Five Liberation-Gates, Named
Immovable's own answer to Good-Wealth begins with gentleness rather than instruction — five liberation-gates named by title alone, followed by a declaration that their domain is hard to know, until Good-Wealth asks her to speak by the buddha's own power rather than her own.
Gentle Words, and Five Gates
Where every teacher before her has answered Good-Wealth's question with a single named liberation, Immovable offers five at once — and follows them, unusually, with a plain admission that their domain is hard to know.
時，不動優婆夷以菩薩柔軟語、悅意語，慰諭善財，而告之言：「善哉善哉！善男子！汝已能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。善男子！我得菩薩難摧伏智慧藏解脫門，我得菩薩堅固受持行門，我得菩薩一切法平等地總持門，我得菩薩照明一切法辯才門，我得菩薩求一切法無疲厭三昧門。」善財童子言：「聖者！菩薩難摧伏智慧藏解脫門，乃至求一切法無疲厭三昧門，境界云何？」童女言：「善男子！此處難知。」
At that time, the laywoman Immovable, with a bodhisattva's own gentle and pleasing words, comforted and reassured Good-Wealth, saying to him: "Excellent, excellent! Good son, you have indeed been able to give rise to the mind of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Good son, I have attained the bodhisattva's own liberation-gate of the Treasury of Unassailable Wisdom, I have attained the bodhisattva's own gate of firmly upholding practice, I have attained the bodhisattva's own gate of the dhāraṇī of the ground of equality of every dharma, I have attained the bodhisattva's own gate of eloquence that illuminates every dharma, and I have attained the bodhisattva's own gate of the samādhi of seeking every dharma without weariness." Good-Wealth said: "Noble one, what is the domain of the bodhisattva's own liberation-gate of the Treasury of Unassailable Wisdom, and of the other gates up through the samādhi of seeking every dharma without weariness?" The young girl said: "Good son, this matter is difficult to know."
By the Buddha's Own Power
Good-Wealth's own response to her demurral is not to withdraw the question but to ask her to speak anyway — not by her own strength, but by the buddha's own spiritual power, trusting that a good spiritual friend can carry him to an understanding beyond his current reach.
善財白言：「唯願聖者，承佛神力，為我宣說！我當因善知識，能信能受，能知能了，趣入觀察，修習隨順，離諸分別，究竟平等。」
Good-Wealth said: "I only wish that the noble one, relying upon the buddha's own spiritual power, would proclaim it for me! Through my good spiritual friend, I shall be able to believe it, able to receive it, able to know it, able to understand it, able to enter and contemplate it, able to cultivate and accord with it, able to leave behind every discrimination, and able to reach ultimate equality."
此處難知 — this matter is difficult to know. Very few teachers in this pilgrimage have admitted difficulty this directly before explaining themselves. Immovable's own hesitation, rather than discouraging Good-Wealth, becomes the occasion for him to name eight distinct capacities he trusts a good spiritual friend can still unlock in him.
Part 1031 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty-six. Part 1032 opens Immovable's own story — an age called Free of Defilement, a buddha named Long-Arm, and a princess standing alone on a tower roof beneath the stars at midnight.