Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows

Chapter Forty

 

 

Once a bhikshu went to a wise teacher and requested instruction. He put on his robe and sash, knelt down, put his palms together, and asked, "In what way can one obtain liberation?"

The wise teacher said only one sentence in reply: "Who has bound you up?"

The bhikshu thought, "No one has bound me up. I have bound myself. With that one sentence from a wise teacher, he suddenly became enlightened and obtained liberation.

It is easy to liberate one living being or two living beings, but to liberate a sea of living beings is very difficult. If you can do it, though, it is not difficult. And so the text says, "I liberate the sea of all living beings."

With skill I make distinctions in the sea of all dharmas. "All dharmas" include the Three Treasuries and Twelve Divisions. The Three Treasuries are the Treasury of Sutras, the Treasury of the Shastras, or discourses, and the Treasury of the Vinaya. All the Sutras, all the Shastras, and all the precepts and disciplines--the Vinaya--make up the Three Treasuries.

The Twelve Divisions are:

1. prose;

2. reiterative verses;

3. predictions;

4. interjections;

5. spontaneous speaking unrequested;

6. causes and conditions;

7. analogies;

8. past lives' deeds;

9. deeds of this life;

10. expansions (Vaipulya);

11. the hitherto unknown;

12. explanations.

Prose refers to the prose sections of the Sutras, and reiterative verses are the verse sections which restate the meaning of the prose. Interjected verses do not repeat the meaning of the prose that precedes them. An example of an interjection is this verse from the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra:

All conditioned dharmas
Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows,
Like dew drops and a lightning flash.
Contemplate them thus.

Spontaneous speaking unrequested means that the Buddha spoke a Dharma even though no one requested it. For example, the Amitabha Sutra was lectured without being requested. Causes and conditions explain the different causes and conditions in the Sutras. Analogies, as in the Analogies Chapter of the Dharma Flower Lotus Sutra, are used to explain the Dharma. Past lives' deeds may be about the past lives of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Arhats.

These Twelve Divisions of the Sutras and the Three Treasuries comprise all Dharma. The Twelve Divisions are further divided into the Great Vehicle and the Small Vehicle, the Bodhisattva Vehicle, the Vehicle of Those Enlightened to Conditions, the Vehicle of Sound Hearers, and the Buddha Vehicle.

The Buddhadharma is divided into many parts, and if you are not aware of them, you will not know which practice door is the most suitable in your cultivation. So the text says, "With skill I make distinctions in the sea of all dharmas." The Buddhadharma is just like a great sea. If you can discriminate the True Mark of all dharmas, then you can cultivate in accord with the Dharma, and enter deeply into the wisdom sea. You should be able to deeply enter the sea of wisdom. If you can make distinctions in the sea of all dharmas, if you can deeply enter all dharmas, you can obtain immeasurable and boundless wisdom, which is just like entering a great and infinite Sea.

Sutra:

I can purify the ocean of all practices,
Perfect and complete a sea of vows.
I draw near to a sea of Buddhas and make offerings,
And cultivate without fatigue for a sea of time.  

To all Tathagatas of the three periods of time,
With Bodhi, conduct, and vows most supreme,
I completely offer up my perfect cultivation;
With Samantabhadra’s practices, I awaken to Bodhi.  

Each Tathagata has an elder disciple
Named Universal Worthy, Honored One.
I now transfer all good roots, and I vow
To perform deeds of wisdom identical to his.

Commentary:

I can purify the ocean of all practices. All the methods of cultivation are like a great sea. When I cultivate the Way, I should be concentrated and unscattered, and I should singlemindedly cultivate the pure practices, the doors into the Dharma. I cannot have the least bit of defilement in the midst of the pure methods of practice. Therefore the text reads, "I can purify the ocean of all practice."

I will perfect and complete a sea of vows. To cultivate, it is necessary to make vows. After making vows, you must fulfill them. I make all kinds of vows and fulfill all kinds of vows. When I cultivate the Ten Kings of Vows of Universal Worthy, I must have vow power that equals that of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. In this way I perfect and complete vows which are as many as a great sea is vast.

I draw near to a sea of Buddhas and make offerings. All the Buddhas of the ten directions are immeasurable and boundless, just like a great sea. I wish to draw near to this sea of Buddhas and make offerings to them, and I wish to cultivate without fatigue for a sea of time. I cannot become fatigued in my cultivation. Passing through immeasurable kalpas, I will never tire or become lazy, but will be continuously vigorous. Although the length of time of a kalpa is as long as a great sea is big, I certainly will never give in to fatigue.

To all Tathagatas of the three periods of time--to all the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time, with Bodhi, conduct, and vows most supreme, the most supreme, subtle, and wonderful Way of enlightenment--I completely offer up my perfect cultivation. All the Buddhas of the ten direction cultivate the most supreme Bodhi and all conduct and vows, and at the same time, I make offerings to them and fully perfect cultivation which is identical to theirs. In this way, with Samantabhadra's practices, I awaken to Bodhi. When I cultivate the practices and vows of Universal Worthy's great kings of vows, I am enlightened to Bodhi, to the Way of enlightenment.

Each Tathagata has an elder disciple. Each of the Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, of the ten directions has a great disciple, whose name is Universal Worthy, Honored One. I now transfer all good roots. Now I dedicate all good roots I obtain through cultivation to Universal Worthy Bodhisattva and his ten great kings of vows, and I vow to perform deeds of wisdom identical to his. I vow that my wisdom and doors of practice will be identical to those of each and every Universal Worthy Bodhisattva.

Sutra:

I vow that my body, mouth, and mind will be forever pure
And that all practices and Buddhalands will be also.
I vow in every way to be identical
To the wisdom of Universal Worthy.  

Commentary:

I vow that my body, mouth, and mind will be forever pure. I will not kill, steal, or commit sexual misconduct with my body; my mouth will not create the evil karmas of irresponsible speech, false speech, abusive speech, or divisive speech; and my mind will not create the evil karmas of greed, anger, and stupidity. My three karmas of body, mouth, and mind will always be pure.

I vow that all practices and Buddha lands will be also. The practices I cultivate will be pure. I vow in every way to be identical to the wisdom of Universal Worthy. I vow that in everything I do, I will be the same as Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, identical to his great wisdom. I vow to study him, to cultivate his practices, to cultivate his Dharma of the ten great kings of vows, and to perfect the inconceivable spiritual penetrations and wonderful function of his wisdom. In every way, I wish to be the same as Universal Worthy Bodhisattva.

Sutra:

I will wholly purify Samantabhadra’s conduct,
And the great vows of Manjushri as well.
All their deeds I will fulfill, leaving nothing undone.
Till the ends of the future I’ll never tire.  

Infinite and measureless is my cultivation;
Boundless merit and virtue I obtain.
Amid limitless practices I will dwell in peace,
And penetrate the strength of spiritual powers.  

Commentary:

I will wholly purify Samantabhadra's conduct. This is spoken by one who cultivates the practices of Universal Worthy and who says, "When cultivating the practices of Universal Worthy, I universally purify them, which means that I fully perfect his practices and vows, and the great vows of Manjusri as well." Manjusri is called "wonderfully virtuous," and "wonderfully auspicious." Not only should one purify the practices of Universal Worthy, but one should also fully perfect all great vows of Manjusri Bodhisattva.

All their deeds I will fulfill, leaving nothing undone. I will be the same as Universal Worthy and Manjusri Bodhisattva in their cultivation of practices and vows, and in their accomplishment of merit, virtue, and deeds. Till the ends of the future I'll never tire. I'll cultivate the great kings of vows of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva for inexhaustible kalpas in the future, never growing weary. There never will be a time when I will grow tired or become lazy.

Infinite and measureless is my cultivation. The doors of conduct which I practice are immeasurable and boundless in number. Boundless merit and virtue I obtain. Because the doors of practice I cultivate are immeasurable, the merit and virtue I obtain is also infinite and boundless.

Amid limitless practices I will dwell in peace. I peacefully dwell in and remain unmoving in immeasurable methods of practice and immeasurable Dharma doors. I constantly study all methods and conduct and penetrate the strength of spiritual powers. I understand and penetrate the strength of all spiritual powers.

Sutra:

Manjushri has wisdom, courageous and brave;
Samantabhadra’s conduct and wisdom are the same.
I now transfer all good roots
In order to follow them in practice and in study.  

In the three periods of time, all Buddhas praise
Such vows as these, lofty and great.
I now transfer all good roots, wishing to perfect
The supreme practices of Samantabhadra.  

I vow that when my life approaches its end,
All obstructions will be swept away;
I will see Amita Buddha,
And be born in his Land of Ultimate Bliss and Peace.  

Commentary:

Manjusri has wisdom, courageous and brave. Manjusri Bodhisattva has the greatest wisdom and the most authority. In the past he was Shakyamuni Buddha's teacher, and in this present life, he has propagated, taught, and spread the Buddhadharma. His wisdom is brave and courageous. Courageous and brave wisdom is great wisdom.

Manjusri Bodhisattva lives on Wu T'ai Mountain in China. This mountain has five peaks: a central peak, the eastern peak, the western peak, the southern peak, and the northern peak, and so it is called Wu T'ai, "Five Peaked" Mountain. It is a very cold place, and even in the summer there is snow on its peaks. Manjusri Bodhisattva has established a Bodhimanda there.

Samantabhadra's conduct and wisdom are the same. Universal Worthy Bodhisattva's wisdom, vows, and cultivation are especially courageous and brave.

I now transfer all good roots. Now I dedicate all the good roots I have gained from cultivating the ten great kings of vows. Why do I transfer them? In order to fllow them in practice and in study. I transfer them because I wish to follow Manjusri Bodhisattva's practices and studies. I wish to go along forever with Universal Worthy Bodhisattva's vows and constantly cultivate and study the Buddhadharma.

In the three periods of time, all Buddhas praise--these two Bodhisattvas have been praised by all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future. All Buddhas of the three periods of time have together praised Manjusri Bodhisattva and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, praised such vows as these, lofty and great. The supreme vows referred to here are the ten great kings of vows. I now transfer all good roots--now I transfer all of my good roots, wishing to perfect the supreme practices of Samantabhadra. I do so to perfect the ten great kings of vows of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva.

I vow that when my life approaches its end: when my life ends, I wish that all obstructions will be swept away, that I will have exhausted all my obstructions. All obstructions include the obstructions of retribution, of karma, and of afflictions. I vow that these three obstructions will be eradicated, so that at the end of my life I will not need to undergo the suffering of karma; so that I will not receive the retribution of a future life; and so that I will be without afflictions; and so that my ignorance will be cut off. I vow that I will exhaust all obstructions in this way.

I will see Amita Buddha. I will go off to see Amita Buddha of the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Amita is a Sanskrit word that means "limitless life" and also "limitless life." Because Amita Buddha's life is limitless, he is called the Buddha of Limitless Life. This Buddha is the lord of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. He not only has affinities with the living beings of the Saha World, but with living beings of the lands of the ten directions, in this land, and in that land, in this world, and in that world: he has conditions with living beings of all Buddha lands.

Why does Amita Buddha have conditions with living beings? In the past when he was cultivating as a bhikshu on the causal ground, he made vows:

When I become a Buddha, my land will be the Land of Ultimate
Bliss. None of the other worlds of the ten directions will be as blissful as my land.
No worlds will be as blissful as my world.
If living beings of the ten directions wish to be born in my country, all they must do is hold my name.
They should recite my Buddha-name, and I will accept them to become Buddhas.
If they do not become Buddhas, I will not become a Buddha. I will not certify to enlightenment.

Amita Buddha made forty-eight vows like this to cross over living beings. Therefore, any living being of the ten directions who sincerely recites the name of Amita Buddha can be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Ultimately, the merit from the ten great kings of vows of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva are dedicated to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, as one makes a vow to be born there. The Land of Ultimate Bliss belongs to Amita Buddha, and according to the Secret School classification, his is the Lotus Flower Division in the West.

Akshobhya Buddha is the host of the Vajra Division in the East. The Vajra Division specializes in cultivating the Vajra Unmoving Dharma. The essence of the Vajra Dharma is subduing and hooking. How can you hood a demon? The one who practices this dharma, the Vajra Master, is analogous to a constable who issues a summons requiring a person to appear somewhere. This is a hooking dharma. When the Vajra Master takes on the appearance of a Vajra and all the ghosts and demons are frightened, he has made us of a subduing dharma. This is characteristic of the eastern direction.

What dharma does Amita Buddha cultivate? The attraction dharma. He uses the power of kindness and compassion to draw all living beings to his land. After he subdues you he says, "After this you cannot again behave recklessly. You must follow the rules. But you can go wherever you wish." The attraction dharma of the Pure Land consists of Amita Buddha's vows to accept you into the Land of Ultimate Bliss to cultivate with him. Of the two Buddhas, Amita and Akshobhya, one uses kindness and compassion to teach living beings, and the other uses awesome virtue to subdue living beings. One subdues and the other attracts. These two Buddhas teach and transform living beings in the Saha World, but they do so in different ways. Still, they both have the strongest conditions with living beings.

And be born in his land of Ultimate Bliss and Peace. I will go to the Pure Land and see Amita Buddha. I will be born in the peaceful and happy land.

Sutra:

When reborn in the Western Land,
I will perfect and completely fulfill
Without exception these great vows,
To delight and benefit all beings.  

The assembly of Amita Buddha is completely pure;
When from a matchless lotus I am born,
I’ll behold the Tathagata’s measureless light as he appears before me
To bestow a prediction of Bodhi.  

Receiving a prediction from the Thus Come One,
I’ll transform countless kotis of bodies,
And with wisdom power vast and great pervade the ten directions
To benefit the realms of living beings.  

Commentary:

When reborn in the Western Land. If you can recite the name of Amita Buddhas, he will receive you by means of his vow power into the Land of Ultimate Bliss. The one who cultivates the ten great kings of vows Universal Worthy Bodhisattva says, "When I am reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, I will perfect and completely fulfill without exception these great vows. I will perfect my vows to cultivate the ten great kings of vows. I will completely cultivate and fully perfect all these dharma doors, all practices, all all vows with not one left out."

"Without exception" means he will not omit anything, but will fully perfect all his vows to delight and benefit all beings. When my skill and the wonderful function of all spiritual penetrations have been fully perfected, I will go to the worlds of the ten directions to delight and benefit all the realms of living beings. I want to bring all living beings across to become Buddhas. Why? I have obtained peace and happiness, and so I want all living beings to obtain peace and happiness as well; therefore, I will benefit and delight the realms of all living beings.

The assembly of Amita Buddha is completely pure. The Sea-Like Lotus Pool Assembly of great Bodhisattvas in Amita Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss is totally pure. When from a matchless lotus I am born: at that time I will be born from a wonderful lotus flower of the superior grade, appear in a body, and see the Buddha." I'll behold the Tathagatas measureless light as he appears before me. I will see in person Limitless Light Buddha of the Land of Ultimate Bliss, who is also called Limitless Life Buddha, and he will bestow a prediction of Bodhi. When I see Amita Buddha in person, he will immediately bestow a prediction upon me, give me the name I will use when I am enlightened, and tell me when I will become a Buddha.

Receiving a prediction from the Thus Come One. After I have received the prediction that Amita Buddha has bestowed upon me, I'll transform countless kotis of bodies. I will then be able to create numberless transformation bodies, billions of transformation bodies and with wisdom power vast and great, pervade ten directions. At that time my wisdom will be far-reaching and equivalent to that of the Buddha. It will pervade to all places throughout the ten directions to benefit the realms of living beings. Of what use is so much wisdom? What can be done with it? I can take all living beings across and cause them all to perfect the Buddha Way.

Sutra:

Realms of worlds and empty space might reach an end,
And beings’ karma and afflictions be extinguished;
But they will never be exhausted,
Neither will any of my vows.  

With myriads of jewels in boundless lands in all directions,
I make decorations and offerings to the Thus Come Ones.
For aeons as many as the motes of dust in lands, I bring
The foremost peace and joy to gods and humans.  

Yet, if one believes in these kings of vows supreme,
As they pass by the ear but a single time,
And if in search of Bodhi one thirstily craves these vows,
The merit and virtue gained will that surpass.  

Commentary:

Realms of worlds and empty space might reach an end, and beings' karma and afflictions be extinguished. Empty space is basically endless, as are world systems, living beings, the karma of living beings, and the afflictions of living beings. They are all endless and inexhaustible. But even if they could be exhausted, nevertheless my vows still could not be exhausted.

In fact none of these are ever exhausted. Worlds are subject to production, stasis, decay, and emptiness. Not only are worlds subject to production, stasis, decay and emptiness; all conditioned things to through this cycle. The stage of emptiness is indeed exhausted and the time of decay does come to an end, but only as parts of a cycle. Since this cycle continually repeats itself, each part of it repeats itself and thus never ends.

We people grow for twenty years, and then live in a period of stasis for twenty years, meaning that we are somewhat stationary in our life cycles. After this period of about twenty years, one enters the change or decay cycle. This means there is a transformation, a continual change without rest as one begins to age. After this change there comes extinction, which does not last for just one day, but takes place over a period of twenty years. The complete cycle of a human lifespan lasts eighty years. This growth, stasis, change, and extinction is the same as production, stasis, decay and emptiness.

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