Miscellaneous Discourses on the Dharma (Part II)
Chapter Two: On Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
1. What Are the Vajra Glare and Thunderous Means of Bodhisattvas?
For example, suppose a person with mysophobia is shut up together with a pig. Seeing the pig defecating and urinating in its own straw nest, the person cannot help but kick the pig — this is a thunderous means. Likewise, when a bodhisattva whose mind is already pure comes to this evil world of the five turbidities and stays together with sentient beings of greed, hatred, and delusion, seeing that sentient beings are deeply mired in ignorance, committing deluded karma without being aware of it, and refusing to accept instruction and transformation, the bodhisattva cannot help but loudly rebuke them — this is the vajra glare. Someone may ask: would this not lead people to say that the bodhisattva lacks compassion? In fact, whether something is compassionate or not has never been defined by sentient beings. Bodhisattvas pour out their hearts and lungs for sentient beings, yet sentient beings are heartless and lungless and do not recognize hearts and lungs. It is inevitable that Buddhas and bodhisattvas get scolded by sentient beings; not being scolded by sentient beings in the evil world of the five turbidities would actually be rather abnormal — otherwise, how could there be those who regress from the bodhisattva path?
2. Bodhisattvas Should All Understand the Sequence of Cultivation
A bodhisattva is clear and lucid about the dharma currently being cultivated, the dharma to be cultivated next, and the dharma to be cultivated after that; his wisdom can know the dharmas that should be cultivated over one kalpa, several kalpas, or even longer. Since bodhisattvas possess wisdom, they must be perfectly clear about all dharmas, with every sequence of cultivation crystal clear — how to proceed step by step must all be clear in the mind. If it is not clear, that is delusion, and one must then eliminate that delusion through cultivation. Every bodhisattva can clearly know what level of cultivation he is currently at, which dharmas have been accomplished and which have not, what dharma needs to be cultivated next, and how to cultivate it — all crystal clear. If it is not clear, that is delusion: lacking the wisdom one should currently possess.
When bodhisattvas begin to cultivate, at the moment they lift their leg to take the first step, they are clear about which direction to step toward; they do not walk about muddleheadedly at random. If one walks at random, one will not even know when one has strayed onto a wrong path. Such a muddled person is not a bodhisattva and is not yet qualified to be a bodhisattva. Especially for bodhisattvas who propagate the dharma and lead others, their minds must be all the more crystal clear about where they are leading sentient beings.
3. The Meaning of "Bodhisattva"
Buddhists today can be divided, by their own self-perception, into two types. One type, having studied widely and heard much, possesses abundant knowledge, is full of confidence in their study and cultivation, and has a bit of arrogance and haughtiness. Upon meeting anyone, they boast that they are not only bodhisattvas but extraordinary bodhisattvas. When fellow practitioners meet and exchange greetings, they begin with "So-and-so Bodhisattva," praise each other, and feel inwardly very satisfied. The other type lacks broad learning and much hearing; their knowledge and insight are not rich enough, they do not know the meaning of "bodhisattva," and their disposition is somewhat self-abasing, not daring to claim the name of bodhisattva. Hearing someone call themselves a bodhisattva, they are astonished and scandalized.
Both types are at fault; their dispositions both belong to conceit — arrogance and inferiority-conceit are both delusion. Addressing the second type, let us explain what is called a bodhisattva. Take, for example, the title "student": a person who is attending school and studying is called a student, including those studying all kinds of content; the scope is very broad, not even restricted by age — an eighty-year-old can also be called a student, so long as they are studying. Moreover, a person with a student ID is even more certainly a student; the certificate is the proof.
By the same logic, a person who is walking the bodhisattva path and cultivating bodhisattva conduct is called a bodhisattva; a person who has given rise to the bodhisattva mind to liberate themselves and has vowed to liberate others is called a bodhisattva; a person who studies the Buddhadharma and the bodhisattva dharma is called a bodhisattva; a person who has faith in the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha is called a bodhisattva; a person who has taken refuge in the Three Jewels is called a bodhisattva; a person who cultivates the six perfections of the bodhisattva is called a bodhisattva; and especially one who has received the bodhisattva precepts, has a bodhisattva certificate, has made bodhisattva vows, has the attestation of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and possesses the substance of the bodhisattva precepts — such a person is even more certainly a bodhisattva. Bodhisattvas include ghosts and spirits, animals, non-humans, devas, and all other sentient beings. But they do not include fixed-nature śrāvakas — the arhats and pratyekabuddhas who do not turn their minds toward the Great Vehicle — because they have no mind to become Buddhas and bodhisattvas, no mind to benefit and bring joy to sentient beings, and only wish for the purity of nirvāṇa.
Bodhisattvas include ordinary-being bodhisattvas and noble bodhisattvas, whose stages and sequence are as follows:
(1) Faith-stage bodhisattvas: from the first faith-stage to the tenth faith-stage, all ten stages are faith-stage bodhisattvas, all ordinary-being bodhisattvas who have not yet given rise to the resolve to cultivate the six perfections of the bodhisattva, do not yet have the qualification or capacity to cultivate the six perfections, and are still at the stage of developing faith in the Buddhadharma.
(2) Abiding-stage bodhisattvas: from the first abiding-stage to the sixth abiding-stage, they begin to give rise to the great bodhi mind, resolve to head toward the Buddha path, and cultivate the six perfections of the bodhisattva. At the first abiding-stage they resolve to cultivate the perfection of generosity (dāna); when that cultivation is complete, the first abiding-stage ends and they enter the second abiding-stage. Second abiding-stage bodhisattvas resolve to cultivate the perfection of precepts; when complete, they enter the third abiding-stage. Third abiding-stage bodhisattvas resolve to cultivate the perfection of patience; when complete, they enter the fourth abiding-stage. Fourth abiding-stage bodhisattvas resolve to cultivate the perfection of diligence; when complete, they enter the fifth abiding-stage. Fifth abiding-stage bodhisattvas resolve to cultivate meditative concentration (dhyāna); when the cultivation of concentration is complete, they enter the sixth abiding-stage. Sixth abiding-stage bodhisattvas resolve to cultivate the perfection of prajñā; when complete, they become enlightened and see the mind, entering the seventh abiding-stage. The seventh abiding-stage is the bodhisattva stage of never regressing; such bodhisattvas are called bodhisattvas of real meaning — true bodhisattvas worthy of the name, possessing not only the name of bodhisattva but also the real virtue of a bodhisattva.
(3) Conduct-stage bodhisattvas: having completed the ten stages of the abiding-stage, they enter the conduct-stage and are conduct-stage bodhisattvas. The cultivation has ten stages; when cultivation is complete, they enter the dedication-stage.
(4) Dedication-stage bodhisattvas: there are ten stages; when cultivation is complete, they enter the first bhūmi.
(5) Bhūmi-stage bodhisattvas: first-bhūmi bodhisattvas realize the path at the level of Yogācāra characteristics, transform consciousness into wisdom, possess the seed-wisdom of Yogācāra, enter the family of the Tathāgata, and become true sons of the Buddha. Cultivating all the way to the tenth bhūmi, when cultivation is complete they become equal-enlightenment bodhisattvas. After equal-enlightenment, like Maitreya Bodhisattva, they become a Buddha-in-waiting, that is, a wondrous-enlightenment bodhisattva.
The ranks of bodhisattvas — from the ordinary-being bodhisattvas of the faith-stage, through the virtuous-stage abiding-stage bodhisattvas, conduct-stage bodhisattvas, and dedication-stage bodhisattvas, to the noble-stage tenth-bhūmi bodhisattvas, equal-enlightenment bodhisattvas, and wondrous-enlightenment bodhisattvas — total fifty-two stages in sequence.
Everyone should take their own seat in this scheme: are you a bodhisattva, and at which stage? What dharma should you cultivate, what dharma are you currently cultivating? Do you have the bodhisattva's resolve, do you have the substance of the bodhisattva precepts, and how should you cultivate from now on? If you feel that you are not even an ordinary-being bodhisattva of the faith-stage — practically a complete layman — then you are purely wasting your time here. If you do not even have the resolve of a first-abiding-stage bodhisattva, do not wish to cultivate the six perfections of the bodhisattva, and do not wish to practice the conduct of generosity, then you have not the slightest qualification to seek the bodhisattva's realization, and you are also wasting your time here.
4. The Mind and Conduct of Bodhisattvas
Bodhisattvas must all cultivate the four means of embracing: kind speech, common action, benefit and joy, and shared practice. Only thus can they have good karmic affinity with sentient beings, and whatever they do will go smoothly. If one has no good affinity with sentient beings, one cannot be a good bodhisattva and cannot liberate sentient beings. In the worldly realm, doing things values a good affinity; in the Buddhadharma, good affinity is valued even more. Good affinity connects everyone together, helping one another, progressing together, benefiting self and others — only thus can the cultivation of the bodhisattva path be completed more quickly, thereby accomplishing the Buddha path. Those who deliberately or inadvertently set up obstacles for themselves are people without wisdom, placing stumbling blocks and traps for themselves; in the end they themselves suffer loss and dissatisfaction.
The wise, in speech and action, consider the consequences, do not harm others' interests and reputations, do not praise themselves and disparage others, and do not do to others what they would not want done to themselves — this is the most basic way of being a person, let alone being a bodhisattva, which requires principles even higher than this. The mind and conduct of bodhisattvas should always be: good things go to others, bad things go to oneself. One must absolutely not act in reverse, attributing all good things to oneself and bad things to others — that is not the conduct of a bodhisattva.
When bodhisattvas have issues among themselves, everything should be done face to face — drum facing gong — with words spoken to the face: if there is fault, correct it; if not, take it as encouragement. Do not behind people's backs engage in divisive speech and stir up gossip. Those who gossip easily commit the offense of slander, with very bad consequences. Speaking truthfully and correctly is called grounded slander; speaking falsely and wrongly is called ungrounded slander; the lightest is called speaking of the faults of the fourfold assembly. The fourfold assembly means the two assemblies of male and female laypeople and the two assemblies of male and female monastics; the two monastic assemblies are also called the Three Jewels, and the Three Jewels are further divided into ordinary-being Three Jewels and noble Three Jewels. Both speaking of the fourfold assembly's faults and slander are no light karmas; the retributions are heavy. May all bodhisattvas skillfully guard their verbal karma. If there are matters, speak them clearly face to face, so the other party can promptly correct themselves, with mutual supervision and support.
The karma most easily committed by all sentient beings is verbal karma: false speech, divisive speech, frivolous speech, and harsh speech, as well as stirring up gossip, sowing discord, jealousy, and slander, also called framing and entrapping others. The precepts demand great strictness regarding verbal karma, because it is the easiest to commit, the most frequently committed, and the least noticed. Therefore everyone should think before speaking, not just blurt things out without regard for anything else.
5. Why Does the Buddha Not Go to the Formless Realm to Teach the Dharma?
Devas of the formless realm have no bodies, yet they have mind consciousness; having mind consciousness, they have the aggregate of consciousness. Although they have mind consciousness, they are in meditative concentration and cannot hear the Buddhadharma, much less contemplate it. If sentient beings have no bodies, they are not humans among humans, but they are people of the deva realms — advanced life forms. The five universal mental factors — contact, attention, feeling, perception, and volition — are present in all eight consciousnesses. Formless-realm devas have the five universal mental factors of mind consciousness, also the five universal mental factors of the manas, and also the five universal mental factors of the eighth consciousness.
The Buddha could teach the dharma to the devas in the formless realm, but form-realm devas could not hear it, humans in the human world could not hear it, and ghosts and spirits could not hear it. Formless-realm devas are so few, and they are all non-Buddhists absorbed in concentration all day, so there is simply no need to teach them. From another angle, in the concentration of the second dhyāna one can no longer hear the Buddhadharma, let alone in concentrations of the fourth dhyāna and above — even less can one hear the dharma or contemplate it. Therefore the Buddha does not go to the formless realm to teach. The Buddha taught the Huayan Sutra and the Kṣitigarbha Sutra in the desire realm and form realm heavens, and then they spread to the human world. Other sutras were all taught in the human world, so devas could come down to hear the dharma, and ghosts, spirits, and animals could also hear the dharma — thus many more sentient beings were liberated.
6. Why Do All Buddhas, Upon First Attaining Buddhahood in Worlds Like Sahā, Reluctantly Stay to Teach the Dharma?
When you have realized the third or fourth fruit and eradicated the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, then when you look at sentient beings, your state of mind will be utterly different from now; there will be many things you will no longer say, because saying them is useless — like a university professor looking at kindergarten children, feeling they are truly unteachable. When you become a Buddha and observe the multitudes of sentient beings, with their vast expanses of greed, hatred, and delusion — so utterly deluded — at that time you would likewise feel that teaching such profound Buddhadharma to such sentient beings is simply unimaginable, like playing the lute to an ox. When one is at roughly the same level as sentient beings, one does not feel anything particular about them; but once one leaves that level and leaps up to look down, that state of mind is something you all cannot understand or imagine — so speaking is useless. The Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and sages have no kindred spirits and are very lonely; sentient beings cannot understand, much less experience, the sages' state of mind.
7. Have First-Bhūmi Bodhisattvas Left the Desire Realm?
Most bodhisattvas generally propagate the dharma and benefit beings in the human world, differing only in their meditative concentration. Bodhisattvas of the first bhūmi and above must possess form-realm meditative concentration of the first dhyāna or higher; they stay in the human world together with sentient beings, while a minority of bodhisattvas study and liberate beings in the various deva realms. In terms of the realization of meditative concentration and the realization of eradicating afflictions, bodhisattvas of the first bhūmi and above have minds that have left the desire realm, without the afflictions and attachments of the desire realm.
8. How Can Bodhisattvas Avoid Entering Nirvāṇa Without Remainder?
At the full mind of the seventh bhūmi, one cultivates an even more supreme meditative absorption (samādhi); having the bliss of samādhi, one will not leave the three realms to enter nirvāṇa without remainder. Between the first and seventh bhūmis, because bodhisattvas have eradicated craving for the world of the five aggregates and do not delight in the dharmas of the five-aggregate world, once attachment is fully eradicated, there is nothing in the three-realm world that can bind the manas, and so the bodhisattva would enter nirvāṇa without remainder. Therefore during this period, one must retain a bit of afflictive delusion and karma, keeping a trace of craving toward certain minor dharmas, in order to bind the manas so it does not leave the three realms.
Being unrelenting toward the Buddha path and unrelenting in liberating sentient beings, one will not enter nirvāṇa without remainder. This is also a slight attachment, but it must be retained for the time being. The Huayan Sutra contains the bodhisattvas' ten inexhaustible vows; before entering the first bhūmi, a bodhisattva must make these vows, so as to guarantee forever cultivating the Buddha path without abandoning sentient beings, and thus not entering nirvāṇa, ultimately accomplishing the Buddha path.
Only when the mind is free from attachment to self and attachment to dharmas is it freely liberated; the more one attaches, the smaller the mind's capacity. Eighth-bhūmi bodhisattvas have minds without attachment, unconditioned and free, functioning naturally according to their vows, with minds vast and unobstructed; their powers of superknowledge and spiritual powers are also the greatest, able to manifest a Buddha body in a bodhisattva body, manifest Buddha lands, and liberate immeasurable sentient beings.
Before the third fruit, one need not make this vow, yet one also cannot enter nirvāṇa without remainder, because all are bound by the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion within the three realms; having craving for the world of the five aggregates, they will not leave the birth-and-death bondage of the three realms and must still endure the suffering of karmic retribution. The heavier the craving, the heavier the hatred, the heavier the delusion — the more suffering there is, and the more severe the bondage of birth and death. Every person's attachment to and craving for themselves is the chief culprit harming themselves, yet they are unaware of it, still endlessly going "me, me, me" — truly pitiable and lamentable.
9. What Do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Do When Facing Disasters?
What did the Buddha do when King Virūḍhaka led an army to exterminate the Śākya clan? This time, when we Buddhists encountered the disaster of viral infection, although we did not, like medical workers, go treat the sick and save lives and kill the virus, we used the methods of saving sentient beings unique to Buddhism, such as dedicating the merit of reciting sutras, recollecting the Buddha, and studying the dharma, thereby helping to bring the epidemic to an early end. We made our due contribution to the nation and to some degree saved sentient beings. How great that degree is, it is inconvenient to say now; one can only say the effect of this dedication of merit was not small. Then, since the merit of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas is immeasurable, when facing natural disasters and human calamities, do they not have many skillful means to resolve sentient beings' disasters — able to dissolve all disasters without killing living beings and creating bad karmic affinities with them?
When sentient beings' merit and wisdom are insufficient, in resolving disasters they can only think of killing and hostility, unable to think of better solutions. When merit and wisdom are sufficient, a single thought can dissolve a disaster. Therefore, as soon as sentient beings encounter disaster, they naturally think of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, because the Buddhas and bodhisattvas' wisdom is lofty and vast, and they can resolve these problems without the slightest effort — it only depends on whether sentient beings have the merit to receive such benefit. So everyone must still diligently cultivate; cultivation is the hard truth. Without cultivation, one can never avoid committing evil karma and then receiving evil retribution.
10. Can Wisdom in the Buddhadharma Be Separated from Wisdom in Worldly Matters?
Ignorance (avidyā) means not understanding, not being clear — including not understanding and not being clear about all the myriad dharmas. The Buddhas have eradicated all ignorance, are clear about all supramundane dharmas, and are also clear about all worldly dharmas — there is not a single dharma they are not clear about. Take any dharma in worldly affairs and ask the Buddha; there is nothing the Buddha is not clear about and cannot answer. Therefore, if one is not versed in worldly affairs and does not know how to conduct oneself and handle affairs, that is ignorance, and one's Buddhadharma is also not versed.
The Buddhas and the great bodhisattvas of the various bhūmis are versed not only in the Buddhadharma but also simultaneously versed in worldly affairs. When dealing with sentient beings in the world, they understand sentient beings' minds and understand worldly matters; the choices they make do not violate worldly conventions and can broadly liberate sentient beings without being led around by them.
To whatever degree one is versed in the Buddhadharma, correspondingly one will be versed to that degree in worldly dharma. The Buddhadharma and worldly dharma complement each other; there is no such thing as accomplishing the Buddhadharma apart from worldly dharma. If there were, then the Buddhadharma would have nothing to do with worldly dharma — but in fact the Buddhadharma has never been separable from worldly dharma; it is tightly bound up with it. The Buddhadharma can effectively guide worldly affairs. If someone's wisdom in the Buddhadharma is very high, yet they run into walls everywhere in worldly affairs, that shows this person is not actually versed in the Buddhadharma and has no genuine wisdom of the Buddhadharma — the so-called wisdom is merely dry wisdom.
The great bodhisattvas of the various bhūmis, all the way up to the Buddha, can serve in the world as ministers, officials, and monarchs, as well as wheel-turning sage kings and lords of the heavens of each level. Worldly dharma must be versed — otherwise how could they be monarchs, wheel-turning sage kings, and lords of heavens? How could they manage and govern the worldly affairs of sentient beings? How could they win the people over and lead the multitude?
Wisdom is interconnected. Wisdom in the Buddhadharma cannot exist separately from wisdom in worldly dharma. The Buddhadharma must be practiced in worldly dharma; if it cannot be practiced in worldly affairs, it shows the Buddhadharma is also not mastered, to the point of being inapplicable to worldly affairs. All realizations in the Buddhadharma must be manifested through bodily, verbal, and mental actions in worldly affairs. If one's bodily, verbal, and mental actions have not transformed toward purity and one handles matters imperfectly, it shows this person's attainment is still insufficient — the power of concentration, the power of merit, and the power of wisdom are all inadequate. Therefore there is no Buddhadharma that can be manifested apart from worldly dharma.
11. What Exactly Does "Other-Powered Encouragement" in the Dharma Gate of Recollection of the Buddha Refer To?
Other-powered encouragement refers to the encouragement and motivation of external conditions; it can be called the Buddha's power of blessing. Especially when recollecting the Buddha, recollection of the Buddha will resonate with the Buddha; the Buddha, responding, will know the recollector's thoughts and aspirations, bestow blessing upon the recollector, and help the recollector enhance the power of the path.
The blessing of Buddhas and bodhisattvas generally manifests as maturing sentient beings' five faculties and five powers. The five faculties include the faculty of faith, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of diligence, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom; from these five faculties the five powers arise. Under the operation of these five powers, sentient beings' path-cultivation continually progresses, the mind attains purity, and there will be gains and accomplishments.
12. Why Did the Patriarchs and Great Masters of the Past Generally Not Cite Scriptures When Teaching the Dharma?
The patriarchs and great masters of the past were all true enlightened bodhisattvas with genuine cultivation, genuine realization, and genuine virtue. Therefore, when teaching the dharma, they spoke only from their own wisdom and insight, without forced interpretation and without concealment, speaking as things are and reasoning according to the truth. If they occasionally cited scriptures, it was either for those whose conditions were not ripe and whose faculty of faith and wisdom were insufficient, or, when the dharma-meaning was deep, to use the sutras as supplementary illustration.
From another angle, students in ancient times had relatively deep roots of goodness; their merit, meditative concentration, and wisdom were all fairly good, their faculty of faith was sufficient, and they had the eye of dharma-selection, giving them correct discernment and receptivity toward the patriarchs' instructions. Therefore the patriarch-bodhisattvas could teach with confidence, expounding what their wisdom and realization knew, without any worries. Sentient beings today have scant roots of goodness, are deficient in merit, concentration, and wisdom, lack the faculty of faith, and lack the eye of dharma-selection; many people listen to deception rather than to counsel. Therefore, when teaching the dharma, one must cite many scriptures to inspire faith. On the other hand, if the teacher's cultivation spans few kalpas, without genuine wisdom and realization, with the dharma-meaning not yet mastered, they have no choice but to cite scriptures. Yet even with citations, first, sentient beings cannot understand them as they truly are, and second, the teacher has not penetrated the sutras either, so misunderstanding and misinterpretation are still unavoidable. This is the retribution brought by sentient beings' karma: heavy karma and thin merit make the path of cultivation winding, advancing and retreating, with no knowing when it will end.
13. Great Wisdom Is the Greatest Compassion
In ancient India, wives and children were the private property of husbands and fathers; men could give away or sell their wives and children at will. Even the Buddha did not break this rule, and even allowed disciples to give away their wives at will and then leave home to cultivate the path. In ancient times women's status was low, which seems rather unreasonable to us now, yet at that time no women resisted; they all willingly endured.
Behind the existence of any unreasonable thing there must be a reasonable law of cause and effect unknown to people. Sentient beings cannot see it clearly, but the Buddha knows it. Therefore at that time the Buddha did not permit women to leave home and cultivate. This was not the Buddha lacking compassion; it is just that such compassion would have shortened the period of the True Dharma by five hundred years, failing to liberate extremely many sentient beings with the proper indriya — a loss for Buddhism and a loss for sentient beings. Yet in the end the Buddha had no alternative and accepted women leaving home to cultivate. So whether something is compassionate or not, wholesome or unwholesome — with the wisdom of ordinary sentient beings, it can never be seen clearly; sentient beings' views are all inverted.
Whatever the Buddha does is compassion; left or right, up or down, east or west — all is compassion. Considered from every angle, considered from different circumstances, proceeding from specific situations, proceeding from the overall interest of Buddhism — all is compassion. Different conditions yield different fruits, and thus different choices. So one cannot say the Buddha is compassionate doing this but not compassionate doing that; whatever the Buddha does is compassion, because of great wisdom and great compassion. I am the same: whether or not I respond to sentient beings, it is all for sentient beings, not for myself. My time, energy, and mental effort all belong to sentient beings, all belong to Buddhism, not to me personally. Therefore, in doing anything, one should proceed from the overall situation, from the overall interest of Buddhism.
If one works for a portion of people, the interests of the majority will be harmed; then one must not expend mental effort only for a portion of people. The overall cause of Buddhism is forever higher than the interests of a portion of sentient beings. A person with wisdom must make correct trade-offs, maximize benefit, and expend mental effort and energy reasonably. The Saha world does not consist only of Jambudvīpa; Jambudvīpa is merely one celestial body within one small world among the three thousand great thousand worlds of the Saha world. The entire Saha world has one hundred thousand kotis of celestial bodies, everywhere with sentient beings needing liberation and rescue. Bodhisattvas belong to all sentient beings of the worlds of the ten directions, not just to the sentient beings of one region. A bodhisattva's mind should be extremely vast, with vision placed on the whole world and the whole universe. So whether or not one comes to this world, it is all for Buddhism and for sentient beings — all is compassion.
14. The Lifespan of the Buddha
In certain kalpas, the lifespans of both Buddhas and sentient beings are very long, calculated in kalpas. One small kalpa is 16.8 million years; a Buddha's lifespan can be manifested as twelve small kalpas, or even longer, depending on the wholesome karma of the Buddha when he was a bodhisattva, and also on the karmic power of sentient beings. But this is only a manifestation; the Buddha's actual lifespan is infinite life, unlimitedly long, without temporal restriction. Śākyamuni Buddha's lifespan in the Saha world this time was eighty years, similar to the hundred-year lifespan of sentient beings at that time — determined by sentient beings' karmic power. Śākyamuni Buddha could have remained in the world in the Saha world for more than a kalpa, but sentient beings lacked the merit and could not possibly attract such a supreme retribution, and the Buddha's prolonged presence would have brought no benefit to Buddhism or sentient beings either; therefore the Buddha manifested an eighty-year lifespan in accordance with conditions.
15. My Mantric Vow
I have already built for everyone a heavenly ladder for ascending the peak of the Buddhadharma. This ladder is the most direct and most secret passage to obtaining all great wisdom, nearest nearest to the sun and moon, almost within arm's reach. When your physical and mental strength permits, climb up by yourselves and, looking down from on high, observe the workings of the Buddhadharma, and you will obtain great wisdom. In worldly terms, I have provided this secret passage — how much patent fee and usage fee should I charge to be fair and reasonable? In truth, whatever fee I charge would be too little; even if all the jewels in the world were given to me, it would not cover my costs. Since no fee is now appropriate, and besides I am not very good at spending money and have no need for so much money, I shall cast a long line to catch a big fish and collect the greatest, greatest benefit.
I now make a mantric vow: whoever receives even a drop of dharma grace from me shall, throughout the future three great immeasurable kalpas, follow in my footsteps, emulate my way, walk my walk, disregard all personal benefit, perform the bodhisattva's myriad practices, and liberate all beings who can be liberated. After the three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas, they must likewise spare no toil and disregard all cost, liberating all beings who can be liberated, without the slightest reluctance or resistance.
The mantric vow has been issued; no one can escape it. It is already too late to try to run; even those who ran away before cannot escape the power of my mantric vow. All people, whether willing or not, are within the reach of my mantric power, consciously or unconsciously fulfilling the vow; no matter how many distant kalpas, none may escape. You may slack off for a day, a year, a lifetime, but you cannot slack off forever under my mantric power — the mantric power does not permit it — until you become a Buddha, until all suffering sentient beings are liberated.
Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva does not become a Buddha; in a bodhisattva body He has taught seven World-Honored Buddhas, and will even again, in a bodhisattva body, teach countless World-Honored Buddhas. But once Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, His Buddha land will cover all Buddha lands; all Buddha lands will be within Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva's Buddha land. And I now do not want to harvest, do not want a speck of return; I want the greatest, greatest return in the future. Those who receive my grace must, for immeasurable kalpas upon immeasurable kalpas, emulate my conduct and repay my grace — just as I unconditionally emulate the Buddha's conduct and repay the Buddha's grace — without complaint. Even if there are complaints, after complaining they must still disregard all cost and forever practice the bodhisattva path, whether before becoming a Buddha or after.
My mantric power is a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times greater than the demons' mantric power. Receive my mantra, be freed from the demons' mantras, and never again be disturbed by demons. My mantric power subdues the demons' mantras; demonic power becomes Buddha power, jointly blessing practitioners on their way — advancing bravely and diligently without regression!
16. The State of Being Androgynous
Body and mind lean on each other and mutually influence each other. If an obstacle appears in the mind consciousness, it must be that a problem has arisen in the supreme faculty (indriya). Problems of the supreme faculty arise, first, from innate karmic seeds ripening when conditions mature, with the karmic retribution manifesting; and second, from acquired factors causing obstruction of the supreme faculty. Step outside yourself and look at the physical body: it is entirely a robot that needs constant lubrication to function — truly nothing worth craving. A noble, virtuous soul is worth far more than the physical body; a soul with wisdom is worth countless times more than the physical body. Therefore we should all pursue a higher-level mind, pursuing the wisdom and liberation of the mind.
A higher-level mind must have transformed consciousness into wisdom, with concentration and wisdom both complete, sufficient to transform the physical body, making the body adorned with major and minor marks (lakṣaṇa-vyañjana-sampad), possessing both the strengths of the male form and the strengths of the female form — in appearance having both male and female characteristics, able to perfectly merge the male and female forms into one, achieving androgyny. Skill in meditative concentration can cultivate androgyny, with an untainted physical body that no longer needs to rely on the opposite sex to supplement and compensate for its own deficiencies. Thus with an independent personality, one becomes ever more perfect, and in the future one can be lotus-born. With meditative concentration of the first dhyāna or above, one will know what preliminary androgyny is like; but the first dhyāna is not enough — long-term permeation and cultivation is still needed, even permeation over long kalpas.
This discusses androgyny from the perspective of meditative concentration and the physical body. The most fundamental androgyny refers to the spiritual, the mental: in spirit, willpower, character, temperament, bearing, personality, cultivation, conduct, and so forth, possessing both the strengths and wisdom of the male and the strengths and wisdom of the female, with no need to rely on the opposite sex to compensate for deficiencies in one's resolve — because one inherently possesses this dual nature, already perfect or close to perfect, superior to worldly people. Great bodhisattvas are generally androgynous, possessing the strengths of both genders, including wisdom and physical appearance. Buddhas and bodhisattvas cannot be distinguished as male or female by appearance, and in wisdom male and female are the same — hence they are called "great persons" (mahāpuruṣa).
The appearance of form-realm devas is not divided into male and female; they all possess meditative concentration of the first dhyāna or above. The people of the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) and of many Buddha lands are likewise not divided into male and female, with no gender distinction; their physical bodies remain forever young — this is the retribution brought about by meditative concentration, merit, and wisdom. When there is no gender distinction, getting along is especially at ease, with no sense of discord, no gossip, no afflictive emotions — one feels comfortable, at ease, and natural. But when the two genders live together, there are many troubles, wasting much energy and mental effort.
