Disciples of the Buddha, all the Bodhisattvas within this Jeta Grove, for the sake of maturing all living beings, sometimes appeared as dwelling in all sorts of adorned palaces, or sometimes appeared as dwelling in their own pavilions, seated on their jeweled lion thrones, circumambulated by the assemblies of the Way-place, pervading the ten directions, so that they could be seen by all. And yet they had not left the Tathagata's place at the Jeta Grove.
Disciples of the Buddha, these Bodhisattvas sometimes manifested clouds of measureless transformation bodies or sometimes appeared as solitary persons without any companion.
That is to say, perhaps they manifested the body of a shramana;
or they manifested the body of a brahman;
or they manifested the body of one who cultivates bitter practices;
or they manifested the body of robust and thriving;
or they manifested the body of a medicine king;
or they manifested the body of a merchant chief;
or they manifested the body of one who cultivates pure livelihood;
or they manifested the body of one who entertains music;
or they manifested the body of one who serves all the gods;
or they manifested the body of one who is skilled at all the crafts or artistries.
They traveled to all villages, hamlets, cities, provinces, capital cities, and places pf gathering, and according to the propensities of all living beings – with various shapes and comportments, various sounds, various discourses and theories, and various dwelling places -- within all worlds like Indra's net, they practiced the Bodhisattva conduct.
Perhaps they spoke of the crafts and artistries in all worlds; or they spoke of the lamp of All-Wisdom that illumines the world; or they spoke of the adornments of all living beings' karmic power; or they spoke of the establishment of the different vehicles within countries of the ten directions; or they spoke of the states of all dharmas illumined by the wisdom lamp. They taught and transformed living beings, and yet they did not leave the Buddha's location at the Jeta Grove.
At that time, Dharma Prince Manjushri came forth from the Good Dwelling Pavilion, with measureless Bodhisattvas who accompanied him. With him were also the vajra spirits who were constantly in attendance; the many-bodied spirits who, universally for the sake of living beings, made offerings to the Buddhas; the spirits traveling on foot who had made solid vows to always follow in attendance; the earth-ruling spirits who delighted in hearing the Dharma; the water-ruling spirits who always delighted in cultivating great compassion; the fire-ruling spirits who illumined with wisdom light; the wind-ruling spirits who were crowned with mani; the direction-ruling spirits who were clear and skilled at comportments of the ten directions.
Also there were night-ruling spirits who were especially diligent in destroying ignorance and darkness; the day-ruling spirits who single-mindedly revealed the Buddha's sun without the slightest laxness; the emptiness-ruling spirits who adorned the Dharma Realm and all of empty space; the ocean-ruling spirits who universally saved living beings from the seas of all existences; the mountain-ruling spirits who always diligently amassed all good roots that aid the Path and tend toward All-Wisdom, and who were lofty and great like mountains; the fortress-ruling spirits who always diligently guarded and protected the fortress of the Bodhi mind of all living beings; all the great dragon kings who always diligently protected the unsurpassed Dharma City, the wisdom of All-Wisdom;
the yaksha kings who constantly guarded and protected all living beings; the kumbhanda kings who always diligently destroyed the destines of the evil ghosts; the garuda kings who had forever vowed to pull living beings from the seas of existence and save them; the asura kings who vowed to accomplish the Tathagata's body, to be lofty and to transcend the world; the mahoraga kings who took delight in seeing the Buddha and reverently bowed; the great heavenly kings who were forever wearied of birth and death and who delighted in seeing the Buddha; and the great Brahma kings who revered the Buddha, praised and made offerings to him.
Manjushri and all the above great Bodhisattva assemblies who were adorned with merit and virtue, came from their own dwelling places and arrived at the Buddha’s place. They circumambulated the Buddha to the right a countless number of times, and made offerings of all sort of objects. After making these offering, they bade farewell and went south, toward the world of humans.
At that time the Venerable Shariputra, aided by the Buddha's spiritual power, saw that Manjushri Bodhisattva together with the assembly of Bodhisattvas as adornment, had come out of the Jeta Grove and was heading south to travel in the world of people, and he had the following thought, I should now go south with Manjushri.
Then the Venerable Shariputra, together with six thousand bhikshus who surrounded him all around, came out of their own dwelling place and to where the Buddha was. They bowed to the Buddha, and requested permission from the World Honored One.
The World Honored One consented. Shariputra circumambulated to the right three times, bade farewell and left. They went toward where Manjushri was.
These six thousand bhikshus dwelt together at the same place as Shariputra. They had not left the home life for long. They were: Sea Enlightenment Bhikshu,
Good Birth Bhikshu, Light of Blessings Bhikshu, Great Pure Youth Bhikshu, Lightning-born Bhikshu, Pure Practice Bhikshu, Heavenly Virtue Bhikshu, Regal Wisdom Bhikshu, Brahma Supreme Bhikshu, Still Wisdom Bhikshu, and so forth, their number six thousand in all. They had made offerings to measureless Buddhas and deeply planted good roots. Their power of understanding was vast and great. Their eye of belief was lucid and clear. Their minds were broad and extensive.
In contemplating the Buddha's state, they understood the basic nature of dharmas, and could benefit living beings. They constantly delighted in diligently seeking the merit and virtue of all Buddhas. They had all been brought to accomplishment by the teachings and transformations from Manjushri who spoke the Dharma for them.
At that time, during their travels, the Venerable Shariputra regarded the bhikshus and told Sea Enlightenment Bhikshu, "Sea Enlightenment, you can contemplate the pure body of Manjushri Bodhisattva, his fine marks and his adornments. None of the heavenly gods can conceive of this. You can contemplate the perfect and luminous radiance of Manjushri, which causes measureless living beings to become delighted in mind.
You can contemplate the adornments of Manjushri's net of light, which destroys the measureless suffering and afflictions of living beings. You can contemplate the complete assemblies of Manjushri, which are all gathered in by the past good roots of the Bodhisattva. You can contemplate the road on which Manjushri travels; for eight steps to both left and right, it is broad, level, and adorned.
“You can contemplate the dwelling place of Manjushri; in the ten directions surrounding it, there are always Way-places, which revolve around it. You can contemplate the road on which Manjushri treads, which is replete with measureless blessings, virtue, and adornments, and on both the left and right sides are great hidden treasure troves from which all sorts of precious gems spontaneously well forth. You can contemplate how Manjushri has made offerings to the Buddhas and because of the flow of his good roots, how all the trees sprout adorned treasuries.
You can contemplate Manjushri and see how all the worldly hosts rain down clouds of objects and bow in reverence as their offerings. You can contemplate Manjushri and see how whenever all Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, of the ten directions are about to speak the Dharma, they emit light from the white tuft between their eyebrows, and how that light illumines his body and enters into his crown."
At that time, the Venerable Shariputra, for the sake of the bhikshus, praised, extolled, revealed, and described Prince Manjushri's endowments of such measureless merit and virtue, and the perfection of his adornments. Upon listening to this, all the bhikshus became purified in their minds, their belief and understanding became so solid, that such they could not contain themselves, and leapt with joy.
Their bodies became soft and supple. Their various sense faculties registered delight. Their worries and suffering were destroyed. Their filth and obstructions were completely annihilated. Constantly, they saw all the Buddhas. Deeply seeking the Proper Dharma, they became endowed with the faculties of Bodhisattvas and attained the strength of Bodhisattvas. Great compassion and vast vows spontaneously arose of themselves. They entered the various paramitas and their profound states. The ocean-like assemblies of Buddhas in the ten directions constantly appeared before them.
They brought forth profound belief and delight from All-Wisdom, and they addressed the Venerable Shariputra, "We only wish that you, great teacher, would take us to the place of that supreme person."
Then Shariputra went with them to the place and said, "Humane one, all of these bhikshus wish to serve and wait upon you."
At that time, Dharma Prince Manjushri, who was circumambulated by measureless comfortable Bodhisattvas, together with their great assemblies, turned his head around like an elephant king and gazed at all the bhikshus.
Whereupon all the bhikshus bowed at his feet, placed their palms together in reverence and said, “We now gaze upon you with admiration, and reverently bow all of your good roots. We only hope that you, Humane One Manjushri, and our Acharya Shariputra, and the World Honored One Shakyamuni Buddha, will help us to be certified to such as form body as the Humane One possesses, such a voice, such fine characteristics and such self-mastery. We wish to be completely endowed with all of them.”
At that time, Manjushri Bodhisattva told all the bhikshus, "Bhikshus, if there are good men and good women who can accomplish ten types of dharmas that tend toward the Great Vehicle, they can quickly enter the Ground of the Thus Come One, how much more the Grounds of the Bodhisattvas!
“What are the ten? They are: amassing all good roots with a mind free from weariness; seeing all Buddhas, serving and making offerings to them, with a mind free from weariness; seeking all Buddha-dharma, with a mind free from weariness; practicing all the paramitas, with a mind free from weariness; accomplishing the samadhis of all Bodhisattvas, with a mind free from weariness; respectively entering all of the three periods of time, with a mind free from weariness;
universally adorning and purifying the Buddha kshetras in the ten directions, with a mind free from weariness; teaching and transforming, taming and subduing all living beings with a mind free from weariness; in all kshetras, in all kalpas, accomplishing the Bodhisattva practices with a mind free from weariness; for the sake of bringing one living being to accomplishment, practicing paramitas to the number of dust motes in all Buddha kshetras and accomplishing the Tathagata's Ten Powers, in such a way to respectively bring into maturity all the realms of living beings, all of these with a mind free from weariness.
“Bhikshus, if there are good men or good women who can accomplish deep faith, bringing forth these ten types of tireless mind, they can develop and nurture all the good roots, renounce and abandon birth and death in all the destinies, and transcend the mundane nature of all the worlds. They will not fall to the grounds of the Sound Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.
“They will be born in all the Thus Come One’s households. They will be replete with the vows of all Bodhisattvas. They will cultivate all Bodhisattva conducts. They will attain the Thus Come One’s powers, smash and subdue the demon hordes and those of external ways. They can also destroy afflictions, enter the Grounds of the Bodhisattva, and draw near to the Ground of the Thus Come One."
At that time, all the bhikshus upon hearing this Dharma, obtained a samadhi called Unobstructed Eye. They could perceive the states of all Buddhas.
They could see measureless and boundless Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, of all worlds in the ten directions, and their Way-places and assemblies. They could also see living beings in all the different destinies within these worlds in the ten directions. They could also see all the differences in these worlds; and also see all the dust motes in these worlds; and also see the palaces in which the living beings of these worlds dwelt, which were adorned with various jewels.
They could also hear all the Buddhas, Thus Come Ones, using various languages and sounds to proclaim all the Dharma, and could understand all of the words, diction, teaching, and explanations.
They could also contemplate the faculties and hearts' desires of all living beings within these worlds. They could also recollect the ten former and subsequent lives of all living beings within these worlds.
They could also recollect the past and future events of these worlds within ten kalpas. They could also recollect the events of ten former lives of all Tathagatas; the ten accomplishments of Proper Enlightenment; the ten turnings of the Dharma Wheel; the ten types of spiritual penetrations; the ten types of proclaiming the Dharma; The ten types of teaching and exhortation; and the ten types of eloquences.
And they also immediately accomplished the ten thousand Bodhi minds, the ten thousand samadhis, and the ten thousand paramitas. All of them were purified. They attained the great perfect wisdom light; they attained the Bodhisattva's ten spiritual penetrations; they became gentle, supple, subtle, and wonderful; they dwelt in the solid, unmoving Bodhisattva mind.
At that time, Manjushri told all the bhikshus they should dwell in Universal Worthy's Conduct. Upon dwelling in Universal Worthy's Conduct, they should enter the sea of great vows. Upon entering the sea of great vows, they should accomplish the sea of great vows. Upon accomplishing the sea of great vows, their minds would be purified. Upon purifying their minds, their bodies would be purified. Upon purifying their bodies, their bodies would become light and at ease.
Upon attaining bodies that were light and at ease, they would attain great spiritual penetrations, and not retreat. Upon attaining these spiritual penetrations, they would never leave from the feet of Manjushri. And pervading the Buddha Places in the ten directions, they would manifest their bodies and completely accomplish all Buddha-dharmas.
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