Daughters of Every Realm, From Devas to Humans
Sudhana beholds Māyā manifesting concretely: a form surpassing even the daughters of the highest heaven of desire, down through the Four Heavenly Kings, nāga kings, and human kings. Across every one of these forms, she practices the indestructible pāramitā of giving, enters the deep ocean of patient acceptance, and attains the tathāgata's own perfect, full meditative concentration.
Every Rank of Daughter, From the Highest Heaven Downward
「爾時，善財見摩耶夫人隨應眾生示現如是種種無量色身眾生，或見過他化自在天王女身，乃至過四天王女身；或見過龍王女身，乃至過人王女身。爾時，善財見如是等種種色身，長養一切眾生善根，行不可壞檀波羅蜜，大悲普念一切眾生，出生如來無量功德。勇猛精進求薩婆若，知一切法皆寂滅相，入深忍海，具足一切無壞禪定，修習一切三昧境界，逮得如來圓滿禪定，滅一切眾生諸煩惱海。」
At that time, Sudhana beheld Lady Māyā, according with what was fitting for sentient beings, manifesting boundless form-bodies such as these — at times beholding her surpassing even the form of a daughter of the King of the Devas of Mastery Over Others' Transformations, down to surpassing the form of a daughter of the Four Heavenly Kings; at times beholding her surpassing the form of a daughter of a nāga king, down to surpassing the form of a daughter of a human king. At that time, Sudhana beheld form-bodies such as these, nurturing every sentient being's own root of goodness, practicing the indestructible pāramitā of giving, with great compassion, mindful of every sentient being universally, giving rise to the tathāgata's own boundless merit. Valiant and diligent, seeking omniscience, knowing every dharma to be, in every case, the mark of tranquil cessation, entering the deep ocean of patient acceptance, fully endowed with every indestructible meditative concentration, cultivating every samādhi's own state, attaining the tathāgata's own perfect, full meditative concentration, extinguishing the whole ocean of every sentient being's own affliction.
This passage brings the abstract catalogue of the previous four parts down to earth: the same figure whose form-bodies were just described through pure negation now appears concretely, surpassing the daughters of every rank from the highest heaven of desire down to human royalty. The word "surpassing" (過) is doing real work here — she does not merely equal these forms, she exceeds each one, a small but deliberate marker that no earthly or heavenly rank can actually contain what she is manifesting.
Part 201 In Progress
Māyā's own cultivation is now underway in this vision. Part 202 continues this dense passage — her purification of the whole Dharma-realm, her mastery over every buddha's own power, and the fulfillment of her own vow to become a mother.
Continue to Part 202 →