The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct
Chapter 10
Toh 263
Degé Kangyur, vol. 67 (mdo sde, ’a), folios 90.a–209.b
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Table of Contents
Summary
In The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct, the Buddha Śākyamuni and several bodhisattvas deliver a series of teachings focusing on the relationship between the understanding of emptiness and the conduct of a bodhisattva, especially the perfection of acceptance or patience. The text describes the implications of the view that all inner and outer formations—that is, all phenomena made up of the five aggregates—are empty. It also provides detailed descriptions of the ascetic practices of non-Buddhists and insists on the importance for bodhisattvas of being reborn in buddha realms inundated with the five impurities for the sake of the beings living there, and of practicing in such realms to fulfill the highest goals of the bodhisattva path.
Acknowledgements
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Adam Krug compared the draft translation with the Tibetan and edited the text.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. David Fiordalis and others in the editorial team provided further editorial support, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Wang Jing and family, Chen Yiqiong and family, and Gu Yun and family.
Text Body
The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct
Chapter 10
The Blessed One said, “All of the blessed buddhas who became the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas in the past, arose in afflicted buddha realms inundated with the five impurities, and performed deeds in those buddha realms have taught to beings this acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct. [F.185.b] All of the blessed buddhas who will arise in afflicted buddha realms inundated with the five impurities and perform the deeds of a buddha there in the future will teach this acceptance that tames beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct in order to ripen all beings. All the blessed buddhas of the present who reside, offer sustenance, and teach the Dharma to beings in the countless, immeasurable afflicted buddha realms of the ten directions that are inundated with the five impurities are teaching this acceptance of taming beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct in order to ripen beings.
“Respectable ones, bodhisattvas generate this acceptance in abundance in order to multiply their roots of virtue. Bodhisattvas who have completely purified great roots of virtue are known as great beings and will also completely transcend all formations. In order to ripen beings, they will be active in the domain of all formations while also appearing to have gone to the domain of nirvāṇa. They know the sameness of phenomena that completely transcends the three realms and that is devoid of an essential nature, without language, emptiness, insubstantial, without marks, without characteristics, and without wishes. They will be in the domain of dispassionate isolation while appearing in the domain of distractions. They will be drawn to the domain of the concentrations while also appearing to have gone inside the women’s quarters. They will be in the domain that is utterly unconditioned while appearing in the domain of all objects. They will transcend objects while appearing in the domain of the path of the four māras. They will be in the domain of the noble beings while appearing in the domain of beings who are not noble. [F.186.a] They will completely transcend worldly objects while appearing in the domain of the entire world. They will be in the domain of clear knowledge while appearing in the domain of all the foolish beings.
“In that way, this is an acceptance that reveals all the many qualities. After bodhisattvas attain liberation from all manner of rebirths there is no birth, no old age, no death, and no origination, and they become like the nature of mind. By taking on bodies in all of the buddha realms they appear as reflections of the moon in water. They take on various physical forms, complexions, marks, and shapes to teach the Dharma to beings and to ripen beings. That is how this acceptance amplifies their good qualities and their aspirations so that bodhisattva great beings can acquire the profound qualities of a buddha. If only this acceptance becomes completely clear to the ears of the bodhisattvas, their minds will dwell on the momentariness of all formations. When they apply this acceptance to themselves and others, they will not apprehend a self, all the way up to not apprehending persons. They will act in accordance with what they have said and be benevolent. Since they completely understand all phenomena, their minds will no longer regress. Since they do not commit any negative actions, their minds will be virtuous. Since they carry the burden of all beings, they have a vast intention. Since they satiate all the beings in the lower realms, they have an attitude of great love. Since they do not wish for other vehicles, their minds are at peace. Since they clear away the stains of the afflictions, their minds will be devoid of afflictions. Since they are naturally luminous, their minds will be luminous. Since they pursue the illusory mind knowing it is insubstantial, their mind is insubstantial.168 Since they do not tremble before the hostility of all the māras who oppose them, their minds will remain steadfast. Respectable ones, if bodhisattvas amplify this acceptance only by hearing about it, [F.186.b] what more needs to be said about those who take on the practice of cultivating it and those whose thorough cultivation of it has been completed and perfected!”169
As this teaching was being delivered, myriads170 of beings gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and an innumerable number of them gave rise to the mind set on the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.
Many beings then wondered, “What kind of pentapetes flowers did the Thus-Gone One King of the Glorious Heap of Supreme Acceptance send to King Light Rays of Merit so long ago?”
Knowing every thought that had arisen in the minds of those beings, the Blessed One asked Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, since your divine eye is unobstructed and you display such wisdom, can you see all the blessed buddhas of the eastern direction? I was the one who appeared in the world as King Treasury of Light Rays of Merit so long ago and ripened beings while dressed as a parivrājaka. I led them to give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening for the first time. I also led them to practice generosity through insight for the very first time.”
“So that you can see for yourself, Mañjuśrī.”
Mañjuśrī then said, “Respected Blessed One, it is not easy at all to grasp their number! There are a hundred, a thousand, ten million, a hundred million, a billion,171 a trillion,172 a sextillion173 blessed buddhas residing, offering sustenance, and teaching the Dharma to beings in the eastern direction. [F.187.a] You caused those buddhas who reside and teach the Dharma in all those pure and impure buddha realms to give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening for the very first time, and you led them to practice generosity through insight for the very first time. Respected Blessed One, it is equally not possible to grasp with ease all the hundreds of millions of buddhas in the southern, western, or northern directions, or in the directions above and below, for whom you have done everything from straightening out their moral conduct to encouraging them to cultivate insight for the very first time!”
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “my divine eye sees all the blessed buddhas in the pure and impure buddha realms of the eastern direction whom I encouraged and inspired to generate the mind set on awakening for the very first time, and whom I established in that attitude, so that they could actualize insight. Mañjuśrī, you cannot easily grasp the number of beings that I, as that king Treasury of Light Rays of Merit, about whom you have asked, ripened while dressed as a parivrājaka. There are also present buddhas who reside in and offer sustenance in different pure and impure buddha realms of the ten directions. I, as King Treasury of Light Rays of Merit, inspired them to generate the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening for the very first time, and I established them in that attitude, while dressed as a parivrājaka. I also inspired them to cultivate everything from generosity to insight and established them in those practices. May all those blessed buddhas remember my past attributes and appear before this whole assembly, and may each of them send me pentapetes flowers!”
As soon as the Blessed One had said those words, the beings gathered in the assembly saw great clouds of flowers in the sky that were neither red nor white,174 coming from all the ten directions. The crowd wondered, “What will happen now that a great marvel such as this has occurred?” Showers of flowers then started to fall. The flowers appeared to be neither red nor white. [F.187.b] They were extremely smooth and soft to the touch like silk. The rain of flowers the color of bees and kiṃśuka blossoms fell across all four continents and covered everything up to the height of a person.
The Blessed One then said, “Respectable ones, there are as many blessed buddhas who now reside, offer sustenance, and teach the Dharma in the different buddha realms of the ten directions as there are all those pentapetes flowers. At that time, I, as King Treasury of Light Rays of Merit, led them to give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening for the very first time while dressed as a parivrājaka. I also established them, encouraged them, and placed them in the perfections from generosity to insight for the very first time. All those blessed buddhas now remember their former brahmin priest, and each of them has sent me one of those pentapetes flowers. Now that you have all witnessed this directly, cultivate this acceptance of taming beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct!
“In the past, through the power of this acceptance, the bodhisattvas in different buddha realms of the ten directions have awakened to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They turned the wheel of the Dharma for beings, fulfilled all the purposes of a buddha, and settled into the realm of nirvāṇa that is without origination. I ripened as many beings in a single lifetime as all the pentapetes flowers that fell in rain showers. In the past, when I was King Treasury of Light Rays of Merit, I caused as many bodhisattvas as there are pentapetes flowers in rain showers, who would later awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, to give rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed and perfect awakening for the very first time. I did everything from causing them to practice and establishing them in generosity for the first time to causing them to practice and establishing them in insight. [F.188.a] Respectable ones, look at the great power of this acceptance of taming beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct! The noble sons and daughters who wish for awakening and want to swiftly awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood should genuinely cultivate this acceptance of taming beings with the sky-colored method of perfect conduct!”
This was the tenth chapter of the Great Vehicle sūtra entitled “The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct.” [B10]
Abbreviations
| C | Choné (co ne) Kangyur |
|---|---|
| D | Degé (sde dge) Kangyur |
| H | Lhasa (lha sa/zhol) Kangyur |
| J | Lithang (li thang) Kangyur |
| K | Peking (pe cin) or “Kangxi” Kangyur |
| N | Narthang (snar thang) Kangyur |
| S | Stok Palace (stog pho brang bris ma) Kangyur |
| U | Urga (phyi sog khu re) Kangyur |
| Y | Yongle (g.yung lo) Kangyur |
Bibliography
Tibetan Sources
’phags pa yang dag par spyod pa’i tshul nam mkha’i mdog gis ’dul ba’i bzod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 263, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde, ’a), folios 90.a–209.b.
’phags pa yang dag par spyod pa’i tshul nam mkha’i mdog gis ’dul ba’i bzod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 67, pp. 221–513.
’phags pa yang dag par spyod pa’i tshul nam mkha’i mdog gis ’dul ba’i bzod pa zhes bya batheg pa chen po’i mdo. Stok Palace Kangyur, vol. 64 (mdo sde, pa), folios 1.b–175.b.
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur, vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
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