SUTRA OF THE GREAT PRAJNA PARAMITA
VOLUME 570
Chapter 7: EQUALITY
At that time, Celestial King rose from his seat, uncovered his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee touching the ground, joined his palms respectfully, and addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, the World-Honored One has taught the equality of Dharma-nature. What is called equality? Which dharmas are called equal?”
The Buddha told Celestial King:
“Celestial King, you should know that equality means observing that the self-nature of all dharmas is originally tranquil, neither arising nor ceasing; therefore it is called equality. The self-nature of all afflictions and deluded discriminating thoughts is tranquil, neither arising nor ceasing; therefore it is called equality. The self-nature of discriminating names and appearances is tranquil, neither arising nor ceasing; therefore it is called equality. Eliminating all inverted views and having no object of attachment is called equality. Eliminating the mind that grasps objects, ignorance, existence, and craving, one attains tranquility. Because delusion and craving are extinguished, one no longer returns to grasping at self and what belongs to self; therefore it is called equality. Because self and what belongs to self are completely extinguished, name and form become tranquil; therefore it is called equality. Because name and form are extinguished, extreme views do not arise; therefore it is called equality. Because attachment to annihilation and attachment to permanence are extinguished, the view of self becomes tranquil; therefore it is called equality.
“Celestial King, you should know that the grasper, the grasped, and all afflictions that obstruct wholesome dharmas all arise from the view of self. Any bodhisattva who practices Prajna-paramita through skillful means has the ability to extinguish the view of self; all afflictions and latent tendencies become completely tranquil, and all seeking comes to an end. It is like a great tree whose roots have been pulled out: its branches and leaves all wither and die; like a person whose head has been cut off: the entire body and life are destroyed. Likewise, if the view of self is severed, latent tendencies and afflictions are completely extinguished. One who contemplates that all dharmas are without self causes both the one who grasps and the object grasped to be completely destroyed.”
At that time, Celestial King said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, why does the view of self obstruct ultimate truth?”
The Buddha told Celestial King:
“Celestial King, you should know that regarding the five aggregates subject to attachment, when one falsely conceives that they exist, the view of self immediately arises. The true Dharma, whose self-nature is equal, has neither grasper nor grasped. It is contrary to the view of self; therefore it is called having no grasper and no grasped, and therefore it is called an obstruction.
“Celestial King, you should know that the view of self does not exist within, does not exist outside, and does not exist in between; it has absolutely no place of abiding. Therefore it is called tranquility, which is equality. Being far removed from the view of self and penetrating equality is called true emptiness. Observing Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, whose self-nature is tranquil, neither arising nor ceasing, without clinging and without attachment, far removed from the view of self, is called equality.
“Celestial King, you should know that what is called self neither comes nor goes and has no true reality. The false discriminating dharmas that arise from delusion are also false. Any bodhisattva who practices Prajna-paramita through skillful means contemplates all dharmas in this way and, being free from falsity, is therefore called tranquil equality.
“Celestial King, you should know that the grasper and the grasped are like blazing fire; if one is free from them, it is called tranquility. The affliction obstructions are also like raging fire; if one is free from them, it is called tranquility. Any bodhisattva who practices profound Prajna-paramita through skillful means clearly knows the grasper and the grasped as they truly are, eliminates all afflictions, and is called increasing wholesome dharmas. Severing the grasper, the grasped, and all afflictions without seeing arising and without seeing cessation is called equality. Cultivating all paramita practices and being free from demonic obstacles without seeing anything cultivated and without seeing anything abandoned is called equality. Bodhisattvas constantly condition themselves upon the factors of Bodhi and therefore have no thought of the vehicles of the Hearers or Solitary Realizers; not seeing different characteristics is called equality. Conditioning themselves upon the wisdom of all-knowing awareness without stopping, never practicing in a limited way, and through the power of great compassion not abandoning sentient beings is called equality.
“Celestial King, you should know that those bodhisattvas who practice profound Prajna-paramita through skillful means are free and sovereign in their minds’ conditioning upon all dharmas. They cultivate Bodhi through a mind conditioned upon signlessness, yet they do not see signlessness and Bodhi as different. Their minds are conditioned upon wishlessness, they do not abandon the three realms, and they do not see wishlessness and the three realms as different; therefore it is called equality. They contemplate the body as impure while the mind abides in purity; they contemplate conditioned existence as impermanent, yet their minds condition upon samsara without aversion; they contemplate the suffering of sentient beings while abiding in Nirvana; they contemplate dharmas as without self yet rejoice in sentient beings and constantly arouse great loving-kindness.
“They constantly teach the medicine of impurity to sentient beings, and therefore are not afflicted by the disease of greed; they constantly teach great loving-kindness and compassion, and therefore are not afflicted by the disease of hatred; they constantly teach dependent origination, and therefore are not afflicted by the disease of ignorance. For those who possess all these diseases, they teach the medicine of impermanence, yet do not see impermanence and the other diseases as different. Bodhisattvas who practice profound Prajna-paramita through skillful means therefore have a mind freely conditioning upon all dharmas: they condition themselves upon the Dharma of freedom from greed to teach Hearers; they condition themselves upon the Dharma of freedom from hatred to teach Solitary Realizers; they condition themselves upon the Dharma of freedom from ignorance to teach bodhisattvas.
“They condition themselves upon all forms, wishing to attain the wondrous pure form of the Tathagata, yet without attainment. They condition themselves upon all sounds, wishing to attain the wondrous sounds of all Buddhas, yet without attainment. They condition themselves upon all fragrances, wishing to attain the pure precepts and virtues of the Tathagata, yet without attainment. They condition themselves upon all tastes, wishing to attain the foremost marks of the Great Being in the flavors of the Tathagata, yet without attainment. They condition themselves upon all tactile sensations, wishing to attain the soft and gentle hands of the Tathagata, yet without attainment. They condition themselves upon all dharmas, wishing to attain the tranquil mind of the Tathagata, yet without attainment.
“They condition themselves upon giving, wishing to attain the beautiful physical marks of the Tathagata. They condition themselves upon pure morality, wishing to attain a perfectly adorned and pure Buddha-land. They condition themselves upon patience, wishing to attain the great Brahma-like voice of Buddhas and the pure luminous bodies of Buddhas. They condition themselves upon diligence, wishing to liberate sentient beings without interruption. They condition themselves upon meditative concentration, wishing to accomplish vast supernatural powers. They condition themselves upon Prajna, wishing to sever all false views and afflictions. They condition themselves upon great equal and unobstructed loving-kindness, wishing all sentient beings to attain happiness. They condition themselves upon great compassion, wishing to protect the true Dharma and rescue sentient beings from the suffering of birth and death. They condition themselves upon great sympathetic joy, wishing sentient beings to attain happiness and therefore teach the Dharma with unobstructed freedom. They condition themselves upon great equanimity, because they do not cling to the views and latent tendencies of afflictions that bind sentient beings.
“Celestial King, you should know that those bodhisattvas who practice profound Prajna-paramita through skillful means do not see two things; this is called equal practice. They condition themselves upon the four methods of embracing beings because they wish to teach and transform sentient beings. They condition themselves upon the faults of stinginess and jealousy because they wish to give away possessions and cultivate generosity. They condition themselves upon the faults of breaking precepts because they wish to abide in pure morality. They condition themselves upon the faults of hatred because they wish to attain patience. They condition themselves upon the faults of laziness because they wish to accomplish the great diligence of the Tathagata. They condition themselves upon the faults of distraction because they wish to attain the Tathagata’s supreme tranquil concentration. They condition themselves upon the errors of evil wisdom because they wish to accomplish unobstructed wisdom. They condition themselves upon the two vehicles because they wish to accomplish the unsurpassed Great Vehicle. They condition themselves upon evil realms because they wish to rescue all sentient beings. They condition themselves upon good realms because they wish to clearly know that the karmic results of gods and humans are all subject to decay. They condition themselves upon sentient beings because they wish to understand that all are merely false and without solidity.
“They condition themselves upon recollection of the Buddha because they wish to accomplish supreme meditative concentration that supports the path. They condition themselves upon recollection of the Dharma because they wish to penetrate the hidden Dharma treasures. They condition themselves upon recollection of the Sangha because they wish the community to be harmonious and the mind not to retreat. They condition themselves upon recollection of giving because they are not attached to love. They condition themselves upon recollection of morality because they attain pure morality. They condition themselves upon recollection of heavenly beings because after attaining Bodhi they will be praised by the devas. They condition themselves upon their own physical characteristics because they wish to attain the Buddha’s body. They condition themselves upon their own speech characteristics because they wish to attain Buddha speech. They condition themselves upon their own mental characteristics because they wish to attain the equal mind of all Buddhas. They condition themselves upon conditioned dharmas because they wish to attain Buddha wisdom. They condition themselves upon unconditioned dharmas because they wish to attain tranquility.
“Celestial King, you should know that bodhisattvas who practice profound Prajna-paramita through skillful means do not overlook even a single thought or a single action without dedicating it toward the wisdom of omniscience. This is why bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajna-paramita through skillful means, although they condition themselves upon all-encompassing dharmas, do not cling to them; therefore this is called skillful means. They contemplate all dharmas as places leading toward the path of Bodhi.
“It is like all things produced within the three-thousand-great-thousand worlds being provided for sentient beings to use. The objects of conditioning through skillful means when a bodhisattva practices profound Prajna-paramita in this way all serve the benefit and direction of Bodhi. It is like all forms being produced from the four great elements. Likewise, among all objects conditioned upon by a bodhisattva, there is not a single dharma that does not lead toward Bodhi. Why? Because the practices of bodhisattvas are all established through external conditions.
“That is, bodhisattvas rely on stingy and jealous people to accomplish the perfection of generosity; rely on those who repay kindness with betrayal to accomplish the perfection of pure morality; rely on evil people to accomplish the perfection of patience; rely on lazy people to accomplish the perfection of diligence; rely on distracted people to accomplish the perfection of meditative concentration; rely on ignorant people to accomplish the perfection of Prajna.
“Whatever sentient beings harm or disturb bodhisattvas, the bodhisattvas rely on them to subdue and eliminate anger. If bodhisattvas see people practicing wholesome dharmas and progressing toward Bodhi, they regard them as their own children. Such bodhisattvas do not rejoice when praised and do not become angry when criticized. Seeing those who are unhappy, bodhisattvas arouse great loving-kindness; seeing those who suffer, they arouse great compassion; seeing those who are joyful, they arouse great sympathetic joy; seeing those who are free from suffering, they arouse great equanimity.
“Through those who are difficult to teach, they cultivate the practice of calming; seeing those who are easy to teach, they cultivate contemplation; through those who practice faith, they give rise to the wisdom of gratitude. Sentient beings with many external conditions of evil and few external conditions of good are diligently protected. If people are stubborn through their own strength, every means is used to teach and transform them so that they accept the teachings. If sentient beings’ wisdom has already awakened, profound essential teachings are expounded. If sentient beings need extensive teachings in order to awaken, the Dharma is gradually explained. If sentient beings cling to words and texts, explanations of words and meanings are taught so that they understand. If they have learned calming meditation, wonderful contemplation is taught. If they have learned contemplation, tranquil calming is taught.
“If they cling to holding precepts, the hells are explained. If they uphold precepts without attachment, there is nothing to teach. If they cling to learning through hearing, the four kinds of wisdom are explained. If they cling to meditative absorption, Prajna is explained. If they enjoy dwelling in Aranya, the Dharma of leaving the mind is explained. If they wish to hear about the virtues of the Buddha, supreme holy wisdom is explained for them.
“For those with desire, the Dharma of impurity is taught; for those with hatred, the Dharma of loving-kindness and compassion is taught; for those with ignorance, the Dharma of dependent origination is taught; for those possessing all three aspects, the Dharma of impurity, the Dharma of loving-kindness and compassion, or the Dharma of dependent origination is taught. Those who have been tamed are taught pure morality, supreme concentration, and wisdom.
“For those who wish to enter the Buddha vehicle and only accept teaching after being guided in this way, the paramitas are taught in sequence. For those who need to be subdued before accepting instruction, arguments are first broken down and then the Dharma is taught. For those who need many words before accepting instruction, causes and conditions and examples are taught to awaken them. For those who require profound Dharma before accepting instruction, skillful means, no-self, and no-dharma are used to teach profound Prajna-paramita.
“For those attached to various views, the Dharma of Emptiness is taught. For those with many conceptual thoughts, Signlessness is taught. For those attached to conditioned existence, Wishlessness is taught. For those attached to the aggregates, the Dharma of illusion is taught. For those attached to the elements, emptiness is taught. For those attached to the sense bases, the Dharma of dreams is taught. For those attached to the Desire Realm, the burning fire is taught. For those attached to the Form Realm, the suffering of conditioned existence is taught. For those attached to the Formless Realm, the impermanence of conditioned activities is taught.
“For sentient beings difficult to teach, the noble lineage is praised. For sentient beings easy to teach, meditative concentration and immeasurable minds are taught. For those who only accept teaching after hearing about birth in heavenly realms, happiness is taught. For those who only accept the teaching of Hearers, the noble truths are taught. For those who only accept the teaching of Solitary Realizers, dependent origination is taught. For those who only accept the teaching of bodhisattvas, pure mind is taught.
“For bodhisattvas cultivating great loving-kindness and compassion, merit and wisdom are taught. For irreversible bodhisattvas, pure lands are taught. For bodhisattvas in their final birth before Buddhahood, the adornment of the Bodhi seat is taught. For those who only accept teaching after hearing the Buddha’s words, continuous sequential teachings are given.
“Celestial King, you should know that these great bodhisattvas, through pure and profound Prajna-paramita practiced by skillful means, attain mastery and expound Dharma for benefit without anything being futile.”
When the bodhisattvas’ free and sovereign Dharma teaching was expounded, thirty thousand gods and humans all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed enlightenment, and five thousand bodhisattvas attained the patience of non-arising dharmas.
At that time, the World-Honored One immediately smiled. According to the customary Dharma of Buddhas, when they smile in this way, countless rays of light of various colors—blue, yellow, red, purple, and crystal-like—emanate from the Buddha’s face, illuminating the ten directions and reaching infinite worlds. They manifest rare phenomena, then return to the Buddha, circle around him three times, and enter the crown of the Buddha.
At that time, Shariputra, seeing this auspicious sign, gave rise to doubt. He rose from his seat, uncovered his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee touching the ground, respectfully joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, for what cause and condition do you manifest this auspicious sign?”
At that time, the World-Honored One told Shariputra:
“This Celestial King, in countless, boundless great kalpas in the past, once practiced all paramita practices in the presence of Buddhas and protected Prajna-paramita for bodhisattvas. Because of this cause and condition, he now meets me and asks about and receives Prajna-paramita. In the future, after countless, boundless great kalpas, he will cultivate unsurpassed Bodhi, accumulating the provisions for it, and then attain what he seeks—the supreme enlightenment—with the complete ten titles.
“That Buddha will be named Virtue-Adorned, his land will be called Most Pure and Supreme Adornment, and his kalpa will be called Purity. That land will be rich and joyful, with prosperous inhabitants, consisting entirely of a Sangha of bodhisattvas and without a community of Hearers. The ground of that land will be formed of the seven treasures, adorned with jewels, and level like the palm of a hand. That land will be decorated with fragrant flowers, soft grasses, banners, flower canopies, and many kinds of adornments. There will be no mountains, hills, mounds, thorns, or obstacles.
“There will be a great city called Difficult to Overcome, covered above by nets of seven treasures, interwoven with golden cords, with golden bells hanging at the corners. During the six periods of day and night, celestial music will play in the sky and wonderful heavenly fragrances and flowers will be scattered.
“The people of that land will enjoy supreme happiness surpassing even the palace of the Paranirmita-vashavartin Heaven. Humans and devas will come and go without obstruction. There will be no three evil realms and no designation of the Two Vehicles. Sentient beings in that land will only seek Buddha wisdom. That Buddha will constantly teach pure essential Dharma to bodhisattvas.
“There will be immeasurable, boundless bodhisattva retinues without attachment, without wrong views, without wrong livelihood, and without breaking precepts. There will be no blind, deaf, mute, speech-impaired, hunchbacked, deficient in faculties, or other evil conditions. The people of that land will possess the thirty-two marks adorning the body. The Tathagata of that land will dwell for eight minor kalpas, and among the assemblies of gods and humans there will be no premature death. That Buddha will possess immeasurable merits such as these.
“When wishing to teach the Dharma, he will first emit light. The bodhisattva assemblies who see that light will know that the World-Honored One is about to teach the Dharma, and they will come to listen.”
At that time, the devas arranged a lion throne for the Buddha, high and broad, one hundred yojanas in size, and made offerings of many beautiful things in many ways. The World-Honored One ascended the throne and taught the Dharma to the assembly. Those bodhisattvas, with sharp faculties and intelligence, heard it, understood it, and became free from self and what belongs to self. Food and necessities would appear according to their thoughts.
When the Buddha bestowed the prediction of Buddhahood upon Celestial King, fifty thousand devas all rejoiced, aroused the aspiration for supreme enlightenment, and vowed that in the future they would be born in that land.
At that time, Celestial King, hearing the Buddha’s teaching, rejoiced greatly and experienced something never before encountered. He immediately rose into the sky to a height equal to seven Tala trees. At that time, the three-thousand-great-thousand world shook in six ways. Various celestial musical instruments naturally sounded, and immeasurable heavenly flowers were scattered as offerings to the Buddha and the Bodhisattva Celestial King Heavenly King. At that time, the Heavenly King descended from the sky, bowed with his head touching the Buddha’s feet, and then withdrew to sit to one side.
Chapter 8: Manifesting Signs
At that time, Shariputra asked Celestial King:
“When a bodhisattva, through skillful means, practices profound Prajna-paramita and penetrates Dharma-nature, at that moment he immediately sits upon the Bodhi seat, attains supreme enlightenment, turns the wondrous Dharma wheel, and liberates sentient beings. For what reason did he first manifest six years of ascetic practice, subdue Mara, and only afterward attain Perfect Enlightenment?”
Celestial King replied:
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, has fully realized the true nature of phenomena and does not actually need ascetic practices. It was only in order to subdue non-Buddhist ascetics that he manifested ascetic practices. As for that Māra, he is the lord of the Desire Realm and is by nature kind and benevolent; he should not be harmed. In order to teach and transform other sentient beings, the Bodhisattva merely manifested the subjugation of Māra. This means that those non-Buddhists claimed themselves to have the foremost ability to practice asceticism, so the Bodhisattva manifested ascetic practices surpassing theirs.
This means that some sentient beings saw the Bodhisattva standing on one leg; some saw the Bodhisattva standing on both hands; some saw the Bodhisattva standing while facing the sun; some saw the Bodhisattva using fire to burn his body; some saw the Bodhisattva hanging his body upside down; some saw the Bodhisattva lying on sharp thorns; some lying on cow dung; some lying on rocks; some lying on the ground; some lying on thin boards; some lying on pestles; some lying on ashes; some saw the Bodhisattva wearing only thin clothing; some wearing garments made of hemp; some wearing grass garments; some wearing garments made of tree bark; some wearing reed garments; some naked; some facing the sun and moving according to the sun’s course.
Some saw the Bodhisattva eating only grass seeds; some eating wheat; some eating roots; some eating leaves; some eating flowers or fruits; some eating yam; some eating sweet potatoes; some eating lotus roots; some eating beans; some eating grains; some eating sesame; some eating rice; some eating one meal every six days; some drinking water every other day; some, in one day, taking only one drop of curd, one drop of honey, or one drop of milk; some not eating anything at all; some constantly sleeping in a state of delusion. In this way, over the course of six years, the Bodhisattva manifested every kind of ascetic practice without leaving out a single one.
The Bodhisattva was not concerned with ascetic practices, but in order to liberate sentient beings, he manifested himself as practicing such austerities.
At that time, sixty trillion billion devas, having seen this, attained abiding in the three vehicles.
There were also devas who, through the power of wholesome roots from previous lives and a fondness for hearing the Mahāyāna teachings, saw the Bodhisattva seated upon a platform of seven precious substances, his body and mind unmoving, smiling and entering the samādhi of supreme equanimity, remaining in meditation for six years before emerging.
There were devas who greatly wished to hear someone teach the Mahāyāna Dharma, and they saw the Bodhisattva sitting upright and teaching the Dharma for six years.
Venerable One, you should know that in this way the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, possessed the power to subdue Māra and non-Buddhist practitioners, and used the power of great compassion to teach and transform all sentient beings.
The Bodhisattva entered meditation and, after six years, emerged in accordance with worldly convention. He went to the River of Stainlessness, bathed, and then stood on the riverbank. At that time, a cowherd woman milked one hundred cows and had one cow drink all of that milk. She then used the milk from that cow to make milk porridge and offered it to the Bodhisattva.
There were also six hundred million devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and others, each bringing various delicious foods and drinks to make offerings. Together they said:
“May we humbly request that the Great Being, the True Person, accept the food and drink we offer.”
The Bodhisattva, out of compassion for them, accepted all of them. At that time, the cowherd woman, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and others could not see one another, but each saw that the Bodhisattva accepted only the offering they themselves had made.
At that time, immeasurable devas, having seen this acceptance of offerings, all awakened to the Way. Therefore, the Bodhisattva manifested this for their sake. In truth, the Bodhisattva neither bathed nor accepted their offerings.
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, manifested going to the Bodhi seat.
At that time, in the Earth-Dwelling Heaven called Wonderful Ground, the heavenly beings swept everywhere, sprinkled fragrant water, and scattered beautiful flowers. Throughout the three thousand great thousand worlds, the Four Great Heavenly Kings led their heavenly hosts in raining down exquisite celestial flowers as offerings to the Bodhisattva.
The lord of the heavens, Śakra, assigned the heavenly kings to lead their celestial hosts and remain in midair, playing heavenly music and praising the Bodhisattva.
The Joyful Abode Heavenly King led his heavenly hosts in holding nets of seven precious substances spread over the world; at the four corners of the nets hung golden bells. Everywhere, countless jewels rained down as offerings to the Bodhisattva.
The Heaven of Enjoying Others’ Transformations Heavenly King led his heavenly hosts in spreading purple-gold nets over the world, playing countless heavenly instruments, and raining down immeasurable flowers as offerings to the Bodhisattva.
The Self-Mastery Heavenly King led his heavenly hosts, and all the nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and others brought supreme and wondrous offerings to offer to the Bodhisattva.
The Great Brahmā Heavenly King, lord of the Sahā world, saw the Bodhisattva approach the Bodhi seat and immediately told all the Brahmā beings:
“You should know that this Bodhisattva has now adorned himself with the firm armor of resolve. He does not violate his original vows, his mind has no weariness, he has perfected all practices, and he understands limitless teachings for guiding and transforming sentient beings.
All Bodhisattvas attain sovereignty. Toward sentient beings, their minds are always pure; they know clearly the differing faculties and capacities of beings; they understand the profound secret treasury of the Tathāgata; they surpass all the activities of Māra’s knowledge; they cultivate their inherent wholesome deeds without depending on external conditions; they are protected and remembered by all Tathāgatas; they open the gate of liberation for all sentient beings; they are the great generals and teachers who defeat the armies of Māra.
In the great thousand worlds, only this One is called the Valiant One. He is the great physician king skilled in giving the medicine of Dharma, receiving the position of Dharma King through the consecration of liberation. He emits the light of wisdom that illuminates everything, is unstained by the eight worldly winds like a lotus flower, deeply and extensively understands all dhāraṇī gateways beyond measure like the great ocean, and is firm and unmoving like Mount Sumeru.
His wisdom is pure and free from defilement; inside and outside he is bright and clean like a maṇi jewel. With regard to all characteristics of phenomena, he has attained mastery. His pure conduct is immaculate and has reached the ultimate.
Thus, in order to liberate sentient beings, the Bodhisattva, through skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, went to the Bodhi seat, sat in the full lotus posture, and subdued the hostile Māra.”
Because he wished to accomplish the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, and the immeasurable and boundless virtues of all Buddhas, the Bodhisattva turned the great Dharma wheel, roared the lion’s roar, and gave the Dharma to all sentient beings according to their abilities so that they might attain fulfillment.
For the sake of the pure Dharma eye of sentient beings, the Bodhisattva used the unsurpassed Dharma to subdue non-Buddhist practitioners and manifested the fulfillment of the original vows of all Buddhas. With regard to all phenomena, he attained mastery. You should all go and make offerings to the Bodhisattva.
Venerable One, you should know that in this way the Bodhisattva, through skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, manifested going to the Bodhi seat.
At that time, the thousand-spoked wheel marks beneath both of his feet emitted immeasurable wondrous rays of light that illuminated all realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. Any sentient being in those realms who received this light attained peace and joy of body and mind and became free from suffering and affliction.
At that time, in the dragon palace there was a great dragon king named Kāliya. Having received this light, he rejoiced and said to the dragons:
“This wondrous light has reached us and has brought us all happiness. In the past, I once encountered this light, and at that time a Tathāgata appeared in the world. Now that this wondrous light has appeared, surely a Buddha will arise in the world. We should prepare various fragrant flowers, exquisite treasures, banners, canopies, and music, and go to make offerings.”
At that time, the Dragon King led his retinue, bringing all kinds of offerings. Then he caused a great cloud to arise, rained down immeasurable fragrances, went to the Bodhisattva’s place, played music, and presented offerings. After circumambulating the Bodhisattva clockwise, the Dragon King praised him:
“The wondrous light illuminates us and grants us peace and joy. Surely the Supreme Buddha will appear in the world. All precious jewels adorning the earth, grasses, and trees have transformed into treasures. Rivers and lakes have become still without waves or winds; therefore we know that a Buddha has appeared in the world.
The light of the sun, moon, Brahmā, and Śakra does not appear; the evil realms have become purified. Surely a Buddha has appeared in the world.
It is like a person who, when young, became separated from his parents and, upon growing up, suddenly meets them again, rejoicing and leaping with joy beyond control.
Likewise, all beings in the world rejoice greatly upon seeing the Buddha appear.
In the past, we once made offerings to Buddhas. Today we encounter the Lion King of Dharma, and therefore our birth has not been in vain.”
Venerable One, you should know that in this way the Bodhisattva, through skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, spread out a grass seat, sat beneath the Bodhi tree, circumambulated to the right seven times, sat upright, and maintained right mindfulness.
Inferior sentient beings saw such a form. But the great Bodhisattvas saw eighty-four thousand heavenly sons, each spreading out a great lion throne of their own. Each lion throne was made of jewels, covered above with nets of seven precious substances, with golden bells hanging at the four corners, and banners and jeweled canopies arranged everywhere.
The Bodhisattva manifested himself seated upon the eighty-four thousand lion thrones. Since the heavenly sons could not see one another, each thought that the Bodhisattva was sitting only upon their own throne and attaining the highest awakening. Therefore, they gave rise to joy toward unsurpassed enlightenment and all attained non-retrogression.
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, through skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, emitted a great light from the mark between his eyebrows that illuminated the triple-thousand worlds and caused the palaces of Māra to lose their radiance.
At that time, all the Māra kings thought:
“What is the cause of this light that has obscured the radiance of our palaces? Could it be that the Bodhisattva is sitting upon the Bodhi seat and is about to attain unsurpassed enlightenment?”
Having thought this, they together observed and saw the Bodhisattva seated upon the vajra seat beneath the Bodhi tree. Seeing this, they became frightened and immediately summoned countless hundreds of thousands of Māra armies with various forms, carrying many weapons and banners, producing many sounds that caused the hair pores of anyone who heard them to bleed.
At that time, the Bodhisattva used the power of great compassion to eliminate those sounds.
This was the Bodhisattva, through skillful expedients while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, recollecting countless millions of eons of the past and diligently cultivating generosity, pure morality, patience, vigor, meditation, wisdom, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, the foundations of mindfulness, the right abandonments, the bases of miraculous powers, the faculties, the powers, the factors of awakening, the noble path, calm abiding, profound observation, the three knowledges, and the eight liberations, all of which had become perfected.
Having remembered these, he immediately placed his golden hand upon the crown of his head and touched his entire body, saying:
“I wish to rescue sentient beings from suffering and affliction; therefore I have generated the mind of great compassion.”
When Māra and his retinue heard the Bodhisattva’s words, they all fell over and rolled about.
At that time, the Bodhisattva used the power of great compassion to cause the Māra army to hear a voice in the midst of space:
“You should take refuge in the Great Sage, and he can grant fearlessness and protect all pure precepts.”
Hearing this, Māra and his retinue, still lying on the ground, said:
“We pray that the Great Sage will protect and save us.”
Bodhisattvas, by means of skillful means, relying on Prajñā-pāramitā, emit great rays of light. Any sentient being that receives the light will no longer have fear. When seeing this event, Māra and his retinue are at once frightened and joyful.
Venerable One, you should know that Bodhisattvas, by means of skillful means, practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, cause the perceptions and understandings of different sentient beings to vary. That is to say, some sentient beings see the Bodhisattva subduing Māra’s armies, while others do not see it; some see the Bodhisattva merely sitting on a grass seat, some see the Bodhisattva seated upon a lion throne, some see the Bodhisattva sitting on the ground, and some see the Bodhisattva seated on a lion throne in the midst of empty space. The appearance of the Bodhi tree is also seen differently: some see it as the Saptaparna tree, some see it as the heavenly garden jeweled tree, some see this tree as formed from various precious jewels, some see this tree as being as tall as seven Tāla trees, and some see this tree as eighty-four thousand yojanas in height, with a lion throne measuring forty-two thousand yojanas. The Bodhisattva sits beneath this tree; some see the Bodhisattva roaming in the sky, while others see the Bodhisattva sitting beneath the Bodhi tree. Thus, the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, manifests various kinds of miraculous transformations in order to liberate sentient beings.
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, sits upon the Bodhi throne, and there are immeasurable, innumerable, boundless Bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges from all ten directions who come together, abide in the sky, and utter various sounds of consolation to comfort the Bodhisattva, causing the Bodhisattva’s body to be peaceful and joyful, and the mind to arise with delight.
Excellent, Great Being! With courageous and vigorous diligence, you will quickly accomplish vast and great auspicious signs. Let your mind be like vajra; do not give rise to fear. Through playful miraculous powers, benefit sentient beings, and possess the ability, in but a single instant, to realize Omniscient Wisdom.
Such a Bodhisattva sits upon the Bodhi throne. When Māra comes to disturb him, he does not become angry. In a single instant, his mind united with the principle of Prajñā-pāramitā turns toward the ultimate and penetrates all objects of knowledge and understanding.
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, sits upon the Bodhi throne, and all Buddhas throughout the ten directions, in worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, together praise him:
Excellent, excellent! Only a Great Being such as you is capable of penetrating Natural Wisdom, Unobstructed Wisdom, Equal Wisdom, Wisdom Without a Teacher, and Great Compassion adorned.
Venerable One, you should know that a Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, is capable of manifesting such events. Some sentient beings see the Bodhisattva attaining Bodhi today; some see the Bodhisattva having become a Buddha long ago. Some sentient beings see only one world, in which the Four Great Heavenly Kings all make offerings of alms bowls; others see the Four Great Heavenly Kings of the countless worlds throughout the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, all making offerings of alms bowls.
At that time, the Bodhisattva should receive all those bowls and stack them together within the palm of his hand, then press them with his hand and transform them into a single bowl. The Four Great Heavenly Kings do not see this event and all think: “The World-Honored One has accepted only my bowl.”
At that time, sixty thousand heavenly beings, relying upon the power of their vows from previous lives, came forth to make offerings. In their past lives they had vowed:
“If this Bodhisattva, when first attaining Buddhahood, may he first accept offerings from us.”
When this teaching was spoken, thirty thousand Bodhisattvas attained the patience of non-arising, and thirty-six thousand Bodhisattvas all entered the supreme state of Enlightenment and attained non-retrogression. Eighty thousand devas and humans, having separated from dust and defilements, produced the pure Dharma eye. Immeasurable and boundless sentient beings all generated the aspiration to seek the supreme state of Enlightenment.
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means relying upon Prajñā-pāramitā, when about to manifest the turning of the great Dharma wheel, at that time the lord of the Sahā world grasped the topknot of Brahmā, and at the same time six hundred eighty thousand Brahmā heavenly beings came to the Buddha’s place, bowed at his feet, respectfully joined their palms, circumambulated him clockwise seven times, and then three times requested:
“May the Great Compassionate One, out of compassion for us, turn the great Dharma wheel. May the Great Compassionate One, out of compassion for us, turn the great Dharma wheel. May the Great Compassionate One, out of compassion for us, turn the great Dharma wheel.”
After making this request three times, they immediately transformed into a great lion throne. This throne was forty-two thousand yojanas high and wide, adorned with various decorations, firm and stable. At that time, in the worlds of the ten directions, countless heavenly lords Śakra also spread out lion thrones for the Tathāgata. Their number and adornments were likewise the same.
At that time, the Bodhisattva manifested miraculous powers so that those heavenly beings all saw the Bodhisattva sitting upon those thrones and turning the Dharma wheel. Having sat upon the lion throne, the Bodhisattva entered boundless states of samādhi, emitted great light illuminating worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and caused those worlds to quake in six ways. Among them, suffering sentient beings temporarily ceased their afflictions, their bodies and minds became peaceful and joyful, and they temporarily abandoned greed, anger, ignorance, and other unwholesome dharmas. They turned toward one another with loving-kindness, just like the affection between mother and child.
At that time, the Trichiliocosm was filled with devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, and so forth, with no empty space even as small as a hair pore. Whatever sentient beings wished to hear the Dharma of suffering and received instruction, the Buddha taught suffering. Those who wished to hear the Dharma of non-self, tranquility, detachment, impermanence, and emptiness, and received instruction, were taught likewise.
Those sentient beings who wished to hear the teaching of illusion and received instruction were taught the Dharma of illusion. Those who wished to hear teachings like dreams, echoes, reflections, mirages, transformations, or cities of gandharvas, and received instruction, were taught likewise.
Those sentient beings who wished to hear the Dharma doors of liberation—Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness—and received instruction were taught Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness.
At that time, some sentient beings heard the Tathāgata teach that all dharmas arise from causes and conditions; some heard teachings on the aggregates, some on the elements, some on the sense bases, some on suffering, some on origination, some on cessation, and some on the path.
Some sentient beings heard teachings on the foundations of mindfulness, right abandonments, bases of miraculous power, faculties, powers, factors of enlightenment, and noble paths. Some sentient beings heard teachings on calm abiding and profound observation.
Some sentient beings heard teachings of the Śrāvaka vehicle, while others heard teachings of the Pratyekabuddha vehicle. Some sentient beings heard teachings of the Bodhisattva vehicle.
The Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, manifested such aspects of turning the Dharma wheel. According to the differing capacities and dispositions of sentient beings, all received great benefit and their minds gave rise to joy.
At that time, Śāriputra asked Tối Thắng:
“Heavenly King! The realm of the Bodhisattva who practices profound Prajñā-pāramitā through skillful means is extremely subtle and profound, difficult to conceive, difficult to discuss, difficult to understand, and difficult to enter.”
Tối Thắng replied:
Venerable One, you should know that the Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, possesses immeasurable, boundless, supreme merits. What I speak today, even divided into one hundred parts, one thousand parts, or countless parts, would not amount to even one part. Only the Tathāgata can fully expound it. What I now speak of a small portion is entirely dependent upon the majestic power of the Tathāgata. Therefore, the realms of all Buddhas are inconceivable. Even Bodhisattvas in their final birth before Buddhahood cannot fully exhaust these merits, much less other Bodhisattvas.
Venerable One, you should know that the realm of the Buddhas is peaceful and free from speech; only Non-discriminating Wisdom and Subsequent Attained Wisdom can clearly understand it.
Venerable One, you should know that any Great Bodhisattva who wishes to attain the realm of the Buddhas must, through skillful means, learn profound Prajñā-pāramitā and ultimately penetrate the following samādhis:
Samādhi of Skillful Conduct, Samādhi Like Illusion, Samādhi Compared to Vajra, Samādhi of the Vajra Wheel, Samādhi of Unmoving Wisdom, Samādhi of Universal Penetration, Samādhi Without Object of Affinity, Samādhi of the Lion’s Freedom, King of Samādhi Samādhi, Samādhi Adorned with Merit, Samādhi of Peaceful Wisdom, Samādhi of Universal Transcendence, Samādhi of Non-attachment, King Samādhi Adorned with Wisdom, Samādhi Unequalled and Equal, Samādhi of Equal Learning, Samādhi of Correct Enlightenment, Samādhi of Delight, Samādhi of Joy, Samādhi of Purity, Samādhi of Blazing Fire, Samādhi of Radiance, Samādhi Difficult to Overcome, Samādhi Always Present Before Oneself, Samādhi of Non-Conflict, Samādhi of Non-arising, Samādhi of Penetration, Supreme Samādhi, Samādhi Transcending Māra’s Realm, Samādhi of All-Wisdom Wisdom, Samādhi with Banner Sign, Samādhi of Great Compassion, Samādhi of Peaceful Bliss, Samādhi of Loving Remembrance, and Samādhi of the Unseen Dharma.
Venerable one should know, any Great Bodhisattva who, by skillful means, diligently learns the profound Prajñāpāramitā will then be able to completely penetrate the immeasurable, boundless, innumerable river-sand-like samādhi dharma-gates, and only then can enter the realm of all Buddhas. The mind of such a one is peaceful and free from fear, just like a lion king who is not afraid of beasts. Why is this so? Because any Great Bodhisattva who cultivates such a samādhi, wherever they go, is without fear and sees no enemy or adversary before them. Why is this so? Śāriputra, the Great Bodhisattva who, through skillful means, practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā, has a mind that has no object of attachment and no place of abiding. It is like a person born in the Formless Realm, who for eighty thousand great kalpas has only one consciousness, without any place of abiding and without any object of attachment. Likewise, the Bodhisattva who, through skillful means, practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā has a mind without an object of attachment and without a place of abiding. This is the Bodhisattva whose mind does not abide in unwholesome places of action, whose mind does not imagine places of non-imagination, whose mind does not attach to places without attachment, whose mind does not cling to places without clinging, whose mind is not disturbed in places without disturbance, whose mind has neither high nor low, neither follows nor opposes, neither sorrow nor joy, neither discrimination nor separation from discrimination; it is free from the dharma of cessation and the dharma of contemplation. The mind does not follow wisdom, the mind does not abide in itself and does not abide anywhere; it does not depend on abiding in the eye, nor does it depend on abiding in the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; it does not depend on abiding in forms, nor does it depend on abiding in sounds, smells, tastes, tactile objects, or dharmas. The mind is not within, not outside, and not in the middle between the two. The mind does not take dharmas as its object, nor does it take wisdom as its object; it is not within the three times, nor does it depart from the three times.
Venerable one should know, this is the Bodhisattva who, through skillful means, practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā, who does not hold onto a single dharma yet possesses unobstructed knowledge and vision regarding all dharmas. Because the mind’s activity is pure, all dharmas are seen as pure. Without holding onto the characteristics of seeing, one sees without discrimination and is free from conceptual elaboration.
Venerable one should know, the Bodhisattva who, through skillful means, practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā, is neither in accord with the fleshly eye, the divine eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye, nor is it that they are not in accord with them. Likewise, they are neither in accord with the knowledges of divine hearing, knowing others’ minds, remembering past lives, spiritual powers, and exhaustion of outflows, nor is it that they are not in accord with them.
Venerable one should know, the profound skillful means that practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā is neither in accord with all dharmas nor is it not in accord with all dharmas. The Great Bodhisattvas, through skillful means, practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā and attain equal wisdom toward all dharmas. They are able to observe all mental activities of sentient beings, truly know the defiled and purified nature of dharmas, and do not lose right mindfulness regarding the Buddha’s merits: the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, and the immeasurable and boundless virtues of a Buddha.
The Bodhisattvas who, through skillful means, practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, thoroughly realize that all dharmas are without effortful mental activity, without mind, thought, or consciousness, and always remain in samādhi. Without leaving samādhi, they teach sentient beings and perform all Buddha activities without ever ceasing. Regarding the Buddha Dharma, they possess unobstructed wisdom and a mind free from defilement and attachment. It is like a transformed Buddha transforming into a Tathāgata. The Tathāgata created by transformation has no mind, thought, or consciousness; no body, no bodily karma; no speech, no verbal karma; no mind, no mental karma, yet has the ability to perform all Buddha activities for the benefit of sentient beings. Why is this so? Because of the Buddha’s spiritual power. Likewise, the Bodhisattva transformed through skillful means while practicing the Prajñāpāramitā has no body, no bodily karma, no speech, no verbal karma, no mind, no mental karma, and a mind without effortful activity, yet constantly performs Buddha activities to benefit sentient beings. Why is this so? Śāriputra, the Great Bodhisattvas who, through skillful means, practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, have a mind free from discrimination and understand that all dharmas are like illusions, yet sentient beings constantly hear the Buddha Dharma.
Venerable one should know, the wisdom of the Bodhisattva does not abide in conditioned existence, does not abide in unconditioned existence, does not abide in the aggregates, sense fields, or elements; it does not abide in the inner or outer, nor does it hold onto the inner or outer; it does not abide in good or evil, worldly or transcendent; it does not abide in defiled or pure, with outflows or without outflows, conditioned or unconditioned; it does not abide in the three times or in separation from the three times; it does not abide in empty space, analytical cessation, or non-analytical cessation. This is because the Bodhisattvas who, through skillful means, practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, although their minds always have no place of abiding in this way, can nevertheless penetrate the nature and characteristics of all dharmas through unobstructed wisdom and a mind without effortful activity. They proclaim to sentient beings the dharmas that are always peacefully abiding, and they carry out the work of teaching and transforming without cessation. This is due to the Bodhisattva’s powerful past-life vows, through which they teach the Dharma with a mind free from effortful activity. The Bodhisattva, by means of skillful means while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, is always without fear. Why is this so? Because they are always protected by Vajrapāṇi, the deity holding the vajra, whether they are walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.
Venerable one should know, any Great Bodhisattva who hears the profound Prajñāpāramitā taught in this way and whose mind neither becomes frightened nor doubtful should be known to have already received the prediction of Bodhi. Why is this so? Because accepting and having faith in the skillful means of the Prajñāpāramitā is to be close to the realm of the Buddha. Through this single-mindedness, one constantly penetrates all Buddha Dharma. Because one penetrates the Buddha Dharma, one benefits and brings happiness to sentient beings, and one does not see any difference between sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma. Why is this so? Sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma, in the principle of the path, are not two.