Gradual Perfection of All-Wisdom-Virtues Sutra (漸備一切智德經)

Gradual Attainment of All Wisdom, Volume 2

Translator: Dharmarakṣa, Tripiṭaka Master from Yuezhi, Western Jin Dynasty

Chapter 3: Radiant Abiding

Vajragarbha said: "Children of the Buddha! Bodhisattvas, great beings, having fully realized and comprehended the second ground, then enter the third. Immediately they should reflect on ten qualities of their nature and conduct. What are the ten? First, the nature is pure and clear; second, the nature is bright, penetrating, and fluent; third, they dissolve and calm their intentions; fourth, their minds harbor no defilement or impurity; fifth, their aspirations never regress; sixth, their minds are firm and never timid; seventh, their thoughts are supremely elevated and boundless; eighth, their nature is light and agile, not dull; ninth, their conduct is subtle, majestic, and lofty; tenth, their minds are vast and expansive, not constrained or narrow.

If a bodhisattva abides in the third ground, they observe that all things are impermanent, suffering, empty, impure, and unreliable—all things return to decay and cannot long endure. They arise and immediately cease; originally nothing is accomplished. The future has not yet arrived; the present has no fixed abode. They observe that all existences and possessions ultimately end in exhaustion. Having entered this ground of nothingness, everything is sorrow and affliction—dangers, difficulties, and calamities converge, bound in the karma of attachment and aversion, filled with grief. Because everything is impermanent, the fires of desire, anger, and delusion blaze fiercely. They come into being because of this, with no refuge. They observe all this as illusory and magical; all things are terrifying, with no rescue. The mind shifts and moves, and thus one loses the wisdom of the original nature.

They see that the wisdom of the Thus-Gone One is inconceivable, immeasurable, uncountable, extremely vast and lofty, without any triviality, without any calamity—unconditioned, constantly abiding, fearless, supreme, never regressing, providing much rescue and protection. Seeing this equality, they have already seen the Tathāgata's immeasurable holy wisdom. Observing beings' many dangers and afflictions, their compassion for sentient beings increases even more, and their minds practice ten things. What are the ten? First, their minds think of rescuing the orphaned, solitary, and distressed; second, they constantly transform the poor and destitute, leading them into the path of Dharma; third, they extinguish the blazing fires of desire, anger, and delusion; fourth, their minds journey through birth and death without creating chaos; fifth, their minds constantly wish to remove the defilements of dust and labor for those who are not yet awakened; sixth, their minds shine forth, allowing them to train in freedom; seventh, they guide those who have strayed from good Dharma to delight in great elegance; eighth, their minds lead those who have forgotten the Buddha's teachings back to the right path; ninth, their minds rescue those who are confused and following the currents of birth and death, returning them to their source; tenth, their minds, seeing those on foolish paths who are filled with fear, establish them in fearlessness.

Having observed the countless dangers and afflictions of sentient beings—the perils of the three realms—they immediately cultivate diligence, thinking: 'I will rescue all beings, ferry them to liberation, bring them to purity, enable them to transcend, transform them, establish them, encourage them, awaken them, open and reveal to them, and cause them to reach cessation.' Having been able to do this, they reach the unconditioned, universally enter all natures, and thus rescue all sentient beings. Their transformation is like this—possessing all wisdom and the Tathāgata's holy wisdom—their minds diligently cultivate and protect sentient beings.

They further reflect: 'Through what causes and conditions, through what skillful means, can I transform these countless sentient beings who have fallen into suffering, affliction, and the tribulations of defilement, who are being burned, so that they may be established in lasting peace, without further difference, abiding in the unimpeded three gates of liberation?' Having established this dharma, they teach others. Through the unimpeded three gates of liberation's wisdom, without further different practices, they understand all dharmas, know that nothing is truly practiced, comprehend the ultimate truth, guide others in practice, and practice without practicing. With this wisdom and clarity, they no longer observe or listen relying on others' interpretations—they only study the Buddha's path.

They further think: 'What constitutes the foundation of all Buddha-dharma?' It is only through extensive learning and discerning the principles. With this wisdom, they increase their cultivation even more. They diligently seek the true Dharma, focus single-mindedly on practicing it, and contemplate the Dharma day and night, wishing to hear and receive it without weariness. They delight in the Dharma without abandoning it, giving rise to love of Dharma, seeking Dharma, guiding toward Dharma, resolving on Dharma, relying on Dharma, flowing with Dharma, taking refuge in Dharma, rescuing through Dharma, protecting Dharma, and practicing Dharma—skillfully seeking the way of Dharma. They do not covet the limitless treasures of the world, nor do they value the precious fillings of all treasuries. Having attained freedom, they resolve to give. They do not think of difficulty, only of Dharma teachers, who are rare and precious in the world. Because of the Dharma, they cherish nothing—all inner and outer possessions are given away. What they give includes relatives, fields, wealth, treasuries, jewels, necklaces, wives, children, men and women, heads, eyes, hands, feet, ears, noses, muscles, limbs, clothing and food, and even their own lives—for the sake of the scriptures, they are not greedy or reluctant, and can give all. Because of the Dharma, they value and love it extremely. What they use to secure themselves—pearls, wish-fulfilling gems, precious valuables—when giving, they are humble and speak gently. What they give, they do not regret; their bodies and minds are not distressed. Those who receive from them are thereby ferried across. For the Dharma they have not heard, hearing it brings joy greater than gaining a three-thousand-great-thousand-world realm filled with precious treasures. They would rather hear one verse than attain the position of Brahma, Shakra, or a wheel-turning king, and would undergo countless hundreds of thousands of eons of practice.

If someone comes and says: 'What you are now cultivating is the karma of equal, right enlightenment—the bodhisattva's pure practice. If you wish to hear this great true Dharma, throw yourself into a great fire; there is no greater suffering or calamity than this. If you pass beyond this great fire, even if your body endures this distress, you will accomplish Buddhahood.' They then think: 'Now I seek the scriptures for the path. Would I rather love one phrase of Dharma than this body? Even if this three-thousand world were filled with fire up to the Brahma heaven, for the sake of the Dharma I would throw myself into it—how much less a small fire! Even if my life fell into all the hells with painful torment, I would still diligently seek the Dharma codex—how much more when encountering human troubles.'

With this skillful means, they seek the scriptures. If they hear the Dharma, they observe according to the Dharma and single-mindedly comprehend it. When they listen to the scriptures, they subdue their own minds, focusing their thoughts on the supreme path. Recognizing this meaning, they practice the essential Dharma within the scriptures, delighting in the Buddha's path, never acting in vain. Their speech is pure. Reflecting thus, abiding in the bodhisattva ground, they pacify and remove sensual desires, eliminate all evil and unwholesome dharmas, focusing solely on wholesome deeds, with joy and tranquility, accomplishing the first dhyāna.

Again they remove thoughts and conceptions. Within, they become serene, and the mind becomes one, without further ideation. Following along with the times and circumstances, with joy and tranquility, they accomplish the second dhyāna.

Then they delight in renouncing joy, creating peaceful and calm conduct. The mind becomes silent; body and mind are blissful. Just as the sages have spoken, observing the mind, they peacefully abide in the third dhyāna.

Then they remove pleasure, abandon all suffering, exhaust what came before. Without pleasure or pain, single-mindedly and perpetually serene, the mind becomes pure, practicing the fourth dhyāna.

Then they transcend all perceptions of form. Having transcended perceptions of form, they attain perception and non-perception. Entering into names and designations, they contemplate various name-perceptions, and then cultivate the boundless perception of space. Having transcended the perceptions of space, they cultivate and practice the boundless perception of consciousness. Having transcended the perceptions of space, they become unattached and cultivate nothingness. Having passed beyond all practices of nothingness, they cultivate non-perception, yet do not abandon perception. They do not delight in anything else; wherever they arise, they only follow the path of Dharma.

Then they cultivate loving-kindness, vast and boundless, immeasurable, without enmity or hatred, wishing to protect all beings. With one focus encompassing all, they practice with joy, extending loving-kindness to the ten directions. Compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—they practice likewise. Their minds are vast, compassionately protecting without limit, without enmity or hatred, wishing to rescue beings and protect the ten directions. Possessing the four immeasurable minds, all are established in peace.

Then they cultivate various transformations, displaying supernormal powers, shaking heaven and earth. From one body they transform into countless bodies; from countless bodies they return to one body. They penetrate the sky, pass through walls, enter and emerge from mountains, Mount Sumeru, and the Iron Encircling Mountains, without obstruction, like wandering through space. They sit in space, like birds flying; they emerge from and enter the earth, as if entering water; they walk on water as on land. Their bodies emit fire and smoke like a great torch. They observe the sun and moon with majestic supernormal powers, their divine might unlimited. They travel through the four regions, dispelling darkness, touching the palaces of sun and moon with their hands. Their bodies reach far beyond, up to the Brahma heaven.

Their ears hear clearly, purely and penetratingly, surpassing heavenly and human hearing, hearing the voices of gods and humans.

They also know the minds of sentient beings—what they think: whether there is desire or no desire, anger or no anger, delusion or no delusion, defilement or no defilement, small minds or great minds, many minds or few minds, essential minds or non-essential minds, confused minds or right minds, concentrated minds or scattered minds, liberated minds or unliberated minds, supreme minds or unsurpassed minds. They truly see the beginning and end, knowing them all. Thus they distinguish all the various thoughts of sentient beings—good and evil, fortune and misfortune, worldly and transcendent, true and false—nothing is not understood.

They also recognize limitless past abodes: one life, ten lives, a hundred lives, a thousand lives—innumerable past-life events, all discerned. They know the destruction and formation of eons, understanding countless incalculable creations and destructions of heaven and earth. They recall: 'I have passed through such countries and places, with such names and surnames, such foods and drinks, such life spans, such clothing good or bad, such suffering and pleasure. I died there and was born here; died here and born there; died here and born here; died there and born there—wandering through birth and death, then returning again.' Through such analogies, they know limitless past abodes, and this too becomes pure.

Their pure divine eye surpasses all divine eyes. They see beings' birth and death, the destination of good and evil, noble and base, noble and mean, as they have done and received. If beings act well in body, speak well in speech, think well in mind, do not slander sages, and uphold right views, when life ends and the body disperses, they are born in heaven. If beings act badly in body, speak badly in speech, think badly in mind, slander sages, or hold wrong views, when life ends and the body disperses, they fall into hell. With the pure divine eye, they see all gods and humans, all creeping, flying, wriggling creatures, and where their actions of fortune and misfortune, good and evil, lead them.

Then, with one-mind samādhi, they properly enter concentration. When rising from concentration, they do not use this virtue for any rebirth destination—they only observe the fulfillment of the bodhisattva's practices. Wishing to rescue beings, they manifest birth. Abiding in the bodhisattva ground of Radiant Light (Vairocanā), they see countless billions, hundreds of thousands of buddhas in the ten directions. They serve and make offerings: clothing, food, bedding, seats, and medicine for illness. They take refuge in the buddhas, listen to the Dharma they teach. Having heard and received the Dharma, they teach it according to recipients' capacities, never transgressing the Dharma, never destroying the Buddha's teachings. They observe each one, increasing their compassion, treating all beings like their own bodies, no different from relatives, wishing to untie all bonds.

For countless billions of hundreds of thousands of eons, they cut off wrong views and desires; the mind does not dwell in speech, and also eliminates wrong anger and delusion. Just as a skilled goldsmith works gold, making bracelets, hairpins, rings, necklaces, and ornaments—all done beautifully. The bodhisattva likewise, abiding in the Radiant Light ground, uses silence to dissolve all views, desire, anger, and delusion. With this root of virtue, their practice increases majestically, purity grows daily, gradually perfecting virtue, gentleness, and forbearance. They uphold precepts without violation. Their minds do not harbor resentment or anger; their nature is without flattery; their minds are composed, not impulsive. In all they do, they do not rush to finish; when accomplishments are completed, they do not practice sycophancy. Without hypocrisy, their nature accepts nothing impure; their conduct is very pure.

With the four means of attraction, they proclaim love and respect, practicing beneficial conduct. Their inner resolve is sincere and generous. In the ten perfections, forbearance and diligence, their ferrying across is boundless—they earnestly cultivate this. They also teach and transform other bodhisattvas, being careful and pure. This is the third ground of the great bodhisattvas, called Radiant Light.

When bodhisattvas abide here, their faculties are penetrating. If they become a heavenly king, they wield skillful means in their establishments. If they practice giving, they perform respectful love; if they cultivate benefit, their minds are always single. They contemplate the Buddha without abandoning, attaining universal recollection, thinking of the karma of all wisdom: 'Through what practices can I bring beings to the most noble state, attaining universal understanding, becoming the guide for all?' In a moment of resolve, their diligence surpasses all—they instantly attain hundreds and thousands of samādhis."

At that time, the great being Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, wishing to further elaborate on the essence of this teaching, proclaimed these verses: