The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha
Chapter 19
The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas, having heard the inconceivable and measureless benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, through wishing not to be fearful, wishing not to be terrified, and not to be gripped by terror, will become learned in the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in seeking the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Do not be fearful, do not be terrified, and do not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.” [F.67.b]
19.2 The youth Candraprabha placed his palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavān, and asked him, “Bhagavān, in this way how do bodhisattva mahāsattvas aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, become wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, become wise in seeking the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, and not be fearful, not be terrified, and not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha?”
19.3 The Bhagavān replied to the youth Candraprabha, “Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who listen to and hear this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and obtain it, understand it, keep it, read it out loud, disseminate it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others, those bodhisattva mahāsattvas will become wise in the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. They will aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, they will become wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, and will not be fearful, will not be terrified, and will not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.”732
19.4 “After the youth Candraprabha had been taught by the Bhagavān these words on accomplishing the benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, he again heard from the Bhagavān countless, innumerable verses733 describing the benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena; and it was at that time that the youth Candraprabha attained this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena.734
19.5 Innumerable, countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas attained the great, higher cognitions. [F.68.a] Countless beings also developed the motivation that is directed toward great compassion.
19.6 This universe of a thousand million worlds shook in six ways. It trembled, trembled strongly, and trembled intensely; it quivered, quivered strongly, and quivered intensely; it shook, shook strongly, and shook intensely; it shuddered, shuddered strongly, and shuddered intensely; it quaked, quaked strongly, and quaked intensely; the east sank and the west rose, the west sank and the east rose, the north sank and the south rose, the south sank and the north rose, the perimeter sank and the center rose, and the center sank and the perimeter rose. An immeasurable radiance shone in the universe. There fell a great rain of divine incense. Devas and their sons gathered in order to listen to the Dharma. High in the sky they heard the innumerable verses on the benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena. All the devas and their sons felt pleased, delighted, thrilled, joyous, happy, and glad, and they emitted cries of joy735 and laughter. They let fall a great rain of divine flowers of various kinds. They played many thousands of trillions of divine musical instruments. And they proclaimed the following words together as one voice:
19.7 “Aho!736 We have obtained something that is excellent to obtain. We have heard the innumerable verses on the benefits of the qualities from the Bhagavān. Bhagavān, just as the bodhisattva mahāsattva, the youth Candraprabha, attained this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, we also, Bhagavān, will all together at the same time attain this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena.” [F.68.b]
19.8 At the time when the Bhagavān was teaching the Dharma on Vulture Peak Mountain to the assembly that was like an ocean, the gandharva737 Pañcaśikha, in order to honor and serve him, descended from the sky accompanied by the sound of five hundred musical instruments, and remained before the Bhagavān.
19.9 The gandharva Pañcaśikha thought, “Just as I738 render service and honor in Sudharma before the devas of Trāyastriṃśa and Śakra, the lord of the devas, by singing them songs, in that same way I shall sing in order to make an offering to the god of gods, the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
19.10 Then the gandharva Pañcaśikha stood up before the Bhagavān holding a lute, the body of which was made of beryl. He was accompanied by the music739 of five hundred other gandharvas740 holding musical instruments.
19.11 The Bhagavān thought, “I shall perform a miracle so that the youth Candraprabha will attain skill in the realization of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, so that he will not waver from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and so that I may manifest the gandharva Pañcaśikha’s skill in singing and playing the lute.”
19.12 Then the Bhagavān performed that miracle, and through the power of the Buddha the five hundred instruments were played excellently. From that excellent playing there came the sound of the inconceivable meaning, which was united741 with the true nature. And these verses of the realization of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha were sung:742
19.13
“Within the breadth of one hair there are as many buddhas
As the number of grains of sand in the Ganges.
And those jinas have as many buddha realms, too,
Each one separate and with distinct characteristics. {1}
19.14
“Within the breadth of one hair there are the five kinds of beings:
The beings in hell, those who are animals, [F.69.a]
Those in the realm of Yama, the devas, and humans,
Without overlapping or being squeezed.743 {2}
19.15
“Within that space there are the lakes and oceans,
All rivers, and similarly ponds and springs,
Without overlapping or being squeezed.
In that way the Buddha’s Dharma is inconceivable. {3}
19.16
“Within that space there are numerous mountains:
Cakravāla, Meru, and Sumeru,
Mucilinda and Mahāmucilinda,
Vindhya, Gṛdhrakūṭa, and Himavat. {4}
19.17
“Within that space there are the terrible hells,
The horrible Tāpana and Pratāpana.
Those who have fallen into those hells
Experience the sensation of suffering. {5}
19.18
“Within that space there are divine palaces,
Twelve744 yojanas in size and beautiful.745
Within them there are many thousands of devas746
Who experience bliss in divine pleasures. {6}
19.19
“Within that space there are the births of buddhas.
There is illumination from the teaching of those who know the world.
Those747 who have not trained in pure conduct
And who have no wisdom will not see them. {7}
19.20
“Within that space they hear the words,
‘The Dharma has ceased, the Guide has passed away.’
Within that space there are some who hear,
‘The Guide lives and he teaches the Dharma.’ {8}
19.21
“Within that space there are some who perceive
That they live for countless years.
Within that space there are those whose time is ending.
They hear the words, ‘You have not long to live.’ {9}
19.22
“Within that space there are some who have the perception,
Believing what their mind perceives,
Of seeing and making offerings to sugatas748 and pleasing the buddhas.
Yet there is no arising and no making of offerings. {10}
19.23
“A man dreams he is in a house
Experiencing the bliss of sensory pleasures.
When he awakes he does not see those pleasures.749
He knows that it was a dream. {11}
19.24
“In that way, what is seen, heard, thought, or known,750
All of this is unreal, like a dream.
The one who has attained the samādhi
Will know this nature of phenomena. {12}
19.25
“For people such as this there is no pleasure or displeasure.
They are always perfectly happy in the world. [F.69.b]
Those who delight in vast forests
Become perfectly happy mendicants. {13}
19.26
“Those who have no thought of ‘mine,’
Those who have abandoned all attachments,
Wander in the world like rhinoceroses
And roam like the wind through the air. {14}
19.27
“Meditation on the path, the development of wisdom,
The emptiness and selflessness of all phenomena:
He who meditates on these Dharmas
Will have unending confidence. {15}
19.28
“The people in the world whose minds have no attachment,
They are perfectly happy in this world.
Their minds are always like the wind,
Knowing no attachment to pleasure or displeasure. {16}
19.29
“It is suffering to be with that which is unpleasant;
It is suffering to be separated from that which is pleasant.
Finally abandoning both of these,
Those happy people delight in the Dharma. {17}
19.30
“The one who has attachment on hearing this Dharma,
And animosity on hearing that which is not Dharma,
Goes astray through conceit and pride,
And overpowered by pride, experiences suffering. {18}
19.31
“Those who remain in equanimity
Are always free of arrogance and depression.
When faced with the pleasant and the unpleasant
They always have a liberated mind. {19}
19.32
“Those who maintain perfectly pure correct conduct,
Who remain always in inconceivable dhyāna
And delight in the peace of the forests,
Will never know the arising of doubts. {20}
19.33
“Those who engage in that which is unreal,
The fools who are always enjoying sensory pleasures
Like vultures attracted to a corpse,
They always fall under the power of Namuci.”751 {21}
19.34
When these verses had been created through the sound of the lutes,752 the youth Candraprabha attained skill in the realization of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha; the gandharva Pañcaśikha attained the patience that was in accord with that sound; countless beings, both devas and humans, developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment; [F.70.a] and countless beings were benefitted.
19.35 Conclusion of the nineteenth chapter, “The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.”
