Great Consolation Concludes, Deep Entry Into the Buddha's Dharma Begins
The ten kinds of great consolation close with a bodhisattva comparing every buddha to the udumbara flower, so rare it may never bloom even once in countless kalpas, and vowing to become one such buddha in turn; the next question then opens ten kinds of deep entry into the Buddha's dharma, closing with the paradox of entering the whole dharma-realm precisely by entering nowhere at all.
From the Udumbara Flower to Entering Nowhere
The consolation list closes on an image and a vow — every buddha as rare as a flower that may never bloom, met with the resolve to become such a rarity oneself — before the next question shifts register entirely, cataloguing ten kinds of deep entry into the Buddha's dharma that end, characteristically for this chapter, by declaring that true entry into the dharma-realm happens by entering no particular place at all.
菩薩摩訶薩復作是念：『諸佛如來如優曇華，難可值遇，於無量劫莫能一見。我當於未來世欲見如來則便得見，諸佛如來常不捨我，恒住我所，令我得見，為我說法無有斷絕；既聞法已，心意清淨，遠離諂曲，質直無偽，於念念中常見諸佛。』如是思惟，心大欣慰。復作是念：『我於未來當得成佛，以佛神力，於一切世界，為一切眾生各別示現成等正覺清淨無畏大師子吼，以本大願周遍法界，擊大法鼓，雨大法雨，作大法施，於無量劫常演正法，大悲所持身、語、意業無有疲厭。』如是思惟，心大欣慰。佛子！是為菩薩摩訶薩十種大欣慰。若諸菩薩安住此法，則得無上成正覺智慧大欣慰。
"A bodhisattva-mahāsattva further thinks: 'Every buddha tathāgata is like the udumbara flower, difficult to encounter, impossible to see even once across measureless kalpas. In the future, whenever I wish to see a tathāgata, I shall then be able to see one; every buddha tathāgata will never abandon me, forever dwelling in my presence, letting me see them, and teaching me the dharma without any interruption; and having heard that dharma, my mind and intention will become pure, leaving flattery and deceit far behind, upright and free of falsehood, so that in thought after thought I constantly behold every buddha.' Reflecting in this way, the mind feels great consolation. They further think: 'In the future I shall attain buddhahood, and through the Buddha's own spiritual power, throughout every world, I shall manifest, individually for every sentient being, the pure, fearless great lion's roar of attaining perfect awakening; through my own original vow I shall pervade the whole dharma-realm, beat the great dharma-drum, rain down the great dharma-rain, make the great dharma-gift, and constantly proclaim the true dharma across measureless kalpas, my body, speech, and mind sustained by great compassion, never growing weary.' Reflecting in this way, the mind feels great consolation. Son of the Buddha! These are the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's ten kinds of great consolation. If bodhisattvas abide in this dharma, they attain the great consolation of unsurpassed wisdom in attaining perfect awakening.
「佛子！菩薩摩訶薩有十種深入佛法。何等為十？所謂：入過去世一切世界；入未來世一切世界；入現在世世界數、世界行、世界說、世界清淨；入一切世界種種性；入一切眾生種種業報；入一切菩薩種種行；知過去一切佛次第；知未來一切佛次第；知現在十方虛空法界等一切諸佛、國土眾會、說法調伏；知世間法、聲聞法、獨覺法、菩薩法、如來法，雖知諸法皆無分別而說種種法，悉入法界無所入故，如其法說無所取著。是為十。若諸菩薩安住此法，則得入於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提大智慧甚深性。
Son of the Buddha! A bodhisattva-mahāsattva has ten kinds of deep entry into the Buddha's dharma. What are these ten? Namely: entering every world of the past age; entering every world of the future age; entering the number of worlds, the movement of worlds, the account of worlds, and the purity of worlds in the present age; entering the many distinct natures of every world; entering the many distinct karmic results of every sentient being; entering the many distinct practices of every bodhisattva; knowing the sequence of every buddha of the past; knowing the sequence of every buddha of the future; knowing, throughout the present age, every buddha equal in extent to empty space and the dharma-realm in the ten directions, their lands, their assemblies, and their teaching and taming of beings; and knowing worldly dharmas, śrāvaka dharmas, solitary-awakened dharmas, bodhisattva dharmas, and tathāgata dharmas — and though knowing that all these dharmas are without any discrimination, still speaking of them in every distinct kind, entirely entering the dharma-realm precisely by entering nowhere at all, and speaking of each dharma exactly as it is without any grasping or attachment. These are the ten. If bodhisattvas abide in this dharma, they enter the profound nature of the great wisdom of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
悉入法界無所入故 — entirely entering the dharma-realm precisely by entering nowhere at all. The tenth entry quietly reframes the nine that came before it: after nine kinds of entry into worlds, karmic results, and sequences of buddhas — all of which sound like entries into somewhere specific — the list closes by naming the condition that makes any of that entry possible in the first place: that the dharma-realm has no location to be entered into, so that reaching it and reaching nowhere are the same act.
Part 698 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-eight, 離世間品, in fascicle fifty-four. Part 699 answers the next question with ten things a bodhisattva relies upon in carrying out bodhisattva practice, from making offerings to every buddha to never abandoning a single sentient being.