The Light Reaches Every World, Chapter Nine Complete
The light passes beyond a hundred million worlds to a billion, and then — in a single further stage — every world without limit, throughout the whole extent of the Dharma-realm and the realm of empty space. With this final hymn, the sūtra's ninth chapter gives way, without any closing formula of its own, directly into the tenth.
A Billion World-Systems, Illumined
爾時，光明過一億世界，遍照東方十億世界；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，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：
「廣大苦行皆修習，日夜精勤無厭怠，
已度難度師子吼，普化眾生是其行。
眾生流轉愛欲海，無明網覆大憂迫，
至仁勇猛悉斷除，誓亦當然是其行。
世間放逸著五欲，不實分別受眾苦，
奉行佛教常攝心，誓度於斯是其行。
眾生著我入生死，求其邊際不可得，
普事如來獲妙法，為彼宣說是其行。
眾生無怙病所纏，常淪惡趣起三毒，
大火猛焰恒燒熱，淨心度彼是其行。
眾生迷惑失正道，常行邪徑入闇宅，
為彼大然正法燈，永作照明是其行。
眾生漂溺諸有海，憂難無涯不可處，
為彼興造大法船，皆令得度是其行。
眾生無知不見本，迷惑癡狂險難中，
佛哀愍彼建法橋，正念令昇是其行。
見諸眾生在險道，老病死苦常逼迫，
修諸方便無限量，誓當悉度是其行。
聞法信解無疑惑，了性空寂不驚怖，
隨形六道遍十方，普教群迷是其行。」
At that time, the light passed beyond a hundred million worlds, universally illumining a billion 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:
"Vast ascetic practice, all cultivated entirely, day and night diligent and unwearying,
having already crossed what is hard to cross, roaring the lion's own roar, universally transforming living beings — such is his conduct.
Living beings, transmigrating in the ocean of craving and desire, covered by the net of ignorance, pressed by great sorrow,
the utterly compassionate one, valiant, cuts every one of these off entirely, vowing that it shall be so — such is his conduct.
The world, heedless and attached to the five desires, discriminates falsely and undergoes every suffering;
upholding the Buddha's own teaching, forever gathering in the mind, vowing to ferry them across from this — such is his conduct.
Living beings, attached to self, enter birth-and-death, and, seeking its very boundary, none can ever be found;
universally serving the Tathāgata, attaining the wondrous Dharma, and proclaiming it for their sake — such is his conduct.
Living beings, without refuge, entangled by sickness, forever sinking into evil destinies, giving rise to the three poisons,
scorched forever by a great fire's fierce flame — purifying the mind and ferrying them across — such is his conduct.
Living beings, deluded and confused, having lost the true path, forever walking the wayward road, entering a dark dwelling,
for their sake he kindles greatly the lamp of the true Dharma, forever becoming its illumination — such is his conduct.
Living beings, adrift and drowning in the ocean of every state of being, their sorrow and calamity boundless, with nowhere to dwell,
for their sake he builds the great vessel of the Dharma, causing all to be ferried across — such is his conduct.
Living beings, ignorant, unable to see the root, deluded and confused, mad and frenzied within peril and difficulty,
the Buddha, pitying them, builds the bridge of the Dharma, causing them to ascend with right mindfulness — such is his conduct.
Beholding every living being upon the perilous road, forever pressed by the suffering of old age, sickness, and death,
cultivating every skillful means without any limit, vowing that he shall ferry them all across entirely — such is his conduct.
Hearing the Dharma with faith and understanding, without any doubt or confusion, understanding nature as empty and tranquil, without any fright or fear,
taking on form throughout the six destinies, pervading the ten directions, universally teaching the deluded multitude — such is his conduct."
Every World, Without Limit
爾時，光明過十億世界，遍照東方百億世界、千億世界、百千億世界、那由他億世界、百那由他億世界、千那由他億世界、百千那由他億世界，如是無數無量、無邊無等、不可數、不可稱、不可思、不可量、不可說，盡法界、虛空界、所有世界；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：
「一念普觀無量劫，無去無來亦無住，
如是了知三世事，超諸方便成十力。
十方無比善名稱，永離諸難常歡喜，
普詣一切國土中，廣為宣揚如是法。
為利眾生供養佛，如其意獲相似果，
於一切法悉順知，遍十方中現神力。
從初供佛意柔忍，入深禪定觀法性，
普勸眾生發道心，以此速成無上果。
十方求法情無異，為修功德令滿足，
有無二相悉滅除，此人於佛為真見。
普往十方諸國土，廣說妙法興義利，
住於實際不動搖，此人功德同於佛。
如來所轉妙法輪，一切皆是菩提分，
若能聞已悟法性，如是之人常見佛。
不見十力空如幻，雖見非見如盲覩，
分別取相不見佛，畢竟離著乃能見。
眾生隨業種種別，十方內外難盡見，
佛身無礙遍十方，不可盡見亦如是。
譬如空中無量剎，無來無去遍十方，
生成滅壞無所依，佛遍虛空亦如是。」
At that time, the light passed beyond a billion worlds, universally illumining ten billion worlds, a hundred billion worlds, a thousand billion worlds, a nayuta of hundred millions of worlds, a hundred nayutas of hundred millions of worlds, a thousand nayutas of hundred millions of worlds, a hundred thousand nayutas of hundred millions of worlds — thus countless, immeasurable, boundless, unequaled, uncountable, inexpressible, inconceivable, immeasurable, ineffable worlds, throughout the whole extent of the Dharma-realm and the realm of empty space, 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:
"Within a single thought, universally beholding immeasurable kalpas, without going and without coming and likewise without abiding,
thus thoroughly understanding the affairs of the three periods of time, transcending every skillful means, accomplishing the ten powers.
Of unmatched, excellent renown throughout the ten directions, forever free of every difficulty, forever joyful,
universally going to every land, vastly proclaiming the Dharma such as this.
For the benefit of living beings, making offering to the Buddha, one attains a fruit resembling one's own intent,
understanding entirely and according with every dharma, manifesting spiritual power throughout the ten directions.
From the very first offering to the Buddha, his intent gentle and forbearing, entering profound meditative absorption, contemplating the nature of the Dharma,
universally urging living beings to give rise to the mind of the path, and thereby swiftly accomplishing the unsurpassed fruit.
Seeking the Dharma throughout the ten directions with an aspiration that never differs, cultivating merit until it is fully complete,
the two marks of existence and non-existence entirely extinguished — this person, toward the Buddha, has a true vision.
Universally going to every land of the ten directions, vastly teaching the wondrous Dharma, promoting its benefit and meaning,
abiding in the very ultimate reality, unmoving and unwavering — this person's merit is the same as the Buddha's own.
Whatever wondrous Dharma-wheel the Tathāgata turns, all of it is a factor of bodhi;
if one is able, having heard it, to awaken to the nature of the Dharma, such a person forever beholds the Buddha.
Not beholding the ten powers as empty, like an illusion — though seeing, it is a non-seeing, like a blind man's own gaze;
discriminating and grasping at marks, one does not behold the Buddha — only by ultimately leaving attachment behind is one able to behold him.
Living beings, distinct in every kind according to their own karma, are hard to behold fully, inside and outside, throughout the ten directions;
the Buddha's body, unobstructed, pervades the ten directions, and is likewise unable to be beheld fully.
Just as, within empty space, immeasurable lands, without coming and without going, pervade the ten directions,
arising, forming, ceasing, and being destroyed, resting upon nothing at all — so too does the Buddha pervade empty space."
Ten stages and ten hymns, escalating from a single world to every world without limit — and then, without any closing formula of its own, the chapter simply gives way to the next. The CBETA source text moves directly from Mañjuśrī's final verse here into the opening question of chapter ten, "The Bodhisattvas' Questions on Clarification" (菩薩問明品第十), with no intervening summary statement. (A statement about every living being's distinctions being made manifest does appear in the source — but only at the very end of fascicle thirteen, after chapter ten's own dialogues conclude, closing the whole assembly rather than this chapter alone; it will appear in its proper place at the close of that chapter.) Fazang's commentary treats this fluid transition as itself significant: the light's expansion in chapter nine and the philosophical dialogue that opens chapter ten belong to a single continuous scene, the same assembly simply turning from seeing to questioning.
Part 42 Complete — Chapter Nine Complete
This closes Part 42 and the sūtra's ninth chapter, "Awakening Through Light" (光明覺品第九): ten stages of light expanding from this single world to every world without limit, each with Mañjuśrī's own hymn sung simultaneously everywhere. Part 43 continues fascicle thirteen with the sūtra's tenth chapter, "The Bodhisattvas' Questions on Clarification" (菩薩問明品第十), in which Mañjuśrī and his nine companion bodhisattvas turn to direct philosophical dialogue.