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(16) “To see a lotus flower blowing right in fire, this is indeed a rare thing; even so to practise meditation while leading a sensuous life, this is rare indeed. “ Manifesting himself as a harlot he attracts those sensuously minded; this is to catch them by the hook of sensuality, and induce them later into the wisdom of Buddha. “ He will sometimes be manifested as a burgomaster, or as a leader of traders, or as a national teacher, or as a minister of state, and benefits all beings. “He manifests himself as an inexhaustible store of treasure for all who are in need, and by this means persuades them, to cherish the thought of enlightenment. “ He manifests himself as a hero in possession of mighty power and suppresses all the arrogant spirits cherished by those that are egotistic and conceited: and makes them abide in the supreme enlightenment.

(4) Let me not despair that the Enlightenment will come to me; for the Blessed One, the speaker of truth, has revealed this truth, that they who by force of striving have gained hard-won supreme Enlightenment have been erstwhile gnats, gadflies, flies, and worms. Now I am a man by birth, able to know good and evil: why shall I not win the Enlightenment by following the rule of the All-knowing? If I am afraid when I think that I must give my hand or foot, it is because in my heedlessness I confound things of great and of small weight. I may be cleft, pierced, burnt, split open many and many a time for countless millions of aeons, and never win the Enlightenment. But this pain that wins me the Enlightenment is of brief term; it is like the pain of cutting out a buried arrow to heal its smart. All physicians restore health by painful courses; then to undo much suffering let us bear a little. But even this fitting course the Great Physician has not enjoined upon us; he heals them that are grievously sick by tender treatment. At first our Lord ordains gifts only of herbs and the like, and then in due course brings men at last to surrender even their own flesh. When there comes to man the spirit that looks upon his flesh as no more than herbs, what hardship is it for him to surrender his flesh and bone? He is not hurt, for he has cast off sin, nor sad, for knowledge is his; for distress comes in the mind from false imaginations, and in the body from sin. The body is made happy by righteous works, the spirit by knowledge; what can vex the compassionate one who remains in embodied life only for the welfare of others? Annulling his former sins, amassing oceans of righteousness, by the power of his Thought of Enlightenment he travels more swiftly than the Disciples. Having thus in the Thought of Enlightenment a chariot that removes all vexation and weariness, travelling from happiness to happiness, who that is wise will despair?

(9) O nobly-born, along with the radiances of Wisdom, the impure illusory lights of the Six Lokas will also come to shine. If it be asked, 'What are they?' [they are] a dull white light from the devas, a dull green light from the asuras, a dull yellow light from human beings, a dull blue light from the brutes, a dull reddish light from the pretas, and a dull smoke-coloured light from Hell. These six thus will come to shine, along with the six radiances of Wisdom; whereupon, be not afraid of nor be attracted towards any, but allow thyself to rest in the non-thought condition.

(27) The heavenly maiden said: “ Thou shouldst not deem these flowers unlawful. And why? These flowers discriminate not between one thing', and another; it is thou thyself that does cherish the thought of discrimination. So far as the Law of Buddha is concerned, if any mendicant has discrimination in his mind he is said to be unlawful; if there be no discrimination nothing is unlawful; Behold those Bodhisattvas to whom the flowers never cling, because they have exterminated all thoughts of discrimination. Just as when a man has fear in his mind evil spirits take the opportunity to enter into him, even so since these disciples cherish fear of mortal existence, things such as form, sound, odour, flavour, and touch take the opportunity to tempt them. With those who are far above fear, the passions of the five senses can do nothing with them. If passion remains the flowers cling; when passion is extinguished the flowers can no longer cling.”

(2) When he has thus taken the Thought of Enlightenment in a spirit of grace, the sage must fill his thought with gladness in order to strengthen the issue. This day my birth is fruitful, my human life a blessing; this day have I been born in the race of the Enlightened, now am I their son. And henceforth mine is the task of them who work worthily of their race, lest any blemish fall upon this stainless stock. This Thought of Enlightenment has arisen within me I know not how, even as a gem might be gotten by a blind man from a dunghill; it is an elixir made to destroy death in the world, an unfailing treasure to relieve the world's poverty, a supreme balm to allay the world's sickness, a tree under which may rest all creatures wearied with wandering over life's paths, a bridge open to all wayfarers for passing over hard ways, a moon of thought arising to cool the fever of the world's sin, a great sun driving away the gloom of the world's ignorance, a fresh butter created by the churning ot the milk of the Good Law. For the caravan of beings who wander through life's paths hungering to taste of happiness this banquet of bliss is prepared, that will satisfy all creatures coming to it. I summon to-day the world to the estate of Enlightenment, and meanwhile to happiness; may gods, daemons, and other beings rejoice in the presence of all the Saviours!

(3) The Lord Buddha, continuing, addressed Subhuti, saying: “Enlightened disciples ought therefore to engender within themselves a pure and holy mind; they ought not to depend on the phenomena of form, sound, odour, taste, touch, or Law; they ought to sedulously cultivate a mind independent of every material aid.”

(2) This brief estate, which once gotten is a means to all the aims of mankind, is exceeding hard to win; if one use it not for wholesome reflection, how shall it ever come again to his lot? As in the night, amidst the gross darkness of the clouds, the lightning shews for an instant its radiance, so by the grace of the Enlightened it may hap that the mind of man turn for an instant to holy works. Thus righteousness is feeble, and the power of evil is constant, mighty, and dire; by what righteousness could it be overcome, if there were not the Thought of Enlightenment? Pondering through many aeons, the Supreme Saints have found this blessing, whereby a swelling joy sweeps in sweetness down the boundless waters of mankind. They who would escape the hundreds of life's sorrows, who would end the anguish of living creatures, and who would taste hundreds of deep delights, must never surrender the Thought of Enlightenment. The wretch held in thrall by Life's minions is declared a son of the Blessed Ones straightway when the Thought of Enlightenment arises in him, and he becomes worshipful to the worlds of men and gods. This foul form that he has taken he makes into the priceless jewel of a Conqueror's form; oh, grasp firmly the Thought of Enlightenment, that exceedingly potent elixir! Ho, ye who are exiles in the marts of bodied being, grasp firmly the precious jewel of the Thought of Enlightenment, which the immeasurably wise sole Guides of the world's caravan have well assayed! Like the plantain- tree, all other righteousness fades away after its fruit is cast; but the tree of the Thought of Enlightenment bears everlasting fruit and fades not, but is ever fecund. Though he have wrought most grievous sins, a man by taking refuge therein escapes them straightway; as ignorant beings under the guardianship of a mighty man escape sore terrors, why seek they not their refuge in this?,..

(9) “Subhuti, in the exercise of charity, if the mind of an enlightened disciple is not independent of every Law, he is like unto a person having entered impenetrable darkness, and to whom every object is invisible. But an enlightened disciple, discharging the exercise of charity with a mind independent of every Law, is like unto a person having the power of vision, in the meridian glory of the sunlight, and to whom every object is visible.”

(11) 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.”

(12) Buddha said: “ Go ye [Bodhisattvas]. Keep back the fragrance of your bodies lest those beings feel attachment [towards you] in their minds. Again you should abandon your real forms lest those who seek to be Bodhisattvas in that land should cherish [the feeling of] self-abasement. Again, you should not be contemptuous of them and thus create a hindrance-thought; and why? All the lands in all the ten quarters are [equal] even as the sky, but only for those beings who find pleasure in the inferior law Buddhas do not manifest their lands of purity.”

(1) The Lord Buddha, continuing, addressed Subhuti, saying: “If a good disciple, whether man or woman, devoted to the observance and study of this Scripture, is thereby despised, or lightly esteemed, it is because that in a previous life there had been committed some grievous transgression, followed now by inexorable retribution. But, although in this life despised or lightly esteemed, the compensating merit thus acquired will cause the transgression of a former life to be fully expiated, and the disciple adequately recompensed by the attainment of supreme spiritual wisdom.”

(58) The Buddha spoke to SariputANSWER: “ This world of ours is ever pure as this; yet to save beings of inferior capacities is this wicked and impure 'world shown. As when the gods take their food from one and the same treasure-bowl, yet the lustre of food is different according to their virtues, so, O Sariputra, if one is pure in mind, then he can see the qualities of this world adorned.”

(3) “The Lord Buddha delivered this Scripture specifically for those who are entered upon the path which leads to Nirvana, and for those who are attaining to the ultimate plane of Buddhic thought. If a disciple rigorously observes, studies, and widely disseminates the knowledge of this Scripture, the Lord Buddha entirely knows and perceives that for such an one there will be a cumulative merit, immeasurable, incomparable, illimitable, and inconceivable. All such disciples will be endowed with transcendent Buddhic wisdom and enlightenment. And why? Because, Subhuti, if a disciple takes pleasure in a narrow or exclusive form of the Law, he cannot receive with gratification the instruction of this Scripture, or delight in its study, or fervently explain it to others. Subhuti, in whatever place there is a repository for this Scripture, the whole realm of spiritual beings ought to adore it; and reverencing it as a sacred shrine, ceremoniously surround it, scattering profusely sweet-scented flowers, and pure odours of fragrant incense.”

(24) At that time there was in the chamber of Vimalakirti a heavenly maiden who, having beheld those great persons and heard the Law preached, manifested herself there. She now, scattered heavenly flowers upon all the Bodhisattvas and great disciples. When the flowers touched those Bodhisattvas they fell from them, but when they touched any one of those disciples they clung to him and did not fall. All the disciples strove to remove the flowers with their supernatural power but in vain.

(6) Mañjuśrī asked: “What is the meaning of this?” Vimalakirti replied: “ He who enters into the “ state of fixedness” by seeing the uncreated, can never awaken the thought of supreme enlightenment. Just as a lotus flower can never grow on a high dry land but only in the filthy mire, even so he who enters the “state of fixedness” by seeing the uncreated can never bring forth the law of Buddha; it is only in the mire of passion that beings bring forth the law of Buddha. Again, seeds sown in the sky can never grow, but only in manured soil can they grow and bring forth fruit; even so he who enters the ‘ ‘ state of fixedness ’ ’ by [seeing] the uncreated, does not bring forth the law of Buddha; but it is in those beings who caress selfishness as high as Mount Sumeru that the law of Buddha grows, cherishing the thought of supreme enlightenment.

(9) These will come to shine against thy heart simultaneously. O nobly-born, all those are the radiances of thine own intellectual faculties come to shine. They have not come from any other place. Be not attracted towards them; be not weak; be not terrified; but abide in the mood of non-thought-formation. In that state all the forms and radiances will merge into thyself, and Buddhahood will be obtained.

(3) Eager to escape sorrow, men rush into sorrow; from desire of happiness they blindly slay their own happiness, enemies to themselves; they hunger for happiness and suffer manifold pains; whence shall come one so kind as he who can satisfy them with all manner of happiness, allay all their pains, and shatter their delusion — whence such a friend, and whence such a holy deed? He who repays good deed with good deed is praised; what shall be said of the Son of Enlightenment, who does kindness unsought? He who sets a banquet before a few is called a " doer of righteousness," and is honoured by the world, because in his pride he entertains men for half a day with a brief largesse of mere food; but what of him who bestows on a measureless number of creatures a satisfaction of all desires unbounded in time and perishing not when the world of heaven perishes? Such is the Master of the Banquet, the Son of the Conqueror; whosoever sins in his heart against him, saith the Lord, shall abide in hell as many ages as the moments of his sin. But he whose spirit is at peace with them shall thence get abundant fruit; and truly, wrong to the Sons of the Conqueror can be done only by great effort, but kindness towards them is easy. I do homage to the bodies of them in whom has arisen the choice jewel of the Thought, and even the ill-treatment of whom leads to happiness; in these mines of bliss I seek my refuge.

(19) “ Who but the foolish, ignorant, and unintelligent, hearing such excellent teachings as these, cherish not the thought of supreme enlightenment?”

(35) 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.”

(49) At that time Sariputra, through the power of Buddha, thought within himself thus: “ If it be true that when the Bodhisattva is pure in mind, then his world is pure, why is this Buddha-land of ours so impure as we see it, which was established by the Buddha out of his pure mind when he was a Bodhisattva ? ” The Buddha knowing his thought spoke to him and said: “ What thinkest thus, O Sariputra, is it the fault of the sun or moon that the blind cannot see the brightness thereof ? ”