Part 95 of the collection · Fascicle 17 of 80 · 初發心功德品第十七(續) · T279

Dharma Wisdom's Closing Hymn Begins

Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva now restates, in verse, everything the chapter's long prose comparisons have already established: the resolve that reaches every land of the ten directions, that clings to nothing at all, and that is held and guarded by every buddha.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 95 — the closing hymn, lines 1–40 of 242 Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

The Vastness of the Resolve, in Verse

A mind that reaches every land, every form, every buddha at once — clinging to nothing, guarded by all, never turning back.

Chinese Source

「為利世間發大心,其心普遍於十方,
眾生國土三世法,佛及菩薩最勝海。
究竟虛空等法界,所有一切諸世間,
如諸佛法皆往詣,如是發心無退轉。

慈念眾生無暫捨,離諸惱害普饒益,
光明照世為所歸,十力護念難思議。
十方國土悉趣入,一切色形皆示現,
如佛福智廣無邊,隨順修因無所著。

有剎仰住或傍覆,麁妙廣大無量種,
菩薩一發最上心,悉能往詣皆無礙。
菩薩勝行不可說,皆勤修習無所住,
見一切佛常欣樂,普入於其深法海。

哀愍五趣諸群生,令除垢穢普清淨,
紹隆佛種不斷絕,摧滅魔宮無有餘。
已住如來平等性,善修微妙方便道,
於佛境界起信心,得佛灌頂心無著。

兩足尊所念報恩,心如金剛不可沮,
於佛所行能照了,自然修習菩提行。
諸趣差別想無量,業果及心亦非一,
乃至根性種種殊,一發大心悉明見。

其心廣大等法界,無依無變如虛空,
趣向佛智無所取,諦了實際離分別。
知眾生心無生想,了達諸法無法想,
雖普分別無分別,億那由剎皆往詣。

無量諸佛妙法藏,隨順觀察悉能入,
眾生根行靡不知,到如是處如世尊。
清淨大願恒相應,樂供如來不退轉,
人天見者無厭足,常為諸佛所護念。

其心清淨無所依,雖觀深法而不取,
如是思惟無量劫,於三世中無所著。
其心堅固難制沮,趣佛菩提無障礙,
志求妙道除蒙惑,周行法界不告勞。

知語言法皆寂滅,但入真如絕異解,
諸佛境界悉順觀,達於三世心無礙。
菩薩始發廣大心,即能遍往十方剎,
法門無量不可說,智光普照皆明了。

大悲廣度最無比,慈心普遍等虛空,
而於眾生不分別,如是清淨遊於世。
十方眾生悉慰安,一切所作皆真實,
恒以淨心不異語,常為諸佛共加護。

Ru-Yi Translation

"To benefit the world, they give rise to the great mind, their mind extending universally throughout the ten directions — to living beings, to lands, to the Dharma across the three periods of time, and to the supreme ocean of buddhas and bodhisattvas. To the ultimate reach of empty space, equal to the Dharma-realm itself, to every single world there is — just as all the buddhas' own Dharma reaches, so too do they go; such is the resolve they give rise to, never to turn back.

With loving-kindness they hold living beings in mind, never abandoning them even for a moment, freed from every affliction and harm, universally benefiting all; their light illumines the world as a refuge for all, and the ten powers guard and hold them in mind — inconceivable. Into the lands of the ten directions they enter entirely, manifesting every single form and shape; as vast and boundless as the buddhas' own merit and wisdom, they cultivate the causes in accordance, clinging to nothing at all.

Whether lands stand upright or lie overturned to the side, coarse or fine, vast or small, of immeasurable kinds — once the bodhisattva gives rise to the supreme mind, to every one of them they can go, entirely without obstruction. The bodhisattva's own supreme practices cannot be told; all are diligently cultivated, dwelling upon nothing at all; seeing every single buddha, they are forever joyful, entering universally into their own deep ocean of Dharma.

Out of compassion for the multitudes of beings in the five destinies, they cause every defilement and impurity to be universally purified; they carry forward the buddha-lineage without ever letting it be cut off, and shatter the palaces of Māra, leaving not a single one remaining. Already abiding in the Tathāgata's own equal nature, they skillfully cultivate the subtle and wondrous path of skillful means; toward the Buddha's own realm they give rise to a mind of faith, and receiving the Buddha's own consecration, their mind clings to nothing at all.

Toward the Buddha, most honored among two-footed beings, they hold in mind the wish to repay his kindness; their mind is like vajra, impossible to shake; toward what the Buddha himself has practiced they are able to clearly illumine, and of their own accord cultivate the practice of bodhi. The distinct notions across the different destinies are immeasurable, and karmic fruits and minds too are never merely one; down to the many different kinds of faculties and natures — once the great mind is given rise to, all of this is clearly seen.

Their mind is vast and expansive, equal to the Dharma-realm itself, without reliance, without change, like empty space; advancing toward the Buddha's own wisdom, they grasp at nothing at all, truly comprehending the very reality-limit, free from discrimination. Knowing living beings' own minds, they hold no notion of arising; thoroughly comprehending every dharma, they hold no notion of dharmas at all; though they universally discriminate, there is no discrimination in it, and to a hundred million nayutas of lands they all go.

Into the immeasurable wondrous Dharma-treasury of every buddha, they are able, in accordance, through contemplation, to enter entirely; of living beings' own faculties and conduct there is nothing they do not know, and they arrive at such a place, just as the World-Honored One himself has. Their pure great vow is forever in accord with them; they delight in making offerings to the Tathāgata, never turning back; humans and gods who see them are never satiated, and they are forever held in mind and guarded by every buddha.

Their mind is pure, relying upon nothing at all; though they contemplate the profound Dharma, they grasp at none of it; thus do they reflect through immeasurable kalpas, clinging to nothing at all across the three periods of time. Their mind is firm and solid, difficult to check or discourage; advancing toward the Buddha's own bodhi, there is no obstruction at all; resolved to seek the wondrous path, they dispel every delusion and confusion, and travel throughout the whole Dharma-realm without ever declaring themselves weary.

Knowing that every dharma of language is utterly quiescent, they enter only into suchness itself, cut off from every divergent understanding; into every buddha's own realm they contemplate entirely in accordance, and penetrate the three periods of time with a mind that meets no obstruction. From the very moment the bodhisattva first gives rise to the vast and expansive mind, they are at once able to go universally to the lands of the ten directions; the Dharma-gates are immeasurable, beyond all telling, and the light of wisdom shines everywhere, making everything entirely clear.

Great compassion crosses beings over so vastly it has no equal at all; a mind of loving-kindness extends universally, equal to empty space itself; and yet toward living beings they make no discrimination at all — thus, in such purity, do they wander throughout the world. Living beings throughout the ten directions are entirely comforted and put at ease; everything they do is genuine and real, through and through; forever with a pure mind, their words are never at variance with it, and they are forever jointly protected and sustained by every buddha.

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

This closing hymn runs to two hundred and forty-two lines — the longest single passage in the chapter, and it will take several Parts to complete. It restates the chapter's own argument in condensed form: everything the long prose comparisons demonstrated about the first resolve's merit, the verse now compresses into image after image — a mind equal to the Dharma-realm, equal to empty space, reaching every land while clinging to none of them.

Part 95 Complete

This closes Part 95. The closing hymn continues in Part 96.