The Vajra Samādhi

"Furthermore, good son, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplish and fully complete the second merit? Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa comes to attain what he had never attained before, to see what he had never seen before, to hear what he had never heard before, to arrive at what he had never arrived at before, and to know what he had never known before. What is meant by 'attaining what was never attained before'? Namely, the supernormal powers, never attained before and now finally attained. These powers are of two kinds: external, and internal. What is called 'external' is shared with the followers of other paths. The internal, further, is of two kinds: that of the two lesser vehicles, and that of the bodhisattva. The supernormal power the bodhisattva attains through practicing this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is shared with no śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha at all. What is meant by 'shared with no śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha'? The supernormal transformations performed by the two lesser vehicles allow a single mind to produce only a single result, never many at once. The bodhisattva is not like this: within a single mind, he is able to manifest bodies in all five destinies simultaneously, fully complete. Why is this? Because he has attained the very power of this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra — this is what is meant by attaining what was never attained before. And, further, what else is meant by 'attaining what was never attained before'? Namely, attaining mastery of the body, and mastery of the mind. Why is this? Because every ordinary being's own body and mind lack any such mastery at all — either the mind follows the body, or the body follows the mind."

"What is meant by 'the mind following the body'? It is like a drunken man, wine coursing through his own body — at that time, his body sways, and his mind sways along with it; and it is likewise when the body grows lazy, the mind, too, grows lazy along with it — this is what is meant by the mind following the body. It is also like an infant, whose body is small and immature, and whose mind, too, is correspondingly small; while a grown adult's body is large, and his mind, too, is correspondingly large. It is also like a person whose body is coarse and rough, whose mind forever longs to obtain oil and ointment to soften and moisten it — this, too, is what is meant by the mind following the body. What is meant by 'the body following the mind'? Namely, going, coming, sitting, and lying down, and practicing giving, moral discipline, patience, and diligence — a sorrowful person's body grows gaunt and haggard; a joyful person's body grows plump and radiant; a fearful person's body trembles and shakes; one who listens to the Dharma with a single-pointed mind finds his body at ease and content; and a weeping person's own tears stream freely down his face — this is what is meant by the body following the mind. The bodhisattva is not like this: within both body and mind alike, he attains complete mastery — this is what is meant by attaining what was never attained before. Furthermore, good son, the bodily form the bodhisattva manifests may be as small as a single mote of dust, and yet, with this very subtle body, he is able to reach every immeasurable, boundless buddha-world, as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā, entirely without obstruction, while his mind remains forever settled, never stirring in the slightest — this is what is meant by the mind not following the body."

"Furthermore, good son, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa come to hear what he had never heard before? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva first takes hold of every kind of sound-mark — the sound of an elephant, of a horse, of a chariot, of a person, of a conch, of a drum, of a flute or pipe, of song, and of weeping — and cultivates himself upon them, and, through this very cultivation, becomes able to hear the sounds of hell throughout an immeasurable trichiliocosm. He then cultivates further still, and attains an ear-faculty entirely distinct from that of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha's own heavenly ear. Why is this? The pure ear-power attained by the two lesser vehicles, should it depend on the pure, subtle four elements of the first meditative absorption, hears only the first absorption's own sounds, not the second's; and it is exactly the same, up through the fourth absorption — though it may, at one time, come to hear every sound throughout an entire trichiliocosm, it is unable to hear the sounds of worlds as numerous and boundless as the sands of the Gaṅgā. It is for this very reason that the power the bodhisattva attains is distinct from the ear-faculty of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha — and it is on account of this very distinction that he comes to hear what he had never heard before. Though he hears these sounds, his mind never, in the end, holds any mark of 'hearing a sound' at all — giving rise to no mark of existence, no mark of permanence, no mark of pleasure, no mark of self, no mark of purity, no mark of a governing subject or its dependent, no mark of an agent, no mark of a cause, no mark of anything fixed, and no mark of any fruit. It is for this very reason that every bodhisattva comes to hear what he had never heard before."

At that time, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Bright Virtuous King of Universal Illumination said: "Should the Buddha say that no fixed mark and no fruit-mark are formed at all, this does not seem correct. Why is this? The Tathāgata has said before that should a person hear even a single phrase or a single word of this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, he shall most certainly attain unsurpassed, complete awakening — how, then, can the Tathāgata now say there is no fixed mark and no fruit at all? Should one attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, this is itself a fixed mark, itself a fruit-mark — how, then, can it be said there is no fixed mark and no fruit? And should hearing an evil sound give rise to an evil mind, and this evil mind lead to the three evil destinies, arriving at the three evil destinies is itself a fixed fruit — how, then, can it be said there is no fixed mark and no fruit?" At that time, the Tathāgata praised him: "Excellent, excellent, good son, that you are able to ask such a question! Should any buddha teach that sounds possess a fixed fruit-mark, this would not be the mark of any buddha, any world-honored one, at all — it would be the mark of the demon king, the mark of birth-and-death, a mark far removed from nirvāṇa. Why is this? Whatever every buddha expounds is entirely without any fixed fruit-mark. Good son, it is like seeing a person's own reflected face in a blade — held upright, it appears elongated; held sideways, it appears widened. Were there a fixed mark to it, how could it appear elongated when held upright and widened when held sideways? It is for this very reason that whatever every buddha, every world-honored one, expounds is entirely without any fixed fruit-mark. Good son, nirvāṇa, in truth, is not the fruit of any sound at all — should nirvāṇa be the fruit of a sound, you should know that nirvāṇa would then not be an ever-abiding dharma at all. Good son, it is like how, in this world, a dharma arising from a cause has a fruit only where it has a cause, and no fruit where it has no cause — and, the cause being impermanent, the fruit, too, is impermanent. Why is this? Because a cause can itself become a fruit, and a fruit can itself become a cause — it is for this very reason that not a single dharma has any fixed mark at all. Should nirvāṇa arise from a cause, then, the cause being impermanent, its fruit, too, would be impermanent — but this nirvāṇa does not arise from any cause at all; its very substance is not a fruit, and it is for this reason that it is permanent. Good son, it is for this very reason that the substance of nirvāṇa is without any fixed mark and without any fruit at all."

"Good son, nirvāṇa can, indeed, also be spoken of as fixed, and can, indeed, also be spoken of as a fruit. What is meant by this fixedness? Every buddha's own nirvāṇa possesses permanence, bliss, self, and purity — it is for this reason that it is fixed; it is free of birth, aging, and decay — it is for this reason that it is fixed; and, should the icchantika and the rest, guilty of the four gravest offenses, of slandering the Vaipulya teachings, or of the five gravest offenses, cast off their own original mind, they most certainly attain it — it is for this reason, too, that it is fixed. Good son, as for what you have said — that should a person hear a single word or phrase of my own teaching of this great nirvāṇa, he attains unsurpassed, complete awakening — you have not yet fully grasped the meaning of this. Listen closely, and I shall distinguish it further for your sake. Good son, should any good son or good daughter hear a single word or phrase of this great nirvāṇa, giving rise to no mark of a word, no mark of a phrase, no mark of hearing, no mark of a buddha, and no mark of speaking at all, a meaning of this kind is named the markless mark — and it is through this very markless mark that he attains unsurpassed, complete awakening. Good son, as for what you have said, that hearing an evil sound leads to the three evil destinies — this is not quite correct. Why is this? It is not on account of the evil sound itself that one arrives at the three evil destinies; you should know that this fruit is, in fact, produced by an evil mind. Why is this? There are good sons and good daughters who, though they hear an evil sound, give rise to no evil mind on that account — you should therefore know that it is not the evil sound itself that produces rebirth among the three evil destinies. Rather, it is on account of the fetter of affliction that beings' own evil minds proliferate, producing rebirth among the three evil destinies — not on account of the evil sound. Were sound to possess a fixed mark, then everyone who hears it should, without exception, give rise to an evil mind — and yet some do, and some do not; you should therefore know that sound has no fixed mark at all. It is precisely because it has no fixed mark that, though one may depend upon it, one need not give rise to any evil mind on that account." "World-Honored One, if sound has no fixed nature, how, then, does the bodhisattva come to hear what he had never heard before?" "Good son, it is precisely because sound has no fixed mark that what was never heard before can now be heard by every bodhisattva — it is for this very reason that I speak of hearing what was never heard before."

"Good son, what is meant by 'seeing what he had never seen before'? Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa first takes hold of every kind of luminous mark — the sun, moon, and stars, torch, lamp, and candle, the light of gems and fire, and the glow of medicinal herbs — and, through cultivating himself upon them, attains an eye-faculty entirely distinct from that of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. How is it distinct? The pure heavenly eye attained by the two lesser vehicles, should it depend on the four elements of the eye-faculty in the desire realm, cannot see the first meditative absorption; should it depend on the first absorption, it cannot see any higher stage; and, in the end, it is even unable to see its own eye — and, should it wish to see as much as possible, it can reach, at the very most, an entire trichiliocosm. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not cultivate the heavenly eye in this way at all: he sees even the finest, most excellent form as nothing but a skeleton's own mark, and, though he sees the very forms of worlds as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā in every other direction, he gives rise to no mark of form, no mark of permanence, no mark of existence, no mark of a thing, and no mark of a name — he forms only the mark of a cause and condition, never the mark of an act of seeing itself. He does not say that this eye possesses any subtle, pure mark of its own; he sees only the mark of what is a cause and condition, and what is not… It is for this very reason that the pure heavenly eye the bodhisattva attains is distinct from that attained by the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. On account of this very distinction, he sees, in a single moment, every present buddha throughout the worlds of the ten directions — this is what is meant by seeing what he had never seen before. On account of this very distinction, he is able to see even the finest mote of dust, which the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha are unable to see. On account of this very distinction, though he sees his own eye, he never, in the end, holds any mark of 'seeing' at all, seeing only the mark of impermanence. He sees an ordinary being's own body as filled entirely with its thirty-six impure substances, as clearly as viewing a myrobalan fruit held in the palm of his own hand — it is for this very reason that he comes to see what he had never seen before. Should he see any being's own bodily form, he thereby knows whether that person's faculties belong to the greater or the lesser vehicle, and, merely by touching that person's own clothing, he likewise knows the distinguishing marks of that person's own wholesome and unwholesome faculties — it is for this very reason that he comes to know what he had never known before. Through this single act of seeing, he comes to know what he had never known before; and through this very knowing, he comes to see what he had never seen before."

"Furthermore, good son, what is meant by 'knowing what he had never known before'? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, though he knows an ordinary being's own mind of craving, anger, and delusion, never, in the end, forms any mark of a mind or its mental factors, nor any mark of a being or an object at all, but cultivates the mark of the ultimate meaning's own final emptiness. Why is this? Because every bodhisattva forever skillfully cultivates himself upon the very mark of emptiness's own nature. Through cultivating this emptiness, he comes to know what he had never known before. What, then, is this knowing? Knowing that there is no self and nothing belonging to a self; knowing that every being possesses buddha-nature, and that, on account of this buddha-nature, the icchantika and the rest, having cast off their own original mind, shall all, without exception, come to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening. All of this is something the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha are unable to know, while the bodhisattva is able to know it — it is for this very reason that he comes to know what he had never known before. Furthermore, good son, what else is meant by 'knowing what he had never known before'? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, recollects the caste, parents, brothers, wife, children, kin, friends, and enemies of every being throughout every past life, and, in a single moment of thought, attains a wisdom entirely distinct from that of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. How is it distinct? Whatever wisdom the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha possess, recollecting the caste, parents, and even enemies of beings in past lives, still forms the very mark of caste, parents, and enemies as such. The bodhisattva is not like this: though he, too, recollects past caste, parents, and even enemies, he never, in the end, gives rise to any mark of caste, parents, or enemies at all, but forever forms only the mark of the nature of dharmas, the mark of empty stillness — this is what is meant by the bodhisattva coming to know what he had never known before. Furthermore, good son, what else is meant by 'knowing what he had never known before'? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, attains the knowledge of others' minds, distinct from that attained by the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. How is it distinct? The śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, with a single moment of wisdom, knowing a human mind, are thereby unable to know the mind of a being in hell, among animals, hungry ghosts, or gods, all at the same time. The bodhisattva is not like this: in a single moment of thought, he fully knows the minds of beings throughout all six destinies at once — this is what is meant by the bodhisattva coming to know what he had never known before. Furthermore, good son, there is, further, a distinct kind of knowing: the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, within a single mind, knows the stream-enterer's own very first mind, and, in sequence, all the way to his sixteenth mind — it is for this very reason that he comes to know what he had never known before. This is what is meant by the bodhisattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplishing and fully completing the second merit."

"Furthermore, good son, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplish and fully complete the third merit? Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa casts off compassion and attains compassion — and, at the very moment he attains it, it does not arise from any cause or condition at all. What is meant by 'casting off compassion and attaining compassion'? Good son, ordinary compassion is named worldly truth. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva casts off this compassion of worldly truth, and attains the compassion of the ultimate meaning — and this compassion of the ultimate meaning does not arise from any cause or condition at all. What else, further, is meant by 'casting off compassion and attaining compassion'? Should compassion be capable of being cast off, it is named the ordinary being's own compassion; should compassion be capable of being genuinely attained, it is named the bodhisattva's own compassion without any cause or condition at all. He casts off the compassion felt toward the icchantika, toward one guilty of the four gravest offenses, toward one who slanders the Vaipulya teachings, and toward one guilty of the five gravest offenses, and attains instead a compassion of true pity, the compassion of the Tathāgata himself, the compassion of the World-Honored One, a compassion without any cause or condition at all. What further is meant by 'casting off compassion and attaining compassion'? He casts off the compassion felt toward a eunuch, toward one without male organs, toward one of both sexes, and toward a woman, and toward a butcher, a fisherman, a hunter, or one who raises chickens and pigs for slaughter — and casts off, too, the compassion of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha — and attains instead the bodhisattva's own compassion without any cause or condition at all. He sees no compassion of his own, and no compassion of another's; he sees no one who upholds the precepts, and no one who breaks them. Though he himself perceives suffering, he sees no being at all; and though there is suffering felt, he sees no one who feels it. Why is this? Because he cultivates the very ultimate, true meaning itself. This is what is meant by the bodhisattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplishing and fully completing the third merit."

"Furthermore, good son, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplish and fully complete the fourth merit? Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa, in accomplishing and fully completing the fourth merit, has ten matters. What are these ten? First, a root so deep it is difficult indeed to overturn or uproot; second, giving rise to a resolute conviction regarding his own body; third, no longer discriminating between a field of merit and one that is not; fourth, purifying a buddha-land; fifth, eliminating what still remains; sixth, severing the conditions of karma; seventh, cultivating a pure body; eighth, fully understanding every condition; ninth, leaving behind every enemy; and tenth, cutting off the two extremes. What is meant by 'a root so deep it is difficult indeed to overturn or uproot'? This root is named heedfulness. Of what, exactly, is heedfulness the root? Namely, the very root of unsurpassed, complete awakening. Good son, the wholesome root at the very foundation of every buddha is, without exception, heedfulness — and, through this very heedfulness, every other wholesome root grows and increases further still; and, being able to cause every wholesome root to grow and increase in this way, it is the most excellent among every wholesome thing. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of footprint, the elephant's own footprint is supreme — heedfulness is exactly the same, the most excellent among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of light, the sun's own light is supreme — heedfulness is exactly the same, the most excellent among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of king, the wheel-turning sage-king is foremost of all — heedfulness is exactly the same, foremost of all among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of flowing water, the four great rivers are supreme — heedfulness is exactly the same, the highest and most excellent among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of mountain, Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, is foremost of all — heedfulness is exactly the same, foremost of all among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every flower born of water, the blue lotus is supreme — heedfulness is exactly the same, the most excellent and highest among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every flower born of land, the vārṣika flower is highest and most excellent — heedfulness is exactly the same, highest and most excellent among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of beast, the lion is supreme — heedfulness is exactly the same, most excellent and highest among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every kind of bird in flight, the golden-winged garuḍa king is highest and most excellent — heedfulness is exactly the same, highest and most excellent among every wholesome dharma."

"Good son, it is like how, among every kind of vast body, the asura king Rāhu is highest and most excellent — heedfulness is exactly the same, highest and most excellent among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every being, whether two-footed, four-footed, many-footed, or footless, the Tathāgata is supreme — heedfulness is exactly the same, most excellent and highest among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every assembly, the Buddha and the Saṅgha are highest — heedfulness is exactly the same, most excellent and highest among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is like how, among every one of the Buddha's own teachings, this great nirvāṇa teaching is highest and most excellent — heedfulness is exactly the same, most excellent and highest among every wholesome dharma. Good son, it is for this very reason that the root of heedfulness is deep and firm, difficult indeed to uproot. How is it, through heedfulness, that growth actually occurs? Namely, the root of faith, the root of moral discipline, the root of giving, the root of wisdom, the root of patience, the root of learning, the root of diligence, the root of mindfulness, the root of concentration, and the root of a good and wise friend — every one of these roots, through heedfulness, comes to grow and increase, and, through this very growth, becomes deep and firm, difficult indeed to uproot. It is for this very reason that this is named the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa possessing a root too deep to uproot. What is meant by 'giving rise to a resolute conviction regarding his own body'? Giving rise, with regard to his own body, to this very resolute mind: 'This body of mine shall, in a future age, most certainly become a vessel of unsurpassed, complete awakening.' His mind, too, is exactly the same — never narrow or small, never subject to change, never taking on the mind of the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha, never taking on the mind of Māra, nor a mind of personal pleasure, nor a mind that delights in birth-and-death, but forever seeking, for the sake of beings, a mind of loving-kindness and compassion. This is what is meant by the bodhisattva giving rise, with regard to his own body, to this resolute mind — 'I shall, in a future age, become a vessel of unsurpassed, complete awakening' — and it is for this very reason that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa gives rise, with regard to his own body, to this resolute conviction."

"What is meant by 'the bodhisattva no longer discriminating between a field of merit and one that is not'? What is meant by a field of merit? A follower of another path, one who upholds the precepts, and so on, up through every buddha — these are named a field of merit. Should anyone think: 'Beings of this kind alone are a true field of merit,' one should know that a mind of this kind is narrow and inferior. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva sees every single one of the immeasurable beings there are as, without exception, a field of merit. Why is this? Because he skillfully cultivates himself upon a distinct kind of mindfulness… He forever contemplates what every buddha, every world-honored one, has taught: that giving, though of four kinds, in every case yields a pure fruit. What are these four? First, a pure giver and an impure receiver; second, an impure giver and a pure receiver; third, both giver and receiver pure; and fourth, both giver and receiver impure… Good son, should there be one who does not perceive giving or its fruit, one should know that this person is not, on that account, named one who breaks the precepts or clings to wrong view. Should one, following the śrāvaka's own teaching, say that he does not perceive giving or its fruit, this is indeed named breaking the precepts and wrong view; but should one, following this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, not perceive giving or its fruit, this is, instead, named upholding the precepts and right view. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, possessed of this distinct kind of mindfulness, through this very cultivation, perceives no being as one who upholds or breaks the precepts, no giver, no receiver, and no fruit of giving at all — it is for this reason that he is named one who upholds the precepts and holds right view. It is for this very reason that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva no longer discriminates between a field of merit and one that is not."

"What is meant by 'purifying a buddha-land'? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from any thought of killing or harming — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being attain a long lifespan, possess great strength, and obtain great supernormal power. Through the very power of this vow's own cause and condition, when he becomes a buddha in a future age, every being throughout his own land shall attain a long lifespan, possess great strength, and obtain great supernormal power. Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from any thought of stealing — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that the ground of his own future buddha-land be made purely of the seven treasures, its beings wealthy and abundant, obtaining whatever they wish freely. Through the very power of this vow's own cause and condition, when he becomes a buddha in a future age, the land he attains shall be made purely of the seven treasures, its beings wealthy and abundant, obtaining whatever they wish freely. Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from any thought of sexual misconduct — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being throughout his own future buddha-land be free of craving, anger, and delusion, and free, too, of hunger, thirst, and every affliction. Through the very power of this vow's own cause and condition, when he becomes a buddha in a future age, the beings of his own land shall keep far from craving, sexual desire, anger, and delusion, entirely free of hunger, thirst, and affliction. Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from any thought of false speech — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that his own future buddha-land forever possess trees of flowers, trees of fruit, and trees of fragrance, and that every being there attain a wondrous, subtle voice. Through the very power of this vow's own cause and condition, when he becomes a buddha in a future age, his own land shall forever possess trees of flowers, fruit, and fragrance, and every being there shall attain a pure, sublime, and wondrous voice."

"Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from divisive speech — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being throughout his own future buddha-land forever dwell together in harmony, expounding the true Dharma together… Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from harsh speech — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that the ground of his own future buddha-land be level as the palm of a hand, entirely free of sand, gravel, tile, stone, thorns, or brambles, and that every being there hold an equal, impartial mind… Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from idle speech — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being throughout his own future buddha-land be entirely free of suffering and affliction… Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from craving and envy — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being throughout his own future buddha-land be entirely free of craving, envy, malice, and wrong view… Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from malice — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being throughout his own future buddha-land together cultivate great loving-kindness and great compassion, attaining the ground of an only child… Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, for the sake of unsurpassed, complete awakening and the salvation of beings, keeps far from wrong view — and, with this very wholesome root, vows to share it with every being, wishing that every being throughout his own future buddha-land attain the great perfection of wisdom entirely. Through the very power of this vow's own cause and condition, when he becomes a buddha in a future age, the beings of his own world shall all, without exception, attain and uphold the great perfection of wisdom — this is what is meant by the bodhisattva purifying a buddha-land."

"What is meant by 'the bodhisattva-mahāsattva eliminating what still remains'? What still remains is of three kinds: the residual fruit of affliction, residual karma, and residual existence. Good son, what is meant by 'the residual fruit of affliction'? Should any being habitually indulge in craving, once this fruit has ripened, he falls into hell — and, emerging from hell, receives an animal's own body, becoming a dove, a sparrow, a mandarin duck, a parrot, a jīvañjīva bird, a śārikā bird, a blue sparrow, a fish, a turtle, a monkey, a river deer, or a spotted deer; and, should he attain a human body, he becomes a eunuch, a woman, one of both sexes, one of neither, or a prostitute; and, should he become a renunciant, he transgresses the very first of the gravest precepts — this is what is meant by residual fruit. Furthermore, good son, should any being habitually indulge in anger with a deeply held mind, once this fruit has ripened, he falls into hell — and, emerging from hell, receives an animal's own body, becoming a poisonous snake, possessed of four kinds of poison (poison by sight, by touch, by bite, and by breath), a lion, a tiger, a wolf, a bear, a wildcat, or a hawk; and, should he attain a human body, he becomes fully possessed of the sixteen kinds of evil conduct; and, should he become a renunciant, he transgresses the second of the gravest precepts — this, too, is what is meant by residual fruit. Furthermore, good son, should any being cultivate delusion, once this fruit has ripened, he falls into hell — and, emerging from hell, receives an animal's own body, becoming an elephant, a pig, an ox, a sheep, a water buffalo, a flea, a louse, a mosquito, a horsefly, or an ant; and, should he attain a human body, he becomes deaf, blind, mute, crippled, or hunchbacked, his every faculty incomplete, unable to receive the Dharma; and, should he become a renunciant, his every faculty dull and slow, he delights in transgressing even the gravest precept over as little as five coins — this, too, is what is meant by residual fruit. Furthermore, good son, should any being cultivate arrogance, once this fruit has ripened, he falls into hell — and, emerging from hell, receives an animal's own body, becoming a dung-beetle, a camel, a donkey, a dog, or a horse; and, should he be born among humans, he becomes a slave or servant, poverty-stricken, a beggar; or, should he become a renunciant, he is forever held in contempt by every being, and transgresses the fourth of the gravest precepts — this, too, is what is meant by residual fruit. Matters of this kind are named the residual fruit of affliction. Residual fruit of this kind, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, through his very cultivation of this great nirvāṇa, comes to eliminate entirely. What is meant by 'residual karma'? Namely, the karma of every ordinary being, and the karma of every śrāvaka. The stream-enterer still carries the karma of seven further existences; the once-returner still carries the karma of two further existences; and the non-returner still carries the karma of a single existence within the form realm — this is what is meant by residual karma. Residual karma of this kind, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, through his very cultivation of this great nirvāṇa, comes to sever entirely. What is meant by 'residual existence'? The arhat attains the fruit of arhatship, and the pratyekabuddha attains the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood — with no further karma and no further fetter remaining, and yet each still turning within these two fruits themselves — this is what is meant by residual existence. Dharmas of these three kinds of remainder, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, through cultivating this great Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, comes to eliminate entirely — this is what is meant by the bodhisattva-mahāsattva eliminating what still remains."

"What is meant by 'the bodhisattva cultivating a pure body'? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating the precept against killing, does so with five kinds of mind — lower, middling, upper, upper-middling, and utmost upper — and it is exactly the same, up through right view itself. These fifty minds together are named the first arising of the mind; their full and resolute completion constitutes these fifty minds, and this is named their fulfillment. A hundred minds of this kind are named a hundred merits, and, fully complete, these hundred merits together constitute a single mark; and, unfolding and accumulating in this way, he comes to accomplish the thirty-two marks in full, and this is what is named a pure body… Good son, it is like a person who wishes to invite a great king to his home: he must first adorn his own dwelling, making it entirely pure and clean, and prepare every kind of fine delicacy, a hundred flavors in all, and only then will the king come to accept his invitation. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva is exactly the same: wishing to invite the Dharma-wheel-turning king of unsurpassed, complete awakening, he must first cultivate his own body, making it entirely pure, and only then will this unsurpassed king of the Dharma come to dwell within it… What is meant by 'the bodhisattva fully understanding every condition'? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva sees no mark of form, no condition of form, no substance of form, no arising of form, and no ceasing of form; sees no mark of sameness, no mark of difference; sees no seer, no describable appearance, and no one who receives it. Why is this? Because he fully understands cause and condition. And it is exactly the same with form as with every other dharma — this is what is meant by the bodhisattva fully understanding every condition. What is meant by 'the bodhisattva leaving behind every enemy'? Every affliction is itself the bodhisattva's own enemy, and, because the bodhisattva-mahāsattva forever keeps himself far from it, this is what is meant by the bodhisattva destroying every enemy. And yet the bodhisattva of the fifth abiding does not regard affliction itself as an enemy at all. Why is this? It is precisely on account of affliction that the bodhisattva continues to be born, and it is precisely because he continues to be born that he is able to teach and transform beings, one after another. It is for this very reason that affliction itself is not named an enemy. What, then, is named an enemy? Namely, one who slanders the Vaipulya teachings. The bodhisattva, wherever he is born, fears neither hell, nor the animal realm, nor the realm of hungry ghosts — he fears only one who slanders the Vaipulya teachings in this way. Every bodhisattva has eight kinds of demon, named his own enemies — keeping far from these eight demons is what is named leaving behind one's enemies, and this is what is meant by the bodhisattva leaving behind every enemy. What is meant by 'the bodhisattva keeping far from the two extremes'? These two extremes are the twenty-five states of existence, and the affliction of craving. The bodhisattva forever keeps far from both the twenty-five states of existence and the affliction of craving — this is what is meant by the bodhisattva keeping far from the two extremes. This is what is meant by the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplishing and fully completing the fourth merit."

At that time, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Bright Virtuous King of Universal Illumination said: "As the Buddha has taught, should any bodhisattva cultivate this great nirvāṇa, he accomplishes every one of these ten merits in full. Why, then, does the Tathāgata cultivate only nine of them, and not the purification of a buddha-land?" The Buddha said: "Good son, I myself, in ages past, likewise forever cultivated all ten of these matters in full. There is not a single bodhisattva or tathāgata who fails to cultivate every one of these ten — should a world be filled entirely with impurity, it could not possibly be the world any buddha, any world-honored one, appears within. Good son, you should not now think that any buddha appears within an impure world at all — know that a thought of this kind is unwholesome and narrow. You should now know that I, in reality, have never actually appeared within this very Jambudvīpa at all. It is like someone who says that only this world possesses the sun and moon, and that no other world at all possesses them — words of this kind have no basis in reason whatsoever. Should any bodhisattva say that this present buddha-world is foul and impure, while some other buddha-land is pure and resplendent, this is exactly the same kind of error. Good son, to the west of this Sahā world, past buddha-lands as numerous as thirty-two times the sands of the Gaṅgā, there is a world named Unsurpassed. Why is that land named Unsurpassed? Every resplendent feature of that land is entirely equal, without the slightest difference between them, just like the western Land of Peace and Bliss, and just like the eastern world of Full-Moon Light. I myself have appeared in the world from that very land — and, for the sake of transforming beings, I now manifest the turning of the Dharma-wheel here, within this Jambudvīpa. And it is not I alone who manifests the turning of the Dharma-wheel here — every buddha, likewise, turns the Dharma-wheel here as well. It is for this very reason that every buddha, every world-honored one, has, without exception, cultivated all ten of these matters. Good son, the bodhisattva Maitreya, through the power of his own vow, shall, in an age to come, cause this very world to become pure and resplendent — it is for this very reason that not a single one of every buddha's own worlds fails to be resplendent and pure."

"Furthermore, good son, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa accomplish and fully complete the fifth merit? Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa, in accomplishing and fully completing the fifth merit, has five matters. What are these five? First, every one of his faculties is fully complete; second, he is not born in any border region; third, he is beloved and cherished by every god; fourth, he is forever revered by the gods, Māra, śramaṇas, kṣatriyas, and brahmins alike; and fifth, he attains the knowledge of past lives. The bodhisattva, through the very power of this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra's own cause and condition, fully accomplishes these five matters." Bright Virtuous King of Universal Illumination said: "As the Buddha has taught, should any good son or good daughter practice giving, he thereby fully accomplishes these same five merits — why, then, does the Buddha say that these five matters are attained on account of this great nirvāṇa?" The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent, good son! Matters of this kind differ in their own underlying meaning — I shall now distinguish and explain this for your sake. The five matters attained through giving are not fixed, not permanent, not pure, not supreme, and not distinct in kind, nor are they free of outflow, nor are they able to benefit, bring peace to, and hold compassion for every being. Should these same five matters be attained, instead, in dependence on this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, they are fixed, permanent, pure, supreme, and distinct in kind, and are free of outflow, and are able to benefit, bring peace to, and hold compassion for every being. Good son, giving alone merely relieves hunger and thirst; this great Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is able to cause every being to keep entirely far from the very disease of thirsting craving within the twenty-five states of existence. The cause and condition of giving alone causes birth-and-death to continue unbroken; this great nirvāṇa sūtra is able to sever birth-and-death entirely, so that it no longer continues at all. On account of giving alone, one receives the dharma of an ordinary being; on account of this great nirvāṇa, one comes to become a bodhisattva. The cause and condition of giving alone is able to sever poverty and its attendant suffering; this great nirvāṇa sūtra is able to sever the very poverty of wholesome dharmas themselves. The cause and condition of giving alone has its own portion and its own fruit; on account of this great nirvāṇa, one attains unsurpassed, complete awakening, which has neither portion nor fruit at all. This is what is meant by the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa accomplishing and fully completing the fifth merit."

"Good son, how does the bodhisattva who cultivates this subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa accomplish and fully complete the sixth merit? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa attains the vajra samādhi, and, abiding securely within it, is able to shatter and scatter every single dharma entirely. He sees that every dharma is impermanent, that every dharma bears the mark of instability, is a cause and condition of terror, of sickness, suffering, and plunder, perishing thought after thought, without any true reality at all — every one of them nothing but Māra's own domain, with nothing at all that can genuinely be seen there. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding in this very samādhi, though he gives generously to beings, sees, in the end, not a single being at all. And yet, genuinely for the sake of beings, he diligently and vigorously cultivates the perfection of moral discipline, and, exactly the same, cultivates the perfection of wisdom as well. Should the bodhisattva see even a single being as truly existing, he would be unable, in the end, to accomplish and fully complete the perfection of giving, up through the perfection of wisdom, at all. Good son, it is like vajra, which shatters whatever it is directed against without exception, and yet the vajra itself suffers not the slightest damage — the vajra samādhi is exactly the same: whatever dharma it is directed against is shattered without exception, and yet this samādhi itself suffers not the slightest damage. Good son, just as vajra is supreme among every kind of treasure, the vajra samādhi the bodhisattva attains is exactly the same, foremost of all among every samādhi. Why is this? Because, once the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivates this samādhi, every other samādhi comes, without exception, to belong to it. Good son, just as every lesser king comes, without exception, to belong to a wheel-turning sage-king, every samādhi is exactly the same, coming, without exception, to belong to the vajra samādhi. Good son, it is like a person who has become an enemy of the whole kingdom, loathed and despised by everyone — should someone kill him, there is not a single person in the whole world who does not praise the merit of the one who did it. The vajra samādhi is exactly the same: the bodhisattva who cultivates it is able to destroy every enemy of every being, and it is for this very reason that it is forever revered and honored by every other samādhi."

"Good son, should any bodhisattva abide securely in this vajra samādhi, he sees every dharma without the slightest obstruction, as clearly as viewing a myrobalan fruit held in the palm of his own hand — and yet, though the bodhisattva attains a seeing of exactly this kind, he never, in the end, forms the notion of 'seeing every dharma' at all… Good son, it is like a high mountain: a person who climbs it and gazes into the distance sees every direction with perfect clarity. The mountain of vajra concentration is exactly the same: the bodhisattva who climbs it sees every dharma in the distance with nothing at all left unclear. Good son, it is like the spring rains, sent down from the sky, each drop so fine and dense that not the slightest gap remains between them, seen with perfect clarity by anyone with clear eyes. The bodhisattva is exactly the same: attaining the pure eye of vajra concentration, he sees, in the distance, every world throughout the eastern direction, including whatever lands there are coming into being or passing away, seeing every one of them with perfect clarity, without the slightest obstruction — and it is exactly the same throughout the other nine directions as well. Good son, it is like Mount Cakravāḍa, when its seven suns rise together, and every tree and thicket upon that mountain is entirely burned away — the bodhisattva who cultivates the vajra samādhi is exactly the same: every single thicket of affliction is extinguished in that very instant. Good son, it is like vajra, which, though able to crush and destroy anything that exists, never, in the end, gives rise to the thought, 'I am able to crush and destroy this' — the vajra samādhi is exactly the same: the bodhisattva who has cultivated it is able to destroy affliction, and yet never, in the end, gives rise to the thought, 'I am able to destroy this fetter.' Good son, it is like the great earth, which is able to support the ten thousand things, and yet never gives rise to the thought, 'I have the strength to support them'; fire, likewise, never thinks, 'I am able to burn things'; water never thinks, 'I am able to moisten and soak them'; wind never thinks, 'I am able to move things'; space never thinks, 'I am able to contain and receive them'; and nirvāṇa, too, never gives rise to the thought, 'I cause beings to attain liberation.' The vajra samādhi is exactly the same: though it is able to extinguish every affliction entirely, it never, from the very start, holds any thought at all that says, 'I am able to extinguish this.'"

"Should any bodhisattva abide securely in this vajra samādhi, he may, within a single moment of thought, transform his own body into the likeness of a buddha, its number immeasurable, filling worlds as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā throughout the ten directions — and yet, though this bodhisattva performs a transformation of this kind, his mind never, in the end, holds the slightest notion of arrogance about it… The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding securely in this vajra samādhi, is able, within a single moment of thought, to reach fully every buddha-world throughout the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā, and return again to his own original place — and yet, though he possesses power of exactly this kind, he never thinks, 'I am able to do this'… The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding securely in this vajra samādhi, is able, within a single moment of thought, to sever the affliction of every being throughout worlds as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā in every one of the ten directions — and yet his mind never, in the end, holds the slightest notion of 'severing the affliction of every being.' The bodhisattva, abiding in this vajra samādhi, with a single sound, expounds the Dharma, and every being, each according to his own kind, comes to understand it fully. Manifesting a single form, every being, each in his own way, sees it as an entirely different form. Abiding securely within a single place, his body never moving at all, he causes every being, wherever they may be, each to see him there fully. Expounding a single dharma — whether an element or a sense-field — every being, each according to his own prior understanding, comes to hear it fully. The bodhisattva, abiding in this samādhi, though he sees every being, his mind never, in the end, holds the mark of a being at all; though he sees man and woman, he holds no mark of man or woman; though he sees form, he holds no mark of form; and it is exactly the same, up through consciousness, holding no mark of consciousness at all; though he sees day and night, he holds no mark of day or night; though he sees everything, he holds no mark of anything at all; though he sees every affliction and every fetter, he holds no mark of any affliction at all; though he sees the eightfold noble path, he holds no mark of the noble path; though he sees bodhi, he holds no mark of bodhi; and though he sees nirvāṇa, he holds no mark of nirvāṇa at all. Why is this? Good son, because every single dharma is, from its very origin, without any mark at all. The bodhisattva, through the very power of this samādhi, sees every dharma exactly as it originally is, without any mark whatsoever. Why is this named the vajra samādhi? Good son, it is like vajra itself, whose color, when placed in sunlight, is never fixed at all — the vajra samādhi is exactly the same: amid the great assembly, its own color, too, is never fixed — it is for this reason that it is named the vajra samādhi. Good son, it is like vajra, whose value no person in the world is able to appraise — the vajra samādhi is exactly the same: its own merit, no human or god at all is able to appraise or measure — it is for this reason, too, that it is named the vajra samādhi. Good son, it is like a poor man who obtains a vajra jewel, and thereby comes to keep far from poverty, hardship, evil spirits, and every poison — the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is exactly the same: attaining this very samādhi, he thereby comes to keep far from affliction, every suffering, and the poison of every demon — it is for this reason, too, that it is named the vajra samādhi. This is what is meant by the bodhisattva who cultivates this great nirvāṇa accomplishing and fully completing the sixth merit."