The Ten Good Teachers of the Ten Transferences
XXVI. The Layman Veshthila, the City Good Crossing Over
The Transference of All the Good Roots of Equanimity
At that time, the youth Good Wealth traveled progressively until he reached the city Good Crossing Over. He went to that layman's house and bowed at his feet. Placing his palms together, he 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 cultivates 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.”
The layman said to him, "Good man, I have attained a Bodhisattva's liberation called the Limit of Not Entering Parinirvana. Good man, I do not produce a mind that says, 'Such and such a Thus Come One has already entered Parinirvana, such and such a Thus Come One is now entering Parinirvana, or such and such a Thus Come One will enter Parinirvana in the future.'
I know that Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, of all worlds of the ten directions, ultimately do not enter Parinirvana, but it is only out of a wish to tame and subdue living beings that they appear to do so.
“Good man, when I open the door of the Thus Come One Stupa Chandana Throne, I obtain a samadhi call the Inexhaustibility of the Thus Come Ones’ Lineage.
Good man, in thought after thought, I enter this samadhi, and in thought after thought, I get to know all the limitless sublime things.”
Good Wealth said, "What are the states involved in this samadhi?"
The layman said, "Good man, when I enter this samadhi, then according to their respective order, I see all the Buddhas of this world. Specifically Kashyapa Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Vishvabhu Buddha, Shikhin Buddha, Vipashyin Buddha, Tishya Buddha, Pushya Buddha, Unsurpassed Victory Buddha, Unsurpassed Lotus Flower Buddha—all of whom act as foremost leaders.
“In the space of a single thought, I get to see hundreds of Buddhas; I get to see thousands of Buddhas; I get to see hundreds of thousands of Buddhas; I get to see a billion Buddhas, a thousand billion Buddhas, hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas, ayutas of billions of Buddhas, nayutas of millions of Buddhas, up to and including Buddhas many as dust motes in ineffably ineffable worlds—all of them I see in succession.
“I also see the bringing forth of the initial resolve of those Buddhas, their planting of all good roots, their attainment of supreme spiritual penetrations, their accomplishment of great vows, their cultivation of wondrous conduct, their perfection of the paramitas, their entry into the Bodhisattva grounds, their attainment of pure tolerance, their quelling of demon armies, their realization of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, their purification of their countries, their assemblies and multitudes circumambulating them; their emitting of great light, their turning of the wondrous Dharma wheel, their manifesting transformations of spiritual penetrations—all of those various differences, I can completely uphold, and I can completely remember. I can completely contemplate, differentiate, reveal, and disclose them.
“With regard to Maitreya Buddha and all the rest of the Buddhas of the future, Vairochana Buddha, and all the rest of the Buddhas of the present age, it is the same way. As it is with all the Buddhas, Sound Hearers, Lone-enlightened ones, and the Bodhisattva multitudes of this world, so too, in the ten-direction worlds, throughout the three periods of time, it is the same way.
“Good man, I only know this Bodhisattva’s Liberation of the Limit of Not Entering Parinirvana. But as to how all Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas can with the wisdom of a single thought universally know the three periods of time; how with one thought they pervasively enter all samadhis; how the wisdom sun of the Thus Come Ones constantly illumines their minds; how toward all Dharmas they are without discrimination; how they understand all Buddhas as being completely level and equal; how they know that the Thus Come Ones they themselves and living beings, are the same and not two; how they know the purity of the self nature of all dharmas; how they are without reflection and deliberation; how they do not move or turn, yet can universally enter all worlds; how they separate from all discriminations; how they dwell in the Buddhas’ Dharma seal; and how they completely enlighten the living beings of the Dharma realm—how could I possibly know or speak of their conduct of merits and virtues?
“Good man, south of here, on a mountain called Potalaka, is a Bodhisattva called Avalokiteshvara. Go to where he is and ask him how a Bodhisattva studies the Bodhisattva conduct and how he cultivates the Bodhisattva Way.”
Right at that moment, the layman spoke a verse:
In the sea is a mountain with many sages and worthies.
It's made of multitudes of gems and is extremely pure,
Filled with flowers, fruits, trees, and groves,
And complete with springs, rivers, lakes, and pools.
The valiant hero Contemplating at Ease,
For the sake of benefiting living beings, dwells on that mountain.
You should go there and ask about various meritorious virtues;
He will show you great expedient means!
At that time, the youth Good Wealth bowed at his feet, circumambulated him countless times, and gazed up at him with longing admiration.
Then he bade farewell and took his leave.
