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Sūtra 36 (posted 11/2012, updated 03/2013) Book information on Home page
fascicle 34 fascicle 35 fascicle 36 fascicle 37 fascicle 38 fascicle 39
When Buddha-sons heard the great training
On this delightful, profound, and excellent ground [the third ground],
With exuberance and delight,
They scattered flowers as an offering to the Buddha.
When such wonderful teachings were expounded,
The great earth and ocean moved,
And all goddess-daughters with great joy
Sang wonderful hymns of praise.
The god-king of Paranirmita-vaśa-vartin Heaven [the sixth desire heaven] rejoiced
And showered precious jewels as an offering to the Buddha.
He praised, “For my sake the Buddha has appeared in the world
To expound the foremost virtuous training.
The meanings of the grounds explained by such a wise one [Vajra Store]
Are hard to acquire in 100,000 kalpas.
I now have suddenly heard the wonderful Dharma tones
That reveal the superb training of Bodhisattvas.
I pray that the wise one will next expound
The higher grounds without omission,
In order to benefit all gods and humans. All Buddha-sons would be delighted to hear.”
Liberation Moon, with his valiant and magnanimous mind,
Requested Vajra Store, “Buddha-Son,
I pray that you will explain all the features of the training
To progress from here to the fourth ground.”
Then Vajra Store Bodhisattva told Liberation Moon Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, after a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has purified the third ground, if he wishes to enter the fourth ground, the Flaming Wisdom Ground [arciṣmatī-bhūmi], he should go through the Illumination Door of Ten Observations. What are these ten? They are (1) observation of the realm of sentient beings; (2) observation of the dharma realm; (3) observation of the world; (4) observation of the domain of space; (5) observation of the spheres of consciousness; (6) observation of the desire realm; (7) observation of the form realm; (8) observation of the formless realm; (9) observation of the broad mind of faith and understanding; (10) observation of the magnanimous mind of faith and understanding. Through this Illumination Door of Ten Observations, this Bodhisattva enters the fourth ground.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Flaming Wisdom Ground, in order to be born into the Tathāgata family and receive its inner teachings, uses ten dharmas to ripen his wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? They are (1) the profound mind that never regresses; (2) indestructible pure faith in the Three Jewels; (3) observation of the birth and death of every process; (4) observation that dharmas in true reality have no birth; (5) observation of the formation and destruction of the world; (6) observation that karma causes rebirth; (7) observation of saṁsāra and nirvāṇa; (8) observation of sentient beings’ karmas; (9) observation of saṁskṛta processes from their past to their future; (10) observation that dharmas are in nirvāṇa.[1] These are the ten.
The Four Abidings of Mindfulness
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this fourth ground practices the Four Abidings of Mindfulness: body, sensory experiences, mind, and dharmas. He systematically observes his body and, with diligence, mindfulness, and understanding, discards his worldly greed and anxiety. He systematically observes others’ bodies and, with diligence, mindfulness, and understanding, discards his worldly greed and anxiety. He systematically observes both his and others’ bodies and, with diligence, mindfulness, and understanding, discards his worldly greed and anxiety.
“In the same way he systematically observes his sensory experiences, others’ sensory experiences, and both his and others’ sensory experiences; he systematically observes his mind, others’ minds, and both his and others’ minds; he systematically observes his dharmas, others’ dharmas, and both his and others’ dharmas.[2] With diligence, mindfulness, and understanding, he discards his worldly greed and anxiety.
The Four Right Endeavors
“This Bodhisattva diligently engages in the Four Right Endeavors. He diligently (1) ends forever the existing evil, (2) stops new evil from arising, (3) causes new goodness to arise, and (4) expands existing goodness.
The Four Ways to Attain Samādhi
“This Bodhisattva practices the Four Ways to Attain Samādhi: aspiration, energetic progress, memory, and contemplation. Relying on disgust [of his suffering], turning away [from his afflictions], and cessation [of his suffering by taking the path to nirvāṇa], and settling his mind in equability [abandoning extreme states], he trains to annihilate hindrances[3] and attain samādhi by each of these four ways: (1) aspiration to attain samādhi, (2) energetic progress in meditation, (3) memory of what has been taught, and (4) contemplation of the Dharma.
The Five Roots
“This Bodhisattva cultivates the Five Roots: faith, energetic progress, memory, samādhi, and wisdom. Relying on disgust, turning away, and cessation, and settling his mind in equability, he cultivates the root of (1) his faith [in the Dharma], (2) his energetic progress [in practicing the Dharma], (3) his memory [of the Dharma], (4) his samādhi [by training], and (5) his wisdom [by observing dharmas].
The Five Powers
“This Bodhisattva develops the Five Powers arising from the Five Roots. Relying on disgust, turning away, and cessation, and settling his mind in equability, he develops the power of (1) his faith [in the Dharma], (2) his energetic progress [in practicing the Dharma], (3) his memory [of the Dharma], (4) his samādhi [by training], and (5) his wisdom [by observing dharmas].
The Seven Bodhi Factors
“This Bodhisattva trains in the Seven Bodhi Factors. Relying on disgust, turning away, and cessation, and settling his mind in equability, he trains in (1) mindfulness, (2) critical examination of theories, (3) energetic progress, (4) joyful mentality, (5) lightness and peacefulness in body and mind, (6) samādhi, and (7) equability.
The Eightfold Right Path
“This Bodhisattva follows the Eightfold Right Path. Relying on disgust, turning away, and cessation, and settling his mind in equability, he trains in (1) right views, (2) right thinking, (3) right speech, (4) right action, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) right mindfulness, and (8) right samādhi.
“This Bodhisattva does such meritorious training because he never abandons sentient beings; because he is supported by his original vows; because he is led by great compassion; because he is imbued with great lovingkindness; because he seeks to acquire [sarvajña-jñāna] the knowledge of all knowledge; because he wishes to adorn Buddha Lands; because he seeks to acquire a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas, as well as His sublime appearance and voice; because he seeks the supreme path; because he seeks liberation according to the profound Dharma; because he employs skillful means that arise from great wisdom.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Flaming Wisdom Ground observes that the wrong views follow from the view that one has an embodied self. He observes one’s fixations on self-images—a self, a human, a sentient being, and an everlasting soul—and on one’s five aggregates, twelve fields, and eighteen spheres. He observes such fixations as they come and go, and ponders their remediation. He discards the view of a self with its belongings, such as things and places. When he sees karmas that are tainted by afflictions and denounced by Tathāgatas, he discards them all. When he sees karmas that accord with the Bodhisattva Way and are praised by Tathāgatas, he does them all.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva follows his applied wisdom-knowledge[4] to head for bodhi by training to complete the elements of bodhi. Thus he acquires the nurturing mind, the gentle mind, the tame mind, the mind that benefits others and gives them peace and joy, the unadulterated mind, the mind that seeks supreme training, the mind that seeks supreme wisdom, the mind that rescues all in the world, the mind that respects the virtuous and follows their instructions, and the mind that trains in accordance with the Dharma.
“This Bodhisattva acknowledges kindness received and knows to requite kindness. His mind is kind, peaceful, pleasant, upright, and gentle, not [crooked] like a dense forest. Without arrogance, he accepts instructions with a good grasp of the instructor’s intended meaning. This Bodhisattva is accomplished in gentleness, quietness, and endurance of adversity. With such gentleness, quietness, and endurance, on higher grounds he can purify his karmas.
“As he purposefully trains, he makes energetic progress without rest. His energetic progress is unadulterated, comprehensive, boundless, glowing, unequaled, and indestructible, with no regress. He makes energetic progress in differentiating between the right and wrong paths, and in bringing sentient beings to [spiritual] maturity. This Bodhisattva’s profound mind is pure, and he never loses it. As his understanding [of the Dharma] becomes clearer and keener, his roots of goodness grow stronger. He discards the filth of the world and shatters his doubts. Completely free from doubts, he is imbued with joy. Protected and remembered by Buddhas, he fulfills his immeasurable aspirations.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Flaming Wisdom Ground, through the power of his vows, comes to see many Buddhas: hundreds of Buddhas, thousands of Buddhas, hundreds and thousands of Buddhas, and even hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. He reveres, honors, and attends all Buddhas, and makes offerings to Them. He offers Them life-supporting things, including clothing, food and drink, beds and bedding, and medicine. He also makes these offerings to all monks. Then he transfers his roots of goodness to his attaining anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.
“Under every Buddha, he reverently hears the Dharma, accepts it, and trains accordingly. He renounces family life to train for bodhi in the Dharma of that Buddha. Then he trains for profound faith and understanding for countless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, enabling his roots of goodness to become more radiant and pure. As an analogy, a goldsmith refines genuine gold to make gold ornaments, which are unrivaled by other gold ornaments. Likewise a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva on this ground [purifies his roots of goodness], which are unrivaled by those of Bodhisattvas on lower grounds. They are like the pure luster of an extraordinary jewel, which is unrivaled by that of other jewels and impervious to wind or rain. Likewise a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva on this ground is unrivaled by Bodhisattvas on lower grounds. His attainment can never be destroyed by māras or by his afflictions.
“Of the Four Drawing-in Dharmas [almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work], this Bodhisattva employs collaborative work more than the other three dharmas. Of the ten pāramitās, he practices the fourth pāramitā, the progress pāramitā [vīrya-pāramitā], more than the other nine pāramitās. It is not that he refuses to practice them, but that he practices them according to his ability and at his discretion.
“Buddha-Son, this is a brief description of a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva training on the fourth ground, the Flaming Wisdom Ground. A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground usually becomes the god-king of Yāma Heaven [the third desire heaven]. Using skillful means, he can remove sentient beings’ wrong views, including the view that one has an embodied self, enabling them to abide in the right views. Whatever karmas he does, such as almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work, he constantly thinks of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and even of acquiring sarvajña-jñāna, the knowledge of all knowledge.
“He thinks, ‘Among all sentient beings, I should be excellent, especially excellent; wonderful, especially wonderful; superb, especially superb. To all sentient beings, I should be leader, guide, general, and teacher. I should even be the reliance for those who seek the knowledge of all knowledge.’
“If this Bodhisattva makes energetic progress, in one thought he enters a koṭi samādhis, sees a koṭi Buddhas, and knows the spiritual power of a koṭi Buddhas. He can move a koṭi Buddha Lands and manifest a koṭi bodies. Each body can manifest a koṭi Bodhisattvas as its retinue. Through the power of his excellent vows, what this Bodhisattva can do with ease far exceeds these things. It cannot be known by figuring for 100, 1,000, or 100,000 kalpas, or even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas.”
Then, to restate his meaning, Vajra Store Bodhisattva spoke in verse:
Having purified the third ground,
This Bodhisattva next observes the realm of sentient beings, the dharma realm,
The domain of space, the spheres of consciousness, and the Three Realms of Existence.
He understands them all and can enter them all.
Then he ascends to the fourth ground, the Flaming Wisdom Ground, and becomes stronger.
Spiritually, He is born into the Tathāgata family and will never regress.
With indestructible faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha,
He observes that dharmas are impermanent and [in true reality] have no birth.
He also observes the formation and destruction of the world, and observes that rebirth is caused by karma,
And that karma leads to saṁsāra or nirvāṇa.
He also observes saṁskṛta processes from their past to their future and observes their ending.
Diligently training in this way, he is born into the Buddha family.
After he has learned from his observations, his lovingkindness and compassion grow stronger.
Then he practices the Four Abidings of Mindfulness,
Observing his and others’ bodies, sensory experiences, minds, and dharmas,
And discards his worldly greed and anxiety.
He engages in the Four Right Endeavors,
Ending evil and expanding goodness.
He trains in the Four Ways to Attain Samādhi, cultivates the Five Roots, and develops the Five Powers.
He also trains in the Seven Bodhi Factors and follows the Eightfold Right Path.
Supported by his original vows and led by lovingkindness and compassion,
He trains diligently in order to deliver sentient beings.
He seeks to acquire the knowledge of all knowledge and adorn Buddha Lands.
He remembers a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers,
Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas,
As well as His sublime appearance and beautiful voice.
He also seeks the wondrous path to liberation
And seeks the great skillful means for his training.
He sees that the sixty-two wrong views are led by the view of having an embodied self.
This view of a self with its belongings leads to countless kinds of fixations on
One’s five aggregates, twelve fields, and eighteen spheres.
On this fourth ground, he discards all such fixations.
He ends all affliction-driven karmas, which are denounced by Tathāgatas,
Because they have neither meanings nor benefits.
He is a wise man who trains to do pure karmas,
Doing all possible things to deliver sentient beings.
This Bodhisattva trains diligently, never indolent,
And acquires ten profound minds.
He seeks Buddha bodhi tirelessly with a single mind
And aspires to receive the position to deliver sentient beings.
He respects the virtuous and follows their instructions for his training.
He acknowledges kindness received and is never offended by admonitions.
Discarding arrogance and sycophancy, his mind is gentle
As he makes further energetic progress, never to regress.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this Flaming Wisdom Ground
Never loses his pure mind.
His understanding being firm, his roots of goodness continue to grow.
He forever discards his afflictions and the web of doubts.
This Bodhisattva is excellent among men.
He makes offerings to innumerable nayutas of Buddhas,
Hears the Dharma, and renounces family life.
His resolve is indestructible, like genuine gold.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground continues to accumulate merit.
As he trains for bodhi by skillful means that arise from wisdom,
Despite [the havoc of] the multitude of māras, his mind never regresses,
Like an extraordinary jewel that cannot be destroyed.
Abiding on this ground, he usually becomes the god-king of Yāma Heaven.
In command of dharmas, he is revered by multitudes.
He universally transforms sentient beings and removes their wrong views.
He single-mindedly seeks Buddha wisdom as he does good karmas.
This Bodhisattva makes energetic progress
And enters a koṭi samādhis.
Through the power of his excellent vows,
What he can do far exceeds these things and cannot be known.
This is how a Bodhisattva trains on the fourth ground
In a pure and wonderful way
That accords with the meaning of merit and wisdom.
Buddha-Son, I now have explained it to you.
When Bodhisattvas heard the excellent training on this ground [the fourth ground],
They understood the Dharma and were filled with joy.
They showered flowers from the sky as they praised,
“Very good, Vajra Store the Great One!”
The god-king of Paranirmita-vaśa-vartin Heaven [the sixth desire heaven] and his retinue of gods,
Who were exuberant upon hearing the Dharma, stood in the open sky.
With joy, they formed various wonderful clouds of radiance
As an offering to the Tathāgata.
Beautiful goddess-daughters played celestial music
And praised the Buddha with hymns.
Through the spiritual power of the Bodhisattva [Vajra Store], they said,
“Today, Buddha vows made long ago have finally been fulfilled.
Today, Buddha bodhi sought since long ago has finally been attained.
Today, after waiting for a long time, we finally see
Śākyamuni Buddha come to this celestial palace to benefit gods.
Today, after waiting for a long time, sentient beings have finally received peace and joy.
The immense ocean has taken a long time to start surging.
Buddha light has taken a long time to be emitted.
The sound of great compassion has taken a long time to be heard.
He has crossed over to the shore of merit
And dispelled the darkness of arrogance.
His superb purity is like that of the open sky.
Untainted by worldly dharmas, He is like a lotus flower [rising above the water].
Śākyamuni the World-Honored One has appeared in the world,
Like Mount Sumeru rising from the immense ocean.
By making offerings to Him, one can end one’s suffering.
By making offerings to Him, one may acquire Buddha wisdom.
The Buddha is worthy of unequaled offerings,
So we joyfully make offerings to Him.”
After innumerable goddess-daughters praised
The Buddha with these words,
All were filled with reverence and joy.
They gazed upon the Tathāgata and fell silent.
Then Liberation Moon the Great One
Requested Vajra Store the Fearless One,
“Buddha-Son, I pray that you will describe
The features of the training on the fifth ground.”
Then Vajra Store Bodhisattva told Liberation Moon Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, after a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has completed his training on the fourth ground, if he wishes to enter the fifth ground, the Hard-to-Conquer Ground [sudurjayā-bhūmi], he should cultivate ten pure minds founded on equality. What are these ten? They are (1) equality in the Dharma of past Buddhas, (2) equality in the Dharma of future Buddhas, (3) equality in the Dharma of present Buddhas, (4) equality in the purity of the precepts, (5) equality in the purity of meditative minds, (6) equality in the purity of removing doubt, remorse, and the wrong views, (7) equality in the purity of knowing the right and wrong paths, (8) equality in the purity of acquiring wisdom-knowledge and the right views, (9) equality in the purity of the elements of bodhi, and (10) equality in the purity of teaching sentient beings. With these ten pure minds founded on equality, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva enters the fifth ground.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abiding on this Hard-to-Conquer ground acquires the mind of no regress because he excels in training to complete the elements of bodhi and in purifying his profound mind; because he seeks higher training; because he trains in accord with true suchness; because he is supported by the power of his vows; because, out of lovingkindness and compassion, he never abandons sentient beings; because he accumulates merit and wisdom to support his attaining bodhi; because he trains diligently without rest; because he produces skillful means; because he studies and understands the higher grounds; because he is protected and remembered by Tathāgatas; because he is supported by the power of his wisdom.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva knows the Four Noble Truths. He truly knows (1) suffering, (2) cause of suffering, which is accumulation of afflictions, (3) cessation of suffering, by ending afflictions, and (4) the path to cessation of suffering.
“He also knows well the worldly truths and the highest truth, as well as the truth of appearances, differentiations, [mental and physical] makeup, [karmic] events, birth, ending afflictions and karmic rebirths, entering the path to wisdom, completing all Bodhisattva grounds in the proper order, and acquiring Tathāgata wisdom.
“This Bodhisattva knows the worldly truths because he gives sentient beings happiness according to their preferences. He knows the highest truth because he understands the one true reality of all dharmas. He knows the truth of appearances because he perceives the appearances of dharmas, both the unique and common appearances. He knows the truth of differentiations because he perceives the differences among dharmas. He knows the truth of makeup because he excels in differentiating a sentient being’s five aggregates, twelve fields, and eighteen spheres. He knows the truth of events because he perceives the suffering of body and mind. He knows the truth of birth because he observes the continuity of rebirths as life-paths. He knows the truth of ending afflictions and karmic rebirths because he will ultimately end his afflictions. He knows the truth of entering the path to wisdom because he realizes the non-dual state [of mind]. He knows the truth of completing all Bodhisattva grounds in the proper order because he correctly observes his mental activities. He even knows the truth of acquiring Tathāgata wisdom through the power of his faith, understanding, and knowledge, though not through the power of his ultimate wisdom.
“Buddha-Son, having acquired such kinds of wisdom-knowledge, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva truly knows that all saṁskṛta dharmas are false and deceptive, yet captivating to the foolish. Therefore, he elicits increased great compassion for sentient beings, illuminating them all with its radiance. Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, with such power of wisdom, always seeks Buddha wisdom and never abandons sentient beings. He observes all saṁskṛta processes from their past to their future as they truly are.
“Because of ignorance and thirsty love of being, a sentient being transmigrates through its cycle of birth and death, each time trapped in a body composed of the five aggregates, which make one aggregate of suffering. Apart from a self with its belongings, a sentient being is a process with no self, no everlasting soul, no nurturer [hidden life force], and no entity, nothing that can repeatedly assume a body for the next life-journey, from past into future. One can end [one’s cycle of birth and death] only if one discards one’s greed for all false dharmas and truly knows whether or not one still has any.
“This Bodhisattva thinks, ‘Ordinary beings are foolish, deluded, and pitiable. Each of them assumes innumerable bodies, which perished, are perishing, and will perish. However, they do not loathe their perishable bodies. Instead, they do even more karmas that bring suffering, and follow the stream of birth and death. Each of them remains in his house made of the five aggregates, not seeking to exit. They have no fear of the four domains [earth, water, fire, and wind], which are like four venomous snakes. They cannot pull out [from their minds] the arrow of arrogance and the wrong views. They cannot extinguish the fire of greed, anger, and delusion. They cannot dispel the darkness of ignorance. They cannot drain the immense ocean of love and desire. They do not seek the great holy teacher with the Ten Powers. Instead, they follow the mind of māras, wandering in a dense forest. They drift with the waves of their perceptions in the ocean of birth and death.’
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva next thinks, ‘Sentient beings undergo such immeasurable suffering, forlorn and distressed. They have neither rescue nor reliance, neither island nor shelter, neither guidance nor sight, but are shrouded by their ignorance and enveloped in darkness. To rescue all sentient beings, I now train for merit and wisdom, and train to complete the elements of bodhi. I am resolved to go alone, without seeking companions. I transfer this merit to sentient beings, enabling them to achieve ultimate purity and acquire a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers and hindrance-free wisdom.’
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva develops wisdom and roots of goodness from such observations because he vows to rescue and protect all sentient beings, benefit them, give them peace and joy, pity them, enable them to come to [spiritual] achievement, liberate them, draw them in, enable them to leave their suffering behind, enable them to become pure, tame them, and enable them to enter parinirvāṇa.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva abiding on this fifth ground, the Hard-to-Conquer Ground, is called by these names: the one with memory because he never forgets the Dharma; the wise one because he has firm wisdom; the learned one because he knows the tenets of the sūtras and their sequence and connections; the one with a sense of shame and dishonor because he protects himself and others; the resolute one because he never abandons the precepts; the awakened one because he ponders right and wrong; the one who follows wisdom-knowledge because he follows nothing else; the one who follows wisdom because he differentiates between the right and wrong meanings of words; the one with transcendental powers because he excels in meditation; the one with skillful means because he can follow worldly ways; the insatiable one because he excels in accumulating merit; the one who never rests because he constantly seeks wisdom; the tireless one because he endlessly cultivates great lovingkindness and compassion; the one who diligently trains to benefit others because he wants to enable all sentient beings to attain nirvāṇa; the diligent seeker free from indolence because he seeks a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas; the one who does what he resolves to do because he will adorn Buddha Lands; the one who diligently does good karmas because he will acquire a Buddha’s sublime appearance; the one who trains diligently because he seeks the sublime body, voice, and mind that adorn a Buddha; the one who reveres and esteems the Dharma because he carries out the teachings of all Bodhisattva Dharma masters; the one whose mind is hindrance free because he continues to walk in the world by skillful means; the undistracted one because day and night he delights in teaching and transforming all sentient beings.
“Buddha-Son, as this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva diligently trains himself, he teaches and transforms sentient beings by carrying out almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work [the Four Drawing-in Dharmas]; by manifesting a physical body; by expounding the Dharma, by teaching them Bodhisattva actions; by displaying a Tathāgata’s awesome spiritual power; by revealing to them the faults of undergoing repeated birth and death; by praising Tathāgata wisdom; by demonstrating his great transcendental powers; by using various skillful means.
“Buddha-Son, as this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva diligently teaches and transforms sentient beings by skillful means, his mind continues to head for Buddha wisdom, and his roots of goodness never regress because he persistently does excellent training.
“Buddha-Son, to benefit sentient beings, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva masters all worldly knowledge and skills, including words, numbers, texts, seal making, and various theories on earth, water, fire, and wind. He also masters medical prescriptions to treat illnesses caused by insanity, atrophy, possession by a ghost, or insect venom. He can cure them all. He is versed in writing, praising, singing and dancing, playing music, joking, and speaking. He properly cares for cities, towns, palaces, houses, gardens, fountains, ponds, grass, trees, flowers, and medicinal plants. He knows the [locations of] stores of gold, silver, gems, pearls, aquamarine, conch shells, jade, and corals, and reveals them to others.
“He studies the sun, the moon, the planets, and the constellations, as well as bird calls and earthquakes. He interprets others’ night dreams as good or evil and correctly reads others’ physical appearances for good or evil signs. He observes the precepts, practices meditation, and acquires transcendental powers. He is accomplished in meditation, attaining even the four samādhis of the formless realm. As he handles worldly matters, he never distresses sentient beings. Instead, he gives them teachings to benefit them, enabling them gradually to abide in the unexcelled Buddha Dharma.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Hard-to-Conquer Ground, through the power of his vows, comes to see many Buddhas: hundreds of Buddhas, thousands of Buddhas, hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, and even hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. He reveres, honors, and attends all Buddhas, and makes offerings to Them. He offers Them life-supporting things, including clothing, food and drink, beds and bedding, and medicine. He also makes these offerings to all monks. Then he transfers his roots of goodness to his attaining anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.
“Under every Buddha, he reverently hears the Dharma, upholds it, and does his best to train accordingly. He renounces family life to train for bodhi in the Dharma of that Buddha. After renouncing family life, he hears more of the Dharma, acquires dhāraṇīs, and becomes a master who hears and upholds the Dharma.
“As he abides on this ground for 100 or 1,000 kalpas, or even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas, his roots of goodness become more radiant and pure. As an analogy, genuine gold polished by conch shells becomes more lustrous and pure. Likewise the roots of goodness of a Bodhisattva abiding on this Hard-to-Conquer Ground become more radiant and pure because he uses his applied wisdom-knowledge to observe and ponder dharmas.
“Buddha-Son, the merit acquired by a Bodhisattva on this Hard-to-Conquer Ground, using his applied wisdom-knowledge, is unrivaled by the merit acquired by Bodhisattvas on lower grounds. Buddha-Son, as an analogy, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the radiance of celestial palaces are indestructible and can never be shaken by winds. Likewise the roots of goodness of a Bodhisattva on this ground, who uses his applied wisdom-knowledge to observe dharmas, never regress and are indestructible. They are unrivaled by those of voice-hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.
“Of the ten pāramitās, he practices the fifth pāramitā, the meditation pāramitā [dhyāna-pāramitā], more than the other nine pāramitās. It is not that he refuses to practice the other nine pāramitās, but that he practices them according to his ability and at his discretion.
“Buddha-Son, this is a brief description of a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva training on the fifth ground, the Hard-to-Conquer Ground. A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground usually becomes the god-king of Tuṣita Heaven [the fourth desire heaven] and always benefits sentient beings with ease. He shatters the wrong views of all non-Buddhists and enables sentient beings to abide in the true reality of dharmas.
“As he carries out almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work [the Four Drawing-in Dharmas], he constantly thinks of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and even of acquiring sarvajña-jñāna, the knowledge of all knowledge.
“He thinks, ‘Among all sentient beings, I should be excellent, especially excellent; wonderful, especially wonderful; superb, especially superb. To all sentient beings, I should be leader, guide, general, and teacher. I should even be the reliance for those who seek the knowledge of all knowledge.’
“If this Bodhisattva makes energetic progress, in one thought he enters 1,000 koṭi samādhis, sees 1,000 koṭi Buddhas, and knows the spiritual power of 1,000 koṭi Buddhas. He can move 1,000 koṭi Buddha Lands and manifest 1,000 koṭi bodies. Each body can manifest 1,000 koṭi Bodhisattvas as its retinue. Through the power of his excellent vows, what this Bodhisattva can do with ease far exceeds these things. It cannot be known by figuring for 100, 1,000, or 100,000 kalpas, or even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas.”
Then, to restate his meaning, Vajra Store Bodhisattva spoke in verse:
A Bodhisattva who has purified the fourth ground
Ponders the equality of Buddhas of the past, present, and future,
And the equality in [the purity of] the precepts, meditative minds, removing doubt, and knowing the right and wrong paths.
With such observations, he enters the fifth ground.
The Four Abidings of Mindfulness are his bow, and the Five Roots his arrow.
The Four Right Endeavors are his horse, and the Four Ways to Attain Samādhi his vehicle.
Using the Five Powers as his sturdy armor, he annihilates the bandits [his afflictions].
Valiant and vigorous, never regressing, he enters the fifth ground.
A sense of shame and dishonor is his garment, and the Seven Bodhi Factors his garland.
Observing the precepts with purity is his incense, and meditation his solid perfume.
Adorned with wisdom and skillful means,
He enters the grove of dhāranīs and the garden of samādhis.
His samādhi is his feet, and his right mindfulness his neck.
His lovingkindness and compassion are his eyes, and his wisdom his teeth.
His lion’s roar that one has no self annihilates his afflictions, which are like bandits.
A lion among men, he enters the fifth ground.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this fifth ground
Trains on an excellent, pure path.
Resolved to seek the Buddha Dharma, he never regresses.
Remembering lovingkindness and compassion, he never tires.
He accumulates merit and wisdom
And, using skillful means, diligently studies the higher grounds.
Supported by the power of Buddhas, he has mindfulness and wisdom
And truly knows the Four Noble Truths.
He also knows the worldly truths and the highest truth,
As well as the truth of appearances, differentiations, makeup, events, birth, ending of afflictions, entering the path,
And even acquiring the hindrance-free wisdom of Tathāgatas.
Although his observations of the truths are wonderful,
He has not achieved hindrance-free liberation.
Nevertheless, because such observations bring great merit,
They surpass worldly wisdom.
Through observations of the truths, he knows that saṁskṛta dharmas
Are false and deceptive in nature, not firm.
Carrying some of the radiance of Buddhas’ lovingkindness and compassion,
He seeks Buddha wisdom in order to benefit sentient beings.
He observes saṁskṛta processes from their past to their future and sees that
Sentient beings live in the darkness of ignorance and are fettered by love,
Each an aggregate of suffering,
Transmigrating as a process with no self and no everlasting soul.
[He sees that] they undergo suffering because of love and grasping.
Unable to find the edge [of suffering],
And that they drift in confusion, with no ending in sight.
[He declares] “I should deliver these pitiable ones.
Each of them is trapped in the five aggregates like a house; bound by the four domains like snakes; pierced by the wrong views like arrows.
The fire of desire blazing in their minds, they live in the darkness of delusion.
Drifting in the river of love, they cannot observe themselves.
Sinking in the ocean of suffering, they have no guiding teacher.”
Knowing why sentient beings suffer, he makes energetic progress.
Whatever he does, it is all for the sake of delivering sentient beings.
He is called the one with memory, the one with wisdom,
The awakened one, and the one with skillful means.
He insatiably accumulates merit and wisdom,
Respectfully hears more of the Dharma without weariness,
Adorns Buddha Lands, and develops his appearance [into a Buddha’s].
All his work is to benefit sentient beings.
In order to teach and transform all in the world,
He masters worldly knowledge and skills, including words, numbers, and seal making.
He masters prescriptions of medicine
To treat illnesses and cure them all.
He writes, sings, and dances wonderfully,
And properly cares for palaces, houses, gardens, and ponds.
He reveals to others many treasure stores
Because he wants to benefit innumerable sentient beings.
He studies the sun, the moon, the planets, and earthquakes,
And even others’ physical appearances.
Having attained the four dhyānas [of the form realm] and [the four samādhis of] the formless realm, and acquired transcendental powers,
He displays them to benefit all in the world.
This wise man abiding on this Hard-to-Conquer Ground
Makes offerings to nayutas of Buddhas and hears the Dharma.
Like genuine gold polished with conch shells,
His roots of goodness become radiant and pure.
They are like the stars in the open sky,
Which cannot be shaken by winds,
And like lotus flowers, which rise above the water.
In this way this great Bodhisattva walks in the world.
On the fifth ground, he usually becomes the god-king of Tuṣita Heaven,
Who can shatter the wrong views of non-Buddhists.
His good karmas are for acquiring Buddha wisdom,
And he vows to acquire the Ten Powers in order to rescue sentient beings.
Making great energetic progress in his training,
In one thought he makes offerings to 1,000 koṭi Buddhas
And enters 1,000 koṭi samādhis, and can move 1,000 koṭi Buddha Lands.
Through the power of his vows, what he can do far exceeds these things.
Thus the fifth ground, the Hard-to-Conquer Ground,
Is the supreme true path in the world.
For the sake of Buddha-sons,
I have explained it through the power of various skillful means.
1. According to text 1522, this phrase means that dharmas, pure or impure, neither increase nor decrease (T26n1522, 0160a21–23). Text 1522 is the Chinese version of the Treatise on the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds, written by Vasubandhu (世親, circa 320–80) and translated from Sanskrit in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534) by Bodhiruci (菩提留支, 5th–6th centuries) from India. (Return to text)
2. According to chapter 9, “Mindful Abiding,” in fascicle 6 of text 1537, the dharmas of self, others, and both, that are under observation are perception and mental processing, the third and fourth of the five aggregates. Other dharmas of self, others, and both, that are under observation are the five coverings, the six faculties, and the Seven Bodhi Factors (T26n1537, 0478 b23–0479 b23). Text 1537 is the Chinese version of the Treatise on a Collection of Dharmas (Abhidharma-dharma-skandha-pāda), attributed to Maudgalyāyana, a foremost disciple of the Buddha, and translated from Sanskrit in the Tang Dynasty (618–907) by Xuanzang (玄奘, 600– or 602–64) from China. (Return to text)
3. According to text 1600, annihilating hindrances (斷行) refers to removing the five faults of meditation: (1) indolence, (2) forgetfulness of instructions, (3) stupor, (4) restlessness, (5) failure to remedy stupor and restlessness, or continuation of remediation when no longer needed (T31n1600, 0471b27–c11). Text 1600 is the Chinese version of the Commentary on the Treatise on the Middle versus the Opposites (Madhyānta-vibhāga-tīkā), written by Vasubandhu (世親, circa 320–80) and translated from Sanskrit in the Tang Dynasty (618–907) by Xuanzang (玄奘, 600– or 602–64). (Return to text)
4. The term “applied wisdom-knowledge” is defined in the glossary’s “two kinds of wisdom-knowledge.” (Return to text)