BDK English Tripitaka 25-11, 25-111

The Pratyutpanna
Samadhi Sutra
Translated by

LokaksemaTranslated from the Chinese(Taisho Volume 13, Number 418)
byPaul Harrison

The Surarigama
Samadhi Sutra
Translated by

Kumarajiva
Translated from the Chinese(Taisho Volume 15, Number 642)
by
J o h n McRae

Numata Center
for Buddhist Translation and Research1998© 1998 by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for
Buddhist Translation and Research

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—
without the prior written permission of the publisher.

First Printing, 1998
ISBN: 1-886439-06-0
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-069169

Published by
Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research
2620 Warring Street
Berkeley, California 94704

Printed in the United States of America

A Message on the Publication of the
English Tripitaka
The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different
teachings. I believe t h a t this is because the Buddha's basic approach
was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment,much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical
ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was
given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed torelieve the suffering to which it was addressed.
Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundredyears ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire
Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is
my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had theopportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings.
Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's
eighty-four thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had
one hundred thirty-nine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious
Taisho edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusionin the First Series of this translation project.
It is in the nature of this undertaking t h a t the results are boundto be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced t h a t unless someone
takes it upon himself or herself to initiate this project, it will never
be done. At the same time, I hope t h a t an improved, revised edition
will appear in the future.
It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more t h a n ahundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, this monumental project has finally gotten off the ground. May the rays of the
Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in
the world.
Yehan
Founder of the English
Tripitaka Project
NUMATA

August 7,1991v

Editorial Foreword
In J a n u a r y , 1982, Dr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of the Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), decided to
begin the monumental task of translating the complete Taisho edition of the Chinese Tripitaka (Buddhist Canon) into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee wasorganized in April, 1982. By July of the same year, the Translation
Committee of the English Tripitaka was officially convened.
The initial Committee consisted of t h e following members:
HANAYAMA Shoyu (Chairperson); BANDO Shojun; ISHIGAMI Zenno;
KAMATA Shigeo; KANAOKA Shuyu; MAYEDA Sengaku; NARA Yasuaki;
SAYEKI Shinko; (late) SHIOIRI Ryotatsu; TAMARU Noriyoshi; (late) TAMURA
Kwansei; URYUZU Ryushin; and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of
the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi; WATANABE Shogo;
Rolf Giebel of New Zealand; and Rudy Smet of Belgium.
After holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee selected 139 texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. The texts selected are notnecessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China and Japan. While the publication of the First Series proceeds, the texts for the Second Series
will be selected from among the remaining works; this process willcontinue until all the texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, havebeen published.
Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or moreto accomplish the English translation of the complete Chinese andJapanese texts, for they consist of thousands of works. Nevertheless,as Dr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee t h a t
this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present
members have passed away.
It must be mentioned here t h a t the final object of this project is
not academic fulfillment but the transmission of the teaching of theVllEditorial Foreword

Buddha to the whole world in order to create harmony and peace
among mankind. Therefore, although scholarly notes are indispensable for academic purposes, they are not given in the English translations because they might distract the general reader's attention
from the valuable content of the Buddhist scriptures. Instead, simple
endnotes and a glossary are added at the end of each work, in accordance with the respective translators' wish.
To my great regret, however, Dr. NUMATA passed away on May
5,1994, at the age of 97, entrusting his son, Mr. NUMATA Toshihide,with the continuation and completion of the Translation Project. The
Committee also lost its able and devoted Chairperson, Professor
HANAYAMA Shoyu, on June 16, 1995, at the age of 63. After these severe blows, the Committee elected me, Vice-President of the Musashino
Women's College, to be the Chair in October, 1995. The Committee
has renewed its determination to carry out the noble intention of Dr.
NUMATA, under the leadership of Mr. NUMATA Toshihide.
The present members of the Committee are MAYEDA Sengaku(Chairperson), BANDO Shojun, ISHIGAMI Zenno, ICHISHIMA Shoshin,
KAMATA Shigeo, KANAOKA Shuyu, NARA Yasuaki, SAYEKI Shinko,
TAMARU Noriyoshi, URYUZU Ryushin, and YUYAMA Akira. Assistantmembers are WATANABE Shogo and MINOWA Kenryo.
The N u m a t a Center for Buddhist Translation and Research wasestablished in November, 1984, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A., toassist in the publication of the BDK English Tripitaka First Series.
In December, 1991, the Publication Committee was organized at theN u m a t a Center, with Professor Philip Yampolsky as the Chairperson. To our sorrow, Professor Yampolsky passed away in July, 1996,
but thankfully Dr. Kenneth Inada is continuing the work as Chairperson. The N u m a t a Center has thus far published eleven volumes
and has been distributing them. All of the remaining texts will be
published under the supervision of this Committee, in close cooperation with the Translation Committee in Tokyo.
MAYEDA Sengaku

Chairperson
Translation Committee of
the BDK English Tripitaka

June 1, 1997vm

Publisher's Foreword
The Publication Committee works in close cooperation with the Editorial Committee of the BDK English Tripitaka in Tokyo, Japan. Since
December 1991, it has operated from the N u m a t a Center for Buddhist Translation and Research in Berkeley, California. Its principal
mission is to oversee and facilitate the publication in English of selected texts from the one hundred-volume Taisho Edition of theChinese Tripitaka, along with a few major influential Japanese Buddhist texts not in the Tripitaka. The list of selected texts is conveniently
appended at the end of each volume. In the text itself, the Taisho Edition page and column designations are provided in the margins.
The Committee is committed to the task of publishing clear, readable English texts. It honors the deep faith, spirit, and concern of thelate Reverend Doctor NUMATA Yehan to disseminate Buddhist teachings throughout the world.
In July 1996, the Committee unfortunately lost its valued Chairperson, Dr. Philip Yampolsky, who was a stalwart leader, trusted
friend, and esteemed colleague. We follow in his shadow. In February 1997,1 was appointed to guide the Committee in his place.
The Committee is charged with the normal duties of a publishing firm—general editing, formatting, copyediting, proofreading,indexing, and checking linguistic fidelity. The Committee members
are Diane Ames, Brian Galloway, Nobuo Haneda, Charles Niimi, Koh
Nishiike, and the president and director of the N u m a t a Center, Reverend Kiyoshi S. Yamashita.
Kenneth K. Inada
Chairperson,
June 1, 1997
Publication Committee

IX

Contents

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripitaka
NUMATA Yehanv

Editorial Foreword

MAYEDA Sengaku

vii

Publisher's Foreword

Kenneth Inadaix

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Paul Harrison

1-116

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

John McRae

1-94

A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripitaka(First Series)

XI

BDK English Tripitaka 25-11

The Pratyutpanna
Samadhi Sutra
Translated by

LokaksemaTranslated from the Chinese(Taisho Volume 13, Number 418)
byPaul Harrison

Numata Center
for Buddhist Translation and Research
1998Contents

Translator's Introduction
Chapter I
Questions
Chapter II
Practice
Chapter III
The Four Things
Chapter IV
Similes
Chapter V
Nonattachment
Chapter VI
The Four Classes
Chapter VII
The Prediction
Chapter VIII
Protection
Chapter IX
The Buddha Ksemaraja
Chapter X
The Invitation to the Buddha
Chapter XI
Formlessness

XVThe Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Chapter XII

87

The Eighteen Exclusives and the Ten Powers
89

Chapter XIII
Encouragement

93

Chapter XIV
The Buddha Si\i hamati

99

Chapter XV
The Buddha Satyanama

103

Chapter XVIThe Seal of the Buddha

105

Glossary

111

Endnotes

113

Bibliography

115

Index

xvi

Translator's Introduction

No one could claim t h a t the Banzhou-sanmei-jing,
Lokaksema's pioneering translation of the
Pratyutpanna-buddha-sammukhdvasthitasamadhi-sutra, is one of the great works of Chinese literature, but its
historical significance is beyond dispute. The Indo-Scythian Lokaksema,active as a translator in the Later Han capital of Luoyang during theyears 170-190 C.E., is credited with the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism into China. The
Pratyutpanna-buddha-sammukhdvasthitasamddhi-sutra (hereafter abbreviated to PraS) was one of the first
Mahayana scriptures he translated into Chinese; in the absence of
any other data, this makes the Banzhou-sanmei-jing
the oldest documentary evidence relating to t h a t movement for which a precise datecan be established. It shares this honor with the Asta-sdhasrikdprajnJd-paramitd-sutra (Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines):
according to contemporary colophons, the two sutras were translated
in the same year, 179 C.E. They are thus important sources of information on t h e early development of M a h a y a n a Buddhism, eventhough it may not be appropriate to regard them as early Mahayana
sutras themselves.
The year 179 C.E. is, of course, merely the date of the translation;
it does not tell us when the PraS was first composed. This could havebeen in the first half of the second century C.E., the first century, oreven earlier. Internal evidence, however, suggests t h a t the text appeared some five hundred years after the death of Gautama. That
date too is a m a t t e r of some controversy, but whether we accept thecurrent 'best guess' (circa 486 B.C.E.) or put the Parinirvana closer tothe year 400, to place the composition of the PraS sometime in the1The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

first century C.E. may not be too wide of the mark. Although its exact
date is likely to remain uncertain, the PraS clearly demonstrates
t h a t even in w h a t we might call its Early Middle Period, i.e. by thesecond century C.E., the Mahayana was a heterogeneous movement
embracing several different strains and tendencies. W h a t makes the
PraS historically interesting is its attempt to reconcile and harmonize some of these tendencies.
The PraS is generally thought to be a work of Pure Land Buddhism. Certainly it has been much used by followers of t h a t school in
China and Japan, as well as by adherents of other sects. The great Chinese monk Huiyuan (334-416), founder of the White Lotus Society
dedicated to the worship of Amitabha and to rebirth in the paradise of
SukhavatI, was well-acquainted with the text, as his correspondencewith Kumarajlva (344-413) shows. Other Buddhist thinkers whocited the PraS in their writings include such luminaries as the Tiantai
patriarch Zhiyi (538-97), Daochuo (562-645), Shan-dao (613-81),
and Jiacai (fl. c. 627-49) on the Chinese side, and Genshin (942-1017)
and Honen (1133-1212) in Japan, where the PraS is still regarded as
an important text by various branches of the Jodo Sect. However, tocall the PraS a Pure Land sutra is a radical oversimplification, for it iscertainly not at all like the other great sutras of that school, the larger
and smaller Sukhavati-vyuha-sutras
and the so-called Amitayurdhyana-sutra. Whereas these texts glorify the compassionate actionof the former bodhisattva Dharmakara and show the faithful the way
to rebirth in SukhavatI, the glorious Buddha-field of the Buddha
Amitabha/Amitayus, the PraS follows a different agenda. As its nameindicates, it propounds a particular samadhi, or meditation, called thepratyutpanna-buddha-sammukhavasthita-samadhi,
i.e. "the meditation in which one is brought face to face with the Buddhas of thepresent" or "the meditation of direct encounter with the Buddhas ofthe present." This meditation is a developed form of the earlier practice of buddhanusmrti,
or "calling the Buddha to mind" (Chinese
nianfo; Japanese nembutsu). The object of this "calling to mind" orvisualization may accordingly be all or any of the myriad Buddhas ofthe present, and although the text of the PraS mentions Amitabha2Translator's Introduction

by name, he is merely adduced as an example, as the Buddha of thepresent par excellence. The practitioner of the meditation might justas well visualize the Buddha of the east, Aksobhya, in his Buddhafield Abhirati. If, therefore, Pure Land Buddhism is understood as
relating only to Amitabha and Sukhavati, then the PraS was not
originally a Pure Land text as such, even though it deals with many
key features of Pure Land belief and practice.
Another distinguishing feature of the PraS is its attempt to reconcile the vision of the Buddhas and Buddha-fields of the present(and the goal of rebirth in them) with the insights of the Perfectionof Wisdom school, by which we mean the Sunyavada (theory of emptiness) tendency in Mahayana Buddhism. The three main Pure Landtexts mentioned above approach their subject with a certain "realism": Amitabha and Sukhavati are presented to all intents and purposes as if they actually exist. But the PraS is scrupulous about setting
the experiences of the meditator against the yardstick of sunyata, or"emptiness", so that no attachment arises. The visions of the Buddhasof the present and the accompanying hearing of the Dharma which
they proclaim are, however, no mere hallucinations: they are valid perceptions, but they are "empty" at the same time. This is the central
paradox of the PraS, the resolution of which depends not on intellectualization but on the proper use of the faculty of wisdom, on meditational
development, and on moral self-cultivation, this last being a subject
on which the PraS has a great deal to say. All this is very much inthe style of the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, which provided the basis for the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism. At the sametime, it foreshadows one of the fundamental principles of the "deityyoga" regarded as typical of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism.
The PraS also contains hints of the early unfolding of the Yogacara ("Practice of Yoga") school, the most striking of which is thephrase (in Chap. II of the Banzhou-sanmei-jing) "These Three Realms
are simply made by thought," which reappears in the Dasabhumika-siitra in its Sanskrit form: cittamatram idam yad idam traidhatukam. As its name suggests, the Yogacara school (also known as
Cittamatra or "Thought-Only") drew its inspiration from a process of3

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

creative generalization, in which the insights derived from meditational practice (yoga) were applied to all experience. The PraS contains
many examples of this creative generalization, the most dramatic ofwhich are drawn from the realm of dreams.
The PraS, therefore, incorporates elements of all the major tendencies within the Buddhist movement known as the Mahayana. Whatis more, it contrives to weave them into a harmonious pattern. In theprocess it draws in much other fascinating material, but it is this creative synthesis which gives the work its primary historical significance.
It remains to be asked whether this Mahayana sutra, significant
though it may be, is well served by Lokaksema's translation of it.
However, this question does not admit of an easy answer, since, savefor one small fragment, the original Sanskrit text of the PraS has
been lost. The most reliable translation we have left is undoubtedly the
Tibetan, the 'Phags-pa da-ltar-gyi sangs-rgyas mngon-sum-du bzhugspa'i ting-nge-dzin ces-bya-ba theg-pa-chen-po'i mdo, produced at the
beginning of the ninth century by Sakyaprabha and Ratnaraksita.
Although it represents a later form of the text, it is indispensable forelucidating obscurities in the Chinese translations, of which four survive (Nos. 416-19 in Vol. XIII of the Taisho shinshu daizokyo). When
we come to look at these Chinese versions, however, we enter a minefieldof text-historical problems, and only the most careful and painstaking research will enable us to pick our way through it. Little morethan a bare summary of our conclusions can be presented here. Firstof all, the Banzhou-sanmei-jing in three volumes (juan), which is
now ascribed to Lokaksema, exists in two separate redactions. Redaction A appears in the Tripitaka Koreana, and was taken as thebase text for the Taisho edition (No. 418). With a number of essential emendations, it is the text which is translated here. Redaction B
appears in the Song, Yuan, and Ming printings of the Chinese Canon,
and its readings are given in the footnotes to the Taisho edition.
Redactions A and B differ substantially only up to halfway throughChapter IV (the end of Chapter VI in the Tibetan version); after thatpoint they are basically the same text. In other words, Redaction A
proper, which is distinguished primarily by its prose translations of4

Translator's Introduction

Sanskrit verses, is partial, comprising somewhat less t h a n the first
third of the text. It is only Redaction A which can be ascribed unreservedly to Lokaksema; Redaction B is, in part at least, the work of alater hand, a revision of the translation most probably carried out by
one of Lokaksema's disciples in the year 208, entailing, among otherthings, a retranslation of the Sanskrit verses into Chinese verse. It is
possible t h a t Lokaksema himself had only the first third of the sutra
at his disposal, and t h a t the enlarged Sanskrit text was brought toChina soon after 179 C.E. This supposition is given added weight by
the existence of an incomplete Chinese version of the PraS, the Bapopusa-jing (Taisho 419), which must have appeared by the middle ofthe third century. The Bapo-pusa-jing also ends abruptly at the same
point as that at which Redaction A of the Banzhou-sanmei-jing merges
with Redaction B. All this might lead us to hypothesize a shorter Urtextof the PraS, were it not for the fact t h a t all the prose passages of our
Redaction B bear the stamp of Lokaksema's style. Next we ought toaccount for Taisho 417, the Banzhou-sanmei-jing in one volume, whichis also ascribed to Lokaksema, and which has been accorded such ahigh place in Japan. Despite all assertions to the contrary, it is infact not an independent translation of the PraS at all, but merely an
abridged pastiche of Redaction B of the Banzhou-sanmei-jingin threevolumes. Finally, the least problematical of the Chinese versions of
the PraS is Taisho 416, the Dafangdeng-daji-jing-xianhu-fen(i.e. the"Bhadrapala Section" of theMahavaipulya-mahasamnipata-sutra)
in five volumes, produced by J n a n a g u p t a et al. in 595 C.E. The text
differs in certain respects from t h a t translated by Lokaksema, and it
is also interesting to note t h a t by this time the PraS was regarded aspart of the massive compendium of Mahayana sutras known as theMahasamnipata. In conclusion, then, the Banzhou-sanmei-jing which
has here been translated into English is only partly the work of Lokaksema himself, but since the rest of the text may fairly be ascribed to theschool of Lokaksema, it is not out of place to let the traditional attribution stand.
As previously noted, Lokaksema pioneered the translation of
Mahayana sutras in China. He was working in largely uncharted

5

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

territory, and may not have been very fluent in Chinese, while his
Chinese assistants, for their part, would have been quite unfamiliar
with the conceptual content and the idiom of the literature they were
helping to translate. To get his message across, Lokaksema frequently
cut the text down, almost to the bone. Despite this, the version of the
PraS which he and his assistants produced is often disjointed andcrude, and fairly bristles with obscure or unintelligible passages,
defects which can only have been exacerbated by centuries of scribaltransmission. The present English translation does the best it canwith these problem passages, at the same time making no attempt
to gloss over the infelicities of the archaic Buddhist Chinese which makes
Lokaksema's works so valuable a resource for Chinese historical linguistics. It also endeavors to convey the inventiveness displayed by Lokaksema in rendering Buddhist terminology in Chinese (although his
frequent transcriptions of Sanskrit words have mostly been translated into English); this is especially apparent in his use of Taoist
vocabulary, e.g. "the Way" (Tao) for "awakening" (bodhi), "non-action"(wuwei) for nirvana, and "original non-being" (benwu) for "suchness"(tathata). In this way, it is hoped, this translation remains true to thespirit of Lokaksema's work, and the Banzhou-sanmei-jing in three volumes stands revealed as the magnificent achievement in cross-culturalcommunication that it was.
Paul Harrison

6Fascicle One

Chapter I

Questions

The Buddha was at the Haunt of the Squirrels in the Great Woodat Rajagrha with a great assembly of monks consisting of five
hundred men, all of whom had attained arhatship, with the sole
exception of Ananda. At that time a certain bodhisattva by thename of Bhadrapala, together with five hundred bodhisattvas, allof whom kept the five precepts, arrived in the late afternoon at
the place where the Buddha was, and, having come forward and 903a
touched the Buddha's feet with his forehead, withdrew and sat
down to one side. With him also were five hundred ascetics, whoarrived at the place where the Buddha was, and, having comeforward and made obeisance to the Buddha, withdrew and sat down
to one side.
Then the Buddha displayed his numinous power, so that allmonks would come from wherever they happened to be, andstraightaway one hundred thousand monks came, one after another, and assembled at the place where the Buddha was. Having
come forward and made obeisance to the Buddha, they withdrew
and sat down to one side. Once again the Buddha displayed hisnuminous power, so that the nun Mahaprajapati, together withthirty thousand nuns, arrived, one after the other, at the place
where the Buddha was, and, having come forward and made obeisance to the Buddha, they withdrew and sat down to one side.

7

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Once again the Buddha displayed his numinous power, so t h a t
the bodhisattva Ratnakara left the great city of Vaisall, the bodhisattva Guhagupta left the great city of Campa, the bodhisattva Naradatta left the great city of VaranasI, the bodhisattva Susima left thegreat city of Kapilavastu, the bodhisattva Mahasuarthavaha together with the householder Anathapindada left the great city of
Sravasti, the bodhisattva Indradatta left the great city of Kausambi,
and the bodhisattva Varunadeva left the great city of Saketa. Eachof these bodhisattvas, accompanied by twenty-eight thousandpeople, came to where the Buddha was, and having come forwardand made obeisance to the Buddha, they all withdrew and sat down
to one side. King Ajatasatru of Rajagrha, together with one hundred thousand people, came to where the Buddha was, and having
come forward and made obeisance to the Buddha, they withdrew
and sat down to one side. The Four Heavenly Kings, Sakra, Lordof the Gods, Brahma Sahampati, the god Mahesvara and the
Akanistha gods, each accompanied by many million million hundred thousand 1 sons of gods, came to where the Buddha was, andhaving come forward and made obeisance to the Buddha, they
withdrew and took up a position to one side. The dragon kings
Nanda and Upananda, the dragon king Sagara, the dragon kingManasvin and the dragon king Anavatapta, each accompanied bymany million million hundred thousand myriad dragon kings, cameto where the Buddha was, and having come forward and madeobeisance to the Buddha, they withdrew and took up a position to
one side. The Asura kings of the four quarters, each accompanied
by many million million hundred thousand myriad Asura people,
came to where the Buddha was, and having come forward andmade obeisance to the Buddha, they withdrew and took up a position to one side. By this time the monks and the nuns, the laymen
and the laywomen, the gods, the dragons, the Asura people, theYaksa spirits, the Garuda spirits, the Kinnara spirits, the Mahoraga spirits, the humans and the nonhumans were past counting
and beyond all reckoning.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala rose from his seat, put his robes
in order, placed his hands together with interlacing fingers, went

8

Chapter I

down on his knees, and said to the Buddha: "I wish to ask a question, and when I have asked it I should like to have the m a t t e r resolved. If the God among Gods will allow me to speak, I shall now
question the Buddha." The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Ask right away about those m a t t e r s which are to be resolved, and the Buddha will explain them to you."
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala asked the Buddha: "What kindof meditation ought bodhisattvas to practise so that: the wisdom
they attain is like the ocean, or like Mount Sumeru; they do not
doubt what they hear; they never fail to be those among men who
are going to achieve the attainment of Buddhahood for themselves,
without ever turning back; they are never born among the stupid;
they know what is past and anticipate w h a t is to come; they arenever parted from the Buddhas, and are not parted from themeven in their dreams; they are upright and handsome, and among
the masses the fineness of their features is without compare; aschildren they are always born into great and noble families; they
are respected and loved by all their parents, brothers, relatives
and friends; they are highly talented and have wide learning; theyacquit themselves in debate quite differently from the masses; theykeep themselves under control; they always feel a sense of shame;
they are never conceited; they are always loving and compassionate; their insight is penetrating; among the wise there is none toequal them in understanding; they have an incomparable numinous presence; their energy is hard to match; they immerse themselves in the sutras; they constantly immerse themselves in thesutras; they understand everything in the sutras; they take pleasure in immersing themselves in states of trance and concentration; they immerse themselves in emptiness, formlessness, andnonattachment, and feel no fear with regard to these three things;
they frequently preach the sutras to others, and they keep themsafe as they deem fit; wherever they wish to be born, they getwhat they want and nothing else; the power of their merit and thepower of their faith are considerable; wherever they go, their physical powers are strong; they all [have] the power of love; they all

9

903b

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

have the power of the bases [i.e. the senses]; they are brilliant in[their understanding and use of] the power of the objects [of thesenses]; they are brilliant in the power of thought; they are brilliant in the power of visualization; they are brilliant in the powerof faith; they are brilliant in the power of vows; they are like theocean in their learning in t h a t it is forever inexhaustible; they arelike the moon when it is full in t h a t they shine everywhere; int h a t there is nothing t h a t is not touched by their light, they arelike the sun when it rises; they are like a torch, in t h a t where theyshine there are no obstructions; they are unattached, their minds
being like empty space in t h a t they do not settle anywhere; they
are like adamant, in t h a t they can penetrate anything; they arestable like Mount Meru, in t h a t they cannot be moved; they arelike the threshold of a gate in t h a t they remain steadfast and true;
their minds are soft like goosedown, in t h a t there is no roughness
in them; they renounce their personal interests, and are free of
longing; they take pleasure in mountains and streams, like wild
beasts; they always keep themselves to themselves, and do nothave intercourse with others; as to ascetics and men of the Way,
they are frequently instructed by them and look after them all; if
people treat them with contempt or molest them, they never harbor angry thoughts; all the Maras cannot move them; they understand the sutras and immerse themselves in the various kinds of
wisdom; they study all the Buddha-dharmas, and nobody [else]
can act as teacher to them; their authority and sageliness areunshakeable; their conduct, which is deeply absorbed, always con903c forms to nonbeing; their conduct is always gentle and they are always moved to pity by the sutras; they serve the Buddhas untiringly;
their conduct is diverse, and they attain all meritorious virtues; theirconduct is always perfectly truthful; their faith is always correct,
and cannot be disturbed; their conduct is always pure, and in a crisis
they can act resolutely without difficulty; they are pure in their wisdom, which understands all; they attain pleasurable conduct; theyeliminate the five obscurations; in knowledge and conduct they gradually work their way towards the realm of Buddhahood, adorning all

10

Chapter I

lands; in moral discipline they are pure of the thoughts of a r h a t s
and pratyekabuddhas; they carry to completion everything theydo; in acting meritoriously they always take the lead and theyteach the people to do likewise; they do not weary of what is taught
among bodhisattvas, and in their conduct their transcendence isunbounded among all [adherents of] other ways; there is none
who can touch them; they are never separated from the Buddha,
or fail to see the Buddha; they always think of the Buddhas as
being no different from their parents; gradually they attain thenuminous power of the Buddhas and acquire the light of all thesutras; their vision is unobstructed, and all the Buddhas stand
before them; they are like magicians, masters of the dharmas which
they conjure up—without thinking about it beforehand, they produce the dharmas straightaway; and these neither come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere, like magical creations; they thinkof the past, future, and present as being like things in a dream;
dividing their bodies they go to Buddha-fields everywhere, just as
the reflection of the sun shining in water is visible everywhere; alltheir thoughts succeed in being like echoes, which neither comenor go; for them birth-and-death are like parts of a shadow; theyrealise t h a t what they think is empty; with regard to dharmas
they are free of [discriminating] thought; everybody looks up tothem; [they regard] everyone as equal and not different; they know
all the sutras, and their minds cannot be measured; in all [Buddha-]fields their minds are free of attachment and they have nopredilections; they appear in all Buddha-fields without hindrance;
they enter the doors of the holding-spells; as for the sutras, theyneed only hear one to know ten thousand; they are able to accept
and keep all the sutras preached by the Buddhas; they wait upon
the Buddhas, obtain all the powers of the Buddhas, and obtain all
the Buddhas' numinous power; they are brave and fear nothing;
their gait is like t h a t of the fierce lion; they are unafraid, speaking
up in all lands; they never forget anything they hear; in debate
they are the same as all the Buddhas, not different; they understand all the sutras of original non-being, and are unafraid; if they

11

904a

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

wish to obtain the sutras then they immediately know them bythemselves, and preach them as indefatigably as the Buddhas; they
are the teachers of the world; they are relied upon by all; theirconduct is aboveboard, free of insincerity and falseness; they shine
brightly in all the [Buddha-]fields; they are not attached to theThree Spheres; their course is unimpeded, among the masses they
have no predilections; they have no longing for the dharma of thefundamental limit; by means of all-knowledge they teach others
how to enter the Buddha's Way; they are never afraid nor are
they frightened; they know all the volumes of the sutras of the
Buddha; everyone is blessed in the assemblies which they are in;when they see the very great love of the Buddhas, they rejoice; they
are acute in their understanding of the Buddha's sutras which
they study; they are fearless in large assemblies; in large assemblies they cannot be surpassed; they are renowned far and wide;
they destroy all doubts and difficulties so t h a t everybody understands; they revere the sutras totally; they occupy the lion throne
masterfully and teach the Dharma like the Buddhas; they understand all the Buddha's myriad varieties of speech; they immersethemselves in all the myriad million sounds; they love and respect
the sutras of the Buddhas; they always think of being by them,and are never separated from the love of the Buddhas; they takepleasure in putting the Buddha's sutras into practice; in coming
and going they always follow the Buddha; they always stay at theside of good friends, without ever wearying of them; in the Buddha-fields of the ten quarters there is no place in which they would
like to settle; they all undertake the vow and course of action toliberate the myriad people of the ten quarters; their wisdom is a
precious thing; they all acquire the body of the treasury of thesutras, which is formless like empty space; they teach others toseek the Way of the bodhisattva, and ensure t h a t the Buddha'sline is not cut off; they pursue the Way of the bodhisattva without
ever leaving the Mahayana; they attain the Arming with the Great
Armor, and the Great Way which is so vast; they quickly attainomniscience, which is praised by all the Buddhas; they approach

12Chapter I

the level of the Buddha's ten powers; they penetrate all thoughts;
they comprehend all calculations; they understand all the transformations of the world; they understand all success and failure,birth and destruction; they plunge into the sea of sutras with its
jewels and, opening up the foremost treasury, they distribute themall; in all [Buddha-Jfields they carry out their vows but they do notsettle in them; they have very great powers of magical transformation like those which the Buddhas enjoy wielding; within one
instant of thought they call to mind the Buddhas all standing before them; in all their goings [to rebirth] they no longer aspire togo, and there is no birthplace [to which they especially aspire];
they see all the incalculable Buddha-fields of the ten quarters;
they hear the sutras preached by the Buddhas; they see each andevery Buddha with his assembly of monks; yet at this time it is
not by means of the vision of the a r h a t s or pratyekabuddhas of
the Way of the Immortals t h a t they see, nor is it t h a t they die here
and are born in t h a t Buddha-field and only then see, but rightaway while sitting here, they see all the Buddhas and hear all thesutras which the Buddhas preach and they receive them all, justas I now, in the Buddha's presence, see the Buddha face to face, so
too the bodhisattvas are never separated from the Buddhas andnever fail to hear the sutras?"
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Well done!
Well done! Many are those who are set free by your question, many
are those who are set at rest; they are uncountable among thepeople of the world. It has brought contentment to them all, above
heaven and below it. That you are now able to question the Buddha in this way is because in previous lives, at the time of former
Buddhas, you put into practice what you learned and made merit;
it is because you made offerings to many Buddhas; it is because
you took pleasure in the sutras; it is because you carried out thepractice of the Way and kept the precepts; you kept yourself tothe practice of the Dharma, pure and uncorrupted; you always fed
yourself by begging; you brought many bodhisattvas to realization; you brought bodhisattvas together and instructed them. For

13

904b

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

this reason you have very great compassion; you have equanimity
towards all people; if at any time you wish to see the Buddha, thenyou see the Buddha; your vows are very great; your conduct is extremely profound; you always keep in mind the wisdom of the
Buddha; you keep all the sutras and precepts; you are in full possession of the lineage of the Buddha; your sagely mind is adamantine; you know all the thoughts of the people in the world; you are to
be found in the presence of all the Buddhas." The Buddha said to thebodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Your merits are beyond all reckoning."
The Buddha said: "[There is a meditation called] the Meditation in Which the Buddhas of the Present All Stand Before One.
Those who practise this meditation will be able to attain all those
things you have asked about."
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "I pray thatthe Buddha might, out of his compassion, preach it. If the Buddha
were to preach it now, many would be set free, many would be set
at rest. I pray that the Buddha might manifest a great light forthe sake of bodhisattvas."
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "There is one
Dharma practice which you should always rehearse and preserve,
which you should always cultivate without following any otherdharmas; which is most exalted and foremost among all meritorious qualities. What is that foremost Dharma practice? It is thismeditation called the Meditation in Which the Buddhas of the
Present All Stand Before One."

14

Chapter II

Practice
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Any bodhisattvas
whose thoughts are at present concentrated and directed towards
the Buddhas of the ten quarters, will, if they possess mental concentration, achieve all the exalted practices of a bodhisattva. Whatis mental concentration? Through compliance with the conditions
for reflection on the Buddha, having one's thoughts directed towards t h e Buddha; having thoughts which are not disturbed,
thereby obtaining wisdom; not giving up energy; joining together
with good friends in the practice of emptiness; eliminating sleepiness; not congregating; avoiding bad friends; drawing close to goodfriends; having energy which is not disorderly; in eating, knowing
when one has had enough; not craving robes; not begrudging one's
own life; being solitary, and avoiding one's relatives; keeping awayfrom one's home village; practicing equanimity, mastering theattitudes of compassion and rejoicing, and the practice of circumspection; eliminating the coverings; practicing the trances; notfollowing after forms; not taking hold of the dark ones [the fiveaggregates]; not being absorbed in the diminishers [the twelve
sense-fields]; not thinking of the four great ones [the four elements];
not losing one's temper; not being attached to life; eliminating
impurity; not forsaking the people of the ten quarters; saving the
lives of the people of the ten quarters; regarding the people of theten quarters as one's own; regarding the people of the ten quarters as not one's own; not wanting to grasp at anything; not altering the precepts; practicing the activity of concentration; wanting
to recite the sutras; not falling into violation of the precepts; not

15

904c

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

losing one's mental concentration; not doubting the Dharma; notquarreling with the Buddha; not rejecting the Dharma; not causing unrest in the order of monks; avoiding wild talk; assisting menof the Way and of virtue; steering clear of fools; not enjoying or
wishing to hear worldly talk; wishing to hear and enjoying all talkof the Way; not wishing to hear t h a t which is produced by taking
animals as a basis; 2 practicing the six tastes; performing the fivepractices; avoiding the ten evils; practicing the ten goods; understanding the nine vexations; practicing the eight forms of energy;
discarding the eight forms of sloth; practicing the eight advantages; practicing the nine reflections and the eight thoughts of theman of the Way, yet not becoming attached to trance; not being
conceited about one's learning; eliminating pride; listening to thepreaching of the Dharma; wishing to hear the sutras; wishing topractise the Dharma; not reckoning things in terms of years; notaccepting the conception of a self; avoiding the people of the ten
quarters, and not wishing to grasp them; not craving long life;
understanding the dark ones [the five aggregates]; not being subject to delusion; not being subject to t h a t which exists; seeking
nonaction [nirvana]; not desiring birth-and-death, having greatfear of birth-and-death; regarding the dark ones as thieves; regarding the four great ones [the elements] as snakes; regarding
the twelve diminishers [the sense-fields] as empty; being in the
Triple World for a long time but finding no contentment there; notforgetting the attainment of nonaction; not wanting desires; aspiring to the elimination of birth-and-death; not getting involved
in disputes with people; not wishing to fall into birth-and-death;always standing in the presence of Buddhas; regarding the bodyone receives as a dream; no longer doubting, having acquired faith;
doing exactly as one intends; destroying all conceptions; having
equanimity towards past, future, and present; always thinking of
the meritorious qualities of the Buddhas; submitting to and depending on the Buddha; attaining mastery of mental concentration; not going by the Buddha's bodily marks; regarding all dharmas
as one; not arguing with the world; not arguing with one's duty;

16

Chapter II

gaining understanding of birth according to causes and conditions;
succeeding in approving of liberation according to the stage of a
Buddha; plunging into the Dharma; by understanding emptiness,
thinking of people as neither existing nor perishing; realizing
nonaction for oneself; purification of the eye of wisdom; everything
being non-dual; having a thought of awakening neither in the
middle nor at the sides; all the Buddhas being as one thought;
entering a state of freedom from obstruction; 3 having wisdom beyond reproach; through succeeding in understanding the thoughtof awakening, having a Buddha-wisdom not dependent on others;
treating good friends as if they were Buddhas, and not thinking ofthem as different; being always among bodhisattvas and neverapart from them; being unshakable, even by all Maras; all people
being like reflections in a mirror; seeing all the Buddhas as being
like pictures; following all the practices of the Dharma; embarking on the pure bodhisattva-course in this way."
The Buddha said: "By virtue of these dharmas of conduct one
brings about the meditation and then masters the Meditation in
Which the Buddhas of the Present All Stand Before One. By whatmeans does one bring about the Meditation in Which the Buddhasof the Present All Stand Before One? In this way, Bhadrapala: if
there are any monks or nuns, laymen or laywomen who keep theprecepts in their entirety, they should settle down somewhere allalone and call to mind the presence of the Buddha Amitabha in thewestern quarter; then, in accordance with what they have learned,
they should reflect that a thousand million myriad Buddha-fields
away from here, in his land called SukhavatI, in the midst of ahost of bodhisattvas, he is preaching the sutras. Let them all constantly call to mind the Buddha Amitabha."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "It is like a man who goes tosleep and in a dream sees all his gold, silver, and jewels, his parents, brothers, wife and children, relatives and friends, and together with them he amuses himself and enjoys himself immensely.
When he wakes up he tells others about it, and afterward he evensheds tears thinking about what he saw in the dream. In the same

17

905a

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

905bway, Bhadrapala, bodhisattvas, whether they be ascetics or wearers of white [laymen or laywomen], having learned of the Buddha-field of Amitabha in the western quarter, should call to mind
the Buddha in t h a t quarter. They should not break the precepts,
and call him to mind single-mindedly, either for one day and onenight, or for seven days and seven nights. After seven days they
will see the Buddha Amitabha. If they do not see him in the waking state, then they will see him in a dream.
"It is like the things a man sees in a dream—he is not conscious of day or night, nor is he conscious of inside or outside; hedoes not fail to see because he is in darkness, nor does he fail to see
because there are obstructions. It is the same, Bhadrapala, for theminds of the bodhisattvas: when they perform this calling to mind,
the famous great mountains and the Mount Sumerus in all the
Buddha-realms, and all the places of darkness between them, arelaid open to them, so t h a t their vision is not obscured, and theirminds are not obstructed. These bodhisattvas mahasattvas do not
see through [the obstructions] with the divine eye, nor hear throughthem with the divine ear, nor travel to t h a t Buddha-field by meansof the supernormal power of motion, nor do they die here to bereborn in t h a t Buddha-field there, and only then see; rather, while
sitting here they see the Buddha Amitabha, hear the sutras which
he preaches, and receive them all. Rising from meditation they
are able to preach them to others in full.
"For example, a certain man heard t h a t in the city of Vaisall
there was a prostitute called Sumana; a certain other man heard
about the prostitute Amrapali; and a certain other man heard about
Utpalavarna, who worked as a prostitute. Thereupon they all
longed for them. Those men had never seen these three women,
but as soon as they heard about them their lust was aroused. Then,in a dream, they all went to them. On this occasion all three men
were in the city of Rajagrha, thinking about [the women] at thesame time, and each of them went in a dream to one of these prostitutes and spent the night together with her. On waking up eachone reflected on this."

18Chapter II

The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "I entrusted the three men toyou, who used this incident to preach the sutras to them, so thatthey understood this wisdom and reached the stage of non-regression from the attainment of the supreme and perfect Way. Afterward they will attain Buddhahood under the name 'Well-Awakened'.
In the same way, Bhadrapala, bodhisattvas hear about the Buddha Amitabha and call him to mind again and again in this land.
Because of this calling to mind, they see the Buddha Amitabha.
Having seen him they ask him what dharmas it takes to be bornin the realm of the Buddha Amitabha. Then the Buddha Amitabhasays to these bodhisattvas: If you wish to come and be born in myrealm, you must always call me to mind again and again, you must
always keep this thought in mind without letting up, and thus
you will succeed in coming to be born in my realm."' The Buddha
said: "Because of this calling to mind of the Buddha, these bodhisattvas will succeed in being born in the realm of the Buddha
Amitabha. They should always call him to mind in this way: The
Buddha's body is endowed with all the thirty-two marks, he radiates light, he is fine and upstanding beyond compare, in the midstof the assembly of monks he preaches the sutras, and the sutras
he preaches are of indestructible form.4 What is of indestructible
form? Feelings, thoughts, birth-and-death, consciousness, spirits,
earth, water, fire and wind, the world and the heavens above, up as
far as Brahma and Mahabrahma, are of indestructible form.' Because of calling the Buddha to mind, one obtains the meditation of
emptiness. Such is the calling to mind of the Buddha."
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Who is tobear witness to the meditation? My disciple Mahakasyapa, thebodhisattva Indradatta, the devaputra Susima, together with those
who at this time know this meditation—any who have practised
and mastered this meditation bear witness to it. What is it to which
they bear witness? They bear witness to this meditation knowing
it to be the concentration of emptiness."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Once in time past there wasa Buddha by the name of Xubori. At that time a certain man went

19

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

905c

on a journey, which took him into a vast marshy wilderness where
he was unable to get anything to eat or drink. Hungry and thirsty,
he fell asleep, and then in a dream he obtained luscious delicacies.
After eating and drinking he awoke, and his belly was empty. I s
not everything t h a t exists like a dream?' he reflected to himself."
The Buddha said: "Through reflecting on emptiness, t h a t man thenand there attained happiness in dharmas which do not come into
existence from anywhere, and straightaway attained non-regression. In the same way, Bhadrapala, bodhisattvas hear of the Buddha of the present in whatever quarter they are facing, and constantly
reflect on t h a t quarter, wishing to see the Buddha. When theyreflect on the Buddha they ought not to reflect on [him as] an
existing thing, nor should they have [the notion: Tt is something']
set up by me. As they would conceive of emptiness so should theyreflect on the Buddha standing there, like a precious gem set on
beryl. In this way bodhisattvas will have a clear vision of the innumerable Buddhas of the ten quarters.
"It is like a man who travels afar to another land, and thinks
about his native place, his family, his relatives, and his property.
In a dream t h a t man returns to his native place, sees his family
and relatives, and enjoys talking to them. After seeing them inthe dream he wakes up and tells his friends about it: T went backto my native place and saw my family and relatives."' The Buddha said: "So it is with the bodhisattvas. If they hear the name of
the Buddha in whatever quarter they are facing, and constantly
reflect on t h a t quarter, wishing to see t h e Buddha, t h e n t h ebodhisattvas see all the Buddhas, like a precious gem placed on beryl.
"It is like a monk contemplating the bones of the dead laid out
before him. At times he contemplates them when they are green.
At times he contemplates them when they are white. At times hecontemplates them when they are red. At times he contemplates
them when they are black. Nobody brings these bones to him, nor
do these bones exist, nor do they come from anywhere. They exist
only as thoughts produced by the mind. So it is with the bodhisattvas who possess the numinous power of the Buddha and are20

Chapter II

established in the meditation: whatever the quarter in which theywish to see a Buddha, if they wish to see him they do so. Why? It isthus, Bhadrapala: this meditation has been perfected by the Buddha's
power. Those who possess the numinous power of the Buddha andwho are established in the meditation have three things: they possess the numinous power of the Buddha, they possess the power ofthe Buddha's meditation, and they possess the power of theirformer merit. Because of these three things they succeed in seeing
the Buddha.
"Bhadrapala, it is like a young man, upright and handsome,
who adorns himself. Wishing to see his own reflection, he either
takes a clean vessel and fills it with fine hempseed oil, or takes afine vessel and fills it with clear water, or a newly polished mirror,
or a flawless crystal. Thereupon he reflects himself and sees his
own reflection. What would you say, Bhadrapala? When the manis reflected in the hempseed oil, the water, the mirror or the crystal,
could it possibly be that the reflection enters them from outside?"
Bhadrapala said: "No, God among Gods. It is simply because
the hempseed oil, the crystal, the water, or the mirror are clean
and pure t h a t he sees his own reflection. His reflection neither
emerges from within nor enters from outside."
The Buddha said: "Well done! Well done, Bhadrapala! So it is,
Bhadrapala. When the forms are clear, everything is clear. If one
wishes to see the Buddha then one sees him. If one sees him thenone asks questions. If one asks then one is answered, one hears
the sutras and rejoices greatly. One reflects thus: 'Where did theBuddha come from? Where did I go to?' and one thinks to oneself:'The Buddha came from nowhere, and I also went nowhere.' One
thinks to oneself: T h e Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, theRealm of Form, and the Realm of t h e Formless—these ThreeRealms are simply made by thought. Whatever I think, t h a t I see.
The mind creates the Buddha. The mind itself sees him. The mind
is the Buddha. The mind is the Tathagata. The mind is my body, themind sees the Buddha. The mind does not itself know the mind, themind does not itself see mind. A mind with conceptions is stupidity,

21

906a

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutraa mind without conceptions is nirvana. There is nothing in thesedharmas which can be enjoyed; they are all made by thinking. If
thinking is nothing but empty, then anything which is thought isalso utterly nonexistent.' So it is, Bhadrapala, such is the vision of
the bodhisattvas who are established in the meditation."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
Mind does not know mind;
With mind one cannot see mind.
Mind giving rise to conceptions is stupidity;
Free of conceptions it is nirvana.
There is nothing fixed or firm in these dharmas;
They are forever located in thinking.
When one understands emptiness,
One is altogether free of conceptual thinking.

22

Chapter III

The Four Things"If bodhisattvas possess four things or dharmas, they quickly
master this meditation. What are the four? First, no one can destroy their faith. Second, no one can withstand their energy. Third,
no one can match the wisdom they attain. Fourth, they always
devote themselves to good teachers. These are the four.
"If bodhisattvas possess a further four things, they quickly
master this meditation. What are the four? First, for three months
they ought not to have a worldly thought, even for the time ittakes to snap the fingers. Second, for three months they ought not
to go to sleep, even for the time it takes to snap the fingers. Third,
continually walking, they should not stop or sit down for threemonths, except for around mealtimes. Fourth, in preaching thesutras to others, they should not expect clothes or food and drink
from them. These are the four.
"If bodhisattvas possess a further four things, they quickly
master this meditation. What are the four? First, they gather
people together and come to the Buddha. Second, they gather
people together and cause them to hear the sutras. Third, they
are not envious. Fourth, they teach people to study the Way of the
Buddha. These are the four.
"If bodhisattvas possess a further four things, they quickly
master this meditation. What are the four? First, they make animage of the Buddha or they make a picture, for the sake of thismeditation. Second, for the sake of this meditation, they take afine length of plain silk and have somebody copy this meditation.
Third, they teach conceited people to enter the Buddha's Way.

23

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

906b

Fourth, they always preserve the Buddha's Dharma. These are
the four."Then the Buddha recited the following verses of commendation: "You should always rejoice in and believe in the Buddha's
Dharma. Recite the sutras and reflect on emptiness, without settling down therein. Be energetic and eliminate sleepiness. For threemonths you should not sit down out of laziness. When the sutras
are preached accept them and study them calmly and carefully.
You should do your utmost to spread them far and wide. If anyone
gives you presents or offers you food, you should not be pleased. If
you do not covet anything, you will quickly obtain the sutra. The
Buddha's complexion is as radiant as gold. His body has thirtytwo marks, and each mark has one hundred blessings or merits.
He is fine and upstanding, as if made out of heavenly gold. Commit yourself in advance to all the Buddhas of the past and theBuddhas of the future. Always think of and make offerings to the
Buddhas of the present, who are all the most exalted of men. You
should make offerings to the Buddha complete with flowers, perfumes, powdered incense, and food. You should have good thoughts.
Because of this, the meditation will not be far away. With theconstant music of drums and the music of singing girls, 5 you should
always rejoice in the Buddha-mind, since you seek this meditation. You should make images of the Buddha, perfect in various
ways and beautiful in various ways, with countenances as radiantas gold. If you seek this meditation, you should always take pleasure in giving. In keeping the precepts you should be pure, andlofty in conduct. Eliminate sloth, and before long you will quickly
master this meditation. Do not give rise to anger, always act lovingly, always act compassionately, be equal-minded, and have nohatred, and presently, before long, you will master this meditation. Love your good teachers utterly, regarding them as Buddhas.
You ought to be free of anger and covetousness. You should not be
grasping with the gift of the sutras. So is it taught. You should
hold firmly to all the sutra-dharmas, and you should immerse yourself in all of them according to this. This is the Way and the path24

Chapter III

of all the Buddhas. They who proceed in this manner shall presently, before long, master the meditation."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "In this way bodhisattvas
should be loving and cheerful towards good teachers, should regard
their teachers as Buddhas, and should provide them with every
service. When they wish to write out this meditation sutra, or when
they wish to study it, bodhisattvas should honor their teachers inthis way. Bhadrapala, if bodhisattvas should get angry at their
good teachers, if they should find fault with their good teachers,
or not regard their good teachers as Buddhas, they will havedifficulty in mastering the meditation.
"Bhadrapala, it is like a clear-sighted man who gazes at theconstellations at midnight and sees the stars in great profusion.
In the same way, Bhadrapala, when the bodhisattvas who possess
the numinous power of the Buddha and are established in themeditation look towards the east, they see many hundreds of
Buddhas, many thousands of Buddhas, many myriads of Buddhas,
many millions of Buddhas; and in the same way they see all the
Buddhas of the ten quarters as well."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "These bodhisattvas, like theeyes of the Buddha, know all and see all. Thus, Bhadrapala, thesebodhisattvas who wish to master the Meditation in Which the
Buddhas of the Present All Stand Before One will become perfectly
endowed with liberality, the same with keeping the precepts, theirpersons will become perfectly endowed with forbearance, energy,
single-mindedness, wisdom, and the wisdom of liberation."
Then the Buddha spoke the following words of commendation:"Just as a clear-sighted m a n looks up at midnight at the innumerable constellations, and, thinking about them by day, sees themall, so too the bodhisattvas who master the meditation see innumerable hundreds and thousands of Buddhas, and, having awoken from the meditation, call them all to mind and see them; at will
they speak of them to the disciples." The Buddha said: "Just as myvision is clear and always sees the world, so too the bodhisattvas,
once they have mastered the meditation, see innumerable Buddhas.

25

906c

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

When they see the Buddhas they do not look at their bodily marks,
they only look at their ten powers. Unlike worldly people who havecravings, they have destroyed all the poisons, are pure, and nolonger think [conceptually]. Such are the meritorious qualities
which the bodhisattvas attain. They listen to this sutra and comply with this sutra as if it were nirvana. Hearing that thesedharmas are utterly empty, they are without fear. I shall provide
this preaching of the sutra for the sake of the mass of people, causing them all to attain the Way of the Buddha." The Buddha said:"Just as my monk Ananda is wise and retains sutras as soon as hehears them, so too the bodhisattvas who master this meditation,
hearing innumerable volumes of sutras, retain them all." The Bud907a dha said: "Just as the bodhisattvas in the Buddha-field of Amitabha
always see innumerable Buddhas, so too the bodhisattvas who master the meditation always see innumerable Buddhas. Always becompassionate in your faith. Just as a thirsty man longs for a drink,always have exceedingly great love. Discard common worldly things,
and always take pleasure in the gift of the sutras. Therefore you
will be pure and will master the meditation before long."

26

Chapter IV

Similes
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "If the bodhisattvas who lovingly
seek the meditation do not practise this meditation energeticallyonce they have obtained it, it is, Bhadrapala, like a man who loads
up a ship with precious gems with the intention of transportingthem over the ocean; before arriving, the ship is wrecked midway;
and the men of Jambudvlpa are all stricken with grief, thinking:'So many precious gems of ours are lost!'—in the same way, Bhadrapala, once these bodhisattvas hear this meditation, if they do notcopy it, study it, recite it, or keep it in conformity with the Dharma,
then all the gods and the people will be stricken with grief andwill lament: 'So many precious sutras of ours are thus lost, because of the loss of this profound meditation!'" The Buddha said:"This meditation sutra is ordained by the Buddha and it is commended by the Buddha. Those who hear this profound meditation
sutra, and do not copy it, study it, recite it, cultivate it, or keep itin conformity with the Dharma, are perverse and stupid. They
have a high opinion of themselves and will not accept this sutra.
They have their minds set on high ability, yet they are not willingto study this meditation.
"Bhadrapala, it is like a stupid boy who is given a handful ofsandalwood incense by someone. Unwilling to accept it, he perversely tells him that it is dirty. The seller of sandalwood incense
says to that person: 'Sir, you aren't saying that this sandalwood
incense is dirty, are you? If you were to take it and smell it, you
would know whether or not it was fragrant, and if you were tolook at it you would know whether or not it was pure.' The foolshuts his eyes so as not to look, and he refuses to smell it." The27

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Buddha said: "Those who hear this meditation, who are similarly
unwilling to accept it, and who perversely reject it, they are people
who do not keep the precepts. Those who reject this precious jewelof a sutra are stupid and unwise, they regard their own attainment of perfection in the trances as transcendence, they perversely
claim that the world exists, they do not immerse themselves in
emptiness or know nonbeing. When these people hear this meditation they do not rejoice in it, have faith in it, or immerse themselves in it. On the contrary, they make contemptuous remarks:'Can the Buddha have such profound sutras? And can he havesuch numinous power?' On the contrary, they deride it: 'Could there
be in the world any monks of the likes of Ananda?'" The Buddha
said: "These people go away from those who possess this meditation,and in twos and threes say to each other: What kind of preachings
907b are these discourses? Where did they get these discourses from? It issimply that they got together and made up these discourses themselves, that's all. This sutra was not preached by the Buddha.'"The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "It is like a merchant who
shows a stupid peasant boy a pearl, and he asks the merchant:'How much money is this worth?' The merchant replies: 'Place thispearl in the darkness in a dark place at midnight and just fill thearea lit up by its radiance with jewels.'" The Buddha said: "Thatperson doesn't understand its value at all; instead he derides thispearl, saying 'Could its value be the same as one ox? Could you
possibly exchange an ox for it? I think it can't be more than this. If
you'll give it to me, well and good. If you don't want to, there's an
end to it.' Thus, Bhadrapala, those who hear this meditation and do
not have faith in it perversely deride this sutra in the same way."
The Buddha said: "If the bodhisattvas who possess this meditation, accept it, and believe in it then put it into practice, they
will be protected on all four sides, will have nothing to fear, will be
perfect in keeping the precepts, will obtain great brilliance, will
have deeply penetrating wisdom, and will preach it to other people.
Bodhisattvas should share and discuss this meditation with others,
and pass it on from one person to the next. They should ensurethat this meditation endures for a long time."

28

Chapter IV

The Buddha said: "The stupid people, even though they havenot made offerings under the Buddhas of former generations andhave not made merit, are nevertheless conceited, and engage inmuch slander and jealousy, for the sake of material gain. They
only wish to court fame, they only wish to make a noise. They do
not acquire a good teacher, nor do they understand the sutras.
When they hear this meditation they do not have faith in it, rejoicein it, or immerse themselves in it. On the contrary, they slander it toothers, saying Tt is just t h a t those shameless people have made thissutra for themselves. This sutra was not preached by the Buddha.'"The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "I now tell you this, Bhadrapala. If a seeker of the Way of the bodhisattva, either a good young
man or a good woman, were to fill these three thousand lands with
precious gems and offer them to the Buddha, any such merit would
not be as good as hearing this meditation. If any bodhisattvas wereto hear this meditation, believe in it, and rejoice in it, then the increase in their blessings would be so much greater."
Then the Buddha spoke the following words of commendation:"If these three thousand lands were filled with precious gems andoffered to the Buddha, so as to seek Buddhahood thereby; and if
there were another m a n who took up this meditation, which the
Buddha has praised, who heard it and believed in it, the increasein his blessings would be greater." The Buddha said: "These deluded and conceited men, unbelievers and followers of bad friends,
do not believe in or rejoice in this sutra when they hear it. They
are no different from the enemies of my sutras. These men who do
not keep the precepts are sunk in arrogance. One after the other,other men hear their words, believe, and follow them. This is todestroy the Buddha's Dharma. Those men say to each other: 'This
sutra was not preached by the Buddha.' They utter this slander outright." The Buddha said: "If anyone believes in this meditation, t h a t
person has seen past Buddhas in former lives. It is just for thesake of these believers t h a t I therefore preach this meditation.
Such people as those always preserve the Buddha's Dharma. Those
who hear this sutra, believe in it, and rejoice in it, you should
know t h a t they are not far from Buddhahood. Those who keep the

29

907c

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

908a

precepts strictly are always true-hearted and honor the sutras. It
is just for the sake of these people t h a t I therefore preach."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "It is exactly as I say. It is forthis reason only t h a t I preach this discourse. As for those who now
see me preaching this meditation, if in future lives they hear thismeditation they will never doubt it, will not laugh at it derisively,
will not say they do not believe it, unless they are with bad teachers. Even if they are with good teachers, such people as those whose
merit is meager will increasingly devote themselves to bad teachers, and when they hear this meditation, these people will not believe in it or rejoice in it or immerse themselves in it. Why? They
do not believe, simply because they have not studied for long, they
have not experienced many Buddhas, and they have little faith or
wisdom."The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "If there are bodhisattvas
who, hearing this meditation, do not laugh at it derisively and do
not slander it, but rejoice in it, do not fall into doubt, do not say
t h a t they believe it one moment and disbelieve it the next, buttake pleasure in copying it, take pleasure in studying it, take pleasure in reciting it, take pleasure in keeping it," the Buddha said,"I have foreknown and foreseen them all. These people have notmade merit under just one Buddha, nor under two or three or ten—they have all heard this meditation under a hundred Buddhas. If,
when they hear this meditation at a future time, they copy, study,
recite and keep the volumes of the sutra, and finally cultivate it
for one day and one night, their blessings will be incalculable, they
will attain non-regression, and they will fulfill their aspirations."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Listen as I teach a simile.
Bhadrapala, it is like a man who takes one Buddha-field and pounds
it all to atoms of dust. Taking one atom of this dust, he again
pounds it all into as many atoms as there are atoms of dust in one
Buddha-field. Taking all of those atoms of dust, each and every
one of them, he again pounds them all into as many atoms as
there are atoms of dust in one Buddha-field. W h a t would you say,
Bhadrapala—would there be a great number of these atoms of30

Chapter IV

dust?" Bhadrapala said: "A very great number, a very great number, God among Gods." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "I cite
this simile for you all. If a bodhisattva takes each of these atomsof dust and puts it in a Buddha-field, fills with precious gems that
number of Buddha-fields, and uses them all as an offering to the
Buddhas, it is not as good as hearing this meditation. If anotherbodhisattva, when he hears this meditation, copies it, studies it,recites it, keeps it, or preaches it to other people, even for a moment, that bodhisattva^ merit is incalculable." The Buddha said:"Those who possess this meditation, who copy, study, recite, andkeep it, and preach it to other people—if the blessings for them
are such, how much more would they be for those who cultivate
this meditation and perfect it?"
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
Although one fills with jewels and makes a donation
Of the Three Thousand Great Thousand Realms,
If one does not hear such a sutra as this,One's merit and blessings will be paltry.
Any bodhisattvas who seek much merit
Should teach and take up the practice of this meditation;
If they are quick to believe and recite this sutra-dharma,
Their merit and blessings will be infinite.
If worlds as numerous as the atoms of dust in one
Buddha-land
Were all pounded to pieces and reduced to atoms of dust,
And Buddha-lands exceeding their number
Were filled with precious gems and used as a gift;
And if someone were to take up and preach to others
The meaning of four lines from the Lord of the World
herein,This meditation being the wisdom of all the Buddhas,
The merit of getting to hear it would be beyond
comparison;

31

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Not to mention those who expounded it themselves,
Took it up, recited it, reflected on it even for a moment,
Or made ever-increasing progress in their practice of it:
Their merit and blessings would be beyond measure.
Even if everybody were to become Buddhas,
Pure in sagely knowledge, foremost in wisdom,
And all for millions of aeons, and more,
Were to expound the merit of one verse,
And were to extol its blessings until their nirvana,Singing its praises for countless millions of aeons,
They would not be able to exhaust the merit
Connected with one verse from this meditation.
If the area of all Buddha-lands
In the four quarters, the four intermediate points,
the zenith and the nadir,
Were filled with precious gems and used as a gift,
So as to make an offering to the Buddha, the God
among Gods,
And if someone were to hear this meditation,
The blessings he would obtain would exceed that;
As for those who recited and expounded it calmly andcarefully,
Their merit could not be conveyed by any analogy.
Conceit never arises in them,
Nor do they ever pursue an evil destiny;
They understand the profound Dharma, and are notenmeshed in doubt;
Such are the results of practicing this meditation.
908b

The scholars thereby see and honor me;
With their great virtue and energy, they are attached to
nothing;
They increase their faith and understanding as
bodhisattvas;

32

Chapter

They strive to study the meditation extolled by the
Buddha.
I charge you, I exhort you always:
Strive to act energetically, without being idle,
Rouse yourselves bravely, practise with diligence,
So that attaining the Great Way will not be far off.
Those who recite and accept this meditation
Have already seen a hundred thousand Buddhas face
to face.
If during the great terror, at the very end,
They possess this meditation, they will have no fear.
The monk who practises this thereby sees me.
He always follows the Buddha and is not separated
from him.
The bodhisattva who hears and practises the meditation
Is duty-bound to preserve it and preach it to others.
If bodhisattvas obtain this meditation,
Then and only then are they called 'ones of all-embracing
wisdom';Since they have attained the holding-spell praised by the
Buddha,They shall quickly perfect the Way of the Buddha andwisdom like the sea.
Constantly recite and preach this meditation;
Follow the Buddha's Dharma, the teaching of the Lordof the World:
Hearing its lineage one attains full awakening,
Exactly in accordance with what the Buddha has
preached.

Here Ends Fascicle Oneof The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Fascicle Two

Chapter V

Nonattachment
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "How should this meditation forbodhisattvas be undertaken? Just as I, the Buddha, am now preaching sutras in your presence, bodhisattvas should think that the
Buddhas are all standing before them; they should call to mind infull the Buddhas, who are upright, whom everyone wants to see.
They should think of each and every mark, recalling that no one
can see the tops of the Buddhas' heads. They should think of all
this in full, and they will see the Buddhas. They should think: T
myself will also be like this, I will also acquire such bodily marks
as these, and will also attain such morality and meditation asthese.' They should think: 'Will I attain this through the mind or
will I attain it through my body?' They should think again: 'The
Buddha did not attain it by means of the mind, nor did he attain it
by means of the body. Buddhahood is not attained by means of themind, nor is it attained by means of form. Why? As for mind, theBuddha has no mind; as for form, the Buddha has no form. It is
not by means of this mind and form that one attains supreme and 908c
perfect awakening. Why? The Buddha's form has come to an end,
the Buddha's feelings, conceptions, birth-and-death, and consciousness have come to an end, and what the Buddha preaches has

35

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

come to an end, which is not perceived or known by fools, but isunderstood by the wise.' They should think: What kind of thoughts
should one have to attain Buddhahood? Should one attain Buddhahood by means of the body, or should one attain it by means of
wisdom?' Furthermore, they should think: 'One does not attain
Buddhahood through the body, nor does one attain it through wisdom.' Why? If one looks for wisdom one cannot find it. Even if one
looks for the T, it cannot ever be found. Nothing is attained, nothing is seen. All dharmas are originally nonexistent. To think thatthey exist causes attachment. If they do not exist, to say perverselythat they do is also attachment. One neither thinks of these two,nor does one incline to what is between them. It is for this reason
alone that they are not on either side, nor in the middle, theyneither exist, nor do they not exist. Why? All dharmas are empty;
they are like nirvana; they are indestructible, imperishable, andunsteady; they are neither here nor there; they are markless; they
are unwavering. What does it mean to say they are unwavering?
Wise men cannot calculate them, therefore they are unwavering.
Thus, Bhadrapala, when the bodhisattvas see the Buddha, thethoughts in the bodhisattvas' minds are free of attachment. Why?
I have preached nonexistence, the sutras preach nonexistence, and
if one is not attached to that, has destroyed the root and cut off theroot, this is nonattachment. Thus, Bhadrapala, these bodhisattvas
who cultivate this meditation should have this vision of the Buddha, yet they should not become attached to the Buddha. Why? Ifthey have any attachments they will burn themselves. It is like agreat lump of iron placed in a fire and heated until it is red: nowise person would grasp it with his hand. Why? It would burn aperson's hand. In the same way, Bhadrapala, if they see the Buddha the bodhisattvas will not become attached to him; and they
will not become attached to form, feelings, conceptions, birth-anddeath, and consciousness. Why? Those who become attached burnthemselves. If they see the Buddha they should simply reflect on his
merits, and they should seek the Mahayana." The Buddha said to
Bhadrapala: "These bodhisattvas should not have any attachments

36

Chapter V

in the meditation. If they do not become attached they will quickly
master this meditation."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
As in a newly polished mirror, or in a vessel filled with oil,
A woman, adorning herself, reflects her own form
And, conceiving lustful thoughts for it,
Abandons all restraint, becoming utterly infatuated;
She pursues what is not real, rejecting the Dharma
for nothing;On account of form she runs about, setting her bodyon fire;The woman's troubles arise from this,Because she does not understand t h a t dharmas areimpermanent and empty.
So too the bodhisattva with conceptual thoughts:"I shall attain Buddhahood and get its sweet dew,
And liberate people from misery and trouble."
Because he has the concept of "person" he lacks
understanding.

909a

If one searches for the basis of a person, it cannot beapprehended,
And it does not undergo birth-and-death or nirvana;
Dharmas are ungraspable, like the moon in water;
If one contemplates the Way of the Buddha, there isnothing t h a t one can depend on.
Wise bodhisattvas ought to understand this,And realise t h a t the whole world is nonexistent fromthe beginning.
Free of attachments to all h u m a n creations,
They quickly attain the Way of the Buddha in this world.
All Buddhas realized the Way through mind.
The mind is pure, bright, and unsullied;

37

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Pristine in the five destinies, it does not suffer thelimitations of form;
Anyone who understands this perfects the Great Way.
All dharmas are free of form and of the corrupting
influences;
Divorced from conceptual thought, they are empty; free ofconceptual thought, they are empty.
If one cuts off lust, one then liberates the mind.
Anyone who understands this masters the meditation.
Energetically practise, aspiring to the Buddha's body;
Always listen to the dharmas which are fundamentallypure;
Do not practise aspiringly, and do not lack aspiration,6
And this meditation will not be hard to master.
Contemplate all that exists as being like empty space;
The thought of the Way is tranquil and preeminently
fine;
It is free of conceptual thought, free of construction, andfree of hearing;This is to comprehend the noble Way of the Buddha.
Seeing all forms one is free of conceptual thought,
One's vision is free of attachment, and does not come andgo;
If one always contemplates the Buddhas as equal toemptiness,
One has already transcended the aspirations of the world.
Those people who are pure, whose vision is unsullied,
Who practise energetically, and are always tranquil,
Receive incalculable sutra-dharmas,
And reflect on this meditation with clear discernment.
Practicing this meditation they are free of attachment;
They dispel all darkness and achieve mental concentration;

38

Chapter V

They do not see the Heroes of the World; for them there
are no worthies and sages;
The followers of heterodox ways are confused when they
hear this.
Transcending conceptual thought they should strive
resolutely;With a pure mind they will succeed in seeing the Buddhas;
Once they have seen the Buddhas they will not see themagain;
Only then will they understand this noble meditation.
Earth, water, fire—nothing can obstruct them;Wind and empty space cannot block them either;
They who practise this energetically will see the ten
quarters;
Sitting down, they will hear at a distance and receive theDharmas t h a t are taught.
J u s t as I expound the sutras here,
And those who delight in the Dharma of the Way see theBuddha face to face,
They who undertake the practice zealously and are free ofattachment
Follow only the Dharma preached by the Lord of the World.
In this way the practitioners are free of thought,
Listen only to the message of the Way and undertake thegift of the Dharma,
Always reflect on and understand this meditation,
And everywhere carefully receive and recite w h a t the
Buddha has expounded.
All past Buddhas have discussed the Dharma,
As will future Lords of the World:
They expound, disseminate, and analyze the meaning;
Together they all extol this meditation.

909b

39

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

I too like this am Lord among Men,
Supreme in the world, the father of beings;
I know and understand all—this is the vision of the Way;
Therefore I explain and reveal the tranquil meditation.
Anyone who recites and accepts this meditation
Will always enjoy physical ease and mental composure;
These are the incalculable virtues of the Buddha;
They ensure that it will not be hard to acquire the noble
Way of the Buddha.
Widely they gather an inconceivable host of sutras,
Wishing to penetrate the teachings of all the Buddhas;
Quickly they eliminate desire and all impurities
And energetically practise this pure meditation.
In the present world they wish to see innumerable
Buddhas,They take pleasure in hearing and receiving the Dharma
from the Lords.
Quickly they eliminate form and get rid of attachments,
And practise this pure and tranquil meditation.
Here they have no lust or anger,
They avoid stupidity and renounce hatred and love,
They get rid of unwisdom and eliminate suspicion,
Thus they acquire an understanding of the tranquil
meditation.

40

Chapter VI

The Four Classes
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "How marvellous is the preaching of the meditation by the God among Gods! If
any bodhisattva who has renounced desire to become a monk shouldhear this meditation, how should he study it, how should he keep
it, and how should he practise it?"
The Buddha said: "If any bodhisattva who has renounced desire to become a monk wants to study this meditation, recite thismeditation, and keep this meditation, he should be pure in keeping the precepts, and he ought not to deviate from the precepts by
so much as a hair's breadth. What is meant by a bodhisattva^ notdeviating from the precepts? He keeps all the prohibitory rules;
he should keep all the rules for going out, coming in, and walking;he ought not to transgress the precepts by so much as a hair's
breadth, and he should always fear and avoid insincerity; he should
keep all the prohibitions. To keep them like this is to be pure in
the keeping of the precepts. What is meant by a bodhisattva^
deviating from the precepts? Such a bodhisattva looks for form.
What is looking for form? This person thinks: 'By means of this
merit may I in a future rebirth become either a god or a universal
monarch.'" The Buddha said: "Because of this the bodhisattvamonk deviates from the precepts. He always uses this practice,uses these precepts, and uses the blessings derived from self-control to aspire to a place of rebirth and to enjoy his desires. This isdeviating from the precepts."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "The bodhisattva-monk who
wishes to study this meditation should be pure in keeping the precepts, he should be perfect in keeping the precepts, he should not

41

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

909c

be insincere in keeping the precepts, he should be praised by thewise, he should be praised by the arhats, he should give the gift ofthe sutras, he should be energetic, his mindfulness should be strong,
he should be full of faith and inspiration; he should serve his preceptors, he should serve his good teachers. The person from whom
he hears this meditation, in whatever place he is able to hear thismeditation, he should regard him as a Buddha." The Buddha said
to Bhadrapala: "If this bodhisattva regards his teacher as he would
regard the Buddha, he will master the meditation quickly. If hedoes not honor his good teacher, if he is disrespectful to his goodteacher and imposes upon him, then even if he studies this meditation for a long time, keeps it for a long time, and practises it fora long time, if he does not honor his good teacher he will quickly
lose it." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "This bodhisattva should
regard as a Buddha whatever monk, nun, layman, or laywoman
he gets to hear this meditation from, and he should venerate theplace where he hears the meditation."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Wherever the bodhisattva
hears this meditation he should not have any insincere intentions;this bodhisattva should not have any insincere thoughts, he should
always take pleasure in staying by himself, not begrudge his own
life, he should not hanker after the things t h a t others desire, heshould always practise begging for his food, not accept invitations,
not be jealous, maintain self-control, abide in accordance with the
Dharma, incline to contentment with what he has and nothing
more, should keep walking without letting up, and should not go tosleep—in this way, Bhadrapala, in accordance with the teachingsin this sutra, he who renounces desire to become a monk and studies this meditation should act like this and cultivate it like this."
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "How marvellous is the Dharma preached by the God among Gods! At alater time there will be some lazy bodhisattvas who, when they
hear this meditation, will not want to exert themselves. They will
think to themselves. 'We shall look for this meditation at a later
time, under future Buddhas. Why? Because our bodies are thin42

Chapter VI

and infirm in the extreme. We fear that we are unable to strive for
it/ When they hear this sutra they will be lazy and will not exert
themselves. There will also be some energetic bodhisattvas whowill wish to study this sutra, will teach it, and will teach it inaccordance with the Dharma of this sutra. Because of this sutra
they will not begrudge their persons or their lives, and they will
not hanker after the possessions of others. If people praise them
they will not for that reason be pleased. They will not be addicted
to bowls or robes, they will have no longings, they will always be
free of desires. Hearing this sutra they will not be lazy, but always
exert themselves. Those people will not think: 'We shall only strive
for it later, under future Buddhas/ They will think to themselves:'Even if it makes our sinews, marrow and flesh all shrivel up, we
will study this meditation without ever slackening!' They will think
to themselves. 'We shall never die lazy!' When they hear this sutra
they will all rejoice."
Then the Buddha said: "Well done! Well done, Bhadrapala! It
is exactly as you have said. I shall help them to rejoice, and all the
Buddhas of the past, future, and present will help them to rejoice."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
If one fully accepts and studies the Dharma
I am now preaching, and abides in solitude,
Pursuing meritorious conduct and exercisingself-restraint,This meditation will not be hard to master.
Always beg for food, do not accept invitations;
Renounce all desires and pleasures;
Honor as you would the Lord of the World, theDharma teacher
From whom you hear this meditation.
They who recite and practise this meditation
Are always energetic, not lazy.
They must not be grudging with the sutra-dharma:
Without angling for offerings, they give the sutra.

43

9i0a

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

If one accepts this meditation,
One is then a son of this Buddha.
They who study and practise it in this way
Never take long to master the meditation.
Be ever zealous, not lazy;
Eliminate sleep, set free the mind.
You should avoid bad friends,
Then practise according to this Dharma.
Discard self-indulgence, do not rest,
Always avoid the congregating of the multitude.
Monks who strive for this meditation
Should do this, in accordance with the Buddha's teaching.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha. "As for the nun
seeking the Way of the bodhisattva, who wishes to study thismeditation and cultivate it—what dharmas should she establish
herself in to study and cultivate this meditation?"
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "The nun who seeks to set
out in the Mahayana, and who studies and cultivates this meditation, should be modest and respectful, should not be envious, should
not get angry, should eliminate conceit, eliminate haughtiness,
refrain from laziness, should be energetic, get rid of sleepiness,should not go to sleep, renounce all possessions, should keep herself ever pure, should not be sparing of her person or her life, should
always rejoice in the sutras, should strive for great learning, should
get rid of lust, anger, and stupidity, get out of Mara's net, should
get rid of her beloved clothes, ornaments, beads, and rings, should
not be foul-mouthed, should not covet fine bowls or robes, should
be praised by others, and should not be insincere. When she studies this meditation, she should honor her good teachers and regard them as Buddhas; she should accept the teachings of thissutra and cultivate this meditation."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
If a nun conducts herself respectfully,
Is not envious and avoids anger,

44

Chapter VI

Eliminates arrogance and gets rid of haughtiness—
If she conducts herself in this way she masters the
meditation.
She should be energetic and eliminate sleepiness,
Renounce desire and not covet long life,
Be single-minded in loving this Dharma—
If she seeks the meditation, so should she act.

910b

She must not give in to lustful thoughts,
She must do away with anger and stupidity,
She must not fall into Mara's net—
If she seeks the meditation, so should she act.
If anyone studies this meditation,
She should not be flirtatious, and reject carnal desire;She should renounce all suspicions;
She should be sincere and not meretricious.
Rejecting inferior love, she has always the greater love;
She honors the good teacher selflessly;
She should avoid all evils—
If she seeks the meditation, so should she act.
If she strives for the Dharma and wishes to master it,
She should not be attached to bowls and robes,
And should regard as no different from the Buddha
The person from whom she hears this meditation.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "If a bodhisattva
wearing white, one who cultivates the Way living in the home,should wish, when he hears this meditation, to study it and cultivate it, how should he establish himself in the Dharma so as tostudy and cultivate this meditation?"
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "The bodhisattva wearing
white, who, on hearing this meditation, wishes to study and cultivate it, should hold firmly to the five precepts and remain pure; heshould not drink wine, nor give it to other people to drink; he should
not have intercourse with women—he should not do it himself,

45

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

nor should he advise other people to do it; he should not have any
affection for his wife and children; he should not long for sons anddaughters; he should not long for property; he should always thinklongingly of abandoning his wife and children and undertaking
the life of an ascetic; he should always maintain the eightfold fast,
and at the time of the fast he should always keep the fast at a
Buddhist monastery; he should always think of giving, and notthink: 1 myself shall obtain blessings from it', but give for the sakeof the myriad people; he should always have great love for his goodteacher; if he sees a monk who keeps the precepts he should not bedisrespectful to him or speak ill of him. When he has conducted himself in this way, he should study and cultivate this meditation."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
If a bodhisattva living in the home
Wishes to master this meditation,
He should always study it thoroughly,
Without any cravings in his heart.
When he recites this meditation,
He should think eagerly of becoming an ascetic;
He should not desire his wife and children,
And he should renounce property and sex.
He should always uphold the five precepts
And the eightfold fast for one whole day;At the time of the fast, in a Buddhist monastery,He should study the meditation with acute penetration.
He should not speak ill of others,
Nor be given to rude or disrespectful conduct;
With a mind free of the desire for glory,
He should practise this meditation.

9i0c

Honoring all the sutra-dharmas,
He should always delight in the Way;
With a mind free of insincerity and falseness,
He should eliminate mean and jealous thoughts.

46

Chapter VI

He who studies this meditation
Should always behave respectfully;
Doing away with arrogance and self-indulgence,
He should serve the community of monks.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "If a laywoman
seeking to set out in the Mahayana should wish, when she hears
this meditation, to study it and cultivate it, what dharmas should
she practise to study and cultivate this meditation?"
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "If a laywoman seeking to
set out in the Mahayana should wish, when she hears this meditation, to study and cultivate it, she should keep the five precepts;
she should commit herself to the three—what three? She shouldcommit herself to the Buddha, commit her life to the Dharma, andcommit her life to the community of monks—she should not follow other ways; she should not worship the gods; she should nottake any notice of lucky days; she should not be flirtatious; sheshould not be unrestrained; and she should not have desires. The
laywoman should always think of giving; she should wish eagerly
to hear the sutras, and exert herself to increase her learning. The
laywoman should always honor her good teachers; and she should
always have an unremittingly attentive mind. If monks or nuns
pass by, she should always give them hospitality by offering thema seat and waiting on them with food and drink."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
If a laywoman
Recites this meditation,
She should follow the teachings of the Buddha's Dharma
And uphold the five precepts in their entirety.
When she cultivates this meditation,
She should honor the Buddha
As well as the Dharma and the community of monks,
And she should honor her good teacher.
She should not follow other ways,
She should not sacrifice to the gods;

47

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Practising this meditation,
If she sees people she should rise and greet them.
She should give up killing, theft, and licentiousness,
She should be truthful and not two-tongued;
She should not go to wineshops;
She should practise this meditation.
Her mind should not harbor craving;
She should always think of giving;
She should do away with insincere thoughts,
And not talk about the shortcomings of others.
She should always honor and serve
Monks and nuns;
Hearing words of the Dharma she should accept them all;Thus should she study the meditation.

48

Chapter VII

The Prediction
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala asked the Buddha: "How wonderfult h a t the God among Gods, the Tathagata, has in this way preachedthis meditation, which all bodhisattvas delight in, practicing it
energetically and not becoming slothful about supreme and perfect awakening. After the Buddha's Parinirvana, will this meditation exist in Jambudvipa?"
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "After myParinirvana, this meditation will appear for forty years, after which
it will no longer appear. Later, in the age of disorder, when the
Buddha's sutras are about to vanish, the monks will no longer
accept the Buddha's teachings. Afterward, in the age of disorder,
state will take up arms against state. At t h a t time this meditation
will reappear in Jambudvipa. Because of the Buddha's numinous
power, this meditation sutra will again emerge."
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala and the bodhisattva Ratnakararose from their seats, put their robes in order, placed their hands
together with interlacing fingers in front of the Buddha, and said
to the Buddha: "After the Parinirvana of the Buddha, in the ageof disorder, we shall preserve this meditation together, keep thismeditation, and preach it in full to others. We shall never tire ofhearing the volumes of this sutra." Then the bodhisattva Mahasusarthavaha, the bodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva Suslma, the bodhisattva Indradatta, andthe bodhisattva Varunadeva said to the Buddha: "When the Buddha has passed into Parinirvana, later, in the age of disorder, together we shall personally preserve and keep the volumes of this

49

9iia

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

sutra and perpetuate the Buddha's Way. If there are any who
have not yet heard it, together we shall preach and teach it tothem. We all accept this profound sutra, which few in the world
believe." Then five hundred people rose from their seats. Monks
and nuns, laymen and laywomen, they all placed their hands together with interlacing fingers, came before the Buddha, and said
to the Buddha: "After the Buddha's Parinirvana, in the age of disorder, when we hear this meditation we shall all personally keep itand preserve it. We would like you to entrust us five hundred people
to these eight bodhisattvas."
Then the Buddha smiled, and a golden light shone from his
mouth to the innumerable Buddha-fields of the ten quarters, illuminating them all brightly. Returning, it circled his body threetimes, and entered it through the top of his head. Ananda rosefrom his seat, covered himself once again with his robe, and having come forward to where the Buddha was and made obeisance tothe Buddha, he withdrew and remained with hands placed together
with interlacing fingers, praising him with the following verses:
Your mind is pure, your conduct is immaculate,Your divine powers of penetration are unlimited, youhave great powers of magical transformation,
You have overcome all obstacles, your knowledge is
extraordinary,Your radiance dispels the darkness and removes
defilement.
Your wisdom is incalculable, your mind entirely set free.
0 Buddha, God among Gods, with the voice of thenightingale,
Whom none of the followers of other ways can disturb,
Why do you smile and emit this marvellous radiance?

911b

1 pray t h a t the perfectly awakened one will explain
it for us,
You who have love and compassion for all, Lord of beings,
If one hears the soft voice of the Buddha,

50Chapter VII

It explains how one advances to sagehood and changes
the ways of the world.
The Lord of the World does not show emotions for nothing,
The guide of all the sages does not smile in vain.
Who will now be given a prediction?
O Hero of the World, I pray t h a t you explain the meaningof this for us.
Who will this day be firmly established in the Way andin virtue?
Who will succeed in setting out on the marvellous course?
Who will now receive the treasury of profound Dharmas,
The supreme Way and virtue to which all commit
themselves?
Who will this day have compassion for the world?
Who will take up this teaching of the Dharma?
Who will be firmly established in Buddha-wisdom?
Lord of the World, I pray t h a t you explain this for us.
The Buddha then uttered the following verses to Ananda:
The Buddha said: "Ananda, do you see
The five hundred people standing before me
With joyful hearts, singing the words:'We too shall obtain this Dharma'?
"With happy expressions on their faces, they regard theBuddha respectfully:'When shall we get to be like this?'
They all stand on tiptoes, praising the Buddha:'We should certainly attain this.'"Although the five hundred people now present
Have different names, their course of action has been thesame from the beginning;
They have always been happy to accept this profound sutra,
And will do so again in future ages.

51

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra"Now I charge you and announce to you:
The Buddha's knowledge, being incalculable, knows themfrom the beginning;
They have not just seen one Buddha,
Nor have they obtained their wisdom while standing here.
"Laid bare are their former lives,
During which they have seen eighty thousand Buddhas,
one after the other;
The five hundred people kept to the Way,
Always understood the meaning of the sutras, and strove
to realize it in practice.
"They urged on innumerable bodhisattvas,
Always practised love and compassion, and preserved thesutra-dharmas;
They encouraged and taught all the many people,
Bringing them all to the practice of the Great Way.
"They knew and saw past Lords of the World,
Saw eighty million billions of them;Widely renowned, liberated in mind,
They preserved this Dharma which moves in three turns.
"Here, in the present age, they receive my teaching;
They will distribute and make offerings to these relics;
Calmly and carefully they will accept and study what the
Buddha has taught,
They will all recite it and have their commission.
"They will place it in stupas and in the mountains,Or they will entrust it to the gods, the dragons or theGandharvas;
Each one, when he has handed over the volumes of the sutra,Will at the end of his life be born in heaven above.
"When their lives in heaven above come to an end, theyshall return to the world,
Each one being born of different stock.

52

Chapter VII

They shall once more take up the practice of the Buddha'sWay,
And shall distribute this sutra in accordance with their vows.
"Because they love this sutra-dharma,
They will find it as soon as they look for it, take it and put
it into practice.
They will cause innumerable people to hear it;
Their joy will be hard to measure, and their minds
without equal.
"These wise ones will not tire of the Dharma;
They will not be attached to their persons or their lives;
They will vanquish all followers of heterodox ways;
They shall bestow the sutra-dharma and glorify its intent.
"Nobody can obtain, take up, recite
Or expound this sutra-dharma,
But the people of the four classes now standing in mypresence,
The host of the five hundred are fit and able to take it up.
"These eight bodhisattvas—Bhadrapala
Ratnakara, Naradatta,
Mahasusarthavaha, Varunadeva,
Indradatta, Suslma, Guhagupta—"The monks and nuns, and the pure believers
Accept the mysterious Dharma with its sentences of
exalted meaning;With the Way of the sutra they always show compassion
to the world;
They proclaim widely the universal teaching that flows
everywhere.
"The eight bodhisattvas—Bhadrapala and the others—
Are the champions of the host of five hundred;
They will always take up the sutras of universality
And be free of attachment to the many ways of the world.

53

9iic

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra"Loosening all bonds, understanding the wisdom of
emptiness,
With the color of polished red gold and the marks of ahundred blessings,
They constantly act with love and compassion, anddeliver beings;
They dispense security and destroy all defilements.
"After their lives come to an end, they are born infamilies which uphold the Dharma;
They will never again return to the three evil destinies;
Following each other for generation after generation, they
will always be in accord;
Afterward they shall attain the noble Way of the Buddha.
"They have already done away with the eight places ofhardship,And they avoid all the evil destinies;
No one can assess their meritorious conduct,
No one can measure the blessings they receive.
"They shall once more encounter the Buddha Maitreya,And, being all of the same mind, will go to commit
themselves to him;
Together they shall all make offerings, being of equal loveand compassion;
They shall attain the sentence of supreme quiescence.
"Their minds are all in total harmony;
They intend rightly to serve the Lord among Men;
Not relying on worldly things, they will obtain patient
acceptance of the Dharma,
And quickly attain the practice of the supreme Great Way.
"They shall always uphold this sutra-dharma,
Reciting it when they rise in the morning and retire in
the evening,54

Chapter VII

They shall plant many merits and cultivate the holy life—
When they see Maitreya, such will their righteousness be.
"Under those Buddhas who arise in this Bhadrakalpa,
Radiating light out of love and compassion for the world,
Everywhere, wherever they are, they will take up theDharma,And serve the Buddhas of the past, future, and present.
"They will all make offerings to the Heroes of the World;
Seeing the Lords of the Three Ages, they will be free of all
the poisons;
They shall quickly attain the noble Way of the Buddha,
Which is inconceivable and incalculable.
"Among them there are those who will attain the Way of
the Buddha earlier;
The later ones will take turns in making offerings to them;
For countless aeons, numbering in the billions,
So they will go on until at last they come to an end.

9i2a"Here the laymen Bhadrapala,Ratnakara, Naradatta,
Susarthavaha, and Guhagupta
Have seen as many Buddhas as there are sands in theGanges.
"They shall always serve the teaching of the true Dharma
And propagate the Buddhas' teachings, uncountable evenby the million;
Their practice of the Way is incalculable, and could not bemeasured,
Even over innumerable millions of aeons.
"Even if people were to take up their names
Wherever they were moving around, or in their dreams,
Such brave guides of the world as these
Would all attain the supreme Way.

55

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra"If those who, on seeing them or hearing their voices,
Are happy and joyful in their hearts
Will all doubtless attain the Way of the Buddha;
How much more so those who accept them and makeofferings to them?
"If those who get angry with them and abuse them
Or strike them with evil intentions
Will, through the numinous power and grace of theseeight men,
Be brought to Buddhahood nevertheless, how much moreso those who honor them?
"The Dharmas which they have accepted are inconceivable;
Their names are incalculable, as are their life spans;
Their radiance is infinite, their virtues beyond doubt;
Their wisdom is incalculable, and so is their conduct.
"They always gain audience with incalculable Buddhas
Pure in the precepts, as numerous as the sands in theGanges;Under them they practise giving widely,
Thereby seeking the supreme Way.
"If one spoke of their blessings for innumerable millions ofaeons,
One could not set a limit on their merit.
Those who accept this sutra-dharma, recite it and study itWill have no further difficulty in attaining the Great Way.
"If anyone cherishes the volumes of this sutra
Accepts it, recites it, keeps it, and expounds it,
You should know t h a t he is one of the five hundred people
Whose hearts cherish it, and never doubt it.
"If one is given this sutra-dharma,
Cherishes the message of the Way, and increases hisenergy,56

Chapter VII

Practises the pure precepts and eliminates sleepiness,
He will never have any difficulty in attaining thismeditation.
"Wishing to win ease and proclaim the sutras and theprecepts,
The monk takes up his studies in a solitary abode;He always practises mendicancy and knows contentment;
He will never have any difficulty in attaining thismeditation.
"He avoids the noise of crowds and does not accept
invitations;His mouth does not hanker after tastes, he has renounced
desires;
He honors as a Lord of the World with constant service
The person from whom he hears this sutra-dharma.
"Eliminating meanness, he accepts this Dharma;
He extirpates lust and renounces foolishness;
He sets out on the Great Way, and his mind is free of doubt;
Afterward he studies and practises this meditation.
"His conduct is unattached, he has rejected all desires;
He always shows self-restraint, and renounces anger
and hate;
Energetically he practises the teachings of the Buddha's
Dharma;Afterwards he accepts and studies this meditation.

9i2b"He does not covet sons and daughters or possessions;
He avoids arrogance and sets aside wives and concubines;
He who cultivates the Way living in the home always has
shame;
Afterward he studies and recites this meditation.
"He has no malicious thoughts, his behavior is gentle,
He takes no pleasure in abuse, rejecting all evil;

57

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Not hunting after form, he obtains the patient acceptanceof the Dharma;
He should ably recite this meditation.
"If a nun studies this Dharma,
She should always be respectful and renounce arrogance;
She should avoid flirtatiousness and conceit,
And she will have no further difficulty in mastering thismeditation.
"Always acting energetically, eliminating sleepiness,
Without regard for self or regard for persons,
She who cherishes the Dharma does not begrudge her life;
Afterward she studies and recites this meditation.
"She checks licentiousness and abandons attachments,
Is free of angry thoughts and does away with insincerity;
She will never again fall into Mara's net;
Possessing this meditation, such are her attainments.
"She acts with equanimity towards all beings;
She eliminates self-indulgence and all the defilements;
She is not brusque by nature, nor coarse in her speech;
Afterward she studies and recites this meditation.
"She ought not to covet, even for a moment,
Bowls, robes, or clothes;
She should honor her good teachers, regarding them as
Buddhas;Afterward she studies and recites this meditation.
"Securing thereby a fine advantage and avoiding the evil
destinies,
They single-mindedly believe and rejoice in the teachingsof the Buddha's Dharma,
And avoid all the eight places of hardship:
Such are the gains for those who keep this sutra."58

Chapter VIII

Protection
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala, the bodhisattva R a t n a k a r a , t h ebodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva Susima, the bodhisattva Mahasusarthavaha, the bodhisattva Indradatta, and the bodhisattva Varunadeva—when they
heard w h a t the Buddha said, these eight bodhisattvas all rejoiced
greatly, and made offerings to the Buddha, presenting him withfive hundred robes of Indian cotton and with precious gems, andcommitting themselves to him. The Buddha said to Ananda: "This
Bhadrapala and his companions are the teachers of the five hundred bodhisattvas. Always upholding the central and true Dharma,
they will come together and teach them as required, so t h a t all
will rejoice, having minds which are happy, minds which are adaptable, minds which are pure, and minds which reject desire." Thenthe five hundred all put their hands together with interlacing
fingers and stood before the Buddha.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "How manythings should bodhisattvas possess to master this meditation, O
God among Gods?" The Buddha said: "If bodhisattvas have fourthings they quickly master this meditation. W h a t are the four?
First, they have no faith in other ways. Second, they eradicate thepassions. Third, they act in accordance with the Dharma. Fourth,they have no desire for rebirth. These are the four, by which
bodhisattvas quickly master this meditation."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Any bodhisattvas who study
this meditation, or keep it, or recite it, or cultivate it will obtain
five hundred meritorious virtues for themselves in this very life.
Bhadrapala, it is like a monk with a loving heart—he is never

59

9i2c

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

harmed by poison, he is never harmed by weapons, fire cannot
burn him, he cannot drown, and rulers cannot take advantage ofhim. In the same way, if bodhisattvas cultivate this meditation,
they are never harmed by poison, never harmed by weapons, neverburnt by fire, never drowned, and never taken advantage of by rulers. For example, Bhadrapala, when the aeon is destroyed in flames,
even if the bodhisattva who possesses this meditation were to fall
into that fire, the fire would immediately be extinguished, in thesame way that a large pitcher of water extinguishes a small fire."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "It is exactly as I say. As for
those bodhisattvas who possess this meditation, if rulers or thieves
or water or fire or dragons or snakes or Yaksa spirits or wild beasts
or pythons or flood-dragons or lions or tigers or wolves or dogs orhumans or nonhumans or apes or hungry ghosts or Kumbhanda
spirits try to molest people, or try to kill people, or try to rob peopleof their bowls and robes, or ruin people's meditation, or rob themof their mindfulness—if they wish to affect these bodhisattvas,
they will never be able to do so." The Buddha said: "It is exactly as
I say. Except for what they have brought on themselves in former
lives, nothing else can affect them." The Buddha said: "It is exactly as I say. If bodhisattvas possess this meditation, they never
suffer a sickness of the eyes; their ears, noses, mouths, and bodies
are free of sickness; their minds never know grief or distress. If
these bodhisattvas, when they are dying or are near death, shouldhave these afflictions, things are not as the Buddha says—unless
it be what they have done in former lives.
"Furthermore, Bhadrapala, all the gods praise these bodhisattvas. All the dragons praise them. All the Yaksa spirits praisethem. All the Asuras praise them. All the Garuda spirits, Kinnara
spirits, Mahoraga spirits, humans, and nonhumans praise thesebodhisattvas. All the Buddhas, Gods among Gods, praise thesebodhisattvas.
"Furthermore, Bhadrapala, these bodhisattvas are protectedby the gods, and are protected by the dragons. The Four Heavenly
Kings, Sakra, Lord of the Gods, and the god Brahma Sahampati
all protect these bodhisattvas. All the Yaksa spirits, the Gandharva

60Chapter VIII

spirits, the Asura spirits, the Garuda spirits, the Kinnara spirits,
the Mahoraga spirits, both h u m a n s and nonhumans together protect these bodhisattvas. All the Buddhas, Gods among Gods, together protect these bodhisattvas.
"Furthermore, Bhadrapala, these bodhisattvas are held in highesteem by the gods. All the dragons, Yaksa spirits, Gandharva
spirits, Asura spirits, Garuda spirits, Kinnara spirits, Mahoraga
spirits, humans, and nonhumans together hold these bodhisattvas
in high esteem. The Buddhas, Gods among Gods, are all free ofdesire, yet on account of the Way and of virtue they all hold thesebodhisattvas in high esteem.
"Furthermore, Bhadrapala, all the gods wish to see thesebodhisattvas. All the dragons, Yaksa spirits, Gandharva spirits,
Asura spirits, Garuda spirits, Kinnara spirits, Mahoraga spirits,
humans, and nonhumans long for and wish to see these bodhisattvas. As for the Buddhas, the Gods among Gods, each and every one of them wishes to have these bodhisattvas go to him, hewishes to have them go for humanity's sake. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, all the gods come to these bodhisattvas, all the dragons, Yaksa
spirits, Gandharva spirits, Asura spirits, Garuda spirits, Kinnara
spirits, Mahoraga spirits, humans, and nonhumans come to thesebodhisattvas, and they all see each other. As for the Buddhas, theGods among Gods, the bodhisattvas not only see them during thedaytime, but at night in their dreams they both see the Buddhas'
bodies and each of the Buddhas tells them his own name.
"Furthermore, Bhadrapala, as for sutras which these bodhisattvas have not hitherto recited and sutra volumes which they
have not previously heard, these bodhisattvas will, by means of
the numinous power of this meditation, obtain all the names of
those sutra volumes in their dreams, they will see them all andhear all the sounds of the sutras. If they do not obtain them in thedaytime, then they see and obtain them all at night in their dreams."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "If for an aeon or for more than anaeon I were to proclaim the merits of these bodhisattvas who possess
this meditation, I would not be able to come to an end, to say nothing of those who strive energetically to master this meditation."

61

9i3a

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

The Buddha then recited the following verses:
Should any bodhisattvas study and recite thisMeditation expounded by the Buddha, with its message ofquiescence,
Even if one wanted to praise their merits,
It would be like subtracting one grain of sand from thebanks of the Ganges.
Knives and swords, spears and halberds do not woundthem,
Robbers and foes cannot harm them,Kings of states and great ministers look affectionately
upon them:Such are the results of studying this meditation.
If snakes which are poisonous and truly terrible
See those practitioners, their poison is quickly removed;
They no longer get angry or spit venom:
Such are the results of reciting this meditation.

9i3b

Enemies who bear them ill-will are no match for them;Gods, dragons, spirits, and Kinnaras
All fall silent when they see their numinous radiance;
Such are the results of studying this meditation.
Evil wolves and pythons of the wilds,
Lions, fierce tigers, deer, and apes,
Without harmful intentions, keeping their poison hidden,
All come to provide these practitioners with theirpersonal protection.
Evil spirits who seize people's souls,
And all gods and human beings who harbor harmful
intentions
Submit of their own accord when they sense theirnuminous power:
Such are the results of studying this meditation.

62

Chapter VIII

They do not fall sick, nor do they suffer pain;
Their hearing and vision are acute and clear, without
dimming or blockage;
Their eloquence in speaking is outstanding:
They who practise the meditation quickly attain this.
They never fall into hell,
And avoid the destiny of hungry ghosts and animals;
In all their rebirths, life after life, they remember theirformer existences:
Such are the results of studying this meditation.
The spirits and Gandharvas together protect them,
As do the gods and human beings as well,Along with the Asuras and the Mahoragas:
Such are the results of practicing this meditation.
All the gods together extol their virtues,
The gods, men, dragons, spirits, and Kinnaras;
The Buddhas praise them and fulfill their aspirations,Because they recite the sutra and preach it for thesake of others.
They do not regress in their aspiration to the Way,
Nor is the meaning of the Dharma wisdom exhausted
for them;
None can equal the beauty of their appearance,
If they recite and practise this sutra, and teach others.
When state takes up arms against state, and the people
are in turmoil,
When famine is rife, and there is dire need,
They never suffer an early death before their time is up,
They who can recite this sutra and teach others.
Valiantly they triumph over all the deeds of Mara;
Their minds know no fear, nor does their hair stand on end;
Their meritorious conduct is inconceivable:
Such are the results of practicing this meditation.

63

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Bewitchery, magic, and the casting of spells,
The improper action of those who follow foul heretical ways,
Can never affect their persons,Because they delight in the Dharma and know it
thoroughly.
Everyone together sings of their virtues,
The honored sons of the Buddha, fully endowed with theknowledge of emptiness;
Such are the results for those into whose hands thissutra passes
Afterward, in the future, in the very last days.
They will always act energetically, and be joyful,
Will uphold this Dharma with one heart, harmoniously,Will accept and keep the sutra volumes, expound andrecite them;
It is therefore to them that I now speak.

64

Chapter IX

The Buddha Ksemaraja
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Once upon a time, innumerable
incalculable aeons ago, there was a Buddha by the name of Ksemaraja, a Buddha, a Tathagata, an Arhat, a Perfectly Awakened One, 9i3c
most highly honored in the world, a bringer of peace to the world,brilliant with regard to the sutras, and known as God among Godsin heaven and beneath it. At that time a certain elder's son by thename of Sudatta came with twenty thousand people to the Buddha Ksemaraja, made obeisance to the Buddha, withdrew, andsat down to one side. The elder's son Sudatta asked the Buddha
Ksemaraja about this meditation. The Buddha Ksemaraja, knowing what the elder's son Sudatta was thinking, then preached thismeditation to him. When the elder's son Sudatta heard this meditation, he rejoiced greatly, and straightaway was able to recite
and retain it all. He became an ascetic, and strove for this meditation for eighty thousand years, during which time the elder's son
Sudatta heard a great many sutras from the Buddha. He heard
sutras from innumerable Buddhas, and his wisdom was outstanding. Thereafter, when the life of the elder's son Sudatta came toan end, he was reborn in the heaven of the Gods of the Thirtythree. Subsequently, he came back down from heaven and wasreborn in the world. At that time, in that ancient aeon, there wasanother Buddha by the name of Vidyuddeva, a Tathagata, an
Arhat, a Perfectly Awakened One. Then the Buddha had beenborn into a ksatriya household. At that time the elder's son Sudatta
once again heard this meditation under the Buddha, and once again
strove for it. Then the elder's son Sudatta, later in that ancientaeon, met another Buddha by the name of Rasmiraja, a Tathagata,

65

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

9i4a

an Arhat, a Perfectly Awakened One, of brahman stock. At thattime the elder's son Sudatta again received this meditation underthe Buddha, and strove to cultivate it for eighty-four thousand
years." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Eighty thousand aeons
later the elder's son Sudatta became a Buddha by the name of
Dipamkara. At that time the elder's son Sudatta was, as a man,brilliant and brave, and his wisdom was most extensive." The Buddha said: "Do you see this meditation, Bhadrapala? Its abundant
benefits are such that it causes people to realise the Way of the
Buddha. Any bodhisattvas who attain this meditation should study
and recite it, they should preserve it, they should teach it to others and they should cultivate it, and if they do this they will attain Buddhahood before long.
"Do you know, Bhadrapala, that this meditation is the eye ofbodhisattvas, is the mother of bodhisattvas, is the object of devotion of bodhisattvas, and is the origin of bodhisattvas? Do you know,
Bhadrapala, that this meditation destroys darkness, and illuminates everything above heaven and beneath it? Do you know,
Bhadrapala, that this bodhisattvas' meditation is the treasury of
the Buddhas, is the ground of the Buddhas, is the fountainhead ofthe deep ocean of precious gems, is the stabilizer of incalculable
meritorious virtues, the sutra which increases perspicacity? You
should know that this is what comes from the meditation. From
within it emerges the Buddha and the hearing of the sutras.
"Establish yourself properly in the four stoppings of thought.
What are the four stoppings of thought? First, one observes one's
own body, and one observes the bodies of others; but when one
observes one's own body and observes the bodies of others, there isfrom the beginning no body. Second, one observes one's own feelings, and one observes the feelings of others; but when one observes one's own feelings and observes the feelings of others, there
are from the beginning no feelings. Third, one observes one's own
thoughts and observes the thoughts of others, but when one observes one's own thoughts and observes the thoughts of others,
there are from the beginning no thoughts. Fourth, one observes

66Chapter IX

one's own dharmas and observes the dharmas of others, but when
one observes one's own dharmas and observes the dharmas of others, there are from the beginning no dharmas."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Who will believe in this meditation? The only people who will believe in it are the Tathagatas,
Arhats, and Perfectly Awakened Ones; those who do not regress;
and arhats. Those with foolish and deluded minds are a long way
from this Meditation in Which the Buddhas of the Present Stand
Before One. Why? In this Dharma one should reflect on the Buddha and should see the Buddha." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala:"These bodhisattvas should reflect on the Buddha, should see theBuddha, and should hear the sutras, but they should not haveany attachment to them. Why? The Buddha is originally nonexistent, and these dharmas are uncaused. Why? They are originally empty and nonexistent. When each person undertakes
reflection on dharmas, in these dharmas there is nothing to grasp,
in these dharmas there is no attachment. They are like empty
space; they are utterly pure. These dharmas are thought by people.
They are completely nonexistent. They are nonexistent. Thesedharmas are apparent only; what is caused is merely empty andstill like nirvana. These dharmas are nonexistent. Originally thesedharmas do not exist; they come from nowhere and they go nowhere. People are originally nonexistent. Those unattached to thesedharmas are close, while those who have attachments are far."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Those who cultivate thismeditation enter the formless by means of form; seeing the Buddha, they reflect on the Buddha and cultivate awakening; hearing
the sutras, they reflect on the dharmas and cultivate awakening.
They must not think of the self, and they must not become attached to the dharmas. Why? They are cultivating awakening.
Bhadrapala, there are those who cultivate awakening and do not
see the Buddha. If they have so much as a hair of attachment they
will not obtain the dharmas. If they give to others with expectations of something, that is not giving. If they keep the precepts
with expectations of something, that is impurity. If they covet the67

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Dharma, they will not obtain nirvana. If they are insincere withregard to the sutras, they will not succeed in being brilliant. Ifthey take pleasure in assemblies and delight in other ways, they
will never be able to master the single practice. They whose thoughts
run into difficulties when it comes to desire, and who get angry
will not be capable of patient acceptance. They who hate will not
succeed in preaching to others. They who are good at striving for
the way of the arhats will not succeed here in seeing the Medita9i4b tion in Which the Buddhas of the Present All Stand Before One,and will not attain happiness in dharmas which do not come into
existence, and establish themselves in it. They who have attachments will not master emptiness. Bodhisattvas must never be miserly. They who are slothful will not obtain the Way. They who
are licentious will not enter into contemplation. They who havediscursive thoughts will not enter into meditation."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
Their merits are incalculable;
They uphold the precepts perfectly, and are unblemished;
Their minds are pure and devoid of defilement;
Such are the results of practicing this meditation.
Should any keep this meditation,
Their wisdom will be all-embracing and free of any
deficiency;
They will comprehend all meanings and never forgetanything;
Their meritorious conduct will be as bright as the moon.
Should any keep this meditation,
Their understanding and their aspiration to awakening
will be inconceivable;
They will comprehend incalculable dharmas of the Way;
Innumerable gods will protect their virtue.
Should any keep this meditation,
They will always see innumerable Buddhas face to face,

68Chapter IX

And hear incalculable Buddhas expounding the Dharma,
Which they will immediately be able to retain, reflect on,
and practise widely.
Should any keep this meditation,
All evils and hardships will be done away with;The Buddhas, who show compassion to the world,
Will all join in extolling these bodhisattvas.
If bodhisattvas should wish to see
Innumerable future Buddhas and Lords of the World,
Rejoice wholeheartedly, and take their stand in the true
Dharma,They should study and recite this meditation.
Should any keep this meditation,
Their merits and blessings will be inconceivable;
They will be first and foremost in attaining a human body,
Preeminent in leaving the household and practicing
mendicancy.
Should any obtain this sutra at the very last,
They will attain the foremost merits and advantages;
They will obtain infinite blessings:
Such are the results of being established in this meditation.

H e r e E n d s Fascicle T w oof T h e P r a t y u t p a n n a S a m a d h i Sutra

69

Fascicle Three

Chapter X

The Invitation to the Buddha
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala put his robes in order, went down on
his knees, placed his hands together with interlacing fingers, andsaid to the Buddha: "I wish to invite the Buddha and the community of monks to dinner tomorrow at my house; I would like theBuddha to accept the invitation out of compassion." The Buddha
and the community of monks all accepted the invitation in silence.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala, knowing t h a t the Buddha had accepted the invitation, rose and went to the n u n Mahaprajapati,
and said to her: "I would like you together with the nuns to accept
my invitation to a modest meal tomorrow at my house." The n u nMahaprajapati t h e n accepted t h e invitation. The bodhisattva
Bhadrapala said to the bodhisattva Ratnakara: "Younger brother,ask all the newcomers from all the states and provinces to assemble
where the Buddha is." The bodhisattva Ratnakara came forward
to the Buddha, made obeisance to him, went down on his knees,
placed his hands together with interlacing fingers, and said to him:
"My elder brother has invited the Buddha, and he wishes to invite
all the newcomers to dinner at his house. I would like you to accept out of compassion."
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala, the bodhisattva Ratnakara, thebodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva
Suslma, t h e bodhisattva M a h a s u s a r t h a v a h a , t h e bodhisattva
Indradatta, and the bodhisattva Varunadeva, all together with

71

9i4c

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

9i5atheir relatives, came forward and touched the Buddha's feet with
their foreheads, and made obeisance to the community of monks.
When they had finished making obeisance they left the Buddha,
returned to the city of Rajagrha, and went to the house of the bodhisattva Bhadrapala, where they helped each other prepare the food.
The Four Heavenly Kings, Sakra, the Lord of the Gods, and Brahma
Sahampati all came quickly to help the bodhisattva Bhadrapala
prepare all the food. Then the bodhisattva Bhadrapala and his
relatives together decorated the city of Rajagrha. They covered
the whole city with many different kinds of silk canopies, hung all
its streets, lanes, and marketplaces with silk banners, and theyscattered flowers and burned incense throughout the whole city.
They prepared dishes of a hundred flavors for the Buddha, but thedishes for the community of monks, the nuns, the laymen and the
laywomen, as well as for the impoverished beggars, were equallyas pleasing. Why? Because they give impartially, and regard all
people, as well as the species that flit and wriggle, as equal.
Bhadrapala, the eight bodhisattvas, and their relatives went
together to the Buddha at dinnertime, came forward, and touched
the Buddha's feet with their foreheads, then withdrew and said to
the Buddha: "The meal has all been prepared. We would like theBuddha to come." Then the Buddha and the community of monks
all put on their robes, took up their bowls, and went together;while all those who had assembled there followed the Buddha into
the city of Rajagrha to the house of the bodhisattva Bhadrapala.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala thought: "Now, through the Buddha's numinous power, let my house become extremely large andturn into beryl, so that those outside and those inside can see eachother, so that those outside the city can all see inside my house,
and those inside my house can see outside the city." The Buddha
knew right away what Bhadrapala was thinking. Thereupon the
Buddha displayed his numinous power and made Bhadrapala's
house extremely large; and all the people throughout the whole
city could see inside the house.
The Buddha entered the house of the bodhisattva Bhadrapala
first and sat down. The community of monks, the nuns, the laymen

72

Chapter X

and the laywomen, each in their separate groups, all sat down in
the house. When the bodhisattva Bhadrapala saw that the Buddha and the community of monks had sat down, he personallyserved the Buddha and the community of monks many hundredkinds of food, and poured the drinks with his own hand. When the
Buddha and the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen had allfinished eating, he gave the same to all the paupers, who were all
equally satisfied. By means of the Buddha's numinous power andgrace he satisfied them all. When the bodhisattva Bhadrapala saw
that the Buddha and the disciples had all eaten, he came forwardwith water for washing, and finally took a small bench and sat
down in front of the Buddha to listen to the sutras.
The Buddha expounded the sutras to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala and the four classes of disciples, and everyone rejoiced, everyone enjoyed listening, everyone wanted to listen. The Buddha engaged the community of monks and all the disciples with the sutras.
The Buddha rose and departed with the community of monks.
When the bodhisattva Bhadrapala had eaten, he left the cityof Rajagrha with his relatives and went to the Buddha. Having
come forward they made obeisance to the Buddha. They withdrew
and sat down on one side, together with the bodhisattva Ratnakara,
the bodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, the bodhisattva Suslma, the bodhisattva Mahasusarthavaha, the bodhisattva Indradatta, and the bodhisattva Varunadeva. The bodhisattva
Bhadrapala, seeing that the multitude were all seated comfortably, came forward and asked the Buddha: "How many things does
it take for bodhisattvas to attain the Meditation in Which the
Buddhas of the Present All Stand Before One?"
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "If bodhisattvas
possess five things, they quickly obtain the Meditation in Which the
Buddhas of the Present All Stand Before One, study it, preserve
it, and carefully practise it with a mind which does not turn back.
What are the five? First, they find happiness in the profound sutras
which are forever inexhaustible, which are infinite, which deliver
one from all disasters, whereby one is freed from all defilements,
whereby one leaves the darkness, enters the light, in which all

73

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

obscurities are eliminated." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "If thesebodhisattvas succeed in finding happiness in dharmas which do
not come into existence from anywhere, they master this meditation. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, they find no further happiness inplaces where one goes to be reborn: this is the second. They find nofurther happiness in other ways: this is the third. They find nofurther happiness in the passions: this is the fourth. They control
themselves and practise the infinites: this is the fifth. If the bodhisattvas possess a further five things they quickly master this meditation. What are the five? First, in giving, their hearts should befree of regret; they should not crave anything or begrudge anything.
Because of this they should not have any expectations. After they
9i5b have given to others they should never regret it. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, the bodhisattvas give the gift of the sutras; they preachthe sutras to other people; their speech is calm and careful, it isfree of impediments, and they begrudge nothing. They preach theprofound word of the Buddha, which they themselves practise andin which they establish themselves. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, thebodhisattvas are not envious, have no doubt about what they do,
eliminate sleepiness, eliminate the five desires, do not speak of theirown good points, and do not speak ill of other people. If anyone reviles them, or if anyone belittles them, they should not get angry,
nor should they become resentful, nor should they become remiss.
Why? Because they have embarked upon the practice of emptiness. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, the bodhisattvas set themselves
to study this meditation and also teach it to other people. They
copy this sutra, writing it on a fine length of plain silk, and perpetuate it. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, the bodhisattvas' faith isconsiderable. They like and respect their elders and friends. With
new students, if they receive a gift they should think of repaying
the favor. They always have discerning faith. When they receive asmall gift from another, they think of repaying it with a larger one;how much more so when it is considerable? The bodhisattvas always
delight in and respect the sutras; they discard the meanings thatare not to be repeated and they always reflect on those that are to berepeated. If they are like this they master the meditation quickly."74

Chapter X

The Buddha then recited the following verses:
They always love the Dharma, abide in deep understanding,
Do not crave rebirth among any of the habitual desires,
And range through the five destinies without any
attachments;
They who practise in this way will master the meditation.
They delight in giving without any thought of recompense;
In showing kindness they are free of attachment, and do
not give it a second thought;
In giving, they are unaware that there is any recipient;
They only wish to understand the Buddha's profoundknowledge.
Out of pity for beings they undertake giving;
Their hearts rejoice, and they have no regrets;
They are always established in giving, the precepts,
patient acceptance,
Energy, singlemindedness and wisdom.
Fully endowed with the six transcendences, [the means of]
attracting everyone,
And the four states of equanimity of love, compassion, joy,and circumspection,
Adept in the use of expedients, delivering beings;
They who practise in this way will master the meditation.
They who undertake giving and eliminate miserliness
Give with a joyful heart,And, after they have given, remain ever joyful;
They who practise in this way will master the meditation.
They understand the sutra-dharmas and analyze theirphrases,
They listen to the profound and essential message taught
by the Buddha;
They expoimd the teaching of the wondrous Way and of Virtue;
They who practise in this way will master the meditation.

75

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

They study and recite this meditation;
Fully endowed with understanding, they preach it toothers;
They ensure that this sutra-dharma is perpetuated;
They who practise in this way will master the meditation.
They never make a secret of the Buddha's sutra-dharma;
They expound it without expecting offerings;
They only seek the peaceful state of the Buddha's Way;
They who practise in this way will master the meditation.

9i5c

They eliminate attachments and discard all obstacles;
They get rid of arrogance and pride;
They do not praise themselves or talk about the
shortcomings of others;
They never again give rise to the thought of T and "me."If they possess quiescence, thoughts do not arise;
Then they are able to understand the wisdom of thisconcentration of the Way;
They discard insincerity, and their minds are pure;
Therefore they quickly attain the patient acceptance of
non-origination.
They always conduct themselves with the utmost
honesty, open and unadorned;
They fulfill their vows entirely, without any defect;
They increase all the true virtues, and do no evil deed;
They who love the Dharma quickly attain the Way.
They never forget the sutras that they have recited;
They always preserve the precepts and purity of conduct;
They who practise in this way quickly attain Buddhahood,
To say nothing of obtaining this calm meditation.
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Formerly, innumerable aeons ago, during the time of the Buddha Dipamkara,
I heard this meditation in the presence of the Buddha Dipamkara,
and immediately took it up. I saw the innumerable Buddhas of76

Chapter X

the ten quarters, heard the sutras from all of them and retained
them all. Then all the Buddhas said to me: Innumerable aeons
hereafter you shall become a Buddha by the name of Sakyamuni."'
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Therefore I say toyou: you yourself shall now attain Buddhahood. You should study
this meditation in order to know the inner Dharma, which is foremost, which is beyond the reach of the masses, which leaves behind
all forms. Any who establish themselves in this meditation will byreflection attain the Way of the Buddha."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
I remember that long ago, in the time of the Buddha
Dipamkara,
I obtained this meditation;
Then I saw the innumerable Buddhas of the ten quarters
And heard them preach the profound and subtle messageof the noble Dharma.
Just as a man of virtue goes to gather gems
And straightaway gets what he hopes for, according to
his wish,
So too the bodhisattva, the great man,
Seeks gems in the sutras and then attains Buddhahood.
The bodhisattva Bhadrapala said to the Buddha: "God among Gods,
how should people cultivate this meditation?" The Buddha said tothe bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "They should not be attached to form.
They should not have any inclinations towards rebirth. They should
practise emptiness. They should cultivate this meditation. Whatis the meditation? It is that which one should practise in accordance with these dharmas. Furthermore, Bhadrapala, when thebodhisattvas contemplate their own body, they have no body, nor
do they contemplate anything, nor do they see anything, nor dothey become attached to anything. Yet from the beginning they
are not blind to anything, nor are they deaf to anything. As withthe dharmas in the sutras, they continue to observe them, butthey see nothing, nor do they become attached to anything. They

77

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

9i6a

who have no attachments are those who cultivate the Way. They
have no doubts with regard to the dharmas. They who do not doubt
see the Buddhas. They who see the Buddhas have their doubts cut
off. The dharmas do not come into existence from anywhere. Why?
If bodhisattvas have a doubting thought with regard to the dharmas,
then t h a t is attachment. What is attachment? T h a t there are forthem persons, there are lives, there are virtues, there are the darkones [the aggregates], there are the entrances [the sense-fields],
there are the objects [the elements], there are forms, there are thebases [of cognition], there are desires—this is attachment. Why?
If bodhisattvas see the dharmas, they have no attachments, theyneither think of nor see these dharmas. In what way do they notsee? Bodhisattvas do not see in the same way as, for example, astupid person studying another way, who maintains there is a self
because there is for him a person. In what way do bodhisattvas see?
J u s t as, for example, the Tathagatas, Arhats and Perfectly Awakened Ones, those who do not regress, the pratyekabuddhas andthe a r h a t s are not happy or sad at w h a t they see, so too bodhisattvas see without becoming happy or sad. They who cultivate
this meditation are neither happy nor sad. J u s t as empty space isformless, featureless, pure, and unblemished, so do bodhisattvas
see the dharmas. With unobstructed vision they see the dharmas.
Therefore they see the Buddhas. They see the Buddhas as being
like a bright moon-pearl set on beryl; like the sun when it has justrisen; like the moon on the fifteenth day amidst all the stars; likea universal monarch with all his ministers in attendance; like theKing of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, Sakra, Lord of the Gods,
among all the gods; like Brahma, King of the Gods, enthroned onhigh among all the Brahma gods; like a torch blazing on the summit of a high mountain; like the King of Physicians healing theillnesses of people with medicines; like a lion going his solitary
way; like all the wild geese flying through the air, with their leader
out in front; like the piled snow on a high mountain under the
winter moon, clearly visible on all four sides; like the Adamantine
Mountains, the great boundary of heaven and earth, warding off

78

Chapter X

impurity; like the nether waters which support the earth; like thewinds which support the water, purified of all defilements, thesame as empty space; like the summit of Mount Sumeru, adorned
with the Heaven of the Thirty-three. Such are the Buddhas. The
Buddhas' observance of t h e precepts, t h e Buddhas' numinous
power, and the Buddhas' meritorious virtues shine most brightly ininnumerable realms. In this way do these bodhisattvas see theBuddhas of the ten quarters, hear the sutras, and accept them all."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
The Buddhas are immaculate and undefiled;With their host of meritorious virtues they are quite freeof attachments;
Exalted their powers of numinous penetration, andmarvellous their voices;
With the drum of the Dharma they convey the meaning
and teach all the sounds.
Make offerings of all kinds of fragrant flowers
To the awakened Gods among Gods, liberated in wisdom;
With innumerable virtues present the relics
With banners, canopies, and perfumes, in search of themeditation.

9i6b

Hear the all-marvellous Dharma and master it completely;
Avoid downfall and understand quiescence;
Never think discursively of, or become attached to, empty
dharmas;You should aim at understanding profound andunobstructed knowledge.
Pure like the moon or the sun radiating light,
Resembling the god Brahma in his original palace—Call to mind the Lords of the World with a mind t h a t isalways pure,In your thoughts be free of attachment, not thinking
discursively of emptiness.

79

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Like the winter moon or snow in the high mountains,
Or like the king of a state, a lord among men,Or the pure pearl, which surpasses all gems—
So should you contemplate the Buddhas' marks andcharacteristics.
Like the kings of geese in flight with a leader out in front,
Or space which is pure and undefiled,
So too are the Buddhas, whose color is t h a t of polished
red gold;
The Buddha's sons, reflecting on them, make offerings to
the Lords.
Eliminate all obscurities, get rid of dimness,
And then you shall quickly attain the pure meditation;
Discard all thoughts and wishes;With immaculate conduct you shall obtain mental
concentration.
Be undefiled, free yourself of impurity,
Get rid of anger and be without stupidity;
If one's vision is clear and naturally bright,
One will encounter no obstruction in calling to mind theBuddhas' meritorious virtues.
If one ponders the moral purity of the Buddhas, the Lordsof the World,
One's mind is free of attachment and does not long foranything;
One does not see T or 'me' or possessions,
Nor is there any arising in forms and signs.
If one discards birth-and-death and is free of all views,
Gets rid of arrogance and is pure in knowledge,
Avoids haughtiness and is not conceited,
One hears the tranquil meditation and avoids wrong views.

80Chapter X

If any monk, son, or grandson of the Buddha,
Or faithful nun, or man of pure faith,
Or woman of pure faith who has done away with desire
Should reflect on it or energetically study it, they will
master this Dharma.

81Chapter XI

Formlessness
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Any bodhisattvas
who wish to study this meditation and quickly master it, should
first eliminate any conception of form, and should get rid of conceit. When they have eliminated conceptions and when they are
no longer conceited, then they should study this meditation, andthey should not be disputatious. W h a t is disputatiousness? It isslandering emptiness. Therefore, they should not join in disputes,
and they should not slander emptiness, and then they should recite this meditation."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "For any bodhisattvas who
study and recite this meditation, there are ten things in which
they should establish themselves. What are the ten? First, if any
other people are presented with bowls, robes, or clothes they are
not envious. Second, they should love and respect others and show
filial obedience to their seniors. Third, they should repeatedly thinkof repaying favors. Fourth, they do not speak falsely and avoid
what is contrary to the Dharma. Fifth, they always practise mendicancy and do not accept invitations. Sixth, they should be energetic in walking up and down. Seventh, they should not go to sleepby day or by night. Eighth, they always wish to give gifts to thewhole wide world, without begrudging anything or ever having
regrets. Ninth, they immerse themselves deeply in wisdom andare without attachments. Tenth, they should first honor and serve
their good teachers and regard them as Buddhas, and only thenshould they recite this meditation. These are the ten things.
"They should accord with Dharma, and then they who act inthis way will obtain eight things. W h a t are the eight things? First,

83

9i6c

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

they are pure in the precepts to the very last detail. Second, they
do not have anything to do with other ways, and move in wisdom.
Third, they are pure in wisdom, and have no further craving forrebirth. Fourth, their vision is pure, and they no longer desirebirth-and-death. Fifth, they are highly learned, and free of attachment. Sixth, they are pure in energy, and realise the attainment of Buddhahood for themselves. Seventh, if anyone makes
offerings to them, they are not happy because of it. Eighth, they
are truly set on supreme and perfect awakening and are not to beswayed from it. These are the eight things."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
Those who possess wisdom do not give rise to conceptions,
They eliminate conceit and arrogance,
Always practise patient acceptance, and are not negligent;
Only then should they study this meditation.
Wise people have clear minds, and do not take issue withemptiness,
Signlessness and quiescence, which is nirvana;
They do not slander the Dharma or take issue with the
Buddha;They who practise in this way master the meditation.
Intelligent people are not conceited about this;
They are ever mindful of the grace of the Buddha, and of
the teacher of Dharma;
They are firmly established in pure faith, and theirdetermination does not waver;
Only then should they study this meditation.
In their hearts they do not harbor envy, and they avoid
dimness;
They do not have doubts but always have faith;
They should practise energetically, without getting lazy;
They who practise in this way master the meditation.
Monks who study this always practise mendicancy,
And do not accept invitations or go to gatherings;

84

Chapter XI

There is no attachment in their hearts, and they do notamass anything;
They who practise in this way master the meditation.
If this Dharma teaching comes into people's hands
And they preserve and practise this sutra-text,
Wholeheartedly treat them like Buddhas;
Afterward study and recite this meditation.
Abiding in this supreme virtue and practising sincere faith,
They who would study and recite the meditation
Will speedily attain these eight dharmas,
Which are pure and immaculate, and taught by the
Buddhas.
Their purity in the precepts will be thorough,
Their meditation will be flawless, and they will obtain
similar views;
They regard birth-and-death as empty and pure;
Established in this Dharma they will attain perfection.
Their wisdom is pure and free of excess,Nor do those of undefiled conduct become attached;
They have wide learning and deep knowledge but refrainfrom squandering it;
They who succeed in practising in this way are wise.

9i7a

Those who are determined and energetic do not suffer loss;
They do not crave offerings or gain;
They quickly attain the supreme Way of Buddhahood;
They who study such virtues as these have brightknowledge.

85

Chapter XII

The Eighteen Exclusives
and the Ten Powers
The Buddha said: "They who obtain the above eight things will thenacquire eighteen things proper to a Buddha. What are the eighteen
things? First, on such-and-such a day he attains Buddhahood, andon such-and-such a day he enters Parinirvana; from the day hefirst attains Buddhahood until the day of the Parinirvana, theBuddha does not suffer any difficulties. Second, he has no shortcomings. Third, he does not forget anything. Fourth, he never loses
his composure. Fifth, he never has the conception of a dharma or
uses the word 'mine.' Sixth, he is never incapable of accepting
things patiently. Seventh, he never lacks joy. Eighth, he neverlacks energy. Ninth, he is never unreflecting. Tenth, he is neverout of meditation. Eleventh, he never lacks knowledge. Twelfth,
he never lacks liberated insight and knowledge. Thirteenth, withregard to the events of innumerable past ages, there is never anything that can stop the Buddha's unobstructed insight and knowledge. Fourteenth, with regard to the events of innumerable futureages there is never anything that can stop the Buddha's unobstructed insight and knowledge. Fifteenth, with regard to theevents of innumerable ages now, at present, in all the ten quarters, there is never anything that can stop the Buddha's unobstructed insight and knowledge. Sixteenth, the acts which his body
performs have their source in wisdom and are always accompanied by wisdom. Seventeenth, the utterances which his mouth
makes have their source in wisdom and are always accompanied
by wisdom. Eighteenth, the thoughts which his mind thinks have87The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

9i7b

their source in wisdom and are always accompanied by wisdom.
Those are the eighteen things proper to a Buddha."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "There are ten dharmas which
preserve any bodhisattvas who are no longer subject to attachment,
who seek the Dharma and preserve and study this meditation inits entirety. What are the ten dharmas which preserve? The ten
powers of a Buddha. W h a t are the ten powers? First, he knows
fully the finite and the infinite. Second, from first to last he knows
everything about the past, future, and present. Third, he knows
fully the purity of emancipations and concentrations. Fourth, heknows all the various types of faculties and energy and the different
thoughts of others. Fifth, he knows all the various kinds of faith.
Sixth, he knows all the innumerable events caused by the manykinds of transformation. Seventh, he understands all, comprehends
all, and knows all. Eighth, he knows all, his vision being unobstructed.
Ninth, he knows all from first to last, without limit. Tenth, heregards past, future, and present as all the same, and has no preferences or attachments." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "If any
bodhisattvas preserve all the dharmas which do not originate fromanywhere, those bodhisattvas obtain the ten powers of a Buddha."
The Buddha then recited the following verse:
The eighteen exclusive dharmas of the fully awakened one
And the powers of the Lord of the World, of which there
are now ten—
If one takes up the practice of this meditation
One will speedily attain them. It will never take long.

88

Chapter XIII

Encouragement
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "These bodhisattvas possess fourthings which help them to rejoice7 over this meditation: The
Buddhas of the past who rejoiced over this meditation and studied
this sutra, achieved for themselves full awakening to supreme andperfect awakening, and became fully endowed with knowledge. In
the same way I shall rejoice.' Furthermore, Bhadrapala: 'Future
Buddhas pursuing the Way of the bodhisattva who rejoice overthis meditation and study this meditation shall achieve for themselves full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening, and become fully endowed with knowledge/ They all rejoice in this way.
Furthermore, Bhadrapala: The innumerable Buddhas of the present,in all the ten quarters, who, when they originally pursued theway of the bodhisattva, rejoiced over this meditation and studied
this meditation, have achieved for themselves full awakening tosupreme and perfect awakening, and have become fully endowedwith knowledge.' 'All those blessings from rejoicing, let them beshared with all the people of the ten quarters down to the species
that flit and wriggle, so that full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening may be attained! By means of this merit from rejoicing over this meditation let them quickly master this meditationand succeed in becoming fully awakened to supreme and perfectawakening before long!'"
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "As for the merit of these bodhisattvas which is connected with the four aspects of rejoicing overthis meditation, I shall give a small illustration of it. It is like a man
whose life lasts a hundred years, who, from the moment he is born,walks for a hundred years without ever resting. That man's paceexceeds that of a swift wind, and he goes around the four quarters,

89

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

the zenith, and the nadir. What would you say, Bhadrapala? Would
anybody be able to calculate that distance?" Bhadrapala said: "Nobody could calculate that distance, God among Gods, except for
the Buddha, the disciple Sariputra, and non-regressing bodhisattvas—they are the only ones who could calculate it." The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Therefore I say to all bodhisattvas: if
any good man or good woman were to take these realms in thefour quarters, the zenith, and the nadir, the places where thatman has gone, and fill them with precious gems and make an
9i7c offering of them to the Buddha, that would not be as good as hearing this meditation. If any bodhisattvas hear this meditation andrejoice over these four matters, their blessings exceed those of him
who makes an offering to the Buddha a hundred times over, athousand times over, ten thousand times over, a million times over.
Do you see, Bhadrapala? Are the blessings of these bodhisattvas
who rejoice not considerable? Therefore you should know: the blessings of these bodhisattvas who rejoice are extremely great."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
With regard to the teaching of this sutra
They possess the four matters for rejoicing,
All the past, the future,
And the present Lords of the World.
The meritorious conduct of encouragement
Liberates all the ten quarters;
Even those things that flit and wriggle
All attain equal awakening.
If, for example, all around here,
In the four quarters, the zenith, and the nadir
A man, once born, were to walk for a hundred years,
Walk without stopping until the end of his life;
Should one want to measure the distance,
Its extent would be hard to calculate:
Only the Buddha and his disciple would know,
As well as non-regressing bodhisattvas.

90

Chapter XIII

To fill it with precious gems and give themWould not be as good as hearing this Dharma.
As for the four matters for encouragement,
Their blessings surpass that.
Bhadrapala, for the time being observe these
Four matters for rejoicing;
Giving, multiplied by myriads of millions,
Is not equal to encouragement.

91

Chapter XIV

The Buddha Simhamati
The Buddha then said to Bhadrapala, "Long ago, in the distantpast, in a time incalculable aeons ago, incalculable beyond reckoning, beyond number, beyond measure, beyond limit, at that time
there was a Buddha by the name of Simhamati, a Tathagata, an
Arhat, a Perfectly Awakened One, of unequalled numinous power,bringer of peace to the world, lord of the sutras, and known as God
among Gods in heaven and beneath it. Among the deserted placesof this world, this realm of Jambudvipa was fertile, thickly peopled,and happy. At that time Jambudvipa extended eighteen myriad
million billion leagues from north to south and east to west. At
that time there were in Jambudvipa altogether six hundred andforty myriad city-states. At that time in Jambudvipa there was agreat city-state by the name of Bhadramkara, and in this citystate were sixty million people. The Buddha Simhamati lived inthis city-state. A certain universal monarch by the name of King
Visesagamin went to the Buddha Simhamati, made obeisance to 9i8a
the Buddha, withdrew and sat down on one side. Then the Buddha Simhamati, knowing straightaway what that king was thinking, preached this meditation to him. Hearing this meditation,that king rejoiced, and then he sprinkled precious gems over the
Buddha, and in his heart he thought: 'By virtue of this merit may
all the people of the ten quarters be set at ease!' Then, following
the Parinirvana of the Buddha Simhamati, the universal monarch Visesagamin was, after his life had come to an end, reborn ina royal household, where he became a crown prince by the nameof Brahmadatta. At that time there was in Jambudvipa a highly
learned monk by the name of Ratna, who then preached this meditation to the four groups of disciples—monks, nuns, laymen, and93

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

9i8b

laywomen. When the crown-prince Brahmadatta heard this meditation, he rejoiced; in his heart he was elated and overjoyed tohear this sutra, and he sprinkled precious gems worth hundredsof millions over this monk, and in addition made him offerings offine robes; and thereby he conceived the intention of seeking theWay of the Buddha. Then, along with a thousand people, he shaved
his head and beard and became an ascetic under this monk; andthen, under this monk, he sought to learn this meditation from him.
Together with the thousand monks, he served his teacher unremittingly for eight thousand years; from first to last, only once did
he get to hear this meditation. On hearing this meditation, thisgroup of monks rejoiced over the four matters, and assumed thewisdom of great learning. Thereafter, by virtue of the merit fromthis rejoicing, [Brahmadatta] saw sixty-eight thousand Buddhas
one after the other, and each time, under each and every Buddha,
he heard this meditation, which he cultivated and studied himself
and taught other people how to study as well. By virtue of the meritof this rejoicing, t h a t m a n afterward became a Buddha, a Tathagata, an Arhat, and a Perfectly Awakened One by the name of Drdhavirya. Then the thousand monks subsequently attained full awakening to supreme and perfect awakening, all of them becoming
Tathagatas, Arhats, and Perfectly Awakened Ones by the nameof Drdhasura, and they t a u g h t countless people to seek the Wayof the Buddha."
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "What person, hearing thismeditation, would not rejoice over it? What person would not study
it? What person would not preach it to other people? What person
would not cultivate it?" The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Anybodhisattvas who cultivate this meditation shall quickly attain
Buddhahood. Bhadrapala, any bodhisattvas who hear of the existence of someone who possesses this meditation at a distance oftwenty kilometers should, once they hear of him, immediately go
in search of him, and make their way to where he is. If they only get
to hear of someone who knows of the existence of this meditation,
they should always seek him out; so how much more should they
do so if they get to hear of someone who is studying it? If they hear

94

Chapter XIVof the existence of someone who possesses this meditation fifty
kilometers away, or two thousand kilometers distant, they should
go to where he is to study it, having merely got to hear of someone
who knows it; so how much more should they do so if they get tohear of someone who is studying it?" The Buddha said: "If it is far
away they should still always go in search of it, so how much moreshould they not go to look for it and study it if they hear t h a t there
is someone who possesses this meditation five or ten kilometers away?
"Bhadrapala, any bodhisattvas who, hearing of this meditation, wish to go to t h a t place and hear and strive for this meditation, should serve their teachers for ten years or one hundred years,
they should make them offerings and venerate them totally. Thesebodhisattvas should not be self-serving, but should follow their teachers' teaching. They should always be grateful to their teachers." The
Buddha said: "Therefore I tell you this: if, when bodhisattvas heart h a t this meditation is to be found two thousand kilometers away,
they wish to go there, then, even if they do not succeed in hearing
this meditation," the Buddha said, "I tell you t h a t those people,
because they had the energy to go in search of it, will never again
lose the Way of the Buddha, and will certainly realise Buddhahoodfor themselves. Do you see, Bhadrapala? Bodhisattvas who hearof this meditation and want to strive for it unremittingly obtain amost exalted benefit."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
I remember t h a t in the past there was a Tathagata,
A Lord among Men called Simhamati.
At t h a t time there was a king, a ruler of men,
Who went to t h a t Buddha and heard the meditation.
Intently and wisely he listened to this sutra;With incalculable joy in his heart he accepted the Dharma;
Then he sprinkled precious gems over him
And made offerings to Simhamati, Lord among Men.
The thought came to him, and he exclaimed:'Here, at a future time, I myself

95

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Will uphold the Buddha's teaching, not daring to violate it,
And I shall attain this meditation!'
Because of this meritorious vow, after his life had come toan end,He returned straightaway and was reborn in a royalhousehold.
Then he saw the noble monk
By the name of Ratna, whose wisdom was all-embracing.
At the proper time he heard this meditation from him;
Elated, he rejoiced and accepted it,
And made offerings to him of many millions of fine things,
Precious gems and marvellous robes, for the sake of theWay.
Then with a thousand people he removed his hair andbeard,
Resolutely aspiring to this meditation;
Simultaneously, for a full eight thousand years,
They followed the monk constantly, and did not forsake
him.
They succeeded in hearing it once, not twice,This meditation which is like the sea.
Holding the volumes of the sutra they recited andpreached it;
Wherever they were born, they heard the meditation.
Because they had accumulated this merit,
They always saw the Buddhas, those of great numinous
power;
Throughout t h a t full eighty thousand years,
Whenever they saw the Buddhas, they made offerings to
them.

9i8c

They encountered sixty thousand million Buddhas,
And in addition made offerings to six thousand Lords;

96

Chapter XIV

Hearing the Dharma they preached, they rejoiced greatly;
Afterward they saw the Buddha Simhamati.
Receiving this merit [Brahmadatta] was reborn in a royalhousehold,And saw the Buddha by the name of Drdhavlrya,
Who t a u g h t countless millions of people,
And delivered all from the afflictions of birth-and-death.
After reciting and studying this Dharma
He then also saw the Buddha named Drdhastira,
Whose praises were sung in heaven above and in the world;
Merely by hearing the sound of the meditation heattained Buddhahood—
How much more then, those who accept it, recite it, or
preach it,
Free of attachment in all the worlds,
Who propagate and distribute this meditation
Without ever doubting or forgetting the Way of the
Buddha?
This meditation sutra is truly the word of the Buddha.
If one hears that this sutra is to be found in a distant place,
One should go to hear it and receive it, for the sake of theDharma of the Way,One should recite it single-mindedly, and not let it slip
away.
Even if people go in search of it, but do not get to hear it,
Their merit and blessings will be inexhaustible;
No one could assess their virtue and righteousness,
Much less theirs, who do hear it and take it up.
Any who aspire to this meditation
Should recall t h a t Brahmadatta of old.
Teach and uphold it, and never t u r n back:This is what the monk who obtains the sutra should do.

97

Chapter XV

The Buddha Satyanama
The Buddha said: "Long ago in the past there was another Buddha by the name of Satyanama, a Tathagata, an Arhat, and a
Perfectly Awakened One. At t h a t time there was a monk by thename of Varuna. After the Parinirvana of t h a t Buddha, this monk
was in possession of this meditation. I was then a king of the ksatriya
caste, and in a dream I heard about this meditation. On waking, I
then went in search of the monk who possessed this meditation,and forthwith became an ascetic under him. I wished to hear thismeditation once under this monk. I served the teacher for thirtysix thousand years, but because of the frequent occurrence of actsof Mara I did not once succeed in hearing it."
The Buddha said to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen:"Therefore I say to you: you should quickly accept this meditation,and you should not forget it. You should serve your teacher welland take up this meditation. Whether it takes one aeon or a hundred aeons or a thousand aeons, you should not grow lazy. You
should master this meditation at once. Look after your good teacher
and do not forsake him. Present the teacher with food and drink,with goods, with clothes, with beds and bedding, with a thousand
myriad precious gems; make offerings to the teacher without begrudging anything. If you have nothing, you should go and beg
for food, and offer it to the teacher. You should master this meditation at once, and not tire of it." The Buddha said: "Setting aside
these offerings, which are just not worth mentioning, you should
always cut off your own flesh and offer it to the good teacher, you
should never begrudge him your person, how much less anything

99

9i9a

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

else? You should serve the good teacher as a slave serves his lord.
Those people who seek this meditation should know this. Having
mastered this meditation they should hold fast to it, and always
be grateful to their teachers." The Buddha said: "This meditation
is difficult to meet with. Even if one sought this meditation for ahundred million aeons and only wished to hear its name, one might
not be able to hear it, much less study it or teach it to others in
one's turn. If one filled with precious gems as many Buddha-fields
as there are grains of sand on the banks of the Ganges and madea gift of them, wouldn't the blessings from t h a t be considerable?
Yet t h a t would not compare with copying this meditation or preserving the volumes of the sutra, the blessings from which would
be extensive beyond computation."
The Buddha then recited the following verses:
I myself remember how, in a past age,
For years whose number reached a full sixty thousand,I always followed a teacher of the Dharma, without
forsaking him,
Yet from the first I did not succeed in hearing thismeditation.
There was a Buddha whose name was Satyanama,
Who then knew a monk called Varuna;
After the nirvana of t h a t Buddha, Lord of the World,
The monk always kept this meditation.
Then I was a king, of princely stock;
In a dream I heard of this meditation:"The monk Varuna has this sutra;You, O King, should accept this mental concentrationfrom him."
When I awoke from the dream I went in search of him,
And straightaway met the monk who held the meditation.
Then I removed my hair and beard, became an ascetic,
And studied for eight thousand years so as to hear it once.

100Chapter XVFor years whose number reached a full eighty thousand,I made offerings to and served this monk;At the time, conditions due to Mara frequently arose,
And from the first I never once heard it.
Therefore, monks and nuns,
Men of pure faith and women of pure faith,
I commit this sutra-dharma to you.
When you hear this meditation, quickly take it up!
Always honor the teacher who practises and keeps thisDharmaUnremittingly for a whole aeon;
For the sake of the Way, do not regard a thousand million
years as a hardship;
You shall succeed in hearing this Dharma, this meditation.
Robes and beds by the millions,And food which the monk begs from house to house—
Make offerings of them to the teacher of Dharma;
If you are energetic in this way you will master the
meditation.
Whatever lamps, food, and drink you obtain,
Gold, silver, and precious gems, offer them all.
If you should cut off your own flesh
To make an offering of it, how much more so food anddrink?
When the intelligent person obtains the Dharma hequickly takes it up,
He accepts and studies the sutra volumes repeatedly.
This meditation is difficult to find;
For millions and billions of aeons you should constantly
seek it.
Wherever you circulate, listen to this Dharma;
You should disclose it widely to students;

101

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

Even if for a thousand million billion aeons
One looks for this meditation, it is difl&cult to hear.
If worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges
Were filled with precious gems and used as a gift,
And if someone accepted one verse of this and preached it,
The merit of that reverent recitation would exceed theformer.

102

Chapter XVIThe Seal of the Buddha
Thereupon the Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "Any bodhisattvas whohear this meditation, should, when they hear it, rejoice over it,
and they should study it. Having studied it, they should, by meansof the Buddha's numinous power, cause others to study it. They
should make a fine copy of this meditation on plain silk, they should
get the seal of the Buddha and seal it, and they should make offerings
to it properly.
"What is the seal of the Buddha? It is, namely, that which cannot act, is without cravings, without desires, without conceptual
thoughts, without attachments, without aspirations, without rebirth, without preferences, birthless, nonexistent, non-grasping,non-caring, unabiding, unobstructed, nonexistent, unbound, exhausted of what exists, exhausted of desires, not produced fromanywhere, imperishable, indestructible, ineradicable, the essenceof the Way, and the root of the Way. As to this seal, the arhats andthe pratyekabuddhas cannot destroy it, cannot ruin it, and cannot
impair it. Fools then doubt this seal. This seal is the seal of the
Buddha."The Buddha said: "Just now, as I have been preaching thismeditation, eighteen hundred million gods, Asura spirits, dragons, and h u m a n beings have all attained the Way of the streamenterer, eight hundred monks have all attained the Way of thearhat, five hundred nuns have all attained the Way of the arhat,
ten thousand bodhisattvas have all mastered this meditation, andhave all attained happiness in dharmas which are not produced
from anywhere and have established themselves in it; and twelve
thousand bodhisattvas will never regress."

103

9i9b6

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

The Buddha spoke to Sariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, themonk Ananda, the bodhisattva Bhadrapala, the bodhisattva Ratnakara, the bodhisattva Guhagupta, the bodhisattva Naradatta, thebodhisattva SusAna, the bodhisattva Mahasusarthavaha, the bodhisattva Indradatta, and the bodhisattva VaruVadeva. The Buddha
said: "I, who have for innumerable aeons been seeking the Way of
the Buddha, and who have now attained Buddhahood, commit thissutra to you. Study it, recite it, preserve it, cultivate it, and do notforget it. Bhadrapala, any bodhisattvas who study this meditation
should study it all calmly and carefully. If they wish to hear it, theyshould hear it all. If they preach it to other people, they should preachit all."When the Buddha had preached the sutra, the bodhisattva
Bhadrapala and the others, Sariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, themonk Ananda and the others, as well as the gods, Asuras, dragons, spirits, and h u m a n beings all rejoiced greatly, came forward
to make obeisance to the Buddha, and departed.

H e r e E n d s Fascicle T h r e eof The P r a t y u t p a n n a S a m a d h i Sutra

104

9i9c

Glossary

Akanistha: The fourth and highest heaven in the Realm of Form.
arhat: A person who has attained nirvana. Arhatship is the highest spiritual achievement according to mainstream Buddhism.
Asura: A class of demonic beings who are in constant conflict with the gods.
One of the six destinies of beings, and often translated as "titan" or"demi-god."
Bhadrakalpa: The Auspicious Aeon, the name of the present age.
bodhisattva: A person who aspires to become a Buddha.
brahman: A member of the priestly class in Indian society.
Buddha-field: The world in which a Buddha lives and teaches.
devaputra: The son of a god, a heavenly being.
Dharma: (1) The law which enables all existence and creation; (2) the Truth;(3) the essential quality or n a t u r e of all phenomena.
dharmas: (1) The principles, factors of existence, or realities in terms of whichhuman experience can be analysed; (2) the teachings (of a Buddha), whichtaken together constitute the Dharma; or (3) the qualities or attainments (of a Buddha).
dragon (naga): A type of serpent deity often believed to live in bodies of water.
eight advantages: Possibly the eight spheres of sovereignty, eight ways inwhich one masters one's perceptions of external forms.
eightfold fast: A special observance for lay practitioners, often involving temporary residence at a monastery and the assumption of extra precepts(bringing the total to eight).
eight forms of energy: The opposite of the eight forms of sloth (q.v.).
eight forms of sloth: Eight occasions when one might not exert oneself, i.e.,
when one does not wish to tire oneself by engaging in, or feels alreadytired from having engaged in, physical work (1-2) or travel (3-4), when

105

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

one is tired after not getting enough food (5), after getting enough (6),from being slightly ill (7), or after recovering from an illness (8).
eight places of hardship: Eight situations in which one cannot achieve salvation, i.e., when one is born as an animal, a departed spirit, a hell-dweller,
or a god; when one is born in an uncivilized border region, with defective
faculties, with a perversely heretical outlook, or at a time when there is
no Buddha.
eight thoughts of the man of the Way: The reflection that the Dharma is forthe person who has few desires, knows contentment, is secluded fromsociety, is energetic, mindful, composed, wise, and mentally focused.
five aggregates (skandhas): Five components of the human psycho-physicalpersonality, viz. form (or matter), feelings, conceptions (or thoughts),
karmic formations (Lokaksema: birth-and-death), and consciousness.
five desires: Desire for the objects of the five senses.
five destinies: The five realms in which one may be reborn are those of thegods, humans, animals, departed spirits, and hell-dwellers (the last three
are regarded as evil destinies). Sometimes the Asuras are added as asixth destiny.
five obscurations: Five hindrances or obstacles to spiritual development, being sensual desire, malice, slothfulness, mental agitation, and doubt.
five practices: Possibly the five spheres of emancipation, according to which
a person achieves liberation while being taught the Dharma, while teaching it to others, while repeating it alone, while reflecting on it, or while
meditating on some other meditation device.
five precepts: Not to take life, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, tell lies, or
consume intoxicants.
four classes: Monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
four elements: Earth, water, fire, wind. Sometimes space is added as a fifth.
four great ones. See four elements.
four stoppings of thought: Four foundations or applications of mindfulness.
Gandharva: A class of mythical beings, celestial musicians.
Garuda: A class of mythical beings, half human and half bird.
happiness in dharmas which do not come into existence or are not produced(anutpattika-dharma-ksanti): Also translated as patient acceptance of
these dharmas or of non-origination, this is a decisive realisation by thebodhisattva of the emptiness of all dharmas, i.e., the absence of inherent existence in them.

106

Glossary

infinites {apramana or brahma-vihara): The meditative cultivation of four
attitudes, i.e. limitless friendliness or love, compassion, sympathetic joy,and equanimity (Lokaksema: circumspection).
Jambudvipa: The southern continent of the Buddhist cosmos.
Kinnara: A class of mythical beings, either half h u m a n and half bird or half
h u m a n and half horse, who make celestial music.
ksatriya: A member of the warrior or ruler class in Indian society.
Kumbhanda: A class of malevolent mythical beings.
Mahayana: Great Way or Great Vehicle, denoting t h a t form of Buddhism
which emphasises the bodhisattva path to full Buddhahood. This is contrasted with the supposedly inferior way of the arhats and the pratyekabuddhas (q.v.).
Mahoraga: A class of snake-like mythical beings.
Maitreya: The next Buddha to appear in this world.
Mara: The Buddhist equivalent of the Devil, the personification of death anddesire; in the plural this term refers to a class of such beings.
Meru: The gigantic mountain t h a t rises in the center of the Buddhist cosmos.
nine reflections: Possibly the ninefold meditation on the repulsive, which
contemplates various stages in the decomposition of a corpse.
nine vexations: Nine occasions for ill-will, i.e., the thought t h a t another person has done, is doing, or will do either h a r m to oneself (1-3), or h a r m toa loved one (4-6), or good to an enemy (7-9).
nonaction: A Taoist term used for liberation or nirvana.
non-regression: A stage in the career of a bodhisattva after reaching which
there can be no turning back from the achievement of Buddhahood.
original nonbeing (tathata): Reality or actuality, expressed by the Chinese
notion of primal undifferentiated being.
Parinirvana: The death or passing into final liberation (of the Buddha).
pratyekabuddha: A person who attains awakening by his or her own efforts,
but does not subsequently teach others so as to bring them to liberation.
samadhi: A state of meditative concentration.
six tastes: In this context the six ways of being considerate or sociable, i.e.,being friendly to one's fellow practitioners in thought, word, and deed,sharing one's goods with them, living virtuously, and holding to the truth.

107

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

six transcendences (paramita): Six perfections, being those of giving or liberality, morality (or keeping the precepts), patient acceptance or forbearance, energy or vigor, meditation (Lokaksema: single-mindedness),
and wisdom.
stream-enterer: A person who has achieved a preliminary realization of thetruth such that he or she will be reborn seven more times at most.
stupa: A reliquary, a roughly hemispherical structure enshrining the relicsof the Buddha or other figures, or copies of the Buddhist scriptures.
Sumeru. See Meru.
sutra-dharmas: A composite term often used by Lokaksema to translate the
Sanskrit term dharma, indicating dharmas both as teachings or scriptures and as truths or principles of existence.
sutras: Canonical discourses or scriptures delivered by the Buddha.
Tathagata: Realized One, a title of the Buddha.
ten evils: Ten unwholesome actions, i.e., taking life, theft, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh speech, frivolous talk, avarice, malice, wrong
views.
ten goods: Ten meritorious actions, i.e., abstaining from the ten evils (q.v.).
ten powers: Ten special abilities possessed by a Buddha.
ten quarters: The four points of the compass, the four intermediate points,
the zenith, and the nadir.
thirty-two marks: Special physical characteristics found on the body of a
Buddha or a Universal Monarch, each one supposedly produced by ahundred meritorious acts.
Three Ages: The past, the present, and the future.
Three Realms: The rebirth cosmos, which is divided into the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Realm of the Formless.
Three Spheres. See Three Realms.
Three Thousand Great Thousand Realms: A vast assembly of world-systems,
resembling a galaxy.
three thousand lands: A shorthand term for a vast assembly of world-systems.
Triple World. See Three Realms.
twelve diminishers. See twelve sense-fields.

108

Glossary

twelve sense-fields or "entrances": The six senses (including the mind as thesixth) and their respective objects (with dharmas being the object ofmind).
Way: Chinese term used for awakening or enlightenment (bodhi). Sometimes referred to as the Great Way (which may also denote the Mahayana, q.v.).
wearers of white: The laity, people not ordained into the Buddhist order orfollowing any other ascetic paths.
Yaksa: A class of mythical beings. Sometimes thought to be a type of treespirit.

109

Endnotes

1. On the assumption t h a t large combination numbers of thistype are not intended to be mathematically precise, the following
formal equivalents are used in this translation to avoid excessive
clumsiness: 'myriad' for Chinese wan (ten thousand), 'million' for
Chinese yi (either one hundred thousand or one hundred million) or
Sanskrit koti (strictly, ten million), and 'billion' for Sanskrit nayuta(usually one hundred thousand million), (p. 8)
2. An alternative translation is 'not wishing to hear t h a t by meansof which animals come to be born.' This is possibly Lokaksema's gloss
on w h a t is known in Pali as tiracchana-katha or 'animal talk', i.e.,
low or vulgar conversation or gossip about worldly matters, (p. 16)
3. An alternative translation is '(Regarding) all the Buddhas asone; in one's thinking (or mindfulness) entering a state of freedom
from obstruction.' All versions are rather obscure at this point, (p. 17)
4. To clarify the meaning of the text at this point, one could say
t h a t the Buddha preaches the Dharma of the indestructability or
imperishability of form (or matter), the other four skandhas or constituents of existence, and so on. These components of our experience
are indestructible insofar as they are unproduced in the first place,
being empty of essence. The notion of imperishability appears to havebeen quite an important theme in a number of Mahayana sutras.
(p.19)

111

The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

5. The Chinese word changji means literally 'singing girl' or 'prostitute', but this can hardly have been the original sense. One must
assume t h a t singing or vocal music is what Lokaksema had in mind
here. (p. 24)
6. The text is obscure. An alternative rendering—seeing a possible
echo from the Dao dejing—is 'Do not seek anything in your practice,and there will be nothing t h a t is not sought.' (p. 38)
7. Throughout this chapter and elsewhere in this and other translations, Lokaksema uses both huanxi Cto rejoice') or zhu(qi)-huanxi
Cto help (one) to rejoice') and quanzhu Cto encourage') to convey thevarious nuances of the concept of anumodana, the act of sympathetic
rejoicing, thanksgiving or applause which is instrumental in ritual
operations designed to transfer or redirect merit, (p. 89)

112

Bibliography
Harrison, Paul. The Tibetan Text of the
Pratyutpanna-Buddha-Sammukhavasthita-Samadhi-Sutra.
Studia Philologica Buddhica,
Monograph Series, I. Tokyo: The Reiyukai Library, 1978.
"Buddhanusmrti in the
Pratyutpanna-buddha-sammukhavasthita-samadhi-sutra"
Journal of Indian Philosophy 6 (1978):35-57.
The Samadhi of Direct Encounter with the Buddhas of the
Present: An Annotated English Translation of the Tibetan Version of the Pratyutpanna-Buddha-Sammukhavasthita-SamadhiStitra with Several Appendices Relating to the History of the
Text. Studia Philologica Buddhica, Monograph Series, V. Tokyo:
The International Institute for Buddhist Studies, 1990.
"Commemoration and Identification in Buddhanusmrti."In
In the Mirror of Memory: Reflections on Mindfulness and Remembrance in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. Edited by J a n e t
Gyatso. New York: SUNY Press, 1992.
"The Earliest Chinese Translations of Mahayana Sutras:
Some Notes on the Works of Lokaksema." Buddhist Studies Review 10 (2) (1993): 135-177.
Kajiyama, Yuichi. "Hanju-zanmai-kyo: amidabutsu-shinko to ku no
shiso (The Pratyutpanna-samadhi-sutra:
Faith in the Buddha
Amitabha and the philosophy of emptiness)". In Jodo-bukkyo no
shiso (Pure Land Buddhist
Thought). T r a n s l a t e d by Sueki
Fumihiko and Kajiyama Yuichi. Vol. 2 . Tokyo: Kodansha, 1992.
An extensive study of the text with a partial translation of the
Tibetan version (in Japanese).

113

Indexage of disorder 49
Ajatasatru (king) 8
Akanistha (gods) 8
Amitabha (Buddha) 2, 3 , 1 7 - 1 9 , 26
Amrapall (prostitute) 18
Ananda (disciple of Buddha) 7, 26, 28,
50, 51, 59,104
Anathapindada (disciple of Buddha) 8
arhat(s) 7 , 1 1 , 42, 67, 68, 78, 103
attach(-ed) 3, 9,10, 15, 32, 3 6 - 3 9 , 45,
53, 57, 58, 67, 7 5 - 7 7 , 79, 80, 8 3 - 8 5
attachment(s) 3, 9, 3 6 - 4 0 , 53, 58, 67,
75, 76, 7 8 - 8 0 , 8 3 - 8 5 , 88, 97,103
attainment(s) 9, 16,19, 28, 58, 84
Bhadramkara (city) 93
Bhadrapala (bodhisattva) 5, 7 - 9 , 1 3 15, 1 7 - 1 9 , 21, 25, 2 7 - 3 0 , 35, 4 1 - 4 5 ,47, 49, 53, 55, 5 9 - 6 1 , 6 5 - 6 7 , 7 1 - 7 3 ,77, 83, 88, 89, 90, 9 3 - 9 5 , 103, 104
birth-and-death 11,16, 19, 35, 37, 80,
84, 85, 97
bodhisattva(s) 2, 7 - 9 , 1 3 - 1 5 , 1 7 - 2 0 ,22, 23, 25, 2 7 - 3 3 , 35, 37, 4 1 , 42, 4 4 47, 49, 52, 53, 5 9 - 6 1 , 66, 68, 67, 69,
7 1 - 7 3 , 77, 78, 83, 88, 89, 91, 94, 95,
103,104
eight 50, 53, 59, 72
lazy 42mother of 66
body 11,16, 1 9 - 2 1 , 24, 35, 37, 38, 50,
66, 69, 87
bones of the dead 20
Brahma (god) 8,19, 60, 72, 79
Brahmadatta (bodhisattva) 93, 97
Campa (city) 8
constellations 25
Drdhavinya (Buddha) 94, 97

Drdhasura (Buddha) 94, 97
dream(s) 4, 9 , 1 6 - 1 8 , 20, 55, 61, 99, 100
emptiness 3, 9, 15,19, 20, 22, 24, 28,
38, 54, 64, 68, 74, 79, 83, 84
exclusive dharmas 88
faith 9, 16, 23, 26, 2 8 - 3 0 , 32, 42, 59,
74, 81, 84, 85, 8 8 , 1 0 1
giving 24, 4 6 - 4 8 , 56, 67, 74, 75, 91
good teacher 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 42, 4 4 47, 58, 83, 99
Guhagupta (bodhisattva) 8, 49, 53, 55,
59, 71, 73,104
incense 24, 27, 72
Indradatta (bodhisattva) 8, 19, 49, 53,
59, 71, 73, 104
Kapilavastu (city) 8
Kausambi (city) 8
Ksemaraja (Buddha) 65
Mahakasyapa (disciple of Buddha) 19
Mahaprajapati (nun) 7, 71
Mahasusarthavaha (bodhisattva) 8, 49,
53, 59, 71, 73, 104
Mahesvara (god) 8
Maitreya (Buddha) 54, 55
Mara (demon) 10,17, 44, 45, 58, 63, 99,
101
meditation 2, 3, 4, 9, 14, 1 7 - 1 9 , 2 1 - 2 5 ,
2 7 - 3 3 , 35, 3 8 - 4 9 , 5 7 - 6 3 , 6 5 - 6 9 ,
7 4 - 7 7 , 79, 80, 8 3 - 8 5 , 8 7 - 8 9 , 9 3 - 9 7 ,99-104mind 3, 10, 1 4 , 1 7 - 2 2 , 24, 25, 27, 35,
3 7 - 3 9 , 42, 4 4 - 4 8 , 50, 5 2 - 5 4 , 5 7 - 6 0 ,63, 67, 68, 73, 75, 76, 80, 84, 87, 97

115

The P r a t y u t p a n n a Samadhi Sutra

mirror 17, 37
monk(s) 2, 7, 8,13,16,17,19, 20, 26, 28,
33,41, 42, 44, 46-50, 53, 57, 59, 7 1 73,81, 93, 96,97, 99-101,103,104
Mount Sumeru 9,18, 79
Naradatta (bodhisattva) 8, 49, 53, 55,
59, 71, 73,104
nirvana 6, 16, 22, 26, 32, 36, 37, 67, 68,
84, 100
non-regression 19, 20, 30
nun(s) 7, 8, 17, 42, 44, 47, 48, 50, 53,
58,71-73,81,93,99,101,103
ocean 9,27,66
ox(-en) 28
Parinirvana 2, 49, 87, 93, 99
pearl(s) 28, 78, 80
picture 17,23
power 7, 8, 9, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 49, 50,
56, 61, 72, 73, 79, 88, 93, 96,103
pratyekabuddha(s) 11, 78,103
precepts 7, 13, 15, 17, 18, 24, 25, 28, 29,
41, 45-47, 56, 57, 67, 68, 75, 84, 85
prostitute 18
Rajagrha (city) 7, 8, 72, 73
Ratna (monk) 93,96
Ratnakara (bodhisattva) 8, 49, 53, 55,
59, 71, 73, 104
Saketa (city) 8
Sakra (god) 8, 60, 72, 78
Sakyamuni (Buddha) 77
Satyanama (Buddha) 99,100
seal of the Buddha 103
Simhamati (Buddha) 93, 95, 97
Sravasti (city) 8stars 25, 78
stupid boy 27
stupid peasant boy 28
Sudatta (bodhisattva) 65
SukhavatI (pure land) 2, 3,17
Sumana (prostitute) 18
Suslma (bodhisattva) 8, 19, 49, 53, 59,
71, 73, 104
sutras not preached by the Buddha 28, 29

116

thirty-two marks 19, 24
Three Realms 3, 21
Utpalavarna (prostitute) 18
Vaisali (city) 8,18
Varanasi (city) 8
Varuna (bodhisattva) 8, 49, 53, 59, 71
73, 99, 100, 104
Vidyuddeva (Buddha) 65
Visesagamin (king) 93
visualization(s) 3, 10
vow(s) 10, 14, 53, 76, 96
Xubori (Buddha) 19

BDK English Tripitaka 25-111

The Surahgama
Samadhi Sutra
Translated by

Kumarajiva
Translated from the Chinese(Taisho Volume 15, Number 642)
byJohn McRae

Numata Center
for Buddhist Translation and Research
1998Contents

Translator's Introduction

John McRae

Fascicle I

Fascicle II

47

Glossary

87

Index

91

in

Translator's Introduction

The Surahgama Samadhi Sutra is an exquisite religious scripture.
One of the most profound of all Mahayana texts, it depicts a vision of
Buddhism that is thoroughly transcendent and at the same time
uniquely humanistic. Here the Buddha Sakyamuni is no mere historical personage, but the one eternal cosmic Buddha who is the sourceof all other Buddhas. The Dharma Sakyamuni teaches is the Surangama Samadhi, the meditative concentration of the "heroic march"
to Buddhahood, which is presented in overwhelmingly lavish terms
as the very key to the enlightenment of the Buddhas and all of their
awesome spiritual power. And the prize that awaits those who practice and achieve mastery of this incredible samadhi is not merely
enlightenment in individual terms, but the insurpassable and perfectenlightenment of Buddhahood itself. Indeed, this text implies it would
be impossible to remain in any Hmayanist state of enlightened extinction, since the Surahgama Samadhi even gives the Buddha thepower to recall the Pratyekabuddhas (those who are enlightened bytheir own efforts and who pass into extinction without teaching others), and Arhats (those who complete the entire Hinayana path toachieve total Nirvanic extinction) from their religious comas toachieve perfect Buddhahood.
The text is classically Mahayana in format and structure. It begins
with a grand assembly on Mount Grdhrakuta (Vulture Peak), where
the Buddha is surrounded by great numbers of bhiksus, Bodhisattvas,
and other beings. The dialogue begins with a question by a Bodhisattva
named Resolute Mind (one of several figures who appear here who are
not known in other texts), then proceeds involving a number of participants, including Bodhisattvas, Sravakas (the human disciples of1

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

the Buddha identified with the Hinayana), gods, and goddesses. It
also uses several different supernatural manifestations, such as thesimultaneous offering of innumerable elaborate chairs for the Buddha by all the most highly ranked gods present, the appearance ofMara bound hand and foot and unable at first to attend the preaching of the Sutra, and the manifestation of the palaces of Mara andinnumerable Indra gods. The grand climax of all these is the Buddha's
manifestation of all the innumerable Buddhas of the ten directions,shining with light and surrounded by their assemblies, who thenoffer flowers to form canopies over the heads of these Buddhas, firstover Sakyamuni and then over all the others. This magnificent
epiphany is presented as part of a dramatic hesitation toward theend of the dialogue, when some of the Bodhisattvas in Sakyamuni's
assembly become discouraged by the apparent difficulty of the path
to Buddhahood being described. Finally, there is the charge to Ananda
to preach the Sutra, which is also carried up by one of the many
Indra kings who appear in the text. The incomparable merits of copying, reciting, and teaching the Sutra are extolled, and as the scenecloses countless numbers of sentient beings generate the Bodhicitta,
the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment,eighteen thousand Bodhisattvas attain the Surangama Samadhi, an
equal number of bhiksus and bhiksunis (monks and nuns) attain
Arhatship, and even greater numbers of laypeople and gods attaindifferent levels of understanding.
From the very beginning of the dialogue it is apparent that thisSutra (or, rather, its anonymous author) grapples with a fundamental problem that faced the practitioners of the Mahayana: how toaccount for the apparently dismal spiritual fates of Hlnayanist practitioners, the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Arhats. Resolute Mind
Bodhisattva's opening question concerns whether or not there exists
a samadhi that causes Bodhisattvas to rapidly achieve perfect enlightenment, while at the same time allowing beings of lesser aspirations to practice successfully according to their own understanding
even as they proceed along the Mahayana path. We learn that this isindeed one of the cardinal attributes of the Surangama Samadhi, so2Translator's Introductiont h a t those who appear to practice and even believe themselves to bepracticing the so-called Hinayana will actually achieve Buddhahood
according to the Mahayana at some point in the future. Even more,as the text proceeds we learn t h a t the Surangama Samadhi allows
many enlightened beings to manifest themselves in any number ofworldly shapes for the purpose of teaching sentient beings, so t h a tgods, kings, monks, and laypeople may actually be forms taken by
the enlightened for salvific purposes. The ultimate variation on thistheme is the information given toward the end of the scripture t h a t
Manjusri Bodhisattva was actually a perfectly enlightened Buddha(his name and the particulars of his true identity are given) who had
manifested himself as a Pratyekabuddha in thirty-six billion different
lifetimes in order to teach sentient beings.
This is a magnificent contradiction of the Buddhist doctrinal convention—explicitly refuted in the text—that entry into Nirvana as a
Pratyekabuddha or Arhat represents a spiritual dead end, a total
extinction from which one cannot return. (The discouragement felt
by some of the Buddha's listeners at the end of the text, alreadymentioned above, is actually t h a t they might have to labor mightily
for the achievement of the Surahgama Samadhi yet still get sidetracked into a lesser enlightenment.) This text simply cannot allow the
Hlnayanist to remain in such a spiritual void, and it does not stop withmerely saying t h a t they are to be retrieved from their extinctions,but goes on to describe a religious world in which personal identity
may be adopted and manifested at will for teaching purposes. Givensuch thoroughgoing fluidity of identity, the earlier doctrinal conventions about the distinctiveness and irreversibility of different spiritual paths are not just rejected but thoroughly transformed.
There are several other themes present in this Sutra t h a t should
not go unmentioned. The existence of innumerable other Buddha
lands is basic to the philosophy of the scripture, since Bodhisattvas
have to worship other Buddhas in order to achieve their own Buddhahood. Several other Buddha lands are mentioned by name and described, although the only one known widely from other sources is
the Wondrous Joy world of the Buddha Aksobhya. It is especially

3

The Surangama Samadhi Sutrainteresting to notice, then, that Amitabha/Amitayus and his Sukhavati
are unmentioned. Also, great significance is placed on the Buddha's
bestowal of the prediction of future Buddhahood throughout the text,
and even Mara is the recipient of such a prediction—before he haseven sincerely generated the Bodhicitta. Offerings are extremely important in this text, and they seem to receive greater weight thanother forms of religious praxis. The spiritual identity and fate of womenis touched on in a couple of the scripture's anecdotes, most particularly regarding two hundred goddesses introduced as attendants toMara, who are revealed by the Buddha to have already "planted goodroots" under five hundred Buddhas in the past. The Buddha goes on
to predict that they will make offerings to innumerable Buddhas in
the future and after seven hundred eons will themselves achieve
Buddhahood. Although the Buddha states that their next lifetimes
will be as human females serving the future Buddha Maitreya, theirtransformation into male form is never explicitly mentioned.
But all these features are of secondary importance to the religious significance of the Surangama Samadhi itself. What are we tomake of this incredible and spectacular concentration? Indeed, theexplanation of the Surangama Samadhi is so conceptually abstruse
that it amounts to an encapsulation of the entirety of the Mahayana
Buddhist path. The description of how one learns it begins with acommon simile for meditation practice, the progressive training inarchery so that one can hit even small targets. Following this, thepractitioner is told to study a sequence that proceeds rapidly throughthe mind of ecstasy, the profound mind, great sympathy, great compassion, and so forth, through the five supernatural "penetrations"and the six Mahayana Perfections, so that he achieves forbearance ofthe birthlessness of the dharmas and thus receives a prediction of
Buddhahood. At this point, the practitioner is at the eighth Bodhisattva stage, but it is only at the tenth stage that he is able to attainthe Surangama Samadhi. This is compared to perfect mastery of archery, in which one can consistently hit targets smaller than a single
hair. No doubt some of the Buddha's listeners became discouraged!

4

Translator's Introduction

Presumably, one way to approach this mind-boggling complexity is to consider it a vehicle for the transmission of ideas about emptiness [sunyata] and the subtle profundity of the Bodhisattva ideal.
Here I can do no better than to let the reader experience the text
directly, to imbibe of its inestimable spiritual power.

5

Fascicle I
Translated by the Kuchean Tripitaka Master
Kumarajiva during the Later Ch'in [Dynasty]

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was on Mount Grdhra- 629bi4
kuta near Rajagrha, with thirty-two thousand great bhiksus in attendance. There were also seventy-two thousand Bodhisattva
Mahasattvas there who were known to the assembly and who hadmastered dharani, were accomplished in the discrimination [of spiritual matters], and took unlimited pleasure in preaching [theDharma]. They resided in samadhi without any vacillation, well comprehended the inexhaustible wisdoms, had achieved profound forbearance of [the inherent birthlessness of] all dharmas, had attained
profound insight into the Dharma, and had completed all the training that there is to be undertaken in all the excellent Dharmas during all the limitless and innumerable eons. They had subjugated thehordes of demons [Maras] and had vanquished their enemies. They
had incorporated within themselves that which is most honored andhad ornamented and purified the Buddha lands. They possessed greatcompassion, had ornamented their bodies with the various marks[of enlightened beings], and had with great endeavor attained theother shore [of Nirvana]. Well did they know all the verbal expedient means [of teaching], and their practice of the ceremonial deportments was complete and pure. They all had achieved residence inthe three emancipations and had penetrated the three periods oftime with their unhindered wisdom. They had generated the determination not to abandon all [sentient beings], remembered the purport of the doctrines, and possessed the tolerant forbearance of
wisdom. Such was the virtue of all these Bodhisattvas.

7

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Their names were Turns the Wheel of the Dharma without
Regressing Bodhisattva, Generating the Intention [to Achieve
Enlightenment] That Constitutes Turning the Wheel of the Dharma
Bodhisattva, Turns the Wheel of the Dharma without Hindrance
Bodhisattva, Purity That Transcends Defilement Bodhisattva,
Obstructions Eradicated Bodhisattva, Manifests Pure Deportment
and Perceives All with Loving Joy Bodhisattva, Mind of a Wondrous and Dignified King Bodhisattva, Does Not Delude All Sentient Beings Bodhisattva, Mind Like an Ocean of Unlimited Merit
Bodhisattva, Senses Always Composed and Not Disordered Bodhisattva, True Sound Bodhisattva, Praised by All the Gods Bodhi629c sattva, Autonomous King oiDharani Bodhisattva, Ornamented withDiscernment Bodhisattva, the Dharma Prince Manjusri Bodhisattva,
Maitreya Bodhisattva, King of Mount Sumeru Bodhisattva, Pure
Mind of the Ocean of Virtues and Treasured Dignity Bodhisattva,
Greatly Dignified and Pure Bodhisattva, Great Characteristic
Bodhisattva, Characteristic of Refulgence Bodhisattva, Pure Mind
Bodhisattva, Joyous King Bodhisattva, Resolute Energy Bodhisattva, and Resolute Mind Bodhisattva.
There were seventy-two thousand such Bodhisattva Mahasattvas, plus all the Indra gods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting
heavenly kings of the great trichiliocosm, as well as gods, dragons,
yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas,
both human and nonhuman beings. All those who were recognizedby the congregation, who had planted many types of good roots,
and who took joy in the Mahayana had come to the assembly.
At that time, while in the great assembly, Resolute Mind Bodhisattva had the following thought: "I should now ask the Tathagata[about the Dharma]. By such inquiries will I protect the seed of
the Buddha, the seed of the Dharma, and the seed of the Sangha.
By rendering the palaces of the demons invisible and subjugating[all] those with great arrogance, those who have not yet planted thegood roots [for spiritual growth] will be made to do so now. Those
who have planted good roots will have them made to grow. Anyone
who has not yet generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable

8Fascicle I

and perfect e n l i g h t e n m e n t [on behalf of all sentient beings](Bodhicitta) will be induced to do so now. Those who have alreadygenerated this intention should not be allowed to regress. Those
who have not regressed should be made to a t t a i n rapidly theunsurpassable and perfect enlightenment. Those who presume topossess some [degree of] attainment and who are mired [lit., reside] in ascriptive views should all generate an attitude of detachment [from such views]. Those who take pleasure in the lesser
Dharma (the Hinayana) should be made not to doubt the great
Dharma (the Mahayana.) Those who take pleasure in the great
Dharma should be inspired to generate joy."
After thinking thus, [Resolute Mind Bodhisattva] arose fromhis seat, arranged his robe over his right shoulder, and touchedhis right knee to the ground. Holding his palms together [in theafijali-mudra] he addressed the Buddha as follows: "O World-Honored One, I would like to ask a few questions regarding the Tathagata's teaching. I beseech you to hear my inquiries." The Buddha
told Resolute Mind: "I will answer your questions in a way t h a t
will give you joy [in the Dharma]."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then said to the Buddha: "O WorldHonored One, is there a samadhi t h a t can cause Bodhisattvas toachieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment rapidly; t h a tallows one always to see the Buddhas face to face; t h a t allows one
to illuminate all the ten directions with [great] brilliance; t h a t
gives one an autonomous mastery of wisdom [hui] by which thedemons may be destroyed; and t h a t allows one to achieve an autonomous mastery of wisdom [chih], to attain spontaneous wisdom [tzu-jan chih], and to attain birthless wisdom, which cannot
be attained from any other source? Its uninterruptible [power of]
discernment should allow one to achieve the bases of supernormal
power and limitless rebirths. Those who would take pleasure in being Sravakas (Hlnayanists) will be shown the Vehicle of the Sravaka;those who would take pleasure in being Pratyekabuddhas will beshown the Vehicle of the Pratyekabuddha; and those who would
take pleasure in the Great Vehicle will be shown the Mahayana.

9The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

630a

They will penetrate the Dharma of the Sravaka but will not enter
the path of the Sravaka; they will penetrate the Dharma of the
Pratyekabuddha but will not enter the path of the Pratyekabuddha;
they will penetrate the Dharma of the Buddhas but will not proceed to ultimate and final extinction. While manifesting the formand deportment of Sravakas, within themselves they will not depart from their intention to achieve Buddhahood; while manifesting
the form and deportment of Pratyekabuddhas, within themselves
they will not depart from the Great Compassion of the Buddhas.
Using the phantasmagorical power of samadhi, they will manifest
the form and deportment of Tathagatas. Using the power of their
good roots, they will manifest themselves residing in the Tusita
heaven, receiving their final bodies, entering into wombs, being born,leaving home, and sitting in the places of enlightenment [bodhimanda] of Buddhas. Using the power of their profound wisdom,
they will manifest the turning of the Wheel of the Dharma; withthe power of their expedient means, they will manifest the entry
into Nirvana; with the power of samadhi, they will manifest the
distribution of relics [sarira]; and with the power of their originalvows, they will manifest the final extinction of [all the multifarious]
dharmas [of their personal existence]. Although it shall be so, O
World-Honored One, what samadhi should Bodhisattvas practice inorder to manifest these meritorious affairs without actually entering into ultimate Nirvana?"
The Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva: "Excellent, excellent! O Resolute Mind, t h a t you can ask the Tathagata such aquestion indicates t h a t you can greatly benefit and comfort sentient beings, t h a t you have pity on the world, and t h a t you will
aid gods and humans. A Bodhisattva is to be of benefit [to others]
in both present and future. You should realize t h a t to have suchprofound good roots you must have made offerings to and associated intimately with limitless hundreds and thousands and hundred-millions of Buddhas in the past. You have practiced all thepaths and subjugated the enemies; you have attained autonomous
mastery of wisdom in the Dharma of the Buddhas; you have taught

10Fascicle I

and protected the assemblies of Bodhisattvas; and you alreadyknow the Dharma Treasury of All the Buddhas. In the past you
have engaged in dialogue before Buddhas as limitless as the number of grains of sand in the River Ganges. O Resolute Mind, in thepresent assembly I see no dragon, yaksa, gandharva, Sravaka, or
Pratyekabuddha able to ask such a question. Only those of greatadornment [of the path] such as yourself are able to formulatequestions such as this. You should now listen clearly and thinkwell on this, for I will now explain for you how the Bodhisattvas
accomplish their samadhi so as to achieve merits even greater t h a n
those you describe."
Resolute Mind said to the Buddha: "I beseech you to let us
hear [this teaching]."
The Buddha said to Resolute Mind: "There is a samadhi by
the name of Surangama (heroic march). All Bodhisattvas whoachieve this samadhi will, as you have described, be able to manifest Parinirvana without undergoing eternal extinction. They will
be able to manifest the various forms without destroying the characteristics of form. They will be able to wander throughout all the
Buddha lands without any discrimination with regard to thoselands. They will all be able to meet all the Buddhas but without
discrimination with regard to the universally equivalent [p'ingteng, samatd] essence of the Dharma [fa-hsing, dharmata]. They
will manifest universal accomplishment of all the practices but
will well realize the purity of those practices. They will be thevery highest of those most honored by the gods and h u m a n s but
will be without any self-conceit, pride, or laxity. They will manifest autonomous mastery of all the demonic powers but will notdepend on demonic practices. They will practice throughout all
the triple realm (the desire, form, and formless realms) but willlack any vacillation with regard to t h e characteristics of t h edharmas. They will manifest rebirth in all the various modes ofexistence but will not discriminate with regard to the characteristics of those modes. They will be skilled in the explanation of all
the phrases of the Dharma and able to reveal their meanings in

11

630b

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

words, but they will realize that words have [lit., enter into] thecharacteristic of universal equivalence and have no discrimination with regard to words. They will always remain in meditation
as they manifest their teachings to sentient beings. They will practice total forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas but preachthat all dharmas have the characteristics of generation and extinction. They will walk alone, without fear, like lions."
At that time all the Indra gods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings and everyone else in the great assembly
had the following thought: "We have never before heard even thename of this samadhi; how could we have ever heard an explanation of its meaning? Now we can see the Buddha and will joyfullyreceive good [spiritual] benefit through hearing him preach thename of the Surangama Samadhi. If a good man or woman seeking the enlightenment of Buddhahood were to hear the doctrineof the Surangama Samadhi and to understand and accept it without doubt, then he or she would certainly never regress on the pathto enlightenment. How much more so for those who accept it, maintain it, and recite it, and who teach it to others and practice it as it
has been taught!"
At that time the Indra gods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings all had the following thought: "I will now prepare for the Buddha a Lion's Seat, a seat of the True Dharma, aseat for the most exalted of persons, a great ornamented seat, agreat seat for the turning of the Wheel of the Dharma, so that the
Tathagata can preach the Surangama Samadhi on this seat prepared by me." Every one of them had the same thought, each thinking that he was the only one able to prepare the Lion's Seat for the
Tathagata and that the others were unable to do so. At that time
the Indra gods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting heavenly kingseach prepared a Lion's Seat for the Tathagata, ornamenting it inpurity and making it correct and high, draping the top with robes
made with immeasurable treasures, each one of them covering
the seat with canopies made with many wondrous treasures. There
were also handrails made with various precious things. To the12Fascicle I

right and left of each seat were matching rows of innumerable
precious trees, with their leaves and branches intertwined. Fromthem hung canopies, which spread out together into a great covermade of treasures. From ropes made of various treasures hungmany precious bells. Many types of wondrous flowers were scattered about the top of the seat, and a mixture of incenses from theheavens was burning, adding its fragrance. A profusion of lightgleamed from the gold, silver, and many precious things, and noneof the many types of pure and beautiful things were omitted. In
the space of an instant there appeared before the Tathagata eightyfour thousand billion nayutas of such precious Lion's Seats, andnone of them interfered with any of the other seats in the assembly. Each individual god was unable to see the other seats, andeach thought as follows: "I alone have prepared the Lion's Seat for
the Buddha. The Buddha will now preach the Surarigama Samadhi
on the seat I have prepared for him."
At t h a t time the Indra gods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings, having finished preparing the seats, each addressed the Buddha as follows: "I beg the T a t h a g a t a to sit upon
the seat I have prepared and preach the Surangama Samadhi."
The World-Honored One then manifested his great supernormal
power and sat upon all the eighty-four thousand billion nayutas of
Lion's Seats, so t h a t each and every god saw the Buddha sitting
on the seat he had prepared, but did not see the other seats. Oneof the Indra gods said to the others: "See the T a t h a g a t a sitting
upon the seat I have prepared." Then all the Indra gods, Brahma
gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings said to each other: "Seethe T a t h a g a t a sitting upon the seat I have prepared." One Indra
said: "The T a t h a g a t a is now sitting on the seat I have prepared,
not on yours."
At t h a t time the Tathagata, wishing to help the many Indragods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting heavenly kings overcome
their karmic bonds from the past [lit,, to save them from past conditions], wanting to manifest a small p a r t of the power of the
Surangama Samadhi, and in order to generate the practice of the

13

630c

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Mahayana, made everyone in the assembly see that the Tathagata
was sitting on all the other eighty-four thousand billion nayutasof precious Lion's Seats. Everyone in the assembly experienced
great joy such as they had never felt before, and they all arosefrom their seats, put their hands together, and worshipped theBuddha, saying: "Excellent, O World-Honored One! Your supernormal abilities are immeasurable! You have allowed the many
gods to fulfill their desires!" Seeing the Buddha's divine power,
the gods who had prepared seats for the Tathagata all generated
the aspiration to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment
on behalf of all sentient beings. In unison, they said to the Buddha: "O World-Honored One, we have now generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment on behalfof all sentient beings in order to make an offering to the Tathagata,to eradicate all the afflictions of sentient beings, to protect theTrue Dharma, and to prevent the Buddha's seed from being eradicated. We wish to be able to exercise such supernormal powers ofa Buddha in the future, to be able to perform transformations suchas the Tathagata has done now." The Buddha then praised those
gods, saying: "Excellent, excellent! As you have said, out of thewish to benefit all sentient beings, you have now generated theaspiration to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment.
This is the highest offering that can be made to the Tathagata."
At that time there was a Brahma king within the assembly
named Equivalent Practice, who addressed the Buddha, saying,"O World-Honored One, which Tathagata is the real one, the oneon the seat I have prepared, or one on another seat?" The Buddha
told Equivalent Practice, "All the dharmas are empty, like phantasms, and only exist in conjunction with each other. They haveno creator, but arise entirely due to the discrimination of conceptual thought. Because there is no master [of consciousness, themyriad dharmas] appear according to one's thoughts. All the Tathagatas are real.
"What is real? All these Tathagatas are fundamentally notborn, and so they are real. All these Tathagatas will not cease to14

Fascicle I

exist in the future, and so they are real. These Tathagatas are notcollocations of the four elements, and so they are real. Nor are
they collocations of the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus, and sothey are real. There are no differentiations of first, middle, andlast between these Tathagatas, and so they are real.
"O Brahma king, these Tathagatas are without differentiation.
Why? The form [skandhas] of these Tathagatas are suchlike, andhence they are equivalent. The feelings, perceptions, impulses, andconsciousness [skandhas] of these Tathagatas are suchlike, andhence they are equivalent. Because of these reasons, they are equivalent. The pasts of these Tathagatas are suchlike, and hence they 63ia
are equivalent. Their futures are suchlike, and hence they areequivalent. Their presents are suchlike, and hence they are equivalent. Being like phantasmagorical dharmas, they are equivalent.
Being like shadow dharmas, they are equivalent. Being dharmas
that cannot exist, they are equivalent. With nowhere that theycame from and nowhere that they go to, they are equivalent. For
these reasons, these Tathagatas are called equivalent. Just as all
dharmas are equivalent, so are all these Tathagatas. Just as all
sentient beings are equivalent, so are all these Tathagatas. Just
as the Buddhas of all the worlds are equivalent, so are all these Tathagatas. Just as all the worlds are equivalent, so are all these Tathagatas. For these reasons, the Buddhas are called equivalent. O
Brahma king, these Tathagatas are nothing more than the Suchness of all the dharmas, and so they are called equivalent. You should
realize, Brahma king, that the Tathagata knows all the myriad
dharmas to be equivalent, and for this reason the Tathagata is called
equivalent with regard to all the myriad dharmas."
Equivalent Practice Brahma King said to the Buddha: "Thisis unprecedented, O World-Honored One! Having attained theequivalence of all the dharmas, the Tathagata manifests it to sentient beings by means of these wondrous form bodies." The Buddha said, "Brahma king, all this has been accomplished throughthe power of my fundamental practice of the Surangama Samadhi.
It is thus that the Tathagata has attained the equivalence of all

15

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

63ib

dharmas and has used these wondrous form bodies to manifest[this teaching] to sentient beings." When the Tathagata explained
this Dharma, Equivalent Practice Brahma King and ten thousand
Brahma gods all achieved a pliant forbearance of all the dharmas.
The T a t h a g a t a then reined in his divine power, and the many
Buddhas and seats all disappeared, so t h a t the entire assembly
saw only one Buddha.
At t h a t time the Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva, "TheSurangama Samadhi cannot be attained by Bodhisattvas of thefirst, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth
stage. Only Bodhisattvas who are on the tenth stage can attainthis Surangama Samadhi. What is the Surangama Samadhi? (1)It is to cultivate the mind as if it were like space. (2) It is to observe the present mental states [hsin] of sentient beings. (3) It is
to discriminate the inherent abilities of sentient beings. (4) It is tocomprehend the causes and results of sentient beings definitively.
(5) It is to know t h a t there is no karmic retribution within thevarious karmas. (6) It is to enter the various types of desire, without forgetting after entering. (7) It is to know firsthand the various types of natures. (8) It is always to be able to disport in the
Flower Sound Samadhi, to be able to demonstrate to sentient beings the Adamantine Mind Samadhi, and to have autonomous
mastery of all samadhis at will. (9) It is to see universally all thepaths t h a t beings traverse. (10) It is to attain unhindered knowledge of past karma. (11) It is for one's divine eye to be unobstructed.
(12) It is to attain extinction of the outflows and not to realize any
improper occasion. (13) It is to attain the wisdom of equivalent
entering into both form and the formless. (14) It is to manifest
disportment in all of form. (15) It is to understand all sounds toresemble the characteristics of echoes. (16) It is to enter directly
into the wisdom of mindfulness. (17) It is to make sentient beings
happy with excellent speech. (18) It is to preach the Dharma according to the occasion. (19) It is to understand the proper andimproper times. (20) It is to be able to transform the various roots.
(21) It is to preach the Dharma without falsehood. (22) It is to16

Fascicle I

enter directly into the True. (23) It is to be able to subjugate well
the [different] classes of sentient beings. (24) It is to be sufficientin all t h e Perfections. (25) It is to be without differentiation in
one's deportment of going and stopping. (26) It is to destroy thevarious types of rational thought and false discrimination. (27) It
is to exhaust the limits of the dharma-natures without destroying
them. (28) It is to manifest bodies in the locations of all the Buddhas
simultaneously. (29) It is to be able to maintain all the Dharmas
preached by the Buddha. (30) It is to create physical manifestations
autonomously, like shadows, throughout all the worlds. (31) It is
to preach well the Vehicles for saving sentient beings and to protect the Triple Jewel always and unceasingly. (32) It is to generate great ornamentations throughout the entire future without
one's mind ever having the thought of fatigue. (33) It is always tobe able to manifest bodies in all the places where [sentient beings]
are born, without stopping at any time. (34) It is to manifest activities wherever one is born. (35) It is to be able to fulfill well [theroles of] all sentient beings. (36) It is to be able to understand alls e n t i e n t beings well. (37) It is for t h e t e a c h i n g s of t h e two[Hmayana] Vehicles to be immeasurable. (38) It is to be able welland completely to know the myriad sounds. (39) It is to be able tocause all the myriad Dharmas to flourish brightly. (40) It is to beable to make one eon be immeasurable eons. (41) It is to be able to
make immeasurable eons be a single eon. (42) It is to be able tocause a single country to enter into an immeasurable number ofcountries. (43) It is to be able to cause an immeasurable number ofcountries to enter into a single country. (44) It is for limitless Buddha realms to enter into a single pore. (45) It is to manifest theentrance of all sentient beings into a single body. (46) It is to comprehend t h a t the various Buddha lands are the same, like space.
(47) It is for one's body to be able to pervade throughout theremainderless Buddha lands. (48) It is to cause all bodies to enter
into the dharma-natures and to cause there to be no bodies at all.
(49) It is to penetrate the characterlessness of all the dharmanatures. (50) It is to be able to comprehend all the expedient means

17

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

well. (51) It is to be able to penetrate all the dharma-natures withthe one sound of the teaching. (52) It is to be able to expound on asingle phrase of the Dharma for a countless number of immeasurable eons. (53) It is to contemplate well the differences among all
the teachings. (54) It is to preach the Dharma knowing well [theoccurrence of] agreement and difference [and the need for] abbreviation and dilation. (55) It is to know well how to pass beyond all
the demonic ways. (56) It is to issue forth the refulgence of thegreat wisdom of expedient means. (57) It is to have wisdom as theprimary [characteristic] of one's actions of body, speech, and mind.
(58) It is to have supernormal powers always immediately available without [intentionally] practicing them. (59) It is to use thefour unhindered wisdoms to make all sentient beings happy. (60)
It is to manifest the power of the supernormal abilities to penetrate all the dharma-natures. (61) It is to be able to use dharmasof collocation to universally attract [she, lit. collocate] sentient
beings [to the Dharma]. (62) It is to understand the languages ofsentient beings in all the various worlds. (63) It is to have no doubts
with regard to the phantasmagorical dharmas. (64) It is to be able
63ic to maintain autonomous [freedom of action] throughout all theplaces of birth (or, generation). (65) It is to be without want foranything one needs. (66) It is to manifest oneself to all sentient
beings autonomously. (67) It is [to understand] both good and evil
to be identical to the fields of blessing. (68) It is to attain entry
into all the secret dharmas of the Bodhisattvas. (69) It is always
to issue forth a brilliant illumination throughout the remainderlessworlds. (70) It is for one's wisdom to be immeasurably profound.
(71) It is for one's mind to be like earth, water, fire, and wind. (72)
It is to turn well the Wheel of the Dharma using the words andphrases of all the [individual] dharmas. (73) It is to be at the stageof a Tathagata without obstruction. (74) It is to attain spontaneously the forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas. (75) It is
to attain the real mind, which cannot be defiled by the impuritiesof the various afflictions. (76) It is to [be able to] cause all water toenter into a single pore without interfering with the nature of the18

Fascicle I

water itself. (77) It is to cultivate and accumulate the immeasurable blessed and meritorious good roots. (78) It is to know well all
the expedient means for the transference [of religious merit toothers]. (79) It is to be able to [perform] transformations well andto undertake universally all the practices of a Bodhisattva. (80) It
is to have peace in one's mind about all the dharmas of the Buddha. (81) It is to have already transcended the body [generatedfrom] one's own karma. (82) It is to be able to enter into the secretdharma-stores of the Buddhas. (83) It is to manifest disporting at
will in the various desires. (84) It is to hear immeasurable dharmas
and to maintain them sufficiently. (85) It is to seek all the dharmas
without any feeling of satiation. (86) It is to be in accord withworldly conventions without being defiled thereby. (87) It is topreach the Dharma for people for immeasurable eons such t h a tthey all think [the time passed as if it were the interval] frommorning to the [noon] meal. (88) It is to manifest various types of
illness, lameness, deafness, blindness, and dumbness in order tosave sentient beings. (89) It is to have a hundred thousand invisible vajra warriors always serving and protecting one. (90) It is tobe able to contemplate naturally the enlightenment of the Buddhas.
(91) It is to be able to manifest in a single moment of thought a life
span of immeasurable countless eons. (92) It is to manifest all theelements of deportment within the two [Hinayana] Vehicles without internally dispensing with the practices of a Bodhisattva. (93)
It is for one's mind to be well serene, empty, and without characteristics. (94) It is to manifest pleasure in the various amusements
without internally dispensing with the Samadhi of the Remembrance of the Buddha [nien-fo san-mei]. (95) It is to be able tocreate innumerable sentient beings t h a t may be seen, heard, or
touched without disappearing. (96) It is to manifest the achievement of the enlightenment of Buddhahood in every moment ofthought and to cause the attainment of emancipation in the teaching t h a t proceeds from this basis. (97) It is to manifest entering awomb and becoming born. (98) It is to leave home and achieve theenlightenment of Buddhahood. (99) It is to t u r n the Wheel of the

19The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Dharma. (100) It is to enter Parinirvana without ever achieving
extinction.
"Resolute Mind, thus does the Surangama Samadhi have theimmeasurable ability to manifest all the supernormal powers of the
Buddha, so that innumerable sentient beings may attain benefit
thereby. Resolute Mind, the Surangama Samadhi cannot be understood by means of a single affair, a single condition, or a single
meaning. All the meditations, emancipations, samadhis, autonomous supernormal powers, and unhindered wisdoms are all con632a tained within the Surangama Samadhi. It is likened to the currents
from the mountain springs and rivers, which all enter the ocean.
Thus are the Bodhisattvas' meditations all contained within the
Surangama Samadhi. It is likened to the great valor of the Wheel
Turning Sage King, which induces all the four types of soldiers tofollow him. Resolute Mind, thus are the teaching of samadhi, theteaching of meditation, the teaching of discrimination, the teaching of emancipation, the teaching of dharani, the teaching of supernormal powers, and the teaching of brilliant emancipation: allthese teachings are contained within the Surangama Samadhi.
Hence when a Bodhisattva practices the Surangama Samadhi, hepractices all the samadhis. Resolute Mind, it is likened to the seventreasures of the Wheel Turning Sage King, which follow him wherever he goes. Thus, O Resolute Mind, do all the Dharmas that
contribute to enlightenment follow the Surangama Samadhi. It is
for this reason that this samadhi is called Surangama (heroic
march)."The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi, he practices charity without having
to seek for wealth [to donate to others]. All the treasures, food anddrink, clothing, elephants and horses, and chariots within the great
oceans, the heavens, and the realms of mankind within the greatchiliocosm—all these objects are automatically given. All this is
the achievement of the fundamental merit [of the Surangama
Samadhi]. How much more so with the accomplishments performed
at will through the divine power [of this samadhi]! This is said to20

Fascicle I

be the fundamental fruit of the Perfection of Charity of the Bodhisattva residing in the Surangama Samadhi."
The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi, he is immovable in the precepts without having taken the precepts again. Because he wants to teachall sentient beings, he may manifest the maintenance of the precepts and the various rules of deportment. He may manifest violations and the elimination of transgressions, but his internal purity
is always flawless. Because he wants to teach all sentient beings, hemay be born in the realm of desire as a Wheel Turning Sage King,
with a harem of princesses worshipfully surrounding him. He may
manifest the existence of wife and children and may be wantonly
engaged in the five desires, but internally he will always remain
within meditation and the pure precepts, well comprehending thethree disastrous transgressions. Resolute Mind, this is said to be
the fundamental fruit of the Perfection of Morality of the Bodhisattva residing in the Surangama Samadhi."
The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi he completely cultivates the ultimate
forbearance. Because of this, he cultivates forbearance before sentient beings are even born, he cultivates forbearance before thedharmas are even generated, he cultivates forbearance before themind even takes form, he cultivates forbearance before [the discrimination of] self and other even occurs, he cultivates forbearance before there is even a thought of birth and death. He cultivates
forbearance with the essence of Nirvana, he cultivates forbearance without destroying the dharma-natures. Thus does the Bodhisattva cultivate forbearance without there being anything that is
cultivated and without any not cultivating. In order to teach sentient beings, he is born in the realm of desire. He may manifest
anger, but within he is pure. He may manifest the cultivation of
distant transcendence, but [he knows that there actually] is no far
or near. In order to purify the sentient beings he may break worldly 632b
rules of deportment, but he never breaks the dharma-natures [nevergoes counter to the inner realities of things]. He may manifest

21

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

forbearance, but [in reality] there are no dharmas [that can beforborne]. He is able to forbear through the indestructibility of his
permanent meditation. Thus does the Bodhisattva achieve forbearance. In order to eradicate the great anger of sentient beings, healways praises the blessings of forbearance, but he never attains
either forbearance or anger. Resolute Mind, this is said to be thefundamental fruit of the Perfection of Forbearance of the Bodhisattva residing in the Surangama Samadhi."
The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi, he generates great energy and attains
all the good dharmas, but he does not generate karma of body, speech,
and mind. It is for the lazy that he manifests the practice of energy. He wants to make sentient beings follow my teaching, but
he neither generates nor accepts the dharmas. Why? The Bodhisattva understands that all the dharmas completely and constantly
reside within the dharma-natures, without coming and going. Thus
does he distantly transcend the actions of body, speech, and mind;
and yet he is able to manifest the practice of energy. Nor does heconsider that dharmas achieve completion. He manifests the practice of energy within the world but is without any actions either
within or without. He is always able to travel about the innumerable Buddha realms, but his body remains universally 'equivalent' and does not move. He manifests the practice of all the gooddharmas but never perceives the good or wrong of any of thedharmas. He manifests the acceptance of teaching [from others]in his spiritual quest but never follows any teaching other thanthat of Buddhism. He manifests becoming intimate with the preceptors and masters but is revered by all gods and humans. He
manifests earnest inquiries [about the teaching] but within himself has attained unhindered discrimination. He manifests reverence but is worshipped by all gods and humans. He manifests entry
into the womb but is without defilement within all the dharmas.
He manifests birth but does not perceive generation and extinction within all the dharmas. He manifests existence as a child but
his physical faculties are all complete. He manifests abilities in

22

Fascicle I

the arts, medicine, magic, literature, mathematics, and the crafts
but has already penetrated everything within himself. He manifests illness but has already permanently transcended the afflictions.
He manifests old age, but his senses are already indestructible.
He manifests death, but he has never been defeated by samsara.
Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruit of the Perfection of Energy of the Bodhisattva residing in the Surangama
Samadhi."The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi, although he knows that the dharmas
always have the characteristic of meditation, he manifests thevarious distinctions of meditation for sentient beings. He manifests residence in meditation in order to teach those with confused
minds but does not perceive any confusion within the dharmas.
All the dharmas are as the characteristics of the dharma-natures,and he subjugates his mind and is motionless in meditation. He
manifests the various deportments of coming, going, sitting, andlying down, but he is always serene within meditation. He manifests agreement with what the majority say but never rejects the 632c
characteristics of the various meditations. Out of compassion for
sentient beings, he enters the cities, villages, and countries, but
he is always in meditation. He manifests eating, out of a desire tobenefit sentient beings, but he is always in meditation. His body ishard, like vajra; inside it is substantial, not empty, and indestructible. Within it there are no growing organs or mature organs andnone of the impure and malodorous defilements of defecation andurination. He manifests eating, but [the food] does not enter him.
[He eats] only through his compassion to benefit sentient beings;
although he has no faults in any of his [physical or sensory] functions, he manifests behavior like that of all ordinary people. However, he is actually without any activity that transgresses against
the various [Buddhist] practices. Resolute Mind, when a Bodhisattva resides in the Surangama Samadhi he manifests no distinction between open space and villages. He manifests no distinction
between living as householder or monk. He may manifest the white

23

The Surangama Samadhi Sutrarobes [of the householder], but he is not lax. He may manifest [theform of] a monk, but he is not arrogant. He will not become a monk
within the dharmas of the non-Buddhist teachings, so as to teachsentient beings. He is not affected by all the heterodox views, andhe does not claim to achieve purity within them. He may manifest
practice of all the non-Buddhist rituals, but he does not follow theirpractice of the path.
"Resolute Mind, he is likened to a guide who has led a group ofpeople over a steep road, only to return to save other people. It isthus, O Resolute Mind, that the Bodhisattva residing in the Surafigama Samadhi acts in accordance with the spiritual aspirations ofsentient beings. [Sentient beings] may aspire to the path [i.e., theenlightenment] of the Sravaka, or the path of the Pratyekabuddha, or the path of the Buddha; he teaches them and leads
them to salvation as appropriate, and then returns to save othersentient beings. Therefore he is called a guide.
"He is likened to a ferry, which carries innumerable people
from this shore to the other shore. When it reaches the other shore
it returns to carry over [i.e., save] more people. Thus, O Resolute
Mind, does the Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama Samadhi
perceive sentient beings. He lets himself be carried along by thefour currents of the river of birth and death only because he wants
to help others escape. He accomplishes this according to the goodroots sown by those sentient beings. If he sees that someone canbe saved as a Pratyekabuddha, he manifests for that person theenlightenment of Nirvana in his own body. If he sees that someone can be saved as a Sravaka, he preaches extinction to that person and enters Nirvana together with him. Because of the powerof the Surangama Samadhi, he manifests birth once again andsaves more people. Thus is the Bodhisattva called the ferryman.
"Resolute Mind, he is likened to a magician who manifests his
own death, dismemberment, and immolation before an audience.
He may manifest to his audience that he is burned by fire andeaten by birds, but after receiving payment [from the audience]
he will be revived. [The magician] is able to do so because he is24

Fascicle I

proficient in magic. The Bodhisattva who thus resides in the
Surangama Samadhi manifests old age and death in order to teachsentient beings, but actually there is no birth, old age, disease,and death. Resolute Mind, this is said to be the fundamental fruitof the Perfection of Meditation of the Bodhisattva residing in the
Surangama Samadhi."
The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides 633ain the Surangama Samadhi, his senses are sharp in his cultivation of wisdom. Never perceiving the existence of the essences[hsing, natures] of sentient beings, he preaches the existence ofsentient beings in order to save them. Never perceiving longevity[shou] and life span [ming], he preaches that there are [such thingsas] longevity and life span. Never perceiving karma and karmic
retribution, he indicates to sentient beings that there are [suchthings as] karma and karmic retribution. Never perceiving theessences of the afflictions [klesa] of samsara, he preaches that one
should understand the afflictions of samsara. Never perceiving Nirvana, he preaches that one proceeds to Nirvana. Never perceiving
the distinguishing characteristics possessed by the dharmas, hepreaches that there are good and bad dharmas. Thereby is he able
to carry [sentient beings] over to the other shore of unhinderedwisdom. He manifests birth in the realm of desire but is not attached to the realm of desire. He manifests the practice of meditations of the realm of form but is not attached to the realm of form.
He enters into the meditations of the formless [realm] but is bornin the realm of form. He manifests the meditations of the realm ofform but is born in the realm of desire. He manifests himself inthe realm of desire but does not practice the practices of the realmof desire. He knows all the various meditations, and he knows the
portions of meditation. He can freely enter into meditation andleave meditation. In order to teach sentient beings, he can be born
anyplace at will. He is always able to accomplish the profound andwondrous wisdom and to eradicate all the various activities [hsing,samskara?] of sentient beings. In order to teach sentient beings, hemanifests the occurrence of activities, but he is actually without

25

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

activity with regard to the various dharmas. He has completely
gone beyond all the various activities and has long since eradicated the illusions of self and personal possession, although hemanifests the receipt of the various things that are required.
"When a Bodhisattva accomplishes wisdom such as this, everything that he does derives from that wisdom and is never defiledby the results of karma. In order to teach sentient beings he manifests being deaf and dumb, but subtle pure sounds actually occur
within him. He comprehends the spoken word, the scriptures, andmathematics, and he does not have to stop to consider what Dharma
to preach [on any given occasion]. Wherever he goes, audiences
always consider his preaching wonderful, and he can always make[his listeners] be joyful and attain resolute [faith]. He preaches
the Dharma as the occasion arises, and the wisdom of this Bodhisattva does not decrease.
"Resolute Mind, he is likened to men and women, who are either
large or small, who carry vessels to a place where there is water,which may be a spring, a lake, a river, or the ocean. They fill the vessels large and small and return, but the various bodies of water do
not decrease. Thus, O Resolute Mind, does the Bodhisattva who
resides in the Surangama Samadhi appear to audiences anywhere,
whether of ksatriyas or brahmins, whether laypeople, monks, orgods. He appears to all these various congregations without any
mental effort, and he is able to make them all joyous through his
good words. He preaches the Dharma wherever it is appropriate
to do so, but his wisdom is never lessened. Resolute Mind, this issaid to be the fundamental fruit of the Perfection of Wisdom of
the Bodhisattva residing in the Surangama Samadhi."
The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi, those sentient beings who see him all
633b attain emancipation. Those who hear his name, see his ritual deportment, hear him preach the Dharma, or see him in silence—all
these attain emancipation. Resolute Mind, he is likened to the great
medicine-tree king named Joyous Vision—all those who see him
are healed of illness. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, with the Bodhisattva
who resides in the Surangama Samadhi. The illnesses of greed,

26

Fascicle I

anger, and stupidity of any sentient being who sees him will be
eradicated. It is like the great medicine king named Eradication.
If [this medicine] is painted on one's drums during wartime, thesound of the drum will pull the arrow, sword, or lance out andeliminate the poison from any injuries suffered from arrows, andthe like. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, with the Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama Samadhi. The arrows of greed, anger, andstupidity will naturally come out of those who hear his name, andthe poison of wrong views will be completely eliminated, so that
all the afflictions will operate no more.
"Resolute Mind, he is likened to the medicine tree named
Sufficient. If a person uses its root, his illness will be healed. His
illness will be healed by the stems, knots, core, bark, twigs, leaves,
flowers, or fruit, which may be fresh, dried, or ground—any form
may be used to heal the illnesses of sentient beings. The Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama Samadhi is also like this.
There is no time at which he does not benefit sentient beings—heis always able to eliminate all the afflictions. While preaching theDharma, he concurrently practices the four embrasures [she] [charity, loving speech, beneficial action, and homologous behavior] andthe various Perfections, so that [sentient beings] attain emancipation. Whether a person makes offerings or not, and whether
there is benefit [to him] or not, the Bodhisattva always uses theadvantage of the Dharma so that the person will attain peace.
And when he dies and his body is eaten—whether by animals with
two legs or four, or by birds, or by humans or non-humans—due tothe power of the Bodhisattva^ preceptual vows, when these sentient beings die they are reborn in heaven and are forever without
the calamities of illness, pain, old age, and the afflictions. Resolute Mind, thus is the Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama
Samadhi like a medicine-tree."
The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "When a Bodhisattva resides
in the Surangama Samadhi, for lifetime after lifetime he automatically understands the Six Perfections without having to study
them from anyone else. Lifting his foot and lowering his foot, breathing in and breathing out, he is in possession of the Six Perfections

27

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

with each moment of thought. Why? Resolute Mind, the entire
body of a Bodhisattva like this is the Dharma, and his entire activities are the Dharma.
"Resolute Mind, he is likened to a king and his great ministers, who have a hundred thousand varieties of incense ground
together into powder. If someone searches for one particular variety without having its fragrance mixed up with the other [varieties of] incense, Resolute Mind, within these hundred thousand
varieties of incense powders, will he be able to separate one fromthe others?" [Resolute Mind answered,] "No, World-Honored One."[The Buddha continued,] "Resolute Mind, since the Bodhisattva
has perfumed his body and mind with all the Perfections, he always generates the Six Perfections in every moment of thought.
"Resolute Mind, how can the Bodhisattva generate the Six
Perfections in every moment of thought? Resolute Mind, the Bodhisattva has complete equanimity and is without attachment; this633c is the Perfection of Charity [dana]. His mind is well serene andultimately without any wrong; this is the Perfection of Morality[slid]. He understands that the mind exhausts [all] characteristics
and exists unharmed within [the realms of] sensory data; this is
the Perfection of Patience [ksanti]. He strives in contemplationand selects [advantageous states of] mind but understands thatthe mind transcends characteristics; this is the Perfection of Energy [virya]. He is ultimately well serene and has controlled his
mind; this is the Perfection of Meditation \dhyand\. He contemplates the mind and understands the mind, penetrating the characteristics of the mind; this is the Perfection of Wisdom [prajfia].
Resolute Mind, a Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama
Samadhi possesses the Six Perfections in every moment of thought
as given in this teaching/'
At this time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying, "Never before, O World-Honored One, [have I heard
such a teaching]! The activities of a Bodhisattva who has achieved
the Surangama Samadhi are inconceivable! World-Honored One,if the Bodhisattvas wish to practice the practice of the Buddhas,

28

Fascicle I

they should study this Surahgama Samadhi. Why? World-Honored One, such Bodhisattvas manifest the practice of all the various activities of ordinary people, but in their minds they are without
greed, anger, and stupidity."At that time there was a great Brahma king named Creating
Sympathy within the audience. He addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, if a Bodhisattva wishes to practice all
the activities of ordinary people, he should study the Surahgama
Samadhi. Why? Such a Bodhisattva manifests the practice of all
the various activities of ordinary people, but in his mind he is without the activities of greed, anger, and stupidity." The Buddha said,"Excellent, excellent, Creating Sympathy! It is as you have said.
If a Bodhisattva wishes to practice all the activities of ordinary
people, he should study the Surahgama Samadhi, because he will
not think about all that has to be learned."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, if a Bodhisattva wishes to study the Surahgama Samadhi,
what should he study?" The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "It is
likened to the study of archery, in which one first shoots at a large
target. When one can hit the large target, one shoots at a small
target. When one can hit the small target, one shoots at the bull'seye. When one can hit the bull's-eye, one shoots at an [arrow]shaft. When one can hit the shaft, one shoots at [a bundle of] one
hundred hairs. When one can hit the one hundred hairs, one shoots
at [a bundle of] ten hairs. When one can hit the ten hairs, oneshoots at a single hair. When one can hit the single hair, one shoots
at a hundredth of a hair. When one can hit a hundredth of a hair,
he may be called a good archer. He [can shoot] unerringly and at
will. Such a person can shoot without mental effort, with complete
accuracy, on the basis of a sound heard in the dark of night, or if ahuman or nonhuman incautiously strikes at him.
"Thus, Resolute Mind, should the Bodhisattva who wishes tostudy the Surahgama Samadhi first study the mind of ecstasy.
After studying the mind of ecstasy, he should study the profoundmind. After studying the profound mind, he should study great

29

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

sympathy. After studying great sympathy, he should study greatcompassion. After studying great compassion, he should study thefour pure practices [brahmavihara], which are sympathy, compassion, joy, and equanimity. After studying the four pure practices, he should study the five highest penetrations (the divine
eye, the divine ear, clairvoyance, knowledge of others' past lives,and knowledge of anything at will), which have the highest benefit,
always maintaining his mastery of them. When he has studied
634a the penetrations, he can then accomplish the Six Perfections. Whenhe has accomplished the Six Perfections, he will be able to penetrate expedient means. When he has penetrated expedient means,
he will be able to reside in the third pliant forbearance. When hecan reside in the third pliant forbearance, he will attain the forbearance of the birthlessness of the dharmas. When he has attained the forbearance of the birthlessness of the dharmas, theBuddhas will confer the prediction of enlightenment on him. Whenthe Buddhas have conferred the prediction of enlightenment onhim, he will be able to enter the eighth Bodhisattva stage. Whenhe has entered the eighth Bodhisattva stage, he will attain theSamadhi of Presence before the Buddhas. When he has attained
the Samadhi of Presence before the Buddhas, he will never be without a vision of the Buddhas. When he is never without a vision of the
Buddhas, he will be able to fulfill all the causes and conditions of the
Buddhist Dharma. When he can fulfill all the causes and conditionsof the Buddhist Dharma, he will be able to activate the merit ofornamenting the Buddha lands. When he can activate the meritof ornamenting the Buddha lands, he will be provided with a houseand family into which to be born. When he is provided with a houseand family into which to be born, he will enter a womb and beborn. When he enters a womb and is born, he has fulfilled thetenth [Bodhisattva] stage. When he has fulfilled the tenth stage,
he will then attain a title for his career as a Buddha. When heattains a title for his career as a Buddha, he will attain all theBodhisattva samadhis. After he has attained all the Bodhisattva
samadhis, he will be able to attain the Surangama Samadhi. When

30

Fascicle I

he has attained the Surangama Samadhi he will be able to perform the affairs of a Buddha on behalf of sentient beings, but hewill not dispense with the practices of the Bodhisattva. Resolute
Mind, if a Bodhisattva studies the Dharmas like this, then he willattain the Surangama Samadhi.
"Once a Bodhisattva has attained the Surangama Samadhi,
he has nothing more to study in all the Dharmas. Why? Because
he has already well studied all the Dharmas. It is likened to being
able to hit a portion of a hair [in archery], after which there isnothing more to be studied. Why is this? Because he has alreadystudied [everything]. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, with the Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama Samadhi. There is nothing
more for him to study in all the Dharmas, because he has alreadystudied all the samadhis and all the [forms of] merit."
At that time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, I will now explain a metaphor,
to which I would beseech you to listen for a moment." The Buddha
said, "Go ahead and speak." "World-Honored One, it is likened toa great Brahma king of the trichiliocosm, whose contemplation
automatically and effortlessly extends throughout the entire trichiliocosm. Thus is the Bodhisattva who resides in the Surangama
Samadhi automatically and effortlessly able to contemplate all the
Dharmas. Also, he is able to understand the minds and mental
activities of all sentient beings." The Buddha told Resolute Mind,"It is as you have spoken. If a Bodhisattva resides in the Surangama
Samadhi, he understands all the Dharmas of the Bodhisattvas
and all the Dharmas of the Buddhas."
At that time there was in the audience an Indra king named
Holding Mount Sumeru, who resided at the farthest extremity ofthe entire trichiliocosm. He addressed the Buddha saying, "WorldHonored One, it is likened to living on the top of Mount Sumeru
and being able to look at the entire world. Thus is the Bodhisattva
who resides in the Surangama Samadhi automatically able to see
the activities of the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and all sentient
beings."31

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

At that time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the Indra kingHolding Mount Sumeru, "Would you tell us from which of the fourcontinents you have come? Where on Mount Sumeru do you reside?" The Indra king replied, "Good youth, a Bodhisattva who
has attained the Surangama Samadhi would not have to ask where
I reside. Why is this? For such a Bodhisattva, all the Buddha realms
are his residence, yet he is not attached to any residence. He attains no residence and perceives no residence."
Resolute Mind asked, "Have you, sir, attained the Surangama
Samadhi?" The Indra king replied, "Could the characteristics of'attain' and 'not attain' exist within this samadhi?" Resolute Mindsaid, "No." The Indra king said, "Good youth, you should understandthat when a Bodhisattva practices this samadhi, there is nothingthat is attained in any of the dharmas." Resolute Mind said, "Since
your understanding is like this, you must have already attained
the Surangama Samadhi." The king said, "Good youth, I do not
perceive that the dharmas have any place of residence. He who
has no residence in all the dharmas has attained the Surangama
Samadhi. Good youth, to reside in this samadhi is to be completely
without residence in all the dharmas. If one is without residence,then one is without grasping. If one is without grasping, one isalso without preaching."
At this time the Buddha said to Resolute Mind Bodhisattva,"Do you see the Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru?" "I do, WorldHonored One." "Resolute Mind, this Indra king has automaticallyand of his own will attained the Surangama Samadhi. Residing inthis samadhi, he is able to manifest himself in all the palaces for
Indra kings throughout the trichiliocosm."
At this time the Indra king of this realm, Devendra, addressed
the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, if Indra king Holding
Mount Sumeru is able to manifest himself in all the palaces for
Indra kings, why is it that I cannot see him in all the locations of
the Indra kings?" At this time Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru
replied to the Indra king [of this world system], saying, "Kausika[Devendra], if I were to reveal my real body to you now, you would

32

Fascicle I

no longer take joy in your palace. I am always in the palace inwhich you reside, but you do not see me."At this time Devendra addressed the Buddha, saying, "WorldHonored One, I wish to see the wondrous body achieved by this Bodhisattva." The Buddha said, "Kausika [Devendra], do you wish tosee it?" "World-Honored One, I beseech you to let me see it." The
Buddha said to Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru, "Good youth,
reveal your true, wondrous body to this Indra king." Indra king
[Holding Mount Sumeru] then manifested his true, wondrous body.
At that time, the bodies of all the Indra gods, Brahma gods, andworld-protecting kings, Sravakas, and Bodhisattvas within theaudience who had not attained the Surangama Samadhi became
invisible, as if they were a collection of ink spots. The body of Indra 634c
king Holding Mount Sumeru became tall and imposing, like Mount
Sumeru, the king of mountains itself, with brilliant light shining
into the distance. At that time the body of the Buddha became evenbrighter and more apparent.
The Indra king Devendra addressed the Buddha, saying,"Never before, World-Honored One, [have I experienced such a thing
as this]! The body of this Bodhisattva is unmatchably pure andwondrous. And the bodies of all the Indra gods, Brahma gods, andworld-protecting kings have all become invisible, like a collectionof ink spots. World-Honored One, when I in the Hall of Good Wonders atop Mount Sumeru put on the Sakrabhilagna mani pearl
necklace, the brilliance of it is such that the bodies of the entire
assembly of gods become invisible. But I have now become invisible through the brilliant light of this Bodhisattva, and there isalso no light from the precious necklace I am wearing!"
The Buddha told the Indra king Devendra, "Kausika, even if
the entire trichiliocosm werefilledwith Sakrabhilagna mani pearls,
the brightly shining mani pearls of all the gods would render the[Sakrabhilagna] pearls invisible. Kausika, even if the entire trichiliocosm were filled with the brightly shining mani pearls of all thegods, there is yet a bright adamantine mani pearl that can render
all the other pearls invisible. Kausika, even if the entire trichiliocosm

33

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

were filled with bright adamantine mani pearls, there is yet a mani
pearl embodying all the brilliances that can render the other pearls
invisible. Kausika, do you see the mani pearl embodying all thebrilliances worn by this king?" [Devendra replied,] "I see it, WorldHonored One. But the brilliance of this pearl is so intense my eyescannot stand it." The Buddha told Devendra, "Bodhisattvas who
attain the Surangama Samadhi may become Indra kings who always wear mani pearl necklaces such as this."At this time the Indra king Devendra addressed the Buddha,
saying, "World-Honored One, will those who have not generated
the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment
on behalf of all sentient beings attain a pure and wondrous bodysuch as this? Also, can one lose this Surangama Samadhi [after
once attaining it]?"At this time the god Gopaka [who had been the Buddha's princess Gopa before being born into the Heaven of the Thirty-three]said to the Indra king Devendra, "The Sravakas have entered into
Suchness [fa-i, the stage of Dharma; i.e., entered into extinction],and although they have repeatedly extolled and delighted in theenlightenment of Buddhahood they cannot accomplish it. This isbecause they have created obstacles for themselves within samsara.
If a person generates the intention to achieve unsurpassable andperfect enlightenment on behalf of all sentient beings, he should
generate it now as it should be generated. Such a person will love
the path of the Buddha and will be able to attain the wondrous
form body just revealed.
"It is likened to a person who is blind from birth. Although hemay praise and love the sun and moon, he has never experienced
their brilliant light. Thus it is with the Sravakas who have entered into Suchness. Although they extol and delight in the enlightenment of Buddhahood, the Buddha's merit has had no
physical benefit for them. For this reason, those of great wisdom
who wish to attain this wondrous body should generate the Buddha's
635a unsurpassable intention to achieve enlightenment. They will thenbe able to attain the wondrous body just revealed." When the god

34

Fascicle I

Gopaka spoke these words, twelve thousand gods generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment.
At this time, Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the god Gopaka,saying, "What merit should a woman cultivate to transform her
body?" He answered, "Good youth, those who generate [the intention to achieve enlightenment in] the Mahayana do not perceive
differences of male and female. Why? The mind of omniscience[sarvajfia] does not exist in the three realms. It is through discrimination that there is male and female. If your question is what
merit a woman should cultivate to transform her body, then fromthe past she should serve the Bodhisattva(s) and be without deviation." [Resolute Mind asked,] "How should she serve?" [The god
answered,] "As if serving the World-Honored One." [Resolute Mind
inquired,] "What is it for one's mind to be without deviation?" [Thegod] answered, "Physical actions should follow oral actions, andoral actions should follow the mind. [When this is the case] it issaid that the woman's mind is without deviation."[Resolute Mind] asked, "How is the female body transformed?"[The god] answered, "As it is formed." [Resolute Mind asked,] "Whatdoes 'as it is formed' mean?" [The god answered,] "As it is transformed." [Resolute Mind] asked, "O god, what do you mean?" [Thegod] answered, "Good youth, within all the dharmas, there is no
forming, no transforming. All the dharmas have one taste [i.e.,
emptiness, or Suchness], which is known as the taste of theDharma. Good youth, through my vows I had the body of a woman.
Even if I had wanted my body to be transformed into that of aman, the characteristics of the female body would have been neither destroyed nor dispensed with. Good youth, for this reason
you should understand that male and female are both misconceptions. All the dharmas and misconceptions ultimately transcendthese two characteristics."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked Gopaka, "Do you understandsome small part of this Surangama Samadhi?" [Gopaka] answered,"Good youth, what I know has been gained from others; I have notrealized it myself. I remember one clear night in the past when

35

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

635b

Sakyamuni Buddha was a Bodhisattva in the house of King Suddhodana, when he was in the palace among the princesses. At thattime Brahma kings as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges
came from the East [to receive his teachings]. Some of them inquired about the Bodhisattva Vehicle; some of them inquired about
the Sravaka Vehicle, and the Bodhisattva answered each of themaccording to their questions. Within this group, one of the Brahma
kings did not understand the expedient means practiced by Bodhisattvas. He spoke as follows: 'If you are so wise, please answer myquestions. How can you lust for royal rank and sensual pleasures[lit., sensual desire]?' The other Brahma kings, who comprehended
the Bodhisattva^ wisdom and expedient means, spoke to this one
Brahma king, saying, 'The Bodhisattva does not lust for royal rankor sensual pleasure. In order to teach sentient beings and [bringthem to the ultimate] accomplishment, he has manifested himself
as a Bodhisattva residing in the home. At present, in other locations, he has accomplished the enlightenment of Buddhahood andis turning the wondrous Wheel of the Dharma.' Upon hearing this,the first Brahma [king] spoke as follows: 'What samadhi has heattained that makes him autonomously capable of such divinetransformations?' The other Brahma [kings] said to him, Tt is thepower of the Surangama Samadhi.'"[Gopaka continued,] "Good youth, at that time I thought asfollows: 'When a Bodhisattva resides in samadhi, his divine poweris able to respond in ways that are unprecedented. He may residewithin desires and may administer affairs of state, but he neverdeparts from his samadhi.' When I heard this [dialogue between
the Brahma kings], my reverence doubled, and there, at the Bodhisattva's [palace], I generated the thought of the World-Honored
One, as well as the profound intention to seek unsurpassable andperfect enlightenment. [I vowed,] 'I hope that in the future I will
be able to create merit such as this.' Good youth, that which I
have perceived is only this small portion. All I know is that thisSurangama Samadhi has a power for merit that is immeasurable
and inconceivable."

36

Fascicle I

Resolute Mind said to the Buddha, "How rare, World-Honored
One, for someone to speak as profoundly as has the god Gopaka!
This is entirely the accomplishment of the Tathagata, because hehas always been protected by spiritual compatriots. World-Honored One, not long from now the god Gopaka will certainly residein the Surahgama Samadhi and attain an autonomous power of
divine transformations identical to t h a t of the Tathagata."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying,"World-Honored One, are there others within this assembly who
have attained the Surahgama Samadhi?" At t h a t time there wasa god in the assembly called Manifest Mind, who said to Resolute
Mind Bodhisattva, "You are like a stupid traveling businessman
who enters the ocean, saying, 'Are there any mani pearls within thisocean that I can take with me?' Your words resemble this. Why?
Within this assembly of the great ocean of the Tathagata's wisdom there are Bodhisattvas who have created the Dharma-treasure and who have generated great ornamentation [of it], and yet
you sit here and ask such a question as 'Are there others within
this assembly who have attained the Surangama Samadhi?'!
"Resolute Mind, there are within this assembly Bodhisattvas
who have attained the Surangama Samadhi and who manifest
the bodies of Indra gods, who manifest the bodies of Brahma kings,
who manifest the bodies of gods, dragons, yaksas,
gandharvas,
asuras, garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas. There are those whohave attained the Surahgama Samadhi who manifest the bodies
of monks and nuns and male and female novices. There are those
who have attained the Surahgama Samadhi who manifest bodies
ornamented by themselves with the various auspicious physicalmarks [of enlightened beings]. In order to teach sentient beings,
there are Bodhisattvas who manifest themselves in the bodies andforms of women, or who manifest themselves in the bodies andforms of Sravakas, or who manifest themselves in the bodies andforms of Pratyekabuddhas.
"Resolute Mind, the Tathagata has the autonomous ability to
manifest himself in any body and form, according to the manner

37

The Surangama Samadhi Sutraof the group he is teaching: ksatriyas, brahmins, laypeople, Indragods, Brahma gods, or world-protectors. You should understandthat this is entirely the fundamental fruit of the Surangama
Samadhi. Resolute Mind, when you see that the Tathagata ispreaching the Dharma somewhere, you should understand that635c there are innumerable Bodhisattvas there whose great wisdom
automatically generates great ornamentation, who operate autonomously within all the dharmas, and who accompany the Tathagata
whenever he turns the Wheel of the Dharma."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying,"World-Honored One, I now suggest that this god Manifest Mind
has attained the Surangama Samadhi, since his wisdom discriminates without hindrance and his supernormal abilities are suchlike." The Buddha said, "Resolute Mind, it is as you have said.
This god Manifest Mind resides in the Surangama Samadhi. He isable to preach thus because he has penetrated this samadhi."
At that time the Buddha said to the god Manifest Mind, "Youmay now manifest a small portion of the fundamentals of the
Surangama Samadhi." The god Manifest Mind said to Resolute
Mind, "Do you wish to see a small [portion of the] power of the
Surangama Samadhi?" [Resolute Mind] answered, "O god, I would
like to see it." Since the god Manifest Mind had well attained thepower of the Surangama Samadhi, he manifested transformations
so that everyone in the assembly was adorned with the thirty-two
marks of Wheel Turning Sage Kings, each with attendants carrying the seven precious things. The god asked, "What do you see?"
Resolute Mind replied, "I see that everyone in the assembly isadorned with the physical marks of Wheel Turning Sage Kings,
each with attendants carrying the seven precious things."
At that time the god manifested everyone in the assembly as
Indra kings within Kausika's Palaces of the Thirty-three, where ahundred thousand goddesses danced around them for their pleasure. Then again, using his divine power, he made everyone in theassembly take on the physical characteristics and deportment ofBrahma kings, residing in Brahma palaces and practicing the four38

Fascicle I

unlimited states [i.e., the brahmaviharas]. He asked Resolute Mind
once again, "What do you see?" [Resolute Mind] answered, "O god,
I see everyone in the assembly [in the form of] Brahma kings."
Then [the god] manifested his divine power once again, making
everyone in the assembly take on the physical appearance of theelder Mahakasyapa, holding his robe and bowl, entering into various meditations, and practicing the eight emancipations, without
any [manifestation] differing [from the others in appearance]. Heagain manifested his divine power, making everyone in the assembly take on the physical characteristics and deportment of the
Buddha Sakyamuni, each surrounded by monks and attendants.
He asked again, "Resolute Mind, what do you see?" [ Resolute Mind]
answered, "O god, I see t h a t everyone in the assembly has takenon the physical characteristics and deportment of the Buddha
Sakyamuni, each surrounded by monks and attendants."
The god Manifest Mind said to Resolute Mind, "Such is theinherent power of the Surangama Samadhi. When a Bodhisattva
attains the Surangama Samadhi, Resolute Mind, he is able to insert the trichiliocosm into a mustard seed, with the mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars appearing unchanged, and to manifest
all this to all sentient beings without frightening them. Resolute
Mind, such is the inconceivable power of the Surangama Samadhi!"
At t h a t time the great disciples, along with the gods, dragons,
yaksas, gandharvas, Indra gods, Brahma gods, and world-protecting kings all addressed the Buddha in unison, saying, "World-Honored One, the merit of him who attains the Surangama Samadhi
is inconceivable. Why? Such a person achieves the ultimate enl i g h t e n m e n t of B u d d h a h o o d a n d accomplishes t h e v a r i o u sbrilliances [ming, vidya] of wisdom and the supernormal powers.
While sitting here today we have seen this assembly in various
physical forms and several different transformations, and [after]
consideration [we suggest] t h a t those who have not heard of the
Surangama Samadhi must be understood as being controlled by
Mara. [On the other hand,] you must understand t h a t those whohave heard [of t h e Surangama Samadhi] are protected by the

39

636a

The Surahgama Samadhi Sutra

Buddhas. How much more so for those who hear it and are able topractice it as preached!
"World-Honored One, if a Bodhisattva wants to penetrate theDharma of the Buddha and reach the other shore [of Nirvana], heshould singlemindedly listen to [this teaching of] the Surahgama
Samadhi, then he should remember it, recite it, and preach it toothers. World-Honored One, if a Bodhisattva wishes to manifest
all the physical forms and deportments, he should comprehensively
understand all the activities [hsing, samskara] of the minds andmental attributes of sentient beings. Also, if he wants to understandcomprehensively how to apply medicine to all the illnesses of sentient beings, he should listen well to the Dharma-treasure of thissamadhi, then remember and recite it. World-Honored One, one
should realize that if a person attains this Surahgama Samadhi, hewill enter into the realm of the Buddhas, with wisdom autonomous."
The Buddha said, "It is so, it is so. It is as you have spoken! He
who has not attained the Surahgama Samadhi cannot be called a
Bodhisattva of profound practice. The T a t h a g a t a would not describe such a person as sufficient in charity, morality, forbearance,energy, meditation, and wisdom. For this reason, if all of you wish
to practice all the paths, you should study this Surahgama Samadhi.
You should not think about all the teachings to be learned."
At this time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked the god Manifest Mind, saying, "If a Bodhisattva wishes to attain this samadhi,
what dharmas should he cultivate?" The god replied, "If a Bodhisattva wishes to a t t a i n this samadhi, he should cultivate thedharmas of ordinary people. If he perceives the dharmas of ordinary people, the dharmas of the Buddha will be neither conjoined
nor dispersed. This is called cultivation of the Surahgama Samadhi."
Resolute Mind asked, "What conjoining and dispersing are there
in the dharmas of the Buddha?" The god answered, "Conjoining
and dispersing do not exist even in the dharmas of ordinary people,
how much less so in the dharmas of the Buddha!" [Resolute Mind
asked,] "What is cultivation?" [The god answered,] "To be able topenetrate [the fact] t h a t there is no difference between the dharmas

40

Fascicle I

of ordinary people and the dharmas of the Buddha is called cultivation. But in fact, there is neither conjoining nor dispersing inthese dharmas. Good youth, this is because there is no characteristic of birthlessness in all collocations of dharmas, because there
is no characteristic of disintegration in all collocations of dharmas,
because all collocations of dharmas have the characteristic of emptiness, and because there is no characteristic of acceptance in all
collocations of dharmas."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva asked again, "To what locations does
the Surangama Samadhi extend?" The god answered, "The Surangama Samadhi extends to the mental activities [hsin hsing] of all
sentient beings, but it does not depend on the characteristic ofgrasping of those mental activities. It extends to all places of birth,but it is not defiled by those places of birth. It extends to the locations of the Buddhas in all the worlds, but it does not discriminate
the Buddhas' extraordinary physical characteristics. It extends toall sounds and speech, but it does not discriminate the characteristics of words. It can reveal all the dharmas of the Buddha, but it
does not extend to absolutely all locations. Good youth, if you ask
to w h a t locations this samadhi extends, [the answer is t h a t ] thissamadhi extends to wherever the Buddha goes."
Resolute Mind asked, "To what locations does the Buddha go?"
The god answered, "Since the Buddha is suchlike, his going is without going." [Resolute Mind] asked again, "Does the Buddha not go
into Nirvana?" [The god] answered, "All the dharmas are ultimately Nirvana. Therefore the Tathagata does not go into Nirvana.
Why? He does not go into Nirvana because [he is] the essence ofNirvana." [Resolute Mind] asked again, "Did the Buddhas of thepast, who were as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges, not
go into Nirvana?" [The god] answered, "Were they born, these
Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges?" Resolute Mind said, "The Tathagata has preached t h a t these Buddhas,
who were as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges, wereborn and then passed into extinction." The god said, "Good youth,
the Tathagata has not [ever] said t h a t [even] a single person came

41

636b

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

into the world to bring great benefit and peace to sentient beings.
What is [the Tathagata's] meaning? Has the Tathagata definitively
attained [a realization that] sentient beings have birth and extinction?" [Resolute Mind] answered, saying, "O god, the Tathagata
has not attained birth and extinction in the dharmas." [The godsaid], "Good youth, you should understand that although theTathagata preaches that the Buddhas appear in the world, thecharacteristics of the Tathagata are in reality without birth. Although he preaches that the Buddhas proceed to Nirvana, thecharacteristics of the Tathagata are really without extinction."[Resolute Mind] asked again, "Have all the innumerable Tathagatas [existing] at present attained enlightenment?" [The god]answered, "The Tathagatas, the characteristics of whom are without birth and without extinction, have thus attained enlightenment. Good youth, there is no distinction as to whether the Buddhas
have come into [the world] or whether they have entered Nirvana.
Why? The Tathagatas have penetrated [the truth that] all thedharmas have the characteristic of extinction. Thus are they called
Buddhas." [Resolute Mind] asked another question, "If all thedharmas are ultimately extinguished, how can the characteristicof Nirvana be penetrated?" [The god] answered, "If all the dharmas
are ultimately extinguished, this is identical to the characteristicof Nirvana; and likewise with the penetration of that characteristic. Good youth, the Tathagatas do not come into [the world] on
the basis of birth, residing, and extinction. The absence of birth,
residing, and extinction is called 'coming into [the world] of the
Buddhas.'"Resolute Mind asked, "Is it because you reside in the Surangama Samadhi that you are able to preach this way?" [The god]answered, "Good youth, what do you think? When the Tathagatatransforms himself into a human, in what dharmas does he residewhile preaching?" Resolute Mind answered, saying, "He is able topreach by utilizing his divine power as a Buddha." [The god] asked
again, "In what location does the Buddha reside when he transforms
636c himself into a human?" [Resolute Mind] answered, "The Buddha

42

Fascicle I

transforms himself into a human while residing in the nondual
supernormal powers." The god said, "Just as the Tathagata resides
in the non-residing dharmas while he transforms himself into a human, so does the human thus transformed also reside in the nonresiding dharmas while preaching." Resolute Mind said, "If there
is no place of residing, how can there be preaching?" The god said,"Just as there is no place of residing, so it is with preaching." [Resolute Mind] asked again, "How can a Bodhisattva be sufficient in thediscriminative ability to preach pleasantly?"[The god] answered, "The Bodhisattva uses neither the characteristic of self, nor the characteristic of other, nor the characteristic of Dharma, yet there is preaching. This is called being sufficientin the discriminative ability of joyous preaching. In accordancewith such preaching of the Dharma, neither the characteristics ofwords nor the characteristics of the Dharma are extinguished. If
one thus preaches without using dualities, this is called being sufficient in the discriminative ability of joyous preaching. Also, good
youth, if the Bodhisattva does not dispense with the phantasmagorical characteristics of the dharmas and does not reject the characteristics of echoes among the sounds, this is called being sufficientin the discriminative ability for joyous preaching. Also, just as theletters, sounds, and words are without place, without location,
without interior, and without exterior, but are based on a multiplicity of conditions and exist without any place of residing, so [intruth] are all the dharmas, which are without place, without location, without interior, and without exterior, and without any placeof residing. The [dharmas] are without past, future, and present;
they cannot be expressed with letters and words. They must be
penetrated within oneself; yet there is preaching. This is called
being sufficient in the discriminative ability of joyous preaching.
It is likened to an echo. All the sounds are preached in accordancewith the characteristics of echoes." Resolute Mind asked, "What is
the meaning of'in accordance with' [sui]?" [The god replied], "Goodyouth, the meaning of 'in accordance with' is 'in accordance withspace/ Just as there is nothing that is in accordance with space, so

43The Surangama Samadhi Sutrais there nothing that is in accordance with the dharmas (or, 'with
the preaching of the dharma[s]'). The dharmas are without comparison, without metaphors or similes. It is said to be 'in accordance with' in order that there [may appear to be the] attainment[of realization]."At this time the World-Honored One praised the god, saying,"Excellent, excellent! It is as you have preached. Bodhisattvas
should not become afraid regarding this. Why? If there were being'in accordance with' there would be no attainment of unsurpassableand perfect enlightenment."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying,"World-Honored One, from which Buddha land did the god Manifest Mind come?" The god said, "Why do you ask?" Resolute Mind
answered, "I would like to do reverence in the direction of that[land], since it is the location in which this Bodhisattva wanders
and resides." The god answered, "One who attains this Surangama
Samadhi will be personally reverenced by all the gods and peopleof all the worlds."
At this time the Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva, "Thegod Manifest Mind has come here from the Wondrous Joy world of
Aksobhya Buddha. There does he always preach the Surangama
Samadhi. Resolute Mind, all the Buddhas never fail to preach the637a Surangama Samadhi! Resolute Mind, this god Manifest Mind willachieve the enlightenment of Buddhahood in this Saha world! He
wishes to eradicate thefivetainted wrongs [prevalent in] this [world],
to teach sentient beings in the pure Buddha land, and he has comehere in order to increase his practice of the Surangama [Samadhi]."Resolute Mind said to the Buddha, "When will this god achieve
the enlightenment of Buddhahood in this world? What will be his
title? And what will be the name of his world?" The Buddha said,"After the extinction of a thousand Buddhas during this Good Eon,
sixty-two eons will pass without a Buddha. There will only be ahundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million Pratyekabuddhas [during this time]. The sentient beings during this period will plant good roots, so that [this god] will be able to achieve

44

Fascicle I

Buddhahood after the end of these [sixty-two] eons. His title will
be King Praised for Pure Brilliance Tathagata. The world at thattime will be named Pure Vision. At that time King Praised forPure Brilliance Tathagata will be able to make the minds of sentient beings attain purity. The [minds of the] sentient beings ofthat world will not be obscured by greed, anger, and stupidity, butwill attain pure faith in the Dharma and will all practice gooddharmas. Resolute Mind, the life of King Praised for Pure Brilliance Tathagata will be ten short eons. He will emancipate sentient beings with the Dharmas of the Three Vehicles. Of these,
the Surangama Samadhi will be attained by immeasurable andinnumerable Bodhisattvas, who will gain the power of autonomy
within the dharmas. At that time Mara and his followers will all
cultivate the Mahayana and take compassion on sentient beings,
and that Buddha land will be without the three lower modes of existence and the various difficult locations (the hells). It will be ornamented with purity, like [the far-off continent] Uttarakuru. It will
be without demonic affairs and the heterodox views. After the extinction of that Buddha, the Dharma will reside for a thousand tenthousand hundred-million years. Resolute Mind, this god will achieve
the enlightenment of Buddhahood in a pure land such as this!"At this time Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the god,saying, "You will attain great benefit! The Tathagata has conferred on you the prediction of unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment!" The god replied, "Good youth, to be without anythingthat is attained in all the dharmas is called 'great advantage/ To
attain anything in the dharmas is no advantage. Good youth, forthis reason you should understand that not to attain the dharmas
is called 'great benefit'."
When this Dharma was preached, twenty-five thousand gods
who had previously planted virtuous roots all generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable and perfect enlightenment, andten thousand Bodhisattvas attained the forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas.

45Fascicle II

Translated by the Kuchean Tripitaka Master
Kumarajiva during the Later Ch'in [Dynasty]

At t h a t time Sariputra addressed the Buddha, saying, "WorldHonored One, never before [has anything like this occurred]! You
are now preaching the Surangama Samadhi, but Mara has notcome to disturb us!" The Buddha told Sariputra, "Do you wish to
see what is troubling Mara?" [Sariputra said], "I would like to see
that." The Buddha then emitted from the space between his eyebrows a light [showing] the form of a giant person. The entire
assembly saw Mara bound up five times over [i.e., with his twoarms, two legs, and head bound] and unable to escape. The Buddha asked Sariputra, "Do you see Mara bound up five times over?"[Sariputra said], "I see him. Who has bound up Mara?" The Buddha said, "This [was done by] the divine power of the Surangama
Samadhi. When the Surangama Samadhi is preached in any Buddha land, any demons there with an evil wish to impede [its preaching] will perceive their own bodies to be bound up five times overthrough the divine power of the Surangama Samadhi and theBuddhas. Sariputra, wherever the Surangama Samadhi is preached,
whether while I am in the world or after my extinction, any demons or followers of the demons and anyone else harboring evil
intentions will be bound up five times over by the divine power of
the Surangama Samadhi."
At t h a t time the gods, dragons, yaksas, and gandharvas in
the assembly addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One,

47

637b5

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

our minds are without doubt regarding this samadhi. We will not
impede [its preaching], because we do not wish to see ourselves
bound up five times over. World-Honored One, because of our reverence for this samadhi, we will all go and protect anyone who
preaches this Dharma, so that the samadhi will then [inspire themto] generate the thought of the World-Honored One." The Buddha
told the gods and dragons, "Because you [have pledged] to do thisyou will attain emancipation from the twelve bonds of [mistaken]
views. What are these twelve? These are the twelve: the bond of
the view of self, the bond of the view of sentient beings, the bondof the view of life span, the bond of the view of person, the bond of
the view of eradication, the bond of the view of permanence, thebond of the view of personal action, the bond of the view of personal possession, the bond of the view of being, the bond of theview of nonbeing, the bond of the view of [discrimination into] thisand that, and the bond of the view of the dharmas. You should
understand that any sentient being who wishes out of anger todamage the Buddhist Dharma resides in these twelve bonds of[mistaken] views. If a person has faithful understanding and isobedient and not contrary [to the Dharma] he will attain emancipation from these twelve bonds of [mistaken] views."
Sariputra then addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Hon637c ored One, is Mara now able to hear you preach the name of the
Surangama Samadhi, [as we can]?" The Buddha said, "He can hearit as well [as you can], but he is unable to come [to this assembly]
because he is bound up." Sariputra said, "Why do you not use yourdivine power to make Mara unable to hear the preaching of thename of the Surangama Samadhi?" The Buddha said, "Cease! Do
not say that! Even if worlds as numerous as the sands of the River
Ganges were filled with a great fire, anyone hearing the preaching of the Surangama Samadhi should [be able to] escape. Why? I
say that merely to hear the preaching of the Surangama Samadhi
is to attain great benefit, superior to attaining the four states ofdhyana or the four brahmaviharas. Sariputra, because Mara canhear the preaching of the name of the Surangama Samadhi, there48

Fascicle II

now will form the causes and conditions for his escape from theentire predicament [lit., all the affairs] of being Mara. If he is boundup but able to hear, he should also be able to attain emancipationfrom the twelve bonds of [mistaken] views. It is for this reason,
Sariputra, t h a t evil persons of heterodox views who have entered
the web of demons should be able to hear this Surahgama Samadhi.
How much more so those who are pure of mind and who joyfully
wish to hear!"
At t h a t time there was in the assembly a Bodhisattva named
Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm, who addressed theBuddha, saying, "Thus it is, World-Honored One. I should now
manifest [myself] in Mara's realm and with my autonomous divine power cause him to reside in the Surahgama Samadhi." The
Buddha said, "As you wish." Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's
Realm Bodhisattva then suddenly disappeared from the assembly
and reappeared in Mara's palace, where he said to Mara, "Why do
you not listen to the Buddha preaching the Surahgama Samadhi?
Innumerable sentient beings have generated t h e intention toachieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment and are escaping your realms. They are also helping others to become emancipated and escape your realms." Mara replied, "I hear the Buddha
preaching the name of the Surahgama Samadhi, but I have beenbound up five times over and am unable to attend. That is, my twoarms, two legs, and head [are bound." The Bodhisattva] asked theMara again, "Who has bound you?" Mara replied, "Just as I decided to go disrupt those listening to the [preaching of the] Surahgama Samadhi, I was bound up five times over. Thereupon, I
thought, 'The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have great virtue t h a t
is impossible to disrupt. If I go, I will be myself destroyed, notsimply [bound up and] kept in this palace.' When I had thisthought, I was released from my fivefold bonds."
The Bodhisattva answered, "Thus it is t h a t all ordinary persons, in their discriminative thinking, mistakenly grasp at characteristics, making themselves bound. Their bonds exist because
they think actively and theorize argumentatively; their bonds exist

49

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

because they see, hear, perceive, and know. Here there actually is
no being bound and emancipated. Why? Because the dharmas arewithout bonds and are fundamentally emancipated, and because
the dharmas are without emancipation and are fundamentally
without bonds, [therefore the dharmas] permanently possess thecharacteristic of emancipation, and [therefore sentient beings arepermanently] without stupidity. The Tathagata preaches the638a Dharma using this teaching. Any sentient being who understands
the meaning of this and energetically strives in order to achieve
emancipation will attain emancipation from all bonds."
At that time there were in Mara's assembly seven hundred
goddesses who scattered heavenly flowers, incense, and necklaces
before Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm Bodhisattva, andthen said, "When will we attain emancipation from Mara's realm?"
The Bodhisattva answered, "You will attain emancipation when
you are able not to destroy your bonds to Mara." [They inquired,]"What are our bonds to Mara?" [He replied,] "The sixty-two [mistaken] views. If you do not destroy the [mistaken] views, you willattain emancipation from your bonds to Mara." The goddesses said,"How can you say that we will attain emancipation by not destroying our bonds to Mara?" [The Bodhisattva] answered, "The[mistaken] views are fundamentally without coming and without
going. If you understand the characteristic of the non-coming andnon-going of the views, then you will attain emancipation fromyour bonds to Mara. The [mistaken] views are neither being nor
nonbeing, [so] if you do not discriminate being and nonbeing, then
you will attain emancipation from your bonds to Mara. To be without views is the correct view, but such a correct view is not correctand heterodox. If [you understand] the Dharma to be not correctand heterodox, without action and without influence, then you
will attain emancipation from your bonds to Mara. [If you understand that] these [mistaken] views are neither within, nor without, nor in any intermediate location, [and if] you thus do notthink about the [mistaken] views any more, then you will attainemancipation from your bonds to Mara." On hearing this teaching,50

Fascicle II

the seven hundred goddesses attained the forbearance of accordance[with the dharmas] and said, "We also should practice nondefilementin Mara's realm and save everyone who has been bound by Mara."
Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm Bodhisattva thensaid to Mara, "Your attendants have generated the intention toachieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment. What are you
going to do?" Mara replied, "I am bound up five times over and do
not know what to do." The Bodhisattva replied, "You should generate the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment, so t h a t you attain emancipation from these bonds." Throughtheir compassion for Mara, the goddesses then said in unison, "Youshould definitely generate the intention to achieve insurpassableand perfect enlightenment! Do not create thoughts of fear where
there is peace! Do not create thoughts of suffering in the midst ofhappiness! Do not create thoughts of bondage in emancipation!"
Mara then decided to try deceit, saying [to the goddesses], "If
you give up the intention to achieve enlightenment, I will thengenerate the intention to achieve enlightenment." Using the powerof expedient means, the goddesses then said to Mara, "We haveall given up the intention to achieve enlightenment. You should
now generate the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfectenlightenment. If a single Bodhisattva generates the intention toachieve enlightenment, then all Bodhisattvas will have the same
intention. Why? The minds [of Bodhisattvas] are without distinction; they are all universally 'equivalent' with regard to the mindsof sentient beings."
Mara then said to Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm
Bodhisattva, "I will now generate the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment. Because of the good roots [ofmerit of this action], release my bonds!" When he finished saying
this, he saw himself released from his bonds. Using his supernormal power, Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm Bodhisattva
then emanated a great brilliance, revealing his pure and wondrous
body and illuminating Mara's palace. Mara saw t h a t his own bodywas without brilliance, like an ink spot.

51

638b

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Two hundred goddesses within Mara's assembly, being deeply
attached to lustful desire, generated a defiled feeling of love uponseeing the beauty of the Bodhisattva^ body. They said, "If you
could stay with us, we would all follow your teachings." Understanding that the past [karmic] conditions of the goddesses madethem ready for salvation, the Bodhisattva created two hundred gods
[for them] who were imposing in countenance and physically no
different [from himself]. He also created two hundred Mara-defeating palaces with jewel-bedecked towers. The goddesses all saw themselves in these jewelled towers, and each said to herself, "I will share
great pleasure through being with this Bodhisattva. I hope never tobe able to satiate my lustful desires." All of them generated a profound reverence for the Bodhisattva, who then preached the Dharma
for them according to their needs, so that they all generated theintention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment.
At that time Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm Bodhisattva said to Mara, "You may approach the Buddha." Mara thought,"My bonds have been released, so I can approach the Buddha anddisrupt his preaching of the Dharma." With his attendants allround, Mara then approached the Buddha and said, "World-Honored One, do not preach this Surahgama Samadhi anymore. Why?
When you preached this samadhi, my body was immediately boundup five times over. I beseech the Tathagata to preach about something else." Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then addressed Mara, "Whoreleased your bonds?" [He] answered, "Practicing Nondefilement inMara's Realm Bodhisattva released my bonds." [Resolute Mind
asked], "What did you do such that your bonds were released?" Maraanswered, "I generated the intention to achieve insurpassable andperfect enlightenment."
At that time the Buddha told Resolute Mind Bodhisattva, "Because Mara generated the intention to achieve insurpassable andperfect enlightenment in order to have his bonds released, his intentions were not pure. Thus it is, Resolute Mind, that in the lastperiod of five hundred years after my extinction there will be manymonks who will generate the intention to achieve insurpassable

52

Fascicle II

and perfect enlightenment for [their own] benefit and with impure intentions. Resolute Mind, you should observe the power of
the Surangama Samadhi and the spirit of the Buddha's Dharma:monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen who hear about this samadhi
may generate the intention to achieve enlightenment lightheartedly, with a desire for [self-]benefit, or under the influence of someother person. I understand that such attitudes may form the causes
and conditions for the generation of the intention to achieve
insurpassable and perfect enlightenment. How much more so those
who hear about the Surangama Samadhi and generate the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment with a 638c
pure mind! You should understand that such persons will attainthe ultimate and definite [attainment, i.e., Buddhahood] within
the Buddha Dharma!"
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying,"World-Honored One, Mara has heard the preaching of the Surangama Samadhi and has generated the intention to achieve enlightenment in order to be released from his bonds. Will this also
constitute sufficient causes and conditions [for attaining emancipation in] the Buddha's Dharma?" The Buddha said, "It is as you
have spoken. Due to the fortunate causes and conditions of thissamadhi and the causes and conditions of generating the intention to achieve enlightenment, in the future he will be able toreject all the demonic affairs, demonic practices, demonic deceit,
and demonic trouble-making. From now on, he will gradually attain the power of the Surangama Samadhi and will accomplish
the enlightenment of Buddhahood." Resolute Mind Bodhisattva
said to Mara, "The Tathagata has now conferred on you the prediction [of future enlightenment]." Mara said, "Good youth, I haveat present not generated the intention to achieve insurpassableand perfect enlightenment with a pure mind. Why has the Tathagata conferred this prediction on me? As the Buddha has said,
karma proceeds from the mind, and retribution proceeds fromkarma. I myself have no intention of seeking enlightenment, so
why has the Tathagata conferred this prediction on me?"53

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Wishing to eradicate the doubts of those in the assembly, theBuddha then told Resolute Mind, "There are four types of predictions of enlightenment that are conferred on Bodhisattvas. What
are these four? They are the prediction of enlightenment before
the intention to achieve enlightenment has been generated, theprediction of the enlightenment of those who are about to generate the intention to achieve enlightenment, the secret predictionof enlightenment, and the prediction of enlightenment at the moment someone attains the forbearance of the birthlessness of all
dharmas. These are the four. [This teaching] is only understandable to the Tathagatas—the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are
all unable to understand it.
"Resolute Mind, what is it to confer the prediction of enlightenment before the intention to achieve enlightenment has been
generated? There may be a sentient being who has wanderedthroughout the five modes of existence. He may be in the hells, hemay be an animal, he may be a hungry ghost, he may be a god, or hemay be a human, but if his senses are sharp and he takes pleasurein the great Dharma, the Buddha will know that he will generate
the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment
in a few hundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million immeasurable eons. During those hundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million immeasurable eons he will practice the Bodhisattva
path, making offerings to several hundred thousand ten-thousand
hundred-million nayutas of Buddhas and teaching several hundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million sentient beings, causing them to reside in enlightenment. Also, after several hundred
thousand ten-thousand hundred-million immeasurable eons, hewill attain insurpassable and perfect enlightenment, after which
he will have such-and-such a title and have such-and-such a Buddha land. His life span and his congregation of Sravakas will besuch-and-such. After his extinction the Dharma will remain forsuch-and-such a length of time." The Buddha told Resolute Mind,"The Tathagatas are able to understand all such things, even incases exceeding this one. This is called conferring the prediction of54

Fascicle II

enlightenment before the intention to achieve enlightenment has
been generated."
At that time the elder Mahakasyapa came forward to address
the Buddha, saying, "From now on, we should generate the thought 639aof the World-Honored One with regard to all sentient beings. Why?
We do not have the wisdom [to know] which sentient beings havethe roots of Bodhisattvahood and which sentient beings do not.
World-Honored One, because we do not know such things, we might
belittle such sentient beings, only to our own disadvantage." The
Buddha said, "Excellent, excellent! Kasyapa, you have spoken well.
It is because of this that I have preached in the Sutras that people
should not falsely evaluate sentient beings. Why? If you falsely
evaluate other sentient beings, it will be to your own disadvantage. Only the Tathagatas should evaluate sentient beings andothers. It is thus that the Sravakas and other Bodhisattvas should
think of other sentient beings as Buddhas [lit., generate thethought of a Buddha regarding sentient beings].
"Now to the prediction of the enlightenment of those who areabout to generate the intention to achieve enlightenment. For
example, there may be a person who has long planted meritorious
roots and who has cultivated the good practices, who is diligent
and energetic, with his senses sharp, taking joy in the great
Dharma, with the mind of great compassion, and seeking the enlightenment of emancipation for all sentient beings. When such aperson generates the intention [to achieve enlightenment], he willreside in the state of non-regression and enter the stage of a Bodhisattva. He will be counted among those [whose Buddhahood] isassured and will escape the eight situations in which it is difficult[to encounter the Buddha's teaching, i.e., rebirth in the hells, as ahungry ghost, as an animal, as a god, in the joyous continent of
Uttarakuru, as a deaf or blind person, as one who has worldly
wisdom, or before or after the lifetime of the Buddha]. When it isappropriate for a person such as this to generate the intention [toachieve enlightenment], the Buddha will confer on him a prediction of insurpassable and perfect enlightenment, with a title of55

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

such-and-such, with such-and-such a land, and a life span of suchand-such. For such a person, the Tathagata will confer the prediction of enlightenment through understanding his mind. This iscalled generating the intention [to achieve enlightenment] andconferring the prediction [of future enlightenment].
"The secret conferring of the prediction [of future enlightenment] is for Bodhisattvas who are constantly diligent in seeking
insurpassable and perfect enlightenment but who have not yet
received the prediction. [Such a Bodhisattva] takes joy in the various types of charity; he takes joy in all [types of] charity. He has afirm understanding of the Dharma, maintains the precepts without omission, and generates profound ornamentation. He has great
power of forbearance and empathizes with sentient beings. Withdiligence and energy, he seeks the various good Dharmas. He isnever lazy in either body or mind, [as he strives as energetically]
as if his head were on fire. He practices mindfulness in peace andis able to attain the four dhyanas. He seeks wisdom joyfully andpractices the enlightenment of Buddhahood. Long does he practice the Six Perfections, and he has the characteristic of achieving
Buddhahood.

639b"The other Bodhisattvas, dragons, yaksas, andgandharvas oft h a t time will all have the following thought: 'Such a Bodhisattva,
who is diligent and energetic like this, is truly rare! How long will
it take him to attain insurpassable and perfect enlightenment?
What will his title be? What will his land be called? What will be
the size of his assembly of Sravakas?' In order to eradicate the
doubts of these sentient beings, the Buddha confers the prediction
so t h a t the entire assembly is able to hear it. Only the Bodhisattva
himself is unable to hear it, because of the Buddha's divine power.
All the other sentient beings are made to know the Bodhisattva^
title as a Buddha, the name of his land, and the size of his assembly of Sravakas. All their doubts are resolved, and they think ofhim [lit., generate thoughts regarding him] as a World-Honored
One, but the Bodhisattva himself does not know whether he has
already received the prediction [of future enlightenment] or not.

56

Fascicle II

This is the secret reception of the prediction [of future enlightenment] of Bodhisattvas.
"The present reception of the prediction [of future enlightenment] is for Bodhisattvas who have long accumulated good roots
with unremitting [true] perception. Constantly cultivating purepractices and contemplating the emptiness of selflessness, [such a
Bodhisattva] attains the forbearance of the birthlessness of all
dharmas. Knowing t h a t such a person's virtue and wisdom are
sufficient, the Buddha confers the prediction [of future enlightenment] upon him in the presence of a great assembly of all thegods, humans, demons, Brahma gods, monks, and brahmins, saying, 'Good youth, you will attain Buddhahood after passing throughseveral hundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million eons.
Your title will be such-and-such. Your land will be such-and-such.
Your congregation of Sravakas and your longevity will be suchand-such/ At t h a t time innumerable people will be inspired by his
example to generate the intention to achieve insurpassable andperfect enlightenment. After receiving the prediction [of future
enlightenment] in the presence of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva^
body will ascend into space, to the height of seven tola trees. Resolute Mind, this is called the fourth, or receiving the prediction in
the presence."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then addressed the Buddha, saying, "Are there any Bodhisattvas in the present assembly who havereceived the prediction [of future enlightenment] in these fourways?" The Buddha answered, "There are." [Resolute Mind asked],"World-Honored One, who are they?" The Buddha said, "Lion King
Bodhisattva, son of the layman Enjoys Desires, received the prediction [of future enlightenment] before he generated the intention [to achieve enlightenment]. In the same fashion, innumerable
Bodhisattvas of other worlds have received the prediction [of future enlightenment] before they generated the intention [to achieve
enlightenment]. There are also Serene Extinction Bodhisattva,
Dharma Prince Great Merit Bodhisattva, Dharma Prince Manjusri
Bodhisattva, and innumerable other Bodhisattvas, upon whom the57

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

prediction [of future enlightenment] was conferred when they wereready to generate the intention [to achieve enlightenment]. They
all reside at the stage of non-regression. Here also are Wise Valiance Bodhisattva and Beneficial Mind Bodhisattva. There are
innumerable Bodhisattvas like them, who have had the prediction [of future enlightenment] conferred on them secretly. Resolute Mind, I, Maitreya, and all the thousand Bodhisattvas of thisWisdom Eon all attained the forbearance of the birthlessness ofall dharmas and received the prediction [of future enlightenment]in the presence [of a Buddha]."Resolute Mind addressed the Buddha, saying, "How rare, WorldHonored One! The practices of the Bodhisattvas are inconceivable!
Their receipt of the prediction [of future enlightenment] is also inconceivable! The Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are all unable tounderstand this; how much more so the other sentient beings!" The
Buddha said, "Resolute Mind, the energy and divine powers practiced and generated by Bodhisattvas are all inconceivable."At that time the goddesses taught by Practicing Nondefilementin Mara's Realm Bodhisattva and made to generate the intention
to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment all scatteredheavenly flowers above the Buddha and addressed him, saying,"World-Honored One, we do not wish to receive a prediction [ofour future enlightenment] secretly. We wish to attain the forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas and receive the prediction[of future enlightenment] in your presence. We beseech you, World639c Honored One, to grant us a prediction of insurpassable and perfect enlightenment now!"
The Buddha smiled delicately, and from his mouth appeared
a wondrous refulgence of variegated colors that illuminated all
the world and then returned to enter him through the crown of
his head. Ananda addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored
One, why do you smile?" The Buddha told Ananda, "Do you now
see these two hundred goddesses reverently holding their palms
together in front of the Tathagata?" [Ananda replied], "I see them,World-Honored One." [The Buddha said], "Ananda, these goddesses

58Fascicle II

have already deeply planted good roots before five hundred Buddhas of the past. From this time forth they will make offerings toinnumerable Buddhas. After seven hundred immeasurable eons,
they will all achieve Buddhahood and have the titles of Pure King
[such-and-such]. Ananda, after the end of these goddesses' lifetimes, they will be converted to the form of [human] females andbe born in the Tusita heaven, where they will make offerings toand serve Maitreya Bodhisattva."
At t h a t time, when Mara heard t h a t the goddesses had already received a prediction [of future enlightenment], he addressed
the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, I am now unable to exercise autonomy over my own attendants, because [they] haveheard you preach the Surangama Samadhi. How much less [mypower over] others who have also heard! If a person is able to hear
the [preaching of the] Surangama Samadhi, he will definitely attain residence within the Buddha's Dharma."
The goddesses then spoke fearlessly to Mara, saying, "Youshould not lament so. We have not now left your realm. Why?
Mara's realm is suchlike, just as the realm of the Buddhas is suchlike. The Suchness of Mara's realm and the Suchness of the realmof the Buddhas are identical and not separate, and we will nottranscend this Suchness. The characteristics of Mara's realm are
the characteristics of the realm of the Buddhas. The dharmas ofMara's realm and the dharmas of the realm of the Buddhas are
identical and not separate, and we will not leave or escape thischaracteristic of the dharmas. Mara's realm is without any fixeddharmas t h a t can be manifested; likewise is the realm of the Buddhas without any fixed dharmas t h a t can be manifested. Mara's
realm and the realm of the Buddhas are not different and not separate, and we will not leave or escape this characteristic of thedharmas. Therefore, you should understand t h a t all the dharmas
are indeterminate. Since they are indeterminate, you have no attendants and there are none who are not your attendants."
At t h a t time Mara became despondent and distraught andwished to return to his heaven, but Practicing Nondefilement in

59

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Mara's Realm Bodhisattva addressed him, saying, "Where do you
wish to go?" Mara said, "I wish to return to the palace where I
reside." The Bodhisattva said, "You may be in your palace without leaving this assembly," and Mara then saw himself within his
own palace. The Bodhisattva said, "What do you see?" Mara replied, "I see myself within my own palace. The pleasant grove,
garden, and lake are mine." The Bodhisattva said, "You may now
donate them to the Tathagata." Mara said, "So it shall be." Whenhe said this he saw the Tathagata, Sravakas, Bodhisattvas, andthe entire great assembly within [the palace listening to the]640a preaching of the Surangama Samadhi.
Ananda then addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored
One, in the present location, [which has just been donated to you,]you are preaching the Surangama Samadhi. Previously, you attained enlightenment after being given food. Of the blessings received by the two donors, which is greater?" The Buddha said,"Ananda, after food was given to me, I achieved insurpassableand perfect enlightenment. After I ate, I turned the Wheel of theDharma. After I ate, I preached the Surangama Samadhi. Thereis no distinction among the blessings [derived from these] three[offerings of] food.
"Ananda, where was I when I attained insurpassable and perfect enlightenment? You should understand that that location was
the Vajrasana. All the Buddhas of the past, future, and present
attain the enlightenment of Buddhahood within [the Vajrasana].
Wherever they are, they preach the Surangama Samadhi identically and without any difference. It is the same with the locations
in which [the scriptures] are recited or copied. Ananda, as to theoffering of food to me prior to the first turning of the Wheel of theDharma, if a Dharma master recites or preaches this Surangama
Samadhi after receiving an offering of food, the blessings accruing
from these two offerings will be identical and not different. Also,
Ananda, as to when I reside in the monastery and use the eighteen types of supernormal transformations to lead sentient beings
to emancipation, if someone recites or preaches this Surangama

60

Fascicle II

Samadhi in another monastery [after receiving an offering of food],
the blessings accruing from these two offerings will be identicaland not different."
Ananda then said to Mara, "You have attained great benefit,
since you have been able to donate your palace and have had theBuddha reside therein." Mara said, "This was the effect of the compassionate power of Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm
Bodhisattva."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, "WorldHonored One, this autonomous mastery of divine power of Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's Realm Bodhisattva—is it due to his
residence in the Surangama Samadhi?" The Buddha said, "Resolute Mind, it is as you have said. This Bodhisattva now resides inthis samadhi and is thus able to have autonomous mastery of divine power. He manifests the practice of all the practices of Mara's
realm, but is able to remain undefiled by those demonic practices.
He manifests pleasure with the goddesses, but is actually neverinfluenced by the evil dharmas of lust. This good youth resides in
the Surangama Samadhi and manifests entry into Mara's palace,but his body never leaves my assembly. He manifests amusementin the pleasures of Mara's realm, but teaches sentient beings with
the Dharma of the Buddhas."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying,"World-Honored One, you reside in the Surangama Samadhi andare able to manifest various types of autonomous divine power.
How excellent this is, World-Honored One! Could you explain thisbriefly?" The Buddha said, "Resolute Mind, I am now residing in
the Surangama Samadhi throughout the trichiliocosm: in the hundred hundred-million [worlds] beneath the fourfold heavens, thehundred hundred-million suns and moons, the hundred hundredmillion places of the heavenly kings, the hundred hundred-million Heavens of the Thirty-three, the hundred hundred-million
Yama heavens, the hundred hundred-million Tusita heavens, thehundred hundred-million Joyous heavens, the hundred hundredmillion Autonomous Transformation of Others' [Pleasures] heavens,

61

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

640betc., up until the hundred hundred-million Ultimate in Materiality
heavens, the hundred hundred-million Mount Sumerus, and thehundred hundred-million great oceans, [all of which] is called thetrichiliocosm. Resolute Mind, I reside in the Surangama Samadhi
throughout the trichiliocosm.
"I may manifest the practice of the Perfection of Charity in[this continent] Jambudvipa, or I may manifest the practice of the
Perfection of Morality in Jambudvipa, or I may manifest the practice of the Perfection of Patience in Jambudvipa, or I may manifest the practice of the Perfection of Energy in Jambudvipa, or I
may manifest the practice of the Perfection of Meditation in Jambudvipa, or I may manifest the practice of the Perfection of Wisdom
in Jambudvipa, or I may manifest myself as an immortal god withthe five supernormal powers in Jambudvipa, or I may manifest
myself as a householder in Jambudvipa, or I may manifest myself
as a monk in Jambudvipa.
"I may manifest myself in the location of the penultimate birthin the Tusita heaven, or I may manifest myself as a Wheel Turning Sage King throughout [the world] beneath the fourfold heavens, or I may become an Indra king, or a Brahma king, or one of
the four heavenly kings, or the king of the Yama heaven, or the
king of the Tusita heaven, or the king of the Joyous heaven, or the
king of the Teaching Others Autonomy heaven. I may manifest
myself as an elder, or I may manifest myself as a layman, or I may
manifest myself as a minor prince or a great king, or I may become aksatriya, or I may become a brahmin, or I may become a Bodhisattva.
"Or, within [the world] beneath the fourfold heavens, I may
wish to be reborn from the Tusita heaven into the world below
and manifest entry into a womb, or manifest location in a womb,or manifest a desire to be born. I may manifest being born, walking seven steps, and raising my hand and saying, 'On earth and in
the heavens, only I am worthy of honor.' I may manifest being in apalace, accompanied by princesses, or I may manifest leaving home,or I may manifest ascetic practices, or I may manifest taking grass[for a seat], or I may manifest sitting on the seat of enlightenment

62

Fascicle II[bodhimanda], or I may manifest subjugating Mara, or I may manifest achieving Buddhahood, or I may manifest seeing the tree king[the god within the tree behind the bodhimanda], or I may manifest being asked by Indra and Brahma to t u r n the Wheel of theDharma, or I may manifest turning the Wheel of the Dharma, orI may manifest dispensing with my life, or I may manifest entering Nirvana, or I may manifest having my body cremated, or I
may manifest my entire body as relics, or I may manifest having
my physical relics scattered [divided].
"I may manifest the imminent extinction of the Dharma, or I
may manifest the extinction of the Dharma. I may manifest an
immeasurable life span, or I may manifest a very short life span. I
may manifest a land without the names of any evil modes of existence, or I may manifest the existence of the evil modes. I may
manifest Jambudvlpa pure and ornamented like a heavenly palace, or I may manifest the evils, or I may manifest superior, intermediate, and inferior [realms].
"Resolute Mind, all this is [done through the] autonomous divine power of the Surangama Samadhi. When a Bodhisattva manifests entry into Nirvana he does not undergo ultimate extinction
but rather is able to manifest such an autonomous divine power
throughout the trichiliocosm, manifesting ornamentations [of theDharma] such as these. Resolute Mind, you see me now [in thisworld] underneath the fourfold heavens turning the Wheel of theDharma, but elsewhere in Jambudvlpa I have not yet achieved
Buddhahood, and yet elsewhere in Jambudvlpa I have alreadymanifested entry into extinction. This is known as the teachingentered [by means of] the Surangama Samadhi."
At t h a t time the various gods, dragons, yaksas,
andgandharvas
within the assembly, as well as the Bodhisattvas and great disciples, all had the following thought: "Is it only in this trichiliocosm
t h a t Sakyamuni Buddha has this divine power, or does he also
have this power in other worlds?" Dharma Prince ManjusrI, knowing the thoughts of those in the assembly and wanting to eradicate
their doubts, then addressed the Buddha saying, "World-Honored

63

640c

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

One, in my wandering throughout the Buddha lands, I have been
to a Buddha land t h a t is more t h a n sixty times as many worlds
above our world as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges.
The name of this Buddha land is Brilliance of a Single Lamp, andthere is a Buddha there who preaches the Dharma on behalf ofpeople. I went to him, reverenced him by placing my head on his
feet, and asked, 'World-Honored One, what is your title? Howshould I address you as a Buddha?' The Buddha there answered
me, 'You should proceed to Sakyamuni Buddha. He will answer
you.' World-Honored One, if one were to speak of the merit andsplendor of t h a t Buddha land, one would not finish in an entire
eon. Even more t h a n this, t h a t land lacks the names of Sravaka
and Pratyekabuddha; there are only Bodhisattva monks, [to whomt h a t Buddha] constantly turns the Wheel of the Dharma, preaching without [ever] regressing. I beseech you, World-Honored One,to please tell us the name of this Buddha, please tell us about the
Buddha who is preaching the Dharma in the Land of the Brilliance of a Single Lamp!"
At t h a t time the Buddha told Dharma Prince ManjusrI, "Listen well! Do not be afraid or have doubts! Why? The divine powerof the Buddha is inconceivable. The power of the S u r a n g a m aSamadhi is also inconceivable. ManjusrI, he who preaches theDharma in the Land of the Brilliance of a Single Lamp is a Buddha with the title King of Brilliance That Autonomously Manifests All Merit. ManjusrI, the Buddha King of Brilliance t h a t
Autonomously Manifests All Merit of t h a t Land of the Brillianceof a Single Lamp is actually [one of] my own bodies, which I havemanifested in t h a t land through my divine power as a Buddha. It
is I who constantly turn the Wheel of the Dharma, preaching without [ever] regressing. This is a pure land cultivated by me in past
lives. ManjusrI, you should now understand t h a t I have this divine power throughout the immeasurable and innumerable hundred
ten-thousand thousand hundred-million nayutas of other lands. The
Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are unable to understand this.
ManjusrI, this is entirely the power of the Surangama Samadhi.

64Fascicle II"The Bodhisattva always manifests his divine transformationsin immeasurable worlds, but there is no movement or change inthe samadhi [itself]. ManjusrI, it is likened to the sun and moon in
their own palaces, which manifest all the cities, towns, and villages without ever moving themselves. Likewise does the Bodhisattva reside in the Surangama Samadhi: without ever moving
himself, he is able to manifest his bodies throughout the immeasurable worlds, preaching the Dharma according to the pleasureof his congregations."
At t h a t time those in the assembly had [an experience theyhad] never had before. They all jumped up in great and immeasurable joy, holding their palms together in reverence. The gods,
dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, andmahoragas scattered pearl-flowers, wondrous flowers of variegatedcolors, incense powders, and unguents about above the Buddha,[meanwhile] performing the dances of their heavens and making
offerings to the Tathagata. The disciples took off their upper robes
and offered them to the Buddha, and the Bodhisattvas then scattered about above the Buddha [a mass of] wondrously coloredflowers the size of Mount Sumeru, as well as various types of incense powders, unguents, and jewelled necklaces, all saying, "Thusit should be, World-Honored One—if the Surangama Samadhi ispreached somewhere, t h a t place should be [as firm as] vajra. If
someone hears the preaching of this samadhi, believes in it, recites it, and preaches it for others without their being shocked orafraid, it should be understood t h a t such a person will have theforbearance of adamantine indestructibility. Profoundly residing
in his faith, he will be protected by the Buddhas. Having extensively planted good roots, he will attain great benefit. Subjugating the demons and enemies, he will eradicate [the influence of]the evil modes of existence and will be protected by spiritual compatriots. World-Honored One, this is how we understand the doctrine t h a t the Buddha has preached. If a sentient being hears thisSurangama Samadhi and has faith in it, reciting it and understanding its doctrines, preaching it for people and practicing it

65

64ia

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

according to how you have preached it, then such a person willreside in the Dharma of the Buddhas and will attain to the ultimately certain [attainment] without regressing."
The Buddha said, "Thus it is, thus it is. It is as you have said.
There will be some who do not extensively plant good roots, andwho hear the Surangama Samadhi but are unable to believe in it.
There will be fewer who hear the Surangama Samadhi and areable to believe in it, and more who are unable to believe. Good
youth, there are four types of persons who can hear and have faith
in this samadhi. What are these four? The first are those who haveheard this samadhi from the Buddhas in the past. The second arethose who are protected by spiritual compatriots and who long forthe enlightenment of the Buddhas. The third are those with goodroots t h a t are deep and wide and who love the great Dharma. The
fourth are those who have themselves realized t h e profoundDharma of the Mahayana. These are the four types of persons
who are able to believe in a samadhi such as this. Good youth,
there are also Arhats who have completed their vows, those who
believe and practice as they have been taught, and those who practice the Dharma according to their own understanding. Since these
persons believe in and follow my words, they will believe in thissamadhi but not realize it themselves. Why? This samadhi cannot
be understood by any of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. How
much less by other sentient beings!"

64ib

The elder Mahakasyapa then addressed the Buddha, saying,"World-Honored One, it is likened to a person who is blind frombirth. In his dreams he may see various forms with his eyes and begreatly happy, and he may reside with and talk with sighted people
in his dreams. When he awakes, however, he will not see form. We
are like this: when we [disciples] had not heard of this Surangama
Samadhi, our hearts were happy, and we declared t h a t we had
attained the heavenly eye. We resided together with the Bodhisattvas and spoke with them, discussing the doctrines. World-Honored One, now t h a t we have heard of this samadhi from you [werealize that] we did not understand. Like people blind from birth,

66

Fascicle II

we were unable to u n d e r s t a n d t h e D h a r m a s practiced by t h e
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. From now on, we will think of ourformer selves as if we had been blind from birth, with no wisdom
regarding your profound Dharma and neither understanding nor[even] perceiving your practices. From now on we will understandt h a t it was the Bodhisattvas who have really attained the heavenly eye and who have been able to attain such profound wisdoms.
World-Honored One, if a person is without omniscience, how can
he say 'I am wise, I am a field of blessings'?"
The Buddha said, "Thus it is, t h u s it is. Kasyapa, it is as you
have spoken. The Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are unable toattain to the profound wisdoms attained by the Bodhisattvas."
When Mahakasyapa spoke these words, eight thousand sentient
beings all generated the intention to achieve insurpassable andperfect enlightenment.
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then asked Dharma Prince ManjusrI,"ManjusrI, [Kasyapa has just used] the term 'field of blessings'.
What is a 'field of blessings'?" ManjusrI said, "Those who possess
the ten types of practice are called fields of blessings. What arethese ten? [They are] (1) to reside in the emancipations of emptiness, characteristiclessness, and wishlessness without entering into
the absolute; (2) to understand the Four Noble Truths without
realizing t h e fruit of enlightenment; (3) to practice the eightemancipations without dispensing with the practice of the Bodhisattva; (4) to be able to generate the three wisdoms and yet practice throughout the triple realm; (5) to be able to manifest theform and deportment of a Sravaka and follow the [Buddha's] oralteaching without seeking the Dharma from anyone else; (6) to
manifest the form and deportment of a Pratyekabuddha and yet
preach the Dharma with unhindered discrimination; (7) to remain
constantly in meditation and yet manifest the practice of all thevarious practices; (8) never to depart from the correct path but to
manifest entry into the heterodox paths; (9) to have profound greed
and denied lust but to transcend the desires and all the afflictions;and (10) to enter into Nirvana and neither destroy nor dispense

67

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

with samsara. These are the ten. You should understand that a person [versed in the Surangama Samadhi] is a true field of blessings."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then asked Subhuti, "Elder Subhuti,
the World-Honored One has preached that you are premier among
the fields of blessings. Have you attained these ten?" Subhuti said,"I do not have even one of them. How could I have [all] ten?" Resolute Mind said, "Why are you called premier among the fields ofblessings?" Subhuti said, "I am not premier among the fields ofblessings in the context of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The
Buddha has preached that I am premier in the fields of blessings in
the context of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. Resolute Mind, I
64ic am like the princes of a marginal location who are called kings. If
a Wheel Turning Sage King went to that marginal location, theprinces would no longer be called kings—there would then be onlythat Wheel Turning Sage King. This is because the virtue of that
Sage King is particularly wondrous and excellent. Resolute Mind,
since there are places in the countries, cities, towns, and villages
where there are no Bodhisattvas, I may be said to be a field of
blessings in that context. However, where the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are, I may not be called a field of blessings. The Bodhisattvas
possess omniscience and are therefore superior to me." At this time
the Buddha praised Subhuti, saying, "Excellent, excellent. It is as
you have spoken. These are the words of a great disciple who is without arrogance."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then asked Dharma Prince Manjusrl,"Manjusrl, you are said to be well-versed {lit., greatly heard) [in the
Buddhist scriptures]. Why are you called well-versed?" Manjusrl
said, "To hear a single phrase of the Dharma, to understand within
it the thousand ten-thousand hundred-million doctrines, and to
explain it extensively for a hundred thousand ten-thousand eons,with one's wisdom and discrimination inexhaustible: this is called'well-versed.' Also, Resolute Mind Bodhisattva, to listen to and beable to maintain [remember and recite] everything preached by
all the innumerable Buddhas of the ten directions, so that there is
not a single phrase one has not heard—so that every [phrase of68

Fascicle II

the Dharma] t h a t one hears, one would thus have heard before—
and to be able to maintain all the Dharma t h a t one has heard
without forgetting, to be able to preach [the Dharma] to sentient
beings without there being sentient beings, and without any distinction between self, sentient beings, and the D h a r m a being
preached: this is called 'well versed'."
At t h a t time there was in the assembly a Bodhisattva god
named Pure Moon Store, who thought as follows: "The Buddha
has t a u g h t t h a t Ananda was premier in being well-versed. But is
Ananda well-versed in the manner t h a t has just been explainedby ManjusrI?" When he had this thought, he asked Ananda, "The
Tathagata has taught t h a t you are premier in being well-versed.
Are you well-versed in the manner just explained by ManjusrI?"
Ananda answered, "I am not well-versed in the manner explainedby ManjusrI." Pure Moon Store Bodhisattva said, "Then why did
the Tathagata declare you to be premier in being well-versed?"
Ananda answered, "I am said to be premier among those disciplesof the Buddha who have become emancipated upon following thesounds [of the Buddha's teachings]. This is not to say t h a t I am
premier in being well-versed among the Bodhisattvas, who haveoceans of immeasurable wisdom, unequalled great sagacity, andunhindered discrimination. O god, it is likened to the brilliance ofthe sun and moon, by which the people of Jambudvlpa see the various forms and perceive their own activities. I am like this. However,with the brilliance of the wisdom of the Tathagata one may maintain the Dharmas. I am powerless in this regard. You should understand t h a t this is entirely the divine power of the Tathagata."
The World-Honored One then praised Ananda, saying, "Excellent, excellent! It is as you have spoken. You should understandt h a t all the Dharmas which you maintain and recite are all [dueto] the divine power of the Tathagata."
Then the Buddha told Pure Moon Store, "The Dharmas maintained by Ananda are extremely few; those he does not recite are
immeasurable and infinite. O god, of the Dharmas I attained at myenlightenment {lit., at my place of enlightenment, bodhimanda), I

69

642a

The Surarigama Samadhi Sutra

have preached not even a single hundred thousand hundred-millionth part. And of those t h a t I have preached, Ananda maintains
not even a single hundred-thousand hundred-millionth part. O
god, in just a single day and night, I preach the Dharma to all the
Indra gods, Brahma gods, world-protecting kings, gods, dragons,
yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, andBodhisattvas in all the worlds of the ten directions. With the powerof my wisdom I compose verses and preach the Sutras, stories, andparables, as well as [explanations of the] Perfections to be practiced by sentient beings. I also preach the Dharmas of the Sravaka
and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles. The insurpassable Vehicle of the
Buddhas encompasses the teaching of the Mahayana. I decry
samsara and praise Nirvana. Even if all the sentient beings within
Jambudvipa were as well versed as Ananda, they would be unable to maintain [all these Dharmas] for a hundred thousand eons.
O god, because of this, you should understand t h a t the Dharmas
preached by the Tathagata are innumerable and infinite, and t h a t
the portion maintained by Ananda is extremely small."At that point the god Pure Moon Store proffered to the Tathagata a canopy made of a hundred thousand flowers of the seven precious things. The canopy immediately spread out throughout space,
imparting a golden color onto all the sentient beings it covered. After proffering this canopy, he said, "Thus it is, World-Honored One.
With this merit, I beseech you to grant all sentient beings the discrimination to preach the Dharma like you and to be able to maintain the Dharmas like Manjusri, the Dharma prince." The Buddha
then realized that this Bodhisattva god longed profoundly for theenlightenment of Buddhahood and conferred upon him a prediction of the achievement of insurpassable and perfect enlightenment, saying, "After four million four hundred thousand eons, thisgod will become a Buddha. His title will be Single Treasured Canopy
and his land will be named Ornamented with All the Treasures."
When the Buddha said this, two hundred Bodhisattvas became discouraged, [thinking] "The Dharma of the Buddhas, theWorld-Honored Ones, is extremely profound, and insurpassable;

70

Fascicle II

and perfect enlightenment is this difficult to achieve! We will not
be able to complete the task! This is worse t h a n if we had justentered Nirvana as Pratyekabuddhas. Why? The Buddha has
preached t h a t if a Bodhisattva regresses he will become either a
Pratyekabuddha or a Sravaka."
At that time Dharma Prince Mafijusri knew that these two hundred Bodhisattvas had become discouraged. Wishing to rekindle theirintention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment, andalso wishing to teach the gods, dragons, yaksas,gandharvas,
asuras,garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas in the assembly, he addressed
the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, I remember an eon in
the past named Luminous Brilliance, during which I entered Nirvana as a Pratyekabuddha in thirty-six billion lifetimes." Everyone in t h e assembly t h e n became doubtful, [ t h i n k i n g t h a t ]"Someone who enters Nirvana should not return to the successionof birth and death. How can Mafijusri say, 'World-Honored One, I
remember an eon in the past named Luminous Brilliance, during
which I entered Nirvana as a Pratyekabuddha in thirty-six billion
lifetimes.' How could this be?"Sariputra, taking up the Buddha's divine intent, then addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, someone whoenters Nirvana should not return to the succession of birth anddeath. How could Mafijusri have entered Nirvana and then ret u r n to be born?" The Buddha said, "You may ask Mafijusri. He
will answer you himself." Sariputra then asked Mafijusri, saying,"Anyone who enters Nirvana should not return to the realms ofexistence. Why did you say 'World-Honored One, I remember an
eon in the past named Luminous Brilliance, during which I entered Nirvana as a Pratyekabuddha in thirty-six billion lifetimes?'
What do you mean by this?"
Mafijusri said, "The Tathagata is now [in the world]. He is the
all-knowing one, the all-seeing one, the one who speaks the truth,
the one who does not deceive, the one who cannot be deceived by
the gods and people of this world. W h a t I have said, the Buddha
realizes to be true. If I have spoken incorrectly, then it would be to

71

642b

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

deceive the Buddha. Sariputra, at that time in the Luminous Brilliance eon, there was a Buddha in the world named Pusya, whoentered Nirvana after benefitting the gods and people of that world.
The Dharma lasted for one hundred thousand years after the extinction of [Pusya] Buddha. After the extinction of the Dharma,
there were sentient beings there who had karmic connections [lit.,causes and conditions] to be saved as Pratyekabuddhas; but even
if a hundred thousand hundred-million Buddhas had preached theDharma to them they would not have believed it or accepted it—they could only achieve emancipation through [the impact of seeing] the body and deportment of a Pratyekabuddha. Since thesesentient beings all longed for the enlightenment of Pratyekabuddhas, they would have had no opportunity [lit., causes andconditions] to plant good roots if no Pratyekabuddha had appeared.
"In order to teach [those sentient beings], I then declared mybody to be that of a Pratyekabuddha. Throughout all the countries,
cities, towns, and villages, everyone knew that my body was thatof a Pratyekabuddha, and I always manifested the physical formand deportment of a Pratyekabuddha. The sentient beings there
had profound reverence, and they all made offerings of food anddrink to me. After accepting [these offerings] and partaking ofthem, I considered how their [various] karmic dispositions [lit.,
fundamental conditions] would make them responsive to hearing
the Dharma. After preaching [the Dharma] to them I had my body
fly up into the sky, like the king of the geese. Those sentient beings all became very happy at this, bowing their heads in obeisance to me with reverential minds and saying, 'We wish that in
642c the future we may all attain benefit in the Dharma such as you
have!' Sariputra, through these causes and conditions immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings planted good roots.
"When I realized that the people had developed feelings oflaziness through offering me food [and were no longer striving fortheir own enlightenment], I announced to them that The time for
my Nirvana has arrived.' Upon hearing this, a hundred thousand
sentient beings came to where I was, carrying flowers, incense,72

Fascicle II

and oil. However, when I then entered the meditation of extinction [nirodha-samdpatti],
because of my original vow I did notundergo final extinction, [even though] the sentient beings there
said t h a t my life had finished. In order to make offerings to me
they cremated my body with fragrant wood, saying t h a t I had
really undergone extinction.
"I then proceeded to a great city in another country, where I
proclaimed myself to be a Pratyekabuddha. The sentient beings
there came with food and drink to make offerings to me, and I
manifested the entry into Nirvana there [as well]. They too said
that I had undergone extinction, and they all came to make offerings
and to cremate my body. Thus, O Sariputra, did I spend a single
small eon. For thirty-six billion lifetimes I took on the body of a
Pratyekabuddha and manifested entry into Nirvana. In those greatcities I led three billion six hundred million sentient beings to salvation using the Vehicle of the Pratyekabuddha. Sariputra, thus does
a Bodhisattva use the Vehicle of the Pratyekabuddha to enter Nirvana without undergoing permanent extinction."
When ManjusrI spoke these words, the six types of vibrations
shook the trichiliocosm and a brilliant light illuminated everywhere. A trillion gods made offerings to Dharma Prince ManjusrI,
raining heavenly flowers upon him and saying, "This is truly rare!
We have today attained great benefit by seeing the Buddha, theWorld-Honored One, by seeing ManjusrI, the Dharma prince, andby hearing the preaching of the Surangama Samadhi. O WorldHonored One, Dharma Prince ManjusrI has accomplished such an
unprecedented Dharma! In what samadhi does he reside t h a t heis able to manifest this unprecedented Dharma?"
The Buddha told the gods, "ManjusrI, the Dharma prince, isable to accomplish such rare and difficult feats because he resides
in the Surangama Samadhi. When a Bodhisattva resides in thissamadhi he performs the practice of faith for [sentient beings] yet
does not follow any other faith. He also performs the practice of
the Dharma and, with regard to the characteristic of the Dharma,
neither regresses nor fails in the turning of the Wheel of the Dharma.

73

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

643a

He also transforms himself into eight [different types of] persons
and cultivates enlightenment during countless immeasurable eonson behalf of those beings [misled by] the eight heterodoxies [theopposites of the eightfold noble path]. He becomes a stream-enterer,
but on behalf of sentient beings floating in the waters of samsara
he does not enter the absolute. He becomes a seldom-returner andmanifests his body throughout the worlds. He becomes a oncereturner and returns again to teach sentient beings. He becomesan Arhat and studies the Dharma of the Buddhas with constantenergy. He becomes a Sravaka and preaches the Dharma withunhindered discrimination. He becomes a Pratyekabuddha, andin order to teach sentient beings having [appropriate] aptitudes[lit., causes and conditions], he manifests entry into Nirvana andthen, through the power of samadhi, returns to be born once again.
O gods, Bodhisattvas who reside in this Surangama Samadhi are
all pervasively able to practice the practices of the sages. In accordance with their stages they also preach the Dharma, although
they do not reside therein."
When the gods heard the Buddha preach this doctrine, they
all burst into tears, saying, "World-Honored One, if someone has
already entered the rank of Sravaka or Pratyekabuddha, he [must]
lose forever this Surangama Samadhi. However, O World-Honored
One, even if someone has committed [any of] the five major transgressions, if he hears the preaching of this Surangama Samadhi,
he will become an Arhat with his impurities exhausted and without entering into the absolute [i.e., extinction]. Why? Even if someone has committed [any of] the five major transgressions, after
hearing this Surangama Samadhi and generating the intention toachieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment, even though his
original transgression would [ordinarily lead him to being] cast into
the hells, by the good roots and the causes and conditions of hearing
this samadhi he will instead achieve Buddhahood.
"World-Honored One, an Arhat with impurities exhausted is yet
like a broken vessel, [because he is] permanently unable to receive
this samadhi. World-Honored One, it is likened to an offering of ghee

74

Fascicle II

and honey, which is to be carried in various vessels by many people.
One of those people may be careless and break the vessel [he iscarrying], so t h a t even though he arrives at the location where
the ghee and honey is to be donated, it is of no benefit. Although
he can satisfy himself, he cannot carry any back to give to others.
Another person, who carries a vessel t h a t remains complete andstrong, is able to satisfy himself and carry the filled vessel to giveto others. The ghee and honey stands for the correct Dharma of
the Buddhas. Those who break the vessels they carry, who satisfy
themselves without being able to carry any [ghee and honey] backto give to o t h e r s , a r e t h e S r a v a k a s a n d P r a t y e k a buddhas. Those carrying the whole vessels are the Bodhisattvas,
who are able to satisfy themselves and also carry [the Dharma]back to all sentient beings."
At this time the two hundred Bodhisattvas [lit., gods] who
were about to regress from the intention to achieve insurpassableand perfect enlightenment, upon hearing the words of these gods,
and upon hearing of the inconceivable power of the merit of Dharma
Prince ManjusrI, experienced a profound intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment. Dispensing with their previous inclinations to regress, they addressed the Buddha, saying,"We will never forsake this intention, even at the cost of personal
injury or loss of life, and we will never forsake all sentient beings!
"World-Honored One, we only wish t h a t we might hear thegood roots and causes and conditions of this Surangama Samadhi
and t h a t we might attain the ten powers of the Bodhisattva. What
are these ten? [They are] (1) the power of firm resolve in the intention to achieve enlightenment, (2) the power to attain profoundfaith in the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddhas, (3) the power
to be well-versed in and not forget [the Dharma], (4) the power totravel tirelessly throughout samsara, (5) the power of resolute greatcompassion for all sentient beings, (6) the power of resolute equanimity in charity, (7) the power of indestructibility in morality, (8)the power of resolute acceptance in forbearance, (9) the power of
wisdom indestructible by demons, and (10) the power of joy of faith

75

643b

The Surangama Samadhi Sutrain the profound Dharmas." The Buddha then told Resolute Mind
Bodhisattva, "You should understand that any sentient beings whohear this Surangama Samadhi and are able to have faith and takejoy in it, whether during my presence or after my extinction, will
all attain these ten powers of the Bodhisattva."
At that time there was within the assembly a Bodhisattva
named Mind of Name, who addressed the Buddha, saying, "WorldHonored One, those who desire blessings should make offerings to
the Buddhas. Those who desire wisdom should strive to be wellversed [in the Dharma]. Those who desire favorable rebirth should
strive in morality. Those who desire great fortune should performcharity. Those who desire to attain a wondrous physical form shouldcultivate forbearance. Those who desire discrimination should
honor teachers. Those who desire dharanis should transcend arrogance. Those who desire wisdom should cultivate correct mindfulness. Those who desire joy should dispense with all [that is]wrong. Those who desire to benefit sentient beings should generate the intention to achieve enlightenment. Those who desire wondrous sounds should cultivate true speech [honesty]. Those who
desire merit should take pleasure in transcendence. Those who
desire to seek the Dharma should associate with spiritual compatriots. Those who desire [to practice] seated meditation should separate themselves from disturbance. Those who desire understanding
should cultivate meditation. Those who desire rebirth in the realmsof Brahma should cultivate the unlimited states of mind. Those
who desire rebirth as gods or humans should cultivate the ten
forms of good.
"[However], World-Honored One, those who desire good fortune, those who desire wisdom, those who desire favorable rebirth,those who desire great fortune, those who desire to attain a wondrous physical form, those who desire discrimination, those who
desire dharanis, those who desire wisdom, those who desire joy,
those who desire to benefit sentient beings, those who desire wondrous sounds, those who desire merit, those who desire to seek the
Dharma, those who desire [to practice] seated meditation, those
who desire understanding, those who desire rebirth in the realms

76Fascicle IIof Brahma, those who desire rebirth as gods or humans, those who
desire Nirvana, those who desire the attainment of all forms of merit:
such persons should hear the Surangama Samadhi, remember it,recite it, preach it for others, and practice it as it has been preached."[Mind of Name Bodhisattva then inquired,] "World-Honored
One, how should the Bodhisattva cultivate this samadhi?"
The Buddha said, "Mind of Name, if a Bodhisattva is able tocontemplate the dharmas as empty and unobstructed, with each
moment of thought completely extinguished and transcending likeand dislike, this is to cultivate this samadhi. Also, Mind of Name,
one cannot study this samadhi by one approach alone. Why? In
accordance with the activities [hsing, samskara] of the minds andmental attributes [hsin hsin-yu, citta-caitta] of sentient beings,
this samadhi has various practices. In accordance with the sensory realms [ju, ayatana] of the minds and mental attributes ofsentient beings, this samadhi has various realms. In accordancewith the entryways [ju-men] of the senses of sentient beings, thissamadhi has various entryways. In accordance with the names
and forms [ming-se] of sentient beings, Bodhisattvas who haveattained this samadhi also manifest a variety of names and forms.
To be able to understand thus is to cultivate this samadhi. In accordance with all the names and forms and physical characteristics of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas who have attained this samadhi
also manifest a variety of names and forms and physical characteristics. To be able to understand thus is to cultivate this samadhi.
In accordance with [their] vision of all the Buddha lands, Bodhisattvas are also able to create such lands. This is to cultivate thissamadhi."Mind of Name Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, "WorldHonored One, it is extremely difficult to cultivate this samadhi."
The Buddha told Mind of Name, "It is because of this t h a t few
Bodhisattvas reside in this samadhi, while many Bodhisattvas
practice other samadhis."
Mind of Name Bodhisattva then addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, Maitreya, who is now in the location ofhis penultimate birth [in the Tusita heaven] and who is to succeed

77

643c

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

you, must have attained insurpassable and perfect enlightenment.
Has Maitreya attained the Surangama Samadhi?" The Buddha
said, "Mind of Name, those Bodhisattvas who reside on the tenthstage, who are in the location of their penultimate birth [in the
Tusita heaven], and who have attained the true rank of Buddhahood—every one of these [Bodhisattvas] has attained this Surangama Samadhi."
Maitreya Bodhisattva then manifested his divine power asfollows: Mind of Name Bodhisattva and the rest of the assembly
saw all the Jambudvipa [continents in all the worlds of] the trichiliocosm. They saw Maitreya Bodhisattva in the center of each [Jambudvipa], or in the heavens, or among humans, or as a monk, or as ahouseholder, or as an attendant to the Buddha like Ananda, or as
one premier in wisdom like Sariputra, or as one premier in supernormal powers like Maudgalyayana, or as one premier in asceticism like Mahakasyapa, or as one premier in preaching the Dharma
like Purna, or as one premier in the precepts (or, esoteric practices) like Rahula, or as one premier in maintaining the Vinaya
like Upali, or as one premier in the heavenly eye like Aniruddha,
or as one premier in seated meditation like Revata. Thus did theysee Maitreya in the form of those premier in all [aspects of theDharma]. They saw him entering into the cities, towns, and villages begging, or preaching the Dharma, or in seated meditation.
Everything that was seen by Mind of Name Bodhisattva and thegreat assembly was manifested by Maitreya Bodhisattva throughthe power of the supernormal abilities [achieved through] the Surangama Samadhi. After seeing all this, [Mind of Name Bodhisattva]
addressed the Buddha in great joy, saying, "World-Honored One, it
is likened to gold, which is not altered in nature even when refined!
And all these Bodhisattvas can do likewise: in whatever they attempt, they are able to manifest the inconceivable Dharma-nature!"
Mind of Name Bodhisattva then addressed the Buddha, "WorldHonored One, I suggest that if a Bodhisattva is able to penetrate the
Surangama Samadhi, one should understand that he penetrates all
religious practices. He penetrates the Vehicle of the Sravaka, the78

Fascicle II

Vehicle of t h e P r a t y e k a b u d d h a , and t h e G r e a t Vehicle (theMahayana) of the Buddha." The Buddha said, "Thus it is, thus it is.
It is as you have spoken. If a Bodhisattva is able to penetrate theSurarigama Samadhi, he penetrates all religious practices."
At t h a t time the elder Mahakasyapa addressed the Buddha,"World-Honored One, I suggest t h a t Dharma Prince ManjusrI has
already been a Buddha in a past life. He has himself sat in theseat of enlightenment and turned the Wheel of the Dharma, andhe has manifested entry into Parinirvana to sentient beings." The
Buddha said, "Thus it is, thus it is. It is as you have spoken, Kasyapa.
Long in the distant past, an immeasurable and innumerable [number of] inconceivable immeasurable eons ago, there was a Buddha
who was called Paragon of the Dragons [as well as by the ten titles]
T a t h a g a t a , He Who Should Receive Offerings, Of Correct andUniversal Understanding, Sufficient in Wise Practice, Well-Gone,
He Who Understands the World, the Unsurpassed One, He Who
Disciplines Humans, Teacher of Humans and Gods, and WorldHonored Buddha. A thousand Buddha lands south of this world,
there was a country called Universal Equivalence, which had neither mountains nor rivers, neither stones nor rocks, and neither
hills nor dales. The land there was as flat as the palm of one's hand,and on it grew a soft grass, like t h a t in Kalinga. When Paragon of
the Dragons Buddha attained insurpassable and perfect enlightenment and first turned the Wheel of the Dharma in t h a t world,he created an assembly of seven billion Bodhisattvas through histeaching. Eight billion people became Arhats, and ninety-six thousand people resided as Pratyekabuddhas [lit., resided within thedharmas of the causes and conditions of Pratyekabuddhas]. Afterward, there were also an immeasurable number of Sravaka monks.
"Kasyapa, the life span of Paragon of the Dragons Buddha
was four million four hundred thousand years, during which time
he saved h u m a n s and gods and then entered into Nirvana. His
physical relics were divided and distributed around the world, andthere were erected thirty-six hundred-million stupas, at which
sentient beings made offerings to him. After t h a t Buddha died,

79

644a

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

644b

the Dharma remained for ten thousand years. When Paragon of
the Dragons Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, he conferred a
prediction [of future enlightenment] on Brilliance of Wisdom
Bodhisattva, saying, 'After I am gone, this Brilliance of Wisdom
Bodhisattva will achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment.
He will again be called Brilliance of Wisdom [Buddha].'"Kasyapa, could t h a t Paragon of the Dragons Buddha of theworld Universal Equivalence be anyone else? You must have no
doubt! Why? It was none other t h a n Manjusri, the Dharma prince.
Kasyapa, you should now perceive the power of the Surangama
Samadhi. It is by its power t h a t the great Bodhisattvas manifest
entry into the womb, are born, leave home, proceed to the Bodhi
Tree, sit upon the seat of enlightenment, t u r n the wondrous Wheelof the Dharma, enter into Parinirvana, and distribute their relics,
without ever dispensing with the Dharma of the Bodhisattva andnot entering final extinction at Parinirvana."
The elder Mahakasyapa then asked Mafijusrl, "Are you able
to perform such rare and difficult things to manifest for sentient
beings?" Manjusri said, "Kasyapa, what do you mean? Who created this Mount Grdhrakuta? From whence did this world derive?"
Kasyapa replied, "Manjusri, all the worlds are created out of foam,
and they are derived from the causes and conditions of the inconceivable karma of sentient beings." Manjusri said, "All the dharmas
also exist in dependence on the causes and conditions of inconceivable karma. I have no power to effect such things. Why? The dharmas
are all based on causes and conditions. Since they are without any[ultimate] master, they may be created at will. If one understands
this, such actions [as those described above] are not difficult.
Kasyapa, it would be difficult for someone who does not know of
the Four Noble Truths to hear and believe in such things. Once
one understands the Four Noble Truths and attains the supernormal powers, however, it is not difficult to hear and believe this."At that time the World-Honored One sent his body up into space,to the height of seven tola trees. Seated [in the air] in full lotus
position, he emitted a refulgence from his body t h a t illuminatedthroughout [all] the immeasurable worlds in the ten directions.

80Fascicle II

The entire assembly saw the immeasurable Buddhas of the ten
directions and heard them from afar all preaching the Surarigama Samadhi, without increase and without decrease. Those
Buddhas of the ten directions also sent their bodies up into space,to the height of seven tola trees. Seated [in the air] in full lotus
position, they emitted refulgences from their bodies t h a t illuminated throughout [all] the immeasurable worlds in the ten directions. The sentient beings in those [other worlds] also saw the bodyof Sakyamuni Buddha risen up in the air and sitting in full lotus
position. Those assemblies [listening to the other Buddhas] then
all took flowers and scattered them over Sakyamuni Buddha fromafar, and everyone saw the collections of flowers combine in the
air to form a flowered canopy. The Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons,
yaksas, and gandharvas of this land all scattered flowers aboutover the other Buddhas; and everywhere flowered canopies wereformed over the heads of the Buddhas.
Sakyamuni Buddha then reined in his supernormal ability oflevitation, sat back down on his original seat, and told Resolute
Mind, "This is the power of the supernormal abilities of the Tathagata. The Tathagata has manifested thus in order to increase themerit of sentient beings." When the Buddha manifested his supernormal abilities, eight thousand gods generated the intention
to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment. Also, as thepreaching of the Surangama Samadhi was about to end, Resolute
Mind a n d five h u n d r e d [ o t h e r ] B o d h i s a t t v a s a t t a i n e d t h eSurangama Samadhi. All of them had seen the divine power ofthe Buddhas of the ten directions, had attained the brilliance of
wisdom in the profound Dharma of the Buddhas, resided on thetenth stage, and received the rank of Buddhas. [All] the worlds ofthe trichiliocosm [shook] with the six types of vibration, and agreat refulgence was released t h a t illuminated throughout [all]the worlds. A thousand ten-thousand dancers performed at once,
and the gods rained various types of flowers down from the sky.
The Buddha then told Ananda, "You should accept this Surangama Samadhi, recite it, and preach it extensively for people."
Indra king Holding Mount Sumeru t h e n said to the Buddha,

81

The Surahgama Samadhi Sutra

644c"World-Honored One, there is a limit to Ananda's wisdom andmemory. Since Sravakas follow the [teaching] of objectified sound[fa yin-sheng, lit., other sound], why do you confer this Dharma
treasure of this samadhi on Ananda?" Indra king Holding Mount
Sumeru then spoke in utter sincerity, "If I will truly be able todisseminate this precious samadhi now and in the future, then let
all the trees here on Mount Grdhrakuta appear as Bodhi Trees,with a Bodhisattva beneath each one!" After Indra king Holding
Mount Sumeru said this, all the trees were seen to be like Bodhi
Trees, with a Bodhisattva visible beneath each and every tree.
The Bodhi Trees all uttered the following words, "It is as Indraking Holding Mount Sumeru has said. Truly, this person must beable to disseminate this samadhi widely!"
At t h a t time the gods, dragons, yaksas, and gandharvas addressed the Buddha in unison, saying, "World-Honored One, even
if your lifetime were an entire eon, you should do nothing other[than preach the Surahgama Samadhi]. Rather t h a n preaching
the Dharma for people using the Vehicle of the Sravakas—[eventhough you] preach the Dharma for each and every one so t h a t
you are always able to save sentient beings, just as at the time ofyour first turning of the Wheel of the Dharma—it would be better
if you were to save people by preaching this Surahgama Samadhi.
Why? The [number of] sentient beings who would be saved by the
Sravaka Vehicle is not even one part in a hundred of [those who
would be saved by] the Bodhisattva Vehicle, [nor even] one part ina hundred thousand ten-thousand hundred-million, nor even [onepart in] any number t h a t could be described metaphorically. Thus
does the Surahgama Samadhi have immeasurable power to makeall Bodhisattvas achieve [their goals] and become sufficient in the
Dharma of the Buddhas."
Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, what will your life span truly be? When
will you finally enter Nirvana?" The Buddha said, "Resolute Mind,
thirty-two thousand Buddha lands to the east of this world, there
is a country named Ornamentation. There is a Buddha there who

82

Fascicle IIis called King of Autonomous Illumination and Ornamentation,[as well as by the ten titles] Tathagata, He Who Should Receive
Offerings, Of Correct and Universal Understanding, Sufficient inWise Practice, Well-Gone, He Who Understands the World, theUnsurpassed One, He Who Disciplines Humans, Teacher of Humans and Gods, and World-Honored Buddha. He is now preaching the Dharma. Resolute Mind, my life span is the same as t h a tof the Buddha King of Autonomous Illumination and Ornamentation." [Resolute Mind asked], "World-Honored One, what is thelife span of this Buddha King of Autonomous Illumination and
Ornamentation?" The Buddha told Resolute Mind, "You may go
ask him yourself; he will answer you."
At t h a t instant, the Buddha imparted his divine power unto
Resolute Mind, who, through the power of the Surangama Samadhi
and through the power of the supernormal abilities [deriving from]his own good roots, arrived in a single moment in t h a t world [knownas] Ornamentation. [Resolute Mind] placed his head on that Buddha's
feet in worship, walked around him three times, then faced that
Buddha and addressed him saying, "World-Honored One, what isyour life span? When will you enter into Nirvana?" That Buddha replied, saying, "My life span is the same as that of the Buddha Sakyamuni. If you wish to know, Resolute Mind, my life span is seven
hundred immeasurable eons. The life span of the Buddha Sakyamuni
is the same." Feeling great joy, Resolute Mind Bodhisattva then returned to this Saha world. He addressed the Buddha, saying, "WorldHonored One, t h a t Buddha King of Autonomous Illumination and
Ornamentation has a life span of seven hundred immeasurable eons.
He told me your life span is the same as his."
At t h a t time Ananda arose from his seat, placed his robe over
his right shoulder, held his palms together, and faced the Buddha.
He addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, according to my understanding of the doctrines you have preached, Isuggest t h a t it is you who, under a different name, benefit sentient beings in t h a t Ornamentation world." The World-Honored
One then praised Ananda, saying, "Excellent, excellent. You are

83

645a

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

645bable to understand this by the power of the Buddhas. The body oft h a t Buddha is my body; under a different name do I preach the
Dharma and save sentient beings there. Ananda, such autonomous power in the supernormal abilities is entirely the power of
the Surangama Samadhi." The Buddha then told Resolute Mind
Bodhisattva, "Resolute Mind, because of this, you should understand t h a t my life span is seven hundred immeasurable eons, after which I will finally enter into Nirvana."
Hearing t h a t the life span of the Buddha was so inconceivably[long], everyone in the great assembly then experienced great joy
and attained [an experience they] had never had before. They
addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, the divine
power of the Buddhas is utterly unprecedented. All of their activities [hsing, practices] are inconceivable. You manifest such a brieflife span in this [world], yet your real [life span] is seven hundred
immeasurable eons. World-Honored One, we beseech you to allow
all sentient beings to have inconceivably long life spans such as this!"
The World-Honored One then said to Resolute Mind once again,"The demons and demonic people within the countries, cities, towns,
villages, and empty forests will not be able to gain mastery of thisSurangama Samadhi." He also told Resolute Mind, "Any Dharma
master who copies, recites, and explains this Surangama Samadhi
should have no fear of humans or nonhumans but will attain twenty
forms of inconceivable merit. What are these twenty forms of inconceivable merit? [They are]: inconceivable wisdom, inconceivable sagacity, inconceivable expedient m e a n s , inconceivable
discrimination, inconceivable wisdom in the Dharma [fa-ming],
inconceivable dharanis, inconceivable teachings [fa-men], inconceivable memory [of anything] at will, inconceivable power in the
supernormal abilities, inconceivable discrimination of the wordsof sentient beings, inconceivable profound understanding of thelongings of sentient beings, inconceivable attainment of vision of
the Buddhas, inconceivable hearing of the Dharmas, inconceivable teaching of sentient beings, inconceivable autonomous mastery of samadhi, inconceivable creation of pure lands, inconceivable

84

Fascicle II

most wondrous physical form, inconceivable autonomous masteryof merit, inconceivable cultivation of the Perfections, and inconceivable attainment of the Dharma of the Buddhas without regression. These are the twenty.
"Resolute Mind, anyone who copies or recites this Surangama
Samadhi will attain these twenty forms of inconceivable merit.
For this reason, Resolute Mind, anyone who wants to attain anyof the benefits in this lifetime or the next should copy, recite, explain, and practice according to this Surangama Samadhi. Resolute Mind, if good men and women seeking the enlightenment of
Buddhahood and engaged in the thousand ten-thousand eons of
diligent cultivation of the Six Perfections hear this Surangama
Samadhi, are able to accept it in faith without becoming discouraged, and are not upset or frightened by it, the blessings [accruing from this] will surpass those of anything else, and they willrapidly attain insurpassable and perfect enlightenment. How much
more so for those who hear it, accept it, recite it, practice according to it, and explain it for people! Any Bodhisattva who wishes tohear the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddhas without being upset or frightened, who wishes to realize his own understanding of
all the Dharmas of the Buddhas without being dependent on any
other teaching, should cultivate and practice this samadhi. If you
wish to hear a Dharma you have not heard before, to accept [theDharma] in faith and without disagreement, you should hear thisSurangama Samadhi."
When this Surangama Samadhi Sutra was preached, innumerable sentient beings generated the intention to achieve insurpassable and perfect enlightenment! Twice t h a t number [were ableto] reside in the stage of non-regression, and twice t h a t number
attained the forbearance of the birthlessness of all dharmas! Eighteen thousand Bodhisattvas attained the Surangama Samadhi,
and eighteen thousand monks and nuns, because they were not influenced by the dharmas, [achieved] the emancipation of the extinction of impurities [lit., outflows] and attained Arhatship. Twenty-six
thousand laymen and laywomen attained the purity of the Dharma

85

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

eye with regard to the dharmas, and thirty nayutas of gods attained the rank of sage.
After the Buddha had preached this Sutra, Dharma Prince
Manjusri, Resolute Mind Bodhisattva, all the great Bodhisattvas,
Sravakas, and great disciples, and all the gods, dragons, gandharvas,
asuras, and people of the world, having heard what the Buddha
had preached, joyously believed in and accepted it.

Here Ends the Surangama

86

SamadhiSutra

Glossary
Ananda: The name of the Buddha's cousin, close disciple, and personal attendant. He was renowned for his ability to recite all of the Buddha's
sermons from memory.
Arhat: "One who is worthy" since he has attained a spiritual goal, usually
the eradication of all passions. While Buddha is the highest rank on theBodhisattva's path, Arhat is the highest on the Sravaka's. Being an
A r h a t is not considered good enough by the Mahayanists, who posit
different virtues, such as charity, zeal, and compassion.
ayatana ("entrance"): The six ayatanas are the six sense organs: (1) the eye,(2) the ear, (3) the nose, (4) the tongue, (5) the body, and (6) the mind,
which comprise all of the h u m a n sense organs. The twelve ayatanas are
the six sense organs and their respective objects: (1) form, (2) sound, (3)odor, (4) flavor, (5) sensation, and (6) concepts. These comprise the entire epistemological world.
Bodhicitta: The initial desire, intent, or hope to attain enlightenment.
Bodhisattva: In the Mahayana, a selfless being with universal compassion
who sees the universal emptiness of phenomena and is destined to become a Buddha.
dharani: A mystic phrase, spell, or incantation.
dhatu ("element," "world"): The three dhatus are the three realms of samsara,
namely the realms of desire, of (pure) form, and of non-form. The eight e e n dhatus are t h e twelve ayatanas (q.v.) plus t h e i r respective
consciousnesses.
eightfold noble path: The eight aspects of practice aimed at attaining Nirvana.
The practitioner must develop: (1) right views, (2) right thought, (3)right speech, (4) right acts, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) rightmindfulness or recollection, and (8) right meditation. See also Four Noble
Truths.
five major transgressions: Violations of the Five Precepts (q.v.).
Five Precepts: (1) Not to kill, (2) not to steal, (3) not to commit adultery, (4)not to speak falsely, and (5) not to drink intoxicants.

87

Glossary

five modes of existence (five gatis): Sometimes translated as the five destinies of sentient beings. According to its own past karma (q.v.), a sentient being is born as a (1) god, (2) human being, (3) hungry ghost, (4)animal, or (5) hell being. All five kinds of beings, including gods, are within
the samsaric world and are suffering. Only h u m a n beings have a chance
to a t t a i n liberation from samsara; gods do not know t h a t they are
suffering, and in the other three states, suffering is too severe to handle.
Four Noble Truths: (1) Life is suffering. (2) The cause of suffering is desire.
(3) There is a world without suffering called Nirvana. (4) The means ofattaining Nirvana is the practice of the eightfold noble path (q.v.).
gandharva:

A mythical being who is a celestial musician.

garuda: A mythical being t h a t is half bird and half human.
karma ("action"): There are three kinds, of body, mouth, and mind. K a r m a
is the cause of samsara, and its cessation is, therefore, the way to liberation from karmic existence. Avoiding the nihilistic extreme, Buddhist
moralists maintain t h a t the essence of action is volition (cetand) andt h a t the cause of suffering is passion (klesa).
kimnara: A mythical being who is a heavenly vocal musician.
ksatriya: The governmental or warrior caste in ancient India; a member ofthis caste.
mahoraga: A snake-like mythical being.
Manjusri: The celestial Bodhisattva who represents the wisdom and realization of all Buddhas.
Mara: The demon who hinders Buddhist practice.
Nirvana: The final goal of Buddhists; the extinction of all passions; the stateof liberation.
non-returner (anagamin): One who, without coming back to this world, willappear in the world of the gods and from there will attain Nirvana.
once-returner (sakrdagamin): One who, after having returned once more to
this world, will attain the end of suffering.
Pratyakabuddha: A solitary Buddha. A Buddha who has realized enlightenment alone and does not want to teach.
samadhi: A kind of meditation. A mental state in which the mind is focusedon one point to the exclusion of all else. It aims at the cessation of karma(q.v). Nine kinds are often recognized: the four meditations (dhydna) in
the world of form, the four attainments (samdpatti) in the world of nonform, and finally the attainment of cessation (nirodhasamdpatti).
The
last, being beyond the three realms of samsara, is Nirvana.

88

Glossary

samsara: This world of suffering, which consists of the three dhatus (q.v.).
The cause of samsara is karma (q.v.). The Four Noble Truths (q.v.) say
t h a t there is a world beyond samsara called Nirvana.
Sariputra: A disciple of Sakyamuni, known as the foremost of those possessed of great wisdom. The authors of the Prajnaparamita literature,
who claimed t h a t they had more profound wisdom, criticized Sariputra.
Sangha: The Buddhist order, the monastic community. The fourfold Sangha
consists of four assemblies: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
skandha ("aggregate"): The five aggregates, which comprise all phenomenal things, are (1) matter, (2) perception, (3) conception, (4) volition,and (5) consciousness.
stream-enterer (srotapanna): One who has just entered the stream of noble
disciples and who is sure to be delivered someday He is no longer subject to rebirth in the lower modes of existence (hell beings, animals, andhungry ghosts).
Sravaka: A "hearer" of Sakyamuni's teaching. The Sravakas preserved theBuddha's words, observed monastic rules, and organized the teachings
into three bodies of scriptures called pitakas. Mahayanists called theSravaka tradition a deficient Vehicle (Hinayana).
three lower modes of existence: Hungry ghosts, animals, and hell beings.
These beings cannot attain Nirvana because their suffering is too severe to handle.
Three Vehicles: The Sravaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and theBodhisattva Vehicle.
Triple Jewel: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha saidt h a t the t r u t h (Dharma) is the only light (dipa), but his followers worshipped him and believed their community to be of similar importance.
yaksa: A kind of demi-god, a spirit of the woods and the earth, sometimes
benevolent and sometimes not.

89Indexbrahmin(s) 2 6 , 3 8 , 5 7 , 6 2
Brilliance of a Single Lamp (Buddhaland) 64
Brilliance of Wisdom (Bodhisattva) 80

Aksobhya (Buddha) 3 , 4 4Ananda (disciple of Buddha) 2, 58, 60,
61, 69, 78, 81, 83
anger 2 1 , 27, 29, 45, 48
animal(s) 2 7 , 5 4 , 5 5Aniruddha (disciple of Buddha) 78
archery 4 , 2 9 , 3 1
Arhat(s) 1, 2, 3, 66, 74, 79, 85
arrogance 8, 68, 76
asura(s) 8 , 3 7 , 7 1 , 8 6
ayatana(s) 15, 77

Characteristic of Refulgence Bodhisattva 8charity 20, 27, 40, 56, 75, 76
Ch'in (dynasty) 7,47
compassion 4, 7,10, 23, 30, 45, 51, 55,
61,75
Composed and Not Disordered Bodhisattva 8Creating Sympathy (Brahma king) 29

being 1 - 3 , 7 - 1 0 , 1 2 , 1 4 - 1 6 , 2 0 - 2 7 , 31,
34, 3 6 - 4 4 , 4 8 - 5 1 , 5 4 - 5 6 , 58, 60, 61,
66, 67, 69, 70, 72, 73, 7 5 - 7 7 , 7 9 - 8 2 ,83,85
birth 9 , 1 1 , 1 8 , 21, 22, 24, 25, 30, 34, 4 1 ,42, 55, 62, 66, 71, 77
birthlessness 4, 7,12, 18, 30, 4 1 , 45, 54,
57, 58, 85
blind persons 19, 34, 55, 66
persons blind from birth 34, 66
Bodhicitta 2 , 4 , 9bodhimanda. See seat of enlightenment
Bodhisattva 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 - 1 1 , 1 6 , 2 0 - 2 9 ,
3 1 - 4 0 , 4 3 - 4 5 , 4 9 - 6 3 , 6 5 - 7 1 , 73,
75-86
Bodhisattva path 54
Bodhi Tree 80, 82
bonds, twelve 48, 49of the view of being 48of the view of discrimination into thisand t h a t 48of the view of eradication 48
of the view of life span 48of the view of nonbeing 48of the view of permanence 48of the view of person 48
of the view of personal action 48
of the view of personal possession 48
of the view of self 48
of the view of sentient beings 48
of the view of the d h a r m a s 48
Brahmagod(s) 8, 12, 13,16, 33, 38, 39, 57, 70
king(s) 14,15, 29, 31, 3 6 - 3 8 , 62deaf persons 19, 26, 55
Devendra (Indra king) 32, 33, 34
dharani(s) 7, 20, 76, 84
Dharma-nature 78
Dharma Prince Great Merit Bodhisattva 57
Dharma Prince Manjusri. See Manjusri
dhatu(s) 15
dhyana(s) 2 8 , 4 8 , 5 6
discriminative ability of joyous
preaching 43
discriminative thinking 49
disintegration 41
Does Not Delude All Sentient Beings
Bodhisattva 8dragon(s) 8, 11, 37, 39, 47, 56, 63, 65,
70, 71, 81, 82, 86
drum(s) 27
eighteen types of supernormal transformations 60
eight emancipations 39, 67
eightfold noble p a t h 74
eight heterodoxies 74
eight situations in which it isdifficult to encounter the Buddha's
teaching 55
emptiness 5, 35, 4 1 , 57, 67
Enjoys Desires (layman) 57
entryways 77
equanimity 28, 30, 75

91

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Equivalent Practice (Brahma king) 14,
15
Eradication (medicine king) 27
expedient means 7,10,17, 30, 36, 51, 84
extinction 1, 3 , 1 0 , 1 1 , 1 6 , 22, 24, 34,
41, 42, 44, 47, 52, 54, 63, 7 2 - 7 4 , 76,
80,85
faith 26, 45, 48, 65, 66, 73, 75, 85
ferry(s) 24
field of blessings 6 7 , 6 8
five desires 21
five highest penetrations 30
five major transgressions 74
five modes of existence 54
five tainted wrongs 44
forbearance 4, 7, 12,16, 18, 21, 30, 40,
45, 51, 54, 5 6 - 5 8 , 65, 75, 76, 85of accordance with the dharmas 51of the birthlessness of thedharmas 4, 30
four embrasures 27
four heavenly kings 62
Four Noble Truths 67, 80
four pure practices 30
four states of dhyana 48
four types of enlightenment 54
four unhindered wisdoms 18
four unlimited states 39
gandharva(s)8, 11, 37, 39, 47, 56, 63,
65, 70, 71, 81, 82, 86
garuda(s) 8, 37, 65, 70, 71
geese (king of) 72
ghee and honey (metaphor of offering)75
god(s) 2 - 4 , 8, 1 0 - 1 3 , 1 6 , 22, 26, 3 3 - 3 5 ,
3 7 - 4 5 , 47, 54, 55, 57, 62, 63, 65, 6 9 71,73-77,79,81,82,86
goddess(es) 2, 4, 38, 5 0 - 5 2 , 58, 59, 61
Gopa (princess) 34
Gopaka (god) 34, 35, 37
Grdhrakuta. See Mount Grdhrakuta
Great Characteristic (Bodhisattva) 8
great compassion 4, 7, 30, 55, 75
Greatly Dignified and Pure
(Bodhisattva) 8
great sympathy 4, 30
greed 26, 29, 45, 67

92

Hall of Good Wonders 33
heaven(s)Autonomous Transformation of
Others' Pleasures 61
fourfold 6 1 - 6 3
Joyous 61of the Thirty-three 3 4 , 6 1
Teaching Others Autonomy 62
Tusita 1 0 , 5 9 , 6 1 , 6 2 , 7 7
Ultimate in Materiality 62
Yama 6 1 , 6 2hell(s) 45, 54, 55, 74
heterodox view 24, 45, 49
Holding Mount Sumeru (Indra king)31, 32, 33, 81
honesty 76
human(s) 4, 8, 1 0 , 1 1 , 22, 27, 29, 42, 54,
57, 59, 7 6 - 7 9 , 84
hungry ghost(s) 54, 55
Indra god(s) 2, 8,12, 13, 33, 3 7 - 3 9 , 70
Intention Constitutes Turning the
Wheel (Bodhisattva) 8
Joyous King Bodhisattva 8
Joyous Vision (medicine-tree king) 26
karma 1 6 , 2 2 , 2 5 , 2 6 , 5 3 , 8 0
Kasyapa (disciple of Buddha) 39, 55,
66, 67, 7 8 - 8 0
Kausika. See Devendra
kimnara(s) 8, 37, 65, 70, 71
King of Autonomous Illumination and
Ornamentation (Buddha) 83
King of Brilliance That Autonomously
Manifests All Merit (Buddha) 64
King of Dharanis Bodhisattva 8King of Mount Sumeru Bodhisattva 8King Praised for Pure BrillianceT a t h a g a t a (Buddha) 45
ksanti. See Perfection of Forbearance
ksatriya(s) 26, 38, 62
Kumarajiva (translator) 7, 47
laymen 53, 85
laywomen 53, 86
Lion King Bodhisattva 57
Lion's Seat 1 2 - 1 4

Indexmagician(s) 24
Mahakasyapa. See Kasyapa
mahoraga(s) 8, 37, 65, 70, 71
Maitreya (Bodhisattva) 4, 8, 58, 59, 77,
78
Manifest Mind (god) 37, 3 8 - 4 0 , 44
Manifests Pure Deportment andPerceives All with Loving Joy
Bodhisattva 8mani pearl 33, 37
Manjusri (Bodhisattva) 8, 57, 63, 64,
67, 68, 71, 73, 75, 79, 86
medicineking 27
tree 27-tree king 26
meditation 4,12, 2 0 - 2 3 , 25, 28, 39, 40,
62, 67, 73, 76, 78
of extinction 73
mindfulness 16, 56, 76
Mind Like an Ocean of Unlimited Merit(Bodhisattva) 8
mind of ecstasy 4, 29
Mind of Name (Bodhisattva) 7 6 - 7 8
mind of omniscience 35
monk(s) 2, 3, 23, 26, 37, 39, 52, 53, 57,
62, 64, 78, 79, 85
morality 21, 28, 40, 62, 75, 76
Mount Grdhrakuta 1, 80, 82
names and forms 77
nirodha-samapatti. See meditation of
extinction
Nirvana 3, 7,10, 21, 24, 25, 4 0 - 4 2 , 63,
67,70-74,77,79,82,84
nonbeing 48, 50
nun(s) 2 , 3 7 , 5 3 , 8 5
Obstructions Eradicated Bodhisattva 8once-returner(s) 74
Ornamentation (Buddha land) 82, 83
Ornamented with All the Treasures(Bodhisattva) 70
Ornamented with Discernment(Bodhisattva) 8Paragon of the Dragons (Buddha) 79, 80
Parinirvana 11, 20, 79, 80
Perfections, Six 27, 28, 30, 56, 85

of Charity 2 1 , 2 8 , 6 2
of Energy 2 3 , 2 8 , 6 2of Forbearance 22, 28
of Meditation 2 5 , 2 8 , 6 2
of Morality 2 1 , 2 8 , 6 2
of Wisdom 2 6 , 2 8 , 6 2
Practicing Nondefilement in Mara's
Realm (Bodhisattva) 49, 5 0 - 5 2 , 5 8 60,61
Praised by All the Gods Bodhisattva 8
prajfia. See Perfection of Wisdom
Pratyekabuddha(s) 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, 24, 31,
37, 44, 54, 58, 64, 6 6 - 6 8 , 7 0 - 7 5 , 79prediction of enlightenment 30, 54, 56
at the moment someone attains theforbearance of the birthlessness ofall dharmas 54
before the intention to achieve enlightenment has been generated 54of those who are about to generate theintention to achieve enlightenment
54,55
secret 54
profound mind 4, 29
Pure Deportment All with Loving Joy(Bodhisattva) 8
Pure Mind Bodhisattva 8Pure Moon Store (Bodhisattva god) 69,
70
Purity That Transcends Defilement
Bodhisattva 8Purna (disciple of Buddha) 78
Pusya (Buddha) 72
Rahula (disciple of Buddha) 78
Rajagrha (city) 7
realm(s)of desire 21,25
of form 25
sensory 77
three 35
triple 11,67
rebirth 9 , 1 1 , 55, 76
Resolute Energy Bodhisattva 8Resolute Mind (Bodhisattva) 1, 2, 8 11, 16, 2 0 - 2 9 , 31, 32, 35, 3 7 - 4 5 ,
5 2 - 5 4 , 57, 58, 61, 63, 67, 68, 76, 81,
83-86
Revata (disciple of Buddha) 78

93

The Surangama Samadhi Sutra

Saha world 4 4 , 8 3
Sakyamuni (Buddha) 1, 2, 36, 39, 63,
81,83
samadhi(s) 1, 2, 7, 9, 11,12, 16, 20, 30,
32, 36, 38, 40, 41, 48, 52, 53, 61, 65,
66, 73, 74, 77, 82, 84, 85
Adamantine Mind 16
Flower Sound 16
of Presence before the Buddhas 30of the Remembrance of the Buddha
19
Surangama 1, 2 - 4 , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 5 , 16,
2 0 - 2 9 , 3 1 - 4 2 , 4 4 - 4 9 , 52, 53, 5 9 61, 6 3 - 6 6 , 68, 7 3 - 7 5 , 7 7 - 8 6
samsara 23, 25, 34, 68, 70, 74, 75
Sangha 8
Sariputra (disciple of Buddha) 47, 48,
7 1 - 7 3 , 78
sarvajhd. See mind of omniscience
seat of enlightenment 10, 62, 63, 79, 80
seldom-returner(s) 74
Serene Extinction Bodhisattva 57
sila. See Perfection of Morality
skandha(s) 15
Sravaka(s) 2, 9 , 1 1 , 24, 31, 33, 34, 36,
37, 5 4 - 5 8 , 60, 64, 6 6 - 6 8 , 70, 71, 74,
75, 79, 82, 86
stageeighth Bodhisattva 4, 30
of non-regression 58, 85
t e n t h (of Bodhisattvahood) 4, 16, 30,
78,81
stream-enterer(s) 74
stupidity 27, 29, 45, 50
Subuhti (elder) 68
Suchness 1 5 , 3 4 , 3 5 , 5 9
Suddhodana (king) 36
Sufficient (medicine tree) 27, 79, 83
tola tree(s) 57,80
ten forms of good 76
ten powers of the Bodhisattva 75
third pliant forbearance 30
three lower modes of existence 45
three periods of time 7
Three Vehicles 45
three wisdoms 67
transcendence 2 1 , 76
tree king 26, 63

94

Triple Jewel 17
True Sound Bodhisattva 8
Turns the Wheel of the Dharma
without Hindrance (Bodhisattva) 8
Turns the Wheel of the Dharma
without Regressing (Bodhisattva) 8
twelve bonds. See bonds, twelve
twenty forms of inconceivable merit 84,
85
universal equivalence (characteristic)
12
unlimited states of mind 76
Upali (disciple of Buddha) 78
U t t a r a k u r u (continent) 45, 55
vajra 1 9 , 2 3 , 6 5
Virtues and Treasured Dignity(Bodhisattva) 8
virya. See Perfection of Energy
Wheel Turning Sage King 20, 21, 38,
62,68
Wise Valiance Bodhisattva 58
woman(-en) 12, 35
Wondrous Dignified King Bodhisattva
8
Wondrous Joy world 3, 44
world-protecting heavenly king 8, 12,
13
yaksa(s) 8, 11, 37, 39, 47, 56, 63, 65, 70,
71, 81, 82

A List of the Volumes of
the BDE English Tripitaka(First Series)

Abbreviations
Ch.
Skt.
Jp.
T.

ChineseSanskrit
Japanese
Taisho Tripitaka
Title

Vol. No.

T. No.

1,2

Ch. Ch'ang-a-han-ching (gRHHK)
Skt. Dirghagama

1

3-8

Ch. Chung-a-han-ching (cfRHNS)
Skt. Madhyamagama

26

9-1

Ch. Ta-ch'eng-pen-sheng-hsin-ti-kuan-ching

159

9-II

Ch. Fo-so-hsing-tsan (flfe/Jrfflt)

192

Skt.

Buddhacarita

10-1

Ch. Tsa-pao-ts'ang-ching (ffifHSM)

203

10-11

Ch. Fa-chu-p'i-yu-ching (JfrfOWftiK)

211

11-1

Ch. Hsiao-pln-pan-jo-po-lo-mi-ching

227

Skt.
11-11

Astasahasrika-prajnaparamita-sutra

Ch. Chin-kang-pan-jo-po-lo-mi-ching
Skt.

Vajracchedika-prajnaparamita-sutra

235

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.
ll-III

Title

T. No.

Ch. Jen-wang-pan-jo-po-lo-mi-ching

245(fcBftEfiJMilK)
Skt. Karunikaraja-prajnaparamita-sutra (?)
11-IV

Ch. Pan-jo-po-lo-mi-to-hsing-ching
Skt. Prajnaparamitahrdaya-sutra(K^jftJ8!K#^iK)251

12-1

Ch. Ta-lo-chin-kang-pu-k'ung-chen-shih-san-mo-yeh- 243

12-11

Skt. Adhyardhasatika-prajnaparamita-sutra
Ch. Wu-liang-shou-ching ( & i * i l E )Skt. Sukhavativyuha

ching (*m&m*&&*3&wM)
360

12-111

Ch. Kuan-wu-liang-shou-fo-ching (U^MmWM)
Skt. Amitayurdhyana-sutra

365

12-IV

Ch. A-mi-t'o-ching (PWfclS)
Skt. Sukhavativyuha

366

12-V

Ch. Ti-ts'ang-p'u-sa-pen-yuan-chingCttJi^ffi^glM) 412
Skt. Ksitigarbhapranidhana-sutra (?)

12-VI

Ch. Yao-shih-liu-li-kuang-ju-lai-pen-yuan-kung-te-

450

ching (mmmmmu^^m^mm)
Skt.

Bhaisajyaguruvaiduryaprabhasapurva-pranidhanavisesavistara

12-VII

Ch. Mi-le-hsia-sheng-ch'eng-fo-ching
Skt. Mai trey avyakar ana (?)

12-VIII

Ch. Wen-shu-shih-li-wen-ching
Skt. Manjusripariprccha (?)

13-1

Ch. Miao-fa-lien-hua-ching(W&MW0:)Skt. Saddharmapundarika-sutra

262

13-11

Ch.

Wu-liang-i-ching276

13-111Ch.

Kuan-p'u-hsien-p'u-sa-hsing-fa-ching

277

14-19

Ch.

Ta-fang-kuang-fo-hua-yen-ching

278

Skt. Avatamsaka-sutra(ffiffllT^jftft6 « ) 454(XMfflPiffij|R)(ttlt^S)

468

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.
20-1

Title

T. No.

Ch. Sheng-man-shih-tzu-hou-i-ch'eng-ta-fang-pienfang-kuang-ching

353

Skt.
20-11

Srimaladevisimhanada-sutra

Ch. Chin-kuang-ming-tsui-sheng-wang-ching
Skt.

665

Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra

21-24

Ch. Ta-pan-nieh-p'an-ching (^jRS^lJlff)
Skt. Mahaparinirvana-sutra

374

25-1

Ch.

389

Fo-ch'ui-pan-nieh-p'an-liao-shuo-chiao-chieh-

ching (mmtmmkffiiffiM)
25-11

Ch. Pan-chou-san-mei-ching (j&JfrHlttciK)
418
Skt. Pratyutpannabuddhasammukhavasthitasamadhisutra

25-111

Ch. Shou-leng-yen-san-mei-ching ( ^ j g H t t H S )Skt. Surangamasamadhi-sutra

642

25-IV

Ch. Chieh-shen-mi-ching (JBgg&iK)
Skt. Samdhinirmocana-sutra

676

25-V

Ch. Yu-lan-p'en-ching (^LfflMl)

685

Skt. Ullambana-sutra (?)
25-VI

Ch. Ssu-shih-erh-chang-ching (E+ZlftlR)

784

26-1

Ch. Wei-mo-chieh-so-shuo-ching (fltffig/ftj&iK)
Skt. Vimalaklrtinirdesa-sutra
Ch. Yueh-shang-nu-ching (M±icM)
Skt. Candrottaradarikapariprccha

475

26-11

480

26-111

Ch. Tso-ch^an-san-mei-chingC^piHB*®)

614

26-IV

Ch. Ta-mo-to-lo-ch^an-chingCitJB^iSlf®)
Skt. Yogacarabhumi-sutra (?)

618

27

Ch. Yueh-teng-san-mei-ching (^JSHttiK)
Skt. Samadhiraj acandrapr adlpa-sutra

639

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.

Title

T. No.

28

Ch. Ju-leng-ch'ieh-ching ( A S M S )Skt. Lankavatara-sutra

671

29-1

Ch. Ta-fang-kuang-yuan-chio-hsiu-to-lo-liao-i-ching

842

29-11

Ch. Su-hsi-ti-chieh-lo-ching (ft&i&MgkM)
Skt. Susiddhikaramahatantrasadhanopayika-patala893

29-111

Ch. Mo-teng-ch'ieh-ching (J*SflJHj|E)
Skt. Matangl-sutra (?)

1300

30-1

Ch. Ta-p'i-lu-che-na-cheng-fo-shen-pien-chia-ch'ih-

848

ching (*&mmmf&»nmmm) _
Skt.
30-11

Mahavairocanabhisambodhivikurvitadhisthanavaipulyasutrendraraja-nama-dharmaparyaya
Ch. Ching-kang-ting-i-ch'ieh-ju-lai-chen-shih-she-ta- 865
ch'eng-hsien-cheng-ta-chiao-wang-ching

Skt.

Sarvatathagatatattvasamgrahamahayanabhisamay amahakalparaj a

31-35

Ch. Mo-ho-seng-ch'i-lii ( * M # f f i # )Skt. Mahasamghika-vinaya (?)

1425

36-42

Ch. Ssu-fen-lii (E3##)
Skt. Dharmaguptaka-vinaya (?)

1428

43,44

Ch. Shan-chien-lii-p'i-p'o-sha ( # J l l # g e i J > )Pali Samantapasadika

1462

45-1

Ch. Fan-wang-ching (%WM)
Skt. Brahmajala-sutra (?)

1484

45-11

Ch. Yu-p'o-sai-chieh-ching (ffgST&R)

1488

Skt. Upasakasila-sutra (?)
46-1

Ch. Miao-fa-lien-hua-ching-yu-po-t'i-she
Skt.

46-11

1519

Saddharmapundarika-upadesa

Ch. Fo-ti-ching-lun (ftiftStffl)
Skt. Buddhabhumisutra-sastra (?)

1530

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.

Title

T. No.

46-111Ch.
Skt.

She-ta-ch'eng-lun (jfcfcSSIfe)
Mahayanasamgraha

1593

47

Ch.
Skt.

Shih-chu-p'i-p'o-sha-lun ( + f t g £ 8 > | f e )Dasabhumika-vibhasa (?)

1521

48,49

Ch.
Skt.

A-p'i-ta-mo-chu-she-lun (WSJtJBft^tfe)
Abhidharmakosa-bhasya

1558

50-59

Ch.
Skt.

Yii-ch'ieh-shih-ti-lun (ftWrpfetni)
Yogacarabhumi

1579

60-1

Ch.
Skt.

Ch'eng-wei-shih-lun (J&VfeMSm)
Vijnaptimatratasiddhi-sastra (?)

1585

60-11

Ch.
Skt.

Wei-shih-san-shih-lun-sung
Trimsika1586

60-111Ch.
Skt.

Wei-shih-erh-shih-lun
Vimsatika

61-1

Ch.
Skt.

Chung-lun (tflft)
Madhyamaka-sastra

61-11(ntSftH+lfeig)(lH£ffcri+i8j)

1590

1564

Ch.

Pien-chung-pien-lun

Skt.

Madhyantavibhaga

61-111Ch.
Skt.

Ta-ch'eng-ch'eng-yeh-lun
Karmasiddhiprakarana(**$*»)

1609

61-IV

Ch.
Skt.

Yin-ming-ju-cheng-li-lun
Nyayapravesa(HWAjESifo)

1630

61-V

Ch.

Chin-kang-chen-lun ( ^ W t U f t )Skt.

VajrasucI

61-VI

Ch.

Chang-so-chih-lun ( # / » & ! & )

62

Ch.
Skt.
Ch.

Ta-ch'eng-chuang-yen-ching-lun (-X^BbKtMWi) 1604
Mahayanasutralamkara
Chiu-ching-i-ch'eng-pao-hsing-lun
1611

Skt.

Ratnagotravibhagamahayanottaratantra-sastra

63-1(^^JSITO)

1600

1642

1645

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.

Title

T. No.

63-11

Ch. P'u-t'i-hsing-ching (gJIfflft)
Skt. Bodhicaryavatara

1662

63-111

Ch. Chin-kang-ting-yii-chleh-chung-fa-a-nou-to-losan-miao-san-p'u-t'i-hsin-lun

1665

63-IV

Ch. Ta-ch'eng-ch'i-hsin-lun (AJRfiftift)
Skt. Mahayanasraddhotpada-sastra (?)

1666

63-V

Ch. Na-hsien-pi-ch'iu-ching (M9c\k&M)
Pali Milindapaiiha

1670

64

Ch. Ta-ch'eng-chi-p'u-sa-hsiieh-lun
Skt. Siksasamuccaya

65

Ch. Shih-mo-ho-yen-lun (ffffSfflflft)

1688

66-1

Ch.

Pan-jo-po-lo-mi-to-hsin-ching-yu-tsan

1710

66-11

Ch.

Kuan-wu-liang-shou-fo-ching-shu

1753

66-111

Ch. San-lun-hsuan-i (HlftSiH)

1852

66-IV

Ch. Chao-lun (Xift)

1858

67,68

Ch. Miao-fa-lien-hua-ching-hsiian-i

1716

69

Ch. Ta-ch'eng-hsiian-lun ( A ^ £ f & )

1853

70-1

Ch.

1866

70-11

Ch. Yuan-jen-lun (IRAife)

1886

70-111

Ch.

1915

70-IV

Ch. T'ien-t'ai-ssu-chiao-i <Xi$mWi^)

1931

71,72

Ch. Mo-ho-chih-kuan (*|BfihR)

1911(***#II#f$i)1636

Hua-yen-i-ch'eng-chiao-i-fen-ch'i-chang

Hsiu-hsi-chih-kuan-tso-ch'an-fa-yao

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.

Title

T. No.

73-1

Ch.

Kuo-ch'ing-pai-lu (HJSWft)

1934

73-11

Ch. Liu-tsu-ta-shih-fa-pao-t'an-ching

2008

73-111

Ch. Huang-po-shan-tuan-chi-ch'an-shih-chHian-

2012A

hsin-fa-yao(HHeOjWflRIIIAiff^SS)

73-IV

Ch. Yung-chia-cheng-tao-ko OJcJSfiliHR)

2014

74-1

Ch. Chen-chou-lin-chi-hui-chao-ch'an-shih-wu-lu

1985(mmmmmmmmmm)
74-11

Ch.

Wu-men-kuan (iSPJIB)

2005

74-111

Ch. Hsin-hsin-ming (ff'frifc)

2010

74-IV
75

Ch. Ch'ih-hsiu-pai-chang-ch'ing-kuei
Ch. Fo-kuo-yuan-wu-ch'an-shih-pi-yen-lu

2025
2003

76-1

Ch. I-pu-tsung-lun-lun (ftgp^ftf^)
Skt. Samayabhedoparacanacakra

2031

76-11

Ch. A-yu-wang-ching (PipgffiK)

2043

Skt. Asokaraja-sutra (?)
76-111

Ch. Ma-ming-p'u-sa-ch'uan ( J g * ^ H # )

2046

76-IV

Ch. Lung-shu-p'u-sa-ch'uan (ffl&W&W)

2047

76-V

Ch. PWou-p'an-tou-fa-shih-ch'uan

2049

76-VI

Ch.

Pi-ch'iu-ni-ch'uan (itfi/EW)

2063

76-VIICh.

Kao-seng-fa-hsien-ch'uan (KJiftHfll)

2085

76-VIII

Ch. Yu-fang-chi-ch'ao: T'ang-ta-ho-shang-tungcheng-ch'uan ( » * I B » : *>*:?n±J|Effifc)

2089-(7)77

Ch. Ta-t'ang-ta-tz'u-en-ssu-san-ts'ang-fa-shih-2053

ch'uan(xmxm&ir^mmmm)

BDK English Tripitaka

Vol. No.

Title

T. No.

78

Ch.

Kao-seng-ch'uan (itSflW)

2059

79

Ch. Ta-t'ang-hsi-yti-chi ( ^ / S B ^ f a)

2087

80

Ch.

Hung-ming-chi (&9J&)

2102

81-92

Ch. Fa-yiian-chu-lin (ffi$l$c#)

2122

93-1

Ch. Nan-hai-chi-kuei-nei-fa-ch'uan

2125

93-11

Ch. Fan-yu-tsa-ming (%!§*££)

2135

94-1

Jp.

Sho-man-gyo-gi-sho ({$£&%£[[)

2185

94-11

Jp.

Yui-ma-kyo-gi-sho (ijfJftlSI&Bfg)

2186

95

Jp.

Hok-ke-gi-sho (}£^«BfO

2187

96-1

Jp.

Han-nya-shin-gyo-hi-ken (jK^frjHftfcft)

2203

96-11

Jp.

Dao-jo-hos-so-ken-jin-sho (^C^ffifflW#*)

2309

96-111Jp.

Kan-jin-kaku-mu-sho (J&Mfc#80)

2312

97-1

Jp.

Ris-shu-ko-yo ( # g ? f i | g )

2348

97-11

Jp.

Ten-dai-hok-ke-shu-gi-shu (55£j£^*5IKfc)

2366

97-111Jp.

Ken-kai-ron (I@$f&)

2376

97-IV

Jp.

San-ge-gaku-sho-shiki (tfjgcf^j£)

2377

98-1

Jp.

Hi-zo-ho-yaku (ftgHMI)

2426

98-11

Jp.

Ben-ken-mitsu-ni-kyo-ron (MM^^^Wa)

2427

98-111Jp.

Soku-shin-jo-butsu-gi (HP#|Efc0M£)

2428

98-IV

Jp.

Sho-ji-jis-so-gi ( S ^ « f f i « )

2429

98-V

Jp.

Un-ji-gi ( f ^ * )

2430

98-VI

Jp.

Go-rin-ku-ji-myo-hi-mitsu-shaku

2514

BDK English Tripitaka

Title

Vol. No.

T. No.

98-VII

Jp.

Mitsu-gon-in-ho tsu-ro-san-ge-mon2527

98-VIII

Jp.

Ko-zen-go-koku-ron

2543

98-IX

Jp.

Fu-kan-za-zen-gi

99-103Jp.

Sho-bo-gen-zo (lE&BSJl)

2582

104-1

Jp.

Za-zen-yo-jin-ki

2586

104-11Jp.

Sen-chaku-hon-gan-nen-butsu-shu

2608

104-III

Jp.

Ris-sho-an-koku-ron ( ALIE5:Bf^)

2688

104-IV

Jp.

Kai-moku-sho (Hfl@#>)

2689

104-V

Jp.

Kan-jin-hon-zon-sho(M't^^ftyP)

2692

104-VICh.

Fu-mu-en-chung-ching(5£SBJM)

105-1

Jp.

Ken-jo-do-shin-jitsu-kyo-gyo-sho-mon-rui

2646

105-11jp

Tan-ni-sho (ifcS£J>)

2661

106-1

JP

Ren-nyo-sho-nin-o-fumi

106-11JP

O-jo-yo-shu

107-1

jP

Has-shu-ko-yo(A^MS)

107-11

JP

San-go-shi-ki(Hitfg'Jf)

107-IIIjp

Map-po-to-myo-ki(^ftlgMffl)

Ju-shichi-jo-ken-po(+±>i$Wfe)

107-IV(^SHUHIm)(^«j4*JPMi)(^#ffl^lB)(3i#P_hA#P:£)(tt^lMft)

2580

2887

2668
2682