The Ten Good Teachers of the Ten Transferences
XXV. The Lady Vasumitra, the Kingdom Dangerous Difficulty, the City Jeweled Adornment
The Transference of the Treasury of Inexhaustible Merit and Virtue
At that time, the youth Good Wealth, his mind illumined by the Light of Great Wisdom, reflected on and contemplated it, and beheld the nature of all dharmas.
He attained the dharani door of understanding and knowing all languages and speech.
He attained the dharani door of receiving and upholding all wheels of Dharma.
He attained the power of great compassion of acting as a refuge for all living beings.
He attained the door of brightness of contemplating the meaning and principle of all Dharmas.
He attained the pure vow of filling the Dharma realm.
He attained the wisdom light of universally illumining all Dharmas of the ten directions.
He attained the sovereign power of pervasively adorning all worlds.
He attained the vow of perfection of universally giving rise to all Bodhisattva karma.
He traveled progressively until he reached the kingdom of Dangerous Difficulty at the city Jeweled Adornment, and searched everywhere for the lady Vasumitra.
There were those in the city who, not knowing of this woman's merit, virtue, and wisdom, had the following thought:
Now this pure youth possesses faculties which are still and quiet. His wisdom is bright and understanding, and he is neither deluded nor confused. His attentive scrutiny is all encompassing. He is without weariness or laxness. He is without grasping or attachment. His gaze is unwavering. His mind is does not move, and is broad and vast, like a great sea. Toward that lady Vasumitra, he should not have thoughts of greed and love. He should not have inverted thoughts, nor should he think she is pure, or entertain thoughts of desire toward her. He should not be mesmerized by that woman's beauty. This pure youth does not course in the conduct of demons. He does not enter into the states of demons. He does not sink in the mire of desire. He is not fettered by demons. He is already able to abstain from doing that which should not be done. So what are his intentions in seeking that woman?
Then there were among them, people who already knew that this woman possessed wisdom, who said to Good Wealth, "Good indeed, good indeed, good man, that you now can seek the lady Vasumitra. You've already obtained vast, good benefits. Good man, you should decisively seek the Buddha's fruition and position. You should decisively wish to act as a place of reliance for all living beings. You should decisively wish to pull out the poisonous arrows of all living beings' greed and love. You should decisively wish to destroy all the thoughts of purity that all living beings entertain toward the beauty of women. Good man, the lady Vasumitra lives in her own house to the north of the town bazaar of this city.”
When the youth Good Wealth heard those words, he leapt with joy. Then he went to her door. He saw that her house was vast, extensive, adorned, and splendid. There were jeweled walls, jeweled trees, and jeweled moats, each of which encircled it ten times. The jeweled moats were filled to the brim with fragrant water. Golden sand paved the ground. All heavenly jeweled flowers, utpala flowers, padma flowers, kumuda flowers, and pundarika flowers, pervasively covered the water's surface. Palaces and pavilions were spread out everywhere. Doors and windows were set interfacing one another.
Nets of and bells were spread out all over. Streamers and banners were installed everywhere, and limitless unique and rare objects served as adornments. Vaidurya, which was inlaid with a multitude of jewels, made up the ground. All the sinking-in-water incense were lit, and they were anointed with chandana. Precious bells were hung, and upon the stirring of the wind, they emitted musical sounds. All the heavenly flowers were scattered and pervasively spread over the ground. There were various splendid adornments, their quantities inestimable. All the treasuries of rare gems numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Ten great groves served as adornments.
And then, Good Wealth saw that woman. Her complexion and features were upright and adorned. Her physical characteristics were full and perfect. Her skin was a golden color, while her eyes and hair were a violet blue, neither too long nor too short, neither too coarse nor too delicate. None of the humans and gods of the Desire Realm could compare with her. The sounds of her voice were wondrously fine, and surpassed all those in the Brahma worlds. She had perfected all the different words and sounds of all living beings. There was none which she couldn’t understand. She had profoundly arrived at the meaning of words. She was skilled at clever conversation. She had attained the wisdom of all being like an illusion, and entered the door of expedients. A multitude of jeweled necklaces and objects of adornment ornamented her person. A wish fulfilling mani served as jeweled headdress, which crowned her head. Moreover, there were limitless retinues who circumambulated her. They shared the same good roots with her, and possessed identical conduct and vows. Her great treasury of blessings and virtue was full and complete, and without exhaustion.
At that time, the lady Vasumitra emitted vast, great light from her body, and universally illumined all the palaces within her residence. The bodies of those who came into contact with this light became clear and cool.
At that time, the youth Good Wealth came to where she was, bowed at her feet, put his palms together, stood and said, “Sagely one, I have already brought forth the resolve for anuttarasamyaksambodhi, but I still do not know how a Bodhisattva studies the Bodhisattva conduct and cultivate the Bodhisattva Way. I have heard that the sagely one is skilled at teaching and guiding. I wish that you would explain this for me.”
She said, "Good man, I have obtained a Bodhisattva's liberation called the Limit of Separation from Greed and Desire. According to that which living beings like and desire, I will manifest a body. If a god sees me, I manifest as a goddess, with shape and features bright, supreme and incomparable. In this way, up to and including humans, nonhumans, and so forth, when they see me, I will manifest as a woman or a nonhuman female. According to that which they like and desire, I will enable them to see that.
“If living beings who are fettered by thoughts of desire come to where I am, I will speak Dharma for them. Upon hearing the Dharma, they will separate from greed and desire and attain the Bodhsiattva's samadhi of the state of non-attachment. If living beings see me momentarily, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain the Bodhsiattva's samadhi of happiness. If living beings momentarily speak with me, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain Bodhisattva's samadhi of unobstructed sounds.
“If living beings momentarily hold my hand, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain Bodhisattva's samadhi of pervasively traveling to all Buddha kshetras. If living beings momentarily ascend my throne, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain Bodhisattva's samadhi of light of liberation. If living beings momentarily contemplate me, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain the Bodhisattva's samadhi of adornment with still quiescence.
“If living beings see me stretch, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain the Bodhisattva's samadhi of quelling those of external ways. If living beings but see me blink my eyes, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain the Bodhisattva's samadhi of the light of the Buddhas’ states. If living beings embrace or hold me, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain the Bodhisattva's samadhi of gathering in all living beings and forever not abandoning or leaving them.
“If living beings kiss me, they will separate from greed and desire, and attain the Bodhisattva's samadhi of the treasury of increasing and growing the blessings and virtue of all living beings. If living beings draw near me, all of them will get to abide in the limit of separation from greed. They will enter Bodhisattva's ground of all wisdom, and the Liberation of Non-obstruction that appears before one.”
Good Wealth said, “Sagely one, what good roots did you plant and what karma of blessings did you cultivate, in order to accomplish such self-mastery?”
She answered, “I recall that in the past when a Buddha named Lofty Conduct appeared in the world, there was a capital city called Door of Wonder. Good man, out of his sympathy for living beings, the Thus Come One Lofty Conduct entered that city. Upon his setting foot inside of the city gates, everything in that city trembled and quaked. It suddenly became vast and expansive, and a multitude of jewels adorned it. Limitless lights inter-reflected one another in continuous succession. Various different jeweled flowers were strewn on the ground. All kinds of heavenly music played at the same time. Empty space was filled with all the gods.
“Good man, at that time, I was the wife of an elder, and my name was Good Wisdom. Upon seeing that Buddha's spiritual powers, my mind gave rise to enlightenment. Thereupon, together with my husband, I went to where that Buddha was, and made and offering of a jeweled coin to him.
“At that time, Dharma prince Manjushri, who was the Buddha's attendant, spoke Dharma for me, and caused me to bring forth the resolve for anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Good man, I only know this Bodhisattva's liberation of the Limit of Separation from Greed. But, as to how all Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas accomplish the wisdom of boundless clever expedients; how their treasuries are vast and great; and how their states are incomparable—how could I possibly know or speak of their conducts of merits and virtues?
“Good man, south of here in a city called Good Crossing Over is a layman called Veshthila. He constantly makes offerings to the Buddha Stupa Chandana Throne. Go to where he is and ask him how a Bodhisattva studies the Bodhisattva conduct and cultivates the Bodhisattva Way.”
At that time, the youth Good Wealth bowed at her feet, circumambulated her limitless times, and gazed up at her in longing admiration. Then he bade farewell and took his leave.
