Toh 180Giáo Pháp Trình Bày Cách Tất Cả Các Pháp Đều Vô Sinh

Summary

While the Buddha is residing on Vulture Peak Mountain, the bodhisattva Siṃhavikrāntagāmin asks him a series of
questions about emptiness and the nondual view in which the dichotomy between subject and object has been left
behind. The Buddha responds with a discourse in verse identifying the nature of phenomena as the single
principle of emptiness. Later, he teaches the bodhisattva about the dangers of judging the behavior of other
bodhisattvas, and the dangers of making any imputations about phenomena at all—explaining that both stem from ill-founded
preconceptions that are transcended with spiritual awakening. In an ensuing discussion with Mañjuśrī, the
Buddha further connects many standard Buddhist concepts and categories to the nondual view that all phenomena
are unborn and without intrinsic nature. Lastly, a god is instructed in the knowledge that overcomes
the duality of various opposites, and Mañjuśrī concludes the sūtra by revealing the circumstances of his time
as a beginning bodhisattva.

Acknowledgements

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The
translation was produced by Timothy Hinkle. Andreas Doctor checked the translation against the Tibetan and
edited the text. Tulku Tenzin Rigsang kindly assisted in resolving several difficult passages. Ryan Damron and
Wiesiek Mical also assisted by translating passages from the Sanskrit. In producing this translation, the
translators also benefited from the resources and partial translation published by Jens Braarvig (2000 and
2010).

Introduction

Teaching How All Phenomena Are without Origin presents the Buddha Śākyamuni’s
elucidation of the nature of phenomena and the way to conduct oneself. His discourse is oriented around a series of paradoxes between conduct and wisdom, and specifically highlights the interplay of monastic discipline and the activities that best serve beings. To illustrate these paradoxes the Buddha draws on scenes from his own past lives and those of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, scenes that are also meant to illustrate the negative karmic consequences of criticizing the conduct of bodhisattvas.

The sūtra is set on Vulture Peak Mountain, where the Buddha is asked a series of questions
about emptiness and the nondual view by the bodhisattva Siṃhavikrāntagāmin. The Buddha responds with a
discourse in verse identifying the single principle of emptiness as the nature of phenomena, but he
cautions that immature bodhisattvas will not properly understand that teaching. Later, he tells the story of
the two bodhisattvas Cāritramati and Viśuddhacāritra to illustrate the dangers of judging the behavior of
bodhisattvas because of misunderstanding the nature of their skillful means. He then explains, with great psychological insight, how such
value judgements are generally based on ill-founded and preconceived notions that need to be abandoned by those who seek awakening. Next follows a discussion with Mañjuśrī in which the Buddha
explains that many standard Buddhist concepts and categories used to describe the path
to awakening are mere imputations, and that their true import will be realized once all phenomena are known to
be unborn and without intrinsic nature. In their ensuing dialogue, various standard Buddhist expressions are
relativized in terms of this ultimate, nonobjectifying view. This discussion demonstrates that the
Buddhist path is only fully realized once the habitual tendency to accept, reject, or otherwise objectify phenomena, including phenomena of the path itself, has been left behind.

In the last part of the sūtra, the Buddha, followed by Mañjuśrī, instructs a god named Playful Clairvoyant
Lotus in the knowledge that penetrates sound and language and enables one to see through the duality of
various opposites. Mañjuśrī is then induced to tell his story as a neophyte bodhisattva, to further illustrate
the problem of negatively judging the conduct of other spiritual practitioners and underestimating the
potential of a student. The sūtra refers repeatedly to the theme of the single principle,
the realization of emptiness. When this is known, all proscribed activity—indulgence in sense pleasures and
disturbing emotions—need no longer be avoided. However, since no one except the Buddha can be the final judge
of another being’s conduct or realization, bodhisattvas are strongly encouraged to avoid judging one another
and to teach according to the student’s capacity.

Fragments of a Sanskrit version of this sūtra have survived, as have two translations into
Chinese by Kumārajīva (fourth century, Zhu fa wu xing jing
諸法無行經, Taishō 650) and Jñānagupta (fifth century, Fu
shuo zhu fa ben wu jing
佛說諸法本無經, Taishō 651). The extant Sanskrit sections of the sūtra have been
translated into English by Jens Braarvig, who also published a Sanskrit edition that includes parallel passages of the Tibetan and Chinese translations. In his introduction to the text, Braarvig tentatively dates
the sole surviving Sanskrit manuscript to the fifth century ce, a considerably
later date than that of Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation. According to the colophon to the Tibetan
translation, the sūtra was translated into Tibetan by the monk Rinchen Tso, a translator active sometime
during the late eighth and early ninth centuries ce. However, the Tibetan
translation is not included in the early ninth-century Denkarma (ldan dkar
ma) inventory of Tibetan translations, so this dating and the attribution to Rinchen Tso
cannot be verified by this source. The title of the text is, however, included in the Mahāvyutpatti (as entry no. 1362), so the dating of the Tibetan translation to the early
ninth century does seem reasonable in spite of its absence from the Denkarma inventory.

The primary Tibetan text used for the present translation was the Degé (sde
dge) edition, but the other editions considered in the Comparative Kangyur (dpe bsdur ma) were also consulted. In passages where the Sanskrit was
available, it was consulted for our translation. However, as the Sanskrit and Tibetan manuscripts are often
radically different, we have primarily based our translation on the Tibetan, except in those cases where the
Sanskrit sheds light on, or clarifies, the Tibetan.

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

Teaching How All Phenomena Are without Origin

Homage to all buddhas and
bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying at Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha
together with a great monastic assembly of five hundred monks. Also gathered there were twelve
thousand bodhisattvas, including the bodhisattva great being Vyūhapratimaṇḍita, the bodhisattva great
being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin, the bodhisattva great being Anāvaraṇaraśminirdhautaprabhātejorāśi,
the bodhisattva great being Giriśikharamerusvararāja, the bodhisattva great being
Priyaprahasitavimalaprabha, the bodhisattva great being Sūryacandrābhibhūtārci, the bodhisattva
great being Paramavimalapaṭṭadhārin, the bodhisattva great being
Niścaritatejaspadmapraphullitagātra, the bodhisattva great being Brahmasvaranirghoṣasvara, the
bodhisattva great being Siṃharājagativikrīḍitamati, the bodhisattva great being
Kanakārciśuddhavimalatejas, the bodhisattva great being Mṛdutaruṇasparśagātra, the bodhisattva
great being Body That Expands Like a Golden Ornamented Victory Banner, the bodhisattva great being
Daśaraśmimārabalapramardin, the bodhisattva great being Śāntīndriyeryāpathapraśāntagāmin, the bodhisattva great being
Dharaṇīndharābhyudgatarāja, the bodhisattva great being Singer of Divine Melodies, the bodhisattva
great being Sarvadharmeśvaravaśavikrāntagāmin, the bodhisattva great being Śrītejovimalagātra,
and the bodhisattva great being Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta. Ninety-two thousand other bodhisattvas were
also present.

While beholding this bodhisattva assembly, the bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin stood
up, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together he bowed
toward the Blessed One and said in verse:

“Guide of boundless renown, please explain

How phenomena are without a life principle, personality, and self.

This supreme assembly, so sublime,

Is filled with peace, constant peace, and lasting peace.

“How can a view be awakening?

How can freedom from anger, jealousy, and pride,

Or from the nature of desire, be awakening?

Protector of boundless renown, please explain.

“Flawless one, how could the conditioned realm,

In which there is no nirvāṇa, ever be awakening?

Compassionate Victorious One, please explain

How phenomena are nondual.

“How is it that phenomena are utterly liberated?

How are they equivalent to nirvāṇa and liberation?

Protector, explain that which is unbound

And unattached to any attachment, like space.

“You who have the voice of the kalaviṅka, Brahmā, and the gods,

A golden countenance flawless in its luster,

A pleasing luminosity, and all supreme qualities,

Please explain the single principle, the permanent nature of reality.

“How is it that obscuration is the same as awakening?

How is it that phenomena are the nature of awakening?

How are Dharma and non-Dharma alike?

How are the two similar to space?

“When they are neither numerable nor numberless,

How can phenomena be similar to peace?

Faultless one, how is there no awakening in them,

And no omniscience either?

“The nature of what has been, is, and will be done,

As well as apprehension and the apprehended, has never existed.

Beings have also never existed.

How is there no Dharma practice in that?

“There is no discipline or patience,

Nor is there ever any distorted discipline.

There is no concentration or insight,

So how could there ever be knowledge or ignorance?

“How are phenomena stainless and pure,

Nothing whatsoever, like space?

How is it that the nature of mind is never observed,

And that phenomena are devoid of mind?

“How is there no knowledge,

No meditation, and nothing realized?

There is nothing to be abandoned anywhere,

So how are beings like the element of space?

“Where reality is of a single principle,

There is no nature at all.

Protector, please explain this principle of phenomena

In which there is no arising at all.

“In it there is no learning, no worthy ones—

How could there be solitary buddhas?

Where there are no phenomena seeking awakening,

How could there be coming and going?

“Where there is no dwelling or support,

And no coming or going,

Phenomena are free of coming and going,

So how do they remain stable and unmoving like mountains?

“How is there no perception or form?

How could the nature of form be awakening?

How are form and awakening not two?

Stainless and eminent Victor, speak about these things.

“Where there is no Buddha,

And where there is no Dharma or Saṅgha,

How could the supreme Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha

Be of a single principle?

“Where there is no emptiness or characteristics,

There is no gathering or separation.

Phenomena are free of both name and being unnamed,

So how is sound made audible, like an echo?

“Where there is no arising or nonarising,

And no faultless nirvāṇa,

There is also no saṃsāra.

How do all phenomena come down to a single principle?

“In that, there are no gods or nāgas,

No yakṣas, kinnaras, or spirits,

And no hell beings either,

So how could there be any states of being?

“How is it that the Protector’s way of explaining phenomena,

And what is said by evil-minded tīrthikas,

Are not two different things?

How is it that all words are the same?”

The Blessed One expressed his approval to the bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin,
saying, “Noble son, excellent, excellent! It is astonishing that you ask such questions that all
worldly beings find difficult to grasp. Noble son, this is certainly acceptable, but why do you ask? This is not a subject fit for beginning bodhisattvas who possess the views of emptiness,
signlessness, wishlessness, nonarising, the intangible, no attributes, buddhas, and awakening. Noble
son, do not speak of this Dharma teaching in front of beginning bodhisattvas.

“Why? Because this teaching will entirely interrupt their roots of virtue. It might cause them to regress from the awakening of the buddhas and fall into eternalism or nihilism. It is possible they will not understand what realization the thus-gone ones base their teachings on.”

The bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin replied, “Blessed One, please explain this. In
the future there will be bodhisattvas who have the views of emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, nonarising, no attributes, buddhas,
and awakening. They will conceptualize everything as emptiness and signlessness, be fond of speech, be attached to expressions, believe syllables to be pure, be inclined to conversation, and cling fondly to elegant expressions and names.

“If these bodhisattvas hear the Thus-Gone One teaching the Dharma beyond letters or words, they
will abandon these views and teach the Dharma according to whatever interests beings have. Then,
trained in skillful means, they will speak of having few desires but will not realize purity through it.

“They will speak of endeavoring in rituals but will not realize purity through it. They
will speak of vows but will not realize purity because of them. They will criticize
social obligations and become interested in complete disengagement from all phenomena. They will praise the delights of solitude where there are no social obligations but will not realize purity because of it. They will praise the mind of awakening and know the nature of the mind to be awakened.

“They will praise the extensive sūtra teachings and know all phenomena
extensively. They will express the words of the bodhisattvas and will not regard hearers, solitary
buddhas, and buddhas as different.

“They will praise generosity and realize the equality of generosity. They will praise discipline and realize natural discipline. They will praise
patience and see the fact that all phenomena are exhausted, purified, and unborn.
They will praise diligence and realize that no phenomenon requires seeking or effort. They will show how
millions of gateways of concentration and equilibrium are accomplished, and will know all
phenomena to be naturally settled in equipoise. They will offer a thousand kinds of praise to knowledge, and thereby realize the nature of knowledge and deficient knowledge.

“They will reveal the faults of attachment and not see anything to be attached to.
They will reveal the faults of aversion and not see anything to be averse to. They will
reveal the faults of stupidity and be inspired to separate all phenomena from the obscuration of
stupidity.

“They will teach beings the danger of passing into hell, the animal realm, and of realm
of the lord of death, but they will not apprehend hell beings, the animal realm,
or the realm of the lord of death. They will teach the Dharma that aligns with beings’ interests. There are those who are interested in the single principle of emptiness, and likewise there are those who are interested in the single principle of signlessness, wishlessness,
nonarising, intangibility, and no attributes. Therefore,
Blessed One, hearers, solitary buddhas, and
bodhisattva great beings who have just entered this vehicle do not have a vocabulary for such skillful means. To remedy this, please provide a vocabulary for skillful means to those who are interested in the profound and in the single principle.”

Then the Blessed One said to the bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin, “Noble son, listen
well and bear what I say in mind. I will explain this topic to you.”

“Yes, Blessed One, I will.”

The bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin then listened as instructed as the Blessed One spoke the
following verses:

“Those who awaken to supreme awakening

Without being disturbed by attachment or aversion

Become victorious when they understand

It is because of desire that all phenomena have the nature of desire.

“Do not objectify attachment,

And likewise do not objectify aversion or stupidity.

Those who understand that all phenomena are like space

Will become victorious.

“View and no view are of a single principle.

Same and not same are likewise the same.

There is no Buddha, no Dharma, and no Saṅgha.

Whoever understands this is wise.

“Just as someone who is dreaming

Dreams of awakening and a buddha taming beings,

But there is no true awakening and there are no beings,

Likewise, the entire Dharma is in fact like that.

“Those who have set out for awakening found nothing at all.

They found nothing and will never find anything.

Knowledge and awareness are of a single principle.

Knowing this, they will be victorious.

“The nature of beings is said to be awakening itself.

The nature of awakening is all beings.

Beings and awakening—these are not two different things.

Knowing this, they become supreme beings.

“When a trained magician

Manifests a multitude of visual illusions,

The illusions appear but are nothing whatsoever,

And yet they delight deluded beings.

“Attachment and aversion are always the same.

Stupidity and illusion also are always the same.

Childish beings with averse, deluded minds

Are cast into the lower realms by their stupidity.

“Reality is like an illusion—

There is no attachment or aversion, and no stupidity whatsoever.

Yet childish beings form concepts

And suffer in the fire of afflictive emotions.

“The knowledge that phenomena are unborn

Entails there are no afflicted beings

Or anyone who has ever awakened,

Yet people form concepts and say, ‘We will awaken.’

“Those who see there are no buddhas, no buddha qualities,

That there have never been beings,

And who see space-like reality

Swiftly become the leaders of beings.

“There is no awakening for those who desire it;

They are as far from supreme awakening as the earth from the sky.

It is those who know reality to be illusory

Who will swiftly attain buddhahood.

“There are those who think about discipline,

But they have no discipline; there is no discipline to see.

Lax discipline and proper discipline are one;

Those who know this become protectors.

“In their dreams, some beings

Act on their desires and experience pleasure.

Influenced by stupidity and delusion, they imagine women

When there never were any women at all.

“In delusion, childish beings falsely conceptualize

Lax discipline and proper discipline both.

There is neither discipline nor lax discipline.

Those who know this become protectors.

“Not knowing the nature of sound,

Those of childish mind become attached to labels.

Those who know these labels do not exist

Attain the supreme strength of patience.

“Many beings have made the pledge to awaken,

And verbally explain that fact to others.

Verbally clinging to purity, they lose perseverance,

All while being fully immersed in awakening.

“Beings are attached to pure and confused activities,

Delight in words and talk, and are unwise.

If they do not know the nature of phenomena,

They will not awaken through the purity of words.

“How will those who boast of the emptiness of phenomena,

Who love arguing, have minds made hostile by conflict,

Think cruelly, and have no vows,

Ever have the Buddha’s qualities or awakening?

“A cruel mind and patience are of a single principle;

Knowing this, a person gives up anger.

Those who do not know the nature of beings

Have childish minds and are filled with anger.

“They say that all beings are devoid of self

And pray that the victors will liberate beings,

But merely mentioning this provokes their anger.

Because they harbor such aggression, do not speak a word to them.

“Those who love conflict and cultivate wrongdoing

May constantly sing the praises of patience.

Though they say that all phenomena are emptiness,

They are swollen with pride and thus perpetuate confusion.

“Attached to food and bound by the knot of ignorance,

They think of sense pleasures day and night.

They go to farms, villages, and towns,

And claim to liberate many beings.

“They say, ‘I have compassion for all beings

And am benevolent to the whole world.’

But their words, impelled by an aggressive mind,

Undermine that very fact.

“You will never see or hear of

Malevolence and compassion coexisting.

Yet even people who are angry with each other

Aspire to the realm of limitless life.

“There are places as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River

Where violence and abuse predominate.

The victors will not visit these realms

Where the cultivation of sublime patience is neglected.

“Those who know that worlds are not worlds

Will say that worlds are of the nature of space.

They have no concepts about the qualities of such worlds

And will proceed to the world of the supreme beings.

“It is said I should be patient with any harm done,

And that I should regard the Victor’s heirs as teachers.

Never have I seen or heard of anger

In those who are thought of as teachers.

“They are attached to villages where they beg and receive food,

And criticize one another’s conduct.

‘This one is destined to be my student;

No one should go to see them,’ they announce.

“ ‘No one can compare to me.

This person’s conduct is impure,’ they say.

Being unwise, they will not attain awakening;

They are completely impotent.

“One must bow one’s head to bodhisattvas

Three times in the day and the same at night.

One must not think they are confused in any way,

And carry on acting the way one wishes.

“When seeing someone enjoying sense pleasures,

Do not think of them as being confused in any way.

Through the qualities of limitless awakened conduct,

They will attain awakening in the future.

“One does not become victorious all at once;

It is attained through gradual stages of logic and action.

It is acquired by donning the armor for many millions of eons

And not by any other means.

“With no thought, conceptuality, or attachment,

I too attain awakening similar to attachment.

Disturbing emotions do not exist and will never exist.

Trust in this and attain sublime patience.

“One should engage with phenomena as beyond language

And see all sound as beyond sound.

One who trusts that phenomena are like this

Is free of attachment, aversion, and stupidity.

“Attachment and awakening are the same—no less, no more.

Realize both to be beyond language.

Both are merely labels;

They are expressed in language yet do not exist.

“When one knows all sounds are a single sound,

Sound will never be multifarious.

Whatever I explain and whatever tīrthikas say

Are known to share this reality.

“These phenomena are expressed in sound through speech,

Yet the phenomena and the sound are not apprehended.

When one enters into this single principle of reality,

Supreme and unsurpassed patience is attained.

“Anger, patience, sense pleasures, and impatience

Should not be conceptualized or imputed.

When one knows the unborn in that way,

One becomes a faultless and supreme being.

“Imagine that someone took

All the grains of sand in the Ganges River

As it extends to the north, south, east, and west,

Made each grain into a buddha realm, and placed it in one direction.

“They then filled each of these buddha realms

With jewels for the victors

And made offerings to them for many millions of eons.

The merit of transcribing this discourse would be greater still.

For those who do so, merit will grow boundlessly.

“I entrust this discourse to those who have gone forth,

Striving for awakening in this way.

They will swiftly attain sublime patience.

“Those who teach the limitless gateways of this discourse

Will soon attain the dhāraṇīs.

They will obtain millions of discourses

And the qualities of eloquence and mental acuity.

“They will gain understanding by clearing the obstacles to words

And swiftly gain precise analytical knowledge.

Infinite buddhas will bestow the gift of eloquence

And teach many discourses in myriad ways.

“Whoever understands this principle

Will recollect many discourses on their own,

Travel to the sublime worlds,

And venerate the protectors upon arrival.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, you
have benefited all the beings who heard this teaching in verse.”

“Noble son, do you see this assembly?”

“Blessed One, I do. Blessed One, there are innumerable beings gathered here for
this Dharma teaching. Blessed One, the sky above is filled with gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas,
asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. Blessed One, many beings from other worlds also heard this
teaching.”

Then the Blessed One said this to the bodhisattva great being Siṃhavikrāntagāmin: “Noble son, as I
was giving this Dharma teaching, ninety-eight thousand gods developed the acceptance that phenomena
are unborn, ninety-two thousand yakṣas aroused the intention to attain unsurpassed and perfect
awakening, and thirty-six thousand nāgas aroused the intention to awaken. Five hundred arrogant monks who falsely presumed their own attainment came to trust that all phenomena are of a single principle
when they heard this teaching, which is devoid of arrogance. Free from the
causes that perpetuate cyclic existence, their minds were liberated from the defilements. Among this assembly of
bodhisattvas, sixty-two thousand gained an unobscured understanding of all phenomena and then gained
the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Why was that?

“Noble son, this Dharma teaching is superb. Noble son, previously I myself fully assimilated the single
principle of all phenomena in the presence of the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Dīpaṅkara.
Subsequently, I gained the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Noble son, hearing this Dharma
teaching is equivalent to mastering all the six perfections. Noble son, I have stated that in realizing
this principle, one completes all six perfections of the bodhisattva great beings. Why is
this?

“Noble son, even if bodhisattvas were to give generously, guard their discipline,
practice patience, cultivate diligence, rest evenly in concentration, and authentically generate
insight for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, all their roots of
virtue would eventually be exhausted if this Dharma principle was not understood. Noble son, consider what
happened to the roots of virtue possessed by Devadatta. Noble son, Devadatta had thirty of the marks
of a great person. He had such roots of virtue, but did not understand this
Dharma principle, and so his roots of virtue expired and he was born in the great hell of Ceaseless Torment. Noble son,
understand that the roots of virtue of those who have not fully assimilated this Dharma principle will
expire, just as happened in his case.

“Noble son, in the past, many countless, limitless, vast, and immeasurable eons ago, the
thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Mervabhyudgatarāja came to the world. He was a blessed buddha who
was learned and virtuous, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassed being, a charioteer
who guides beings, and a teacher of gods and humans. The lifespan of this thus-gone one was
ninety-nine trillion years. His world was called Kanakārcis, as that buddha realm was made entirely of gold. All its beings were in
the process of attaining nirvāṇa through the three vehicles of the hearers, solitary buddhas, and
bodhisattvas.

“All eighty trillion monks who were in the first assembly of that thus-gone one’s hearers were
worthy ones. They had exhausted the defilements, put down their burdens, attained benefit for
themselves, and eliminated what bound them to existence. Their minds had been completely liberated by
authentic teachings. The second assembly consisted of seventy trillion monks, the third of sixty trillion
monks, and the fourth of fifty trillion, all of whom were worthy ones, had exhausted the defilements,
had put down their burdens, had attained benefit for themselves, and had eliminated what bound them to
existence. Their minds had been completely liberated by authentic teachings. There were twice as many
nuns in the assembly, as well as twice as many laymen and laywomen. There were
also twice as many bodhisattvas in the assembly, all of whom were irreversible beings, had gained
acceptance that phenomena are unborn, were skilled in accomplishing the ways of absorption, and had
attained the dhāraṇī of the boundless gateways. Given that this entire assembly was comprised of those who
could turn the wheel of Dharma of irreversibility, what need is there to mention the
assembly of those who had newly entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle? Also in that assembly were a limitless number of
followers of the vehicle of the solitary buddhas.

“Such was the limitless assembly, noble son, that had gathered around that blessed one. In the
Kanakārcis world, all the plants and trees were made of jewels. From these trees issued the sounds of emptiness,
signlessness, wishlessness, nonarising, nonceasing, intangibility, and no attributes. The presence of these sounds
liberated the minds of the beings living in that world. After that thus-gone one had
passed completely beyond suffering, his sublime Dharma remained for a thousand years, after which
those sounds stopped reverberating from the trees.

“Noble son, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Mervabhyudgatarāja appointed a monk and Dharma
teacher named Viśuddhacāritra as the holder of his sublime Dharma and then passed completely beyond
suffering.

“At that time there was also a monk named Cāritramati. He had a great degree of pure
discipline, had attained the five mundane superknowledges, and was well trained in the Vinaya.
This monk engaged in intense austerities, was inclined toward frugality, and
worked within the community. He built a monastery where he lived, and where everyone in the community was oriented to
pure discipline and committed to the qualities of
purification. This monk cultivated diligence and always maintained the mind of awakening. He inspired
other bodhisattvas to live this way of life and to adopt views with
a reference point. He caused them to accept that all karmic predispositions are impermanent, that
all karmic predispositions are painful, and that all karmic predispositions lack a self.
This monk was skilled in absorption and possessed roots of virtue, yet he was not learned in
the conduct of bodhisattvas.

“The monk and Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra was skilled in discerning those of superior and inferior faculties, and everyone in his community
was intent on their commitment to the ascetic practices, had patience beyond reference point, and
was skilled in means. Noble son, the Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra traveled with his
community to the monastery where Cāritramati lived and took up residence there. From that monastery they
went on regular alms rounds to villages, motivated by compassion for beings, and then returned to the monastery. In
this way, he caused hundreds of thousands of families to develop faith in them. Everyone in the community behaved
skillfully. They would also travel to the villages and teach beings the Dharma, and even established many
hundreds of thousands of animals in unsurpassed and perfect awakening. The monk Cāritramati’s community,
however, was focused on concentration and did not travel to the villages.

“Cāritramati lost his faith in these other bodhisattvas, and so struck the wooden beam to
call the monastic saṅgha to assembly. ‘Who among us is properly maintaining their spiritual
commitments? No one should travel to the villages. Your behavior is careless. You
end up speaking too much, so what is accomplished by going to the villages? The Blessed One has instructed us
to stay in monasteries, and indeed he has commended it. Therefore, you should not go to town but
instead enjoy the bliss of concentration,’ he ordered. But they did not heed his advice and continued
visiting the villages.

“Noble son, when those monks were returning from the villages, the monk Cāritramati once again
struck the wooden beam and called the monastic saṅgha to assembly. He gave them an ultimatum: ‘If you are
going to keep visiting the villages, you may not stay in this monastery.’

“Noble son, to protect the mind of Cāritramati, the monk and Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra then
summoned his community and commanded them, ‘Nobody shall go to the villages!’ However, those monks were displeased that they were thenceforth unable
to encounter any of the beings whom they were to ripen, and their
roots of virtue waned.

“Noble son, after three months had passed, the monk and Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra moved
from that monastery to another temple. He also traveled to towns, villages, provinces, realms, and
royal courts, teaching the Dharma to beings.

“Noble son, the monk Cāritramati then saw how the Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra traveled
repeatedly to the villages. He observed how those in Viśuddhacāritra’s community persisted in their
mundane conduct, and lost faith in them. He told many people, ‘This monk has lax and perverse
discipline. How could he gain awakening? Awakening for this monk is far off indeed. This
monk is far too indulgent.’

“Noble son, sometime later, the time of the monk Cāritramati’s death arrived. After he died,
the ripening of this action caused him to plummet to the great hell of Ceaseless Torment, and
he experienced the suffering of the great hells for nine hundred ninety
billion eons. For another sixty lifetimes he encountered unpleasant speech, and for thirty-two
thousand lifetimes he had no access to the renunciant’s life. The residual traces of that karmic
obscuration allowed him to become a renunciant during the time of the teachings of the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Expanding
Stainless Light. As a renunciant he did not attain even a semblance of patience, even though he practiced for sixty trillion
years as if his head were on fire, and for many hundreds
of thousands of lives his faculties remained dull.

“Noble son, if you believe that at that time, on that occasion,
the monk and Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra was someone other than
the Thus-Gone One Akṣobhya, you are mistaken. For at that time, on that occasion, the Thus-Gone
One Akṣobhya was indeed the monk and Dharma teacher Viśuddhacāritra. Noble son, if you believe that at that
time, on that occasion, the monk and Dharma teacher Cāritramati was someone other than me, then you are
mistaken. For at that time, on that occasion, I was indeed the monk and Dharma teacher Cāritramati, and it was I
who, because of his subtle methods, had distrustful thoughts about him. And because of the karmic obscurations I accumulated,
I fell into the realm of hell beings.

“Noble son, there are karmic obscurations that are as subtle as that; and therefore, noble son, whoever does not
wish for such karmic obscurations should not become angry about the conduct of others. All such types
of conduct are worthy of trust. One should think, ‘I do not know another person’s mind.
The behavior of beings is difficult to fathom.’

“It is recognizing the importance of this matter that the Thus-Gone One has given this Dharma advice: People should not judge
one another. If they do, they only harm themselves. Only I or someone like me can judge people.

“Noble son, those who wish to protect themselves should not scrutinize the behavior of others.
They should not criticize others, saying, ‘They are like this and that, he or she is like this.’
Rather, they should endeavor in the teachings of the Buddha day and night. Noble son, a bodhisattva
who sincerely practices with a mind accustomed to the Dharma will be assiduous in not judging
others.

“Noble son, suppose a bodhisattva were to establish all beings living throughout the great
trichiliocosm on the path of the ten virtuous actions. Compared to that, if another bodhisattva were
to take to solitude and merely arouse trust in the single principle of all phenomena for a single
instant, or even just ask a question
about it, inquire into it, teach on it, or recite it, then the merit of this would be far
greater. Why is that?

“Noble son, when bodhisattvas fully assimilate this principle, they gain the purification of all
karmic obscurations. They are then freed from all forms of attachment or anger toward beings and
swiftly gain omniscience.”

Then Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when you say ‘karmic
obscurations are purified,’ how are these karmic obscurations purified?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who knows that all phenomena are devoid of
karma and ripening gains the purification of karmic obscurations. Moreover, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva
who sees the limit of attachment and the limit of reality as the same, the limit of anger and the limit of reality as the same,
and the limit of ignorance and the limit of reality as the same gains the purification of karmic obscurations.
Moreover, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who sees all beings and all phenomena as nirvāṇa’s expanse gains the
purification of karmic obscurations.

“Why is this, Mañjuśrī? If you hold a view, karma accumulates. Mañjuśrī, immature, ordinary,
unlearned beings do not know all phenomena to be utterly beyond suffering. They therefore
conceptualize self and other, and thus accumulate physical, verbal, and mental karma. Because of these
mistaken imputations, they think, ‘I am attached, I am angry, I am stupid.’ If they
become renunciants under the teachings of the Thus-Gone One, they go on to think, ‘I am disciplined, I am
chaste, I should transcend saṃsāra, I
should attain nirvāṇa, and I should gain freedom from suffering.’

“Because of their mistaken imputations, they form concepts such as, ‘These phenomena are virtuous,
these are nonvirtuous; these phenomena are to be known, these phenomena are to be avoided; these
phenomena are to be actualized, these phenomena are to be cultivated; and suffering is to be understood, its
origin is to be eliminated, cessation is to be actualized, and the path is to be cultivated. All karmic predispositions are
impermanent, all karmic predispositions are painful, and all karmic predispositions are aflame.
I must escape from karmic predispositions, whatever it takes!’

“When they conceptualize in this way, they form the perception that they are weary,
and based on that indication, think, ‘To know these phenomena is to understand suffering. I will eliminate its origin,
whatever it takes!’ They thus become deflated, worried, fearful, terrified, and horrified about
everything, and think, ‘To feel ashamed about phenomena is to eliminate the origin.’ They will think, ‘I
should actualize cessation, whatever it takes!’ They will impute labels on phenomena, and then form
the perception of their cessation. They will think, ‘Actualizing phenomena is cessation.’
They will think, ‘I should cultivate the path, whatever it takes!’ They will go alone into solitude
and focus on those practices, thus attaining tranquility. Their belief that they are weary
and their attainment of tranquility will lead them to become disenchanted and disheartened with all
phenomena. Their minds will turn away from them and they will become deflated, embarrassed, and reproachful. They
will lose all excitement, and will
think, ‘I am free from all suffering. Compared to this, there is nothing more I
need to do. I am a worthy one.’ Then when they reach the point of death and see that they will be
reborn, they will become doubtful and suspicious of the Buddha’s awakening. The mind that falls into
such doubt will be born in the great hell realms. All of this is because they have imputed
labels onto unborn phenomena.”

Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how should we view the four truths
of noble beings?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, whoever sees all karmic predispositions as unborn understands suffering.
Whoever sees all phenomena as unoriginated eliminates the origin. Whoever sees all phenomena as utterly
beyond suffering actualizes cessation. Whoever sees all phenomena as intangible cultivates the
path.

“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees the four truths of noble beings in this way will not form concepts such
as, ‘These phenomena are virtuous, and those are nonvirtuous; these are to be understood, these are to be
eliminated, these are to be actualized, and these are to be cultivated; suffering is to be understood, the
origin is to be eliminated, cessation is to be actualized, and the path is to be cultivated.’ Why is
that?

“Any phenomenon toward which ordinary and immature beings become attached, angry, or ignorant is
seen to be unborn, nonexistent, mistaken, imputed, and produced. Therefore, no phenomena are accepted
or rejected. This type of mind is not attached to the three realms and correctly sees that the
entirety of the three realms is unborn and like an illusion, a dream, an echo, and a hallucination. That mind regards all
virtuous and nonvirtuous phenomena to be like visual distortions. It sees the realm of attachment as
the expanse of nirvāṇa. Likewise, the elements of anger and ignorance are seen as the expanse of
nirvāṇa.

“By seeing phenomena as having this nature, one will no longer be attached or angry toward any
being. Why is that? Because one will no longer apprehend any phenomena to which one could be attached or
angry. With a mind equal to space, one does not even see the Buddha, nor does one see the
Dharma or the Saṅgha. Because one does not see any phenomena, one does not have any doubt about phenomena. Without
doubt, there is no perpetuation. With no perpetuation, one attains nirvāṇa free from perpetuation.
Mañjuśrī, because the elder Subhūti understands phenomena in this way, he does not come
to bow to the Thus-Gone One’s feet. Why is that? If one does not apprehend oneself, how could one apprehend the
Thus-Gone One? He is not there.”

Then Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how should we relate to the
four applications of mindfulness?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, teach renunciants of the future the application of mindfulness
that examines the body in terms of its repulsiveness. Teach the application of mindfulness that
examines sensations in terms of their arising and ceasing. Teach the application of mindfulness that
examines the mind in terms of the fact that mind arises and ceases. Teach the application of mindfulness
that examines phenomena through the understanding that anything that is not perceived as whole is
not perceived as a phenomenon.”

Then Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, in that case, how should we
relate to the four applications of mindfulness?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, it is acceptable that you ask this, for the thus-gone ones’
cryptic statements are hard to understand.”

Mañjuśrī then requested of the Blessed One, “Blessed One, well then, please give a teaching on how to cultivate
the four applications of mindfulness.”

“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “whoever sees the body as being the same as space cultivates
the application of mindfulness that examines the body. Mañjuśrī, whoever does not apprehend sensations as
being inner, outer, or neither cultivates the application of mindfulness that examines sensations.
Mañjuśrī, whoever understands that mind is just a label cultivates the application of mindfulness that
examines the mind. Mañjuśrī, whoever does not apprehend virtuous and nonvirtuous phenomena cultivates the
application of mindfulness that examines phenomena. Mañjuśrī, this is how to relate to the four applications of
mindfulness.”

Mañjuśrī asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how should we relate to the five faculties?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, to see all phenomena as unborn because they are naturally
nonarisen is the faculty of faith. Mañjuśrī, to not project the mind toward phenomena because they
are free from notions of near or far is the faculty of diligence. Mañjuśrī, to not direct the mind toward
phenomena or conceptualize them through mindfulness because they are free of reference point is the
faculty of mindfulness. Mañjuśrī, to not think about any phenomena is the faculty of absorption.
Mañjuśrī, because phenomena are free of birth and destruction, and of knowing and not knowing, to see that they are all naturally empty is the faculty of insight. Mañjuśrī, this is how to relate to the five faculties.”

Mañjuśrī asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how should we relate to the seven limbs of
awakening?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, seeing that phenomena lack inherent nature and
cannot be an object of the mind is the limb of authentic mindfulness. Mañjuśrī, because that which is virtuous, nonvirtuous, and neutral cannot be established once they have been dissected and examined, to not
apprehend any phenomenon is the limb of authentic investigation.
Mañjuśrī, to not accept or reject the three realms due to fully understanding the perception
of realms is the limb of authentic diligence. Mañjuśrī, to not take joy in
any of the karmic predispositions because joy and sorrow are thoroughly known is the limb of authentic joy.
Mañjuśrī, to not apprehend apprehensible objects and to remain calm toward all phenomena is
the limb of authentic calm. Mañjuśrī, to not apprehend the mind after meditating on and gaining realization about all phenomena
is the limb of authentic absorption. Resting in
equanimity without being based in, relying upon, being attached to, or knowing any phenomenon, and without closely examining
any phenomena, is the limb of authentic equanimity. Mañjuśrī, this is how to relate to the seven
limbs of awakening.”

Mañjuśrī asked, “Blessed One, how should we relate to the eightfold path of noble beings?”

The Blessed One responded, “Mañjuśrī, seeing that all phenomena are not unequal, are nondual, and are
indivisible is right view. Mañjuśrī, seeing that there is nothing to examine, investigate, or
scrutinize, insofar as all phenomena are imperceptible, is right thought. Mañjuśrī, seeing that all phenomena
are inexpressible, because of having grown deeply accustomed to equality and inexpressibility, is right
speech. Mañjuśrī, seeing that all phenomena are without action and agent, because of not apprehending
an agent, is right action. Mañjuśrī, maintaining the equality of livelihoods, and thus not amassing or diminishing any phenomena, is right livelihood. Mañjuśrī, doing absolutely nothing to
phenomena, insofar as exertion and success do not exist, is right
effort. Mañjuśrī, to not direct the mind toward or be mindful of any phenomena, because of avoiding any
mindful action, is right mindfulness. Mañjuśrī, to not apprehend any phenomena, and thus rest naturally in equipoise, be without agitation, and recognize that there are no points of reference, is right absorption. Mañjuśrī, this is how to relate to the eightfold path of noble beings.

“Mañjuśrī, those who know the four truths of noble beings and see the four applications of
mindfulness, the five faculties, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold path of noble beings
in this way are said to have transcended negativity, to have reached the far shore,
and to stand on level ground. They are blissful and fearless, have set their burdens down,
have stirred the dust, and are freed from everything. They are unafflicted, worthy ones, and both
ascetics and brahmins. They are washed, perfected, and clean. They are children of the Śākyas and heirs to
the buddhas. They have extracted the thorn, escaped the moat, leapt over the moat, removed the dart, and are free of fever. They are monks, noble ones, and perfect victory
banners.

“Mañjuśrī, monks who possess this type of patience are objects of generosity for the world and
its gods, fit for all gifts and honors. Therefore, Mañjuśrī, if
a monk wishes to make the consumption of food gained in alms rounds meaningful and seeks to tame the māras, pass beyond saṃsāra,
attain nirvāṇa, be freed from suffering, and become an object of the generosity of the world and its
gods, that monk should endeavor in these teachings as explained.”

When this Dharma teaching was given, thirty thousand gods attained realization of the Dharma and scattered
many coral tree flowers on the Blessed One and Mañjuśrī. They said, “Blessed One, at the very
least, whoever simply hears this teaching will go forth in the teachings of the Thus-Gone
One. And further there are those who, hearing it, will become devoted to and confident in it and
become assiduous in pursuing it correctly. Blessed One, whoever simply hears this teaching will no longer be
arrogant.”

Then Mañjuśrī requested the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please teach the words of dhāraṇī taught by the thus-gone ones that causes
bodhisattvas to attain unimpeded eloquence, the sound of which causes fearlessnes—a dhāraṇī that
relates all phenomena with the qualities of a buddha and causes the realization that all phenomena
come down to a single principle. Please teach us the words of such a dhāraṇī.”

The Blessed One said to Mañjuśrī, “Well then, Mañjuśrī, listen to this Dharma gateway. It is a
Dharma gateway through which bodhisattvas obtain the illumination of all phenomena and swiftly attain the
acceptance that phenomena are unborn. It is called teaching the words of the stake and the words of the seed.

“Mañjuśrī, what is this Dharma gateway called teaching the words of the stake and the words of the seed?

“Mañjuśrī, all beings are of one mind are seed words.”

“Blessed One, why are these seed words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, because there is no apprehension of reference points, there is no mind.
Therefore, these are seed words.

“Mañjuśrī, all beings are of a single mode of being are seed words.”

“Blessed One, why are these seed words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are inclined to be without attachment; they are space.
Therefore, these are seed words.

“Mañjuśrī, all beings are a single being are seed words.”

“Blessed One, why are these seed words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, because all beings are unborn, utterly unborn, unnamed, have
only one path, and cannot be observed, they are taught to be a single being. Therefore, these are seed words.

“Mañjuśrī, attachment is a stake word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a stake word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, attachment endures in the realm of reality in a manner of not
enduring. It does not waver or move and is naturally discrete. It does not waver. Therefore, this is a
stake word.

“Mañjuśrī, aggression is a vajra word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a vajra word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, aggression is indivisible, as for instance a vajra is
indivisible and indestructible. Likewise, Mañjuśrī, phenomena do not exist as material objects, thus they
are indestructible and indivisible. Therefore, this is a vajra word.

“Mañjuśrī, stupidity is a wisdom word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a wisdom word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are established by wisdom and are not unknown. For
example, Mañjuśrī, space is not something that knows or does not know.
Likewise, Mañjuśrī, phenomena neither know nor do not know. Because knowable things are utter peace, they neither know nor do not know.
Therefore, this is a wisdom word.

“Mañjuśrī, form is a stake word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a stake word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, it is like this: because an iron bolt is rigid, it does not
waver or move. Likewise, Mañjuśrī, all phenomena endure in the realm of reality in the manner of
not enduring—they neither come nor go, cannot be appropriated, and are beyond effort. Because they are extremely
stable, they do not endure. Therefore, this is a stake word.

“Mañjuśrī, feeling is a peace word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a peace word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are naturally peaceful. Feelings do not exist
internally, nor do they exist externally. They do not exist in the east, south,
west, or north. They do not exist below or above, nor do they exist in any of the intermediate
directions. Mañjuśrī, if the feeling of happiness existed internally, then happiness would bring all beings
intense happiness. Conversely, Mañjuśrī, if the feeling of pain existed internally, then pain would cause all beings
intense pain. Mañjuśrī, if feelings that are neither happiness nor pain existed
internally, then all beings would experience intense dullness.

“Mañjuśrī, given that no feelings exist internally, externally, in the east, south, west,
north, above or below, or in any intermediate direction, all beings are like grass or a wall—equal in
being unborn and unceasing by nature. Therefore, this is a peace
word.

“Mañjuśrī, perception is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, perception arises from imputation. It arises from the
mistaken and is like an empty discontinuity. Perceptions are essentially optical illusions and are
naturally discrete. Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, karmic predisposition are seed words.”

“Blessed One, why are these seed words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are uncountable, equal in terms of
number, and like the center of the plantain tree. In that example, Mañjuśrī, the center of the plantain tree
naturally does not grow, and therefore is totally nonexistent and cannot be apprehended. Likewise,
Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are naturally discrete and have no labels. Therefore, these are seed
words.

“Mañjuśrī, consciousness is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, consciousness is like an illusion. It is unborn, unarisen,
empty, signless, essenceless, and without attributes. It is free of labels, just like space and
the five fingers. Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, visible form
are seed words.”

“Blessed One, why are these seed words?”

The Blessed One said, “For
example, visual distortions appear but do not exist. Likewise, Mañjuśrī, all phenomena appear
but do not exist. The eye is deceived and the mind is deceived since visible forms
are empty, hollow, false, and illusory. Therefore, these are seed words.

“Mañjuśrī, sound is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, phenomena cannot be separated and are nondual. The manifestation
of their sound is like that of an echo. Therefore, this is a seed
word.

“Mañjuśrī, smell is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, there are no phenomena that are apprehended as a nose, smell, or
consciousness, thus there is no smelling; it is naturally dull, and like space. Therefore,
this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, taste is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are naturally and essentially discrete, therefore they
are inconceivable. When the element of taste is not apprehended, taste cannot be apprehended. Therefore, this
is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, touch is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are discrete, like space. Both our familiar body
and what it touches do not arise and are discrete from touch, thus touch does not exist. Therefore,
this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, earth is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are without mind, have no mind, are essenceless,
unestablished, free of labels, and devoid of attributes, and have the nature of the realm of reality. Therefore,
this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, water is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, phenomena have no water, are not mixed with it, are not wet, and are like the water in a mirage Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, fire is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are without warmth, free of torment, naturally
nonexistent, and essentially peaceful. Being erroneous conceptual designations, they never arise.
Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, wind is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, because all phenomena are completely free of motion, they are
unattached and unobscured. They completely transcend the path of the wind, have no attributes, and are
essenceless. Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, buddha is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, phenomena do not cause awakening; they lack awakening, realization, and perfect buddhahood. They do not approach awakening, but are isolated from that which causes awakening.
Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, dharma is a seed word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a seed word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are indivisible and cannot be split apart. They
are free from being cut, and isolated from being cut. They are without labels, signless, without attributes, essenceless,
and transcend language. Therefore, this is a seed word.

“Mañjuśrī, saṅgha is a stake word.”

“Blessed One, why is this a stake word?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, the noble saṅgha is firmly situated in reality itself. It is firmly situated in the
realm of reality, the limit of reality, the equality of discipline and lax discipline,
the equality of absorption and disturbance, the equality of insight and distorted insight, and the equality of liberation and defilement. Because it does
not apprehend remaining or not remaining, it remains in all phenomena. Therefore, this is a stake
word.

“Mañjuśrī, no phenomenon is an object are stake words.”

“Blessed One, why are they stake words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are space-like objects, inconceivable objects, and not
objects. They are completely interrupted, insubstantial, and free from being interrupted, and thus
are powerless. Therefore, these are stake words.

“Mañjuśrī, no phenomena can be apprehended are stake
words.”

“Blessed One, why are they stake words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are without basis or support. Because they are
isolated from apprehension, they are not apprehended, not observed, disconnected, and not encountered or met with. Therefore, these are stake words.

“Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are ungraspable are stake words.”

“Blessed One, why are they stake words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī,
all phenomena are wholly immersed in the realm of reality. They are not abandoned, received, or
sought out. They are not aspired for; aspirations are entirely eradicated. They are naturally quelled and are
equal and similar to space. Therefore, these are stake words.

“Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are free of the afflictions are stake words.”

“Blessed One, why are they stake words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are stainless. They are nothing at all, yet are
pure and luminous. Because space is completely pure, they are utterly pure. Because the afflictions
are not apprehended, there are no afflictions. Therefore, these are stake words.

“Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are baseless are stake words.”

“Blessed One, why are they stake words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are insubstantial and powerless,
and thus do not have a foundation. Therefore, these are stake words.

“Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are beyond training are stake words.”

“Blessed One, why are they stake words?”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are free from training. They are not something
that can be trained in, cultivated, contemplated, thought about, maintained, gone to, persevered in,
mistakenly persevered in, abandoned, actualized, disclosed, confessed, arranged, liberated, expressed,
discussed, grasped at, cast aside, sent away, or forsaken. Why is this? Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are
completely rejected and naturally not grasped at. They are always cast aside. This is not understood
through knowing, nor is it something to understand through not knowing. Therefore, these are stake
words.”

Then Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, based on these stake words, I have
discovered eloquence.”

The Blessed One said to Mañjuśrī, “Then please speak with eloquence, Mañjuśrī.”

Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, all beings have attained awakening are
stake words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, no phenomenon is attained, authentically attained, or acquired.
Phenomena are not attainable, and they cannot be understood or realized. Therefore,
they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have attained omniscience are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, no beings exist at all, and it follows that the omniscient state is also
insubstantial by nature. Therefore, I say, ‘All beings have attained omniscience.’ Blessed One,
omniscience is not viable as something that someone can attain. Why is this? Because, Blessed
One, omniscience is the nature of beings. Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have omniscient wisdom are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One,
all beings are without an essence; they are devoid of essence. Because
they share the same essence, it follows that they are the same as the Thus-Gone One, and that they
possess the nature of omniscient wisdom. Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have the essence of awakening are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī responded, “Blessed One, what is the meaning of the words the essence of
awakening?”

The Blessed One said, “The essence of awakening means that all phenomena
have an essence of peace; that all phenomena have an unborn essence; that all phenomena have an
insubstantial essence; that all phenomena have an ungraspable essence; and that all phenomena have
an essence with no intrinsic nature. Mañjuśrī, this is the meaning of the expression the
essence of awakening.”

“Well then, Blessed One, is it not the case that beings always have this essence?”

“Yes, Mañjuśrī, that is the case,” answered the Blessed One.

“Blessed One, that teaching shows that all beings have the essence of awakening. Therefore, they
are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have attained patience are stake words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, all beings have the qualities of being inexhaustible,
unobscured, and unborn. They possess an even patience that is devoid of linguistic designations.
Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have unimpeded eloquence are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, every being who has eloquence, no matter who, does not exist anywhere in the ten directions.
Blessed One, considering that all beings are free of obscurations, are discrete, have attained equality, and that they maintain their own
characteristics, they are nonexistent. Blessed One, this teaching shows that they are
stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have attained dhāraṇī are stake words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, all beings perceive themselves as beings, but this is
a false imputation, a mistaken concept that results in fixation on characteristics. And because of this, they cling
to form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have an affectionate mind are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, beings are not beings. They naturally have no
malice, and have attained the equality in which malice and love are never present. Therefore, they
are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have great compassion are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, all beings have uncontrived and unfabricated compassion. They
have an essence of great compassion that is not beyond the scope of the thus gone ones’ equality.
Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all beings have meditative absorption are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, because beings are devoid of reference points, they have a nature.
Blessed One, a being’s consciousness that emerges based on reference points is not
concerned by those reference points. Why is this? Because, Blessed One, the consciousnesses
involved in reference points are momentary. Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, all buddhas are endowed with attachment are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, all buddhas have attachment. They have an
essential nature of attachment, and in realizing this, do not part from equality.
Thus they are glad, delighted, and joyful, and are free from afflictive emotions. Therefore,
Blessed One, attachment itself is awakening. Why is this? Blessed One, realizing the
essential nature of attachment is called awakening. Therefore, they are stake
words.

“Blessed One, the blessed buddhas have aggression are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, the blessed buddhas remain in the equality of aggression, and
correctly demonstrate the faults of all karmic predispositions. Because they realize the essential nature of
aggression, it is said that they have aggression. Therefore, they are stake
words.

“Blessed One, the blessed buddhas have stupidity are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, the blessed buddhas realize the essential nature of stupidity, and so remain
in the equality of stupidity and can elucidate all terms. Therefore, they are stake
words.

“Blessed One, the blessed buddhas have a real body
are stake words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, the blessed buddhas reside in a real body, and because
they understand that this real body is unborn and unarisen, phenomena do not increase,
expand, or proliferate. They remain as if not remaining. Therefore, they are stake
words.

“Blessed One, the blessed buddhas have wrong views are stake
words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, the blessed buddhas correctly demonstrate that composite phenomena
are mistaken. They correctly demonstrate that composite phenomena are incorrect. They correctly
demonstrate that composite phenomena are in error. They realize equality through the characteristics of the essential nature of wrong
views, and thus demonstrate that conditioned phenomena are
false, deceptive, and misleading. Therefore, they are stake words.

“Blessed One, the blessed buddhas persist in mistakenness and discover
awakening and the blessed buddhas persist in the obscurations, in the five
sense pleasures, in attachment, in aggression, and in stupidity and discover
awakening: those are stake words.”

“Mañjuśrī, why are they stake words?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, this persisting expresses mistaken
persisting.”

The Blessed One asked, “Mañjuśrī, what is the meaning of the expression mistaken
persisting?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, mistaken persisting, debased
persisting, wavering, and vacillating are all
designations for ordinary beings. The blessed buddhas completely and perfectly persist in the equality of
attachment, aggression, stupidity, the five sense pleasures, obscuration, and mistakenness. While
remaining in the essential nature of attachment, they fully awaken to unexcelled and
perfect buddhahood. While remaining in the essential nature of aggression, stupidity, the
five sense pleasures, obscuration, and mistakenness, they fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood.”

Then the Blessed One asked Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, if someone were to ask you whether
the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha has abandoned everything nonvirtuous and possesses all that is
virtuous, how would you answer?”

“Blessed One, if someone were to ask me whether the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha has
abandoned everything nonvirtuous and possesses all that is virtuous, I would give this
answer: First, pay respect to spiritual teachers. Exert yourself in practice. Do not join or separate from
anything. Do not accept or reject anything. Do not apprehend or focus on anything. Do not be indifferent
toward or abandon anything. Do not seek out or aspire for anything. Do not look at anything as being the
best, the worst, or as supreme. Then you will come to know the scope of the Thus-Gone One. This scope of the Thus-Gone One is
inconceivable. It lacks scope and has no scope. It is completely lacking a scope.
Phenomena are eliminated.”

“Mañjuśrī, what are you trying to convey through such a statement?”

“Blessed One, in my statement I do not convey anything about any phenomena whatsoever. Blessed One, when
the blessed thus-gone ones sit at the seat of awakening, do they see the arising or ceasing of any
phenomena?”

“Mañjuśrī, they do not.”

“Blessed One, how could one know phenomena that neither arise nor manifest and that possess
neither virtue nor nonvirtue? What could be abandoned? What could be cultivated? What could be actualized?
What could be realized?”

Then from the sky above, ten thousand gods scattered many divine flowers, including water lilies,
pink lotuses, white lotuses, coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, mañjūṣaka, and
mahāmañjūṣaka flowers onto the Thus-Gone One and Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta. They then bowed to the
feet of the Thus-Gone One and Mañjuśrī and said, “Blessed One, the splendor of being without
attachment is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, the splendor of nonduality is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, the
splendor of insubstantiality is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, the splendor of being without afflictive
emotions is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, the splendor of suchness is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, the splendor of
unerring suchness is Mañjuśrī. Blessed
One, the splendor of the realm of reality is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, the splendor of the limit of
reality is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, sacred splendor is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, supreme splendor
is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, exalted splendor is Mañjuśrī. Blessed One, unsurpassed splendor is
Mañjuśrī.”

Then Mañjuśrī addressed the gods: “Divine beings, do not think about me and do not have
preconceptions about me. I do not see any qualities that can be called sublime, supreme, or highest. Divine beings, I am
the splendor of attachment, therefore I am Mañjuśrī. I am the splendor of aggression, therefore I am
Mañjuśrī. I am the splendor of stupidity, therefore I am Mañjuśrī. Divine beings, I have not
transcended attachment, aggression, or stupidity. Divine beings, it is ordinary immature beings who attempt to
transcend, pass beyond, and escape; bodhisattvas do not transit, move,
or transcend.”

The gods said, “Well then, Mañjuśrī, do bodhisattvas not develop the qualities of
a buddha? Do they not progress through the ten grounds?”

Mañjuśrī responded, “Divine beings, what do you think? Do you think that a mind and its mental states
that are illusorily emanated can develop the qualities of a buddha and progress through the ten grounds?”

The gods answered, “Mañjuśrī, if they are found in an illusory person they would not exist, so how could the qualities of a buddha be developed and progress be made through the grounds?”

The gods said, “Well then, Mañjuśrī, have you not fully and perfectly awakened?”

Mañjuśrī replied, “What do you think? If an ordinary immature being, one who is caught up in
attachment, were to sit at the seat of awakening, would they gain omniscient wisdom?”

The gods responded, “What? Mañjuśrī, are you an ordinary immature being who is
caught up in attachment?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Exactly, divine beings. I am caught up in attachment. I am caught up in aggression. I
am caught up in stupidity. I am a rival tīrthika. I cling to the mistaken.”

The gods asked, “Mañjuśrī, what do you mean when you say, ‘I am caught up in
attachment. I am caught up in aggression. I am caught up in stupidity’?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine beings, I say so because I remain, without remaining, in the essence
of attachment, aggression, and stupidity. I remain nowhere in the ten
directions.”

The gods asked, “Mañjuśrī, how are you a rival tīrthika?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine beings, I am a rival tīrthika because I do not frequent
rival tīrthikas.”

The gods asked, “Mañjuśrī, how do you cling to the mistaken?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine beings, I cling to the mistaken because I know all phenomena to be
mistaken. I have realized them to be incorrect and erroneously imputed.”

When they had heard Mañjuśrī’s teaching, the ten thousand gods attained the acceptance
that phenomena are unborn. They said, “If those who hear these vajra words, seed words,
and stake words are successful
in their attainment, what need is there to speak of those who hear them, become
inspired, feel trust, and transmit, chant, retain, read, teach, and likewise earnestly apply
them? They will attain unimpeded eloquence, the illumination of all phenomena, and become
skilled in teaching the single principle. They will relate all phenomena to the qualities of
a buddha.”

Then the god Playful Clairvoyant Lotus said, “Blessed One, please teach the knowledge
concerned with terminology and language so that when bodhisattvas of the future hear this mode of
Dharma, they will become fearless and untroubled, be free of anxiety, seek the
realization of all terminology, have unhindered understanding, and have no doubts.”

The Blessed One answered the god Playful Clairvoyant Lotus, saying, “Divine being, why are you asking about this subject? It is acceptable that you did, but the knowledge concerned with terminology
and language is not something that beginning bodhisattvas understand, assimilate, contemplate, consider,
or evaluate easily. It is not something to be discussed in the presence of beginning bodhisattvas.

“Divine being, even if bodhisattva great beings who have mastered their engagement with terminology and
language are insulted or spoken to unpleasantly with perverse words and poor speech for as
many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, they will not get angry. Even if they are
treated respectfully, honored, served, and venerated with pleasant items, food, bedding, medicines,
and all sorts of provisions for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, they
will not develop attachment.

“Divine being, consider this example: worthy ones who have exhausted all defilements will not become
attached to any phenomenon toward which one could become attached, nor will they
become averse toward any phenomenon toward which one could become averse.

“Likewise, divine being, even if bodhisattvas who have mastered their engagement with terminology and
language are served with all sorts of pleasant items for as many eons as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges, they will not become attached. Or if they are insulted or spoken to
unpleasantly with perverse and poor language for as many eons as there are grains of sand in
the Ganges, they will not become angry.

“Divine being, bodhisattvas who have mastered their engagement with terminology and language in this way will not be
unsettled or disturbed by gain, loss, fame, infamy, praise, blame, happiness, or suffering. They
will dominate all worldly phenomena and remain unmoving like the king of mountains.”

At that point, the god Playful Clairvoyant Lotus asked of the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please speak more on the knowledge concerned with terminology and language, if indeed in the future there are to be bodhisattvas who have refined and purified their perceptions and who hear about this knowledge concerned with terminology and language, realize their own faults, and instruct others.”

The Blessed One replied to the god Playful Clairvoyant Lotus, “Divine being, because you asked I will explain this subject to you. Listen
well and keep what I say in mind.”

The god Playful Clairvoyant Lotus said, “Blessed One, I will do just that,” and he listened just
as the Blessed One had instructed.

The Blessed One then said, “Divine being, if bodhisattvas have a negative perception of the term attachment and have
the perception of being drawn to the term free of attachment, then they are not trained in the qualities of the
Buddha. If they have the perception of the term anger being unwholesome and a positive perception
of the term free from anger, then they are not trained in the qualities of the Buddha. If they have the
perception of the term stupidity as unwholesome and a positive perception of the term free
from stupidity, then they are not trained in the qualities of the Buddha.

“If they are fond of the term minimal attachment and irritated by the term significant
attachment, then they are not trained in the knowledge concerned with terminology and language. If they are
fond of the term contentment and irritated by the term discontentment, then they are not
trained in the knowledge concerned with terminology and language. If they are fond of the term restrained
and irritated by the term unrestrained, then they are not trained in the knowledge concerned with
terminology and language. If they are fond of the term delight in solitude, and irritated by
the term general public, then they are not trained in the knowledge concerned with
terminology and language. If they are fond of the term buddha and irritated by
the term tīrthikas, then they are not trained in the knowledge concerned with
terminology and language. If they are fond of the term chaste and irritated by the
term unchaste, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology
and language.

“If they are irritated by the term pollution and fond of the term
purification, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with
terminology and language. If they are fond of the term reached maturity and irritated by the term immature person, then they
are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology and language.

“If they are fond of the term bliss and irritated by the term
suffering, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology
and language. If they are fond of the term renunciant and irritated by the
term householder, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology
and language.

“If they are fond of the term transcendent and irritated by the term
mundane, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology and
language. If they have a favorable perception of the term generosity
and a perception of irritation with the term
stinginess, then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha.

“If they have a perception of fondness for the term discipline and a
perception of irritation with the term lax discipline, then they are untrained in the qualities
of the Buddha. If they have a favorable perception of the term patience and a
perception of irritation with the term malice, then they are untrained in the qualities
of the Buddha. If they have a favorable perception of the term diligence and
a perception of irritation with the term laziness, then they are untrained in the
qualities of the Buddha. If they have a favorable perception of the term
concentration and a perception of irritation with the term
agitation, then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha. If
they have a favorable perception of the term insight and a perception of irritation with
the term faulty insight, then they are untrained in the qualities of the
Buddha.

“If they are fond of the term near and irritated with the term
far, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology and
language. If they feel contempt for the term saṃsāra and a
have a favorable perception of the term nirvāṇa, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with terminology
and language. If they are irritated by the term near side and
fond of the term far side, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with
terminology and language.

“If they feel contempt for the term town and are
fond of the term monastery, then they are untrained in the knowledge
concerned with terminology and language. If they are fond of the term a life of
solitude and irritated by the term social life, then they
are untrained in knowledge concerned with terminology and language. If they are fond of the monastic
life and irritated by the householder’s life, then they are untrained in the knowledge concerned with
terminology and language.

“If they are fond of proper comportment and irritated by improper comportment, then they are
untrained in the qualities of the Buddha. If they are fond of playfulness and irritated
by a lack of playfulness, then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha. If they are fond of disciplined conduct and
irritated by undisciplined conduct, then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha. If
they are fond of untainted conduct and irritated by tainted conduct, then they are untrained in the
qualities of the Buddha.

“If they are fond of conduct free from attachment and irritated by conduct driven by attachment,
then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha. If they are fond of the perception of
not being aggressive and irritated by the perception of being aggressive, then they are untrained in the qualities of
the Buddha. If they are fond of the perception of being free from stupidity and irritated by the perception of being stupid,
then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha.

“If they are fond of emptiness and irritated by conceptual perception, then they are untrained in the
qualities of the Buddha. If they are fond of the absence of attributes and irritated by attributes, then they
are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha. If they are fond of the absence of wishes and irritated by
wishes, then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha.

“If they are fond of the conduct of bodhisattvas and irritated by the conduct of hearers and
solitary buddhas, then they are untrained in the qualities of the Buddha.

“If they criticize the faults of bodhisattvas, then they are far from awakening and take on
karmic obscurations. If they chastise the conduct of bodhisattvas, they are far from
awakening. If they criticize their behavior, they are far from awakening. If one bodhisattva perceives
another bodhisattva as inferior, or perceives themselves as superior, then they will harm
themselves and take on karmic obscurations. If one bodhisattva instructs and teaches another bodhisattva about this,
they should maintain the perception of themselves as a teacher offering instruction and teachings. A bodhisattva should never find fault in another bodhisattva, wondering if they have
abandoned awakening.

“Divine being, the manner in which a bodhisattva’s roots of virtue are severed in
relation to another bodhisattva is unlike any other context. Therefore, divine being, one who wishes to preserve all the roots of virtue of bodhisattvas, wash
away all karmic obscurations, and swiftly become unobscured regarding all phenomena should prostrate
three times a day and three times a night to those who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas.”

Then Mañjuśrī said to the Blessed One, “I will further pursue the meaning of what you, the
Blessed One, have taught. The term attachment and the term
buddha are equivalent. The term aggression and the term
buddha are equivalent. The term stupidity and the term
buddha are equivalent. The term tīrthika and the
term buddha are equivalent.

“The term few desires and the term many desires are
equivalent. The term content and the term discontent are equivalent.
The term restrained and the term unrestrained are equivalent. The
term delight in solitude and the term social life are
equivalent. The term near side and the term far side are equivalent.
The term far and the term near are equivalent. The term
saṃsāra and the term nirvāṇa are equivalent. The term
town and the term hermitage are equivalent.

“The term generosity and the term stinginess are
equivalent. The term discipline and the term lack of discipline are
equivalent. The term patience and the term malice are equivalent.
The term diligence and the term laziness are equivalent. The
term concentration and the term agitation are equivalent. The
term insight and the term faulty insight are
equivalent.”

Then the god Playful Clairvoyant Lotus asked Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, how are these terms equivalent?”

Mañjuśrī responded, “Divine being, how do you understand the term
attachment?”

“I know it to be like an echo.”

“In that case, divine being, how do you understand the term buddha?”

“Mañjuśrī, this is also precisely the same as an echo.”

“Divine being, know this entire teaching to be equivalent in the manner just
described.”

Then the Blessed One said to Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, please tell us the story about how, when you
were still a beginner and not yet fully assimilated this
principle, you formed karmic obscurations. In the future, Mañjuśrī, that teaching will protect all those who pledge to be
bodhisattvas from acquiring such karmic obscurations.”

Mañjuśrī answered the Blessed One, “How would this be of benefit? Blessed One, if they were to
hear of these erroneous karmic obscurations, they would only become depressed and think, ‘Although
Mañjuśrī has gained purification of karmic obscurations, he has acquired obscurations regarding all
phenomena.’

“Blessed One, in the past, a countless, unreckonable, vast, limitless, and
incomprehensible number of eons ago, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha King Rhythm of a Lion’s Roar appeared in the world. He was a person with proper knowledge and conduct, a well-gone one, a
knower of the world, an unsurpassed guide who trains beings, a teacher of gods and humans, and a
blessed buddha. The lifespan of this thus-gone one was trillions of years. He guided beings toward
nirvāṇa through the three vehicles. The world was called Great Illumination, and all the trees and foliage in
that world were all made of the seven precious jewels. The native trees resounded with the sounds of emptiness,
signlessness, wishlessness, no birth, immateriality, and the lack of attributes. These sounds brought the beings
of that world realization.

“The Thus-Gone One’s first assembly of hearers consisted of nine hundred ninety million monks, all of whom were
worthy ones who had exhausted the defilements, put down their burdens, attained
their own benefit, and eliminated whatever bound them to existence. Their minds had been
completely liberated by the authentic word.

“The second assembly consisted of nine hundred sixty million monks, the third was of nine hundred
thirty million monks, and the fourth was of nine hundred million monks. All of them were worthy
ones who had exhausted the defilements, put down their burdens, attained their own benefit, and
eliminated what bound them to existence. Their minds had been completely liberated by the
authentic word.

“The assembly of bodhisattvas was similar in number, and they had all gained acceptance that
phenomena are unborn and were skilled in various styles of practice. Everyone in this
bodhisattva assembly had served many billions of buddhas, were famed in many billions of buddha
realms, had properly liberated many billions of beings, attained limitless gateways of dhāraṇī, and were
skilled in the practice of billions of forms of absorption. This surely also applied to all the
beginning bodhisattva great beings and those who had newly entered this vehicle. It would not be easy
to describe in words these ornaments of the buddha realm of that thus-gone one. After the Thus-Gone One had passed into
parinirvāṇa, his teachings remained for sixty thousand years, after which the sounds stopped
reverberating from the trees.

“Blessed One, at that time there was a bodhisattva, a monk and Dharma teacher named Joyful King.
Blessed One, the bodhisattva Joyful King was stuck in his ways, did nothing to improve his conduct, and did not turn away from worldly phenomena. The people there were of sharp
faculties, eager from the outset, and solely devoted to the profound. To these beings,
Joyful King did not praise having few desires, being contented, showing restraint,
delighting in solitude, or not being social. Instead, he taught them that all phenomena are in
essence desire, all phenomena are in essence aggression, all
phenomena are in essence stupidity, and that all phenomena are unobscured. Using this
method, he taught that all kinds of behavior have the same characteristic, and because he taught with this method,
beings did not disapprove of the bodhisattva’s conduct. They did not
become angry, but attained a state of acceptance. They were confident and certain about the
teachings of the Thus-Gone One.

“Also at that time there was a bodhisattva, a monk and Dharma teacher named Jayamati. Blessed
One, that Dharma teacher Jayamati had attained the four concentrations. He had attained the four types
of formless equipoise. He had taken up and maintained the twelve ascetic practices.

“However, Blessed One, the bodhisattva Jayamati found fault in those who needed training and
criticized them. His mind was completely unstable. Blessed One, one time while the bodhisattva
Jayamati was out on his alms round,
he unknowingly went to a village
that had been adopted by the bodhisattva Joyful King. In that village, he noticed the home of a young
householder, and he went there, sitting down on a seat that was already prepared. He gave the young
householder a discourse on having few desires and being content. He talked about restraint, about the problems of being
social. He praised the pleasures of solitude and of not being social. While in the presence of the young householder he described the bodhisattva Joyful King harshly: ‘That monk leads many
people astray. That monk causes people to have wrong views. That monk moves in society and teaches
that attachment does not obscure, aggression does not obscure, stupidity does not obscure, and
that no phenomenon obscures.’

“That young householder was of sharp faculties and had attained acceptance, so he said
to the monk, ‘Honorable one, how do you understand attachment?’

“ ‘Young householder, I know attachment to be polluting.’

“ ‘Well then, honorable one, is attachment inside or is it outside?’

“ ‘Attachment is not within, nor is it without.’

“ ‘Honorable one, given that attachment is not within or without, not in the east, the south, the
west, the north, above, below, or in any other direction, it is unborn. When something is unborn, is
it polluted, or is it purified?’

“When the monk Jayamati heard this teaching, he became disturbed and extremely unhappy. He did not take the alms, got up
from his seat, and left.

“He left the house saying, ‘Alas, this monk has led many people astray.’ He returned to the
monastery, subsequently went to the temple, and summoned all the other monks. Seeing that the monk Joyful
King was present in the assembly, he said, ‘This monk has led many people astray. This monk causes many
people to have wrong view. He preaches that attachment does not obscure, that aggression does not
obscure, that stupidity does not obscure, and that no phenomenon obscures.’

“The bodhisattva Joyful King thought to himself, ‘This monk has obviously accumulated karmic
obscurations. Since this is beyond doubt, I will give him some profound advice. Even if I am not
successful, it will at least serve as a catalyst for his cultivation of the qualities of awakening.’

“Then the bodhisattva Joyful King, addressing the entire monastic assembly, spoke the following
verses:

“ ‘Attachment is said to be nirvāṇa.

Aggression and stupidity are the same.

They are dimensions of awakening—

The Buddha’s awakening is inconceivable.

“ ‘Whoever conceptualizes attachment,

And likewise aggression and stupidity,

Is as far from the Buddha’s awakening

As the earth is from the sky.

“ ‘Awakening and attachment are nondual.

They are identical, one and the same.

The immature who are fearful of these teachings

Are far from the Buddha’s awakening.

“ ‘Attachment is unborn and imperishable,

Not something that pollutes the mind.

Those who crave the imputed self

Are cast to the lower realms by attachment.

“ ‘Those who know there is no difference

In the qualities of attachment and buddhahood

Also know the single expression, the single principle, and the lack of attributes,

And thus become a well-gone one.

“ ‘Those who conceptualize discipline and its lack

Are drunk with vanity about discipline

And hold objective views;

For them there is no awakening, no buddha qualities.

“ ‘Those who think about staying in solitude

Praise themselves and denigrate others.

Those who look to solitude and reside there

Forego the higher realms, not to mention awakening.

“ ‘It is said that views and awakening are nondual.

Those who properly realize

How names, letters, numbers, and words are used

Are not far from the Buddha’s awakening.

“ ‘The immature who conceptualize pollution,

And become attached to their views of purification,

Find themselves stuck in objectifying views

And experience no awakening or buddha qualities.

“ ‘Those who yearn for buddha qualities

Remain far from a buddha’s awakening.

Because they yearn for things that do not exist

They further their experience of suffering.

“ ‘Those who do not conceptualize attachment and aggression

Have little stupidity and look to awaken.

They are not far from a buddha’s awakening

And will swiftly attain supreme patience.

“ ‘Those who see things as unconditioned or conditioned

Fail to elude the phenomena of saṃsāra.

Those who realize the equality of that domain

Swiftly transform from a person to a buddha.

“ ‘Those who never see

A buddha’s qualities or a buddha’s purity

Are not veiled by any phenomena,

Defeat Māra, and awaken to buddhahood.

“ ‘Anyone who wishes to liberate beings

Should not perceive a realm of beings.

All beings without exception are like nirvāṇa.

Whoever knows this becomes self-arisen.

“ ‘Those who pay no heed to the ways of solitude

And put on airs of practice when they go to town

Are swindlers of the world and its gods.

For them there is no awakening or buddha qualities.

“ ‘Immature people who boast, “I am a buddha,”

Are defeated by their own stupidity.

A buddha’s qualities are just like space.

There is no talk of acceptance and rejection.

“ ‘The victors never awaken to buddhahood,

And they never liberate any beings.

The immature have imputed these nonexistent phenomena

And are far from a buddha’s awakening.

“ ‘Those who see these beings as afflicted

Give rise to their own endless affliction.

It is taught that these beings are not beings.

Those who perceive beings do not awaken.

“ ‘Those who see that beings are liberated

Know that attachment, aggression, and stupidity have never existed,

And that beings are at peace, tranquil, and calm—

They will become protectors.

“ ‘Those who see neither beings nor no beings,

And do not apprehend a buddha’s qualities as real,

Know that beings and buddhas are the same

And so become protectors.

“ ‘To think of affliction makes affliction real,

And the mind attuned to the proper path thus becomes afflicted.

If afflictive emotions are never imputed as the path,

The nonconceptual state of awakening is attained.

“ ‘Those who are fearful and unskilled in empty phenomena

Are far from a buddha’s awakening.

Those who have no doubt about the phenomena of emptiness

Will attain a buddha’s awakening.

“ ‘Those who wish to attain supreme awakening

Should not conceptualize the phenomena of attachment.

The defining qualities of the phenomena of attachment

Are the inconceivable qualities of buddhahood.

“ ‘Those who are unconcerned with a buddha’s qualities,

Know the mind and awakening as unarisen,

And know the nonduality of the mind and a buddha’s awakening—

They will become protectors.

“ ‘What is said by evil-minded tīrthikas

And what is taught in the words of the buddhas

Are not in any way different things.

Understanding this, one becomes a protector.

“ ‘Those who see awakening and aspire for it

Are far from awakening and are not awakened.

Those who become protectors do not think,

“This is a buddha,” or “Buddhas and nonbuddhas are not the same.”

“ ‘Those who boast, saying, “I am liberating beings,”

And become attached to the perception of beings,

Will, in their delusion, maintain an objectifying view—

There is no awakening or buddha qualities for them.

“ ‘Attachment is not internal or external.

It does not exist in any of the cardinal or intermediate directions.

The immature believe that no phenomena exist,

And deludedly perceive attachment in this way.

“ ‘Like illusions, visual distortions, and echoes,

Similar to dreams and a barren woman’s child,

None of these afflictive emotions can be observed.

The immature do not understand this, and remain deluded.

“ ‘Conditioned and unconditioned phenomena

Are never two separate things.

Everything uncountable or that can be counted

Are in this way treated as nondual.

“ ‘If the immature boast they have the mind of awakening,

And have the conceit they are a buddha,

They abandon the seal of the reality of phenomena

And thus have no buddha qualities or awakening.

“ ‘Those under the sway of concepts and who love talking

Never think about the meaning of what they say,

And are attached to their reputation and status.

It is doubtful if such people will awaken.

“ ‘It is said that the various views and awakening are nondual.

Yet those who are unskilled in names, letters, numbers, and words,

And who fail to realize this fact,

Are far from a buddha’s awakening.

“ ‘Those who are fond of talking and attached to labels,

Who maintain a view of the self,

And who conceptualize their few desires and contentment

Still live under the influence of desire.

“ ‘Those who flee in the face of phenomena that cause attachment

Are never able to elude such phenomena.

Those who accurately know the phenomena of attachment

Know the phenomena of attachment that are free of attachment.

“ ‘Even those who have long guarded their discipline

And cultivated concentration for eons

Do not have the mind for this teaching,

If they have not realized the limit of reality.

“ ‘Those who know this phenomena to be nothing whatsoever

Will never become attached to any phenomena.

Because they conceptualize discipline and lax discipline,

The immature will never escape the domain of reference points.

“ ‘Those who know that there is no discipline in discipline,

And those who know the natural mode of discipline—

That lax discipline and discipline are of a single principle—

Never have lax discipline.

“ ‘In the absence of concepts about the Dharma of the King of Dharma,

One leads beings to the level of skillful means

And introduces the undefiled peace of awakening

Through the Dharma of the single principle.

“ ‘The sublime teaching of the Dharma King is unwavering.

It is immaterial, without attributes, and of a single principle.

The immature who do not learn this teaching that is inherently empty

Will fall into a deep abyss.

“ ‘It is good to be a householder attached to the five sense pleasures,

Who has heard these teachings and has no fear.

Nor is there conceit in renouncing under these teachings,

And observing the ascetic practices.

“ ‘The self-arisen buddhas residing in the ten directions,

And fulfilling the needs of beings,

Are said to awaken through unwavering knowledge

Of this space-like teaching.

“ ‘The uneducated whose minds are habituated to the unpleasant,

Who experience fear when hearing this sublime teaching,

Are ever burdened by great suffering

And continue to suffer for billions of eons.’

“After the bodhisattva Joyful King had uttered these verses, thirty-two thousand gods developed
the acceptance that phenomena are unborn, and the minds of eighty thousand monks, free of clinging, were liberated from
defilements.

“When the bodhisattva Jayamati died, the earth opened up beneath him, and he fell to the great
hell realms. Because of his karmic obscuration, he experienced the unending and unpleasant sensations of suffering, heat,
and abuse for many billions of eons. For seven million four hundred thousand lifetimes, he heard only
unpleasant speech. For many thousands of eons, he did not so much as hear the name of the thus-gone
ones. Then after that, he met one thus-gone one after another, but even though he renounced under their instructions, he
was not much moved by them, and so for another seventy-six thousand lifetimes slipped from his renunciation.
What remained of those karmic obscurations ensured that his spiritual faculties were dull for
thousands of lifetimes.

“Blessed One, at that time the monk and Dharma teacher, the bodhisattva Joyful King, fully
awakened to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. He still lives and thrives and teaches the Dharma
to the east of here, past billions of worlds, in a pure land made of various precious
jewels where he is known as the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Fine and Stainless Splendor That
Outshines the Sun and the Moon.

“Blessed One, as for who that monk Jayamati was, I was at that time known as the monk
Jayamati.

“Blessed One, at that time, because I did not understand this principle, I suffered in this way.
Blessed One, that is what I had to go through. I underwent suffering, unchanging suffering, imputed suffering, and perverse suffering.
Therefore, Blessed One, anyone who has set out in the vehicle of bodhisattvas or hearers and who does
not wish for such karmic obscurations or for such suffering should not forsake the sacred Dharma. They
should not criticize the sacred Dharma or become frustrated with any Dharma teaching.”

Then the Blessed One inquired of Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, what difference has studying these verses made
for you?”

“Blessed One, by studying these verses, I have left behind those karmic obscurations. Wherever I
am born, I have profound and certain patience. I am skilled at teaching the profound Dharma.”

The Blessed One asked, “Mañjuśrī, through whose power have you remembered these karmic
obscurations formed long ago?”

Mañjuśrī answered, “Blessed One, everything that bodhisattvas think, say, or remember is due to
the power of the thus-gone ones. Why is this? Blessed One, it is because all phenomena originate with the
thus-gone ones.”

The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, hearing this is equivalent to attaining the ten powers of a
thus-gone one. Hearing this is equivalent to developing the acceptance that phenomena are unborn.”

Mañjuśrī replied, “I understand the meaning of what the Blessed One has said. Hearing this Dharma
teaching is inconceivable.”

“Yes, Mañjuśrī, exactly,” said the Blessed One. “Hearing this Dharma teaching is inconceivable.
However, since the unprepared would lose interest from hearing it, the thus-gone ones do not teach
it.”

Then Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta and the bodhisattva great being Maitreya said to the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, please grant your blessings so that in the final five hundred years of the latter days
this Dharma teaching may spread, arrive in the hands of many beings, and not be challenged by Māra or
demonic gods.”

Then the Blessed One shifted his gaze to the left and right in order to bless this Dharma
teaching. As soon as he had gazed in this way, all the buddha realms in the ten directions, as many as
there are grains of sand in the Ganges, trembled, shook, and quaked in six ways. At that time, the
Blessed One blessed this Dharma teaching, as did other blessed buddhas from as many worlds as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges.

When the Blessed One delivered this Dharma teaching, more beings than there are grains of sand in
the Ganges developed the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Some reached the stage of the hearers,
some the stage of training, and some the stage of being beyond training.

Then the venerable Ānanda asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what is the name of this Dharma
teaching? How should we recall it?”

The Blessed One answered, “Ānanda, this Dharma teaching should be recalled as
How All Phenomena Are without Origin.”

When the Blessed One had spoken, Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Maitreya, the god Playful Clairvoyant
Lotus, the great assembly of bodhisattvas, the five hundred monks, the venerable Ānanda, and the world
of gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and were glad.

This completes the Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “How All Phenomena Are without
Origin.”

Colophon

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the translator Bandé Rinchen Tso.

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Texts

Secondary Sources

Playful Clairvoyant Lotus

pad mo rnam par rol pa’i mngon par shes pa
པད་མོ་རྣམ་པར་རོལ་པའི་མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།

Joyful King

rab tu dga’ ba’i dbang po
རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་བའི་དབང་པོ།

King Rhythm of a Lion’s Roar

seng ge’i nga ro rnga sgra’i rgyal po
སེང་གེའི་ང་རོ་རྔ་སྒྲའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Anāvaraṇaraśminirdhautaprabhātejorāśi
anāvaraṇaraśminirdhautaprabhātejorāśi
’od zer thogs pa med par shin tu sbyangs pa’i ’od kyi gzi brjid bar ba
འོད་ཟེར་ཐོགས་པ་མེད་པར་ཤིན་ཏུ་སྦྱངས་པའི་འོད་ཀྱི་གཟི་བརྗིད་བར་བ།

Niścaritatejaspadmapraphullitagātra
niścaritatejaspadmapraphullitagātra
gzi brjid ’gro ba la ’phro ba’i pad ma rab tu rgyas pa’i lus
གཟི་བརྗིད་འགྲོ་བ་ལ་འཕྲོ་བའི་པད་མ་རབ་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པའི་ལུས།

Siṃharājagativikrīḍitamati
siṃharājagativikrīḍitamati
seng ge’i rgyal po ’gro ba rnam par rol pa’i blo gros
སེང་གེའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་འགྲོ་བ་རྣམ་པར་རོལ་པའི་བློ་གྲོས།

Body That Expands Like a Golden Ornamented Victory Banner

gser gyi rgyan ltar mtshan rab tu rgyas pa’i lus
གསེར་གྱི་རྒྱན་ལྟར་མཚན་རབ་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པའི་ལུས།

Singer of Divine Melodies

lha’i sgra dbyangs skad sgrogs
ལྷའི་སྒྲ་དབྱངས་སྐད་སྒྲོགས།

Sarvadharmeśvaravaśavikrāntagāmin
sarvadharmeśvaravaśavikrāntagāmin
chos thams cad la dbang phyug gi dbang gi rtsal gyis spyod pa
ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་དབང་ཕྱུག་གི་དབང་གི་རྩལ་གྱིས་སྤྱོད་པ།

Fine and Stainless Splendor That Outshines the Sun and the Moon

gzi brjid stug cing dri ma med la nyi zla zil gyis gnon pa
གཟི་བརྗིད་སྟུག་ཅིང་དྲི་མ་མེད་ལ་ཉི་ཟླ་ཟིལ་གྱིས་གནོན་པ།

Rinchen Tso

rin chen ’tsho
རིན་ཆེན་འཚོ།