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Chapter 1917: Chapter 1915: The Legend of My Vow to Become a Buddha (1)

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One sentence: I am willing!

Without using any powerful mana, a temple appeared out of thin air in the desolate desert, and after the Buddhist Emperor left with his disciple, billions of years passed. The power contained in this single sentence ”I am willing” from the Buddhist Emperor never dissipated, but remained within this temple, making this temple Immortal, making even the ferocious and vicious Flying Sky Demon Spider not dare to approach. This was an invisible force, a force beyond imagination!

”Just a single ’I am willing’, yet it has such immense power. The Buddhist Emperor truly is the most mysterious Emperor in the Martial Arts World!” Ye Tianchen couldn’t help exclaiming in astonishment.

”It’s said that it was precisely because of this journey in the desert that the Buddhist Emperor comprehended another realm of the Buddhist Law, and also allowed himself to reach a new height, which is why there exists such a power!” Wuji Taoist nodded and said.

”I am willing? No, that’s not it. Could it be that this sentence of the Buddhist Emperor is related to a legend in the Mortal World on Earth?” Ye Tianchen frowned and muttered to himself.

”What legend?” Wuji Taoist was also stunned. The Buddhist Emperor was so mysterious that to be able to learn even a little more about him was something that future generations yearned for!

”I once lived in the Mortal World for a period of time and learned many mythic legends there. I feel they are not baseless, and this power of ’I am willing’ from the Buddhist Emperor may also not be baseless. It makes me think of another mythic legend from the Mortal World...” Ye Tianchen thought for a moment and couldn’t help saying.

”What legend exactly?” Wuji Taoist asked anxiously as well.

”It’s a legend about what the Mortal World calls Universal Virtue Bodhisattva...” Ye Tianchen recalled this legend as he spoke.

Universal Virtue Bodhisattva, one of the four Great Bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism, symbolizes the virtue of principle and the virtue of conduct, corresponding to Manjusri Bodhisattva who symbolizes the virtue of wisdom and the virtue of correctness, and both serve as the left and right attendants of Shakyamuni Buddha. Vairocana Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Universal Virtue Bodhisattva are honored as the ”Three Saints of Huayan.”

Universal Virtue Bodhisattva means possessing Infinite great conduct and profound vows, manifesting in all Buddha Lands of all Buddhas.

The honored Universal Virtue Bodhisattva Mahas’s manifested cultivation site is Sichuan Emei Mountain.

”Universal” means pervading all places,

”Virtue” means the most wondrous goodness.

This means that the honored Universal Virtue Bodhisattva, relying on the profound Bodhi mind, brings forth great vows and profound vows of conduct, with body, speech, and mind all pure, pervading all places, purely wondrous and good, endowed with great virtue; therefore he is respectfully named ”Universal Virtue.”

The honored Universal Virtue Bodhisattva represents the virtue of principle and the virtue of meditative stability of all Buddhas, corresponding to the virtue of wisdom and the realized virtue of the honored Manjusri Bodhisattva Mahas. The two together are the two great attendants of the Supreme Buddha.

His mount is a six-tusked white elephant; the six tusks represent six kinds of purity, and the four legs represent four kinds of merits.

The honored Universal Virtue Bodhisattva Mahas is the representative of the great vows and great conduct of Mahayana Bodhisattva practice, symbolizing the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism.

It makes clear that all Buddhist Law returns to Vairocana Buddha and the two great beings, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Universal Virtue Bodhisattva; the three together are called the ”Three Saints of Huayan,” among whom Universal Virtue Bodhisattva represents the fundamental essence of all Bodhisattva conduct. Having reached the ten faiths in his heart, Sudhana received the teaching of Manjusri, visited spiritual friends everywhere, and realized as he listened. In the end he arrived at Universal Virtue Bodhisattva’s place, where, receiving his blessing and revelation, what he realized became equal to Universal Virtue and equal to all Buddhas. Universal Virtue praised for him the Tathagata’s supremely wondrous merits and virtues, causing him to bring forth the Ten Great Kingly Vows, and with these merits, dedicate them toward rebirth in the Western Pure Land, in hope of Perfect Buddha Fruit. He also exhorted all Bodhisattvas of the Huazang world-sea without exception to practice together in unity, seeking rebirth in the Western [Pure Land].

Ten faiths in his heart: the final stage of the Ten Faith Positions. If he further breaks through one portion of ignorance, he then enters the first dwelling of the complete teaching Bodhisattva position and realizes the Dharma Body, from then on becoming a great one of the Dharma Body.

The honored Universal Virtue Bodhisattva Mahas, at the Huayan Great Dharma Meeting, proclaimed the Ten Profound Vows of Conduct:

First, to respectfully honor all Buddhas;

Second, to praise the Tathagata;

Third, to extensively cultivate offerings;

Fourth, to confess karma and obstacles;

Fifth, to rejoice in others’ merits and virtues;

Sixth, Requesting the Turning of the Dharma Wheel;

Seventh, Requesting Buddha to Stay in the World;

Eighth, to constantly follow the Buddha in study;

Ninth, to always accord with sentient beings;

The tenth is universally dedicating all merits,

Using these Ten Great Vows to transfer and dedicate (all merits) toward rebirth in the Western Pure Land, universally exhorting Sudhana and the Huazang Sea Crowds to carry this out in unison, seeking birth in the Western Pure Land, so as to Perfect the Buddha Fruit.

Universal Virtue Bodhisattva

Good man! Throughout those eon-seas, I recollect that I have never, even for a single thought-moment, gone against Buddhism, nor in a single thought-moment given rise to a mind of anger and harm, a mind of self and what pertains to self, a mind of self-and-other differentiation, or a mind that departs from the bodhi-mind; nor, within birth-and-death, have I given rise to a mind of weariness, laziness, obstruction, or delusion. I abide solely in the unsurpassed nirvana that gathers all-knowledge, in the Dharma of assisting the Path, in the Great Bodhi-mind.

Good man! I adorn Buddha Lands, and with a Great Compassionate Heart rescue and protect sentient beings, teach and transform them to accomplishment, make offerings to all Buddhas, serve善知识 (spiritual mentors); in seeking the Right Dharma, I widely proclaim and uphold it, and all inner and outer possessions I am completely able to relinquish. ... All the Dharma that I seek is entirely for the rescue and protection of all sentient beings. With single mind I contemplate, wishing that all sentient beings may hear this Dharma. I vow to share the Light of wisdom, to universally illumine the world (worldly wisdom), I vow to reveal and explain supra-worldly wisdom, I vow to cause sentient beings all to obtain peace and happiness, I vow to universally extol all the merits possessed by all Buddhas.

Venerating all Buddhas!

The Emperor Pearl, in the manifested reflection of Amitabha Buddha. My body appears in reflection before Amitabha, with head and face touching his feet, I take refuge and bow. Thus, the inner Buddha and the outer Buddha are the same one true suchness; following upon each and every bow, whether Buddha or bow, layer upon layer, they are without end. I awaken to the fact that before my body there are Buddhas, and before the Buddhas there is my body. This means that in each and every dust-mote Buddha Land there is a Buddha, and before each and every Buddha there is a Samantabhadra. Before each and every Samantabhadra all are with palms joined, paying reverent homage. Thus the one body of Samantabhadra pervades and enters within the bodies of all Samantabhadras; and all Samantabhadras are all gathered back into the one body of Samantabhadra. Just as the Great Prajnaparamita Sutra says: ”All dharmas are without arising; all dharmas are without ceasing. If one can understand thus, the Buddhas constantly appear before one.”

Praising the Tathagata!

”Cheng” means to chant and commend; ”zan” means to praise and extol. ”Tathagata” is one of the ten epithets of a Buddha. ”Thus” means suchness, unshaken, pointing to the mind-essence that is unborn and undying, limpidly quiescent and luminously aware, spanning ancient and present without change. ”Come” means coming-and-going, meaning that this suchness-unchanging mind-essence can bring forth the ten thousand virtues, that precisely within no-going and no-coming it is able to go and to come. Buddha has three bodies. A verse praising the Dharma Body, Reincarnation, and Incarnation bodies says: ”In heaven above and in the world below, there is none like the Buddha; in all the worlds of the ten directions, there is no one to compare. All that exists in the world I have completely seen; of all, there is none equal to the Buddha.” A verse praising the Dharma Body Buddha says: ”The Pure, Wondrous Dharma Body, limpidly responds to all.” A verse praising the Reincarnation Body Buddha says: ”Amitabha Buddha’s body is Gold in color; his marks and light are beyond compare. His white tuft curls round like five Sumerus; his deep-blue eyes are clear like the Four Oceans. In his Light are transformation Buddhas, innumerable billions; the transformation Bodhisattva Crowds are likewise without limit. With forty-eight vows he ferries sentient beings; all of the nine grades are caused to reach the Other Shore.” A verse praising the Incarnation Buddha says: ”Stately is the Gold form, majestic the Immovable Venerable; in heaven and among humans, all without exception pay reverent respect.” To praise the Tathagata’s marks is to use bodily karma to venerate, verbal karma to praise, and mental karma to revere; this is called using the three karmas to make offerings to the Tathagata.

Samantabhadra’s Ten Types of Forbearance

Endurance Regarding Sound

The Bodhisattva, regarding all the teachings spoken by the Buddha, is neither startled, frightened, nor afraid, but deeply believes, awakens, and understands them, delights in and inclines toward them, single-mindedly remembers them, and cultivates and abides in them.

Conforming Endurance

The Bodhisattva is able, with regard to all dharmas, to contemplate and observe, seeing them as equal and without opposition, following along and understanding them, thereby purifying the mind, rightly dwelling in cultivation, and entering into accomplishment.

Endurance of the Non-arising of Dharmas

The Bodhisattva does not see even the slightest dharma as ceasing. Why is this? If there is no arising then there is no ceasing; if there is no ceasing then there is no ending; if there is no ending then there is freedom from defilement; if free from defilement then there is no difference; if there is no difference then there is no locus; if there is no locus then there is quiescence; if there is quiescence then there is freedom from craving; if free from craving then there is no fabrication; if there is no fabrication then there is no aspiration; if there is no aspiration then there is no abiding; if there is no abiding then there is no going and no coming.

Endurance of Seeing Things as Illusion

The Bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are entirely like illusions, arising from causes and conditions. In a single dharma he understands many dharmas; within many dharmas he understands a single dharma. Once the Bodhisattva has comprehended that all dharmas are like illusion, then he comprehends that Buddha lands, sentient beings, the Dharma Realm, and the world are all equally such; he comprehends that the Buddha’s appearance is equal, that the three times are equal, and he accomplishes all kinds of Divine Skills and transformations. Though the Bodhisattva accomplishes Buddha Lands, he knows that the lands are without difference; though he accomplishes the realm of sentient beings, he knows that sentient beings are without difference; though he universally contemplates the Dharma Realm, he abides in the Dharma-nature, utterly still and unmoving; though he comprehends the equality of the three times, he does not violate the discriminative dharmas of the three times; though he accomplishes the aggregates and sense-fields, he forever severs their basis; though he ferries and liberates sentient beings, he realizes the equality of the Dharma Realm, without any various differences; though he knows that all dharmas are far removed from written words and cannot be spoken, he constantly speaks Dharma with inexhaustible eloquence; though he does not grasp at the work of transforming and ferrying sentient beings, he does not abandon great compassion, and for the sake of ferrying all sentient beings he turns the Dharma Wheel; though he reveals and explains past causes and conditions, he knows that the nature of causes and conditions has no movement or turning.

Endurance of Seeing Things as Mirage

The Bodhisattva knows that all the world is the same as a heat-mirage. Just as a heat-mirage has no fixed location—neither inside nor outside, neither existent nor non-existent, neither annihilated nor eternal, neither of one color nor of many colors, nor yet without color—but only appears through worldly speech-conventions, so does the Bodhisattva, by truly observing in this way, come to know all dharmas, directly realize them all, and cause them to reach perfection.

Endurance of Seeing Things as Dream

The Bodhisattva knows that all the world is like a dream. Just as a dream is neither the world nor apart from the world, neither the realm of desire, nor the form realm, nor the formless realm, neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, and yet has manifestations, so the Bodhisattva contemplates all the world as entirely like a dream, without any difference.

Endurance of Seeing Things as Echo

The Bodhisattva contemplates the Tathagata’s voice in speaking Dharma as entirely like an echo. Though it is neither inside nor outside nor arising from both inside and outside, it can still manifest skillful names and phrases and bring about the accomplishment of expounding. Like the echo in a valley, arising from conditions, yet in terms of Dharma-nature not at all in contradiction, so the Bodhisattva observes all sentient beings, and with the mark of a broad, long tongue he expounds for them; his voice is unobstructed, pervading the lands of the ten directions. Though the Bodhisattva knows that sound does not arise, he universally manifests sounds; though he knows there is nothing that can be spoken, he extensively speaks the various dharmas. His wondrous sound is equal; each class of beings understands in its own way, and all, by means of wisdom, are able to fully comprehend.

Endurance of Seeing Things as Shadow

The Bodhisattva is not born in the world, nor does he perish in the world; he is neither the world nor apart from the world; he is not that he cultivates Bodhisattva practices, nor that he abandons the Great Vows; though he constantly practices all Buddha-Dharmas, he is able to accomplish all worldly affairs; he does not follow the current of the world, nor does he abide in the current of Dharma. Just as the sun and moon, or men and women, appear with their shadows in clear objects such as bright mirrors, and the shadow and the bright mirror are neither one nor different, neither separate nor united, so too is the Bodhisattva: within the non-dual dharmas he discriminates the notion of two, employing skillful means, penetrating without obstruction. When the Bodhisattva accomplishes this endurance, though he goes to the Buddha Lands of the ten directions, he is able to universally manifest in all Buddha Lands, yet he neither departs from here nor arrives there; like a shadow universally appearing, his conduct is unobstructed.

Endurance of Seeing Things as Magical Transformation

The Bodhisattva contemplates that all worldly and supra-worldly dharmas are like magical transformation. In contemplating the defiled dharmas of the world as transformation: all sentient beings’ karmic activities are transformation, because they arise from awareness and conceptualization; all worldly conditioned activities are transformation, because they arise from discrimination; all mistaken views of suffering and joy are transformation, because they arise from deluded grasping; all worldly unreality is transformation, because it is made manifest by speech; all afflictive discriminations are transformation, because they arise from thought and recollection. In contemplating the pure supra-worldly dharmas as transformation: purification and subduing are transformation, because they appear without discrimination; not turning with the three times is transformation, because sentient beings are equal; the Bodhisattva’s vow-power is transformation, because of vast cultivation; the Tathagata’s great compassion is transformation, because it is manifest skillfully; the turning of the Dharma Wheel by skillful means is transformation, because it is spoken by unobstructed wisdom and eloquence. When the Bodhisattva practices this Endurance of Seeing Things as Magical Transformation, he is able not to abide in the world and yet not depart from the world; not to abide in Dharma and yet not depart from Dharma. When the Bodhisattva abides in this Endurance of Seeing Things as Magical Transformation, he is completely able to fulfill the Path of Bodhi of all Buddhas and benefit sentient beings.

Endurance of Emptiness

The Bodhisattva understands that the entire Dharma Realm, the entire realm of the world, and all dharmas are just like the Void, because they are without conception, without arising, and without duality. All sentient beings, all Buddhas, and all Buddha-powers are like the Void, because they have nothing that they do, no discrimination, and no difference. All meditative concentrations, all dharmas that are spoken, and all Buddha-bodies are like the Void, because the three times are equal, they are ineffable, without attachment and without obstruction. When the Bodhisattva cultivates the Endurance of Emptiness, he can realize and know all dharmas without discrimination; he can adorn and purify all Buddha Countries without relying on any body. He thoroughly penetrates all Perfections, universally sits on all Vajra thrones, universally brings forth all sounds appropriate to various classes of beings, and for all the world turns the Dharma Wheel, never missing the proper time. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)