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The Tibetan does not include the word “no” in connection with the disturbing emotions. Given the context, however, this appears to be a scribal error.
The list also includes one type of stone (Tib. a mra gar ba) that we have been unable to identify.
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
Four contemplations on (1) the body, (2) feelings, (3) mind, and (4) phenomena.
The general term from ancient India for any member of the ordained Buddhist saṅgha.
Determination, discernment, diligence, and meditative concentration.
Modern Vārāṇasi.
Mindfulness, discrimination, diligence, joy, pliability, absorption, and equanimity.
Can refer to the teaching of the Buddha as well as the dharmas that constitute an awakened being.
One of the three realms of saṃsāra, characterized by a prevalence of desire.
Possibly, this is identical to the eight worldly dharmas: hoping for happiness, fame, praise, and gain, and fearing suffering, slander, blame, and loss.
Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as: (1) he never makes a mistake, (2) he is never boisterous, (3) he never forgets, (4) his concentration never falters, (5) he has no notion of distinctness, (6) his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, (7) his motivation never falters, (8) his endeavor never fails, (9) his mindfulness never falters, (10) he never abandons his concentration, (11) his insight (prajñā) never decreases, (12) his liberation never fails, (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (16) his wisdom and vision perceive the past without attachment or hindrance, (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without attachment or hindrance, and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without attachment or hindrance.
Correct view, intention, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen elements (eye, form, and eye consciousness; ear, sound, and ear consciousness; nose, odor, and nose consciousness; tongue, taste, and tongue consciousness; body, touch, and body consciousness; mind, mental objects, and mind consciousness).
Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge.
See “fourfold fearlessness.”
Describing the result of committing one of five particularly heinous crimes: (1) killing one’s father, (2) killing one’s mother, (3) killing an arhat, (4) maliciously drawing blood from a buddha, and (5) causing a schism in the sangha. In this sūtra, Mañjuśrī describes a corresponding set of five acts with immediate consequences that bodhisattvas should, in fact, perform.
Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge. Although the same as the faculties, they are termed “powers” due to their greater strength.
Also translated “reference point” q.v.
Conceptual mind. Also translated “focus” q.v.
One of the three realms of saṃsāra, characterized by coarse materiality similar to the desire realm.
One of the three realms of saṃsāra, characterized by having only a subtle mental form.
Genuine discrimination with respect to dharmas, meaning, language, and eloquence.
Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.
A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the bodhisattva vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.
The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.
The realm of the Buddha Ratnaketu.
Jinamitra was invited to Tibet during the reign of King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ᴄᴇ) and was involved with the translation of nearly two hundred texts, continuing into the reign of King Ralpachen (ral pa can, r. 815–38 ᴄᴇ). He was one of the small group of paṇḍitas responsible for the Mahāvyutpatti Sanskrit–Tibetan dictionary.
Same as Mahākāśyapa.
The ultimate experience of reality, a close synonym of nirvāṇa.
A bodhisattva god in the assembly receiving Buddha Śākyamuni’s teachings.
A senior student of Buddha Śākyamuni, famous for his austere lifestyle.
Literally “Youthful Mañjuśrī.” See “Mañjuśrī.”
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.
Literally “Youthful Mañjuśrī.” See “Mañjuśrī.”
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.
The third level of noble ones when practicing the path of the hearers (bound to never be reborn).
The second level of noble ones when practicing the path of the hearers (bound to be born again no more than once).
The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.
A buddha who lives in the realm known as Jewel World.
Also translated “reference point” q.v.
Conceptual mind. Also translated “focus” q.v.
The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings.
The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.
These can be listed as twelve or as six sense sources (sometimes also called sense fields, bases of cognition, or simply āyatanas).
In the context of epistemology, it is one way of describing experience and the world in terms of twelve sense sources, which can be divided into inner and outer sense sources, namely: (1–2) eye and form, (3–4) ear and sound, (5–6) nose and odor, (7–8) tongue and taste, (9–10) body and touch, (11–12) mind and mental phenomena.
In the context of the twelve links of dependent origination, only six sense sources are mentioned, and they are the inner sense sources (identical to the six faculties) of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
The element, or nature, of ultimate reality.
A person who has entered the “stream” of practice that leads to nirvāṇa. The first of the four attainments of the path of the hearers.
The ten levels of a bodhisattva’s development into a fully enlightened buddha.
Killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, gossip, covetousness, ill will, and wrong views.
The ten powers gained by bodhisattvas as they progress on the path: life, deeds, necessities, devotion, aspiration, miraculous abilities, birth, doctrine, mind, and wisdom.
Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the four applications of mindfulness, the four thorough relinquishments, the four bases of miraculous power, the five faculties, the five powers, the eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.
Relinquishing negative acts in the present and the future, and enhancing positive acts in the present and the future.
See “eighteen unique qualities of a buddha.”
A hair between the eyebrows of a buddha. One of the marks of an awakened being.
’phags pa kun rdzob dang don dam pa’i bden pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryasaṃvṛtiparamārthasatyanirdeśanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 179, Degé Kangyur, vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 244b–266b.
’phags pa kun rdzob dang don dam pa’i bden pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur]. krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 60, pp. 653–707.
Vose, Kevin A. Resurrecting Candrakīrti: Disputes in the Tibetan Creation of Prāsaṅgika. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2009.
In Teaching the Relative and Ultimate Truths, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is summoned by Buddha Śākyamuni from a faraway buddha realm to teach in a way that demolishes all dualistic experience. As Mañjuśrī begins to teach, the main message of the sūtra unfolds as an explanation of the two truths. The general theme of Mañjuśrī’s discourse is centered on the particular circumstances in Ratnaketu’s buddha realm, but the message is equally applicable to the experiences of beings here in this world.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Miguel Sawaya and Andreas Doctor produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Catherine Dalton compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. The translators are grateful to Khenpo Trokpa Tulku, Lama Karma Oser, and Lama Tenzin Sangpo from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery for their assistance in resolving several difficult passages.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Teaching the Relative and Ultimate Truths is a sūtra significant in the canon of the Great Vehicle, concerned as it is with one of the key themes of Buddhist philosophy, the two truths. These two principles are (1) the relative truth (understanding the world as it appears); and (2) the ultimate truth (understanding the world as it is). Since this bifurcation of reality is one of the frameworks underlying the entirety of Buddhist thought, the message of this sūtra is of importance for all Buddhist traditions, and for the Great Vehicle in particular.
Some readers may be surprised that most of the teaching delivered in this sūtra is spoken not by the Buddha himself, but by his disciple Mañjuśrī. However, as readers familiar with the Great Vehicle sūtras will have noticed, in this literature the Buddha often encourages his students to teach, and subsequently endorses their lectures as bona fide “words of the Buddha” (buddhavacana). In this way Mañjuśrī’s teaching becomes authentic scripture through the awakened activity of the Buddha himself. Still, before Mañjuśrī can deliver his eloquent teaching, he must first arrive in this world, as it turns out that he has temporarily taken up residence in a distant buddha realm, known as Jewel World.
The sūtra, which takes place on Vulture Peak Mountain—a hill just outside the ancient city of Rājagṛha, capital of what was then the state of Magadha—begins with a bodhisattva god named Lord of Peace and Calm asking the Buddha where Mañjuśrī might be found. The Buddha announces that Mañjuśrī has moved to a buddha realm many thousands of world systems away. There, the Buddha explains, Mañjuśrī lives in the assembly of another buddha, Ratnaketu. Lord of Peace and Calm politely requests the Buddha to send a signal to Mañjuśrī summoning him to this world, since Mañjuśrī is the only bodhisattva who is able to teach in a way that demolishes all dualistic experience or, as the text describes it, experience that involves “reference points.”
The Buddha obliges and immediately sends forth a light from the magical hair between his eyebrows. The light inspires Mañjuśrī to return to this world, this time joined on his travels by an enormous assembly of bodhisattvas from the buddha realm of Ratnaketu. They arrive and, accompanied by much pomp and festivity, they offer proper worship to Buddha Śākyamuni. Once they have settled here in this world, Mañjuśrī is asked to give the assembly a teaching just like the instructions offered by Buddha Ratnaketu in his far-off buddha realm.
As Mañjuśrī begins to teach, the main message of the sūtra unfolds in the form of an explanation of the two truths. The general theme of Mañjuśrī’s discourse is centered on the particular circumstances in Ratnaketu’s buddha realm, but the message is equally applicable to the experiences of beings here in this world.
There are two truths, Mañjuśrī teaches. There is the relative truth in which all types of experiences unfold—good and bad, virtuous and nonvirtuous, pleasant and painful, awakened and confused. This truth also includes all the spiritual trainings that take an ordinary being along the path to the state of awakening itself. And then there is the ultimate truth, in which it is realized that all the phenomena experienced on the relative level are, in their most fundamental state, in Mañjuśrī’s words, “unborn, unarisen, and unreal.” This is the truth that is experienced by awakened beings. Still, even though awakened beings perceive the unborn, unarisen, and unreal nature of all phenomena, they actively participate in the relative aspect of things. In relative terms, awakened beings carry out the trainings on the path, guide confused beings toward the liberated state, and perform a multitude of services to beings in general. Nevertheless, as Mañjuśrī teaches again and again in this sūtra, they train without training, they guide without guiding, and they serve without serving. Through such paradoxical expressions, Mañjuśrī describes the experiences of those who have direct understanding of both the ultimate and relative truths.
The teaching unfolds organically as Mañjuśrī responds to a series of questions put by several of the bodhisattvas in Buddha Śākyamuni’s retinue. Although the recurring theme of the teaching remains the nature of the two truths, Mañjuśrī covers a variety of topics specific to the questions asked. In this way he describes the qualities of both the hearers and bodhisattvas in Buddha Ratnaketu’s circle and the moral trainings (vinaya) that they observe.
Interestingly, Mañjuśrī teaches that the very same acts that the hearers in the assembly avoid, the bodhisattvas adopt as their core training, although with a twist. For example, while the hearers seek to avoid miserliness at all cost, the bodhisattvas engage precisely in “miserliness,” albeit with the understanding that it is the welfare of other beings that they refuse to relinquish, rather than any worldly mammon.
Toward the latter half of the sūtra, the teaching takes on a more personal character as the bodhisattvas interview Mañjuśrī concerning his own personal attainments and practice. In this way we find Mañjuśrī describing his own insights and spiritual prowess, although in somewhat cryptic language. Accordingly, when Lord of Peace and Calm asks him whether he directly comprehends the unarisen nature of phenomena on the ultimate level, Mañjuśrī replies, “Divine son, the utterly unarisen does not comprehend the utterly unarisen. And why? Because, divine son, all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal.”
At the end of Mañjuśrī’s teaching, the Buddha praises and approves what he has taught. Here, the Buddha is asked by several bodhisattvas to elaborate on some of the themes raised by Mañjuśrī. In general, throughout the sūtra, it is clear that the teachings and trainings of the bodhisattvas are considered preferable, superior, and far vaster in scope than those of the hearers. This is here confirmed by the Buddha, using a series of analogies that illustrate the superiority of the bodhisattva vehicle. For example, the conceptual wisdom of the hearers is compared to a single drop of water, while the nonconceptual wisdom of the bodhisattvas is taught to be infinitely greater, like the great ocean. The reader is left in no doubt as to where the protagonists in this sūtra stand in terms of their devotional allegiance.
Toward the end of the sūtra, in a final display of his superior spiritual abilities, Mañjuśrī enters an absorption that allows him to alter the perceptions of everyone present, so that they now perceive this world as the buddha realm of Ratnaketu. Encouraged by the Buddha, Mañjuśrī reveals his magically created illusion to everyone, before departing for that distant buddha realm from whence he first arrived.
At the very end of the sūtra, we find the customary inquiry by Ānanda to the Buddha regarding the title of the sūtra, its benefits to potential devotees, and the right way to propagate it.
The translation was made based on the Degé block print, with reference to other recensions of the sūtra as listed in the Pedurma (dpe bsdur ma) comparative edition of the Kangyur. Unfortunately, it appears that no Sanskrit manuscript remains extant.
[B1] Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagṛha, on Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a large monastic saṅgha of 8,000 monks and 72,000 bodhisattvas, as well as gods living in the desire and form realms. There, the Blessed One taught the Dharma, surrounded and honored by a retinue of many hundreds of thousands of beings.
Present in the assembly was a god, called Lord of Peace and Calm. He prostrated at the feet of the Blessed One and, bowing with joined palms in the direction of the Blessed One, asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, where is Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta now? Blessed One, I myself and everyone here would like that sublime being to teach the Dharma.”
The Blessed One replied, “Divine son, if one travels east of this buddha realm and passes beyond 18,000 other buddha realms, there is a buddha realm called Jewel World. There, the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu at present lives and teaches the Dharma; and Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta is there now.”
The god Lord of Peace and Calm said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it would be wonderful if a sign were made such that Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, upon seeing it, would wish to return here. The reason is, Blessed One, that Dharma teachings such as those of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta are not to be heard from any of the hearers, solitary buddhas, or those bodhisattvas who rely on reference points. Except for the Thus-gone One, no one else at all is capable of teaching the Dharma in that manner. Blessed One, when Mañjuśrī teaches the Dharma, all the dwellings of the demons lose their luster. Moreover, all demons become unable to inflict any harm. All opposition is utterly defeated. Those with reference points are left without reference. The sacred Dharma also remains for a long time. The Thus-gone One will also rejoice in this and approve of it.”
The Blessed One knew that the god Lord of Peace and Calm would make this request, and sent out a beam of light from the ūrṇā hair on his brow. That ray of light illuminated the great trichiliocosm with its intense luminescence and, passing through those 18,000 other buddha realms, its intense radiance spread throughout the Jewel World, the buddha realm of the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu.
Witnessing this radiance, some bodhisattva great beings asked the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu who resided there, “Blessed One, there was such a bright light just now; who caused that sign?”
“Son of noble family,” replied the Blessed Ratnaketu, “to the west of this buddha realm, past 18,000 buddha realms, is the Sahā world. There, the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni currently lives and teaches the Dharma. The Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni sent out a beam of light from the ūrṇā hair on his brow, and the luminescence of that beam of light passed through 18,000 buddha realms and illuminated this world with its intense radiance.”
“Blessed One,” asked those bodhisattva great beings, “why did that blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha emit this beam of light?”
The Blessed Ratnaketu replied, “He did so in order to summon Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. And why? To make him return there. In that buddha’s retinue there are numerous bodhisattva great beings as well as many gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and so forth. They all want to behold Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and hear him teach the Dharma.”
The Thus-gone Ratnaketu then said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, since the Blessed, Thus-gone Śākyamuni and all those in his retinue would like to see you, you should go to that Sahā world.”
“Yes, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī. “I had also noticed that sign.”
So Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, along with ten thousand bodhisattvas, bowed at the feet of the Thus-gone Ratnaketu. They circumambulated the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu three times, and then instantaneously traveled to this Sahā world, arriving as quickly as it takes a strong person to extend and retract his arm. Remaining in midair with their bodies invisible, they sent down a great shower of fragrant, colorful, and delightful flowers, such as had never been seen or heard of before, in order to honor the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni. This great shower of flowers filled the whole great trichiliocosm to knee height.
Seeing these flowers, everyone assembled there was amazed and asked, “Blessed One, who caused this great shower of blossoms, so pleasant to behold, to fall?”
The Blessed One replied, “Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, accompanied by ten thousand bodhisattvas, has come from the Jewel World to this Sahā world. With their bodies invisible, they all sent down this great shower of flowers to honor the Thus-gone One.”
Those in the retinue said, “Blessed One, we would like to see Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and those bodhisattva great beings.”
At that point, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and the ten thousand bodhisattvas descended from the sky. Having prostrated at the Blessed One’s feet, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and the bodhisattva great beings each sat down on their own miraculously emanated seat.
Then the god Lord of Peace and Calm bowed to the Blessed One and said, with joined palms, “Blessed One, all of us would like to listen, so please ask Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta to teach.”
The Blessed One replied, “Divine son, you yourself should make that request.”
So the god said, “Mañjuśrī, it would be wonderful if you could give us a Dharma teaching similar to what is taught in the buddha realm of the Blessed, Thus-gone Ratnaketu.”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Ultimately, the Dharma is not about generating attachment; nor is it about bringing attachment to an end. Ultimately, it is not about generating anger; nor is it about bringing anger to an end. Ultimately, it is not about generating delusion; nor is it about bringing delusion to an end. Ultimately, it is not about generating wisdom; nor is it about bringing wisdom to an end.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how is that?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Divine son, in the unborn, there is no birth or ending whatsoever. Ultimately, divine son, the bodhisattva great beings have no thoughts at all, none that have arisen, none that are arising, and none that will arise. And why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are inherently unborn.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, so what does that Thus-gone One wish to see abandoned through his teaching the Dharma?”
Mañjuśrī said, “That Thus-gone One teaches the Dharma because ultimately things are neither inherently born, nor do they inherently end. And why? Because bodhisattva great beings apply themselves assiduously to the ultimate truth. However, they do not apply themselves diligently to the relative truth.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the ultimate truth?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, if, on the ultimate level, ultimate truth becomes an object of body, speech, or mind, that is not ‘ultimate truth’ but relative truth itself. Rather, divine son, on the ultimate level, ultimate truth transcends all conventions. It is without specific instances; it does not arise, does not cease, and is free from something to be expressed, an expression, something to be known, and knowledge. Divine son, the ultimate truth transcends everything up through the domain of omniscient wisdom that is endowed with the supreme of all aspects. Divine son, it has no engagement with, nor any turning back of, concepts and thoughts. Ultimately, there is no ‘far shore,’ there is no ‘this shore,’ nor is there a middle. Divine son, although one indeed makes the exaggerated claim, ‘This is ultimate truth,’ that is not the same as saying, ‘Ultimate truth is like this.’ Divine son, ultimately, reality is unborn; thus, no conventions apply to it. That to which, on the ultimate level, no conventions apply, divine son, is ultimate truth. Thus, that is not like saying, ‘Ultimate truth is like this.’ Divine son, the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha also says that ultimately all phenomena and all terms are false and deceptive phenomena.”
The god said, “How is it then, Mañjuśrī, that the Dharma taught by the Thus-gone One is not false?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the Thus-gone One does not speak falsely. Nor does he speak truly. And why is that? Ultimately, divine son, the Thus-gone One has not arisen. And so, ultimately he speaks neither falsely nor truly. Divine son, what do you think? Are explanations given by magical creations of the Thus-gone One true or false?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, explanations given by magical creations of the Thus-gone One are not true, nor are they false. Why is that? Mañjuśrī, ultimately there is nothing truly established in that which is emanated by the Thus-gone One.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, so it is. The Thus-gone One knows that all phenomena are unestablished in the ultimate sense. Whatever is unestablished in the ultimate sense should not be called true nor should it be called false in the context of the ultimate. Why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are unborn.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how does the Thus-gone One teach the ultimate truth?”
Mañjuśrī said, “The ultimate truth, divine son, cannot be taught. And why? Because the topic, the teacher, the method of teaching, the student, and the reason for teaching are all ultimately utterly unborn. Phenomena that are utterly unborn cannot themselves express utterly unborn phenomena.”
When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta had given this teaching on the ultimate truth without teaching, the minds of five hundred monks were freed from defilements without further clinging. Countless bodhisattva great beings developed, without developing it, the acceptance that phenomena are unborn.
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, it is difficult to feel conviction in the ultimate truth.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, it is difficult for anyone who relies on reference points to feel conviction in the ultimate truth.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, it is difficult to understand the ultimate truth.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, it is difficult for those who do not exert themselves to understand the ultimate truth.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how do monks exert themselves?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, ultimately, when they are without exertion that aims to understand, relinquish, cultivate, or actualize, that is how monks exert themselves without exerting themselves. And why? Because one might think, ‘Ultimately, this is to be understood, this is to be relinquished, this is to be cultivated, and this is to be actualized.’ However, such thinking involves conceptual marks and elaborations. It involves reference points and disturbing emotions. It involves tumult and fear. It involves illness and suffering. It involves pain and poison. Thus, engagement of that type is not authentic.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is authentic engagement?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also the same as the five acts with immediate consequence on the ultimate level.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as views.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of ordinary beings.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of those who are training.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of those who are no longer training.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of the completely perfect Buddha.
“Whatever is the same as the dharmas of the completely perfect Buddha on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn.
“Whatever is the same as the dharmas of the completely perfect Buddha on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as nirvāṇa.
“Whatever is the same as nirvāṇa on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as saṃsāra.
“Whatever is the same as saṃsāra on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as affliction.
“Whatever is the same as affliction on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as purification.
“Whatever is the same as purification on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as all phenomena.
“A monk who genuinely engages in the equality of all phenomena on the ultimate level in this way, divine son, is called one with authentic engagement on the ultimate level. However, it is not like the way it is expressed.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the sameness by which everything up to purification is said to be ultimately the same, and also to be ultimately the same as all phenomena?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Ultimately, all phenomena are the same in that they are unarisen. Ultimately, all phenomena are the same in that they are unborn. Ultimately, all phenomena are the same in that they are unreal. Therefore, divine son, ultimately all phenomena are the same. And why is that? Since ultimately, divine son, all phenomena are unarisen, they cannot be distinguished.
“Divine son, it is like this analogy. The space within a clay vessel and the space within a precious vessel are both the element of space; ultimately, not the slightest distinction can be made between them. Divine son, in the very same way, disturbing emotions are themselves unarisen on the ultimate level. Purification itself is also unarisen on the ultimate level. Ultimately, saṃsāra itself is also unarisen. Ultimately, all phenomena up through nirvāṇa itself are unarisen. Ultimately, not even a slight distinction can be made with respect to these. And why? Because ultimately all phenomena are unarisen.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how should bodhisattva great beings exert themselves with respect to the truths of the noble ones?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, if bodhisattva great beings did not apply themselves to the truths of the noble ones, how could they teach, without teaching, the Dharma to the hearers? Yet, divine son, although indeed that is the case, the bodhisattva great beings’ meditation on the truths involves consideration, while the hearers’ meditation on the truths does not involve consideration. Why is that? Divine son, on the relative level the bodhisattva great beings consider all sentient beings. Although they do meditate on the truths without meditating, they do not actualize the limit of reality by focusing on lack of substance. On the relative level, in order to acquire skill in means, the bodhisattva great beings meditate on the truths without meditating. On the relative level they do not discard the truths of saṃsāra, nor of nirvāṇa. On the relative level, in order to individually discriminate the wisdoms of the buddhas, the bodhisattva great beings meditate on the truths without meditating.
“Divine son, it is as in the following analogy. A person who had been caught by many strangers flees. He escapes from among those many strangers and enters a jungle. But he becomes frightened, panics, and leaves the jungle, never to return. Divine son, in the same way the hearers are frightened of saṃsāra and flee in panic. They do not return to this world but meditate one-pointedly on the truths in solitude. Thus, since they lack the intelligence of various methods, they do not consider all sentient beings, and so forth up to not considering the wisdom of omniscience.
“Divine son, it is like the following analogy. A leader acquires many servants and all necessary provisions. Thinking that he should set out to gather many goods, he rounds up many people and, without fear or panic, he leaves the wild forest. Similarly, divine son, the bodhisattva great beings resemble that great leader as they engage in worldly conduct on the relative level. Thereby, they provide for all sentient beings and engage with great compassion, which can be likened to the many servants. They acquire all the roots of virtue, which are the provisions. They possess the great profit that is comprised of the six perfections, the means of attracting disciples, and unsurpassed merit and wisdom. They act for the welfare of all realms of sentient beings and proceed from buddha realm to buddha realm. Thus, they provide for sentient beings and meditate on the truths through being skilled in means.
“Divine son, consider this analogy. If one infuses a hempen cloth with campaka and vārṣika flowers, their scent fades quickly. Divine son, similarly, the hearers’ meditation on the truths is observed for just a short period of time. Passing quickly into nirvāṇa, they do not bring forth the fragrance of the buddhas’ discipline, hearing, absorption, knowledge, and wisdom. Furthermore, they are unable to relinquish the disturbing emotions that are conjoined with the habitual tendencies.
“Divine son, now consider another analogy. If one were to infuse a cloth of precious Benares silk for hundreds of thousands of great aeons with the scent of perfume and flowers from the human and divine realms, its divine fragrance would be experienced in perpetuity, and that pure aroma would overwhelm both gods and men. Divine son, similarly, the bodhisattva great beings without meditating meditate on the truths for incalculably many hundreds of thousands of eons. They do not relinquish doing so until they have attained omniscient wisdom endowed with the supreme of all aspects and pass into complete nirvāṇa. And so, without reference points, they become exceedingly fragrant with the scent of omniscient wisdom endowed with the supreme of all aspects. In terms of worldly conventions, they abandon all their habitual tendencies toward the disturbing emotions and attract the worlds of gods, men, and demigods.”
Then the god Lord of Peace and Calm asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, how is the spiritual community of hearers that belong to the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Ultimately, they are not devoted followers, but they are also not devotedly turning to someone else. Ultimately, they are not followers of the family, but neither do they ultimately abandon the family of the Thus-gone One. Ultimately, they are not following the Dharma; indeed, ultimately they do not observe any Dharma at all. Ultimately, they do not possess the eight mistaken dharmas, but neither are they relatively free from them.
“Ultimately they are not stream-enterers, yet in terms of the conventional truth of the world, they are beyond all the lower realms. Ultimately they are not once-returners, yet relatively they do return in order to ripen beings. Ultimately they are not non-returners, yet relatively from all phenomena there is no return. Ultimately they are not worthy ones, yet according to worldly conventions they are supremely worthy of veneration by the world along with its gods. Ultimately they are not hearers, yet, without conceptually apprehending them, they do listen to all the blessed buddhas.
“Ultimately they are not without attachment, yet relatively they are unharmed by the torments of attachment. Ultimately they are not without anger, yet relatively they are unharmed by the torments of anger. Ultimately they are not without delusion, yet relatively all phenomena are free from darkness. Ultimately they are not without disturbing emotions, yet relatively they endeavor to tame the disturbing emotions of all beings. Ultimately they have abided definitively in non-origination from the very beginning, yet relatively they consciously take up existence. Relatively they embrace cyclic existence, yet ultimately there is no grasping to or abandoning of any phenomenon.
“Ultimately, without intense mindfulness regarding all phenomena, they see without seeing. Relatively, however, they train in the foundations of mindfulness. Ultimately, without knowing, they know that all phenomena are unborn and unceasing. In terms of worldly experience, however, they train in the thorough relinquishments. Ultimately, they have neither body nor mind yet, in the relative truth of the world, they have accomplished the bases of miraculous power. Ultimately they are without any faculties, yet relatively they have accomplished all the faculties. Ultimately, without seeing, they see that all phenomena are unreal. However, in order to eradicate the conceit and conceptual apprehension of everyone who is conceited and engages in conceptual apprehension, they train, without training, in the powers. Ultimately, in order to make it understood that all phenomena are unreal, they train, without training, in the branches of awakening. Although ultimately utterly unreal, relatively they train in the path by means of not training. Ultimately, they accomplish tranquillity within the limit of reality. Ultimately, by not training, they see insight to be utterly unarisen. Ultimately, their knowledge is born through not apprehending ignorance as something to be exhausted. Ultimately, neither exhaustion nor arising is observed.
“Although they see all beings and all buddha realms with their physical eye, ultimately they see nothing whatsoever. Although they see all the deaths, transmigrations, and rebirths of all beings so clearly with their divine eye, ultimately they see nothing whatsoever. Although they know all the experiences and movements of the minds of all beings with their eye of wisdom, ultimately they know nothing whatsoever. Although they see all dharmas with their dharma eye, ultimately they see nothing whatsoever. Although they perform all the acts of a buddha with their buddha eye, ultimately they perform nothing whatsoever. Although with their divine ear they hear the teachings of all the blessed buddhas, ultimately they hear nothing whatsoever. Although with their single mind they view the minds of all beings, ultimately they view nothing whatsoever. Although with their wisdom of recollection they surely recollect the very dawn of time, ultimately they recollect nothing whatsoever. Although they visit the inconceivable buddha realms by means of their miraculous powers, ultimately there is no coming or going. Although their defilements are exhausted, ultimately there is nothing to be exhausted.
“Although they appear as beings, ultimately their bodies are devoid of true existence. Although they speak, ultimately their speech is not pronounced in the form of syllables. Although they think, ultimately thought is not something that can be expressed as mind or mental phenomena. Ultimately they do not appear as form, but relatively they are adorned with the thirty-two marks and ornamented with the excellent signs of great beings. They are adorned with the accumulations of merit and wisdom. Their splendor is dazzling. Their speech resounds. They have been anointed with the unguent of discipline. Words spoken with ill intent cause them no disturbing emotions. They sport in clairvoyant powers. Their learning sets them free. With their eloquence they make declarations.
“Relatively, they produce emanations by means of wisdom; with the light of wisdom they dispel all darkness; with knowledge they illuminate; their teaching knows no limit, and is assimilated as realization. Relatively, for all beings they are the refuge, and because of their awakening they constantly consider beings—who are continuously beheld by the blessed buddhas, but who are not considered by the hearers, solitary buddhas, and the extremists with reference points— so that, relatively, their teaching knows no exhaustion, their mindfulness is like the ocean, their absorption is comparable to the central mountain, and their patience is like the earth.
“Relatively, they are courageous when it comes to clearing away all thoughts; they shine like the sun to dispel the deep darkness of ignorance; they shine like the moon in order to illuminate the world. Relatively, they are like a ruler in order to attract others. Relatively, they are like Brahmā in order to master the mind. Relatively, they are incomparable in order to master space. Relatively they have followed, but ultimately there is no one who goes, comes, or remains. Why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are utterly unarisen.
“Divine son, such is the spiritual community of hearers belonging to the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu. Moreover, the dharma that they possess is even more inconceivable than that.”
When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta delivered this teaching in a manner beyond reference points, five hundred monks, five hundred laypeople, and five thousand gods who held reference points all made this supplication: “Blessed One, may we also become hearers belonging to the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu.”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Well, my friends, in that buddha realm no-one with reference points is born! My friends, only bodhisattva great beings who are free from reference points are born there without being born. My friends, if you aspire to that realm, you must strive in the perfection of knowledge in a manner free from reference points. My friends, when you strive in the perfection of knowledge in a manner that is free from reference points, then, my friends, it will not be difficult to discover omniscient wisdom that is endowed with the supreme of all aspects. So what need is there to mention that you will also be born in the pure buddha realms!”
The god Lord of Peace and Calm then asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, what is the vinaya of the hearers like? And how is the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Divine son, the vinaya that is well known in the three worlds is the vinaya of the hearers. However, on the relative level, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings gathers all accumulations of roots of virtue, comforts all beings, and tames them by taking birth in the three realms.
“The vinaya of the hearers opposes all disturbing emotions. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings goes further in order to eliminate the disturbing emotions of all beings.
“The vinaya of the hearers is aware of just one place. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is aware of all the limitless and boundless worlds in the ten directions.
“The vinaya of the hearers maintains equanimity with regard to all demons. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings disturbs all classes of demons in all the limitless and boundless worlds in the ten directions, and conquers all hostile forces.
“The vinaya of the hearers clarifies one’s own mind stream. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings clarifies the mind streams of all beings, causes the wisdom of omniscience to manifest, and causes the vision of stainless wisdom with regard to all phenomena to manifest.
“The vinaya of the hearers is contemplated by individual minds. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is the intent of all the buddhas in the past, the present, and the future.
“The vinaya of the hearers is like a stone that cannot be repaired when broken. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is like gold and silver, which can be mended when broken.
“The vinaya of the hearers does not contain all the teachings of the Buddha, and it also lacks skillful means. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings has great skillful means and comprises all the teachings of the Buddha.
“The vinaya of the hearers does not embody the ten strengths, the various types of fearlessness, the unique qualities, or omniscient wisdom. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings contains the ten powers, the various types of fearlessness, the unique qualities, and omniscient wisdom.
“The vinaya of the hearers is like escaping from being burned by a fire. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is to be delighted by the joy of Dharma, just as one would enjoy a park or a palace.
“The vinaya of the hearers does not interrupt the stream of habitual patterns. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings overcomes all habitual patterns.
“Divine son, in short, the vinaya of the hearers is derived from a Dharma that is limited and confined. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings follows a Dharma that is limitless and beyond measure.
“The vinaya of the hearers brings the attainment of limited discipline, learning, absorption, knowledge, liberation, and vision of the wisdom of liberation. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings knows no bounds, possesses limitless qualities, and makes one attain limitless discipline, learning, absorption, knowledge, liberation, and vision of the wisdom of liberation.”
At this point, the Blessed One expressed his approval of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta: “Well said, Mañjuśrī! You have explained the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings well on the relative level. Well done, well done. Now, Mañjuśrī, in order to illustrate the meaning of this, I will give you some examples. Mañjuśrī, imagine two men: one of them praises the hoofprints of an ox, while the other man praises the ocean. Mañjuśrī, what do you think? How extensively would the first man be able to praise the hoofprints of an ox?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, since all ox hoofprints are so small, what is even the use of praising them?”
The Blessed One said, “Just as the ox hoofprints are small, so you should view the vinaya of the hearers. Now, Mañjuśrī, what do you think? Would the other man be able to express a fitting praise of the ocean?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, the praises of the ocean could be incredibly numerous, limitless, and inconceivable.”
The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, just as the praises of the ocean are boundless, so you should view the vinaya of the bodhisattvas on the relative level.”
As he delivered this teaching without teaching, 12,000 gods, without ultimately forming anything, formed the wish for unexcelled and completely perfect awakening. They all declared, “Blessed One, without training, we will practice the trainings of the bodhisattvas.”
The god Lord of Peace and Calm asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, do you train in the vinaya of the hearers or in the vinaya of the bodhisattvas?”
Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine son, what do you think? Is there any water that cannot be contained in the ocean?”
The god replied, “No, Mañjuśrī, there is no water anywhere that cannot be contained in the ocean.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is like the ocean.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, that word vinaya, what does that mean?”
Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine son, on the relative level vinaya refers to taming the disturbing emotions. Vinaya also means understanding disturbing emotions.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how does one tame the disturbing emotions? How does one understand disturbing emotions?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Ultimately, all phenomena are unborn, unarisen, and unreal. Yet this absence is misunderstood on the relative level. Misunderstanding this absence produces concepts and thoughts. Out of concept and thought appears mistaken conceptual activity. Mistaken conceptual activity then gives rise to the superimposition of a self. From the superimposition of a self comes the manifestation of views. Based on the manifestation of views, disturbing emotions appear.
“Divine son, whoever knows, without knowing, that ultimately all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal, is unmistaken in terms of the ultimate. Whoever is unmistaken in terms of the ultimate does not form concepts or thoughts. Whoever does not form concepts or thoughts is applying himself correctly. Whoever applies himself correctly does not ultimately form superimpositions of a self. When superimpositions of a self do not ultimately arise, manifest views also do not arise, and ultimately even the views related to passing beyond suffering do not arise. In that way one comes to experience the unborn, and pacifies disturbing emotions in a manner free from views. Divine son, this is what is meant by taming disturbing emotions.
“Divine son, disturbing emotions are ultimately utterly empty, utterly signless and utterly wishless due to the insight and wisdom to which no disturbing emotions ever appear. When one has the insight that ultimately they are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal, then, divine son, one knows disturbing emotions in a manner free from knowing.
“Divine son, consider this analogy. If you chant an incantation against a viper’s venom, it is possible to neutralize the snake’s poison. Divine son, in the same way, whoever understands the types of disturbing emotions will neutralize his disturbing emotions in a manner that is beyond reference points.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what are the types of disturbing emotions?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, ultimately all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal. Any conceptualization of that state is a form of disturbing emotion. Ultimately, there are no conceptualizations, so therefore there are also no disturbing emotions whatsoever. Divine son, because there are no disturbing emotions, there is no all-ground. Because there is no all-ground, there is ultimately no abiding. Because there is no abiding, there is ultimately no scorching. Because there is ultimately no scorching, there is said to be peace. On the ultimate level, things are not as they are expressed in words. Still, divine son, relatively this is how disturbing emotions are tamed.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how are disturbing emotions tamed? Are they something? Or nothing?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, this is how it is. Imagine a man who has a nightmare in which he is bitten by a venomous viper. Although he is suffering, he is treated with an antidote and recovers. As the poison is neutralized, his pain disappears. Divine son, what do you think? Was this man actually bitten or not?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, ultimately it did not truly happen.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, how was the poison neutralized?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, just as the bite was not truly real, the neutralization of the poison was also not truly real.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way the noble ones view, without viewing, all disturbing emotions on the ultimate level. Divine son, you ask how disturbing emotions are tamed. Well, divine son, just as the ego ultimately is egoless, so, divine son, disturbing emotions are not ultimately disturbing emotions. Divine son, ultimately this self is suchness. Therefore, divine son, disturbing emotions also ultimately become suchness. Divine son, in this way, the self is not ultimately the self. Therefore, divine son, disturbing emotions are also not ultimately disturbing emotions. Divine son, whoever focuses on taming disturbing emotions on the ultimate level is not ultimately focusing on anything. Why? Divine son, because on the ultimate level nothing manifests, and therefore all phenomena are pacified. Divine son, on the ultimate level, there is no grasping, and therefore all phenomena are fully pacified. Divine son, on the ultimate level, all phenomena are free from superimposition, and therefore all phenomena are completely pacified. Divine son, on the ultimate level, all phenomena are utterly unborn, and therefore they are also beyond ceasing. Divine son, the ultimate level is utterly unreal and therefore all phenomena are utterly unborn.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the gateway to all dharmas?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the relative truth, which employs all forms of statements, speech, cognition, objects of cognition, activities, conventions, and acts, is a gateway to all dharmas. The ultimate truth, which is so because it is the opposite of all forms of speech, statements, cognition, objects of cognition, activities, conventions, and acts, is a gateway to all dharmas.
“Moreover, divine son, on the relative level, the incorrect conceptual workings of the mind are a gateway to saṃsāra. On the relative level, the correct conceptual workings of the mind are a gateway to nirvāṇa.
“On the relative level, doubt is a gateway to obscuration. On the relative level, liberation is a gateway to the absence of obscuration.
“On the relative level, conceptuality is a gateway to disturbing emotions. On the relative level, non-conceptuality is a gateway to the absence of disturbing emotions.
“On the relative level, distraction is a gateway to thought. On the relative level, tranquility is a gateway to peace.
“On the relative level, holding views is a gateway to pride. On the relative level, emptiness is a gateway to the absence of pride.
“On the relative level, relying on evil company is a gateway to all roots of non-virtue. On the relative level, relying on a virtuous spiritual friend is the gateway to all roots of virtue.
“On the relative level, wrong view is a gateway to all suffering. On the relative level, correct view is a gateway to all happiness.
“On the relative level, miserliness is a gateway to poverty. On the relative level, generosity is a gateway to great wealth.
“On the relative level, a bad character is a gateway to all lower realms. On the relative level, discipline is a gateway to all human and divine births.
“On the relative level, ill will is a gateway to an ugly appearance. On the relative level, patience is a gateway to a beautiful appearance.
“On the relative level, laziness is a gateway to a lack of realization. On the relative level, diligence is a gateway to realization.
“On the relative level, thought is a gateway to agitation. On the relative level, concentration is a gateway to pliability of mind.
“On the relative level, faulty knowledge is a gateway to a lack of understanding. On the relative level, knowledge is a gateway to the thirty-seven factors of awakening.
“On the relative level, love is a gateway to not becoming angry. On the relative level, great compassion is a gateway to an altruistic mind. On the relative level, an altruistic mind is a gateway to the absence of deceit. On the relative level, joy is a gateway to conviction in the Dharma. On the relative level, equanimity is a gateway to being free from all faults.
“On the relative level, the applications of mindfulness are a gateway to not letting any roots of virtue diminish. On the relative level, the thorough relinquishments are a gateway to genuine perseverance. On the relative level, the bases of miraculous power are a gateway to pliancy of body and mind. On the relative level, the faculties are a gateway to attaining faith. On the relative level, the powers are a gateway to conquering all disturbing emotions. On the relative level, the branches of awakening are a gateway to realizing omniscience. On the relative level, the eightfold path of the noble ones is a gateway to transcending all unwholesome paths.
“Moreover, divine son, on the relative level, the mind set on awakening is a gateway to all buddha qualities. On the relative level, upholding the sacred Dharma is a gateway to becoming a lord of all dharmas. On the relative level, ripening beings is a gateway to upholding the sacred Dharma. On the relative level, method is a gateway to becoming learned regarding the correct and the incorrect. On the relative level, the perfection of knowledge is a gateway to nirvāṇa.
“On the ultimate level, the unarisen is a gateway to all dharmas.” [B2]
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the gateway to the utterly unborn?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the utterly unarisen is a gateway in every way.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the nature of the utterly unarisen?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the utterly unreal is the nature of the utterly unarisen.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, does the utterly unarisen have any divisions?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, what do you think? Does the sky have any divisions?”
The god answered, “No, Mañjuśrī, it does not.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way, just as the sky does not have any divisions, so, divine son, does the utterly unborn also not have any divisions.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, do you comprehend the utterly unarisen on the ultimate level?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the utterly unarisen does not comprehend the utterly unarisen. And why? Because, divine son, all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, are you this eloquent because you know and understand any phenomenon whatsoever?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, what do you think? Does an echo make a sound because it knows phenomena?”
The god replied, “Mañjuśrī, of course an echo does not know any phenomena. Instead, on the relative level, the sound appears from circumstances.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way, based on the circumstance of observing all beings, on the relative level a bodhisattva great being speaks without speaking.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, on what basis do you teach?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on what type of emanation does the Thus-gone One base himself as he teaches?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, the Thus-gone One does not ultimately base himself on any emanation whatsoever.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way, on the ultimate level, without basing myself on any phenomena, I teach without teaching.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, if, on the ultimate level, without basing yourself on any phenomena, you teach without teaching, on what basis do you awaken to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, I base myself on the acts with immediate consequence and, without awakening to completely perfect buddhahood, I awaken to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood.”
The god said, “How do you base yourself on the acts with immediate consequence?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, ultimately the acts with immediate consequence do not truly exist and do not have any substance. It is on them that I base myself without basing myself.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, the Thus-gone One has explained that beings are born in hell because of committing the acts with immediate consequence.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the Thus-gone One has explained that beings are born in hell because of committing the acts with immediate consequence. In the same way, divine son, the Thus-gone One teaches, without teaching, how to quickly awaken to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood when basing oneself on the acts with immediate consequence, without basing oneself on the acts with immediate consequence.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what are the acts with immediate consequence?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the acts with immediate consequence are those by which the bodhisattva great beings quickly, without awakening to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood, perfectly awaken. Such are the acts with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings.
“Divine son, you may wonder what the five acts with immediate consequence are. Well, divine son, the first act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. When a bodhisattva great being with pure motivation, without developing, has developed the mind set on unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood, he does not develop the mind-set that aims for the levels of the hearers, solitary buddhas, anyone with reference points, or the extremists.
“Moreover, divine son, the second act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without producing, has produced the mind set on giving up all possessions, he will not entertain any feelings of miserliness until he reaches the essence of enlightenment.
“Moreover, divine son, the third act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without producing, has produced the mind-set that thinks, ‘I will protect all beings in any possible way,’ he will not yield from that.
“Moreover, divine son, the fourth act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without attaining forbearance, has attained the forbearance that understands that ultimately all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal, he will not engender any clinging to substance, essence, or actuality.
“Moreover, divine son, the fifth act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without engendering, has engendered the mind-set that thinks, ‘I will fully understand all phenomena by means of momentary knowledge,’ he will not rest under any circumstances until he has obtained, without obtaining, the wisdom of omniscience that is endowed with all supreme features.
“By abiding in this way, without abiding, the bodhisattva great being quickly and perfectly awakens, without ultimately awakening, to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood.”
In Teaching the Relative and Ultimate Truths, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is summoned by Buddha Śākyamuni from a faraway buddha realm to teach in a way that demolishes all dualistic experience. As Mañjuśrī begins to teach, the main message of the sūtra unfolds as an explanation of the two truths. The general theme of Mañjuśrī’s discourse is centered on the particular circumstances in Ratnaketu’s buddha realm, but the message is equally applicable to the experiences of beings here in this world.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Miguel Sawaya and Andreas Doctor produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Catherine Dalton compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. The translators are grateful to Khenpo Trokpa Tulku, Lama Karma Oser, and Lama Tenzin Sangpo from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery for their assistance in resolving several difficult passages.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Teaching the Relative and Ultimate Truths is a sūtra significant in the canon of the Great Vehicle, concerned as it is with one of the key themes of Buddhist philosophy, the two truths. These two principles are (1) the relative truth (understanding the world as it appears); and (2) the ultimate truth (understanding the world as it is). Since this bifurcation of reality is one of the frameworks underlying the entirety of Buddhist thought, the message of this sūtra is of importance for all Buddhist traditions, and for the Great Vehicle in particular.
Some readers may be surprised that most of the teaching delivered in this sūtra is spoken not by the Buddha himself, but by his disciple Mañjuśrī. However, as readers familiar with the Great Vehicle sūtras will have noticed, in this literature the Buddha often encourages his students to teach, and subsequently endorses their lectures as bona fide “words of the Buddha” (buddhavacana). In this way Mañjuśrī’s teaching becomes authentic scripture through the awakened activity of the Buddha himself. Still, before Mañjuśrī can deliver his eloquent teaching, he must first arrive in this world, as it turns out that he has temporarily taken up residence in a distant buddha realm, known as Jewel World.
The sūtra, which takes place on Vulture Peak Mountain—a hill just outside the ancient city of Rājagṛha, capital of what was then the state of Magadha—begins with a bodhisattva god named Lord of Peace and Calm asking the Buddha where Mañjuśrī might be found. The Buddha announces that Mañjuśrī has moved to a buddha realm many thousands of world systems away. There, the Buddha explains, Mañjuśrī lives in the assembly of another buddha, Ratnaketu. Lord of Peace and Calm politely requests the Buddha to send a signal to Mañjuśrī summoning him to this world, since Mañjuśrī is the only bodhisattva who is able to teach in a way that demolishes all dualistic experience or, as the text describes it, experience that involves “reference points.”
The Buddha obliges and immediately sends forth a light from the magical hair between his eyebrows. The light inspires Mañjuśrī to return to this world, this time joined on his travels by an enormous assembly of bodhisattvas from the buddha realm of Ratnaketu. They arrive and, accompanied by much pomp and festivity, they offer proper worship to Buddha Śākyamuni. Once they have settled here in this world, Mañjuśrī is asked to give the assembly a teaching just like the instructions offered by Buddha Ratnaketu in his far-off buddha realm.
As Mañjuśrī begins to teach, the main message of the sūtra unfolds in the form of an explanation of the two truths. The general theme of Mañjuśrī’s discourse is centered on the particular circumstances in Ratnaketu’s buddha realm, but the message is equally applicable to the experiences of beings here in this world.
There are two truths, Mañjuśrī teaches. There is the relative truth in which all types of experiences unfold—good and bad, virtuous and nonvirtuous, pleasant and painful, awakened and confused. This truth also includes all the spiritual trainings that take an ordinary being along the path to the state of awakening itself. And then there is the ultimate truth, in which it is realized that all the phenomena experienced on the relative level are, in their most fundamental state, in Mañjuśrī’s words, “unborn, unarisen, and unreal.” This is the truth that is experienced by awakened beings. Still, even though awakened beings perceive the unborn, unarisen, and unreal nature of all phenomena, they actively participate in the relative aspect of things. In relative terms, awakened beings carry out the trainings on the path, guide confused beings toward the liberated state, and perform a multitude of services to beings in general. Nevertheless, as Mañjuśrī teaches again and again in this sūtra, they train without training, they guide without guiding, and they serve without serving. Through such paradoxical expressions, Mañjuśrī describes the experiences of those who have direct understanding of both the ultimate and relative truths.
The teaching unfolds organically as Mañjuśrī responds to a series of questions put by several of the bodhisattvas in Buddha Śākyamuni’s retinue. Although the recurring theme of the teaching remains the nature of the two truths, Mañjuśrī covers a variety of topics specific to the questions asked. In this way he describes the qualities of both the hearers and bodhisattvas in Buddha Ratnaketu’s circle and the moral trainings (vinaya) that they observe.
Interestingly, Mañjuśrī teaches that the very same acts that the hearers in the assembly avoid, the bodhisattvas adopt as their core training, although with a twist. For example, while the hearers seek to avoid miserliness at all cost, the bodhisattvas engage precisely in “miserliness,” albeit with the understanding that it is the welfare of other beings that they refuse to relinquish, rather than any worldly mammon.
Toward the latter half of the sūtra, the teaching takes on a more personal character as the bodhisattvas interview Mañjuśrī concerning his own personal attainments and practice. In this way we find Mañjuśrī describing his own insights and spiritual prowess, although in somewhat cryptic language. Accordingly, when Lord of Peace and Calm asks him whether he directly comprehends the unarisen nature of phenomena on the ultimate level, Mañjuśrī replies, “Divine son, the utterly unarisen does not comprehend the utterly unarisen. And why? Because, divine son, all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal.”
At the end of Mañjuśrī’s teaching, the Buddha praises and approves what he has taught. Here, the Buddha is asked by several bodhisattvas to elaborate on some of the themes raised by Mañjuśrī. In general, throughout the sūtra, it is clear that the teachings and trainings of the bodhisattvas are considered preferable, superior, and far vaster in scope than those of the hearers. This is here confirmed by the Buddha, using a series of analogies that illustrate the superiority of the bodhisattva vehicle. For example, the conceptual wisdom of the hearers is compared to a single drop of water, while the nonconceptual wisdom of the bodhisattvas is taught to be infinitely greater, like the great ocean. The reader is left in no doubt as to where the protagonists in this sūtra stand in terms of their devotional allegiance.
Toward the end of the sūtra, in a final display of his superior spiritual abilities, Mañjuśrī enters an absorption that allows him to alter the perceptions of everyone present, so that they now perceive this world as the buddha realm of Ratnaketu. Encouraged by the Buddha, Mañjuśrī reveals his magically created illusion to everyone, before departing for that distant buddha realm from whence he first arrived.
At the very end of the sūtra, we find the customary inquiry by Ānanda to the Buddha regarding the title of the sūtra, its benefits to potential devotees, and the right way to propagate it.
The translation was made based on the Degé block print, with reference to other recensions of the sūtra as listed in the Pedurma (dpe bsdur ma) comparative edition of the Kangyur. Unfortunately, it appears that no Sanskrit manuscript remains extant.
[B1] Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagṛha, on Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a large monastic saṅgha of 8,000 monks and 72,000 bodhisattvas, as well as gods living in the desire and form realms. There, the Blessed One taught the Dharma, surrounded and honored by a retinue of many hundreds of thousands of beings.
Present in the assembly was a god, called Lord of Peace and Calm. He prostrated at the feet of the Blessed One and, bowing with joined palms in the direction of the Blessed One, asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, where is Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta now? Blessed One, I myself and everyone here would like that sublime being to teach the Dharma.”
The Blessed One replied, “Divine son, if one travels east of this buddha realm and passes beyond 18,000 other buddha realms, there is a buddha realm called Jewel World. There, the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu at present lives and teaches the Dharma; and Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta is there now.”
The god Lord of Peace and Calm said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it would be wonderful if a sign were made such that Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, upon seeing it, would wish to return here. The reason is, Blessed One, that Dharma teachings such as those of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta are not to be heard from any of the hearers, solitary buddhas, or those bodhisattvas who rely on reference points. Except for the Thus-gone One, no one else at all is capable of teaching the Dharma in that manner. Blessed One, when Mañjuśrī teaches the Dharma, all the dwellings of the demons lose their luster. Moreover, all demons become unable to inflict any harm. All opposition is utterly defeated. Those with reference points are left without reference. The sacred Dharma also remains for a long time. The Thus-gone One will also rejoice in this and approve of it.”
The Blessed One knew that the god Lord of Peace and Calm would make this request, and sent out a beam of light from the ūrṇā hair on his brow. That ray of light illuminated the great trichiliocosm with its intense luminescence and, passing through those 18,000 other buddha realms, its intense radiance spread throughout the Jewel World, the buddha realm of the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu.
Witnessing this radiance, some bodhisattva great beings asked the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu who resided there, “Blessed One, there was such a bright light just now; who caused that sign?”
“Son of noble family,” replied the Blessed Ratnaketu, “to the west of this buddha realm, past 18,000 buddha realms, is the Sahā world. There, the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni currently lives and teaches the Dharma. The Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni sent out a beam of light from the ūrṇā hair on his brow, and the luminescence of that beam of light passed through 18,000 buddha realms and illuminated this world with its intense radiance.”
“Blessed One,” asked those bodhisattva great beings, “why did that blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha emit this beam of light?”
The Blessed Ratnaketu replied, “He did so in order to summon Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. And why? To make him return there. In that buddha’s retinue there are numerous bodhisattva great beings as well as many gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and so forth. They all want to behold Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and hear him teach the Dharma.”
The Thus-gone Ratnaketu then said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, since the Blessed, Thus-gone Śākyamuni and all those in his retinue would like to see you, you should go to that Sahā world.”
“Yes, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī. “I had also noticed that sign.”
So Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, along with ten thousand bodhisattvas, bowed at the feet of the Thus-gone Ratnaketu. They circumambulated the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu three times, and then instantaneously traveled to this Sahā world, arriving as quickly as it takes a strong person to extend and retract his arm. Remaining in midair with their bodies invisible, they sent down a great shower of fragrant, colorful, and delightful flowers, such as had never been seen or heard of before, in order to honor the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni. This great shower of flowers filled the whole great trichiliocosm to knee height.
Seeing these flowers, everyone assembled there was amazed and asked, “Blessed One, who caused this great shower of blossoms, so pleasant to behold, to fall?”
The Blessed One replied, “Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, accompanied by ten thousand bodhisattvas, has come from the Jewel World to this Sahā world. With their bodies invisible, they all sent down this great shower of flowers to honor the Thus-gone One.”
Those in the retinue said, “Blessed One, we would like to see Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and those bodhisattva great beings.”
At that point, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and the ten thousand bodhisattvas descended from the sky. Having prostrated at the Blessed One’s feet, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and the bodhisattva great beings each sat down on their own miraculously emanated seat.
Then the god Lord of Peace and Calm bowed to the Blessed One and said, with joined palms, “Blessed One, all of us would like to listen, so please ask Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta to teach.”
The Blessed One replied, “Divine son, you yourself should make that request.”
So the god said, “Mañjuśrī, it would be wonderful if you could give us a Dharma teaching similar to what is taught in the buddha realm of the Blessed, Thus-gone Ratnaketu.”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Ultimately, the Dharma is not about generating attachment; nor is it about bringing attachment to an end. Ultimately, it is not about generating anger; nor is it about bringing anger to an end. Ultimately, it is not about generating delusion; nor is it about bringing delusion to an end. Ultimately, it is not about generating wisdom; nor is it about bringing wisdom to an end.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how is that?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Divine son, in the unborn, there is no birth or ending whatsoever. Ultimately, divine son, the bodhisattva great beings have no thoughts at all, none that have arisen, none that are arising, and none that will arise. And why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are inherently unborn.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, so what does that Thus-gone One wish to see abandoned through his teaching the Dharma?”
Mañjuśrī said, “That Thus-gone One teaches the Dharma because ultimately things are neither inherently born, nor do they inherently end. And why? Because bodhisattva great beings apply themselves assiduously to the ultimate truth. However, they do not apply themselves diligently to the relative truth.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the ultimate truth?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, if, on the ultimate level, ultimate truth becomes an object of body, speech, or mind, that is not ‘ultimate truth’ but relative truth itself. Rather, divine son, on the ultimate level, ultimate truth transcends all conventions. It is without specific instances; it does not arise, does not cease, and is free from something to be expressed, an expression, something to be known, and knowledge. Divine son, the ultimate truth transcends everything up through the domain of omniscient wisdom that is endowed with the supreme of all aspects. Divine son, it has no engagement with, nor any turning back of, concepts and thoughts. Ultimately, there is no ‘far shore,’ there is no ‘this shore,’ nor is there a middle. Divine son, although one indeed makes the exaggerated claim, ‘This is ultimate truth,’ that is not the same as saying, ‘Ultimate truth is like this.’ Divine son, ultimately, reality is unborn; thus, no conventions apply to it. That to which, on the ultimate level, no conventions apply, divine son, is ultimate truth. Thus, that is not like saying, ‘Ultimate truth is like this.’ Divine son, the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha also says that ultimately all phenomena and all terms are false and deceptive phenomena.”
The god said, “How is it then, Mañjuśrī, that the Dharma taught by the Thus-gone One is not false?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the Thus-gone One does not speak falsely. Nor does he speak truly. And why is that? Ultimately, divine son, the Thus-gone One has not arisen. And so, ultimately he speaks neither falsely nor truly. Divine son, what do you think? Are explanations given by magical creations of the Thus-gone One true or false?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, explanations given by magical creations of the Thus-gone One are not true, nor are they false. Why is that? Mañjuśrī, ultimately there is nothing truly established in that which is emanated by the Thus-gone One.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, so it is. The Thus-gone One knows that all phenomena are unestablished in the ultimate sense. Whatever is unestablished in the ultimate sense should not be called true nor should it be called false in the context of the ultimate. Why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are unborn.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how does the Thus-gone One teach the ultimate truth?”
Mañjuśrī said, “The ultimate truth, divine son, cannot be taught. And why? Because the topic, the teacher, the method of teaching, the student, and the reason for teaching are all ultimately utterly unborn. Phenomena that are utterly unborn cannot themselves express utterly unborn phenomena.”
When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta had given this teaching on the ultimate truth without teaching, the minds of five hundred monks were freed from defilements without further clinging. Countless bodhisattva great beings developed, without developing it, the acceptance that phenomena are unborn.
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, it is difficult to feel conviction in the ultimate truth.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, it is difficult for anyone who relies on reference points to feel conviction in the ultimate truth.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, it is difficult to understand the ultimate truth.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, it is difficult for those who do not exert themselves to understand the ultimate truth.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how do monks exert themselves?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, ultimately, when they are without exertion that aims to understand, relinquish, cultivate, or actualize, that is how monks exert themselves without exerting themselves. And why? Because one might think, ‘Ultimately, this is to be understood, this is to be relinquished, this is to be cultivated, and this is to be actualized.’ However, such thinking involves conceptual marks and elaborations. It involves reference points and disturbing emotions. It involves tumult and fear. It involves illness and suffering. It involves pain and poison. Thus, engagement of that type is not authentic.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is authentic engagement?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also the same as the five acts with immediate consequence on the ultimate level.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as views.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of ordinary beings.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of those who are training.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of those who are no longer training.
“Whatever is the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as the dharmas of the completely perfect Buddha.
“Whatever is the same as the dharmas of the completely perfect Buddha on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as suchness, the sphere of reality, and the utterly unborn.
“Whatever is the same as the dharmas of the completely perfect Buddha on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as nirvāṇa.
“Whatever is the same as nirvāṇa on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as saṃsāra.
“Whatever is the same as saṃsāra on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as affliction.
“Whatever is the same as affliction on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as purification.
“Whatever is the same as purification on the ultimate level is also ultimately the same as all phenomena.
“A monk who genuinely engages in the equality of all phenomena on the ultimate level in this way, divine son, is called one with authentic engagement on the ultimate level. However, it is not like the way it is expressed.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the sameness by which everything up to purification is said to be ultimately the same, and also to be ultimately the same as all phenomena?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Ultimately, all phenomena are the same in that they are unarisen. Ultimately, all phenomena are the same in that they are unborn. Ultimately, all phenomena are the same in that they are unreal. Therefore, divine son, ultimately all phenomena are the same. And why is that? Since ultimately, divine son, all phenomena are unarisen, they cannot be distinguished.
“Divine son, it is like this analogy. The space within a clay vessel and the space within a precious vessel are both the element of space; ultimately, not the slightest distinction can be made between them. Divine son, in the very same way, disturbing emotions are themselves unarisen on the ultimate level. Purification itself is also unarisen on the ultimate level. Ultimately, saṃsāra itself is also unarisen. Ultimately, all phenomena up through nirvāṇa itself are unarisen. Ultimately, not even a slight distinction can be made with respect to these. And why? Because ultimately all phenomena are unarisen.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how should bodhisattva great beings exert themselves with respect to the truths of the noble ones?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, if bodhisattva great beings did not apply themselves to the truths of the noble ones, how could they teach, without teaching, the Dharma to the hearers? Yet, divine son, although indeed that is the case, the bodhisattva great beings’ meditation on the truths involves consideration, while the hearers’ meditation on the truths does not involve consideration. Why is that? Divine son, on the relative level the bodhisattva great beings consider all sentient beings. Although they do meditate on the truths without meditating, they do not actualize the limit of reality by focusing on lack of substance. On the relative level, in order to acquire skill in means, the bodhisattva great beings meditate on the truths without meditating. On the relative level they do not discard the truths of saṃsāra, nor of nirvāṇa. On the relative level, in order to individually discriminate the wisdoms of the buddhas, the bodhisattva great beings meditate on the truths without meditating.
“Divine son, it is as in the following analogy. A person who had been caught by many strangers flees. He escapes from among those many strangers and enters a jungle. But he becomes frightened, panics, and leaves the jungle, never to return. Divine son, in the same way the hearers are frightened of saṃsāra and flee in panic. They do not return to this world but meditate one-pointedly on the truths in solitude. Thus, since they lack the intelligence of various methods, they do not consider all sentient beings, and so forth up to not considering the wisdom of omniscience.
“Divine son, it is like the following analogy. A leader acquires many servants and all necessary provisions. Thinking that he should set out to gather many goods, he rounds up many people and, without fear or panic, he leaves the wild forest. Similarly, divine son, the bodhisattva great beings resemble that great leader as they engage in worldly conduct on the relative level. Thereby, they provide for all sentient beings and engage with great compassion, which can be likened to the many servants. They acquire all the roots of virtue, which are the provisions. They possess the great profit that is comprised of the six perfections, the means of attracting disciples, and unsurpassed merit and wisdom. They act for the welfare of all realms of sentient beings and proceed from buddha realm to buddha realm. Thus, they provide for sentient beings and meditate on the truths through being skilled in means.
“Divine son, consider this analogy. If one infuses a hempen cloth with campaka and vārṣika flowers, their scent fades quickly. Divine son, similarly, the hearers’ meditation on the truths is observed for just a short period of time. Passing quickly into nirvāṇa, they do not bring forth the fragrance of the buddhas’ discipline, hearing, absorption, knowledge, and wisdom. Furthermore, they are unable to relinquish the disturbing emotions that are conjoined with the habitual tendencies.
“Divine son, now consider another analogy. If one were to infuse a cloth of precious Benares silk for hundreds of thousands of great aeons with the scent of perfume and flowers from the human and divine realms, its divine fragrance would be experienced in perpetuity, and that pure aroma would overwhelm both gods and men. Divine son, similarly, the bodhisattva great beings without meditating meditate on the truths for incalculably many hundreds of thousands of eons. They do not relinquish doing so until they have attained omniscient wisdom endowed with the supreme of all aspects and pass into complete nirvāṇa. And so, without reference points, they become exceedingly fragrant with the scent of omniscient wisdom endowed with the supreme of all aspects. In terms of worldly conventions, they abandon all their habitual tendencies toward the disturbing emotions and attract the worlds of gods, men, and demigods.”
Then the god Lord of Peace and Calm asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, how is the spiritual community of hearers that belong to the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Ultimately, they are not devoted followers, but they are also not devotedly turning to someone else. Ultimately, they are not followers of the family, but neither do they ultimately abandon the family of the Thus-gone One. Ultimately, they are not following the Dharma; indeed, ultimately they do not observe any Dharma at all. Ultimately, they do not possess the eight mistaken dharmas, but neither are they relatively free from them.
“Ultimately they are not stream-enterers, yet in terms of the conventional truth of the world, they are beyond all the lower realms. Ultimately they are not once-returners, yet relatively they do return in order to ripen beings. Ultimately they are not non-returners, yet relatively from all phenomena there is no return. Ultimately they are not worthy ones, yet according to worldly conventions they are supremely worthy of veneration by the world along with its gods. Ultimately they are not hearers, yet, without conceptually apprehending them, they do listen to all the blessed buddhas.
“Ultimately they are not without attachment, yet relatively they are unharmed by the torments of attachment. Ultimately they are not without anger, yet relatively they are unharmed by the torments of anger. Ultimately they are not without delusion, yet relatively all phenomena are free from darkness. Ultimately they are not without disturbing emotions, yet relatively they endeavor to tame the disturbing emotions of all beings. Ultimately they have abided definitively in non-origination from the very beginning, yet relatively they consciously take up existence. Relatively they embrace cyclic existence, yet ultimately there is no grasping to or abandoning of any phenomenon.
“Ultimately, without intense mindfulness regarding all phenomena, they see without seeing. Relatively, however, they train in the foundations of mindfulness. Ultimately, without knowing, they know that all phenomena are unborn and unceasing. In terms of worldly experience, however, they train in the thorough relinquishments. Ultimately, they have neither body nor mind yet, in the relative truth of the world, they have accomplished the bases of miraculous power. Ultimately they are without any faculties, yet relatively they have accomplished all the faculties. Ultimately, without seeing, they see that all phenomena are unreal. However, in order to eradicate the conceit and conceptual apprehension of everyone who is conceited and engages in conceptual apprehension, they train, without training, in the powers. Ultimately, in order to make it understood that all phenomena are unreal, they train, without training, in the branches of awakening. Although ultimately utterly unreal, relatively they train in the path by means of not training. Ultimately, they accomplish tranquillity within the limit of reality. Ultimately, by not training, they see insight to be utterly unarisen. Ultimately, their knowledge is born through not apprehending ignorance as something to be exhausted. Ultimately, neither exhaustion nor arising is observed.
“Although they see all beings and all buddha realms with their physical eye, ultimately they see nothing whatsoever. Although they see all the deaths, transmigrations, and rebirths of all beings so clearly with their divine eye, ultimately they see nothing whatsoever. Although they know all the experiences and movements of the minds of all beings with their eye of wisdom, ultimately they know nothing whatsoever. Although they see all dharmas with their dharma eye, ultimately they see nothing whatsoever. Although they perform all the acts of a buddha with their buddha eye, ultimately they perform nothing whatsoever. Although with their divine ear they hear the teachings of all the blessed buddhas, ultimately they hear nothing whatsoever. Although with their single mind they view the minds of all beings, ultimately they view nothing whatsoever. Although with their wisdom of recollection they surely recollect the very dawn of time, ultimately they recollect nothing whatsoever. Although they visit the inconceivable buddha realms by means of their miraculous powers, ultimately there is no coming or going. Although their defilements are exhausted, ultimately there is nothing to be exhausted.
“Although they appear as beings, ultimately their bodies are devoid of true existence. Although they speak, ultimately their speech is not pronounced in the form of syllables. Although they think, ultimately thought is not something that can be expressed as mind or mental phenomena. Ultimately they do not appear as form, but relatively they are adorned with the thirty-two marks and ornamented with the excellent signs of great beings. They are adorned with the accumulations of merit and wisdom. Their splendor is dazzling. Their speech resounds. They have been anointed with the unguent of discipline. Words spoken with ill intent cause them no disturbing emotions. They sport in clairvoyant powers. Their learning sets them free. With their eloquence they make declarations.
“Relatively, they produce emanations by means of wisdom; with the light of wisdom they dispel all darkness; with knowledge they illuminate; their teaching knows no limit, and is assimilated as realization. Relatively, for all beings they are the refuge, and because of their awakening they constantly consider beings—who are continuously beheld by the blessed buddhas, but who are not considered by the hearers, solitary buddhas, and the extremists with reference points— so that, relatively, their teaching knows no exhaustion, their mindfulness is like the ocean, their absorption is comparable to the central mountain, and their patience is like the earth.
“Relatively, they are courageous when it comes to clearing away all thoughts; they shine like the sun to dispel the deep darkness of ignorance; they shine like the moon in order to illuminate the world. Relatively, they are like a ruler in order to attract others. Relatively, they are like Brahmā in order to master the mind. Relatively, they are incomparable in order to master space. Relatively they have followed, but ultimately there is no one who goes, comes, or remains. Why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are utterly unarisen.
“Divine son, such is the spiritual community of hearers belonging to the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu. Moreover, the dharma that they possess is even more inconceivable than that.”
When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta delivered this teaching in a manner beyond reference points, five hundred monks, five hundred laypeople, and five thousand gods who held reference points all made this supplication: “Blessed One, may we also become hearers belonging to the Blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Ratnaketu.”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Well, my friends, in that buddha realm no-one with reference points is born! My friends, only bodhisattva great beings who are free from reference points are born there without being born. My friends, if you aspire to that realm, you must strive in the perfection of knowledge in a manner free from reference points. My friends, when you strive in the perfection of knowledge in a manner that is free from reference points, then, my friends, it will not be difficult to discover omniscient wisdom that is endowed with the supreme of all aspects. So what need is there to mention that you will also be born in the pure buddha realms!”
The god Lord of Peace and Calm then asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, what is the vinaya of the hearers like? And how is the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Divine son, the vinaya that is well known in the three worlds is the vinaya of the hearers. However, on the relative level, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings gathers all accumulations of roots of virtue, comforts all beings, and tames them by taking birth in the three realms.
“The vinaya of the hearers opposes all disturbing emotions. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings goes further in order to eliminate the disturbing emotions of all beings.
“The vinaya of the hearers is aware of just one place. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is aware of all the limitless and boundless worlds in the ten directions.
“The vinaya of the hearers maintains equanimity with regard to all demons. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings disturbs all classes of demons in all the limitless and boundless worlds in the ten directions, and conquers all hostile forces.
“The vinaya of the hearers clarifies one’s own mind stream. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings clarifies the mind streams of all beings, causes the wisdom of omniscience to manifest, and causes the vision of stainless wisdom with regard to all phenomena to manifest.
“The vinaya of the hearers is contemplated by individual minds. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is the intent of all the buddhas in the past, the present, and the future.
“The vinaya of the hearers is like a stone that cannot be repaired when broken. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is like gold and silver, which can be mended when broken.
“The vinaya of the hearers does not contain all the teachings of the Buddha, and it also lacks skillful means. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings has great skillful means and comprises all the teachings of the Buddha.
“The vinaya of the hearers does not embody the ten strengths, the various types of fearlessness, the unique qualities, or omniscient wisdom. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings contains the ten powers, the various types of fearlessness, the unique qualities, and omniscient wisdom.
“The vinaya of the hearers is like escaping from being burned by a fire. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is to be delighted by the joy of Dharma, just as one would enjoy a park or a palace.
“The vinaya of the hearers does not interrupt the stream of habitual patterns. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings overcomes all habitual patterns.
“Divine son, in short, the vinaya of the hearers is derived from a Dharma that is limited and confined. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings follows a Dharma that is limitless and beyond measure.
“The vinaya of the hearers brings the attainment of limited discipline, learning, absorption, knowledge, liberation, and vision of the wisdom of liberation. However, relatively, the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings knows no bounds, possesses limitless qualities, and makes one attain limitless discipline, learning, absorption, knowledge, liberation, and vision of the wisdom of liberation.”
At this point, the Blessed One expressed his approval of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta: “Well said, Mañjuśrī! You have explained the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings well on the relative level. Well done, well done. Now, Mañjuśrī, in order to illustrate the meaning of this, I will give you some examples. Mañjuśrī, imagine two men: one of them praises the hoofprints of an ox, while the other man praises the ocean. Mañjuśrī, what do you think? How extensively would the first man be able to praise the hoofprints of an ox?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, since all ox hoofprints are so small, what is even the use of praising them?”
The Blessed One said, “Just as the ox hoofprints are small, so you should view the vinaya of the hearers. Now, Mañjuśrī, what do you think? Would the other man be able to express a fitting praise of the ocean?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, the praises of the ocean could be incredibly numerous, limitless, and inconceivable.”
The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, just as the praises of the ocean are boundless, so you should view the vinaya of the bodhisattvas on the relative level.”
As he delivered this teaching without teaching, 12,000 gods, without ultimately forming anything, formed the wish for unexcelled and completely perfect awakening. They all declared, “Blessed One, without training, we will practice the trainings of the bodhisattvas.”
The god Lord of Peace and Calm asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, do you train in the vinaya of the hearers or in the vinaya of the bodhisattvas?”
Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine son, what do you think? Is there any water that cannot be contained in the ocean?”
The god replied, “No, Mañjuśrī, there is no water anywhere that cannot be contained in the ocean.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way the vinaya of the bodhisattva great beings is like the ocean.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, that word vinaya, what does that mean?”
Mañjuśrī answered, “Divine son, on the relative level vinaya refers to taming the disturbing emotions. Vinaya also means understanding disturbing emotions.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how does one tame the disturbing emotions? How does one understand disturbing emotions?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Ultimately, all phenomena are unborn, unarisen, and unreal. Yet this absence is misunderstood on the relative level. Misunderstanding this absence produces concepts and thoughts. Out of concept and thought appears mistaken conceptual activity. Mistaken conceptual activity then gives rise to the superimposition of a self. From the superimposition of a self comes the manifestation of views. Based on the manifestation of views, disturbing emotions appear.
“Divine son, whoever knows, without knowing, that ultimately all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal, is unmistaken in terms of the ultimate. Whoever is unmistaken in terms of the ultimate does not form concepts or thoughts. Whoever does not form concepts or thoughts is applying himself correctly. Whoever applies himself correctly does not ultimately form superimpositions of a self. When superimpositions of a self do not ultimately arise, manifest views also do not arise, and ultimately even the views related to passing beyond suffering do not arise. In that way one comes to experience the unborn, and pacifies disturbing emotions in a manner free from views. Divine son, this is what is meant by taming disturbing emotions.
“Divine son, disturbing emotions are ultimately utterly empty, utterly signless and utterly wishless due to the insight and wisdom to which no disturbing emotions ever appear. When one has the insight that ultimately they are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal, then, divine son, one knows disturbing emotions in a manner free from knowing.
“Divine son, consider this analogy. If you chant an incantation against a viper’s venom, it is possible to neutralize the snake’s poison. Divine son, in the same way, whoever understands the types of disturbing emotions will neutralize his disturbing emotions in a manner that is beyond reference points.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what are the types of disturbing emotions?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, ultimately all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal. Any conceptualization of that state is a form of disturbing emotion. Ultimately, there are no conceptualizations, so therefore there are also no disturbing emotions whatsoever. Divine son, because there are no disturbing emotions, there is no all-ground. Because there is no all-ground, there is ultimately no abiding. Because there is no abiding, there is ultimately no scorching. Because there is ultimately no scorching, there is said to be peace. On the ultimate level, things are not as they are expressed in words. Still, divine son, relatively this is how disturbing emotions are tamed.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, how are disturbing emotions tamed? Are they something? Or nothing?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, this is how it is. Imagine a man who has a nightmare in which he is bitten by a venomous viper. Although he is suffering, he is treated with an antidote and recovers. As the poison is neutralized, his pain disappears. Divine son, what do you think? Was this man actually bitten or not?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, ultimately it did not truly happen.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, how was the poison neutralized?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, just as the bite was not truly real, the neutralization of the poison was also not truly real.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way the noble ones view, without viewing, all disturbing emotions on the ultimate level. Divine son, you ask how disturbing emotions are tamed. Well, divine son, just as the ego ultimately is egoless, so, divine son, disturbing emotions are not ultimately disturbing emotions. Divine son, ultimately this self is suchness. Therefore, divine son, disturbing emotions also ultimately become suchness. Divine son, in this way, the self is not ultimately the self. Therefore, divine son, disturbing emotions are also not ultimately disturbing emotions. Divine son, whoever focuses on taming disturbing emotions on the ultimate level is not ultimately focusing on anything. Why? Divine son, because on the ultimate level nothing manifests, and therefore all phenomena are pacified. Divine son, on the ultimate level, there is no grasping, and therefore all phenomena are fully pacified. Divine son, on the ultimate level, all phenomena are free from superimposition, and therefore all phenomena are completely pacified. Divine son, on the ultimate level, all phenomena are utterly unborn, and therefore they are also beyond ceasing. Divine son, the ultimate level is utterly unreal and therefore all phenomena are utterly unborn.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the gateway to all dharmas?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the relative truth, which employs all forms of statements, speech, cognition, objects of cognition, activities, conventions, and acts, is a gateway to all dharmas. The ultimate truth, which is so because it is the opposite of all forms of speech, statements, cognition, objects of cognition, activities, conventions, and acts, is a gateway to all dharmas.
“Moreover, divine son, on the relative level, the incorrect conceptual workings of the mind are a gateway to saṃsāra. On the relative level, the correct conceptual workings of the mind are a gateway to nirvāṇa.
“On the relative level, doubt is a gateway to obscuration. On the relative level, liberation is a gateway to the absence of obscuration.
“On the relative level, conceptuality is a gateway to disturbing emotions. On the relative level, non-conceptuality is a gateway to the absence of disturbing emotions.
“On the relative level, distraction is a gateway to thought. On the relative level, tranquility is a gateway to peace.
“On the relative level, holding views is a gateway to pride. On the relative level, emptiness is a gateway to the absence of pride.
“On the relative level, relying on evil company is a gateway to all roots of non-virtue. On the relative level, relying on a virtuous spiritual friend is the gateway to all roots of virtue.
“On the relative level, wrong view is a gateway to all suffering. On the relative level, correct view is a gateway to all happiness.
“On the relative level, miserliness is a gateway to poverty. On the relative level, generosity is a gateway to great wealth.
“On the relative level, a bad character is a gateway to all lower realms. On the relative level, discipline is a gateway to all human and divine births.
“On the relative level, ill will is a gateway to an ugly appearance. On the relative level, patience is a gateway to a beautiful appearance.
“On the relative level, laziness is a gateway to a lack of realization. On the relative level, diligence is a gateway to realization.
“On the relative level, thought is a gateway to agitation. On the relative level, concentration is a gateway to pliability of mind.
“On the relative level, faulty knowledge is a gateway to a lack of understanding. On the relative level, knowledge is a gateway to the thirty-seven factors of awakening.
“On the relative level, love is a gateway to not becoming angry. On the relative level, great compassion is a gateway to an altruistic mind. On the relative level, an altruistic mind is a gateway to the absence of deceit. On the relative level, joy is a gateway to conviction in the Dharma. On the relative level, equanimity is a gateway to being free from all faults.
“On the relative level, the applications of mindfulness are a gateway to not letting any roots of virtue diminish. On the relative level, the thorough relinquishments are a gateway to genuine perseverance. On the relative level, the bases of miraculous power are a gateway to pliancy of body and mind. On the relative level, the faculties are a gateway to attaining faith. On the relative level, the powers are a gateway to conquering all disturbing emotions. On the relative level, the branches of awakening are a gateway to realizing omniscience. On the relative level, the eightfold path of the noble ones is a gateway to transcending all unwholesome paths.
“Moreover, divine son, on the relative level, the mind set on awakening is a gateway to all buddha qualities. On the relative level, upholding the sacred Dharma is a gateway to becoming a lord of all dharmas. On the relative level, ripening beings is a gateway to upholding the sacred Dharma. On the relative level, method is a gateway to becoming learned regarding the correct and the incorrect. On the relative level, the perfection of knowledge is a gateway to nirvāṇa.
“On the ultimate level, the unarisen is a gateway to all dharmas.” [B2]
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the gateway to the utterly unborn?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the utterly unarisen is a gateway in every way.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what is the nature of the utterly unarisen?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the utterly unreal is the nature of the utterly unarisen.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, does the utterly unarisen have any divisions?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, what do you think? Does the sky have any divisions?”
The god answered, “No, Mañjuśrī, it does not.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way, just as the sky does not have any divisions, so, divine son, does the utterly unborn also not have any divisions.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, do you comprehend the utterly unarisen on the ultimate level?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the utterly unarisen does not comprehend the utterly unarisen. And why? Because, divine son, all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, are you this eloquent because you know and understand any phenomenon whatsoever?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, what do you think? Does an echo make a sound because it knows phenomena?”
The god replied, “Mañjuśrī, of course an echo does not know any phenomena. Instead, on the relative level, the sound appears from circumstances.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way, based on the circumstance of observing all beings, on the relative level a bodhisattva great being speaks without speaking.”
The god asked, “Mañjuśrī, on what basis do you teach?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on what type of emanation does the Thus-gone One base himself as he teaches?”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, the Thus-gone One does not ultimately base himself on any emanation whatsoever.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, in the same way, on the ultimate level, without basing myself on any phenomena, I teach without teaching.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, if, on the ultimate level, without basing yourself on any phenomena, you teach without teaching, on what basis do you awaken to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, I base myself on the acts with immediate consequence and, without awakening to completely perfect buddhahood, I awaken to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood.”
The god said, “How do you base yourself on the acts with immediate consequence?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, ultimately the acts with immediate consequence do not truly exist and do not have any substance. It is on them that I base myself without basing myself.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, the Thus-gone One has explained that beings are born in hell because of committing the acts with immediate consequence.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the Thus-gone One has explained that beings are born in hell because of committing the acts with immediate consequence. In the same way, divine son, the Thus-gone One teaches, without teaching, how to quickly awaken to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood when basing oneself on the acts with immediate consequence, without basing oneself on the acts with immediate consequence.”
The god said, “Mañjuśrī, what are the acts with immediate consequence?”
Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, the acts with immediate consequence are those by which the bodhisattva great beings quickly, without awakening to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood, perfectly awaken. Such are the acts with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings.
“Divine son, you may wonder what the five acts with immediate consequence are. Well, divine son, the first act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. When a bodhisattva great being with pure motivation, without developing, has developed the mind set on unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood, he does not develop the mind-set that aims for the levels of the hearers, solitary buddhas, anyone with reference points, or the extremists.
“Moreover, divine son, the second act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without producing, has produced the mind set on giving up all possessions, he will not entertain any feelings of miserliness until he reaches the essence of enlightenment.
“Moreover, divine son, the third act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without producing, has produced the mind-set that thinks, ‘I will protect all beings in any possible way,’ he will not yield from that.
“Moreover, divine son, the fourth act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without attaining forbearance, has attained the forbearance that understands that ultimately all phenomena are utterly unborn, utterly unarisen, and utterly unreal, he will not engender any clinging to substance, essence, or actuality.
“Moreover, divine son, the fifth act with immediate consequence of the bodhisattva great beings is as follows. Divine son, when a bodhisattva great being, without engendering, has engendered the mind-set that thinks, ‘I will fully understand all phenomena by means of momentary knowledge,’ he will not rest under any circumstances until he has obtained, without obtaining, the wisdom of omniscience that is endowed with all supreme features.
“By abiding in this way, without abiding, the bodhisattva great being quickly and perfectly awakens, without ultimately awakening, to unexcelled and completely perfect buddhahood.”