Toh 129Định Kỳ Diệu An Định

Summary

In this sūtra the Buddha Śākyamuni teaches how bodhisattvas proceed to awakening, without
ever regressing, by relying on an absorption known as the miraculous ascertainment of
peace. He lists the very numerous features of this absorption, describes how to
train in it, and explains how through this training bodhisattvas develop all the qualities of buddhahood.
The “peace” of the absorption comes from the relinquishment of misconceptions and
indeed of all concepts whatsoever, and the sūtra provides a
profound and detailed survey of how all the abilities, attainments, and other qualities of the bodhisattva’s path
arise as the bodhisattva’s understanding and realization of what is meant by the Thus-Gone One unfold.

Acknowledgements

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima
Rinpoche. Timothy Hinkle produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor
compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Tulku Tenzin Rigsang,
Lama Tenzin, Karma Oser, Thomas Doctor, and Wiesiek Mical also assisted in resolving several
difficult passages.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The generosity of the anonymous sponsor who helped make the work on this translation possible is gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace
provides a profound and detailed survey of how all the abilities, attainments, and other qualities of the bodhisattva’s path
arise as the bodhisattva’s understanding and realization of what is meant by the Thus-Gone One unfold.

Among the ten sūtras in this part of the Kangyur whose title includes
the term samādhi (“absorption”),
this text can be placed within an important subgroup in which a particular samādhi
is described in considerable detail by means of a list of its component factors, attributes, or
qualities. In these texts, the usual understanding of an “absorption” or
samādhi as a meditative state of enhanced consciousness or concentration does not
fully encompass the diverse range of attitudes, practices, skills, attainments and kinds of behavior outlined in these
descriptions.

As well as the description of the absorption itself, the text goes on to relate a far-reaching dialogue
between the Buddha and Mañjuśrī on the relationship between the aspects of the path and the training in being free of
concepts, a training that can be seen not only as the goal of the path but also as its very basis.

The teaching of the sūtra takes place on Vulture Peak near Rājagṛha, the capital of the ancient Indian country of Magadha.
On this particular occasion the Buddha Śākyamuni is surrounded by a large retinue of monks and
bodhisattvas as well as divine beings, the king, and many householders. The extraordinary attainments
of the bodhisattvas present are described in unusual detail
(

–

).

As a sign that the Buddha is about to teach, he first projects a light that pervades many millions of
universes to attract an inconceivable number of additional bodhisattvas to his teaching.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, a well-known figure from other Great Vehicle discourses, then initiates
the teaching by asking the Buddha to explain how bodhisattvas proceed toward awakening
without regressing, how they train on the path, and how they finally awaken to buddhahood.

The Buddha declares that there is one absorption that, when practiced, can accomplish all
those goals. This absorption is known as the miraculous ascertainment of
peace. He then proceeds to explain all its characteristics and qualities,
setting out how this unique absorption embodies all the qualities of the Great
Vehicle. The long list of qualities in this part of the text
(

–

) contains many sequences that
closely parallel parts of the well known list of the approximately three hundred qualities of the absorption in the
first chapter of The King of Samādhis Sūtra
(Samādhirāja, Toh 127). Groups of items in the two lists have almost identical wording,
even though they are arranged in a different order relative to each other
and are mixed, in the list belonging to this text, with additional groups of
elements more characteristic of later Mahāyāna works. In addition, the
list in this text includes, and concludes with,
a close reproduction of almost all the one hundred components of the absorption described in
the Śūraṃgamasamādhisūtra
(Toh 132). The three
lists describe different absorptions, of course, but it seems most unlikely that the list in this text arose
independently of the lists in the earlier works. While there appears to be little matching with
the list of one hundred and fifty items in the other text of this group, the
Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra
(Toh 133), there may quite possibly be corresponding passages in other works.
A full comparison of all these lists would be of great interest but remains to be done.

Having presented the absorption in this very detailed way, the Buddha describes it as being the
essence of the Great Vehicle, and explains that the way to put it into practice it is by transcending
conceptuality (

). He outlines an approach in which bodhisattvas
examine the nature of the Thus-Gone One by investigating the five aggregates
(

–

). Having discovered
that the Thus-Gone One is nowhere to be found within the five aggregates yet is also not different
from any of them, they then consider that while nothing inanimate, i.e. without the five aggregates, could be
the Thus-Gone One, it nevertheless cannot be the five aggregates that awaken into buddhahood
and teach the Dharma. Nor indeed is the suchness of buddhahood brought about by an identifiable
precursor, cause, or indeed any other phenomena. The peace that is buddhahood is the non entertaining of any concepts, thoughts,
or reflections regarding reality, and it is by training in the absorption
of the miraculous ascertainment of peace that bodhisattvas will actualize that state.

Next, Mañjuśrī expresses his amazement at the skillful means through which the buddhas can appear in
the world even though they are beyond birth and death, and can make the Dharma heard even though they
do not actually express even a single syllable (

). The Buddha clarifies this seeming paradox
by explaining that in fact thus-gone ones awaken in a perfect buddha realm, but use their skillful means
to manifest an afflicted, degenerate realm in which they engage the minds
of beings while remaining utterly beyond concepts themselves. In engaging different kinds of minds,
they may also appear to teach different vehicles, even though in truth there is only one (

–

).
Since bodhisattvas are the buddhas of the future, to obstruct their practices is
effectively to work against the manifestation of a buddha.

In the last part of the sūtra (from

), Mañjuśrī asks about the path traveled by practitioners of
the absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of peace. The Buddha
addresses this question in a vein similar to that of his earlier statements: just like the thus-gone ones, the path too must
be understood to be beyond concepts. Following that path leads to the
birth of wisdom and allows the bodhisattva to access all the qualities of awakening. He explains, from
this viewpoint, how it is that being rid of all concepts about the true nature of things allows the four
types of correct understanding, the six types of superknowledge, the
thirty-seven factors of awakening, and the four transformative powers to develop
(

–

). He summarizes some of the
points he has made in a passage in verse, and gives yet another reminder of the devastating damage caused by
criticizing or disparaging bodhisattvas, especially those who uphold and practice this absorption
(

–

To date, no complete Sanskrit version of this sūtra has come to light, although a few
short passages are preserved as quotations in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya
. The Sanskrit quoted in the Śikṣāsamuccaya
generally corresponds fairly closely to the
Tibetan, although there are minor variations. In the list of
qualities of the absorption, the probable Sanskrit of the numerous passages that match the list
in The King of Samādhis Sūtra
(see

above) may also be surmised from the Sanskrit manuscripts of that text.

The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace was
translated into Chinese by the famed translator Xuanzang (c. 602–64), who completed the
translation in the last two years of his
life. However, the Chinese translation corresponds only
to the first part of the Tibetan text.

The Tibetan translation of the sūtra, according to the colophon, was made by the
Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Dānaśīla and
the Tibetan translator Yeshé Dé, who were all active in Tibet around the late eighth and early
ninth centuries. This dating is also confirmed by the text’s inclusion in the Denkarma Catalogue
of the early ninth century ce. In view of the differences between the Tibetan and Chinese texts (see above),
of the change of interlocutor from Bhadrapāla to Mañjuśrī (at

above), and of the anomalous interruption and then resumption of
the list (at

), Skilton has suggested that the Tibetan text may be
of composite origin.
Nevertheless, the fact that citations from the later parts of the sūtra are found in the
Śikṣāsamuccaya means that the sūtra must have been
circulating in India in its full, longer form, as here, at the latest not very long after Xuanzang’s Chinese translation was made.

This English translation is based on the Tibetan
translation in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the Comparative Edition (Tib.
dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace Kangyur.

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagṛha on Vulture Peak
with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks as well as bodhisattvas equal in number to the atoms found in
one hundred million buddha realms.

Included among them were the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, Avalokiteśvara,
Bhaiṣajyarāja, Genuine Medicine, Famous and Melodious King of Medicine, Padmapāṇi, Sūryaprabha,
Stainless Subjugator, and Conqueror of the Lower Realms.

There were also the bodhisattvas Wise Superior Wisdom, Wise Superior Wealth,
Wise Communicator, Wise Superior Flower, Wise Superior Moon, Wise Superior Purity, Wise Superior
Vajra, Wise Superior Clarity, and Wise Superior Illuminator.

There were also the bodhisattvas Victory Banner of the Stars, Jeweled Victory Banner,
Victory Banner of Mount Meru, Desireless Victory Banner, Flower Victory Banner, Stainless
Victory Banner, Victory Banner of the Sun, Victory Banner of Beauty, Immaculate Victory Banner,
and Illuminating Victory Banner.

There were also the bodhisattvas Splendor of the Earth, Splendor of Jewels, Splendor of
Great Intelligence, Splendor of Vajra Wisdom, Splendor of Purity, Splendor of the Sun, Splendor
of Immense Merit, Splendor of Wisdom Light, and Splendor of Unmatched Majesty.

There were also the bodhisattvas Kṣitigarbha, Ākāśagarbha, Ratnagarbha, Padmagarbha,
Sūryagarbha, Guṇaviśuddhigarbha, Dharmamudrāgarbha, Vairocanagarbha, Nabhigarbha, and
Padmaśrīgarbha.

There were also the bodhisattvas Sun Eyes, Pure and Stainless Eyes, Purified Eyes,
Desireless Eyes, All-Seeing Eyes, Sharp Eyes, Vajra Eyes, Jewel Eyes, Sky Eyes, and Omnipresent
Eyes.

There were also the bodhisattvas Divine Crown, Crown of the Jewel That Illuminates the
Realm of Phenomena, Crown of the Seat of Enlightenment, Illuminating Crown, Crown of the Womb
from Which All Buddhas Are Born, Crown Nobler Than the Cosmos, Ever-Noble Crown, Utterly
Illuminating Crown, Crown That Is Never Outshone, Crown That Captures the Thus-Gone Ones’ Lion
Throne of the Essence of All Phenomena, and Crown That Fully Illuminates the Space of
the Realm of Phenomena.

There were also the bodhisattvas Crown Ornament of the Lord of the Brahmā Realm, Crown
Ornament of the Nāga Lord, Crown Ornament That Illuminates All the Buddha’s Emanations, Crown
Ornament of the Seat of Enlightenment, Crown Ornament of the King of Jewels That Sings an Ocean
of Aspirations, Crown Ornament of the Melodious One in All the Three Times, Crown Ornament of
the Precious King of Jewels That Is Adorned with a Web of Gems and Placed on the Victory Banner
That Illuminates the Emanations of All Thus-Gone Ones, Crown Ornament of the Melodious Dharma
Wheel of All Thus-Gone Ones, Crown Ornament of the Brilliant Gem That Projects the Halo of All
Thus-Gone Ones, and Crown Ornament Adorned by the Gem That Perceives the Indivisibility of All
of Space.

There were also the bodhisattvas Great Light, Stainless Light, Jeweled Light, Immaculate
Light, Shining Light, Dharma Light, Peaceful Light, Sūryaprabha, Emanated Light, Divine Light,
and Meritorious Light.

There were also the bodhisattvas Crest of Merit, Crest of Wisdom, Crest of Dharma, Crest
of Superknowledge, Crest of Light, Crest of Flowers, Crest of Jewels, Crest of Buddhas, Crest of
Brahmā, and Crest of Illumination.

There were also the bodhisattvas Song of Brahmā, Song of the Earth, Song of the Ocean,
Song of the Lord of the World, Song Offering the Royal Lord of Mountains, Song That Pervades the
Entire Realm of Phenomena, Song That Sounds the Ocean of Dharma, Song That Stirs All the Oceans,
Song of Greatly Compassionate Thunder, and Song That Relieves All the Suffering of Beings.

There were also the bodhisattvas Noble Dharma, Especially Noble, Noble Wisdom, Noble
Merit Like Mount Meru, Noble Merit and Qualities, Noble Fame, Noble Illumination,
Noble Great Love, Noble Source of Wisdom, and Noble Lineage of the Thus-Gone Ones.

There were also the bodhisattvas Shining Splendor, Supreme Splendor, Noble Splendor,
Illuminating Splendor, Moonlike Splendor, Assembled Splendor, Space-Like Splendor, Jewel
Splendor, Highest Splendor, and Wisdom Splendor.

There were also the bodhisattvas Lordly King of the Sal Tree, Lordly King of Beings,
Lordly King of the Brahmā Realm, Lordly King of the Hills, Lordly King of Stillness, Lordly King
of the Leaders, and Lordly King of the Great Minds.

There were also the bodhisattvas Roar of Peace, Roar of Non-Attachment, Roar of the
Earth Tune, Roar of the Ocean Thunder, Roar Invoked by Previous Aspirations, and Roar of the
Rumbling Oceans.

There were also the bodhisattvas Mind of Immense Wisdom, Mind of Space, Mind of Purity,
Mind of Non-Attachment, Mind of Purification, Mind Illuminating the Three Times, Mind of Immense
Power, Mind Like Gems, Spacious Mind, All-Seeing Mind, and Mind Illuminating Bodhisattva Great
Beings in the Ways of the Realm of Phenomena.

All these bodhisattva great beings, as well as many others equal in number to the atoms
found in one hundred million buddha realms, were non-regressing beings who possessed qualities
as limitless as the expanse of the sky. They could abide in the sameness of the unobscured realm
of phenomena and had realized the sameness of the limit of reality and the realm of phenomena. They
had conviction in the way in which actions lead to ripening and the way in which results appear
based on causes, and they had knowledge of the sameness in which all phenomena are like the
emergence of a stamped image. They had realized the sameness in which phenomena appear like
optical illusions and reflections. They had complete knowledge of sound and language
and understood that all phenomena are like echoes.

All of them had attained the absorption of inconceivable liberation
and the absorption of the heroic stride. They had the limitless colors of a
buddha’s body and were established in the dhāraṇī
that accomplishes the entirely perfect state. They were skilled in
causing all the buddha realms to be seen in the space of a single hair’s breadth. In the space of a
single hair’s breadth they could show a buddha’s passing away, taking birth, departing from home,
practicing austerities, journeying to the seat of enlightenment, awakening, turning the wheel of
Dharma, and passing into nirvāṇa. They possessed a wisdom that expanded to pervade the world
systems in the ten directions while they remained in one position. They possessed the wisdom that
can cause the ornaments of all universes to be seen in a single universe, as well as the wisdom
that can cause the ornaments of a single universe to be seen in all universes. They were able to
cause the entourage of all thus-gone ones in all the world systems in the ten directions to be seen within
the entourage of a single thus-gone one, and they were also able to cause the entourage of a
single thus-gone one to be seen in the entourages of all thus-gone ones.

They were skilled in showing how all phenomena are without center or periphery. They had
reached the end of all limitless phenomena. They demonstrated the lack of center and periphery to be
like an illusory web. They caused the lack of any distinctions between sentient beings to be seen throughout
limitless eons. They were skilled in considering the bodies of all beings to be empowered as their own
bodies. They were skilled in considering the bodies of all buddhas to be a single buddha body.
They were skilled in causing other beings to see how the body of a single buddha pervades the bodies of all
buddhas without exception. They were skilled in causing all world systems in the ten
directions to be seen within their own bodies. They were able to cause beings to see that the single Dharma
body pervades the three times.

Resting evenly in absorption within a single body, they were able to cause beings
to see the act of manifesting limitless bodies. Having awakened with one body, they were able to cause
as many bodies as there are beings to be seen. They were able to cause the bodies of all beings to be seen within the
body of a single being, and they were also able to cause the body of a single being to be seen in the
bodies of all beings. They were able to cause the bodies of beings to be seen as the Dharma body, and
they were also able to cause the Dharma body to be seen as the bodies of beings.

They were skilled in empowering the aspirations of all bodhisattvas as their own
aspirations. They were able to cause bodhisattvas to see the full awakening of all the
buddhas, as well as their aspirations, powers, and full awakening. They were able to cause
fully mature beings to see their unsurpassed and perfect awakening in whatever ways
necessary to train them.

Their aspirations were uninterrupted throughout all eons. With their mastery in leaving
the body of the consciousness and entering the wisdom body they could appear to all the multitudes of
beings. Having broken the continuity of their own bodies, they appeared for the complete
fulfillment of the aspirations of other multitudes of beings. They endeavored in aspirations
that ripen beings. As their bodhisattva conduct was uninterrupted throughout all the ages of a
single world, the strength of their aspirations directed toward full awakening enabled them to
cause indescribably many worlds encompassing all the buddha realms to be seen within the space of a single
hair’s breadth. They were able to cause numerous bodies to be seen within a single world. By uttering a
single word of the Dharma, they would bring down a rain of ambrosia born from great clouds of
Dharma that filled the entire realm of phenomena. Through the lightning of intelligence and
liberation and the thunder of true reality, they manifested to satisfy all
the different kinds of beings and fulfill their great aspirations.

The field of their experience was to be engaged in concentration, freedom, superknowledge,
intelligence, and wisdom. Through one instance of arousing the mind of awakening, they were able
to manifest bodies of all beings born in all possible ways in all the infinite world systems
in the ten directions. Since they had no attachment to knowledge of their own or others’ minds,
they were proficient in the knowledge of the processes and movements present in a single being’s
mind as well as in all beings’ minds. They were skilled in the wisdom that can engage the ten
powers of the thus-gone ones in a single instant. They were immersed in the wisdom that is
not attached to anything whatsoever throughout the three times. They were skilled in the wisdom
that brings genuine attainment to the mindstreams of others. They were skilled in causing,
with a single moment of mind, all beings throughout the infinite expanse of world systems in the ten directions
to see complete awakening in a single moment of their minds.

They were skilled in the wisdom capable of using the perception of a single being to
engage directly with the karmic actions of all beings without exception. They were skilled in
the wisdom that teaches using the languages of all beings through the language of a single being.
They were skilled in causing the perception of a single body to be seen as the perception of the
bodies of all beings. While immersed in the circle of attendants of a single thus-gone one, every one of them
was skilled in upholding the teaching of the Dharma within the circle of attendants of all
thus-gone ones.

They had all achieved every dhāraṇī. They were skilled in teaching with utterly
confident eloquence while understanding the faculties of beings of all dispositions. They
were skilled in the wisdom that, by observing the mind of a single being, can awaken an
inexpressible number of mindstreams to buddhahood and thereby engage with the minds of all
beings. They were skilled in the wisdom that instantaneously understands all world systems,
knows all the various thoughts of beings, and brings genuine attainment to the
mindstreams of others.

By recollecting the inconceivably numerous mind states of all the limitless existences
throughout the endless eons of the past, they were skilled in revealing directly to beings how
actions and activities ripen into results and in helping them to understand that they were
skilled in ornamenting all world systems. They were skilled in entering into all world systems.
They were skilled in engendering the aspirations of all buddhas and bodhisattvas as well as
their own conduct and aspirations. They were skilled in shining the light of Dharma. They were
skilled in entering into inexpressibly numerous eons and world systems within a single atom.
They were skilled in causing a buddha realm the size of all the universes to be seen within a single
atom. They could make all the water in all the oceans fit within a single pore of the skin.

They were skilled in going to all the world systems throughout the extent of the realm
of phenomena while doing no harm to beings. They were skilled in absorbing inexpressibly
numerous world systems into their own bodies and causing the diverse activities of beings to be seen.
They could make the surrounding mountains, the greater surrounding mountains, and other huge
mountains—incalculable, inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable, limitless, and absolutely
inexpressible—fit within a single pore. Thus, they were skilled in going to all the world
systems throughout the extent of the realm of phenomena while not frightening beings in any
way.

They were skilled in transforming inexpressibly numerous eons into a single eon and in
displaying one eon as inexpressibly numerous eons of destruction and formation. In order to
properly train others, they were skilled in causing all beings to see how all world systems will
be destroyed by water, fire, and wind. Though they could crush uncountable and
inconceivable world systems with their big toes, every one of them was skilled in not bringing harm to
beings.

They had all gained attainment by means of the cloud of Dharma, and they were skilled in
displaying the transformation of great suffering, in the form of harm, injury, and famine, to
train beings in all the worlds of the ten directions. They did not harm other beings. Every one of them had
the superknowledges and could cause the appearance of buddhas to be seen in world systems where no buddhas had
come.

There were also five hundred bodhisattvas, such as Bhadrapāla, every one of whom
had reached the level from which there is no regression.

At that same time, too, the Licchavi youth Ratnākara arrived at Vulture Peak from the city of
Vaiśālī surrounded and venerated by a group of twenty-one thousand Licchavi youths. They bowed
their heads to the feet of the Blessed One and took their place to his right side. There they
stayed, gazing upon him with unblinking eyes.

The householder Śyāmaka came from the city of Gayā, surrounded and venerated by a group
of five hundred laymen, to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads
to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the
Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

The householder Bhadrapāla also came surrounded and venerated by a group of five
thousand householders to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads to
the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the
Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

The householder Sudatta came surrounded and venerated by a group of five thousand
householders to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads
to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the
Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

The householder Susārthavāha came with many servants to the place where the Blessed One
was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to
one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

The merchant Subāhu came from the city of Campā surrounded and venerated by a group of
eighty-four thousand merchants to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their
heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon
the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

The brahmin youth Naradatta came surrounded and venerated by a group of five hundred
Brahmin youths to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads to the
feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed
One with unblinking eyes.

The brahmin youth Nandicandra came attended by five hundred Brahmin youths to the place
where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then,
taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

King Ajātaśatru of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, riding the king of elephants Dhanapāla,
arrived where the Blessed One was residing along with a retinue of five thousand beings who
surrounded and venerated the king. He rode Dhanapāla as far as was fitting and then dismounted
from his palanquin. He then ascended Vulture Peak on foot and arrived before the Blessed One. He
bowed his head to the feet of the Blessed One and then took his place to one side along with all
five thousand beings in his retinue. They all gazed upon the Blessed One with
unblinking eyes.

The merchant Surāṣṭra came from the city of Vārāṇasī surrounded and venerated by a group
of five hundred merchants to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their
heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon
the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.

Śakra, who is the lord of the gods, Brahmā, who is the lord of the Sahā world, the four
guardians of the world, the god Maheśvara, the god Candra, the god Suvikrāntamati, the god
Sulakṣaṇa, and an inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable, unfathomable, and limitless number
of other gods, each with billions of their own divine attendants, came to the place where the
Blessed One was residing. They each made an inconceivable number of suitable offerings to the
Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One with
unblinking eyes.

At that time, from every pore of the Blessed One’s skin, and from each of his excellent
signs and all his marks, the Blessed One emitted rays of light as numerous as all the atoms in
ten buddha realms. Each light ray bathed in a bright light as many world systems as there are
atoms in one hundred million buddha realms. The light caused countless quadrillions of
bodhisattvas to arrive from each of these world systems. Each of the bodhisattvas had a jewel
mansion measuring billions of leagues and adorned with gems, pearls, and jewel tassels around a
bejeweled platform. Sitting below hoisted flags and banners and surrounded by uncountable
quadrillions of divine maidens, they arrived at the place where the Blessed One was residing,
scattering clouds of divine flowers, clouds of jewels, clouds of garments, clouds of
sandalwood and agarwood incense, and clouds of divine instruments, cymbals, and song—clouds as
large as world systems. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed
One with unblinking eyes.

Throughout the great trichiliocosm there was no space, not even as much as a fraction of
a single hair tip, that was not filled with gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas,
kinnaras, mahoragas, Śakra, Brahmā, world guardians, humans, nonhumans, or vast numbers of
bodhisattvas.

It was then that the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla stood up, draped his upper robe over one shoulder,
and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together he bowed toward the Blessed One and
made the following request: “May I ask if the Blessed One might give me the opportunity to
seek instruction? If so, there are a few points on which, blessed, thus-gone,
worthy, perfect Buddha, I would request your clarification.”

The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, “Bhadrapāla, you may ask
whatever you please. I will delight your mind by answering your question.”

So Bhadrapāla asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what are the basis, conduct,
manner, distinction, roots of virtue, diligence, peace, skill in wisdom, mindfulness,
realization, intelligence, propriety, interest, and armor by which bodhisattva great beings may make
irreversible progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and
from that unsurpassed and perfect awakening know no debasement or decline?

“How do bodhisattva great beings come into being due to the actions of the thus-gone ones? How do they train
diligently in the wisdom of the thus-gone ones? How does their insight increase? How are they
skilled in great wisdom? How is their discipline so pure? How is it that, in not forgetting what
they have heard, they possess recollection? How is it that, in taking birth in accordance with
their roots of virtue, they remember their past lives?

“How is it that they are skilled in knowing the previous lifetimes of others and inspiring them? How
is it that they are wise by being knowledgeable about differences in faculties? How do they
possess the marks? How is it that they are never separate from seeing the Buddha, hearing the
Dharma, or honoring the Saṅgha? How is it that they behold the blessed buddhas present in other
world systems? How is it that they are able to hear the Dharma of those blessed ones in all the
infinite world systems and then retain it, master it, and teach it truly on a vast scale?
How is it that they are like tongues of flame in burning the roots of nonvirtue? How is it that
they are like the moon in mastering all bright phenomena? How is it that they are like the sun
in dispelling all the darkness of ignorance? How have they become so elevated by all roots of
virtue that they are like the king of mountains? How is it that they are like vajras in having
unshakable acceptance of the profound?

“How are they fearless in being like the highest mountain? How is it that their voices
are incredibly pure by having unimpeded eloquence? How is it that they are exceedingly learned
by being proficient in discerning and ascertaining all the different languages? How is it that
they do not scowl but keep their countenance smiling and radiant? How is it that
they are not contaminated by worldly phenomena? How is it that their voices can be heard across
limitless world systems? How is it that, when they show the limitless, endless world systems inside
a single pore, beings do not understand where we are and do not understand what was done?

“How is it that, by ripening beings, they stay within the retinues of all thus-gone
ones throughout the ten directions and never move from those places? How is it that they live
in the Heaven of Joy, pass away, enter the womb, take birth, leave home, undertake
austerities, sit at the seat of awakening, gain victory over demons, turn the wheel of Dharma,
demonstrate passing into the great transcendence of suffering, and demonstrate teaching so that
the teachings remain—all within the space of a single hair’s breadth? How is it that they can
become aware of the mental activity of all beings in a single moment of mind?”

The Blessed One answered the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, “Bhadrapāla, excellent, excellent.
Bhadrapāla, you have asked in this manner to benefit many beings and to bring them happiness.
You have great compassion that loves the world and seeks to benefit ordinary beings—gods and
humans alike—by accomplishing their welfare and happiness. Bhadrapāla, your intention in having
asked the Blessed One such a question is excellent. Therefore, Bhadrapāla, I will answer you, so
listen well and keep what I say in mind.”

“Excellent!” the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla replied to the Blessed One, and listened in
the manner that the Blessed One had instructed.

The Blessed One said, “Bhadrapāla, there is a bodhisattva activity that is the
absorption that the Buddha calls the miraculous ascertainment of peace.
Bodhisattva great beings who dwell in that absorption
attain, in addition to many others, the following special qualities.

“So, Bhadrapāla, what is this absorption called the miraculous ascertainment of
peace? It is like this. It is to understand all phenomena in accordance with their
actual nature, comprehend their characteristics, and overcome mistaken characteristics. It is to
no longer hold on to the habitual basis of a self. It is to no longer
apprehend an other. It is to not think highly of one’s own life.
It is to not enter saṃsāra. It is to understand all entities. It is to meditate on tranquility
and to actualize special insight. It is to be stable minded and undistracted in mindfulness and to
pacify notions and judgments. It is to keep company with virtue and to discard nonvirtue. It is
to pacify attachment, aversion, and dullness, to dispense with ignorance, and to rely on
knowing. It is to understand causation, to demolish a view, and to be free from consciousness.
It is to arouse wisdom, to exhaust existence, to abandon attachment to joyful
states, to be certain about buddhahood, and to have no doubt about the Dharma. It is to not be
skeptical about the Saṅgha and to reconcile disputes arising from divisive speech. It is to
adhere to solitude, to be adept in integrating the teachings, to not speak foolishly behind
someone’s back, and to be without worldly goods. It is to abandon what is naturally wrong and to
not commit any negative actions, now or in the future. It is to not hoard things and to have no
fascination with worldly wonders. It is to see what is wrong with saṃsāra and what is beneficial
in nirvāṇa. It is to wish for the sphere of the transcendence of suffering with strong intent.

“It is to be without deceit, dishonesty, and pretense. It is to avoid hypocrisy,
fraud, hustling, expropriation, and disrespect. It is to practice diligence and to be very
patient. It is to not be lazy and to abandon obscurations. It is to be endowed with
the path of the ten virtues and to have a faultless aggregate of discipline. It is to never
depart from the aggregate of absorption. It is to
never remain in the absorptions or the equipoises. It is to be insatiable
in bringing the perfections to completion. It is to create emanations through concentration,
freedom, absorption, and equipoise. It is to be free to play as one likes due to the bases of
miraculous power. It is to master omniscient wisdom.

“It is to not be of two minds, nor to be inanimate or deaf or dumb. It is to not be led
into any other path. It is to abandon everything that torments the mind. It is to attain the
level of holy beings, to not consider unwholesome beings, and to disregard the spiritually
immature. It is to associate with the learned. It is to arouse the strength of mindfulness. It
is to arouse the strength of wisdom. It is to have no need to seek clarification from
householders or renunciates.

“It is to remain in solitude. It is to have patience with regard to emptiness, the
absence of marks, the absence of wishes, and all phenomena. It is to understand all things as
they are. This, Bhadrapāla, is the absorption called the miraculous ascertainment of
peace. Since bodhisattvas who train in this absorption are unobscured regarding
all phenomena, they become knowledgeable.

“Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, this so-called absorption of the miraculous
ascertainment of peace is as follows: It is to know all phenomena to be sameness.
It is to know all words to be constructions. It is to abandon all household goods. It is to find
no delight in the three realms. It is to not be discouraged. It is to not cling to any
phenomenon. It is to uphold the sacred Dharma. It is to guard the Dharma. It is to have
conviction in the ripening of actions. It is to be expert in training others. It is to pacify
debate and to not engage in fighting. It is to not get involved in disputes. It is to uphold
patience authentically and to uphold realization authentically. It is to be expert in
distinguishing realization, sameness, and reality.

“It is to be expert in ascertaining the Dharma. It is to be expert in expressions of the
Dharma. It is to know how to distinguish expressions of the Dharma. It is to know the past, the
future, and the present. It is to know the three times to be sameness. It is to know the utter
purity of the three spheres. It is to know the basis of the body and the basis of the mind.

“It is to know how to guard one’s mode of conduct. It is to purify one’s actions. It is
to transcend obscurations. It is to thoroughly know the aggregates. It is to know the sameness
of the elements. It is to dispel the sense sources. It is to discard existence. It is to
endeavor in the task of accepting non-arising. It is to point out causes and to not dismiss
actions and results. It is to see the Dharma and cultivate the path. It is to meet with the
thus-gone ones. It is to have sharp insight. It is to know how to distinguish words. It is to
understand speech.

“It is to attain supreme delight. It is to experience the joy of the Dharma. It is to be
mindful, gentle, blissful, unperturbed, good-natured, and easy to get along with. It is to speak
truthfully with gentle words and to say, ‘Come here. Welcome.’ It is to not be lazy. It is to be
respectful of and honor spiritual masters. It is to not delight in birth. It is to be insatiable
regarding virtuous qualities. It is to have a pure livelihood. It is to not renounce remote
places. It is to settle in a place. It is to not squander mindfulness. It is to be expert in the
aggregates, elements, and sense sources. It is to engage in manifesting superknowledge. It is to
eliminate disturbing emotions. It is to defeat the binding force of habit.

“It is to have specific attainments
and the natural result of meditation. It is
to be expert in rescuing from the downfalls. It is to remove all that binds. It is to discard
latent tendencies. It is to utterly transcend existence. It is to recall past lives. It is to
have no doubt about the ripening of actions. It is to contemplate karma. It is to not
mentally rely on birth. It is to not create karmic actions. It is to be without the mental
activity of the inner sense sources. It is to not move out toward the outer sense sources. It is
to not praise oneself or belittle others. It is to not cling to what is unpleasant. It is to not
mentally rely on ordinary beings. It is to be in accord with the cause of ethical conduct.

“It is to be one who is rarely encountered. It is to be absolutely resplendent. It is to know
oneself. It is to be uncorrupted. It is to observe perfect behavior. It is to have no malice. It
is to not use foul words. It is to not harm others, to protect close ones, and to be naturally
nonviolent. It is to not harm beings. It is to be gentle in speech. It is to not abide in the
three realms. It is to be able to keep secrets. It is to have acceptance in accord with the
emptiness of all phenomena. It is to be greatly inspired toward omniscient wisdom. It is to have
clear wisdom, to have stable discipline, and to be engaged in equipoise. It is to be happy to
be alone. It is to not be content with knowing just a little bit. It is to not be discouraged.
It is to abandon all that constitutes a view. It is to achieve dhāraṇī and wisdom. It is to be
meticulous about what is correct and what is incorrect. It is to have an approach based on
reason and logic. It is to offer counsel. It is to be appropriately forbearing of conduct. It is
to have reached the level of acceptance. It is to not be unforbearing. It is to be on the level
of wisdom. It is to abandon ignorance. It is to abide in wisdom. It is to be on the level of
yogic conduct. It is to have the sphere of activity of bodhisattvas. It is to understand the
essence of all phenomena and know the highest realization. It is to comprehend the mind.

“It is to not reincarnate into a new birth. It is to know not to reincarnate. It is to
lay down the burden. It is to have the wisdom of the thus-gone ones. It is to abandon attachment,
to be free from anger, and to abandon dullness. It is to be diligent in practice. It is to be free
from unreasonableness. It is to be inspired toward virtuous phenomena. It is to put into
practice the higher intention. It is to not sleep the night away. It is to not give up
on abandonment. It is to nurture virtuous qualities. It is to have previously cultivated the roots of virtue. It
is to know skill in means. It is to abandon marks. It is to abstain from perception. It is to be
accomplished in the discourses. It is to be expert in the vinaya. It is to be certain about the
truths. It is to endeavor in the actualization of liberation.

“It is to delight in words and speak with a smile. It is to see wisdom as it is. It is
to seek out learning. It is to never be satisfied with one's wisdom. It is to have an utterly pure mind,
an utterly pure body, and utterly pure speech. It is to be trustworthy in speech. It is to rely
on emptiness. It is to rely on the absence of marks. It is to know nonconceptually due to the
nature of the absence of wishes.

“It is to attain fearlessness. It is to not abuse those who suffer and to give them
wealth. It is to not be contemptuous of the poor. It is to care compassionately for those whose
discipline is corrupted. It is to be in possession of beneficial goods. It is to be of benefit
through the Dharma. It is to give up material things. It is to rely unwaveringly on those with
discipline. It is to let go of all possessions.

“It is to make offerings with a higher intention. It is to practice what one preaches.
It is to continuously endeavor. It is to take delight in being respectful. It is to understand
metaphors. It is to be knowledgeable about what has occurred in the past. It is to know the
application of names and terminology. It is to have destroyed imputation.

“It is to not get overjoyed when being honored and to remain equanimous when being dishonored. It is to not be interested in gain or disheartened by loss. It is to have no desire for
fame, and it is to not be angry when infamy befalls oneself. It is to not hanker after praise or
be deflated by blame. It is to not be desirous of pleasure or saddened by pain.

“It is to not grasp after formations. It is to not desire proper commendation
and to be accepting of false accusations. It is to endeavor in one’s rightful domain and reject
everything else. It is to be content. It is to abandon what is inappropriate. It is to not
downplay beings’ meagre roots of virtue. It is to uphold the teaching. It is to be concise and
gentle in speech. It is to be skilled in appropriate statements. It is to defeat opponents. It
is to come in time. It is to have conduct that is natural. It is to have conduct that is
beautiful.

“It is to be skilled in knowing what is meaningful and what is not. It is to know the
world. It is to understand the treatises. It is to speak clearly. It is to give freely. It is to
control the mind. It is to have shame and conscience. It is to denigrate nonvirtuous mind
states. It is to not give up the qualities of an ascetic. It is to properly uphold one’s
conduct. It is to move gracefully.

“It is to rise for the master and prepare him a seat. It is to destroy pride. It is to
properly maintain the mind. It is to understand the meaning. It is to have brought forth wisdom.
It is to be without ignorance. It is to know how to engage the mind. It is to understand and
know the nature of mind. It is to possess the wisdom that is knowledgeable about all
attainments, regardless of whether one has practiced them or not.

“It is to know the languages of all beings. It is to know how to establish etymologies
and to know how to determine the meanings of words. It is to exclude what is not the real
meaning. It is to accomplish all forms of concentration without savoring their
experience.

“It is to see and consider the minds of each and every being. It is to know the superior and inferior
faculties of beings. It is to see what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. It is to
discern all karmic actions. It is to know how to engage without karmic action and ripening. It
is to engage in manifold aspirations. It is to not be forgetful. It is to have direct experience
of the manifold and various realms.

“It is to see the vajra-like absorption. It is to revel in
absorption with a voice like Brahmā’s. It is to know all states of absorption and
equipoise to be the same and nameless. It is to remember past abodes. It is to see by knowing
how to go everywhere. It is to have exhausted defilement. It is to know the simultaneous
attainment of abandonment. It is to see with the unimpeded divine eye. It is to enjoy
manifesting all forms. It is to know how to engage in form and the formless as sameness. It is
to know how to engage in dhāraṇīs through the diverse aspects of melodious speech. It is to know
all sounds to be like echoes.

“It is to teach the Dharma according to need. It is to satisfy all beings by providing
them with good advice. It is to know how to change faculties. It is to discern whether the time
is ripe or not. It is to know how to be in accord with the limit of reality. It is to teach
Dharma that gives results. It is to complete all the perfections. It is to hold all beings dear.
It is to skillfully know how to defeat. It is to have deportment that is uncontrived. It is to
know how to authentically unite with the realm of phenomena without mixing anything up. It is to
put an end to thought, conceptualization, and mental constructions.

“It is to manifest one’s body at the feet of all thus-gone ones in an instant. It is to
emanate bodies like optical illusions in all world systems. It is to uphold and never forget any
of the Dharma teachings of all the thus-gone ones. It is to never slide back from the Great
Vehicle. It is to be skilled in teaching emancipation according to each vehicle. It is to
authentically uphold the lineage of the Three Jewels. It is to show actions appropriate to each
and every birthplace. It is to never grow discouraged even though one has to wear the armor for
millions of eons, until the end of time. It is to skillfully know how to ripen all beings.

“It is to know how to accomplish all aspects of melodious speech. It is to know how to
make one eon last for limitless eons. It is to know the ground of manifestation within
all phenomena. It is to know how to gather all buddha realms together. It is to know how to make
limitless eons pass in one eon. It is to know how to reveal one universe as all universes. It is
to know how to gather all beings’ bodies into a single being’s body. It is to know how to bring
inconceivable buddha realms into the space of a single hair’s breadth. It is to know how to
bring innumerable, inconceivable, immeasurable world systems into just a single pore of one’s
body. It is to understand all buddha realms to be equivalent to space. It is to know how to fill
each and every buddha realm to the brim with one’s own body. It is to skillfully understand and
realize how all phenomena are without characteristics. It is to know how to inhabit all bodies.
It is to know how to speak precisely in all languages while speaking in one language. It is to
realize all the ways to be skilled in means. It is to know how to teach a single word for
innumerable, inconceivable, immeasurable millions of eons. It is to have unceasing eloquence. It
is to be discerning in knowing what to accomplish and what to let be. It is to know how to show
the distinctions between dyads, parts, and inversions.

“It is to know how to emit the light of great means and insight. It is to know how to
transcend all the paths of Māra. It is to have one’s actions of body, speech, and mind preceded
by wisdom. It is to fulfill all the realms of beings with the four types of correct
understanding. It is to attain miraculous abilities through creating merit. It is to reveal
emanations throughout the entire realm of phenomena. It is to understand the utterances of
beings in all world systems. It is to gather all beings throughout all the world systems in the
ten directions together through the four ways of attracting disciples. It is to have
no doubt about accomplishing qualities, which are like illusions. It is to bring to consummation
the attainment of power over requisites and over all births. It is to know how to equally attend
to those with corrupted morality and those with pure morality as recipients of generosity. It is
to make the thoughts of all beings adhere to the Dharma. It is to cover all the world systems in
the ten directions with a web of light from a single pore. It is to attain the secrets of all
bodhisattvas.

“It is to know the vast depth of the great ocean. It is to know how to send forth a
massive web of light into all the world systems in the ten directions. It is to have a mind that
is equal to earth, water, fire, and wind. It is to know how to enter the level of the thus-gone
ones. It is to know how to turn the wheel of Dharma in all explanations of words and etymologies
and to know how to attain patience by oneself without being taught. It is to know how to make
burst forth from a single pore the mass of water of the oceans in all the world systems in the
ten directions without harming any being with the water. It is to have a jewel-like mind. It is
to know how to dispel all the stains of the disturbing emotions. It is to know how to skillfully
be content in dedicating the limitless roots of virtue and merit accumulated in the three times.
It is to find relief by awakening to all the qualities of a buddha.

“It is to know how to bring emanations into the mental activity of all beings. It is to
know how to engage in the entire experience of buddhahood. It is to have an unbroken continuity
of aspirations and to know how to manifest the conduct that draws beings near. It is to directly
know how to see the wisdom of the thus-gone ones. It is to know how to engage in the secrets of
the thus-gone ones. It is to have a mind that is tranquil, being calm and at peace,
and to bring delight to all beings in order to properly train others. It is to know how to
demonstrate playfulness and enjoyment. It is to be consummate in possessing limitless learning
and to never be content or satisfied with all one’s learning.

“It is to not apprehend any phenomena. It is to engage in worldly activity in many
different ways. It is to not be corrupted by any worldly phenomena. It is to ripen beings
through proper training. It is to show correct behavior to those whose speech is impaired, those
whose hearing is impaired, and those who are disabled, dull-minded, deaf, or blind. It is to
know how to teach the Dharma and transform countless eons into the duration of a single finger
snap.

“It is to be followed by innumerable, inconceivable, immeasurable, infinite, and
limitless hundreds of thousands of Vajrapāṇis that outshine Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of
the world. It is to bless the poor and destitute in order to ripen beings. It is to directly
know the view of self-arising wisdom, which is the awakening of all buddhas. It is to show the
conduct of all hearers and solitary buddhas. It is to know how to manifest turning the
irreversible wheel of Dharma in all the world systems in the ten directions. It is to know how
to unimpededly teach, with a single moment of thought, for as many quadrillions of eons as there
are atoms in innumerable, inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable, and limitless world systems
in order to ripen all beings. It is to show the appearance and conduct of all hearers and
solitary buddhas for eons. It is to be unceasing in the complete bodhisattva conduct in order to
ripen beings. It is to practice all-pervading mental stability. It is to know how, in
order to ripen beings, to move among the retinues of all the thus-gone ones throughout all the
limitless world systems while surrounded by divine maidens singing songs and playing
accompanying instruments, various cymbals, and drums, with a chorus numbering in the
quadrillions. It is to behold and honor all the thus-gone ones, without ever leaving one’s seat.
It is to know how to make offerings unceasingly. It is to seek and abide in unfailing vision and
hearing in order to ripen limitless beings. It is to know how, in order to guide ripened beings
appropriately, to demonstrate, in one single instant of thought, abiding in the Heaven of Joy,
dying and transmigrating, taking birth, leaving the palace, undergoing austerities, going to the
seat of awakening, taming Māra, awakening, turning the wheel of Dharma, passing into the great
transcendence of suffering, and letting the sacred Dharma remain from that point on until it
declines, and to demonstrate all this as many times as there are atoms in all the world systems
in the ten directions while forgoing the attainment of complete awakening. This, Bhadrapāla, is
the absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of peace.

“Bhadrapāla, you may wonder what the practice of this absorption is like. Well,
Bhadrapāla, it is to not grasp at anything, not reject anything, and not engage with anything.
It is to pacify all formations. It is to understand all phenomena as they are. It is to engage
in the sameness of all phenomena. It is to not conceptualize, reflect on, or establish any
phenomena. It is to not generate or produce anything. It is to eliminate all concepts, thoughts,
and reflections. It is to be without mental engagement that involves objectification. It is to
eliminate consciousness. It is to eliminate desire, anger, and delusion. It is to be without
mental engagement concerned with both the limited and the limitless. It is to
eliminate all mental engagement. It is to know the nature of the aggregates, the elements, and
the sense sources. It is to be mindful, intelligent, interested, contemplative, and
conscientious, as well as to be ardent in observing proper conduct, ritual, and livelihood. It
is to be on the level of no disturbing emotions and the level of peace. It is to eliminate all
conceptual proliferation. It is to actualize all trainings of the bodhisattvas, the entire
domain of the thus-gone ones, and all virtuous qualities. Bhadrapāla, such is the practice of
this absorption.

“Bhadrapāla, even though bodhisattvas reflect on and analyze the Dharma, they
still do not perceive the Thus-Gone One in his Dharma body, let alone observe him in other ways
apart from the Dharma body.

“Bhadrapāla, bodhisattvas should investigate by thinking, ‘What is meant by
“Thus-Gone One”? Is the Thus-Gone One form, or is the Thus-Gone One
something other than form?’ They should be skilled in such investigations. They should think,
‘The Thus-Gone One is not form, but also not other than form. And why? Well, form is
inanimate, unmoving, and unable to reason—like hay, bricks, wood, and soil. Form is deceptive
like an optical illusion—it is like a mass of foam. What we call form is an
aggregation of the four great elements. Form arises dependently. Whatever arises dependently
is impermanent. Whatever is impermanent is suffering. Whatever is suffering has no
self. Whatever has no self has no intrinsic nature. Whatever has no intrinsic nature has no
appearance. Whatever has no appearance is not genuine. Whatever is not genuine is a false and
deceptive phenomenon. Whatever is a false and deceptive phenomenon is not true. Whatever is not
true is not suchness. Whatever is not suchness is not the Thus-Gone One.

“ ‘The Thus-Gone One is true, genuine, unmistaken suchness, nothing but suchness, non-erroneous suchness, a
speaker of unerring truth, a speaker of reality, a speaker of knowledge, one who holds the
weapon of wisdom, one who possesses limitless wisdom, an omniscient one, an all-seeing one, one
with ten powers, one who has attained the perfection of the four highest types of fearlessness,
one without thoughts and concepts, one without stains, one who is equal to the sky, and one who
cannot be sized up by calculations. The Thus-Gone One is not made, not born, not ceasing,
without engagement, limitless, without abode, without cognition, beyond apprehension, without
movement, utterly pure, free from disturbing emotions, not arising, without action, and
non-abiding.’

“The bodhisattvas should continue to analyze, ‘Form is not the Thus-Gone One, yet
neither is the Thus-Gone One other than form. And why? If something that was other than form were the
Thus-Gone One, then the sky would also be the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not so? Because the sky does
not have form, it cannot be demonstrated, it is unimpeded, it does not cognize, it does not
abide, it cannot be grasped, it has no abode, and it has no characteristics.’

“The bodhisattvas should continue to contemplate, ‘Form is not the Thus-Gone One, yet
neither is the Thus-Gone One other than form. So perhaps feeling is the Thus-Gone One? Or is
the Thus-Gone One other than feeling?’

“They should continue thinking, ‘Feeling is not the
Thus-Gone One, yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than feeling. And why? The Thus-Gone
One has said, “Any type of feeling is suffering. All suffering has the marks of concepts. And
whatever has the marks of concepts is not the Thus-Gone One. Feeling is like water bubbles. It
is trifling. It arises dependently. It arises based on sense contact. Whatever emerges
from sense contact is feeling.” The Thus-Gone One, however, is not like water bubbles. He is not
something trifling, and he is not dependently arisen. The Thus-Gone One is not born from sense
contact. He does not arise based on sense contact. The Thus-Gone One does not have feelings that
are born from sense contact. And why? Because the Thus-Gone One rests in equipoise within the
absorption where all feelings have ceased. He is devoid of feelings. He has gone beyond all
feelings. He has purified all torment. He has abandoned all disturbing emotions, harm, and ill
will. He is not bound, and he is not liberated. He has not passed into parinirvāṇa, yet he is in
the stainless realm of nirvāṇa. The Thus-Gone One is unborn, nonconceptual, invisible,
inaudible, odorless, flavorless, and incomprehensible. He has no characteristics, cannot be
touched with the senses, and cannot be cognized.’ As the bodhisattvas analyze in this way, they
should think, ‘The Thus-Gone One is not feeling, yet neither is he other than feeling. And
why? If something that was other than feeling were the Thus-Gone One, then all grasses, branches, herbs,
bushes, and forests would be the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not so? Because all grasses, branches,
herbs, bushes, and forests are devoid of feeling.’

“The bodhisattvas should continue to contemplate, ‘If the Thus-Gone One is not feeling,
yet also not other than feeling, then is the Thus-Gone One perception, or is he other
than perception?’

“They should continue thinking, ‘Perception is not the Thus-Gone One, nor is
the Thus-Gone One other than perception. And why? Perception is like an optical illusion. It
arises when the eyes, form, light, and mental activity come together. The Thus-Gone One
is not perception. He is not like an optical illusion. He does not arise based on a
meeting of the eyes, form, light, and mental activity. And why? Because the Thus-Gone One is
inconceivable. He is not an object of thought. He has no intention and is free from intention.
He has an incomparable mind. He does not engage in going and coming. He does not go. He has
eliminated going. He is beyond measure. He is uninterrupted. He has no orifices. He is not
substantial. He is not diverse. He is inseparable and authentic. He is not construed. He is
beyond dwelling. He is not touchable.’ The bodhisattvas should continue thinking, ‘Perception is
not the Thus-Gone One but neither is the Thus-Gone One other than perception. If something that is other than perception
were the Thus-Gone One, then any piece of wood or clod of earth would also
be the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not so? Because wood and earth have no perception.’

“The bodhisattvas should then continue to contemplate, ‘If the Thus-Gone One is not
perception, yet also not other than perception, then is the Thus-Gone One perhaps formation?
Or is he other than formation?’

“They should continue thinking, ‘Formations are not the
Thus-Gone One, yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than formations. And why? Formations
are not entities. They are of a false and deceptive nature. They arise from ignorance. Formations
are born out of ignorance. The Thus-Gone One is not a non-entity. He is not false. He is not
deceptive. Unlike formations, he is not born from ignorance. And why? The Thus-Gone One rests in
equipoise within the absorption where ignorance has ceased. Since he has transcended the
conceptual absorption of those who experience form as well as the unchanging
absorption, he has accomplished the cessation of perception and feeling. The Thus-Gone One is
peace, invisible, not apparent, and limitless. He is like the clouds. He is not tranquil, not
peaceful, without peace, and devoid of peace. He is pure and without disturbing emotions. He is
without craving. He is without liking. He does not circle in existence. He is beyond circling in
existence. He rests in the manner of not resting. He is not bound. He is beyond death and
transmigration. He does not pass away. He is not a dharma. He is also not not a dharma. He is not
wood. He is also not not wood. He does not perish. He also does not not perish.
He is free from perishing. He is momentary. He is undisturbed.’ They should then continue thinking, ‘Formations are not the
Thus-Gone One but neither is the Thus-Gone One other than formations. And why? If something that is other than formations were
the Thus-Gone One, then the Thus-Gone One would be a non-entity. And why is that not so?
Because a non-entity is what is not formations.’

“The bodhisattvas should then continue to contemplate, ‘If the Thus-Gone One is not
formations, yet is also not other than formations, then is the Thus-Gone One perhaps
consciousness? Or is he other than consciousness?’

“They should continue thinking,
‘Consciousness is not the Thus-Gone One, yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than
consciousness. And why? Consciousness is illusory. It is hollow and inauthentic. It arises based
on coming together with formation. It is produced based on coming together with incorrect attention. The
Thus-Gone One is not hollow. He is not something inauthentic. He does not definitively arise from incorrect attention.
He is not produced from incorrect attention like consciousness. And why? The
Thus-Gone One is free from mentation, conceptual mind, and consciousness. He is without letters,
without sound, without objects, without substantiality, and without mind. He is not associated with
anything yet also not disassociated from anything. He is without intelligence yet also not without
intelligence. He is without realization yet also not without realization. He does not go, yet he
also does not not go. He is indivisible. He cannot be divided. He does not pass beyond. He is
without characteristics. He is free from characteristics. He is not characterized. He is without
mental constructs. He is not a source. He is without attachment. He is free from attachment. He
harmonizes. He is distinguished by suchness. He is not thatness yet neither is he not not
thatness.’ They should then continue thinking, ‘Consciousness is not the Thus-Gone One but
neither is the Thus-Gone One other than consciousness. If something that was other than consciousness were
the Thus-Gone One, an optical illusion would also be the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not so? Because an
optical illusion is not consciousness.’

“The bodhisattvas should then continue to contemplate, ‘The Thus-Gone One is not
perceived as being in the past, nor is he from the future, nor is he perceived as being in the
present. Since he is not perceived, he is nonconceptual and beyond thought. Being beyond
concepts, he does not dwell anywhere separately. Since he does not dwell anywhere separately, he
has no extent. Since he has no extent, he is not longed for. Since he is not longed for, he is
not pained over. Since he is not pained over, he is not tormented over. Since he is not
tormented over, he is not grieved over.’

“Those who do not feel grief have no agony. Those who are free from agony do not run
around and do not run here and there. Those who do not run do not run here and there. Those who
do not run here and there are not lost. Those who are not lost do not wander around. Those who
do not wander around know no wandering. Those who know no wandering are free from wandering.
Those who are free from wandering have no thoughts. Those who have no thoughts are
conscientious. Those who are conscientious are noble beings. Those who are noble beings are
worthy ones. Those who are worthy ones are free from the stain of ego, the stain of being, the
stain of life force, the stain of person, the stain of the aggregates, the stain of the
elements, the stain of the sense sources, the stain of existing entities the stain of causes,
the stain of conditions, the stain of objectification, and the stain of origin. Such beings are
also free from the stain of self-importance due to pride, the stain of feeling, the stain of
desire, the stain of anger, the stain of delusion, the stain of wrath, the stain of ill will,
the stain of pride, the stain of arrogance, the stain of thinking, and the stain of agony. They
have no stains of pride and arrogance. They have no stains of hell beings, animals, and pretas.
They have no stains of the realm of the Lord of Death. They have no stains of the desire realm,
the form realm, and the formless realm. They have no stains of saṃsāra. In this way, no stains
can be observed.

“Those who are free from desire and without stains are known as noble ones, worthy
ones, liberated ones, the foremost among gods, those who always rest in equanimity, and buddhas.
Such beings have no thoughts regarding any phenomenon, and being without thoughts, they are
beyond affliction. Being free from affliction, they feel no torment. Being without torment, they
remain natural. Being natural, they do not engage with any phenomena.

“Now, if they do not engage
with phenomena in this way, is form then awakened into buddhahood? Or is it rather that feeling,
perception, formation, and consciousness are awakened into buddhahood? Who is awakened into
perfect buddhahood?

“Is it the five aggregates that teach the Dharma? The five aggregates are not
authentic. They are illusory, without substance, unreal, and immaterial, and they arise due to
mistaken mental activity. The realm of phenomena, on the other hand, is not without substance,
not unreal, and not inauthentic, and it does not arise due to mistaken mental activity. It is
not illusory. It is not like an optical illusion. It is not like the moon’s reflection in water.
It is not like an echo. Therefore, someone does teach this Dharma. And why? Bhadrapāla, the
realm of phenomena is pure, genuine, and not erroneous. It is unmistaken suchness. If that is
suchness, then who is the teacher? The five aggregates are impermanent, painful, empty, without
self, dependently arisen, trifling, and fleeting. Awakening is genuine, without mental
constructs, ungraspable, inexpressible, invisible, imperceptible, without characteristics,
limitless, sky-like, without equal, incomparable, and without mentation, conceptual mind, and
consciousness. It is beyond all sounds and words. It does not dwell in any place or direction.
It cannot be analyzed or shown. It is peace and yet free from peace. It is cool, without basis,
without abode, uncompounded, unborn, unceasing, nondual, and none other than suchness. It is
unchanging suchness, suchness that does not come, and suchness that does not go. It is sameness
beyond saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.

“Bhadrapāla, suchness is not polluted. It is not purified. It is not pure. Suchness is
neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa. Suchness is not born, nor does it cease. Suchness is not the
lowest, or mediocre, or supreme. So-called ‘suchness’ is the realm of phenomena. The realm of
phenomena does not exist as an essence related to either self or phenomena. It does
not abide as an essence of phenomena. It does not abide as any phenomena. It is emptiness. It
abides as emptiness. It abides as ultimate emptiness. It abides as great emptiness. It abides as
supreme emptiness. It is the firm basis. The realm of phenomena is immutable, non-abiding,
without abode, without essence, without movement, without acceptance, without rejection, without
claiming, and without grasping. To know this Dharma without having thoughts regarding that
knowledge is to know the realm of phenomena. The realm of phenomena is the Buddha and the Buddha
is the limit of reality, which is stainless, peaceful, and cool. It is unborn and unceasing.

“The aggregates entail mental proliferation, and the bodhisattvas should therefore
consider them by thinking, ‘How can I awaken these five aggregates that cause mental
proliferation into perfect buddhahood? Is it form that is awakened into buddhahood? Or is it
perhaps feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness that is awakened into perfect
buddhahood? Form is inanimate, unmoving and without thought, just like grass, a wall, a piece of
wood, or a mirage. So it is not form that is awakened into perfect buddhahood. Feeling is like a
water bubble: it is trifling, and it arises based on sense contact. That is also not awakened
into perfect buddhahood. Perception is like an optical illusion. It arises when the eyes, form,
light, and mental activity come together. That is also not awakened into perfect buddhahood.
Formations are immaterial. They are false and deceptive phenomena that arise based on ignorance.
They are also not awakened into perfect buddhahood. Consciousness is illusory, hollow,
inauthentic, and not genuine. It definitively arises based on coming together with formations. It
is produced based on coming together with incorrect attention.
And that is not awakening into perfect buddhahood.’

“Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattvas should then continue thinking, ‘If it is not the five
aggregates that awaken to perfect buddhahood, is the awakening to perfect buddhahood then caused
by the marks of a great being? Or is perfect buddhahood due to the Dharma? Or is perfect
buddhahood caused by one’s roots of virtue? No, people do not awaken to perfect buddhahood due
to physical marks. If people awakened to perfect buddhahood due to the physical marks of a great
being, then a universal monarch would also awaken to perfect buddhahood. And why? Because a
universal monarch also possesses the thirty-two marks. So, since one does not awaken to perfect
buddhahood because of one’s marks, does one perhaps awaken because of the Dharma? No, one does
also not awaken to perfect buddhahood because of the Dharma. And why? Because the Dharma is
without form, not demonstrable, unimpeded, unfindable, non-abiding, not apparent, not
noticeable, invisible, unborn, unceasing, and sky-like. One does not awaken to perfect
buddhahood through that. So, if one does not awaken to perfect buddhahood through the Dharma,
then does one perhaps awaken to perfect buddhahood because of one’s roots of virtue? No, one
does also not awaken to perfect buddhahood by means of one’s roots of virtue. And why? While
bodhisattvas assemble roots of virtue, they do not yet take their place on the seat of
awakening, and they no longer have them after having achieved buddhahood. If one examines other
possible causes, they can also not be observed. So, who does awaken to perfect buddhahood?’

“As the bodhisattvas examine in this way, there are no roots of virtue to
observe, and so they think, ‘Are roots of virtue gathered through form? Or are they gathered due
to feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness? Form is inanimate, unmoving, and without
thought, so that does not gather roots of virtue. Feeling is like a water bubble: it is
trifling, it arises dependently, and it appears based on sense contact. That can also not gather
roots of virtue. Perception is like an optical illusion. It arises when the eyes, form, light,
and mental activity come together. That can also not gather roots of virtue. Formations are
immaterial. They are false and deceptive phenomena that arise based on ignorance. They can also
not gather roots of virtue. Consciousness is illusory, hollow, inauthentic, and not genuine. It arises based
on coming together with formation. It is produced based on coming together with incorrect attention. And that cannot gather
roots of virtue.’ Thinking like this, the bodhisattvas should continue their investigation until
they realize that no agent that gathers the roots of virtue can be observed.

“However, as they
realize this, they should avoid thinking, ‘I do not observe anything. I do not even observe the
one who sits at the seat of awakening. I do not observe anything!’ They should avoid such
thinking, as well as the thought, ‘I do not observe awakening; I do not observe it! I do not
observe anyone who awakens; I do not observe it!’ As they analyze, they should be without any
thoughts related to awakening, beings, or the wisdom of the Buddha.

“Bhadrapāla, unsurpassed and perfect awakening is free from thoughts regarding any
phenomena. And why? Because it does not observe any phenomena coming into being or ceasing. A
buddha is so called because he understands reality as it is—the realm of peace— yet
does not entertain any concepts, thoughts, and reflections in that regard. That is peace. That
is the cool state. A buddha is called so because he is beyond mentation, conceptual mind, and
consciousness. Bhadrapāla, that is the absorption known as the miraculous
ascertainment of peace. Bhadrapāla, bodhisattvas who train in this absorption
will actualize all absorptions.”

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, although the blessed
buddhas are not born and do not cease, they do display birth and cessation. Although they do not
express a single syllable, they do teach the Dharma to countless millions of followers. The
skillful means of the blessed buddhas is amazing!”

Then the Blessed One said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, although they awaken to
unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in a buddha realm that is superior by virtue of twelve
sublime qualities, the buddhas cause a degenerate eon to be seen, where they manifest various vehicles
in an afflicted buddha realm characterized by degenerate times, degenerate beings, degenerate
emotions, and degenerate lives. There they teach the Dharma extensively and ripen beings in many
ways without being harmed by the afflictive emotions of the non-Buddhists and without being
harmed by any demons, demonic emotions, or demonic activity. They are also unscathed by the
afflictions of opposing armies, regional struggles, and tumult, robbers, barbarian incursions,
thieves, and famine, or by the disturbances caused by yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas,
mahoragas, and kaṭapūtanas. Due to the transformative powers of the strengths of the
thus-gone ones’ previous roots of virtue, activities, aspirations, and skill in means, the
buddhas tame those beings appropriately and ripen them. Thereby, although the thus-gone ones
know the actions of others, they remain impartial toward them all. This nonconceptuality should
be seen as the skillfulness of the thus-gone ones.”

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta requested the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what is the buddha
realm endowed with those qualities, and what are the qualities it is endowed with? Please tell us about
those twelve essential qualities of the perfect awakening of the blessed buddhas in that buddha realm.”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, that buddha realm is endowed with ⁽¹⁾ the finest of eons,
⁽²⁾ the finest time, ⁽³⁾ the finest inhabitants, ⁽⁴⁾ the finest realms, ⁽⁵⁾ the finest vehicles, ⁽⁶⁾ the finest
ground, and ⁽⁷⁾ the finest teaching. In that buddha realm ⁽⁸⁾ wander no non-Buddhists such as carakas,
parivrājakas, or nirgranthas. That buddha realm is ⁽⁹⁾ imbued with aspirations and higher
aspirations. That buddha realm ⁽¹⁰⁾ houses beings who are naturally inclined toward
the virtuous qualities. That buddha realm is ⁽¹¹⁾ endowed with the finest of noble beings. In that
buddha realm ⁽¹²⁾ the thus-gone ones of yore lived and flourished. Mañjuśrī, that buddha realm is
endowed with these twelve essential qualities. It is in that buddha realm that the blessed
buddhas awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.

“Mañjuśrī, through this explanation you should know that in my buddha realm there is no
system of distinct vehicles for hearers and solitary buddhas. And why? Because I have
no notions of separateness. Mañjuśrī, if the Thus-Gone One were to teach the Great Vehicle to
some beings, the Vehicle of the Solitary Buddhas to others, and the Vehicle of the Hearers to
yet others, then the Thus-Gone One would have an impure mind. He would have a biased mind full
of attachment. Thus, the Thus-Gone One would have limited compassion. The Thus-Gone One would
commit the fault of thinking in terms of multiplicity. The Thus-Gone One would become a teacher
who is tightfisted with the Dharma. Mañjuśrī, whichever Dharma the Thus-Gone One teaches, it is
always linked to the Great Vehicle, it will always connect to the Great Vehicle, it is always
connected to the Great Vehicle, it accomplishes the wisdom of omniscience, it actualizes the
wisdom of omniscience, and it aims to actualize the wisdom of omniscience. Therefore, Mañjuśrī,
in that buddha realm there is no tradition of distinct vehicles.”

Mañjuśrī said, “Blessed One, if there is no tradition of distinct vehicles, how is it
that you, Blessed One, have shown three vehicles to beings, saying, ‘This is the Vehicle of the
Hearers, this is the Vehicle of the Solitary Buddhas, and this is the Great Vehicle’?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, when I speak of distinct vehicles, that is a
figurative subdivision. Mañjuśrī, when he speaks of teaching a Dharma that is highest,
intermediate, or lowest, it is the characteristics of the Dharma that the Thus-Gone One is showing
how to classify. In fact it is people that the Thus-Gone One is so classifying. Thus, he posits distinct vehicles in
order to ripen those who have only gathered insignificant accumulations of merit as well as
those who have gathered limitless accumulations of merit. Still, the vehicle itself remains
indivisible. And why? Because the realm of phenomena is indivisible. Mañjuśrī, the
so-called teaching of the vehicles has been taught faultlessly by the
Thus-Gone One.

“Mañjuśrī, take the example of a skilled master archer who has perfected the art of
archery. He may show various methods of archery to his students and teach them various ways to
make progress but, although he trains them in this way, he teaches only the single skill of
archery. Mañjuśrī, likewise, the Thus-Gone One, who is a skilled master archer of the Dharma,
points out various ways of the Dharma to beings with differing capacities, inclinations, and
interests. In doing so he teaches three vehicles, although there is actually only a single
unsurpassed and perfect state of awakening.

“Mañjuśrī, think of how a tiny spark that flies into a field of grass can start an
inferno that burns like the fire at the end of an eon. Mañjuśrī, likewise, in order to
incinerate all disturbing emotions, a single spark from the light of non-regressing wisdom is
able to gradually increase until it blazes with the great wisdom light of the thus-gone ones.
Mañjuśrī, no lowly animal dares to stand in front of the king of beasts, the lion with its mane.
Mañjuśrī, likewise, no non-Buddhist, whether caraka, parivrājaka, nirgrantha, or ājīvika, dares
to stand or speak in front of the Thus-Gone One. It is impossible for one to utter a word in
front of a lion-like great being who possesses the power of the ten powers and the fearlessness
of the four types of fearlessness. When it comes to ripening beings, the Thus-Gone One’s
transformative powers are unrivaled. Mañjuśrī, for example, when the sun rises it shines with
endless dazzling rays of light, so that in comparison all fireflies lose their shine, their
shimmer, their brightness, and their beauty. Mañjuśrī, likewise, when the sun of the Thus-Gone
One’s unsurpassed great wisdom rises, it sends forth endless dazzling rays of great
wisdom that cause all non-Buddhists, such as the carakas, parivrājakas, and nirgranthas, to lose
their shine, their shimmer, their brightness, and their beauty. Such are the transformative
powers of the Thus-Gone One.

“The domain of the Thus-Gone One’s skillful means is inconceivable. Therefore, in that
buddha realm, non-Buddhists such as the carakas, parivrājakas, and nirgranthas are awakened. And
why? Because all the approaches of the non-Buddhists are grounded in inconceivable liberations
and absorptions. They find emancipation through the perfection of insight and are embraced by
great skillful means. They are never without consideration for the Buddha, the Dharma, and the
Saṅgha. They have attained supreme mastery in ripening beings. They have the capacities to ripen
beings due to the transformative power of the Thus-Gone One.

“Mañjuśrī, consider this analogy. Imagine if as many beings as
there are atoms in all the world systems in the great trichiliocosm all became kings with
dominion over Jambudvīpa and made this declaration: ‘Every day we shall tear with our own nails
five ounces of flesh from the bodies of those who adopt, uphold, recite, or master the Great
Vehicle, and so we shall rob them of their lives.’ Were bodhisattvas to be
addressed in this way, Mañjuśrī, they would not be afraid and would not panic. They would not
give rise to even a single thought of fear but would remain undeterred, without despair, and
without doubts, and they would apply themselves with even greater dedication for the sake of the
Dharma. These bodhisattvas, who would be diligent in both reading and chanting the teaching,
would, Mañjuśrī, be described as heroic persons with regard to generosity, discipline, patience,
diligence, concentration, insight, and
absorption. Mañjuśrī, if those bodhisattvas
could avoid becoming irate, hateful, and angry toward those who try to kill them, then,
Mañjuśrī, those bodhisattvas would be the same as Brahmā, Indra, and Mount
Meru. They would be imperturbable, compassionate, loving, and
interested in fulfilling the wishes of all beings. Their experience would be non-regressing.
Their minds would be like earth, like water, like fire, and like the sky. They would work to
eradicate the desire, anger, delusion, and hate of all beings.

“Mañjuśrī, some bodhisattvas might fill as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand
in the Ganges with the jewels known as enthralling kings and offer these
individually to as many buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, continuing to make
this offering for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Compare to them, Mañjuśrī,
some other bodhisattvas who might hear a teaching such as this, go their own ways, contemplate the
teaching, and form the wish to practice, thinking, ‘I must practice this teaching!’ The merit of these latter bodhisattvas,
even if they have not practiced yet, would still be greater than the merit of
the former bodhisattvas who offered the enthralling king
jewels. And why? Because as soon as they engender that attitude,
they hold four qualities. What are these four qualities? ⁽¹⁾ They are filled with love. ⁽²⁾ They do not
contradict the teachings of the blessed buddhas of the past, present, and future. ⁽³⁾ They
diligently make use of these teachings. ⁽⁴⁾ They will quickly awaken to unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood. These are the four qualities that they uphold. They also uphold four other
qualities. What are these four qualities? They uphold ⁽¹⁾ the ten powers of a thus-gone
one, ⁽²⁾ the four types of fearlessness, ⁽³⁾ the four types of correct understanding, and ⁽⁴⁾ the freedom of
a stainless mind. Such are these four qualities.

“Mañjuśrī, there are also four qualities that, when practiced, make one a bodhisattva great
being. What are these four qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ extending timely generosity, ⁽²⁾ being free from
deceit and pretense, ⁽³⁾ not taking breaks from engendering the mind of awakening with an altruistic
attitude, and ⁽⁴⁾ being deeply respectful toward even a bodhisattva who has just begun engendering
the mind of awakening. When practicing these four qualities, one is called a bodhisattva great
being. Mañjuśrī, suppose a king or a minister threatens bodhisattvas, saying, ‘If you carry out
even a single root of virtue for the sake of another being, even something as insignificant as
feeding a single meal to an animal, I will personally destroy you by tearing the flesh off your
bones with my nails.’ In that case, they should not be afraid of that threat. Instead, while
remaining undeterred and free from worry, they should tell themselves, ‘Even if he were to use
his nails to tear off the flesh from as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, I
would never miss the chance to accomplish a root of virtue, no matter how small, even if it only
benefits and helps a single being.’ By that very attitude the bodhisattvas will then surpass
even an unstinting offering of everything there is in all the world systems in the ten
directions. It would even surpass those roots of virtue that arise from the generosity of as
many bodhisattvas as there are atoms in all the world systems in the ten directions, and it
would cause the progress of those bodhisattvas toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood to be irreversible. It
would make them universal monarchs for as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.
Likewise, it would cause them to become Brahmā and Śakra as many times as there are grains of
sand in the Ganges. And why?

“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who develop compassion for others come to uphold four qualities
thanks to the roots of virtue of such compassion. What are these four? They will master ⁽¹⁾ a stable
mind, ⁽²⁾ a mind without anger, ⁽³⁾ a compassionate mind, and ⁽⁴⁾ they will attain unmistaken wisdom by
abandoning mistaken cognition. They also uphold four other qualities. What are these four? ⁽¹⁾ They
uphold a foremost and perfect discipline, and because they are in possession of this foremost
and perfect discipline, they do not have to rely on any gods. ⁽²⁾ They attain supreme and perfect
mindfulness and, because they possess such supreme and perfect mindfulness, they become mindful
of feelings. ⁽³⁾ They come to follow a supreme and perfect spiritual friend, and because they have
such a supreme and perfect spiritual friend, those bodhisattvas never stray from becoming
buddhas. ⁽⁴⁾ They will be born in buddha realms in which there is always the presence of a buddha.
Even if there should not be any buddha present, they will be born in Jambudvīpa as holy beings
who become recipients of generosity from those who live in that continent. As solitary buddhas
or those with the five types of superknowledge, they will be free from the attachments of
desire, and they will make beings there happy. As they bring people happiness, they will offer
them alms, while the gods will protect them. If they should ever become careless, the gods from
the pure realms will encourage them in the right direction. Having been encouraged in
this way, they will then be eager to practice for
unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, without losing sight of that goal.

“Thus, they will
diligently practice the causes of awakening. Mañjuśrī, when those bodhisattvas engender the mind
of awakening, they come to uphold five purifying qualities. What are these five? They attain
⁽¹⁾ pure discipline, ⁽²⁾ pure body, ⁽³⁾ pure attainment of perfect physical marks, and ⁽⁵⁾ pure
training in roots of virtue, and they come to rely on the Buddha, on the Dharma, on the Saṅgha,
on the bodhisattvas, and on engendering the mind of awakening. Mañjuśrī, these are the five
purifying qualities that they come to uphold.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose some noble son or daughter was to kill all the beings in
Jambudvīpa and rob them of all their possessions. Mañjuśrī, if you compare that act to the act
of another noble son or daughter who created obstacles for a bodhisattva’s single virtuous intention,
be it no more than blocking the roots of virtue of giving a single
morsel of food to an animal, then this latter act would create immeasurably more negativity than
the former. And why? Because it would create obstacles for the roots of virtue that cause a
buddha to appear.

“Mañjuśrī, noble sons or daughters may create obstacles by criticizing, slandering, and
opposing a bodhisattva who is devoted to a precious discourse like this, which has come forth
from the wisdom of the Buddha, or they may cause the bodhisattva to give up such roots of virtue
or lose interest in them. In such cases, by accumulating such roots of nonvirtue, those persons
will be born among the beings in the great hells. Once born there, those persons will obtain
bodies five hundred leagues tall. On those bodies there will be five hundred heads, each one of
them with five hundred tongues. On each of these tongues there will be five hundred plows
plowing.

“For as many eons as it takes that bodhisattva to awaken to perfect buddhahood, those
hell beings will have to endure great suffering in the great hells. And why? Because they
created obstacles for the manifestation of a buddha. Those who create obstacles for the
manifestation of a buddha are cutting themselves off from the family of the Buddha.
They are cutting themselves off from the family of the Dharma. They are cutting themselves off
from the family of the Saṅgha. They are cutting themselves off from the family of the gods. They
are cutting themselves off from the family of all Brahmā gods. They are cutting themselves off
from the world of humans. They are cutting themselves off from the happiness of all beings.

“Mañjuśrī, those who attempt to disrupt the roots of virtue of a bodhisattva will
experience great sufferings such as these. And why? Because all bodhisattvas awaken to perfect
buddhahood through such accumulations of roots of virtue. Once they awaken, they turn the wheel
of Dharma for others who, once they hear the Dharma, become stream enterers, once-returners,
non-returners, worthy ones, and solitary buddhas, as well as gods in the Heaven of the Four
Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Heaven Free from Strife, the Heaven of Joy, the
Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, and the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations. Such
beings also become the moon and the sun; they become the great Gaṇapati of the groups of stars
and planets. They become Rudra and Great Rudra. It is in dependence on the Buddha that there
appear the gods in the heavens of Brahmā, Great Brahmā, High Priests of Brahmā, Limited Light,
and Limitless Light, as well as the Luminous Heaven, Heaven of Limited Virtue, Heaven of
Limitless Virtue, Heaven of Perfected Virtue, Cloudless Heaven, Heaven of Increased Merit,
Heaven of Great Fruition, Unlofty Heaven, Heaven of No Hardship, Sublime Heaven, Gorgeous
Heaven, and the Highest Heaven. It is in dependence on the Buddha that beings are born in the
world as universal monarchs, powerful universal monarchs, and minor kings and as sages with the
five types of superknowledge. It is in dependence on the Buddha that the path of the ten virtues
appears in the world. It is in dependence on the Buddha that beings are born in the
world of humans. It is in dependence on the Buddha that beings come to have happiness and great
wealth, plentiful treasuries, and very fine bodies and that they can travel by elephants, by
horses, and with infantry.

“Mañjuśrī,
when a bodhisattva visits other people’s homes, those who create jealousy or stinginess toward that
bodhisattva should know that there are three great dangers that occur on such grounds. What
are those three? They are the danger of taking birth in hell, the danger of being born blind, and
the danger of being born in the borderlands. Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas receive alms and share them
with those who starve, the poor, the needy, and the destitute, then that root of virtue will
ensure that, as they pass to the next life, they will be born as universal monarchs with great
miraculous abilities. Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas teach the Dharma to some householders and,
motivated by compassion, aspire for their well-being and benefit, hoping that the listeners may
find happiness and success without themselves being concerned with profit or honor, then that
root of virtue will sharpen their insight and cause them to become universal monarchs with great
miraculous abilities. They will become Śakra with great miraculous abilities. They will become
Brahmā with great miraculous abilities. Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas feel compassion when seeing
beings who suffer and feel exhilarated when seeing beings who are happy, then, as they pass to
the next life, that root of virtue will cause their bodies to be the color of gold.”

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, with regard to what is
the path of the noble ones explained?”

The Blessed One said, “The path of the noble ones is explained with regard to the
existence of conditioning. The path of the noble ones does not remain anywhere. Where
there is no remaining, there is also no support for consciousness. And when consciousness is not
supported, that is referred to as remaining on the path. That which is the
support of the path of the noble ones is also the support of the eyes, the support of the ears,
the support of the nose, the support of the tongue, the support of the body, and the support of
the mind. And why? The eyes are devoid of eyes. Likewise, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the
body, and the mind are also devoid of themselves. If you wonder how they are devoid, they are
void of past, future, and present. As for the eyes being void, their voidness is neither
existent nor nonexistent. Likewise, as for the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the
mind being void, their voidness is neither existent nor nonexistent. In the case of form, sound,
smell, taste, texture, and mental phenomena, their voidness is neither existent nor nonexistent.
And why? Because it is utterly devoid of a self and anything that belongs to a self. It is
entirely devoid of anything that is permanent, stable, solid, or immutable. Hence, it cannot be
described as either empty or not empty, nor can it be described as either past or not past,
future or not future, or present or not present. Thus, it cannot be said to be past, present, or
future. It cannot be described in such terms. And why? Because it is empty of the past, the
future, and the present. That which is empty of past, future, and present is also pure in terms
of past, future, and present. Mañjuśrī, tell me, is it possible to destroy the
indestructible?”

Mañjuśrī replied, “No, Blessed One, it is not. And why? Because it remains the same and
will never be anything but the very same.”

The Blessed One said, “In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One’s
teaching of the Dharma remains nothing but the same. Mañjuśrī, if something remains nothing but
the same, it cannot be destroyed. That which is indestructible and remains the same does not
contain anything that is not the same. It is not dependent, does not come, and does not go. It
is the true end of going. It cannot be known. By what means is it unknowable? It cannot be known
through the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. It cannot be known by means of
any type of conditioning. It is the cessation of all conditioning related to body, speech, and
mind. What causes this cessation? Is this the cessation of something that arose in the past and
then subsequently ceased? Or is this a cessation in terms of something that was destroyed in the
past? Is there something that ceases by being destroyed? The conditioning of nonvirtuous karma
is produced because previously one remained in ignorance. Yet with knowledge of this fact,
conditioning ceases. If one previously did not rely on the Dharma of the noble ones but remained
in ignorance, one would perform nonvirtuous actions. Yet when one relies on the path of the
noble ones, one gains realization through wisdom, and thus conditioning will cease.

“That which is empty of wisdom is emptiness. The eye is empty of wisdom and so are the
ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. Why is that? Because wisdom is empty of
wisdom. And emptiness is the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. Since
the mind is not observed, the eye does not contain any eye. And why? Utterly unborn, the eye
does not remain. The same applies to the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind.
When the mind is not observed, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind
do not remain in the mind. And why? Because the eye is utterly unborn. Thus, the eyes, the ears,
the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind do not remain. Since they do not remain, they are
serene, and thus one now abides by means of a mind of seclusion.

“What is meant by ‘seclusion’? Mañjuśrī, ‘seclusion’ refers to the limit of the
sameness of all phenomena, the limit of nonduality, the limit of reality, and the
limit of non-occurrence. Mañjuśrī, in seclusion there is no birth, old age, or death. Where
there is no birth, old age, or death, there is no suffering. Where there is no suffering,
suffering does not arise. Where suffering does not arise, there is no fear. Where there is no
fear, there is no mind or consciousness. Where there is no mind or consciousness, there is no
birth and no cessation. Where there is no birth and no cessation, there is seclusion. Since this
is how the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha remains, it is said that he remains in seclusion.

“Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One does not remain. The examination of the Thus-Gone One is
beyond examination. Not seeing any phenomena is seeing the Thus-Gone One. The words of the
Thus-Gone One are beyond all words and cannot be set forth. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, I teach
the Dharma in terms of the cessation of the teaching of all letters and words as related to all
phenomena. Thus, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One does not utter a single syllable. And why? Because
in the case of the Thus-Gone One there are no mental engagements. He is beyond the workings of
the mind and has no thoughts springing from the mind. For him there is no activity of the mind,
no ascertainment of the mind, and no movement of the mind. He is beyond all thoughts of the
mind. He has no basis for mind and is free from any consciousness that arises from mind. He has
no place for a personal mind, nor does he have a place for the minds of others. The Thus-Gone
One does not have a mind that abides among form, feeling, perception, formation, and
consciousness. He does not have a mind that abides in relation to the eyes, the ears, the nose,
the tongue, the body, or the mind. The Thus-Gone One does not have a mind that abides in
relation to form, sound, smell, taste, texture, or mental phenomena. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī,
the Thus-Gone One is peaceful, serene, resting always in equanimity, not apparent, invisible,
endless, and cloud-like. Although that surely is the case, beings nevertheless
perceive the Thus-Gone One. This is due to the power of their past roots of virtue combined with
the past aspirations of the Thus-Gone One and the transformative power of his activity. Thus
they can reflect on him and ask him questions. Those with mature faculties and those who have
been tamed are therefore able to hear his speech. And why? Because the Thus-Gone One is unborn
and unceasing.

“Whoever does not see any nature in phenomena sees the Thus-Gone One. Whoever does not
see any phenomena sees the Thus-Gone One. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One is
beyond all phenomena. He can therefore not be described in terms of any phenomenon, and he is
also beyond the absence of expression. And why? Because no phenomenon can be observed. Whoever
does not observe any phenomena or non-phenomena, anything conditioned or unconditioned, sees the
Thus-Gone One. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One is beyond all phenomena. He does
not accept any phenomena, does not appropriate any phenomena, and does not impute any phenomena.
Mañjuśrī, the cessation of all phenomena is the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha. Seeing all
phenomena as they truly are is to see the Thus-Gone One. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, regarding
the Thus-Gone One, it is like this: If one does not perceive any phenomena, and if one sees the
Thus-Gone One in that same way, then one will understand the statement, ‘All phenomena are the
Thus-Gone One.’ Moreover, one will understand the statement, ‘All phenomena are suchness,
unmistaken suchness, and nothing but suchness—unborn and unceasing.’ One will also understand
the statement, ‘No object and beyond object—such is the domain of the Thus-Gone One.’

“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who rest in this absorption know with their single minds the
mental activities of all beings. Due to the sameness of their own minds, they realize the minds
of all beings to be sameness. And due to the sameness of the minds of all beings, they realize
their own minds to be sameness. And why is that? Because mind is illusory and because the minds
of all beings are naturally luminous. As their own bodies are the natural state, they realize
the bodies of all beings to be the natural state. And why? Since all bodies are like
reflections, they can let the bodies of all beings enter and merge with their own bodies. They
can also make their own bodies follow and merge with the bodies of all beings. To properly train
others, the body of the Buddha can transform into the body of any being. That is also how it is
according to the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas. He can transform his own
body, the bodies of others, and various realms. Likewise, according to his wishes, he can
transform the lement of earth into the element of water, the element of fire, or the element of
wind. He can transform the element of water into the element of earth, the element of fire, or
the element of wind. He can transform the element of fire into the element of earth, the element
of water, or the element of wind. He can transform the element of wind into the element of
earth, the element of water, or the element of fire. His transformative power is such that it
would be impossible for anyone else in the world, whether Śakra, Brahmā, or Māra, to inspire or
bring alignment with the Dharma to the same degree.

“Mañjuśrī, the four types of correct understanding, the six types of
superknowledge, the thirty-seven factors of awakening, and the four transformative powers will
enter the bodies of the bodhisattva great beings, who aspire to this activity. Mañjuśrī, how do
the four types of correct understanding, the six types of superknowledge, the thirty-seven
factors of awakening, and the four transformative powers enter the bodies of such bodhisattva
great beings?

“Mañjuśrī, when the bodhisattvas’ consciousness does not observe form, they correctly
apprehend the meaning. By relying on the actual meaning, they correctly understand the Dharma.
When the bodhisattvas realize that phenomena are unborn, unmanifest, and unceasing, they gain a
correct understanding of language. When they gain certainty of language, they obtain correct
understanding of eloquence.

“When, upon seeing form, the bodhisattvas keep their eyes unattached and unobscured
with regard to the elements and sense sources, they obtain an unimpaired visual superknowledge.
As they hear all meanings related to form even when just a single syllable is being uttered,
they attain an unimpaired, unattached, and unobscured aural superknowledge. As they know the
minds and mind states of all beings while remaining unattached and beyond separation, they
achieve an unimpaired, unattached, and unobscured superknowledge of the minds of others. As they
know the mental experiences of all beings to be nothing but sameness, they obtain an unimpaired,
unattached, and unobscured superknowledge that recollects previous births. As they act
altruistically by means of a discipline that does not observe former and future words or the
limitless forms of language, they develop an unimpaired, spontaneous, unattached, and unobscured
superknowledge of miraculous manifestations. They are without desire—whether in the past, the
future, or the present—and, being free from desire, their minds are unstained by
attachment, anger, and delusion. Thus, they attain an unimpaired, unattached, and unobscured
superknowledge with regard to actualizing an undefiled mind.

“Since they understand by means of sameness, they know that form is unborn, unceasing,
and non-abiding. That is the application of mindfulness of the body that accords with the body.
With the knowledge of sameness, they understand that experiences concerning form are unborn.
That is the application of mindfulness of sensations that accords with sensations. With the
knowledge of sameness, they understand that the various observations of form are divorced from
the mind and do not involve it. That absence of mind is the application of mindfulness of the
mind that accords with the mind. With the knowledge of sameness, they have no erroneous notions
regarding the twelve sense sources, nor do they have any erroneous mind states or views, and
they do not advance or posit anything. That is the application of mindfulness of phenomena that
accords with phenomena.

“Since they understand the indivisible nature of the realm of phenomena, they know form
to be unborn, unceasing, and non-abiding, and they do not entertain any notions of virtue or
nonvirtue. That is the thorough relinquishment that abandons all phenomena related to negative
and nonvirtuous minds and those mental states that have already arisen. Since they have no
conceptual activity, they know form to be unborn, unceasing, and non-abiding, and, by not
transcending suffering, they do not interpolate or reduce.
Thus, by not dwelling on form, they abandon nonvirtue. That is their thorough relinquishment
that avoids the arising of evil and those nonvirtuous phenomena that have not yet arisen. Since
they have no conceptual activity, they know all visual forms to be unborn, unceasing, and
non-abiding. Moreover, since they understand that the realm of phenomena is unborn sameness,
they do not label or posit anything. Thus, without any observation of nonvirtue, they give rise
to those virtuous phenomena that have not yet come into being. That is the thorough
relinquishment that gives rise to virtuous phenomena that have not yet come into being. Since
they have no conceptual activity, they know form to be unborn, unceasing, and non-abiding. Since
they know that form is non-abiding, unborn, and unceasing, they do not label or posit anything.
Instead, they practice virtue without perceiving virtue. That is the thorough relinquishment
that ensures that virtuous phenomena continue.

“By way of not being affected, they are intent not to dwell on form but to remain
unobscured with regard to it. Moreover, due to the sameness of the realm of phenomena, they
pervade form with all appearances of color. They also have the intention to tame others in
accord with their level of maturation. That is the basis of miraculous power in terms of the
meditative absorption of intention.

“They are uninterrupted and continue forever without end. Therefore, with regard to
form, they possess a diligence that is free from accepting and rejecting. As such they delight
in maturing those to be tamed by means of their miraculous displays that are beyond
conditioning. By means of the indivisibility of reality, they obtain the basis of miraculous
power related to diligence, which is also the absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s wisdom beyond
attainment.

“Since they are free from clinging to and engaging with form, they rest in sameness and
have utterly transcended observation. In this way they abide within the seal of the Thus-Gone
One’s wisdom and rest in equipoise within his all-pervasive concentration. That is the basis of
miraculous power related to attention, which attains the miracles of the Thus-Gone One.

“Due to the wisdom that lies beyond discernment, they know with certainty that form is
unborn, and, due to the indivisible nature, they discern all characteristics to be of a single
nature. As they discern the wisdom of the Thus-Gone One, their magical manifestations satisfy
the minds of all beings. That is the basis of miraculous power related to discernment.

“As all phenomena are beyond attainment, they are not fixated on any visual observation
of form. In this way they feel faith and take hold of that faculty of faith. They also
feel a faith in all qualities where both form and the formless have been equalized. With the
faculty undiminished, they produce faith in the wisdom of the Thus-Gone One. That is the faculty
of faith.

“Being free from reducing or interpolating anything, all observation with regard to
form turns into a single gateway, and the continuity of practice becomes unbroken. This is known
as diligence. Then, in a manner beyond observation, the wisdom of the Thus-Gone One becomes
unbroken. That is the faculty of diligence.

“By applying their faculties to the abode of the Thus-Gone One, with regard to form the
bodhisattvas go beyond mindfulness and transcends all observation, thus becoming singularly
mindful. In this way they are mindful of the single characteristic throughout the three times.
That is what is referred to as mindfulness. As the minds of all beings are all equal in being
mind, a single observation pervades all the realms of beings. This transformative power of the
perception of the Thus-Gone One is the faculty of mindfulness.

“As they are free from birth, cessation, and distraction, all mental activity with
regard to form has merged into one. The absorptions of form and the formless have merged into
one point, as have all features. Being undistracted in the wisdom that engages the faculty of
the Thus-Gone One, as well as being undistracted in the extraordinary vajra-like absorption, is
what is known as absorption. All absorptions are unborn, and they are free of distraction and
becomes unassailable. That is the faculty of absorption.

“With regard to form, the bodhisattvas engage in the activity that comprises all
non-abiding insight, absorptions, equipoises, and the unborn limit. With the insight that
engages the unborn nature of all phenomena, they transcend everything conditioned as well as the
unconditioned. Being beyond the need for an antidote, they engage with the single characteristic
of form. That is known as insight, and, since they have become unassailable by
fleeting consciousness, it is also known as the faculty of insight.

“The power of faith is to be unassailable due to
non-attachment and non-observation with regard to form and to never lose faith.

“The power of diligence is to delight in the transformative power that pervades form,
to transcend all notions of being powerful or not, and to accomplish such power of a thus-gone
one over the elements.

“The power of mindfulness refers to an absence of concepts and affirmations with regard
to form. It is a spontaneous mindful awareness, the supreme engagement in the ultimate, and in
accord with the limit of reality. It is an application of mindfulness of the Thus-Gone One’s
Dharma body and a knowledge that is unassailable by any hearer or solitary buddha.

“The power of absorption refers to being unassailable because of perfecting the
Thus-Gone One’s wisdom, gaining accomplishment of the activity of the realm of phenomena,
attaining spontaneous accomplishment of the absorption of the thus-gone ones, and actualizing
the consciousness that is undistracted from all incorrect mind states with regard to form.

“The power of insight with regard to form refers to an undisturbed understanding of the
realm of phenomena, knowing the nonduality of extremes and no extremes, being spontaneously
mindful of meditative composure, and knowing the non-abiding nature.

“The bodhisattvas realize a mindfulness that is beyond fixation on form. It is in
harmony with the domain of the Thus-Gone One and connected with the unborn nature. Being mindful of
those states in a way that is without focused mental attention, they awaken. This is the branch of awakening
concerned with mindfulness.

“With regard to form, they know the realm of phenomena, are skilled in analyzing by
means of a yogic perception that is beyond observation, and understand the correct and the
incorrect. This is the branch of awakening concerned with the analysis of phenomena.

“Since the nature of form is the Dharma body, they correctly understand this
in an unassailable manner and, in order to awaken to the natural state, do not relinquish their
diligence. This is the branch of awakening concerned with diligence.

“With regard to form, they have become skilled in distinguishing its indivisible
nature, have mastered examination, fully discerns its natural presence, and have accomplished
non-abiding knowledge. They experience the joy of pliable absorption, equipoise, and wisdom.
This is the branch of awakening concerned with joy.

“The bodhisattvas know that the consciousness that continuously engages in observation
of form and all sense sources of awakening is a sameness beyond concepts of entity and
nonentity. This is the branch of awakening concerned with pliability.

“When they observe form, they know that all phenomena are sameness. Thus when the
circumstances for the stainless branches of awakening, as well as all absorptions and
equipoises, have been awakened into one state, that is the branch of awakening concerned with
absorption.

“The absence of entities with regard to form has been understood to be the state of
sameness; they apprehend the sameness of everything—both form and the formless. Likewise,
determination and analysis become sameness and are spontaneously accomplished. Identifications
and wisdom become sameness. All qualities that have been attained are realized to be unborn,
unmoving, absorption, and sameness. And the branches of awakening, all paths, the unborn limit,
and all attainments are no longer sought. This is the branch of awakening concerned with
sameness.

“When viewing form, correct view is to see the elements and sense sources as having the
nature of non-entities. By way of having parts and not having parts, they are seen as sameness.
As the path of the noble ones is seen as not truly a path, the bodhisattva does not entertain
any views. As the path of the noble ones and all views are seen to be without any
characteristics, they do not have any views. Instead, since there is no disturbance, this is
referred to as the genuine view. Since all phenomena are seen, this is known as the view. As the
unborn is attained, it is termed the path. In terms of sameness, it is known as the genuine
mode. Being unobscured, it is referred to as the view. As it applies to all paths and non-paths,
it is termed the path.

“Correct conception occurs when all concepts and thoughts regarding form are the same.
In that way, the bodhisattvas do not conceive of entities or non-entities, do not conceive of
disruption or permanence, do not conceive of birth or non-birth, do not conceive of concepts or
no concepts, and do not conceive of nonthought, nonconceptuality, or the correct path.

“Correct speech refers to knowing sameness in the sense that, with regard to form, all
phenomena are beyond language and speech, pronunciation and non-pronunciation. They have no
names and are unnamable. They are beyond examination and they are not the branches of the path.
The word correct does not relate to any verbal mode and is not uttered.
Still, all the qualities of the so-called path are uttered.

“Correct action is to view all actions with regard to form as non-actions. They are not
something that one performs, and they should therefore not be conceived of as such. Those who
attain the state of not acting do not investigate. They do not take up any type of
investigation, such as wrong investigation, correct investigation, active investigation,
non-active investigation, or any other type of action or non-action. In this way all the endless
actions, whether certain, uncertain, correct, incorrect, virtuous, nonvirtuous, neutral,
non-transferring, related to the path, or not related to the path, are seen to be unborn.
Without engaging in any action, the bodhisattvas see all actions as optical illusions.

“Correct livelihood is to know the sameness of the pleasant and the unpleasant
concerning form and to rest within the realm of phenomena without any observation of correct or
incorrect livelihood. Being without observation in this way, livelihood and action fall away.
‘Correct’ here means sameness. ‘Livelihood’ means upholding the Dharma of the noble ones. ‘Path’
and ‘non-path’ refer to the path that is free from striving. ‘Livelihood’ also refers to not
having any thoughts or notions concerning livelihood or lack of livelihood. ‘Correct’ means to
abide within sameness. Such is correct livelihood.

“Correct effort is to be effortless in body, speech, and mind concerning forms due to
the sameness of the realm of phenomena. Thus, bodhisattvas are effortless with regard to the
realm of phenomena. ‘Correct’ means free from accepting and rejecting any phenomena that abide
within the unborn nature. ‘Effortless’ is a term for not having any observation in terms of
body, speech, and mind. ‘Path’ means to strive for the objective of the noble ones via freedom
from acceptance and rejection as well as to transcend striving.

“Correct mindfulness is to practice mindfulness of form by virtue of being without
mindfulness. Such absence of mindfulness is sameness in which one rests without using
mindfulness to objectify something. ‘Correct’ is a term for the sameness in the absence of
objectification beyond imputation. ‘Mindfulness’ is a term for recollecting the aggregates, the
elements, and the sense sources. It refers to recollecting emptiness, the absence of marks, and
the absence of wishes. Thus, it is a term for the effortless recollection of the absorption of
the Thus-Gone One.

“Correct absorption is to know the indivisible nature of form, which is also the
correct practice of the activities related to sameness and absorption. Knowing the sameness of
form also entails knowing the sameness of feelings, perception, formation, and
consciousness. Knowing the sameness of the aggregates, the bodhisattvas will also correctly
perceive the sameness of absorption. They will then also correctly perceive the sameness of the
absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s family. When they perceive the absorption
of the Thus-Gone One’s family, they perceive the sameness of all phenomena.
When they perceive the sameness of all the qualities of the Buddha, they perceive the sameness
of all the qualities of ordinary and immature beings. The absorption that perceives the sameness
of all the qualities of ordinary and immature beings also perceives the sameness of all the
qualities of the Buddha. With the sameness of absorption, they perceive the sameness of the past
aggregates, elements, and sense sources. Likewise, they perceive the sameness of the future and
present aggregates, elements, and sense sources. Just as they perceive the aggregates, elements,
and sense sources, so they also perceive karma and its ripening. Thus, the bodhisattvas rest in
the type of absorption that equalizes the three times.

“Correct knowledge is to know thatness and suchness concerning form and thereby know
the truth. The bodhisattvas feel devotion to the truth that the nature of reality is also the
nature of the aggregates, elements, and sense sources and, moreover, that the absence of the
nature of reality is also the absence of the nature of the aggregates, elements, and sense
sources. ‘Transformative power’ refers to the unfailing reality. And why? Because whatever is
unfailing is also true. When they are grounded in that, they will utter pure aspirations and
perform pure activity. They will be blessed to manifest emanations of the Thus-Gone One based on
the aggregates, elements, and sense sources. Knowing the sameness of the truth of the earth
element, they will also know the sameness of the truths of the water, fire, and wind elements.
They will also know the sameness of space, qualities, sounds, optical illusions, and
reflections. They will also know the sameness of characteristics and the absence of
characteristics, being attached and not being attached, brief and elaborate eons, limited and
limitless eons, eons with and without buddhas, past and future eons, future and past eons, and
present and future and past eons, as well as past and future and present eons. Eons of pollution
merge with eons of purification, eons of purification with eons of pollution, and blessed eons
with eons of sameness. The knowledge of such merging comes from the absence of such concepts.
This is the truth of the realm of phenomena, and thus it is also known as the
transformative power of truth. This is the truth of form. Likewise, it is the
truth of feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. All truthful speech that rests
within that state is blessed. Such is the transformative power of truth.

“Because of resting in equanimity, the bodhisattvas do not grasp at form, are without
thoughts, and are generous and renunciate. That is the transformative power of generosity.
Knowing not to accept and reject form is the pacification of all movements and fluctuations.
‘Transformative power’ refers to the transformation of all pollution into purification as one
abides in that peace. ‘Purification’ is to bless pollution. When resting in that peace, one can
demonstrate all types of activities. For example, one can stimulate desire in those who observe
celibacy, and by manifesting in the form of Vajrapāṇi one can make those who act in non-peaceful
ways, as well as all demons, become interested in the transformative power of peace. The
transformative power of peace pacifies, calms, and soothes all ordinary and immature
beings. Perceiving the attainment of the transformative power of peace is called the
transformative power of thorough pacification.

“The transformative power of insight refers to knowing that form is indivisible from
the realm of phenomena. This is known without labelling or positing anything. With nonconceptual
insight, all phenomena related to utter and thorough peace and the freedom from conceptual
constructs, as well as the aggregates, elements, and sense sources, are blessed to be the
omniscient state. Alternatively, ‘transformative power’ relates to the omniscient state, which
is the abode of insight. That is why one’s body, which is just a fathom tall, should be
thought of as the world. It should be thought of as the source of the world, the end of the
world, the path that leads to the end of the world, and also as the wisdom of omniscience. That
is the transformative power of insight.”

At this point, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what are
the powers that bodhisattva great beings must possess in order to attain this absorption of the
miraculous ascertainment of peace?”

The Blessed One replied to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, there are thirty-six pure
wisdom powers that bodhisattva great beings must possess to attain the absorption of the
miraculous ascertainment of peace. What are these thirty-six powers? They are the
wisdom power of pure altruism, the wisdom power of pure aspiration, the wisdom power of pure
roots of virtue, the wisdom power of pure dedication, the wisdom power of pure learning, the
wisdom power of purified karmic obscuration, the wisdom power of pure ritual and experience,
the wisdom power of pure mindfulness, the wisdom power of pure skillfulness, the
wisdom power of pure observation of beings, the wisdom power of pure observation of
characteristics, the wisdom power of pure abandonment, the wisdom power of pure acceptance of
beings, the wisdom power of pure and great love, the wisdom power of pure and great compassion,
the wisdom power of pure and great joy and sameness, the wisdom power of pure discipline, the
wisdom power of pure acceptance of discipline, the wisdom power of pure patience, the wisdom
power of pure acceptance of patience, the wisdom power of pure diligence, the wisdom power of
pure application of diligence, the wisdom power of pure skillfulness regarding the elements, the
wisdom power of pure skill in concentration, the wisdom power of pure skill in tranquility, the
wisdom power of pure insight, the wisdom power of pure certainty with regard to learning, the
wisdom power of pure certainty with regard to both the worldly and the otherworldly, the wisdom
power of purified consciousness, the wisdom power of purified conditioned and unconditioned
phenomena, the wisdom power of pure skill in special insight, the wisdom power of pure knowledge and
liberation, the wisdom power of pure patience with regard to unborn phenomena, the wisdom power
of the pure characteristic beyond characteristics, the wisdom power of pure ultimate
and relative truths, and the wisdom power of pure yearning and diligence. Mañjuśrī, when
bodhisattva great beings possess these thirty-six pure wisdom powers, they attain the absorption
of the miraculous ascertainment of peace.

“Mañjuśrī, consider this contemplation. Bodhisattvas may spend as many eons as there
are atoms in ten universes making offerings in each of the world systems in the ten directions
to as many buddhas, bodhisattvas, hearers, and solitary buddhas as there are grains of sand in
the Ganges by providing them with divine meals, with clothes made from divine fabrics, and with
as many world systems as there are atoms in all the world systems in the great trichiliocosm
filled to the brim with wish-fulfilling jewels. Having made these offerings, the bodhisattvas
may then commemorate those thus-gone ones by building a memorial for each of them, each memorial
as large as this world, made of gems in all colors, and reaching to the peak of existence. They
may then surround these memorials with a railing of glittering gems and adorn them with a
latticework of wish-fulfilling gems and garlands of banners before anointing them with
sandalwood incense. In this way there would be as many offerings as there are atoms in ten
universes. Finally, the bodhisattvas may offer incomparable divine offerings to each of the
memorials for as many eons as there are atoms in ten buddha realms. On the other hand, other
bodhisattvas may faithfully aspire to this absorption and, because of that, offer something as
simple as a single meal to a being who has been born as an animal. Compared to the merit created
by these latter bodhisattvas, the merit created by the former bodhisattvas would not equal even
one percent of it. Nor would it equal a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a billionth, a ten
billionth, or a trillionth of that. In fact, no example or comparison would suffice.

“Mañjuśrī, compared to bodhisattvas who first develop trust in this absorption and then
render service to as many blessed buddhas as there are atoms in all the world systems in the ten
directions, providing them with all kinds of pleasures, other bodhisattvas who properly immerse
themselves in this absorption will create uncountably greater merit. Mañjuśrī, compared to
bodhisattvas who make offerings to the Three Jewels for ten thousand eons, other bodhisattvas
who hear the name of this absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of
peace and just briefly form the wish to hear this teaching will develop
inconceivably more merit in terms of attaining the wisdom of the Buddha.”

Then the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“Being mindful and intelligent,

Insightful and fearless,

Throughout all lifetimes—

This is the practice of awakening.

“If beings are delighted for even a moment

By the splendid arising of the Buddha,

They abandon the eight inopportune states

Of which I have spoken previously.

“They obtain a perfect body and hue,

Beautifully adorned with all the marks,

Strong and powerful,

And without any indolent desires.

“They become happy, wealthy,

And meritorious, and they gain miraculous abilities.

Witnessing the sun of the world,

Again and again they pay homage.

“As they hear the teaching on no-self and emptiness,

They are without confusion regarding the Dharma.

Being learned regarding the nature of phenomena,

They quickly develop devotion.

“Being of noble birth and with wealth,

They will always enjoy happiness.

They become courageous benefactors

Who give freely without miserliness.

“They will be born in the houses

Of those in the world

Who are uniquely noble and of illustrious family,

And they will not take unfortunate rebirths.

“In all such lives,

They will be powerful and renowned householders.

Glory and splendor will be theirs

As they rejoice in this way of practice.

“As brahmins as mighty as the sāla tree,

They will be disciplined and learned.

As rulers as mighty as the sāla tree,

They will have great pleasures and wealth.

“Exalted by means of their treasury of merit,

They will become kings with miraculous abilities.

They will become teachers of the Dharma,

Teaching in the world with its oceans and central mountain.

“They will be lords possessing the seven riches.

They will be powerful universal monarchs.

As kings they will pay their respects

To the Buddha again and again.

“As they pass away, they will go to the higher realms,

Where they will develop faith in the teaching of the Buddha.

They will be born as Śakra, ruler of the gods,

The lord ruling the peak of the central mountain.

“As rulers of the gods, they will be born in the Heaven Free from Strife,

And likewise in the Heaven of Joy.

As rulers of the gods they employ emanations;

They are powerful and fearless.

“Rejoicing in this way of practice,

They become the foremost Brahmā in the Brahmā Heavens.

Being learned, they become lords venerated

By many millions of gods.

“Those who rejoice repeatedly

In this precious discourse

Will obtain qualities so great

That their extent will be inexpressible.

“If they form the wish for awakening,

They will not become lost,

Even for ten million eons.

Instead, they will become unsurpassed teachers.

“Grass blades, mountains, trees,

Vines, herbs,

Flowers and fruit bushes

Will bow down wherever they go.

“Engaged in the disciplined conduct

Practiced since the time of Dīpaṃkara,

They will illuminate with limitless light

The world systems in the ten directions.

“All the flowers, fruits, and leaves

On the trees in the past,

The present, and the future

Will be perceived by them.

“Billions of buddhas,

Or even many trillions of buddhas,

Would be unable to express

The extent of their qualities.

“When bodhisattvas

Develop interest in this discourse,

It would be impossible to fully express

The garlands of praise that they deserve.

“Those who express the qualities of this discourse

Will come to possess all those qualities themselves.

They will even have more qualities than those.

In fact, there will be no end to their qualities.

“But those who feel no joy from this discourse,

Who speak badly of it, saying it is untrue when it is true,

Who in anger speak harshly of it,

And who are agitated about it,

“Such persons will be born in hell

With huge bodies.

There they will experience painful feelings,

As their bodies will be tormented.

“Their bodies will take on a size

Measuring five hundred leagues,

And, due to their evil actions,

They will continually be devoured by countless beings.

“For several eons,

Their bodies will measure five hundred leagues.

They will have five hundred heads—

No fewer than that.

“On each head they will have

No fewer than five hundred tongues.

On each tongue there will be

No fewer than five hundred plows.

“Ablaze, the plows will cut their tongues

As a result of the evil of disparaging others.

By speaking harsh words,

They will be burned in the Hell of Extreme Heat.

“Those who abandon restraint

And harm a bodhisattva

Will be born in hell,

And after that as animals.

“If they dismiss this way of practice,

They will reap suffering

In the hell of incessant torment

For billions and trillions of eons.

“Then, after they pass away,

They will become horrific poisonous snakes,

And, tormented by hunger and thirst,

They will act in horrendous ways.

“Even if they obtain food,

Their evil actions will prevent any satisfaction.

When they pass away from such a life,

They may be born as a human.

“Even so, they will be dimwitted and blind.

They will be intent on harm and have no restraint.

By speaking in negative ways,

They will displease the noble ones.

“As they pass away from human existence,

They will once again be born in the lower realms.

For billions of eons,

they will never see a buddha.

“On the other hand, by relating to
a bodhisattva

In a disciplined manner free from harm,

And by protecting those Dharma teachers

Who uphold the Dharma,

“They will leave all the lower realms behind

And take birth as Śakra with great miraculous abilities.

They will also come to rule the Brahmā Heavens,

The Heaven Free from Strife, and the Heaven of Joy.

“Even should they be born as humans,

They will always be universal monarchs.

As guild masters and householders,

They will always find happiness and great wealth.

“For as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,

They will always meet

With fearlessness, perfect mindfulness,

Happiness, and safety.

“Life after life,

They will always venerate the Buddha.

Intelligent beings

May venerate the Buddha throughout many eons,

“Yet other persons may remember

This discourse

Which was taught by the Protector of the World,

When the Dharma disappears in the future.

“Even remembering it for just a single day,

They will gain much more merit than those former persons,

And to all the buddhas in the ten directions

They will offer homage.

“To remember a discourse such as this

Is to venerate

The buddhas of the future

And the buddhas of the past.

“Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas should develop any ill will, animosity, or anger toward
other bodhisattvas who are devoted to this absorption of the miraculous ascertainment
of peace; or if they should go against them and make trouble for them by saying
that they come from low families, have few possessions, or have little insight; or if they
should accuse them of having damaged discipline, bad complexion, ugly appearance, or no
charisma; or even if they should just feel a moment of resentment for those bodhisattvas, such
negative karma will cause them to burn in the lower realms for an uncountable number of millions
of eons.

“Mañjuśrī, I do not see any evil whatsoever that is greater than developing
ill will toward such bodhisattvas. Mañjuśrī, compared to noble sons or daughters who strike with
weapons or beat with sticks all beings in all the world systems in the great trichiliocosm,
noble sons or daughters who feel just a moment of ill will, animosity, or anger toward
bodhisattvas who are devoted to the Great Vehicle, or who feel anger toward those bodhisattvas
and then form the wish to cause those bodhisattvas trouble, bring about much greater nonvirtue.
Mañjuśrī, as many times as bodhisattvas give rise to anger toward, or cause trouble for, other
bodhisattvas, for that many eons those bodhisattvas must prepare to don their armor for life as
hell beings.

“Mañjuśrī, apart from criticizing other bodhisattvas, no other action is able to cause
a bodhisattva’s downfall. Mañjuśrī, it is like this: Apart from a diamond, no other substance,
such as wood, soil, sticks, or weapons, is able to cut a diamond. Mañjuśrī, likewise, other than
bodhisattvas criticizing other bodhisattvas, no action can bring about their downfall. Mañjuśrī,
compared to noble sons or daughters who distribute offerings to the four assemblies according to
their wishes in each of the world systems in the ten directions for ten million divine eons,
other noble sons or daughters who are motivated by a desire for harmony will create infinitely
greater virtue merely by saying, ‘The Thus-Gone One is permanent, the Thus-Gone One is
changeless.’

“Mañjuśrī, compared to bodhisattvas who offer the Three Jewels everything they need
for one thousand years of the god realms, other bodhisattvas will create infinitely greater
virtue by thinking for merely as long as it takes a person to snap two fingers, ‘All
conditioned things are impermanent. All conditioned things are suffering. All conditioned things
are empty. All conditioned things are without a self.’ ”

When the Thus-Gone One had delivered this Dharma teaching, eight thousand divine sons
formed the attitude set upon awakening, five hundred nuns obtained the absorption that
gathers all into a single vehicle, twelve hundred bodhisattvas attained
acceptance that phenomena are unborn, and the entire great trichiliocosm shook in six different
ways. In order to venerate this Dharma teaching as well as the Blessed One Śākyamuni, from the
sky above a heavy rain of divine flowers, such as blue lotuses, red lotuses, water lilies, and
white lotuses, fell along with a downpour of sandalwood incense, fabrics, gems, and jewelry.

At that time as many bodhisattva great beings as there are atoms in all the ineffably
countless universes paid homage to this Dharma teaching. They did so by each emanating as many
hands as there are atoms in the buddha realms in the ten directions. With each hand they made
countless, unimaginable, incomparable, and immeasurable offerings as large as the divine realms,
sending forth cloud banks of parasols, banners, standards, flowers, sandalwood incense, jewelry,
bright lion banners,
gems that shone in all colors, and wish-fulfilling jewels. As they laid all this before the
Blessed One Śākyamuni, they said:

“Blessed One, you have spoken well!

Well-Gone One, you have spoken well!

May this Dharma teaching

Remain long in this world!”

At that point, a countless and inconceivable number of trillions of gods and
goddesses—a number so immeasurable and inexpressible that it equals the number of atoms
found in all the ineffably many billions of buddha realms—showered down a rain of divine
flowers, such as mandārava, mahāmandārava, mañjuṣaka, sumanas, paruṣaka, taraṇi, balalaki,
kotaraṇi, saugandhika, and dhanuṣkarideva flowers, blue lotuses, pink lotuses, water lilies, and
white lotuses, as well as cakra and mahācakra flowers. They also brought down a rain of divine
fabrics, parasols, banners, standards, sandalwood incense, and cloud banks of gems and jewelry.
Śakra, Brahmā, and an utterly incalculable number of trillions of guardians of the world paid
homage to this Dharma teaching by bringing down a shower of cloud banks of flowers, fabrics, and
jewels the size of the entire world. Likewise, an incalculable, inconceivable, immeasurable, and
boundless number of trillions of nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and
mahoragas showered down a rain of divine flowers, incense, fabrics, and gems. Accompanied by
inconceivable melodies from their divine instruments, they exclaimed:

“Blessed One, you have spoken well!

Well-Gone One, you have spoken well!

Oh, we have heard a Dharma teaching that was never heard before!

Oh, may this Dharma teaching remain for long!”

After the Blessed One had spoken, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, the limitless and incalculable
number of other bodhisattvas, the many thousands of lay practitioners such as
Bhadrapāla, the great hearers, and the many hundreds of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas,
asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas all rejoiced in and extolled the Buddha’s speech.

This completes the noble Great Vehicle sūtra “The Absorption of the Miraculous
Ascertainment of Peace.”

Colophon

This sūtra was translated, proofed, and finalized according to the revised terminology
by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Dānaśīla together with the translator-editor Bandé
Yeshé Dé.

Notes

Bibliography

insight

shes rab
ཤེས་རབ།

twelve essential qualities

yon tan gyi snying po bcu gnyis
ཡོན་ཏན་གྱི་སྙིང་པོ་བཅུ་གཉིས།

All-Seeing Eyes

kun tu lta ba’i mig
ཀུན་ཏུ་ལྟ་བའི་མིག

All-Seeing Mind

kun tu lta ba’i blo
ཀུན་ཏུ་ལྟ་བའི་བློ།

Assembled Splendor

tshogs kyi dpal
ཚོགས་ཀྱི་དཔལ།

Conqueror of the Lower Realms

ngan song spor
ངན་སོང་སྤོར།

Crest of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i tog
ཚངས་པའི་ཏོག

Crest of Buddhas

sangs rgyas kyi tog
སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཏོག

Crest of Dharma

chos kyi tog
ཆོས་ཀྱི་ཏོག

Crest of Flowers

me tog gi tog
མེ་ཏོག་གི་ཏོག

Crest of Illumination

kun nas snang ba’i tog
ཀུན་ནས་སྣང་བའི་ཏོག

Crest of Jewels

nor bu’i tog
ནོར་བུའི་ཏོག

Crest of Light

’od kyi tog
འོད་ཀྱི་ཏོག

Crest of Merit

bsod nams kyi tog
བསོད་ནམས་ཀྱི་ཏོག

Crest of Superknowledge

mngon par shes pa’i tog
མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པའི་ཏོག

Crest of Wisdom

ye shes kyi tog
ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་ཏོག

Crown Nobler Than the Cosmos

’jig rten gyi khams thams cad las mngon par ’phags pa’i cod pan
འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས་ཐམས་ཅད་ལས་མངོན་པར་འཕགས་པའི་ཅོད་པན།

Crown of the Jewel That Illuminates the Realm of Phenomena

chos kyi dbyings snang ba’i nor bu’i cod pan
ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས་སྣང་བའི་ནོར་བུའི་ཅོད་པན།

Crown of the Seat of Enlightenment

byang chub kyi snying po’i cod pan
བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོའི་ཅོད་པན།

Crown of the Womb from which All Buddhas Are Born

sangs rgyas thams cad byung ba’i snying po’i cod pan
སངས་རྒྱས་ཐམས་ཅད་བྱུང་བའི་སྙིང་པོའི་ཅོད་པན།

Crown Ornament Adorned by the Gem That Perceives the Indivisibility of All of Space

nam mkha’i dbyings thams cad dbyer med pa rnam par shes pa’i nor bu rin po ches brgyan pa’i gtsug pud
ནམ་མཁའི་དབྱིངས་ཐམས་ཅད་དབྱེར་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པའི་ནོར་བུ་རིན་པོ་ཆེས་བརྒྱན་པའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Brilliant Gem That Projects the Halo of All Thus-Gone Ones

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi ’od kyi dkyil ’khor rab tu gtong ba nor bu rin po che mngon par bsgrags pa’i gtsug pud
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་འོད་ཀྱི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་རབ་ཏུ་གཏོང་བ་ནོར་བུ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མངོན་པར་བསྒྲགས་པའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the King of Jewels That Sings an Ocean of Aspirations

smon lam rgya mtsho thams cad kyi dbyangs nor bu rin chen rgyal po’i gtsug pud
སྨོན་ལམ་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་དབྱངས་ནོར་བུ་རིན་ཆེན་རྒྱལ་པོའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Lord of the Brahmā Realm

tshangs pa’i dbang po’i gtsug pud
ཚངས་པའི་དབང་པོའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Melodious Dharma Wheel of All Thus-Gone Ones

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi chos kyi ’khor lo dbyangs kyi gtsug pud
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Melodious One in All the Three Times

dus gsum thams cad kun nas dbyangs kyi gtsug pud
དུས་གསུམ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀུན་ནས་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Nāga Lord

klu’i dbang po’i gtsug pud
ཀླུའི་དབང་པོའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Precious King of Jewels That Is Adorned with a Web of Gems and Placed on the Victory Banner That Illuminates the Emanations of All Thus-gone Ones

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad rnam par ’phrul pa’i snang ba’i gyal mtshan nor bu’i rgyal po nor bu rin po che’i dra bas bres pa’i gtsug pud
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་རྣམ་པར་འཕྲུལ་པའི་སྣང་བའི་གྱལ་མཚན་ནོར་བུའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ནོར་བུ་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་དྲ་བས་བྲེས་པའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament of the Seat of Enlightenment

byang chub kyi snying po’i gtsug pud
བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown Ornament That Illuminates All the Buddha’s Emanations

sangs rgyas ’phrul pa thams cad snang ba’i gtsug pud
སངས་རྒྱས་འཕྲུལ་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་སྣང་བའི་གཙུག་པུད།

Crown That Captures the Thus-Gone Ones’ Lion Throne of the Essence of All Phenomena

chos thams cad kyi snying po de bzhin gshegs pa’i seng ge’i khri ’dzin pa’i cod pan
ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སེང་གེའི་ཁྲི་འཛིན་པའི་ཅོད་པན།

Crown That Fully Illuminates the Space of the Realm of Phenomena

kun nas chos kyi dbyings nam mkha’ snang ba’i cod pan
ཀུན་ནས་ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས་ནམ་མཁའ་སྣང་བའི་ཅོད་པན།

Crown That Is Never Outshone

zil gyis mi non pa’i cod pan
ཟིལ་གྱིས་མི་ནོན་པའི་ཅོད་པན།

Desireless Eyes

chags pa med pa’i mig
ཆགས་པ་མེད་པའི་མིག

Desireless Victory Banner

chags med rgyal mtshan
ཆགས་མེད་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Dharma Light

chos kyi ’od
ཆོས་ཀྱི་འོད།

Divine Crown

lha’i cod pan
ལྷའི་ཅོད་པན།

Divine Light

lha’i ’od
ལྷའི་འོད།

Emanated Light

rnam par ’phrul pa’i ’od
རྣམ་པར་འཕྲུལ་པའི་འོད།

Especially Noble

khyad par ’phags
ཁྱད་པར་འཕགས།

Ever-Noble Crown

dus thams cad du mngon par ’phags pa’i cod pan
དུས་ཐམས་ཅད་དུ་མངོན་པར་འཕགས་པའི་ཅོད་པན།

Famous and Melodious King of Medicine

sman mngon bsgrags dbyangs rgyal po
སྨན་མངོན་བསྒྲགས་དབྱངས་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Flower Victory Banner

me tog rgyal mtshan
མེ་ཏོག་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Genuine Medicine

sman yang dag byung
སྨན་ཡང་དག་བྱུང་།

Great Light

’od chen
འོད་ཆེན།

Highest Splendor

tog gi dpal
ཏོག་གི་དཔལ།

Illuminating Crown

rnam par snang byed cod pan
རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བྱེད་ཅོད་པན།

Illuminating Splendor

rnam par snang byed dpal
རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བྱེད་དཔལ།

Illuminating Victory Banner

rnam par snang byed rgyal mtshan
རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བྱེད་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Immaculate Light

rdul dang bral ba’i ’od
རྡུལ་དང་བྲལ་བའི་འོད།

Immaculate Victory Banner

rdul bral rgyal mtshan
རྡུལ་བྲལ་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Jewel Eyes

rin po che’i mig
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་མིག

Jewel Splendor

rin po che’i dpal
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་དཔལ།

Jeweled Light

rin po che’i ’od
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་འོད།

Jeweled Victory Banner

rin po che’i rgyal mtshan
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Lordly King of Beings

’gro ba’i dbang po’i rgyal po
འགྲོ་བའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Lordly King of Stillness

mi g.yo ba’i dbang po’i rgyal po
མི་གཡོ་བའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Lordly King of the Brahmā Realm

tshangs pa’i dbang po’i rgyal po
ཚངས་པའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Lordly King of the Great Minds

blo mchog gi dbang po’i rgyal po
བློ་མཆོག་གི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Lordly King of the Hills

ri bo’i dbang po’i rgyal po
རི་བོའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Lordly King of the Leaders

khyu mchog gi dbang po’i rgyal po
ཁྱུ་མཆོག་གི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Lordly King of the Sal Tree

s’a la’i dbang po’i rgyal po
སའ་ལའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Meritorious Light

bsod nams ’od
བསོད་ནམས་འོད།

Mind Illuminating Bodhisattva Great Beings in the Ways of the Realm of Phenomena

byang chub sems dpa’ sems dpa’ chen po chos kyi dbyings kyi tshul snang ba’i blo
བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས་ཀྱི་ཚུལ་སྣང་བའི་བློ།

Mind Illuminating the Three Times

dus gsum snang ba’i blo
དུས་གསུམ་སྣང་བའི་བློ།

Mind Like Gems

rin po che’i blo
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་བློ།

Mind of Immense Power

rlabs po che’i blo
རླབས་པོ་ཆེའི་བློ།

Mind of Immense Wisdom

ye shes lhun po’i blo
ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྷུན་པོའི་བློ།

Mind of Non-Attachment

chags pa med pa’i blo
ཆགས་པ་མེད་པའི་བློ།

Mind of Purification

nam par sangs pa’i blo
ནམ་པར་སངས་པའི་བློ།

Mind of Purity

dri ma med pa’i blo
དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་བློ།

Mind of Space

nam mkha’i blo
ནམ་མཁའི་བློ།

Moonlike Splendor

zla ba’i dpal
ཟླ་བའི་དཔལ།

Noble Dharma

chos ’phags
ཆོས་འཕགས།

Noble Fame

grags pa ’phags
གྲགས་པ་འཕགས།

Noble Great Love

byams pa chen po ’phags
བྱམས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་འཕགས།

Noble Illumination

kun nas snang ba ’phags
ཀུན་ནས་སྣང་བ་འཕགས།

Noble Lineage of the Thus-Gone Ones

de bzhin gshegs pa’i rus rigs ’phags
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་རུས་རིགས་འཕགས།

Noble Merit and Qualities

yon tan bsod nams ’phags
ཡོན་ཏན་བསོད་ནམས་འཕགས།

Noble Merit Like Mount Meru

bsod nams ri rab ’phags
བསོད་ནམས་རི་རབ་འཕགས།

Noble Source of Wisdom

ye shes ’byung ba ’phags
ཡེ་ཤེས་འབྱུང་བ་འཕགས།

Noble Splendor

yang dag ’phags pa’i dpal
ཡང་དག་འཕགས་པའི་དཔལ།

Noble Wisdom

ye shes ’phags
ཡེ་ཤེས་འཕགས།

Omnipresent Eyes

kun nas mig
ཀུན་ནས་མིག

Peaceful Light

zhi ba’i ’od
ཞི་བའི་འོད།

Pure and Stainless Eyes

rnam par dag pa dri ma med pa’i mig
རྣམ་པར་དག་པ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་མིག

Purified Eyes

rnam par sangs ba’i mig
རྣམ་པར་སངས་བའི་མིག

Roar Invoked by Previous Aspirations

sngon gyi smon lam gyis bskur ba’i nga ro
སྔོན་གྱི་སྨོན་ལམ་གྱིས་བསྐུར་བའི་ང་རོ།

Roar of Non-Attachment

chags med nga ro
ཆགས་མེད་ང་རོ།

Roar of Peace

rab tu zhi ba’i nga ro
རབ་ཏུ་ཞི་བའི་ང་རོ།

Roar of the Earth Tune

sa dbyangs nga ro
ས་དབྱངས་ང་རོ།

Roar of the Ocean Thunder

rgya mtsho ’brug bsgrags nga ro
རྒྱ་མཚོ་འབྲུག་བསྒྲགས་ང་རོ།

Roar of the Rumbling Oceans

rgya mtsho’i dkyil ’khor sgra’i nga ro
རྒྱ་མཚོའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་སྒྲའི་ང་རོ།

Sharp Eyes

shin tu rno ba’i mig
ཤིན་ཏུ་རྣོ་བའི་མིག

Shining Light

snang ba’i ’od
སྣང་བའི་འོད།

Shining Splendor

snang ba’i dpal
སྣང་བའི་དཔལ།

Sky Eyes

nam mkha’i mig
ནམ་མཁའི་མིག

Song of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i dbyangs
ཚངས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Song of Greatly Compassionate Thunder

snying rje chen po’i tshul gyi ’brug sgra bsgrags pa’i dbyangs
སྙིང་རྗེ་ཆེན་པོའི་ཚུལ་གྱི་འབྲུག་སྒྲ་བསྒྲགས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Song of the Earth

sa’i sgra dbyangs
སའི་སྒྲ་དབྱངས།

Song of the Lord of the World

’jig rten dbang po’i dbyangs
འཇིག་རྟེན་དབང་པོའི་དབྱངས།

Song of the Ocean

rgya mtsho’i dbyangs
རྒྱ་མཚོའི་དབྱངས།

Song Offering the Royal Lord of Mountains

ri dbang rgyal po rdob pa’i dbyangs
རི་དབང་རྒྱལ་པོ་རྡོབ་པའི་དབྱངས།

Song that Pervades the Entire Realm of Phenomena

chos kyi dbyings thams cad rgyas par ’gengs pa’i dbyangs
ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས་ཐམས་ཅད་རྒྱས་པར་འགེངས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Song That Relieves All the Suffering of Beings

’gro ba sdug bsngal thams cad dbugs ’byin pa’i dbyangs
འགྲོ་བ་སྡུག་བསྔལ་ཐམས་ཅད་དབུགས་འབྱིན་པའི་དབྱངས།

Song That Sounds the Ocean of Dharma

chos rgya mtsho thams cad bsgrags pa’i dbyangs
ཆོས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ཐམས་ཅད་བསྒྲགས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Song That Stirs All the Oceans

rgya mtsho’i dkyil ’khor thams cad rab tu klongs pa’i dbyangs
རྒྱ་མཚོའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་ཐམས་ཅད་རབ་ཏུ་ཀློངས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Space-like Splendor

nam mkha’i dpal
ནམ་མཁའི་དཔལ།

Spacious Mind

yangs pa’i blo
ཡངས་པའི་བློ།

Splendor of Great Intelligence

blo gros chen po’i gzi brjid
བློ་གྲོས་ཆེན་པོའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of Immense Merit

bsod nams ri bo’i gzi brjid
བསོད་ནམས་རི་བོའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of Jewels

rin chen gzi brjid
རིན་ཆེན་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of Purity

dri ma med pa’i gzi brjid
དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of the Earth

sa’i gzi brjid
སའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of the Sun

nyi ma’i gzi brjid
ཉི་མའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of Unmatched Majesty

mtshungs med dpal gyi gzi brjid
མཚུངས་མེད་དཔལ་གྱི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of Vajra Wisdom

ye shes rdo rje’i gzi brjid
ཡེ་ཤེས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Splendor of Wisdom Light

ye shes snang ba’i gzi brjid
ཡེ་ཤེས་སྣང་བའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Stainless Light

dri ma med pa’i ’od
དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་འོད།

Stainless Subjugator

rdul med rnam par gnon
རྡུལ་མེད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Stainless Victory Banner

dri ma med pa’i rgyal mtshan
དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Sun Eyes

nyi ma’i mig
ཉི་མའི་མིག

Supreme Splendor

mchog gi dpal
མཆོག་གི་དཔལ།

Utterly Illuminating Crown

kun tu rnam par snang byed cod pan
ཀུན་ཏུ་རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བྱེད་ཅོད་པན།

Vajra Eyes

rdo rje’i mig
རྡོ་རྗེའི་མིག

Victory Banner of Beauty

mdzes pa’i rgyal mtshan
མཛེས་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Victory Banner of Mount Meru

lhun po’i rgyal mtshan
ལྷུན་པོའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Victory Banner of the Stars

skar ma’i rgyal mtshan
སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Victory Banner of the Sun

nyi ma’i rgyal mtshan
ཉི་མའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Wisdom Splendor

ye shes dpal
ཡེ་ཤེས་དཔལ།

Wise Communicator

sems can gyi skad ye shes ldan
སེམས་ཅན་གྱི་སྐད་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Clarity

rdul med bla ma’i ye shes ldan
རྡུལ་མེད་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Flower

me tog bla ma’i ye shes ldan
མེ་ཏོག་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Illuminator

rnam par snang byed bla ma’i ye shes ldan
རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བྱེད་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Moon

zla ba’i bla ma’i ye shes ldan
ཟླ་བའི་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Purity

dri ma med pa’i bla ma’i ye shes ldan
དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Vajra

rdo rje bla ma’i ye shes ldan
རྡོ་རྗེ་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Wealth

rin chen bla ma’i ye shes ldan
རིན་ཆེན་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Wise Superior Wisdom

ye shes bla ma’i ye shes ldan
ཡེ་ཤེས་བླ་མའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ལྡན།

Yeshé Dé

ye shes sde
ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།