Buddha Sutras |
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Sūtra 40 (posted 10/2013, updated 02/2014) Book information on Home page
fascicle 46 fascicle 47
大方廣佛華嚴經
佛不思議法品第三十三
Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment
Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty
by
The Tripiṭaka Master Śikṣānanda from Yutian
Fascicle 47 (of 80)
Chapter 33b – The Inconceivable Dharmas of Buddhas Continued
[Blue Lotus Flower Store Bodhisattva continued] “Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns do ten kinds of vast Buddha work, which are measureless, boundless, and inconceivable. No gods or humans in the world can know them, nor can past, present, and future voice-hearers or Pratyekabuddhas. They can be known only through a Tathāgata’s awesome spiritual power. What are these ten?
“First, all Buddhas manifest birth in Tuṣita Heaven [the fourth desire heaven] in all worlds in the entire dharma realm and the domain of space, where They train in Bodhisattva actions and do great Buddha work. Equipped with countless physical appearances and immeasurable virtues, radiance, sounds, words, samādhis, and wisdom, They draw in all humans, gods, māras, Brahma gods, śramaṇas, Brahmins, asuras, and all others. With unconditional great lovingkindness and compassion, They benefit all sentient beings equally, whether They purify their faculties, tame their minds, or enable them to be reborn as gods or humans. They draw in sentient beings by means of the Three Vehicles or the perfect One Vehicle, delivering them all from their cycles of birth and death. This is the first kind of vast Buddha work.
“Second, every Buddha descends from Tuṣita Heaven and miraculously enters His mother’s womb to do Buddha work. In profound samādhi, all Buddhas observe that birth in the Three Realms of Existence is like an illusion, a mirage, a reflection, a manifestation, and the open sky. They graciously accept birth without limitation, hindrance, or contention, but with the wisdom-knowledge [jñāna] of no attachment. Pure and free from desires, They complete the vast store of wonderful adornments for Their final body [in the womb]. Staying in the tower adorned with great treasures,[1] They do Buddha work, whether by using spiritual powers, keeping right mindfulness, displaying transcendental powers, manifesting the wisdom sun, revealing Buddhas’ vast states, emitting Buddhas’ immeasurable radiance, entering countless great samādhis, or rising from those samādhis. Buddha-Son, while in His mother’s womb, to benefit the whole world, a Tathāgata does Buddha work by displaying various scenes, whether being born, becoming a youth, living in the palace, renouncing family life, attaining samyak-saṁbodhi, turning the wondrous Dharma wheel, or entering parinirvāṇa. Using various skillful means, all Buddhas do Buddha work for all kinds of sentient beings in all worlds in all directions. This is the second kind of vast Buddha work.
“Third, all Buddhas have done all good karmas with purity and have clear wisdom-knowledge of birth. They display Their birth to guide sentient beings from delusion to enlightenment and to doing myriads of good deeds. To benefit them, Buddhas are born in a royal palace[2] [as a Bodhisattva]. They discard carnal desires and sensuous entertainments in the palace. With no greed, They always observe that existence has no self-essence and that all pleasures are unreal. They abide by Buddhas’ pure precepts with absolute purity. As They observe the women in the palace, They elicit great compassion; as They observe that sentient beings are unreal, like illusions, They elicit great lovingkindness; as They observe that nothing in the world can bring happiness, They elicit great sympathetic joy; as Their minds have command of all dharmas, They elicit great equability. Equipped with a Buddha’s virtues, They display in the dharma realm Their birth, Their body with perfect physical marks, and Their pure retinues, but have no attachment to anything. Voicing tones suitable for different kinds of sentient beings, They expound the Dharma, enabling them to tire of dharmas in the world and indicating to them that their actions always have consequences. They give apt teachings to enable those who are immature to come to [spiritual] maturity, and those who are mature to achieve liberation. They do Buddha work for both groups, enabling them not to regress. With vast lovingkindness and compassion, They provide various teachings to sentient beings, and use the three commands [body, voice, and mind][3] to enlighten them and purify their minds. Although Their presence in the palace is seen by all, They do Buddha work in all worlds. Using great wisdom and vigor, They ceaselessly display Their various transcendental powers, hindrance free. To benefit sentient beings, They always use three skillful means: (1) body karmas that are ultimately pure, (2) voice karmas that follow wisdom, and (3) mind karmas that are profound and hindrance free. This is the third kind of vast Buddha work.
“Fourth, all Buddhas reside in well-adorned palaces. They observe all adornments, tire of them, and discard them. They renounce family life to make sentient beings understand that dharmas in the world, impermanent and decaying, are their deluded perceptions, so that they will tire of them, have no attachment to them, forever end their greed and other afflictions, and take pure actions to benefit others. When Buddhas renounce family life, they abandon all secular ways, abide in no contention, fulfill Their original vows, and acquire immeasurable merit. They use radiant great wisdom-knowledge to dispel the darkness of ignorance in the world and serve as the unsurpassed fortune field[4] in the world. They praise Buddhas’ virtues, enabling sentient beings to plant roots of goodness and see the truth with the wisdom-eye. To benefit sentient beings, They praise the purity of renouncing family life, achieving liberation, and becoming a tall wisdom banner in the world. This is the fourth kind of vast Buddha work.
“Fifth, all Buddhas have [sarvajña] the overall wisdom-knowledge because They know and see [the true reality of] all dharmas. They attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi under a bodhi tree, and subjugate māras, using extraordinary awe-inspiring virtues. Their bodies being everywhere in all worlds, what Their spiritual powers can do is boundless and endless. They follow with ease the meanings of the overall wisdom-knowledge and complete accumulation of merits. Their fully-adorned bodhi seats are everywhere in all worlds in the ten directions. Buddhas seated there turn the wondrous Dharma wheel and expound Bodhisattva action vows. They reveal Buddhas’ immeasurable states, enabling Bodhisattvas to enter them and train in various pure actions. They guide sentient beings and enable them to plant roots of goodness, be born on the Tathāgata ground of equality, take endless wonderful Bodhisattva actions, and acquire all excellent merits. They know all worlds, Buddha Lands, dharmas, Bodhisattvas, teachings, miraculous manifestations, sentient beings and their preferences, ways to tame them, and past, present, and future. Using wisdom-knowledge, They do Buddha work. This is the fifth kind of vast Buddha work.
“Sixth, all Buddhas turn the no-regress Dharma wheel because They enable Bodhisattvas not to regress. They turn the immeasurable Dharma wheel to enable the world to know [the immeasurable Dharma]. They turn the awakening-all Dharma wheel to roar the fearless great lion’s roar. They turn the wisdom-knowledge-store Dharma wheel to open the door of the Dharma store and annihilate the hindrance of darkness [ignorance]. They turn the hindrance-free Dharma wheel because Their wisdom equals the open sky [in vastness]. They turn the no-attachment Dharma wheel because They observe that all dharmas are neither existent nor nonexistent. They turn the illuminating-all Dharma wheel to enable all sentient beings to purify their dharma-eye. They turn the imparting-overall-wisdom-knowledge Dharma wheel to reveal [the true reality of] all past, present, and future dharmas. They turn the same Dharma wheel because the Dharma of all Buddhas contains no differences. All Buddhas turn countless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of such immeasurable Dharma wheels to do inconceivable Buddha work according to sentient beings’ different mental activities. This is the sixth kind of vast Buddha work.
“Seventh, to do Buddha work for sentient beings, all Buddhas enter the capital cities of all kings, such as human kings, god-kings, dragon-kings, yakṣa-kings, gandharva-kings, asura-kings, garuḍa-kings, kiṁnara-kings, mahoraga-kings, rakṣasa-kings, and piśāca-kings. When They enter a city gate, the great earth quakes in six different ways, radiance pervades everywhere, the blind gain sight, the deaf gain hearing, the insane regain their minds, the naked gain clothing, and those in anxiety and pain gain peace and joy. All musical instruments sound without being played, all adornments emit wonderful sounds, and all hearers are delighted. All Buddhas have pure bodies with sublime appearances, and beholders never tire of seeing Them. They do Buddha work for sentient beings, whether They look about, make observations, turn around, bend, extend, walk, stand still, sit, lie down, speak, remain silent, display transcendental powers, expound the Dharma, or give instructions. All such things are Buddha work that They do for sentient beings. In countless worlds, all Buddhas persuade various sentient beings with an ocean of various preferences to think of Buddhas, make observations, plant roots of goodness, and train in Bodhisattva actions. They praise Buddhas’ physical appearances as foremost in wonderfulness and hard to be encountered by sentient beings. Whoever comes to see a Buddha will elicit faith, do immeasurable good dharmas, accumulate merits required for Buddhahood, and achieve purity. After praising Buddhas’ virtues, They manifest copies of Themselves in worlds in the ten directions, enabling sentient beings there to behold Them with reverence, ponder Their teachings, attend Them and make offering to Them, make observations, and plant roots of goodness. As they delight Buddhas, they grow the Buddha seed and will become Buddhas. Buddhas act in this way to do Buddha work. Whether They reveal Their physical bodies, voice wonderful tones, or merely smile, They enable all sentient beings to have faith and delight, make obeisance, bend over with joined palms, praise and pay tribute, or ask about a Buddha’s daily life. All Buddhas do such immeasurable, ineffable, inconceivable kinds of Buddha work in all worlds according to sentient beings’ preferences. Using the power of Their original vows, great lovingkindness and compassion, and the overall wisdom-knowledge, They teach and transform sentient beings by skillful means, and tame them all. This is the seventh kind of vast Buddha work.
“Eighth, all Buddhas do Buddha work in wildernesses [araṇya], quiet places, open places, Their abodes, or samādhi. They do Buddha work by remaining alone in gardens, staying hidden, using profound wisdom-knowledge, or abiding in Buddhas’ unexcelled states. They do Buddha work by engaging in various invisible physical activities facilitate teaching sentient beings according to their preferences, desires, and understandings. They do Buddha work by appearing as gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans, or nonhumans, who seek the overall wisdom-knowledge; by appearing as voice-hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, or Bodhisattvas, who seek the overall wisdom-knowledge. They do Buddha work by expounding the Dharma or remaining silent; by speaking of one Buddha or many Buddhas; by expounding that all Bodhisattva actions and vows are one Bodhisattva action and vow, or that one Bodhisattva action and vow is countless Bodhisattva actions and vows; or by pronouncing that worldly states are Buddhas’ states, or that Buddhas’ states are no state. They do Buddha work for all sentient beings by abiding in the world for a day or a night, a half month or a whole month, a year or even an ineffable number of kalpas. This is the eighth kind of vast Buddha work.
“Ninth, all Buddhas are the store of pure roots of goodness. They enable sentient beings to elicit pure faith in and achieve understanding of the Buddha Dharma, control their faculties, and transcend the world. They enable Bodhisattvas on the bodhi path to develop wisdom and realize the truth without others’ help. They do Buddha work by entering parinirvāṇa; by revealing the impermanence of the world; by describing a Buddha’s bodies; by announcing completion of what They set out to do; by announcing the perfection of Their virtues; by expounding how to destroy forever the roots of [transmigrating in] the Three Realms of Existence; by enabling sentient beings to turn away from the world to follow the Buddha mind; by pronouncing that life always comes to an end; by pronouncing that nothing in the world can bring happiness; by persuading sentient beings to make offerings to Buddhas throughout the endless future; by announcing that Buddhas turn the pure Dharma wheel to delight the hearers; by describing Buddhas’ states to inspire sentient beings to train for bodhi; by teaching them the Samādhi of Thinking of Buddhas to enable them to see Buddhas; by teaching them to purify their faculties and seek Buddha bodhi without indolence or regress; by going to all Buddha Lands to observe their settings, and various causes and conditions; or by turning all sentient beings’ bodies into a Buddha’s body, enabling even the indolent and those lacking self-control to observe Tathāgatas’ pure precepts. This is the ninth kind of vast Buddha work.
“Tenth, when a Buddha enters parinirvāṇa, grieving sentient beings cry aloud in sorrow, and feel anxious and distressed. They look at one another and say, ‘The Buddha-Bhagavān has great lovingkindness and compassion, and pities and benefits the whole world. He is the rescuer and refuge of sentient beings. A Tathāgata’s appearance in the world is hard to encounter. Now this unsurpassed fortune field is gone forever.’ All Buddhas do Buddha work by entering parinirvāṇa, causing sentient beings to cry in sorrow and adoration. To deliver all gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍa, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, They break Their bodies into countless inconceivable relics [śarīra], which inspire sentient beings to elicit pure faith, reverence, and esteem, to make offerings to the relics with joy, and to accumulate merits in full. To preserve the relics, such as teeth, fingernails, and hair, They have well-adorned pagodas [stūpa] built in the palaces of gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍa, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, inspiring beholders to think of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha with unwavering faith, reverence, and esteem, and to make offerings everywhere to accumulate merits. Because of these merits, they will be reborn in heaven as gods, or reborn into exalted and honorable families as humans endowed with wealth and followed by pure retinues. They will be reborn to take a good life-path, not an evil one. They will always come to see Buddhas, do white dharmas [good karmas], and quickly liberate themselves from the Three Realms of Existence. They will harvest spiritual fruit by riding a holy vehicle of their choice, acknowledge receiving a Tathāgata’s kindness and requite it, and become the refuge of the world. Buddha-Son, after a Buddha-Bhagavān has entered parinirvāṇa, He continues to be sentient beings’ inconceivable pure fortune field, the supreme fortune field with endless virtues, enabling sentient beings to fully develop roots of goodness and fully accumulate merits. This is the tenth kind of vast Buddha work.
“Buddha-Son, these ten kinds of Buddha work are inconceivable and immeasurably vast. No past, present, and future gods, humans, voice-hearers, or Pratyekabuddhas can know them, except through the support of a Tathāgata’s spiritual power.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten no-exception commands. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas bestow Their prophecies in good words, definitely with no exception. Second, all Buddhas can fulfill sentient beings’ wishes according to their thoughts, definitely with no exception. Third, all Buddhas realize the true reality of all dharmas and expound their meanings, definitely with no exception. Fourth, all Buddhas have the wisdom of all past, present, and future Buddhas, definitely with no exception. Fifth, all Buddhas know that all past, present, and future moments are one moment, definitely with no exception. Sixth, all Buddhas know that all past, present, and future Buddha Lands are one Buddha Land, definitely with no exception. Seventh, all Buddhas know that the words of all past, present, and future Buddhas are the words of one Buddha, definitely with no exception. Eighth, all Buddhas know that the essence of all past, present, and future Buddhas and that of sentient beings They transform are equal, definitely with no exception. Ninth, all Buddhas know that there is no difference between the nature of worldly dharmas and that of the Buddha Dharma, definitely with no exception. Tenth, all Buddhas know that the roots of goodness of all past, present, and future Buddhas are the same one root of goodness, definitely with no exception. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten kinds of abiding in all dharmas. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas abide in Their realization of the entire dharma realm. Second, all Buddhas abide in Their great compassion. Third, all Buddhas abide in Their original vows. Fourth, all Buddhas abide in never giving up on taming sentient beings. Fifth, all Buddhas abide in the truth that dharmas have no self-essence. Sixth, all Buddhas abide in benefiting all sentient beings equally. Seventh, all Buddhas abide in Their no loss of mindfulness. Eighth, all Buddhas abide in the hindrance-free mind. Ninth, all Buddhas constantly abide in right samādhi. Tenth, all Buddhas abide in entering all dharmas equally without going against their true reality. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten kinds of knowledge of all dharmas, with no exception. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas know all past dharmas, with no exception. Second, all Buddhas know all future dharmas, with no exception. Third, all Buddhas know all present dharmas, with no exception. Fourth, all Buddhas know all languages, with no exception. Fifth, all Buddhas know all worldly ways, with no exception.[5] Sixth, all Buddhas know all sentient beings’ minds, with no exception. Seventh, all Buddhas know all Bodhisattvas’ roots of goodness, such as high, middling, and low, with no exception. Eighth, all Buddhas know that Their wisdom-knowledge is complete and that Their roots of goodness neither increase nor decrease, with no exception. Ninth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas arise through causes and conditions, with no exception. Tenth, all Buddhas know all world systems, with no exception. Eleventh, all Buddhas know that the entire dharma realm is like the god-king Indra’s net, which comprises countless interwoven reflections, with no exception. These are the ten.[6]
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten strengths. What are these ten? They are (1) vast strength, (2) supreme strength, (3) immeasurable strength, (4) awesome strength, (5) hard-to-acquire strength, (6) non-diminishing strength, (7) firm strength, (8) indestructible strength, (9) strength inconceivable to the world, and (10) strength unshakable by any sentient beings.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten dharmas called the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s[7] bold dharmas. What are these ten?
“First, all Buddhas have indestructible bodies and unending lives. They cannot be killed by any poison in the world, nor can They be harmed by any disasters of water, fire, or wind. Even if all māras, gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, with all their might, simultaneously poured down, everywhere in the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World, a rain of thunderbolts [vajra] as huge as Mount Sumeru or the Iron Mountain Range, they could not astonish or terrify any Buddha, not even disturbing a single hair of His, who would continue to walk, stand still, sit, or lie down as before, without any change. Without a Buddha’s permission, the rain of vajras could not fall on His place or surrounding places far or near in the four directions. Even if He let this rain fall, it could not cause any harm. It could not harm even sentient beings under Buddhas’ support or in Their service, much less Tathāgatas Themselves. This is the first of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Second, all Buddhas can put Mount Sumeru, the Iron Mountain Range, the Great Iron Mountain Range, oceans, mountains, forests, palaces, and houses in worlds in the entire dharma realm, into any of Their pores, and sentient beings cannot sense or know any change, except through the support of a Tathāgata’s spiritual power. Buddha-Son, as Buddhas carry all worlds in one of Their pores throughout future kalpas, They do not feel fatigued, whether They walk, stand still, sit, or lie down. Buddha-Son, as the open sky holds all worlds in the dharma realm without fatigue, likewise any Buddha holds all worlds in one pore without fatigue. This is the second of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Third, all Buddhas, in one thought, can walk steps as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of worlds. With each step, he passes worlds as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. They walk in this way for kalpas as numerous as the dust particles in all worlds. Buddha-Son, suppose there is a huge vajra mountain the size of all Buddha Lands They pass. Buddhas can put into one of Their pores such huge vajra mountains as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. The number of pores on a Buddha’s body equals that of the pores of all sentient beings in the dharma realm. Carrying such great vajra mountains in every pore, Buddhas travel in the ten directions and enter all worlds in the entire domain of space for all kalpas, from past to future, without rest. Their bodies are neither damaged nor fatigued, and Their minds are constantly in samādhi, never distracted. This is the third of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Fourth, all Buddhas, after a meal, sit cross-legged [in meditation] for an ineffable number of past and future kalpas, experiencing a Buddha’s inconceivable bliss. Their bodies stay put and remain still, but They neither interrupt nor abandon Their work of delivering sentient beings. Buddha-Son, suppose someone uses the tip of a hair to measure all worlds in the entire domain of space. Buddhas can sit cross-legged on the tip of a hair for all future kalpas. As They do this on the tip of one hair, so too They do this on the tips of all hairs. Buddha-Son, suppose each sentient being in all worlds in the ten directions has a body the size and weight of worlds as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Buddhas can put all these sentient beings on a fingertip for all future kalpas. Carrying all sentient beings on all Their fingertips, They enter all worlds, without exception, throughout space in the entire dharma realm. Yet Their bodies and minds are not fatigued. This is the fourth of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Fifth, all Buddhas can make a body manifest heads as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Each head manifests tongues as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Each tongue emits different sounds as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands, and every sentient being in the dharma realm hears all these sounds. Each sound indicates sūtra stores as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Each sūtra store contains Dharmas as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Each Dharma contains words and their meanings as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Buddhas expound these meanings for kalpas as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. After finishing these kalpas, They expound them again for kalpas as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. They continue in this way until They finish kalpas as numerous as the dust particles in all worlds and even as numerous as all sentient beings’ thoughts. Although future kalpas have an end, the Dharma wheels turned by Buddhas’ manifested bodies have no end. Such Dharma wheels include the Dharma wheel of teaching with wisdom, the Dharma wheel of ending doubts, the Dharma wheel of illuminating all dharmas, the Dharma wheel of opening the hindrance-free store, the Dharma wheel of delighting and taming innumerable sentient beings, the Dharma wheel of teaching all Bodhisattva actions, the Dharma wheel of unveiling the sun of perfect wisdom, the Dharma wheel of the bright wisdom lamp that illuminates the whole world, and the Dharma wheel of eloquence, fearlessness, and various adornments. Every manifested Buddha body uses transcendental powers to turn various Dharma wheels, which are beyond all analogies in the world. On the tip of each hair in the entire domain of space are worlds as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. In each world, thought after thought, Buddhas manifest bodies as numerous as the dust particles in an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. The sounds of words and their meanings, emitted by every manifested body pervade the entire dharma realm. Although sentient beings come to different understandings, Buddhas’ tones are changeless, uninterrupted, and ceaseless. This is Buddhas’ fifth of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Sixth, all Buddhas adorn Their chests with a symbol of virtue, as indestructible as vajra, and sit cross-legged under a bodhi tree. The māra-king’s countless troops assume various terrifying shapes. When sentient beings see them, they are struck by fear, go mad, or even die. When a Tathāgata sees these māra troops all over the open sky, He has no fear, His face does not change color, and not even a single hair stands on end. Neither moved nor disturbed, free from rapture and rage, making no differentiations He abides in a Buddha’s state, serene and pure. Equipped with the power of lovingkindness, compassion, and well-attuned faculties, He has no fear, and cannot be moved by māra troops. Instead, He subjugates them, and makes them change their minds and bow down to take refuge in Him. Then He uses the three wheels [body, voice, and mind][8] to teach and transform them, enabling them to activate the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind and never to regress. This is Buddhas’ sixth of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Seventh, all Buddhas voice hindrance-free tones, which pervade worlds in the ten directions, and hearers are willingly tamed. The tones voiced by Tathāgatas cannot be blocked by Mount Sumeru or any other mountains. Nor can they be blocked by the palaces of gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, humans, or nonhumans. Nor can they be blocked by loud sounds in all worlds. Those ready to be delivered hear them and understand the words and their meanings. This is Buddhas’ seventh of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Eighth, all Buddhas have the hindrance-free mind, which remains pure even beyond 100,000 koṭi nayuta ineffably ineffable kalpas. All past, present, and future Buddhas have the same essence, which is neither clouded nor shrouded, neither internal nor external, and has no self and its belongings. Buddhas know that dharmas are empty, and do not produce deluded perceptions. They rely on nothing, do nothing, make no differentiations, and do not abide in appearances. Pure by nature, They discard all attachments and related memories and do not contend over anything. Abiding in true reality, They are pure, free from desires. As They enter the true dharma realm and ceaselessly expound the Dharma, They discard all correct and incorrect perceptions, and end all discussions about saṁskṛta and asaṁskṛta dharmas. They have full understanding of the ineffably boundless state, and have acquired endless hindrance-free wisdom and skillful means. They have acquired the Ten Powers and all merits as pure adornment. They expound various immeasurable dharmas in accord with true reality. They are at perfect ease with the equality of all past, present, and future dharmas in the dharma realm. They enter the supreme Dharma store and remember all Dharma Doors without confusion. They reside in all Buddha Lands in the ten directions without moving. Having acquired endless wisdom-knowledge, They know all dharmas with no exception. Having ended all afflictions, They have fully liberated Their minds and unfolded Their wisdom. They abide in true reality, hindrance-free, Their minds always in right samādhi. In one thought, They know all past, present, and future sentient beings’ mental activities, hindrance free. This is the eighth of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Ninth, all Buddhas have the same dharma body.[9] It is the body of immeasurable states, the body of boundless virtues, the body unknowable to the world, and the body untainted by the Three Realms of Existence. It can manifest all things in response to causes and conditions. Neither real nor unreal, it is equally pure [in all sentient beings]. Neither coming nor going, it is asaṁskṛta and indestructible. With the one appearance of no appearance, it is the body of the true nature of dharmas. With neither place nor direction, it pervades everywhere. With immeasurable command of miraculous changes, it manifests countless bodies, enters all bodies, and follows conditions. It is the store of illuminating wisdom-knowledge, indicates the equality of dharmas, and pervades the dharma realm, motionless and free from differentiation. Neither existent nor nonexistent, it is forever pure. Neither easy nor hard, neither perishing nor not perishing, it manifests according to various levels of faith and understanding of sentient beings ready to be delivered. Born from the jewel of all virtues, it is true suchness, the source of the Dharma of all Buddhas. Quiet by nature, it is hindrance free and underlies all hindrance-free dharmas. It pervades all things in the dharma realm and manifests bodies to be everywhere in all worlds. With no attachments and no regress, it is forever liberated and encompasses all wisdom-knowledge. This is the ninth of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Tenth, all Buddhas equally master the Dharma of all Tathāgatas and equally take all universally worthy actions, as do Bodhisattvas.[10] They have fulfilled Their vows and acquired wisdom-knowledge, both equally pure and as vast as the ocean. Their actions are dignified and excellent, never cringing or timid. Abiding in the immeasurable states of samādhi, They indicate all paths to sentient beings and persuade them to do good and stop doing evil. Their wisdom-knowledge being supreme, They fearlessly expound the Dharma and well answer all questions. They use the same wisdom and purity to expound the Dharma, and Their body, voice, and mind karmas are unadulterated. They abide in the Buddha character-type and use Buddha wisdom to do Buddha work. Using [sarvajña-jñāna] the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge, with no limit or boundary, They differentiate countless dharmas. Their wisdom and transcendental powers are inconceivable, beyond the comprehension of the whole world. Their wisdom being profound, They see all dharmas. Using their subtle, immeasurable, and boundless wisdom, They understand all past, present, and future Dharma Doors and know all worlds. Using supra-worldly wisdom-knowledge, They do various ineffable kinds of Buddha work in the world. Equipped with wisdom-knowledge that never fades, They rise to the calling of Buddhas. Although They have realized what is beyond words, They use various words and phrases to teach. Using universally worthy wisdom-knowledge, They take all good actions. They acquire wondrous wisdom and, in one thought, know all dharmas. They give the Dharma as alms to all sentient beings according to their chosen vehicles. Although the states of all dharmas, worlds, sentient beings, and time scales in the dharma realm are immeasurable, They know and see them all, using Their hindrance-free wisdom-knowledge. Buddha-Son, for the sake of sentient beings ready to be delivered, all Buddhas, in one thought, appear in worlds. They abide in purity, attain samyak-saṁbodhi, and display transcendental powers. With right timing, They open the minds of all past, present, and future sentient beings. Buddha-Son, sentient beings, worlds, and dharma realms are countless; past, present, and future are immeasurable; Buddhas are supreme and boundless. Appearing amid all sentient beings, They attain samyak-saṁbodhi and, without rest, skillfully use Buddha wisdom to enlighten them. Buddha-Son, using transcendental powers, all Buddhas appear in the most sublime bodies and abide in the boundless state. With no hindrance in Their minds, at all times They use great compassion and skillful means to expound the wondrous Dharma to sentient beings. This is the tenth of the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas.
“Buddha-Son, Buddhas have these dharmas, called the mighty Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha’s bold dharmas, which are immeasurable and boundless. They are inconceivable and incomprehensible to all past, present, and future sentient beings and riders of the Two Vehicles, except through the support of a Tathāgata’s spiritual power.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns definitely do ten things. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas definitely descend from Tuṣita Heaven to be born. Second, every Buddha definitely stays in His mother’s womb for ten months before birth. Third, all Buddhas definitely tire of the world and renounce family life. Fourth, all Buddhas definitely sit under a bodhi tree and attain samyak-saṁbodhi. Fifth, all Buddhas definitely realize, in one thought, [the true reality of] all dharmas and display spiritual powers in the world. Sixth, all Buddhas definitely turn the wondrous Dharma wheel at the right times. Seventh, all Buddhas definitely expound the Dharma to sentient beings at the right times according to their roots of goodness, and bestow prophecies on them. Eighth, all Buddhas definitely do Buddha work at the right times. Ninth, all Buddhas definitely bestow on accomplished Bodhisattvas the prophecy [of attaining Buddhahood]. Tenth, all Buddhas, in one thought, definitely answer all sentient beings’ questions. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns give ten quick benefits. What are these ten? First, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly leave all evil life-paths. Second, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly complete accumulation of excellent merits. Third, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly complete development of vast roots of goodness. Fourth, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly be reborn in heaven. Fifth, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly end his doubts. Sixth, whoever comes to see a Buddha, if he has not activated the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind, will quickly activate it. Whoever comes to see a Buddha, if he has already activated the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind, will quickly acquire vast faith and understanding, will never regress, and will teach those ready to be taught. Seventh, whoever comes to see a Buddha, if he has not entered the right position,[11] will quickly enter it. Eighth, whoever comes to see a Buddha will purify his worldly and supra-worldly faculties. Ninth, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly annihilate all hindrances. Tenth, whoever comes to see a Buddha will quickly acquire fearlessness and eloquence. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten pure dharmas that should always be remembered. What these ten? First, all Bodhisattvas should always remember all Buddhas’ past causes and conditions. Second, all Bodhisattvas should always remember all Buddhas’ excellent pure actions. Third, all Bodhisattvas should always remember that all Buddhas have achieved all pāramitās. Fourth, all Bodhisattvas should always remember that all Buddhas have fulfilled Their great vows. Fifth, all Bodhisattvas should always remember that all Buddhas have completed accumulation of merits. Sixth, all Bodhisattvas should always remember that all Buddhas have perfected Their Brahma way of life. Seventh, all Bodhisattvas should remember that all Buddhas have demonstrated attainment of true enlightenment. Eighth, all Bodhisattvas should always remember all Buddhas’ countless physical bodies. Ninth, all Bodhisattvas should always remember all Buddhas’ immeasurable transcendental powers. Tenth, all Bodhisattvas should always remember all Buddhas’ Ten Powers and Four Fearlessnesses. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten kinds of abiding in wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas, in one thought, know all past, present, and future sentient beings’ minds and mental activities. Second, all Buddhas, in one thought, know all past, present, and future sentient beings’ karmas and karmic requitals. Third, all Buddhas, in one thought, know all sentient beings’ capacities and tame them with the three wheels [body, voice, and mind]. Fourth, all Buddhas, in one thought, know the mental activities of all sentient beings in the dharma realm, enable them to see Buddhas appearing everywhere, and draw them in by skillful means. Fifth, all Buddhas, in one thought, expound the Dharma according to the preferences, desires, and understandings of all sentient beings in the dharma realm, and tame them. Sixth, all Buddhas, in one thought, know the pleasures of all sentient beings in the dharma realm and display Their spiritual powers to them. Seventh, all Buddhas, in one thought, appear everywhere for the sake of all sentient beings ready to be delivered, and tell them to have no attachment to the Buddha body. Eighth, all Buddhas, in one thought, go to all sentient beings on various life-paths everywhere in the dharma realm. Ninth, all Buddhas, in one thought, go to sentient beings, wherever they are, if they think of Buddhas. Tenth, all Buddhas, in one thought, know all sentient beings’ understandings and desires, and manifest countless physical appearances to them. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns, constantly in right samādhi, do ten inconceivable things. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and widely expound the Dharma to sentient beings. Second, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and pronounce to sentient beings the truth that dharmas have no selves. Third, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and enter past, present, and future. Fourth, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and enter vast Buddha Lands in the ten directions. Fifth, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and manifest countless various Buddha bodies. Sixth, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and do body, voice, and mind karmas according to sentient beings’ different minds and understandings. Seventh, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and pronounce the truth that dharmas are free from desires. Eighth, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and expound the dependent arising of dharmas. Ninth, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and manifest Buddhas with immeasurable splendor of worldly and supra-worldly ways, enabling sentient beings always to see Buddhas. Tenth, all Buddhas, constantly in right samādhi, in one thought appear everywhere and enable sentient beings to fully understand the entire Buddha Dharma, achieve limitless liberation, and ultimately arrive at the unsurpassed opposite shore.[12] These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten hindrance-free liberations. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle an ineffably ineffable number of Buddhas appearing in worlds in the ten directions. Second, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle an ineffably ineffable number of Buddhas turning the Dharma wheel. Third, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle Their teaching and taming of an ineffably ineffable number of sentient beings. Fourth, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle an ineffably ineffable number of Buddha Lands. Fifth, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle Their bestowing on an ineffably ineffable number of Bodhisattvas the prophecy [of attaining Buddhahood]. Sixth, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle all past, present, and future Buddhas. Seventh, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle all past, present, and future world systems. Eighth, all Buddhas can display in a dust particle Their past, present, and future transcendental powers. Ninth, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle all past, present, and future sentient beings. Tenth, all Buddhas can manifest in a dust particle all past, present, and future Buddha work. These are the ten.”
—Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment, fascicle 47
Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T10n0279)
Notes
1. According to text 279, fascicle 48, chapter 35, a Buddha rides in a sandalwood tower to enter and stay in His mother’s womb. (Return to text)
2. It means a royal birth, not necessarily in a palace. It is well known that Śākyamuni Buddha was born in the Lumbini Garden, not in the palace. (Return to text)
3. Buddhas have perfect command of Their body, voice, and mind to do pure karmas. The three commands are also called the three wheels, likening each command to a Wheel-Turning King’s wheel of power. (Return to text)
4. See “three fortune fields” in the glossary. (Return to text)
5. According to text 278, the fifth kind of wisdom-knowledge is that “all Buddhas know all births and deaths in the world, with no exception” (T09n0278, 0597c17–18). Text 278 is the 60-fascicle Chinese version of the Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment (Buddhāvataṁsaka-mahāvaipulya-sūtra), translated from Sanskrit by Buddhabhadra (佛馱跋陀羅, 359–429) in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (316–420). (Return to text)
6. Texts 279 (T10n0279) states that all Buddhas have ten kinds of wisdom-knowledge, but lists eleven. (Return to text)
7. The name Nārāyaṇa Banner Buddha is based on a corresponding passage in text 278 (T09n0278, 0597c29), though the word Buddha is missing from text 279. However, both texts mention this Buddha in their last chapter. (Return to text)
8. As a Wheel-Turning King wields his wheel of power, a Buddha’s body, voice, and mind are likened to three wheels: (1) the body wheel, which displays transcendental powers to induce belief; (2) the voice wheel, which pronounces teachings to induce faith; (3) the mind wheel, which measures sentient beings’ capacities in order to give them teachings suitable for their levels. (Return to text)
9. See “dharma body” defined in the glossary’s “three bodies of a Buddha.” (Return to text)
10. Bodhisattvas take universally worthy actions to benefit themselves and others. Buddhas benefit only others. (Return to text)
11. The right position is realization of nirvāṇa, which is beyond causes and conditions. (Return to text)
12. The opposite shore is that shore of nirvāṇa, opposite this shore of saṁsāra. (Return to text)