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Chapter Four

The Nature of the Tathāgata:

Part 7

At that time Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha with these words: "World-Honored One. It now appears that Cunda has doubts. Pray give us another analysis so that these doubts may be dispelled in him. "

The Buddha said: "Good man, explain these doubts to me so that I may remove them.

"

Mañjuśrī said:

In his mind Cunda has doubts about the permanent abiding of the Tathāgata, arising from wondering whether he has the ability to discern the buddha-nature. If seeing buddha-nature makes it permanent, then when you have not seen it, it should be impermanent. But if something is impermanent before then it should be impermanent afterward as well. Why is this? Because things in this world that did not exist previously can indeed come into existence now, and after they have existed they then return to nonexistence. All things are equally impermanent in this way, so in this sense there is no distinction made for buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, or pratyekabuddhas. The World-Honored One then uttered the following verse: Previously existing, now nonexisting. Previously nonexisting, now existing. A dharma existing over the three time periods Is not possible.

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Good man, it is in this sense that buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas are distinguished and are not distinguished. Mañjuśrī praised this, saying:

Excellent. This is truly a sacred teaching. For the first time I have now understood that buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas are to be distinguished and are not to be distinguished. The bodhisattva Kāśyapa then spoke to the Buddha:

The Buddha has explained that there is no difference in the natures of buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas. I beg the Tathāgata to give blessings and peace of mind to all living beings by explaining this in a more expansive and detailed way.

The Buddha said:

Good man. Listen carefully, very carefully, and I will explain this to you. Good man, this is comparable to a householder or the son of a householder who is raising many milk cows of various colors. He always appoints one person to be in charge of protecting and nourishing the cows. On one occasion, in order to make an offering, after milking the cows the milk is all put into one container and placed on an altar. Looking down at the milk, he sees how uniformly white it is and wonders why it is that while each of the cows is a different color, the milk they produce is the same color. He then reflects on the fact that the causes and conditions of living beings that lead to karmic retribution similarly yield a single color, like that of milk.

Good man, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas all have identical buddha-natures, just like that milk. Why is this? Because they equally exhaust their contaminants of mental defilements. And yet living beings say,

"There are distinctions between buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas. " But although there are śrāvakas and ordinary people who wonder how there could be no distinction among the three vehicles, after a period of time these living beings themselves will understand that everyone in the three vehicles has the identical buddhanature, just as that person realized the [implications of] karmic causality when looking at the characteristics of milk.

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Good man, this is analogous to gold ore. After it is refined and the impurities are removed, then and only then is it melted to become [what people think of as] gold. Only after all this does its value increase enormously. Good man, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas are also like this, in that they all can accomplish the identical buddha-nature. Why? Because removing their defilements is like removing impurities from gold ore. In this sense there is nary a distinction among the identical buddhanatures of all living beings. At first people only hear about the tathāgatagarbha.It is [only] later, when they attain buddhahood, that they understand it as a matter of course, just like that elder came to understand the uniform character of milk. How does this happen? It happens by means of cutting away the incalculable defilements that plague each individual. The bodhisattva Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: World-Honored One. If all living beings have buddha-nature, then what is the difference between buddhas and living beings (sattvas)? As you have explained, living beings have many errors in their ways, but if they all possess buddha-nature, then by what causality would Śāriputra and others [attain] aparinirvāṇathat is a minor nirvāṇa, a pratyekabuddha [attain] aparinirvāṇathat is a middle nirvāṇa, and a bodhisattva [attain] aparinirvāṇathat is a major nirvāṇa? If all these people have the same buddha-nature, then why are theirparinirvāṇas not the same as the parinirvāṇaof a tathāgata?

[The Buddha answered:]

Good man, the nirvāṇa attained by buddha world-honored ones is not what is attained by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. This is why the mahāparinirvāṇa[of the buddhas] is called "an auspicious state. " Even if

there were no buddha in the world, that does not mean that [followers of] the two vehicles would not attain their two nirvāṇas. 161

Kāśyapa spoke again: "What does that mean?"

The Buddha said:

Over a period of incalculable, endless, asaṃkhyeya kalpas, only one buddha has appeared in the world to reveal the three vehicles. Good man, the issue you raise about there being no difference between [the 307

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parinirvāṇas of] bodhisattvas and followers of the two vehicles I have already addressed here in this TathāgatagarbhaGreat Nirvana[Sutra]. [The pari nirvāṇa] of arhats is not "an auspicious state" but all arhats will attain this "

mahāparinirvāṇa

"[at some point].

162 In this sense,

mahāpari nirvāṇacontains the end point, the final bliss, which is why I call it mahāparinirvāṇa.

Kāśyapa said:

Now for the first time I understand the meaning of what the Buddha was saying about what is distinguished and what is not distinguished. What is this about? It is about the fact that in the future bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas will find their way to mahāparinirvāṇa,just like the waters flowing in so many rivers will find their way to the sea. Therefore, [buddha-nature in] those who are śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas is called "permanent" rather than "impermanent.

" In this sense there are

distinctions, and there are also no distinctions.

Then Kāśyapa said: "What are the distinctions in their natures?"163 The Buddha said:

Good man, śrāvakas are like fresh milk, pratyekabuddhas are like milk curds, bodhisattvas are either like fresh butter or clarified butter, and buddha world-honored ones are like the cream on the surface of clarified butter. It is in this sense that within this Mahāparinirvāṇa[-sūtra] I speak of four natures that are distinguished from one another. Kāśyapa then asked: "What characterizes that nature in living beings in general?"

The Buddha said:

Good man. Just like milk and blood are not yet separated in a newborn calf, an ordinary person's nature is mixed together with the defilements in him.

Kāśyapa then said:

In Kuśinagara there was a caṇḍālanamed Joyful. The Buddha predicted that this person, by means of bringing forth one thought of resolving to attain awakening, would be among the thousands that will quickly attain 308

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the unsurpassed path of truth as a buddha in this world. So why, then, does the Tathāgata not predict the swift attainment of the Buddha's path for Venerable Śāriputra and Venerable Maudgalyāyana, and others like them?

The Buddha said:

Good man, there are śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas who make vows in which they say,

"Far into the future will I take responsibility

for supporting the true-dharma. Then and only then will I attain the unsurpassed path to buddhahood.

" Because they can produce these vows

[of commitment] quickly, I can give them predictions of attainment quickly.

In addition, good man, you should also consider the analogy of a merchant who has a priceless jewel that he takes to the marketplace to sell. A fool sees it, but not recognizing it for what it is, scoffs at [its stated value]. The owner blurts out,

"My jewel is valuable beyond measure!"

Upon hearing this, the fool laughs out loud and says to the others around him,

"That is not really a jewel at all, it is only a crystal bead. "

Good man, śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are just like this. If they heard a prediction that [their attainment will] come quickly, they would thereupon become unmotivated, derisive, and surly, just like the fool who did not know a true jewel when he saw it. In the future there will be bhikṣus incapable of cultivating the good dharma in a disciplined manner. As a consequence of being extremely poor, in painful circumstances, or overwhelmed by hunger, they will leave their households in order to gain nourishment for their bodies. But as their resolve will be wobbly, they will fall into improper ways of earning a living, using guile and trickery. If they were to hear that the Tathāgata was granting predictions of speedy attainment to śrāvakas, they would laugh out loud in contempt and disgust. Understand that these things mean the destruction of morality. Such people even falsely declare that they already possess superhuman faculties. It is with this in mind that I follow someone's quick production of a vow [based in understanding] with a prediction of quick attainment, and for someone who protects the dharma I will give a prediction of attainment in the distant future.

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The bodhisattva Kāśyapa spoke once again to the Buddha: World-Honored One. How can bodhisattva-mahāsattvas achieve an assembly that is indestructible?

The Buddha told Kāśyapa:

If bodhisattvas desire to protect the true-dharma with diligence and zeal, that will be the causal means by which they can achieve an assembly that cannot be disrupted.

The bodhisattva Kāśyapa spoke once again to the Buddha: World-Honored One. What causes the lips and mouths of living beings to become dry?

The Buddha told Kāśyapa:

If they do not recognize that the Three Jewels are a permanent form of existence, it will cause their lips and mouths to dry up. It is like when a person's mouth becomes dysfunctional and he can no longer discriminate among the six flavors of sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, salty, and astringent. All living beings that are ignorant and bereft of wisdom do not understand that the Three Jewels are dharmas that abide permanently. This is why I call that a mouth that has become dry. Next, good man, consider a living being that does not know of the permanent abiding of the Tathāgata. You should understand that he is like a person born blind. When someone does know of this permanent abiding of the Tathāgata, though he may have vision with his physical eyes, what I am speaking about here is vision with divine eyes. Good man, if one is able to understand the permanence of the Tathāgata, know that that person will have cultivated sutras like this one for some time. When I speak about these things, I am alluding to [seeing with] divine eyes. But even if one has divine sight, he still may not be able to understand the permanence of the Tathāgata. On other topics I may be alluding to [seeing with] physical eyes. But some people are not even able to recognize the hands, feet, or other parts of their own bodies, so how could they be able to make others understand? It is in this sense 310

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that I have referred to their [understanding] as operating through physical eyes.

In addition, good man, the Tathāgata always serves as the father and mother for all living beings. Why do I say this? There are many varieties of form among living beings, such as having two legs, four legs, many legs, or no legs. The Buddha employs just a single sound in expounding the dharma for each and every kind [of living being], but each will gain their own understanding of what he says. One by one, each pleads with him,

"O Tathāgata, would you please preach the dharma

to me?" It is in this sense [that I am] called their mother and father. In addition, good man, think of a baby who for the first sixteen months speaks but does not yet communicate. Yet the father and mother want to teach the child how to speak, so at first they make the same sounds as the baby and then gradually teach the baby proper language. Would you consider this way of speaking by the father and mother to be incorrect? [Kāśayapa answered:]

No, World-Honored One.

[The Buddha then continued:]

Good man, the buddha tathāgatas are also like this: when they expound the dharma to living beings they adapt to the various sounds those living beings make. For the purpose of enabling them to establish themselves in the true-dharma, the tathāgatas will manifest in a variety of forms, according to how they will be seen. Now when the tathāgatas adapt their language in this way, should that be considered incorrect? [Kāśayapa answered:]

No, World-Honored One. Why? Because what is spoken by the Tathāgata is like the roar of a lion. In accordance with the various sounds of the world, he illustrates the wondrous dharma for living beings. 311

Chapter 5: The Query of the Entire Assembly

Chapter Five

The Query of the

Entire Assembly

At that time the World-Honored One released a multicolored ray of light from his forehead that illuminated the body of Cunda, shining green, yellow, incarnadine, white, red, and purple. Upon experiencing this, Cunda and his kinsmen picked up their dishes of food and quickly brought them to the Buddha, wanting to present their final offerings to the Tathāgata and the bhikṣus. There were a variety of different plates filled to the brim that they intended to place before the Buddha but on that occasion there were powerful gods present who prevented them from proceeding any further. The gods surrounded them and addressed Cunda, saying: "Stop right there, Cunda! Do not present those offerings.

" At that point the Tathāgata once again released

a variegated beam of light, this time limitless in its scope. Upon encountering this light, the gods quickly moved aside and allowed Cunda to proceed to the Buddha's location and offer his donation. Then the gods and other living beings each took up their own offerings and placed them before the Buddha, knelt on one knee, and said,

"All we ask, Tathāgata, is that you allow the

bhikṣus to accept this food and drink.

" Aware of the occasion, the bhikṣus

then picked up their robes and bowls and with uniform serenity [accepted the offerings].

At that time Cunda spread out a variety of jeweled lion seats for the Buddha and the monks. He hung silk banderoles and canopies, and strewed fragrant flowers and garlands of precious stones. The occasion was thus adorned with the finery of the great trichiliocosm, just like the Sukhāvatī Land of Bliss in the West.

164

Then Cunda, standing before the Buddha and filled with grief and lamentation, addressed him in a serious tone: "I beseech you, World-Honored One. May you look upon us with pity and remain living for one more kalpaor at least something close to a full kalpa.

"

The Buddha said to Cunda:

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If you wish to have me remain in the world for a long time, you should quickly present what will be the final completion of the perfection of charity (dāna-pāramitā) for you.

At that time the same sound rang out in the different voices of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, gods, humans, and other assorted creatures, saying: Amazing, Cunda! You achieve such great merit in having the Tathāgata accept what will be unsurpassed as the final offering. Yet we will make no merit at all. The offerings we have prepared have become meaningless. Wanting to fulfill the wishes of the entire assembly, at that moment the World-Honored One generated incalculable numbers of buddhas, each one [standing] on a pore of his skin. Each of these buddhas had what amounted to an incalculable number of bhikṣusanghas. These world-honored ones as well as their surrounding assemblies were all shown to be accepting offerings, just as the Tathāgata Śākyamuni himself had accepted what had been offered to him by Cunda.

At that time the meal of cooked rice brought by Cunda was enough to satisfy the entire state of Magadha, for there were eight bushels. 165 By means

of the Buddha's supernatural power, this also satisfied everyone in the assemblies present. Upon seeing this, Cunda was transported with joy, seemingly without end. Everyone in the assemblies felt the same way. At that point, each person in that great crowd, having received the Buddha's blessing, thought,

"Having now accepted our donations, it will not be long before he enters nirvāṇa.

" And thinking this, they felt both sadness and joy. Meanwhile, in that narrow strip of earth between the [sal] trees, by means of the Buddha's supernatural power there were now innumerable buddha world-honored ones and their retinues occupying spaces no bigger than the point of a needle, sitting down and eating the donated food, no differently than the others. Upon seeing this, the [assembled] gods, humans, andasuras began to cry, expressing their grief by saying:

Today the Tathāgata has accepted our last offerings, and having accepted those offerings, he will attain parinirvāṇa.To whom should we present our offerings then? We are now being separated forever from the Unsurpassed [Worthy] and Tamer [of Men]. We will lose our sight and go blind. 314

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At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to console everyone gathered in the assembly, responded in verse: None of you should grieve.

For what is appropriate in the dharma of buddhas. I enter nirvāṇa,

Having passed through innumerable kalpas, Always enjoying the greatest pleasures, Eternally dwelling in a place of serene peace. Listen now, with your full attention, As I explain about nirvāṇa. Having been freed from the notion of eating, The end brings no trauma of hunger or thirst. It is for you, now, that I explain this, In accordance with the wishes of all living beings. So that anyone in any group Can attain the bliss of serene peace. Listen and cultivate your practice Of the permanent abiding of the dharma of buddhas. If a crow and a horned owl

Were to share the same roost in a tree, Just like parents or brothers, Then I would pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa. The Tathāgata regards everyone As if they were [my son] Rāhula, Always honored by living beings, Why would I pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa? If a snake, a rat, and a wolf, Were to saunter into the same hole, And love each other like brothers, Then I would pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa. The Tathāgata regards everyone As if they were Rāhula.

Always honored by living beings, Why would I pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa? 315

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If the flowers of saptaparṇatrees Were to turn into the fragrance of vārṣika[flowers], And the fruit of kālakatrees Turned into the fruit of tindukatrees. . . . The Tathāgata regards everyone, As if they were Rāhula.

Why would I leave compassion behind, And enter the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa? If icchantikas in their present bodies Were to accomplish the Buddhist path, Forever dwelling in supreme bliss, Then I would pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa. The Tathāgata regards everyone, As if they were Rāhula.

Why would I leave compassion behind, And enter the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa? If every living being

Were to accomplish the Buddhist path at the same time, Freeing themselves from error and calamity, Then I would pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa. The Tathāgata regards everyone, As if they were Rāhula.

Why would he abandon that compassion, And pass into nirvāṇa forever? If mosquito urine were to soak the entire earth, [Covering] mountains and swelling hundreds of rivers, That filled the oceans as they poured into them. If such a thing were to occur, Then I would pass into the eternal extinction of nirvāṇa. As one whose compassionate thoughts regard everyone As if they were Rāhula,

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This is precisely why all of you

Should deeply appreciate the true-dharma. You should not let your anxiety grow,

Weeping and moaning.

If you yourself want to pursue the proper practice, You must cultivate [understanding of] the Tathāgata's permanence. Contemplate the fact that a dharma like this Has had a long existence without change. You should also keep this in mind:

The Three Jewels all abide permanently. This will gain you great protection,

Like casting a spell on a dried plant to make it bear fruit. This is what I call the Three Jewels.

And the fourfold community [of followers] should listen carefully. Having heard this, you should be overjoyed, And immediately bring forth bodhicittaresolutions for awakening. If you can see your way to reckoning that the Three Jewels Do abide permanently, the same as the ultimate truth, That would [fulfill] the greatest wish

Of all the buddhas.

If there are any monks, nuns, laymen, or laywomen who ardently aspire to fulfill this greatest wish of the tathāgatas, know that such people are without delusion and worthy of being honored. Through the power of their aspiration, their virtue and karmic reward will be foremost in the world, like those of an arhat. Those who cannot conceive of the permanence of the Three Jewels are caṇḍālas. But those who can understand the permanent abiding of the Three Jewels and the actual causality of dharmas will free themselves from suffering and be in a state of bliss— no injury or obstacle could impede them. After hearing this dharma, the assembly of humans, gods,asuras, and other beings was at that moment transported with joy, seemingly without end. The minds [of those in the assembly] became pliant, they easily dissolved their internal obstacles, their thinking lost its usual unevenness, their bearing 317

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became dignified and pure, and their countenances beamed with joy—for they grasped the eternal abiding of the Buddha. And thus the assembly endeavored to provide ever more heavenly offerings by scattering a variety of flowers, powdered incense, and smearing incense, and played heavenly music, all in a spirit of paying homage to the Buddha. At that time the Buddha said to the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "Good man, you have seen these many extraordinary things, have you not?" Kāśyapa said:

Yes, I have seen them, World-Honored One. I have seen buddhas immeasurable, limitless, and indescribable, accepting food offerings presented to them by people and gods in great assemblies. In addition, I have seen the tremendous physical beauty of the buddhas, how the space they occupy when seated is like the point of a needle, and how the crowds surrounding them are not impeded by each other. I have also seen [those in] the assembly make vows. As you expounded those thirteen verses just now, I understood how each one in the assembly thought: "Just now the Tathāgata accepted only my offering.

"

Suppose the food offered by Cunda was minced into tiny pieces so that there would be one piece per buddha. In that case there would not be enough to go around. But through the spiritual powers of the buddha, there is enough for everyone in the assembly. Only bodhisattva-mahāsattvas and Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince, can understand extraordinary things like this. These are all manifestations of the Tathāgata's skillful means, and this is how the great community of śrāvakas and even asuras will all understand the Tathāgata to be a permanently abiding dharma. At that time the World-Honored One turned to Cunda and said: "Is what you have just witnessed not rare and extraordinary?" [Cunda answered:]

It truly is, World-Honored One. What I have seen are innumerable buddhas with thirty-two major and eighty minor marks adorning their bodies. Now I have also seen how all the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas have forms of uncanny, exquisite beauty. Before me I behold the Buddha's body appearing like a medicinal tree surrounded by bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. 318

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The Buddha said to Cunda:

The innumerable buddhas that you saw before were transformations of myself, created to benefit all living beings, to bring them joy. The practices cultivated by these bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are beyond conception, for they are engaged in the work that innumerable buddhas do. Cunda, you have now fully perfected the practices of a bodhisattvamahāsattva and have attained to where you are residing in the ten stages. 166

Practices that are done by bodhisattvas are accomplished in you. The bodhisattva Kāśyapa then said to the Buddha, World-Honored One. Just so, just so! Just as the Buddha has explained, the bodhisattva practices accomplished by Cunda make me joyous as well. And now, because the Tathāgata wants innumerable living beings of the future to become beacons of bright light, he expounds the Mahāyāna Great Nirvana Sutra.

[Cunda asked:]

World-Honored One, should we regard everything expounded in the canon of sutras as having meanings that are incomplete in that there is something additional to consider (sāvaśeṣa-artha), or as having meanings that are complete with nothing further to consider (niravaśeṣa-artha)? [The Buddha responded:]

Good man, among my utterances there are some in which the meanings are incomplete and there are others in which the meanings are complete. Cunda then asked the Buddha:

World-Honored One, when these verses were spoken, To take what you have

And donate it in all cases,

Is only to be praised,

You will suffer no injury.

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World-Honored One, what did you mean? How do we discriminate between those who maintain the precepts and those who violate them?167 The Buddha said: "With the exception of one type of person, the donations to everyone else should be praised.

"

Cunda then asked: "Why do you say,

'With the exception of one type of

person'?"

The Buddha said: "This refers to those who violate the precepts in the ways I have explained in this discourse.

"

Cunda continued: "I still do not understand. May I humbly ask you to elaborate on this?"

The Buddha said:

The precept violators that Cunda asks about are those whom I refer to as icchantikas. To everyone else, making donations is always something that should be praised, something that yields great rewards. Cunda asked another question: "What is the meaning of 'icchantika The Buddha said:

'?"

Cunda, when a monk, nun, layman, or laywoman speaks in a malicious manner, disparaging the true-dharma, and does this repeatedly, never regretting his or her remarks or feeling shame, I regard such a person as coursing the icchantikapath. To commit one of the four grave offenses or perpetrate one of the five heinous crimes, knowing that such behavior is a serious violation yet from the outset feeling neither fear nor shame, nor admitting to what he or she has done, [is the same]. Or, if instead of forever protecting, delighting in, and furthering the Buddha's truedharma, a person disparages it, belittles it, or speaks of it with reproach— such a person I would also say is coursing the icchantikapath. The kind of person who would say there is no buddha, dharma, or sangha, I would also say is coursing the icchantikapath. With the exception of icchantikas of this ilk, donating to everyone else is to be praised. At that time Cunda spoke to the Buddha again: "World-Honored One. When you say,

'violate the precepts,

' what do you mean by that?"

The Buddha answered:

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Cunda, when a person commits one of the four grave offenses, perpetrates one of the five heinous crimes, or maligns the true-dharma, someone like that I call a violator of the precepts.

Again Cunda asked: "When someone violates the precepts, can that [karmic stain] be removed?"

[The Buddha] said:

Cunda, when there is just cause, then indeed it can be removed. If the person dons the robes of a monastic even without having fully renounced the world, and his thoughts are constantly filled with shame and fear, then he will reproach himself for what he has done, saying, "Fie! Why

did I commit such a serious crime? How bewildering that I would have done a deed this cruel.

" If, as he feels regret, he has thoughts of preserving the dharma, such as:

I want to promote the true-dharma. To those who preserve the dharma I will make offerings. To those who read and recite the Mahāyāna scriptures I will ask questions, retaining what I receive to read and recite myself. And after I have grasped the meaning and benefited from what I have learned, I will also explain this in detail to others. I declare that a person like this is not a violator of the precepts. Why? Good man, like the sunrise can remove the darkness of even the smallest shadow, when this Subtle Sutra of the Great Nirvanaappears in the world it can remove the transgressions perpetrated by living beings over countless kalpas in the same way. That is why in this sutra I have expounded that by preserving the true-dharma one obtains a great reward and removes the karmic impact of their moral violations. If someone who maligns the true-dharma later comes to regret his actions and returns to that dharma, on his own he will think of all the unwholesome things he has done as if he had injured himself. He will be stricken by feelings of dread, anxiety, and shame. [He knows that] except for the true-dharma there will be no hope for deliverance, and for that reason he simply must return to it. If he can take refuge in what I have expounded in this way, then to make donations to him will bring 321

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merit beyond measure, for I would call such a person "worthy of offerings in this world.

"

If [a monastic] commits a depraved act such as those I have just mentioned, and yet, after fifteen days or a month have passed, he is still not of a mind to take refuge and publicly confess what he did, then if someone were to make a donation to this person, the resultant karmic benefit would be extremely small. Anyone who commits one of the five heinous crimes is in this situation. But when such an individual does feel remorse and internally embraces his shame, thinking,

"This unwholesome act I

have done is now something of profound misery to me. What I should be doing is promoting and supporting the true-dharma,

" then I would no

longer call this person "someone [guilty] of one of the five heinous crimes. "

If you were to make a donation to this person, you will obtain merit beyond measure. By contrast, the merit gained from making donations to people who have committed grave offenses but are not interested in supporting or taking refuge in the dharma is not worth mentioning. Good man, I would like to explain a bit more about this matter of behavior involving serious misdeeds, so listen carefully and I will break it down and explain it in some detail for you. What [the perpetrator] should be thinking is,

"That which is called the true-dharma is precisely this hidden treasury containing a tathāgata, therefore that is something I will support and foster.

" If you make a donation to this type of person you will obtain a superior reward.

Good man. Imagine a pregnant woman who, near the end of her term, sees her nation erupt into violent turbulence, so she escapes to another land. There she ends up giving birth in a shrine. But soon after, she hears that her old country has become peaceful and prosperous again, so carrying her child in her arms she begins to make her way home. On the way she wades into a river with turbulent and swiftly flowing waters. When she is midway across, she realizes that she cannot make it to the other shore while holding the baby. At that moment she thinks, "I would

rather die in this spot than abandon my child just to get across myself. "

With that thought, mother and child together sink into the water, and their lives come to an end. After her death she is reborn in a heaven 322

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because of the mercy she displayed in sacrificing herself in her efforts to get the child across the river. In fact, this woman's original nature was vile yet despite that she attained rebirth in a heaven due to her love for her child. People who commit one of the four grave offenses or five heinous crimes but then feel they want to protect and care for the dharma will also be like this: although they may have engaged in unwholesome behavior in the past, because they [now] care for the dharma they can still become a field of merit unsurpassed in this world. Caring for the dharma in this way has immeasurable karmic rewards. Cunda then spoke up again:

World-Honored One. If an icchantikaby himself comes to regret his actions, and honors, venerates, and praises the Three Jewels, would making donations to that person bring significant karmic reward or not? The Buddha said:

Good man, you should not speak about things in that manner. Good man, this is analogous to a person who spits out the pit of the mango he is eating onto the ground and then thinks,

"Well, inside that pit it should

also be sweet.

" So he picks it up again, breaks it open in his hands, and tastes the [seed] inside, only to find it extremely bitter. Regretting his decision, he thinks,

"I guess I made a mistake about [eating] the seeds inside the fruit.

" He goes back, collects the pieces, puts them in the ground, and then tries to nurture the seed pieces by watering them with sumanāoil and milk from time to time. What would you say about what he is trying to do? Do you think he will be able to grow that seed or not? [Cunda answered:] "No, World-Honored One. Even if the sweetest rains were to fall from the heavens, still nothing would grow from that seed. "

[The Buddha said:]

Good man, the icchantikas are just like that. They have burned away their karmic good roots, so by what rationale would they be able to remove the impact of their transgressions? Good man, if their attitudes were wholesome and good, then I would not call them icchantikas. Good man, it is in this sense that I say that the karmic rewards for charitable 426a

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acts are not without distinctions. How does this work? The rewards for donations given to śrāvakas differ; the rewards for donations given to pratyekabuddhas also differ; only donations given to tathāgatas bring the maximum rewards. This is why I say, "Charitable acts as a whole

are not without distinctions. "

Cunda spoke once again: "Why did the Tathāgata utter the verses [on donating to monastics]?"

The Buddha said:

Cunda, the reason why I spoke those verses was to respond to a lay Buddhist upāsakain Śravastī who made offerings to a Jain Nirgrantha without clearly believing [in him], and then came to ask me about the meaning of his act of charity. Those were the circumstances in which I composed those verses.

It was also to expound the meaning of the secret tathāgatagarbhato the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. What was meaning of the verse? The words "in all cases" referred to "all cases of what is a small portion. " Understand

that a bodhisattva-mahāsattva is a hero among the people: welcoming those who maintain the precepts and donating necessities to them, ridding [the sangha] of those who violate the precepts, weeding them out like harsh barnyard grass.

In addition, good man, in the past I also expounded this verse: All rivers

Will have bends.

All forests

Will be known by their trees. All women

Will use guile.

All who are free

Will gain peace and happiness. At that time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Mañjuśrī rose from his seat, respectfully bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, and then came forward, paying obeisance at the Buddha's feet before speaking, beginning with these verses:

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All rivers

Do not necessarily have bends.

All forests

Are not necessarily known by their trees.

All women

Do not necessarily use guile.

All who are free

Do not necessarily gain peace and happiness.

[I know] that there are additional things to consider that are relevant to the meanings of these verses taught by the Buddha. I only ask that you take pity on us and explain the reasoning behind them. Why do I ask? World-Honored One, within the great trichiliocosm there is a continent called Godānīya.

168This continent has a river called

*Śalya, the banks of which are straight and do not bend. Like a rope used as an inkline, it goes straight to the Western Sea. Rivers shaped like this have never been mentioned in the other sutras expounded by the Buddha. Since these vaitulyaand āgamasutras have expositions for there are other meanings to consider, I beseech the Tathāgata to enable bodhisattvas to grasp the deeper implications in those teachings. World-Honored One, the Tathāgata appears like someone who at first discerned where a gold mine was but afterward would not discern where the gold itself was. You have completely understood the dharma but what you have explained to us is incomplete and does not exhaust the subject matter. Although the Tathāgata may have created other explanations on [a particular topic], you should also use indirect, expedient means to help us understand what you intend to communicate. "All forests will be made of trees" is also a statement for which there are additional things to consider. Why? Because people take various jeweled ornaments containing gold, silver, or vaiḍūryaand make them into the shape of trees, and when these are brought together they are also called "forests.

"

"All women will use guile" is another statement for which there are additional things to consider. Why? Because there are women who do an excellent job of maintaining the precepts, no matter how restrictive. They are accomplished in virtue and have great compassion. 325

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"All who are free will gain peace and happiness" is another statement that is incomplete. Why do I say this? Among those who are free are sacred sovereigns who are cakravartins, Tathāgata Dharma Kings who are not associated with the Māra of death and so do not pass away, as well as Brahmā, Śakra, and other gods who, although free, are all impermanent. If attaining permanent abiding and immutability is what you are calling freedom, then that would [only] refer to the Mahāyāna mahāpari nirvāṇa.

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The Buddha said:

Good man, what you have now said is a most eloquent discourse, but stop a moment and listen. Mañjuśrī, consider the case of a distinguished householder who was hampered by the pain of illness. A skillful physician examined him and concocted a medicinal plaster for him. But at that point the sick man very much wanted [to ingest] a large dose of medicine. So the physician put it to him like this:

If you were able to eliminate it, then you could take the large dose of medicine [for which you ask]. But now your body is enervated, so you should not ingest large quantities [of medicine]. You must understand that this plaster is called "sweet dew" but it is also called "poisonous medicine.

" If you were to receive a large dose of this

medicine and it turned out you did not eliminate it, that medicine we would then call poisonous [in your case].

Good man, do not think that what the physician has said amounts to violating his duties or losing confidence in the power in the plaster he created. Good man, the Tathāgata is like him when it comes to kings, queens, regents, princes, and ministers. There was an arrogance about King Prasenajit, and in his son and queen as well, and in order to subdue that arrogance I made plain to them something that was frightening, just like the physician did for his patient. That was why I created these verses: All rivers

Will have bends.

All forests

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Will be known by their trees. All women

Will use guile.

All who are free

Will gain peace and happiness. Mañjuśrī, you should now understand that there are no errors in the preaching of the Tathāgata. Even if the earth itself could be turned upside down, there would never be any errors in the words of the Tathāgata. It is in this sense that I say that within the totality of what the Tathāgata has said there are utterances in which there are additional things to consider [than the words alone]. Then the Buddha praised Mañjuśrī: Excellent! Excellent, good man, is your long-standing knowledge of what this kind of discussion is about. It is because you feel mercy for others that you ask these detailed questions about the meaning of the Tathāgata's verse, wanting to empower all living beings to attain wisdom. At that point Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince, came before the Buddha once again and quoted verses [of the Buddha]: In regard to the language of others, Comply rather than oppose.

And do not examine

What others do and do not do. Just examine where your own actions Have been good and have not been good. World-Honored One. Expounding a dharma medicine such as this could not be the right teaching.

170 When you say,

"In regard to the language

of others, comply rather than oppose, " I beseech the Tathāgata to take pity on us and provide us with the right teaching. Why do I speak this way? World-Honored One, you have always said that all ninety-five kinds of heretical learning171 lead to coursing in the unfortunate realms but the śrāvaka disciples are all directed on the right path. Those among them who continue to support the precepts, maintain 327

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their comportment, and are careful about the karmic roots they sow have a deep appreciation for the Great Dharma, and will course in the fortunate realms.

172 But why is it, Tathāgata, that [despite the sentiment in those verses] in our ninefold canon we see disdain expressed toward another person, which then leads to reproach. What was your intent in verses like those I just quoted?

The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī:

Good man, when I uttered those verses they were not meant as a universal statement for all living beings. At the time I was speaking to King Ajātaśatru. 173 Buddha world-honored ones would never speak contrarily without good cause; there was a reason why I spoke to him in this way. Good man, after having killed his father, King Ajātaśatru came to see me. Hoping to subdue me, he asked me this:

Tell me, would you say that the World-Honored One has omniscience or not? If you have omniscience, then why would you allow Devadatta to join the sangha, given the fact that for countless lifetimes Devadatta has continually harbored evil thoughts in following the Tathāgata in order to kill you?

Good man, when I spoke those verses that you quoted it was for the king in that situation:

In regard to the language of others,

Comply rather than oppose.

Do not examine

What others do and do not do.

Just examine where your own actions

Have been good and have not been good.

The Buddha then informed the great king:

Having killed your father, you have committed a most serious crime that will immediately bring the most severe karmic result. You must publicly admit what you have done and seek purification. What circumstances could motivate you to instead look for faults in others? 328

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Good man, it was in this sense [of admonishing Ajātaśatru] that I uttered those verses for that king. In addition, good man, the verses were spoken in order to [urge him] to support rather than malign the precepts, and to observe the faults of others only after achieving disciplined comportment in himself. If there are people who, in accepting the admonitions of others, distance themselves from their personal bounty of bad behavior, and also teach others to help them to also move away from their own many bad behaviors, such people would then be my disciples. Then the World-Honored One spoke these verses to Mañjuśrī: Everyone fears a weapon,

No one does not love life.

"As I forgive myself" should be the simile [for treating others]. Do not kill and do not take up arms.

Then Mañjuśrī came before the Buddha again and reiterated these verses: Not everyone fears a weapon,

Not everyone loves life.

"As I forgive myself" should be the simile.

Devote yourself to creating skillful means.

Tathāgata, the [obvious] meaning in this dharma verse (*dharmapada) also does not exhaust every possibility. Why do I say this? It is not plausible that a god, human being, or asurawould pick up a sword and stab arhats, cakravartinkings, beautiful women, elephants, horses, or ministers of the treasury. And even if warriors, strong-willed women, horsemen, alpha-male horses, leaders among wild animals, and precept-keeping bhikṣus run into such danger they would not be afraid. It is with this meaning in mind that I say there are additional meanings to consider in the Tathāgata's verses.

And the phrase "'As I forgive myself' should be the simile" is also incomplete. Why? If an arhat were to take the self as a simile for viewing others, then he would be carrying an idea of self and an idea of a personal lifetime. If he were to hold notions of self and personal lifetime, then he would have to guard and protect them. Ordinary people should see 329

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all arhats as [serious] practitioners, but if [arhats think] like this, it would constitute a false view of things. And if people embrace false views, when their life ends they will be reborn in Avīci Hell. Moreover, to suppose that an arhat could have harmful thoughts toward living beings simply does not make sense, and countless numbers of living beings are quite incapable of harming an arhat as well. The Buddha said:

Good man, to speak of "an idea of self, " is to allude to the thoughts that

arise in living beings of great compassion and the utter lack of any intent to injure another. It is to allude to the impartial mind of an arhat. Do not say that the World-Honored One has spoken contrarily without good cause. One day in the past there was a great hunter in Rājagṛha who went after herds of deer and over time had killed many. He invited me to eat the meat with him, and although I accepted his invitation at that time, I expressed the compassion I felt toward all living beings as if they were [my own son] Rāhula by speaking these verses to him: You can be enabled to have a long life, Dwelling in this world for so long.

But if you abided by the dharma of nonviolence, Yours would be like the lifetimes of buddhas. This is why I also uttered the verse you mentioned: Everyone fears a weapon,

No one does not love life.

"As I forgive myself" should be the simile. Do not kill and do not take up arms.

The Buddha said:

Excellent! Excellent, Mañjuśrī, is your questioning of the Tathāgata's recondite teachings such as these for the sake of the bodhisattvamahāsattvas. Mañjuśrī then uttered these verses to the Tathāgata: How could respecting my father and mother, 330

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Obeying and revering them, How could practicing this dharma Mean falling into Avīci Hell? The Tathāgata responded to this by answering Mañjuśrī with the following verses:

If you are attached to your mother, And delusional about your father, Obeying and revering in this way Will mean falling into Avīci Hell. Then the Tathāgata added these verses for the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī: In all cases, depending on others Results in what we call suffering. In all cases, relying on oneself Means autonomy and joy.

In all cases, arrogance

Inclines one to excessive violence. The wise and gracious

Are loved by everyone.

At that point, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: World-Honored One. What the Tathāgata has expounded here also does not exhaust [your knowledge on the subject]. All I ask is that the Tathāgata bestow mercy upon us by expounding his reasoning further. Why do I say this? It is like the son of a householder. When he studies under a teacher, he is dependent upon that teacher, is he not? But if he depends upon that teacher, he will never accomplish his own purpose. Yet if he does not depend upon him, he will not accomplish his goals either. But even when he attains some autonomy, he may still not accomplish anything. That is why [we know] there are additional meanings to consider in what the Tathāgata expounds. 174

In addition, World-Honored One, suppose there was a prince who never received any training. Whatever he touched would lead to nothing. He would have freedom or autonomy, but he would be in the dark, 331

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constantly suffering. For someone like this prince, if one were to say, "He was autonomous,

" that would suggest that "autonomous" implied

nonachievement. But if one were to say "He was dependent on another, "

that would suggest that "dependent" also implied nonachievement. It is in this sense that I allude to the meanings expounded by the Buddha as having something additional to consider. That is also why "In all cases, depending on others" does not necessarily mean that the person ends up suffering, and why in all cases "autonomy" does not necessarily bring happiness.

In the verse,

"In all cases, arrogance inclines one to excessive violence, " there are additional meanings to consider as well. World-Honored One, there are strong-willed women who go forth from their homes to study the Way out of arrogance, yet they maintain the precepts, comport themselves impeccably, guard their sense faculties, and do not let themselves become wild or scattered. Therefore the fetters produced by arrogance do not necessarily lead a person to violence in all cases. In the verse "The wise and gracious, are loved by everyone, " there

are additional meanings to consider as well. For there are people who, after secretly committing one of the four grave pārājikaoffenses, do not abandon their dharma robes [as they should], but instead become quite strict about holding themselves to the rules of comportment. When those who are protective of the dharma see these people they will not love them, and when the lives of these offenders end, they will surely fall into hell. If a wise person commits a serious violation and a dharma protector sees it, the dharma protector will immediately try to get that person expelled and returned to lay status. It is with this in mind that I ask how could we say that in all cases those regarded as "wise and gracious" will always be loved?175 At that time the Buddha said this to Mañjuśrī:

There are reasons why the Tathāgata has expounded these verses in which there are additional meanings and there are reasons why the buddha world-honored ones preach this particular dharma. Once there was a woman in Rājagṛha called Subhadrā. On returning to her parents' home she took the opportunity to come to where I was, whereupon she 332

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took refuge in the buddha, dharma, and sangha. And then she said: "No woman has the power to be free. Yet every man has unencumbered autonomy. " At that moment I understood that woman's mind, and so I preached to her the verses I have quoted to you now [about dependence and selfreliance]. Mañjuśrī, what you have done is excellent, excellent. For the sake of all living beings you have now succeeded in questioning the Tathāgata about his recondite teachings such as these. Mañjuśrī spoke once again, uttering these verses: Every living being

Relies on food and drink to survive. Every one with great power

Has a mind without jealousy. In every case it is due to eating or drinking, That ailments are so often painful. Every pure practice cultivated Brings peace and happiness. [He continued:]

Now the World-Honored One has thus received the offering of food and drink from Cunda. There could not be any fear in the World-Honored One, could there?

At that time, the World-Honored One responded in verse yet again for Mañjuśrī:

It is not that every living being Relies entirely on food and drink to survive. It is not that every one with great power Has a mind without jealousy. It is not always due to eating That ailments are stressfully painful. It is not that every pure practice Always brings peace and happiness Mañjuśrī, if you become ill, thus will I also suffer the pain of illness. Why do I say this? It is because arhats, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, 333

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428a

and tathāgatas in fact do not partake of food. It is only from their desire to spiritually transform others that they make a show of enjoying the things that have been donated by countless living beings, for by doing so they enable the donors to complete [their practice of] the perfection of charity, thereby rescuing hell beings, animals, and hungry ghosts. If someone asserts that the Tathāgata's body was weak and thin during his six years of practicing austerities, that view would be unfounded. The buddha world-honored ones have individually removed themselves from the existences [in saṃsāra]; they are not the same as ordinary people. How could they have a body that is weak? Through their diligent praxis, the buddha world-honored ones have obtained adamantine bodies; these are not the same as the fragile bodies of worldly people. My disciples are also like this; inconceivably, they do not rely on eating. In the verse "Every one with great power has no jealousy, " there is

another meaning that remains unexpressed. After all, there are people in this world who go through their lives with long periods of never feeling jealous, and yet they also have no power.

In the verse "The pains from all ailments are due to eating, " there is

also another meaning that remains unexpressed. One also sees people whose ailments are externally caused, such as being pricked by a thorn, cut by a sword, or lanced by a spear.

In the verse "Every pure practice brings peace and happiness, " there

is something additional as well. This world also has people who are following heretical paths cultivating pure brahmacaryapractices, and yet they still suffer pain and anxiety. This is the sense in which the word "every" as used by the Tathāgata in the verse includes some other things to consider. I call this principle,

"The Tathāgata does not put forth a verse

without a reason, it is only due to particular causes that he speaks. " One

day in the past there was a brahman in Ujjayinī (Ujjain) called *Koṭira who came to me wanting to take the eight precepts on the fourth day of the lay observance. That was the occasion in which I spoke those verses. At that time bodhisattva Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha and said: World-Honored One. Which utterances are those that have no additional meanings to consider? Which are those that have complete meanings? 334

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[The Buddha answered:]

Good man, excluding only some auxiliary paths, "complete" would refer

to those blessed (kuśalapakṣa) dharmas that are permanent (nitya) and joyous (sukha). I call them "complete" and I also call them "teachings that have nothing additional to consider. " Those dharmas that do have

something else to consider I call "teachings with additional [meanings]" and also "teachings without additional [meanings]. " My hope is to instill

a yearning for the dharma (dharma-kāma) within sons [and daughters] of good families, by means of which they can come to understand both those utterances that have additional meanings and those that do not have additional meanings.

176

At that the bodhisattva Kāśyapa's heart leaped with a joy that overwhelmed him. He came before the Buddha and said, "How rare this is, World-Honored

One. You do indeed equally view all of us as if we were Rāhulas. "

At that time the Buddha praised the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "Excellent, excellent! What you have now perceived is both sublime and significant. "

The bodhisattva Kāśyapa then said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One. I would like to ask the Tathāgata to expound on the merit to be attained from this MahāyānaMahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra. "

The Buddha then told Kāśyapa:

Good man, anyone who is able to hear the name of this sutra will gain merit. But this cannot be fully communicated by śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, for only buddhas can understand it. Why is this? They cannot conceive of this buddha realm. How much less likely is it that will they take possession of, read and recite, develop expertise in, and make copies of the rolls of this sutra.

Then gods, humans, and asuras came before the Buddha and spoke these verses, the same sound arising from each of their different mouths: The buddhas are difficult to fathom, The dharma and sangha are also so. That is why we beseech you now,

Asking only that you remain here for a short while. For the Venerable Kāśyapa,

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The members of their two groups, It will be some time before their arrival. Just so for the sovereign of Magadha, Great King Ajātaśatru,

Who sincerely admires the Buddha, But has not yet arrived. All we ask, Tathāgata,

Is to sympathize with us a little and stay In this great assembly: Clear away this net of our doubts! Then the Tathāgata also spoke in verse for the many groups assembled there:

My dharma's eldest son, Named Mahākāśyapa,

And Ānanda, diligent of effort, Can cut away all your doubts. You will ascertain the truth. Ānanda, master listener, Naturally will understand What is permanent and impermanent. For that reason you should not Give in to sorrow.

At that time the great assembly presented offerings of various things to the Tathāgata. Upon presenting their offerings to the Buddha, they immediately made resolutions to attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.Bodhisattvas as numerous as the number of grains of sand in innumerable, endless Ganges Rivers attained the first bhūmistage. Then the World-Honored One extended a consecration to Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva Kāśyapa, and Cunda. After their consecrations, he spoke these words:

Good men, cultivate your minds, be conscientious, and avoid indolence. Now my back hurts, my whole body aches, and I want to lie down like a small infant or someone who is chronically ill. You, Mañjuśrī, shall 336

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expound the great teaching to the four groups of followers. I now entrust this dharma to you. In addition, when Kāśyapa and Ānanda arrive, I also entrust the true-dharma to them.

At that point, after the Tathāgata had spoken those words he displayed pain in his body, wanting to discipline the living beings present. He then lay down on his right side, like someone who is ill.

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