constitute eight stages.

^[20] Worthy ones 賢士: the Sangha, the Buddha’s disciples, who are capable and virtuous.

^[21] Attainment of cessation 滅盡定 (S: nirodha-samāpatti): the meditative attainment in which mind and mental factors cease and one abides in a state without mental activity. This attainment is realized by Buddhas and arhats.

^[22] Precepts by nature 性戒: prohibitory precepts established to prevent offenses that are inherently unwholesome.

^[23] Omniscient wisdom 種智: the Buddha’s wisdom that fully knows all dharmas.

^[24] The seven factors of enlightenment (七覺支; S: saptabodhyaṅgāni): seven dharmas that have the capacity to foster the development of the wisdom of bodhi.

^[25] Three wrong practices (三邪行): three erroneous courses of conduct. They are wrong speech, wrong action, and wrong livelihood.