Blue Lotus Fragrance, and the Ten Transferences Begin
Sudhana takes leave of the renunciant According with Every Sentient Being and journeys to the land Nectar-Flavor, where the elder Blue Lotus Fragrance knows every fragrance in the world — thirty kinds in all — down to the precise cause, reach, and effect of each: a single pellet that turns an entire land's rainwater to gold, another that summons every god in a heaven to hear the Dharma. The first teacher of the Ten Transferences.
Every Fragrance in the World, and the One Born from Dragons Fighting
時，善財童子頭面敬禮彼外道足，遶無數匝，辭退南行。
爾時，善財童子不惜身命，不著財寶，遠離熾然；不著諸趣，不著世間五欲快樂，不著眷屬勢力自在，常樂化度一切眾生，嚴淨一切諸佛世界，恭敬供養一切諸佛，心無厭足，知一切法真實之相，欲得一切菩薩功德巨海，滿足大願；於一切劫修菩薩行，詣一切佛及眷屬海，入一切菩薩三昧，悉能顯現一切菩薩神力自在；於一毛孔見一切佛，心無厭足；悉聞受持一切諸佛正法輪雲，心無厭足，專求此等一切菩薩諸佛功德。漸漸遊行，至甘露味國，詣青蓮華香長者所，頭面禮足，遶無數匝，於一面住，白言：「大聖！我已先發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，向無上道，志求一切諸佛智慧，欲滿一切諸佛大願，欲淨一切諸佛色身，欲見一切諸佛法身，欲知一切諸佛智身，欲淨滿一切菩薩諸行，欲照一切菩薩諸三昧門，欲成就一切菩薩諸陀羅尼，欲悉除滅一切障礙，欲遍遊一切諸佛世界，而未知菩薩云何學菩薩行、修菩薩道、生一切智？」
答言：「善哉！善哉！善男子！乃能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。善男子！我能善知一切諸香、一切和香、一切熏香、一切塗香、一切末香、一切香王、一切天香，龍、夜叉、乾闥婆、阿脩羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽、人、非人等香，除滅一切眾疾病香，滅憂惱香，生一切眾生諸喜樂香，長養諸煩惱香，除滅諸煩惱香，喜樂有為香，厭離有為香，放逸香，不放逸香，念諸佛香，順正法香，賢聖人香，分別一切諸菩薩香，一切菩薩地香，一切菩薩住香，如是等香我悉了知；彼香生起所行、成就、具足、清淨、安隱、方便、境界、行業、根本，皆悉了知。善男子！人中有香名大象藏，因龍鬪生，若燒一丸，興大光網雲，覆甘露味國，七日七夜，降香水雨；若著身者，身則金色；若著衣服、宮殿、樓閣，亦悉金色；若有眾生得聞此香，七日七夜，歡喜悅樂，滅一切病，無有狂橫，遠離恐怖危害之心，專向大慈，普念眾生。我知彼已，而為說法，令無量眾生，於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提得不退轉。
At that time Sudhana the Boy reverently bowed his head at this renunciant's feet, circled him countless times, and, taking his leave, journeyed on to the south.
At that time Sudhana the Boy begrudged neither body nor life, was unattached to wealth or treasure, departed far from every burning affliction; unattached to any destiny, unattached to the world's own five desires and pleasures, unattached to the sovereign power of retinue and strength, he constantly delighted in teaching and delivering every sentient being, purifying and adorning every buddha's own world, reverently making offering to every buddha, his mind never tiring, knowing the true mark of every dharma, wishing to attain the vast ocean of every bodhisattva's own merit, fulfilling the great vow; cultivating the bodhisattva's own practice through every eon, going before every buddha and the whole ocean of their own retinues, entering every bodhisattva's own samādhi, able to manifest every bodhisattva's own sovereign spiritual power entirely; beholding every buddha within a single pore, his mind never tiring; hearing and upholding every cloud of every buddha's own true Dharma-wheel entirely, his mind never tiring, single-mindedly seeking every one of these, every bodhisattva's and every buddha's own merit. Gradually journeying on, he arrived at the land Nectar-Flavor, and went before the elder Blue Lotus Fragrance, bowed his head at his feet, circled him countless times, and, standing to one side, said: "Great sage! I have already raised the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, turning toward the unsurpassed path, my resolve set upon seeking every buddha's own wisdom, wishing to fulfill every buddha's own great vow, wishing to purify every buddha's own form-body, wishing to behold every buddha's own Dharma-body, wishing to know every buddha's own wisdom-body, wishing to purify and fulfill every one of the bodhisattva's own practices, wishing to illumine every one of the bodhisattva's own gates of samādhi, wishing to accomplish every one of the bodhisattva's own dhāraṇīs, wishing to extinguish every obstruction entirely, wishing to travel throughout every buddha's own world entirely — yet I do not yet know how a bodhisattva learns the bodhisattva's own practice, cultivates the bodhisattva path, and gives rise to omniscience?"
He answered: "Excellent, excellent, good son! You have indeed been able to raise the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Good son, I am able to know well every kind of fragrance — every blended fragrance, every burnt fragrance, every fragrant unguent, every powdered fragrance, every king among fragrances, every heavenly fragrance, the fragrances proper to nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans; the fragrance that extinguishes every sickness, the fragrance that dispels sorrow and vexation, the fragrance that gives rise to every sentient being's own joy and delight, the fragrance that nurtures every affliction, the fragrance that extinguishes every affliction, the fragrance of delight in conditioned existence, the fragrance of weariness with conditioned existence, the fragrance of heedlessness, the fragrance of heedfulness, the fragrance of mindfulness of every buddha, the fragrance that accords with the true Dharma, the fragrance proper to every sage and worthy, the fragrance that discerns every bodhisattva, the fragrance of every bodhisattva ground, and the fragrance of every bodhisattva abode — fragrances such as these I understand completely; and the very arising, conduct, accomplishment, completeness, purity, peace, skillful means, domain, karmic function, and ultimate root of every such fragrance, I understand completely as well. Good son, among human beings there is a fragrance named Great Elephant-Treasury, born from the fighting of nāgas; should a single pellet of it be burned, it raises up a great net-cloud of light, covering the whole land of Nectar-Flavor for seven days and seven nights, and rains down a rain of fragrant water; whoever it touches upon the body turns the color of gold; whatever robe, palace hall, or pavilion it touches likewise turns entirely the color of gold; whatever sentient being catches this fragrance rejoices and delights for seven days and seven nights, every illness extinguished, free of madness and derangement, departing far from every mind of fear and danger, turning single-mindedly toward great loving-kindness, holding every sentient being universally in mind. Knowing this, I then expound the Dharma for them, causing countless sentient beings to attain non-retrogression from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
Fazang marks this as the very first of the Ten Transferences, "the Transference of Rescuing and Protecting Sentient Beings While Free of the Mark of Sentient Beings." He glosses the land's own name, 救生善巧之勝味也 — "the supreme flavor of skillful means in rescuing beings" — and the elder's, in three layers at once: 德相淨勝名曰青蓮，巧知諸香故復名香，從相及智名青蓮花香 — "his mark of virtue, pure and supreme, is called 'Blue Lotus'; his skillful knowledge of every fragrance is why he is further named 'Fragrance'; and from both his mark and his wisdom together, he bears the full name 'Blue Lotus Flower Fragrance.'" On why thirty kinds of fragrance are listed before a single one is explained in detail, Fazang reads the whole catalogue as unfolding in ten fixed aspects of meaning for each fragrance: its arising cause, where its reach extends, the benefit accomplished once it arrives, its function perfected, its bringing of joy and purity, its bringing of peace, its skillful means of entering the Dharma, the scope of what is known through it, its karmic function, and its ultimate root. He then maps all ten directly onto the very first fragrance, Great Elephant-Treasury: its birth from fighting nāgas is the arising cause; its light-cloud covering the whole land is where its reach extends; its rain of fragrant water is the benefit accomplished; turning the body to gold is its function perfected; the joy it brings is its purity; the healing of illness is its peace; turning single-mindedly toward great loving-kindness is its skillful means; the elder's own knowing of it is its scope; his expounding the Dharma is its karmic function; and non-retrogression from the awakening-mind is its ultimate root.
Nine Fragrances More, and a Gate of Pure Precepts
「善男子！復有香名牛頭栴檀，從離垢山王生，若以塗身，火不能燒；復有香名不可壞，從大海生，若以塗身，出妙音聲，降伏怨敵；復有香名蓮華黑沈水，從阿耨達池四岸邊生，若燒一丸悉能普熏閻浮提界，若有眾生得聞此香，離一切惡，具清淨戒；復有香名曰明相，從雪山王生，若有眾生聞此香者，離諸垢染，心得清淨而為說法，令彼悉得菩薩離垢圓滿三昧；復有香名曰海藏，從羅剎國生，應轉輪王，若燒一丸，令四種兵列住虛空；復有香名清淨莊嚴，從善法堂生，若燒一丸，悉令諸天得念佛三昧；復有香名曰淨藏，從夜摩天生，若燒一丸，令彼諸天皆悉雲集，詣夜摩天王聽受正法；復有香名先陀婆，從兜率天生，常在補處菩薩座前，若燒一丸，興大香雲普覆十方一切法界，雨無量莊嚴，供一切佛及其眷屬；復有香名曰轉意，從化自在天生，若燒一丸，於化自在天，七日七夜雨莊嚴雨。善男子！我唯知此香。諸大菩薩遠離一切不善習氣，永離五欲，滅除煩惱，降伏眾魔，斷一切縛，離三有趣，智慧妙香而自莊嚴，一切世間無所染著，具足成就無礙戒香，除滅障礙，智慧境界，通達無滯，心常平等，我當云何能知、能說彼功德行，清淨戒門，身、口、意業離一切惡？善男子！於此南方，有城名曰樓閣，彼有海師名曰自在，汝詣彼問云何菩薩學菩薩行、修菩薩道。」
"Good son, there is further a fragrance named Ox-Head Sandalwood, born from the mountain-king Free of Defilement; should it be applied to the body, fire cannot burn it. There is further a fragrance named Indestructible, born from the great ocean; should it be applied to the body, it gives forth a sublime sound, subduing every enemy and foe. There is further a fragrance named Lotus Black Aloeswood, born along the four banks of Lake Anavatapta; should a single pellet of it be burned, it is able to perfume the whole of Jambudvīpa entirely, and whatever sentient being catches this fragrance departs from every evil, endowed with pure precepts. There is further a fragrance named Bright Mark, born from the mountain-king of Snow; whatever sentient being catches this fragrance departs from every defilement, their mind made pure, and I then expound the Dharma for them, causing them all to attain the bodhisattva's own perfect samādhi of departing from defilement. There is further a fragrance named Ocean-Treasury, born in the land of the rākṣasas, fitting for a wheel-turning king; should a single pellet of it be burned, it causes the four kinds of army to stand arrayed within the sky. There is further a fragrance named Pure Adornment, born from the Hall of Good Dharma; should a single pellet of it be burned, it causes every deva to attain the samādhi of mindfulness of the Buddha. There is further a fragrance named Pure Treasury, born from the Yāma heaven; should a single pellet of it be burned, it causes every deva there to gather like clouds, going before the Yāma heaven-king to hear and receive the true Dharma. There is further a fragrance named Saindhava, born from the Tuṣita heaven, ever present before the seat of the bodhisattva bound for buddhahood in one more lifetime; should a single pellet of it be burned, it raises up a great cloud of fragrance, universally covering the whole Dharma-realm throughout the ten directions, raining down boundless adornment, making offering to every buddha and their own retinue. There is further a fragrance named Turning the Mind, born from the heaven of Mastery over Others' Transformations; should a single pellet of it be burned, it rains down a rain of adornment throughout that heaven for seven days and seven nights.
Good son, I know only this much about fragrance. The great bodhisattvas depart far from every unwholesome habitual tendency, forever free of the five desires, extinguishing affliction, subduing every māra, severing every bond, departing from every destiny of the three states of existence, adorning themselves with the sublime fragrance of wisdom, untainted by anything in the whole world, fully accomplished in the fragrance of unobstructed precepts, extinguishing every obstruction, their domain of wisdom penetrating everywhere without any hindrance, their mind always equanimous. How could I possibly know, how could I possibly speak of, such merit and practice as this, the gate of pure precepts, their bodily, verbal, and mental karma departed from every evil? Good son, to the south of here there is a city, named Layered Pavilion; there is a sea-captain there, named Self-Mastery. Go to him and ask how a bodhisattva learns the bodhisattva's own practice, cultivates the bodhisattva path."
Fazang notes plainly why the nine fragrances that follow read so much more tersely than the first: 牛頭香等九種，皆各有十義，文中存略故，或二或三等，准之 — "the nine kinds of fragrance from Ox-Head Sandalwood onward each likewise carry all ten of these same meanings, but the text preserves them only in abbreviated form, giving two or three at a time — apply the fuller pattern by analogy." He also identifies one name precisely: 先陀婆，此云石鹽名也 — "'Saindhava' [先陀婆] is, in translation, the name for rock salt" — a loanword left untranslated in the sutra's own text, which Fazang glosses rather than lets pass unremarked. On the closing survey of the great bodhisattvas' own fragrance of wisdom and precepts, he reads it as accomplishing the transcendent stage's own three trainings — precept, samādhi, and wisdom — each now described in the very idiom of fragrance this whole teacher's episode has built up: freedom from affliction as its scent, equanimity of mind as its lingering trace.
Part 42 Complete
This closes Part 42: Sudhana's arrival at Nectar-Flavor, and the elder Blue Lotus Fragrance, first teacher of the Ten Transferences, whose knowledge of thirty fragrances — each traced through its arising, reach, and effect — becomes itself a teaching on precept, samādhi, and wisdom. Sudhana is sent onward, to the city Layered Pavilion, and the sea-captain named Self-Mastery.
Continue to Part 43 — Self-Mastery the Sea-Captain, and the Ocean of Precious Things →