The Acceptance Like Space
The tenth and final acceptance opens on nine things declared like space, each for its own distinct reason, before a run of direct comparisons — space cannot be destroyed, has no direction, is neither form nor non-form — matched, pair by pair, to the very same qualities in the bodhisattva.
Everything Is Like Space
Nine different things are called like space, and none of them is given the same reason as any other.
「佛子！云何為菩薩摩訶薩如空忍？佛子！此菩薩摩訶薩了一切法界猶如虛空，以無相故；一切世界猶如虛空，以無起故；一切法猶如虛空，以無二故；一切眾生行猶如虛空，無所行故；一切佛猶如虛空，無分別故；一切佛力猶如虛空，無差別故；一切禪定猶如虛空，三際平等故；所說一切法猶如虛空，不可言說故；一切佛身猶如虛空，無著無礙故。菩薩如是，以如虛空方便，了一切法皆無所有。佛子！菩薩摩訶薩以如虛空忍智了一切法時，得如虛空身、身業，得如虛空語、語業，得如虛空意、意業。
Sons of the Buddha! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's acceptance like space? Sons of the Buddha! This bodhisattva-mahāsattva comprehends that the entire dharma-realm is like space, because it is without any mark; all worlds are like space, because they do not arise; all dharmas are like space, because they are without duality; the conduct of all beings is like space, because there is no conduct to it; all buddhas are like space, because they are without discrimination; all buddha-powers are like space, because they are without distinction; all dhyāna-concentrations are like space, because the three time-periods are equal within them; every dharma spoken is like space, because it cannot ultimately be spoken; and every buddha-body is like space, because it is unattached and unobstructed. The bodhisattva, through such space-like skillful means, comprehends that all dharmas are without anything at all. Sons of the Buddha! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, with the space-like wisdom of acceptance, comprehends all dharmas, he attains a body and bodily deeds like space, attains speech and verbal deeds like space, and attains mind and mental deeds like space.
以無相故…以無起故…以無二故…無所行故…無分別故…無差別故…三際平等故…不可言說故…無著無礙故 — nine reasons for nine claims, and no two are the same: markless, unarisen, non-dual, without conduct, without discrimination, without distinction, equal across the three times, unspeakable, unattached. "Like space" turns out to compress nine different arguments into a single recurring image rather than making one argument nine times.
As Space Is, So the Bodhisattva Is
Seven paired comparisons follow, each one stating what space is and is not, then claiming the identical structure for the bodhisattva himself.
譬如虛空，一切法依不生不歿；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，一切法身不生不歿。譬如虛空，不可破壞；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，智慧諸力不可破壞。譬如虛空，一切世間之所依止而無所依；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，一切諸法之所依止而無所依。
It is like space, on which all dharmas depend, yet which neither arises nor perishes; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: his dharma-body of all dharmas neither arises nor perishes. It is like space, which cannot be destroyed; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: his wisdom and every power cannot be destroyed. It is like space, which every world depends upon, yet which itself depends on nothing; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: every dharma depends upon him, yet he himself depends on nothing.
譬如虛空，無生、無滅，能持一切世間生、滅；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，無向、無得，能示向、得，普使世間修行清淨。譬如虛空，無方、無隅，而能顯現無邊方、隅；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，無業、無報，而能顯示種種業、報。譬如虛空，非行、非住，而能示現種種威儀；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，非行、非住，而能分別一切諸行。譬如虛空，非色、非非色，而能示現種種諸色；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，非世間色、非出世間色，而能示現一切諸色。
It is like space, which, without arising or ceasing, sustains all worldly arising and ceasing; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: without approach or attainment, he is able to display approach and attainment, universally causing the world to cultivate purity. It is like space, which has no direction and no corner, yet is able to display boundless directions and corners; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: without karma or karmic result, he is able to display manifold karma and result. It is like space, which neither moves nor abides, yet is able to display every manner of dignified bearing; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: neither moving nor abiding, he is able to distinguish every kind of conduct. It is like space, which is neither form nor non-form, yet is able to display every kind of form; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise: neither a worldly form nor a form transcending the world, he is able to display every form.
無業、無報，而能顯示種種業、報 — without karma or karmic result, he is able to display manifold karma and result. Each of these seven pairs follows the identical hinge: an absence in space becomes the very ground for a full display in the bodhisattva — no direction yet every direction, no movement yet every bearing, no karma yet every karmic result shown. The pattern is stated seven times without once softening into a general summary.
Part 560 Complete
This continues chapter twenty-nine, 十忍品, The Ten Kinds of Acceptance, in fascicle forty-four. Part 561 completes the acceptance like space, closes the chapter's tenfold list with a long series of bodies the bodhisattva attains — each compared to space in a different respect — and ends on the chapter's own closing formula.