A Single Real Body, Seen Differently by Each
The hymn moves through manifesting entry into the womb, birth, awakening, and nirvāṇa without ever abandoning the bodhisattva vow, one true body equal to the Buddha's own that nonetheless appears according to each living being's own distinct view, and the six spiritual powers — spiritual feet, the heavenly eye, and unobstructed hearing among them — before closing this stretch with a single ray of light filling the ten directions with great illumination.
One Body, Seen Differently by Each Living Being
The hymn returns here to its closing refrain and, with it, to the sūtra's recurring account of a buddha's twelve deeds — entering the womb, being born, awakening, and finally entering nirvāṇa — each one manifested without ever abandoning the underlying vow. What follows names the paradox directly: a single real body, equal in every way to the Buddha's own, and yet appearing according to each living being's own distinct capacity to see it.
或現入胎及初生，或現道場成正覺，
如是皆令世間見，此無邊者所行道。
無量億數國土中，示現其身入涅槃，
實不捨願歸寂滅，此雄論者所行道。
堅固微密一妙身，與佛平等無差別，
隨諸眾生各異見，一實身者所行道。
法界平等無差別，具足無量無邊義，
樂觀一相心不移，三世智者所行道。
Sometimes appearing to enter the womb and to be freshly born, sometimes appearing at the bodhi-site to attain true awakening, causing the world to behold every one of these — this is the path such a boundless one practices. Within countless hundreds of millions of lands, manifesting their own body entering nirvāṇa, and yet in truth never once abandoning their vow even while returning to tranquil cessation — this is the path such a heroic expounder practices.
One firm, subtle, and secret wondrous body, equal to the Buddha's own, without any difference at all, and yet appearing according to each living being's own distinct view — this is the path such a one of a single real body practices. The Dharma-realm equal and without any difference at all, fully endowed with immeasurable and boundless meaning, delighting to contemplate its single mark, their mind never once shifting — this is the path such a one wise in the three periods of time practices.
於諸眾生及佛法，建立加持悉究竟，
所有持力同於佛，最上持者行斯道。
神足無礙猶如佛，天眼無礙最清淨，
耳根無礙善聽聞，此無礙意所行道。
所有神通皆具足，隨其智慧悉成就，
善知一切靡所儔，此賢智者所行道。
其心正定不搖動，其智廣大無邊際，
所有境界皆明達，一切見者所行道。
Toward every living being and every buddha's own Dharma, establishing and sustaining them entirely to their ultimate end, their every power of sustaining power equal to the Buddha's own — that most supreme sustainer practices this path. Spiritual feet unobstructed just like the Buddha's own, the heavenly eye unobstructed and utterly pure, the faculty of hearing unobstructed, skillfully hearing everything — this is the path such an unobstructed mind practices.
Every spiritual power there is entirely complete, all accomplished in accordance with their own wisdom, skillfully knowing everything, with nothing at all to compare to it — this is the path such a worthy sage practices. Their mind rightly settled and never wavering or moving, their wisdom vast and expansive, without any limit at all, every domain there is entirely understood — this is the path such an all-seeing one practices.
已到一切功德岸，能隨次第度眾生，
其心畢竟無厭足，此常勤者所行道。
三世所有諸佛法，於此一切咸知見，
從於如來種性生，彼諸佛子行斯道。
隨順言辭已成就，乖違談論善摧伏，
常能趣向佛菩提，無邊慧者所行道。
一光照觸無涯限，十方國土悉充遍，
普使世間得大明，此破闇者所行道。
Having already reached the very shore of every merit, able to deliver living beings in proper sequence, their mind ultimately never weary or satisfied — this is the path such a forever diligent one practices. Every buddha's own Dharma there is across the three periods of time, understood and beheld entirely within this, born forth from the Tathāgata's own lineage — every son of the buddha practices this path.
Skillful and accordant speech already accomplished, every discordant discourse skillfully subdued, forever able to advance toward the buddha's own bodhi — this is the path such a one of boundless wisdom practices. A single ray of light touching without any boundary or limit, filling and pervading the lands of the ten directions entirely, universally causing the world to attain great illumination — this is the path such a dispeller of darkness practices.
"Never once abandoning their vow even while returning to tranquil cessation" gives the sūtra's account of a buddha's twelve deeds — womb, birth, awakening, and finally nirvāṇa — its own resolution: nirvāṇa is included in the display, not an exit from the vow that produced it. The verse that follows makes this concrete — a single body, "equal to the Buddha's own, without any difference at all," and yet seen differently according to what each living being is capable of seeing. The hymn is drawing close to its own end now, gathering the spiritual powers, the light that fills the ten directions, and the Dharma of all three periods of time into one closing sweep.
Part 161 Complete
This closes Part 161. Merit Grove's closing hymn — and with it, the entire "Ten Practices" chapter and fascicle twenty — concludes in Part 162.