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Mahāyāna — Northern Canon · Linh Sơn Vietnamese Mahāyāna Canon

大方廣佛華嚴經

Chinese title:大方廣佛華嚴經

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9. CHAPTER NINE: AWAKENING BY RADIANT LIGHT

(Chinese Edition, First Part of Scroll 13)

At that time, from beneath the soles of his two feet, the Blessed One emitted ten billion rays of light that universally illuminated the great trichiliocosm: ten billion Jambudvipas, ten billion Purvavidehas, ten billion Aparagodaniyas, ten billion Uttarakurus, ten billion great oceans, ten billion Cakravada Mountains, ten billion places where bodhisattvas took birth, ten billion places where bodhisattvas left the household life, ten billion places where Tathagatas attained perfect awakening, ten billion places where Tathagatas turned the Dharma wheel, ten billion places where Tathagatas entered nirvana, ten billion Mount Sumerus, ten billion Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings, ten billion Trayastrimsa Heavens, ten billion Yama Heavens, ten billion Tusita Heavens,

ten billion Heavens of Delight in Creation, ten billion Heavens of Mastery over Others’ Creations, ten billion heavens of the First Dhyana, ten billion heavens of the Second Dhyana, ten billion heavens of the Third Dhyana, ten billion heavens of the Fourth Dhyana, and so forth up to ten billion Akanistha Heavens.

All things and scenes throughout the great trichiliocosm were illuminated and made manifest by the radiance of the Blessed One.

Just as here the Blessed One was seen seated upon the Lion Throne of the Lotus Treasury, surrounded by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, so too, in each of the other ten billion Jambudvipas, a Tathagata was seated in the same manner.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each of the ten directions came a great bodhisattva, accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and they assembled where the Buddha dwelt: from the Golden-Colored World in the east came Bodhisattva Manjusri; from the Wondrous-Colored World in the south came Bodhisattva Chief of Awakening; from the Lotus-Colored World in the west came Bodhisattva Chief of Wealth; from the Campaka-Flower-Colored World in the north came Bodhisattva Chief of Jewels; from the Utpala-Flower-Colored World in the northeast came Bodhisattva Chief of Virtue; from the Golden-Colored World in the southeast came Bodhisattva Chief of Vision; from the Jewel-Colored World in the southwest came Bodhisattva Chief of Diligence;

from the Vajra-Colored World in the northwest came Bodhisattva Chief of Dharma; from the Crystal-Colored World below came Bodhisattva Chief of Wisdom; and from the Impartial-Colored World above came Bodhisattva Chief of the Worthy.

Then, throughout all ten billion places of awakening where the Buddhas dwelt, ten billion Bodhisattvas Manjusri simultaneously raised their voices and spoke these verses:

If anyone sees the Buddha,Liberated and free from the outflows,Yet remains attached to the world,That person has not realized the Way.
If anyone knows the Tathagata,Whose essential characteristics have no existence,And cultivates this understanding clearly,That person will swiftly become a Buddha.
If, upon seeing this world,One’s mind remains unmoved,And likewise regarding the Buddha’s body,One will become one of Supreme Wisdom.
If toward the Buddha and the DharmaOne’s mind becomes entirely impartial,And one gives rise to no dualistic thought,One will ascend to the Inconceivable Stage.
If one sees the Buddha and one’s own bodyAs equal and abides in this understanding,With no abiding and nowhere entered,One will become one Difficult to Encounter.
Form and feeling are beyond reckoning;Perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise.If one can know them in this way,One will become the Great Muni.
Views that grasp the worldly and the transcendent—One completely transcends them all,Yet can skillfully know the Dharma;One will become one of Great Radiance.
If toward the Omniscient OneOne brings forth a mind of dedication,And sees that mind has nowhere arisen,One will attain the stage of Great Renown.
Sentient beings have no arising,Nor do they have destruction.If one attains wisdom such as this,One will realize the unsurpassed Way.
Within one, understand the immeasurable;Within the immeasurable, understand one.Clearly knowing their mutual arising,One will attain fearlessness.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond this world throughout the ten directions, illuminating ten lands in each direction. In those lands, all things and scenes, from Jambudvipa up to the Akanistha Heaven, were brilliantly illuminated, and in each was a Buddha seated upon a lion throne just as in this land.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, in each of the ten directions there was a great bodhisattva accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, who assembled where the Buddha dwelt; they were precisely Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others.

Then, before each Tathagata, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

Sentient beings, devoid of wisdom,Are wounded by the poisoned thorn of craving.To rescue them, the BuddhaSought unsurpassed bodhi.
Seeing that all places and all dharmasAre far removed from both extremes,He accomplished the Way and never regressed,Turning the peerless Dharma wheel.
For inconceivable kalpasHe diligently cultivated all practices.To liberate all sentient beings—Such is the power of the Buddha’s vows.
The Guide subdues the armies of Mara,Heroic and surpassed by none.His radiance proclaims the wondrous meaning;Such is his compassion.
With that mind of wisdomHe destroys all afflictive obstructions.In a single thought he beholds everything—Such is the Buddha’s spiritual power.
He sounds the great drum of the true Dharma,Awakening the lands of the ten directions,Causing all to reach bodhi—Such is his power of mastery.
Without destroying boundless realms,He travels through billions of lands.Unimpeded and unattached to any land,His mastery is like the Buddha’s.
The Buddhas are like empty space,Ultimately and forever pure.Recollecting them, one’s heart rejoices,And all one’s vows are fulfilled.
In each and every hell,For immeasurable kalpas,To rescue sentient beings,He patiently endures such suffering.
Never cherishing body or life,He constantly protects the Buddha-Dharma.With no-self and a gentle, well-trained mind,He can attain the Tathagata’s Way.

Then the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond the worlds of the ten directions and throughout one hundred worlds in each direction. In all those worlds, a Tathagata was seated upon a lion throne just as here; and through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each direction came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they approached the Buddha.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

The Buddha knows that dharmas are like illusions,
Comprehending them without obstruction.
His mind is pure, free from craving and attachment,
And he tames all sentient beings.

Some see him at his initial birth,His beautiful form like a golden mountain,Abiding in this, his final body,As the moon-like face of humankind.
Some see the Buddha walking in meditation,Endowed with immeasurable virtues;Mindfulness and wisdom both skillful,He walks with the stride of the Great Lion.
Some see his deep-blue eyesUniversally observing the ten directions;At times he manifests a joyful smileTo accord with the hearts of the multitude.
Some see him roar the lion’s roar,His supreme body beyond compare;Manifesting his final birth,Every word he speaks is true.
Some see him leave the household life,Liberated from every fetter,Cultivating the practices of all Buddhas,Ever delighting in contemplating quiescence.
Some see him seated at the place of awakening,Clearly knowing all dharmas,Having reached the other shore of virtue,With the affliction of delusion exhausted.
Some see the supreme noble being,Perfectly endowed with great compassion,Turning the subtle and wondrous Dharma wheel,Liberating immeasurable sentient beings.
Some see him roar the lion’s roar,His majestic radiance supremely extraordinary,Transcending every world,His spiritual powers unequaled.
Some see his mind serene and still,Like the flame of a lamp wholly extinguished,Yet manifesting every kind of spiritual power—Such is the One Possessing the Ten Powers.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond one hundred worlds and throughout one thousand worlds in each of the ten directions. In these worlds of the ten directions, there was likewise a Buddha dwelling at the place of awakening amid an assembly of bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each of the ten directions came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

The Buddha comprehends the profound Dharma,Without anyone his equal.Sentient beings cannot perceive it,So the Buddha reveals it step by step.
A self-nature has never existed;What belongs to self is likewise empty and still.How, then, could the TathagatasPossess a substantial body?

The Liberated One, perfect in knowledge and conduct,
Has qualities countless, unequaled, and incomparable.
Though all people of the world might measure him,
They could never find a fault.

The Buddha is not any categoryOf skandhas, ayatanas, dhatus, or samsara.Since no enumerated dharma can be established,He is called the Lion among Humans.
The Buddha’s nature is originally empty and still;Within and without, he is liberated,Free from all deluded thoughts—Such is the unequaled Dharma.
The nature of the world is ever unmoving,Without self, coming, or going;Yet he can awaken the worldAnd tame boundless beings.
Ever delighting in contemplating quiescence,Of one characteristic and without duality,The Buddha’s mind neither increases nor diminishes,Yet manifests immeasurable spiritual powers.

He does not create the karmic actions and results
That are the causes and conditions of sentient beings,
Yet he understands them without obstruction—
Such is the Sugata.

All kinds of sentient beingsWander throughout the ten directions.The Tathagata makes no discrimination,Yet liberates boundlessly many kinds.
The golden-colored bodies of the BuddhasFill every land throughout all lands.In accordance with what beings delight in,They expound the Dharma of quiescence.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond one thousand worlds and throughout ten thousand worlds in each of the ten directions. In these worlds, there was likewise a Buddha dwelling at the place of awakening amid an assembly of bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each of the ten directions came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

Bring forth the mind of great compassionAnd rescue all sentient beings,Freeing humans and devas forever—Thus should one act.
Let the heart always trust and delight in the Buddha,And let that mind never regress;Draw near to all Tathagatas—Thus should one act.
Aspire to and delight in the Buddha’s virtues,And let that mind never regress;Abide in the coolness of wisdom—Thus should one act.
In every mode of conduct,Always recollect the Buddha’s virtues,Never ceasing by day or night—Thus should one act.
Contemplate the boundless three periods of time,And learn the virtues of the Buddha,Never growing weary—Thus should one act.
Contemplate the body according to true reality:All is quiescent and extinguished.Free from self and grasping at self—Thus should one act.
Regard sentient beings impartially,Giving rise to no discriminating thought,And enter the realm of truth—Thus should one act.
Lift up all boundless landsAnd drink dry all the oceans;With spiritual powers and the strength of great wisdom—Thus should one act.
Contemplate all lands,Their forms and the formless;Know them all completely—Thus should one act.
In the dust motes of lands throughout the ten directions,Each mote contains a Buddha;Know the number of them all—Thus should one act.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond ten thousand worlds and throughout one hundred thousand worlds in each of the ten directions. In each, a Buddha dwelt at the place of awakening amid an assembly of bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each direction came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

If through majesty, physical form, or lineageOne seeks to see the World-Taming One,This is diseased vision that sees invertedly;Such a person does not know the supreme Dharma.

The Tathagata’s form, shape, and excellent marks
Cannot be measured by any being in the world.
Though they ponder for billions of nayutas of kalpas,
His marks, radiance, and majesty become ever more boundless.

The Tathagata does not take marks as his essence;
His essence is the signless Dharma of quiescence.
Yet his bodily marks and dignified conduct are complete,
And all in the world may see him as they delight.

The subtle, wondrous Buddha-Dharma is difficult to fathom;
No speech can reach it.
It is neither compounded nor uncompounded;
Its essential nature is quiescent, without characteristics.

The Buddha’s body is unborn, beyond conceptual proliferation;
It is neither an aggregate of skandhas nor differentiated dharmas.
Having attained mastery, he sees decisively;
His fearless activity is beyond words.

Body and mind are both impartial;Within and without, he is liberated.For many kalpas he abides in right mindfulness,Unattached and unfettered.
His mind is pure and luminous;His conduct is undefiled and unattached.The eye of wisdom reaches everywhere,Vastly benefiting sentient beings.
One body is immeasurable bodies;Immeasurable bodies are again one.Clearly knowing all worlds,He manifests forms everywhere.
This body comes from nowhere,Nor is it accumulated anywhere.Because sentient beings discriminate,They see the Buddha as having many bodies.
The mind discriminates the world,Yet this mind has no existence.The Tathagata knows this Dharma;Thus should one behold the Buddha’s body.

At that time, the Blessed One’s radiance shone beyond one hundred thousand worlds and throughout one million worlds in each of the ten directions. In each, a Buddha dwelt at the place of awakening amid an assembly of bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each direction came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

The Tathagata is utterly sovereign,Transcending the world and depending on nothing.Endowed with every virtue,He liberates beings throughout all lands.
Neither defiled nor attached,Without conception or dependence,His essential nature cannot be measured;Whoever sees him offers praise.
His radiance is universally pure,And every stain is washed away.Unmoving and free from both extremes—This is the Tathagata’s wisdom.

When body and mind are free from discrimination,
Then, regarding all dharmas,
One is forever freed from doubt and obstruction.

Throughout all worlds,Everywhere he turns the Dharma wheel.There is no nature and nothing turned;The Guide speaks through skillful means.

Regarding the Dharma, he has neither doubt nor error,
Having utterly ended all conceptual proliferation.
He gives rise to no discriminating thought—
This is mindfulness of the Buddha’s bodhi.

Clearly knowing the distinctions among dharmas,He does not cling to words.There is neither one nor many—This accords with the Buddha’s teaching.
Within the many there is no single nature;Within the one there are not many.Abandoning both in this way,One universally enters the Buddha’s virtues.
Sentient beings and landsAre all quiescent and extinguished,Without dependence or discrimination;Thus one enters the Buddha’s bodhi.
Sentient beings and lands—Neither their sameness nor difference can be found.Skillfully contemplating in this wayIs to know the meaning of the Buddha-Dharma.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond one million worlds and throughout one hundred million worlds in each of the ten directions. In each, a Buddha dwelt amid an assembly of bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each direction came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

His wisdom is unequaled, his Dharma boundless;
He has crossed the sea of outflows to the other shore.
His lifespan and radiance are both incomparable—
Such is the skillful power of the Virtuous One.

He clearly comprehends all Buddha-Dharmas,
Constantly contemplating the three periods without weariness.
Though engaging with realms, he makes no discrimination—
Such are the skillful means of the Inconceivable One.

He delights in contemplating that beings are originally unborn,
And universally sees that all kinds are originally no kinds.
Ever abiding in serene dhyana, free from bondage—
Such are the skillful means of Unobstructed Wisdom.

Skillfully comprehending all dharmas,
With right mindfulness he diligently cultivates the path of nirvana.
Delighting in liberation, free from all disparity—
Such are the skillful means of the Quiescent One.

He can exhort others toward the Buddha’s bodhi
And bring them to omniscience, like the dharmadhatu.
He skillfully teaches beings to enter the truth—
Such are the skillful means of one abiding in the Buddha-mind.

He accords with every Dharma taught by the Buddha;
His vast wisdom is unobstructed.
In every place where he practices, he advances—
Such are the Sovereign One’s skillful means of cultivation.

Ever abiding in nirvana like empty space,
He manifests everywhere in accord with beings’ minds.
Depending upon the signless, he makes appearances—
Such are the skillful means of one who reaches the difficult-to-reach.

Light and darkness, days, months, years, and kalpas;
The beginnings and ends of worlds, their formation and destruction—
He clearly knows every recollection of these;
Such are the skillful means of Wisdom Knowing Times and Numbers.

All sentient beings have arising and cessation,
Form and formlessness, perception and non-perception;
He clearly knows every name for them—
Such are the skillful means of the Inconceivable One.

Past, present, and future—He clearly understands every form of speech,Yet knows the three periods to be equal—Such are the skillful means of Incomparable Understanding.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond one hundred million worlds and throughout one billion worlds in each of the ten directions. In each, a Buddha dwelt at the place of awakening amid bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each direction came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri simultaneously raised his voice and spoke these verses:

He cultivates every great and difficult ascetic practice,
Diligent day and night, never weary or lax.
Having crossed what is difficult to cross, he roars the lion’s roar;
Universally liberating sentient beings is the Buddha’s practice.

Sentient beings wander in the ocean of craving,Covered by ignorance and oppressed by suffering.The Supreme One courageously eradicates it all;Such a solemn vow is the Buddha’s practice.

The world is heedless, intoxicated by the five desires,
Suffering through erroneous discrimination.
Practicing the Buddha’s teaching, he gathers in the mind;
Vowing to liberate sentient beings is the Buddha’s practice.

Sentient beings grasp at self and enter samsara,
Unable to reach its furthest limit.
He serves all Buddhas and attains the wondrous Dharma;
Teaching it for their sake is the Buddha’s practice.

Sentient beings are forsaken, surrounded by illness and pain,
Ever drifting through evil destinies and giving rise to the three poisons;
Great, blazing flames continually consume them.
Purifying his mind to awaken them is the Buddha’s practice.

Sentient beings, deluded, have lost the right path,
Ever following crooked roads into a dark house.
For their sake he lights the lamp of the true Dharma,
Forever illuminating them—this is the Buddha’s practice.

Sentient beings sink and drift in the sea of outflows,
Its shoreless suffering and sorrow offering no refuge.
For their sake he prepares the great ship of Dharma,
Causing all to escape suffering—this is the Buddha’s practice.

Sentient beings, ignorant, do not see the source;
Deluded and maddened, they face peril and distress.
The Buddha, pitying them, builds the bridge of Dharma,
Causing them to abide in right mindfulness—this is the Buddha’s practice.

Seeing sentient beings upon perilous roads,Ever oppressed by aging, illness, and death,He cultivates immeasurable skillful means,Vowing to liberate them all—this is the Buddha’s practice.

Hearing the Dharma, he believes and understands without doubt,
Realizing its empty, quiescent nature without fear.
Taking forms throughout the six destinies and ten directions,
He universally rescues the deluded multitudes—this is the Buddha’s practice.

At that time, the Buddha’s radiance shone beyond one billion worlds and throughout ten billion worlds, one hundred billion, one trillion, ten trillion, one hundred trillion, a billion nayutas, ten billion nayutas, one hundred billion nayutas, one trillion nayutas, and onward to worlds without number, measure, boundary, equality, countability, appellation, conception, estimation, or description—throughout the dharmadhatu and the realm of empty space, encompassing all worlds in the ten directions. In each world, every thing and scene from Jambudvipa up to the Akanistha Heaven was made manifest. In every Jambudvipa, a Buddha dwelt at the place of awakening amid an assembly of bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, from each direction came a great bodhisattva—Bodhisattva Manjusri and the others—accompanied by bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in ten Buddha-lands, and together they assembled where the Buddha dwelt.

Then, before each Buddha, Bodhisattva Manjusri raised his voice and spoke these verses:

In a single thought he contemplates immeasurable kalpas,
Without going, coming, or abiding.
Thus he clearly knows the affairs of the three periods,
Transcends skillful means, and perfects the Ten Powers.

Peerless throughout the ten directions, of splendid great renown,
Forever free from all conditioned practices, he constantly rejoices.
He goes everywhere throughout all lands
And proclaims this Dharma for beings.

To benefit sentient beings, he makes offerings to the Buddhas;
According to his aspirations, he attains corresponding fruits.
He accords with and knows all dharmas,
Manifesting spiritual powers throughout the ten directions.

When first making offerings to the Buddhas, his mind is gentle;
He enters great meditative concentration and contemplates the Dharma-nature.
He universally exhorts sentient beings to bring forth the mind of the Way,
And thereby swiftly attains the unsurpassed fruit.

Seeking the Dharma throughout the ten directions, his resolve never changes;
He cultivates virtues until they are complete.
He utterly eliminates the two characteristics of existence and nonexistence;
Such a person sees the Buddha in accord with truth.

Traveling throughout the lands of the ten directions,
He extensively teaches the wondrous Dharma and brings benefit.
Abiding in the limit of reality, he remains unmoved;
The virtues of such a person equal those of the Buddha.

The subtle, wondrous Dharma wheel taught by the Buddha
Consists entirely of factors of bodhi.
If, after hearing it, one awakens to the Dharma-nature,
Such a person constantly beholds the Buddha.

One who does not see the Ten Powers as illusory
May see, yet sees no more than one who is blind.
Discriminating and grasping at characteristics, one does not see the Buddha;
Only when grasping is utterly abandoned does one see the Buddha.

Sentient beings differ according to their karma;
Throughout the ten directions, within and without, they are difficult to see exhaustively.
The Buddha’s unobstructed body pervades the ten directions;
Likewise, it cannot be seen exhaustively.

Just as immeasurable lands within the realm of space
Neither come nor go, yet pervade the ten directions,
Arising, forming, ceasing, and perishing without dependence,
So too does the Buddha pervade empty space.

10. CHAPTER TEN: THE BODHISATTVAS ASK FOR ILLUMINATION

(Chinese Edition, Latter Part of Scroll 13)

At that time, Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Awakening, “Disciple of the Buddha! Since the nature of mind is fundamentally one, why are all kinds of differences perceived? Namely:

“Some go to wholesome paths and others to evil destinies; their faculties and bodies may be complete or deficient; their modes of birth may be the same or different; they may be beautiful or ugly, joyful or suffering. Karma does not know the mind, nor does the mind know karma. Experience does not know its result, nor does the result know the experience. Mind does not know experience, nor does experience know mind. A cause does not know its conditions, nor do conditions know their cause. Cognition does not know its object, nor does the object know cognition.”

Bodhisattva Chief of Awakening replied in verse:

You now ask about this meaningTo awaken the deluded multitude.According to its true nature, I shall answer;Please listen attentively.
Dharmas perform no action,Nor do they possess an essential nature.Therefore all dharmasAre unable to know one another.
Like water within a river,Where many currents race along,None of them knows the others;All dharmas are likewise.
Or like a mass of fireSimultaneously sending forth great flames,None of them knows the others;All dharmas are likewise.
Or like a great wind blowingAnd stirring all external things,None of them knows the others;All dharmas are likewise.
Or like the elements of earth,Which in succession depend upon one another;All dharmas are likewise.
Eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body,Mind and intellect—the six sensory faculties—Through these, beings constantly revolve,Yet there is no agent that revolves.
The Dharma-nature is fundamentally unborn;Within it there is no agent of manifestation,Nor any object that is manifested.
Eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body,Mind and intellect—the six sensory faculties—Are all empty and without nature,Existing only through deluded discrimination.
When contemplated according to true principle,All are seen to be without nature.The inconceivable Dharma-eye—This is true vision.
Whether deluded or not deluded,Whether real or unreal,Worldly or transcendent—These are merely conventional expressions.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Wealth, “Disciple of the Buddha! How does the Tathagata accord with the time, lifespan, body, conduct, understanding, speech, inclinations, skillful means, thought, and contemplation of sentient beings, manifesting a Buddha-body to teach and tame them?”

Bodhisattva Chief of Wealth replied in verse:

This is the realm of oneLearned and delighting in quiescence.I shall now answer you;Please listen attentively.
Discerningly contemplate the inner body:What within it is the self?If one understands in this way,One knows that the self is empty.
This body is a provisional construction;Its place of abiding is nowhere.One who truly knows this bodyClings to nothing within it.
Skillfully contemplating the body,One clearly sees everything,Knows all dharmas to be false and illusory,And gives rise to no discriminating thought.
Through what cause does life exist,And through what cause does it disperse?It is like a whirling firebrand,Whose beginning and end cannot be known.
The wise contemplateThat whatever has characteristics is impermanent;All dharmas are empty and without self,Forever free from every characteristic.
All results arise according to karma,False and deceptive like a dream,Constantly ceasing and disintegrating;As before, so too afterward.
All dharmas perceived in the worldAre governed solely by the mind.According to their understanding, beings grasp at characteristics,Inverted and contrary to truth.
All discourses in the worldArise entirely from discrimination.Never has a single dharmaEntered the Dharma-nature.

The powers of apprehending subject and apprehended object
Produce the characteristics of dharmas.
They swiftly cease, never remaining even briefly;
Thus it is in thought after thought.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Jewels, “Disciple of the Buddha! All sentient beings alike possess the four great elements and are without self or anything belonging to self. Why, then, are there differences such as suffering and happiness, goodness and evil, preference for the inner or the outer, receiving little yet enjoying much, and results experienced either in the present or in the future? Yet within the dharmadhatu there is neither goodness nor evil.”

Bodhisattva Chief of Jewels replied in verse:

According to the karma that has been created,Corresponding results arise.Yet there is no creator at all—This is the teaching of the Buddhas.
Like a bright, spotless mirrorThat, according to the objects before it,Reflects different images,The nature of karma is likewise.
Like seeds sown in a field—Though none knows the others,Plants naturally spring forth;The nature of karma is likewise.
Like a skilled illusionistStanding at a crossroadsAnd displaying many forms,The nature of karma is likewise.
Like a mechanical wooden figureThat can produce various sounds,Though it has no self or anything belonging to self,The nature of karma is likewise.
Like birds that fly,Hatched from eggs,Yet whose calls are all different,The nature of karma is likewise.
Like within a womb,Where the faculties and body are fully formed,Though their essential characteristics come from nowhere,The nature of karma is likewise.
Or like the many sufferingsExperienced within the hells,Which all come from nowhere,The nature of karma is likewise.
Like a wheel-turning kingPossessing the seven treasures,Whose arrival is from nowhere,The nature of karma is likewise.
Or like the worldsWhen consumed by the great conflagration:That fire comes from nowhere;The nature of karma is likewise.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Virtue, “Disciple of the Buddha! What the Tathagata awakens to is only the single Dharma. Why, then, is it said that he teaches immeasurable dharmas, manifests immeasurable lands, transforms immeasurable multitudes, proclaims immeasurable sounds, displays immeasurable bodies, knows immeasurable minds, manifests immeasurable spiritual powers, can cause immeasurable worlds everywhere to quake, displays immeasurable supremely magnificent adornments, and reveals boundlessly many kinds of realms? Yet within the Dharma-nature, none of these differentiated characteristics can be apprehended.”

Bodhisattva Chief of Virtue replied in verse:

The meaning of the disciple of the Buddha’s question
Is extremely profound and difficult to understand.
The wise who know this meaning
Always accumulate the Buddha’s virtues.

Just as earth has only one nature,Yet all beings dwell in different places,While the earth thinks neither of sameness nor difference,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Just as one great oceanRaises thousands and millions of waves,While the water of the ocean remains one,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Just as wind has a single natureYet moves all things,While the wind thinks neither of sameness nor difference,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Just as great thundercloudsRain everywhere,While the rainwater remains undifferentiated,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Just as the earthGives rise to many sprouts,While the earth itself is only one,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
The sun, unobscured by clouds,Shines throughout the ten directions,While its radiance makes no distinction;So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Like the moon high above,Seen from every place,While the moon remains in a single location,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Like the Great Brahma King,Who manifests throughout the great trichiliocosmWhile his own body remains undifferentiated,So too is the Dharma of the Buddhas.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Vision, “Disciple of the Buddha! The Tathagata’s field of merit is uniformly one and without distinction. Why, then, are sentient beings who give seen to receive different results, namely:

“Many kinds of physical form, many kinds of bodies, many kinds of faculties, many kinds of homes, many kinds of masters, many kinds of retinues, many kinds of official positions, many kinds of virtues, and many kinds of wisdom?

“Yet toward them, the Buddha’s mind is always impartial, without any conception of distinction.”

Bodhisattva Chief of Vision replied in verse:

Just as the earth is uniformly one,
Yet different sprouts grow according to the seeds,
While the earth has no thought of closeness or estrangement,
So too is the Buddha’s field of merit.

Again, like water with a single tasteThat differs according to its vessels,The Buddha’s field of merit remains one,Yet results differ because of people’s minds.
Like a skillful illusionistWho makes everyone rejoice,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Causing sentient beings to revere and delight in it.
Like a wise and capable kingWho brings joy to his people,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Causing all beings to dwell in peace and happiness.
Like a bright, spotless mirrorThat reflects images according to their forms,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit:Different results are attained according to the mind.
Like the medicine agada,Which cures every poison,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Ending every afflictive calamity.
Like the rising sunThat illuminates the entire world,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Dispelling all darkness.
Like the bright full moonThat shines throughout the great earth,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Impartial toward everyone.
Like the vairambha windThat shakes the entire great earth,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Stirring sentient beings throughout the three realms.
Like a great fire arisingAnd burning all things,So too is the Buddha’s field of merit,Burning away all conditioned things.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Diligence, “Disciple of the Buddha! The Buddha’s teaching is one, and sentient beings see and understand it. Why, then, do they not all immediately end every affliction and fetter and attain liberation? Yet among sentient beings, the five skandhas of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness; ignorance; and craving are all without distinction. Thus, does the Buddha’s teaching benefit some sentient beings but not others?”

Bodhisattva Chief of Diligence replied in verse:

Disciple of the Buddha, listen well;I shall now answer truthfully.Some attain liberation swiftly,While others find escape difficult.
If one wishes to eradicateImmeasurable faults and evils,Then within the Buddha-DharmaOne should always practice with courageous diligence.
Just as a tiny flameQuickly goes out when burning damp wood,So too, within the Buddha-Dharma,Is a person who is indolent.
Like rubbing wood to kindle fire,Then stopping before it ignites,So that the heat immediately dies away,So too is a person who is indolent.
Like one who holds a sun-crystalBut does not use anything to receive its focused light,And therefore can never produce fire,So too is a person who is indolent.
Like a child who closes both eyesAgainst the exceedingly brilliant sunlightAnd then says that nothing can be seen,So too is a person who is indolent.
Like one without hands or feetWho wishes to use grass as arrowsAnd shoot them through the entire great earth,So too is a person who is indolent.
Like using the tip of a single hairIn hopes of dipping the great ocean dry,So too is a person who is indolent,Unable to end delusion and karma.
Again, like wishing to extinguishThe conflagration at the end of a kalpa with a little water,So too, within the Buddha-Dharma,Is a person who is indolent.
Like one who gazes into empty space,Sitting still without moving,Yet claims to fly everywhere,So too is a person who is indolent.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Dharma, “Disciple of the Buddha! As the Buddha has taught: If sentient beings receive and uphold the true Dharma, they can eliminate all afflictions.

“Why, then, are some who receive and uphold the true Dharma still turned about by the power of greed, anger, delusion, and pride, and by the power of concealment, wrath, resentment, jealousy, stinginess, deceit, flattery, and so forth, which never leave their minds? Why do those who can receive and uphold the Dharma still give rise to afflictions within the activities of their minds?”

Bodhisattva Chief of Dharma replied in verse:

Disciple of the Buddha, listen wellTo the true meaning of your question:It is not through mere learningThat one can enter the Buddha-Dharma.
Like one drifting in a currentWho fears drowning yet dies of thirst,So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like one before a feastWho does not eat and therefore remains hungry,So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like one skilled in medical formulasWho cannot cure his own illness,So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like one who counts precious jewelsYet remains impoverished,So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like one who dwells in a royal palaceYet suffers hunger and cold,So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like a deaf person who performs music:Others hear it, but he does not.So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like a blind person who paints images:Others see them, but he does not.So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like a navigatorWho dies within the sea,So too is one learned in the DharmaWho does not practice it.
Like one at a crossroadsWho lectures on virtuous conductYet possesses no genuine virtue himself,So too is one who does not practice.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of Wisdom, “Disciple of the Buddha! Within the Buddha-Dharma, wisdom is supreme above all. Why, then, does the Buddha sometimes praise giving and keeping the precepts, or praise patience, diligence, meditative concentration, wisdom, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, and so forth for sentient beings, instead of employing only one Dharma through which they may attain liberation and realize immeasurable perfect awakening?”

Bodhisattva Chief of Wisdom replied in verse:

Disciple of the Buddha, you are exceedingly rare,
For you clearly know the minds of sentient beings.
Please listen as I answer
The meanings of your questions.

The Buddhas of the past,The present, and the futureHave never taught that through a single DharmaThe fruit of the Way may be realized.
The Buddha knows the minds of sentient beings,Whose natures and dispositions are all different.According to what they are able to receive,He teaches them the Dharma accordingly.
For the greedy, he encourages giving;For wrongdoers, he praises moral discipline.For those of much anger, he encourages patience;For the indolent, he encourages diligence.

Those with distracted minds must cultivate concentration;
The foolish must develop wisdom.
The unkind must cultivate loving-kindness;
Those inclined to anger and harm are urged to develop compassion.

For the sorrowful, he praises sympathetic joy;For those who cling, he praises equanimity.Cultivating progressively in this way,They gradually perfect all Buddha-Dharmas.
Just as a foundation is laid firstAnd only afterward is a house built,So too are giving and moral disciplineThe roots of the bodhisattva’s practice.
Like constructing a fortified cityTo protect its people,So too do patience and diligenceGuard the bodhisattvas.
Like a king of great powerUpon whom the entire nation relies,So too are concentration and wisdomThe support of bodhisattvas.
Like a wheel-turning kingWho bestows happiness upon humankind,So loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimityBring happiness to bodhisattvas.

Then Bodhisattva Manjusri asked Bodhisattva Chief of the Worthy, “Disciple of the Buddha! All Buddhas attain liberation through only one path. Why, then, do we now see so many differences among all Buddha-lands, namely:

“Their worlds, realms of sentient beings, teaching of Dharma, methods of taming, lifespans, radiance, spiritual powers, assemblies, doctrines, duration of the Dharma, and so forth are all different.

“Yet no Buddha attains unsurpassed bodhi without being endowed with all Buddha-Dharmas.”

Bodhisattva Chief of the Worthy replied in verse:

Venerable one, the Dharma is ever thus:The Dharma King’s Dharma is solely one.All TathagatasAttain liberation through one path.
The bodies of all Buddhas are but one Dharma-body,One mind and one wisdom;Their powers and fearlessnessesAre likewise the same.
According to the minds of dedicationThey brought forth before reaching bodhi,Such are the lands they attain,Their assemblies and their teachings of Dharma.
All Buddha-landsAre perfectly adorned.According to sentient beings’ differing practices,They are seen as dissimilar.
Buddha-lands and Buddha-bodies,Assemblies and discourses—Such Buddha-DharmasSentient beings cannot perceive.
Only those whose minds are purifiedAnd whose practices and vows are fulfilled—Those of such clear understanding—Can behold these things.
According to sentient beings’ inclinationsAnd the power of their karmic results,They perceive such differencesThrough the Buddha’s majestic spiritual power.
Buddha-lands have no distinctions,Neither aversion nor affection.Only according to the minds of sentient beingsAre such differences perceived.
Therefore, within the worlds,What is seen differs in every case;This is not a fault of the Tathagatas,The Great Sages.
Throughout all worlds,Those who are ready to be taughtCan always behold the Blessed One;Such is the Dharma of the Buddhas.

Then the bodhisattvas said to Bodhisattva Manjusri, “Disciple of the Buddha! We have each explained our own understanding. We now ask you, with your wondrous eloquence, to proclaim the realms of the Tathagata:

“What is the realm of the Buddha? What is the cause of the Buddha’s realm? What is the entry into the Buddha’s realm? What is the wisdom of the Buddha’s realm? What is the Dharma of the Buddha’s realm? What is the speech of the Buddha’s realm? What is the understanding of the Buddha’s realm? What is the realization of the Buddha’s realm? What is the manifestation of the Buddha’s realm? What is the vastness of the Buddha’s realm?”

Bodhisattva Manjusri replied in verse:

The Tathagata’s realm is profound;Its measure pervades empty space.All sentient beings enter it,Yet in truth there is nowhere entered.
The Tathagata’s realm is profound;Its many causes are supremely wondrous.Though proclaimed continually for billions of kalpas,They still could never be exhausted.

According to the wisdom of their own minds,
He exhorts and advances all, bringing them benefit.

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Translation source: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng KinhLicense: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng Kinh (Việt dịch) · nguồn: rongmotamhon.net (Liên Phật Hội) · EN: AI translation from Vietnamese source, awaiting source English🪷 Ask Inti Sage about this sūtra →

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