Ten Indestructible Gates of Wisdom
At that time, having beheld the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own inconceivable, sovereign spiritual power, Sudhana at once attained ten indestructible gates of wisdom. What are the ten? In every single thought-moment he is able, with a single body, to pervade every land; in every single thought-moment he goes to the place of every buddha; in every single thought-moment he reverently makes offerings to every buddha; in every single thought-moment, at the place of every buddha, he hears and upholds the true Dharma, attaining the paramitā-gate of wisdom in every buddha's own Dharma-wheel; he attains the paramitā-gate of the buddha's own inconceivable, sovereign wisdom; he attains the Dharma-gate of inexhaustible, eloquent wisdom; he attains the gate of contemplating every dharma through the pāramitā of wisdom; he attains the paramitā-gate of great skillful means for the whole ocean of the Dharma-realm; he attains the paramitā-gate of the wisdom that knows the desire-nature of every sentient being; and he attains the paramitā-gate of the wisdom of Samantabhadra's own practice.
From Pervading Every Land to Samantabhadra's Own Practice
爾時，善財見普賢菩薩不可思議自在神力，即得十不可壞智慧法門；何等為十？所謂：於念念中，能以一身遍一切剎；於念念中，詣一切佛所；於念念中，恭敬供養一切諸佛；於念念中，一切佛所聞持正法，得一切佛法輪智波羅蜜門；得不思議佛自在智波羅蜜門；得無盡辯智慧法門；得般若波羅蜜觀諸法門；得一切法界海大方便波羅蜜門；得知一切眾生欲性智慧波羅蜜門；得普賢所行智慧波羅蜜門。
At that time, having beheld the bodhisattva Samantabhadra's own inconceivable, sovereign spiritual power, Sudhana at once attained ten indestructible gates of wisdom. What are the ten? In every single thought-moment he is able, with a single body, to pervade every land; in every single thought-moment he goes to the place of every buddha; in every single thought-moment he reverently makes offerings to every buddha; in every single thought-moment, at the place of every buddha, he hears and upholds the true Dharma, attaining the paramitā-gate of wisdom in every buddha's own Dharma-wheel; he attains the paramitā-gate of the buddha's own inconceivable, sovereign wisdom; he attains the Dharma-gate of inexhaustible, eloquent wisdom; he attains the gate of contemplating every dharma through the pāramitā of wisdom; he attains the paramitā-gate of great skillful means for the whole ocean of the Dharma-realm; he attains the paramitā-gate of the wisdom that knows the desire-nature of every sentient being; and he attains the paramitā-gate of the wisdom of Samantabhadra's own practice.
These ten gates mark the first moment Sudhana himself, rather than Samantabhadra or the vision surrounding him, is described as directly attaining something permanent and his own — a genuine transfer of capacity rather than mere witnessing. Fazang reads "indestructible" (不可壞) as the operative term distinguishing these ten from earlier attainments elsewhere in the sūtra: unlike a vision that might fade or a teaching that might be forgotten, these gates, once attained through beholding Samantabhadra's own power, become a permanent feature of Sudhana's own being — the tenth and final gate, "the wisdom of Samantabhadra's own practice," being the direct fulfillment of what Maitreya sent him to Mañjuśrī to learn, and Mañjuśrī in turn sent him here to attain.
Part 424 Complete
The ten indestructible gates of wisdom are now given in full. Part 425 turns to the moment Samantabhadra himself extends his right hand and touches Sudhana's own crown, granting him samādhi-gates equal in number to the motes of dust of every world.
Continue to Part 425 →