大方廣佛華嚴經

33. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: THE INCONCEIVABLE DHARMAS OF THE BUDDHAS

(Chinese Edition, Fascicles 46 Through 47)

At that time, in the great assembly, the bodhisattvas thought:

In what way are the lands of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way are the original vows of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way are the lineages of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way are the appearances of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way are the bodies of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way are the voices of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way is the wisdom of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way is the mastery of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way is the unobstructedness of the Buddhas inconceivable?

In what way is the liberation of the Buddhas inconceivable?

At that time, the Blessed One knew the thoughts of the bodhisattvas. He therefore empowered them through his spiritual might, gathered them in through wisdom, illuminated them with light, and filled them with his majestic power, enabling the Bodhisattva Treasury of Blue Lotuses to abide in the fearlessness of a Buddha, enter the Dharma-realm of the Buddhas, attain the majestic spiritual powers and mastery of a Buddha, attain a Buddha’s vast and unobstructed contemplation, know the successive lineages of all Buddhas, and abide in the ineffable skillful means of the Buddhadharma.

The Bodhisattva Treasury of Blue Lotuses was then able to penetrate the unobstructed Dharma-realm, abide in profound practices free from impediments, fulfill Samantabhadra’s great vows, and see and know all the dharmas of the Buddhas. Contemplating sentient beings with great compassion, he wished to enable them to cultivate purity and diligence without weariness or indolence, to accept and practice all bodhisattva dharmas, to give rise to Buddha-wisdom in a single thought, and to comprehend all the inexhaustible gateways of wisdom. Fully endowed with dharanis and eloquence, and relying upon the spiritual might of the Buddhas, he said to the Bodhisattva Lotus Treasury:

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have immeasurable abodes. Namely, they constantly abide in great compassion; abide in manifold bodies while performing the works of a Buddha; abide in an impartial mind while turning the pure Dharma-wheel; abide in the four kinds of eloquence while teaching immeasurable dharmas; abide in all the inconceivable Buddhadharmas; abide in pure voices that pervade immeasurable lands; abide in the ineffable and extremely profound Dharma-realm; abide in manifesting all supreme spiritual powers; and abide in skillfully revealing the ultimate, unobstructed Dharma.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, possess ten kinds of dharmas that pervade the immeasurable and boundless Dharma-realm:

“First, all Buddhas have pure physical forms and characteristics extending beyond all bounds; they enter all lands universally without attachment or defilement.

“Second, all Buddhas have unobstructed eyes extending beyond all bounds, capable of clearly seeing all dharmas.

“Third, all Buddhas have unobstructed ears extending beyond all bounds, capable of thoroughly understanding all sounds.

“Fourth, all Buddhas have noses extending beyond all bounds and can freely reach the other shore of all the Buddhas’ qualities.

“Fifth, all Buddhas have broad and long tongues that emit sublime voices pervading the Dharma-realm.

“Sixth, all Buddhas have bodies extending beyond all bounds and, in accord with the minds of sentient beings, enable them all to behold those bodies.

“Seventh, all Buddhas have minds extending beyond all bounds and abide in the impartial, unobstructed Dharma-body.

“Eighth, all Buddhas have unobstructed liberations extending beyond all bounds and manifest the inexhaustible power of great spiritual abilities.

“Ninth, all Buddhas have pure worlds extending beyond all bounds. According to the inclinations of sentient beings, they manifest Buddha-lands fully adorned with immeasurable varieties of ornaments, yet remain unattached within them.

“Tenth, all Buddhas have bodhisattva practices and vows extending beyond all bounds. Having attained perfect wisdom and playful mastery, they can fully penetrate all Buddhadharmas.

“These are the ten boundless Buddhadharmas of the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, which pervade the Dharma-realm.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten kinds of wisdom that arise thought after thought:

“First, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest descent from the heavenly realms in immeasurable worlds.

“Second, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest the birth of bodhisattvas in immeasurable worlds.

“Third, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest leaving the household life and studying the Way in immeasurable worlds.

“Fourth, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest attaining Perfect Enlightenment beneath the bodhi tree in immeasurable worlds.

“Fifth, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest turning the sublime Dharma-wheel in immeasurable worlds.

“Sixth, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest teaching sentient beings and making offerings to the Buddhas in immeasurable worlds.

“Seventh, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest ineffably many kinds of Buddha-bodies in immeasurable worlds.

“Eighth, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest in immeasurable worlds the manifold and countless adornments of the Tathagata’s treasury of omniscience and mastery.

“Ninth, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest immeasurable and countless purified sentient beings in immeasurable worlds.

“Tenth, in a single thought, all Buddhas can manifest in immeasurable worlds the Buddhas of the three times, beings of manifold faculties and dispositions, manifold forms of diligence, and manifold practices and understandings, attaining Perfect Enlightenment throughout the three times.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten things for which the proper time is never missed:

“First, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to attain Perfect Enlightenment.

“Second, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to bring all those with affinities to maturity.

“Third, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to bestow predictions upon bodhisattvas.

“Fourth, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to manifest spiritual powers according to the minds of sentient beings.

“Fifth, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to manifest Buddha-bodies according to the understanding of sentient beings.

“Sixth, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to abide in great equanimity.

“Seventh, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to enter villages and settlements.

“Eighth, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to gather in sentient beings of pure disposition.

“Ninth, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to subdue evil sentient beings.

“Tenth, all Buddhas never miss the proper time to manifest the inconceivable spiritual powers of a Buddha.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten incomparable and inconceivable spheres:

“First, when any Buddha sits once in full lotus posture, that sitting pervades immeasurable worlds throughout the ten directions.

“Second, by expounding the meaning of a single phrase, any Buddha can reveal all Buddhadharmas.

“Third, by emitting a single light, any Buddha can universally illuminate all worlds.

“Fourth, within a single body, any Buddha can manifest all bodies.

“Fifth, in a single place, any Buddha can manifest all worlds.

“Sixth, within a single wisdom, any Buddha can decisively comprehend all dharmas without obstruction.

“Seventh, in a single thought, any Buddha can travel throughout the worlds of the ten directions.

“Eighth, in a single thought, any Buddha can manifest the immeasurable majestic virtues of a Tathagata.

“Ninth, in a single thought, any Buddha can universally take as objects the Buddhas and sentient beings of the three times, without confusion of mind.

“Tenth, in a single thought, any Buddha is of one nondual essence with all Buddhas of the three times.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, can give rise to ten kinds of wisdom:

“First, all Buddhas know that all dharmas have nowhere toward which they proceed, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom of vows of dedication.’

“Second, all Buddhas know that all dharmas are bodiless, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom of a pure body.’

“Third, all Buddhas know that all dharmas have originally been nondual, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom capable of awakening.’

“Fourth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas are without self and without sentient being, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that disciplines sentient beings.’

“Fifth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas have originally been signless, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that comprehends all characteristics.’

“Sixth, all Buddhas know that all worlds have neither formation nor destruction, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that comprehends formation and destruction.’

“Seventh, all Buddhas know that all dharmas are without fabrication, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that knows karma and its results.’

“Eighth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas are without verbal expression, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that comprehends verbal expression.’

“Ninth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas are without defilement or purity, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that knows defilement and purity.’

“Tenth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas are without arising or cessation, yet they can give rise to ‘the wisdom that comprehends arising and cessation.’

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten universally penetrating dharmas:

“First, all Buddhas have pure and sublime bodies that universally penetrate the three times.

“Second, all Buddhas are fully endowed with three kinds of mastery and universally teach sentient beings.

“Third, all Buddhas are fully endowed with dharanis and can universally retain all Buddhadharmas.

“Fourth, all Buddhas are fully endowed with the four kinds of eloquence and universally turn every pure Dharma-wheel.

“Fifth, all Buddhas are fully endowed with impartial great compassion and never abandon any sentient being.

“Sixth, all Buddhas are fully endowed with profound meditative concentration and constantly contemplate all sentient beings universally.

“Seventh, all Buddhas are fully endowed with wholesome roots that benefit others and subdue sentient beings without ever ceasing.

“Eighth, all Buddhas are fully endowed with unobstructed minds and can universally abide throughout the entire Dharma-realm.

“Ninth, all Buddhas are fully endowed with unobstructed spiritual power and, in a single thought, universally manifest the Buddhas of the three times.

“Tenth, all Buddhas are fully endowed with unobstructed wisdom and, in a single thought, universally establish the measures of the kalpas of the three times.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten vast dharmas that are difficult to believe and accept:

“First, all Buddhas can eradicate every kind of mara.

“Second, all Buddhas can subdue all followers of non-Buddhist paths.

“Third, all Buddhas can discipline all sentient beings and cause them all to be joyful and delighted.

“Fourth, all Buddhas can travel to every world to teach and guide all kinds of beings.

“Fifth, all Buddhas can realize through wisdom the extremely profound Dharma-realm.

“Sixth, all Buddhas can use a nondual body to manifest bodies filling the worlds.

“Seventh, all Buddhas can use pure voices to bring forth the four kinds of eloquence and teach the Dharma without interruption; whenever beings faithfully accept it, their efforts are never in vain.

“Eighth, all Buddhas can cause Buddhas equal in number to all the fine dust particles in every world to appear from a single pore, without interruption at any time.

“Ninth, within a single mote of dust, all Buddhas can manifest lands equal in number to all the fine dust particles in every world, fully endowed with every kind of supremely sublime adornment. Therein they constantly turn the sublime Dharma-wheel and teach sentient beings, yet the mote of dust does not become larger, nor do the worlds become smaller. They constantly abide in the Dharma-realm through wisdom born of realization.

“Tenth, all Buddhas fully comprehend the pure Dharma-realm and use the light of wisdom to dispel the world’s darkness of delusion, enabling all beings to awaken to and understand the Buddhadharma, follow the Tathagata, and abide in the Ten Powers.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten great virtues that are free from faults and entirely pure:

“First, all Buddhas possess great majestic virtue, free from faults and pure.

“Second, all Buddhas are born into the family of the Tathagatas of the three times, of a well-disciplined and wholesome lineage, free from faults and pure.

“Third, to the limit of the future, the minds of all Buddhas abide nowhere, free from faults and pure.

“Fourth, all Buddhas are attached to none of the dharmas of the three times, free from faults and pure.

“Fifth, all Buddhas know that the many kinds of natures are all one nature and come from nowhere, free from faults and pure.

“Sixth, the merit of all Buddhas throughout the beginningless past and boundless future is inexhaustible and equal to the Dharma-realm, free from faults and pure.

“Seventh, the boundless physical characteristics of all Buddhas pervade the lands of the ten directions, disciplining all sentient beings at the proper time, free from faults and pure.

“Eighth, all Buddhas have attained the four fearlessnesses and are free from every fear. Amid the assemblies they utter the great lion’s roar and clearly discern all dharmas, free from faults and pure.

“Ninth, although all Buddhas have entered nirvana throughout ineffable and yet more ineffable kalpas, sentient beings who hear their names gain immeasurable merit, no different from the merit gained while a Buddha is present, free from faults and pure.

“Tenth, although all Buddhas dwell far away in ineffable and yet more ineffable worlds, if sentient beings single-mindedly maintain right mindfulness, they can all behold them, free from faults and pure.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten things that are ultimately pure:

“First, the ancient great vows of all Buddhas are ultimately pure.

“Second, the observance of pure conduct by all Buddhas is ultimately pure.

“Third, all Buddhas’ freedom from worldly delusions is ultimately pure.

“Fourth, all Buddhas’ adornment of their lands is ultimately pure.

“Fifth, all the retinues of the Buddhas are ultimately pure.

“Sixth, all the lineages of the Buddhas are ultimately pure.

“Seventh, the physical bodies, marks, and excellent characteristics of all Buddhas are ultimately pure.

“Eighth, the undefiled Dharma-bodies of all Buddhas are ultimately pure.

“Ninth, the unobstructed knowledge of all modes possessed by all Buddhas is ultimately pure.

“Tenth, all Buddhas’ liberation and mastery, their completion of what had to be done, and their arrival at the other shore are ultimately pure.

“Disciple of the Buddha! Throughout all worlds and every worldly realm, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, perform ten kinds of Buddha-work:

“First, if sentient beings remember them with concentrated minds, the Buddhas appear before them.

“Second, if sentient beings’ minds are undisciplined, the Buddhas teach the Dharma for their sake.

“Third, if sentient beings can give rise to pure faith, the Buddhas enable them to acquire immeasurable wholesome roots.

“Fourth, if sentient beings can enter the station of Dharma, they manifest direct realization and know every dharma.

“Fifth, they teach sentient beings without ever becoming weary.

“Sixth, they travel among Buddha-lands, coming and going without obstruction.

“Seventh, through great compassion they never abandon any sentient being.

“Eighth, they continually manifest transformation bodies without interruption.

“Ninth, their vast spiritual powers never rest.

“Tenth, abiding in the Dharma-realm, they can contemplate everything universally.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten kinds of inexhaustible oceans of wisdom concerning the Dharma:

“First, the boundless Dharma-bodies of all Buddhas are an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Second, the immeasurable Buddha-works of all Buddhas are an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Third, the sphere of all Buddhas’ Buddha-eye is an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Fourth, the immeasurable, countless, and inconceivable wholesome roots of all Buddhas are an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Fifth, all Buddhas universally rain down the nectar of the sublime Dharma—an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Sixth, all Buddhas praise the virtues of the Buddhas—an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Seventh, the vows and practices formerly cultivated by all Buddhas are an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Eighth, all Buddhas constantly perform Buddha-work to the limit of the future—an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Ninth, all Buddhas clearly know the mental activities of all sentient beings—an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Tenth, all Buddhas are adorned with unsurpassed merit and wisdom—an inexhaustible ocean of wisdom concerning the Dharma.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten constant dharmas:

“First, all Buddhas constantly practice all the paramitas.

“Second, all Buddhas are forever free from delusion concerning all dharmas.

“Third, all Buddhas constantly possess the virtue of great compassion.

“Fourth, all Buddhas constantly possess the Ten Powers.

“Fifth, all Buddhas constantly turn the Dharma-wheel.

“Sixth, all Buddhas constantly manifest the attainment of Perfect Enlightenment for sentient beings.

“Seventh, all Buddhas constantly delight in disciplining all sentient beings.

“Eighth, the minds of all Buddhas constantly maintain right mindfulness of the nondual Dharma.

“Ninth, after teaching sentient beings, all Buddhas constantly manifest entry into nirvana without remainder.

“Tenth, the sphere of all Buddhas is constantly without bounds.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten gateways through which they expound immeasurable things:

“First, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways of liberation for sentient beings.

“Second, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways of practice for sentient beings.

“Third, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways concerning sentient beings’ karma and its results.

“Fourth, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways for transforming sentient beings.

“Fifth, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways for purifying sentient beings.

“Sixth, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways of bodhisattva practices.

“Seventh, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways of bodhisattva vows.

“Eighth, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways concerning the kalpas of formation and destruction of all worlds.

“Ninth, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways through which bodhisattvas, with profound minds, purify Buddha-lands.

“Tenth, all Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways concerning the successive appearances of the Buddhas of the three times during the kalpas of all worlds.

“All Buddhas expound immeasurable gateways to the wisdom of all Buddhas. (1)

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten ways of performing Buddha-work for sentient beings:

“First, all Buddhas manifest physical bodies to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Second, all Buddhas emit sublime voices to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Third, all Buddhas perform Buddha-work for sentient beings through that which they experience.

“Fourth, all Buddhas perform Buddha-work for sentient beings through non-experience.

“Fifth, all Buddhas use earth, water, fire, and wind to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Sixth, through mastery of spiritual power, all Buddhas manifest every sphere that may serve as an object of cognition to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Seventh, all Buddhas use manifold names to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Eighth, all Buddhas use the spheres of the Buddhas to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Ninth, all Buddhas adorn and purify Buddha-lands to perform Buddha-work for sentient beings.

“Tenth, all Buddhas perform Buddha-work for sentient beings through silent quiescence.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten supreme dharmas:

“First, the great vows of all Buddhas are steadfast and cannot be obstructed or destroyed by anything. Whatever they declare, they truly practice; their words are never duplicitous.

“Second, wishing to perfect all virtues, all Buddhas cultivate bodhisattva practices to the end of future kalpas without weariness or indolence.

“Third, wishing to discipline all sentient beings, all Buddhas travel to ineffable and yet more ineffable worlds, never ceasing their work for sentient beings.

“Fourth, toward the two kinds of sentient beings—those who reverently believe and those who slander—the great compassionate minds of all Buddhas regard them impartially and without distinction.

“Fifth, from their first generation of the aspiration until their attainment of Buddhahood, all Buddhas never retreat from the mind of bodhi.

“Sixth, all Buddhas accumulate immeasurable wholesome virtues and dedicate them all to the nature of omniscience, remaining forever unattached to any worldly realm.

“Seventh, while studying the three kinds of karma at the feet of the Buddhas, all Buddhas practice only the practices of a Buddha, not those of the Two Vehicles. They dedicate everything to the nature of omniscience and attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

“Eighth, all Buddhas emit great light. This light impartially illuminates every place and all Buddhadharmas, causing the minds of bodhisattvas to become pure and perfecting their omniscience.

“Ninth, all Buddhas relinquish worldly pleasures without greed or defilement, yet universally vow that beings throughout the world may leave suffering, attain happiness, and be free from all conceptual proliferation.

“Tenth, all Buddhas pity sentient beings who endure manifold sufferings. They preserve the lineage of the Buddhas, journey within the sphere of the Buddhas, escape birth and death, and reach the stage of the Ten Powers.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten ways of abiding without obstruction:

“First, all Buddhas can travel to all worlds, abiding without obstruction.

“Second, all Buddhas can dwell in all worlds, abiding without obstruction.

“Third, all Buddhas can walk, stand, lie down, and sit in all worlds, abiding without obstruction.

“Fourth, all Buddhas can expound the true Dharma in all worlds, abiding without obstruction.

“Fifth, all Buddhas can dwell in the Tushita Heaven in all worlds, abiding without obstruction.

“Sixth, all Buddhas can enter the entire Dharma-realm of the three times, abiding without obstruction.

“Seventh, all Buddhas can sit at every site of enlightenment throughout the Dharma-realm, abiding without obstruction.

“Eighth, thought after thought, all Buddhas can contemplate the mental activities of all sentient beings and teach and discipline them through three gateways of mastery, abiding without obstruction.

“Ninth, with one body, all Buddhas can abide in immeasurable and inconceivable places of the Buddhas, and in every place, to benefit sentient beings, abiding without obstruction.

“Tenth, all Buddhas can reveal the true Dharma spoken by immeasurable Buddhas, abiding without obstruction.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten supreme, unsurpassed adornments:

“All Buddhas are fully endowed with the marks of a great person and the accompanying excellent characteristics. This is the first supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of the body.

“All Buddhas are fully endowed with sixty kinds of voice. Each voice has five hundred aspects, and every aspect is adorned with immeasurable hundreds of thousands of pure voices. Thus, without fear amid all assemblies throughout the Dharma-realm, they can utter the great lion’s roar and expound the extremely profound Dharma and meaning of the Tathagata. No sentient being who hears them fails to rejoice, and all are disciplined according to their faculties and inclinations. This is the second supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of speech.

“All Buddhas are fully endowed with the Ten Powers, the great samadhis, and the eighteen exclusive qualities, which adorn their mental activity. They penetrate every sphere without obstruction, and all Buddhadharmas are adorned by the complete and all-encompassing Dharma-realm. Although the sentient beings of the Dharma-realm have individually different mental activities throughout the three times, the Buddhas clearly perceive them all in a single thought. This is the third supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of mind.

“All Buddhas can emit countless lights. Each light has ineffable nets of light as its retinue and universally illuminates all Buddha-lands, dispels the darkness of every world, and reveals immeasurable Buddhas appearing in the world. Their bodies are all impartial and pure; none of the Buddha-work they perform is in vain, and they can bring sentient beings to the stage of non-retrogression. This is the fourth supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of light.

“Whenever all Buddhas smile, they emit from their mouths hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of asamkhyas of lights. Each light has immeasurable, inconceivable colors and universally illuminates all worlds throughout the ten directions. Amid the great assembly they utter truthful words and bestow predictions of unsurpassed enlightenment upon immeasurable, countless, inconceivable sentient beings. This is the fifth supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the manifestation of a smile free from worldly delusion.

“All Buddhas possess pure and unobstructed Dharma-bodies, have ultimately penetrated all dharmas, and abide in boundless Dharma teachings. Although dwelling in the world, they do not mingle with the worldly. They comprehend the true nature of the world and practice supramundane Dharma. They have severed the path of language and transcended the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus. This is the sixth supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of the Dharma-body.

“All Buddhas possess immeasurable, constant, sublime light, adorned with ineffable and yet more ineffable varieties of forms and colors. It forms a perfect treasury of light and universally illuminates the ten directions without obstruction. This is the seventh supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of constant, sublime light.

“All Buddhas possess boundless sublime forms, lovely sublime forms, pure sublime forms, sublime forms manifested according to the mind, sublime forms that eclipse everything in the three realms, and sublime forms that have reached the unsurpassed other shore. This is the eighth supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of sublime form.

“All Buddhas are born into the lineage of the Buddhas of the three times. They accumulate treasures of goodness that are ultimately pure and faultless, free from the world’s contempt. They are consummately adorned with the supreme pure and sublime practices among all dharmas and fully accomplish the knowledge of all modes. Their lineage is pure and cannot be disparaged by anyone. This is the ninth supreme and unsurpassed adornment: the adornment of lineage.

“All Buddhas adorn their bodies with the power of great loving-kindness. They are ultimately pure and without any craving; bodily activities have forever ceased, and their minds are well liberated. Those who behold them never tire of doing so. With great compassion they rescue and protect every world. They are the foremost field of merit and unsurpassed recipients of offerings. Compassionately benefiting all sentient beings, they cause their immeasurable merit and wisdom to increase. This is the tenth supreme and unsurpassed adornment of a Buddha: the adornment of the virtues of great loving-kindness and great compassion.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have ten masteries:

“All Buddhas attain mastery over every dharma. They thoroughly understand all bodies of phrases and bodies of meanings and expound all dharmas with unobstructed eloquence. This is the first mastery of Dharma.

“All Buddhas never miss the proper time to teach sentient beings. According to beings’ inclinations and aspirations, they teach the true Dharma and discipline them all without interruption. This is the second mastery of Dharma.

“All Buddhas can cause all worlds throughout the infinite realm of space, adorned with immeasurable and countless varieties of ornaments, to quake in six ways. They cause those worlds to rise or descend, become large or small, combine or disperse, without ever harming sentient beings. The sentient beings in those worlds neither perceive nor know this; they harbor no doubt and consider it nothing strange. This is the third mastery of Dharma.

“Through spiritual power, all Buddhas can adorn and purify every world and, in a single thought, universally manifest the adornments of all worlds. Even if these adornments were described for countless kalpas, the description could never be exhausted. They are all free from defilement, pure, and incomparable. All the adornments and purifications of all Buddha-lands are impartially brought into a single land. This is the fourth mastery of Dharma.

“When all Buddhas see one sentient being who should be taught, they prolong their lives for that being through ineffable and yet more ineffable kalpas, even to the limit of the future. They sit in full lotus posture without weariness of body or mind, remain single-mindedly attentive without ever forgetting, and discipline that being through skillful means without missing the proper time. As they act for one sentient being, so too do they act for all sentient beings. This is the fifth mastery of Dharma.

“All Buddhas can travel universally to every world and to every place traversed by all Tathagatas without ever momentarily departing from the entire Dharma-realm. The ten directions are individually distinct. Each direction contains immeasurable oceans of worlds, and each ocean of worlds contains immeasurable world-seeds. Through spiritual power, the Buddhas reach them all in a single thought and turn the pure, unobstructed Dharma-wheel. This is the sixth mastery of Dharma.

“Wishing to discipline all sentient beings, all Buddhas attain unsurpassed enlightenment in each thought. Yet with regard to all Buddhadharmas, they have not awakened in the past, do not awaken in the present, and will not awaken in the future; nor do they abide at the stage of one who still has more to learn. Nevertheless, they see, know, and penetrate everything without obstruction. With immeasurable wisdom and immeasurable mastery, they teach and discipline immeasurable sentient beings. This is the seventh mastery of Dharma.

“All Buddhas can use the eye ayatana to perform the Buddha-work of the ear ayatana; use the ear ayatana to perform the Buddha-work of the nose ayatana; use the nose ayatana to perform the Buddha-work of the tongue ayatana; use the tongue ayatana to perform the Buddha-work of the body ayatana; use the body ayatana to perform the Buddha-work of the mind ayatana; and use the mind ayatana throughout all the manifold mundane and supramundane spheres of every world. Within each sphere they can perform immeasurable and vast Buddha-works. This is the eighth mastery of Dharma.

“Every pore of the bodies of all Buddhas can contain all sentient beings, although each sentient being’s body is equal in size to ineffably many Buddha-lands, without crowding or confinement. With each step, every sentient being can traverse countless worlds, continuing in this way through countless kalpas. They all behold Buddhas appearing in the world, teaching sentient beings, turning the pure Dharma-wheel, and revealing the ineffable true Dharma of the three times. All the sentient beings throughout the realm of space, their bodies of various kinds, their deportment in coming and going, and all the things they delight in and enjoy are fully present, yet remain unobstructed within the pores of a Buddha’s body. This is the ninth mastery of Dharma.

“In a single thought, all Buddhas manifest Buddhas equal in number to the fine dust particles in all worlds. Each Buddha attains Perfect Enlightenment upon a lion throne within a lotus treasury, in a world of vast adornments of myriad sublime lotuses throughout the entire Dharma-realm, and manifests the mastery and spiritual power of the Buddhas. Just as this occurs in the world of vast adornments of myriad sublime lotuses, so too does it occur throughout the entire Dharma-realm, in ineffable and yet more ineffable varieties of adornments, spheres, forms, manifestations, numbers of kalpas, and pure worlds.

Just as this occurs in a single thought, so too, throughout every thought in immeasurable, boundless asamkhya kalpas, they manifest everything in one thought and abide in the immeasurable within one thought, without ever exerting even the slightest effort through skillful means. This is the tenth mastery of Dharma possessed by the Buddhas.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, possess ten immeasurable and inconceivable perfections of the Buddhadharma:

“Every pure mark of every Buddha is fully endowed with a hundred merits.

“All Buddhas fully accomplish every Buddhadharma.

“All Buddhas fully accomplish every wholesome root.

“All Buddhas fully accomplish every virtue.

“All Buddhas can teach all sentient beings.

“All Buddhas can serve as guides for all sentient beings.

“All Buddhas accomplish pure Buddha-lands.

“All Buddhas accomplish the knowledge of all modes.

“All Buddhas accomplish physical bodies adorned with marks and excellent characteristics. Those who behold a Buddha’s body receive benefit, and their encounter is never in vain.

“All Buddhas are fully endowed with the impartial true Dharma of the Buddhas.

“After all Buddhas have completed their Buddha-work, there is none who does not manifest entry into nirvana.

“Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, possess ten kinds of skillful means:

“All Buddhas clearly know that every dharma is free from conceptual proliferation, yet they can reveal the wholesome roots of the Buddhas. This is the first kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas know that all dharmas are entirely beyond seeing; that they do not know one another; that they are neither bound nor released, neither received nor accumulated, and not accomplished; and that they possess ultimate mastery and have reached the other shore. Nevertheless, they truly know every dharma. Without separateness or difference, they attain mastery; without self or appropriation, they do not destroy ultimate reality. Having reached the stage of great mastery, they constantly contemplate the entire Dharma-realm. This is the second kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas have forever transcended all characteristics, and their minds abide nowhere; yet they clearly know everything without confusion or error. Although they know that all characteristics lack intrinsic nature, they can skillfully enter them all precisely in accordance with their nature. They also manifest immeasurable physical bodies, all pure Buddha-lands, and inexhaustible ornamental characteristics, assembling lamps of wisdom to dispel sentient beings’ darkness of delusion. This is the third kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas abide in the Dharma-realm and do not abide in the past, future, or present, because within the nature of suchness there are no characteristics of the three times. Nevertheless, they can expound the appearances in the world of immeasurable Buddhas throughout the three times, enabling those who hear to behold universally the spheres of all Buddhas. This is the fourth kind of skillful means.

“The bodily, verbal, and mental karma of all Buddhas is without fabrication, coming, going, or abiding. They have transcended all enumerated dharmas and reached the other shore of every dharma, yet they serve as a treasury of all dharmas. Endowed with immeasurable wisdom, they thoroughly understand mundane and supramundane dharmas. With unobstructed wisdom, they manifest immeasurable spiritual powers and mastery and discipline all sentient beings throughout the Dharma-realm. This is the fifth kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas know that no dharma can be seen; that dharmas are neither one nor different, neither measurable nor immeasurable; that they do not come from the past; and that they are all without intrinsic nature. Yet this does not contradict worldly dharmas. Within the absence of intrinsic nature, all wise ones see every dharma and attain mastery over them. They extensively teach all dharmas while constantly abiding in true suchness and ultimate nature. This is the sixth kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas know all times within a single period of time. Fully endowed with pure wholesome roots, they enter the stage of certainty without attachment. With regard to all periods—days, months, years, kalpas, formation, and destruction—they neither abide in nor abandon them. Yet they can manifest a day or a night; one day, seven days, half a month, one month, one year, one hundred years, one kalpa, many kalpas, inconceivable kalpas, ineffable kalpas, and even kalpas extending to the limit of the future. They constantly turn the sublime Dharma-wheel for sentient beings without interruption, retreat, or cessation. This is the seventh kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas constantly abide in the Dharma-realm and accomplish immeasurable fearlessnesses of a Buddha, as well as incalculable eloquence, immeasurable eloquence, inexhaustible eloquence, uninterrupted eloquence, boundless eloquence, unique eloquence, unlimited eloquence, truthful eloquence, and eloquence that skillfully reveals all phrases and all dharmas. According to beings’ faculties, dispositions, inclinations, and understandings, they use various Dharma-gateways to teach ineffable and yet more ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of sutras, good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, all of them ultimate. This is the eighth kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas abide in the pure Dharma-realm and know that all dharmas originally have no names: no name of the past, no name of the present, no name of the future, no name of sentient being, no name of non-sentient-being, no name of land, no name of non-land, no name of dharma, no name of non-dharma, no name of virtue, no name of non-virtue, no name of bodhisattva, no name of Buddha, no name of number, no name of non-number, no name of arising, no name of cessation, no name of existence, no name of nonexistence, no name of one, and no name of many.

Why is this? Because the essential nature of all dharmas is ineffable. All dharmas have neither direction nor location.

They cannot be spoken of as joined or dispersed, as one or as many. Sound does not reach them, and language is entirely cut off. Although manifold expressions are conventionally employed, there is nothing to grasp as an object, nothing fabricated, and every false conceptual attachment is left far behind.

Thus they ultimately reach the other shore. This is the ninth kind of skillful means.

“All Buddhas know that the original nature of every dharma is quiescent. Because there is no arising, it is not form. Because there is no conceptual proliferation, it is not feeling.

Because there are no names or enumerations, it is not perception. Because there is no fabrication, it is not volitional formation. Because there is no grasping, it is not consciousness.

Because it enters no locus, it is not an ayatana. Because there is nothing to attain, it is not a dhatu. Yet neither are any dharmas destroyed.

Their original nature does not arise, for it is like space. All dharmas are empty and quiescent, without karmic result, cultivation, accomplishment, or production; neither numbered nor unnumbered; neither existent nor nonexistent; neither arising nor ceasing; neither defiled nor pure; neither entering nor departing; neither abiding nor not abiding; neither disciplined nor undisciplined; neither sentient beings nor non-sentient-beings; neither living beings nor non-living-beings; neither causes and conditions nor without causes and conditions.

Nevertheless, the Buddhas can clearly know sentient beings who are definitely established in rightness, definitely established in wrongness, or not definitely established. They teach them the sublime Dharma, enabling them to reach the other shore, accomplish the Ten Powers and the four fearlessnesses, utter the lion’s roar, become fully endowed with omniscience, and abide in the sphere of the Buddhas. This is the tenth kind of skillful means possessed by the Buddhas.”