The Monks' Hearts Are Transformed
Hearing Śāriputra's own praise of Mañjuśrī, the six thousand monks are utterly transformed — their bodies made soft, their afflictions removed — and they ask at once to be led to him. Arriving before Mañjuśrī, they bow and make their own vow: to come, in time, to possess everything they now behold in him.
Made Soft by Simply Hearing
Nothing has happened to these monks yet beyond hearing words spoken about someone else — and already their bodies leap with joy, their forms grow pliant, every affliction is stripped away, and great compassion and great vows arise in them of their own accord.
爾時，尊者舍利弗為諸比丘稱揚讚歎、開示演說文殊師利童子有如是等無量功德具足莊嚴。彼諸比丘聞是說已，心意清淨，信解堅固，喜不自持，舉身踊躍，形體柔軟，諸根悅豫，憂苦悉除，垢障咸盡，常見諸佛，深求正法，具菩薩根，得菩薩力，大悲大願皆自出生，入於諸度甚深境界，十方佛海常現在前，於一切智深生信樂；即白尊者舍利弗言：「唯願大師將引我等，往詣於彼勝人之所。」
At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra extolled and praised, revealed and expounded to the monks, that the youth Mañjuśrī possessed such measureless merit, complete and adorned in every way. Once these monks heard this explanation, their minds became pure, their faith and understanding grew firm, and overjoyed beyond restraint, their whole bodies leapt with joy; their very forms grew soft and pliant, every one of their faculties was set at ease, every sorrow and affliction was entirely removed, every defilement and obstruction was entirely exhausted; they constantly beheld every buddha, deeply sought the true dharma, possessed the bodhisattva's own faculties, attained the bodhisattva's own power; great compassion and great vows arose of themselves within them; they entered the profound domain of every pāramitā; the ocean of buddhas throughout the ten directions constantly stood present before them; and they gave rise to deep faith and delight in all-knowing wisdom. And they said to the Venerable Śāriputra: "We only wish that our great teacher would lead us to go to the place of that excellent person."
彼諸比丘聞是說已，心意清淨 — once these monks heard this explanation, their minds became pure. Nothing has happened to them yet except hearing a description of someone else's qualities, and already every affliction is stripped away and great compassion and vows arise of themselves. Praise, rightly spoken, does something to the one who merely overhears it.
Arriving Before Mañjuśrī
Mañjuśrī turns to look upon the approaching monks the way a king of elephants turns his whole body to look, rather than merely glancing aside — and the monks, once arrived, bow and speak a vow that names three witnesses at once: Mañjuśrī himself, their own preceptor Śāriputra, and the World-Honored Śākyamuni.
時，舍利弗即與俱行，至其所已，白言：「仁者！此諸比丘，願得奉覲。」爾時，文殊師利童子，無量自在菩薩圍遶并其大眾，如象王迴觀諸比丘。時，諸比丘頂禮其足，合掌恭敬，作如是言：「我今奉見，恭敬禮拜，及餘所有一切善根。唯願仁者文殊師利、和尚舍利弗、世尊釋迦牟尼，皆悉證知！如仁所有如是色身、如是音聲、如是相好、如是自在，願我一切悉當具得。」
At that time, Śāriputra at once traveled together with them, and upon arriving at that place, said: "Noble one! These monks wish to pay their respects to you." At that time, the youth Mañjuśrī, surrounded by measureless self-mastered bodhisattvas together with his own great assembly, turned to look upon the monks the way a king of elephants turns his gaze. Then the monks bowed their heads at his feet, joined their palms together in reverent respect, and spoke these words: "We now behold you with reverence, and bow to you with respect, together with every other root of goodness we possess. We only wish that you, noble Mañjuśrī, our preceptor Śāriputra, and the World-Honored Śākyamuni, would all bear complete witness to this: just as you possess such a form, such a voice, such excellent marks, and such self-mastery, so may we too come to possess every one of these, complete in full."
如象王迴觀諸比丘 — Mañjuśrī turned to look upon the monks the way a king of elephants turns his gaze. An elephant, unlike most animals, cannot easily turn its head alone to look sideways; it must turn its whole body around to face what it wishes to see. The image suggests a full, deliberate attention, not a passing glance.
Part 890 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty-one. Part 891 turns to Mañjuśrī's own response, as he begins to teach the monks ten kinds of tireless mind that lead to swift entry into the tathāgata's own ground.