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BDK English Tripiṭaka Series TIANTAI LOTUS TEXTS

The Infinite Meanings Sutra (Taishō Volume 9, Number 276) The Sutra Expounded by the Buddha on Practice of the Way through Contemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness

(Taishō Volume 9, Number 277) Translated by Tsugunari Kubo and Joseph M. Logan The Commentary on the Lotus Sutra (Taishō Volume 26, Number 1519) Translated by Terry Abbott A Guide to the Tiantai Fourfold Teachings (Taishō Volume 46, Number 1931) Translated by Masao Ichishima and David W. Chappell Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, Inc. 2013

Copyright

Copyright © 2013 by Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai and Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means —electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of the publisher. Second Printing, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-886439-45-0

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2012923174 Published by

Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, Inc. 2620 Warring Street

Berkeley, California 94704

Printed in the United States of America

A Message on the Publication of the

English Tripiṭaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha's basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed.

Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's eightyfour thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirtynine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project. It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself to initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, this monumental project has finally gotten off the ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world.

NUMATA Yehan

Founder of the English

August 7, 1991 Tripiṭaka Project

v

Editorial Foreword

In January 1982, Dr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of translating the complete Taishō edition of the Chinese Tripiṭaka (Buddhist canon) into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April 1982. By July of the same year, the Translation Committee of the English Tripiṭaka was officially convened. The initial Committee consisted of the following members: (late) HANAYAMA Shōyū (Chairperson), (late) BANDŌ Shōjun, ISHIGAMI Zennō, (late) KAMATA Shigeo, (late) KANAOKA Shūyū, MAYEDA Sengaku, NARA Yasuaki, (late) SAYEKI Shinkō, (late) SHIOIRI Ryōtatsu, TAMARU Noriyoshi, (late) TAMURA Kwansei, URYŪZU Ryūshin, and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi, WATA NABE Shōgo, Rolf Giebel of New Zealand, and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

After holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee selected one hundred thirty-nine texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. The texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China and Japan. While the publication of the First Series proceeds, the texts for the Second Series will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published.

Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete Chinese and Japanese texts, for they consist of thousands of works. Nevertheless, as Dr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away.

Dr. NUMATA passed away on May 5, 1994, at the age of ninety-seven, entrusting his son, Mr. NUMATA Toshihide, with the continuation and completion of the Translation Project. The Committee also lost its able and devoted Chairperson, vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword

Professor HANAYAMA Shōyū, on June 16, 1995, at the age of sixty-three. After these severe blows, the Committee elected me, then Vice President of Musashino Women's College, to be the Chair in October 1995. The Committee has renewed its determination to carry out the noble intention of Dr. NUMATA, under the leadership of Mr. NUMATA Toshihide. The present members of the Committee are MAYEDA Sengaku (Chairperson), ICHISHIMA Shōshin, ISHIGAMI Zennō, KATSURA Shōryū, NAMAI Chishō, NARA Yasuaki, SAITŌAkira, SHIMODA Masahiro, Kenneth K. Tanaka, WATANABE Shōgo, and YONEZAWA Yoshiyasu.

The Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research was established in November 1984, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A., to assist in the publication of the BDK English Tripiṭaka First Series. The Publication Committee was organized at the Numata Center in December 1991. In 2010, the Numata Center's operations were merged into Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, Inc. (BDK America) and BDK America continues to oversee the English Tripiṭaka project in close cooperation with the Editorial Committee in Tokyo. MAYEDA Sengaku

Chairperson

Editorial Committee of

the BDK English Tripiṭaka

viii

Publisher's Foreword

On behalf of the members of the Publication Committee, I am happy to present this volume as the latest contribution to the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. The Publication Committee members have worked to ensure that this volume, as all other volumes in the series, has gone through a rigorous process of editorial efforts. The initial translation and editing of the Buddhist scriptures found in this and other BDK English Tripiṭaka volumes are performed under the direction of the Editorial Committee in Tokyo, Japan. Both the Editorial Committee in Tokyo and the Publication Committee, headquartered in Berkeley, California, are dedicated to the production of accurate and readable English translations of the Buddhist canon. In doing so, the members of both committees and associated staff work to honor the deep faith, spirit, and concern of the late Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata, who founded the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series in order to disseminate the Buddhist teachings throughout the world. The long-term goal of our project is the translation and publication of the texts in the one hundred-volume Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon, along with a number of influential extracanonical Japanese Buddhist texts. The list of texts selected for the First Series of this translation project may be found at the end of each volume in the series.

As Chair of the Publication Committee, I am deeply honored to serve as the fifth person in a post previously held by leading figures in the field of Buddhist studies, most recently by my predecessor, John R. McRae.

In conclusion, I wish to thank the members of the Publication Committee for their dedicated and expert work undertaken in the course of preparing this volume for publication: Senior Editor Marianne Dresser, Dr. Hudaya Kandahjaya, Dr. Carl Bielefeldt, Dr. Robert Sharf, and Rev. Brian Kensho Nagata, President of BDK America.

A. Charles Muller

Chairperson

Publication Committee

ix

ix

Contents

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripiṭaka NUMATA Yehan v

Editorial Foreword MAYEDA Sengaku vii Publisher's Foreword A. Charles Muller ix The Infinite Meanings Sutra Contents 3

Translators' Introduction 5 The Infinite Meanings Sutra 7 Notes 39

The Sutra on All-embracing Goodness Bodhisattva Translators' Introduction 45 The Sutra Exponded by the Buddha on Practice of the Way through Contemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness 49 Notes 79

The Commentary on the Lotus Sutra Contents 85

Translator's Introduction 87 The Commentary on the Lotus Sutra 91 A Guide to the Tiantai Fourfold Teachings Contents 153

Translator's Introduction 155 A Guide to the Tiantai Fourfold Teachings 161 Glossary 211

Bibliography 221

Index 225

A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series) 241 xi

THE INFINITE MEANINGS SUTRA

Contents

The Infinite Meanings Sutra Translators' Introduction 5 Chapter I. Beneficial Works 9 Chapter II. Dharma Discourse 17 Chapter III. Ten Beneficial Effects 27 Notes 39

3

Translators’ Introduction

Translators' Introduction

The original text on which this translation is based is the Wuliangyi jing,which we translate as "Infinite Meanings Sutra" (Jpn. Muryogi kyō; Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyōvol. 9, no. 276, 384a23-389b22). The title has also been translated into English as "Innumerable Meanings Sutra" and "Immeasurable Meanings Sutra.

" Following the title of the first chapter in the source text is the line Xiao qi tian du san chang tan ma mi jia tuo ye she yi:"Translated by Dharmajāta yaśas, a monk from central India, during the reign of Emperor Xiao (479-482) of the Southern Qi dynasty (479-502).

"

Similar to the case of the Sutra Expounded by the Buddha on Practice of the Way through Contemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness (Taishō no. 277, our translation of which also appears in this volume), the only existing historical manuscripts of the Infinite Meanings Sutra are in Chinese. There is no extant evidence of any Sanskrit original of the text other than indications of such as the basis for the Chinese translation. Thus, the provenance of this text in India or China remains a subject of speculation. The Infinite Meanings Sutramay be regarded as an introduction to the Lotus Sutra(Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra). In light of this, it is noteworthy that in English versions of the Lotus Sutra based on Kumārajīva's Chinese translation (Taishō no. 260), in the beginning of the introductory chapter one can find a passage similar to the following:

[The Buddha] then taught the bodhisattvas the Mahayana sutra called Immeasurable Meanings.After having taught this sutra, the Buddha . . . entered the samādhicalled the "abode of immeasurable meanings. "1

Extant Sanskrit manuscripts of the Lotus Sutra,however, give mahā-nir deśa, "great exposition,

" as the name of the sutra, and ābhujyūnanta-nirdeśa-pratiṣṭhāna, "foundation of infinite exposition,

" as the name of the samādhi. Since anantanirdeśa,

"infinite exposition,

" is not found in reference to the name of the sutra that was taught, this gives rise to the speculation that if Kumārajīva translated 5

Translators' Introduction

from manuscripts similar to those that now remain, he must have used the same Chinese translation, wu liang yi,

"infinite (immeasurable/innumerable)

meanings,

" in both instances.

While the Lotus Sutrais never mentioned by name in this text, the Infinite Meanings Sutra,like the Lotus,is a strong proponent of the concept of bodhisattva practice. In his discourse in the sutra, the Buddha emphasizes that leading others to the Way is a prime factor in attaining ultimate enlightenment, and that the teaching of the sutra itself is infinite in its meanings because it relates to the unlimited desires of living beings.

It is also interesting to note the text's attitude of emphasizing its own merit and influence, particularly in Chapter Three, which discusses how the sutra affects those who keep faith with it: how such practitioners, fueled by the power of the sutra, advance and come to maturity from the development of a bodhisattva's requisite qualities to the final dramatic descriptions of the ultimate rewards of a bodhisattva's active compassion. It is our hope that the vibrancy and message of this sutra will become more tangible to readers through this translation. To that end, we encourage readers to "give voice" to the sutra so that as you read it, you may hear it as well.

Note on the Translation

In this translation nearly full accord was maintained with the source Chinese text in the Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyōedition. However, the Taishō text contains annotations indicating where various differences occurred in other Chinese editions of the Infinite Meanings Sutracited in the notes, and, depending upon the context, there were some instances in which we chose to use the alternative character or phrasing in our translation.

Another Chinese version of this text, the Kasuga edition, is widely used in Japan as a basic source text for translation. We also found that there are several textual differences between the Kasuga and Taishō editions. Our choices from the notes in the Taishō source text as mentioned above, noteworthy differences observed in the Kasuga version, and any particular aspects of the translation that we believe merit comment are given in the Notes that follow the text.

6

THE INFINITE MEANINGS SUTRA Translated from the Chinese of Dharmajātayaśas

Chapter 1: Beneficial Works

Chapter I

Beneficial Works

Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Buddha was staying at the city of Rājagṛha, on Mount Vulture Peak, together with an assembly of twelve thousand eminent monks. Eighty thousand great-being (mahāsattva) bodhisattvas were also there, along with heavenly beings (devas), nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, as well as various monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.

Spontaneously gathered around them—each with retinues that were hundreds of thousands of myriads in number—were leaders of empires great and small: rulers of gold-wheel, silver-wheel, and lesser-wheel domains; kings, princes, and officials of state; and citizens who were noblemen, noblewomen, or people of great means. They all made their way to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet in homage, walked around him a hundred thousand times, burned incense and scattered flowers, and paid their respects in various ways. After they had honored the Buddha, they withdrew and sat to one side.

The bodhisattvas known by name were: Mañjuśrī, Prince of the Dharma;2 Wellspring of Great Majestic Virtue,

3 Prince of the Dharma; Wellspring of

Freedom from Anxiety, Prince of the Dharma; Wellspring of Effective Discourse, Prince of the Dharma; Maitreya Bodhisattva; Facilitating Leader Bodhisattva; King of Medicines Bodhisattva (Bhaiṣajyarāja); Incomparable Medicine Bodhisattva (Bhaiṣajyarājasamudgata); Flower Banner Bodhisattva; Flower Radiance Bodhisattva;4 Sovereign Master of Dharma-grasping Empowerments Bodhisattva; Regarder of the Voices of the World Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara); Great Strength Achieved Bodhisattva (Mahā sthāma prāpta); Constant Endeavor Bodhisattva (Nityodyukta/ Sata tasa mitābhiyukta);5 Hands Showing the Seal of the Dharma Bodhisattva; Store of Treasures Bodhi sattva (Ratnākara); Scepter of the Treasures Bodhisattva; Transcender of the Three Realms Bodhisattva (Trailokyavikrāmin); Bearer of the Loom Bodhisattva (Vemabhara);6 Incense Elephant Bodhisattva (Gandhahastin); Great Incense 9

384a23

384b

The Infinite Meanings Sutra

Elephant Bodhisattva; Majestic Roar of the Lion Bodhisattva; Lion Ranging the World Bodhisattva; Heroic Endeavor of the Lion Bodhisattva (Siṃhavikrīḍita); Relentlessness of the Lion Bodhisattva; Power of Courage and Dynamism Bodhisattva; Imposing Intensity of the Lion Bodhisattva; Well Composed Bodhisattva; and Fully Composed Bodhisattva (Mahāvyūha). Such great-being bodhisattvas as these numbered eighty thousand in all. Without exception, all such bodhisattvas as these are great beings that embody the Dharma. They have achieved perfection in behavioral principles, perfection in concentration, perfection in discernment, perfection in emancipation, and perfection in the perspective that pertains to emancipation. Their minds are calm and tranquil, constantly in contemplation, at peace and at ease—having no cravings and creating no causes, and immune to contrary thinking and distraction. Their quiet and pure resolve is boundlessly profound. Having steadfastly maintained this condition over hundreds of thousands of koṭis of kalpas, all of the countless approaches to the Dharma7 are before them here and now. Having gained great wisdom, they fathom all phenomena: their full grasp and discernment of the truth of natures and aspects, of existence and nonexistence, and of length and brevity is manifest and clear. They are able, moreover, to clearly perceive conditioned desires of the senses. By means of Dharma-grasping empowerments (dhāraṇīs), and with unlimited facility of eloquence, they call upon the Buddha to turn a wheel of the Dharma; emulating him, they are able to turn it as well. They first bring it down in tiny drops that dissolve the dirt of delusive passions. They open nirvana's gates and fan winds of emancipation—dispelling the world's fevers and trials with the cool refreshment of the Dharma. Next, raining down the deeply profound twelve-linked chain of dependent origination (pratītya samutpāda), they drench the intense solar fires of assembled sufferings of ignorance, illness, aging, and death. Then, pouring the supreme Great Vehicle to overflowing, they immerse and soak the various roots of goodness that living beings possess, cast seeds of goodness widely over fields of beneficial effects, and inspire all beings everywhere to germinate the sprout of enlightenment. With wisdom accumulated over cycles of the sun and the moon, and with skillful means applied within a moment or over time, they advance and extend the work of the Great Vehicle: to enable living beings to quickly 10

Chapter I

achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment and always abide in the reality that is joyful beyond description. With boundless great compassion, they rescue living beings from suffering.

These are the true companions of good influence for all living beings. These are bountiful spheres of kindness for all living beings. These are the spontaneous teachers of all living beings. These are centers of joyful tranquility, places of deliverance, shelters for protection, and great havens of reliability for all living beings. As such, they serve everywhere as extraordinary guides who are of benefit to all—capable of acting as eyes for those who do not see, as ears for those who do not hear, as a nose for those with no sense of smell, as a tongue for those who do not speak. They are able to make deficient faculties become whole, and to turn contrariness, unbalance, frenzy, and confusion into complete right mindfulness. They are the shipmasters and great captains that ferry living beings across the river of birth and death, landing them on nirvana's shore. They are the greatest physicians and master doctors who distinguish the aspects of illnesses, know well the properties of medicines, offer remedies appropriate to an affliction, and have beings trustingly take them. They are directors and master directors who never lose control—like tamers of elephants or horses who are capable of training without fail. They are like valiant lions whose unconquerable majesty invites respect from all other beasts. Comfortably progressing in all bodhisattva practices of perfection, steadfast and immovable in the tathāgata realm, serenely abiding in the strength of their resolve, and refining buddha lands far and wide, they will realize and achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment before long. All such great-being bodhisattvas possess this kind of wondrous power to do beneficial works.

The monks known by name were Greatly Wise Śāriputra; Transcendent Maud galyāyana; Lifelong Sage Subhūti; Mahākātyāyana; Pūrṇa, Son of Maitrā yaṇī; and Ājñātakauṇḍinya. Others like them were Supremely Perceptive Aniruddha; Upāli, Upholder of Behavioral Principles; Ānanda, the Attendant; Rāhula, Son of the Buddha; Upananda; Revata; Kapphiṇa; Vakkula; Acyuta; Svāgata; Mahākāśyapa, He of Constant Practice; Uruvilvā kāśyapa; Gayākāśyapa; and Nadīkāśyapa. Such monks as these were twelve thousand in number; all of them were arhats, had ended the outflow of all desires, were unhindered by attachments, and had gained true emancipation. 384c

11

385a

The Infinite Meanings Sutra

There came a certain moment when the great-being bodhisattva Fully Composed—having recognized that all at the gathering had seated themselves with a settled mind—arose from where he sat, as did the eighty thousand great-being bodhisattvas within the assembly. They made their way to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet in homage, walked around him a hundred thousand times, and burned incense and scattered flowers. 8

Heavenly flowers, heavenly incense and garments, garlands of celestial jewels, and priceless celestial treasures accumulated like clouds in the four directions and spiraled down from the sky as offerings to the Buddha. Celestial bowls and containers were filled to overflowing with hundreds of heavenly delicacies that were spontaneously fully satisfying by appearance and aroma. Celestial flags, celestial banners and canopies, and marvelous celestial amusements were arranged everywhere, and heavenly music was played for the Buddha's enjoyment. Thereupon they went before the Buddha, knelt formally on one knee, placed their palms together, and, with one mind and one voice, spoke words of praise in verse:

Great One! Most Venerable Fully Awakened Master! You are without stain, contamination, or attachment! Nurturer of human and heavenly beings! Tamer of elephants and horses!

You infuse the fragrance of virtue into all things by means of the winds of the Way!

You are serene in wisdom, calm in emotion, composed in deep reflection,

And—volition extinguished, discriminations set aside—likewise tranquil in mind.

You have forever cast away delusive ideas, reflections, and thoughts— No more to become entangled in all the facets of existence. What you embody is not existing, and yet not nonexistent; Is neither direct nor indirect cause; has no sense of self or other; Is neither square nor round; is not brief or long; Neither appears nor disappears; is without origination or cessation; Is neither created nor self-arisen, nor is it produced; Neither sits nor lies down; does not walk or stand; Neither moves nor turns; is not static or idle; 12

Chapter I

Neither advances nor retreats; is not imperiled or secure; Neither is, nor is not; has no gain or loss; Is neither here nor there; does not come or go; Is neither blue nor yellow; is not red or white; Is not crimson, is not purple or multicolored; Comes forth from the perfection of behavioral principles, concentration, discernment, emancipation, and perspective that pertains to emancipation;

Rises from three kinds of transcendent knowledge, the six transcendent powers, and the avenues to enlightenment;9 Emanates from kindness, compassion, ten capabilities, and dauntlessness;

And emerges according to the good karmic actions of living beings. Your manifestation is nearly sixteen feet tall, aglow in purple-gold, Well proportioned, greatly radiant, and lustrous. The tuft between your eyebrows curves like the crescent moon; the nape of your neck glows like the sun. Your hair is dark blue and curly; there is a wen on the top of your head.

Pure eyes shine brightly as they blink up and down. Eyebrows and eyelashes are deep blue and long; mouth and cheeks have fine definition:

Your lips and tongue are beautifully red, like vermilion fruits; White teeth, forty in number, are like snowy agates. Your forehead is wide, your nose is full, and you have a welcoming face.

Your chest is like that of a lion, and it is marked with the sign of virtue.

Hands and feet are flexible and have the mark of one thousand spokes. Your armpits and palms are rounded; nothing escapes your grasp. Your arms are long from shoulder to elbow to wrist; fingers are slender and straight.

Your skin is soft and delicate, and the hair on it curls to the right. Ankles and knees are not prominent; genitals, in equine manner, are concealed.

13

The Infinite Meanings Sutra

385b

You have slender muscles and ligaments, and your calves are curved like a deer's.

10

Unblemished purity reflects on the outside and pervades within: You are pure water, never muddied or stained. There are thirty-two aspects like these,

And eighty special features can similarly be seen. But, in truth, you are without a form that has or does not have aspects.

All aspects of all things are beyond the scope of the eye. The characteristic of your aspect-embodiment is that of having no aspects;

The characteristic of the aspect-bodies of all living beings is the same. You are able to inspire living beings to joyfully pay homage, To deeply, sincerely, and devotedly show respect, And, by such cause, to cast off arrogance and pride of self And achieve a consummate embodiment such as this. We, the assembled eighty thousand,

Collectively bow in homage to, and together take refuge in, The Great Sage who is without attachment, the tamer of elephants and horses

Who has superseded emotion, conception, mind, volition, and discrimination;

We bow to and confide in the Dharma embodied— The synthesis of perfection in behavioral principles, concentration, discernment, emancipation, and perspective that pertains to emancipation;

And we bow to and take refuge in the wonderfully symbolic robe. We bow to, and take refuge in, that which is hard to give form to in thought or in word!

Your Brahma voice—that rolls like thunder, that has eight virtues, That is pure, deeply resonant, sublime, and far-reaching— Conveys the Four Noble Truths, the perfection of the six spiritual attitudes,

11 and the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination To living beings according to their mindsets and their karmic actions. The minds and hearts of those who hear you will invariably open; 14

Chapter I

They will not fail to sever themselves from the cycle of countless births and deaths (samsara).

Those who hear you will variously attain the fruit of entering the stream (srota-āpanna),

The fruit of one remaining return (sakṛdāgāmin), the fruit of non-returning (anāgāmin), the fruit of arhatship; Or freedom from delusion and desire, and transcendence of cause and condition, in the status of a pratyekabuddha; Or the bodhisattva stage in which phenomena are grasped as being without origination or cessation.

Or they will obtain countless Dharma-grasping empowerments; Or the ability to expound pleasingly with unrestrained great eloquence—

To orate in verses profound and sublime

While bathing and reveling in the pure pond of Dharma. Or they will manifest wondrous abilities to reach any place, to leap and to soar,

And to move at will into and out of water and fire. Such are the signs of a wheel of the Dharma; Thus is it pure and limitless, and hard to give form to in thought or in word.

Together, all of us will bow again

And take refuge in a Dharma wheel whenever it is turned. We will bow again and take refuge in the sound of your Brahma voice. We will bow again and take refuge in the Four Noble Truths, the perfection of the spiritual attitudes, and dependent origination. World-honored One! Ever since innumerable kalpas ago, You have cultivated and practiced all beneficial works devotedly For our sake—human beings, heavenly beings, nāgakings— Extending universally to all manner of living beings. You were able to give up everything that is difficult to forgo— Your wife, your child, all of your wealth, and your palaces and lands. As selfless with regard to inner matters as you are with material things, You give your mind, your perceptions, and the essence of your being completely for the sake of all people. 15

Chapter 2: Dharma Discourse

The Infinite Meanings Sutra

You will reverently uphold the principles of pure behavior of all buddhas

With unbroken resolve until the end of your life. Should someone bearing sword or staff come to do you harm, Or to disparage or denounce you, you will be without anger to the end.

Through kalpaafter kalpaof all-out endeavor, your intensity has never waned.

Night and day you govern your mind, keeping it constantly focused. You have completely mastered all ways to grasp the Dharma, And your insight penetrates deeply into the core of living beings: Thus, you have come to achieve unhindered capabilities. In total command of the Dharma, you are as its king. Together we all bow to and take refuge in the one So steadfast in purpose toward all that is difficult to overcome. 16

Chapter II

Dharma Discourse

Having recited these verses in praise of the Buddha, the great-being bodhisattva Fully Composed and the eighty thousand great-being bodhisattvas then addressed the Buddha as one, saying:

World-honored One! We, the assembled eighty thousand bodhisattvas, now wish to put forth a question concerning the teachings of the Tathāgata. We wonder if the World-honored One would be kind enough to hear us.

The Buddha addressed the bodhisattva Fully Composed and the eighty thousand bodhisattvas, saying:

Well done, you of good intent! Well done! You have correctly read this moment. Ask freely whatever you wish! The Tathāgata will be in the state of parinirvāṇabefore long, and all should be made to have no remaining doubts after that. I am ready to respond to any question you wish to ask.

With that, the bodhisattva Fully Composed and the eighty thousand bodhisattvas then addressed the Buddha with one voice, saying: World-honored One! What approaches to Dharma should great-being bodhisattvas practice if they wish to realize—and quickly achieve— the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment? What approaches to Dharma can enable great-being bodhisattvas to achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment quickly? In answer to the bodhisattva Fully Composed and the eighty thousand bodhisattvas, the Buddha said:

O you of good intent! There is one approach to Dharma that can let a bodhisattva quickly realize the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment. 17

385c

The Infinite Meanings Sutra

If any bodhisattva masters this approach to the Dharma, he or she will then be able to realize the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment quickly.

"World-honored One! What is this Dharma approach called? What is its essence? How does a bodhisattva practice it?" The Buddha replied:

O you of good intent! This particular Dharma approach is known as Infinite Meanings. A bodhisattva who wishes to achieve mastery in the practice of Infinite Meanings must perceive and observe that, in and of themselves, all phenomena intrinsically have been, successively will be, and currently are tranquil and empty in nature and aspect, without greatness or smallness, without origination or cessation, neither fixed nor moving, non-advancing and non-retreating. Like the emptiness of space, they are without duality. Living beings, however, thoughtlessly and falsely make polar assessments: "It is this, " "It is that"; "It is gain,

"

"It is loss.

" Unwholesome thoughts arise in them, producing harmful karmic causes. They cycle and recycle in the six realms of existence, piling up harmful passions and sufferings, and for hundreds of millions of myriads of kalpas they cannot break themselves free. Clearly perceiving this, the great-being bodhisattva must bring forth a mind of mercy and give rise to great compassion—particularly wishing to relieve living beings of suffering.

He or she must then more completely fathom all phenomena: aspects of phenomena being as such, as such will phenomena come forth; aspects of phenomena being as such, as such will phenomena settle; aspects of phenomena being as such, as such will phenomena change; aspects of phenomena being as such, as such will phenomena become void.

Aspects of phenomena being as such, an unwholesome phenomenon is able to come forth. Aspects of phenomena being as such, a wholesome phenomenon is able to come forth. So it is also with regard to settling, changing, and becoming void.

After perceiving, observing, and fully understanding everything about these four modes from beginning to end, the bodhisattva must 18

Chapter II

next perceive and observe that all phenomena are impermanent—coming forth and becoming void over and over again from moment to moment, and further grasp that their coming forth, settling, changing, and becoming void are instantaneously occurring. Having perceived and comprehended this, the bodhisattva will then have insight into the various conditioned desires of the senses of living beings. Seeing that conditioned desires are innumerable, the bodhisattva expounds the teachings in infinite ways. Because there are infinite ways of exposition, there are infinite meanings as well. The infinite meanings stem from a single dharma.That one dharma,namely, is formlessness. Itself not a form and having no forms, itself not an aspect and having no aspects, this formlessness, as such, is called the reality of all things. When the great-being bodhisattva has become serenely composed in this true reality of all things, loving-kindness that is clearly real and unfeigned will arise; in any circumstance in which living beings may be found, he or she will be truly capable of taking their suffering away. After removing their suffering, the bodhisattva again expounds the teachings for them, causing all living beings to know happiness and joy. O you of good intent! If a bodhisattva is able to practice this particular Dharma approach of Infinite Meanings in this way, he or she will surely realize—and quickly achieve—the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment.

O you of good intent! This is the deeply profound, incomparable, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra!12 Its content and principles are true and correct, and its value is supreme and unsurpassed! It is embraced by the buddhas of the past, present, and future together! It is impervious to the influence of disruptive forces and the influence of differing views, and is neither corrupted nor destroyed by any deluded perception or the cycle of births and deaths! Therefore, you of good intent, if a great-being bodhisattva wishes to achieve ultimate enlightenment quickly, he or she must achieve mastery in the practice of this deeply profound, supreme, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra!" At that time the bodhisattva Fully Composed again addressed the Buddha, saying:

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World-honored One! A Dharma discourse by the World-honored One is beyond thought and word; the fundamental nature of living beings is also beyond thought and word; and emancipation by a Dharma approach is likewise beyond thought and word! We have no doubts concerning the teachings the Buddha has expounded, but because the minds of living beings give rise to uncertainty, we put forth a question once more.

World-honored One! For more than forty years, ever since achieving enlightenment, the Tathāgata, for the benefit of living beings, has continuously discoursed on the principle of the four modes of all phenomena, the meaning of suffering, and the meaning of emptiness; on everchangingness, nonexistence of self, non-greatness, non-smallness, non-origination, and non-cessation; on the formlessness of all things; and on the natures and aspects of phenomena being intrinsically empty and tranquil—neither coming nor going, neither appearing nor disappearing. Those who hear you variously realize the stage of an ardent mind, the stage of attaining the highest still-unsettled condition, the stage of attaining irreversible good roots,

13 the stage of ultimate worldly perception; or the fruit of entering the stream, the fruit of one remaining return, the fruit of non-returning, the fruit of arhatship; or the way of pratyekabuddha;or the awakening of the aspiration for enlightenment (bodhicitta) and ascent to the first stage, the second stage, the third stage, or all the way to the tenth stage of development in bodhisattva practice.

In what way does the essence of what you have just now expounded differ from that of all the doctrines you have expounded in the past, such that you say that a bodhisattva who practices the deeply profound, supreme, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutrawill surely realize—and quickly achieve—ultimate enlightenment? This is the matter in question. I earnestly wish that the World-honored One, out of compassion for all, would explain this in detail for the benefit of living beings far and wide, and ensure that those who hear this teaching in the present and in the future are not left enmeshed in doubt.

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With that, the Buddha said to the bodhisattva Fully Composed: Well done, you of great good intent! Well done! You have skillfully questioned the Tathāgata regarding this profound, unequaled, all-ferrying, transcendental essence. You should know that you will enable many to benefit, you will please and bring ease to human and heavenly beings, and you will relieve living beings of their suffering. This is great and real compassion—trust wholly and completely that this is true. By this direct cause and its outgrowths, you will surely realize and quickly achieve ultimate enlightenment; you will also enable all living beings, now and in the future, to realize and achieve ultimate enlightenment.

O you of good intent! By virtue of sitting upright and properly for six years at the place of the Way beneath the bodhitree, I realized and achieved the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment. With the insight of a buddha I perceived that not everything should be explained. What is the reason for this? It is that the conditioned desires of all living beings are not the same. Since conditioned desires differ, ways of expounding the Dharma are many and various. For more than forty years I have expounded the Dharma in all manner of ways through adeptness in skillful means, but the core truth has still not been revealed. That is why living beings differ regarding realization of the Way, and do not realize and quickly achieve ultimate enlightenment. O you of good intent! The Dharma is like water that can wash away dirt and grime. Whether coming from a well or a pond, a stream or a river, a valley or a ditch, or an ocean, the water contained in all of these can effectively wash all kinds of dirt and grime away. So it is also with the water of the Dharma: it can cleanse living beings of the dirt of all delusive worldly passions. O you of good intent! The character of the water is the same even though streams, rivers, wells, ponds, valleys, ditches, and oceans are each different and distinct. So it is also with the character of the Dharma: it removes and washes away the dirt of delusive passions equally and without discrimination; the three teachings,

14 the four fruits, and the two ways, however, are not one and the same.

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O you of good intent! Although the water from all of these places is cleansing, a well is not a pond, a pond is neither a stream nor a river, and valleys and ditches are not oceans. The Tathāgata—Hero of the World, in total command of the Dharma—has expounded various teachings that are also like this. The initial-period discourses, the middle-period discourses, and the latter-period discourses are all able to remove and wash away delusive worldly passions of living beings. But the initial-period discourses are not the middle ones, and the middle-period discourses are not the latter ones. The initial-, middle-, and latter-period discourses express the same thing, yet they differ from each other in meaning.

O you of good intent! Arising from beneath the bodhitree, I went to Deer Park in Vārāṇasī. When I turned the Dharma wheel of the Four Noble Truths for the five renunciants including Ājñātakauṇḍinya, I was also saying that all phenomena intrinsically are empty and tranquil, successively occurring but not remaining, coming forth and becoming void moment to moment. When I proclaimed, narrated, and lectured on the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination or the perfection of the six spiritual attitudes for the monks or for the assemblies of bodhisattvas, respectively, here and at other places during the middle period, I was also saying that all phenomena are intrinsically empty and tranquil, successively occurring but not remaining, coming forth and becoming void from moment to moment. Now, again at this place, discoursing on the all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra, I am also saying that all phenomena are intrinsically empty and tranquil, successively occurring but not remaining, coming forth and becoming void moment to moment. O you of good intent! This is why the initial-period discourses, the middle-period discourses, and the current discourse express the same thing even though they differ in meaning. Because meanings differ, living beings understand differently. Because their understanding differs, so does their grasp of the Dharma, their attainment of its fruits, and their realization of the Way.

O you of good intent! I expounded the Four Noble Truths for the benefit of those seeking to become śrāvakas during the initial period; yet, eight hundred million heavenly beings came down to hear the 22

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teaching and awakened the aspiration for enlightenment. I spoke about the sublimely profound twelve-linked chain of dependent origination at various locations during the middle period for the benefit of people seeking to become pratyekabuddhas; nevertheless, innumerable living beings awakened the aspiration for enlightenment or remained as śrāvakas. I next described kalpas-long bodhisattva practice by expounding twelve types of comprehensive sutras, the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra(Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra), and the similes of clouds and oceans in the Flower Garland Sutra(Avataṃsaka-sūtra); even so, a hundred thousand monks, hundreds of millions of myriads of human and heavenly beings, and innumerable living beings15 attained the fruit of entering the stream, attained the fruit of one remaining return, attained the fruit of non-returning, attained the fruit of arhatship, or stayed within their understanding of the principle of dependent origination as pratyekabuddhas. O you of good intent! Accordingly, it should be known that even though the discourse is the same, its meaning will vary. Because the meaning varies, living beings have various understandings. Because their understanding varies, so also does their grasp of the Dharma, their attainment of its fruits, and their realization of the Way. And so, you of good intent, starting from when I established the Way and first began to expound the Dharma, until this moment in which I am discoursing on the all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra, there has never been a time when I have not expounded suffering, emptiness, everchangingness, nonexistence of self, non-reality, non-unreality, nongreatness, non-smallness, intrinsic non-origination, 16 continuing noncessation, the formlessness of all things, that aspects and natures of phenomena neither come nor go, and that the four modes are the dynamic of living beings.

O you of good intent! What all this means is that the buddhas have but one message: they are able to conform universally to all voices by means of a single sound. From a single body they are able to manifest embodiments as countless and immeasurable as millions upon millions of myriads of Ganges Rivers' sands; then, in each embodiment, manifest various shapes as countless as millions upon millions of myriads of Ganges Rivers' sands; then, in each shape, display appearances as 23

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countless as some millions upon millions of myriads of Ganges Rivers' sands. O you of good intent! This, in fact, is the profound and unimaginable realm of all of the buddhas! It is neither knowable by those of the two vehicles nor reachable by bodhisattvas in the tenth development stage! Only a buddha together with a buddha can fathom it completely! O you of good intent! Thus do I expound the transcendent, profound, incomparable, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra! Its content and principles are true and correct, and its value is supreme and unsurpassed. It is embraced by the buddhas of the past, present, and future together. It is impervious to the influence of disruptive forces and the influence of differing views, and is neither corrupted nor destroyed by any deluded perception or the cycle of births and deaths. If great-being bodhisattvas wish to achieve ultimate enlightenment quickly, they should achieve mastery in the practice of this deeply profound, unsurpassed, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra. The Buddha having thus spoken, this universe of a thousand-million Sumeru worlds trembled and shook in six ways, and several varieties of heavenly blossoms—blue, crimson, yellow, and white lotus flowers—rained spontaneously from the sky. Also, a rain of many and various kinds of heavenly incense and garments, garlands of celestial jewels, and priceless celestial treasures came spiraling down from the skies above as offerings to the Buddha, the bodhisattvas, the śrāvakas, and the great multitude. Celestial bowls and containers were filled to overflowing with hundreds of heavenly delicacies. Celestial flags, celestial banners and canopies, and marvelous celestial amusements were arranged everywhere, and heavenly music and songs were played and sung in praise of the Buddha. Also, buddha worlds in the eastern direction, as numerous as the Ganges River's sands, likewise trembled and shook in six ways. Heavenly flowers, heavenly incense and garments, garlands of celestial jewels, priceless celestial treasures, celestial bowls and containers with hundreds of heavenly delicacies, celestial flags, celestial banners and canopies, and marvelous celestial amusements also rained down. Heavenly music and songs were played and sung in praise of those buddhas as well as those bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and great assemblies. In the southern, western, and northern directions, in the four intermediate directions, and in the upper and lower regions it was like this as well.

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Within the gathering, thirty-two thousand great-being bodhisattvas attained the specialized focus of mind of infinite meanings, and thirty-four thousand great-being bodhisattvas gained access to countless and innumerable Dharma-grasping empowerments and became capable of turning all nonretrogressing Dharma wheels of the buddhas of the past, present, and future. The monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, the heavenly beings, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, and the leaders of empires great and small—rulers of silver-wheel, iron-wheel, and lesser-wheel domains, kings, princes, officials of state, and citizens who were noblemen, noblewomen, or people of great means—with hundreds of thousands of their numerous followers assembled together there, upon hearing the Buddha Tathāgata expound this sutra, variously realized the stage of an ardent mind, the stage of attaining the highest still-unsettled condition, the stage of attaining irreversible good roots,

17 the stage of ultimate worldly perception, the fruit of entering the stream, the fruit of one remaining return, the fruit of nonreturning, the fruit of arhatship, or the fruit of pratyekabuddha.Or they achieved the bodhisattva stage in which phenomena are grasped as being without origination or cessation. Or they obtained one Dharma-grasping empowerment, or obtained two Dharma-grasping empowerments, or obtained three Dharma-grasping empowerments, or obtained four Dharma-grasping empowerments, or five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten Dharma-grasping empowerments, or obtained hundreds of millions of myriads of Dharmagrasping empowerments, or obtained innumerable Dharma-grasping empowerments—as countless and immeasurable as the Ganges River's sands; all, accordingly, became capable of turning a nonretrogressing Dharma wheel. Innumerable living beings awakened the aspiration for the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment.

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Chapter 3: Ten Beneficial Effects

Chapter III

Ten Beneficial Effects

The great-being bodhisattva Fully Composed then addressed the Buddha once again, saying:

World-honored One! The World-honored One has declared that this transcendent, profound, incomparable, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra's truth is surpassingly deep, and its depth is surpassingly profound! Why is this so? Upon hearing this profound, peerless, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra,those in this gathering—all the great-being bodhisattvas, and all of the four kinds of followers, heavenly beings, nāgas and other guardian spirits, rulers and citizens, and various living beings as well—unfailingly gain access to Dharma-grasping empowerments, or realize the three teachings, or attain the four fruits or the aspiration for enlightenment.

It should be known that the content and principles of this sutra18 are true and correct, that its value is supreme and unsurpassed, and that it is embraced by the buddhas of the past, present, and future. It is impervious to the influence of disruptive forces and the influence of differing views, and is neither corrupted nor destroyed by any deluded perception or the cycle of births and deaths. Why is this so? Because upon hearing it one can intuit all dharmas.

If there are living beings who can hear this sutra, they will reap great benefit. Why is this so? If they are capable of practicing it, they will surely realize and quickly achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment. As for those living beings who cannot hear it, it should be known that they are ones who miss out on great benefit: even after the passing of innumerable, unimaginable, infinite myriads of kalpas, they still will not realize and achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment. What is the reason for this? It is because, not knowing the great direct route to enlightenment, they travel an uphill path full of hardships that detain them.

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The Infinite Meanings Sutra

World-honored One! This sutra is beyond thought and word! I earnestly wish that the World-honored One, out of compassion and sympathy for the great assembly, would explain the profound and wondrous matters of this sutra in detail. World-honored One! What is this sutra's origin, what is its extent, and where does it abide to accordingly possess such immeasurable, inconceivably powerful beneficial effect that it enables all to quickly achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment? The World-honored One then addressed the great-being bodhisattva Fully Composed, saying:

Well done, you of good intent! Well done! It is just like this; it is just as you have said. O you of good intent! I have declared that this sutra is surpassingly profound in depth, and surpassingly deep in truth. Why is this so? Because it enables all to quickly achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment, because upon hearing it one can intuit all dharmas, and because it greatly benefits all living beings—because of it they will travel the great direct route with no hardships to detain them. O you of good intent! You ask,

"What is this sutra's origin, what

is its extent, and where does it abide?" You must hear clearly and well! O you of good intent! This sutra originally comes from within the place where buddhas dwell;19 it encompasses all living beings that have awakened the aspiration for enlightenment; and it abides in any place where bodhisattvas practice. O you of good intent! This sutra has such an origin, such an extent, and such a place where it abides. That is why this sutra can possess such immeasurable, inconceivably powerful beneficial effect and enable all to quickly achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment.

O you of good intent! Would you like, furthermore, to hear of ten inconceivable powers for beneficial effect that this sutra also possesses, or would you not?

The bodhisattva Fully Composed replied: "We gladly would like to hear!"

The Buddha said:

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O you of good intent! First, this sutra can enable a bodhisattva—whose mind has not yet produced it—to generate the aspiration for enlightenment; can awaken a mind of compassion in one who lacks kindness and sympathy; can awaken in one who is fond of killing a mind of expansive mercy; can awaken in one in whom envy arises a mind of sympathetic joy; can awaken in one who is in bondage to desires a mind that can rise above them; can awaken in a selfish one a mind of consideration for others; can awaken in the mind of an arrogant one the attitude of proper behavior; can awaken in one who is quick to anger a mind that is given to forbearance; can awaken in one who becomes lazy in discipline a mind of appropriate endeavor; can awaken in one who has unceasing thoughts a mind directed toward tranquility; can awaken an insightful mind in one who is deluded and confused; can awaken in one who is not yet able to ferry others a mind to convey them to freedom; can awaken in one who commits the ten harmful acts a mind of the ten virtues; can inspire in the mind of one drawn to conditioned phenomena the intent to transcend cause and condition; can create in one who tends to withdraw from commitment a mind that is resolute; can awaken in one whose conduct is unrestrained a mind to exert self-control; and can awaken in one who has delusive worldly passions a mind to purge and be rid of them. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the first beneficial effect of this sutra.

O you of good intent! Second, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: If there are living beings who obtain this sutra20

—whether a section of it, whether a verse of it, or whether a phrase—and thus become able to perceive millions upon millions of meanings, even though uncountable numbers of kalpas may pass they will not be able to elucidate the teaching they have acquired and kept. Why is this so? It is because the meanings of this teaching are unlimited. O you of good intent! This sutra can be likened to a single seed from which a thousand million seeds result. And each of these seeds, in turn, also results in a thousand million in number. In this way, the production of seeds is limitless in measure. So it is also with this sutra—it is a single teaching that gives rise to a hundred thousand meanings, and each one 29

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of these, in turn, produces a thousand million in number. In this way, meanings are produced to an unlimited and boundless extent. Thus is this sutra named Infinite Meanings.O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the second beneficial effect of this sutra. O you of good intent! Third, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: If there are living beings who can hear this sutra— whether a section of it, whether a verse of it, or whether a phrase—they will gain awareness of hundreds of millions of myriads of meanings. Then, even though they have delusive worldly passions, it will be as if their delusive passions do not exist. They will not feel that taking birth or experiencing death are things that need to be feared; they will give rise to a mind of compassion for all living beings; and they will come to have a dauntless attitude with regard to all things. A person with great strength can bear and carry all manner of heavy things. So it is also with people who keep faith with this sutra: they can shoulder the great responsibilities21 of ultimate enlightenment, and they can carry living beings away from the path of recurring births and deaths. They are capable of ferrying others even though they still cannot ferry themselves.

Suppose a ship's captain is rendered immobile by a serious affliction and must therefore remain on shore. But he has a fine, reliable vessel that is always equipped with everything needed to ferry others, which he makes available and on which they embark. So it is also with those who keep faith with this sutra: while enduring the circumstances of living in the five conditions of existence—the whole of their being constantly beset by one hundred and eight serious afflictions, one after another— they remain on this shore of ignorance, aging, and death. But they have this fine, reliable, all-ferrying sutra, equipped with infinite meanings, that is able to rescue living beings: those who practice it22 as expounded will attain deliverance from the cycle of births and deaths. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the third beneficial effect of this sutra.

O you of good intent! Fourth, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: If there are living beings who can hear this sutra— whether a section of it, whether a verse of it, or whether a phrase—they 30

Chapter III

will gain a dauntless attitude, they will become capable of ferrying others even though they do not yet ferry themselves, and they will gain the company of bodhisattvas. The buddha tathāgatas will always attend to such people and will expound the teachings to them. After hearing them, these people will be fully able to accept them, uphold them, and follow them without opposition; they will also, in turn, expound them appropriately to others far and wide. O you of good intent! Such people can be likened to the newborn prince of a king and queen. One day becomes two days, and then seven; one month becomes two months, and then seven; he becomes one year old, and then two, and then seven. Even though he cannot yet govern or administer the affairs of state, he is revered and respected by the people and enjoys the companionship of all great princes. The king and queen constantly give him earnest counsel and shower their affection upon him. Why is this so? It is because he is of tender age and has not yet matured. O you of good intent! So it is also with one who keeps faith with this sutra. The convergence of the buddhas and this sutra—the union of "king" and "queen"

—gives birth to this bodhisattva-child. If this bodhisattva can hear this sutra—whether a phrase of it or whether a verse, whether one, two, ten, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand times, or, like myriad multiples of all the sands of the Ganges River, an infinite number of times—even though he or she will not yet be able to embody its principles and truths to the fullest extent, or be able to make lands in the universe of a thousand-million Sumeru worlds tremble and shake from the rolling thunder of a Brahma voice that turns a great wheel of the Dharma, he or she will have gained the respect and admiration of all of the four kinds of followers and eight kinds of ever-present guardian spirits, will gain the company of great bodhisattvas, and will see deeply into doctrines preserved by the buddhas and be able to speak on them without fault or lack. Because this bodhisattva is just beginning to learn, he or she will always be kept in mind by the buddhas and will be wrapped in their affection. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the fourth beneficial effect of this sutra. O you of good intent! Fifth, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: Whether during or after the lifetime of a buddha, 31

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if there are men and women of good intent who accept, keep faith with, internalize, recite, and make records of this profound, peerless, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra, even though such people may be caught up in delusive worldly passions and are not yet able to rise above common daily affairs, they will nevertheless be able to manifest a great dynamic of enlightenment23

—lengthening one day into one hundred

kalpas, and abbreviating one hundred kalpas into one day—thereby inspiring other living beings to become joyful and trusting. O you of good intent! These men and women of good intent will be just like a nāga's child that, at the age of only seven days, is able to gather up the clouds and produce rain. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the fifth beneficial effect of this sutra. O you of good intent! Sixth, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: Whether during or after the lifetime of a buddha, if men and women of good intent accept, keep faith with, and internalize and recite this sutra, although they themselves may have delusive worldly passions they nevertheless will expound the teachings for living beings, enabling them to overcome delusive worldly passions and the cycle of births and deaths and put an end to all suffering. Living beings that practice after hearing them will grasp the Dharma, attain its fruits, and realize the Way no differently than if they were with the buddha tathāgatas.

Suppose there is a youthful and inexperienced prince. When the king, while traveling or due to ill health, entrusts this prince to manage the affairs of state, the prince, following the great king's instructions, then leads the government officials and the various ministries, governing justly and properly according to the laws of the land. And all of the country's citizens are at ease, following along in a manner no different than if it were the rule of the king.

So it is also with the women and men of good intent who keep faith with this sutra, whether during or after the lifetime of a buddha. Even though unable to initially become steadfast in the stage of equanimity, these men and women of good intent, following the discourses given by the Buddha, expound the teachings and spread them far and wide. Living beings that practice wholeheartedly after hearing them 32

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will cast delusive worldly passions away, grasp the Dharma, attain its fruits, and realize the Way. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the sixth beneficial effect of this sutra. O you of good intent! Seventh, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: During or after the lifetime of a buddha, if men and women of good intent can hear this sutra and joyfully and willingly embrace and trust in it, realize its rarity in their minds, accept and keep faith with it, internalize and recite it, make records of and speak of it, practice the way of its teaching, awaken the aspiration for enlightenment, put forth many roots of goodness, promote great compassion, and aspire to ferry all suffering living beings, then, even though they do not practice to perfect the six spiritual attitudes, perfection in the six spiritual attitudes will naturally come to them. Just as they are, they will come to the understanding that phenomena are without origination or cessation; they will instantly cast away and destroy delusive worldly passions and the cycle of births and deaths; and they will immediately rise to the seventh stage of development, joining the level of great bodhisattvas.

Imagine that a powerful person settles a grudge on behalf of a king. After all hostility has been extinguished, the king is greatly pleased, and, as a reward, grants to that person full rights to all things in half of his realm. So it is also with the women and men of good intent who keep faith with this sutra. Being the strongest and most valiant of those who do practices, attainment of the Dharma treasure of the perfection of the six spiritual attitudes spontaneously comes to them without their pursuit of it, they naturally rout and remove the foes that are birth and death, and they come to the realization that phenomena are without origination or cessation. The treasure of half of a buddha realm with which they are rewarded is tranquility and joy. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the seventh beneficial effect of this sutra.

O you of good intent! Eighth, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: Among men and women of good intent—either during or after the lifetime of a buddha—if there are those who are able to obtain this sutra and revere it, trust it, and look upon it as being 33

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nothing less than the actual person of a buddha, such people will come to love and take joy in this sutra, accept and keep faith with it, internalize it, recite it, make records of it, and respectfully embrace it. Following and practicing the way of its teaching, they will strengthen their spiritual attitudes regarding the behavioral principles and forbearance while also perfecting their practice of having consideration for others. Compassion will awaken from deep within them through this unmatched all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra,and they will expound it widely for people's benefit. If someone has long since completely disbelieved that there are things like impurities and virtues, their presentation of this sutra—employing various skillful means—will have the powerful effect of inspiring such a person to belief. Through the influence of the sutra they will awaken that person's mind, and he or she will spontaneously experience a change of heart. With the now-awakened trusting mind, that person, through dauntless effort, can acquire this sutra's dynamic power for great beneficial effect, and he or she will be able to realize the Way and attain its fruits.

By this means, men and women of good intent—just as they are— will come to the understanding that phenomena are without origination or cessation, achieve the highest stage of development, and become part of the company of bodhisattvas. They will quickly become able to bring living beings to accomplishment and refine buddha lands, and it will not take a long time for them to realize and achieve ultimate enlightenment. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the eighth beneficial effect of this sutra. O you of good intent! Ninth, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: If men and women of good intent, upon obtaining this sutra—either during or after the lifetime of a buddha—dance with joy and delight at gaining something marvelous, accept and keep faith with it, internalize and recite it, make records of and honor it, and widely explain to people in great detail what this sutra means, they will immediately and instantly achieve the destruction and elimination of the heavy hindrances from karmic causes and other impurities that remain from the past. They will opportunely achieve purity, come to attain great eloquence, perfectly compose themselves in the spiritual 34

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attitudes one by one, and attain various kinds of specialized focus of mind, including that of courageous advancement (śūraṅgama-samādhi). They will gain access to great Dharma-grasping empowerments, obtain the power of diligent endeavor, and swiftly pass to the uppermost stage of development. They will be well capable of widely making their presence felt in all the lands of the ten directions. Rescuing greatly suffering living beings throughout the twenty-five states of existence, they will lead them all to emancipation. This is all because this sutra contains power of this kind. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the ninth beneficial effect of this sutra. O you of good intent! Tenth, this sutra's unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: Whether during or after the lifetime of a buddha, if men and women of good intent who obtain this sutra give rise to great joy, realize its rarity in their minds, accept and keep faith with it, internalize and recite it, make records of it, honor it, and practice it as expounded for their own sake, and are similarly able to widely inspire both laypeople and renunciants to accept and keep faith with it, internalize and recite it, make records of and honor it, expound it, and practice the way of its teaching, then, through the energies gained from having led other people to practice this sutra, they will realize the Way and attain its fruits.

Fully by reason of the dynamic transformative power of their compassionate minds, these men and women of good intent—just as they are—will opportunely come to gain access to innumerable Dharmagrasping empowerments. Still in the stages of having delusive worldly passions, they will for the first time be able to spontaneously produce countless and unlimited great vows and magnificent aspirations. They will generate a bottomless capacity to help all living beings, manifest great loving-kindness, skillfully and extensively relieve suffering, and amass acts of goodness for the benefit of all. Transmitting the Dharmaabundance that irrigates all that is parched, nurturing any living being with the Dharma's many medicines, they will cause all to have ease and joy. Their perception will gradually become transcendent as they advance through the stage of the Dharma cloud (dharmameghā-bhūmi). With bountiful, all-embracing benevolence, and with compassion that 35

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The Infinite Meanings Sutra

blankets all without exception, they will lead all suffering living beings to enter the course of the Way. These people will accordingly realize and achieve the full dynamic of ultimate enlightenment before long. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the tenth beneficial effect of this sutra.

O you of good intent! Such is the incomparable, all-ferrying Infinite Meanings Sutra! It possesses awe-inspiring power to the highest extent, and its value is supreme and unsurpassed! It can open the way for every being that is bound by delusive passions to attain the most sublime fruit—to forever rise above the cycle of births and deaths and attain emancipation. Thus is this sutra named Infinite Meanings! It can open the way for all living beings still in the stages of having delusive worldly passions to germinate the sprouts of all of the countless ways of bodhisattvas and let the tree of beneficial works flourish, thrive, and increase in breadth and reach. That is why this sutra is marked by its ten unimaginable powers for beneficial effect! With that, the great-being bodhisattva Fully Composed and the eighty thousand great-being bodhisattvas addressed the Buddha in one voice, saying: World-honored One! The profound, transcendent, incomparable, allferrying Infinite Meanings Sutraexpounded by the Buddha is true and correct in its content and principles, and its value is supreme and unsurpassed! It is embraced by the buddhas of the past, present, and future together. It is impervious to the influence of disruptive forces and the influence of differing views, and is neither corrupted nor destroyed by any deluded perception or the cycle of births and deaths. This sutra therefore has the inconceivable power of ten such kinds of beneficial effect and greatly benefits all living beings inclusively. It enables each and every great-being bodhisattva to attain the specialized focus of mind of infinite meanings, or to gain access to a hundred thousand Dharma-grasping empowerments, or to achieve the various bodhisattva stages and insights, or to attain realization as pratyekabuddha,or to realize the fruits of the four stages of arhatship. The World-honored One has willingly and compassionately expounded such a teaching for all of us and enabled us to harvest the 36

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great benefits of the Dharma. This is extremely unusual, unique, and unprecedented! The World-honored One's compassionate favor is truly difficult to repay!

At that moment the universe of a thousand-million Sumeru worlds trembled and shook in six ways, and several kinds of heavenly blossoms—blue, crimson, yellow, and white lotus flowers— rained from the sky above. Also, a rain of many and various kinds of heavenly incense and garments, garlands of celestial jewels, and priceless celestial treasures came spiraling down from the skies above as offerings to the Buddha, the bodhisattvas, the śrāvakas, and the great multitude. Celestial bowls and containers were filled to overflowing with hundreds of heavenly delicacies that were spontaneously fully satisfying by appearance and aroma. Celestial flags, celestial banners and canopies, and marvelous celestial amusements were arranged everywhere, and heavenly music and songs were played and sung in praise of the Buddha. Also, buddha worlds in the eastern direction, as numerous as the Ganges River's sands, likewise trembled and shook in six ways. Heavenly flowers, heavenly incense and garments, garlands of celestial jewels, priceless celestial treasures, celestial bowls and containers, hundreds of heavenly delicacies that were spontaneously fully satisfying by appearance and aroma, celestial flags, celestial banners and canopies, and marvelous celestial amusements also rained down. Heavenly music and songs were played and sung in praise of those buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and great assemblies. In the southern, western, and northern directions, in the four intermediate directions, and in the upper and lower regions it was like this as well. At that time the Buddha addressed the great-being bodhisattva Fully Composed and the eighty thousand great-being bodhisattvas, saying: Regarding this sutra, all of you should bring forth a deeply respectful attitude, practice the way of its teaching, and, with determined minds, disseminate it widely and inspire all living beings. You should always diligently endeavor to uphold it day and night and universally cause each and every living being to reap the benefits of the Dharma. In this you will truly be greatly merciful and highly compassionate. Cultivate a transcendent power of will to uphold this sutra, and never let doubt or hesitation arise. Make sure that it is widely practiced in this world 37

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