The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata
Chapter 2

After the Blessed One had surveyed the great assembly of bodhisattvas, he knew and rejoiced that the bodhisattvas who had assembled were holders of the treasure of the Tathāgata’s Dharma striving for righteousness.

In order for the Dharma discourse The Gateway to Unobstructed Deliverance through the Bodhisattva Way of Life to be explained, [F.157.b] a light known as fearless eloquence, the mark of a great being, emerged from the crown of his head.

As soon as this light emerged, the Blessed One caused it to encircle the entire bodhisattva assembly seven times. He then caused it to encircle the body of the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja a hundred times, after which it disappeared into the crown of the head of the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja.

The instant the light touched Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, by the power of the Buddha the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja eclipsed the radiance, lion thrones, and bodies of the entire bodhisattva assembly a hundred times. He was brilliant, majestic, and resplendent.

At this point, the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja became aware of the blessing of the Tathāgata and rose from his seat. He draped his upper garment over one shoulder and placed his right knee on the ground. He proceeded to bow, with his palms joined, in the direction of the Blessed One and conjure up a precious parasol known as ornament of the Tathāgata in the space directly above the crown of the Blessed One’s head. With a handle of lapis, a cover of gold, a jeweled parrot at the center, and spokes of precious sapphire, it had garlands of pearls hanging down as pendants and was decorated with tassels of divine silk. It resounded with filigrees of chimes, was upheld by the bodies of bodhisattvas, and was as vast as the trichiliocosm.

After he had conjured up such a precious parasol as an act of worshiping the Tathāgata, Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja brought down a rain of flowers. He intoned the sound of a constant uninterrupted melody accompanied by cymbals, and he praised the Blessed One with these words: [F.158.a]

After Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja had praised the Blessed One with these verses, he added, “Blessed One, the domain of the Tathāgata is inconceivable. The sphere of conduct of bodhisattvas is beyond measure. I understand that the Tathāgata teaches the Dharma untiringly, and I see that he abides in great compassion, which does not leave any sentient being behind. So I ask you this: Blessed One, what are the bodhisattva ornaments? Blessed One, by what ornaments are the bodhisattvas adorned so they become beautiful while performing bodhisattva conduct?

“How, Blessed One, do bodhisattvas, who have attained the inconceivable splendor of the Dharma, become free from the darkness of ignorance and doubt, and how do they become fully trained in the great gateway of Dharma? How, Blessed One, do bodhisattvas who never abandon any being become endowed with the supreme foundation of great compassion, which never abandons any being?

“How, Blessed One, do bodhisattvas engage in bodhisattva actions, carrying them out well without longing for their conclusion? Blessed One, I request that the Tathāgata explain The Gateway to Unobstructed Deliverance through the Bodhisattva Way of Life with firm determination so that the following may transpire: Bodhisattvas will by any means conquer evil and opponents, leave behind all doubt, and enter the Tathāgata domain. They will come to prominence within the bodhisattva domain, engage with the thinking of all sentient beings, [F.159.a] and understand the mental conduct of all sentient beings. They will purify buddhafields, subjugate the hordes of Māra, fully grasp the Dharma of the Tathāgata, and swiftly attain mastery of all teachings.”

The Blessed One responded, “Excellent, noble being, very good! It is really excellent that you decided to ask the Tathāgata with such determination, after you had attained certainty about the immeasurable conduct of the Tathāgata. Because of that, son of noble family, I shall explain to you how bodhisattva mahāsattvas perfect these qualities, as well as the other immeasurable bodhisattva qualities, and how they achieve mastery over all teachings. So, listen carefully and keep this in mind.”

“Very good, Blessed One,” replied Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja. He then listened with full attention as the Blessed One started to teach.

“Son of noble family, there are four types of bodhisattva ornaments: (1) the ornaments of morality, (2) the ornaments of absorption, (3) the ornaments of insight, and (4) the ornaments of retention. Son of noble family, those are the four bodhisattva ornaments.

(1) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What are the bodhisattva ornaments of morality?’ Son of noble family, there is a single bodhisattva ornament of morality: [F.159.b] not harming any sentient being. A bodhisattva without a hateful disposition, who is pleasant and delightful toward all sentient beings, is endowed with the single bodhisattva ornament of morality.

“Son of noble family, there are two types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: closing the gateway to the evil destinies and opening the gateway to the blissful destinies.

“Son of noble family, there are three types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: purity in body, purity in speech, and purity in mind.

“Son of noble family, there are four types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: achieving what one desires, accomplishing what one wishes for, attaining what one longs for, and finishing what one begins.

“Son of noble family, there are five types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: nondeceptive absorption, nondeceptive insight, nondeceptive liberation, nondeceptive vision of liberating wisdom, and unsurpassed mahāparinirvāṇa‍—all endowed with morality.

“Son of noble family, there are six types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: morality that is flawless on account of being without mental attachment, not degenerate on account of being without reproach, not corrupt on account of not being adulterated, [F.160.a] free of sin on account of increasing virtuous qualities, unfettered on account of being voluntary, and autonomous on account of being an understanding that does not depend on others.

“Son of noble family, there are seven types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: pure generosity, pure patience, pure vigor, pure concentration, pure insight, pure method, and pure conscientiousness‍—all endowed with morality.

“Son of noble family, there are eight types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: excellence in eloquence, excellence in the spiritual levels, excellence in lack of distractedness, excellence in lack of idleness, excellence in lack of vindictiveness, excellence in appreciating the appearance of a buddha, excellence in ease, and excellence in venerating one’s spiritual friends.

“Son of noble family, there are nine types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: being fearless, being without anxiety, being determined, being tranquil, being cool, being released from bondage, being flexible, being well bred, and being accomplished in the stage of being restrained.

“Son of noble family, there are ten types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality: the ornaments of body, since bodhisattvas accomplish the auspicious thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs; [F.160.b] speech, since they act on their word; mind, since they lack afflictive emotions; buddhafields, since they accomplish their aspirations; maturing sentient beings, since the bodhisattva intention is pure; birth, since they do not commit any sinful deeds; bodhisattva conduct, since they emulate the tathāgata conduct; understanding, since they lack pride; the seat of awakening, since they dedicate their roots of virtue; and the ornaments of the strengths, the fearlessnesses, and unique buddha qualities, since they do not discard their grounding in the root of moral conduct. Son of noble family, these are the ten types of bodhisattva ornaments of morality.

(2) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What are the bodhisattva ornaments of meditative absorption?’ Son of noble family, there is a single bodhisattva ornament of absorption: loving all sentient beings.

“Son of noble family, there are two types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: honesty and suppleness.

“Son of noble family, there are three types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: lack of deception, cunning, and hypocrisy.

“Son of noble family, there are four types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: not being immobilized by desire, hatred, delusion, and fear.

“Son of noble family, there are five types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: [F.161.a] abandoning the five obstructions of sensual desire, ill will, drowsiness and torpor, agitation and regret, and doubt. These five obstructions are abandoned.

“Son of noble family, there are six types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: recollecting the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, generosity, morality, and the gods.

“Son of noble family, there are seven types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: cultivating the seven factors of awakening without forgetting the thought of awakening: correct mindfulness, correct investigation of phenomena, correct vigor, correct joy, correct pliancy, correct absorption, and correct equanimity.

“Son of noble family, there are eight types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: cultivating the noble eightfold path, that is to say, correct view, correct intention, correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood, correct effort, correct mindfulness, and correct absorption.

“Son of noble family, there are nine types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: that of bodhisattvas who, without being forgetful, dwell on the foundation of great compassion, never abandon any sentient being, and [F.161.b] then, detached from desire, sin, and nonvirtues attain and abide in the first concentration, which has applied and sustained thought and is joyful and blissful through detachment; that of bodhisattvas who are freed from applied and sustained thought, have inner serenity, and attain and abide in the second concentration, which is joyful and blissful through absorption that is one-pointed and has no applied or sustained thought; that of bodhisattvas who are freed from the desire for joy, dwell in equanimity, are mindfully aware, and attain and abide in the third concentration that is beyond joy, experiencing that physical bliss of which the noble ones say, ‘this is mindful equanimity established in bliss’; that of bodhisattvas who have abandoned bliss, having previously abandoned suffering, whose happiness and sadness have subsided, and who attain and abide in the fourth concentration, which is pure mindfulness and equanimity that is neither bliss nor suffering; that of bodhisattvas who have transcended the perception of form, whose perception of physical obstruction has subsided, who pay no attention to diverse perceptions but think, ‘space is unending,’ and who attain and abide in the realm of infinite space; that of bodhisattvas who have completely transcended the realm of infinite space and think, ‘consciousness is unending,’ who attain and abide in the realm of infinite consciousness; that of bodhisattvas who have completely transcended the realm of infinite consciousness and think, ‘there is nothing at all,’ who attain and abide in the realm of nothing at all; that of bodhisattvas who have completely transcended the realm of nothing at all and attain [F.162.a] and abide in the Sphere of neither Perception nor Nonperception; and that of bodhisattvas who have completely transcended the Sphere of neither Perception nor Nonperception and attain the cessation of sensation and perception, but though they attain it, because of skillful means they refrain from manifesting the limit of reality and instead, due to previous blessing, remain present and mature sentient beings. These are the nine ornaments of absorption.

“Son of noble family, there are ten types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption: gaining certainty through imperturbability, perfecting tranquil abiding, not forsaking diligent effort, withdrawing into meditative seclusion, not squandering the roots of virtue, maintaining mental solitude, maintaining physical pliancy, being discerning while thinking about and evaluating phenomena, controlling the mind, and attaining the noble lineage. Son of noble family, these are the ten types of bodhisattva ornaments of absorption.

(3) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What are the bodhisattva ornaments of insight?’ Son of noble family, there is a single bodhisattva ornament of insight. It is having no doubts about any phenomenon.

“Son of noble family, there are two types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: having no regret and not being agitated.

“Son of noble family, there are three types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: abandoning delusion, breaking through the shell of ignorance, and dispelling the thick darkness of confusion. [F.162.b]

“Son of noble family, there are four types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: understanding the suffering that is to be understood, illuminating the source of suffering to be relinquished, bringing to light the cessation to be realized, and being empowered to cultivate the path.

“Son of noble family, there are five types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: purification of morality through lack of objectification, purification of absorption through concentration endowed with supreme insight, purification of liberation through nonduality, purification of the vision of liberating wisdom through the sameness of the three times, and purification of phenomena by means of the nature of reality free of attachment.

“Son of noble family, there are six types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: transcendent generosity purified of the three spheres‍—the sphere of the agent purified because of being the same as an illusion, the sphere of sentient beings purified because of being the same as a dream, and the sphere of awakening purified through not hoping for results; transcendent morality purified of the three spheres‍—the sphere of body purified on account of being like a reflection, the sphere of speech purified by understanding it to be like an echo, and the sphere of the mind purified because of being the same as an illusion; transcendent patience purified of the three spheres‍—purification in abandoning aversion toward harshly spoken words, purification in abandoning desire for praise and adulation, and purification of understanding the dharmakāya in the offering of severed limbs and body parts; [F.163.a] transcendent vigor purified of the three spheres‍— purification in not being disheartened through the conviction that saṃsāra is dreamlike, purification in being stable through a vajra-like intention, and purification in neither accepting nor rejecting through liberating oneself from all conceptual signs; transcendent concentration purified of the three spheres‍—purification in nonattachment to it through understanding its mutability, purification in special insight through lack of obsession, and purification in focus through generation of superknowledge; and transcendent skillful means purified of the three spheres‍—purification in matters relating to gathering disciples by bringing beings to maturity, purification in having retention through upholding the true Dharma, and purification in aspirations in order to ornament the buddhafields.

“Son of noble family, there are seven types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: being without mindfulness or mental engagement among the applications of mindfulness, understanding the lack of arising and cessation among correct exertions, being physically and mentally detached through the bases of miraculous powers, understanding the spiritual faculties among the sense faculties, annihilating all māras and afflictive emotions by means of the strengths, understanding by means of the factors of awakening the nature of all phenomena, and understanding that there is no coming and going among the paths.

“Son of noble family, there are eight types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: understanding tranquil abiding on account of having deep serenity, understanding special insight on account of lacking distorted vision, understanding the aggregates on account of realizing the collections of Dharma, [F.163.b] understanding the elements because they are the same as the element of space, understanding the sense fields because they are the same as a ghost town, understanding dependent arising because it is without self, understanding the truths on account of a lack of turmoil, and understanding the definite realization of all phenomena on account of the full realization of reality just as it is.

“Son of noble family, there are nine types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: understanding the past by means of the beginning, understanding the future by means of the end, understanding the present by means of the intervening, understanding the determinate destinies given that causes do not perish, understanding the indeterminate destinies given that conditions may produce different results,31 understanding the destinies of those who because of spiritual maturation are not predisposed to erring, understanding that all buddhas are equal because they are distinguished by the dharmakāya, understanding all phenomena to be sameness since reality is free of attachment, and understanding all noble ones to be equal because they are distinguished by the unconditioned.

“Son of noble family, there are ten types of bodhisattva ornaments of insight: understanding the nature of reality to be illusory on account of the characteristic of accomplishment, understanding it to be like a dream on account of the characteristic of conceptuality, understanding it to be like a mirage on account of the characteristic of deception, understanding it to be like a reflection on account of the characteristic of motionlessness, understanding it to be like a hallucination on account of the characteristic of being an assembly, understanding it to be like an echo on account of the characteristic of being conditioned, understanding the realm of phenomena as characterized by being uncorrupted, understanding thusness as characterized by being nonabiding, understanding the limit of reality as characterized by being unperturbed, and understanding the conditioned as being characterized by being unconditioned. [F.164.a]

(4) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What are the bodhisattva ornaments of retention?’ Son of noble family, there is a single bodhisattva ornament of retention. It is remembering without forgetting.

“Son of noble family, there are two types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: full retention and retention.

“Son of noble family, there are three types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: skill in meaning, phonemes, and etymology.

“Son of noble family, there are four types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: speaking words that are dispassionate, refined, liberated, and without falsehood.

“Son of noble family, there are five types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: reliance on meaning among all one has studied, reliance on wisdom among all collections of words, reliance on sūtras of definitive meaning among all the sūtras, reliance on the nature of reality rather than all the words of persons, and reliance on the supramundane rather than on all that is mundane.

“Son of noble family, there are six types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: acting in accordance with one’s words, employing statements that correspond to the truth, using words that are suitable to be kept in mind since they are without arrogance, using words that are acceptable because they are without deceptiveness, [F.164.b] teaching the Dharma that bears fruit because it is joined with great compassion, teaching the Dharma continuously through tactful knowledge of the audience, and teaching the Dharma in a timely manner through understanding the ways of the world.

“Son of noble family, there are seven types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: possessing eloquence that is swift, forceful, quick, dispassionate, uninterrupted, undistorted, and replete with etymologies.

“Son of noble family, there are eight types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: knowing the languages of the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, up to the languages of all sentient beings.

“Son of noble family, there are nine types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: not being intimidated in the midst of a gathering, not being dejected among orators, being fearless in the midst of explaining the Dharma, knowing discretion with regard to questioners, knowing how to give a loosely organized teaching to arrogant people, knowing how to give a well-organized teaching to those well on their way, manifesting as Vajrapāṇi to the pretentious, teaching the destruction by fire at the end of the eon to the deeply attached, and teaching the progression of the path exactly as it is to those fully matured. [F.165.a]

“Son of noble family, there are ten types of bodhisattva ornaments of retention: knowing how to teach without doubt to skeptics, letting the mind be a gate for the arising of Dharma, letting the lamp of insight shine completely for others, inexhaustibly teaching words, uninterruptedly teaching meanings, perfectly expressing boundless praise of the Buddha, describing the endless flaws of moral pollution, teaching the immeasurable praise of moral purification, engaging assiduously and without attachment in accordance with all beings’ faculties, and understanding the application of the discriminating knowledge bestowed on the level of buddhahood.”

Then, in order to elaborate on these points, the Blessed One spoke the following verses:

Then the Blessed One spoke the following words to the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja: “Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations that brighten bodhisattvas so that they are free from the thick darkness of confusion and engage in pure bodhisattva activities. They are the illuminations of (1) mindfulness, (2) intelligence, (3) comprehension, (4) phenomena, (5) knowledge, (6) truth, (7) superknowledge, and (8) accomplishment. Son of noble family, those are the eight bodhisattva illuminations.

“Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What are the bodhisattva illuminations of mindfulness?’ There are eight bodhisattva illuminations of mindfulness: when one prevents the roots of virtue performed in the past from going to waste, accumulates roots of virtue that have not yet been performed, does not forget teachings that one has heard, ascertains their meaning, is not carried away by the six kinds of sense objects, abandons nonvirtuous factors, and accomplishes virtuous factors, then mindfulness has become vast and excellent. Realizing that the bodhisattvas’ mindfulness has become excellent, the blessed buddhas appoint them as guardians of the city of the Dharma. Finally, on the strength of the preceding types of mindfulness, one reaches illumination with respect to all Dharma teachings. Son of noble family, those are the eight bodhisattva illuminations of mindfulness.

“Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations of intelligence: intelligence with regard to meaning rather than words or syllables, [F.168.a] intelligent wisdom rather than intelligent consciousness, intelligence involving Dharma instead of afflictive emotions, intelligence involving reason instead of what is contrary to reason, the intelligence of bodhicitta rather than the intelligence of a śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha, tremendous intelligence rather than lesser intelligence, the intelligence of a buddha instead of the intelligence of Māra, and compassionate intelligence instead of intelligence that is hostile toward sentient beings.

“Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations of comprehension: gaining comprehension of all teachings, of the underlying intent of what was taught, of the dispositions of beings, of the knowledge of the types of discriminating knowledge, of profound dependent arising, of the teachings via nonsequential progression, of the teachings via reverse progression,35 and of all the qualities of the Buddha.

“Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations of phenomena: the illuminations of mundane factors through teaching sentient beings to engage in appropriate deeds; of supramundane factors through insightfully teaching those who wish for liberation; of unobscured factors since they have cultivated the path; [F.168.b] of uncontaminated factors since they do not take up the defilements of desire, existence, ignorance, or views; of unconditioned factors since they have accomplished the certainty of the noble ones; of factors of pollution since they comprehend well the adventitious afflictive emotions; of factors of purification since their minds are naturally luminous; and of the factors of nirvāṇa since phenomena are totally pacified.

“Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations of knowledge: the illuminations of knowledge of someone on the eighth-lowest level, a stream enterer, a once-returner, a non-returner, an arhat, a pratyekabuddha, a bodhisattva, and a fully awakened buddha.

“Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations of truth: the illuminations of the cultivation of the truth by which they enter a state of certainty, by which they attain the first fruition, by which they attain the second fruition, by which they attain the third fruition, by which they attain the fourth fruition, [F.169.a] by which they attain pratyekabuddhahood, by which they attain the acceptance of a bodhisattva, and by which they completely and perfectly awaken to the awakening of a buddha.

“Son of noble family, there are eight bodhisattva illuminations of superknowledge: the illuminations of clarity because bodhisattvas see all forms with the divine eye, of comprehension because they hear all sounds with the divine ear, of recollection because they recollect countless eons of previous existences, of natural luminosity because they gaze upon the minds of all beings, of the unobscured sky because they move by miraculous power through boundless buddhafields, of knowledge because they accomplish a knowledge that is free of defilements, of the accumulation of merit because they sustain all beings, and of the accumulation of wisdom because they eliminate the doubts of all sentient beings.

“Son of noble family, there are nine bodhisattva illuminations of accomplishment: the illuminations through accomplishment of wisdom, insight, understanding, correct view, tranquil abiding, special insight, the intentions of beings, a liberated mind that is unperturbed, and the final illumination.” [F.169.b]

Then, the Blessed One spoke the following verses:

Then the Blessed One told Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, “Son of noble family, there are sixteen ways in which bodhisattvas give rise to great bodhisattva compassion for sentient beings. What are these sixteen ways? Son of noble family, bodhisattvas give rise to a bodhisattva’s great compassion for sentient beings while thinking as follows:

“ ‘Alas, these beings are fettered by personalistic views, and they are mixed up with various kinds of wrong views. To help them abandon all those views, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings, due to misapprehension about what is actually the case, perceive what is impermanent to be permanent, what is painful to be pleasant, what is no self to be a self, and what is repulsive to be attractive. To help them abandon all misapprehensions, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are stuck grasping onto I and mine, and they perceive what is insubstantial to be substantial. To help them abandon grasping onto I and mine, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are obstructed by the five obstructions: they are tormented by sharp pangs of desire, they are very aggressive, they are attached to fogginess and sleep, they are excited and regretful toward ignoble objects, and they are unable to reach certainty about the holy Dharma. To help them abandon all obstructions, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are bound by attachment to the six sense fields: when they see form with their eyes, they cling to its marks and characteristics, and when they hear sounds with their ears, experience smells with their noses, [F.171.b] experience tastes with their tongues, feel sensations with their bodies, and notice phenomena with their mental faculties, they cling to their marks and characteristics. To help them abandon attachment to the six sense fields, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are overcome by pride, the pride of superiority, excessive pride, the pride that thinks “I am,” manifest pride, the inverted pride of self-abasement, and mistaken pride. Since they are conceited about themselves, they think “We are greater than those who are inferior,” “We are greater than those who are our equals,” and “We are even greater than those who are greater.” They take their five aggregates, from form to consciousness, as constituting I. They consider what has not been attained and think “I have attained it.” They reflect upon themselves and think “We are superior.” And they believe that their wrong views are correct. To help them abandon all forms of pride, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings have followed evil paths and are separated from the noble path. To help them abandon evil paths and find the noble path, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are the slaves of craving. They are consumed by desire for wives, sons, and daughters. They have no independence or self-assurance. To help them become independent, able to assert themselves, and dance with joy, I shall teach them the Dharma. [F.172.a]

“ ‘Alas, these beings are not in harmony with one another; they are full of anger, hatred, and ill will. To help them abandon their anger, hatred, and ill will, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings who are entangled with evil company and lack virtuous friends commit evil deeds. In order for virtuous friends to take them on and to help them abandon evil companions, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are overwhelmed by desire and attachment. They are discontent, and they are divorced from the state of the insight of the noble ones. To help them abandon attachment and develop the knowledge of the noble ones, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are entrenched in eternalistic and nihilistic views, and they think that actions do not have consequences. To guide them toward profound dependent arising and appropriate actions, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings who are blinded by ignorance and delusion cling to the notions of a self, a being, a life, a living being, an individual, and a person. To help them purify the eye of noble insight and abandon all views, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings revel in saṃsāra [F.172.b] and are captured by the executioner of the five aggregates. In order to extricate them from all the three realms, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings are tethered by Māra’s lasso and persist in cunning and conceit. In order that they become liberated from all the tethers of Māra’s lasso and abandon cunning and conceit, I shall teach them the Dharma.

“ ‘Alas, these beings have shut the gate to nirvāṇa and opened the gates to the evil destinies. To help them open the gate to nirvāṇa and shut the gates to the evil destinies, I shall teach them the Dharma.’

“Son of noble family, great bodhisattva compassion for sentient beings arises in these sixteen ways.

“Son of noble family, when bodhisattvas exert themselves in thirty-two distinct bodhisattva activities, they become performers of excellent conduct. What are these thirty-two?

“Seeing how sentient beings go astray due to the sleep of delusion, while they themselves are awakened through insight, bodhisattvas awaken beings through insight. This is the first distinct bodhisattva act.

“Seeing how sentient beings aspire to the insignificant, while they themselves aspire to the vast, bodhisattvas establish beings in the Great Vehicle.

“Seeing how sentient beings desire what is not righteous, while they themselves abide in what is righteous, bodhisattvas establish beings in the desire for what is righteous.

“Seeing that the livelihoods of sentient beings are impure, while their own livelihoods are pure, [F.173.a] bodhisattvas connect beings to pure livelihoods.

“Seeing how sentient beings are sunk in views, while they establish themselves in correct views, bodhisattvas establish beings in the correct views of the noble ones.

“Seeing that sentient beings are ignorant and have amassed improper ways of thinking, yet cognizant that they themselves abide by proper mental activity that accords with reason, bodhisattvas establish beings in proper mental activity that accords with reason.

“Seeing how sentient beings have taken a stand on the wrong teachings, while they themselves have engaged the correct teachings, bodhisattvas teach beings the Dharma so that beings may practice these correct teachings.

“Seeing that sentient beings are stingy and possessive, while they themselves have renounced all possessions, bodhisattvas connect beings with the renunciation of all possessions.

“Seeing how sentient beings come to have evil characters and keep no moral commitments, while they themselves are established in pure morality, bodhisattvas establish beings in the commitments of morality.

“Seeing how sentient beings harbor ill will and are very aggressive, while they themselves are established in the power of patience and love, bodhisattvas establish beings in the power of patience and benevolence.

“Seeing how sentient beings are lazy and not very diligent, while they themselves are not lazy and apply themselves diligently, bodhisattvas connect beings with applying themselves diligently.

“Seeing how sentient beings are distracted and how their mindfulness is weak, while they themselves have equipoise and are absorbed in concentration, bodhisattvas establish beings in a state where they are not distracted but are mindful and vigilant. [F.173.b]

“Seeing how sentient beings’ understanding is impaired and how they are depraved and deluded, while they themselves are insightful and free of delusion, bodhisattvas establish beings in great wisdom and freedom from delusion.

“Seeing how sentient beings have fallen into the unsuitable and thus commit terrible deeds, while they themselves possess skillful means and perform correct deeds, bodhisattvas establish beings in skillful means and the performance of correct deeds.

“Seeing how sentient beings are overpowered by afflictive emotions and how their world thus consists in imagination, conceptualization, and reification, while they themselves have turned away from all afflictive emotions, bodhisattvas establish beings in the abandoning of all afflictive emotions.

“Seeing how sentient beings are fettered by the shackles of personalistic views and thus dwell in objectification, while they themselves have fully understood these personalistic views and thus become free from being fettered by objectification, bodhisattvas connect beings with fully understanding personalistic views and freedom from objectification.

“Seeing that sentient beings are undisciplined, immodest and unrefined, while they themselves are disciplined, modest, and refined, bodhisattvas establish beings in discipline, modesty, and refinement.

“Seeing how sentient beings do not remember or acknowledge what has been done for them and destroy their roots of virtue, while they themselves remember and acknowledge what has been done for them and protect their roots of virtue, bodhisattvas establish beings in remembering and acknowledging what has been done for them and not letting their roots of virtue go to waste.

“Seeing how sentient beings have fallen into the torrent and are under the influence of the desire to sin, while they themselves have crossed over all rivers, bodhisattvas connect beings to crossing over all rivers. [F.174.a]

“Seeing how sentient beings do not delight in and fail to comply with words of advice, while they themselves delight in and comply with words of advice, bodhisattvas establish beings in delighting in and complying with words of advice.

“Seeing how sentient beings are destitute and cling to what is ignoble, while they themselves are not destitute and dwell in deathless virtue, bodhisattvas connect beings with freedom from clinging and abiding by the roots of virtue.

“Seeing how sentient beings are poor and lack the wealth of the noble ones, while they themselves do not lack the wealth of the noble ones and are endowed with the seven riches, bodhisattvas establish beings in attaining the wealth of the noble ones.

“Seeing how sentient beings are constantly ill and ensnared by the venomous snakes of the four elements, while they themselves are never ill and always healthy, bodhisattvas establish beings in abandoning all forms of illness.

“Seeing that sentient beings are enveloped by the darkness of unknowing and lack the illumination of wisdom, while they themselves have attained the illumination of wisdom, bodhisattvas establish beings in the great illumination of wisdom.

“Seeing how sentient beings are bound by attachment to the three realms and plunge into the five states of existence within the wheel of saṃsāra, while knowing that they themselves are skilled in the full understanding of the three realms, bodhisattvas establish beings in the skill of the full understanding of the three realms.

“Seeing how sentient beings have embarked on wrong paths and diverged from the right path, while they themselves are established on the right path, bodhisattvas establish beings on the right path.

“Seeing how sentient beings are attached to their bodies and lives and fail to perceive their faults, [F.174.b] while they themselves pay no heed to their bodies and lives and see their own inadequacies, bodhisattvas establish beings in paying no attention to their bodies and lives and seeing their own inadequacies.

“Seeing how sentient beings are separated from the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, while they themselves are immersed in the unbroken lineage of the Three Jewels, bodhisattvas lead beings into the unbroken lineage of the Three Jewels.

“Seeing how sentient beings fall away from the excellent Dharma, while they themselves persist in upholding the excellent Dharma, bodhisattvas establish beings in upholding the excellent Dharma.

“Seeing how sentient beings live far from precious teachers and lack the six recollections, while they themselves never give up the six recollections, bodhisattvas establish beings in cultivating the six recollections.

“Seeing how sentient beings are obscured by the veils of karma and afflictive emotions, while they themselves are free from karma and afflictive emotions, bodhisattvas establish beings in the freedom from karma and afflictive emotions.

“Seeing how sentient beings possess all nonvirtuous qualities and have abandoned all virtuous qualities, while they themselves have abandoned all nonvirtuous qualities and possess all virtuous qualities, bodhisattvas establish beings in the abandoning of all nonvirtuous qualities and the perfection of all virtuous qualities.

“Son of noble family, these thirty-two bodhisattva activities constitute the preeminence of bodhisattvas. Once bodhisattvas are established in these, they are agents of excellent deeds.

“Son of noble family, the conduct of bodhisattvas is immeasurable. Why is that? Son of noble family, as many possibilities of pollution as there are among sentient beings, bodhisattvas can accomplish that many possibilities of purification. [F.175.a]

“Son of noble family, even if all the sentient beings of world systems as numerous as grains of sand in the river Ganges were situated in the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha vehicles, whatever the activity of all these beings, it would not come close to even a hundredth of the activity of bodhisattvas who have generated the first thought of awakening. It would not come close to even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a ten millionth, a billionth, or any number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison of it. Why is that? Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are committed to abandoning the afflictive emotions of their own mindstreams, but bodhisattvas are committed to abandoning the afflictive emotions of all sentient beings. In this way, son of noble family, compared to the activity of all beings and the activity of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, the activity of bodhisattvas is said to be supreme. Why is that? The activity of immature ordinary beings is mistaken, and the activity of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas is limited, but the activity of bodhisattvas yields qualities that are unmistaken and immeasurable. It is because of this that bodhisattvas surpass all beings and all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.”

At this the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja was content, pleased, delighted, and overjoyed. Feeling joyful and happy, he took delight in what was proclaimed by the Blessed One. He rejoiced, saying to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, these excellent descriptions the Tathāgata has given of the bodhisattva ornaments, the bodhisattva illuminations, the great compassion of bodhisattvas, and the conduct of bodhisattvas are marvelous! [F.175.b]

“May the Blessed tathāgata, arhat, completely perfect Buddha teach. Blessed One, how does the great compassion of the blessed buddhas enter sentient beings? What exactly are the aspects, characteristics, signs, foundation, and extent of great tathāgata compassion? How do blessed buddhas perform their activity? What exactly are the aspects, characteristics, signs, foundation, and extent of their activity? Blessed One! Please explain directly to us how the activity of the omniscient, all-seeing tathāgatas manifests.”

Then the Blessed One replied, “Son of noble family, listen well and remember, and I will explain to you briefly the engagement of great tathāgata compassion and tathāgata activity.

“Son of noble family, I shall elucidate the statement that the great compassion of blessed buddhas for sentient beings ‘neither arises nor engages.’ Why is that? The great compassion of blessed buddhas is constantly engaged. Since it is properly generated through training over innumerable eons, it is neither engaged nor disengaged. The great compassion of blessed buddhas is present for all sentient beings without being activated. As difficult as it was to obtain great tathāgata compassion, that is how immeasurable, inconceivable, inexhaustible, and far reaching it is. [F.176.a] Why is that? Son of noble family, as tathāgatas obtain awakening, their great compassion extends to sentient beings. Awakening is great compassion!

“How do tathāgatas attain such awakening?38 Tathāgatas attain awakening where there is no root and no foundation. In this regard, what is the root? What is the foundation? Personalism is the root and unreal imagining is the foundation. Tathāgatas understand these two to be the same because they are the same as awakening. Consequently, it is said that tathāgatas are perfect and complete buddhas whose awakening is without root and without foundation. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings as they think, ‘These sentient beings do not comprehend these phenomena that are without root and without foundation. They should comprehend them.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is peaceful and tranquil. In this regard, what is peacefulness? What is tranquility? The inner world is peaceful. The outer world is tranquil. Why is that? The eye is empty of self and what belongs to a self. That is its nature. The ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind are empty of self and what belongs to a self. That is their nature. Because one understands the eye to be empty, one does not pursue form. Therefore it is said to be tranquil. Because one understands the ear to be empty, one does not pursue sound. Therefore it is said to be tranquil. Because one understands the nose to be empty, one does not pursue smell. Therefore it is said to be tranquil. Because one understands the tongue to be empty, one does not pursue taste. Therefore it is said to be tranquil. Because one understands the body to be empty, one does not pursue the tangible. Therefore it is said to be tranquil. [F.176.b] Because one understands the mind to be empty, one does not pursue mental factors. Therefore it is said to be tranquil. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘These sentient beings do not comprehend peace and tranquility. They should comprehend them.’

“Son of noble family, because mind is naturally luminous, awakening is naturally luminous. Why is it said to be naturally luminous? Its nature is devoid of pollution. It is equal to space. It is of the nature of space. It is established as being the same as space. Because it is the same as space, it is sameness. Its nature is luminosity itself. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Since these immature ordinary beings do not comprehend this natural luminosity, they remain polluted by adventitious afflictive emotions. They should comprehend this luminous nature.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is without acceptance or rejection. In this regard, what is the absence of acceptance? What is the absence of rejection? Absence of acceptance means not clinging to any phenomenon. Absence of rejection means not rejecting any phenomenon. When tathāgatas enter the river of no acceptance and no rejection, they truly see that suchness is without an ‘other side’ yet not without an ‘other side,’ and thus they transcend these. In that way, tathāgatas attain complete and perfect awakening for which all phenomena are beyond an ‘other side’ and the absence of an ‘other side.’ Therefore they are called tathāgatas. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘These immature ordinary beings do not comprehend the absence of acceptance and the absence of rejection. They should comprehend them.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is without signs and without objective reference. [F.177.a] In this regard, what is meant by ‘without signs’? What is meant by ‘without objective reference’? A visual consciousness without an objective referent is without signs. Form that is unseen is without objective reference. An auditory consciousness without an objective reference is without signs. Sound that is unheard is without objective reference. An olfactory consciousness without an objective reference is without signs. Odor that is not perceived is without objective reference. A consciousness of taste without an objective reference is without signs. Flavor that is not perceived is without objective reference. A tactile consciousness without an objective reference is without signs. Touch that is not perceived is without objective reference. A mental consciousness without an objective reference is without signs. Mental factors that are not perceived are without objective reference. Thus, the lack of attributes and objective references is the domain of the noble ones. What is the domain of the noble ones? That which is not the domain of the three realms is the domain of the noble ones. Thus, that which is not a domain is the domain of the noble ones. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Immature ordinary beings do not comprehend the domain of the noble ones. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is not the past, is not the future, and is not the present. It is the same throughout the three times, the termination of the triple sphere. In this regard, what is the termination of the triple sphere? Mind does not engage with the past, consciousness does not pursue the future, and mental activity does not engage with the present. Since mind, mental activity, and consciousness do not abide, one does not mull over the past, one does not give thought to the future, and one does not proliferate the present. [F.177.b] Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Immature ordinary beings do not comprehend the equality of the three times and the purification of the triple sphere. They should comprehend them.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is incorporeal and unconditioned. In this regard, that which is incorporeal is not perceptible to visual consciousness. It is not perceptible to auditory, olfactory, taste, tactile, or mental consciousness. The unconditioned is that which is without origination, cessation, and endurance. That is the unconditioned, free of these three characteristics. That which is conditioned should also be comprehended to be just like the unconditioned. Why is that? The nature of all phenomena is nonexistence. That which is nonexistent is nondual. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Immature ordinary beings do not comprehend the incorporeal and unconditioned. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, what is called awakening is inseparable and abiding. In this regard, what abides? What is inseparable? Suchness abides. Nonabiding is inseparable. The realm of phenomena abides. Nondifferentiation is inseparable. The limit of reality abides. Immovability is inseparable. Emptiness abides. Lack of objective reference is inseparable. Signlessness abides. Nonconceptuality is inseparable. Wishlessness abides. Lack of making wishes is inseparable. The nonexistence of sentient beings abides. The essencelessness of sentient beings is inseparable. Space abides. Lack of objective reference is inseparable. Nonorigination abides. Noncessation is inseparable. [F.178.a] The unconditioned abides. The absence of movement is inseparable. Awakening abides. Tranquility is inseparable. Nirvāṇa abides. The absence of coming into being is inseparable. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Sentient beings do not comprehend this inseparability and abiding. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is completely and perfectly awakened neither by the body nor by the mind. Why is that? The body is inanimate, and the mind is like an illusion. Those who comprehend the body and the mind to be like that may still talk about awakening, using conventional language, but awakening cannot be described as physical or mental, as a phenomenon or not, as genuine or not, or as true or false. Why is that? Awakening cannot be described by means of any phenomenon. Awakening does not have a shape that can be described in conventional terms. Just as space has no shape and is indescribable, awakening likewise has no shape and is indescribable. In the same way, no phenomena are describable if one has understood them just as they are. There are no words for phenomena. There are no phenomena that correspond to words. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Sentient beings do not comprehend this aspect of the manner of phenomena. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is not apprehended and without a foundation. In this regard, what is not apprehended? What is without a foundation? Understanding the eye is not apprehended. Form without objective reference is without a foundation. Understanding the ear is not apprehended. [F.178.b] Sound without objective reference is without a foundation. Understanding the nose is not apprehended. Smell without objective reference is without a foundation. Understanding the tongue is not apprehended. Flavor without objective reference is without a foundation. Understanding the body is not apprehended. Touch without objective reference is without a foundation. Understanding mental cognition is not apprehended. Mental factors without objective references are without a foundation. In that way, tathāgatas completely and perfectly awaken to awakening that is not apprehended and without a foundation.

“Having attained complete and perfect awakening, the eye is not apprehended, form is not a foundation, and consciousness has nowhere to stand. The ear is not apprehended, sounds are not a foundation, and consciousness has nowhere to stand. The nose is not apprehended, smells are not a foundation, and consciousness has nowhere to stand. The tongue is not apprehended, tastes are not a foundation, and consciousness has nowhere to stand. The body is not apprehended, tactile sensations are not a foundation, and consciousness has nowhere to stand. The mind is not apprehended, phenomena are not a foundation, and consciousness has nowhere to stand.

“Since consciousness has nowhere to stand, one deeply understands the stations of the minds of all sentient beings. What are the stations of the minds of sentient beings? There are four stations of the minds of sentient beings. What are these four? Form is a station of the minds of sentient beings. Likewise feeling, perception, and formations are stations of the minds of sentient beings. But tathāgatas know that even these stations of their minds are nowhere to stand. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Sentient beings do not comprehend this limit of groundlessness. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is a designation for emptiness. The emptiness of empty awakening is the emptiness of [F.179.a] all empty phenomena. The tathāgatas completely and perfectly awaken by realizing that all those phenomena are in truth emptiness. Theirs is not an awakening brought about by making phenomena empty by means of emptiness. What is called emptiness and what is called awakening are understood to be one and the same. There is no division of emptiness and awakening into two categories at all.

“Why is that? Phenomena are nondual; they cannot be separated into two. They lack attributes, names, and signs. They are without movement, immovable, and without origination. Empty is a designation for what is devoid of clinging and apprehending. In this regard, ultimately, the phenomena that are referred to as empty are without any objective reference whatsoever, but they are still called empty. Just as we call space space even though space is actually indescribable, we call what is empty empty even though emptiness is actually indescribable. It is like this. This convention of using names to label what is nameless is applied to all phenomena. A name also does not inhere in the object or in a part of it. Just as names do not inhere in objects or in their parts, in the same way, whatever phenomenon described by a given name also does not inhere in the object or in part of it.

“In that way tathāgatas understand all these phenomena. They understand them to be primordially unborn, unceasing, without attributes, devoid of mind, mental activity, and consciousness, and without letters or sounds. Insofar as they understand them, they are liberated. There is no bondage. There is also no liberation. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Immature ordinary beings do not comprehend this sameness. They should comprehend it.’ [F.179.b]

“Son of noble family, awakening is similar to space. Space itself is never the same, but it is also never not the same. Awakening too is never the same, but it is also never not the same. Since phenomena do not truly exist, one cannot say whether they are the same or not the same. This is what tathāgatas realize when they fully awaken to the fact that all phenomena are not the same and are not not the same. They fully awaken without making even the slightest phenomenon the same or not the same.

“They understand with correct wisdom exactly what these phenomena are like. What is correct wisdom? It is the understanding that all phenomena are without root, that they are unborn and unceasing. They arise out of the unarisen. Having arisen, they pass away. They arise without a creator, and they pass away without a creator.

“In that way, though phenomena come to be through arising and perishing, there is no coming to be whatsoever. It is said that ‘the tathāgatas teach the Dharma in order to cut off the pathways of existence.’ Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Sentient beings do not comprehend how to cut off the pathways of existence. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is a real ground. What is a real ground? As is awakening, so is form, which does not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of eye, [F.180.a] form, and visual consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of ear, sound, and auditory consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of nose, smell, and olfactory consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of tongue, taste, and gustatory consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of body, tactile sensation, and tactile consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. As is awakening, so are the elements of mind, phenomena, and mental consciousness, which do not transcend suchness. It is just these that are labeled as phenomena. In this regard, they are labeled as aggregates, elements, and sense fields.

“It is to these as they really are that the tathāgatas are completely and perfectly awakened, completely and perfectly awakened in an unmistaken manner. As these were before, so they are later, and so they are in the meantime. They do not arise in the beginning, they do not pass on in the end, and they are devoid in the meantime. This is a real ground. As one is, so are they all. As they all are, so is one. The tathāgatas do not objectify the way things are in terms of one or many. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Immature ordinary beings do not comprehend the real ground. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening consists in having penetrated the absence of aspects through penetrating the aspects. In this regard, what are the aspects? What is the absence of aspects? Aspects refers to taking up all virtuous factors. Absence of aspects refers to not objectifying any factor. Aspects refers to the ground of the mind that is groundless. Absence of aspects refers to the gate of liberation, a meditative absorption without signs. [F.180.b] Aspects refers to thinking about, evaluating, enumerating, and discriminating phenomena. Absence of aspects refers to the complete transcendence of evaluation. What is the complete transcendence of evaluation? It is that in which there is no activity of consciousness. Aspects refers to discriminating conditioned things. Absence of aspects refers to realizing the unconditioned. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Immature ordinary beings do not comprehend penetrating the aspects and the absence of aspects. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is the absence of contamination and the absence of appropriation. In this regard, what is the absence of contamination? What is the absence of appropriation? Absence of contamination means freedom from the four contaminants: freedom from the contaminant of desire, freedom from the contaminant of becoming, freedom from the contaminant of ignorance, and freedom from the contaminant of views. Absence of appropriation refers to freedom from the four appropriations: freedom from the appropriation of desire, freedom from the appropriation of views, freedom from the appropriation of asserting a self, and freedom from the appropriation of belief in the supremacy of one’s morality and asceticism. These four appropriations are darkened by ignorance and approached through craving. Thinking ‘I am,’ they are appropriated through clinging. The tathāgatas understand the I to be the root of appropriation, and they realize that purification of the self is the purification of sentient beings. The purification of the self and the purification of all sentient beings are an inseparable nonduality. Nonduality refers to nonarising. [F.181.a] Due to nonarising and noncessation, mind, mental activity, and consciousness do not operate. Where mind, mental activity, and consciousness do not operate, there is absolutely none of the false imagining of incorrect mental activity.

“Someone with correct mental activity does not activate ignorance. When ignorance does not arise, the twelve links of becoming do not arise. When the twelve links of becoming do not arise, there is no birth. That which is unborn is certain. That which is certain is the definitive meaning. That which is the definitive meaning is the ultimate. That which is ultimate means the reality devoid of a person. The reality devoid of a person is inexpressible. The inexpressible is dependent arising. Dependent arising is the Dharma. The Dharma is suchness. Suchness is the tathāgata. Therefore, it is said that ‘whoever sees dependent arising sees the Dharma, and whoever sees the Dharma sees the tathāgata.’ When one searches, informed by suchness, one sees nothing whatsoever, and that is how one sees. What is that ‘nothing whatsoever?’ The answer is ‘conceptual signs and objective references.’ At the time when one sees without thought or objective reference, one sees truly. In this manner, tathāgatas completely and perfectly awaken, by means of sameness, to the sameness of all phenomena. Great tathāgata compassion extends to beings with the thought, ‘Sentient beings do not comprehend what is without contamination and appropriation. They should comprehend it.’

“Son of noble family, awakening is pure, stainless, and without afflictive emotions. In this regard, what is pure? What is stainless? What is without afflictive emotions? [F.181.b] Emptiness is pure. Signlessness is stainless. Wishlessness is without afflictive emotions. The unborn is pure. Absence of conditioning is stainless. Nonarising is without afflictive emotions. The nature is pure. Total purity is stainless. Luminosity is without afflictive emotions. The absence of proliferation is pure. Non-proliferation is stainless. The pacification of proliferations is without afflictive emotions. Suchness is pure. The realm of phenomena is stainless. The limit of reality is without afflictive emotions. Space is pure. Space is stainless. Space is without afflictive emotions. Understanding inwardly is pure. Not pursuing outwardly is stainless. Not objectifying inwardly or outwardly is without afflictive emotions. Understanding the aggregates is pure. The essence of the elements is stainless. Rejecting the sense fields is without afflictive emotions. Understanding that the past is gone is pure. Understanding that the future has not yet arisen is stainless. Understanding that the present is present as the realm of phenomena is without afflictive emotions.

“Therefore purity, stainlessness, and the absence of afflictive emotions are actually united in the single state that is the state of peace. Peace is peacefulness. Peacefulness is what is called pacification. Pacification is what is called the absence of signs by means of the act of pacifying. The absence of signs is what is called pacification. Pacification is what is called intelligence.

“Therefore, son of noble family, as is space, so too is awakening. As is awakening, so too are all phenomena. As are all phenomena, so too are sentient beings. As are sentient beings, so too are the buddhafields. As are the buddhafields, so too is nirvāṇa. Thus, all phenomena are said to be equal to nirvāṇa. [F.182.a] Because they are ultimate and final there are no remedies to apply. Because there are no remedies to apply, all phenomena are primordially pure, primordially stainless, and primordially without afflictive emotions. Tathāgatas accordingly are completely and perfectly awakened to the reality of all phenomena. After surveying the mass of sentient beings who are impure, who are not stainless, and who possess afflictive emotions, they extend their great compassion known as magical play to all sentient beings.39

“Using his skillful means, the Tathāgata informed the gods of the Brahmā realm that he would not turn the wheel of the Dharma without being requested to do so. Then Top-Knotted Brahmā, surrounded and escorted by eight hundred thousand gods of the Brahmā realm, instantly disappeared from the realm of Brahmā. He arrived in the presence of the Tathāgata and paid homage at the Tathāgata’s feet. To ensure that the wheel of Dharma be set in motion, he supplicated the Tathāgata: ‘May the Blessed One teach the Dharma! May the Sugata teach the Dharma!’ He also supplicated the Tathāgata with the following words:

“Son of noble family, the Tathāgata, aware of Top-Knotted Brahmā’s supplication, proceeded with unrelinquishing great compassion to turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel in Deer Park in Rṣipatana near the town of Vārāṇasī. In this world such a Dharma wheel had never been turned in conformity with the Dharma before by any wandering ascetic, brahmin, god, demon, or Brahmā himself. It was then that the word impermanence was understood throughout the entire billionfold universe. Kauṇḍinya was the first to fully know the Dharma. Then the Buddha, inspired, uttered the following:

“By turning the wheel of the Dharma, the Tathāgata tamed innumerable and unfathomably many sentient beings. Through knowing this magical play of great tathāgata compassion, immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings generated the thought of awakening. [F.183.a]

“Son of noble family, these sixteen kinds of great compassion of the blessed buddhas are constantly spontaneously active and are never given up. Endowed with such great compassion, tathāgatas happily dwell among the denizens in the great hell realms for the sake of each and every being, for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. When they gaze at those to be tamed through the superior Dharma and Vinaya, the tathāgatas are never discouraged, and their great compassion never deteriorates. That is how the inconceivable great compassion of the blessed buddhas extends to sentient beings.

“The compassion of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas is compared to skin, the compassion of bodhisattvas to flesh, and the great compassion of blessed buddhas to bones and marrow. Śrāvaka compassion rejoices in buddha wisdom. Bodhisattva compassion establishes bodhicitta. The great compassion of blessed buddhas predicts beings to awakening. The compassion of śrāvakas relies on love. The compassion of bodhisattvas relies on bringing beings to maturity. The great compassion of blessed buddhas relies on bringing them to full maturity.

“The compassion of śrāvakas is discouraged by effort. The compassion of bodhisattvas brings undertakings to completion. The compassion of blessed buddhas brings success in all undertakings.

“Therefore, son of noble family, the great compassion of the blessed buddhas is supreme because buddhas dwell for eons, hundreds of eons, [F.183.b] thousands of eons, or hundreds of thousands of eons in order to tame beings. For so long as they do, they do not pass away into nirvāṇa. Son of noble family, you should understand this through this discourse.

“Son of noble family, in the past, innumerable beyond countless eons ago, in an eon known as Most Fragrant, in a world realm known as Fragrant, there appeared a tathāgata, an arhat, a completely and perfectly awakened buddha known as Sandalwood Dwelling. He was endowed with perfect knowledge and perfect conduct, a sugata, a world knower, an unsurpassed charioteer of those to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, a blessed one. The lifespan of the Blessed Tathāgata Sandalwood Dwelling reached sixteen times eighty-four thousand years. His śrāvaka entourage consisted of sixteen times eighty-four thousand śrāvakas.

“The sweet fragrance coming from one of the pores of his skin suffused the billionfold universe with sweet-smelling fragrance. No foul smell arose in that world. In that world, furthermore, the fences, trees, mountains, and material forms that appeared were enveloped in the fragrance of that tathāgata. That is how it became known as Fragrant.

“Through the fragrance of the Tathāgata, despicable physical, verbal, and mental actions disappeared from the beings born in that realm. When they smelled that fragrance, those who went forth into the religious life following the Dharma of that blessed one generated the four concentrations. In that realm, ten thousand buddhas emerged simultaneously, all of them named Sandalwood Dwelling. That is how the eon came to be called Most Fragrant. [F.184.a]

“The Blessed Tathāgata Sandalwood Dwelling performed his buddha activity, and at the time of passing into nirvāṇa he beheld the disposition of a being who was trainable by a buddha and who was known as Trainable by Me. The buddha saw with pure divine vision surpassing human sight that this one being among the gods in the Sphere of neither Perception nor Nonperception who had previously cultivated roots of virtue, who was devoted to the vast, and who was tamable by a buddha would remain there for eighty-four thousand eons. Once he died and was reborn as a human, if he heard praise of the Great Vehicle instead of enjoying sense desires, he would generate the thought of unsurpassed perfect awakening and become someone who would not be turned back from unsurpassed perfect awakening.

“Then the Blessed Tathāgata Sandalwood Dwelling manifested great compassion through his skill in means and said to the monks, ‘Monks! Since the time has come for me to pass into nirvāṇa, I will now pass into nirvāṇa.’ Thereupon the Blessed Tathāgata Sandalwood Dwelling entered the absorption called indefatigable by seeing with great compassion40 and displayed passing into nirvāṇa.

“After passing into nirvāṇa, his relics were distributed. His sacred Dharma remained for eight times eighty-four thousand years. While his sacred Dharma was present, moreover, many beings received it, and no counterfeit Dharma appeared. Through the cultivation of the power of meditative absorption and miraculous blessing, that blessed one remained unmanifest for eighty-four thousand eons. [F.184.b]

“Thus, when eighty-four thousand eons had passed, that being among the gods in the Sphere of neither Perception nor Nonperception died and was reborn in the human realm in the family of a merchant. When he reached the age of eight, the Blessed Tathāgata Sandalwood Dwelling rose from his absorption that had lasted eighty-four thousand eons. He came before the youth in the form of a buddha, invisible to everyone else except the youth.

“This caused the youth to firmly make up his mind to generate the thought of unsurpassed perfect awakening and not be turned back from unsurpassed perfect awakening. The Buddha proceeded to teach the Dharma to the youth, beginning with the Great Vehicle. He also delivered teachings about the faults of desire. The Blessed One understood the perfect special intention of the youth and predicted that the youth would completely awaken to unsurpassed perfect awakening after seventy-two times one hundred thousand countless eons. He would emerge in the world as the Tathāgata Supreme Precious One. No human being but the youth himself heard this prophecy. Twelve thousand gods who were worthy heard it and generated the thought of unsurpassed perfect awakening. They also made an aspiration prayer saying, ‘When the Blessed Tathāgata called Supreme Precious One finds awakening, may we be born in his buddhafield at that time!’

“In order for them all to be born into that buddhafield, the Blessed One predicted, ‘The Tathāgata Supreme Precious One will predict your unsurpassed perfect awakening!’ [F.185.a] Thereupon, the Blessed Tathāgata Sandalwood Dwelling, having prophesied those bodhisattvas, completely passed into nirvāṇa, and the gods honored his relics.

“Son of noble family, the blessed buddhas are endowed with such compassion, which does not exist on the level of the śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. Son of noble family, just as the blessed buddhas do not interrupt the continuity of the lineage of the buddhas, likewise, the roots of virtue of those who offer to the buddhas will also be uninterrupted until they pass into nirvāṇa, because causes do not perish.”

When he had delivered this discourse on great tathāgata compassion, among the assembly, as many beings as a third of the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges generated the thought of unsurpassed perfect awakening. As many bodhisattvas as half the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges attained willing acceptance. And as many bodhisattvas as the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges attained the sixteen kinds of great compassion. They also attained acceptance of reality, which was endowed with the empowerment of all the Buddha’s teachings. At that time, all in the assembly who had heard this teaching became content, pleased, delighted, and overjoyed. Feeling joyful and happy, everyone hailed the Blessed One with the words “Very good!” and honored him with offerings both human and divine. [B4]

At that point,41 the Blessed One said to Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What are the actions of the tathāgatas?’ There are thirty-two tathāgata actions. What are these actions?

(1) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know with their unsurpassed wisdom and in accordance with reality what is possible and what is impossible. [F.185.b] You may ask, son of noble family, what is possible and what is impossible? That the maturation of wrongful conduct of body, speech, and mind will be desirable, pleasant, delightful, or attractive is impossible. This will not happen. That the maturation of good conduct of body, speech, and mind will be desirable, pleasant, delightful, and attractive is possible. This will happen. Son of noble family, that one will attain great wealth through greediness, be born as a god or human through flawed moral conduct, become beautiful through ill will, attain realization through laziness, reach certainty through mental distraction, or destroy the karmic traces through flawed insight is impossible. This will not happen. That one will attain great wealth through generosity, be born as a god or human through moral conduct, become beautiful through patience, attain realization through perseverance, reach certainty through concentration, and destroy all the karmic traces through insight is possible. This will happen.

“That the mind of someone who performs the acts of immediate retribution will be at ease is impossible. This will not happen. That the mind of someone with pure moral conduct will be at ease is possible. This will happen. That one will attain willing acceptance while being involved with objective references is impossible. This will not happen. [F.186.a] That one will attain acceptance through devotion to emptiness is possible. This will happen. That the mind will become pliant while in a state of regret is impossible. This will not happen. That a mind free of agitation will become pliant is possible. This will happen. That a universal monarch, Śakra, Brahmā, or a buddha will appear in the world in a female body is impossible. This will not happen. That someone will appear in the world as a universal monarch, Śakra, Brahmā, or a buddha after she has exchanged her female body is possible. This will happen. That someone who is not equal to the universal monarch will govern a kingdom is impossible. This will not happen. That he who is equal to the universal monarch will govern a kingdom is possible. This will happen.

“That a human being from the northern continent of Uttarakuru will descend to lower destinies is impossible. This will not happen. That such a human will proceed to happy destinies is possible. This will happen. That individuals42 who kill will enjoy long lives on account of their killing and that they will attain the noble path on account of their wrong views and the wrongful deeds based on them is impossible. This will not happen. That someone with a long life on account of abandoning killing will attain the noble path through correct views is possible. This will happen.

“That one will find deliverance without attaining the fruition of the eighth-lowest level is impossible. This will not happen. That one will find deliverance once one has attained their fruition is possible. This will happen. [F.186.b] That a stream enterer will actualize an eighth existence is impossible. This will not happen. That a stream enterer will enter a seventh existence even though there are obstacles is possible. That a once-returner will actualize a second existence is impossible. This will not happen. That a once-returner will reach the end of suffering after having returned to this world is possible. This will happen. That a non-returner will return to this world is impossible. This will not happen. That a non-returner will transcend suffering completely is possible. This will happen. That an arhat will enter a new existence is impossible. This will not happen. That an arhat will not enter a new existence is possible. This will happen.

“That a noble being will accept the instructions of another teacher is impossible. This will not happen. That such a being will have no other deity is possible. That a bodhisattva who accepts the unborn nature of phenomena will regress is impossible. This will not happen. That such a bodhisattva will awaken to complete and perfect awakening is possible. That a bodhisattva who dwells on the seat of awakening will arise without completely and perfectly awakening is impossible. This will not happen. That such a bodhisattva will arise as one awakened to complete and perfect awakening is possible.

“That karmic traces will appear for tathāgatas is impossible. This will not happen. That tathāgatas will have destroyed all karmic traces is possible. This will happen. That the wisdom of tathāgatas will be obstructed is impossible. That the wisdom of tathāgatas will be unobstructed [F.187.a] is possible. That the crown protuberances of tathāgatas will be visible is impossible. This will not happen. That the crown protuberances of tathāgatas will be invisible is possible. That one will know the activity of tathāgatas’ minds through means other than the power of buddhas is impossible. This will not happen. That one will not know it is possible. That the minds of tathāgatas will not be in equipoise and will have reference points is impossible. That tathāgatas will be in constant equipoise is possible. That untrue words will issue from tathāgatas is impossible. That true words will issue is possible.

“Son of noble family, that deluded objective reference will exist for tathāgatas is impossible. This will not happen. That delusion will not exist for tathāgatas is possible. This will happen. Son of noble family, words cannot illustrate the scope of the Tathāgata’s power of knowing what is possible and what is impossible. It is perfect. It is unique and like no other. About this the following is proclaimed:

(2) “Son of noble family, tathāgatas know skillfully and in accordance with reality about past, present, and future actions as well as the basis, causes, substance, and maturation of the actions undertaken. You may ask, how do they understand them? Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know the actions undertaken in the past that spring from virtuous causes, are free of anything nonvirtuous, and will, in the future, engender what springs from virtuous causes. They know the actions undertaken that spring from nonvirtuous causes, are free of anything virtuous, and will, in the future, engender what springs from nonvirtuous causes. They know in accordance with reality the actions undertaken that will become the basis for something minor in the future, the actions undertaken that will become the basis for something major in the future, [F.188.a] the actions undertaken that are the basis for something minor in the present that will become the basis for something major in the future, and the actions undertaken that are the basis for something major in the present that will become the basis for something minor in the future. They know the actions undertaken that are the basis for something minor in the present that will also become the basis for something minor in the future. They know the actions undertaken that are the basis for something major in the present that will also become the basis for something major in the future. They know the actions undertaken that were a minor task in the past that will become something major and turn into a great success in the future. They know the actions undertaken that require little exertion that may nonetheless become of great significance. They also know the actions undertaken that require great exertion that may nonetheless become of little significance.

“They know the actions undertaken that will engender the cause of śrāvakahood, the actions undertaken that will engender the cause of pratyekabuddhahood, and the actions undertaken that will engender the cause of buddhahood. They know the actions undertaken that are painful at present but will lead to a blissful maturation in the future. They know the actions undertaken that are blissful at present but will lead to a painful maturation in the future. The tathāgatas know the actions undertaken that are painful at present and will also lead to a painful maturation in the future. They know the actions undertaken that are blissful at present and will also lead to a blissful maturation in the future.

“In these ways, son of noble family, the tathāgatas uniquely and independently understand in accordance with reality all about beings’ actions in the past, present, and future, their circumstances, and their maturation. [F.188.b] With this understanding they teach the Dharma accordingly. This is the second tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(3) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know in accordance with reality the many and various inclinations of other beings and individuals. [F.189.a] You may ask, how do they know in accordance with reality the many and various inclinations of other beings and individuals? The tathāgatas know which individuals are established in attachment and inclined toward aversion, which individuals are established in aversion and inclined toward attachment, and which individuals are established in delusion and inclined toward attachment, aversion, and delusion. The tathāgatas know which individuals are established in virtue and inclined toward virtue, which individuals whose engagement is minor are inclined with a vast intention, and which individuals whose engagement is vast are inclined with a minor intention. The tathāgatas know which inclinations will transform minor engagements into major ones and which inclinations will transform superior engagements into minor ones. The tathāgatas know which inclinations will lead those who were sure to be wrong regarding reality toward attaining the disposition that is certain, which inclinations will lead those whose receptivity had been undetermined toward attaining the disposition of being sure to be correct, and which inclinations will lead those already sure to be correct toward attaining liberation. The tathāgatas know which inclinations will lead beyond the desire realm, which will lead beyond the form realm, and which will lead beyond the third realm. The tathāgatas know which inclinations will suppress something major through relying on something minor and which inclinations will transform something major into something minor. The tathāgatas know which inclinations will bring about the attainment of varying kinds of corresponding birth, appearance, and means of livelihood. [F.189.b] The tathāgatas know which inclinations will lead to downfall from the peak of existence and which inclinations will lead to the attainment of liberation. With this understanding they teach the Dharma accordingly. This is the third tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(4) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know, in accordance with reality, the worlds that are comprised of many and various elements. You may ask, how do they know them? They know, in accordance with reality, which elements accumulate mundane virtuous conditioning, which elements accumulate nonvirtuous conditioning, [F.190.a] which elements accumulate neutral conditioning, and which elements establish one in the element of deliverance.

“They know the element of the eye, the element of form, and the element of visual consciousness. How do they know them? They know them to be an inner emptiness, an outer emptiness, and an inner and outer emptiness, respectively. They know the element of the ear, the element of sound, and the element of auditory consciousness. How do they know them? They know them to be an inner emptiness, an outer emptiness, and an inner and outer emptiness, respectively. They know the element of the nose, the element of smell, and the element of olfactory consciousness. How do they know them? They know them to be an inner emptiness, an outer emptiness, and an inner and outer emptiness, respectively. They know the element of the tongue, the element of taste, and the element of the consciousness of taste. How do they know them? They know them to be an inner emptiness, an outer emptiness, and an inner and outer emptiness, respectively. They know the element of the body, the element of the tactile, and the element of tactile consciousness. How do they know them? They know them to be an inner emptiness, an outer emptiness, and an inner and outer emptiness, respectively. They know the element of the mind, the element of phenomena, and the element of mental consciousness. How do they know them? They know them to be an inner emptiness, an outer emptiness, and an inner and outer emptiness, respectively. They know the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. How do they know them? They know them to be just like the element of space.

“They know the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. [F.190.b] How do they know them? They know them to originate in false imagining. They know conditioned elements to be fabricated and unconditioned elements to be unfabricated. They know that the elements of pollution are characterized by adventitious afflictive emotion and that the elements of purification are characterized by natural luminosity. They know that the realm of saṃsāra is characterized by incorrect ignorance and that the sphere of nirvāṇa is characterized by correct knowing.

“In this way, the tathāgatas fully understand which elements establish the world, which elements fully establish it, which elements facilitate, and which elements obstruct. They know which elements belong to engagement, which belong to reflection, which belong to determination, and which elements are supports. With this understanding they teach the Dharma accordingly. This is the fourth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(5) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know, in accordance with reality, the levels of the faculties of other beings and individuals. You may ask, how do they know them in accordance with reality? Son of noble family, they know, in accordance with reality, which beings are less gifted. Likewise, they know whose faculties are average, whose are sharp, whose are extraordinary, and whose are poor. [F.191.b]

“They know how consummate attachment, aversion, and delusion arise from the dominant influence of conceptuality. They know how contrived attachment, aversion, and delusion arise from the dominant influence of conceptuality. They know how perverted attachment, aversion, and delusion arise from the dominant influence of conceptuality. They know how destructive attachment, aversion, and delusion arise from the dominant influence of conceptuality. The tathāgatas know comprehensively how, from the dominant influence of conceptuality, some faculties originate from virtuous causes, some from nonvirtuous causes, some from neutral causes, and others from the causes of deliverance.

“Moreover, son of noble family, the tathāgatas know the sense faculties of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They know the male faculty, the female faculty, and the vital force. They understand the propensity for physical pleasure and pain, mental joy and grief, and equanimity. They know the spiritual faculties of faith, vigor, mindfulness, absorption, and insight. They know the faculty that changes unknowing into omniscience, the faculty of omniscience, and the faculty endowed with omniscience. The tathāgatas understand which capacity caused by the sense power of the eyes will transform into a sense power for the ear, rather than into a sense power for the nose, tongue, or body. [F.192.a] They understand which capacity caused by the sense power of the ear will transform into a sense power for the nose, which capacity caused by the sense power of the nose will transform into a sense power for the tongue, which capacity caused by the sense power of the tongue will transform into a sense power for the body, and which capacity caused by the sense power of the body will transform into a sense power for the eye.

“To people who are capable of generosity and who apply themselves to moral conduct, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on generosity. To people who are capable of moral conduct and who apply themselves to generosity, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on moral conduct. To people who have the capacity for patience and who apply themselves to vigor, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on patience. To people who are capable of vigor and who apply themselves to patience, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on vigor. To people who have the capacity for concentration and who apply themselves to insight, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on concentration. To people who have the capacity for insight and who apply themselves to concentration, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on insight. Likewise, all factors of awakening should be comprehended in detail.

“To people who have the capacity for the Śrāvaka Vehicle but apply themselves to the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on the Śrāvaka Vehicle. To people who have the capacity for the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle [F.192.b] but apply themselves to the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. To people who have the capacity for the Great Vehicle but apply themselves to the Śrāvaka Vehicle and the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give discourses on the Great Vehicle. To people of the highest capacity who apply themselves to the Great Vehicle, the tathāgatas, understanding the range of capacities, give the final discourses.

“When the tathāgatas know that those who are subject to a lack of fortune and who appear unfortunate are not receptive, they remain in equanimity. When the tathāgatas know that those who have the power of good fortune and who appear fortunate are worthy, they teach them the Dharma as they are venerated by them.

“Son of noble family, in this way the tathāgatas know the developed and the undeveloped capacities of all sentient beings. They know the capacities that have not yet emerged as well as those that have emerged. The tathāgatas know in accordance with reality the capacities of beings, their aspects, their applications, their intentions, the causes from which they arise, their conditions, their reference points, their concordant causes, and their limits. This is the fifth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(6) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know in accordance with reality the paths that lead to all destinies. You may ask, how do they know them? They know those beings constituted as sure to be correct. They know those beings constituted as being undetermined, and those beings constituted as sure to be wrong.46

“They know those beings whose constitution is associated with certainty. Whether the tathāgatas teach the Dharma to them or not, those beings who have causal capacity and excellent prior engagement, who understand through mere outlines and whose intelligence is sharp, are certain to become liberated. The tathāgatas understand their causal capacity, and, in order to accelerate their liberation, they teach them the Dharma accordingly.

“They also know those beings constituted as being undetermined. These beings, who are swayed by conditions and characterized by having to mature, will, if they encounter a suitable teaching and instruction, be liberated. But if they have no such encounter, they will not be liberated. To them the tathāgatas deliver discourses on causes and conditions. In this way, once they have heard the Dharma from the tathāgatas, they apply themselves accordingly and attain the result. It is for their sake that the blessed buddhas appear.

“They also know those beings constituted as sure to be wrong. Whether they are taught the Dharma or not, those beings who have not purified themselves, [F.194.a] who are feeble minded, foolish, and unreceptive, are not destined for liberation. The tathāgatas are aware that they are not receptive and thus remain equanimous toward them. It is for their sake that the bodhisattvas don their armor.

“Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know the three paths of attachment. What are the three? They are the path of attachment arising from attraction, the path of attachment arising from clinging, and the path of attachment arising from previous causes. They know the three paths of aversion: the path of aversion arising from the cause of anger, the path of aversion arising from unfulfilled wishes, and the path of aversion arising from preexisting latent tendencies. They know the three paths of delusion: the path of delusion arising from the cause of ignorance, the path of delusion arising from the cause of personalistic false views, and the path of delusion arising from the cause of doubt. All these the tathāgatas know.

“Moreover, son of noble family, the tathāgatas know the difficult paths that swiftly lead to the superknowledges for those with sharp faculties and the difficult paths that slowly lead to the superknowledges for those with dull faculties. They know the easy paths that swiftly lead to the superknowledges for those with sharp faculties and the difficult paths that swiftly lead to the superknowledges for those with dull faculties. They know the paths that very slowly lead to the superknowledges because of beings’ loss of focus and the slower paths that may nonetheless swiftly lead to the superknowledges because their continuities are uninterrupted. [F.194.b] They know the swift paths that may nonetheless lead slowly to the superknowledges on account of falling short of final relief and the slow paths that nonetheless lead swiftly to the superknowledges on account of one not being attached to such paths.

“The tathāgatas know that there are paths where it is not the power of meditation but the power of discrimination that is brought to perfection. They know that there are paths where it is not the power of discrimination but the power of meditation that is brought to perfection. They know that there are paths where neither the power of meditation nor the power of discrimination is brought to perfection. They know that there are paths where both the power of discrimination and the power of meditation are brought to perfection.

“The tathāgatas know that there are paths with excellent intention but without excellent application. They know that there are paths without excellent intention but with excellent application. They know that there are paths without excellent intention or application. They know that there are paths with both excellent intention and application.

“There are paths where it is neither the speech nor the mind but the body that is purified. There are paths where it is neither the body nor the mind but the speech that is purified. There are paths where the body, speech, and mind are all purified. There are paths where neither the body nor the speech nor the mind are purified.

“In this way, the vision of a tathāgata’s wisdom enters, without obstruction, the full extent of the paths that arise from the causes of the engagements of all sentient beings and from the causes of error. [F.195.a] This is the sixth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(7) “Moreover, son of noble family, the tathāgatas know in accordance with reality the process of pollution, purification, and emergence through concentration, liberation, absorption, and [F.195.b] meditation. You may ask, how do they know it? The tathāgatas know the causes and conditions for the arising of sentient beings’ pollution. They know the causes and conditions for sentient beings’ purification. What are causes? What are conditions? The cause of sentient beings’ pollution is improper mental activity. The condition for sentient beings’ pollution is ignorance. Ignorance is a cause and formations are conditions. The formations are causes and consciousness is a condition. Consciousness is a cause and name and form are conditions. Name and form are causes and the six sense fields are conditions. The six sense fields are causes and contact is a condition. Contact is a cause and sensation is a condition. Sensation is a cause and craving is a condition. Craving is a cause and appropriation is a condition. Appropriation is a cause and becoming is a condition. Becoming is a cause and birth is a condition. Birth is a cause and old age and death are conditions. Old age and death are causes and afflictive emotions are conditions. Afflictive emotions are causes and actions are conditions. Views are causes and craving is a condition. Latent tendencies are causes and their activations are conditions. These are the causes and conditions of beings’ pollution.

“What are the causes and conditions for sentient beings’ purification? There are two causes or two conditions for sentient beings’ purification. What are these two? Another’s words to be followed and one’s own correct mental activity form a pair. One-pointed tranquil abiding and skill in special insight also form a pair of causes or conditions. The same applies as well as to knowing that there is no coming and knowing that there is no going, realizing nonorigination [F.196.a] and reaching certainty, actualizing liberation through virtuous conduct and knowledge, cultivating the gates to liberation and knowing what is naturally liberated, and knowing contamination and knowing nonorigination. Finally, the pair consisting of realizing the truth and attaining the truth is a pair of causes or conditions for beings’ purification. All these the tathāgatas know.

“Moreover, son of noble family, the perceptions of pollution are immeasurable, and the perceptions of their purification are equally immeasurable. By discriminating in accordance with reality, the perceptions of pollution are replaced by those of their purification. But by grasping with excessive pride, the perceptions of purification may be replaced by those of pollution. Thus, through nonsequential enumerations, one enters the wisdom of the tathāgatas.

“Son of noble family, endowed with such wisdom, the tathāgatas are detached from desires and sinful nonvirtuous factors, possess applied and sustained thought, and are joyful and blissful through detachment. Attaining the first concentration, the tathāgatas emerge from cessation. Attaining cessation, they emerge from the first concentration. They have attainments that follow the sequence of the eight liberations and attainments that do not. They also have attainments in a nonsequential order. Although absorption is revealed as attainment and attainment is revealed as absorption, there is no blending at all within the tathāgatas’ absorption. For them there is no attainment in absorption in terms of objective reference points. A single tathāgata absorption accomplishes all absorptions. [F.196.b] Without emerging from a single absorption, the tathāgatas attain all absorptions, but for them there is no fluctuation from one mental moment to another. For the tathāgatas, a mind outside of equipoise does not exist. No one is able to witness a tathāgata absorption. A śrāvaka absorption is surpassed by a pratyekabuddha absorption. This is in turn surpassed by the bodhisattva absorption, which is in turn surpassed by the tathāgata absorption, which is unsurpassed. Due to that the tathāgata wisdom penetrates unchallenged.

“The tathāgatas know the instructions and guidance by which śrāvakas cultivate their meditative absorptions. Likewise, they know those by which pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas cultivate theirs. Understanding these, they instruct and guide beings accordingly. This is the seventh tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(8) “Moreover, son of noble family, the tathāgatas can recollect their own and other beings’ and other individuals’ various former existences. They can recollect one or two, three or four, five or ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty previous births. They can recollect one hundred or one thousand, one hundred thousand, or billions of births. They can recollect the eon of world destruction, the eon of world formation, and the eon of both destruction and formation. They can recollect many eons of destruction, many eons of formation, or many eons of destruction and formation.

“ ‘These beings went by this or that name. I was born there with that name, in that clan, in that family lineage, eating that food, with that complexion [F.197.b] and that shape. I lived there during that period and experienced those joys and those sorrows. Then, after I died and transmigrated from there, I was reborn as another being. Then, after I died and transmigrated from there, I was born here in this form, in this area, from this region.’ Thus they recollect their own and other beings’ various former existences.

“They recollect the former existences of a being. How and through which prior causes a given being was born‍—the tathāgatas know such prior causes. Knowing these, they teach the Dharma accordingly.

“The tathāgatas know the movements of the minds of all past beings. They know that following a given objective reference, there arises a mind having such an objective reference, that it has arisen due to the given objective reference, and that it ceases when this objective reference is incomplete. The mind of a single being thus exists as an ongoing continuum, in which a given mind occurs following another. Even if one were to speak for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, it would be difficult to explain this with words.

“In this way, the tathāgatas know the ongoing continuums of the individual minds of all sentient beings. Even if the tathāgatas were to explain this until the end of time on the basis of rational analysis, their wisdom would not reach its limit. The tathāgata knowledge that recollects previous existences is inconceivable, unequaled, and immeasurable. Its scope is not easy to explain.

“Having become buddhas, the supreme leaders, the tathāgatas remind beings, ‘Hey sentient beings! Roots of virtue generate either buddhahood, śrāvakahood, or pratyekabuddhahood! Remember that! Remember!’ In this way, through the power of the buddhas, they also become mindful. [F.198.a]

“The tathāgatas teach them the Dharma in such a way that on account of the roots of virtue they observe in those beings, they will ensure that, whichever vehicle these beings take, they do not turn back from liberation.47 This is the eighth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(9) “Son of noble family, with their pure divine vision, which surpasses that of humans, the tathāgatas observe beings dying, transmigrating, and taking birth. They observe their migrations into happy or sad destinies, their goodness or wickedness, their beautiful or ugly complexions. [F.198.b]

“ ‘Alas! Regarding those sentient beings who have acted badly either physically, verbally, or mentally, who have denigrated the nobles ones, and who have held wrong views, once their bodies fail and they die they will be born as hell beings, falling into lower realms and miserable destinies because they took up actions based on their wrong views.

“ ‘Regarding those sentient beings who have acted virtuously either physically, verbally, or mentally, who have not denigrated the noble ones, and who have held correct views, once their bodies fail and they die they will be born among gods in the higher realms and blissful destinies because they took up correct views.’ Thus tathāgatas know how beings migrate due to actions.

“The divine tathāgata vision is like this: It observes the destruction and formation of the worlds of the ten directions, all those that appear as fields in the limitless, innumerable, and incalculable buddhafields reaching to the end of space, the limitless realm of phenomena. It observes the death, transmigration, and rebirth of all those beings who appear and the death, conception, and rebirth of all those bodhisattvas who appear. It observes the buddhas who appear attaining complete and perfect buddhahood, turning the wheel of Dharma, relinquishing the physical body, and entering into parinirvāṇa. It observes the śrāvakas who appear becoming free and entering parinirvāṇa. And it observes the pratyekabuddhas who appear displaying miracles and purifying gifts. [F.199.a]

“Beings who do not appear and who are invisible for the five non-Buddhist superknowledges, for śrāvakas, for pratyekabuddhas, and for bodhisattvas‍—even they are visible to the divine tathāgata vision.

“Furthermore, those beings who are invisible in Jambudvīpa are visible to the tathāgatas. The gods and humans of the world realms of the vast trichiliocosm do not see them. The realms of such invisible beings are limitless.

“The divine tathāgata vision scans the realms of beings in all buddhafields, asking, ‘Who are the beings to be tamed by the buddhas?’ For as many kinds of beings to be tamed by the buddhas as exist, that many tathāgatas abide in their presence. Even as they tame these beings, other beings remain unaware of this. This is the ninth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(10) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas have accomplished perfection. Through their own superknowledge they have actualized the nonexistence of contaminants and the liberation of their minds: ‘Due to the depletion of all contaminants, rebirth has come to an end. I have relied on pure conduct and done what had to be done, and I will not know any other existence after this one.’

“The tathāgata knowledge of the depletion of contaminants is pure, stainless, completely pure, luminous, and destroys all karmic traces. The śrāvaka depletion of contaminants is limited and does not destroy the karmic traces. The pratyekabuddha depletion of contaminants is also limited [F.200.a] and is lacking in great compassion and courage.

“The tathāgata depletion of contaminants is supreme in every respect. It destroys all karmic traces. It is sustained by great compassion. It is not lacking in fearlessness or courage. It is unsurpassed in all worlds. It consists of a single mental moment. Why is that? For the tathāgatas, there are no karmic traces of actions, afflictive emotions, or deluded conduct. To illustrate, since space is pure by nature, it is impossible for dust particles and smoke to coexist with it. In the same way, it is impossible for the tathāgata knowledge of the depletion of contaminants to coexist with the karmic traces of actions or afflictive emotions. Thus, as soon as the knowledge of the depletion of contaminants is present, they teach the Dharma to afflicted and grasping sentient beings so that they in turn will give up their grasping, and so that their defilements will be depleted: ‘Alas, you sentient beings who come to be through unreal conceptualization, you should understand contaminants and grasping in accordance with reality!’ In this manner, the tathāgatas make them know in accordance with reality that contaminants are not real. And having known that, they do not cling to any phenomenon. Due to their lack of clinging, they pass completely beyond sorrow. In this way, they teach the Dharma through well-conceived illustrations. Son of noble family, this is the tenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(11) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas dwell in the tathāgatas’ four types of fearlessness.49 No one in the world with its gods can reasonably reprove the tathāgatas, saying, ‘You have not become completely and perfectly awakened regarding phenomena,’ in response to their proclamation, ‘We perform awakened deeds and have become completely and perfectly awakened.’

“Why is it that tathāgatas declare that they are completely and perfectly awakened? The tathāgatas are completely and perfectly awakened to the fact that all phenomena are equal. They are completely and perfectly awakened to the fact that the phenomena of ordinary people, those engaged in learning, those in a state of no more learning, pratyekabuddhas, [F.201.a] bodhisattvas, and buddhas are all equal. They are completely and perfectly awakened to the fact that mundane, supramundane, flawed, unflawed, contaminated, uncontaminated, conditioned, and unconditioned phenomena are all equal.

“How are they equal? In terms of the essential view, they are equal in their emptiness. In terms of the essential sign, they are equal in being signless. In terms of the essential nature of the three realms, they are equal in being wishless. In terms of the essential nature of birth, they are equal in being unborn. In terms of the essential nature of conditioning, they are equal being without conditioning. In terms of the essential nature of origination, they are equal in being without origination. In terms of the essential nature of the substratum consciousness, they are equal in having no substratum consciousness. In terms of the essential nature of the three times, they are equal in accordance with reality. In terms of the essential nature of ignorance, becoming, and craving, they are equal in being knowledge and liberation. In terms of the essential nature of saṃsāra, they are equal in being nirvāṇa. Thus, the tathāgatas are completely and perfectly awakened to the equality of all phenomena, and that is why they declare, ‘We are completely and perfectly awakened.’

“Just as the tathāgatas have become completely and perfectly awakened with regard to those phenomena, in the same way they abide in great compassion. They teach other people and beings by means of various Dharmas, discourses, and circumstances. Their Dharma arises for the sake of eliminating created suffering.

“This tathāgata fearlessness overpowers and annuls allegations such as ‘They say they are teachers when they are not’ and [F.201.b] ‘They say they are completely and perfectly awakened when they are not.’ This is the eleventh tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(12) “Son of noble family, no one in the world with its gods can reasonably reprove the tathāgatas, saying, ‘You have not eliminated those contaminants’ in response to their proclamation, ‘We have eliminated contaminants.’

“The tathāgatas’ depletion of contaminants occurs in the following manner: Since the minds of tathāgatas are freed from the contaminants of desire, they have destroyed all karmic traces that partake of attachment. Since the minds of tathāgatas are freed from the contaminants of becoming, they have destroyed all karmic traces that partake of anger. Since the minds of tathāgatas are freed from the contaminant of ignorance, they have destroyed all karmic traces that partake of delusion. Since the minds of tathāgatas are freed from the contaminants of views, [F.202.a] they have destroyed all karmic traces that partake of afflictive emotion.

“Therefore, from a conventional worldly point of view, the tathāgatas are said to have depleted the contaminants. However, ultimately, from the perspective of the insight and wisdom of the noble ones, phenomena that are to be known, abandoned, cultivated, or realized are never established.

“Why is that? The ‘depleted’ are never not depleted. They are totally depleted, but they are not ‘depleted by means of an antidote.’ Their depletion accords with reality. That depletion that accords with reality is devoid of anything depleted. That which is devoid of anything anywhere depleted is called unconditioned. The unconditioned is unborn, does not endure, and does not deteriorate.

“Therefore, whether tathāgatas appear or not, that which is the nature of reality and the realm of phenomena prevails. Just as the realm of phenomena prevails, in the same way wisdom prevails within it. Just as it is without engagement or withdrawal, wisdom prevails in the same manner.

“The tathāgatas, who, in accordance with the way of the Dharma, do not objectify the contaminants or their abandonment, are settled in great compassion and teach the Dharma to sentient beings so that they may abandon their contaminants. This is the twelfth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(13) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know in accordance with reality which obstructing factors obstruct. No one in the world with its gods is able to reasonably reprove the tathāgatas, saying, ‘Those factors do not obstruct.’ What are the obstructing factors? There is one: a mind that lacks faith. There are two: immodesty and impropriety. There are three: misconduct of body, speech, and mind. There are four: going wrong because of desire, aversion, delusion, or fear. There are five: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and consuming intoxicants. There are six: irreverence toward the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha and irreverence toward the training, meditative absorption, and the meditation cushion.51 [F.203.a] There are seven: ordinary pride, the pride of superiority, excessive pride, the pride that thinks ‘I am,’ manifest pride, the inverted pride of self-abasement, and mistaken pride. There are eight: wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong absorption. There are nine: giving rise to miserable states of mind such as ‘I was harmed,” ‘I am being harmed,’ or ‘I will be harmed’; giving rise to miserable states of mind such as ‘My friends were harmed,’ ‘They are being harmed,’ or ‘They will be harmed’; and giving rise to miserable states of mind such as ‘Those who are not my friends have benefited,’ ‘They are benefitting,’ or ‘They will benefit.’ There are ten: the ways of the ten nonvirtuous actions of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh words, and idle chatter, and covetousness, maliciousness, and wrong views.

“Tathāgatas know the following to be obstructing factors: becoming engrossed in the taste of factors that are entangled with incorrect mental activity, being mistaken, being ensnared by obscurations, and being disordered by clinging to existence and to views, as well as any physical, verbal, or mental acts encumbered by the aggregates. [F.203.b] Declaring, ‘These are obstructing factors,’ they teach them as such, in accordance with reality. The tathāgatas teach the Dharma in order that these obstructing factors are pacified, calmed, and abandoned. This is the thirteenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(14) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas know, in accordance with reality, the noble path of deliverance as a noble path of deliverance, which eliminates created suffering. Beings will be delivered if they rely on it, and no one in the world with its gods is able to reasonably reprove the tathāgatas, saying, ‘This is not a path of deliverance.’ What, then, is the path of deliverance? It is the single path for sentient beings to travel that leads to purification.

“There are two factors of the path of deliverance: [F.204.a] tranquil abiding and special insight. There are three: emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. There are four factors of the path of deliverance: mindfulness of body, mindfulness of feeling, mindfulness of mind, and mindfulness of phenomena. There are applications of mindfulness of the body where one contemplates what is inside the body, what is on the outside of the body, and both together. There are applications of mindfulness of sensation where one contemplates inner sensations, outer sensations, and both together. There are applications of mindfulness of mind where one contemplates the introverted mind, the extroverted mind, and both together. Finally, there are applications of mindfulness of phenomena where one contemplates inner factors, outer factors, and both together. There are five factors of the path of deliverance: the spiritual faculties of faith, vigor, mindfulness, meditative absorption, and insight. There are six factors of the path of deliverance: the recollection of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, renunciation, morality, and the gods. There are seven factors of the path of deliverance: the factors of awakening, which are correct mindfulness, correct investigation of phenomena, correct vigor, correct joy, correct pliancy, correct meditative absorption, [F.204.b] and the factor of awakening that is correct equanimity. There are eight factors of the path of deliverance: correct view, correct intention, correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood, correct effort, correct mindfulness, and correct meditative absorption. There are nine factors of the path of deliverance: the first, second, third, and fourth concentrations, the attainments of the absorptions of infinite space, consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor nonperception, and the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling. There are ten factors of the path of deliverance. What are they? They are the ways of the ten virtuous actions. What are these? They are giving up killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh words, idle chatter, covetousness, maliciousness, and wrong views. These are the ten factors that constitute the path of deliverance.

“Thus, the virtuous factors of awakening, whether they belong to the category of moral conduct, meditative absorption, or insight, or whether they belong to the category of liberation, the insight of liberating wisdom, or the noble truths, are said to constitute the path of deliverance.

“Moreover, the path of deliverance is to be correctly accomplished. [F.205.a] Correct accomplishment is the absence of the factors of accumulating or not accumulating, accepting or rejecting, and appropriating or abandoning. Why? The correct approach is not to engage the mind in duality.

“Seeing with wisdom all phenomena in a nondual manner and in accordance with reality is the path of deliverance. The tathāgatas teach this path of deliverance to sentient beings. When they rely on it, sentient beings are delivered, since created suffering is truly eliminated. This is the fourteenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(15) “Moreover, son of noble family, the tathāgatas are without bodily faults that could be reasonably objected to, such as the bodily faults that the immature or even the learned may possess. Why is that? The physical activity of the blessed buddhas is faultless. They display beautiful comportment as they survey the world and behold their surroundings, [F.205.b] when they bend and stretch their limbs, as they wear the religious garments consisting of the upper Dharma robe, the outer robe, and the lower robe, and as they hold the alms bowl. The soles of their feet do not touch the ground as they come and go, walk and stand, and sit and recline, or as they enter and depart houses, towns, and hamlets. Instead, the tathāgatas’ feet step on thousand-spoked wheels that appear out of the ground, and on the lotus flowers with sweet fragrance that emerge. Those sentient beings, born as animals, who touch the tathāgatas’ footprints experience bliss for a week. After death, they will be reborn in the happy destinies of the higher realms. The tathāgatas’ religious garments do not actually touch their bodies by four finger lengths, but even so, a fierce wind will fail to make them disheveled. The radiance of their bodies arouses bliss in sentient beings as far as the lowest hell. Therefore, the bodies of the tathāgatas are said to be faultless.

“Son of noble family, the tathāgatas are without verbal faults that could be reasonably objected to, such as the verbal faults that the immature or even the learned may possess. Why is that? Because, son of noble family, their speech is timely, poetic, correct, and truthful, and they act accordingly. Their words are precisely defined and satisfy all sentient beings. They are not repetitive. They are adorned with beautiful phrases and meaning. A single instant of expression satisfies the minds of all sentient beings. Therefore, the speech of the tathāgatas is said to be faultless.

“Son of noble family, the tathāgatas are without mental faults that could be reasonably objected to, such as the mental faults that the immature or even the learned may possess. Why is that? [F.206.a] Because even though they perform all the buddha deeds without abandoning the state of equipoise, the tathāgatas apply their unattached vision of wisdom to all phenomena without abandoning the mind in equipoise. Therefore, the tathāgata mind is said to be faultless. Just as their mind is faultless, they teach the Dharma accordingly to beings in order to dispel all their faults. This is the fifteenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(16) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas have no noisy kinds of speech that could lead to conflict, such as the noisy speech of Māra, the class of māras, or the non-Buddhists. Why is that? Because the tathāgatas do not speak noisily or raucously. And why is that? Because they are free of attachment and anger. They do not become elated when all beings revere them, nor do they become disheartened if no beings revere them. They do not babble regretfully about tasks that were difficult or could not be completed.

“Tathāgatas do not dispute about anything in the world; they do not grumble. They abide in the absence of afflictive emotions. They are not possessive, they do not cling to or appropriate anything, and they are free from all bonds, so they do not speak noisily. [F.206.b] Just as their speech is not noisy, they teach the Dharma accordingly, so that all the noisy speech of all sentient beings will be abandoned. This is the sixteenth activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(17) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas do not suffer from forgetfulness that could lead to confusion about any phenomena. Why is that? Because none of the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, or meditative attainments of the tathāgatas are marred by forgetfulness. When the tathāgatas observe the activity and movement of the minds of all sentient beings and teach the Dharma that is suitable for each, they do not suffer from forgetfulness. The tathāgatas do not suffer from forgetfulness regarding the discriminations of meaning, phenomena, etymologies, and eloquence. They do not suffer from forgetfulness in their unattached vision of wisdom of the past, present, and future.

“Just as the tathāgatas do not suffer from forgetfulness themselves, they teach the Dharma accordingly, so that no sentient beings will suffer from forgetfulness. This is the seventeenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(18) “Son of noble family, the minds of the tathāgatas are never not in equipoise. Whether they walk, stand, sit, or recline, whether they eat, speak, or remain silent, they are constantly in equipoise, attain the supremely profound absorption, and practice an unobscured type of concentration. Without the blessing of the tathāgatas, no one among beings, whether in equipoise or not, is able to observe the mind of the tathāgatas.

“Just as the tathāgatas are constantly in equipoise, they teach the Dharma accordingly, in order that sentient beings will not become distracted from their absorptions. This is the eighteenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(19) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas are free from perceptions of difference of the type that would lead the mind into a state of imbalance. Why is that? The tathāgatas are free from perceptions of difference regarding the fields, since the fields are inexhaustible like space; they are free from perceptions of difference regarding sentient beings, since they are by nature without a self; they are free from perceptions of difference regarding the buddhafields, since they know the realm of phenomena to be a state of unadulterated equality; [F.207.b] and they are free from perceptions of difference regarding phenomena, since the nature of reality is free from attachment.

“Tathāgatas do not favor those who observe moral conduct or feel anger toward those who transgress moral conduct. They do not reward those who do good or return harm to those who have done harm. They are not indifferent to those who are worthy of training, nor do they condemn those who are stuck in error. The tathāgatas abide in sameness regarding all phenomena. Therefore, the tathāgatas are said to be without any perceptions of difference.

“Just as the tathāgatas are free of perceptions of difference, they teach the Dharma accordingly in order that all sentient beings may abandon perceptions of difference. This is the nineteenth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(20) “Son of noble family, the equanimity of the tathāgatas is not due to a lack of discernment. Why is that? Because the equanimity of the tathāgatas comprises cultivation of the path, not a lack of its cultivation. It is the cultivation of body, mind, and moral conduct. The equanimity of the tathāgatas comprises the cultivation of insight, not a lack of its cultivation. It is endowed with insight, not with delusion. It transcends the world; it does not descend into the mundane. It constitutes the deliverance of a noble one, [F.208.a] not the nondeliverance of someone who is not a noble one.

“The equanimity of tathāgatas involves turning the wheel of the Dharma. It is not without great compassion for beings. It is realized of its own accord without relying on a remedy. It is not an elated state of mind or a depressed state of mind. It is an unwavering state without objectification. It transcends conceptualization and conceptual exclusion. It is aware of the occasion and timely. It does not waver. It is not intentional, discriminative, or analytical. It is not an accomplishment. It is indefinable. It is genuine. It is just that: suchness‍—unique suchness.

“Through the perfection of such great equanimity the tathāgatas teach the Dharma accordingly, so that all sentient beings may perfect such equanimity. This is the twentieth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(21) “Son of noble family, the zeal of the tathāgatas does not deteriorate. What kind of zeal is it? It is the zeal for virtuous factors. Why is that? The tathāgatas’ zeal for great love and great compassion does not deteriorate. Their zeal for teaching the Dharma and for taming and ripening beings does not deteriorate. Their zeal for solitude does not deteriorate. [F.208.b] Their zeal for engaging sentient beings in embracing awakening does not deteriorate. Their zeal for the unbroken continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels does not deteriorate.

“The tathāgatas are not driven by zeal, but, rather, their zeal is preceded by wisdom. That is why it is said that the zeal of the tathāgatas does not deteriorate. The tathāgatas teach the Dharma so that the unsurpassed zeal of all sentient beings may be perfected. This is the twenty-first tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(22) “Son of noble family, the vigor of tathāgatas does not deteriorate. The vigor of the tathāgatas is as follows: It is a vigor that does not forsake beings to be tamed or disdain those who listen to the Dharma. When the tathāgatas discover audiences receptive to the Dharma, who do not tire of listening to the Dharma even for an eon, the tathāgatas will teach the Dharma, uninterrupted by meals and without stirring, even for an eon. For the sake of just a single being to be tamed by the buddhas, the tathāgatas, in their concern for beings, will travel beyond as many buddhafields as the number of grains of sand of the river Ganges. They will not become physically, verbally, [F.209.a] or mentally weary.

“The tathāgatas have made their minds pliant, roused vigor, and spoken in praise of vigor. The vigor through which sentient beings, by correctly applying themselves to it, will attain noble liberation‍—that is the vigor commended to them. This is the twenty-second tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(23) “Son of noble family, the mindfulness of tathāgatas does not deteriorate in any respect or in any way whatsoever. Why is that? Because the tathāgatas are not forgetful. Son of noble family, as soon as tathāgatas awaken into unsurpassed, perfect awakening, they behold the mindstreams of all sentient beings of the past, present, and future. Still, they are not forgetful at all. Although they know the conduct of beings in accordance with reality, the tathāgatas do not let go of their wisdom regarding it. The mindfulness of tathāgatas does not deteriorate when they assign beings to three categories, engage with their faculties and mentalities, and behold their conduct. The tathāgatas’ teaching of the Dharma to beings happens without activating their recollection, without intention or analysis. Even while teaching, their mindfulness does not deteriorate. Why is that? [F.209.b] Because the mindfulness of tathāgatas does not deteriorate. Just as they are mindful and without forgetfulness, they teach the Dharma to beings accordingly. This is the twenty-third tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(24) “Son of noble family, the meditative absorption of the tathāgatas does not deteriorate. It is the sameness of all phenomena, the fact that all phenomena are not not the same, and all phenomena as they really are. Why does the meditative absorption of the tathāgatas not deteriorate? What is equal to suchness is equal to absorption. What is equal to absorption is equal to the tathāgatas. That is why it is called equipoise.

“What is equal to the extreme of attachment is equal to the extreme of the lack of attachment. What is equal to the extreme of aversion is equal to the extreme of the lack of aversion. What is equal to the extreme of delusion is equal to the extreme of the lack of delusion. What is equal to the extreme of the conditioned is equal to the extreme of the unconditioned. What is equal to the extreme of saṃsāra is equal to the extreme of nirvāṇa. Having settled evenly in these types of sameness is called equipoise. Why is that? Because the absorption of the tathāgatas is without deterioration. Why is that? Because there is no deterioration in that sameness. There is no deterioration at all.

“The absorption of the tathāgatas does not involve the eyes, ear, nose, [F.210.a] tongue, body, or mind, even though the tathāgatas have complete faculties. Their absorption does not settle in the earth element, in the water element, in the fire element, or in the wind element. It does not settle in the desire realm, in the form realm, or in the formless realm. It is not settled in this world or in the world beyond. Since it does not settle, there is no deterioration. That is why it is said that the absorption of the tathāgatas is without deterioration. The tathāgatas teach the Dharma so that all sentient beings may also attain absorption. This is the twenty-fourth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(25) “Furthermore, son of noble family, the insight of the tathāgatas is without deterioration. What kind of insight is it? It is a thorough knowledge of all phenomena, a knowledge that does not depend on anything else. They know how to teach the Dharma correctly to other beings and individuals. They are skilled in correct discrimination and know how to analyze words. They know how to teach so that the usage of a single word will prevail for a hundred thousand eons. They know how to eradicate doubts in accordance with the manner of the question. They know how to be totally without attachment. They know how to teach the arrangement of the three vehicles. They know entirely the eighty-four thousand types of mental conduct of beings. They know how to teach the eighty-four thousand divisions of Dharma, each as is appropriate. In this way, the insight [F.210.b] of the tathāgatas has been shown to be limitless, infinite, inexhaustible, and immeasurable.

“Just as the tathāgatas are without deterioration and thoroughly without deterioration, so they teach the Dharma so that the insight of all sentient beings will be inexhaustible. This is the twenty-fifth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(26) “Son of noble family, the liberation of the tathāgatas is without deterioration. What is the liberation of the tathāgatas? The liberation of śrāvakas conforms to words. The liberation of pratyekabuddhas consists of their comprehension of conditions. The liberation of buddhas is called liberation because it is free of all attachment and apprehending. They are not tied to the past, they are not projected into the future, and they do not abide in the present. They are free from apprehending the eye and form as two, and from apprehending the ear and sound, the nose and smell, the tongue and taste, the body and tactile objects, and the mind and mental factors as two. They are free from apprehending and grasping. Likewise, they know the luminous nature of the mind. Therefore, they are called complete and perfect buddhas who have gained unsurpassed complete and perfect awakening through a single mental moment of insight.

“Just as the tathāgatas have attained complete and perfect buddhahood, so they teach the Dharma to other beings and individuals. [F.211.a] This is the twenty-sixth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(27) “Son of noble family, all physical activities of the tathāgatas are preceded and accompanied by wisdom. They tame sentient beings while they gaze, speak, remain silent, or eat. They tame them through their conduct. They tame beings by means of their major marks and minor signs and by means of their invisible crown protuberance. They tame beings merely by their gaze and by emitting light. They tame them as they walk about and while arriving at or departing from cities. There is no manner of conduct of the blessed buddhas that does not tame sentient beings. That is why all physical activities of the tathāgatas are said to be preceded and accompanied by wisdom. This is the twenty-seventh tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(28) “Son of noble family, all verbal activities of the tathāgatas are preceded and accompanied by wisdom. Why is that so? The tathāgatas teach dharmas that give results, they communicate continuously, and the words they articulate are clearly defined. The speech of the tathāgatas makes everything known. It generates cognition. It is neither lofty nor sordid. It is not crooked, unclear, or dishonest. It is not rough, harsh, or distorted. It is soft, pleasing, and flexible. It is not inane or prattling, nor is it frantic, hasty, or hurried. It is distinct, and the words are clearly defined. It is joyous, melodious, and lucid. It is unimpeded, perfect, and pleasant. It is relevant, renowned, honorable, and beautiful. It is flawless, impeccable, and pliant. It is stainless, immaculate, and unambiguous. It is intelligible, unimpeded, and liberating. It is illuminating and straightforward. It is not inferior, disordered, or stammering. It generates bliss, physical well being, and mental delight. It pacifies attachment, subdues aversion, and dispels delusion. It overcomes demons, eliminates evil, and subjugates opponents. It generates consciousness. It sounds like a drum. It delights the wise. It sings like a kalaviṅka bird, Śakra, and Brahmā. It sounds like ocean waves and thunder. It resonates like the earth. It sounds like a crane, like the calls of a peacock and a cuckoo. It sounds like the jīvañjīvaka bird, like the king of geese, and like the king of beasts. It sounds like a vīṇā, the three-stringed vīṇā, [F.212.a] and drums. It sounds like a flute, a conch, and cymbals. It is informative, instructive, and lucid. It is charming, worth listening to, and profound. It is not false. It is melodious and generates roots of virtue. Its words and expressions are not degenerate but clearly defined. It is meaningful and endowed with Dharma. It is timely, always relevant, and appropriate.

“The tathāgatas teach while knowing whose faculties are excellent and whose are not. Their speech is embellished by generosity, purified by moral conduct, correctly accomplished through patience, made pliant through vigor, made flexible through concentration, and investigated with insight. It is taken up with love and undiscouraged because of compassion. It is joyful and radiant. It discerns with equanimity. It establishes the three vehicles. It is the unbroken lineage of the Three Jewels. It differentiates the three categories. It trains through the three gates of liberation. It is entirely suffused by the truth and wisdom. It is not criticized by the wise but praised by the noble ones. It reaches to the limits of space and is supreme in all respects.

Son of noble family, the speech of the tathāgatas is like that. That is why all verbal activities of the tathāgatas are said to be preceded and accompanied by wisdom. This is the twenty-eighth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(29) “Son of noble family, furthermore, the entire range of the tathāgatas’ mental activity is preceded and accompanied by wisdom. Why is that? The tathāgatas are inexpressible in terms of mind, mental activity, or consciousness. They are distinguished by wisdom. They are the sovereigns of wisdom. The wisdom of the tathāgatas conforms with the minds of all sentient beings. It engages with the mental activity of all sentient beings. It knows the consciousness of all sentient beings. It has resolved all phenomena. In all its absorptions, it does not depend on anything else. It completely transcends objectification. It is free from conditioned arising. It has eliminated the three existences. It has completely transcended any degree of pride. It is free of all the works of Māra. It is not constrained by any deception or pretense. It has eschewed clinging to I and mine. It is free of the faulty vision and darkness of ignorance and delusion. It has completely cultivated the branches of the path. It is nonconceptual like space. It is inseparable from the realm of phenomena. This is how the tathāgatas’ mental activity is preceded and accompanied by wisdom. This is the twenty-ninth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(30) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas’ vision of wisdom has unattached and unobstructed access to the past. How is that? They know numerically the entire range of buddhafields that have appeared and disappeared in the past. They know each and every blade of grass, each bush, herb, and forest in those buddhafields. They know each and every gathering of creatures designated as beings in those buddhafields. They know each and every type of conduct of those beings. They know each and every buddha that has emerged in those buddhafields. They know each and every dharma taught and expressed by each buddha. They know each and every being tamed in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, as well as those tamed in the Great Vehicle. They know all the distinguishing features of the buddhafields, the different monastic congregations, and the range of lifespans, as well as the different categories of Dharma. They know of each inhalation and exhalation and of the enjoyment of excellent food.

“The tathāgatas know the forms of all past beings, their deaths, and their rebirths. They know their various faculties, activities, and mentalities. [F.213.b] They know their mindstreams. They know numerically each and every mental state that has arisen based on a previous mental state, both through direct and indirect cognition. They also observe the past mindstreams of previous tathāgatas. With such wisdom, the tathāgatas teach the Dharma to beings continuously in accordance with their ways of thinking. This is the thirtieth tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(31) “Son of noble family, the tathāgatas’ vision of wisdom has unattached and unobstructed access to the future. How is that? The tathāgatas know each and every being, Dharma, and field that will arise and cease in the future, its arising and disappearance. They know each and every destruction by fire or water of the eons to come, each and every buddhafield that will come into being, the total amount of earth in those buddhafields, each and every particle of dust, blade of grass, bush, herb, and forest, and each and every constellation of stars.

“They know each and every buddha that will appear in each of those infinite buddhafields, each and every śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, [F.214.a] and bodhisattva, each and every enjoyment of excellent food, and each and every instance of inhalation, exhalation, walking, sitting, and conduct. The tathāgatas know each and every being in those infinite realms who will be liberated by means of the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Great Vehicle. They know the lifespan of each and every being in each of those infinite fields, as well as each and every mind and mental event to come. Moreover, they teach the Dharma to beings while observing the future, without the future mindstream of tathāgatas being interrupted. This is the thirty-first tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

(32) “Furthermore, son of noble family, the tathāgatas’ vision of wisdom has unattached and unobstructed access to the present. How is that? The tathāgatas know in a threefold manner53 the number of all the present buddhafields in the ten directions. They know all the present buddhas, all of the present bodhisattvas, all of the present śrāvakas, and all of the present pratyekabuddhas.

“They know all the present constellations of stars. They know the present blades of grass, bushes, [F.214.b] herbs, and forests. They know numerically all the dust particles of the earth element being crushed into pieces right now in the ten directions. They know numerically all the minutest drops of the water element in the ten directions. They know numerically all the sparks of the fire element flickering in the ten directions. They know numerically all the gusts of wind forming in the ten directions. They know numerically all the minutest extensions of space in the ten directions.

“They know the three aspects of the realms of beings in the present: They know the realms of beings currently dwelling in hell, the causes of their birth, and the causes of their liberation. They know the realms of beings currently reborn as animals, the causes of their birth, and the causes of their liberation. They know the realms of beings currently in the world of Yama, the causes of their birth, and the causes of their liberation. They know the realms of beings who have become human, the causes of their birth, and the causes of their liberation. They know the realms of beings who are currently gods, the causes of their birth, and the causes of their liberation. They know the mindstreams of present sentient beings, their afflictive emotions, and their lack of afflictive emotions. They know the faculties of present beings fit to be tamed and those who are not fit to be tamed.

“Even though the tathāgatas know in this manner, they have no consciousness that pursues dualities, and they teach the Dharma to beings in order to introduce them to nonduality. [F.215.a] This is the thirty-second tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas. About this it has been proclaimed:

“Son of noble family, these are the thirty-two tathāgata activities. With these the tathāgatas tame the masses of beings. Even though the tathāgata activities are immeasurable, they are presented in abbreviated form in order to guide beings. [B6]

“Son of noble family, the tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas is immeasurable. It is inconceivable. It remains unknowable to the whole world, indescribable by language, and hard for others to achieve. It exists unceasingly in all buddhafields, conforms equally to all buddhas, and completely transcends all efforts. It is nonconceptual since it is equal to space. Since it is the action of the realm of phenomena, it does not act in a differentiated way. Why is that? Son of noble family, the blessed buddhas do not appear in order to deliver differentiated discourses. Nor, indeed, do they appear in order to deliver discourses that differentiate beings, buddhafields, dharmas, intentions, liberations, or types of nirvāṇa. Rather, upon attaining complete and perfect buddhahood, the tathāgatas‍—who are of one taste with the realm of phenomena, who are unobstructed, [F.215.b] and who provide opportunity to all beings‍—set in motion the unobstructed wheel of the Dharma‍—the irreversible wheel of the Dharma‍—so that beings may comprehend the Dharma.

“Consider, son of noble family, the analogy of an expert jeweler who knows the procedure for purifying gems. He picks out a rough gem from a mine and rinses it in a strong soda solution. He then polishes it with a cloth made of black hair. But his efforts do not stop there. Next he rinses the gem in a strong quicksilver solution and polishes it with sawdust and woolen cloth. But his efforts do not stop there. Finally he rinses it in a great purifying liquid and polishes it with the finest cotton. Once he has polished it and separated it from the lesser quartz, it may thenceforth be called beryl.

“In the same way, son of noble family, when the tathāgatas know the masses of completely impure beings, they cause beings who delight in saṃsāra to experience revulsion through discourses on impermanence, suffering, no self, and unattractiveness, which provoke revulsion. Then, they cause them to enter the Dharma and Vinaya of the noble ones. But the efforts of the tathāgatas do not stop there. Next, they cause beings to comprehend the way of the tathāgatas through discourses on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. But the efforts of the tathāgatas do not stop there. Finally, they guide beings into the domain of the tathāgatas through discourses known as The Irreversible Wheel of the Dharma and The Purification of the Triple Sphere. Once beings with their various causes and natures have entered equality, they comprehend the true nature of the tathāgatas and may thenceforth be called unsurpassed recipients of generosity.

“Therefore, son of noble family, you should understand by way of this exposition that tathāgata activity is inconceivable, [F.216.a] universally applicable, flawless in every way, and attuned with the three times, and that it constitutes the unbroken continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels. The tathāgatas abide in inconceivable tathāgata activity. They do not discard their space-like bodies. They teach in all buddhafields. They do not eschew words that communicate the inexpressible Dharma. Rather, they teach the Dharma to sentient being by causing them to understand how things really are. They know the minds of all beings to be without objectification, and they know the thoughts in their minds. The blessed buddhas appear in order to purify the bodhisattva intention.

“Son of noble family, this unceasing and uninterrupted continuity, this unbroken continuity, this unbroken continuity of discourses that prophesy bodhisattvas constitutes the tathāgata activity of the tathāgatas.”

When this exposition of tathāgata activity had been delivered, the unfathomable, innumerable, and uncountable buddhafields of the ten directions shook six times. They shone brightly and were sprinkled with flower petals. When each and every one of the radiant and resplendent gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, monks and nuns, and male and female lay practitioners who had assembled in the pavilion Jeweled Array heard the present Dharma discourse explaining tathāgata activity, they all grew content, pleased, and delighted.

As an act of worship to the Tathāgata, they offered flowers, fragrance, incense, garlands, lotions, [F.216.b] powders, religious robes, canopies, victory banners, and various types of draped banners. They played cymbals and other musical instruments and sang melodious songs in veneration of the blessed ones. They scattered flowers over the crown of his head.

They sprinkled spherical ornaments, earrings, armlets, jewel necklaces, pearl necklaces, crescent-shaped adornments, muslin ornaments, mongoose decorations, rings, bangles, decorations shaped like the leaves of a tala tree, ornaments interwoven with flowers, shoulder ornaments, anklets, long necklaces, head ornaments, hand jewelry, and ornaments for the ears and feet. The assembly also spread out precious stones of beryl, gold from the Jambu River, precious stones of emerald, red gems, sapphires, fire-colored gems, gems with brilliant light, and multicolored gems. They scattered gold and silver dust as well as fragrant aloe powder, incense, sandalwood powder, benzoin powder, red sandalwood powder, and lotus powder.

They tossed celestial flowers, including different kinds of mandārava flowers, mahāmandārava flowers, coral-tree flowers, mañjūṣaka flowers, mahāmañjūṣaka flowers, roca flowers, mahāroca flowers, sthala flowers, mahāsthala flowers, cakra flowers, stainless cakra flowers, hundred-petaled lotus flowers, thousand-petaled lotus flowers, hundred-thousand-petaled lotus flowers, bright flowers, sweet-smelling flowers, exceedingly beautiful flowers, flowers resembling starlight, luminous flowers, multicolored flowers, and other similar flowers.

They proceeded to scatter water-borne flowers, such as the blue lotus, lotus, water lily, and white lotus. They scattered soil-grown flowers, such as jasmine flowers, pariṣaka flowers, [F.217.a] flowers from the harimantha tree, magnolia flowers, aśoka flowers, dhanuskari flowers, pāṭala flowers, and flowers from the mucilinda tree.

Finally, they played all kinds of musical instruments and drums, including small drums, flutes, bass drums, conches, kettle drums, gongs, and cymbals. They sang different kinds of melodious songs. They rained down showers of incense, powders, jewelry, ornaments, pearl necklaces, and fine garments, along with the sounds of cymbals large and small.

The bodhisattvas who had gathered from the various worlds of the ten directions rose into the sky above them and, as an act of worship to the Blessed One, sacrificed their own bodies. As soon as they had done so, they bedecked the entire pavilion Jeweled Array from the sky. It became embellished with many pearl necklaces arrayed as latticework of dangling jewels, decorated with checkered designs, carefully arranged, adorned with a net of small and large bells, and embellished with lotus flowers made of jewels. From each individual pearl of those necklaces, unfathomably innumerable bodhisattva bodies emerged. They circumambulated the Blessed One seven times and sat down on lion thrones of lotus flowers with jeweled designs.

As an act of worship to this Dharma discourse, immeasurably many blessed buddhas from the immeasurably many buddhafields of the ten directions sent forth into the world realm Endurance arrays of offerings, accomplished by each tathāgata, known as free-flowing utterances lasting for eons. Through the power of the Buddha these arrays arrived in this world realm Endurance and beautified the pavilion Jeweled Array with supreme embellishment. [F.217.b]

From among this retinue, immeasurably many beings generated the mind of unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening, and immeasurably many bodhisattvas attained acceptance of the nonorigination of phenomena.

At that point, the Blessed One surveyed the entire bodhisattva assembly with his elephantine gaze and said the following: “This inconceivable array of ornaments offered by you, noble beings, which is blessed by the bodhisattva’s meditative absorption and bestowed by the tathāgatas, is not constructed, is not disorderly, does not grow old, and does not deteriorate. Sixteen years after the Tathāgata Maitreya reaches perfect buddhahood, and while he resides in the pavilion Jeweled Array, when this Dharma discourse of the Great Assembly chapter from The Gateway to Unobstructed Deliverance through the Bodhisattva Way of Life is taught in detail, and a congregation of bodhisattvas endowed with teachings and all qualities assembles, who will delight in making these offerings to the Tathāgata Maitreya as well as to all the tathāgatas of this Good Eon?”

Thereupon, a bodhisattva named Sovereign of the Magical Display of All Phenomena, seated amidst the assembled retinue, rose from his lotus seat, placed his right knee in the heart of the lotus, joined his palms together, and bowed toward the Blessed One. He supplicated the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, I will delight in offering this array of ornaments, which is not constructed, is not disorderly, does not grow old, and does not deteriorate, to the Tathāgata Maitreya, as well as to all those other tathāgata, arhat, completely and perfectly awakened buddhas of the Good Eon who are not present here.”

At that time, a being called Magical Display of Māra, [F.218.a] hailing from the four-continent world system Susthita and seated in that very retinue, asked the bodhisattva Sovereign of the Magical Display of All Phenomena, “Son of noble family, how long can any receptacle of yours preserve this array and keep it from getting old?”

The bodhisattva replied, “Son of noble family, every receptacle is fragile and liable to break. Only space is indestructible and not liable to break. Therefore, the receptacle of space is the best of all. My friend, look at my body without closing your eyes, and you will see a great receptacle.”

Magical Display of Māra gazed at the body of the bodhisattva with his eyes wide open. He saw a world sphere called Appearance of the Sovereign of Water in the maṇḍala at the navel center of the bodhisattva’s body and asked, “Why is that world sphere called Appearance as the Sovereign of Water?”

“Because it is full of water. It looks just like an ocean. In that sphere lives a tathāgata known as Glory of Precious Blue Lotus. He dwells there and teaches the Dharma to passing bodhisattvas. From that vast reservoir of water emerges a lotus with jeweled designs on which are seated a blessed one and bodhisattvas.”

Magical Display of Māra joined his palms together to salute the bodhisattva, who asked him, “My friend, do you see the receptacle of the bodhisattvas?” He replied, “Yes, I see it. Noble being, [F.218.b] with such a receptacle as this, will you be able to preserve a great jeweled design without it wasting away or getting old for billions of eons?”

At that point, Magical Display of Māra saluted the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, I have never seen this noble person before. Since I have never heard this Dharma discourse either, I wonder now, how will I pass quickly beyond sorrow by means of the Śrāvaka Vehicle? Now that I have heard this discourse and witnessed the miraculous power of the bodhisattva called Magical Display of All Phenomena, I will generate with determination the mind of unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening. Blessed One, even beings who burn in hell for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges will eventually awaken to unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening. Therefore, I will never give up such unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening!”

The Blessed One replied, “Excellent! It is excellent that you, O noble being, now wear the armor of unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening and possess the blessing of miraculous power.”

At that point a bodhisattva called Siṃhaketu, who was also present in the assembled retinue, said to Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, “Son of noble family, when bodhisattvas are established in dhāraṇīs, they retain all that the buddhas say, and when they teach the Dharma it becomes inexhaustible. Explaining it carefully, they satisfy all beings. What are the bodhisattva dhāraṇīs?”

Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja replied, [F.219.a] “Son of noble family, when bodhisattvas are established in dhāraṇīs, they retain all that the blessed buddhas say, and when they teach the Dharma it becomes inexhaustible. Since they explain it carefully, they satisfy all beings. The bodhisattva dhāraṇīs54 are eight: the (1) pure melody dhāraṇī, (2) inexhaustible basket dhāraṇī, (3) limitless enfoldment dhāraṇī, (4) ocean mudrā dhāraṇī, (5) lotus array dhāraṇī, (6) entering the gate of nonattachment dhāraṇī, (7) entering ascertainment by discriminating knowledge dhāraṇī, and (8) blessing of the buddha ornaments dhāraṇī.

“Son of noble family, these are the eight bodhisattva dhāraṇīs. Once bodhisattvas are established in these dhāraṇīs, they retain all that the buddhas say, and when they teach the Dharma it becomes inexhaustible. Since they explain it carefully, they satisfy all beings.”

Then Siṃhaketu entreated Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, “Son of noble family, be eloquent and teach the introduction to the detailed classification of these dhāraṇīs that lead to zeal, in order that the bodhisattvas who hear this introduction will attain these dhāraṇīs.”

Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja replied, “For that reason, son of noble family, listen carefully and keep in mind the introduction to the detailed classification of these dhāraṇīs that I will now explain to you.

(1) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What is the pure melody dhāraṇī?’ [F.219.b] Son of noble family, when established in this bodhisattva dhāraṇī, since it is a completely pure gateway for entering nonattachment, one firmly abides with a mind that is centered. After one has gained certainty due to the blessings of the Dharma teaching, as one teaches the Dharma the melody of the Dharma generates understanding in a single buddhafield. The melody generates understanding in two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or one hundred buddhafields. It generates understanding in one thousand buddhafields, in ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or up to one hundred thousand buddhafields. Its melody creates understanding in billions of buddhafields. It magically creates a lion throne that reaches as high as one krośa. One sits down on it and teaches the Dharma. Likewise, in order to satisfy the interests of devoted beings, one magically creates a lion throne that reaches as high as half a yojana, a full yojana, Mount Meru, or the Brahmā realm. One sits down on it and teaches the Dharma.

“While seated on the lion throne, all the buddhas of the ten directions appear. One hears all the dharmas that the blessed buddhas explain. Having heard them, one retains all of them through the power of dhāraṇī and does not forget them. Such dharmas cause one to experience the meaning of each of the dharmas. Listening to other dharmas does not prevent one from teaching the Dharma. Teaching the Dharma does not prevent one from listening to the Dharma. By engaging in the sound of a single syllable, one engages in the sounds of all syllables. Thus, by uttering the first letter a, infinite doors to the Dharma are expressed.

“All phenomena are without coming because they never come, unmoving because they never depart, nonabiding because they are never present, [F.220.a] natureless because they are primordially pure, rootless because they are primordially unborn, limitless because they never occur, and without depletion because they are never in motion. All phenomena are unborn because they are without conditioning, nonarising because they have no creator, without origination because they are unmoving, without discord because they are reciprocally intertwined, unceasing because they are without agency, unmoving because they are wishless, free of elaboration because they are unthinkable and nonconceptual, inexpressible because they have engaged all sound, unutterable because they are soundless, indemonstrable because they do not endure in any form, unconstructed because they are unthinkable, without conceit because they are unestablished, unconceited because they undeceiving, and imperceptible because they are equal to space.

“All phenomena are beyond conventional terms because they have no means of expression, without arising because they do not abide in any object, unborn because they do not abide in any place, primordially pure because they lack afflictive emotions, without self because they lack a nature of their own, without sentient beings because they are primordially pure, without life because of the absence of faculties, without individuality because they are aimless, and primordially empty because of inner peace. [F.220.b]

“All phenomena are beyond conceptual signs because they are without limitations, wishless because they lack grasping, without conditioning because they are unconditioned, unconditioned because they completely transcend presence and absence, exceptional because they do not rely on anything external, without acceptance because they are without appropriation, without rejection because they are without abandonment, natureless because they are without bodies, lacking aspects because they are pure, actionless because they lack an agent, without maturation because they lack transmigration, and without anguish because of the absence of any seeds.

“All phenomena are signless because of the absence of apprehending, without wrong acts because they are not bound, unbound because they are not established, unestablished because they are not created, uncontaminated because they are not subject to contamination, unoriginated because they are primordially without origin, clear because they lack remedies, lacking remedies because they lack differentiated aspects, without materiality because they do not originate from the great elements, lacking feeling because of the absence of feeling, lacking perception because they completely transcend the pathways of perception, lacking formations because they are free of craving, and lacking consciousness because of the absence of discriminating knowledge.

“All phenomena lack elements because they are like the space element, without guidance because they completely transcend the path of objects, [F.221.a] without objects because they are unmoving, without desire because they are not falsely imagined, without form because they are without engagement, not formless because they are not determined, not disordered because they are devoid of disorder, inconceivable because they cannot be apprehended, without mental activity because they are indivisible into duality, unapprehendable because they completely transcend the path of objects, without a substratum because they are impermanent, noneternal because they are not in disharmony with a support, nameless because they lack conceptual signs, unmixed because there is no relative continuity, without foundation because they are foundationless, inexpressible because they have nothing to regret, lacking regret because they are free of sin, without karmic traces because they are stainless, stainless because they are primordially pure, and primordially pure because of the absence of afflictive emotions.

“All phenomena are without afflictive emotions because they lack support, without support because they lack deception, without deception because they enter nonattachment, entering into nonattachment because they are unobscured, unobscured because they are like space, like space because they are without conceptuality, immaterial because they are motionless, indemonstrable because they do not appear, nonappearing because they are free of appearance, without similarity on account of lacking dissimilarity, [F.221.b] without dissimilarity because they are like space, without darkness because they lack luminosity, without appearance because they are beyond remedies, beyond contemptibility because they are beyond wrongdoing, and beyond contemptibility because they do not perform actions. All phenomena are not in accordance with reality because they are deceptive fictions. They lack differentiation because they are primordially present.

“All phenomena lack spectators because they are formless, are without an audience because they are soundless; they are without a perceiver of smell because they are odorless, without a perceiver of taste because they are without taste, without a perceiver of touch because they are intangible, without a perceiving consciousness because they are not phenomena, and without objectification because they are beyond mind, mental activity, and consciousness; and they are inconceivable because they are like awakening, and they have primordially transcended sorrow because they are primordially unborn.

“In this way, son of noble family, as the bodhisattvas utter the primary letter a, because they have attained the pure melody dhāraṇī their teaching of the Dharma goes on for an eon or more without the sound of the letter a ever being lost. In the same way, any letter among all the letters used to teach the Dharma will not dissipate. They teach the Dharma, in word and meaning, unceasingly.

“With regard to bodhisattvas established in this dhāraṇī, their bodies are pure due to their behavior, their speech is pure due to their eloquence, and their minds are pure due to their cultivation of love. Their generosity is pure due to the absence of miserliness in making gifts of the Dharma and material wealth. [F.222.a] Their morality is pure because there is no degeneration in their discipline. Their patience is pure due to the absence of animosity. Their vigor is pure due to their performance of virtuous actions. Their concentration is pure because they are unattached. Their insight is pure because the light of their wisdom is without darkness. Their behavior is pure due to an absence of contemptible acts.

“Their eyes are pure due to the purity of their divine vision. Their ears are pure due to attaining the divine ear and listening to the Dharma discourses of all the tathāgatas. Their noses are pure because they perceive the fragrance of the tathāgatas’ discipline. Their tongues are pure due to an absence of thirst for delicious taste. Their bodies are pure because they are born miraculously and unstained by the impurities of a womb. Their minds are pure because they are skilled in distinguishing phenomena.

“For them, form is pure because they are well adorned by signs. Sound is pure because they articulate pleasing speech. Scent is pure because they are draped in the fragrance of discipline, learning, and generosity. Taste is pure because they have attained the supreme taste, the sign of a great being. Touch is pure because they have attained smooth and pliant limbs. Phenomena are pure because they have attained the illumination of the Dharma. Likewise, their mindfulness is pure because they have not forgotten the dharmas they have heard, their intelligence is pure because they have completely transcended the works of Māra, and their realization is pure because they have internalized the realization of the profound Dharma.

“Bodhisattvas established in this dhāraṇī pervade with light as many buddhafields as have understood its sound. That is to say, due to the attainment of the exceptional uniqueness of this very dhāraṇī, this light causes the Dharma taught by all the buddhas of the ten directions to manifest. [F.222.b]

“Son of noble family, this pure melody dhāraṇī is introduced only concisely here. The teaching on this dhāraṇī of pure melody is immeasurable. It is inconceivable in terms of the categories of language. It is limitless in terms of instructions. It is immeasurable in terms of lacking all doubt. It is infinite in terms of explanation. It is without attachment in terms of engagement.

(2) “Son of noble family, you may then ask, ‘What is the inexhaustible basket dhāraṇī?’ It is the inexhaustible teaching of the dhāraṇī. The following teachings are inexhaustible: The teaching on impermanence says, ‘Form is impermanent.’ The teaching on suffering says, ‘Form is suffering.’ The teaching on the lack of self says, ‘Form is without self.’ The teaching on peace says, ‘Form is peace.’ The teaching on voidness says, ‘Form is void.’ The teaching on likeness to a water bubble says, ‘Form is like a water bubble.’ The teaching on likeness to an illusion says, ‘Form is like an illusion.’ The teaching on likeness to a hallucination says, ‘Form is like a hallucination.’ The teaching on likeness to the moon’s reflection in water says, ‘Form is like the moon’s reflection in water.’ The teaching on likeness to a dream says, ‘Form is like a dream.’ The teaching on likeness to an echo says, ‘Form is like an echo.’ The teaching on likeness to an optical illusion says, ‘Form is like an optical illusion.’ The teaching on likeness to a reflection says, ‘Form is like a reflection.’ The teaching on the lack of a nature says, ‘Form is natureless.’ The teaching on the lack of substantiality says, ‘Form is insubstantial.’ The teaching on the lack of a ground says, ‘Form is groundless.’

“The teaching on emptiness says, ‘Form is empty.’ The teaching on signlessness says, ‘Form lacks conceptual signs.’ The teaching on wishlessness says, ‘Form lacks wishfulness.’ [F.223.a] The teaching on the lack of conditioning says, ‘Form lack conditioning.’ The teaching on nonarising says, ‘Form is unarisen.’ The teaching on the lack of birth says, ‘Form is without arising.’

“The teaching on the lack of a nature in the beginning says, ‘Form is natureless in the beginning.’ The teaching on the lack of a nature in the end says, ‘Form is natureless in the end.’ The teaching on the lack of a nature in the meantime says, ‘Form is natureless in the meantime.’

“The teaching on peace says, ‘Form is peace.’ The teaching on pacification says, ‘Form is pacified.’ The teaching on the absence of movement says, ‘Form is unmoving.’ The teaching on the absence of elaboration says, ‘Form is without elaboration.’ The teaching on inconceivability says, ‘Form is inconceivable.’ The teaching on being incomparable says, ‘Form is incomparable.’

“The teaching on the lack of a self says, ‘Form is devoid of a self.’ The teaching on the lack of sentient beings says, ‘Form is devoid of sentient beings.’ The teaching on life says, ‘Form is devoid of life.’ The teaching on vitality says, ‘Form is devoid of vitality.’ The teaching on individuals says, ‘Form is devoid of individuals.’ The teaching on the inanimate says, ‘Form is inanimate.’ The teaching on the absence of mobility says, ‘Form is devoid of mobility.’ The teaching on the lack of agency says, ‘Form is devoid of agency.’

“The teaching on likeness to grass, walls, trees, dirt, and optical illusions says, ‘Forms are like grass, walls, trees, dirt, and optical illusions.’ The teaching on having the character of being established says, ‘Form has the character of being established.’ [F.223.b] The teaching on coming about from the four great elements says, ‘Form comes about from the four great elements.’ The teaching on the absence of sound says, ‘Form is soundless.’ The teaching on noncognition says, ‘Form is not cognition.’ The teaching on being inexpressible says, ‘Form is inexpressible.’ The teaching on inherent purity says, ‘Form is inherently pure.’ The teaching on dependent arising says, ‘Form is dependently arisen.’

“The teaching on the absence of annihilation says, ‘Form is without annihilation.’ The teaching on the absence of permanence says, ‘Form has no permanence.’ The teaching on the absence of a creator says, ‘Form has no creator.’ The teaching on the absence of an experiencer says, ‘Form has no experiencer.’ The teaching on being produced by the maturation of actions says, ‘Form has been produced by the maturation of actions.’ The teaching on being equal to the realm of phenomena says, ‘Form is equal to the realm of phenomena.’ The teaching on abiding in suchness says, ‘Form abides in suchness.’ The teaching on abiding at the limit of reality says, ‘Form abides at the limit of reality.’ The teaching on the absence of mineness says, ‘Form has nothing that is mine.’ The teaching on the absence of apprehending says, ‘Form is without apprehending.’ The teaching on being endless says, ‘Form is endless.’

“The teaching on being inconceivable says, ‘Form is inconceivable.’ The teaching on being incomparable says, ‘Form is incomparable.’ The teaching on immeasurability says, ‘Form is immeasurable.’ The teaching on infinity says, ‘Form is infinite.’ [F.224.a] The teaching on the nature of awakening says, ‘Form is of the nature of awakening.’ The teaching on equality with space says, ‘Form is equal to space.’ The teaching on the nature of nirvāṇa says, ‘Form is of the nature of nirvāṇa.’ These teachings are all inexhaustible.

“Similarly, by engaging in uttering a single sound, inexhaustible teachings are extensively applied to all that can be known, including all phenomena, that is, the aggregates, the elements, the sense fields, the collections of names, the collections of terms, and the collections of letters. The knowledge for expressing what is inexhaustible among this basket of a body arisen from the four great elements, the knowledge for entering into the inexhaustible Dharma discourses that are a basket of jewels, and the inexhaustible knowledge of the teachings are called the inexhaustible basket dhāraṇī. Through the teaching of a mere introduction, the inexhaustible basket is uttered for an eon or more.

(3) “Son of noble family, you may then ask, ‘What is the limitless enfoldment dhāraṇī?’ The ‘limits’ are nihilism and eternalism. The ‘enfoldment’ is the twelve links of dependent arising: Conditioned by ignorance, formations occur. Conditioned by formations, consciousness occurs. Conditioned by consciousness, name and form occur. Conditioned by name and form, the six sense fields occur. Conditioned by the six sense fields, contact occurs. Conditioned by contact, sensation occurs. Conditioned by sensation, craving occurs. Conditioned by craving, appropriation occurs. Conditioned by appropriation, becoming occurs. Conditioned by becoming, birth occurs. Conditioned by birth, there occur old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and chaos. In that manner, nothing but this great heap of sorrow occurs. The infinite intent of the formula, the infinite doors to its expositions, and its infinite introductions [F.224.b] provide knowledge of the limitless enfoldment dhāraṇī.

“The ‘limits’ are birth and cessation, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is beyond birth and cessation. The ‘limits’ are pollution and purification, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is natural purity. The ‘limits’ are discursive signs and elaborations, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is their lack of origination. The ‘limits’ are thoughts and conceptualization, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is beyond thoughts and conceptualization. The ‘limits’ are causes and views, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is comprehension of causes and views. The ‘limits’ are name and form, whereas ‘enfoldment’ does not form cognitive representations. The ‘limits’ are the conditioned and the unconditioned, whereas ‘enfoldment’ consists in the purity of all three spheres of agent, act, and object.

“The ‘limits’ are inner and outer, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is not based on consciousness. The ‘limits’ are karma and maturation, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is beyond karma and maturation. The ‘limits’ are virtue and nonvirtue, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is beyond conditioning. The ‘limits’ are having or lacking culpability, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is without duality. The ‘limits’ are karma and afflictive emotions, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is natural luminosity. The ‘limits’ are self and no self, whereas ‘enfoldment’ is complete purity. The ‘limits’ are saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, whereas ‘enfoldment’ means that all phenomena are thoroughly transcendent by nature.

“Therefore, son of noble family, the teaching on limitlessness is boundless. The teaching on enfoldment is boundless. Since bodhisattvas established in this limitless enfoldment dhāraṇī [F.225.a] are aligned with limitlessness and are aligned with enfoldment, even if they were to teach the Dharma for limitless hundreds of thousands of eons, they would not reach the end of the wisdom that retains meanings and syllables. This is the introduction to the limitless enfoldment dhāraṇī, the corresponding Dharma, the attendant realization of the illumination of wisdom, and the corresponding realization of unclouded wisdom with regard to this pure gateway.

(4) “Son of noble family, you may then ask, ‘What is the ocean mudrā dhāraṇī?’ It is as follows: To give an analogy, all that appears in the world realm of the four great continents comprises appearances in the form of beings, mountains, and trees; grasses, bushes, medicinal herbs, forests, and harvests; the moon, the sun, the stars, gems, clouds, fire, and lightning; the layouts of cities, towns, and hamlets; palaces and riches; parks, springs, ponds, sprouts, and fountains; and all resources or objects of enjoyment, whether inferior, average, or supreme.

“Since all these forms of appearance are sealed by the great ocean in a manner that is not too little, not too much, and not excessive, the ocean is known to be great. Son of noble family, for bodhisattvas who are established in the ocean mudrā dhāraṇī, it is like a seal that seals the bodies of all sentient beings, the speech of all sentient beings, and the minds of all sentient beings. To whatever extent these bodhisattvas engage in the liberating activity of speech in promulgating the Dharma of the blessed buddhas of the ten directions, it is as if they mark things with a seal by way of such utterance. [F.225.b] Anything that bodhisattvas may express, which bears the seal of the Tathāgata, the seal of nonconceptuality, teaches everyone the seal of the Tathāgata, the seal of nonconceptuality, without recourse to any extraneous means.

“Thus, the teaching concerning their seals is as follows. A is the seal of the unconditioned. Ra is the seal of the attainment of freedom from desire regarding any phenomenon. Pa is the seal of teachings on the ultimate. Tsa is the seal of pure vision. Na is the seal of the knowledge of all name and form. La is the seal of extrication from the vines of craving. Da is the seal of the pure ten strengths. Ba is the seal of the pure factors of awakening and strengths. Ḍa is the seal of freedom from upset and agony. Ṣa is the seal of attaining the six kinds of superknowledge. Ba is the seal of abandoning the left-hand path. Ta is the seal of the teaching on suchness. Ya is the seal that accords with the way things are. Sta is the seal of freedom from the afflictive emotion of arrogance. Ka is the seal of freedom from doubt. Sa is the seal of teaching truth. Ma is the seal of the pure path. Ga is the seal of entry into the profound. Sṭha is the seal of demonstrating power and might. Dza is the seal of transcending old age and death. Shwa is the seal of abandoning the hazards of wild animals. Dha is the seal of the stainless realm of phenomena. Sha is the seal of the perfection of tranquil abiding. Kha is the seal of the basic nature of imperishable space. Kṣha is the seal of knowledge of the perishable and of the unborn. Su is the seal of abandoning the obscuration of dullness. [F.226.a] Sa is the seal of gaining omniscience for all sentient beings. Hwa is the seal of abandoning dharmas that facilitate degeneration. Bha is the seal of gaining realization of existence and nonexistence. Tsha is the seal of relinquishing attachment, aversion, fear, and stupidity. Sma is the seal of mindfulness, alertness, and nonforgetfulness. Hwa is the seal of summoning. Sa is the seal of rejecting all afflictive emotions. Gha is the seal of eliminating opacity, distorted vision, and ignorance. Ṭha is the seal of reaching the ultimate. Ṇa is the seal of gaining realization of excellent qualities. Pha is the seal of attaining the result. Ska is the seal of gaining comprehension of the aggregates. Dzwa is the seal of eradicating contagious diseases. Shtsa is the seal of directly and perfectly awakening wondrous marvelous qualities. Ba is the seal of reaching the end of the path and arriving in nirvāṇa. La is the seal of the infinitude of syllables.

“In this way, son of noble family, bodhisattvas, in as many ways as there are, comprehend the teaching of the seals represented by all these syllables used to teach the Dharma. Son of noble family, this introduces the gateway of the ocean mudrā dhāraṇī.

(5) “Son of noble family, you may then ask, ‘What is the dhāraṇī called lotus array?’ Regarding bodhisattvas who are established in this dhāraṇī, wherever and in whichever assembly they choose to teach the Dharma, various beautiful lotus seats will blossom forth. As soon as they sit down on their lotus seats, a rain of lotus flowers will shower from the sky, and various kinds of doctrinal teachings will issue forth from them: profound discourses, variegated discourses, illustrative discourses, expositions, [F.226.b] melodic verses, prophecies, metered verses, praises, ethical narratives, ancient narratives, past life accounts, epic stories, and authoritative explications will manifest in this way.

“The reverberation of Dharma emanating from the lotus flowers alleviates suffering. The bodhisattvas remain neutral and silent without abandoning resting in equipoise. The deliverance issuing from the manifested lotus flowers alleviates suffering and instigates the buddha activities.

“Light rays burst forth from each and every pore of the bodhisattvas’ bodies. Lotus flowers blossom from these light rays, and more bodhisattva forms emerge from these lotus flowers. These disperse into the vast, immeasurable world realms in the ten directions and perform buddha activities. This is the introduction to the gateway of the lotus array dhāraṇī.

(6) “Son of noble family, you may then ask, ‘What is the entering the gate of nonattachment dhāraṇī?’ It consists in not being attached to a single teaching and not being attached to two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten teachings. It consists in not being attached to twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, or a hundred teachings. It consists in not being attached to a thousand, a hundred thousand, ten million, ten thousand million, or a hundred thousand million teachings. It consists in not being attached to a quadrillion, one hundred quadrillion, ten quintillion, immeasurable, innumerable, an incomparable number of, or an unfathomable number of teachings.

“It consists in not being attached to a number of teachings as vast as the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges, as vast as the number of particles in Jambudvīpa, as vast as the number of atoms of the four continents, [F.227.a] as vast as the number of atoms in twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty trichiliocosms or in a buddhafield. It consists in not being attached to the number of teachings ranging from a number as vast as the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges in a single buddhafield to a number as vast as the quantity of atoms in all the buddhafields.

“In this way, son of noble family, one teaches the gateways to the Dharma and their teachings, commencing with any gateway up to as many as the number of atoms in all buddhafields, through a single presentation, through two, three, four, five, six, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty teachings, or through hundreds, thousands, or a limitless number of teachings. Although one teaches using lexical imputations and associations and using precisely defined words, meanings, and syllables, one will be neither attached nor interrupted. This is the dhāraṇī called entering the gate of nonattachment.

(7) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What is the dhāraṇī called entering ascertainment by discriminating knowledge?’ One knows meaning, phenomena, etymologies, and eloquence. When all sentient beings of the eastern direction gather around one who has attained these kinds of knowledge, they inquire‍—each in their own language‍—about the mastery of meanings. Beings of the southern direction inquire about the mastery of phenomena. Beings of the western direction inquire about the mastery of etymology. And beings of the northern direction inquire about the mastery of eloquence. When this occurs, the bodhisattvas’ vocal deeds will be correspondingly immense. They will speak and employ various languages at the same time, without forgetting any [F.227.b] and without their minds becoming distracted. Knowing how to use languages, they adapt to all languages. By one moment of utterance, they bring knowledge that satisfies the minds of all sentient beings. This is the dhāraṇī called entering ascertainment by discriminating knowledge.

(8) “Son of noble family, you may ask, ‘What is the dhāraṇī called blessing of the buddha ornaments?’ Son of noble family, for bodhisattvas who have attained this dhāraṇī, the form of the Tathāgata, golden in color with a body adorned with the auspicious marks and signs and seated on a great Dharma seat in the center of a large circle of attendants, will manifest right above the crowns of their heads. The Tathāgata’s form places its right hand on top of their heads. As soon as it touches them, they are endowed with the activities of body, speech, and mind adorned by buddha ornaments. Endowed with such qualities they can engage the mental dispositions of any audience and thereby teach the Dharma in a manner suited to each individual.

“However long they wish to teach the Dharma uninterruptedly without nourishment‍—whether it is for a day or two, three or four days, a week, a fortnight, a month, a season, or the course of a year, or even for a hundred years, a thousand years, or a hundred thousand years‍—because they are sustained by the blessings of the tathāgatas, whose gateways of Dharma are inexhaustible in number, they do not grow weary either physically or mentally.

“They possess four kinds of great knowledge. You may ask, ‘Which four?’ They know how to distinguish the dispositions and words of sentient beings, they know the inexhaustible four types of discriminating knowledge, they know how to delineate the vehicles, and they know how to teach the Dharma in accordance with each individual. [F.228.a]

“Son of noble family, this is known as the concise introduction to the gateway of the blessing of the buddha ornaments dhāraṇī. This dhāraṇī is inexhaustible, continues endlessly, embodies the scope of the tathāgatas, and is a boundless teaching.

“Son of noble family, these are the eight bodhisattva dhāraṇīs. Bodhisattvas who are established in these dhāraṇīs retain what all the buddhas say and uphold the Dharma they teach. Since they explain it carefully, they make all beings happy.”

Then Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja spoke these verses:

At this time, the Blessed One expressed his approval to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja: “Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, it is excellent that you have explained this dhāraṇī teaching so well, that you have assumed responsibility for these teachings, and that you were motivated to request the profound words on the dhāraṇī gateway from previous tathāgatas. It is very good! Therefore, Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, you should also know what has transpired by way of the following discourse.

“Once, in times past, inconceivably many eons ago, during the eon Illuminating, in a world called Stainless, a tathāgata, a buddha, a blessed one known as Stainless Illumination appeared in the world. The world Stainless was pure like lapis lazuli. It was like a mirror wiped completely free of dust and was as smooth as the palm of a hand. In that world grew fruit trees of the seven precious substances with jeweled branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. There were many different beautiful lotus flowers the size of chariot wheels made of gold extracted from the Jambu River.

“In that world divine and human beings enjoyed themselves in opulent multistoried mansions. Food and drink appeared at the mere thought of it. The amusements enjoyed by these divine and human beings resembled the amusements enjoyed by the gods of the Para­nirmitavaśavartin heaven. These divine and human beings had only a modicum of attachment, aversion, and delusion. [F.230.b] They were handsome and refined.

“This world had neither sun nor moon. The Blessed Tathāgata Stainless Illumination lit up the entire buddhafield with a glow that emanated from his body. The world even lacked names for day and night; the closing of the lotus flowers marked nighttime and their opening marked daytime.

“This tathāgata’s bodhisattva saṅgha comprised countless ordained bodhisattvas in a state of equipoise. There were innumerable householders who had embarked on unsurpassed perfect awakening. Here, no vehicles except the Great Vehicle were disseminated. The Blessed One taught the pure irreversible sermon, and his lifespan lasted half an eon. It was a world in which people did not grow old or die. In this buddhafield, those who dwelled in multistoried houses located on the ground were considered ‘human’ beings, while those who dwelled in multistoried houses located in the sky were considered ‘divine’ beings. Other than that, there was no distinction between the divine and the human beings in terms of their complexions or enjoyments.

“In that world there were no kings, except for the blessed, unsurpassed Dharma king. In that world, there was no one except for the divine and human beings who performed acts of worship to that tathāgata. There were no gods except for those who aspired to listen to the Dharma. There were no other teachers. No one kowtowed to others, performed superfluous deeds, or thought of anything else.

“In this world no one was designated ‘a woman.’ [F.231.a] Among its beings, no one was designated ‘a sinner,’ and no one was designated ‘a transgressor of the training.’ There were only those who trained in the three precepts. What are the three precepts? They are the precepts of advanced morality, advanced contemplation, and advanced insight.

“What is the precept of advanced morality? It consists in not forsaking the mind of omniscience and in abandoning everything conditioned. What is the precept of advanced contemplation? It consists in attaining advanced understanding through settling in absorption. What is the precept of advanced insight? It consists in attaining discriminating knowledge through being established in the perfection of insight.

“Those bodhisattvas engaged in precepts like these without prior scriptural transmission. This world realm was pure in this way. The doctrinal exposition of this blessed one was pure in this way.

“At that time, a bodhisattva known as Glorious Light was present in the retinue that had gathered. He rose from his seat and asked the Tathāgata, ‘Blessed One, if one speaks of retaining dhāraṇī, what is the dhāraṇī in which the blessed bodhisattvas are established so that everything taught by all the blessed buddhas is upheld, the Dharma does not fade away once it has been taught, and all sentient beings are satisfied through its eloquent explanation?’

“That blessed one replied, ‘Son of noble family, it is good that you thought to ask the Tathāgata about this point. [F.231.b] There is a dhāraṇī called jewel lamp. Bodhisattvas who are established in this dhāraṇī retain all the buddha teachings and appease all sentient beings through eloquent explanation.’

“Then Glorious Light requested the Tathāgata, ‘Blessed One, please introduce the jewel lamp dhāraṇī so that we may practice accordingly what we hear and so that we may attain this dhāraṇī.’ In reply the Tathāgata uttered the following verses: