Part 37 of the collection · Fascicle 12 of 80 · 四聖諦品第八(續) · T279

Three More Worlds' Names for the Four Noble Truths

Mañjuśrī continues through the surrounding worlds, naming the Four Noble Truths anew in each: Abundant Overflow, Gathering In, and Abundant Benefit — forty names in every world, ten for each truth, none repeating a name already given for this Sahā world's own teaching.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 37 — continues fascicle 12 Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

The Abundant Overflow World

Chinese Source

「諸佛子!此娑婆世界所言苦聖諦者,彼豐溢世界中,或名:愛染處,或名:險害根,或名:有海分,或名:積集成,或名:差別根,或名:增長,或名:生滅,或名:障礙,或名:刀劍本,或名:數所成。諸佛子!所言苦集聖諦者,彼豐溢世界中,或名:可惡,或名:名字,或名:無盡,或名:分數,或名:不可愛,或名:能攫噬,或名:麁鄙物,或名:愛著,或名:器,或名:動。諸佛子!所言苦滅聖諦者,彼豐溢世界中,或名:相續斷,或名:開顯,或名:無文字,或名:無所修,或名:無所見,或名:無所作,或名:寂滅,或名:已燒盡,或名:捨重擔,或名:已除壞。諸佛子!所言苦滅道聖諦者,彼豐溢世界中,或名:寂滅行,或名:出離行,或名:勤修證,或名:安隱去,或名:無量壽,或名:善了知,或名:究竟道,或名:難修習,或名:至彼岸,或名:無能勝。諸佛子!豐溢世界說四聖諦,有如是等四百億十千名;隨眾生心,悉令調伏。」

Ru-Yi Translation

"Buddha's children! What is called, in this Sahā world, the Noble Truth of Suffering — within that Abundant Overflow world, it is variously named: the Place of Love and Defilement, or named the Root of Peril and Harm, or named the Portion of the Ocean of Being, or named Formed Through Accumulation, or named the Root of Distinction, or named Increase, or named Arising and Ceasing, or named Obstruction, or named the Root of Sword and Blade, or named Formed Through Number. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of Suffering's Origin — within that Abundant Overflow world, it is variously named: Worthy of Loathing, or named Name and Word, or named Without Exhaustion, or named Portion and Measure, or named Not Worthy of Love, or named Able to Seize and Devour, or named the Coarse, Base Thing, or named Love and Attachment, or named the Vessel, or named Motion. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of Suffering's Cessation — within that Abundant Overflow world, it is variously named: the Severing of Continuity, or named Opening and Revealing, or named Without Any Word, or named Nothing to Be Cultivated, or named Nothing to Be Seen, or named Nothing to Be Done, or named Tranquil Cessation, or named Already Burned Away, or named Laying Down the Heavy Burden, or named Already Removed and Destroyed. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of the Path to Suffering's Cessation — within that Abundant Overflow world, it is variously named: the Conduct of Tranquil Cessation, or named the Conduct of Going Forth, or named Diligent Cultivation and Realization, or named Going Forth in Peace and Security, or named Immeasurable Life, or named Excellent Understanding, or named the Ultimate Path, or named Hard to Cultivate, or named Reaching the Far Shore, or named Unable to Be Surpassed. Buddha's children! The Abundant Overflow world's teaching of the Four Noble Truths has such names as these, four hundred million and ten thousand of them; according to the mind of every living being, it causes them all to be tamed."

The Gathering In World

Chinese Source

「諸佛子!此娑婆世界所言苦聖諦者,彼攝取世界中,或名:能劫奪,或名:非善友,或名:多恐怖,或名:種種戲論,或名:地獄性,或名:非實義,或名:貪欲擔,或名:深重根,或名:隨心轉,或名:根本空。諸佛子!所言苦集聖諦者,彼攝取世界中,或名:貪著,或名:惡成辦,或名:過惡,或名:速疾,或名:能執取,或名:想,或名:有果,或名:無可說,或名:無可取,或名:流轉。諸佛子!所言苦滅聖諦者,彼攝取世界中,或名:不退轉,或名:離言說,或名:無相狀,或名:可欣樂,或名:堅固,或名:上妙,或名:離癡,或名:滅盡,或名:遠惡,或名:出離。諸佛子!所言苦滅道聖諦者,彼攝取世界中,或名:離言,或名:無諍,或名:教導,或名:善迴向,或名:大善巧,或名:差別方便,或名:如虛空,或名:寂靜行,或名:勝智,或名:能了義。諸佛子!攝取世界說四聖諦,有如是等四百億十千名;隨眾生心,悉令調伏。」

Ru-Yi Translation

"Buddha's children! What is called, in this Sahā world, the Noble Truth of Suffering — within that Gathering In world, it is variously named: Able to Plunder and Rob, or named Not a Good Friend, or named Much Terror, or named Every Kind of Idle Discourse, or named the Nature of Hell, or named Not the True Meaning, or named the Burden of Desire, or named the Deep, Heavy Root, or named Turning According to the Mind, or named the Root's Own Emptiness. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of Suffering's Origin — within that Gathering In world, it is variously named: Craving and Attachment, or named Evil Accomplishment, or named Fault and Evil, or named Swiftness, or named Able to Grasp and Seize, or named Perception, or named Possessing Fruit, or named Nothing That Can Be Spoken, or named Nothing That Can Be Taken, or named Transmigration. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of Suffering's Cessation — within that Gathering In world, it is variously named: Non-Regression, or named Free of Speech, or named Without Any Mark or Form, or named Worthy of Delight, or named Firmness, or named Supreme and Wondrous, or named Free of Delusion, or named Utter Extinction, or named Distant from Evil, or named Going Forth. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of the Path to Suffering's Cessation — within that Gathering In world, it is variously named: Free of Words, or named Free of Contention, or named Teaching and Guidance, or named Excellent Dedication, or named Great Skillfulness, or named Distinct Skillful Means, or named Like Empty Space, or named Tranquil Conduct, or named Supreme Wisdom, or named Able to Understand the Meaning. Buddha's children! The Gathering In world's teaching of the Four Noble Truths has such names as these, four hundred million and ten thousand of them; according to the mind of every living being, it causes them all to be tamed."

The Abundant Benefit World

Chinese Source

「諸佛子!此娑婆世界所言苦聖諦者,彼饒益世界中,或名:重擔,或名:不堅,或名:如賊,或名:老死,或名:愛所成,或名:流轉,或名:疲勞,或名:惡相狀,或名:生長,或名:利刃。諸佛子!所言苦集聖諦者,彼饒益世界中,或名:敗壞,或名:渾濁,或名:退失,或名:無力,或名:喪失,或名:乖違,或名:不和合,或名:所作,或名:取,或名:意欲。諸佛子!所言苦滅聖諦者,彼饒益世界中,或名:出獄,或名:真實,或名:離難,或名:覆護,或名:離惡,或名:隨順,或名:根本,或名:捨因,或名:無為,或名:無相續。諸佛子!所言苦滅道聖諦者,彼饒益世界中,或名:達無所有,或名:一切印,或名:三昧藏,或名:得光明,或名:不退法,或名:能盡有,或名:廣大路,或名:能調伏,或名:有安隱,或名:不流轉根。諸佛子!饒益世界說四聖諦,有如是等四百億十千名;隨眾生心,悉令調伏。」

Ru-Yi Translation

"Buddha's children! What is called, in this Sahā world, the Noble Truth of Suffering — within that Abundant Benefit world, it is variously named: the Heavy Burden, or named Not Firm, or named Like a Thief, or named Old Age and Death, or named Formed by Love, or named Transmigration, or named Weariness, or named the Evil Mark and Form, or named Birth and Growth, or named the Sharp Blade. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of Suffering's Origin — within that Abundant Benefit world, it is variously named: Ruin, or named Turbidity, or named Regression and Loss, or named Powerlessness, or named Loss, or named Discord, or named Disharmony, or named That Which Is Done, or named Grasping, or named Intention and Desire. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of Suffering's Cessation — within that Abundant Benefit world, it is variously named: Emerging from Prison, or named Truth, or named Free of Calamity, or named Shelter and Protection, or named Free of Evil, or named Following and According, or named the Root, or named Abandoning the Cause, or named the Unconditioned, or named Without Any Continuity. Buddha's children! What is called the Noble Truth of the Path to Suffering's Cessation — within that Abundant Benefit world, it is variously named: Penetrating to Non-Existence, or named the Seal of Everything, or named the Treasury of Samādhi, or named Attaining Light, or named the Dharma of Non-Regression, or named Able to Exhaust Being, or named the Vast Path, or named Able to Tame, or named Possessing Peace and Security, or named the Root Free of Transmigration. Buddha's children! The Abundant Benefit world's teaching of the Four Noble Truths has such names as these, four hundred million and ten thousand of them; according to the mind of every living being, it causes them all to be tamed."

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

A recurring move across these lists is worth naming: cessation and the path are repeatedly given names that sound less like doctrinal categories than like plain description of a psychological event — "Emerging from Prison," "Laying Down the Heavy Burden," "Already Burned Away." Suffering and its origin, by contrast, tend toward diagnostic and even clinical language — "the Root of Peril and Harm," "the Evil Mark and Form." The effect, repeated across every world in this chapter, is that the Four Noble Truths keep being redescribed not as abstract metaphysics but as a movement from a named affliction to a named relief — different words each time, the same shape underneath.

Part 37 Complete

This closes Part 37, continuing fascicle twelve and the sūtra's eighth chapter, "The Four Noble Truths" (四聖諦品第八): ten names each for the four truths within three more worlds — Abundant Overflow, Gathering In, and Abundant Benefit. Part 38 completes this chapter and fascicle twelve with the remaining four worlds.