Part 154 of the collection · Fascicle 20 of 80 · 十行品第二十一之二(續) · T279

With Single Mind I Reverently Bow

Merit Grove Bodhisattva opens his great closing hymn — the longest verse in the sūtra so far, some two hundred lines restating the ten practices in full. This opening stretch bows to the Ten-Powered Honored One across the three periods of time, then to every peerless one, unmoving one, and sage who has ever trodden the bodhisattva path, each verse closing on the same recurring refrain.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 154 — the closing hymn, lines 1–24 of 202 Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

Bowing to Every Honored One of the Three Periods of Time

The hymn opens with homage to the Ten-Powered Honored One, then moves in turn through the most excellent ones of the past, the expounders of the present, and the Lions Among Humankind yet to come — before turning to the peerless, the unmoving, and the sages, each stanza closing on the same refrain naming the path such a one practices.

Chinese Source

「一心敬禮十力尊,離垢清淨無礙見,
境界深遠無倫匹,住如虛空道中者。
過去人中諸最勝,功德無量無所著,
勇猛第一無等倫,彼離塵者行斯道。

現在十方諸國土,善能開演第一義,
離諸過惡最清淨,彼無依者行斯道。
未來所有人師子,周遍遊行於法界,
已發諸佛大悲心,彼饒益者行斯道。

Ru-Yi Translation

"With single mind I reverently bow to the Ten-Powered Honored One, who is free of every stain, utterly pure, whose vision meets no obstruction, whose domain is deep and far, without peer or equal, who abides upon the path as though abiding in empty space itself. Among humankind in the past, the most supreme ones, whose merit is immeasurable, without any attachment, foremost in valor, without equal or peer — those free of every defilement practice this path.

In the present, throughout the lands of the ten directions, skillfully able to expound the supreme truth, free of every fault and evil, utterly pure — those without any reliance practice this path. Every Lion Among Humankind there will be in the future will roam universally throughout the Dharma-realm, having already given rise to every buddha's own mind of great compassion — those who bring benefit practice this path.

Chinese Source

三世所有無比尊,自然除滅愚癡暗,
於一切法皆平等,彼大力人行此道。
普見無量無邊界,一切諸有及諸趣,
見已其心不分別,彼無動者行斯道。

法界所有皆明了,於第一義最清淨,
永破瞋慢及愚癡,彼功德者行斯道。
於諸眾生善分別,悉入法界真實性,
自然覺悟不由他,彼等空者行斯道。

Ru-Yi Translation

Every peerless Honored One there is across the three periods of time naturally dispels the darkness of ignorance, and toward every dharma is entirely equal — that person of such great power practices this path. Universally beholding boundless and immeasurable realms, every state of existence and every destiny, and having beheld them their mind makes no discrimination at all — those who are unmoving practice this path.

Everything there is in the Dharma-realm is entirely understood, utterly pure with regard to the supreme truth, forever shattering anger, arrogance, and ignorance — those of such merit practice this path. Skillfully discerning every living being, entering entirely into the Dharma-realm's own true nature, naturally awakened and not through another — those equal to emptiness itself practice this path.

Chinese Source

盡空所有諸國土,悉往說法廣開諭,
所說清淨無能壞,彼勝牟尼行此道。
具足堅固不退轉,成就尊重最勝法,
願力無盡到彼岸,彼善修者所行道。

無量無邊一切地,廣大甚深妙境界,
悉能知見靡有遺,彼論師子所行道。
一切句義皆明了,所有異論悉摧伏,
於法決定無所疑,彼大牟尼行此道。

Ru-Yi Translation

Throughout every land there is to the very limit of empty space, going everywhere to expound the Dharma, opening and illuminating it widely, what is spoken utterly pure and unable to be destroyed — that supreme sage practices this path. Fully endowed with firmness, never turning back, accomplishing the most honored and supreme Dharma, whose power of vow is inexhaustible, reaching all the way to the other shore — this is the path such a skillful cultivator practices.

Every ground there is, immeasurable and boundless, vast, expansive, profound, and wondrous in its own domain, entirely known and seen with nothing at all left out — this is the path such a lion among expounders practices. Every phrase and its meaning entirely understood, every divergent doctrine entirely subdued, resolute in the Dharma and without any doubt at all — that great sage practices this path.

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

The hymn's opening stretch already shows the pattern that will carry through all two hundred lines: each stanza names a quality — freedom from defilement, freedom from reliance, bringing benefit, great power, being unmoving, being equal to emptiness, sagehood — and closes on the same refrain, "practices this path," binding every virtue back to the ten practices this hymn restates. The homage moves from the Ten-Powered Honored One, through the three periods of time, to living beings themselves, before turning next to conduct that is unshakably firm.

Part 154 Complete

This closes Part 154. Merit Grove's closing hymn continues in Part 155.