At that time, Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva received the Buddha’s awesome power, and entered the Samadhi of a Bodhisattva’s Limitless Skill-In-Means. Through the power of samadhi, in each of the ten directions, beyond world systems as many as motes of dust in one thousand Buddhalands, there were Buddhas as many as fine motes of dust in one thousand Buddhalands, all with the same name. That name was Dharma Wisdom. They everywhere appeared before him and spoke to Dharma Wisdom, saying, “Good indeed, good indeed good man, that you are able to enter the Samadhi of a Bodhisattva’s Limitless Skill-In-Means!”
“Good man, in each of the ten directions, Buddhas as many as fine motes of dust in one thousand Buddhalands all use their spiritual power and together help you enter it. It is also because of the power of past vows of Vairochana Thus Come One, his awesome spiritual power, and the power of the good roots which you have cultivated, that you enter this samadhi, and that cause you to speak Dharma.”
“For the purpose of increasing the wisdom of a Buddha, deeply entering the Dharma Realm, understanding well the realms of living beings, unobstructed entry, unimpeded conduct, attaining unequalled skill-in-means, entering the nature of all-wisdom, awakening to all Dharmas, knowing all faculties, and being able to hold and speak all Dharmas, there are said to arise ten kinds of dwellings of all Bodhisattvas.”
“Good man, you should receive the Buddhas’ awesome spiritual power and proclaim this Dharma.”
At that time all the Buddhas gave Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva unobstructed wisdom, unattached wisdom, uninterrupted wisdom, undeluded wisdom, non-differentiating wisdom, unerring wisdom, limitless wisdom, unsurpassed wisdom, non-negligent wisdom, and unarrested wisdom. Why is this? It is because through the power of this samadhi the Dharma is that way.
At that time, each of the Buddhas extended his right hand and rubbed the crown of Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva’s head. Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva then arose from samadhi.
And spoke to all the Bodhisattvas, saying, “Disciples of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas dwell in places as vast and great as the Dharma Realm and like empty space. Disciples of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas dwell in the household of all Buddhas of the three periods of time.”
“I will now discuss those dwellings of a Bodhisattva. Disciples of the Buddha, there are ten kinds of dwellings of a Bodhisattva which all Buddhas of the past, the future, and the present have discussed, will discuss, and now discuss.”
“What are the ten? They are:
The Dwelling of First Bringing Forth the Resolve;
The Dwelling of the Ground of Regulation;
The Dwelling of Cultivation.
The Dwelling of Noble Birth;
The Dwelling of Endowment with Skill-in-Means;
The Dwelling of Rectification of the Mind;
The Dwelling of Non-Retreat;
The Dwelling of Pure Youth;
The Dwelling of Dharma Prince;
The Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown.”
“Those are the names of the Ten Dwellings of a Bodhisattva, which are discussed by all Buddhas of the past, the future, and the present.”
I. The Dwelling of First Bringing Forth The Resolve
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is meant by the Bodhisattva dwelling of First Bringing Forth the Resolve? This Bodhisattva, seeing the Buddha, the World Honored One, whose form and countenance are upright and majestic, whose physical characteristics are perfect and delight the viewer, who is difficult to encounter and has great awesome powers. Or that Bodhisattva may see the spiritual fulfillments, or hear predictions, or listen to instructions, or see all living beings undergoing intense suffering, or hear the Thus Come One’s vast, great Buddhadharma, and then produce the thought for Bodhi and seek all wisdom.”
“This Bodhisattva produces the resolve which is conditioned by ten Dharmas that are difficult to obtain. What are the ten? They are: the wisdom of what is and is not the case; the wisdom of the retributions of good and evil karma, the wisdom of all faculties, whether superior or inferior; the wisdom of the variety of different understandings; the wisdom of the variety of different realms; the wisdom of where all paths lead; the wisdom of all dhyanas, liberations, and samadhis; the wisdom of past lives without obstruction; the wisdom of the Heavenly Eye without obstruction; and the wisdom of having universally exhausted outflows in the three periods of time. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: diligently making offerings to the Buddhas; happily dwelling in birth and death; guiding the world and effecting the eradication of evil karma; using the supremely wonderful Dharma to constantly instruct; praising the unsurpassed Dharma; studying the Buddhas’ merit and virtue; being born in the presence of all Buddhas and constantly being gathered in and received by them; expediently proclaiming in the stillness of samadhi; praising the leaving far behind of the revolving wheel of birth and death; and acting as a refuge for suffering living beings.”
“Why is that? From a desire to increase and expand the minds of the Bodhisattvas within the Buddhadharma. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
II The Dwelling of the Ground of Regulation
“Disciples of the Buddha, what is the Bodhisattva’s dwelling of the Ground of Regulation? This Bodhisattva produces ten kinds of thoughts towards all living beings.”
“What are the ten? They are: The thought of benefitting; the thought of great compassion; the thought of peace and happiness; the thought of peaceful dwelling; the thought of pity; the thought of gathering in; the thought of protection; the thought of identity to oneself; the thought of acting as teacher; and the thought of being a guiding master. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: studying and practicing much learning; being at ease in quietude; drawing near good knowing advisors; speaking in a harmonious and pleasant manner; speaking at the proper time; not being timid or fearful; thoroughly understanding the principle; cultivating in accord with Dharma; leaving stupidity and confusion far behind; and peacefully dwelling and not moving. Why is that? From a desire to increase the Bodhisattvas’ great compassion towards all living beings. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another."
III. The Dwelling of Cultivation
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of Cultivation? This Bodhisattva uses ten kinds of conduct to contemplate all Dharmas.
“What are the ten? They are: Contemplating all Dharmas as impermanent; all Dharmas as suffering; all Dharmas as empty; all Dharmas as without self; all Dharmas as without creation; all Dharmas as without flavor; all Dharmas as non-real names; all Dharmas as without location; all Dharmas as apart from discrimination; and all Dharmas as lacking actuality. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: Contemplating the realm of living beings; the Dharma Realm; the realm of worlds; contemplating the realm of earth; the realm of water; the realm of fire; the realm of wind; contemplating the realm of desire; the realm of form; and the formless realm.”
“Why is that? From a desire to make bright the wisdom of the Bodhisattvas. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
IV. The Dwelling of Noble Birth
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of Noble Birth? This Bodhisattva is born from within the sagely teaching. He accomplishes ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: Never retreating; deeply bringing forth pure faith in the presence of all Buddhas; well contemplating Dharmas; comprehensively knowing all living beings; countries; worlds; karmic actions; retributions; birth and death; and Nirvana. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: comprehensively knowing the Dharmas of all Buddhas of the past, future, and present; cultivating and amassing the Dharmas of all Buddhas of the past, future, and present; perfecting the Dharmas of all Buddhas of the past, future, and present; and comprehensively knowing the sameness of all Buddhas. Why is that? From a desire to progress within the three periods of time and obtain sameness of mind. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
V. The Dwelling of the Endowment With Skill-In-Means
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of the Endowment With Skill-In-Means? All the good roots that this Bodhisattva has cultivated are used to save and protect all living beings; to benefit all living beings; to make all living beings happy; to have sympathy for all living beings; to liberate all living beings; to cause all living beings to separate from all disasters; to cause all living beings to escape from the suffering of birth and death; to cause all living beings to produce pure faith; to completely subdue all living beings; and to cause all living beings to certify to Nirvana.”
“Disciples of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: knowing the boundlessness of living beings; knowing the limitlessness of living beings; knowing the numberlessness of living beings; knowing the inconceivability of living beings; knowing the limitless forms of living beings; knowing the immeasurability of living beings; knowing the emptiness of living beings; knowing the non-creation of living beings; knowing the lack of existence of living beings; and knowing the lack of a self-nature of living beings.”
“Why is that? From a desire to bring one’s mind to increase and advance in supremacy. With no defiling attachment to the Dharma that one hears, one understands it by oneself, not because of instructions from another.”
VI. The Dwelling of Rectification of the Mind
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of Rectification of the Mind? The mind of this Bodhisattva, upon hearing ten kinds of Dharmas, is in samadhi and does not move. What are the ten? They are: hearing praise of the Buddha, hearing slander of the Buddha, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move.”
“Hearing praise of the Dharma, hearing slander of the Dharma, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing praise of the Bodhisattvas, hearing slander of the Bodhisattvas, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing praise of the Dharmas cultivated by Bodhisattvas, hearing slander of the Dharmas cultivated by Bodhisattvas, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing it said that living beings have limits, are limitless, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing it said that living beings are defiled, are undefiled, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing it said that living beings are easy to save, are difficult to save, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing it said that the Dharma Realms have limits, are limitless, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing it said that Dharma Realms are created, are destroyed, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. Hearing it said that Dharma Realms exist, that Dharma Realms do not exist, within the Buddhadharma one’s mind is in samadhi and does not move. These are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten Dharmas. What are the ten? They are:
All Dharmas have no marks;
All Dharmas have no substance;
All Dharmas cannot be cultivated;
All Dharmas have no existence;
All Dharmas have no true actuality;
All Dharmas are empty;
All Dharmas have no nature;
All Dharmas are like an illusion;
All Dharmas are like a dream;
All Dharmas have no differentiation.”
“Why is that? From a desire to bring one’s mind to ever increase in vigor, and obtain non-retreating patience with the non-production of Dharmas. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another. ”
VII. The Dwelling of Non-Retreat
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of Non-Retreat? This Bodhisattva, upon hearing ten kinds of Dharmas, is firm and does not retreat. What are the ten? They are: Hearing that there are Buddhas, that there are no Buddhas, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that there is Dharma, that there is no Dharma, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that there are Bodhisattvas, that there are no Bodhisattvas, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat.”
“Hearing that there is Bodhisattva conduct, that there is no Bodhisattva conduct, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that Bodhisattvas cultivate and escape, cultivate and do not escape, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat.”
“Hearing that there were Buddhas in the past, that there were no Buddhas in the past, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that there will be Buddhas in the future, that there will be no Buddhas in the future, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that there are Buddhas in the present, that there are no Buddhas in the present, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that the Buddhas’ wisdom is exhaustible, that the Buddhas’ wisdom is inexhaustible, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Hearing that the three periods of time are a single mark, that the three periods of time are not a single mark, within the Buddhadharma his mind does not retreat. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten kinds of vast, great Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: proclaiming that one is many, proclaiming that many are one; texts accord with meaning, meaning accords with texts; non-existence is existence, existence is non-existence; marks are no marks, no marks are marks; no nature is the nature, the nature is no nature.”
“Why is that? From a desire to bring about increase of vigor, and with respect to all Dharmas, be well able to escape. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
VIII. The Dwelling of Pure Youth
“Disciples of the Buddha. What is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of Pure Youth? This Bodhisattva dwells in ten kinds of karma. What are the ten? They are: in physical conduct he does not err. In verbal conduct he does not err. In mental conduct he does not err. He undergoes birth as he intends. He knows the various kinds of inclinations of living beings. He knows the various kinds of understandings of living beings. He knows the various kinds of realms of living beings. He knows the various kinds of karma of living beings. He knows the formations and destructions of world-realms. He has spiritual fulfillments and self-mastery, and his conduct is without obstruction. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten kinds of Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: knowing all Buddhalands; moving all Buddhalands; maintaining all Buddhalands; contemplating all Buddhalands; going to all Buddhalands; traveling through countless world realms; receiving countless Buddhadharmas; displaying bodies of sovereign transformation; emitting a vast, great, and all-pervasive sound; and in a single kshana, serving and making offerings to countless Buddhas.”
“Why is that? From a desire to bring about increase of vigor, and be able to obtain skillful proficiency with all Dharmas. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
IX. The Dwelling of Dharma Prince
“Disciples of the Buddha. What constitutes the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling as a Dharma Prince? This Bodhisattva skillfully knows ten kinds of Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: Skillfully knowing how living beings undergo rebirth; skillfully knowing the manifestation and arisal of all afflictions; skillfully knowing the continual flow of habitual energies.”
“Skillfully knowing the practice of expedient means; skillfully knowing limitless Dharmas; skillfully knowing all awesome deportments; skillfully knowing the differentiations of world-realms; skillfully knowing the events within the boundaries of the past and future; skillfully knowing the proclaiming of worldly truth; and skillfully knowing the proclaiming of truth in the primary sense. Those are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva should encourage the practice of ten kinds of Dharmas. What are the ten? They are: The skill-in-means of the position of Dharma King; the rules of the position of Dharma King; the palaces of the position of Dharma King; the undertakings of the position of Dharma King; the contemplations of the position of Dharma King; the anointment of the crown of the Dharma King; the maintenance by power of the Dharma King; the fearlessnesses of the Dharma King; the repose of the Dharma King; and the praises of the Dharma King.”
“Why is that? From a desire to bring about increase of vigor and unobstruction of mind. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
X. The Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown
“Disciples of the Buddha, what is the Bodhisattva’s Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown? This Bodhisattva attains the accomplishment of ten kinds of wisdom.”
What are the ten? They are: Quaking numberless world-realms; illumining numberless world-realms; sustaining numberless world-realms; going to numberless world-realms; adorning and purifying numberless world-realms.”
“Instructing numberless living beings; contemplating numberless living beings; knowing the faculties of numberless living beings; bringing about the entry of numberless living beings, and taming and subduing countless living beings. These are the ten.”
“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva’s body and bodily karma, spiritual penetrations, transformations, wisdom of the past, wisdom of the future, wisdom of the present, accomplishment of Buddhalands, states of mind, states of wisdom, all cannot be known. Even the Dharma Prince Bodhisattva cannot know them.”
“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten kinds of wisdom of all Buddhas. What are the ten? They are: Wisdom of the three periods of time; wisdom of the Buddhas’ Dharmas; wisdom of the non-obstruction of Dharma Realms; wisdom of the boundlessness of Dharma Realms; wisdom which fills all world-realms; wisdom which universally illumines all worlds; wisdom which sustains all worlds; wisdom which knows all living beings; wisdom which knows all dharmas; and wisdom which knows all boundless Buddhas. Why is that? From a desire to increase the wisdom of all modes. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.”
At that time, because of the Buddha’s spiritual might, world-realms as many as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand Buddhalands in each of the ten directions quaked and trembled in six ways.
Shaking, pervasive shaking, equally pervasive shaking; rising, pervasive rising, equally pervasive rising; surging, pervasive surging, equally pervasive surging; quaking, pervasive quaking, equally pervasive quaking; roaring, pervasive roaring, equally pervasive roaring; crashing, pervasive crashing, equally pervasive crashing. The heavens rained down wonderful flowers, heavenly powdered incense, and heavenly flowered garlands.
Heavenly blends of incense, heavenly jeweled garments, heavenly jeweled clouds, and heavenly ornaments. All the musical instruments of the heavens sounded without being struck. There was an emitting of celestial lights and there were wonderful sounds. In the same way as here in the Four Continents, in Lord Shakra’s Palace on the summit of Mount Sumeru where the Dharma of the Ten Dwellings was spoken with manifestations of spiritual transformations, so too, throughout all world-realms in the ten directions it was the same way.
Moreover, because of the Buddha’s spiritual might, in each of the ten directions, from beyond worlds as many as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand Buddhalands, were Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who arrived at this place. Filling the ten directions they spoke as follows: “Good indeed, good indeed, disciples of the Buddha, you speak this Dharma well! We all have the same name, Dharma Wisdom, and the lands we come from all have the same name, Dharma Cloud. The Thus Come Ones of those countries are all called Wondrous Dharma. In all the Buddhalands from which we come, the Ten Dwellings are also spoken. The assemblies and retinues, the text and the doctrines are also thus, with nothing added or subtracted.”
“Disciples of the Buddha, relying on the Buddha’s spiritual might, we have come and entered this assembly in order to give you certification. As it is in this assembly, in all worlds throughout the ten directions, it is also thus.”
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