The Ten Bhūmis

“He who has reached that bhūmi of wisdom enters the circle of the Mahāyāna, has great clairvoyance from wisdom’s investigation, continuously radiates the light of wisdom, follows without impediment the path of the Dharma’s realm, is skilled in the various worldly paths, displays the features of all good qualities, has the power over the arising of motivation in his own mind, has the wisdom that perfectly examines the past and future, possesses the knowledge of the following and turning away from the path of the māras, and enters the scope and field of activity of all the tathāgatas. Without ever turning back he carries out bodhisattva conduct throughout the extent of infinite universes.

“He is known as a bodhisattva who has attained the bodhisattva bhūmi called Unwavering.

“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who has attained the bodhisattva bhūmi called Unwavering never ceases from constantly seeing infinite tathāgatas because of his accomplishment of the power of samādhi. He never desists from a vast offering and service to the vision of the buddhas. In every eon and every universe he serves, worships, honors, and makes offerings to many buddhas, many hundreds of buddhas, many thousands of buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, many millions of buddhas, many tens of millions of buddhas, many billions of buddhas, many tens of billions of buddhas, many trillions of buddhas, and many quintillions of buddhas.

“In attending to those tathāgatas he obtains first the different universes and then the acquisition of the light of the Dharma. Even more than before he attains the treasure of the Dharma of the tathāgatas, and he is invulnerable to worldly questions and instructions.

“His roots of goodness will remain pure, will be purified, and will be very bright for many hundreds of eons, many thousands of eons, many hundreds of thousands of eons, many millions of eons, many tens of millions of eons, many billions of eons, many tens of billions of eons, many trillions of eons, and many quintillions of eons.

“O jinaputras! This is like when gold is taken by an expert goldsmith and placed on the throat or head of the sovereign of Jambudvīpa, it cannot be overcome by all the adornments of the beings who dwell in Jambudvīpa.

“O jinaputras! In that same way the roots of goodness of the bodhisattva⁴⁷² on this bodhisattva bhūmi called Unwavering cannot be overcome by those of the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and so on, up to bodhisattvas on the seventh bhūmi.

“The great light of wisdom and knowledge of the bodhisattva on this bodhisattva bhūmi dispels the darkness of the kleśas of beings through accomplishing the doorways to wisdom.

“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who is on the bodhisattva bhūmi Unwavering pervades with the light of love universes as numerous as the atoms in a million buddha realms and completely pacifies the torment of kleśas in beings and brings them relief.

“From among the ten perfections, the perfection of aspiration predominates, and the other perfections are not accomplished fully and completely.

“O jinaputras! That in brief is the bodhisattva bhūmi Unwavering, the eighth bodhisattva bhūmi. In detail, it could only be learned by a teaching that lasts for endless eons. Most of the bodhisattvas on that bhūmi become Brahmā, the ruler of the universe. He overpowers all others, and no other can overpower him. When he sees something, he has power over it. He is wise and powerful in teaching the perfections to beings, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas, and he cannot be overcome by the questions and instructions of the various parts of the universes.

“In whatever roots of goodness he accomplishes through generosity, kind words, actions that benefit others, and practicing what he preaches, he becomes supreme, the best, the foremost, the highest, the most excellent, the unsurpassable, the guide, the leader, the commander, and so on, up until becoming the omniscient one who is relied on. His mind is always focused on the Buddha, focused on the Dharma, focused on the Saṅgha, focused on the bodhisattvas, focused on bodhisattva conduct, focused on the bodhisattva bhūmis, focused on the perfections, focused on the strengths, focused on the confidences, focused on the unique qualities of buddhahood, and so on, up until being focused on the omniscient wisdom endowed with the supreme aspects.

“If he wishes to, he can apply himself in such a way that in just one instant he attains as many samādhis as there are atoms in a million universes, sees as many buddhas as there are atoms in a million universes and knows their blessings, causes as many billion-world universes to shake as there are atoms in a million universes, goes to as many buddha realms as there are atoms in a million universes, illuminates as many universes as there are atoms in a million universes, ripens as many beings as there are atoms in a million universes, remains for as many eons as there are atoms in a million universes, comprehends as many previous and future eons as there are atoms in a million universes, opens as many Dharma doors as there are atoms in a million universes, manifests as many bodies as there are atoms in a million universes, and manifests each body having a retinue of as many bodhisattvas as there are atoms in a million universes. That is the kind of diligence he undertakes.

“From this time onward the bodhisattvas who have the power of prayer through particular prayers manifest bodies, light, miracles, sights, activities, voices, conduct, displays, blessings, transformations, and manifestations for many eons, for many hundreds of eons, many thousands of eons, many hundreds of thousands of eons, and so on, until many quintillions of eons, which are difficult to enumerate.”

Then bodhisattva Vajra­garbha, in order to analyze and teach the meaning of this bhūmi, recited these verses:

That is the bodhisattva bhūmi called Unwavering.⁴⁸⁸ [B19]

The bodhisattva Vajra­garbha said, “O jinaputras! The bodhisattva on the eighth bodhisattva bhūmi who has the understanding that analyzes immeasurable knowledge,⁴⁹⁴ (1) who is focused on the aspiration to higher peace and liberation, (2) who examines⁴⁹⁵ the higher complete wisdom of the tathāgatas, (3) who enters into the secret⁴⁹⁶ of the tathāgatas, (4) who examines the greatness of inconceivable wisdom, (5) who examines and purifies retentions and samādhis, (6) who accomplishes vast clairvoyance, (7) who observes the categories of different worlds, (8) who trains for the unassailable strengths, confidences, and unique buddha qualities of the tathāgatas, (9) who follows the mighty turning of the Dharma wheel by the tathāgatas, and (10) who does not abandon obtaining the empowerment of great compassion, ascends to the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi.

“When he is on this bodhisattva bhūmi, Perfect Understanding,⁴⁹⁷ he knows perfectly the development of good, bad, and neutral qualities; he knows the development of the sullied and unsullied qualities, the development of the mundane and transcendent qualities, the development of conceivable and inconceivable qualities, the development of definite and indefinite qualities, the development of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha qualities, the development of the qualities of bodhisattva conduct, the development of the qualities on the bhūmi of the tathāgatas, the development of composite qualities, and the development of noncomposite qualities.

“With the intelligence that has gained that wisdom he knows perfectly the complex⁴⁹⁸ mode of activity of the minds of beings. He knows perfectly the complex mode of activity of the kleśas, the complex mode of activity of karma, the complex mode of activity of the faculties, the complex mode of activity of motivations, the complex mode of activity of the sensory elements, the complex mode of activity of intentions and propensities, the complex mode of activity of generation, the complex mode of activity of adhering to tendencies, and the complex mode of activity of the states of the three groups.⁴⁹⁹

“He knows perfectly the various aspects of the minds of beings. He knows perfectly the mind’s multiplicity;⁵⁰⁰ the mind’s instantaneous, swift change, fragmentation, and nonfragmentation; the mind’s bodilessness; the mind’s infinite, complete abundance;⁵⁰¹ the mind’s clarity; the mind’s state of being afflicted; the mind’s state of being unafflicted; the mind’s bondage and liberation; the mind’s illusory manifestation;⁵⁰² the mind’s concord with a class of existence;⁵⁰³ and so on, up to many thousands of different aspects of mind.

“He knows perfectly the pervasiveness of the kleśas. He knows perfectly their infinite applications; their simultaneous arising and inseparability; the single meaning of their propensities and their dominance;⁵⁰⁴ their being conjoined with the mind and not being conjoined with the mind;⁵⁰⁵ their causing the connection with rebirth in accordance with a class of existence; their divisions within the three realms; their great faults of craving, ignorance, binding views,⁵⁰⁶ and pride; their being the unceasing cause of the three kinds of karma; and so on‍—in brief, eighty-four thousand different modes of activity of the kleśas.

“He knows perfectly the goodness, badness, and neutrality of actions. He knows perfectly their being known and not known; their being connate with and inseparable from the mind; that they cease to exist in their own instant while being connected with the development of their own result, which will never be lost; their having ripened and their not having ripened; the various kinds of results received from the many kinds of actions‍—good, bad, and neither good nor bad; the limitlessness of the realms of karma; the division between the higher and the worldly; the differen­tiation of transcendent qualities; the acquired and the unacquired; the completed and the uncompleted;⁵⁰⁷ those that have results experienced in this life, the next life, or another lifetime; those that are yānas and not yānas, definite and indefinite; and so on, up to eighty-four thousand aspects of karma.

“He knows perfectly the weak, the medium, and the superior faculties. He knows perfectly their connection or nonconnection with the past and the future; their superiority, mediocrity, and inferiority; their being connate with and inseparable from the kleśas; their being yānas or not yānas, definite or indefinite; the ripened and unripened who are to be guided; following the net of the faculties, swift disintegration, and the grasping of features;⁵⁰⁸ the invincibility of power over the faculties; the difference between the faculties that can regress and those that cannot regress; the various kinds that are developed⁵⁰⁹ and those that are innate; and so on‍—in brief eighty-four thousand different kinds of faculties.

“He knows perfectly the aspirations that are weak, medium, superior, and so on, knowing perfectly eighty-four thousand different kinds of aspiration.

“He knows perfectly the constituents that are weak, medium, superior, and so on, knowing perfectly eighty-four thousand different kinds of constituents.

“He knows perfectly the motivations that are weak, medium, superior, and so on, knowing perfectly eighty-four thousand different kinds of motivation.

“He knows perfectly the propensities that are connate with motivation and connate with mind; their being conjoined with mind, not conjoined with mind, and followed for a long time; that they are beginningless and unrevealed;⁵¹⁰ that they cannot be conquered by dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, samāpattis, or clairvoyances; their binding a connection with the three realms; their beginningless activity of binding the mind; their being known through arising through the doorways of the sensory bases; their becoming nothing after acquiring their antidotes; their encounter and nonencounter in the bhūmis and the sensory bases; and their elimination by nothing other than the noble path.

“He knows perfectly the different kinds of birth. He knows perfectly the way in which birth occurs in accordance with karma; the differen­tiation of hell beings, animals, pretas, asuras, humans, and devas; birth in the form and formless realms; birth with perception and without perception; the production of rebirth through the realm of karma, the moisture of craving, the darkness of ignorance, and the seed of consciousness; the simultaneous arising and inseparability of name-and-form; the conjunction of different kinds of birth with desire for existence because of ignorance and craving; the endless and beginningless desire for enjoyment, desire for rebirth, and passion for beings; and the state of being drawn along by the perception that fixates on the realms.⁵¹¹

“He knows perfectly the activity or nonactivity of the tendencies. He knows perfectly the presence⁵¹² of the tendencies that bind one to the classes of existence; the presence of the tendencies that follow from the conduct of beings; the presence of the tendencies that cause karma and kleśas to repeat; the presence of the tendencies that repeat good, bad, and neutral actions;⁵¹³ the presence of the tendencies that lead to rebirth; the presence of the tendencies for successive developments;⁵¹⁴ the presence of the tendencies to persist in acquiring an accumulation of long-lasting, continuous kleśas; the presence of the tendencies toward the substantial and the insubstantial;⁵¹⁵ and the presence of the tendencies for seeing, hearing, and remaining among⁵¹⁶ śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and tathāgatas.

“He knows perfectly the groups of beings that are definitively correct, definitively incorrect, and indefinite in being neither. He knows those who are definitively correct in having correct views, those who are definitively incorrect in having incorrect views, and those who are indefinite in being neither; those who are definitively incorrect in having any of the five karmas with immediate result on death, those who are definitively correct in having the five powers, and those who are indefinite in being neither; those who are definitively incorrect in having the eight errors, those who are definitively correct in having the correct eight, and those who do not have these actions and are indefinite in being neither; those who are definitively incorrect in not avoiding the conduct of greed, envy, and cruelty, those who are definitively correct in accomplishing the cultivation of the noble superior path, and the teaching of those who are indefinite in being neither.

“O jinaputras! It is said that the bodhisattva who is on the bodhisattva bhūmi called Perfect Understanding has that kind of wisdom. The bodhisattva who is on the bodhisattva bhūmi called Perfect Understanding knows perfectly the various kinds of conduct that beings have, and he accordingly accomplishes their accomplishment of liberation. He knows perfectly the ripening of beings, the guiding of beings, the teaching of the Śrāvaka­yāna, the teaching of the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, the teaching of the Bodhisattva­yāna, and the teaching of the bhūmi of the tathāgatas. With that knowledge he truly teaches the Dharma to beings. He teaches the Dharma in accordance with their different kinds of motivation; in accordance with their different kinds of propensities; in accordance with their different kinds of capacities; in accordance with their different kinds of aspiration; in accordance with obtaining the wisdom of all their different kinds of conduct; in accordance with the comprehension of the activities of their complexity of sensory constituents; in accordance with the comprehension of their birth into a class of existence and with their karma, kleśas, and tendencies; in accordance with the comprehension of their being within particular groups; and in accordance with the attainment of liberation through the aspiration to a particular yāna.⁵¹⁷

“The bodhisattva who is on the bodhisattva bhūmi called Perfect Understanding acts as a great dharmabhāṇaka and protects the treasury of the Dharma of the tathāgatas.

“He who has reached the state of a dharmabhāṇaka teaches the Dharma with a bodhisattva’s speech, with immeasurable wisdom, with skill, and with the attainment of the four kinds of discerning knowledge. He always has, continuously and precisely, the bodhisattva’s four kinds of discerning knowledge.

“What are these four? They are the discerning knowledge of phenomena, the discerning knowledge of meaning, the discerning knowledge of definitions, and the discerning knowledge of eloquence.

“Through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the specific characteristics of phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the categories of phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he knows how to teach each phenomenon distinctly. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he knows the continuous, uninterrupted eloquence that accords with phenomena.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the nonexistent nature of phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the rising and setting of phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches the Dharma through continuous designations of all phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches the Dharma through those designations, endlessly and without confusion.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the categories of phenomena that appear in the present. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the categories of phenomena that appear in the future. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches the Dharma through the categories of phenomena that appear in the past, future, and present. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches the Dharma through the limitless illumination of phenomena in each of those times.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the categories of phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the categories of meaning. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches the Dharma with the appropriate language. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches the Dharma in accordance with the dispositions of others.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he has the knowledge of skillfulness in the distinct categories of the understanding of phenomena. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the accurate presentation of the understanding of their connection. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches relative understanding. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches the Dharma with skill in ultimate understanding.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the unchanging single mode of phenomena.⁵¹⁸ Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he is skilled in skandhas, sensory elements, sensory bases, and dependent origination. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches phenomena with pleasing words that all beings are attracted to. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches further and further with limitless illumination.⁵¹⁹

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the many ways of entering one yāna.⁵²⁰ Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the various categories of the yānas. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches that there is no difference between all the yānas.⁵²¹ Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches endless illuminations of phenomena in each yāna.⁵²²

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows that all bodhisattva conduct, wisdom conduct, and Dharma conduct lead to the realization of wisdom. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he comprehends the categories of the teaching and presentation of the ten bhūmis. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches the categories of accomplishments on the path of the bhūmis. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches the endless aspects of each bhūmi.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he comprehends the single characteristic of all tathāgatas. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows their concordance with various categories of time, matter, and characteristics.⁵²³ Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he teaches the categories of the nature of realization.⁵²⁴ Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he can teach continuously for endless eons on each word of the Dharma.

“Moreover, through the discerning knowledge of phenomena he knows the speech, strengths, confidences, unique buddha qualities, great compassion, discerning knowledge, the turning of the Dharma wheel, and the realization of omniscience of all tathāgatas. Through the discerning knowledge of meaning he knows the speech of the tathāgatas that accords with the eighty-four thousand conducts, motivations, capacities, and aspirations of beings. Through the discerning knowledge of definitions he makes known the words of the Tathāgata, which are distinct from the conduct of beings. Through the discerning knowledge of eloquence he teaches the Dharma with the aspiration for the field of conduct that is the radiance of the wisdom of the tathāgatas.⁵²⁵

“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who is skilled in having that wisdom of discerning knowledge has attained the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi, has obtained the treasure of the Dharma of tathāgatas, and has become a great dharmabhāṇaka. At that time⁵²⁶ he attains the dhāraṇī of meaning. He attains the dhāraṇī of the Dharma. He attains the dhāraṇī of the accomplishment of wisdom. He attains the dhāraṇī of radiance. He attains the dhāraṇī of perfect understanding, the dhāraṇī of wealth, the dhāraṇī of fame,⁵²⁷ the dhāraṇī of majesty, the dhāraṇī of unimpeded doors, the dhāraṇī of the infinite, and the dhāraṇī of a treasury of various meanings. He has attained the completion of those and other dhāraṇīs, countless millions⁵²⁸ of dhāraṇī doors. He is skilled in the aspects of speech through possessing countless millions of dhāraṇī doors, and he therefore teaches the Dharma through incalculable doors of different kinds of eloquence.

“Because of those incalculable, countless millions of dhāraṇīs, when he hears the Dharma from countless buddhas in the ten directions, he does not forget what he has heard. He then gives countless different teachings that he has heard. Because of these millions of dhāraṇī doors he masters the Dharma he receives from one buddha. Just as he does with one buddha, he masters the Dharma from infinite buddhas because of those millions of dhāraṇī doors. Simply through wishing for it, he receives the radiance of even more Dharma doors from the samyak­sambuddhas. This cannot be accomplished by a śrāvaka, even though he has attained a great stage of hearing many teachings, has attained the retention of remembering what he has heard, and has been empowered to possess it for hundreds of thousands of eons.

“He has that kind of attainment of retention and attainment of eloquence, so that when he sits down to teach the Dharma, he does so in all the worlds in a billion-world universe and teaches the Dharma on his Dharma throne to beings in accordance with their dispositions. His Dharma throne is superior to those of everyone but the tathāgatas and bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmi of empowerment, and it has an immeasurable radiance. When he is seated on his Dharma throne, if he wishes to he speaks one sound that is understood by the entire assembly in their various different languages. If he wishes to, he speaks one sound that will be an instruction given to the entire assembly in various languages and the different aspects of the voice. If he wishes to, he emits light-ray entrances that create Dharma entrances. If he wishes to, he emits voices from each pore. If he wishes to, he appears as an illusory form in all the worlds of the billion-world universe and emits the sound of the Dharma from those forms. If he wishes to, with one sound of his voice he gives an instruction to the entire realm of phenomena. If he wishes to, he blesses all sounds to become the sound of the Dharma. If he wishes to, he makes the sound of the Dharma come from all the singing, music, and musical instruments in all worlds. If he wishes to, he causes the different sounds of all Dharma words to come from the sound of one syllable. If he wishes to, he causes countless Dharma doors to come from each of the countless atoms of the immeasurable aggregation of earth, water, fire, and air in infinite worlds.

“If all the beings in the worlds of the billion-world universe were to come and in the same instant, the same moment, were to ask a question, with no one person asking the same question as another, in creating the sound of countless separate questions, the bodhisattva would understand every single syllable of each of those individual questions. Having understood them, with one sound of his voice he would bring satisfaction to the minds of all those beings. If all the beings in countless billion-world universes were to come and in the same instant, the same moment, were to ask a question, all asking questions in different languages, with no one person asking the same question as another, the bodhisattva would understand every single syllable of each of those individual questions, and having understood them, with one sound of his voice he would bring satisfaction to the minds of all those beings … and so on, up to being present throughout countless universes and teaching the Dharma to beings according to their motivations, capabilities, and aspirations.

“When he is seated⁵²⁹ and engaged in teaching the Dharma, he receives the blessing of the tathāgatas, and he accomplishes all the deeds of a buddha in the presence of all beings.

“Even more than before he is engaged in obtaining the light of wisdom in this⁵³⁰ way: ‘If on the tip of a hair there are as many tathāgatas as there are atoms in countless worlds, teaching the Dharma to similarly countless assemblies, and each of those tathāgatas is teaching countless beings different Dharma teachings, and each of those beings is accomplishing the accomplishment of countless Dharma teachings, and just as one tathāgata does so all the tathāgatas do for all of their assemblies, and if just as it is on one hair tip so it is throughout the realm of phenomena, then I will have a vast memory and receive all the various illuminations of the Dharma from all those tathāgatas in one single instant and from one single sound. I shall, with the eloquence of certainty in the light of wisdom, bring satisfaction in a single instant to the minds of all who have been taught in those circles of assemblies, which are composed of all the different kinds of classes of Dharma pupils, and needless to say I will do so for the beings in these realms.’⁵³¹

“In that way the bodhisattva who has attained the bodhisattva bhūmi Perfect Understanding, with no other thought day or night and more than ever before engages in the conduct of the buddhas; he enters into the company of the tathāgatas and attains the profound liberation of the bodhisattvas.

“Possessing that kind of wisdom, and resting in meditation, he does not desist from looking at the tathāgatas. He sees the many buddhas in each eon up to a quintillion buddhas, and having seen he serves, worships, honors, and makes offerings.

“He never ceases from looking at the buddhas and making vast offerings to them. He asks questions to those buddhas, and from that teaching comes the retention of the Dharma. His roots of goodness become more purified and unassailable than ever before.

“O jinaputras! To give an analogy, it is like gold that has been fashioned by a skilled goldsmith into an adornment and is worn on the head or throat of a cakravartin king. It cannot be rivaled or overcome by the adornments of all local kings or all beings in the four continents.

“O jinaputras! In that same way, the roots of goodness of the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas on the lower bhūmis cannot surpass the roots of goodness of the bodhisattva⁵³² on this bodhisattva bhūmi called Perfect Understanding. The radiance of his roots of goodness illuminates the darkness of the afflicted minds of beings and dispels it.

“O jinaputras! To give an analogy, it is like a great Brahmā who rules over two billion-world universes and illuminates the darkness of all the worlds below him in the two universes.

“O jinaputras! In that same way, the radiance of the roots of goodness of the bodhisattva⁵³³ on this bodhisattva bhūmi called Perfect Understanding illuminates the darkness of the afflicted minds of beings and dispels it.

“From among the ten perfections, the perfection of strength predominates, and the other perfections are not accomplished fully and completely.

“O jinaputras! That in brief is the bodhisattva bhūmi Perfect Understanding, the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi. It can only be learned in detail through a teaching that lasts for endless eons. Most of the bodhisattvas on that bhūmi become a great Brahmā who has gained great might and power. He has power over and overpowers two billion-world universes, and no one else can overpower him. When he sees an appropriate object, he has power over it. He is wise and powerful in teaching the perfections to beings, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas, and he cannot be overcome by the thoughts and questions of beings.

“In whatever roots of goodness he accomplishes through generosity, kind words, actions that benefit others, and practicing what he preaches, he becomes supreme, the best, the foremost, the highest, the most excellent, the unsurpassable, the guide, the leader, the commander, and so on, up until becoming the omniscient one who is relied on. His mind is always focused on the Buddha, focused on the Dharma, focused on the Saṅgha, focused on the bodhisattvas, focused on bodhisattva conduct, focused on the bodhisattva bhūmis, focused on the perfections, focused on the strengths, focused on the confidences, focused on the unique qualities of buddhahood, and so on, up until being focused on the omniscient wisdom endowed with the supreme aspects.

“If he wishes to, he applies himself in such a way that in just one instant he attains as many samādhis as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, sees as many buddhas as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms and knows their blessings, causes as many billion-world universes to shake as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, goes to as many buddha realms as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, illuminates as many universes as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, ripens as many beings as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, remains for as many eons as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, comprehends as many previous and future eons as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, opens as many Dharma doors as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, manifests as many bodies as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms, and manifests each body having a retinue of as many bodhisattvas as there are atoms in countless millions of buddha realms. That is the kind of diligence he undertakes.

“From this time onward the bodhisattvas who have the power of prayer through particular prayers manifest bodies, light, miracles, sights, activities, voices, conduct, displays, blessings, transformations, and manifestations for many eons, for many hundreds of eons, many thousands of eons, many hundreds of thousands of eons, and so on, until many quintillions of eons, which are difficult to enumerate.”

Then the bodhisattva Vajra­garbha, in order to analyze and teach the meaning of this bhūmi, recited these verses:

Then bodhisattva Vajra­garbha said, “O jinaputras! In that way the bodhisattva, up through the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi, through the intelligence that examines countless knowables, is said to (1) have analyzed perfectly that which is analyzed, (2) have perfectly completed the qualities of goodness, (3) have gathered an infinite gathering of the accumulations, (4) possess a great accumulation of merit and wisdom, (5) have attained vast great compassion, (6) know the various different kinds of worlds, (7) act within the complexity of entering the realms of beings, (8) have his attention on the perception of entering the scope of activity of the tathāgatas, (9) be engaged in focusing on the strengths, confidences, and unique buddha qualities, and (10) have attained the bhūmi of the consecration of the totality of omniscient wisdom.

“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who has that kind of wisdom and has attained the bhūmi of consecration manifests the bodhisattva samādhi called stainless. He manifests the bodhisattva samādhis called entering the analysis of the realm of phenomena, the array of adornments of the region⁵⁵⁰ of enlightenment, the flowers of every kind of light ray, the essence of the ocean, the abundance⁵⁵¹ of the ocean, the vastness of space, the analysis of the nature of all phenomena, observing the minds and conduct of all beings, being in the presence of all the buddhas of the present, and so on, manifesting countless millions of bodhisattva samādhis. He enters and comes out of those samādhis, and he has attained skill in samādhi so that he accomplishes all that is to be done through samādhi. At the conclusion of those countless millions of samādhis he manifests the samādhi called the unique consecration for omniscient wisdom.

“As soon as that samādhi manifests, there appears a vast precious lotus the size of a million billion-world universes. It is adorned by every kind of jewel. It transcends that which is experienced in all worlds. It has arisen from transcendent roots of goodness. It is a completely established experience that has the nature of an illusion. It appears located within the realm of phenomena. It transcends that which is experienced in the divine realms. It has a stem⁵⁵² that is a precious great beryl jewel. It has a pericarp of the unequaled king of sandalwood. It has emerald anthers. It has leaves of bright Jambu River gold. It has a form that shines with countless light rays. Its interior is adorned with all the best jewels. It is covered by an endless net of great jewels. It has a retinue of great precious lotuses equal in number to the atoms in a million billion-world universes.

The body of the bodhisattva corresponds to it in size. As soon as he attains the samādhi called the unique consecration of omniscient wisdom, he appears seated upon that great precious king of lotuses. The instant the bodhisattva is seated upon that great precious king of lotuses, he is encircled by bodhisattvas upon the lotuses that are the retinue of the great precious king of lotuses, the same in number as those lotuses. Each one is gazing at the bodhisattva and rests in a million samādhis.

“The moment the bodhisattva and the other bodhisattvas rest in those samādhis, every world without exception trembles, all lower existences cease, the entire realm of phenomena is filled with radiance, all worlds are purified, the names of all buddha realms resound,⁵⁵³ all bodhisattvas with the same conduct gather together, there is the sound of divine and human music and song in all worlds, all beings become happy, there occur inconceivable offerings and service to all samyak­sambuddhas, and the assemblies of the followers of all tathāgatas are known.

“Why is that? O jinaputras! As soon as the bodhisattva is seated upon that great precious king of lotuses, countless millions of light rays radiate from the soles of his feet. They radiate, reach, and illuminate the great Avīci hells in the ten directions and end the sufferings of the beings in the hells.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from his knees. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all the animal realms in the ten directions and end the suffering of the beings who are animals.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from his navel. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all the realms of Yama in the ten directions and end the sufferings of the beings in the realms of Yama.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from his right and left sides. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all the human realms in the ten directions and end the sufferings of humans.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from the palms of his hands. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all the realms of devas and asuras in the ten directions and end the suffering of the devas and asuras.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from his shoulders. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all those who are in the Śrāvaka­yāna in the ten directions, and they create entrances into the radiance of the Dharma.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from his back and throat. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all those who are in the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna in the ten directions and create the entrances to the peace of samādhi.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from his mouth. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all those bodhisattvas in the ten directions, from those who have just developed bodhicitta up to those who have attained the ninth bhūmi, and they create entrances to the way of wisdom and method.

“Countless millions of light rays radiate from the ūrṇā hair between his brows. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate all the dwellings of the māras and darken⁵⁵⁴ them, and then they illuminate those bodhisattvas in the ten directions who have attained the bhūmi of consecration and enter their bodies.

“Light rays as numerous as the atoms in countless millions of worlds radiate from the top of his head. They radiate toward and reach and illuminate in the ten directions all those in the assemblies of followers of tathāgatas, circle the worlds clockwise⁵⁵⁵ ten times, and then stay in the sky above the world, where they form a great circular network of light rays and perform a vast offering and service called intensely bright light to the tathāgatas. The offerings and service that are made by bodhisattvas from the first development of bodhicitta until the attainment of the ninth bhūmi do not equal even a hundredth of that offering and service. They do not equal even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a ten millionth, a billionth, a ten billionth, a trillionth, or even a quintillionth of it. They cannot be correlated to it through numbers, enumeration, comparison, resemblance, or similitude.

“From the great circular network of light there come forth as many flowers as are known in the ten directions,⁵⁵⁶ along with all known scents, incense, garlands, perfumes, ointments, powders, monastic robes,⁵⁵⁷ parasols, banners, flags, clothing,⁵⁵⁸ jewelry, and precious jewels, which are in overabundance, transcend what is known in the world, are created from possessing an accumulation of transcendent roots of goodness,⁵⁵⁹ have the perfection of every kind of good quality, are empowered by the inconceivable power of emanation,⁵⁶⁰ are a great rain of a display of various riches, and are like great clouds that rain down onto each assembly of the followers of the tathāgatas.⁵⁶¹ The beings who perceive these offerings will definitely attain complete enlightenment. After the light rays have created that kind of offering and service, they again illuminate all the assemblies of followers of the tathāgatas, circle the worlds clockwise ten times, and vanish into the soles of the feet of the tathāgata arhat samyak­sambuddhas.

“Then those tathāgatas and bodhisattvas know that in such a universe there is a bodhisattva with that kind of conduct whose time for consecration has come.

“O jinaputras! Then infinite bodhisattvas up to those on the ninth bhūmi come from countless universes in the ten directions, assemble around that bodhisattva, and make great offerings to him, and while gazing upon that bodhisattva, they attain a million samādhis.

“From the śrīvatsa adornment, the vajra-svastika,⁵⁶² on each of the bodies of the bodhisattvas who have reached the bhūmi of consecration, there comes a great light ray called victory over all māra enemies, accompanied by countless millions of light rays. They radiate toward and illuminate the ten directions, manifest endless miracles, and then vanish into the bodhisattva’s śrīvatsa adornment, his vajra-svastika. Simultaneous with the vanishing of those light rays, the power and might of that bodhisattva is perceived to increase more than a hundred thousand times.

“O jinaputras! Then the ūrṇā hairs of the tathāgata arhat samyak­sambuddhas radiate light rays called endowed with omniscient clairvoyance, accompanied by countless light rays. They illuminate every single world in all ten directions, circle the worlds clockwise ten times, manifest the great miraculous transformations of the tathāgatas, inspire many quintillions of bodhisattvas, cause all the vast extent of buddha realms to tremble in six ways, end all falling into rebirth in the lower existences, darken all the abodes of the māras, reveal all the buddha thrones upon which the tathāgatas become enlightened and attain buddhahood, reveal the majesty of the array of assemblies of the followers of all buddhas, and illuminate all worlds throughout the realm of phenomena as far as the ends of space. Then the light rays return, circle clockwise above all the gathered assemblies of bodhisattvas, reveal a great display, and vanish into the head⁵⁶³ of the bodhisattva. The accompanying light rays disappear into the heads of the assembled bodhisattvas. Simultaneous with the descent of those light rays, the bodhisattvas attain ten thousand previously unattained samādhis. At the same time, the light rays descend into the head of the bodhisattva. That bodhisattva is then said to be consecrated in the field of the samyak­sambuddhas. His ten strengths are completed, and he is numbered among the samyak­sambuddhas.

“O jinaputras! To give an analogy, it is like the crown prince of a cakravartin, who is born from the principal queen and endowed with the features of a cakravartin king. The cakravartin enthrones him upon a sublime golden throne atop a divine elephant. There is arranged a canopy above him, and a great arrangement of banners, flags,⁵⁶⁴ and the playing of music. Water is brought from the four great oceans⁵⁶⁵ and poured into a golden vase, and that water is sprinkled on the head of the prince. As soon as he is sprinkled, he is numbered among those who are consecrated kṣatriya kings. Then when he has accomplished the path of the ten good actions, he becomes recognized as a cakravartin.

“O jinaputras! In the same way, as soon as the bodhisattva is consecrated by the buddha bhagavats, he is consecrated by the consecration of great wisdom. When the one consecrated by the samyak­sambuddhas perfects the ten strengths, he becomes numbered among the samyak­sambuddhas.

“O jinaputras! A bodhisattva undertakes a hundred thousand hardships for the sake of the bodhisattva’s consecration of great wisdom. The one who has been consecrated in this way and whose qualities and wisdom have increased immeasurably is said to be someone who is on the bodhisattva bhūmi Cloud of Dharma.

“O jinaputras! The bodhisattva who is on the bodhisattva bhūmi Cloud of Dharma knows correctly how the realm of phenomena is arrived at,⁵⁶⁶ how the realm of desire is arrived at, how the realm of form is arrived at, how the realm of formlessness is arrived at, how the realms of beings are arrived at, how the realms of consciousness are arrived at, how the realms that are composite and noncomposite are arrived at, how the realm of space is arrived at, how the realms of valid and invalid teaching are arrived at, how the realm of nirvāṇa is arrived at, and how the kleśas formed by views are arrived at.⁵⁶⁷

“He knows correctly how the formation and dissolution of worlds is arrived at, he knows correctly how śrāvaka conduct is arrived at, he knows correctly how pratyekabuddha conduct is arrived at, he knows correctly how bodhisattva conduct is arrived at, he knows correctly how the strengths, confidences, rūpakāya, and dharmakāya of the tathāgatas are arrived at, he knows correctly how complete omniscient wisdom is arrived at, and he knows correctly how displaying complete buddhahood and turning the Dharma wheel is arrived at.⁵⁶⁸ In brief, he knows correctly the comprehension, analysis, and completion of all phenomena.

“Having the realization that has attained that kind of wisdom, he knows perfectly the emanations as the bodies of beings; he knows perfectly the emanations created by the kleśas, the emanations that create views, the emanations as worlds, the emanations as the realm of phenomena, the emanations as śrāvakas, the emanations as pratyekabuddhas, the emanations as bodhisattvas, the emanations as tathāgatas, and the appropriateness and inappropriateness⁵⁶⁹ of all emanations.⁵⁷⁰