Five More Kalpas, to the Threshold of Forbearance
Five final kalpas carry the night-deva's own account through the actual grounds themselves — the first ground's path of seeing, the second through fifth grounds' path perfected, the sixth ground's contemplation of dependent origination, and the seventh ground's own threshold, still short of the eighth. Named buddha after named buddha, kalpa after kalpa, the account now maps directly onto the very stage this pilgrimage has been tracing all along.
Fragrant Lamp-Cloud, and Bright, Pure, and Firm
「次第復有劫。 名曰香燈雲，
爾時有世界， 名曰清淨起，
一億佛興世， 嚴淨一切劫，
彼佛所說法， 我悉聞受持。
初佛無量稱， 第二法海佛，
第三勇猛王， 四功德法王，
第五勝法雲， 第六天冠佛，
第七智焰佛， 第八虛空音，
第九等勝起， 第十妙德光，
供彼諸佛已， 成就八正道。
次第復有劫， 名明淨堅固，
爾時有世界， 名曰寶幢王，
五百佛興世， 彼諸如來等，
我已悉供養， 求無礙法門。
初佛圓滿德， 第二寂靜音，
第三功德海， 第四日王佛，
第五功德王， 第六須彌相，
第七法王佛， 第八功德王，
第九須彌山， 第十光明王，
如是等諸佛， 我已悉供養，
我皆悉嚴淨， 一切最勝道，
猶未得具足， 究竟深法忍。」
"Then, in sequence, there was a further kalpa, named Fragrant Lamp-Cloud;
at that time there was a world, named Pure Arising.
A hundred million buddhas arose in that world, adorning and purifying every eon;
the Dharma these buddhas expounded, I heard, received, and upheld entirely.
The first buddha, Boundless Renown; the second, the buddha Ocean of Dharma;
the third, Valiant King; the fourth, King of the Dharma of Merit;
the fifth, Supreme Cloud of Dharma; the sixth, the buddha Heavenly Crown;
the seventh, the buddha Flame of Wisdom; the eighth, Voice of Space;
the ninth, Equal, Supreme Arising; the tenth, Light of Sublime Virtue;
having made offering to these buddhas, I accomplished the eightfold noble path.
Then, in sequence, there was a further kalpa, named Bright, Pure, and Firm;
at that time there was a world, named King of the Jeweled Banner.
Five hundred buddhas arose in that world; to every one of these tathāgatas
I made offering entirely, seeking the unobstructed Dharma-gate.
The first buddha, Perfect Virtue; the second, Tranquil Sound;
the third, Ocean of Merit; the fourth, the buddha Sun-King;
the fifth, King of Merit; the sixth, Mark of Sumeru;
the seventh, the buddha King of the Dharma; the eighth, King of Merit;
the ninth, Mount Sumeru; the tenth, King of Light;
buddhas such as these, I made offering to all of them entirely,
and I adorned and purified every one of these supreme paths entirely,
yet I had not yet become fully endowed, reaching the very end of profound forbearance."
Here Fazang's own gloss stops speaking in generalities and names the actual grounds themselves. On the eon Fragrant Lamp-Cloud, closing with "I accomplished the eightfold noble path": 成八正道者，得初地見道故也 — "this means she attained the path of seeing at the very first ground." On Bright, Pure, and Firm, closing with "not yet become fully endowed, reaching the very end of profound forbearance": 嚴淨最勝道者，明二三四五地中勝道行成，未得六地緣生深順忍也 — "'adorned and purified every supreme path' reveals that the supreme practice of the second through the fifth grounds was already accomplished, though she had not yet attained the sixth ground's own profound, compliant forbearance regarding dependent origination." Two kalpas, in other words, quietly narrate the first five of the Ten Grounds in their entirety — the first ground's own breakthrough compressed into a single line, the next four passed through together in one further stanza.
Supreme King, A Thousand Merits, and Unattached Adornment
「次第復有劫， 名曰為勝主，
爾時有世界， 名寂靜音聲，
八十那由他， 諸佛興出世，
我已悉供養， 於彼修正道。
初佛號華聚， 第二海藏佛，
第三功德起， 第四天周羅，
第五摩尼藏， 第六金山佛，
第七寶聚佛， 第八寂靜幢，
第九法幢佛， 第十智王佛，
如是等諸佛， 我已悉供養。
次第復有劫， 名曰千功德，
爾時有世界， 名善化幢燈，
六億那由他， 諸佛興出世，
我已悉供養， 彼一切如來。
初佛寂靜幢， 第二智慧幢，
第三百燈佛， 四功德雲王，
寂靜光明王， 第六明淨日，
第七法燈佛， 第八光焰佛，
九天功德藏， 第十智慧燈，
如是等諸佛， 我已悉供養，
未得無生忍， 究竟諸法海。
次第復有劫， 名無著莊嚴，
爾時有世界， 名無量勝光，
時有三十六， 那由他佛出，
如是等諸佛， 我已悉供養。
初功德須彌， 第二虛空心，
第三莊嚴智， 第四莊嚴藏，
五法音聲海， 六持法音聲，
第七化音聲， 第八功德海，
九功德海燈， 第十功德幢，
彼諸如來等， 我皆悉值遇。」
"Then, in sequence, there was a further kalpa, named Supreme Lord;
at that time there was a world, named Tranquil Sound.
Eighty nayutas of buddhas arose in that world;
I made offering to all of them entirely, cultivating the true path at their presence.
The first buddha, named Flower Cluster; the second, the buddha Ocean-Treasury;
the third, Arising of Merit; the fourth, Heavenly Crest;
the fifth, Maṇi-Treasury; the sixth, the buddha Golden Mountain;
the seventh, the buddha Jewel Cluster; the eighth, Banner of Tranquility;
the ninth, the buddha Banner of the Dharma; the tenth, the buddha King of Wisdom;
buddhas such as these, I made offering to all of them entirely.
Then, in sequence, there was a further kalpa, named A Thousand Merits;
at that time there was a world, named Banner-Lamp of Skillful Transformation.
Six hundred million nayutas of buddhas arose in that world;
I made offering to every one of these tathāgatas entirely.
The first buddha, Banner of Tranquility; the second, Banner of Wisdom;
the third, the buddha of a Hundred Lamps; the fourth, King of the Cloud of Merit;
King of Tranquil Light; the sixth, Bright, Pure Sun;
the seventh, the buddha Lamp of the Dharma; the eighth, the buddha Flame of Light;
the ninth, Heavenly Treasury of Merit; the tenth, Lamp of Wisdom;
buddhas such as these, I made offering to all of them entirely,
yet I had not yet attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, reaching the very end of the ocean of every dharma.
Then, in sequence, there was a further kalpa, named Unattached Adornment;
at that time there was a world, named Boundless, Supreme Light.
At that time thirty-six nayutas of buddhas arose;
buddhas such as these, I made offering to all of them entirely.
The first, Sumeru of Merit; the second, Mind of Space;
the third, Wisdom of Adornment; the fourth, Treasury of Adornment;
the fifth, Ocean of the Sound of the Dharma; the sixth, Upholding the Sound of the Dharma;
the seventh, Transformed Sound; the eighth, Ocean of Merit;
the ninth, Lamp of the Ocean of Merit; the tenth, Banner of Merit;
these tathāgatas, every one of them, I encountered and met entirely."
Fazang carries the same ground-by-ground reading through these final three kalpas of the account. On Supreme King's own "cultivating the true path at their presence": 於彼正道者，在於六地修緣生中道觀 — "this means she stood at the sixth ground, cultivating the middle-way contemplation of dependent origination" — the very forbearance the previous kalpa said she had not yet reached. On A Thousand Merits, closing with "not yet attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas": 在七地位，未得八地無生忍故也 — "she stood at the position of the seventh ground, not yet having attained the eighth ground's own forbearance of non-arising" — the single most consequential threshold in the entire Ten Grounds, still one kalpa away. Unattached Adornment he glosses only briefly, 明供佛 — "this reveals making offering to buddhas" — a quieter kalpa without its own closing marker of attainment, as if the account itself pauses for breath before the final section names, at last, exactly how and when this night-deva came to hold the very Dharma-gate she now teaches from.
Part 66 In Progress
Part 66 continues in Part 67: the twelfth and final movement of this account — the buddha Merit-Banner, twelve stanzas revealing exactly how this night-deva attained the very Dharma-gate she now holds — followed by the identification of Mañjuśrī within her own story, the closing survey of what still exceeds her, and the referral that at last completes this teacher's episode.
Continue to Part 67 — The Buddha Merit-Banner, and Mañjuśrī Revealed →