Toh 202The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “Evaluating Whether Progress is Certain or Uncertain”

Summary

In this sūtra, Mañjuśrī asks the Buddha about the factors
that make it either certain or not certain that a bodhisattva
will attain unsurpassable, perfect awakening. In response, the Buddha
describes five ways in which bodhisattvas may or may not
make progress on the path. As an analogy for different ways of making
progress, he compares five different ways of traveling a very
great distance: using a cattle cart, using an
elephant chariot, using the moon and sun, using
the magical power of the śrāvakas, and using the
magical power of the Tathāgata.

Acknowledgements

This translation was completed by David Jackson under the
patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of
the Buddha.

Introduction

The Mahāyāna sūtra called Evaluating Whether Progress is Certain or Uncertain explains five ways in which
bodhisattvas may make progress on the path, describing five
different ways of traveling as an analogy for that
progress. It begins when its main interlocutor, Mañjuśrī,
asks the Buddha how to evaluate whether it is either uncertain that a bodhisattva
will attain unsurpassable, perfect awakening, or certain that he will attain it. Much of
what follows is the Buddha’s answer: he explains
five spiritual approaches for bodhisattvas,
comparing each with a different method for traveling
very great distances. The five methods are (1) using
a cattle cart, (2) using an elephant chariot, (3)
using the powers of the moon and sun, (4) using the
magical power of the śrāvakas, and (5) using the
magical power of the Tathāgata. Of these five
approaches, the first two would surely not enable
the traveler to reach the spiritual destination of
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, while the last
three would convey the traveler to that destination
and would guarantee that they would not turn back
before reaching it.

The first two approaches are limited insofar as
they follow the teachings of the Śrāvaka Vehicle,
which thereby impedes the progress of bodhisattvas
who follow such approaches. By contrast, the last
three methods incorporate progressively greater
adherence to and support of the Mahāyāna, which
makes them more effective as spiritual vehicles. The
final method is the most effective of all, insofar as
it carries its adherence to the Mahāyāna to the
highest degree. The sūtra also stresses the great
benefits of devotion to the Mahāyāna. The
section that follows ends with a long
series of comparisons of the relative merits of many
(mostly hypothetical) practices, while also working
in the five methods of travel as types of the mind
of awakening. In a subsequent concluding section,
another long series of comparisons establishes the
great merit of the highest practices of the
Mahāyāna.

This is a minor and generally overlooked sūtra
in Tibet. We could not trace it as being quoted by
even one Tibetan author. It is listed in both the
Denkarma and
Phangthangma imperial translation catalogs, which
confirms it was translated into Tibetan no later
than the early ninth century. It appears to have
been better known elsewhere in South, Central, and
East Asia. Although no full Sanskrit version is
known to exist, the sūtra is quoted by Śāntideva
twice in his
Śikṣāsamuccaya
,
and several small Sanskrit fragments were discovered
in Turfan. The sūtra is also quoted in
the Khotanese anthology known in English translation
as the Book of
Zambasta. At least three Chinese
translations exist: Bubi ding dingzhi ru yin jing
不必定入定入印經 (Taishō 645),
translated by Gautama Prajñāruci in 542, Li zhuangyan sanmei jing
力莊嚴三昧經 (Taishō 647),
translated by Narendrayaśas in 585, and Dingzhi buding yin jing
入定不定印經 (Taishō 646),
translated by Yijing in 700. The fact that the sūtra
was known in India, circulated in Central Asia, and
was translated into Chinese no less than three times
from the mid-sixth to the turn of the eighth century
suggests that, despite its seeming insignificance in
Tibet, the sūtra was well regarded in the rest of
the Mahāyāna Buddhist world of the medieval period.

The present translation from Tibetan is based on
the Degé xylograph and the Comparative Edition (Tib.
dpe bsdur ma).

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

Evaluating Whether Progress is Certain or Uncertain

Homage to all
buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was
dwelling on Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha, along
with a great saṅgha of 1,250 bhikṣus. Together with
them were six septillion bodhisattvas, including
such bodhisattvas as Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta,
Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta,
Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bhaiṣajyasamudgata, and the
bodhisattva King of the Sound Emanated by a Stūpa.
The entire group of six septillion bodhisattvas all
dwelled in the absorption of the miraculous power of
certain tranquility; had attained the absorption
that is like an ocean tide of deep, steady water;
had attained the dhāraṇī of conferring
empowerment; and had attained the dhāraṇī of
achieving the limitless colors of the buddhas.

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “How can one
evaluate whether, for these bodhisattvas, it is uncertain that they will attain unsurpassable, perfect awakening, for
they may turn back from the path leading to unsurpassable wisdom? And how can one evaluate
whether, for those bodhisattvas, it is certain that they will attain unsurpassable, perfect awakening, and they will not turn back from
the path leading to unsurpassable wisdom? Please teach the Dharma discourse that is called
evaluating whether a bodhisattva’s progress is certain or uncertain, so that I will understand
it.”

“Mañjuśrī,” the Blessed One replied, “there are
five types of progress that bodhisattvas may make. They are
a bodhisattva’s progress that is like
travel using a cattle cart, like travel using
an elephant chariot, like travel using
the moon and sun, like travel using
the magical power of the śrāvakas, and like
travel using the magical power of the
Tathāgata. These are the five types of progress that
bodhisattvas may make. Mañjuśrī, in that regard,
for two types of bodhisattva it is not certain that they will reach
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, while for three types
of bodhisattva it is certain that
they will reach unsurpassable, perfect awakening.”

“Blessed One, which are the bodhisattvas who are
not certain to reach unsurpassable, perfect awakening,
and who will turn back from the path leading
to unsurpassable wisdom?” asked Mañjuśrī.

“Mañjuśrī,” the Blessed One answered, “they are
those bodhisattvas whose progress is like travel using
a cattle cart and like travel using
an elephant chariot. Those are the
bodhisattvas who are not certain to reach
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, and who will turn
back from the path leading to unsurpassable wisdom.
But the bodhisattvas whose progress is like travel using
the moon and sun, like travel using
the magical power of the śrāvakas, and like
travel using the magical power of the
Tathāgata—these three are the bodhisattvas who are
certain to reach unsurpassable, perfect awakening,
and who will not turn back from the path leading to
unsurpassable wisdom.

“Mañjuśrī, you may wonder how one should
understand bodhisattvas whose progress is like
travel using a cattle cart. Mañjuśrī, they
are like this: Suppose someone wished to travel
across as many world systems as are equal in number
to the atoms in five hundred buddhafields, and
suppose that they had business, important
business, an objective, an
important objective, urgent affairs, or extremely
urgent affairs to
attend to there. They would think, ‘In what kind
of vehicle shall I travel across those world
systems?’ and then they might consider, ‘Well then,
let me go by cattle cart. I am sure to be able to travel
across those world systems that way.’ Suppose they
then climbed onto their cart and set off. After they
had traveled for a very long time, they might have
managed to travel a hundred yojanas,
but then suppose they were driven back eighty
yojanas by a great cyclone. In the best case,
Mañjuśrī, what do you think? Could that person ever
travel across those world systems, even if they
traveled for an eon, or a hundred eons, or a
thousand eons, or a trillion eons, or an
inexpressible number of inexpressibly many eons? Or
could they travel across even one world system?”

“Blessed One, that would be impossible—not
feasible at all!” answered Mañjuśrī. “Even if that
person on the cattle cart traveled for an eon, or a
hundred eons, or a thousand eons, or a trillion
eons, or an inexpressible number of inexpressibly
many eons, they could not travel across even one
world system. That would be impossible!”

“Mañjuśrī, in the same way,” continued the
Blessed One, “if certain sons or daughters of good
family, having conceived the thought of attaining
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, do not uphold or
recite the Mahāyāna scriptures, but stay instead
with followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle and support,
follow, and honor those followers of the Śrāvaka
Vehicle; and accustoming themselves to staying with
them, they apply themselves to and practice that
tradition; and staying in the same gardens,
monasteries, or walking places with them, they read
the śrāvaka scriptures, recite them, reflect on
them, and understand them, encouraging others to
read them, recite them, reflect on them, and
understand them—through that conditioning of having produced a root
of virtue by upholding the Śrāvaka Vehicle, their
discriminating wisdom would become dull, and that
would make them turn back from the path leading to
unsurpassable wisdom. The faculty and eye of
discriminating wisdom that arise from those
bodhisattvas cultivating the mind of awakening would
be dulled and destroyed by the conditioning of
having produced a root of virtue by upholding and
maintaining the Śrāvaka Vehicle.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose a certain man’s eye has shut
because of an eye disease. If, for the sake of
restoring the eye’s ability to open and close again, the eye
were examined for one month, and if after a month
had passed, rather than the eye being made to open
and close, instead that person’s enemy or adversary
filled that eye with a handful of powdered long
pepper and thus blinded that eye, just
so Mañjuśrī, the faculty and eye of discriminating
wisdom that arise from those bodhisattvas
cultivating the mind of awakening would be dulled
and destroyed by the conditioning of having produced
a root of virtue by upholding and maintaining the
Śrāvaka Vehicle. Mañjuśrī, you should understand
such bodhisattvas to be those whose progress is like
travel using a cattle cart.

“Suppose, Mañjuśrī, that someone wished to
travel across those very world systems, and suppose
that they had business, important business, an
objective, an important objective, urgent affairs,
or extremely urgent affairs to attend to there. They
would think, ‘In what kind of vehicle shall I
travel across those world systems?’ and then they
might consider, ‘Well then, let me go by an
eight-part elephant chariot. I am sure to be able to travel
across those world systems that way.’ Suppose they
then climbed onto their eight-part elephant chariot
and set off. After they had traveled for a hundred
years, they might have managed to travel two
thousand yojanas, but then suppose they were driven
back by a great cyclone. In that case, Mañjuśrī,
what do you think? Could that person who rode the
elephant chariot ever travel across even one single
world system, even if they traveled for an eon, or a
hundred eons, or a thousand eons, or a trillion
eons, or an inexpressible number of inexpressibly
many eons?”

“Mañjuśrī, in the same way,” the Blessed One
continued, “if certain sons or daughters of good
family, having conceived the thought of attaining
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, stay with
followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle and support,
follow, and honor those followers of the Śrāvaka
Vehicle; and accustoming themselves to staying with
them, they apply themselves to and practice that
tradition; and staying in the same gardens,
monasteries, or walking places with them, they read
the śrāvaka scriptures, recite them, reflect on
them, and understand them, encouraging others to
read them, recite them, and practice them—through
that conditioning of having produced a root of
virtue by upholding the Śrāvaka Vehicle, their
discriminating wisdom would become dull, and that
would make them turn back from the path leading to
unsurpassable wisdom.

“The faculty and eye of discriminating wisdom
that are the conditioning of having produced a root
of virtue that arises from those bodhisattvas
cultivating the mind of awakening would be dulled
and destroyed by the conditioning of having produced
a root of virtue by upholding and maintaining the
Śrāvaka Vehicle. Mañjuśrī, suppose that there
existed a huge tree trunk that was a thousand
yojanas long, and rather than be carried away by the
ocean, it was driven back by sky-dwelling yakṣas
from its course through the ocean. And if they then
attached to it a lump of iron five thousand yojanas
tall, Mañjuśrī, what do you think? Would that huge
tree trunk be able to move through the ocean or be
used by beings to cross it?”
“No, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī,” continued the
Blessed One, “the tree of discriminating wisdom that
arises from those bodhisattvas cultivating the mind
of awakening will be driven back from the ocean of
omniscient wisdom by their conditioning of having
produced a root of virtue by upholding the Śrāvaka
Vehicle, and they will not move through the ocean of
omniscient wisdom or be able to ferry beings across
the ocean of cyclic existence. Mañjuśrī, you should
understand such bodhisattvas to be those whose
progress is like travel using an elephant
chariot.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose someone wished to travel
across those very world systems, and suppose that
they had business, important business, an objective,
an important objective, urgent affairs, or extremely
urgent affairs to attend to there. They would think,
‘Using what kind of magical power shall I travel
across those world systems?’ and then they might
consider, ‘Well then, let me go using the sun
and moon. I am sure to be able to travel across those world
systems that way.’ Suppose they then set off
using the sun and moon. Mañjuśrī, what do you
think? Could that person who went using the
sun and moon travel across those world systems?”

“Mañjuśrī, in the same way,” continued the
Blessed One, “if certain sons or daughters of good
family, having conceived the thought of attaining
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, do not stay with
followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle or support, follow,
or honor those followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle;
and not accustoming
themselves to staying with them, they do not apply
themselves to or practice that tradition; and not
staying in the same gardens, monasteries, or walking
places with them, they do not read the śrāvaka
scriptures, recite them, or contemplate them, nor
encourage others to read or recite even so much as a
single verse from them—if what they do read is only
the Mahāyāna, and what they teach is only the
Mahāyāna, then Mañjuśrī, you should understand such
bodhisattvas to be those whose progress is like
travel using the moon and sun.

“As an analogy Mañjuśrī, the great and mighty
king of the garuḍas who has reached maturity and
has gained strength and great power could, if he wanted to, fly from the top of the central mountain
of one world system to that of the next world
system. Mañjuśrī, in the same way, bodhisattvas
whose progress is like travel using the
moon and sun possess the strength of moral
discipline, learning, reflection, and altruism; they
have attained maturity and great power, and if they
wanted to, they could go from one buddhafield to
another and teach those among the disciples of the
tathāgatas.

“Suppose, Mañjuśrī, that someone wished to
travel across those very world systems, and suppose
that they had business, important business, an
objective, an important objective, urgent affairs,
or extremely urgent affairs to attend to there. They
would think, ‘Using what kind of magical power shall I
travel across those world systems?’ and then they
might consider, ‘Well then, let me travel across
those world systems using the magical power of
the śrāvakas.’ Mañjuśrī, what do
you think? Could that person travel across those
world systems using the magical power of the
śrāvakas?”
“Yes, Blessed One,” answered Mañjuśrī, “they
would be able to.”

“Mañjuśrī, in the same way,” continued the
Blessed One, “certain sons or daughters of good
family, having conceived the thought of attaining
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, do not stay with
followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle or support, follow,
or honor those followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle; and
not accustoming themselves to staying with them,
they do not apply themselves to or practice that
tradition; and not staying in the same gardens,
monasteries, or walking places with them, they do
not read the śrāvaka scriptures, recite them,
reflect on them, or understand them, nor encourage
others to read or recite even so much as a single
verse from them. What they do read is only the
Mahāyāna, and what they teach is only the
Mahāyāna.

“Showing reverence and respect to bodhisattvas
who are devoted to the Mahāyāna, to those who read
the Mahāyāna scriptures, and to those who uphold the
Mahāyāna, they dedicate themselves to them and
approach them. Having approached them, they stay
with them and support, follow, and honor them; and
accustoming themselves to staying with them, they
apply themselves to and practice that tradition.
Staying in the same gardens, monasteries, or walking
places with them, they seek the Mahāyāna scriptures,
collect them, and maintain them. With the utmost
reverence, they worship them with lamps, fragrant
substances, flowers, incense, garlands of flowers,
and unguents. They read and recite the Mahāyāna
scriptures and, with gladness and delight, teach
them. They do not give
rise to a disrespectful attitude toward untrained
bodhisattvas. They teach smilingly and sincerely;
without speaking coarsely, harshly, or roughly, they
teach gladly and with sweet words. Even at the cost
of their lives, they do not give up the Mahāyāna.
With heartfelt altruism they support as much as they
can and to the best of their abilities those
bodhisattvas who have entered the Mahāyāna, those
who recite the Mahāyāna scriptures, and those who
uphold the Mahāyāna. They do not dispute or quarrel
with anyone. Their nature is to seek out sūtras that
have not appeared or been heard before, and they
give rise to fervent reverence for the teaching of
that which is heard from such sūtras. They do not
look down upon other bodhisattvas who are untrained
in the practices of the bodhisattvas, and they do
not incite others with real or spurious moral
faults. And they do not seek fault
even in the delusions of others, while they do train
in loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and
equanimity. You should understand such bodhisattvas,
Mañjuśrī, to be those whose progress is like
travel using the magical power of the
śrāvakas.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose that someone wished to travel
across those very world systems, and suppose that
they had business, important business, an objective,
an important objective, urgent affairs, or extremely
urgent affairs to attend to there. They would think,
‘Using what kind of magical power shall I swiftly
travel across those world systems?’ and then they
might consider, ‘Well then, surely I should
supplicate the Tathāgata in order to travel across
those world systems.’
Mañjuśrī, that person, going into the presence of
the Tathāgata and supplicating him, would say,
‘Blessed One, I seek to travel across as many world
systems as are equal in number to the atoms in five
hundred buddhafields. As I have business, important
business, an objective, an important objective,
urgent affairs, or extremely urgent affairs to
attend to there, kindly make it so that I travel
across those world systems.’ Mañjuśrī, what do you
think? If the Tathāgata makes it so that the person
travels across those world systems, is it the
Tathāgata’s doing that they swiftly travel across
those world systems?”
“Yes, Blessed One,” answered Mañjuśrī. “Yes,
Sugata, it is his doing.”

“Mañjuśrī, in the same way,” continued the
Blessed One, “certain sons or daughters of good
family, having conceived the thought of attaining
unsurpassable, perfect awakening, do not stay with
followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle or support, follow,
or honor those followers of the Śrāvaka Vehicle; and
not accustoming themselves to staying with them,
they do not apply themselves to or practice that
tradition; and not staying in the same gardens,
monasteries, or walking places with them, they do
not read the śrāvaka scriptures, recite them,
reflect on them, or understand them, nor encourage
others to read or recite even so much as a single
verse from them. What they do read is only the
Mahāyāna, what they recite is only the Mahāyāna, and
what they teach is only the Mahāyāna.

“Their bodies, speech, and minds are completely
pure, they possess moral discipline, and they are
endowed with virtuous qualities. They
establish the bodies, speech, and minds of others in
complete purity, and they cause them to be endowed
with moral discipline and virtuous qualities. They
show reverence and respect to bodhisattvas who have
entered the Mahāyāna, to those who read the Mahāyāna
scriptures, and to those who uphold the Mahāyāna.
They dedicate themselves to them and approach them.
Having approached them, they stay with them and
support, follow, and honor them; and accustoming
themselves to staying with them, they apply
themselves to and practice that tradition. Staying
in the same gardens, monasteries, or walking places
with them, they seek the Mahāyāna scriptures,
collect them, and maintain them. With the utmost
reverence, they fervently worship them with lamps,
fragrant substances, flowers, incense, garlands of
flowers, and unguents. They read and recite the
Mahāyāna scriptures, and with gladness and great
delight, they strongly encourage others to read and
recite them. They do not give rise to a
disrespectful attitude toward untrained
bodhisattvas, and they establish other bodhisattvas
in just that training.

“They teach smilingly and sincerely, and they
establish others in teaching smilingly and
sincerely. Without speaking coarsely, harshly, or
roughly, they establish others in just that
training. They teach gladly and with sweet words.
Even at the cost of their lives they do not give up
the Mahāyāna. With fervent reverence, gladness, and
great delight, they deferentially serve those
bodhisattvas who have entered the Mahāyāna, those
who recite the Mahāyāna scriptures, and those who
uphold the Mahāyāna. And with great
contemplation and altruism they establish
others in just that training.

“They do not dispute or quarrel with anyone.
With fervent reverence, they pursue and seek out
sūtras that have not appeared or been heard before.
They give rise to
fervent reverence for the teaching of that which is
heard from such sūtras, and they establish others in
just that training.

“They are not arrogant toward others who are
untrained in the practices of the bodhisattvas, and
they do not incite others with real or spurious
moral faults. They do not seek fault even in the
delusions of others, and they establish others in
just that training.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
deeds of a bodhisattva, and they cause others to
observe the mass of beings deprived of the deeds of
a bodhisattva. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of the path of a bodhisattva, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the path of a bodhisattva. They observe the mass
of beings deprived of the conduct of a bodhisattva,
and they cause others to observe the mass of beings
deprived of the conduct of a bodhisattva.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
cause of becoming a bodhisattva, and they cause
others to observe the mass of beings deprived of the
cause of becoming a bodhisattva. They observe the
mass of beings deprived of the skill in means of a
bodhisattva, and they cause others to observe the
mass of beings deprived of the skill in means of a
bodhisattva. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of the duties of a bodhisattva, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the duties of a bodhisattva.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
strength of a bodhisattva’s conditioning
conduct,
and they cause
others to observe the mass of beings deprived of the
strength of a bodhisattva’s conditioning conduct.
They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
basis for the conduct of a bodhisattva, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the basis for the conduct of a bodhisattva.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and
equanimity of a bodhisattva, and they cause others
to observe the mass of beings deprived of the loving
kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and
equanimity of a bodhisattva.

“They naturally share with others, and
they cause others to naturally share. They observe
the mass of beings deprived of the Buddha’s Dharma,
and they cause others to observe the mass of beings
deprived of the Buddha’s Dharma.

“They observe the mass of beings who are devoid
of longing for virtuous qualities, and they cause
others to observe the mass of beings who are devoid
of longing for virtuous qualities. They observe the
mass of beings who are bound by fetters, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings who are
bound by fetters. They examine the mass of beings
who have been sick for a long time, and they cause
others to observe the mass of beings who have been
sick for a long time. They observe the mass of
beings deprived of the production of roots of virtue
for buddhahood, and they cause others to observe the
mass of beings deprived of the production of roots
of virtue for buddhahood. They
observe the mass of beings who are without a
protector, and they cause others to observe the mass
of beings who are without a protector. They observe
the mass of beings who have been asleep for a long
time, and they cause others to observe the mass of
beings who have been asleep for a long time. They
observe the mass of beings who have been born in a
bad lineage, and they cause others to observe the
mass of beings who have been born in a bad lineage.
They observe the mass of beings deprived of the mind
of awakening, and they cause others to observe the
mass of beings deprived of the mind of
awakening.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
conduct of a bodhisattva, and they cause others to
observe the mass of beings deprived of the conduct
of a bodhisattva. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of the conduct of the Dharma, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the conduct of the Dharma. They observe the mass
of beings deprived of the accumulation of merit and
wisdom, and they cause others to observe the mass of
beings deprived of the accumulation of merit and
wisdom.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of
devotion for the Mahāyāna, and they cause others to
observe the mass of beings deprived of devotion for
the Mahāyāna. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of the vows of moral discipline, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the vows of moral discipline.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
qualities that accord with the Dharma, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the qualities that accord with the Dharma. They
observe the mass of beings deprived of patience and
tenderness, and they cause others to observe the
mass of beings deprived of patience and tenderness.
They observe the mass of beings deprived of
meditative calm and insight, and they cause others
to observe the mass of beings deprived of meditative
calm and insight.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of
generosity, discipline, restraint, and gentleness,
and they cause others to observe the mass of beings
deprived of generosity, discipline, restraint, and
gentleness. They observe the mass of beings deprived
of mindfulness, intelligence, resoluteness, and
understanding, and they cause others to observe the
mass of beings deprived of mindfulness,
intelligence, resoluteness, and understanding. They
observe the mass of beings deprived of engaging in
the method of the path of the perfections, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of engaging in the method of the path of the
perfections.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of
being born into the lineage of the buddhas, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of being born into the lineage of the buddhas. They
observe the mass of beings deprived of a spiritual
friend, and they cause others to observe the mass of
beings deprived of a spiritual friend.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of the
desire to benefit beings, and they cause others to
observe the mass of beings deprived of the desire to
benefit beings. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of reliance on the Dharma, and they cause
others to observe the mass of beings deprived of
reliance on the Dharma. They observe the mass of
beings deprived of reliance on wisdom, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of reliance on wisdom.

“They observe the mass of beings deprived of
reliance on the meaning, and they cause others to
observe the mass of beings deprived of reliance on
the meaning. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of reliance on the sūtras of definitive
meaning, and they cause others to observe the mass
of beings deprived of reliance on the sūtras of
definitive meaning. They observe the mass of beings
deprived of the four perfect endeavors, and they
cause others to observe the mass of beings deprived
of the four perfect endeavors. They are skilled in
teaching the true Dharma, the meaning, and the
Vinaya, and they cause others to be skilled in
teaching the true Dharma, the meaning, and the
Vinaya. They observe the mass of beings who are
destitute, and they cause others to observe the mass
of beings who are destitute.

“Such bodhisattvas pervade the entire world with
loving kindness. They think, ‘Alas!
These beings are without a protector! These beings
are without a refuge! These beings are without an
ally! These beings are without a sanctuary! These
beings are without an abode! These beings are
without a defender! Alas, may I one day become the
protector of these beings! May I become their
refuge! May I become their ally! May I become their
sanctuary! May I become their abode! May I become
their defender!’

“As an analogy Mañjuśrī, a garuḍa,
the king of birds, who has reached maturity and has
gained strength and great power could, if he wanted to, fly from the top of the central mountain of
one world system to that of the next world
system. Mañjuśrī, in the same way,
bodhisattvas whose progress is like traveling by
means of the magical power of the Tathāgata, due to
the strength of their roots of virtue and their
speed, force, and great bravery, are born among the
disciples of the buddhas when they desire to be born
there, and they also become the protectors, refuges,
allies, sanctuaries, abodes, and defenders for all
beings who have been born in the evil, miserable
lower realms. You should understand such
bodhisattvas, Mañjuśrī, to be those whose progress
is like travel using the magical power of
the Tathāgata.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose that certain sons or
daughters of good family offered each day divine,
hundred-flavored foods to tathāgatas numbering as
many as the atoms of all the world systems in every
direction, and also offered divine garments, and
every day they filled world systems numbering as
many as the grains of sand of the Ganges River with
precious jewels of the highest type and
offered them to each of those tathāgatas, and were
to make such offerings for as many eons as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges. And suppose other sons
or daughters of good family were to establish a
single being in the fruit of a stream-enterer. The
latter would produce merit immeasurably greater than
the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family established beings numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction as
stream-enterers, and other sons or daughters of good
family were to establish a single being in the fruit
of a once-returner, the latter would produce merit
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family established beings numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction as
once-returners, and if other sons or daughters of
good family were to establish a single being in the
fruit of a non-returner, the latter would produce
merit immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family established beings numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction as
non-returners, and if other sons or daughters of
good family were to establish a single being in the
fruit of a worthy one, the latter would produce
merit immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family established beings numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction as
worthy ones, and other sons or daughters of good
family were to establish a single being in the fruit
of a pratyekabuddha, the latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family established beings numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction as
pratyekabuddhas, and other sons or
daughters of good family were to establish a single
being in the mind of awakening whose progress is
like travel using a goat cart, the
latter would produce merit immeasurably greater than
the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family established beings numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction in
the mind of awakening whose progress is like
travel using the magical power of the
śrāvakas, and if other sons or daughters of good
family were to establish a single being in the mind
of awakening whose progress is like travel using
the magical power of the Tathāgata, the
latter would produce merit immeasurably greater than
the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to beings numbering as many as the atoms of
all the world systems in every direction, and also
offered divine garments, and were to make such
offerings every day for as many eons as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons or
daughters of good family for just one day were to
give a single meal to a faithful lay follower who
has taken refuge in the Three Jewels, observes the
five moral precepts, and delights in the teaching of
the Blessed One, the latter would produce merit
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to faithful lay followers who have taken
refuge in the Three Jewels, observe the five moral
precepts, and delight in the teaching of the Blessed
One, numbering as many as the atoms of all the world
systems in every direction, and also offered divine
garments, and were to make such offerings every day
for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the
Ganges, and if other sons or daughters of good
family for just one day were to give a single meal
to a person of the eighth level, the latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to people of the eighth level numbering as
many as the atoms of all the world systems in every
direction, and also offered divine garments, and
were to make such offerings every day for as many
eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and
if other sons or daughters of good family for just
one day were to give a single meal to a
stream-enterer, the latter would produce merit
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to stream-enterers numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction,
and also offered divine garments, and were to make
such offerings every day for as many eons as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons
or daughters of good family for just one day were to
give a single meal to a once-returner, the latter
would produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to once-returners numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction,
and also offered divine garments, and were to make
such offerings every day for as many eons as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons
or daughters of good family for just one day were to
give a single meal to a non-returner, the latter
would produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to non-returners numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction,
and also offered divine garments, and were to make
such offerings every day for as many eons as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons
or daughters of good family for just one day were to
give a single meal to a worthy one, the latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to worthy ones numbering as many as the atoms
of all the world systems in every direction, and
also offered divine garments, and were to make such
offerings every day for as many eons as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons or
daughters of good family for just one day were to
give a single meal to a pratyekabuddha, the latter
would produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to pratyekabuddhas numbering as many as the
atoms of all the world systems in every direction,
and also offered divine garments, and were to make
such offerings every day for as many eons as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons
or daughters of good family for just one day were to
give a single meal to a bodhisattva whose progress
is like travel using a goat cart, the latter would produce merit
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Why is that? Because, Mañjuśrī, for
bodhisattvas, in accord with the particular nature
of the mind of awakening that they first cultivated,
there are no nonvirtuous deeds whatsoever that they
have not abandoned, and there are no buddha
qualities whatsoever that they have not acquired.
Hence, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas possess inconceivable
good qualities. As an analogy, Mañjuśrī, the
kalaviṅka, king of birds, even though
it is still inside its egg and has not opened its
eyes, overpowers the entire assembly of other birds
with its deep and melodious voice. In the
same way, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who have cultivated
the mind of awakening for the first time, though
they are still inside the egg of ignorance, and
though their eyes are still covered by the dark film
of karma and the defilements, they still overpower
all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas by the sound of
their voice of accomplishing the dedication of their
roots of virtue.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to bodhisattvas whose progress is like
travel using a goat cart, numbering as many
as the atoms of all the world systems in every
direction, and also offered divine garments, and
were to make such offerings every day for as many
eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and
if other sons or daughters of good family for just
one day were to give a single meal to a bodhisattva
whose progress is like travel using an
elephant chariot, the latter would produce merit
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to bodhisattvas whose progress is like
travel using an elephant chariot, numbering
as many as the atoms of all the world systems in
every direction, and also offered divine garments,
and were to make such offerings every day for as
many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,
and if other sons or daughters of good family for
just one day were to give a single meal to a
bodhisattva whose progress is like traveling by
means of the moon and sun, the latter would produce
merit immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to bodhisattvas whose progress is like
travel using the moon and sun, numbering as
many as the atoms of all the world systems in every
direction, and also offered divine garments, and
were to make such offerings every day for as many
eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and
if other sons or daughters of good family for just
one day were to give a single meal to a bodhisattva
whose progress is like travel using the
magical power of the śrāvakas, the latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to bodhisattvas whose progress is like
travel using the magical power of śrāvakas,
numbering as many as the atoms of all the world
systems in every direction, and also offered divine
garments, and were to make such offerings every day
for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the
Ganges, and if other sons or daughters of good
family for just one day were to give a single meal
to a bodhisattva whose progress is like traveling by
means of the magical power of the Tathāgata, the
latter would produce merit immeasurably greater than
the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to bodhisattvas whose progress is like
travel using the magical power of the
Tathāgata, numbering as many as the atoms of all the
world systems in every direction, and also offered
divine garments, and were to make such offerings
every day for as many eons as there are grains of
sand in the Ganges, and if other sons or daughters
of good family were to hear this Dharma teaching and
feel devotion to and conviction in it, the latter
would produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose that certain sons or
daughters of good family prepared types of food
numbering as many as the atoms of all the world
systems in every direction. And suppose they were to
construct dwellings for pratyekabuddhas numbering as
many as the atoms of ten billionfold world systems,
made of gold from the Jambu River, decorated with
lamps made of precious jewels as brilliant as lightning, surrounded by
verandas stacked with precious jewels of every kind of luster,
beautified by clusters of jewels, pearls, and gems,
with hoisted banners, flags, and parasols, wrapped
with nets of precious jewels of the highest type,
and covered with canopies made of nets of small
bells. And suppose they anointed them with uragasāra
sandalwood, and they arranged such flowers
as mandārava, great mandārava,
mañjūṣaka, great
mañjūṣaka, nutmeg flowers,
nāga-tree flowers,
taranibarna,
gotaraṇi,
saugandhikam,
dhanuskarin, divine nutmeg
flowers, blue lotuses, red lotuses, white lotuses,
great white lotuses, and great flowers. And suppose
that to those pratyekabuddhas they offered divine,
hundred-flavored foods, and also offered divine
garments, and were to make such offerings every day
for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the
Ganges. And suppose that other sons or daughters of
good family were to hear the words
buddha or
omniscient one or
protector of the world, or were to see a
buddha painting or a buddha statue. The latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the former.
That being so, it goes without saying that to pay
homage with hands joined together would produce
merit immeasurably greater than this. It is more
meritorious still to offer lamps, incense, flowers,
and fragrant perfume—even to offer just a single
praise of his good qualities. It would create great
prosperity and finally result in their reaching the
state of omniscience.

“As an analogy Mañjuśrī, suppose a tiny drop of
water merged with the water of the ocean—it would
not be exhausted before the arising of the final
fire that burns the universe at the end of the eon.
Mañjuśrī, in the same way, however small a root of
virtue may be that one has produced in relation to
the Tathāgata, it will not be exhausted or reach its
end before the fire of the wisdom of omniscience
arises.

“As an analogy Mañjuśrī, the disk of the moon,
no matter how small it is in size, circumference, or
greatness, will outshine the entire mass of stars
and will be clearly and very distinctly present in
the night sky. Mañjuśrī, in the same way, however
small a root of virtue may be that one has produced
in relation to the Tathāgata, it will outshine all
other roots of virtue in its exaltation, expanse,
and greatness and will be clearly present. So,
Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the
Perfectly Awakened One, possesses inconceivable good
qualities.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family offered each day divine, hundred-flavored
foods to all the tathāgatas, the bodhisattvas, and
the śrāvakas numbering as many as the atoms of all
the world systems in every direction, and also
offered them divine garments, and were to make such
offerings every day for as many eons as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges, and if other sons or
daughters of good family were to hear this Dharma
teaching and feel devotion to it, the latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the former.
That being so, it
goes without saying that to write this teaching
down, or cause others to write it down, or teach it
would produce still greater merit that would cause
the attainment of the wisdom of buddhahood.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family out of anger were to deny countless śrāvakas
and pratyekabuddhas food and clothing, and if other
sons or daughters of good family out of hatred and
anger were to take away or deny a single meal to a
bodhisattva devoted to the Mahāyāna, the latter
would produce evil immeasurably greater than the
former. Why is that? Because all the generosity,
patience, morality, diligence, meditative
concentration, discriminating wisdom, and so forth
perfected over the course of immeasurable millions
of eons by all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas of
the past, present, and future—all of it merely
overcomes the defilements arisen in one person’s
mind. Whereas, for a bodhisattva, to give even so
much as a single mouthful of food to a being born in
one of the animal realms will prevent the lineage of
the Three Jewels from being severed.

“As an analogy, Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or
daughters of good family out of hatred and anger
were to destroy the aggregates of morality, of
meditative absorption, of discriminating wisdom, of
liberation, and of the vision and wisdom of
liberation of countless śrāvakas and
pratyekabuddhas, and if other sons or daughters of
good family out of anger were to destroy even so
much as the observance of a single point of
discipline by a bodhisattva devoted to the Mahāyāna,
the latter would
produce evil immeasurably greater than the former.
Why is that? Because the aggregates of morality, of
meditative absorption, of discriminating wisdom, of
liberation, and of the vision and wisdom of
liberation of all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas
merely overcome the defilements arisen in one
person’s mind. Whereas, for a bodhisattva, all the
aggregates of morality, of meditative absorption, of
discriminating wisdom, of liberation, and of the
vision and wisdom of liberation arisen from a single
training for even a single day overcome all the
defilements of all beings and lead to the
attainments up to the wisdom of omniscience.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family out of hatred and malice were to imprison all
the beings of all the world systems in every
direction, and if other sons or daughters of good
family out of hatred and malice toward a bodhisattva
were to turn their backs on him, saying, ‘May I not
meet with him!’ the latter would produce evil
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family were to blind all the beings of all the world
systems in every direction, and if other sons or
daughters of good family were to look at a
bodhisattva with hatred and malice, the latter would
produce evil immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, as an analogy, if all the beings of
all the world systems in every direction were to be
blinded, and then certain sons or daughters of good
family were lovingly to restore their sight, but
other sons or daughters of good family were joyfully
to look at a bodhisattva devoted to the Mahāyāna,
the latter would
produce merit immeasurably greater than the
former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family were to set free all the beings of all the
world systems in every direction who had been
imprisoned, and then were to establish them in the
happiness of a universal emperor, and if other sons
or daughters of good family joyfully desired to see
a bodhisattva devoted to the Mahāyāna and joyfully
praised him, the latter would produce merit
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain bodhisattvas were to
establish all the beings of all the world systems in
every direction in the state of a pratyekabuddha,
and if other bodhisattvas were to increase merely a
single root of virtue produced in relation to
buddhahood of a bodhisattva devoted to the Mahāyāna,
the latter would produce merit immeasurably greater
than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain bodhisattvas devoted to
the Mahāyāna were to establish in the mind of
awakening all the beings of all the world systems in
every direction, and if other bodhisattvas devoted
to the Mahāyāna were to cause a bodhisattva devoted
to the Mahāyāna to recite even a single verse
concerning what is beyond the aggregates, the latter would produce
merit immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, as an analogy, if certain sons or
daughters of good family were to cause
pratyekabuddhas numbering as many as the atoms of
all the world systems in every direction to be born
in hells, animal realms, or hungry ghost realms, and
if certain sons or daughters of good family were to
cause a single bodhisattva to lose his devotion to
the mind of awakening, the latter would produce evil
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if certain sons or daughters of good
family were to cause all the beings of all the world
systems in every direction to be born as hell
beings, animals, hungry ghosts, or in the world of
Yama, and then certain bodhisattvas freed all of
those beings from the realms of the hells, animals,
and Yama and established them in the mind of
awakening, but other bodhisattvas were to cause a
single being to become devoted to the Mahāyāna, the
latter would produce merit immeasurably greater than
the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if someone were to cause
pratyekabuddhas numbering as many as the atoms of
all the world systems in every direction to fall
away from the state of a pratyekabuddha, and if a
person were to cause a single bodhisattva devoted to
the Mahāyāna to fall away from the state of a
bodhisattva, the latter would produce evil
immeasurably greater than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, suppose someone, in order to prevent
the acquisition of wealth and service by
pratyekabuddhas numbering as many as the atoms of
all the world systems in every direction, jealous of
their wealth and service, were to proclaim
everywhere infamous, harsh, and critical reports
about them. And suppose
other sons or daughters of good family, in order to
prevent the acquisition of wealth and service by a
single bodhisattva devoted to the Mahāyāna, jealous
of their wealth and service, were to criticize him.
The latter would produce evil immeasurably greater
than the former.

“Mañjuśrī, if someone, in order to uphold the
holy Dharma, were joyfully to give even as much as a
single cup of water to a bodhisattva devoted to
the Mahāyāna, and if by that deed they would later
experience the numerous royal domains of universal
emperors, then what need is there to mention a
bodhisattva devoted to reading and recitation?”

After the Blessed One had thus spoken, those
bodhisattvas, the śrāvakas, and the world with its
gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and
praised what the Blessed One had taught.

This completes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “Evaluating Whether Progress is Certain or Uncertain.”

Colophon

This was translated, checked, and finalized by
the Indian preceptors Prajñāvarma and Surendrabodhi
and the chief editor-translator, the monk Yeshé Dé,
and others.

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Texts

Chinese Texts

Modern Sources

King of the Sound Emanated by a Stūpa

mchod rten mngon par bsgrags pa’i sgra skad rgyal po
མཆོད་རྟེན་མངོན་པར་བསྒྲགས་པའི་སྒྲ་སྐད་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Yeshé Dé

ye shes sde
ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།