Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

Unraveling the Intent

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in an unfathomable palace, built with the blazing seven precious substances,³⁴ that emitted³⁵ great light rays suffusing countless universes.³⁶ Each of its rooms was well arranged and its design was infinite. It was the undivided maṇḍala, the domain transcending the three worlds. Arising from the supreme roots of virtue of the one who transcends the world,³⁷ it was characterized by the perfectly pure cognition of the one who has achieved complete mastery.³⁸ Abode of the Tathāgata where the assembly of innumerable bodhisattvas gathered, it was attended by countless gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans. Supported by the great joy and bliss of savoring the Dharma and designed to accomplish the complete welfare of all beings, it was free of any harm caused by the stains of afflictions and clear of any demon. Surpassing all manifestations, this unfathomable palace was displayed by the sovereign power of the Tathāgata. Mindfulness, intelligence, and realization were its pathway;³⁹ mental stillness and insight were the vehicle leading to it; the great gates of liberation‍—emptiness, appearancelessness, and wishlessness‍—were its entrance. It was set on foundations adorned with an infinite accumulation of excellent qualities, which were like great kings of jeweled lotuses.⁴⁰

The Blessed One had a perfectly realized mind and was free from dualistic behavior. Absorbed in the Dharma of the nonexistence of defining characteristics, he was residing in the domain of the buddhas. He had attained equality with all buddhas. His realization was unobstructed and his qualities⁴¹ were irreversible. He could not be overcome by objects of experience.⁴² His abode was inconceivable.⁴³ Perfectly skilled in the sameness of the three times,⁴⁴ his five bodies were present in all worlds. His knowledge of all phenomena was free from doubt. He understood all practices. His knowledge of phenomena was without uncertainty. His body was unimaginable. He possessed the gnosis bodhisattvas vow to accomplish.⁴⁵ He had attained the nondual abode of the buddhas, the sublime perfection, the supreme indivisible gnosis of the Tathāgata’s liberation.⁴⁶ He had realized the sameness [of all phenomena], the state of a buddha in which there is neither a center nor a periphery,⁴⁷ and reached the ultimate within the domain of truth, the point where the sphere of space ends.⁴⁸

The Blessed One was accompanied by the entire immeasurable assembly of hearers. Children of noble family, they were the heirs of the Buddha. Their minds were liberated, their wisdom was emancipated, and their discipline was completely pure. They happily gathered with those who longed for the Dharma. They had heard much, kept in mind what they had heard, and accumulated [merit from] what they had heard. They excelled in thought, speech, and deeds. Their wisdom was swift, quick, sharp, emancipating,⁴⁹ discerning,⁵⁰ vast, extensive, profound, and unequaled. They possessed the jewel of wisdom and the three forms of knowledge. They had attained the supreme state of happiness in this life. The purity of their merit,⁵¹ the excellence of their peaceful conduct, their patience, and their gentleness were vast.⁵² They were fully engaged in the teaching of the Tathāgata.

The Blessed One was also accompanied by all the innumerable bodhisattvas assembled from various buddha realms. Firmly settled and engaged in a vast state, they had gone forth through the Dharma of the Great Vehicle. Impartial toward all beings, they were free from all conceptions, conceptualizations, and fabrications. Victorious over all demons and opposition, they were not involved with the considerations of the hearers and solitary realizers. Steadfast through the great joy and happiness of savoring the Dharma, they were free from the five great fears. Solely progressing toward the stages from which there is no regression, they had perfectly actualized the stage in which one pacifies the torment of beings. Among them were thus the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Gam­bhīrārtha­saṃdhi­nirmo­cana, Vidhi­vatpari­pṛcchaka, Dharmodgata, Su­viśuddha­mati, Viśālamati, Guṇākara, Para­mārtha­samud­gata, Āryāva­loki­teśvara, Maitreya, and Mañjuśrī.