The Ten Practices Begin

At that time, relying upon the Buddha's own spiritual power, Merit Grove Bodhisattva entered the bodhisattva's own samādhi of skillful reflection. Having entered this samādhi, beyond worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand buddha-lands in each of the ten directions, there were buddhas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand buddha-lands, every one of them bearing the very name Merit Grove, who manifested before him and said to Merit Grove Bodhisattva:

"Excellent! Excellent, son of the Buddha! You have indeed been able to enter this samādhi of skillful reflection. Good man, it is because buddhas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand buddha-lands in each of the ten directions, all bearing the same name as you, together empower you, and it is likewise through Vairocana Tathāgata's own vow-power and awesome spiritual power in ages past, and through the power of the wholesome roots of the whole assembly of bodhisattvas, that you are caused to enter this samādhi and expound the Dharma. It is in order to increase the Buddha's own wisdom, to enter deeply into the Dharma-realm, to thoroughly understand the realm of living beings, to enter without any obstruction, to practice without any hindrance, to attain immeasurable skillful means, to gather in the very nature of all-knowing wisdom, to awaken to every dharma, to know every faculty, and to be able to uphold and teach every dharma — namely, to bring forth the bodhisattvas' own ten kinds of practice. Good man, you should now, relying upon the Buddha's own awesome spiritual power, expound this very Dharma."

At that time, those buddhas at once bestowed upon Merit Grove Bodhisattva unobstructed wisdom, unattached wisdom, uninterrupted wisdom, teacherless wisdom, undeluded wisdom, undifferentiated wisdom, unfailing wisdom, immeasurable wisdom, unsurpassed wisdom, untiring wisdom, and unassailable wisdom. Why is this? It is because the power of this very samādhi makes the Dharma just so. At that time, those buddhas each extended their own right hand, and placed it upon Merit Grove Bodhisattva's own crown. At that time, Merit Grove Bodhisattva at once rose from that concentration, and said to the bodhisattvas:

"Son of the Buddha! A bodhisattva's own practice is inconceivable, equal to the Dharma-realm and to the realm of empty space itself. Why is this? Because a bodhisattva-mahāsattva studies the buddhas of the three periods of time and cultivates practice accordingly. Son of the Buddha, what is a bodhisattva-mahāsattva's own practice? Son of the Buddha, a bodhisattva-mahāsattva has ten kinds of practice, proclaimed by the buddhas of the three periods of time. What are the ten? The first is the practice of joy; the second, the practice of benefiting others; the third, the practice of never opposing; the fourth, the practice of never yielding; the fifth, the practice free of delusion and confusion; the sixth, the practice of skillful manifestation; the seventh, the practice free of attachment; the eighth, the practice difficult to attain; the ninth, the practice of wholesome dharmas; and the tenth, the practice of truth. These are the ten."