Filling the Ten Directions Without Confinement
The hymn's refrain now appears only intermittently, framing a stretch of pure description — delivering countless living beings while never forming the notion "living beings," guarding every intention so no contention arises, striking the great drum of the Dharma throughout the ten directions, and a single seated body filling immeasurable buddha-lands while feeling no confinement at all.
Liberating Countless Beings Without the Notion "Beings"
The refrain that once closed every couplet now appears only here and there, its absence itself becoming part of the hymn's rhythm. What fills the gaps is description of a very particular kind — the same paradox of the boundless and the singular seen earlier in the hymn, now applied to teaching itself: liberating beyond counting while never conceiving of "a being," and a single body that fills every land in the ten directions without feeling the least constraint.
諸根微妙行亦然，能為眾生廣說法，
誰其聞者不欣慶，此等虛空所行道。
智眼清淨無與等，於一切法悉明見，
如是智慧巧分別，此無等者所行道。
所有無盡廣大福，一切修行使究竟，
令諸眾生悉清淨，此無比者所行道。
普勸修成助道法，悉令得住方便地，
度脫眾生無有數，未曾暫起眾生想。
Every faculty and its subtle and wondrous practice being exactly the same, they are able to expound the Dharma extensively for the sake of living beings — who among those who hear it does not rejoice? This is the path such a one equal to empty space practices. The eye of wisdom pure and without any equal, beholding every dharma with entire clarity, discerning skillfully with wisdom such as this — this is the path such a one without equal practices.
Every inexhaustible and vast merit there is, bringing every cultivation and practice to its ultimate end, causing every living being to become entirely pure — this is the path such an incomparable one practices. Universally urging the cultivation and accomplishment of the Dharma that aids the path, causing everyone to attain and abide in the ground of skillful means, delivering and liberating countless living beings, and yet never once, for even a moment, giving rise to any notion of "living beings" at all.
一切機緣悉觀察，先護彼意令無諍，
普示眾生安隱處，此方便者所行道。
成就最上第一智，具足無量無邊智，
於諸四眾無所畏，此方便智所行道。
一切世界及諸法，悉能遍入得自在，
亦入一切眾會中，度脫群生無有數。
十方一切國土中，擊大法鼓悟群生，
為法施主最無上，此不滅者所行道。
Observing entirely every capacity and condition there is, first guarding their intentions so that no contention arises, universally showing living beings the place of peace and security — this is the path such a one skilled in means practices. Accomplishing the most supreme and foremost wisdom, fully endowed with immeasurable and boundless wisdom, fearless before every one of the fourfold assembly — this is the path such skillful wisdom practices.
Every world and every dharma, entirely able to enter them all universally and attain sovereign mastery, and also entering every assembly there is, delivering and liberating countless multitudes of beings. Within every land of the ten directions, striking the great drum of the Dharma to awaken the multitudes, becoming the most supreme benefactor of the Dharma — this is the path such an undying one practices.
一身結跏而正坐，充滿十方無量剎，
而令其身不迫隘，此法身者所行道。
能於一義一文中，演說無量無邊法，
而其邊際不可得，此無邊智所行道。
於佛解脫善修學，得佛智慧無障礙，
成就無畏為世雄，此方便者所行道。
了知十方世界海，亦知一切佛剎海，
智海法海悉了知，眾生見者咸欣慶。
With a single body, seated cross-legged in proper posture, filling the immeasurable buddha-lands of the ten directions, and yet causing that body to feel no confinement or constraint at all — this is the path such a one of the Dharma-body practices. Able, within a single meaning and a single phrase, to expound immeasurable and boundless Dharma, and yet its very limit can never be found — this is the path such boundless wisdom practices.
Skillfully cultivating and studying the buddha's own liberation, attaining the buddha's own wisdom without any obstruction, accomplishing fearlessness and becoming the hero of the world — this is the path such a one skilled in means practices. Understanding entirely the ocean of worlds throughout the ten directions, and likewise knowing the ocean of every buddha-land, understanding entirely both the ocean of wisdom and the ocean of the Dharma — every living being who beholds this rejoices entirely.
"Never once giving rise to any notion of 'living beings' at all" restates, in the middle of active rescue work, the same teaching Part 157 gave in stillness — that liberating countless beings and perceiving no fixed, separate being are not in tension but are the very same insight applied to compassionate action. The single seated body "filling the immeasurable buddha-lands of the ten directions" while feeling "no confinement or constraint at all" gives that same non-obstruction its most vivid image yet: the Dharma-body is not stretched thin across the ten directions, because from its own side there was never a boundary to cross.
Part 160 Complete
This closes Part 160. Merit Grove's closing hymn continues in Part 161.