Seated Everywhere at Once, Teaching Every Kind of Being
Sudhana beholds the bhikkhuni Lion's Vigor seated at once upon every throne in her garden, expounding a different Dharma-gate to a different order of being at each one — Pure Abode devas, Brahmā, nāga-kings, garuḍas, humans, rākṣasas, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas at every one of the ten grounds — through a million incalculable gates of the perfection of wisdom, until every being present attains non-retrogression.
Ten Similes for a Woman Seated Everywhere
爾時，善財見比丘尼遍處一切寶師子座，端嚴姝妙，威儀庠序；其心寂靜，調伏諸根，譬如龍象，如澄淨淵如意寶珠；五欲不染，猶如蓮華；心無所畏，如師子王；安住淨戒不可傾動，如須彌山；滅除眾生諸煩惱熱，如涼香王；滅除眾病，如良藥王；見者不虛，如婆樓那天；長養善根，猶如良田。
見處一座淨居天眾眷屬圍遶，為說無盡法門；又見處座悅樂梵等梵眾圍遶，為說普妙音聲法門；又見處座無量他化自在天王等，天子、天女眷屬圍遶，為說菩薩清淨自在法門；又見處座化自在天王等，天子、天女眷屬圍遶，為說清淨一切莊嚴法門；又見處座刪兜率天王等，天子、天女眷屬圍遶，為說心藏旋復法門；又見處座夜摩天王等，天子、天女眷屬圍遶，為說無量莊嚴法門；又見處座釋天王等，天子、天女眷屬圍遶，為說厭離法門；又見處座娑伽羅龍王、十光明龍王、難陀跋難陀龍王、摩那斯龍王、伊那槃那龍王、阿耨達龍王等，龍子、龍女眷屬圍遶，為說善方便救護眾生法門；又見處座提頭賴吒天王等，乾闥婆男女眷屬圍遶，為說無盡法門；又見處座摩睺羅伽、阿脩羅王等眷屬圍遶，為說法界方便智莊嚴法門；又見處座大勢力迦樓羅王等眷屬圍遶，為說於生死海無畏法門；又見處座屯緊那羅王等眷屬圍遶，為說佛行光明法門；又見處座雲山摩睺羅伽王等眷屬圍遶，為說佛喜法門；又見處座無量男子、女人、童男、童女眷屬圍遶，為說勝趣法門；又見處座常奪眾生命羅剎王等眷屬圍遶，為說起大慈大悲法門；又見處座樂聲聞者眷屬圍遶，為說勝智光明法門；又見處座樂緣覺者眷屬圍遶，為說明淨如來功德光明法門；又見處座樂大乘者眷屬圍遶，為說普門三昧智慧光明法門；又見處座初發心菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說一切佛大願法門；又見處座二地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說離垢三昧法門；又見處座三地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說寂靜莊嚴法門；又見處座四地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說一切智勢力境界法門；又見處座五地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說淨心華藏法門；又見處座六地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說明淨藏法門；又見處座七地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說普地藏法門；又見處座八地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說法界法身境界法門；又見處座九地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說無有無著莊嚴法門；又見處座十地菩薩眷屬圍遶，為說無礙三昧法門；又見處座金剛力士眷屬圍遶，為說智慧金剛法門。
At that time Sudhana beheld this bhikkhuni present at once upon every jeweled lion-throne, dignified and sublime, her bearing composed and measured; her mind tranquil, her every faculty tamed and subdued, like a dragon-elephant; like a clear, deep pool, or a wish-fulfilling jewel; untainted by the five desires, like a lotus flower; her mind free of any fear, like a lion-king; abiding securely in pure precepts, unable to be shaken, like Mount Sumeru; extinguishing every sentient being's own feverish affliction, like a cooling king of fragrance; extinguishing every illness, like a king of excellent medicine; never in vain for whoever beholds her, like the deva Varuṇa; nurturing every root of goodness, like a good field.
He beheld her, seated at one throne, surrounded by a retinue of the Pure Abode devas, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Inexhaustible; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by the Brahmā host of Delightful Bliss and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Universal Sublime Voice; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of countless kings of the heaven of Mastery over Others' Transformations and their heavenly sons and daughters, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Bodhisattva's Pure Sovereignty; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the kings of the heaven of Delighting in Transformation and their heavenly sons and daughters, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Adornment of Universal Purity; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the kings of the Tuṣita heaven and their heavenly sons and daughters, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Mind-Treasury's Own Revolving Return; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the kings of the Yāma heaven and their heavenly sons and daughters, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of Boundless Adornment; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the kings of Śakra's own heaven and their heavenly sons and daughters, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of Weariness and Departure; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of nāga-sons and nāga-daughters of the Sāgara nāga-king, the Ten-Lights nāga-king, the Nanda and Upananda nāga-kings, the Manasvin nāga-king, the Airāvaṇa nāga-king, the Anavatapta nāga-king, and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of Skillful Means to Rescue and Protect Sentient Beings; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of gandharva men and women of the heavenly king Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Inexhaustible; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of mahoragas, asura kings, and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Adornment of the Dharma-Realm's Own Skillful Wisdom; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the garuḍa king of Great Power and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of Fearlessness Within the Ocean of Birth and Death; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the kiṃnara king Encamped and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Light of a Buddha's Own True Practice; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the mahoraga king Cloud Mountain and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of a Buddha's Own Joy; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of countless men, women, boys, and girls, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Supreme Destiny; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of the rākṣasa king who constantly takes the lives of sentient beings and the like, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of Giving Rise to Great Loving-Kindness and Great Compassion; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of those who delight in the śrāvaka path, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Light of Supreme Wisdom; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of those who delight in the pratyekabuddha path, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Light of the Tathāgata's Own Bright, Pure Merit; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of those who delight in the Great Vehicle, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Light of the Wisdom of the Universal Gate's Own Samādhi; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas who have just raised the awakening-mind, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of Every Buddha's Own Great Vow; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the second ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Samādhi Free of Defilement; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the third ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Adornment of Tranquility; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the fourth ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Domain of the Power of Omniscience; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the fifth ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Lotus-Treasury of the Pure Mind; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the sixth ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Bright, Pure Treasury; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the seventh ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Universal Treasury of the Ground; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the eighth ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Domain of the Dharma-Realm's Own Dharma-Body; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the ninth ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Adornment of Non-Existence and Non-Attachment; he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas of the tenth ground, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Unobstructed Samādhi; and he beheld her again, seated at another throne, surrounded by a retinue of vajra-warriors, expounding for them the Dharma-gate of the Vajra of Wisdom.
Fazang glosses one simile easy to pass over: 婆樓那者，此名水，應是水天佛，見已成益故也 — "'Varuṇa' means 'water' — this should refer to the water-deity, since beholding him accomplishes benefit," just as beholding this bhikkhuni is never in vain. He then reads every single one of her twenty-eight simultaneous teachings as chosen with exact precision for its audience, never generic. A sample of his own glosses: the Pure Abode devas, purest of all heavenly forms yet still impermanent, are taught the Inexhaustible precisely because their own purity still runs out; Brahmā, who considers his own voice supremely fine within the world, is taught a voice finer still — the Dharma-realm's own universal, sublime sound; the nāga-kings, whose own skillful means already takes the form of causing rain to fall and delivering beings, are taught skillful rescue directly, in their own idiom; the mahoraga king Cloud Mountain is taught specifically "a Buddha's Own Joy," 以蛇性多瞋，聞佛則喜也 — "because the serpent-nature is prone to much anger, and hearing of the Buddha brings it joy" instead; the garuḍa king, whose great worldly power over the nāgas he preys upon is itself a kind of violence, is taught to relinquish that very power, so that within the ocean of birth and death he attains fearlessness through compassion and wisdom rather than through dominance; humans are taught the destiny that transcends the world; and the rākṣasa king who constantly takes life is taught loving-kindness and compassion directly, aimed exactly at what he is guilty of.
A Million Gates of Wisdom, and No Lesser Person Could Teach This
見處如是等一切諸座，一切諸趣，一切眾生眷屬圍遶。種善根者為說善根；長善根者為說增長一切善根，隨其所應而為說法，乃至於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提得不退轉。何以故？此比丘尼成就百萬阿僧祇般若波羅蜜門故，所謂：普眼般若波羅蜜門，說一切佛法般若波羅蜜門，分別法界般若波羅蜜門，壞散一切障礙般若波羅蜜門，出生長養一切眾生善法般若波羅蜜門，勝莊嚴般若波羅蜜門，無礙藏般若波羅蜜門，法界圓滿般若波羅蜜門，清淨心藏般若波羅蜜門，一切眾生樂藏般若波羅蜜門；得如是等百萬阿僧祇般若波羅蜜門。於此園中，所有眾生皆於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提得不退轉。
He beheld her, seated in this way at every one of these thrones, surrounded by a retinue of every destiny, every kind of sentient being. For whoever had already planted a root of goodness, she expounded the Dharma of roots of goodness; for whoever had already nurtured a root of goodness, she expounded the Dharma of increasing every root of goodness — expounding the Dharma to each according to what was fitting, until every one of them attained non-retrogression from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Why was this? Because this bhikkhuni had accomplished a million incalculable gates of the perfection of wisdom — namely: the gate of the perfection of wisdom of the Universal Eye, the gate of the perfection of wisdom that expounds every buddha-dharma, the gate of the perfection of wisdom that discerns the Dharma-realm, the gate of the perfection of wisdom that breaks apart every obstruction, the gate of the perfection of wisdom that gives rise to and nurtures every sentient being's own wholesome dharma, the gate of the perfection of wisdom of Supreme Adornment, the gate of the perfection of wisdom of the Unobstructed Treasury, the gate of the perfection of wisdom of the Dharma-Realm's Own Perfection, the gate of the perfection of wisdom of the Pure Treasury of the Mind, and the gate of the perfection of wisdom of the Treasury of Every Sentient Being's Own Delight; she had attained a million incalculable gates of the perfection of wisdom such as these. Within this garden, every single sentient being present attained non-retrogression from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
On why bodhisattvas at every one of the ten grounds all appear here, taught by the very same bhikkhuni, Fazang draws out an implication the text leaves unstated but clearly intends: 此比丘尼既為第十地菩薩等說法，明非是小人為寄位，故當迴向位也 — "since this bhikkhuni is able to expound the Dharma even for bodhisattvas at the tenth ground, this makes plain she is no lesser person merely occupying a borrowed rank — her own attainment truly corresponds to the Transference stage she teaches from." This is the same structural point already seen with other teachers along this pilgrimage, stated here more sharply than usual: the modest, provisional position each teacher occupies on Sudhana's own journey is never a ceiling on what they have actually realized — and the surest proof, in this bhikkhuni's case, is simply watching whom she is capable of teaching. Fazang closes this scene by noting that the ten prajñā-gates listed by name are themselves only a representative sample, standing in for the million incalculable gates just declared — the same abbreviating convention already seen with Blue Lotus Fragrance's nine lesser-detailed incenses, applied here to a number too vast for the text to itemize at all.
Part 46 In Progress
Part 46 continues in Part 47: Sudhana's own reaction to all he has seen, his request, and the bhikkhuni's teaching of the Dharma-gate reaching the very depths of omniscience — through which she offers, in a single thought-moment, to every buddha's entire career at once.
Continue to Part 47 — The Very Depths of Omniscience, and Offerings to Every Buddha's Career →