The Buddha's Incomparable Presence

Sutra: At that time, the World-Honored One sat on the lion seat. Throughout the great trichiliocosm, his virtue was supremely honored, and the majestic splendor of his light, appearance, and presence extended to Buddha worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. He was like Sumeru, king of mountains, whose exceptional radiance and color no other mountain can equal.

Treatise: Question: Through what power is the Buddha's virtue supremely honored among all beings, with such majestic light and presence? Wheel-turning sage kings, devas, and noble ones also possess great power, radiance, and majesty. Why say that the Buddha's virtue alone is supremely honored?

Answer: Although these worthy and noble ones possess radiance and majesty, theirs have measure and limits. They are like stars, which disappear from sight when the sun rises. Through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, the Buddha has accumulated great merit and brought everything to completion. Because the causes and conditions are great, their result is also great. Others do not possess this.

Furthermore, life after life the Buddha cultivated arduous practices, constantly giving beings immeasurable and countless heads, eyes, marrow, and brains—not merely kingdoms, wealth, wives, and children! Every kind of morality, patience, diligence, and meditative concentration, together with incomparable wisdom that is pure, indestructible, and inexhaustible, he cultivated life after life and has now fulfilled completely. Through the power of these results, he obtains extraordinary spiritual majesty beyond measure. Therefore, it is said, 'Because the causes and conditions are great, their result is also great.'

Question: If the Buddha's spiritual power is immeasurable and his majestic virtue beyond description, why does he undergo nine painful karmic results? First, he was slandered in the affair of the female ascetic Sundarī, and five hundred arhats were also slandered. Second, the brahmin woman Ciñcā tied a wooden bowl over her abdomen and slandered him. Third, Devadatta rolled down a rock to crush him, injuring his big toe. Fourth, a splinter of wood pierced his foot. Fifth, when King Virūḍhaka raised an army and killed the Śākyas, the Buddha suffered a headache. Sixth, after accepting the invitation of the brahmin Agnidatta, he ate barley meant for horses. Seventh, a disturbance of cold wind caused back pain. Eighth, he practiced austerities for six years. Ninth, he entered a brahmin village seeking alms but obtained nothing and returned with an empty bowl.

Furthermore, during eight nights around the winter solstice, when the cold wind split bamboo, he asked for the three robes to keep out the cold. He also suffered from heat, and Ānanda stood behind him fanning him. The Buddha experienced all these minor worldly troubles. If his spiritual power is immeasurable, and the majestic splendor of his light and appearance extends throughout the great trichiliocosm and Buddha worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the east, south, west, north, intermediate directions, above, and below, why does he undergo these painful karmic results?

Answer: The Buddha was born among humans, of human parents. Even the strength of his human body, in a single finger joint, surpasses that of countless myriads of nayutas of white elephants. His supernormal power is immeasurable, countless, and inconceivable. This son of King Śuddhodana became disenchanted with the suffering of aging, sickness, and death, went forth, and attained the Buddha path. How could such a person be subject to punitive karmic results or troubled by cold and heat? The Buddha's spiritual power is inconceivable. Within inconceivable dharmas, how could there be afflictions of cold, heat, and the like?

Furthermore, the Buddha has two kinds of body: the body of Dharma nature and the body born of parents. The body of Dharma nature fills space throughout the ten directions, immeasurable and boundless. Its appearance is beautiful, adorned with the major and minor marks, with immeasurable light and immeasurable voice. The assembly hearing its Dharma also fills space. It constantly manifests various bodies, names, places of birth, and skillful means to liberate beings. It continually liberates all, without resting for even a moment. Such a Buddha with the body of Dharma nature can liberate beings in the worlds of the ten directions. The Buddha who undergoes painful karmic results is the Buddha with a body born of parents. This embodied Buddha teaches the Dharma step by step, in accordance with human ways. Because there are these two kinds of Buddha, there is no contradiction in his undergoing such suffering.

Furthermore, when the Buddha attained the path, he completely cut off all unwholesome dharmas and perfected all wholesome dharmas. How, then, could there now really be results of unwholesome actions for him to undergo? It is only out of compassion for beings of future ages that he manifests the experience of these sufferings as skillful means.

Furthermore, because Aniruddha once gave food to a pratyekabuddha, he enjoyed happiness through immeasurable lives, obtaining whatever food or drink he wished for as soon as he thought of it. How, then, could the Buddha, who life after life cut off his flesh and gave his marrow to beings, fail to obtain almsfood and return with an empty bowl? From this we know that he undergoes these sufferings as skillful means to liberate beings.

How does this skillful means express compassion for future beings? Disciples of the Buddha belonging to the five monastic groups may have little merit from giving and be unable to obtain the various necessities they seek as alms. Householders may say, 'You cannot obtain clothing and food or cure your illnesses. How can you attain the path and benefit others?'

These disciples should answer, 'Although we lack the minor necessities for maintaining our bodies, we possess the merit of practicing the path. The sufferings we experience today are results of wrongdoing in former lives; the benefit of our present merit lies in the future. Even our teacher, the Buddha, entered a brahmin village seeking alms, obtained nothing, and returned with an empty bowl. The Buddha also experienced illnesses, and when the Śākyas exhausted the results of their wrongdoing, he too had a headache. How much more might this happen to people like us, of little merit and modest attainment!' Hearing this, the householders' anger subsides. They supply the monks with the four kinds of requisites, bringing bodily ease so that they can meditate and attain the path. Thus this is skillful means, rather than the Buddha actually undergoing punishment for wrongdoing.

As the Vimalakīrti Sūtra relates: While the Buddha was in Vaiśālī, he said to Ānanda, 'Heat and wind have become disturbed in my body, and I need cow's milk. Take my bowl and seek some milk for me.' Carrying the Buddha's bowl, Ānanda entered Vaiśālī early in the morning and stood at a householder's door.

Vimalakīrti was walking there. Seeing Ānanda standing with the bowl, he asked, 'Why are you standing here with a bowl so early in the morning?' Ānanda replied, 'The Buddha has a minor illness and needs cow's milk. That is why I have come.' Vimalakīrti said, 'Stop, stop, Ānanda! Do not slander the Tathāgata! The Buddha is the World-Honored One and has gone beyond all unwholesome dharmas. What illness could he have? Do not let non-Buddhist practitioners hear such crude words. They would disparage the Buddha, saying, “If he cannot cure his own illness, how can he save others?”'

Ānanda said, 'This is not my own idea. I personally received the Buddha's instruction that he needs milk.' Vimalakīrti replied, 'Although the Buddha instructed you, this is skillful means. In this age of the five evils, he takes on this appearance to liberate all beings. In future ages, sick monks will need to seek medicinal preparations from householders. The householders may say, “If you cannot cure your own illness, how can you save others?” The monks will reply, “Even our great teacher had illnesses. How could bodies like ours, as frail as grass, be free from illness?” For this reason, householders will provide monks with medicines, bringing them ease so that they can meditate and practice the path.'

'Some non-Buddhist practitioners and seers can cure others' illnesses with medicinal herbs and spells. How much less could the Tathāgata, with the virtue of all-knowledge, be unable to cure an illness in his own body? For now, remain silent, take the bowl, and obtain the milk. Do not let people of other teachings hear of this.' From this we know that the Buddha's illness is skillful means, not actual illness. The circumstances of all these apparent karmic sufferings are likewise so. Therefore, it is said, 'The Buddha's virtue is supremely honored, and the splendor of his light, appearance, and presence is majestic.'

Sutra: At that time, the World-Honored One showed his ordinary body to all beings in this great trichiliocosm. The devas of the Pure Abodes, Brahmā's Retinue, Mastery over Others' Creations, Delight in Creation, Tuṣita, Yāma, the Thirty-three, and the Four Heavenly Kings, together with humans and nonhumans throughout the great trichiliocosm, came to the Buddha carrying heavenly flowers, heavenly garlands, heavenly fragrant ointments, heavenly powdered incense, heavenly blue, red, white, and crimson lotuses, and fragrant leaves of heavenly trees.

Treatise: Question: Why does the Buddha show his ordinary body to all beings in this great trichiliocosm?

Answer: Wishing to teach the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, the Buddha entered the samādhi called King of Samādhis. Light blazed brilliantly from the wheel marks beneath his feet up to the protuberance on his crown, like the kings of mountains, the Sumerus, burning up in succession in the fire at the end of a kalpa. This light filled the great trichiliocosm and brilliantly illuminated Buddha worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Beings who saw it would ultimately attain unsurpassed complete awakening. This was the Buddha's first manifestation of spiritual power in preparation for teaching Prajñāpāramitā.

Second, all his pores smiled. Third, he emitted his abiding radiance, extending one zhang on every side. Fourth, his tongue covered the entire great trichiliocosm, and he smiled. Fifth, he entered the samādhi called Lion's Play, and the great trichiliocosm shook in six ways. Sixth, seated on the lion seat, he manifested his supreme body, with majestic light, appearance, and presence.

These manifestations of spiritual power moved beings, and all who had faith would attain unsurpassed complete awakening. To those who still doubted, he showed his ordinary body. They then gained faith and understanding, each saying, 'What we now see is the Buddha's true body.' Through his power, people throughout the great trichiliocosm saw his ordinary body without obstruction, whether near or far. All beings there rejoiced greatly, saying, 'This truly is the Buddha's body! This is the body he had at birth, when he first attained Buddhahood, and when he first turned the Dharma wheel.' Reflecting in this way, they recognized it as his true body.

Question: Why are they called the Pure Abodes and the Brahmā-world heavens?

Answer: There are eight kinds of abode in the fourth dhyāna. Five are abodes of non-returners and are called the Pure Abodes. In the other three, ordinary people and noble ones dwell together. Beyond these eight is an abode of bodhisattvas of the tenth abiding, also called a Pure Abode, whose ruler is called the Great Lord of Freedom.

As for the Brahmā-world heavens, there are three places of birth: first, Brahmā's Retinue, where the lesser Brahmās are born; second, Brahmā's Ministers, where the higher-ranking Brahmās are born; and third, Great Brahmā, called the place of birth associated with the intermediate dhyāna.

Question: Since they are alike in being free from sensual desire, why are their abodes distinguished by higher and lower rank?

Answer: The first dhyāna has three degrees: lower, intermediate, and higher. Those who cultivate the lower degree are born among Brahmā's Retinue; those who cultivate the intermediate degree among Brahmā's Ministers; and those who cultivate the higher degree in the Great Brahmā heaven. The practice of loving-kindness is also like this. For example, the teacher Wondrous Eyes thought, 'The people to whom I teach the Dharma are all born in the Brahmā heaven. I should not now share the same abode as my disciples; I should cultivate a higher loving-kindness.' By cultivating this higher loving-kindness, he was born in the Great Brahmā heaven. Furthermore, one is born there through a supremely pure mind.

Question: Among the four dhyānas, why mention only the first and last, leaving out those in between?

Answer: At the first gateway, becoming free from sensual desire is difficult. The last is subtle and difficult to attain. Those in between are easier to enter and therefore are not mentioned. Furthermore, speaking of the Brahmā world already includes the form realm; the fourth dhyāna is singled out because it is supremely excellent. Furthermore, people generally know Brahmā but not the other devas, so Brahmā alone is mentioned. The Pure Abode devas, for their part, constantly have compassion for beings and repeatedly request the Buddha to teach.

Furthermore, the sound of the Buddha's teaching reaches the Brahmā heaven. When he attained the path, devas passed the proclamation from one to another up to the Pure Abodes. Therefore, the first and last are mentioned rather than those in between. Furthermore, the Brahmā heaven is near the desire realm and should hear, while the Pure Abode devas preside over the form realm and should also hear. It is like a gatekeeper recognizing a visitor and, when the visitor reaches the master, the master recognizing the visitor. Since those in between have no particular role, they are not mentioned. Furthermore, in the second dhyāna there is great joy, and in the third great happiness. These can give rise to heedlessness, so those heavens are not mentioned.

Question: Why is it called Mastery over Others' Creations?

Answer: These devas take what others create by transformation and enjoy it themselves. Therefore, their heaven is called Mastery over Others' Creations. Those of Delight in Creation create the five sense objects themselves and enjoy them; hence that name. Tuṣita means the Heaven of Contentment. Yāma means the Heaven of Well-Divided Time. The second heaven is called the Thirty-three. The lowest is the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Mount Sumeru is eighty-four thousand yojanas high, with the city of the Thirty-three at its summit. Beside it is Mount Yugandhara, forty-two thousand yojanas high. This mountain has four peaks, each with a city; each of the Four Heavenly Kings dwells in one city. The Yāma devas and those above them have grounds made of the seven precious substances, suspended in space and supported by wind. It is likewise so up to the Pure Abodes.

These devas saw the purity of the Buddha's body and the clarity of his great radiance. They brought offerings, including flowers of land and water. Among land flowers, sumanā is foremost; among water flowers, the blue lotus is foremost. Whether growing on trees or vines, these celebrated flowers have many different colors and fragrances. Each deva brought heavenly flowers to the Buddha. Because these flowers have beautiful colors and abundant fragrance, and are soft, delicate, and smooth, they serve as offerings.

What are heavenly flowers? Their fragrance spreads even against the wind. Heavenly garlands were suspended above the Buddha. Heavenly fragrant ointment was spread on the ground where he was, and heavenly powdered incense was scattered over him. The heavenly lotuses were blue, red, crimson, and white. Why were none yellow? Yellow belongs to fire, and fire is unsuitable for water flowers. The heavenly jeweled lotuses had stems of beryl, centers of diamond, and petals of Jāmbūnada gold, yet were soft and fragrant. Together with fragrant leaves of heavenly trees, these were brought to the Buddha.

Question: It is fitting for devas to bring heavenly flowers as offerings. But how do humans and nonhumans obtain them?

Answer: The Buddha emitted great light through his supernormal power, and the earth shook in six ways. To make offerings to him, the devas showered many kinds of wondrous flowers throughout the great trichiliocosm. Humans and nonhumans could gather these flowers and offer them. Furthermore, in Indian usage, excellent things are called heavenly. Although the flowers of humans and nonhumans are not from heaven, they are called heavenly flowers because of their exceptional beauty. Therefore, there is no fault in saying that humans and nonhumans brought heavenly flowers.

Sutra: These heavenly flowers, and all the other offerings down to the fragrant leaves of heavenly trees, were scattered over the Buddha.

Treatise: Question: Why scatter flowers over the Buddha's body?

Answer: As an offering of reverence. Furthermore, illuminated by the Buddha's light, everyone saw him from afar and rejoiced greatly. Wishing to honor him, they scattered their flowers over him. Moreover, the Buddha is the foremost field of merit in the three realms. For this reason, they scattered flowers over him.

Sutra: Above this great trichiliocosm, the jeweled flowers that had been scattered transformed into a great platform in space.

Treatise: Question: Why create this platform in space?

Answer: A small number of scattered flowers transformed into a great platform to show beings that a small cause can bring a great result.

Question: Why does the platform remain in space without falling?

Answer: Through his spiritual power, the Buddha wishes to show beings that, as a field of merit, he brings results that are never lost. The merit of such an offering does not perish, even up to the attainment of Buddhahood.

Sutra: From the edges of this flower platform hung garlands and multicolored flower canopies, a profusion of five colors. These flower canopies and garlands filled the great trichiliocosm.

Treatise: Question: Since the Buddha possesses spiritual power himself, why use the scattered flowers to create the platform?

Answer: He wishes people's faith to become pure. Seeing their own offerings transformed into this platform, they rejoice greatly. Through this joy, they gain great merit.

Sutra: Adorned with these flower canopies and garlands, the entire great trichiliocosm became golden. The same occurred in Buddha worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Treatise: Some say, 'A wheel-turning sage king rules the world of the four continents; King Brahmā rules a thousandfold world system; and a Buddha rules a great trichiliocosm.' This statement is not ultimately true! For this reason, the Buddha's transformations extend to Buddha worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Sutra: At that time, beings throughout the great trichiliocosm and the ten directions each thought, 'The Buddha is teaching the Dharma for me alone, not for anyone else.'

Treatise: Question: The Buddha displays a single body to the great trichiliocosm and the ten directions. Why does each being now see him teaching directly before them?

Answer: The Buddha has two kinds of spiritual power. First, while seated in one place teaching the Dharma, he enables beings far away to see and hear him. Second, while teaching in one place, he enables every being to see him teaching directly before them. It is like the rising sun appearing reflected in many bodies of water.

Furthermore, beings differ. Some gain pure faith on seeing the Buddha's body filling the great trichiliocosm. Others gain purity of mind, joyful faith, and gladness on seeing him teaching directly before them. Therefore, the Buddha now appears before each of them to teach the Dharma.

Sutra: At that time, the World-Honored One smiled joyfully on the lion seat. Light issued from his mouth and illuminated the entire great trichiliocosm. Through this light, beings here saw Buddhas and their Saṅghas in worlds in the east as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Beings in those worlds likewise saw Śākyamuni Buddha and the great assembly in this great trichiliocosm. The same occurred in the south, west, north, the intermediate directions, above, and below.

Treatise: Question: The Buddha has already emitted light many times. Why does he emit this light again?

Answer: Each earlier emission of light had its own purpose, as explained above. The assemblies here and elsewhere have not yet seen one another. Now, through the spiritual power of this light, all the great assemblies in these worlds can see one another.

Question: The elder Aniruddha, the great arhat foremost among disciples in the heavenly eye, sees a small thousandfold world system at a glance and a medium twice-thousandfold system on close examination. A great pratyekabuddha sees a medium system at a glance and a great trichiliocosm on close examination. How can everyone now see Buddha worlds in the east as numerous as the sands of the Ganges?

Answer: The Buddha's spiritual power enables them to see; it is not their own power. Even arhats and pratyekabuddhas can see without limit through the Buddha's power. It is like a wheel-turning sage king traveling through the air: all his attendants, elephants, horses, and other animals follow him. Now, through the Buddha's spiritual power, beings can see one another even across great distances.

Likewise, through the power of the Pratyutpanna Samādhi, one can see the Buddhas of the ten directions without having attained the heavenly eye, with sight and hearing unobstructed. Also, when the fire at the end of a kalpa occurs, beings naturally gain meditative concentration, the heavenly eye, and the heavenly ear. It is likewise through his spiritual power that the Buddha enables all beings to see far away.

As for 'at that time, the World-Honored One smiled on the lion seat': smiling has been explained above. What remains unexplained will now be addressed. Question: Beings here see those distant worlds through the Buddha's spiritual power. Through whose power do beings there see this world?

Answer: It is through Śākyamuni Buddha's power that they see this great trichiliocosm, Śākyamuni Buddha, and the entire assembly. The same applies in the south, west, north, the intermediate directions, above, and below.

Sutra: At that time, beyond Buddha worlds in the east as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, at the farthest edge, was a world called Many Jewels. Its Buddha was named Jewel Accumulation, and he was then teaching Prajñāpāramitā to bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

Treatise: Question: Since the Buddha says that all worlds are immeasurable and boundless, how can the text say that this world is at the farthest edge? A farthest edge implies a boundary. If worlds have a boundary, beings should eventually be exhausted. Why? There are immeasurable Buddhas, each bringing immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas of beings into nirvāṇa without remainder. With no new beings coming into existence, the existing ones should eventually be exhausted!

Answer: Although Buddhist scriptures speak of immeasurable worlds, this is an expedient expression, not an ultimate formulation. It is like speaking provisionally of a self when in reality there is no self. Among the fourteen difficult questions, asserting either that the world has a boundary or that it has none is a wrong view. If it were boundless, it might seem that the Buddha could not possess all-knowledge. Why? All-knowledge means wisdom that comprehensively knows everything, leaving nothing outside its scope. If worlds were boundless, something would remain unexhausted by that knowledge. If they had a boundary, the fault would be as stated above. Both positions are wrong views. Why? Boundlessness is invoked to refute a fixed boundary.

The world Many Jewels is not at the boundary of all worlds. It is at the farthest edge of the range of beings connected with Śākyamuni Buddha whom he can appropriately liberate. It is like speaking of the farthest edge of one country, not of the whole of Jambudvīpa. As for the objection that boundlessness would prevent the Buddha from having all-knowledge, this was answered above in the explanation of a Buddha: because his wisdom is immeasurable, it can know immeasurable worlds. It is like a large box having a correspondingly large lid.

Question: The world is called Many Jewels. There are two kinds of jewels: material treasures and treasures of Dharma. Which kind is abundant there, giving it this name?

Answer: Both kinds are present. Furthermore, there are many bodhisattvas and many treasures such as illumination of Dharma nature. An inline gloss explains: these jewels belong to great bodhisattvas, who use them as jeweled crowns; within these crowns all Buddhas can be seen, and the nature of all dharmas is fully understood. Because these treasures are abundant, the world is called Many Jewels. Its Buddha is called Jewel Accumulation because he has accumulated Dharma jewels such as the undefiled faculties, powers, awakening factors, and path.

Question: If so, all Buddhas should be called Jewel Accumulation. Why is that Buddha alone given this name?

Answer: Although all Buddhas possess these jewels, that Buddha takes them as his name. Likewise, Maitreya is named the Benevolent One. Although all Buddhas possess loving-kindness, Maitreya takes it as his name.

Furthermore, when Buddha Jewel Flower was born, lights of many flower colors appeared all around his body, so he was named Prince Jewel Flower. When Dīpaṃkara Buddha was born, his whole body was surrounded by light like lamps, so he was named Prince Lamp-Lighter. After attaining Buddhahood, he was still called Dīpaṃkara. An inline annotation, introduced as a Dan annotation, says that his older name was Buddha Steady Light. Jewel Accumulation Buddha is similar: presumably at his birth, many treasures appeared, either emerging from the earth or raining from heaven. Because many treasures gathered, he was called Jewel Accumulation.

Question: There is only one Buddha, Śākyamuni, and no Buddhas in the ten directions. Why? Śākyamuni Buddha has immeasurable majesty and immeasurable supernormal power and can liberate all beings. There are no other Buddhas.

For example, it is related that Ānanda reflected intently: 'Past Buddhas such as Jewel Flower and Dīpaṃkara were born in favorable ages, had extremely long lives, and could liberate all beings. Now Śākyamuni Buddha has been born in a troubled age and has a short life. Could it be that he will be unable to liberate all his disciples?' He was troubled by this doubt. The Buddha immediately knew what Ānanda was thinking and, at sunrise, entered the Sunrise Samādhi.

Light then issued from every pore of the Buddha's body, like rays from the sun. It illuminated all of Jambudvīpa, then filled and illuminated the world of the four continents, then the great trichiliocosm, and finally immeasurable worlds in the ten directions. The World-Honored One then brought forth jeweled lotuses from his navel, as a verse says:

Stems of blue-shining beryl, a thousand petals golden in color; diamond forms the lotus centers, amber adorns the flowers. The stems are soft, neither rough nor bent, more than ten zhang high. True blue in their beryl hue, they rise from the Buddha's navel.

Their petals are broad and long, white light mingling with wondrous colors. Adorned with immeasurable jewels, each flower has a thousand petals. Such are these wondrous flowers, emerging from the Buddha's navel.

Upon these four lotus centers, jeweled seats outshine the sun in heaven. On each seat sits a Buddha, like four peaks of a golden mountain, their radiance equal and alike. From the navels of these four Buddhas, wondrous jeweled flowers emerge. Upon each flower is a jeweled seat, and upon each seat a Buddha.

From these Buddhas' navels, further jeweled flowers emerge in turn. Every flower has a seat, and every seat a Buddha. These successive transformations reach all the way to the Pure Abodes.

To explain how distant this is, a comparison may be given: suppose a great square rock, as wide and long as Mount Tai, were dropped from that height, falling straight down without obstruction. Only after eighteen thousand three hundred and eighty-three years would it reach the ground.

The whole space between is filled with manifested Buddhas, their brilliant light surpassing fire, the sun, and the moon. Some Buddhas emit water from their bodies, others emit fire. Some appear walking in meditation; others sit in silence. Some go seeking alms, thereby bringing merit to beings.

Some teach the scriptures and practices; at times they emit light. Some visit the three bad destinies, the icy, dark, and burning hells. With warmth they relieve the freezing cold, with light illuminate dark hells, and in hot places provide cool breezes. They remedy each particular harm, bring safety free from affliction, and liberate beings through the joy of Dharma.

Through these many skillful means, in a single moment he can liberate immeasurable beings in the ten directions. Having liberated them, the manifestations return to their original place within the Buddha's navel. The World-Honored One then emerged from the Sunrise Samādhi and asked Ānanda, 'Did you see the supernormal power of this samādhi?' Ānanda replied, 'Yes, I saw it.' He further said, 'If the disciples liberated by the Buddha in a single day could fill space, how much more those liberated during more than eighty years in the world!' Thus, the objection concludes, one Buddha possesses immeasurable merit and spiritual power, manifesting transformations in the ten directions; there are no other Buddhas.

Furthermore, the Buddha has said, 'A woman cannot become a wheel-turning sage king, Śakra lord of the devas, King Māra, King Brahmā, or a Buddha'; and, 'Two wheel-turning sage kings cannot rule the same place together, and likewise there are not two World-Honored Ones with the ten powers in a single world.' He has also said, 'The Buddha's words are not false: there are not two Buddhas in one world'; and, 'One thing is difficult to encounter: a Buddha, a World-Honored One.'

'Only from time to time, over immeasurable hundreds of millions of kalpas, does one appear. Among these ninety-one kalpas, Buddhas occur in three. Ninety-one kalpas before the present Auspicious Kalpa, there was first a Buddha named Vipaśyin, whose name means Various Kinds of Seeing. Thirty-one kalpas ago there were two Buddhas: Śikhin, whose name means Fire, and Viśvabhū, whose name means Surpassing All. In this Auspicious Kalpa there are four Buddhas: Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, whose name means Golden Sage, Kāśyapa, and Śākyamuni. All the other kalpas are empty of Buddhas—a deeply pitiable situation.' If there are Buddhas in the ten directions, why say that the other kalpas have no Buddhas and are deeply pitiable?

Answer: Although Śākyamuni Buddha possesses immeasurable spiritual power and can manifest Buddhas throughout the ten directions to teach the Dharma, emit light, and liberate beings, he cannot exhaustively liberate all beings. Otherwise beings would be finite, and there would be no future Buddhas. But beings are not exhausted. Therefore, there must be other Buddhas as well.

Furthermore, you say, 'The Buddha himself stated that a woman cannot occupy the five positions, that two wheel-turning sage kings cannot appear in the world at the same time, and that likewise there are not two Buddhas simultaneously in one world.'

You do not understand the meaning! Buddhist scriptures have two kinds of meaning: some are readily understood, while others are profound and difficult to understand. When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, he told the monks, 'From now on, rely on the Dharma, not on a person; rely on the meaning, not on the wording; rely on wisdom, not on consciousness; rely on scriptures of definitive meaning, not on those whose meaning requires interpretation.'

To rely on the Dharma means that the Dharma has twelve divisions. One should follow this Dharma rather than a person.

To rely on meaning means that, in meaning, there is no disputing over good and bad, wrongdoing and merit, truth and falsehood. Words convey meaning, but meaning is not the words themselves. It is like someone pointing at the moon to show a confused person, who looks at the finger instead of the moon. The first person says, 'I am pointing at the moon so that you will recognize it. Why are you looking at my finger rather than the moon?' It is the same here: words are a finger pointing toward meaning, not meaning itself. Therefore, one should not rely on wording.

To rely on wisdom means that wisdom can assess and distinguish wholesome from unwholesome. Consciousness constantly seeks pleasure and does not enter into what is truly essential. Therefore, it is said that one should not rely on consciousness.

As for relying on scriptures of definitive meaning: the Buddha, the all-knowing one, is foremost; among all scriptures, the Buddha Dharma is foremost; among all beings, the community of monks is foremost. Giving brings great wealth, and keeping the precepts brings birth in heaven. Statements such as these belong to scriptures of definitive meaning.

By contrast, it is said that a Dharma teacher gains five benefits from teaching: great wealth, being loved by others, a beautiful appearance, a good reputation, and eventual attainment of nirvāṇa. This requires interpretation. Why? That giving brings great wealth is clear and readily understood. But teaching the Dharma involves no material gift, so why say it brings wealth? The explanation is that the teacher praises giving in various ways, breaks through others' stinginess, and removes stinginess in himself. Through these causes and conditions, he obtains wealth. Therefore, the statement is said to require interpretation.

The statement in the Duochi Sūtra (《多持經》) is an expedient expression, not its ultimate meaning. Although the Buddha says there that two Buddhas do not appear together in one world, he is not speaking of all worlds in the ten directions. Likewise, saying that there are not two wheel-turning sage kings in one world does not mean there cannot be two anywhere throughout the great trichiliocosm. It means that there are not two within one world of four continents. Through the purity of his meritorious actions, such a king rules that world alone, without hostile rivals. If there were two rulers, this result would not be called pure.

Although the Buddha has no jealousy, because his actions have been pure life after life, two Buddhas likewise do not appear within a single world. A billion Mount Sumerus and a billion suns and moons constitute a great trichiliocosm. Great trichiliocosms in the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges together constitute one Buddha world. Within it there is no other Buddha: Śākyamuni alone is the actual Buddha. In this Buddha world, he continually manifests Buddhas with various Dharma approaches, bodies, causes and conditions, and skillful means to liberate beings. Thus, the Duochi Sūtra says there are not two Buddhas at the same time in one world; it does not say that there are no Buddhas in the ten directions.

Furthermore, you cite the Buddha's statement, 'One thing is difficult to encounter: a Buddha, a World-Honored One,' and the statement, 'Of ninety-one kalpas, three contain Buddhas, while the others are empty of Buddhas—a deeply pitiable situation.' The Buddha says to those burdened by grave wrongdoing who have not planted wholesome roots for seeing a Buddha, 'A Buddha's appearance is difficult to encounter, like the udumbara flower that appears only from time to time.' Such people wander through the three bad destinies, or dwell among humans and devas, yet when a Buddha appears, they do not see him.

It is related that Śrāvastī had nine koṭis of households: three koṭis saw the Buddha, three heard that there was a Buddha but did not see him, and three neither heard of nor saw him. The Buddha stayed in Śrāvastī for twenty-five years, yet these beings neither heard of nor saw him. How much more could this happen to those far away!

Furthermore, when the Buddha and Ānanda entered Śrāvastī seeking alms, a poor elderly woman stood by the roadside. Ānanda said, 'This woman is pitiable. The Buddha should liberate her.' The Buddha replied, 'She lacks the necessary conditions.' Ānanda said, 'Please approach her. Seeing your beautiful marks and radiance, she will rejoice, and that will establish the conditions.'

When the Buddha approached, she turned her back. He approached from each of the four sides, and each time she turned away, finally looking upward. When he came from above, she lowered her head. When he emerged from the earth, she covered her eyes with both hands and refused to look. The Buddha said to Ānanda, 'What further conditions would you have me establish?' Such people lack the conditions for liberation and cannot see the Buddha. Therefore, the Buddha says that encountering a Buddha is as rare as the udumbara flower. It is like hungry ghosts who remain thirsty and cannot drink, although rainwater is abundant and easily obtained everywhere.

Your statement that Buddhas appear in three of ninety-one kalpas concerns one Buddha world, not all other worlds. Likewise, saying that kalpas there are empty of Buddhas and deeply pitiable concerns this one Buddha world, not every other world. From this we know that there are Buddhas in the ten directions.

Furthermore, the śrāvaka teaching itself contains Buddhas of the ten directions; you simply do not understand it. As the Saṃyukta Āgama says, 'It is like a continuous downpour, its uninterrupted drops beyond counting. Worlds are like this. I see immeasurable worlds in the east, some forming, some persisting, and some disintegrating, too numerous to distinguish. The same applies throughout the ten directions. In these worlds, immeasurable beings experience three bodily sufferings—aging, sickness, and death; three mental sufferings—lust, anger, and delusion; and three sufferings in future lives—the hell, hungry ghost, and animal destinies.'

Every world has three kinds of people: lower, intermediate, and higher. Those of the lower kind cling to present-life pleasure; those of the intermediate kind seek happiness in future lives; and those of the higher kind seek the path, possess loving-kindness and compassion, and care for beings. Where causes and conditions exist, how could there be no result? The Buddha says, 'If there were no aging, sickness, or death, Buddhas would not appear in the world.' Seeing beings afflicted by these sufferings, such people vow, 'I will become a Buddha to liberate them, remove the illnesses of their minds, and rescue them from suffering in future lives.'

Thus, all worlds in the ten directions have the causes and conditions for a Buddha's appearance. Why insist that there is a Buddha here but none elsewhere? It would be like saying there is wood but no fire, or wet ground but no water. Such a claim is not credible. The same applies to Buddhas. Beings suffer bodily from aging, sickness, and death, and mentally from lust, anger, and delusion. Buddhas appear to cut off these groups of suffering and enable beings to attain the three vehicles. Since this suffering exists in every world, how could those worlds have no Buddhas? Furthermore, it is unreasonable to say that immeasurable blind people need only one physician. Therefore, there must also be Buddhas in the ten directions.

Furthermore, a scripture in the Dīrgha Āgama relates that a spirit king guarding the north came to the Buddha in the last watch of the night with hundreds of thousands and myriads of spirits. He bowed with his head at the Buddha's feet, stood to one side, and emitted pure light that brilliantly illuminated all of Jetavana. Joining his palms, he praised the Buddha in these two verses:

I take refuge in the greatly diligent one! The Buddha is supreme among two-footed beings. Possessing the eye of wisdom, he knows and sees; the devas do not comprehend this wisdom.

To all Buddhas, past, future, and present, I bow my head in homage! As I now take refuge in this Buddha, so I honor the World-Honored Ones of the three times.

These verses include Buddhas of the ten directions. The spirit king first bows to the Buddhas of the three times, then separately takes refuge in Śākyamuni Buddha. If there were no present Buddhas in the ten directions, he should take refuge only in Śākyamuni, rather than speaking of past, future, and present Buddhas. From this we know that there are Buddhas in the ten directions.

Furthermore, there were immeasurable Buddhas in the past and will be immeasurable Buddhas in the future. Therefore, there should also be immeasurable Buddhas in the present.

Furthermore, if the Buddha stated in the śrāvaka teaching that there are countless, immeasurable Buddhas in the ten directions, beings would think, 'Buddhas are easy to encounter,' and would not diligently seek liberation. Thinking, 'If I do not meet this Buddha, I will meet another,' they would become lazy and fail to strive for release. It is like a deer that knows no fear before being struck by an arrow, but afterward leaps out of the encirclement. People are also like this. Afflicted by aging, sickness, and death, they hear that there is only one Buddha and that he is extremely difficult to encounter. They become alarmed, practice diligently, and swiftly escape suffering. Therefore, in the śrāvaka teaching, the Buddha neither states that there are Buddhas in the ten directions nor that there are none.

If Buddhas exist in the ten directions and you deny them, you incur boundless wrongdoing. If they did not exist but I affirmed them, forming the thought of immeasurable Buddhas, I would gain the merit of reverence. Why? Because wholesome intentions have great power to produce merit. It is like someone who, through the samādhi of loving-kindness, contemplates all beings as enjoying happiness. Although no actual benefit has reached them, that person gains immeasurable merit through this contemplation. Recollecting Buddhas in the ten directions is likewise so.

If Buddhas truly exist in the ten directions and one denies them, one incurs the immeasurable grave wrongdoing of repudiating those Buddhas. Why? Because one denies what is real. Although people with only physical eyes do not know either way, faith that Buddhas exist brings immeasurable merit. If Buddhas do exist and one assumes they do not, the wrongdoing is very grave. Even on the basis of one's own reflection, one should have faith in their existence. How much more should one believe when the Buddha himself states in the Mahāyāna that there truly are Buddhas in the ten directions!

Question: If there are immeasurable Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions, why do they not come here, where so many beings fall into the three bad destinies?

Answer: Because beings are burdened by grave wrongdoing, they do not see the Buddhas and bodhisattvas even when they come. Moreover, the Dharma-body Buddha constantly radiates light and teaches the Dharma, yet beings neither see nor hear him because of their wrongdoing. When the sun rises, the blind do not see it; when thunder shakes the earth, the deaf do not hear it. Likewise, the Dharma body constantly radiates light and teaches, but the heavy accumulated stains of wrongdoing over immeasurable kalpas prevent beings from seeing and hearing. A clean mirror or clear water reflects a face; when obscured by dirt, it shows nothing. In the same way, beings see the Buddha when their minds are pure, but not when their minds are impure. Although Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions truly come to liberate beings, these beings cannot see them.

Furthermore, Śākyamuni Buddha was born in Kapilavastu, in Jambudvīpa, and traveled mostly among the six great cities of eastern India. Sometimes he flew to the home of the householder Yier (億耳) in southern India to receive offerings. Sometimes he briefly visited the country of the Yuezhi in northern India to subdue the dragon king Apalāla. He also went west of the Yuezhi country to subdue a female rākṣasa. He spent one night in a rock cave there, and his shadow remains there to this day. People entering the cave to look cannot see it, but when they come out through the opening and look from a distance, its radiant appearance resembles the Buddha.

Sometimes he flew briefly to the mountain of the sage Libatuo (隸跋陀) in Jibin (罽賓), remained in the sky, and subdued the sage. The sage said, 'I enjoy dwelling here. Please give me some of your hair and nail clippings, so that I may build a stūpa and make offerings.' The stūpa still exists today. (At the foot of this mountain is Liyue monastery; Liyue [離越] should be written Libatuo [隸跋陀].) Even people born in the same country as the Buddha did not all see him. How much more could this apply elsewhere! Therefore, one cannot deny Buddhas of the ten directions simply because one does not see them.

Furthermore, Maitreya Bodhisattva possesses great loving-kindness and compassion, yet remains in a heavenly palace and does not come here. Can one conclude that Maitreya does not exist because he does not come? You find nothing strange in Maitreya being nearby yet not coming. Why be surprised that Buddhas of the ten directions, who are far away, do not come?

Furthermore, Buddhas of the ten directions do not come because beings are deeply stained by wrongdoing and have not cultivated the merit needed to see a Buddha.

Furthermore, Buddhas come to liberate beings when they know that their wholesome roots have ripened and their fetters have weakened. As it is said:

Buddhas first observe and know that some cannot be liberated by any skillful means. Some are difficult to liberate, others easy to guide; some are slow, others swift.

With light or supernatural powers, through various causes and conditions, they liberate beings. When some are about to commit a heinous offense, a Buddha compassionately prevents it; when others are about to do so, he does not intervene.

For the stubborn and difficult to guide, he uses stern words; for the gentle and easy to liberate, gentle words. Though his loving-kindness and compassion are equal toward all, he applies skillful means with wisdom that knows the proper time.

Therefore, even if Buddhas of the ten directions do not come, one should not say that they do not exist. Furthermore, even great arhats such as Śāriputra and great bodhisattvas such as Maitreya cannot fathom the power of a Buddha's wisdom, his skillful means, and his supernatural abilities. How much less can ordinary people!

Furthermore, when beings face fear or urgent danger and recollect them single-mindedly, Buddhas and great bodhisattvas sometimes come to rescue them. For example, in a country west of the Great Yuezhi where the Buddha's crown relic is kept, a person afflicted with leprosy came to an image of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva in a Buddhist shrine. With wholehearted devotion, he took refuge, recollected the bodhisattva's virtues, and wished to be freed from his illness. The image then stroked his body with its right hand, which shone with the light of a precious bracelet, and his illness was cured.

In another country, a monk dwelling in the wilderness devoted himself to reading Mahāyāna texts. The king regularly spread out his hair so that the monk could step on it as he passed. Another monk asked the king, 'This is an elderly monk who has not read many scriptures. Why do you honor him so greatly?'

The king replied, 'One night at midnight, I wished to see this monk and went to his dwelling. I saw him reading the Lotus Sūtra in a cave. A radiant golden figure rode a white elephant and joined his palms in homage. As I drew closer, the figure disappeared. I asked the venerable monk, “Did that radiant golden figure disappear because I came?” He replied, “That was Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. The bodhisattva himself has said, ‘If anyone reads or recites the Lotus Sūtra, I will come riding a white elephant to guide them.’ Because I recite the Lotus Sūtra, he came himself.”' (The name used here is Bianji [遍吉]; in the Lotus Sūtra, it is Puxian [普賢], another Chinese rendering of Samantabhadra.)

In yet another country, a monk recited the Amitābha Sūtra and the Mahāprajñāpāramitā. As he was about to die, he told his disciples, 'Amitābha Buddha has come with his great assembly.' He immediately moved his body to pay homage and take refuge, and soon afterward died. His disciples built a woodpile and cremated him. The next day, they found his tongue unburned among the ashes. Because he recited the Amitābha Sūtra, he saw the Buddha come in person; because he recited the Prajñāpāramitā, his tongue could not be burned.

These are all events witnessed in the present age. The scriptures also describe many occasions when Buddhas and bodhisattvas come. Wherever people have only slight stains of wrongdoing and weak fetters, recollect the Buddha single-mindedly, and possess pure faith without doubt, they will certainly see a Buddha. This will never prove empty. Through these causes and conditions, we know that Buddhas truly exist in the ten directions.

Sutra: At that time, in that world there was a bodhisattva named Universal Radiance.

Treatise: The meaning of 'bodhisattva' has already been explained in the section praising bodhisattvas.

Question: Why is he called Universal Radiance?

Answer: His radiance constantly illuminates all worlds. Therefore, he is called Universal Radiance.

Sutra: Seeing this great light, the great shaking of the earth, and the Buddha's body, he went to Jewel Accumulation Buddha and said, 'World-Honored One! What causes and conditions now bring this light illuminating the world, this great earthquake, and the appearance of a Buddha's body?'

Treatise: The shaking of the earth, the Buddha's body, and the light have been explained above.

Question: Universal Radiance is foremost and most honored among the bodhisattvas. He should know the causes and conditions himself. Why does he ask the Buddha?

Answer: Although Universal Radiance is a great bodhisattva, he cannot fathom the wisdom and spiritual power of the Buddhas. It is like moonlight: though bright, it disappears when the sun rises. Therefore, he asks the Buddha.

Furthermore, bodhisattvas constantly wish to see Buddhas and are never satisfied. They wish to see a Buddha even without a particular occasion. How much more when there is such a great occasion!

Furthermore, there should be no doubt about this. A calf following its mother is nothing surprising. Likewise, a lesser king pays homage to a great king, as is customary. Great bodhisattvas also constantly wish to follow the Buddha because of the great benefit they receive. Seeing these events, this bodhisattva immediately recognized that something momentous was happening. He saw that countless, immeasurable worlds had become visible to one another, and therefore asked.

Furthermore, some say that this bodhisattva could know through his own spiritual power, and that Śākyamuni Buddha's power also enabled him to know. He asked only for the sake of less advanced bodhisattvas who did not understand. Their fears and difficulties had not yet been removed, so they could not ask the Buddha; he therefore asked on their behalf. Universal Radiance set out from his world accompanied by young men and young women. This indicates that they could not ask the Buddha themselves. It is like a great elephant splitting a large tree so that the young elephants can eat its branches and leaves.

Therefore, he asked the Buddha, 'Venerable One! What causes and conditions bring this great light, the great shaking of the earth, and the appearance of a Buddha's body?'