The Elephant and the Blind Men

Lion's Roar Bodhisattva said: "World-Honored One, if not every karmic action, without exception, is certain to yield its fruit, and every being, without exception, possesses buddha-nature, then, should one still be obliged to cultivate the eightfold noble path, for what cause and condition does every being still fail to attain this very great nirvāṇa? World-Honored One, if every being truly possesses buddha-nature, he ought thereby to be certain to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening — why, then, would he need to cultivate the eightfold noble path at all? World-Honored One, as this very sūtra teaches, a sick person, should he obtain medicine, a physician's care, and food and drink suited to his own illness, is entirely cured — and, should he fail to obtain these, he remains uncured. Every being is exactly the same: should he encounter a śrāvaka, a pratyekabuddha, a buddha, a bodhisattva, or any good friend, and hear the Dharma taught, he cultivates the noble path — and, should he encounter none of these, hear nothing, and cultivate no path at all, he ought still to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening regardless. Why is this? Because of buddha-nature. World-Honored One, it is like the sun and moon, which nothing at all can prevent from reaching the peak of Mount Asta; like the four great rivers, which nothing can prevent from reaching the great ocean; and like the icchantika, whom nothing can prevent from reaching hell. Every being is exactly the same: nothing at all can prevent him from reaching unsurpassed, complete awakening. Why is this? Because of buddha-nature. World-Honored One, it is for this very reason that every being need not cultivate the path at all — it is through the very power of buddha-nature that he ought to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, and not through the power of cultivating the noble path. World-Honored One, should the icchantika, one who has violated the four gravest precepts, or one who has committed the five heinous crimes, truly fail to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, then cultivation would indeed be necessary — but, since it is through the cause of buddha-nature that one is certain to attain it, and not through the cause of cultivation, cultivation is not truly needed at all. World-Honored One, it is like a magnet: though the iron lies at some distance from it, through its own power, the iron is drawn to cling to it regardless. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is for this very reason that there is no need to diligently cultivate the path at all."

The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent! Good son, it is like the bank of the Ganges River, along which there are seven kinds of people who enter the river, whether to bathe, to escape fear of bandits, or to gather flowers. The first person, upon entering the water, sinks at once. Why is this? Because he is weak, without any strength, and has never practiced swimming. The second person, though he sinks, comes back up, and, having come up, sinks once more. Why is this? Because his own bodily strength is great, he is able to rise again — yet, because he has never practiced swimming, once he has risen, he sinks once more. The third person sinks and then comes up, and, once up, sinks no more. Why is this? He sinks because his body is heavy, rises because his strength is great, and, having previously practiced swimming, remains afloat once he has risen. The fourth person, upon entering, sinks, and, having sunk, rises again, and, once risen, remains afloat, looking about in every direction. Why is this? He sinks because he is heavy, rises again because his strength is great, remains afloat because he has practiced swimming, and, not knowing where to find the shore, looks about in every direction. The fifth person, upon entering, sinks at once, and, having sunk, rises, and, once risen, remains afloat, and, having looked about, sets off at once. Why is this? Because of his own fear. The sixth person, upon entering, sets off at once, and stops once he reaches a shallow place. Why is this? Because he watches to see whether the bandits are near or far. The seventh person has already reached the far shore, and climbs a great mountain there, free of all further fear, departed from every hostile bandit, and receiving great happiness. "Good son, the great river of birth-and-death is exactly the same. There are seven kinds of people who, fearing the bandit of affliction, resolve to cross this great river of birth-and-death, becoming renunciants, shaving their heads, and wearing the very robes of the Dharma. Having become renunciants, they draw close to evil friends, follow their teaching, and accept and receive wrong teachings — namely, that a being's own body is nothing but the five aggregates, and the five aggregates are nothing but the five great elements, and, should a being die, these five great elements are forever severed — and, since the five great elements are severed, what need would there be to cultivate wholesome or unwholesome karmic action at all? — and, on this account, one should know that there is neither wholesome nor unwholesome action, nor any fruit of wholesome or unwholesome action at all. A person of exactly this kind is named an icchantika. The icchantika is named one who has severed his own wholesome roots — and, because he has severed his wholesome roots, he sinks within the river of birth-and-death, unable ever to come up. Why is this? Because his evil karma is heavy, and he lacks the very power of faith — he is exactly like the first person at the bank of the Ganges. Good son, the icchantika sinks into the three evil destinies, unable to come up, through any of six causes and conditions. What are these six? First, an evil mind blazing fiercely; second, failing to see any future life at all; third, delighting in the habitual practice of affliction; fourth, keeping distant from every wholesome root; fifth, being obstructed by the very weight of his own evil karma; and sixth, drawing close to evil companions. There are, further, five things that cause one to sink into the three evil destinies. What are these five? First, committing an unlawful act with a monk; second, committing an unlawful act with a nun; third, freely making use of the Saṅgha's own communal property; fourth, committing an unlawful act with one's own mother; and fifth, stirring up dispute and discord among the five divisions of the Saṅgha. There are, further, five things that cause one to sink into the three evil destinies. What are these five? First, forever teaching that there is no wholesome or unwholesome fruit at all; second, killing a being who has given rise to the bodhi-mind; third, delighting in speaking of a Dharma-teacher's own faults; fourth, calling the Dharma non-Dharma, and calling non-Dharma the Dharma; and fifth, listening to and receiving teachings for the sake of finding fault with the Dharma. There are, further, three things that cause one to sink into the three evil destinies. What are these three? First, holding that the Tathāgata is impermanent and forever extinguished; second, holding that the true Dharma is impermanent and subject to change; and third, holding that the jewel of the Saṅgha can be destroyed — it is for reasons of exactly this kind that one forever sinks within the three evil destinies."

"The second person resolves to cross this great river of birth-and-death, yet, having severed his own wholesome roots, sinks and is unable to rise. To 'rise,' here, means this: through drawing close to a good friend, one attains faith. This very faith means believing in giving and in the fruit of giving; believing in wholesome deeds and their wholesome fruit; believing in unwholesome deeds and their unwholesome fruit; and believing in birth, death, suffering, impermanence, and decay — this is named faith. Having attained faith, one cultivates pure precepts, upholding, reciting, copying out, and expounding scripture, forever delighting in generous giving, and skillfully cultivating wisdom. Yet, because his own faculties are dull, he encounters an evil friend once more, and, unable to cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom, he accepts and receives wrong teachings instead; or he happens upon an evil age, dwelling in an evil land, and severs every wholesome root. Because he has severed his own wholesome roots, he forever sinks within birth-and-death — he is exactly like the second person at the bank of the Ganges. "The third person resolves to cross this great river of birth-and-death, and, having severed his own wholesome roots, sinks within it — yet, drawing close to a good friend, he is thereby named as one who rises. He believes that the Tathāgata is himself omniscient, ever-abiding and without change, teaching the unsurpassed path for the sake of every being; that every being, without exception, possesses buddha-nature; that the Tathāgata does not truly become extinct, and that the Dharma and the Saṅgha are exactly the same, never destroyed. He believes that the icchantika, so long as he fails to sever this very icchantika-nature, can never attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, and that only by departing from it entirely can he finally attain it. Through faith, he cultivates pure precepts, and, having cultivated these precepts, upholds, recites, copies out, and expounds the twelve divisions of scripture, broadly proclaiming and spreading them for the sake of every being, delighting in generous giving, and cultivating wisdom — and, because his faculties are sharp, he remains firmly grounded in faith and wisdom, his mind never retrogressing — he is exactly like the third person at the bank of the Ganges. "The fourth person resolves to cross this great river of birth-and-death, and, having severed his own wholesome roots, sinks within it — yet, drawing close to a good friend, he attains faith, and this is named rising. Through this very faith, he upholds, recites, copies out, and expounds the twelve divisions of scripture, broadly proclaiming and spreading them for the sake of beings, delighting in generous giving, and cultivating wisdom — and, because his faculties are sharp, he remains firmly grounded in faith and wisdom, his mind never retrogressing, and he looks about in every direction — this looking about in every direction is a likeness for the four śramaṇa fruits — he is exactly like the fourth person at the bank of the Ganges. "The fifth person resolves to cross this great river of birth-and-death, and, having severed his own wholesome roots, sinks within it — yet, drawing close to a good friend, he attains faith, and this is named rising. Through this very faith, he upholds, recites, copies out, and expounds the twelve divisions of scripture, broadly proclaiming and spreading them for the sake of beings, delighting in generous giving, and cultivating wisdom — and, because his faculties are sharp, he remains firmly grounded in faith and wisdom, his mind never retrogressing, and, having never retrogressed, he then advances — this advancing is a likeness for the pratyekabuddha, who, though able to cross over himself, does not reach out to save others — this is named setting off — he is exactly like the fifth person at the bank of the Ganges. "The sixth person resolves to cross this great river of birth-and-death, and, having severed his own wholesome roots, sinks within it — yet, drawing close to a good friend, attains faith, and, through this attainment, is named as one who rises. Through this very faith, he upholds, recites, copies out, and expounds the twelve divisions of scripture, broadly proclaiming and spreading them for the sake of beings, delighting in generous giving, and cultivating wisdom — and, because his faculties are sharp, he remains firmly grounded in faith and wisdom, his mind never retrogressing, and, having never retrogressed, he advances further still, and reaches a shallow place — and, having reached this shallow place, he stops there and goes no further. This stopping without going further is a likeness for the bodhisattva, who, wishing to deliver every being, remains there, contemplating their own affliction — he is exactly like the sixth person at the bank of the Ganges. "The seventh person resolves to cross this great river of birth-and-death, and, having severed his own wholesome roots, sinks within it — yet, drawing close to a good friend, attains faith, and, having attained it, is named as one who rises. Through this very faith, he upholds, recites, copies out, and expounds the twelve divisions of scripture, broadly proclaiming and spreading them for the sake of beings, delighting in generous giving, and cultivating wisdom — and, because his faculties are sharp, he remains firmly grounded in faith and wisdom, his mind never retrogressing, and, having never retrogressed, he advances further still, and, having advanced, reaches the very far shore, climbing a great, high mountain, departed from every fear, and receiving great happiness in abundance. Good son, the mountain upon the far shore is a likeness for the Tathāgata; receiving this happiness is a likeness for the Buddha's own permanence; and this great, high mountain is a likeness for the great nirvāṇa."

"Good son, every one of these people at the bank of the Ganges was fully endowed with hands and feet, and yet was unable to cross. Every being is exactly the same: the jewel of the Buddha, the jewel of the Dharma, and the jewel of the Saṅgha truly exist; the Tathāgata forever teaches the essential meaning of every dharma; the eightfold noble path and the great nirvāṇa truly exist — and yet every being remains unable to attain them. This is not my own fault, nor is it any fault of the noble path or of beings themselves — one should know that it is, in every case, the fault of affliction alone, and it is for this very reason that beings fail to attain nirvāṇa. Good son, it is like a skilled physician who knows the illness and prescribes the medicine — should the patient fail to take it, this is not the physician's fault at all. Good son, it is like a donor who gives everything he has to everyone — should someone refuse to accept it, this is not the donor's fault at all. Good son, it is like the sun rising, illuminating every dark place at once — should a blind man fail to see the road before him, this is not the sun's fault at all. Good son, it is like the water of the Ganges, able to quench every thirst — should a thirsty man fail to drink of it, this is not the water's fault at all. Good son, it is like the great earth, bringing forth every kind of fruit equally, without discrimination — should a farmer fail to plant his seed, this is not the earth's fault at all. Good son, the Tathāgata broadly opens and distinctly expounds the twelve divisions of scripture for the sake of every being alike — should beings fail to receive them, this is not the Tathāgata's fault at all. Good son, should one truly cultivate the path, he thereby attains unsurpassed, complete awakening.

"Good son, you say that, since every being possesses buddha-nature, he ought to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, exactly as iron is drawn to a magnet. Excellent, excellent! It is indeed through the very cause and condition of buddha-nature's own power that one attains unsurpassed, complete awakening — but to say, on this account, that there is no need to cultivate the noble path at all is, I think, not correct. Good son, it is like a man traveling through the wilderness who, thirsting, comes upon a well — this well is deep and dark, and, though he cannot see the water within it, he knows for certain that water must be there. This man then, through skillful means, seeks out a bucket and a rope, and, drawing it up, he sees the water at last. Buddha-nature is exactly the same: though every being, without exception, already possesses it, he must still cultivate the undefiled noble path before he is able to see it at last. Good son, it is like sesame seed, from which one obtains oil — apart from the proper means, one is unable to see this oil at all; sugarcane is exactly the same. Good son, it is like the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, or Uttarakuru in the north — though these truly exist, without wholesome karma and the power of supernatural attainment, one is unable to see them at all. The roots of grass within the earth, and the water beneath the ground, are hidden from beings' own sight because the earth covers them over. Buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is because the noble path is not cultivated that it cannot be seen. "Good son, as you yourself have said, there are, in the world, sick people who, should they receive proper care, a skilled physician, good medicine, and food and drink suited to their illness, are entirely cured — and, should they fail to receive these, remain uncured. Good son, I have taught this very teaching for the sake of bodhisattvas of the sixth abiding and beyond. Good son, it is like empty space, which, with respect to every being, is neither internal nor external — and, being neither internal nor external, it is also without any obstruction. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same. Good son, it is like a man whose own wealth lies in some distant land — though it is not presently before him for him to freely make use of, should someone ask him about it, he can still say, 'It is mine.' Why is this? Because it certainly exists. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same: it is neither here nor there, and yet, because it is certain to be attained, one says that every being possesses it. Good son, it is like a being who performs every kind of karmic action, whether wholesome or unwholesome — this action is neither internal nor external. The very nature of this karma is neither existent nor non-existent; it is not something originally absent and now present, nor is it produced without any cause at all; it is not a case of one person acting and that same person alone experiencing the result, nor of one person acting and a different person experiencing it, nor of a different person acting and that same different person experiencing it — there is, in truth, no fixed actor and no fixed experiencer at all, and it is only once the proper season and conditions come together that its fruit is obtained. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same: it, too, is not something originally absent and now present, neither internal nor external, neither existent nor non-existent, neither here nor there; it does not come from anywhere else at all, nor does it arise without any cause or condition; nor is it the case that no being at all is able to see it — for there are bodhisattvas who, once the proper season and causes and conditions come together, are able to see it. This proper season is none other than the bodhisattva mahāsattva of the ten abidings cultivating the eightfold noble path, and attaining an equal mind toward every being — it is at exactly this time that he attains its seeing, and this can in no way be named a case of 'producing' it."

"Good son, when you say buddha-nature is like a magnet, this, I think, is not correct. Why is this? A stone does not, in truth, attract iron of its own accord at all — why is this? Because it possesses no mind and performs no action of its own. Good son, one thing arises because a different thing is present, and one thing perishes because that different thing is absent — there is, in truth, no fixed producer, and no fixed destroyer, at work at all. Good son, it is like a fierce fire, which does not, of itself, burn firewood — rather, the fire arises, and the firewood is destroyed, and this together is what is named 'burning firewood.' Good son, it is like the sunflower, which turns to follow the sun — and yet this sunflower possesses no reverent intention, no consciousness, and no action of its own at all; it is only because a different thing's own nature is present that it turns of itself. Good son, it is like the plantain tree, which grows in response to thunder — this tree possesses no ear, no mind, no intention, and no consciousness at all; it is only because a different thing is present that it grows, and only because that different thing is absent that it withers and dies. Good son, it is like the aśoka tree, whose flowers bloom forth when touched by a woman's own hand — this tree possesses no mind and no sense of touch at all; it is only because a different thing is present that its flowers emerge, and only because that different thing is absent that they wither and die. Good son, it is like the orange tree, whose fruit becomes abundant when it receives a corpse's own remains — and yet this orange tree possesses no mind and no sense of touch at all; it is only because a different thing is present that its fruit becomes abundant, and only because that different thing is absent that it withers away. Good son, it is like the pomegranate tree, whose fruit becomes lush and abundant through bone-meal and manure — and this pomegranate tree, too, possesses no mind and no sense of touch at all; it is only because a different thing is present that it arises, and only because that different thing is absent that it perishes. Good son, a magnet's attraction of iron is exactly the same: it is only because a different thing is present that this attraction arises, and only because that different thing is absent that it ceases. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is not itself capable of 'attracting' unsurpassed, complete awakening at all. Good son, ignorance is not itself capable of 'attracting' formations, nor are formations themselves capable of 'attracting' consciousness — and yet it may still be said that ignorance conditions formations, and formations condition consciousness. Whether or not a buddha appears in the world, the Dharma-realm abides forever, unchanging. "Good son, should one say that buddha-nature dwells within beings — good son, a permanent dharma has no dwelling place at all; should it have a dwelling place, it would thereby be impermanent. Good son, it is like the twelve links of dependent origination, which have no fixed dwelling place at all — were they to have a fixed dwelling place, the twelve links could not be named permanent. The Tathāgata's own Dharma-body, likewise, has no dwelling place at all; the Dharma-realm, the Dharma sense-fields, the Dharma aggregates, and empty space — all are, without exception, without any dwelling place at all. Buddha-nature is exactly the same, entirely without any dwelling place at all. Good son, it is like the four great elements, whose own power, though equal, manifests as solidity, heat, moisture, and motion, and as heavy, light, red, white, yellow, and black — and yet these four elements themselves perform no action of their own at all; it is only because they belong to different classes of dharma that they each differ from one another. Buddha-nature is exactly the same: it is only because it belongs to a different class of dharma that it manifests once its own proper season arrives. Good son, it is because every being's own buddha-nature never retrogresses that it is named 'existent' — because it is avaivartika, because it is certain to come to be, because its attainment is decisive, and because its seeing is certain — it is for these very reasons that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature."

"Good son, it is like a king who commanded one of his own great ministers: 'Lead an elephant here, and show it to some blind men.' This minister, having received the king's own command, gathered together a great many blind men, and showed the elephant to them. Each of these blind men then touched it with his own hands, and the minister returned and said to the king: 'I have already shown it to them, as you commanded.' The great king then summoned each of these blind men in turn, and asked them: 'Have you now seen the elephant?' Each of the blind men answered: 'I have already seen it.' The king said: 'What kind of thing, then, is an elephant?' The one who had touched its tusk said that an elephant's shape was like a radish root; the one who had touched its ear said it was like a winnowing basket; the one who had touched its head said it was like a stone; the one who had touched its trunk said it was like a pestle; the one who had touched its leg said it was like a wooden mortar; the one who had touched its back said it was like a bed; the one who had touched its belly said it was like a large jar; and the one who had touched its tail said it was like a rope. Good son, these blind men, though they did not truly describe the elephant's own actual body, cannot be said to have described nothing at all either. Were every one of these various descriptions entirely without any elephant in them at all, there would then be no elephant whatsoever apart from them — and yet there is. Good son, the king is a likeness for the Tathāgata, the perfectly, fully awakened one; the minister is a likeness for this very Vaipulya Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra; the elephant is a likeness for buddha-nature; and the blind men are a likeness for every being covered in ignorance.

"These beings, upon hearing the Buddha's teaching, may say among themselves: 'Form is itself buddha-nature. Why is this? Though this form perishes, it continues on, one form following another in unbroken succession, and it is through this that the unsurpassed thirty-two marks of the Tathāgata are finally attained. The Tathāgata's own form is permanent, and, because the Tathāgata's own form is forever unbroken, form is thus said to be named buddha-nature. It is like genuine gold, whose own substance may be reshaped, and yet whose color remains forever unchanged — at one time fashioned into a bracelet, at another into a hairpin, at another into a tray, and yet its own golden color is never altered in the least. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same: though its own substance is impermanent, its own color is permanent — it is for this very reason that form is said to be buddha-nature.' There are, further, those who say: 'Feeling is itself buddha-nature. Why is this? Through the cause and condition of feeling, one attains the Tathāgata's own true bliss — the Tathāgata's own feeling is named ultimate feeling, the feeling of the highest truth. A being's own feeling, though impermanent in its own nature, nonetheless continues on in unbroken succession, and it is through this that the Tathāgata's own permanent feeling is finally attained. It is like a man of the Kauśika clan-name — though the man himself is impermanent, his own clan-name remains permanent, unaltered across a thousand, ten thousand generations. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is for this very reason that feeling is said to be buddha-nature.' There are, further, those who say: 'Perception is itself buddha-nature. Why is this? Through the cause and condition of perception, one attains the Tathāgata's own true perception — the Tathāgata's own perception is named the perception free of perception, and this perception free of perception is neither the perception of an ordinary being, nor the perception of male or female, nor the perception of form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, nor even the perception of perception's own cessation. A being's own perception, though impermanent, continues on in unbroken succession, and it is through this that the Tathāgata's own ever-abiding perception is finally attained. Good son, it is like a being's own twelve links of dependent origination: though the being himself perishes, these very links remain permanent. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is for this very reason that perception is said to be buddha-nature.' There are, further, those who say: 'Formations are themselves buddha-nature. Why is this? Formations are named as one's own lifespan, and, through the cause and condition of this lifespan, one attains the Tathāgata's own ever-abiding lifespan. A being's own lifespan, though impermanent, continues on in unbroken succession, and it is through this that the Tathāgata's own truly permanent lifespan is finally attained. Good son, it is like the twelve divisions of scripture: though the one who hears them and the one who teaches them are both impermanent, this very scripture endures forever, unchanging. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is for this very reason that formations are said to be buddha-nature.' There are, further, those who say: 'Consciousness is itself buddha-nature. Through the cause and condition of consciousness, one attains the Tathāgata's own equal mind. A being's own mental consciousness, though impermanent, continues on in unbroken succession, and it is through this that the Tathāgata's own truly permanent mind is finally attained — it is like fire's own heat: though fire itself is impermanent, its heat is not impermanent. A being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same — it is for this very reason that consciousness is said to be buddha-nature.'

"There are, further, those who say: 'Apart from the aggregates, there is a self, and this self is itself buddha-nature. Why is this? Through the cause and condition of self, one attains the Tathāgata's own self, possessed of the eight kinds of mastery. There are non-Buddhist teachers who speak of coming and going, seeing and hearing, sorrow and joy, and speech itself, calling all of these "self" — and, though this very mark of self is impermanent, the Tathāgata's own self is truly permanent. Good son, it is like the aggregates, sense-fields, and elements, which, though impermanent, still bear a permanent name — a being's own buddha-nature is exactly the same.' Good son, it is like those blind men, each describing the elephant in his own way — though none of them grasped its true reality, none of them can be said to have described nothing at all. Speaking of buddha-nature is exactly the same: it is neither identical to these six dharmas, nor separate from these six dharmas. Good son, it is for this very reason that I teach that a being's own buddha-nature is not form, and yet is not separate from form — and, all the way through, is not self, and yet is not separate from self. Good son, there are non-Buddhist teachers who, though they speak of a self, in truth have no genuine self at all in mind. A being's own self is nothing other than the five aggregates themselves — apart from the aggregates, there is no separate self at all. Good son, it is like the stem, leaves, filaments, and receptacle, which together form a lotus flower — apart from these, there is no separate flower at all; a being's own self is exactly the same. Good son, it is like walls, grass, and wood, which, coming together, are named a house — apart from these, there is no separate house at all. It is like the khadira tree, the palāśa tree, the nyagrodha tree, and the udumbara tree, which, together, form a forest — apart from these, there is no separate forest at all. It is like chariots, elephants, cavalry, and infantry, which, together, form an army — apart from these, there is no separate army at all. It is like threads of five different colors woven together, named a piece of fine brocade — apart from these, there is no separate brocade at all. It is like the four castes, which, together, are named the great populace — apart from these, there is no separate populace at all. A being's own self is exactly the same — apart from the five aggregates, there is no separate self at all. Good son, the Tathāgata's own ever-abiding nature is what is truly named 'self.' The Tathāgata's own Dharma-body is boundless and unobstructed, neither arising nor ceasing, fully endowed with the eight kinds of mastery — this is what is named 'self.' Beings, in truth, possess no self, and nothing belonging to a self, of this kind at all — it is only because they are certain, in the end, to attain ultimate emptiness in the highest sense that this is named buddha-nature.'"

"Good son, great loving-kindness and great compassion are themselves named buddha-nature. Why is this? Great loving-kindness and great compassion forever follow the bodhisattva, exactly as a shadow follows a form, and every being, without exception, is certain, in the end, to attain great loving-kindness and great compassion — it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. Great loving-kindness and great compassion are themselves named buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself named the Tathāgata. Great sympathetic joy and great equanimity are themselves named buddha-nature. Why is this? Should a bodhisattva mahāsattva be unable to relinquish attachment to the twenty-five states of existence, he could never attain unsurpassed, complete awakening at all. Because every being is certain, in the end, to attain this very quality, it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. Great sympathetic joy and great equanimity are themselves buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. "Buddha-nature is named great faith. Why is this? Through faith, a bodhisattva mahāsattva is thereby able to fully complete the perfection of giving, all the way through to the perfection of wisdom. Because every being, without exception, is certain, in the end, to attain this great faith, it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. Great faith is itself buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. Buddha-nature is named the single-child stage. Why is this? Through the very cause and condition of the single-child stage, a bodhisattva thereby attains an equal mind toward every being, exactly as a parent regards an only child. Because every being, without exception, is certain, in the end, to attain this single-child stage, it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. The single-child stage is itself buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. "Buddha-nature is named the fourth power. Why is this? Through the very cause and condition of this fourth power, a bodhisattva is thereby able to teach and transform beings. Because every being, without exception, is certain, in the end, to attain this fourth power, it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. This fourth power is itself buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. "Buddha-nature is named the twelve links of dependent origination. Why is this? Through this very cause and condition, the Tathāgata abides forever. Every being, without exception, certainly possesses these very twelve links — it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. The twelve links of dependent origination are themselves buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. "Buddha-nature is named the four unobstructed knowledges. Through the very cause and condition of these four unobstructed knowledges, one is able to speak of word and meaning without any obstruction at all, and, being unobstructed in word and meaning, one is thereby able to teach and transform beings. These four unobstructed knowledges are themselves buddha-nature, and buddha-nature is itself the Tathāgata. "Buddha-nature is named the crown samādhi — through cultivating this very crown samādhi, one is thereby able to gather in the whole of the Buddha's own teaching entirely, and it is for this very reason that the crown samādhi is said to be named buddha-nature. The bodhisattva of the ten abidings, cultivating this very samādhi, has not yet fully completed it, and, though he sees buddha-nature, does not see it with complete clarity. Because every being, without exception, is certain, in the end, to attain it, it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. "Good son, every one of the various dharmas taught above — every being, without exception, is certain, in the end, to attain them, and it is for this very reason that every being, without exception, is said to possess buddha-nature. "Good son, were I to say directly that form itself is buddha-nature, beings, upon hearing this, would give rise to a wrong, inverted view, and, through this very wrong view, would, at the end of their own lives, fall into the Avīci hell. The Tathāgata teaches the Dharma in order to put an end to hell — it is for this very reason that I do not say that form itself is buddha-nature, and the same holds all the way through to consciousness as well. "Good son, should any being already fully understand buddha-nature, he would then have no need to cultivate the path at all — and yet the bodhisattva of the ten abidings, cultivating the eightfold noble path, sees only a little of buddha-nature — how much less, then, could one who does not cultivate it at all possibly see it? Good son, bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī have already, across immeasurable ages, cultivated the noble path and come to fully understand buddha-nature — how, then, could any śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha possibly know buddha-nature at all? Should any being wish to come to fully understand buddha-nature with complete clarity, he ought, with his whole mind, to uphold, recite, copy out, expound, make offerings to, honor, revere, and praise this very Nirvāṇa Sūtra; and, upon seeing anyone who upholds it, all the way through to praising it, he ought to provide him with fine lodging, clothing, food and drink, bedding, and medicine for illness, and, further, praise him, bow to him, and greet him with respect. Good son, it is only one who has, across immeasurable, boundless ages in the past, drawn close to and made offerings to immeasurable buddhas, deeply planting wholesome roots, who is then able to hear even the mere name of this very sūtra. Good son, buddha-nature is inconceivable; the jewels of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha are, likewise, inconceivable; that every being, without exception, possesses buddha-nature, and yet is unable to know it, is, likewise, inconceivable; the Tathāgata's own dharma of permanence, bliss, self, and purity is, likewise, inconceivable; and that any being at all is able to believe in this very Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra is, likewise, inconceivable."

Lion's Roar Bodhisattva said: "World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught, that any being at all is able to believe in this very Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra is inconceivable. World-Honored One, within this very great assembly, there are eighty-five thousand koṭis of people who have not yet given rise to any faith in this very sūtra at all — it is for this very reason that whoever is able to believe in this sūtra may indeed be named inconceivable." "Good son, these very people, too, shall, in a future age, certainly come to believe in this very scripture, see buddha-nature, and attain unsurpassed, complete awakening."

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, how does a non-retrogressing bodhisattva come to know for himself, with certainty, that he possesses a mind that will never retrogress?" The Buddha said: "Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva ought to test his own mind through austerity: eating but a single sesame seed each day, for a full seven days, and then a single grain of rice, a single mung bean, a single flax seed, a single grain of millet, and a single white bean, each in turn, for a full seven days apiece. While eating but a single sesame seed, he reflects in this way: 'An austerity of this kind brings no benefit at all. If I am already able to perform something that brings no benefit at all, how much more, then, ought I to perform something that truly does bring benefit? Since I am able to endure this benefit-less exertion without ever retrogressing or wavering, I am therefore certain to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening.' As he cultivates austerity of this kind, day after day, all his own skin and flesh grow gaunt and wasted, wrinkled and shrunken, exactly like a fresh gourd cut open and left out in the sun; his own eyes grow sunken and hollow, exactly like stars glimpsed from the bottom of a well; his flesh is entirely exhausted, his ribs protruding, exactly like a decaying, thatched hut; his spine stands out in a row, exactly like a heavy string of bricks; and the very place where he sits bears an impression like a horse's own hoofprint. Wishing to sit, he collapses; wishing to rise, he falls back down — and yet, though he undergoes suffering of exactly this benefit-less kind, his own mind never retrogresses from bodhi. "Furthermore, good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva, for the sake of destroying every suffering and bestowing peace and happiness, is able to relinquish even his own internal and external wealth, and even his own body and life, exactly as one casts aside a blade of grass. Should he be able to hold his own body and life this lightly, a bodhisattva of exactly this kind knows for himself, with certainty, that he possesses a mind that will never retrogress, thinking: 'I am certain to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening.' "Furthermore, a bodhisattva, for the sake of the Dharma, carves out a hollow in his own body to serve as a lamp, wraps his own skin and flesh with cotton cloth, pours in butter oil, and lights it as a wick. The bodhisattva, at that time, undergoes this very great suffering, and, reproaching his own mind, says: 'Suffering of exactly this kind is not even a single part in a hundred thousand, ten thousand parts of the suffering of hell. Should you undergo this very great suffering across immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kalpas without any benefit at all, and yet be unable to endure even this slight suffering here, how, then, could you ever rescue suffering beings within hell itself?' When a bodhisattva mahāsattva contemplates in exactly this way, his own body feels no suffering at all, and his own mind neither retrogresses, nor wavers, nor is shaken. A bodhisattva, at exactly such a time, ought to know deeply, for himself: 'I am certain to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening.' Good son, a bodhisattva, at that time, though still fully endowed with affliction not yet severed, is, for the sake of the Dharma, able to give his own head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, blood, and flesh to beings, to be driven through with nails, to be cast from a cliff, or to be thrown into fire. A bodhisattva, at that time, though he undergoes suffering of exactly this immeasurable kind, if his own mind neither retrogresses, nor wavers, nor is shaken, a bodhisattva ought to know: 'I now certainly possess a mind that will never retrogress, and shall certainly attain unsurpassed, complete awakening.'"

"Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva, for the sake of destroying every being's own suffering and affliction, vows to take on the coarse, great body of an animal, giving his own blood and flesh to beings — and, when beings take from it, he gives rise to compassion for them even then, holding his own breath so as not to gasp, feigning the appearance of death, so that those who take from him give rise to no doubt or hesitation about committing killing. Though the bodhisattva undergoes an animal's own body, he never, in the end, commits an animal's own karmic action. Why is this? Good son, once a bodhisattva has already attained a mind that never retrogresses, he never, in the end, commits any karmic action belonging to the three evil destinies at all. Should a bodhisattva mahāsattva, in some future age, have even the slightest, dust-mote's worth of evil karmic fruit that is not certain to be experienced, he, through the power of his own great vow, receives it entirely, for the sake of beings. It is like a sick person possessed by a spirit, this spirit hidden within his own body — through the power of an incantation, it is made to manifest at once, speaking, rejoicing, growing angry, cursing, weeping, or crying out. A bodhisattva mahāsattva's own karma belonging to the three evil destinies, in future ages, is exactly the same. When a bodhisattva mahāsattva takes on the body of a bear, he forever expounds the true Dharma for the sake of beings. Or, taking on the body of a kapiñjala bird, he expounds the true Dharma for the sake of beings. And so, taking on the body of a bull, a deer, a hare, an elephant, a ram, a monkey, a white dove, a garuḍa, or a nāga serpent — when he takes on animal bodies of exactly this kind, he never, in the end, commits any evil karmic action belonging to an animal at all, but forever expounds the true Dharma for the sake of every other animal and being, so that they, upon hearing the Dharma, may swiftly come to be freed from their own animal bodies. A bodhisattva, at that time, though he takes on an animal's own body, commits no evil karma at all — one should therefore know that he certainly possesses a mind that will never retrogress. "A bodhisattva mahāsattva, in an age of famine, seeing starving beings, takes on the body of a turtle or a fish, immeasurable yojanas in size, and further makes this very vow: 'May every being, taking from my own flesh, find it renewed as quickly as it is taken, and, through eating my own flesh, be freed from the suffering of hunger and thirst, and may every one of them give rise to the mind of unsurpassed, complete awakening.' The bodhisattva makes this vow: 'Should any being, through me, be freed from hunger and thirst, may he, in a future age, swiftly come to be freed forever from the affliction of hunger and thirst throughout all twenty-five states of existence.' Should a bodhisattva mahāsattva undergo suffering of exactly this kind, his own mind never retrogressing, one should know that he is certain to attain unsurpassed, complete awakening."

"Furthermore, a bodhisattva, in an age of plague and pestilence, seeing beings suffering illness, reflects in this way: 'It is like the king of medicinal trees: should there be a sick person, taking its root, its stem, its branch, its leaf, its flower, its fruit, its bark, or its skin, he is entirely cured of his illness — may this very body of mine be exactly the same: should there be a sick person, upon merely hearing my voice, touching my body, or consuming my blood and flesh, all the way down to my marrow, may his illness be entirely cured; and may every being, when eating my own flesh, give rise to no ill will at all, exactly as though eating the flesh of his own child; and, once I have cured his illness, may I forever teach the Dharma for him, and may he receive it with faith, reflect upon it, and, in turn, teach it to others.' Furthermore, good son, though a bodhisattva, still fully endowed with affliction, undergoes bodily suffering, his own mind neither retrogresses, nor wavers, nor is shaken — one should know that he is certain to attain a mind that never retrogresses, and to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening. "Furthermore, good son, should any being suffer illness caused by a spirit, a bodhisattva, seeing this, at once makes this very statement: 'May I take on the body of a spirit, a great body, a mighty body, a body with a great retinue, so that this being, upon merely hearing of me or seeing me, may be cured of his illness.' A bodhisattva mahāsattva diligently cultivates austerity for the sake of beings, and, though affliction is present, it never defiles his own mind. "Furthermore, good son, though a bodhisattva mahāsattva cultivates the practice of the six perfections, he does not seek the fruit of the six perfections for himself at all. While cultivating the unsurpassed six perfections, he makes this very vow: 'I now give these very six perfections to every being — and may every single being, upon receiving my own gift, come to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening; and may I myself, for the sake of these six perfections, diligently cultivate austerity and undergo every kind of suffering and affliction, and, at the very moment I undergo this suffering, may my own bodhi-mind never retrogress.' Good son, when a bodhisattva mahāsattva makes a vow of exactly this kind, this is named the very mark of a bodhi-mind that never retrogresses. "Furthermore, good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva is inconceivable. Why is this? A bodhisattva mahāsattva knows deeply that birth-and-death is full of every kind of fault, and observes that the great nirvāṇa possesses great merit — and yet, for the sake of every being, he remains within birth-and-death, undergoing every kind of suffering, his mind never retrogressing — this is named the bodhisattva's own inconceivability. Furthermore, good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva gives rise to compassion without any prior cause or condition at all, and, though he truly receives no kindness from beings at all, he forever bestows kindness upon them, and, though he bestows this kindness, he seeks no repayment for it at all — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. Furthermore, good son, there are beings who cultivate austerity for their own benefit alone — a bodhisattva mahāsattva cultivates austerity for the benefit of others, and this itself is named his own true self-benefit — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. "Furthermore, a bodhisattva, though still fully endowed with affliction, cultivates an equal mind toward every suffering he undergoes, whether at the hands of friend or foe, in order to destroy the very distinction between them — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. Furthermore, a bodhisattva, upon seeing evil, unwholesome beings, whether he rebukes them, speaks gently to them, drives them away, or abandons them — should one be evil by nature, he manifests gentle speech toward him; should one be arrogant, he manifests great arrogance in turn — and yet his own inner mind, in truth, holds no arrogance at all — this is named the bodhisattva's own inconceivable skillful means. Furthermore, a bodhisattva, though still fully endowed with affliction, when he possesses but little wealth while many come seeking his help, his own mind never grows narrow or constricted — this is named the bodhisattva's own inconceivability. Furthermore, a bodhisattva, at a time when a buddha has already appeared in the world, knowing the Buddha's own merit, nonetheless takes on, for the sake of beings, a body born in a place without any buddha at all, in some border region, as one blind, deaf, lame, or crippled — this is named the bodhisattva's own inconceivability. Furthermore, a bodhisattva knows deeply every fault and transgression a being possesses, and, for the sake of delivering him, forever accompanies him — and, though he follows this being's own intentions, he is never stained by that being's own defiling transgressions at all — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. "Furthermore, a bodhisattva knows and sees with complete clarity that there is no mark of any being at all, no defilement by any affliction at all, and no cultivation of any path that departs from affliction at all — and yet, though there is, in this sense, no bodhi to be sought and no conduct of bodhi at all, and no one who accomplishes the conduct of bodhi, and no one who undergoes suffering and no one who destroys suffering — he is nonetheless still able, for the sake of beings, to perform the very austerities and conduct of bodhi that destroy suffering — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable."

"Furthermore, a bodhisattva who receives his very last body dwells within the Tuṣita heaven, and this, too, is named inconceivable. Why is this? The Tuṣita heaven is the most excellent among the heavens of the desire realm — those in the heavens below it are of too heedless a mind, and those in the heavens above it are of too dull and dim a faculty, and it is for this very reason that Tuṣita alone is named excellent. Through cultivating giving and precept-keeping, one attains a body in a lower or higher heaven; through cultivating giving, precept-keeping, and concentration together, one attains a body in Tuṣita itself. Yet every bodhisattva censures and denounces every state of existence, seeking to destroy every state of existence entirely — and yet he never, in the end, actually performs the very karmic action that produces a Tuṣita body, and receives that heavenly body regardless. Why is this? Because a bodhisattva, even should he dwell within any other state of existence, is equally able to teach and transform beings there — he is truly without any desire at all, and yet is born within the desire realm regardless — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. A bodhisattva mahāsattva born in the Tuṣita heaven possesses three superior things: life, form, and name. A bodhisattva mahāsattva, in truth, seeks none of these three — life, form, or renown — at all, and yet, though he has no mind that seeks them, what he attains nonetheless surpasses all others. A bodhisattva mahāsattva delights deeply in nirvāṇa, and yet, through this very cause and condition, still surpasses all others — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. A bodhisattva mahāsattva, though these three things surpass every god's own, is never, on this account, met with anger, envy, or arrogance from any of these very gods — they forever give rise to joy toward him instead, and the bodhisattva, likewise, holds no arrogance at all toward these gods — it is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. A bodhisattva mahāsattva performs no karmic action at all that would produce a fixed lifespan, and yet, within that heaven, attains a lifespan lasting to its very completion — this is named the superiority of his life. He likewise performs no karmic action that would produce a fine form, and yet his own wondrous, radiant body fills that realm with light — this is named the superiority of his form. A bodhisattva mahāsattva, dwelling within that heavenly palace, takes no delight at all in the five desires, but occupies himself solely with matters of the Dharma — and it is for this very reason that his own renown fills all ten directions — this is named the superiority of his name. It is for this very reason that he is, further, named inconceivable. "When a bodhisattva mahāsattva descends from the Tuṣita heaven, the great earth, at that very moment, shakes in six ways — and this, too, is named inconceivable. Why is this? At the very moment the bodhisattva descends, every god of the desire and form realms comes to attend and escort him, giving forth a great sound in praise of the bodhisattva, and it is the very breath and wind of their own voices that causes the earth to shake. There is, further, the bodhisattva who is himself the elephant-king among humans, and this very elephant-king among humans is named the nāga-king — and, at the very moment this nāga-king first enters the womb, every other nāga-king dwelling beneath this earth is filled, some with terror, and some with joy — and it is for this very reason that the great earth shakes in six ways. This, too, is named inconceivable. "A bodhisattva mahāsattva knows the very moment of entering the womb, the moment of dwelling within it, and the moment of emerging from it, and knows his own father and mother, and yet remains entirely undefiled and unstained throughout, exactly like the blue jewel set within Indra's own crown. This, too, is named inconceivable.

"Good son, this Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra, too, is exactly the same, inconceivable. Good son, it is like the great ocean, which possesses eight inconceivable qualities. What are these eight? First, it gradually grows ever deeper; second, its depth is so great that its own bottom can hardly be reached; third, it shares one and the same salty taste throughout; fourth, its tide never exceeds its own proper limit; fifth, it contains every kind of treasure; sixth, beings of great size dwell within it; seventh, it never harbors a dead body; and eighth, though every river and every great rain pours into it, it neither increases nor decreases. Good son, its gradual deepening has three causes. What are these three? First, beings' own merit and power; second, its own flowing in accord with the wind; and third, the rivers that flow into it — and, likewise, all the way through to its neither increasing nor decreasing, each of these eight qualities, too, has its own three causes. "This subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa is exactly the same, possessing eight inconceivable qualities. First, it grows gradually deeper. Namely: the precepts of the lay follower, the novice, the monk, and the bodhisattva; and the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, arhatship, the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva, and unsurpassed, complete awakening — this Nirvāṇa Sūtra teaches dharmas of exactly this kind, and it is for this very reason that it is named 'gradually deeper.' "Second, its depth is so great that its own bottom can hardly be reached. The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, neither arises nor ceases, neither attains unsurpassed, complete awakening, nor turns the wheel of the Dharma, neither eats nor receives anything, nor performs any act of generous giving — and it is for this very reason that he is named possessing permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Every being, without exception, possesses buddha-nature — and buddha-nature is not form, and yet is not separate from form; and, all the way through, is not consciousness, and yet is not separate from consciousness — it is permanent and can be seen, and is a revealing cause, not a generative cause. The stream-enterer, all the way up to the pratyekabuddha, shall attain unsurpassed, complete awakening, and yet, at present, possesses no affliction and no dwelling-place at all — and yet, though he is free of affliction, this does not yet make him permanent — it is for this very reason that this is named 'deep.' There is, further, a still deeper depth: within this very sūtra, self is taught at one time, and no-self at another; permanence at one time, and impermanence at another; purity at one time, and impurity at another; bliss at one time, and suffering at another; emptiness at one time, and non-emptiness at another; the existence of everything at one time, and the non-existence of everything at another; the three vehicles at one time, and the one vehicle at another; that the five aggregates are themselves buddha-nature, the vajra samādhi, and the middle way; the Śūraṅgama samādhi, the twelve links of dependent origination, ultimate emptiness in the highest sense, and equal loving-kindness and compassion; the crown-wisdom and faith belonging to every being; knowledge of every faculty's own power; and unobstructed knowledge within every dharma — and yet, though buddha-nature is thus taught, no single, fixed formulation of it is ever given as final — it is for this very reason that this is named 'deep.' "Third, it shares one and the same taste throughout. Every being, without exception, shares the very same buddha-nature, the very same single vehicle, the very same liberation, the very same cause, the very same fruit, and the very same ambrosia — every being, without exception, shall attain permanence, bliss, self, and purity — this is named 'one taste.' "Fourth, its tide never exceeds its own proper limit. Within this very sūtra, every monk is forbidden from accepting and keeping any of the eight kinds of impure object. Should any of my own disciples be able to uphold, recite, copy out, expound, and distinctly explain this very subtle and wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa, he ought rather to lose his own body and life than ever once violate this rule — this is named 'the tide never exceeding its own limit.' "Fifth, it contains every kind of treasure. This very sūtra is itself an immeasurable treasury. What is meant by this treasure is the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of supernatural power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, the eightfold noble path, infant-like conduct, noble conduct, pure conduct, and heavenly conduct, every kind of skillful means, every being's own buddha-nature, the merit of the bodhisattva, the merit of the Tathāgata, the merit of the śrāvaka, the merit of the pratyekabuddha, the six perfections, immeasurable samādhis, and immeasurable wisdom — this is named its treasury. "Sixth, it is the dwelling-place of beings of great size. Beings of great size are the buddhas and bodhisattvas — named great beings on account of their great wisdom, their great body, their great mind, their great adornment, their great taming power, their great skillful means, their great teaching of the Dharma, their great strength, their great retinue, their great supernatural power, their great loving-kindness and compassion, their forever unchanging nature, their freedom from obstruction toward every being, and their capacity to embrace every being at once — this is named the dwelling-place of beings of great size. "Seventh, it never harbors a dead body. A dead body means the icchantika; one who has violated the four gravest precepts, or the five crimes of immediate retribution; one who has slandered the Vaipulya scriptures; one who calls non-Dharma the Dharma, and the Dharma non-Dharma; one who accepts and keeps the eight kinds of impure object, freely using property belonging to the Buddha or the Saṅgha as he wishes; or one who commits an unlawful act with a monk or a nun — this is named a dead body. This Nirvāṇa Sūtra is free of every one of these, and it is for this very reason that it is named 'never harboring a dead body.' "Eighth, it neither increases nor decreases. Because it is without any boundary at all, without beginning or end, not form, not a produced thing, ever-abiding, neither arising nor ceasing, because every being, without exception, is equal within it, and because the nature of every dharma shares one and the same nature — it is for these very reasons that this is named 'neither increasing nor decreasing.' It is for this very reason that this sūtra, exactly like that great ocean, possesses these eight inconceivable qualities."

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, if it is said that the Tathāgata's own being neither born nor ceasing is what makes this teaching 'deep' — every being has four kinds of birth: egg-birth, womb-birth, moisture-birth, and transformation-birth, and all four kinds of birth are found among human beings. As with the monk Śvetaka, the monk Upaśvetaka, the mother of the elder Mṛgāra, the mother of the elder Nyagrodha, and the mother of the elder Pañcaśāla, each of whom bore five hundred children by egg-birth — one should therefore know that egg-birth, too, is found among human beings. Moisture-birth is exemplified, as the Buddha himself has taught, by my own past life as a bodhisattva, when I became King Mūrdhaja and King Hastigarbha; and, as is now taught, by the amra-tree woman and the kapittha-tree woman — one should therefore know that moisture-birth, too, is found among human beings. At the very beginning of the kalpa, every being, without exception, was born by transformation. The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, having attained the eight kinds of mastery — for what cause and condition did he not choose transformation-birth for himself?" The Buddha said: "Good son, every being, born through any of these four kinds of birth, once he has attained the noble Dharma, no longer reverts to egg-birth or moisture-birth as he was born before. Good son, at the very beginning of the kalpa, every being was born by transformation, and, at exactly that time, no buddha had yet appeared in the world. Good son, it is like a being who, encountering the suffering of illness, requires a physician and medicine — at the very beginning of the kalpa, beings, born by transformation, though they possessed affliction, had not yet had their own illness manifest, and it is for this very reason that the Tathāgata did not appear in the world at that time. At the very beginning of the kalpa, beings' own bodies and minds were not yet fit vessels for the Dharma, and it is for this very reason, too, that the Tathāgata did not appear in the world then. Good son, the Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, possesses affairs and undertakings that surpass every other being — namely, his own lineage, his own retinue, and his own parents. Because these are so excellent, whatever Dharma he teaches, every person believes and accepts it — it is for this very reason that the Tathāgata does not take on a transformation-body. Good son, every being has a father who performs the deeds of a father, and a son who performs the deeds of a son. Should the Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, take on a transformation-body, he would then have no father or mother at all — and, without a father or mother, how could he possibly cause every being to perform every kind of wholesome deed? It is for this very reason that the Tathāgata does not take on a transformation-body. Good son, within the Buddha's own true Dharma, there are two kinds of protection: internal, and external. Internal protection is the precepts themselves; external protection is one's own clan and kin. Should the Buddha, the Tathāgata, take on a transformation-body, he would then have no external protection at all — it is for this very reason that the Tathāgata does not take on a transformation-body. Good son, there are people who, relying upon their own lineage, give rise to arrogance — and the Tathāgata, wishing to destroy arrogance of exactly this kind, is born instead into a noble lineage, rather than taking on a transformation-body. Good son, the Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, has genuine parents — his father named Śuddhodana, and his mother named Māyā — and yet beings still say that this is all mere illusion. How, then, could he possibly take on a transformation-body instead? And, were he to take on a transformation-body, how could there possibly be relics from his own shattered body afterward? It is for the sake of increasing beings' own merit that the Tathāgata allows his own body to be shattered and offered for veneration — it is for this very reason that the Tathāgata does not take on a transformation-body. Every buddha, without exception, is entirely without transformation-birth — how, then, could I alone be made to take on a transformation-body?"

At that time, Lion's Roar Bodhisattva, joining his palms, kneeling upon both knees, his right knee touching the ground, praised the Buddha in this very verse: "The Tathāgata's own merit gathers beyond all measure, I am unable now to proclaim it at any length; yet, for the sake of beings, I shall speak of one small part — I beg only that you, in your own pity, hear what I now say. Beings walk within the darkness of their own ignorance, undergoing every one of a hundred kinds of boundless suffering; the World-Honored One is able to cause them to depart far from it, and it is for this very reason that the world calls him greatly compassionate. Beings turn endlessly upon the rope of birth-and-death, heedless and lost, without any peace or happiness at all; the Tathāgata is able to bestow peace and happiness upon every being, and it is for this very reason that he forever severs the rope of birth-and-death. Because the Buddha is able to bestow peace and happiness upon every being, he himself craves no happiness at all for his own sake; but cultivates austerity for the sake of every being instead, and it is for this very reason that the world rises up to make him offerings. Seeing another undergo suffering, his own body trembles, yet, dwelling within hell itself, he feels no pain at all; for the sake of every being, he undergoes this very great suffering, and it is for this very reason that he is unsurpassed, beyond all measure. The Tathāgata, for the sake of every being, cultivates austerity, accomplishing and fully completing the six perfections entire; his mind, amid the wind of every wrong view, remains unshaken, and it is for this very reason that he surpasses every great being in the world. Beings forever wish to attain peace and happiness, and yet do not know how to cultivate its own true cause; the Tathāgata is able to teach them, causing them to cultivate it, exactly as a loving father cherishes his own only child. The Buddha sees every being's own affliction and suffering, his own heart pained, exactly as a mother thinks of her sick child; forever reflecting on every skillful means to free them from illness, and it is for this very reason that this very body remains bound in service to others. Every being performs every kind of suffering action, their own mind inverted, mistaking it for happiness; the Tathāgata proclaims the true suffering and the true happiness, and it is for this very reason that he is named greatly compassionate. The whole world dwells within the shell of its own ignorance, and has no wise beak at all able to break it open; the Tathāgata's own wise beak is able to peck it apart, and it is for this very reason that he is named the very greatest of offspring. He is held by none of the three times at all, and has no fixed name or borrowed designation; he has awakened to and known nirvāṇa's own profound meaning, and it is for this very reason that the Buddha is called the great awakened one. There is a river whose eddies submerge every being, blinded by ignorance, unable to know how to escape it; the Tathāgata, having crossed it himself, is able to bring others across it too, and it is for this very reason that the Buddha is called the great ship's captain. He is able to know every cause and every fruit entirely, and is, further, fully versed in cessation and in the path; forever bestowing medicine upon every being's own sickness and suffering, and it is for this very reason that the world calls him the great king of physicians. The non-Buddhist teachers, holding wrong views, teach austerity, believing that, through it, one is able to attain the unsurpassed bliss; the Tathāgata proclaims the true conduct that truly leads to bliss, able to cause every being to receive genuine happiness. The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, destroys every wrong path, revealing to every being the true and genuine road; one who travels this very road attains peace and happiness, and it is for this very reason that the Buddha is called the guide. Not made by oneself, nor made by another, nor made by both together, nor arising without any cause at all; the very account of suffering that the Tathāgata teaches surpasses that of every non-Buddhist teacher there is. He has accomplished and fully completed precept, concentration, and wisdom, and, through this very Dharma, teaches every being as well; and, at the very moment he gives this Dharma, harbors no envy or stinginess at all, and it is for this very reason that the Buddha is called compassion without any condition. He performs no action at all, and depends on no cause at all, attaining neither cause nor fruit of any kind; and it is for this very reason that every wise person declares that the Tathāgata seeks no reward at all. Forever dwelling together with a heedless world, and yet his own body is never stained by heedlessness at all; it is for this very reason that he is named inconceivable, untouched by any of the eight worldly winds at all. The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, holds neither friend nor foe, and it is for this very reason that his own mind remains forever equal; I, Lion's Roar, praise this very great compassion, able to roar this immeasurable lion's roar."