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(18) And the man also who hears, full of faith and free from malice, even he, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of the righteous.

(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 ? ”

(1) Upon that occasion, the venerable Subhuti occupied a place in the midst of the assembly. Rising from his seat, with cloak arranged in such manner that his right shoulder was disclosed, Subhuti knelt upon his right knee, then pressing together the palms of his hands, he respectfully raised them towards Lord Buddha, saying: “Thou art of transcendent wisdom, Honoured of the Worlds! With wonderful solicitude, Thou dost preserve in the faith, and instruct in the Law, this illustrious assembly of enlightened disciples. Honoured of the Worlds! if a good disciple, whether man or woman, seeks to obtain supreme spiritual wisdom, what immutable Law shall sustain the mind of that disciple, and bring into subjection every inordinate desire?”

(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!

(2) residing in Vaisali only for the sake of the necessary means for saving creatures, abundantly rich, ever careful of the poor, pure in self-discipline, obedient to all precepts, removing all anger by the practice of patience, removing all sloth by the practice of diligence, removing all distraction of mind by intent meditation, removing all ignorance by fullness of wisdom; though he is but a simple layman, yet observing the pure monastic discipline; though living at home, yet never desirous of anything; though possessing a wife and children, always exercising pure virtues; though surrounded by his family, holding aloof from worldly pleasures; though using the jewelled ornaments of the world, yet adorned with the spiritual splendour; though eating and drinking, yet enjoying the flavour of the rapture of meditation; though frequenting the gambling house, yet leading the gamblers into the right path ; though coming in contact with heresy, yet never letting his true faith be impaired; though having a profound knowledge of worldly learning, yet never finding pleasure in things of the spirit as taught by Buddha; revered by all as the first among those who were worthy of reverence ; governing both the old and young as a righteous judge ; though profiting by all the professions, yet far above being absorbed by them; benefiting all beings, going wheresoever he pleases, protecting all beings as a judge with righteousness; leading all with the doctrine of the Mahayana when in the seat of discussion; ever teaching the young and ignorant when entering the hall of learning; manifesting to all the error of passion when in the house of debauchery; persuading all to seek the higher things, when at the shop of the wine dealer; preaching the law, when among wealthy people as the most honourable of their kind; dissuading the rich householders from covetousness, when among them as the most honourable of their kind; teaching Kshatriyas patience when among them, as the most honourable of their kind ; removing arrogance when among Brahmans as the most honourable of their kind; teaching justice to the great ministers when among them as the most honourable of their kind; teaching loyalty and filial piety to the princes when among them as the most honourable of their kind; teaching honesty to the ladies of the court when among them as the most honourable of their kind ; persuading the masses to cherish the virtue of merits when among them as the most honourable of their kind; instruct the highest wisdom to the Brahman gods when among them as the most honourable of their kind; showing the transient nature of the world to the Sakra gods when among them as the most honourable of their kind; protecting all beings when among the guardians as the most honourable of their kind; — thus by such countless means Vimalakirti, the wealthy householder, rendered benefit to all beings.

(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.”

(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.”

(22) 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.”

(1) The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If a good disciple, whether man or woman, in the morning, at noonday, and at eventide, sacrificed lives innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, and thus without intermission throughout infinite ages; and if another disciple, hearing this Scripture proclaimed, steadfastly believed it, his felicity would be appreciably greater than the other. But how much greater must be the felicity of a disciple who transcribes the sacred text, observes its precepts, studies its Laws, and repeats the Scripture that others may be edified thereby?”

(1) The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If a disciple, having immeasurable spheres filled with the seven treasures, bestowed these in the exercise of charity; and if a disciple, whether man or woman, having aspired to supreme spiritual wisdom, selected from this Scripture a stanza comprising four lines, then rigorously observed it, studied it, and diligently explained it to others; the cumulative merit of such a disciple would be relatively greater than the other.”

(1) Upon that occasion, the venerable Subhuti addressed the Lord Buddha, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! if a good disciple, whether man or woman, having desired to attain to supreme spiritual wisdom, what immutable Law shall support the mind of that disciple, and bring into subjection every inordinate desire?”

(25) He thoroughly knows the coming and going of all beings; he is ever emancipated in all things; stainless in the world as a lotus; walks the path of tranquillity, comprehending the nature of things;

(13) “ Though he understands that there is neither birth nor death, yet he manifests himself in all lands as the sun is seen from every quarter. “ Honouring countless millions of Tathagatas in all the ten quarters, in him there is no idea of partiality because he distinguishes not between those Buddhas and himself. “ Though he comprehends the emptiness of the nature of those Buddha-lands and beings therein, yet he ever realises the land of purity for the sake of beings who ought to be taught. “ He is the Bodhisattva who possesses the power of fearlessness and manifests even in one moment all beings with their forms, voices, and behaviour. “ Though being conscious of evil yet he follows evil deeds of evil; and he manifests those evils according to his will, through his wisdom of the necessary means. “ He shows himself as subject to old age, disease, and death in order to teach all beings; though he knows that [things are] even as a phantom, yet he understands their real nature in a most thorough manner.

(4) 'He is also Bhâmanî, for he shines (bhâti) in all worlds. He who knows this, shines in all worlds.

(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?

(21) “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.

(10) “Subhuti, in future ages, if a good disciple, whether man or woman, rigorously studies and observes the text of this Scripture; the Lord Buddha, by means of his Buddhic wisdom, entirely knows and perceives that for such a disciple there is reserved a cumulative merit, immeasurable and illimitable.”