Great Vehicle Yoga Vajra Nature Ocean Mañjuśrī Thousand-Armed Thousand-Bowl Great King Sutra (大乘瑜伽金剛性海曼殊室利千臂千缽大教王經)

The Great Vehicle Yoga Vajra Essence Sea Manjushri Thousand-Armed Thousand-Bowl Great King of Teachings Sutra, Volume 4

Translated by Master Amoghavajra of the Tripitaka, from Daxingshan Temple, under Imperial Edict

At that time, the Thus-Come One instructed Bodhisattva Puming to expound the boundless Dharma treasury and the contemplation of ultimate reality.

Thirdly, in the eastern world of Boundless Radiance, the great Bodhisattva Puming, before the assembly of the Thus-Come One, further proclaimed for all the great Bodhisattvas present the secret treasury of the inherently pure true nature—the contemplation of ultimate reality—so that future Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings might cultivate entry into the ocean treasury of all Buddhas' Prajna Paramita samadhi.

At that time, Bodhisattva Puming, together with all the Buddhas, declared: The merit of all Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings in worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, practicing the Bodhisattva path and cultivating merits in life after life, does not equal the merit of practicing Manjushri's vows and conduct for a single day and night in this Saha world. Why? Because one who does so cultivates patience and Manjushri's vows and conduct within the patient endurance of Jambudvipa, thereby surpassing pure Buddha lands and swiftly attaining Buddhahood through the support of sacred power.

Then the Thus-Come One Shakyamuni addressed the great Bodhisattvas: "Puming Bodhisattva is able to make vast, great vows to liberate sentient beings." At that time, the World-Honored One praised before the assembly the inconceivable nature of Puming Bodhisattva, who, together with all Buddhas and Thus-Come Ones, proclaimed the merit of Manjushri's vows and conduct, enabling all sentient beings to practice the Bodhisattva path in the world of endurance.

Then the Thus-Come One Shakyamuni taught all Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings the Vairocana Buddha's vajra samadhi, so that the great Bodhisattvas might cultivate the vajra three-secret samadhi of all Thus-Come Ones, abiding in the pure true suchness Dharma treasury and the contemplation of ultimate reality.

Therefore, Bodhisattva Puming, receiving the Thus-Come One's teaching, together with all the great Bodhisattvas, again addressed the World-Honored One before the Thus-Come One: "We Bodhisattvas vow to follow the Thus-Come One's teaching and cultivate entry into this samadhi, the vajra three-secret three-bodhi contemplation of ultimate reality."

Thus Bodhisattva Puming and the others prostrated to the Thus-Come One, saying: "May the Buddha bless us, so that we may enter the Vairocana Thus-Come One's samadhi nature sea, Dharma treasury, and Dharma body. We Bodhisattvas, following the Thus-Come One's words, shall enter this contemplation and likewise see within our own bodies the equal nature, the Dharma realm, and emptiness—manifesting in our self-nature's equal Dharma realm, vast and unconstrained, freely entering and exiting, with boundless spiritual functions. The nature sea embraces all worlds of the ten directions and three times. All sentient beings of the Dharma realm appear therein, and the Buddhas' samadhi great wisdom light, the signless nature sea, also manifests. From this samadhi arise all the Dharma establishments of the ten directions, containing all Buddhas' wisdom, liberation, sacred nature, bodhi, and Bodhisattvas' wisdom vows. It enables countless Buddha lands, as numerous as dust motes, to interpenetrate and vanish into one another, unobstructedly encompassing the boundless Dharma realm, accomplishing the treasury of all Buddhas' merit and revealing the vast vow seas of all Thus-Come Ones. Likewise, the vows and conduct of all great Bodhisattvas and the Dharma wheel of all Buddhas flow forth as inexhaustible Prajna Paramita, enabling Bodhisattvas to proclaim and uphold it without cessation."

Then, in this very world, the great Bodhisattva Puming, before the World-Honored One, entered samadhi again, realizing the Dharma realm samadhi, the Buddha's subtle unobstructed sacred wisdom, and obtaining the great illuminating wisdom and Buddha-eye vision of all Thus-Come Ones. Through the sacred nature wisdom and power of Puming Bodhisattva, he entered the Dharma body of all Buddhas and manifested all Buddha lands. Within this land, countless Buddha lands as numerous as dust motes appeared; within each mote of dust in all those Buddha lands, there were pure Buddha lands; within each Buddha land, there were Buddhas as numerous as dust motes. Before each Buddha, Puming Bodhisattva again stood in the Thus-Come One's presence.

Puming then addressed the World-Honored One, saying: "May the Thus-Come One bless me again, so that I may enter the vajra samadhi of all Buddhas." At that time, Bodhisattva Puming then realized the Vairocana Thus-Come One's vajra Dharma treasury samadhi, causing all Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings to share the vow to cultivate entry into this inherently pure true suchness Dharma treasury samadhi and the contemplation of ultimate reality.

How should one cultivate entry into this contemplation? A Bodhisattva should contemplate the mind-ground, awakening the mind's wisdom. Only by illuminating the mind's nature with subtle contemplation and awakening, perceiving the mind's essence as unmoving, realizing the unmoving awakening, can one then use it constantly. Through contemplation, one sees the mind's nature as pure; the nature, free from thoughts, is empty of all grasping—the mind equal to space, thereby realizing sacred wisdom. The suchness sacred nature, both calm and clear, empty and without substance, still and serene—this is called the Bodhisattva's realization of the true suchness Dharma realm seal and the contemplation of ultimate reality.

Therefore, all the great Bodhisattvas, the fourfold assembly, and virtuous men and women, having heard the great Bodhisattva Puming proclaim the Buddha's true suchness Dharma treasury and contemplation of ultimate reality for the assembly and future Bodhisattvas, all felt reverence and trust, accepting and practicing it accordingly.

Thus have I heard the Tathāgata's secret vajra Buddha-eye, the pure and boundless Dharma-realm samādhi, the undefiled sacred nature. It enables all great Bodhisattvas to realize the five eyes with unobstructed vision. It also enables all future Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings to enter the Tathāgata's great Bodhi, vajra wisdom, and the ocean of all-knowledge.

Therefore, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Sushanhu (Inconceivable) proclaimed: "If any great Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva or any sentient being wishes to swiftly attain supreme Bodhi, they should cultivate this vajra samādhi—the contemplation of the five eyes without obstruction. How does one enter this contemplation? First, one must awaken the Bodhisattva's vast, inexhaustible great vows and the four immeasurable minds. Then one may enter this contemplation of the five eyes without obstruction, realizing the Buddha-mind samādhi, the Samādhi of the Dharma-realm nature-sea, and enter the Tathāgata's boundless equanimity, boundless secret nature, boundless vajra wisdom, boundless equal wisdom, boundless four-wisdom ocean, and boundless true sacred nature samādhi.

A Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who abides in this vajra samādhi and its meditative absorption skillfully comprehends all dharmas through the Tathāgata's profound wisdom. They know the Buddha-Dharma's nature, the freely sovereign sacred wisdom, and the emptiness of the Dharma-realm—unmoving and unchanging. They reveal the boundless wheel of Dharma and boundless virtues, causing all Bodhisattvas to enter the samādhi of the Buddha-cloud ocean and the vajra Bodhi, swiftly attaining the Tathāgata's ten kinds of nature-sea samādhis.

What are these ten nature-sea samādhis?

One: By realizing this samādhi of the Buddha-nature sea, all karmic offenses of body, speech, and mind—including deceptive speech and false thoughts—are completely dissolved. One realizes the pure, true sacred nature and sees the wisdom-body of all Buddhas.

Two: By realizing this samādhi of the Buddha-wisdom nature-sea, one causes oneself and others to eliminate killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Past offenses are repented and dissolved. One naturally tames all views, and body and mind abide in samādhi.

Three: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the Buddha-nature sea, one causes oneself and others to eliminate the four verbal offenses and all unwholesome deeds. Once eliminated, one uses the wisdom eye to see the emptiness of the five aggregates.

Four: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the nature-sea of all dharmas, one causes oneself and others to eliminate the three poisons and all mental karmic offenses. The mind-ground becomes pure, entering the unborn mind and unmoving wisdom, with free spiritual function, reaching the Tathāgata's Dharma-realm sacred nature Dharma-gate.

Five: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the inexhaustible nature-sea of boundless virtues, one causes oneself and others to clearly discern the characteristics of dharmas, enter the ultimate truth, contemplate and examine, and cultivate the sacred Bodhi nature. Buddha-wisdom becomes perfectly complete.

Six: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of free spiritual function, one causes oneself and others to widely practice Bodhisattva conduct, manifest sacred wisdom and Dharma-power, empower all Bodhisattvas, and awaken them into the Tathāgata's Bodhi nature-ground.

Seven: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the Buddha's fundamental vajra-wisdom nature-sea, one sees the various distinctions of causes and conditions, and skillfully understands all meanings of the Tathāgata's dharmas.

Eight: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the Tathāgata's Dharma-power wisdom-nature treasury-sea, one causes oneself and others to awaken to and broadly penetrate all Buddha-wisdom, enter the sacred land of Dharma, the Prajñā nature-sea, and reach the Buddha's sacred wisdom and Bodhi path.

Nine: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the all-knowledge nature-sea, one practices the Tathāgata's profound Bodhi conduct, causing oneself and others to awaken into the hundred gates of wisdom, swiftly perfecting all Buddha-wisdoms.

Ten: By cultivating and realizing this samādhi of the Tathāgata's original vow and boundless nature-sea, one causes oneself and others to cultivate and enter the supreme equal ground, perfectly accomplishing the Buddha's sacred conduct, the Tathāgata's Dharma-body, and the Bodhi Dharma-treasury."

At that time, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Sushanhu caused all Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings to cultivate and enter this pure, boundless Dharma-realm contemplation of the five eyes without obstruction.

How does one enter this contemplation? The Bodhisattva turns the mind-eye inward to reflect and see, using the wisdom mind-eye to contemplate inner tranquility. The wisdom eye illuminates the emptiness of the five aggregates. When the wisdom eye is still and stillness and wisdom are one substance, one sees the mind-ground pure, serene illumination without seeing—this is called the flesh eye.

Contemplating with the mind-eye, wisdom and insight correspond. Using illumination to mirror the still substance, the mind-eye is unobstructed. The wisdom eye is bright and pure—this is called the heavenly eye.

Carefully contemplating consciousness and its functions, distinguishing the stillness of its nature, using consciousness and wisdom clearly, with wisdom-contemplation illuminating the nature, one clearly sees the nature of dharmas—this is called the wisdom eye.

Carefully contemplating Dharma-wisdom and what it knows, clearly seeing the boundless sacred nature of Dharma-meaning, and seeing one's own wisdom-nature—this is called the Dharma eye.

Contemplating stillness and nirvāṇa, awakening to tranquility, nature identical with the Dharma-realm, the Dharma-nature without substance. Awakening is true purity, and the ultimate reality is without awakening. Clearly seeing the nature—this is called the Buddha eye.

Therefore, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Sushanhu personally realized and awakened into this Tathāgata vajra samādhi—the contemplation of the five eyes without obstruction. He caused all Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings to cultivate and enter this samādhi of the five eyes' sacred nature without obstruction. He also caused all future Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings to study and practice this contemplation, swiftly ascending to the unsurpassed path and quickly attaining Anuttarā Samyak Sambodhi.