The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct
Chapters 1–3

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in the Land of Activity. He was near the market town in the Land of Activity called Removing Impurities,6 on a mountain called Increasing Light, at the hermitage of the seer Wind Horse.

He was surrounded by a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks and by bodhisattva great beings who had emanated in the domain of the thus-gone ones by means of their unattached wisdom. All those bodhisattva great beings had developed the transformative power of immeasurable great love. With their immeasurable great compassion, they emanated to sustain the flood of beings. Through the transformative power of immeasurable joy, they showered down thoughts of comfort for all beings, satiating them. Through the wisdom of immeasurable equanimity, they were skilled in engaging with all phenomena being the same as the sky. With the strength of clouds of Dharma, special insight, knowledge, and wisdom, they were skilled in clearing away the dense darkness of ignorance. Through the four means of attracting disciples, they were endowed with the wisdom that can liberate beings from the four floods. Since they considered all beings as equal, they were loving, devoid of hostility,7 and had purified the path of the factors of awakening. They were genuinely engaged in the Dharma. They were experts in great wisdom. They revealed the supreme path to the world. They brought prosperity to beings, had dried up8 the river of craving with their roots of virtue, and were engaged in the activity of wisdom. Their moon-like supernormal faculties were the play of their knowledge of the great supernormal faculties. In order to bring them happiness, a wish that they know is the intent that all beings share, [F.90.b] they displayed a vast array of skillful means. In order to fill immeasurable vessels with the precious Dharma using dhāraṇīs as vast in number to fill the sky, and because of their bodhisattva practice, they sustained all beings. With the great strength of their own feet, they had followed the profound path of the Dharma, using the four noble truths. They subjugated all opponents with the Dharma of sameness. They continuously manifested all the infinite qualities of bodhisattva conduct, which are attained after countless hundreds of thousands of eons of practice. Like the wind, their minds were untainted by any mundane or supramundane qualities. They had abandoned the afflictions associated with all the habitual tendencies, and they were experts in reveling in immeasurable and countless absorptions, retentions, and acceptances.

These ten thousand bodhisattvas‍—which included the bodhisattvas Black Elephant Stallion, All-Illuminating Sumeru, Moon of Sumeru, Gaping Maw, Jñānaśrī, Blue Eyes, Roar of the Saffron Lion, Luminous Heap of Jewels, Boundary of Sumeru, Melody of the Emanated Banner, Mass of Lightning, Guṇatejas, Stainless King, Expansive Power of Sumeru, Powerful Wish for Belonging, and Maitreya‍—along with thirty thousand seers led by the seer Wind Horse [F.91.a] as well as 1,800,000 temple servants, were sitting together around the Blessed Buddha.

The Blessed One said to Venerable Svāgata, “Svāgata, while sitting on this lion throne that has been provided for the Thus-Gone One, I will deliver a hearer’s discourse to the hearers.”

“Very well, Blessed One!” replied Svāgata, heeding the Blessed One, and then he built a round pavilion for him.

The Blessed One then sat in the round pavilion that had been built for him and he beheld the entire assembly. At that point, the other monks stood up, draped their shawls over one shoulder, prostrated toward the Blessed One with their palms joined, and asked him, “Blessed One, what are these ‘worlds’ you speak of? Respected Blessed One, what are these ‘worlds’ you speak of? How is it that the Thus-Gone One names them by designating them as worlds?”

The Blessed One replied, “Monks, are you asking how many worlds there are that are known as worlds and how many the Thus-Gone One has named by designating them as worlds?”

“Yes, Blessed One.”

“Monks, listen carefully, pay attention, and I will explain.”

“We shall, Venerable One!” replied the monks, and they listened to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One then said to them, “Monks, there are two types of worlds: the world that is a vessel and the world of compounded phenomena. Monks, what is the world that is a vessel, and what is the world of compounded phenomena? All the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind are referred to as vessels. [F.91.b] Monks, among those, there is the internal earth element. Monks, what is the internal earth element? Everything internal that has the characteristic of solidity‍—bones, nails, teeth, and so forth‍—is referred to as the internal earth element. What is the external earth element? Everything outside the body that is made of the earth element‍—cowrie shells, gold, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch shells, stones, coral, silver, fine gold, river rocks, pebbles, gravel, trees, grass, medicinal plants, dust, and so forth‍—is referred to as the external earth element. What is the water element? There is an external water element and there is an internal water element. What is the internal water element? Everything related to water and the water element in the body‍—bile, phlegm, pus, blood, brain, veins, saliva, tears, mucus, snot, marrow, bone fluids, and urine‍—is referred to as the internal water element. What is the external water element? Everything related to water and the water element outside the body‍—oil, milk, curd, buttermilk, molasses, tree sap, fermented drinks, gruel, sweetened beer, and wine made of flowers‍—is referred to as the external water element. What is the internal fire element? Everything in the body related to heat that lends beings their complexion; that causes the body to be hot, to steam; that causes inflammation, fever, and burning; and that digests what one has eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted is referred to as the internal fire element. What is the external fire element? The heat of a fire, the sun, and precious gems, as well as the heat produced by grains, medicinal plants, trees, grass, dung, and dust, are referred to as the external fire element. [F.92.a] What is the internal wind element? The upward-moving winds, the downward-moving winds, the winds related to indigestion, and the winds moving in all the limbs that are possessed by the body are referred to as the internal wind element. What is the external wind element? Any external wind that swirls together, that spreads out, or that moves upward; the many harmful cold and hot winds that blow constantly;9 the winds that support the earth; and everything else related to the external wind element are referred to as the external wind element. In that way, those four external and internal great elements are known as the world that is a vessel.

“Of what are they vessels? They are the vessels of the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping. Monks, you should train to abandon all sense of interest in, delight in, love for, attachment to, the greatness of, possession of, and ownership of the four external and internal great elements. You should train in that manner with respect to all the four great elements of the past, present, and future, whether they are external or internal, big, small, bad, good, far, or near. You should regard those four great elements with correct insight and conclude, ‘They do not belong to a self, a self does not belong to them, and they are not a self.’ Monks, any monk who regards the four great elements in that way establishes them using correct insight. A monk who is extremely focused severs the stream of craving, weakness, and physical fetters, and puts an end to suffering. Monks, this was the world that is a vessel.

“Monks, what is the world of compounded phenomena? The five aggregates that are the basis of grasping are known as formations. What are those five? The aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Monks, this is the world of compounded phenomena. Monks, [F.92.b] the world of compounded phenomena refers to those beings that possess and are composed of these aggregates, all of whom are included in the category of beings. Monks, you should train to abandon all sense of interest in, delight in, love for, attachment to, the greatness of, possession of, and ownership of the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping. You should regard all the past, present, and future forms‍—whether they are external or internal, and whether they are big, small, bad, good, far, or near‍—with correct insight and conclude, ‘They do not belong to a self, a self does not belong to them, and they are not a self.’ Similarly, you should regard all the past, present, and future feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses‍—whether they are external or internal, and whether they are big, small, bad, good, far, or near‍—with correct insight and conclude, ‘They do not belong to a self, a self does not belong to them, and they are not a self.’ Monks, this is what is meant by the world that is a vessel and the world of compounded phenomena.”

Then the bodhisattva Samantāloka, who was present in the assembly, said to the bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates, “Venerable Destroyer of Aggregates, the five aggregates that the Blessed One taught within the world are the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Venerable One, how is it that those are the five aggregates? What is the aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form associated with the eyes of the desire realm? Is there a cessation of form associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the eyes? [F.93.a] Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the eyes of the form and formless realms? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the eyes? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the aggregate of form and the eyes of the desire realm? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the eyes? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the eyes of the form and formless realms? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses, as well as the eyes of the desire realm? Is there a freedom from attachment related to form that is associated with the eyes of the form and formless realms?

“What about the past aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment related to the past aggregate of form that is associated with the eyes? Is there a freedom from attachment related to past forms that is associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, and eyes, as well as the eyes of the form and formless realms? Is there one that is associated with feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness? What about the present aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment related to present forms that is associated with the eyes? Is there a freedom from attachment related to present forms that is associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as with the eyes, up to the mind of the form and formless realms? What about the future aggregate of form? Is there a freedom from attachment related to future forms that is associated with the eyes? Is there one that is associated with everything from the nose and ears up to the mind? How about everything from feeling up to the mind?”

The bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates then replied to the bodhisattva Samantāloka, [F.93.b] “Noble son, look at the phenomena arrayed before you! The aggregate of form and freedom from attachment are not transferred to the aperture of the eye. The aggregates of feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness, along with freedom from attachment, are not transferred to the aperture of the eye either. The sense fields are nonconceptual, beyond thought, and nonarising. The aggregates completely transcend language and are beyond voice, sound, and expression. Why is that? Because, noble son, all phenomena are momentary and insubstantial. All phenomena lack a voice and are free from a voice. All phenomena are like a path in the sky‍—they leave no trace. All phenomena are wordless and without purpose. All phenomena are unborn and empty. All phenomena lack anything to be gained and are wordless. All phenomena are free from concepts and without moments. All phenomena are free from attachment and unconditioned. All phenomena lack sense contact and are without observation. All phenomena are free from views and devoid of characteristics. All phenomena are free from a cognitive basis and lack a self. All phenomena are devoid of self and inexpressible. All phenomena are devoid of words and utterly quiescent. All phenomena have no true nature and do not manifest. All phenomena lack appearance and are utterly without object. All phenomena are devoid of object and utterly rootless. All phenomena are without the sense faculties and utterly devoid of intrinsic nature. All phenomena are without activity and without antidote. All phenomena lack being and are devoid of attachment. All phenomena are utterly extinct and without fulfillment. All phenomena are without avarice and free from elaboration. [F.94.a] All phenomena are endowed with concentration and free from movement. All phenomena are completely unobscured, free of dust‍—utterly free of dust. All phenomena are free from affliction and weakness. All phenomena are without beginning and nonexistent. All phenomena lack substance and are devoid of an agent. All phenomena do not exhibit activity and are devoid of feeling. All phenomena are endowed with space and are not heard. All phenomena are devoid of sound and intangible. All phenomena are dissatisfying by nature and insentient. All phenomena lack attachment to feelings and are like a mirage. All phenomena are free from perception and are like an echo. All phenomena have no essential nature and are like a reflection. All phenomena are free from radiant light like the reflection of the moon in water. All phenomena are free from reflected images and dependent upon reflected images. All phenomena are not apprehended as clouds‍—they are the same as the sky. All phenomena are reflections, invisible, nonexistent, and insubstantial, which includes everything that follows from lacking characteristics, such as lacking characteristics, being free of characteristics, bearing the same characteristic, and bearing a single characteristic up to being devoid of characteristics.10 All phenomena lack a self. All phenomena are not apprehended as a self, lack pride, are baseless, and are inexpressible. All phenomena are wordless.

“Noble son, in order to eliminate afflictions and disturbances, you should think, ‘All compounded phenomena are momentary and free from destruction,’ as you cultivate the acceptance devoid of elaboration that brings no harm to oneself or others. Noble son, when bodhisattvas cultivate such powerful acceptance, they reach the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. [F.94.b] Instantly and at the same time, the bodhisattvas who have attained this acceptance will emanate bodies in all the buddha realms more numerous than all the tiniest particles of dust. They will travel to those buddha realms throughout the ten directions, as numerous as the tiniest particles of dust, that are empty of buddhas and those inundated with the five impurities. They will rain down various things in each of those buddha realms such as a rain of food, drinks, clothes, ornaments, perfumes, flowers, and different precious gems as numerous as all those tiniest particles of dust. The beings who ingest those foods and drinks will achieve joy and happiness that is free from sensual desire; remember that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, are suffering, lack a self, and are empty; and they will develop discipline. They will then renounce the five sense pleasures and all of the trappings of home, leave, and go live without a home in mountain caves and dense, deserted forests. Wearing the clothes of seers,11 they will sustain themselves on grasses, roots, and fruits. They will develop a sense of horror toward the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping, and enthusiasm for undertaking their task with diligence. They will regard those five aggregates that are the basis of grasping as being like a disease, an abscess, or a splinter, and as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self. They will attain the five supernormal faculties. They will become inclined toward the world of the Brahmā gods.12 They will partake of the other rainfalls as well, from clothes to pure gems, and by perceiving them they will attain everything from joy and happiness that is free from sensual desire up to becoming inclined toward the world of the Brahmā gods.

“These bodhisattvas who have attained the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct will hold flowers with their cupped hands, flowers will be scattered across the sky, and flowers will instantly appear in buddha realms throughout the ten directions that are as numerous as the tiniest particles of dust, no matter if they are empty of buddhas or inundated with the five impurities. [F.95.a] And in each one the melodies of as many gateways to the Dharma as there are minute particles of dust in a buddha realm will resound with the following song: ‘All phenomena lack melody and transcend the domain of the four māras. All phenomena are like a path in the sky, utterly baseless, and wordless. All phenomena associated with attachment do not arise. All phenomena associated with the afflictions do not cease. All phenomena that were not given up in the past lack characteristics. All phenomena devoid of attachment lack conditions. All phenomena that are devoid of fetters are baseless. All phenomena are effortless. All phenomena are without ownership and possession. All phenomena are without isolation or contact. All phenomena lack a self. All phenomena are everything from being free from a self up to being inexpressible. They are quiescent, unmanifest, groundless, objectless, completely rootless, and utterly devoid of intrinsic nature. They are without antidote, without nourishment, without dispersion, and without avarice. They bring about concentration and are utterly devoid of hindrance. They are without coming, weak, insubstantial, devoid of agent, without feeling, without the passions, without clinging, and without consciousness. They are like a mirage, an echo, an optical distortion, the reflection of the moon in water, and a reflection in a mirror. They are like space and insubstantial. They are everything that follows from lacking characteristics, such as lacking characteristics, being free from characteristics, bearing the same characteristic, and bearing a single characteristic, up to being devoid of characteristics. All phenomena lack a self, lack pride, [F.95.b] lack apprehension, and are inexpressible. All phenomena are momentary.’ You should cultivate the thought of accepting the fact that ‘all compounded phenomena are free from destruction.’ You should cultivate the thought of peace that ‘all phenomena are momentary.’ You should cultivate the thought of equanimity, the thought of utter peace, the thought that is devoid of clinging, the thought of nonorigination, the thought of the lack of hindrances, the thought that is uninterrupted, the thought that is not contradictory, the thought of the lack of support, the thought of equipoise, and the thought of suffering. The gateways to the Dharma that express tranquility, emptiness, and internal and external disintegration, as well as countless other gateways to the Dharma, will resound in those flowers.

“When they hear those gateways to the Dharma, beings will attain joy and happiness that is free from sensual desires; they will remember that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, are suffering, lack a self, and are empty; and they will develop discipline. They will then renounce all the fetters related to households and the five sense pleasures, and they will go live far from their homes, in mountain caves and thick, deserted forests. They will dress like seers and survive by feeding on grass, roots, and fruits. Thinking that the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping are terrifying, they will enthusiastically develop their diligence. They will regard those five aggregates that are the basis of grasping as being like diseases and abscesses, painful, impermanent, suffering, empty, and selfless. They will develop the five supernormal faculties, and they will become inclined toward the world of the Brahmā gods.13

“Noble son, the bodhisattvas who cultivate this acceptance do not apprehend a name, a being, a life force, a soul, a person, or form. There is no feeling, perception, or formation, and they do not apprehend consciousness. They do not apprehend the eyes, ears, nose, or tongue, they do not apprehend a body, [F.96.a] and they do not apprehend a mind. They do not apprehend form, sound, smell, taste, touch, mental phenomena, the mental faculty, body, names, or the mind. They proclaim the acceptance of the nonaccumulation of emptiness, the absence of marks, the ability to withstand suffering, not abandoning the three realms, not being affected, the unborn, the absence of cultivation, and the absence of training. Nothing has been created and nothing will be created, which means that there is no activity in the past, the past is not present in the future, there is absolutely nothing in the middle of these, there is no basis, and there is no observation. When they cultivate this acceptance of mental nonengagement, bodhisattva great beings attain the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. And by attaining this acceptance, they will activate the powers that were described above.”

When the bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates had delivered and proclaimed this teaching, the bodhisattva Absence of Concepts voiced his approval. The crowd of bodhisattvas remained silent, and the Blessed One gave his approval by not saying a word.

Sixty monks then thought, “What was the noble son Destroyer of Aggregates thinking when he taught that all compounded phenomena are similar to those types of illusions? If form lacks a self, if there is no appearance, if nothing arises at all, if it is not engaged mentally, if it is without concept and nonconceptual, if there is no basis of observation and no material evolution, wouldn’t it be the case that there would be no being, life force, birth, soul, person, humans, living creatures, agent, individual who feels, others who feel, arising, production, dislike, or lack of nonorigination? On what basis would the thus-gone ones appear? Where would their compassion manifest? [F.96.b] Who would explain the Dharma? Who would know all phenomena? Who would maintain the precepts and vows? If there are no aggregates and if the results of virtuous qualities do not ripen on the basis of the elements and the sense fields, where do the results of wholesome and unwholesome deeds ripen? To whom do the thus-gone ones, the worthy, perfect buddhas, appear? To whom do the objects apprehended by the sense fields such as the bodies of hearers, solitary buddhas, gods and humans, and any other beings appear? We should stand up and leave this place!” And so those sixty monks stood up and left while the other monks remained silent. The bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates felt embarrassed, timid, and ashamed before the Blessed One.

Then the bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands, who was present in the assembly, inquired of the bodhisattva Destroyer of Aggregates, “Why did you teach such a profound Dharma to this talkative assembly? Noble son, as the Blessed One has said in other sūtras, there are Dharma discourses and lower discourses for five types of individuals: discourses on faith and lower discourses for those who lack faith, discourses on generosity and lower discourses for those who are stingy, discourses on discipline and lower discourses for those who are immoral, discourses on diligence and lower discourses for those who are lazy, and discourses on insight and lower discourses for those with confused insight. The Blessed One has also said in other sūtras that one should not teach the discourse on emptiness to those who have committed the acts with immediate retribution; the application of mindfulness to the body should not be taught to beings with wrong views; the application of mindfulness to feelings should not be taught to those who are greedy; [F.97.a] the application of mindfulness to the mind should not be taught to those who are proud, arrogant, and attached to food; the application of mindfulness to mental phenomena should not be taught to those who have abandoned the foundational principle of modesty; the qualities of rebirths among the gods should not be taught to those who wish to obtain a human condition; the qualities of rebirths among yakṣas who rob vitality should not be taught to those who are inclined toward rebirth among the gods of the desire realm; the magnificence of the gods who occupy the desire realm should not be taught to those who will take rebirth among the gods of the form realm; the qualities of occupying the form realm should not be taught to those who will take rebirth in the formless realm; the bliss of the gods who occupy the desire realm should not be taught to those who are inclined toward rebirth among the gods who occupy the form realm; the qualities of the solitary buddhas should not be taught to those who are inclined toward the vehicle of the hearers; the qualities of the hearers should not be taught to those who are inclined toward the vehicle of the solitary buddhas; the qualities of the solitary buddhas should not be taught to those who are inclined toward the Great Vehicle; the four means of attracting disciples should not be taught to bodhisattvas who are making real effort toward the perfections; the four special types of knowledge should not be taught to bodhisattvas who are making real effort in practicing the religious life; certain types of discourses on profound peace and emptiness should not be taught to silent assemblies of bodhisattvas; and this profound acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct should not be taught in the presence of such talkative assemblies who follow the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.”

All the numerous assemblies of bodhisattvas exclaimed, “Excellent!” in unison and the Blessed One also applauded the bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands with delight:

The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi then said, “Noble son, I have noticed that when the hearers prepare a lion throne for the Blessed One, he will teach in order to tame them. Noble son, since this teaching of the acceptance that tames beings with sky-colored perfect conduct is unprecedented, out of the Blessed One’s love for us, I ask the Blessed One to explain the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct in terms of its qualities and its vast focus and application. I think he will accept out of love for me and other beings.”

The bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands replied to the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, “Noble son, I know that the time for this has come!”

The bodhisattva Lamp in the Hands then stood up, draped his shawl over one shoulder, prostrated toward the Blessed One with his palms joined, [F.98.b] and praised him with these verses:

The Blessed One gave his approval to the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi by not saying a word. He then thought, “I wonder where those thus-gone ones, those worthy, perfect buddhas of the past, taught the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct?”

The temple servants responded, “The perfect, complete buddhas of the past taught this acceptance that tames beings with sky-colored perfect conduct at Mount Gandhamādana. The perfect, complete buddhas of the past explained this acceptance that tames beings with sky-colored perfect conduct at Mount Gandhamādana.” Thus, they encouraged the Blessed One, the wise one, to teach it.

The Blessed One then entered the absorption known as lord of meteors. Through that absorption, the Blessed One appeared in the figure of someone with the observances, behaviors, and markings of a seer. The seer was an elderly man, quite old and aged, who had long matted hair and a long beard. He was holding a staff, a small water jug, and a straining cloth, and he was lighting a huge fire offering. From that fire emerged a multicolored light radiating infinite colors, many hundreds of thousands of colors‍—a vast range of pure and immaculate colors. That light rendered imperceptible and invisible the light emitted by the stars of countless buddha realms throughout the ten directions that are empty of buddhas and inundated with the five impurities, as well as the light emitted by precious gems, lightning, the sun, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and asuras. The hell realms, the animal realms, and the realms of the pretas also became imperceptible and invisible.

At that point, except for those sounds emitted by the seer, no other sounds could be heard in the slightest, including the letters, words, voices, expressions, and calls of beings, and even the sounds of earth, water, fire, and air. [F.99.b] All the sentient beings who followed the Great Vehicle in the countless buddha realms of the ten directions also appeared in the figure of someone with the observances, body, and markings of a seer. Only the seers who followed the Great Vehicle manifested those appearances, not the seers who followed the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas. The seers who followed the Great Vehicle could not see the hearers or the solitary buddhas, or those who followed their vehicles. Those who were present in the assembly of the hearers could not see the Thus-Gone One or the bodhisattvas. They could not see even the slightest visible form among those present there or those who had assembled elsewhere, and they did not see that a brilliant light pervaded all of the worlds.

The great hearers then asked Ājñātakauṇḍinya, “Elder Kauṇḍinya, where is the Blessed One?”

Kauṇḍinya replied, “I do not know where the Blessed One is right now. I do not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Mahākāśyapa, “The Blessed One has said that you are foremost among the proponents of ascetic practice, so please concentrate on wherever the Blessed One is right now!”

Mahākāśyapa replied, “I do not know where the Blessed One is right now. I do not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Venerable Śāradvātīputra, “Elder Śāriputra, the Blessed One has said that you are foremost among the wise, so please concentrate on wherever the Blessed One is right now!”

Śāriputra replied, “Venerable ones, the buddha realms are infinite, so I do not know where the Blessed One is right now. I do not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Maudgalyāyana, “Venerable Maudgalyāyana, the Blessed One has said that you are foremost among those endowed with magical powers, [F.100.a] so please concentrate on wherever the Blessed One is right now!”

Maudgalyāyana replied, “When Venerable Mahākāśyapa was talking, I could perceive this great trichiliocosm through my magical powers, but I do not know where the Blessed One is right now, or where he has gone. I do not see him.”

The great hearers then said to Venerable Aniruddha, “The Blessed One has said that you are foremost among those endowed with the divine eye, so please use your divine eye to see where the Blessed One has gone, where he is residing right now, and what kinds of activities he is engaging in!”

Aniruddha replied, “I have scrutinized countless buddha realms with my noble wisdom eye, but I do not know where the Blessed One dwells right now, or where he has gone. I do not see him.” He continued, “It seems the wisdom of the hearers who have achieved the special types of knowledge cannot penetrate wherever he is, but the wisdom of the bodhisattvas who have reached acceptance can penetrate there. I think you should ask the bodhisattvas where the Blessed One has gone and where he is residing right now.”

As the great hearers could not see a single bodhisattva, Venerable Śāriputra said, “Venerable ones, when another noble son explained the aggregates, a group of sixty monks stood up and left. Venerable ones, this displeased the Blessed One, and he is now in equanimity practicing the conduct of a noble buddha and practicing that conduct in the company of the noble sons. I think we should go back to our huts and practice concentration.” And so, the great hearers went back to their huts and engaged in the practice of concentration. [F.100.b] [B2]

When the beings following the Great Vehicle throughout the countless, infinite buddha realms of the ten directions saw themselves dressed as seers, they thought, “Since we have become seers, we will consider whoever is the most exalted among all the seers our preceptor. We should seek that one out!”

Nearby in the workers’ market town, Removing Impurities, they all saw the elderly and aged great seer Śākyamuni casting various types of incense,14 flowers, fruits, medicinal plants, food, and drinks into a fire. When they saw this, they thought, “This great seer is extremely adept and extremely powerful, and his power is producing a brilliant light. We should go to the place where this seer resides and train in the conduct and observances of a seer!” At that moment, myriads of bodhisattva seers approached the Blessed One. With single-pointed concentration, those bodhisattva seers who had gained control over the absorptions, acceptances, and dhāraṇīs began to perform an offering rite to the Blessed One.

At that same moment, all of the various gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans in this Sahā world who were following the Great Vehicle approached the seer Śākyamuni dressed themselves as seers. All those present in the assembly knew in their hearts that the Blessed One’s intention was to go to Mount Gandhamādana just as the blessed ones had before, and that he had agreed to turn the Dharma wheel a second time there in order to teach the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. They thought, “We shall ornament and clean this path for the Blessed One! [F.101.a] This is the path that the supreme seer will travel on his way to Mount Gandhamādana.”

Then about six hundred million nāga kings who were dressed as seers, including Nanda, Upananda, Sāgara, Jewel Color, Takṣaka, and Valgu,15 joined together and adorned that path with rows of tāla trees16 made of the seven precious substances‍—divine precious gold, silver, beryl, crystal, coral, emerald, and white coral. The golden trees had silver leaves, flowers, and fruits; the silver trees had golden leaves, flowers, and fruits; and the other types of trees, up to the white coral trees, had leaves, flowers, and fruits made of the other types of precious substances. Many billions of various types of decorative fabrics were hung on those rows of tāla trees.

The gods who were dressed as seers cleared a field ten leagues across for the path leading from the hermitage to Mount Gandhamādana. They manifested platforms on both sides of the path that were made of all of the seven precious substances, from divine precious gold to white coral. Their golden chariots could be described as hung with everything from nuggets of pure silver to white coral, and they were ornamented above and below with vast quantities of everything from pure beryl to white coral.

The cloud deities who were dressed as seers manifested stepwells, with clear water on both sides, along the path with stairs made of the seven precious substances, and they sprinkled the stepwells with gold dust. They manifested a variety of the most fragrant divine flowers in the stepwells such as blue, pink, red, and white lotus flowers, as well as rosewood, magnolia, aśoka, mucukunda, mañjūṣaka, pāṭalī, fragrant dhānuṣkārī, jasmine,17 mango, and rose-apple flowers.18

The terrestrial yakṣas19 who were dressed as seers also cleared the path, [F.101.b] and the gods from the Heaven of Controlling Others’ Emanations held supreme banners along both sides of the path that were made of the seven divine precious substances and draped with divine fabrics, necklaces, and other ornaments.

The gods from the Heaven of Enjoying Emanations who were dressed as seers manifested pavilions with four sides that were made of the seven precious substances. A variety of divine necklaces, garments, and other ornaments were hung from those pavilions. They were strewn with different types of flowers and had a beautiful and vast array of celestial instruments on them. The instruments played due to the empowering force of the Buddha and sent forth melodious tunes that pervaded this entire great trichiliocosm.

The 6,800,000 female nāgas who decorated the path had adorned themselves with all of the ornaments of a seer to perform an offering to the Blessed One, and they sent forth a shower of the various precious substances.

Many hundreds of thousands of gods from the heaven of Tuṣita who were dressed as seers decorated the path for the Blessed One and made an offering to the Blessed One with a variety of bright and flawless divine flowers such as māndārava, mahāmāndārava, magnolia, pāriyātra, jośa, mahājośaka, roca, mahārocaka, valla, mahāvalla, cakra, and mahācakra flowers, which all had a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand petals. They were dazzling, fragrant, and their fragrance was everywhere. The flowers were always radiant, their color never faded, and they were delightful and pleasant to behold.

Many hundreds of thousands of gods from the rain clouds who were dressed as seers rained showers of flowers that grow in water and in the fields, [F.102.a] and many hundreds of thousands of nāga kings who were dressed as seers rained various showers of substances such as blue pearls and white sandalwood.

All the gods, lords of the gods, nāgas, nāga lords, yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, pretas, piśācas, and kumbhāṇḍas, up to Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world in this great trichiliocosm who had previously given rise to the mind set on awakening and were dressed as seers, sat down to gaze upon the Blessed One’s face with unblinking eyes. They bore various flowers, garlands, perfumes, and ointments, and played musical instruments, beat drums, and sang songs.

All the goddesses, female yakṣas, female garuḍas, female asuras, female kinnaras, and female mahoragas in this great trichiliocosm who were dressed as seers played music, sang songs, and rained gentle showers of red, white, purple, and crystalline garments to make an offering to the Blessed One. Many hundreds of thousands of female kinnaras who were dressed as seers also began to perform various offerings to the Blessed One. Myriads of lords from the world of Brahmā who had previously given rise to the mind set on awakening and were dressed as seers praised the Blessed One and sat before him. Many hundreds of thousands of lords from the world of Śakra dressed as seers prostrated to the Blessed One. Many hundreds of thousands of kinnara lords dressed as seers praised the Blessed One and prostrated to him. [F.102.b] Many hundreds of thousands of gandharva lords dressed as seers gazed upon the face of the Blessed One with clear minds. Many hundreds of thousands of nāga lords dressed as seers rained great showers of yellow sandalwood powder. Many hundreds of thousands of asura lords dressed as seers raised the most gentle, soft-feeling, and fragrant winds in the four directions. Many hundreds of thousands of yakṣa lords dressed as seers held parasols made of flowers. Many hundreds of thousands of other yakṣa lords who had become elderly sages held parasols with golden staffs and sat on the right side of the Blessed One, gazing upon him as was described before. Many hundreds of thousands of kumbhāṇḍas dressed as elderly seers held parasols with golden staffs and sat on the left side of the Blessed One, gazing upon him in the same manner. Many hundreds of thousands of garuḍa lords dressed as seers hung golden garlands in the sky. Many hundreds of thousands of goddesses dressed as seers rained great showers of flower bouquets. Many hundreds of thousands of female nāgas dressed as seers rained showers of red pearls. Many hundreds of thousands of female gandharvas dressed as seers rained showers of red pearls. Many hundreds of thousands of female yakṣas dressed as seers rained showers of sandalwood powder. Many hundreds of thousands of female asuras dressed as seers rained showers of ornaments. Many hundreds of thousands of female garuḍas dressed as seers rained showers of gold from the Jambu River. Many hundreds of thousands of female mahoragas dressed as seers ornamented the sky. Many hundreds of thousands of terrestrial female yakṣas dressed as seers played melodious tunes. Many hundreds of thousands of female yakṣas of the mid-regions that were dressed as seers roamed20 through space, [F.103.a] and many hundreds of thousands of māras dressed as seers started to lament.

Divine seers numbering 840,000, whose conduct and observances were naturally steadfast, and eighty-four thousand seers whose conduct and observances were naturally steadfast, picked up celestial mahāmāndārava flowers and showered them for the Blessed One at each step of the way between Removing Impurities and Mount Gandhamādana so that the Blessed One’s footsteps would always fall on the center of a flower.

Many hundreds of thousands of solar and lunar gods dressed as seers rained showers of flower bouquets. Myriad gandharvas dressed as seers played music, and a trillion light rays illuminated the body of the sage Seer.

The god Endowed with Qualities, who lived on Mount Gandhamādana, and 840,000 temple servants dressed as seers prostrated toward the Blessed One with their palms joined and praised him in unison with these verses:

The Blessed One then stood up, attended by many gods and surrounded by many bodhisattvas, and at that moment this great trichiliocosm shook in six ways. All the beings who were hearers, followers of the vehicle of the hearers, solitary buddhas, followers of the vehicle of the solitary buddhas, and all the other beings in this great trichiliocosm living in the sky, on earth, [F.104.a] and in the water each attained vast recollection. They saw this great trichiliocosm appear in the palms of their hands pervaded by brilliant light, and not a single thing appeared in visible form. All the beings who maintained practices of lowly austerities witnessed this great miracle. This included beings who subscribed to various types of false views such as those who maintain the fire observance, the moon observance, the sun observance, the three worlds observance, and others. All those adherents of mistaken views abandoned their lowly austerities and searched in every direction, wondering, “What kind of causes and conditions made the earth shake like that and this brilliant light radiate in the world?”

The great billowing fire in front of which sat that great seer, the Blessed One, transformed into tiny mustard seeds, and he cast them into the countless, infinite pure and impure buddha realms of the ten directions. The firelights before the head buddhas in those buddha realms where blessed buddhas dwell and thrive took on the shape of a mahāmāndārava flower. All the members of their assemblies that were gathered there and all those who had given rise to the mind set on awakening in the past sat before those blessed buddhas dressed as seers.

In the east, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a world called Endowed with the Banner where the Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattva great beings Jñānaśrī and Glorious Orchard were present in the assembly of the Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner [F.104.b] and saw that they had the physical appearances, bodies, and shapes of seers, and that all the noble sons who followed the Great Vehicle also had the physical appearances, bodies, and shapes of seers. When they saw this, they asked the Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner, “Blessed One, what causes and conditions have resulted in this firelight-flower with a stem made of beryl that is present in front of the Blessed One, and why are all those noble sons who follow the Great Vehicle dressed as seers?”

The blessed Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner replied to those noble sons, “Noble sons, the thus-gone one, the worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, resides in the Sahā world in the west. He has entered that world inundated with the five impurities where he teaches the Dharma of the three vehicles to the four assemblies: monks, nuns, and male and female lay practitioners. Since that thus-gone one now wishes to teach the acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct, he has entered the absorption known as bearing the lamp of the thus-gone ones and has emanated that miraculous display.”

“Blessed One, please describe what this acceptance is like, from beginning to end?”

“This acceptance applies to all the non-Buddhists.22 In this regard, it liberates beings in the Sahā buddha realm from being swept away by the four floods. What are the four floods? It liberates beings from the flood of desire, the flood of views, the flood of existence, and the flood of ignorance. It instills the four types of unwavering faith, it evokes them, and it establishes beings in each one. What are those four? [F.105.a] It instills unwavering faith in the Buddha, it evokes that faith, and it establishes beings in that faith. It provides beings with the four means of attracting disciples, it liberates them from the flood of desire through the aggregation of discipline, it liberates them from the flood of views through the aggregation of absorption, it liberates them from the flood of ignorance through the aggregation of insight, and it liberates them from the flood of existence through the aggregation of liberation. It liberates beings through unwavering faith in the Buddha using the Great Vehicle, through unwavering faith in the Dharma using the vehicle of solitary buddhas, and through unwavering faith in the Saṅgha using the vehicle of the hearers. It teaches beings to abandon all false doctrines through noble and delightful discipline, it liberates beings from the ocean of life through generosity, it liberates them from the ocean of views through pleasant speech, it liberates beings from the ocean of afflictions through altruistic actions, and it liberates beings into the perfection of insight by having a consistent meaning.”

The bodhisattvas said, “Respected Blessed One, please allow us to go behold, pay homage to, and venerate the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni!”

The Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner replied, “Noble sons, the time for this has come!”

Dressed as seers, the noble sons Jñānaśrī and Glorious Orchard, as well as six hundred million bodhisattvas, then prostrated to the feet of the blessed Thus-Gone One Glory of the Powerful Banner, circumambulated him, and sat down. [F.105.b] In a single instant, they were in the buddha realm of Sahā in front of the blessed seer Śākyamuni. They prostrated to him with their palms joined and sat down. Countless other bodhisattvas dressed as seers also arrived in a single instant from the innumerable pure and impure buddha realms in the east.

In the south, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a world called Banner of Sumeru where the Thus-Gone One Great Sumeru lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattvas Supernormal Faculty and Supreme Lightning who lived in that buddha realm saw that they were dressed as seers and that they had the physical appearances, bodies, and shapes of seers. They also saw that the great sage was dressed as a seer, which was not how he had appeared before. They then questioned the Thus-Gone One Great Sumeru in the same manner as previously described.

Similarly, in the west, far away from this buddha realm, there was a world called Gathering where the Thus-Gone One Glorious Light lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattva great beings Meaningful Vision and Red Lotus Elephant who lived there […].23

In the north, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers, there was a world called Single Ornament where the Thus-Gone One Great Ornament lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattva great beings Immaculate Light and Light of Brahmā who lived there […]. [F.106.a]

Below, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in one Ganges River, there was a world called Great Flower where the Thus-Gone One Great Banner of Wisdom lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattvas Jñānaśrī and Great Glory who lived there […].

Above, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in seven Ganges Rivers, there was a world called Brilliant Light where the thus-gone one, the worthy, perfect Buddha Sūryagarbha, lived, thrived, and taught the Dharma. The bodhisattvas Dharma Melody and Ambrosia Melody who lived there […].

At that point the entire Sahā buddha realm was completely filled with bodhisattvas who were dressed as seers. They prostrated with their palms joined in the direction of the thus-gone one, the great seer Śākyamuni, and took their seats. The beings in the Sahā buddha realm who did not follow the Great Vehicle were not dressed as seers. Even the hearers, those who followed the vehicle of the hearers, the solitary buddhas, and those who followed the vehicle of the solitary buddhas could not see those ornaments, to say nothing of other beings.

Then the Blessed One, the great seer, stood up and departed with the gait of the lord of sages, the gait of lord Brahmā, the gait of the seer Brahmā, the gait in which one looks ahead for a distance of one yoke, the gait of tranquility, the gait of complete peace, the gait of greatly devoted monks, [F.106.b] the gait that pleases the gods, the gait that tames the yakṣas, the gait that pleases the asuras, the gait that tames the nāgas, the gait of the victors devoid of afflictions, the gait of complete liberation, and the gait that represents many other things. His feet rising and falling on the anthers of flowers with the miraculous gait of the great buddhas, the vast gait, and the gait of the buddhas’ great empowerments, the Blessed One made his way and arrived at Mount Gandhamādana. He sat on the side of the pure, stainless, and immaculate hermitage, where the great goddess Variegated Light who cures beings was residing.24 He looked around with the gaze of an elephant and recited the following verses:

The blessed Buddha’s melodious waves of verse‍—the melodious waves of the Blessed One’s syllables, words, and meaning‍—spread throughout the countless buddha realms of the ten directions. All the beings in those realms who followed the Great Vehicle heard them and gazed into the ten directions. They gazed out at all of the beings they could see in the four directions, looking for the being whose melodious waves of verse were so delightful, pleasing, utterly pleasing, and profound, and to see how one could utter such melodious waves of verse expressing the meaning, words, and letters that bring relief to beings, satisfy them, and lead them to the other shore of saṃsāra. Through the power of the Buddha, they saw myriad seers not very far away who were prostrating to the Sage on Mount Gandhamādana. His senses were pacified, his mind was tranquil and under control, he had reached supreme peace, and he was blazing like a heap of gold. When they saw him, they thought, “This seer is very powerful, and his great assembly of seers is endowed with great compassion. [F.107.b] Since he is compassionate, we should follow him!”

When they saw that their bodies had taken on the dress, the physical appearances, and the shapes of seers, they thought, “Since we have become seers, we should go serve and pay homage to that great seer!” As soon as this thought had arisen in their minds, immeasurable, innumerable, inconceivable, unequaled, and infinite numbers of bodhisattvas dressed as seers, as numerous as all the grains of sand in the Ganges, arrived in this buddha realm from immeasurable and countless buddha realms in the ten directions. The crowd of magical bodhisattva emanations made up of various types of seers made offerings to the Sage, prostrated to him with their palms joined, praised him, and took their seats. Through the power of the Buddha, those who were born in the lower realms, due either to the power of their aspirations or to the conditions of their negative actions, attained each of the recollections, were dressed as seers, and took their seats. They all sat down with their palms together facing the great seer, the lord of sages.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, the bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation of Wisdom wondered, “Where will Śākyamuni reside when he teaches this acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct to the gathering that has assembled here?” At that moment, six sextillion magnificent storied mansions filled with the seven precious substances and resembling the mansion of Śakra, lord of the gods, appeared in the sky from the east.

When he saw those mansions, the bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation of Wisdom thought, “I will manifest a storied mansion similar to the lord of the Sahā world Brahmā’s mansion, Peaceful Melody. This is where the sage Seer will reside when he teaches us this acceptance.” [F.108.a] At that moment, six sextillion magnificent storied mansions filled with the seven precious substances and resembling the lord of the Sahā world Brahmā’s mansion, Peaceful Melody, appeared in the sky from the south.

When he saw those mansions, the bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation of Wisdom thought, “I will manifest a storied mansion similar to Brahmā’s mansion, Flash of Lightning. This is where the Blessed One will reside as he teaches the Dharma.” At that moment, six sextillion magnificent storied mansions filled with the seven precious substances and resembling Brahmā’s mansion, Flash of Lightning, appeared in the sky from the west.

The bodhisattva King of the Infinite Accumulation of Wisdom then thought, “I will manifest a storied mansion similar to Brahmā’s mansion, Light of Sumeru. This is where the Blessed One will reside as he teaches the Dharma.” At that moment, six sextillion magnificent storied mansions filled with the seven precious substances and resembling Great Brahmā’s mansion, Light of Sumeru, in its entirety appeared in the sky from the north.

At that point myriads of storied mansions were arrayed in the sky. The bodhisattva Maitreya thought, “I have searched those mansions for a lion throne for the Blessed One, and there is one mansion in which a lion throne has been prepared for the Blessed One.” The bodhisattva Maitreya then asked the bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor, “Noble son, where did these storied mansions come from? [F.108.b] Who has manifested them?”

The bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor replied, “Noble son, as long as one has not brought about the elimination of all manner of attachment using the gateway of the Dharma, two things bring about the round of saṃsāra. Noble son, the two are going and coming, and these two are called origination and disintegration. When there is no arising and no origination, there is also no perception of going and coming. When all forms of disintegration are abandoned, one achieves the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. This is the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality that cuts off the continuation of saṃsāra. These two are the going and coming to which one refers when they speak of going and coming.

“Noble son, when there is nothing imputed as a self and no entertaining notions of a life force, soul, person, humans, living creatures, going, or coming, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when there are concepts of arising and the absence of arising, this is dualistic. When one has no concept of origination and cessation and there is no observation of going and coming, nothing to be differentiated, and no transformation, this utter purity, noble son, is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Things that are characterized by arising and disintegration such as the aggregates, their affliction, and their purification are dualistic. When one thoroughly understands the aggregates, has abandoned things that are characterized by arising and disintegration, and has overcome all thought, this path that leads to the cessation of form is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Wavering and the knowledge derived from thoughts and reflection are dualistic. When there is no wavering of feelings and no thought, this absence of mental fluctuation and absence of mental engagement is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, perceiving feelings, the origin of feelings, the cessation of feelings, and the path leading to the cessation of feelings is dualistic. [F.109.a] Noble son, when one does not perceive feelings, their origin, or the path leading to their cessation; when one does not perceive the characteristics of the aggregate of form and the aggregate of feeling as different; and when one does not perceive them as having the same characteristics, lacking characteristics, having different characteristics, having a single characteristic, or having manifold characteristics, this, noble son, is the entrance to the gateway of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Furthermore, noble son, when there is attachment among hearers and solitary buddhas to the aggregates, elements, and sense fields, and attachment to the unsurpassed wisdom of the omniscient ones, this is dualistic. When one does not perceive any basis for the vehicles of the hearers and solitary buddhas, omniscient wisdom, or the aggregates, elements, or sense fields, and one understands that all means of verbal expression are baseless, without letters, and without elaboration, this, noble son, is the entrance to the gateway of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when one perceives perceptions as virtuous and nonvirtuous, this perception in terms of this and that side is dualistic. When one realizes that these virtuous and nonvirtuous perceptions lack traits, are always arising, and are inexhaustible, this is the entrance to the gate of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, conceiving of, fixating upon, or commenting on this side and that side by saying ‘this side is defiled and that side is wrong’ is dualistic. When there is no fixating on this or that side, no commenting, no analysis26 whatsoever, and no rejection, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, concepts such as the aggregates, elements, and sense fields being defiled or not defiled are dualistic. When there is no concept that the elements and sense fields are defiled, nothing that might be perceived as undefiled, [F.109.b] no perception and no nonperception, and no attainment, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when the aggregates, the elements, and the sense fields are conceptualized as being conditioned or unconditioned, this is dualistic. But when one does not conceptualize any and all perceptions and there is no conceptual thought, and when one sees correctly that all phenomena are like space, this, noble son, is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Noble son, when one takes pride in mundane and supramundane qualities, this is dualistic. When one does not engage in, move toward, move away from, or overcome mundane and supramundane qualities and there is no going toward and no moving away, this is the entrance to the gate of the Dharma of nonduality.

“Furthermore, noble son, understanding the aggregates, the elements, and the sense fields as originating on the basis of name and form is dualistic. Having the view that the aggregates, elements, and sense fields, being devoid of name and form, have the nature of an illusion, and are both all-pervading and not all-pervading, and do not pass into ultimate nirvāṇa,27 is the bodhisattvas’ entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.28

“Furthermore, noble son, understanding consciousness in terms of origination is dualistic. But when one instantly understands that all compounded phenomena, being unoriginated, are momentary and not momentary, this is an entrance to the gate of the Dharma of nonduality.29

“Furthermore, noble son, attachment to ownership, to knowledge based on ordinary consciousness, to possession, and to the sense fields is dualistic. But when one achieves consciousness that is devoid of a self and is free from the two views of the nature of the self, when the sense fields are undefiled, and when one is free from ownership and possession, this is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

“Any conceptual thought about knowledge and liberation is dualistic. [F.110.a] Noble son, knowledge lacks mental activity and lacks a self. Knowledge is like a flash of lightning. Liberation is like space, and space is nonconceptual, does not conceptualize, and is free from elaborations. This is the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonconceptuality.

“The enjoyment of consciousness and form is dualistic. Form itself is empty, like space, and space does not disintegrate. Forms that disintegrate, being empty, are manifestations with the characteristic of form and are empty, as they also have the nature of emptiness. The same goes for feelings, perceptions, and formations. The nonmanifestation of consciousness is akin to consciousness that is devoid of darkness and light, like space. The disintegration of consciousness is not emptiness, but the nature of consciousness itself is indeed emptiness. The five aggregates that are the basis of grasping are empty in the same way, like the nature of space. Bodhisattvas who think of them as being like space‍—lacking attachment, anger, and ignorance, without high and low, without conceptual thought or conceptualization, and without going and ceasing‍—perfectly understand all phenomena exactly as they are. They realize that the aggregates, the elements, and the sense fields lack desire, anger, and ignorance, high and low, conceptual thought and conceptualization, and going and ceasing, and that the awakening of the hearers and the solitary buddhas, as well as unsurpassed and perfect awakening, also lack conceptual thought and conceptualization, going and ceasing. Noble son, this is the bodhisattvas’ entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.”

As this teaching was being delivered by the bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor, 9,200,000,000 bodhisattvas achieved the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena and 4,600,000,000 of them reached the entrance to the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality.

The Blessed One then arose from the absorption called endowed with light, [F.110.b] no longer appeared to be dressed as a seer, and sat there with his body adorned with the thirty-two supreme physical marks of a buddha. All of the other beings also no longer appeared to be dressed as seers and their previous bodies were restored. The Blessed One expressed his approval to the bodhisattva Immaculate Splendor, saying, “Noble son, the way that you have taught this is exactly the way that one should teach the gateway of nonduality. Well done! Noble son, you have borne witness yourself to this gateway to the Dharma,30 and so you have established countless beings in unsurpassed and perfect awakening!”

The gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, humans, and nonhumans who were present then made various offerings to the Blessed One. [B3]

At that moment Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta draped his shawl over one shoulder, prostrated toward the Blessed One with his palms joined, and praised the Blessed One with the following verses, requesting him to teach the Dharma:

The Blessed One gave his consent to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta by not saying a word and thought, “I will enter into that type of absorption, and, through that absorption, I will emanate bodies that will sit in all those storied mansions. I will then please those assemblies and make them grow weary of saṁsāra.”

The Blessed One entered the absorption known as the array of light. With his mind in meditative equipoise, the blessed Buddha entered each and every one of those storied mansions and took a seat. [F.111.b] The bodhisattva Filled with Amazement then asked the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies, “Noble son, which of these innumerable storied mansions is the storied mansion in which the Thus-Gone One is sitting? Through the empowering force of the Buddha, we see his body residing in all those mansions. What is this all about?”

The bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies replied, “Noble son, the term thus-gone one is inexpressible. Even ignorance is without elaborations in the teachings of the Buddha. Noble son, does the past mind achieve awakening?”

“No, noble son.”

“Does the future mind achieve awakening?”

“No, noble son.”

“Is there a dwelling place for the present mind and thoughts?”

“No, noble son.”

“If the mind and thoughts lack a present dwelling place, how could something that does not dwell anywhere achieve awakening?”

“Noble son, once all the phenomena of the three times are abandoned, is it not the case that there is no comprehension of phenomena?”

“Permanence and impermanence are completely abandoned. There is no transmigration, no birth, no cessation, and no contact. Conditioned and unconditioned phenomena are baseless. All things are like space and lack awakening and transmigration. Just as space has no past, present, or future, and no conceit, awakening also has no past, present, or future. Just as space lacks concepts and conceptualization, the awakening of the buddhas also lacks concepts and conceptualization. Just as space lacks darkness and light, the qualities of the buddhas also lack darkness and light. [F.112.a] Just as space lacks forms and is undefinable, the qualities of the buddhas also lack forms and are undefinable. Just as space is unborn and unceasing, the qualities of the buddhas are also unborn and unceasing. Just as space lacks going, the qualities of the buddhas also lack the apprehension of going. Just as space is groundless, the qualities of the buddhas are also groundless. Just as space lacks contact, the qualities of the buddhas also lack contact. Just as space lacks the apprehension of a path, the qualities of the buddhas also lack the apprehension of a path. Just as space is insubstantial and devoid of characteristics, the qualities of the buddhas are also insubstantial and devoid of characteristics. Just as space is inexpressible and lacks words, the awakening of the buddhas is also inexpressible and lacks words. Just as space lacks permanence and impermanence, the qualities of the buddhas also lack permanence and impermanence. Just as space lacks a body and lacks origination, the qualities of the buddhas also lack a body and lack origination. Just as space lacks apprehended objects and lacks abiding, the qualities of the buddhas also lack apprehended objects and lack abiding. Just as space has no support, is baseless, lacks observation, and lacks conceptualization, ascending, knowledge, going, coming, origin, limit, disturbance, torment, examination, commenting, vision, concepts, darkness, entities, marks, and manifestation, noble son, the qualities of the buddhas also lack everything from having no support up to lacking marks.

“Noble son, [F.112.b] the qualities of the buddhas are said to be unborn. The qualities of the buddhas have the characteristic of being nondual and they dwell in the realm of phenomena. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in the realm of sentient beings, and the qualities of the buddhas are contained in the realm of space. Noble son, the qualities of the buddhas are contained in thoughts and concepts. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in the realms, various places, and superior places.33 The qualities of the buddhas are contained in knowing, not knowing, advanced knowledge, thorough knowledge, and complete knowledge. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in the absence of marks, in correct characteristics, in partial characteristics, in complete characteristics, and in subsequent characteristics. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in the absence of transcendence, in thorough transcendence, in transcendence, and in subsequent transcendence. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in accepting, rejecting, clinging, and appropriation. The characteristics of the buddhas are contained in light, total illumination, subsequent illumination, the absence of illumination, and the absence of absolute illumination. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in what is genuine, completely genuine, subsequently genuine, not fully genuine, and not absolutely genuine. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in statements, thorough statements, full statements, subsequent statements, absolute statements, and complete statements. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in full knowledge, complete knowledge, identical knowledge, and subsequent knowledge. The qualities of the buddhas are contained in forms, full forms, identical forms, [F.113.a] true forms, and complete forms. Noble son, the awakening of the buddhas is contained in conduct, thorough conduct, identical conduct, subsequent conduct, and complete conduct. Noble son, awakening is contained in expressions, thorough expressions, subsequent expressions, identical expressions, and complete expressions. Noble son, awakening is contained in enumeration, thorough enumeration, identical enumeration, subsequent enumeration, and complete enumeration. Awakening is contained in existence, thorough existence, subsequent existence, and complete existence. Noble son, awakening is contained in elaboration, thorough elaboration, freedom from elaboration, subsequent elaboration, and complete elaboration.

“Noble son, one should regard the awakening of the buddhas as devoid of apprehension, like space. Noble son, is anyone able to expand, measure, rival, ornament, or depict space?”

“No, noble son, no one is able to do so.”

“Noble son, the qualities of the buddhas are like space. Just as space cannot be expanded in any way, the qualities of the buddhas cannot be expanded in any way. Noble son, why do you inquire about those storied mansions where the Blessed One is sitting and where the body of the Buddha manifests?”

As the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies gave this elaborate explanation of the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality, 5,700,000,000 bodhisattvas achieved the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena and 4,200,000,000 of them reached the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality that sets forth the secrets of the thus-gone ones. This entire buddha realm flourished, and [F.113.b] the beings living on earth and in the sky applauded and exclaimed, “This holy being’s excellent teaching revealing the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality that sets forth the secrets of the thus-gone ones is excellent, excellent!”

At that moment, the Blessed One rose from his absorption known as mastery over the emergence of light. To the entire assembly’s amazement, all of the buddha bodies and storied mansions disappeared except for the one storied mansion in which they saw the Blessed One sitting.

The bodhisattva Foremost Among Many Kings then asked the bodhisattva Elucidating Seer, “Noble son, where did those storied mansions come from? Where have they gone?”

The bodhisattva Elucidating Seer replied, “Noble son, you still entertain the perceptions of going and coming.”

The bodhisattva Foremost Among Many Kings said, “Noble son, coming is a term for transience, and going is a term for the lack of self.”

The bodhisattva Elucidating Seer replied, “Noble son, terms for transience and terms for the lack of self are terms that imply possession and ownership. People who are attached to possession and ownership adhere to the following four mistaken views: they engage in practice (1) while perceiving what is impermanent as permanent, and (2) perceiving suffering as happiness, and they engage in practice (3) while perceiving what is impure as pure, and (4) perceiving what lacks a self as having a self. People who engage in those mental errors will incur the following five hindrances: they will not abandon the hindrances of (1) craving sense pleasures, (2) ill will, (3) sloth and torpor [F.114.a] or laziness, (4) agitation and regret, and (5) doubt.34

“Noble son, whoever incurs these five hindrances will engage in the five acts with immediate retribution. People who have not abandoned the five acts with immediate retribution will not see rebirth among gods or humans, to say nothing of the awakening of the hearers! And if that is the case for those who lack the awakening of the hearers, what need is there to mention those who lack the awakening of the solitary buddhas and the awakening of the buddhas? One who has not abandoned possession and ownership has also not abandoned permanence and annihilation. How could people who adhere to annihilationist views engage in virtuous actions and observe virtuous conduct? How could people who adhere to views of permanence engage in virtuous practices and in practices aimed at liberation? People who adhere to views of permanence and annihilation will not see rebirth among gods or humans, to say nothing of the awakening of the hearers or the solitary buddhas! How could they reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening? Since the silent members of this gathering who have assembled here are not contaminated by the vehicles of the hearers or the solitary buddhas because they do not adhere to wrong views such as ownership and possession, noble son, see to it that you do not say such things.”

The bodhisattva Subāhu then asked, “Noble son, should one not focus on the perceptions of going and coming? And if one does not focus on those, how should one provide bodhisattvas who are worthy recipients of gifts with the requisite belongings and provisions? How should one honor one’s parents? How should one care for the sick?”

“Noble son, the following things lack mental elaboration: objects, close objects, supreme objects, other objects, objects of reverence, going, fully going, completely going, subsequent going, and going elsewhere. All of those terms lack mental elaboration. How can that be? [F.114.b] Noble son, concepts, thoughts, subsequent thoughts, complete thoughts, and supreme thoughts lead to, lend strength to, and establish one in saṃsāra. The flower may be birth among the gods or humans, but the fruit is dying and being reborn over and over in the three lower realms. All such thoughts related to the eight fleeting concerns have faults. All things that are related to conduct, thorough conduct, complete conduct, and subsequent conduct lead to the abandonment of noble acceptance.”

“Noble son, are those who practice virtue in order to accomplish the qualities of the buddhas in conflict with this noble acceptance?”

“Noble son, those who have little desire for noble qualities and great desire for negative deeds are in conflict with this noble acceptance. They destroy it, toss it aside, and delude themselves about it. It is said that those who have completely rejected virtuous qualities indulge in desirous thoughts, and those who indulge in desirous thoughts are in conflict with and destroy the acceptance of proper conduct. Those who lack the group of qualities related to that acceptance reject it. Noble son, the group of qualities related to the noble acceptance includes the vows related to speech, the mind, and the six sense fields; not accumulating karma; the inexpressible; the effortless; the nonconceptual; and the absence of thoughts, the absence of an object of observation, and the absence of observation by the mind or the mental faculty. All their mental, physical, and verbal actions lead to delusion about this noble acceptance, because they lack this group of qualities. All their concepts related to the notion that phenomena are to be undertaken, are immoveable, and have characteristics also lead to delusion about this noble acceptance, because they lack this group of qualities.

“Someone who cultivates this group of qualities of the noble acceptance, such as the lack of physical, verbal, and mental activity; immutability; the absence of characteristics; and the absence of concepts, pursues the ultimate nature of the Dharma of nonduality and realizes the ultimate truth. [F.115.a] Anyone with the slightest understanding of the ultimate nature of all afflictions and the ultimate nature of all phenomena cultivates this acceptance. Those who do not argue about words, who have subdued all the afflictions, who do not waver from the inexpressible, who are not attached to any philosophical doctrine, and who understand that phenomena are known to be unborn and unarisen cultivate this acceptance. Those who dwell in the realm of phenomena while devoting themselves to the realm of beings, who consider the realm of phenomena and the realm of beings to be identical, who do not differentiate between them, and who are not in conflict with the realm of characteristics cultivate this acceptance.

“Those for whom all phenomena lack a cognitive basis, are devoid of self and other, and lack appearances because they are unborn, and who understand that all phenomena lack apprehension lack arising, lack a body, and lack cultivation; are unborn; lack death and transmigration; lack support; are unwavering, immutable, and free from the concepts of existence and nonexistence; are not a vessel; lack thoughts; are free from attachment; are undefiled, bereft of class, intrinsically pure, unstained, and devoid of afflictions; lack superimpositions; do not occur anywhere; and lack conflict cultivate this acceptance.

“Those who focus on things such as freedom from conditions; pacifying all wandering; completely transcending all wicked paths; nonorigination, nonengagement, and not delaying; not apprehending any objects; completely transcending consciousness; lacking imputation, not commenting, the lack of coming, the lack of basis, nonabiding, the absence of seed, and rootlessness; stabilizing, pacifying, and completely pacifying the mind; the complete absence of torment; reaching the ultimate goal; not giving rise to rebirth; [F.115.b] and delighting in nirvāṇa will perfect this acceptance. Those who focus on concepts, thoughts, ideas, reflections, imagination, going, departing, advancing, and approaching will not cultivate this acceptance.

“Noble son, coming is a term that signifies leading toward. Noble son, when there is no leading and leading toward there is no going and no coming. One should cultivate the acceptance of the gateway to the Dharma of nonduality in order to completely destroy the basis of going and coming. Noble son, the observation of the characteristics of actions expressed by the term coming comes to pass because one has abandoned the cultivation of this acceptance. Noble son, the primary cause of the characteristics of actions expressed by the term going is the absence of characteristics. This is called cultivating acceptance of freedom from characteristics.

“The primary cause of the characteristics of purpose expressed by the term coming comes about due to a rejection of acceptance and is not the cultivation of acceptance. Noble son, the expression going refers to the cultivation of the acceptance of the destruction, nonexistence, and pacification of purpose.

“Noble son, the characteristics of origination expressed by the term coming are delusions about acceptance, not the cultivation of acceptance. Noble son, the characteristics of nonobservation and refutation expressed by the term going refer to the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of the gateway of observation expressed by the term coming are not cultivated for this acceptance and are in conflict with this acceptance. Pacification and the characteristics of the destruction of apprehension expressed by the term going refer to the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of the basis expressed by the term coming are destructive35 to this acceptance and are not the cultivation of acceptance. Noble son, the disappearance and the pacification of the basis expressed by the term going refer to the cultivation of this acceptance. [F.116.a]

“Noble son, the characteristics of origination expressed by the term coming are an abandonment of acceptance and are not the cultivation of this acceptance. Pacification and the characteristics of the destruction of causes expressed by the term going refer to the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of words and conventional terms expressed by the term coming are not the cultivation of this acceptance. The state in which conventional terms are pacified expressed by the term going refers to the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, drowning in the river of ignorance in the past and the future expressed by the term coming is delusion about this acceptance and is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to vast peace and abandoning knowledge and ignorance of the past and future, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, the characteristics of physical, verbal, and mental conduct expressed by the term coming are not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification of formations such as craving, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the characteristics of the terms for the pacification of consciousness and dispassionate conduct, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the disappearance of consciousness, cognition, and analysis, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of the arising of name and form, it is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification of name and form, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of discipline, involvement, and sense pleasures, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification and disappearance of the six sense faculties, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of other terms for meditation on the stream of contact, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to flowing down the river of contact, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When going refers to cutting off the stream of the three types of feeling, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When coming refers to engaging the basis of craving, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. [F.116.b] When going refers to the abandonment and disappearance of craving, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when coming refers to the characteristics of terms for engaging in grasping, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the elimination of grasping, it is the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to the characteristics of the term for strong attachment to cultivation, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the way in which something produced is thoroughly comprehended, it is the cultivation of this acceptance.36

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the characteristics of a term for entering a womb once again, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the destruction of birth, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“When the term coming refers to a term for pursuing happiness over and over, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the abandonment and extinction of old age, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the characteristics of the state of repeatedly falling into the waters of the river of death, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to crossing over the river of death, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the characteristics of the state of pursuing misery, lamentation, unhappiness, and distress, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification of all forms of suffering and distress, it expresses the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the characteristics of the state of the arising of all manner of suffering associated with formations; the arising of old age, death, and transmigration; and the arising of the suffering associated with meeting and parting, this is not the cultivation of this acceptance. When the term going refers to the pacification of all forms of suffering associated with formations, this is the cultivation of this acceptance.

“Noble son, when the term coming refers to the arising of all manner of suffering and the nature of the generation of the four mistaken views, it hinders the cultivation of all manner of virtues. Noble son, the term going refers to complete pacification and is the antidote to the mistaken views associated with suffering. Therefore, noble son, the term coming is an expression of something that leads to all forms of affliction, [F.117.a] while the term going is a term that expresses something that does not lead to any association with the habitual tendencies of the afflictions.

“Therefore, noble son, bodhisattvas do not waver from the inexpressible. They are not attached to any expression. They do not argue about the realm of phenomena of words.37 A bodhisattva for whom there are no apprehended objects, no arising, no body, and no origination, who has cut the stream of observing all manner of perceptions and is free from the concepts of existence and nonexistence, perfects this acceptance.”

As this teaching was being delivered by the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies, 99 sextillion bodhisattvas led by Subāhu achieved the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. All the beings who dwelt on land and in the sky in the entire buddha realm applauded in unison, exclaiming, “Noble son, the way that you have set forth this profound method of Dharma and showered us with such a rain of Dharma so that we are filled with eloquence regarding reveling in the complete qualities of a bodhisattva, the supernormal faculties, and nonattachment is excellent!”

At that moment the many gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas who had gathered from the ten directions yearned and were determined to perform an offering to the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies with divine flowers, garlands, perfumes, and ointments. As they scattered flowers, garlands, perfumes, and ointments on his body, that noble son used the power of his absorption to magically transform them into the various precious substances. The pile fell to one side and transformed into a lion throne for the Blessed One made of the seven precious gems that was a thousand leagues high and ten leagues wide, covered with divine fabrics, and delightful to behold. [F.117.b]

All of the followers of lowly ascetic practices‍—the non-Buddhists and followers of other ascetic orders in this buddha realm who had resolved to exert themselves in observances, rules of conduct, and the four modes of conduct, as well as the non-Buddhists and followers of other ascetic orders who had resolved to exert themselves in observances, rules of conduct, and the four positions in countless realms throughout the ten directions that are empty of buddhas or inundated with the five impurities‍—gazed upon this lion throne made of the seven precious substances. Some who were engaging in the five-fires ascetic practice could be seen prostrating to the sun and the moon; some were carrying water, some were carrying mud, and some were carrying water and mud; some had long hair, some had beards, and some had long hair and beards; some were standing on one foot or raising one arm; some were feeding on forest roots and leaves; some were lying on nails; some had smeared their bodies with ashes from bones; some wore garlands of human skulls; and some were seen holding skulls in the palms of their hands. There were other non-Buddhists there as well who practiced the staff observance, the dog observance, the pig observance, the deer observance, the bird observance,38 the fire observance, the moon observance, the sun observance, the water observance, the ladder observance, and various ascetic healing practices, and even more who had mastered exerting themselves in ascetic practices, observances, rules of conduct, and the four positions. At that time all of those various practitioners of lowly ascetic practices were seen there at the lion throne.

A parasol made of the seven precious substances that was ten thousand leagues wide hung in the sky above the lion throne, and on that parasol one could see various types of ornaments made of celestial gems. Various conventional names of wrong views resounded from those ornaments. For instance, they emitted the sounds of the conventional names of the sixty-two wrong views, such as the view of annihilation; the view of permanence; the view of the transitory collection; the view that holds extreme beliefs; the view that regards discipline and observances as superior; [F.118.a] the view that happiness arises on the basis of desire; the view of disputing and finding fault with one another, cutting off heads, and gouging out the eyes; and the view by which one abandons the view regarding the path of the ten virtuous actions.

All the bodhisattvas who had arrived in this buddha realm from the infinite, countless pure buddha realms in the ten directions heard those sounds and saw those beings at the lion throne who were engaged in those various types of unwholesome customs and observances. They became utterly disheartened and thought, “Alas! Who are those beings holding afflicted views that we see in this Sahā buddha realm, which is inundated with the five impurities? We should return to our respective buddha realms!”

Although they wanted to leave this buddha realm, they did not know which way to go to their respective realms, so they prostrated to the bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies with their palms together and said, “Noble son, we want to leave this buddha realm and return to our respective buddha realms. Noble son, since this buddha realm is utterly obscured by inexplicable views and elicits doubt, even the slightest of our bodily, verbal, and mental actions will be misunderstood,39 so we want to leave immediately. But we have lost our sense of direction and we do not know which way to go to our respective realms. Noble son, please enable us to return to our respective buddha realms!”

The bodhisattva Uncovering the Enemies replied to those bodhisattvas who had come from the buddha realms of the ten directions, “Noble sons, are you not followers of the Great Vehicle?”

“Noble son, we entered the path of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening a long time ago!” [F.118.b]

“Noble sons, because of their aspiration to ripen beings who must be tamed, those who are intent upon awakening are steadfast and do not hesitate to take birth among the hell beings. The same goes for taking birth in the animal realm, the preta realm, buddha realms inundated with the five impurities, and among poor yakṣas, poor humans, demons, and non-Buddhists who have fallen into different types of wrong views and are filled with doubts. The fact that they take birth in those places due to their aspiration to tame beings is referred to as the bravery of the bodhisattvas. They go to places like that with firm diligence and great courage. There are beings with the root of ignorance who congregate together, live in the forest their entire lives, and defile the path of perfect peace.40 These beings kill living creatures and diligently engage in the ten nonvirtuous actions. They perfect inferior views and are not afraid of the afterlife. Bodhisattvas should resolve to undergo mental and physical suffering themselves out of pity for beings who perfect views of permanence and annihilation. A single being can be devoted to the six perfections in order to ripen all beings, a single action can cause one to plant the seed and remain on the path of the ten virtuous actions, and a single excellent statement can lead to comprehension. Therefore, for the sake of every being, bodhisattvas diligently undergo many types of suffering for myriads of eons.

“Noble sons, bodhisattvas have two types of armor, and the armor that bodhisattvas wear is what allows them to seize the four māras and be known as bodhisattvas. What are those two? The armor of beings and the armor of the qualities of the buddha realms. Noble sons, what is the bodhisattvas’ armor of beings? [F.119.a] Noble sons, bodhisattvas develop resolve and are courageous because of their steadfast diligence, and by exerting themselves in the six perfections and cultivating love, they ripen beings who are destitute, who involve themselves with the roots of nonvirtue, who commit the acts with immediate retribution, who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who are separated41 from the pure buddha realms. Bodhisattvas liberate beings from the sixty-two types of wrong views out of great compassion, so one should train to be a refuge for afflicted beings! You should gain their favor using the four means of attracting disciples‍—generosity, pleasant speech, altruistic actions, and consistency with the meaning!

“Winning the favor of beings by using generosity as a means for attracting disciples refers to bodhisattvas who give some gift, from food and drink up to their own head, out of generosity and dedicate it using skillful means and thus master the six perfections. When bodhisattvas who give a gift have given up on marks, this is the perfection of generosity. When they have pacified the observation of entities, this is the perfection of discipline. When they are not impatient toward any object, this is the bodhisattva’s perfection of patience. When they give away their possessions and set out to practice in the wilderness, this is a bodhisattva’s perfection of diligence. When they give away their possessions and stop engaging in any activity, this is the bodhisattva’s perfection of concentration. When there is no sense of ownership due to giving something as a gift, and when no desire for anything in return for that thing occurs to one’s mind in solitude, this nonorigination, nonconceptual thought, nonarising, nonexistence, and lack of anything to be eliminated regarding both receiving and giving is a bodhisattva’s perfection of insight into the acceptance of the nonarising nature of phenomena. [F.119.b]

“How can the skillful means of a bodhisattva bring about mastery of the six perfections just by giving away a single coin? Noble sons, someone with the characteristics of a bodhisattva trains in the following way. They do not fixate on gifts that bring great pleasure because there is no body. They do not reject a gift because it causes great pleasure.42 They do not perceive a gift that brings great pleasure. Naturally possessing this power is the perfection of generosity.

“Since they do not wish for anything related to the desire realm in return, they cut the stream related to giving a gift. Likewise, they cut the stream related to generosity because they do not wish for anything in return related to the form or the formless realms. Giving a gift while diligently avoiding engaging characteristics and focusing on the unborn and unceasing power of recollection is the perfection of discipline.43

“Generosity that is devoid of conceit and focuses continuously on its object‍—the natural absence of the characteristics of distraction, of elaboration with respect to the object of recollection, and of acceptance and rejection‍—is the perfection of patience.

“Generosity that is the wisdom that applies mindfulness of the continual arising of all forms of apprehension; the wisdom that abandons practices that are in disharmony with the path; the wisdom that is disconnected from the paths of the hearers and the solitary buddhas; entirely out of compassion, protecting those who follow inferior and corrupted paths and are tormented by anger and establishing them on the path of peace; and giving a gift so that they may embrace the Great Vehicle because it brings one joy while practicing in the wilderness is a bodhisattva’s perfection of diligence.

“Such generosity leads to everything having the same characteristic, and by attaining absorption on all objects one realizes that they are like an empty city. One realizes that the mind is devoid of all marks and that it is nonexistent. One realizes that all desires depend upon conditions and that they are unsurpassed,44 that all concepts are bodiless and have the characteristic of instantly disintegrating, [F.120.a] and that all bases are nonexistent and have the characteristic of not going, not departing, and not arising. This is the bodhisattva’s perfection of concentration.

“Generosity that is not based upon the aggregates of the desire realm due to thoughts about the self, thoughts about the wilderness, thoughts about desiring something in return, or thoughts based on a concept of receiving; generosity that is free from acceptance and rejection with respect to the earth element; generosity that is free from acceptance and rejection with respect to the water, fire, air, space, and consciousness elements; generosity that does not entertain thoughts or concepts in order to tame the hearers and the solitary buddhas; generosity that is the arising of space in the aggregates and the elements, the nonobservation of an inherent nature of form, and complete nonobservation of an inherent nature in the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind, consciousness, and mental phenomena; generosity through the power of recollection; giving a gift without severing the stream of marks by cultivating the lack of conceptual thought with diligence; generosity that does not observe any type of liberation; and giving the gift of being unadulterated because everything is unarisen and unborn while transmigrating and being reborn‍—this is said to be the bodhisattva’s perfection of insight.

“Furthermore, generosity that does not conceive of a self and undeniably provides all types of enjoyment; that leads to acceptance with respect to the arising of all forms of happiness; that has unlimited diligence regarding beings and that lacks acceptance and rejection regarding all marks; that lacks abiding in concentration; that is insight into the three realms; and that is free from all observation is the method by which bodhisattvas give the gift of a single coin. By giving rise to the appropriate attitude and dedicating the merit, they are established in all six perfections. [F.120.b]

“They develop a firm conviction to tame the hearers and solitary buddhas, but they do not give rise to desire for the vehicles of hearers and solitary buddhas. They associate with all beings in order to tame non-Buddhists, but they do not adhere to their mistaken views. They dedicate all their acts of generosity and their roots of the ten virtues that lead to the accomplishment of omniscience in order to sustain all beings. They inspire those who have developed views of ownership to persistently observe discipline and to engage in genuine ascetic practices and observances. They dedicate their roots of virtue to ripen beings in the hell realms, in the animal realms, and in the world of the Lord of Death, and to liberate them from their suffering. They think, ‘I am not afraid of the suffering of the hell realms, the animal realms, or the world of the Lord of Death, and also I intentionally take rebirth in those very places through the power of firm and compassionate diligence and courageous aspirations.’ They are endowed with all forms of patience for the sake of ripening all beings. They investigate all momentary formations. They watch over the entire homeland. Their courage and diligence are founded on all the roots of virtue so that they can ripen all beings. They associate with all teachers and with those who are not teachers in order to ripen all beings, and they exert themselves in the practice of entering into concentration and absorption.

“After examining the absence of formations, they generate the view of a self by practicing the paths of the māras that belong to every land, and give rise to insight in order to tame beings. All the practices in the lands of foolish beings generate the view of a self. In order to ripen beings, bodhisattvas transcend all worldly domains and practice concentration. [F.121.a] They look at the practices related to the paths of all worldly domains. They give everything away in order to ripen all beings. Noble sons, in order to please all beings, you should liberate destitute beings from their state of poverty with the armor of beings, the ornament that ripens beings, and the means of attracting disciples of the bodhisattvas!

“Furthermore, noble sons, ripening beings and giving gifts to beings is the perfection of generosity. It grants beings whatever they wish. It ripens those who wish for material things using gifts of material things, and it satisfies and ripens those who wish for the Dharma with Dharma teachings that take whatever form is appropriate for those beings. This is the bodhisattva’s perfection of generosity.

“Furthermore, noble sons, as they ripen beings, the material gifts they give ripen the recipients of their generosity by generating in them a loving attitude. They ripen them by generating an attitude of joy in their minds, and those beings will develop the virtuous attitude that consists of diligently cultivating all forms of compassion. The bodhisattvas ripen those beings by generating in them the virtuous attitude of equanimity and of not committing negative deeds. They ripen them by generating states of absorption in their minds and by generating in them the attitudes of relying on the meaning and of the lack of self.

“Furthermore, they ripen them by generating the initial thought of awakening in the minds and thoughts of those who receive the gifts they give. They ripen some recipients by making those who practice conduct for awakening grow weary of cyclic existence. [F.121.b] The bodhisattvas ripen those among them who have been practicing bodhisattva conduct for a long time by teaching and explaining the Dharma to them so they will stop practicing the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas and reach the level of nonregression from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. The holy beings who have attained the absorptions, dhāraṇīs, and acceptances ripen those who have reached the level of nonregression by teaching and explaining to them the Dharma related to the aspects of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and the lack of self. Those bodhisattvas also make aspirations to some bodhisattvas to avoid rebirth in the pure buddha realms and to teach and explain the Dharma related to generating great compassion in buddha realms that are afflicted and inundated with the five impurities.

“In those places, those bodhisattvas will awaken to unsurpassed, complete, perfect buddhahood, cause those who hold wrong views and entertain doubts to practice the three vehicles, and lead them to nirvāṇa. Through such skillful means, they ripen myriad beings. Noble sons, they ripen beings with gifts that are equal to the number of pores on a bodhisattva’s body, whether they be material gifts or gifts of the Dharma. [B4]

“Noble sons, bodhisattvas also ripen beings using pleasant speech as a means of attracting disciples. Noble sons, bodhisattva look upon others with joyful eyes, delight them with pleasant words, and with gentle words motivate beggars and those attending Dharma teachings to listen. They turn beings away from behaviors that lead to negative actions, turn them away from all manner of wrong views, and establish those who lack them with the four qualities. [F.122.a] What are those four? With pleasant and gentle words, (1) they establish discipline in beings who lack discipline; (2) they establish the correct view in beings who lack the correct view; (3) they purify the intention of beings who lack the appropriate intention; and (4) they establish the correct rituals in beings who lack rituals.

“Noble sons, bodhisattvas establish noble discipline in those who lack discipline by using pleasant speech as a means of attracting disciples. They completely fulfill the wishes of beings such as beggars who come before them by pronouncing true and gentle words, and they also converse with them and tame them with their pleasant speech. By using pleasant speech, they place and establish all beings who follow the path of the ten virtuous actions on the path of the ten virtuous actions. They convert those who observe unwholesome discipline, and they establish discipline in them. They convert those who are lazy, and they establish them in the vehicle of the hearers. They convert those who wish for their own happiness, and they establish them in the vehicle of the solitary buddhas.

“Furthermore, they establish the cultivation of diligence in those who are lazy, and they establish faithful diligence in those who lack faith. They provide those with little learning with extensive learning, those with confused insight with excellent insight, and those who have no friends with friends. They also cause those beings who are estranged from and disrespectful toward their parents to become respectful toward them, to serve the sick, and they convert them and establish them as seers. They cause abusive beings to develop love and beings who lack compassion to develop compassion. [F.122.b] They bring joy to those who are depressed and equanimity to those who are passionate. They cause beings in the three lower realms to proceed to a blissful rebirth among the gods by establishing discipline in them. They provide the gods of the desire realm with the blissful concentrations of the gods of the form realm by establishing the concentrations in them. They provide those who are attached to the concentrations with the meditative absorptions of the form realm. They provide those who are attached to the meditative absorptions of the formless realms with teachings on impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and the lack of self. They teach those who are attached to the perception of a self not to fear the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping and that they are like water bubbles and mirages, and they teach beings who shoot arrows, wield swords, and kill.45 They establish beings in the result of the stream enterers, and in the other results up to the level of the worthy ones.

“Furthermore, they reveal the qualities of the buddhas to those beings who are devoted to inferior teachings and are not devoted to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. They instill and establish in them unwavering devotion toward the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. They teach beings who hold mistaken views that they are mistaken, and encourage beings who maintain the discipline of rival non-Buddhists to take the threefold refuge. They provide them with and establish in them the vows of lay practitioners and ordained monks and the mundane and supramundane disciplines of the noble ones. They establish in those beings who will take birth in the three lower realms because of the discipline of non-Buddhists the state of a worldly being who will attain birth in the human and god realms through mundane forms of discipline, such as the path of the ten virtuous actions and supramundane forms of discipline such as the vows for the noble training. [F.123.a] They ripen the gods of the desire realm the same way. They establish beings who observe mundane discipline in the discipline of the vows of the noble training. They ripen beings who have achieved the result of the path of being devoid of the passions. They ripen those who follow the vehicle of the hearers by motivating them to join the vehicle of the solitary buddhas. They ripen those who follow the vehicle of the solitary buddhas by establishing in them and motivating them to take on the discipline of the six perfections that is the domain of the bodhisattvas’ qualities. Through their skillful means, the bodhisattvas thus motivate those who follow the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas to adopt the discipline of the noble bodhisattvas.

“Noble sons, what is the discipline of the noble bodhisattvas? Bodhisattvas live among beings who harm others, without harming anyone. Bodhisattvas live among beings who take what is not given, without thinking of stealing others’ wealth, without engaging in sexual misconduct with others’ wives, and without deceiving others with lies. They do not use divisive speech and do not use harsh speech toward any beings. They have abandoned idle gossip, they have abandoned the desire and intent to do harm, they have abandoned covetousness, and they have abandoned the teachings of non-Buddhists since they have eliminated mental impurity. They are unfailing in showing interest in and dedication to the qualities of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and they are eager to hear about them. They give rise to unfailing devotion to the trainings and they are afraid of committing even the slightest misdeed. Since they have no interest in other vehicles, their discipline remains unbroken. Since they are weary of the dreadful realms of rebirth, their discipline is not ruined. [F.123.b] Since they have abandoned the habitual tendencies of the afflictions, their discipline is uncorrupted. Since they propagate the pure Dharma, they are not criticized by the wise. They speak mindfully, their absorptions are free from wrongdoing, and they guard their six senses. Since they have completely abandoned desire and lust, their attitude is praised. In order to pique the interest of gods and humans, they ripen them by giving up the distractions of arguing and fighting. In order to protect beings, they practice love while residing among beings who lack compassion. Their minds can withstand all forms of suffering and they do not hesitate to take birth in the lower realms. They eliminate their own mistaken views and ripen beings by arguing against and rejecting the mistaken views of others.

“Bodhisattvas exercise virtuous diligence among the beings in this buddha realm inundated with afflictions and the five impurities who do limitless deeds, who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, who are lazy, and who involve themselves with roots of nonvirtue. In order to purify their body, speech, and mind, they exercise diligence in discipline, learning, generosity, concentration, the immeasurable activities, and the roots of virtue associated with the formless realm. They endeavor to purify and eliminate the fetters of the views associated with the latent afflicted tendencies and the aggregates of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm; the marks of hypocrisy and flattery; the marks of the transitory collection; and extreme views, and they ripen beings by providing them with and establishing them in their roots of virtue. Noble sons, the exertion with which the bodhisattvas don the armor of diligence and discipline in order to ripen beings is the mundane means of using pleasant speech to attract disciples. [F.124.a]

“With the skillful means of such an armor, the power of the bodhisattvas, who are the greatest people in this afflicted buddha realm inundated with the five impurities, ripens beings who commit the acts of immediate retribution, who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who involve themselves with roots of nonvirtue. Such is the kind of power that people who are bodhisattvas in the impure buddha realms possess. Noble sons, those bodhisattvas who possess great compassion and engage in the practices of the six perfections in buddha realms inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities at that time are thus the ones who are to be known by this teaching as bodhisattvas.46 They ripen beings as numerous as the pores on their bodies with pleasant speech as a means of attracting disciples.47

“Noble sons, what is the supramundane discipline of the bodhisattvas, how do they ripen beings, and what is using altruistic actions as a means of attracting disciples? Noble sons, bodhisattvas are bound to this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities out of steadfast great compassion and because of their own extraordinary aspirations. For example, when they experience suffering, then fear, terror, and feelings of being threatened will not arise in their minds and thoughts, just like when a domesticated animal is tied to a tree. If these feelings do arise a little, they train themselves to cultivate great compassion from one momentary thought to the next in order to ripen beings, thinking, ‘Being is a mere label, a mere mistaken concept, a mere delusion, a mere convention, an incorrect idea. Primordial purity is referred to as being, but that establishes nothing but a false delusion. [F.124.b] When the various mistaken views of compounded phenomena multiply, one experiences suffering and mental distress. All conditioned things are like an actor’s stage, like a dream, and have the nature of a mirage. Those who are attached to saṃsāra wish for happiness, and as that develops, they experience various forms of suffering. Since they do not understand that all phenomena have the nature of space, they are deluded by the fetters and experience the diseases of the different types of suffering generated by their intoxication. I shall eliminate the four mistaken views of those who cycle like a solid wheel through the five realms of saṃsāra driven by suffering! I will establish them on the path leading to peace, and ripen them with all types of genuine suffering!’

“They understand beings as they are, without observing any beings whatsoever. They do not observe any life force, soul, person, human, or living creature at all. They never give up their great compassion in order to ripen beings. Their devotion to the teachings causes beings to adopt supramundane discipline, and their skillful means establishes them in it. They wander so that they may live in forests and remote places. While exercising diligence in order to eliminate all distractions they adopt the practice of mindful attention toward the five aggregates that are the basis of grasping so that they may fulfill the desires of gods and humans. They approach beings and teach them the Dharma to ensure that they engage in acts of homage and reverence, and that they abandon distractions. In order to eliminate their latent tendencies, they have them adopt the approach of purifying their attachment to and desire for the five destinies. In order to eliminate all the numerous faulty views, the senses of ownership and possession, and the views of permanence and annihilation, they generate respect for those who dwell in solitude and establish beings in the twelve ascetic practices. [F.125.a] The Buddha has authorized them to teach the supramundane discipline, and all the beings endowed with this supramundane discipline destroy all desires associated with the desire realm and all desires associated with the form realm and formless realm. They destroy all their latent tendencies and all senses of ownership and possession. They will quickly achieve the acceptance of the words of the profound Dharma that is hard to fathom, and they will swiftly awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.

“Beings who observe mundane discipline are continually overwhelmed by suffering, and those who dwell in the wheel of the five destinies and dwell on notions of ownership and possession do not know the path of awakening. Likewise, for beings who are free from needs due to the great miraculous power that is the supramundane discipline, the self has no basis at all. Being, the life force, the soul, the person, humans, and living creatures have no basis. Forms have no basis. Feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses have no basis. The earth element has no basis, nor does the water, fire, or air element. Their thoughts do not dwell on the eye and the attributes of form. They do not dwell on the ear and the attributes of sound. They do not dwell on the nose and the attributes of smell. They do not dwell on the tongue and the attributes of taste. They do not dwell on the body and the attributes of tactile objects. They do not dwell on the mind and the attributes of mental phenomena. They do not dwell on the attributes of body, speech, and mind. They do not dwell on the attributes of the nature of possession. They do not dwell on the attributes of permanence and annihilation. They do not dwell on the view of the transitory collection or on extreme views. They do not dwell on concepts, thoughts, ideas, discursiveness, or imagination. They do not dwell on misery, grief, sorrow, or on the distress associated with destruction and duality. [F.125.b] They do not dwell on emptiness, the absence of purpose, the absence of marks, or the continuum of the three realms. They do not dwell on the absence of development, the absence of arising, the absence of origination, the absence of creation, or the absence of actualization. They do not dwell on the three times. They do not dwell on the characteristics of the mind and the mental faculty. They do not dwell on affliction, purification, anger, rage, or on the smallest particles that instantly disintegrate. They do not dwell on the supernatural perceptions and the like. They do not dwell on the vows of the vehicle of the hearers. They do not dwell on the vehicle of the solitary buddhas. They do not dwell on any marks, and they do not dwell on conceit regarding the six perfections. The outward movement of the mental consciousness abides like space and abides in that way based on distinguishing what is true and what is false.

“They ascertain the nonduality of clinging, they ascertain the nonduality of attachment, they ascertain the nonduality of wisdom, they ascertain the nonduality of yoga, they ascertain the nonduality of the perfections, they ascertain the nonduality of concepts, they ascertain the nonduality of the defilements, they ascertain the nonduality of the path, and they ascertain the nonduality that leads to the absence of afflictions.

“Noble sons, a noble son achieves the acceptance of the profound Dharma by having that kind of discipline and will become an expert in the wisdom that discerns beginningless emptiness. The light of insight will completely clarify the path of awakening. It will no longer be polluted by worldly dharmas, it will no longer be polluted by the deeds of Māra, and it will no longer be polluted by the afflictions associated with habitual tendencies. They will be endowed with the light of insight that illuminates the ten directions, and by giving rise to the power of insight they will fully understand all objects, and all of the qualities of a buddha will shine forth. They will understand the affliction and purification related to the cycle of attachment, nirvāṇa, [F.126.a] existence, and nonexistence, and they will completely transcend all forms of attachment. They will reach the domain that leads to nirvāṇa while appearing in the domain of saṃsāra. They will reach the domain of isolation while appearing attached to all forms of distraction. They will reach the domain of concentration while appearing in the women’s quarters. They will reach the domain of uncompounded phenomena while appearing in the domain of all compounded phenomena. They will reach the domain of the unborn while appearing in the domain of the four māras. They will reach the domain of noble ones while appearing in what is not the domain of noble ones. They will completely transcend the domain of the world while appearing in the domain of the entire world. They will reach the domain of wisdom while appearing in the domain of foolish beings. They will actually reach the ultimate realm of reality and engage in the conduct of the bodhisattvas’ domain while enjoying the conduct of the domains of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.

“They will practice and cultivate the perfection of insight within the domain of the absence of characteristics of all objects. They will strive to perceive the assembly in the realm of the buddhas with their major and minor marks while discerning and understanding the domain of the four māras. They will worship the thus-gone ones, strive to travel to all of the buddha realms to be in their presence, and will practice all of the thus-gone ones’ teachings. They will perfect all the buddha realms and enter the domain of omniscient wisdom. They will ripen beings in virtuous practices related to everything one observes. They will turn the mountain of afflictions into dust, [F.126.b] eliminate all mental elaborations, destroy all views, and establish beings in the qualities of the buddhas.

“Noble sons, when bodhisattvas engage in the practice of the six perfections in that manner among beings who involve themselves with roots of nonvirtue in buddha realms inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, they motivate those beings to adopt the supramundane discipline using altruistic actions as a means of attracting disciples and they establish them in that discipline. Because they have this quality, those who establish beings in the altruistic action that is the quality of a buddha take on the great burden of a bodhisattva. They assemble beings, they gather beings, and they ripen beings. They liberate beings from their state of great poverty, and they establish them in the three doors of liberation. This is how some bodhisattvas exert their strength in impure buddha realms and ripen beings with altruistic actions as numerous as the pores on a bodhisattva’s body.

“Furthermore, noble sons, what is consistency with the meaning, the great strength used by the bodhisattvas to ripen beings? Noble sons, as the bodhisattvas engage in the practice of the six perfections in this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, whenever they exert themselves in the perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight, they motivate beings to adopt those practices. When bodhisattvas who practice generosity give away anything from food and drinks to their head, the most important limb, they demonstrate the qualities of the perfection of generosity and motivate beings to adopt it. When bodhisattvas abandon killing and give rise to compassion toward beings, [F.127.a] they also turn them away from killing and motivate them to adopt a compassionate attitude toward all beings. They talk about everything from establishing beings in supramundane discipline to the correct view.

“Bodhisattvas who develop the five qualities of acceptance themselves, who do everything from cultivating acceptance in order to abandon latent tendencies to achieving the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena, motivate beings to adopt those qualities and establish them in everything up to the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. Bodhisattvas who exercise diligence themselves display virtuous physical, verbal, and mental actions in order to ripen beings, motivate beings to adopt and not to abandon perceptions that are the causes of virtue and mental formations, which are themselves the causes of great peace and compassion, and establish them in this attitude.

“Bodhisattvas abide in the vehicles of hearers and solitary buddhas in order to tame the hearers and the solitary buddhas and meditate on the concentrations. They meditate on the concentrations that are disconnected from those of the hearers and the solitary buddhas in order to perfect the absorptions of the thus-gone ones. Bodhisattvas meditate on the concentration of the lack of self until they achieve the concentrations of winding up and unraveling,48 and motivate beings to adopt those concentrations and establish them in their qualities.

“When bodhisattvas strive for the perfection of insight themselves, they bring about insight with a variety of skillful means. They motivate beings to have the same direct perception as themselves. The qualities that arise in order to cause beings to achieve wisdom regarding all phenomena and understand the condition of being unparalleled are the wisdom of skillful means that is employed to ripen beings. [F.127.b] They have absolutely no attachment so that they become empowered to the extent of being able to produce roots of virtue in beings.49 The bodhisattvas motivate beings who follow the vehicle of the hearers to adopt the vehicle of the hearers. They motivate beings who follow the vehicle of the solitary buddhas to adopt the vehicle of the solitary buddhas. They motivate beings to adopt the profound conduct of awakening so that the wisdom regarding the subtle Dharma will be apparent for them as well. Not relinquishing mindfulness that is endowed with the wisdom of understanding karmic ripening is the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplishes discriminating wisdom.

“Bodhisattvas who know how to control phenomena and the mind understand that they have the characteristic of momentary disintegration and never forsake their great compassion for beings. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas do not apprehend the emptiness of beings or the emptiness that is the ultimate truth in terms of the characteristic of all forms of conduct; they motivate beings to adopt the three vehicles, and they continuously engage in ripening beings. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Since bodhisattvas realize that physical, verbal, and mental formations lack a self, they do not apprehend a Dharma teacher,50 they do not apprehend listeners, sounds, or a voice, and they do not apprehend the karmic fruition of actions. Out of compassion for beings, they teach in accordance with beings’ characteristics, both those beings who have mistaken views and those beings who do not hold mistaken views. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the purification of beings.

“Naturally, the bodhisattvas do not apprehend formations, giving, receiving, or [F.128.a] karmic fruition. They practice generosity out of compassion for beings, teach beings about the karmic fruition of generosity, and motivate them to acquire wealth with which they can perform the meritorious deeds of a benefactor. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas know that the bodies of beings lack activity, lack existence, and are like impure reflections. They understand that thoughts are like echoes, and they know that formations are like an illusion. They never give up practicing great compassion for beings, they motivate beings to use physical, verbal, and mental formations, and they use that to give the correct teaching on cause and effect. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas lead beings to understand the discipline related to the lack of self and nonaccumulation. They know the characteristics of conduct, they do not engage in this world with the indifference of beings, and they motivate beings to adopt the three types of phenomena. This is how they motivate them to adopt the higher trainings of discipline, thought, and insight. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas know that physical, verbal, and mental formations have the characteristic of momentary disintegration, they see that they are separate from the unconditioned state, they teach beings that the cause of absorption and acceptance is the same as the result, and they motivate beings to adopt that teaching. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that accomplish the ripening of beings. [F.128.b]

“Bodhisattvas know that all formations lack acceptance and rejection, and they also understand them in terms of cause and effect. They do not apprehend any phenomena in terms of arising and cessation, and they do not think that phenomena are without the karmic fruition of causes and conditions. They ripen beings, they continually practice great compassion, they completely abandon the afflictions of beings, they fully understand the aggregates, they exercise diligence in order to actualize wisdom, they teach about the fruition of causes, and they inspire lazy beings to embrace the suffering involved in focusing on diligence. These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that actualize the ripening of beings.

“Bodhisattvas practice concentration and see that all formations are impermanent. They perceive all formations, which they understand as the wisdom related to suffering‍—without self, unexperienced, uncreated, inactive, unarising, and without momentary destruction. They teach beings about the causes and effects related to attaining the concentrations, the abodes of Brahmā, and the supernormal faculties that are based on the aggregates. They motivate beings to practice the concentrations by saying nothing more than ‘abandon the afflictions through the concentrations!’ They motivate them to apply their minds to the concentrations by saying ‘achieve the great attainment!’ These are the bodhisattvas’ skillful means that actualize the ripening of beings.

“Since bodhisattvas are without acceptance and rejection and are free from both attachment and aversion, they do not conceptualize or think about the mental formations related to the development of impartiality toward everyone, persistence, the perception of a self, the acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena, and the power of concentration. [F.129.a] Since they do not give up practicing great compassion toward beings and are diligent in the cultivation of insight, they show beings how to become free from the prison of saṃsāra. They inspire beings to be diligent in study and meditation and to cultivate an analytical mind, and since bodhisattvas understand which particular qualities are virtuous, they place and establish beings in those qualities that lead to traversing the swamp of saṃsāra. These are the skillful means of the bodhisattvas’ wisdom that accomplish consistency in meaning as a means for attracting disciples in order to ripen beings. Noble sons, this the consistency in meaning as a means of attracting disciples that ripens as many beings as the pores on a bodhisattva’s body.

“Furthermore, because of the three lower realms, the harmful behaviors of the lower realms, afflicted beings, and the impurities of lifespan, views, and the eon in this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, bodhisattvas make continual aspirations about this buddha realm inundated with the five impurities. They do not wish for the accumulation of qualities of the buddha realms, and they do not make aspirations to go to purify buddha realms. When bodhisattvas practice the conduct of awakening by means of the six perfections in this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities, they use the four means of attracting disciples to ripen beings who commit the acts with immediate retribution, who reject the sacred Dharma, who denigrate the noble ones, and who involve themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. They motivate them to practice the three vehicles and establish them in the six perfections. That is how they practice the conduct of awakening here and ripen beings. They do everything here from upholding the Vinaya to becoming a perfect, completely awakened buddha. [F.129.b] Even when they attain awakening, they will continue to ripen those who commit the acts with immediate retribution up to those who involve themselves with the roots of nonvirtue. They will ripen beings in the three vehicles and liberate them from all their afflicted views. Noble sons, this is the armor of the great, powerful bodhisattvas who ripen beings in this buddha realm inundated with the afflictions and the five impurities. The type of armor of beings that some bodhisattvas use in completely pure buddha realms is not able to ripen beings in the same way, noble sons, but bodhisattva great beings who have an armor such as this ripen beings.