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Demonstration of the Inconceivable State of Buddhahood Sutra

Thus have I heard: Once the Buddha was dwelling in the garden of Anathapindika, in the Jeta Grove near Shravasti, accompanied ! one thousand monks, ten thousand Bodhisattva"#ahasattvas, and man! gods of the $ealm of %esire and the $ealm of &orm' At that time, Bodhisattva"#ahasattva #an(usri and the god Suguna were oth present among the assem l!' The )orld"*onored One told #an(usri, +,ou should e-plain the profound state of Buddhahood for the celestial eings and the Bodhisattvas of this assem l!'+ #an(usri said to the Buddha, +So e it, )orld"*onored One' If good men and good women wish to know the state of Buddhahood, the! should know that it is not a state of the e!e, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the od!, or the mind. nor is it a state of forms, sounds, scents, tastes, te-tures, or mental o (ects' )orld" *onored One, the non"state is the state of Buddhahood' This eing the case, what is the state of supreme enlightenment as attained ! the Buddha/+ The Buddha said, +It is the state of emptiness, ecause all views are e0ual' It is the state of sign"less"ness, ecause all signs are e0ual' It is the state of wish"less"ness, ecause the three realms are e0ual' It is the state of non"action, ecause all actions are e0ual' It is the state of the unconditioned, ecause all conditioned things are e0ual'+ #an(usri asked, +)orld"*onored One, what is the state of the unconditioned/+ The Buddha said, +The a sence of thought is the state of the unconditioned'+ #an(usri said, +)orld"*onored One, if the states of the unconditioned and so forth are the state of Buddhahood,

and the state of the unconditioned is the a sence of thought, then on what asis is the state of Buddhahood e-pressed/ If there is no such asis, then there is nothing to e said. and since there is nothing to e said, nothing can e e-pressed Therefore, )orld"*onored One, the state of Buddhahood is inexpressible in words + The Buddha asked, +#an(usri, where should the state of Buddhahood e sought/+ #an(usri answered, +It should e sought right in the defilements of sentient eings' )h!, ecause ! nature the defilements of sentient eings are inapprehensi le' $eali1ation of this is e!ond the comprehension of Sravakas and 2rat!eka uddhas. therefore, it is called the state of Buddhahood'+ The Buddha asked #an(usri +%oes the state of Buddhahood increase or decreases'+ +It neither increases nor decreases'+ The Buddha asked, +*ow can one comprehend the asic nature of the defilements of all sentient eings/+ +Just as the state of Buddhahood neither increases nor decreases, so ! their nature the defilements neither increase nor decrease'+ The Buddha asked, +)hat is the basic nature of the defilements/+ +The asic nature of the defilements is the asic nature of the state of Buddhahood' )orld"*onored One, if the nature of the defilements were different from the nature of the state of Buddhahood, then it could not e said that the Buddha a ides in the e0ualit! of all things' It is ecause the nature of the defilements is the ver! nature of the state of Buddhahood that the Tathgata is said to abide in equality '+ The Buddha asked further, +In what e0ualit! do !ou think the Tath3gata a ides/+ +As I understand it, the Tath3gata a ides in e-actl! the same e0ualit! in which those sentient eings who act with desire, hatred, and

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ignorance a ide'+ The Buddha asked, +In what e0ualit! do those sentient eings who act with the three poisons a ide/+ +The! a ide in the equality of emptiness, sign less ness, and wish less ness'+ The Buddha asked, +#an(usri, in emptiness, how could there e desire, hatred, and ignorance/+ #an(usri answered, +$ight in that which e-ists there is emptiness, wherein desire, hatred, and ignorance are also found'+ The Buddha asked, +In what e-istence is there emptiness/+ +!mptiness is said to exist only in words and language' Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance' The Buddha has said, 4#onks5 6on"arising, non" conditioning, non"action, and non" origination all e-ist' If these did not e-ist, then one could not speak of arising, conditioning, action, and origination' Therefore, monks, ecause there are non"arising, non" conditioning, non"action, and non" origination, one can speak of the e-istence of arising, conditioning, action, and origination'4 Similarl!, )orld"*onored One, if there were no emptiness, sign"less"ness, or wish" less"ness, one could not speak of desire, hatred, ignorance, or other ideas'+ The Buddha said, +#an(usri, if this is the case, then it must e, as !ou said' That who a ides in the defilements a ides in emptiness'+ #an(usri said, +)orld"*onored One' If a meditator seeks emptiness apart from the defilements, his search will e in vain' *ow could there e an emptiness that differs from the defilements/ If he contemplates the defilements as emptiness, he is said to be engaged in right practice'+ The Buddha asked, +#an(usri, do !ou detach !ourself from the defilements or a ide in them/+ #an(usri said, +All defilements are e0ual 7in realit!8' I have reali1ed that e0ualit! through right practice' Therefore, I neither detach myself from the defilements nor abide in them' If a sramaga or Brahmin claims that he has overcome passions and sees other eings as defiled, he has fallen into the two extreme views' )hat are the two/ One is the view of 9ternalism, maintaining that defilements e-ist. the other is the view of nihilism, maintaining that defilements do not e-ist' )orld"*onored One, he who practices rightly sees no such things as self or other, existence or nonexistence" #hy$ Because he clearly comprehends all dharmas'+ The Buddha asked, +#an(usri, what should one rel! upon for right practice/+ +%e who practices rightly relies upon nothing'+ The Buddha asked, +%oes he not practice according to the path/+ +If he practices in accordance with an!thing, his practice will e conditioned' A conditioned practice is not one of equality' )h!/ Because it is not e-empt from arising, a iding, and perishing'+ The Buddha asked #an(usri, + &re there any categories in the unconditioned/ + #an(usri answered, +)orld"*onored One, if there were categories in the unconditioned, then the unconditioned would e conditioned and would no longer e the unconditioned'+ The Buddha said, +If the unconditioned can e reali1ed ! saints, then there is such a thing as the unconditioned. how can !ou sa! there are no categories in +Things have no categories, and the saints have transcended categories' That is wh! I sa! there are no categories'+ The Buddha asked, +#an(usri, would !ou not sa! !ou have attained saint" hood/+ #an(usri asked in turn, +)orld" *onored One, suppose one asks a

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magicall! produced person, 4would !ou not sa! !ou have attained sainthood/4 )hat will e his repl!/+ The Buddha answered #an(usri, +One cannot speak of the attainment or non"attainment of a magicall! produced person'+ #an(usri asked, +*as the Buddha not said that all things are like illusions/+ The Buddha answered, +So I have, so I have'+ +If all things are like illusions, wh! do !ou ask me whether or not I have attained sainthood/+ The Buddha asked, +#an(usri, what e0ualit! in the three vehicles have !ou reali1ed/+ +I have reali1ed the e0ualit! of the state of Buddhahood'+ The Buddha asked, +*ave !ou attained the state of Buddhahood/+ +If the )orld"*onored One has attained it, then I have also attained it'+ Thereupon, :enera le Su huti asked #an(usri, +*as not the Tath3gata attained the state of Buddhahood/+ #an(usri asked in turn, +*ave !ou attained an!thing in the state of Sravaka"hood/+ Su huti answered, +The li eration of a saint is neither an attainment nor a non"attainment' + +So it is, so it is' ;ikewise, the li eration of the Tath3gata is neither a state nor a non"state'+ Su huti said, +#an(usri, !ou are not taking care of the novice Bodhisattvas in teaching the %harma this wa!'+ 'an(usri as)ed, *Subhuti, what do you thin)$ Suppose a physician, in ta)ing care of his patients, does not give them acrid, sour, bitter, or astringent medicines" Is he helping them to recover or causing them to die$* Su huti answered, +*e is causing them to suffer and die instead of giving them peace and happiness'+ #an(usri said, +Such is the case with a teacher of the %harma' If, in taking care of others, he fears that the! might e frightened and so hides from them the profound meanings of the %harma and instead speaks to them in irrelevant words and fanc! phrases, then he is causing sentient eings to suffer irth, old age, disease, and death, instead offing them health, peace, liss, and nirvana+ )hen this %harma was e-plained, five hundred monks were freed of attachment to an! dharma, were cleansed of defilements and were li erated in mind. eight thousand devas left the taints of the mundane world far ehind and attained the pure %harma"e!e that sees through all dharmas. seven hundred gods resolved to attain supreme enlightenment and vowed: +In the future, we shall attain an elo0uence like that of #an(usri'+ Then 9lder Su huti asked #an(usri, +%o !ou not e-plain the %harma of the Sravaka"vehicle to the Sravakas/+ +I follow the %harmas of all the vehicles'+ Su huti asked, +Are !ou a Sravaka, a 2rat!eka uddha, or a )orth! One, a Supremel! 9nlightened One/+ +I am a Sravaka, ut m! understanding does not come through the speech of others' I am a 2rat!eka uddha, ut I do not a andon great compassion or fear an!thing' I am a )orth! One, a Supremel! 9nlightened One, ut I still do not give up m! original vows'+ Su huti asked, +)h! are !ou a Sravaka/+ +Because I cause sentient eings to hear the %harma the! have not'+ +)h! are !ou a 2rat!eka uddha/+ +Because I thoroughl! comprehend the dependent origination of all dharmas'+ +)h! are !ou a )orth! One, a Supremel! 9nlightened One/+ +Because I reali1e that all things are e0ual in the %harmadhatu + Su huti asked' +#an(usri, in what stage do !ou reall! a ide/+ +I a ide in ever! stage'+ Su huti asked, +<ould it e that !ou

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also a ide in the stage of ordinar! people/+ #an(usri said, +I definitel! a ide in the stage of ordinar! people'+ Su huti asked, +)ith what esoteric implication do !ou sa! so/+ +I sa! so ecause all dharmas are e0ual ! nature'+ Su huti asked, +If all dharmas are e0ual, where are such dharmas as the stages of Sravakas, 2rat!eka uddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas esta lished/+ #an(usri answered, +As an illustration, consider the empt! space in the ten directions' 2eople speak of the eastern space, the southern space, the western space, the northern space, the four intermediate spaces, the space a ove, the space elow, and so forth' Such distinctions are spoken of, although the empt! space itself is devoid of distinctions' In like manner, virtuous one, the various stages are esta lished in the ultimate emptiness of all things, although the emptiness itself is devoid of distinctions + Su huti asked, +*ave !ou entered the reali1ation of sainthood and een forever separated from samsara/+ +I have entered it and emerged from it + Su huti asked, +)h! did !ou emerge from it after !ou entered it/+ #an(usri answered, +:irtuous one, !ou should know that this is a manifestation of the wisdom and ingenuit! of a Bodhisattva' *e trul! enters the reali1ation of sainthood and ecomes separated from samsara. then, as a method to save sentient eings, he emerges from that reali1ation' Su huti, suppose an e-pert archer plans to harm a itter enem!, ut, mistaking his eloved son in the wilder"ness for the enem!, he shoots an arrow at him The son shouts, 4I have done nothing wrong' )h! do !ou wish to harm me/4 At once, the archer, who is swift"footed, dashes toward his son and catches the arrow efore it does an! harm' A Bodhisattva is like this: in order to train and su due Sravakas and 2rat!eka uddhas, he attains nirvana. however, he emerges from it and does not fall into the stages of Sravakas and 2rat!eka uddhas' That is wh! his stage is called the Buddha" stage' + Su huti asked, +*ow can a Bodhisattva attain this stage/+ #an(usri answered, +If Bodhisattvas dwell in all stages and !et dwell no" where, the! can attain this stage' +If the! can discourse on all the stages ut do not a ide in the lower stages, the! can attain this Buddha" stage' +If the! practice with the purpose of ending the afflictions of all sentient eings, ut reali1e there is no ending in the %harmadhatu. if the! a ide in the unconditioned, !et perform conditioned actions. if the! remain in samsara, ut regard it as a garden and do not seek nirvana efore all their vows are fulfilled " then the! can attain this stage' +If the! reali1e ego"less"ness, !et ring sentient eings to maturit!, the! can attain this stage'+ +If the! achieve the Buddha"wisdom !et do not generate anger or hatred toward those who lack wisdom, the! can attain this stage' +If the! practice ! turning the %harma"wheel for those who seek the %harma ut make no distinctions among things, the! can attain this stage' +&urthermore, if Bodhisattvas van0uish demons !et assume the appearance of the four demons, the! cart attain this stage'+ Su huti said, +#an(usri, such practices of a Bodhisattva are ver! difficult for an! worldl! eing to elieve'+ #an(usri said, +So it is, so it is, as !ou sa!' Bodhisattvas perform deeds in the mundane world ut transcend worldl! dharmas'+ Su huti said, +#an(usri, please tell me how the! transcend the mundane world'+ #an(usri said, +The five aggregates

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constitute what we call the mundane world' Of these, the aggregate of form has the nature of accumulated foam, the aggregate of feeling has the nature of a u le, the aggregate of conception has the nature of a mirage, the aggregate of impulse has the nature of a hollow plantain, and the aggregate of consciousness has the nature of an illusion' Thus, One should know that the essential nature of the mundane world is none other than that of foam, u les, mirages, plantains, and illusions. ill it there are neither aggregates nor the names of aggregates, neither sentient eings nor the names of sentient eings, neither the mundane world nor the supra"mundane world' Such a right understanding of the five aggregates is called the supreme understanding' If one attains this supreme understanding, then he is li erated, as he 7actuall!8 alwa!s has een' If he is so li erated, he is not attached to mundane things' If he is not attached to mundane things, he transcends the mundane world' +&urthermore, Su huti, the asic nature of the five aggregates is emptiness' If that nature is emptiness, there is neither 4I4 nor 4mine'4 If there is neither 4I4 nor 4mine,4 there is no dualit!' If there is no dualit!, there is neither grasping nor a andoning' If there is neither grasping nor a andoning, there is no attachment' Thus, free of attachment, one transcends the mundane world' +&urthermore, Su huti, the five aggregates elong to causes and conditions' If the! elong to causes and conditions, the! do not elong to oneself or to others' If the! do not elong to oneself or to others, the! have no owner' If the! have no owner, there is no one who grasps them' If there is no grasping, there is no contention, and non"contention is the practice of religious devotees' Just as a hand moving in empt! space touches no o (ect and meets no o stacle, so the Bodhisattvas who practice the e0ualit! of emptiness transcend the mundane world' +#oreover, Su huti, ecause all the elements of the five aggregates merge in the %harmadhatu, there are no realms' If there are no realms, there are no elements of earth, water, fire, or air. there is no ego, sentient eing, or life. no $ealm of %esire, $ealm of &orm or $ealm of &ormlessness: no realm of the conditioned or realm of the unconditioned. no realm of samsara or realm of nirvana' )hen Bodhisattvas enter such a domain free of distinctions, the! do not a ide in an!thing, though the! remain in the midst of worldl! eings' If the! do not a ide in an!thing, the! transcend the mundane world'+ )hen this %harma of transcending the world was e-plained, two hundred monks ecame detached from all dharmas, ended all their defilements, and ecome li erated in mind' One ! one the! took off their upper garments to offer to #an(usri, sa!ing, +An! person who does not have faith in or understand this doctrine will achieve nothing and reali1e nothing'+ Then Su huti asked these monks, +9lders, have !ou ever achieved or reali1ed an!thing/+ The monks replied, +Onl! presumptuous persons will claim the! have achieved and reali1ed something' To a hum le religious devotee, nothing is achieved or reali1ed' *ow, then, would such a person think of sa!ing to himself, 4This I have achieved. this I have reali1ed4/ If such an idea occurs to him, then it is a demon4s deed'+ Su huti asked, +9lders, according to !our understanding, what achievement and reali1ation cause !ou to sa! so/+ The monks replied, +Onl! the Buddha, the )orld"*onored One, and #an(usri know our achievement and reali1ation' #ost virtuous one, our understanding is: those who do not full! know the nature of suffering !et

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claim that suffering should e comprehended are presumptuous' ;ikewise, if the! claim that the cause of suffering should e eradicated, that the cessation of suffering should e reali1ed and that the path leading to the cessation of suffering should e followed, the! are presumptuous' 2resumptuous also are those who do not reall! know the nature of suffering, its cause, its cessation, or the path leading to its cessation, ut claim that the! know suffering, have eradicated the cause of suffering, have reali1ed the cessation of suffering, and have followed the path leading to the cessation of suffering' +)hat is the nature of suffering/ It is the ver! nature of non"arising' The same is true concerning the characteristic of the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering' The nature of non" arising is sign"less and unattaina le' In it, there is no suffering to e known, no cause of suffering to e eradicated, no cessation of suffering to e reali1ed, and no path leading to the cessation of suffering to e followed' Those who are not frightened terrified, or awestricken upon hearing these 6o le Truths are not presumptuous' Those who are frightened and terrified are the presumptuous ones'+ Thereupon, the )orld"*onored One praised the monks, sa!ing, +)ell said well said5+ *e told Su huti, +These monks heard #an(usri e-plain this profound %harma during the era of =as!apa Buddha' Because the! have practiced this profound %harma efore, the! are now a le to follow it and understand it immediatel!' Similarl!, all those who hear, elieve, and understand this profound teaching in m! era will e among the assem l! of #aitre!a Buddha in the future'+ Then the god Suguga said to #an(usri, +:irtuous one, !ou have repeatedl! taught the %harma ill this world' 6ow we eg !ou to go to the Tushita *eaven' &or a long time, the gods there have also een planting man! good roots' The! will e a le to understand the %harma if the! hear it' *owever, ecause the! are attached to the pleasures of their heaven, the! cannot leave their heaven and come to the Buddha to hear the %harma, and conse0uentl! the! suffer a great loss' + #an(usri immediatel! performed a miraculous feat that caused the god Suguga and all others in the assem l! to elieve that the! had arrived at the palace of the Tushita *eaven' There the! saw gardens, woods, magnificent palaces and mansions with sumptuous tiers of railings and windows, high and spacious twent!" storied towers with (eweled nets and curtains, celestial flowers covering the ground, various wonderful irds hovering ill flocks and war ling, and celestial maidens in the air scattering flowers of the coral tree, singing verses in chorus, and pla!ing merril!' Seeing all this, the god Suguna said to #an(usri, +This is e-traordinar!, #an(usri5 *ow have we arrived so 0uickl! at the palace of the Tushita *eaven to see the gardens and the gods here/ #an(usri, will !ou please teach us the %harma/+ 9lder Su huti told Suguna, +Soil of heaven, !ou did not leave the assem l! or go an!where' It is #an(ushri4s miraculous feat that causes !ou to see !ourself in the palace of the Tushita *eaven'+ The god Suguna said to the Buddha, +*ow rare, )orld"*onored One5 #an(usri has such a command of sam3dhi and of miraculous power that in an instant he has caused this entire assem l! to appear to e in the palace of the Tushita *eaven'+ The Buddha said, +Son of heaven, is this !our understanding of #an(ushri4s miraculous power/ As I understand it, if #an(usri wishes, he can gather all the merits and magnificent attri utes of Buddha" lands as numerous as the sands of

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the Ganges and cause them to appear in One Buddha"land' *e can with one fingertip lift up the Buddha" lands elow ours, which are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and put them in the empt! space on top of the Buddha"lands a ove ours, which are also as numerous as the sands of the Ganges' *e can put all the water of the four great oceans of all the Buddha"lands into a single pore without making the a0uatic eings in it feel crowded or removing them from the seas' *e can put all the #ount Sumerus of all the worlds into a mustard seed, !et the gods on these mountains will feel that the! are still living in their own palaces' *e can place all sentient eings of the five planes of e-istence of all the Buddha"lands on his palm, and cause them to see all kinds of e-0uisite material o (ects such as those availa le in delightful, magnificent countries' *e can gather all the fires of all the worlds into a piece of cotton' *e can use a spot as small as a pore to eclipse completel! ever! Sun and moon in ever! Buddha"land' In short, he can accomplish whatever he wishes to do'+ At that time, 2api!an, the 9vil One, transformed himself into a monk and said to the Buddha, +)orld"*onored One, we wish to see #an(usri perform such miraculous feats right now' )hat is the use of sa!ing such a surd things, which no od! in the world can elieve/+ The )orld"*onored One told #an(usri, +,ou should manifest !our miraculous power right efore this assem l!'+ Thereupon, without rising from his seat, #an(usri entered the Samadhi of 2erfect #ental &reedom in Glorif!ing All %harmas, and demonstrated all the miraculous feats descri ed ! the Buddha' Seeing this, the 9vil One, the mem ers of the assem l!, and the god Suguga all applauded these unprecedented decals, sa!ing, +)onderful, wonderful5 Because of the appearance of the Buddha in this world, we now have this Bodhisattva who can perform such miraculous feats and open a door to the %harma for the world'+ Thereupon, the 9vil One, inspired ! #an(ushri4s awesome power, said, +)orld"*onored One, how wonderful it is that #an(usri possesses such great, miraculous power5 And the mem ers of this assem l!, who now understand and have faith in the %harma through his demonstration of miraculous feats, are also marvelous' )orld"*onored One, even if there were as man! demons as the sands of the Ganges, the! would not e a le to hinder these good men and good women, who understand and elieve in the %harma' +I, 2api!an the 9vil One, have alwa!s sought opportunities to oppose the Buddha and to create turmoil among sentient eings' 6ow I vow that, from this da! on, I will never go nearer than one hundred leagues awa! from the place where this doctrine prevails, or where people have faith in, understand, cherish, receive, read, recite, and teach it'

Demonstration of the Inconceivable state of Buddhahood