菩薩行品第十一
🍃 CHAPTER ELEVEN - PRACTICES OF THE BODHISATTVA
是時佛說法於菴羅樹園，其地忽然廣博嚴事，一切眾會皆作金色。阿難白佛言：「世尊！以何因緣，有此瑞應？是處忽然廣博嚴事，一切眾會皆作金色。」
At that time, the Buddha was in the Āmrapālī Garden explaining the Dharma, when the ground suddenly became broad and beautifully adorned, and everyone in the assembly all became the color of gold. Ānanda asked the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! What are the ‘causes and conditions’ of these auspicious signs? The ground suddenly becoming broad and beautifully adorned, and everyone in the assembly all becoming the color of gold.”
佛告阿難：「是維摩詰、文殊師利，與諸大眾恭敬圍繞，發意欲來，故先為此瑞應。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Vimalakīrti, Mañjuśrī, along with a great assembly that surrounds and honors them, are generating thoughts wishing to come [here], and so there first appears these auspicious signs.”
於是維摩詰語文殊師利：「可共見佛，與諸菩薩禮事供養。」
At this, Vimalakīrti said to Mañjuśrī, “We should go together to see the Buddha and, along with all the bodhisattvas, to worship and make offerings.”
文殊師利言：「善哉！行矣！今正是時。」
Mañjuśrī replied, “Excellent! Let’s go! Now is the time.”
維摩詰即以神力，持諸大眾并師子座，置於右掌，往詣佛所。到已著地，稽首佛足，右遶七匝，一心合掌，在一面立；其諸菩薩即皆避座，稽首佛足，亦繞七匝，於一面立；諸大弟子、釋、梵、四天王等，亦皆避座，稽首佛足，在一面立。
Vimalakīrti then used his spiritual powers to hold the entire great congregation along with their lion throne seats in his right hand and proceeded to where the Buddha was. Upon arriving, he placed them on the ground, bowed his head to the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him seven times to the right and, holding his palms together single-mindedly, stood to one side. The bodhisattvas all got up from their seats and bowed their heads to the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him seven times, and stood to one side. The great disciples, Śakras, Brahmās, four heavenly kings, and so on, also all got up from their seats, bowed their heads to the Buddha’s feet, and stood to one side.”
於是世尊如法慰問諸菩薩已，各令復坐，即皆受教。眾坐已定，佛語舍利弗：「汝見菩薩大士，自在神力之所為乎？」
Then the World-honored One, according to dharmic custom, requested that the bodhisattvas all sit once again, and they all followed these instructions. When the congregation was seated they entered concentration, and the Buddha said to Śāriputra, “Have you seen what this bodhisattva, this great being, can do with his sovereign spiritual power?”
「唯然，已見！」
“Yes, I have seen!”
「於汝意云何？」「世尊！我覩其為不可思議，非意所圖，非度所測。」
“What do you think of it?”
“World-honored One, I see what has been done as inconceivable, not something the mind can chart, beyond estimation.”
爾時阿難白佛言：「世尊！今所聞香，自昔未有，是為何香？」
At that time, Ānanda addressed the Buddha saying, “World-honored One! This fragrance I now smell, I have never experienced it before. What fragrance is it?”
佛告阿難：「是彼菩薩毛孔之香。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “It is the fragrance of these bodhisattvas’ hair pores.”
於是舍利弗語阿難言：「我等毛孔亦出是香。」
At this, Śāriputra said to Ānanda, “Our hair pores also emit this fragrance.”
阿難言：「此所從來？」
Ānanda said, “Where does it come from?”
曰：「是長者維摩詰，從眾香國，取佛餘飯，於舍食者，一切毛孔皆香若此。」
[Śāriputra] replied, “This elder, Vimalakīrti, brought the leftover meal from the buddha of the Land of Gathered Fragrances to his house to eat, and so all our hair pores are fragrant like this.”
阿難問維摩詰：「是香氣住當久如？」
Ānanda inquired of Vimalakīrti saying, “How long will this fragrance last?”
維摩詰言：「至此飯消。」
Vimalakīrti replied, “Until the food is digested.”
曰：「此飯久如當消？」
[Ānanda] replied, “How long does this food take to digest?”
曰：「此飯勢力至于七日，然後乃消。又阿難！若聲聞人未入正位，食此飯者，得入正位，然後乃消；已入正位，食此飯者，得心解脫，然後乃消；若未發大乘意，食此飯者，至發意乃消；已發意食此飯者，得無生忍，然後乃消；已得無生忍，食此飯者，至一生補處，然後乃消。譬如有藥，名曰上味，其有服者，身諸毒滅，然後乃消。此飯如是，滅除一切諸煩惱毒，然後乃消。」
[Vimalakīrti] replied, “The vitality of this food remains for seven days, after which it is digested. Furthermore, Ānanda! If voice hearers who have not yet entered correct establishment eat this food, it will only be digested after they enter correct establishment. If they have already entered correct establishment and they eat this food, it will only be digested after the mind is liberated. If those who have not generated the thought of the Great Vehicle eat this food, it will only be digested after they arrived at generating this thought. If they have already generated the thought and they eat this food, it will only be digested after they have attained the patient tolerance of the birthlessness of all dharmas. If they have already attained the patient tolerance for the birthlessness of all dharmas and they eat this food, it will only be digested after they have arrived at the station of those who have only one more rebirth. It is just like the medicine called Superior Flavor. It is with the one who eats it as the body eliminates all poisons, after which it is digested. This food is like this, eliminating all the poisonous afflictions, after which it is digested.”
阿難白佛言：「未曾有也，世尊！如此香飯能作佛事。」
Ānanda addressed the Buddha saying, “Unprecedented, World-Honored One! Scented food like this, capable of performing the work of the Buddha.”
佛言：「如是，如是！阿難！或有佛土以佛光明而作佛事，有以諸菩薩而作佛事，有以佛所化人而作佛事，有以菩提樹而作佛事，有以佛衣服、臥具而作佛事，有以飯食而作佛事，有以園林臺觀而作佛事，有以三十二相、八十隨形好而作佛事，有以佛身而作佛事，有以虛空而作佛事；眾生應以此緣得入律行。有以夢、幻、影、響、鏡中像、水中月、熱時炎，如是等喻而作佛事。有以音聲、語言、文字而作佛事。或有清淨佛土、寂寞無言、無說、無示、無識、無作、無為，而作佛事。如是，阿難！諸佛威儀進止，諸所施為，無非佛事。
The Buddha replied, “So it is, so it is! Ānanda! There are buddha lands where the light of the Buddha performs the work of the Buddha, or where bodhisattvas perform the work of the Buddha, or where transformational people created by the Buddha perform the work of the Buddha, or where the Bodhi Tree performs the work of the Buddha, or where the Buddha’s clothing and bedding perform the work of the Buddha, or where food performs the work of the Buddha, or where groves and pavilions perform the Buddha’s work, or where the thirty-two characteristics and eighty subsidiary signs perform the work of the Buddha, or where the Buddha’s body performs the work of the Buddha, or where space performs the work of the Buddha, [wherever it is], sentient beings respond to these conditions and attain entry into the practice of the Discipline. There are those where dreams, illusions, shadows, echoes, images in a mirror, the moon in [the surfaces of] waters, mirages in the heat, and other such analogies as these perform the work of the Buddha. There are those sounds, speech, and writing that perform the work of the Buddha. Or there are those pure Buddha Lands, tranquil and without words, without speech, without demonstration, without consciousness, without doing, without effort [conditioning, wu-wei], yet performing the work of the Buddha. Thus, Ānanda! All Buddhas, in their respect-inspiring deportment, drive, and composure, with everything they give, there is nothing that is not the work of the Buddha.”
「阿難！有此四魔，八萬四千諸煩惱門，而諸眾生為之疲勞，諸佛即以此法而作佛事，是名入一切諸佛法門。菩薩入此門者，若見一切淨好佛土，不以為喜，不貪不高；若見一切不淨佛土，不以為憂，不礙不沒；但於諸佛生清淨心，歡喜恭敬，未曾有也！諸佛如來功德平等！為化眾生故，而現佛土不同。阿難！汝見諸佛國土，地有若干，而虛空無若干也；如是見諸佛色身有若干耳，其無礙慧無若干也。
“Ānanda! There are these four Maras and eighty-four thousand gateways to all the afflictions that cause all sentient beings to be wearied and troubled. All Buddha’s use these things to perform the work of a Buddha. This is called entering the gateway of everything being Buddha Dharma. Bodhisattvas who enter this gateway, if they see all the pure, wonderous Buddha Lands, they do not feel joy, or want, or elation (’high’). If they see all the impure Buddha Lands, they do not feel grief, or obstruction, or depression (’low’). They just give rise to a pure mind toward all Buddhas, joyfully reverent, like never before! This is the equanimity of the merit of all Buddha, Thus Come Ones! In order to transform sentient beings they manifest different Buddha Lands. Ānanda! Look at the lands of all the buddha countries, the ground has differences but space is without any difference. Like this, see all the bodies of form of the buddhas as having their differences, while their unobstructed wisdom is without any difference.”
「阿難！諸佛色身、威相、種性，戒、定、智慧、解脫、解脫知見，力、無所畏、不共之法、大慈、大悲，威儀所行，及其壽命，說法教化，成就眾生，淨佛國土，具諸佛法，悉皆同等，是故名為三藐三佛陀，名為多陀阿伽度，名為佛陀。阿難！若我廣說此三句義，汝以劫壽，不能盡受；正使三千大千世界滿中眾生，皆如阿難多聞第一，得念總持，此諸人等，以劫之壽，亦不能受。如是，阿難！諸佛阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，無有限量，智慧辯才不可思議。」
“Ānanda! All the buddhas’ bodies of form, their glorious characteristics, various natures, discipline, concentrations, wisdom, liberations, liberated knowledge and vision, powers, fearlessnesses, unique qualities, great kindness, great compassion, practices of proper deportment, and their life-spans, Dharma they explain to teach and transform, maturing sentient beings, purification of buddha lands and completion of all Buddha Dharma, are all completely, totally equal (sama) therefore they are known as Sam-yak-saṃ-bud-dha, known as Ta-th-ā-ga-ta, known as Bud-dha. Ananda! If I fully explained the meaning of these three words, even if you lived as long as a kalpa, I would still be unable to exhaustively tell you. Even if all the sentient beings in a Three Thousand Great Thousand world-system were just like Ānanda - foremost (’number one’) in hearing (learning), having attained retentive mindfulness (dhāraṇī) - and these people all had life-spans also a kalpa long, I would be unable to tell them. Thus, Ānanda! The anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi of all buddhas is without limit or measure, their wisdom and eloquence cannot be conceived.
阿難白佛言：「我從今已往，不敢自謂以為多聞。」
Ānanda addressed the Buddha saying, “From now on, I will not regard myself as someone who has ‘heard’ (learned) much.”
佛告阿難：「勿起退意！所以者何？我說汝於聲聞中為最多聞，非謂菩薩。且止，阿難！其有智者不應限度諸菩薩也；一切海淵尚可測量，菩薩禪定、智慧、總持、辯才一切功德不可量也。阿難！汝等捨置菩薩所行，是維摩詰一時所現神通之力。一切聲聞、辟支佛於百千劫，盡力變化所不能作。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Do not be discouraged! Why? I have said that you are the highest, most learned among śrāvakas, not among bodhisattvas. But stop, Ānanda! One who has wisdom should not evaluate the bodhisattvas, for the depths of an ocean may be measured, [but] the bodhisattvas dhyana, prajñā, dhāraṇīs, eloquence and all their virtues cannot be measured. Ānanda! You [śrāvakas] have forsaken the practices of bodhisattvas. The manifestation of mystical powers by Vimalakīrti this one time, all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas would be unable to do in hundreds of thousands of kalpas with all their powers of extinguishment and transformation.”
爾時眾香世界菩薩來者，合掌白佛言：「世尊！我等初見此土，生下劣想，今自悔責，捨離是心。所以者何？諸佛方便，不可思議！為度眾生故，隨其所應，現佛國異。唯然世尊！願賜少法，還於彼土，當念如來。」
At that time, the bodhisattvas from the world-system Gathered Fragrances joined their palms and addressed the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! When we first saw this land, we perceived it as being inferior. Now we feel ashamed of ourselves and let go of this way of thinking. How so? The upāya of all buddhas is inconceivable! In order to liberate sentient beings, in accordance with their inclinations, are manifest different buddha lands. And so, World-Honored One! Bestow upon us a little Dharma, as we return to that other world, we will remember the Thus Come One.”
The Exhaustible and Inexhaustible Liberation Dharma Door (Kṣayākṣaya Bodhisattva Vimokṣa Dharmamukha)
佛告諸菩薩：「有盡無盡解脫法門，汝等當學。何謂為盡？謂有為法；何謂無盡？謂無為法。如菩薩者，不盡有為，不住無為。
The Buddha told all the bodhisattvas, “There is the Exhaustible and Inexhaustible (kṣayākṣaya) Liberation Dharma Door (dharmamukha), which you should study. What is the exhaustible (or destructible)? Conditioned dharma. What is the inexhaustible (or indestructible)? Unconditioned dharma. To be like a bodhisattva is to not exhaust (destroy) the conditioned, and to not abide in the unconditioned.”
「何謂不盡有為？謂不離大慈，不捨大悲；深發一切智心，而不忽忘；教化眾生，終不厭倦；於四攝法，常念順行；護持正法，不惜軀命；種諸善根，無有疲厭。志常安住，方便迴向；求法不懈，說法無悋；勤供諸佛。故入生死而無所畏；於諸榮辱，心無憂喜；不輕未學，敬學如佛；墮煩惱者，令發正念，於遠離樂，不以為貴；不著己樂，慶於彼樂。在諸禪定，如地獄想；於生死中，如園觀想；見來求者，為善師想；捨諸所有，具一切智想；見毀戒人，起救護想；諸波羅蜜，為父母想；道品之法，為眷屬想。發行善根，無有齊限；以諸淨國嚴飾之事，成己佛土；行無限施，具足相好；除一切惡，淨身口意。生死無數劫，意而有勇；聞佛無量德，志而不倦。以智慧劍，破煩惱賊；出陰界入，荷負眾生，永使解脫。以大精進，摧伏魔軍，常求無念實相智慧行；於世間法少欲知足，於出世間求之無厭，而不捨世間法，不壞威儀法而能隨俗。起神通慧，引導眾生，得念總持，所聞不忘。善別諸根，斷眾生疑；以樂說辯，演法無礙。淨十善道，受天、人福；修四無量，開梵天道。勸請說法，隨喜讚善，得佛音聲；身口意善，得佛威儀。深修善法，所行轉勝；以大乘教，成菩薩僧；心無放逸，不失眾善。行如此法，是名菩薩不盡有為。
What is not exhausting (destroying) the conditioned? It is not abandoning great kindness, and not relinquishing great compassion; It is profoundly generating the aspiration for All-Knowledge and never forgetting it; It is teaching and transforming sentient beings, never growing weary; It is, in regard to the Four Means of Unification, always being mindful and in accord with them; It is protecting the Correct Dharma, not fearing for necessities; It is cultivating all good roots without becoming fatigued; It is the resolve to peacefully abide, upaya-ically transferring; It is seeking all Dharma without laziness, and explaining the Dharma without pedantry, and it is praising all Buddhas. Due to entering Birth & Death, it is being fearless; It is a mind without grief or joy about honor or disgrace; It is not belittling the unlearned and to revere the learned as Buddhas; It is causing those who have fallen into the afflictions to generate correct mindfulness, abandon and transcend pleasures and not consider things as rare; It is being in dhyāna with the perception that it is a hell realm; It is being in Birth & Death with the perception that it is a garden for observing; It is seeing someone who comes seeking with the perception that it is an excellent teacher; It is relinquishing all that exists with the perception that one is replete with All-Knowledge; It is seeing those who transgress the rules with the perception of wanting to protect them; It is perceiving the pāramitās as father and mother; It is perceiving the Dharmas of the elements of the Path as one’s retinue. It is generating the practice of good roots without limitations; It is having already achieved a buddha land by adorning and decorating pure lands; It is practicing limitless giving, becoming replete with [the] auspicious characteristics; It is being rid of all evil, pure in body, speech, and mind. [Throughout] immeasurable kalpas of birth and death, it is the Mind with courage; It is being resolved upon hearing of the immeasurable virtues of the Buddha, and never growing weary; It is defeating the bandits of the afflictions with the sword of wisdom; It is departing from the Aggregates, Realms, and Entrances, and shouldering the burden of sentient beings, ever bring them to liberation. It is defeating the armies of Mara with great vīrya and constantly seeking the prajñā practice of the True Characteristic without mindfulness; It is having little desire for worldly things (dharmas) and tirelessly seeking transcendent things yet without rejecting worldly things, and not destroying the dignified deportment(s) of the Dharma, therefore being in accord with them; It is bringing about super-knowledge to guide sentient beings, attaining retentive (dhāraṇī) memory and not forgetting [anything] heard; It is well discerning people’s faculties and cutting off their doubt; It is proclaiming the Dharma widely without obstruction by joyful eloquence; It is receiving the fortune of gods and humans from the pure Way of the Ten Excellences; It is opening the way to Brahma’s Heaven by cultivating the Four Immeasurables; It is to request explanations of the Dharma and rejoice in hearing the voice of the Buddha; It is being excellent in body, speech, and mind and attaining the dignified deportment of a buddha; It is the turning to victory from the practice of the profound cultivation of the Good Dharma; It is creating a Bodhisattva Sangha from the teachings of the Great Vehicle; It is a mind without distraction, never missing an opportunity to gather goodness. Dharma practiced like this is called the bodhisattva not exhausting the conditioned.
「何謂菩薩不住無為？謂修學空，不以空為證；修學無相、無作，不以無相、無作為證；修學無起，不以無起為證。觀於無常，而不厭善本；觀世間苦，而不惡生死；觀於無我，而誨人不倦；觀於寂滅，而不永滅；觀於遠離，而身心修善；觀無所歸，而歸趣善法；觀於無生，而以生法荷負一切；觀於無漏，而不斷諸漏；觀無所行，而以行法教化眾生；觀於空無，而不捨大悲；觀正法位，而不隨小乘；觀諸法虛妄，無牢無人、無主無相，本願未滿，而不虛福德、禪定、智慧。修如此法，是名菩薩不住無為。
“What is the bodhisattva not abiding in the unconditioned? It is studying emptiness, but not taking emptiness to be realization; It is studying characteristiclessness and desirelessness, but not taking characteristiclessness or desirelessness to be realization; It is studying the unarisen, but not taking the unarisen to be realization. It is being observant of impermanence, yet not turned off by good roots; It is being observant of the suffering of the world, yet not considering birth and death evil; It is to be observant that there is no self, yet guiding others tirelessly; It is to be observant of quiescent cessation, yet not being forever ceased; It is to be observant of transcendence, yet the body and mind cultivate goodness; It is to be observant that there is no returning, yet returning to the Good Dharma; It is to be observant of non-origination, yet baring the burden of everything by giving rise to the Dharma; It is to be observant without any practice, yet transforming sentient beings by practicing the Dharma; It is to be observant of emptiness and nonexistence, yet not relinquishing Great Compassion; It is to be observant of the correctly established Dharma, yet not going along with the lesser vehicle; It is to be observant that all dharmas are empty and false, without firmness and without personhood, without a ‘chief’ and without characteristics, the original vow not yet fulfilled, yet merit, meditation, and wisdom are not in vain. Cultivating Dharma like this is called the bodhisattva not abiding in the unconditioned.”
「又具福德故，不住無為；具智慧故，不盡有為。大慈悲故，不住無為；滿本願故，不盡有為。集法藥故，不住無為；隨授藥故，不盡有為。知眾生病故，不住無為；滅眾生病故，不盡有為。諸正士菩薩以修此法，不盡有為、不住無為，是名盡無盡解脫法門，汝等當學！」
“Also, for being complete in merit, it is not abiding in the unconditioned; For being complete in wisdom, it is not extinguishing the conditioned. For great kindness and compassion, it is not abiding in the unconditioned; For the fulfillment of the original vow, it is not extinguishing the conditioned. For the accumulation of Dharma medicine, it is not abiding in the unconditioned; for administering the appropriate medicine, it is not extinguishing the conditioned. For knowing the illnesses of sentient beings, it is not abiding in the unconditioned; For extinguishing the illnesses of sentient beings, it is not extinguishing the conditioned. Proper bodhisattvas cultivating this Dharma, not extinguishing the conditioned and not abiding in the unconditioned, is called the Exhaustible and Inexhaustible Liberation Dharma Door. You should study it.”
爾時彼諸菩薩聞說是法，皆大歡喜，以眾妙華、若干種色、若干種香，散遍三千大千世界，供養於佛，及此經法，并諸菩薩已，稽首佛足，歎未曾有！言：「釋迦牟尼佛乃能於此善行方便。」言已，忽然不現，還到彼國。
At that time those bodhisattvas, having heard the explanation of this Dharma, were filled with great delight and gathered many wonderful flowers of various colors and various fragrances, scattering them throughout the Three Thousand Great Thousand world-system, offering them to the Buddha and to this sutra-dharma, as well as to the bodhisattvas, bowing their heads to the Buddha's feet and sighing at having heard what they had never heard before. They exclaimed, "Shakyamuni Buddha is able to skillfully employ upāya!" Having said this, they suddenly disappeared, returning to their land.