[善财童子五十三参][English] 第二十一回 拜不动优婆夷

Achala

Then Sudhana left Suprabha city and shortly set forth on the road; reflecting on the teaching of King Mahaprabha, remembering the principle of enlightening practice of great benevolence, thinking of the light of that method of great concentration adapting to the faculties of the world, developing the inconceivable power commanding the goodness of the vows of enlightening beings, stabilizing the inconceivable wisdom of enlightening beings, knowing how to develop and perfect sentient beings, contemplating the inconceivable unique greatness of experience of enlightening beings, aiming for the inconceivable measurelessness of enlightening beings, remembering enlightening beings’ inconceivable purity of development of sentient beings, thinking of the inconceivability of the purity of company of enlightening beings, focusing on enlightening beings’ inconceivable way of considering and seeing what to do for sentient beings, Sudhana became joyful and happy, his mind became clear, light, steadfast, broad, and invincible. Weeping as he thought of his memories of spiritual benefactors, he thought, “Meeting spiritual benefactors is a mine of jewels of all virtues; it brings about the purification and fulfillment of all enlightening practices; it purifies the mindfulness of all enlightening beings; it purifies all enlightening beings’ sphere of mental command; it generates the light of concentration of all enlightening beings; it fosters accomplishments of the vision of all buddhas; it causes the clouds of teachings of all buddhas to rain; it reveals the principles of the vows of all enlightening beings; it generates the inconceivable light of wisdom and knowledge; it strengthens and develops the sprouting faculties of enlightening beings. Spiritual benefactors save me from falling into evil ways; they guide me according to the principle of equality of things; they show me which paths are safe and which dangerous; they elucidate the of omniscience; they lead me into the stronghold of omniscience; they plunge me into the ocean of principles of the cosmos; they illumine for me the way into the ocean of what can be known in past, present, and future; they show me the multitude of spheres of all goals; they cause me to develop all good qualities.”

　As Sudhana wept, a group of celestial enlightening beings in the sky, envoys of the buddhas who were always following Sudhana to inspire him, said, “The buddhas are pleased with an enlightening being who puts the instruction of spiritual benefactors into practice. An enlightening being who obeys the word of spiritual benefactors is close to omniscience. An enlightening being who does not doubt the word of spiritual benefactors becomes near to spiritual benefactors. An enlightening being who always pays attention to spiritual benefactors is within sight of all goals. Go to the devotee Achala in the kingdom of Sthira, and you will hear from her of the practice of enlightening beings.”

　Then Sudhana emerged from the light of concentration knowledge and made his way to the kingdom of Sthira, looking for the devotee Achala. People told him, “The devotee Achala is a girl living at home with her parents and relatives; she gives spiritual teaching to a large group of people.” Filled with joy, Sudhana went to Achala’s house. Standing in the door, he saw the whole house lit up with a soothing golden light. The moment Sudhana was touched by the light, five hundred subtle trances descended upon him, beginning with a trance characterized by power over all sensations, trance absorption in the realm of tranquillity, absorption in the welfare of all beings, absorption in the equanimity of the universal eye, and absorption in the matrix of realization of Thusness. The feeling of those trances was as subtle as the consciousness of a half-day old embryo.

　He also smelled a scent more beautiful than that of any gods or goddesses or humans or any other creatures of the world, and there was to be found in all the world no one even equal to, much less more beautiful than, that girl Achala. The radiance of her complexion, the proportions of her body, and the magnificence of her aura were such that none in the world, save buddhas and coronated enlightening beings, even equaled, much less surpassed them. Her scent was unequaled and unsurpassed by any celestial, preternatural, or human beings. The furnishings of her abode were unequaled and unsurpassed in all the world, except by the accoutrements of buddhas and coronated enlightening beings. Her company was also unequaled and unsurpassed by any in the world, except for the companies of buddhas and coronated enlightening beings. There was no one in all the world who could look upon Achala with lust—there was people who saw Achala did not act on afflictions. There was no one in the world who became satiated with the sight of Achala, except those who were sated with wisdom.

　Then Sudhana, in an attitude of reverence, seeing Achala’s inconceivable physical majesty, her inconceivable appearance, and her inconceivable aura of light, which could not be blocked by all the cities and mountains on the face of the earth, sensing the inconceivable beneficial fragrance coming from her pores, looking over her endless company of followers, noticing the matchless adornment of her abode, immersed in the measureless ocean of her virtues, eulogized Achala with this verse:

　　Who keeps conduct pure,
　　Develops great tolerance,
　　And makes vigor enduring as diamond
　　Stands out in the world like a mountain of light.

　Then Sudhana said to her, “Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. I hear that you give instruction to enlightening beings, so I ask you to tell me how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”

　In the affectionate, pleasing, charming words of an enlightening being, Achala greeted Sudhana and said, “It is good that you aspire to supreme perfect enlightenment. I have an enlightening liberation containing invincible knowledge, and I cultivate enlightening beings’ way of practice of firm resolve. I have also attained mental command of the stage of equanimity in all things, and I am imbued with the light of knowledge to clarify the true state of all phenomena. I have also attained concentration of tireless search for truth.”

　In the affectionate, pleasing, charming words of an enlightening being, Achala greeted Sudhana and said, “It is good that you aspire to supreme perfect enlightenment. I have an enlightening liberation containing invincible knowledge, and I cultivate enlightening beings’ way of practice of firm resolve. I have also attained mental command of the stage of equanimity in all things, and I am imbued with the light of knowledge to clarify the true state of all phenomena. I have also attained concentration of tireless search for truth.”

　Achala then said to Sudhana, “A long time ago, in a past eon called Undefiled Light, a buddha named Arms Extended Downward appeared in the world. I was the daughter of a king named Vidyuddatta. One quiet night, as my parents slept in the inner apartments of the palace, and the men and women of the court were fast asleep, and the sounds of music had all stopped, and my five hundred girl companions were all in bed, as I gazed up at the starry night sky I saw up there the Buddha, like the polar mountain, surrounded by many celestial beings, spirits, preternatural creatures, and countless enlightening beings, his body pervading everywhere with an aura of unobstructed light. From his pores came a fragrance that soothed my body and mind and made me happy. Getting up from bed, I saluted the Buddha; looking at him, I found I could not determine any limit to the extent of his height and breadth. As I reflected on his marks and embellishments of greatness, I thought, ‘By performing what kind of action is such a body obtained? How are the marks and embellishments of greatness attained? How is the aura of light attained? How does the retinue of followers develop? How do the mentally produced dwelling and furniture appear? How is virtue developed? How is knowledge purified? How are the inconceivable meditative projections accomplished? How is mental command perfected? How is eloquence mastered?’

　“Reading my mind, that Buddha said to me, ‘Daughter, you should produce an invincible mind to destroy afflictions, an indomitable mind to get rid of all clinging, an intrepid mind to enter into the profound truth, a mind unshakable while descending into the whirlpool of the ocean of sentient beings who are attached to objects, a mind undeluded in the midst of all states of being, a mind tireless in seeking vision of all buddhas, a mind receiving the multitudes of teachings of all buddhas without complacence, a contemplative mind to attain the light of wisdom of all buddha-teachings, a retentive mind remembering the cycles of teaching of all buddhas, a mind free from forgetfulness even in regard to conventional terms, to say nothing of knowledge arising from the word of buddhas; and you should develop a mind of sharing, to distribute the jewels of the Teaching to all sentient beings according to their mentalities.’ “Having heard such principles of the Teaching from the Buddha, desiring omniscience, aiming for the development of the ten powers, seeking the eloquence of a buddha, wishing to a congregation like a buddha, seeking purification of a buddha-land, wishing to accomplish the deportment of a buddha, wanting to attain the span of life of a buddha, developing a mind that neither afflictions nor anyone concerned with self-liberation alone could break down, like indestructible adamant, I do not remember the arising of a single thought of enjoyment of desires—much less engaging in sexual intercourse—for as many eons thereafter as atoms in this continent. I do not remember a single thought of anger toward my relatives, much less toward innocent others. I do not remember a single thought related to the idea of self, much less having considered anything my own. I do not remember any confusion, or any notion of difference, or yet any indifference, even while in the womb between death and birth, much less while focusing my attention. In all those eons I did not forget a single vision of a buddha, not even a dream vision, much less those appearing to the ten eyes of an enlightening being. Ever since that original inspiration I have been imbibing the ocean of the Teaching, contemplating and reflecting on every single statement, even in the context of worldly phenomena. There is not a single facet of the Teaching that I have not become absorbed in, even in the context of worldly arts and sciences. Ever since that first inspiration, while holding the wheel of teaching of the buddhas, I have never omitted even a single word as I learned it, even in following logic, except to regulate the guidance of others. There is not a single vow I have not undertaken in the presence of the buddhas I have met since then to purify the ocean of all sentient beings, even carrying out vows made to phantom buddhas. There is not a single enlightening practice from the ocean of past enlightening practices of the oceans of buddhas that I have not undertaken to purify my own practice. There is not a single sentient being I have seen since then that I have not established in the determination for supreme enlightenment. I do not remember even having a thought of individual liberation since then. I do not remember ever conceiving any doubt, any notion of duality, any false discriminations, any notion of variety, any idea of grasping or rejection, any concept of inferior or advanced, or any thought of attachment or resistance, in regard to so much as even a single word or letter of the Teaching, for as many eons as atoms in this continent.

　“Ever since then I have never been apart from buddhas, enlightening beings, and true spiritual benefactors. I have always been hearing of the vows of buddhas, the practices of enlightening beings, the transcendent ways of enlightening beings, the light of knowledge of the stages of enlightening beings, the inexhaustible treasury of mental command and concentration of enlightening beings, the way to enter the infinite network of worlds, the original causes of the infinite realms of sentient beings. I have never left the light of knowledge removing the web of afflictions of all beings. I have always been acquiring knowledge of the productive causes of the roots of goodness of all beings. I have always been appearing to all beings according to their mentalities. I have always been purifying the verbal range to instruct all beings.

　“Having attained this enlightening liberation containing invincible knowledge and this concentration of tireless searches for all truths, accumulating this enlightening way of practice of firm resolve, contemplating this method of mental command of the stage of equanimity in all things and this medium of the light of knowledge clarifying the basis of all things, I am capable of inconceivable miracles. Do you want to witness them?”

　Sudhana said, “I do.”

　Then, as she sat there, Achala looked into, passed through, followed, and meditated on ten hundred thousand doors of concentration, beginning with the door of enlightening liberation containing invincible knowledge, the door of concentration of tireless searches for all truths, the door of concentration on the arrangement of the sphere of efficacy, the door of concentration on the sphere of the ten powers, and the door of liberation through concentration on the inexhaustible source of all buddhas. As soon as Achala had reach these concentrations, Sudhana saw as many worlds as atoms in ten inexpressible numbers of buddha-lands quaking, and appearing made of clear lapis lazuli. He also saw in each world a billion sets of four continents and a billion buddhas. He saw some of the buddhas in the heaven of satisfaction, some descending to be born on earth, some in the womb, some first-born, some leaving home for ascetic practice, some sitting under the tree of enlightenment, some defeating the demons, some realizing enlightenment, some teaching, some entering final extinction—this was because there was no obstruction to vision in the worlds made of clear lapis buddha. He also heard the voice of the individual buddha communicating all the cycles of the Teaching to all sentient beings.

　Then Achala emerged from concentration and said to Sudhana, “Did you see? Did you hear? Did you understand?”

　Sudhana said, “I saw, I heard, I understood.”

　Achala said, “In this way, learning enlightening beings’ practice of firm resolve, absorbed in tireless search for all truths, established in enlightening beings’ way of liberation by invincible knowledge, I satisfy all sentient beings with good explanation by following mental command of the stage of equanimity in all things, using the skill of the light of knowledge of how to elucidate the basis of all things. How can I know the practice or tell the virtues of the enlightening beings who are imbued with inconceivable, measureless virtues, who are like eagles soaring independently through the sky, who plunge into the sea of sentient beings to take out the mature enlightening beings, who search the treasure island of omniscience for the jewels of knowledge of the ten powers, who go like strong fishers into the sea of the mundane whirl with the net of the Teaching to mature beings born amid craving and pull them out of it, who go like titan kings throughout all realms of existence quelling the titanic disturbances and agitations of afflictions, who rise like the sun in the sky of the reality realm to evaporate the water of beings’ cravings and dry up the mud of afflictions, who rise like the full moon in the sky to awaken the water lilies of the minds of the teachable, who support all beings equally, whether friendly or hostile, high or low, to plant and grow the sprouts of roots of goodness in all sentient beings, who go everywhere unhindered like the wind to uproot the afflictions and views of all sentient beings, who go through the world like sovereigns uniting all beings with generosity, kindness, assistance, and cooperation?

　“South of here is a city called Tosala in a land called Amitatosala. There is a mendicant named Sarvagamin living there. Go ask him how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”

　So then Sudhana paid his respects to Achala and left.