持心梵天所問經

Chapter 8: DISCUSSION OF SECLUSION

At that time, Brahma Trì Tâm asked Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh:

-Worthy One! By what practice do you practice?

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh replied:

-My practice is to remain unattached to all conditioned dharmas and always accord with the practices of sentient beings.

The Brahma asked:

-All sentient beings are attached to conditioned dharmas; what, then, is the practice of sentient beings?

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh replied:

-It is to accord with the teaching activity of the Tathagatas.

The Brahma asked:

-By what practice do the Tathagatas carry out their teaching activity?

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh replied:

-The Buddhas take “all is empty” as their practice.

The Brahma asked:

-Are all the practices of ordinary beings the same as the practices of the Tathagatas? If so, what is the realm of the Buddhas? Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh asked in return:

-Worthy One, would you make distinctions within empty space?

The Brahma replied:

-No.

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh asked:

-Does the Tathagata not teach that all dharmas are empty?

The Brahma replied:

-Indeed.

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh said:

-Therefore, all dharmas are without distinction.

Furthermore, these practices also have no characteristics. Brahma, you should understand! The Tathagata does not teach that dharmas differ from one another.

At that time, Brahma Trì Tâm asked Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ:

-Practice has been expounded; what, then, is practice?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Practicing the four brahma-abodes is called practice.

Brahma! One who practices the four brahma-abodes does not cultivate them only in secluded places, but constantly cultivates the four brahma-abodes wherever one may be. Only when all practices are fulfilled can one be said to dwell in seclusion.

Brahma! If, while dwelling in a quiet or deserted place, one always fulfills the four brahma-abodes, this is called “practicing in seclusion.” If one dwells in lecture halls, vermilion towers, ornate pavilions, upon golden beds or jeweled mats of every kind, yet does not cultivate the four brahma-abodes, this is not called “practicing in seclusion,” nor can one clearly know the destination of practice.

The Brahma asked:

-By what practices is wisdom produced so that all practices may be clearly seen?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-If one knows that practice is empty, one does not perceive a self.

The Brahma asked:

-Does one who does not perceive a self possess wisdom?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Indeed, Brahma! One who does not perceive a self attains wisdom.

Brahma! Just as, when there is an enlightened king, his ministers also possess wisdom and are always honored by the king, so too, one who does not cling to a self possesses pure wisdom.

The Brahma asked:

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Dharmas have neither self nor what belongs to a self. Those who know this fully understand the self; such people are said to see the self.

The Brahma asked:

-According to what the Worthy One has said, if I contemplate this meaning and do not perceive a self, then I see the Buddha. Why? Because the true nature of self and what belongs to a self is also the true nature of the Buddha.

Worthy One! What does it mean to see the Tathagata?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-It means to be free from views of self and what belongs to a self. Why? Because one who does not perceive a self sees the Dharma, and whoever sees the Dharma sees the Buddha.

The Brahma asked:

-Is equality accomplished through the condition of non-self?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Brahma! If one were to accomplish conditioned dharmas, that could be called attaining equality.

The Brahma asked:

-What does it mean to accomplish equality?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Neither eliminating nor attaining. One who practices in this way attains equality.

The Brahma asked:

-What does one possessing the wisdom-eye see?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Brahma! For one possessing the wisdom-eye, there is no object to be seen. One possessing the wisdom-eye sees neither the conditioned nor the unconditioned. Why? Because where discrimination remains, the conditioned remains. Only one who no longer discriminates is said to possess the wisdom-eye. Clearly penetrating in this way, one transcends visual cognition. Therefore, for the wisdom-eye there is no object to be seen.

The Brahma asked:

-If a bhikshu accomplishes equality by taking self and what belongs to a self as conditions, does that bhikshu realize the fruit?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Brahma! Can one who lacks a mind of equality realize the fruit? It is impossible. Even if one possessing a mind of equality undertakes cultivation, one still does not realize the fruit; one must become free from perception and thought before realizing the fruit. If one is arrogant and lacks a mind of equality, then whether arrogant or not arrogant, one cannot attain realization.

The Brahma asked:

-What dharma must one realize to be said to realize the path?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-That dharma does not arise; it does not arise in the present and will not arise in the future. Clearly knowing all dharmas in this way is called realizing the path. This is what I mean when I speak of realizing the path.

The Brahma asked:

-If a dharma arises in this way, what is realized?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Realization in this way is non-arising, and only this is called arising. Transcending all views concerning practices is called equality.

The Brahma asked:

-What is equality?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Self, what belongs to a self, and nirvana are equal and nondual; this is called equality. Equality is without dependence; this is called equality. The exposition of equality is called equality. Benefit or no benefit, meaning or no meaning: this is called equality. The complete cessation of all thought is called equality.

The Blessed One praised Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ:

-Excellent, excellent! It is truly just as you have said.

When Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ expounded this Dharma, seven thousand bhikshus exhausted all outflows and attained liberation of mind; twenty-two thousand bhikshus became free from all afflictions and attained pure acceptance of the Dharma; ten thousand bhikshus severed craving; two hundred devas and humans aroused the aspiration to seek unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment; and five hundred bodhisattvas attained acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

At that time, Brahma Trì Tâm addressed the Buddha:

-World-Honored One! Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ has performed the deeds of a Buddha.

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-Brahma! If the Buddha does not appear, how could there be any Dharma? If there is no Dharma, could there be any place?

The Brahma said:

-Has the World-Honored One not taught and transformed immeasurable sentient beings, enabling them to attain nirvana? Has the Worthy One not also benefited immeasurable sentient beings?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Brahma! Are there no sentient beings, yet they are thought to exist?

The Brahma replied:

-No.

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-Brahma! Do you wish to cause many sentient beings to attain accomplishment?

The Brahma replied:

-No.

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-Brahma! You hold that the Tathagata teaches and transforms without obstruction; if anyone is no longer attached, does he cause that person to attain realization?

The Brahma replied:

-No.

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-Which sentient beings, taught and transformed by the Tathagata, attain liberation?

The Brahma replied:

-As the Worthy One has just said, dharmas do not arise, have neither samsara nor nirvana, and are not dependent.

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-Indeed, Brahma! The Tathagata, the Perfectly True One, is neither attached to samsara nor apprehends nirvana.

Furthermore, Brahma! The Blessed One teaches and transforms the multitude of shravakas, enabling them to attain liberation; yet his disciples neither cling to samsara nor apprehend cessation as something attained. This alone is true cessation.

Brahma! What is called cessation is merely spoken of according to worldly convention; it is a provisional designation. What is called samsara is likewise so: it has neither beginning nor end, and there is neither transmigration nor cessation.

Brahma asked:

-Who can have faith in this Dharma?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-One who no longer clings to any dharma.

Brahma asked:

-If a person is bound by dependence, to what does that person cling?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Brahma! A person bound by dependence clings to delusion.

Brahma! If something is regarded as true, that is not overweening pride. Yet even in regard to this, that person takes no delight; how much less would that person depend upon it or cling to emptiness? Because one sees reality, one does not cling at all; because one does not cling, there is no samsara; because there is no samsara, one does not depart from samsara. Not departing from samsara is precisely cessation.

Brahma asked:

-When a person attains cessation, the cessation of what does that person seek?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Brahma! One who attains cessation is said to have transformed all causes of characteristics; the activities of consciousness and wisdom are both quiescent, having neither cause nor locus. One who no longer perceives any locus is said to have attained cessation. When conduct no longer has any locus, complete cessation is attained. This is precisely the realization of the path. Where there is no arising, this is called the Four Noble Truths. At that time, Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh said to Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ:

-Are all the words just expounded by the Great Being true?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Worthy One! All those words are true.

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh asked:

-According to what the Great Being has said, are echoes and illusory images also true?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Indeed, they are true. Why? Because those words have no locus and establish nothing; having attained mastery, they are called true. All these words are true. The speech of devas, humans, and the Tathagata, the Perfectly Awakened One, is likewise so. All other forms of speech are also neither distinct nor different. Why? Because all speech is the speech of the Tathagata. All Tathagatas have neither activity nor any advance or retreat; therefore, their speech and teaching employ words of truth. Thus all speech consists of equal letters. Through the equality of letters, one can be impartial toward letters; because one can be impartial toward all letters, one attains mastery—mastery over all words—and thereby teaches extensively.

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh asked:

-Does the Tathagata then make no distinction between the language of the noble ones and language that is not that of the noble ones?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-Worthy One, do you maintain that the noble ones teach by means of letters and also teach without using letters?

-Indeed!

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

-Is there any distinction between the letters of the noble ones and letters that are not those of the noble ones?

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh replied:

-There is no distinction.

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ said:

-To discern this is to be called a noble one, for all words have ceased. A noble one does not use letters to expound the teaching, because there is neither the characteristic of a person nor the characteristic of a dharma. It is like the rhythms of music and the beating of drums: sounds arise through causes and conditions, yet there is no discrimination. The noble ones are likewise so. Although they manifest the exposition of teachings and words thereby arise, they never grasp them.

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh asked:

-The Buddha taught: “When you assemble, you should do one of two things: discuss the true Dharma or remain silent like the noble ones.”

-Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ! What is discussion of the true Dharma? What is silence like that of the noble ones?

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ replied:

-Not disputing about the Buddha, not contradicting the sutra teachings, and not causing discord within the Sangha—this is called expounding the true Dharma. If one contemplates the Dharma, one should establish one’s resolve in the Buddha and not be defiled by attachment to form and desire, for the Dharma is unconditioned and without characteristics. This is called silence like that of the noble ones.

-Furthermore, Great Being! One who diligently cultivates the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and understands them clearly is said to discuss the true Dharma. When the mind entertains no thought concerning any dharma, this is called silence like that of the noble ones.

-Great Being! One who diligently and clearly expounds the Four Right Efforts is said to discuss the true Dharma. While discussing the true Dharma, one does not conceive of equality as existing, nor does one fabricate it. This is called silence like that of the noble ones. To cultivate or expound the Four Bases of Spiritual Power is called discussing the true Dharma. Not clinging to the body, not clinging to speech, and not clinging to the mind is called silence like that of the noble ones. Cultivating and expounding the Five Faculties and the Five Powers is called discussing the true Dharma.

-Furthermore, if there were no exposition, one could not have faith in the true Dharma; there would be no noble ones, nor could one discern among dharmas. One who is diligent and single-minded becomes established in the true Dharma, accomplishes fundamental liberation, has faith in all dharmas, clearly understands all the teachings that have been expounded, and practices in accordance with wisdom. This is called liberation like that of the noble ones.

-To cultivate the Seven Factors of Awakening as expounded by the noble ones is called discussing the true Dharma. Examining form and desire without perceiving anything as high or low, and practicing in this manner, is called silence like that of the noble ones. Diligently cultivating the Noble Eightfold Path is called discussing the true Dharma. If one sees the source from which the lineage arises and regards it like a boat or raft, clinging neither to the Dharma nor to what is not the Dharma, this is called silence like that of the noble ones.

-Great Being! One who clearly understands the meaning of the Thirty-seven Factors Conducive to Awakening is said to discuss the true Dharma. Even if one personally realizes this Dharma, one does not depart from the body; while seeing all dharmas, one does not depart from the Dharma. If, while seeing, one sees no source and does not cling to the two characteristics, then one sees no duality. Thus neither immediate cognition nor cognition through wisdom clings to that which is cognized. One who does not cling is said to possess silence like that of the noble ones.

-Furthermore, Great Being! One who clearly expounds the sameness of non-self, the sameness of the absence of anything belonging to a self, and the sameness of all dharmas is said to discuss the true Dharma. If one does not attain the dharmas but casts aside all teachings and written words concerning the Dharma, one must sever that arrogant mind. Only then does one emerge from quiescence, and one’s mind becomes utterly tranquil with regard to all conditioned activities. This is called silence like that of the noble ones.

-Furthermore, Great Being! If one clearly knows whether the faculties and dispositions of all sentient beings are concentrated or distracted and teaches them accordingly, while one’s own mind always remains steadfast and never distracted, this is called silence like that of the noble ones.

Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh said to Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ:

-As I reflect upon what the Worthy One has expounded, none of the shravakas or pratyekabuddhas either expounds the Dharma or remains silent like the noble ones. Why? Because they cannot clearly understand the faculties and dispositions of sentient beings, nor have they attained ultimate equality.

“Bodhisattva Universal Foremost! Who expounds the Dharma with an impartial mind? Who accords with the true Dharma and abides in noble silence? You should know that only the Tathagata is impartial; only the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, can clearly understand the faculties and dispositions of all sentient beings while always abiding in meditative concentration.”

At that time, the World-Honored One said to Bodhisattva Universal Foremost:

“What Bodhisattva Universal Conduct has said is indeed true. Only the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, can clearly understand this.”

Thereupon, Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! I personally followed the World-Honored One and heard you instruct the bhiksus: ‘When you assemble, you should do one of two things: either discuss the sutras or remain in noble silence.’ If the sravakas are unable to practice accordingly, why did the Tathagata instruct the bhiksus either to analyze and expound the sutras or, failing that, to remain in noble silence?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! What do you think? If sravakas cannot comprehend the true Dharma, can they expound the true Dharma or remain in noble silence?”

Venerable Subhuti replied:

“World-Honored One, they cannot!”

“Therefore, Subhuti, you should know that all sravakas and pratyekabuddhas neither expound the Dharma nor remain in noble silence.”

Bodhisattva Universal Foremost said to Venerable Subhuti:

“Elder! Do you know that the Tathagata has clearly understood that sentient beings possess eighty-four thousand kinds of conduct and therefore analyzes and expounds the true Dharma for them? Can you, Elder, use wisdom to contemplate such sentient beings and expound the Dharma to them?”

Venerable Subhuti replied:

“I cannot.”

Bodhisattva Universal Foremost asked:

“Elder, have you attained the samadhi called ‘Contemplating the Minds of Sentient Beings,’ such that, when abiding in this concentration, you can contemplate and know the minds of sentient beings, with neither your own mind nor the minds of others presenting any obstruction?”

Venerable Subhuti replied:

Bodhisattva Universal Foremost asked:

“Venerable Subhuti! The Tathagata has said that sentient beings possess eighty-four thousand kinds of conduct. In accordance with their conduct, the Tathagata analyzes and expounds the Dharma, clearly understanding which medicine to administer, yet he still abides unwaveringly in the samadhi of right absorption and universally knows the minds of all sentient beings. Therefore, Venerable Subhuti, you should know that sravakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot compare with him.

“Venerable Subhuti! Some people are heavily burdened by lust and attain liberation through reliance upon the Dharma of emptiness. The Tathagata clearly knows this, for without relying upon the Dharma of emptiness, they could not attain liberation.

“Some people are filled with anger and attain liberation from it by practicing contemplation of its faults, rather than through the contemplation of loving-kindness and compassion. The Tathagata clearly knows this.

“Some people are deluded and attain liberation through praise, rather than through the exposition of the teachings. The Tathagata clearly knows this.

“Some people act under the influence of greed, anger, and delusion, yet attain liberation without relying upon contemplation, the contemplation of loving-kindness and compassion, anger, praise, or the exposition of the true Dharma.

“In accordance with each person’s faculties, the Tathagata expounds a suitable Dharma, enabling that person to rely upon it and attain liberation. The Tathagata clearly knows this.

“Therefore, Venerable Subhuti, you should know that whether the Tathagata abides in meditation or expounds the true Dharma, both are called noble silence.”

At that time, Venerable Subhuti said to Bodhisattva Universal Foremost:

“Pratyekabuddhas cannot expound the true Dharma and thus also cannot remain in noble silence. Is it only bodhisattvas who have perfected this Dharma who can expound the Dharma and remain in noble silence?”

Bodhisattva Universal Foremost replied:

“The Tathagata fully comprehends these matters.”

The Buddha said to Venerable Subhuti:

“There is a samadhi called ‘Entering All Sounds,’ which subdues the distracted mind. Bodhisattvas who practice this samadhi of right concentration perfect all virtues and practices.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Universal Foremost asked Bodhisattva Universal Conduct:

“Great Being! Because sentient beings possess eighty-four thousand kinds of conduct, one should expound eighty-four thousand Dharma gates. This is called expounding the teachings of the sutras. To extinguish all perceptions and attain the concentration of cessation is called noble silence.

“Great Being! If, for a kalpa or longer than a kalpa, the Buddha analyzes and expounds the meaning of this Dharma, is this called noble silence?”

At that time, the World-Honored One said to Bodhisattva Universal Conduct:

“Good man! In the past, incalculable, boundless, and inconceivable kalpas ago, a Buddha named Tathagata Universal Light appeared in the world. The kalpa was called Renown, and the land was called Delightful to Behold. That Buddha-land was prosperous and peaceful, with abundant food and no calamities. Devas and humans were numerous and lived in happiness.

“The world of Tathagata Universal Light had ground formed from an intermingling of every kind of jewel. It was perfumed with many kinds of fragrant wood and adorned with all varieties of precious lotus flowers, soft and beautiful like the finest garments. That land of Delightful to Behold contained forty billion sets of four continents. Each set of four continents extended three million three hundred and sixty thousand miles, and each city extended four hundred thousand miles and was naturally adorned with jewels. Every great city had twenty districts, and every district was divided into numerous counties, settlements, and villages. Each great city had a leader who governed immeasurable hundreds of thousands of inhabitants.

“Furthermore, all the inhabitants beheld such wondrous splendors, and so they rejoiced greatly and gave rise to reverence. They all attained the samadhi of mindfulness of the Buddha. Therefore, that Buddha-land was named Delightful to Behold. When bodhisattvas from the lands of other Buddhas came there, they likewise experienced every kind of sublime bliss, incomparable to that of other lands.

“Tathagata Universal Light used the teachings of the Three Vehicles to instruct the sravakas and also clearly explained their principles. He taught: ‘You should perform one of two activities: either expound the teachings or remain in noble silence.’

“In the east, in the land of Tathagata Medicine King, there were two bodhisattvas named Desire Exhausted and Upholder of the Mind. Together, they went to Tathagata Universal Light, reverently bowed at his feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, and then stood with palms joined. The land of Buddha Medicine King was called Purity because the samadhi was always expounded there extensively. Since only this single practice was cultivated and taught there, the land was called Purity. When bodhisattvas attained this concentration, they eliminated all perceptions and afflictions and immediately obtained the illumination of the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, that land was named Purity.

“All past dharmas are entirely pure, all future dharmas are entirely pure, and all present dharmas are likewise entirely pure. These are called the two kinds of purity. Why is this called purity? It means true purity. In true purity there is no object that arises, nor is there any purity. Such purity is called the purity of intrinsic nature. Purity such as this is the purity of all dharmas.”

How is the intrinsic nature of all dharmas eternally pure? Emptiness is inherently pure; therefore, one relinquishes all dharmas, for they are all false and illusory. Signlessness is inherently pure; therefore, one completely eliminates all conceptual attachments concerning all dharmas and extinguishes every erroneous thought.

Wishlessness is inherently pure; therefore, all dharmas are originally uncreated, with no object to be sought. They are utterly ultimate, and because their true nature is quiescent, they are inherently pure. This is called the intrinsic nature of all dharmas—luminous purity, subtle and wondrous purity.

Because samsara is pure, the intrinsic nature of nirvana is also pure; because nirvana is pure, the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is likewise pure. This is called intrinsic purity, and the luminosity of the mind is also thus.

Good man! It is like empty space, which has no abiding place and nothing it seeks. Because this nature can counteract all afflictions, the mind, being inherently pure, has no abiding place and nothing it seeks; only thus can it eliminate every kind of affliction and sensual desire.

Good man! The intrinsic nature of the mind is pure and luminous, just like empty space. It is not obscured by clouds, mist, smoke, or dust; it cannot be destroyed, nor can it be defiled. Because the intrinsic nature of empty space is pure, it cannot be defiled. Being utterly ultimate in this way, it is called empty space. If one contemplates in accordance with Suchness, then although afflictions arise in ordinary beings, the intrinsic nature of the mind is pure and therefore cannot be defiled. Because it cannot be defiled, it is called utterly pure; because it is undefiled, it is called intrinsically pure and liberated.

Good man! This is called entering the pure land. At that time, after hearing the Blessed One Medicine King expound this samadhi, the bodhisattvas immediately attained the wondrous light of the Dharma.

Thereupon, the two bodhisattvas Exhaustion of Desire and Upholding the Mind addressed the Tathagata Universal Light:

“Blessed One! We have heard the Blessed One Medicine King’s exposition and have entered all those dharmas. By what skillful means, then, should we cultivate them?”

The Buddha Universal Light told the bodhisattvas Exhaustion of Desire and Upholding the Mind:

“Good men! You should practice two modes of conduct. What are the two? They are the practice of discerningly expounding the true Dharma and the practice of noble silence.”

Furthermore, good man, after hearing the Blessed One’s teaching, those two bodhisattvas bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, and withdrew. They then went elsewhere, magically manifested a tower in which to dwell, and practiced contemplative observation.

At that time, a Brahma named Excellent Light, accompanied by seventy-two thousand devas, came to the two bodhisattvas. Reverently bowing at their feet and having beheld them face-to-face, they said:

“Great Beings! The Tathagata Universal Light has taught: ‘When bhiksus assemble to expound the sutras and the Dharma, they should perform two things: either discerningly expound the true Dharma or remain in noble silence, without any object of thought.’

“Great Beings! What is it to expound the true Dharma? What is noble silence?”

The two bodhisattvas said to Brahma Excellent Light:

“Brahmas! Listen attentively. We shall answer only briefly what you have asked, for only the Tathagata’s eye sees it clearly, and only he can discern and expound it ultimately.”

Good man! For the sake of that assembly, the two bodhisattvas clearly explained the meaning of those two statements.

At that time, all seventy-two thousand devas generated the aspiration to attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment and attained the patience concerning the non-arising of dharmas, while Brahma Excellent Light attained the Samadhi of Universal Illumination.

Brahma! Those two bodhisattvas used unobstructed eloquence to answer the devas’ questions without ever pausing. Although they expounded the true Dharma, they nevertheless remained in noble silence; this itself was their proclamation of the true Dharma. For seventy-six thousand years, those two bodhisattvas explained the meaning of the two statements so that the devas might comprehend them. Yet the devas could not fully understand even the inexhaustible meaning of one statement, much less both.

At that time, the Tathagata Universal Light, abiding in empty space, spoke as follows:

“Good men! Do not dispute over words. Listen as I give an analogy concerning verbal expressions. It is like an echo that arises in dependence upon a cry; by following the echo, one can recognize the cry. Whoever possesses eloquence engages in distinctions, and if one proceeds through what is inexhaustible, one can never reach its ultimate end. A thought arises in my mind within a single instant, yet even if for one kalpa or more than one kalpa you were to ask and answer questions concerning its meaning, or employ the eloquence of the noble ones to praise it, you still could not finish or reach its limit.

“All of you! Do not try to fathom the ultimate reach of wisdom and eloquence. Be silent.”

The Buddha further taught:

“Silence and quiescence are without written characters and without any Dharma that can be expounded. Nor is the Dharma taught for material gain, such as the benefits of offerings. It is only because one clearly knows the minds of sentient beings that one teaches according to what is appropriate in order to deliver them.”

Hearing the Tathagata expound the Dharma in this way, the two bodhisattvas immediately became silent.

“Good man! In the span of a single thought, bodhisattvas can praise and expound, through eloquence, what would otherwise be expounded over hundreds of thousands of kalpas.

“Bodhisattva Universal Conduct! Brahma Excellent Light and those two bodhisattvas all entered their respective stages of realization. When we consider that distant past, who could those beings have been other than those present here? Why is this so? The bodhisattva Exhaustion of Desire at that time is now Bodhisattva Universal Chief; the bodhisattva Upholding the Mind is now none other than you; and Brahma Excellent Light is now none other than Brahma Upholding the Mind.”

Chapter 9: DILIGENT PRACTICE

At that time, Bodhisattva Universal Conduct addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! This is truly unprecedented.

“O Deva among Devas! The majestic virtue of the Tathagatas is indeed lofty and sublime. Sentient beings who wish to attain such benefit must rely upon diligence and devote themselves wholeheartedly to cultivation. Those who are indolent could encounter hundreds of thousands of kotis of Buddhas and still be unable to practice.

“Blessed One! Whoever wishes to realize the fruit of the path must practice diligently and vigorously.”

Bodhisattva Universal Chief asked Bodhisattva Universal Conduct:

“Venerable One! Do you know how a bodhisattva must cultivate for it to be called diligence?”

Bodhisattva Universal Conduct replied:

“If a bodhisattva cultivates and realizes the path, cuts off every course of conceptual thought, and is never indolent, this is called diligence.”

Bodhisattva Universal Chief asked:

“How does one cultivate diligently so as to realize the path while having no object of thought?”

Bodhisattva Universal Conduct replied:

“If one makes no distinctions concerning any dharma, the practitioner realizes the path and no longer has any object of thought.”

Bodhisattva Universal Chief asked:

“How does one attain the fruit of the path without any object of thought?”

Bodhisattva Universal Conduct replied:

“If, while practicing in relation to all dharmas, one sees them all as equal, this is called realizing the path, and there is no object of contemplation.”

Bodhisattva Universal Chief asked:

“Can the practice of equality be seen?”

Bodhisattva Universal Conduct replied:

“It cannot be seen. If equality could be seen, it would fall into the sixty-two kinds of erroneous views and would not be equality.”

Brahma Upholding the Mind said to Bodhisattva Universal Chief:

“Whoever, with regard to equality, does not perceive any dharmas is said to abide in equality.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“O Brahmā! What does it mean not to perceive?”

Brahmā replied:

“Because the two marks have been extinguished, there is no perception. When there is no object to be perceived, this is called clearly perceiving equality.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“In the Brahmā realm, is equality perceived? What is meant by perception?”

Brahmā replied:

“Those who perceive the suchness of form as having no origin, no creation, and no differentiation are said to perceive. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness likewise have no origin; they are all equal and without differentiation.

“O Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ! If one perceives that the five skandhas have no origin and are merely manifested in the world, this is called perceiving equality.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“What practices are cultivated in the Brahmā realm?”

Brahmā replied:

“The complete extinction of all marks is the practice. O Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ! This is practice in accordance with conventional truth.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“If the complete extinction of all marks is a conception of the world, why practice in accordance with the extinction of that conception?”

Brahmā replied:

“O Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ! The marks of the world cannot be completely extinguished.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“How is it that discriminating and practicing in accordance with marks is practice in accordance with the world?”

Brahmā replied:

“When the mark of complete extinction is itself completely extinguished, there is no object to be extinguished. The mark of extinction cannot be extinguished.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“O Brahmā! Did not the Tathagata, the Perfectly True One, say that the mark of extinction of all dharmas is a conditioned dharma?”

Brahmā replied:

“The mark of extinction of all dharmas has never been extinguished; therefore, the Tathagata taught: ‘The mark of extinction of all dharmas is a conditioned dharma.’”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“O Brahmā! What is called a conditioned dharma?”

Brahmā replied:

“The mark of extinction of all dharmas is called a conditioned dharma.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“O Brahmā! How is a conditioned dharma established?”

Brahmā replied:

“To abide in the true nature of the unconditioned is called the conditioned.”

He asked:

“What distinction is there between these conditioned and unconditioned dharmas?”

He replied:

“If these conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are spoken of according to worldly convention, there is a distinction. The world holds that this is conditioned and that is unconditioned. Yet the true marks of conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are never different, for all dharmas are fundamentally without distinction.”

“What is called Dharma?”

He replied:

“That which is without distinction is called Dharma.”

“What is verbal expression?”

He replied:

“That by which something is conveyed and something is explained is called verbal expression. Why is this so? Because all verbal expressions bear the mark of equality, since the Tathagata’s discernment is equal. That which is explained is likewise without distinction; this is called verbal expression.

“Furthermore, O Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ, everything that is explained has no object that is explained. This is called having nothing to attain. Because the Buddha’s Dharma is equal awakening, there is nothing to attain, nor is there any object to explain or any practice to perform.”

Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ asked:

“What is the equal awakening contemplated and practiced by all Buddhas?”

Brahmā replied:

“They do not practice in accordance with form, do not practice in accordance with marks, and do not practice in accordance with dharmas.”

“Because marks are difficult to apprehend, do they contemplate and practice beyond all dharmas?”

He replied:

“No. That mark is that all dharmas have no origin, are not real, and are without differentiation. This is the contemplation and practice of the Tathagata. To practice in this way is to have no object of practice, no origin, and no object that is taught, and one thereby incurs no error.”

“O Brahmā! How did the Tathagata accomplish equal awakening?”

He replied:

“O Bodhisattva Phổ Thủ! The Tathagata clearly understood that all dharmas are fundamentally pure and that their true nature has no origin; therefore, he accomplished equal awakening. For this reason, his designation is Perfectly Awakened in Equality.”

Chapter 10: THE RESOLVE FOR THE MAHAYANA

At that time, Bodhisattva Phổ Hạnh addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! When a bodhisattva establishes the resolve for the Mahayana, what should he contemplate?”

The World-Honored One replied in verse:

Resolving to seek the Buddha path,

Never clinging to form;

The path itself is just like form—

This is the mind that seeks the path.

Form and the path are not different;

Practice is likewise so.

Not abandoning one’s aspiration—

This is the foremost wisdom of the path.

Non-destruction is the meaning of the path;

The path bears the meaning of no-self.

One who cultivates the ultimate meaning

Has resolved to seek the path.

Within the skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas,

One seeks to attain the Buddha path;

Understanding that these are not different,

The path and awakening are equal.

If one does not cling to any dharma

And sees neither higher, middle, nor lower,

Yet never abandons anything,

This indeed is seeking the path.

Whether true Dharma or non-Dharma,

One does not distinguish them as two;

Not apprehending these two dharmas—

This indeed is seeking the path.

The conditioned is itself duality;

The unconditioned is nonduality.

Leaving all discrimination far behind—

This indeed is seeking the path.

Though transcending ordinary beings,

One abides in tranquil stillness;

Before realizing the fruit of the noble ones,

One remains undefiled by the world.

Contemplate all dharmas,

Like a lotus flower within the world;

Cultivate all sublime practices—

This indeed is seeking the path.

Always dwelling within the world,

One acts and carries out the work of transformation;

Worldly beings are bound in fetters,

But those with clarity are liberated.

Unfrightened by birth and death,

The bodhisattva’s resolve is mighty;

Fearless and ever steadfast,

One cultivates the Buddha path.

Even if one clearly understands

All distinctions within the Dharma realm,

Toward Dharma and non-Dharma alike,

One remains entirely unattached.

Not selecting among dharmas,

One devotes oneself to cultivating the Buddha path;

Never falling away,

That path is without form or mark.

All dharmas are likewise without marks,

Just like empty space;

Neither marked nor markless,

One who upholds this gives rise to no thought.

Employing skillful means

To practice liberation,

One enables all sentient beings

To fulfill their aspirations.

Always protecting and upholding the true Dharma,

Establishing it in equality;

This is called the true Dharma:

Abiding without giving rise to thought.

Whether all Buddhas appear

Or do not appear,

Always abiding in the true Dharma

Is to protect and uphold the scriptures.

All presently existing dharmas,

Whether true Dharma or non-Dharma,

And whatever may be taught,

Are alike in having no origin.

Cultivating the subtle and wondrous path,

One gives no heed to the works of Māra;

Regarding the Dharma, it is likewise so:

One does not cling to the teachings.

If one resolves upon the Buddha path

Yet mistakenly follows arrogance,

One is devoid of wisdom,

And one’s teaching bears no fruit.

The wisdom of all Buddhas is immeasurable;

They are not defiled by any dharma

And have no object upon which to depend—

This is the path of liberation.

Practicing generosity with resolve toward the path,

One delights in giving everything;

Subduing every mode of existence,

One does not cling to the Buddha path.

The Dharma is exceedingly difficult to give

And likewise exceedingly difficult to receive;

All other dharmas are also thus,

Without the marks of giver or receiver.

Attaining complete liberation,

One clearly understands all dharmas;

Cultivating and extending loving-kindness,

One does not fall into fixed views.

Clinging to self and what belongs to self—

Those two are fundamentally nonexistent;

Without the notion of self-conceit,

One does not begrudge one’s possessions.

Giving everything away,

One dedicates it all to the Buddha path;

Generosity and bodhi—

One clings to neither of these two marks.

Nor does one cling to observing precepts,

But always abides in the true path;

One does not think and declare,

‘I uphold the moral precepts.’

Neither fabricating nor producing,

The noble one penetrates the precepts;

Thus the precepts are pure,

Empty and quiescent like empty space.

The body is like an image in a mirror,

Speech is like an echo;

Clearly knowing the mind to be an illusion,

One observes the precepts without conceit.

This accords with the Buddha’s word:

Delighting in tranquil states,

Eliminating every evil,

One attains liberation and purity.

All these are called moral precepts;

There is neither breaking nor keeping them.

Clearly seeing the nature of phenomena—

This is undefiled morality.

The perfection of patience

Endures every evil;

Toward all sentient beings,

The mind always regards them equally.

Just as Dharma has no location

And does not depend upon empty space,

One does not perceive being reviled,

Nor does one obtain reverence.

Though the body be cut limb from limb,

The mind still remains unmoved.

The mind has no abiding place,

Neither within nor without.

Contemplate sharp blades and enemies:

All are composed of the four great elements.

Never committing evil,

Let the patient mind be like the earth.

Only when one comprehends things thus

Is it called patience;

One helps all sentient beings

Never to give rise to anger.

Encourage them to delight in the Great Vehicle,

Diligent and unafraid.

The movements of mind and thought

Are never grasped or retained.

The beginning of samsara

Can never be known.

One vows that even for a single person,

One will don the armor of the Great Vehicle.

Since phenomena have never arisen,

How could they ever cease?

Only through the power of delusion

Does one fail to understand the “original limit.”

Even if one possesses the heavenly eye,

The nature of phenomena remains inconceivable.

Understanding clearly in this way,

There is neither arising nor cessation.

Sentient beings do not understand

Phenomena and non-phenomena.

Bodhisattvas are ever diligent,

Causing them to abandon delusion.

The Buddhas do not grasp,

And are wholly free from discrimination.

Those of exceptional diligence

Always don the armor of the great vow.

Contemplate all phenomena

As illusions and shimmering heat.

Whatever is regarded as solid

Is likewise entirely like empty space.

False discrimination

Provides no beneficial support.

Therefore, equality is taught

To lead beings to nirvana.

In accordance with this meaning of diligence,

One practices without obstruction.

Abandoning both practice and what is practiced,

One cultivates supreme diligence.

The Path is originally tranquil;

Cultivate the meaning of emptiness.

Do not believe in falsehoods;

Always be wary of samsara.

Courageous and delighting in tranquility,

Understand the abyss of impermanence.

The wise delight in meditation

And the perfection of superknowledges.

In secluded and pure places,

Seek to abide in equality.

With deportment free from conceptual thought,

The mind remains constantly settled and calm.

Dharma is originally pure and equal,

Tranquil and free from all defilements.

Trusting the excellent path of liberation,

One remains composed in all perfections.

With an impartial mind, teach others

And cause them to abide therein.

Only by not contradicting this practice

Is it called equality.

With no mind of attachment to views,

The mind of the Path extends everywhere.

Because it teaches and transforms all sentient beings,

It is called equality.

Always recollect the Buddhas:

The Tathagata is the Dharma-body.

Not grasping any forms—

This is called equality.

Always remember to cultivate the scriptures,

Whether concerning Dharma or non-Dharma;

The mind recollects them all—

This is called equality.

The mind recollects the noble assembly;

The Sangha is unconditioned,

Beyond number and innumerability,

And comprehends meditation.

One sees all sentient beings

Throughout the Buddha-realms of the ten directions,

Yet the eye does not grasp forms,

And there is neither perception nor formation.

One may hear all the Buddhas

Expounding the scriptural Dharma;

Having understood their voices,

One likewise perceives no dual characteristics.

Within a single mind, one knows and sees

The minds of all sentient beings;

Other minds and one’s own mind

Are never discriminated.

One recollects past lives

Through myriads of kotis of Ganges sands,

Yet there is neither before nor after;

All recollection and knowledge are thus.

One reaches thousands of kotis of realms

And displays boundless supernormal powers.

Clearly understanding everything,

The three karmic activities remain undisturbed.

Discerning all phenomena,

One’s eloquent exposition is unsurpassed.

Though preaching for thousands of kotis of kalpas,

One never departs from the nature of phenomena.

Through the perfection of wisdom

And skillful means, one understands the five skandhas.

Practicing without rest,

One expounds the scriptural Dharma for others.

Penetrating dependent origination,

One eliminates every discrimination.

One clearly knows that the afflictions

Are themselves purity.

Trusting liberation through causes and conditions,

One gives rise to no attached views.

Understanding all things in this way,

One knows that phenomena have no form or characteristic.

Though seeing the Buddha’s body,

One enters the contemplation of the emptiness of phenomena.

Though seeing complete nirvana,

One apprehends nothing whatsoever.

Knowing that wisdom is originally pure,

One reflects upon the net of worldly existence.

In order to abandon darkness,

One should cultivate the practices of the Path.

This indeed is the Great Vehicle,

The Buddha’s inconceivable wisdom.

Comforting all sentient beings,

One exhorts and instructs them in the unsurpassed vehicle.

Among all the vehicles,

The Great Vehicle is supreme.

Thus, this single vehicle

Encompasses all vehicles.

Therefore, no one at all

Can fathom

My Dharma of the Great Vehicle,

Which universally delivers all beings.

Those who resolve upon the Great Vehicle

Are likewise like empty space:

They never harbor craving

And do not cling to sentient beings.

Empty space has no limits,

No form, and cannot be seen.

The Great Vehicle is likewise so:

Boundless and undefiled.

Suppose that all sentient beings

Were to rely upon and study this vehicle;

However many might receive it,

This vehicle would remain preeminent.

Even if, for hundreds of thousands of kalpas,

One cultivated according to this vehicle

And praised its merits,

They still could not be exhausted.

Those who preserve and recite

This honored scripture

Attain relinquishment, freedom from obstruction,

Illumination, and mastery.

They will not fall into evil destinies

And afterward will surely attain peace.

Among gods and humans,

Those who honor this scripture will likewise fare so.

I confer a prediction upon you:

You will certainly accomplish the Buddha-path.

Those who hear this scripture

Will be freed from every fear.

They will abide within the true Dharma

And establish this scripture;

They will turn the wheel of Dharma—

Such are those who abide in this scripture.

Reflecting upon everything

Throughout the kalpas of samsara,

They will always remain near the Perfectly Awakened Ones—

Such are those who uphold this scripture.

Those who receive and uphold this scripture

Possess boundless courageous strength.

They subdue all the hosts of Mara,

And through diligence attain wisdom.

Just as Dipankara Buddha

Conferred the prediction of attaining acceptance of the Dharma,

Those who honor this scripture

Likewise receive my prediction.

Although a Buddha may not be present in the world

To guide and deliver it,

Those who expound this scripture

Still carry out the work of the Buddhas.

When the Buddha had finished speaking these verses and the assembly clearly understood the meaning of those teachings, ten thousand devas aroused the aspiration to seek unsurpassed, true, and perfect awakening; two thousand bodhisattvas attained acceptance of the non-arising of phenomena; one thousand bhiksus exhausted all defilements and attained liberation of mind; and thirty-two thousand people completely eliminated the afflictions and attained the pure Dharma-eye.

Chapter 11: PRACTICING THE PATH

At that time, Bodhisattva Universal Leader addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! Today I have clearly understood the meaning of the Great Sage’s teaching: if anyone aspires to seek the Buddha-path, that seeking is a wrong view. Why is this so?

“World-Honored One! It is because, based upon a wrong view, one seeks to attain the Buddha-path. If one makes a vow because one wishes to have something to realize, that is a skillful means leading to wrong views. Why is this so?

“O God among Gods! The Path does not abide in the desire realm, does not abide in the form realm, and does not abide in the formless realm. Because the Path has no abiding place, there is no making of vows. It is like a person who places iron in a fire to heat it. Although the flames heat the iron until it glows red, one must not touch the fire with one’s hand. Why? Because if one touches it, one’s hand will be burned. Fire cannot burn by itself; only when someone touches it is that person burned by the fire. A person aspiring to seek the Buddha-path is likewise like someone who grasps fire and thereby burns their own hand.

“World-Honored One! The Path is not an object to be sought. It has transcended the two opposing extremes and has no place toward which to proceed. It is like a person who seeks to obtain empty space and wishes to walk and stand within empty space, yet cannot do so.”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader further said:

“Blessed One! One cannot walk or stand in empty space. A person whose aspiration is to attain the Way is likewise like empty space. Since the Way has no abiding place, it always transcends the two extremes. A bodhisattva must relinquish conceptual attachments to the two extremes before being able to establish an aspiration for the Way. But if a bodhisattva gives rise to the conception of two extremes while seeking the Buddha Way, thinking of the Buddha Way from beginning to end, this too is a thought rooted in wrong view. One who clings to thoughts of the Way and of nirvana is neither a bodhisattva nor a practitioner of the Way.”

At that time, Brahma Upholder of the Mind asked Bodhisattva Universal Leader:

“How must a bodhisattva practice for that practice to accord with the Way?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader replied:

“If a bodhisattva cultivates all dharmas yet sees absolutely no object of practice, that bodhisattva reveres the practice of the Way and transcends all conditioned practices.

“O Brahma! Such is a bodhisattva who practices with reverence and advances toward the Way.”

The Brahma asked:

“How does a bodhisattva transcend the domain of all practices and cultivate the practice of the Way?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader replied:

“One cultivates the practice of abandoning every attachment to conceptions and properly disposes the eyes, ears, nose, body, mouth, and mind. Practicing and teaching in this manner is to transcend every course of practice.”

The Brahma asked:

“What is that transcendence?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader replied:

“Being impartial toward all vehicles is called transcendence. The equality of all dharmas is itself the Way.”

The Brahma asked:

“What is the skillful means of practice by which one abides in the Way?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader replied:

“It is precisely that very Way.”

The Brahma asked again:

“What is that Way?”

“It is the Way that has no past, present, or future. Therefore, a bodhisattva purifies all three times in order to abide in the Buddha Way. If the past and future are like the present, and none of the thoughts that arise contain any thought of practice, then abiding in this manner is to abide nowhere yet be present everywhere. One who abides in this way attains all penetrating wisdoms.”

Brahma Upholder of the Mind asked:

“What are called all penetrating wisdoms?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader replied:

“To penetrate everything without regarding it as knowledge—this is called all penetrating wisdoms.”

He asked again:

“What is called wisdom?”

He replied:

“Wisdom is without differentiation and without divergent thoughts.

“Furthermore, all that pertains to sentient beings is likewise without any differentiation.”

“What are sentient beings?”

He replied:

“Sentient beings are completely pure. This is therefore called fundamental purity. Thus, sentient beings are also equal and without distinction. If one entertains differentiated thoughts concerning the Way and considers sentient beings to be unequal, this does not accord with the Way. Such is the Way, and so too are sentient beings. Since there is no distinction whatsoever, they must not be regarded as distinct.

“Furthermore, the self and what belongs to the self are also equal to the Way and therefore are likewise without any distinction. Why is this? Because sentient beings have neither self nor body, and therefore there is no distinction whatsoever. All dharmas are also like this.”

Brahma Upholder of the Mind asked again:

“The teachings of the Tathagata are entirely true. How has he distinguished and expounded the dharmas?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader replied:

“The Tathagata has never distinguished or expounded the dharmas. Why is this? Because the Tathagata has never apprehended any dharma, much less distinguished among them.”

The Brahma asked:

“Has the Tathagata not revealed and taught the dharmas, such as conditioned dharmas, unconditioned dharmas, worldly dharmas, and supramundane dharmas?”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader said:

“What do you think? Can the actions of the body and verbal teachings be distinguished here?”

“No, they cannot.”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader asked again:

“Likewise, does the arising of the body resemble its cessation?”

“No.”

Bodhisattva Universal Leader said:

“Thus, O Brahma, it may be said that teachings concerning the Dharma are like empty space. The absence of teaching is also so. Even if the dharmas could be taught, they would still be dharmas that neither arise nor cease. The absence of teaching is itself the teaching of the Dharma. If there is no Dharma and also no teaching, then there is no verbal expression here either. Why is this? Because teachings concerning the Dharma and all other teachings are alike. Therefore, it is called the absence of teaching. The abiding place of the Tathagata is precisely no abiding place. Because there is no abiding place, it is said to have no source.”

Chapter 12: PRAISE

At that time, the gods of the Four Heavenly Kings, the god Shakra, and the god Brahma Accumulation of Patience, all of whom were present in the assembly, scattered various kinds of celestial flowers over the Buddha as an offering.

Having reverently made their offerings, they said:

“Blessed One! Any good man or good woman who hears Bodhisattva Universal Leader expound this sutra teaching and joyfully accepts it with faith will be able to subdue the maras and adherents of other paths. Why is this? Because such people have abandoned all conceptions arising from attachment to views.

“If anyone hears this subtle and wondrous Dharma expounded without being alarmed or afraid and without feeling anxious, that person has established unwavering faith in the Buddhas. Wherever this Dharma circulates, the Tathagata is present there. Wherever this Dharma is being heard, one should know that the Dharma wheel is being turned in that very place. In any land, village, hamlet, city, dwelling place, or place for walking meditation where this sutra circulates, that place will not be disturbed by maras, deluded, or afflicted by craving and attachment, because good vows were certainly made there long ago. Anyone who hears the title of this sutra without seeking nirvana or engaging in the works of Mara will be able to accept and uphold this sutra.

“Blessed One! Through this scripture, we have attained the light of the true Dharma. We wholeheartedly believe the teachings expounded by the Tathagata, Bodhisattva Universal Leader, and the Brahma, and we will never oppose them. If we encounter a Dharma teacher, we will regard it as though we had encountered the Blessed One himself. We will always follow that teacher to hear and receive the true Dharma and will serve him. This good man will always be protected by the devas. If anyone reverently accepts this scripture and copies, reads, recites, accepts, and upholds it, countless hundreds of thousands of devas will come to that assembly to hear and receive the true Dharma.”

Chapter 13: PRAISE OF MERIT

At that time, the Blessed One praised the god Shakra, the Brahma, and the great assembly:

“Excellent, excellent! It is just as you have said. Suppose someone were to make gifts of the seven treasures sufficient to fill the trichiliocosm. Compared with the merit of a person who hears this sutra teaching only once, the latter merit would be greater than the former.”

The Buddha further taught:

“Suppose there were merit from using precious jewels sufficient to fill the trichiliocosm, or merit from giving away the seven treasures in a quantity equal to the sands of the Ganges River. Compared with the merit of a person who hears this sutra teaching a second time, this latter merit would also be greater.”

Good men and good women! Whoever hears this sutra and seeks material gain, beauty, wealth, retinues, mastery over the Dharma, rebirth in the heavenly realms, or worldly riches; or wishes to eliminate heterodox sorcery and non-Buddhist teachings; or seeks praise, extensive learning, and broad understanding; or further wishes to attain self-mastery, steadfast wisdom, and the companionship of good spiritual friends; or aspires to attain the penetrating wisdom of the threefold knowledge and possess all wholesome qualities and merits; or wishes, through the factors of awakening, to guide sentient beings so that they may be free from adversity and suffering;

or seeks the unconditioned Dharma—such a good man or good woman should comprehend, accept, uphold, read, recite, and expound this sutra to others.

The Tathagata has never seen anyone who sincerely and reverently cultivates according to this sutra fail to receive benefit.

Today, the Tathagata earnestly entrusts it to you. Whoever hears this sutra from a teacher or preceptor and accepts and upholds it—the Tathagata sees no offering anywhere in all the worlds that could repay the kindness of such teachers. Why is this? Because this Dharma transcends the world, it cannot be adequately repaid through worldly offerings. Since this Dharma is above the world, worldly offerings cannot compare with it. This Dharma is undefiled by the world, whereas worldly dharmas are impure and are not wondrous Dharma; therefore, worldly things cannot be offered as sufficient repayment. Every fitting act of repayment depends upon this scripture; there can be no other way.

What is repayment such as this? It means transcending every aspiration and having no object of practice; this is called practice. Whoever reveres a Dharma teacher has repaid that kindness with complete purity. If, in cities, towns, or villages, such teachers are fully provided with the necessities of life and thereby receive abundant merit, you should know that those people have reverently preserved the Tathagata’s teaching. By cultivating according to the Buddha’s words, they attain liberation and raise the banner of the true Dharma to dispel darkness.

Such teachers are always courageous in confronting adversaries and causing them to submit. They are lions because they are utterly fearless. They are called the Honored Ones of the world because they have disciplined their own minds. They are sages because their words are truthful. Transcending all wrong views and non-Buddhist paths, they are physicians who cure every illness. Because they do not fear adversity, they expound the wondrous Dharma.

Because they have relinquished all afflictions, they maintain pure precepts. Serene, tranquil, and at ease, they attain nirvana because they have left behind self and possessions of self and hold no view of a self within the body. Ever diligent, they reach the unconditioned and never grow discouraged throughout innumerable kalpas. Delighting in meditative concentration and possessing complete one-pointedness, they are beings of great wisdom because they can clearly understand every passage and phrase. Because they penetrate and reveal the meanings of the various forms of wisdom, they are called beings of great spiritual majesty, possessing immeasurable hundreds of thousands of merits, naturally adorned with the excellent marks, and endowed with inexhaustible wisdom.

They are beings of great spiritual majesty whose radiance outshines the light of the sun and moon and who, regarding the ten wondrous powers, always preserve the essential powers.

They are those who form great clouds, proclaim the thunder of the Dharma, and pour down the great rain of Dharma to extinguish all the afflictions of sentient beings.

They are those who attain the unconditioned Dharma and the supreme cessation, depart far from birth and death, and completely eliminate fear. Their brilliant light shines into places of darkness and terror, and they rescue those frightened by Māra’s net, enabling them to attain freedom.

They are those who deliver all sentient beings, abide at the Buddha’s seat of awakening, attain the Dharma eye, clearly see that all dharmas have no origin, penetrate the emptiness of dharmas, establish great compassion, abide in boundless loving-kindness, and draw near to all sentient beings. They do not follow lesser teachings but proceed toward the Great Vehicle. They eliminate every inversion, attain equality, and transcend names and all honorific titles. They are those who establish the seat of awakening, subdue Māra’s armies, attain mastery within the domains of the māras, assemble the worthies and sages, and turn the Dharma wheel.

The Buddha said:

“Even if, for one kalpa or more than one kalpa, someone were to describe and praise the practices and transformative deeds of those bodhisattvas, they could never exhaust them completely. Their merits are that lofty. Only the Tathagata, fully endowed with every kind of eloquence, can praise the merits of those who reverently preserve this sutra.”

Chapter 14: THE PRACTICE OF EQUALITY

At that time, in the assembly, a deva named Manifest Irreversibility addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! What does it mean to preserve the true Dharma reverently and honor the scriptures?”

The Buddha said:

“Deva! If you wish to know what it means to preserve the true Dharma reverently and honor the scriptures, you should reverently accord with all dharmas. This is called reverent preservation and honor. If one reverently accords with all dharmas, it is called practicing the true Dharma. Why is this? If one reverently accords with all dharmas, one neither practices the dharmas nor fails to practice them, for to have an object upon which to carry out practice is to have no object upon which to carry out practice. This is called cultivating the true Dharma.

“If one does not cultivate the roots of goodness and merit, yet neither fails to cultivate roots of goodness, this is called cultivating the true Dharma. This Dharma is neither contaminated nor uncontaminated, neither sinful nor sinless, neither worldly nor supramundane, neither characterized by form nor without form, neither subject to birth and death nor possessed of cessation, neither having an object of practice nor lacking practice. This is called cultivating the true Dharma.

“If one can cultivate within all dharmas, this is called cultivating the true Dharma. To practice the Dharma without conceiving any notion of Dharma is called cultivating the true Dharma. If one thinks, ‘I am practicing this Dharma,’ then that is not practice. Whoever receives the dharmas yet relinquishes all dharmas is called one who practices the true Dharma. Those who, in relation to the object of practice, perceive no dharma that is an object of practice are said to cultivate the true Dharma.”

The deva Manifest Irreversibility addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! Whoever does not practice this Dharma correctly does not preserve or honor it reverently and does not accord with the true Dharma. Why is this? Because correct practice does not undergo samsara and does not revolve along the path of birth and death.

“What is practice? Abiding on the path of equality alone is called practice.

“O Great Sage! In the practice of equality there are no erroneous dharmas. Why is this? Because all dharmas are equal and never differ.”

Brahmā Upholder of the Mind asked the deva Manifest Irreversibility:

“Deva! Do you practice according to this practice?”

The deva Manifest Irreversibility replied:

“Brahmā! I shall practice. Even if the Blessed One were to teach that there are two paths, to practice according to those two paths would be to have an object of practice. If there is an object of practice, it is not practice.

“Furthermore, Brahmā, I have abandoned the two paths in order to practice the dharmas. It is likewise with practicing according to the dharmas, honoring the dharmas, and the object of cultivation. This is the cultivation of the true Dharma.”

Brahmā asked:

“Deva! Have you never seen this buddha-land?”

The deva replied:

“I have never seen this Buddha-land.”

Brahma asked:

“If no conception arises regarding that Buddha-land, then is there no correspondence that does not correspond, and in what is seen, is there likewise no object to be seen?”

The heavenly being replied:

“Brahma, I now neither give rise to conception nor do I fail to give rise to conception. There is no correspondence that does not correspond. What I have seen is also what I have never seen.”

Brahma asked:

“Heavenly being, what have you seen?”

The heavenly being replied:

“I have never seen the noble sages or any ordinary beings escape the evil realms, nor have I seen liberation.

“Brahma, thus, one who attains equality attains liberation. This is called right view: seeing what has never been seen, which has neither name nor destination. The eye is not different from consciousness; likewise, the ear, nose, mouth, body, and mind are also not different from consciousness. If one sees Suchness as having no origin, then the eye is Suchness, and so too are the self and what belongs to the self. Because one sees that there is no origin, there is no object to be seen. This is called the vision of equality.”