Sutra of the Buddha's Teaching on the Questions of Bodhisatt (佛說除蓋障菩薩所問經)

Sutra of the Questions of the Bodhisattva Sarvanivaranavishkambhin, Volume 8, Spoken by the Buddha

Translated by Dharma Protector and Others, Imperial Command.

Next, what are the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha? They are:

1. The Buddha's body never tires. 2. The Buddha's speech is never harsh or impulsive. 3. The Buddha never loses mindfulness. 4. The Buddha's mind is never unsettled. 5. The Buddha never holds onto various conflicting thoughts. 6. The Buddha never abandons beings without discernment. 7. The Buddha's aspiration never diminishes. 8. The Buddha's effort never decreases. 9. The Buddha's mindfulness never fades. 10. The Buddha's concentration never weakens. 11. The Buddha's wisdom never lessens. 12. The Buddha's liberation and liberating knowledge never decline. 13. The Buddha perceives the past without attachment or obstruction. 14. The Buddha perceives the future without attachment or obstruction. 15. The Buddha perceives the present without attachment or obstruction. 16. In all physical actions, the Buddha's wisdom guides and leads. 17. In all verbal actions, the Buddha's wisdom guides and leads. 18. In all mental actions, the Buddha's wisdom guides and leads.

These are the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha.

What is the Tathagata's Great Compassion? Good people, because of diligent practice toward the thirty-two signs, the Tathagata's great compassionate mind arises, manifesting inconceivable signs throughout the boundless worlds in the ten directions, all emerging from the Tathagata's great compassionate mind. What are the thirty-two signs? They are:

First, all dharmas are without self, yet beings cannot believe or understand this principle of no-self; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion for beings.

Second, all dharmas are without a sentient being, yet beings cling to the idea of a self; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Third, all dharmas are without a life span, yet beings cling to the idea of life; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Fourth, all dharmas are without a person, yet beings become attached to the concept of a person; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Fifth, all dharmas are without inherent nature, yet beings hold views of inherent nature; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Sixth, all dharmas are unobstructed, yet beings cling to obstructions; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Seventh, all dharmas are without hidden stores, yet beings delight in clinging to them; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Eighth, all dharmas are without a master, yet beings are attached to the idea of self; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Ninth, all dharmas are without ownership, yet beings grasp and hold on; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Tenth, all dharmas are without form, yet beings cling to objects; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Eleventh, all dharmas are without lineage, yet beings seize and attach to it; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twelfth, all dharmas are neither born nor cease, yet beings cling to birth and cessation; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Thirteenth, all dharmas are undefiled, yet beings generate defilement themselves; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Fourteenth, all dharmas are free from craving, yet beings generate craving; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Fifteenth, all dharmas are free from anger, yet beings generate anger; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Sixteenth, all dharmas are free from ignorance, yet beings generate ignorance; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Seventeenth, all dharmas have no coming, yet beings grasp at various realms; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Eighteenth, all dharmas have no going, yet beings cling to existence; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Nineteenth, all dharmas are without action, yet beings act within actions; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twentieth, all dharmas are without conceptual elaboration, yet beings delight in such elaboration; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-first, all dharmas are empty, yet beings hold views of existence; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-second, all dharmas are without characteristics, yet beings cling to characteristics of objects; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-third, all dharmas are without wishes, yet beings pursue their wishes; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-fourth, when beings gather together in the world, they quarrel and give rise to all faults like craving and anger; the Tathagata, seeing this, teaches the Dharma to help them cut off these faults; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-fifth, when beings gather together in the world, they practice inverted views, tread dangerous evil paths, and dwell in wrong places; to lead them into the path of reality, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-sixth, when beings gather together in the world, their miserliness grows, and they take others' property without satisfaction; to help them attain the holy wealth of virtue, learning, renunciation, and wisdom, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-seventh, beings in the world, due to craving for houses, property, spouses, and children, degrade themselves like servants, imagining what is unreal as real; the Buddha teaches them the Dharma, showing that all is ultimately impermanent; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-eighth, beings in the world deceive each other to obtain a livelihood through hardship; the Buddha teaches them the Dharma so that beings may live by pure livelihood; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Twenty-ninth, beings in the world relentlessly pursue fame and profit without satisfaction; to help them truly understand and become content, ultimately ending suffering and attaining nirvana's bliss, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Thirtieth, beings in the world constantly generate craving, dwelling in a vessel of suffering, always defiled; the Buddha teaches them the Dharma so they may transcend the three realms; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Thirty-first, because all dharmas are free from causes, beings become lazy and create obstacles to the gate of liberation through the holy Dharma; the Buddha teaches them the true Dharma of liberation so that beings may practice diligence; therefore, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

Thirty-second, beings in the world abandon the supreme, unattached sublime wisdom and excellent nirvana, seeking the inferior nirvana of the disciples and solitary awakened ones; to help them love and seek the vast Buddha wisdom, the Tathagata arouses great compassion.

“Good man! Because the Thus-Come One practices these thirty-two marks, the mind of great compassion arises. When a Bodhisattva diligently practices these thirty-two marks and arouses the mind of great compassion, that great Bodhisattva will perfect vast and brilliant radiance in a field of merit and virtue, and will accomplish actions that benefit sentient beings without regression. Therefore, know this: the scope of these countless and infinite independent qualities—even if Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, or those dwelling in the highest realms of time were to proclaim them—cannot be fully grasped. What is taught here is only a small portion, given merely to cause all sentient beings to generate supreme pure faith and joy. This is how Bodhisattvas nourish and prolong the life of all sentient beings’ wholesome qualities without any disturbance.”

Good man! What is the Bodhisattva's boundless Dharma-cloud that, brimming with moisture, upholds and sustains a vast rain of Dharma? Just as the wind in the world is without boundary—its massive, stable wind-wheel universally supports all worlds, whether they are forming or dissolving; and just as it supports the water-clouds, the great oceans, the four continents, Mount Sumeru, Mount Muclinḍa, Great Mount Muclinḍa, Mount Snowy, the Iron Ring Mountains, the Great Iron Ring Mountains, Mount Fragrance-intoxicated, as well as forests, palaces, and pavilions—so too does the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s boundless Dhāraṇī-wind-wheel act.

It fully supports the clouds of perfect enlightenment, pouring forth a vast, unobstructed rain of Dharma. In all worlds, it perfectly accomplishes the Buddha’s virtuous qualities. According to the teaching, the distinctions of the world—such as Mount Sumeru and the rest—correspond to the hundred blessings of merit, the ten grounds (bhūmis), the ten perfections (pāramitās), the thirteen concentrations (samādhis), the twelve dhāraṇīs, the six super-knowledges (abhijñās), the ten masteries (vaśitās), the ten powers (balas), the four kinds of fearlessness (vaiśāradyas), the four types of unhindered understanding (pratisaṃvids), and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha (āveṇikadharmas), along with the great compassion (mahākaruṇā) and all the other qualities of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Moreover, it constantly upholds all the hundreds of thousands of Dharma categories of the world and the transcendental world, ensuring their complete fulfillment. This is the Bodhisattva’s boundless Dharma-cloud that, brimming with moisture, upholds and sustains the vast rain of Dharma.

"Good sir! What is the Bodhisattva's great Dharma, the magnificent adorned sacred hall adorned with exquisite decorations? Just as the wind in the world can universally blow and spread all decorated sacred halls, arrange them in various ways to be supremely beautiful and lovely, and likewise blows through all trees' branches, leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits, as well as all parts of sentient beings' bodies—all constantly blown by the power of wind. The Bodhisattva's wind is likewise the same: using boundless, unimpeded, unattached liberating insight, eloquence, and wisdom, they can skillfully establish all worldly and transcendent Dharma gates—arranged, complete, illuminated, and revealed in the most supreme, sublime, and various teachings. What are these? This appearance is the result of evil destinies; this is the result of good destinies; this is the result of higher cultivation; this is hell; this is hungry ghosts; this is animals; this is humans; this is gods; this is wheel-turning kings; this is Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardian gods; this is having good looks, family, intelligence, and merit; this is clear wisdom and skillful planning; this is artistic skill; this is skillfully understanding various scriptural traditions; this is the Śrāvaka vehicle's Dharma leading to the fruit of arhatship; this is the Pratyekabuddha vehicle's Dharma leading to the fruit of a solitary Buddha; this is the Great Vehicle's Dharma endowed with all sublime marks, perfectly fulfilling self-benefit and benefiting others, accomplishing Samantabhadra's supreme wisdom—right down to: these are the ten stages, the ten perfections, the thirteen concentrations, the twelve dhāraṇīs, the six superknowledges, the three insights, the ten masteries, the eight liberations, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities."

Good man! A bodhisattva skillfully establishes these and countless other teachings, such as the Lotus Adornment and other dhāraṇī methods, arranging them with exquisite craftsmanship as ornaments of the Dharma. This is the bodhisattva’s great Dharma—a magnificent, well-adorned pavilion, beautifully decorated and laid out with splendor.

"Good man! What is the Bodhisattva's adornment of the Tree of All Assemblies, which constantly and decisively brings forth the rain of sublime and wonderful Dharma flowers that bring joy? Just as the forest of Kalpa trees, struck by the wind, constantly rains down various fragrant flowers, precious treasures, garments, drums, and musical instruments—all adornments complete in every way—these adornments flow forth continuously, causing gods and humans alike to experience the highest pleasure, joy, freedom from worry, and contentment. They play and delight in games, constantly adorned with radiant forms, their strength, vigor, and happiness never diminishing. The Bodhisattva's wisdom wind is likewise. The Bodhisattva, constantly in the pure world of the Tathāgata and within the great Dharma assemblies, proclaims to all beings the twelve divisions of teachings: sutras, gathas, prophesies, hymns, parables, dependent origination, self-spoken discourses, past lives, previous births, vast teachings, uncommon doctrines, and treatise and commentary. He rains down such true Dharma jewel-flowers, and for all beings, in matters of compliance and opposition, of conditioned habits, he teaches and instructs them step by step from the beginning. Additionally, regarding all conditioned matters of the worldly realm, he leads them with teachings and instructions, realizing the selfless, quiescent, pure nature of Dharma. He reveals and opens up all universal gates of Dharma, distills the essence of Dharma-nature, and guides beings into the inconceivable, magical-like quality of Dharmas, revealing the great wisdom of the magical-like Dharma gate. Furthermore, he enables beings to increase their delight in all the pleasures of Dharmas' playful activities. All questions and answers have neither middle nor limit, and he skillfully initiates them, universally bringing joy. He constantly ensures that beings, within the garden of true Dharma, with blameless body, speech, and mind, experience delight and play without giving rise to weariness or retreat. He causes gods and humans alike to enjoy abundant sense -pleasures, with virtuous qualities never diminishing, the light of wisdom shining brightly, and they forever abide in the most supreme and pure Dharma. This is the Bodhisattva's adornment of the Tree of All Assemblies, which constantly and decisively brings forth the rain of sublime and wonderful Dharma flowers that bring joy.

Good man! How does a bodhisattva establish, over countless aeons, a sacred assembly of purity—accumulating a vast ocean of meditative absorption, liberation, and wisdom teachings—which spreads like a magnificent mountain radiating sunlight, like a network of sublime palaces and mountain ranges, and serves both to mature and tame all beings? How does the bodhisattva dwell skillfully in the ultimate state with no fixed support, following the wind of wisdom that turns the wheel of liberation?

Consider a world-destroying wind at the end of an age: it is unimpeded, immense in force, and rapidly sweeps across the entire universe, grinding countless Mount Sumerus, iron mountains, and vast oceans into powder, leaving not a trace in the vast, empty sky. The wind of a bodhisattva is the same. Accumulated over countless aeons through a variety of merits and wisdom, the bodhisattva's immense power manifests countless miraculous transformations. It skillfully turns the pure and unimpeded wheel of the teaching and produces a wondrous voice to tame all audiences universally.

Thus, from this wind of wisdom arises the treasury of the teaching. Those who are tamed see the supreme, luminous, and unattached way of the highest teachings. With great effort, profound focus, and a mind settled within, they enter meditative absorption. All their perceptions, feelings, formations, consciousness, and the phenomenal world are scattered. Their actions, born of a body with no true self, are understood as false distinctions. They transcend the entire worldly realm. Then, they realize the inconceivable signless excellence beyond the world, perfect blessings. Dwelling with this state and following it, they attain supreme purity, abide at the final limit, and leave all sorrow behind.

This is how a bodhisattva establishes, over countless aeons, a sacred assembly of purity—accumulating a vast ocean of meditative absorption, liberation, and wisdom teachings—spreading it like a magnificent mountain radiating sunlight, like a network of sublime palaces and mountain ranges, and serves both to mature and tame all beings. The bodhisattva dwells skillfully in that ultimate state with no fixed support, following the wind of wisdom that turns the wheel of liberation.

Good man! A bodhisattva who cultivates these ten qualities is truly like the wind.

Then Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, the great being, addressed the Buddha, saying: "How rare, O World-Honored One! How rare, O Well-Gone One! You have so excellently taught this vast and profound Dharma, endowed with all excellent qualities, bringing joy to all Bodhisattva-mahasattvas. World-Honored One! Should gods or humans come to believe, understand, and practice this Dharma as taught, they shall, as the Buddha has said, attain all blessings, experience supreme bliss, and dwell in comfort and freedom, equal even to Brahma kings, Indra, and the guardian gods of the world. As for all benefits in this life and the next, perfect achievements for the welfare of others—these matters we will not elaborate here."