Chapter for Entering the Dharma Realm of  the Avatamsaka Sutra

The unsurpassed, profound, and wonderful Dharma,

Is difficult to encounter in hundreds of millions of eons,

I now see and hear it, receive and uphold it,

And I vow to fathom the Tathagata’s true meaning.

Jayottama

His mind fil led with great love for the infinite realm of life, overflowing

with great compassion, having amassed immense stores of virtue and knowledge,

freed from the defilement of ignorance, passion, and all afflictions,

realizing the equality of all things, proceeding equanimously on the path of

omniscience, having eradicated the entryways into countless bad tendencies,

proceeding heroically by the power of steadfast energy immune to all evils,

filled with great calm by the inconceivable concentrations of an enlightening

being, having thoroughly dispelled the darkness of ignorance by the

light of the sun of wisdom, adorned with flowers of knowledge vivified by

the moon of bliss and the breeze of means, according with the principles of

knowledge of l iberation through the ocean of great vows, imbued with

knowledge pervading the reality realm unimpeded, facing the entrance of

the imperishable city of omniscience, seeking the path of enlightening

beings, Sudhana made his way to the city of Nandihara and sought out the

eminent Jayottama, whom he saw in a grove at the eastern edge of the city,

surrounded by thousands of elders, giving instructions regarding the various

affairs of the city, in the course of which he was also talking about spirituality

in order to get rid of all egoism, possessiveness, acquisitiveness, clinging

to material things, dependency, binding cravings, impeding views, obscuring

doubts, beclouding deceit and guile, defiling envy and jealousy, in order

to clear and purify everyone's minds, in order to inspire them to delight in

the vision of buddhas by fostering the power of pure faith in them, in order

to get them to accept the buddha-teachings by bringing forth the powers of

enlightening beings in turn, in order to generate the power of concentration

of enlightening beings by reveal ing to them the practices of enlightening

beings, in order to purify enlightening beings' power of recollection by

showing them the power of wisdom of enlightening beings. Thus he was

expounding the Teaching, to inspire them to seck enlightenment.

Sudhana went up to the grandee Jayottama, bowed to him, and with

respect for the Teaching said, "I am Sudhana, 0 noble one, and I seek the

practice of enlightening beings. Please tell me how to learn the practice of

enlightening beings, how to orient myself to the disciplines that will perfect

all sentient beings while I am learning, how to see all buddhas, how to hear

the teaching of all buddhas, how to remember the multitudes of teachings of

all buddhas, how to carry out the principles of the teachings of all buddhas,

how to perform the practice of enlightening beings in all worlds, how to be

indefatigable living in all ages by the practice of enlightening beings, how to

perceive the transformation of all who have gone to Thusness, how to

receive the empowerment of all buddhas, how to attain knowledge of the

powers of all buddhas."

Jayottama said to Sudhana, "It is good that you aspire to supreme perfect

enlightenment. I am purifying the method of enlightening practice that

goes everywhere, hy the power of attainment of nondoing based on

nonbeing. By this method of purification of enlightening practice going

everywhere, I expound the Teaching in all realms ofbeing in the universe, I

oppose untruth, I stop controversy, conflict, strife, combat, and hostility. I

cut through bonds and break prisons apart. I eliminate fears. I put an end to

evildoing, I turn people away from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct,

falsehood, slander, harshness, divisive talk, longing, malice, and false views.

I get them to stop all compulsive activity and to pursue all right and good

actions. I teach everyone al l arts and crafts that bring benefit to the world. I

elucidate, articulate, explain, and promote all sciences for the happiness of

the world. I go along with all false doctrines in order to develop the people

involved in them. In order to show the excellence of higher knowledge, to

put a stop to all views, to inspire interest in the teaching of all buddhas, I

approach all the celestial beings in the realm of form all the way up to the

world of Brahma and expound the Teaching to them. And as I teach in this

universe, so also do I teach in as many worlds as atoms in ten unspeakable

numbers of decillions of buddha-lands. I teach the ways of buddhas, the

ways of enlightening beings, the ways of Buddhist disciples, and the ways of

individual illuminates. I teach about the hells, what leads to hell, and the

motives and actions of beings in hell. I teach about animality, the types who

tend toward animality, what leads to animality, and the misery of animalistic

life. I teach about the underworld, what leads to the underworld, and the

misery of the underworld. I teach about heavens, what leads to heaven, and

the enjoyments of heaven. I teach about the human world, what leads to the

human world, and the variety of pleasant and unpleasant experiences in the

human world.

"Thus I teach about the law of the world, the formation of the world,

the decline of the world, the pain of the world, and emancipation from the

world; I expound the Teaching in order to explain the path of practice of

enlightening beings, to remove the ills of the mundane world, to show the

virtues of omniscience, to extinguish the pain of infatuation with states of

being, to elucidate the unimpeded nature of reality, to clarify the ordinary

conduct of the world, to point out the happiness and misery of the conduct

of all beings in the world, to show the notions on which all worlds are

based, to elucidate the independent state of those who realize Thusness, to

fend off all active afflictions, and to show the progress of the wheel of

teaching of the enlightened.

"I know this method .of purification of enlightening practice that goes

everywhere, an undefiled manifestation of nondoing based on illumination.

How can I know the practice or tell of the virtues of enlightening beings

who have all mystic knowledges, who go throughout all lands with the

body of knowledge of illusoriness, who have attained the stage of knowledge

of the universal eye, who hear all utterances, who have attained control of the light of the way to truth that pervades past, present, and future, who are heroic masters of knowledge comprehending all things, who speak with

the voice of totality communicating to infinite sentient beings according to

their mentalities, who have phantom bodies the same as all enlightening

beings pleasing to the masses of sentient beings with their various wishes,

who are intent upon one and the same inconceivable body of all buddhas,

whose body of knowledge pervades past, present, and future, whose sphere

is as vast and measureless as the sky?

"South of here, in the land of Shronaparanta, is a city called Kalingavana,

where a nun named Sinhavijurmbhita lives. Go ask her how to learn and

carry out the practice of enlightening beings."

Then Sudhana paid his respects to Jayottama and left.

Sinhavijurmbhita

Then Sudhana made his way to the city called Kalingavana in the land of

S hronaparanta, where he asked everyone he met the whereabouts of the nun

Sinhavijurmbhita. As he was looking for the nun, everywhere he went hundreds

of boys and girls came together from the streets and intersections and

blocked the way. There were also hundreds of men and women, who told

him, "the nun Sinhavijurmbhita is in this city, staying in Sunlight Park,

which was donated by Jayaprabha, where she is expounding the Teaching

for the benefit of countless beings."

So then Sudhana went to this Sunlight Park and looked all around. In the

park he saw trees called " moon-risen," which were covered like pavilions, of

flamelike color and blazing radiance, lighting up the space of a league all

around. He also saw leafy trees called "completely covering," which are

shaped like parasols, their clustered leaves providing shade, shining like blue

crystal clouds. He saw flowering trees called "treasury of flowers," which

had various pleasing forms like the Himalaya Mountains and showered endless

streams of varicolored flowers, like the trees of paradise adorning the

heavens. He also saw ever-ripe sweet fruit trees called "gathering of fruits of

indescribable sweetness," which had the appearance of golden polar mountains

and were always bearing fruit. He also saw jewel trees called "treasury

of radiance," which looked like incomparable jewels and bore riches in buds

producing garlands and ornaments of celestial jewels and wish-fulfilling

gems, and were adorned by jewels of countless colors. He also saw trees of

cloth called "soothing," from which hung precious celestial cloths of various

colors. He also saw trees of musical instruments called "pleasing," which

produced music more sweet and pleasant than that of the heavens. He also

saw trees of fragrance called "gracing everywhere," which pervaded everywhere

with all kinds of pleasing fragrances. There were also cool lotus

ponds, with steps made of bricks of seven precious substances arrayed on

four sides, surrounded by benches of various jewels painted with sandalwood

fragrance, set in ground made of blue lapis lazuli, the bottom covered

with gold sand, the ponds filled with water pleasantly scented with celestial

fragrance, the surface of the water covered with varicolored lotuses of heavenly scent and texture, the air around them filled with the songs of birds, more lovely than the heavens, all surrounded by rows of beautiful trees of various celestial treasures. At the foot of each of those treasure trees were arranged jewel lion seats of various pleasing forms, adorned with innumerable jewels of various kinds, spread with various precious celestial cloths, perfumed with incenses of all kinds of celestial fragrances, covered with canopies of various jewels hung with precious silks surpassing those of the heavens, enveloped in nets of gold adorned by various jewels, with circlets of bells giving forth pleasant sounds, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of celestial seats. At the foot of one precious tree he saw a lion seat in the calyx of a jewel lotus; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a fragrant diamond lotus; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a diamond lotus ornamented with dragons; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a diamond lotus with clusters of jewel lions; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a lotus of luminous jewels; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a lotus of the finest diamonds; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a lotus of world-illuminingjewels; at another, a lion seat in the calyx of a lotus of jewels of white light. He saw that the ground of the whole park was scattered with various jewels, just as the ocean is scattered with jewel islands. The earth, studded with blue lapis lazuli and inlaid with all kinds of jewels, was soft and pleasant to the touch, and would give way and spring back as one walked on it. The grounds were covered with diamond lilies, of pleasant texture and lovely scent. The sweet sounds of the calls of various birds were heard, and the park was graced with well-arrayed stands of heavenly precious sandalwood trees. There were endless streams of jewel blossoms raining from clouds of various jewel flowers in a magnificent array surpassing the pleasure garden of lndra, chief of gods. There were well-spaced towers with various incomparably fragrant incenses always burning, more magnificent than Indra's hall ofjustice , covered above with nets of various jewels surpassing those of the heavens, hung with garlands of pearl flowers spread all over with nets of shining gold arrayed with jewel bells. Trees of various musical instruments, jewel palm trees with nets ofbells, played sweet music as they were stirred by the breeze, and the singing of goddesses was also heard. The park was splendidly adorned by rain from clouds of radiant celestial cloths, of infinite colors like the ocean, lovely to see. He saw Sunlight Park adorned with hundreds of thousands of towers arrayed with inconceivable, innumerable jewels, beautiful as the castle of the god Indra. It was adorned with arrays of all kinds of jewels, everywhere graced with arrays of beautifully formed parasols, always radiating pleasing light, like the abode of the god Brahma, shining with world-illumining light. It was as vast as a space that holds innumerable worlds. Sudhana saw this Sunlight Park by the strength of the mystic power of the nun Sinhavijurmbhita. Sudhana looked all over and saw these magnificent adornments of the park, replete with infinite, inconceivable qualities, perfected by the maturation of the work of the enlightening being, born of vast supramundane roots of good, deriving from making offerings to inconceivably many buddhas, unsurpassed by all worldly goodness, sprung forth from the illusory nature of phenomena, composed of the results of extensive pure good works, without contamination, produced by the power deriving from the past virtuous actions of the nun Sinhavijurmbhita, unique, beyond the individually liberated, immune to the destructive influence of false teachers, imperceptible to maniacs and ignoramuses. In all of those lion seats under the various precious trees he saw the nun Sinhavijurmbhita sitting, surrounded by a great company of followers, calm, composed, her senses and mind quiet, well controlled, her senses subdued, as restrained as an elephant, her mind pellucid and clear as a deep pool, granter of all desires like a wish-fulfilling jewel , unaffected by worldly things as a lotus is not clung to by water, fearless as a lion, with polished expertise, unshakable as a mountain, pure in conduct, soothing the minds of beings like intoxicating perfume, extinguishing the burning of afflictions like sandalwood from the snowy mountains, alleviating the pains of all sentient beings like the medicine "good to see," beneficial to all who behold her, producing the physical and mental bliss of quiescence like the light of a buddha free from the ills and delusions of passion, clearing the minds of sentient beings polluted by afflictions like the water-purifying crystal, promoting the growth of roots of virtue like a good field. He saw her sitting in those seats, with various audiences in the surrounding seats. In one setting he saw the nun surrounded by gods of the heaven of pure abodes, expounding a doctrine called unity with endless liberation; in another he saw her surrounded by gods of Brahma's heaven, expounding a purity of the sphere of the voice called division of the universal ground; in another he saw her surrounded by gods and goddesses of the heaven of control of others' emanations , expounding a doctrine called array of powers of purification of mind of enlightening beings; in another he saw her surrounded by gods and goddesses of the heaven of enjoyable emanations, expounding a doctrine called pure array of all phenomena; in another he saw her surrounded by gods and goddesses of the heaven of satisfaction, expounding a doctrine called resorting to the treasury of one's own mind; in another he saw her surrounded by gods and goddesses of the heaven of timely portion, expounding a doctrine called endless array; in another he saw her surrounded by gods and goddesses of the thirty-three-fold heaven, expounding a doctrine called the method of rejecting; in another he saw her surrounded by water spirits, nymphs, and sprites, expounding a doctrine cal led array of lights of the sphere of buddhas; in another he saw her surrounded by demigods and demigoddesses and their children, expounding a doctrine called treasury of salvation of the world; in another he saw her surrounded hy celestial musicians, expounding a doctrine called endless giving of delight; in another he saw her surrounded by titans, with their wives and children, expounding a doctrine called manifestation of power of reason in the knowledge of the reality realm; in another he saw her surrounded by fantastic birds, expounding a doctrine called the sphere of action concerned  with alarming those in the ocean of existence; in another he saw her surrounded by centaurs expounding a doctrine called the range of manifestation of the action of Buddha; in another he saw her surrounded by great serpents, expounding a doctrine called production of the joy of the enlightened; in another he saw her surrounded by hundreds of thousands of women, men, boys and girls, expounding a doctrine called higher reaches of knowledge; in another he saw her surrounded by goblins, expounding a doctrine called production of compassion; in another he saw her surrounded by people devoted to the vehicle of listeners, expounding a doctrine called higher power of knowledge; in another he saw her surrounded by people devoted to the vehicle of individual illumination, expounding a doctrine called splendor of the illustrious virtues of buddhas; in another he saw her surrounded by people devoted to the Great Vehicle of universal enlightenment, expounding a medium of light of knowledge of concentration called door to totality; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings who had just been inspired to seek enlightenment, expounding a medium of concentration called multitude of vows of all buddhas; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the second stage, expounding a medium of concentration called sphere of dispassion; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the third stage, expounding a medium of concentration called sphere of tranquillity; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the fourth stage, expounding a medium of concentration called production of the field of action of the energy of omniscience; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings of the fifth stage, expounding a medium of concentration called treasury of flowers of the tendrils of the mind; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the sixth stage, expounding a medium of concentration called filled with l ight; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the seventh stage, expounding a medium of concentration called adornment of the stage of totality; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the eighth stage, expounding a medium of concentration called realm of the body distributed equally throughout the structure of the cosmos; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the ninth stage, expounding a medium of concentration called array of the abode of the power of nonacquisition; in another he saw her surrounded by enlightening beings in the tenth stage, expounding a medium of concentration called sphere of nonobstruction; in another he saw her teaching an audience of thunderbolt bearers a doctrine called mighty array of thunderbolts of knowledge. Thus he saw the mature, the teachable, the capable among those in al l states of being gathered in this park, each type in a separate assembly, with various inclinations and interests, firmly intent and deeply faithful, with the nun Sinhavijurmbhita teaching them each in such a way that all became certain of supreme perfect enlightenment. How was that so? Because the nun Sinhavijurmbhita had gone into countless tens of hundreds of thousands of doors of transcendent wisdom, beginning with the equanimity of the universal eye, exposition of all buddhas' teachings, differentiation of the planes of the reality realm, dispersing all obstructions, production of good thoughts in all sentient beings, supreme adornment, matrix of the principle of nonattachment, sphere of the realm of reality, treasury of mind, and source of miracles pleasing to all. And all the enlightening beings and others who came to this park to see the nun Sinhavijurmbhita and hear her teach were guided by her, from the beginning accumulation of virtues, until she h ad made them irreversible on the way to supreme perfect enlightenment. Then Sudhana, having seen the nun Sinhavijurmbhita with such an abode, such furnishings, such an audience, such mastery, such mystic power, and such eloquence, and having heard her teaching, his mind drenched by the immense cloud of the Teaching, his thoughts toward Sinhavijurmbhita pure, he prostrated himself and then circled her in respect hundreds of thousands of times. At that time the whole park and the congregations were suffused with a glorious light from the nun. Having made hundreds of thousands of circumambulations, he noticed that as he circumambulated he saw the nun whichever way he faced. He stood before her and said, "Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. I hear you give enlightening beings instructions, so please tell me how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings." She said, "I have attained the enlightening liberation of removal of all vain imaginings." Sudhana asked her about the sphere of this liberation, and she said, "It is the light of knowledge whose nature is instantaneous awareness of the phenomena of past, present, and future." Sudhana asked about the compass of this light of knowledge, and she replied, "As I go in and out the door of this light of knowledge, there is born in me a concentration called 'possessed of all phenomena,' by the attainment of which concentration I go to all worlds in the ten directions with mentally produced bodies to present offerings as numerous as atoms in untold buddha-lands with bodies as numerous as atoms in untold buddha-lands to each of the enlightening beings in the heavens of satisfaction who are bound to attain buddhahood in one lifetime. In the forms of all sorts ofbeings, bringing all sorts of gifts, I go to make offerings to the enlightening beings in the heavens of satisfaction who arc going to become buddhas in the next life, and I go to all the buddhas, be they in the womb, being born, at home, leaving home, going to the heights of enlightenment, at the pinnacle of enlightenment, having become supremely perfectly enlightened, gone to various realms of existence, or entering final extinction after having satisfied the minds of all beings, making such offerings with such mentally produced bodies. Those sentient beings who know my work of making offerings to buddhas all become certain of supreme perfect enlightenment. And to all those sentient beings who come to me I give instruction in this same transcendent wisdom. "I see all beings with the eye of knowledge, yet I do not conceive any notion of 'sentient being,' and do not imagine so. I hear all beings' verbal signals, yet I do not imagine so, because I do not enter into the spheres of any discourses. I sec all buddhas, yet I do not imagine so, because I know their body is reality. I remember the cycles of teachings of all buddhas, but I do not imagine so, because I am aware of the true nature of things. I pervade the cosmos in every moment of awareness, but I do not imagine so, because I know the nature of things as existing in illusion. "Thus, I know the enlightening liberation of removal of all vain imaginings; but how can I know the practice or tell of the virtues of the enlightening beings who penetrate the infinite cosmos of realities, who are free from vain imaginings about all things, who pervade all realms of reality while sitting cross-legged in one body, who see all buddha-lands in their own bodies, who go to all huddhas in a single instant, in whose own beings the miracles of all buddhas arc taking place, who lift up untold buddha-lands with a single hair, who show the eons ofbecoming and dissolution of untold worlds in their own pores, who in a single instant enter into the commonality of coexistence in untold eons, who enter untold eons in a single instant? "South of here, in the land of Durga, is a city called R.atnavyuha, where Vasumitra, a worshiper of the god of light, is living. Go ask her how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings." So, paying his respects to the nun Sinhavijurmbhita, Sudhana left her and went on his way.

Vasumitra His mind illumined by the lightning of great vision, meditating on the light of omniscience, observing the manifestation of power of essential nature , making firm the mnemonic command of the treasury of verbal communications of all beings, extending the mnemonic command to retain the cycles of teachings of all buddhas, establishing the power of great compassion as a refuge for all sentient beings, examining the power of omniscience which is the source of the means of perceiving the principles of all laws, following the purity of vows extending throughout the cosmos, clarifying the light of knowledge illumining all things, developing the power of mystic knowledge pervading all phenomena arraying the worlds of the ten directions, fulfilling the vow to remember, undertake, and accomplish all the deeds of enlightening beings, Sudhana made his way to the city ofRatnavyuha in the country of Durga, where he sought out Vasumitra. People there who did not know ofVasumitra's virtues or the scope of her knowledge said to Sudhana, "What has someone like you-with senses so calm and subdued, so aware, so clear, without confusion or distraction, your gaze focused discreetly right before you, your mind not overwhelmed by sensations, not clinging to appearances, your eyes averted from involvement in all forms, your mind so cool and steady, your way of life profound, wise, oceanic, your mind free from agitation or despondency-what have you to do with Vasumitra? You should not have any lust for her, your head should not be turned by her, you should not have any such,impure thoughts, you should not he ravaged by such desires, you should not be under the power of a woman, you should not he so bewitched, you should not enter the realm of temptation, you should not sink into the mire of sensuality, you should not be bound by the snares of the devil , you should not do what should not be done." Those who knew the excellence of the virtues ofVasumitra, however, and who were aware of the scope of her knowledge, said, "Good, good! You have really made gain if you ask about Vasumitra. You surely seek buddhahood; you surely want to make yourself a refuge for all sentient beings; you surely want to extract the barbs of passion from all sentient beings; you surely want to transform the notion of purity. Vasumitra is in her house, north of the town square." Hearing this, Sudhana was delighted. He went to Vasumitra's house and saw that it was surrounded by ten jewel walls, ten circles of jewel trees, and ten moats fil led with fragrant water covered by celestial jewel lotuses of various colors, with gold sand spread on the bottom, the rippling waters producing an intoxicating fragrance, the banks adorned by many jewels. The house had wel l-arranged apartments and towers made of all kinds of precious substances; it had high arched doorways and circular windows, draped with nets and blazing with jewels. It was adorned with fences of countless various jewels, and its base was composed of masses of jewels studded with lapis lazuli. It was perfumed with all kinds of fragrant oils. T he wal ls were studded with all kinds of jewels, and the roof was inland with various gems and covered with a gold net. A hundred thousand webs of gold bells gave off sweet, pleasant sounds as they rustled in the breeze. The house was adorned with sprays of jewel flowers from clouds of flowers of all kinds of jewels. The doors were decorated with multicolored banners of al l kinds of jewels. The light of lamps of various jewels shone to an endless distance. The house had diamond beams made from the limbs of gigantic brilliant jewel trees, and it was an inexhaustible treasury of hundreds and thousands of riches in full view; it was also adorned with ten large gardens set around it. There he saw Vasumitra, who was beautiful, with golden skin and black hair, her limbs and body well proportioned, more beautiful in form than all celestial and human beings in the realm of desire, her voice finer even than that of the god Brahma. She knew the language of all beings; s he had a pleasant voice that could pronounce any sound, and was skilled in freedom of phonetic organization. She was well versed in all arts and sciences, she had learned to use the magic of true knowledge, and she had mastered all aspects of the expedient means of enlightening beings. Her beautiful body was decorated with assorted jewelry, draped with a radiant mesh made of all kinds of precious substances, shining with an array of countless celestial jewel ornaments. She wore a tiara of large wish-fulfilling gems, her waist was adorned with diamonds, and she had a lapis lazuli neck lace on. She had a large, attractive retinue, all with the same virtues, the same practice, and the same vow. She was an inexhaustible treasury of goodness and knowledge. He also saw the whole house, with all its jeweled apartments and furnishings lit up by the lovely, refreshing, pleasant, blissful, enrapturing light that emanated from her body. Sudhana went up to Vasumitra, paid his respects, and said, " Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. I hear that you give enlightening beings instructions, and I hope you will tel l me how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings." She said, "I have attained an enlightening liberation called 'ultimately dispassionate.' To gods, in accord with their inclinations and interests, I appear in the form of a goddess of surpassing splendor and perfection; and to all other types of beings I accordingly appear in the form of a female of their species, of surpassing splendor and perfection. And all who come to me with minds full of passion, I teach them so that they become free of passion. Those who have heard my teaching and attain dispassion achieve an enlightening concentration called 'realm of nonattachment.' "Some attain dispassion as soon as they see me, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'delight in joy. ' Some attain dispassion merely by talking with me, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'treasury of unimpeded sound.' Some attain dispassion just by holding my h and, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'basis of going to all buddha-lands.' Some attain dispassion just by staying with me, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'light of freedom from bondage.' Some attain dispassion just by gazing at me, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'tranquil expression.' Some attain dispassion just by embracing me, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'womb receiving all sentient beings without rejection.' Some attain dispassion just by kissing me, and achieve an enlightening concentration called 'contact with the treasury of virtue of all beings.' All those who come to me I establish in this enlightening liberation of ultimate dispassion, on the brink of the stage of unimpeded omniscience .'' Sudhana asked her, "Where did you plant roots of virtue, and what kind of deeds did you accumulate, that you got to be this way?" She replied, "I recall that in a past age a buddha named Reaching the Heights appeared in the world. When the buddha went to the royal capital out of compassion for the people, as he crossed the threshold the whole city quaked and appeared to-be vastly extended and made ofjewels, adorned with the luster of many jewels, strewn with flowers of various jewels. A variety of celestial musical instruments played, and the sky appeared covered by high, immeasurable clouds of celestial beings. At that time I was the wife of a grandee. Impelled by the miracle of the buddha, I went with my husband in a state of exalted serenity and presented a coin to the buddha on the street. At that time Manjushri was an attendant of that buddha; it was by him that I was inspired to seek supreme perfect enlightenment. "I know this enlightening liberation of ultimate dispassion, but how can I know the practice or tell the virtues of the enlightening beings who are endowed with the skill of endless means and knowledge, who are vast, inexhaustible treasuries of good, who are in the realm of invincible knowledge? "South of here is a city called Shubhaparamgama, where a householder named Veshthila is presenting offerings to the shrine of the buddha Sandalwood Throne. Go ask him how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings." So Sudhana paid his respects to Vasumitra and left.

May the merit and virtue accrued from this work,

Adorn the Buddhas’ Pure Lands,

Repaying the four benefactors above,

And aiding those suffering in the three paths below.

May those who see and hear of this,

All bring forth the Bodhi resolve,

And when this retribution body is over,

Be born together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.