The Manifestations of the Thus Come One

Chapter Two

 

1.B. Requesting by referring to examples of Dharma
2. Asking about the depth and extent of causal virtues
3. Concluding request

Sutra:

[The Buddhas spoke of] oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ vows, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ tendencies, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ aids to the Way, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ vehicles, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ practices, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ transcendence, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ spiritual powers, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ paramitas, oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ grounds, and oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ wisdom. We hope the Buddha, the World Honored One, will explain these for us.”  

Commentary:

Previously, the sutra spoke about the oceans of established dharma realms, oceans of beings, oceans of Buddhas, oceans of Buddhas’ liberations, oceans of worlds—all kinds of oceans.

Moreover, they spoke of oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ vows. What are the oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ vows? This will be discussed in greater detail later on. Right now, it will be explained in a general way. All Bodhisattvas take the Four Vast Vows as fundamental. The Four Vast Vows are:

1. I vow to save the limitless beings. Beings include both humans and nonhumans. They are boundless; their numbers cannot be reckoned. This isn’t just referring to those beings on the outside. There are infinitely many beings inside each person’s body. People are just like big bugs. Within their bodies dwell countless smaller bugs. These small bugs depend on the bigger bugs for their survival. The big bugs, in turn, nourish the smaller bugs’ existence. They give of their flesh and blood in order to nourish all these beings. However, this kind of giving isn’t done voluntarily. One has no choice but to give. These small bugs are like bandits who come to plunder you; you can’t escape them. If you were to escape, the “big bug” would no longer exist. So, their relationship is such that they help one another out.

Within a single person’s body there are already innumerable beings. And so if we look at the big picture, we don’t know how many beings there are. Thus, beings are boundless. There are too many to speak of, which is why the text referred to oceans of beings. All of the bigger beings nourish the smaller ones. All of the smaller beings rely on the bigger ones for their existence.

Take a look at the lion; it’s so ferocious, yet on its body there are parasites that eat its flesh and drink its blood. The tiger is very fierce. However, there are also parasites living off its body, eating its flesh and drinking its blood. Think it over. Every being has limitless beings within it; and every one of those limitless beings further contains limitless beings. Therefore, “beings are boundless.” So, what should we do? We should save beings. How do we do that?

If you wish to lead beings to realize the Buddha’s wisdom,

First entice them with something they like.

If you want beings to uncover the Buddha’s wisdom within themselves, you first have to give them some benefit. Once they obtain a little benefit, they will want to study the Buddhadharma. This is an expedient and provisional way to save beings.

2. I vow to cut off the inexhaustible afflictions. When cultivating the Buddhadharma you have to pass through tests; you have to be able to bear tests. Every situation that you encounter is a test. Usually, you may think you have seen through everything and let it all go. You may feel you have no more attachments. But when situations arise, your attachments show up and you can’t handle them. When a situation arises, if you can act as if nothing special is going on, then you have some skill. You’ve really seen through things and let them go.

For example, suppose that when you are working hard in your cultivation, you experience an unusual state of mind. Maybe you see someone, a ghost or a demon king who comes holding a knife, ready to cut off your head. At that time, if you have power of concentration, you think: “If you want to cut off my head, go ahead. I don’t care. Not to speak of false and illusory states like this, even if the state were real and someone were really going to cut off my head, it’d be no big deal. Living and dying are no big problem. Life and death are the same. If I sit here and someone cuts off my head, it’ll be really wonderful!” If you can reflect in this way, you won’t be afraid.

Once upon a time there was someone who wished to renounce the life of a householder to become a monk. He went to ask a good advisor, “May I leave home?”

The good advisor replied, “Yes, but there is a requirement.”

He asked, “What’s the requirement?”

The good advisor said, “If you have a sincere mind, then you should do what I tell you to do. You should listen to what I say, and then I will accept you as my disciple. If you can’t do this, then I won’t allow you to leave home.”

The person asked, “What do you want me to do?”

The good advisor asked him, “Who is there in your family?”

The person replied, “My father, my mother, my wife, my son, my daughter, and my brothers. There are a lot of people in my home, so it’s no problem if I leave the home-life. My brothers can take care of my parents. My wife has a son and a daughter, who will grow up and not want me watching after them. And so I want to go forth from the home-life and cultivate the Way.”

The good advisor said, “Okay. I’ll give you a sword. You should take this sword, return home, and kill all the members in your family with it. Can you do this?”

The man replied, “If my teacher tells me to do this, I’ll do it.”

The good advisor said, “If you can really do it, that’s good. After you kill your family, take the sword and hang it behind the door. Then you can come back and become a monk.”

This is no joke. The man really had to do it. He thought, “If I don’t kill my mother and father, then I won’t be able to cultivate the Way; the good advisor won’t accept me.” And so he gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and returned home and killed his entire family. Then he hung the sword behind the door and returned to his teacher, who accepted him as a disciple.

Did he in reality murder his family? No. His teacher was using magical powers. The person thought he had killed his family members, but actually, not a single person died. Due to his teacher’s magic, the bodies of the person’s parents turned into bags of gold and jewels and the sword hanging behind the door took on the person’s appearance.

On the following day when the people in the household woke up, they discovered that bags of gold, silver, and jewels that had appeared in their home for no apparent reason. They also found their son. It appeared that he had hung himself behind the door. The family concluded, “He must have become a thief and stolen these treasures and then hung himself to escape being caught and thrown in jail. What a pity!” They placed his body (which was really the transformed sword) in a coffin and buried him. After the parents put their son’s body to rest, they enjoyed perpetual wealth.

Meanwhile, the person returned to his teacher and cultivated for twelve years. Thinking that everyone in his family was dead, he cultivated with great determination. He thought, “If I don’t attain the Way, how can ever justify murdering the members of my family?” And so he cultivated zealously day and night. He had no afflictions whatsoever. He had cut them all off without even trying. He had no worries or hangups, and thus he was not afraid of anything. As it says [in the Heart Sutra], “Because he has no impediments, he is not afraid.”

After thirteen years, he realized the Way and attained the Five Eyes and Six Spiritual powers. At that time he saw that his parents, wife, son, daughter, and brothers were alive and well, and their lives were quite happy. Then he went before his good advisor and bowed to him, saying, “If my teacher hadn’t taught me in this way, I could never have become enlightened or attained the Way.” He realized that his teacher had been using expedient means to teach him.

“I vow to cut off the inexhaustible afflictions.” People can realize the Way only if they are free of afflictions. If they get afflicted, they won’t realize the Way. For example, when you cultivate, why do you have thoughts of desire? It’s because you have afflictions. Why do you break the precepts? It’s also because you have afflictions. Afflictions harm people more than anything else. People get afflicted because they haven’t practiced enough virtuous deeds. That is the root of the problem. If you don’t get to the root, it won’t do any good to work on the branchtips.

3. I vow to study the infinite dharma doors. The Buddha’s dharma doors [methods of practice ] are limitless and boundless. You should vow to study them. There are many dharma doors for becoming a Buddha, and we should learn them all.

4. I vow to realize the unsurpassed Buddha Way. Nothing surpasses the Buddha Way. It is the highest. Therefore, I certainly want to realize it.

These are the four great vows that you should make. These are the oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ vows. One Bodhisattva makes these four vast vows; ten Bodhisattvas, in turn, make forty vast vows; one hundred Bodhisattvas make four hundred vows. When the number of vows becomes uncountable, they become like an ocean.

[The Buddhas spoke of] oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ tendencies. Their tendencies toward entering the bodhi path are like oceans. They spoke of oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ aids to the Way. These are oceans of aids for cultivating the Way. They described oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ vehicles. Bodhisattvas benefit themselves and benefit others; they enlighten themselves and enlighten others. Buddhas told of oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ practices. The practices they cultivate are like the great sea.

[The Buddhas spoke of ] oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ transcendence. This refers to the oceans of ways to leave suffering and attain happiness. They told of oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ spiritual powers and oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ paramitas. These are dharma doors they cultivate for arriving at the other shore. There were also oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ grounds and oceans of all Bodhisattvas’ wisdom.  

We hope the Buddha, the World Honored One, for the sake of all beings, will explain these for us.

I. The oceanic multitudes simultaneously request [Dharma]
C. Sounds from the offerings pronounce verses in request

Sutra:

At that time, by virtue of the Bodhisattvas’ awesome spiritual powers, sounds spontaneously poured forth from within the clouds of offerings and pronounced the following verses.  

Commentary:

At that time, by virtue of the Bodhisattvas’ awesome spiritual powers, sounds spontaneously poured forth from within the clouds of offerings and pronounced the following verses. All of these great Bodhisattvas had inconceivable spiritual powers. Sounds spontaneously came forth from the clouds of offerings. These offerings were mentioned previously. These sounds very naturally came about on their own and spoke verses. This is by no means a strange incident. How is it that these sounds could come forth from the offerings? Now think about it. People have such great spiritual powers: sounds can be heard and images of people can be seen on the television; sounds come forth and voices can be heard over the radio. There is also the tape recorder. When a tape is placed inside of it, sounds come forth and people’s voices can be heard. People have such amazing abilities; how much the more do Bodhisattvas who, by comparison, have even more inconceivable and wonderful powers. Therefore, it is not unusual that Dharma sounds came forth from the offerings. They spoke verses in order to elaborate on the meanings spoken previously.

“Offerings” can be explained by means of this verse:

With joined palms like a flower bud,
The body itself becomes an offering.
Good words are the true incense.
Praises to the Buddhas spread a permeating sweetness.
When all Buddhas inhale this fragrance,
They follow the sounds to save beings.
The multitudes are diligent and vigorous;
They never doubt or disobey the Buddhas. 

Previously the sutra listed clouds of offerings, adornments of offerings, and various kinds of adornments — these are all offerings.

Sutra:

Through limitless eons the Buddha perfected his cultivation.
At the foot of the bodhi tree he realized Proper Enlightenment.
In order to rescue beings, he manifests bodies everywhere,
Like clouds filling the skies to the ends of time.  

He helps beings sever all of their doubts,
Then arouses their great faith and understanding.
He completely vanquishes their boundless woes,
So they experience the peace and happiness of the Buddhas.  

Commentary:

The Buddha cultivated through limitless eons until he perfected his cultivation. He cultivated blessings and wisdom. Since his blessings and wisdom are both complete, he is called the Doubly Perfect Honored One.  

At the foot of the bodhi tree he realized Proper Enlightenment. Sitting upon a vajra throne beneath the bodhi tree, the king of trees, he realized the Unsurpassed, Proper and Equal, Right Enlightenment, that is to say, Buddhahood.  

In order to rescue beings, he manifests bodies everywhere . The Buddha isn’t someone who, having nothing to do, goes looking for something to do. The Buddha teaches and transforms beings, guiding them in order that they might realize the Buddha Way. That is the Buddha’s vow. Therefore, he manifests bodies for them, like clouds filling the skies to the ends of time. They are like clouds spreading throughout space and the Dharma Realm. They pervade the trichiliocosm to the ends of time and speak the Dharma for the sake of beings. This verse praises the Buddha. The next verse praises beings for having the roots of goodness to encounter the Buddha. 

He helps beings sever all of their doubts .Beings have all kinds of doubts. They doubt this matter and that. “A multitude of doubts fills up one’s belly; a host of difficulties fills up one’s chest.” They are troubled by many seemingly unresolvable problems. Once they encounter the Buddha, however, they can resolve all their unresolvable problems and cut off all their unresolvable doubts.  

Then the Buddha arouses their great faith and understanding. Beings’ faith and understanding becomes so vast that there is nothing they cannot encompass. Those beings bring forth a great bodhi resolve. Through faith, one can come to understanding. The Buddhadharma is like a great ocean; only through faith can one enter it. If you lack faith, you won’t be able to enter it. The Buddha inspires in beings faith, understanding, and a great resolve for bodhi.  

He completely vanquishes their boundless woes . The Buddha universally casts out and eradicates the boundless suffering of beings, until it’s all gone, so they experience the peace and happiness of the Buddhas. All Buddhas are extremely peaceful and happy. The Buddha enables all beings to attain the peace and happiness realized by the Buddhas. He enables them to attain Buddhahood.

Sutra:

Countless Bodhisattvas, equal to dust particles in lands,
Arrive at this gathering and behold the Buddha.
Wishing to respond to the needs in their minds,
The Buddha, in proclaiming wondrous Dharma, severs their doubts.  

How should we understand the Buddhas’ grounds?
How should we regard the Thus Come Ones’ states?
Boundless are the ways in which the Buddhas bestow aid.
May the Buddha explain this Dharma so all can attain purity.  

Commentary:

A voice resounding from within the offerings said: Countless are the Bodhisattvas, equal to dust particles in lands. These Bodhisattvas, great heroes of the Dharma body, are numberless, as limitless as motes of dust in lands. They all arrive at this gathering and behold the Buddha. Boundlessly many Bodhisattvas come together to the foot of the bodhi tree where the Buddha realized the Way, to join the Dharma assembly in front of the Buddha’s throne of vajra.

At that time, because the Buddha had realized Buddhahood, he emitted a powerful light that reached all worlds throughout the ten directions, summoning all the great Bodhisattvas. Realizing Buddhahood is an extremely important matter. It is the most important thing there is. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout the ten directions all came to the bodhimanda and gazed up at Shakyamuni Buddha, who had newly realized Buddhahood.

The Buddha then wishes to respond to the needs in their minds. All of these Bodhisattvas gazed up at the Buddha, hoping to benefit from hearing the Buddha speak Dharma suitable to each of their needs. The Buddha does proclaim wonderful Dharma, casting out their doubts. When the Buddha realized the Way, he spoke Dharma for all beings in order to sever their doubts and confusion.

The voice, coming from the offerings, continues to ask in verse: How should we understand the Buddhas’ grounds? How can we come to understand the grounds of all Buddhas? How should we regard the Thus Come Ones’ states? How can we know the states of the Buddhas? Boundless are the ways in which the Buddhas bestow aid. Although we know that the aid of the Buddhas is boundless, we want to focus on how it is so. May the Buddha explain this Dharma so all can attain purity? All of us hope the Buddha will offer instruction on this wonderful Dharma so that all beings can attain their inherent purity.

Sutra:

What are the aspects of the Buddhas’ practice,
And how can we wisely understand and enter those?
The Buddhas’ powers are pure and vast beyond any bounds.
For the sake of the Bodhisattvas please instruct us.  

What are the vast, great samadhis?
What are the dharmas of fearlessness of their pure practice?
The functions of their spiritual powers cannot be reckoned.
May you accord with beings’ wishes and speak of them.  

Commentary:

All of the Bodhisattvas are now asking: What are the aspects of the Buddhas’ practice?What are the differences between the Buddhas’ practice and the Bodhisattvas’ practice? And how can we, with wisdom, understand and enter? What is the Buddha’s wisdom like? How can we understand the aspects of the Buddhas’ practice and enter them? The Buddhas’ powers are pure and vast beyond any bounds. What are the powers of the Buddhas like? For the sake of the Bodhisattvas you should instruct us. Now, there are so many Bodhisattvas here. Buddha, you should discuss this for everyone. That is, how can one obtain the Buddha’s powers and purity? Explain this so that everyone can understand and then rely on the Dharma to cultivate. 

What are the vast, great samadhis of the Buddhas like? What are the dharmas of fearlessness of their pure practice? What is the Buddhas’ purity? What are their dharmas of fearlessness? The functions of their spiritual powers cannot be reckoned. What are the functions of the Buddhas’ spiritual powers? They are probably beyond reckoning. May you accord with beings’ wishes and speak of them. We hope that the Buddha will now, in accordance with what beings delight in and wish for, proclaim this for the great assembly, so everyone can understand.

Sutra:

The Buddhas, Dharma Kings, are like world rulers.
Invincible, they act with total self-mastery.
This, and their other vast and great dharmas,
Please proclaim for our benefaction.  

How is it that the Buddha’s eyes have no measure,
And his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body are that way, too?
And how is it that his mind is measureless as well?
Please show us so that we can know those expedients.  

Commentary:

The Buddhas, Dharma Kings, are like world rulers. All Buddhas are kings within the Dharma. They are like world rulers. Invincible, they act with total self-mastery. The Buddhas’ powers are unsurpassed. No Bodhisattva can compare with the Buddhas. The Buddhas are at ease in everything they do. They are invincible; no one can overcome the Buddhas’ powers, or destroy them.  

This, and their other vast and great dharmas, / Please proclaim for our benefaction. Will the Buddha please proclaim them for everyone? 

How is it that the Buddha’s eyes have no measure, / And his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body are that way, too? The Buddha’s eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body cannot be measured. And how is it that his mind is measureless as well? Even his mind cannot be measured. What is this all about? How does one explain this? Please show us so that we can know those expedients. We hope the Buddha will compassionately point this out for all of us in this Dharma Assembly, so that we can know about this expedient Dharma.

Sutra:

As to the oceans of lands and oceans of beings,
The oceans of all arrangements of Dharma realms,
And the oceans of all Buddhas, which are boundless, too—
Please discuss all these for the Buddha’s disciples.  

Commentary:

As to the oceans of lands and oceans of beings, oceans of Buddhalands in numbers like motes of dust, as well as oceans of beings, the oceans of all arrangements of Dharma realms, which pervade space and the Dharma Realm, and the oceans of all Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the three periods of time, pervading space and the Dharma Realm, which are boundless, too— / Please discuss all these for the Buddha’s disciples. We hope the World Honored One will, for the sake of all of the disciples of the Buddha, explain this for us now. Please provide us with an explanation of all these oceans, as well as these various states. Everyone wishes to listen.

Sutra:

How can one leave forever the seas of all thought and reckoning,
And universally enter the oceans of expedients for liberation,
As well as the oceans of all the dharma doors that there are?
All in this bodhimanda wish that the Buddha would proclaim this.  

Commentary:

How can one leave forever the seas of all thought and reckoning, forever transcending concepts and reckonings?To reckon means to deduce or to investigate. Since there are so many beings in this Dharma Assembly, their reckonings resemble seas. And how can one universally enter the oceans of expedients for liberation? All beings can everywhere attain the oceans of expedient dharma doors of liberation and self-mastery, as well as the oceans of all the dharma doors that there are. There are 84,000 dharma doors, and all of them are included here. All in this bodhimanda wish that the Buddha would proclaim this. All of the beings in the bodhimanda are waiting for the World Honored One to compassionately proclaim these many dharma doors for them.

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