A Commentary on the Mahāyāna Sūtra on the Manifestation of Consciousness

Original text: 尔时。诸比丘。在世尊所。多有疲睡。失容阿委。不能自持。于是世尊。面门晖发。如莲花开。时诸比丘。咸悉醒悟。各自严正。作如是念。今佛世尊。颜容晖焕。面光照朗,。欲开何法眼。作大饶益。

Explanation: At this time, the bhiksu disciples in the World-Honored One's lecture hall were mostly somewhat weary, drowsy and bleary-eyed, their faces haggard and listless, about to lose their composure and on the verge of falling asleep. While the Buddha was preaching the Dharma above, some of the bhiksus below had grown tired and were about to doze off; their posture was no longer dignified—some were yawning, some were nodding off, and their bodies could no longer remain upright.

Seeing this situation, the World-Honored One, in order to rouse these bhiksus, manifested supernatural powers. "面门晖发" means that His face shone brilliantly, like a lotus flower in bloom. When the bhiksus saw the Buddha manifesting supernatural powers and radiating light, all their drowsiness vanished; their spirits were fully refreshed, and each of them straightened their sitting posture, thinking: "The Buddha is now manifesting supernatural powers, His countenance radiant and luminous. What great Dharma is He about to open and expound, to bring great benefit to sentient beings?"

原文：尔时。贤护胜上童真。修容丰美。柔和光泽。色相具足。六万商主。前后围绕。侍从轰郁。声如地震。来诣佛所。见佛世尊。寂静安隐。众德之藏。巍巍赫朗。如大金树。深心信重。合掌思惟。作如是念。众共称赞。佛一切智。普见一切。是如来阿罗诃。正等觉。诚实不虚。顶礼佛足。谛视而住。

Explanation: At this time, there was a layperson named Bhadrapāla, a noble and excellent youth of celibate purity. "童真" (celibate youth) means that he was still a youth of virgin purity, while "胜上" (excellent and supreme) indicates that this person was rather extraordinary, whether in merit or in wisdom, surpassing ordinary people. His appearance was refined and handsome, gentle and lustrous, his physical features complete and beautiful—this hints that the Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla had cultivated great merit in past lives, which resulted in such a majestic physical appearance. Sixty thousand merchant-lords surrounded him front and back, and his retinue of attendants was vast in number; the sound made by the crowd moving together was like an earthquake, showing how vast and profound the Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla's merit was.

Then the whole crowd, thronging around Bhadrapāla, came to the place where the Buddha was preaching the Dharma. The Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla saw the World-Honored One seated upright on his seat, appearing tranquil and at ease; within his serene and peaceful demeanor was hidden a treasury of all immense majestic virtues. In the Buddha's five aggregates, in his speech, conduct, and countenance, were hidden the Buddha's countless virtues, everywhere revealing that the Buddha was a treasury of all virtues. The Buddha's external marks—the thirty-two marks—were lofty and dignified, majestic yet compassionate, resplendent and luminous, like a tall golden tree.

Seeing the World-Honored One so adorned with major and minor marks (lakṣaṇa-vyañjana), the Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla gave rise to a deeply reverent mind toward the World-Honored One. Thus he joined his palms in contemplation and thought: "All beings together praise the Buddha's virtues; the Buddha's omniscient wisdom (sarvākārajñatā) universally sees all dharmas." According to the Hīnayāna, omniscient wisdom represents the wisdom by which the Buddha can liberate himself from the birth-and-death cycle of the three realms; whereas the wisdom of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā) of the Buddha's Mahāyāna Dharma represents that the Buddha has realized all dharmas, both mundane and supramundane. The Buddha fully knows, without remainder, all the seed-functions contained within His undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna); there is not a single dharma He does not understand or know—this is called the wisdom of all aspects.

The Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla then continued thinking: "The World-Honored One is indeed the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened One—true and not false." The Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla praised the World-Honored One as being endowed with the merits of the Buddha's ten epithets, which are: Tathāgata, Arhat (Worthy of Offerings), Samyaksaṃbuddha (Perfectly and Universally Enlightened), Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna (Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct), Sugata (Well-Gone), Lokavid (Knower of the World), Anuttara (Unsurpassed), Puruṣadamyasārathi (Tamer of Beings), Śāstā devamanuṣyāṇām (Teacher of Gods and Humans), Buddha Bhagavat. Thereupon the Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla bowed at the Buddha's feet and gazed attentively upon the World-Honored One.