Vidyutprāpta’s Questions is a Mahāyāna sūtra in which the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta (“Lightning Attainment”) asks the Buddha how someone can help other beings attain enlightenment while remaining aware of the emptiness of all phenomena. The Buddha responds by explaining five “treasures” that enable a bodhisattva to teach the Dharma without being attached to the world. The first four include understanding sentient beings of various temperaments and the attitude necessary to teach them. The fifth, the treasure of the Dharma, is knowledge of the true nature of dharmas and skill in explaining this to ordinary beings.
This text was translated by Robert Kritzer, who also wrote the introduction.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The generosity of the anonymous sponsor who helped make the work on this translation possible is gratefully acknowledged.
Vidyutprāpta’s Questions is a Mahāyāna sūtra in which the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta (“Lightning Attainment”) asks the Buddha how someone can help other beings attain enlightenment while remaining aware of the emptiness of all phenomena. The Buddha responds by explaining five “treasures” that enable bodhisattvas to teach the Dharma without being attached to the world. The first four include understanding sentient beings of various temperaments and the attitude necessary to teach them. The fifth, the treasure of the Dharma, is knowledge of the true nature of dharmas and skill in explaining this to ordinary beings.
The description of the first treasure, for the lustful, is quite long. Bodhisattvas understand that different sentient beings have different desires and that even the most lustful can be brought to maturity, that is to say, to the completion of the Buddhist path and the verge of liberation, by the bodhisattva’s skillful means. The Buddha emphasizes that bodhisattvas can teach spontaneously, without effort or attachment, and he gives several analogies to illustrate the nondualistic action to which the bodhisattva must aspire.
The treasures for the angry and for the deluded are described following a similar pattern, but more briefly and with only one analogy. In the case of the angry, the Buddha tells bodhisattvas to be patient and compassionate to free beings from their anger. For the deluded, bodhisattvas must use their vast knowledge of doctrine to remove various false views, like a doctor who uses the appropriate medicine to cure a specific disease.
The description of the treasure for those who are afflicted equally by lust, anger, and delusion is longer and more elaborate. More analogies are given, as well as two extended parables, which show how important it is for bodhisattvas to understand the individual temperaments and abilities of sentient beings yet remain impartial and detached.
The fifth treasure, the treasure of the Dharma, enables bodhisattvas to teach sentient beings who are attached to the objects of consciousness, i.e., the objects of sight up to mental objects. The sūtra does not relate this treasure specifically to one of the four temperaments, and it seems to be intended for all sentient beings. The treasure of the Dharma consists of analytical knowledge of meaning, dharmas, language, and eloquence, and it is the basis of the bodhisattva’s teaching of the undifferentiated nature of dharmas.
Finally, after the Buddha explains to Vidyutprāpta the five inexhaustible treasures, another bodhisattva, Candradhvaja (“Moon Banner”), asks about the phrase “wisdom without effort.” In his answer, the Buddha describes the wisdom of a bodhisattva who can lead sentient beings to liberation while knowing that sentient beings ultimately do not exist.
Vidyutprāpta’s Questions is no longer extant in Sanskrit. It has come down to us as the twentieth chapter or “assembly”1 of the Ratnakūṭa,2 a collection of forty-nine sūtras. The title of the Tibetan translation, glog thob kyis zhus pa, corresponds to the Sanskrit title,3 while the Chinese translation is called The Assembly on the Inexhaustible Treasures.4
The Tibetan translation was not made from the Sanskrit. Rather, it is one of the nine sūtras in the Tibetan Ratnakūṭa that were translated from Bodhiruci’s Chinese translation, perhaps by Chödrup (chos grub, ca. 745–849).5 The sūtra appears in the Denkarma (Tib. ldan dkar ma), a ninth-century catalog of translations made during Tibet’s imperial period, which confirms its early ninth-century origins. However, in the Denkarma, it appears under the alternative title ’phags pa glog sbyin gyis zhus pa,6 which translates into English as The Noble Questions of Vidyuddatta, Vidyuddatta being an attested Sanskrit equivalent to glog sbyin, meaning “Lightning Gift.” Interestingly, this sūtra also appears under yet another title in the Phangthangma imperial-period catalog, namely, ’phags pa klog gi dbyig gis zhus pa’i mdo, which translates as The Noble Sūtra of the Questions of Jewel of Recitations, the name klog gi dbyig lacking any attested Sanskrit equivalent.7
The Chinese translation (Taishō 310 [20]), like the translations of many of the other sūtras in the Ratnakūṭa, was made by Bodhiruci sometime between 706 and 713. Two versions of the Chinese title are found on lists of Ratnakūṭa sūtras in Chinese catalogs: Wu jin fu zang hui 無盡伏藏會 (The Assembly on the Inexhaustible Treasures)8 and Wu jin fu zang jing 無盡伏藏經 (The Sūtra on the Inexhaustible Treasures).9
In addition to the discussions of the inexhaustible treasures found in this sūtra, references to them appear elsewhere in Buddhist literature. In The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, Toh 176), for example, two passages refer to them. In the first, the layman Vimalakīrti is said to have in his house four inexhaustible treasures from which the poor can help themselves without the treasures being emptied.10 In the second, bodhisattvas are said to be inexhaustible treasures for the poor: they make the poor produce the thought of enlightenment.11 Lamotte points out that these metaphorical “treasures” later became the basis for the establishment of charitable institutions in China.12
Inexhaustible treasures are described more extensively in the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra. An entire chapter of this sūtra13 is devoted to ten treasures of faith, ethics, shame, conscience, learning, giving, wisdom, recollection, preservation, and elocution.14 The chapter on the ten treasures, which is chapter 22 in Śikṣānanda’s Chinese version (the version translated by Cleary) and chapter 27 in the Tibetan version, explains in general the special features and activities of the bodhisattva. Although there is no clear relationship between the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra chapter and Vidyutprāpta’s Questions, certain topics are found in both, such as the importance of the bodhisattva’s knowledge of conditioned arising and the ability to teach individuals according to their differing faculties and desires.
Finally, the entry on Vidyutprāpta’s Questions in the Japanese dictionary of Buddhist literature, Bussho kaisetsu dai jiten, suggests that the sūtra contains a forerunner of the theory of buddha nature and that there is a connection between the sūtra and the theories of mind nature in The Principles of the Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred and Fifty Lines (Prajñāpāramitānayaśatapañcaśatikā, Toh 17) and dharma nature in the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra.15
Vidyutprāpta is not a very well-known bodhisattva in Mahāyāna literature. The Sanskrit name is found only in Tibetan transliteration of the title of the sūtra. The name in the Tibetan translation, Lokthob (glog thob), corresponds to the Sanskrit Vidyutprāpta but does not appear anywhere else in the Kangyur. The name Diande 電得 in the Chinese translation appears in several places in the Taishō Tripiṭaka: in the Aṅgulimālīyasūtra (Yangjuemolu jing 央掘魔羅),16 where it is the name of a buddha, not a bodhisattva; in The Sūtra on the Names of the Buddha (Foming jing 佛名經),17 in a list of names of bodhisattvas, about whom nothing is said individually; and in Sengzhao’s commentary on The Teaching of Vimalakīrti, the Zhu weimojie jing 注維摩詰經, giving Kumārajīva’s explanation of the name Diande.18
However, Sengzhao’s apparent reference to the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta is misleading, and some clarification is necessary. In fact, the name Diande 電得 is not found in any extant version of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti itself. In the Zhu weimojie jing, the name appears as one of many bodhisattvas in a long list, each explained individually by Sengzhao or Kumārajīva. In the Sanskrit text of the sūtra, the corresponding name is Vidyuddeva, “Lightning God”; in Zhiqian’s Chinese translation,19 Mingshi 明施, “Luminous Charity”; in Xuanzang’s translation,20 Diantian 電天, “Lightning God”; and in the Tibetan translation, glog gi lha, “Lightning God.” In Kumārajīva’s translation, the name is given as Diande 電徳.21 McRae translates this as “Lightning-Like Virtue.”22 However, Harrison, in his translation of the Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra, notes that Jñānagupta translates Vidyuddeva, “Lightning God,” as Diande 電德.23 In light of the testimony of the Sanskrit, the Tibetan, and Xuanzang’s Chinese translation of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti, it is likely that Kumārajīva’s Diande 電德 refers to Vidyuddeva and should be translated as “Lightning God.”
The following table illustrates the various permutations of the bodhisattva’s name:
Zhiqian | Kumārajīva | Xuanzang | Sengzhao | Sanskrit | Tibetan |
Mingshi 明施 (Luminous Charity) | Diande 電德 (Lightning God) | Diantian 電天 (Lightning God) | Diande 電得 (Lightning Attainment) | Vidyuddeva (Lightning God) | glog gi lha (Lightning God) |
With this in mind, we can understand the apparent occurrence of the name Vidyutprāpta (“Lightning Attainment,” Diande 電得) in the Zhu weimojie jing. Since de 德, “virtue,” and de 得, “attainment,” were pronounced identically in Old Chinese and Middle Chinese,24 it is very likely that it was a scribal error in the transmission of Sengzhao’s commentary that resulted in 德 becoming 得. Therefore, we can rule out any connection between the Diande in the Zhu weimojie jing and the Diande in the Vidyutprāptaparipṛcchā.
This is the first English translation of the Tibetan version of Vidyutprāpta’s Questions. It was prepared based on the Tibetan version preserved in the Degé Kangyur and Bodhiruci’s Chinese translation preserved in the Taishō Tripiṭaka. The Chinese version has been translated into Japanese in the Kokuyaku issaikyō series.25 A somewhat incomplete English translation of the Chinese translation is found in Garma C. C. Chang’s A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was staying on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain in Rājagṛha together with a great assembly of one thousand monks, all of whom had especially exalted qualities and proclaimed the lion’s roar.26 Also in attendance were five hundred bodhisattva mahāsattvas. They all had acquired dhāraṇīs, were unobstructed in eloquence, had realized patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas, were established in irreversibility, were endowed with samādhis, displayed superior powers in manifold ways, and were completely aware of the way that sentient beings behave mentally.[F.2.a]
The bodhisattva Sūryadhvaja, the bodhisattva Candradhvaja, the bodhisattva Samantaprabha, the bodhisattva Moon King, the bodhisattva Illuminating Heights, the bodhisattva Vairocana, the bodhisattva Siṃhamati, the bodhisattva Precious Light of Virtue, the bodhisattva Sarvārthasiddha, the bodhisattva Possessing Previous Conditions, the bodhisattva Excellent Vows and Conduct, the bodhisattva Wisdom of Emptiness, the bodhisattva Even-Minded, the bodhisattva Joyous Yearning, the bodhisattva Fond of the Multitudes, the bodhisattva Yuddhajaya, the bodhisattva Practice of Wisdom, the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta, the bodhisattva Victorious Eloquence, the bodhisattva Siṃhanāda, the bodhisattva Most Melodious, the bodhisattva Arousing, the bodhisattva Skilled in Changing Action,27 and the bodhisattva Practice of Perfect Tranquility—bodhisattva mahāsattvas such as these were at the head. Furthermore, Śakra, king of the gods, the Four Great Kings, King Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, and unlimited retinues of gods possessing great power, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, and others,[F.2.b] stayed together with the Bhagavān.
The bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta saw that the great assembly was gathered, purified, and completely at peace. He then got up from his seat, uncovered one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I am a bit uncertain. Now, let me ask you a question. May the Tathāgata, listening with compassion, give his consent.”
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta, “The Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha grants your request. Ask what you wish. It shall be explained fully.”
The bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta then asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what attribute do bodhisattvas have that lets them fulfill the desires of all sentient beings while not being sullied by flaws; that lets them lead sentient beings with their skill in means according to those beings’ faculties and their own natures, without their falling into the miserable existences after their bodies are destroyed; that lets them definitely realize equality and, like a lotus, be unsullied by flaws even though they dwell in the world; that lets them not move from the dharmadhātu but wander in the buddha fields, never separated from the sight of the Tathāgata’s form body;28 that lets them abide in the three liberations and not enter samāpatti; and that lets them, after purifying the array of the buddha fields according to the inclinations of sentient beings, quickly in a single moment be perfectly enlightened in the highest enlightenment?”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vidyutprāpta, in the presence of the Bhagavān, spoke his request in verse:[F.3.a]
The Bhagavān replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vidyutprāpta, “It is good, it is good, that you, son of good family, ask the Tathāgata this sort of thing in order to benefit innumerable sentient beings and make them happy, and to help the beings of the present world, including the gods, and the bodhisattvas of the future. Therefore, Vidyutprāpta, listen very carefully and keep this in mind. It will be fully explained to you.”
“Bhagavān, I wish to listen in this way,” replied the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta.
“Vidyutprāpta,” said the Bhagavān, “the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have five treasures, which are great treasures, inexhaustible treasures, totally inexhaustible treasures, and limitless treasures. When bodhisattvas are completely endowed with such treasures, they are completely free from misfortune, they completely perfect especially superior virtues of the sort mentioned above, and quickly obtain with little difficulty superior, perfect enlightenment. What are the five? They are the treasure for those with a lustful temperament, the treasure for those with an angry temperament, the treasure for those with a deluded temperament, the treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament, and the treasure of all dharmas.
“Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a lustful temperament? Sentient beings who belong to the group of those with a lustful temperament are bound by false views and falsely impute various things, according to their natures, to objects such as forms, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and mental objects, cling to them steadfastly, and are intoxicated in their attachment to pleasure. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas, by knowing in accordance with truth the mental temperament of those[F.4.a] beings, understand what they believe and desire, what objects they cultivate and are attached to, how powerful they are and what sort of faith they are endowed with, what sorts of virtuous roots they have produced, to what vehicle they should devote themselves, and when their virtuous roots will mature. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas, for the sake of eliminating all the desires of those sentient beings, and for the sake of making sure that their minds are always uninterruptedly virtuous, evaluate them very carefully and nourish them completely.
“Vidyutprāpta, it should be understood that the differences in the faculties and temperaments of sentient beings are very difficult to know. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot understand them, let alone ordinary people or heretics. Vidyutprāpta, some sentient beings, even though they are attached to objects of desire, mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment. Some sentient beings, just by having contact with a desired object or just by speaking with a lustful mind, mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment. Some sentient beings look at a beautiful form and, although a lustful thought arises, understand, just by seeing that form deteriorating and being destroyed, that the form is impermanent, and the torment of their desire is calmed. Just by means of the utmost contemplation of impermanence, they mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment.
“As for some other sentient beings, when they see a woman, desire does not arise, but afterward, through the power of memory, a sexual thought arises, and when they remember her complexion and figure, passion arises. As for some other sentient beings,[F.4.b] due to their seeing pleasing shapes in a dream, sexual attachment arises, and, fixating on them, they pursue them. As for some other sentient beings, just hearing a woman’s voice produces sexual desire. And some, freed from sexual thought that is due to a mere glance, mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment.
“Therefore, Vidyutprāpta, although the bodhisattvas know, with their skillful means, those various illnesses of desire and the various remedies for desire, they lack signs of grasping at dualism in the dharmadhātu, and they produce great compassion even for those beings who are confused regarding the dharmadhātu. Vidyutprāpta, since not even the slightest thing called love, hatred, delusion, or wisdom regarding the dharmadhātu can be apprehended, the bodhisattva thinks, ‘If it is as I see it, sentient beings produce desire, hatred, and delusion toward these compounded things that are collections established as mere designations, without marks, empty of inherent existence, and void. After analyzing these things as they really are, dwelling in great compassion for those sentient beings who are bewildered by desire, I will fulfill my former vows. Without wavering from the dharmadhātu, I will make them mature by means of my effortless wisdom.’
“If a man mistakenly believes that women are pure, and if this gives rise to deep desire, the bodhisattva will turn himself into a very beautiful, elegant woman, whose physical characteristics are especially outstanding, and who, like apsaras, possesses precious ornaments and garlands, never before seen, and is well adorned with various ornaments.[F.5.a] With that sentient being32 having shown how lustful, passionate, and very obsessed he is, the bodhisattva, with a method adjusted to the ability of that sentient being, in order to remove the poison arrow of lust, by means of his unimpeded power, having previously changed into the shape of a woman,33 then appears again before him. Having made that sentient being understand the dharmadhātu by his teaching of the Dharma, the bodhisattva will disappear. If a woman gives rise to a desirous thought about men, the bodhisattva appears in the body of a man. In order to remove the poison arrow of lust, he makes her understand the dharmadhātu by teaching the Dharma, and he disappears.
“Vidyutprāpta, there are twenty-one thousand lustful actions and, with the addition of those other actions,34 there are eighty-four thousand actions in total. The bodhisattvas, with their effortless wisdom, produce countless thousands of open Dharma doors. The minds of sentient beings having been penetrated, they all become liberated, even though the bodhisattvas do not have the thought, ‘I teach this sort of Dharma to sentient beings,’ and they do not imagine that beings are liberated.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, the nāga king of Lake Anavapta, due to the force of karma, releases four great rivers from inside his palace and cools the summer heat. With the moisture, he makes the flowers and the fruits grow and the grains increase and greatly pleases many sentient beings. The nāga king himself releases these rivers, but he does not think, ‘I shall release the rivers.’ Nevertheless, the four great rivers flow continuously and benefit sentient beings. Bodhisattvas, similarly, since they have fulfilled their former vows, teach the four truths of the noble ones by means of their effortless wisdom. They dispel all the torments of saṃsāra and bestow the happiness of noble[F.5.b] liberation. But the bodhisattvas do not think, ‘I have taught the Dharma,’ or ‘I shall teach it.’ Nevertheless, they spontaneously dwell in their own thought of great compassion, and, having analyzed sentient beings, they teach them the Dharma in whatever way is suitable.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give another analogy, Śakra, king of the gods, has twelve billion apsaras. By means of Śakra’s autonomous power, he displays many bodies, and the apsaras all enjoy sexual pleasure with him. Individually they think, ‘Only I am frolicking with the king of the gods,’ while, in fact, the king of the gods has no attachment whatsoever. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, too, in accordance with the wishes of whichever sentient beings are worthy of completely passing beyond, mature them, while the bodhisattvas have no attachment.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give another analogy, when the orb of the sun appears at the top of a mountain, its light illuminates Jambudvīpa, and whatever place it illuminates, it reveals various colors—blue, yellow, red, white—while the orb of the sun itself is a single color. The unity of the light has no differences in quality. Similarly, the bodhisattvas also, with the orb of the sun of wisdom, illuminate the dharmadhātu. They appear at the mountaintops of sentient beings’ attachments as a single objective image, and they teach them the Dharma according to their desires, even though the dharmadhātu has no dualistic nature.
“Vidyutprāpta, this is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a lustful temperament. When bodhisattva mahāsattvas obtain this treasure, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa,[F.6.a] they can display infinite bodies according to the various desires of sentient beings, even though the dharmadhātu has no dualistic nature.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, to give another analogy, pure gold is made, due to the skill of a metalworker and according to his will, into various types of ornaments. Although the attributes change, the nature of gold does not change. In the same way, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas also analyze the dharmadhātu very carefully, display infinite bodies to sentient beings according to their various wishes, and teach the Dharma in various words, even though the dharmadhātu has no dualistic nature. Since they are constantly immersed in the dharmadhātu, this is called being integrated in the nature of the dharmadhātu.35 When bodhisattvas obtain this sort of treasure, since they teach the Dharma in various ways for the sake of sentient beings, they, due to hearing the Dharma, come to possess sovereignty over the marvelous wealth of the noble ones and abandon forever the troubles of saṃsāra.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with an angry temperament? Sentient beings have pride, conceive of ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ and do not practice compassion or patience since they have dwelt for a long time in characteristics of ‘me’ and ‘mine.’36 Their own minds are destroyed by the torment of anger; they do not remember the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha; and they are covered with the poison of anger and are deluded about reality. But the bodhisattvas never produce malice or hostility toward sentient beings who have much anger. They just think, ‘Alas, these sentient beings, since they are bewildered by ignorance, have increased their hatred and incorrect anger since they possess false notions regarding the true nature of dharmas,[F.6.b] which are, from the beginning, quiescent,37 untainted and unsullied, peaceful and uncontentious, and completely void.’ After thinking in that way and abiding in great compassion, they always show their pity. Even if there are some who cut off their limbs and smaller body parts, because they desire to tame those sentient beings who have angry temperaments, they abide in patience. If those uncountable sentient beings who have angry temperaments turn their backs on one another, due to having completed actions of anger and hatred, and fall into a body within a bad birth, such as a poisonous snake, the bodhisattvas, abiding in patience, tame those beings by means of their loving kindness and the force of their mindfulness, and they do not receive the retribution of a bad birth in the future. Whatever their undoubted realization of equality is, this is called the bodhisattvas’ complete elimination, by their skillful means, of sentient beings’ angry temperaments.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, if the bodhisattvas see angry sentient beings, they think, ‘As all dharmas are pure in their own nature, alas, these sentient beings are incorrect due to following their anger, and they develop wrong views. Since they produce a thought of anger with respect to the nature of dharmas as equal and uncontentious, these sentient beings do not understand the dharmadhātu itself. If these sentient beings saw the nature of dharmas, they would not produce harmful thoughts toward others. Due to the fact that they do not understand the essence of the dharmadhātu, anger arises.’ The bodhisattvas, having produced even more compassion toward those sentient beings who have much anger, dwell in great compassion.[F.7.a] Again fulfilling their former vow, they correctly teach various Dharma doors for the sake of destroying, with their effortless wisdom, the angry actions of sentient beings without thinking, ‘I am teaching the Dharma for the purpose of removing sentient beings’ anger.’ Why is that? It is because the bodhisattvas understand very well the nature of the dharmadhātu. As for this, it should be known that, since the bodhisattvas dwell in the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu, they eradicate defiled actions.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, after darkness is removed, light is obtained, but darkness is not destroyed. Thus, the essence of darkness and light is undifferentiated, like space. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, relying on their undifferentiated knowledge of the dharmadhātu, teach the Dharma with skillful means. Taming various sentient beings with angry temperaments, they pacify them, but there are no distinctions in the dharmadhātu.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, just as everywhere that the light from the rising wheel of the sun shines is all encompassed by the rising wheel of the sun, similarly, everything said by the bodhisattvas for the sake of taming and eradicating angry actions is all the wheel of Dharma, and there are no distinctions in the dharmadhātu. Thus, as for those twenty-one thousand angry actions and actions belonging to the other categories of temperaments, amounting to eighty-four thousand in total, the bodhisattvas, since they have perfected effortless wisdom, teach the Dharma that is appropriate for sentient beings’ various types of anger, without thinking, ‘I have taught, I teach, and I shall teach the Dharma.’ This should be known as the treasure for those of angry temperaments. When bodhisattvas[F.7.b] obtain this treasure, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, according to the various inclinations of sentient beings, they teach the Dharma with skill in means through various words, letters, and expressions. Furthermore, although angry actions are endless, the bodhisattvas’ wisdom and courage also cannot be exhausted. As for this, it should be understood as the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those of angry temperaments, which they have obtained by explaining well the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu.38[B2]
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a deluded temperament? Vidyutprāpta, this sort of practice of the bodhisattvas is very difficult. Such sentient beings chase affliction, harm others, are wrapped in an eggshell of ignorance,39 have no way of understanding the dharmadhātu since they are bound up in themselves like silkworms, do not properly contemplate what they should do, are attached to a belief in the self, enter a wrong path, persist in foolish actions, and have difficulty renouncing saṃsāra.
“Since they are like this, for the sake of sentient beings who are deluded, after the bodhisattvas first generate the thought of enlightenment, they tirelessly generate a great effort, without suffering and without laziness, and they think about the conditions in which, the conviction with which, and the kind of doctrinal teaching with which they can lead these sentient beings to the bodhisattva practice so that they may obtain liberation.
“The bodhisattvas, having previously penetrated the dharmadhātu, abide in great compassion by means of their effortless wisdom. After they understand that those sentient beings are confused regarding the dharmadhātu, having taught them Dharma according to their power and ability, they train them completely, without thinking, ‘I taught, I teach, and I shall teach the Dharma.’ However, by the power of their former vow, having thoroughly contemplated conditioned origination,[F.8.a] they spontaneously reveal many hundreds of thousands of Dharma doors and remove those sentient beings’ ignorance-based karmic activity and make them attain liberation.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, it is like this. A good physician is skilled in curing many illnesses. He has previously become familiar with medical treatments, and as soon as he sees the symptoms of a disease, since he knows all the mantras and medical treatments, he cures it; there is nothing that he cannot cure. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, since they know the dharmadhātu very well, show, by means of their effortless knowledge, many hundreds of thousands of Dharma doors according to the faculties and natures of these beings, who have accumulated foolish actions, and make them understand everything clearly.
“Vidyutprāpta, this is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a deluded temperament. When bodhisattvas obtain this treasure, having correctly contemplated conditioned origination, for the sake of those sentient beings with a deluded temperament, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, according to their natures and wishes, they teach the Dharma with skill in means through various words, letters, and expressions. Furthermore, although deluded actions are endless, the bodhisattvas’ wisdom and courage also cannot be exhausted. As for this, it should be understood as the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those of deluded temperament, which they have obtained by explaining well the undifferentiated nature of all dharmas. Thus, as for those twenty-one thousand deluded actions and actions belonging to the other categories of temperaments, making a total of eighty-four thousand, the bodhisattvas, for the sake of eliminating them, having distinguished many hundreds and thousands of Dharma doors, teach them correctly. This is called the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those with a deluded temperament.[F.8.b]
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament? To give an analogy, it is like this. When a very clean, completely clear, spotless round mirror is placed at a crossroads, although reflections appear there without increase or diminishment, the round mirror does not think, ‘I made these various types of reflections.’ Nevertheless, if that round mirror is wiped well, all the reflections will spontaneously appear. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, by wiping well the round mirror of the dharmadhātu, established in effortless samādhi, open many hundreds of thousands of Dharma doors and teach according to the differences in sentient beings’ mental actions. All those sentient beings, understanding completely, obtain liberation. But they do not produce a concept of dharmas or a concept of sentient beings. Why is that? The bodhisattvas, because they understand very well the nature of the dharmadhātu, and since they contemplate those sentient beings of the four temperaments as they really are, teach Dharma according to their faculties and natures. However, since they contemplate the dharmadhātu and the realms of sentient beings as they are, they also do not have a conception of duality, because they see clearly that those categories of the dharmadhātu and the realms of sentient beings have no duality and no differences.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, it is like this. In space, there is no characteristic of various differences, and there is no differentiation. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, since they contemplate the dharmadhātu very well, recognize that all dharmas enter into a single characteristic. By the power of their former vows, they teach Dharma in various ways according to the temperaments of sentient beings, even though in the dharmadhātu there are no differences.
“Vidyutprāpta, since the bodhisattvas have analyzed individually the twenty-one thousand actions of one with an equally proportioned temperament,[F.9.a] and the actions belonging to the other categories of temperaments, making a total of eighty-four thousand, they understand them all clearly. To give an analogy, it is like this. Just as a skillful doctor wisely knows illnesses and how to administer medicine, the bodhisattvas teach Dharma by means of their effortless wisdom. This is called the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament. When bodhisattvas obtain this treasure, for the sake of sentient beings, they teach Dharma, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, according to their desires, in various words. However, although sentient beings’ actions are endless, the bodhisattvas’ wisdom and courage also cannot be exhausted. This is called the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament, which is obtained due to their good explanation of the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, the bodhisattvas, since they have perfected that sort of wisdom, are totally aware, with their skill in means, of sentient beings’ faculties, conduct, and aspirations. If they see sentient beings who have much desire, in order to tame them and treat their disease, they appear like an ordinary person, enjoying objects of desire, provided with children, a wife, and the comforts of a home. However, like a lotus, they are not contaminated or attached. Sentient beings who are deluded and lack intelligence, because they do not know the bodhisattvas’ skill in means, think, ‘What intelligent person would be attached to objects of desire just like an ordinary person? Therefore, this person has no enlightenment.’ Those kinds of sentient beings, because their minds are completely impure, give rise to great hatred, and since they are not reverent,[F.9.b] when due to their karma their bodies fail, they fall into the great hell after their death. However, because the bodhisattvas very secretly instruct them, their various faults are completely eliminated, and they are all fully established in the attainment of equanimity.
“To give an analogy, it is like this. When a strongly blazing fire meets grass and trees, they all burn fiercely and are transformed into the mass of the fire itself. Similarly, for the bodhisattvas, when they kindle the fire of wisdom, sentient beings’ desire, hatred, and confusion, their good and their evil, whatever they are, meet the bodhisattva, and all burn up and are transformed into wisdom. This is called the extraordinary quality of the bodhisattva.
“Furthermore, to give another analogy, the extraordinary quality of the king of mountains, Sumeru, is that it is formed from four types of jewels. Sentient beings, too, have qualities of various sorts—blue, yellow, red, and white—that correspond to those jewels. If they go to the lapis lazuli side of Sumeru, they all become the single color of lapis lazuli. If they go to the gold-colored side, they all become gold-colored. In the same way, they become silver-colored or crystal-colored. In just that way, since the bodhisattvas, too, have obtained extraordinary qualities, whatever the desire, hatred, confusion, good, or evil of sentient beings, when they go into the presence of the bodhisattvas and associate with them, they all enter into the wisdom of the bodhisattva. However, when their minds are impure, and due to their own sinful karma, they fall into the birth destiny of hell beings or animals or the world of the dead, in this case, by the power of the bodhisattvas’[F.10.a] extraordinary qualities and vow, after their sinful karmic consequences are exhausted, they are definitely set to obtain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment in the future.
“Vidyutprāpta, in the period of the five defilements, innumerable, unlimited, incalculable kalpas in the past, a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly enlightened one, one endowed with knowledge and conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, a supreme one, a charioteer who tames people, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha bhagavān40 named Jewel Heap Merit Voice41 appeared. At that time, all beings lived for a hundred twenty years, as I do today.
“At that time, sentient beings’ desire, hatred, and confusion were great. Since they were overwhelmed by afflictions, fathers and mothers, older and younger brothers, and friends disagreed, and they did not follow their teachers and masters. They did not acknowledge kind deeds. They were always full of malicious thoughts, and they had tricky and thieving minds. They hurt each other. They behaved improperly. They did not have respect for the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Only beings like these, who, because they were overcome with stinginess, practiced the custom of pretas, lived in that buddha field, and they were very difficult to discipline.
“Even in such a bad era, that bhagavān, due to the power of his former vow, realized unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment and became a completely enlightened buddha. That bhagavān had twenty-two thousand śrāvakas.
“A king named Extensively Giving42 was then the sovereign who governed Jambudvīpa. He was sincere about the teaching of the Buddha, and he invited that tathāgata together with the saṅgha of śrāvakas for the three summer[F.10.b] months. Laying out extensive offerings, he worshiped and performed rituals.
“At that time, a monk named Stainless43 was endowed with eloquence. Because he was skilled at teaching the Dharma, a great assembly was eager to hear him. He never tired of bringing sentient beings to maturity. He taught the Dharma without expectation and spoke sincerely with a shining complexion. He was endowed with a good appearance and strength, and his face was kind and handsome. Sentient beings longed to see him. He was served and respected, revered and praised. Beginning monks also frequently followed Stainless and appeared in the king’s palace, entering freely, and they showed their respect with various garments, food, drink, bedding, and medicines.
“Many monks from that great assembly did not know how to practice bodily restraint or wisdom of the mind. They did not have respect for the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. They had false views of permanence, nihilism, self, and so forth. They rejected the Buddha’s teaching. They were very agitated and hard to discipline. Their senses were unrestrained. They abided in wickedness. Without having the conduct of śramaṇas, they claimed to be śramaṇas. Their actions of body, speech, and mind were all entirely based in depravity.
“That bhagavān entered nirvāṇa after the rainy season, and King Extensively Giving cremated the bhagavān’s body in a fire of red sandalwood. He made offerings and built eighty million reliquary stūpas surrounded on four sides by red sandalwood railings, with golden lotuses.
“The monk Stainless had been given a prophecy by that bhagavān that he would be the most learned and[F.11.a] would transmit the true doctrine widely after that tathāgata entered nirvāṇa. Whatever village, city, or marketplace he went to, he would convert innumerable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings and establish them in unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.
“Many evil monks then did not understand the practice of yoga. They were always jealous. Confused by Māra, they went to the king and said, ‘The monk Stainless, who is respected by the king, goes in and out of the palace freely. This monk is not yet free from desire. He asks for food at the wrong time. He adorns his body with perfume and garlands, and since he is not truly chaste, it is not right for him to make offerings. For this reason, we have come here to explain this to the king. Do not have regrets later. Please do not disbelieve the true teachings of the Buddha.’
“At that time, there was a māra named Wicked. He changed himself into the shape of a monk, and he went to the king and spoke in the same way as above.
“King Extensively Giving, although he heard the same thing repeated, thought, ‘Since the monk Stainless is very diligent, I respect him as my teacher. Something like this is impossible.’
“Then the māra’s retinue showed half their bodies and spoke in verse to the king:
“Therefore, Vidyutprāpta, those who do not understand well the faculties, nature, and aspirations of sentient beings should not produce harmful thoughts. Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, just as Sumeru is the greatest among mountains, similarly, the wisdom of the Tathāgata is the greatest and most excellent and unsurpassable of wisdoms. To give another analogy, just as the ocean is the greatest among all waters, similarly, the wisdom of the Tathāgata is the most excellent and deepest and broadest of all wisdoms. To give another analogy, just as the cakravartin is the greatest and most excellent and unsurpassable, the wisdom of the Tathāgata is unsurpassed among wisdoms.
“Vidyutprāpta, the Tathāgata, due to his being endowed with this sort of knowledge, knows46 the minds and all the changes in the operation of mental factors of those with lustful, angry, or deluded temperaments and helps them all in a snap of the fingers.
“Vidyutprāpta, the Tathāgata is endowed with omniscience. To give an analogy, a clear-sighted person, seeing clearly without effort a myrobalan fruit in the palm of his hand, has no doubt what it is. In the same way, the Tathāgata knows the mental actions of all sentient beings[F.13.a] and correctly explains various teachings in the midst of a great assembly.
“I understand and see, in the limitless, countless buddha field world systems, sentient beings associated with the lustful temperament who are completely tormented by lust and, fixing their minds on desires night and day, pass their time meaninglessly. I know and see the various actions of body, speech, and mind that are generated due to torment by lust.
“I understand and see those sentient beings with angry temperaments who are overwhelmed by anger, and, because they are jealous of and harm one another due to anger, fall into Avīci hell.
“I understand sentient beings who are associated with the deluded temperament who, since they are stupefied by the darkness of ignorance, are attached to confusion and desire to follow false views.
“I understand capable ones, incapable ones, ones with increasing effort, ones who regress and fail, ones who produce roots of good in the vehicle of the tathāgata, ones who produce roots of good in the vehicle of the pratyekabuddha, and ones who produce roots of good in the vehicle of the śrāvaka.
“Since the Tathāgata has this sort of wisdom, he understands the variety of temperaments of sentient beings living in his great retinue. If he knows that the time is not ripe, he does not teach anything, and, staying even-minded, he reflects on the fact that these sentient beings are confused about the Dharma and will not understand.
“As for the Tathāgata, I am endowed with especially superior faculties and power, and because I know the moment, I know who is suitable for discipline, who is the most resolute,[F.13.b] who is able to be patient, and who can listen well to my words. Once I know this, I help and benefit those sentient beings.
Vidyutprāpta’s Questions is a Mahāyāna sūtra in which the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta (“Lightning Attainment”) asks the Buddha how someone can help other beings attain enlightenment while remaining aware of the emptiness of all phenomena. The Buddha responds by explaining five “treasures” that enable a bodhisattva to teach the Dharma without being attached to the world. The first four include understanding sentient beings of various temperaments and the attitude necessary to teach them. The fifth, the treasure of the Dharma, is knowledge of the true nature of dharmas and skill in explaining this to ordinary beings.
This text was translated by Robert Kritzer, who also wrote the introduction.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The generosity of the anonymous sponsor who helped make the work on this translation possible is gratefully acknowledged.
Vidyutprāpta’s Questions is a Mahāyāna sūtra in which the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta (“Lightning Attainment”) asks the Buddha how someone can help other beings attain enlightenment while remaining aware of the emptiness of all phenomena. The Buddha responds by explaining five “treasures” that enable bodhisattvas to teach the Dharma without being attached to the world. The first four include understanding sentient beings of various temperaments and the attitude necessary to teach them. The fifth, the treasure of the Dharma, is knowledge of the true nature of dharmas and skill in explaining this to ordinary beings.
The description of the first treasure, for the lustful, is quite long. Bodhisattvas understand that different sentient beings have different desires and that even the most lustful can be brought to maturity, that is to say, to the completion of the Buddhist path and the verge of liberation, by the bodhisattva’s skillful means. The Buddha emphasizes that bodhisattvas can teach spontaneously, without effort or attachment, and he gives several analogies to illustrate the nondualistic action to which the bodhisattva must aspire.
The treasures for the angry and for the deluded are described following a similar pattern, but more briefly and with only one analogy. In the case of the angry, the Buddha tells bodhisattvas to be patient and compassionate to free beings from their anger. For the deluded, bodhisattvas must use their vast knowledge of doctrine to remove various false views, like a doctor who uses the appropriate medicine to cure a specific disease.
The description of the treasure for those who are afflicted equally by lust, anger, and delusion is longer and more elaborate. More analogies are given, as well as two extended parables, which show how important it is for bodhisattvas to understand the individual temperaments and abilities of sentient beings yet remain impartial and detached.
The fifth treasure, the treasure of the Dharma, enables bodhisattvas to teach sentient beings who are attached to the objects of consciousness, i.e., the objects of sight up to mental objects. The sūtra does not relate this treasure specifically to one of the four temperaments, and it seems to be intended for all sentient beings. The treasure of the Dharma consists of analytical knowledge of meaning, dharmas, language, and eloquence, and it is the basis of the bodhisattva’s teaching of the undifferentiated nature of dharmas.
Finally, after the Buddha explains to Vidyutprāpta the five inexhaustible treasures, another bodhisattva, Candradhvaja (“Moon Banner”), asks about the phrase “wisdom without effort.” In his answer, the Buddha describes the wisdom of a bodhisattva who can lead sentient beings to liberation while knowing that sentient beings ultimately do not exist.
Vidyutprāpta’s Questions is no longer extant in Sanskrit. It has come down to us as the twentieth chapter or “assembly”1 of the Ratnakūṭa,2 a collection of forty-nine sūtras. The title of the Tibetan translation, glog thob kyis zhus pa, corresponds to the Sanskrit title,3 while the Chinese translation is called The Assembly on the Inexhaustible Treasures.4
The Tibetan translation was not made from the Sanskrit. Rather, it is one of the nine sūtras in the Tibetan Ratnakūṭa that were translated from Bodhiruci’s Chinese translation, perhaps by Chödrup (chos grub, ca. 745–849).5 The sūtra appears in the Denkarma (Tib. ldan dkar ma), a ninth-century catalog of translations made during Tibet’s imperial period, which confirms its early ninth-century origins. However, in the Denkarma, it appears under the alternative title ’phags pa glog sbyin gyis zhus pa,6 which translates into English as The Noble Questions of Vidyuddatta, Vidyuddatta being an attested Sanskrit equivalent to glog sbyin, meaning “Lightning Gift.” Interestingly, this sūtra also appears under yet another title in the Phangthangma imperial-period catalog, namely, ’phags pa klog gi dbyig gis zhus pa’i mdo, which translates as The Noble Sūtra of the Questions of Jewel of Recitations, the name klog gi dbyig lacking any attested Sanskrit equivalent.7
The Chinese translation (Taishō 310 [20]), like the translations of many of the other sūtras in the Ratnakūṭa, was made by Bodhiruci sometime between 706 and 713. Two versions of the Chinese title are found on lists of Ratnakūṭa sūtras in Chinese catalogs: Wu jin fu zang hui 無盡伏藏會 (The Assembly on the Inexhaustible Treasures)8 and Wu jin fu zang jing 無盡伏藏經 (The Sūtra on the Inexhaustible Treasures).9
In addition to the discussions of the inexhaustible treasures found in this sūtra, references to them appear elsewhere in Buddhist literature. In The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, Toh 176), for example, two passages refer to them. In the first, the layman Vimalakīrti is said to have in his house four inexhaustible treasures from which the poor can help themselves without the treasures being emptied.10 In the second, bodhisattvas are said to be inexhaustible treasures for the poor: they make the poor produce the thought of enlightenment.11 Lamotte points out that these metaphorical “treasures” later became the basis for the establishment of charitable institutions in China.12
Inexhaustible treasures are described more extensively in the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra. An entire chapter of this sūtra13 is devoted to ten treasures of faith, ethics, shame, conscience, learning, giving, wisdom, recollection, preservation, and elocution.14 The chapter on the ten treasures, which is chapter 22 in Śikṣānanda’s Chinese version (the version translated by Cleary) and chapter 27 in the Tibetan version, explains in general the special features and activities of the bodhisattva. Although there is no clear relationship between the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra chapter and Vidyutprāpta’s Questions, certain topics are found in both, such as the importance of the bodhisattva’s knowledge of conditioned arising and the ability to teach individuals according to their differing faculties and desires.
Finally, the entry on Vidyutprāpta’s Questions in the Japanese dictionary of Buddhist literature, Bussho kaisetsu dai jiten, suggests that the sūtra contains a forerunner of the theory of buddha nature and that there is a connection between the sūtra and the theories of mind nature in The Principles of the Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred and Fifty Lines (Prajñāpāramitānayaśatapañcaśatikā, Toh 17) and dharma nature in the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra.15
Vidyutprāpta is not a very well-known bodhisattva in Mahāyāna literature. The Sanskrit name is found only in Tibetan transliteration of the title of the sūtra. The name in the Tibetan translation, Lokthob (glog thob), corresponds to the Sanskrit Vidyutprāpta but does not appear anywhere else in the Kangyur. The name Diande 電得 in the Chinese translation appears in several places in the Taishō Tripiṭaka: in the Aṅgulimālīyasūtra (Yangjuemolu jing 央掘魔羅),16 where it is the name of a buddha, not a bodhisattva; in The Sūtra on the Names of the Buddha (Foming jing 佛名經),17 in a list of names of bodhisattvas, about whom nothing is said individually; and in Sengzhao’s commentary on The Teaching of Vimalakīrti, the Zhu weimojie jing 注維摩詰經, giving Kumārajīva’s explanation of the name Diande.18
However, Sengzhao’s apparent reference to the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta is misleading, and some clarification is necessary. In fact, the name Diande 電得 is not found in any extant version of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti itself. In the Zhu weimojie jing, the name appears as one of many bodhisattvas in a long list, each explained individually by Sengzhao or Kumārajīva. In the Sanskrit text of the sūtra, the corresponding name is Vidyuddeva, “Lightning God”; in Zhiqian’s Chinese translation,19 Mingshi 明施, “Luminous Charity”; in Xuanzang’s translation,20 Diantian 電天, “Lightning God”; and in the Tibetan translation, glog gi lha, “Lightning God.” In Kumārajīva’s translation, the name is given as Diande 電徳.21 McRae translates this as “Lightning-Like Virtue.”22 However, Harrison, in his translation of the Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra, notes that Jñānagupta translates Vidyuddeva, “Lightning God,” as Diande 電德.23 In light of the testimony of the Sanskrit, the Tibetan, and Xuanzang’s Chinese translation of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti, it is likely that Kumārajīva’s Diande 電德 refers to Vidyuddeva and should be translated as “Lightning God.”
The following table illustrates the various permutations of the bodhisattva’s name:
Zhiqian | Kumārajīva | Xuanzang | Sengzhao | Sanskrit | Tibetan |
Mingshi 明施 (Luminous Charity) | Diande 電德 (Lightning God) | Diantian 電天 (Lightning God) | Diande 電得 (Lightning Attainment) | Vidyuddeva (Lightning God) | glog gi lha (Lightning God) |
With this in mind, we can understand the apparent occurrence of the name Vidyutprāpta (“Lightning Attainment,” Diande 電得) in the Zhu weimojie jing. Since de 德, “virtue,” and de 得, “attainment,” were pronounced identically in Old Chinese and Middle Chinese,24 it is very likely that it was a scribal error in the transmission of Sengzhao’s commentary that resulted in 德 becoming 得. Therefore, we can rule out any connection between the Diande in the Zhu weimojie jing and the Diande in the Vidyutprāptaparipṛcchā.
This is the first English translation of the Tibetan version of Vidyutprāpta’s Questions. It was prepared based on the Tibetan version preserved in the Degé Kangyur and Bodhiruci’s Chinese translation preserved in the Taishō Tripiṭaka. The Chinese version has been translated into Japanese in the Kokuyaku issaikyō series.25 A somewhat incomplete English translation of the Chinese translation is found in Garma C. C. Chang’s A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was staying on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain in Rājagṛha together with a great assembly of one thousand monks, all of whom had especially exalted qualities and proclaimed the lion’s roar.26 Also in attendance were five hundred bodhisattva mahāsattvas. They all had acquired dhāraṇīs, were unobstructed in eloquence, had realized patient acceptance of the nonarising of dharmas, were established in irreversibility, were endowed with samādhis, displayed superior powers in manifold ways, and were completely aware of the way that sentient beings behave mentally.[F.2.a]
The bodhisattva Sūryadhvaja, the bodhisattva Candradhvaja, the bodhisattva Samantaprabha, the bodhisattva Moon King, the bodhisattva Illuminating Heights, the bodhisattva Vairocana, the bodhisattva Siṃhamati, the bodhisattva Precious Light of Virtue, the bodhisattva Sarvārthasiddha, the bodhisattva Possessing Previous Conditions, the bodhisattva Excellent Vows and Conduct, the bodhisattva Wisdom of Emptiness, the bodhisattva Even-Minded, the bodhisattva Joyous Yearning, the bodhisattva Fond of the Multitudes, the bodhisattva Yuddhajaya, the bodhisattva Practice of Wisdom, the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta, the bodhisattva Victorious Eloquence, the bodhisattva Siṃhanāda, the bodhisattva Most Melodious, the bodhisattva Arousing, the bodhisattva Skilled in Changing Action,27 and the bodhisattva Practice of Perfect Tranquility—bodhisattva mahāsattvas such as these were at the head. Furthermore, Śakra, king of the gods, the Four Great Kings, King Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, and unlimited retinues of gods possessing great power, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, and others,[F.2.b] stayed together with the Bhagavān.
The bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta saw that the great assembly was gathered, purified, and completely at peace. He then got up from his seat, uncovered one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I am a bit uncertain. Now, let me ask you a question. May the Tathāgata, listening with compassion, give his consent.”
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta, “The Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha grants your request. Ask what you wish. It shall be explained fully.”
The bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta then asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what attribute do bodhisattvas have that lets them fulfill the desires of all sentient beings while not being sullied by flaws; that lets them lead sentient beings with their skill in means according to those beings’ faculties and their own natures, without their falling into the miserable existences after their bodies are destroyed; that lets them definitely realize equality and, like a lotus, be unsullied by flaws even though they dwell in the world; that lets them not move from the dharmadhātu but wander in the buddha fields, never separated from the sight of the Tathāgata’s form body;28 that lets them abide in the three liberations and not enter samāpatti; and that lets them, after purifying the array of the buddha fields according to the inclinations of sentient beings, quickly in a single moment be perfectly enlightened in the highest enlightenment?”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vidyutprāpta, in the presence of the Bhagavān, spoke his request in verse:[F.3.a]
The Bhagavān replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vidyutprāpta, “It is good, it is good, that you, son of good family, ask the Tathāgata this sort of thing in order to benefit innumerable sentient beings and make them happy, and to help the beings of the present world, including the gods, and the bodhisattvas of the future. Therefore, Vidyutprāpta, listen very carefully and keep this in mind. It will be fully explained to you.”
“Bhagavān, I wish to listen in this way,” replied the bodhisattva Vidyutprāpta.
“Vidyutprāpta,” said the Bhagavān, “the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have five treasures, which are great treasures, inexhaustible treasures, totally inexhaustible treasures, and limitless treasures. When bodhisattvas are completely endowed with such treasures, they are completely free from misfortune, they completely perfect especially superior virtues of the sort mentioned above, and quickly obtain with little difficulty superior, perfect enlightenment. What are the five? They are the treasure for those with a lustful temperament, the treasure for those with an angry temperament, the treasure for those with a deluded temperament, the treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament, and the treasure of all dharmas.
“Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a lustful temperament? Sentient beings who belong to the group of those with a lustful temperament are bound by false views and falsely impute various things, according to their natures, to objects such as forms, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and mental objects, cling to them steadfastly, and are intoxicated in their attachment to pleasure. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas, by knowing in accordance with truth the mental temperament of those[F.4.a] beings, understand what they believe and desire, what objects they cultivate and are attached to, how powerful they are and what sort of faith they are endowed with, what sorts of virtuous roots they have produced, to what vehicle they should devote themselves, and when their virtuous roots will mature. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas, for the sake of eliminating all the desires of those sentient beings, and for the sake of making sure that their minds are always uninterruptedly virtuous, evaluate them very carefully and nourish them completely.
“Vidyutprāpta, it should be understood that the differences in the faculties and temperaments of sentient beings are very difficult to know. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot understand them, let alone ordinary people or heretics. Vidyutprāpta, some sentient beings, even though they are attached to objects of desire, mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment. Some sentient beings, just by having contact with a desired object or just by speaking with a lustful mind, mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment. Some sentient beings look at a beautiful form and, although a lustful thought arises, understand, just by seeing that form deteriorating and being destroyed, that the form is impermanent, and the torment of their desire is calmed. Just by means of the utmost contemplation of impermanence, they mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment.
“As for some other sentient beings, when they see a woman, desire does not arise, but afterward, through the power of memory, a sexual thought arises, and when they remember her complexion and figure, passion arises. As for some other sentient beings,[F.4.b] due to their seeing pleasing shapes in a dream, sexual attachment arises, and, fixating on them, they pursue them. As for some other sentient beings, just hearing a woman’s voice produces sexual desire. And some, freed from sexual thought that is due to a mere glance, mature in unsurpassable, perfect enlightenment.
“Therefore, Vidyutprāpta, although the bodhisattvas know, with their skillful means, those various illnesses of desire and the various remedies for desire, they lack signs of grasping at dualism in the dharmadhātu, and they produce great compassion even for those beings who are confused regarding the dharmadhātu. Vidyutprāpta, since not even the slightest thing called love, hatred, delusion, or wisdom regarding the dharmadhātu can be apprehended, the bodhisattva thinks, ‘If it is as I see it, sentient beings produce desire, hatred, and delusion toward these compounded things that are collections established as mere designations, without marks, empty of inherent existence, and void. After analyzing these things as they really are, dwelling in great compassion for those sentient beings who are bewildered by desire, I will fulfill my former vows. Without wavering from the dharmadhātu, I will make them mature by means of my effortless wisdom.’
“If a man mistakenly believes that women are pure, and if this gives rise to deep desire, the bodhisattva will turn himself into a very beautiful, elegant woman, whose physical characteristics are especially outstanding, and who, like apsaras, possesses precious ornaments and garlands, never before seen, and is well adorned with various ornaments.[F.5.a] With that sentient being32 having shown how lustful, passionate, and very obsessed he is, the bodhisattva, with a method adjusted to the ability of that sentient being, in order to remove the poison arrow of lust, by means of his unimpeded power, having previously changed into the shape of a woman,33 then appears again before him. Having made that sentient being understand the dharmadhātu by his teaching of the Dharma, the bodhisattva will disappear. If a woman gives rise to a desirous thought about men, the bodhisattva appears in the body of a man. In order to remove the poison arrow of lust, he makes her understand the dharmadhātu by teaching the Dharma, and he disappears.
“Vidyutprāpta, there are twenty-one thousand lustful actions and, with the addition of those other actions,34 there are eighty-four thousand actions in total. The bodhisattvas, with their effortless wisdom, produce countless thousands of open Dharma doors. The minds of sentient beings having been penetrated, they all become liberated, even though the bodhisattvas do not have the thought, ‘I teach this sort of Dharma to sentient beings,’ and they do not imagine that beings are liberated.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, the nāga king of Lake Anavapta, due to the force of karma, releases four great rivers from inside his palace and cools the summer heat. With the moisture, he makes the flowers and the fruits grow and the grains increase and greatly pleases many sentient beings. The nāga king himself releases these rivers, but he does not think, ‘I shall release the rivers.’ Nevertheless, the four great rivers flow continuously and benefit sentient beings. Bodhisattvas, similarly, since they have fulfilled their former vows, teach the four truths of the noble ones by means of their effortless wisdom. They dispel all the torments of saṃsāra and bestow the happiness of noble[F.5.b] liberation. But the bodhisattvas do not think, ‘I have taught the Dharma,’ or ‘I shall teach it.’ Nevertheless, they spontaneously dwell in their own thought of great compassion, and, having analyzed sentient beings, they teach them the Dharma in whatever way is suitable.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give another analogy, Śakra, king of the gods, has twelve billion apsaras. By means of Śakra’s autonomous power, he displays many bodies, and the apsaras all enjoy sexual pleasure with him. Individually they think, ‘Only I am frolicking with the king of the gods,’ while, in fact, the king of the gods has no attachment whatsoever. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, too, in accordance with the wishes of whichever sentient beings are worthy of completely passing beyond, mature them, while the bodhisattvas have no attachment.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give another analogy, when the orb of the sun appears at the top of a mountain, its light illuminates Jambudvīpa, and whatever place it illuminates, it reveals various colors—blue, yellow, red, white—while the orb of the sun itself is a single color. The unity of the light has no differences in quality. Similarly, the bodhisattvas also, with the orb of the sun of wisdom, illuminate the dharmadhātu. They appear at the mountaintops of sentient beings’ attachments as a single objective image, and they teach them the Dharma according to their desires, even though the dharmadhātu has no dualistic nature.
“Vidyutprāpta, this is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a lustful temperament. When bodhisattva mahāsattvas obtain this treasure, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa,[F.6.a] they can display infinite bodies according to the various desires of sentient beings, even though the dharmadhātu has no dualistic nature.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, to give another analogy, pure gold is made, due to the skill of a metalworker and according to his will, into various types of ornaments. Although the attributes change, the nature of gold does not change. In the same way, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas also analyze the dharmadhātu very carefully, display infinite bodies to sentient beings according to their various wishes, and teach the Dharma in various words, even though the dharmadhātu has no dualistic nature. Since they are constantly immersed in the dharmadhātu, this is called being integrated in the nature of the dharmadhātu.35 When bodhisattvas obtain this sort of treasure, since they teach the Dharma in various ways for the sake of sentient beings, they, due to hearing the Dharma, come to possess sovereignty over the marvelous wealth of the noble ones and abandon forever the troubles of saṃsāra.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with an angry temperament? Sentient beings have pride, conceive of ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ and do not practice compassion or patience since they have dwelt for a long time in characteristics of ‘me’ and ‘mine.’36 Their own minds are destroyed by the torment of anger; they do not remember the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha; and they are covered with the poison of anger and are deluded about reality. But the bodhisattvas never produce malice or hostility toward sentient beings who have much anger. They just think, ‘Alas, these sentient beings, since they are bewildered by ignorance, have increased their hatred and incorrect anger since they possess false notions regarding the true nature of dharmas,[F.6.b] which are, from the beginning, quiescent,37 untainted and unsullied, peaceful and uncontentious, and completely void.’ After thinking in that way and abiding in great compassion, they always show their pity. Even if there are some who cut off their limbs and smaller body parts, because they desire to tame those sentient beings who have angry temperaments, they abide in patience. If those uncountable sentient beings who have angry temperaments turn their backs on one another, due to having completed actions of anger and hatred, and fall into a body within a bad birth, such as a poisonous snake, the bodhisattvas, abiding in patience, tame those beings by means of their loving kindness and the force of their mindfulness, and they do not receive the retribution of a bad birth in the future. Whatever their undoubted realization of equality is, this is called the bodhisattvas’ complete elimination, by their skillful means, of sentient beings’ angry temperaments.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, if the bodhisattvas see angry sentient beings, they think, ‘As all dharmas are pure in their own nature, alas, these sentient beings are incorrect due to following their anger, and they develop wrong views. Since they produce a thought of anger with respect to the nature of dharmas as equal and uncontentious, these sentient beings do not understand the dharmadhātu itself. If these sentient beings saw the nature of dharmas, they would not produce harmful thoughts toward others. Due to the fact that they do not understand the essence of the dharmadhātu, anger arises.’ The bodhisattvas, having produced even more compassion toward those sentient beings who have much anger, dwell in great compassion.[F.7.a] Again fulfilling their former vow, they correctly teach various Dharma doors for the sake of destroying, with their effortless wisdom, the angry actions of sentient beings without thinking, ‘I am teaching the Dharma for the purpose of removing sentient beings’ anger.’ Why is that? It is because the bodhisattvas understand very well the nature of the dharmadhātu. As for this, it should be known that, since the bodhisattvas dwell in the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu, they eradicate defiled actions.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, after darkness is removed, light is obtained, but darkness is not destroyed. Thus, the essence of darkness and light is undifferentiated, like space. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, relying on their undifferentiated knowledge of the dharmadhātu, teach the Dharma with skillful means. Taming various sentient beings with angry temperaments, they pacify them, but there are no distinctions in the dharmadhātu.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, just as everywhere that the light from the rising wheel of the sun shines is all encompassed by the rising wheel of the sun, similarly, everything said by the bodhisattvas for the sake of taming and eradicating angry actions is all the wheel of Dharma, and there are no distinctions in the dharmadhātu. Thus, as for those twenty-one thousand angry actions and actions belonging to the other categories of temperaments, amounting to eighty-four thousand in total, the bodhisattvas, since they have perfected effortless wisdom, teach the Dharma that is appropriate for sentient beings’ various types of anger, without thinking, ‘I have taught, I teach, and I shall teach the Dharma.’ This should be known as the treasure for those of angry temperaments. When bodhisattvas[F.7.b] obtain this treasure, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, according to the various inclinations of sentient beings, they teach the Dharma with skill in means through various words, letters, and expressions. Furthermore, although angry actions are endless, the bodhisattvas’ wisdom and courage also cannot be exhausted. As for this, it should be understood as the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those of angry temperaments, which they have obtained by explaining well the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu.38[B2]
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a deluded temperament? Vidyutprāpta, this sort of practice of the bodhisattvas is very difficult. Such sentient beings chase affliction, harm others, are wrapped in an eggshell of ignorance,39 have no way of understanding the dharmadhātu since they are bound up in themselves like silkworms, do not properly contemplate what they should do, are attached to a belief in the self, enter a wrong path, persist in foolish actions, and have difficulty renouncing saṃsāra.
“Since they are like this, for the sake of sentient beings who are deluded, after the bodhisattvas first generate the thought of enlightenment, they tirelessly generate a great effort, without suffering and without laziness, and they think about the conditions in which, the conviction with which, and the kind of doctrinal teaching with which they can lead these sentient beings to the bodhisattva practice so that they may obtain liberation.
“The bodhisattvas, having previously penetrated the dharmadhātu, abide in great compassion by means of their effortless wisdom. After they understand that those sentient beings are confused regarding the dharmadhātu, having taught them Dharma according to their power and ability, they train them completely, without thinking, ‘I taught, I teach, and I shall teach the Dharma.’ However, by the power of their former vow, having thoroughly contemplated conditioned origination,[F.8.a] they spontaneously reveal many hundreds of thousands of Dharma doors and remove those sentient beings’ ignorance-based karmic activity and make them attain liberation.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, it is like this. A good physician is skilled in curing many illnesses. He has previously become familiar with medical treatments, and as soon as he sees the symptoms of a disease, since he knows all the mantras and medical treatments, he cures it; there is nothing that he cannot cure. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, since they know the dharmadhātu very well, show, by means of their effortless knowledge, many hundreds of thousands of Dharma doors according to the faculties and natures of these beings, who have accumulated foolish actions, and make them understand everything clearly.
“Vidyutprāpta, this is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with a deluded temperament. When bodhisattvas obtain this treasure, having correctly contemplated conditioned origination, for the sake of those sentient beings with a deluded temperament, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, according to their natures and wishes, they teach the Dharma with skill in means through various words, letters, and expressions. Furthermore, although deluded actions are endless, the bodhisattvas’ wisdom and courage also cannot be exhausted. As for this, it should be understood as the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those of deluded temperament, which they have obtained by explaining well the undifferentiated nature of all dharmas. Thus, as for those twenty-one thousand deluded actions and actions belonging to the other categories of temperaments, making a total of eighty-four thousand, the bodhisattvas, for the sake of eliminating them, having distinguished many hundreds and thousands of Dharma doors, teach them correctly. This is called the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those with a deluded temperament.[F.8.b]
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament? To give an analogy, it is like this. When a very clean, completely clear, spotless round mirror is placed at a crossroads, although reflections appear there without increase or diminishment, the round mirror does not think, ‘I made these various types of reflections.’ Nevertheless, if that round mirror is wiped well, all the reflections will spontaneously appear. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, by wiping well the round mirror of the dharmadhātu, established in effortless samādhi, open many hundreds of thousands of Dharma doors and teach according to the differences in sentient beings’ mental actions. All those sentient beings, understanding completely, obtain liberation. But they do not produce a concept of dharmas or a concept of sentient beings. Why is that? The bodhisattvas, because they understand very well the nature of the dharmadhātu, and since they contemplate those sentient beings of the four temperaments as they really are, teach Dharma according to their faculties and natures. However, since they contemplate the dharmadhātu and the realms of sentient beings as they are, they also do not have a conception of duality, because they see clearly that those categories of the dharmadhātu and the realms of sentient beings have no duality and no differences.
“Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, it is like this. In space, there is no characteristic of various differences, and there is no differentiation. In the same way, the bodhisattvas, since they contemplate the dharmadhātu very well, recognize that all dharmas enter into a single characteristic. By the power of their former vows, they teach Dharma in various ways according to the temperaments of sentient beings, even though in the dharmadhātu there are no differences.
“Vidyutprāpta, since the bodhisattvas have analyzed individually the twenty-one thousand actions of one with an equally proportioned temperament,[F.9.a] and the actions belonging to the other categories of temperaments, making a total of eighty-four thousand, they understand them all clearly. To give an analogy, it is like this. Just as a skillful doctor wisely knows illnesses and how to administer medicine, the bodhisattvas teach Dharma by means of their effortless wisdom. This is called the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament. When bodhisattvas obtain this treasure, for the sake of sentient beings, they teach Dharma, for a kalpa or more than a kalpa, according to their desires, in various words. However, although sentient beings’ actions are endless, the bodhisattvas’ wisdom and courage also cannot be exhausted. This is called the bodhisattvas’ treasure for those with an equally proportioned temperament, which is obtained due to their good explanation of the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu.
“Furthermore, Vidyutprāpta, the bodhisattvas, since they have perfected that sort of wisdom, are totally aware, with their skill in means, of sentient beings’ faculties, conduct, and aspirations. If they see sentient beings who have much desire, in order to tame them and treat their disease, they appear like an ordinary person, enjoying objects of desire, provided with children, a wife, and the comforts of a home. However, like a lotus, they are not contaminated or attached. Sentient beings who are deluded and lack intelligence, because they do not know the bodhisattvas’ skill in means, think, ‘What intelligent person would be attached to objects of desire just like an ordinary person? Therefore, this person has no enlightenment.’ Those kinds of sentient beings, because their minds are completely impure, give rise to great hatred, and since they are not reverent,[F.9.b] when due to their karma their bodies fail, they fall into the great hell after their death. However, because the bodhisattvas very secretly instruct them, their various faults are completely eliminated, and they are all fully established in the attainment of equanimity.
“To give an analogy, it is like this. When a strongly blazing fire meets grass and trees, they all burn fiercely and are transformed into the mass of the fire itself. Similarly, for the bodhisattvas, when they kindle the fire of wisdom, sentient beings’ desire, hatred, and confusion, their good and their evil, whatever they are, meet the bodhisattva, and all burn up and are transformed into wisdom. This is called the extraordinary quality of the bodhisattva.
“Furthermore, to give another analogy, the extraordinary quality of the king of mountains, Sumeru, is that it is formed from four types of jewels. Sentient beings, too, have qualities of various sorts—blue, yellow, red, and white—that correspond to those jewels. If they go to the lapis lazuli side of Sumeru, they all become the single color of lapis lazuli. If they go to the gold-colored side, they all become gold-colored. In the same way, they become silver-colored or crystal-colored. In just that way, since the bodhisattvas, too, have obtained extraordinary qualities, whatever the desire, hatred, confusion, good, or evil of sentient beings, when they go into the presence of the bodhisattvas and associate with them, they all enter into the wisdom of the bodhisattva. However, when their minds are impure, and due to their own sinful karma, they fall into the birth destiny of hell beings or animals or the world of the dead, in this case, by the power of the bodhisattvas’[F.10.a] extraordinary qualities and vow, after their sinful karmic consequences are exhausted, they are definitely set to obtain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment in the future.
“Vidyutprāpta, in the period of the five defilements, innumerable, unlimited, incalculable kalpas in the past, a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly enlightened one, one endowed with knowledge and conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, a supreme one, a charioteer who tames people, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha bhagavān40 named Jewel Heap Merit Voice41 appeared. At that time, all beings lived for a hundred twenty years, as I do today.
“At that time, sentient beings’ desire, hatred, and confusion were great. Since they were overwhelmed by afflictions, fathers and mothers, older and younger brothers, and friends disagreed, and they did not follow their teachers and masters. They did not acknowledge kind deeds. They were always full of malicious thoughts, and they had tricky and thieving minds. They hurt each other. They behaved improperly. They did not have respect for the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Only beings like these, who, because they were overcome with stinginess, practiced the custom of pretas, lived in that buddha field, and they were very difficult to discipline.
“Even in such a bad era, that bhagavān, due to the power of his former vow, realized unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment and became a completely enlightened buddha. That bhagavān had twenty-two thousand śrāvakas.
“A king named Extensively Giving42 was then the sovereign who governed Jambudvīpa. He was sincere about the teaching of the Buddha, and he invited that tathāgata together with the saṅgha of śrāvakas for the three summer[F.10.b] months. Laying out extensive offerings, he worshiped and performed rituals.
“At that time, a monk named Stainless43 was endowed with eloquence. Because he was skilled at teaching the Dharma, a great assembly was eager to hear him. He never tired of bringing sentient beings to maturity. He taught the Dharma without expectation and spoke sincerely with a shining complexion. He was endowed with a good appearance and strength, and his face was kind and handsome. Sentient beings longed to see him. He was served and respected, revered and praised. Beginning monks also frequently followed Stainless and appeared in the king’s palace, entering freely, and they showed their respect with various garments, food, drink, bedding, and medicines.
“Many monks from that great assembly did not know how to practice bodily restraint or wisdom of the mind. They did not have respect for the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. They had false views of permanence, nihilism, self, and so forth. They rejected the Buddha’s teaching. They were very agitated and hard to discipline. Their senses were unrestrained. They abided in wickedness. Without having the conduct of śramaṇas, they claimed to be śramaṇas. Their actions of body, speech, and mind were all entirely based in depravity.
“That bhagavān entered nirvāṇa after the rainy season, and King Extensively Giving cremated the bhagavān’s body in a fire of red sandalwood. He made offerings and built eighty million reliquary stūpas surrounded on four sides by red sandalwood railings, with golden lotuses.
“The monk Stainless had been given a prophecy by that bhagavān that he would be the most learned and[F.11.a] would transmit the true doctrine widely after that tathāgata entered nirvāṇa. Whatever village, city, or marketplace he went to, he would convert innumerable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings and establish them in unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.
“Many evil monks then did not understand the practice of yoga. They were always jealous. Confused by Māra, they went to the king and said, ‘The monk Stainless, who is respected by the king, goes in and out of the palace freely. This monk is not yet free from desire. He asks for food at the wrong time. He adorns his body with perfume and garlands, and since he is not truly chaste, it is not right for him to make offerings. For this reason, we have come here to explain this to the king. Do not have regrets later. Please do not disbelieve the true teachings of the Buddha.’
“At that time, there was a māra named Wicked. He changed himself into the shape of a monk, and he went to the king and spoke in the same way as above.
“King Extensively Giving, although he heard the same thing repeated, thought, ‘Since the monk Stainless is very diligent, I respect him as my teacher. Something like this is impossible.’
“Then the māra’s retinue showed half their bodies and spoke in verse to the king:
“Therefore, Vidyutprāpta, those who do not understand well the faculties, nature, and aspirations of sentient beings should not produce harmful thoughts. Vidyutprāpta, to give an analogy, just as Sumeru is the greatest among mountains, similarly, the wisdom of the Tathāgata is the greatest and most excellent and unsurpassable of wisdoms. To give another analogy, just as the ocean is the greatest among all waters, similarly, the wisdom of the Tathāgata is the most excellent and deepest and broadest of all wisdoms. To give another analogy, just as the cakravartin is the greatest and most excellent and unsurpassable, the wisdom of the Tathāgata is unsurpassed among wisdoms.
“Vidyutprāpta, the Tathāgata, due to his being endowed with this sort of knowledge, knows46 the minds and all the changes in the operation of mental factors of those with lustful, angry, or deluded temperaments and helps them all in a snap of the fingers.
“Vidyutprāpta, the Tathāgata is endowed with omniscience. To give an analogy, a clear-sighted person, seeing clearly without effort a myrobalan fruit in the palm of his hand, has no doubt what it is. In the same way, the Tathāgata knows the mental actions of all sentient beings[F.13.a] and correctly explains various teachings in the midst of a great assembly.
“I understand and see, in the limitless, countless buddha field world systems, sentient beings associated with the lustful temperament who are completely tormented by lust and, fixing their minds on desires night and day, pass their time meaninglessly. I know and see the various actions of body, speech, and mind that are generated due to torment by lust.
“I understand and see those sentient beings with angry temperaments who are overwhelmed by anger, and, because they are jealous of and harm one another due to anger, fall into Avīci hell.
“I understand sentient beings who are associated with the deluded temperament who, since they are stupefied by the darkness of ignorance, are attached to confusion and desire to follow false views.
“I understand capable ones, incapable ones, ones with increasing effort, ones who regress and fail, ones who produce roots of good in the vehicle of the tathāgata, ones who produce roots of good in the vehicle of the pratyekabuddha, and ones who produce roots of good in the vehicle of the śrāvaka.
“Since the Tathāgata has this sort of wisdom, he understands the variety of temperaments of sentient beings living in his great retinue. If he knows that the time is not ripe, he does not teach anything, and, staying even-minded, he reflects on the fact that these sentient beings are confused about the Dharma and will not understand.
“As for the Tathāgata, I am endowed with especially superior faculties and power, and because I know the moment, I know who is suitable for discipline, who is the most resolute,[F.13.b] who is able to be patient, and who can listen well to my words. Once I know this, I help and benefit those sentient beings.
Different titles are given in two catalogs: glog (or klog) sbyin gyis zhus pa in the Denkarma and klog gi dbyig gis zhus pa’i mdo in the Phangthangma (Silk 2019, p. 233).
Silk 2019, pp. 232–33. However, Li points out that one Tibetan catalog, the Phangthangma, says that it was translated from Sanskrit (2021, p. 208).
Yiqie jing yinyi 一切經音義, Taishō 2128.394b4; Kaiyuan shijiao lu 開元釋教錄, Taishō 2154.570b20, 585a14; Zhenyuan xinding shijiao mulu 貞元新定釋教目録, Taishō 2157.873b13, 913b25.
Kaiyuan shijiao lu 開元釋教錄, Taishō 2154.666a8; Zhenyuan xinding shijiao mulu 貞元新定釋教目録, Taishō 2157.1004b5.
Lamotte 1987, pp. 298–99, note 42; for inexhaustible treasures in Chinese Buddhism, see Hubbard 2001.
The Teaching on the Ten Inexhaustible Treasures, Toh 44-27 (phal chen, ka), folios 333.b–347.b; Taishō 279.111a27–115a6; Cleary 1993, pp. 485–96; Dharmamitra 2022 , pp. 521–540.
This is according to Cleary’s translation from the Chinese of Taishō 279 (1993, p. 485). The Tibetan list differs somewhat.
Taishō 1775.331a6; also in Jingming jing ji jie Guanzhong shu 淨名經集解關中疏, Taishō 2777.444b12, which is based on Sengzhao’s commentary.
Kokuyaku issaikyō. Hōshaku-bu 5. (Japanese translation of the Mahāratnakūṭasūtra [Taishō 310]).
spyod pa bsgyur ba la mkhas pa. The meaning is unclear. Chang translates the Chinese 巧轉行 as “deeds of skillful conversion” (1983, p. 149).
The Chinese reads differently: “Never separated from the Buddha, but not seeing his form body” (常不離佛不見色身). This fits the surrounding context, and the Tibetan seems to be a mistranslation.
The Tibetan literally reads “those sentient beings” (sems can de dag gis), but it is not clear why the plural is used.
bud med kyi gzugs su bsgyur nas. “Previously” is inserted since this sentence is clearly about the bodhisattva’s changing back to his original form. The Chinese says “change back the woman’s body” (還變女身), i.e., change it back into a male body.
Presumably “those other actions” are the actions of people with angry, deluded, and equally proportioned temperaments.
’di ni rtag par chos kyi dbyings la zhugs pas mtshan nyid gcig tu gyur pa zhes bya’o. The Tibetan seems to be a mixed-up translation of the Chinese: “This is constant understanding of the unitary nature of the dharmadhātu” (是為常入法界一相).
bdag dang bdag gi mtshan ma la gnas pa. The Chinese is different: “They dwell in the characteristics of self and others” (住自他相).
The Tibetan here says “completely detached and quiescent” (rab tu dben zhing zhi ba) and repeats the phrase “completely detached” at the end of the string of characterizations of dharmas. The Chinese, however, which has been followed here, does not include the phrase at this point.
’di ni byang chub sems dpa’ chos kyi dbyings dbyer med pa’i mtshan nyid legs par bshad pas thob pa’i zhe sdang spyod pa’i gter zhes bya’o. This seems to be rather confused, as is the Chinese from which it is translated: “This is described as follows: The bodhisattva explains well the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhātu. He obtains thus the treasure for those whose temperament is angry” (是名菩薩善說法界無差別相。獲得如是瞋行伏藏). Chang’s translation of the Chinese makes better sense, but it does not seem to be an accurate rendition: “This is how a Bodhisattva who has acquired the store of wisdom for the angry expounds the undifferentiated nature of the dharmadhatu skillfully” (1983, p. 155). Similar phrases appear in the corresponding passages (in the Tibetan, Chinese, and Chang’s English) for the other treasures, below.
The Tibetan translation, ma rig pa’i mngal gyi sgo ngas kun tu dkris pa, literally says “wrapped in the egg(shell) of the womb of ignorance.” This reflects the Chinese from which it is translated (無明胎㲉所纏裹), which seems to be based on a mistranslation of the Sanskrit avidyāṇḍakośa (Pali avijjaṇḍakosa), “the shell of eggs.” Thus, Chang translates the phrase simply as “wrapped up in the shell of ignorance” (1983, p. 155). For the term avijjaṇḍakosa, see The Aṅguttara-Nikāya (Hardy 1899, p. 176, line 15).
The Tibetan bstun mo is singular here, but in context, it must refer to the entire group of consorts.
This verse (百俱胝眷屬 惡心向法師 由此命終後 墮於無間獄 [Taishō 310 {20}.484b24–25]) is not included in any of the Tibetan editions that have been examined.
In the following passages, the word rab tu mkhyen pa appears frequently. We have translated it as “know” or “understand,” depending on which English word best suits the context.
According to C, D, J, Q, and S: “The Tathāgata always says that no sentient being, if they hear even a little of the virtuous, totally pure teaching, is deemed as one who will never enter nirvāṇa.” According to N and V, “The Tathāgata always says that no sentient being, if they harm even a little of the virtuous, totally pure teaching, is deemed as one who will never enter nirvāṇa.” According to F, “The Tathāgata always says that any sentient being, if they hear even a little of the virtuous, totally pure teaching, will be deemed as one who enters nirvāṇa.” According to Z, “The Tathāgata always says that any sentient being, if they hear even a little of the virtuous, totally pure teaching, is deemed as one who will never enter nirvāṇa.” Yamabe Nobuyoshi suggests that in the process of transmission, a word meaning “hear” was substituted for a word meaning “harm” in most editions, and an extra negative was also added (email, 5 April 2022). Our translation reflects the Chinese (如來常說。若諸眾生於白淨法有少缺減。終不能得入於涅槃 [Taishō 310 {20}.485a18–19]).
Here and below, the Tibetan literally says “killed” (gsod/bsad par byas pa), but we have followed the Chinese, which is clearly correct: “wanted to kill” (欲殺).
There is something strange here. The Chinese says that the bodhisattva does not see any impure buddha fields. In this case, it is hard to say which translation accurately represents the original meaning.
A royal city in a past world system.
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
A member of the class of celestial female beings known for their great beauty.
A bodhisattva.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
One of the eight hot hells.
A past buddha.
A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).
An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), 3.3–3.13.
Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.
A bodhisattva.
In the most general sense the devas—the term is cognate with the English divine—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula—that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulas.
The “sphere of dharmas,” a synonym for the nature of things.
An evil butcher.
A bodhisattva.
A bodhisattva.
A king.
A bodhisattva.
The visible form of a buddha that is perceived by other beings.
Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahārājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).
The first teaching of the Buddha, covering suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering. They are named “truths of the noble ones” since the “noble ones” (ārya) are the ones who have perceived them perfectly and without error. Also rendered here simply as “four noble truths.”
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.
In the most general sense the devas—the term is cognate with the English divine—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.
The Gṛdhrakūṭa, literally Vulture Peak, was a hill located in the kingdom of Magadha, in the vicinity of the ancient city of Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir, in the state of Bihar, India), where the Buddha bestowed many sūtras, especially the Great Vehicle teachings, such as the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. It continues to be a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists to this day.
A bodhisattva.
The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.
The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.
A buddha.
A bodhisattva.
A cosmic period of time, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world system appears, exists, and disappears. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser eons. In the course of one great eon, the universe takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion; during the next twenty it remains; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction; and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of empty stasis. A fortunate, or good, eon (bhadrakalpa) refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appears.
A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name—which means “is that human?”—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.
A vast legendary lake on the other side of the Himalayas. Only those with miraculous powers can go there. It is said to be the source of the world’s four great rivers. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
One of the eight hot hells.
Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.
The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”
For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).
Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra:
(1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree—see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.1—and later sought many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the “deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.14 and 21.43. (3) The term māra can also be understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i) the divine māra (devaputramāra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.
First of the five aggregates. Physical forms include the subtle and coarse forms derived from the primary material elements.
A bodhisattva.
A bodhisattva.
A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.
The objects of consciousness, namely, objects of sight up through mental objects.
A bodhisattva.
A bodhisattva.
A bodhisattva.
Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation, without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyekabuddha is not regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit, compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as “congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.
A bodhisattva.
A world system in the past.
glog thob kyis zhus pa (Vidyutprāptaparipṛcchā). Toh 64, Degé Kangyur vol. 43 (dkon brtsegs, ca), folios 1.a–17.b.
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Kokuyaku issaikyō 國譯一切經. Hōshaku-bu 寳積部 5. (Japanese translation of Mahāratnakūṭasūtra [Taishō 310]).
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C Choné Kangyur
D Degé Kangyur
F Phukdrak MS
J Lithang
K Kangxi (Peking late 17th c.)
L London Kangyur
N Narthang Kangyur
Q Peking 1737 (Qianlong)
S Stok Palace MS
Y Yongle
