Vāsantī, and the Ten Grounds Begin
Sudhana arrives at Kapilavastu at nightfall — the only hour this teacher can be seen at all — and finds the night-deva Vāsantī dwelling above the city in open space: her body gold, her robe vermilion, every star of the night sky playing across her form. She tells him how she rescues sailors lost at sea, travelers confused about direction, and beings drowning in poverty, old age, and disease, taking on a different shape for each — a ship, a horse, a mountain spirit, the moon itself. The first teacher of the Ten Grounds, in the first of three parts.
A Body of Gold, Under Every Star
時，善財童子頭面敬禮安住地神，遶無數匝，辭詣彼城。
爾時，善財童子正念思惟安住天教菩薩不可壞藏法門，修諸三昧，明諸三昧，觀察菩薩諸法律儀，菩薩自在遊戲神通，觀察菩薩一切淨法，深入菩薩甚深智慧，究竟菩薩無壞法門，隨順菩薩無壞法門，深入菩薩諸法門海。漸漸遊行至於彼城，從東門入，中城而住。爾時，善財日沒未久，隨順一切菩薩所教，一心欲見婆娑婆陀夜天，於善知識發如來想，普眼境界顯現，諸方智慧悉至，一切境界清淨，法眼普見一切諸法界海。大智慧眼觀察十方，見彼夜天於彼城上虛空中住；處寶樓閣香蓮華座，身如真金，目髮紺色，端嚴殊妙，見者無厭。身服朱衣，眾寶莊嚴，頂上結髮，猶如梵王。於其身上現一切星宿，及其光明化度無量世界眾生，遠離惡道。於一毛孔皆悉覩見所化眾生，或有生天，或得聲聞、緣覺，修菩薩行，種種方便形色、音聲、諸語言法所說，正教化度眾生。隨所經劫，諸菩薩等教化眾生，悉令修習菩薩諸行，勇猛、精進修諸三昧、諸神力門，菩薩自在神力境界，菩薩所住，菩薩光明，菩薩奮迅，菩薩法門，以化眾生。於一毛孔皆悉見聞。爾時，善財見聞此已，心大歡喜，頭面敬禮彼夜天足，遶無數匝，恭敬合掌，於一面住，白言：「天神！我已先發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，信解因善知識得諸佛法，唯願天神開示顯現一切智道，若有菩薩向此道者，得十力地。」
爾時，夜天告善財言：「善哉！善哉！善男子！敬善知識，隨順其教。若有菩薩隨其教者，疾得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。善男子！我已成就菩薩光明，普照諸法，壞散眾生愚癡法門。善男子！我於惡眾生發大慈心，於不善業眾生發大悲心，於修善眾生發歡喜心，於善惡眾生發無二心，於染污眾生發清淨心，於邪道眾生發正道心，於樂不淨眾生發樂淨心，於樂生死眾生發隨順法輪心，於樂聲聞、緣覺眾生發安立一切智道心。
At that time Sudhana the Boy reverently bowed his head at the earth-deity Secure Abiding's feet, circled her countless times, and, taking his leave, went toward that city.
At that time Sudhana the Boy rightly held in mind the deva Secure Abiding's own teaching of the bodhisattva's Dharma-gate of the Indestructible Treasury, cultivating every samādhi, illumining every samādhi, contemplating the bodhisattva's own every rule and discipline of the Dharma, the bodhisattva's own sovereign, playful spiritual power, contemplating the bodhisattva's own every pure dharma, entering deeply into the bodhisattva's own profound wisdom, reaching the very end of the bodhisattva's own Dharma-gate of the Indestructible, according with the bodhisattva's own Dharma-gate of the Indestructible, entering deeply into the whole ocean of the bodhisattva's own Dharma-gates. Gradually journeying on, he arrived at that city, entering by its eastern gate, and dwelt at its very center. At that time, not long after sunset, Sudhana, according with everything every bodhisattva had taught him, single-mindedly wished to behold the night-deva Vāsantī; toward this good spiritual friend he gave rise to the thought of the Tathāgata himself, the domain of the universal eye manifesting before him, wisdom from every direction arriving at once, every domain made pure, the Dharma-eye universally beholding the whole ocean of the Dharma-realm. With the eye of great wisdom he contemplated the ten directions, and beheld this night-deva dwelling above that city, within open space; seated upon a throne of fragrant lotus within a jeweled pavilion, her body the color of true gold, her eyes and hair a deep blue-black, dignified and sublimely fine, so that whoever beheld her never tired of the sight. Her body was clothed in vermilion robes, adorned with every jewel, her hair bound atop her head, like the Brahmā king himself. Upon her very body appeared every star and constellation, and by their light she taught and delivered the sentient beings of boundless worlds, causing them to depart from every evil path. Within a single pore she beheld entirely the beings she had transformed — some born among the gods, some attaining the fruit of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha, cultivating the bodhisattva's own practice, through every kind of skillful means of form, sound, and every spoken language, rightly teaching and delivering sentient beings. Throughout however many eons had passed, bodhisattvas of every kind taught and transformed sentient beings, causing them all to cultivate the bodhisattva's own every practice, valiant and diligent in cultivating every samādhi and every gate of spiritual power, the bodhisattva's own domain of sovereign spiritual power, the bodhisattva's own abiding, the bodhisattva's own light, the bodhisattva's own vigor, the bodhisattva's own Dharma-gate, transforming sentient beings thereby — and within a single pore she beheld and heard all of this entirely. At that time Sudhana, having beheld and heard this, his mind rejoicing greatly, reverently bowed his head at this night-deva's feet, circled her countless times, and, joining his palms in reverence, stood to one side, and said: "Deva! I have already raised the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and, believing and understanding that every buddha's own Dharma is attained through a good spiritual friend, I beg only that you, deva, open up and manifest the path of omniscience — that whatever bodhisattva turns toward this path may attain the ground of the ten powers."
At that time this night-deva said to Sudhana: "Excellent, excellent, good son! Revere your good spiritual friends, and according with their teaching — whatever bodhisattva accords with their teaching swiftly attains unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Good son, I have accomplished the bodhisattva's own Dharma-gate of Light, universally illumining every dharma, breaking apart and scattering sentient beings' own folly. Good son, toward evil sentient beings I give rise to a mind of great loving-kindness; toward sentient beings of unwholesome karma I give rise to a mind of great compassion; toward sentient beings who cultivate goodness I give rise to a mind of joy; toward sentient beings both good and evil I give rise to a mind free of duality; toward defiled sentient beings I give rise to a mind of purity; toward sentient beings on a wrong path I give rise to a mind of the true path; toward sentient beings who delight in impurity I give rise to a mind that delights in purity; toward sentient beings who delight in birth and death I give rise to a mind that accords with the Dharma-wheel; and toward sentient beings who delight in the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha path I give rise to a mind that establishes them securely upon the path of omniscience.
Fazang marks a major structural turn here: 自下從婆娑婆陀至瞿夷有十善知識，明十地位行 — "from here, from Vāsantī through to Gopā, there are ten spiritual friends, revealing the practice of the Ten Grounds stage" — the pilgrimage's fourth great division, following the Ten Abodes, Ten Practices, and Ten Transferences already completed. He glosses the city's own name: 正云迦毘羅婆窣堵，此云黃物城，則往古黃頭仙人先在此處，後於此作城，故立斯號 — "properly 'Kapilavastu,' meaning 'City of Yellow Things': the ancient sage Kapila ['Yellow-Head'] once dwelt here before this later became a city, hence the name" — also called "the Tranquil Dwelling Place." He explains why the very first teacher of the Ten Grounds is placed here specifically: 表初地已上生佛家，故在佛生城也 — "it marks that, from the first ground upward, one is born into the buddha's own household — hence [she is placed] in the very city where the Buddha himself was born."
On Vāsantī's own name, Fazang offers two readings from two different Sanskrit sources: 正云婆羅婆薩那，此名依止不畏 — "properly 'Balavāsanā,' meaning 'Reliance Without Fear'" — matching exactly what she goes on to teach; but 天竺本婆僧多，此云春也，謂表能生長萬行，如春時也 — "the Indian original [elsewhere] gives 'Vasanta,' meaning 'Spring,' marking her ability to give rise to and grow every practice, the way springtime does." On "night-deva" itself: 在於夜中耀光救物，故以為名，表證智妙離眾相，破闇障故也 — "shining light in the darkness of night to rescue beings is why she bears this title, marking realized wisdom's own sublime freedom from every mark, breaking through the obstruction of darkness itself." He adds a detail worth carrying through the next several teachers: 此九種夜天，依梵本皆是女天，表是慈悲之狀也 — "these nine kinds of night-deva are, according to the Sanskrit original, all female devas, marking the very mark of compassion." On the scene itself, an older reading maps every visual detail: the city represents the first ground's own teaching-path; her dwelling above, in open space, represents its path of direct realization; her body's gold color represents true virtue made manifest; her vermilion robe represents the very light of realized wisdom.
A Ship, a Horse, a Mountain Spirit, the Moon Itself
善男子！我常如是思惟教化眾生：於夜闇人靜，鬼神、盜賊所遊行時，比丘離威儀時，重雲煙塵昏蔽、日月不見色時，若有眾生在城邑、聚落、山巖、曠野、八方、大海，乃至一切水陸眾生，於此眾生以種種方便，滅其恐怖。若有眾生，遭於海難、雲難、山難、大風洄澓，及以波浪迷惑失道，不見邊岸，遭如是等種種海難，我於爾時或作船形，或作馬王、象王、狗王、阿脩羅王、海神王形，作如是等形，方便度脫眾生海難。為陸地眾生，或作淨月及諸星宿、炬火、電光、諸寶光明、天身光明、菩薩光明，以如是等無量方便，救護眾生。發如是心：『我為一切眾生常作歸依，除滅煩惱。令畏死者，得無畏法；令貧窮者，皆得富樂。』為在山眾生，或作果樹、或作流泉、迦陵頻伽鳥等，出妙音聲；或作山神、或作平地，以如是等無量方便，度脫眾生。發如是心：『令諸眾生免此山難，又令一切越生死山。』為曠野眾生，種種方便令其悅樂，入正見道，除滅飢渴，於如是等無量難中，救眾生已，復作是念：『願令眾生速滅眾苦，究竟一切安隱智道。』見樂著國土眾生受諸苦惱，種種方便滅其樂著，作如是念：『願令眾生除五陰著，住一切佛薩婆若境。』見著聚落眾生受諸苦惱，種種方便而為說法，令其厭離，以法攝之，復作是念：『令一切眾生離六入空聚，超出生死，究竟得入一切智城。』
「復次，善男子！若有眾生迷於十方，以東為西，以西為東，乃至以上為下，以下為上，為此眾生，無量方便，斷其迷惑。若欲出者，開示門戶；若失道者，示導正路；若欲度者，示以津濟；無舟檝者，而資給之；不知方域，示其樂土；以如是等無量方便，顯現開道而度脫之。發如是心：『我已照除長夜昏冥，世間眾事無不宣敘。又令眾生永滅癡闇，得清淨眼，離眾生相及諸邪見，常、樂、我、淨。』計著眾生及福伽羅陰界諸入，不了因果，行不善道，殺害眾生，乃至邪見、不孝父母，不供養沙門、婆羅門，遠離正道，行不善業，誹謗正道，欲壞法輪，毀菩薩眾，憎惡大乘，不讚菩提，毀呰賢聖，行惡人法，造五逆業，如是等類諸惡眾生，我以明淨慧光除其愚闇，令發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，究竟普賢菩薩所行，開十力道，遠離生死，現一切智城，諸佛境界，諸佛神通，具足諸力，現法持力，安住諸佛平等正法，現一切佛悉同一身。復次，善男子！我見貧、苦、老、病眾生，種種方便而救濟之。復作是念：『以無上法攝彼眾生，滅諸煩惱，令得解脫，離生、老、病、死、憂悲、苦惱、惡道諸難。近善知識，深入法界，離諸惡業，淨佛法身，置無老、病、死，常住法界。』
「復次，善男子！我見諸惡眾生，遠離正道，趣於邪徑，著諸倒見，虛妄迷惑，具行不善，身、口、意業種種放逸，依止惡法，於非正覺為正覺想，於正覺所非正覺想。近惡知識，受諸苦惱，我見此已，無量方便除其邪惑，安立正見，令於天人最為殊勝。復作是念：『令諸眾生得出世間無上正道，不復退轉，於一切智滿足普賢菩薩大願，得一切智，而亦不離菩薩諸地，不壞眾生性。』」
Good son, I constantly contemplate teaching and transforming sentient beings in this way: in the darkness of night, when people are still, when ghosts, spirits, and thieves are abroad, when monks have set aside their own dignified bearing, when heavy clouds and dust and smoke obscure everything and neither sun nor moon can be seen — whatever sentient beings there may be, in city or town, village or mountain crag, open wilderness or the eight directions or the great ocean, even every being of water and land — for these sentient beings, through every kind of skillful means, I extinguish their fear. Should sentient beings encounter peril at sea, peril from clouds, peril from mountains, great winds and whirlpools, or waves that confuse and cause them to lose their way, unable to see any shore, encountering perils of the sea such as these, I then take on the form of a ship, or the form of a king of horses, a king of elephants, a king of dogs, a king of the asuras, a king of the sea-spirits — taking on forms such as these, through skillful means delivering sentient beings from the perils of the sea. For beings upon dry land, I become the pure moon, or the stars and constellations, a torch, a flash of lightning, the light of every jewel, the light of a heavenly body, the light of a bodhisattva — through boundless skillful means such as these, rescuing and protecting sentient beings. I give rise to a mind such as this: 'May I constantly serve as a refuge for every sentient being, extinguishing their affliction. May I cause whoever fears death to attain the Dharma of fearlessness; may I cause whoever is poor to attain wealth and happiness.' For beings upon a mountain, I become a fruit tree, or a flowing spring, or the kalaviṅka bird, giving forth a sublime voice; or I become a mountain spirit, or level ground — through boundless skillful means such as these, delivering sentient beings. I give rise to a mind such as this: 'May I cause every sentient being to escape this peril of the mountain, and further cause everyone to cross beyond the mountain of birth and death.' For beings of the open wilderness, through every kind of skillful means I cause them delight, entry upon the path of right view, and the extinguishing of hunger and thirst; and, having rescued sentient beings amid boundless perils such as these, I think further: 'May I swiftly extinguish every suffering of sentient beings, and bring the whole path of peaceful wisdom to its very end.' Beholding sentient beings attached to their own land, suffering every affliction, through every kind of skillful means I extinguish their attachment, thinking thus: 'May I cause sentient beings to relinquish attachment to the five aggregates, abiding in every buddha's own domain of omniscience.' Beholding sentient beings attached to their own village, suffering every affliction, through every kind of skillful means I expound the Dharma for them, causing them to grow weary of it and depart, gathering them in through the Dharma, thinking further: 'May I cause every sentient being to depart from the empty village of the six sense-gates, transcending birth and death, and reach at last the city of omniscience.'
"Furthermore, good son, should there be sentient beings confused about the ten directions, taking east for west and west for east, even taking above for below and below for above, for these beings, through boundless skillful means, I sever their confusion. Should they wish to find their way out, I open up the very gate for them; should they have lost the path, I show them the true road; should they wish to cross over, I show them the ford; should they lack a boat or oar, I provide them; should they not know the region, I show them a land of ease — through boundless skillful means such as these, revealing and opening the way, delivering them. I give rise to a mind such as this: 'I have already illumined and dispelled the long night's own darkness, proclaiming every worldly matter in full. May I further cause sentient beings to forever extinguish the darkness of folly, attaining the pure eye, departing from the mark of sentient beings and every wrong view, attaining the permanent, the blissful, the self, and the pure.' As for sentient beings attached to notions of a person, and to the aggregates, elements, and sense-fields, not understanding cause and effect, walking the unwholesome path, killing sentient beings, even holding wrong views, failing to honor father and mother, not making offering to renunciants or brahmins, departing far from the true path, engaging in unwholesome karma, slandering the true path, wishing to destroy the Dharma-wheel, reviling the bodhisattva assembly, hating and despising the Great Vehicle, refusing to praise bodhi, disparaging every sage and worthy, practicing the ways of evil people, committing the five acts of immediate retribution — for evil sentient beings of every kind such as these, I use the bright, pure light of wisdom to dispel their folly and darkness, causing them to raise the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, reaching the very end of Samantabhadra's own practice, opening the path of the ten powers, departing far from birth and death, manifesting the city of omniscience, the domain of every buddha, the spiritual power of every buddha, fully endowed with every power, manifesting the power that upholds the Dharma, abiding securely in every buddha's own equanimous, true Dharma, manifesting every buddha as one and the same body entirely. Furthermore, good son, I behold sentient beings who are poor, suffering, aged, and ill, and, through every kind of skillful means, rescue and aid them. I think further: 'May I gather in these sentient beings through the unsurpassed Dharma, extinguishing every affliction, causing them to attain liberation, departing from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, affliction, and every peril of the evil paths. May they draw near to good spiritual friends, enter deeply into the Dharma-realm, depart from every evil karma, purify the buddha's own Dharma-body, and, set free from old age, sickness, and death, abide constantly within the Dharma-realm.'
"Furthermore, good son, I behold every kind of evil sentient being, departing far from the true path, hastening toward a crooked byway, attached to every inverted view, false and confused, fully engaged in unwholesome conduct, their bodily, verbal, and mental karma given over to every kind of heedlessness, relying upon evil dharmas, taking what is not true awakening for true awakening, and taking true awakening itself for what is not true awakening. Drawing near to evil spiritual friends, they suffer every affliction; beholding this, through boundless skillful means I dispel their wrong confusion, establishing them securely in right view, causing them to become supreme among gods and humans. I think further: 'May I cause every sentient being to attain the unsurpassed, true path that transcends the world, never again retreating from it, fulfilling Samantabhadra's own great vow within omniscience itself, attaining omniscience, yet never departing from the bodhisattva's own every ground, and never destroying the very nature of any sentient being.'"
This long catalogue of rescues — at sea, on the mountain, in the wilderness, for the confused, for the poor and aged and ill, for the willfully evil — is presented in the sutra's own text without a single repeated form: a ship one moment, a king of horses the next, level ground, a flash of lightning, the moon itself. Every rescue closes with its own vow, spoken in Vāsantī's own words, so that the passage reads less like a list of powers than like a mind rehearsing, scene by scene, exactly what it intends before it ever acts. This project has not located a line-by-line gloss from Fazang for each individual scene within this catalogue; what his commentary does establish is the frame around it — that Vāsantī stands for the first of the Ten Grounds, "the Ground of Joy," and that her constant shape-shifting compassion is itself what that ground looks like in practice, before any of its more technical marks are named.
Part 54 In Progress
Part 54 continues in Part 55: Vāsantī's own hymn of praise for the Dharma-gate she has just described, and in Part 56, two accounts from her own distant past lives — one beneath a buddha named All-Dharma-Thunder-King, one beneath a buddha named Sumeru Tranquil Eye — before she sends Sudhana onward to the next night-deva of the Ten Grounds.
Continue to Part 55 — Vāsantī's Own Hymn →