VIMALAKIRTI SUTRA
Translated by Imperial Edict
Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Yao Qin
— o O o —
Chapter Eleven
THE PRACTICE OF BODHISATTVAS
At that time, while the Buddha was teaching Dharma in the Amra grove, the ground suddenly became vast and magnificently adorned, and the whole assembly took on a golden hue.
Ananda asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, what causes this auspicious sign? This place has suddenly become vast and adorned, and the entire assembly has turned golden.”
The Buddha said to Ananda, “Vimalakirti and Manjusri, surrounded reverently by a great assembly, have set out to come here. Therefore this auspicious sign appeared first.”
Then Vimalakirti said to Manjusri, “Let us go together to see the Buddha, and with the bodhisattvas perform homage and offerings.”
Manjusri said, “Excellent. Let us go. Now is exactly the right time.”
Vimalakirti then, by spiritual power, lifted the entire assembly together with their lion-thrones, placed them on his right palm, and went to where the Buddha was. Arriving there, he set down the assembly and thrones, bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the Buddha seven times to the right, joined his palms with one-pointed reverence, and stood aside.
All the bodhisattvas dismounted their thrones, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, also circled him seven times to the right, and stood to one side. The great disciples, Sakra, Brahma, and the Four Heavenly Kings likewise rose from their seats, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and stood to one side.
Then the World-Honored One, according to Dharma, inquired after the bodhisattvas and asked each to resume his seat. They all received the instruction and sat in their proper places.
The Buddha asked Sariputra, “Did you see the bodhisattva-mahasattva’s sovereign spiritual power?”
“Yes, World-Honored One, I saw it.”
“What do you think of it?”
“World-Honored One, what I saw is inconceivable, beyond imagination and beyond all measure.”
At that time Ananda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I now smell a fragrance never before known. What fragrance is this?”
The Buddha said, “It is the fragrance from the pores of those bodhisattvas.”
Then Sariputra said to Ananda, “Our pores also emit this fragrance now.”
Ananda asked, “Where does it come from?”
Sariputra replied, “Vimalakirti brought the Buddha’s leftover food from the world of All-Fragrance. Whoever ate that food at his house has all pores fragrant in this way.”
Ananda asked Vimalakirti, “How long will this fragrance remain?”
Vimalakirti replied, “Until that food is digested.”
Ananda asked, “How long until it is digested?”
Vimalakirti answered:
“The power of that food lasts seven days, then it is digested.
“Also, Ananda, if a sravaka who has not yet entered right position eats this food, it is digested only after he enters right position.
If one already in right position eats it, it is digested only after mind-liberation is attained.
If one who has not generated great-vehicle resolve eats it, it is digested only after that resolve arises.
If one who has generated resolve eats it, it is digested only after attaining the patience of non-arising dharmas.
If one who has attained that patience eats it, it is digested only upon reaching the stage of one-birth-to-successor.
“It is like a medicine called supreme flavor: whoever takes it, it is digested only after all poisons in the body are eliminated. This food is the same: only after all poison of afflictions is extinguished is it digested.”
Ananda said to the Buddha, “Unprecedented, World-Honored One! Such food can perform Buddha-work?”
The Buddha replied:
“Yes, it can, Ananda. Indeed it can.
“Some Buddha-lands perform Buddha-work by the Buddha’s light.
Some by bodhisattvas.
Some by emanations created by the Buddha.
Some by the bodhi-tree.
Some by the Buddha’s robes and bedding.
Some by food.
Some by groves, parks, and terraces.
Some by the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs.
Some by the Buddha’s very body.
Some by empty space itself-so beings, according to that condition, enter discipline.
Some by analogies: dreams, illusions, shadows, echoes, reflections in mirrors, moon in water, mirage in heat.
Some by sounds, words, and script.
Some pure Buddha-lands perform Buddha-work by silence: no speech, no teaching, no indication, no cognition, no action, no fabrication.
“Thus, Ananda, every deportment and movement of all Buddhas, all they do, is Buddha-work.
“Ananda, there are these four Maras and eighty-four thousand gates of affliction by which beings are wearied. The Buddhas use these very dharmas to perform Buddha-work. This is called entering the Dharma-gate of all Buddhas.
“A bodhisattva who enters this gate, if he sees all pure and splendid Buddha-lands, does not delight, crave, or become proud. If he sees impure Buddha-lands, he does not become distressed, obstructed, or discouraged. He only gives rise to a pure mind toward all Buddhas, with joy and reverence, seeing them as unprecedented.
“The virtues of all Tathagatas are equal. It is only for transforming beings that they manifest Buddha-lands as different.
“Ananda, you see Buddha-lands and their terrains as varied, yet empty space is not varied. In the same way, you see the Buddhas’ form-bodies as varied, but their unobstructed wisdom is not varied.
“Ananda, as to Buddhas’ form-body, majesty, lineage, morality, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, liberative knowledge-and-vision, powers, fearlessnesses, unique Buddha-dharmas, great loving-kindness, great compassion, deportment and conduct, lifespan, teaching and transformation, perfecting beings, purifying Buddha-lands, and possessing all Buddha-dharmas-they are all equal. Therefore they are called Samyak-Sambuddha, Tathagata, and Buddha.
“Ananda, if I were to explain in full the meaning of these three names, one could not receive it entirely even over an aeon’s lifespan. Even if all beings filling the trichiliocosm were, like you, foremost in hearing and endowed with total retention, and lived for an aeon, they still could not fully receive it.
“Thus, Ananda, the Buddhas’ unsurpassed complete enlightenment has no limit. Their wisdom and eloquence are inconceivable.”
Ananda said to the Buddha, “From now on, I will no longer dare call myself foremost in hearing.”
The Buddha said, “Do not give rise to discouragement, Ananda. I said you are foremost in hearing among sravakas, not among bodhisattvas.
“Enough, Ananda. The wise should not try to measure bodhisattvas. All oceans and abysses can still be measured, but bodhisattvas’ meditation, wisdom, dharani, eloquence, and all virtues cannot be measured.
“Ananda, abandon trying to gauge bodhisattvas’ practice. What Vimalakirti has shown in one moment of spiritual power is what all sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, exhausting transformative powers for hundreds of thousands of aeons, cannot do.”
At that time, the bodhisattvas who had come from the world of All-Fragrance joined their palms and said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, when we first saw this world we gave rise to thoughts of inferiority. Now we reproach ourselves and abandon that mind. Why? The skillful means of all Buddhas are inconceivable. To liberate beings, they manifest Buddha-lands differently according to what is fitting.
“Yes, World-Honored One, we pray you grant us a little Dharma. When we return there, we will remember the Tathagata.”
The Buddha said to the bodhisattvas:
“There is a Dharma-gate of liberation called Exhaustion and Inexhaustion. You should study it.
“What is exhaustion? Conditioned dharmas.
What is inexhaustion? Unconditioned dharmas.
“For a bodhisattva: do not exhaust the conditioned, and do not abide in the unconditioned.
“What is not exhausting the conditioned?
“Not leaving great loving-kindness.
Not abandoning great compassion.
Deeply generating the resolve for omniscience and never forgetting it.
Teaching beings without ever tiring.
Always remembering and practicing the four means of gathering.
Protecting right Dharma without begrudging body or life.
Planting wholesome roots without weariness.
Always abiding securely and dedicating through skillful means.
Unceasing in seeking Dharma; ungenerous in teaching never.
“Diligently making offerings to Buddhas.
Therefore entering birth-and-death without fear.
Not saddened by disgrace nor elated by honor.
Not despising learners; honoring them as Buddhas.
Making those fallen in affliction give rise to right mindfulness.
Not valuing mere seclusion-pleasure.
Not attached to one’s own joy; rejoicing in others’ joy.
In all meditative states, regarding attachment as hell.
In samsara, regarding it as a garden of adornment.
Seeing those who come to ask as good teachers.
Giving away all possessions with the thought of complete omniscience.
Seeing precept-breakers with a mind to rescue them.
“Regard the paramitas as father and mother.
Regard factors of the path as relatives.
Bring forth wholesome roots without limit.
Using all adornments of pure lands to complete one’s own Buddha-land.
Practice boundless giving and perfect marks of excellence.
Remove all evil and purify body, speech, and mind.
Through countless aeons of birth-and-death, keep the will courageous.
“Hearing boundless Buddha-virtues, never become weary.
With the sword of wisdom, destroy the thieves of affliction.
Carry all beings beyond aggregates, fields, and elements into liberation.
With great vigor, crush Mara’s armies.
Always seek the wisdom of no-thought and true reality.
Practice few desires and contentment, yet do not abandon worldly Dharma.
Without destroying proper deportment, adapt to the world, using spiritual wisdom to guide beings.
Attain mindful retention so what is heard is never forgotten.
Skillfully discern faculties and cut beings’ doubts.
“With joyful eloquence, teach Dharma unobstructedly.
Purify the ten wholesome paths and bestow deva-human blessings.
Cultivate the four immeasurables and open the Brahma path.
Urge others to teach Dharma, rejoice in and praise the good, and attain Buddha voice.
With good body, speech, and mind attain Buddha deportment.
Deeply cultivate goodness so conduct grows ever more excellent.
Using Great Vehicle teaching, complete the bodhisattva Sangha.
Keep the mind unheedful in nothing, never losing wholesome dharmas.
“Practicing thus is called the bodhisattva’s not exhausting the conditioned.
“What is the bodhisattva’s not abiding in the unconditioned?
“Cultivate emptiness but do not take emptiness as realization.
Cultivate signlessness and wishlessness but do not take them as realization.
Cultivate non-arising but do not take non-arising as realization.
Contemplate impermanence without wearying of wholesome roots.
Contemplate worldly suffering without hating samsara.
Contemplate no-self without tiring of teaching people.
Contemplate quiescent extinction without dwelling in final extinction.
Contemplate renunciation while body and mind cultivate the good.
Contemplate no destination while returning toward good dharmas.
Contemplate non-birth while using birth to carry all beings.
Contemplate no outflows without cutting off all outflows.
“Contemplate no action while acting to transform beings.
Contemplate emptiness and nothingness without abandoning great compassion.
Contemplate right Dharma-position without following the lesser vehicle.
Contemplate all dharmas as illusory, insubstantial, ownerless, and signless.
Though original vows are not yet complete, merit, samadhi, and wisdom are not vain.
“Practicing thus is called not abiding in the unconditioned.
“Further:
Because complete in merit, one does not abide in the unconditioned.
Because complete in wisdom, one does not exhaust the conditioned.
Because of great compassion, one does not abide in the unconditioned.
Because vows are fulfilled, one does not exhaust the conditioned.
Because one gathers Dharma-medicines, one does not abide in the unconditioned.
Because one dispenses medicine according to illness, one does not exhaust the conditioned.
Because one knows beings’ illnesses, one does not abide in the unconditioned.
Because one cures beings’ illnesses, one does not exhaust the conditioned.
“Noble bodhisattvas, by cultivating these dharmas, do not exhaust the conditioned and do not abide in the unconditioned.
This is called the liberation-gate of Exhaustion and Inexhaustion. You should study it.”
At that time, hearing this Dharma, those bodhisattvas rejoiced greatly. They scattered wondrous flowers of many colors and fragrances throughout the trichiliocosm as offerings to the Buddha, this sutra-Dharma, and the bodhisattvas of this world.
They bowed at the Buddha’s feet, praised what had never been seen before, and said:
“Sakyamuni Buddha can indeed, in this world, carry out skillful means so well.”
Having spoken thus, they suddenly disappeared and returned to their own world.