The City of the Mind
A city-guardian spirit named Jewel Eye scatters flowers over Good-Wealth and begins a teaching that treats the mind itself as an actual city — one that needs guarding, adorning, purifying, and defending, practice by practice.
The City of the Mind
Before Good-Wealth ever reaches Māyā, a city-guardian spirit stops him with flowers and an extended figure — the mind as a city, and each practice as a specific piece of its upkeep.
作是念已，有主城神，名曰：寶眼，眷屬圍遶，於虛空中而現其身，種種妙物以為嚴飾，手持無量眾色寶華以散善財，作如是言：「善男子！應守護心城，謂：不貪一切生死境界；應莊嚴心城，謂：專意趣求如來十力；應淨治心城，謂：畢竟斷除慳嫉諂誑；應清涼心城，謂：思惟一切諸法實性；應增長心城，謂：成辦一切助道之法；應嚴飾心城，謂：造立諸禪解脫宮殿；應照耀心城，謂：普入一切諸佛道場聽受般若波羅蜜法；應增益心城，謂：普攝一切佛方便道；應堅固心城，謂：恒勤修習普賢行願；應防護心城，謂：常專禦扞惡友、魔軍；應廓徹心城，謂：開引一切佛智光明；應善補心城，謂：聽受一切佛所說法；應扶助心城，謂：深信一切佛功德海；應廣大心城，謂：大慈普及一切世間；應善覆心城，謂：集眾善法以覆其上；
Having thought this, there was a city-guardian spirit named Jewel Eye, surrounded by their own retinue, who manifested their body in the sky, adorned throughout with every kind of wondrous thing, and, holding measureless flowers of every color in their hands, scattered them over Good-Wealth, saying: "Good son! You should guard the city of the mind — meaning: do not covet any domain of birth-and-death. You should adorn the city of the mind — meaning: single-mindedly seek the tathāgata's own ten powers. You should purify the city of the mind — meaning: utterly cut off stinginess, jealousy, flattery, and deceit. You should cool the city of the mind — meaning: contemplate the true nature of every dharma. You should cause the city of the mind to grow — meaning: accomplish every dharma that assists the path. You should embellish the city of the mind — meaning: build the palaces of every dhyāna and liberation. You should illumine the city of the mind — meaning: universally enter every buddha's own awakening-site to hear and receive the teaching on the perfection of wisdom. You should increase the city of the mind — meaning: universally gather in every buddha's own path of skillful means. You should make firm the city of the mind — meaning: forever diligently cultivate Samantabhadra's own practices and vows. You should defend the city of the mind — meaning: forever single-mindedly ward off evil companions and the armies of Māra. You should broaden and clarify the city of the mind — meaning: open up and draw in the light of every buddha's own wisdom. You should skillfully mend the city of the mind — meaning: listen to and receive every dharma expounded by every buddha. You should support the city of the mind — meaning: deeply believe in the ocean of merit of every buddha. You should make the city of the mind vast and great — meaning: extend great loving-kindness universally throughout every world. You should skillfully cover the city of the mind — meaning: gather every wholesome dharma to cover over it.
應守護心城⋯應善覆心城 — you should guard the city of the mind⋯you should skillfully cover the city of the mind. Fifteen different verbs, so far, govern the very same object, 心城, the city of the mind, each paired with its own specific practice: guarding it against covetousness, illuminating it with the perfection of wisdom, defending it against the armies of Māra. The mind is treated exactly like an actual city — in need of walls, light, repair, and reinforcement, all at once.
Part 1231 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle seventy-six. Part 1232 continues Jewel Eye's teaching with the rest of the city-of-the-mind figure, closing on the obstacles it removes.