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Chapter Four Chapter Four IV. An Annotated Translation of the Dasabhumika-Sutra 1. The First Stage named Pramudita [ Introductory Stanza ] Those who are desirous of attaining the Enlightenment should listen to the Dasabhumika Sutra^^^ in which the ten Perfections/'^ the highest virtues, are presented methodically. Ten stages are declared by the Buddha ' for the well-being of the world, and the pure middle way which 311 It is also called Dasabhumaka, Dasabhumikasastra, Dasabhumlsvara. ^'^ The Da.bhu. is apparently based on the ten paramitas, namely, Dana, Sila, khanti, Viriya, Jhana, Pahfid, Updya, Pranidhdna, Bala, and tidna relating to ten Bhumis respectively. ^'^ EOB. vol. IV, p.318. The exact date and the author of the text are not known. The Mahdyanists, however, regard this as being preached by the Buddha. According to the Text, the expositor of the doctrines of the Da.bhu. is the Bodhisattva Vajragarbha. 164 is free from destruction and permanence^''* is announced.^'' [A] I have heard thus. Once the Blessed One was staying in the divine abodes of Paranirmitavasavartin^^^ gods. Not long after his perfect enlightenment, in the second week, he was in the palace of the king Vasavartin, which was full of Mani jewels, shining, together with a large group of Bodhisattvas who were all not liable to turn back (from the SN. II, p. 17. The Buddha rejected both the belief in the extremes {antagrahadrsti) of etemalism (sdsvata) and nihilism (ucchedd): "To say that everything exists an extreme, to say nothing exists is another extreme; rejecting both extremes, the Blessed One teaches a middle position." ^'' This stanza appears in MSs of the text before the prose portion of the introduction, which provides information about the text. This mtroductory stanza, however, does not occur in the Tibetan and Chinese versions. S. Bagchi [Introduction in the Da.bhu. p.l] says that it is not a part of the text and occurs in the Suvarnaprabhdsa- Sutra. Nevertheless, this stanza itself indicates very strong relationship between the ten Pdramitds and the ten Bhumis, that is, the bhiimis can be obtained by cuhivation of different paramitds. ^'^ Paranirmitavasavartin (Pali paranimmitavasavatti), occurring in the l" stage [A], 8* [M] and 11* [E], is the name of the highest class ofkdmdvacara gods. It literally means 'controlling (enjoyments) created by others.' They rank higher than the nirmdnarati, who create their own enjoyments (itit^^Ji). The six classes of god referred to in their hierarchical order are: cdtummahdrdjika, tdvatimsa, ydma, tusita, nimmdnarati, and paranimmitavasavatti. 165 Path) and bound to become perfectly enlightened in one lifetime/'' and who had assembled from different world-regions. All of those Bodhisattvas dwelt after having attained the entire range and sphere of knowledge pertaining to Bodhisattvas. (Their) sphere (of action) was that of ceaseless penetration into the entries into the realm of knowledge of all Tathdgatas. They were skilled in showing all the actions by sustaining power at the right time and right moment for the development and training of all the worldly people. They had the sphere^'* (of action) of ceaselessly cultivating all the vows of Bodhisattvas, associated with the actions in kalpas, times and realms. They had become the patrons for the livelihood of all worldly beings. They were full of the inexhaustible stores^'^ of virtues, knowledge, and occult powers ^" Grammatically gana is singular in number, but here adjectives are put into plural. The substantive Bodhisattva is a member of compound and that member can not have independent adjectives outside the compound. This may be considered as a peculiarity of Buddhist Sanskrit syntax, cf Also the definition of sotapanna as avinipatadhammo niyatisambodhiparayano. ^'* Ko-Dbh. omits 'gocara\ Ja. 1.1 : It is said that Bodhisambhara means the constituents or requisites of Buddhahood, e.g. the accomplishment of the pdramitds. Sambhdra has been rendered into {WM)W^ meaning 'an equipment for enlightenment'(Br. Sn. Sdh.); W. meaning 'collection' (Dhr.); ff(Stlji), or HS^ff meaning 'practising for concentration or for enlightenment'. It is normally said that it consists of merit (punya) and knowledge 166 pertaining to the Bodhisattvas. They had attained the highest Perfections of wisdom and expedient pertaining to the Bodhisattvas. They were skilfuP^" in showing the entries of Nirvana from transmigration. They were not interrupting the acceptance of the conduct pertaining to a Bodhisattva. They were skilful in showing all the actions by perfect mastery of the meditations, liberations, concentrations, attainments, and knowledge of mystic power of Bodhisattvas. They had reached the mastery of mystic powers pertaining to the Bodhisattvas. They approached the assembly of all the Tathagatas in a single mental instant without effort. They became the foremost preachers; holding the wheels of teachings of all the Tathagatas. They had gone to make offerings to and to wait on many Buddhas. They had attained manifestation of bodies in all world-regions by exerting themselves for the equality engaged in the undertaking of the deeds pertaining to the Bodhisattvas. Their voices resounded in all realms without obstruction. And the sphere of (jMna). cf Mahdyanasutralahkara xviii. 38-41, pp. 139-140; Suvarnaprabhasa-Sutra, Taisho vol. 16, p. 430c; Mahayanasahgraha, Taisho vol. 31, pp. 298-9. 320 Ko- Dbh. and Chinese versions omit 'skill in (kusala).' ^^* Samsarat nirvanasya mukham samsaranirvdnamukhah, meaning (going) from transmigration towards entrance of Nirvana, (cf Sarnsdrabhinnah nirvdnah samsdranirvdnah by the sdkapdrthivddisamdsa). 167 knowledge and mind was unobstructed everywhere and always.^^^ They were thoroughly full of virtues and practices pertaining to the Bodhisattvas, manifested the determinations during uncountable eons, and showed unexhausting virtues and splendour. The names of these Bodhisattvas, the great beings, are as follows:- Vajragarbha, Ratnagarbha, Padmagarbha, Srigarbha, Padmasri- garbha, Adityagarbha, Suryagarbha, Ksitigarbha, Sasivimalagarbha, Sarvyuhdlatnkarapratibhasasamdarsanagarbha, Jnanavairocanagarbha, Rucirasrigarbha, Candanasrigarbha, Puspasrigarbha, KusumasrJgarbha, Utpalasrigarbha, Devasrlgarbha, Punyasrigarbha, Andvaranajndna- visuddhigarbha, Gunasrlgarbha, Ndrdyanasrigarbha, Amalagarbha, Vimalagarbha, Vicitrapratibhdndlamkdragarbha, Mahdrasmi- jdldvabhdsagarbha, Vimalaprabhasasrltejordjagarbha, Sarvalaksanaprati- manditavisuddhisrigarbha, VajrdcihsrTvatsdlamkdragarbha, Jyotirjvala- ndrcihsrigarbha, Naksatrardjaprabhdvabhdsagarbha, Gaganakosdnd- varanajndnagarbha, Andvaranasvaramandalamadhuranirghosagarbha, Dhdranimukhasarvajagatpranidhisamdhdranagarbha, Sdgaravyiihagarbha, Merusrigarbha, Sarvagunavisuddhigarbha, Tathdgatasrigarbha, Buddhasrlgarbha, and Vimukticandra. These were prominent among those ^^^ Svara is the voice of human beings; ruta is sound uttered by birds; ghosa is loud sound; amiravita is the sound of tinkling of ornaments. 168 Bodhisattvas who were immeasurable, unlimited, countless, unthinkable, incomparable, beyond counting, endless, limitless, beyond the boundary, and indescribable. They came together from different Buddha's realms, led by Bodhisattva Vajragarbha. [B] Then indeed Bodhisattva Vajragarbha, at that particular time, by the power of the Buddha, entered into the Bodhisattva-samadhi called 'Mahaydnaprahhdsa' or Splendor of the Great Vehicle. [C] When Bodhisattva Vajragarbha entered into this Bodhisattva concentration^^ called '^Mahdydnaprabhasa^ immediately after that there appeared faces of as many Tathdgatas as atoms of dusts in crores of Buddha-realms from beyond world-realms as many as atoms of dusts in crores of Buddha-realms in the ten directions. Their names were similar to Vajragarbha. Those Venerable Buddhas said to him, "Oh, son of the Conqueror, well, well done that you have entered into this Bodhisattva Samddhi called 'Mahdydnaprabhdsa.' Indeed, Oh! son belonging to the noble family, these Tathdgatas having the same name as Vajragarbha, as ^^ DN. II. p. 156; n, pp.165, 290; MN. 44. AN. IV, p.410. Samddhi, from sam+d+dhd, is defined as 'cittass' ekaggata' meaning 'one-pointedness of mind.' It is basically the same as the absence of distraction (aviksepa) and mental quietude (samatha). In preference, it is practised during the nine successive mental abodes (navdnupOrvavihdra) which consist of the four dhydnas of the world of subtle form, the attainments (samdpatti) of the formless world and the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling (samjndvedayitanirodha). 169 numerous as atoms of dusts in crores of Buddha-realms, wait upon you from the world-regions as numerous as atoms of dusts in crores of Buddha-realms in ten directions, by the determination of the former vow of this venerable Vairocana and by your special merit and knowledge. [D] (They are waiting upon you) for entering into the stage of the knowledge of light, illuminating power of the inconceivable Buddha's doctrines; for collection of all roots of goodness; for expanding the Buddhas' doctrines^^^'*; [for getting skill in collecting the Buddhas' doctrines; for amplifying the knowledge about things, for elucidating the well-arranged teachings]"^^'; for expressing the pure knowledge,^^^ for not being besmeared with all worldly things; for purification of supermundane roots of goodness; for obtaining the sphere of inconceivable knowledge; - up to- for the realization of all spheres of knowledge, that is to say, for the sake of the
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