Toh 263The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct”

Summary

In The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored
Method of Perfect Conduct, the Buddha Śākyamuni and several bodhisattvas deliver
a series of teachings focusing on the relationship between the understanding of emptiness and the
conduct of a bodhisattva, especially the perfection of acceptance or patience. The text
describes the implications of the view that all inner and outer formations—that is, all
phenomena made up of the five aggregates—are empty. It also provides detailed
descriptions of the ascetic practices of non-Buddhists and insists on the importance for
bodhisattvas of being reborn in buddha realms inundated with the five impurities for the sake
of the beings living there, and of practicing in such realms to fulfill the highest goals of
the bodhisattva path.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the
guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart translated the text from
Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Adam Krug compared the draft translation
with the Tibetan and edited the text.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha. David Fiordalis and others in the editorial team
provided further editorial support, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina
Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.

The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Wang Jing and family, Chen Yiqiong and family, and Gu Yun and family.

Introduction

The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored
Method of Perfect Conduct presents a series of teachings, in eleven
chapters spanning over 230
Tibetan folios in the Degé Kangyur, that focus on the implications of the view of
emptiness on the conduct of a bodhisattva. The text addresses three core issues: How
should one teach the hearers and solitary buddhas from the perspective of the Great
Vehicle? Why should bodhisattvas choose to teach in unfavorable world systems and to the
afflicted beings who are living there? And how should they tame non-Buddhists and direct
them toward the Dharma?

At a mountain hermitage, near a town named Removing Impurities, the Buddha Śākyamuni and the bodhisattva
Destroyer of Aggregates explain to the monks and bodhisattvas assembled around them that
all things are empty, and that bodhisattvas who gain this realization attain an
acceptance with which they tame beings using the method of perfect conduct.
This initial discourse ends with a group of hearers leaving the assembly, and the
teaching thus introduces the idea that some Buddhist practitioners are not yet ready for
the profound teaching of the Great Vehicle.

At the request of his remaining audience, however, the Buddha agrees to reveal
the nature of this acceptance on Mount Gandhamādana, where an immense number of
bodhisattvas and divine beings gather from universes in the ten directions. Through his
miraculous powers, the Buddha appears there as a non-Buddhist seer performing a huge
fire sacrifice, and he transforms many of the other beings present into seers engaging
in all kinds of non-Buddhist practices. When he does so, a few of the remaining great
hearers are portrayed as being unable to perceive where the Buddha has gone, and at the
same time a number of the remaining bodhisattvas, disheartened by the sight, decide to
leave and return to their respective realms. This situation prompts a teaching on the
necessity for bodhisattvas to remain in impure buddha realms inundated with the five
impurities for the sake of the beings living there and in order to reach the level of
“great beings” (mahāsattvas) who strive
to fulfill the highest goals of the bodhisattva path.

To the many remaining bodhisattvas and other beings, still appearing in the
form of seers, the Buddha, also still in the form of a seer, then delivers an extensive
discourse on the correct view that must be adopted so that one may cultivate the
acceptance with which one can tame beings through the sky-colored method of perfect
conduct. This long teaching, which constitutes the heart of the sūtra, explains and
expands at some length on the idea that the nature of all the inner and outer
formations, including the aggregates, the elements, the sense fields, and the twelve
links of dependent arising, are empty. That all things are empty would also appear to be
the implication of the comparison with the color of space or the sky.

Then, through the power of his meditative absorption, the Buddha attracts a
great multitude of deluded beings engaging in improper practices to Mount Gandhamādana
to clear away their wrong views and establish them on the correct path. The teaching he
delivers to them contains detailed descriptions of non-Buddhist practices and behavior.
It insists on the fact that such ascetic practices and observances are directly inspired
by the māras, and that none of them leads to liberation. Yet, he also emphasizes the
necessity for bodhisattvas to appear among such beings to tame them and direct them
toward the practice of the true Dharma. The Buddha provides supporting examples for his
instruction by recounting events from two of his former lives. In the first story, he
was a king who vowed to free non-Buddhist practitioners from old age and death, and who
then realized this acceptance and transmitted his realization to beings in the ten
directions. In the second story, he describes the spiritual transformation of a brahmin
named Gaṅga whom he met when he was another king. Inspired by another buddha living at
that time, that brahmin renounced his devotional practices, took refuge in the Three
Jewels, and made a series of aspirations that led him to the realization of this
acceptance.

The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni emphasizing the importance and
benefits of the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect
conduct. All the beings gathered around him promise to protect and spread this teaching,
and all the bodhisattvas take the pledge to engage in bodhisattva conduct in impure
realms of the ten directions.

Regarding the Tibetan translation itself, the text does not provide any
information about the translators or the circumstances of the translation, with the
exception of the colophons found in the Stok Palace, Ulan Bator, and Shey editions of the
Kangyur, which make the following remark: “The eleven sections of this text were
translated from Chinese. It seems that the old translation has not been revised
according to the new terminological register.” No Chinese text that
might have served as the source of this translation has yet been found, however, nor do
we know of any Sanskrit manuscripts that might be a possible source text for it or of
references to it in other works. The
Tibetan translation was most likely completed during the early translation period, as its
title is listed in the early ninth-century Denkarma (lhan dkar
ma) catalog, but it is not included in the list of those texts described
therein as translated from Chinese. So, there is
much still left to determine about this sūtra and its history.

A few more hints about its history may be evident from the content and framing
of the sūtra. For instance, in the conclusion Maitreya refers to the discourse delivered
in the sūtra as an instance of the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. It may also be
significant that the name of the acceptance described throughout this sūtra is presented
alternatively in the colophons of chapters 6–8 as “the acceptance that tames beings with
light rays that travel through space.” This alternate title could perhaps be an indication that those chapters
circulated independently or once constituted the core of an earlier text, or perhaps
they may have been interpolated from another text, hitherto unknown. More research would
be needed before one could confirm or disprove such claims.

This sūtra has so far received little attention in writing, either in Tibet
or elsewhere, and it has not yet been the focus of any sustained scholarship, to the
best of our knowledge. One reason, perhaps, could be the challenging nature of the text
itself. We have done what we could to render the Tibetan text into English, but many
uncertainties remain, as indicated by the large number of notes about tentative
translations we have left in the text. Our hope is therefore that this translation will serve to
stimulate its further study. For
this translation into English, we relied on the Degé xylograph, the Comparative Edition
(dpe bsdur ma), and the Stok Palace edition of the
Kangyur.

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method

of Perfect Conduct

Homage to all buddhas
and bodhisattvas.

Chapters 1–3

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in the Land of
Activity. He was near the market town in the Land of Activity called Removing
Impurities, on a mountain called Increasing Light, at the
hermitage of the seer Wind Horse.

He was surrounded by a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks and by bodhisattva great
beings who had emanated in the domain of the thus-gone ones by means of their unattached
wisdom. All those bodhisattva great beings had developed the transformative power of
immeasurable great love. With their immeasurable great compassion, they emanated to
sustain the flood of beings. Through the transformative power of immeasurable joy, they
showered down thoughts of comfort for all beings, satiating them. Through the wisdom of
immeasurable equanimity, they were skilled in engaging with all phenomena being the same
as the sky. With the strength of clouds of Dharma, special insight, knowledge, and
wisdom, they were skilled in clearing away the dense darkness of ignorance. Through the
four means of attracting disciples, they were endowed with the wisdom that can liberate
beings from the four floods. Since they considered all beings as equal, they were
loving, devoid of hostility, and had purified the path of the factors of
awakening. They were genuinely engaged in the Dharma. They were experts in great wisdom.
They revealed the supreme path to the world. They brought prosperity to beings, had
dried up the river of craving with their roots of virtue, and were engaged in the
activity of wisdom. Their moon-like supernormal faculties were the play of their
knowledge of the great supernormal faculties. In order to bring them happiness, a wish
that they know is the intent that all beings share, they displayed a vast array of skillful means. In
order to fill immeasurable vessels with the precious Dharma using dhāraṇīs as vast in
number to fill the sky, and because of their bodhisattva practice, they sustained all
beings. With the great strength of their own feet, they had followed the profound path
of the Dharma, using the four noble truths. They subjugated all opponents with the
Dharma of sameness. They continuously manifested all the infinite qualities of
bodhisattva conduct, which are attained after countless hundreds of thousands of eons of
practice. Like the wind, their minds were untainted by any mundane or supramundane
qualities. They had abandoned the afflictions associated with all the habitual
tendencies, and they were experts in reveling in immeasurable and countless absorptions,
retentions, and acceptances.

These ten thousand bodhisattvas—which included the bodhisattvas Black Elephant
Stallion, All-Illuminating Sumeru, Moon of Sumeru, Gaping Maw, Jñānaśrī, Blue Eyes, Roar
of the Saffron Lion, Luminous Heap of Jewels, Boundary of Sumeru, Melody of the Emanated
Banner, Mass of Lightning, Guṇatejas, Stainless King, Expansive Power of Sumeru,
Powerful Wish for Belonging, and Maitreya—along with thirty thousand seers led by the
seer Wind Horse as well
as 1,800,000 temple servants, were sitting together around the Blessed Buddha.

The Blessed One said to Venerable Svāgata, “Svāgata, while sitting on this
lion throne that has been provided for the Thus-Gone One, I will deliver a hearer’s
discourse to the hearers.”
“Very well, Blessed One!” replied Svāgata, heeding the Blessed One, and then
he built a round pavilion for him.

The Blessed One then sat in the round pavilion that had been built for him and
he beheld the entire assembly. At that point, the other monks stood up, draped their
shawls over one shoulder, prostrated toward the Blessed One with their palms joined, and
asked him, “Blessed One, what are these ‘worlds’ you speak of? Respected Blessed One,
what are these ‘worlds’ you speak of? How is it that the Thus-Gone One names them by
designating them as worlds?”

The Blessed One replied, “Monks, are you asking how many worlds there are that
are known as worlds and how many the Thus-Gone One has named by
designating them as worlds?”
“Yes, Blessed One.”
“Monks, listen carefully, pay attention, and I will explain.”
“We shall, Venerable One!” replied the monks, and they listened to the Blessed
One.

The Blessed One then said to them, “Monks, there are two types of worlds: the
world that is a vessel and the world of compounded phenomena. Monks, what is the world
that is a vessel, and what is the world of compounded phenomena? All the elements of
earth, water, fire, and wind are referred to as vessels. Monks, among those, there
is the internal earth element. Monks, what is the internal earth element? Everything
internal that has the characteristic of solidity—bones, nails, teeth, and so forth—is
referred to as the internal earth element. What is the external
earth element? Everything outside the body that is made of the earth element—cowrie
shells, gold, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch shells, stones, coral, silver, fine gold,
river rocks, pebbles, gravel, trees, grass, medicinal plants, dust, and so forth—is
referred to as the external earth element. What is the water
element? There is an external water element and there is an internal water element. What
is the internal water element? Everything related to water and the water element in the
body—bile, phlegm, pus, blood, brain, veins, saliva, tears, mucus, snot, marrow, bone
fluids, and urine—is referred to as the internal water element.
What is the external water element? Everything related to water and the water element
outside the body—oil, milk, curd, buttermilk, molasses, tree sap, fermented drinks,
gruel, sweetened beer, and wine made of flowers—is referred to as the external
water element. What is the internal fire element? Everything in the body
related to heat that lends beings their complexion; that causes the body to be hot, to
steam; that causes inflammation, fever, and burning; and that digests what one has
eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted is referred to as the internal fire
element. What is the external fire element? The heat of a fire, the sun,
and precious gems, as well as the heat produced by grains, medicinal plants, trees,
grass, dung, and dust, are referred to as the external fire
element. What
is the internal wind element? The upward-moving winds, the downward-moving winds, the
winds related to indigestion, and the winds moving in all the limbs that are possessed
by the body are referred to as the internal wind element. What is
the external wind element? Any external wind that swirls together, that spreads out, or
that moves upward; the many harmful cold and hot winds that blow constantly; the winds that support the earth; and everything else related to the
external wind element are referred to as the external wind element.
In that way, those four external and internal great elements are known as the
world that is a vessel.

“Of what are they vessels? They are the vessels of the five aggregates that
are the basis of grasping. Monks, you should train to abandon all sense of interest in,
delight in, love for, attachment to, the greatness of, possession of, and ownership of
the four external and internal great elements. You should train in that manner with
respect to all the four great elements of the past, present, and future, whether they
are external or internal, big, small, bad, good, far, or near. You should regard those
four great elements with correct insight and conclude, ‘They do not belong to a self, a
self does not belong to them, and they are not a self.’ Monks, any monk who regards the
four great elements in that way establishes them using correct insight. A monk who is
extremely focused severs the stream of craving, weakness, and physical fetters, and puts
an end to suffering. Monks, this was the world that is a vessel.

“Monks, what is the world of compounded phenomena? The five aggregates that
are the basis of grasping are known as formations. What are those
five? The aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Monks,
this is the world of compounded phenomena. Monks,
the world of compounded phenomena refers to those beings that
possess and are composed of these aggregates, all of whom are included in the category
of beings. Monks, you should train to abandon all sense of interest in, delight in, love
for, attachment to, the greatness of, possession of, and ownership of the five
aggregates that are the basis of grasping. You should regard all the past, present, and
future forms—whether they are external or internal, and whether they are big, small,
bad, good, far, or near—with correct insight and conclude, ‘They do not belong to a
self, a self does not belong to them, and they are not a self.’ Similarly, you should
regard all the past, present, and future feelings, perceptions, formations, and
consciousnesses—whether they are external or internal, and whether they are big, small,
bad, good, far, or near—with correct insight and conclude, ‘They do not belong to a
self, a self does not belong to them, and they are not a self.’ Monks, this is what is
meant by the world that is a vessel and the world of
compounded phenomena.”

Then the bodhisattva Samantāloka, who was present in the assembly, said to the
bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates, “Venerable Destroyer of Aggregates, the five
aggregates that the Blessed One taught within the world are the aggregates of form,
feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Venerable One, how is it that those
are the five aggregates? What is the aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from
attachment related to form associated with the eyes of the desire realm? Is there a
cessation of form associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the
eyes? Is there a freedom
from attachment related to form that is associated with the eyes of the form and
formless realms? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated
with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the eyes? Is there a freedom
from attachment related to form that is associated with the aggregate of form and the
eyes of the desire realm? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is
associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the eyes? Is there a
freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the eyes of the form and
formless realms? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated
with the feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses, as well as the eyes of
the desire realm? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated
with the eyes of the form and formless realms?

“What about the past aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment
related to the past aggregate of form that is associated with the eyes? Is there a
freedom from attachment related to past forms that is associated with the ears, nose,
tongue, body, mind, and eyes, as well as the eyes of the form and formless realms? Is
there one that is associated with feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness?
What about the present aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment related to
present forms that is associated with the eyes? Is there a freedom from attachment
related to present forms that is associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind,
as well as with the eyes, up to the mind of the form and formless realms? What about the
future aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment related to future forms
that is associated with the eyes? Is there one that is associated with everything from
the nose and ears up to the mind? How about everything from feeling up to the mind?”

The bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates then replied to the bodhisattva
Samantāloka, “Noble son,
look at the phenomena arrayed before you! The aggregate of form and freedom from
attachment are not transferred to the aperture of the eye. The aggregates of feeling,
perception, formation, and consciousness, along with freedom from attachment, are not
transferred to the aperture of the eye either. The sense fields are nonconceptual,
beyond thought, and nonarising. The aggregates completely transcend language and are
beyond voice, sound, and expression. Why is that? Because, noble son, all phenomena are
momentary and insubstantial. All phenomena lack a voice and are free from a voice. All
phenomena are like a path in the sky—they leave no trace. All phenomena are wordless and
without purpose. All phenomena are unborn and empty. All phenomena lack anything to be
gained and are wordless. All phenomena are free from concepts and without moments. All
phenomena are free from attachment and unconditioned. All phenomena lack sense contact
and are without observation. All phenomena are free from views and devoid of
characteristics. All phenomena are free from a cognitive basis and lack a self. All
phenomena are devoid of self and inexpressible. All phenomena are devoid of words and
utterly quiescent. All phenomena have no true nature and do not manifest. All phenomena
lack appearance and are utterly without object. All phenomena are devoid of object and
utterly rootless. All phenomena are without the sense faculties and utterly devoid of
intrinsic nature. All phenomena are without activity and without antidote. All phenomena
lack being and are devoid of attachment. All phenomena are utterly extinct and without
fulfillment. All phenomena are without avarice and free from elaboration. All phenomena are endowed
with concentration and free from movement. All phenomena are completely unobscured, free
of dust—utterly free of dust. All phenomena are free from affliction and weakness. All
phenomena are without beginning and nonexistent. All phenomena lack substance and are
devoid of an agent. All phenomena do not exhibit activity and are devoid of feeling. All
phenomena are endowed with space and are not heard. All phenomena are devoid of sound
and intangible. All phenomena are dissatisfying by nature and insentient. All phenomena
lack attachment to feelings and are like a mirage. All phenomena are free from
perception and are like an echo. All phenomena have no essential nature and are like a
reflection. All phenomena are free from radiant light like the reflection of the moon in
water. All phenomena are free from reflected images and dependent upon reflected images.
All phenomena are not apprehended as clouds—they are the same as the sky. All phenomena
are reflections, invisible, nonexistent, and insubstantial, which includes everything
that follows from lacking characteristics, such as lacking characteristics, being free
of characteristics, bearing the same characteristic, and bearing a single characteristic
up to being devoid of characteristics. All phenomena lack a self. All phenomena are
not apprehended as a self, lack pride, are baseless, and are inexpressible. All
phenomena are wordless.

“Noble son, in order to eliminate afflictions and disturbances, you should
think, ‘All compounded phenomena are momentary and free from destruction,’ as you
cultivate the acceptance devoid of elaboration that brings no harm to oneself or others.
Noble son, when bodhisattvas cultivate such powerful acceptance, they reach the
acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. Instantly and at the same
time, the bodhisattvas who have attained this acceptance will emanate bodies in all the
buddha realms more numerous than all the tiniest particles of dust. They will travel to
those buddha realms throughout the ten directions, as numerous as the tiniest particles
of dust, that are empty of buddhas and those inundated with the five impurities. They
will rain down various things in each of those buddha realms such as a rain of food,
drinks, clothes, ornaments, perfumes, flowers, and different precious gems as numerous
as all those tiniest particles of dust. The beings who ingest those foods and drinks
will achieve joy and happiness that is free from sensual desire; remember that all
compounded phenomena are impermanent, are suffering, lack a self, and are empty; and
they will develop discipline. They will then renounce the five sense pleasures and all
of the trappings of home, leave, and go live without a home in mountain caves and dense,
deserted forests. Wearing the clothes of seers, they will sustain themselves on grasses, roots, and fruits.
They will develop a sense of horror toward the five aggregates that are the basis of
grasping, and enthusiasm for undertaking their task with diligence. They will regard
those five aggregates that are the basis of grasping as being like a disease, an
abscess, or a splinter, and as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self. They
will attain the five supernormal faculties. They will become inclined toward the world
of the Brahmā gods. They will partake of the other rainfalls as well, from clothes to
pure gems, and by perceiving them they will attain everything from joy and happiness
that is free from sensual desire up to becoming inclined toward the world of the Brahmā
gods.

“These bodhisattvas who have attained the acceptance that tames beings with
the sky-colored method of perfect conduct will hold flowers with their cupped hands,
flowers will be scattered across the sky, and flowers will instantly appear in buddha
realms throughout the ten directions that are as numerous as the tiniest particles of
dust, no matter if they are empty of buddhas or inundated with the five impurities. And in each one the
melodies of as many gateways to the Dharma as there are minute particles of dust in a
buddha realm will resound with the following song: ‘All phenomena lack melody and
transcend the domain of the four māras. All phenomena are like a path in the sky,
utterly baseless, and wordless. All phenomena associated with attachment do not arise.
All phenomena associated with the afflictions do not cease. All phenomena that were not
given up in the past lack characteristics. All phenomena devoid of attachment lack
conditions. All phenomena that are devoid of fetters are baseless. All phenomena are
effortless. All phenomena are without ownership and possession. All phenomena are
without isolation or contact. All phenomena lack a self. All phenomena are everything
from being free from a self up to being inexpressible. They are quiescent, unmanifest,
groundless, objectless, completely rootless, and utterly devoid of intrinsic nature.
They are without antidote, without nourishment, without dispersion, and without avarice.
They bring about concentration and are utterly devoid of hindrance. They are without
coming, weak, insubstantial, devoid of agent, without feeling, without the passions,
without clinging, and without consciousness. They are like a mirage, an echo, an optical
distortion, the reflection of the moon in water, and a reflection in a mirror. They are
like space and insubstantial. They are everything that follows from lacking
characteristics, such as lacking characteristics, being free from characteristics,
bearing the same characteristic, and bearing a single characteristic, up to being devoid
of characteristics. All phenomena lack a self, lack pride, lack apprehension, and are inexpressible.
All phenomena are momentary.’ You should cultivate the thought of accepting the fact
that ‘all compounded phenomena are free from destruction.’ You should cultivate the
thought of peace that ‘all phenomena are momentary.’ You should cultivate the thought of
equanimity, the thought of utter peace, the thought that is devoid of clinging, the
thought of nonorigination, the thought of the lack of hindrances, the thought that is
uninterrupted, the thought that is not contradictory, the thought of the lack of
support, the thought of equipoise, and the thought of suffering. The gateways to the
Dharma that express tranquility, emptiness, and internal and external disintegration, as
well as countless other gateways to the Dharma, will resound in those flowers.

“When they hear those gateways to the Dharma, beings will attain joy and
happiness that is free from sensual desires; they will remember that all compounded
phenomena are impermanent, are suffering, lack a self, and are empty; and they will
develop discipline. They will then renounce all the fetters related to households and
the five sense pleasures, and they will go live far from their homes, in mountain caves
and thick, deserted forests. They will dress like seers and survive by feeding on grass,
roots, and fruits. Thinking that the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping are
terrifying, they will enthusiastically develop their diligence. They will regard those
five aggregates that are the basis of grasping as being like diseases and abscesses,
painful, impermanent, suffering, empty, and selfless. They will develop the five
supernormal faculties, and they will become inclined toward the world of the Brahmā
gods.

“Noble son, the bodhisattvas who cultivate this acceptance do not apprehend a
name, a being, a life force, a soul, a person, or form. There is no feeling, perception,
or formation, and they do not apprehend consciousness. They do not apprehend the eyes,
ears, nose, or tongue, they do not apprehend a body, and they do not apprehend a mind. They do not
apprehend form, sound, smell, taste, touch, mental phenomena, the mental faculty, body,
names, or the mind. They proclaim the acceptance of the nonaccumulation of emptiness,
the absence of marks, the ability to withstand suffering, not abandoning the three
realms, not being affected, the unborn, the absence of cultivation, and the absence of
training. Nothing has been created and nothing will be created, which means that there
is no activity in the past, the past is not present in the future, there is absolutely
nothing in the middle of these, there is no basis, and there is no observation. When
they cultivate this acceptance of mental nonengagement, bodhisattva great beings attain
the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. And by
attaining this acceptance, they will activate the powers that were described above.”

When the bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates had delivered and proclaimed this
teaching, the bodhisattva Absence of Concepts
voiced his approval. The crowd of bodhisattvas remained silent, and the Blessed One gave
his approval by not saying a word.

Sixty monks then thought, “What was the noble son Destroyer of Aggregates
thinking when he taught that all compounded phenomena are similar to those types of
illusions? If form lacks a self, if there is no appearance, if nothing arises at all, if
it is not engaged mentally, if it is without concept and nonconceptual, if there is no
basis of observation and no material evolution, wouldn’t it be the case that there would
be no being, life force, birth, soul, person, humans, living creatures, agent,
individual who feels, others who feel, arising, production, dislike, or lack of
nonorigination? On what basis would the thus-gone ones appear? Where would their
compassion manifest? Who
would explain the Dharma? Who would know all phenomena? Who would maintain the precepts
and vows? If there are no aggregates and if the results of virtuous qualities do not
ripen on the basis of the elements and the sense fields, where do the results of
wholesome and unwholesome deeds ripen? To whom do the thus-gone ones, the worthy,
perfect buddhas, appear? To whom do the objects apprehended by the sense fields such as
the bodies of hearers, solitary buddhas, gods and humans, and any other beings appear?
We should stand up and leave this place!” And so those sixty monks stood up and left
while the other monks remained silent. The bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates felt
embarrassed, timid, and ashamed before the Blessed One.

Then the bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands, who was present in the assembly,
inquired of the bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates, “Why did you teach such a profound
Dharma to this talkative assembly? Noble son, as the Blessed One has said in other
sūtras, there are Dharma discourses and lower discourses for five types of individuals:
discourses on faith and lower discourses for those who lack faith, discourses on
generosity and lower discourses for those who are stingy, discourses on discipline and
lower discourses for those who are immoral, discourses on diligence and lower discourses
for those who are lazy, and discourses on insight and lower discourses for those with
confused insight. The Blessed One has also said in other sūtras that one should not
teach the discourse on emptiness to those who have committed the acts with immediate
retribution; the application of mindfulness to the body should not be taught to beings
with wrong views; the application of mindfulness to feelings should not be taught to
those who are greedy;
the application of mindfulness to the mind should not be taught to those who are proud,
arrogant, and attached to food; the application of mindfulness to mental phenomena
should not be taught to those who have abandoned the foundational principle of modesty;
the qualities of rebirths among the gods should not be taught to those who wish to
obtain a human condition; the qualities of rebirths among yakṣas who rob vitality should
not be taught to those who are inclined toward rebirth among the gods of the desire
realm; the magnificence of the gods who occupy the desire realm should not be taught to
those who will take rebirth among the gods of the form realm; the qualities of occupying
the form realm should not be taught to those who will take rebirth in the formless
realm; the bliss of the gods who occupy the desire realm should not be taught to those
who are inclined toward rebirth among the gods who occupy the form realm; the qualities
of the solitary buddhas should not be taught to those who are inclined toward the
vehicle of the hearers; the qualities of the hearers should not be taught to those who
are inclined toward the vehicle of the solitary buddhas; the qualities of the solitary
buddhas should not be taught to those who are inclined toward the Great Vehicle; the
four means of attracting disciples should not be taught to bodhisattvas who are making
real effort toward the perfections; the four special types of knowledge should not be
taught to bodhisattvas who are making real effort in practicing the religious life;
certain types of discourses on profound peace and emptiness should not be taught to
silent assemblies of bodhisattvas; and this profound acceptance that tames beings with
the sky-colored method of perfect conduct should not be taught in the presence of such
talkative assemblies who follow the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary
buddhas.”

All the numerous assemblies of bodhisattvas exclaimed, “Excellent!” in unison
and the Blessed One also applauded the bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands with delight:

“Wise one, this is excellent, excellent!

Through your knowledge, you have outlined what is most important,

And you clearly understand the characteristics, methods,

And the proper occasions related to the Dharma teachings.

“You teach the Dharma in accordance with

The level of understanding of the assemblies,

And you do not proclaim this teaching

To those who follow the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.

“When this Dharma was delivered

In the presence of bodhisattvas

For whom all is equal and like space,

They fully understood this method.

“Just as there is no high, no low,

And no form within space,

There are no characteristics

For bodhisattvas who practice the perfection of insight.

“You have heard this teaching

Among silent assemblies

In the presence of previous victors

For countless eons.

“Just as this fearlessness,

This greatly renowned acceptance

Revealed by those victors,

Has been taught to beings with steadfast diligence,

“This teaching has been delivered

In the presence of fortunate bodhisattvas

Who are completely pure

And endowed with an infinite ocean of qualities.

“Since this teaching has been delivered

To those who direct their effort toward the vehicle of the hearers

And who are intent upon the vehicle of the solitary buddhas,

They will not awaken to buddhahood.

“They will reject it out of ignorance

And they will have no interest in it,

So they will not generate a lot of merit,

And they will soon be reborn in the lower realms.

“If they have purified their bodies

Through absorptions, dhāraṇīs, and acceptances,

Yet lack some of the methods

For exerting effort on the path to awakening,

“Then even those people in the assemblies

Will not comprehend it with their minds.

If one speaks about emptiness and peace

To those whose insight is confused and who are improper vessels,

“Those beings will quickly reject such teachings.

Obscured by dense darkness,

They will quickly proceed

Toward the ten different destinies.

“Again and again, they will be reborn

Among hell beings, pretas, animals,

Asuras, kaṭapūtanas,

Yakṣas, rākṣasas, and caṇḍas.

“Even if they accomplish the difficult task

Of attaining a human birth,

They will be despised outcasts,

And be deaf, blind, and crippled.

“They will always be sick, weak, and disparaged,

And they will lack material things to offer,

They will lack food and drinks,

And they will be criticized by the wise.

“They will have no respect for their parents,

They will constantly engage in negative actions,

They will have no compassion for sentient beings,

And they will then be reborn in the lower realms.

“The sixty monks

Who have left this place

With anger in their minds

Will soon go to the lower realms.

“Those monks have departed

Because this being who has gained mastery over his body

Has revealed this acceptance

Without having actualized skillful means.

“Those who possess the wisdom and skillful means

Of perceiving the thoughts of other beings

Hold aloft the torch that illuminates the world,

And their words are like medicine to all beings.

“Those who know what benefits everyone

Should first examine the assembly and then

Explain the Dharma to those present in the assembly

In a way that agrees with their dispositions!”

The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi then said, “Noble son, I have noticed that when the
hearers prepare a lion throne for the Blessed One, he will teach in order to tame them.
Noble son, since this teaching of the acceptance that tames beings with sky-colored
perfect conduct is unprecedented, out of the Blessed One’s love for us, I ask the
Blessed One to explain the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of
perfect conduct in terms of its qualities and its vast focus and application. I think he
will accept out of love for me and other beings.”
The bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands replied to the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, “Noble
son, I know that the time for this has come!”

The bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands then stood up, draped his shawl over one
shoulder, prostrated toward the Blessed One with his palms joined, and praised him with these verses:

“Sage, you bring supreme delight to Brahmā,

You hold the torch for beings whose wisdom is impaired,

And you induce faith in liberation and knowledge—

Please reveal to us this immaculate gateway to the Dharma!

“You teach the path that the sun-like victor

Dīpaṁkara taught when he illuminated

Liberation and the paths to multitudes of beings—

Please reveal to us this supreme gateway to the Dharma!

“Your mind is completely pure like the essence of space,

And your commitment is unwavering like a stable mountain.

Sage, you are like moonlight for the world—

Please reveal to us the virtue of the sky-colored method of acceptance!

“You abide by compassion and demonstrate acceptance toward beings.

Your contentment is supremely vast,

And you pacify old age, death, and sickness—

Please reveal to us the qualities of this supreme acceptance!

“Lion of sages, you scare away non-Buddhists,

You delight beings with a voice like a cuckoo’s call,

And you subjugate many assemblies of non-Buddhists—

Please teach us this lamp-like acceptance!

“Your supreme mind is as patient as the earth,

And you never get angry whether you encounter happiness or suffering.

Today we are neither exalted nor lofty.

Please see that our karma has ripened and teach this acceptance.

“Your supreme wisdom scatters our enemies,

The afflictions that are like storm clouds of pride.

You have achieved this sacred acceptance

And dried up the water of craving with the fire of the path.

“You burn the overgrown vines of views and dry up the water of craving.

Like the nāgas bring the rain, you bring forth

A rain of the Dharma that delights the assembly.

Please see that our karma has ripened and teach this acceptance!

“Please generate the qualities of liberation in sentient beings.

Reveal to us the qualities of this supreme acceptance,

And the qualities attained by those who develop

This immaculate acceptance in their minds will be infinite.

“The acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored

Range of conduct was taught by the sages of the past,

And this acceptance was taught again today.

Will you please take pity on us and teach this acceptance?”

The Blessed One gave his approval to the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi by not saying a
word. He then thought, “I wonder where those thus-gone ones, those worthy, perfect
buddhas of the past, taught the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method
of perfect conduct?”

The temple servants responded, “The perfect, complete buddhas of the past
taught this acceptance that tames beings with sky-colored perfect conduct at Mount
Gandhamādana. The perfect, complete buddhas of the past explained this acceptance that
tames beings with sky-colored perfect conduct at Mount Gandhamādana.” Thus, they
encouraged the Blessed One, the wise one, to teach it.

The Blessed One then entered the absorption known as lord of
meteors. Through that absorption, the Blessed One appeared in the figure of
someone with the observances, behaviors, and markings of a seer. The seer was an elderly
man, quite old and aged, who had long matted hair and a long beard. He was holding a
staff, a small water jug, and a straining cloth, and he was lighting a huge fire
offering. From that fire emerged a multicolored light radiating infinite colors, many
hundreds of thousands of colors—a vast range of pure and immaculate colors. That light
rendered imperceptible and invisible the light emitted by the stars of countless buddha
realms throughout the ten directions that are empty of buddhas and inundated with the
five impurities, as well as the light emitted by precious gems, lightning, the sun,
gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and asuras. The hell realms, the animal realms, and the realms of
the pretas also became imperceptible and invisible.

At that point, except for those sounds emitted by the seer, no other sounds
could be heard in the slightest, including the letters, words, voices, expressions, and
calls of beings, and even the sounds of earth, water, fire, and air. All the sentient beings who followed the
Great Vehicle in the countless buddha realms of the ten directions also appeared in the
figure of someone with the observances, body, and markings of a seer. Only the seers who
followed the Great Vehicle manifested those appearances, not the seers who followed the
vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas. The seers who followed the Great
Vehicle could not see the hearers or the solitary buddhas, or those who followed their
vehicles. Those who were present in the assembly of the hearers could not see the
Thus-Gone One or the bodhisattvas. They could not see even the slightest visible form
among those present there or those who had assembled elsewhere, and they did not see
that a brilliant light pervaded all of the worlds.

The great hearers then asked Ājñātakauṇḍinya, “Elder Kauṇḍinya, where is the
Blessed One?”
Kauṇḍinya replied, “I do not know where the Blessed One is right now. I do not
see him.”

The great hearers then said to Mahākāśyapa, “The Blessed One has said that you
are foremost among the proponents of ascetic practice, so please concentrate on wherever
the Blessed One is right now!”
Mahākāśyapa replied, “I do not know where the Blessed One is right now. I do
not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Venerable Śāradvātīputra, “Elder Śāriputra, the
Blessed One has said that you are foremost among the wise, so please concentrate on
wherever the Blessed One is right now!”
Śāriputra replied, “Venerable ones, the buddha realms are infinite, so I do
not know where the Blessed One is right now. I do not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Maudgalyāyana, “Venerable Maudgalyāyana, the
Blessed One has said that you are foremost among those endowed with magical powers, so please concentrate on
wherever the Blessed One is right now!”

Maudgalyāyana replied, “When Venerable Mahākāśyapa was talking, I could
perceive this great trichiliocosm through my magical powers, but I do not know where the
Blessed One is right now, or where he has gone. I do not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Venerable Aniruddha, “The Blessed One has said
that you are foremost among those endowed with the divine eye, so please use your divine
eye to see where the Blessed One has gone, where he is residing right now, and what
kinds of activities he is engaging in!”

Aniruddha replied, “I have scrutinized countless buddha realms with my noble
wisdom eye, but I do not know where the Blessed One dwells right now, or where he has
gone. I do not see him.” He continued, “It seems the wisdom of the hearers who have
achieved the special types of knowledge cannot penetrate wherever he is, but the wisdom
of the bodhisattvas who have reached acceptance can penetrate there. I think you should
ask the bodhisattvas where the Blessed One has gone and where he is residing right
now.”

As the great hearers could not see a single bodhisattva, Venerable Śāriputra
said, “Venerable ones, when another noble son explained the aggregates, a group of sixty
monks stood up and left. Venerable ones, this displeased the Blessed One, and he is now
in equanimity practicing the conduct of a noble buddha and practicing that conduct in
the company of the noble sons. I think we should go back to our huts and practice
concentration.” And so, the great hearers went back to their huts and engaged in the
practice of concentration.

When the beings following the Great Vehicle throughout the countless, infinite
buddha realms of the ten directions saw themselves dressed as seers, they thought,
“Since we have become seers, we will consider whoever is the most exalted among all the
seers our preceptor. We should seek that one out!”

Nearby in the workers’ market town, Removing Impurities, they all saw the
elderly and aged great seer Śākyamuni casting various types of incense, flowers, fruits, medicinal
plants, food, and drinks into a fire. When they saw this, they thought, “This great seer
is extremely adept and extremely powerful, and his power is producing a brilliant light.
We should go to the place where this seer resides and train in the conduct and
observances of a seer!” At that moment, myriads of bodhisattva seers approached the
Blessed One. With single-pointed concentration, those bodhisattva seers who had gained
control over the absorptions, acceptances, and dhāraṇīs began to perform an offering
rite to the Blessed One.

At that same moment, all of the various gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas,
kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans in this Sahā world who were following the
Great Vehicle approached the seer Śākyamuni dressed themselves as seers. All those
present in the assembly knew in their hearts that the Blessed One’s intention was to go
to Mount Gandhamādana just as the blessed ones had before, and that he had agreed to
turn the Dharma wheel a second time there in order to teach the acceptance that tames
beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. They thought, “We shall ornament
and clean this path for the Blessed One! This is the path that the supreme seer will travel on
his way to Mount Gandhamādana.”

Then about six hundred million nāga kings who were dressed as seers,
including Nanda, Upananda, Sāgara, Jewel Color, Takṣaka, and Valgu, joined together and adorned that path with
rows of tāla trees made of the seven
precious substances—divine precious gold, silver, beryl, crystal, coral, emerald, and
white coral. The golden trees had silver leaves, flowers, and fruits; the silver trees
had golden leaves, flowers, and fruits; and the other types of trees, up to the white
coral trees, had leaves, flowers, and fruits made of the other types of precious
substances. Many billions of various types of decorative fabrics were hung on those rows
of tāla trees.

The gods who were dressed as seers cleared a field ten leagues across for the
path leading from the hermitage to Mount Gandhamādana. They manifested platforms on both
sides of the path that were made of all of the seven precious substances, from divine
precious gold to white coral. Their golden chariots could be described as hung with
everything from nuggets of pure silver to white coral, and they were ornamented above
and below with vast quantities of everything from pure beryl to white coral.

The cloud deities who were dressed as seers manifested stepwells, with clear
water on both sides, along the path with stairs made of the seven precious substances,
and they sprinkled the stepwells with gold dust. They manifested a variety of the most
fragrant divine flowers in the stepwells such as blue, pink, red, and white lotus
flowers, as well as rosewood, magnolia, aśoka, mucukunda, mañjūṣaka, pāṭalī, fragrant
dhānuṣkārī, jasmine, mango, and rose-apple
flowers.

The terrestrial yakṣas who
were dressed as seers also cleared the path, and the gods from the Heaven of Controlling Others’
Emanations held supreme banners along both sides of the path that were made of the seven
divine precious substances and draped with divine fabrics, necklaces, and other
ornaments.

The gods from the Heaven of Enjoying Emanations who were dressed as seers
manifested pavilions with four sides that were made of the seven precious substances. A
variety of divine necklaces, garments, and other ornaments were hung from those
pavilions. They were strewn with different types of flowers and had a beautiful and vast
array of celestial instruments on them. The instruments played due to the empowering
force of the Buddha and sent forth melodious tunes that pervaded this entire great
trichiliocosm.

The 6,800,000 female nāgas who decorated the path had adorned themselves with
all of the ornaments of a seer to perform an offering to the Blessed One, and they sent
forth a shower of the various precious substances.

Many hundreds of thousands of gods from the heaven of Tuṣita who were dressed
as seers decorated the path for the Blessed One and made an offering to the Blessed One
with a variety of bright and flawless divine flowers such as māndārava, mahāmāndārava,
magnolia, pāriyātra, jośa, mahājośaka, roca, mahārocaka, valla, mahāvalla, cakra, and
mahācakra flowers, which all had a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand petals.
They were dazzling, fragrant, and their fragrance was everywhere. The flowers were
always radiant, their color never faded, and they were delightful and pleasant to
behold.

Many hundreds of thousands of gods from the rain clouds who were dressed as
seers rained showers of flowers that grow in water and in the fields, and many hundreds of
thousands of nāga kings who were dressed as seers rained various showers of substances
such as blue pearls and white sandalwood.

All the gods, lords of the gods, nāgas, nāga lords, yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras,
garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, pretas, piśācas, and kumbhāṇḍas, up to Śakra, Brahmā, and
the guardians of the world in this great trichiliocosm who had previously given rise to
the mind set on awakening and were dressed as seers, sat down to gaze upon the Blessed
One’s face with unblinking eyes. They bore various flowers, garlands, perfumes, and
ointments, and played musical instruments, beat drums, and sang songs.

All the goddesses, female yakṣas, female garuḍas, female asuras, female
kinnaras, and female mahoragas in this great trichiliocosm who were dressed as seers
played music, sang songs, and rained gentle showers of red, white, purple, and
crystalline garments to make an offering to the Blessed One. Many hundreds of thousands
of female kinnaras who were dressed as seers also began to perform various offerings to
the Blessed One. Myriads of lords from the world of Brahmā who had previously given rise
to the mind set on awakening and were dressed as seers praised the Blessed One and sat
before him. Many hundreds of thousands of lords from the world of Śakra dressed as seers
prostrated to the Blessed One. Many hundreds of thousands of kinnara lords dressed as
seers praised the Blessed One and prostrated to him. Many hundreds of thousands of gandharva lords dressed
as seers gazed upon the face of the Blessed One with clear minds. Many hundreds of
thousands of nāga lords dressed as seers rained great showers of yellow sandalwood
powder. Many hundreds of thousands of asura lords dressed as seers raised the most
gentle, soft-feeling, and fragrant winds in the four directions. Many hundreds of
thousands of yakṣa lords dressed as seers held parasols made of flowers. Many hundreds
of thousands of other yakṣa lords who had become elderly sages held parasols with golden
staffs and sat on the right side of the Blessed One, gazing upon him as was described
before. Many hundreds of thousands of kumbhāṇḍas dressed as elderly seers held parasols
with golden staffs and sat on the left side of the Blessed One, gazing upon him in the
same manner. Many hundreds of thousands of garuḍa lords dressed as seers hung golden
garlands in the sky. Many hundreds of thousands of goddesses dressed as seers rained
great showers of flower bouquets. Many hundreds of thousands of female nāgas dressed as
seers rained showers of red pearls. Many hundreds of thousands of female gandharvas
dressed as seers rained showers of red pearls. Many hundreds of thousands of female
yakṣas dressed as seers rained showers of sandalwood powder. Many hundreds of thousands
of female asuras dressed as seers rained showers of ornaments. Many hundreds of
thousands of female garuḍas dressed as seers rained showers of gold from the Jambu
River. Many hundreds of thousands of female mahoragas dressed as seers ornamented the
sky. Many hundreds of thousands of terrestrial female yakṣas dressed as seers played
melodious tunes. Many hundreds of thousands of female yakṣas of the mid-regions that
were dressed as seers roamed through space, and many hundreds of thousands of māras dressed as
seers started to lament.

Divine seers numbering 840,000, whose conduct and observances were naturally
steadfast, and eighty-four thousand seers whose conduct and observances were naturally
steadfast, picked up celestial mahāmāndārava flowers and showered them for the Blessed
One at each step of the way between Removing Impurities and Mount Gandhamādana so that
the Blessed One’s footsteps would always fall on the center of a flower.

Many hundreds of thousands of solar and lunar gods dressed as seers rained
showers of flower bouquets. Myriad gandharvas dressed as seers played music, and a
trillion light rays illuminated the body of the sage Seer.

The god Endowed with Qualities, who lived on Mount Gandhamādana, and 840,000
temple servants dressed as seers prostrated toward the Blessed One with their palms
joined and praised him in unison with these verses:

“Liberator of wicked beings, foremost among humans,

Victor, so hard to satisfy, leader of feeble beings,

You grant supreme happiness to those who are tormented by suffering—

Victor, supreme human, please come to this place!

“You have abandoned craving and you reveal the three liberations.

With your wisdom, you teach the three trainings to beings

In the three times and eliminate the three types of defilement—

Sage who has transcended the three realms, please come to this place!

“You liberate beings from the four types of wrong views,

The four assemblies worship at your feet,

And you teach the four noble truths to beings—

You who are superior to the moon, please come to this place!

“Sage, you teach about the five aggregates,

You liberate beings from the five sense desires,

You display the five branches of noble insight,

And you free beings from the prison of the five destinies.

“Your control over the six sense faculties is faultless,

And you know how to liberate the six classes of beings from craving—

Supreme being who teaches the recollection of the thirty-six impure substances,

Please come here to Mount Gandhamādana!

“Victor, your mind is in equipoise and completely under control,

You are fully trained, you have reached supreme, ultimate awakening,

And your wisdom tames millions of beings—

Supreme guide, please come here to Mount Gandhamādana!

“Victor, you instruct beings with your wisdom,

Your wisdom illuminates the world,

And you reveal your wisdom to those obscured by darkness—

Sage, please come to this remote place!

“You wished for liberation under past buddhas

Who have appeared in Jambudvīpa—

Lord of humans who has reached awakening in this world,

Leader of men, please come here!

“You bestow gifts and discipline and your mind is under control.

Leader among beings, supreme among those with the ten powers,

Noble friend to destitute beings,

Please come here to Mount Gandhamādana!

“You once practiced austerities for a period of six years,

And then you sat under the Bodhi tree to overcome Māra—

Great hero who reveals the path of the single way,

Sage, please come here and teach this acceptance!

“You turned the sacred wheel in Vārāṇasī

And taught a treasure of sacred insight.

You laid down your burden before the entire world—

Please come here to Mount Gandhamādana and teach this acceptance!”

The Blessed One then stood up, attended by many gods and surrounded by many
bodhisattvas, and at that moment this great trichiliocosm shook in six ways. All the
beings who were hearers, followers of the vehicle of the hearers, solitary buddhas,
followers of the vehicle of the solitary buddhas, and all the other beings in this great
trichiliocosm living in the sky, on earth, and in the water each attained vast recollection. They
saw this great trichiliocosm appear in the palms of their hands pervaded by brilliant
light, and not a single thing appeared in visible form. All the beings who maintained
practices of lowly austerities witnessed this great miracle. This included beings who
subscribed to various types of false views such as those who maintain the fire
observance, the moon observance, the sun observance, the three worlds observance, and
others. All those adherents of mistaken views abandoned their lowly austerities and
searched in every direction, wondering, “What kind of causes and conditions made the
earth shake like that and this brilliant light radiate in the world?”

The great billowing fire in front of which sat that great seer, the Blessed
One, transformed into tiny mustard seeds, and he cast them into the countless, infinite
pure and impure buddha realms of the ten directions. The firelights before the head
buddhas in those buddha realms where blessed buddhas dwell and thrive took on the shape
of a mahāmāndārava flower. All the members of their assemblies that were gathered there
and all those who had given rise to the mind set on awakening in the past sat before
those blessed buddhas dressed as seers.

In the east, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the
Ganges, there was a world called Endowed with the Banner where the Thus-Gone One Glory
of the Powerful Banner lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattva great
beings Jñānaśrī and Glorious Orchard were present in the assembly of the Thus-Gone One
Glory of the Powerful Banner and saw that they had the physical appearances,
bodies, and shapes of seers, and that all the noble sons who followed the Great Vehicle
also had the physical appearances, bodies, and shapes of seers. When they saw this, they
asked the Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner, “Blessed One, what causes and
conditions have resulted in this firelight-flower with a stem made of beryl that is
present in front of the Blessed One, and why are all those noble sons who follow the
Great Vehicle dressed as seers?”

The blessed Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner replied to those noble
sons, “Noble sons, the thus-gone one, the worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, resides in
the Sahā world in the west. He has entered that world inundated with the five impurities
where he teaches the Dharma of the three vehicles to the four assemblies: monks, nuns,
and male and female lay practitioners. Since that thus-gone one now wishes to teach the
acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct, he has
entered the absorption known as bearing the lamp of the thus-gone
ones and has emanated that miraculous display.”

“Blessed One, please describe what this acceptance is like, from beginning to
end?”
“This acceptance applies to all the non-Buddhists.
In this regard, it liberates beings in the Sahā buddha realm from being swept away by
the four floods. What are the four floods? It liberates beings from the flood of desire,
the flood of views, the flood of existence, and the flood of ignorance. It instills the
four types of unwavering faith, it evokes them, and it establishes beings in each one.
What are those four? It
instills unwavering faith in the Buddha, it evokes that faith, and it establishes beings
in that faith. It provides beings with the four means of attracting disciples, it
liberates them from the flood of desire through the aggregation of discipline, it
liberates them from the flood of views through the aggregation of absorption, it
liberates them from the flood of ignorance through the aggregation of insight, and it
liberates them from the flood of existence through the aggregation of liberation. It
liberates beings through unwavering faith in the Buddha using the Great Vehicle, through
unwavering faith in the Dharma using the vehicle of solitary buddhas, and through
unwavering faith in the Saṅgha using the vehicle of the hearers. It teaches beings to
abandon all false doctrines through noble and delightful discipline, it liberates beings
from the ocean of life through generosity, it liberates them from the ocean of views
through pleasant speech, it liberates beings from the ocean of afflictions through
altruistic actions, and it liberates beings into the perfection of insight by having a
consistent meaning.”

The bodhisattvas said, “Respected Blessed One, please allow us to go behold,
pay homage to, and venerate the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni!”
The Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner replied, “Noble sons, the time
for this has come!”

Dressed as seers, the noble sons Jñānaśrī and Glorious Orchard, as well as
six hundred million bodhisattvas, then prostrated to the feet of the blessed Thus-Gone
One Glory of the Powerful Banner, circumambulated him, and sat down. In a single instant, they were in the
buddha realm of Sahā in front of the blessed seer Śākyamuni. They prostrated to him with
their palms joined and sat down. Countless other bodhisattvas dressed as seers also
arrived in a single instant from the innumerable pure and impure buddha realms in the
east.

In the south, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the
Ganges, there was a world called Banner of Sumeru where the Thus-Gone One Great Sumeru
lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattvas Supernormal Faculty and Supreme Lightning who lived in that buddha realm saw
that they were dressed as seers and that they had the physical appearances, bodies, and
shapes of seers. They also saw that the great sage was dressed as a seer, which was not
how he had appeared before. They then questioned the Thus-Gone One Great Sumeru in the
same manner as previously described.

Similarly, in the west, far away from this buddha realm, there was a world
called Gathering where the Thus-Gone One
Glorious Light lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattva great beings
Meaningful Vision and Red Lotus Elephant who lived there […].

In the north, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in three
Ganges Rivers, there was a world called Single Ornament where the Thus-Gone One Great
Ornament lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattva great beings Immaculate
Light and Light of Brahmā who lived there […].

Below, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in one Ganges
River, there was a world called Great Flower
where the Thus-Gone One Great Banner of Wisdom lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma.
The bodhisattvas Jñānaśrī and Great Glory who lived there […].

Above, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in seven Ganges
Rivers, there was a world called Brilliant Light
where the thus-gone one, the worthy, perfect Buddha Sūryagarbha, lived, thrived, and
taught the Dharma. The bodhisattvas Dharma Melody and Ambrosia Melody who lived there
[…].

At that point the entire Sahā buddha realm was completely filled with
bodhisattvas who were dressed as seers. They prostrated with their palms joined in the
direction of the thus-gone one, the great seer Śākyamuni, and took their seats. The
beings in the Sahā buddha realm who did not follow the Great Vehicle were not dressed as
seers. Even the hearers, those who followed the vehicle of the hearers, the solitary
buddhas, and those who followed the vehicle of the solitary buddhas could not see those
ornaments, to say nothing of other beings.

Then the Blessed One, the great seer, stood up and departed with the gait of
the lord of sages, the gait of lord Brahmā, the gait of the seer Brahmā, the gait in
which one looks ahead for a distance of one yoke, the gait of tranquility, the gait of
complete peace, the gait of greatly devoted monks, the gait that pleases the gods, the gait that tames
the yakṣas, the gait that pleases the asuras, the gait that tames the nāgas, the gait of
the victors devoid of afflictions, the gait of complete liberation, and the gait that
represents many other things. His feet rising and falling on the anthers of flowers with
the miraculous gait of the great buddhas, the vast gait, and the gait of the buddhas’
great empowerments, the Blessed One made his way and arrived at Mount Gandhamādana. He
sat on the side of the pure, stainless, and immaculate hermitage, where the great
goddess Variegated Light who cures beings was residing. He looked around with the gaze of
an elephant and recited the following verses:

“All those who follow the teachings

And have given rise to the mind set on sacred and supreme awakening

Have assembled here before me at this place

Because I am going to teach the perfect conduct.

“I am going to instruct all the bodhisattvas who have come

Who have not yet abandoned their afflictions,

Who still wish for happiness in saṃsāra, and

Who do not understand that phenomena lack a self.

“I am going to instruct all those who have come

Who have not yet abandoned their fetters,

And who see that phenomena are like illusory heaps

Yet lack knowledge of skillful means.

“All the diligent ones with large stores of merit

Who tame beings through skillful means,

And who practice the supreme perfection of insight,

Have also come here to hear about this acceptance.

“Those who have served many buddhas in the past,

Who teach that all conditioned phenomena in this world

Are baseless like the moon’s reflection in water and

Have comprehended their true nature, have also come here.

“All those who have set out to practice skillful means,

All whose minds are not attached to material reality,

Who have abandoned marks, who do not entertain concepts,

And who cultivate recollection, have also come here.

“Soon after I reveal this supreme acceptance,

You will no longer dwell in any state of suffering,

You will turn the wheel of Dharma,

And you will liberate beings from the ocean of existence.

“Though the lords of sages in the ten directions

Turn the Dharma wheel for the sake of beings,

Right now I see before me bodhisattvas

Who desire the vows of this vehicle.

“I will turn the Dharma wheel a second time

And the millions of beings I establish in the state of nonregression

Will manifest signs that their minds have been liberated

And then return to their respective realms.

“I will reveal this acceptance so that those who have come

To this buddha realm can engage in the conduct of supreme awakening.

Those who follow the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas will see,

And all the non-Buddhists will be tamed.”

The blessed Buddha’s melodious waves of verse—the melodious waves of the
Blessed One’s syllables, words, and meaning—spread throughout the countless buddha
realms of the ten directions. All the beings in those realms who followed the Great
Vehicle heard them and gazed into the ten directions. They gazed out at all of the
beings they could see in the four directions, looking for the being whose melodious
waves of verse were so delightful, pleasing, utterly pleasing, and profound, and to see
how one could utter such melodious waves of verse expressing the meaning, words, and
letters that bring relief to beings, satisfy them, and lead them to the other shore of
saṃsāra. Through the power of the Buddha, they saw myriad seers not very far away who
were prostrating to the Sage on Mount Gandhamādana. His senses were pacified, his mind
was tranquil and under control, he had reached supreme peace, and he was blazing like a
heap of gold. When they saw him, they thought, “This seer is very powerful, and his
great assembly of seers is endowed with great compassion. Since he is compassionate, we should
follow him!”

When they saw that their bodies had taken on the dress, the physical
appearances, and the shapes of seers, they thought, “Since we have become seers, we
should go serve and pay homage to that great seer!” As soon as this thought had arisen
in their minds, immeasurable, innumerable, inconceivable, unequaled, and infinite
numbers of bodhisattvas dressed as seers, as numerous as all the grains of sand in the
Ganges, arrived in this buddha realm from immeasurable and countless buddha realms in
the ten directions. The crowd of magical bodhisattva emanations made up of various types
of seers made offerings to the Sage, prostrated to him with their palms joined, praised
him, and took their seats. Through the power of the Buddha, those who were born in the
lower realms, due either to the power of their aspirations or to the conditions of their
negative actions, attained each of the recollections, were dressed as seers, and took
their seats. They all sat down with their palms together facing the great seer, the lord
of sages.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, the bodhisattva King of the Infinite
Accumulation of Wisdom wondered, “Where will Śākyamuni reside when he teaches this
acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct to the
gathering that has assembled here?” At that moment, six sextillion magnificent storied
mansions filled with the seven precious substances and resembling the mansion of Śakra,
lord of the gods, appeared in the sky from the east.

When he saw those mansions, the bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation
of Wisdom thought, “I will manifest a storied mansion similar to the lord of the Sahā
world Brahmā’s mansion, Peaceful Melody. This is where the sage Seer will reside when he teaches us this
acceptance.” At that
moment, six sextillion magnificent storied mansions filled with the seven precious
substances and resembling the lord of the Sahā world Brahmā’s mansion, Peaceful Melody,
appeared in the sky from the south.

When he saw those mansions, the bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation
of Wisdom thought, “I will manifest a storied mansion similar to Brahmā’s mansion, Flash of Lightning. This is where the Blessed One
will reside as he teaches the Dharma.” At that moment, six sextillion magnificent
storied mansions filled with the seven precious substances and resembling Brahmā’s
mansion, Flash of Lightning, appeared in the sky
from the west.

The bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation of Wisdom then thought, “I
will manifest a storied mansion similar to Brahmā’s mansion, Light of Sumeru. This is
where the Blessed One will reside as he teaches the Dharma.” At that moment, six
sextillion magnificent storied mansions filled with the seven precious substances and
resembling Great Brahmā’s mansion, Light of Sumeru, in its entirety appeared in the sky
from the north.

At that point myriads of storied mansions were arrayed in the sky. The
bodhisattva Maitreya thought, “I have searched those mansions for a lion throne for the
Blessed One, and there is one mansion in which a lion throne has been prepared for the
Blessed One.” The bodhisattva Maitreya then asked the bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor,
“Noble son, where did these storied mansions come from? Who has manifested them?”

The bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor replied, “Noble son, as long as one has
not brought about the elimination of all manner of attachment using the gateway of the
Dharma, two things bring about the round of saṃsāra. Noble son, the two are
going and coming, and these two are called
origination and disintegration. When there
is no arising and no origination, there is also no perception of going and coming. When
all forms of disintegration are abandoned, one achieves the acceptance of the unborn
nature of phenomena. This is the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality that cuts off the
continuation of saṃsāra. These two are the going and coming to which one refers when
they speak of going and coming.

“Noble son, when there is nothing imputed as a self and no entertaining
notions of a life force, soul, person, humans, living creatures, going, or coming, this
is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when there are concepts of arising and the absence of arising,
this is dualistic. When one has no concept of origination and cessation and there is no
observation of going and coming, nothing to be differentiated, and no transformation,
this utter purity, noble son, is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of
nonduality.

“Things that are characterized by arising and disintegration such as the
aggregates, their affliction, and their purification are dualistic. When one thoroughly
understands the aggregates, has abandoned things that are characterized by arising and
disintegration, and has overcome all thought, this path that leads to the cessation of
form is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Wavering and the knowledge derived from thoughts and reflection are
dualistic. When there is no wavering of feelings and no thought, this absence of mental
fluctuation and absence of mental engagement is the entrance to the gateway to the
Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, perceiving feelings, the origin of feelings, the cessation of
feelings, and the path leading to the cessation of feelings is dualistic. Noble son, when one does
not perceive feelings, their origin, or the path leading to their cessation; when one
does not perceive the characteristics of the aggregate of form and the aggregate of
feeling as different; and when one does not perceive them as having the same
characteristics, lacking characteristics, having different characteristics, having a
single characteristic, or having manifold characteristics, this, noble son, is the
entrance to the gateway of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Furthermore, noble son, when there is attachment among hearers and solitary
buddhas to the aggregates, elements, and sense fields, and attachment to the unsurpassed
wisdom of the omniscient ones, this is dualistic. When one does not perceive any basis
for the vehicles of the hearers and solitary buddhas, omniscient wisdom, or the
aggregates, elements, or sense fields, and one understands that all means of verbal
expression are baseless, without letters, and without elaboration, this, noble son, is
the entrance to the gateway of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when one perceives perceptions as virtuous and nonvirtuous, this
perception in terms of this and that side is dualistic. When one realizes that these
virtuous and nonvirtuous perceptions lack traits, are always arising, and are
inexhaustible, this is the entrance to the gate of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, conceiving of, fixating upon, or commenting on this side and that
side by saying ‘this side is defiled and that side is wrong’ is dualistic. When there is
no fixating on this or that side, no commenting, no analysis whatsoever, and no
rejection, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, concepts such as the aggregates, elements, and sense fields being
defiled or not defiled are dualistic. When there is no concept that the elements and
sense fields are defiled, nothing that might be perceived as undefiled, no perception and no
nonperception, and no attainment, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of
nonduality.

“Noble son, when the aggregates, the elements, and the sense fields are
conceptualized as being conditioned or unconditioned, this is dualistic. But when one
does not conceptualize any and all perceptions and there is no conceptual thought, and
when one sees correctly that all phenomena are like space, this, noble son, is the
entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when one takes pride in mundane and supramundane qualities, this
is dualistic. When one does not engage in, move toward, move away from, or overcome
mundane and supramundane qualities and there is no going toward and no moving away, this
is the entrance to the gate of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Furthermore, noble son, understanding the aggregates, the elements, and the
sense fields as originating on the basis of name and form is dualistic. Having the view
that the aggregates, elements, and sense fields, being devoid of name and form, have the
nature of an illusion, and are both all-pervading and not all-pervading, and do not pass
into ultimate nirvāṇa, is the bodhisattvas’ entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Furthermore, noble son, understanding consciousness in terms of origination
is dualistic. But when one instantly understands that all compounded phenomena, being
unoriginated, are momentary and not momentary, this is an entrance to the gate of the
Dharma of nonduality.

“Furthermore, noble son, attachment to ownership, to knowledge based on
ordinary consciousness, to possession, and to the sense fields is dualistic. But when
one achieves consciousness that is devoid of a self and is free from the two views of
the nature of the self, when the sense fields are undefiled, and when one is free from
ownership and possession, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of
nonduality.

“Any conceptual thought about knowledge and liberation is dualistic. Noble son, knowledge lacks
mental activity and lacks a self. Knowledge is like a flash of lightning. Liberation is
like space, and space is nonconceptual, does not conceptualize, and is free from
elaborations. This is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonconceptuality.

“The enjoyment of consciousness and form is dualistic. Form itself is empty,
like space, and space does not disintegrate. Forms that disintegrate, being empty, are
manifestations with the characteristic of form and are empty, as they also have the
nature of emptiness. The same goes for feelings, perceptions, and formations. The
nonmanifestation of consciousness is akin to consciousness that is devoid of darkness
and light, like space. The disintegration of consciousness is not emptiness, but the
nature of consciousness itself is indeed emptiness. The five aggregates that are the
basis of grasping are empty in the same way, like the nature of space. Bodhisattvas who
think of them as being like space—lacking attachment, anger, and ignorance, without high
and low, without conceptual thought or conceptualization, and without going and
ceasing—perfectly understand all phenomena exactly as they are. They realize that the
aggregates, the elements, and the sense fields lack desire, anger, and ignorance, high
and low, conceptual thought and conceptualization, and going and ceasing, and that the
awakening of the hearers and the solitary buddhas, as well as unsurpassed and perfect
awakening, also lack conceptual thought and conceptualization, going and ceasing. Noble
son, this is the bodhisattvas’ entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.”

As this teaching was being delivered by the bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor,
9,200,000,000 bodhisattvas achieved the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena and
4,600,000,000 of them reached the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of
nonduality.

The Blessed One then arose from the absorption called endowed with
light, no
longer appeared to be dressed as a seer, and sat there with his body adorned with the
thirty-two supreme physical marks of a buddha. All of the other beings also no longer
appeared to be dressed as seers and their previous bodies were restored. The Blessed One
expressed his approval to the bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor, saying, “Noble son, the
way that you have taught this is exactly the way that one should teach the gateway of
nonduality. Well done! Noble son, you have borne witness yourself to this gateway to the
Dharma, and so you have established countless beings in
unsurpassed and perfect awakening!”
The gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, humans, and nonhumans who
were present then made various offerings to the Blessed One.

At that moment Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta draped his shawl over one shoulder,
prostrated toward the Blessed One with his palms joined, and praised the Blessed One
with the following verses, requesting him to teach the Dharma:

“Peerless victor, you pervade many realms

And you have subdued and pacified the enemies: the afflictions.

Liberated sage, please enter this place

And reveal this supreme acceptance to beings!

“Your mind is at peace and your observances are immaculate.

Sage who has performed the sacrifice, please teach this virtuous acceptance!

Provider of happiness to beings, seer who upholds insight,

Destroyer of delusion, please shower a rain of ambrosia on this place!

“Many gods, nāgas, and humans with clear minds

Have quickly filled this realm.

All these beings are sitting here gazing upon you.

Having abandoned defilements, teach them the sacred Dharma!

“Victor, in the past you have displayed your conduct.

You gave away your eyes, your feet, your hands, and your tongue.

You gave your skin,
your head, your blood, and your limbs,

And large amounts of grain, jewels, elephants, horses, sons, cities, and precious
steeds.

“You gave away food, drinks, your bed, and male and female servants.

You constantly liberate your relatives and other beings from their suffering;

You fulfill all wishes, and you bring joy to beings.

You performed one hundred sacrifices for beings,

“And offered the virtue you accumulated in the past to the many buddhas.

You are always loving and delight in constant generosity.

You are steadfast in observances and blaze like Mount Sumeru.

Please teach this acceptance to bring stability to beings!

“In the past, you continually made the aspiration to show beings

How to abandon the three lower realms and to lead them to the higher realms.

You cause beings to reach awakening—the supreme pacification
of suffering.

Victor, you achieved genuine awakening in the past

“And you saturate the entire earth with the glorious water of your compassion.

You pacify the afflictions, the three stains, and all doubts,

And by pacifying these, you show the path that leads to awakening.

Just like when you realized the Dharma,

“Please shower a rain of Dharma on beings whose minds are parched!

Please quench their thirst with ambrosia and reveal the right qualities!

Beings reach awakening through the path of peace,

And the beings who have come from numerous realms to this one

“Are here to be liberated from old age and death.

Great sage, please teach them this Dharma.

Teach the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect
conduct!

This will lead them to understand elaborations as illusions and mirages.”

The Blessed One gave his consent to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta by not saying a word
and thought, “I will enter into that type of absorption, and, through that absorption, I
will emanate bodies that will sit in all those storied mansions. I will then please
those assemblies and make them grow weary of saṁsāra.”

The Blessed One entered the absorption known as the array of
light. With his mind in meditative equipoise, the blessed Buddha entered
each and every one of those storied mansions and took a seat. The bodhisattva Filled with Amazement
then asked the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies, “Noble son, which of these
innumerable storied mansions is the storied mansion in which the Thus-Gone One is
sitting? Through the empowering force of the Buddha, we see his body residing in all
those mansions. What is this all about?”

The bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies replied, “Noble son, the term
thus-gone one is inexpressible. Even ignorance is without
elaborations in the teachings of the Buddha. Noble son, does the past mind achieve
awakening?”
“No, noble son.”
“Does the future mind achieve awakening?”
“No, noble son.”
“Is there a dwelling place for the present mind and thoughts?”
“No, noble son.”
“If the mind and thoughts lack a present dwelling place, how could something
that does not dwell anywhere achieve awakening?”

“Noble son, once all the phenomena of the three times are abandoned, is it
not the case that there is no comprehension of phenomena?”
“Permanence and impermanence are completely abandoned. There is no
transmigration, no birth, no cessation, and no contact. Conditioned and unconditioned
phenomena are baseless. All things are like space and lack awakening and transmigration.
Just as space has no past, present, or future, and no conceit, awakening also has no
past, present, or future. Just as space lacks concepts and conceptualization, the
awakening of the buddhas also lacks concepts and conceptualization. Just as space lacks
darkness and light, the qualities of the buddhas also lack darkness and light. Just as space lacks forms
and is undefinable, the qualities of the buddhas also lack forms and are undefinable.
Just as space is unborn and unceasing, the qualities of the buddhas are also unborn and
unceasing. Just as space lacks going, the qualities of the buddhas also lack the
apprehension of going. Just as space is groundless, the qualities of the buddhas are
also groundless. Just as space lacks contact, the qualities of the buddhas also lack
contact. Just as space lacks the apprehension of a path, the qualities of the buddhas
also lack the apprehension of a path. Just as space is insubstantial and devoid of
characteristics, the qualities of the buddhas are also insubstantial and devoid of
characteristics. Just as space is inexpressible and lacks words, the awakening of the
buddhas is also inexpressible and lacks words. Just as space lacks permanence and
impermanence, the qualities of the buddhas also lack permanence and impermanence. Just
as space lacks a body and lacks origination, the qualities of the buddhas also lack a
body and lack origination. Just as space lacks apprehended objects and lacks abiding,
the qualities of the buddhas also lack apprehended objects and lack abiding. Just as
space has no support, is baseless, lacks observation, and lacks conceptualization,
ascending, knowledge, going, coming, origin, limit, disturbance, torment, examination,
commenting, vision, concepts, darkness, entities, marks, and manifestation, noble son,
the qualities of the buddhas also lack everything from having no support up to lacking
marks.

“Noble son,
the qualities of the buddhas are said to be unborn. The qualities of the buddhas have
the characteristic of being nondual and they dwell in the realm of phenomena. The
qualities of the buddhas are contained in the realm of sentient beings, and the
qualities of the buddhas are contained in the realm of space. Noble son, the qualities
of the buddhas are contained in thoughts and concepts. The qualities of the buddhas are
contained in the realms, various places, and superior places. The
qualities of the buddhas are contained in knowing, not knowing, advanced knowledge,
thorough knowledge, and complete knowledge. The qualities of the buddhas are contained
in the absence of marks, in correct characteristics, in partial characteristics, in
complete characteristics, and in subsequent characteristics. The qualities of the
buddhas are contained in the absence of transcendence, in thorough transcendence, in
transcendence, and in subsequent transcendence. The qualities of the buddhas are
contained in accepting, rejecting, clinging, and appropriation. The characteristics of
the buddhas are contained in light, total illumination, subsequent illumination, the
absence of illumination, and the absence of absolute illumination. The qualities of the
buddhas are contained in what is genuine, completely genuine, subsequently genuine, not
fully genuine, and not absolutely genuine. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in
statements, thorough statements, full statements, subsequent statements, absolute
statements, and complete statements. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in full
knowledge, complete knowledge, identical knowledge, and subsequent knowledge. The
qualities of the buddhas are contained in forms, full forms, identical forms, true forms, and complete
forms. Noble son, the awakening of the buddhas is contained in conduct, thorough
conduct, identical conduct, subsequent conduct, and complete conduct. Noble son,
awakening is contained in expressions, thorough expressions, subsequent expressions,
identical expressions, and complete expressions. Noble son, awakening is contained in
enumeration, thorough enumeration, identical enumeration, subsequent enumeration, and
complete enumeration. Awakening is contained in existence, thorough existence,
subsequent existence, and complete existence. Noble son, awakening is contained in
elaboration, thorough elaboration, freedom from elaboration, subsequent elaboration, and
complete elaboration.

“Noble son, one should regard the awakening of the buddhas as devoid of
apprehension, like space. Noble son, is anyone able to expand, measure, rival, ornament,
or depict space?”
“No, noble son, no one is able to do so.”

“Noble son, the qualities of the buddhas are like space. Just as space cannot
be expanded in any way, the qualities of the buddhas cannot be expanded in any way.
Noble son, why do you inquire about those storied mansions where the Blessed One is
sitting and where the body of the Buddha manifests?”

As the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies gave this elaborate explanation of
the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality, 5,700,000,000 bodhisattvas achieved the
acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena and 4,200,000,000 of them reached the
gateway to the Dharma of nonduality that sets forth the secrets of the thus-gone ones.
This entire buddha realm flourished, and the beings living on earth and in the sky applauded
and exclaimed, “This holy being’s excellent teaching revealing the gateway to the Dharma
of nonduality that sets forth the secrets of the thus-gone ones is excellent,
excellent!”

At that moment, the Blessed One rose from his absorption known as
mastery over the emergence of light. To the entire assembly’s
amazement, all of the buddha bodies and storied mansions disappeared except for the one
storied mansion in which they saw the Blessed One sitting.

The bodhisattva Foremost Among Many Kings then asked the bodhisattva
Elucidating Seer, “Noble son, where did those storied mansions come from? Where have
they gone?”
The bodhisattva Elucidating Seer replied, “Noble son, you still entertain the
perceptions of going and coming.”
The bodhisattva Foremost Among Many Kings said, “Noble son,
coming is a term for transience, and going
is a term for the lack of self.”

The bodhisattva Elucidating Seer replied, “Noble son, terms for transience
and terms for the lack of self are terms that imply possession and ownership. People who
are attached to possession and ownership adhere to the following four mistaken views:
they engage in practice (1) while perceiving what is impermanent as permanent, and (2)
perceiving suffering as happiness, and they engage in practice (3) while perceiving what
is impure as pure, and (4) perceiving what lacks a self as having a self. People who
engage in those mental errors will incur the following five hindrances: they will not
abandon the hindrances of (1) craving sense pleasures, (2) ill will, (3) sloth and
torpor or laziness, (4)
agitation and regret, and (5) doubt.

“Noble son, whoever incurs these five hindrances will engage in the five acts
with immediate retribution. People who have not abandoned the five acts with immediate
retribution will not see rebirth among gods or humans, to say nothing of the awakening
of the hearers! And if that is the case for those who lack the awakening of the hearers,
what need is there to mention those who lack the awakening of the solitary buddhas and
the awakening of the buddhas? One who has not abandoned possession and ownership has
also not abandoned permanence and annihilation. How could people who adhere to
annihilationist views engage in virtuous actions and observe virtuous conduct? How could
people who adhere to views of permanence engage in virtuous practices and in practices
aimed at liberation? People who adhere to views of permanence and annihilation will not
see rebirth among gods or humans, to say nothing of the awakening of the hearers or the
solitary buddhas! How could they reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening? Since the
silent members of this gathering who have assembled here are not contaminated by the
vehicles of the hearers or the solitary buddhas because they do not adhere to wrong
views such as ownership and possession, noble son, see to it that you do not say such
things.”

The bodhisattva Subāhu then asked, “Noble son, should one not focus on the
perceptions of going and coming? And if one does not focus on those, how should one
provide bodhisattvas who are worthy recipients of gifts with the requisite belongings
and provisions? How should one honor one’s parents? How should one care for the
sick?”

“Noble son, the following things lack mental elaboration: objects, close
objects, supreme objects, other objects, objects of reverence, going, fully going,
completely going, subsequent going, and going elsewhere. All of those terms lack mental
elaboration. How can that be? Noble son, concepts, thoughts, subsequent thoughts,
complete thoughts, and supreme thoughts lead to, lend strength to, and establish one in
saṃsāra. The flower may be birth among the gods or humans, but the fruit is dying and
being reborn over and over in the three lower realms. All such thoughts related to the
eight fleeting concerns have faults. All things that are related to conduct, thorough
conduct, complete conduct, and subsequent conduct lead to the abandonment of noble
acceptance.”

“Noble son, are those who practice virtue in order to accomplish the
qualities of the buddhas in conflict with this noble acceptance?”

“Noble son, those who have little desire for noble qualities and great desire
for negative deeds are in conflict with this noble acceptance. They destroy it, toss it
aside, and delude themselves about it. It is said that those who have completely
rejected virtuous qualities indulge in desirous thoughts, and those who indulge in
desirous thoughts are in conflict with and destroy the acceptance of proper conduct.
Those who lack the group of qualities related to that acceptance reject it. Noble son,
the group of qualities related to the noble acceptance includes the vows related to
speech, the mind, and the six sense fields; not accumulating karma; the inexpressible;
the effortless; the nonconceptual; and the absence of thoughts, the absence of an object
of observation, and the absence of observation by the mind or the mental faculty. All
their mental, physical, and verbal actions lead to delusion about this noble acceptance,
because they lack this group of qualities. All their concepts related to the notion that
phenomena are to be undertaken, are immoveable, and have characteristics also lead to
delusion about this noble acceptance, because they lack this group of qualities.

“Someone who cultivates this group of qualities of the noble acceptance, such
as the lack of physical, verbal, and mental activity; immutability; the absence of
characteristics; and the absence of concepts, pursues the ultimate nature of the Dharma
of nonduality and realizes the ultimate truth. Anyone with the slightest understanding of the
ultimate nature of all afflictions and the ultimate nature of all phenomena cultivates
this acceptance. Those who do not argue about words, who have subdued all the
afflictions, who do not waver from the inexpressible, who are not attached to any
philosophical doctrine, and who understand that phenomena are known to be unborn and
unarisen cultivate this acceptance. Those who dwell in the realm of phenomena while
devoting themselves to the realm of beings, who consider the realm of phenomena and the
realm of beings to be identical, who do not differentiate between them, and who are not
in conflict with the realm of characteristics cultivate this acceptance.

“Those for whom all phenomena lack a cognitive basis, are devoid of self and
other, and lack appearances because they are unborn, and who understand that all
phenomena lack apprehension lack arising, lack a body, and lack cultivation; are unborn;
lack death and transmigration; lack support; are unwavering, immutable, and free from
the concepts of existence and nonexistence; are not a vessel; lack thoughts; are free
from attachment; are undefiled, bereft of class, intrinsically pure, unstained, and
devoid of afflictions; lack superimpositions; do not occur anywhere; and lack conflict
cultivate this acceptance.

“Those who focus on things such as freedom from conditions; pacifying all
wandering; completely transcending all wicked paths; nonorigination, nonengagement, and
not delaying; not apprehending any objects; completely transcending consciousness;
lacking imputation, not commenting, the lack of coming, the lack of basis, nonabiding,
the absence of seed, and rootlessness; stabilizing, pacifying, and completely pacifying
the mind; the complete absence of torment; reaching the ultimate goal; not giving rise
to rebirth; and
delighting in nirvāṇa will perfect this acceptance. Those who focus on concepts,
thoughts, ideas, reflections, imagination, going, departing, advancing, and approaching
will not cultivate this acceptance.

“Noble son, coming is a term that signifies
leading toward. Noble son, when there is no leading and leading
toward there is no going and no coming. One should cultivate the acceptance of the
gateway to the Dharma of nonduality in order to completely destroy the basis of going
and coming. Noble son, the observation of the characteristics of actions expressed by
the term coming comes to pass because one has abandoned the
cultivation of this acceptance. Noble son, the primary cause of the characteristics of
actions expressed by the term going is the absence of
characteristics. This is called cultivating acceptance of freedom from
characteristics.

“The primary cause of the characteristics of purpose expressed by the term
coming comes about due to a rejection of acceptance and is not
the cultivation of acceptance. Noble son, the expression going
refers to the cultivation of the acceptance of the destruction, nonexistence, and
pacification of purpose.

“Noble son, the characteristics of origination expressed by the term
coming are delusions about acceptance, not the cultivation of
acceptance. Noble son, the characteristics of nonobservation and refutation expressed by
the term going refer to the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of the gateway of observation expressed by
the term coming are not cultivated for this acceptance and are in
conflict with this acceptance. Pacification and the characteristics of the destruction
of apprehension expressed by the term going refer to the
cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of the basis expressed by the term
coming are destructive to this acceptance and are not
the cultivation of acceptance. Noble son, the disappearance and the pacification of the
basis expressed by the term going refer to the cultivation of this
acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of origination expressed by the term
coming are an abandonment of acceptance and are not the
cultivation of this acceptance. Pacification and the characteristics of the destruction
of causes expressed by the term going refer to the cultivation of
this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of words and conventional terms expressed by
the term coming are not the cultivation of this acceptance. The
state in which conventional terms are pacified expressed by the term
going refers to the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, drowning in the river of ignorance in the past and the future
expressed by the term coming is delusion about this acceptance and
is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going
refers to vast peace and abandoning knowledge and ignorance of the past and future, it
expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of physical, verbal, and mental conduct
expressed by the term coming are not the cultivation of this
acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification of
formations such as craving, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the
characteristics of the terms for the pacification of consciousness and dispassionate
conduct, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term
going refers to the disappearance of consciousness, cognition,
and analysis, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of
the arising of name and form, it is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the
term going refers to the pacification of name and form, it
expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of
discipline, involvement, and sense pleasures, this is not the cultivation of this
acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification and
disappearance of the six sense faculties, it expresses the cultivation of this
acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of
other terms for meditation on the stream of contact, this is not the cultivation of this
acceptance. When the term going refers to flowing down the river of
contact, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When going refers to cutting off the stream of the
three types of feeling, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When coming refers to engaging the basis of craving,
this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When going refers to the
abandonment and disappearance of craving, it expresses the cultivation of this
acceptance.

“Noble son, when coming refers to the characteristics of
terms for engaging in grasping, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the
term going refers to the elimination of grasping, it is the
cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of
the term for strong attachment to cultivation, this is not the cultivation of this
acceptance. When the term going refers to the way in which
something produced is thoroughly comprehended, it is the cultivation of this
acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the
characteristics of a term for entering a womb once again, this is not the cultivation of
this acceptance. When the term going refers to the destruction of
birth, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to a term for pursuing
happiness over and over, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term
going refers to the abandonment and extinction of old age, it
expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the
characteristics of the state of repeatedly falling into the waters of the river of
death, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term
going refers to crossing over the river of death, it expresses
the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the
characteristics of the state of pursuing misery, lamentation, unhappiness, and distress,
this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going
refers to the pacification of all forms of suffering and distress, it expresses the
cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the
characteristics of the state of the arising of all manner of suffering associated with
formations; the arising of old age, death, and transmigration; and the arising of the
suffering associated with meeting and parting, this is not the cultivation of this
acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification of all
forms of suffering associated with formations, this is the cultivation of this
acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the arising
of all manner of suffering and the nature of the generation of the four mistaken views,
it hinders the cultivation of all manner of virtues. Noble son, the term
going refers to complete pacification and is the antidote to the
mistaken views associated with suffering. Therefore, noble son, the term
coming is an expression of something that leads to all forms of
affliction, while the
term going is a term that expresses something that does not lead to
any association with the habitual tendencies of the afflictions.

“Therefore, noble son, bodhisattvas do not waver from the inexpressible. They
are not attached to any expression. They do not argue about the realm of phenomena of
words. A bodhisattva for whom there are no apprehended
objects, no arising, no body, and no origination, who has cut the stream of observing
all manner of perceptions and is free from the concepts of existence and nonexistence,
perfects this acceptance.”

As this teaching was being delivered by the bodhisattva Uncovering the
Enemies, 99 sextillion bodhisattvas led by Subāhu achieved the acceptance of the unborn
nature of phenomena. All the beings who dwelt on land and in the sky in the entire
buddha realm applauded in unison, exclaiming, “Noble son, the way that you have set
forth this profound method of Dharma and showered us with such a rain of Dharma so that
we are filled with eloquence regarding reveling in the complete qualities of a
bodhisattva, the supernormal faculties, and nonattachment is excellent!”

At that moment the many gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and
mahoragas who had gathered from the ten directions yearned and were determined to
perform an offering to the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies with divine flowers,
garlands, perfumes, and ointments. As they scattered flowers, garlands, perfumes, and
ointments on his body, that noble son used the power of his absorption to magically
transform them into the various precious substances. The pile fell to one side and
transformed into a lion throne for the Blessed One made of the seven precious gems that
was a thousand leagues high and ten leagues wide, covered with divine fabrics, and
delightful to behold.

All of the followers of lowly ascetic practices—the non-Buddhists and
followers of other ascetic orders in this buddha realm who had resolved to exert
themselves in observances, rules of conduct, and the four modes of conduct, as well as
the non-Buddhists and followers of other ascetic orders who had resolved to exert
themselves in observances, rules of conduct, and the four positions in countless realms
throughout the ten directions that are empty of buddhas or inundated with the five
impurities—gazed upon this lion throne made of the seven precious substances. Some who
were engaging in the five-fires ascetic practice could be seen prostrating to the sun
and the moon; some were carrying water, some were carrying mud, and some were carrying
water and mud; some had long hair, some had beards, and some had long hair and beards;
some were standing on one foot or raising one arm; some were feeding on forest roots and
leaves; some were lying on nails; some had smeared their bodies with ashes from bones;
some wore garlands of human skulls; and some were seen holding skulls in the palms of
their hands. There were other non-Buddhists there as well who practiced the staff
observance, the dog observance, the pig observance, the deer observance, the bird
observance, the fire observance, the moon observance, the sun observance, the
water observance, the ladder observance, and various ascetic healing practices, and even
more who had mastered exerting themselves in ascetic practices, observances, rules of
conduct, and the four positions. At that time all of those various practitioners of
lowly ascetic practices were seen there at the lion throne.

A parasol made of the seven precious substances that was ten thousand leagues
wide hung in the sky above the lion throne, and on that parasol one could see various
types of ornaments made of celestial gems. Various conventional names of wrong views
resounded from those ornaments. For instance, they emitted the sounds of the
conventional names of the sixty-two wrong views, such as the view of annihilation; the
view of permanence; the view of the transitory collection; the view that holds extreme
beliefs; the view that regards discipline and observances as superior; the view that happiness
arises on the basis of desire; the view of disputing and finding fault with one another,
cutting off heads, and gouging out the eyes; and the view by which one abandons the view
regarding the path of the ten virtuous actions.

All the bodhisattvas who had arrived in this buddha realm from the infinite,
countless pure buddha realms in the ten directions heard those sounds and saw those
beings at the lion throne who were engaged in those various types of unwholesome customs
and observances. They became utterly disheartened and thought, “Alas! Who are those
beings holding afflicted views that we see in this Sahā buddha realm, which is inundated
with the five impurities? We should return to our respective buddha realms!”

Although they wanted to leave this buddha realm, they did not know which way
to go to their respective realms, so they prostrated to the bodhisattva Uncovering the
Enemies with their palms together and said, “Noble son, we want to leave this buddha
realm and return to our respective buddha realms. Noble son, since this buddha realm is
utterly obscured by inexplicable views and elicits doubt, even the slightest of our
bodily, verbal, and mental actions will be misunderstood, so we want to leave immediately. But we have
lost our sense of direction and we do not know which way to go to our respective realms.
Noble son, please enable us to return to our respective buddha realms!”

The bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies replied to those bodhisattvas who had
come from the buddha realms of the ten directions, “Noble sons, are you not followers of
the Great Vehicle?”
“Noble son, we entered the path of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening a
long time ago!”

“Noble sons, because of their aspiration to ripen beings who must be tamed,
those who are intent upon awakening are steadfast and do not hesitate to take birth
among the hell beings. The same goes for taking birth in the animal realm, the preta
realm, buddha realms inundated with the five impurities, and among poor yakṣas, poor
humans, demons, and non-Buddhists who have fallen into different types of wrong views
and are filled with doubts. The fact that they take birth in those places due to their
aspiration to tame beings is referred to as the bravery of the bodhisattvas. They go to
places like that with firm diligence and great courage. There are beings with the root
of ignorance who congregate together, live in the forest their entire lives, and defile
the path of perfect peace. These beings kill living creatures and diligently
engage in the ten nonvirtuous actions. They perfect inferior views and are not afraid of
the afterlife. Bodhisattvas should resolve to undergo mental and physical suffering
themselves out of pity for beings who perfect views of permanence and annihilation. A
single being can be devoted to the six perfections in order to ripen all beings, a
single action can cause one to plant the seed and remain on the path of the ten virtuous
actions, and a single excellent statement can lead to comprehension. Therefore, for the
sake of every being, bodhisattvas diligently undergo many types of suffering for myriads
of eons.

“Noble sons, bodhisattvas have two types of armor, and the armor that
bodhisattvas wear is what allows them to seize the four māras and be known
as bodhisattvas. What are those two? The armor of beings and the armor of
the qualities of the buddha realms. Noble sons, what is the bodhisattvas’
armor of beings? Noble sons, bodhisattvas develop resolve and are
courageous because of their steadfast diligence, and by exerting themselves in the six
perfections and cultivating love, they ripen beings who are destitute, who involve
themselves with the roots of nonvirtue, who commit the acts with immediate retribution,
who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who are separated from the pure buddha realms. Bodhisattvas liberate
beings from the sixty-two types of wrong views out of great compassion, so one should
train to be a refuge for afflicted beings! You should gain their favor using the four
means of attracting disciples—generosity, pleasant speech, altruistic actions, and
consistency with the meaning!

“Winning the favor of beings by using generosity as a means for attracting
disciples refers to bodhisattvas who give some gift, from food and drink up to their own
head, out of generosity and dedicate it using skillful means and thus master the six
perfections. When bodhisattvas who give a gift have given up on marks, this is the
perfection of generosity. When they have pacified the observation of entities, this is
the perfection of discipline. When they are not impatient toward any object, this is the
bodhisattva’s perfection of patience. When they give away their possessions and set out
to practice in the wilderness, this is a bodhisattva’s perfection of diligence. When
they give away their possessions and stop engaging in any activity, this is the
bodhisattva’s perfection of concentration. When there is no sense of ownership due to
giving something as a gift, and when no desire for anything in return for that thing
occurs to one’s mind in solitude, this nonorigination, nonconceptual thought,
nonarising, nonexistence, and lack of anything to be eliminated regarding both receiving
and giving is a bodhisattva’s perfection of insight into the acceptance of the
nonarising nature of phenomena.

“How can the skillful means of a bodhisattva bring about mastery of the six
perfections just by giving away a single coin? Noble sons, someone with the
characteristics of a bodhisattva trains in the following way. They do not fixate on
gifts that bring great pleasure because there is no body. They do not reject a gift
because it causes great pleasure. They do not perceive a gift that brings great pleasure. Naturally
possessing this power is the perfection of generosity.

“Since they do not wish for anything related to the desire realm in return,
they cut the stream related to giving a gift. Likewise, they cut the stream related to
generosity because they do not wish for anything in return related to the form or the
formless realms. Giving a gift while diligently avoiding engaging characteristics and
focusing on the unborn and unceasing power of recollection is the perfection of
discipline.

“Generosity that is devoid of conceit and focuses continuously on its
object—the natural absence of the characteristics of distraction, of elaboration with
respect to the object of recollection, and of acceptance and rejection—is the perfection
of patience.

“Generosity that is the wisdom that applies mindfulness of the continual
arising of all forms of apprehension; the wisdom that abandons practices that are in
disharmony with the path; the wisdom that is disconnected from the paths of the hearers
and the solitary buddhas; entirely out of compassion, protecting those who follow
inferior and corrupted paths and are tormented by anger and establishing them on the
path of peace; and giving a gift so that they may embrace the Great Vehicle because it
brings one joy while practicing in the wilderness is a bodhisattva’s perfection of
diligence.

“Such generosity leads to everything having the same characteristic, and by
attaining absorption on all objects one realizes that they are like an empty city. One
realizes that the mind is devoid of all marks and that it is nonexistent. One realizes
that all desires depend upon conditions and that they are unsurpassed, that all concepts are bodiless and have the characteristic of
instantly disintegrating, and that all bases are nonexistent and have the characteristic of not going, not
departing, and not arising. This is the bodhisattva’s perfection of concentration.

“Generosity that is not based upon the aggregates of the desire realm due to
thoughts about the self, thoughts about the wilderness, thoughts about desiring
something in return, or thoughts based on a concept of receiving; generosity that is
free from acceptance and rejection with respect to the earth element; generosity that is
free from acceptance and rejection with respect to the water, fire, air, space, and
consciousness elements; generosity that does not entertain thoughts or concepts in order
to tame the hearers and the solitary buddhas; generosity that is the arising of space in
the aggregates and the elements, the nonobservation of an inherent nature of form, and
complete nonobservation of an inherent nature in the ear, the nose, the tongue, the
body, the mind, consciousness, and mental phenomena; generosity through the power of
recollection; giving a gift without severing the stream of marks by cultivating the lack
of conceptual thought with diligence; generosity that does not observe any type of
liberation; and giving the gift of being unadulterated because everything is unarisen
and unborn while transmigrating and being reborn—this is said to be the bodhisattva’s
perfection of insight.

“Furthermore, generosity that does not conceive of a self and undeniably
provides all types of enjoyment; that leads to acceptance with respect to the arising of
all forms of happiness; that has unlimited diligence regarding beings and that lacks
acceptance and rejection regarding all marks; that lacks abiding in concentration; that
is insight into the three realms; and that is free from all observation is the method by
which bodhisattvas give the gift of a single coin. By giving rise to the appropriate
attitude and dedicating the merit, they are established in all six perfections.

“They develop a firm conviction to tame the hearers and solitary buddhas, but
they do not give rise to desire for the vehicles of hearers and solitary buddhas. They
associate with all beings in order to tame non-Buddhists, but they do not adhere to
their mistaken views. They dedicate all their acts of generosity and their roots of the
ten virtues that lead to the accomplishment of omniscience in order to sustain all
beings. They inspire those who have developed views of ownership to persistently observe
discipline and to engage in genuine ascetic practices and observances. They dedicate
their roots of virtue to ripen beings in the hell realms, in the animal realms, and in
the world of the Lord of Death, and to liberate them from their suffering. They think,
‘I am not afraid of the suffering of the hell realms, the animal realms, or the world of
the Lord of Death, and also I intentionally take rebirth in those very places through
the power of firm and compassionate diligence and courageous aspirations.’ They are
endowed with all forms of patience for the sake of ripening all beings. They investigate
all momentary formations. They watch over the entire homeland. Their courage and
diligence are founded on all the roots of virtue so that they can ripen all beings. They
associate with all teachers and with those who are not teachers in order to ripen all
beings, and they exert themselves in the practice of entering into concentration and
absorption.

“After examining the absence of formations, they generate the view of a self
by practicing the paths of the māras that belong to every land, and give rise to insight
in order to tame beings. All the practices in the lands of foolish beings generate the
view of a self. In order to ripen beings, bodhisattvas transcend all worldly domains and
practice concentration.
They look at the practices related to the paths of all worldly domains. They give
everything away in order to ripen all beings. Noble sons, in order to please all beings,
you should liberate destitute beings from their state of poverty with the armor of
beings, the ornament that ripens beings, and the means of attracting disciples of the
bodhisattvas!

“Furthermore, noble sons, ripening beings and giving gifts to beings is the
perfection of generosity. It grants beings whatever they wish. It ripens those who wish
for material things using gifts of material things, and it satisfies and ripens those
who wish for the Dharma with Dharma teachings that take whatever form is appropriate for
those beings. This is the bodhisattva’s perfection of generosity.

“Furthermore, noble sons, as they ripen beings, the material gifts they give
ripen the recipients of their generosity by generating in them a loving attitude. They
ripen them by generating an attitude of joy in their minds, and those beings will
develop the virtuous attitude that consists of diligently cultivating all forms of
compassion. The bodhisattvas ripen those beings by generating in them the virtuous
attitude of equanimity and of not committing negative deeds. They ripen them by
generating states of absorption in their minds and by generating in them the attitudes
of relying on the meaning and of the lack of self.

“Furthermore, they ripen them by generating the initial thought of awakening
in the minds and thoughts of those who receive the gifts they give. They ripen some
recipients by making those who practice conduct for awakening grow weary of cyclic
existence. The
bodhisattvas ripen those among them who have been practicing bodhisattva conduct for a
long time by teaching and explaining the Dharma to them so they will stop practicing the
vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas and reach the level of nonregression
from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. The holy beings who have attained the
absorptions, dhāraṇīs, and acceptances ripen those who have reached the level of
nonregression by teaching and explaining to them the Dharma related to the aspects of
impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and the lack of self. Those bodhisattvas also make
aspirations to some bodhisattvas to avoid rebirth in the pure buddha realms and to teach
and explain the Dharma related to generating great compassion in buddha realms that are
afflicted and inundated with the five impurities.

“In those places, those bodhisattvas will awaken to unsurpassed, complete,
perfect buddhahood, cause those who hold wrong views and entertain doubts to practice
the three vehicles, and lead them to nirvāṇa. Through such skillful means, they ripen
myriad beings. Noble sons, they ripen beings with gifts that are equal to the number of
pores on a bodhisattva’s body, whether they be material gifts or gifts of the Dharma.

“Noble sons, bodhisattvas also ripen beings using pleasant speech as a means
of attracting disciples. Noble sons, bodhisattva look upon others with joyful eyes,
delight them with pleasant words, and with gentle words motivate beggars and those
attending Dharma teachings to listen. They turn beings away from behaviors that lead to
negative actions, turn them away from all manner of wrong views, and establish those who
lack them with the four qualities. What are those four? With pleasant and gentle words,
(1) they establish discipline in beings who lack discipline; (2) they establish the
correct view in beings who lack the correct view; (3) they purify the intention of
beings who lack the appropriate intention; and (4) they establish the correct rituals in
beings who lack rituals.

“Noble sons, bodhisattvas establish noble discipline in those who lack
discipline by using pleasant speech as a means of attracting disciples. They completely
fulfill the wishes of beings such as beggars who come before them by pronouncing true
and gentle words, and they also converse with them and tame them with their pleasant
speech. By using pleasant speech, they place and establish all beings who follow the
path of the ten virtuous actions on the path of the ten virtuous actions. They convert
those who observe unwholesome discipline, and they establish discipline in them. They
convert those who are lazy, and they establish them in the vehicle of the hearers. They
convert those who wish for their own happiness, and they establish them in the vehicle
of the solitary buddhas.

“Furthermore, they establish the cultivation of diligence in those who are
lazy, and they establish faithful diligence in those who lack faith. They provide those
with little learning with extensive learning, those with confused insight with excellent
insight, and those who have no friends with friends. They also cause those beings who
are estranged from and disrespectful toward their parents to become respectful toward
them, to serve the sick, and they convert them and establish them as seers. They cause
abusive beings to develop love and beings who lack compassion to develop compassion.
They bring joy to
those who are depressed and equanimity to those who are passionate. They cause beings in
the three lower realms to proceed to a blissful rebirth among the gods by establishing
discipline in them. They provide the gods of the desire realm with the blissful
concentrations of the gods of the form realm by establishing the concentrations in them.
They provide those who are attached to the concentrations with the meditative
absorptions of the form realm. They provide those who are attached to the meditative
absorptions of the formless realms with teachings on impermanence, suffering, emptiness,
and the lack of self. They teach those who are attached to the perception of a self not
to fear the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping and that they are like water
bubbles and mirages, and they teach beings who shoot arrows, wield swords, and
kill. They establish beings in the
result of the stream enterers, and in the other results up to the level of the worthy
ones.

“Furthermore, they reveal the qualities of the buddhas to those beings who
are devoted to inferior teachings and are not devoted to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the
Saṅgha. They instill and establish in them unwavering devotion toward the Buddha, the
Dharma, and the Saṅgha. They teach beings who hold mistaken views that they are
mistaken, and encourage beings who maintain the discipline of rival non-Buddhists to
take the threefold refuge. They provide them with and establish in them the vows of lay
practitioners and ordained monks and the mundane and supramundane disciplines of the
noble ones. They establish in those beings who will take birth in the three lower realms
because of the discipline of non-Buddhists the state of a worldly being who will attain
birth in the human and god realms through mundane forms of discipline, such as the path
of the ten virtuous actions and supramundane forms of discipline such as the vows for
the noble training.
They ripen the gods of the desire realm the same way. They establish beings who observe
mundane discipline in the discipline of the vows of the noble training. They ripen
beings who have achieved the result of the path of being devoid of the passions. They
ripen those who follow the vehicle of the hearers by motivating them to join the vehicle
of the solitary buddhas. They ripen those who follow the vehicle of the solitary buddhas
by establishing in them and motivating them to take on the discipline of the six
perfections that is the domain of the bodhisattvas’ qualities. Through their skillful
means, the bodhisattvas thus motivate those who follow the vehicles of the hearers and
the solitary buddhas to adopt the discipline of the noble bodhisattvas.

“Noble sons, what is the discipline of the noble bodhisattvas? Bodhisattvas
live among beings who harm others, without harming anyone. Bodhisattvas live among
beings who take what is not given, without thinking of stealing others’ wealth, without
engaging in sexual misconduct with others’ wives, and without deceiving others with
lies. They do not use divisive speech and do not use harsh speech toward any beings.
They have abandoned idle gossip, they have abandoned the desire and intent to do harm,
they have abandoned covetousness, and they have abandoned the teachings of non-Buddhists
since they have eliminated mental impurity. They are unfailing in showing interest in
and dedication to the qualities of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and they are
eager to hear about them. They give rise to unfailing devotion to the trainings and they
are afraid of committing even the slightest misdeed. Since they have no interest in
other vehicles, their discipline remains unbroken. Since they are weary of the dreadful
realms of rebirth, their discipline is not ruined. Since they have abandoned the habitual tendencies of
the afflictions, their discipline is uncorrupted. Since they propagate the pure Dharma,
they are not criticized by the wise. They speak mindfully, their absorptions are free
from wrongdoing, and they guard their six senses. Since they have completely abandoned
desire and lust, their attitude is praised. In order to pique the interest of gods and
humans, they ripen them by giving up the distractions of arguing and fighting. In order
to protect beings, they practice love while residing among beings who lack compassion.
Their minds can withstand all forms of suffering and they do not hesitate to take birth
in the lower realms. They eliminate their own mistaken views and ripen beings by arguing
against and rejecting the mistaken views of others.

“Bodhisattvas exercise virtuous diligence among the beings in this buddha
realm inundated with afflictions and the five impurities who do limitless deeds, who
reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, who are lazy, and who involve
themselves with roots of nonvirtue. In order to purify their body, speech, and mind,
they exercise diligence in discipline, learning, generosity, concentration, the
immeasurable activities, and the roots of virtue associated with the formless realm.
They endeavor to purify and eliminate the fetters of the views associated with the
latent afflicted tendencies and the aggregates of the desire realm, the form realm, and
the formless realm; the marks of hypocrisy and flattery; the marks of the transitory
collection; and extreme views, and they ripen beings by providing them with and
establishing them in their roots of virtue. Noble sons, the exertion with which the
bodhisattvas don the armor of diligence and discipline in order to ripen beings is the
mundane means of using pleasant speech to attract disciples.

“With the skillful means of such an armor, the power of the bodhisattvas, who
are the greatest people in this afflicted buddha realm inundated with the five
impurities, ripens beings who commit the acts of immediate retribution, who reject the
sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who involve themselves with roots of
nonvirtue. Such is the kind of power that people who are bodhisattvas in the impure
buddha realms possess. Noble sons, those bodhisattvas who possess great compassion and
engage in the practices of the six perfections in buddha realms inundated with the
afflictions and the five impurities at that time are thus the ones who are to be known
by this teaching as bodhisattvas. They ripen beings as numerous
as the pores on their bodies with pleasant speech as a means of attracting
disciples.

“Noble sons, what is the supramundane discipline of the bodhisattvas, how do
they ripen beings, and what is using altruistic actions as a means of attracting
disciples? Noble sons, bodhisattvas are bound to this buddha realm inundated with the
afflictions and the five impurities out of steadfast great compassion and because of
their own extraordinary aspirations. For example, when they experience suffering, then
fear, terror, and feelings of being threatened will not arise in their minds and
thoughts, just like when a domesticated animal is tied to a tree. If these feelings do
arise a little, they train themselves to cultivate great compassion from one momentary
thought to the next in order to ripen beings, thinking, ‘Being is a
mere label, a mere mistaken concept, a mere delusion, a mere convention, an incorrect
idea. Primordial purity is referred to as being, but that
establishes nothing but a false delusion. When the various mistaken views of compounded
phenomena multiply, one experiences suffering and mental distress. All conditioned
things are like an actor’s stage, like a dream, and have the nature of a mirage. Those
who are attached to saṃsāra wish for happiness, and as that develops, they experience
various forms of suffering. Since they do not understand that all phenomena have the
nature of space, they are deluded by the fetters and experience the diseases of the
different types of suffering generated by their intoxication. I shall eliminate the four
mistaken views of those who cycle like a solid wheel through the five realms of saṃsāra
driven by suffering! I will establish them on the path leading to peace, and ripen them
with all types of genuine suffering!’

“They understand beings as they are, without observing any beings whatsoever.
They do not observe any life force, soul, person, human, or living creature at all. They
never give up their great compassion in order to ripen beings. Their devotion to the
teachings causes beings to adopt supramundane discipline, and their skillful means
establishes them in it. They wander so that they may live in forests and remote places.
While exercising diligence in order to eliminate all distractions they adopt the
practice of mindful attention toward the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping
so that they may fulfill the desires of gods and humans. They approach beings and teach
them the Dharma to ensure that they engage in acts of homage and reverence, and that
they abandon distractions. In order to eliminate their latent tendencies, they have them
adopt the approach of purifying their attachment to and desire for the five destinies.
In order to eliminate all the numerous faulty views, the senses of ownership and
possession, and the views of permanence and annihilation, they generate respect for
those who dwell in solitude and establish beings in the twelve ascetic practices. The Buddha has authorized
them to teach the supramundane discipline, and all the beings endowed with this
supramundane discipline destroy all desires associated with the desire realm and all
desires associated with the form realm and formless realm. They destroy all their latent
tendencies and all senses of ownership and possession. They will quickly achieve the
acceptance of the words of the profound Dharma that is hard to fathom, and they will
swiftly awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.

“Beings who observe mundane discipline are continually overwhelmed by
suffering, and those who dwell in the wheel of the five destinies and dwell on notions
of ownership and possession do not know the path of awakening. Likewise, for beings who
are free from needs due to the great miraculous power that is the supramundane
discipline, the self has no basis at all. Being, the life force, the soul, the person,
humans, and living creatures have no basis. Forms have no basis. Feelings, perceptions,
formations, and consciousnesses have no basis. The earth element has no basis, nor does
the water, fire, or air element. Their thoughts do not dwell on the eye and the
attributes of form. They do not dwell on the ear and the attributes of sound. They do
not dwell on the nose and the attributes of smell. They do not dwell on the tongue and
the attributes of taste. They do not dwell on the body and the attributes of tactile
objects. They do not dwell on the mind and the attributes of mental phenomena. They do
not dwell on the attributes of body, speech, and mind. They do not dwell on the
attributes of the nature of possession. They do not dwell on the attributes of
permanence and annihilation. They do not dwell on the view of the transitory collection
or on extreme views. They do not dwell on concepts, thoughts, ideas, discursiveness, or
imagination. They do not dwell on misery, grief, sorrow, or on the distress associated
with destruction and duality. They do not dwell on emptiness, the absence of
purpose, the absence of marks, or the continuum of the three realms. They do not dwell
on the absence of development, the absence of arising, the absence of origination, the
absence of creation, or the absence of actualization. They do not dwell on the three
times. They do not dwell on the characteristics of the mind and the mental faculty. They
do not dwell on affliction, purification, anger, rage, or on the smallest particles that
instantly disintegrate. They do not dwell on the supernatural perceptions and the like.
They do not dwell on the vows of the vehicle of the hearers. They do not dwell on the
vehicle of the solitary buddhas. They do not dwell on any marks, and they do not dwell
on conceit regarding the six perfections. The outward movement of the mental
consciousness abides like space and abides in that way based on distinguishing what is
true and what is false.

“They ascertain the nonduality of clinging, they ascertain the nonduality of
attachment, they ascertain the nonduality of wisdom, they ascertain the nonduality of
yoga, they ascertain the nonduality of the perfections, they ascertain the nonduality of
concepts, they ascertain the nonduality of the defilements, they ascertain the
nonduality of the path, and they ascertain the nonduality that leads to the absence of
afflictions.

“Noble sons, a noble son achieves the acceptance of the profound Dharma by
having that kind of discipline and will become an expert in the wisdom that discerns
beginningless emptiness. The light of insight will completely clarify the path of
awakening. It will no longer be polluted by worldly dharmas, it will no longer be
polluted by the deeds of Māra, and it will no longer be polluted by the afflictions
associated with habitual tendencies. They will be endowed with the light of insight that
illuminates the ten directions, and by giving rise to the power of insight they will
fully understand all objects, and all of the qualities of a buddha will shine forth.
They will understand the affliction and purification related to the cycle of attachment,
nirvāṇa, existence, and
nonexistence, and they will completely transcend all forms of attachment. They will
reach the domain that leads to nirvāṇa while appearing in the domain of saṃsāra. They
will reach the domain of isolation while appearing attached to all forms of distraction.
They will reach the domain of concentration while appearing in the women’s quarters.
They will reach the domain of uncompounded phenomena while appearing in the domain of
all compounded phenomena. They will reach the domain of the unborn while appearing in
the domain of the four māras. They will reach the domain of noble ones while appearing
in what is not the domain of noble ones. They will completely transcend the domain of
the world while appearing in the domain of the entire world. They will reach the domain
of wisdom while appearing in the domain of foolish beings. They will actually reach the
ultimate realm of reality and engage in the conduct of the bodhisattvas’ domain while
enjoying the conduct of the domains of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.

“They will practice and cultivate the perfection of insight within the domain
of the absence of characteristics of all objects. They will strive to perceive the
assembly in the realm of the buddhas with their major and minor marks while discerning
and understanding the domain of the four māras. They will worship the thus-gone ones,
strive to travel to all of the buddha realms to be in their presence, and will practice
all of the thus-gone ones’ teachings. They will perfect all the buddha realms and enter
the domain of omniscient wisdom. They will ripen beings in virtuous practices related to
everything one observes. They will turn the mountain of afflictions into dust, eliminate all mental
elaborations, destroy all views, and establish beings in the qualities of the
buddhas.

“Noble sons, when bodhisattvas engage in the practice of the six perfections
in that manner among beings who involve themselves with roots of nonvirtue in buddha
realms inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, they motivate those
beings to adopt the supramundane discipline using altruistic actions as a means of
attracting disciples and they establish them in that discipline. Because they have this
quality, those who establish beings in the altruistic action that is the quality of a
buddha take on the great burden of a bodhisattva. They assemble beings, they gather
beings, and they ripen beings. They liberate beings from their state of great poverty,
and they establish them in the three doors of liberation. This is how some bodhisattvas
exert their strength in impure buddha realms and ripen beings with altruistic actions as
numerous as the pores on a bodhisattva’s body.

“Furthermore, noble sons, what is consistency with the meaning, the great
strength used by the bodhisattvas to ripen beings? Noble sons, as the bodhisattvas
engage in the practice of the six perfections in this buddha realm inundated with the
afflictions and the five impurities, whenever they exert themselves in the perfections
of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight, they
motivate beings to adopt those practices. When bodhisattvas who practice generosity give
away anything from food and drinks to their head, the most important limb, they
demonstrate the qualities of the perfection of generosity and motivate beings to adopt
it. When bodhisattvas abandon killing and give rise to compassion toward beings, they also turn them away
from killing and motivate them to adopt a compassionate attitude toward all beings. They
talk about everything from establishing beings in supramundane discipline to the correct
view.

“Bodhisattvas who develop the five qualities of acceptance themselves, who do
everything from cultivating acceptance in order to abandon latent tendencies to
achieving the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena, motivate beings to adopt
those qualities and establish them in everything up to the acceptance of the unborn
nature of phenomena. Bodhisattvas who exercise diligence themselves display virtuous
physical, verbal, and mental actions in order to ripen beings, motivate beings to adopt
and not to abandon perceptions that are the causes of virtue and mental formations,
which are themselves the causes of great peace and compassion, and establish them in
this attitude.

“Bodhisattvas abide in the vehicles of hearers and solitary buddhas in order
to tame the hearers and the solitary buddhas and meditate on the concentrations. They
meditate on the concentrations that are disconnected from those of the hearers and the
solitary buddhas in order to perfect the absorptions of the thus-gone ones. Bodhisattvas
meditate on the concentration of the lack of self until they achieve the concentrations
of winding up and unraveling, and motivate beings to adopt those concentrations and
establish them in their qualities.

“When bodhisattvas strive for the perfection of insight themselves, they
bring about insight with a variety of skillful means. They motivate beings to have the
same direct perception as themselves. The qualities that arise in order to cause beings
to achieve wisdom regarding all phenomena and understand the condition of being
unparalleled are the wisdom of skillful means that is employed to ripen beings. They have absolutely no
attachment so that they become empowered to the extent of being able to produce roots of
virtue in beings. The bodhisattvas motivate
beings who follow the vehicle of the hearers to adopt the vehicle of the hearers. They
motivate beings who follow the vehicle of the solitary buddhas to adopt the vehicle of
the solitary buddhas. They motivate beings to adopt the profound conduct of awakening so
that the wisdom regarding the subtle Dharma will be apparent for them as well. Not
relinquishing mindfulness that is endowed with the wisdom of understanding karmic
ripening is the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplishes discriminating
wisdom.

“Bodhisattvas who know how to control phenomena and the mind understand that
they have the characteristic of momentary disintegration and never forsake their great
compassion for beings. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the
ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas do not apprehend the emptiness of beings or the emptiness that
is the ultimate truth in terms of the characteristic of all forms of conduct; they
motivate beings to adopt the three vehicles, and they continuously engage in ripening
beings. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of
beings.

“Since bodhisattvas realize that physical, verbal, and mental formations lack
a self, they do not apprehend a Dharma teacher, they
do not apprehend listeners, sounds, or a voice, and they do not apprehend the karmic
fruition of actions. Out of compassion for beings, they teach in accordance with beings’
characteristics, both those beings who have mistaken views and those beings who do not
hold mistaken views. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the
purification of beings.

“Naturally, the bodhisattvas do not apprehend formations, giving, receiving,
or karmic fruition.
They practice generosity out of compassion for beings, teach beings about the karmic
fruition of generosity, and motivate them to acquire wealth with which they can perform
the meritorious deeds of a benefactor. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that
accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas know that the bodies of beings lack activity, lack existence,
and are like impure reflections. They understand that thoughts are like echoes, and they
know that formations are like an illusion. They never give up practicing great
compassion for beings, they motivate beings to use physical, verbal, and mental
formations, and they use that to give the correct teaching on cause and effect. These
are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas lead beings to understand the discipline related to the lack of
self and nonaccumulation. They know the characteristics of conduct, they do not engage
in this world with the indifference of beings, and they motivate beings to adopt the
three types of phenomena. This is how they motivate them to adopt the higher trainings
of discipline, thought, and insight. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that
accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas know that physical, verbal, and mental formations have the
characteristic of momentary disintegration, they see that they are separate from the
unconditioned state, they teach beings that the cause of absorption and acceptance is
the same as the result, and they motivate beings to adopt that teaching. These are the
bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas know that all formations lack acceptance and rejection, and
they also understand them in terms of cause and effect. They do not apprehend any
phenomena in terms of arising and cessation, and they do not think that phenomena are
without the karmic fruition of causes and conditions. They ripen beings, they
continually practice great compassion, they completely abandon the afflictions of
beings, they fully understand the aggregates, they exercise diligence in order to
actualize wisdom, they teach about the fruition of causes, and they inspire lazy beings
to embrace the suffering involved in focusing on diligence. These are the bodhisattvas’
skillful means that actualize the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas practice concentration and see that all formations are
impermanent. They perceive all formations, which they understand as the wisdom related
to suffering—without self, unexperienced, uncreated, inactive, unarising, and without
momentary destruction. They teach beings about the causes and effects related to
attaining the concentrations, the abodes of Brahmā, and the supernormal faculties that
are based on the aggregates. They motivate beings to practice the concentrations by
saying nothing more than ‘abandon the afflictions through the concentrations!’ They
motivate them to apply their minds to the concentrations by saying ‘achieve the great
attainment!’ These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that actualize the ripening of
beings.

“Since bodhisattvas are without acceptance and rejection and are free from
both attachment and aversion, they do not conceptualize or think about the mental
formations related to the development of impartiality toward everyone, persistence, the
perception of a self, the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena, and the power of
concentration. Since
they do not give up practicing great compassion toward beings and are diligent in the
cultivation of insight, they show beings how to become free from the prison of saṃsāra.
They inspire beings to be diligent in study and meditation and to cultivate an
analytical mind, and since bodhisattvas understand which particular qualities are
virtuous, they place and establish beings in those qualities that lead to traversing the
swamp of saṃsāra. These are the skillful means of the bodhisattvas’ wisdom that
accomplish consistency in meaning as a means for attracting disciples in order to ripen
beings. Noble sons, this the consistency in meaning as a means of attracting disciples
that ripens as many beings as the pores on a bodhisattva’s body.

“Furthermore, because of the three lower realms, the harmful behaviors of the
lower realms, afflicted beings, and the impurities of lifespan, views, and the eon in
this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, bodhisattvas
make continual aspirations about this buddha realm inundated with the five impurities.
They do not wish for the accumulation of qualities of the buddha realms, and they do not
make aspirations to go to purify buddha realms. When bodhisattvas practice the conduct
of awakening by means of the six perfections in this buddha realm inundated with the
afflictions and the five impurities, they use the four means of attracting disciples to
ripen beings who commit the acts with immediate retribution, who reject the sacred
Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who involve themselves with the roots of
nonvirtue. They motivate them to practice the three vehicles and establish them in the
six perfections. That is how they practice the conduct of awakening here and ripen
beings. They do everything here from upholding the Vinaya to becoming a perfect,
completely awakened buddha. Even when they attain awakening, they will continue to
ripen those who commit the acts with immediate retribution up to those who involve
themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. They will ripen beings in the three vehicles and
liberate them from all their afflicted views. Noble sons, this is the armor of the
great, powerful bodhisattvas who ripen beings in this buddha realm inundated with the
afflictions and the five impurities. The type of armor of beings that some bodhisattvas
use in completely pure buddha realms is not able to ripen beings in the same way, noble
sons, but bodhisattva great beings who have an armor such as this ripen beings.

This is the third chapter of the Great Vehicle sūtra entitled “The Acceptance of Training Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect
Conduct.”

Chapter 4

“Noble sons, what is the bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the
qualities of the buddha realms? Noble sons, whenever compassionate
bodhisattva great beings are born in this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions
and the five impurities, they ripen beings who commit the acts with immediate
retribution, who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who involve
themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. They motivate them to adopt all the virtuous
qualities, and they completely ripen beings from their habitual tendencies pertaining to
the afflictions and views. They withstand the many types of suffering of the eon in
order to benefit each and every being, they liberate those beings from the swamp of
saṃsāra, and they make offerings to one buddha up to myriads of buddhas.

“When beings who rely on roots of virtue have accomplished deeds on behalf of
the blessed buddhas and perfected the powers of miraculous transformation, supernormal faculty, and
absorption, their miraculous powers will enable them to travel to buddha realms in the
ten directions as numerous as all the grains of sand in the Ganges. They will serve the
blessed buddhas there, they will behold the multitude of buddha realm qualities, and
they will perceive the great multitude of qualities of those pure buddha realms just as
they are. Then those noble sons will develop intense craving for those qualities.

“Those noble sons will ask the thus-gone ones, ‘Which actions will lead
bodhisattvas to be reborn in pure buddha realms? Which actions will lead them never to
stop beholding the buddhas, listening to the Dharma, and serving the saṅgha? Which
actions will prevent them from mingling with the followers of the vehicles of the
hearers and the solitary buddhas? Which actions will prevent them from being
contaminated by afflictions? Which actions will prevent them from being disconnected
from all of the absorptions and retentions?’

“As long as they do not take rebirth in buddha realms that are inundated with
the afflictions and the five impurities, they will not awaken to unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood. Those buddha realms where one attains awakening are vast, and they abound
with a multitude of qualities of the buddha realms. Those buddha realms are pervaded by
bodhisattvas who follow the Great Vehicle, and they are devoid of beings who follow the
vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.

“The blessed buddhas will teach those noble sons accordingly about the
actions, conduct, and efforts that will lead them to attain those qualities, and those
noble sons will exert themselves in pursuit of those qualities and endeavors in their
successive lives until they are reborn there. They will perfect all those qualities, and
the buddha realm will be pervaded with the entire vast multitude of qualities of the
buddha realms. The
place where those noble sons awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be
completely devoid of the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas. Only the pure
discourses of the Great Vehicle are delivered among the pure bodhisattva great
beings—not the discourses of the hearers and the solitary buddhas. The Dharma is taught
to beings who have created roots of virtue, who have purified themselves, who have the
many qualities of a bodhisattva, and who are experts in the wisdom that penetrates the
unfathomable qualities of a buddha. All those who teach the Dharma to them teach them so
that they may be reborn in the pure buddha realms and not in the impure buddha realms.
In order to perfect the six perfections, they praise the conduct of awakening in the
pure buddha realms, not in the impure buddha realms. Beings who have a pure motivation
praise associating with and having the support of those virtuous friends, being
established in the vows, and making pure offerings, but those with an impure motivation
do not.

“Noble sons, all of the thus-gone ones—the worthy, perfect buddhas of the
past in pure buddha realms—first planted the seeds and gave rise to the mind set on
unsurpassed and perfect awakening in impure buddha realms inundated with the five
impurities long ago. The blessed buddhas of the present who reside in infinite,
countless pure buddha realms in all directions and watch over them—all those thus-gone
ones who deliver pure discourses of the Great Vehicle to bodhisattvas who follow the
Great Vehicle—first planted the seeds and gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and
perfect awakening in this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five
impurities long ago. They relied upon the roots of virtue here in the past, purified the buddha realm
with their supernormal faculties, and developed the supernormal faculty of traveling to
other buddha realms. When they understood and realized the extent of the multitude of
good qualities of those buddha fields, they aspired to take rebirth there from that
point forward for as long as it might take to actually attain unsurpassed, perfect,
complete buddhahood. All those in the pure realms of the ten directions who will awaken
to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in the future will first plant the seeds of roots
of virtue and give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening in impure
buddha realms that are inundated with the five impurities. When those who have given
rise to the mind set on awakening have attained the supernormal faculties, they reside
in pure buddha realms from the point that they attain the highest level until they
awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete buddhahood. All the bodhisattvas who have now
been freed from the various afflictions by the various sounds of the Dharma, who are
experts in the wisdom that comprehends the way of the profound Dharma, who have reached
the level of nonregression, and who have achieved the acceptance of the profound Dharma
will experience joy and happiness in the pure buddha realms of the ten directions.

“All of you from pure buddha realms who have assembled here today in
Śākyamuni’s buddha realm, the Sahā buddha realm that is inundated with the five
impurities, first planted the seeds of roots of virtue and gave rise to the mind set on
unsurpassed and perfect awakening in buddha realms inundated with the afflictions and
the five impurities long ago. All of you exerted yourselves in the six perfections first
and then developed the supernormal faculties that led you to attain the supernormal
faculty of traveling to the different pure buddha realms of the ten directions. When
with that supernormal faculty you completely understood and realized the multitude of
good qualities of those buddha realms, you made aspirations to be reborn there in the
future, and you fulfilled your wish by diligently pursuing those qualities. Since other buddhas and
those who have taken birth in pure buddha realms are flourishing, this impure buddha
realm that is inundated with the five impurities is undesirable to them. Those who
denigrate it for being hindered by afflictions and filled with wrong views and doubts,
and who do not give rise to great compassion here, might be referred to as
‘bodhisattvas,’ but they cannot be referred to as ‘great beings.’

“Here is an analogy, noble sons. A skilled surgeon partially alleviates the
eye diseases of people with only one eye or those who are blind by using extremely
foul-smelling medicines. Thinking that they are cured, those persons will tell each
other, ‘We have started to see physical forms. We should leave the house of this
physician who is like a lamp and go!’ Thinking in that way, many of them will leave that
physician’s house, never to return. Since they have not been completely cured, they will
notice that their eye diseases are continuing for a long time and come back. They will
stay at the physician’s house, and before long their diseases will be completely cured.
Similarly, noble sons, those bodhisattvas in afflicted buddha realms inundated with the
five impurities who are beings that have been continually plagued by desire, anger,
ignorance, pride, conceit, and wrong views will be accepted by a virtuous friend,
correctly understand those good qualities, and then want to leave that buddha realm
inundated with the five impurities. Those who leave and set off for the pure buddha
realms will then undoubtedly want to return to those buddha realms inundated with the
afflictions and the five impurities. They will traverse infinite, countless buddha
realms more numerous than all the tiniest particles of dust and be willing to suffer for
a long time. It is when bodhisattvas do not become awakened to unsurpassed, perfect,
complete buddhahood
that they purify the multitude of qualities of the buddha realms.

“Why is that, noble sons? In a single morning spent in those buddha realms
inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, bodhisattvas will have
maintained and cultivated discipline, practiced generosity, practiced concentration,
exercised diligence, cultivated patience, and developed the qualities of insight,
whereas bodhisattvas do not practice the six perfections with such diligence in the pure
buddha realms even after spending a hundred thousand eons there. Why is that, noble
sons? It is because they initially planted the seeds of unsurpassed and perfect
awakening in buddha realms inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities. By
just going to those buddha realms inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities
and making an effort to exercise the slightest diligence there, they maintain constant
effort in the pursuit of virtuous qualities. The light of wisdom they achieve in such
realms will become the unwavering wisdom that investigates all philosophical positions,
and they will rise above all worldly concerns. Visions of the realms of all of the
buddhas will appear to them, and they will gain mastery over the wisdom that perceives
the ineffable modes of conduct of beings. They will not make gifts to those with
unsuitable bodies or those who involve themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. When they
encounter beings whose bodies are troubled by afflictions, they will show them the
appropriate medicines to improve and completely cure their minds of mental illness. When
they encounter beings whose afflictions have led them to engage in negative behaviors,
they will develop compassion for them and eliminate their afflictions.

“They will tame beings by striving to eliminate the afflictions. Thinking,
‘How shall I liberate them from their afflictions?’ they will pacify those who indulge in desire with
practices that focus on what is repulsive. They will pacify those who indulge in anger
with practices that focus on love. They will pacify those who indulge in ignorance with
practices that focus on dependent arising. They will pacify those who indulge in their
good fortune with practices that focus on being mindful of the movements of inhalation
and exhalation. They will pacify those who indulge what is connected to desire with
practices that focus on love and the unpleasant. They will pacify those who indulge in
what is connected to anger with practices that focus on love and what is repulsive. They
will pacify those who indulge in what is connected to ignorance with practices that
focus on what is repulsive and dependent arising. They will pacify those who adhere to
wrong views with practices that focus on the realization of emptiness and maintaining
powerful conducive circumstances. They will pacify those who understand nonapprehension,
insubstantiality, and the absence of utterance with practices that focus on profound
peace. They will pacify those who understand conceptual elaboration with elaborate
discourses and practices that focus on special insight. They will pacify those who wish
for certainty with practices that bring together and focus on gradually ceasing all
speech and verbal expression, and with practices that focus on tranquility and special
insight. They will pacify those who are devoted to special insight with practices that
focus on the sphere of infinite space, and they will pacify those who are devoted to the
sphere of infinite space with practices that focus on the sphere of infinite
consciousness. They will pacify those who are devoted to the sphere of infinite
consciousness with practices that focus on the sphere of nothing whatsoever. They will
pacify those who are devoted to the sphere of nothing whatsoever with practices that
focus on the absence of marks. They will pacify those who are devoted to having a
purpose with practices propounding the view that there is no purpose. They will pacify
those who are devoted to discipline with practices that focus on complete liberation
from the three lower realms. They will pacify those who are conceited about their
erudition with practices that focus on the nonorigination of all forms of craving. They
will pacify those who are diligent and proud about their isolation and who are diligent
and proud about having the qualities of a pure ascetic with practices that focus on the
immeasurables. They will pacify those who
perceive the aggregates as permanent with practices that focus on origination and
destruction. They will
pacify those who have completely abandoned the idea of possession with respect to the
elements with practices that focus on the metaphor of a mirage. They will pacify those
who have completely abandoned the sense fields with practices that focus on the metaphor
of a clump of foaming bubbles. They will pacify those who have completely abandoned the
desire realm with practices that focus on the metaphor of the hollowness of plantain
trees. They will pacify those who have completely abandoned the form realm with
practices that focus on the impermanence of compounded phenomena. They will pacify those
who have completely abandoned the formless realm with practices that focus on the
suffering associated with all compounded phenomena. They will pacify those who have
completely abandoned the joy and bliss of concentration with practices that focus on the
fact that all phenomena lack a self. They will pacify those who desire the suffering of
saṃsāra with practices that focus on the peace of nirvāṇa. They will pacify the views of
those who have completely abandoned unwholesome paths with practices that focus on the
path of the ten virtuous actions. They will pacify those who have completely abandoned
attractive beings with practices that focus on what is repulsive. They will pacify those
who have completely abandoned their attachment to the body with practices that focus on
blue corpses. They will pacify those who have completely abandoned their attachment to
sounds with practices that focus on the origination and destruction of echoes. They will
pacify those who have completely abandoned their attachment to smells with practices
that focus on understanding the breath. They will pacify those who have completely
abandoned their attachment to tastes with practices that focus on various unpleasant
tastes. They will pacify those who have completely abandoned their attachment to tactile
objects with practices that focus on the thirty-six impure substances. They will pacify
those who lack compassion with practices that focus on love. They will pacify those who
lack generosity with practices that focus on the five great forms of generosity. They
will pacify those who are obscured by ignorance with practices that focus on recitation.
They will pacify those who are disciplined with practices that focus on delighting the
family of the noble ones. They will pacify those who have tamed their suffering with
practices that focus on gradually concentrating their minds one-pointedly. And they will
pacify those for whom mental formations lead to conceptual elaborations with practices
that focus on the metaphor of being like an illusion. Those are the ways that they will
pacify the afflictions of beings.

“Furthermore, they will motivate those who want to be reborn as gods and
humans to practice the ten pure virtuous actions. They will motivate those who are intent upon the
vehicle of the hearers to contemplate the four noble truths. They will motivate those
who are intent upon the vehicle of the solitary buddhas to contemplate the discourses on
dependent arising. They will motivate beings who follow the Great Vehicle to practice
the six perfections. They will motivate those who have given rise to the mind set on
awakening for the first time to practice higher motivation and the intent to reach the
level of nonregression. They will motivate beings who are engaging in practicing the six
perfections to never grow weary in their pursuit of great compassion and thus practice
so that they can ripen beings. They will motivate the bodhisattvas who have reached the
level of nonregression to adopt the practice of purifying the multitude of qualities of
the buddha realms.

“As bodhisattvas travel to other pure buddha realms, they will display
miracles using the supernormal faculties for those below who have adopted the practice
of purifying the multitude of qualities of the buddha realms. As bodhisattvas travel to
other pure buddha realms, all of the beings below who want to be among the multitude of
their buddha field and wish to take birth in a place where there are such supernormal
faculties and miraculous transformations will be reborn there. Even when they do not
travel to afflicted buddha realms, the beings who want to be born there but have no
desire to purify the multitude of qualities of a buddha realm will be born there. And
those who do not want to be reborn in buddha realms that are inundated with afflictions
will remain there until they become a fully manifest buddha who has attained
unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

“In buddha realms inundated with the five impurities, bodhisattvas will put
an end to beings who hold on to views and are filled with doubts, who commit the acts
with immediate retribution, who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones,
and who involve themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. They will perform the deeds of
the buddhas for beings in pure buddha realms who have pure intentions, and they will
teach the Dharma to bodhisattvas who are experts in the wisdom that comprehends the
immeasurable and innumerable buddha qualities.

“In the pure buddha realms, bodhisattvas are unable to exert the same level
of strength as the level of strength exerted by bodhisattvas in buddha realms inundated
with the five impurities. In this buddha realm inundated with the five impurities, if
bodhisattvas recognize the 21,000 different expressions of desire in a single being,
they will accordingly apply 21,000 different skillful means to pacify that being’s
desires. If they recognize the 21,000 different expressions of anger in a single being,
they will accordingly apply 21,000 different skillful means to pacify that being’s
anger. If bodhisattvas recognize the 21,000 different expressions of a single fortunate
being, they will accordingly apply 21,000 different skillful means to pacify that being.
That is how bodhisattvas who are able to pacify the continual arising of the afflicted
behaviors of a single fortunate being exercise great strength. When bodhisattvas who
recognize the 84,000 different types of behavior that generate afflictions in a single
being are brave and committed to steadfast effort, they apply the 84,000 skillful means.
Look at the great strength of those bodhisattvas and what they overcome with their
bravery! Just as they are able to pacify the afflictions of a single being, they can
also pacify the 84,000 characteristics of the afflicted behavior of anywhere from two,
three, or four beings up to all the beings living in an entire continent. Similarly,
they can liberate all the beings from all their afflictions living on two and even four
continents, up to all the beings living in buddha realms in the ten directions as
numerous as all the grains of sand in the Ganges. This is why it is said that
bodhisattvas achieve acceptance in buddha realms inundated with the five impurities.

“They engage the afflicted faculties of each being with 84,000 types of
conduct and also recognize the 84,000 different interests of a single being. They also
know everything from the characteristics of decrease and increase, the characteristic of
abiding, the characteristic of realization, the characteristic of impermanence, the
characteristic of suffering, the characteristic of the absence of self, the
characteristic of being, the characteristic of emptiness, and the characteristic of
isolation, up to the absence of characteristics. They know the characteristic of
nirvāṇa, and the 84,000 various characteristics of the attachment of every being. This
is why the bodhisattvas actually know the characteristics of beings’ behavior. Since
they know the way they think, they are able to liberate beings who are bound by the
shackles of the afflictions. This is how bodhisattvas ripen beings in buddha realms
inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities. They remain in those places to
ripen them, continuously manifesting their great compassion for those who involve
themselves with roots of nonvirtue. This is the great strength of the bodhisattvas!”

As the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies delivered this teaching, the
bodhisattvas who had arrived from countless buddha realms in the ten directions and
other bodhisattvas as numerous as all the grains of sand in thirty Ganges Rivers
achieved the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. Bodhisattvas as numerous as
all the grains of sand in the Ganges achieved the absorption known as giving
joy. All of them prostrated to the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni with their palms
together and uttered the following verses in unison:

“Pride and actions within the sphere of excessive pride

Are known as being submerged in a river and carried off by a river.

Since there is no end to the ocean of afflictions,

We will stay on the path.

“Beings in afflicted buddha realms are

Tormented by severe afflictions, are always intoxicated,

Are born in the lower realms, and incur perpetual suffering.

We teachers will teach them the vehicle of the ultimate truth!

“We will aspire to be born in those buddha realms

For the sake of those afflicted beings!

We will practice the conduct in those afflicted realms

That liberates beings who are bound by the shackles of the afflictions!

“We will turn those who have lost the path and commit wicked deeds

Out of attachment, anger, pride, conceit, and ignorance

Away from all of those wicked deeds and

Free them from the fear of the wasteland of saṃsāra.

“We will free all those who constantly experience

Unwanted suffering in the hell realms, the animal realm,

And the preta realm from all manner of suffering,

And practice the conduct of awakening in afflicted buddha realms!”

All of those present in that assembly that pervaded this entire buddha realm
applauded, saying, “Good man, you are extremely eloquent and this teaching on courage
and exerting oneself in steadfast, supreme, vast effort, a gateway to the Dharma that
liberates beings, is excellent, excellent! All these good men as numerous as all the
grains of sand in the Ganges have left behind their practice of the conduct of awakening
in the pure buddha realms and will now diligently practice that conduct in buddha realms
that are inundated with the five impurities. They will generate great compassion to
ripen beings who commit the five acts with immediate retribution, who reject the sacred
Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, whose bodies are burning, and who involve
themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. They will teach afflicted buddha realms about
unsurpassed buddha realms. They will teach the ultimate position of the body’s
nonexistence and abandoning the aggregates. If the world with its gods makes vast and
supreme offerings to beings who express their diligence with mere words, there is no need to
mention those who possess steadfast effort and courage, and direct their efforts to
these realms! All their goals will be fulfilled just as promised.”

At that point, the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni gave his approval, saying,
“Excellent, my good man, excellent! Noble son, if the world with its gods makes vast and
supreme offerings to those who undertake such things using mere words, there is no need
to mention the great strength they will exert through their wisdom in this buddha realm
inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities! They will ripen all beings from
those who commit the acts with immediate retribution, up to those who involve themselves
with the roots of nonvirtue, through the appropriate skillful means of steadfast effort
and courage.”

As soon as the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies had finished teaching the
gateway to the Dharma of the skillful means of insight that ripens beings, and the
Blessed One had said those words, the great earth of this trichiliocosm shook in six
ways. A rain of divine flowers fell from the sky, divine music resounded everywhere, and
all the assemblies of gods, gandharvas, and humans began to worship the bodhisattva
Uncovering the Enemies and those bodhisattvas as numerous as all the grains of sand in
the Ganges with magnificent offerings, while reciting the following verses:

“Please reveal the treasury of omniscient wisdom.

Please deliver this teaching for the sake of wisdom.

Wise one, teach us what you have learned.

Sage, begin this insightful discourse.

“Wise one, begin this teaching on the wisdom

You attained in the many millions of realms.

Please show us the path of wisdom that leads the way,

So we may swiftly dwell in the meadows of wisdom.

“Victor, please raise the banner of wisdom

So we may understand the conduct of awakening.

Please give a teaching that is appropriate for us

On space-like, stainless, empty phenomena.

“Teacher, supreme among the highest human beings,

You display utter beauty and splendor,

You overpower the enemy of the afflictions with emptiness,

And you pulverize the views of permanence and annihilation.

“True and good man, you are brave and heroic.

True and good man, you have pacified craving.

You demonstrate tranquility and the pacification of craving.

Victor, teach us this supreme peace.

“Victor, please teach us about emptiness and peace!

Victor, please teach us about emptiness.

Please teach us about emptiness that is adorned with peace

Just as color adorns a conch shell or snow.

“The multitudes of hearers have left this place,

And the highest beings illuminate and adorn it

Like the sun and moon in autumn.

Now, please teach about the path, peace, and emptiness.

“Your voice is sweet and melodious like the voice of Śakra and Brahmā.

Sage, out of your great love for inferior beings,

Please teach us about emptiness.

Free these beings from mental anguish and bring them relief.

“Since you constantly bless those who engage in inferior forms of conduct,

Gaze upon the multitude with your insight and tell us about emptiness and peace.

The beings here have conquered evil, are not stained by the multitude of faults,

And have given up the inferior vehicles.

“Alas, since the range of your virtuous characteristics will one day be gone,

Please tell us now about emptiness and peace.

With your voice as melodious as a peacock, swan, and parrot,

Please destroy the sounds of those who hold corrupt points of view.”

After they praised him with these verses, they tossed blue, pink, red, and
white lotus flowers.

This was the fourth chapter of the Great Vehicle sūtra entitled “The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect
Conduct.”

Chapter 5

Then the bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation of Wisdom manifested
staircases made of divine gold and divine blue beryl for the Blessed One that equaled
the number of storied mansions in which he was not residing. He manifested 84,000 young brahmins on
both sides of those staircases. They were about thirty years old, had voices as
melodious as Brahmā, held parasols with poles made out of gold, and practiced the
religious life. Those young brahmins prostrated to the Blessed One with their palms
together and praised him with the following verses:

“Long ago in this thoroughly afflicted realm, you generated the thought of
awakening,

The primary cause that helps one attain awakening in the course of the afflictions.

You served past victors in order to pacify your afflictions,

And you used afflictions as skillful means. Victor, please come to this place!

“You have abandoned all forms of afflicted conduct,

You always act as a friend for afflicted beings,

And you turn them away from karma and afflictions.

Since you overcome afflictions,

“You pacify their ever-intoxicating vicious afflictions.

You severed the web of afflictions with your own intellect

And permanently liberate beings from the river of the afflictions.

Victor who eradicates the afflictions, please come to this place!

“You reached supreme awakening in this afflicted realm.

You hold the torch of wisdom and reveal liberation

To all beings with diminished understanding.

Please come to this place to pacify afflictions and suffering!

“The light rays of your wisdom reveal liberation,

Your love pervades beings with diminished understanding,

And your wisdom grants beings sight.

Victor, sun of wisdom, please come to this place!

“You liberate many gods and humans with your knowledge,

Though your wisdom contains neither a life force nor persons.

Sage, wise hero, please enter this place,

Practice generosity in this afflicted realm, and teach mindfulness!

“Your supremely beautiful eyes are like the sun and the moon;

Victor, please teach those beings who join their palms toward you!

Sage, please teach so we can attain supreme awakening!

Noble sage, please enter this place and teach!

“Victor, you possess the primary cause of awakening and your vision is
magnificent.

Please explain the knowledge and conduct related to emptiness and acceptance

To those many beings who have arrived here from the four directions!

Victor who grants courage, please remain in this place!”

The Blessed One expressed his consent as soon as the young brahmins had
recounted the Blessed One’s qualities. The sage Seer rose from his seat and at that very moment this entire great buddha realm
shook in six ways. Many gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, kinnaras, and mahoragas rained down
showers of divine flowers everywhere in this Sahā buddha realm. They rained down showers
of divine aloeswood, crape jasmine, and yellow sandalwood, as well as a rain of divine
clothes, ornaments, wish-fulfilling garments, precious gems, pearl necklaces, and
precious substances. They played divine music and exclaimed in a melodious stream, “We
shall listen to this Dharma that has never been taught before! We shall overcome the
domain of the māras! We shall conquer the domain of the afflictions! We shall comprehend
the domain of wisdom! We shall comprehend the path of profound emptiness!”

Then the Blessed One climbed the stairways leading to those storied mansions
and sat on the lion throne that had been arranged for him. All the assemblies that
filled the earth and the sky of this entire Sahā buddha realm fell silent and gazed at
the sage Seer one-pointedly with their palms
joined. When he saw those assemblies filling the earth and the sky of this entire buddha
realm, the Blessed One uttered the following verses:

“Since all the beings who have assembled here

Wish for awakening and seek the Dharma,

I will teach the supreme conduct of awakening;

Listen to all these teachings with single-pointed focus!

“Some beings are obscured by delusion and craving

And do not give up the views related to the aggregates.

Furthermore, some strive for the supreme conduct of awakening

And experience just a few qualities for their persistent efforts.

“Those who do not regard the six sense faculties as empty,

And cling to the apprehender that lacks characteristics as a self,

May make some effort to attain awakening,

But they will never experience all the qualities of insight.

“Just as those who want to have a fire in their house

Will not find flames merely by searching for them,

Beings who wish for awakening

Will not gain insight without meditating on emptiness.

“Therefore, all of you who wish for beloved awakening

Must view all the aggregates, the elements, the sense fields,

And marks as similar to dreams and mirages.

This is the supreme path to ultimate awakening!”

The Blessed One then said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, “Noble son, the
bodhisattvas who abide in this acceptance of taming beings with the sky-colored method
of perfect conduct will completely overcome all the domains of the māras, abandoning all
the latent tendencies of craving associated with the notions of ownership and possession and the views
related to ignorance and the absence of marks. They will know that all world systems are
uncontaminated, they will understand the armor of beings, and they will know that the
mind is like an illusion and that feelings are similar to smoke, particles of dust,
space, and clouds. They will know that all marks and characteristics are space-like
elaborations, and they will transcend all roots of virtue. Their karma will be
completely extinguished, they will look after beings, and they will act as friends for
both those who have created roots of virtue and those who have not. They will deliver
all the teachings of the Buddha without obstruction, and they will pulverize all their
opponents as numerous as the sky is vast. They will spread all the teachings of the
Buddha like lions and send forth torrents of great Dharma teachings like a great ocean.
They will have undeluded supernormal faculties and eloquence without attachment, and
they will be praised and glorified. Noble son, from the moment that they have cultivated
this acceptance until their body is brought under control,
and after this, they
will achieve inconceivable buddha qualities.

“Noble son, there are two aspects to this acceptance: the acceptance as a
method of perfect conduct, and the acceptance that tames through being sky-colored.
Noble son, what is the acceptance that is a method of perfect conduct? There are five
aspects to this. What are those five aspects of the acceptance that is a method of
perfect conduct? Forms, feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses. Noble
son, what is the aggregate of form? Noble son, it has eight aspects that a bodhisattva
should think about and analyze correctly. What are those eight aspects, noble son? Forms
are made of the four great elements; forms are diseases; desires have the characteristic
of phenomena that disintegrate; whatever has the nature of disintegrating is
impermanent; it has the nature of insubstantiality, emptiness, and annihilation; and
both inner and outer severe, middling, and minor afflictions are eliminated.
Bodhisattvas cultivate acceptance that has the characteristics of being impermanent,
suffering, lacking a self, and being as empty as the whole of space. This should be
regarded as the bodhisattvas’ acceptance that ripens and looks after beings.

“Furthermore, noble son, forms are made of the four great elements. Noble
son, whether the four great elements are internal, external, big, small, inferior,
blissful, far, or near, they should all be analyzed as not going, not leaving, not
arising, not originating, lacking a self, and without ownership. They should be analyzed
as being extinguished, having the characteristic of tranquility, and being devoid of
concepts, without purpose, without origination, and without marks.

“Since it is the source of extremely subtle particles as well as the body,
one should analyze
the solid inner element of earth. When bodhisattvas analyze a single extremely subtle
particle with subtle special insight, they understand that this single subtle particle
has the same behavior as all the afflictions, which are devoid of characteristics. They
understand that it lacks a self and is free from aspects. They understand that it is
insubstantial, free from words, without apprehension, and free from all spoken sounds.
They understand that it is free from the lack of self, and that it has the
characteristics of Māra. They understand that it is wordless and free from causes and
conditions. They understand that it is insubstantial and free from causes and
conditions. They understand this extremely subtle particle as devoid of characteristics.
Just as they analyze the pacification of all formations in the context of a single
extremely subtle particle using those eight aspects, in the same way they analyze two of
those particles, then three, all the way up to the entire internal body, using each one
of those eight aspects in the same way that they analyze that single extremely subtle
particle. They analyze the earth element of the external body in the same way that they
analyze the internal body in terms of that single extremely subtle particle using these
eight aspects. Proceeding from their lack of characteristics to their lack of
marks, they correctly see all earth elements, whether they be
internal, external, big, small, inferior, blissful, far, or near, as having the quality
of perishing. Whatever perishes is impermanent. Whatever is impermanent is suffering.
Whatever does not arise lacks a self. Whatever is compounded is free from all language
and empty. Since they correctly understand that the external and internal earth elements
are empty, they pacify the severe, middling, and minor afflictions. The earth element
lacks perception and lacks feeling in the same way that space lacks perception and lacks
feeling. This cultivation of the acceptance that it has the characteristics of being
impermanent, suffering, lacking a self, and being empty should also be regarded as the
bodhisattvas’ acceptance that ripens and looks after all beings.

“Furthermore, noble son, with respect to the body, water is anything that has
the characteristic of being moist. Bodhisattvas use special insight to analyze each and
every water element of the internal body in terms of the most minute characteristics of
water in a mere droplet measuring a fraction of the point of one strand of hair. From
the point that they correctly understand that this drop is devoid of the characteristics
of being big, small, inferior, or blissful, and that it is free from all afflictions up
to being without characteristics, and they understand that all formations are completely
pacified in a mere drop, this is how they correctly analyze a single drop of water using
those eight aspects. They correctly analyze each and every drop using those eight
aspects, from one, then two, and up to all of the water elements of the internal body.
Progressing from their lack of characteristics to their lack of marks, they correctly
see the external water elements, whether they be big, small, inferior, blissful, far, or
near, as having the quality of perishing just like the internal water elements. Whatever
has the quality of perishing is impermanent, and it is also not conceptual. Whatever is
not conceptual is also suffering. Whatever does not arise lacks a self. Whatever is
compounded is free from all language and empty. Since they correctly understand that the
external and internal water elements are empty, they pacify the severe, middling, and
minor afflictions. The inner and outer water elements lack abiding and lack elaboration
in the same way that space lacks abiding and lacks elaboration. This cultivation of the
acceptance that they have the characteristic of being impermanent, suffering, empty, and
without a self is the bodhisattvas’ nurturing and ripening of beings. The elaborate
discussions presented here in the contexts of the earth and water elements should also
be applied to the contexts of the fire and air elements.