Relying on Nothing in Any World
The verse continues by describing a mind made pure through inexhaustible skillful means, becoming equal to every Tathāgata, and giving rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi while relying on nothing in any world at all — universally reaching every world throughout the ten directions and yet unobstructed by any of them. The passage closes by seeking mind's own nature directly and finding, ultimately, that it can never be found.
Reaching Everywhere, Obstructed Nowhere
The verse's paradox here is one of scale without limitation: a mind that gives rise to unsurpassed bodhi relies on nothing in any world, and yet universally reaches every world throughout the ten directions without the slightest obstruction. The passage's closing image extends this into the mind's own search for itself — every Tathāgata appears wishing to guide living beings by pointing them toward the very nature of mind, and yet that nature, sought to its ultimate end, can never be found.
以是方便令心淨，悉與一切如來等，
此方便力不可盡，是故福報無盡極。
發起無上菩提心，一切世間無所依，
普至十方諸世界，而於一切無所礙。
一切如來出世間，為欲啟導眾生心，
如其心性而觀察，畢竟推求不可得。
一切諸法無有餘，悉入於如無體性，
以是淨眼而迴向，開彼世間生死獄。
"Through this skillful means their mind is made pure, becoming entirely equal to every Tathāgata; this power of skillful means can never be exhausted, and for this reason the recompense of merit knows no limit at all. Giving rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi, relying on nothing in any world at all; universally reaching every world throughout the ten directions, and yet unobstructed by anything at all. Every Tathāgata appears in the world wishing to open up and guide the minds of living beings; observing according to the very nature of mind itself, ultimately seeking it, it can never be found. Every dharma, leaving nothing at all remaining, entirely enters suchness, without any essential nature; with this very pure eye they dedicate, opening up the prison of birth and death in that world.
雖令諸有悉清淨，亦不分別於諸有，
知諸有性無所有，而令歡喜意清淨。
於一佛土無所依，一切佛土悉如是，
亦不染著有為法，知彼法性無依處。
以是修成一切智，以是無上智莊嚴，
以是諸佛皆歡喜，是為菩薩迴向業。
Although they cause every realm of existence to become entirely pure, they likewise make no discrimination at all regarding any realm of existence; knowing that the nature of every realm of existence is without anything at all, they cause a joyful intention to become pure. Within a single buddha-land, relying on nothing at all — every buddha-land is entirely just the same; and likewise they are not defiled or attached to any conditioned dharma, knowing that the nature of that dharma has nowhere to rely upon. Through this they cultivate and accomplish all-knowing wisdom; through this they are adorned with unsurpassed wisdom; through this every buddha rejoices entirely — this is called the bodhisattva's own karmic deed of dedication.
"Observing according to the very nature of mind itself, ultimately seeking it, it can never be found" is one of the sharper moments in this verse — every buddha's own guidance for living beings turns out to point toward a mind that dissolves the moment it is sought directly. Rather than treating this as a dead end, the verse moves straight from it into the pure eye that dedicates and opens the prison of birth and death, as though the search's very failure to locate a fixed mind is itself what frees one from that prison.
Part 233 Complete
This closes Part 233. Chapter 25 continues in Part 234 as the verse concludes, describing a bodhisattva who never abides in language yet never rejects it either, understanding every dharma as empty and quiescent without giving rise to even a thought of emptiness.