The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Three

 

Sutra:

Moreover, Asura King Rahu gained a passage into liberation of appearing as a supreme and honored host for great assemblies.

Commentary:

Who knows the meaning of the word Rahu?

Moreover indicates that the discussion thus far is not complete yet and leads into the explanation of Asura King Rahu . There are many kinds of asuras, since they are found in the path of gods, in the path of humans, even more in the path of asuras, and also in the path of animals. Sometimes asuras are counted as part of the Three Wholesome Paths, which are the path of gods, the path of humans, and the path of asuras. That’s because they have a certain amount of good roots. Sometimes they are considered one of the Four Evil Paths: the path of asuras, the path of hell-beings, the path of hungry ghosts, and the path of animals. Asuras in the heavens are celestial bandits, whereas asuras among people are bandits in the human realm.

An example of an asura in the realm of animals is the horse that harms the herd. A herd of horses should get along well as a group, with no horse disturbing another. But the asura-horse is always stirring up trouble by kicking and biting other horses and starting fights. In whatever path asuras are found, they are fighters. In the heavens, for example, asuras were always waging war with the Heavenly Lord and defeating him. The Heavenly Lord went to the Buddha for help. The Buddha told him to go back and recite “Maha-Prajña-Paramita,” and he defeated the asuras. Why were they at war with Lord God? It was because of a woman.

There are many translations of asura. One meaning is “non-god.” He’s not a god, but he’s not a ghost either. Another translation is “without wine.” It’s not that they don’t get to drink wine—they just can’t get enough. However much they drink is insufficient, and so they say there is no wine. A further translation is “not good-looking,” because asuras are very ugly. Some have noses a yard long, like an elephant’s trunk. Some have miniscule lips and cannot eat very fast. Some have enormous eyes. In general, just a glimpse of an asura’s face scares you so much you tremble in terror and lose your sense of direction. Asuras have the power to make anyone who sees them afraid. But the females are another story. They are extraordinarily beautiful, and so the Heavenly Lord, the Jade Emperor, asked to marry the Asura King’s daughter. The Asura King was none too pleased. Since he was the Jade Emperor’s opponent, how could he give the Jade Emperor his beloved daughter? But the Asura King’s daughter liked the idea, and so she was given to the Heavenly Lord to be his bride.

As it happened, the Heavenly Lord regularly went out to attend lectures on sutras and Dharma, supporting these meritorious events. Once there was an old cultivator in the mountains who was speaking Dharma, and the Heavenly Lord went to listen. He must have returned late, and his wife asked him, “What have you been doing?”

“I’ve been listening to the Dharma,” he replied.

“Listening to the Dharma—I don’t believe it!” she retorted. “I’m sure you are seeing another woman on the side. You just want to cover up by saying you’ve been listening to the Dharma. Okay. Next time you can take me along with you.”

The Heavenly Lord said, “You can’t go. You’re so beautiful, it would never do for people to see you,” and he would not let her go.

She became even more jealous, thinking, “He’s fooling around for sure!” The next day when the time came for the old cultivator’s Dharma lecture, the Heavenly Lord was going to go again. His asura wife told him to take her along, but he was determined not to take her. The asura lady had her own spiritual powers, however, and made her body invisible by magic. No one, including the Heavenly Lord, could see that she had come along behind him. When they reached the place and she saw that there were both men and women in the Dharma assembly, she thought, “There are so many women here, no wonder you attend every day! Fine.” Then she made herself visible.

The Heavenly Lord was very upset when he saw her. “What are you doing here?” he asked her. “I didn’t bring you, but you insisted on coming.”

“Of course I came,” she said. “You have all these women here.”

Then the Jade Emperor took out his lotus-flower whip and hit her. The asura lady went back crying and screaming. She went home and told her father about how the Heavenly Lord had hit her, and how he had so many women on the side. Her father said, “Okay. I’ll seek revenge for you.” Then he mobilized the asuras and went to war with the Heavenly Lord. The Heavenly Lord’s celestial army of heavenly generals and heavenly troops was no match for the asuras. When the asuras went to war for real, they defeated the gods in a single battle. At that point, the Heavenly Lord went and sought the Buddha’s aid. The Buddha told him to recite “Maha-Prajña-Paramita,” and upon his return he defeated the asuras.

This Asura King gained a passage into liberation of appearing as a supreme and honored host for great assemblies. He understood how the Buddha appears as the Dharma-speaking host for each and every great Dharma assembly. He obtained that state and entered that passage to liberation.

Sutra:

Asura King Vemacitra gained a passage into liberation of making appear limitlessly many eons.

Commentary:

[The following prose section was lectured by a disciple.]

Asura King Vemachitra gained a passage into liberation of making appear limitlessly many eons. Vemacitra is a Sanskrit compound made up of “vema,” which means “silken thread,” and “citra,” which means “various kinds.” This Asura King, using a single silken thread, can create all kinds of states. The passage into liberation obtained by this Asura King is that of making limitlessly many eons and limitlessly many Buddhalands all appear within an extremely short interval of time. He can shrink infinitely many eons into one instant of thought, and stretch out an instant of thought into infinitely many eons. He can also make the limitlessly many Buddhalands of the ten directions appear within a particle of dust, each particle of dust also appearing within the infinitely many Buddhalands. The small can include the great, and the great can include the small, great and small being mutually non-obstructive; and one and many also being non-obstructive. This Asura King obtained this passage into liberation of unobstructed freedom and ease in displaying limitless and boundlessly many eons.

Sutra:

Asura King Clever Magical Illusions gained a passage into liberation of eradicating all sentient beings’ sufferings and making them pure.

Commentary:

The Asura King is named “Clever Magical Illusions” [Sanskrit: Sãmbara], because, being very intelligent, he can perform transformations. Since his power to transform is considerable, he has this name. He uses all kinds of methods to benefit sentient beings. This Asura King gained a passage into liberation of eradicating all sentient beings’ sufferings and making them pure. Of the limitless and boundlessly many states of the Buddha, what he understood was how the Buddha is able to destroy all beings’ sufferings and purify them. Why does the Buddha wish to eliminate the sufferings of sentient beings? It’s because the Buddha has no self and no duality. He knows there is no difference between all sentient beings and himself, so the sufferings and troubles of beings are just his own. He doesn’t say he won’t pay attention to the suffering of some sentient beings, the reason being that the Buddha sees sentient beings as himself, with no distinction. That’s why the Buddha wants to eradicate all beings’ sufferings. Not only does he wish to free them from suffering, he also wants to help sentient beings achieve happiness and be pure. He enables them to reach that state of purity by eradicating their suffering, so they reside in the state of radiance of ultimate bliss. This is the passage into liberation that the Asura King Clever Magical Illusions understood.

Sutra:

Asura King Great Retinue gained a passage into liberation of adorning oneself through the cultivation of all ascetic practices.

Commentary:

There is also an Asura King named Great Retinue . Due to his great merit and virtue, he has a large entourage. Why is his merit and virtue so great? It’s because at the level of planting causes all he practiced and understood was ascetic conduct. As a result, his retinue became extremely large. He gained a passage into liberation of adorning oneself through the cultivation of all ascetic practices. He realized that the Buddha, while cultivating, did not just maintain one or two ascetic practices, but all types of asceticism—the most difficult of all being the practice of patience. He could bear what others cannot bear, which is asceticism to the utmost. The Buddha’s ascetic practices were limitless and boundless. He could do any ascetic practice, and he used those ascetic practices to adorn his own bodhimanda, his own state of mind. Asura King Retinue understood this passage into liberation of how the Buddha cultivated all ascetic practices and used them as his own adornment.

Sutra:

Asura King Balin gained a passage into liberation of boundless states of quaking in the ten directions.

Commentary:

Asura King Balin. This Asura King’s name is a Sanskrit word, the Chinese for which can be interpreted two ways. One interpretation is that the Chinese stands for Bandhi, which means “tied up,” because he was tied up by Lord God (Sãkra), that is, the God Indra, who is a Dharma protector within Buddhism. The second interpretation is that the Chinese stands for Balin (sometimes written Balika), which means “strength,” since this Asura King is strong. This mighty Asura King gained a passage into liberation of boundless states of quaking of the ten directions. Being so powerful himself, he understood how the Buddha’s states can cause quakings in limitless and boundlessly many lands throughout the ten directions. Since the Buddha’s states are infinite in extent, there is no way to describe them or know their magnitude. Since the Buddha’s states are infinite, his power, too, extends throughout the world-systems of the ten directions. That is what the Asura King Balin understood concerning the Buddha’s states.

Sutra:

Asura King Pervasive Illumination gained a passage into liberation of using all sorts of expedients to securely settle all sentient beings.

Commentary:

The name of this Asura King is Pervasive Illumination, because the light of his wisdom extends throughout the ten directions. He gained a passage into liberation of using all sorts of expedients to securely settle all sentient beings. He understood how the Buddha has all kinds of expedient methods to securely establish all sentient beings—a Flower Adornment state of the Buddha. Since the Buddha’s wisdom is limitless and boundless, since it is so vast and great, he can employ an infinite variety of skill-in-means to teach and transform sentient beings. From this we know the Buddha has not just a hundred or a thousand states; he is omnipotent. He can use every sort of expedient method to settle all sentient beings securely, enabling beings to leave suffering and attain bliss. That is the passage into liberation obtained by Asura King Pervasive Illumination.

Sutra:

Asura King Solid Practices and Wondrous Adornment gained a passage into liberation of universally amassing indestructible good roots and purifying all tainted attachments.

Commentary:

There is another Asura King, whose name is Solid Practices and Wondrous Adornment. The reason for his name is that everything he does is durable and firm; he is not turned by states. He understood and gained a passage into liberation of universally amassing indestructible good roots and purifying all defiled attachments. What are indestructible good roots? They are the most superior grade of good roots in which one forgets oneself and simply benefits sentient beings, so they cultivate the unsurpassed way to Buddhahood, the unsurpassed path of a Bodhisattva, and are sure to become Buddhas. He takes all sentient beings across the sea of suffering to reach the other shore. Accumulating indestructible good roots is not all he does. He furthermore has no defilements or mental attachments. So, what is meant by defilement, and what is meant by attachment? Defilements are afflictions, and afflicted thoughts are defiled thoughts. If one gives rise to ignorance, there will be lots of afflictions, and those afflictions are defilements. Inherently pure beings become defiled, and so they make the distinction that one state is good and another state is bad. They delight in the happiness of this world, but cannot stand this world’s sufferings. Hence they run around to and fro, not knowing how to end suffering. That is the state understood by Asura King Solid Practices and Wondrous Adornment.

Sutra:

Asura King Vast Wisdom Regarding Causes gained a passage into liberation of being a lord endowed with power of great compassion and free from doubt.

Commentary:

This Asura King understands the power of causes. He knows that for whatever cause one plants, one reaps the corresponding result. He has the wisdom to thoroughly comprehend cause and effect, so he is called Asura King Vast Wisdom Regarding Causes. What state did he obtain? What was his passage into liberation? He gained a passage into liberation of being a lord endowed with power of great compassion and free from doubt. The Buddha, the World Honored One, has immense kindness and compassion. He never says he won’t pay attention to sentient beings and what they do. Rather, he wishes to help all sentient beings leave suffering and attain bliss because his kindness and compassion are tremendous. He forgets himself and just concentrates on helping others. He has attained a great power—the power of great compassion. Moreover, the Buddha has no doubts. Since he does not have thoughts, he has no doubts and knows and understands everything. “Being a host” refers to how the Buddha is a lord of great compassionate power—a host who has no doubts. This Asura King understood that state of the Buddha.

Sutra:

Asura King Displaying Supreme Virtue gained a passage into liberation of causing beings everywhere to cultivate good roots by seeing, attending upon, and making offerings to Buddhas.

Commentary:

This Asura King is called Displaying Supreme Virtue , because his merit and virtue are absolutely supreme and far-surpassing. He displays merit and virtue of utmost supremacy. He gained and understood the passage into liberation of causing sentient beings everywhere to cultivate good roots by seeing, attending upon, and making offerings to Buddhas. Sentient beings who see Buddha are very happy and don’t have afflictions. As soon as they see a Buddha, they wish to attend upon that Buddha and make offerings to him. Any being who sees a Buddha will wish to cultivate good roots, and in the future he will achieve the fruition of bodhi. This Asura King understood this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Asura King Splendid Voice gained a passage into liberation of the practice of universally entering all destinies with absolute impartiality.

At that time, Asura King Rahu received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of asuras, and spoke the following verse.

Commentary:

The next Asura King is named Splendid Voice , because the sound of his voice is especially exotic and wonderful. His voice is quite good in fact. The state of the Buddha that he understood was the practice of universally entering all destinies with absolute equality, total impartiality. The Buddha universally enters all destinies. He would never say, “It’s no concern of mine whether that asura becomes a Buddha.” Nor would he say, “I don’t care whether that god creates merit and virtue.” The Buddha goes into all paths of rebirth everywhere: those of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, asuras, animals, people, and gods. This passage into liberation is the practice of absolute impartiality. In entering all the destinies, the six paths of rebirth, the Buddha treats all beings equally. He neither favors certain sentient beings nor neglects other sentient beings whom he dislikes. The Buddha constantly practices impartiality. Asura King Splendid Voice understood that state of the Buddha.

At that time, Asura King Rahu received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of asuras, and spoke the following verse. When the passage into liberations obtained by the ten Asura Kings had been described, at that time Asura King Rahu, availing himself of the great awesome strength of the Buddha, observed the great throng of asuras everywhere, and spoke verses.

[The preceding section was lectured by a disciple.]

Sutra:

Among the teeming multitudes in the ten directions,
The Buddha is unique by far.
His brilliance lights up space,
Universally appearing before all sentient beings.

Commentary:

The first line of the verses spoken by Asura King “Disturbing by Seizing” (Rahu) says: Among the teeming multitudes in the ten directions. The ten directions are the four cardinal points north, south, east, and west; the four intermediate directions northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest; plus the zenith and the nadir. “The teeming multitudes in the ten directions” refers to all sentient beings, including those born from womb, from eggs, from moisture, or by transformation, whether flying, swimming, ambulating, or rooted. All sentient and non-sentient beings are covered by this, which is why they are called “teeming multitudes,” meaning all sentient beings whatsoever. Among all those beings, the Buddha is unique by far. In that vast multitude of beings, only the Buddha has been able to fathom the ultimate reality of all dharmas.

Among sentient beings, the Buddha is supreme to the utmost, the very highest, unsurpassed, which is why the text says that among them the Buddha is unique by far. Don’t make it, “No one equal to him, you, or me.” It’s “no one equal to the Buddha.” “Between heaven and earth there is no one equal to the Buddha; in the ten directions no one can compare. I have seen everyone throughout the world, and there is no one like the Buddha in it.” That’s how it should be; don’t distort the meaning. “There is no one equal to the Buddha.” “Among them the Buddha is unique by far.” In the midst of those great multitudes, the Buddha is the most special and unique—the most extraordinary, not the most peculiar. Isn’t that right?

His brilliance lights up space. The light of the Buddha shines throughout the dharma realms of the ten directions, and the Buddha’s light makes no discriminations. It shines upon you whether you are a good sentient being, a bad one, or one neither good nor bad. The light does not exclude. It wouldn’t say, “You’re too evil a being for my light to shine on.” The light doesn’t make such distinctions, which is why it shines everywhere, just like space. Empty space holds all existing things within it. There is nothing existing apart from it, nothing is beyond its scope, nothing is excluded or omitted. The light shines everywhere like empty space, universally appearing before all beings. It inspires beings who see it to make the resolve for Bodhi and be crossed over. Since it universally appears before all sentient beings, including you me and other people. You, I, and others are all illumined and guided by the universal light of the Buddha. Isn’t that fine?

Sutra:

The Buddhalands in hundreds of millions of eons
Clearly appear in the space of an instant,
Radiating light to transform beings, reaching all without exception.
Vemacitra profoundly praises and rejoices in all that.

Commentary:

The Buddhalands in hundreds of millions of eons are an enormous number of Buddhalands and huge stretches of time. During that time limitlessly many Buddhas realize Buddhahood and teach and transform sentient beings. Those many Buddhalands clearly appear in the space of a instant. An instant [ksana] is an extremely short time interval, but in it appear all those limitlessly many eons and Buddhalands. Infinitely many eons are compressed into a single instant of thought, and a single instant of thought is extended for infinitely many eons. All the Buddhalands of the ten directions appear inside a single speck of dust. That illustrates the small being able to contain the great, and the great being able to enter the small. Great and small are mutually nonobstructive; one and many are also non-obstructive. Such a state cannot be understood by ordinary beings. Radiating light to transform beings, reaching all without exception. The Buddha’s light extends to reach all sentient beings, teaching and transforming them. Aided by the Buddha’s light, beings can leave suffering and attain bliss, turn away from confusion and return to enlightenment. Since the Buddha’s light pervades the world-systems of the ten directions, it is said to reach all without exception. Vemacitra profoundly praises and rejoices in all that. Asura King Vemacitra, “Various Kinds from a Silken Thread,” deeply understands, praises, and likes this state and this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

The realm of the Thus Come One is unparalleled.
Perpetually benefiting by means of various dharma doors,
He quells the sufferings of sentient beings.
Thus, King ãambara sees.

Commentary:

The realm of the Thus Come One is not the same as other realms. It cannot be conceptualized by thought or described in words. No god or spirit can compare to him, and so the Thus Come One’s state is unparalleled. Nothing can compare with the Buddha’s state. Perpetually benefiting by means of various dharma doors , the Buddha employs all sorts of approaches to Dharma to benefit beings. He guides beings to turn away from confusion and go back to enlightenment, to discard what is deviant and return to the proper, to leave suffering and attain bliss. The Buddha sees all beings as being no different from himself. Why is that? It’s because they all have the Buddha-nature and are capable of becoming Buddhas. If you weren’t a Buddha in the past, you may be a Buddha now. Or if you are not a Buddha now, you will be a Buddha in the future.

Therefore, from the point of view of Buddhism, there is in fact no “Buddhism.” “Buddhism” is just a name imposed upon it, but actually Buddhism is the Teaching of People—the religion of all people.

Buddhism is also the Teaching of Sentient Beings, the religion of all sentient beings. That’s why the Buddha said, “All sentient beings have the Buddha-nature and are capable of becoming Buddhas.” Anything with blood and breath is a sentient being, and every sentient being has the Buddha-nature. Even if you didn’t want the Buddha-nature, you couldn’t get rid of it. There’s no way to discard it, since you are a sentient being. Even if you weren’t a sentient being, you still couldn’t discard your inherent Buddha-nature. You couldn’t divorce yourself from it.

Therefore in Buddhism—the Teaching of Sentient Beings, the Teaching of People—whether or not you believe in the Buddha, you are a Buddhist. If you believe in the Buddha, you are a bit closer to the Buddha; and if you don’t believe in the Buddha, you are a little more distant from the Buddha. The Buddha does not distance himself from you, but you distance yourself from the Buddha. In any case, whether you have faith or not, you are a disciple of the Buddha, since you all have the Buddha-nature.

Therefore, sooner or later you will all become Buddhas. See how Buddhism comprises the nature of the Dharma Realm, including all humankind, all sentient beings? All are within Buddhism. Even if you maintain you do not believe in the Buddha, you are still a Buddhist, since you cannot get out of the Dharma Realm. Hence Buddhism considers you a Buddhist whether or not you believe in the Buddha. Even if you slander or berate the Buddha, you are a disciple of the Buddha. That’s how tolerant and magnanimous Buddhism is. It has no boundaries or limits.

Consequently, the Buddha’s state is described as being inconceivable and incomparable. Nothing is equal to it. “Using various dharma doors, he is always helping beings,” constantly benefiting them. He quells the sufferings of sentient beings. The Buddha teaches all sentient beings the dharma doors for freeing themselves from suffering and attaining bliss—how to end birth and death. Thus, King Sãmbara sees. The Asura King mentioned before, whose name means “Clever Magical Illusions,” understood this state.

Disciple: Do the Asura Kings actually attain Buddhahood, or do they just understand it?

Venerable Master: They understand the Buddha’s state, but they have not become Buddhas. They have entered a passage to liberation. When you enter a passage to liberation, you still need come out of it; and they haven’t come out yet. If all you can do is enter, without being able to exit, you’re confined once again, and it becomes nonliberation. A “passage into liberation” is just an analogy. Don’t think that there really is a passage. If there were a passage, there would also be a nonpassage, which would be a further attachment. For that reason, in entering a passage to liberation, you enter without entering. You do not enter and yet enter. Then it’s a passage into liberation. Freedom from all attachments—total nonattachment—is the true passage into liberation.

Yesterday, in lecturing, the disciple who lectured forgot to discuss “solid practices” and “indestructible good roots,” making them “destructible.” What does it mean to have solid practices? It means that, in cultivating any practice, one never retreats, never turns back. “Solid” also includes being sincere as well as persevering, so there is firm commitment, sincerity, and perseverance.

Being solid means not changing yet according with situations, according with situations yet not changing, and adhering to our Three Great Principles. That’s solidity. Do you understand? Not changing yet according with conditions, according with conditions yet not changing, is having solid practices. To be solid means that, no matter what shock you receive, whatever the trials and tribulations, whatever adversity comes to test you, you do not retreat. You are determined to forge on ahead and would never fall back and become lax. You would not, after two and a half days of vigorous work, slack off for fifteen days, as the saying goes: “Sunning it for a day, then chilling it for ten days.” That’s not having solid practices.

If you do have solid practices, you will be wondrously adorned. Without solid practices, you won’t have wondrous adornments. Being wondrously adorned comes about from solid practices. Asura King Solid Practices and Wondrous Adornment gained a passage into liberation of universally amassing indestructible good roots. How and what did he universally amass? He amassed solid practices. Since he cultivated solid practices, as a result his good roots became indestructible. The explanation is not that he forgot about himself. If he did that, there wouldn’t even be good roots. If you forget about yourself, how could you still be thinking about good roots?

His good roots are indestructible because he cultivated solid practices. His universal amassing of indestructible good roots is universal amassing of solid practices. Today he cultivates solid practices, the next day he cultivates solid practices, and the day after that he is still cultivating solid practices. They get more and more solid until they’re indestructible. Since they are indestructible, his good roots last. Because they last, he purifies all defiled attachments. When his good roots increase, his evil roots are eradicated. Evil roots are defiled attachments, unclean things which one cannot put down. One is attached to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and dharmas—the six sense objects. Attachment to the six objects of sense is due to your six sense faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind) being defiled. Inner defilement leads to outer attachment. Now the text is talking about purifying all defiled attachments, cleaning them all up so there are no more. With no defiled attachments, one achieves liberation. Therefore he entered that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

He practiced ascetic conduct for limitless eons,
Benefiting sentient beings and purifying worlds.
Accordingly, Muni’s wisdom is fully accomplished.
King Great Retinue sees the Buddha thus.

Commentary:

[This verse was explained by a disciple. The Master asked for comments and then lead a discussion by other disciples on her explanation.]

[Concerning Sãkyamuni Buddha’s cultivation of ascetic practices prior to becoming a Buddha and his acceptance of an offering of milk porridge.] His acceptance of the milk porridge had nothing to do with practicing or not practicing asceticism. He accepted it because he felt that if the woman made an offering to him, he should accept the offering, rather than sticking rigidly to his personal ideal of ascetic cultivation and refusing it. If he refused the offering, he would create no affinities. Don’t interpret it as a rejection of asceticism. All the Buddhas of the past succeeded in their cultivation through ascetic practice. Such an interpretation turns it into an “American-style” Buddhism. The question was not whether asceticism is ultimate.

Furthermore, just because he drank the milk porridge doesn’t mean that he wasn’t practicing asceticism. He simply accepted a person’s offering, considering that he ought to accept the offerings from people and gods. No one had made an offering to him before, so he behaved the way he did. But as soon as someone made an offering to him, he felt he should accept it, to allow people to plant blessings. You can’t interpret that acceptance to mean it’s not right to practice asceticism, although you can say it’s not ultimate. But you can’t talk about it not being good for the body—do you know that’s the commentary you gave?

There are many who cultivate asceticism within Buddhism, and with such an explanation on your part, it would be all over for them. There have also been numerous Buddhas who became Buddhas through ascetic practice, just as was described earlier in the text: “universally amassing indestructible good roots.” The cultivation of ascetic practices is the universal amassing of indestructible good roots.

Our present investigation of this permits us to see each person’s wisdom and outlook. It’s a very good method. What do you all think? A person’s wisdom becomes apparent when he or she speaks.

Disciple: The person who explained the passage only talked about Sãkyamuni Buddha’s ascetic practice during that life in which he became a Buddha, whereas the text says “for limitless eons.”

Venerable Master: It’s true that the Buddha cultivated ascetic practices for limitlessly many eons, not just one eon. That’s why the text reads: He practiced ascetic conduct for limitless eons.

In fact, “He practiced ascetic conduct for limitless eons” is referring to when Sãkyamuni Buddha was at the level of planting causes. There were many at that level, not just one person. Sãkyamuni Buddha was at the level of planting causes for limitless eons. “For three asamkhyeyas of eons he cultivated blessings and wisdom, and for a hundred eons he developed the marks and characteristics.” That’s why the text says: “He practiced ascetic conduct for limitless eons.”

When the Buddha was cultivating asceticism, he was always vigorous and never retreated. He was not like us who cultivate sleeping sitting up for a few days, then feel that it’s not as comfortable as lying down, and decide it would be better to lie down. Or perhaps we cultivate eating one meal a day, but keep rationalizing that eating more would be better for our bodies, that the ascetic practice of eating once a day is bad for us. We always have our defense attorney with us to argue our case.

He was benefiting sentient beings and purifying worlds. What he did was of benefit to sentient beings, not just to himself. Both the Buddha’s practice of asceticism and his benefiting of sentient beings were ways of adorning worlds and causing them to be pure and undefiled. Since he created all such merit and virtue, practiced all types of bitter practices, and benefited sentient beings, accordingly, Muni’s wisdom is fully accomplished. “Accordingly” means according to his cultivation of ascetic conduct for limitless eons, along with his benefiting of sentient beings and his purifying of worlds.

King Great Retinue sees the Buddha thus. Asura King Great Retinue comprehends those states of the Buddha. He understands the Buddha’s states of cultivating ascetic practices and benefiting sentient beings.

Sutra:

Unimpeded, incomparable, great spiritual penetrations
Cause quaking in all lands throughout the ten directions,
Without giving rise to surprise or alarm.
Great Strength comprehends thus.

Commentary:

Unimpeded means that they are unhindered and penetrate without obstruction. Incomparable means there is nothing like these spiritual penetrations. And they are great spiritual penetrations , which differ from small ones. Some cultivators of heterodox sects acquire lesser spiritual penetrations. They have a certain kind of “foreknowledge” or premonition.

For example, such a person may observe that a spot on his body has twitched a certain number of times and deduce that a certain visitor will arrive that day. By observing a particular number of twitches at another spot, he realizes that a certain thing will happen. He expends effort on his stinking skin bag. Sometimes it can be very efficacious, but only people without [spiritual] eyes have to do it that way. People who “have eyes,” that is, those who have opened their five eyes and who have the six spiritual penetrations, don’t need to observe twitching or other sorts of movements or states to figure out what visitor will come. It doesn’t work that way. Provided that they want to know, they see things very clearly. That’s what is meant by great spiritual penetrations with which nothing can compare.

They cause quaking in all lands throughout the ten directions. The spiritual penetrations of the Buddhas can make all the lands throughout the ten directions tremble and quake. They quake and pervasively quake; throughout the ten directions all lands quake and pervasively quake.

All this trembling and quaking takes place without giving rise to surprise or alarm. Even though a single land is quaking and pervasively quaking; even though all world-systems in the ten directions are quaking and pervasively quaking; and even though all lands throughout the ten directions are quaking and pervasively quaking, sentient beings are not afraid. These quakes are not serious or dangerous. The Buddha’s awesome spiritual might made worlds shake, and so no one becomes alarmed or terrified. Great Strength comprehends thus. Asura King Great Strength is very clear about this state of affairs.

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