VIMALAKIRTI SUTRA
Translated by Imperial Edict
Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Yao Qin
— o O o —
Chapter Thirteen
OFFERING THE DHARMA
At that time, Sakra Devanam Indra, in the midst of the great assembly, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, although I have heard hundreds of thousands of sutras from the Buddha and from Manjusri, never before have I heard this scripture on inconceivable sovereignty of spiritual powers and decisive true reality.
“As I understand the meaning of what the Buddha has taught: if sentient beings hear this Dharma and can believe, understand, receive, uphold, and recite it, they will certainly attain this Dharma without doubt. How much more so if they practice according to the teaching? Such people will close the gates to evil destinies, open the gates to goodness, be constantly protected and remembered by all Buddhas, subdue outsiders, shatter demonic enemies, cultivate and rectify bodhi, abide securely in the bodhimanda, and tread the footprints of the Tathagata.
“World-Honored One, if there are people who receive and uphold, recite, and practice as taught, I and my retinue will make offerings and provide for them. Wherever this sutra is present, whether village, town, mountain forest, or wilderness, I and my retinue will go there to hear and receive the Dharma. Those who have not yet believed, I will help them give rise to faith. Those who already believe, I will protect.”
The Buddha said:
“Excellent, excellent, O Lord of Gods! As you have spoken, I rejoice and approve.
“This sutra widely teaches the inconceivable unsurpassed complete enlightenment of Buddhas of past, future, and present.
“Therefore, O Lord of Gods, if good men and good women receive, uphold, recite, and make offerings to this sutra, that is equivalent to making offerings to past, future, and present Buddhas.
“Suppose the entire trichiliocosm were filled with Tathagatas, as dense as sugarcane, bamboo, reeds, rice, hemp, and forest trees. If good men and good women, for one kalpa or less than one kalpa, revered, praised, and served all those Buddhas with every kind of offering and support; and after those Buddhas’ parinirvana, for each full-body relic built seven-jewel stupas each as broad as one four-continent world and as high as Brahma heaven, adorning them with all flowers, incense, garlands, banners, canopies, and supreme music, making offerings for one kalpa or less-
“What do you think, O Lord of Gods? Would that merit be great?”
Indra replied, “Vast indeed, World-Honored One. Even if spoken of for hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas, it could not be exhausted.”
The Buddha said:
“Know this, O Lord of Gods: if good men and good women hear this scripture of inconceivable liberation, believe, understand, receive, uphold, recite, and practice it, their merit surpasses that.
“Why? Because the bodhi of all Buddhas arises from this. The mark of bodhi is immeasurable; for this reason, its merit is immeasurable.
“O Lord of Gods, in immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Medicine King Tathagata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.
“That world was called Great Adornment. That kalpa was called Adornment. That Buddha lived twenty small kalpas. His sravaka Sangha numbered thirty-six koti nayutas. His bodhisattva Sangha numbered twelve kotis.
“At that time there was a Wheel-Turning Sage King named Jeweled Canopy, complete in the seven treasures, ruling the four continents. He had a thousand princely sons, upright and valiant, able to subdue enemies.
“King Jeweled Canopy and his retinue made offerings to Medicine King Tathagata, providing all supports, for a full five kalpas. After five kalpas he told his sons: ‘You too should, like me, make profound offerings to the Buddha.’
“The princes accepted their father’s command and made offerings to Medicine King Tathagata for another full five kalpas, providing every support.
“One son, named Moon Canopy, sat alone reflecting: ‘Is there an offering superior to this?’
“By the Buddha’s spiritual power, a deva’s voice from the sky said: ‘Good man, offering the Dharma surpasses all offerings.’
“He asked: ‘What is offering the Dharma?’
“The deva replied: ‘Go ask Medicine King Tathagata. He will explain it fully to you.’
“Immediately Prince Moon Canopy went to Medicine King Tathagata, bowed at his feet, stood to one side, and asked: ‘World-Honored One, among all offerings, Dharma-offering is supreme. What is called Dharma-offering?’
“The Buddha said: ‘Good man, Dharma-offering means the profound sutras taught by all Buddhas, hard for all the world to believe and accept; subtle, hard to see, pure and undefiled; not attainable by mere discriminative thought. They are embraced in the bodhisattva Dharma treasury, sealed by dharani-seals, leading to non-retrogression and fulfilling the six paramitas. They skillfully distinguish meanings, accord with bodhi-dharma, and stand above all scriptures. They enter great compassion, depart from all demonic affairs and wrong views, accord with dependent origination, no-self, no-person, no-being, no-lifespan, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, and non-arising. They can cause beings to sit in the bodhimanda and turn the Dharma wheel, praised by devas, dragons, spirits, gandharvas, and others.
“‘They can lead beings into the Buddha Dharma treasury, gather the wisdom of all sages, teach the bodhisattva path, rely on the true meaning of dharmas’ real mark, clearly proclaim impermanence, suffering, emptiness, no-self, and quiescent extinction; rescue those who violate precepts; make demons, outsiders, and the attached become fearful; and are praised by Buddhas and sages. They turn away from the suffering of birth-and-death and reveal the joy of nirvana. This is what Buddhas of the ten directions and three times teach.
“‘If one hears such sutras, believes, understands, receives, upholds, recites, and by skillful means explains them distinctly for beings, making them clear and protecting Dharma, this is called Dharma-offering.
“‘Further, to practice according to what is taught: to accord with the twelve links of dependent origination, leave wrong views, attain the patience of non-arising, be settled in no-self and no-being, and in causes, conditions, and karmic result remain without opposition and without contention; leave possession-thought; rely on meaning, not words; rely on wisdom, not consciousness; rely on definitive sutras, not non-definitive sutras; rely on Dharma, not persons; accord with Dharma-marks with nowhere to enter and nowhere to return; because ignorance is ultimately extinguished, formations are ultimately extinguished, and so on, until because birth is ultimately extinguished, old age and death are ultimately extinguished.
“‘Contemplating thus, one sees that the twelve links have no mark of ending and no mark of arising. This is called supreme Dharma-offering.’
“The Buddha then told the Lord of Gods:
“‘Prince Moon Canopy, hearing this Dharma from Medicine King Buddha, attained the patience of pliant accord. He immediately removed his jewel robe and ornaments and offered them to the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, after the Tathagata’s passing, I will practice Dharma-offering and protect right Dharma. Please, by your awesome power and compassion, establish and aid me so I may subdue demon enemies and cultivate bodhisattva practice.”‘
“The Buddha knew the deep intent of his mind and gave him prediction: ‘In the final age, you will guard the citadel of Dharma.’
“Then Prince Moon Canopy, seeing the purity of Dharma and hearing this prediction, left home with faith. Cultivating good dharmas diligently, before long he attained the five superknowledges, fulfilled the bodhisattva path, obtained dharani, and gained unbroken eloquence.
“After Medicine King Buddha’s passing, by the power of his superknowledges, dharani, and eloquence, for ten small kalpas he spread far and wide the Dharma wheel turned by Medicine King Tathagata.
“As Bhiksu Moon Canopy, through diligent protection of Dharma, he transformed hundreds of millions of beings in that very body, establishing them in non-retrogression toward unsurpassed complete enlightenment. Fourteen nayutas gave rise to deep resolve for the sravaka or pratyekabuddha paths. Immeasurable beings were born in heavenly realms.
“O Lord of Gods, King Jeweled Canopy of that time is none other than the present Buddha Jewel Flame Tathagata.
“His thousand sons are the thousand Buddhas of this Auspicious Kalpa, beginning with Krakucchanda and ending with the Tathagata Rocana.
“That Bhiksu Moon Canopy was myself.
“Thus, O Lord of Gods, know this essential point: among all offerings, Dharma-offering is highest, supreme, foremost, and incomparable.
“Therefore, O Lord of Gods, you should offer the Dharma as your offering to all Buddhas.'”