Illustrated
Larger Sutra
(1-2)
Illustrations from the Larger Sutra Mandala
[1] Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha
was staying on the Vulture Peak in Rajagriha
with a large company of twelve thousand monks.
They were all great sages who had already
attained supernatural powers. Among them
were the following: the Venerable Ajnata-kaundinya,
the Venerable Ashvajit, the Venerable Vaspa,
the Venerable Mahanama, the Venerable Bhadrajit,
the Venerable Vimala, the Venerable Yashodeva,
the Venerable Subahu, the Venerable Purnaka,
the Venerable Gavampati, the Venerable Uruvilva-kashyapa,
the Venerable Gaya-kashyapa, the Venerable
Nadi-kashyapa, the Venerable Mahakashyapa,
the Venerable Shariputra, the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana,
the Venerable Kapphina, the Venerable Mahakausthilya,
the Venerable Mahakatyayana, the Venerable
Mahacunda, the Venerable Purna-maitrayaniputra,
the Venerable Aniruddha, the Venerable Revata,
the Venerable Kimpila, the Venerable Amogha-raja,
the Venerable Parayanika, the Venerable Vakkula,
the Venerable Nanda, the Venerable Svagata,
the Venerable Rahula and the Venerable Ananda.
All of these were Elders.
Mahayana bodhisattvas also accompanied the
Buddha, including all those of this Auspicious
Kalpa, such as the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra,
the Bodhisattva Manjushri and the Bodhisattva
Maitreya. There were also the sixteen lay
bodhisattvas, such as Bhadrapala, as well
as the Bodhisattva Profound Thought, the
Bodhisattva Wisdom of Faith, the Bodhisattva
Voidness, the Bodhisattva Bloom of Supernatural
Power, the Bodhisattva Hero of Light, the
Bodhisattva Superior wisdom, the Bodhisattva
Banner of Wisdom, the Bodhisattva Tranquil
Ability, the Bodhisattva Wisdom of Vows,
the Bodhisattva Sweet-smelling Elephant,
the Bodhisattva Hero of Treasures, the Bodhisattva
Dwelling-in-the-Center, the Bodhisattva Practice
of Restraint and the Bodhisattva Emancipation.
Shakyamuni expounds the Larger Sutra to the
assembly of monks,
bodhisattvas, and others on the Vulture
Peak
Ananda, the chief
interlocutor |
Bhadrapala, the head of
the lay bodhisattvas |
Virtues of the bodhisattva audience |
[2] Each of these bodhisattvas, following
the virtues of the Mahasattva Samantabhadra,
is endowed with the immeasurable practices
and vows of the Bodhisattva Path, and firmly
dwells in all the meritorious deeds. He freely
travels in all the ten quarters and employs
skillful means of emancipation. He enters
the treasury of the Dharma of the Buddhas,
and reaches the Other Shore. Throughout the
innumerable worlds he attains Enlightenment.
First, dwelling in the Tusita Heaven, he
proclaims the true Dharma. Having left the
heavenly palace, he descends into his mother's
womb. Soon after he is born from her right
side, he takes seven steps. As he does so,
an effulgence illuminates everywhere in the
ten quarters and innumerable Buddha-lands
shake in six ways. Then he utters these words,
"I will become the most honored one
in the world." [266a] Shakra and Brahma
reverently attend him, and heavenly beings
adore and worship him. He shows his ability
in calculation, writing, archery and horsemanship.
He is also conversant with the divine arts
and well-read in many volumes. In the field
outside the palace he trains himself in the
martial arts, and at court shows that he
also enjoys the pleasures of the senses.
When he first encounters old age, sickness
and death, he realizes the impermanence of
the world. He renounces his kingdom, wealth
and throne, and goes into the mountains to
practice the Way. After sending back
the white horse that he has been riding,
together with the jewelled crown and ornaments
which he has been wearing, he takes off his
magnificent clothes and puts on a Dharma
robe. He cuts his hair and shaves his beard,
sits upright under a tree and strives at
ascetic practices for six years in accord
with the traditional way. Since he has appeared
in the world of the five defilements, he
behaves as the multitude. And as his body
appears dirty, he takes a bath in the Golden
River. As a god bends a branch down towards
him, he is able to climb up the river bank.
A divine bird follows him closely to the
seat of Enlightenment. A deva takes the form
of a youth and, perceiving a favorable sign,
respectfully presents him with the auspicious
grass. The Bodhisattva compassionately accepts
it, spreads it under the Bodhi-tree and sits
upon it with his legs crossed. He emits a
great flood of light to inform Mara of this.
Mara and his army come to attack and tempt
him, but he brings them under control with
the power of wisdom and makes them all surrender.
Then he attains the supreme Dharma and realizes
the highest, perfect Enlightenment.
As Shakra and Brahma request him to turn
the Wheel of the Dharma, the Buddha visits
various places and preaches the Dharma in
his thunderous voice. He beats the Dharma-drum,
blows the Dharma-conch, brandishes the Dharma-sword,
hoists the Dharma-banner, rolls the Dharma-thunder,
hurls the Dharma-lightning, brings the Dharma-rain,
and bestows the Dharma-gift. At all times,
he awakens the world with the sound of the
Dharma. His light illuminates countless Buddha-lands,
causing the entire world to quake in six
ways. It encompasses Mara's realm, shaking
his palace, so that he and his host become
frightened and surrender. The bodhisattva
tears asunder the net of evil, destroys wrong
views, removes afflictions, flushes the gutters
of desire, protects the Dharma-castle, opens
the Dharma-gate, washes off the grime of
the passions, and reveals the pure white
Dharma. He unifies everything in the Buddha
Dharma, and thus proclaims the right teaching.
He enters the town to beg alms; he accepts
even rich food to enable the donors to accumulate
merit and also to show that he is a field
of virtue. Wishing to expound the Dharma,
he smiles and so cures the three pains with
various Dharma-medicines. He teaches that
the aspiration for Enlightenment has immeasurable
merit and, by giving predictions to bodhisattvas,
he enables them to attain Buddhahood.
He demonstrates that he passes into Nirvana,
but endlessly brings sentient beings to emancipation.
In removing their defilements, planting various
roots of virtue and attaining excellent merit,
he displays wonderful and inconceivable works.
Furthermore, each of the bodhisattvas in
the assembly is able to visit various Buddha-lands
and expound teachings of the Way. His manner
of practice is pure and undefiled. Just as
a magician with his perfect skill can create
at will various illusions, including images
of man or woman, at will, so the bodhisattva,
having thoroughly learned all the methods
of emancipation and attained serene awareness
of reality, can freely teach and transform
beings. He manifests himself everywhere in
innumerable Buddha-lands, performing acts
of compassion for sentient beings tirelessly
and with diligence. [] He has thus obtained
complete mastery of such methods of emancipation.
He is thoroughly conversant with the essentials
of the sutras for bodhisattvas and, as his
fame spreads everywhere, he guides sentient
beings throughout the ten quarters. All Buddhas
remember him and give him their protection.
He has already dwelt in all the Buddha's
abodes and performed all the deeds of the
Great Sage. He proclaims the Tathagata's
teachings, acts as a great master for other
bodhisattvas and, with profound samadhi and
wisdom, guides multitudes of beings. With
penetrating insight into the essential nature
of dharmas, he discerns different aspects
of living beings and closely watches over
all the worlds. In making offerings to the
Buddhas, he manifests transformed bodies
like flashes of lightning. Having well learned
the extensive wisdom of fearless and having
realized the illusory nature of dharmas,
he destroys Mara's nets and unties all the
bonds of passion. He rises above the stages
of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas and attains
the samadhis of emptiness, non-form, and
non-desire. He skillfully provides expedient
means and thus reveals three distinct teachings.
Then for those of the middle and lower stages,
he demonstrates his passing into Nirvana.
But, in reality, he is non-active and non-acquisitive,
and, being aware that dharmas in themselves
neither arise nor perish, he realizes that
they are of absolute equality. He has attained
innumerable dharanis, a hundred thousand
samadhis and various kinds of spiritual faculties
and wisdom.
With the Meditation of Vast and Universal
Tranquillity, he enters deeply into the Dharma-treasury
for bodhisattvas. After attaining the Buddha-garland
Samadhi, he proclaims and expounds all the
sutras. While dwelling deep in meditation,
he visualizes all the innumerable Buddhas
and in an instant visits every one of them.
By elucidating and teaching the ultimate
truth to sentient beings, he delivers them
from the state of extreme pains, from the
conditions in which suffering is so great
as to prevent people from finding time for
Buddhist practices, and also from the conditions
in which suffering is not so great as to
prevent them from doing so. Having attained
the Tathagata's thorough knowledge and eloquence,
he has fluent command of languages, with
which he enlightens all beings. He is above
all worldly affairs and his mind, always
serene, dwells on the path of emancipation;
this gives him complete control over all
dharmas. Without being asked to do so, he
becomes a good friend to each of the multitude
of beings and carries their heavy karmic
burdens on his back. He upholds the Tathagata's
profound Dharma-treasury and protects the
seeds of Buddhahood, so that they may continue
to multiply. Having awakened great compassion
for sentient beings, he kindly expounds
the teaching, and endows them with the Dharma-eye.
He blocks the paths to the three evil realms,
opens the gate of virtue and, without waiting
for their request, provides beings with the
Dharma. He does this for the multitude of
beings just as a dutiful son loves and respects
his parents. He indeed looks upon sentient
beings as his own self.
With such roots of virtue, all the bodhisattvas
in the assembly had reached the shore of
emancipation. They had acquired the Buddha's
immeasurable merit and attained the sacred,
pure and inconceivable wisdom. Innumerable
bodhisattvas, mahasattvas, such as these
assembled there all at once.
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