Part 1034 of the collection · Fascicle 66 of 80 · 入法界品第三十九之七 · T279

Not Once, in Countless Kalpas

Immovable's own account of her vajra-firm mind is a list of absences rather than achievements — kalpas beyond counting in which desire, anger, self-view, forgetting, and doubt simply never arose, each clause closing tighter than the last.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 1034 — not once, in countless kalpas Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

Never a Thought of Desire, Never a Moment of Confusion

The list begins with the most basic afflictions — desire, anger, self-view, confusion at birth and death — each one denied not merely in action but in the arising of even a single thought.

Chinese Source

「善男子!我發是心已來,經閻浮提微塵數劫,尚不生於念欲之心,況行其事!爾所劫中,於自親屬不起瞋心,況他眾生!爾所劫中,於其自身不生我見,況於眾具而計我所!爾所劫中,死時、生時及住胎藏,未曾迷惑起眾生想及無記心,況於餘時!爾所劫中,乃至夢中隨見一佛未曾忘失,何況菩薩十眼所見!

Ru-Yi Translation

"Good son, from the time I gave rise to this mind, throughout kalpas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in Jambudvīpa, I have not once given rise to even a thought of desire, let alone acted upon it! Throughout all those kalpas, I have never given rise to a mind of anger even toward my own relatives, let alone toward other beings! Throughout all those kalpas, I have never given rise to the view of a self regarding my own body, let alone reckoned any possession as belonging to "me"! Throughout all those kalpas, whether at the time of death, at the time of birth, or while dwelling in the womb, I have never once been confused into giving rise to the notion of "a being" or an indeterminate mind, let alone at any other time! Throughout all those kalpas, even in dreams, whatever buddha I happened to see, I have never once forgotten — how much more so what is seen by a bodhisattva's own ten eyes!

Never a Word Forgotten, Never a Being Left Unencouraged

The list turns from private affliction to active practice — every word of dharma retained, every teaching contemplated into samādhi, every buddha honored with a fulfilled vow, and every single being she ever met urged toward buddhahood rather than a lesser path.

Chinese Source

爾所劫中,受持一切如來正法,未曾忘失一文一句,乃至世俗所有言辭尚不忘失,何況如來金口所說!爾所劫中,受持一切如來法海,一文一句無不思惟、無不觀察,乃至一切世俗之法亦復如是。爾所劫中,受持如是一切法海,未曾於一法中不得三昧,乃至世間技術之法,一一法中悉亦如是。爾所劫中,住持一切如來法輪,隨所住持,未曾廢捨一文一句,乃至不曾生於世智,唯除為欲調眾生故。爾所劫中,見諸佛海,未曾於一佛所不得成就清淨大願,乃至於諸化佛之所悉亦如是。爾所劫中,見諸菩薩修行妙行,無有一行我不成就。爾所劫中,所見眾生,無一眾生我不勸發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心,未曾勸一眾生發於聲聞、辟支佛意。爾所劫中,於一切佛法,乃至一文一句,不生疑惑,不生二想,不生分別想,不生種種想,不生執著想,不生勝劣想,不生愛憎想。

Ru-Yi Translation

Throughout all those kalpas, upholding every tathāgata's own true dharma, I have never once forgotten a single word or phrase — I have not even forgotten ordinary worldly speech, let alone what was spoken by a tathāgata's own golden mouth! Throughout all those kalpas, upholding the entire ocean of every tathāgata's own dharma, there was not a single word or phrase I did not reflect upon and contemplate — and it was just the same for every worldly dharma as well. Throughout all those kalpas, upholding this entire ocean of dharma, there was never a single dharma in which I failed to attain samādhi — and it was just the same, one by one, even for every worldly skill and craft. Throughout all those kalpas, sustaining every tathāgata's own wheel of dharma, whatever I sustained I never once abandoned a single word or phrase of it, and I never once gave rise to worldly cleverness, except when it served to tame beings. Throughout all those kalpas, beholding the ocean of every buddha, there was never a single buddha before whom I failed to accomplish a pure great vow — and it was just the same before every emanated buddha as well. Throughout all those kalpas, whenever I beheld bodhisattvas cultivating their own wondrous practices, there was not a single practice I failed to accomplish myself. Throughout all those kalpas, among all the beings I encountered, there was not a single one I failed to encourage to give rise to the mind of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, and I never once encouraged any being to give rise to the intention of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha. Throughout all those kalpas, toward every buddha-dharma, down to a single word or phrase, I never gave rise to doubt, never gave rise to a dualistic notion, never gave rise to a discriminating notion, never gave rise to a scattered notion, never gave rise to a grasping notion, never gave rise to a notion of superior or inferior, and never gave rise to a notion of love or hatred.

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

未曾勸一眾生發於聲聞、辟支佛意 — I never once encouraged any being to give rise to the intention of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha. Immovable's own vow was total in a way this pilgrimage rarely states so plainly — not simply guiding beings toward awakening, but specifically away from the two lesser vehicles, every single time, without a single exception across kalpas beyond counting.

Part 1034 Complete

This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty-six. Part 1035 follows Immovable naming what constant contact with buddhas and bodhisattvas produced in her, before she offers Good-Wealth a direct demonstration of her own samādhi.