The Ten Dwellings

Chapter Fifteen

 

 

 

Sutra:

“Instructing numberless living beings; contemplating numberless living beings; knowing the faculties of numberless living beings; bringing about the entry of numberless living beings, and taming and subduing countless living beings. These are the ten.

Commentary:

“Instructing numberless living beings. The Bodhisattva on the Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown uses his ten kinds of wisdom to guide all living beings, instruct all living beings, and cause numberless living beings to bring forth the great Bodhi heart so that in the future they’ll accomplish the Buddha’s path. However, in instructing numberless living beings, he must first observe their causes and conditions, so he uses the wisdom of contemplating numberless living beings to teach and transform living beings. Knowing the faculties of numberless living beings. All living beings have their own dispositions. Some are more deeply confused, some are less confused. Those who have planted more good roots are more intelligent, and those who have planted fewer good roots are more stupid. So he has to know the faculties of all living beings in order to use various methods to save these living beings.

Bringing about the entry of numberless living beings, causing limitless living beings to enter the Bodhi path, and taming and subduing countless living beings. He uses the inconceivable kinds of wisdom to subdue living beings, because the living beings of the Saha world and those of other worlds are very obstinate. Stubborn living beings are hard to tame and hard to subdue, but the Bodhisattva on the Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown subdues them all the same. These are the ten. These are the ten dharmas, the ten kinds of wisdom the Bodhisattva on the Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown employs.

Sutra:

“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva’s body and bodily karma, spiritual penetrations, transformations, wisdom of the past, wisdom of the future, wisdom of the present, accomplishment of Buddhalands, states of mind, states of wisdom, all cannot be known. Even the Dharma Prince Bodhisattva cannot know them.

Commentary:

Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva again called, “Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva’s body and bodily karma, spiritual penetrations, transformations, wisdom of the past, wisdom of the future, wisdom of the present, accomplishment of Buddhalands, states of mind, states of wisdom, all cannot be known. The body and the body karma created by the Bodhisattva dwelling in the Anointment of the Crown, all are manifested by means of spiritual penetrations and transformations. This is an inconceivable state. He uses the wisdom cultivated in the past, the wisdom cultivated in the present, and the wisdom to be cultivated in the future to create, adorn, and purify Buddhalands. Moreover, all living beings’ states of mind and all living beings’ wisdom, cannot know the state of this Bodhisattva. Even the Dharma Prince Bodhisattva cannot know them. Even the Bodhisttva about to become a Buddha, the Dharma Prince, can’t know the wisdom, the body karma, the spiritual penetrations, the wisdom of the past, present, and future, the means of accomplishing Buddhahood, the states of mind, and the states of wisdom of the Bodhisattva on the Dwelling of Anointment of the Crown.

Sutra:

“Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten kinds of wisdom of all Buddhas. What are the ten? They are: Wisdom of the three periods of time; wisdom of the Buddhas’ Dharmas; wisdom of the non-obstruction of Dharma Realms; wisdom of the boundlessness of Dharma Realms; wisdom which fills all world-realms; wisdom which universally illumines all worlds; wisdom which sustains all worlds; wisdom which knows all living beings; wisdom which knows all dharmas; and wisdom which knows all boundless Buddhas. Why is that? From a desire to increase the wisdom of all modes. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.

Commentary:

The Great Lord Dharma Wisdom called again, “Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva should encourage the study of ten kinds of wisdom of all Buddhas. What are the ten? They are: Wisdom of the three periods of time. The three wisdoms are those of the past, present, and future. Wisdom of the Buddhas’ Dharmas—the Dharma spoken by all Buddhas. Wisdom of the non-obstruction of Dharma Realms—the Dharma Realm of the non-obstruction of noumena and phenomena. Wisdom of the boundlessness of Dharma Realms; wisdom which fills all world-realms; wisdom which universally illumines all worlds; wisdom which sustains all worlds; wisdom which knows all living beings; wisdom which knows all dharmas; and wisdom which knows all boundless Buddhas. Why is that? From a desire to increase the wisdom of all modes—to cause the Bodhisattvas dwelling in Anointment of the Crown to increase the wisdom of all modes. When one hears the Dharma, one understands it by oneself, not from the teachings of another.” It’s not necessary for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to teach them.

Sutra:

At that time, because of the Buddha’s spiritual might, world-realms as many as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand Buddhalands in each of the ten directions quaked and trembled in six ways.

Commentary:

When Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva had finished the previous passage, at that time, because of the Buddha’s spiritual might—because of Shakyamuni Buddha’s great, awesome might--world-realms as many as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand Buddhalands in each of the ten directions quaked and trembled in six ways. The six kinds of earth quakes are: 1) quaking, 2) roaring, 3) crashing, 4) shaking, 5) surging, 6) rising. In each direction there were worlds as numerous as dust motes in ten thousand Buddhalands, and in each of them there were six kinds of earthquakes.

Sutra:

Shaking, pervasive shaking, equally pervasive shaking; rising, pervasive rising, equally pervasive rising; surging, pervasive surging, equally pervasive surging; quaking, pervasive quaking, equally pervasive quaking; roaring, pervasive roaring, equally pervasive roaring; crashing, pervasive crashing, equally pervasive crashing. The heavens rained down wonderful flowers, heavenly powdered incense, and heavenly flowered garlands.

Commentary:

There are six kinds of earthquakes: shaking, surging, and rising, which belong to the appearance of movement; and quaking, roaring, and crashing, which belong to sound. The six kinds divide into twelve kinds and then more specifically into eighteen kinds. Shaking, pervasive shaking, equally pervasive shaking. Shaking means one place shakes and another does not. Pervasive shaking means shaking in one Buddhaland. Equally pervasive shaking means shaking in all Buddhalands at once.

Rising, pervasive rising, equally pervasive rising. Rising refers to rising within one world and not rising in another world, or else rising in another world and not rising in this world. Pervasive rising refers to pervasive rising in all worlds. Equally pervasive rising refers to universal rising throughout all worlds.

Surging, pervasive surging, equally pervasive surging. Surging refers to the sensation of surging in this world but not in another. Pervasive surging refers to that sensation in all the worlds within one Buddhaland. Equally pervasive surging refers to that sensation in all the worlds in all Buddhalands.

Quaking, pervasive quaking, equally pervasive quaking. Quaking means quaking in just one world. Pervasive quaking means quaking in all the worlds within one Buddhaland. Equally pervasive quaking means universal quaking in all the worlds within all Buddhalands. Roaring, pervasive roaring, equally pervasive roaring.

Roaring refers to roaring in one place and not in another, or in another and not in this. Pervasive roaring refers to all the worlds in one Buddhaland roaring at once. Crashing, pervasive crashing, equally pervasive crashing. Crashing refers to crashing in one place only. Pervasive crashing refers to crashing in all the worlds in one Buddhaland. Equally pervasive crashing refers to all the worlds in all Buddhalands crashing together at once.

At that time the heavens rained down wonderful flowers. It rained, but not water, rather it was a rain of wonderful celestial flowers, heavenly powdered incense—as well as heavenly powdered incense, and heavenly flowered garlands—flowers which were plaited into garlands. That’s what was happening .

Sutra:

Heavenly blends of incense, heavenly jeweled garments, heavenly jeweled clouds, and heavenly ornaments. All the musical instruments of the heavens sounded without being struck. There was an emitting of celestial lights and there were wonderful sounds. In the same way as here in the Four Continents, in Lord Shakra’s Palace on the summit of Mount Sumeru where the Dharma of the Ten Dwellings was spoken with manifestations of spiritual transformations, so too, throughout all world-realms in the ten directions it was the same way.

Commentary:

Heavenly blends of incense—there were also various fragrances. Heavenly jeweled garments—the precious clothing used by gods, heavenly jeweled clouds—the clouds of jewels, and heavenly ornaments—all the wonderful ornaments . All the musical instruments of the heavens sounded without being struck—all the heavenly music. No one needed to make music, because the instruments played by themselves. There was an emitting of celestial lights—heavenly lights of all kinds, and there were wonderful sounds—all the wonderful sounds of the heavens. In the same way as here in the Four Continents—as it was in this world of four continents: Jambudvipa, Aparagodaniya, Uttarakuru, and Purvavideha—the four empires ruled by the four heavenly kings, in Lord Shakra’s Palace on the summit of Mount Sumeru—and also in the palace where Lord Shakra lives atop Mt. Sumeru where the Dharma of the Ten Dwellings was spoken with manifestations of spiritual transformations, so too, throughout all world-realms in the ten directions it was the same way. It was just the same as here in the Saha World, where Shakyamuni Buddha spoke the Dharma of the Ten Dwellings.

There was once a laywoman whose son was a businessman who lived in Yunnan, China, and who often went to Nepal on business trips. At the time, transportation was not as convenient, so he rode a horse, donkey, or mule, and each trip was difficult. His mother had heard that in Nepal there were sharira and told her son to bring her back one next time he went. Her son agreed. When he got to Nepal, the businessman became so absorbed in business that he forgot the sharira. When he got back, his mother asked if he had brought one back for her, and he had to admit that he had been so caught up in business that he forgot, but promised to remember next time.

Shortly afterwards he had to go to Nepal again. She said, “This time bring one back so I can make offerings to it.” “I definitely will,” he said. But he forgot again, because the trip was so hard, and it took all his brains to manage his business. When he got back she asked for the sharira, “I didn’t bring it”, he said. “Wait until next time.”

Then he was on his way again. This time his mother took a knife and pointed it at her heart and said to her son, “If you don’t bring back a sharira this time, I am going to cut my own heart with this knife; I’m going to kill myself, so you’d better take note.” So seeing this he figured he would certainly remember no matter what, but in fact, he did forget it again, until he was about five or six miles from home. He didn’t dare go closer, but paced back and forth, “If I go home like this, my mom’s going to kill herself.” But he couldn’t not go home. He was utterly without recourse. There on the road he saw a dead little dog, and his cheating heart took over. “Dogs have teeth, so I’ll take out the smallest dog tooth.” He took a brick and knocked it out and polished it until it was round and went home.

His mother asked for her sharira and he said, “I got a bit one, a nice one”, and gave her the dog’s tooth. She was extremely happy. After making offerings to it for a year, what happened to the dog’s tooth? Every time she bowed to it, it emitted light. She bowed and bowed, and soon it always emitted light. When she was about to die, she was not sick but knew when she was going to go off to rebirth.

It’s obvious to see from this that the doctrine that all is made from the mind is true. She would have given her life for the sharira, and this type of sincerity is the utmost. Although it was a dog’s tooth, it could emit light. Why do I tell you of this? Each of you, no matter what Dharma door you cultivate, must be utterly sincere and true-hearted in your cultivation, and then you will have a response. I’m getting ready some sharira, perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps the day after. I have these sharira which are not dog’s teeth; they are real, true sharira which a Bhikshuni brought back from Nepal.

She brought back a hundred of them and made offerings to them, and they multiplied into over ten thousand, because she was very sincere. On the mountain she lit incense and bowed to the Buddhas and felt that this was not enough. She cut off one ear, and then the other, as offerings to the Buddhas. She was so sincere that the sharira multiplied at such a rate as this. She sent some to her teacher who gave some to me. But they are very, very tiny. He gave them to me, and I’m giving them to you. But you have to be sincere. If not, even genuine sharira become false. If you are sincere, the false sharira become genuine. However, these are real ones.

Also, now we are building the Bodhimanda, and everyone must be sincere and dedicate the merit for the success of the Bodhimanda. Whether we buy the place or build it ourselves, we all have to be sincere. The work here will soon be finished, and after that we are going to build a great Bodhimanda. Because you have been with me a long time, you have heard, “My Buddhism takes the Dharma Realm as its teaching.” My substance is the substance of the Dharma Realm, and so the things I do are vast and extensive, reaching to the ends of space and the Dharma Realm. What is great must have a great foundation, so that in the future the Buddhadharma can expand into all worlds and extend into all corners. But first and foremost, one has to be sincere. Whoever wants to be sincere can, and whoever doesn’t—no one will force you. Sincerity means doing things straight and well.

What we do and cultivate is for the sake of building the Bodhimanda. If we want to recite the Buddha’s name, then we do it for building the Bodhimanda. Those who recite Sutras or mantras should dedicate it to the building of the Bodhimanda. The same applies to bowing to the Buddha or bowing to the Sutras. Take the merit and virtue from all this and dedicate it to the speedy success of the Bodhimanda, because the people of the world are waiting for us to save them. If we can’t even build a Bodhimanda, we can’t face the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

With sincere hearts we dedicate all our actions such as fasting or “sleeping” to the quick accomplishment of the Bodhimanda. Fasting means not eating. “Sleeping” refers to sitting meditation without getting up. Those who want to stand day and night can do so. Be sure to be sincere, and you will get a response. If you make the following resolve: “If the Bodhimanda doesn’t succeed, I will never again eat, sleep, or sit down”, then you’ll certainly get a response.

Now all the heavenly dragons and Dharma-protecting spirits must come to our aid so as to find ways to make this a success. Otherwise you are all shirking your responsibility. We are going to spread Buddhism extensively to all worlds, so you must do the work you are supposed to do, or you are all lazy. This applies to all: people, gods, dragons, Dharma-protecting spirits, and so forth. Everybody has to carry their load. All human, ghosts, and living beings who have taken refuge with me in the past, present, and future—all ought to use their abilities. Now manifest your spiritual powers to cause a response so that it may be quickly accomplished!

Sutra:

Moreover, because of the Buddha’s spiritual might, in each of the ten directions, from beyond worlds as many as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand Buddhalands, were Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who arrived at this place. Filling the ten directions they spoke as follows: “Good indeed, good indeed, disciples of the Buddha, you speak this Dharma well! We all have the same name, Dharma Wisdom, and the lands we come from all have the same name, Dharma Cloud. The Thus Come Ones of those countries are all called Wondrous Dharma. In all the Buddhalands from which we come, the Ten Dwellings are also spoken. The assemblies and retinues, the text and the doctrines are also thus, with nothing added or subtracted.

Commentary:

Moreover, because of the Buddha’s spiritual might—moreover, the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions rode upon the precious raft of the Buddha’s vow power. In each of the ten directions, from beyond worlds as many as the fine motes of dust in ten thousand Buddhalands, were Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who arrived at this place. Filling the ten directions , they came to the Saha world Bodhimanda and, they spoke as follows: “Good indeed, good indeed, disciples of the Buddha. You are doing well, very well. Disciples of the Buddha, you speak this Dharma well! The Dharma of the Ten Dwellings. We all have the same name, Dharma Wisdom. We Bodhisattvas who have come, Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, are all called Dharma Wisdom. Just like you, our name is Dharma Wisdom.

And the lands we come from all have the same name, Dharma Cloud. The Thus Come Ones of those countries are all called Wondrous Dharma. All Buddhas who are teaching and transforming living beings in the lands called Dharma Cloud are called Wondrous Dharma. In all the Buddhalands from which we come, the Ten Dwellings are also spoken. The assemblies and retinues—the assemblies and the retinues are the same. The text and the doctrines, the expressions, phraseology, text and meaning of what they speak are the same as those of the Ten Dwellings spoken in the Saha world. They are also thus, with nothing added or subtracted. Within the ten directions and three periods of time, all Buddhas speak Dharma with a single sound. They all speak wonderful Dharma which is identical.

Sutra:

“Disciples of the Buddha, relying on the Buddha’s spiritual might, we have come and entered this assembly in order to give you certification. As it is in this assembly, in all worlds throughout the ten directions, it is also thus.”

At that time, Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, relying on the Buddha’s awesome might, contemplated throughout the ten directions, to the utmost reaches of the Dharma Realm, and spoke verses saying:

Commentary:

From worlds to the number of motes of dust in ten Buddhalands came Bodhisattvas who said, “Disciples of the Buddha, relying on the Buddha’s spiritual might—Shakyamuni Buddha’s awesome spiritual might--we have come and entered this assembly. We have come to the Saha world and entered the Avatamsaka Dharma Assembly in order to give you certification. Why have we come? To certify your speaking of the Ten Dwellings. As it is in this assembly—just as it is in this assembly--in all worlds throughout the ten directions, it is also thus. They are also explaining the Ten Dwellings.”

At that time, Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, relying on the Buddha’s awesome might, contemplated throughout the ten directions. He contemplated the causes and conditions of all living beings throughout the ten directions in all Buddhalands, to the utmost reaches of the Dharma Realm , to see what teaching he should use to transform those living beings, and spoke verses. Then he used simple language in verse form to teach and transform living beings, saying:

Sutra:

Seeing the most supreme wisdom and the fine, wondrous body,
Upright and adorned, complete with all the marks and characteristics,
How he is honored and difficult to encounter,
The Bodhisattva bravely first becomes resolved.

Seeing the unequalled great spiritual penetrations,
Hearing spoken predictions, teachings, and admonishments,
Because of limitless sufferings of living beings in all the destinies,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

Hearing how Thus Come Ones, universally superior honored ones,
All have accomplished every merit and virtue,
Just like empty space, which does not discriminate,
The Bodhisattva, because of this, first becomes resolved.

Commentary:

Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva said, “Seeing the most supreme wisdom and the fine, wondrous body—I now see the Buddha’s most superior wisdom and also his subtle, wonderful, inconceivable Buddha body. Because the Buddha’s body has endless transformations, it appears and disappears. He has thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics.

Upright and adorned, complete with all the marks and characteristics; he is upright and majestic. His wisdom is complete, and his blessings are complete. He is the Doubly Honored One.

How he is honored and difficult to encounter. All living beings make offerings to and revere the Buddha, because it is not easy to meet a Buddha. At times one is born before, and at times one is born after the time of a Buddha. It is very difficult to be born at the actual time a Buddha is in the world. The Bodhisattva bravely first becomes resolved on Bodhi. That is why the Bodhisattva of the Ten Dwellings is vigorous and courageous in first bringing forth the resolve. This marks the beginning of his resolution for Bodhi.

Seeing the unequalled great spiritual penetrations. No one surpasses the Buddha in spiritual penetrations. None can compare with him. Hearing spoken predictions, teachings, and admonishments. Living beings who give rise to the Bodhi mind are given predictions by the Buddha. Provisional expedient dharmas and true and actual dharmas are spoken to teach them to cut off evil and practice good; that is, to do no evil and offer up all good conduct.

Because of limitless sufferings of living beings in all the destinies. All the living beings in the six paths suffer. In every path there are limitless, boundless, sufferings. The Bodhisattva because of this, first becomes resolved. Because the Bodhisattva sees living beings in the six paths undergoing so much suffering and wants to save them, he first resolves his mind on Bodhi. He courageously resolves his mind on Bodhi. Hearing how Thus Come Ones, universally superior honored ones—hearing how the Tathagatas, all have accomplished every merit and virtue—the Buddhas have accomplished all merit and virtue. How much merit and virtue does a Buddha have? It can’t be spoken of. It is said,

You can count the thoughts of living beings’ minds,
You can drink dry the waters of the sea,
You can measure space and bind the wind,
But of the Buddha’s merit and virtue,
No one can speak to the end.

Still, no one can say how much merit and virtue the Buddha has. No one knows, just as one of my disciples uses his favorite intellectual zen jargon and says, “I don’t know.”

Just like empty space, which does not discriminate. Just like the void, which makes no distinctions, yet there is nothing it does not contain. The Bodhisattva, because of this, first becomes resolved. The Bodhisattvas admire the Buddha, who has perfected all merit and virtue, and for this reason they resolve their minds on Bodhi and seek the unsurpassed Buddha Way.

Sutra:

The cause and effect of the three periods of time are called locations.
Our self-nature is without location.
Wishing to know completely the true and actual meaning,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

Commentary:

The cause and effect of the three periods of time are called locations. The three periods of time are called the past, present, and future. Let’s look at the causes and effects of the past, present, and future—all the causes and effects:

If you want to know the causes from lives past,
Look at what you’re undergoing now.
If you want to know the effects in lives to come,
Look at what you’re doing now.

If in former lives you planted a seed, this life you reap that fruit. If you plant a good cause, you reap a good result. If you plant an evil cause, you reap an evil result. If you plant a cause which is neither good nor evil, you reap a result which is neither good nor evil. If you want to know what’s going to happen in the future, look at what you’re doing now. If you do good things now, in the future you will reap a good fruit. If you do evil things now, in the future you will reap an evil fruit. It is never off even by a hair’s breadth. You yourself make cause and effect: the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas do not make it for you. Yet other religions say that such and such a god rules over all, which is a grave error. It’s like walking—when you want to go east, you turn east; when you want to go west, you turn west. It’s up to you.

Cause and effect is that way also. So the text says, “locations”. The causes and effects of the three periods of time are the “locations” where you undergo retribution. Our self-nature is without location. Our self-nature is utterly void—at one with the Dharma Realm. True Emptiness is Wonderful Existence; Wonderful Existence is just True Emptiness. True Emptiness and Wonderful Existence are the self-nature, and it has no fixed location. Wishing to know completely the true and actual meaning. Because he wants to know, to genuinely, completely understand this true and actual meaning, the Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. The Bodhisattva who has first brought forth the mind does so in order to understand the real meaning. Bodhisattvas cultivate on the first of the Ten Dwellings, that of First Bringing Forth the Resolve, just for those very reasons.

Sutra:

Of the past, the future, and the present times,
All karma whether good or bad.
Wishing to know it all with nothing not exhausted,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

All Dhyanas, Liberations, and Samadhis,
Defiled, pure, and of limitless kinds:
Wishing to know them all and enter, dwell, and exit,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

According to beings’ faculties, whether keen or dull,
Various kinds of powers of vigor such as these:
Wishing to penetrate them all and discriminatingly know them,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

All living beings’ various kinds of understandings,
What their minds delight in,
All of which are different: Although limitless, yet wishing to know them all,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

Commentary:

Of the past, the future, and the present times—the past realm, the present realm, and the future realm—the three periods of time; past life, present life, future life; past recollection, present recollection, future recollection; past thought, present thought; and future thought—all these are called the three periods.

All karma whether good or bad. All of the karma we create in this world is a mixture of good and evil. We do some good and mix in some evil. We do some evil and mix in some good. In our evil, there is sometimes a bit of good, and in our good there is some evil. There is no totally good or totally evil karma. It is all a mixture. So the text says, “All karma”, whether good, evil, or a mixture. Wishing to know it all with nothing not exhausted. The Bodhisattva on the First Dwelling wishes to understand all of these doctrines with nothing that is not understood. That is why the Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. The Bodhisattva on the First of the Ten Dwellings, that of First Bringing Forth the Resolve, produces that intent.

All Dhyanas, Liberations, and Samadhis. This refers to the first, the second, third, and fourth dhyanas, and the nine successive samadhis, as listed in the Shurangama Sutra which also lists the eight liberations, and various samadhis or levels of concentration. Defiled, pure, and of limitless kinds. These dharmas are of unlimited variety and so are the liberations and samadhis.

There are unlimited defiled and immaculate states, limitless and boundless. Wishing to know them all and enter, dwell, and exit. The Bodhisattva wishes to understand completely the various states involved in entering samadhi, dwelling in samadhi, and coming out of samadhi. The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. The Bodhisattva on the Dwelling of First Bringing Forth the Resolve therefore brings forth the great thought for Bodhi. According to beings’ faculties, whether keen or dull. Living beings have sharp or dull roots. Those with sharp roots are intelligent people; those with dull roots are stupid people. Living beings may be very smart or very stupid. Intelligent from birth means they have sharp roots. Stupid from birth means dull roots. Various kinds of powers of vigor such as these—whether your roots are sharp or dull, you should be vigorous. There are many methods for being vigorous. Wishing to penetrate them all and

discriminatingly know them. The Bodhisattva on the First Dwelling has first produced the initial resolve because of a wish to understand the dispositions of living beings and their sharpness and dullness. The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. This is the reason that living beings who first produce the mind resolve themselves.

All living beings’ various kinds of understandings. Living beings have various understandings and opinions. What their minds delight in, all of which are different. What each living being likes is different. Although limitless, yet wishing to know them all—because of wishing to know the limitless, boundless, understandings and opinions, the Bodhisattva of the First Dwelling brings forth the great thought of enlightenment and dwells in the Dwelling of First Bringing Forth the Resolve. Because of this the Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

Sutra:

The realms of living beings are different
And all worlds are limitless.
Wishing to know their substance and nature,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

All the conducts and paths of the conditioned,
Each has a place where it arrives.
Wishing to know their actual nature,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

All the living beings in every world realm,
According to their karma, drift without a moment’s rest.
Wishing to obtain the Heavenly Eye to see them all clearly,
The Bodhisattva first becomes resolved.

Commentary:

The realms of living beings are different. Living beings are born from confluence of a multitude of causes and conditions. In general there are twelve classes:

• those born from womb,
• those born from thought,
• those born from moisture,
• those born from transformation,
• those with thought,
• those without thought,
• those with form,
• those without form,
• those not totally with thought
• those not totally without thought
• those not totally with form,
• those not totally without form.

Together they make twelve classes. In detail, there are boundless kinds in each class. Every category of living being has its own limitless differences within it.

And all worlds are limitless. The living beings in each world can’t be counted. Wishing to know their substance and nature. Bodhisattvas want to understand the limitless substance and natures of all living beings. Because of this, the Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. And so, because of this, the Bodhisattva dwelling in the First Dwelling, brings forth the great thought of enlightenment.

All the conducts and paths of the conditioned—all the conditioned dharmas and conditioned paths of cultivation-- Each has a place where it arrives. Each of the way practiced has a goal, a place where it goes. Wishing to know their actual nature—wishing to completely understand the real nature of each of them-- the Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. Thus, the Bodhisattva brings forth the great heart and dwells in the Dwelling of Bringing Forth the Resolve.

All the living beings in every world realm—all living beings in the three periods of time and the ten directions, according to their karma, drift without a moment’s rest. All give rise to delusion, create karma, and undergo retribution. Repeatedly they float and sink according to their karma, suddenly in the heavens, suddenly in the hells, turning without cease. At no time in the six paths does this process cease.

Wishing to obtain the Heavenly Eye to see them all clearly. The Bodhisattva wishes to obtain the unobstructed wisdom of the Heavenly Eye. Because of this, the Bodhisattva first becomes resolved. That’s why the Bodhisattva brings forth the great Buddha mind and dwells in the Dwelling of the First Resolve.

previous   next   Contents

Chapter 15 pages:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10

return to top