Commentary on the Mahāyāna Vijñapti Sūtra

In the past, present, and future, illuminating without obstruction, is the great nāga. As the Buddha taught, what was to be done has been done; the great burden has been laid down; benefit for oneself has been attained; the cycle of rebirth has been severed; the suffering inherent in conditioned existence has been ended. With right knowledge and power, he skillfully knows where the minds of sentient beings are inclined. Such is the great assembly of śrāvakas, with the Elder Śāriputra as the foremost. Furthermore, there are immeasurable bodhisattva mahāsattvas assembled together in the gathering.

The suffering spoken of by the Buddha is of three kinds: the suffering of suffering, the suffering of conditioned existence, and the suffering of change. Although heavenly beings do not have the suffering of suffering, they still have the suffering of conditioned existence and the suffering of change, because their happiness is not permanent; it cannot be retained and will inevitably vanish. This kind of suffering is called the "suffering of conditioned existence." When the feeling of happiness disappears, it is called the "suffering of change." Especially at the approach of death, heavenly beings manifest five signs of decay: 1) Their bodies become foul-smelling, 2) Their floral crowns wither, 3) Their garments become soiled with dust, 4) Sweat exudes from their armpits. Their bodies become foul and putrid, so no other heavenly being is willing to approach them; all avoid and distance themselves from him. He can no longer sit comfortably on his heavenly throne; the floral crown on his head withers; clothes that were originally clean and forever free from dust now become dusty; foul sweat appears from his two armpits. When these signs appear, it indicates that the heavenly being's life is about to end; he is about to go to experience suffering. This is called the "manifestation of the five signs of decay" for heavenly beings. The suffering inherent in the conditioned existence of birth and death within these three realms has been completely severed by the arhats; they will not experience the suffering of birth and death in the future, nor will they return to take birth within the three realms.

"With right knowledge and power, skillfully knowing where the minds of sentient beings are inclined." The arhats cultivate the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, attaining the wisdom of liberation and possessing all-knowledge. With this wisdom, they can truly observe the mental activities of sentient beings and see exactly where they are inclined. Seeing the dharmas that sentient beings crave and delight in, they can know into which of the six destinies the sentient beings will be inclined upon death. They can also know whether sentient beings can attain liberation and enter parinirvāṇa. The minds of most sentient beings are attached to the worldly dharmas of the three realms; in the future, they cannot escape the bondage of worldly dharmas; they will all be bound by the six sense objects (dusts), inclined towards the six destinies, inclined towards the worldly five aggregates, inclined towards the six sense objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects, unable to escape the cycle of birth and death.

In this great assembly, the śrāvaka assembly has Śāriputra as its head. "Elder" is an honorific title for an arhat. Those who have realized the fourth fruition of arhatship are called the great śrāvaka assembly. Among them, the Elder Śāriputra is foremost in wisdom; therefore, Śāriputra occupies the foremost position among the śrāvaka assembly. Immeasurable bodhisattva mahāsattvas in the assembly are positioned after the great śrāvaka assembly, indicating that many bodhisattva mahāsattvas are lay followers, with monastics being comparatively fewer. During the Buddha's time, the monastic community was foremost; therefore, the monastic community is presented first, followed by the lay community. Both the śrāvaka disciples and the bodhisattva disciples gathered at the Dharma assembly where the World-Honored One was teaching, listening to the World-Honored One's instructions.