Part 156 of the collection · Fascicle 20 of 80 · 十行品第二十一之二(續) · T279

Rescuing Every Living Being Without Fear

The hymn moves through the ten powers and a body of unobstructed merit, the vow to rescue every living being without abandonment, a great dragon king purifying every world, taking birth countless times without weariness, and a net of light entering the very nature of the Dharma — before a great expounder's lion's roar carries the multitude of beings across to the other shore.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 156 — the closing hymn, lines 49–72 of 202 Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

Rescue, Purification, and the Great Expounder's Roar

The refrain now gathers an unusual first-person vow — "I rescue and protect every one of them, never abandoning them" — inside the third-person praise that surrounds it, before the hymn moves through a dragon king who purifies worlds, one who enters countless births with joy rather than weariness, and finally a great expounder whose lion's roar carries every being across.

Chinese Source

三世一切佛境界,智慧善入悉周遍,
未甞暫起疲厭心,彼最勝者行斯道。
善能分別十力法,了知一切至處道,
身業無礙得自在,彼功德身行此道。

十方無量無邊界,所有一切諸眾生,
我皆救護而不捨,彼無畏者行斯道。
於諸佛法勤修習,心常精進不懈倦,
淨治一切諸世間,彼大龍王行此道。

Ru-Yi Translation

The domain of every buddha across the three periods of time — through wisdom they enter it well, universally and completely, never once giving rise to a mind of weariness or aversion — those most supreme practice this path. Skillfully able to discern the Dharma of the ten powers, understanding entirely the path that leads to every destination, their bodily karma unobstructed, attaining sovereign mastery — that one of a body of merit practices this path.

Every living being there is, throughout the immeasurable and boundless realms of the ten directions — I rescue and protect every one of them, never once abandoning them — those without fear practice this path. Diligently cultivating and practicing every buddha's own Dharma, their mind forever vigorous, never slackening or growing weary, purifying every world there is — that great dragon king practices this path.

Chinese Source

了知眾生根不同,欲解無量各差別,
種種諸界皆明達,此普入者行斯道。
十方世界無量剎,悉往受生無有數,
未曾一念生疲厭,彼歡喜者行斯道。

普放無量光明網,照耀一切諸世間,
其光所照入法性,此善慧者行斯道。
震動十方諸國土,無量億數那由他,
不令眾生有驚怖,此利世者所行道。

Ru-Yi Translation

Understanding that living beings' own faculties differ, their desires and understanding immeasurable and each one distinct, comprehending every kind of realm entirely — this one who universally enters practices this path. Throughout the ten directions, in immeasurable buddha-lands beyond all counting, going everywhere to take birth there countless times, never once, in a single thought, giving rise to weariness — that one of joy practices this path.

Universally emitting an immeasurable net of light, illuminating every world there is, and wherever that light shines, it enters the very nature of the Dharma — this one of skillful wisdom practices this path. Shaking the lands of the ten directions, immeasurable hundreds of millions of nayutas of them, and yet causing no living being to feel any alarm or fear at all — this is the path such a benefactor of the world practices.

Chinese Source

善解一切語言法,問難酬對悉究竟,
聰哲辯慧靡不知,此無畏者所行道。
善解覆仰諸國土,分別思惟得究竟,
悉使住於無盡地,此勝慧者所行道。

功德無量那由他,為求佛道皆修習,
於其一切到彼岸,此無盡行所行道。
超出世間大論師,辯才第一師子吼,
普使群生到彼岸,此淨心者所行道。

Ru-Yi Translation

Skillfully understanding every language and its own Dharma, answering every question and challenge entirely to its conclusion, wise, eloquent, and leaving nothing at all unknown — this is the path such a fearless one practices. Skillfully understanding every land, whether inverted or upright, discerning and reflecting on them to their ultimate end, causing every one of them to abide in the inexhaustible ground — this is the path such a one of supreme wisdom practices.

Merit immeasurable, hundreds of millions of nayutas of it, all cultivated entirely for the sake of seeking the buddha path, reaching the other shore in every single one of them — this is the path such inexhaustible practice follows. Transcending the world entirely, the great expounder, foremost in eloquence, roaring the lion's roar, universally causing the multitude of beings to reach the other shore — this is the path such a one of pure mind practices.

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

The hymn briefly slips into the first person — "I rescue and protect every one of them, never once abandoning them" — before returning to its third-person refrain, a reminder that Merit Grove is speaking in the voice of the bodhisattva path itself, not only describing it. The stretch closes on the great expounder's lion's roar, foremost in eloquence, carrying every being across to the other shore — a fitting bridge toward the hymn's next turn.

Part 156 Complete

This closes Part 156. Merit Grove's closing hymn continues in Part 157.