Overall Teaching

The goddess Samantagambhīraśrīvimalaprabhā teaches ten ways bodhisattva practice is fulfilled and explains how her liberation encourages beings to turn towards awakening.

Summary

1.     Realising the purity of Vāsantī’s vows and practices, and remembering the ways of bodhisattva practice thus taught and putting them into practice, Sudhana turned to Samantagambhīraśrīvimalaprabhā[1] and asked her to teach him bodhisattva practice. She explained:

a.     It is good for Sudhana to ask this.

b.    Bodhisattva practice is fulfilled by ten things:

i. Purification of attainment of concentration in which all buddhas are seen.

ii.                  Purification of the eye viewing the marks of all buddhas. 

iii. Entering the manifestation of the ocean of qualities of buddhas. 

iv. Realising the cosmic dimensions of the spheres of manifestations of buddhas.

v.     Entering the emanation of beings of light from the pores of all buddhas.

vi.   Seeing oceans of flames of colours of all jewels from each pore of all buddhas. 

vii. Penetrating the manifestation of emanations of buddhas in each moment.

viii. Penetrating the sounds of thunder of scriptures proclaimed by all buddhas. 

ix. Entry into the ocean of buddha-names.

x. Penetrating the guidance of sentient beings by transformations of buddhas.

c.     She attained the liberation ‘bliss of tranquil meditation boldly going everywhere. By this she sees buddhas of all times and enter into their congregations, names, teachings, lifespans, etc. Yet she does not become attached to them, as they do not come, go, are not present, extinct, real, false, pass from one condition to another, are uniform, and formless.[2]

d.    While understanding all buddhas, she expounds, extends, and lives up to this liberation, fulfilling and effecting it.

e.     Based on great compassion, she focuses her mind on taking care of all sentient beings. She cultivates the four dhyānas based on compassion. After reaching the fourth dhyāna she extends the sphere of her vows for omniscience, cultivating her liberation and purifying the knowledge that enters every realm.[3]

f.      As she cultivates her liberation, she develops sentient beings in various ways by instilling in beings who are attached to sensuality to become indifferent to the sense desires and to enjoy spiritual pleasure, speak of the buddhas, think of spiritual benefactors, and cultivate the path.

g.     In this way she puts a stop of beings’ wrong passions and feelings. She stops evil from arising in those in whim it has not yet arisen, and stops those which have arisen already. For those in whom thoughts of goodness have not yet arisen, she motivates it to arise, and provides means of guidance and further motivation for those in whom those thoughts have arisen. 

h.    She knows only this liberation, but she asks how can she tell of the virtues of bodhisattvas who are completely conversant with Samantabhadra’s practices, and have fulfilled the resolve for omniscience. Thus, to her right, at the site of Vairocana’s awakening, is the goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocanā. She will teach Sudhana.

2.     Then, in verse, the goddess added:

a.     Buddhas and their bodies which pervade the cosmos appear to those with faith in all times, in every moment.

b.    Vairocana became awakening at this bodhi-tree, and teaches according to mentality throughout the entire cosmos. He is bodiless and non-dual, but manifests throughout the world, showing all buddhas everywhere. His aura of light pervades the cosmos every moment, extinguishing all beings’ afflictions. Infinite emanations come forth from his pores and end beings’ sufferings. 

c.     His voice thunders forth pleasant oceans of good sayings, and those guided by him in the past, practicing the ways of awakening, see his features reflected in all lands.

d.    She cannot know all, but her neighbour goddess, rapt before the buddha, should be asked.

3.     Then Sudhana, paying respects to her, left. 

[1] Represents the second stage: Purity.

 “Great compassion in the ordinary world is not separate from fundamental awareness, so this scene also takes place at the site of awakening.”

[2] “The night goddess said she had attained liberation through the bliss of tranquil meditation going everywhere. This is because the fundamental meditation underlying discipline, spontaneous meditation on the essence of all objects, is by nature inherently omnipresent.”

[3] “She said that while she focused her mind wholly on the salvation and protection of living beings, she practice the various stages of meditation up to the extinction of irritation and affliction in sentient beings. This shows how the substance of discipline of the spiritual body is always spontaneously in a state of concentration yet always functions along with compassion, teaching in accord with the faculties of the learners; all is an aspect of meditation. Though this meditation is the same as what is practiced in the meditation heavens, there is not the same attitude of attraction to meditation and enjoyment of tranquility.” (1606–7)