The Light Reaches a Hundred Million Worlds
The escalation continues through three more orders of magnitude — a hundred thousand, a million, and a hundred million world-systems — each stage turning the hymn toward a new facet of the Buddha's nature: how his body can never be grasped through appearance, how his sovereign mastery relies on nothing at all, and the full range of skillful means by which his wisdom operates.
A Hundred Thousand World-Systems, Illumined
爾時，光明過十千世界，遍照東方百千世界；南、西、北方，四維、上、下，亦復如是。彼一一世界中，皆有百億閻浮提，乃至百億色究竟天；其中所有，悉皆明現。彼一一閻浮提中，悉見如來坐蓮華藏師子之座，十佛剎微塵數菩薩所共圍遶。悉以佛神力故，十方各有一大菩薩，一一各與十佛剎微塵數諸菩薩俱，來詣佛所。其大菩薩，謂：文殊師利等；所從來國，謂：金色世界等；本所事佛，謂：不動智如來等。爾時，一切處文殊師利菩薩，各於佛所，同時發聲，說此頌言：
「若以威德色種族，而見人中調御師，
是為病眼顛倒見，彼不能知最勝法。
如來色形諸相等，一切世間莫能測，
億那由劫共思量，色相威德轉無邊。
如來非以相為體，但是無相寂滅法，
身相威儀悉具足，世間隨樂皆得見。
佛法微妙難可量，一切言說莫能及，
非是和合非不合，體性寂滅無諸相。
佛身無生超戲論，非是蘊聚差別法，
得自在力決定見，所行無畏離言道。
身心悉平等，內外皆解脫，
永劫住正念，無著無所繫。
意淨光明者，所行無染著，
智眼靡不周，廣大利眾生。
一身為無量，無量復為一，
了知諸世間，現形遍一切。
此身無所從，亦無所積聚，
眾生分別故，見佛種種身。
心分別世間，是心無所有，
如來知此法，如是見佛身。」
At that time, the light passed beyond ten thousand worlds, universally illumining a hundred thousand worlds to the east; and it was likewise so to the south, west, and north, in the four intermediate directions, and above and below. Within each and every one of those worlds, there were entirely a hundred million Jambudvīpas, reaching even to a hundred million Akaniṣṭha heavens; everything within them was entirely and clearly revealed. Within each and every one of those Jambudvīpas, one beheld the Tathāgata seated upon the lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, surrounded together by bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands. Entirely through the Buddha's own spiritual power, in each of the ten directions there was one great bodhisattva, each one together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, who came to the Buddha's own place. These great bodhisattvas were Mañjuśrī and the rest; the lands they came from were the Golden Color World and the rest; the buddhas they had originally served were Unshakable Wisdom Tathāgata and the rest. At that time, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, present in every one of these places, at each buddha's own place, all at once and simultaneously raised his voice, and spoke this verse, saying:
"If one beholds the tamer of humankind through his majestic virtue, his form, or his lineage,
this is a diseased eye's own inverted view, and such a one is unable to know the supreme Dharma.
The Tathāgata's color, form, and every mark are such that no world is able to fathom them,
and though pondered together across a hundred million nayuta kalpas, his form and majestic virtue only grow more boundless still.
The Tathāgata does not take mark as his own substance, but is only the markless Dharma of tranquil cessation,
and yet his bodily marks and deportment are fully complete, seen by the world according to what it delights in.
The Buddha's Dharma is subtle and wondrous, hard to measure, and no speech is ever able to reach it;
it is neither compounded nor uncompounded, its substance and nature tranquil and ceased, without any mark at all.
The Buddha's body is unborn, transcending idle discourse, not the distinct dharma of any gathered aggregate;
attaining the power of sovereign mastery, one beholds him with certainty, his conduct fearless, apart from the path of words.
Body and mind are both entirely equal, both inside and outside entirely liberated,
abiding in right mindfulness through eternal kalpas, without attachment and without any tie.
The one whose mind is pure and luminous, his own conduct without any defiled attachment,
his eye of wisdom reaching everywhere without exception, vastly benefiting living beings.
A single body becomes the immeasurable, and the immeasurable again becomes the single,
thoroughly understanding every world, manifesting his form pervading everything.
This very body comes from nowhere, and neither does it gather or accumulate anywhere;
it is because of the discrimination of living beings that they behold the Buddha's every kind of body.
The mind discriminates the world, and yet this very mind has no existence at all;
the Tathāgata knows this Dharma, and thus beholds the Buddha's own body."
A Million World-Systems, Illumined
爾時，光明過百千世界，遍照東方百萬世界；南、西、北方，四維、上、下，亦復如是。彼一一世界中，皆有百億閻浮提，乃至百億色究竟天；其中所有，悉皆明現。彼一一閻浮提中，悉見如來坐蓮華藏師子之座，十佛剎微塵數菩薩所共圍遶。悉以佛神力故，十方各有一大菩薩，一一各與十佛剎微塵數諸菩薩俱，來詣佛所。其大菩薩，謂：文殊師利等；所從來國，謂：金色世界等；本所事佛，謂：不動智如來等。爾時，一切處文殊師利菩薩，各於佛所，同時發聲，說此頌言：
「如來最自在，超世無所依，
具一切功德，度脫於諸有。
無染無所著，無想無依止，
體性不可量，見者咸稱歎。
光明遍清淨，塵累悉蠲滌，
不動離二邊，此是如來智。
若有見如來，身心離分別，
則於一切法，永出諸疑滯。
一切世間中，處處轉法輪，
無性無所轉，導師方便說。
於法無疑惑，永絕諸戲論，
不生分別心，是念佛菩提。
了知差別法，不著於言說，
無有一與多，是名隨佛教。
多中無一性，一亦無有多，
如是二俱捨，普入佛功德。
眾生及國土，一切皆寂滅，
無依無分別，能入佛菩提。
眾生及國土，一異不可得，
如是善觀察，名知佛法義。」
At that time, the light passed beyond a hundred thousand worlds, universally illumining a million worlds to the east; and it was likewise so to the south, west, and north, in the four intermediate directions, and above and below. Within each and every one of those worlds, there were entirely a hundred million Jambudvīpas, reaching even to a hundred million Akaniṣṭha heavens; everything within them was entirely and clearly revealed. Within each and every one of those Jambudvīpas, one beheld the Tathāgata seated upon the lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, surrounded together by bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands. Entirely through the Buddha's own spiritual power, in each of the ten directions there was one great bodhisattva, each one together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, who came to the Buddha's own place. These great bodhisattvas were Mañjuśrī and the rest; the lands they came from were the Golden Color World and the rest; the buddhas they had originally served were Unshakable Wisdom Tathāgata and the rest. At that time, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, present in every one of these places, at each buddha's own place, all at once and simultaneously raised his voice, and spoke this verse, saying:
"The Tathāgata is utterly sovereign and free, transcending the world, relying on nothing,
endowed with every merit, ferrying across every state of being.
Without defilement, without any attachment, without conception, without any reliance,
his substance and nature beyond measure, whoever beholds him extols and praises him.
His light pervades in purity, and every burden of dust is entirely cleansed away;
unmoving, free of both extremes — such is the Tathāgata's own wisdom.
If there is one who beholds the Tathāgata with body and mind free of discrimination,
that one, toward every dharma, forever emerges from every doubt and hindrance.
Within every world, in every single place, he turns the Dharma-wheel,
without any fixed nature, without anything turned — the guide teaches through skillful means.
Toward the Dharma without any doubt or confusion, forever severing every idle discourse,
not giving rise to any discriminating mind — this is recollecting the Buddha's own bodhi.
Thoroughly understanding every distinct dharma, and yet unattached to any speech,
without any one and without any many — this is called following the Buddha's own teaching.
Within the many there is no single nature, and the single likewise has no many;
thus, both discarded together, one universally enters the Buddha's own merit.
Living beings and their lands, everything entirely tranquil and ceased,
without reliance and without discrimination, one is able to enter the Buddha's own bodhi.
Living beings and their lands, whether one or different, can never be found;
thus does one skillfully contemplate, and this is called knowing the meaning of the Buddha's own Dharma."
A Hundred Million World-Systems, Illumined
爾時，光明過百萬世界，遍照東方一億世界；南、西、北方，四維、上、下，亦復如是。彼一一世界中，皆有百億閻浮提，乃至百億色究竟天；其中所有，悉皆明現。彼一一閻浮提中，各見如來坐蓮華藏師子之座，十佛剎微塵數菩薩所共圍遶。悉以佛神力故，十方各有一大菩薩，一一各與十佛剎微塵數諸菩薩俱，來詣佛所。其大菩薩，謂：文殊師利等；所從來國，謂：金色世界等；本所事佛，謂：不動智如來等。爾時，一切處文殊師利菩薩，各於佛所，同時發聲，說此頌言：
「智慧無等法無邊，超諸有海到彼岸，
壽量光明悉無比，此功德者方便力。
所有佛法皆明了，常觀三世無厭倦，
雖緣境界不分別，此難思者方便力。
樂觀眾生無生想，普見諸趣無趣想，
恒住禪寂不繫心，此無礙慧方便力。
善巧通達一切法，正念勤修涅槃道，
樂於解脫離不平，此寂滅人方便力。
有能勸向佛菩提，趣如法界一切智，
善化眾生入於諦，此住佛心方便力。
佛所說法皆隨入，廣大智慧無所礙，
一切處行悉已臻，此自在修方便力。
恒住涅槃如虛空，隨心化現靡不周，
此依無相而為相，到難到者方便力。
晝夜日月及年劫，世界始終成壞相，
如是憶念悉了知，此時數智方便力。
一切眾生有生滅，色與非色想非想，
所有名字悉了知，此住難思方便力。
過去現在未來世，所有言說皆能了，
而知三世悉平等，此無比解方便力。」
At that time, the light passed beyond a million worlds, universally illumining a hundred million worlds to the east; and it was likewise so to the south, west, and north, in the four intermediate directions, and above and below. Within each and every one of those worlds, there were entirely a hundred million Jambudvīpas, reaching even to a hundred million Akaniṣṭha heavens; everything within them was entirely and clearly revealed. Within each and every one of those Jambudvīpas, one beheld the Tathāgata seated upon the lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, surrounded together by bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands. Entirely through the Buddha's own spiritual power, in each of the ten directions there was one great bodhisattva, each one together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, who came to the Buddha's own place. These great bodhisattvas were Mañjuśrī and the rest; the lands they came from were the Golden Color World and the rest; the buddhas they had originally served were Unshakable Wisdom Tathāgata and the rest. At that time, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, present in every one of these places, at each buddha's own place, all at once and simultaneously raised his voice, and spoke this verse, saying:
"His wisdom without equal, his Dharma without bound, transcending every ocean of being to reach the far shore,
his lifespan and light utterly beyond compare — such is the power of skillful means of one of merit.
Every buddha-dharma entirely understood, forever contemplating the three periods of time without weariness,
and though conditioned by every domain, without any discrimination — such is the power of skillful means of one hard to conceive.
Delighting in contemplating living beings with the thought of no-birth, universally beholding every destiny with the thought of no-destination,
forever abiding in meditative tranquility, the mind untethered — such is the power of skillful means of unobstructed wisdom.
Skillfully penetrating every dharma, diligently cultivating the path of nirvāṇa with right mindfulness,
delighting in liberation, free of any unevenness — such is the power of skillful means of one of tranquil cessation.
Able to urge others toward the Buddha's own bodhi, hastening toward omniscience equal to the Dharma-realm,
skillfully transforming living beings, causing them to enter the truth — such is the power of skillful means of one abiding in the Buddha's own mind.
Every dharma the Buddha teaches entirely entered into, vast wisdom without any obstruction,
his conduct in every place already fully arrived — such is the power of skillful means of one who cultivates sovereign mastery.
Forever abiding in nirvāṇa, like empty space, manifesting through transformation according to the mind, reaching everywhere without exception,
resting upon marklessness and yet taking on marks — such is the power of skillful means of one who reaches what is hard to reach.
Day and night, sun and moon, and years and kalpas, the beginning, end, formation, and destruction of every world,
recollecting all of this entirely, thoroughly understanding it — such is the power of skillful means of the wisdom of time and number.
Every living being has arising and ceasing, form and formlessness, perception and non-perception,
and every name that exists is thoroughly understood — such is the power of skillful means of one who abides in what is hard to conceive.
Every kind of speech that exists in the past, present, and future is entirely understood,
and yet the three periods of time are known to be entirely equal — such is the power of skillful means of the understanding without compare."
The sixth hymn's opening warning — that beholding the Buddha "through his majestic virtue, his form, or his lineage" is "a diseased eye's own inverted view" — directly echoes a famous line from the Diamond Sūtra, though this passage develops the point differently: rather than simply denying that form reveals the Buddha, it insists his form and deportment remain "fully complete" even as his true substance is markless. The eighth hymn's closing catalogue of "skillful means" reads almost like a checklist of everything a buddha's wisdom can hold at once — every dharma, every kalpa, every name, every era — building toward a single claim: that the three periods of time, endlessly enumerated, are nonetheless "entirely equal."
Part 41 Complete
This closes Part 41, continuing fascicle thirteen and the sūtra's ninth chapter, "Awakening Through Light" (光明覺品第九): three more stages of the light's expansion, through a hundred thousand, a million, and a hundred million world-systems. Part 42 completes this chapter with the final two stages — a billion world-systems, and then every world without limit — closing on a statement that every distinction among living beings, everywhere, has now been made clear.