Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra
Chapter 11: The Bodhisattva Conduct
At that time the Buddha was preaching the law in the grove of Amrapali. Then suddenly the earth was seen broad and magnificent and the whole assembly became tinted with golden colour.
Ananda asked the Buddha, “O Blessed One, for what reason is such an auspicious omen that this earth is seen broad and magnificent, and why has the -whole assembly become tinted with golden colour?” The Buddha spoke to Ananda and said: “It is for this reason that Vimalakirti and Manjusri, revered and surrounded by the whole assembly, intend to come here, by first producing this auspicious owen.”
Then Vimalakirti spoke to Manjusri: “Let us go and see the Blessed One and revere and honour him together with those Bodhisattvas.”
Then Vimalakirti through his supernatural power, holding in the palm of his right hand the whole assembly together with the lion-thrones, went to the place where the Buddha was; having arrived there, he got down on the earth he saluted him touching his feet with bowed head; and walking round him seven times keeping him to his right side, stretching his folded hands towards him with intent mind, he stood on one side; then all those Bodhisattvas leaving their seats greeted the Buddhas, each touching his feet with bowed head and walking round him seven times and stood on one side; and all the great disciples, Sakra, Brahman, and the four guardian gods also, leaving their seats, saluted the Buddha touching his feet with bowed heads and stood on one side.
Then the Blessed One duly returned his salutation to those Bodhisattvas and commanded them to resume their seats. The whole [assembly] obeying his command resumed the seats.
Then the Buddha spoke to Sariputra: “Hast thou seen that which was wrought by the mighty supernatural power of those Bodhisattvas and those excellent men?” [He replied] : “Yes, I have seen.” “
O Blessed One, I see it; but it is inconceivable to me and beyond my mind and beyond my power of measurement.”
Then Ananda, asked the Buddha: “O Blessed One, the perfume which we now inhale has never been inhaled before; what perfume may it be?” The Buddha spoke to Ananda and said: “This [perfume] issues from the pores of the skin of those Bodhisattvas.”
Then Sariputra spoke to Ananda and said: “Even from the pores of our skin this perfume is issuing. ’ ’
Ananda asked: ‘ ‘ Whence comes this perfume ? ’ ’ [He] said: “Vimalakirti, the wealthy householder, had received the portion of food from the Buddha of Sarvagandhasugandha and those who partook of the food in his house produce such a perfume from every pore of [the skins of their bodies].”
Ananda asked Vimalakirti: “How long does this perfume last?” Vimalakirti replied: “It will last until the food is exhausted.” “
When is this food exhausted?” “Seven days will pass before the energy of this food will be exhausted; again Ananda, if a Sravaka who has not yet entered into the ranks of steadfastness partake of this food, he can attain to the ranks of steadfastness before it is exhausted; if [a Sravaka who] has entered into the ranks of steadfastness partake of this food, he can obtain liberation of mind before it is exhausted; if one who has not yet cherished the thought towards the Mahayana partake of this food he can cherish the thought before it is exhausted; if one who has cherished the thought [towards the Mahayana] partake of this food, he can attain to the acquiescence in the eternal law before it is exhausted; if one who has attained to the acquiescence partake of this food, he can attain to the state in which he is bound by one birth only before it is exhausted; just as a medicine called ‘the excellent flavour’ which has such a peculiarity that one who has taken it can exterminate all poison of passions before it is exhausted, even so this food exterminates all poison of passions before it is exhausted.”
Ananda spoke to the Buddha and said: ”O Blessed One, I have never heard that the food of perfume performs such religious work.”
O Ananda there is a Buddha country which performs religious work by means of the light of Buddha; there is another which performs religious work by means of the Bodhisattvas who are therein there is another which performs religious work by means of the beings whom the Buddha teaches; there is another which performs religious work by means of a Bodhi tree; there is another which performs religious work by means of clothes and beds there is another which performs religious work by means of food; there is another which performs religious work by means of gardens, forests and terraces; there is another which performs religious work by means of the thirty-two signs of perfection and the eighty minor marks of excellence; there is another which performs religious work by the body of Buddha; there is another which performs religious work by means of the sky;
by these means all beings are persuaded to the practice of discipline; there is another which performs religious work by means of parables, such as dreams, phantoms, shadows, echoes, reflections in a mirror, moon in water; there is another which performs religious work by means of sounds, words or letters;
there is another pure land of Buddha which performs religious work by means of silence, wordlessness and uncreatedness. Thus O Ananda, conduct, movement and all that which has been done by all the Buddhas are nothing but religious works;
O Ananda there are the four evils, the eighty-four thousand ways of passion which all beings suffer from; yet Buddhas perform religious works even with these. This is said to enter the doctrine of all the Buddhas.
“A Bodhisattva who has entered this doctrine seeing all the pure and excellent lands of the Buddhas neither attaches himself to it nor covets nor is arrogant and seeing all the impure lands of the Buddhas he neither grieves nor cares for nor avoids them. He raises the pure mind towards all the Buddhas rejoicing in and revering them as those whom he has never seen before. All Buddha-Tathagatas are equal in virtues, but only in order to teach all beings they manifest the Buddha-lands in different ways.
“O Ananda, behold all those Buddha-lands; there is variety on the earth, but there is none in the sky, even so there is variety in the physical bodies of the Buddhas, but there is none in their unobstructed wisdom.
O Ananda, all the Buddhas are equal m their physical bodies, in their dignity and births, in their discipline, meditation, wisdom, liberation, and wisdom of liberation, in their ten powers, the [fourfold] fearlessness, and the attributes of their extraordinary qualities, in their greatness of mercy and compassion, in their attitudes, conduct, and longevity of life, in their discourses, teachings, in the perfection of beings, in the purification of the Buddha-lands, and in the equipment of Buddha quality. Therefore the Buddhas are called Samyak-sambuddhas, Tathagatas, and Buddhas.
O Ananda, if I should explain fully the meaning of these three words, it would be impossible for thee to comprehend even though thou shouldst live for a kalpa; it would be impossible to comprehend it even for all beings in the three great Chiliocosms, who may obtain the excellent memory like Ananda himself, and who may be endowed with the life of a kalpa. Thus, O Ananda, the Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi of Buddha is infinite and his wisdom and eloquence are inconceivable.”
Ananda spoke to Buddha and said: “From this time forth I will never call myself as one who has learned much.”
Buddha spoke to Ananda: “Nay, thou shouldst not be discouraged. And why? Among Sravakas I speak of thee as one who has learned much, but not among Bodhisattvas. Stay a while, O Ananda, as intelligent ones are not to measure Bodhisattvas. Even though all the oceans could be measured, yet meditation, wisdom, memory, eloquence, and all the virtues of Bodhisattvas could never be measured. O Ananda, ye [Sravakas] ought to leave alone the deeds of Bodhisattvas. The supernatural power which this Vimalakirti manifested for a moment could not be manifested by all the Sravakas and Pratyeka-Buddhas even with their utmost effort counting through hundreds of thousands of Kalpas.”
Then those Bodhisattvas who have come from Sarvagandha-sugandha spoke to Buddha with folded hands and said: “O Blessed One, when we saw this land we cherished the thought that it -was inferior to ours; but now we repent and renounce this thought. And why? The necessary means of all the Buddhas are so inconceivable that they manifest in order to save all beings different lands of their own according to the needs of all beings. O Blessed One, we pray that thou shouldst give some few words on the law that we may think of [thee] Tathagata when we return to our land. ’ ’
Buddha then spoke to those Bodhisattvas: “There is a doctrine which is hindered neither by things limited and things unlimited; and this ye ought to know. What is meant by things limited? They are things created. What is meant by things unlimited? They are things uncreated. A Bodhisattva ought neither to abandon the created nor to attach himself to the uncreated.
What is it not to abandon the created ? It is this; not to abandon great mercy and compassion; to cherish the thought of omniscience and never to be negligent; even to teach all beings without weariness; ever to remember and practise the law of the fourfold acceptance; not to spare body and life for the protection of the true law; to accumulate a stock of merit without weariness; ever to have the mind abiding in peace with the necessary means and the transference of one’s merit to others; to seek the law diligently; to preach the law without sparing; not to fear entering a life of birth and death as he strives to honour all the Buddhas; to be far above either sorrow in poverty or joy in prosperity; not to despise novices; to revere sages like the Buddhas-; to make those who fall into passion return to the right thought; not to deem the pleasure of renunciation the best; not to get attached to one’s own pleasures but to rejoice at other’s pleasures; to regard meditation as the hell; to regard a life of birth and death as a pleasure garden; to regard those who come to seek [the law] as good teachers; to abandon all possessions with the thought for the acquirement of omniscience; to cherish the thought of rescue and protection when seeing those who break the precepts; to regard the Para-mitas as parents; to regard the laws of requisites for attaining the supreme knowledge as kinsfolk; to do good without limit; to perfect one’s own land of Buddha with all adornments of the pure land; to be endowed with perfect signs by practising infinite charity; to purify the body, speech and mind by removing all wickedness; to undergo bravely the countless kalpas of birth and death; never to be weary in hearing of the infinite virtue of Buddha; to slay the enemy of passion with the sword of wisdom; to be far above the Skandhas, the Ayatanas and the Dhatus; to care for all beings for their eternal liberation; to vanquish the army of evil with great diligence; ever to seek the wisdom of unconscious reality; not to abandon things of the world abiding in self-contentment with the fewest possible desires; to follow the world without injuring one’s dignity; to lead beings by means of the supernatural wisdom; not to forget what has been learned being in possession of a retentive memory; to exterminate doubts as entertained by all according to their capacities; to preach [the law] without impediments with the perfect eloquence that fulfills every desire; to enjoy the happiness, belonging to gods and men by practising the tenfold goodness with a pure heart; to open the way of the Brahman god by practising the fourfold infinite [mind] ; to pray [to Buddha] to preach the law that he may rejoice at it and praise goodness; to obtain the voice of Buddha whereby the body, speech and mind are improved; to obtain the dignity of Buddha whereby good virtues are intensely practised, ever in enhancement of his behaviour; to found an order of Bodhisattvas by teaching the Mahayana; not to lose the stock of merit with a mind free from dissipation; —
“What is it not to abide in the uncreated? It is not to regard emptiness as something attained even though one practises emptiness ; not to regard formlessness and aimlessness as something attained even though one practises them; not to regard causelessness as something attained even though one practises it; not to shun the accumulating merits though realising transiency [of things] ; not to abhor birth and death though meditating on pains of this world; never to become weary of teaching others though realising selflessness [of things] ; not to pass to annihilation forever though meditating on annihilation; to practise goodness both in the body and mind though meditating on abandonment; to take refuge in the law though there is no refuge; to care for all beings with the laws of the world though seeing that life has no existence; not to exterminate passions though seeing passionlessness [of things] ; to teach beings with the laws of practice though seeing that there is no practice; not to abandon great compassion though seeing emptiness; not to follow the Hinayana though seeing the ranks of certainty; not to neglect merit, meditation and wisdom so long as the original vow is not fulfilled, though seeing that all things are false, having neither substance nor personality nor master nor form;
“Again he abides not in the uncreated as he is endowed with a stock of merit; he abandons not the created as he is endowed with wisdom; he abides not in the uncreated as he possesses the great mercy and compassion; he abandons not the create as he fulfils the original vow; he abides not in the uncreated as he accumulates the medicine [of the law] ; he abandons not the created as he distributes the medicine [of the law] ; he abides not in the uncreated as he knows the maladies of beings; he abandons not the created as he extirpates the maladies of beings;
All the Bodhisattvas, excellent men practising such things, neither abandon the created, nor abide in the uncreated; this is the way of the law called the liberation from the extinguishable as well as from the inextinguishable—ye ought to know.”
Then those Bodhisattvas, having heard this law preached [by Buddha], were filled with great joy, strewed beautiful flowers of many colours and many perfumes all over the three great Chiliocosms, and having honoured Buddha, his doctrine, and the Bodhisattvas, worshipped the Buddha by touching his feet with their bowed heads, praised him saying they had never heard the like before, and spoke thus; “Sakyamuni Buddha has here well exhibited his necessary means.”