Nectar Crown, and the Rain That Falls from Open Sky
Sudhana takes leave of Self-Mastery and journeys to the city Great Flourishing, where the elder Nectar Crown, surrounded by ten thousand who once cultivated goodness beside him, teaches his Dharma-gate of the Wish-Fulfilling Treasury of Merit: he gazes up into the open sky, and everything a whole gathered multitude could need rains down from it, fulfilling every wish before he turns to teaching them the Dharma itself. The fourth teacher of the Ten Practices.
Farewell to Self-Mastery, and the Hall of Nectar Crown
時，善財童子頭面禮足，遶無數匝，憶念不捨，辭退南行。爾時，善財童子得無盡功德光明法門，正念思惟彼功德海，觀察彼虛空功德、趣彼功德聚、登彼功德山、攝彼功德藏、盡彼功德底、度彼功德海、淨彼圓滿功德、周遍觀察彼諸功德、隨彼功德藏、持彼功德教、淨彼功德性。漸漸遊行至大興城，周遍推求長者甘露頂，樂求善知識；以善知識熏其身心，於善知識起正直心，觀善知識常無厭足，學善知識勇猛精進，求善知識一切善根，同善知識一切善根，於善知識無嫌恨心，滿功德藏，學善知識種種方便；雖不由他悟而常親近諸善知識，長諸善根，淨修菩提正直之心，增長一切菩薩諸根，成就一切善根，滿足大願。發廣大悲，近一切智，不離諸佛；增長普賢菩薩所行，如來光明常照其心。
爾時，善財見甘露頂於彼城內，處七寶堂阿僧祇寶師子座上，金剛伊尼羅寶以為座足，離垢寶藏而以校飾，五百寶像以為莊嚴，建眾寶幢、垂寶繒幡、張眾寶帳，無量寶網羅覆其上。有人手執閻浮檀金蓋，瑠璃為竿，復有執持離垢寶拂侍立左右，眾妙雜香而以熏之，雨天華雲，作五百種勝妙妓樂娛樂。城內一萬大眾，周匝圍遶，顏容姝妙，天人無倫，成就菩薩直心，莊嚴眾生，悉常隨順甘露頂教，宿世同修諸善根故。
At that time Sudhana the Boy bowed his head at her feet, circled her countless times, his memory of her never letting go, and, taking his leave, journeyed on to the south. At that time Sudhana the Boy, having attained the Dharma-gate of the Inexhaustible Light of Merit, rightly held in mind and contemplated that ocean of merit, contemplating that merit's own vast reach like space, advancing toward that gathering of merit, ascending that mountain of merit, gathering in that treasury of merit, reaching the very bottom of that merit, crossing over that ocean of merit, purifying that merit's own perfect fullness, contemplating everywhere those very merits, according with that treasury of merit, upholding that merit's own teaching, and purifying that merit's own nature. Gradually journeying on, he arrived at the city Great Flourishing, and searched everywhere for the elder Nectar Crown, delighting in seeking a good spiritual friend; scented and cultivated in body and mind by the good spiritual friend, he gave rise to an upright mind toward the good spiritual friend, beholding the good spiritual friend and never once growing weary, learning from the good spiritual friend courage and vigor, seeking from the good spiritual friend every root of goodness, sharing with the good spiritual friend every root of goodness, harboring no resentment at all toward the good spiritual friend, his treasury of merit made full, learning from the good spiritual friend every kind of skillful means; though not awakened through another, he yet constantly drew near to every good spiritual friend, nurturing every root of goodness, purely cultivating an upright mind toward bodhi, increasing every one of the bodhisattva's own faculties, accomplishing every root of goodness, and fulfilling the great vow. He gave rise to vast compassion, drew near to omniscience, and never departed from the buddhas; ever increasing Samantabhadra's own practice, the Tathāgata's own light constantly illumined his mind.
At that time Sudhana beheld Nectar Crown within that city, seated in a hall of seven jewels, upon a lion-throne of countless jewels, its legs made of vajra and iṇīla gems, adorned with a stainless jeweled treasury, ornamented with five hundred jeweled images; jeweled banners were raised, jeweled silk pennants hung down, jeweled canopies were spread wide, and a net of countless jewels covered over it all. Some held aloft parasols of Jambū-river gold with poles of lapis lazuli; others stood in attendance to left and right holding stainless jeweled whisks; every kind of marvelous mingled incense perfumed the air, clouds of heavenly flowers rained down, and five hundred kinds of sublime music were played for delight. Within the city, a great assembly of ten thousand surrounded him on every side, their countenance sublime and fine, without peer among gods or men, having accomplished the bodhisattva's own upright mind, adorning sentient beings; all of them constantly accorded with Nectar Crown's own teaching, having cultivated the same roots of goodness together with him in ages past.
Fazang marks this as the fourth of the Ten Practices, "the Practice of Inexhaustibility" (無盡行). He glosses the city's own name as 精進熾然故云也。又廣以財法起成大施，故以為名 — "because diligence blazes forth vigorously here, it is so named; also because he broadly gives rise to great giving through both wealth and Dharma, it bears this name." On the elder's own name he writes: 精進行味之中最勝，故名甘露。行德勝出，表之如頂 — "among the flavors of diligent practice, this one is supreme, and so he is named 'Nectar'; his practice and virtue rise up and surpass others, marked here, as at a summit, by 'Crown.'" The retinue of ten thousand that surrounds him, Fazang notes, is no coincidence of the setting: they had cultivated the very same roots of goodness together with him in past ages, which is exactly why they now follow his teaching so completely.
The Vessel of Sky, and Ten Benefits for a Retinue
爾時，善財頭面禮足，遶無數匝，恭敬合掌，於一面住，白言：「大聖！我為利益一切眾生故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，所謂：滅一切眾生苦惱，令安隱住，究竟快樂，度生死海，到法寶洲，消竭貪愛，修大悲念，除五欲渴，樂一切智，令究竟度生死曠野，常樂一切諸佛功德，超出三界至薩婆若城，而未知菩薩云何學菩薩行，修菩薩道，攝一切眾生？」長者答言：「善哉！善哉！童子！乃能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。若能發心學菩薩道、修菩薩行，此人難得；求善知識，見善知識，親近恭敬；於善知識，其心不退而無厭足。善男子！汝見我此一萬眷屬不？」「唯然，已見。」
「我本為彼說種種法，令發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，生如來家，修白淨法，滿足無量諸波羅蜜，具佛十力；離世間姓、立如來姓；壞生死輪、轉淨法輪；滅三惡道、立正法趣。善男子！當知菩薩悉能救護一切眾生。善男子！我成就此如意功德寶藏法門，隨其所須悉滿彼願，謂以眾寶、車乘、象馬、僮僕、衣服、飲食、香華、末香、燈明、湯藥、幢幡、繒蓋、隨意眷屬、天冠、寶飾、一切珍玩、資生之具，盡給施之，乃至以法廣施眾生。善男子！且待須臾，汝自見之。」即時，善財見諸方國、城邑、聚落，一切眾生來詣其所，悉命令坐。時，甘露頂仰視虛空，隨諸來會一切所須，悉從空下，滿足其願；既充願已，為說正法，悉令長養諸功德藏，消生死愛，渴仰佛法，乃至具足大人味味之相；滅貧窮苦，富甘露財，降伏眾魔，無能壞者，成就十力無上智慧；如是等類，悉滿願已，皆大歡喜，隨所來方各還本處。
「善男子！我唯知此如意功德寶藏法門，諸大菩薩具足一切自在功德，成就寶手，覆一切剎，雨無量雲；謂：眾寶雲、種種色莊嚴雲、種種色寶天冠雲、種種色衣雲、種種妙聲雲、種種華雲、種種周羅摩尼寶雲、種種色香雲、種種色蓋雲、種種色幢幡雲，皆悉充滿一切世界、一切佛剎、一切諸佛及其眷屬，為教化一切眾生，令供養一切佛故；我當云何能知、能說彼菩薩行，顯其自在？善男子！於此南方，有城名師子重閣；彼有長者名法寶周羅；汝詣彼問云何菩薩學菩薩行、修菩薩道。」
At that time Sudhana bowed his head at his feet, circled him countless times, and, joining his palms in reverence, stood to one side, and said: "Great sage! For the sake of benefiting every sentient being, I have raised the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening — that is to say, to extinguish every sentient being's own suffering and affliction, causing them to abide in peace and attain ultimate bliss, to cross the ocean of birth and death and reach the island of the Dharma's own treasure, to exhaust and dry up craving and desire, to cultivate the mindfulness of great compassion, to remove the thirst of the five desires, to delight in omniscience, to bring about the ultimate crossing of the wilderness of birth and death, to constantly delight in every buddha's own merit, and to transcend the three realms and reach the city of all-knowing wisdom — yet I do not yet know how a bodhisattva learns the bodhisattva's own practice, cultivates the bodhisattva path, and gathers in every sentient being." The elder answered: "Excellent, excellent, O boy! You have indeed been able to raise the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. One able to raise this mind, to learn the bodhisattva path and cultivate the bodhisattva's own practice — such a person is rare to find; seeking a good spiritual friend, beholding a good spiritual friend, drawing near in reverence to a good spiritual friend, one's mind toward a good spiritual friend never retreating and never growing weary. Good son, do you see this retinue of ten thousand of mine?" "Indeed, I see them."
"I originally expounded for them every kind of teaching, causing them to raise the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, to be born into the household of the Tathāgata, to cultivate the pure white Dharma, to fulfill every one of the immeasurable perfections, and to be endowed with a buddha's own ten powers; to leave behind the lineage of the world and establish the lineage of the Tathāgata; to break the wheel of birth and death and turn the pure Dharma-wheel; and to extinguish the three evil paths and establish the destiny of the true Dharma. Good son, you should know that a bodhisattva is able to rescue and protect every sentient being entirely. Good son, I have accomplished this Dharma-gate of the Wish-Fulfilling Treasury of Merit, and according to whatever is needed I fulfill every wish completely — giving every kind of jewel, chariots, elephants and horses, servants, robes, food and drink, incense and flowers, powdered incense, lamps, medicine, banners and pennants, silken canopies, retinues according to one's wish, heavenly crowns, jeweled ornaments, every kind of rare and marvelous object, and every implement of livelihood — giving all of this completely, and, further still, broadly giving the Dharma itself to sentient beings. Good son, wait but a moment, and you will see it for yourself." At that very moment, Sudhana beheld beings arriving from every land, city, and village in every direction, coming before him, and all of them were bidden to be seated. At that time Nectar Crown gazed up into the open sky, and, according to whatever every one of those gathered there needed, it all descended from the sky itself, fulfilling their every wish; once their wishes were fulfilled, he expounded the true Dharma for them, causing every one of them to nurture the treasury of merit, to dissolve craving for birth and death, to thirst after the Dharma, even to become endowed with the flavor upon flavor of the mark of a great being; extinguishing the suffering of poverty, made rich with the wealth of ambrosia, subduing every māra, so that nothing at all could destroy them, they accomplished the ten powers and unsurpassed wisdom; and all such beings as these, their every wish fulfilled, rejoiced greatly, and each returned to their own place, in whatever direction they had come from.
"Good son, I know only this Dharma-gate of the Wish-Fulfilling Treasury of Merit; the great bodhisattvas, fully endowed with every sovereign merit, accomplish a jeweled hand that covers every land, raining down clouds beyond number: clouds of every kind of jewel, clouds of every kind of color and adornment, clouds of every kind of color and jeweled heavenly crown, clouds of every kind of color and robe, clouds of every kind of sublime sound, clouds of every kind of flower, clouds of every kind of crested maṇi jewel, clouds of every kind of color and incense, clouds of every kind of color and canopy, and clouds of every kind of color, banner, and pennant — all of it filling entirely every world, every buddha-land, every buddha and their own retinue, in order to teach and transform every sentient being, and cause them to make offering to every buddha. Such bodhisattva practice as this, manifesting their own sovereign mastery — how could I possibly know it, how could I possibly speak of it? Good son, to the south of here there is a city, named Lion's Layered Pavilion; there is an elder there, named Dharma-Jewel Crest. Go to him and ask how a bodhisattva learns the bodhisattva's own practice, cultivates the bodhisattva path."
Fazang divides Nectar Crown's own answer into four parts: first, his arising of the awakening mind; second, gathering his retinue through the Dharma, causing them — as he puts it — to accomplish "ten kinds of benefit" (十種饒益), the very list running from raising bodhicitta through being born into the Tathāgata's household to establishing the destiny of the true Dharma; third, naming his own Dharma-gate, 謂財法無盡蘊在虛空，隨意給施，故以為名 — "wealth and Dharma stored inexhaustibly within the very substance of space, given according to whatever is wished — hence its name"; and fourth, the gate's own function, demonstrated by the crowd that gathers and then by the sky itself. On this last scene, Fazang makes a claim worth pausing over: 此同破虛空器三昧，正是十行所得 — "this is identical to the samādhi that breaks open the very vessel of space, and is exactly what is attained within the Ten Practices." The rain that falls from open sky, in other words, is not simply a vivid image chosen for this teacher; Fazang identifies it as a specific, named attainment characteristic of this whole stage of the path, one this project may see recur as the remaining teachers of the Ten Practices unfold.
On the closing list of ten cloud-types that the great bodhisattvas rain down — jewels, adornment, heavenly crowns, robes, sublime sounds, flowers, crested maṇi jewels, incense, canopies, and banners with pennants — Fazang reads it as ten separate phrases (別有十句) rounding out the humility-and-referral close, the same structural role every teacher's closing survey of "what I cannot know" has played since the very first of the fifty-three.
Part 34 Complete
This closes Part 34: Sudhana's farewell to Self-Mastery, his arrival at Great Flourishing, and the elder Nectar Crown, fourth teacher of the Ten Practices, whose Wish-Fulfilling Treasury of Merit brings an entire gathering's needs raining down from open sky. Sudhana is sent onward, to the city Lion's Layered Pavilion, and the elder named Dharma-Jewel Crest.
Continue to Part 35 — Dharma-Jewel Crest, at Lion's Layered Pavilion →