The King's Portrait, and the Sun of Liberation
Chapter Five closes with a parable of an unfinished portrait — a crowd of painters, each skilled in only one part of the craft, whose collective work fails if even one is absent — mapped onto the bodhisattva's need to complete every pāramitā without exception, followed by the final three bodhisattva grounds and a closing sun-simile binding wisdom, gnosis, and liberation into a single inseparable radiance.
The Ratnamālā Sūtra: The Unfinished Portrait of the King
示現如是義，依一切種智，於諸佛如來無漏法界中譬喻示現。此明何義？《寶鬘經》中畫師譬喻，示現具足一切功德應知。
如種種畫師， 所知各差別，
彼一人知分， 第二人不知。
有自在國王， 勅諸畫師言，
於彼摽畫處， 具足作我身。
國中諸畫師， 一切皆下手，
若不闕一人， 乃成國王像。
畫師受勅已， 畫作國王像，
彼諸畫師中， 一人行不在。
由無彼一人， 國王像不成，
以其不滿足， 一切身分故。
所言畫師者， 喻檀戒等行，
言國王像者， 示一切種智，
一人不在者， 示現少一行，
王像不成者， 空智不具足。
此偈明何義？以是義故，《寶鬘經》言：善男子！諦聽諦聽！我今為汝說此譬喻。善男子！譬如三千大千世界所有眾生悉善知畫，其中或有善能泥塗、或能磨彩、或曉畫身不曉手足、或曉手足不曉面目。時有國王，以一張疊與是諸人而告之言：凡能畫者皆悉聚集，於此疊上畫吾身像。爾時諸人悉來集聚，隨其所能而共作之。有一畫師，以緣事故竟不得來。諸人畫已持共上王。善男子！可言諸人悉集作不？不也。世尊！善男子！我說此喻其義未顯。善男子！一人不來，故不得言一切集作，亦不得言像已成就。佛法行者亦復如是，若有一行不成就者，則不名具足如來正法，是故要當具足諸行名為成就無上菩提故。
又此檀等諸波羅蜜一一差別，唯是如來所知境界。如來知彼種種差別無量無邊應知，以彼算數自在力等不能思議故。以對治彼慳等諸垢，是故得成清淨檀等諸波羅蜜。
To reveal this meaning, it is shown, in dependence on omniscient wisdom, through a simile drawn from within the uncontaminated dharma-realm of the buddhas, the tathāgatas. What does this clarify? It should be understood that the parable of the painters in the Ratnamālā Sūtra reveals the complete possession of every quality.
Just as various painters each know a different part, one knows his portion, but a second does not know it.
There is a sovereign king who commands the painters, saying:
on that marked-out canvas, complete my portrait in full.
Every painter in the kingdom sets to work;
only if not one of them is missing does the king's portrait come to completion.
Having received the command, the painters paint the king's portrait —
but among those painters, one has gone away and is not present.
Because that one painter is missing, the king's portrait is not completed,
since it lacks the fullness of every part of the body.
The painters are a metaphor for the practices of giving, moral discipline, and the rest;
the king's portrait signifies omniscient wisdom;
the one painter absent signifies a single practice left incomplete;
the portrait's failure to be completed signifies that the wisdom of emptiness is not yet complete.
What meaning does this verse make clear? For this reason, the Ratnamālā Sūtra says: "Good son! Listen well, listen well! I shall now explain this parable for you. Good son! It is as if every sentient being in a great trichiliocosm were skilled in painting — among them, some are skilled at applying the base coat, some at grinding pigments, some know how to paint the body but not the hands and feet, some know the hands and feet but not the face and eyes. At that time there is a king who gives a single length of cloth to these people, telling them: 'Let all who are able to paint gather together, and on this cloth paint my likeness.' At that time, everyone gathers together and, each according to his own skill, works on it together. But one painter, owing to some matter, in the end cannot come. The others finish the painting and together present it to the king. Good son, can it be said that everyone gathered to make it?" "No, World-Honored One." "Good son, in telling this parable, its meaning has not yet been made clear. Good son, because one person did not come, it cannot be said that everyone gathered to make it, nor can it be said that the portrait has been completed." Practitioners of the Buddha-dharma are likewise: if there is even a single practice left incomplete, this cannot be called the complete, true Dharma of the Tathāgata — for this reason, one must complete every practice without exception for this to be called the accomplishment of unsurpassed enlightenment.
Furthermore, each and every one of these pāramitās — giving and the rest — in their individual distinctions, are a domain known only to the Tathāgata. It should be understood that the Tathāgata knows their manifold distinctions to be immeasurable and boundless, since the power of mastery over their calculation and the rest is inconceivable. By counteracting their corresponding taints — stinginess and the rest — the pure pāramitās of giving and the rest are thereby accomplished.
The Buddha's own correction of his listener — "its meaning has not yet been made clear," spoken right after the listener answers "no" — is a small but telling detail: the parable is not simply illustrated and left to speak for itself, but is checked against the listener's actual understanding before its moral is drawn. The moral itself is demanding in a specific way: it is not that any one pāramitā matters more than the others, but that omniscient wisdom is precisely the kind of whole that cannot be assembled from a partial set of parts, the way a portrait missing its hands is not a slightly incomplete portrait but simply an unfinished one.
The Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Bodhisattva Grounds
又以修行一切種一切空智及種種三昧門，於第八菩薩不動地中不分別一切菩薩地，無間無隔自然依止道智修行得無生法忍，成就具足如來無漏戒、成就一切功德。
於第九菩薩善慧地中，依阿僧祇三昧陀羅尼海門，攝取無量無邊諸佛之法依止，解一切眾生根智，成就無量無邊功德空智，得無生法忍。
於第十菩薩法雲地中，依止一切如來現前蜜智智，成就無量無邊功德聚，得無生空法忍。次後得諸三昧，斷一切煩惱障智障。依止諸解脫門智，成就清淨彼岸功德，具足得一切種一切空智。
以如是等四種地智中，非聲聞辟支佛地，以彼聲聞辟支佛等去之甚遠。以是義故，說彼四種成就不差別涅槃界。是故偈言：
慧智及解脫， 不離法界體，
無差涅槃界， 日相似相對。
Furthermore, by practicing the wisdom of emptiness in every aspect and every kind, and the gates of samādhi of every variety, on the eighth bodhisattva ground, the Immovable Ground, one no longer discriminates among any of the bodhisattva grounds; without gap or interval, resting spontaneously on the wisdom of the path, one practices and attains the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, accomplishing the complete, uncontaminated moral discipline of the Tathāgata and accomplishing every quality.
On the ninth bodhisattva ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, in dependence on the ocean-gate of countless samādhis and dhāraṇīs, one takes up as one's support the immeasurable, boundless Dharma of every buddha, comprehends the wisdom of the faculties of every sentient being, accomplishes the immeasurable, boundless wisdom of emptiness of merit, and attains the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas.
On the tenth bodhisattva ground, the Ground of the Cloud of Dharma, resting on the secret wisdom-of-wisdom present before every tathāgata, one accomplishes the immeasurable, boundless accumulation of merit, and attains the forbearance of the non-arising of empty dharmas. Following this, one attains every samādhi, severing every afflictive obstruction and cognitive obstruction. Resting on the wisdom of every gate of liberation, one accomplishes the pure quality of the far shore, and completely attains the wisdom of emptiness in its every aspect.
Within these four grounds of wisdom, none is the ground of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, since śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are exceedingly far removed from them. For this reason, it is said that these four accomplishments constitute the undifferentiated realm of nirvāṇa. Hence a verse says:
Wisdom, gnosis, and liberation are not separate from the essence of the dharma-realm;
the undifferentiated realm of nirvāṇa resembles, and corresponds to, the sun.
The Sun of Liberation
此偈明何義？以何等慧、以何等智、以何等解脫？彼三不離法界實體，明彼四種功德成就無差別涅槃界。偈言：無差別涅槃界故。為彼四種義次第故，有四種相似相對法應知。何等為四？一者佛法身中依出世間無分別慧，能破第一無明黑闇，彼光明照相似相對法應知。偈言：慧故，日相似相對故。二者依智故，得一切智智，知一切種、照一切事，放光明羅網相似相對法應知。偈言：智故，日相似相對故。三者依止彼二自性清淨心解脫，無垢離垢光明輪清淨相似相對法應知。偈言：解脫故，日相似相對法故。四者即此三種不離法界、不離實體，不相捨離相似相對法應知。偈言：不離法界體故，日相似相對故。是故偈言：
不證諸佛身， 涅槃不可得，
如棄捨光明， 日不可得見。
此偈明何義？以如向說，無漏法界中無始世界來諸佛法身中無漏諸法一切功德不相捨離。以是義故，遠離如來無障無礙法身智慧離一切障，涅槃體相不可得見、不可得證，如離日光明無日輪可見。以是義故，《聖者勝鬘經》言：法無優劣故得涅槃，知諸法平等智故得涅槃。平等智故得涅槃、平等解脫故得涅槃、平等解脫知見故得涅槃，是故世尊說涅槃界一味等味，謂明解脫一味故。
What meaning does this verse make clear? By what wisdom, what gnosis, what liberation? These three are not separate from the real essence of the dharma-realm — this clarifies that these four accomplishments of merit constitute the undifferentiated realm of nirvāṇa. Hence the verse says "the undifferentiated realm of nirvāṇa." In accordance with the order of these four meanings, it should be understood that there are four points of resemblance and correspondence to the sun. What are the four? First, within the buddha's dharmakāya, in dependence on the transcendent wisdom without discrimination, able to break through the first darkness of ignorance — this should be understood as the point of resemblance to the sun's radiant illumination. Hence the verse says "by wisdom, resembling and corresponding to the sun." Second, in dependence on gnosis, one attains the wisdom that is omniscient wisdom, knowing every kind and illuminating every matter, emitting a net of light — this should be understood as the point of resemblance to the sun. Hence the verse says "by gnosis, resembling and corresponding to the sun." Third, resting on the liberation of the mind pure by its own nature in both of these, stainless, apart from stain, a wheel of pure light — this should be understood as the point of resemblance to the sun. Hence the verse says "by liberation, resembling and corresponding to the sun." Fourth, these three, being inseparable from the dharma-realm, inseparable from the real essence, never separate from one another — this should be understood as the point of resemblance to the sun. Hence the verse says "being inseparable from the essence of the dharma-realm, resembling and corresponding to the sun." Hence the verse says:
Without realizing the body of every buddha, nirvāṇa cannot be attained —
just as, having cast aside the light, the sun itself cannot be seen.
What meaning does this verse make clear? As explained above, within the uncontaminated dharma-realm, from beginningless time, every uncontaminated dharma and every quality within the buddhas' dharmakāya are never separate from one another. For this reason, apart from the Tathāgata's unobstructed, unimpeded dharmakāya-wisdom free of every obstruction, the substance and mark of nirvāṇa cannot be seen, cannot be realized — just as, apart from the sun's light, no solar disk can be seen. For this reason, the Noble Śrīmālā Sūtra says: "Nirvāṇa is attained because dharmas are without superiority or inferiority; nirvāṇa is attained through the wisdom that knows all dharmas as equal. Nirvāṇa is attained through equal wisdom; nirvāṇa is attained through equal liberation; nirvāṇa is attained through the knowledge and vision of equal liberation." For this reason, the World-Honored One speaks of the realm of nirvāṇa as one flavor, an equal flavor — meaning that liberation, made clear, is of one flavor.
The sun-simile's four-part structure closely mirrors the fire-and-space imagery from earlier in this chapter, but points it in the opposite direction: there, space stood for what fire could never burn; here, the sun stands for what cannot be perceived apart from its own light. Wisdom is the sun's power to break through darkness, gnosis is its power to illuminate every particular, and liberation is the resulting purity — three functions of a single radiance that "cannot be seen" independently of one another, just as no one has ever seen the solar disk apart from its own light reaching an eye. This image closes the treatise's longest chapter on the note it opened with: the tathāgatagarbha's qualities are inseparable from the tathāgatagarbha itself, at every one of the three times and every one of the ten grounds.
Part 17 Complete — Chapter Five Concluded
This closes Chapter Five, 一切眾生有如來藏品第五 ("All Sentient Beings Possess the Tathāgatagarbha"), the treatise's longest and most systematic chapter, structured throughout on its own ten-point outline: essence, cause, fruit, function, correspondence, manifestation, difference across time, pervading every place, immutability, and non-differentiation. Part 18 opens Chapter Six, 無量煩惱所纏品第六 ("Wrapped in Immeasurable Affliction"), with this literature's most celebrated set of images: the nine similes for how the tathāgatagarbha lies concealed within affliction — a buddha seated in a wilted lotus, honey guarded by swarming bees, a kernel of grain still in its husk, gold fallen in filth, a treasure buried beneath a poor family's house, a sprout within its seed, a statue of the Buddha wrapped in rotted rags, the embryo of a universal monarch in the womb of a destitute woman, and a golden image still sealed inside its clay mold.
Continue to Part 18 — Nine Similes for the Hidden Treasure →