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Sūtra 35 (posted 11/2012, updated 03/2013) Book information on Home page
fascicle 34 fascicle 35 fascicle 36 fascicle 37 fascicle 38 fascicle 39
When Bodhisattvas heard [the description of]
This superb and wonderful ground [the first ground],
Their minds were purified,
And they were filled with joy.
They rose from their seats,
Jumped up into the open sky,
And showered down wonderful flowers.
They praised in unison:
“Very good! Vajra Store,
The fearless one with great wisdom,
Has well expounded the training of
A Bodhisattva on this ground.”
Liberation Moon Bodhisattva,
Knowing that this multitude had pure minds and
Hoped to hear the second ground,
Requested Vajra Store Bodhisattva,
“I pray that the one with great wisdom
Will expound the second ground, which
All Buddha-sons would like to hear.”
Then Vajra Store Bodhisattva told Liberation Moon Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, after a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has completed his training on the first ground, if he wishes to enter the second ground, the Taint-Free Ground [prabhākarī-bhūmi], he should cultivate ten profound minds. What are these ten? They are (1) the upright mind, (2) the gentle mind, (3) the capable mind, (4) the tame mind, (5) the quiet mind, (6) the benevolent mind, (7) the unmixed mind, (8) the attachment-free mind, (9) the broad mind, and (10) the magnanimous mind.[1] With these ten minds, this Bodhisattva enters the second ground.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Taint-Free Ground naturally never kills sentient beings. He does not stock weaponry, such as knives and clubs, nor does he harbor hatred. He has a sense of shame and dishonor. Kind and forgiving, he has lovingkindness for all sentient beings, and wants to benefit them. This Bodhisattva does not, out of malice, distress sentient beings, much less intentionally kill them, knowing that they are sentient beings.
“He naturally never steals anything. This Bodhisattva is content with his own assets. With lovingkindness and forgivingness toward others, he never raids or damages others’ things. When he sees others’ things, he never thinks of stealing them. He does not take even a blade grass not given to him, much less life-supporting things.
“He naturally never engages in sexual misconduct. This Bodhisattva is satisfied with his own wife and never pursues the wife of another. He does not even lust for his wife or concubines, or for women under his protection, betrothed to his relatives, or protected by the law, much less actually have sex [with them], much less in a perverted way.
“He naturally never lies. This Bodhisattva always speaks truthful and timely words. He does not lie even in his dreams.
“He naturally never speaks divisive words. This Bodhisattva does not want to divide, distress, or harm sentient beings. He does not say such words to that person to damage this person, nor does he speak such words to this person to damage that person. He protects a relationship, not letting it break, and prevents a broken relationship from getting worse. He does not wish to divide people, nor does he speak divisive words, true or false.
“He naturally never speaks abusive words, such as vicious words, rude words, hurtful words, anger-provoking words, overtly abusive words, covertly abusive words, coarse words, vulgar words, distasteful words, displeasing words, angry words, heart-burning words, feud-forming words, heated words, unlovely words, unpleasant words, and words that harm others and hence himself. Discarding such abusive words, he always speaks nurturing words, gentle words, enjoyable words, pleasant words, joyful words, heart-capturing words, elegant words, popular enjoyable words, popular pleasant words, and inspiring words.
“He naturally never speaks suggestive words. This Bodhisattva delights in carefully chosen words, timely words, truthful words, meaningful words, Dharma words, sensible words, cogent words, and well-considered decisive words. This Bodhisattva carefully watches himself even when he jokes and laughs, to avoid speaking meaningless words.[2]
“He naturally has no greed. This Bodhisattva has no greed for others’ assets or life-supporting things. He neither wishes for nor seeks them.
“He naturally has no anger. For all sentient beings, this Bodhisattva always elicits the loving-kind mind, the beneficial mind, the compassionate mind, the joyful mind, the nurturing mind, and the receptive mind. He forever discards anger, spite, and irascibility, and always takes appropriate actions to benefit others with lovingkindness.
“He naturally discards the wrong views. A Bodhisattva walking the right path neither practices divination nor accepts evil precepts. His mind and views are upright, free from deceit and sycophancy. He has firm faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha.
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva protects and upholds the ten good karmas without interruption. He thinks, ‘Sentient beings go down the evil life-paths because they have done the ten evil karmas. Therefore, I should do the right training and persuade others to do the same. Why? Because it is utterly wrong for one to tell others to do the right training while unwilling to do so oneself.’
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva next thinks, ‘Taking the path of the ten evil karmas causes sentient beings to be reborn as hell-dwellers, animals, or hungry ghosts. Taking the path of the ten good karmas causes them to be reborn as humans or gods, including gods in the highest form heaven.’
“‘If those who follow the path of the ten good karmas with high-grade purity have narrow and lowly minds, fear rebirth in the Three Realms of Existence, lack compassion for sentient beings, and learn [the Dharma] by hearing it, they are called riders of the Voice-Hearer Vehicle. If those who follow the path of the ten good karmas with high-grade purity do so without being taught by others, lack compassion for sentient beings, lack skillful means for delivering them, and realize the profound principle of causality, they are called riders of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. If those who follow the path of the ten good karmas with high-grade purity have a magnanimous mind, compassion, and skillful means, make great vows, seek the great wisdom of Buddhas, purify and cultivate all Bodhisattva grounds, practice all pāramitās, and never abandon sentient beings, they [are called riders of the Bodhisattva Vehicle, who] will complete wide-ranging Bodhisattva actions. Because they have achieved all kinds of purity, they will eventually acquire the Ten Powers and the Four Fearlessnesses [of a Buddha], and master the entire Buddha Dharma. Therefore, I should do the ten good karmas to achieve purity in everything. They are the skillful means a Bodhisattva should learn.’
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva next thinks, ‘Doing the ten evil karmas can cause one to be reborn as a hell-dweller as a severe requital, an animal as a moderate requital, or a hungry ghost as a minor requital.’
“The sin of killing can cause a sentient being to be reborn as a hell-dweller, an animal, or a hungry ghost. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, a short lifespan and sickliness.
“The sin of stealing can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, poverty and no command of joint assets.
“The sin of sexual misconduct can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, an unfaithful wife and an unruly retinue.
“The sin of lying can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, being slandered and being deceived.
“The sin of divisive speech can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, a disloyal retinue and vile relatives.
“The sin of abusive speech can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, hearing evil sounds and speaking contentious words.
“The sin of suggestive speech can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, rejection of his words and incomprehensibility of his words.
“The sin of greed can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, discontentment and insatiable desire.
“The sin of anger can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, being criticized by others and being incriminated by others.
“The sin of holding the wrong views can cause a sentient being to go down any of the three evil life-paths. If reborn as a human, he will receive two requitals, a crooked mind and rebirth into a family that holds the wrong views.
“Buddha-Son, the path of the ten evil karmas leads to an immeasurable and boundless pile of suffering. Therefore, this Bodhisattva thinks, ‘I should shun this path and take the path of the ten good karmas, which is like a Dharma garden. I will enjoy my stay there and persuade others to stay there as well.’
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has lovingkindness, compassion, and sympathy for all sentient beings and is resolved to benefit them and give them peace and joy. He regards them as himself, and wants to draw them into the Dharma and to be their protector, teacher, and great teacher. He thinks, ‘Sentient beings are pitiable because they are trapped in a dense forest of wrong views, evil wisdom, evil desires, and evil paths. I should enable them to abide in the right views and follow the right path.’
“He next thinks, ‘All sentient beings differentiate between self and others. They harm one another and fight with ceaseless fiery anger. I should enable them to abide in the unsurpassed great lovingkindness.’
“He next thinks, ‘All sentient beings covet and grasp insatiably. They seek wealth and benefits through an evil livelihood. I should enable them to make a right livelihood using body, voice, and mind in a pure way.
“He next thinks, ‘Sentient beings are driven by the three poisons [greed, anger, and delusion], which inflame their other afflictions. They do not seek to acquire the skillful means to achieve liberation. I should enable them to extinguish the massive fire of their afflictions and to settle themselves in the coolness of nirvāṇa.’
“He next thinks, ‘Sentient beings, blinded by delusion and wrong views like a thick film [on the eye], have entered a dense forest of darkness, far from the radiance of their innate wisdom. They tread treacherous paths in wilderness and hold various wrong views. I should enable them to acquire the hindrance-free pure wisdom-eye and to know the true reality of dharmas without being taught by others.’
“He next thinks, ‘Taking the treacherous path of birth and death, sentient beings may go down the evil life-paths, reborn as hell-dwellers, animals, or hungry ghosts. Fallen into the web of wrong views and lost in the dense forest of delusion, they follow evil paths and take evil actions. Like the blind without a guiding teacher, they mistake the entrance for the exit and enter the domain of māras. Captured by bandits, they follow the mind of māras and go against the intent of Buddhas. I should rescue them from such tribulations and enable them to settle down in the fearless city of [sarvajña] the overall wisdom-knowledge.’
“He next thinks, ‘Swallowed by torrential waters, sentient beings linger in streams of desire, existence, ignorance, and wrong views. In the vortex of birth and death, they drift in the turbulent river of love, unable to make observations. Seized by self-view, which is like a rakṣasa who wants them to remain forever in the dense forest of love and desire, they follow their perception of desire, anger, and malice. Deeply attached to the things they love, each of them settles down on its mountain of arrogance and lives in its village of the six faculties. They have no one to rescue them. I should activate my great mind of compassion and rescue them with my roots of goodness, enabling them to end their tribulations, to leave impurity for purity, and to abide on the treasure continent of all wisdom-knowledge.’
“He next thinks, ‘Sentient beings live in a prison world of pain and distress. Filled with love and hate, they have anxiety and fear. Bound by heavy chains of love and desire, lost in the dense forest of ignorance, they are repeatedly reborn in the Three Realms of Existence, unable to escape on their own. I should enable them to transcend the Three Realms of Existence and to abide in the hindrance-free great nirvāṇa.’
“He next thinks, ‘Sentient beings are fixated on having a self, and none of them seeks to leave its cave of the five aggregates. Each equipped with the six faculties, they take the four inverted actions.[3] Each bound to the four domains [earth, water, fire, and wind], which are like venomous snakes, and driven by the five aggregates, which are like bandits, they undergo immeasurable suffering. I should enable them to abide in the supreme attachment-free place, the hindrance-free supreme nirvāṇa.’
“He next thinks, ‘Sentient beings have narrow and lowly minds, and fear the highest wisdom path. If they wish to leave the world, they prefer the Voice-Hearer Vehicle or the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. I should enable them to abide in the vast Buddha Dharma and vast wisdom.’
“Buddha-Son, this Bodhisattva protects the Bodhisattva precepts in this way and excels in cultivating the mind of lovingkindness and compassion.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on this Taint-Free Ground, through the power of his vows, comes to see many Buddhas: hundreds of Buddhas, thousands of Buddhas, hundreds and thousands of Buddhas, koṭis of Buddhas, hundreds of koṭis of Buddhas, thousands of koṭis of Buddhas, hundreds of thousands of koṭis of Buddhas, and even hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. With a magnanimous and profound mind, he reveres, honors, and attends all Buddhas, and makes offerings to Them. He offers Them life-supporting things, including clothing, food and drink, beds and bedding, and medicine. He also makes these offerings to all monks. Then he transfers his roots of goodness to his attaining anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. Before every Buddha, he vows to accept and do the ten good karmas until his attainment of bodhi, never to forget or lose them.
“As an analogy, genuine gold refined with alum becomes more lustrous and pure. Likewise the roots of goodness of a Bodhisattva abiding on this Taint-Free Ground [become more radiant and pure]. Because for 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas he shuns stinginess, jealousy, and the taint of violating the precepts, this Bodhisattva fully achieves purity in almsgiving and observance of precepts.
“Buddha-Son, of the Four Drawing-in Dharmas [almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work], this Bodhisattva employs loving words more than the other three dharmas. Of the ten pāramitās, he practices the second pāramitā, the precept pāramitā [śīla-pāramitā], more than the other nine pāramitās. It is not that he refuses to practice them, but that he practices them according to his ability and at his discretion.
“Buddha-Son, this is a brief description of a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva training on the second ground, the Taint-Free Ground. A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground usually becomes a Wheel-Turning King, a great Dharma master equipped with the seven precious things.[4] He has the power to enable sentient beings to stop their stinginess, greed, and violation of the precepts, and has the skillful means to enable them to set off on the path of the ten good karmas. He is a great almsgiver who gives alms endlessly. As he carries out almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work [the Four Drawing-in Dharmas], he constantly thinks of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and even of acquiring sarvajña-jñāna, the knowledge of all knowledge.
“He thinks, ‘Among all sentient beings, I should be excellent, especially excellent; wonderful, especially wonderful; superb, especially superb. To all sentient beings, I should be leader, guide, general, and teacher. I should even be the reliance for those who seek the knowledge of all knowledge.’
“If this Bodhisattva wishes to renounce family life in order to make energetic progress, he can relinquish his wife and family, and discard the five desires. After renouncing family life, if he makes energetic progress, in one thought he enters 1,000 samādhis, sees 1,000 Buddhas, and knows the spiritual power of 1,000 Buddhas. He can move 1,000 Buddha Lands and manifest 1,000 bodies. Each body can manifest 1,000 Bodhisattvas as its retinue. Through the power of his excellent vows, what this Bodhisattva can do with ease far exceeds these things. It cannot be known by figuring for 100, 1,000, or 100,000 kalpas, or even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas.
Then, to restate his meaning, Vajra Store Bodhisattva spoke in verse:
Upright, gentle, and capable,
With tameness, quietness, and benevolence,
This Bodhisattva cultivates the magnanimous mind to transcend repeated birth and death,
And, with the ten profound minds, he enters the second ground.
Abiding on this ground, he acquires merit by observing the precepts,
Shunning killing and harming [sentient beings],
Stealing, and sexual misconduct,
As well as using abusive, divisive, and suggestive speech.
Not greedy for material wealth, he elicits lovingkindness and compassion.
Walking the right path with an upright mind, he is never deceitful or sycophantic.
Having destroyed his arrogance, he is always gentle.
He acts in accordance with the Dharma, never abandoning self-restraint.
As hell-dwellers and animals undergo myriads of suffering,
Hungry ghosts spew blazing flames.
Knowing that their suffering is caused by their sins, he thinks,
“I should not follow their paths but should abide in the true Dharma.
I will be reborn at will as a human,
And even be reborn in the highest heaven to enjoy the bliss of meditation.
Riders of the Voice-Hearer Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Buddha Vehicle
Achieve their goals because they take the path of the ten good karmas.”
Pondering in this way, he exercises self-restraint,
Observes the precepts, and teaches others to do the same.
His sight of sentient beings in suffering
Increases his great compassion.
[He thinks] “Ordinary beings and the foolish do not have the right understanding,
But harbor hatred, seek dispute,
And grasp desire objects, never satiated.
I should enable them to eradicate the three poisons.
Shrouded by the darkness of delusion,
They have fallen into the web of wrong views on the treacherous path,
And are imprisoned in the cage of birth and death.
I should enable them to annihilate the māras like thieves.
They are drifting and sinking in the four torrential flows,
Undergoing immeasurable suffering in the Three Realms of Existence,
And imagining that they have a self residing in the five aggregates like a house.
I should diligently train in accordance with the Dharma in order to deliver them.
They seek to transcend the Three Realms of Existence
But choose not to seek the supreme Buddha wisdom because of their lowly minds.
I should make energetic progress tirelessly
And enable them to ride the Mahāyāna.”
A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground accumulates merit.
He sees innumerable Buddhas and makes offerings to Them all.
After training for koṭis of kalpas, his mind becomes more and more radiant,
Like genuine gold refined by strong substances.
A Buddha-son abiding on the second ground usually becomes a Wheel-Turning King.
He universally transforms sentient beings by teaching them to do the ten good karmas.
He trains to do all good dharmas
In order to acquire the Ten Powers to rescue all in the world.
If he wishes to abandon his kingship and wealth,
He can renounce family life to follow the Buddha Dharma.
Making energetic progress with bold valor, in one thought
He enters 1,000 samādhis and sees 1,000 Buddhas.
A Bodhisattva on this ground can display
All kinds of transcendental powers.
Through the power of his vows, what he can do far exceeds these things
As he delivers sentient beings with immeasurable ease.
He who benefits all in the world
Does the supreme Bodhisattva training.
Thus I have described the virtues of the second ground
To Buddha-sons.
When Buddha-sons heard the training on this ground [the second ground],
They realized that the state of a Bodhisattva was inconceivable.
Reverent and joyful,
They showered flowers down from the sky as an offering.
They praised [Vajra Store]: “Very good! Great One, you are like the king of mountains.
With lovingkindness and compassion for sentient beings,
You have well expounded the restraining precepts observed by the wise,
Which are the features of the training on the second ground.
The wonderful trainings of Bodhisattvas are
Really the same, without differences.
To benefit sentient beings,
Your explanations are the purest.
We pray that the one to whom gods and humans make offerings
Will expound the third ground.
We hope that you will explain completely
The wisdom-guided karmas that accord with the Dharma.
We pray that you will expound the Dharma taught by the Buddha, such as almsgiving, observance of precepts,
Endurance of adversity, energetic progress, meditation, and development of wisdom,
As well as skillful means and the path of lovingkindness and compassion,
And the pure action vows of a Buddha.”
Then Liberation Moon requested,
“Vajra Store, the fearless great one,
I pray that you will explain how one can enter the third ground,
And that you will reveal the virtues of such a one with a gentle mind.”
Then Vajra Store Bodhisattva told Liberation Moon Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, after a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has purified the second ground, if he wishes to enter the third ground, the Radiant Ground [prabhākarī-bhūmi], he should cultivate ten profound minds. What are these ten? They are (1) the pure mind, (2) the abiding mind, (3) the affliction- loathing mind, (4) the desire-discarding mind, (5) the no-regress mind, (6) the firm mind, (7) the radiant mind, (8) the boldly valiant mind, (9) the broad mind, and (10) the magnanimous mind. With these ten minds, this Bodhisattva enters the third ground.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abiding on the third ground observes the true reality of all saṁskṛta dharmas. He sees they are processes that are impermanent, painful, impure, unstable, deteriorating, and transient; undergoing birth and death from moment to moment; neither born in the past nor going to the future, nor abiding in the present. He observes that a sentient being is such a process, without reliance or rescue, and lives in anxiety, sorrow, pain, and distress. Fettered by love and hate, it experiences increasing sorrow without a respite. In the blazing fire of greed, anger, and delusion, it is bound by its afflictions day and night, though they are illusions.
“Based on these observations, he loathes saṁskṛta dharmas. He seeks Buddha wisdom because he sees that Buddha wisdom is inconceivable, immeasurable, unexcelled, unadulterated, and hard to acquire. It frees one from anxiety and distress, leads one on the path of no regress to the city of fearlessness, and can rescue innumerable suffering sentient beings.
“This Bodhisattva, who has seen the immeasurable benefits of Tathāgata wisdom and the immeasurable faults of saṁskṛta dharmas, elicits compassion for sentient beings for ten reasons. What are these ten? He activates the mind of compassion because he sees that (1) sentient beings are forlorn and have no reliance; (2) sentient beings live in poverty and deprivation; (3) sentient beings are burning in the three poisons; (4) sentient beings are imprisoned in the Three Realms of Existence; (5) sentient beings are lost in the dense forest of their afflictions; (6) sentient beings are unskilled in making observations; (7) sentient beings have no desire to do good dharmas; (8) sentient beings have no interest in the Buddha Dharma; (9) sentient beings follow the stream of birth and death; (10) sentient beings have no skillful means to achieve liberation. These are the ten.
“This Bodhisattva, who sees the immeasurable suffering in the realm of sentient beings, makes energetic progress [in his training]. He thinks, ‘I should rescue, liberate, purify, and deliver these sentient beings. I should put them in a good place and enable them to live in peace and joy, to have the right knowledge and views, to tame their minds, and to attain nirvāṇa.’
“This Bodhisattva, who loathes saṁskṛta dharmas and has compassion for sentient beings, knows the excellent benefits of [sarvajña-jñāna] the knowledge of all knowledge. Wishing to rely on Tathāgata wisdom to deliver sentient beings, he thinks, ‘These sentient beings are in horrendous suffering because of their afflictions. What are the skillful means to rescue them and enable them to abide in the ultimate bliss of nirvāṇa?’
“He next thinks, ‘The skillful means to enable sentient beings to abide in nirvāṇa are not apart from the hindrance-free liberation wisdom. The hindrance-free liberation wisdom is not apart from the realization of the true reality of dharmas. The realization of the true reality of dharmas is not apart from the radiant wisdom that dharmas have no birth and no action.[5] The radiant wisdom that dharmas have no birth and no action is not apart from the wisdom arising from skillfully chosen observations during meditation. The wisdom arising from skillfully chosen observations during meditation is not apart from hearing much of the Dharma.’
“Having learned from his observations, this Bodhisattva seeks and learns the Dharma with double diligence. Day and night, he delights in hearing the Dharma. He enjoys, treasures, follows, ponders, understands, relies on, complies with, abides in, and practices the Dharma. As this Bodhisattva diligently seeks the Buddha Dharma, he never begrudges his wealth or treasures. He does not see anything as valuable or hard to acquire, but thinks that a Dharma expounder is hard to encounter. Therefore, seeking the Buddha Dharma, this Bodhisattva can give away as alms all his internal and external wealth. There is no reverence that he cannot show, no arrogance that he cannot discard, no endeavor that he cannot undertake, and no toil that he cannot accept. If he hears a stanza of the Dharma never heard before, his great joy surpasses the joy of acquiring treasures that fill the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World, and exceeds the joy of becoming a Wheel-Turning King.
“Why? Because if he hears a stanza of the Dharma never heard before, he can purify his Bodhisattva training. This benefit surpasses that of becoming the god-king Śakra, who lives for countless hundreds of thousands of kalpas. Suppose someone says to him, ‘I have a Dharma sentence spoken by the Buddha, which can purify your Bodhisattva training. If you jump into a pit of fire to undergo tremendous pain, I will give it to you.’ This Bodhisattva thinks, ‘If I could purify my Bodhisattva training with a Dharma sentence spoken by the Buddha, in order to receive it in person, I would even jump from a Brahma heaven down into a massive fire that fills the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World. Why should I be deterred by a pit of fire? Seeking the Buddha Dharma, I should accept even all the suffering in hell, not to mention a small pain in the human world.’
“Thus this Bodhisattva makes energetic progress in seeking and learning the Buddha Dharma. He makes observations and trains in accordance with the Dharma he has heard. Having heard the Dharma, meditating in an open place, he subdues his mind and thinks, ‘One acquires the Buddha Dharma by training according to its teachings. One cannot achieve purity merely by talking about the Dharma.’
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on the Radiant Ground trains in the four dhyānas of the form realm. First he discards all evil dharmas of the desire realm, meditates with coarse and fine perceptions, and experiences great joy [because of his transcendence of the desire-realm state], as he abides in the first dhyāna. Then he discards his coarse and fine perceptions, purifies his focused mind, and experiences exuberant joy [produced by his meditation], as he abides in the second dhyāna. Then he discards the exuberant joy, meditates with right mindfulness, and experiences superb bliss throughout his body, as he abides in the third dhyāna. Then he discards the superb bliss, and joy and anxiety, meditates with a pure mind in equability, and experiences neither pain nor pleasure, as he abides in the fourth dhyāna.[6]
“Then he discards all perceptions of form and opposites. Without perceptions, he enters the Samādhi of Boundless Space [of the formless realm], and abides in it. Then he exits this samādhi, enters the Samādhi of Boundless Consciousness, and abides in it. Then he exits this samādhi, enters the Samādhi of Nothingness, and abides in it. Then he exits this samādhi, enters the Samādhi of Neither with Nor without Perception, and abides in it. However, training in accordance with the Dharma, he is not attached to his meditation state.
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva’s mind follows his lovingkindness, which is immeasurable, vast, and non-dual [free from subject and object]. It has no enemy or opponent, no hindrance or distress. It pervades everywhere throughout the dharma realm, the domain of space, and the entire world. In the same way his compassion, sympathetic joy, and equability[7] are immeasurable and vast.
“Buddha-Son, such a Bodhisattva has acquired immeasurable transcendental powers. He can move the great earth, manifest his one body as many bodies, and merge them all into one body. He can appear or disappear, and pass through cliffs or mountains hindrance free, as if they were the open sky. He can sit cross-legged in the open sky and fly away like a bird. He can enter into the ground as if it were water; he can walk on the water, as if it were the ground. He can emit smoke and flames from his body as does a massive pillar of fire; he can produce water from his body as do clouds. He can touch the sun and the moon in the sky with his hands. He has such command of his body even in the Brahma World.
“This Bodhisattva has the god-ear, which is purer than the human ear. He can hear the sounds of gods and humans anywhere, far or near, and even the sounds of insects, such as flies and mosquitoes.
“He has telepathic knowledge of sentient beings’ minds. If they have greed, he truly knows that they have it. If they have discarded their greed, he truly knows that they have discarded it. He truly knows their minds, whether they have anger or have discarded it; have delusion or have discarded it; have other afflictions or no other afflictions; have a small mind, a broad mind, a magnanimous mind, or an immeasurable mind; have a restrained mind or an unrestrained mind; have a scattered mind or an organized mind; have a focused mind or an unfocused mind; have a liberated mind or a fettered mind; have an aspiring mind or a retiring mind; have a tainted mind or an untainted mind; have a broad mind or a narrow mind. Thus this Bodhisattva has telepathic knowledge of sentient beings’ minds.
“He has the god-eye, which is purer than the human eye. For every sentient being, he sees its birth and death, its good or evil body, and its good or evil life-path. After death, it follows its karmas. If a sentient being has done evil body karmas, evil voice karmas, or evil mind karmas; has slandered sages or holies; has held the wrong views; or has the causes and conditions for karmas induced by the wrong views, after death it will definitely go down an evil life-path, reborn in hell. If a sentient being has done good body karmas, good voice karmas, and good mind karmas; has never slandered sages or holies; has held the right views; or has the causes and conditions for karmas induced by the right views, after death it will definitely go up a good life-path, reborn in heaven. Events such as these, this Bodhisattva’s god-eye truly sees.
“He knows his innumerable past lives and their differences. He remembers all his past lives: one life, two lives, three lives, four lives, and even ten lives; twenty, thirty, and even one hundred lives; innumerable hundreds, innumerable thousands, and even innumerable hundreds and thousands of lives, throughout the formation kalpa and the destruction kalpa, throughout countless formation kalpas and destruction kalpas. He remembers, ‘I once lived somewhere, had such a family name and such a given name, belonged to such a caste, consumed such food and drink, lived such a life with such a lifespan, and underwent such pains and pleasures. I died there and was reborn somewhere; died somewhere and was reborn here, in such a body, with such facial features and tones of voice.’ Thus this Bodhisattva remembers his innumerable past lives and their differences.
“This Bodhisattva can easily enter and exit a dhyāna, samādhi, or samāpatti. However, he will not be driven by the power of his meditation to be reborn [in a particular heaven].[8] Through the power of his will, he can choose to be reborn where he can train to complete all elements of bodhi.[9]
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva abiding on the Radiant Ground, through the power of his vows, comes to see many Buddhas: hundreds of Buddhas, thousands of Buddhas, hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, and even hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. With a magnanimous and profound mind, he reveres, honors, and attends all Buddhas, and makes offerings to Them. He offers Them life-supporting things, including clothing, food and drink, beds and bedding, and medicine. He also makes these offerings to all monks. Then he transfers his roots of goodness to his attaining anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.
“Under every Buddha, he reverently hears the Dharma, upholds it, and does his best to train accordingly. He observes all dharmas and sees that they have neither birth nor death, but arise through causes and conditions. He first breaks the bondage of his wrong views. Then the bondage of the Three Realms of Existence—desire, form, and formless—and the bondage of ignorance become weak. By his not accumulating afflictions for 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas, his greed, anger, and delusion end, and his roots of goodness become more radiant and pure.
“Buddha-Son, when one refines genuine gold by skillful means, its weight does not decrease, but the gold becomes more lustrous and pure. Likewise, for a Bodhisattva abiding on this Radiant Ground, because he does not accumulate greed, anger, and delusion, they end, and his roots of goodness become more radiant and pure. Also more radiant and pure become his minds, such as the adversity-enduring mind, the gentle mind, the congenial mind, the pleasant mind, the anger-free mind, the unwavering mind, the clear mind, the mind that does not compare high and low, the mind that expects no requital, the mind that requites kindness, the sycophancy-free mind, the deceit-free mind, and the unbiased mind.
“Of the Four Drawing-in Dharmas [almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work], he employs beneficial actions more than the other three dharmas. Of the ten pāramitās, he practices the third pāramitā, the endurance pāramitā [kṣānti-pāramitā], more than the other nine pāramitās. It is not that he refuses to practice them, but that he practices them according to his ability and at his discretion.
“Buddha-Son, this third ground is called the Radiant Bodhisattva Ground. A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground usually becomes the god-king of the Thirty-three Heavens [the second desire heaven]. He can use skillful means to enable sentient beings to discard their greed. As he carries out almsgiving, loving words, beneficial actions, and collaborative work [the Four Drawing-in Dharmas], he constantly thinks of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and even of acquiring sarvajña-jñāna, the knowledge of all knowledge.
“He thinks, ‘Among all sentient beings, I should be excellent, especially excellent; wonderful, especially wonderful; superb, especially superb. To all sentient beings, I should be leader, guide, general, and teacher. I should even be the reliance for those who seek the knowledge of all knowledge.’
“If he makes energetic progress, in one thought he enters 100,000 samādhis, sees 100,000 Buddhas, and knows the spiritual power of 100,000 Buddhas. He can move 100,000 Buddha Lands and manifest 100,000 bodies. Each body can manifest 100,000 Bodhisattvas as its retinue. Through the power of his excellent vows, what this Bodhisattva can do with ease far exceeds these things. It cannot be known by figuring for 100, 1,000, or 100,000 kalpas, or even 100,000 koṭi nayuta kalpas.”
Then, to restate his meaning, Vajra Store Bodhisattva spoke in verse:
Equipped with the pure mind, the abiding mind, the affliction-loathing mind,
The desire-discarding mind, the no-regress mind, the firm mind, the radiant mind,
The valiant mind, the broad mind, and the magnanimous mind,
This wise man enters the third ground.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this Radiant Ground
Observes that saṁskṛta dharmas are processes, impermanent and painful,
That they are impure, deteriorating, and transient, and
That they are fragile, neither coming nor going, nor abiding.
He observes that saṁskṛta dharmas are like a severe illness
That is bound up with anxiety, sorrow, pain, and distress.
The blazing fire of the three poisons [greed, anger, and delusion]
Has never died down since time without a beginning.
He loathes the Three Realms of Existence, completely unattached to them,
And seeks without second thoughts Buddha wisdom,
Which is unimaginable, inconceivable, and unexcelled,
As well as immeasurable, boundless, and free from distress.
Seeing the benefits of Buddha wisdom, he pities sentient beings
Because they are forlorn, without reliance or rescue.
Burning in the three poisons, they are in deprivation.
Transmigrating in the Three Realms of Existence as if in prison, they undergo suffering.
Bound by their afflictions, they are like the eyeless.
With base interests, they have no access to Dharma treasures.
They follow the path of repeated birth and death, and fear nirvāṇa.
[He thinks] “I should make energetic progress in order to rescue them.”
Seeking wisdom in order to benefit sentient beings,
He ponders what skillful means can enable them to achieve liberation.
He realizes that such skillful means are not apart from Tathāgatas’ hindrance-free wisdom,
Which arises from the wisdom of the no birth of dharmas, and
That this wisdom comes from hearing the Dharma.
He ponders this to push himself to be assiduous,
And hears the Dharma day and night without interruption,
Holding the Dharma in the highest esteem.
In reverence of the Dharma,
This Bodhisattva can relinquish all precious things,
Such as a kingdom, wealth, and treasures,
Wife, retinues, and kingship.
He does not think that it is hard to relinquish
His head, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and teeth,
His hands, feet, bone marrow, heart, blood, and flesh.
He thinks that being able to hear the Dharma is the hardest thing.
Suppose someone says to this Bodhisattva,
“If you can throw yourself into a pit of fire,
I will give you the Dharma treasures of Buddhas.”
He will throw himself into the fire with no fear.
Even if a fire fills the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World,
He will jump from the Brahma World down into the fire.
Seeking the Dharma, he does not think that this pain is too hard to bear,
Much less the small pains in the human world.
From his initial resolve to his attainment of Buddhahood,
To hear the Dharma, he can accept all suffering,
Even that in Avīci Hell,
Not to mention the pains in the human world.
Having heard the Dharma, he ponders it in the right way
And attains the four dhyānas [of the form realm] and the four samādhis [of the formless realm],
From which arise the four immeasurable samādhis and the five transcendental powers.
However, he will not be reborn under their power.
A Bodhisattva abiding on this ground sees many Buddhas,
To whom he makes offerings and from whom he hears the Dharma.
He is resolved to end his afflictions and purify his mind,
Like refining gold without losing its substance.
He usually becomes the god-king of Trayastriṁsa Heaven [the second desire heaven].
He teaches and transforms innumerable sentient beings,
Enabling them to discard greed, abide in goodness,
And single-mindedly seek the merits adorning Buddhas.
If a Buddha-son abiding on this ground makes energetic progress,
He enters 100,000 samādhis
And sees 100,000 Buddhas well adorned with excellent physical marks.
Through the power of his vows, what he can do far exceeds these things.
These are the features of the superb training of
A Bodhisattva abiding on the third ground,
Who universally benefits sentient beings.
Thus I have explained the meaning of his training.
1. These ten minds are based on text 279 (T10n0279). Sanskrit adjectives for these ten minds are given in the footnotes in fascicle 2 of text 287. Two adjectives do not quite match their corresponding Chinese translations. The adjective for the sixth mind, the benevolent mind (純善心), is Kalyāṇā, which can mean generous, excellent, virtuous, beneficial, happy, prosperous, or fortunate. The adjective for the ninth mind, the broad mind (廣心), is udārā, which can mean lofty, exalted, great, noble, munificent, or sincere (T10n0287, 0542b25–28). Text 287 is the third of the three Chinese versions (T10n0285–87) 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)
2. Suggestive words far exceed meaningless words. According to the Sūtra of Accepting the Ten Good Karmas as Precepts, “a person using suggestive speech inverts high to low, low to high. Such a person teases and mocks without restraint. Using cunning and cutting words, his speech is hurtful, unscrupulous, and unbeneficial” (Rulu 2012c, 56). (Return to text)
3. See “inversion” in the glossary. (Return to text)
4. The seven precious things owned by a Wheel-Turning King are (1) the gold, silver, copper, or iron wheel, according to his status; (2) the white elephant; (3) the blue horse; (4) the divine jewel; (5) exquisite maidens; (6) the treasure minister; and (7) the military minister (Rulu 2012a, 82). (Return to text)
5. See “no action” in Three Liberation Doors in the glossary. (Return to text)
6. In the fourth dhyāna, a meditator is in pure meditation, free from eight troubles: (1) coarse perceptions, (2) fine perceptions, (3) pain, (4) pleasure, (5) anxiety, (6) joy, (7) inhalation, and (8) exhalation. (Return to text)
7. According to the Sūtra of the Garland of a Bodhisattva’s Primary Karmas, from the four samādhis of the formless realm arise the Four Immeasurable Minds—lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equability—called the four immeasurable samādhis (T24n1485, 1015a10–11). (Return to text)
8. A meditator who has attained any of the four dhyānas of the form realm or the four samādhis of the formless realm, because of his attachment to his meditation state, will be reborn in a heaven matching his level of meditation. (Return to text)
9. See Thirty-seven Elements of Bodhi in the glossary. (Return to text)