Bodhisattvas Asks for Clarification

Chapter Ten

 

 

SUTRA:

Manjushri, the Dharma is always like this:
The Dharma Kings transcended with only one Dharma.
Everyone who unburdens himself
Can escape birth and death on this One Path.  

COMMENTARY:

Worthy Leader Bodhisattva is a leader among Bodhisattvas. Manjushri Bodhisattva turned to him and asked: “Since all the Buddhas, by means of the Dharmas of the Path of the One Vehicle, realized Proper Enlightenment, why is it that their Buddhalands are not the same? And why is it that the ways they teach and transform sentient beings are not the same? Why are their worlds larger or smaller, more or less defiled or pure, of many various shapes and appearances, none of them exactly the same?

Worthy Leader then answered these questions of Manjushri, saying: Manjushri, the Dharma is always like this: Great Manjushri Bodhisattva, the Buddhadharma is always this way. The Dharma Kings—the Buddhas—transcended and realized Buddhahood with only One Dharma, the Path of the One Vehicle.

Everyone who unburdens himself, that is, the sages of all levels, the Bodhisattvas, Hearers, and Those Enlightened by Conditions—all the Sages who become unhindered can escape birth and death on this One Path. They also used the dharmas of the Path of the One Vehicle to end birth and death, to get off the turning wheel, and transcend the Triple Realm.

SUTRA:

Each and every Buddha’s body
Is the one Dharma body;
They are of one mind and one wisdom.
Their powers and fearlessnesses are also thus. 

Based upon their original wish to seek bodhi
And all their dedications of merit,
They attain a corresponding kind of Buddhaland,
With its assemblies and Dharma proclamations. 

The lands of all Buddhas
Are adorned to perfection.
According to beings’ different practices,
Their perceptions are likewise different. 

COMMENTARY:

The physical body of each and every Buddha of the ten directions and three periods of time is the one Dharma body. Although there are limitlessly, infinitely many Buddhas, nevertheless, they all share the same Dharma body. There is no second Dharma body, no other one. And so it is said:

The Buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time
Share one Dharma body in common.
And the Path of all Buddhas is the same.

This single Dharma body pervades the entire Dharma Realm. Therefore, the Dharma body of all Buddhas fills up the entire Dharma Realm; nevertheless, they are mutually non-obstructive.

They are of one mind and one wisdom. The minds of all Buddhas are also the same mind, and the wisdom of all Buddhas is also the same wisdom. 

The Buddhas all share the same Path, the same mind, and the same wisdom. They are all the same in those ways. And their powers and fearlessnesses are also thus. The Buddhas’ Ten Powers and Four Fearlessnesses are also identical, without the slightest deviation.

They began based upon their original wish to seek bodhi, their commitment to become fully enlightened, which each Buddha made when he was still at the level of planting causes, cultivating the Path. And they made dedications of all their merit. They dedicated all of their cultivation of bodhi, their quest for bodhi, and their practice of the Bodhisattva Path to all beings throughout the Dharma Realm. Based on the kind of resolve they made to achieve bodhi, they will obtain a corresponding outcome in the future.

All Buddhas resolved to seek bodhi in the formative stages of their cultivation; and then they made different kinds of vows, which they dedicated to sentient beings universally. Therefore, they attain a corresponding kind of Buddhaland. Whatever kinds of vows they brought forth, they later achieved that kind of Buddhaland. For example, Amitabha Buddha made forty-eight vows. He vowed that his Buddhaland would not have any suffering in it, but only happiness. Furthermore, he made it so that all the beings in all the worlds throughout the Dharma Realm could make vows themselves to be reborn in his land, where they would experience no suffering, but only enjoy every kind of happiness. This is made possible by the vows that Amitabha Buddha made in the formative stages of his cultivation.

And each Buddhaland has its assemblies and Dharma proclamations. Every Buddha attains a Buddhaland corresponding to his vows, and in that Buddhaland there are corresponding Dharma assemblies where he speaks the Dharma to teach and transform sentient beings, and corresponding causes and conditions surrounding his speaking of Dharma.

The lands of all Buddhas / Are adorned to perfection. All their adornments are particularly exquisite and magnificent. When they realize Buddhahood, their Buddhalands at once become adorned, perfect, and luminous.

According to beings’ different practices that they cultivate, what they do are not the same. Their perceptions are likewise different. Because what sentient beings practice is not the same, therefore they also perceive different states. The states of the Buddhas, however, are not different. But because the minds and conduct of sentient beings are different, therefore what each of them perceives is also different.

SUTRA:

The Buddhas’ lands together with the Buddhas’ body,
Their assemblies, including what they speak,
As well as all Buddhas’ Dharmas,
Cannot be seen by sentient beings. 

But, once their minds are made pure,
And all their vows perfected,
They reach complete understanding
And are thereby able to see. 

COMMENTARY:

The Buddha’s lands, together with the Buddhas’ body seem to be different to sentient beings; however the basic substance of those Buddhalands is the same. Sentient beings are also unable to completely perceive the Buddhas’ Dharma body. Their assemblies, including what they speak, all the gatherings where the Dharma is spoken, and what the Buddhas say, as well as all the various Buddhas’ Dharmas, / Cannot be seen by sentient beings. They are unable to comprehend them.

But, once their minds are made pure, without so many false thoughts or any afflictions, and only if all their various vows which they made in the formative stages of their cultivation have already been perfected, then they will reach complete understanding. People like that, who have already purified their minds and perfected their vows, and who therefore are able to be astutely wise and thoroughly comprehend without obstruction, are thereby able to see. People like that can see and understand the Buddhas’ lands, their states of mind, the Dharma that they speak to teach and transform sentient beings, their speech, and their samadhis.

SUTRA:

According with what makes them happy,
As well as their karmic retributions,
Sentient beings perceive things differently.
This is due to the Buddhas’ awesome spiritual power.  

The Buddhalands are devoid of distinctions,
Of dislikes and of fondnesses.
It is only due to the sentient beings’ minds
That differences are perceived. 

COMMENTARY:

According with what makes them—sentient beings—happy, Buddhas first observe the causes and conditions of sentient beings, and then go ahead and teach and transform them. They constantly comply with sentient beings’ wishes. This is one of the Ten Kings of Vows of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. Universally transferring merit to those sentient beings is another of the Ten Kings of Vows. This means that after discerning what brings happiness to the hearts of sentient beings—what they like —the Buddhas will speak the appropriate Dharma to teach and transform them. And so it is also said:

If you want to lead them to enter the Buddhas’ wisdom,
You must first bait the hook with what they like.

If you wish to guide sentient beings to obtain the Buddhas’ wisdom, you must first teach and transform them in accord with what they wish for. You cannot fail to accord with what it is they like. That is exactly what the Buddhas do; whatever it is a sentient being likes, the Buddhas speak a related Dharma for him, and then, little by little, gradually that being is led to deeply enter the Sutra Treasury and have wisdom like the sea.

Buddha accord As well as with their karmic retributions. The Buddhas ponder what the karmic rewards or retributions of beings are, what kind of faculties they have, and then speak Dharma appropriately. The saying goes: “They give the appropriate teaching in that way that medicine is dispensed according to the illness.” The Buddhas speak the Dharma in accord with the hearts of sentient beings.

Sentient beings perceive things differently. / This is due to the Buddhas’ awesome spiritual power. The awesome spiritual power of all Buddhas causes different sentient beings to perceive different states.

The Buddhalands are devoid of distinctions. The lands of all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the three periods of time are basically undifferentiated. They are all the same. They are also devoid of dislikes and of fondnesses. There is no attitude of like or dislike to be found in any of those Buddhalands.

It is only due to the minds of sentient beings, and by virtue of the power of sentient beings’ karmic retributions, that differences are perceived. Each being’s perception is completely different from any other being’s perception, because beings have different karma and different karmic retributions. Consequently, they each perceive the world differently.

SUTRA:

Within the mundane world,
What each one perceives is different.
All the Thus Comes Ones,
The Great Immortals, are not to blame for this. 

Within each and every world,
Those who are ready to be transformed
Constantly see the hero among men.
Thus is the Dharma of all Buddhas. 

COMMENTARY:

Within the mundane world, considering all the reasons, the causes and conditions, and the circumstances of the world that were previously discussed, what each one perceives is different. That which each sentient being sees is different. However, all the Thus Come Ones, / The Great Immortals, are not to blame for this. It is definitely not the fault of the Buddhas, the Great Immortals. It is definitely not that the Buddhas, the World Honored Ones, create all these distinctions in order to confuse sentient beings. It is definitely not the Buddhas’ error.

Within each and every world, / Those who are ready to be transformed, all the beings who should receive the Buddhadharma’s teaching and transforming, constantly see the hero among men. The hero among men refers to the Buddha; he is the Great Hero among people. Thus is the Dharma of all Buddhas. The Dharma of all Buddhas is like that. 

Do not I often tell those of you who cultivate that you should:

Truly recognize your own mistakes,
And do not discuss the faults of others.
Others’ faults are just my own.
Being one with all is called Great Compassion.

If you cannot be that way—if you cannot recognize your own mistakes—and if all you do is talk about how other people are wrong, then yours is the most despicable kind of habit.

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