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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
At that time the god-king [of the sixth desire heaven] and the multitude of gods
Were delighted to have heard the excellent training [on the seventh ground].
As an offering to the Tathāgata
And innumerable great Bodhisattvas,
They showered down flowers, banners, canopies,
Fragrances, chaplets, necklaces, and exquisite garments,
In countless millions of varieties,
All adorned with jewels.
Goddess-daughters played celestial music,
Emitting various wonderful tones
As an offering to the Buddha and Buddha-sons.
They praised in unison with these words:
“The all-seeing one, the most honored one among gods and humans,
Out of compassion for sentient beings, displayed his spiritual power,
Enabling us to hear the wonderful tones of
Various kinds of celestial music.
On the tip of a hair there are worlds as numerous as
The dust particles in 100,000 koṭi nayuta worlds,
Where reside innumerable Buddhas,
Who expound the wondrous Dharma.
Inside each pore [of one’s skin] there are countless worlds,
Each containing four continents and [eight] immense oceans,
Which encircle Mount Sumeru and are encircled by the iron mountain range [cakravāḍa].
All worlds are not crowded [inside the pore].
On the tip of a hair there are the six life-paths,
Three evil ones [and three good ones],
Which are taken by sentient beings, such as gods, asuras, humans, and dragons,
As requitals for their karmas.
In each of these worlds there is
A Tathāgata, who emits wondrous sounds,
Turning the supreme, pure Dharma wheel
According to sentient beings’ minds.
Each world contains sentient beings with different bodies,
And each body contains various worlds.
Sentient beings that take different life-paths, such as gods and humans, are different,
And their Buddha knows all their differences and expounds the Dharma to them.
At His thought, a big world changes into a small one,
And a small world changes into a big one.
His transcendental powers are immeasurable,
And no one in the world can ever finish describing them all.”
The multitude of gods and goddess-daughters emitted wonderful sounds
In praise of the virtues of the Tathāgata.
Then, with great joy all fell silent
And single-mindedly gazed upon the Buddha, hoping to hear His teachings.
Then Liberation Moon Bodhisattva requested Vajra Store Bodhisattva,
“All in this multitude are now quiet.
I pray that you will describe
The features of the training on the eighth ground.”
Then Vajra Store Bodhisattva told Liberation Moon Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva on the seventh ground excels in cultivating applied wisdom, purifying his actions, and training to complete the elements of bodhi. Supported by the power of Tathāgatas, the power of his great vows, and the power of his [roots of] goodness, he constantly thinks of a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas. He excels in purifying his profound mind and thoughts, and acquires merit and wisdom. He elicits great lovingkindness and great compassion, and never abandons sentient beings.
“He enters the path to immeasurable wisdom and realizes the true reality of all dharmas, seeing that, as always, they have no birth, no arising, no appearance, no formation, no destruction, no ending, and no change. Having no self-essence, they are equal before, during, and after [their existences]. This is the entrance to the differentiation-free wisdom-knowledge of true suchness. Free from differentiations made by his mind, mental faculty, and consciousness,[1] like the open sky, he has no attachment. Seeing all dharmas in the nature of the open sky is called acquiring Endurance in the Realization of the No Birth of Dharmas.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva who has acquired this endurance immediately enters the eighth ground, the Motionless Ground [acalā-bhūmi], and becomes a Bodhisattva of profound action, whose attainment is hard to know. He has left behind all differentiations, appearances, perceptions, and attachments. No voice-hearer or Pratyekabuddha can compare with him. All mental noises having ended, quietness is revealed to him.
“As an analogy, a bhikṣu with transcendental powers is in command of his mind. He enters samādhi one after another into [the ninth level] the Samādhi of Total Halt, during which all mental activities, such as thinking, memory, and differentiation, come to a halt. Likewise a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abiding on the Motionless Ground leaves behind all training that requires effort. His body, voice, and mind remaining motionless, he has acquired the effortless way as requital for past effort.
“As an analogy, someone dreams of swimming across a wide river. He applies bold valor and skillful means, which wake him up. Upon waking, all his efforts come to an end. Likewise this Bodhisattva, who is resolved to rescue sentient beings in the four torrential flows, summons bold valor and makes energetic progress. Because of these efforts, he reaches the Motionless Ground. Upon arrival, all his efforts come to an end, and the two trainings[2] and all perceptual activities are no longer in motion.
“Buddha-Son, for someone reborn as a god in the Brahma World, desire-realm afflictions no longer arise in him. Likewise, for a Bodhisattva on the Motionless Ground, the activities of his mind, mental faculty, and consciousness are no longer in motion. For this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, even the Bodhisattva mind, the Buddha mind, the bodhi mind, and the nirvāṇa mind no longer arise, much less the worldly mind.
“Buddha-Son, for a Bodhisattva on this ground, because of the power of his original vows, all Buddha-Bhagavāns appear before him and give him Tathāgata wisdom, enabling him to enter the Dharma stream.[3] They say these words: ‘Very good! Very good! Good man, this Endurance [in the Realization of the No birth of Dharmas] is foremost in accord with the Buddha Dharma. However, you have not yet acquired a Buddha’s Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas. To acquire these abilities, you should make energetic progress and never abandon this door of endurance.
“‘Moreover, good man, although you have attained nirvāṇa and achieved liberation, ordinary beings have not done so. All kinds of afflictions arise in them, and all kinds of perceptions drive them. You should pity them.
“‘Moreover, good man, you should remember your original vows to benefit all sentient beings and enable them to enter the inconceivable wisdom door.
“‘Moreover, good man, whether or not a Buddha appears in the world, dharma nature ever abides, without change. Buddhas are called Tathāgatas not solely on account of their realization of the changelessness of dharma nature, because riders of the Two Vehicles too can realize that dharma nature has no differentiation.
“‘Moreover, good man, you should observe our sublime physical appearances, immeasurable wisdom, countless Buddha Lands, countless skillful means, immeasurable radiance, immeasurable purity, and immeasurable sounds. You should train to acquire them all.
“‘Moreover, good man, you now have acquired just one kind of dharma illumination,[4] [the illumination that] all dharmas have no birth and no difference. Good man, a Tathāgata’s dharma illumination includes countless entrances, countless ways, and immeasurable variations, which cannot be known by figuring for 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas. You should train to acquire such illumination.
“‘Moreover, good man, you should observe in the ten directions the differences among countless worlds, innumerable sentient beings, and immeasurable dharmas. You should know these things as they truly are.’
“Buddha-Son, Buddhas-Bhagavāns thus give this Bodhisattva countless wisdom-producing doors, enabling him to do various karmas guided by wisdom.
“Buddha-Son, if Buddhas did not give this Bodhisattva wisdom-producing doors, he would immediately enter nirvāṇa and give up doing karmas to benefit sentient beings. However, because Buddhas give him countless, boundless wisdom-producing doors, his wisdom-guided karmas that arise in one thought surpass his karmas done since his initial resolve [to attain bodhi] by training through the first seven grounds. By comparison, the latter karmas are less than one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred-thousandth, one koṭith, one nayutath, one asaṁkhyeyath, and one kalā of the former, or less than the former karmas by any analogy, calculation, or upaniṣad [esoteric] measure.
“Why? Buddha-Son, because this Bodhisattva, who began his training with one body, is now on this eighth ground. Using the motionless way, he manifests innumerable bodies, emits countless sounds, acquires immeasurable wisdom, manifests innumerable births, visits countless pure worlds, teaches innumerable sentient beings, makes offerings to innumerable Buddhas, enters countless Dharma Doors, masters immeasurable transcendental powers, attends assemblies in countless different bodhimaṇḍas, does immeasurable body, voice, and mind karmas, and does all Bodhisattva training.
“Buddha-Son, as an analogy, someone wants to sail a ship across the ocean. Before entering the ocean, he expends a great deal of effort [to reach the ocean]. After he has entered the ocean, he sails away with the wind, without using human power. The distance he covers in one day surpasses the distance he would travel for one hundred years to get to the ocean. Buddha-Son, likewise a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva develops great roots of goodness and gathers abundant provisions in order to sail the ship of Mahāyāna in the ocean of great wisdom, which is sailed by all Bodhisattvas. Using his wisdom-knowledge of effortlessness, in one thought he enters the realm of [sarvajña-jñāna] knowledge of all knowledge. He cannot achieve this in 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas by doing training that requires effort.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this eighth ground uses his great applied wisdom to do effortless training in observing all things in the realm of all wisdom-knowledge. He observes the formation of a world, the destruction of a world, the convergence of karmas that results in its formation, and the dissipation of karmas that results in its destruction. He knows when formation or destruction begins, and its duration. He also knows the appearances of each of the four domains—earth, water, fire, and wind—such as small, large, immeasurable, and diverse. He knows all things as they truly are.
“He also knows the appearances of dust particles, such as fine, coarse, immeasurable, and diverse. He knows all the dust particles gathered in a world, and their differences, as they truly are. He also knows the number of dust particles in each of the four domains—earth, water, fire, and wind—in any world. He also knows the number of dust particles contained in a treasure [e.g., gold or gems] and those contained in a world. He also knows the number of dust particles contained in a sentient being’s body, large or small, whether it is the body of a hell-dweller, an animal, a hungry ghost, an asura, a god, or a human. Thus he acquires the differentiating wisdom-knowledge of dust particles.
“He also knows the formation of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm, as well as their destruction. He also knows the appearances of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm, such as small, large, immeasurable, and diverse. Thus he acquires the differentiating wisdom-knowledge for observing the Three Realms of Existence.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva then uses his radiant wisdom-knowledge to teach and transform sentient beings. He excels in differentiating sentient beings’ bodies and knows well their differences. He excels in observing their birth places, manifests himself according to their needs, and teaches and transforms them until they come to [spiritual] achievement.
“This Bodhisattva, using his radiant wisdom-knowledge, universally manifests his births in one Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World according to sentient beings’ different levels of faith and understanding. In the same way he universally manifests his births in two, three, 100,000, and even countless Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold Worlds, according to sentient beings’ different levels of faith and understanding. Because of his attainment in such wisdom, as his body remains motionless in one Buddha Land, he manifests different bodies in assemblies in countless Buddha Lands.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva manifests different bodies in assemblies in Buddha Lands according to sentient beings’ different levels of faith and understanding. Among śramaṇas, he manifests as a śramaṇa. Among Brahmins, he manifests as a Brahmin; among kṣatriyas, he manifests as a kṣatriya; among vaiśyas, he manifests as a vaiśya; among śūdras, he manifests as a śūdra.[5] In the same way he manifests himself in compatible bodies among laymen; among gods [in the six desire heavens]—the first desire heaven ruled by the four god-kings, Trayastriṁsa Heaven [the second desire heaven], Yāma Heaven [the third desire heaven], Tuṣita Heaven [the fourth desire heaven], Nirmāṇa-rati Heaven [the fifth desire heaven], and Paranirmita-vaśa-vartin Heaven [the sixth desire heaven]—among māras; and among gods in the Brahma World, including those in Akaniṣṭha Heaven [its top heaven].
“He manifests as a voice-hearer for those who should be delivered by a voice-hearer; as a Pratyekabuddha for those who should be delivered by a Pratyekabuddha; as a Bodhisattva for those who should be delivered by a Bodhisattva; as a Tathāgata for those who should be delivered by a Tathāgata. Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva manifests bodies in countless Buddha Lands according to sentient beings’ different preferences and levels of faith.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva is free from perception of differences in bodies and abides in their equality. Yet he knows all bodies: the body of a world, a sentient being’s body, a karmic requital body, a voice-hearer’s body, a Pratyekabuddha’s body, a Bodhisattva’s body, a Tathāgata’s body, the wisdom body, the dharma body, and the body of the open sky.
“This Bodhisattva knows sentient beings’ preferences and can make a sentient being’s body become his own body, a karmic requital body, the body of a world, or even the body of the open sky. According to sentient beings’ preferences, he can make the body of a world become his own body, a sentient being’s body, a karmic requital body, or even the body of the open sky; he can make a karmic requital body become his own body, a sentient being’s body, the body of a world, or even the body of the open sky; he can make his own body become a sentient being’s body, the body of a world, or even the body of the open sky. According to sentient beings’ preferences, this Bodhisattva manifests suitable bodies because he knows a sentient being’s karma-accumulating body, karmic requital body, affliction-ridden body, physical body, and non-physical body.
“He knows the appearances of the body of a world, such as small, large, immeasurable, impure, pure, expansive, upright, inverted, and different in all directions. He also knows the different false names of the karmic requital body [of a sentient being] and the different false names of a voice-hearer, a Pratyekabuddha, or a Bodhisattva. He also knows that a Tathātaga’s body includes (1) the bodhi body, (2) the body of vows, (3) the manifested bodies, (4) the spiritually sustained body, (5) the physical body adorned with excellent marks, (6) the body of power, (7) the mind-produced bodies, (8) the body of merits, (9) the dharma body, and (10) the wisdom body.
“He knows the appearances of the wisdom body, such as pondering, making choices, training for a result, and differentiating worldly and supra-worldly dharmas. He also knows the differences among the Three Vehicles, such as their features in common and not in common, liberating and not liberating, and the appearances of riders who are still learning and those of riders with nothing more to learn.[6]
“He knows the features of the dharma body, such as its equality [with all other dharma bodies], its indestructibility, its different false names that follow the times and convention, its different appearances as sentient and non-sentient beings, and its different features as the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. He knows the features of the open sky, such as immeasurable, pervasive, formless, changeless, boundless, and revealing the appearances of physical objects.
“Buddha-Son, because this Bodhisattva has acquired great wisdom-knowledge of various bodies, he achieves command of ten things: (1) lifespan, (2) mind, (3) wealth, (4) karma, (5) birth, (6) wish fulfillment, (7) understanding, (8) transcendental powers, (9) dharmas, and (10) wisdom-knowledge.[7] In command of these ten things, he is called the one with inconceivable wisdom-knowledge, the one with immeasurable wisdom-knowledge, the one with vast wisdom-knowledge, and the one with indestructible wisdom-knowledge.
“With such attainment, this Bodhisattva does faultless body karmas, voice karmas, and mind karmas because his body, voice, and mind karmas follow his wisdom, and because of his advanced practice of the wisdom pāramitā [prajñā-pāramitā]. Led by great compassion and equipped with skillful means, he excels in differentiating dharmas and making great vows. Protected by the power of Buddhas, he diligently acquires wisdom-knowledge to benefit sentient beings and differentiate all things in countless worlds.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva on this ground abides in ten powers: (1) the power of the pure mind because all his afflictions are inactive; (2) the power of the profound mind because he never quits the bodhi path; (3) the power of great compassion because he never abandons sentient beings; (4) the power of great lovingkindness because he rescues and protects all [sentient beings] in the world; (5) the power of dhāranī because he never forgets the Dharma; (6) the power of eloquence because he excels in observing and differentiating all dharmas; (7) the power of transcendental powers because he visits countless worlds; (8) the power of great vows because he never abandons Bodhisattva actions; (9) the power of pāramitās because he acquires the entire Buddha Dharma; (10) the power of Tathāgatas’ support because sarvajña-jñāna, the knowledge of all knowledge, is revealed to him. This Bodhisattva has acquired great power of wisdom-knowledge, and he can display all his actions, which have no faults.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva wisdom ground is called the Motionless Ground because it is indestructible; it is called the Irreversible Ground because his wisdom never regresses; it is called the Hard-to-Reach Ground because no one in the world can imagine its state; it is called the Truthfulness-of-Youth Ground because he is free from faults; it is called the Birth Ground because it is the beginning of doing everything without effort; it is called the Completion Ground because he has completed his training that requires effort; it is called the Ultimate Ground because his wisdom makes right choices; it is called the Manifestation Ground because he manifests things at will; it is called the [Spiritually] Supported Ground because no one can move it; it is called the Effortless Ground because all efforts have been made.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva, who has acquired great wisdom, enters the realm of Buddhas, follows Their awesome deportments, and is illuminated by [the radiance of] Their virtues. As the realm of Buddhas is revealed to him, he is constantly protected and remembered by Tathāgatas. He is welcomed by Brahma-kings, the god-king Śakra, and the four god-kings, and is attended by two strong vajra-wielding guards. He never abandons great samādhis and can manifest innumerable different bodies, each equipped with great powers. He acquires transcendental powers as requital [for his past training], attains great samādhis with ease, and demonstrates attainment of true enlightenment in places where sentient beings can be transformed.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Motionless Ground, through his samādhi power, comes to see innumerable Buddhas, and constantly attends Them and makes offerings to Them. In every kalpa and every world, this Bodhisattva sees innumerable hundreds of Buddhas, innumerable thousands of Buddhas, and even innumerable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. He reveres, honors, and attends Them, and offers Them life-supporting things.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abiding on this ground usually becomes the great Brahma-king [of the second dhyāna heaven], who rules a thousand worlds. With supreme ease, he well expounds the meanings [of the Dharma]. He can indicate the path of pāramitās to voice-hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. If he is challenged by the question about the differences among worlds, he is never at a loss. 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.
Then, to restate his meaning, Vajra Store Bodhisattva spoke in verse:
Then Vajra Store Bodhisattva told Liberation Moon Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva ponders and observes with immeasurable wisdom because he seeks nirvāṇa, liberation, and Tathāgata wisdom. He enters into the secrets of Tathāgatas, ponders the nature of Their inconceivable great wisdom, purifies dhāraṇī doors and samādhi doors, masters vast transcendental powers, enters the realm of differentiations, trains for the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, and the Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas, follows Buddhas to turn the Dharma wheel, and abandons neither his great compassion nor his original vows. Then this Bodhisattva enters the ninth ground, the Good Wisdom Ground [sādhumatī-bhūmi[8]].
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abiding on this Good Wisdom Ground knows dharmas as they truly are, such as good, evil, or neither; worldly or supra-worldly; conceivable or inconceivable; definite or indefinite; saṁskṛta or asaṁskṛta. He also knows the ways of voice-hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. He also knows the Tathāgata Ground.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva excels in expounding the ways of the Voice-Hearer Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, the Bodhisattva Vehicle, and the Tathāgata Ground. Whatever he does, he does with wisdom. He teaches sentient beings differently according to their capacities, natures, preferences, and understandings, and according to which group they belong. He expounds the Dharma according to their life-paths, afflictions, dormant afflictions, fetters, karmas, and habits, enabling them to believe and understand, to expand their wisdom, and to achieve liberation by riding [any of] the Three Vehicles.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Good Wisdom Ground becomes a great Dharma master and acts accordingly. He excels in guarding and protecting the Dharma store of Tathāgatas. From his immeasurable applied wisdom arise the Four Kinds of Unimpeded Wisdom-Knowledge. When he expounds the Dharma with a Bodhisattva’s words, he always employs these Four Kinds of Unimpeded Wisdom-Knowledge, never without them, even temporarily. What are these four? They are unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of (1) all dharmas, (2) their meanings, (3) all forms of expression [e.g., words, sounds, and gestures], and (4) eloquent teaching.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on the ninth ground excels in using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge and acquires the wondrous Dharma store of Tathāgatas. He becomes a great Dharma master and acquires dhāraṇīs, including the dhāraṇī of meanings, the dhāraṇī of dharmas, the dhāraṇī of wisdom-knowledge, the dhāraṇī of radiance, the dhāraṇī of good wisdom, the dhāraṇī of abundant wealth, the dhāraṇī of awesome virtue, the dhāraṇī of hindrance-free Dharma Doors, the dhāraṇī of boundless turning [around of sentient beings], and the dhāraṇī of various meanings.
“This Bodhisattva, having acquired such dhāraṇīs and unimpeded wisdom-knowledge, sits on a Dharma seat and expounds the Dharma. He speaks according to the minds and preferences of sentient beings that fill a Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World. The radiance of his awesome virtue is unrivaled, except by that of Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas who have received the position [to become a Buddha].
“Buddha-Son, if all sentient beings in a Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World come to this Bodhisattva and simultaneously challenge him with different questions in countless languages and sounds, he takes all questions in one thought. Then he answers them with one sound according to the askers’ preferences, to delight them. In the same way, if all sentient beings in countless worlds, in a kṣaṇa [nanosecond], simultaneously challenge him with different questions in countless languages and sounds, he takes all questions in one thought. Then he answers them with one sound according to the askers’ preferences, to delight them.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva makes further energetic progress and attains radiant wisdom. Suppose that on the tip of one hair, there are Buddha assemblies as numerous as the dust particles in countless worlds. Suppose that in each assembly there are sentient beings as numerous as the dust particles in countless worlds. Suppose that all these sentient beings have different natures and preferences, which are as numerous as the dust particles in countless worlds. Suppose that Buddhas give them different Dharma Doors according to their natures and preferences. As such an event transpires on the tip of one hair, so too it transpires everywhere in the dharma realm. This Bodhisattva can acquire all such countless Dharma Doors in one thought, and never forget or lose any of them.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on the ninth ground makes energetic progress day and night without second thoughts. He enters the realm of Buddhas and stays close to Tathāgatas. He achieves profound Bodhisattva liberation and abides in samādhi. He constantly sees Buddhas, without interruption. In every kalpa he sees innumerable Buddhas: innumerable hundreds of Buddhas, innumerable thousands of Buddhas, and even innumerable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. He reveres, honors, and attends all Buddhas, and makes offerings to Them. He asks Them questions and receives the dhāraṇī for expounding the Dharma.
“Buddha-Son, this is a brief description of a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva training on the ninth ground, the Good Wisdom Ground. An extensive explanation cannot be finished in countless kalpas. Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abiding on this ground usually becomes the great Brahma-king [of the third dhyāna heaven], who rules two thousand worlds. He excels in governing and benefiting sentient beings with ease. He can expound the training in the pāramitās to all voice-hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. He knows sentient beings’ minds and is never at a loss facing their challenging questions. Whatever karmas he does, such as 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.
Then, to restate his meaning, Vajra Store Bodhisattva spoke in verse:
1. According to the Mahāyāna doctrine, mental faculty (manas) refers to the seventh consciousness, which has an inborn sense of self. It is the base from which arises the sixth consciousness. The mind can refer to the totality of all eight consciousnesses, or to ālaya consciousness, the eighth consciousness. Free from differentiations, the eighth consciousness supports and maintains all of a sentient being’s conscious and unconscious activities, even at the cellular level. (Return to text)
Doing Faultless Karmas
“Buddha-Son, whatever body, voice, and mind karmas are done by this Bodhisattva, abiding on the Motionless Ground, can bring forth the entire Buddha Dharma.Abiding in Ten Powers
Names of the Eighth Bodhisattva Ground
Entering the Realm of Buddhas
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva thus enters Mahāyāna assemblies, masters great transcendental powers, emits vast radiance, and enters the hindrance-free dharma realm. He knows the differences among worlds, displays his great merits, and does whatever he wishes with ease. He understands the past and future, and knows how to subjugate all māras. He enters deeply into the realm of Tathāgatas and does Bodhisattva training in countless worlds. Because he has attained the spiritual level of no regress, he is said to abide on the Motionless Ground.Training under All Buddhas
“Under every Buddha, he acquires the store of the profound Dharma and receives immeasurable dharma illumination, such as [knowledge of] the differences among worlds. If faced with challenging questions, such as the differences among worlds, he is never at a loss.
“After countless hundreds of kalpas, countless thousands of kalpas, or even countless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, his roots of goodness become more radiant and pure. As an analogy, the precious crown of the king of Jambudvīpa, made of genuine gold, is unrivaled by the ornaments of his ministers and subjects. Likewise the roots of goodness of a Bodhisattva on this ground are unrivaled by those of riders of the Two Vehicles and even those of Bodhisattvas on the seventh ground. [The reason is that] the radiance of his great wisdom on this ground universally dispels the darkness of sentient beings’ afflictions and opens the wisdom door [for them].
“Buddha-Son, as an analogy, the great Brahma-king [of the second dhyāna heaven in the form realm], who rules a thousand worlds, can fill those worlds with his universal lovingkindness and radiance. Likewise a Bodhisattva on this ground can emit radiance to illuminate worlds as numerous as the dust particles in a million Buddha Lands, enabling sentient beings to extinguish the fire of their afflictions and acquire coolness.
“Of the ten pāramitās, he practices the eighth pāramitā, the earnest-wish pāramitā [praṇidhāna-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.
“This is a brief description of a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva training on the eighth ground, the Motionless Ground. An extensive explanation cannot be finished in countless kalpas.Becoming the Great Brahma-King of the Second Dhyāna Heaven
“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 samādhis as numerous as the dust particles in a million Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold Worlds and manifests, as his retinue, Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust particles in those worlds. 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 even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas.”Summarizing Stanzas
On the seventh ground, a Bodhisattva cultivates applied wisdom
And trains to complete the elements of bodhi.
Supported by the World-Honored One,
Seeking superb wisdom, he ascends to the eighth ground.
He accumulates merit and exudes lovingkindness and compassion,
His wisdom as vast as the open sky.
From hearing the Dharma, he has acquired the power of resolve.
Thus he realizes nirvāṇa and acquires Endurance in the Realization of the No Birth of Dharmas.
He knows that dharmas have neither birth nor death,
Neither completion nor destruction, nor change.
Apart from existence [and nonexistence], they are equal, free from differentiation.
Beyond one’s perception, they abide as does the sky.
Having acquired this endurance, he transcends all ludicrous doctrines.
His profound mind remains motionless, abiding in nirvāṇa,
A state unknown to all in the world.
Having left behind perceptions and attachments,
Abiding on this eighth ground, he makes no differentiations,
Like a bhikṣu who has entered the Samādhi of Total Halt,
Like someone awakened from his dream of crossing a river,
And like a Brahma god, who has no desire-realm afflictions.
Because of the power of his original vows, Buddhas praise his endurance,
Pour sweet dew on his head, and give him guiding instructions:
“You have not yet acquired what we have,
So you should make energetic progress.
Although you have extinguished the fire of your afflictions,
The fire of afflictions of all in the world is still ablaze.
You should always remember your original vows to deliver sentient beings
And to enable them to produce the causes of their liberation.
The realization that the nature of dharmas is true suchness, apart from one’s thoughts,
Is attainable by riders of the Two Vehicles.
One becomes a World-Honored One not because of this attainment,
But because one acquires the profound hindrance-free wisdom-knowledge.”
Hence Buddhas, who are worthy of offerings from gods and humans, give him
This wisdom-knowledge and instruct him to make observations.
Thus he acquires the boundless Buddha Dharma and,
In one thought, transcends all his past training.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this wisdom ground
Acquires vast transcendental powers.
In one thought he manifests bodies everywhere [in worlds] in the ten directions,
Like a ship sailing effortlessly in the ocean with the wind.
Through the power of his wisdom-knowledge,
Without effort he knows the formation, continuation, and destruction of worlds,
Their sizes, and their immeasurable differences,
As well as the differences of the Three Realms of Existence.
He also knows the differences among worlds contained in the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World, among the four domains [earth, water, fire, and wind],
And among sentient beings that make the six life-journeys.
Observing with his wisdom-knowledge without missing anything,
He even knows the number of dust particles contained in a treasure.
This Bodhisattva knows all kinds of bodies.
To transform sentient beings, he manifests bodies compatible with theirs.
There are worlds with immeasurable differences,
And he appears in all of them.
As the sun and the moon abide in the open sky,
Casting their reflections in all bodies of water,
Likewise he abides without motion in the dharma realm,
And manifests bodies everywhere at will.
According to the different minds and preferences of multitudes,
He manifests himself in their midst,
As a voice-hearer, a Pratyekabuddha, a Bodhisattva,
Or even a Buddha.
All kinds of bodies are equal, such as the body of a world, a sentient being’s body,
A karmic requital body, a holy one’s body, the wisdom body,
The dharma body, and the body of the open sky.
He manifests all kinds of bodies to benefit sentient beings.
Using ten kinds of wisdom-knowledge, he makes observations.
Out of lovingkindness and compassion, he does [good] karmas.
He masters the entire Buddha Dharma
And observes the precepts as resolutely as Mount Sumeru stands motionless.
He acquires ten indestructible powers,
And no māra can sway him.
He is protected and remembered by Buddhas, welcomed by god-kings,
And attended by two strong vajra-wielding guards.
The virtues of this ground are immeasurable,
And cannot be described in 100,000 koṭi kalpas.
As he makes offerings to all Buddhas, his radiance is like that of
The gold crown on a king’s head.
A Bodhisattva abiding on the eighth ground usually becomes
The great Brahma-king [of the second dhyāna heaven], who rules a thousand worlds.
He endlessly expounds the Three Vehicles
And emits the radiance of lovingkindness to remove sentient beings’ afflictions.
In one thought he enters samādhis
As numerous as the dust particles in a million worlds,
And does his Bodhisattva work in the same way.
Through the power of his vows, what he can do far exceeds these things.
I have briefly described to you all
The eighth Bodhisattva ground, the Motionless Ground.
An extensive explanation
Cannot be finished in a koṭi kalpas.
The Ninth Ground, the Good Wisdom Ground
When the eighth Bodhisattva ground was being expounded,
The Tathāgata displayed His great transcendental powers,
Which shook countless koṭis of worlds
In the ten directions.
The body of the unsurpassed honored omniscient one
Emitted vast radiance,
Which illuminated countless worlds
And gave sentient beings peace and joy.
Innumerable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of Bodhisattvas
Jumped up into the open sky and stood there.
To the foremost expounder [the Buddha], they made wonderful offerings
That surpassed all celestial offerings.
The god-king Maheśvara [of the fourth dhyāna heaven] and the god-king of Paranirmita-vaśa-vartin Heaven [the sixth desire heaven]
Were both filled with immeasurable joy.
They each made all kinds of offerings
To the [one who is like a] deep ocean of virtue.
Ten million koṭi goddess-daughters,
Whose body and mind were filled with joy,
Played countless kinds of music
As an offering to the great guiding teacher to gods and men.
As all kinds of music, in a billion koṭi wonderful tones,
Were performed in concert,
Through the awesome spiritual power of the Sugata,
The goddess-daughters praised in unison:
“Quiet, gentle, and taint free,
A Bodhisattva excels in training on whatever ground he has entered.
His mind like the open sky, he visits worlds in the ten directions
And widely expounds the Buddha Dharma to enlighten sentient beings.
Everywhere in heaven and on earth,
There is unexcelled splendor
Produced by the merits of the Tathāgata [Śākyamuni],
So that viewers may delight in Buddha wisdom.
To display the power of the Buddha, without leaving his world, a Bodhisattva can visit many worlds,
Like the moon shining everywhere in the world.
Having ended the sounds, words, and thoughts in his mind,
He expounds the Dharma with sounds like echoes.
For those with a lowly mind,
He teaches them the voice-hearer path.
For those who have a clear mind and delight in Pratyekabuddhahood,
He teaches them the path of the Middle Vehicle.
For those who have lovingkindness and compassion and delight in benefiting others,
He teaches them the Bodhisattva Way.
For those with a superb wisdom-mind,
He reveals to them the unsurpassed Dharma of Tathāgatas.
Though a magician performs many tricks,
The conjured shapes and forms are unreal.
Likewise Bodhisattva wisdom artfully manifests illusory things,
Which are apart from existence and nonexistence.”
Thus in millions of beautiful tones, the multitude of goddess-daughters sang songs in praise of the Buddha,
Then with great joy fell silent.
Liberation Moon Bodhisattva requested Vajra Store Bodhisattva, “This multitude is pure.
I pray that you will describe the training on the ninth ground.”
Entering the Ninth Ground
Acquiring Wisdom-Knowledge of Sentient Beings
“With such wisdom, this Bodhisattva truly knows sentient beings’ minds, afflictions, karmas, capacities, understandings, natures, preferences, dormant afflictions [seeds of afflictions stored in ālaya consciousness], rebirths, and habits, each of which is like a dense forest, as well as their three groups,[9] also like a dense forest.
Their Minds
“This Bodhisattva knows the features of sentient beings’ minds, such as mixed arising; rapidly changing; perishing or not perishing; intangible; boundless; pure; tainted or untainted; fettered or unfettered; illusory; matching their life forms. He knows a billion koṭi and even countless features of minds as they truly are.
Their Afflictions
“He knows the features of sentient beings’ afflictions, such as ever following [life after life]; endlessly arising; never abandoned throughout life; essentially the same, dormant or active; responsive or unresponsive to the mind; accompanying each rebirth to make a life-journey; different in the Three Realms of Existence; including love, wrong views, delusion, and arrogance, which are deeply lodged, like an arrow; continuing endlessly as the cause of the three karmas [body, voice, and mind]. He even knows 84,000 features of afflictions as they truly are.
Their karmas
“He knows the features of sentient beings’ karmas as they truly are, such as good, evil, or neither; with or without signs; arising inseparably with the mind; never failing to bring corresponding requitals in the right order, though each karma is gone instantly; producing or not producing requitals; functioning as an immeasurable field; yielding corresponding requitals: black, white, or neither;[10] different among ordinary beings and among holy beings; bringing requitals in the present, next, or a future life; bringing definite or indefinite requitals to those riding and those not riding [any of] the Three Vehicles. He even knows 84,000 features of karmas as they truly are.
Their Capacities
“He also knows the features of sentient beings’ capacities, such as weak, middling, or strong; different or same from past to future; low, middling, or high [inclination for riding one of the Three Vehicles[11]]; inseparably together with afflictions; definite or indefinite for those riding and those not riding [any of] the Three Vehicles; mature or immature; changing and declining with the six faculties; excellent and indestructible; regressing or not regressing; different because each rebirth is a karmic requital. He even knows 84,000 features of capacities as they truly are.
Their Understandings, Natures, and Preferences
“He also knows the features of sentient beings’ understandings, such as weak, middling, or strong; their natures, such as weak, middling, or strong; their preferences, such as weak, middling, or strong. He even knows 84,000 features [of understandings, natures, and preferences] as they truly are.
Their Dormant Afflictions
“He also knows the features of sentient beings’ dormant afflictions, such as inborn with the profound mind [ālaya consciousness]; born with the mind; responsive or unresponsive to the mind; always accompanying [all rebirths]; never uprooted since time without a beginning; impeding meditation, samādhi, samāpatti, liberation, and transcendental powers; continuing the bondage of repeated rebirth in the Three Realms of Existence; causing endless mental activities to arise; opening the doors of the six faculties; hard to uproot; active or inactive on the Bodhisattva grounds; possible to eradicate only by taking the holy path.
Their Rebirths
“He also knows the various features of sentient beings’ rebirths, such as reborn according to karma; reborn to make one of the six life-journeys; reborn with or without form; reborn with or without perception; reborn like a sprout germinated from the seed stored in consciousness, in the field of karmas, watered by love [of being], and shrouded by ignorance; reborn with and inseparable from name and form [mind and body]; reborn with delusion, and love of continued existence; reborn with attachment, without a beginning in time, to life and sensory experiences; reborn with attachment to the Three Realms of Existence.
Their Habits
“He also knows the features of sentient beings’ habits, such as active or inactive; formed on a life-journey; formed by following the ways of other sentient beings; formed by following afflictions and karmas; formed by following good, evil, and neutral ways; formed to carry into subsequent lives; formed gradually in some kind of order; formed to last, so long as afflictions have not been eradicated; formed strong or weak; formed by seeing, hearing, and staying close to voice-hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, or Bodhisattvas.
Their Three Groups
“He also knows the ways of sentient beings, by which he classifies sentient beings into three groups: (1) the group that definitely progresses on the right path to bodhi, (2) the group that definitely is not on the bodhi path, and (3) the group that is indecisive about its path. Those who cultivate the Five Roots[12] fall into the first group; those who commit the five rebellious sins fall into the second group; those who do neither fall into the third group. Those who follow the Eightfold Right Path fall into the first group; those who follow the eight evil ways fall into the second group; those who do neither fall into the third group. Those who walk the holy path fall into the first group; those who are deeply attached to the evil ways fall into the second group; those who do neither fall into the third group. Those who hold the right views fall into the first group; those who hold the wrong views fall into the second group; those who hold neither kind of views fall into the third group.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva who has acquired such wisdom is said to be abiding on the Good Wisdom Ground. Using his knowledge of the differences in sentient beings’ ways, he teaches and tames them, enabling them to achieve liberation.Expounding the Dharma
Using the Four Kinds of Unimpeded Wisdom-Knowledge
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, this Bodhisattva knows their individual features. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the differences in their features. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he speaks without mistakes. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he explains that dharmas successively appear without interruption.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows their true reality [emptiness]. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows their birth and death. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he establishes all dharmas and does not destroy their false names. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he endlessly explains dharmas as established without denouncing them.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows the differences among present dharmas. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the differences among past dharmas and among future dharmas. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he explains past, present, and future dharmas without mistakes. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he clearly explains countless dharmas in the past, present, and future.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows their differences. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the differences among their meanings. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he uses the right words and sounds. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he speaks according to the pleasure of his mind.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows that all differences [in true reality] are no different. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows that all differences found through comparison are truly differences. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he explains all differences according to worldly knowledge. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he skillfully speaks in accord with the highest truth.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows that dharmas have the indestructible one appearance [of no appearance]. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the workings of the five aggregates, the twelve fields, and the eighteen spheres, as well as the Four Noble Truths and the dependent arising [of dharmas]. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he uses beautiful words and sounds that are easily understood by the world. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he provides increasingly excellent explanations, giving sentient beings boundless dharma illumination.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows that the One Vehicle is founded on the equality of all dharmas. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the differences among the Three Vehicles. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he explains that all vehicles are no different.[13] Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he explains the countless features of each vehicle.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows all Bodhisattva actions, wisdom actions, and dharma actions, which follow his wisdom. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the differences in the meanings of the Ten Grounds. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he teaches that all grounds are no different.[14] Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he describes the countless features of training on each ground.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows that all Tathāgatas attain true enlightenment in one thought. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows the differences in such an event transpiring at various times and in various places. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, he expounds different practices that lead to true enlightenment. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, he unceasingly explains each phrase in the Dharma for countless kalpas.
“Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of dharmas, he knows a Tathāgata’s words, Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas, great lovingkindness and compassion, eloquence, skillful means, and turning of the Dharma wheel, all of which arise from His [sarvajña-jñāna] knowledge of all knowledge. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of their meanings, he knows that a Tathāgata emits different sounds according to the minds, ways, capacities, and understandings of 84,000 kinds of sentient beings. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of all forms of expression, with a Tathāgata’s voice he teaches differently according to sentient beings’ ways. Using his unimpeded wisdom-knowledge of eloquent teaching, with a Tathāgata’s wisdom and pure ways, he fully expounds the Dharma according to sentient beings’ [different levels of] faith and understanding.Acquiring All Dhāraṇīs
“After he has acquired a million asaṁkhyeya such dhāraṇī doors, he expounds the Dharma, using a million asaṁkhyeya ways of skillful speech and eloquence, and visits innumerable Buddhas. Through these one million asaṁkhyeya dhāraṇī doors, under every Buddha he hears the true Dharma. Never forgetting what he hears, through the door of countless differentiations, he expounds the Dharma to others.
“As soon as this Bodhisattva sees a Buddha and bows down to Him, he immediately acquires, then and there, countless Dharma Doors. Such Dharma Doors cannot be acquired in 100,000 kalpas by great voice-hearers who can retain what they hear.Expounding the Dharma
“Seated on the Dharma seat, this Bodhisattva emits one sound to multitudes to make them understand, and they understand. Sometimes he wants to emit various sounds to enlighten multitudes. Sometimes he wants to emit vast radiance to reveal Dharma Doors. Sometimes he wants to emit various Dharma sounds from each and every pore. Sometimes he wants all things, with or without forms, in a Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World to emit wonderful sounds of Dharma words. Sometimes he wants to emit the sound of one word to reach everywhere in the dharma realm and enable all to understand it. Sometimes he wants the sounds of all words to become Dharma sounds and last forever. Sometimes he wants all songs, music, and musical instruments, such as pipes, flutes, bells, and drums, in all worlds to play Dharma sounds. Sometimes he wants a single word to include all different Dharma phrases and sounds. Sometimes he wants each of the dust particles of earth, water, fire, and wind in countless worlds to reveal inconceivable Dharma Doors. All thoughts in his mind materialize without exception.Answering Challenging Questions
“Even to sentient beings that fill countless worlds, this Bodhisattva can expound the Dharma according to their preferences, capacities, and understandings. Through the power of Buddhas, he widely does Buddha work and is the reliance for all sentient beings.Acquiring and Retaining All Dharma Doors
Training under All Buddhas
“Then his roots of goodness become more radiant and pure. As an analogy, a skillful goldsmith uses genuine gold to make a jeweled crown to adorn a Wheel-Turning King’s head. It is unrivaled on the four continents by the ornaments of lesser kings, their ministers, and their subjects. Likewise the roots of goodness of a Bodhisattva on the ninth ground are unrivaled by those of voice-hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas on lower grounds. As an analogy, the radiance emitted by the body of the great Brahma-king [of the third dhyāna heaven in the form realm] illuminates the two thousand worlds ruled by him, and dispels the darkness there, even in hidden places. Likewise the radiance emitted by the roots of goodness of a Bodhisattva on this ground illuminates sentient beings and dispels the darkness of their afflictions.
“Of the ten pāramitās, he practices the ninth pāramitā, the power pāramitā [bala-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.Becoming the Great Brahma-King of the Third Dhyāna Heaven
“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 samādhis as numerous as the dust particles in a million asaṁkhyeya worlds and manifests, as his retinue, Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust particles in those worlds. 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 even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas.”Summarizing Stanzas
Excelling in observing with the power of immeasurable wisdom,
Which is supreme, wondrous, and hard to know,
This Bodhisattva enters into the secrets of Tathāgatas,
Benefits sentient beings, and enters the ninth ground.
Having acquired dhāraṇīs and samādhis with ease,
He masters vast transcendental powers and visits countless worlds.
Seeking a Tathāgata’s wisdom, Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas,
Through the power of his vows and great compassion, he enters the ninth ground.
Abiding on this ground, he retains the Dharma store.
He knows dharmas, whether good, evil, or neither,
With or without afflictions, worldly or supra-worldly,
Conceivable or inconceivable.
Observing the Three Vehicles,
He knows their practices, whether definite or indefinite,
Saṁskṛta or asaṁskṛta, and knows their differences.
With such wisdom-knowledge, he walks in the world.
Using his wisdom-knowledge,
He knows the features of sentient beings’ minds as they truly are, such as
Rapidly changing, deteriorating or not deteriorating,
Formless, and boundless.
He also knows that their endless afflictions,
Dormant or active, continue through successive life-paths.
He also knows their different karmas,
And that karmic requital arrives [in due time] though its cause is gone.
[He also knows] their capacities, such as weak, middling, or strong,
In the past and future, with immeasurable differences.
He also knows their natures and preferences,
Which number 84,000.
Sentient beings’ afflictions and wrong views,
Like a dense forest that has not been removed since time without a beginning,
Are born with their minds,
And always follow them and unceasingly fetter their minds.
However, thoughts are not real.
Having no place to stay, they are not apart from the mind.
As afflictions subdued by the power of meditation may still arise,
Their ultimate eradication is achieved only on the vajra path.[15]
Reborn to make one of the six life-journeys,
One rises in the field of karmas, and is watered by love [of being] and shrouded by ignorance.
Consciousness is the seed that sprouts name and form life after life
In the Three Realms of Existence since time without a beginning.
One is repeatedly reborn to make a life-journey because one’s mind is filled with afflictions, karmas, and habits,
Without which one will no longer be reborn.
Sentient beings are classified into three groups.
As the first group walks the bodhi path, the second group sinks in the wrong views [while the third group is indecisive about its path].
A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground excels in observing.
According to sentient beings’ different minds, capacities,
Preferences, and needs,
He expounds the Dharma with unimpeded eloquence.
Seated on the Dharma seat, he is like the lion-king,
The ox-king, and the king of treasure mountains.
He is also like the dragon-king that spreads dense clouds
And rains down sweet dew to fill immense oceans.
He knows well the nature of dharmas and their profound meanings,
And eloquently explains them with the right forms of expression.
He acquires a million asaṁkhyeya dhāraṇīs,
Like an ocean that accepts all rains.
His dhāraṇīs and samādhis being pure,
In one thought he sees innumerable Buddhas.
Under every Buddha, he hears the Dharma
And expounds it with wonderful sounds.
He teaches and transforms all sentient beings
In the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World,
Like a cloud that canopies all without exception,
And he delights them according to their capacities and preferences.
As Buddhas in worlds on the tip of one hair are innumerable,
So too the preferences of sentient beings are countless.
He gives them Dharma Doors according to their minds,
And does the same in the entire dharma realm.
This Bodhisattva makes energetic progress
And accumulates excellent merit.
He acquires Dharmas Doors and retains them all,
Like the great earth that stores all seeds.
Innumerable sentient beings from worlds in the ten directions
Come to sit in his assembly
And ask him questions in their minds.
He fully answers them all with one sound.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground becomes a Dharma master
And tirelessly teaches others according to their capacities.
He sees Buddhas day and night without interruption,
And attains profound nirvāṇa, gaining wisdom and achieving liberation.
He makes offerings to all Buddhas,
And his roots of goodness become more radiant and pure,
Like the jeweled crown on a Wheel-Turning King’s head.
He enables sentient beings to eradicate their afflictions,
Like the great Brahma-king’s radiance that shines everywhere.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground usually becomes the Brahma-king [of the third dhyāna heaven],
And always transforms sentient beings by means of the Three Vehicles.
All his good karmas are for benefiting sentient beings
And acquiring the knowledge of all knowledge.
In one thought he enters samādhis as numerous as the dust particles in a million asaṁkhyeya worlds.
On the same scale, he sees Buddhas and expounds the Dharma.
Through the power of his vows, what he can do far exceeds these things.
This is the ninth ground, the Good Wisdom Ground,
A place walked by Bodhisattvas of great wisdom,
A place profound, wonderful, and hard to know.
Buddha-Son, I have briefly described it to you.
—Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment, fascicle 38
Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T10n0279)
Notes
2. The two trainings are either (1) training to benefit self and training to benefit others, or (2) major training and minor training. (Return to text)
3. Dharma stream (法流) means that the Buddha Dharma continues like the flow of water (Buddha’s Light Dictionary 1988, 3366c). (Return to text)
4. Dharma illumination (法明) means wisdom-knowledge of the true reality of dharmas.
(Return to text)
5. See “four Indian castes” in the glossary.(Return to text)
6. See “voice-hearer fruits” in the glossary. (Return to text)
7. These ten things are elaborated in texts 287 and 1522. The corresponding passage in text 287 is translated as follows. “He achieves command of lifespan because he can maintain his lifespan for countless kalpas. He achieves command of mind because he has acquired wisdom through practice of countless samādhis. He achieves command of wealth because he can manifest countless adornments in all worlds. He achieves command of karma because he can manifest karmic fruit at the right time. He achieves command of birth because he can manifest his births in all worlds. He achieves command of wish-fulfillment because he can demonstrate at will attainment of true enlightenment in any Buddha Land at the right time. He achieves command of understanding because he can manifest all worlds filled with Buddhas. He achieves command of transcendental powers because he can playfully demonstrate transcendental powers in all Buddha Lands. He achieves command of dharmas because he can display dharmas through the Illumination Door with neither sides nor middle. He achieves command of wisdom-knowledge because he can display a Buddha’s perfect enlightenment, excellent physical marks, Ten Powers, Four Fearlessnesses, and Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas” (T10n0287, 0561a18–29). Text 287 is the third of the three Chinese versions (texts 285–87) of the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds. It was translated from Sanskrit during the Zhenyuan (貞元) years (785–805) of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) by Śīladharma (尸羅達摩, 8th century) from Yutian. (Return to text)
8. The Sanskrit word “sādhumatī” means good or honorable intention. However, in text 279 it is translated into Chinese as good wisdom (善慧), which is also used in several other Chinese texts.
(Return to text)
9. See “three groups” in the glossary. (Return to text)
10. A detailed discussion of corresponding requitals for different karmas is given in the Sūtra of the Upāsaka Precepts, fascicle 7, chapter 24b, in Bodhisattva Precepts (Rulu 2012c, 244). (Return to text)
11. This interpretation is based on text 1522 (T26n1522, 0188a9–10), 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)
12. See Five Roots listed in Thirty-seven Elements of Bodhi in the glossary. (Return to text)
13. According to text 287, he expounds all vehicles without adulteration (T10n0287, 0565a3–4). (Return to text)
14. According to text 287, he expounds all grounds without adulteration (T10n0287, 0565a8–9). (Return to text)
15. The vajra path is also called the uninterrupted path (ānantarya-mārga, 無間道). It means that one enters the Vajra-Like Samādhi (vajropamā-samādhi, 金剛喻定) and annihilates all one’s afflictions. Then, without interruption one enters the liberation path and annihilates all remaining traces of afflictions, thus attaining bodhi. A voice-hearer becomes an Arhat; a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha (Buddha’s Light Dictionary 1988, 5123a). (Return to text)
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