Chapter 2: Prelude to the Dharma Assembly

Original Text: Thus I have heard. At one time the Buddha was at Rājagṛha, on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, in the Precious Moon Lecture Hall, a sandalwood pavilion with multiple stories. Ten years after attaining Buddhahood, he was accompanied by a great assembly of a thousand bhikṣus, and sixty Ganges sands’ worth of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. All had attained great power of diligence, had previously made offerings to hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas, and were all able to turn the irreversible Dharma wheel.

Explanation: The first sentence of the text, following convention, is naturally Thus I have heard. The meaning of "Thus I have heard" is that after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, when Ānanda compiled the sūtras before the assembly, he recounted the Dharma spoken by the Buddha during the Dharma assembly. At the beginning of each sūtra, he said: "Thus did I hear from the Bhagavān." Then he would begin to narrate exactly how the Bhagavān taught that sūtra, able to recount it from beginning to end. Ānanda, among the Buddha’s ten great disciples, was renowned as foremost in hearing; his memory was astonishing, retaining everything he heard without fail.

At one time the Buddha was at Rājagṛha, on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, in the Precious Moon Lecture Hall, a sandalwood pavilion with multiple stories. This describes the location where the Bhagavān taught the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra to the assembly at Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha. This is called the accomplishment of the location. Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa is located northeast of Rājagṛha, the capital of Magadha in central India. Rājagṛha was the largest city in India and a place where the Buddha frequently resided and taught the Dharma. On Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa was the Precious Moon Lecture Hall, a pavilion made of sandalwood. Sandalwood is a superior quality wood in India. "Pavilion with multiple stories" means a two or three-story building made of sandalwood, indicating it was not a single-story structure but had multiple levels. In ancient times, architectural technology was not highly developed; buildings were made of wooden planks, so pavilions could not be very tall, at most three stories, generally two. The most common were single-story houses, unlike today where we can construct tall buildings, as modern construction technology is especially advanced. It was precisely at this location, the sandalwood pavilion of the Precious Moon Lecture Hall on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha, that the Bhagavān taught the *Mahāvaipulya Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra* to the assembly.

This was one of the first sūtras the Bhagavān taught approximately ten years after attaining Buddhahood, after completing the Āgamas and turning to the Mahāyāna teachings. Therefore, this sūtra certainly could not be too profound or detailed, otherwise beings would be unable to comprehend it. Thus, it must be the most foundational Mahāyāna sūtra, laying the groundwork for Mahāyāna practice, aiming for beings to be able to understand it, gain some understanding of the Mahāyāna Tathāgatagarbha Dharma, generate faith, plant roots of virtue and merit, and sow the seeds for attaining Buddhahood.

The "great bhikṣus" mentioned later are the Buddha's constant followers, the 1,255 bhikṣus who surrounded the Buddha. These are the śrāvaka monastic assembly. Later, there are also sixty Ganges sands’ worth of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are great bodhisattvas. Great bodhisattvas generally refer to those who have realized the mind and seen the nature or above. There is also a stricter interpretation, stating that only bodhisattvas who have attained the grounds (bhūmis) are called great bodhisattvas or bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. The number of these bodhisattvas is as numerous as sixty Ganges sands. "Ganges sands" refers to the sands of the Ganges River in India, an uncountable number, representing that the number of bodhisattvas is extremely vast. They are all Buddha-sons whom Śākyamuni Buddha has guided over immeasurable kalpas. The great bhikṣus number only 1,255, while the bodhisattvas are as numerous as sixty Ganges sands, immeasurable and boundless.

The Bhagavān had attained Buddhahood only ten years prior; why were there so many bodhisattvas? It turns out that before Śākyamuni Buddha came to the Sahā world, he had already propagated the Dharma and guided beings in the worlds of the ten directions for an incalculable number of asamkhyeya kalpas. This also indicates that the Buddha had long ago completed the cultivation of the three great asamkhyeya kalpas. According to Buddhist scriptures, after attaining Buddhahood, the Bhagavān came to our Sahā world in his Buddha form eight thousand times; the number of times he went to other Buddha lands is beyond count. Over such a long period of time propagating the Dharma and benefiting beings, the Buddha guided an innumerable number of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.

Now, the bodhisattvas who came to this Dharma assembly as the "influencing assembly" number only sixty Ganges sands. Although uncountable, this number is still not the entirety; it is only a part. There are even more bodhisattva disciples who did not participate in the assembly. These many bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are not all propagating the Dharma within the Sahā world; they are distributed throughout the Buddha lands of the ten directions, benefiting themselves and others. The worlds of the ten directions are boundlessly vast. These bodhisattvas have all attained spiritual powers. Hearing that the Buddha was to teach the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra, they resolved to come and protect the treasury of the Buddha's Dharma, to protect the Buddha as he taught this Mahāyāna sūtra. Therefore, the bodhisattvas came from the worlds of the ten directions to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in the Sahā world to hear the Bhagavān expound this sūtra. Their spiritual powers were immeasurably vast, enabling them to fly from distant lands to the Sahā world to protect the Bhagavān as he taught the Dharma.

These bodhisattvas were not only able to diligently cultivate the six pāramitās of the bodhisattva path, achieving realization themselves, but also possessed great power of diligence in benefiting others. They were compassionate, joyful, and giving towards beings, guiding and gathering beings with various skillful means. They had attained immeasurable samādhis, attained the pure practices of precepts, concentration, and wisdom. This is called "all had attained great power of diligence." Later, it is explained that these sixty Ganges sands’ worth of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas had already made offerings to hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas. This means the number of Buddhas to whom the bodhisattvas had made offerings was immeasurable and boundless; the roots of goodness and merit they had planted were extremely profound. "Nayuta" is an ancient Indian term indicating an extremely large, uncountable number. That the bodhisattvas had made offerings to so many Buddhas indicates that their roots of goodness and merit were exceedingly profound. Having made offerings to so many Buddhas, yet they had not yet attained Buddhahood, shows that attaining Buddhahood requires an immensely long period of time, requiring cultivation over three great asamkhyeya kalpas. It is not something that can be achieved in one lifetime, nor can one attain Buddhahood in a single life.

We are born in the Sahā world, learning the Buddha Dharma under Śākyamuni Buddha's teachings; this itself is making offerings to Śākyamuni Buddha. In past lives, we may have made offerings to the other three Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa, or perhaps even to all the Buddhas of other kalpas before this Bhadrakalpa; that is uncertain. However, the number of Buddhas we have made offerings to is still very, very small and extremely limited. The fifth Buddha of the Bhadrakalpa is Maitreya Buddha. We have not yet made offerings to him because Maitreya Bodhisattva has not yet attained Buddhahood, has not yet come to the Sahā world to propagate the Dharma, and we have not yet had the opportunity to make offerings to him. Currently, we make offerings to Śākyamuni Buddha. The depth of our roots of goodness, merit, and causes and conditions from past lives depends on how many Buddhas each of us made offerings to in past lives and how many Buddhas' Dharma teachings we experienced. Those whose roots of goodness and merit are not profound have made offerings to only a very few Buddhas; therefore, they currently cannot accept the Mahāyāna Dharma or the Tathāgatagarbha Dharma. This shows that learning the Buddha Dharma and attaining Buddhahood is not a matter of one life, or even a few lives.

Over immeasurable kalpas of cultivation, the Bhagavān guided an immeasurable number of beings; he had an immeasurable number of disciples who upheld, followed, and learned the Dharma. Only then could the Bhagavān attain the Buddha Way, manifest his own Buddha land, and lead his disciples in cultivation. If the Bhagavān had not guided beings in past lives, he would have had no disciples to follow him and jointly accomplish the Buddha land. One cannot attain Buddhahood alone; Buddhas and bodhisattvas must have their own disciples and form a Buddha land together with them, jointly propagating the Tathāgata's Dharma teachings. Therefore, a bodhisattva who has not guided beings and has no disciples cannot advance on the path. If a bodhisattva has no disciples at all or only a very few disciples, their merit and blessings are incomplete, and it is impossible for them to attain Buddhahood in that very life. A Buddha land must have immeasurable and boundless beings; those beings are all composed of disciples guided by the Buddha. It cannot consist of the Buddha alone, nor can a Buddha land be accomplished with only a small number of bodhisattva disciples.

Therefore, for a bodhisattva to attain Buddhahood, they must pass through the time of three great asamkhyeya kalpas, make offerings to immeasurable and boundless Buddhas, guide an immeasurable and boundless number of disciples, and fully possess immeasurable roots of goodness, merit, and wisdom. Only then can they attain Buddhahood. These things are certainly impossible to accomplish in one lifetime. Many people have neither taught the Dharma to guide beings nor have disciples they have guided; they lack great merit and blessings and have not attained immeasurable samādhis. To attain Buddhahood in one lifetime, to become a Buddha in this very life, is impossible.

These bodhisattva-mahāsattvas were all able to assist the Buddha in turning the Dharma wheel, teaching the Dharma to guide beings. "Turning the irreversible Dharma wheel" means expounding the sūtras and teaching the Dharma for beings, enabling them to realize the mind and see the nature, so they never regress from the Mahāyāna path to Buddhahood, the Tathāgatagarbha Dharma, and never regress from supreme bodhi. These bodhisattvas could teach the Tathāgatagarbha Dharma at different depths according to the capacities of beings. Upon hearing it, beings realized the mind and saw the nature, and thus also did not regress from supreme bodhi. This is the irreversible Dharma wheel turned by the bodhisattvas. It shows that these great bodhisattvas were capable not only of benefiting themselves but also of benefiting others.

Original Text: If there are beings who hear their names, they will never regress from the supreme path. Their names are as follows: Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, Lion Wisdom Bodhisattva, Vajra Wisdom Bodhisattva, Tamed Wisdom Bodhisattva, Subtle Wisdom Bodhisattva, Moonlight Bodhisattva, Precious Moon Bodhisattva, Full Moon Bodhisattva, Courageous Bodhisattva, Immeasurable Courage Bodhisattva, Boundless Courage Bodhisattva, Transcender of the Three Realms Bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, Gandhahastin Bodhisattva, Supreme Fragrance Bodhisattva, Foremost Fragrance Bodhisattva, Foremost Treasury Bodhisattva, Sun Treasury Bodhisattva, Banner Mark Bodhisattva, Great Banner Mark Bodhisattva, Stainless Banner Bodhisattva, Boundless Light Bodhisattva, Radiant Light Bodhisattva, Stainless Light Bodhisattva, Joyful King Bodhisattva, Constant Joy Bodhisattva, Precious Hand Bodhisattva, Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva, Free from Arrogance Bodhisattva, Mount Sumeru Bodhisattva, King of Luminous Virtue Bodhisattva, Sovereign Lord of Upholding Bodhisattva, Upholder Bodhisattva, Destroyer of All Illnesses Bodhisattva, Healer of All Beings' Illnesses Bodhisattva, Joyful Mindfulness Bodhisattva, Contented Mind Bodhisattva, Constantly Contented Bodhisattva, Universally Illuminating Bodhisattva, Moonlight Bodhisattva, Precious Wisdom Bodhisattva, Transformer of Female Body Bodhisattva, Great Thunder Sound Bodhisattva, Guide Bodhisattva, Undeceiving Sight Bodhisattva, Sovereign of All Dharmas Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, and others such as these sixty Ganges sands’ worth of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. From immeasurable Buddha lands, together with countless nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, they all came together, revering and making offerings.

Explanation: If there are beings who hear the names of these great bodhisattvas, then those beings will never regress from the supreme Buddha path. This shows that the spiritual powers and Dharma power of these great bodhisattvas are extremely vast. Merely hearing their names enables beings to never regress from the supreme path. Therefore, please recite the names of these bodhisattvas once with a reverent mind, so that upon hearing them, everyone will never regress from the supreme Buddha path.

The bodhisattvas participating in the assembly were: Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, Lion Wisdom Bodhisattva, Vajra Wisdom Bodhisattva, Tamed Wisdom Bodhisattva, Subtle Wisdom Bodhisattva, Moonlight Bodhisattva, Precious Moon Bodhisattva, Full Moon Bodhisattva, Courageous Bodhisattva, Immeasurable Courage Bodhisattva, Boundless Courage Bodhisattva, Transcender of the Three Realms Bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, Gandhahastin Bodhisattva, Supreme Fragrance Bodhisattva, Foremost Fragrance Bodhisattva, Foremost Treasury Bodhisattva, Sun Treasury Bodhisattva, Banner Mark Bodhisattva, Great Banner Mark Bodhisattva, Stainless Banner Bodhisattva, Boundless Light Bodhisattva, Radiant Light Bodhisattva, Stainless Light Bodhisattva, Joyful King Bodhisattva, Constant Joy Bodhisattva, Precious Hand Bodhisattva, Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva, Free from Arrogance Bodhisattva, Mount Sumeru Bodhisattva, King of Luminous Virtue Bodhisattva, Sovereign Lord of Upholding Bodhisattva, Upholder Bodhisattva, Destroyer of All Illnesses Bodhisattva, Healer of All Beings' Illnesses Bodhisattva, Joyful Mindfulness Bodhisattva, Contented Mind Bodhisattva, Constantly Contented Bodhisattva, Universally Illuminating Bodhisattva, Moonlight Bodhisattva, Precious Wisdom Bodhisattva, Transformer of Female Body Bodhisattva, Great Thunder Sound Bodhisattva, Guide Bodhisattva, Undeceiving Sight Bodhisattva, Sovereign of All Dharmas Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva.

The names of the bodhisattvas have now been recited once. It is unknown whether, upon hearing them, everyone has realized the mind and seen the nature, and will henceforth never regress from supreme bodhi. These sixty Ganges sands’ worth of bodhisattvas came from immeasurable Buddha lands, from the precious Buddha lands of the ten directions, together with countless nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, and other Dharma protectors, to the Sahā world, to make offerings to Śākyamuni Buddha and protect Śākyamuni Buddha's Dharma teachings.