The Questions of the Girl Sumati

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was at Rājagṛha, on Vulture Peak, together with an assembly of 1,250 monks and ten thousand bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.

At that time, in Rājagṛha, there was an elder's daughter named Sumati, only eight years of age, of upright countenance and lovely appearance, complete in every mark, delighting all who saw her — for in ages past she had drawn near to and made offerings to immeasurable buddhas, and had planted every root of goodness.

This girl came before the Tathāgata, bowed her head to the Buddha's feet, circled him three times to the right, and, kneeling with palms joined, spoke this verse:

"Unsurpassed, Perfectly and Fully Awakened One,
great lamp illuminating the world —
I ask only that you hear
my questions about the bodhisattva's own practice."

The Buddha said to Sumati: "Ask freely now, whatever you wish, and I will explain it for you, so as to cut through the net of doubt." Sumati said: "Yes indeed, World-Honored One — I long to hear it."

Then Sumati asked the Buddha in verse:

"How does one attain a body upright,
wealthy and noble?
And by what cause does one's own following
become impossible to break apart?
How does one come to see oneself
reborn by transformation,
upon a thousand-petaled lotus,
face to face with every buddha?
How does one attain sovereign,
supreme spiritual powers,
traveling throughout immeasurable buddha-lands,
paying homage to every buddha?
How does one come to have no enemies,
one's every word believed and accepted,
purified of every obstruction to the Dharma,
forever free of every deed of Māra?
How, at the moment of death,
does one come to behold every buddha,
hearing the pure Dharma taught,
without undergoing any suffering?
Great Compassionate, Unsurpassed World-Honored One —
I ask only that you explain this for me."

Then the Buddha said to the girl Sumati: "Excellent, excellent — you ask this deep and wondrous meaning well. Listen carefully, listen carefully, and consider it well; I will explain it for you." Sumati said: "Yes indeed, World-Honored One, I long to hear it."

The Buddha said: "Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things attains a body upright and fine. What are the four? First, not giving rise to anger toward an evil companion; second, abiding in great loving-kindness; third, deeply delighting in the true Dharma; fourth, making images of the Buddha." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Never let anger, destroyer of good roots, grow;
be loving, delight in Dharma, make the Buddha's image —
you will thereby gain a body adorned with every mark,
one that every being ever delights to see.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things attains a body wealthy and noble. What are the four? First, giving at the right time; second, a mind free of contempt; third, giving joyfully; fourth, not hoping for any reward." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Give at the right time, free of contempt,
giving joyfully, hoping for no reward —
diligently cultivate this practice always,
and wherever you are born you will gain great wealth and rank.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things attains a following that cannot be broken apart. What are the four? First, being well able to cast aside divisive speech; second, establishing beings of wrong view in right view; third, when the true Dharma is about to perish, protecting it so it abides long; fourth, guiding every being toward the Buddha's bodhi." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Cast aside divisive speech and wrong views,
protect the true Dharma when it nears its end,
establish beings in great bodhi —
you will thereby gain a following that can never be broken apart.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things will, before a buddha, be reborn by transformation, seated upon a lotus. What are the four? First, offering flowers, fruit, and fine incense powder, scattering them before the Tathāgata and before stūpas; second, never wrongly causing harm to another; third, making an image of the Tathāgata seated upon a lotus; fourth, giving rise to deep, pure faith in the Buddha's bodhi." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Scatter flowers and incense before the Buddha and his stūpas,
harm no one, and make his image,
hold deep faith and understanding in great bodhi —
you will thereby come to be born on a lotus before a buddha.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things travels from one buddha-land to another. What are the four? First, seeing another cultivate good and not obstructing or troubling them; second, never hindering another when they teach the Dharma; third, lighting lamps as offerings to the Tathāgata's stūpas; fourth, constantly and diligently practicing every meditative absorption." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"See others cultivate good and teach the true Dharma,
and give rise to no slander or hindrance;
offer lamplight to the Tathāgata's stūpas,
and cultivate every meditative absorption —
you will thereby roam freely through every buddha-land.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things dwells in the world without any enemy. What are the four? First, drawing near to good companions with a mind free of flattery; second, a mind free of envy toward another's superior attainment; third, a mind always joyful when another gains renown; fourth, a mind free of contempt toward the bodhisattva path." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Draw near to good companions without flattery,
free of envy toward another's excellence,
always rejoicing at another's renown,
never slandering bodhisattvas —
you will thereby have no enemy at all.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things has every word believed by others. What are the four? First, always matching speech to practice; second, never concealing one's own faults from good companions; third, never seeking fault in the Dharma one has heard; fourth, never giving rise to an ill mind toward one who teaches the Dharma." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Always match speech to practice,
hide no fault of your own from good companions,
seek no fault in the person or the Dharma you hear taught —
every word you speak will then be believed and accepted.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things can be freed from every obstruction to the Dharma, and swiftly attain purity. What are the four? First, upholding the three sets of precepts with deep and heartfelt joy; second, never slandering a profound sūtra one has heard; third, regarding a newly-resolved bodhisattva with the mind of all-knowing wisdom; fourth, having great loving-kindness equally toward every being." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Uphold the precepts with deep, heartfelt joy,
believe and understand every profound sūtra you hear,
revere one newly resolved as you would a buddha,
and let loving-kindness reach all —
every obstruction will thereby dissolve.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things can be freed from every kind of Māra. What are the four? First, understanding the equality of the nature of all dharmas; second, arousing diligence; third, constantly and diligently being mindful of the Buddha; fourth, dedicating every root of goodness to the benefit of all." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Know the equal nature of every dharma,
constantly arouse diligence, be mindful of the Tathāgata,
dedicate every root of goodness —
and every Māra will find no opening at all.

"Furthermore, Sumati! A bodhisattva who accomplishes four things will, at the moment of death, behold every buddha appearing before them. What are the four? First, whatever another asks for, giving it to them in full; second, giving rise to deep faith and understanding in every wholesome dharma; third, giving adornments to bodhisattvas; fourth, diligently making offerings to the Three Jewels." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

"Give in full whatever another asks for,
hold faith and understanding in the profound Dharma, give up your own adornments,
diligently make offerings to the field of merit that is the Three Jewels —
and at the moment of death, a buddha will appear before you."

Then the girl Sumati, having heard the Buddha speak, said: "World-Honored One! I shall carry out every bodhisattva practice the Buddha has just described. World-Honored One, if I should lack even one of these forty practices, and fail to cultivate it, then I would be violating the Buddha's own teaching, and deceiving the Tathāgata."

Then the Elder Mahāmaudgalyāyana said to Sumati: "The bodhisattva's practice is exceedingly hard to carry out. Now that you have made this excellent, great vow, can you truly attain mastery over it?"

Then Sumati said: "Elder! If my vast vow is true and not empty, and can bring every one of these practices to completion, then may this trichiliocosm shake in six ways."

Then Sumati said further to Maudgalyāyana: "By the truth of these very words, in a future age I shall attain buddhahood — just as the Tathāgata Śākyamuni has today — and in my own land there will be no deeds of Māra, no evil destinies, and not even the word 'woman.' If these words of mine are not false, may the bodies of this whole assembly all turn the color of gold." The moment she spoke these words, the whole assembly turned the color of gold.

Then the Elder Mahāmaudgalyāyana rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and said: "World-Honored One! From now on I will first bow to any bodhisattva who has newly aroused the bodhi-mind, and to every bodhisattva-mahāsattva."

Then the Dharma-Prince Mañjuśrī said to Sumati: "In what dharma do you abide, that you have made this sincere vow?" Sumati answered: "Mañjuśrī! That is not a question that can be asked. Why is this? Because within the dharma-realm there is nothing to abide in at all."

He asked further: "What is meant by bodhi?" She answered: "The dharma free of discrimination — this is called bodhi." He asked further: "What is meant by a bodhisattva?" She answered: "One for whom every dharma bears the mark of empty space — this is called a bodhisattva." He asked further: "What is meant by the practice of bodhi?" She answered: "A practice like a mirage, like an echo in a valley — this is the practice of bodhi." He asked further: "On what hidden meaning do you base such words?" She answered: "Within this, I see not the slightest dharma that is hidden, nor any that is not hidden."

He asked further: "If this is so, then every ordinary being should already be bodhi itself." She answered: "Do you take bodhi to be something different from an ordinary being? Do not hold such a view. Why is this? Because these are both, equally, marks of the very same dharma-realm — neither to be grasped nor rejected, neither accomplished nor destroyed."

He asked further: "Among those who can truly understand this meaning, how many are there?" She answered: "However many illusion-conjured minds and mental factors there are, that many illusion-conjured beings can understand this meaning." Mañjuśrī said: "An illusion is, at root, nothing at all — how then could there be minds and mental factors of this kind?" She answered: "The dharma-realm is just the same — neither existent nor non-existent; and even the Tathāgata is likewise just the same."

Then Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! This girl Sumati is exceedingly rare indeed, to have accomplished such forbearance of the Dharma." The Buddha said: "So it is, so it is, exactly as you have said. This girl in fact aroused the bodhi-mind in ages past — I myself set out toward unsurpassed bodhi only thirty kalpas afterward, and it was she who first established you, too, in the forbearance of the unborn."

Then Mañjuśrī rose at once from his seat, bowed to her, and said to Sumati: "In ages past, immeasurable kalpas ago, I once made offerings to you — I had not expected that I should have the chance to draw near to you again today." Sumati said: "Mañjuśrī! Do not now give rise to such discrimination. Why is this? Because it is only through freedom from discrimination that the forbearance of the unborn is attained."

He asked further: "Sumati, will you not now transform this female body of yours?" Sumati answered: "The mark of a woman cannot, in the end, be found at all — what, then, is there to transform?"

"Mañjuśrī! I shall now dispel your doubt. By the truth of these very words: when, in an age to come, I attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, then within my own teaching, monks will hear the call 'welcome!' and thereby go forth and enter the path; every being in my land will have a body the color of gold, their clothing and requisites like those of the Sixth Heaven, their food abundant and arriving at the very thought of it; there will be no deeds of Māra, no evil destinies, and not even the word 'woman'; there will be groves of the seven treasures hung with jeweled nets, and lotuses of the seven treasures covered by canopies of jewels — adorned and arrayed exactly like the pure land Mañjuśrī himself will accomplish, with no difference at all.

"If these words of mine are not false, may the bodies of this whole assembly turn the color of gold, and may my own female body transform into that of a man, like a thirty-year-old monk versed in the Dharma." The moment she spoke these words, the whole assembly turned the color of gold, and the bodhisattva Sumati transformed from a woman into a man, like a thirty-year-old monk versed in the Dharma.

At that time, the earth-dwelling gods passed word to one another in praise: "Great indeed, great indeed! That the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sumati, upon attaining bodhi in an age to come, should adorn and uphold a buddha-land with such virtue as this!"

Then the Buddha said to Mañjuśrī: "This bodhisattva Sumati, in an age to come, will accomplish perfect and complete awakening, and will appear in the world as the Tathāgata Excellent Meritorious Treasure-Store." When the Buddha spoke this sūtra, thirty koṭis of beings became irreversible in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; eighty koṭis of beings, far removed from dust and defilement, attained the pure Dharma-eye; and eight thousand beings all attained realization through wisdom.

Five thousand monks practicing the bodhisattva vehicle, whose minds had been on the verge of turning back, on seeing the excellent aspiration, roots of goodness, and majestic virtue of the bodhisattva Sumati, each removed the upper robe they were wearing and offered it to the Tathāgata. Having made this offering, they made this vast vow: "By this root of goodness, we resolve and vow to accomplish unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening." Those good sons, by dedicating this root of goodness to unsurpassed bodhi, thereby leapt over ninety kalpas of the suffering of birth-and-death, and became irreversible in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

Then the World-Honored One at once gave them this prediction: "You, in an age to come, after a thousand kalpas have passed, in the kalpa called Stainless Radiance, in the world called Mirage, in the buddha-land called Endurance, will, within a single kalpa, attain buddhahood one after another, all under the identical name, appearing in the world as the Tathāgata Eloquence Adorned.

"Mañjuśrī! A dharma-gate such as this carries great majestic virtue, able to bring great benefit to bodhisattva-mahāsattvas and to practitioners of the śrāvaka vehicle alike. Mañjuśrī! Suppose a good son or good daughter, seeking bodhi, practices the six pāramitās without skillful means for a full thousand kalpas; and suppose another person, over the course of half a month, once copies out and recites this sūtra — the mass of merit the latter gains surpasses the former's merit by a hundred parts, a thousand parts, a hundred thousand koṭi parts, indeed by a margin no calculation or simile could ever reach.

"Therefore, Mañjuśrī! A subtle and wondrous dharma-gate such as this is the very root of every bodhisattva sūtra. I now entrust it to you: in ages to come, uphold it, recite it, and explain it to others. It is like a wheel-turning sage-king appearing in the world — every one of the seven treasures then appears before him; but once the king passes away, every treasure vanishes from sight. Just so, when a subtle and wondrous dharma-gate such as this circulates in the world, the light of every tathāgata's seven factors of awakening and the rest of the Dharma is never extinguished; but if it does not circulate, the true Dharma will perish.

"Therefore, Mañjuśrī! If any good son or good daughter, seeking bodhi, should arouse diligence, copy out this sūtra, uphold and recite it, and explain it to others. This is my own teaching — let no one, in ages to come, give rise to regret over it."

When the Buddha had finished speaking this sūtra, the bodhisattva Sumati, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, and the whole great assembly — gods, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and the rest — hearing what the Buddha had taught, all rejoiced greatly, and, believing and accepting this teaching, carried it out with reverence.