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Sūtra 44 (posted 08/2014, updated 09/2015) Book information on Home page
fascicle 53 fascicle 54 fascicle 55 fascicle 56 fascicle 57 fascicle 58 fascicle 59
大方廣佛華嚴經
離世間品第三十八之六
Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment
Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty
by
The Tripiṭaka Master Śikṣānanda from Yütian
Fascicle 58 (of 80)
Chapter 38f – Transcending the World Continued
The Next Thirty Questions and Answers (155–184)
[Universal Wisdom Bodhisattva asked] “155. What kinds of pure almsgiving does a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva do?”
[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva answered] “Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva does ten kinds of pure almsgiving. What are these ten? They are (1) impartial almsgiving, because he does not select recipients; (2) wish-fulfilling almsgiving, because he fulfills recipients’ wishes; (3) attentive almsgiving, because he benefits the recipients; (4) apt almsgiving, because he knows recipients’ high, middling, and low needs; (5) unconditional almsgiving, because he does not seek good requitals; (6) unfettered almsgiving, because he has no attachment to his alms; (7) total almsgiving, because he gives away as pure alms all he has; (8) almsgiving that is transferred to his attaining bodhi, because he stays far away from saṁskṛta and asaṁskṛta dharmas; (9) almsgiving to teach and transform sentient beings, because he never ceases almsgiving even after he arrives at his bodhimaṇḍa; (10) almsgiving comprising the three pure wheels—the almsgiver, the recipient, and the alms—because he observes with right mindfulness that they are empty, like the open sky. If a Bodhisattva does these ten kinds of pure almsgiving, he will be able to do a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast pure almsgiving.”
“156. What pure precepts does he observe?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva observes ten pure precepts. What are these ten? They are the pure precepts for (1) his body, to keep it from doing the three evil karmas; (2) his voice, to stay away from the four faults of speech; (3) his mind, to discard greed, anger, and wrong views forever;[1] (4) abiding by all rules without violation, to become the master of gods and humans; (5) protecting the bodhi mind, to dislike the Small Vehicle; (6) protecting the pure precepts instituted by Tathāgatas, to fear committing even a tiny sin; (7) protecting sentient beings secretly, to rescue those who have violated the precepts; (8) never doing evil, to vow to do all good dharmas; (9) staying far away from all wrong views, to have no attachment to the precepts; (10) safeguarding all sentient beings, to elicit great compassion for them. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva observes these ten pure precepts, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed faultless pure precepts.”
“157. What pure endurance does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten pure endurances. What are these ten? They are (1) pure endurance of insult, because he protects sentient beings; (2) pure endurance of harm by knife or club, because he protects himself and others; (3) pure endurance in not harboring malice, because his mind does not move; (4) pure endurance in not rebuking a wrongdoer, because he is lenient; (5) pure endurance in rescuing those who come to him, because he has no concern for his body and life; (6) pure endurance in discarding arrogance, because he never despises the uneducated; (7) pure endurance in having no anger about inflicted mutilation, because he observes that all dharmas are like illusions; (8) pure endurance in not retaliating offenses, because he sees neither himself nor others; (9) pure endurance in never following afflictions, because he stays away from all states [of afflictions]; (10) pure endurance in following a Bodhisattva’s true wisdom-knowledge that all dharmas have no birth, because he enters the state of all wisdom-knowledge without being taught by others. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva has these ten pure endurances, he will acquire, without being taught by others, all Buddhas’ unsurpassed endurance of dharmas.[2]”
“158. What kinds of pure energetic progress does he make?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva makes ten kinds of pure energetic progress. What are these ten? They are pure energetic progress in (1) body karmas, because without regress he attends and makes offerings to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and his teachers, for they are the reverence field;[3] (2) voice karmas, because he widely expounds to others the Dharma he has heard and tirelessly praises Buddhas’ merits; (3) mind karmas, because without rest he cultivates lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equability [the Four Immeasurable Minds], and capably enters and exits dhyānas, liberations,[4] and samādhis; (4) the upright mind, because without regress he diligently trains not to harbor deception, sycophancy, crookedness, or falsity; (5) the aspiring mind, because he is resolved to seek the highest wisdom and do all pure white dharmas [good karmas]; (6) making no useless effort, because without rest he practices almsgiving, observing the precepts, enduring adversity, hearing much of the Dharma, and exercising self-restraint, until his attainment of bodhi; (7) subjugating all māras, because he ends all his afflictions, such as greed, anger, ignorance, and the wrong views; (8) fully developing radiant wisdom, because he observes his almsgiving to ensure that it is completely done without regrets, and he acquires the exclusive dharmas of all Buddhas;[5] (9) realizing that dharmas neither come nor go, because he acquires the wisdom-knowledge of the true reality of dharmas, enters the dharma realm, realizes the equality of body, voice, and mind, and has no attachment to dharma appearances, with the understanding that appearances are no appearance; (10) acquiring dharma illumination,[6] because he transcends all [Bodhisattva] grounds, receives blessings with nectar poured on his head by Buddhas, and uses his affliction-free body to display universally worthy actions, such as disappearing from heaven, being born in the human world, renouncing family life, attaining bodhi, expounding the Dharma, and entering parinirvāṇa. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva makes these ten kinds of energetic progress, he will be able to make a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great pure energetic progress.”
“159. How does he practice pure meditation?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva practices pure meditation in ten ways. What are these ten? They are (1) delighting in renouncing family life, because he relinquishes all he has; (2) staying close to true beneficent learned friends, because they teach him the right path; (3) staying in an araṇya [a quiet remote place] and enduring wind and rain, because he stays away from the wrong view that one has a self and its belongings; (4) staying away from raucous sentient beings, because he delights in quietness; (5) taming his mind karmas, because he guards his faculties; (6) abiding in mental silence, because his meditation cannot be disturbed by sounds; (7) completing the Seven Bodhi Factors and taking the Eightfold Right Path by skillful means, because he observes and verifies all things; (8) staying away from attachment to experiences, because he does not abandon the desire realm; (9) acquiring the six transcendental powers and the Three Clarities, because he knows all sentient beings’ capacities; (10) using transcendental powers in a playful way, because he enters a Buddha’s samādhi and knows that a dharma has no self. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva practices pure meditation in these ten ways, he will be able to do a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great pure meditation.”
“160. What kinds of pure wisdom does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of pure wisdom. What are these ten? They are (1) pure wisdom that knows all causes, because it does not destroy their effects; (2) pure wisdom that knows all conditions, because it does not prevent their convergence; (3) pure wisdom that knows that dharmas are neither perpetual nor ceasing, because it knows their dependent arising as it truly is; (4) pure wisdom that eradicates all wrong views, because it neither accepts nor rejects sentient beings’ appearances; (5) pure wisdom that observes all sentient beings’ mental activities, because it knows that they are like illusions; (6) pure wisdom that uses vast eloquence, because it differentiates dharmas and answers questions hindrance free; (7) pure wisdom that no māra, non-Buddhist, voice-hearer, or Pratyekabuddha can know, because it enters deep into all Tathāgatas’ wisdom-knowledge [jñāna]; (8) pure wisdom that sees all Buddhas’ subtle dharma bodies,[7] and sees that all sentient beings’ true nature is pure, all dharmas are in nirvāṇa, and all worlds are the same as the open sky, because it knows that all appearances are hindrance free; (9) pure wisdom that uses dhāraṇī, eloquence, and the skillful-means pāramitā [upāya-pāramitā[8]], because it reveals the supreme wisdom-knowledge; (10) pure wisdom that, in one thought attuned to vajra wisdom-knowledge, knows the equality of all dharmas, because it reveals the highest wisdom-knowledge of all dharmas. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of pure wisdom, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s hindrance-free great wisdom.”
“161. What kinds of pure lovingkindness does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of pure lovingkindness. What are these ten? They are (1) pure lovingkindness with the impartial mind, because he draws in all sentient beings without discrimination; (2) pure lovingkindness that benefits sentient beings, because he does everything to delight them; (3) pure lovingkindness that regards all sentient beings as himself, because he enables them eventually to transcend their cycles of birth and death; (4) pure lovingkindness that never abandons the world, because he is intent on developing roots of goodness [in the world]; (5) pure lovingkindness that can lead to liberation, because it enables all sentient beings to end their afflictions; (6) pure lovingkindness that leads to bodhi, because it enables all sentient beings to resolve to seek all wisdom-knowledge; (7) pure lovingkindness that has no hindrance in the world, because it emits vast radiance to illuminate all equally; (8) pure lovingkindness that fills the open sky, because it rescues and protects sentient beings everywhere; (9) pure lovingkindness conditioned upon dharmas, because it verifies the true reality of dharmas; (10) pure lovingkindness without conditions, because it enters Bodhisattva nature, which has neither birth nor death. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of pure lovingkindness, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast pure lovingkindness.”
“162. What kinds of pure compassion does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of pure compassion. What are these ten? They are (1) pure compassion without company, because he elicits it by himself; (2) pure compassion without tiredness or boredom, because he undergoes suffering in all sentient beings’ stead; (3) pure compassion that leads to his rebirths in difficult places, because he delivers sentient beings there; (4) pure compassion that leads to his rebirths to walk good life-paths, because he demonstrates the impermanence of dharmas; (5) pure compassion for sentient beings definitely on the wrong paths, because he never abandons his vast vows throughout all kalpas; (6) pure compassion unattached to his own happiness, because he gives happiness to all sentient beings; (7) pure compassion that never seeks reward, because he purifies his mind; (8) pure compassion that eliminates inversions,[9] because he expounds dharmas as they truly are; (9) pure compassion for sentient beings, called pure true nature, that arises from a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s knowledge that although all dharmas are pure and free from attachments and afflictions, sentient beings undergo myriad suffering caused by their afflictions, which, like dust, cover their true minds, because he expounds to them the taint-free pure radiant Dharma; (10) pure compassion, called true wisdom-knowledge, that arises from a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s knowledge that all dharmas are like bird tracks in the sky and that sentient beings cannot see this through the film of ignorance covering their eyes, because he gives them teachings on nirvāṇa. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of pure compassion, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast pure compassion.”
“163. What kinds of pure joy does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of pure joy. What are these ten? They are (1) the pure joy of activating the bodhi mind; (2) the pure joy of relinquishing all he has; (3) the pure joy of not detesting or abandoning those who have violated the precepts, and of teaching and transforming them; (4) the pure joy of tolerating and accepting those who do evil, and of vowing to deliver them; (5) the pure joy of seeking the Dharma with no concern for his life and no regrets; (6) the pure joy of discarding his desires[10] and pleasures, and of enjoying Dharma delight; (7) the pure joy of enabling all sentient beings not to be attached to the necessities of life but to enjoy Dharma delight; (8) the pure joy of tirelessly making offerings to all Buddhas, and of seeing the equality in the dharma realm; (9) the pure joy of enabling all sentient beings to delight in dhyāna, liberation, and samādhi, and to playfully enter and exit them; (10) the pure joy of practicing asceticism on the Bodhisattva Way, and of acquiring a Buddha’s quiet immovable unsurpassed samādhi and wisdom. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of pure joy, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast pure joy.”
“164. What kinds of pure equability does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of pure equability. What are these ten? They are (1) the pure equability of having no attachment to those who respectfully make offerings to him; (2) the pure equability of not getting angry with those who slight or insult him; (3) the pure equability of remaining unshaken by the eight winds in the world; (4) the pure equability of transforming at the right times those who are Dharma vessels and of not detesting those who are not Dharma vessels; (5) the pure equability of not following riders of the Two Vehicles, whether those who are still learning or those who have nothing more to learn;[11] (6) the pure equability of staying away from all his desires, pleasures, and afflictions, (7) the pure equability of not praising riders of the Two Vehicles or their aversion to repeated birth and death, (8) the pure equability of staying far away from worldly words, non-nirvāṇa words, desire words, nonsensical words, words that distress others, words about voice-hearers or Pratyekabuddhas, and all words that hinder the Bodhisattva Way; (9) the pure equability of transforming at the right times those with mature roots of goodness who have mindfulness and wisdom but have not received the highest teachings; (10) the pure equability of waiting for those whom he taught in the past to be tamed when he reaches the Buddha Ground; (11) the pure equability of staying far away from all differentiations, such as high and low, acceptance and rejection, by constantly abiding in right samādhi and endurance in his realization of the equality of dharmas. These are the ten.[12] If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of equability, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast pure equability.”
“165. What meanings does he master?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva masters ten meanings. What are these ten? They are the meanings of (1) hearing much of the Dharma, because he trains accordingly; (2) dharmas, because he skillfully differentiates them; (3) emptiness, because he realizes the absolute emptiness of dharmas; (4) quietness, because he leaves behind the raucousness of sentient beings; (5) ineffability, because he has no attachment to words; (6) things as they truly are, because he understands the equality of the three time frames [past, present, and future]; (7) the dharma realm, because all dharmas have the same flavor;[13] (8) true suchness, because suchness is how Tathāgatas come [to worlds]; (9) the true reality, because he knows all dharmas as they true are; (10) the great parinirvāṇa, because he ends all his suffering without abandoning Bodhisattva actions. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva masters these ten meanings, he will acquire the unsurpassed meaning of all wisdom-knowledge.”
“166. What dharmas does he follow?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva follows ten dharmas. What are these ten? They are (1) the truth, because he trains according to the teachings he has heard; (2) no grasping,[14] because he stays away from the grasper and the object grasped; (3) no dispute, because he never disputes with others; (4) nirvāṇa, because he has ended all his afflictions; (5) no greed, because he has ended all his greed and desires; (6) no differentiation, because he has ended all his attachments and differentiations; (7) no birth, because all dharmas are immovable like the open sky; (8) that which is asaṁskṛta, because it is apart from the appearances of birth, existence, and death; (9) the true nature, because the true nature of dharmas is pure; (10) staying away from upādhi-nirvāṇa,[15] because he takes all Bodhisattva actions and ceaselessly trains and learns. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva follows these ten dharmas, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast dharmas.”
“167. In what ways does he acquire merits as aids to attain bodhi?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva acquires merits in ten ways as aids to attain bodhi. What are these ten? They are (1) persuading sentient beings to activate the bodhi mind, because he never allows the seeds of the Three Jewels to end; (2) transferring his merits to ten things,[16] because he ends all evil dharmas and does all good dharmas; (3) using wisdom to teach sentient beings, because it brings him merits that surpass those acquired in the Three Realms of Existence; (4) using a tireless mind, because he delivers all sentient beings [to the opposite shore]; (5) relinquishing all his internal and external belongings, because he has no attachment to anything; (6) making energetic progress without regress to acquire merits required for a great man’s excellent physical appearance, because he gives limitless great alms; (7) transferring sentient beings’ high, middling, and low roots of goodness to their attaining bodhi without slighting any of them, because he supports them by skillful means; (8) eliciting great compassion for those definitely on the wrong paths and those who have violated the precepts, never slighting them, because he carries out a great man’s vast vows; (9) reverently making offerings to all Tathāgatas, regarding all Bodhisattvas as Tathāgatas, and delighting all sentient beings, because he firmly honors his original resolve; (10) giving all sentient beings, without anxieties or regrets but with a mind as vast as the open sky, his roots of goodness, developed in asaṁkhyeya kalpas, for him to attain the unsurpassed bodhi as easily as if it were in his palm, because he develops vast wisdom and attains great bodhi. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva acquires merits in these ten ways as aids to attain bodhi, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed vast merits.”
“168. In what ways does he develop wisdom as aids to attain bodhi?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva develops wisdom in ten ways as aids to attain bodhi. What are these ten?
(1) He stays close to true beneficent learned friends, respectfully makes offerings and obeisance to them, and follows their teachings. This is his first way, because he is upright, free from falsity and pretense.
(2) He forever discards arrogance and is always humble and respectful, and his body, voice, and mind karmas are gentle and benevolent, never coarse, deceptive, or crooked. This is his second way, because he is naturally a Dharma vessel.
(3) He abides in mindfulness with awareness, never distracted or confused. With a sense of shame and a sense of dishonor, his mind is gentle and peaceful. He constantly holds the six memories, honors the six elements of harmony and respect, and abides in the six firmnesses.[17] This is his third way, because he uses the ten kinds of wisdom-knowledge as skillful means.
(4) He delights in the Dharma and its meanings. As the Dharma is his joy, he insatiably listens to its teachings, abandoning worldly theories and statements. He intently listens to and accepts supra-worldly teachings, stays far away from the Small Vehicle, and enters the wisdom of the Mahāyāna. This is his fourth way, because his right mindfulness is never distracted.
(5) He persistently practices the six pāramitās and brings his Four Immeasurable Minds [lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equability] to maturity, training well in accordance with the radiant Dharma. He diligently consults the wise to stay far away from all evil paths and take the right path. He delights in observing with right mindfulness to tame his mind and protect others’ minds. This is his fifth way, because he resolutely trains in accordance with the true Dharma.
(6) He delights in renouncing family life and has no attachment to the Three Realms of Existence. He constantly observes his mind in order to be free from evil thoughts. Having eliminated the three evil feelings [greed, anger, and malice], all his body, voice, and mind karmas are good, and he definitely knows the true nature of his mind. This is his sixth way, because he can purify his mind and others’ minds.
(7) He observes that the five aggregates are like illusions, the eighteen spheres are like venomous snakes, and the twelve fields are like the open sky. He observes that all dharmas are like illusions, mirages, dreams, reflections, echoes, images, pictures in the sky, the colors of a rainbow, the moon in the water, a flaming wheel drawn by whirling a torch, sunlight, and moonlight. They have neither form nor shape, and are neither perpetual nor ceasing, neither coming nor going nor abiding. Observing in this way, he knows that all dharmas have neither birth nor death. This is his seventh way, because he knows that dharma nature is emptiness.
(8) He has heard the teachings that a dharma has no self, is no sentient being, no everlasting soul, and no pudgala [an individual that transmigrates], and has no mind, no mental objects, no greed, no anger, no delusion, no body, no action, no belongings, no master, no dependency on food and clothing, and no attachments, because all such things are in nirvāṇa. He deeply believes the teachings he has heard, has no doubts about them, and never maligns them. This is his eighth way, because he achieves total liberation.
(9) He capably restraints his faculties and trains according to principle. He constantly abides in śamatha and vipaśyanā with a quiet mind and without any thoughts, and realizes that he has no self, is no person,[18] does not perform, does not take action, does not imagine having a self that does karmas, and has no ulcers or scars. And he has endurance in seeing that his realization is no attainment. He sees that one’s body, voice, and mind karmas neither come nor go, and that there is no energetic progress or bold valiance. As he observes all sentient beings and all dharmas, his mind remains impartial and abides in nothing, neither this shore nor that shore,[19] because this or that comes from nowhere and goes to nowhere. He constantly ponders with wisdom in this way. This is his ninth way, because he arrives at that shore opposite this shore of differentiation.
(10) Because he sees the dependent rising of dharmas, he sees the purity of dharmas. Because he sees the purity of dharmas, he sees the purity of worlds. Because he sees the purity of worlds, he sees the purity of the open sky. Because he sees the purity of the open sky, he sees the purity of the dharma realm. Because he sees the purity of the dharma realm, he sees the purity of wisdom. This is his tenth way, because he trains and acquires all wisdom-knowledge.
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva develops wisdom in these ten ways as aids to attain bodhi. If a Bodhisattva uses them, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s store of hindrance-free pure wondrous wisdom-knowledge of all dharmas.”
“169. What kinds of full illumination does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of full illumination. What are these ten? They are the full illumination (1) to differentiate dharmas, (2) to have no attachment to dharmas, (3) to discard inverted views, (4) to illuminate his faculties with wisdom, (5) to use skillful means to make energetic progress, (6) to enter deep into the wisdom-knowledge of the truth, (7) to end the workings of his afflictions and acquire the wisdom-knowledge that his afflictions have ended forever and the wisdom-knowledge that dharmas have no birth,[20] (8) to observe everything everywhere with his god eye, (9) to use pure memory to know all past things, and (10) to acquire the wisdom-knowledge of affliction-free transcendental powers and to end sentient beings’ afflictions. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva has these ten kinds of full illumination, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great radiance of the entire Buddha Dharma.”
“170. How does he seek the Dharma?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva seeks the Dharma in ten ways. What are these ten? They are (1) seeking the Dharma with an upright mind, because he has no sycophancy or deception; (2) seeking the Dharma with diligence, because he stays far away from indolence and idleness; (3) seeking the Dharma with a single mind, because he has no concern for his body and life; (4) seeking the Dharma to end all sentient beings’ afflictions, because he does not seek it for fame, profit, or worship; (5) seeking the Dharma to benefit himself, others, and all sentient beings, because he does not seek it for only his own benefit; (6) seeking the Dharma to develop wisdom, because he does not delight in mere words; (7) seeking the Dharma to transcend his cycle of birth and death, because he has no greed for worldly pleasures; (8) seeking the Dharma to deliver sentient beings, because he has activated the bodhi mind; (9) seeking the Dharma to resolve all sentient beings’ doubts, because he enables them not to hesitate [to walk the bodhi path], (10) seeking the Dharma to master its entirety, because he does not delight in vehicles other than the Mahāyāna. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva seeks the Dharma in these ten ways, he will acquire the great wisdom-knowledge of the entire Buddha Dharma without being taught by others.”
“171. How does he come to understand the Dharma?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva comes to understand the Dharma in ten ways. What are these ten? They are (1) developing roots of goodness according to worldly ideas, in the way a childlike ordinary being comes to understand the Dharma; (2) acquiring hindrance-free indestructible faith in dharma nature, in the way a faithful spiritual trainee comes to understand the Dharma; (3) diligently studying and following the Dharma, in the way a Dharma follower comes to understand the Dharma; (4) staying far away from the eight evil ways and taking the Eightfold Right Path, in the way a voice-hearer who has not yet entered the holy stream[21] comes to understand the Dharma; (5) destroying all fetters, ending afflictions that drive his cycle of birth and death, and seeing the truth, in the way a Srotāpanna, a Stream Enterer, comes to understand the Dharma; (6) observing the faults of attachments and understanding that dharmas neither come nor go, in the way a Sakṛdāgāmin, a Once Returner, comes to understand the Dharma; (7) disliking the Three Realms of Existence, seeking to end his afflictions, and not entertaining even one thought of attachment to his rebirth, in the way an Anāgāmin, a Never Returner, comes to understand the Dharma; (8) acquiring the six transcendental powers, achieving the eight liberations, attaining the nine levels of samādhi, and acquiring the four kinds of unimpeded eloquence,[22] in the way an Arhat, a Foe Destroyer, comes to understand the Dharma; (9) delighting in observing the dependent arising of dharmas, abiding in a quiet mind content to deal with few worldly affairs, achieving an understanding of causality on his own, realizing the truth without being taught by others, and acquiring various transcendental powers, in the way a Pratyekabuddha comes to understand the Dharma; (10) developing vast wisdom, using keen faculties, delighting in delivering all sentient beings, diligently accumulating merit and wisdom as aids to attain bodhi, and acquiring a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers and Four Fearlessnesses, and all His virtues, in the way a Bodhisattva comes to understand the Dharma. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva comes to understand the Dharma in these ten ways, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great wisdom to understand the Dharma.”
“172. How does he train?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva trains in ten ways. What are these ten? They are (1) respecting and honoring his beneficent learned friends, (2) accepting gods’ enlightening counsels, (3) constantly feeling ashamed before Buddhas, (4) eliciting compassion for sentient beings in their endless cycles of birth and death, (5) always finishing his work without change of mind, (6) intently following Bodhisattvas resolved to ride the Mahāyāna, and training diligently, (7) staying far away from the wrong views and diligently seeking the right path, (8) annihilating māras and his afflictions, (9) expounding the Dharma to sentient beings according to their capacities, to enable them to enter the Buddha Ground, and (10) abiding in the boundless vast dharma realm and ending his afflictions to purify himself. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva trains in these ten ways, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed way to train.”
“173. What kinds of māras does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of māras. What are these ten? They are (1) his five aggregates, because they lead to grasping; (2) his afflictions, because they are impure; (3) his karmas, because they can cause hindrances; (4) his mind, because it can be arrogant; (5) his death, because it ends his life; (6) gods, because they are proud and self-indulgent; (7) his roots of goodness, because he can take them as something real; (8) his samādhi, because he can be captivated by its experience; (9) his beneficent learned friends, because he can become attached to them; (10) his wisdom-knowledge of bodhi, because he can regard it as an attainment. These are the ten. A Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva should use skillful means to stay far away from these ten kinds of māras.”
“174. What kinds of māra karmas can he do?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva can do ten kinds of māra karmas. What are these ten? They are (1) abandoning the bodhi mind to develop roots of goodness, (2) giving alms with malice, observing the precepts with anger, abandoning the evil, staying away from the lazy, slighting the confused, or resenting those with evil wisdom; (3) begrudging the profound Dharma and refusing to expound it to those ready to be transformed, or willfully expounding it to those who are not Dharma vessels, because of their wealth, worship, and offerings; (4) disliking to hear teachings on the pāramitās, failing to practice after hearing them, or practicing them with indolence and negligence, which result in lack of aspiration to seek the unsurpassed bodhi; (5) staying away from his beneficent learned friends, staying close to his evil friends, seeking the Two Vehicles, disliking his rebirths, or aspiring to nirvāṇa, quietness, and freedom from desires; (6) getting angry with other Bodhisattvas, staring at them with an evil eye, looking for their sins, talking about their faults, or cutting off the source of the benefits or offerings they receive; (7) maligning the true Dharma, disliking to hear it, criticizing it after hearing it, disrespecting those who expound the Dharma, or claiming that only his teachings are right while others’ are wrong; (8) delighting in learning worldly theories, skills, and literary words, expounding the Two Vehicles, concealing the profound Dharma, explaining its wondrous meanings to the wrong people, or walking the wrong path away from bodhi; (9) delighting in staying close and making offerings to those who have achieved liberation and peace, while disliking to stay close to or teach those who have not achieved liberation or peace; (10) increasing his arrogance, holding a disrespectful attitude, distressing or harming sentient beings, refusing to seek the true Dharma and true wisdom, or keeping his mind vile and closed. These are the ten. A Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva should quickly turn away from these ten kinds of māra karmas and diligently seek Buddha karmas.”
“175. How can he discard māra karmas?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva can discard māra karmas in ten ways. What are these ten? They are (1) staying close to his beneficent learned friends and respectfully making offerings to them, (2) neither exalting nor praising himself, (3) believing and understanding a Buddha’s profound Dharma and never maligning it, (4) never losing his aspiration to acquire all wisdom-knowledge, (5) diligently training in wonderful actions and never becoming self-indulgent, (6) constantly seeking teachings in the Bodhisattva store, (7) constantly expounding the Dharma without tiring, (8) taking refuge in all Buddhas [in worlds] in the ten directions and regarding Them as saviors and protectors, (9) believing in and thinking of all Buddhas and the support of Their spiritual power, and (10) planting the same roots of goodness as those of all Bodhisattvas, without any difference. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva discards māra karmas in these ten ways, he can quit all māra paths.”
“176. How does he see a Buddha?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva sees a Buddha in ten ways. What are these ten? They are (1) seeing a perfectly enlightened Buddha abiding in the world by forming no attachment to Him, (2) seeing a vow-fulfilled Buddha upon His birth, (3) seeing a rewarded Buddha by eliciting profound faith, (4) seeing an abiding Buddha by following His teachings, (5) seeing a nirvāṇa Buddha by entering deep into His state, (6) seeing a dharma-realm Buddha by going everywhere in the dharma realm, (7) seeing a mind Buddha by abiding in his own mind, (8) seeing a samādhi Buddha by entering what is immeasurable and reliance free, (9) seeing an innate-nature Buddha by realizing his own innate nature, and (10) seeing a wish-fulfilling Buddha by benefiting all sentient beings. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva sees a Buddha in these ten ways, he will constantly see the unsurpassed Tathāgata.”
“177. What kinds of Buddha karmas does he do?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva does ten kinds of Buddha karmas. What are these ten? They are (1) guiding sentient beings at the right times, because he enables them to do the right training; (2) enabling sentient beings to see a Buddha in their dreams, because he awakens their past roots of goodness; (3) expounding sūtras to those who have never heard them, because he gives them wisdom-knowledge to resolve their doubts; (4) expounding the repentance dharma to those mired in their regrets, because he eliminate their doubts and regrets; (5) manifesting a Tathāgata’s sublime body to those who harbor stinginess, malice, arrogance, doubts, a wandering mind, evil wisdom, or desire for the Two Vehicles, because he enables their past roots of goodness to grow; (6) widely expounding the true Dharma when it has become hard to encounter, to enable the hearers to acquire the wisdom-knowledge of dhāraṇī and transcendental powers in order to benefit innumerable sentient beings, because he brings them an excellent pure understanding; (7) skillfully using sounds as vast as the domain of space to teach how to resist māra karmas in non-devastating ways, in order to enlighten māras and extinguish their menacing radiance, because his aspiration is excellent and his virtues are great; (8) ceaselessly guarding his mind, not to allow it to enter the right position of riders of the Two Vehicles,[23] and never expounding the state of liberation to sentient beings of immature capacity, because he carries out his original vows; (9) ending afflictions that drive his cycle of birth and death, using great compassion to draw in sentient beings, and enabling them to strive for ultimate liberation, because he never ceases training in Bodhisattva actions; (10) diligently and insatiably accumulating merit and wisdom though he accepts without shock or fear that he and sentient beings are always in nirvāṇa; never dismissing dharma appearances though he knows that all dharmas have no actions; always delighting in seeing Buddhas and making offerings to Them though he has ended his greed for experiencing various states; using various skillful means to seek all wisdom-knowledge though he knows that he can realize the truth without others’ help; always delighting in adorning all Buddha Lands though he knows that they are like the open sky; teaching and transforming sentient beings without tiring or becoming bored though he constantly observes that one has no self and is no person; using his wisdom-knowledge of transcendental powers to produce changes though he knows that the dharma realm never changes; training in Bodhisattva actions without rest though he has acquired [sarvajña-jñāna] the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge; turning the pure Dharma wheel to delight multitudes though he knows that dharmas are beyond words; never abandoning his Bodhisattva body though he can display Buddhas’ miraculous powers; displaying his rebirths everywhere though he demonstrates entering the great parinirvāṇa, thus using both relative and absolute ways [to teach sentient beings]. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva does these ten kinds of Buddha karmas, he will be able to do the unsurpassed vast karmas without being taught by others.”
“178. What kinds of arrogant behaviors can he have?
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva can have ten kinds of arrogant behaviors. What are these ten? They are (1) having no reverence for the reverence field, such as teachers, parents, monks, śramaṇas, Brahmins, and those who walk the right path to bodhi; (2) being arrogant toward a Dharma master and having no respect for his teachings, though that master has acquired dhāraṇī and the supreme Dharma, rides the Mahāyāna, knows the liberation path, and without rest expounds the vast teachings in sūtras; (3) refusing to praise the wondrous Dharma he has heard in an assembly, because his praise might inspire others to believe and accept it; (4) displaying over-arrogance, because he considers himself superior to others and fails to see his own faults and shortcomings; (5) displaying arrogant over-arrogance,[24] because he refuses to praise the virtuous who are praiseworthy or to rejoice that others praise them; (6) resenting a Dharma master who gives teachings to others though he knows that they are the Dharma, the Vinaya,[25] the truth, and a Buddha’s words, or slandering him and inciting others to slander him as well; (7) seating himself in a high seat, claiming himself to be a Dharma master who should receive offerings and be exempt from doing chores, refusing to stand up to greet and welcome a senior, who is a longtime spiritual trainee, or refusing to attend him; (8) frowning at a virtuous person, speaking to him rudely, or looking for his faults; (9) refusing to stay close to, respect, and make offerings to a wise person who knows the Dharma, refusing to ask him what is good or bad, what should be done or not be done, or what things should be done in order to benefit sentient beings in their long night, or failing to see the liberation path because of his obstinate delusion and overruling arrogance; (10) with arrogance-shrouded mind, failing to get close to, revere, or make offerings to a Buddha who has appeared in the world, failing to cause new goodness to arise, causing existing goodness to end, speaking words he should not speak, or disputing what he should not dispute. He will definitely fall into a perilous deep pit in the future and be unable to encounter a Buddha in 100,000 kalpas, much less hear the Dharma, though he will eventually awaken because he activated the bodhi mind in the past. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva stays away from these ten kinds of arrogant behaviors, he will be able to do all Buddhas’ ten unsurpassed pure mind-karmas.”
“179. What wise karmas can he do?”
“Buddha-Sons, if a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva quits arrogant behaviors, he can do ten wise karmas. What are these ten? They are (1) believing and understanding karmas and their corresponding requitals, and never denouncing causality; (2) constantly thinking of Buddhas and never abandoning the bodhi mind; (3) staying close to his beneficent learned friends, and tirelessly and respectfully making offerings to them; (4) delighting in the Dharma and its meanings, never tiring of hearing the Dharma, staying far away from evil thinking, and diligently cultivating right mindfulness; (5) discarding his arrogance toward all sentient beings, regarding Bodhisattvas as Tathāgatas, cherishing the true Dharma as he cherishes his body, revering all Tathāgatas as he reveres his life, and regarding those who train to attain bodhi as Buddhas; (6) doing good body, voice, and mind karmas, praising the sages and the holies, and following the bodhi path; (7) never denouncing the dependent arising of dharmas, discarding the wrong views forever, dispelling the darkness [of ignorance], and acquiring radiant wisdom to illuminate all dharmas; (8) training to transfer his merits to ten things, regarding the pāramitās as a loving mother, regarding skillful means as a loving father, and entering the bodhi abode with a profound pure mind; (9) tirelessly using all aids to attain bodhi, such as almsgiving, observing the precepts, hearing much of the Dharma, practicing śamatha and vipaśyanā, and accumulating merit and wisdom; (10) developing the ability, even if only one of his karmas is praised by Buddhas, to destroy all māras, to end his afflictions and disputes, to remove all hindrances and fetters,[26] to teach, transform, and tame all sentient beings, to follow his wisdom to acquire the true Dharma, to purify all Buddha Lands, to acquire transcendental powers and the Three Clarities, and to train diligently without idleness or regress. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva does these ten wise karmas, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s skillful means to do the unsurpassed wise karmas.”
“180. What things are supported by māras?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva can do ten things supported by māras. What are these ten? They are (1) keeping an indolent mind, (2) entertaining a low aspiration, (3) feeling satisfied with little training, (4) accepting only one teaching, not the rest, (5) refusing to make vast vows, (6) delighting in quietness and ending his afflictions [as do riders of the Two Vehicles], (7) ending his cycle of birth and death forever, (8) ceasing Bodhisattva actions, (9) refusing to transform sentient beings, and (10) doubting and maligning the true Dharma. These are the ten.”
“181. What things are supported by Buddhas?”
“Buddha-Sons, if a Bodhisattva discards those ten things supported by māras, he can do ten things supported by Buddhas. What are these ten? They are (1) activating the bodhi mind even for the first time, (2) sustaining the bodhi mind life after life without losing it, (3) keeping aware of māra things and staying away from them, (4) listening to teachings on the pāramitās and practicing them accordingly, (5) knowing the suffering in the cycle of birth and death yet not feeling disgusted, (6) observing profound dharmas and harvesting the immeasurable fruit, (7) expounding teachings on the Two Vehicles yet choosing not to achieve their kind of liberation, (8) delighting in observing asaṁskṛta dharmas[27] yet not abiding in them because he does not see saṁskṛta and asaṁskṛta dharmas as different, (9) understanding that dharmas have no birth yet displaying his rebirths, and (10) having acquired all wisdom-knowledge yet continuing to take Bodhisattva actions, never allowing the Bodhisattva character-type to end. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva does these ten things supported by Buddhas, he will receive Buddhas’ unsurpassed support.”
“182. What kinds of knowledge are supported by the Dharma?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of knowledge supported by the Dharma. What are these ten? They are the knowledge that (1) all processes are impermanent; (2) all experiences boil down to suffering; (3) all dharmas have no self; (4) nirvāṇa is silent and still;[28] (5) dharmas arise through conditions and do not arise without conditions; (6) wrong thinking leads to ignorance, ignorance leads to old age and death,[29] ending wrong thinking leads to ending ignorance, and ending ignorance leads to ending old age and death; (7) the Three Liberation Doors give rise to the Voice-Hearer Vehicle, and achieving no dispute gives rise to the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle; (8) the six pāramitās and the Four Drawing-in Dharmas give rise to the Mahāyāna; (9) all worlds, all dharmas, all sentient beings, and the world of all existences are the state of a Buddha’s wisdom-knowledge; (10) one should end all thoughts, end all grasping, ignore past and future, and attain nirvāṇa. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of knowledge, he will be supported by the unsurpassed Dharma of all Buddhas.”
“183. What karmas does he do in Tuṣita Heaven [the fourth desire heaven]?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who abides in Tuṣita Heaven does ten karmas. What are these ten?
(1) To teach gods in the desire realm to tire of all dharmas, he says, ‘A life of ease is impermanent, and all pleasures will end.’ Then he persuades them to activate the bodhi mind. This is his first karma.
(2) He teaches gods in the form realm how to enter and exit dhyāna, liberation, and samādhi. If they become attached to any of them or if their attachment, out of their ignorance of the truth, gives rise to wrong views, such as the view that one has a self or other wrong views, he reveals to them the true reality of dharmas. If they have the inverted perception that all forms and non-forms are pure, he explains to them that they are impure and impermanent, and persuades them to activate the bodhi mind. This is his second karma.
(3) He enters the samādhi called Being Adorned with Radiance. His body emits radiance, illuminating everywhere in the Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World, and he uses various sounds to expound the Dharma to sentient beings according to their minds. After they have heard the Dharma, their minds are purified and, after death, they will be reborn in Tuṣita Heaven, where he will persuade them to activate the bodhi mind. This is his third karma.
(4) He uses his hindrance-free eye to see all Bodhisattvas in Tuṣita Heavens in worlds in the ten directions, and they also see him. He then expounds to them the wondrous Dharma, and displays to them the majesty of descending into his mother’s womb, being born, renouncing family life, and going to his bodhimaṇḍa. He also displays to them his past actions, which have led to his great wisdom and all his merits. He does such things without leaving his seat [in this Tuṣita Heaven]. This is his fourth karma.
(5) He is respectfully surrounded by all Bodhisattvas who come from Tuṣita Heavens in worlds in the ten directions. To fulfill their wishes and delight them, he expounds Dharma Doors to them, teaching them on what grounds they should abide, what actions they should take, what karmas they should end, what training they should do, and what they should verify. After receiving his teachings, they greatly rejoice over gaining something they never before had, and return to their palaces in their own worlds. This is his fifth karma.
(6) When he is expounding the Dharma, the māra-king Pāpīyān, ruler of the desire realm, surrounded by his retinues, comes to visit him, intending to sabotage his Bodhisattva karmas. To subjugate the māra legions, he uses prajñā-pāramitā [the wisdom pāramitā], skillful means, and wisdom, encompassed in his vajra wisdom-knowledge, to expound the Dharma to them. He uses two kinds of words, gentle and harsh, to keep Pāpīyān from finding an opportunity. Seeing his command of awesome powers, all māras activate the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind. This is his sixth karma.
(7) He knows that god-sons in the desire realm dislike hearing the Dharma. In a loud voice he tells all of them, ‘Today, I, a Bodhisattva, will display rare things in the palace. Those who wish to see them should come here quickly.’ After hearing his words, countless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of god-sons assemble in Tuṣita Heaven. Seeing that they have assembled, he displays to them rare things in the palace, and those god-sons are elated and intoxicated by what they never before saw or heard. In the midst of their delight, he tells them, ‘Kindly ones, all processes are impermanent; all experiences come down to suffering; all dharmas have no self; nirvāṇa is silent and still.’ Then he tells them, ‘All of you should train in Bodhisattva actions and fully acquire [sarvajña-jnāna] the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge.’ Having heard these Dharma words, those god-sons lament and feel disgusted [with their pleasures], and all of them activate the bodhi mind. This is his seventh karma.
(8) Without leaving his seat, he can visit all Buddhas in worlds in the ten directions and stay close to Them, make obeisance to Them, and reverently listen to Their teachings. To enable him to receive the supreme blessings with nectar poured on his head, Buddhas reveal to him the Bodhisattva ground, called All Transcendental Powers, where in one thought attuned to wisdom, he can acquire all supreme merits and enter the position of possessing the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge. This is his eighth karma.
(9) To make offerings to Tathāgatas, he uses great spiritual powers to manifest various offerings, called excellent and enjoyable, throughout the dharma realm, the domain of space, and all worlds. When innumerable sentient beings in his world see these offerings, they activate the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind. This is his ninth karma.
(10) He produces countless illusion-like and reflection-like Dharma Doors throughout all worlds in the ten directions, and manifests various colors, appearances, shapes and forms, deportments, enterprises, skillful means, analogies, and discourses, to delight sentient beings according to their minds. This is his tenth karma.
“Buddha-Sons, these are the ten karmas that a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva does when he abides in Tuṣita Heaven. If a Bodhisattva does them, he will descend to the human world to be born.”
“184. How does he disappear from Tuṣita Heaven?”
“Buddha-Sons, when a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is about to descend from Tuṣita Heaven, he presents ten displays. What are these ten?
(1) He emits from his soles vast radiance called being adorned with peace and joy, illuminating all sentient beings in difficult places or on evil life-paths in this Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World. Those touched by this radiance leave their suffering behind and acquire peace and joy. With peace and joy, they know that an extraordinary great man will appear in the world. This is his first display.
(2) He emits, from the white hair between his eyebrows, vast radiance called realization, illuminating all Bodhisattvas in this Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold World who walked with him in their past lives. Those touched by this radiance know that he will be born in the world. They manifest countless offerings, come to visit him, and make their offerings to him. This is his second display.
(3) He emits from his right palm vast radiance called pure state, purifying all Three-Thousand Large Thousandfold Worlds. If Pratyekabuddhas, who have ended all his afflictions, are aware of this radiance, they will abandon their lives [i.e., enter parinirvāṇa]. If unaware, through the power of this radiance they will be moved to worlds in other directions. All māras, those on the wrong paths, and sentient beings that hold the wrong view of existence will also be moved to worlds in other directions, except those supported by Buddhas’ spiritual power because they are ready to be transformed. This is his third display.
(4) He emits from his knees vast radiance called being adorned with purity, illuminating all celestial palaces, from those of [the first desire heaven ruled by] the four world-protecting god-kings to those of the pure-abode heavens [in the form realm], so all gods there know that he will descend from Tuṣita Heaven to be born in the human world. With adoration, regret, and anxiety, they each take various offerings, such as splendid chaplets, garments, solid perfumes, powdered incense, banners, canopies, and music, come to visit him, and respectfully make their offerings to him. Then they will follow him from his birth to his parinirvāṇa. This is his fourth display.
(5) He emits, from his chest adorned with the vajra symbol of a swastika, vast radiance called unsurpassable banner, illuminating vajra guards in all worlds in the ten directions. Then a hundred koṭi vajra guards assemble in this Tuṣita Heaven and will follow him [as his guards] from his birth to his parinirvāṇa. This is his fifth display.
(6) He emits from all his pores vast radiance called differentiating sentient beings, illuminating all large thousandfold worlds and touching all Bodhisattvas, gods, and humans. All these Bodhisattvas think, ‘I should abide here, make offerings to this Tathāgata, and teach and transform sentient beings.’ This is his sixth display.
(7) He emits, from the celestial palace laden with great jewels, vast radiance called well abiding in observation, illuminating the royal place where he will be born. Then other Bodhisattvas [in Tuṣita Heaven] follow him to Jambudvīpa [the southern continent], where he will display his birth, whether in his home, a village, or a city, in order to teach and transform sentient beings. This is his seventh display.
(8) He emits, from the celestial palace and his huge tower, vast radiance called purifying and adorning all palaces, illuminating his mother’s abdomen and enabling her to have peace and joy, and to fully acquire all merits. Inside her abdomen, a huge tower adorned with great jewels naturally forms, ready to receive his body. This is his eighth display.
(9) He emits from his soles vast radiance called well established [supratiṣṭhita]. If god-sons and Brahma gods whose lives are about to end are touched by this radiance, their lifespans will be extended, and they will make offerings to him from his birth to his parinirvāṇa. This is his ninth display.
(10) He emits, from the secondary marks on his body, vast radiance called being adorned with eyes, displaying his various karmas. Thus, gods and humans see various scenes, whether of his abiding in Tuṣita Heaven, entering his mother’s womb, being born, renouncing family life, attaining bodhi, subjugating māras, turning the Dharma wheel, or entering parinirvāṇa. This is his tenth display.
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva emits from his body, seat, palace, and tower such millions of asaṁkhyeyas of beams of light, displaying various Bodhisattva karmas. After displaying them, because he has fully acquired all his merits, he descends from Tuṣita Heaven to be born in the human world.”
—Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment, fascicle 58
Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T10n0279)
Notes
1. For the first three pure precepts, see “ten good karmas” in the glossary. (Return to text)
2. See “endurance of dharmas” in the glossary. (Return to text)
3. See “reverence field” and “kindness field” in the glossary’s “three fortune fields.” (Return to text)
4. See “eight liberations” in the glossary. (Return to text)
5. See Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas in the glossary. (Return to text)
6. Dharma illumination means wisdom-knowledge of dharmas and their differences. (Return to text)
7. See “dharma body” defined in the glossary’s “three bodies of a Buddha.” (Return to text)
8. See upāya-pāramitā listed in the glossary’s “ten pāramitās.” (Return to text)
9. See “inversion” in the glossary. (Return to text)
10. See “five desires” in the glossary. (Return to text)
11. See “those who are still leaning” and “those who have nothing more to learn” defined in the glossary’s “voice-hearer fruits.” (Return to text)
12. Although text 279, fascicle 58, states that there are ten kinds of pure equability, it actually lists eleven. (Return to text)
13. See “one flavor” in the glossary. (Return to text)
14. Grasping [upādāna, 取] desire objects is the ninth of the glossary’s Twelve Links of Dependent Arising, which generates the karmic force for being. In other contexts, upādāna means acceptance of worldly views, useless precepts, or theories that claim that one has an autonomous self. (Return to text)
15. The Sanskrit word upādhi means anything in the name or appearance of another thing. Upādhi-nirvāṇa refers to an Arhat’s nirvāṇa without remnants. According to the Mahāyāna doctrine, it does not free one from the suffering of continuous change in every process. Therefore, upādhi-nirvāṇa implies imperfect nirvāṇa. See “nirvāṇa” and “suffering” in the glossary. (Return to text)
16. See “ten levels of transference of merit” on the Bodhisattva Way in the Sūtra of the Garland of a Bodhisattva’s Primary Karmas, fascicle 1, chapter 2, in Rulu’s The Bodhisattva Way. They are (1) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Saving All Sentient Beings, (2) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Indestructible Mind, (3) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Becoming an Equal of All Buddhas, (4) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Arriving Everywhere, (5) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Endless Store of Merits, (6) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Confirming the Equality of All Roots of Goodness, (7) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Regarding All Sentient Beings Equally, (8) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Realizing True Suchness, (9) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Liberation from Bondage, and (10) Transference of One’s Merit to One’s Entering the Dharma Realm (Rulu 2013, 40–41). (Return to text)
17. According to the Sūtra of the Garland of a Bodhisattva’s Primary Karmas, fascicle 1, chapter 3, in Rulu’s The Bodhisattva Way, the six firmnesses are firmness in faith, firmness in understanding of dharmas, firmness in training, firmness in virtue, firmness in the highest understanding, and firmness in enlightenment (Rulu 2013, 44). (Return to text)
18. See a sentient being’s four self-images in the glossary’s “four appearances.” (Return to text)
19. That shore is the shore of nirvāṇa, opposite this shore of saṁsāra. (Return to text)
20. These two kinds of wisdom-knowledge are the last two of the glossary’s “ten kinds of wisdom-knowledge.” (Return to text)
21. A voice-hearer who has not yet entered the holy stream cannot be called a Srotāpanna, a Stream Enterer, because he has not acquired the first of the four voice-hearer fruits. See “voice-hearer fruits” in the glossary. (Return to text)
22. See “four kinds of unimpeded wisdom-knowledge” in the glossary. (Return to text)
23. The right position of a rider of the Two Vehicles is entering nirvāṇa. (Return to text)
24. See “over-arrogance” and “arrogant over-arrogance” in the glossary’s “arrogance.” (Return to text)
25. The Vinaya is the second of the three collections of texts of the Buddhist canon. See Tripiṭaka in the glossary. (Return to text)
26 See “three kinds of hindrances,” “two kinds of hindrances,” and “ten fetters” in the glossary. (Return to text)
27. See “three asaṁskṛta dharmas” in the glossary. (Return to text)
28. The first four kinds of knowledge are the four Dharma Seals in the glossary’s Dharma Seal. (Return to text)
29. See Twelve Links of Dependent Arising in the glossary. (Return to text)