Half a Verse

"Good son, I observe that conditioned phenomena, every one of them, are impermanent. How do I know this? Because of cause and condition. Whatever dharma arises from conditions, one thereby knows to be impermanent. Not a single dharma among what these followers of other tenets hold fails to arise from conditions. Good son, buddha-nature is without arising, without ceasing, without departing, without coming; it is neither past, nor future, nor present; it is neither caused, nor made, nor uncaused and unmade; it is neither an agent nor the one who acts; it is neither a mark nor the absence of a mark; it has neither a name nor the absence of a name; it is neither name nor form, neither long nor short, and is not held within the aggregates, sense-fields, or elements — it is, for this very reason, called permanent. Good son, buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata is itself the Dharma; the Dharma is itself permanence. Good son, permanence is itself the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata is itself the Saṅgha; the Saṅgha is itself permanence. It is for this very reason that whatever dharma arises from a cause is not called permanent. Not a single dharma among what these followers of other tenets hold fails to arise from a cause. Good son, these followers of other tenets do not see buddha-nature, the Tathāgata, or the Dharma, and it is for this reason that whatever they have to say is entirely false speech, without any real truth in it. Every ordinary person, having previously seen a vessel, a garment, a cart, a house, a city wall, a river, a mountain forest, a man, a woman, an elephant, a horse, cattle, or sheep, and later seeing something resembling it, thereupon says that it is permanent. One should know that, in reality, it is not permanent at all. Good son, everything conditioned is impermanent; empty space, being unconditioned, is for this reason permanent, and buddha-nature, being unconditioned, is for this reason permanent. Empty space is itself buddha-nature; buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata is itself the unconditioned; the unconditioned is itself permanence. Permanence is itself the Dharma; the Dharma is itself the Saṅgha; the Saṅgha is itself the unconditioned; the unconditioned is itself permanence. Good son, conditioned dharmas are, in every case, of two kinds: form dharmas, and non-form dharmas. Non-form dharmas are the mind and mental factors. Form dharmas are earth, water, fire, and wind. Good son, mind is called impermanent. Why is this? Because its very nature is the mark of grasping at an object, and it must be distinguished accordingly. Good son, the nature of eye-consciousness differs from that of the other consciousnesses, up through mind-consciousness, and this is why it is impermanent. Good son, the objects of form differ from the objects of the other senses, up through mental objects, and this is why it is impermanent. Good son, the concomitants associated with eye-consciousness differ from those associated with the other consciousnesses, up through mind-consciousness, and this is why it is impermanent. Good son, were mind permanent, eye-consciousness alone would have to grasp every dharma without exception. Good son, since eye-consciousness differs from the other consciousnesses, up through mind-consciousness, one thereby knows it to be impermanent — it is only because these dharmas resemble one another, arising and ceasing moment after moment, that ordinary people, upon seeing this, take it to be permanent. Good son, the marks of every cause and condition, since they can be broken apart, are likewise called impermanent — namely, eye-consciousness arises through the eye, through form, through light, and through attention as its causes, while, when ear-consciousness arises, each of its own causes differs from these; the causes and conditions differ from those of eye-consciousness, and it is just the same up through mind-consciousness.

"Furthermore, good son, since the causes and conditions that break down conditioned phenomena themselves differ, mind is called impermanent — namely, the mind that cultivates the notion of impermanence differs from the mind that cultivates suffering, emptiness, and no-self. Were mind permanent, one would forever be cultivating impermanence alone, unable even to contemplate suffering, emptiness, and no-self — how much less able to contemplate permanence, bliss, self, and purity? It is for this very reason that the teachings of other tenets are unable to lay hold of permanence, bliss, self, and purity at all. Good son, one should know that the dharma of mind is, without exception, impermanent. Furthermore, good son, because the very nature of mind differs, it is called impermanent — namely, the nature of a śrāvaka's mind differs, the nature of a pratyekabuddha's mind differs, and the nature of every buddha's mind differs. Every follower of another tenet has one of three kinds of mind: the mind of one who has left the household life, the mind of one who remains at home, and the mind of one who remains at home yet keeps apart from it. The mind associated with pleasure differs, the mind associated with suffering differs, the mind associated with neither suffering nor pleasure differs, the mind associated with craving differs, the mind associated with anger differs, the mind associated with delusion differs. The mental characteristics of every follower of another tenet, too, differ from one another — namely, the mind associated with delusion differs, the mind associated with doubt differs, the mind associated with wrong view differs, and the mind differs even in its outward bearing and demeanor. Good son, were mind permanent, it would, moreover, be unable to distinguish among colors — blue-black, yellow, red, white, and purple. Good son, were mind permanent, whatever is held in memory should never be forgotten. Good son, were mind permanent, whatever one recites should never increase in one's mastery of it. Furthermore, good son, were mind permanent, one should never speak of what was done, what is being done, and what will be done — and since there is indeed what was done, what is being done, and what will be done, one should know that this mind is, without exception, impermanent. Good son, were mind permanent, there would be no enemy, no relation, no non-enemy, and no non-relation. Were mind permanent, one should not be able to speak of 'my own thing' and 'another's thing,' or of dying and being born. Were mind permanent, though it performed some action, it should never increase in mastery of it. Good son, it is for this very reason that one should know the nature of mind to differ in every single instance, and, because it differs in this way, one should know it to be impermanent.

"Good son, I have now, within these non-form dharmas, expounded impermanence, and its meaning is already clear. I shall now further explain to you the impermanence of form. This impermanence of form is such that it was originally without any arising, and, having arisen, then ceases. The inner body, at the kalala stage within the womb, was originally without any arising, and, having arisen, then changes; the sprout and stem outside the body, likewise, were originally without any arising, and, having arisen, then change — one should therefore know that every form dharma, without exception, is impermanent. Good son, whatever inner form there is changes according to its time: it differs at the kalala stage, differs at the arbuda stage, differs at the ghana stage, differs at the closed-hand stage, differs at the stage of budding limbs, differs at the stage of first birth, differs in infancy, differs in childhood, and, on up through old age, differs at every single stage. Outer form, too, is just the same: the sprout differs, the stem differs, the branch differs, the leaf differs, the flower differs, the fruit differs. Furthermore, good son, inner flavor, too, differs: from the kalala stage on up through old age, it differs at every stage. Outer flavor is just the same: the sprout, stem, branch, leaf, flower, and fruit each differ in flavor. Strength differs at the kalala stage, on up through old age. Appearance differs at the kalala stage, on up through old age. Karmic result differs at the kalala stage, on up through old age. Name differs at the kalala stage, on up through old age. Inner form, once it has broken down, comes together again — one thereby knows it to be impermanent. Every outer tree and plant, too, once broken down, comes together again — one thereby knows it to be impermanent. Arising in due sequence, one thereby knows it to be impermanent — arising in due sequence from the kalala stage on up through old age, and arising in due sequence from the sprout on up through the fruit, one thereby knows it to be impermanent. Every form can be extinguished — one thereby knows it to be impermanent: the manner of its extinguishing differs at the kalala stage, on up through old age; the manner of its extinguishing differs at the sprout stage, on up through the fruit — one thereby knows it to be impermanent. It is only because the ignorant, ordinary person sees a succession of resembling things arise that he takes this to be permanence. It is for this very reason that this is called impermanence. And if it is impermanent, it is thereby suffering; and if it is suffering, it is thereby impure.

"Good son, this matter regarding what is bliss I have already answered earlier, through Kāśyapa's own question.

"Furthermore, good son, conditioned phenomena are without self. Good son, taking every dharma together, there is form and there is non-form. Form is not the self. Why is this? Because it can be broken, destroyed, torn apart, and struck, and because it arises and grows. The self cannot be broken, destroyed, torn apart, struck, or made to arise and grow — it is for this very reason that one knows form is not the self. Non-form dharmas, too, are likewise not the self. Why is this? Because they arise through cause and condition. Good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact of fixed recollection, this very nature of fixed recollection is, in reality, not the self. Were fixed recollection taken as the nature of the self, then whatever happened in the past would sometimes be forgotten — and, since it is indeed forgotten, one thereby knows for certain there is no self. Good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact of memory, then, since there are things one does not remember, one thereby knows for certain there is no self. It is as when a man sees another person whose hand has six fingers, and at once asks: 'Where have I met you before?' — were there truly a self, he should never need to ask such a question at all; and it is precisely because he does ask that one knows for certain there is no self. Good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact of denial, good son, it is precisely because of this denial that one knows for certain there is no self. It is as when one speaks of Devadatta — one would never say 'this is not Devadatta.' The self should be just the same: were it truly the self, one would never deny it — and it is precisely because the self is denied that one knows for certain there is no self. If it is through denial that one knows there is a self, then, since you yourselves do not deny it, there should certainly be no self. Good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact of companionship and its absence, then, since there is no companion, there should be no self at all. There are dharmas without any companion — namely, the Tathāgata, empty space, and buddha-nature — and the self is just the same, in reality without any companion at all, and it is for this very reason that one knows for certain there is no self. Furthermore, good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact of a name, then, within a dharma that has no self, there can likewise be a name of "self" — just as a poor and lowly person may be given the name "Wealthy and Noble." It is as when one speaks of "my own death" — were there truly a self that dies, then this self would be killing itself, and yet the self, in reality, cannot be killed at all; it is only in name that one speaks of "killing myself" — just as a short man may be given the name "Tall One." It is for this very reason that one knows for certain there is no self.

"Furthermore, good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact that, immediately after birth, an infant already seeks the breast, good son, were there truly a self, then no infant should ever grasp at feces, fire, a snake, or poison — and it is for this very reason that one knows for certain there is no self. Furthermore, good son, every being alike has an equal instinctive knowledge with regard to three things — namely, sexual desire, food and drink, and fear — and this, too, is why there is no self. Furthermore, good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through the fact of outward marks, good son, there is no self through the presence of a mark, and there is likewise no self through the absence of a mark. When a person is asleep, unable to move or stop, to bend or stretch, to gaze or blink, unaware of suffering or pleasure, there should, on their reckoning, be no self at all. And should one know there is a self through moving and stopping, bending and stretching, gazing and blinking, then a wooden puppet worked by machinery should likewise have a self. Good son, the Tathāgata is just the same: he neither moves nor stops, neither bends nor stretches, neither gazes nor blinks, is neither in suffering nor in pleasure, neither craves nor is angry nor is deluded, and yet does act — the Tathāgata, in just this way, truly has a self. Furthermore, good son, should the followers of other tenets know there is a self through seeing another eat fruit and thereupon feeling saliva rise in one's own mouth, good son, it is through memory that, upon seeing this, saliva rises — this saliva is not the self. The self, likewise, is neither this saliva, nor joy, nor sorrow, neither a yawn nor a laugh, neither lying down nor rising up, neither hunger nor satiety — and it is for this very reason that one knows for certain there is no self.

"Good son, these followers of other tenets are as foolish as little children, without wisdom or skillful means, unable to fathom permanence and impermanence, suffering and bliss, purity and impurity, self and no-self, a lifespan and the absence of one, a being and the absence of one, what is real and what is not, what exists and what does not — and, taking hold of some small fragment within the Buddha's own Dharma, they falsely reckon there to be permanence, bliss, self, and purity, while, in reality, knowing nothing at all of true permanence, bliss, self, and purity. It is like a man blind from birth, who, not knowing the color of milk, asks another: 'What does the color of milk resemble?' The other person answers: 'Its color is as white as a conch shell.' The blind man asks further: 'Is this color of milk, then, like the sound a conch shell makes?' The answer is: 'No, it is not.' He asks further: 'What, then, does the color of a conch shell resemble?' The answer is: 'It is like ground rice-flour.' The blind man asks further: 'Is the color of milk, then, as soft to the touch as ground rice-flour? And what, in turn, does ground rice-flour resemble?' The answer is: 'It is like falling snow.' The blind man says further: 'Is that ground rice-flour, then, as cold as snow? And what, in turn, does snow resemble?' The answer is: 'It is like a white crane.' This man, blind from birth, though he has heard these four similes in turn, is still, in the end, utterly unable to know the true color of milk. These followers of other tenets are just the same: they are, in the end, utterly unable to know true permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Good son, it is for this very reason that the real truth exists within my own Buddha-dharma, and not among these other tenets."

Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: "How rare this is, World-Honored One! As the Tathāgata now approaches his parinirvāṇa, he turns anew this unsurpassed wheel of the Dharma, expounding and distinguishing the real truth in just this way."

The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: "Why do you now give rise to this notion of the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa? Good son, the Tathāgata is, in reality, ever-abiding and unchanging — he does not enter parinirvāṇa at all. Good son, should anyone reckon, 'I am the Buddha, I have attained unsurpassed, complete awakening; I am myself the Dharma, and the Dharma is mine; I am myself the Path, and the Path is mine; I am myself the World-Honored One, and the World-Honored One is mine; I am myself the śrāvaka, and the śrāvaka is mine; I alone am able to teach the Dharma and cause others to hear and receive it, I alone turn the wheel of the Dharma, and no one else can' — the Tathāgata never once makes any such reckoning at all, and it is for this very reason that the Tathāgata does not turn the wheel of the Dharma. Good son, should anyone hold this same false reckoning — 'I am myself the eye, and the eye is mine,' and likewise for the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; 'I am myself form, and form is mine,' and so on up through mental objects; 'I am myself earth, and earth is mine,' and likewise for water, fire, and wind. Good son, should anyone say, 'I am myself faith, and faith is mine; I am myself vast learning, and vast learning is mine; I am myself the perfection of giving, and the perfection of giving is mine; I am myself the perfection of moral discipline, and the perfection of moral discipline is mine; I am myself the perfection of patience, and the perfection of patience is mine; I am myself the perfection of diligence, and the perfection of diligence is mine; I am myself the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of meditative concentration is mine; I am myself the perfection of wisdom, and the perfection of wisdom is mine; I am myself the four foundations of mindfulness, and the four foundations of mindfulness are mine' — and likewise for the four right efforts, the four bases of supernatural power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path. Good son, the Tathāgata never once makes any such reckoning at all, and it is for this very reason that the Tathāgata does not turn the wheel of the Dharma. Good son, if one is truly ever-abiding, without change, how can one speak of a buddha 'turning the wheel of the Dharma' at all? It is for this very reason that you should not now say that the Tathāgata is turning the wheel of the Dharma anew.

"Good son, it is like this: through the eye, and through form, light, and attention as conditions, coming together as cause and condition, eye-consciousness comes to arise. Good son, the eye does not think to itself, 'I am able to give rise to consciousness'; form and, likewise, light and attention, never think to themselves, 'I give rise to eye-consciousness'; and eye-consciousness, too, does not think to itself, 'I am able to arise on my own.' Good son, it is only when dharmas of this kind come together as cause and condition that this is given the name of 'seeing.' Good son, the Tathāgata is just the same: through the six perfections and the thirty-seven factors that assist bodhi, he fully realized every dharma, and, further, through the throat, tongue, teeth, lips, and mouth, and through speech and sound, he first taught the Dharma for the sake of Kauṇḍinya — and this is called 'turning the wheel of the Dharma.' It is for this very reason that the Tathāgata is not, in the truest sense, called one who 'turns the wheel of the Dharma.'

"Good son, what does not, in this sense, 'turn' is itself the Dharma, and the Dharma is itself the Tathāgata. Good son, it is like this: through a fire-drill's base, through the drill-stick itself, through the hand, and through dry cattle dung, fire comes to arise; the base does not say, 'I am able to give rise to fire'; the drill-stick, the hand, and the dung each do not think to themselves, 'I am able to give rise to fire'; and the fire, too, does not say, 'I am able to arise on my own.' The Tathāgata is just the same: through the six perfections, on up through Kauṇḍinya, this is called 'turning the wheel of the Dharma' — and yet the Tathāgata, likewise, never once gives rise to the thought, 'I am turning the wheel of the Dharma.'

"Good son, what does not, in this sense, 'arise' is itself called 'turning the true wheel of the Dharma,' and this turning of the wheel of the Dharma is itself named the Tathāgata. Good son, it is like this: through curds, through water, through the churning-stick, through the vessel, through the cord, and through the grasp of a person's hand, ghee comes to be produced; the curds do not think to themselves, 'I am able to produce ghee'; and, likewise, the person's hand, too, does not think to itself, 'I am able to produce ghee'; and the ghee, too, does not say, 'I am able to produce myself' — it is only when this multitude of conditions comes together that ghee comes to be produced. The Tathāgata is just the same: he never once thinks to himself, 'I am turning the wheel of the Dharma.'

"Good son, what does not, in this sense, 'produce' is itself called 'turning the true wheel of the Dharma,' and this turning of the wheel of the Dharma is itself the Tathāgata. Good son, it is like this: through the seed, through the earth, through water, fire, and wind as conditions, through manure, through the season, and through a person's own labor, a sprout comes to arise. Good son, the seed does not say, 'I am able to give rise to the sprout'; and, likewise, the labor performed, too, does not think to itself, 'I am able to give rise to the sprout'; and the sprout, too, does not say, 'I am able to arise on my own.' The Tathāgata is just the same: he never once thinks to himself, 'I am turning the wheel of the Dharma.'

"Good son, what does not, in this sense, 'give rise' is itself called 'turning the true wheel of the Dharma,' and this turning of the wheel of the Dharma is itself the Tathāgata. Good son, it is like this: through the drum, through the space within it, through its skin, through the person, and through the drumstick coming together, sound comes forth; the drum does not think to itself, 'I am able to produce sound,' and, likewise, the drumstick; and the sound, too, does not say, 'I am able to arise on my own.' Good son, the Tathāgata is just the same: he never once thinks to himself, 'I am turning the wheel of the Dharma.' Good son, 'turning the wheel of the Dharma' is itself named 'not-acting,' and 'not-acting' is itself 'turning the wheel of the Dharma.' 'Turning the wheel of the Dharma' is itself the Tathāgata. Good son, 'turning the wheel of the Dharma' is, in truth, the domain of every buddha, every world-honored one, and is not known by any śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha. Good son, empty space is neither arisen, nor produced, nor acted, nor made, nor a conditioned dharma. The Tathāgata is just the same: neither arisen, nor produced, nor acted, nor made, nor a conditioned dharma. Just as with the nature of the Tathāgata, buddha-nature, too, is just the same: neither arisen, nor produced, nor acted, nor made, nor a conditioned dharma.

"Good son, the speech of every buddha, every world-honored one, is of two kinds: worldly speech, and speech that transcends the world. Good son, the Tathāgata teaches worldly speech for the sake of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and teaches speech that transcends the world for the sake of bodhisattvas. Good son, this great assembly, too, is of two kinds: those who seek the Lesser Vehicle, and those who seek the Great Vehicle. In ages past, at the city of Vārāṇasī, I turned the wheel of the Dharma for the sake of śrāvakas; now, for the first time, here in this city of Kuśinagara, I turn the great wheel of the Dharma for the sake of bodhisattvas. Furthermore, good son, there are, likewise, two kinds of persons: those of middling faculty, and those of superior faculty. For those of middling faculty, I turned the wheel of the Dharma at Vārāṇasī; for those of superior faculty — the elephant-kings among men, the bodhisattva Kāśyapa and others — I now, here in this city of Kuśinagara, turn the great wheel of the Dharma. Good son, for those of the very lowest faculty, the Tathāgata never once turns the wheel of the Dharma at all — those of the very lowest faculty are the icchantika. Furthermore, good son, those who seek the buddha-path are, likewise, of two kinds: those of middling diligence, and those of superior diligence. At Vārāṇasī, I turned the wheel of the Dharma for those of middling diligence; now, here in this city of Kuśinagara, I turn the great wheel of the Dharma for those of superior diligence. Furthermore, good son, in ages past, when I first turned the wheel of the Dharma at that city of Vārāṇasī, eighty thousand gods and men attained the fruit of stream-entry; now, here in this city of Kuśinagara, eight hundred thousand million beings become irreversible from unsurpassed, complete awakening. Furthermore, good son, at the city of Vārāṇasī, it was the great lord Brahmā who bowed his head and requested that I turn the wheel of the Dharma; now, here in this city of Kuśinagara, it is the bodhisattva Kāśyapa who bows his head and requests that I turn the great wheel of the Dharma. Furthermore, good son, in ages past, when I turned the wheel of the Dharma at that city of Vārāṇasī, I taught impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self; now, here in this city of Kuśinagara, as I turn the wheel of the Dharma, I teach permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Furthermore, good son, in ages past, when I turned the wheel of the Dharma at that city of Vārāṇasī, the sound that went forth was heard as far as the Brahmā heaven; now, as the Tathāgata turns the wheel of the Dharma at Kuśinagara, the sound that goes forth reaches throughout every buddha-world as numerous as the sands of twenty Gaṅgā rivers to the east, and it is just the same to the south, west, and north, and in the four intermediate directions, above and below. Furthermore, good son, whatever every buddha, every world-honored one, teaches is, in every case, called 'turning the wheel of the Dharma.' Good son, it is like the wheel-treasure possessed by a cakravartin king: whatever is not yet subdued, it is able to cause to be subdued; whatever is already subdued, it is able to cause to be at peace. Good son, whatever every buddha, every world-honored one, teaches is just the same: whatever immeasurable afflictions are not yet tamed, it is able to cause to be tamed; whatever is already tamed, it causes to give rise to wholesome roots. Good son, it is like the wheel-treasure possessed by a cakravartin king, which is able to destroy every enemy and bandit; the Dharma the Tathāgata expounds is just the same, able to cause every bandit of affliction to fall entirely silent. Furthermore, good son, it is like the wheel-treasure possessed by a cakravartin king, turning downward and upward alike; the Dharma the Tathāgata teaches is just the same, able to cause beings sunk in the lower destinies to rise up among humans and gods, and even to the path of buddhahood itself. Good son, it is for this very reason that you should not now praise me by saying that the Tathāgata is here turning the wheel of the Dharma anew."

At that time, Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, it is not that I fail to understand this meaning myself — I asked only for the benefit of all beings. World-Honored One, I have long known that 'turning the wheel of the Dharma' is, in truth, the domain of every buddha, every tathāgata, and is not known by any śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha."

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "Good son, this is called the bodhisattva's own noble conduct, cultivated while abiding within this Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Great Vehicle."

The bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, for what further reason is this called 'noble conduct'?" "Good son, 'noble' names every buddha, every world-honored one — it is for this very reason that this is called 'noble conduct.'"

"World-Honored One, if this is what every buddha alone practices, then it could not be practiced by any śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, or bodhisattva."

"Good son, it is because every world-honored one, abiding within this Mahāparinirvāṇa, opens up, distinguishes, and expounds this very meaning that it is called 'noble conduct.' And it is because the śrāvaka, the pratyekabuddha, and every bodhisattva, having heard it taught in this way, are thereby able to uphold and practice it, that it, too, is called 'noble conduct.' Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having attained this conduct, thereby comes to abide at the ground of no fear. Good son, should a bodhisattva attain and abide at this ground of no fear, he no longer fears craving, anger, and delusion, nor birth, old age, illness, and death, nor does he fear the evil destinies, hell, the animal realm, or the hungry ghosts. Good son, evil is of two kinds: the asura, and evil among humans. Evil among humans is of three kinds: the icchantika, one who slanders the Vaipulya scriptures, and one who commits one of the four gravest offenses. Good son, the bodhisattvas abiding at this ground never fear falling into evil of this kind; nor do they fear any śramaṇa, brahmin, heterodox view, or the demon Māra Pāpīyas; nor do they fear taking on any of the twenty-five states of existence — it is for this very reason that this ground is named 'no fear.' Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding at this ground of no fear, attains twenty-five concentrations, breaking the twenty-five states of existence. Good son: attaining the concentration of stainlessness, he is able to break the state of existence in hell; attaining the concentration of non-regression, he is able to break the state of existence among the animals; attaining the concentration of joyful mind, he is able to break the state of existence among the hungry ghosts; attaining the concentration of delight, he is able to break the state of existence of the asuras; attaining the concentration of sunlight, he is able to cut off the state of existence in Pūrvavideha; attaining the concentration of moonlight, he is able to cut off the state of existence in Aparagodānīya; attaining the concentration of blazing heat, he is able to cut off the state of existence in Uttarakuru; attaining the concentration of the illusion-like, he is able to cut off the state of existence in Jambudvīpa; attaining the concentration of the unshakability of every dharma, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Four Heavenly Kings; attaining the concentration hard to overcome, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven; attaining the concentration of a pleased mind, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Yāma heaven; attaining the concentration of the color blue, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Tuṣita heaven; attaining the concentration of the color yellow, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Nirmāṇarati heaven; attaining the concentration of the color red, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven; attaining the concentration of the color white, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the first dhyāna; attaining the concentration of every kind, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the Great Brahmā heaven; attaining the paired concentration, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the second dhyāna; attaining the concentration of the sound of thunder, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the third dhyāna; attaining the concentration of pouring rain, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the fourth dhyāna; attaining the concentration like empty space, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the beings without perception; attaining the concentration of the reflecting mirror, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the non-returners in the pure abodes; attaining the concentration of no obstruction, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the sphere of infinite space; attaining the concentration of permanence, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the sphere of infinite consciousness; attaining the concentration of bliss, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the sphere of nothingness; attaining the concentration of self, he is able to cut off the state of existence of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. Good son, this is called the bodhisattva's attaining the twenty-five concentrations, and cutting off the twenty-five states of existence.

"Good son, these twenty-five concentrations are called the kings among every concentration. Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, entering these very king-concentrations, is able, should he wish, to blow apart Mount Sumeru itself, entirely at will; should he wish to know the thoughts in the minds of every being throughout a great trichiliocosm, he is able to know them entirely; should he wish to gather every being throughout a great trichiliocosm within a single pore of his own body, he is able to do this entirely at will, without causing beings any sense of being cramped or confined; should he wish to conjure up immeasurable beings, filling an entire trichiliocosm with them, he is able to do this, too, entirely at will; and should he wish to divide a single body into many bodies, or gather many bodies back into a single body, though he does all this, his mind clings to nothing at all, remaining like a lotus flower untouched by the water around it. Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having entered these king-concentrations, thereby comes to abide at the ground of mastery. The bodhisattva, abiding at this ground of mastery, attains the power of mastery, and is reborn, at will, wherever he wishes to be reborn. Good son, it is like a cakravartin king, ruling the four continents, going wherever he wishes without any obstruction; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is just the same — wherever he wishes to be reborn, among any destiny at all, he goes there and is reborn at will. Good son, should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva see, among all the beings in hell, any who can be transformed and established in a wholesome root, the bodhisattva at once goes and is reborn there. Though the bodhisattva is reborn there, this is not the fruit of his own past karma; it is through the very power of his abiding at the ground of mastery that he is reborn there. Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, though he is in hell, does not undergo its blazing fire, the shattering of the body, or any of its other sufferings. Good son, the merit and virtue the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is able to accomplish, of this kind, is immeasurable and boundless, a hundred thousand million times over, beyond all telling — how much more so, then, the merit and virtue possessed by every buddha, which could ever be told in full?"

At that time, there was, within the assembly, a bodhisattva named Sthitāvimalagarbharāja ("the King Who Abides in the Stainless Treasury"), of great awesome virtue, accomplished in supernatural power, who had attained the great concentration of total retention and was fully endowed with fearlessness. He at once rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, and, joining his palms, said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught it, the merit and wisdom that every buddha and bodhisattva is able to accomplish is immeasurable and boundless, a hundred thousand million times over, truly beyond all telling. Yet it still occurs to me that even this cannot compare with this very Great Vehicle scripture. Why is this? Because it is through the power of this Great Vehicle Vaipulya scripture that every buddha, every world-honored one, is able to bring forth unsurpassed, complete awakening."

The Buddha then praised him, saying: "Excellent, excellent, good son! It is so, it is so, just as you have said. These scriptures of the Great Vehicle's own Vaipulya teaching, though they, too, accomplish immeasurable merit, cannot, when compared to this very sūtra, serve even as its analogy — a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a hundred thousand million times over, on up beyond what any number or comparison could ever reach. Good son, it is like this: from the cow comes milk; from milk comes curds; from curds comes fresh butter; from fresh butter comes clarified butter; and from clarified butter comes ghee — ghee being the very finest of all, such that whoever partakes of it is cured of every illness, every medicine there is being contained within it. Good son, the Buddha is just the same: from the Buddha come forth the twelve divisions of the scriptures; from the twelve divisions of the scriptures comes forth the sūtra teaching; from the sūtra teaching comes forth the Vaipulya scriptures; from the Vaipulya scriptures comes forth the perfection of wisdom; and from the perfection of wisdom comes forth this Mahāparinirvāṇa, which is like the ghee itself. To speak of 'ghee' here is to liken it to buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. Good son, it is for this very reason that it is said that the merit possessed by the Tathāgata is immeasurable, boundless, and beyond all number and reckoning."

The bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, as the Buddha has praised it, this Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is like ghee, the very finest and most wondrous of all — whoever is able to partake of it has every illness entirely removed, every medicine there is being contained within it. Having heard this, I have secretly reflected further: should there be anyone unable to hear and receive this sūtra, one should know that this person is one of great folly, without any wholesome mind at all. World-Honored One, I myself, here and now, am truly able to endure flaying my own skin to serve as paper, piercing my own blood to serve as ink, and breaking my own bones to serve as a pen, in order to copy out this very Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra — and, having copied it, to recite it until I have fully mastered it, and only then to expound its meaning at length for others. World-Honored One, should there be beings attached with craving to wealth and possessions, I shall first give them wealth, and only then encourage them, by means of this very Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, to read it. Should they be persons of high rank, I shall first speak to them with kind and pleasing words, according with their own wishes, and only then, by degrees, encourage them, by means of this Great Vehicle's Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, to read it. Should they be persons of ordinary station, I shall use my own authority to compel them to read it. Should they be persons of pride and arrogance, I shall become their very servant, according with their own wishes and causing them delight, and only then instruct them by means of this Mahāparinirvāṇa. Should there be any who slander the Great Vehicle scriptures, I shall use whatever force is needed to subdue and overcome them, and, once they are subdued and overcome, only then encourage them to read this Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. And should there be any who already love and delight in the Great Vehicle scriptures, I myself shall go to them in person, revering them, making offerings to them, honoring them, and praising them."

At that time, the Buddha praised the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "Excellent, excellent! You so deeply love and delight in the scriptures of the Great Vehicle, craving the Great Vehicle's own scriptures, loving them, savoring their flavor, believing in them, revering them, honoring them, and making offerings to the Great Vehicle. Good son, through the very cause and condition of this wholesome mind of yours, you shall surpass immeasurable, boundless bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā, attaining unsurpassed, complete awakening before them all, and you, too, shall not long from now be just as I am, expounding at length, for the sake of the great assembly, this very Mahāparinirvāṇa, the Tathāgata, buddha-nature — the secret treasury spoken of by every buddha.

"Good son, in an age long past, before the sun of any buddha had yet risen, I, at that time, was a brahmin, cultivating the bodhisattva practice, able to master thoroughly every scripture and treatise held by every other tenet. I cultivated the practice of still extinction, my deportment fully complete, my mind entirely pure, never once broken down by any desire arising from without, the fire of anger extinguished within me; I upheld the teaching of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and sought everywhere for a Great Vehicle scripture, yet did not so much as hear the very name "Vaipulya." I, at that time, dwelt within the Himalayas, whose mountains were pure and clear, filled everywhere with flowing springs, bathing pools, forests, and medicinal trees; in the crevices of the rocks, in every place, ran clear, flowing water, adorned all about with many kinds of fragrant flowers; birds and beasts of every kind were beyond all counting, and sweet fruits grew in such lush and varied abundance that they, too, were hard to number. There were, further, immeasurable roots of lotus, of licorice, and of costus. I, at that time, dwelt alone within this place, eating only its fruits, and, having eaten, fixing my mind in contemplation and seated meditation, for immeasurable years, yet not once hearing even the name of a Tathāgata's having appeared in the world, or of any Great Vehicle scripture. Good son, as I cultivated practice this difficult and austere, Śakra, lord of the gods, and the other gods and men, their hearts greatly astonished, gathered together as one, and, speaking to one another, uttered these verses:

"'Let each of us point him out to the other —
within the pure Himalayan snows,
a lord of stillness, free of desire,
a king adorned with merit and virtue.
Having left behind craving, anger, and pride,
having forever severed flattery and folly,
his mouth has never once uttered
a single word that is coarse or harsh.'

"At that time, there was, within the assembly, a god named Joy, who spoke a further verse:

"'A man so free of desire as this,
so pure and so diligent in his striving —
could it be that he seeks the throne of Śakra himself,
or some other place among the gods?
For if he is a follower of another tenet,
cultivating austerities of this kind,
such a man is, more often than not,
one who covets the very seat on which Śakra sits.'

"At that time, there was, further, a sage among the gods, who spoke a verse addressed to Śakra himself:

"'Kauśika, lord of the gods!
You should not give rise to this worry —
why must a follower of another tenet, cultivating austerities,
necessarily be seeking your own throne?'

"Having spoken this verse, he said further: 'Kauśika, there are great beings in this world who, for the sake of all beings, hold nothing back even of their own bodies, and who, wishing to bring benefit to every being, cultivate austerities of every immeasurable kind. A person of this sort, having seen the many faults within birth-and-death, would, even were he to see this whole earth, its every mountain, and the great ocean itself, filled with precious jewels, give rise to no craving or attachment toward them at all, regarding them as no more than spittle or mucus. A great being of this kind casts aside wealth and treasure, his own beloved wife and children, his head, his eyes, his very marrow and brain, his hands, feet, and every limb and joint, his own dwelling place, his elephants, horses, and carriages, his male and female servants, and does not even wish to seek rebirth among the gods themselves — he seeks only to cause every being, without exception, to attain true happiness. As I understand it, a great being of this kind is pure and undefiled, every one of his fetters forever exhausted, seeking only unsurpassed, complete awakening.'

"Śakra spoke further, saying: 'As you have described him, this person would then gather in every being throughout the entire world. Great sage, were there in this world a bodhi-tree, it could remove the poisonous serpent of affliction from every god, every person in the world, and every asura alike; and should any being dwell within the cool shade of this bodhi-tree, every poison of affliction within him would be entirely dissolved. Great sage, should this man, in some future age, become one gone to bliss, all of us would thereby have every immeasurable, blazing affliction extinguished. And yet a thing such as this is, in truth, hard to believe. Why is this? Countless hundreds of thousands of beings give rise to the mind of unsurpassed, complete awakening, and yet, upon encountering some slight and trivial circumstance, are at once turned back from unsurpassed, complete awakening — like the moon reflected in water, which moves the instant the water itself moves; or like a painted image, hard to complete and easy to destroy. The mind of bodhi is just the same: hard to give rise to, and easy to destroy. Great sage, it is like a great many men, armored and armed to the full, who set out to fight against bandits, and yet, when the moment of battle comes, are seized with terror and scatter in retreat. Immeasurable beings are just the same: having given rise to the mind of bodhi, fully armored, they see the faults of birth-and-death, and, their hearts seized with terror, at once scatter and retreat. Great sage, I have seen immeasurable beings of this kind, who, having given rise to this mind, all in turn fall away from it — and it is for this very reason that, though I now see this man cultivating austerities, free of vexation, free of feverish distress, dwelling upon a perilous path, his conduct pure, I am still not yet able to believe in him. I must now go myself to test him, and know for certain whether he is truly able to bear the great burden of unsurpassed, complete awakening. Great sage, it is like a cart: only with two wheels is it able to bear a load; a bird needs two wings to be capable of flight. This ascetic is just the same — though I see that he firmly upholds the restraining precepts, I do not yet know whether this person possesses profound wisdom as well. Only if he possesses profound wisdom should one know him truly able to bear the great burden of unsurpassed, complete awakening. Great sage, it is like a mother fish, who carries many unborn young, yet few of them survive to maturity; or like the mango tree, which bears many blossoms, yet few fruits. Beings who give rise to this mind are, likewise, immeasurable in number, and yet, when it comes to their actually attaining it, those who do are too few even to mention. Great sage, I shall go together with you to test him. Great sage, it is like true gold, which is known to be genuine only after three trials — burning, hammering, and grinding upon a touchstone. Testing this ascetic must be done in just the same way.'

"At that time, Śakra transformed his own body into the form of a rākṣasa, most fearsome in appearance, and descended to the Himalayas, standing not far off. This rākṣasa, its mind entirely without fear, valiant and formidable, its eloquence flowing in due order, its voice pure and elegant, proclaimed half a verse spoken by a buddha of ages past:

"'All conditioned things are impermanent;
this is the nature of arising and ceasing.'

"Having spoken this half-verse, it stood there before him, its form and appearance most fearsome to behold, glancing all about, gazing in every direction. This ascetic, upon hearing this half-verse, felt his heart fill with joy — like a merchant, traveling by night through a perilous place, who has lost his companions, and, searching for them in terror, encounters them once more, his heart filling with joy, leaping with immeasurable delight; or like one long ill, who has not yet found a skilled physician to attend him and provide good medicine, and then, at last, suddenly obtains one; or like a man who has sunk beneath the ocean, and suddenly encounters a boat; or like a person parched with thirst, who encounters clear, cool water; or like one pursued by an enemy, who suddenly gains his release; or like one long imprisoned, who suddenly hears that he is to be freed; or like a farmer, in a scorching drought, who at last meets with rain; or like a traveler who at last returns home, and whose own family, upon seeing him, is filled with great joy. Good son, I, at that time, hearing this half-verse, felt my own heart fill with joy in just this same way, and at once rose from my seat, ran my hand through my hair, and, gazing about in every direction, spoke these words: 'The verse I have just heard — who has spoken it?' Yet, at that time, I saw no one else at all, only this rākṣasa. I then spoke these words: 'Who has opened this very gate of liberation? Who is able to thunder forth the voice of every buddha? Who, alone, amid the sleep of birth-and-death, has awakened and proclaimed words such as these? Who is able, here, to show beings, starving amid birth-and-death, the unsurpassed savor of the path? Immeasurable beings sink within the great ocean of birth-and-death — who is able, within it, to become their great ferryman? These beings are forever bound by the grave sickness of affliction — who is able, among them, to become their skilled physician? The speaking of this half-verse has awakened my own mind, like the crescent moon gradually opening a lotus flower.' Good son, I, at that time, saw nothing else at all, only this rākṣasa. I then thought further: 'Could it be this rākṣasa who spoke this verse?' Yet doubt arose in me once more: 'Perhaps it was not he who spoke it — why is this? This being's appearance is most fearsome to behold. Should anyone hear a verse-phrase of this kind, every fear and every ugliness within him should at once be removed. How, then, could a being of such an appearance be able to speak this verse? A lotus should never emerge from within fire; cool water should never issue forth from within the light of the sun.'

"Good son, I then thought further: 'I myself, now, lack the wisdom to know — yet perhaps this rākṣasa has been able to encounter buddhas of ages past, and heard this half-verse from them. I shall now ask him.' I then went forward to where this rākṣasa stood, and spoke these words: 'Excellent, great being! Where did you obtain this half-verse, spoken by one of the buddhas of ages past who is free of every fear? Great being, where, further, did you obtain a jewel such as this, granting half of every wish? Great being, the meaning of this half-verse is itself the true path of every buddha, every world-honored one, past, future, and present. Every being throughout the world, immeasurable in number, forever covered over by the net of wrong views, has, throughout this entire life, dwelt among these other tenets, never once having heard a teaching of emptiness such as this, spoken by one who has transcended the world, possessed of the ten powers, the hero of the world.'

"Good son, having asked this, he at once answered me, saying: 'Great brahmin, you should not now ask me about this meaning. Why is this? I have gone many days now without food, searching everywhere, yet utterly unable to find any. Tormented by hunger and thirst, my mind disordered, I spoke deranged words — they were not something known by my own original mind at all. Even were I now able to fly through empty space all the way to Uttarakuru, or even to the heavens themselves, searching everywhere for food, I would still be unable to find any — it is for this very reason that I spoke as I did.' Good son, I then said further to the rākṣasa: 'Great being, should you be able to finish speaking this verse for me, I shall become your disciple for the rest of my life. Great being, what you have spoken has neither finished its own words nor exhausted its own meaning — for what reason, then, do you not wish to finish speaking it? The giving of wealth has its limit and comes to an end, but the cause and condition of giving the Dharma can never be exhausted — and, though it is never exhausted, it brings great benefit all the same. I, having now heard this Dharma of half a verse, feel a startled uncertainty arise within my own mind — might you now, mercifully, resolve and remove this uncertainty for me, by finishing this verse? I shall become your disciple for the rest of my life.' The rākṣasa answered: 'Your own wisdom goes too far, concerned only with your own body, giving no thought to mine at all — I am, right now, truly pressed by the suffering of hunger, and, in truth, unable to speak it.' I then asked him: 'What is it that you eat?' The rākṣasa answered: 'This is not worth your asking — were I to tell you, it would terrify a great many people.' I asked further: 'Here, in this solitary place, there is no one else at all — I myself am not afraid of you; for what reason, then, will you not tell me?' The rākṣasa answered: 'What I eat is nothing but the warm flesh of a human being. What I drink is nothing but the hot blood of a human being. Owing to my own scant merit, I am reduced to eating only this food, and, searching everywhere for it, am still hard-pressed and unable to obtain it. Though there are many people in the world, they all possess merit and virtue, and are, besides, protected and guarded by the gods — I myself lack the power to be able to kill any of them.' Good son, I then said further: 'Only finish speaking this half-verse in full, and, once I have heard it, I shall offer up this very body of mine to you as an offering. Great being, should I simply come to the end of my life, this body of mine would be of no further use at all — it would only become food for tigers, wolves, kites, owls, eagles, and vultures, and I would not gain from it even a hair's breadth of merit. I now, for the sake of seeking unsurpassed, complete awakening, would give up this impermanent body in exchange for the imperishable body.' The rākṣasa answered: 'Who would ever believe words such as these of you — that you would give up your own beloved body for the sake of a mere eight characters?' Good son, I then answered him: 'You are truly without wisdom. It is like a man who gives another an ordinary vessel, and receives in exchange a vessel made of the seven treasures. I am just the same: I give up this impermanent body, and receive in exchange the vajra body. You ask who would ever believe this? I have witnesses even now — the great lord Brahmā, Śakra, and the Four Heavenly Kings are all able to bear witness to this very thing. There are, further, bodhisattvas possessed of the heavenly eye, who, wishing to benefit immeasurable beings, cultivate the Great Vehicle and are fully endowed with the six perfections — they, too, are able to bear witness and know this. And there are, further, every buddha, every world-honored one, throughout the ten directions, who bring benefit to beings — they, too, are able to bear witness that I, for the sake of a mere eight characters, would give up my own body and life.' The rākṣasa then said: 'If you are truly able to give up your body in this way, then listen closely, listen closely — I shall now speak for you the remaining half of the verse.'

"Good son, I, upon hearing this, felt my own heart fill with joy, and at once undid the deerskin I wore, and spread it out as a Dharma-seat for this rākṣasa, saying: 'Preceptor, please be seated upon this seat.' I then, before him, joined my hands, knelt, and spoke these words: 'I ask only that you, my preceptor, kindly speak for me the remaining half of this verse, that it may be complete.' The rākṣasa then spoke:

"'Arising and ceasing themselves extinguished,
this very extinction is bliss.'

"Having spoken this verse, the rākṣasa said further: 'Bodhisattva-mahāsattva, you have now heard the meaning of this verse in full, and everything you wished for has been entirely fulfilled. If you truly wish to bring benefit to every being, then give me your body now.' Good son, I, at that time, deeply reflecting on this meaning, then wrote this verse everywhere I could — upon rocks, upon walls, upon trees, and along the road — and, having done so, further fastened tight the garment I wore, fearing that, once I was dead, my body might lie exposed, and at once climbed a tall tree. At that time, the spirit of the tree asked me: 'Excellent, worthy one! What is it that you intend to do?' Good son, I answered at that time: 'I wish to give up my body, to repay the price of this verse.' The spirit of the tree asked: 'What benefit is there in a verse of this kind?' I answered at that time: 'A verse-phrase of this kind is itself the path of the Dharma, opening onto emptiness, spoken by every buddha, past, future, and present — it is for the sake of this Dharma that I give up my body and my life. It is not for the sake of gain, fame, wealth, becoming a cakravartin king, the Four Heavenly Kings, Śakra, the great lord Brahmā, or any pleasure among gods or men — it is for the sake of bringing benefit to every being, without exception, that I give up this body.' Good son, as I gave up my body, I spoke these words further: 'May every miserly and grasping person come to see me giving up and forsaking this body; and should there be any who, having given some small gift, become filled with pride because of it, may they, too, come to see this — that I, for the sake of a single verse, give up this body and this life, casting it aside as one would a blade of grass or a piece of wood.' I, at that time, having spoken these words, at once let go of my body and cast myself down from the tree. Before I had yet reached the ground, sounds of every kind rang out from within empty space, their sound reaching all the way to Akaniṣṭha heaven itself. At that time, the rākṣasa returned to his true form, and, in the midst of the sky, caught hold of my body, and set it gently down upon level ground.

"At that time, Śakra, together with the other gods and men and the great lord Brahmā, bowed their heads and prostrated themselves at my feet, praising me, saying: 'Excellent, excellent! You are truly a bodhisattva, able to bring great benefit to immeasurable beings, wishing to kindle the great torch of the Dharma within the black darkness of ignorance. It was only because I so cherished the Tathāgata's own great Dharma that I troubled and vexed you in this way — I ask only that you allow me to confess and repent this transgression. You shall, in a future age, most certainly attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, and I ask only that you look upon me and grant me deliverance.' Śakra and the assembly of gods, having thus bowed at my feet, then took their leave, and vanished suddenly from sight. Good son, it was through my having, in ages past, given up this body for the sake of half a verse that I was able, through this very cause and condition, to surpass fully twelve kalpas, attaining unsurpassed, complete awakening even before Maitreya. Good son, I attained merit and virtue of this immeasurable kind entirely through making offering to the Tathāgata's own true Dharma. Good son, you, too, are just the same now: having given rise to the mind of unsurpassed, complete awakening, you have already surpassed immeasurable, boundless bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā. Good son, this is called the bodhisattva's cultivating noble conduct while abiding within this Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Great Vehicle."