Chapter 31: Dharmodgata13961397
“At this, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble son, the tathāgatas definitely do not come from anywhere or go to anywhere. That is because the actual nature does not move and that which is the actual nature is the Tathāgata.1398
“ ‘It is because, noble son, the freedom from arising neither comes nor goes, and that which is the freedom from arising is the Tathāgata.
“ ‘It is because, noble son, one does not accurately discern either a coming or a going of the pinnacle of reality, and that which is the pinnacle of reality is the Tathāgata.
“ ‘It is because, noble son, one does not accurately discern either a coming or a going of emptiness, and that which is emptiness is the Tathāgata.
“ ‘It is because, noble son, one does not accurately discern either a coming or a going of “something as it really is,” and that which is “something as it really is” is the Tathāgata.
“ ‘It is because, noble son, one does not accurately discern either a coming or a going of freedom from passion, and that which is freedom from passion is the Tathāgata.
“ ‘It is because, noble son, one does not accurately discern either a coming or a going of cessation, and that which is cessation is the Tathāgata.
“ ‘Noble son, the Tathāgata is not anywhere other than these things. Noble son, the actual nature of these very things, the actual nature of all things, and the actual nature of the Tathāgata are just the same single actual nature.1400 Noble son, one cannot divide that actual nature into two. And, noble son, there is only one actual nature, not two or three actual natures. Noble son, since the actual nature is not an existent thing, it eludes quantifications.1401 Noble son, as an analogy, it is just like a man distressed by the summer heat experienced in the last month of summer. At midday, he might see an undulating mirage and rush toward it, thinking, “I see water here. I see something to drink.” Noble son, what do you think? Where did that water come from? Where does that water go to? To the eastern ocean, the southern ocean, the western ocean, or the northern ocean?’
“Sadāprarudita said, ‘Noble sir, one does not observe any water in the mirage; how much less so does one accurately discern its coming or going? But, noble son, a man distressed by the summer heat, who is an immature or unwise type of person, sees the mirage and develops the conception of “water” about something that has no water. However, water, as an essence, is not found in that mirage.’
“ ‘That is correct, noble son. That is correct,’ said Dharmodgata. ‘Similarly, noble son, some people who habitually fixate upon the form or voice of the Tathāgata imagine that the Tathāgata comes and goes. All those who imagine the Tathāgata to come and go, however, are liable to being called immature and unwise types of persons, because, noble son, they are just like a man who conceives of water where there is no water. Why is it like that? It is because a tathāgata should not be seen as his body with physical form. The tathāgatas are the bodies of the truth. And, noble son, just as the true nature of things neither comes nor goes, just so, noble son, the tathāgatas neither come nor go.1402
“ ‘Noble son, as an analogy, it is just like the bodies conjured up by a magical illusionist—such as bodies of an elephant, a horse, a carriage, or a pedestrian—that neither come nor go. Just so, the tathāgatas neither come nor go.
“ ‘Noble son, it is also, as an analogy, just like a sleeping man who, in the midst of a dream, sees one tathāgata or more—whether it be two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, or one thousand tathāgatas. But when he wakes up, he does not see even one tathāgata. Noble son, what do you think? Where did that tathāgata come from? Where has that tathāgata gone to?’
“Sadāprarudita said, ‘Noble son, he accurately discerns no actuality in his dream, since that dream is a false representation.’1403
“Dharmodgata said, ‘Noble son, the Blessed One taught that all things are like a dream. Noble son, certain people do not accurately discern all things as they are, like the dream the Tathāgata taught them to be. So they habitually fixate on a tathāgata as a body with names or a body with physical form, and hence imagine the tathāgatas to come and go. But since all who imagine the tathāgatas to come and go are not accurately discerning the true nature of things, they are immature types of ordinary people who have gone, are going, and will continue to go to the six realms of cyclic existence. They all are far from the transcendent state of wisdom. They all are far from the indications of a buddha. But definitely, noble son, those people who do accurately discern all things as they are, like the dream the Tathāgata taught them to be, do not imagine any things to come and go, or to arise and cease. Rather, they accurately discern the Tathāgata as the true nature. Also, those who accurately discern the Tathāgata as the true nature do not imagine the tathāgatas to come and go. Furthermore, when they accurately discern that true nature of the Tathāgata, they are going about life close to unsurpassed, perfect awakening—they are going about life in the transcendent state of wisdom. Moreover, when these disciples of the Blessed One partake of the alms of the kingdom, it is not in vain since they are worthy of being venerated by such people.
“ ‘Noble son, as an analogy, it is just like the jewels in the ocean. They do not come from any direction, not from the east, the south, the west, the north, below, or above. Instead, jewels that arise in the ocean are caused by the roots of virtue, not uncaused. They are a dependent arising that depends upon causes, conditions, and reasons. When these causes, conditions, and reasons cease, those jewels do not get transferred to any of the ten directions. In other words, when the conditions are present, the jewels appear, but when the conditions are not present, the jewels do not appear.1404 Likewise, noble son, the physical actualization of the tathāgatas does not come from anywhere in the world’s ten directions, nor does it go to anywhere in the world’s ten directions.1405 Nor do the blessed buddhas have a body that is uncaused. That body is actualized through previous deeds, dependent upon causes and conditions, arisen for a reason, and arisen from the ripening of previous karmic deeds. It does not exist anywhere in the world’s ten directions.1406 Rather, when the requisite conditions are present, the physical actualization comes to be present. But when those requisite conditions are not present, one does not accurately discern any physical actualization.
“ ‘Noble son, it is just like, as an analogy, the sound emerging from a lute, which does not come from anywhere, and also when it is ceasing does not go or get transferred to anywhere. It arises, in dependence upon the totality of causes and conditions, as something that is dependent upon causes and conditions. To explain, that sound—which is dependent upon causes and conditions—emanates from a lute in dependence upon its wooden body, in dependence upon its leather covering, in dependence upon its strings, in dependence upon its cross bar, in dependence upon its bridge, in dependence upon its bow, and in dependence upon the effort of the person generating it. But that sound does not emanate from the wooden body. It does not emanate from the leather covering. It does not emanate from the strings. It does not emanate from the bridge. It does not emanate from the bow. It does not emanate from the effort of a person generating it. Nonetheless, one accurately discerns that sound through all those conditions coming together. Similarly, when the sound is ceasing, it does not go to anywhere.
“ ‘Noble son, it is exactly the same with the physical actualization of a blessed buddha. It is dependent upon causes and conditions, and is actualized because of many roots of virtue converging. The manifestation of a buddha’s body is not due to a single cause, a single condition, or a single root of virtue. Nor is it something uncaused.1407 As it has arisen in relation to the totality of causes and conditions, it does not come from any particular place. When that totality of causes and conditions is not there, it does not go to any particular place. Noble son, it is in this way that you should regard the tathāgatas to come and go, and also approach only the true nature of all things. Noble son, if you accurately discern the tathāgatas and all things to not have arisen or ceased in this way, then you will be assured of unsurpassed, perfect awakening, and you will, for sure, go about life in the transcendent state of wisdom and in the skill in means.’
“When this explication of the tathāgatas’ not coming and not going was being explicated, the earth quaked. There were six changes and eighteen great signs as everything in the billionfold, great order world system shook, shuddered, and juddered. Then, everything rocked, reeled, and tottered. Then, everything creaked, crackled, and cracked. Then, everything rattled, clattered, and crashed. Then, everything lurched, careened, and convulsed. Finally, everything rumbled, roared, and thundered.1408 All realms superintended by Māra became agitated and obscured.1409 All the grass, the bushes, and the trees in the billionfold, great order world system bowed in the direction of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata. Flowers blossomed out of season. Above, in the sky, a great downpour of flower blossoms rained down everywhere. And upon the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, and the Four Great Kings rained down, showered, and scattered around heavenly māndārava flowers, aromatic powders of sandalwood, gold powders, and silver powders. At the same time, they uttered the words, ‘Excellent, noble son. Excellent. Through your miraculous power, noble son, today we have heard you teach this discourse born from the ultimate reality that is counterintuitive to the whole conventional world. In it, there is no ground for any sentient beings dwelling on any erroneous beliefs about the transitory collection or habitually fixating upon any erroneous beliefs in the unreal.’
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita said to the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, ‘Noble son, what is the cause for this? What is the condition for the manifestation in the world of this great earthquake?’
“The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata said, ‘Noble son, as a result of your requesting, and as a result of my giving, an explication of the tathāgatas’ not coming and not going, eight thousand beings attained the acceptance that all things are free of arising; eighty quintillion beings developed the proper mindset for unsurpassed, perfect awakening; and sixty-four thousand living beings had their Dharma eyes completely purified so that they became free of their dust and dirt.’
“The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita felt a supreme, expansive joy and delight, thinking, ‘The fact that my request for this transcendent state of wisdom and Dharmodgata’s explication of the tathāgatas as neither coming nor going has brought so much benefit to sentient beings is to me the supreme positive gain. May this very virtue just obtained lead us to realize unsurpassed, perfect awakening and not lead me to greater doubt regarding unsurpassed, perfect awakening, so that without any doubt I will become a worthy, perfectly awakened buddha.’
“By virtue of his feeling such pure joy and delight, Sadāprarudita began floating upward into the sky, reaching the height of seven palm trees. Once he came to a stop there at the height of seven palm trees, he thought, ‘While floating here now, how can I pay tribute to the bodhisattva great being?’
“Then Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, saw that the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita was floating, in his own mind knew his thoughts, and offered him heavenly māndārava flowers, saying, ‘Noble son, please pay tribute to the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata with these heavenly flowers. Indeed, noble son, we gods should pay tribute to him for supporting you, since, noble son, it was by your grace today that many thousands of beings have been benefited. Noble son, it is difficult for such sentient beings to find someone who courageously bears the great burden for the sake of sentient beings for immeasurable and innumerable eons in the way that you are exerting yourself to do.’
“The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita accepted the heavenly māndārava flowers from Śakra, powerful lord of the gods. He rained them down upon, showered them down upon, and scattered them around the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata. Next, he lay his own body prostrate before the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, and said, ‘Noble son, from this day forward I present myself as an offering to you so that I may attend you and physically serve you.’1410 Having offered himself, he cupped his hands together in respect, then stood before the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata.
“Then the merchant’s daughter and the five hundred young ladies said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble son, we too present the offering of ourselves to you. With this root of virtue, may we attain the very same indications of a buddha. May we also pay tribute and show reverence to the blessed buddhas and bodhisattvas again and again, right along with you. And may we remain close to you.’
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita said to the merchant’s daughter and the five hundred young ladies, ‘If you young ladies are following my altruistic disposition, and with that altruistic disposition presenting yourselves to me as an offering, then I accept you.’
“The merchant’s daughter said, ‘We are following your altruistic disposition, and with that disposition presenting ourselves to you as an offering. Do with us as you wish.’
“Then, with all the ornaments, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita adorned the merchant’s daughter along with the five hundred young ladies, decorated the five hundred carriages, and presented them all as an offering to the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata so that they might attend and physically serve him, saying, ‘Noble son, for your thorough enjoyment, I present these servants to you as an offering, and I present these five hundred carriages to you as an offering.’
Then Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, commended the noble son: ‘Excellent, noble son. Excellent. A bodhisattva great being should completely renounce all his belongings. With such a mindset of complete renunciation, a bodhisattva great being quickly realizes unsurpassed, perfect awakening. After venerating the Dharma teacher in this way, a bodhisattva great being becomes able to hear the transcendent state of wisdom and the skill in means. Noble son, when all the past worthy, perfectly and completely awakened tathāgatas had earlier been going about life how bodhisattvas go about life, they remained in renunciation and attained unsurpassed, perfect awakening through asking questions about the transcendent state of wisdom and the skill in means.’
“The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata accepted the merchant’s daughter, along with the five hundred young ladies and the five hundred carriages, so that the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita’s virtue would be perfectly fulfilled. After accepting them, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata got up and entered his house as it was time for the sun to set.
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita thought, ‘It would not be appropriate for me, since I came with the wish for Dharma, to sit down or go to sleep. Therefore, I shall remain here and spend my time only in the two physical positions of standing and walking until the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata emerges from his own house specifically to elucidate the Dharma.
“The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata then immersed himself in a single state of meditative concentration that lasted seven years. He was in the state of immeasurable and innumerable thousands of meditative concentrations belonging to the bodhisattvas born from the transcendent state of wisdom and the skill in means. For seven years also, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita spent his time in those same two physical positions and never became drowsy or sleepy. Also, for seven years, he never had a lustful thought, a malevolent thought, a violent thought, a yearning for food, or any mental excitement. Instead, he thought, ‘Whenever it is that the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata comes out from this meditative concentration, we should prepare the Dharma throne so that the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata will sit on it to teach the Dharma. In the location where the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata will elucidate the transcendent state of wisdom and the skill in means, we should sprinkle water on it well, clean it well, and strew various flower blossoms about.’ The merchant’s daughter with the five hundred young ladies also imitated the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, spending their time in those same two physical positions and following all his activities.
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita heard a celestial voice say, ‘Seven days from now, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata will come out from his meditative concentration.1411 After coming out, he will sit in the center of the city and teach the Dharma.’
“After hearing the celestial voice, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita became pleased, cheerful, gladdened, delighted, and full of joy and satisfaction. Together with the merchant’s daughter leading the five hundred young ladies, they purified the teaching area and prepared a Dharma throne made of the seven precious substances. From his body, he took off his own upper robe and arranged it over the throne. Then the merchant’s daughter led the five hundred young ladies to take off their own upper robes and arrange them over the throne, thinking, ‘The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata will sit here and teach the Dharma.’ After covering the throne in this way, all those young ladies were pleased, cheerful, gladdened, delighted, and full of joy and satisfaction.
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita wished to sprinkle water on the teaching area. But despite searching everywhere, he found no water that he could use to sprinkle on the dust. Indeed, the pernicious Māra had dissolved all the water, hoping that the proper mindset of the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita would be disturbed by not finding any water, or while feeling suffering and despair, his mind would become sidetracked. Also, as a result, his roots of virtue would disappear, or his devotional offerings would lack the requisite luster.
“But the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita thought to himself, ‘What if I were to pierce my own body? If so, I could sprinkle my blood on this teaching area. Why is that? The dust in this teaching area has been kicked up, but no speck of dust from the ground should be allowed to fall upon the bodhisattva great being’s body. Aside from that, what else can be done with such a body, whose nature is to inevitably break down? It would be best to let it perish through such an activity, rather than through an activity lacking such potential benefits. Moreover, thanks to lust and motivated by the sense pleasures, many thousands of my bodies have been broken down again and again from one cyclic existence to another, but never in such a situation to apprehend the genuine Dharma. So, if it is to be broken down again, let it be broken down in such conditions in line with my aspirations!’
After the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita carefully considered it in this way, he grabbed a sharp knife, pierced his body all over, and sprinkled his own blood over the entire teaching area.1412 The merchant’s daughter, leading the five hundred young ladies, imitated the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita. They all grabbed sharp knives, pierced their own bodies, and sprinkled their own blood over the entire teaching area. During this, the minds of the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita and the young ladies never became sidetracked at any moment, such that the pernicious Māra might find any vulnerability to create obstacles for their roots of virtue.
“Then Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, thought this: ‘It is wonderful how much this bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita wishes for the Dharma, how firm his resolve is, how well he has donned the great armor, and how indifferent he is toward his body, life, and sense comforts. That is to say, how wonderful that he has set out to realize unsurpassed, perfect awakening with the altruistic disposition, thinking, “After I realize unsurpassed, perfect awakening, I will liberate all sentient beings from unlimited suffering in cyclic existence.” ’ Then Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, magically transformed all the blood into heavenly sandalwood-scented water so that everywhere in the whole area—within a two-hundred-fifty-mile radius—was filled with the inconceivable and supremely sublime scent of heavenly sandalwood.
“Then, Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Excellent, noble son. Excellent. Noble son, your inconceivable heroic perseverance is excellent. Your longing and striving for the Dharma is unsurpassed. And, noble son, the previous worthy, perfectly and completely awakened tathāgatas all attained unsurpassed, perfect awakening through the very same kind of altruistic disposition, heroic perseverance, and longing for the Dharma.’
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita thought this: ‘I have prepared the Dharma throne for the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, and also have sprinkled down and cleansed this teaching area. But where indeed can I find flower blossoms to spread over this area and strew them upon the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata when he is teaching the Dharma on the Dharma throne?’
“Then Śakra, powerful lord of the gods, said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble son, take these heavenly māndārava flowers. Spread them over the area and strew them upon the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata when he is teaching the Dharma on the Dharma throne.’ Then Śakra presented him thousands of heavenly loads of heavenly māndārava flowers.
“The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita accepted the flowers from him in order to spread them and other flowers over the whole area and strew them upon the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata.
“When the seven years ended, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata emerged from his meditative concentration, went to the Dharma throne that had been prepared, and sat down upon it. Then, in front of the assembly of many hundreds of thousands surrounding him, he taught the transcendent state of wisdom. Just by seeing the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata once again, Sadāprarudita felt the kind of happiness that a monk feels when he has attained the first meditative attainment through one-pointed attentiveness.
“Upon that occasion, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata gave a teaching on the transcendent state of wisdom. Specifically, he said,1413 ‘One should know the following:1414 The transcendent state of wisdom is a sameness, just as all things are a sameness.1415 The transcendent state of wisdom is void, just as all things are void.1416 The transcendent state of wisdom is not moving, just as all things are not moving.1417 The transcendent state of wisdom is free of creating conceits, just as all things are free of creating conceits.1418 The transcendent state of wisdom is not stopped, just as all things are not stopped.1419 The transcendent state of wisdom has a single flavor, just as all things have a single flavor.1420 The transcendent state of wisdom has no limits, just as all things have no limits.1421 The transcendent state of wisdom is free of arising, just as all things are free of arising.1422 The transcendent state of wisdom is free of ceasing, just as all things are free of ceasing.1423
“ ‘The transcendent state of wisdom is limitless, just as the sky is limitless.1424 The transcendent state of wisdom is limitless, just as the ocean is limitless.1425 The transcendent state of wisdom is multifaceted, just as Mount Meru is multifaceted.1426 The transcendent state of wisdom does not fabricate, just as the sky does not fabricate.1427
“ ‘The transcendent state of wisdom is limitless, just as the earth element is limitless. Likewise, the transcendent state of wisdom is limitless, just as the water element, the fire element, the wind element, and the space element are limitless. The transcendent state of wisdom is limitless, just as the element of consciousness is limitless.1428
“ ‘The transcendent state of wisdom is a sameness, just as the vajra-like Dharma is a sameness.1429 The transcendent state of wisdom is free of differentiation, just as all things are free of differentiation.1430 The transcendent state of wisdom is free of mental perception, just as all things are free of mental perception.1431 The transcendent state of wisdom is the same as the freedom from clarification, just as all things are the same as the freedom from clarification.1432
“Now, at that time, while the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita was still sitting there, he attained the king of meditative concentrations known as focused on all things as a sameness.1435 After that, he attained the meditative concentration called focused on all things being free from conceit; the meditative concentration called focused on all things as not stopped; the meditative concentration called focused on all things as having a single flavor; the meditative concentration called focused on all things as limitless; the meditative concentration called focused on all things as free from arising; the meditative concentration called focused on all things as free from ceasing; the meditative concentration called focused on limitlessness like the sky; the meditative concentration called focused on limitlessness like the ocean; the meditative concentration called focused on the multifaceted like Meru; the meditative concentration called focused on the unfabricated like the sky; the meditative concentration called focused on limitlessness like physical forms; the meditative concentration called focused on limitlessness like feelings, conceptions, conditioning forces, and consciousness; the meditative concentration called focused on limitlessness like the earth element; the meditative concentration called focused on limitlessness like the water element, the fire element, the wind element, and the space element; the meditative concentration called focused on being like a vajra; the meditative concentration called focused on all things free of differentiation; the meditative concentration called focused on all things being free of mental perception; the meditative concentration called focused on all things as the same as freedom from clarification; and the meditative concentration called focused on all things as inconceivable. These meditative concentrations were the main ones among the six million meditative concentrations that the bodhisattva great being attained.”1436
This ends the chapter “Dharmodgata,” the thirty-first chapter in “The Noble Transcendent State of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.”