Upholding the Roots of Virtue
The Setting

[B1] [F.1.b]

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana, near Rājagṛha‍—an abode for those who practice concentration, an abode for those who do not abide, an abode for those who dwell in emptiness, an abode for those who dwell in signlessness, and an abode for those who dwell in wishlessness. The Blessed One was there together with a great saṅgha of one hundred thousand monks, all of whom talked only little, remained in solitude, and diligently practiced meditative seclusion.

At one point the venerable Śāradvatī­putra rose from his meditative seclusion [F.2.a] and went before the Blessed One. He bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet and then sat to one side. Likewise did the venerable Mahā­maudgalyā­yana, the venerable Mahākātyāyana, the venerable Mahākauṣṭhila, the venerable Kapphiṇa, the venerable Mahācunda, the venerable Subhūti, the venerable Amogharāja, the venerable Vāṣpa, the venerable Nanda, the venerable Ānanda, the venerable Nandaka, the venerable Kimbhīra,6 the venerable Upagupta, the venerable Nārada, the venerable Vasiṣṭha,7 the venerable Mokila, and the venerable Upāli, along with five hundred others who had all gained mastery. They all now rose from their afternoon meditation session and went before the Blessed One, bowed their heads to his feet, and sat to one side.

A party including the venerable Yaśodatta, the venerable Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the venerable Marutpūjita,8 the venerable Yaśaskāma, the venerable Nandisena, the venerable Nandikāma, and five hundred other monks had been traveling from Śrāvastī where they had spent the rainy season. Now they arrived at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by Rājagṛha. They also went before the Blessed One, bowed their heads to his feet, [F.2.b] and sat to one side.

At that time another party consisting of the bodhisattva great being Ajita and one thousand bodhisattvas like him were likewise on the way from Campā where they had stayed during the rains retreat. When they arrived at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by Rājagṛha they also went before the Blessed One, bowed their heads to his feet, and sat to one side.

Traveling at that time were also the bodhisattva great beings Bhadrapāla, Ratnākara, Susārthavāha, Guhagupta, Naradatta, Indradatta, Varuṇa, Brahmādeva, Balabhadra, Viśeṣamati, Vardhamānamati, Amoghadarśin, Susaṃ­prasthita, Suvi­krānta­vikrāmin, Nityo­dyukta, Anikṣiptadhura, Sūryagarbha, Jagatīṃdhara, Dharaṇīṃdhara, Amṛtaṃdhara, Susthitamati, Anantamati, Dṛḍhamati, Trailo­kyavi­krāmin, Anantavikrāmin, Apra­meya­vikrāmin, Vajra­pada­vikrāmin, Amogha­pada­vikrāmin, Acala­pada­vikrāmin, Mahāpratibhāna, Tīkṣṇa­prati­bhāna, Gambhīra­pratibhāna, Ananta­pratibhāna, Aprameya­prati­bhāna, Mañjuśrī­kumāra­bhūta, Padmaśrīgarbha, Dharmodgata, Ratnapāṇi, Ratnadhara, Bearer of the Armor for Infinite Eons, Bearer of the Armor of Female Forms, Bearer of the Armor of Male Forms, Bearer of the Armor of the Forms of Sentient Beings, Infinite Leader, Unfathomable Leader, and Leader Destroying All Reference Points. [F.3.a] All these bodhisattva great beings had equally donned the armor of activity, and while they had observed the rains retreat at different locations, they were now gathered in one group, and so they also arrived at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by Rājagṛha. Upon their arrival, they went before the Blessed One, bowed their heads to his feet, and sat to one side.

Knowing that this gathering of bodhisattva great beings had assembled, the Blessed One performed a miraculous feat. Thus, by the doing of the Blessed One, all the monks and nuns, as well as all the male and female lay practitioners, who were present near the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by the city of Rājagṛha now approached the grove and the place where the Blessed One was. They came there in order to see the Blessed One, pay him their respect, and offer him their worship. As they arrived before him, they each bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One, and then sat to one side.

At that time Mahākāśyapa was dwelling in the Indra­śailaguha cave on Vaidehaka Mountain together with five hundred monks. They were all forest dwellers, receivers of alms, wearers of refuse rags, wearers of the three Dharma robes, upright dwellers, users of the grass mat, dwellers at the foot of trees, men of few desires, men of contentment, recluses, and wearers of inferior Dharma robes. Now, as the Blessed One effected his miraculous deed, Mahākāśyapa and the five hundred monks disappeared from the Indra­śailaguha cave on Vaidehaka Mountain and emerged at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by Rājagṛha. Such was the Blessed One’s miraculous activity.

Perceiving the venerable Mahākāśyapa’s arrival from afar, [F.3.b] the Blessed One said to his monks, “Monks, the elder Mahākāśyapa, who has just arrived, is a forest dweller, a receiver of alms, a wearer of refuse rags, a wearer of the three Dharma robes, a wearer of inferior Dharma robes, a hermit, a man of few desires, a man of contentment, a recluse, an incorruptible one, and a master of the entire Dharma. Monks, in terms of the ascetic practices, all my hearers should be equal or comparable to the monk Mahākāśyapa. Monks, since the monk and wearer of the three Dharma robes, Mahākāśyapa, does not even wish to speak with the gods, what need is there to mention his disinterest in human conversation.”

When the Blessed One saw Mahākāśyapa arriving from afar, he said, “Kāśyapa, come here. Be welcome here, Kāśyapa. Ah, the elder Kāśyapa has traveled far to be here. Take this free seat, Kāśyapa.” As soon as the Blessed One had thus given a seat to the elder Kāśyapa, the Blessed One caused a tremor to arise from that seat, so that the entire trichiliocosm quivered, shivered, and trembled; vibrated, quaked, and moved; and rattled, shook, and convulsed. At the same time, the world became engulfed in a great light. Just as a jar of alloyed metal produced in Magadha emits a deep, reverberating sound when it is struck with an iron hammer, so too from the tremor arising from the seat he had just given to the venerable Mahākāśyapa, the Thus-Gone One, the Worthy One, the Truly and Completely Awakened One likewise now caused a great sound to reverberate throughout the entire trichiliocosm. [F.4.a]

The venerable Mahākāśyapa then draped his Dharma robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and, bowing toward the Blessed One, joined his palms in respect. He approached the Blessed One, bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and said, “Blessed One, you are my teacher, and I am your hearer. Thus, for us hearers it would not be appropriate to enjoy the Dharma robe, alms bowl, cushion, or any other object used by the Blessed One, the Thus-Gone One, the Worthy One, the perfect Buddha himself. And why is that so? Because, Blessed One, for the entire world including its gods, humans, and demigods these serve as a basis for worship.9 Nor, Blessed One, shall I use the refuse rags that the Blessed One dons, because such garments serve as a basis for the worship of the Blessed One.

“Blessed One, from now on I shall not entertain any thoughts of desire, ill will, or malice. I shall not bring to mind any of the torments of desire, anger, or delusion. Blessed One, in short, for as long as I train, and until I have reached the ground of no more training, I shall place the Blessed One’s refuse rags at the crown of my head. Blessed One, such garments I do not receive for my enjoyment but for the sake of practicing the instructions and advice. Blessed One, as I take up such garments I think myself neither superior nor inferior. Blessed One, I do not think of the [F.4.b] refuse rags as something to be worn on the body in the absence of Dharma robes. Blessed One, I do not think of the refuse rags as something that should be touched by unwashed hands. Blessed One, wherever I may be, I will always prostrate to the refuse rags. Blessed One, I do not think of the refuse rags as something that should be touched by any unclean limb. Blessed One, I bear the refuse rags as a basis for worship. Blessed One, that which I bear is what the Blessed One has relinquished and granted.

“Apart from the recollection of the buddhas, I do not engage in any attainment for the sake of abiding in some other state. As for the way that I abide, I do not identify earth as earth, water as water, fire as fire, or wind as wind. I do not have any notion of either this world or something that is beyond it. Blessed One, I do not form any notion about anything seen, heard, distinguished, cognized, conceived, or contemplated. Blessed One, the state free from perception, the state of the attainment free from perception, the state of the transcendence of perception, the state of the transcendence of freedom from perception, the state of perception, the state without perception, as well as the state of training and the state of no more training‍—none of these do I truly perceive. Blessed One, within this state I do not perceive any thus-gone ones, any qualities of the thus-gone ones, [F.5.a] nor any state of the thus-gone ones. That is how I abide.

“Blessed One, take as an analogy the various names, signs, and designations for open space. Blessed One, in terms of such an application of names, signs, and designations, we may say ‘space’ and so employ a convention, sign, or representation. Blessed One, likewise, just as we may speak of ‘space,’ we may also say ‘the open,’ ‘the empty,’ ‘the void,’ ‘the hollow,’ ‘the essenceless,’ ‘the ungraspable,’ ‘the limitless,’ ‘the unsupported,’ ‘that which cannot be adopted,’ ‘that which cannot be discarded,’ ‘the bodiless,’ ‘the actual,’ ‘the completely pure,’ ‘mid-air,’ ‘the unimpeded,’ ‘the insubstantial,’ ‘what cannot be shown’‍—or any other such convention. Nevertheless, Blessed One, no name, sign, or representation can be employed to successfully delineate, determine, compare, or distinguish space. Blessed One, wherever we may look, we will not find any color, shape, or objective referent whereby space can be demarcated or contained.

“Similarly, Blessed One, we may say ‘the Thus-Gone One,’ ‘the Buddha,’ ‘the Teacher,’ ‘the Refuge,’ ‘the Protector,’ ‘the Support,’ ‘the Guide,’ ‘the Leader,’ ‘the Perfect Leader,’ ‘the Doctor,’ ‘the Healer,’ ‘the Revealer of the Path,’ ‘the Teacher of the Path,’ or make use of some other name or convention. [F.5.b] In that way the learned may praise, venerate, extol, laud, and applaud the Blessed One. Yet whichever mundane quality they may express through words and conventions in this way, this will not make me cognize, regard, or perceive the Blessed One. And why is that so? Because, Blessed One, all phenomena are by nature hollow and without essence.

“Blessed One, take the analogy of a magician who conjures a universal monarch‍—a king who has received the royal anointment, is the master of the four divisions of the army, and is in possession of the seven precious treasures. Blessed One, that magically produced monarch may then be engaged in the subjugation of all the beings that inhabit that universe of four continents, and he may succeed in vanquishing that infinite amount of beings. Blessed One, the monarch’s body is distinct, and the bodies of the sentient beings are likewise seen as distinct. However, Blessed One, the magically conjured universal monarch will certainly not be thinking, ‘I shall be the master of this great army! I shall rule this world of four continents!’ And the four divisions of the army will certainly also not be thinking, ‘That universal monarch is our leader, so we must follow him!’ And yet they do follow him.

“Similarly, Blessed One, that which is the intrinsic nature of phenomena does not exist as a blessed thus-gone one, a hearer, someone training, someone not training, a solitary buddha, or an ordinary being. Blessed One, within the intrinsic nature there is [F.6.a] no observation, perception, or apprehending of the thus-gone ones’ intrinsic nature. There is no observation, perception, or apprehending of the solitary buddhas’ intrinsic nature. There is no observation, perception, or apprehending of the hearers’ intrinsic nature. There is no observation, perception, or apprehending of ordinary beings’ intrinsic nature. There is no observation, perception, or apprehending of the intrinsic nature of form. Likewise, there is no observation, perception, or apprehending of the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness. Blessed One, within the intrinsic nature, form is empty, form is empty thereby, and within that there is no observation of empty form. Likewise, herein feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are also all empty, they are empty thereby, and within that there is no observation of them as empty. Similarly, herein the thus-gone one is empty, the thus-gone one is empty thereby, and within that there is no observation of the thus-gone one as empty. In the same way, the intrinsic nature of the thus-gone one is empty, the intrinsic nature of the thus-gone one is empty thereby, and within that there is no observation of the intrinsic nature of the thus-gone one as empty. Blessed One, in the same way, there is no hearer either, and no intrinsic nature of the hearer. There is no ordinary being and no intrinsic nature of the ordinary being.

“Blessed One, in the analogy of the magically produced universal monarch and his divisions of the army, there is neither any universal emperor nor any divisions of the army. [F.6.b] They are not to be found within the illusion itself, the intrinsic nature of the illusion, or within the magician. They are not in earth, not in water, not in fire, not in wind, not in space, and not in consciousness. They are not within the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, or space. Nor are they within the element of consciousness. Blessed One, all phenomena are this way. Blessed One, I do not think about them, I do not produce them, and I do not speak of them. Blessed One, as I am in this way disengaged from desirable qualities, I recollect the qualities of the thus-gone ones.

“Blessed One, this is the path, this is the way. The noble sons and daughters who abide upon and have attained this path will not think, ‘I must engage in other trainings. I must search for other teachers. I shall follow other mendicants or brahmins as they teach. That other venerable one knows with insight, sees with vision, and applies the true view with mastery.’ Such thinking is not appropriate. Blessed One, since I have become certain about this, that is how I am. Since I have attained that gateway of the Dharma, that is how I am. This is how all phenomena are: they all share the same nature in terms of their voidness and unborn nature.

“Blessed One, I wish to bring my doubts about the Dharma before the Thus-Gone One, the Worthy One, the perfect Buddha, and as the Thus-Gone One has given me the opportunity, I have come here to the Kalandaka­nivāpa from the Indra­śailaguha cave. Blessed One, [F.7.a] I am here, and the Blessed One has granted me a seat. When he granted me a seat, this entire trichiliocosm reverberated and the ground trembled and shook in six ways.

“Blessed One, this is how I think: The Thus-Gone One is a tremendously great being in possession of the Dharma, the vast Dharma. Without any master, the Thus-Gone One is self-arisen, and yet he follows the way of great compassion. Free of special pride, without any pride, he has granted me a seat. This, I find, is a wonder.

“Blessed One, I think of the analogy of a poor man, who has been struggling to maintain the most basic livelihood. That man may toil hard and so end up with a fine home. At that point he may go before a king who has received the royal anointment and is the commander of an army of four divisions‍—he may go before such a king in order to see him, prostrate before him, pay him respect, and ask him questions. If, when the man arrives, the king then offers him a free seat the man will think, ‘I came here to see the king and pay my respects to him. Even an opportunity just to see the king and prostrate before him is rare, let alone the prospects of being able to ask him questions. Still, as soon as I arrived, this monarch who has received the royal anointment granted me a free seat. What a wonder this is!’

“Blessed One, you are the king of Dharma, a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a perfect buddha, self-arisen and without master. How may I wish what even for hearers and solitary buddhas is hard to achieve and hard to imagine, let alone for the world of gods, humans, and demigods? How is it that have I come here‍—before the Thus-Gone One, the Worthy One, the perfect Buddha‍—to ask questions on the Dharma, to behold you, to prostrate, and to pay you my respects? [F.7.b] Blessed One, this is how I think: I have succeeded in seeing the Thus-Gone One. I have succeeded in prostrating to him. I have succeeded in paying him my respects. I have succeeded in addressing him. I have succeeded in addressing him in full. As I now stand before the Blessed One, he has granted me a free seat. Indeed, my success is of the finest sort.

“Blessed One, when the poor man beholds the universal monarch he is filled with wonder, and, Blessed One, I too must marvel. Blessed One, this is how I think: The Thus-Gone One is endowed with great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity. The qualities that the Thus-Gone One possesses are only his, the Teacher’s, and no one else’s. Yet the Thus-Gone One does not think himself special, supreme, or superior. What a wonder this is. I think of how the buddha qualities that belong to the Thus-Gone One, the Worthy One, the perfect Buddha are not shared by any hearer or solitary buddha.”

The Blessed One then spoke to the venerable Mahākāśyapa: “That is right, Kāśyapa, that is right. Kāśyapa, you are right. Kāśyapa, the thus-gone ones are boundless and endowed with boundless qualities. It is impossible to measure the extent of their generosity, and their transcendent generosity, and so on, through to their insight and their transcendent insight. Their aspiration, their transcendent aspiration, their means, their transcendent means, their activity, their transcendent activity, [F.8.a] their liberation, their transcendent liberation, their vision of liberated wisdom, and their vision of transcendent liberated wisdom‍—these are all immeasurable.

“Kāśyapa, four factors pertain to the thus-gone ones’ unequaled wisdom. Due to their possession of those four factors, the thus-gone ones bring forth the lion’s roar in the midst of their retinue. Which are those four? They are the equality of discipline, the equality of absorption, the equality of insight, and the equality of buddha qualities. Kāśyapa, whoever is endowed with this fourfold wisdom of equality is a thus-gone one who proclaims the lion’s roar in the midst of their retinue.”

The Blessed One then spoke the following verses:

The Blessed One then spoke to Mahākāśyapa: “Stand up, Kāśyapa. Stand up and go take your seat. Kāśyapa, whatever doubts you may have about the Dharma, you must bring them before the Thus-Gone One. Kāśyapa, I shall answer your questions and delight your mind.”

The venerable Mahākāśyapa then rose from where he had been kneeling, bowed his head to the feet of the Blessed One, and took a place at one side. Once more the Blessed One performed a miraculous act, so that all the monks and nuns as well as all the male and female lay practitioners in Jambudvīpa now came to the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by Rājagṛha. They approached the site where the Blessed One was, and as they arrived, they bowed their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and then sat to one side.

Miraculously, the Blessed One next caused all the monks, nuns, male lay practitioners, female lay practitioners, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas to enter the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana and, as they entered, this limitless and boundless mass of beings gained insight. The Blessed One then proceeded to perform more miraculous acts. Thereby, from the entire trichiliocosm, the four great kings, King Śakra of the gods, Brahmā, Mahābrahmā, as well as all the divine sons of the heavens of Luminosity, Unlofty, No Hardship, Excellent Vision, and Unexcelled arrived at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana by Rājagṛha due to the power of the Buddha. As they arrived, they proceeded to the place where the Blessed One was residing. [F.9.b] Having bowed their heads to the Blessed One’s feet, they sat to one side, facing the Blessed One with their palms joined in homage.

The Blessed One then performed further miraculous acts. Thus, by the power of the Buddha, there now appeared the kings of the nāgas‍—Sāgara, Anavatapta, Kambaleśvara, Gautama, Nanda, Upananda, Manasvin, Takṣaka, Sundara, and Elapatra‍—accompanied by a billion other nāgas. They all went before the Blessed One, bowed their heads to his feet in homage, and sat to one side.

In this way, by the power of the Buddha, such a vast gathering of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, monks, nuns, and male and female lay practitioners had now come together at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana. Everyone entered the grove and took a place there without any anxiety about one another. Such was the Blessed One’s miraculous activity.

The Blessed One now addressed the venerable Maudgalyāyana: “Maudgalyāyana, stand up and prepare a seat for the Thus-Gone One. Seated there, the Thus-Gone One shall deliver the Dharma discourse known as ‘Cutting Through All Doubts.’ He will display the activity that fulfills the wishes of all sentient beings. He will deliver a teaching of the Dharma that satisfies all sentient beings. He will reveal the ocean seal that leads all sentient beings to merge with the Dharma. He will explain how to accomplish the activities of all bodhisattva great beings. [F.10.a] He will explain the way to cultivate the qualities of the buddhas. He will explain the practices that bring sentient beings to maturity. He will explain how to practice transcendent generosity up until transcendent insight. He will explain the practice of the door to the way of all phenomena. He will show the accomplishment of the lord of all beings. He will show the accomplishment of the activities pertaining to the states of all beings. He will satisfy the four retinues. He will satisfy the retinue of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. He will teach just a fraction of the wisdom that is unhindered and unimpeded with regard to past, present, and future. He will teach just a fraction pertaining to the ripening of karmic action, as well as to activity, aspiration, and wisdom.”

The venerable Maudgalyāyana rose from his seat and bowed his head to the feet of the Blessed One. He then emanated a seat for the Blessed One that was as large as the world of Brahmā. In the sky above he emanated a courtyard for the Blessed One made of the seven precious substances that was as smooth to the touch as kācalindika fabric. The courtyard was as vast as a thousandfold universe, and it extended for a distance of seven hundred leagues. Surrounding the courtyard were seven fences, seven arches, seven ledges, and seven layers of lattices made of bells and bangles. To its sides he emanated trees of four precious substances: gold, silver, crystal, and beryl. The trees of gold [F.10.b] had silver leaves, crystal flowers, and beryl fruits; the trees that were of silver had golden leaves, flowers of beryl, and fruits of crystal; the beryl trees had leaves of gold, flowers of silver, and fruits of crystal; and the crystal trees had leaves of gold, silver flowers, and beryl fruits. Between the trees were ponds filled with water endowed with the eight qualities. Leading to the water were four steps, each of them made of precious substances: gold, silver, beryl, and crystal. Sand of gold was strewn, and in the ponds blossomed blue, pink, red, and white lotuses. In the sky above, he emanated a latticed canopy made of the seven precious substances. The courtyard was decorated with numerous silken tassels, the air was filled with pleasant wafts of incense, and there were beds of various flowers, each the size of seven people. Within each of the blue, pink, red, and white lotuses Maudgalyāyana created a monk who looked just like himself.

When the venerable Mahā­maudgalyā­yana had magically produced a seat of this sort, he went before the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, I have prepared a seat for you. Please know that the time is now right.”

“Maudgalyāyana,” the Blessed One then asked, “have you finished arranging my seat?”

“Yes, Blessed One, I have,” replied Maudgalyāyana.

The Blessed One then addressed the bodhisattva great being [F.11.a] Revealing the Accomplishment of Apprehending Infinite Objects: “Noble son, prepare a lion throne for the Thus-Gone One. Seated upon that throne, the Thus-Gone One shall deliver the Dharma teaching known as ‘Truly Satisfying All Sentient Beings.’ ”

Paying heed to the Blessed One, the bodhisattva great being Revealing the Accomplishment of Apprehending Infinite Objects then prepared a seat, and all the bodhisattvas who were in attendance likewise offered their own shawls to the seat, spreading them upon the lion throne.

Next the Blessed One formed the following intention: “In order to dispel the doubts and hesitations of these bodhisattvas, I shall produce a miracle. Based on their own Dharma robes, I will grant them a vision of their bodhisattva activities, engagements, aspirations, display of realms, and maturation of sentient beings. I shall let them perceive the features of the realms within which they are to awaken to true and complete buddhahood. Likewise, I shall let them see their perfect hearers, their perfect bodhisattvas, and their perfect Dharma teaching. I shall show them their perfect lifespan, perfect complexion, perfect form, perfect name, perfect marks, perfect endowments, and their perfect Dharma fearlessness.”

Then, with his wisdom mind thus inclined, the Blessed One sat down upon his seat [F.11.b] and entered the buddhas’ absorption known as revealing the accomplishment of apprehending infinite objects. As soon as the Blessed One had entered this meditative absorption, all the bodhisattvas who had placed their upper garments upon the Blessed One’s seat now came to perceive everything‍—from the perfect array of their own future buddha realm up to their perfect Dharma fearlessness‍—within each of their own shawls. Witnessing all this, the bodhisattvas were deeply gratified and delighted. Joyous and elated, with one voice they sang the following verses to the Blessed One: