Everything Is Pure, Holy Conduct

Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, what is meant by pure, holy conduct?" The Buddha said: "Good son, every dharma is." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, 'every dharma' is not a fixed meaning. Why is this? The Tathāgata, at times, teaches it as wholesome and unwholesome; at times teaches it as the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness; at times teaches it as the twelve sense-bases; at times teaches it as a good spiritual friend; at times teaches it as the twelve links; at times teaches it as beings themselves; at times teaches it as right view and wrong view; at times teaches it as the twelve divisions of the scriptures; and at times teaches it as the two truths — the Tathāgata now says that every dharma is pure, holy conduct, but which 'every dharma,' exactly, is meant?" The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent, good son! This subtle and wondrous great nirvāṇa sūtra is itself the very treasury of every wholesome dharma. Exactly as the great ocean is a treasury of every jewel, this nirvāṇa sūtra is exactly the same, the very secret treasury of every letter and every meaning. Good son, exactly as Mount Sumeru is the very root of every medicinal herb, this sūtra is exactly the same, the very root of the bodhisattva precepts. Good son, exactly as space is the very dwelling-place of every existent thing, this sūtra is exactly the same, the very dwelling-place of every wholesome dharma. Good son, exactly as a fierce wind cannot be bound by anything at all, this sūtra is exactly the same, never bound by any afflicted, evil dharma. Good son, exactly as vajra cannot be destroyed by anything, this sūtra is exactly the same — though non-Buddhist and evil people exist, they can never destroy it. Good son, exactly as the sands of the Ganges cannot be counted, this sūtra's own meaning is exactly the same, impossible to fully count. Good son, this scripture serves every bodhisattva as a banner of the Dharma, exactly like Śakra's own banner. Good son, this sūtra is the very caravan-leader guiding beings toward the city of nirvāṇa, exactly like a great guide leading merchants toward the great ocean. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as the very light of the Dharma for every bodhisattva, exactly as the sun and moon of the world dispel every darkness. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as a great medicine for beings afflicted by sickness and suffering, exactly as the wondrous medicine king in the fragrant mountains cures every illness. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as a staff for the icchantika, exactly as a frail person is able to rise again by leaning upon one. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as a bridge for every evil person, exactly as a bridge in the world allows everyone to cross. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as cool shade for those traveling through the twenty-five states of existence who encounter affliction's own heat, exactly as a canopy in the world shields against the summer's heat. Good son, this sūtra is itself the great, fearless king, able to destroy every afflicted, evil demon, exactly as the lion king subdues every beast. Good son, this sūtra is itself the great master of spells, able to destroy every afflicted, evil spirit, exactly as a spell-master in the world is able to drive away every goblin. Good son, this sūtra is itself the supreme frost and hail, able to destroy every fruit of birth and death's own retribution, exactly as hail in the world destroys every crop. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as a great medicine for those whose precept-eye has been damaged, exactly as the world's own añjana ointment skillfully cures a diseased eye. Good son, this sūtra is able to sustain every wholesome dharma, exactly as the earth of the world sustains every existent thing. Good son, this sūtra is itself a bright mirror for beings who have broken the precepts, exactly as a bright mirror in the world reveals every form and image. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as clothing for those without any sense of shame, exactly as clothing in the world shields the body from view. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as great wealth for those impoverished in wholesome dharmas, exactly as the goddess of merit benefits the poor. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as a stream of ambrosia for beings thirsting for the Dharma, exactly as water of the eight qualities satisfies the thirsty. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve as a bed of the Dharma for those afflicted, exactly as a person in the world finds peace upon a comfortable bed. Good son, this sūtra is able to serve, for bodhisattvas from the first ground up through the tenth abiding, as a necklace, as fragrant flowers and perfumed unguent, as powdered and burning incense, as the complete vehicle of the pure lineage, surpassing every place of subtle pleasure found even in the six perfections, exactly like the Trāyastriṃśa heaven's own pārijāta tree. "Good son, this sūtra is itself the sharp, keen axe of wisdom able to fell the great tree of every affliction; is itself the sharp knife able to cut away habitual tendencies; is itself the bold courage able to crush every demon and enemy; is itself the fire of wisdom that burns affliction's own kindling; is itself the storehouse of causes and conditions from which the pratyekabuddha emerges; is itself the storehouse of hearing from which the śrāvaka is born; is itself the very eye of every god; is itself the true path of every person; is itself the very refuge of every animal; is itself the very place of liberation for every hungry ghost; is itself the supreme lord of hell itself; is itself the supreme vessel for every being of the ten directions; and is itself the very father and mother of every buddha of the ten directions, past, present, and future. Good son, it is for this reason that this sūtra encompasses every dharma. As I have previously said, though this sūtra encompasses every dharma, I teach that pure, holy conduct is itself the thirty-seven factors that assist the path. Good son, apart from these thirty-seven factors, one can never attain the true fruit of the śrāvaka, nor, all the way through, the fruit of supreme, perfect awakening, nor behold buddha-nature or its fruit — and it is on account of exactly this that pure, holy conduct is itself these thirty-seven factors. Why is this? Because the nature of these thirty-seven factors is itself free of inversion, and is able to destroy inversion; is itself free of evil view, and is able to destroy evil view; is itself free of fear, and is able to destroy fear; and, its very nature being pure conduct, is able to cause beings, in the end, to bring about pure, holy conduct."

Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, a defiled dharma, too, is able to serve as the cause of an undefiled dharma — why, then, does the Tathāgata not teach that the defiled path is itself pure, holy conduct?" "Good son, every defiled dharma is itself inversion — and it is for this reason that the defiled can never be called pure, holy conduct." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, is the supreme worldly dharma itself defiled, or is it undefiled?" The Buddha said: "Good son, it is defiled." "World-Honored One, though it is defiled, its own nature is free of inversion — why, then, is it not called pure, holy conduct?" "Good son, the supreme worldly dharma, being the very cause of the undefiled, resembles the undefiled, and, tending toward the undefiled, is not called inversion. Good son, pure, holy conduct extends continuously from the very arising of the mind all the way to its final completion, while the supreme worldly dharma lasts but a single moment of thought — and it is for this reason that it cannot be called pure, holy conduct." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, beings' own five sense-consciousnesses are likewise defiled, yet are free of inversion, and are, further, not confined to a single moment — why, then, are they not called pure, holy conduct?" "Good son, beings' own five sense-consciousnesses, though not confined to a single moment, are nonetheless defiled, and are, further, inverted — increasing every defilement, they are called defiled. Their own essence lacking reality, and clinging to a false perception, they are called inverted. What is meant by their essence lacking reality, and clinging to a false perception producing inversion? Giving rise to the perception of male and female where there is, in truth, no male or female at all, and, all the way through, giving rise to the perception of dwelling, vehicle, vessel, and clothing in exactly the same way — this is called inversion. Good son, the very nature of the thirty-seven factors is free of inversion, and it is for this reason that they alone are properly called pure, holy conduct. Good son, should any bodhisattva, with regard to these thirty-seven factors, know the root, know the cause, know the inclusion, know the increase, know the lord, know the guide, know the supreme, know the real, and know the ultimate, a bodhisattva of exactly this kind is then called one who possesses pure, holy conduct."

Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, what is meant by knowing the root, all the way through to knowing the ultimate?" The Buddha said: "Good son, excellent, excellent! A bodhisattva raises a question for the sake of two things: knowing it for himself, and having others come to know it. You yourself already know this, and yet, for the sake of countless beings who do not yet understand, you raise this very request — and it is for this reason that I now praise you once again. Excellent, excellent! Good son, of these thirty-seven factors, the root is desire; the cause is called the contact of wisdom; the inclusion is called feeling; the increase is called wholesome reflection; the lord is called mindfulness; the guide is called concentration; the supreme is called wisdom; the real is called liberation; and the ultimate is called the great nirvāṇa. Good son, wholesome desire is itself the very root, from the first arising of the mind bent on the path, all the way through to supreme, perfect awakening — and it is for this reason that I teach desire as the root. Good son, exactly as it is said in the world that craving is the root of every suffering and affliction, that old, undigested food is the root of every illness, that quarreling is the root of every ended relationship, and that falsehood is the root of every evil deed." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, the Tathāgata has previously taught, in this very sūtra, that heedfulness is the root of every wholesome dharma — how, then, can it now be taught that desire is the root instead?" The Buddha said: "Good son, spoken of as a generative cause, wholesome desire is indeed the root; spoken of as a revealing cause, heedfulness is the root. Exactly as it is said in the world that, of every fruit, the seed is its cause — yet one might equally say that the seed is the generative cause, while the earth is the revealing cause — the meaning here is exactly the same." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, the Tathāgata has previously taught, in other sūtras, that the Buddha himself is the root of the thirty-seven factors — what is the meaning of this?" "Good son, the Tathāgata previously taught that, for a being first coming to know the thirty-seven factors, the Buddha is their root; but, once one has personally realized them for oneself, desire is the root." "World-Honored One, in what sense is the contact of wisdom called the cause?" "Good son, the Tathāgata, at times, speaks of wisdom as 'wisdom' itself, and, at other times, speaks of it as 'faith.' Good son, through the cause and condition of faith, one draws close to a good spiritual friend — this is called contact. Through the cause and condition of drawing close to such a friend, one comes to hear the true Dharma — this is called contact. Through hearing the true Dharma, body, speech, and mind become pure — this is called contact. Through the purity of these three karmas, one attains right livelihood — this is called contact. Through right livelihood, one attains pure conduct at the very root of the faculties; through this pure conduct, one delights in a still and quiet place; through delighting in stillness, one is able to reflect wisely; through wise reflection, one attains abiding in accordance with the Dharma; and through abiding in accordance with the Dharma, one attains the thirty-seven factors, able to destroy countless evil afflictions — this, too, is called contact. Good son, inclusion means to gather in — beings, at the moment of feeling, are able to perform either wholesome or unwholesome deeds, and it is for this reason that feeling is called the inclusion. Good son, on account of feeling as cause and condition, every affliction arises, yet the thirty-seven factors are able to destroy it — and it is for this reason, too, that feeling is called the inclusion. Through wise reflection, affliction is destroyed, and it is for this reason that it is called the increase. Why is this? Because it comes through diligent cultivation. Having attained these very thirty-seven factors, contemplating them so as to destroy every evil affliction requires single-minded mindfulness above all — and it is for this reason that mindfulness is called the lord. Exactly as, in the world, all four divisions of an army follow their commanding general's own intent, the thirty-seven factors are exactly the same, all following mindfulness as their own lord. Good son, having already entered concentration, the thirty-seven factors are thereby able to skillfully distinguish every mark of every dharma — and it is for this reason that concentration is called the guide. Among the thirty-seven factors' own distinguishing of every mark of dharma, wisdom is supreme above all — and it is for this reason that wisdom is called the supreme. Wisdom of this kind, having known affliction, through its very power, causes affliction to be dissolved and extinguished — exactly as, in the world, when four divisions of an army defeat an enemy, it may be one or two valiant warriors alone who actually accomplish it. The thirty-seven factors are exactly the same: through the power of wisdom, affliction is destroyed, and it is for this reason that wisdom is called the supreme. Good son, though one may, through cultivating the thirty-seven factors, attain the four dhyānas, supernormal powers, and ease, this, too, is not yet called the real — only when affliction is destroyed and liberation is realized is it called the real. These thirty-seven factors, from the very arising of the mind bent on cultivating the path, though one may attain worldly pleasure and the pleasure that transcends the world, the four fruits of the śramaṇa, and liberation itself, this, too, cannot yet be called the ultimate. Only when one is able to sever entirely the very activity the thirty-seven factors themselves perform is this called nirvāṇa — and it is for this reason that I say the ultimate is simply the great nirvāṇa itself."

"Further, good son, a mind of wholesome love and affection is itself this very desire. Through this wholesome love and affection, one draws close to a good spiritual friend — this is called contact, and this is called the cause. Through drawing close to a good spiritual friend, one attains feeling — this is called the inclusion. Through drawing close to a good spiritual friend, one is able to reflect wisely — this is called the increase. Through these very four dharmas, the path is thereby able to grow and increase — namely desire, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom — and these are precisely what are called the lord, the guide, and the supreme. Through these three dharmas, two kinds of liberation are attained: through severing craving, the mind attains liberation; through severing ignorance, wisdom attains liberation — this is called the real. These eight dharmas, ultimately attaining their fruit, are called nirvāṇa, and this is called the ultimate. "Further, good son, desire is simply the arising of the mind that goes forth from home; contact is simply the formal act of ordination performed through the four proclamations — this is called the cause. Inclusion is simply the receiving of the two kinds of precept: the prātimokṣa precepts, and the pure precepts of the faculties — this is called feeling, and this is called the inclusion. Increase is simply the cultivation of the four dhyānas. The lord is simply the fruit of stream-entry and the fruit of once-returning. The guide is simply the fruit of non-returning. The supreme is simply the fruit of arhatship. The real is simply the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood. The ultimate is simply the fruit of supreme, perfect awakening. "Further, good son, desire is named consciousness; contact is named the six sense-bases; inclusion is named feeling; increase is named ignorance; the lord is named name-and-form; the guide is named craving; the supreme is named grasping; the real is named becoming; and the ultimate is named birth, old age, sickness, and death." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, these three dharmas — the root, the cause, and the increase — how, exactly, do they differ from one another?" "Good son, what is called the root is simply the very first arising; what is called the cause is a continuous similarity, unbroken; and what is called the increase is the ceasing of this similarity, and its capacity to give rise, in turn, to a further similarity. Further, good son, the root is simply the deed itself; the cause is simply the fruit; and the increase is simply what can be put to use. Good son, though a fruit exists in the future, since it has not yet been received, it is called the cause; and, at the very moment it is received, it is called the increase. Further, good son, the root is simply the seeking; the attainment is simply the cause; and the use is simply the increase. Good son, in this very sūtra, the root is simply the path of seeing; the cause is simply the path of cultivation; and the increase is simply the path beyond training. Further, good son, the root is simply the correct cause; the cause is simply the cause of skillful means; and, from these two causes together, the fruit is obtained, and this is called increase."

Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught, the ultimate is itself nirvāṇa — how, then, is this very nirvāṇa actually attained?" "Good son, should a bodhisattva mahāsattva, a monk, a nun, a layman, or a laywoman be able to cultivate ten perceptions, one should know that this person is thereby able to attain nirvāṇa. What are these ten? First, the perception of impermanence; second, the perception of suffering; third, the perception of no-self; fourth, the perception of weariness toward food; fifth, the perception that no place in the world is worth delighting in; sixth, the perception of death; seventh, the perception of one's many past faults; eighth, the perception of departure; ninth, the perception of cessation; and tenth, the perception free of craving. Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva, a monk, a nun, a layman, or a laywoman who cultivates these very ten perceptions is a person certain, in the end, to attain nirvāṇa, following no one else's mind, but able, of himself, to distinguish wholesome from unwholesome — and this is what is truly and properly meant by the very term 'monk,' and, all the way through, by the term 'laywoman' as well." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, what is meant by a bodhisattva, and, all the way through, a laywoman, cultivating the perception of impermanence?" "Good son, a bodhisattva is of two kinds: one who has just given rise to the mind of awakening, and one who has already practiced the path for some time. The perception of impermanence, likewise, is of two kinds: coarse, and subtle. A beginning bodhisattva, contemplating the perception of impermanence, reflects in this way: 'Every thing in the world is, in all, of two kinds: internal, and external. This internal thing is impermanent, subject to change — I see it at the time of birth, at the time of childhood, at the time of youth, at the time of maturity, at the time of old age, and at the time of death, and these various times each differ from one another; therefore one should know that internal things are impermanent.' He reflects, further: 'I see beings, some of them plump and radiant, complete in beauty and strength, moving and resting freely, without any obstruction at all; and I see others afflicted with sickness, their beauty and strength wasted away, their countenance ravaged and diminished, no longer free at all. I see some possessed of wealth, their storehouses overflowing; and I see others impoverished, lacking in everything they touch. I see some who have accomplished countless merits; and I see others who possess countless evil dharmas in full. Therefore I know with certainty that internal dharmas are impermanent.' He further contemplates external dharmas: the time of the seed, the time of the sprout, the time of the stem, the time of the leaf, the time of the flower, and the time of the fruit — these various times, too, each differ from one another, and external dharmas of this kind are, at times, complete, and, at other times, incomplete; therefore one should know that every external thing is, without exception, impermanent. Having contemplated what is directly seen as impermanent, he further contemplates what is only heard of. I have heard that the gods, complete in the most exquisite pleasure and mastery of supernormal power, still experience the five signs of decline — and therefore one should know that they, too, are impermanent. I have further heard that, at the very start of this eon, there were beings each complete with the most excellent qualities, their own bodies shining with light requiring no sun or moon at all — yet, through the very power of impermanence, this light was extinguished and these qualities diminished. I have further heard that there once existed a wheel-turning sage-king who ruled over all four continents, possessing the seven treasures and attaining the greatest mastery — and yet he, too, was unable to escape the mark of impermanence. I further contemplate the great earth, which, in ages past, provided a settled dwelling for countless beings, with no empty space at all, as densely as the spokes of a wheel, giving rise to and nurturing every wondrous medicinal herb, its thickets, forests, and trees flourishing with abundant fruit — yet, beings' own merit having grown thin, this great earth has lost its former power, and everything it now produces has become meager and depleted. Therefore one should know that every internal and external dharma, without exception, is impermanent — and this is what is called coarse impermanence."

"Having contemplated the coarse, he next contemplates the subtle. What is meant by the subtle? The bodhisattva mahāsattva contemplates that every internal and external thing, all the way down to the finest particle of dust, is already impermanent even in the future, not yet arisen. Why is this? Because it is already, in full, endowed with the very mark of eventual disintegration. Were future form not impermanent, one could not speak of form as passing through ten distinct stages. What are these ten stages? First, the membrane stage; second, the bubble stage; third, the blister stage; fourth, the flesh-mass stage; fifth, the limb stage; sixth, the infant stage; seventh, the child stage; eighth, the youth stage; ninth, the prime-of-life stage; and tenth, the aged and declining stage. Should the bodhisattva contemplate that the membrane stage were not impermanent, it ought never to proceed to the bubble stage, and, all the way through, to the prime of life — for what is not impermanent never reaches old age at all. And should these various stages not be perishing moment by moment, they could never gradually grow at all, but ought instead to reach their full growth all at once — yet, since this plainly does not happen, one should know with certainty that there is indeed a subtle impermanence occurring moment by moment. He further observes a person complete in every faculty, radiant in countenance, later seen withered and wasted — and reflects, further, that this person, too, must possess this very moment-by-moment impermanence. He further contemplates the four great elements and the four postures of the body. He further contemplates that, both internally and externally, there are two causes of suffering each: hunger and thirst internally, cold and heat externally. He further contemplates that, were there no subtle, moment-by-moment impermanence, one could not even speak of these four kinds of suffering at all. Should a bodhisattva be able to reflect in this way, this is called the bodhisattva's contemplation of subtle impermanence. Exactly the same holds true for internal and external form and mental dharmas alike. Why is this? Because of activity across the six sense-fields. At the moment of this very activity across the six sense-fields, one gives rise, at times, to joy, at times, to anger, at times, to craving, and, at times, to a further thought, each one arising differently in succession, never remaining a single, fixed thing — and therefore one should know that every material dharma and every non-material dharma, without exception, is impermanent. Good son, should a bodhisattva be able, within a single moment of thought, to see every dharma's own arising and ceasing as impermanent, this is called the bodhisattva fully possessing the perception of impermanence. Good son, the wise, having cultivated the perception of impermanence, thereby depart from the arrogance of permanence, the inversion of permanence, and the inversion of perception."

"Next, one cultivates the perception of suffering. For what cause and condition does suffering of this kind exist? One knows deeply that this suffering has impermanence as its own cause: because of impermanence, one receives birth, old age, sickness, and death; and, on account of the very cause and condition of birth, old age, sickness, and death, this is called impermanence. On account of this very impermanence, one receives every internal and external suffering — hunger and thirst, cold and heat, beating and flogging, curses and insults — sufferings of exactly this kind all arise from impermanence. Further, the wise contemplate deeply that this very body is itself a vessel of impermanence, and this vessel is itself suffering; and, because the vessel itself is suffering, whatever it receives and contains is likewise suffering. Good son, the wise, further, contemplate that arising is itself suffering, and ceasing is itself suffering — and, because suffering itself arises and ceases, it is itself impermanent, neither self nor anything belonging to a self. "One cultivates the perception of no-self. The wise, further, contemplate that suffering is itself impermanence, and impermanence is itself suffering — and, if it is suffering and impermanence, how could the wise possibly say that a self exists? Suffering is not the self, and impermanence is exactly the same. The five aggregates, being likewise suffering and impermanent, how could beings possibly say that a self exists? Further, one contemplates that every dharma is a distinct combination of factors, that no single combination gives rise to every dharma, and that no single dharma is the fruit of every combination; that every combination is, in itself, without any fixed nature at all — neither a single nature, nor a distinct nature, nor a material nature, nor a nature of mastery — and, dharmas possessing marks of exactly this kind, how could the wise possibly say that a self exists? One reflects, further, that, among every dharma, not a single one is able to act as an independent agent — and, if not even a single dharma is able to act as an agent, then a mere combination of many such dharmas, too, is unable to act as an agent. Every dharma, by its very nature, is never able to arise or cease independently of itself; it is only through combination that it ceases, and only through combination that it arises. Once such a dharma has arisen, beings, through their own inverted perception, call it a 'combination' — yet, arising from mere combination, beings' own perception of it is itself inverted, possessing no reality at all; how, then, could there possibly be any real, substantial self there at all? It is for this reason that the wise contemplate no-self. One further examines closely: for what cause and condition do beings speak of a self at all? Were this self to truly exist, it ought to be either single or manifold. Were the self single, how could there then be kṣatriyas, brahmins, vaiśyas, and śūdras, humans and gods, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals, the great and the small, the old and the youthful? Therefore one knows that the self is not single. And were the self manifold, how, then, could it be said that beings' own self is one, all-pervading, and without any boundary at all? Whether single or manifold, in either case, there is no self."

"The wise, having contemplated no-self in this way, next contemplate weariness toward food. They reflect: if every dharma is impermanent, suffering, empty, and without self, why, then, does food give rise to three kinds of evil karma in body, speech, and mind? Should any being, out of craving for food, give rise to these three kinds of evil karma in body, speech, and mind, whatever wealth is thereby obtained is shared among many, yet, when the suffering fruit of it comes due, no one shares it with him at all. Good son, the wise, further, contemplate that every being, for the sake of food and drink, suffers in body and mind. Should food be obtained only through such manifold suffering, how could I possibly give rise to craving and attachment toward this very food? It is for this reason that no craving mind arises toward food at all. Further, the wise ought to contemplate that, through food and drink, the body itself grows and increases — yet I have now left the household life, received the precepts, and cultivated the path, precisely in order to relinquish this very body; if I now crave this food, how, then, could I ever come to relinquish this body at all? Having contemplated in this way, though one still receives food, it is exactly like eating one's own child's flesh in a desolate wilderness — the mind finds it repugnant, taking no pleasure in it whatsoever. Having deeply contemplated the fault of edible food in this way, one next contemplates the food of contact, exactly like a skinned cow devoured by countless insects. One next contemplates the food of intention, exactly like a great mass of fire. And the food of consciousness is exactly like being pierced by three hundred spears. Good son, the wise, having contemplated these four kinds of food in this way, never again give rise to craving or delight toward food at all. Should craving still arise, one ought to contemplate impurity. Why is this? For the sake of departing from craving for food. With regard to every kind of food, one skillfully distinguishes the perception of impurity, matching it to whatever is truly impure in each case. Having contemplated in this way, whether one receives good food or poor food, one receives it exactly as one would apply medicine to a festering wound, never giving rise to a craving, attached mind at all. Good son, should the wise be able to contemplate in this way, this is called accomplishing the perception of weariness toward food." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, when the wise contemplate food and form the perception of impurity, is this a true contemplation, or a false understanding? If it is a true contemplation, then the food actually contemplated is, in reality, not impure at all. And if it is a false understanding, how, then, can a dharma of this kind be called a wholesome perception?" The Buddha said: "Good son, a perception of this kind is both a true contemplation and a false understanding at once. Because it is able to destroy craving for food, it is called true; because it perceives an insect where there is, in truth, no insect at all, it is called a false understanding. Good son, every defiled dharma is, in this sense, called false, and yet is also able to attain something true. Good son, should a monk, setting out with the intention to beg for food, reflect beforehand: 'May I obtain good food, and not coarse or poor food; may I certainly obtain much, and not too little; and may I obtain it quickly, and not too late' — a monk of this kind is not said to have attained weariness toward food, and the wholesome dharmas he cultivates diminish day and night, while unwholesome dharmas gradually increase. Good son, should a monk, wishing to beg for food, first make this vow: 'May every one who begs attain full satisfaction; may the one who offers this food attain boundless merit; and, should I myself obtain food, may it serve only to treat this poisonous body of mine, so that I may cultivate wholesome dharmas for my benefactor's own benefit' — making a vow of this kind, the wholesome dharmas he cultivates increase day and night, while unwholesome dharmas gradually diminish. Good son, should a monk be able to cultivate in this way, one should know that this person does not consume the faithful offerings of the land in vain."

"Good son, the wise, fully possessing these four perceptions above, are thereby able to cultivate the perception that no place in the world is worth delighting in. They reflect: 'Every place in the world has birth, old age, sickness, and death — there is nowhere at all that this very body of mine is not born. If there is no single place in the world where one could truly escape birth, old age, sickness, and death, how, then, could I possibly delight in the world at all? Everything in the world that advances and is attained eventually declines and is lost, and it is for this reason that the world is certainly impermanent — and, being impermanent, how could the wise possibly delight in it? Every single being, passing through the entire world in turn, fully experiences both suffering and pleasure — though one may attain the body of a Brahmā god, or even the heaven of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, at the end of that life, one falls back into the three evil destinies. And though one may attain the body of one of the four heavenly kings, or even the heaven of mastery over others' creations, at the end of that life, one is born into the animal realm — as a lion, a tiger, a leopard, a jackal, an elephant, a horse, an ox, or a donkey.' He next contemplates the body of a wheel-turning sage-king, ruling over all four continents, noble and possessed of every mastery — yet, his merit exhausted, falling into poverty, lacking even clothing and food. The wise, having deeply contemplated matters of exactly this kind, give rise to the perception that no place in the world is worth delighting in. The wise, further, contemplate that whatever dharmas exist in the world — dwellings, clothing, food and drink, bedding, medicine, fragrant flowers and necklaces, every kind of music and entertainment, wealth and treasure — all such things exist for the sake of departing from suffering; yet these very things are, in their own essence, themselves simply suffering — how, then, could one possibly use suffering itself to depart from suffering? Good son, the wise, having contemplated in this way, no longer give rise to craving or delight toward worldly things, seeing through the mere appearance of pleasure they present. Good son, it is exactly like a person afflicted with a grave illness — though surrounded by every kind of music, entertainment, fragrant flowers, and necklaces, he never gives rise to craving or delight in any of it. The wise, having contemplated in this way, are exactly the same. Good son, the wise contemplate deeply that the entire world is no place of refuge, no place of liberation, no place of stillness, no place worthy of love, no far shore at all, and possesses none of the dharmas of permanence, bliss, self, and purity — and, were I to crave and delight in a world of this kind, how, then, could I ever come to depart from it? It is exactly like a person who, taking no pleasure in dwelling in darkness, seeks the light, yet returns once more to darkness — darkness being the world itself, and light being what transcends it. Should I delight in the world, I thereby increase this very darkness and depart further from the light — darkness being simply ignorance, and light being simply the brightness of wisdom; and it is this very cause, the brightness of wisdom, that constitutes the perception that no place in the world is worth delighting in. Every bond of craving, though it is indeed a form of bondage, I now crave only the brightness of wisdom, and crave the world not at all. The wise, having deeply contemplated dharmas of exactly this kind, fully possess the perception that no place in the world is worth delighting in."

"Good son, a wise person, having already cultivated the perception that no place in the world is worth delighting in, next cultivates the contemplation of death. This very lifespan is forever surrounded by countless enemies, diminishing moment by moment, never once increasing — exactly like a mountain torrent's own rushing water, which never pauses to remain still; exactly like the morning dew, whose brief moment never lasts long; exactly like a condemned prisoner led to the marketplace, drawing closer to death with every single step; exactly like an ox or a sheep being led toward the slaughterhouse." Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "World-Honored One, how, exactly, does the wise person contemplate this moment-by-moment perishing?" "Good son, it is exactly like four people, all skilled archers, gathered together in one place, each shooting an arrow in a different direction, all reflecting together: 'Our four arrows, released together, shall fall together.' There is, further, a certain person who reflects: 'Before these four arrows have even fallen, I am able to catch all of them, at one and the same moment, with my own hand.' Good son, could a person of this kind be called swift?" Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said: "Yes indeed, World-Honored One." The Buddha said: "Good son, an earth-bound spirit is swifter still than this person; a flying spirit is swifter still than the earth-bound spirit; the four heavenly kings are swifter still than the flying spirit; the gods of the sun and moon are swifter still than the four heavenly kings; the gods of unwavering swiftness are swifter still than the gods of the sun and moon; and beings' own lifespan is swifter still than these very gods of unwavering swiftness. Good son, within a single breath, within a single blink of the eye, a being's own lifespan already undergoes four hundred arisings and perishings. Should the wise be able to contemplate the lifespan in this way, this is called being able to contemplate its moment-by-moment perishing. Good son, the wise contemplate that this very lifespan is bound to the lord of death himself — and, should I be able to depart from this very lord of death, I shall thereby forever sever this impermanent lifespan. Further, the wise contemplate this very lifespan as exactly like a great tree leaning precariously over a river's steep bank; or exactly like a person who has committed a grave, treasonous crime and is about to be executed, with no one to show him any mercy at all; exactly like the lion king in the grip of great hunger; exactly like a poisonous serpent drawing in a mighty gust of wind; exactly like a thirsty horse guarding a precious store of water; or exactly like a great and evil spirit whose fury has just erupted — the lord of death that awaits every being is exactly the same. Good son, should the wise be able to contemplate in this way, this is precisely what is called cultivating the perception of death. "Good son, the wise, further, contemplate: even should I, having left the household life, attain no more than seven days and seven nights of life remaining, I shall, within this very span, diligently cultivate the path, uphold the precepts, and teach and transform beings for their own benefit — this is called the wise cultivating the perception of death. And, should even seven days and seven nights be considered too many, then, should I attain only six days, five days, four days, three days, two days, one day, a single hour, or even the mere span of a single outbreath or inbreath, I shall, within this very span, diligently cultivate the path, uphold the precepts, and teach and transform beings for their own benefit — this is called the wise skillfully cultivating the perception of death. The wise, fully possessing these six perceptions above, thereby possess the very cause of seven further perceptions. What are these seven? First, the perception of constant cultivation; second, the perception of joyful cultivation; third, the perception free of anger; fourth, the perception free of envy; fifth, the perception of wholesome vows; sixth, the perception free of pride; and seventh, the perception of mastery in samādhi. Good son, should a monk fully possess these seven perceptions, he is called a śramaṇa, called a brahmin, called still, called pure, called liberated, called wise, called one of right view, called one who has reached the far shore, called the great physician-king, called the great caravan-leader, and called one who skillfully understands the Tathāgata's own secret meaning, who knows, further, the seven kinds of language of every buddha, called one of right view and right knowledge, who severs the net of doubt arising with regard to these seven kinds of language. Good son, should a person fully possess these six perceptions above, one should know that this person is able to reject the three realms, depart far from the three realms, extinguish the three realms entirely, and never give rise to craving or attachment within the three realms — this is called the wise fully possessing the ten perceptions. Should any monk possess these ten perceptions, he thereby attains what may truly be called the mark of a śramaṇa."

At that time, Bodhisattva Kāśyapa, in the Buddha's own presence, praised the Buddha with these verses: "Compassionate toward the world, the great physician-king, His body and his wisdom both perfectly still — Within the very dharma of no-self, a true self is found; It is for this that I bow in reverence to the unsurpassed one. Between the mind first arising and the mind at final completion, there is no difference, Yet, of these two minds, it is the first that is the harder; Not yet crossed over himself, he crosses others over first — It is for this that I bow before the mind's very first arising. Once this mind has first arisen, he already becomes the teacher of gods and humans, Surpassing even the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha — A mind arisen in this way already transcends the three realms; It is for this that it is called the very most unsurpassed. The saviors of the world require a request before they act, Yet the Tathāgata, unasked, becomes the teacher of all — The Buddha follows the world exactly as a calf follows its mother; It is for this that he is called the great, compassionate ox. The Tathāgata's own merit fills the ten directions, Yet the ignorant and lowly are unable to praise it at all — I now praise only his mind of loving-kindness and compassion, In repayment for his own bodily and verbal deeds. The world forever seeks pleasure for its own benefit alone, Yet the Tathāgata never once acts for this reason — He is able to sever beings' own worldly retribution; It is for this that I bow before one who benefits both self and other. The world follows kinship in granting its generosity, Yet the Tathāgata's own benefit knows neither friend nor foe — The Buddha bears no such distinction, unlike people of the world; It is for this that his mind remains, without exception, undivided. The world speaks one way and acts another, Yet the Tathāgata's actions never differ from his own words — Whatever he cultivates, he thereby severs every conditioned activity; It is for this that he is called the Tathāgata. Having already fully understood affliction's own faults, He manifests himself dwelling among them for beings' own sake — Long ago already liberated from this very world, He delights in dwelling amid birth and death, out of compassion alone. Though he manifests the body of a god, and the body of a human, His compassion follows after beings exactly as a calf follows its mother — The Tathāgata is himself the very mother of all beings; His mind of loving-kindness is himself the small calf. Receiving every suffering upon himself for the sake of remembering beings, At the very moment of this compassionate remembrance, his mind never regrets or falters — So full is his compassion that he does not even notice the suffering; It is for this that I bow my head before the one who draws out suffering. Though the Tathāgata performs boundless merit, His bodily, verbal, and mental karma remain forever pure — Always acting for the sake of beings, never for himself; It is for this that I bow before this very pure karma. The Tathāgata receives suffering yet does not notice it as suffering, Seeing beings' own suffering exactly as though it were his own — Though he dwells in hell itself for beings' own sake, He gives rise to no perception of suffering, nor any thought of regret. Every being's own different suffering Is, in every case, this single Tathāgata's own suffering alone — Realizing this, his mind grows ever more resolute, And so he is able to diligently cultivate the unsurpassed path. The Buddha possesses a single, undivided mind of great loving-kindness, Holding every being in compassionate thought exactly as his own child — Yet beings, not knowing that the Buddha is able to save them, Thereby slander the Tathāgata, and the Dharma, and the saṅgha as well. Though the world is filled with every affliction, And possesses boundless faults and evils besides, Bonds and faults of exactly this kind The Buddha was already able to destroy from the very first arising of his own mind. Only the buddhas themselves are truly able to praise a buddha; Apart from a buddha, no one else can offer this praise in full — I now offer my praise through but a single dharma alone: That of a mind of loving-kindness, wandering freely through the world. The Tathāgata's own loving-kindness is itself the great gathering of every dharma; This very loving-kindness is also able to deliver every being across — It is itself the unsurpassed, true liberation, And this very liberation is itself the great nirvāṇa."