They have fulfilled all cultivation:
Even countless, boundless Buddhas
Could not tell of them all in measureless eons,
How much less could mundane gods and humans,
Listeners and self-illumined ones,
Be able in unlimited eons
To sing their praises exhaustively.
BOOK TWENTY-TWO
Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries
THEN THE ENLIGHTENING BEING Forest of Virtues also said to the enlightening beings, “Children of Buddhas, great enlightening beings have ten kinds of treasury, which have been, will be, and are explained by the Buddhas of past, future, and present. What are the ten? They are the treasury of faith, the treasury of ethics, the treasury of shame, the treasury of conscience, the treasury of learning, the treasury of giving, the treasury of wisdom, the treasury of recollection, the treasury of preservation, and the treasury of elocution.
“What is the great enlightening being’s treasury of faith? The enlightening beings believe all things are empty, they believe all things are signless, they believe all things are wishless, they believe all things are noncreative, they believe all things are without discrimination, they believe all things have no basis, they believe all things cannot be measured, they believe all things have nothing beyond, they believe all things are hard to transcend, they believe all things are uncreated.
“If enlightening beings are able in this way to engender pure faith in accord with all things, when they hear all Buddha teachings are inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated; when they hear all Buddhas are inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated; when they hear the realms of sentient beings are inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated; when they hear the realm of reality is inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated; when they hear the realm of space is inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated; when they hear the realm of nirvana is inconceivable, they are not intimidated; when they hear the past, present, and future times are inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated; when they hear entry into all eons is inconceivable, their minds are not intimidated.
“Why? The enlightening beings have wholehearted, firm faith in the Buddhas; they know the knowledge and wisdom of the Buddhas are boundless and inexhuastible. In each of the countless worlds in the ten directions are innumerable Buddhas who have attained, will attain, or now are attaining unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, who have appeared, now are appearing, or will appear in the world, who have entered, are now entering, or will enter nirvana—the knowledge and wisdom of those Buddhas neither increase nor decrease, are unborn and imperishable, neither advance nor regress, are not near or far, have neither concern nor indifference. The enlightening beings enter into the Buddhas’ knowledge and wisdom and develop boundless, inexhaustible faith.
“Once they have attained this faith, their minds do not regress, their minds do not become confused; they cannot be broken down, they have no attachments. They always have a fundamental basis, they follow the sages, they dwell in the house of the enlightened, they maintain the lineage of all Buddhas, they increase the faith and resolution of all enlightening beings, they conform to the virtues of all enlightened ones, they set forth the enlightening techniques of the Buddhas. This is called the treasury of faith of great enlightening beings. When enlightening beings abide in this treasury of faith, they can hear and retain all the Buddha teachings, explain them to sentient beings, and cause them all to awaken to understanding.
“What is the enlightening beings’ treasury of ethics? Enlightening beings perfect the ethic of universal benefit, the ethic of not accepting wrong precepts, the ethic of nondwelling, the ethic of no regret or resentment, the ethic of noncontention, the ethic of noninjury, the ethic of nondefilement, the ethic of noncovetousness, the ethic of impeccability, and the ethic of nontransgression of moral precepts.
“What is the ethic of universal benefit? The enlightening beings accept and uphold pure ethics fundamentally for the sake of benefiting all living beings. What is the ethic of not accepting false precepts? The enlightening beings do not accept or practice precepts of cultists; they only exert themselves naturally in maintaining the impartial, pure precepts of the Buddhas of past, present, and future. What is the ethic of nondwelling? When the enlightening beings accept and keep ethical precepts, their minds do not dwell in the realm of desire, they don’t dwell in the realm of form, they don’t dwell in the formless realm. Why? Because they don’t keep precepts in hopes of being born there in those realms. What is the ethic of no regret or resentment? The enlightening beings always abide peacefully in a state of mind free from regret and resentment. Why? Because they don’t commit serious wrongdoings, they don’t practice flattery or deception, and they don’t break the pure precepts. What is the ethic of noncontention? The enlightening beings do not deny what has been previously established, and do not innovate—their minds always follow the precepts which are directed toward nirvana, keeping them without transgression. They do not afflict other beings by their keeping of precepts—they keep ethical precepts with the sole desire that all beings be joyful. What is the ethic of noninjury? The enlightening beings do not harm sentient beings on account of their precepts, or by learning charms, or by making drugs. They only keep ethical precepts for the purpose of saving and protecting all living beings. What is the ethic of nondefilement? The enlightening beings do not cling to extreme or biased views, they do not keep impure precepts: they only contemplate interdependent origination and keep emancipating precepts. What is the ethic of noncovetousness? The enlightening beings do not display extraordinary signs to make a show of virtue; they only keep ethical precepts for the purpose of fulfilling the way to emancipation. What is the ethic of impeccability? The enlightening beings do not boast of themselves as upholding precepts, and when they see those who break the precepts they do not scorn or shame them. They only make their minds single and keep the ethical precepts. What is the ethic of nontransgression? The enlightening beings forever cease killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, two-faced talk, slander, meaningless talk, greed, anger, and false views: they fully accept the precepts of ten kinds of virtuous actions. When enlightening beings observe this ethic of nontransgression, they think, ‘Sentient beings’ transgressions of pure morality are all due to delusion. Only a Buddha is able to know why sentient beings become deluded and transgress pure morality. I should accomplish supreme enlightenment and extensively explain the truth to sentient beings, to free them from delusion.’ This is called the great enlightening beings’ second treasury, of ethics.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ treasury of shame? The enlightening beings remember the wrongs they committed in the past and conceive shame. That is, they think, ‘Since beginningless past all sentient beings and I have been parents and children, brothers and sisters to each other: being full of greed, hatred, and ignorance, pride, conceit, dishonesty, deception, and all other afflictions, we have therefore harmed each other, plundering, raping, and killing, doing all manner of evil. All sentient beings are like this—because of passions and afflictions they do not respect or honor each other, they don’t agree with or obey each other, they don’t defer to each other, they don’t edify or guide each other, they don’t care for each other—they go on killing and injuring each other, being enemies and malefactors to each other. Reflecting on myself as well as other sentient beings, we act shamelessly in the past, future, and present, while the Buddhas of past, future, and present see and know it all. Now if I don’t stop this shameless behavior, the Buddhas of all times will also see me. Why do I still not stop such conduct? This will never do. I should therefore concentrate on eliminating evil and realizing complete perfect enlightenment, to expound the truth for all beings.’ This is called great enlightening beings’ third treasury, of shame.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ treasury of conscience? The enlightening beings are ashamed of their insatiable desires of the past and consequent inc
rease of all afflictions, such as greed, anger, folly, etc., and resolve that they should not act this way anymore. Also they think, ‘Sentient beings are unwise; developing afflictions, they do all sorts of bad things. They do not respect or honor each other and develop into enemies and malefactors to each other. They have committed all such evils, and are happy about it, pursuing and approving of them. Blind, having no eye of wisdom, they enter wombs in mother’s bellies and undergo birth, becoming impure corporeal beings, finally to become grey and wrinkled. Those of wisdom observe this to be simply something impure born of lust. The Buddhas of past, present, and future see and know all: if I now were to still act in these ways, I would be trying to fool the Buddhas. Therefore I should cultivate conscience, quickly attain complete perfect enlightenment, and explain the truth to all beings.’ This is called great enlightening beings’ fourth treasury, of conscience.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ treasury of learning? The enlightening beings know that something exists because something else exists, and that something does not exist because something else does not exist; they know that something comes to be because something else comes to be, and that something passes away because something else passes away; they know what is mundane and what is transmundane, what is compounded and what is uncompounded, what is meaningful and what is pointless.
“What does it mean that something exists because something else exists? It means that when there is ignorance there is conditioning. What does it mean that because something does not exist something else does not exist? It means that when there is no discriminating consciousness there is no name and form. What does it mean that something comes to be because something else comes to be? It means that when craving comes to be suffering comes to be. What does it mean that something passes away because something else passes away? It means that when becoming passes away birth passes away.
“What are mundane phenomena? Material form, sensation, perception, conditioning, and consciousness. What are transmundane phenomena? Discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and insight of liberation. What are compounded things? The realm of desire, the realm of form, the formless realm, and the realm of sentient beings. What are uncompounded things? Space, nirvana, extinction by analysis, extinction because of lack of conditions, and the subsistence of the nature of things, interdependent origination.
“What are things with meaning? The four holy truths, the four fruits of ascesis, the four special knowledges, the four fearlessnesses, the four points of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual powers, the five faculties and five powers, the seven branches of enlightenment, and the eightfold path of sages.
“What are pointless issues? Whether the world is finite or infinite, or both, or neither; whether the world is permanent or impermanent, or both, or neither; whether a Buddha exists after nirvana or not, whether a Buddha both does and does not exist or neither does nor does not exist after nirvana; whether oneself and sentient beings exist or not, whether they both do and do not exist, whether they neither do nor do not exist; how many Buddhas attained final nirvana in the past, how many listeners and individual illuminates attain final nirvana, how many Buddhas, listeners, individual illuminates, and sentient beings there are presently existing; what Buddhas appeared first, what listeners and individual illuminates appeared first; what Buddhas will appear last, what listeners and individual illuminates will appear last; where the world came from, where the world will go; how many worlds have come to be, how many worlds have perished, where did the worlds come from, where did the worlds go; what the very beginning of birth and death is, what the very end of birth and death will be—these all are called pointless issues. Great enlightening beings form this thought: ‘Sentient beings haven’t much learning in regard to birth and death and are not capable of knowing all these things. I should determine to sustain the treasury of learning, realize unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, and expound the truth to sentient beings.’ This is called great enlightening beings’ fifth treasury, of learning.
“What is the great enlightening beings’ treasury of giving? The enlightening beings practice ten kinds of giving: partial giving, exhaustive giving, inside giving, outside giving, inside and outside giving, total giving, past giving, future giving, present giving, and ultimate giving.
“What is enlightening beings’ partial giving? They are benevolent and kind by nature and are very generous. If they receive fine food, they don’t take it all themselves—they want to share it with others, and only then will they eat. The same applies to everything they may receive. When they eat, they think. ‘There are countless microorganisms in my body whose life depends on me. If my body is satisfied, so are they. If my body is hungry or in pain, so are they. May this food which I now receive enable all beings to be satisfied; I myself eat this in order to distribute it to them, without greed for the taste.’ They also think, ‘Throughout the long night of ignorance I have been attached to this body and want to satisfy it, so I take food and drink. Now I bestow this food on living beings, so that I may forever end covetousness and attachment.’ This is called partial giving.
“What is enlightening beings’ exhaustive giving? They get various kinds of fine food, incense, flowers, clothes, and other necessities of life—if they use them themselves, they can live out their years in comfort; if they give them up and pass them on to others, they will suffer want and die. Sometimes there may be people who come and say, ‘You should give me everything you have’—the enlightening beings think to themselves, ‘Since beginningless past I have died of starvation countless times without having the benefit of being able to help anyone at all. Now I shall again give up my life as I have in the past, so I should do it for the sake of helping sentient beings.’ So they give away all they have, even to the point of ending life. This is called exhaustive giving.
“What is enlightening beings’ inside giving? When the enlightening beings are young vigorous, and good looking, adorned with scents, flowers, and clothing, and have just received coronation as universal sovereigns, having all the seven treasures of universal monarchs, reigning over the four quarters, if someone should come and say, ‘O great sovereign, know that I am old and feeble, seriously ill, alone and helpless, worn out, not far from death: if I were to receive the hands and feet, blood and flesh, head, eyes, bones, and marrow from the king’s body, my life would be saved. Please don’t deliberate further and do not begrudge me this—just look upon me with compassion and give them to me.’ At such a time the enlightening beings would think, ‘This body of mine will in the end surely die, without any benefit. I should take the opportunity to give it away early to save a living being.’ With this thought they give without regret. This is called inside giving.
“What is enlightening beings’ outside giving? When enlightening beings are in full maturity and physical well being, replete with all marks of dignity, adorned with fine flowers and excellent clothing, having been crowned as universal monarchs regining over the four quarters, having all the seven treasures, should someone come and say, ‘I am poor and oppressed by all kinds of miseries; please be so kind and compassionate as to give up your rank to me, so that I may reign and experience the felicities of sovereignty,’ the enlightening beings think, ‘All flourishing and prosperity must inevitably decline and end. When it does decline and end, it is no longer possible to benefit sentient beings. I should satisfy this person as he requests.’ And having formed this thought, they give up the throne without regret. This is called outside giving.
“What is enlightening beings’ inside and outside giving? When the enlightening beings are in the position of universal monarch, as explained before, if someone comes and says, ‘You have been in the rank of universal monarch for a long time, and I have never been. Please abdicate in my favor, and be my attendant.’ At that time the enlightening beings think, ‘My body, wealth, and rank are all impermanent. I am now in my prime, wealthy, in possession of the who
le world. Now a beggar appears before me; I should, through these perishable things, seek the imperishable truth.’ And so thinking, they abdicate, personally work respectfully as servants, without regret. This is called inside and outside giving.
“What is the enlightening beings’ total giving? The enlightening beings are in the rank of universal monarchs, as described before, and countless poor people come and say, ‘The fame of the monarch is heard throughout the world, and we have come here because of your reputation. We each have requests which we hope you will compassionately fulfill.’ Then those poor people variously ask the monarch for the land, for his wife and children, for his hands and feet, blood, flesh, heart, lungs, head, eyes, marrow, and brains. At such a time, the enlightening beings think, ‘All who love must eventually part, with no benefit to sentient beings. Now I want to give up all clinging, and fulfill the wishes of sentient beings with these things which I must in any case eventually lose’. Having thus reflected, they give all, without regret or resentment, and without looking down on sentient beings. This is called total giving.
“What is the enlightening beings’ past giving? The enlightening beings, having heard of the accomplishments and virtues of the Buddhas and enlightening beings of the past, are not attached to them, realizing they are not existent. They do not create discrimination, do not covet, crave, or seek them. They depend on nothing. They see things as like dreams, without solidity. They do not conceive of roots of goodness as existent, and they do not rely on them; however, they fulfill the teachings of Buddhas and expound them in order to teach and edify grasping, clinging sentient beings. Also they contemplate all things of the past, searching them out everywhere to find they cannot be apprehended. Having reflected thus, they ultimately relinquish all things of the past. This is called past giving.
“What is enlightening beings’ future giving? When enlightening beings hear of the practices of Buddhas of the future, they realize they are not existent; they do not grasp their characteristics, they do not particularly delight in going to be born in the Buddhas’ lands, they do not indulge, do not cling, and yet do not disdain them; they do not dedicate virtues there, yet they do not withdraw from virtue on their account—they always cultivate practice diligently, never giving up, just wanting to include sentient beings in those realms, explain the truth to them, and cause them to master the qualities of buddhahood. And yet these qualities have no locus, yet are not without location; they are not inside or outside, not near or far. They also think that since things are not existent they cannot but be relinquished. This is called future giving.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 60