Part 574 of the collection · Fascicle 45 of 80 · 阿僧祇品第三十 · T279

The Litany Completes

The chain begun in Part 573 continues without a break — eighty more clauses, moving from knowing the nature of beings, through taming, teaching, and dhāraṇī, to a closing line on compassion for the world that answers the great compassion the litany opened with.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 574 — the litany's second half, and its close Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

From Knowing Beings to Compassion for the World

The single sentence continues from where Part 573 left it — the same unbroken grammar, the same refrain, now closing on a plea of sorrow for the world rather than an opening declaration of compassion.

Chinese Source

了知眾生不可說,知其種性不可說,知其業報不可說,知其心行不可說,知其根性不可說,知其解欲不可說,雜染清淨不可說,觀察調伏不可說,變化自在不可說,現種種身不可說,修行精進不可說,度脫眾生不可說,示現神變不可說,放大光明不可說,種種色相不可說,令眾生淨不可說,一一毛孔不可說,放光明網不可說,光網現色不可說,普照佛剎不可說,勇猛無畏不可說,方便善巧不可說,調伏眾生不可說,令出生死不可說,清淨身業不可說,清淨語業不可說,無邊意業不可說,殊勝妙行不可說,成就智寶不可說,深入法界不可說,菩薩總持不可說,善能修學不可說,智者音聲不可說,音聲清淨不可說,正念真實不可說,開悟眾生不可說,具足威儀不可說,清淨修行不可說,成就無畏不可說,調伏世間不可說,諸佛子眾不可說,清淨勝行不可說,稱歎諸佛不可說,讚揚無盡不可說,世間導師不可說,演說讚歎不可說,彼諸菩薩不可說,清淨功德不可說,彼諸邊際不可說,能住其中不可說,住中智慧不可說,盡諸劫住無能說,欣樂諸佛不可說,智慧平等不可說,善入諸法不可說,於法無礙不可說,三世如空不可說,三世智慧不可說,了達三世不可說,住於智慧不可說,殊勝妙行不可說,無量大願不可說,清淨大願不可說,成就菩提不可說,諸佛菩提不可說,發生智慧不可說,分別義理不可說,知一切法不可說,嚴淨佛剎不可說,修行諸力不可說,長時修習不可說,一念悟解不可說,諸佛自在不可說,廣演正法不可說,種種神力不可說,示現世間不可說,清淨法輪不可說,勇猛能轉不可說,種種開演不可說,哀愍世間不可說。

Ru-Yi Translation

Thoroughly knowing sentient beings is unspeakable; knowing their spiritual natures is unspeakable; knowing their karmic retributions is unspeakable; knowing their mental conduct is unspeakable; knowing their faculties and natures is unspeakable; knowing their understanding and desires is unspeakable; their defilement and their purity are unspeakable; observing and taming them is unspeakable; mastery over transformation is unspeakable; manifesting every manner of body is unspeakable; cultivating diligence is unspeakable; delivering and liberating beings is unspeakable; displaying spiritual transformations is unspeakable; emitting great light is unspeakable; every manner of form and color is unspeakable; causing beings to become pure is unspeakable; each and every pore is unspeakable; emitting a net of light is unspeakable; that net of light manifesting colors is unspeakable; universally illuminating every buddha-land is unspeakable; valiant fearlessness is unspeakable; skillful means is unspeakable; taming beings is unspeakable; causing them to leave birth and death is unspeakable; the purity of bodily action is unspeakable; the purity of verbal action is unspeakable; boundless mental action is unspeakable; surpassingly wondrous practice is unspeakable; accomplishing the jewel of wisdom is unspeakable; deeply entering the dharma-realm is unspeakable; the bodhisattva's total retention is unspeakable; skillfully cultivating and learning is unspeakable; the wise one's voice is unspeakable; the purity of that voice is unspeakable; true right mindfulness is unspeakable; awakening beings is unspeakable; being fully endowed with dignified bearing is unspeakable; pure cultivation is unspeakable; accomplishing fearlessness is unspeakable; taming the world is unspeakable; the multitude of every child of the buddha is unspeakable; pure and supreme practice is unspeakable; extolling every buddha is unspeakable; praising without end is unspeakable; every guide of the world is unspeakable; expounding praise is unspeakable; their every bodhisattva is unspeakable; pure merit is unspeakable; their every limit is unspeakable; being able to abide within it is unspeakable; the wisdom of abiding there is unspeakable; abiding there through every kalpa, none could ever tell it; delighting joyfully in every buddha is unspeakable; the equality of wisdom is unspeakable; skillfully entering every dharma is unspeakable; being unobstructed with regard to dharma is unspeakable; the three times being like space is unspeakable; wisdom of the three times is unspeakable; thoroughly comprehending the three times is unspeakable; abiding in wisdom is unspeakable; surpassingly wondrous practice is unspeakable; measureless great vows are unspeakable; pure great vows are unspeakable; accomplishing bodhi is unspeakable; the bodhi of every buddha is unspeakable; giving rise to wisdom is unspeakable; distinguishing meaning and principle is unspeakable; knowing every dharma is unspeakable; adorning and purifying every buddha-land is unspeakable; cultivating every power is unspeakable; practicing for a long time is unspeakable; awakening to understanding in a single thought-moment is unspeakable; the mastery of every buddha is unspeakable; broadly expounding the true dharma is unspeakable; every manner of spiritual power is unspeakable; manifesting within the world is unspeakable; the pure dharma-wheel is unspeakable; the valiant ability to turn it is unspeakable; every manner of exposition is unspeakable; and compassion for the world is unspeakable.

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

哀愍世間不可說 — compassion for the world is unspeakable. This closes a single sentence that began in Part 573 with "the bodhisattva, with such great compassion, benefits every world," a hundred and fifty-eight clauses earlier. The litany does not build toward a climax or resolve into a summary; it simply returns, on its last clause, to the same compassion it opened with — closing the circle rather than concluding an argument.

Part 574 Complete

This continues chapter thirty, 阿僧祇品, in fascicle forty-five. Part 575 returns to shorter verse, following the ineffable kalpas spent praising a single tathāgata's virtue.