The Translation
The Mahāvaipulya Sūtra “A Multitude of Buddhas”
Chapter 31: The Ten Bhūmis
[B13]
Then21 the Bhagavat was in the deva king Vaśavartin’s divine palace of precious jewels, together with a great saṅgha of bodhisattvas. They were all irreversible and one lifetime away22 from attaining the highest complete enlightenment.23 They had gathered there from various worlds. They dwelled in the attainment of the scope and range of the wisdom of all bodhisattvas. They maintained the range of activity that approaches and enters the scope of the wisdom of all tathāgatas. They were skilled in manifesting at the proper moment in time all the activities of unimpeded blessings that would ripen and guide all beings. They had a range of activity that continually fulfilled the prayers of all bodhisattvas, and they continued in their conduct throughout eons, realms, and times. They had completed the accumulations of the merit, wisdom, and miraculous powers of all24 bodhisattvas, and they had unceasingly cared for all beings. They had attained the highest perfection of the wisdom and methods of all bodhisattvas. They had unceasing accomplishment of bodhisattva conduct, manifesting the doorways of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. They were skilled in manifesting all the activities25 that come from being adept in the dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, samāpattis, clairvoyances, and wisdom26 of all bodhisattvas.
They had attained mastery of the miraculous powers27 of all bodhisattvas. Without performing any action, they went in a mind’s instant to the assemblies of the followers of all tathāgatas as individuals who would be their foremost interlocutors. They maintained the Dharma wheels of all tathāgatas. They engaged in a multitude of offerings and acts of service to the buddhas. They manifested the appearance of bodies in all worlds and with equanimity engaged in undertaking the activities of all bodhisattvas. The unimpeded sound of their voices resounded throughout the entire realm of phenomena so that the three times were pervaded by the scope of the unimpeded wisdom of their minds. They had the perfection of the acquisition28 of the qualities of all bodhisattvas and taught them continuously for uncountable eons by unceasingly expressing praises of these qualities.
These bodhisattvas were the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajragarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ratnagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sūryagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Śucigarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Śaśivimalagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvavyūhālaṃkārapratibhāsasaṃdarśanagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Jñānavairocanagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ruciraśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Candanaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Puṣpaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Kusumaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Utpalaśrīgarbha,29 the bodhisattva mahāsattva Devaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Puṇyaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Anāvaraṇajñānaviśuddhigarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Guṇaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nārāyaṇaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Amalagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vimalagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vicitrapratibhāṇālaṃkāragarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāraśmijālāvabhāsagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vimalaprabhāsaśrītejorājagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Suvarṇabhadravimalavasucitratejolalitagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvalakṣaṇapratimaṇḍitaviśuddhiśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrārciḥśrīvatsālaṃkāragarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Jyotirjvalanārciḥśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nakṣatrarājaprabhāvabhāsagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganakośānāvaraṇajñānagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Anāvaraṇasvaramaṇḍalamadhuranirghoṣagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Dhāraṇīmukhasarvajagatpraṇidhisaṃdhāraṇagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sāgaravyūhagarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Meruśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvaguṇaviśuddhigarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Tathāgataśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Buddhaśrīgarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vimukticandra, and so on. These boundless, innumerable, countless, inconceivable, unequaled, measureless, infinite, endless, unlimited, and most indescribable of indescribable bodhisattva mahāsattvas such as Vajragarbha had all gathered there from various buddha realms.
Then at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajragarbha, through the power of the Buddha, entered the samādhi called the radiance of the Mahāyāna.
As soon as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajragarbha entered the samādhi called the radiance of the Mahāyāna, buddha bhagavats who all had the name Vajragarbha and were as numerous as the atoms in a hundred million buddha realms, who were from beyond worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the atoms in a hundred million buddha realms, appeared to him. Those buddha bhagavats said these words:
“O noble son! It is excellent, excellent that you have entered the samādhi called the radiance of the Mahāyāna. In this way, noble son, the buddhas, the bhagavats in the ten directions, who are as numerous as the atoms in a hundred million buddha realms, and who all have the same name as you, which is Vajragarbha, because of the blessing of the previous prayers of this bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyaksambuddha30 Vairocana31 and because of your particular wisdom,32 give you their blessing so that through your teaching all bodhisattvas will (1) enter the bhūmis of the wisdom of the radiance of the Buddha’s inconceivable Dharma, (2) completely accumulate all roots of goodness, (3) become skilled in examining the entire Dharma of the Buddha, (4) possess a vast wisdom of the entire Dharma, (5) teach the perfectly preserved Dharma, (6) have the purified wisdom of indivisibility,33 (7) be unstained by all worldly qualities, (8) purify the transcendent roots of goodness, (9) realize the scope of inconceivable wisdom, and (10) ultimately attain the scope of omniscient wisdom.
“This is for the purpose of commencing upon and attaining34 the ten bhūmis of the bodhisattvas35 through (1) the teaching that presents the bodhisattva bhūmis, (2) a focus on the entire Dharma of the Buddha, (3) meditation on the different kinds of immaculate qualities,36 (4) skill37 in the great light of wisdom that has analyzed the perfectly analyzed,38 (5) entry through the door of knowledge through perfect examination,39 (6) the bright40 illumination41 of the eloquence of42 explaining every kind of opposing43 standpoint, (7) the realization of the level of great discerning knowledge, (8) the continuous remembering of bodhicitta, (9) the ripening of all realms of beings, and (10) the acquisition of skillfulness through certainty in the comprehension of everything.44
“Therefore, noble son, be eloquent45 in this Dharma teaching, which is being skillful in the different doors of the Dharma,46 so that through the power of the buddhas and the blessing of the light of the wisdom of the tathāgatas there will be (1) the complete purification of your roots of goodness, (2) the complete purification of the essence of phenomena,47 (3) benefit for all the realms of beings, (4) the dharmakāya, which is the body48 of wisdom, (5) the consecration received from all the buddhas, (6) the appearance of a body in all worlds, (7) the transcendence of all worldly existences, (8) the complete purification of the way of world-transcending qualities, and (9) the perfection of omniscient wisdom.”49
Then those buddha bhagavats provided the bodhisattva Vajragarbha with (1) an unsurpassable body, (2) unimpeded eloquence in teaching, (3) the process of analysis through completely purified wisdom, (4) the blessing of unfailing memory, (5) skill in definitive understanding,50 (6) the judgment that is never lost in any situation,51 (7) the invincible strengths52 of a complete buddha, (8) the strengths53 and confidences of the tathāgatas, who will never be discouraged, (9) the accomplishment of the different aspects of the Dharma through the discerning knowledge of omniscient wisdom, and (10) the adornment of the unique aspects of the body, speech, and mind of the tathāgatas.
Why did this happen? It was because he (1) had attained the intrinsic nature of that samādhi, (2) had accomplished a previous prayer,54 (3) had perfectly purified higher motivation, (4) had the perfectly clarified circle55 of wisdom, (5) had perfectly accumulated the accumulations, (6) had become perfectly immaculate,56 (7) had become a vessel for limitless memory, (8) had the purity of clear motivation, and (9) had perfectly realized the distinct57 doors of retention, and because he had (10) applied the seal of the knowledge of the essence of the Dharma.
Those buddha bhagavats who were present there extended their right hands through their miraculous power and stroked the bodhisattva Vajragarbha’s head.
As soon as the bodhisattva Vajragarbha was touched by those buddha bhagavats, he arose from that samādhi and said to the bodhisattvas, “O jinaputras! This bodhisattva aspiration (1) is perfectly certain,58 (2) is not separate,59 (3) cannot be viewed,60 (4) is the vast essence of the Dharma,61 (5) extends to the limits of space,62 (6) reaches the ultimate conclusion,63 and (7) is the protection of the realm of beings.64
“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva mahāsattvas enter the wisdom bhūmis of the buddha bhagavats of the past. They enter the wisdom bhūmis of the buddha bhagavats of the future. They enter the wisdom bhūmis of the buddha bhagavats of the present.
“O jinaputras! There are ten bodhisattva bhūmis that are entering the wisdom bhūmis of the buddha bhagavats.65
“O jinaputras! What I say to you is what the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present have taught, will teach, and are teaching.
“What are these ten? They are the following: (1) Perfect Joy is the first bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (2) Stainless is the second bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (3) Shining is the third bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (4) Brilliance is the fourth bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (5) Difficult to Conquer is the fifth bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (6) Manifested is the sixth bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (7) Gone Far is the seventh bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (8) Unwavering is the eighth bhūmi of the bodhisattva, (9) Perfect Understanding is the ninth bhūmi of the bodhisattva, and (10) Cloud of Dharma is the tenth bhūmi of the bodhisattva.
“O jinaputras! These are the ten bodhisattva bhūmis of the bodhisattvas that the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present have taught, will teach, and are teaching.
“O jinaputras! I see that throughout all buddha realms there are no tathāgata arhat samyaksambuddhas who do not teach these ten bodhisattva bhūmis. Why is that? O jinaputras! The light from this doorway to the Dharma of purifying the bodhisattva path of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas is called most excellent. It is an inconceivable presentation of the classification of the ten bhūmis of the bodhisattvas. O jinaputras! That is this level of the knowledge of the bhūmis.”66
Thus the bodhisattva Vajragarbha spoke merely the names of these ten bodhisattva bhūmis, became silent, and did not elucidate any further. All the bodhisattvas of the assembly heard just the names of the ten bodhisattva bhūmis with no further elucidation or description. Therefore, they yearned for that, thinking, “The bodhisattva Vajragarbha thus spoke just the names of the ten bodhisattva bhūmis and said no more. What is the cause and condition for his not giving any further elucidation?”
At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vimukticandra was present in that gathered assembly of bodhisattvas. The bodhisattva Vimukticandra, knowing what was being thought in the minds of the assembly of bodhisattvas, addressed these questions in verse to the bodhisattva Vajragarbha:
“Why did you, lord, endowed with the qualities
Of pure thoughts, mindfulness, and wisdom,
Mention the supreme bhūmis
But not explain them?
“All those here are certainly
Bodhisattvas of great renown.
Why did you speak of the bhūmis
But not teach their details?
“All these fearless
Bodhisattvas wish to listen.
Describe perfectly the meaning
Of the different bhūmis.
“This assembly is perfectly pure,
Free of indolence, and splendid.
Its members reside in supreme purity.
They possess qualities and wisdom.
“They heard you, Vajragarbha,
Eloquent and greatly wise.
Speak to the sons of the sugatas
In order to delight the assembly.
“This is the difficult, marvelous, perfect
Teaching of bodhisattva conduct,
The supreme elucidation of the cause of the bhūmis
Through which the state of buddhahood is reached.
“It is subtle, difficult to see, beyond thought,
Beyond the level of the mind, and difficult to accomplish.
It is the undefiled domain of the wise,
And beings are bewildered when they hear of it.
“When one has been established in the vajra-like essence,
Has aspired to the supreme wisdom of buddhahood,
And has seen the absence of self in the level of the mind,
Then one is able to listen to this most subtle wisdom.
“Just like colors drawn in the sky,
Just like the path of the wind through the air,
It is difficult to see the different aspects
Of the immaculate wisdom of the bhagavats.
“This is what I conclude:
You did not dare teach
That supreme wisdom
Because beings would have no faith in it.”
Then the bodhisattva Vimukticandra spoke these words to the bodhisattva Vajragarbha: “O jinaputra! This is a very pure assembly of gathered bodhisattva mahāsattvas who (1) have very pure higher motivation, (2) have very pure thoughts, (3) have practiced excellent conduct, (4) have served excellently many trillions68 of buddhas, (5) have excellently gathered the accumulations,69 (6) possess limitless qualities and wisdom, (7) are free of doubt and uncertainty, (8) are free of blemish, (9) are resolute in their motivation and aspiration, and (10) are within the Dharma of the buddhas and do not rely on anything else.
“O jinaputra, through the blessing of the tathāgatas teach well all these bodhisattvas who are present before you in this place.”
The bodhisattva Vimukticandra, in order to repeat his meaning clearly, recited these verses to the bodhisattva Vajragarbha:70
“Teach the supreme Dharma of sublime peace,
Which presents and differentiates the bhūmis
Of the unsurpassable conduct of the bodhisattva
That purifies wisdom and causes enlightenment.
The bodhisattva Vajragarbha said these words to the bodhisattva Vimukticandra: “O jinaputra, this very pure assembly of gathered bodhisattva mahāsattvas (1) has very pure higher motivation, (2) has very pure thoughts, (3) has practiced excellent conduct, (4) has excellently served trillions of buddhas, (5) has excellently gathered the accumulations,72 (6) possesses limitless qualities and wisdom, (7) is free of doubt and uncertainty, (8) is free of blemish, (9) is resolute in its motivation and aspiration, and (10) is within the Dharma of the buddhas and does not rely on anything else.
“However, other beings with lesser aspiration will have doubts and uncertainty if they hear such inconceivable subjects as these, which for a long time will not bring them benefit but will harm them and cause them unhappiness. Therefore, I remained silent out of compassion for them.”
Then Vajragarbha recited these verses in order to make his meaning clear:
“Those in this assembly are pure; they have vast wisdom
And possess profound clear conduct and knowledge from examination.
They do not depend on anything else and are as unshakable as the king of mountains.
Their thoughts are undisturbed and like a great ocean.
Then the bodhisattva Vimukticandra repeated this request to the bodhisattva Vajragarbha: “O jinaputra! Teach it well. Through the power of the tathāgatas these inconceivable subjects will be well protected74 and will be believed in. Why is that? O jinaputra! When you give this teaching on the bhūmis to these jinaputras, there will be an understanding of the true nature, which is what all buddhas are intent upon, and all the bodhisattvas will long to protect this wisdom bhūmi. Why is that? Because this is both the initial conduct and complete attainment75 of the Buddhadharma.
“O jinaputra! In the same way, through the accomplishment of conduct the bhūmis precede all the qualities of buddhahood, and self-arisen wisdom is attained through the conclusion of the bhūmis. Therefore, O jinaputra, give your teaching! The tathāgata arhat samyaksambuddhas will oversee77 its protection.”
Then the bodhisattva Vimukticandra, in order to repeat this clearly, recited these verses to the bodhisattva Vajragarbha:
Then all the bodhisattvas sang together in one voice, making a request to the bodhisattva Vajragarbha through the verses of a song:
“They have good minds that are peaceful and restrained.
They are free of arrogance, pride, and view-originated kleśas.
Those of the assembly are free from doubt,
And they long to hear your teaching.
“Just as the thirsty long for cool water,
The hungry want food, and the sick want medicine,86
And just as swarms of bees yearn for honey,
In that way this assembly yearns for your words.
Then at that time, there shone from the Bhagavat Śākyamuni’s ūrṇā hair a light ray called the light of bodhisattva power accompanied by a retinue of countless hundreds of thousands of light rays. They illuminated all infinite worlds in the ten directions, ended the suffering of all beings in the lower existences, darkened all the palaces of the māras, illuminated the gathered assemblies of all tathāgatas, revealed the range of activity of the buddhas, illuminated the bodhisattvas who had been authorized with the authorization to teach in all the gathered assemblies of tathāgatas in every world throughout all the ten directions, revealed countless manifestations of buddhas, and then formed a network of clouds of light rays as vast kūṭāgāra halls situated in the sky.
Then there shone from the ūrṇā hairs of the buddha bhagavats light rays called the light of bodhisattva power, which illuminated the bodhisattvas who had been authorized with the authorization to teach in all the gathered assemblies of tathāgatas in every world throughout all the ten directions; revealed countless manifestations of buddhas; illuminated this Sahā universe; illuminated the gathered assembly of this tathāgata, the Bhagavat Śākyamuni; illuminated the body and seat of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajragarbha; and formed a network of clouds of light rays as a great kūṭāgāra hall situated in the sky.
From that kūṭāgāra hall made of a network of clouds of light rays, there came these words through the power of the Buddha:
“With the authority91 of the sugatas, open the treasure of the Dharma kings,
Which is the vast supreme conduct and the division of the wisdom bhūmis.
Those to whose ears comes this principal Dharma teaching
Will be blessed by the sugatas and cared for by the bodhisattvas.
“Those who are without doubt
Will hear this Dharma teaching
Even if they are sunk in the ocean
Or thrown into the fire of the eon’s end.
“Those who remain in doubt
And those who become uncertain
Will never at any time
Be able to attain hearing it.93
Then the bodhisattva Vajragarbha looked into the ten directions and spoke these verses so that the assembly would have faith:
“The path of the great sages is subtle, difficult to understand,
Inconceivable,95 beyond concepts, and difficult to reach.
It is clearly known by those with expert knowledge.
Its nature is peace; it is without cessation or origination.
“Its nature is empty, tranquil,96 nondual, and unending.97
It is liberation from existences, the attainment of equality.98
It has no middle or end; it cannot be described in words.
It is liberated from the three times and is the same as space.
“It is beyond thought, beyond the path of the mind.
It is the attainment of wisdom that is known by the lord of munis.
It cannot be produced by the skandhas, sensory elements, or sensory bases.
It is inaccessible to the mind and cannot be investigated by the intellect.
“Just as the wise can neither describe nor show99
The track of a bird in the sky,
None of the bodhisattva bhūmis
Can be described, so how can they be heard?100
“However, through love, compassion, and prayer
I shall give just an indication of them.
Though their succession is not within the scope of the mind,
That which is thought is fulfilled by wisdom.
“That range of conduct is difficult to see.
I cannot describe what is in my mind.
However, through the power of the jinas, I shall teach it;
Therefore, you should all respectfully listen.
“I could not describe in eons101
This wisdom that is to be entered,
But listen to this summary that I shall give
Of the entire true meaning of the Dharma.
“Be prepared with complete respect,
For I shall teach well through the power of the jinas.
I shall speak the words of the sublime Dharma
With appropriate examples and in even meter.
“O jinaputras! The aspiration for enlightenment is developed by bodhisattvas who have (1) perfectly accumulated the roots of goodness, (2) perfectly practiced conduct,103 (3) perfectly accumulated the accumulations, (4) perfectly served the appearance of buddhas, (5) perfectly amassed pure qualities, (6) perfectly acquired kalyāṇamitras, (7) perfectly purified their intentions, (8) developed a vast higher motivation, (9) created the aspiration to the sublime, and (10) manifested kindness and compassion.
“That motivation is developed by the bodhisattvas in order to (1) desire the wisdom of buddhahood, (2) acquire the power of the ten strengths, (3) acquire the great confidences, (4) attain the equality of the Buddhadharma,104 (5) protect all beings, (6) have pure kindness and compassion, (7) have knowledge of all in the ten directions, (8) purify without impediment all buddha realms, (9) know in one instant all the three times, and (10) become confident in turning the great Dharma wheel.
“They have (1) great compassion that precedes all actions, (2) the power of knowledge and wisdom, (3) the acquisition of skillful means, (4) the support of intention and higher intention, (5) the measureless powers of the tathāgatas, (6) perfect analysis through analyzing with the power of courage105 and the power of intelligence, and (7) the continuous manifestation of wisdom; and they (8) have become conducive106 to self-arising wisdom, (9) have received107 the instructions for knowledge and wisdom in the Buddhadharma, and (10) are in the supreme essence of the Dharma, in the realm of space, the final highest point.
“Simultaneous with developing that motivation, the bodhisattva mahāsattva becomes transcendent, for he (1) rises above the level of ordinary beings, (2) becomes an immutable108 bodhisattva, (3) becomes faultless within the family of the sugatas, (4) has gone beyond caste identification, (5) has transcended all worldly ways, (6) follows the way that transcends the world, (7) remains perfectly in the nature of a bodhisattva, (8) has the unchanging possession of the bodhisattva state, (9) is in the lineage of the tathāgatas of the three times, and (10) is destined for buddhahood.109
“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva established in the Dharma resides unshakably upon the bodhisattva bhūmi named Perfect Joy.
“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who is on the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi has (1) a plenitude of joy, (2) a plenitude of admiration,110 (3) a plenitude of happiness,111 (4) a plenitude of rapture,112 (5) a plenitude of pleasure,113 (6) a plenitude of delight,114 (7) a plenitude of enthusiasm,115 (8) a plenitude of calmness,116 (9) a plenitude of harmlessness,117 and (10) a plenitude of freedom from anger.118
“O jinaputras! In that way, the bodhisattva who resides on the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi has (1) perfect joy thinking of the buddha bhagavats, (2) perfect joy thinking of119 the Buddhadharma, (3) perfect joy thinking of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas, (4) perfect joy thinking of bodhisattva conduct, (5) perfect joy thinking of the pure perfections, (6) perfect joy thinking of the different bodhisattva bhūmis, (7) perfect joy thinking of the preeminence of the bodhisattvas, (8) perfect joy thinking of the instructions taught120 by the tathāgatas, (9) perfect joy thinking of the accomplishment of the benefit of beings, and (10) perfect joy thinking of accomplishing entry into the wisdom of all tathāgatas.
“Perfect Joy arises as he thinks, ‘(1) I have departed from the scope of the world, (2) I have approached the level of buddhahood, (3) I have withdrawn from the level of ordinary childlike beings, (4) I am near to the level of wisdom, (5) I am separated from falling into any lower existence, (6) I have become a refuge for all beings, (7) I am close to seeing all the tathāgatas, (8) I have arisen within the purview of all buddhas, (9) I have become equal to all bodhisattvas, and (10) I am free from all fear, alarm, and terror.’121
“Why is that? O jinaputras! As soon as the bodhisattva attains the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi in this way, all these fears cease: (1) fear of the loss of livelihood, (2) fear of a bad reputation, (3) fear of death, (4) fear of the lower existences, and (5) fear from nervousness in an assembly.
“Why is that? He has no fear, alarm, terror, or horripilation122 (1) because he is free from the perception of a self and therefore has no attachment to the self, so how could he have attachment to material things? Therefore he has no fear of loss of livelihood; (2) because he does not have the slightest expectation of a reward from whomever he helps, but thinks, ‘My possessions are for sharing with beings’ and therefore has no fear of a bad reputation; (3) because he does not have the view of a self and therefore does not have the perception of a self and therefore has no fear of death; (4) because he thinks, ‘Even though I die, I will definitely be inseparable from the buddhas and bodhisattvas,’ and therefore has no fear of the lower existences; (5) because he thinks, ‘There is no one in the world whose motivation is even equal to mine, so how could they be higher?’ and therefore has no fear from being nervous in an assembly.
“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who has first developed compassion, with unimpaired,123 uncommon124 higher motivation, is dedicated more than ever before to accumulating roots of goodness. This is because (1) he has the power of faith, (2) he has an abundance of admiration, (3) he has pure motivation,125 (4) he has an abundance of certainty,126 (5) he has developed kindness and compassion, (6) he has generated great love, (7) he has a resolute127 mind, (8) he is adorned by a sense of shame and conscience, (9) he possesses patience and gentleness,128 and (10) he has respect and reverence129 for the teachings of the tathāgata arhat samyaksambuddhas.
“(1) He accumulates roots of goodness day and night without ever being satisfied; (2) he is devoted to kalyāṇamitras; (3) he enjoys the delights of the Dharma; (4) he seeks to hear Dharma teachings without ever being satisfied; (5) he thoroughly examines the Dharma he has heard; (6) he has no mental fixation;130 (7) he has no attachment to acquisitions, honors, and praise; (8) he has no attachment to delight in material things; (9) he accomplishes, without ever being satisfied, the development of the motivation that is like a jewel; and (10) he aspires to the bhūmi of omniscience.131
“(1) He has the strengths, confidences, and distinct qualities of the tathāgatas as his goal; (2) he seeks the perfections without impediment; (3) he has forsaken deception and deceit; (4) he practices what he preaches; (5) he always keeps to speaking the truth; (6) he creates no blemish in the family of the tathāgatas; (7) he never abandons the training of the bodhisattva and, like the great lord and king of mountains, is unshakable from the omniscient mind;132 (8) he has no desire for worldly activities and follows the path of renunciation133 that transcends the world; (9) he accumulates, without ever being satisfied, the accumulation of the factors for enlightenment; and (10) he continuously, without interruption, always seeks to progress higher and higher.
“O jinaputras!134 The bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi is endowed with those kinds of qualities of a pure bhūmi.
“He who is on the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi accomplishes great prayers, great efforts, and great accomplishments in these ways:
1. “In order to offer to and serve all buddhas without exception, without remainder, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may render great service and make great offerings to all buddhas who will appear in all eons.
2. “In order to possess the Dharma taught by all the tathāgatas, in order to obtain the enlightenment of all the buddhas,135 and in order to preserve the teachings of all the samyaksambuddhas, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may possess the Dharma taught by all the tathāgatas.
3. “In order that during the lives of all the buddhas in infinite worlds without exception, from when they are in the divine palace in Tuṣita onward—their departure from there, descent, entering a body, being born, enjoying youth, living with a retinue of queens, abandoning the lay life, practicing asceticism, going to the bodhimaṇḍa, subjugating the māras, attaining buddhahood, receiving a supplication, turning the great Dharma wheel, and demonstrating passing into the great nirvāṇa—and in order that they may come into their presence, make offerings to them, serve them, receive the Dharma, and so on, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may be in the presence of all buddhas until they pass into nirvāṇa.
4. “In order to accomplish the immeasurable vast extent of bodhisattva conduct without omission, accumulating all the perfections and refining all the bhūmis, and in order to acquire the aggregation of all the main and subsidiary factors for enlightenment—with the principal and various signs, dissolution, transformation, and all that is in the conduct of the bodhisattva, the teaching on the path of the bhūmis, the support and gift of the teaching and instruction on training in the perfections, and attaining the development of the motivation to buddhahood—the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may throughout all eons accomplish the development of the motivation to buddhahood.
5. “In order that all the worlds of beings, without exception or remainder, who make up the three realms, who are within the six kinds of existence—those with form and the formless, those with perception and those without perception, those who are not those with perception and also those who are not those without perception, those born from eggs, those born from wombs, those born from warm moisture, those born miraculously—in order that all these beings, all those realms of beings, be ripened completely, enter the Buddha’s Dharma, follow the path without interruption, and be brought to the bhūmi of omniscience, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may throughout all eons ripen the nature of all beings.
6. “In order that his miraculous emanations may enter equally and separately into every assembly in every single world in the ten directions while having the wisdom that perceives their dissimilarities—the wide worlds and the narrow, the vast and immeasurable, the subtle and the gross, the inverted and the upside down—the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may throughout all eons enter those worlds for the sake of purification.
7. “In order for all purified realms to be in one realm and one realm in all realms, for there to be limitless purified buddha realms, beautified by adorning arrays of a multitude of lights, where there is the attainment of the path of purification that removes all kleśas, realms that are filled by countless beings who are the source of wisdom and that are the entirety of the vast fields of activity of the buddhas that satisfy with teachings the wishes of beings, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may throughout all eons purify buddha realms.
8. “In order to be dedicated to the one intention of all bodhisattvas; in order to individually accumulate the roots of goodness; in order to have the same goal as all bodhisattvas; in order to be always inseparably accompanied by bodhisattvas; in order for the buddhas to teach him whatever he wishes; in order to obtain, through his motivation to buddhahood, the scope, power, and wisdom of all the tathāgatas; in order to attain imperishable, ever-present clairvoyance; in order to move throughout all worlds; in order for his form to appear among the assembled pupils of all buddhas and for all buddhas to teach him; in order for his bodies to continue in all his rebirths; in order to obtain the inconceivable Mahāyāna; and in order to have the uninterrupted practice of bodhisattva conduct, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may throughout all eons accomplish the Mahāyāna in all his conduct.
9. “In order to practice the sublime bodhisattva conduct that resides within the irreversible wheel; in order for there to be the fruitful activities of body, speech, and mind that bring conviction in the Buddhadharma as soon as the body is seen, that bring attainment of wisdom as soon as the voice speaks, and that bring freedom from kleśas as soon as there is faith; in order to attain the motivation that is like the great king of medicines; in order to attain a body that is like a wish-fulfilling jewel; and in order to practice all the conduct of the bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that throughout all eons all his practice of the wheel of irreversibility will be fruitful.
10. “In order to attain buddhahood, unsurpassable complete enlightenment, in all worlds; in order that there will be, for each childlike being without a hairsbreadth of difference, birth,136 enjoying youth, living with a retinue of queens, abandoning the lay life, practicing asceticism, going to the bodhimaṇḍa, subjugating the māras, attaining buddhahood, receiving a supplication, turning the great Dharma wheel, and demonstrating passing into the great nirvāṇa;137 in order to obtain the Buddha’s great scope, powers, and wisdom; in order to manifest as a buddha in all the realms of beings in accordance with his wishes, and in each instant manifest buddhahood and the attainment of peace; in order that one buddhahood will fill the entire expanse of phenomena with emanations; in order that speaking in one voice will completely satisfy the minds and wishes of all the realms of beings; in order to manifest passing into the great nirvāṇa and the continuous practice of conduct; in order to teach the presentation of all the qualities in the bhūmis of great wisdom;138 and in order to emanate throughout all worlds the clairvoyance that is the power of the Dharma of wisdom, the bodhisattva continuously makes great prayers, perfect in all aspects, that have the complete purity of a vast aspiration, are as vast as the realm of phenomena, reach the ends of space, and extend to the end of time, so that he may throughout all eons have the clairvoyance of great wisdom in the attainment of buddhahood.
“O jinaputras! Those are their great prayers, great scope, and great diligence. They make these ten doorways of prayer, and the bodhisattva on the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi fulfills these ten prayers countless hundreds of thousands of times.
“These ten great prayers have ten conclusions. What are these ten? They are (1) the conclusion of beings, (2) the conclusion of worlds, (3) the conclusion of space, (4) the conclusion of phenomena, (5) the conclusion of nirvāṇa, (6) the conclusion of the appearance of buddhas, (7) the conclusion of the wisdom of the tathāgatas, (8) the conclusion of the mind’s objectives, (9) the conclusion of entering the wisdom of buddhahood, and (10) the conclusion of the continuation of worlds, the continuation of the Dharma, and the continuation of wisdom. [B14]
“He makes a perfect prayer, saying, ‘In that way, may the conclusion of these great prayers of mine be at the end of (1) beings, (2) worlds, (3) space, (4) phenomena, [386] (5) nirvāṇa, (6) the appearance of the buddhas, (7) the wisdom of the tathāgatas, (8) the mind’s objectives, (9) the accomplishment of wisdom, (10) the continuity of worlds, the continuity of the Dharma, and the continuity of wisdom. (1) Just as there is no end to beings, may my roots of goodness never be concluded. (2) Just as there is no end to worlds, (3) space, (4) phenomena, (5) nirvāṇa, (6) the appearance of buddhas, (7) the wisdom of the tathāgatas, (8) the mind’s objectives, (9) the accomplishment of wisdom, and (10) the continuity of worlds, the continuity of the Dharma, and the continuity of wisdom, may my roots of goodness never be concluded!’
“He makes that prayer with (1) an altruistic mind, (2) a gentle mind, (3) an adept mind, (4) a peaceful mind, (5) a tamed mind, (6) a deeply peaceful mind, (7) a flexible mind, (8) a loving mind, (9) an undisturbed mind, and (10) an untroubled mind.139
“He has many excellent realizations and has faith: (1) He has faith in the accomplishment of conduct by all the previous tathāgata arhat bhagavat samyaksambuddhas. (2) He has faith in their attainment of the perfections. (3) He has faith in their attainment of the various bhūmis. (4) He has faith in their accomplishment of the strengths. (5) He has faith in their perfection of the confidences. (6) He has faith in their unsurpassable, unique buddha qualities. (7) He has faith in their inconceivable buddha qualities.140 (8) He has faith in their accomplishment of the purview of a buddha, which has no center or edge. (9) He has faith in their entering and following the immeasurable scope of activity of the tathāgatas. (10) He has faith in their accomplishment of the result.
“In brief, they have faith in all bodhisattva conduct and so on, up to the authority of the teaching on the wisdom of the bhūmi141 of the tathāgatas.
“He thinks, ‘These buddha qualities are thus (1) vast, (2) profound, (3) singular, (4) peaceful, (5) empty, (6) featureless, (7) aspirationless, (8) desireless, (9) stainless, and (10) limitless, and these buddha qualities are difficult to attain. However, these children, these ordinary beings, have (1) minds that have fallen into bad views and the thick darkness of ignorance and dimmed sight, which obscures their minds. (2) They have thoughts that raise the victory banner of pride. (3) Their minds are never satisfied. (4) They are caught in the net of craving. (5) They have minds that engage in the darkness of deceit and deception. (6) They are completely encircled by thoughts of envy and avarice, so that within the continuum of the path they are completely connected to birth. (7) They accumulate karma from being engaged in desire and hatred and ignorance. (8) Their anger and enmity create a blazing fire in their minds. (9) They perform erroneous actions. (10) They have the seeds of minds, mentation, and consciousnesses that are under the influence of ignorance and the view of desire and becoming. They generate the seedling of the suffering of rebirth as the simultaneous birth and inseparable arising of name-and-form in the three realms. That name-and-form increases so that the collection of the six bases of sensory perception is created. When the bases of sensory perception have appeared there occur the sensations from their mutual contact and combining. When there is the repeated enjoyment of sensation, craving and grasping increase. Through the increase of that grasping there occurs becoming. When becoming has occurred, there is the manifestation of birth, old age, death, misery, wailing, suffering, unhappiness, and disturbances of mind. A mass of suffering is created in that way for those beings, while plants, trees, walls, wheel tracks, illusions, and the like are devoid of me and mine, and they are vacant, hollow, empty, inactive, motionless, and inanimate and therefore do not have that kind of awareness.’
“When the bodhisattva sees that those beings are not free from that mass of suffering, great compassion arises in him for those beings. He thinks, ‘I shall protect these beings, liberate them, and bring them to ultimate happiness,’ and great love develops within him.
“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who is on the first bodhisattva bhūmi is endowed with that kind of compassion and love, that superior motivation. He has rejected the mind that is directed toward all things, aspires to the wisdom of buddhahood, and with a mind with powerful faith is dedicated to great generosity in the following way: He gives away wealth, stores of grain, and property. He gives away pure gold, jewels, pearls, beryls, conch, coral, and gold or silver coins.142 He gives away precious jewelry and ornaments. He gives away horses, elephants, chariots, drivers, and steeds. He gives away male servants and female servants. He gives away villages, towns, lands, palaces, and capitals. He gives away parks of fruit tree orchards, groves for ascetics, and temples.
“He gives away wives, sons, and daughters. He gives away all beautiful and pleasant things. He gives away his head, ears, nose, hands, feet, and eyes, his limbs, and his entire body. He has no attachment to any of those things he gives away, and he gives them away with a mind that has faith in and aspiration for the wisdom of the Buddha.
“Thus he practices great generosity when he is on the first bodhisattva bhūmi.
“In that way he has a motivation of compassion, love, and generosity, and in order to protect all beings more than ever before he is intently engaged in seeking both worldly and transcendent benefits. He is indefatigable when he intently engages in seeking those benefits, and he therefore has indefatigability. As he is indefatigable, he becomes proficient143 in all learning. Therefore, he becomes one who knows all learning. As someone who has obtained learning in that way, with the understanding of what is to be done and not to be done, he behaves144 appropriately145 toward higher, middling, and lower levels of beings according to146 his own power and their suitability.147 Therefore he knows the world. Because he knows the world he acts in accord with the times. He is adorned with a sense of shame and conscience and engages in benefiting himself and others. That being so, he has a sense of shame and conscience and engages in that kind of conduct. He is unaffected by worldly concerns, will not turn away from enlightenment, and therefore gains the power of stability.148 Having acquired the power of stability he applies himself to serving and making offerings to the tathāgatas and is dedicated to their teachings.
“In that way these are the qualities of that purified bhūmi: (1) faith, (2) compassion, (3) love, (4) generosity, (5) indefatigability, (6) knowledge of the teaching, (7) knowledge of the world, (8) a sense of shame and conscience, (9) the power of stability, and (10) serving and making offerings to the tathāgatas.
“When in that way he is on the Perfect Joy bodhisattva bhūmi, because of his vast view and the power of his prayers many buddhas will appear to him. Because of his vast view and the power of his prayers many hundreds of buddhas, many thousands of buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, many millions149 of buddhas, many tens of millions150 of buddhas, many billions of buddhas, many tens of billions of buddhas, many trillions of buddhas, and many quintillions of buddhas151 will appear to him. He will see those tathāgatas, those arhats, those samyaksambuddhas, and with a vast motivation he will serve them, worship them, honor them, make offerings to them, supply them with robes, alms, bowls, beds, medicine for when they are ill, and implements. He will also offer all the articles that bring happiness to a bodhisattva. He will also offer to the assemblies of the Saṅgha. He will dedicate all those roots of goodness to the highest complete enlightenment.
“In that way, he will make offerings to those bhagavats and will thereby accomplish the activity of ripening beings. Through the methods for gathering pupils, generosity and pleasant words in particular, he will ripen beings. Through the strength of the power of his aspiration, he will also accomplish the two higher methods of gathering pupils, but he does not have the comprehension of everything without exception. From among the ten perfections, the perfection of generosity predominates, and the other perfections are not accomplished fully and completely.
“O jinaputras! By analogy, a skilled smith refines gold in fire so that it becomes purified and useful just as he wishes it to be.
“O jinaputras! In the same way, as the bodhisattva engages in making offerings to the buddha bhagavats and engages in ripening beings, he acquires the qualities of the purified bhūmi. Those roots of goodness, dedicated to omniscience, become even more purified and effective just as he wishes them to be.
“O jinaputras! Moreover, the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the first bodhisattva bhūmi investigates and questions the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and kalyāṇamitras about the features, attainments, and results of the first bodhisattva bhūmi. He is never content in perfecting the aspects of that bhūmi. In the same way, he investigates and questions the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and kalyāṇamitras about the features, attainments, and results of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth bodhisattva bhūmis, and he is never content with accomplishing the various aspects of these ten.
“He becomes learned about what accords with and what is contrary to the bhūmis. He becomes learned about what develops and what counters the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the features and consequences of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the attainments and meditations of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the refinement of the resultant features of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the attainment and cultivation of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about purifying the features of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about ascending from one bhūmi to another. He becomes learned about being on the various bhūmis. He becomes learned about passing from one bhūmi to another. He becomes learned about the differences between the bhūmis. He becomes learned about knowing the irreversibility of the attainment of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about ascending to the tathāgata bhūmi through refining the bodhisattva bhūmis.
“O jinaputras! In that way the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is learned in the accomplishment of the features of the bhūmis ascends without disturbance from the first bhūmi and reaches the tenth bhūmi without impediment. Through the light of the wisdom of the bhūmis he attains the light of the wisdom of buddhahood.
“O jinaputras! By analogy, a wise great caravan leader wishes to lead the travelers and wants to bring them to a great city. First he inquires and finds out about the good qualities of the route, the dangers of straying from the route, the differences between the stations along the route, the dangers of not knowing the stations along the route, what should and should not be done on the journey, and what provisions should be prepared. He learns well all about the first station of the journey and so on, up to arriving at the city. Before leaving the first station of the journey, he has examined and learned all this and has a vast accumulation of provisions, so that the numerous travelers will reach the great city without harm. In that way he ensures that no harm will come to himself or his travelers in the deserts and uninhabited lands.
“O jinaputras! In the same way, the bodhisattva mahāsattva is like a wise caravan leader. When he is on the first bodhisattva bhūmi he becomes learned about what accords with and what is contrary to the bhūmis. He becomes learned about what develops and what counters the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the features and results of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the attainments and meditations of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the refinement of the resultant features of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about the attainment and cultivation of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about purifying the features of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about ascending from one bhūmi to another. He becomes learned about being on the various bhūmis. He becomes learned about passing from one bhūmi to another. He becomes learned about the differences between the bhūmis. He becomes learned about knowing the irreversibility of the attainment of the bhūmis. He becomes learned about ascending to the tathāgata bhūmi through refining the bodhisattva bhūmis.
“At that time, he obtains the provisions of a great accumulation of merit and has the thorough examination of a great accumulation of wisdom. He has the motivation to lead the beings who are traveling this route and wishes to bring them to the great city of omniscience.
“At the beginning, he questions and finds out from buddhas, bodhisattvas, and kalyāṇamitras about the path through the bhūmis, the qualities of the path through the bhūmis, the dangers of straying from the path through the bhūmis, the differences between the stations along the path through the bhūmis, and the dangers of not knowing the stations along the path through the bhūmis, and he prepares a great accumulation of merit as provisions.
“He learns well everything from the first station of the path up to arriving at the city of omniscience. He has the intelligence of the discrimination of wisdom and the perfect provisions of a vast accumulation of merit and wisdom, so that by ripening a great multitude of beings he will accomplish the difficult journey of crossing the deserts and empty lands of saṃsāra and arrive at the great city of omniscience, and he ensures for himself and the others on the route that there will be no harm from the dangers of saṃsāra’s deserts and empty lands.