Then the Blessed One asked Vimalakirti: ‘ ‘ Thou wishest to see the Tathagata; in what manner dost thou regard the Tathagata?” Vimalakirti said: “Just as I regard the reality of my body even so do I regard the Tathagata. I regard the Tathagata in this manner: he came not in the past, will not go in the future, and stays not in the present; I regard him neither as form nor as thatness of form, nor as the nature of form; neither as sensation nor as conception nor as confirmation; neither as consciousness nor as thatness of consciousness nor as the nature of consciousness; he is not caused by the four elements; he is even as the void; he is not an aggregate of the six Ayatanas as he is far above eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind; he is beyond the three worlds of existence; he is separated from the three dirts he is in accordance with the three ways of liberation; he is endowed with intelligence yet he is as if not intelligent; he is neither of oneness nor of duality; he is neither of selfhood nor of otherness; he is neither formless nor attached to form; he is neither on this shore nor on that nor in midstream; yet he teaches all beings; he is never annihilated even though realising complete annihilation, he is neither this nor that; he is depending neither on this nor on that; he is known neither by intelligence nor by consciousness; he is neither darkness nor light; he is neither name nor form; he is neither strong nor weak he is neither pure nor impure; he is not in a definite place yet he is not separated from place; he is neither created nor uncreated; he neither manifests himself, nor is he explainable; he neither gives nor grudges; he neither observes nor violates the precepts; he is neither patient nor not impatient; he is neither diligent nor slothful; he is neither collected nor confused; he is neither intelligent nor ignorant; he is neither true nor false; he neither comes nor goes; he neither goes out nor returns; he is beyond all modes of speech; he is neither a stock of merit nor not a stock of merit; he is neither deserving of homage nor undeserving of homage; he neither possesses; nor abandons; he is neither endowed with form nor formlessness; he is identical with truth and equal to the nature of the law; he can neither be measured nor be weighed, being far above all degrees and measures; he is neither great nor small; he is neither to be seen nor to be heard; neither to be felt nor to be known; he is liberated from all bondage; he is equal both to the intelligent and to We ignorant; he does not discriminate in anything; in all things he has no attainment, no loss, no corruption, no suffering; in him there is no acting, no doing, no birth, no death; no fear, no sorrow; no joy, no dislike; he knows no past, no future, no present;

he is not to be discriminated nor manifested by any words; O Blessed One, such is the personality of the Tathagata; thus should one regard him; those who regard him thus are said to have right understanding, those who regard him otherwise are said to have false understanding. ’ ’

Then Sariputra asked Vimalakirti: “Whence hast thou come to be born here ? Vimalakirti said: “Is there either going or coming in the law which thou hast obtained?”

Sariputra said, “There is neither going nor coming.” [Vimalakirti said] : “

When there is neither going nor coming, why dost thou ask me saying ‘whence hast thou come to be born here?’ what dost thou think when a conjurer produces either a man or a woman, is there any going or coming ? ’ ’ Sariputra said: ‘ ‘ There is neither going nor coming; hast thou not heard that Buddha taught that the form of all things was like a phantom?”

He replied: ‘ ‘ Even so it is; when the form of all things is like a phantom, why dost thou ask me saying ‘whence hast thou come to be born here?’ O Sariputra, to leave is a form of destruction shown in unreal objects; to be born is also a form of continuation shown in unreal objects. A Bodhisattva never exterminates his stock of merit even when he goes out, he never lets evils grow even when he is born.”

Then Buddha spoke to Sariputra and said; “There is a land called Abhirati; the Buddha there is called Akshobhya. This Vimalakirti comes from that land and is born here.”

Sariputra said: “I have never heard the like before, O Blessed One, why should this man wish to leave his pure land and come here into a world full of anger and danger?”

Vimalakirti spoke to Sariputra: “What dost thou think when the sun rises? does it unite with darkness?” He replied: “Nay, when the sun rises there is no longer darkness.”

Vimalakirti again asked: “Why does the sun go round the Jambudvlpa?” He replied: “In order to remove darkness by its brightness.”

Vimalakirti said: “Even so is with a Bodhisattva; though he is born in the land of impurity in order to teach all beings, he is never united with the darkness of ignorance, and he only exterminates the darkness of the passions of all beings.”

At that time all the assembly earnestly longed to see the Tathagata Akshobhya and his assembly of Bodhisattvas and Sravakas in the land of Abhirati.

Buddha knowing the thought of all the assembly spoke to Vimalakirti and said: “O noble youth, for the sake of all this assembly, let the Tathagata Akshobhya and his assembly of Bodhisattvas and Sravakas in the land of Abhirati be manifested here, all are earnestly longing to see them.”

Then Vimalakirti thought to himself: “I will without rising from my seat, manifest all the land of Abhirati including the Cakravada mountains, the sun, moon, and stars, palaces of deities, serpent-gods, goblins, Brahman deities, the assembly of Bodhisattvas, Sravakas, towns, villages, men and women, young and old, even the Tathagata Akshobhya himself in the Bodhi tree and excellent lotus flowers which perform religious works in all the ten quarters; and the three jewelled stairs which connect this Jambudvlpa with the Trayastrimsa heaven, and by which all the deities descend to honour the Tathagata Akshobhya and hear him preach, and by which all beings of this Jambudvlpa ascend to Trayastrimsa heaven and see the deities of that heaven and the world Abhirati endowed with these infinite virtues; I will snatch that world with my right hand as the turner of porcelain snatches his clay and bring it here including its highest heaven Akanishtha as well as its lowest sea level, and show them to all the assembly as one shows a garland in his hand.”

Having thought thus he entered a contemplation and exercising his supernatural power, he transferred the land Abhirati into this world. The Bodhisattvas, Sravakas, deities and men in that world who possessed the supernatural power, cried out together and said: “O lord, we are being carried away! ’ ’ Buddha Akshobhya said: “ It is not I that is doing this; it is due to the supernatural power of Vimalakirti. ’ ’ The other beings who did not possess the supernatural power did not recognise it and knew nothing about their being carried away; there was neither increase nor decrease in the land of Abhirati though it was transferred into this world; there was also no squeezing or compression in this world; it remained as before.

Then Buddha Sakyamuni spoke to the assembly and said: “Have you seen the Tathagata Akshobhya and his magnificent land Abhirati and his Bodhisattvas pure in life, and disciples who are pure and stainless?”

They replied: “O verily we see.”

Buddha then said: “If a Bodhisattva wishes to obtain such a pure land of Buddha, he should know the path on which the Tathagata Akshobya walks.”

When the world Abhirati was manifested, fourteen Nayutas of men in this Saha world cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment. They all wished to be born in the land of Abhirati, and Buddha Sakyamuni gave them his assurance and said: “Ye shall all be born in that land.”

Then [Akshobhya of] the world Abhirati having finished what he had to do' in this world returned to his abode. [This] was witnessed by all the assembly.

Buddha spoke to Sariputra and said: “Hast thou seen the Abhirati world and the Buddha Akshobhya?” He replied: “O Blessed One, verily I have seen them; may all beings obtain the pure land even as the land of the Buddha Akshobhya, and obtain the supernatural power even as that of Vimalakirti. O Blessed One, we have received so great a privilege that we could see this man and make ourselves acquainted with him and honour him;

but all beings who even hear this scripture in the present age or after passing of Buddha will also obtain excellent profit. How much more meritorious would it be for them who having heard it, would comprehend, hold, recite, preach, and practise it according to the law. If there be one who has held this scripture in his hand he is said to obtain the mine of the law-treasure. When he recites or explains the meaning of it and practises it according to the doctrine, he will be protected by all the Buddhas. If there be one who honours such a man, he is said to honour the Buddha. If there be one who copies and holds this scripture, his room will be inhabited by the Tathagata. If there be one who rejoices in heating this scripture, he will attain omniscience. If he comprehends even one Gatha of four lines of this scripture and preach it to others, he will receive from Buddha the assurance of attaining supreme enlightenment.”