영화 선사의 지장경 강설 (영어) 1

Earth Store Sutra with commentary

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서분과 제1장

The Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva

Based on the English Translation by:

The Buddhist Text Translation Society

A General Explanation by

Master YongHua

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my profound gratitude for the countless hours that my students and supporters put into the production of this Sutra.

In this commentary, I have quoted my teacher, Master Xuan Hua, in various locations without specifically citing him.

I encourage the reader to reference Master Xuan Hua’s books, published by the Buddhist Text Translation Society, for further information. In addition, I would like to thank the Buddhist Text Translation Society for this translation of the Earth Store Sutra.

Master YongHua
October, 2016

SUTRA PREFACE

The Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva

Earth Store Bodhisattva, or 地藏菩薩in Chinese, is a translation of the Sanskrit name Ksitigarbha.

A Bodhisattva is an enlightened being. Lifetime after lifetime, Bodhisattvas work hard to rescue all living beings from suffering, and to cultivate the myriad virtues, until eventually they reach perfect wisdom of the Buddhas.

“Earth” has the connotation of being reliable and being able to uphold, as well as being able to help grow. There is a shastra which states that Earth Store Bodhisattva can be at ease and unmoving like the great earth.

Store implies that he contains deep secrets, as the result of stillness contemplation.

地: 能勝依持，令生產

地藏十論經: 安忍不動猶如大地，靜慮深密一秘藏，因此故名地藏

The “earth” has ten aspects:

1. It is wide and extensive 廣大.

2. It supports all living beings 衆生依.

3. It is impartial 地無好惡.

4. It can receive the great rain 受大雨.

5. It produces grass and trees 生草木.

6. It holds all planted seeds 種所依倚.

7. It produces many treasures 生眾寶.

8. It produces medicine 產諸藥.

9. It is not moved by the wind 風吹不動.

10. It does not tremble at the lion’s roar 獅子吼不驚.

The Buddha entrusted the following tasks to Earth Store Bodhisattva:

2. Ensuring that those who have created even the tiniest bit of merit and virtue 一毛一塵，一沙一滴, will be saved.

3. Ensuring that, at the gate of hell, if one can recite a single Buddha’s name or a single Bodhisattva’s name, one will be saved.

4. Saving all living beings, and preventing them from staying even one day or one night in the three evil paths, not to mention falling to the hells for countless kalpas!

Furthermore, with one look (瞻 reverent look) or even one bow 禮, one can overstep 超過 30 kalpas of offenses. If one can listen to five words, or even a single word, of the Earth Store Sutra in this current life, then one will obtain peace and bliss, and all calamities and difficulties will be eradicated.

Earth Store Bodhisattva works to dispel deviant minds and control the evil ghosts. He roams the worlds of the Five Turbidities, the human and god realms, and the hells, using transformation bodies to rescue and cross over living beings, and helping them escape calamities and difficulties.

Once, when the Buddha was at Mount Grdhrakuta 靈鷲山, Earth Store Bodhisattva was traveling through the worlds to teach and transform living beings. He went by Mount Vipula 毗富羅山 and arrived at the home of Elder Qiao Tí’s 喬提長者. All 500 hundred people there had been robbed of their essence by the ghosts and were very depressed 被鬼奪其精氣，皆悶絕. Earth Store Bodhisattva gave rise to the thought, “That is real suffering, there is so much pain! The world is full of such happenings that can’t be spoken of. I pity these folks and wish to rescue them.” He then soared to Mount Grdhrakuta and said to the Buddha: “I observed such a thing at Elder Qiao Ti’s household. It has been like this for quite a few days. It made me give rise to pity and I wish to protect them. Please teach me a Dharma to rescue them and restore them to their original state.” The Buddha then emitted a light from his crown that shines about 10,000 xun 從於頂上毫放光萬尋 (a xun is roughly equivalent to 8 feet) and illuminated Earth Store Bodhisattva’s body. Everyone in the Great Assembly was telling each other, “The World Honored One illuminated the Bodhisattva’s body with his light. He will certainly accomplish a great Dharma and teach living beings.”

Earth Store Bodhisattva then said to the Buddha, “I have a spiritual mantra that can dispel deviant minds and control the evil ghosts. I remember that in distant kalpas past, there was a Buddha called Burning Light Buddha 燒光佛. After his Nirvana, during the Dharma Semblance Age, I was a layman. There was an immortal who was practicing at Mount Jǜ Tè Luó 俱特羅山. I saw living beings being harassed by ghosts just like those at the Elder’s household. I then brought forth the resolve to meet with a Good Knowing Adviser to learn a Dharma to defeat those ghosts. At that time, the immortal enabled me to understand such a Dharma within three days. It enabled me to quell all evil for vast areas, making the evil ghosts gather at my place, take refuge, cultivate according to the teachings and bring forth the mind for the Way. In an instant, all living beings that were undergoing suffering in the hells, each ascended on a lotus flower and all their suffering ceased 停息. Then, the immortal saw the extent of my spiritual powers, telling me that limitless Buddhas of limitless worlds will give me a prediction and name me Earth Store. In the midst of the worlds of the Five Turbidities, the human and god realms, and the hells, I will use my transformation bodies to rescue and cross over living beings, helping them escape calamities and difficulties.” After remembering this, Earth Store Bodhisattva went to the Elder’s household and rescued everyone there, restoring them to health.

In The Earth Store Ten Discourses Sutra地藏十論經, it is said that every day in the early morning 每晨朝時, wishing to bring living beings to accomplishment 成熟, Earth Store Bodhisattva entered limitless samadhis殑伽河沙等諸定, arose from the samadhis, then went to the various Buddhalands to cross over living beings, enabling them to attain benefit, peace and bliss. Already throughout limitless great kalpas, during the time of the five turbidities, as well as during the times where no Buddha was in the world, he helped sentient beings realize their cultivation. In some worlds where there was war 刀兵劫, he arose from samadhi and dispelled the fighting. Where there were epidemics and pestilence 疫病劫, he expelled them too. The same goes for times of famine 饑饉劫. Such “rescue operations” are limitless.

Earth Store Bodhisattva is one of four great Bodhisattvas who provide Shakyamuni Buddha with great assistance in his teaching work:

2. Manjushri: who now resides at Mount Wu Tai 山西的五臺山. This mountain along with the following three mountains are famous locales in China.

3. Universal Worthy: who can be found at Mount E Mei 四川的峨嵋山.

4. Guan Yin: who dwells at Mount Pu Tuo Qie 浙江的普陀咯伽山.

5. Earth Store Bodhisattva: who stays at Mount Jiu Hua 安徽的九華山.

All the four Great Bodhisattvas’ sagely records 聖迹 are numerous.

1,500 years after the Buddha’s Nirvana, Earth Store Bodhisattva was born in Korea 降迹新羅國 into a royal family, with the surname of Gold. In Chinese, his name was Qiáo Jué 喬覺，during the time of 唐高宗永徽四年 emperor Gao Zong of the Tang dynasty (653). At the age of 24, he left the home-life and was given the name of Shàn Ting 善聽. He crossed the sea by boat and came to China. At the summit of Mount Jǐu Hua 安徽省池州府青陽縣九華山的山巔, he sat for 75 years 載, until 玄宗開元十六年 (728), on the 30th day of the seventh lunar month, he accomplished the Way, becoming enlightened. At that time he was 99 years old. Shortly after his awakening, Shàn Ting met a rich man named Gé Lǎo Mǐn 閣老閔 who was very kind, enjoyed doing good and liked to practice giving. He organized a vegetarian meal offering for many left-home people. Shàn Ting was invited to be the 100th. Afterwards, the Bodhisattva asked for land to build a way place. The rich man said, “All of the Jǐu Mountain from top to bottom is mine. Please feel free to have as much as you need.” The monk said that he only needed about the size of his precept sash. The wealthy man agreed. The monk unfolded his sash and spread it out, coving the top of the entire mountain. He thus was offered all the land that was covered by his sash. The wealthy man further told his son to leave the home-life. The son was given the name Dào Míng 道明. The rich man then later also left the home-life and bowed to his son as his teacher. That is why on many altars, to Earth Store Bodhisattva’s left is Dào Míng, and to his right is Mǐn Gong 閔公, the wealthy man’s Dharma name. Twenty-nine years later (757), the Bodhisattva entered Stillness.

We can take a cursory look at the sutra through the Tian Tai Five-fold Profound Meanings:

2. Explanation of the Title: This sutra belongs to the Person (Earth Store) and Dharma (Past Vows) classification. The phrase ‘Past Vows’ represents karma, or deeds performed in the past. The mind is like the great “Earth” because it gives birth to the myriad things and can “Store” many things as well, such as the myriad precious gems. Further, this Bodhisattva is just like the earth because he can produce the myriad things and make them grow. His “Past Vows” were made long ago, when he stated, “If the hells are not empty I will not become a Buddha; only when living beings are all saved, will I attain Bodhi.” The hells, however, cannot be empty until the karma and afflictions of living beings come to an end (which is never!). He is still laboring away at the hells to aid the ghosts. In this day and age, this is probably considered to be sheer stupidity, but in Mahayana, this is the utmost Filiality.

3. Discerning the Substance: The sutra contains the True Mark (which contains both True Emptiness and Wonderful Existence; also known as the Middle Way).

4. Clarifying the Doctrine: This sutra’s principles are contained under four major headings: i) The practice of filial piety: “Heaven and Earth deem filial piety essential; It is foremost 天地重孝, 孝當先.” With one filial son, an entire family is peaceful. By being filial to one’s parents, one’s child will in turn be filial 孝順還生孝順子. Filiality is the first responsibility for human beings. If it were not for one’s parents, one could not have been born and would not have the chance to become a Buddha! There are four basic kinds of filial piety: 1) Limited Filiality 小孝: I.e. one practices filiality within one’s own family but one fails to treat others’ elders as one’s own, or treat others’ children as one’s own. 2) Extensive Filiality大孝: This entails reaching out to the whole world 天下 and being filial to all fathers and mothers 老於老以及人之老. However, this is not yet Ultimate Filiality 真孝 – which is complete only upon becoming a Buddha, and is therefore beyond the four types of filiality mentioned here. 3) Contemporary Filiality 近孝: This involves modeling oneself on present-day methods of filial piety and studying the respective methods of behavior. And 4) Classic Filiality 遠孝, which requires being filial to the myriad things. One can find this kind of filiality exemplified in the 24 Paragons of Filial Virtues that are well known in China (though even these are still not ultimate!). Classic Filiality requires us to go back to the methods of ancient times 萬古. ii) Crossing over the 12 kinds of living beings of the nine realms as described in the Shurangama Sutra), to help them cross over from the shore of afflictions and ignorance to the other shore of enlightenment. iii) Rescuing of the sufferers 拔苦: this sutra can liberate living beings from their suffering. iv) Repaying of the kindness 報恩 of one’s parents.

5. Describing the Function: Seven days after giving birth to the Buddha, out of the left side of her upper body 左脇, Lady Maya died and was reborn into the Heavens. After speaking Dharma for 49 years in over 300 assemblies, the Buddha went to the Trayastrimsa heaven to teach her. This occurred between the Lotus Sutra and Mahaparanirvana Sutra. He stayed there for three months and spoke this sutra of filial piety.

6. Ranking the Teaching: This sutra belongs to the Lotus-Nirvana period, and deals with the Vehicles of the Bodhisattvas, Men and Gods. It belongs to both the Sutra and Vinaya stores.

At the age of 19 years the Buddha left home, when he was 29 years old he became enlightened, and when he was 80 years old he entered Nirvana. The fifty one years during which he taught the Dharma can be divided into the following five teaching periods:

1. The Avatamsaka period, or Perfect teaching, was taught by the Buddha in 21 days

2. The Agama period, or Store teaching, was expounded in twelve years.

3. The Vaipulya period, or Connective teaching, took the Buddha eight years to teach.

4. The Vajra period, or Separate teaching, was transmitted in 22 years.

5. Dharma Flower – Nirvana period, or Perfect teaching, required eight years.

The teachings that the Buddha gave during these five periods are contained in the many sutras that exist today. Sutra is the general name for the Buddha’s discourses. It contains several meanings:

1. Thread 線: Stringing together the principles like thread strings together the beads in a necklace.

2. To gather in or attract 攝: Sutras draw in those who are ready to be helped.

3. Permanent 常: The sutras will not change; nothing can be added or subtracted from them.

4. Method 法 of practice: Providing a model for all living beings in the three periods of time.

5. Bubbling spring 湧泉: Because the flavor of the principles 義味 is endless like a bubbling spring.

6. Carpenter’s plumb line 繩墨: Serving as a guideline to discern proper from deviant.

7. Path 徑: The Sutras can quickly lead us to the fruitions.

8. Garland 結鬘: Stringing together many principles, like flowers in a garland.

9. Tally 契經: In the past, two matching pieces were brought together to fulfill contracts. Likewise, sutras tally with the principles from the Buddhas above and with living beings’ capacity below.

This sutra is generally believed to have been translated in the Tang dynasty by Tripitaka Master Sramana Siksananda (實叉難陀 which means to “delight in the study” of the Buddhadharma). He diligently studied the Tripitaka and Dharma bliss manifested. He was well versed in both Hinayana as well as Mahayana scriptures and also was very knowledgeable with externalist doctrines and dharmas 異道學術. He was well respected by all. In particular, he was able to bring both the emperor and empress to venerate and honor the Triple Jewel and Mahayana. He translated this sutra and the 80 chapters of the Avatamsaka Sutra. He also translated many more sutras like the Shurangama Sutra and the Manjushri Giving Prediction Sutra 文殊授記經. When he entered Stillness and was cremated, his tongue did not turn into ash. His bone and tongue relics were escorted back to Khotan and put into a seven-story stupa for offerings and worship.

He was born in Khotan 于闐國, a central Indian country bordering the Yún Nán province of China. Khotan means “Earth Milk 地乳.” According to legend, an early king from this region who was without heir, prayed to the god of the local temple for a son. From the image’s head would come a child who would become heir to the throne. He would drink neither human nor cow’s milk, but only a particular milky fluid that appeared on the earth. Subsequent to this mysterious event, the country was given its name. The Buddhadharma was transmitted into this country 82 years beforehand and the Great Vehicle was widely practiced. Therefore when the Buddhadharma was transmitted to China, a great many sutras and scriptures originated from this country.

Other people credit the translation to Tripitaka Dharma Master Fǎ Deng 法燈 of the Sòng Dynasty, who was a Chinese bhikshu living in the late Tang dynasty. Bhikshu and bhikshuni are the Sanskrit words for Buddhist monks and nuns. The Sanskrit word sramana, however, refers in general to left home people of the various religious traditions.

Five kinds of terms are not translated:

1. Words with multiple meanings, like bhikshu.

2. Venerated words, like Baghavan.

3. Things not found in this country, such as Jamdudana trees.

4. Terms in accord with ancient usage (e.g. anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: saying it creates a lot of merit and virtue)

5. Those with secret meaning: e.g. mantras.

The Earth Store Sutra has three rolls and thirteen chapters.

Chapters 1 and 2 introduce Earth Store Bodhisattva who can transform living beings. He creates numberless transformation bodies, deeply enters defilements, transforms living beings through acts of filial piety, enabling them to escape the three evil destinies and be born in the heavenly and human realms.

Chapters 3, 4 and 5 describe the living beings that the Bodhisattva transforms. In particular, Earth Store Bodhisattva specializes in helping those who are undergoing retributions for not being filial to their parents, disrespecting the Triple Jewel and creating many offenses.

Chapters 6,7 and 8 clarify the conditions for crossing over living beings; namely, offering incense, reciting sutras, creating banners and images, as well as various other good conditions.

Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 explain the causes for becoming Buddhas, encouraging people to recite the Buddha’s name with utmost sincerity and give wealth and Dharma, all of which constitute the various Bodhi proper causes for crossing over limitless living beings.

CHAPTER 1 Spiritual Penetrations in the Palace of the Trayastrimsa Heaven

“Trayastrimsa” is also known as the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. With a height of 80,000 yojanas, it is the central heaven. On each of its four sides are eight additional heavens. The king of Trayastrimsa is called Shakra or Indra. Unlike humans, Indra can go for up to one year without food, sleep or sex. Although his desires are lighter, they still exist. The central city in this heaven, called the City of Good View, is made from the seven jewels and is 60,000 yojanas high. At the center of the city is Shakra’s palace, made of the most exquisite gems. He enjoys tremendous heavenly bliss. He is very hospitable to humans. One day and night there is the equivalent of 100 human years. The gods have a lifespan of 1,000 years. In the time of Kashyapa Buddha, he was a poor woman. She ran into a dilapidated temple and vowed to restore it. A group totaling 32 friends and relatives (mostly women) agreed to help her. With their collective efforts, she repaired the temple. Each of them was then reborn as a lesser King in the Trayastrimsa.

“Heaven” means natural. This Trayastrimsa heaven naturally manifested as a result of the karmic retributions of this poor woman and her 32 friends.

The “palaces” there are most exquisite, and extremely adorned.

There are six kinds of “spiritual penetrations”:

1. Heavenly Eye.

2. Heavenly Ear.

3. Penetration of Other’s Thoughts.

4. Knowledge of Past Lives.

5. Spiritual Fulfillment (also known as ‘As You Wish’).

6. Extinction of Outflows.

Spiritual penetrations are inherent to the self-nature that each of us possesses. These powers are simply obscured in common people.

The Chinese Book of Changes 易經 notes, “Yin and yang that cannot be conceived of are called spiritual 陰陽不測之謂神; Spiritual is still and not moving 寂而不動, because it can respond to and accord with, it can penetrate or connect 感而隨通.”

The Necklace 瓔珞Sutra states: “神名天心 spiritual is the name for the mind of the gods, 徹照無礙 it shines through without obstructions, and therefore is called spiritual penetration.” It says that when the six organs are purified, one obtains the spiritual penetrations. The eye organs give rise to the heavenly eye, the ear organ to the heavenly ear, the body to spiritual fulfillment, and the mind to knowledge of past lives, knowledge of others’ thoughts, as well as the extinction of outflows and corresponding end of birth and death, and all afflictions.

The Buddha uses spiritual penetrations to manifest various bodies replete with All Wisdom 一切智, so that he can speak the various Dharmas. The Buddha has inconceivable spiritual penetrations. In this chapter he uses them to emit numberless rays of light.

Sutra text:

Thus I have heard; at one time the Buddha dwelt in the Trayastrimsa Heaven speaking Dharma for his mother. At that time an indescribable number of Buddhas as well as great Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, from limitless worlds in the ten directions, all assembled together to praise Shakyamuni Buddha's ability to manifest the power of indescribably great wisdom and spiritual penetrations in the Evil World of the Five Turbidities, as well as his ability to regulate and subdue obstinate living beings so that they might come to know the dharmas of suffering and bliss. Each of these sent his attendants to greet the World-Honored One.

Sutra commentary:

Thus I have heard; at one time the Buddha dwelt in the Trayastrimsa Heaven speaking Dharma for his mother.

Why did the Buddha instruct Ananda to use the four words “Thus I have heard?”

2. To distinguish Buddhist sutras from other non-Buddhist texts, which typically begin with either “A 阿” or “Ou 憂”, meaning respectively “non-existence 無” or “existence 有.” This is because they believe all existent, or worldly, dharmas are not beyond those two characters. None of them can explain True Emptiness and Wonderful Existence.

3. To resolve the doubts of the Dharma Assembly. Because Ananda looked very similar to the Buddha, when the assembly saw him take the Dharma seat, they gave rise to three doubts: 1) Shakyamuni came back to life. 2) Another Buddha came to speak Dharma. 3) Ananda realized Buddhahood. Therefore when Ven. Ananda said “Thus I have heard,” these doubts were resolved.

4. To end the assembly’s debates and clarify that these teachings are the Buddha’s, and not Ananda’s.

Six requirements are fulfilled to denote that this sutra was explained by the Buddha:

1. Faith: Thus denotes stillness; the Dharma is thus; the starting point of cultivation is faith in the Triple Jewel; having utmost belief in the Triple Jewel enables one to enter the Triple Jewel substance; the Triple Jewel is not obtained from others; the Buddha jewel is your nature; the Dharma jewel is your wisdom; the Sangha Jewel is your conduct. The Great Wisdom shastra says that the Buddhadharma is like the great ocean 佛法大海: it can only be entered through faith 為信能入, and can only be crossed over with wisdom 為智能度. The Vajra Sutra says that a mind with faith that is purified 信心精淨 is the production of the Real Mark 即生實相. The real mark is just another name for the Triple Jewel. Ultimately, faith enables the ten thousand dharmas to manifest 信則萬法現前.

2. Hearer: I have heard from the Buddha’s mouth myself. “I” refers to the false self manifested by the Bodhisattvas in order to teach and transform living beings. The Buddha’s disciples should follow and listen to his lectures and can become enlightened 聞聲悟道.

3. Time: at one time, when living beings’ good roots mature, then the principles become obvious 時節若至, 其理自彰. This is the same as when, though Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifests the 32 transformation bodies to speak Dharma, if the causes and conditions are not mature yet, there will be no enlightenment.

4. Host: the Buddha, who can enlighten himself, enlighten others and attain perfect enlightenment.

5. Place: Trayastrimsa Heaven—the Buddha speaks Dharma more often in the human realm and rarely in the heavens. The first time that he spoke in the heavens was when he had just accomplished the Way and went to the Trayastrimsa heaven to speak “The Ten Dwellings” chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra. The second time was before he entered Nirvana, when he went to the heavenly palaces with all his disciples and stayed there for the three month summer retreat 三月安居, during which time he spoke this sutra for his mother.

6. Audience: The Buddha spoke this sutra for the sake of his mother and also for the great assembly consisting of the usual 1,250 bhikshus who are his constant followers as well as Shakra and the numerous gods. His mother listened to the Dharma and certified to First Stage Arhatship.

This certifies that this sutra was truly spoken by the Buddha.

The phrase at one time can be explained in five ways:

2. At the time the Buddha wishes to speak (on filial piety).

3. When He wishes to correct the wrong views of the externalists whose dharmas lack understanding of the past, present and future.

4. At the time of planting seeds 下種 (so that one can harvest in the future). 莫道出家容易得，皆因屢世種菩提 admiring the Way and leaving the home-life with ease, arises from many lifetimes of planting the Bodhi seeds.

5. At the time of a true teacher 正師, 正教 and 正學: Initially one starts with the earnest desire to study and cultivate, and subsequently one needs to find a Good Knowing Adviser to increase one’s chances of success.

6. At the appropriate time when both the speaker likes to speak and the hearers like to hear.

At that time an indescribable number of Buddhas as well as great Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas from limitless worlds in the ten directions, all assembled together to praise Shakyamuni Buddha's ability to manifest the power of indescribably great wisdom and spiritual penetrations in the Evil World of the Five Turbidities, as well as his ability to regulate and subdue obstinate living beings so that they might come to know the dharmas of suffering and bliss.

An indescribable number of Buddhas: They have the same substance as Shakyamuni Buddha. They all have the same virtues. Only confused living beings still differentiate between self and others.

Worlds: This word comes from the Chinese shì 世 , denoting the three times, and jiè 界 , denoting the ten directions. There are two kinds of worlds:

1. Sentient living beings: proper retribution.

2. Insentient: dependent retribution.

Shakyamuni: Shakya means “capable of humaneness,” meaning that he can cross over all living beings. Muni means still and silent 寂默, referring to samadhi. He is still and unmoving and yet can respond to living beings’ requests 隨緣. It is said: “The thoughts of all living beings are known and seen by the Thus Come One 一切衆生若幹種心, 如來悉知悉見.” One part of sincerity 真心 invokes a part of response; ten parts of sincerity invoke ten parts of response. Conversely, Shakyamuni can accord with living beings, also often referred to as “according with conditions,” and yet not change. We Buddhist disciples have Shakyamuni Buddha as our teacher, that is why we recite, “Na Mo Original Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha.”

Buddha is the enlightened one. There are three kinds of enlightenment:

2. Inherent 本 enlightenment: This first kind of enlightenment refers to that of ordinary living beings. Though they are confused, intrinsically they are nonetheless fully endowed with the enlightened nature.

3. Initial 始 enlightenment: This refers to when confused beings meet with Good Knowing Advisers and begin to practice the Way such that their wisdom starts to unfold.

4. Ultimate 究竟 enlightenment: Initial enlightenment belongs to noumenon, or principles; inherent enlightenment belongs to the wisdom that arises from the principles learned. Ultimately, this wisdom is perfected and becomes ultimate enlightenment, the wisdom of a Buddha.

Upon his enlightenment, Shakyamuni Buddha said, “Strange indeed! All living beings have the Thus Come One’s knowledge and views, only they cannot actualize them because of their attachments and false thinking.”

Turbidities can be likened to quicksand, which is very difficult to extricate oneself from. Turbidity is created by taking clear water and tossing in mud and sand. Turbidities have five marks and hence are referred to as the five turbidities:

1. The kalpa turbidity refers to turbid times. The kalpa turbidity arises dependent on the other four turbidities, taking the growth of the other four as its basic substance. Originally, there were no turbidities, they merely happen to arise at this time. The kalpa turbidity also takes unceasing flame as its mark. Like flaming firewood, the more it burns the higher it blazes. Shakyamuni realized Buddhahood in this time. So he knows how difficult it is to do so. He therefore decided to speak of this Dharma without request because it is one of the most important Dharmas for our time. In the Decreasing Kalpa, the time of the kalpa turbidity occurs when the average lifespan reaches 20,000 years. When the lifespan reaches 100 years, that is called the Five Turbidities Evil Time. This is when Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in the world. More specifically, the kalpa turbidity takes the five view delusions as substance and nature. During this time, many prefer to draw near the externalists. Evil views proliferate. There will be times of hunger, epidemics and wars which could happen concurrently.

2. The view turbidity takes the five quick servants as its basic substance. The five quick servants are: 1) Body views 身: we deeply love and attach to the body, not realizing that the body is just the four elements falsely united. It is false, like a mirage and is impermanent. 2) Extreme views 邊: we believe in nihilism or permanence, which are the two extreme views, instead of the Middle Way. 3) View grasping views 見取: we take what is not a retribution as a retribution, e.g. the Unlearned Bhikshu. 4) Precept grasping views 戒取: we take what is not a cause to be a cause, such as those who cultivate the unbeneficial ascetic practices. And finally, 5) Deviant views 邪: we do not believe in cause and effect. These view delusions are called servants because they can make living beings create offenses and thus undergo retributions, drawing them into the flow of birth and death. View delusions take mistaken wisdom and cattle morality, that is all the views that arise in confusion 諸見紛起, as its mark. With deviant knowledge and views, people take the genuine doctrine to extremes.

3. The affliction turbidity takes the five dull servants as its basic substance. The five dull servants are: 1) Greed: attaching to pleasant states, we do not realize that all conditioned dharmas are like a dream or mirage. 2) Hatred: Toward unfavorable states, we give rise to hatred and anger, grow impatient and do not realize that one thought of hatred opens the door to the eighty thousand obstructions. 3) Stupidity: Toward neutral states we give rise to stupid thoughts, failing to understand and analyze that all dharmas are impermanent, and ultimately empty. 4) Arrogance: Toward living beings, we cannot be humble, and we do not understand that all living beings are fundamentally equally endowed with the Buddha nature. And finally, 5) Doubt: Toward the Dharma, we harbor doubts and do not understand that one ought to draw near what is good, and that one ought to proceed on the Way. These five servants belong to the thought delusions. The affliction turbidity takes the irritation of afflictions, which make one upside down and feeling oppressed, as its mark. During this turbidity, living beings are increasingly greedy for deviant dharmas, fight with weapons, and continually file lawsuits against one another. They use flattery and lies to transmit deviant dharmas not to mention the rest of the unwholesome dharmas. Living beings endure all sorts of afflictions other than the five views.

4. The living being turbidity takes the combination of the three conditions of father, mother and one’s own karma as its basic substance. It takes the unceasing turning in the wheel as its mark. Here “form” 色 and “mind” 心can be characterized as “ugly” 陋and “inferior” 劣. The five skandhas unite to form living beings. The skandhas are: 1) Form, which has solidity and the connotation of impeding. 2) Feeling, which has the connotation of being receptive (to the five dusts). 3) Thought, which has the connotation of grasping at marks. (This skandha corresponds to the sixth consciousness that processes, calculates, and thinks about the dharmas.) 4) Formation, which has the meaning of flowing. (This corresponds to the seventh consciousness that constantly evaluates and discriminates, thought after thought, unceasingly like white water rapids.) And finally, 5) Consciousness, which has the meaning of sustaining. (This corresponds to the eighth consciousness that contains the three elements of breath, warmth and life.) Though living beings are a union of the five skandhas, the skandhas nonetheless cover up their true nature.

5. The life turbidity takes the reception of warmth as its basic substance and the decline and extinction of the lifespan as its mark. Both cause and effect are inferior. Cause refers to the view and thought turbidities. View and thought delusions are the causes for the feeling retribution. Effect refers to the living beings turbidities, to the coarse and miserable five skandhas which are the effect for birth. As a retribution for the killing karmas, the average lifespan will not exceed 100 years.

Still Intention 寂意 Bodhisattva asked the Buddha why he chose the world of five turbidities to accomplish Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi, and speak the three Dharmas. Why didn’t he choose a pure world, apart from the five turbidity evil world? The Buddha replied, “Due to the Bodhisattva’s past vows, he chooses an impure world to accomplish great compassion.”

Know the dharmas of suffering and bliss: suffering is to revolve in the three realms. To escape and get to Nirvana is bliss.

Buddhas teach by regulating and subduing and harmonizing living beings. Just like the five flavors (sour, hot, sweet, bitter and salty) are harmonized and blended in cooking to produce a balanced and harmonious dish.

Each of these sent his attendants to greet the World-Honored One.

The Buddhas came from limitless worlds in the ten directions, each of which has a Buddha. Each Buddha also brings his own attendant, who is a great Bodhisattva.

Each of these sent his attendants, not just one, to greet: they make a half bow and ask, “Does the World Honored One, because is most honored by the world and world-transcending realms, have few sicknesses, and few afflictions? Is he peaceful and happy?” Remember, this is the evil world of the five turbidities, that is why they ask about sickness, affliction and strength.

Sutra text:

At that time the Thus Come One smiled and emitted hundreds of thousands of millions of great light clouds such as the Great Perfect Fullness Light Cloud, the Light Cloud of Kindness and Great Compassion, the Light Cloud of Great Wisdom, the Light Cloud of Great Prajna, the Light Cloud of Great Samadhi, the Great Auspicious Light Cloud, the Light Cloud of Great Blessing, the Light Cloud of Great Merit and Virtue, the Light Cloud of Great Refuge, and the Light Cloud of Great Praise.

Sutra commentary:

At that time the Thus Come One smiled and emitted hundreds of thousands of millions of great light clouds such as the Great Perfect Fullness Light Cloud, the Light Cloud of Kindness and Great Compassion, the Light Cloud of Great Wisdom, the Light Cloud of Great Prajna, the Light Cloud of Great Samadhi, the Great Auspicious Light Cloud, the Light Cloud of Great Blessing, the Light Cloud of Great Merit and Virtue, the Light Cloud of Great Refuge, and the Light Cloud of Great Praise.

The Buddha then uses two manifestations, with his spiritual powers, to catch their attention and convoke the assembly: through light and sound.

Smiled: He smiles slightly. His mouth is closed, but all the hair pores are open. He sees that living beings are replete with the Buddha nature. They can enlighten themselves by listening to the Buddha’s Dharma. The Buddhadharma is present in everyday life—living beings are simply confused and do not recognize it. Living beings are already endowed with the myriad virtues, that is why he emitted lights to reveal those types of virtues. (Note: when born, each Buddha emits light that surrounds his body with an area of one zhàng 丈, about ten feet). Typically, after emitting light, the Buddhas would retract it. In this sutra, however, Shakyamuni does not. This symbolizes responding to the potential and establishing the teaching 應機設教, destroying evil and eliminating doubt 破惡除疑, and giving rise to functionality from the substance 從體起用. The lack of retraction signifies that it will be done in the future. Now he will speak of Earth Store Bodhisattva’s story.

Only “ten” are mentioned to represent the myriad of things. Ten represents the ten Dharma Realms.

Cloud refers to vapors from the earth that rise up. Rain would be vapors from the heavens that descend. In the naturally occurring activity of rain and clouds, both yin and yang gather, thoroughly extending and covering from above. Clouds appear from the mountains without a mind, spreading emptiness without a trace and numerously filling and covering the sky. The Buddha manifests his body like clouds which, when scattered in space without a trace, symbolize no mind, and speaks the Dharma like rain, which symbolizes his non-discerning wisdom 無分別智, his responding to conditions and the manifesting of his body 緣感現身, all of which enable living beings to rely on him when he speaks Dharma so that their Bodhi roots will naturally sprout.

The Great Perfect Fullness Light Cloud 大圓滿光明雲: This represents the Buddhadharma which pervades the entire Dharma Realm. This light illuminates everywhere. It is called perfect and complete 圓滿 because it is not only the Buddha who has it, but all living beings have it as well. Ultimately, living beings and the Buddha are one and the same 無異無別.

The Great Perfect Fullness Light Cloud is the leader of the light rays, and the other nine are emitted forth from this. ‘Great Perfect Fullness’ refers to the Thus Come One’s fruition virtue Three Bodies 果德三身. This light cloud is replete with all Dharmas 無法不備.

The Light Cloud of Great Kindness and Compassion 大慈悲光明雲: Kindness gives joy. Great Compassion rescues living beings from their suffering. This cloud represents the Bodhisattva Vehicle. Samantabhadra (Universal Worthy) Bodhisattva used to be an attendant at a monastery dining hall 作行堂. He had to walk between the tables with a condiment tray to serve the bhikshus. To practice the Bodhisattva Path is to draw near and fulfill living beings’ wishes. To be too close is not to be modest, meaning unreasonable; not following rules, and to be too far: is just to blame. All living beings’ self-nature is replete with great kindness and compassion. Consequently, we should bring forth the resolve for Bodhi and make the four limitless vows.

The Light Cloud of Great Wisdom 大智慧光明雲 represents the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. Pratyekabuddhas practice the 12 conditioned links:

1. Ignorance,

2. Action,

3. Consciousness,

4. Name and form,

5. Six entrances,

6. Contact,

7. Feeling,

8. Love,

9. Grasping,

10. Existence,

11. Birth,

12. Old age and death.

They acquire wisdom and realize that all things self produce and self destruct. Living beings’ self-nature can sever ignorance and afflictions.

The practice of Samatha and Contemplation 止觀 produces samadhi wisdom 定慧 (the wisdom of samadhi), which is also called great wisdom.

The Light Cloud of Great Prajna 大般若光明雲 represents the Arhat Vehicle. Arhat means ‘Sound Hearer’ in Sanskrit. They “hear” the teaching, obtain Prajna and attain Arhatship. Prajna means wisdom, and consists of literary, contemplative and ultimate wisdom. Arhatship refers to the lower levels of awakening that the Hinayana practitioners aspire to. Living beings’ self-nature intrinsically has great Prajna wisdom and can at all times illuminate all phenomenon and noumenon, cause and effect, common and sagely people. They know all dharmas throughout the Dharma Realm.

The Light Cloud of Great Prajna relies on non-production as its leader 無生為首 in order to universally destroy all delusions 遍破諸惑. Furthermore, it relies on non-production to enter the door 入門 (of contemplation Prajna), destroying both the length and breadth 縱橫具破 (of literary Prajna), enabling consciousness and substance to be universal (their universality is just Real Mark Prajna).

The Light Cloud of Great Samadhi 大三昧光明雲 represents the God Realm. The gods cultivate the Ten Good Deeds and obtain the eight levels of samadhi, which is a Sanskrit word that can roughly be translated as proper concentration. The Eight Samadhis consist of the Four Dhyanas and the Four Stations of Emptiness. The First Dhyana is called the Blissful Ground of Leaving Production 離生喜樂地. The Second Dhyana is called Blissful Ground of the Birth of Samadhi 定生喜樂地. The Third Dhyana is called the Ground of the Wonderful Bliss of Leaving Happiness 離喜妙樂地. The Fourth Dhyana is called the Ground of the Purity of Renouncing Thought 捨念精淨地. The Four Stations of Emptiness are the Stations of Boundless Space 空無邊處, Boundless Consciousness 識無邊處, Nothing Whatsoever 無所有處 and Neither Thought nor Non-thought 非想非非想處. The gods also took refuge and took the five precepts. From living beings’ self-nature arises functioning 從性起用, whatever is being done (eating, drinking, speaking, resting, bowing, etc…) is always done in samadhi.

The Great Auspicious Light Cloud 大吉祥光明雲 represents the Human Realm where auspicious events are causes for rejoicing. Those who take refuge with the Triple Jewel and observe the Five Precepts plant the causes for birth in the human realm. Taking refuge and observing precepts eradicates offenses and produces blessings, dispels confusion and brings wisdom, turns the inauspicious into auspicious, transforms disaster into good fortune, enables the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, and the sick to be cured.

The Light Cloud of Great Blessing 大福德光明雲 represents the Asura Realm. Asuras have the virtues of the gods but lack their blessings. Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are complete with blessings.

Blessings and virtues are just giving etc. They assist the Proper Way. The Proper Way has many obstructions, preventing us from penetrating the perfect Principles. We therefore need to practice phenomenon blessings to help open the way.

The Light Cloud of Great Merit and Virtue 大功德光明雲 represents the Animal Realm. This light eradicates all their offenses and enables them to leave suffering and attain bliss in the future. The self-nature can sever view and thought delusions, delusions like dust motes, ignorance, and the 84,000 afflictions, ultimately allowing them to obtain Nirvana’s bliss.

Practitioners cannot help but have overweening pride. When one encounters this light, it has the merit of extinguishing evil and the virtue of producing goodness 生善.

The Light Cloud of Great Refuge 大皈依光明雲 represents the Hungry Ghost Realm. This light induces hungry ghosts to change their ways and take refuge with the Triple Jewel. The self-nature intrinsically is of one substance with the Triple Jewel.

Facing this light, one can peacefully endure unfavorable circumstances. To take refuge is to return to one’s own self-nature, rely on the Triple Jewel, become one brilliant and adorned substance, peacefully dwell in non-production, and progress with ease.

The Light Cloud of Great Praise 大讚歎光明雲 represents the Hell Realm. The Buddha uses this mind of praise to emit this kind of light which can help those who see it escape suffering, change from evil towards good and bring forth the Bodhi mind. The self-nature is replete with the Triple Jewel’s numberless and limitless merit and virtue. One can praise it without ever stopping.

Sutra text:

After emitting more indescribable clouds of light, he also emitted a great many wonderfully subtle sounds such as the Dana Paramita sound, the Sila Paramita sound, the Kshanti Paramita sound, the Virya Paramita sound, the Dhyana Paramita sound, and the Prajna Paramita sound.

Sutra commentary:

After emitting more indescribable clouds of light, he also emitted a great many wonderfully subtle sounds such as the Dana Paramita sound, the Sila Paramita sound, the Kshanti Paramita sound, the Virya Paramita sound, the Dhyana Paramita sound, and the Prajna Paramita sound.

The Buddha speaks with one sound and yet each living being can understand it in his or her own language 佛以一音聲演說法, 衆生隨類各得解. That is an inconceivable state. Refer to the eight sounds of the Buddha explained in the Sutra in 42 Sections.

The Buddha’s voice is such that the listener is never bored and always wants to hear more 無厭無足. His voice can be the basis as well as the causes and conditions for giving bliss to all saving them from suffering 拔苦.

One time Mahamaudgalyayana, foremost in spiritual powers, traveled east and went through worlds systems as many as Ganges sands. Yet he could still hear the Buddha’s voice as if he was right in front of the Buddha.

Paramita is Sanskrit for “reached the other shore.” It means to accomplish what is to be done. In Buddhism, we often refer to crossing over from our current shore of birth and death to the other shore of Nirvana. Shores can be non-ultimate (like the fruition of First Stage Arhat) or ultimate (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi).

Paramitas are described because:

1. The Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas’ Dharma Body is produced from all the merit and virtue Dharma Doors.

2. When the Buddha speaks Dharma, all Dharmas are contained within the six paramitas.

Dana 檀 means giving. There are three kinds of giving:

1. Wealth

2. Dharma

3. Fearlessness.

One should give such that the substance of the three wheels (三輪體空; 1. the giver; 2. the gift; 3. the receiver) are empty. If not one will only reap heavenly rewards! The self-nature, like the great earth, can not only produce the 10,000 things, but can also renounce them in order to give to all living beings for their benefit.

Sila 尸羅 means “stopping (evil) and obtaining (goodness),” “pure and cool 精涼,” “no (hot) affliction 無熱惱,” “defending and stopping 防止.” Sila are the precepts or rules of morality: “do no evil, do all good 諸惡莫作, 眾善奉行.” A great dharma protector once asked an eminent master, “Venerable Sir, what is the Buddhadharma?” The master replied, “Do no evil and do all good.” The layman retorted, “Hum, even a three year old can understand this, how can it be the Buddhadharma?” The monk said, “A three year old child can understand it but an eighty year old man can’t practice it 三歲的小兒雖懂得, 八十老翁行不得.”

Vinaya Master Dào Xuan 道宣 maintained the precepts so purely that the gods came to offer him food. He exemplified the cultivation of the Three Thousand Awesome Comportments 三千威儀, 八萬細行, which are grounded in the following basic actions: walk like the breeze 行如風, stand like a pine tree 住如松, sit like a bell 坐如鍾 and lie like a bow 臥如弓. Each of these four has 250 practices making a total of 1,000, which, when multiplied by the three periods of time, yields the three thousand comportments. Master Dào Xuan did not engage in idle talk, did not answer immediately when questioned, did not get angry and did not burst out in happiness. He could maintain the Middle Way, not show emotions, in every action at all times.

He lived in the Chung Nán mountains, which are in the same range as the Himalayas. Many cultivators live there. Tigers and wolves act as their dharma protectors. Master Dào Xuan lived in a thatched hut 茅棚 and ate one meal a day before noon. Each morning a god Lù Xuán Chàng 陸玄暢 would bring him a food offering. His contemporary, National Master Kui Ji 窺基 paid him a visit in order to taste heavenly food... However, that day the god could not bring the food because there was a blinding golden light for a forty miles radius that prevented him from seeing the way.

Do not get defiled by the dusts, keep the three karmas pure. This is a prerequisite for certifying to the Unsurpassed Way. If one seeks great goodness and benefits, one should firmly hold precepts, like cherishing rare jewels or protecting one’s body and life. As the great earth is the place of reliance of the 10,000 things, so are precepts the dwelling place of all the good Dharmas.

Kshanti 羼提 means patience. This practice requires a long time to perfect. The practitioners of this dharma are constantly tested. For instance, there was an old cultivator who, after many years of practice, thought that he made it. He posted a sign saying “Nature like Ashes” outside of his place of abode. Someone passed by and asked him what it says. “Nature like Ashes,” he replied. The passerby asked, “Pardon?” The old cultivator repeated, “It says ‘Nature like Ashes’.” The visitor kept on asking the old cultivator for help in reading the sign. This went on for quite a while. No matter how often the traveler was informed, he still could not get it. Finally, the old cultivator exploded saying, “Damn it! I’ve told you at least a million times already, it reads ‘Nature like Ashes’.” “I see,” the passer-by said, as he stepped into the air and manifested as Guan Yin Bodhisattva, saying “There still are some embers left in those ashes! Good man, keep at it.”

The self-nature is unproduced 自性不生. All evil thoughts and confused thoughts are originally unproduced. When one certifies to the patience of non-production of Dharmas, no evil is produced.

Bodhisattvas, who practice production patience 生忍, obtain limitless blessings and virtues. Practicing non-production patience, they obtain limitless wisdom. When both wisdom and blessings are complete, everything is as one wishes 事事如所願.

Virya 毗離耶 means vigor. Take care to apply vigor to the cultivation of the Proper Dharma and not to the deviant dharmas. During the Buddha’s time, he had a lot of bhikshus who were externalists. They were taught to recite the following verses daily:

Guard the mouth, Reign in the mind, Commit no offenses with the body 守口攝意身莫犯,

Make sure not to annoy any sentient being

莫惱一切諸有情,

Leave behind non-beneficial ascetic practices

無益苦行當遠離,

Such cultivators can surely save the world

如是行者可度世.

Vigor itself is one of the six paramitas, but all of the other paramitas involve vigor as well. Giving, Morality and Patience require vigor of the body. Dhyana and Prajna involve vigor of the mind.

The self-nature is continuous 不間斷. That is called vigor Jing Jìn 精進. Jing 精 means not false or mixed. Jìn 進 means to awaken to the principles. Therefore, vigor means to get rid of the false and enlighten to the principles 去忘悟理. The Avatamsaka Sutra, Chapter 40 states: “念念相續, 無有間斷, 身、語、意業無有疲厭 Thought after thought in succession without interruption, the karmas of body, mouth and mind know no tiredness.” To cultivate the vigor paramita is like the chicken incubating its eggs: it cannot stop. It’s also like the cat spying on the mouse: it cannot leave even for a split moment.

To accomplish the Way, there are two general Dharma Doors. The first type of Dharma Door is the cultivation of blessings and virtues through giving, precepts and patience. These practices can eradicate all offenses, enabling one to obtain what one wishes. The second type of Dharma Door develops wisdom, or Real Mark Prajna, which brings freedom from the fear of birth and death. Furthermore, to not enjoy Nirvana, one needs to cultivate Chan samadhi, which particularly requires vigor.

Body vigor requires us to cultivate all good dharmas, whereas mind vigor requires us to practice the good path.

Dhyana 禪 means “thought cultivation 思惟修” or “stillness contemplation 靜思. Contemplate within stillness 靜中思慮; 靜是止, 思是觀; 靜思 is just another name for “止觀 stopping and contemplating.” There is a saying 大學云: 知止而後有定 to be able to stop and then enter samadhi, 定而後能靜 is to have samadhi and to be able to be still, 而後能安 then to be able to be still is to be able to be peaceful, 安而後能思 being at peace and then being able to contemplate, 而後能得 and to contemplate and then to be able to attain. There are both worldly and transcendental Dhyanas.

Prajna 般若 means “wisdom” and can be either worldly or transcendental. Ultimately, there is only one kind of wisdom. When applied to the world, it is called worldly wisdom. Transcendetal wisdom helps one escape the world.

There is an old saying:

Intelligence results from secretly helping others

聰明乃是陰騭助,

Secret assistance leads one to the road of intelligence

陰騭引入聰明路.

If one does not believe that secret assistance is the cause of intelligence 不行陰騭使聰明,

Intelligence is misused and becomes a hindrance

聰明反被聰明誤.

One cause of intelligence is good deeds done in past lives. Another is the recitation of sutras. If one does not practice secret good deeds this life, one’s intelligence backfires and becomes an obstruction. Why? Because one tends to abuse one’s intelligence and create offenses instead.

Prajna is called wonderful wisdom, or simply good knowledge 良知. Wisdom 智 is the nature of the mind 心之性, just as water has moisture 濕 for nature, fire has warmth 熱 for nature, earth has solidity 堅 for nature. Whereas the mind produces all dharmas, wisdom 智 knows all dharmas. To know and yet not know 知而無知, to not know and yet know 無知而知; to know all dharmas 知一切法, to be apart from all marks 離一切相, to obtain All Wisdom 一切智, this is called Prajna. Prajna is knowing all dharmas and yet not being attached, such that one can empty the two attachments of self and dharmas, certify to the two doctrines of Emptiness and True Suchness, and reach the shore of True Suchness.

Sutra text:

The Sound of Kindness and Compassion, the Sound of Joyous Giving, the Sound of Liberation, the Sound of No-Outflows, the Sound of Wisdom, the Sound of Great Wisdom, the Sound of the Lion's Roar, the Sound of the Great Lion's Roar, the Sound of Thunderclouds, the Sound of Great Thunderclouds.

Sutra commentary:

The Sound of Kindness and Compassion, the Sound of Joyous Giving, the Sound of Liberation, the Sound of No-Outflows, the Sound of Wisdom, the Sound of Great Wisdom, the Sound of the Lion's Roar, the Sound of the Great Lion's Roar, the Sound of Thunderclouds, the Sound of Great Thunderclouds.

The Sound of Kindness and Compassion 慈悲音: Those who hear this sound will leave suffering, attain bliss and end birth and death.

There are three kinds of kindness:

1. Conditioned living beings kindness 緣衆生, which entails contemplating all living beings as one’s parents.

2. Conditioned dharmas kindness 緣法, which entails seeing all dharmas as being produced from conditions.

3. No conditions kindness 無緣, which entails not dwelling on the Dharma mark 不住法相 or the living beings mark 及衆生相.

Similarly, compassion also has the same three kinds as kindness.

The three kinds of kindness and the three kinds of compassion form the four limitless minds: kindness, compassion, joy and renunciation. The first two, kindness and compassion, are the basis for the Way 佛道根本, while the latter two are produced from the first two. That is why they are grouped into pairs.

The Sound of Joyous Giving 喜捨音: This sound contains two of the Four Unlimited Minds, brings joy and enables one to practice renunciation. The merit and virtue thus cultivated are transferred to all living beings in the Dharma Realm, and one forsakes one’s own enjoyment. The Vajra Sutra states: “以諸菩薩 All Bodhisattvas 不受福德故 do not receive any blessings and virtues. 菩薩所作福德 Bodhisattvas should not be greedy for and attach to the blessings and virtues they have created 不應貪著.”

Joy is to celebrate the bliss that others’ have obtained. Renunciation means no enmity 憎, and no love.

The Sound of Liberation 解脫音: Liberation means one is free from bondage, free from the wheel of reincarnation. This pertains to the independence 自由 of the self-nature. “Life and death are in my own hands and not the Heaven’s.” There are two kinds of independence: The first is independence of the consciousness-spirit 識神自由, which belongs to the yin sphere. For example you can travel to New York but cannot physically bring things back with you. The second is independence of the inherent Buddha nature 根本的佛性, which belongs to the yang sphere. A million worlds are contained in one thought. One can go anywhere. You can stretch out your arm and take something from far away. This state is not meant to be publicized. The Buddha told his disciples that after his Nirvana, they should not manifest spiritual penetrations because doing so will not allow them to remain in the world for very long. It would also cause people to be startled and turn against them.

The Sound of No-Outflows 無漏音: This is the sound of existence without the ignorance that is the basis of all afflictions.

The Hinayana uses the truths of Sufferings and Accumulation as cause and effects with outflows 有漏因果 and the truths of Extinction and the Way as causes and effects with no outflows 無漏因果. Outflows are afflictions which cause loss to our self-nature through leakages.

Buddhism teaches us to follow the Middle Way between the two extremes of existence and emptiness. For common people, their outflows fall into the extreme of existence 落有邊, whereas the Two Vehicles’ outflows fall into the extreme of emptiness 落空邊. The outflows of the Three Teachings Bodhisattvas’ 三教菩薩 fall into both extremes 漏落二邊.

“This world’s true teaching substance is pure at sound 此方真教體, 精淨在音聲;” the fundamental substance of our Saha world’s Buddhadharma is contained in sound. Sound is utilized to propagate it. That is why there are all sorts of sounds of commendations 表揚, explanations 演說, and praises 讚歎.

This sound helps one attain the bliss of Nirvana.

The Sound of Wisdom 智慧音: Wisdom is the absence of stupidity. Ultimately, however, wisdom and stupidity are one and the same. The Chinese refer to such a smart person who appears to be so stupid. Regardless of whether or not you believe that they are one and the same, you cannot deny that stupidity can become wisdom. Wise people are in control 作主 and cannot be moved. They clearly recognize states 認境, and have judicious discernment and the True Dharma Selecting Eye 摘法眼.

This sound enables beings to know the worldly Dharmas.

The Sound of Great Wisdom 大智慧音: Great Wisdom refers to that of enlightened beings and is obtained by investigating and practicing the Buddhadharma.

This sound enables beings to know the world-transcending Dharmas.

The Sound of the Lion's Roar 師子吼音: The lion is the king of beasts. His roar can bring all other beasts to their knees, causing them to freeze in terror.

This sound enables beings to explain the Dharmas of the Three Vehicles.

The Sound of the Great Lion's Roar 大師子吼音: Great here refers to the state of the Buddha.

This sound enables beings to speak of the One Vehicle Dharma.

The Sound of Thunderclouds 雲雷音: Thunderstorms can help wake us up. Furthermore, they bring the rain which nourishes our roots.

This sound enables Buddhas to make an appearance in the Saha World to speak Dharma.

The Sound of Great Thunderclouds 大雲雷音: Greatness is in the unsurpassed ability to awaken us and help bring our good roots to maturity quickly.

This sound enables Buddhas to speak Dharma at The Flower Store World 華藏世界.

There is a saying: “現身如雲, 說法如雷 to manifest bodies like clouds, to speak Dharma like thunder.”

Sutra text:

After such indescribable sounds had issued forth, countless millions of gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits from the Saha world and other realms assembled in the Palace of the Trayastrimsa Heaven. They arrived from the Heaven of the Four Kings, the Trayastrimsa Heaven, the Suyama Heaven, the Tushita Heaven, the Transformation of Bliss Heaven, and the Heaven of Comfort Gained through Transformation of Others' Bliss.

Sutra commentary:

After such indescribable sounds had issued forth, countless millions of gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits from the Saha world and other realms assembled in the Palace of the Trayastrimsa Heaven.

The Buddha emits clouds of light and produces subtle and wonderful sounds, covering the Dharma Realm. Those living beings in the Dharma Realm who have the right conditions see the light or hear the sound. They all come to the Heavenly palace of the Trayastrimsa Heaven to listen to Shakyamuni Buddha speak Dharma. From the Saha World as well as other worlds, limitless gods, dragons, ghosts and spirits convene. One plants the cause for becoming a dragon by being lax with the precepts 戒緩 but vigorous with the practice 乘疾 (one has many good roots from listening to the Dharma). However, if humans can maintain precepts firmly and often recite sutras, being energetic with both precepts and practice 戒疾乘疾, they can then manifest in a body of a god at the assembly.

Dragons belong to heaven species 天類. They can manifest as dark or emit light, they can be large or small, long or short. In the spring time, they ascend to the heavens. In the fall, they enter the water. They can have scales 蛇龍, horns 有角龍 or no horns 無角龍. They can protect and support the people in the country and support the Proper Dharma. There are four kinds of dragons: 1) Those who guard heavenly palaces so that they don’t fall. 2) Those who create clouds to make rain fall to benefit humans. 3) Earth dragons who live in bodies of water. 4) Those who guard the Wheel-Turning King’s blessings treasure store.

Ghosts, and spirits: The word ‘ghost’ 鬼 has two meanings: 1) “Return 歸,” which refers to dying and returning to that state. 2) Fearsome or awesome 威, because ghosts can instill fear and awe in others. Spirits are the pure qi of sages 聖人之精氣. They are capable 能 for those with great strength can move mountains and fill up oceans. In addition, they can appear, disappear and make transformations. Both spirits and ghosts belong to the path of ghosts 鬼道.

The Proper Dharma Recitation Sutra 正法念經 says that there are thirty six types of hungry ghosts. Another Sutra 佛說摩尼羅亶咒經 states that there are over one hundred kinds of ghosts. The varieties account for the various retributions. According to Proper Principles 正理 there are wealthy, poor and destitute ghosts.

Saha is Sanskrit for “able to endure.” This refers to the way in which the inhabitants of the Saha world have no choice but to endure the three poisons, as well as the many afflictions and evils that make the Saha world a place of extreme suffering 極苦 as compared to the Western Bliss Pure Land.

And other realms 他方國土: This refers to the other worlds.

Heaven means natural 天然. The inhabitants of the heavens have natural blessings to enjoy. When they think of clothing, it comes, or of food, it arrives. Heavenly clothing need not be sewn. Sweet dew arrives by itself and does not need to be produced.

The Great Shastra says there are four kinds of heavens:

1. Named Heavens 名天: such as the Chinese emperor who used to call himself son of the Heavens.

2. Birth Heavens 生天: the 28 heavens (from the Four Heavenly Heavens up to the Heaven of Non-thought nor not Non-thought).

3. Pure Heavens 淨天: for the sages amongst the humans.

4. Pure Birth Heavens 淨生天: for sages in the Desire Heavens, First Stage Arhats, Second Stage Arhats, Third Stage Arhats in the Form Realm (the five kinds of Third Stage Arhats Heaven), and the Formless Realm’s Third Stage Arhat (one kind).

They arrived from the Heaven of the Four Kings, the Trayastrimsa Heaven, the Suyama Heaven, the Tushita Heaven, the Transformation of Bliss Heaven, the Heaven of Comfort Gained through Transformation of Others' Bliss,...

First, the Desire Realm has six heavens.

The Heaven of the Four Kings is located half way up Mount Sumeru, which is 84,000 yojanas tall, deep and wide (a yojana is 13 miles, or 16 Chinese miles). The Eastern King is called He Who Maintains Countries 持國, and the land there is made of gold. In the south, there is a king named Increase and Growth 增長, and the land is lapis lazuli. The Western King is called Wide Eyes 廣目. The land there is silver. The Northern King is called Much Learning 多聞, and the land there is crystal. From practicing giving, maintaining the precept of not killing, and being filial to one’s parents one creates the causes to be born to this heaven. The gods in this heaven are half a yojana tall and have a lifespan of 500 years. Each day there is equivalent to 50 human years. Their proximity to the human realm enables them to keep a close watch on human affairs. They have families just as we do in the human realm, and are born by transformation as a small child on top the adults’ knees, as big as a five-year human child. Naturally, heavenly sweet dew appears in jeweled vessels. The child eats and becomes an adult after the meal. The lifespan is nine million years.

The Trayastrimsa Heaven is located on top of Mount Sumeru. The king here is named Shakra, which means 能天王 capable heavenly king. The inhabitants are one yojana tall and live for 1,000 years. The causes for rebirth here are to practice giving in the human realm, hold the not-stealing precept, make offerings to one’s parents and the venerated ones. With their hearts set on excellence 心欲求勝, they thus obtain rebirth. They practiced the ten superior grade good deeds 上品十善, but did not practice samadhi 無禪定功. The lifespan is 36 million years.

Suyama Heaven 須燄摩天 means “well divided time 善時分.” It is much higher up in space such that the light of the sun and moon cannot reach it. The gods in this heaven are the first ones to dwell suspended in space. Their bodies emit light. Time is measured by the opening (day time) and closing (night time) of the lotus flower. The gods are two yojanas tall and live for 2,000 years. Successively, each higher heaven doubles in height and lifespan. The gods here are very happy and enjoy the five desires. The causes for birth here are practicing giving, maintaining the no deviant sex precept, having a gentle and harmonious mind. Furthermore, those who get reborn in the Suyama Heaven, tended to have been more still than animated when they were in the human realm 動少靜多. After death, they are born in space and dwell there naturally. Their lifespan is 144 million years.

Tushita Heaven 兜率陀天 means contentment 知足; the god king’s name means 妙足 wonderful contentment. In regard to the five desires, they often know contentment (they can stop) 止足. The Tushita Heaven has an outer 外院 and an inner court 內院. The outer court is subject to destruction of the Three Disasters, fire, water and wind, that occur at the end of the life cycle of the worlds. The inner court is not. One is reborn here as a result of practicing giving, not violating the four evil mouths, being fond of erudition, discerning good and ugly 好醜, loving Nirvana, and having a mind bent on merit and virtue. The next Buddha awaits in the inner court. The average lifespan in this heaven is 576 million years.

The inhabitants in the Transformation of Bliss Heaven 化樂天 take pleasure in transformational creations of the five dust entertainments and pleasures 五塵娛樂. For example, if they wish for food, it naturally appears. They themselves can transform the states of the five desires for their own enjoyment 自能變化五欲之境, 自享受. The causes for their birth are having a mind deeply set on giving, maintaining precepts and erudition, and earning their own livelihood. Their lifespan is 2.3 billion years.

The inhabitants in the Heaven of Comfort Gained through Transformation of Others' Bliss 他化自在天 obtain their bliss not by creating it themselves but by stealing it away from the other heavens (using their spiritual powers). The inhabitants here are neither spirits nor immortals. They actually are heavenly demons. The causes for birth in this heaven are giving and practicing purity, purely hold precepts, being fond of erudition, regarding oneself as honorable and indulging in emotions 自貴情多. They loathe suffering and steal pleasure from others. Their lifespan is 9.2 billion years.

Rebirth to the heavens above the Four Heavenly Kings is a result of practicing the Ten Superior Grade Good Deeds. Shakra is the king of the earth dwelling gods. The King of the Sixth Desire Heaven is in charge of the gods who dwell in space.

The heavens in space (up to the Pure Dwelling Heaven 淨居) are sustained by the Wind Wheel; they rely on densely packed clouds that are propped up by wind. The Forth Dhyana Heavens have lighter and thinner clouds that are like scattered stars.

The heavens listed above are called the Six Desire Heavens. Newborns in these heavens are born by transformation. In the Heaven of the Four Kings, newborns are as big as a five-year old child. The age at which the gods are born increases by one for each higher heaven: e.g. in Trayastrimsa they are born at six years old, in the heavenly demons heaven, they are born at ten years old. Shortly after their birth, the infants sit on the knees of an adult and eat spontaneously appearing sweet dew. Not long afterwards, they reach maturity and are as large as an adult god. Sexual desire lessens the higher the heaven: the less desire, the more the wisdom.

The Four Heavenly, Trayastrimsa heavenly beings desire to couple and embrace 四天忉利欲交抱,

Those in the Suyama hold hands and the Tushita dwellers smile 夜摩執手兜率笑,

Transformation of Bliss gods stare and those in the Heaven of Comfort Gained through Transformation of Others' Bliss discreetly glance 他樂熟視他暫視,

That is how desires are fulfilled in the Six Desire Heavens

此是六天之欲樂.

Sutra text:

…the Heaven of the Multitudes of Brahma, the Heaven of the Ministers of Brahma, the Heaven of the Great Brahma Lord, the Heaven of Lesser Light, the Heaven of Limitless Light, the Heaven of Light-Sound, the Heaven of Lesser Purity, the Heaven of Limitless Purity, the Heaven of Universal Purity.

Sutra commentary:

…the Heaven of the Multitudes of Brahma, the Heaven of the Ministers of Brahma, the Heaven of the Great Brahma Lord, the Heaven of Lesser Light, the Heaven of Limitless Light, the Heaven of Light-Sound, the Heaven of Lesser Purity, the Heaven of Limitless Purity, the Heaven of Universal Purity.

The Form Realm heavens are apart from desire, coarseness and scattered-ness 離欲粗散. They are not, however, out of the form cage. They do obtain samadhi when sitting (in contrast to the Desire Realm heavens where the gods have no samadhi power). Also, in the Form Realm heavens, their bodies are pure, unlike the filthy and defiled retribution bodies 垢染 of those in the Desire Realm.

Whereas the mindset of the Desire Realm is scattered and chaotic 散亂, the mindset of the Formless Realm is characterized by the four limitless minds, the eight renunciations 八背捨, the eight superior places 八勝處, and the nine successive samadhis 九次地定. Their minds are supple and harmonious 柔和, just like riding a horse and letting it go as it wishes until it returns to the stable. Brahma means pure, not defiled by desires. All eighteen heavens in the Form Realm are pure and devoid of desires.

大智度論釋初品中三三昧義第三十二 (卷第二十)

龍樹菩薩造

後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什奉詔譯

【經】「空三昧、無相三昧、無作三昧，四禪、四無量心、四無色定，八背捨、八勝處、九次第定、十一切處。」

【論】問曰：何以故次三十七品後，說八種法？答曰：三十七品是趣涅槃道，行是道已，得到涅槃城。涅槃城有三門，所謂空、無相、無作。已說道，次應說到處門；四禪等是助開門法。復次，三十七品是上妙法，欲界心散亂，行者依何地、何方便得？當依色界、無色界諸禪定。於四無量心、八背捨、八勝處、九次第定、十一切處中，試心知得柔軟自在隨意不？譬如御者試馬，曲折隨意，然後入陣。

The heavens of the First, Second and Third Dhyanas follow. Each of these has three heavens.

The Heaven of the Great Brahma Lord is where the god king of the First Dhyana Heaven resides. His name is 尸棄meaning 頂髻, or Summit Hair Coil; he is in charge of the great thousand world 大千世界. There are ten thousand hundred million 萬億 of these kings who cultivated vigorously. However, he only cultivated blessings and therefore did not awaken and certify to the fruition. Upon death he was reborn to this Heaven. His officials 宰官 reside in the Heaven of the Ministers of Brahma 梵輔天. They have inner awakening contemplation 內有覺觀. Outwardly they use language to help the god king propagate the pure virtues 宣揚梵德. Ordinary gods reside in the Heaven of the Multitudes of Brahma 梵眾天. Brahman means pure 離欲得禪. The gods here leave desire, obtain samadhi and their form is pure 其色精淨. Hence it is called the form realm. Their bodies do not emit light.

The First Dhyana is called the Joyful Stage of Leaving Production 離生喜樂地. Here, the pulse 脈 stops. This is commonly mistaken as death but the self-nature goes to the heavens and the body neither decays nor dies. The samadhi may last for as long as thirty days or more.

The First Dhyana Heavens still have differentiation of honored and lowly 貴賤. If you can practice superior grade samadhi and kindness you can be reborn as king. Practice middle grade samadhi and kindness and you’ll be reborn as his ministers. There are ten thousand hundred million Brahma Lords. In the heavens above the First Dhyana Heavens, there is no longer a differentiation between honored and lowly: the retribution is the same for all. In the Second Dhyana Heavens, superior and inferior are gauged by merit and virtue. Also, the First Dhyana Heavens still rely on words and language on the outside and contemplation on the inside. Above the three First Dhyana Heavens, there are no more words and languages.

If humans, when practicing giving obtain pleasure and therefore practice more giving, they thus are obtaining even more pleasure. They further contemplate, renounce the five desires and discard the five coverings, 五蓋 which are: 1) Greed and desire 貪欲 (especially sexual desire). 2) Anger and resentment 瞋恚. 3) Torpor 惛眠: laziness and sleepiness. 4) Agitation 掉舉. And 5) Doubt 疑: to have no faith in the Proper Dharma. If humans can renounce these five things, they can enter First Dhyana. This applies to the higher levels of concentration as well, up to the eighth samadhi.

By Practicing superior, middle, lower grade Chan, one can be born in the three First Dhyana Heavens. Similarly for practicing superior, middle, lower grade kindness.

You cannot reach Second Dhyana Heaven unless you cut off desire and sever love. If you still have either of them, you cannot be born there.

Also, light has superior, middle and inferior grades. What are the causes for your body to emit light?

1. To practice giving, and hold precepts.

2. To offer lamps in dark areas or to images or temples.

3. To often practice kindness, universally being mindful of living beings.

4. To practice the samadhi of the Buddha’s recitation, being mindful of the Buddha’s brilliance and Chan virtue 光明禪德.

5. To use the light of wisdom 智慧光明 to teach and transform living beings (as well as the fire practitioners 修火之人).

As a result of planting these causes, the gods can obtain the light of the mind’s wisdom 心中之慧明, such that the body emits light. The shastra states that the marks of the gods’ retribution bodies are: having neither bones nor flesh, being neither small nor large, and not being impure or needing to use the toilet, etc. Their bodies emit light night and day, they have the five spiritual penetrations, and their form is unobstructed.

The Heaven of Lesser Light, the Heaven of Limitless Light (there are many many lights there!), and the Heaven of Light-Sound: These three heavens belong to the Second Dhyana which is called the Joyful Stage of the Arising of Samadhi 定生喜樂地. When in the Second Dhyana, not only does the pulse stop, but the breathing stops as well.

The bodies of the inhabitants of the Heaven of Lesser Light emit light 定體發光, more than those of the Suyama Heaven. This is increasingly so with each higher heaven because their samadhi power increases. They shine because when in the world, they were more pure with the precepts and specialized in keeping them. The First Dhyana cultivators also observe precepts, but not that well and thus they do not emit light.

In the Heaven of Light-Sound, sound is carried by light. Thus they use light instead of words to speak 內無覺觀之細念, 外無言語之粗況.

The Heaven of Lesser Purity, the Heaven of Limitless Purity, and the Heaven of Universal Purity are the three heavens of the Third Dhyana which is called the Ground of the Wonderful Bliss of Being Apart from Joy 離喜妙樂地. In the Third Dhyana, not only are the pulse and breath suspended, but thought 念 (false thinking 妄念) stops as well. In a ksana 刹那, which is an extremely short period of time, there are ninety productions and extinctions 生死. In each of these, there are 900 thoughts. A meditator in the Third Dhyana can last for years without having any awareness of the passage of time. When they wish to return, the thought “I’m sitting in meditation” arises and their thoughts no longer remain still. As long as there are thoughts, there is no real purity (like dust on the ground). “Wonderful” arises from the fact that even bliss must be put aside and not be attached to before one can enter this state.

In the Third Dhyana, meditators 少淨天 forsake the First Dhyana’s joyful mind 離初禪之喜心, 得淨定之樂境, and obtain the bliss of the state of purity. While the second Dhyana Heaven’s samadhi power (and purity) increases over the first, the bliss of purity that marks the Third Dhyana Heaven is limitless. In the Heaven of Universal Purity 遍淨天, “極淨之樂, 周遍身心” the extreme purity bliss pervades body and mind. The bliss in all three realms is at its utmost in this heaven 三界之樂, 以此天為第一.

Sutra text:

…the Birth of Blessings Heaven, the Love of Blessings Heaven, the Abundant Fruit Heaven, the No-Thought Heaven, the No-Affliction Heaven, the No-Heat Heaven, the Good Views Heaven, the Good Manifestation Heaven, the Ultimate Form Heaven, the Mahesvara Heaven and so forth, until the Heaven of the Station of Neither Thought nor Non-thought. All of those assemblies of gods, dragons, ghosts and spirits came and gathered together.

Sutra commentary:

…the Birth of Blessings Heaven, the Love of Blessings Heaven, the Abundant Fruit Heaven, the No-Thought Heaven, the No-Affliction Heaven, the No-Heat Heaven, the Good Views Heaven, the Good Manifestation Heaven, the Ultimate Form Heaven, the Mahesvara Heaven and so forth, until the Heaven of the Station of Neither Thought nor Non-thought. All of those assemblies of gods, dragons, ghosts and spirits came and gathered together.

Next, the nine Fourth Dhyana Heavens are described. Three are for common people, and five are for the Third Stage Arhats.

1) The Birth of Blessings Heaven 福生天: Unlike the first two Dhyana heavens where, even though the pulse and breath have stopped, suffering and distress still remain, here the causes of suffering 苦因 cease to exist. Since gods here have no suffering, they are also not attached to their happiness. Thus it is said that their bliss is not permanent. The gods of the Second Dhyana have cut off thoughts of sexual desire. In the Fourth Dhyana Heaven, the seeds of desire 欲, and thus of suffering, are cut off. Consequently, all coarse forms disappear 粗重相滅了.

Of all the blessings, the blessings of Chan are foremost, therefore Chan is called birth of blessings 一切福中, 以禪定之福最勝, 固名福生.

2) The Love of Blessings Heaven 福愛天 is where supreme renunciation reigns 捨心圓融. What cannot be renounced is nonetheless renounced, and what cannot be given up is given up. The gods here obtain a supreme purity of liberation 勝解精淨 and have inconceivably great blessings. They reach a state beyond heaven and earth, of wonderful compliance in which everything accords with their intent 隨心如意. They renounce bliss and are apart from both bliss and suffering. They nevertheless harbor hope, seeking the heavens directly above them (the Abundant Fruit and No Thought Heavens).

Then, there is a fork between two heavens: 3) the Abundant Fruit Heaven 廣果天 and 4) the No-Thought Heaven 無想天. The Abundant Fruit Heaven is the highest reward that ordinary people (of six desire heavens) can attain. Here all the defilements of the lower heavens are left behind and there is limitless and inexhaustible happiness. Here the miraculous functioning of the spiritual penetrations can be found (therefore it is very difficult to be born into this heaven). The wonderful compliance 妙隨順 attained in the prior heavens is even more subtle in this heaven. The gods are able to obtain whatever they wish. In the other path of the fork lies the No-Thought Heaven. Thoughts 思想 are cut off for the first 499 kalpas (16 million years) of their lifespan, but not permanently. During this time they the gods here have no thoughts at all. However, in the last half of the last kalpa, thought spontaneously arises, causing them to fall. This is prime destination for the externalists and demons who think that they have achieved supreme Nirvana because they succeed in suppressing thoughts 厭破妄想, 妄想不生, 一定五百劫, 三界中無處可安住, 固居此天. For that time period, their minds are not moved by all the worldly suffering and pleasure.

Then there are the 五不還天 Five Heavens of No-Return, where the Third Stage Arhats dwell until they certify to Fourth Stage Arhatship.

5) The No-Affliction Heaven 無煩天: Here, there are neither views 見, which arise from greed when faced with states, nor thoughts 思, which are due to confusion about principles and indulgence in discrimination. The gods have neither suffering nor bliss, and thus obtain cool refreshment 青涼. The Third Stage Arhats whose lower realm delusions have come to an end, and whose higher realm delusions are sparse 下界惑盡, 上界惑薄 reside here. 緣真斷或 They connect with the true and have severed delusions. Out of pity for living beings, these Third Stage Arhats often request the Buddha to speak Dharma. They are not mixed up by views, thoughts and afflictions. They do not give rise to thoughts of fighting 鬥心不交.

6) The No-Heat Heaven 無熱天 is characterized by the absence of heat from afflictions 熱惱. The Third Stage Arhats who are reborn here, and the other residents, have severed delusions and succeeded in making their views become very subtle and sparse 所斷之惑, 轉見為薄. They are neither afflicted by the external states 無煩覺外境, nor heated by internal states 無熱內心.

7) The Good Views Heaven 善見天 has extremely wide and expansive vista 見非常大, 非常遠 of the ten directions. Obstructions are minute, samadhi power strong 障微定勝, 見色明徹 form can be clearly and thoroughly seen.

8) The Good Manifestation Heaven 善現天 is where a subtle transformation 微妙變化 occurs and the inhabitants can create all sorts of wonderful pleasures; not only can they see form, but they can also manifest form 現.

9) The Ultimate Form Heaven 色究竟天: Here the form dharma is at its utmost 色法最極. One thought of emptying form 一念空色, 便離色界 one then leaves the Form Realm. It is also known as The Mahesvara Heaven 摩醯首羅天, or Great Self-Sufficiency Heaven 大自在天, is at the top (peak) of the Form Realm. Its God King has eight arms and three eyes, rides a great white ox and holds a white whisk 白拂. In one thought, he can travel throughout the great thousand world; in one thought he can know the number of rain drops in the great thousand world. As a result, he thinks that he is very independent. His great self-sufficiency 大自在 comes from samadhi power.

All of the above ten heavens, with the exception of the Heaven of No-Thought, which is the abode of demons and externalists, are heavens of the Fourth Dhyana. The Fourth Dhyana is called the Stage of Renouncing Thought 捨念精淨地, because all thoughts (even fine ones) are put aside.

And so forth refers to the four heavens of the Formless Realm, also known as the Four Stations of Emptiness. These four stations are described in the following quotations from the Shurangama Sutra:

1. The Station of Emptiness: 大佛頂首楞嚴經: 空無邊處天：從色界四禪，以方便力，滅可見可對色、又滅不可見可對色、更滅不可見無對色；三色一滅，便出色籠，但見虛空無邊，故名「空無邊處天」. “若在捨心。捨厭成就。覺身為礙。銷礙入空。如是一類。名為空處。” “Those who dwell in the thought of renunciation and who succeed in renunciation and rejection, realize that their bodies are an obstacle. If they thereupon obliterate the obstacle and enter into emptiness, they are among those at the first Station of Emptiness.”

2. The Station of Boundless Consciousness: 大佛頂首楞嚴經: 識無邊處天：此天再用方便力，滅空識現，但覺識心無邊際，故名「識無邊處天」。“諸礙既銷。無礙無滅。其中惟留阿賴耶識。全於末那半分微細。如是一類。名為識處。” “For those who have eradicated all obstacles, there is neither obstruction nor extinction. Then there remains only the alaya consciousness and half of the subtle functions of the manas. These beings are among those at the Station of Boundless Consciousness.

3. The Station of Nothing Whatsoever: 大佛頂首楞嚴經: 無所有處天：再用方便力滅識，識滅一切皆無故。“空色既亡。識心都滅。十方寂然。迥無攸往。如是一類。名無所有處。” “Those who have already done away with emptiness and form eradicate the conscious mind as well. In the extensive tranquility of the ten directions there is nowhere at all to go. These beings are among those at the Station of Nothing Whatsoever.”

4. The Station of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought: 大佛頂首楞嚴經: 非想非非想處天：再以定力滅無，無滅想現；又以定力滅想，想滅無現。總不能想與無及我，三者一時俱滅，所以滅而非滅。“識性不動。以滅窮研。於無盡中。發宣盡性。 如存不存。若盡非盡。如是一類。名為非想非 非想處。” “When the nature of their consciousness does not move, within extinction they exhaustively investigate, within the endless they discern the end of the nature. It is as if it were there and yet not there, as if it were ended and yet not ended. They are among those at the Station of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought.”

At this station, consciousness is practically non-existent (that is why this heaven is said to have no thought). However, there still is a tiny trace left, that is why it’s called neither thought nor non-thought.

To reach the Formless Realm from the Fourth Dhyana, one must wish to enter emptiness 入空處, use expedients, and extinguish three types of form:

1. Form that can be seen and can be faced 可見可對色 (form dust 色塵).

2. Form that cannot be seen and can be faced 不可見可對色 (five roots, four dusts).

3. Form that cannot be seen and cannot be faced 不可見無對色 (法入少分 (the dharma is minute; 無表色 no representative form).

Although there is no coarse form, there is still subtle form 細色. It is said that, although the Formless Realms are not based on the four great elements 非無四大造, they are created by the fruition of samadhi 定果所為, and hence they all act as a wall 皆是牆壁. TTTThe Dharma Flower Sutra says that ‘wall’ is an analogy for the seventh consciousness 意識. The Three Realms are sustained by the seventh consciousness. The Shurangama Sutra says: “In the four empty heavens, body and mind are extinguished, and samadhi nature manifests. There is no karma, no fruition form 無業果色, from this until the end 從此待充.”

In the Formless Realm, although form can be extinguished (only the other four skandhas remain), the formless “cage” cannot be escaped. When their heavenly retributions are exhausted, they will continue to revolve in the turning wheel and be reborn wherever their retributions call for 此天只有心識而無色身.

In the first Formless heaven, the mind is apart from the three kinds of form, which are:

1. The five roots 五根: These are our five sensory organs.

2. The five states 五境: These are known as the five dusts.

3. The non-represented form 無表色: That which has no actual form that can be seen but still is perceived as form. For example, the consciousness connects with what was seen in the past but no longer has a form now.

In separating from the three kinds of form, the mind moves on to connect with 緣 emptiness and thus is in accord with formlessness 初離三種色˙心緣虛空˙既與無色相應. That is why this heaven is called The Station of Boundless Space 無邊空處. (It is also called the emptiness samadhi place 虛空定處). Here one is rid of the Form Realm’s form body.

One then renounces emptiness and 緣 moves along to reach the Station of Boundless Consciousness 識無邊處. Abandoning even that perception of emptiness, what remains is just consciousness 捨空緣識˙以識為處˙正從所緣處受名.

One then detests and renounces 厭 consciousness to enter the Station of Nothing Whatsoever 無所有處, which is also called 不用處. Practicing this samadhi one does not use all inner (內境 consciousness) or outer (外境 emptiness) states.

In the fourth Formless heaven, the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-thought, consciousness is practically non-existent. There are many explanations for this state. We have already discussed how this can mean that there is only a minimal trace of thought left. Another explanation, however, is that in this samadhi, one does not attach to the Station of Boundless Consciousness, and therefore it is called ‘non-thought’. Also, one does not attach to the Station of Nothing Whatsoever, and thus it is called ‘not non-thought’ 此定不緣識處˙故非想˙不緣不用處˙故非非想.

Stopping and Contemplating 止觀 explains that in this state the consciousness nature is unmoving 識性不動, and is extinguished to the ultimate 以滅窮研: hence the phrase ‘non-thought’ is used 非想. 豈非不緣識處乎 How does one not connect with the station of consciousness? By bringing on the limited 發宣盡性, in the midst of the limitless 於無盡中: that is ‘not non-thought’.

Another explanation is that the occurrence of both existence and non-existence 如存不存, 即非想 is ‘non-thought’, whereas, being exhausted and not exhausted 盡不盡即非非想 is ‘not non-thought’.

Finally, the Chan Dharma Door explains that in the midst of this samadhi, one does not perceive all marks 不見一切相貌: that is ‘non-thought’. Furthermore, if one is continually without thought then one is no different from wood or stone. How can one know of non-thought? That is why it is called ‘not non-thought’.

識性不動。以滅窮研。於無盡中。發宣盡性。如存不存。若盡非盡。如是一類。名為非想非非想處。 ~大佛頂首楞嚴經正脈疏 - 卷三十五

四、非想非非想處天，此定不緣識處，故非想；不緣不用處，故非非想。此第四天，古多異解，今取止觀者，以見大師雖未見楞嚴，凡所釋義，與經雅合。彼云識性不動，以滅窮研，則是非想，豈非不緣識處乎？於無盡中，發宣盡性，則是非非想，豈非不緣不用處乎？又云：如存不存，即非想也；若盡不盡，即非非想也。故禪門云：此定中，不見一切相貌，故言非想；若一向無想，如木石無異，云何能知無想，故言非非想。如此釋義，天然吻合，若非古佛再來，安能發此妙義。 ~ 地藏菩薩本願經卷上科注

Sutra text:

Moreover, sea spirits, river spirits, stream spirits, tree spirits, mountain spirits, earth spirits, brook and marsh spirits, sprout and seedling spirits, day, night, and space spirits, heaven spirits, food and drink spirits, grass and wood spirits, and other such spirits from the Saha and other worlds came and assembled together.

Sutra commentary:

Moreover, sea spirits, river spirits, stream spirits, tree spirits, mountain spirits, earth spirits, brook and marsh spirits, sprout and seedling spirits, day, night, and space spirits, heaven spirits, food and drink spirits, grass and wood spirits, and other such spirits from the Saha and other worlds came and assembled together.

Those living beings with conditions all assemble to listen to the Dharma. They have planted blessings with the Triple Jewel in the past. Buddhas can only cross over those with whom he has affinities. In other words, without good roots, they cannot come and listen to the Dharma. Therefore, we should frequently recite the Buddha’s name, the sutras, investigate Chan, etc… We should plant more of the seeds in the Alaya Consciousness otherwise we will miss the boat.

Seas, rivers and streams are some of the various bodies of water 積陰之氣 that we are familiar with. Water corresponds to an accumulation of yin qi 陰氣. In the heavens, water appears as dew; on earth, it appears as rivers. The Great Shastra says that amongst all the things, water is the largest. Across the great earth in all directions, there is nothing that has no water. That is why without heaven’s mandate for (dragon-made) rain and without the existence of the heavenly water repelling pearl, the heavens and earth would all be flooded. The Agama Store Long Sayings 長阿含經 say that the sun’s heat draws water from the earth, plants and living beings, causing the water to accumulate into various types of bodies of water. As noted in The Shurangama Sutra, water is all-pervasive (e.g. condensation appears on metal when it is left outside overnight) and manifests at selected places, just like the inherent Buddha nature in living beings. All four elements of earth, wind, water and fire are pervasive. They may appear to conflict each other but their natures work in harmony and do not conflict. The Four Heavenly Kings have a precious gem 消水珠 which can halt water. Without it, heaven and earth would be joined in a mass of water.

The ocean is the king of the multitude of streams and rivers. That is why the sea spirits are listed first.

Sea spirits 海神 include the dragon kings, the Hǎi Ruò 海若, the Yáng Hé 陽和, and others. The chief sea spirit is the Hǎi Ruò which has eighteen tails, eight legs and eight heads. Its heads look human, four of them being male, and four female. It’s an animal, not an insect. Its place of abode is the sea.

River spirits 江神 are named jiang bó. Rivers 江 may be broad but are not deep, as compared to the sea. Further, water from rivers is for common use.

The streams 河, whose leader spirit is named mì fei 宓妃, are even smaller, and can be very calm when no wind is blowing. Unlike the sea which accepts waters, the streams follow the earth’s contours and flow ceaselessly.

Tree spirits 樹神: Tree in Chinese is a homonym for upright or perpendicular. Large and older trees are known to be dwellings for ghosts (yaksas and raksashas) as well as spirits. If a tree spirit leaves the tree in which it lives, then that tree will wither. Once the Táng dynasty emperor was visiting the Nine Flower Mountain, he dreamt of an old man who came and pleaded for help because there were wood cutters who are coming to harm him the next morning. After waking, the emperor went up the mountain and saw a group of wood cutters about to cut down an old pine tree and understood. In Jambudvipa, the king of trees is Jambunada. In the past (Three Warring States period), General Cáo Cao 曹操 ordered a great tree to be cut down even though it was rumored to be the house of a spirit. The general did not believe in such ‘superstitions’. Shortly after, he developed a splitting headache. Physician Hua Tuó 華陀 cured him and told him that it was caused by the tree spirit whose home he had destroyed. At Nán Huá 南華 monastery, a camphor tree spirit 樟樹 received the precepts from Great Master Xu Yun. At Nán Yuè 南嶽, the Dharma Seat of the Old Man of Mount Wei 南嶽津山老人, a gingko tree spirit 白果樹 also received the precepts.

The great trees are where yakshas and rakshasas live. Without these trees they would have to suffer.

Mountain spirits 山神: Mountains are defined by the Chinese words that mean “grow” or “produce,” since things can grow and flourish on their sides. Larger mountains have bigger spirits. The spirit at Mount Grdhrakuta is called “Pi Luo 埤羅.”

Earth spirits 地神: Earth is a homonym for “bottom” in Chinese. Even though the earth is at the bottom, it can still produce the myriad things. Jambudvipa’s earth spirit is called “solid and durable 堅牢.”

Brook and marsh spirits 川澤神: Brooks can go over the earth or areas that originally had no water. They can flow by boring through the ground. Marshes occur where there is pooled water.

Sprout and seedling spirits 苗稼神: Sprouts 苗 can grow to a certain height. Seedlings 稼 are planted into the ground. In China, a man called Hòu Jì 后稷 taught others how to farm 耕種. He became a sprout and seedling spirit after death.

Day and night spirits 晝神、夜神: Day starts at midnight while night begins at noon. Although the sun is not yet visible at midnight, the yang energies already begin to rise. Shortly before daybreak, between three and five am, this rise corresponds with a rise of lustful desire in people. After noon, when the yin energies are rising, a similar phenomenon occurs. If desire can be contained, it can be transformed into wisdom. This is not unlike the forked path formed by the Abundant Heaven and No-Thought Heaven. Taking one path leads to the flourishing of desires, while turning to the other leads to the growth of wisdom.

The space spirit 空神 is called Sunyata 舜若多 in Sanskrit (refer to the Shurangama Sutra). Its body has no coarse marks and has subtle and wonderful colors, thus it appears in the Buddha’s light. Unlike things whose substance creates obstructions, the nature of space is unreal and not obstructive. The Nirvana Sutra states that while material objects can obstruct, the nature of emptiness is false and non-obstructive. The Small Vehicle takes brightness and darkness as substance. The Great Vehicle takes emptiness manifesting form as substance 涅槃云˙物體質礙˙空性虛通˙小乘以明暗為體˙大乘以空一顯色為體.

Heaven spirits 天神: Heaven denotes manifesting 顯 (in the skies). It also means cool and composed 坦然, lofty and far 高而遠. All the heavens are under the control of one heaven spirit king named Hào Tian Shàng Dì 昊天上帝˙亦曰天皇大帝, who is also called Tài Yi 亦名太一. He has five assistant kings 其佐曰五帝.

Food and drink spirits 飲食神: Anything we eat or drink is watched over by a spirit who is also known as Zào Shén 灶神 (the kitchen god).

We rely on food and drinks to sustain our body and life.

In Peking there once lived a man named Duàn Zhèng Yuán 段正元, who was often known as Honorable Master Duàn 段師尊. He once encountered a remarkable individual who was the son of a very busy official who supervised several hundred people. While the father worked at the duties incumbent upon such an official, the twenty-something year old son slept day in and day out. This behavior annoyed the father, who finally confronted his son.

"Look at me," he said, "I’m over sixty and working full time to support you, a young man in your twenties. You ought to be ashamed."

"You, Father," the son said, "are a government official; I am a food and drink official 陰間官."

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"Every day I allocate the food which everyone will consume. It's that simple."

"You must be mad," said the father, controlling his temper, "There is no such thing. All right, if that is what you do, just tell me now what am I going to eat tomorrow?"

"Just a moment," said the son, "I have to sleep first and then I will be able to tell you."

The father, by now nearly mad with rage, choked and shook as his son dropped off once again to sleep. When he finally awoke, he informed his father that on the next day he would go hungry.

"Now I know you're mad," said his father. "How can a major government official possibly go hungry?"

"Well, Father, actually you are going to get something, but it's only going to be a slightly spoiled egg and half a bowl of soured millet gruel."

"Incredible," shouted the outraged father. "My own son is trying to make a fool of me!" He rushed off to order preparations for dressing ducks, chickens, geese, fish, and other delicacies for the next day's meal.

The kitchen staff was unusually busy the next morning preparing an elaborate meal, which was delayed a bit as a result of the great amount of care and effort that went into it. Just as he was about to sit down to dinner, the official received an urgent message, an order to disperse a group of bandits in the countryside. Not a moment could be lost, and he sprang to his mount at the head of his troops, leaving the banquet steaming on the table. Before long, the bandits were engaged and defeated.

The men, who had eaten their ordinary meal at the usual time, were not fatigued by hunger, but the official himself had not eaten a thing and was weak with exhaustion. Accompanied by some of his troops, he stopped at a nearby farmhouse and asked for some provisions.

"We haven't a thing," replied the head of the household, "except an old egg and half a bowl of millet gruel, which we were saving for my pregnant wife. The egg's a bit bad, and the gruel's gone sour, but you're welcome to have them if you would like."

As he downed the simple meal the official suddenly recalled his son's prediction of the preceding day. From that time onward he left his son alone to preside over food and drink, while he himself continued to preside over human beings.

Grass and wood spirits 草木神: Grass and wood also have their own spirits who dwell there. Grass grows easily but its roots are not sturdy and thus it perishes in the winter.

The above list merely names the major groups. Between them, the total number of spirits is as numerous as all the grains of sand in the Ganges River.

Sutra text:

In addition, all the great ghost kings from the Saha and other worlds assembled together. They were the Evil-Eyed Ghost King, the Blood-Eating Ghost King, the Essence- and Energy-Eating Ghost King, the Fetus-and-Egg-Eating Ghost King, the Sickness-Spreading Ghost King, the Poison-Gathering Ghost King, the Kindhearted Ghost King, the Blessings and Benefit Ghost King, the Great Love and Respect Ghost King, and others.

Sutra commentary:

In addition, all the great ghost kings from the Saha and other worlds assembled together. They were the Evil-Eyed Ghost King, the Blood-Eating Ghost King, the Essence- and Energy-Eating Ghost King, the Fetus-and-Egg-Eating Ghost King, the Sickness-Spreading Ghost King, the Poison-Gathering Ghost King, the Kindhearted Ghost King, the Blessings and Benefit Ghost King, the Great Love and Respect Ghost King, and others.

The world has yin and yang, dark and bright. Brightness belongs to yang where gods and spirits dwell. Dragons could be either. Ghosts belong to yin. To keep things in order, there are ghost kings which are in charge. Without them, the ghosts will misbehave, obey no rules and harm living beings. Earth Store Bodhisattva is the teaching host of the dark world 幽冥教主.

A lot of ghosts are mentioned here. They exist whether you believe in them or not. However, if your mind does not move, there isn’t a single ghost after all: “One thought not arising, the entire substance manifests, the six organs suddenly move and one is covered up by clouds 一念不生全體現, 六根忽動被雲遮.”

Ghosts are homonyms for “to return.” When a person dies, he returns to the place where he committed offenses.

Kings have awesome virtue 威德. They are honored 貴, or else they would be called lowly 賤. They have wealth, abundant clothes and food. In fact, they have heavenly clothes and eat heavenly offered food. Refined in appearance, they are carefree and roam with leisure. This is from having practiced great giving in their prior lives. However, because they used to be flattering and tortuous 諂曲, because they were not truthful 不實, they fell to the ghost path.

Evil-Eyed Ghost King 惡目鬼王: His eyes are most frightening. One look at him, and one can’t help but have the shakes. The ten thousand dharmas are created from the mind alone. The mind controls consciousness inside and manifests as form outside. The mind that dwells on goodness is associated with a facial expression that is kind and accomodating. The evil mind naturally manifests in ugly and unpleasant facial expressions. The mind of this ghost king dwells in intransigence and stubborness. His angry eyes are very mean, as when one looks at one’s arch enemy.

The mind has spirit and light which manifest through the eyes. The openings pair with the liver 竅開於肝. The kidneys exit through the eyeballs 睛出於腎. One should nurture the spirit in darkness 育神於暗. The eyes can manifest as beneficent from the mind of kindness or as evil from the mind of impatience. The Wonderful Arm Sutra 妙臂經 says that an angry look can harm the body, or even end a life 嗔目視之˙乃至破壞身命.

The Blood-Eating Ghost King 噉血鬼王: The ghosts eat fresh blood. They often come to slaughter houses and butcher shops, feasting on raw meat, fish or mutton. They are kept in check by this ghost king. He likes to spread blood on food before eating. It’s from killing, and eating blood in the past. He did not share with his wife and children. He was that greedy and miserly! Due to his stinginess, he thus received this body to undergo the retribution of feeding on filthy stuff.

The Essence-and-Energy-Eating Ghost King 噉精氣鬼王: This ghost king is named “Pisaci” 毗舍闍 in Sanskrit, meaning 顛鬼 dementia ghost. He looks like a small child. He eats the essential energies of both people and plants (the five grains 五穀之氣), causing unexpected decay in them.

The Moon Treasury Sutra 月藏經 says that there are the earth essential qi, human essential qi, and essential qi of the Proper Dharma superior flavor sweet dew. 月藏經云˙地精氣˙衆生地精氣˙正法勝味甘露地精氣˙

The Fetus-and-Egg-Eating Ghost King 噉胎卵鬼王 is responsible for miscarriages and stillbirths. The fetus forms after three months. At that time, both form and character are incomplete. If the child is exposed to goodness, it will lean towards the good 感於善則善; if exposed to evil, it will tend to be bad. This is why the ancients have fetus schooling. The fetus exits the womb after ten months, and the evil ghosts then fight each other to eat the fetus bag.

孕三月成胎˙形猶未具˙從月台聲˙爾時生氣未定˙感於善則善˙感於惡則惡˙古有胎教˙

The Sickness-Spreading Ghost King 行病鬼王 runs about spreading diseases and epidemics. The 富單那鬼 putana ghost spreads warm illnesses in the human realm. The Mansjushri Jewelled Treasury Dharani Sutra 文殊寶藏陀羅尼經 says that after the Buddha’s Nirvana, the evil dharmas multiply. All sorts of disasters plague the world. The evil ghosts will come to the world in female forms and spread all kinds of sicknesses with the men.

The Poison Gathering Ghost King 攝毒鬼王 is a beneficial ghost king who removes poison from people. He’s really a transformation of a Bodhisattva. He can handle all kinds of poison, including dragon poison, snake poison, and gǔ 蠱 (a legendary poisonous insect) poison.

The Kindhearted Ghost King 慈心鬼王 leads the other ghosts to set their mind on Bodhi. He is very kind-hearted. He often gives joyful happenings to humans. Thought after thought, he loves and protects living beings.

The Blessings and Benefit Ghost King 福利鬼王: Blessings 福 are the opposite of disaster 禍; benefit 利 is opposed to loss 損. This ghost king is in charge of all the other ghosts who are in charge of the world’s wealth and assets 治生財產. He took refuge and received the precepts from the Buddha. Pardoning people’s offenses and giving them blessings, he protects their wealth 護人財物.

The Great Love and Respect Ghost King 大愛敬鬼王 loves and protects the cultivators who maintain precepts, bow to the Buddhas and recite sutras. He uses his body of a ghost king to encourage all those who practice good.

The Wonderful Arm Sutra 妙臂經云 says that when the eight-fold division and immortals meet a cultivator of this Dharma, they respectfully bow, join palms, and say, “Rare indeed! Rare indeed! The greatly kind and compassionate One, pities and is mindful of all sentient beings.”

The above-mentioned kings are leaders of the ghosts. They are actually great Bodhisattvas practicing the gathering 攝 or subduing 折 Dharma Doors. Each living being will encounter good or bad ghosts depending on when their good or bad karmas ripen. In any case, do not be too stuck on good or bad responses: they can change without notice! These Bodhisattvas use the Ghost King form to arrive and listen to the Dharma. Their names reflect the different good or evil Dharmas they utilize in their practice.

Sutra text:

At that time Shakyamuni Buddha said to the Great Being, the Dharma Prince, Bodhisattva Manjusri, "As you contemplate these Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits from this and other worlds, who are now assembled in the Trayastrimsa Heaven, do you know their number?"

Sutra commentary:

At that time Shakyamuni Buddha said to the Great Being, the Dharma Prince, Bodhisattva Manjusri, "As you contemplate these Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits from this and other worlds, who are now assembled in the Trayastrimsa Heaven, do you know their number?"

Manjusri means “Wonderful Virtue 妙德.” He understands and sees the three virtues and the Buddha nature 了見三德佛性. He does not indulge, and is principled 無縱無橫.

Manjusri also means “Pure Youth 童真,” as he has entered and certified to the True and Permanent 入證真常, does not grasp at states and is free from attachments (like a youth) 無取著.

Or his name could mean “Wonderful Auspiciousness 妙吉.” Ten miraculous signs occurred at his birth:

1. Light filled the room 光明滿室.

2. All vessels were filled with sweet dew 甘露盈庭.

3. The seven gems welled up from the earth 地涌七珍.

4. The treasures within the earth were revealed 神開伏藏.

5. Chickens gave birth to phoenixes 雞生鳳子.

6. Pigs gave birth to dragons 豬孩龍肫.

7. Horses gave birth to unicorns 馬產騏驎.

8. Cows gave birth to white cai (a serpent-like animal with two bodies and one head) 牛生白驛.

9. The grains in the granaries turned to gold 倉變金粟.

10. Elephants with six tusks appeared 象具六牙.

Manjusri already attained Buddhahood a long time ago, when his name was Superior Venerable Dragon Seed King 龍種上尊王佛. He is currently the Buddha called Happy Store Accumulation of Mani Gems 歡喜藏瑪瑙寶積佛 of the Happiness World 歡喜世界 in the northern direction. In the future, he will manifest accomplishing Buddhahood, and be called Universal Manifestation Thus Come One 普現如來. He manifests the small and hides the great 隱大示小; he rides the compassionate vessel backwards 倒駕慈航. He is foremost in the wisdom of seeing the Buddha Nature 見佛性智慧. He teaches all Bodhisattvas, causing them to bring forth the Bodhi mind and understand and see 了見 the Buddha Nature. That is why he is called Great Wisdom Manjushri 大智文殊師利.

He is Shakyamuni’s Grand Master 師祖. Sun Moon Lamp Brilliance Buddha 日月燈明佛, the last of the 20,000 Buddhas, had eight sons, the last of whom was the Buddha Dipankara “Burning Lamp 然燈,” whose teacher was the Dharma Master Wonderful Light 妙光法師 and who bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood on Shakyamuni.

The Dharma Prince 法王子: Amongst all the Dharma princes, their virtues are surpassed by Manjusri 德推文殊. In all the sutras, Manjusri is the leader of the Bodhisattva assembly 菩薩衆首.

Contemplate 觀: This is not what your Wisdom Eye can even contemplate.

Sutra text:

Manjusri said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, even if I were to measure and reckon with my spiritual penetrations for a thousand aeons, I would not be able to calculate it."

Sutra commentary:

Manjusri said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, even if I were to measure and reckon with my spiritual penetrations for a thousand aeons, I would not be able to calculate it."

The Dharma is not fixed 無定性. Sometimes, they say they know, sometimes they say they don’t know. It’s all in order to benefit living beings depending on the circumstances.

Manjusri says that he cannot fathom the number of living beings present in the assembly, which, as we will see below, is in fact the same number of beings crossed over by Earth Store Bodhisattva. Here Manjusri is verifying the Bodhisattva’s great vow, and that he really crossed over, is crossing over, and will cross over, these living beings in the past, present and future. It’s for real!

How can the heavenly palace accommodate that many multitudes?

1. They do not mutually obstruct each other.

2. This is due to the Buddha’s and Earth Store Bodhisattva’s inconceivable spiritual powers.

Sutra text:

The Buddha told Manjusri, "As I regard them with my Buddha Eye, their number still cannot be exhausted. Throughout many aeons all these beings have been taken across, are being taken across, will be taken across, have been brought to accomplishment, are being brought to accomplishment, or will be brought to accomplishment, by Earth Store Bodhisattva."

Sutra commentary:

The Buddha told Manjusri, "As I regard them with my Buddha Eye, their number still cannot be exhausted.

Buddha eye is one of the Five Eyes. There is a verse about the Five Eyes:

The Heavenly Eye penetrates without obstructions

天眼通非礙

The Flesh Eye sees obstacles but does not penetrate

肉眼礙非通

The Dharma Eye contemplates the mundane

法眼唯觀俗

The Wisdom Eye understands True Emptiness

慧眼了真空

The Buddha Eye shines like a thousand suns.

佛眼如千日

Although the illuminations differ, their substance is one.

照異體還同

Although their functions differ, their substance is just of one source.

The Heavenly Eye can penetrate things. The Flesh Eye can only see objects and people and cannot see through them. In order to “see,” one must give rise to a thought! When opened, the Dharma Eye can, for example, see sutras without using books because the entire extent of space is seen to be full of limitless Dharma treasures. The Dharma Eye can see worldly affairs, and it can also see the true marks of all dharmas 諸法實相; the Mundane Truth俗諦 is also called False Truth 假諦. The Wisdom Eye can see that everything is unreal. The Buddha Eye can see the real mark of all dharmas. The Great Shastra says: “佛眼無是不知, 無是不聞, 無是不見 there is nothing that the Buddha Eye does not know, does not hear or does not see.”

Throughout many aeons all these beings have been taken across, are being taken across, will be taken across, have been brought to accomplishment, are being brought to accomplishment, or will be brought to accomplishment, by Earth Store Bodhisattva."

The Buddha Eye was used to demonstrate that Earth Store Bodhisattva has been crossing over numberless living beings continuously. This proves that the Bodhisattva’s great vow is inexhaustible.

Accomplishment can have two meanings:

1. “Become flourishing 盛,” this is the meaning of the original Chinese character.

2. A derivation from the first meaning, can mean high, lofty and expansive (jìu 就 means tall 高), connoting the idea of an emperor. In ancient times, emperors ruled by filial piety and thus accomplished ultimate virtue. Only emperors were able to call themselves filial.

Similarly, a major theme of this sutra is that filial piety is the method by which one can accomplish ultimate virtue.

Sutra text:

Manjusri said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, throughout many aeons I have cultivated good roots and certified to unobstructed wisdom. When I hear what the Buddha says, I immediately accept it with faith. Sound Hearers of small attainment, gods, dragons, and the remainder of the Eightfold Division, as well as other living beings in the future, may hear the Thus Come One's sincere and actual words but will certainly harbor doubts. They may receive the teaching most respectfully, but they will be unable to avoid slandering it. World-Honored One, please discuss in detail the conduct of Earth Store Bodhisattva while he was on the causal ground, and tell about the vows he made that have enabled him to accomplish such an inconceivable task."

Sutra commentary:

Manjusri said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, throughout many aeons I have cultivated good roots and certified to unobstructed wisdom. When I hear what the Buddha says, I immediately accept it with faith. Sound Hearers of small attainment, gods, dragons, and the remainder of the Eightfold Division, as well as other living beings in the future, may hear the Thus Come One's sincere and actual words but will certainly harbor doubts.

Sound Hearers of small attainment 小果聲聞 refers to those:

1. Who only learned the Four Truths and 12 Conditioned Links.

2. Who have narrow roots 根狹.

3. Whose consciousness is deficient 罔識.

The members of the Eightfold Division 八部 are of inferior capacity 下機.

As for living beings in the future 未來世諸眾生等, typically:

1. Their resolve nature is not durable 志性不堅.

2. They have heavy karmic obstructions, making it very difficult for them to obtain liberation 業障難脫.

They will slander the Dharma and fall according to their offenses.

To see one’s nature belongs to the wisdom according to the principles 如理智, which is also called no attachment wisdom 無著智. Then one cultivates the later attained wisdom 後得智—until one can penetrate limitless worlds’ phenomena. This belongs to the “according to the count wisdom 如量智,” which is also called 無礙智 unobstructed wisdom. If one uses the self unobstructed wisdom 我無礙智 to contemplate the Thus Come One’s words, once one hears, one immediately believes. But those with inferior wisdom cannot help but give rise to skepticism because of their failure to understand the Buddha’s purport.

Unobstructed wisdom refers to the Four Unobstructed Eloquences 四無邊礙:

1. Unobstructed eloquence of Dharma 法無邊礙.

2. Unobstructed eloquence of principle: Millions of principles can be spoken, yet they all return to one 義無邊礙.

3. Unobstructed eloquence in phrasing: Every word carries principles 詞.

4. Unobstructed eloquence of delight in speech 樂說無礙.

The Eightfold Division consists of:

1. Gods 天,

2. Dragons 龍,

3. Yaksas 夜叉,

4. Gandharvas 乾闥婆,

5. Asuras 阿脩羅,

6. Garudas 迦樓羅,

7. Kinnaras 緊那羅,

8. Mahoragas 摩侯羅伽.

They may receive the teaching most respectfully, but they will be unable to avoid slandering it. They may respect the teacher and therefore be able to receive the teaching respectfully. However, the teaching is so profound that they cannot possibly understand it and may not be able to avoid slandering it.

World-Honored One, please eleborate on this and discuss in detail the conduct of Earth Store Bodhisattva while he was on the causal ground, and tell about the vows he made that have enabled him to accomplish such an inconceivable task, so that living beings who hear of these inconceivable feats can more readily accept and believe them.

Causal ground refers to the past lives when the causes leading to the effect were planted.

After making vows, one will surely encounter many tests of one’s resolve. Vows allow for guidance. To make vows but not act is to make empty vows. To act but not make vows results in single acts.

Sutra text:

The Buddha said to Manjusri, "By way of analogy, it is as if all the grasses, trees, forests, hemp, bamboo, reeds, mountains, rocks, and motes of dust in a Three Thousand Great Thousand World System were enumerated, and each one made into a Ganges River, while within each Ganges River each grain of sand became a world and within each world each mote of dust was an aeon, while within those aeons the motes of dust which would accumulate were in turn to become aeons. The time elapsed since Earth Store Bodhisattva has remained on the position of the Tenth Ground is a thousand times longer than that in the above analogy. Even longer was his dwelling on the grounds of Sound Hearer and Pratyekabuddha. "

Sutra commentary:

The Buddha said to Manjusri, "By way of analogy, it is as if all the grasses, trees, forests, hemp, bamboo, reeds, mountains, rocks, and motes of dust in a Three Thousand Great Thousand World System were enumerated, and each one made into a Ganges River, while within each Ganges River each grain of sand became a world and within each world each mote of dust was an aeon, while within those aeons the motes of dust which would accumulate were in turn to become aeons.

The Buddha starts out by using an analogy to illustrate that the numbers are simply uncountable. Only the Buddhas can know the final number.

Three Thousand Great Thousand World System: A (Small) Thousand World System 小千世界 consists of 1,000:

1. Suns.

2. Moons.

3. Jambudvipas.

4. And all up to the three Second Dhyana Heavens.

A Two Thousand World System is a thousand Small Thousand World Systems, including all up to the three Third Dhyana Heavens. A Three Thousand Great Thousand World System is a thousand Two Thousand World Systems 三千大千世界. In total, there are a hundred one hundred million 百億:

1. Suns

2. Moons

3. Jambudvipas

4. And all up to the four Fourth Dhyana Heavens.

The Great Shastra says that each Small World System 小千世界名周利 (小千梵名) is suspended in space by the Wind Wheel. On top of the Wind Wheel is the Water Wheel. Above the Water Wheel is the ground where humans live.

The time elapsed since Earth Store Bodhisattva has remained on the position of the Tenth Ground is a thousand times longer than that in the above analogy. Even longer was his dwelling on the grounds of Sound Hearer and Pratyekabuddha."

The Buddha uses an analogy to indicate how long Earth Store Bodhisattva remained at the Tenth Ground position. If we imagine each thing, amongst the numberless things in the world, to be itself a Ganges River 恆河, although the Ganges’ River has a finite amount of sand, the sand in all of these Ganges Rivers would be innumerable 無量. Further, if we now imagine that each of these innumerable grains of sand is itself a world, and we take the number of all of the dust motes 塵沙 in all of those worlds, then we would have an infinitely large number. That number represents how many kalpas 劫 Earth Store Bodhisattva has remained at the Tenth Ground Position.

Why did the Buddha use the Ganges River? Because it has a lot of sand. It is the biggest river in India. People believe that the river can bestow blessings and virtue, in addition to being very auspicious. If one can enter it and wash oneself, all one’s offenses and defilements can be expelled. It is considered a sacred river and is very well-known. There is no way to count all the sand in the Ganges (all the kalpas). Only the Buddha and the Dharma Body Bodhisattvas can know.

The Ten Grounds, which are levels of enlightenment that are attained by Dharma Body Bodhisattvas, are:

2. The Ground of Happiness (Dry Wisdom) 歡喜地.

3. The Ground of Leaving Defilement 離垢地.

4. The Ground of Emitting Light 發光地.

5. The Ground of Flaming Wisdom 焰慧地.

6. The Ground of Being Difficult to Defeat 難勝地.

7. The Ground of Manifestation 現前地.

8. The Ground of Traveling Far 遠行地.

9. The Unmoving Ground 不動地.

10. The Ground of Good Wisdom 善慧地.

11. The Dharma Cloud Ground 法雲地.

The First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, uses the Middle Contemplation 中道觀 to break through one part of ignorance 破一分無明 and therefore manifest one part of the three virtues 顯一分三德. It is called the position of seeing the Way 見道位. Also it may be called No Labor Functioning 又無功用. A Bodhisattva at this ground can act as Buddha in a hundred worlds 百界作佛, manifesting the eight appearances of accomplishing the Way 八相成道 to benefit living beings 行五百由旬初入實相無障礙土. This is the first entry to the Truth 初入實所.

Speaking of positions, the Buddha only mentioned the Tenth Ground, the 53rd out of 54 positions. This is not to mention the Small Vehicle 小乘 positions, which can be provisional 權 or actual 實 (permanent 常). The Small Vehicle positions include the Arhat position and the Enlightened to Conditions positions.

Earth Store Bodhisattva remained in each of these positions for such a long time so that he could cross over more living beings.

Sutra text:

"Manjushri, the awesome spirit and vows of this Bodhisattva are inconceivable. If good men or women in the future hear this Bodhisattva's name, say his name, praise him, regard and worship him, make offerings to him, or if they draw, carve, cast, sculpt, or lacquer his image, they will be born among the Heaven of the Thirty-Three one hundred times, and will never again fall into the Evil Paths."

Sutra commentary:

"Manjushri, the awesome spirit and vows of this Bodhisattva are inconceivable.

Why are they inconceivable? Because:

1. They cannot be ascertained 不決定.

2. One cannot ascertain the story 不能決定其化事.

All the worldly gods, humans and others cannot believe:

1. The extent of Earth Store Bodhisattva’s merit, virtues, and good roots.

2. That he can enter and become enlightened to the Buddha’s state 善能悟入如來境界.

3. That he obtained mastery of all Dharmas.

4. That he would stop at all worlds to rescue living beings.

If good men or women in the future hear this Bodhisattva's name, say his name, praise him, regard and worship him, make offerings to him, or if they draw, carve, cast, sculpt, or lacquer his image, they will be born among the Heaven of the Thirty-Three one hundred times, and will never again fall into the Evil Paths."

If such people are mindful of Earth Store Bodhisattva’s merit and virtue thought after thought without interruption, they will obtain a response with the Way. The Bodhisattva’s merit and virtue will permeate this person’s body and mind 透入身心. Relying on the Bodhisattva’s merit and virtue, this person can thus be reborn in the heavens a hundred times. Furthermore, he can meet with the Buddha, listen to and practice according to his Dharma, stop evil, cultivate good, and will never fall into the evil paths. This pertains to the various ways in which we worship the Bodhisattva, such as hearing 聞, praising 讚歎, worshiping 瞻禮, reciting his name 稱名, and making offerings 供養.

Since he made the vow, "Only when all the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha; only when all living beings have been saved will I attain to Bodhi 地獄不空, 誓不成佛; 衆生度盡方證菩提," Earth Store Bodhisattva has been using his awesome spirit to subdue living beings who have accumulated bad karma. He thus has passed through an unthinkably long time yet still has not realized Buddhahood, because after one being has been taken across, there is always another ready to go, and after that one, yet another, and so on.

There is no one-to-one correlation between the number of beings born and those entering Nirvana, since those who are born outnumber those who attain Nirvana by tens of hundreds of millions. The same relationship exists in the realm of birth and death, since the number of births in any given period is greater than the deaths in the same time. Beings have to grow old and pass through an entire life before they die, but those who are waiting to be born only have to spend nine months in the womb. Since birth is such a rapid process, the people born greatly outnumbers those who die at any given moment. For this reason Earth Store Bodhisattva has not yet become a Buddha. He does not, however, have any regrets about his vow, and the more living beings there are to rescue, the more he has to do. If there were no living beings, there would be no work, and if there were no work, he would become a Buddha, since Buddhas have nothing left to do. However, when there actually isn't anything to do, Earth Store Bodhisattva goes looking for work. Although he could remain quiet and at leisure, he continues to busy himself over living beings because of the power of his vows.

There is no way that we can imagine the strength of such vows. What has been mentioned here is only the smallest part of their greatness. Indeed, there is no way they can ever be fully discussed. On hearing of these vows, people ought to consider their own behavior. If you find that you have vowed to rescue even one or two people, then you have not been studying this sutra in vain. But if you say that Bodhisattvas are Bodhisattvas and we people are quite another matter, then you might as well never have studied a single word of it.

Don't let your motto be, "Amitabha Buddha, every man for himself; Mahasattva, don't worry about others 彌陀佛各顧各,摩訶薩不管他." If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, vow to cross her or him over. If you're too young to have such people to rescue, then you must still be close to your parents, and you can save them. Even if you are an orphan, you still have siblings or friends. Vow to see all of them over to Buddhahood.

Whenever we make prostrations before the images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, when we recite their names, such as when we recite, “Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva of Great Vows,” when we explain the sutras, such as this one, which describes the inconceivable qualities of a Bodhisattva, or when we place flowers, fruits, and incense before his image, these practices are called contemplating and worshiping, reciting the name, praising, and making offerings.

Those who know how to draw or paint can make images of Buddha and thereby enhance their own appearance. With every image, their appearance will improve. Those who wish to perfect the Thirty-Two Marks and Eighty Minor Characteristics may do so by making images (painted, sculpted, carved etc...). Every image adds to the perfection of one’s features, and finally, after hundreds of thousands of millions have been made, the full set of Thirty-Two Hallmarks and the Eighty Subtle Characteristics will be achieved. They will be born in the heaven of the Thirty Three one hundred times. This means that they will be born throughout all the six heavens of the Desire Realm. After each birth, they will be born again into the Heaven of the Thirty Three and will complete this cycle a hundred times. They will never fall again into the three evil paths.

Sutra text:

"Manjusri, indescribably many aeons ago, during the time of a Buddha named Lion Sprint Complete in the Ten Thousand Practices Thus Come One, Earth Store Bodhisattva was an elder’s son. On seeing that Buddha adorned with a thousand blessings, the elder’s son asked what practices and vows had enabled him to achieve such an appearance. The Thus Come One said, 'If you wish to perfect such a body, throughout long aeons, you must liberate living beings who are undergoing suffering.'

Sutra commentary:

This is the very first time that the Bodhisattva made the vow to cross over living beings.

"Manjusri, indescribably many aeons ago, during the time of a Buddha named Lion Sprint Complete in the Ten Thousand Practices Thus Come One, Earth Store Bodhisattva was an elder’s son.

Elder: According to the Lotus Flower Scripture 法華文句, an elder has (all) ten virtues:

1. An honorable name 姓貴 (such as being an emperor’s descendant, or having a distinguished family 貂插之家).

2. A high position 位高 (high officials).

3. Great wealth 大富 (one is so wealthy that one regularly indulges in extravagance).

4. An awesome reputation 威猛 (adorned and refined, not stern and yet commanding respect 嚴霜隆重,不肅而威).

5. Deep wisdom 智深 (as strong as an army, wielding superior and outstanding power, authority and use of expedients 胸如武軍,權奇超拔).

6. Advanced in years 年耆 (old in appearance and having etiquette that can transform others 蒼蒼稜稜,物儀所伏).

7. Pure conduct 行淨 (flawless, one’s behavior is consistent with one’s words 白珪无玷,所行如 言).

8. Well-respected 禮備 (one’s comportment is consistent with worldly norms and order, one acts as a role model 節度庠序,世所式瞻).

9. Praised by one’s superiors 上歎 (一人所敬).

10. Subordinates take refuge in him 下歸: everyone wishes to rely on him 四海所歸. 子者˙尊稱也˙如此方孔老稱子等˙非長者所生之子˙

Lion Sprint 師子奮迅. The lion is the king of beasts and is fearless amongst them. Similarly, the Buddha can subdue all of the ninety-six kinds of externalists.

Sprinting represents the ability to suddenly/quickly escape the dust 頓脫塵勞. One can eradicate the fine and minute obstructions to samadhi (dusts). One can enter and exit samadhi very quickly.

Complete means containing all the Ten Thousand Practices.

He received his name because he accomplished Buddhahood from the power of this samadhi.

On seeing that Buddha adorned with a thousand blessings, the elder’s son asked what practices and vows had enabled him to achieve such an appearance. The Thus Come One said, 'If you wish to perfect such a body, throughout long aeons, you must liberate living beings who are undergoing suffering.'

On seeing that Buddha adorned 見佛相好: This refers to the Buddha’s 32 hallmarks and 80 subtle characteristics. The hallmarks alone, without the subtle characteristics, would not be perfection.

The Five Precepts are included in the cultivation of the Ten Good Deeds. Therefore there are fifty merits at the start of cultivation and fifty at its completion, resulting in a total of one hundred. The Ten Good Deeds are contained in each of these 用 hundred, leading to a thousand blessings. When one thousand of these blessings are accumulated, one is said to have completed one superior blessing. Being adorned with a thousand blessings refers to one thousand of these superior blessings.

Using the three karmas with outflows of the body, mouth and mind to practice good and cultivate the six paramitas, generates the hundred blessings and virtues. The hundred blessings and virtues in turn are the causes for each of the 32 hallmarks.

Bodhisattvas practice the ten good deeds. Each deed has five minds (inferior, middle, superior, superior middle superior, superior superior). From the first moment of bringing forth the five minds until they all are complete, is called the hundred minds, or the hundred blessings.

Just like the Nirvana Sutra says, the causes and conditions of the Four Noble Truths have limitless marks that the Sound Hearers and Enlightened to Conditions cannot possibly know. That is why one must cultivate throughout long aeons.

Sutra text:

"Manjusri, the elder’s son then made this vow: 'Throughout immeasurable aeons until the very boundaries of the future, I will establish many expedient devices for the sake of suffering and criminal beings in the Six Paths. When they have all been liberated I myself will perfect the Buddha Way.' From the time he made this vow in the presence of that Buddha until the present, unspeakably many hundreds of thousands of nayutas of aeons have passed, and still he is a Bodhisattva."

Sutra commentary:

"Manjusri, the elder’s son then made this vow: 'Throughout immeasurable aeons until the very boundaries of the future which cannot be even be conceived off, I will establish many expedient devices for the sake of suffering and criminal beings in the Six Paths.

Suffering and criminal beings in the Six Paths: The Lotus Sutra gives us a glimpse of Bodhisattva’s mind, telling us that Bodhisattvas see living beings in the Six Paths as:

1. Destitute, having no merit and virtue.

2. Entering the dangerous road of birth and death.

3. Experiencing continuous and never ending suffering.

4. Having difficulty in discerning good and evil.

5. Subject to the four types of suffering: birth, aging, sickness and death.

Therefore, Bodhisattvas vastly create expedients to help all beings escape the Mundane. This is their most critical task.

The Stopping and Contemplating Treatise 止觀 says that the causes and conditions for entering the Mundane are:

1. Having a very kind and compassionate mind 慈悲心重.

2. Being mindful of one’s original vows 意本誓願.

3. Having invincible and sharp wisdom 智慧猛利.

4. Using expedients 善巧方便.

5. Having great vigor power 大精進力.

All living beings in the Six Paths constantly like to create offenses 舉心動念無非是罪, 非是業.

When they have all been liberated I myself will perfect the Buddha Way.' From the time he made this vow in the presence of that Buddha until the present, unspeakably many hundreds of thousands of nayutas of aeons have passed, and still he is a Bodhisattva."

He thus made his vows. The deeper the vow is, the more inconceivable is the position.

Sutra text:

"Moreover, inconceivable asamkhyeya kalpas ago there was a Buddha named Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. That Buddha's lifespan was four hundred thousand million asamkhyeya kalpas."

Sutra commentary:

"Moreover, inconceivable asamkhyeya kalpas ago there was a Buddha named Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. That Buddha's lifespan was four hundred thousand million asamkhyeya kalpas."

The Buddha does not appear in the world that often. Usually, countless kalpas must elapse before living beings’ good roots mature, creating a response that brings a Buddha to the world. For example, although Shakyamuni Buddha has entered Nirvana, when our good roots mature, Maitreya Bodhisattva will appear as the next Buddha and speak Dharma. As soon as we hear him speak the Dharma, we will become enlightened.

Unlike confused living beings who do not know (better), the Buddha has the three wisdom penetrations 三達之智 (he knows past, present and future worlds without obstructions). That is why he knows of the Buddhas who appeared in the past.

Enlightenment-Flower 覺華 represents a cause (as well as source 本, or samadhi 定), while Self-Mastery King 自在王 represents the consequences (as well as end 末, or wisdom 慧). He uses wisdom to illuminate all dharmas and thus obtain great ease. In addition, after planting the cause, he used Samadhi to attain the result. According to Dharma Master Shèng Yi, the mind is like a lotus flower; by using wisdom to contemplate the mind, the mind opens and therefore enters samadhi. The Thus Come One Store Sutra 如來藏經 says: “In the middle of all the afflicted minds, the Buddha sees a Thus Come One sitting in full lotus, adorned and awe-inspiring 儼然, without moving, replete with all the virtue marks.”

The Buddha's lifespan can be explained in several ways. In Chinese, “lifespan” consists of two terms: one for longevity or duration and the other for the continuity of life itself.

The Lotus Sutra explains that the Dharma Body of the Buddha is not separate from all dharmas. This coexistence with all constitutes its longevity. The fundamental principle of True Suchness constitutes the life of the Dharma Body.

The lifespan of the Reward Body, or Retribution Body, is based on True Mark Wisdom and the interactive response between wisdom and its objects/states. 境智相應; the states are wisdom and vice versa. The Buddha uses wisdom to clearly illuminate all states and all states that come are clearly understood, thus uniting both wisdom and states. This is known as being identical with the wisdom that knows. Thus all states are instantly and fully understood. Although wisdom and its states are originally a duality, ultimately they function as a single entity that constitutes the longevity of the Retribution Body.

The third body is the Response Body or Transformation Body. The longevity of this body is the hundred-year duration of the human lifespan. This body’s life is determined by causal conditions and circumstances.

From the perspective of the Contemplation Sutra (the Sutra of the Sixteen Contemplations), it is not necessary to break “lifespan” down into constituents. The Transformation Body has a lifespan that shows a beginning and an end (the Buddha’s birth and his entering Nirvana). The Retribution Body has a beginning but no end. The Dharma Body has neither a beginning nor an end. The lifespan of four hundred thousand million asamkhyeya kalpas mentioned here, is that of this Buddha’s Transformation Body.

Asamkhyeya 阿僧祇 means countless, and has two aspects:

1. Countless nights, days, months, and years.

2. Countless great kalpas.

Asamkhyeya kalpas, as observed by the Buddha, are just like one day. This is from the power of his penetration of past lives which is inconceivable. A king 分和壇王 once expressed his doubts about the extent of the Buddha’s knowledge. The World Honored One told him, “If you use all the great ocean water as ink, and split all the trees to make pens to write a sutra that contains all of my knowledge, the ocean water may dry up and the tree branches may be used up but my sutra will not have an end.”

Sutra text:

"During the Dharma-Image Age there was a Brahman woman who had many blessings from former lives and who was respected by everyone. In walking, standing, sitting, and lying down she was surrounded and protected by gods. Her mother, however, had improper belief and often slighted the Triple Jewel.”

Sutra commentary:

Typically there are three ages associated with each Buddha’s Dharma:

1. The “Proper Dharma Age,” which lasts 1,000 years, during which time people cultivate with great sincerity and many obtain the fruition.

2. The “Dharma-Semblance Age,” which also lasts 1,000 years, during which time people practice much less. Their efforts are applied to externals: they construct many temples, stupas and pagodas. During this era, people seek blessings and disregard wisdom.

3. The “Dharma-Ending Age,” which is the one that we are now in, lasts 10,000 years. It is characterized by wars, internal conflicts, degeneracy and strife of all kinds.

During the Dharma-Image Age of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Sufficient King Thus Come One, there was a Brahman woman. Brahman means pure. These pure practices include vegetarianism and celibacy, without which there can be no purity. Brahmans are also called “pure descendents 淨裔.” They aspire to be born onto the Brahma Heaven. The Brahmans tend to cultivate these practices haphazardly, and therefore they cannot obtain the ultimate principle. Yoga is one of its practices. The Taoists are their Chinese counterparts.

Who had many blessings from former lives and who was respected by everyone. She was well regarded because of her past numerous meritorious deeds. A person’s physiognomy reflects his or her past merits. Those who were more meritorious in the past, have full and harmonious features. Those who lacked merit in the past are now ugly.

The thousand blessings discussed earlier could also be explained in the following way: 1,000 good deeds constitute one blessing. Once perfected, they lead to the Thirty-two Hallmarks and 80 Subtle Characteristics.

Blessings can be of three types:

1. Holding precepts 持戒福, which counteracts the miserly mind.

2. Giving 布施福, which counteracts our tendency to create evil karmas.

3. Cultivating samadhi 修定福, which counteracts the way of anger and scattered-ness that are prevalent in the world.

This Brahman woman was replete with all three blessings. That is why the sutra mentions many blessings.

In walking, standing, sitting, and lying down she was surrounded and protected by gods. This is due to her prior life’s blessings, which enabled her to obtain an upright and proper appearance, making her liked and respected by all who saw her.

Her mother, however, had improper belief and often slighted the Triple Jewel.”

Deviant belief refers not only in improper teachings, but also to half-hearted beliefs (half belief, half doubt). Inwardly, she gave rise to deviant views. Outwardly, she belittled the Triple Jewel. The Triple Jewel is the kind vessel in the sea of suffering. To be respectful creates inconceivable blessings.

If one recognizes that the Buddhadharma is very difficult to encounter and therefore respects it by firmly believing it and clearing one’s mind 識佛法難遇˙弘信仰而澄神, then one will create blessings. On the other hand, if one looks down on the Buddhadharma, one will create offenses.

In particular, one such non-believer is called an icchantika 一闡提. Such people use coarse and evil words to slander the Proper Dharma, saying there is no Buddha and no Buddhadharma. They do not believe in the law of cause and effect or in retribution. They do neither draw near good friends, nor observe the Buddha’s precepts.

Sutra text:

"That holy woman worked many skillful means to entice her mother to hold right views, yet the mother did not totally believe. Before long her life ended and her spirit fell into the uninterrupted hell."

Sutra commentary:

"That holy woman worked many skillful means to entice her mother to hold right views, yet the mother did not totally believe, her mother was more enamored with improper beliefs. Before long her life ended and her spirit fell into the uninterrupted hell."

Before long points to life’s impermanence. We don’t have as much time as we think. There was a saying:

When I see another’s death, my heart burns like fire;

It burns, but not for him, for death rolls on toward me.

Death can be bad, as in untimely or accidental death, or good, as when one wishes, such as when the sages have completed their work in our world, they can decide to die and move on.

Spirit 魂神 refers to the Eigth Consciousness, also known as the Alaya Consciousness.

The uninterrupted hell is so named because there is no interruption of time, life or body. It is full with just one person or with many. Suffering is undergone endlessly. As soon as death occurs, there is instantaneous rebirth into the same continuously tormented body. It will be described in greater details later.

Sutra text:

"Knowing that when her mother was in the world she had not believed in cause and effect, the Brahman woman realized that, in accordance with her karma, her mother would be reborn in the evil paths. Thereupon she sold the family house, procured vast quantities of incense, flowers, and other items, and performed a great offering in that Buddha's temple. In one of the temples in particular, she saw that the modeling and painting of the image of the Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King was awesome in appearance, well-formed, and adorned to perfection. The Brahman woman gazed in worship at the honored countenance and became doubly respectful. She thought to herself, 'Buddhas are also called Greatly Enlightened Ones who are complete with All-Wisdom. If this Buddha were in the world and I were to ask him, he would certainly know where my mother had gone at death.'

Sutra commentary:

"Knowing that when her mother was in the world she had not believed in cause and effect, the Brahman woman realized that, in accordance with her karma, her mother would be reborn in the evil paths.

Not believed in cause and effect: There is a saying: “Of all the offenses, the worst one is not to believe in the true principles 一切罪中, 以不信真理之罪最大.”

Thereupon she sold the family house, procured vast quantities of incense, flowers, and other items, and performed a great offering in that Buddha's temple.

The family house is associated with personal safety and comfort. She got rid of it because she does not even think of herself.

Incense and flowers are the better offerings, symbolizing the beginning of sincerity. Incense can erase filth 辟穢. Flowers represent the perfect cause 具圓因. It is said that the bad odors from the human realm rise and cause the gods to loathe us (because the gods are pure). However they do not dare to come here because of the Buddha’s instructions. That is why, within the Buddhadharma, incense serves as the Buddha’s messenger 使.

She makes a great offering to the Buddha and present sangha. She hopes that this sincere act will invoke a response from the Triple Jewel and makes a transference to her mother.

In one of the temples in particular, she saw that the modeling and painting of the image of the Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King was awesome in appearance, well-formed, and adorned to perfection. The Brahman woman gazed in worship at the honored countenance and became doubly respectful. She thought to herself, 'Buddhas are also called Greatly Enlightened Ones who are complete with All-Wisdom. If this Buddha were in the world and I were to ask him, he would certainly know where my mother had gone at death.

Gazed at the venerable image: This phrase can be explained with an anecdote for gazing at the Buddha image. In the past, after Emptiness King Thus Come One 空王如還來 entered Nirvana, there were four bhikshus who studied the Buddhadharma together. They applied themselves vigorously and as a result forced out a lot of afflictions. However, later they became overwhelmed by their afflictions and wanted to create evil offenses. Just as they were about to fall (into the evil paths), suddenly a voice appeared in space, saying, “Bhikshus! Hurry inside the temple and contemplate the Buddha image. Contemplate as if the Buddha is still in the world.” The bhikshus followed the instructions and gazed at the white hair mark 白毫相. They further thought, “It’s as if the Thus Come One is still with us. Great Hero, please extinguish our offenses and defilements.” Because of the causes and conditions established by their contemplation of the image and their repentance, for 80 hundred millions of kalpas 八十億劫, they did not fall into the evil paths. They later accomplished Buddhahood as Ashoka Buddha in the east, Jeweled Production 寶生 Buddha in the south, Limitless Life Buddha in the west and Accomplishment 成就 Buddha in the north.

There is another anecdote from the Contemplating the Buddha Samadhi Sutra 觀佛三昧經 which demonstrates that the merit and virtue of gazing in worship are inconceivable: In the past, there was a Buddha named Jeweled Awesome Virtue Superior King Thus Come One 寶威德上王如來. A bhikshu came to his temple with his nine disciples. They bowed and praised a jeweled image. At the end of their lives, they were all reborn by transformation to this Buddha’s land in the east 大蓮華中. They all practiced the pure conduct and obtained the Buddha recitation samadhi sea 念佛三昧海. The Buddha gave them predictions and they all became Buddhas. Today, the eastern direction’s Good Virtue Buddha 善德佛 was that teacher and the nine directions’ No Worry Virtue Buddhas 無憂德佛 were his nine disciples.

Sutra text:

"Then the Brahman woman wept for a long time with lowered head and then fixed her gaze on the Thus Come One. Suddenly a voice was heard in space, saying, ‘O weeping holy woman, do not be so sorrowful, I shall show you where your mother has gone.'

Sutra commentary:

"Then the Brahman woman wept for a long time with lowered head feeling so lost and helpless and then fixed her gaze on the Thus Come One to regain her composure. Suddenly a voice was heard in space, saying, ‘O weeping holy woman, do not be so sorrowful, I shall show you where your mother has gone.'

Wept: She wept without making any sounds.

According to the Buddha Speaks of Inconceivable Vinaya Sutra 佛說決定毗尼經, the Buddha tells Shariputra that, besides the Buddha’s wisdom there is no other Vehicle that can help living beings obtain liberation and arrive at Nirvana. Only he can demonstrate the path of liberation, enable living beings to distance themselves from the deviant paths and manifest the sagely paths. That is why he is called the Thus Come One.

She is considered a holy woman because of her good roots. She was of the utmost sincerity.

Sutra text:

"The Brahman woman placed her palms together toward space and said, 'What divine virtuous one is this who comforts my grief? From the day I lost my mother onward I have held her in memory day and night, but there is nowhere I can go to ask about the realm of her rebirth'."

Sutra commentary:

"The Brahman woman placed her palms together toward space and said, 'What divine virtuous one is this who comforts my grief? From the day I lost my mother onward I have held her in memory day and night, but there is nowhere I can go to ask about the realm of her rebirth'."

Placed her palms together toward space 合掌向空: She was extremely grateful and happy for the response.

This woman was very filial.

“The tree would be still, but the wind will not rest;

The son would maintain the parents, but they are gone;

樹欲靜而風不止; 子欲養而親不在.”

Parents’ kindness is as boundless as the sky, higher than heaven, broader than the earth. She felt remorse that she was not able to repay her mother’s kindness. All of us should also ask ourselves, “What have I done to repay my parents’ kindness?”

Sutra text:

"A voice again resounded from space and declared to the holy woman, 'I am the one whom you behold and worship, the past Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. Because I have seen that your regard for your mother is double that of ordinary living beings, I will now show you the place of her rebirth.'

Sutra commentary:

"A voice again resounded from space and declared to the holy woman, 'I am the one whom you behold and worship, the past Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. Because I have seen that your regard for your mother is double that of ordinary living beings, I will now show you the place of her rebirth.'

She obtained a response from the Buddha because of her sincerity. She really cared for her mother, not for herself. The response itself comes in the form of a sound and yet there is no physical manifestation.

Sutra text:

"On hearing this voice the Brahman woman suddenly leaped up and fell down, breaking all her limbs. Those around her picked her up, and after a long time she was revived, she spoke into space and said, 'I hope that the Buddha will be compassionate, have pity on me and quickly tell me into what realm my mother has been reborn. My present body and mind will perish not long after this.'

Sutra commentary:

"On hearing this voice the Brahman woman suddenly leaped up and fell down, breaking all her limbs.

In her state of high anxiety, she leapt up and broke her bones and yet, in the midst of her great pain, she still only thought of her mother.

Because of her high level of anxiety she was extremely eager to know where her mother had been reborn. Therefore, she bowed down and threw her body like a collapsing mountain. She had no concern for her own body.

情發於中˙聲感於外˙舉身撲拜˙如太山崩˙急欲知母生界˙何暇顧惜形骸˙遂致肢體骨節˙悉損壞而悶絕矣.

She obtained a response from the Buddha from her sincerity. She really cared for her mother, not for herself. The response come in the form of sound and yet there was no form, thus manifesting production without production 顯生而不生. Furthermore, there was no form and yet there was sound, revealing that there is extinction and yet no extinction 無相而有聲者˙示滅而不滅.

Those around her picked her up, and after a long time she was revived, she spoke into space and said, 'I hope that the Buddha will be compassionate, have pity on me and quickly tell me into what realm my mother has been reborn. My present body and mind will perish not long after this.'

Her assistants propped her up. She said that she could not last much longer, her body was all broken and her mind was in great pain 形殘心苦: “Please tell me where she is.”

Sutra text:

"The Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King, spoke to the pious woman and said, 'After your offering is complete, return home quickly. Sit upright thinking of my name and you will certainly know your mother's place of rebirth.’ After she had finished worshiping the Buddha, the Brahman woman returned home, where, mindful of her mother, she sat upright recollecting the Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King.

Sutra commentary:

"The Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King, spoke to the pious woman and said, 'After your offering is complete, return home quickly. Sit upright thinking of my name and you will certainly know your mother's place of rebirth.’ After she had finished worshiping the Buddha, the Brahman woman returned home, where, mindful of her mother, she sat upright recollecting the Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King.

She then managed to finish making offerings and went home. “Home” also symbolizes her body home of the five skandhas. Contemplate the five skandhas and wisdom will manifest.

Did she rest so that her body would have the chance to recover? No, she sat upright 端坐即金剛正坐˙或全跏 and recited the Buddha’s name for one day and night. She forgot about her physical pain because she entered samadhi.

Sitting in full lotus is called the subduing demon posture. Half-lotus 半跏 is the as you wish posture 如意坐.

She immediately went home after making the offering to the Buddha. This represents the pressing nature of turning over confusion to unravel enlightenment 表翻迷為悟之疾. Thinking means to contemplate. There is a triad here: her mind, The Buddha Thus Come One Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King whom she contemplates and her mother. Mother is the mother of her mind 母即母心. Buddha is the Buddha of the mind 佛即佛心. They are three but they fundamentally coalesce into one.

Sutra text:

''After a day and a night she suddenly saw herself beside a sea whose waters seethed and bubbled. Many evil beasts with iron bodies flew about the sea, rushing to the east and west. She saw hundreds of thousands of millions of men and women rising and sinking in the water, being fought over, seized, and devoured by the evil beasts. She beheld yakshas as well, each with a different form. Some had many hands, some many eyes, some many legs, some many heads. Sharp, sword-like fangs protruded from their mouths, and they drove the offenders on toward the evil beasts. Some yakshas seized the offenders and twisted their heads and feet together into myriad horrifying shapes at which none would dare look for long."

Sutra commentary:

''After a day and a night she suddenly saw herself beside a sea whose waters seethed and bubbled.

a day and a night: “Day” represents her enlightenment which illuminates like daylight; “night” represents her mother’s delusion which is dark like the long night. “A” symbolizes the mind, the basis of confusion or enlightenment. In all, they represent the mind when enlightened and/or confused.

Her mother, having believed in the deviant and united with the dusts, turned her back on enlightenment. The holy woman sponsored the great offering, enabling the proper wisdom to enter her heart, thus uniting with enlightenment and turning her back on the dusts. Originally there is only one mind, both confusion and enlightenment branch out from it.

Many evil beasts with iron bodies flew about the sea, rushing to the east and west. She saw hundreds of thousands of millions of men and women rising and sinking in the water, being fought over, seized, and devoured by the evil beasts.

Why did the Buddha not just show her but instead made her go to the Hells to find out? Worldly people are covered by ignorance. They do not recognize good and evil, cause and fruition. Therefore he used this lady’s personally witnessing the suffering in the hells, to warn worldly people who are stupid and obstinate. What does stupidity look like? We do not understand and are closed minded. We see the Buddha and do not seek instructions. We see sutras and do not read them. We see sanghans and do not offer to serve them. We see our parents and fail to be respectful toward them. We are not mindful of the worldly suffering. We are blissfully ignorant about the effects and suffering in the hells. Because of our inherent stupidity, we revolve incessantly in the wheel of reincarnation. Thanks to her story, we can wake up and firmly believe that we must avoid doing evil, and concurrently do good.

She did not even take a break to attend to herself. She then saw herself by a sea (of karmas 業海). Her eighth consciousness (靈性 or 識神 or 魂魄) flew there. This is not a hallucination. This usually happens when sitting for a long time with undeviating single-mindedness. Within this samadhi, her consciousness went to the hells and she saw boiling seas and many beasts and ghosts. All were there from having created offenses.

Typically, one has to open the Five Eyes before one can see “things.” In this case, when her spiritual nature 靈性 left her flesh body, her five spiritual eyes then opened up and she was then able to freely use them. Thus she could see ghosts, spirits, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

She beheld yakshas as well, each with a different form. Some had many hands, some many eyes, some many legs, some many heads. Sharp, sword-like fangs protruded from their mouths, and they drove the offenders on toward the evil beasts.

Yakshas 夜叉 are “speedy ghosts” who come in many forms and shapes (e.g. ox, horse, lion, elephant, tiger, wolf; two-handed up to one-thousand hands; one-eyed up to one-thousand eyed, etc…). When the prisoners can escape (outsmart) the beasts, they then run into these speedy ghosts.

Some yakshas seized the offenders and twisted their heads and feet together into myriad horrifying shapes at which none would dare look for long."

They are toying with the convicts, making different shapes with their bodies.

When evil karmas come to an end, we will no longer see these fearsome ghosts and beasts 如正法念經.

Sutra text:

"During this time the Brahman woman was calm and fearless because of the power of recollecting the Buddha. A ghost king named Poisonless bowed and came to welcome the holy woman and said, 'Good indeed, O Bodhisattva. What conditions have brought you here?'

Sutra commentary:

"During this time the Brahman woman was calm and fearless because of the power of recollecting the Buddha.

calm and fearless: the Buddha told Manjushri (in the Earth ground contemplation 心地觀佛): it is just like in the dense forest, where there are plenty of ferocious animals waiting to pounce on men and harm them. If one puts the forest alight, all the beasts would then run away. When the mind is empty and perception extinguished 心空見滅, it is just the same.

All states appear in response to the mind. Conversely, the mind manifests according to the state. Fundamentally, the mind is empty. How can there be any state? When mind and state are both extinguished, how can there be any fear? 諸境由心˙心由境現˙心既本空˙境亦何有˙心境既亡˙懼自何生

A ghost king named Poisonless bowed and came to welcome the holy woman and said, 'Good indeed, O Bodhisattva. What conditions have brought you here?'

Poisonless: This ghost king is free of the three poisons of greed, hatred and stupidity. He is in charge of the area.

He bowed 稽首, with his hands touching the ground. From her appearance, he could tell she was no ordinary woman. That is why he was very respectful.

Sutra text:

"The Brahman woman asked the ghost king, 'What is this place?'

"Poisonless replied, 'This is the west side of the first encircling sea of the Great Iron Ring Mountain.'

Sutra commentary:

"The Brahman woman asked the ghost king, 'What is this place?'

'What is this place?' 此是何處 She asked out of surprise and curiosity.

"Poisonless replied, 'This is the west side of the first encircling sea of the Great Iron Ring Mountain.'

Four continents surround Wonderfully High Mountain 須彌山. Outside of these continents there are eight mountains. Further outside is the Great Salty Ocean 鹹海. And even further outside is the Great Iron Ring Mountain 大鐵圍山.

The first sea 第一重海 is within the water boundaries of the Great Iron Ring Mountain.

準長阿含˙起世經等˙四洲地心˙即是須彌山˙山外別有八山˙乃至其外鹹海˙廣於無際˙海外有山˙即是大銕圍山˙依立世阿毗曇論˙云大鹹海外有山˙名曰銕圍˙入水三百二十由旬˙出水亦然˙廣亦如是˙從閻浮提南際˙取銕圍山˙三億六萬六百六十三由旬˙從銕圍山水際˙極銕圍山水際˙逕度十二億二千八百二十五由旬˙銕圍山水際˙周迴三十六億八千四百七十五由旬˙第一重海˙在其中˙(準諸經論閻羅王宮˙既在界外˙則業海亦然˙即泥犁經所云˙鹹水泥犁是也)

Sutra text:

"The holy woman said, 'I have heard that hell is within the Iron Ring. Is this actually so?'

Sutra commentary:

"The holy woman said, 'I have heard that hell is within the Iron Ring. Is this actually so?'

Indeed, hell is within the Iron Ring, between the small Iron Ring mountain and Great Iron Ring Mountain.

Sutra text:

"Poisonless answered, 'Hell is really here.'

"The holy woman asked, 'How have I now come to the hells?'

"Poisonless answered, 'No one can come here unless he has either awesome spirit or the required karma.'

Sutra commentary:

"Poisonless answered, 'Hell is really here.' Yes, you are in the hells.

"The holy woman asked, 'How have I now come to the hells?' How did I manage to get here?

"Poisonless answered, 'No one can come here unless he has either awesome spirit or the required karma.'

Awesome spirit 威神 means that, using one’s spiritual penetrations, one can get there to rescue beings or to take a look. The required karma 業力 refers to the process in which one’s evil karmas mature and one must undergo the retributions. These are the two ways to get to the hells.

Sutra text:

"The holy woman asked, 'Why is this water seething and why are there so many people with offenses and evil beasts?'

"Poisonless replied, 'These are the newly dead beings of Jambudvipa who have done evil deeds and who, during the first forty-nine days after their death, had no survivors to perform acts of merit on their behalf and rescue them from suffering and difficulty. Moreover, during their lives they planted no good causes. In accordance with their own deeds the hells appear, and they naturally are striving to first cross this sea. Ten thousand yojanas east of this sea is another sea which has double the suffering of this one. East of that is yet another sea where the suffering is doubled still again. What the combined evil causes of the Three Karmas evoke is called the sea of karma. This is that place. ' "

Sutra commentary:

"The holy woman asked, 'Why is this water seething and why are there so many people with offenses and evil beasts?'

Why was the water seething? It is from the habit of arrogance, and liking to bully the weak. As a result, the water is incessantly creating waves.

Why were there many convicts? These are those who committed the ten evils. Their own offenses created the hell retribution.

Why were there many evil beasts? This is from the touching retributions 觸報 (body karma). For having created such karmas, they collected the evil fruition of seeing the beasts.

"Poisonless replied, 'These are the newly dead beings of Jambudvipa who have done evil deeds and who, during the first forty-nine days after their death, had no survivors to perform acts of merit on their behalf and rescue them from suffering and difficulty.

The Great Iron Ring Mountain大鐵圍山 surrounds the seas around Mount Sumeru. Beyond it is hell as confirmed by the ghost king Poisonless. Do you believe that hell exists?

Jambudvipa 閻浮提 translates into superior gold. The Long Agama Sutra says that Jambudvipa is the southern continent. This land is narrow in the south and broad in the north; it is 7,000 yojanas in both directions. It has the Jambunada 閻浮橝金樹 golden tree, which is seven yojanas in circumference, 100 yojanas tall, and has foliage 枝葉 extending 50 yojanas in the four directions 四布. The liquid from the Jambunada tree flows into the rivers and becomes gold. This kind of gold is of the best quality.

There are two kinds of death:

1. Life terminates

a) Life ends 命盡˙非是福盡, not because blessings have run out.

b) Blessings end 福盡˙非是命盡, not because life ends.

c) Both life and blessings end 福命俱盡.

2. External conditions death

a) Suicide 非分自害死.

b) Death caused by others or by accidents 橫為他死.

c) Both 俱死.

Alternatively, death can be divided into three kinds. Death can come from:

a) Debauchery 放逸死.

b) Destroying precepts 破戒死.

c) Destroying the life root 壞命根死.

During the forty-nine days, or seven weeks, after someone has died, the living should help the deceased create merit and virtue. The sutras could be recited, or perhaps one could recite mantras to help cross them over 超度. According to the shastras 瑜伽論, extreme evil destines one to the hells; extreme good destines one to the pure lands or heavens without having to go through the intermediate skandha body which is only for those whose case is unfixed 不定. This intermediate skandha body dies every seven days for a total of seven weeks.

Moreover, during their lives they planted no good causes, choosing instead to indulge themselves. In accordance with their own deeds the hells appear, and they naturally are striving to first cross this sea. Ten thousand yojanas east of this sea is another sea which has double the suffering of this one. East of that is yet another sea where the suffering is doubled still again. What the combined evil causes of the Three Karmas evoke is called the sea of karma. This is that place. ' "

They cross the sea on their own accord because of the retribution of evil karmas.

To the eastern direction there are more seas where the suffering is doubled each time. These seas exist because of the retribution for the Three Evil Karmas 三業惡因 of body, mouth and mind.

泥犁經云˙鹹水泥犁˙縱橫數千里水˙鹹水如鹽˙熱沸湧躍˙水中有鳥˙喙如銕生˙啄人肌˙齩人骨˙人不能忍是痛˙更度水去˙守泥犁鬼言˙死惡人˙汝何等求索˙人言˙我苦饑渴˙鬼即以鉤˙鈎其上下齗 (音銀˙齒根肉)˙口皆挓開˙復以消銅˙灌入口中˙唇舌咽腹皆燋盡˙銅便下去˙其人不能復忍˙還入沸鹹水中˙其人平生˙於作惡甚˙故求解不得解˙隨波上下˙迴澓沉沒˙其苦倍增˙可勝言哉

These three seas altogether form the sea of karma. This place is created by living beings’ karmas.

Blessings or offenses are unavoidable. If we create karma then we must undergo the corresponding retribution, like shadow follows form, or like echo follows sound.

Sutra text:

"The holy woman again asked the ghost king Poisonless, 'Where is hell?'

"Poisonless answered, 'Within the three seas are hundreds of thousands of great hells, each one different. There are eighteen that are specifically known as great hells. In succession there are five hundred with unlimited cruel suffering, and further there are over one hundred thousand with limitless suffering.'

"The holy woman again spoke to the ghost king. 'My mother has not been dead long, and I do not know on what path her soul has gone.'

"The ghost king asked, 'When the Bodhisattva's mother was alive, what were her habitual deeds?’

"The holy woman replied, 'My mother had deviant views and ridiculed and slandered the Triple Jewel. Even if she occasionally believed, it was short-lived and turned again to disrespect. Although she has been dead but a few days, I do not know the place of her rebirth.'

"Poisonless asked, 'What was the Bodhisattva's mother's name and clan?'

"The holy woman replied, 'My parents were both Brahmans; my father's name was Sila Sudarshan, my mother's name was Yue Di Li.' "

Sutra commentary:

"The holy woman again asked the ghost king Poisonless, 'Where is hell?'

This confirms the existence of the hells.

"Poisonless answered, 'Within the three seas are hundreds of thousands of great hells, each one different. There are eighteen that are specifically known as great hells. In succession there are five hundred with unlimited cruel suffering, and further there are over one hundred thousand with limitless suffering.'

The ghost king replies to the woman that the great hells are inside the three seas.

The three seas represent a large quantity, and do not necessarily mean bodies of water. The three karmas created by living beings are as large as the seas.

大者。具有十八。有二釋一準問地獄經˙云十八王者˙即主領十八地獄是˙一迦延典泥犁˙乃至十八觀身典洋銅˙則獄名典主˙局定十八之數˙若觀佛三昧海經˙云阿鼻地獄˙各有十八小地獄˙小地獄中˙各有十八˙˙寒冰地獄˙黑暗小熱乃至飲銅˙各有十八˙˙如是阿鼻大地獄中˙有此十八地獄˙一一地獄中˙各有十八隔˙(統紀是鬲˙郎的切˙鼎屬)始從寒冰˙乃至飲銅˙總三百四十二隔地獄˙今謂彼經以阿鼻為最大˙故以各有十八為小˙今云大者有十八˙或不對阿毗˙故各名大˙˙例如世間諸王˙不對天子˙各稱大王˙若對至尊˙則稱小王矣˙

Hells are of three general types: 1) hot 熱 2) cold 寒 3) adjoining 邊. The hot hells number eight, and are beneath Jambudvipa, one on top the other. Living beings undergo hot suffering and afflictions 熱苦惱. Cold hells also number eight, and are at the bottom of the encircling iron mountains 鐵圍山. There, living beings undergo cold and freezing suffering. The adjoining hells number three. In these hells, living beings undergo suffering other than cold or hot, which takes place between mountains 山間, between water 水間, or in the wilderness 廣野.

The Roasting Hell is one of the eighteen Great Hells. Each would have eighteen subsections.

The eighteen great hells and five hundred etc. are based on fixed locations. Eighteen hells refer to those where the eighteen kings govern. Other sutras such as Contemplating the Buddha Samadhi Sutra 觀佛三昧海經 also mention that Avici 阿鼻 Hell has eighteen small hells, each having eighteen sub-hells, or partitions 隔.

The three seas, etc have listed eight cold and hot hells. Each would have in general 136 sub-hells, or 100,000 in breadth.

Unlimited cruel suffering 苦毒無量: According to the Naraka Sutra 準泥犂經, the Buddha says that if you want to know the kind of suffering that is most difficult to endure, you should look at the hells. There, suffering is so extreme that it cannot be expressed. For example, a thief 世逆賊 was caught by the government. He was given three hundred lashes and brought before the king. His wound festered and gave him extreme pain. A bhikshu told the Buddha, one sore alone could make the slightest movement of the body extremely painful, let alone three hundred! The Buddha said that the suffering in the hells is one hundred million one hundred million ten thousand times worse 億億萬倍. On top of it, the ghosts further inflict more pain and suffering. There is no end to the suffering in the hells.

There are numberless hells. Each corresponds to an evil deed done by living beings. They are created “on the fly” to help us undergo our evil retributions.

For example, in the Roasting Hell 炮烙 there is a large hollow brass 銅 pillar full of fire. Those who commit deviant sex fall into this hell and mistake the pillar for a beautiful person. They rush forth to embrace it to get themselves burned to death. Then, a “Clever Breeze 巧風” blows and revives the dead. Once revived, they have no recollection and rush toward the pillar again. The cycle repeats again and again.

"The holy woman again spoke to the ghost king. 'My mother has not been dead long, and I do not know on what path her soul has gone. '

"The ghost king asked, 'When the Bodhisattva's mother was alive, what were her habitual deeds?’

If you wish to know where you are going next, just look at your current habits. If you indulge in the poisons then you most likely will fall to the lower realms.

Soul 魂神 refers to the eighth consciousness, which consists of two components:

1. 魂: yang spirit.

2. 魄: yin spirit.　

氣也者˙神之盛˙魂也者˙鬼之盛˙道經云˙魂者˙氣之神˙魄者˙精之神˙˙陽神曰魂˙陰神曰魄˙五教指第八識˙法經云˙是身為死物˙精神無形法˙自作受苦樂˙身死神不喪˙識神造三界˙善不善三處˙陰行而默至˙所往如響應˙˙故知必隨業而趣矣˙

The ghost king addressed the Brahman woman as Bodhisattva because of her great filiality.

"The holy woman replied, 'My mother had deviant views and ridiculed and slandered the Triple Jewel. Even if she occasionally believed, it was short-lived and turned again to disrespect. Although she has been dead but a few days, I do not know the place of her rebirth.'

"Poisonless asked, 'What was the Bodhisattva's mother's name and clan?'

"The holy woman replied, 'My parents were both Brahmans; my father's name was Sila Sudarshan, my mother's name was Yue Di Li'."

Deviant views fall under one of the five Quick Servants, which are:

a) The view of a body 身見: leading us to have overzealous concerns for the body’s welfare (which makes us afraid to take a loss).

b) Extreme Views 邊見: of nihilism or permanence.

c) Deviant Views 邪見: not believing in cause and effect.

d) Seizing on views 見取見: mistaking what is not an effect for an effect.

e) Views of Prohibitions 戒取見: mistaking what is not a cause for a cause.

The shastra 成論 says that it is better to stop and not do, rather than tread a deviant path. At the end of life, you will certainly fall into the evil paths. If your mind is inconstant, your nature is unfixed, in one instant of fleeting belief or on impulse, you may indulge in deviancy and give rise to slander.

To ridicule and slander the Triple Jewel could bring on the hell retribution! Be careful not to harbor deviant views in the inside and ridicule and slander on the outside.

Some maintain precepts with their body and mouth but harbor deviant views. They may practice vigorously but their mind continually plants the seeds for suffering due to their deviant views. It is much better to not hold precepts but have no deviant views, than the other way around.

The Indian caste system has four major groups:

1. Brahmans: pure caste 淨行.

2. Ksatriyas 剎帝利: warrior class 王種.

3. Vaisyas 吠奢: merchant class 商賈.

4. Chandalas 戌陀羅: the lowest class: butchers etc.

Upper castes and lower castes did not mix.

Speaking of lineage, in India, the Brahmans are considered to be descendants of the Gods and are the most honored lineage. The Buddhist sangha, on the other hand, takes giving as its foundation. Because the sangha practices giving and doing good, it really represents a great class. From the Buddhist perspective, people, regardless of social status, are honored from giving and goodness, not from birth.

Sila Sudarshan: 尸羅善 (good; the nature is good; liking to practice the good path and not be lax) 現 (manifest): her father’s name means “cool and refreshing good view.”

Yuè Dì Lì 悅帝利 is her mother’s name. There is really no explanation but I can give it a try. Yuè means to be favored (liked), and Dì means emperor. It may mean that she was favored by the emperor because of her beauty.

The Indians believed in the caste system which is rather static. In Buddhism, what matters is the kinds of seeds that you create: it’s much more dynamic. If you wish to be respected and honored: DO GOOD!

西天外道˙專執婆羅門種˙第一最尊˙˙如梵志頞婆羅延問種尊經云˙本初起地上人時˙皆是我曹婆羅門種˙我曹最尊˙初從口中出˙世人從下去˙我種˙是第七梵天孫˙佛反言天下一種˙持我曹種˙與剎利˙田家˙工師種等˙我曹死˙皆生梵天˙˙佛反持我曹與凡人等˙佛言˙我經中以施行為本˙施行善者˙最為大種˙其天下尊貴者˙皆施行善得˙不以種得也˙

Sutra text:

"Poisonless placed his palms together respectfully and told the Bodhisattva, 'Please, Holy One, return to your original dwelling. Do not be worried or sorrowful, for the offense-laden woman Yue Di Li was born in the heavens three days ago. It is said that she received the benefit of the meritorious deeds performed by her filial child who, for her mother’s sake, practiced giving at the stupas and temples of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. Not only has the Bodhisattva's mother obtained release from hell, but also, all those people in the Avici, on that day attained to bliss and were reborn together with her.' When the ghost king was finished speaking, he withdrew, with palms still respectfully joined.

Sutra commentary:

"Poisonless placed his palms together respectfully and told the Bodhisattva, 'Please, Holy One, return to your original dwelling. Do not be worried or sorrowful, for the offense-laden woman Yue Di Li was born in the heavens three days ago. It is said that she received the benefit of the meritorious deeds performed by her filial child who, for her mother’s sake, practiced giving at the stupas and temples of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. Not only has the Bodhisattva's mother obtained release from hell, but also, all those people in the Avici, on that day attained to bliss and were reborn together with her.' When the ghost king was finished speaking, he withdrew, with palms still respectfully joined.

The meaning of the text is self-evident.

placed his palms together 合掌: in a congratulatory fashion.

Her act of great merit not only benefited her mother but also other beings destined for the uninterrupted hell! However, it is interesting that the hells are already full again!

He placed his palms together 合掌 in a congratulatory fashion.

Sutra text:

"The Brahman woman quickly returned as if from a dream, understood what had happened, and swore a deep vow before the image of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One in the temple, saying, ‘I vow to establish many expedient devices in response to living beings who are suffering for offenses. Until the end of the future aeon, I shall cause those beings to obtain liberation.’ "

Sutra commentary:

"The Brahman woman quickly returned as if from a dream, understood what had happened, and swore a deep vow before the image of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One in the temple, saying, ‘I vow to establish many expedient devices in response to living beings who are suffering for offenses. Until the end of future aeon, I shall cause those beings to obtain liberation.' "

After she quickly returned (because she does not belong there), she understood that what had happened was thanks to the Buddha’s power (and was not a dream). She therefore made a deep vow that is endless. This is the first time the Bodhisattva made this vast vow. This is a great vow of filial piety.

After seeing how much her own mother suffered in the hells, Earth Store Bodhisattva brought forth the mind of kindness and great compassion and vowed to go there to save all living beings’ mothers from suffering. She does not differentiate between her own and other living beings’ mothers. We should thus follow her example and broadly practice filial piety.

To be filial is to serve our parents well. It is foremost amongst the 100 undertakings. Serve them with a well-meaning mind, a most sincere mind. The ancients said that the filial son takes care of his parents, enjoys making them happy 樂豫其心, will not go against their will 不違其志, pleases their ears and eyes 樂其耳目, and makes their sleep and meals peaceful 安其寢食. The Brahma Net Sutra says that filiality is the basis of the ultimate Way 至道之本.

Practicing filiality is one way to create the right kind of blessings that will be able to extinguish offenses. Common people create offenses which are with outflows. Outflows destine us to birth and death. The blessings that common people usually create are also with outflows, and hence also destine us to further birth and death. Such blessings with outflows cannot eradicate offenses with outflows. Only blessings with no outflows, which do not fall into birth and death, can do this. To create blessings without outflows, turn to the Triple Jewel. And since filiality is an integral part of Mahayana, it is one method of generating blessings without outflows.

Sutra text:

The Buddha told Manjusri, "The ghost king Poisonless is the present Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth. The Brahman woman is now Earth Store Bodhisattva."

Sutra commentary:

The Buddha told Manjusri, "The ghost king Poisonless is the present Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth. The Brahman woman is now Earth Store Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth 財首 has attained the seven treasures:

1. Faith 信 is the starting point.

2. Morality 戒 comes from faith.

3. Learning 多聞 and erudition come from goodness.

4. Renunciation 捨comes from learning.

5. Wisdom 智慧 unfolds because of renunciation.

6. Shame 慚.

7. Remorse 愧.

The Buddhadharma takes faith as foremost of the seven types of wealth because it gives rise to the rest　信故持戒˙善由多聞˙聞故能捨˙捨則生慧˙故信為財首.

After Shakyamuni Buddha’s Nirvana, there was a prince named Gold Banner 金幢 who was very arrogant and full of deviant views. He did not believe in the Buddhadharma. Also, there was a bhikshu named Samadhi Self-Mastery 定自在. The monk told the prince that inside the temple, there was an image of the Buddha that was much adorned; he should come in and take a look. The prince did and exclaimed, “This image is so beautiful; the Buddha himself must be quite a sight!” The monk told the prince that he was supposed to pay his respects to the image. The prince put his palms together and said, “Na Mo Fó.” He then returned to his palace and could not stop thinking about the Buddha. He dreamt of the Buddha and woke up, became very happy, gave up his deviant views and took refuge with the Triple Jewel. Because of the good roots from paying respects to the Buddha, the prince encountered 900 ten thousand hundred millions of nayutas of Buddhas. He obtained the very profound Buddha recitation samadhi. The Buddhas appeared and gave him a prediction. From there on, he went through one hundred ten thousand asamkheya kalpas without falling into the evil paths. Now the prince has obtained the profound Shurangama samadhi and has become the Bodhisattva Foremost Wealth.