T418 The Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sutra and The Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sutra

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Fascicle Three

Chapter X

The Invitation to

the Buddha

The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla put his robes in order, went down on his knees, placed his hands together with interlaced fingers, and said to the Buddha, "I

wish to invite the Buddha and the community of monks to dinner tomorrow at my house; I would like the Buddha to accept the invitation out of compassion. "

The Buddha and the community of monks all accepted the invitation in silence. The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, knowing that the Buddha had accepted the invitation, rose and went to the nun Mahāprajāpatī and said to her, "I would

like you together with the nuns to accept my invitation to a modest meal tomorrow at my house.

" The nun Mahāprajāpatī then accepted the invitation. The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla said to the bodhisattva Ratnākara, "Younger

brother, ask all the newcomers from all the states and provinces to assemble where the Buddha is.

" The bodhisattva Ratnākara came forward to the Buddha, made obeisance to him, went down on his knees, placed his hands together with interlaced fingers, and said to him:

My elder brother has invited the Buddha, and he wishes to invite all the newcomers to dinner at his house. I would like you to accept out of compassion.

The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattva Ratnākara, the bodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva Susīma, the bodhisattva Mahāsusārthavāha, the bodhisattva Indradatta, and the bodhisattva Varuṇadeva, together with all their relatives, came forward and touched the Buddha's feet with their foreheads and made obeisance to the community of monks. When 75

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they had finished making obeisance they left the Buddha, returned to the city of Rājagṛha, and went to the house of the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, where they helped each other prepare the food. The four heavenly kings, Śakra, the Lord of the Gods, and Brahmā Sahāṃpati all came quickly to help the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla prepare all the food. Then the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla and his relatives together decorated the city of Rājagṛha. They covered the entire city with many different kinds of silk canopies, hung silk banners in all of the streets, lanes, and marketplaces, and they scattered flowers and burned incense throughout the whole city. They prepared dishes of a hundred flavors for the Buddha, but the dishes for the community of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, as well as for the impoverished beggars, were equally as pleasing. Why? Because they give impartially and regard all people, as well as the species that flit and wriggle, as equal.

Bhadrapāla, the eight bodhisattvas, and their relatives went together to the Buddha at dinnertime, came forward, touched the Buddha's feet with their foreheads, then withdrew and said to the Buddha, "The meal has all

been prepared. We would like the Buddha to come.

" Then the Buddha and

the community of monks adjusted their robes, took up their almsbowls, and went together; all those who had assembled there followed the Buddha into the city of Rājagṛha to the house of the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla. The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla thought:

Now, through the Buddha's numinous power, let my house become extremely large and turn into beryl, so that those outside and those inside can see each other, so that those outside the city can all see inside my house, and those inside my house can see outside the city. The Buddha knew right away what Bhadrapāla was thinking. Thereupon the Buddha displayed his numinous power and made Bhadrapāla's house extremely large, and all the people throughout the whole city could see inside the house.

The Buddha entered the house of the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla first and sat down. The community of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, each in their separate groups, all sat down in the house. When the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla saw that the Buddha and the community of monks had been seated, he personally served the Buddha and the community of monks many hundreds of 76

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kinds of food and poured drinks with his own hands. When the Buddha and the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen had all finished eating, he gave the same to all the paupers, who were all equally satisfied. By means of the Buddha's numinous power and grace he satisfied them all. When the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla saw that the Buddha and the disciples had all eaten, he came forward with water for washing; finally, he took a small bench and sat down in front of the Buddha to listen to the sutras.

The Buddha expounded the sutras to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla and the four classes of disciples and everyone rejoiced, everyone enjoyed listening, everyone wanted to listen. The Buddha engaged the community of monks and all the disciples with the sutras. The Buddha then arose and departed with the community of monks.

When the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla had eaten he left the city of Rājagṛha with his relatives and went to the Buddha. Having come forward, they made obeisance to the Buddha. They withdrew and sat down on one side, together with the bodhisattva Ratnākara, the bodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva Susīma, the bodhisattva Mahāsusārthavāha, the bodhisattva Indradatta, and the bodhisattva Varuṇadeva. The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, seeing that the multitude were all seated comfortably, came forward and asked the Buddha,

"How many things does it take for bodhisattvas to attain the meditation in which the buddhas of the present all stand before one?" The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla:

If bodhisattvas possess five things they quickly obtain the meditation in which the buddhas of the present all stand before one, study it, preserve it, and carefully practice it with a mind that does not turn back. What are the five? First, they find happiness in the profound sutras that are forever inexhaustible, that are infinite, and that deliver one from all disasters, whereby one is freed from all defilements, whereby one leaves the darkness and enters the light in which all obscurities are eliminated.

The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

If these bodhisattvas succeed in finding happiness in dharmas that do not come into existence from anywhere, they master this meditation. 77

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Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, they find no further happiness in places where one goes to be reborn: this is the second. They find no further happiness in other ways: this is the third. They find no further happiness in the passions: this is the fourth. They control themselves and practice the infinites: this is the fifth. If the bodhisattvas possess a further five things they quickly master this meditation. What are the five? First, in giving, their hearts should be free of regret; they should not crave anything or begrudge anything. Because of this they should not have any expectations. After they have given to others they should never regret it. Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattvas give the gift of the sutras; they preach the sutras to other people; their speech is calm and careful, it is free of impediments, and they begrudge nothing. They preach the profound word of the Buddha, which they themselves practice and in which they establish themselves. Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattvas are not envious, have no doubt about what they do, eliminate sleepiness, eliminate the five desires, do not speak of their own good qualities and do not speak ill of other people. If anyone reviles them or if anyone belittles them, they should not become angry, nor should they become resentful, nor should they become remiss. Why? Because they have embarked upon the practice of emptiness. Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattvas set themselves to study this meditation and also teach it to other people. They copy this sutra, writing it on a fine length of plain silk, and perpetuate it. Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattvas' faith is considerable. They like and respect their elders and friends. With new students, if they receive a gift they should think of repaying the favor. They always have discerning faith. When they receive a small gift from another, they think of repaying it with a larger one; how much more so when [the gift] is a substantial? The bodhisattvas always delight in and respect the sutras; they discard the meanings that are not to be repeated and they always reflect on those that are to be repeated. If they are like this they master the meditation quickly.

The Buddha then recited the following verses:

They always love the Dharma, abide in deep understanding, Do not crave rebirth among any of the habitual desires, 78

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And range through the five destinies without any attachment; Those who practice in this way will master the meditation. They delight in giving without any thought of recompense; In showing kindness they are free of attachment and do not give it a second thought;

In giving, they are unaware that there is any recipient; They only wish to understand the Buddha's profound knowledge. Out of pity for beings they undertake giving; Their hearts rejoice, and they have no regrets; They are always established in giving, the precepts, patient acceptance, Energy, singlemindedness, and wisdom.

Fully endowed with the six transcendences, [the means of] attracting everyone,

And the four states of equanimity of love, compassion, joy, and circumspection,

Adept in the use of expedients, delivering beings; Those who practice in this way will master the meditation. Those who undertake giving and eliminate miserliness Give with a joyful heart,

And, after they have given, remain ever joyful; Those who practice in this way will master the meditation. They understand the sutra dharmas and analyze their phrases, They listen to the profound and essential message taught by the Buddha;

They expound the teaching of the wondrous Way and of virtue; Those who practice in this way will master the meditation. They study and recite this meditation;

Fully endowed with understanding, they preach it to others; They ensure that this sutra dharma is perpetuated; Those who practice in this way will master the meditation. They never make a secret of the Buddha's sutra dharma; They expound it without expecting offerings; 79

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They seek only the peaceful state of the Buddha's Way; Those who practice in this way will master the meditation. They eliminate attachment and discard all obstacles; They get rid of arrogance and pride;

They do not praise themselves or talk about other's shortcomings; They never again give rise to the thought of "I" and "me. "

If they possess quiescence thoughts do not arise; Then they are able to understand the wisdom of this concentration of the Way;

They discard insincerity and their minds are pure; Therefore they quickly attain the patient acceptance of nonorigination.

They always conduct themselves with the utmost honesty, open and unadorned;

They fulfill their vows entirely, without any defect; They increase all the true virtues and do no evil deed; Those who love the Dharma quickly attain the Way. They never forget the sutras that they have recited; They always preserve the precepts and purity of conduct; Those who practice in this way quickly attain buddhahood, To say nothing of obtaining this calm meditation. The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla: Formerly, innumerable eons ago, during the time of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, I heard this meditation in the presence of Dīpaṃkara Buddha and immediately took it up. I saw the innumerable buddhas of the ten quarters, heard the sutras from all of them, and retained them all. Then all the buddhas said to me,

"Innumerable eons hereafter you shall become a buddha by the name of Śākyamuni.

"

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla: Therefore I say to you: you yourself shall now attain buddhahood. You should study this meditation in order to know the inner Dharma, which 80

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is foremost, which is beyond the reach of the masses, which leaves behind all forms. Anyone who establishes themselves in this meditation will by reflection attain the Way of the Buddha. The Buddha then recited the following verses: I remember that long ago, in the time of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, I obtained this meditation;

Then I saw the innumerable buddhas of the ten quarters And heard them preach the profound and subtle message of the noble Dharma.

Just as a person of virtue goes to gather gems And straightaway gets what he hopes for, according to his wish, So too the bodhisattva, the great being,

Seeks gems in the sutras and then attains buddhahood. The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla said to the Buddha, should people cultivate this meditation?"

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla: "God among Gods, how

They should not be attached to form. They should not have any inclinations toward rebirth. They should practice emptiness. They should cultivate this meditation. What is the meditation? It is that which one should practice in accordance with these dharmas. Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, when bodhisattvas contemplate their own bodies, they have no body, nor do they contemplate anything, nor do they see anything, nor do they become attached to anything. Yet from the beginning they are not blind to anything, nor are they deaf to anything. As with the dharmas in the sutras, they continue to observe them but they see nothing, nor do they become attached to anything. They who have no attachment are those who cultivate the Way. They have no doubts with regard to the dharmas. Those who do not doubt see the buddhas. Those who see the buddhas have their doubts cut off. The dharmas do not come into existence from anywhere. Why? If bodhisattvas have a doubting thought with regard to the dharmas, then that is attachment. What is attachment? That there are for them 81

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persons, there are lives, there are virtues, there are the dark ones (the aggregates), there are the entrances (the sense fields), there are the objects (the elements), there are forms, there are the bases [of cognition], there are desires—this is attachment. Why? If bodhisattvas see the dharmas they have no attachment, they neither think of nor see these dharmas. In what way do they not see? Bodhisattvas do not see in the same way as, for example, a stupid person studying another way, who maintains there is a self because there is for him a person. In what way do bodhisattvas see? Just as, for example, the Tathāgatas, Arhats, Perfectly Awakened Ones, those who do not regress, the pratyekabuddhas, and the arhats are not happy or sad at what they see—so too bodhisattvas see without becoming happy or sad. Those who cultivate this meditation are neither happy nor sad. Just as empty space is formless, featureless, pure, and unblemished, so do bodhisattvas see the dharmas. With unobstructed vision they see the dharmas. Therefore they see the buddhas. They see the buddhas as being like a bright moon-pearl set on beryl; like the sun when it has just risen; like the moon on the fifteenth day amid all the stars; like a universal monarch with all his ministers in attendance; like the King of the Heaven of the Thirty-three [Gods], Śakra, Lord of the Gods, among all the gods; like Brahmā, King of the Gods, enthroned on high among all the Brahmā gods; like a torch blazing on the summit of a high mountain; like the King of Physicians healing the illnesses of people with medicines; like a lion going his solitary way; like all the wild geese flying through the air with their leader out in front; like the piled snow on a high mountain under the winter moon, clearly visible on all four sides; like the Adamantine Mountains, the great boundary of heaven and earth, warding off impurity; like the nether waters that support the earth; like the winds that support the water, purified of all defilements, the same as empty space; like the summit of Mount Sumeru, adorned with the Heaven of the Thirty-three [Gods]. Such are the buddhas. The buddhas' observance of the precepts, the buddhas' numinous power, and the buddhas' meritorious virtues shine most brightly in innumerable realms. In this way do these bodhisattvas see the buddhas of the ten quarters, hear the sutras, and accept them all.

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The Buddha then recited the following verses: The buddhas are immaculate and undefiled; With their host of meritorious virtues they are quite free of attachment;

Exalted [are] their powers of numinous penetration and marvelous their voices;

With the drum of the Dharma they convey the meaning and teach all the sounds.

Make offerings of all kinds of fragrant flowers To the awakened gods among gods, liberated in wisdom; With innumerable virtues present the relics With banners, canopies, and perfumes, in search of the meditation. Hear the all-marvelous Dharma and master it completely; Avoid downfall and understand quiescence; Never think discursively of, or become attached to, empty dharmas; You should aim at understanding profound and unobstructed knowledge.

Pure like the moon or sun radiating light, Resembling the god Brahmā in his original palace— Call to mind the Lords of the World with a mind that is always pure; In your thoughts be free of attachment and do not think discursively of emptiness.

Like the winter moon or snow in the high mountains, Or like the king of a state, a lord among humans, Or the pure pearl, which surpasses all gems— So should you contemplate the buddhas' marks and characteristics. Like the kings of geese in flight with their leader out in front, Or space that is pure and undefiled, So too are the buddhas, whose color is that of polished red-gold; The Buddha's sons, reflecting on them, make offerings to the Lords. Eliminate all obscurities, get rid of dimness, And then you shall quickly attain the pure meditation; 916b

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Chapter 11: Formlessness

The Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sutra

Discard all thoughts and wishes;

With immaculate conduct you shall obtain mental concentration. Be undefiled, free yourself of impurity, Get rid of anger and be without stupidity; If one's vision is clear and naturally bright One will encounter no obstruction in calling to mind the buddhas' meritorious virtues.

If one ponders the moral purity of the buddhas, Lords of the World, One's mind is free of attachment and does not long for anything; One does not see "I" or "me" or possessions, Nor is there any arising in forms and signs. If one discards birth and death and is free of all views, Gets rid of arrogance and is pure in knowledge, Avoids haughtiness and is not conceited, One hears the tranquil meditation and avoids wrong views. If any monk, son, or grandson of the Buddha, Or faithful nun, or man of pure faith, Or woman of pure faith who has done away with desire Should reflect on it or energetically study it, they will master this Dharma.

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Chapter XI

Formlessness

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla:

Any bodhisattvas who wish to study this meditation and quickly master it should first eliminate any conception of form and get rid of conceit. When they have eliminated conceptions and when they are no longer conceited, then they should study this meditation and they should not be disputatious. What is disputatiousness? It is slandering emptiness. Therefore, they should not join in disputes and they should not slander emptiness, and then they should recite this meditation. The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

For any bodhisattvas who study and recite this meditation, there are ten things in which they should establish themselves. What are the ten? First, if any other people are presented with almsbowls, robes, or clothes they are not envious. Second, they should love and respect others and show filial obedience to their seniors. Third, they should repeatedly think of repaying favors. Fourth, they do not speak falsely and avoid what is contrary to the Dharma. Fifth, they always practice mendicancy and do not accept invitations. Sixth, they should be energetic in walking up and down. Seventh, they should not go to sleep day or night. Eighth, they always wish to give gifts to the entire world, without begrudging anything or ever having regrets. Ninth, they immerse themselves deeply in wisdom and are without attachment. Tenth, they should first honor and serve their good teachers and regard them as buddhas, and only then should they recite this meditation. These are the ten things. They should accord with Dharma, and then those who act in this way will obtain eight things. What are the eight things? First, they are pure in the precepts to the very last detail. Second, they do not have anything to do with other ways and move in wisdom. Third, they are 85

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pure in wisdom, and have no further craving for rebirth. Fourth, their vision is pure and they no longer desire birth and death. Fifth, they are highly learned and free of attachment. Sixth, they are pure in energy and realize the attainment of buddhahood for themselves. Seventh, if anyone makes offerings to them they are not happy because of it. Eighth, they are truly set on supreme and perfect awakening and are not to be swayed from it. These are the eight things. The Buddha then recited the following verses: Those who possess wisdom do not give rise to conceptions, They eliminate conceit and arrogance,

Always practice patient acceptance, and are not negligent; Only then should they study this meditation. Wise people have clear minds and do not take issue with emptiness, Signlessness, and quiescence, which is nirvana; They do not slander the Dharma or take issue with the Buddha; Those who practice in this way master the meditation. Intelligent people are not conceited about this; They are ever mindful of the grace of the Buddha and of the teacher of Dharma;

They are firmly established in pure faith and their determination does not waver;

Only then should they study this meditation. In their hearts they do not harbor envy and they avoid dimness; They do not have doubts but always have faith; They should practice energetically, without getting lazy; Those who practice in this way master the meditation. Monks who study this always practice mendicancy, And do not accept invitations or go to gatherings; There is no attachment in their hearts and they do not amass anything; They who practice in this way master the meditation. If this Dharma teaching comes into people's hands And they preserve and practice this sutra text, 86

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Wholeheartedly treat them like buddhas; Afterward study and recite this meditation. Abiding in this supreme virtue and practicing sincere faith, Those who would study and recite the meditation Will speedily attain these eight dharmas, Which are pure and immaculate, and taught by the buddhas. Their purity in the precepts will be thorough, Their meditation will be flawless, and they will obtain similar views; They regard birth and death as empty and pure; Established in this Dharma, they will attain perfection. Their wisdom is pure and free of excess, Nor do those of undefiled conduct become attached; They have wide learning and deep knowledge but refrain from squandering it;

Those who succeed in practicing in this way are wise. Those who are determined and energetic do not suffer loss; They do not crave offerings or gain; They quickly attain the supreme Way of buddhahood; Those who study such virtues as these have bright knowledge. 917a

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Chapter 12: The Eighteen Exclusives and the Ten Powers

Chapter XII

The Eighteen Exclusives

and the Ten Powers

The Buddha said:

Those who obtain the above eight things will then acquire eighteen things proper to a buddha. What are the eighteen things? First, on suchand-such a day he attains buddhahood, and on such-and-such a day he enters parinirvāṇa; from the day he first attains buddhahood until the day of the parinirvāṇa,the Buddha does not suffer any difficulties. Second, he has no shortcomings. Third, he does not forget anything. Fourth, he never loses his composure. Fifth, he never has the conception of a dharma or uses the word "mine.

" Sixth, he is never incapable of accepting

things patiently. Seventh, he never lacks joy. Eighth, he never lacks energy. Ninth, he is never unreflecting. Tenth, he is never out of meditation. Eleventh, he never lacks knowledge. Twelfth, he never lacks liberated insight and knowledge. Thirteenth, with regard to the events of innumerable past ages there is never anything that can stop the Buddha's unobstructed insight and knowledge. Fourteenth, with regard to the events of innumerable future ages there is never anything that can stop the Buddha's unobstructed insight and knowledge. Fifteenth, with regard to the events of innumerable ages now, at present, in all the ten quarters, there is never anything that can stop the Buddha's unobstructed insight and knowledge. Sixteenth, the acts performed by his body have their source in wisdom and are always accompanied by wisdom. Seventeenth, the utterances made by his mouth have their source in wisdom and are always accompanied by wisdom. Eighteenth, the thoughts of his mind have their source in wisdom and are always accompanied by wisdom. Those are the eighteen things proper for a buddha. The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

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There are ten dharmas that preserve any bodhisattvas who are no longer subject to attachment, who seek the Dharma and preserve and study this meditation in its entirety. What are the ten dharmas that preserve? The ten powers of a buddha. What are the ten powers? First, he knows fully the finite and the infinite. Second, from first to last he knows everything about the past, present, and future. Third, he knows fully the purity of emancipations and concentrations. Fourth, he knows all the various types of faculties and energy and the different thoughts of others. Fifth, he knows all the various kinds of faith. Sixth, he knows all the innumerable events caused by the many kinds of transformation. Seventh, he understands all, comprehends all, and knows all. Eighth, he knows all, his vision being unobstructed. Ninth, he knows all from first to last, without limit. Tenth, he regards past, present, and future as all the same and has no preferences or attachment. The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

If any bodhisattvas preserve all the dharmas that do not originate from anywhere, those bodhisattvas obtain the ten powers of a buddha. The Buddha then recited the following verse:

The eighteen exclusive dharmas of the Fully Awakened One And the powers of the Lord of the World, of which there are now ten—

If one takes up the practice of this meditation

One will speedily attain them. It will never take long. 90

Chapter 13: Encouragement

Chapter XIII

Encouragement

The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

These bodhisattvas possess four things that help them rejoice over this meditation: "The buddhas of the past who rejoiced over this meditation and studied this sutra achieved for themselves full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening and became fully endowed with knowledge. In the same way I shall rejoice.

"

Furthermore, Bhadrapāla: "Future buddhas pursuing the way of the bodhisattva who rejoice over this meditation and study this meditation shall achieve for themselves full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening and become fully endowed with knowledge. " They all

rejoice in this way.

Furthermore, Bhadrapāla: "The innumerable buddhas of the present, in all the ten quarters, who when they originally pursued the way of the bodhisattva rejoiced over this meditation and studied this meditation have achieved for themselves full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening and have become fully endowed with knowledge. "

All those blessings from rejoicing, let them be shared with all the people of the ten quarters, down to the species that flit and wriggle, so that full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening may be attained! By means of this merit from rejoicing over this meditation let them quickly master this meditation and succeed in becoming fully awakened to supreme and perfect awakening before long!

The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

As for the merit of these bodhisattvas that is connected with the four aspects of rejoicing over this meditation, I shall give a small illustration of this. It is like a person whose life span is a hundred years, who from the moment he is born walks for a hundred years without ever resting. 91

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That person's pace exceeds that of a swift wind and he goes around the four quarters, the zenith, and the nadir. What would you say, Bhadrapāla? Would anybody be able to calculate that distance? Bhadrapāla said:

Nobody could calculate that distance, God among Gods, except for the Buddha, the disciple Śāriputra, and nonregressing bodhisattvas— they are the only ones who could calculate it. The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

Therefore I say to all bodhisattvas: if any good man or good woman were to take these realms in the four quarters, the zenith, and the nadir, the places where that person has gone, and fill them with precious gems and make an offering of them to the Buddha, that would not be as good as hearing this meditation. If any bodhisattvas hear this meditation and rejoice over these four matters, their blessings exceed those of one who makes an offering to the Buddha a hundred times over, a thousand times over, ten thousand times over, a million times over. Do you see, Bhadrapāla? Are the blessings of these bodhisattvas who rejoice not considerable? Therefore you should know: the blessings of these bodhisattvas who rejoice are extremely great. The Buddha then recited the following verses: With regard to the teaching of this sutra, They possess the four matters for rejoicing, All the past, the present,

And the future Lords of the World.

The meritorious conduct of encouragement Liberates all the ten quarters;

Even those things that flit and wriggle All attain equal awakening.

If, for example, all around here,

In the four quarters, the zenith, and the nadir, 92

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A person, once born, were to walk for a hundred years, Without stopping until the end of his life; Should one want to measure the distance, Its extent would be hard to calculate: Only the Buddha and his disciple would know, As well as nonregressing bodhisattvas. To fill it with precious gems and offer them Would not be as good as hearing this Dharma. As for the four matters for encouragement, Their blessings surpass this.

Bhadrapāla, for the time being observe these Four matters for rejoicing.

Giving, multiplied by myriads of millions, Is not equal to encouragement.

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Chapter 14: Siṃhamati Buddha

Chapter XIV

Siṃhamati Buddha

The Buddha then said to Bhadrapāla:

Long ago, in the distant past, in a time incalculable eons ago, incalculable beyond reckoning, beyond number, beyond measure, beyond limit, at that time there was a buddha by the name of Siṃhamati, Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Awakened One, Of Unequaled Numinous Power, Bringer of Peace to the World, Lord of the Sutras, and known as God among Gods in heaven and beneath it. Among the deserted places of this world this continent of Jambudvīpa was fertile, densely populated, and happy. At that time Jambudvīpa extended eighteen myriad million billion leagues from north to south and east to west. At that time there were in Jambudvīpa altogether six hundred and forty myriad city-states. At that time in Jambudvīpa there was a great city-state by the name of Bhadraṃkara, and in this city-state were sixty million people. Siṃhamati Buddha lived in this city-state. A certain universal monarch by the name of King Viśeṣagāmin went to Siṃhamati Buddha, made obeisance to that buddha, withdrew and sat down on one side. Then Siṃhamati Buddha, knowing straightaway what the king was thinking, preached this meditation to him. Hearing this meditation the king rejoiced and then sprinkled precious gems over the buddha, and in his heart he thought,

"By virtue of this merit may all the people

of the ten quarters be set at ease!" Then, following the parinirvāṇa of Siṃhamati Buddha, the universal monarch Viśeṣagāmin, after his life had come to an end, was reborn in a royal household, where he became a crown prince by the name of Brahmādatta.

At that time there was in Jambudvīpa a highly learned monk by the name of Ratna, who then preached this meditation to the four groups of disciples: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. When Crown Prince Brahmādatta heard this meditation he rejoiced; in his heart he was 95

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elated and overjoyed to hear this sutra and he sprinkled precious gems worth hundreds of millions over the monk, and in addition he made offerings of fine robes to him; he thereby conceived the intention of seeking the Way of the Buddha. Along with a thousand people, he then shaved his head and beard and became an ascetic under this monk; and then, under the monk, he sought to learn this meditation from him. Together with the thousand monks he served his teacher unremittingly for eight thousand years; only once did he get to hear this meditation from first to last. On hearing this meditation, the group of monks rejoiced over the four matters and assumed the wisdom of great learning. Thereafter, by virtue of the merit from this rejoicing, [Brahmādatta] saw sixty-eight thousand buddhas one after the other and each time, under each and every buddha, he heard this meditation, which he cultivated and studied himself and taught other people how to study as well. By virtue of the merit of this rejoicing, that man afterward became a Buddha, Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Awakened One by the name of Dṛḍhavīrya. The thousand monks subsequently attained full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening, all of them becoming Tathāgatas, Arhats, Perfectly Awakened Ones by the name of Dṛḍhaśūra, and they taught countless people to seek the Way of the Buddha. The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

What person, hearing this meditation, would not rejoice over it? What person would not study it? What person would not preach it to other people? What person would not cultivate it?"

The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

Any bodhisattvas who cultivate this meditation shall quickly attain buddhahood. Bhadrapāla, any bodhisattvas who hear of the existence of someone who possesses this meditation at a distance of twenty kilometers should, once they hear of him, immediately go in search of him and make their way to where he is. If they only hear of someone who knows of the existence of this meditation they should always seek him out; how much more should they do so if they hear of someone who is studying it? If they hear of the existence of someone who possesses 96

Fascicle Three

this meditation fifty kilometers away or two thousand kilometers distant, they should go to where he is to study it, having merely heard of someone who knows it; how much more should they do so if they hear of someone who is studying it?

The Buddha said:

If it is far away they should still always go in search of it, so how much more should they not go to look for it and study it if they hear that there is someone who possesses this meditation five or ten kilometers away?

Bhadrapāla, any bodhisattvas who, hearing of this meditation, wish to go to that place and hear and strive for this meditation, should serve their teachers for ten years or one hundred years; they should make them offerings and venerate them totally. These bodhisattvas should not be self-serving but should follow their teachers' teaching. They should always be grateful to their teachers. The Buddha said:

Therefore I tell you this: if, when bodhisattvas hear that this meditation is to be found two thousand kilometers away and they wish to go there, then even if they do not succeed in hearing this meditation, I tell you that those people, because they had the energy to go in search of it, will never again lose the Way of the Buddha and will certainly realize buddhahood for themselves. Do you see, Bhadrapāla? Bodhisattvas who hear of this meditation and want to strive for it unremittingly obtain a most exalted benefit.

The Buddha then recited the following verses:

I remember that in the past there was a tathāgata, A lord among humans called Siṃhamati.

At that time there was a king, a ruler of humans, Who went to that buddha and heard the meditation. Intently and wisely he listened to this sutra;

With incalculable joy in his heart he accepted the Dharma; 97

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918c

Then he sprinkled precious gems over him And made offerings to Siṃhamati, Lord among Humans. The thought came to him, and he exclaimed: "Here, at a future time, I myself

Will uphold the Buddha's teaching, not daring to violate it, And I shall attain this meditation!" Because of this meritorious vow, after his life had come to an end, He returned straightaway and was reborn in a royal household. Then he saw the noble monk

By the name of Ratna, whose wisdom was all-embracing. At the proper time he heard this meditation from him; Elated, he rejoiced and accepted it, And made offerings to him of many millions of fine things, Precious gems and marvelous robes, for the sake of the Way. Then with a thousand people he removed his hair and beard, Resolutely aspiring to this meditation; Simultaneously, for a full eight thousand years, They followed the monk constantly and did not forsake him. They succeeded in hearing it once, not twice, This meditation that is like the sea. Holding the volumes of the sutra, they recited and preached it; Wherever they were born they heard the meditation. Because they had accumulated this merit, They always saw the buddhas, those of great numinous power; Throughout that full eighty thousand years, Whenever they saw the buddhas they made offerings to them. They encountered sixty thousand million buddhas, And in addition made offerings to six thousand lords; Hearing the Dharma they preached, they rejoiced greatly; Afterward they saw Siṃhamati Buddha. 98

Fascicle Three

Receiving this merit, [Brahmādatta] was reborn in a royal household And saw the buddha by the name of Dṛḍhavīrya, Who taught countless millions of people And delivered all from the afflictions of birth and death. After reciting and studying this Dharma He then also saw the buddha named Dṛḍhaśūra, Whose praises were sung in heaven above and in the world; Merely by hearing the sound of the meditation he attained buddhahood—

How much more then for those who accept it, recite it, or preach it, Free of attachment in all the worlds,

Who propagate and distribute this meditation Without ever doubting or forgetting the Way of the Buddha? This meditation sutra is truly the word of the Buddha. If one hears that this sutra is to be found in a distant place One should go to hear it and receive it, for the sake of the Dharma of the Way,

One should recite it singlemindedly and not let it slip away. Even if people go in search of it but do not get to hear it, Their merit and blessings will be inexhaustible; No one could assess their virtue and righteousness, Much less that of those who do hear it and take it up. Any who aspire to this meditation

Should recall Brahmādatta of old.

Teach and uphold it and never turn back: This is what a monk who obtains the sutra should do. 99

Chapter 15: Satyanāma Buddha

Chapter XV

Satyanāma Buddha

The Buddha said:

Long ago in the past there was another buddha by the name of Satyanāma, a Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Awakened One. At that time there was a monk by the name of Varuṇa. After the parinirvāṇa of that buddha the monk was in possession of this meditation. I was then a king of the kṣatriyacaste and in a dream I heard about this meditation. On waking I went in search of the monk who possessed this meditation, and forthwith became an ascetic under him. I wished to hear this meditation just once under this monk. I served this teacher for thirty-six thousand years but because of the frequent occurrence of acts of Māra I did not once succeed in hearing it.

The Buddha said to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen: Therefore I say to you: you should quickly accept this meditation and do not forget it. Serve your teacher well and take up this meditation. Whether it takes one eon or a hundred eons or a thousand eons, do not become lazy. You should master this meditation at once. Look after your good teacher and do not forsake him. Present the teacher with food and drink, with goods, clothes, a bed and bedding, and with a thousand myriad precious gems; make offerings to the teacher without begrudging anything. If you have nothing you should go and beg for food and offer it to the teacher. You should master this meditation at once and never tire of it.

The Buddha said:

Setting aside these offerings, which are simply not worth mentioning, you should always cut off your own flesh and offer it to the good teacher; you should never begrudge him your person, much less anything else. 919a

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You should serve the good teacher just as a slave serves his master. Those who seek this meditation should know this. Having mastered this meditation they should hold fast to it and always be grateful to their teachers.

The Buddha said:

This meditation is difficult to meet with. Even if one were to seek this meditation for a hundred million eons, wishing only to hear its name, one might not be able to hear it, much less study it or teach it to others in turn. If one filled with precious gems as many buddha fields as there are grains of sand on the banks of the Ganges and made a gift of them, wouldn't the blessings from this be considerable? Yet it would not compare with copying this meditation or preserving the volumes of the sutra, the blessings of which would be extensive beyond computation. The Buddha then recited the following verses: I myself remember how, in a past age,

For years whose number reached a full sixty thousand, I always followed a teacher of Dharma, without forsaking him, Yet from the first I did not succeed in hearing this meditation. There was a buddha whose name was Satyanāma, Who then knew a monk called Varuṇa;

After the nirvana of that buddha, Lord of the World, The monk always kept this meditation.

Then I was a king, of princely stock;

In a dream I heard of this meditation:

"The monk Varuṇa has this sutra;

You, O King, should accept this mental concentration from him. "

When I awoke from the dream I went in search of him And straightaway met the monk who held the meditation. I then cut off my hair and beard, became an ascetic, And studied for eight thousand years in order to be able to hear it just one time.

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For years whose number reached a full eighty thousand, I made offerings to and served this monk; At the time conditions due to [acts of Māra] frequently arose, And from the first I never once heard it. Therefore, monks and nuns,

Men and women of pure faith,

I commit this sutra dharma to you.

When you hear this meditation quickly take it up! Always honor the teacher who practices and keeps this Dharma Unremittingly for an entire eon;

For the sake of the Way, do not regard a thousand million years as a hardship;

You shall succeed in hearing this Dharma, this meditation. Robes and beds by the millions,

And food that the monk begs from house to house— Make offerings of these to the teacher of Dharma; If you makes such efforts you will master the meditation. Whatever lamps, food, and drink you may obtain, Gold, silver, and precious gems—offer them all. If you would cut off your own flesh To make an offering of it, how much more so [should you offer] food and drink?

When an intelligent person obtains the Dharma he quickly takes it up, He accepts and studies the sutra volumes repeatedly. This meditation is difficult to find; For millions and billions of eons you should constantly seek it. Wherever you circulate listen to this Dharma; You should disclose it widely to students; Even if for a thousand million billion eons One were to look for this meditation, it is difficult to hear. 103

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If worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges Were filled with precious gems and used as a gift, And if someone accepted one verse of this and preached it, The merit of that reverent recitation would exceed that of the former [offering].

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Chapter 16: The Seal of the Buddha

Chapter XVI

The Seal of the Buddha

Thereupon the Buddha said to Bhadrapāla:

Any bodhisattvas who hear this meditation should, when they hear it, rejoice over it and study it. Having studied it, they should, by means of the Buddha's numinous power, cause others to study it. They should make a fine copy of this meditation on plain silk, obtain the seal of the Buddha and seal it, and make offerings to it properly. What is the seal of the Buddha? It is, namely, that which cannot act, is without craving, without desires, without conceptual thoughts, without attachment, without aspirations, without rebirth, without preferences, birthless, nonexistent, non-grasping, non-caring, nonabiding, unobstructed, nonexistent, unbound, exhausted of what exists, exhausted of desires, not produced from anywhere, imperishable, indestructible, ineradicable, the essence of the Way, and the root of the Way. As to this seal, the arhats and the pratyekabuddhas cannot destroy it, cannot ruin it, and cannot impair it. Fools then doubt this seal. This seal is the seal of the Buddha.

"

The Buddha said:

Just now, as I have been preaching this meditation, eighteen hundred million gods, asuras, dragons, and human beings have all attained the way of the stream-enterer (srotāpanna), eight hundred monks have all attained the way of the arhat, five hundred nuns have all attained the way of the arhat, ten thousand bodhisattvas have all mastered this meditation, and all have attained happiness in dharmas that are not produced from anywhere and have established themselves in it; and twelve thousand bodhisattvas will never regress. The Buddha spoke to Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, the monk Ānanda, the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattva Ratnākara, the bodhisattva 916b6

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919c

Guha gupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva Susīma, the bodhisattva Mahā susārthavāha, the bodhisattva Indradatta, and the bodhisattva Varuṇa deva.

The Buddha said:

I, who have for innumerable eons been seeking the Way of the Buddha, and who have now attained buddhahood, commit this sutra to you. Study it, recite it, preserve it, cultivate it, and do not forget it. Bhadrapāla, any bodhisattvas who study this meditation should all study it calmly and carefully. If they wish to hear it, they should hear it all. If they preach it to other people, they should preach it all. When the Buddha had preached the sutra, the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla and the others, Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, the monk Ānanda and the others, as well as the gods, asuras, dragons, spirits, and human beings, all rejoiced greatly, came forward to make obeisance to the Buddha, and departed. End of Fascicle Three of the

Pratyutpanna-samādhi-sūtra

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Notes

1 On the assumption that large combination numbers of this type are not intended to be mathematically precise, the following formal equivalents are used in this translation to avoid excessive clumsiness: "myriad" for the Chinese wan(ten thousand), "million"

for the Chinese yi(either one hundred thousand or one hundred million) or the Sanskrit koṭi(strictly, ten million), and "billion" for the Sanskrit nayuta(usually one hundred thousand million).

2 An alternative translation is "not wishing to hear that by means of which animals come to be born.

" This is possibly Lokakṣema's gloss on what is known in Pāli as tiracchāna-kathā,

"animal talk,

" i.e., low or vulgar conversation or gossip about

worldly matters.

3 An alternative translation is "[Regarding] all the buddhas as one; in one's thinking (or mindfulness) entering a state of freedom from obstruction. " All versions are rather

obscure at this point.

4 To clarify the meaning of the text at this point, we could say that the Buddha preaches the Dharma of the indestructability or imperishability of form (or matter), the other four skandhas or constituents of existence, and so on. These components of our experience are indestructible insofar as they are unproduced in the first place, being empty of essence. The notion of imperishability appears to have been quite an important theme in a number of Mahayana sutras.

5 The Chinese word changjimeans literally "singing girl" or "prostitute, " but this can

hardly have been the original sense. One must assume that singing or vocal music is what Lokakṣema had in mind here.

6 The text is obscure. An alternative rendering—seeing a possible echo from the Dao de jing—is "Do not seek anything in your practice and there will be nothing that is not sought.

"

7 Throughout this chapter and elsewhere in this and other translations, Lokakṣema uses both huanxi("to rejoice") or zhu[qi]huanxi("to help [one] to rejoice") and quanzhu ("to encourage") to convey the various nuances of the concept of anumodanā, the act of sympathetic rejoicing, thanksgiving, or applause that is instrumental in ritual operations designed to transfer or redirect merit.

107

THE ŚŪRAṄGAMA SAMĀDHI SUTRA

Translator’s Introduction

Translator's Introduction

The Śūraṅgama-samādhi-sūtra is an exquisite religious scripture. One of the most profound of all Mahayana texts, it depicts a vision of Buddhism that is thoroughly transcendent and at the same time uniquely humanistic. Here Śākyamuni Buddha is no mere historical personage but the one eternal cosmic buddha who is the source of all other buddhas. The Dharma Śākyamuni teaches is the śūraṅgama samādhi, the meditative concentration of the "heroic march" to buddhahood, which is presented in overwhelmingly lavish terms as the very key to the enlightenment of the buddhas and all their awesome spiritual power. And the prize that awaits those who practice and achieve mastery of this incredible samādhiis not merely enlightenment in individual terms, but the unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment of buddhahood itself. Indeed, this text implies it would be impossible to remain in any Hinayanist state of enlightened extinction, since the śūraṅgama samādhi even gives the Buddha the power to recall the pratyekabuddhas (those who are enlightened by their own efforts and who pass into nirvana without teaching others) and arhats (those who complete the entire Hinayana path to achieve total nirvanic extinction) from their religious comas to achieve perfect buddhahood.

The text is classically Mahayana in format and structure. It begins with a grand assembly on Mount Gṛdhrakūta (Vulture Peak), where the Buddha is surrounded by great numbers of bhikṣus, bodhisattvas, and other beings. The dialogue begins with a question by a bodhisattva named Resolute Mind (one of several figures who appear here that are not known in other texts), then proceeds involving a number of participants, including bodhisattvas, śrāvakas (the human disciples of the Buddha identified with the Hinayana path), and gods and goddesses. It also uses several different supernatural manifestations, such as the simultaneous offering of innumerable elaborate chairs for the Buddha by all the most highly ranked gods present, the appearance of Māra bound hand and foot and unable at first to attend the preaching of the sutra, and the manifestation of the palaces of Māra and innumerable Indra gods. The grand climax of all of this 111

The Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sutra

is the Buddha's manifestation of all the innumerable buddhas of the ten directions, shining with light and surrounded by their assemblies, who then offer flowers to form canopies over the heads of the buddhas, first Śākyamuni and then all the others. This magnificent epiphany is presented as part of a dramatic hesitation toward the end of the dialogue, when some of the bodhisattvas in Śākyamuni's assembly become discouraged by the apparent difficulty of the path to buddhahood being described. Finally, there is the charge to Ānanda to preach the sutra, which is also carried up by one of the many Indra kings who appear in the text. The incomparable merits of copying, reciting, and teaching the sutra are extolled and, as the scene closes, countless numbers of sentient beings generate bodhicitta, the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment, eighteen thousand bodhisattvas attain the śūraṅgama samādhi, an equal number of bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs (monks and nuns) attain arhatship, and even greater numbers of laypeople and gods attain different levels of understanding. From the very beginning of the dialogue it is apparent that this sutra (or, rather, its anonymous author) grapples with a fundamental problem faced by practitioners of the Mahayana: how to account for the apparently dismal spiritual fates of Hinayanist practitioners, the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and arhats. Resolute Mind Bodhisattva's opening question concerns whether or not there exists a samādhithat causes bodhisattvas to rapidly achieve perfect enlightenment, while at the same time allowing beings of lesser aspirations to practice successfully according to their own understanding even as they proceed along the Mahayana path. We learn that this is indeed one of the cardinal attributes of the śūraṅgama samādhi, so that those who appear to practice and even believe themselves to be practicing the so-called Hinayana path will actually achieve buddhahood according to the Mahayana at some point in the future. Even more, as the text proceeds we learn that the śūraṅgama samādhiallows many enlightened beings to manifest themselves in any number of worldly shapes for the purpose of teaching sentient beings, so that gods, kings, monks, and laypeople may actually be forms taken by the enlightened for salvific purposes. The ultimate variation on this theme is the information given toward the end of the scripture that Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva was actually a perfectly enlightened buddha (his name and the particulars of his true identity are given) who had manifested himself as a pratyekabuddha in thirty-six billion different lifetimes in order to teach sentient beings.

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Translator's Introduction

This is a magnificent contradiction of the Buddhist doctrinal convention— explicitly refuted in the text—that entry into nirvana as a pratyekabuddha or arhat represents a spiritual dead-end, a total extinction from which one cannot return. (The discouragement felt by some of the Buddha's listeners at the end of the text, mentioned above, is actually that they might have to labor mightily to achieve the śūraṅgama samādhi yet still get sidetracked into a lesser enlightenment.) This text simply cannot allow the Hinayana follower to remain in such a spiritual void, and it does not stop with merely saying that they are to be retrieved from their extinctions but goes on to describe a religious world in which personal identity may be adopted and manifested at will for teaching purposes. Given such thoroughgoing fluidity of identity, the earlier doctrinal conventions about the distinctiveness and irreversibility of different spiritual paths are not only rejected but thoroughly transformed.

There are several other noteworthy themes present in this sutra. The existence of innumerable other buddha lands is basic to the philosophy of the scripture, since bodhisattvas have to worship other buddhas in order to achieve their own buddhahood. Several other buddha lands are mentioned by name and described, although the only one known widely from other sources is the Wondrous Joy world of Akṣobhya Buddha. It is especially interesting to note, then, that Amitābha/Amitāyus and his land of Sukhāvatī are unmentioned. Great significance is also placed on the Buddha's bestowal of the prediction of future buddhahood throughout the text, and even Māra—before he has even sincerely generated bodhicitta—receives such a prediction.

Offerings are extremely important in this text and seem to receive greater weight than other forms of religious praxis. The spiritual identity and fate of women is touched on in a couple of the scripture's anecdotes, in particular regarding two hundred goddesses introduced as attendants to Māra, who are revealed by the Buddha to have already "planted good roots" under five hundred buddhas in the past. The Buddha goes on to predict that they will make offerings to innumerable buddhas in the future and after seven hundred eons will themselves achieve buddhahood. Although the Buddha states that their next lifetimes will be as human females serving the future buddha Maitreya, their transformation into male form, which is often given as a prerequisite to attaining enlightenment, is never explicitly mentioned.

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All of these features are of secondary importance to the religious significance of the śūraṅgama samādhi itself. What are we to make of this incredible and spectacular concentration? Indeed, the explanation of the śūraṅgama samādhi is so conceptually abstruse that it amounts to an encapsulation of the entirety of the Mahayana Buddhist path. The description of how one learns it begins with a common simile for meditation practice, the progressive training in archery whereby one becomes skillful enough to hit even small targets. Following this, the practitioner is told to study a sequence that proceeds rapidly through the mind of ecstasy, the profound mind, great sympathy, great compassion, and so forth, through the five supernatural "penetrations" and the six Mahayana perfections, so that he or she achieves forbearance of the birthlessness of dharmas and thus receives a prediction of buddhahood. At this point, the practitioner is at the eighth bodhisattva stage but it is only at the tenth stage that he or she will be able to attain the śūraṅgama samādhi. This is compared to perfect mastery of archery, in which one can consistently hit targets that are smaller than a single hair. No doubt some of the Buddha's listeners became discouraged! Presumably, one way to approach this mind-boggling complexity is to consider it as a vehicle for the transmission of ideas about emptiness (śūnyatā) and the subtle profundity of the bodhisattva ideal. Here I can do no better than to let the reader experience the text directly and imbibe of its inestimable spiritual power. 114

The Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sutra Preached by the Buddha Translated by the Kuchean Tripiṭaka Master Kumārajīva during the Later Qin

Fascicle I

Fascicle One

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was on Mount Gdṛhrakūta near Rājagṛha, with thirty-two thousand great bhikṣus in attendance. There were also seventy-two thousand bodhisattva mahāsattvas there who were known to the assembly and who had mastered dhāraṇī, were accomplished in the discrimination [of spiritual matters], and took unlimited pleasure in preaching [the Dharma]. They resided in samādhi without any vacillation, well comprehended the inexhaustible wisdoms, had achieved profound forbearance of [the inherent birthlessness of] all dharmas, had attained profound insight into the Dharma, and had completed all the training that there is to be undertaken in all the excellent dharmas during all the limitless and innumerable eons. They had subjugated the hordes of demons (māras) and had vanquished their enemies. They had incorporated within themselves that which is most honored and had ornamented and purified the buddha lands. They possessed great compassion, had ornamented their bodies with the various marks [of enlightened beings], and had with great effort attained the other shore [of nirvana]. Well did they know all the verbal expedient means [of teaching], and their practice of ceremonial deportment was complete and pure. They all had achieved residence in the three emancipations and had penetrated the three periods of time with their unhindered wisdom. They had generated the determination not to abandon all [sentient beings], remembered the purport of the doctrines, and possessed the tolerant forbearance of wisdom. Such was the virtue of all these bodhisattvas.

Their names were Turns the Wheel of the Dharma without Regressing Bodhisattva, Generating the Intention [to Achieve Enlightenment] That Constitutes Turning the Wheel of the Dharma Bodhisattva, Turns the Wheel of the Dharma without Hindrance Bodhisattva, Purity That Transcends Defilement Bodhisattva, Obstructions Eradicated Bodhisattva, Manifests Pure Deportment and Perceives All with Loving Joy Bodhisattva, Mind of a Wondrous and Dignified King Bodhisattva, Does Not Delude All Sentient Beings Bodhisattva, Mind Like an Ocean of Unlimited Merit Bodhisattva, Senses Always Composed and Not Disordered Bodhisattva, True Sound Bodhisattva, 629b14

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629c

Praised by All the Gods Bodhisattva, Autonomous King of Dhāraṇī Bodhisattva, Ornamented with Discernment Bodhisattva, Dharma Prince Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, King of Mount Sumeru Bodhisattva, Pure Mind of the Ocean of Virtues and Treasured Dignity Bodhisattva, Greatly Dignified and Pure Bodhisattva, Great Characteristic Bodhisattva, Characteristic of Refulgence Bodhisattva, Pure Mind Bodhisattva, Joyous King Bodhisattva, Resolute Energy Bodhisattva, and Resolute Mind Bodhisattva. There were seventy-two thousand such bodhisattva mahāsattvas, plus all the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings of the great trichiliocosm, as well as gods (devas), dragons (nāgas), yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, both human and nonhuman beings. All those who were recognized by the congregation, who had planted many types of good roots, and who took joy in the Mahayana had come to the assembly.

At that time, while in the great assembly Resolute Mind Bodhisattva had the following thought:

I should now ask the Tathāgata [about the Dharma]. By such inquiries will I protect the seed of the Buddha, the seed of the Dharma, and the seed of the Sangha. By rendering the palaces of the demons invisible and subjugating [all] those with great arrogance, those who have not yet planted good roots [for spiritual growth] will be made to do so now. Those who have planted good roots will have them made to grow. Anyone who has not yet generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment [on behalf of all sentient beings] (bodhicitta) will be induced to do so now. Those who have already generated this intention should not be allowed to regress. Those who have not regressed should be made to attain rapidly unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment. Those who presume to possess some [degree of] attainment and who are mired (lit., "reside") in ascriptive views should all

generate an attitude of detachment [from such views]. Those who take pleasure in the lesser Dharma (the Hinayana) should be made not to doubt the great Dharma (the Mahayana.) Those who take pleasure in the great Dharma should be inspired to generate joy. 118

Fascicle One

After thinking thus, [Resolute Mind Bodhisattva] arose from his seat, arranged his robe over his right shoulder, and knelt with his right knee to the ground. Holding his palms together [in añjali-mudrā], he addressed the Buddha,

"O World-honored One, I would like to ask a few questions regarding the Tathāgata's teaching. I beseech you to hear my inquiries. "

The Buddha told Resolute Mind,

"I will answer your questions in a way

that will give you joy [in the Dharma].

"

Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then said to the Buddha: O World-honored One, is there a samādhithat can cause bodhisattvas to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment rapidly; that allows one always to see the buddhas face to face; that allows one to illuminate all the ten directions with [great] brilliance; that gives one an autonomous mastery of wisdom (hui) by which the demons may be destroyed; and that allows one to achieve an autonomous mastery of wisdom (zhi), to attain spontaneous wisdom (ziran zhi), and to attain birthless wisdom, which cannot be attained from any other source? Its uninterruptible [power of] discernment should allow one to achieve the bases of supernormal power and limitless rebirths. Those who would take pleasure in being śrāvakas (Hinayana followers) will be shown the vehicle of the śrāvaka; those who would take pleasure in being pratyekabuddhas will be shown the vehicle of the pratyekabuddha; and those who would take pleasure in the Great Vehicle will be shown the Mahayana. They will penetrate the Dharma of the śrāvaka but will not enter the path of the śrāvaka;they will penetrate the Dharma of the pratyekabuddhabut will not enter the path of the pratyekabuddha; they will penetrate the Dharma of the buddhas but will not proceed to ultimate and final extinction. While manifesting the form and deportment of śrāvakas, within themselves they will not depart from their intention to achieve buddhahood; while manifesting the form and deportment of pratyekabuddhas, within themselves they will not depart from the great compassion of the buddhas. Using the phantasmagorical power of samādhithey will manifest the form and deportment of tathāgatas. Using the power of their good roots they will manifest themselves residing in Tuṣita Heaven, receiving their final bodies, entering into 119

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wombs, being born, leaving home, and sitting in the places of enlightenment (Skt. bodhimaṇḍa) of buddhas. Using the power of their profound wisdom they will manifest the turning of the wheel of the Dharma; with the power of their expedient means they will manifest entry into nirvana; with the power of samādhi they will manifest the distribution of relics (Skt. śarīra); and with the power of their original vows they will manifest the final extinction of [all the multifarious] dharmas [of their personal existence]. Although it shall be so, O Worldhonored One, what samādhi should bodhisattvas practice in order to manifest these meritorious affairs without actually entering into ultimate nirvana?

The Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva:

Excellent, excellent! O Resolute Mind, that you can ask the Tathāgata such a question indicates that you can greatly benefit and comfort sentient beings, that you have compassion for the world, and that you will aid gods and humans. A bodhisattva is to be of benefit [to others] in both the present and the future. You should realize that to have such profound good roots you must have made offerings to and associated intimately with limitless hundreds and thousands and hundred-millions of buddhas in the past. You have practiced all the paths and subjugated the enemies; you have attained autonomous mastery of wisdom in the Dharma of the buddhas; you have taught and protected the assemblies of bodhisattvas; and you already know the Dharma treasure of all the buddhas. In the past you have engaged in dialogue before buddhas as limitless as the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River. O Resolute Mind, in the present assembly I see no dragon, yakṣa, gandharva, śrāvaka,or pratyekabuddhathat is able to ask such a question. Only those of great adornment [of the path] such as yourself are able to formulate questions such as this. You should now listen clearly and think well on this, for I will now explain for you how the bodhisattvas accomplish their samādhi so as to achieve merits even greater than those you describe. Resolute Mind said to the Buddha,

teaching].

"

"I beseech you to let us hear [this

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The Buddha said to Resolute Mind:

There is a samādhi by the name of śūraṅgama ("heroic march"). All bodhisattvas who achieve this samādhi will, as you have described, be able to manifest parinirvāṇawithout undergoing permanent extinction. They will be able to manifest the various forms without destroying the characteristics of form. They will be able to wander throughout all the buddha lands without any discrimination with regard to those lands. They will all be able to meet all the buddhas but without discrimination with regard to the universally equivalent (bingdeng; Skt. samatā) essence of the Dharma (faxing; dharmatā). They will manifest universal accomplishment of all the practices but will well realize the purity of those practices. They will be the very highest of those most honored by gods and humans but they will be without any self-conceit, pride, or laxity. They will manifest autonomous mastery of all the demonic powers but will not depend on demonic practices. They will practice throughout the triple realm (the realms of desire, form, and formlessness) but will lack any vacillation with regard to the characteristics of dharmas. They will manifest rebirth in all the various modes of existence but will not discriminate with regard to the characteristics of those modes. They will be skilled in the explanation of all the phrases of the Dharma and will be able to reveal their meanings in words, but they will realize that words have (lit.,

"enter into") the characteristic of universal equivalence and will have no discrimination with regard to words. They will always remain in meditation as they manifest their teachings to sentient beings. They will practice total forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas but preach that all dharmas have the characteristics of generation and extinction. They will walk alone, without fear, like lions.

At that time all the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings and everyone else in the great assembly had the following thought: We have never before heard even the name of this samādhi;how could we have ever heard an explanation of its meaning? Now we can see the Buddha and will joyfully receive good [spiritual] benefit through 121

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hearing him preach the name of the śūraṅgama samādhi.If a good man or woman seeking the enlightenment of buddhahood were to hear the doctrine of the śūraṅgama samādhiand understand and accept it without doubt, then he or she would certainly never regress on the path to enlightenment. How much more so for those who accept it, maintain it, and recite it, and who teach it to others and practice it as it has been taught! At that time the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings all had the following thought:

I will now prepare for the Buddha a lion seat, a seat of the true Dharma, a seat for the most exalted of persons, a great ornamented seat, a great seat for the turning of the wheel of the Dharma, so that the Tathāgata can preach the śūraṅgama samādhi on this seat prepared by me. Every one of them had the same thought, each thinking that he was the only one who was able to prepare the lion seat for the Tathāgata and that the others were unable to do so. At that time the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings each prepared a lion seat for the Tathāgata, ornamenting it in purity and making it correct and high, draping the top with robes made with immeasurable treasures, each of them covering the seat with canopies made with many wondrous treasures. There were also handrails made with various precious things. To the right and left of each seat were matching rows of innumerable precious trees with intertwined leaves and branches. From these hung canopies that spread out together into a great cover made of treasures. From ropes made of various treasures hung many precious bells. Many types of wondrous flowers were scattered around the top of the seat, and a mixture of incense from the heavens was burning, adding its fragrance. A profusion of light gleamed from the gold, silver, and many precious things; none of the many types of pure and beautiful things were lacking. In the space of an instant there appeared before the Tathāgata eighty-four thousand billion nayutas of such precious lion seats, and none of them interfered with any of the other seats in the assembly. Each individual god was unable to see the other seats and thought,

"I alone have prepared

the lion seat for the Buddha. The Buddha will now preach the śūraṅgama samādhion the seat I have prepared for him.

"

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At that time the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings, having finished preparing the seats, each addressed the Buddha, "I

beg the Tathāgata to sit upon the seat I have prepared and preach the śūraṅ gama samādhi. "

The World-honored One then manifested his great supernormal power and sat upon all the eighty-four thousand billion nayutas of lion seats, so that each and every god saw the Buddha sitting on the seat that he had prepared, and they did not see the other seats. One of the Indra gods said to the others, "See

the Tathāgata sitting upon the seat I have prepared. " Then all the Indra gods,

Brahmā gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings said to each other, "See

the Tathāgata sitting upon the seat I have prepared. " One Indra said,

"The

Tathāgata is now sitting on the seat I have prepared, not on yours. "

At that time the Tathāgata, wishing to help the many Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world protecting-heavenly kings overcome their karmic bonds from the past (lit.,

"save them from past conditions"), wishing to manifest a small part of the power of the śūraṅgama samādhi,and in order to generate the practice of the Mahayana, made everyone in the assembly see that the Tathāgata was sitting on all of the eighty-four thousand billion nayutas of precious lion seats. Everyone in the assembly experienced great joy such as they had never felt before and they all arose from their seats, joined their hands, and worshiped the Buddha, saying,

"Excellent, O World-honored

One! Your supernormal abilities are immeasurable! You have allowed the many gods to fulfill their desires!"

Seeing the Buddha's divine power, the gods who had prepared seats for the Tathāgata all generated the aspiration to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment on behalf of all sentient beings. In unison, they said to the Buddha:

O World-honored One, we have now generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment on behalf of all sentient beings in order to make an offering to the Tathāgata, to eradicate all the afflictions of sentient beings, to protect the true Dharma, and to prevent the Buddha's seed from being eradicated. We wish to be able to exercise such supernormal powers of a buddha in the future, to be able to perform transformations such as the Tathāgata has now done. 123

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The Buddha then praised the gods, saying:

Excellent, excellent! As you have said, out of the wish to benefit all sentient beings, you have now generated the aspiration to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment. This is the highest offering that can be made to the Tathāgata.

At that time there was a Brahmā king within the assembly named Equivalent Practice, who addressed the Buddha, "O World-honored One, which

tathāgata is the real one, the one on the seat I have prepared, or one on another seat?"

The Buddha told Equivalent Practice:

All the dharmas are empty, like phantasms, and only exist in conjunction with each other. They have no creator but arise entirely due to the discrimination of conceptual thought. Because there is no master [of consciousness the myriad dharmas] appear according to one's thoughts. All the tathāgatas are real.

What is real? All these tathāgatas are fundamentally not born and so they are real. All these tathāgatas will not cease to exist in the future and so they are real. These tathāgatas are not collocations of the four elements and so they are real. Nor are they collocations of the skandhas, āyatanas, and dhātus and so they are real. There are no differentiations of first, middle, and last between these tathāgatas and so they are real. O Brahmā king, these tathāgatas are without differentiation. Why? The form [skandhas] of these tathāgatas are suchlike; hence they are equivalent. The feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness [skandhas] of these tathāgatas are suchlike; hence they are equivalent. Because of these reasons they are equivalent. The pasts of these tathāgatas are suchlike; hence they are equivalent. Their futures are suchlike; hence they are equivalent. Their presents are suchlike; hence they are equivalent. Being like phantasmagorical dharmas, they are equivalent. Being like shadow dharmas, they are equivalent. Being dharmas that cannot exist they are equivalent. Having nowhere that they came from and nowhere that they go to, they are equivalent. For these reasons these tathāgatas are called equivalent. Just as all dharmas are equivalent, 124

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so are all these tathāgatas. Just as all sentient beings are equivalent, so are all these tathāgatas. Just as the buddhas of all the worlds are equivalent, so are all these tathāgatas. Just as all the worlds are equivalent, so are all these tathāgatas. For these reasons the buddhas are called equivalent. O Brahmā king, these tathāgatas are nothing more than the suchness of all the dharmas and so they are called equivalent. You should realize, Brahmā king, that the Tathāgata knows all the myriad dharmas to be equivalent and for this reason the Tathāgata is called equivalent with regard to all the myriad dharmas.

The Brahmā king Equivalent Practice said to the Buddha: This is unprecedented, O World-honored One! Having attained the equivalence of all the dharmas, the Tathāgata manifests it to sentient beings by means of these wondrous form bodies.

The Buddha said:

Brahmā king, all this has been accomplished through the power of my fundamental practice of the śūraṅgama samādhi.It is thus that the Tathāgata has attained the equivalence of all dharmas and has used these wondrous form bodies to manifest [this teaching] to sentient beings. When the Tathāgata explained this Dharma, the Brahmā king Equivalent Practice and ten thousand Brahmā gods all achieved a pliant forbearance of all the dharmas. The Tathāgata then reined in his divine power and the many buddhas and seats all disappeared, so that the entire assembly saw only one buddha.

At that time the Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva: The śūraṅgama samādhicannot be attained by bodhisattvas of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth stages. Only bodhisattvas who are in the tenth stage can attain this śūraṅgama samādhi. What is the śūraṅgama samādhi? (1) It is to cultivate the mind as if it were like space. (2) It is to observe the present mental states (xin) of sentient beings. (3) It is to discriminate the inherent abilities of sentient beings. (4) It is to comprehend the causes and results 125

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of sentient beings definitively. (5) It is to know that there is no karmic retribution within the various karmas. (6) It is to enter the various types of desire, without forgetting after entering. (7) It is to know firsthand the various types of natures. (8) It is always to be able to disport in the flower sound samādhi,to be able to demonstrate to sentient beings the adamantine mind samādhi, and to have autonomous mastery of all samādhis at will. (9) It is to see universally all the paths that beings traverse. (10) It is to attain unhindered knowledge of past karma. (11) It is for one's divine eye to be unobstructed. (12) It is to attain extinction of the outflows and not to realize any improper occasion. (13) It is to attain the wisdom of equivalent entry into both form and the formless. (14) It is to manifest disportment in all of form. (15) It is to understand all sounds to resemble the characteristics of echoes. (16) It is to enter directly into the wisdom of mindfulness. (17) It is to make sentient beings happy with excellent speech. (18) It is to preach the Dharma according to the occasion. (19) It is to understand the proper and improper times.

(20) It is to be able to transform the various roots. (21) It is to preach the Dharma without falsehood. (22) It is to enter directly into the true. (23) It is to be able to subjugate well the [different] classes of sentient beings. (24) It is to be sufficient in all the perfections. (25) It is to be without differentiation in one's deportment of going and stopping. (26) It is to destroy the various types of rational thought and false discrimination. (27) It is to exhaust the limits of the dharmanatures without destroying them. (28) It is to manifest bodies in the locations of all the buddhas simultaneously. (29) It is to be able to maintain all the dharmas preached by the Buddha.

(30) It is to create physical manifestations autonomously, like shadows, throughout all the worlds. (31) It is to preach well the vehicles for saving sentient beings and to protect the Triple Jewel always and unceasingly. (32) It is to generate great ornamentation throughout the entire future without one's mind ever having the thought of fatigue. (33) It is always to be able to manifest bodies in all the places where [sentient beings] are born, without ceasing at any time. (34) It is to manifest activities wherever one is born. (35) It is to be able to fulfill 126

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well [the roles of] all sentient beings. (36) It is to be able to understand all sentient beings well. (37) It is for the teachings of the two [Hinayana] vehicles to be immeasurable. (38) It is to be able to well and completely know the myriad sounds. (39) It is to be able to cause all the myriad dharmas to flourish brightly.

(40) It is to be able to make one eon be immeasurable eons. (41) It is to be able to make immeasurable eons be a single eon. (42) It is to be able to cause a single country to enter into an immeasurable number of countries. (43) It is to be able to cause an immeasurable number of countries to enter into a single country. (44) It is for limitless buddha realms to enter into a single pore. (45) It is to manifest the entrance of all sentient beings into a single body. (46) It is to comprehend that the various buddha lands are the same, like space. (47) It is for one's body to be able to pervade throughout the remainderless buddha lands. (48) It is to cause all bodies to enter into the dharma-natures and to cause there to be no bodies at all. (49) It is to penetrate the characterlessness of all the dharma-natures.

(50) It is to be able to well comprehend all the expedient means. (51) It is to be able to penetrate all the dharma-natures with the one sound of the teaching. (52) It is to be able to expound on a single phrase of the Dharma for a countless number of immeasurable eons. (53) It is to contemplate well the differences among all the teachings. (54) It is to preach the Dharma knowing well [the occurrence of] agreement and difference [and the need for] abbreviation and dilution. (55) It is to know well how to pass beyond all the demonic ways. (56) It is to issue forth the refulgence of the great wisdom of expedient means. (57) It is to have wisdom as the primary [characteristic] of one's actions of body, speech, and mind. (58) It is to have supernormal powers always immediately available without [intentionally] practicing them. (59) It is to use the four unhindered wisdoms to make all sentient beings happy. (60) It is to manifest the power of the supernormal abilities to penetrate all the dharma-natures. (61) It is to be able to use dharmas of collocation to universally attract (she,lit.,

"collocate"] sentient beings

[to the Dharma]. (62) It is to understand the languages of sentient beings in all the various worlds. (63) It is to have no doubts with regard 127

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to the phantasmagorical dharmas. (64) It is to be able to maintain autonomous [freedom of action] throughout all the places of birth (or generation). (65) It is to be without want for anything one needs. (66) It is to manifest oneself to all sentient beings autonomously. (67) It is [to understand] both good and evil to be identical to the fields of blessing. (68) It is to attain entry into all the secret dharmas of the bodhisattvas. (69) It is always to issue forth a brilliant illumination throughout the remainderless worlds.

(70) It is for one's wisdom to be immeasurably profound. (71) It is for one's mind to be like earth, water, fire, and wind. (72) It is to turn well the wheel of the Dharma using the words and phrases of all the [individual] dharmas. (73) It is to be at the stage of a tathāgata without obstruction. (74) It is to attain spontaneously the forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas. (75) It is to attain the real mind, which cannot be defiled by the impurities of the various afflictions. (76) It is to [be able to] cause all water to enter into a single pore without interfering with the nature of the water itself. (77) It is to cultivate and accumulate the immeasurable blessed and meritorious good roots. (78) It is to know well all the expedient means for the transference [of religious merit to others]. (79) It is to be able to [perform] transformations well and to undertake universally all the practices of a bodhisattva. (80) It is to have peace in one's mind about all the dharmas of the Buddha. (81) It is to have already transcended the body [generated from] one's own karma. (82) It is to be able to enter into the secret Dharma stores of the buddhas. (83) It is to manifest disporting at will in the various desires. (84) It is to hear immeasurable dharmas and to maintain them sufficiently. (85) It is to seek all the dharmas without any feeling of satiation. (86) It is to be in accord with worldly conventions without being defiled thereby. (87) It is to preach the Dharma for people for immeasurable eons such that they all think [the time passed as if it were the interval] from morning to the [noon] meal. (88) It is to manifest various types of illness, lameness, deafness, blindness, and dumbness in order to save sentient beings. (89) It is to have a hundred thousand invisible vajra warriors always serving and protecting one. 128

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(90) It is to be able to contemplate naturally the enlightenment of the buddhas. (91) It is to be able to manifest in a single moment of thought a life span of immeasurable countless eons. (92) It is to manifest all the elements of deportment within the two [Hinayana] vehicles without internally dispensing with the practices of a bodhisattva. (93) It is for one's mind to be well serene, empty, and without characteristics. (94) It is to manifest pleasure in the various amusements without internally dispensing with the samādhi of the remembrance of the Buddha (nianfo sanmei). (95) It is to be able to create innumerable sentient beings that may be seen, heard, or touched without disappearing. (96) It is to manifest the achievement of the enlightenment of buddhahood in every moment of thought and to cause the attainment of emancipation in the teaching that proceeds from this basis. (97) It is to manifest entering a womb and becoming born. (98) It is to leave home and achieve the enlightenment of buddhahood. (99) It is to turn the wheel of the Dharma. (100) It is to enter parinirvāṇawithout ever achieving extinction. Resolute Mind, thus does the śūraṅgama samādhi have the immeasurable ability to manifest all the supernormal powers of the Buddha, so that innumerable sentient beings may attain benefit thereby. Resolute Mind, the śūraṅgamasamādhicannot be understood by means of a single affair, a single condition, or a single meaning. All the meditations, emancipations, samādhis, autonomous supernormal powers, and unhindered wisdoms are all contained within the śūraṅgama samādhi.It is likened to the currents from mountain springs and rivers, which all enter the ocean. Thus are the bodhisattvas' meditations all contained within the śūraṅgama samādhi. It is likened to the great valor of the wheel-turning sage king, which induces all the four types of soldiers to follow him. Resolute Mind, thus are the teaching of samādhi, the teaching of meditation, the teaching of discrimination, the teaching of emancipation, the teaching of dhāraṇī,the teaching of supernormal powers, and the teaching of brilliant emancipation: all these teachings are contained within the śūraṅgama samādhi. Hence when a bodhisattva practices the śūraṅgamasamādhi,he practices all the samādhis. Resolute Mind, it is likened to the seven treasures of the 129

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wheel-turning sage king that follow him wherever he goes. Thus, O Resolute Mind, do all the dharmas that contribute to enlightenment follow the śūraṅgamasamādhi.It is for this reason that this samādhi is called śūraṅgama("heroic march").

The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi, he practices charity without having to seek for wealth [to donate to others]. All the treasures, food and drink, clothing, elephants and horses, and chariots within the great oceans, the heavens, and the realms of humankind within the great chiliocosm—all these objects are automatically given. All this is the achievement of the fundamental merit [of the śūraṅgama samādhi]. How much more so with the accomplishments performed at will through the divine power [of this śūraṅgama samādhi]! This is said to be the fundamental fruit of the perfection of charity of the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgamasamādhi. The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhi,he is immovable in the precepts without having taken the precepts again. Because he wants to teach all sentient beings he may manifest the maintenance of the precepts and the various rules of deportment. He may manifest violations and the elimination of transgressions but his internal purity is always flawless. Because he wants to teach all sentient beings he may be born in the realm of desire as a wheel-turning sage king, with a harem of princesses worshipfully surrounding him. He may manifest the existence of wife and children and may be wantonly engaged in the five desires but internally he will always remain within meditation and the pure precepts, well comprehending the three disastrous transgressions. Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruit of the perfection of morality of the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgama samādhi. The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhihe completely cultivates the ultimate forbearance. Because of this, he cultivates 130

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forbearance before sentient beings are even born, he cultivates forbearance before the dharmas are even generated, he cultivates forbearance before the mind even takes form, he cultivates forbearance before [the discrimination of] self and other even occurs, he cultivates forbearance before there is even a thought of birth and death. He cultivates forbearance with the essence of nirvana; he cultivates forbearance without destroying the dharma-natures. Thus does the bodhisattva cultivate forbearance without there being anything that is cultivated and without anything not being cultivated. In order to teach sentient beings he is born in the realm of desire. He may manifest anger but within he is pure. He may manifest the cultivation of distant transcendence but [he knows that there actually] is no far or near. In order to purify the sentient beings he may break worldly rules of deportment but he never breaks the dharma-natures, [never goes counter to the inner realities of things]. He may manifest forbearance, but [in reality] there are no dharmas [that can be forborne]. He is able to forbear through the indestructibility of his permanent meditation. Thus does the bodhisattva achieve forbearance. In order to eradicate the great anger of sentient beings he always praises the blessings of forbearance but he never attains either forbearance or anger. Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruit of the perfection of forbearance of the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgamasamādhi.

The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi he generates great energy and attains all the good dharmas but he does not generate the karma of body, speech, and mind. It is for the lazy that he manifests the practice of energy. He wants to make sentient beings follow my teaching but he neither generates nor accepts the dharmas. Why? The bodhisattva understands that all the dharmas completely and constantly reside within the dharma-natures, without coming and going. Thus does he distantly transcend the actions of body, speech, and mind; yet he is able to manifest the practice of energy. Nor does he consider that dharmas achieve completion. He manifests the practice of energy within the world but is without any actions either within or without. He is 131

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always able to travel throughout the innumerable buddha realms but his body remains universally "equivalent" and does not move. He manifests the practice of all the good dharmas but never perceives the rightness or wrongness of any of the dharmas. He manifests the acceptance of teaching [from others] in his spiritual quest but never follows any teaching other than that of Buddhism. He manifests becoming intimate with the preceptors and masters but is revered by all gods and humans. He manifests earnest inquiries [about the teaching] but has attained unhindered discrimination within himself. He manifests reverence but is worshiped by all gods and humans. He manifests entry into the womb but is without defilement within all the dharmas. He manifests birth but does not perceive generation and extinction within all the dharmas. He manifests existence as a child but his physical faculties are all complete. He manifests abilities in the arts, medicine, magic, literature, mathematics, and the crafts but has already penetrated everything within himself. He manifests illness but has already permanently transcended the afflictions. He manifests old age but his senses are already indestructible. He manifests death but he has never been defeated by samsara. Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruit of the perfection of energy of the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgama samādhi.

The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi, although he knows that the dharmas always have the characteristic of meditation he manifests the various distinctions of meditation for sentient beings. He manifests residence in meditation in order to teach those with confused minds but does not perceive any confusion within the dharmas. All the dharmas are as the characteristics of the dharma-natures; he subjugates his mind and is motionless in meditation. He manifests the various deportments of coming, going, sitting, and lying down but he is always serene within meditation. He manifests agreement with what the majority say but never rejects the characteristics of the various meditations. Out of compassion for sentient beings he enters the cities, villages, and countries but he is always in meditation. He manifests 132

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eating out of a desire to benefit sentient beings but he is always in meditation. His body is hard, like vajra;inside it is substantial, not empty, and indestructible. Within it there are no growing organs or mature organs and none of the impure and malodorous defilements of defecation and urination. He manifests eating but [the food] does not enter him. [He sustains himself] only through his compassion to benefit sentient beings; although he has no faults in any of his [physical or sensory] functions he manifests behavior like that of all ordinary people. However, he is actually without any activity that transgresses against the various [Buddhist] practices. Resolute Mind, when a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi he manifests no distinction between open space and villages. He manifests no distinction between living as householder or monk. He may manifest the white robes [of the householder layperson] but he is not lax. He may manifest [the form of] a monk but he is not arrogant. He will not become a monk within the dharmas of the non-Buddhist teachings so as to teach sentient beings. He is not affected by all the heterodox views and he does not claim to achieve purity within them. He may manifest practice of all the non-Buddhist rituals but he does not follow their practice of the path. Resolute Mind, he is likened to a guide who has led a group of people over a steep road only to return to save other people. It is thus, O Resolute Mind, that the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgamasamādhi acts in accordance with the spiritual aspirations of sentient beings. [Sentient beings] may aspire to the path (i.e., enlightenment) of the śrāvaka, or the path of the pratyekabuddha,or the path of the Buddha; he teaches them and leads them to salvation as appropriate and then returns to save other sentient beings. Therefore, he is called a guide. He is likened to a ferry that carries innumerable people from this shore to the other shore. When it reaches the other shore it returns to carry (i.e., save) more people. Thus, O Resolute Mind, does the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhiperceive sentient beings. He lets himself be carried along by the four currents of the river of birth and death only because he wants to help others escape. He accomplishes this according to the good roots sown by those sentient beings. If he sees that someone can be saved as a pratyekabuddha,he manifests 133

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for that person the enlightenment of nirvana in his own body. If he sees that someone can be saved as a śrāvaka, he preaches extinction to that person and enters nirvana together with him. Because of the power of the śūraṅgamasamādhihe manifests birth once again and saves more people. Thus is the bodhisattva called the ferryman. Resolute Mind, he is likened to a magician who manifests his own death, dismemberment, and immolation before an audience. He may manifest to his audience that he is burned by fire and eaten by birds but after receiving payment [from the audience] he will be revived. [The magician] is able to do so because he is proficient in magic. The bodhisattva who thus resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhimanifests old age and death in order to teach sentient beings but actually there is no birth, old age, disease, and death. Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruit of the perfection of meditation of the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgama samādhi.

The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhihis senses are sharp in his cultivation of wisdom. Never perceiving the existence of the essences (xing,

"natures") of sentient beings, he preaches the existence of sentient beings in order to save them. Never perceiving longevity (shou) and life span (ming), he preaches that there are [such things as] longevity and life span. Never perceiving karma and karmic retribution, he indicates to sentient beings that there are [such things as] karma and karmic retribution. Never perceiving the essences of the afflictions (Skt. kleśa) of samsara, he preaches that one should understand the afflictions of samsara. Never perceiving nirvana, he preaches that one proceeds to nirvana. Never perceiving the distinguishing characteristics possessed by the dharmas, he preaches that there are good and bad dharmas. Thereby is he able to carry [sentient beings] to the other shore of unhindered wisdom. He manifests birth in the realm of desire but is not attached to the realm of desire. He manifests the practice of meditations of the realm of form but is not attached to the realm of form. He enters into the meditations of the formless [realm] but is born in the realm of form. He manifests the meditations of the 134

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realm of form but is born in the realm of desire. He manifests himself in the realm of desire but does not practice the practices of the realm of desire. He knows all the various meditations and he knows their [proper] portions. He can freely enter into and leave meditation. In order to teach sentient beings he can be born any place at will. He is always able to accomplish the profound and wondrous wisdom and to eradicate all the various activities (xing; Skt. saṃskāra?) of sentient beings. In order to teach sentient beings he manifests the occurrence of activities but he is actually without activity with regard to the various dharmas. He has completely gone beyond all the various activities and has long since eradicated the illusions of self and personal possession, even though he manifests the receipt of the various things that are required. When a bodhisattva accomplishes wisdom such as this, everything that he does derives from that wisdom and is never defiled by the results of karma. In order to teach sentient beings he manifests being deaf and dumb but subtle pure sounds actually occur within him. He comprehends the spoken word, the scriptures, and mathematics and he does not have to stop to consider what Dharma to preach [on any given occasion]. Wherever he goes, audiences always consider his preaching wonderful and he can always make [his listeners] to be joyful and attain resolute [faith]. He preaches the Dharma as the occasion arises and the wisdom of this bodhisattva does not decrease.

Resolute Mind, he is likened to men and women who are either large or small, who carry vessels to a place where there is water, such as a spring, a lake, a river, or the ocean. They fill the large and small vessels and return but the various bodies of water do not decrease. Thus, O Resolute Mind, does the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhiappear to audiences anywhere, whether of kṣatriyas or brahmans, whether laypeople, monks, or gods. He appears to all these various congregations without any mental effort and is able to make them all joyous through his good words. He preaches the Dharma wherever it is appropriate to do so but his wisdom is never lessened. Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruit of the perfection of wisdom of the bodhisattva residing in the śūraṅgama samādhi. 135

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The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhithose sentient beings who see him all attain emancipation. Those who hear his name, observe his ritual deportment, hear him preach the Dharma, or see him in silence—all these attain emancipation. Resolute Mind, he is likened to the great medicine tree king named Joyous Vision—all those who see him are healed of illness. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, with the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhi.The illnesses of greed, anger, and stupidity of any sentient being who sees him will be eradicated. It is like the great medicine king named Eradication. If [this medicine] is painted on one's drums during wartime the sound of the drum will pull the arrow, sword, or lance out and eliminate the poison from any injuries suffered from the arrows and the like. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, with the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhi. The arrows of greed, anger, and stupidity will naturally come out of those who hear his name and the poison of wrong views will be completely eliminated, so that all the afflictions will operate no more. Resolute Mind, he is likened to the medicine tree named Sufficient. If a person uses its root his illness will be healed. His illness will be healed by the stems, knots, core, bark, twigs, leaves, flowers, or fruit, which may be fresh, dried, or ground—any form [of the tree] may be used to heal the illnesses of sentient beings. The bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi is also like this. There is no time at which he does not benefit sentient beings—he is always able to eliminate all the afflictions. While preaching the Dharma, he concurrently practices the four embrasures (she), [charity, loving speech, beneficial action, and homologous behavior] and the various perfections, so that [sentient beings] attain emancipation. Whether a person makes offerings or not, and whether or not there is benefit [to him], the bodhisattva always uses the advantage of the Dharma so that the person will attain peace. When he dies and his body is eaten—whether by animals with two legs or four, or by birds, or by humans or nonhumans—due to the power of the bodhisattva's preceptual vows, when these sentient beings die they are reborn in heaven and are forever without the calamities of illness, 136

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pain, old age, and the afflictions. Resolute Mind, thus is the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhilike a medicine tree. The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

When a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi, for lifetime after lifetime he automatically understands the six perfections without having to study them from anyone else. Lifting his foot and lowering his foot, breathing in and breathing out, he is in possession of the six perfections with each moment of thought. Why? Resolute Mind, the entire body of a bodhisattva like this is the Dharma, and his entire activities are the Dharma.

Resolute Mind, he is likened to a king and his great ministers who have a hundred thousand varieties of incense ground together into powder. If someone searches for one particular variety [of incense] whose fragrance has not been mixed up with the other [varieties of] incense, Resolute Mind, within these hundred thousand varieties of incense powder, will he be able to separate one from the others? [Resolute Mind answered,] "No, World-honored One.

"

[The Buddha continued:]

Resolute Mind, since the bodhisattva has perfumed his body and mind with all the perfections, he always generates the six perfections in every moment of thought.

Resolute Mind, how can the bodhisattva generate the six perfections in every moment of thought? Resolute Mind, the bodhisattva has complete equanimity and is without attachment; this is the perfection of charity (dāna -pāramitā). His mind is serene and ultimately without any wrong; this is the perfection of morality (śīla-pāramitā). He understands that the mind exhausts [all] characteristics and exists unharmed within [the realms of] sensory data; this is the perfection of patience (kṣānti-pāramitā). He strives in contemplation and selects [advantageous states of] mind but understands that the mind transcends characteristics; this is the perfection of energy (vīrya-pāramitā). He is ultimately serene and has controlled his mind; this is the perfection of meditation (dhyāna-pāramitā). He contemplates the mind and understands the mind, penetrating the 137

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characteristics of the mind; this is the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā). Resolute Mind, a bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgama samādhipossesses the six perfections in every moment of thought as given in this teaching.

At this time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha: Never before, O World-honored One, [have I heard such a teaching]! The activities of a bodhisattva who has achieved the śūraṅgama samādhi are inconceivable! World-honored One, if the bodhisattvas wish to practice the practice of the buddhas they should study this śūraṅgama samādhi. Why? World-honored One, such bodhisattvas manifest the practice of all the various activities of ordinary people but in their minds they are without greed, anger, and stupidity. At that time within the audience there was a great Brahmā king named Creating Sympathy. He addressed the Buddha:

World-honored One, if a bodhisattva wishes to practice all the activities of ordinary people he should study the śūraṅgama samādhi. Why? Such a bodhisattva manifests the practice of all the various activities of ordinary people but in his mind he is without the activities of greed, anger, and stupidity.

The Buddha said:

Excellent, excellent, Creating Sympathy! It is as you have said. If a bodhisattva wishes to practice all the activities of ordinary people he should study the śūraṅgamasamādhi,because he will not think about all that has to be learned.

Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the World-honored One, wishes to study the śūraṅgamasamādhi,what should he study?" The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

"If a bodhisattva

It is likened to the study of archery, in which one first shoots at a large target. When one can hit the large target he or she shoots at a small target. When one can hit the small target, he or she shoots at the bull's-eye. When one can hit the bull's-eye, he or she shoots at an [arrow]-shaft. 138

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When one can hit the shaft, he or she shoots at [a bundle of] one hundred hairs. When one can hit the [bundle of] one hundred hairs, he or she shoots at [a bundle of] ten hairs. When one can hit the [bundle of] ten hairs, he or she shoots at a single hair. When one can hit the single hair, he or she shoots at a hundredth of a hair. When one can hit a hundredth of a hair, he or she may be called a good archer. He or she [can shoot] unerringly and at will. Such a person can shoot without mental effort, with complete accuracy, on the basis of a sound heard in the dark of night, or when a human or nonhuman incautiously strikes at him. Thus, Resolute Mind, should the bodhisattva who wishes to study the śūraṅgamasamādhifirst study the mind of ecstasy. After studying the mind of ecstasy, he or she should study the profound mind. After studying the profound mind, he or she should study great sympathy. After studying great sympathy, he or she should study great compassion. After studying great compassion, he should study the four pure practices (Skt. brahmavihāras): sympathy, compassion, joy, and equanimity. After studying the four pure practices, he or she should study the five highest penetrations (the divine eye, the divine ear, clairvoyance, knowledge of others' past lives, and knowledge of anything at will), which have the highest benefit, always maintaining mastery of them. When he or she has studied the penetrations he or she can then accomplish the six perfections. When he or she has accomplished the six perfections, he or she will be able to penetrate expedient means. When he or she has penetrated expedient means, he or she will be able to reside in the third pliant forbearance. When he or she can reside in the third pliant forbearance, he or she will attain the forbearance of the birthlessness of dharmas. When he or she has attained the forbearance of the birthlessness of dharmas, the buddhas will confer a prediction of enlightenment on him or her. When the buddhas have conferred the prediction of enlightenment, he or she will be able to enter the eighth bodhisattva stage. When he or she has entered the eighth bodhisattva stage, he or she will attain the samādhi of presence before the buddhas. When he or she has attained the samādhiof presence before the buddhas, he or she will never be without a vision of the buddhas. When he or she is never without a vision of the buddhas, he or she will be able to fulfill 139

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all the causes and conditions of the Buddhist Dharma. When he or she can fulfill all the causes and conditions of the Buddhist Dharma, he or she will be able to activate the merit of ornamenting the buddha lands. When he or she can activate the merit of ornamenting the buddha lands, he or she will be provided with a house and family into which to be born. When he or she is provided with a house and family into which to be born, he or she will enter a womb and be born. When he or she enters a womb and is born, he or she has fulfilled the tenth [bodhisattva] stage. When he or she has fulfilled the tenth stage, he or she will then attain a title for his or her career as a buddha. When he or she attains a title for his career as a buddha, he or she will attain all the bodhisattva samādhis. After he or she has attained all the bodhisattva samādhis, he or she will be able to attain the śūraṅgama samādhi. When he or she has attained the śūraṅgamasamādhihe or she will be able to perform the affairs of a buddha on behalf of sentient beings but will not dispense with the practices of the bodhisattva. Resolute Mind, if a bodhisattva studies the dharmas like this, then he or she will attain the śūraṅgamasamādhi.

Once a bodhisattva has attained the śūraṅgama samādhi, he or she has nothing more to study in all the dharmas. Why? Because he or she has already well studied all the dharmas. It is likened to being able to hit a portion of a hair [in archery], after which there is nothing more to be studied. Why is this? Because he or she has already studied [everything]. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, with the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi.There is nothing more for him or her to study in all the dharmas, because he or she has already studied all the samādhis and all the [forms of] merit.

At that time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, "Worldhonored One,

"I will now explain a metaphor, to which I would beseech you to listen for a moment.

"

The Buddha said,

"Go ahead and speak.

"

World-honored One, it is likened to a great Brahmā king of the trichilio cosm, whose contemplation automatically and effortlessly extends throughout the entire trichiliocosm. Thus is the bodhisattva who resides 140

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in the śūraṅgamasamādhiautomatically and effortlessly able to contemplate all the dharmas. Also, he or she is able to understand the minds and mental activities of all sentient beings. The Buddha told Resolute Mind:

It is as you have spoken. If a bodhisattva resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi,he or she understands all the dharmas of the bodhisattvas and all the dharmas of the buddhas.

At that time there was in the audience an Indra king named Holding Mount Sumeru, who resided at the farthest extremity of the entire trichiliocosm. He addressed the Buddha:

World-honored One, it is likened to living on the top of Mount Sumeru and being able to look at the entire world. Thus is the bodhisattva who resides in the śūraṅgamasamādhiautomatically able to see the activities of the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and all sentient beings. At that time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru,

"Would you tell us from which of the four continents you have come? Where on Mount Sumeru do you reside?" The Indra king replied:

Good youth, a bodhisattva who has attained the śūraṅgama samādhi would not have to ask where I reside. Why is this? For such a bodhisattva, all the buddha realms are his residence, yet he is not attached to any residence. He attains no residence and perceives no residence. Resolute Mind asked,

"Have you, sir, attained the śūraṅgamasamādhi?" The Indra king replied,

"Could the characteristics of 'attain' and 'not attain' exist within this samādhi?" Resolute Mind said,

"No.

"

The Indra king said,

"Good youth, you should understand that when a bodhisattva practices this samādhi,there is nothing that is attained in any of the dharmas.

"

Resolute Mind said,

"Since your understanding is like this, you must have already attained the śūraṅgamasamādhi. "

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The king said:

Good youth, I do not perceive that the dharmas have any place of residence. He who has no residence in all the dharmas has attained the śūraṅgama samādhi. Good youth, to reside in this samādhi is to be completely without residence in all the dharmas. If one is without residence, then one is without grasping. If one is without grasping, one is also without preaching.

At this time the Buddha said to Resolute Mind Bodhisattva, the Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru?"

"I do, World-honored One.

"

[The Buddha said:]

"Do you see

Resolute Mind, this Indra king has automatically and of his own will attained the śūraṅgamasamādhi.Residing in this samādhi,he is able to manifest himself in all the palaces of the Indra kings throughout the trichiliocosm.

At this time the Indra king of this realm, Devendra, addressed the Buddha: World-honored One, if Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru is able to manifest himself in all the palaces of the Indra kings, why is it that I cannot see him in all the locations of the Indra kings? At this time the Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru replied to the Indra king [of this world system]:

Kauśika [Devendra], if I were to reveal my real body to you now, you would no longer take joy in your palace. I am always in the palace in which you reside, but you do not see me. At this time Indra king Devendra addressed the Buddha, "World-honored

One, I wish to see the wondrous body achieved by this bodhisattva. "

The Buddha said,

"Kauśika [Devendra], do you wish to see it?" "World-honored One, I beseech you to let me see it. "

The Buddha said to Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru, "Good youth,

reveal your true, wondrous body to this Indra king. "

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Indra king [Holding Mount Sumeru] then manifested his true, wondrous body. At that time, the bodies of all the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and worldprotecting [heavenly] kings, śrāvakas, and bodhisattvas within the audience who had not attained the śūraṅgama samādhi became invisible, as if they were a collection of ink spots. The body of Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru became tall and imposing, like Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains itself, with brilliant light shining into the distance. At that time the body of the Buddha became even brighter and more apparent.

Indra king Devendra addressed the Buddha:

Never before, World-honored One, [have I experienced such a thing as this]! The body of this bodhisattva is unmatchably pure and wondrous. And the bodies of all the Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and worldprotecting [heavenly] kings have all become invisible, like a collection of ink spots. World-honored One, when in the Hall of Good Wonders atop Mount Sumeru I put on the śakrābhilagna maṇi pearl necklace, the brilliance of it is such that the bodies of the entire assembly of gods become invisible. Now I have become invisible through the brilliant light of this bodhisattva and there is also no light from the precious necklace I am wearing!

The Buddha told Indra king Devendra:

Kauśika, even if the entire trichiliocosm were filled with śakrābhilagna maṇipearls, the brightly shining maṇipearls of all the gods would render the [śakrābhilagna] pearls invisible. Kauśika, even if the entire trichiliocosm were filled with the brightly shining maṇi pearls of all the gods, there is yet a bright adamantine maṇi pearl that can render all the other pearls invisible. Kauśika, even if the entire trichilio cosm were filled with bright adamantine maṇi pearls, there is yet a maṇi pearl embodying all the brilliance that can render the other pearls invisible. Kauśika, do you see the maṇipearl embodying all the brilliance worn by this king?

[Devendra replied,] "I see it, World-honored One. But the brilliance of this pearl is so intense my eyes cannot stand it.

"

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The Buddha told Devendra,

"Bodhisattvas who attain the śūraṅgama

samādhi may become Indra kings who always wear maṇi pearl necklaces such as this.

"

At this time Indra king Devendra addressed the Buddha: World-honored One, will those who have not generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment on behalf of all sentient beings attain a pure and wondrous body such as this? Also, can one lose this śūraṅgama samādhi [after having attained it]? At this time the god Gopaka, [who had been the Buddha's princess Gopā before being born into the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods,] said to Indra king Devendra:

The śrāvakas have entered into suchness ( fayi, the stage of Dharma; i.e., entered into extinction) and although they have repeatedly extolled and delighted in the enlightenment of buddhahood they cannot accomplish it. This is because they have created obstacles for themselves within samsara. If a person generates the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment on behalf of all sentient beings, he or she should generate it now as it should be generated. Such a person will love the path of the Buddha and will be able to attain the wondrous form body just revealed.

It is likened to a person who is blind from birth. Although he may praise and love the sun and moon, he has never experienced their brilliant light. Thus it is with the śrāvakas who have entered into suchness. Although they extol and delight in the enlightenment of buddhahood, the Buddha's merit has had no physical benefit for them. For this reason, those of great wisdom who wish to attain this wondrous body should generate the Buddha's unsurpassable intention to achieve enlightenment. They will then be able to attain the wondrous body just revealed. When the god Gopaka spoke these words, twelve thousand gods generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment. At this time, Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the god Gopaka, "What

merit should a woman cultivate to transform her body?" He answered:

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Good youth, those who generate [the intention to achieve enlightenment in] the Mahayana do not perceive differences of male and female. Why? The mind of omniscience (Skt. sarvajñā) does not exist in the three realms. It is through discrimination that there is male and female. If your question is what merit a woman should cultivate in order to transform her body, then from the past she should serve the bodhi sattva[s] and be without deviation. [Resolute Mind asked],

"How should she serve?"

[The god answered],

"As if serving the World-honored One. "

[Resolute Mind inquired,] "What is it for one's mind to be without deviation?" [The god] answered:

Physical actions should follow oral actions, and oral actions should follow the mind. [When this is the case] it is said that the woman's mind is without deviation.

[Resolute Mind] asked,

"How is the female body transformed?" [The god] answered,

"As it is formed.

"

[Resolute Mind asked,] "What does 'as it is formed' mean?" [The god answered,] "As it is transformed. "

[Resolute Mind] asked,

"O god, what do you mean?"

[The god] answered:

Good youth, within all the dharmas there is no forming, no transforming. All the dharmas have one taste (i.e., emptiness or suchness), which is known as the taste of the Dharma. Good youth, through my vows I had the body of a woman. Even if I had wanted my body to be transformed into that of a man, the characteristics of the female body would have been neither destroyed nor dispensed with. Good youth, for this reason you should understand that male and female are both misconceptions. All the dharmas and misconceptions ultimately transcend these two characteristics.

Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked Gopaka, small part of this śūraṅgamasamādhi?" "Do you understand some

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[Gopaka] answered:

Good youth, what I know has been gained from others; I have not realized it myself. I remember clearly one night in the past when Śākyamuni Buddha was a bodhisattva in the house of King Śuddhodana, and he was in the palace among the princesses. At that time Brahmā kings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River came from the east [to receive his teachings]. Some of them inquired about the bodhisattva vehicle, some of them inquired about the śrāvaka vehicle, and the bodhisattva answered each of them according to their questions. Within this group, one of the Brahmā kings did not understand the expedient means practiced by bodhisattvas. He said, "If you are so wise,

please answer my questions. How can you lust for royal rank and sensual pleasures (lit.,

"sensual desire")?" The other Brahmā kings, who comprehended the bodhisattva's wisdom and expedient means, spoke to this one Brahmā king,

"The bodhisattva does not lust for royal rank or sensual pleasure. In order to teach sentient beings and [bring them to the ultimate] accomplishment, he has manifested himself as a bodhisattva residing in the home. At present, in other locations, he has accomplished the enlightenment of buddhahood and is turning the wondrous wheel of the Dharma.

" On hearing this, the first Brahmā [king] said, "What

samādhihas he attained that makes him autonomously capable of such divine transformations?" The other Brahmā [kings] said to him, "It is

the power of the śūraṅgamasamādhi.

"

[Gopaka continued:]

Good youth, at that time I thought as follows: "When a bodhisattva resides in samādhihis divine power is able to respond in ways that are unprecedented. He may reside within desires and may administer affairs of state but he never departs from his samādhi.

" When I heard this [dialogue between the Brahmā kings] my reverence doubled and there, at the bodhisattva's [palace], I generated the thought of the World-honored One as well as the profound intention to seek unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment. [I vowed,] "In the future may I be able to create merit such as this.

" Good youth, that which I have perceived is only this small 146

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portion. All I know is that this śūraṅgama samādhi has a power for merit that is immeasurable and inconceivable.

Resolute Mind said to the Buddha:

How rare, World-honored One, for someone to speak as profoundly as has the god Gopaka! This is entirely the accomplishment of the Tathāgata, because he has always been protected by spiritual compatriots. World-honored One, not long from now the god Gopaka will certainly reside in the śūraṅgamasamādhiand attain the autonomous power of divine transformations identical to that of the Tathāgata. Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha,

"World-honored One,

are there others within this assembly who have attained the śūraṅgama samādhi?"

At that time there was a god in the assembly called Manifest Mind, who said to Resolute Mind Bodhisattva:

You are like a stupid traveling businessman who enters the ocean, saying, "Are there any maṇipearls within this ocean that I can take with me?" Your words resemble this. Why? Within this assembly of the great ocean of the Tathāgata's wisdom there are bodhisattvas who have created the Dharma treasure and who have generated great ornamentation [of it], and yet you sit here and ask such a question as "Are there others within this assembly who have attained the śūraṅgamasamādhi?"! Resolute Mind, there are within this assembly bodhisattvas who have attained the śūraṅgamasamādhiand who manifest the bodies of Indra gods, who manifest the bodies of Brahmā kings, who manifest the bodies of gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. There are those who have attained the śūraṅgamasamādhiwho manifest the bodies of monks and nuns and male and female novices. There are those who have attained the śūraṅgama samādhi who manifest bodies ornamented by themselves with the various auspicious physical marks [of enlightened beings]. In order to teach sentient beings, there are bodhisattvas who manifest themselves in the bodies and forms of women, or who manifest themselves 147

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in the bodies and forms of śrāvakas, or who manifest themselves in the bodies and forms of pratyekabuddhas. Resolute Mind, the Tathāgata has the autonomous ability to manifest himself in any body and form, according to the manner of the group he is teaching: kṣatriyas, brahmans, laypeople, Indra gods, Brahmā gods, or world-protecting [heavenly kings]. You should understand that this is entirely the fundamental fruit of the śūraṅgama samādhi. Resolute Mind, when you see that the Tathāgata is preaching the Dharma somewhere, you should understand that there are innumerable bodhisattvas there whose great wisdom automatically generates great ornamentation, who operate autonomously within all the dharmas, and who accompany the Tathāgata whenever he turns the wheel of the Dharma. Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha: World-honored One, I now suggest that this god Manifest Mind has attained the śūraṅgamasamādhi,since his wisdom discriminates without hindrance and his supernormal abilities are suchlike. The Buddha said:

Resolute Mind, it is as you have said. This god Manifest Mind resides in the śūraṅgama samādhi. He is able to preach thus because he has penetrated this samādhi.

At that time the Buddha said to the god Manifest Mind, "You may now

manifest a small portion of the fundamentals of the śūraṅgama samādhi. "

The god Manifest Mind said to Resolute Mind, "Do you wish to see a

small [portion of the] power of the śūraṅgamasamādhi?" [Resolute Mind] answered,

"O god, I would like to see it.

"

As the god Manifest Mind had well attained the power of the śūraṅgama samādhi, he manifested transformations so that everyone in the assembly was adorned with the thirty-two marks of wheel-turning sage kings, each with attendants carrying the seven precious things. The god asked,

"What do you see?"

Resolute Mind replied:

I see that everyone in the assembly is adorned with the physical marks 148

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of wheel-turning sage kings, each with attendants carrying the seven precious things.

At that time the god manifested everyone in the assembly as Indra kings within Kauśika [Devendra]'s Palaces of the Thirty-three, where a hundred thousand goddesses danced around them for their pleasure. Then again, using his divine power, he made everyone in the assembly take on the physical characteristics and deportment of Brahmā kings, residing in Brahmā palaces and practicing the four unlimited states (i.e., brahmavihāras). He asked Resolute Mind once again, "What do you see?"

[Resolute Mind] answered,

"O god, I see everyone in the assembly [in

the form of] Brahmā kings.

"

Then [the god] manifested his divine power once again, making everyone in the assembly take on the physical appearance of the elder Mahākāśyapa, holding his robe and bowl, entering into various meditations, and practicing the eight emancipations, without any [manifestation] differing [from the others in appearance]. He again manifested his divine power, making everyone in the assembly take on the physical characteristics and deportment of Śākyamuni Buddha, each surrounded by monks and attendants. He asked again, "Resolute Mind, what do you see?"

[Resolute Mind] answered:

O god, I see that everyone in the assembly has taken on the physical characteristics and deportment of Śākyamuni Buddha, each surrounded by monks and attendants.

The god Manifest Mind said to Resolute Mind:

Such is the inherent power of the śūraṅgamasamādhi.When a bodhisattva attains the śūraṅgama samādhi, Resolute Mind, he is able to insert the trichiliocosm into a mustard seed, with the mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars appearing unchanged, and to manifest all this to all sentient beings without frightening them. Resolute Mind, such is the inconceivable power of the śūraṅgamasamādhi!

At that time the great disciples, along with the gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, Indra gods, Brahmā gods, and world-protecting [heavenly] kings all addressed the Buddha in unison:

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World-honored One, the merit of one who attains the śūraṅgama samādhiis inconceivable. Why? Such a person achieves the ultimate enlightenment of buddhahood and accomplishes the various brilliances (ming; Skt. vidyā) of wisdom and the supernormal powers. While sitting here today we have seen this assembly in various physical forms and several different transformations, and [after] consideration [we suggest] that those who have not heard of the śūraṅgama samādhi must be understood as being controlled by Māra. [On the other hand,] you must understand that those who have heard [of the śūraṅgama samādhi] are protected by the buddhas. How much more so for those who hear it and are able to practice it as preached! World-honored One, if a bodhisattva wants to penetrate the Dharma of the Buddha and reach the other shore [of nirvana], he should single mindedly listen to [this teaching of] the śūraṅgamasamādhi,then he or she should remember it, recite it, and preach it to others. Worldhonored One, if a bodhisattva wishes to manifest all the physical forms and deportments, he or she should comprehensively understand all the activities (xing; Skt. saṃskāra) of the minds and mental attributes of sentient beings. Also, if he or she wants to understand comprehensively how to apply medicine to all the illnesses of sentient beings, he or she should listen well to the Dharma treasure of this samādhi,then remember and recite it. World-honored One, one should realize that if a person attains this śūraṅgamasamādhi,he or she will enter into the realm of the buddhas with autonomous wisdom.

The Buddha said:

It is so, it is so. It is as you have spoken! He who has not attained the śūraṅgamasamādhicannot be called a bodhisattva of profound practice. The Tathāgata would not describe such a person as sufficient in charity, morality, forbearance, energy, meditation, and wisdom. For this reason, if all of you wish to practice all the paths, you should study this śūraṅgama samādhi.You should not think about all the teachings to be learned. At this time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the god Manifest Mind, "If a bodhisattva wishes to attain this samādhi, what dharmas should he or she cultivate?"

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The god replied:

If a bodhisattva wishes to attain this samādhi,he should cultivate the dharmas of ordinary people. If he perceives the dharmas of ordinary people, the dharmas of the Buddha will be neither conjoined nor dispersed. This is called cultivation of the śūraṅgamasamādhi. Resolute Mind asked,

"What conjoining and dispersing are there in the

dharmas of the Buddha?"

The god answered,

"Conjoining and dispersing do not exist even in the dharmas of ordinary people; how much less so [do they exist] in the dharmas of the Buddha!"

[Resolute Mind asked,] "What is cultivation?"

[The god answered:]

To be able to penetrate [the fact] that there is no difference between the dharmas of ordinary people and the dharmas of the Buddha is called cultivation. But in fact, there is neither conjoining nor dispersing in these dharmas. Good youth, this is because there is no characteristic of birthlessness in all collocations of dharmas, because there is no characteristic of disintegration in all collocations of dharmas, because all collocations of dharmas have the characteristic of emptiness, and because there is no characteristic of acceptance in all collocations of dharmas. Resolute Mind asked again,

samādhiextend?"

The god answered:

"To what locations does the śūraṅgama

The śūraṅgamasamādhiextends to the mental activities (xin xing) of all sentient beings but it does not depend on the characteristic of grasping of those mental activities. It extends to all places of birth but it is not defiled by those places of birth. It extends to the locations of the buddhas in all the worlds but it does not discriminate the buddhas' extraordinary physical characteristics. It extends to all sounds and speech but it does not discriminate the characteristics of words. It can reveal all the dharmas of the Buddha but it does not extend to absolutely all locations. Good youth, if you ask to what locations this samādhi extends, [the answer is that] this samādhi extends to wherever the Buddha goes. 151

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The Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sutra Resolute Mind asked,

The god answered,

going.

"

"To what locations does the Buddha go?" "Since the Buddha is suchlike, his going is without [Resolute Mind] asked again, [The god] answered:

"Does the Buddha not go into nirvana?" All the dharmas are ultimately nirvana. Therefore, the Tathāgata does not go into nirvana. Why? He does not go into nirvana because [he is] the essence of nirvana.

[Resolute Mind] asked again, "Did the buddhas of the past, who were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, not go into nirvana?" [The god] answered,

"Were they born, these buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River?" Resolute Mind said,

"The Tathāgata has preached that these buddhas, who were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, were born and then passed into extinction.

"

The god said:

Good youth, the Tathāgata has not [ever] said that [even] a single person came into the world to bring great benefit and peace to sentient beings. What is [the Tathāgata's] meaning? Has the Tathāgata definitively attained [a realization that] sentient beings have birth and extinction? [Resolute Mind] answered, saying, birth and extinction in the dharmas. "

[The god said:]

"O god, the Tathāgata has not attained Good youth, you should understand that although the Tathāgata preaches that the buddhas appear in the world, the characteristics of the Tathāgata are in reality without birth. Although he preaches that the buddhas proceed to nirvana, the characteristics of the Tathāgata are really without extinction.

[Resolute Mind] asked again, ing] at present attained enlightenment?" [The god] answered:

"Have all the innumerable tathāgatas [exist-152

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The tathāgatas, the characteristics of whom are without birth and without extinction, have thus attained enlightenment. Good youth, there is no distinction as to whether the buddhas have come into [the world] or whether they have entered nirvana. Why? The tathāgatas have penetrated [the truth that] all the dharmas have the characteristic of extinction. Thus they are called buddhas. [Resolute Mind] asked another question, "If all the dharmas are ultimately extinguished, how can the characteristic of nirvana be penetrated?" [The god] answered:

If all the dharmas are ultimately extinguished, this is identical to the characteristic of nirvana, and likewise with the penetration of that characteristic. Good youth, the tathāgatas do not come into [the world] on the basis of birth, residing, and extinction. The absence of birth, residing, and extinction is called "coming into [the world] of the buddhas. "

Resolute Mind asked,

"Is it because you reside in the śūraṅgamasamādhi that you are able to preach this way?" [The god] answered,

"Good youth, what do you think? When the Tathāgata transforms himself into a human, in what dharmas does he reside while preaching?"

Resolute Mind answered, saying, "He is able to preach by utilizing his divine power as a buddha.

"

[The god] asked again,

"In what location does the Buddha reside when he transforms himself into a human?" [Resolute Mind] answered,

"The Buddha transforms himself into a human while residing in the nondual supernormal powers. "

The god said:

Just as the Tathāgata resides in the nonresiding dharmas while he transforms himself into a human, so does the human thus transformed also reside in the nonresiding dharmas while preaching. Resolute Mind said,

preaching?"

The god said,

"If there is no place of residing, how can there be "Just as there is no place of residing, so it is with preaching. "

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[Resolute Mind] asked again,

discriminative ability to preach pleasantly?"

[The god] answered:

"How can a bodhisattva be sufficient in the

The bodhisattva uses neither the characteristic of self, nor the characteristic of other, nor the characteristic of the Dharma, yet there is preaching. This is called being sufficient in the discriminative ability of joyous preaching. In accordance with such preaching of the Dharma, neither the characteristics of words nor the characteristics of the Dharma are extinguished. If one thus preaches without using dualities, this is called being sufficient in the discriminative ability of joyous preaching. Also, good youth, if the bodhisattva does not dispense with the phantasmagorical characteristics of the dharmas and does not reject the characteristics of echoes among the sounds, this is called being sufficient in the discriminative ability for joyous preaching. Also, just as the letters, sounds, and words are without place, without location, without interior, and without exterior but are based on a multiplicity of conditions and exist without any place of residing, so [in truth] are all the dharmas, which are without place, without location, without interior, and without exterior, and without any place of residing. The [dharmas] are without past, present, and future; they cannot be expressed with letters and words. They must be penetrated within oneself; yet there is preaching. This is called being sufficient in the discriminative ability of joyous preaching. It is likened to an echo. All the sounds are preached in accordance with the characteristics of echoes.

Resolute Mind asked,

[The god replied:]

"What is the meaning of 'in accordance with' (sui)?" Good youth, the meaning of "in accordance with" is "in accordance with space.

" Just as there is nothing that is in accordance with space, so is there nothing that is in accordance with the dharmas (or, "with

the preaching of the Dharma[s]"). The dharmas are without comparison, without metaphors or similes. It is said to be "in accordance with" in order that there [may appear to be the] attainment [of realization]. At this time the World-honored One praised the god: 154

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Excellent, excellent! It is as you have preached. Bodhisattvas should not become afraid regarding this. Why? If there were being "in accordance with" there would be no attainment of unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment.

Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, "World-honored One,

from which buddha land did the god Manifest Mind come?" The god said,

"Why do you ask?"

Resolute Mind answered,

"I would like to do reverence in the direction of that [land], since it is the location in which this bodhisattva wanders and resides.

"

The god answered,

"One who attains this śūraṅgama samādhi will be personally reverenced by all the gods and people of all the worlds. "

At this time the Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva: The god Manifest Mind has come here from the Wondrous Joy world of Akṣobhya Buddha. There he always preaches the śūraṅgama samādhi. Resolute Mind, all the buddhas never fail to preach the śūraṅgama samādhi! Resolute Mind, this god Manifest Mind will achieve the enlightenment of buddhahood in this sahāworld! He wishes to eradicate the five tainted wrongs [prevalent in] this [world] and to teach sentient beings in the pure buddha land, and he has come here in order to increase his practice of the śūraṅgama [samādhi]. Resolute Mind said to the Buddha,

"When will this god achieve the enlightenment of buddhahood in this world? What will be his title? And what will be the name of his world?"

The Buddha said:

After the extinction of a thousand buddhas during this good eon, sixtytwo eons will pass without a buddha. There will only be a hundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million pratyekabuddhas [during this time]. The sentient beings during this period will plant good roots, so that [this god] will be able to achieve buddhahood after the end of these [sixty-two] eons. His title will be King Praised for Pure Brilliance Tathāgata. The world at that time will be named Pure Vision. At that time King Praised for Pure Brilliance Tathāgata will be able to make 155

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the minds of sentient beings attain purity. The [minds of the] sentient beings of that world will not be obscured by greed, anger, and stupidity but will attain pure faith in the Dharma and will all practice good dharmas. Resolute Mind, the life of King Praised for Pure Brilliance Tathāgata will be ten short eons. He will emancipate sentient beings with the dharmas of the three vehicles. Of these, the śūraṅgama samādhi will be attained by immeasurable and innumerable bodhisattvas, who will gain the power of autonomy within the dharmas. At that time Māra and his followers will all cultivate the Mahayana and have compassion for sentient beings, and that buddha land will be without the three lower modes of existence and the various difficult locations (i.e., hells). It will be ornamented with purity, like [the far-off continent] Uttarakuru. It will be without demonic affairs and heterodox views. After the extinction of that buddha, the Dharma will reside for a thousand ten-thousand hundred-million years. Resolute Mind, this god will achieve the enlightenment of buddhahood in a pure land such as this! At that time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the god, "You will

attain great benefit! The Tathāgata has conferred on you the prediction of unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment!"

The god replied:

Good youth, to be without anything that is attained in all the dharmas is called "great advantage.

" To attain anything in the dharmas is no

advantage. Good youth, for this reason you should understand that not to attain the dharmas is called "great benefit.

"

When this Dharma was preached, twenty-five thousand gods who had previously planted virtuous roots all generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment, and ten thousand bodhisattvas attained the forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas. End of Fascicle One of the

Śūraṅgama-samādhi-sūtra

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