大乘莊嚴經論 菩提品

"Becoming a buddha" — what exactly is it that becomes? This chapter gives the most refined answer.

The translation preface calls this chapter “the most subtle and wondrous.” The chapter states that the eighth, seventh, sixth, and first five consciousnesses are turned in sequence to attain the four wisdoms. The verse does not itself decide that they are one identical substance or that wisdom is innately complete.

In the chapter’s sequence, turning the eighth consciousness attains mirror wisdom; turning the seventh attains equality wisdom; turning the sixth attains observing wisdom; and turning the first five attains accomplishing wisdom. This layer reports those pairings without adding the claim that affliction itself is awakening.

These four wisdoms are then related to the Buddha’s three bodies. 〔exposition-borrowed simile〕One moon over many rivers may suggest a “one／three” relation, but this image is not cited by the treatise and is not evidence for the three bodies.

What follows shows how this chapter presents the four wisdoms and the three bodies in sequence.

This chapter is the “eye” of the whole treatise: the turning of the eight consciousnesses into the four wisdoms, the gathering of the four wisdoms into the three bodies, and the profundity of the untainted dharma-realm.

Having spoken of how "the bodhisattva matures sentient beings," the text next speaks of how "the bodhisattva attains the wisdom of all modes" (一切種智, omniscience in every aspect).

All that is hard, he has already done; all that is good, he has already amassed; all time, he has already traversed; all obstruction, he has already cut off.

This verse shows that the cause of the wisdom of all modes is fulfilled.

• All that is hard, he has already done: because he has fully practiced countless hundreds of thousands of kinds of arduous practice, never once weary.
• All that is good, he has already amassed: because he has fully gathered the roots of good whose own-nature is the perfections (諸波羅蜜, the pāramitās).
• All time, he has already traversed: because he has fully passed through the long span of the great incalculable eons (大劫阿僧祇, the great asaṃkhyeya kalpas).
• All obstruction, he has already cut off: because he has fully severed every obstruction of the great vehicle — that is, all the subtle obstructions belonging to the [bodhisattva] grounds.

Accomplished in every mode — this itself is the buddha-body; as when a great chest is opened, none of its many jewels fail to appear.

This verse shows that the fruit of the wisdom of all modes is fulfilled. There are three senses distinguished: first, attainment; second, own-nature; third, simile.

• Accomplished in every mode: this is the distinction by attainment — from this point onward one has accomplished the wisdom of all modes.
• This itself is the buddha-body: this is the distinction by own-nature — one says that this very wisdom of all modes is the body of a buddha.
• As when a great chest is opened, none of its many jewels fail to appear: this is the distinction by simile — the inconceivable jewels of the factors of awakening all appear before one.

Having stated that the wisdom of all modes is the buddha-body, the text next states that this body has "the mark of non-duality" (無二相, being free of the two extremes of existent and non-existent).

The white dharmas are the buddha-body — neither non-existent nor existent; the Buddha is the cause of the dharma-jewel, and the Dharma is the cause of roots of good.

• The white dharmas are the buddha-body: the six perfections and all other good dharmas (白法, the pure, wholesome dharmas) are transformed into the very substance of a buddha.
• Neither non-existent nor existent: this substance is not "non-existent" — why? because it is no different from suchness (真如, tathatā). Yet it is also not "existent" — why? because its own-nature is not [independently] established (it has no substantial own-nature that could stand on its own). This is called the mark of non-duality.
• The Buddha is the cause of the dharma-jewel: the Buddha is the cause of the "dharma-jewel" — because he proclaims all dharmas, and by his supernormal power [reveals the dharma-jewel].
• The Dharma is the cause of roots of good: the Dharma is the cause of "roots of good" — taking sentient beings as the field and roots of good as the grain; thus the dharma-jewel, in the field of the sentient beings it teaches, grows the grain of the roots of good.

Endowed with the dharmas yet apart from the dharmas, like a store and like a cloud; giving birth to dharma and raining down the rain of dharma — thus is the simile made.

This verse again brings out the previous meaning.

• Endowed with the dharmas yet apart from the dharmas: the buddhas are endowed with all good dharmas and apart from all unwholesome dharmas.
• Like a store and like a cloud: the buddha-jewel is like a "great store," the dharma-jewel like a "great cloud." 〔Question〕 In what sense is this taken? 〔Answer〕 It is taken in the sense of "giving birth to dharma, raining down dharma" — able to give birth to dharma, able to rain down dharma, and so the simile is made: the buddha-jewel can produce the dharma-jewel, resembling a great store; the dharma-jewel can grow the roots of good of all sentient beings, resembling a great cloud.

Having stated that the buddha-body has "the mark of non-duality," the text next states that it is "the unsurpassed refuge" (無上歸依).

The buddhas ever rescue and protect sentient beings from the three defilements — the afflictions, the evil deeds, and birth-old-age-death.

This verse states the meaning of "rescue and protection" in brief.

• The buddhas ever rescue and protect: because they rescue and protect ultimately (畢竟, to the very end). 〔Question〕 What do they rescue and protect from? 〔Answer〕 From the three defilements of sentient beings — the defilement of the afflictions, the defilement of karma, the defilement of birth.
• The afflictions: that is, the defilement of the afflictions.
• The evil deeds: that is, the defilement of karma.
• And birth-old-age-death: that is, the defilement of birth. 〔Question〕 How do they rescue and protect? 〔Answer〕 Toward these three [defiled] kinds of sentient beings they rescue and protect at all times without abandoning them — this is the meaning of "ultimately."

The various calamities and the evil destinies, the view of self and also the lesser vehicle — sentient beings such as these, all of them he rescues and protects.

This verse states the meaning of "rescue and protection" at length.

• The various calamities: this refers to sentient beings who are blind, deaf, mute, dumb, mad, deranged, or physically maimed. By the Buddha's power the blind come to see, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, the mad to become sane, the deranged to gain concentration, the maimed to become whole — thus he rescues and protects.
• The evil destinies: this refers to sentient beings in the hells and the like. He emits light that touches them, causing them to escape suffering and never fall in again — thus he rescues and protects.
• The view of self: this refers to sentient beings who cling to a "self." He causes them to attain the no-self of persons (人無我), to understand and enter the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles — thus he rescues and protects.
• The lesser vehicle: this refers to sentient beings of the two vehicles whose lineage is not fixed. By skillful means he draws and guides them into the great vehicle — thus he rescues and protects.

The Buddha is the supreme place of refuge — because he is beyond compare, therefore unsurpassed; from all the various terrors named before, there is none whom he does not set free.

This verse shows the "excellence of the refuge." Because the Buddha is beyond any simile, he is "unsurpassed." Therefore the three kinds of defiled sentient beings stated before, together with the beings of the various calamities and the rest, all of them he is able to rescue and protect.

The buddhas, their bodies replete with good, supreme in all the world, teach beings with the wondrous Dharma, for they have crossed the ocean of compassion.

This verse shows the "cause of the excellence of the refuge."

• The buddhas, their bodies replete with good, supreme in all the world: this is by "the ultimacy of self-benefit" — because the various good qualities such as the [ten] powers and the [four] fearlessnesses are fulfilled as their own-nature.
• Teach beings with the wondrous Dharma, for they have crossed the ocean of compassion: they well understand the skillful means of teaching sentient beings, and have crossed to the far shore of the "ocean of great compassion," ultimately.

To the very end of the future, reaching universally to every being, ever benefiting them — this is called the greatness of the refuge.

This verse shows the "greatness of the refuge." "Greatness" has three senses: first, greatness of time — exhausting the very limit of the birth-and-death of all sentient beings. Second, greatness of scope — taking all sentient beings as its scope. Third, greatness of activity — at all times performing benefit, rescuing and freeing them from suffering, causing them to escape.

Having stated the "unsurpassed refuge," the text next states "the mark of the Tathāgata's transformation of the basis" (如來轉依相, āśraya-parāvṛtti, the root turning of the defiled into the pure).

The seeds of the two obstructions ever attend; their cessation is a cutting-off most extreme and vast; because the white dharmas are fulfilled, the transformation of the basis accomplishes the two paths.

This verse shows that the transformation of the basis has both a "leaving-behind" and an "attaining."

• The seeds of the two obstructions ever attend; their cessation is a cutting-off most extreme and vast: this clarifies the "leaving-behind of what is to be countered" — namely, the seeds of the two obstructions (二障, the afflictive obstruction 煩惱障 and the cognitive obstruction 智障), which from time without beginning have ever attended [sentient beings], are now permanently extinguished. "Most extreme" means all the grounds; "vast" means all the modes — all of these are cut off.
• Because the white dharmas are fulfilled, the transformation of the basis accomplishes the two paths: this clarifies the "attaining of what does the countering" — the buddha-substance is joined with the supremely fulfilled white dharmas, and at that time, once the basis is turned, the two paths are accomplished: first, the attaining of "the path of the utterly pure supramundane wisdom"; second, the attaining of "the path of the wisdom whose objects are the boundless knowable realms." This is called the transformation of the basis.

There the Tathāgata dwells, unmoving as the king of mountains; still he pities those who delight in [mere] cessation — how much more those attached to existence.

This verse shows that the Tathāgata's transformation of the basis is the most excellent among all transformations. Why? Because after the Tathāgata's transformation of the basis he dwells in the place of the untainted realm (無漏界, the anāsrava-dhātu), like the king of mountains anchoring the earth, abiding unmoved. Having thus turned, he still gives rise to pity even toward the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas who delight in [mere] quiescent cessation — how much more toward the sentient beings, far off and lowly, who cling to "existence" and are steeped in suffering.

Benefiting others, and the unsurpassed; the un-turned and the unborn; the vast and the non-dual; the non-abiding and the equal; the excellent and the universally-conferring — this is called the Tathāgata's turning, displaying ten qualities: their distinctions should be understood.

These two verses show that the Tathāgata's transformation of the basis has ten distinct qualities. What are the ten?

1. The turning that benefits others: after the transformation of the basis, it is for the benefit of others.
2. The unsurpassed turning: after the transformation of the basis, one attains mastery over all dharmas, surpassing the turning of the two vehicles.
3. The un-turned turning: after the transformation of the basis, the various defiling causes can no longer turn this "basis," because that basis has [already] been turned (become untainted).
4. The unborn turning: after the transformation of the basis, all defiling dharmas ultimately no longer arise.
5. The vast turning: after the transformation of the basis, one manifests the attaining of great awakening and of parinirvāṇa.
6. The non-dual turning: after the transformation of the basis, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are without duality.
7. The non-abiding turning: after the transformation of the basis, one abides in neither the conditioned nor the unconditioned.
8. The equal turning: after the transformation of the basis, one is, equally with the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, liberated from the afflictive obstruction.
9. The excellent turning: after the transformation of the basis, the powers, fearlessnesses, and all the other buddha-dharmas are without equal.
10. The universally-conferring turning: after the transformation of the basis, one ever teaches by means of all the vehicles.

As space pervades everything, so the Buddha too pervades all; space pervades all forms, the buddhas pervade all beings.

This verse shows that "the buddha-substance pervades everything," resembling space. The first two lines state it directly, the latter two explain it: just as space pervades all aggregations of form, so too the buddha-substance pervades all aggregations of sentient beings. If someone, because sentient beings are seen not to be buddhas, were to say "the buddha-substance does not pervade [them]," this is not so — it is [only] that [the buddha-nature in beings] is not yet accomplished (not that the buddha-substance fails to pervade).

As when a water-vessel is broken, the moon's image does not appear before one, so through the faults of sentient beings the buddha-image likewise does not appear.

This verse shows that "though the buddha-substance pervades [all], sentient beings do not see it." Just as when a water-vessel is broken one does not see the moon's image, so through their faults (their karmic obstructions) sentient beings do not see the buddha-image — this principle holds.

As the nature of a mass of fire — now blazing, now burnt out, so the buddhas' teaching-work — now appearing, now [entering] nirvāṇa.

This verse shows that "the buddhas' teaching-work has its appearing and its passing." Just as the nature of fire is at times to blaze and at times to burn out, so too the buddhas' teaching-work: at times it manifests appearance in the world, at times it manifests nirvāṇa.

Having thus stated the Tathāgata's transformation of the basis, the text next states that "the Tathāgata's activity is ever without effort" (the buddha's activity ever arises naturally, without deliberate contrivance).

The wish-granting jewel and the heavenly drum accomplish their own work of themselves; the buddha's transforming and the buddha's teaching, though without thought, are likewise so.

This verse shows that "the buddha's activity is without effort." Just as the wish-granting jewel, though mindless, can of itself produce all manner of manifestations, so too the Tathāgata: though without a mind of effort, he can of himself give rise to all manner of transformations. And just as the heavenly drum, though mindless, can of itself send forth all manner of sounds, so too the Tathāgata: though without a mind of effort, he can of himself teach all manner of wondrous dharmas.

In dependence on space, activity is unbroken, yet activity has its increase and decrease; in dependence on the [untainted] realm, the work is uninterrupted, yet the work has its arising and ceasing.

This verse shows that "the buddha's activity is uninterrupted." Just as, in the world, all things are done in dependence on space, unbroken at any time, so too the buddhas: in dependence on the untainted realm they perform the buddha-work, and it too is unbroken. And just as, in the world, what is done in dependence on space has its increase and decrease, so too the buddhas: in dependence on the untainted realm they perform the buddha-work, and it too has its arising and ceasing.

Having stated that "with a mind free of effort [the buddha] does not forsake the buddha-work," the text next states that "the untainted dharma-realm is profound."

As before, so afterward as well; and apart from all obstruction — neither pure nor impure: the Buddha calls it "suchness."

This verse shows "the mark of the dharma-realm's purity."

• As before, so afterward as well: this is what is meant by "not pure" — because its own-nature is [always] undefiled (it is thus originally, not made clean only afterward, so it cannot be called "pure").
• And apart from all obstruction: this is what is meant by "not impure" — because the adventitious defilements (客塵, āgantuka-kleśa) have afterward been left behind (since obstruction is already gone, it cannot be called "impure").
• Neither pure nor impure: the Buddha calls it "suchness": therefore the Buddha says this [dharma-realm] is "suchness" — neither pure nor impure. This is called the mark of the dharma-realm's purity.

Pure, empty, without self — the Buddha calls it the supreme self; because the buddhas' self is pure, the Buddha is therefore named the great self.

This verse shows "the mark of the dharma-realm's great self."

• Pure, empty, without self: this untainted realm has "supreme no-self" as its own-nature.
• The Buddha calls it the supreme self: what is called "supreme no-self" is the "pure suchness," and that pure suchness is the own-nature of the buddhas' "self."
• Because the buddhas' self is pure, the Buddha is therefore named the great self: because this "self" of the buddhas most fully attains purity, the Buddha is therefore titled "the great self." By this meaning, the buddhas establish the "supreme self" within the untainted realm. This is called the mark of the dharma-realm's great self.

Neither substance nor non-substance — thus is the buddha-substance spoken of; therefore this thesis is set forth: it is surely an indeterminate matter.

This verse shows "the mark of the dharma-realm's indeterminacy."

• Neither substance: because the two marks of person and dharma cannot be asserted [as a substantial substance].
• Nor non-substance: because the mark of "suchness" truly exists (suchness is not wholly nonexistent).
• Thus is the buddha-substance spoken of: for this reason, the buddha-substance is said to be "neither substance nor non-substance."
• Therefore this thesis is set forth: it is surely an indeterminate matter: what is called "indeterminate" refers to [the four theses]: "after death the Tathāgata exists, after death the Tathāgata does not exist, after death the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist, after death the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist" — such four propositions cannot be determinately declared, and therefore the dharma-realm is [said to be] "the mark of indeterminacy."

As when the heat of iron subsides, as when the film upon the eye is removed, so too the subsiding of the mind's cognition — one speaks of it as neither having nor lacking substance.

This verse shows "the mark of the dharma-realm's liberation."

• As when the heat of iron subsides, as when the film upon the eye is removed: of these two things — the iron's heat subsided, the eye's film removed — one may say "neither substance nor non-substance." Why? "Not substance," because the heat and the film are now without mark; "not non-substance," because the mark of subsiding still has substance (the iron remains, the eye remains).
• So too the subsiding of the mind's cognition — one speaks of it as neither having nor lacking substance: the buddhas' mind-cognition takes "greed" as its heat and "ignorance" as its film; when those two subside, this too is said to be "neither substance nor non-substance." Why? "Not substance," because greed and ignorance have subsided; "not non-substance," because the liberation of mind and wisdom still exists. This is called the mark of the dharma-realm's liberation.

Having stated "the profundity of the mark," the text next states "the profundity of the place."

The buddhas' untainted realm is neither one nor many; because it accords with their former bodies, and because it is bodiless, like space.

This verse shows "the profundity of the dharma-realm's place." The buddhas' untainted dharma-realm is "neither one nor many." Why?

• Neither one: because it accords with their former bodies (it differs according to each buddha's body at the causal stage, so it cannot be said to be a single one).
• Neither many: because [its substance] is bodiless. 〔Question〕 How is it "bodiless"? 〔Answer〕 Because it is like space (having no divisible form, so it cannot be said to be many). This is called the profundity of the dharma-realm's place. Having stated "the profundity of the place," the text next states "the profundity of the activity."

As a great jewel-store is the support of the many jewels, so too the pure realm is the basis of the buddha-dharmas.

This verse shows "the supporting activity of the dharma-realm" — because the pure dharma-realm is the support of the jewels of the factors of awakening, such as the [ten] powers and the [four] fearlessnesses.

As dense clouds gather and pour down rain to ripen the hundred grains, so too the pure realm streams forth good and matures sentient beings.

This verse shows "the activity of the dharma-realm in maturing sentient beings" — because from the pure dharma-realm there stream forth the various roots of good that mature sentient beings.

As the sun and moon wax full, their disks clear, bright, and complete, so too the pure realm: the accumulation of the good and pure is complete.

This verse shows "the activity of the dharma-realm in reaching the ultimate." "Accumulation" refers to the two accumulations of merit and wisdom (福智二聚) — because through the pure dharma-realm these two accumulations attain completion.

As the sun's disk rises and streams its light to illumine everything, so too the pure realm streams forth its teaching to transform the host of beings.

This verse shows "the activity of the dharma-realm in proclaiming the true Dharma."

As sunbeams combine to do their common work of illumining the world, so too the pure realm: the buddhas combine to do their common transforming work.

This verse shows "the activity of the dharma-realm in doing its transformative work." Just as many suns and many rays combine at one time to do one work — namely, drying and ripening [the crops] and the like — so too many buddhas and many wisdoms combine at one time to do one work — namely, [their] transformations and the like.

As the sun's light shines both boundlessly and all at once, so too the pure realm and the buddhas' light shine — these two matters are likewise so.

This verse shows "the non-discriminating activity of the dharma-realm." Just as the sun's light shines universally, without any limit and also all at one time, so too the buddhas' light shines universally — boundless and all at once, likewise so.

As the various sunbeams are said to have clouds and the like for their veiling, so too the pure realm and the buddhas' wisdom are said to have the obstruction of sentient beings.

This verse shows "the non-acting [of the activity] of the dharma-realm" (at times it does not give rise to its work). Just as the sunbeams, veiled by clouds and the like, therefore do not shine, so too the buddhas' light, obstructed by the faults of sentient beings — because the five turbidities are many — therefore does not perform its work.

As by the power of the mordant-ash a garment is dyed its various colors, so too the pure realm: by the power of practice and vow, liberation attains its various wisdoms.

This verse shows "the activity of the dharma-realm's liberation-wisdom." Just as, in dyeing a garment, by the power of the "mordant-ash" (滋灰, the mordant that fixes dye) some places take on the various colors and some do not, so too with the pure realm of the three vehicles: by the power of "practice and vow" (行願), the buddhas' liberation attains the various wisdoms while the liberation of the two vehicles does not attain the various wisdoms.

The untainted realm is profound in its three: mark, place, and activity; the buddhas speak of it thus — like dyeing or painting upon space.

This verse again brings out the previous meaning of "profundity."

• The untainted realm is profound in its three: mark, place, and activity: this untainted realm the World-Honored One states in brief to have three [kinds of] profundity — first, profundity of mark; second, profundity of place; third, profundity of activity. The profundity of mark has four kinds: first the mark of purity, second the mark of the great self, third the mark of indeterminacy, fourth the mark of liberation — in that order (shown by the four preceding verses). The profundity of place is one: namely, "neither one nor many, and non-abiding" (shown by the fifth verse). The profundity of activity has eight kinds: first the supporting activity, second the activity of maturing sentient beings, third the activity of reaching the ultimate, fourth the activity of proclaiming the true Dharma, fifth the transformative work, sixth the non-discriminating activity, seventh the wisdom's non-acting, eighth the liberation-wisdom activity — in that order (shown by the latter eight verses).
• The buddhas speak of it thus — like dyeing or painting upon space: this untainted realm is free of conceptual elaboration, and like space it is therefore profound. To expound its profundity thus, distinguishing it [into parts], is like dyeing colors upon space, like painting upon space — this principle should be understood.

Because all [beings and buddhas] are without difference, and because the pure suchness is attained, therefore it is said that all sentient beings are named "the womb of the Tathāgata" (如來藏, tathāgata-garbha).

This verse shows "the dharma-realm is the womb of the Tathāgata."

• Because all are without difference: all sentient beings and all buddhas are equal and without distinction, therefore they are named "suchness" (如).
• Because the pure suchness is attained: the pure "suchness" is attained as one's own-nature, therefore [one is] named "Tathāgata" (如來, the thus-come). By this principle, one may say that all sentient beings are named "the womb of the Tathāgata."

Having stated "the profundity of the untainted realm," the text next states "the buddhas' transformations."

The śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas, the bodhisattvas and the Tathāgatas — the first [tier of] transformation outmatches the worldly, and up to the Buddha [each] outmatches the bodhisattva.

This verse shows "the ascending [scale of] transformation." The transformations of all the world, the śrāvaka's transformations can outmatch (surpass and override). The transformations of all śrāvakas, the pratyekabuddha's transformations can outmatch. The transformations of all pratyekabuddhas, the bodhisattva's transformations can outmatch. The transformations of all bodhisattvas, the buddhas' transformations can outmatch. There is no one whose transformations can outmatch the buddhas' transformations — therefore the Tathāgata's transformations are the most surpassingly ascendant.

Thus the buddha's transformations are measureless and inconceivable, manifesting variously according to the being, the world-realm, and the time.

This verse shows "profound transformation." This profundity has two kinds: first, measureless; second, inconceivable. 〔Question〕 How is this matter to be understood? 〔Answer〕 According to what capacity of being, according to what world-realm, according to what season — corresponding to their distinctions, whether much or little — he performs the various transformations. Thus they are both measureless and inconceivable — therefore the Tathāgata's transformations are the most profound. Below, the text next states "the transformations by the distinct turnings" (the transformations arising from the turning of each consciousness distinctly).

Thus, the five faculties being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: [each] performs all the objects universally, and there are the twelve hundred qualities.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of the five faculties." This transformation attains two kinds of ascendancy: first, the attaining of "performing all the objects universally" — namely, each single faculty can use all the objects interchangeably (the eye can serve the ear's function, and so on). Second, the attaining of "the twelve hundred qualities" — namely, each single faculty attains one thousand two hundred qualities.

Thus, the mind-faculty being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: utterly pure, non-discriminating, ever accompanying the [work of] transformation.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of the mind-faculty." The "mind-faculty" refers to the defiled consciousness (染污識, the seventh consciousness, kliṣṭa-manas). By this turning one attains "utterly pure non-conceptual knowledge" (極淨無分別智), which ever runs alongside all transformations and works together with them.

Thus, object and sensation being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: the pure land is as one wishes, and the objects of enjoyment all appear before one.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of object and sensation." "Object" refers to the five sense-fields (五塵, form, sound, scent, taste, touch); "sensation" refers to the five [sense-]consciousnesses. By the turning of these two, the buddha-field is purified, and what one wishes appears before one, to be enjoyed at will.

Thus, discrimination being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: the works performed by the [various] wisdoms run at all times without hindrance.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of discrimination." "Discrimination" refers to the mental consciousness (意識, the sixth consciousness); by this turning, the transformations that are the works performed by the [various] wisdoms are at all times without any obstruction.

Thus, the establishing [of the world] being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: one abides in the Buddha's unmoving phrase, not abiding in nirvāṇa.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of the establishing [of the world]." "The establishing" refers to the receptacle-world (器世界, the physical world); by this turning one abides in the Buddha's "unmoving" untainted dharma-realm, attaining "not entering parinirvāṇa" (not lapsing into [mere] cessation), and ever gives rise to ascendant transformation.

Thus, the defilement of desire being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: one abides in the Buddha's unsurpassed bliss, and manifests a spouse without defilement.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of the defilement of desire." By this turning one attains two kinds of transformation: first, the attaining of abiding in the Buddha's "unsurpassed bliss"; second, the attaining of "being without defilement toward a spouse" (though manifesting the having of a spouse, one is without attachment or defilement).

Thus, the notion of space being turned, transformation attains its ascendancy: whatever one wishes is all attained, and wherever one goes is all unimpeded.

This verse shows "the transformation of the turning of the notion of space." By this turning one attains two kinds of transformation: first, "whatever one wishes is all attained" — because one has attained the "treasury of space" (虛空藏). Second, "wherever one goes is all unimpeded" (the places one goes have no obstruction) — because one has attained the "comprehension of space" (虛空解).

Thus [there is] measureless turning, and thus measureless transformation; the inconceivable works [of the buddhas] all rely on the stainless [realm].

This verse sums up the previous meaning. Because there is measureless "turning," one attains measureless "transformation." Thus the buddhas' inconceivable activity all relies on the untainted dharma-realm — this principle should be understood. Having stated "the buddhas' transformations," the text next states "the buddhas' maturing of sentient beings."

Causing [beings] to amass and to increase, causing to ripen and also to liberate, ripening and ripening without remainder [ceasing], because the worlds are inexhaustible.

This verse shows "the cause of maturing [sentient beings] in sequence." Those who have not yet amassed roots of good, he causes to amass; those who have amassed roots of good, he causes to increase; those whose roots of good have increased, he causes to ripen; those whose roots of good have ripened, he causes to be liberated, so that they attain the utmost purity — thus the buddhas of the ten directions each well proclaim [the Dharma]. "Ripening and ripening again, yet not entering parinirvāṇa" — why? Because the worlds are inexhaustible (sentient beings can never be entirely delivered, so the buddha does not forsake them).

Having attained the hard-to-attain, everywhere he becomes the refuge of beings; [it is] wondrous yet not wondrous, because he has attained the skillful means.

This verse shows "the practice of the already-matured bodhisattva, and its mark of being not [merely] wondrous."

• Having attained the hard-to-attain, everywhere he becomes the refuge of beings: the supreme qualities of unsurpassed awakening, unprecedented, are now fully attained in accord [with him]; and by this accord he can ever be the refuge of beings throughout the world-realms of the ten directions.
• [It is] wondrous yet not wondrous: to mature sentient beings everywhere in this way is "wondrous"; yet this wondrous is also "not wondrous." Why? Because he has attained the skillful means. What is called "the skillful means" is the path that accords with [beings'] capacities — that is, the pure practice.

Turning the wheel of Dharma and the [wheel's] passing; attaining the path and also nirvāṇa — everywhere skillful means arise, [yet] the true dharma-realm is unmoved.

This verse shows "the cause of maturing [sentient beings] universally."

• Turning the wheel of Dharma and the passing [of the Dharma]; attaining the path and also nirvāṇa: within a single instant, in one place he manifests turning the measureless wheel of Dharma, in one place he manifests the extinction of the true Dharma, in one place he manifests attaining great awakening, in one place he manifests entering nirvāṇa — this is because the practices (capacities) of sentient beings each differ.
• Everywhere skillful means arise, [yet] the true dharma-realm is unmoved: if sentient beings are ripe for maturing, the Tathāgata, according to their dwelling-places, teaches everywhere; yet within the untainted dharma-realm he likewise remains unmoved.

Not raising a discriminating mind, he matures [beings of] past, future, and present; everywhere transforming sentient beings, ever manifesting the three gates.

This verse shows "the cause of maturing [sentient beings] naturally."

• Not raising a discriminating mind, he matures [beings of] past, future, and present: none of the buddhas think this thought: "I have matured sentient beings, I shall mature sentient beings, I am now maturing sentient beings." Why? Because of non-discrimination.
• Everywhere transforming sentient beings, ever manifesting the three gates: though without effort, at all times, by means of the various roots of good, he matures sentient beings everywhere throughout the world-realms of the ten directions by means of "the three gates." "The three gates" refers to the teaching-gates of the three vehicles.

As the sun's light, natural, illumines the dark and ripens the hundred grains, so too the light of the dharma-sun: it dispels delusion and ripens sentient beings.

This verse shows the sense of "naturalness" by simile. Just as the sun's disk, without any diligent contrivance, of itself sends forth light, dispelling darkness everywhere and ripening the hundred grains, so too the buddhas: though without effort, by the light of the "dharma-sun" they dispel delusion everywhere and ripen sentient beings.

One lamp kindles a host of lamps — the utmost gathering of brightness is inexhaustible; one ripened [being] transforms many into ripening, and the inexhaustible transforming is likewise so.

This verse shows "the cause of maturing [sentient beings] by succession." Just as one lamp passes its flame to a host of lamps — a supremely great gathering of lamps, measureless and numberless — yet that one lamp['s brightness] is not exhausted, so too the buddhas: one buddha matures [one being], then transforms many into ripening — a supremely great gathering of sentient beings, measureless and numberless — yet the power of that transforming is likewise inexhaustible.

The vast ocean receives the myriad streams, without surfeit and without overflowing; the buddha-realm gathers the host of good, neither filling up nor increasing.

This verse shows "the cause of maturing [sentient beings] without weariness." Just as the vast ocean broadly receives the hundred rivers, without any satiety and without overflowing, because it can hold them, so too the buddha-realm: it ever gathers the measureless pure roots of good, yet does not fill up nor increase, because [its virtue] is wondrous (beyond measure by "filling" or "increasing").

Having stated "the buddhas' maturing of sentient beings," the text next states "the buddhas' purity of the dharma-realm."

The two obstructions already forever removed, the dharma-suchness attains purity; as to the things [known] and the wisdom cognizing them — [there is] mastery and also inexhaustibility.

This verse shows "the sense of the 'nature' of the dharma-realm."

• The two obstructions already forever removed, the dharma-suchness attains purity: this is the "mark of purity" — because both the afflictive obstruction and the cognitive obstruction are forever exhausted.
• As to the things [known] and the wisdom cognizing them — [there is] mastery and also inexhaustibility: this is the "mark of mastery" — because over both "the things" and "the wisdom that takes them as its object," one attains mastery, forever inexhaustible.

The wisdom of suchness in all its modes is the cause that purifies the dharma-realm; benefiting and gladdening, transforming sentient beings — this fruit too is inexhaustible.

This verse shows "the sense of the 'cause' of the dharma-realm."

• The wisdom of suchness in all its modes is the cause that purifies the dharma-realm: in order to purify the dharma-realm, one cultivates at all times "the wisdom of the gate of suchness in all its modes" (一切種如門智) as the cause.
• Benefiting and gladdening, transforming sentient beings — this fruit too is inexhaustible: in order to teach sentient beings, one gives to all sentient beings at all times the two fruits of "benefit and gladness," ever inexhaustible.

Setting in motion body, speech, and mind, the three actions ever transform [beings]; the two gates and the two accumulations — the skillful means are all complete.

This verse shows "the sense of the 'activity' of the dharma-realm."

• Setting in motion body, speech, and mind, the three actions ever transform [beings]: giving rise to the action of body, the action of speech, and the action of mind, one teaches sentient beings at all times.
• The two gates and the two accumulations — the skillful means are all complete: one is fully endowed with "the two gates and the two accumulations" as skillful means. "The two gates" are the gate of samādhi (三昧門) and the gate of dhāraṇī (陀羅尼門); "the two accumulations" are the accumulation of merit (福德聚) and the accumulation of wisdom (智慧聚).

Own-nature and the dharma-repast, and transformation — the distinction of the stations; this is because the dharma-realm is pure — so the buddhas have declared.

This verse shows "the sense of the 'stations' of the dharma-realm."

• Own-nature and the dharma-repast, and transformation — the distinction of the stations: namely, the self-nature body (自性身), the enjoyment body (食身, "the dharma-repast body"), and the emanation body (化身) — this is the distinction of the "stations."
• This is because the dharma-realm is pure — so the buddhas have declared: if the dharma-realm were not pure, these three stations would not be established.

Having stated "the buddhas' purity of the dharma-realm," the text next states "the buddhas' three bodies."

The self-nature body and the enjoyment body, and the emanation body — combined, the three bodies; know that the first body is the support of the other two.

All the buddhas have three kinds of body. First, the self-nature body (自性身; 玄奘系 the dharma-body 法身, svābhāvika-kāya), established by the mark of the transformation of the basis. Second, the enjoyment body (食身; 玄奘系 the enjoyment body 受用身, sāṃbhogika-kāya — the treatise's word "repast" carries the sense of enjoyment/nourishment), established by serving as the "dharma-repast" (nourishing [beings] with the Dharma) within the great assemblies. Third, the emanation body (化身, nairmāṇika-kāya), established by performing the benefit of the sentient beings to be transformed. Herein it should be understood: the self-nature body is the support of the enjoyment body and the emanation body, because it is the root.

The enjoyment body, in the various realms, has distinctions in its enjoyment: the assemblies, lands, names, bodies, and works — all of them differ.

The enjoyment body, in all the world-realms, has these matters of enjoyment — the various retinues, the various buddha-fields, the various names, the various bodies, the various works — all of them are different [from one another].

The equal, subtle body is joined with the enjoyment body; know that the enjoyment body is the cause of the emanation body.

• The equal: refers to the self-nature body — all the buddhas being equal and without distinction.
• The subtle: because this body is hard to know.
• The enjoyment body [joined with the equal body]: the "enjoyment body" is the "repast body"; this body is joined with the equal body (the self-nature body), because it arises in dependence on it.
• Know that the enjoyment body is furthermore the cause of the emanation body: because it manifests everything according to what is to be enjoyed (the emanation body), it is therefore also the cause of the emanation body.

The emanation-buddha [performs] measureless emanations, and is therefore named the emanation body; the two bodies accomplish the two benefits, established in every mode.

Because the "emanation body" — the buddhas — at all times emanate measureless distinctions, the buddha is, by this emanating, named the "emanation body." "The two bodies" are the enjoyment body and the emanation body; "the two benefits" are self-benefit and the benefit of others. The enjoyment body has "the accomplishment of self-benefit" as its mark; the emanation body has "the accomplishment of the benefit of others" as its mark. Thus the two benefits are accomplished in every mode, and accordingly the enjoyment body and the emanation body are established.

Craft-skills and taking birth, attaining the path and parinirvāṇa — displaying these great skillful means, he causes others to attain liberation.

Furthermore, the "emanation body," at all times teaching sentient beings, at times manifests craft-skills, at times manifests taking birth, at times manifests attaining awakening, at times manifests parinirvāṇa — displaying in this way the various great skillful means, all of which cause sentient beings to attain liberation. This is the mark of the accomplishment of the benefit of others.

Know that the buddha's three bodies embrace all buddha-bodies, [for] they are the support of self-benefit and the benefit of others, [and] all three bodies are manifested.

Know that these three bodies embrace all the bodies of all buddhas, because they manifest the support of all self-benefit and benefit of others.

By reason of support, mind, and work, the three buddha[-bodies] are all equal; by own-nature, unbroken[ness], and continuity, the three buddha[-bodies] are all everlasting.

Those three kinds of body, in their respective order, are for all the buddhas entirely equal:

• By reason of "support" (依, the basis), the self-nature body of all buddhas is equal — because the dharma-realm is without distinction.
• By reason of "mind" (心), the enjoyment body of all buddhas is equal — because the buddha-mind is without distinction.
• By reason of "work" (業), the emanation body of all buddhas is equal — because their work is one and the same.

Furthermore, all the buddhas are likewise "everlasting" (常住):

• By reason of "essential constancy" (自性常, essential constancy), the self-nature body of all buddhas is everlasting — because it is ultimately untainted.
• By reason of "unbroken constancy" (無間常, unbroken constancy), the enjoyment body of all buddhas is everlasting — because the teaching of the Dharma is without interruption.
• By reason of "continuous constancy" (相續常, continuous constancy), the emanation body of all buddhas is everlasting — because though it ceases here, it appears again there.

Having stated "the buddhas' bodies," the text next states "the buddhas' wisdoms."

The four wisdoms: the mirror is unmoving, the support of the [other] three wisdoms; the eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth [group of] consciousnesses — because they are turned in sequence.

• The four wisdoms: the mirror is unmoving, the support of the [other] three wisdoms: all the buddhas have four kinds of wisdom — first, mirror wisdom (鏡智; 大圓鏡智 the great perfect mirror wisdom, ādarśa-jñāna); second, equality wisdom (平等智; 平等性智, samatā-jñāna); third, observing wisdom (觀智; 妙觀察智, pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna); fourth, accomplishing wisdom (作事智; 成所作智, kṛtya-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna). That mirror wisdom has "the unmoving" as its mark, and ever serves as the support of the other three wisdoms. Why? Because the [other] three wisdoms are "moving."
• The eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth [group of] consciousnesses — because they are turned in sequence: turning the eighth consciousness (the store consciousness, 阿賴耶識) one attains mirror wisdom; turning the seventh consciousness (manas, the deliberating mind) one attains equality wisdom; turning the sixth consciousness (the mental consciousness) one attains observing wisdom; turning the first five consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) one attains accomplishing wisdom — this principle should be understood.

Mirror wisdom takes its objects without partition, its continuity ever unbroken; not confused about all that is cognized, [yet] the various marks do not appear before it.

This verse shows "the turning of the eighth consciousness to attain mirror wisdom."

• Mirror wisdom takes its objects without partition: when it takes all objects [as its field], it does not take them in segments (it does not cut the object into pieces).
• Its continuity ever unbroken: at all times it runs on constantly, never interrupted.
• Not confused about all that is cognized: it fully knows all objects, its obstruction forever exhausted (it has no confusion about what is cognized).
• [Yet] the various marks do not appear before it: when it takes objects [as its field], it is apart from the taking-up of [coarse] mental images, without discrimination.

Mirror wisdom is the cause of [all] the wisdoms; it is called the great treasury of wisdom; the other bodies and the other wisdoms — their images arise from this.

This verse shows "the function of mirror wisdom."

• Mirror wisdom is the cause of the wisdoms; it is called the great treasury of wisdom: those wisdoms — equality wisdom and the rest — in every mode have mirror wisdom for their cause, and therefore this wisdom is like a "great treasury," because it is the treasury of [all] the wisdoms.
• The other bodies and the other wisdoms — their images arise from this: "the other bodies" refers to the enjoyment body and so on; "the other wisdoms" refers to equality wisdom and so on. The images of those bodies and the images of those wisdoms all arise from this wisdom, and therefore the Buddha calls this wisdom "mirror wisdom" (mirroring forth images).

The wisdom of equality with sentient beings — cultivated to purity, it realizes awakening; not abiding in nirvāṇa, because there is no final end.

This verse shows "the turning of the seventh consciousness to attain equality wisdom."

• The wisdom of equality with sentient beings — cultivated to purity, it realizes awakening: when the bodhisattvas realize the dharma present before them, they attain the "wisdom of equality with all sentient beings"; and when they cultivate this wisdom to the utmost purity, they attain unsurpassed awakening.
• Not abiding in nirvāṇa, because there is no final end: because sentient beings are inexhaustible there is no final end, and because there is no final end one does not abide in nirvāṇa. By this meaning, it is called "equality wisdom."

Great loving-kindness and great compassion — these two are ever unbroken; if sentient beings have faith, the buddha-image appears at once before them.

This verse shows "the function of equality wisdom."

• Great loving-kindness and great compassion — these two are ever unbroken: the buddhas, the Tathāgatas, at all times attend upon sentient beings. Why? Because great loving-kindness and great compassion are without interruption.
• If sentient beings have faith, the buddha-image appears at once before them: according to what they have faith in, it appears in accordance with them — and so some sentient beings see the Tathāgata as blue in color, some see the Tathāgata as yellow, and so with all [colors]. These first two wisdoms, mirror wisdom and equality wisdom, are the dharma-body.

Observing wisdom, [as to] cognition and the cognized, is at all times without hindrance; this wisdom is like a great treasury, the support of the retentions and the concentrations.

This verse shows "the turning of the sixth consciousness to attain observing wisdom." Observing wisdom, toward all the objects that are cognized, is ever without obstruction, and is like a great treasury — the support of all the "gates of dhāraṇī" (the retentions) and all the "gates of samādhi" (the concentrations). Why? Because these two gates both arise from this wisdom.

Ever within the great assemblies, it manifests all manner of things, able to cut through the nets of doubt, for it rains down the great rain of Dharma.

This verse shows "the function of observing wisdom," its meaning being as the verse states (observing wisdom, ever within the great assemblies, manifests all manner of things, is able to cut through sentient beings' nets of doubt, and rains down the great rain of Dharma). This observing wisdom is the enjoyment body.

The wisdom of accomplishment, in the various realms, gives rise to all manner of transforming works, measureless and inconceivable, for the sake of benefiting the host of beings.

This verse shows "the turning of the first five consciousnesses to attain accomplishing wisdom." That accomplishing wisdom, in all the world-realms, performs all manner of transforming works, measureless and boundless, inconceivable. Works such as these are all for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings. This accomplishing wisdom is the emanation body.

Retentive holding, and the equal mind, the opening of Dharma and also the doing of works — thus, in dependence on the four senses, the four wisdoms arise in sequence.

• Retentive holding: refers to the retentive holding of what is heard [of the Dharma].
• The equal mind: refers to attaining "the equality of self and other" toward all sentient beings.
• The opening of Dharma: refers to expounding the true Dharma.
• The doing of works: refers to giving rise to all manner of transforming deeds. In dependence on the first sense, mirror wisdom arises; in dependence on the second sense, equality wisdom arises; in dependence on the third sense, observing wisdom arises; in dependence on the fourth sense, accomplishing wisdom arises.

Distinctness of nature and non-vanity, all-ness and beginninglessness — because [buddhas] are without distinction, [they are] not one; because they share one support, [they are] not many.

This verse shows that "the buddhas are neither one nor many." Not one — by reason of the five senses of "distinctness of nature, non-vanity, all-ness, beginninglessness, and without-distinction":

• Distinctness of nature: because the natures of the boundless buddhas are each distinct. If one said there is only a single buddha, and yet there are those "who will attain awakening" (bodhisattvas about to become buddhas), this would not hold — therefore buddhas are "not one."
• Non-vanity: if the accumulations of merit and wisdom were vain (without real effect), then the other bodhisattvas ought not to attain awakening; since the two accumulations are not vain, [the "single buddha" thesis] does not hold — therefore buddhas are "not one."
• All-ness: if one said there is only a single buddha, then this buddha could not benefit all sentient beings; because the Buddha establishes all sentient beings in becoming buddhas, [the "single buddha" thesis] does not hold — therefore buddhas are "not one."
• Beginninglessness: if one said there is only a single first buddha, then this buddha ought to have become a buddha without the two accumulations of merit and wisdom, which does not hold — therefore buddhas are "not one."
• Without-distinction: if one said there is some other buddha [who became a buddha] without the two accumulations of merit and wisdom, this does not hold — therefore buddhas are "not one." Not many — by reason of "sharing one support": the dharma-body of all buddhas relies on the untainted realm (one and the same support, so not many). Having stated "the buddhas' wisdoms," the text next states "the skillful means for entering buddhahood."

If discrimination is ever-existent, then the real is forever non-existent; if discrimination is forever non-existent, then the real is ever-existent.

If the own-nature of "discrimination" (分別性, the wholly-imagined nature) were ever-existent, then the own-nature of "the real" (真實性, the true nature) would be forever non-existent, because [the real] could not be found. If the own-nature of "discrimination" is forever non-existent, then the own-nature of "the real" is ever-existent, because [the real] can be found.

Wishing to cultivate the supreme cultivation, one sees no cultivation at all; wishing to attain the supreme attainment, one sees no attainment at all.

That "supreme cultivation" is such that that cultivation cannot be found (only when no mark of cultivation is seen is it the supreme cultivation). That "supreme attainment" is such that that attainment cannot be found (only when no mark of attainment is seen is it the supreme attainment).

With reverence and over long time, one contemplates the Buddha's unprecedented dharmas; relying on this to "swiftly become a buddha" [in fact] takes one far from the Buddha's awakening.

If there is a bodhisattva who, toward the Buddha, the World-Honored One, gives rise to utmost reverence, and over a long time diligently contemplates the Buddha's unprecedented dharmas, and — relying on this contemplating mind and long-time diligence — supposes "I shall swiftly attain unsurpassed awakening," know that such a bodhisattva is in fact very far from the Buddha's awakening. Why? Because he has conceit (慢, the conceit of a self).

Contemplating that dharmas are mere discrimination — this meaning is as known before — the bodhisattva who is without discrimination is said to swiftly become a buddha.

If the bodhisattva contemplates all dharmas as mere discrimination (the meaning as known before), and contemplates that that discrimination too is without discrimination, he then attains entry into "the station of the acceptance of the non-arising [of dharmas]" (無生忍位). By this meaning, he is said to attain awakening. Having stated "the skillful means for entering buddhahood," the text next states "the buddhas' shared work" (the buddhas' one and the same substance and function).

Know that the waters of the various rivers each have a separate support and a separate work; the water being little, the [water-]creatures' use is little, because they have not yet entered the great ocean. All entering the great ocean, [they have] one support and one work; the water being great, the creatures' use is great, and it is likewise ever inexhaustible. So too the various separate understandings [of the bodhisattvas] each have a separate intent and a separate work; the understanding being little, the benefit is little, because they have not yet entered the buddha-substance. All entering the buddha-substance, [they have] one understanding and one intent; the understanding being great, the benefit is great, and the utmost gathering is likewise inexhaustible.

• The "separate waters" are a simile for the bodhisattvas' "separate understandings"; the "separate supports" are a simile for the bodhisattvas' "separate intents"; the "one water" is a simile for the Tathāgatas' "one understanding"; the "one support" is a simile for the Tathāgatas' "one intent."
• Because the waters of the various rivers are separate, the works of the waters are also separate; because the water is little, the enjoyment of the creatures in the water is also little. Why? Because they have not yet entered the great ocean together. The bodhisattvas are likewise: because their understanding is separate, their works are also separate; because their understanding is little, their benefiting of sentient beings is also little. Why? Because they have not yet entered the buddha-substance together.
• If the various waters enter the great ocean, they share one support and one substance; because the water becomes one, the works also become one; because the water is great, the water-creatures' enjoyment is also great. If the bodhisattvas enter the buddha-substance together, they share one intent and one understanding; because the understanding becomes one, the works also become one; because the understanding is great, the benefit is also great, so as to reach, exhaustively, the whole gathering of all sentient beings, likewise inexhaustible.

Having thus stated "the buddhas' substance and function," the text next speaks one verse to exhort [beings] to press on and aspire [to awakening].

The incomparable, complete white dharmas, the cause of the benefit and gladness of beings, the blissful abiding, the inexhaustible treasury — the wise should seek to arouse it.

• The incomparable, complete white dharmas: by reason of the Buddha's "accomplishment of self-benefit."
• The cause of the benefit and gladness of beings: by reason of the Buddha's "accomplishment of benefiting others."
• The blissful abiding, the inexhaustible treasury: because the Buddha's roots of good are without fault and unsurpassed, an "inexhaustible treasury of bliss."
• The wise should seek to arouse it: the person of wisdom should, in order to attain this most excellent "blissful abiding," arouse the great mind of awakening.

The chapter on Awakening is complete.

The Awakening Chapter (菩提品) is the "eye" of the Treatise Adorning the Mahāyāna Scriptures (大乘莊嚴經論). In his preface to the translation, Li Baiyao singles out this one chapter as "the most subtle and wondrous of all," saying that it "transforms the eight consciousnesses so as to accomplish the four wisdoms, and gathers the four wisdoms so as to furnish the three bodies — set out in fullness as the scriptures and treatises had never done before." Yet this "transforming consciousness into wisdom, the four wisdoms and the three bodies" is only one especially prominent section; the chapter proceeds through the causes, body, wisdom, works, and uncontaminated dharma-realm of buddhahood, and closes by urging one to arouse the mind and seek. This exposition follows that major sequence section by section.

It stands as a pair with the Chapter on Reality: the Chapter on Reality expounds the path of cultivation-and-realization (the five positions, ending in "the transformation of the basis"); the Awakening Chapter expounds the fruit of cultivation-and-realization (once the transformation of the basis is complete, that is precisely the wisdom, the body, the works, and the realm set forth here). Walk the path to its end, and what it bears is this whole tree of fruit.

Let one key that runs through the entire chapter be made plain at the outset: the eight consciousnesses (八識) and the transformation of the basis (轉依, āśraya-parāvṛtti). Consciousness-Only (唯識) divides mind-consciousness into eight: the prior five consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body, which discriminate the five sense-objects); the sixth, mind-consciousness (第六意識, which discriminates and deliberates); the seventh, manas (第七末那識, the defiled consciousness that grasps the eighth as a "self"); and the eighth, store consciousness (第八阿賴耶識, the root consciousness that holds seeds). Later the chapter pairs these four groups with the four wisdoms through "the eighth, seventh, sixth, and five consciousnesses are attained in sequence through transformation." This sequence is an important thread of the chapter, but the verse does not decide whether what precedes and follows is one identical consciousness-substance, nor does this line establish that the defiled eight consciousnesses are not annihilated. This exposition therefore follows the sequence in explaining the wisdom, body, realm, and works of buddhahood without adding a verdict of substantial identity.

1. The Wisdom of All Modes: Both the "Cause" and the "Fruit" of Becoming a Buddha Are Already Complete

The prose commentary says: the foregoing has finished expounding "the bodhisattva maturing sentient beings"; next is to be expounded "the bodhisattva's attaining the wisdom of all modes" (一切種智) — that all-knowing wisdom which is the fruit of Buddhahood.

At the outset one line is put as a question: for a person to walk all the way to "becoming a Buddha," what, after all, must be complete? The first verse answers the side of the "cause":

All hardships already done, all good already gathered, all time already traversed, all obstruction already cut.

The cause of "the wisdom of all modes" is complete when these four "alls" have been carried to the very end: all hardships already done — the immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kinds of hard practice have all been practiced through, never once wearying; all good already gathered — the roots of good whose very nature is the six perfections (六波羅蜜) have all been gathered in; all time already traversed — the long kalpas and long stretches of time have all been passed through (this is no matter of one or two lifetimes); all obstruction already cut — even the subtlest, finest obstructions on all the grounds have been cut off to the last. One must feel the weight of these four lines: becoming a Buddha is no bargain won in a single thought; it is hard practice, roots of good, long time, and the cutting of obstruction — each and every one cultivated to the two words "all," before the ground of the cause is counted complete.

The cause being complete, what is the "fruit" like? The second verse answers:

The accomplishing of all modes — this itself is the Buddha's body; as when a great chest is opened, and no jewel within fails to appear.

The prose commentary speaks of this fruit from three layers: attainment (from this point on, the wisdom of all modes is accomplished); essential nature (this very wisdom of all modes, in its own substance, is the Buddha's body); and simile — and this simile most repays reflection: the fruit of Buddhahood is like a great treasure-chest suddenly flung open, all the jewels within appearing at once before the eye. Why "a chest opened, the jewels appearing"? Because "the inconceivable jewels of the factors of awakening" — the powers, the fearlessnesses, the exclusive dharmas, that whole store of qualities — are not added on one by one at leisure; rather, at the very moment the ground of the cause is completed, the lid lifts and the myriad virtues appear all together. Cultivating the cause is like heaping jewels into the chest, realizing the fruit is like opening the chest and the treasures appearing: what was heaped up is precisely what now, in this very moment, appears.

Here the prose commentary points out the first pivot of the whole chapter: this "wisdom of all modes" is itself the "Buddha's body." What follows then asks: this "body" — is it "existent" or "non-existent"?

2. The Buddha's Body Free of the Two Extremes: To Call It "Existent" Is Wrong, To Call It "Non-existent" Is Wrong

The white dharmas are the Buddha's body — not non-existent, not existent either; the Buddha is the cause of the dharma-jewel, the Dharma in turn the cause of roots of good.

Since the wisdom of all modes has been said to be the Buddha's body, then this Buddha-body is the substance into which the "white dharmas" (白法, all the pure and good dharmas, the six perfections and the rest) have been transformed. But the moment one goes to ask whether it is "existent" or "non-existent," the prose commentary at once sets the matter straight: not non-existent, not existent either. To say it is "not non-existent," because it is no different from suchness (真如 is not annihilation); to say it is "not existent," because it has no establishable real self-nature. This is called "free of the two extremes" (無二相) — falling into neither the "existent" side nor the "non-existent" side. Why must "free of the two extremes" be established for the Buddha-body right after? Because to grasp the Buddha-body as really "existent" falls into superimposition; to grasp it as annihilated "non-existent" falls into denial — the Buddha-body is precisely the middle-way substance that departs from these two extremes.

The latter two lines bring out the Buddha-body's "generative power": the Buddha is the cause of the dharma-jewel (the Buddha proclaims all dharmas, and further manifests them by supernormal power, and so the Buddha is the cause of the "dharma-jewel"); the Dharma in turn is the cause of roots of good (the Dharma is in turn the cause of sentient beings' "roots of good"). The prose commentary draws a farming comparison: with sentient beings as the field and roots of good as the grain — the dharma-jewel falls into the field of sentient beings, and there the grain of roots of good grows up. A single chain of growth: the Buddha gives birth to the Dharma, the Dharma gives birth to roots of good.

The next verse "brings out the foregoing meaning again," gathering this chain into two still more vivid images:

Possessing the dharmas and free of the dharmas, like a treasury and like a cloud; giving birth to the Dharma and raining down the rain of Dharma — so are these similes made.

Possessing the dharmas and free of the dharmas: the Buddhas fully possess all good dharmas, and are also free of all unwholesome dharmas — one possessing, one freeing, and the virtue is complete. What matters is the twofold simile in the latter line: the Buddha-jewel is like a "great treasury," the dharma-jewel is like a "great cloud." Why matched this way? The prose commentary itself answers it: the sense taken is "giving birth to the Dharma, raining down the Dharma" — the Buddha-jewel can give birth to the dharma-jewel, just as a great treasury of jewels can give birth to the many jewels (the treasury is the source that "gives birth"); the dharma-jewel can nourish and grow sentient beings' roots of good, just as a great cloud sending down rain can nourish and grow the hundred grains (the cloud is the bestowal that "moistens-and-gives-life"). One is a treasury (whence the myriad jewels come forth), one is a cloud (the sweet rain sprinkled everywhere so that all things grow of themselves): the Buddha and the Dharma stand to sentient beings' roots of good just so — one a source, one a moistening.

3. The Unsurpassed Refuge: Why the Buddha Is That One Place to Which Sentient Beings Can Finally Return

The Buddha-body being now clear, the following section asks a more intimate thing: within the bitter sea of birth-and-death, is there, after all, a place of refuge for sentient beings that can be relied on, relied on to the very end? This whole section expounds the "unsurpassed refuge" (無上歸依) — first in brief, then at large, then pointing out wherein it is "surpassing" and wherein it is "great."

The Buddhas ever save and protect sentient beings' three defilements: the afflictions, the evil deeds, and birth, old age, and death.

Briefly setting forth "saving and protecting": the Buddhas save and protect to the very last (they save all the way, never letting go halfway). Save and protect from what? Sentient beings' three kinds of defilement — the defilement of affliction (the afflictions, the class of greed, hatred, and delusion), the defilement of karma (the evil deeds, the evil karma wrought), and the defilement of birth (birth, old age, and death, saṃsāra itself). Note that these three layers stand in sequence: affliction gives rise to karma, karma summons birth — from the affliction at the root, to the karma wrought, to the fruit of suffering undergone, the Buddha saves and protects the whole chain of saṃsāra, "at all times saving and protecting without letting go." These two words, "not letting go," are the meaning of "to the very last."

The various calamities and the evil destinies, the view of self and also the lesser vehicle — sentient beings such as these, one and all, are saved and protected.

Setting forth "saving and protecting" at large, spreading out the sentient beings who are saved so that class by class none is omitted: the various calamities — the blind, the deaf, the mute, the mad, the deranged, the maimed; by the Buddha's power the blind come to see, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, the mad to right mind, the deranged to concentration, the maimed to wholeness; the evil destinies — the beings of the hells and the rest, whom the Buddha's light touches and illumines, causing them to be freed of suffering and to fall no more; the view of self — the beings who grasp at a "self," made to awaken to the "no-self of persons" and enter the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles; the lesser vehicle — those of indeterminate two-vehicle lineage, drawn by skillful means to turn back and enter the great vehicle (大乘). From the maimed in bodily faculty, to those fallen into evil destinies, to those grasping at self, to those stalled in the lesser — all four classes are gathered in entire: one may see that "saving and protecting" is not the saving of one kind of person only, but that all sentient beings, high and low, deep and shallow, are within this net.

The Buddha is the surpassing place of refuge, unsurpassed because beyond compare; the manifold fears as spoken above — there is not one from which he does not set free.

Wherein is the refuge "surpassing"? — Beyond compare, therefore unsurpassed. The Buddha has no one that can be set beside him, and so he is the "unsurpassed" place of refuge; and just because he is unsurpassed, of the three defilements, the various calamities, and all the fears spoken above, there is not one from which he cannot set sentient beings free. Herein lies the true meaning of "refuge": the more ultimate and unsurpassed the object to which you return, the deeper the floor of the rescue that reaches you — only in returning to the unsurpassed is there the guarantee of "not one from which he does not set free."

The Buddhas, bodies full of good, surpassing all the world, convert sentient beings with wondrous Dharma, for they have crossed the sea of compassion.

The "cause" of the refuge's surpassing — on what strength can the Buddha be this unsurpassed refuge? On two things: first, self-benefit brought to the ultimate (the Buddhas' bodies full of good, surpassing all the world — the qualities of power, fearlessness, and the rest, complete as their very nature, so that they themselves have first reached the far shore); second, benefit of others brought to the ultimate (they convert sentient beings with wondrous Dharma, having crossed the sea of great compassion to the far shore). One who has not himself reached the shore cannot save others; the Buddha is complete in self-benefit and yet more complete in the vow of compassion, and so is fit to be a refuge.

To the very limit of the future, reaching universally all beings, benefiting them at all times — this is called the greatness of the refuge.

Wherein is the refuge "great"? In three senses: greatness of time (exhausting the very limit of all sentient beings' birth-and-death, saving to the limit of the future); greatness of scope (taking all sentient beings as its object, choosing out not one); greatness of work (at all times performing benefit, saving from suffering, causing deliverance). Unending in time, unremitting in object, unresting in work — the "greatness" lies in these three "un-"s. One line gathers this section: the Buddha as refuge is surpassing (unsurpassed), caused (the twofold benefit of self and other brought to the ultimate), and great (the three inexhaustibles of time, scope, and work), and so is the last, the surest, the most thorough place of return for sentient beings.

4. The Characteristic of the Tathāgata's Transformation of the Basis: The Root of the Fruit of Buddhahood Is the Whole Overturning of the Ordinary Being's "Basis"

This whole section is the spine of the entire chapter — it expounds "the transformation of the basis." What has gone before, expounding the Buddha-body and the refuge, is all well; but where is the root of all this? The root lies in the transformation of the basis: turning the defiled "basis" over into purity. First it asks: this one "turning" — what, after all, does it overturn, and what does it attain?

The seeds of the two obstructions ever pursue; their cessation is a cutting most vast, for the white dharmas are complete — the basis being turned, the two paths are accomplished.

The transformation of the basis has a "freeing-from" and also an "attaining." The side of freeing-from (the counteracted set at a distance): the seeds of the two obstructions — the afflictive obstruction and the cognitive obstruction — from beginningless time have ever pursued us; now they are "cut most vast" — "most" is on all the grounds, "vast" is in all their kinds, so that even the deepest, finest seeds are forever extinguished. The side of attaining (the counteragent accomplished): the Buddha's substance corresponds with the supreme and complete white dharmas, and at that moment, the "basis" once turned, the two paths are accomplished — one, "the path of the utterly pure supramundane wisdom" (illumining the true), and two, "the path of the wisdom whose objects are the boundless knowables" (illumining the conventional). This is what is called the transformation of the basis: cutting the seeds of the two obstructions (freeing-from), attaining the two paths of wisdom (attaining) — the two sides of one and the same overturning.

There the Tathāgata abides, unmoving as the king of mountains; he pities even those who delight in cessation — how much more those attached to existence.

This one turning — why, among all "turnings," is it the most surpassing? Because the uncontaminated realm in which the Tathāgata abides after the transformation of the basis is "unmoving as the king of mountains" — like the king of the mountain ranges set firm upon the great earth, abiding without shaking. Why borrow the "king of mountains"? To bring out that weight of abiding unmoving, never again to fall back: the ordinary being's mind flows and turns with objects; even the two vehicles' realization can still be shaken; the Buddha alone, in this one turning, is like the king of mountains set firm upon the earth, never to fall away. And within this unmoving there is held a great compassion: the Buddha, abiding thus, looks back upon those śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas who "delight in quiescent cessation" and still gives rise to pity (sighing that they seek only their own release); how much more those, far off in the low and the mean, who are attached to "existence" and undergo suffering? — unmoving yet not cold, abiding yet the compassionate heart the more urgent: this is the Buddha's "surpassing transformation."

Benefit of others and the unsurpassed, not-turned and unarisen, vast and free of the two, non-abiding and equal, excellent and universally bestowed — this is called the Tathāgata's turning, displaying ten qualities, whose differing meanings should be known.

These two verses list the merits of "the Tathāgata's turning" as ten kinds of quality; it is worth acknowledging them one by one: ① the turning that is for others' benefit (once turned, it is for benefiting others); ② the unsurpassed turning (attaining mastery over all dharmas, surpassing the two vehicles' turning); ③ the not-turned turning (the defiling causes can no longer turn this "basis"); ④ the unarisen turning (all defiled dharmas utterly do not arise); ⑤ the vast turning (able to display great awakening and the great final nirvāṇa); ⑥ the turning free of the two (birth-and-death and nirvāṇa are without duality); ⑦ the non-abiding turning (abiding in neither the conditioned nor the unconditioned); ⑧ the equal turning (together with the two vehicles equally liberated from the afflictive obstruction); ⑨ the excellent turning (the powers, fearlessnesses, and the rest of the Buddha-dharmas without equal); ⑩ the universally-bestowed turning (ever instructing sentient beings by all the vehicles). The ten seem scattered, but in truth a single thread strings them: this one "turning" — downward it can benefit others and bestow universally (compassion), upward it can be masterful and excellent (wisdom), toward itself it can be not-turned and unarisen (steadfast), and toward birth-and-death and nirvāṇa it can be free of the two and non-abiding (the middle way) — wisdom, compassion, steadfastness, and the middle way, the whole rubric of the Buddha's virtues, are all within this one turning.

The transformation of the basis being now clear, the prose commentary goes on to use three vivid similes to expound thoroughly the relation between "the Buddha-substance after the transformation of the basis" and sentient beings — does it pervade or not? Is it seen or not? How does it come forth and pass away?

As space pervades all things, so the Buddha too pervades all; as space pervades all forms, so the Buddhas pervade sentient beings.

First, "pervasion": the Buddha-substance is like space — space pervades all form-dharmas, while the verse says that the Buddhas pervade sentient beings. Someone will ask: sentient beings plainly are not now Buddhas, so how can the Buddha-substance be said to "pervade" sentient beings? The prose commentary answers, "because they are not yet accomplished": sentient beings have not yet accomplished the fruit of buddhahood. This exposition reports that answer without expanding "not yet accomplished" into a verdict that an already-present Buddha-nature is merely screened over.

As when the water-vessel is broken, the moon's image appears not; so through sentient beings' faults, the Buddha's image too appears not.

But since the Buddha-substance pervades all, why do sentient beings not see the Buddha? — for this the second simile is needed: the water-vessel and the moon's reflection. The moon in the sky has all along been there; yet if the vessel that holds the water is broken and the water leaks away, then the water's surface reflects no image of the moon — it is not that the moon is not there, but that the vessel that bears the moon is broken. In the same way, the Buddha's image has all along pervaded and illumined; only through sentient beings' faults (the karmic obstructions), like a broken and leaking water-vessel, is there no reflecting of the Buddha who has been there all along. That it is not seen — the fault lies in the vessel of sentient beings, not in the moon of the Buddha. This simile best resolves sentient beings' doubt: the Buddha has never not been there; it is that this basin of mine has grown turbid, has leaked away.

As the nature of a mass of fire is now ablaze, now burned out, so the transformations of the Buddhas now come forth, now enter nirvāṇa.

The third simile speaks of "coming forth and entering nirvāṇa": the verse compares the transformations of the Buddhas coming forth and entering nirvāṇa to a mass of fire blazing and going out. That is the scope of the comparison. This exposition does not infer from the extinguished fire-mass that "the nature of fire remains," or use the simile to establish some further enduring substance.

5. The Tathāgata's Works Are Ever Effortless: The Buddha Delivers Beings, Yet Spends Not a Single Thought of Contrivance

Following the above, since the Buddha is like a fire now coming forth, now passing away, is the Buddha then very "forceful," very "deliberate," in doing all these works? This section answers: no. The Buddha's works are "effortless" (無功用) — accomplished of themselves, without recourse to contrivance.

The wish-fulfilling jewel and the heavenly drum accomplish their own work of themselves; the Buddha's transforming and the Buddha's teaching are, without thought, likewise so.

Two excellent similes are set out together: the wish-fulfilling jewel (如意寶珠), though it has no mind, can yet of itself manifest all manner of things (in accord with what a person seeks, the jewel of itself responds); the heavenly drum (天鼓), though it has no mind, can yet of itself send forth all manner of wondrous sounds. The Buddha is like this too — the Buddha manifests all manner of transformations (the Buddha's transforming), like the jewel's manifesting, manifesting without mind; the Buddha teaches all manner of wondrous Dharma (the Buddha's teaching), like the heavenly drum's resounding, teaching without thought. One must feel the wonder of this "effortlessness": the ordinary being, to do a thing, must set a thought stirring, must exert force; but the Buddha delivers beings as the jewel reflects things, as the drum sounds of itself, without waiting to set the mind stirring and thought moving — accomplished by letting things run their course. The more ultimate, the less forceful.

Resting on space, the works are unbroken, yet the works have their increase and decrease; resting on the realm, the deeds are unceasing, yet the deeds have their arising and ceasing.

Again, from a simile of "resting on space," it expounds how the "unbroken" and the "arising and ceasing" of the Buddha's deeds run side by side without contradiction: the myriad affairs of the world are done resting upon space, and space is never cut off (so the world's affairs are "unbroken"), yet the world's affairs in themselves have their increase and decrease. The Buddha too is so — resting upon the uncontaminated realm he performs the Buddha's deeds, and that "basis" on which the Buddha's deeds are performed (the uncontaminated realm) is never cut off (so the Buddha's deeds are "unbroken"), while the aspect of the Buddha's deeds manifested may yet have its coming forth and passing away, its arising and ceasing. In a word: the "substance" of the Buddha's deeds (the uncontaminated realm rested upon) is ever constant and unbroken, while the "aspect" of the Buddha's deeds (manifested in accord with capacities) has its rising and its subsiding — as space is ever present while the world's affairs have their increase and decrease.

6. The Profundity of the Uncontaminated Dharma-Realm: Wherein the "Realm" in Which the Buddha Abides Is Deep

Here the whole chapter turns into its deepest section. The Buddha's body and works are now clear, but in what kind of "place," after all, does the Buddha abide? — the uncontaminated dharma-realm. This realm is "profound"; the prose commentary cuts it open from three faces: the profundity of characteristic (what kind of thing it is), the profundity of place (whether it is one or many), and the profundity of work (what function it sets in motion).

The first of the profundity of characteristic — the characteristic of purity: it is clean of itself from the start, not something washed clean afterward

As before, so after; and free of all obstruction: not pure, not impure — this the Buddha calls suchness.

The purity of the dharma-realm is wondrous in that it is "not pure, not impure." To say it is "not pure" — because its own nature is undefiled from the start ("as before, so after": it is one and the same before and after, of itself pure from the start, not something bleached white afterward, and so it cannot be called a "purity" that has been "purified" into being); to say it is "not impure" — because the adventitious defilements have afterward departed (the obstructions being now removed, it cannot be called "dirty" either). Clean of itself, so it waits on no purifying; the adventitious defilements departable, so it bears not the name of stain: this is the dharma-realm's "characteristic of purity."

This paradox — "clean of itself yet defiled by adventitious defilements, defiled yet its native cleanness not lost" — the Treatise on the Ultimate One Vehicle, the Jewel-Nature sets forth most plainly with the simile of space: "As the pure mind, like space, is ever bright and without alteration, yet by false discrimination is defiled by adventitious afflictions" — the mind is like space, of itself ever bright, never once altered, only screened over by the "adventitious defilements" of false discrimination. It says again: "As in space the undefiled, pure sun and moon are covered over by dense thick clouds and by a spread of netting" — the sun and moon are of themselves pure, covered over by thick clouds and netting; and once the clouds are gone, "the sun, without cloud-veil and the rest, complete with undefiled qualities, appears — that very substance itself." One must feel the two sides of this simile: to say "not impure," because the cloud-veil (the adventitious defilement) is really and truly covering over, openable and departable, not a nothing; to say "not pure," because the cleanness of space, of sun and moon, is native — parting the clouds only makes manifest its native brightness, not adding a jot of purity to it. The adventitious defilement is a "guest," a covering and not the substance defiled; the native cleanness is the "host," a making-manifest and not a fresh gain — "not pure, not impure" falls exactly upon this dividing-line between space and cloud-veil.

The second of the profundity of characteristic — the characteristic of the great self: within no-self, there is a "great self"

Pure, empty, without self — the Buddha calls it the foremost self; the Buddhas' self being pure, therefore the Buddha is named the great self.

This verse is the most liable to misunderstanding, and must be acknowledged with care. The Buddha-dharma plainly says "no-self" — how then does a "great self" spring up? The key lies here: this uncontaminated realm takes the "foremost no-self" (第一無我) as its own nature — the so-called "foremost no-self" is that "pure suchness" (the true suchness made manifest once the falsely-grasped self has been utterly emptied); and this pure suchness is precisely the own-nature of the Buddhas' "self." Because this "self" of the Buddha most attains purity (with not a hair's-breadth of false grasping), it is called the "great self." One must distinguish: the ordinary being's "self" is a small self grasped up out of falsity; the Buddha's "great self" is precisely the pure suchness made manifest once the false self has been emptied to the end. Empty the false self, and only then is the great self seen — it is not that a self is set up apart from no-self, but that, no-self carried to the very end, that very substance is named the great self.

Here only a ready-made image is taken, to help the beginner cross this threshold of "emptied and yet set up" 〔this image is borrowed from another scripture, and helps open understanding; it is not that the present treatise cites it〕: the Scripture of Complete Awakening (圓覺經) says that when the eye has cataracts, it falsely sees flowers in the sky, and "as those sky-flowers cease within space, one cannot speak of a fixed place where they cease — why? because there is no place where they arose." The so-called "sky-flowers" are the false sight of the cataracted eye; in space there was originally no such flower. The cataract removed, the flower gone, it is not that one has gained another "true flower" apart; it is only to give space back its original cleanness, where flower there was none. The vanishing of the false self is likewise: to empty the falsely-grasped self is not to set up, apart from no-self, some "great self" as a thing freshly gained; the false self was from the start, like the sky-flower, without arising, and its vanishing only gives back to that native pure suchness its own suchness — and this suchness is named the "great self." With this image laid down first, "within no-self a great self is spoken" will not be heard as "first saying there is none, then slipping in an existent."

The third of the profundity of characteristic — the indeterminate characteristic: whether the Buddha-substance "is or is not," admits of no fixed answer

Not substance, not non-substance — thus is the Buddha-substance spoken; and so this discourse is made: it is fixedly an indeterminate dharma.

The Buddha-substance — to say it "is (substance)" is wrong, and to say it "is not (non-substance)" is wrong. Not substance — because the two characteristics, of person and of dharma, are unspeakable (no real substantial characteristic can be pointed to); not non-substance — because the characteristic of "suchness" really is (suchness is not sheer nothing). Just for this reason, the four propositions — "after death the Tathāgata is, is not, both is and is not, neither is nor is not" — are all "indeterminate" (not to be answered with fixity) — and this is the dharma-realm's "indeterminate characteristic." Why is it indeterminate? Because the moment one answers with fixity "is" or "is not," one drags suchness, which departs from the two extremes, back into the reckoning of is and is not. The Buddha's "not answering" here is not that he does not know; it is that this reality simply does not fall into these four propositions.

The fourth of the profundity of characteristic — the characteristic of liberation: like the heat withdrawn from iron, the cataract removed from the eye

As when the iron's heat is stilled, as when the eye's cataract is removed, so too the stilling of mind-and-wisdom — one speaks not of it as having or lacking substance.

What is the characteristic of liberation? Two similes near at hand: the red-hot iron, its heat withdrawn; the cataracted eye, its cataract removed. Of these two it may be said "not substance, not non-substance" — "not substance," because the heat and the cataract are now without characteristic (the thing to be removed is gone); "not non-substance," because the iron still is, the eye still is (the characteristic of the stilling still has substance). The liberation of the Buddha's mind-and-wisdom is likewise: taking "greed" as the heat and "ignorance" as the cataract, the two being once stilled — "not substance" (greed and ignorance are stilled), "not non-substance" (the liberation of mind and wisdom still is). The wonder of this simile: liberation is not extinguishing mind-and-wisdom entire (the iron and eye still are); it is withdrawing the heat and the cataract (greed and ignorance) — removing the disease, not removing the body.

The profundity of place — is this realm one, or is it many

The Buddhas' uncontaminated realm is not one, nor is it many; because it accords with the prior bodies, and because it is not a body, being like space.

The uncontaminated dharma-realm is "not one, nor many." Not one — because it "accords with the prior bodies" (differing with each Buddha's body on the ground of the cause, so that it cannot be spoken of as one rigid thing); not many — because its substance is "not a body," like space (space has no shape or matter to be cut apart, and so cannot be spoken of as many). Again space is borrowed: is space, would you say, one block? It pervades all things; is it, would you say, many blocks? It has no boundary to divide. The dharma-realm's being "not one, not many" is just like space, which cannot be counted.

The profundity of work — the eight great functions the pure dharma-realm sets in motion: the simile of eight "suns"

Below, in a string of eight verses, the prose commentary uses a series of sun-similes to draw out one by one the eight works (functions) that the uncontaminated dharma-realm sets in motion. It is one and the same "pure realm," yet its functioning has eight kinds; the wonder is that these eight similes mostly circle about "treasury, cloud, sun," advancing layer upon layer:

As a great treasure-store is the resting-place of all jewels, so too the pure realm is the support of the Buddha-dharmas.

① The work of being the support: the pure realm is like a great treasure-store, the resting-place of all the jewels of the factors of awakening — the powers, fearlessnesses, and the rest — a place where the myriad virtues find their lodging.

As the dense clouds spread out and pour down rain to ripen the hundred grains, so too the pure realm streams forth good and matures sentient beings.

② The work of maturing sentient beings: the pure realm is like the dense clouds sending down rain, moistening the hundred grains to ripeness; from the pure realm streams forth roots of good and matures sentient beings — virtue like rain, sentient beings like sprouts.

As the sun and moon at the full are bright, pure, their orbs complete, so too the pure realm is complete in the pure gatherings of good.

③ The work of reaching the ultimate: the pure realm is like the orb of the full moon, bright and pure, complete, causing the two gatherings of merit and of wisdom to become complete — virtue like the full moon, without a jot lacking.

As the sun's orb comes forth and its streaming light illumines all, so too the pure realm streams forth teaching and converts the flock of beings.

④ The work of teaching the true Dharma: the pure realm is like the sun's orb once risen, its streaming light illumining everywhere; from the pure realm streams forth the true Dharma and converts the flock of beings — the Dharma like sunlight, illumining without remainder.

As the sun's beams joined together illumine the world in a common work, so too the pure realm — the Buddhas joined, converting in a common deed.

⑤ The work of the transformations wrought: like many sunbeams joined together at one time in a common work (drying things, ripening things), many Buddhas and many wisdoms are joined at one time in a common deed (transformation and the rest) — many Buddhas in a common work, as many suns joined in brightness.

As the sunlight illumines without limit and all at once, so the Buddha-light of the pure realm illumines — these two things likewise.

⑥ The non-discriminating work: like sunlight illumining everywhere, without division and all at once (choosing out neither noble nor mean, dividing neither before nor after, illumining all together), the Buddha-light illumines everywhere likewise without limit and all at once — non-discriminating, as the sun chooses out no thing.

As the various sunbeams are said to have clouds and the like for veil, so the Buddha-wisdoms of the pure realm are said to have sentient beings' obstruction.

⑦ The non-acting work (at times not setting works in motion): like sunlight veiled by clouds so that it cannot illumine, the Buddha-light too is veiled by sentient beings' faults (the five turbidities), and so at times sets no work in motion — it is not that the sun has no light, but that clouds screen it; not that the Buddha does not convert, but that the obstruction is thick. This simile is of one loom with the earlier "the water-vessel broken, the moon appears not": the fault is on the side of sentient beings.

As by the force of the mordant-ash the garment is dyed all manner of colours, so by the pure realm's force of practice-and-vow, liberation attains all manner of wisdoms.

⑧ The work of the wisdom of liberation: to change the simile to a dyer's house — a garment dyed relies on the force of the "mordant-ash" (the dye-fixing agent); in some places it takes all manner of colours, in some places it does not. The pure realm of the three vehicles is likewise: the Buddhas, by the force of "practice-and-vow" (行願), attain all manner of wisdoms in liberation; but the two vehicles' liberation attains not these manifold wisdoms. It is one and the same "pure realm," yet by the depth or shallowness of the force of practice-and-vow, the wisdom accomplished differs as "manifold" or "not manifold" — as in the dyer's house, where colours are complete where the ash is and lacking where it is not.

The uncontaminated realm is profound in three: in characteristic, place, and work. Thus the Buddhas speak of it — as though one dyed or painted upon space.

This verse "brings out the foregoing meaning again," gathering up the above into a whole: the profundity of the uncontaminated realm is just these three classes — characteristic (the four characteristics of purity, the great self, the indeterminate, and liberation), place (not abiding as one or many), and work (the eight works above). The last, and finest, total simile: as though one dyed or painted upon space — this uncontaminated realm has no idle elaboration, like space; and our dividing it into departments and classes to "speak of its profundity" is just like dyeing colours upon space, painting pictures upon space. Where can space be dyed, be painted? — one may know that all speech and discrimination, upon this uncontaminated realm, are but "painting upon space," speaking with nothing spoken. This simile lightly gathers up all the foregoing "characteristic, place, and work": all are strokes painted upon space.

Because all are without distinction, and because the pure suchness is attained, therefore it is said that sentient beings are named the Tathāgata-womb.

At the end of this section, the text says that sentient beings are named the "Tathāgata-womb" (如來藏). The prose commentary explains the name from the verse's two clauses: "such" from "all are without distinction," and "Thus-Come" from "the pure suchness is attained"; on that basis it applies the name tathāgatagarbha to sentient beings. This exposition reports the name and the scope of the argument here. The passage does not establish that every reader already possesses the perfected fruit of buddhahood, does not decide the one-lineage/five-lineage dispute, and does not turn equality in suchness into an independent claim that Buddhas and sentient beings are one identical substance.

7. The Transformations of the Buddhas: How Vast, How Deep the Buddha's Manifesting Is, and Whence It Comes

The uncontaminated realm being now clear, the first great function the Buddha sets in motion from within this realm is "transformation" (變化, the manifesting of the emanation body). This section first expounds the "surpassingness" (foremost) of transformation and the "profundity" of transformation, then reckons in detail the eight "particular-turning transformations" — that is, the transformative functions attained by turning, one by one, some consciousness or some faculty — and at last gathers all up.

The śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva and the Tathāgata: the first transformation drives back the worldly, and up to the Buddha it drives back the bodhisattva.

First it displays "surpassing transformation" (the Buddha's transformation is foremost): transformation has a sequence from low to high — the worldly transformation, the śrāvaka's transformation can surpass ("drive back," that is, overturn, surpass, and quell); the śrāvaka's, the pratyekabuddha can surpass; the pratyekabuddha's, the bodhisattva can surpass; the bodhisattva's, the Buddhas can surpass. And no one's transformation can surpass the Buddhas' transformation — so the Tathāgata's transformation reaches the very summit. Rank presses rank, up to the Buddha where it stops: one may see the "surpassingness" of the Buddha's transformation.

Thus the Buddha's transformations, immeasurable and inconceivable, in accord with person, with world, with time, manifest all manner of things.

Next it displays "profound transformation": the Buddha's transformation is profound, deep in two words — immeasurable, inconceivable. In accord with what capacity of person, with what world, with what season, according to their differences, it manifests all manner of things, now more, now fewer. Why "inconceivable"? Because it is not stamped out from a single fixed mould; it is manifested in accord with the capacity, changing in a thousand ways — and this is just what leads into the "eight particular-turnings" below: the immeasurableness of the Buddha's transformation is opened out precisely by the turning of the eight kinds of faculty-and-consciousness.

Below, in eight verses, the "particular-turning transformations" are expounded one by one — turning some faculty, some consciousness, and thereby attaining some kind of surpassing transformative function:

Thus the five faculties being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: the various meanings performed throughout, the qualities twelve hundred.

Turning the five faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body): two kinds of surpassingness are attained — "the various meanings performed throughout" (each faculty can use all objects interchangeably, the eye able to do the ear's work and so on, faculty and faculty freely interpenetrating) and "the qualities twelve hundred" (each faculty severally attains twelve hundred kinds of quality). The ordinary being's faculties each manage their own and obstruct one another; the Buddha having turned them, faculty and faculty use one another without obstruction.

Thus the mind-faculty being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: utterly pure, non-discriminating, ever following transformation in its course.

Turning the mind-faculty (here referring to the defiled consciousness, that is, the seventh, manas): "the utterly pure non-conceptual knowledge" (無分別智) is attained, ever running along in common work with all transformation. The root of self-grasping, most defiled, being once turned, becomes the purest non-conceptual knowledge.

Thus meaning-and-sensation being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: the pure land as one wishes, and enjoyments all appearing before one.

Turning meaning-and-sensation ("meaning" refers to the five sense-objects, "sensation" to the five consciousnesses): by this one turning, the buddha-field is pure, the things one wishes appear before one, enjoyed at will — the sovereign enjoyment of the pure land is accomplished from this.

Thus discrimination being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: the works performed by the wisdoms proceed at all times without obstruction.

Turning discrimination (referring to the sixth mind-consciousness): by this one turning, the transformations performed by the wisdoms proceed at all times without any obstruction — the mind-consciousness, most given to discriminating and reckoning, is turned into unobstructed skill.

Thus the establishing being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: abiding in the Buddha's unmoving phrase, yet not abiding in nirvāṇa.

Turning the establishing (referring to the receptacle-world): by this one turning, one abides in the Buddha's "unmoving" uncontaminated dharma-realm, yet "does not enter nirvāṇa" (does not take up quiescent cessation), ever setting surpassing transformation in motion — abiding unmoving and yet not forsaking the delivering of beings.

Thus the defilement of desire being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: abiding in the Buddha's unsurpassed bliss, manifesting a wife yet undefiled.

Turning the defilement of desire: by this one turning, two transformations are attained — one, abiding in the Buddha's "unsurpassed bliss"; two, "undefiled amid a wife" (though manifesting a household with a wife, the mind is without defiled attachment). The defilement of the desire of affliction is turned into the unsurpassed bliss of Dharma, manifesting the worldly aspect yet not stained by it.

Thus the notion of space being turned, transformation attains surpassingness: all attained as one wishes, and wherever one goes, nothing hindering.

Turning the notion of space: by this one turning, two transformations are attained — "all that one wishes attained" (attaining the "space-treasury," and so all wishes fulfilled) and "wherever one goes, nothing hindering" (attaining the "space-release," and so the places one goes are without obstruction).

Thus, by immeasurable turnings, come immeasurable transformations; the inconceivable works of all the Buddhas rest upon the undefiled.

The last verse gathers all up: by immeasurable "turnings," immeasurable "transformations" are attained — and all these inconceivable works of the Buddhas rest, one and all, upon "the uncontaminated dharma-realm (the undefiled)." Having expounded the eight particular-turnings, here it gathers them in: the turnings, though immeasurable, are basically one realm only. All the transformations stream forth from that one uncontaminated dharma-realm.

8. The Buddhas Maturing Sentient Beings: How the Buddha "Rears" Sentient Beings to Buddhahood

The Buddha's transformation being now vast, the aim of transformation is "maturing sentient beings." This section expounds specifically the manifold "causes" (gateways, modes) by which the Buddha matures sentient beings, in a string of three sets of similes — sun, lamp, and sea.

Causing to gather, and causing to grow; causing to ripen, and causing to be freed; ripening and ripening, without remainder — for the world is without end.

First, the "cause of maturing in sequence": maturing has its sequence — those who have not gathered roots of good are caused to gather them, those who have gathered are caused to increase, those who have grown are caused to ripen, those who have ripened are caused to be freed, until the utmost purity is reached. The wonder is in the latter two lines: "ripening and again ripening, yet not entering the final nirvāṇa" — why? Because the world is without end — sentient beings cannot be delivered to the last, and so the Buddha never rests his hand. This one line expounds the Buddha's compassion to its very floor: it is not that, having delivered them all, he departs; it is that, sentient beings being endless, the delivering too is endless.

The hard-to-attain now fully attained, everywhere a refuge for beings — rare, and yet not rare, by reason of attaining the good skillful means.

Setting forth the "characteristic of the not-rare" (the practice of the bodhisattva already matured): the highest quality of unsurpassed awakening was from the start "never-before-had," hard to attain; now, fully possessed and corresponding, one can ever be a refuge for beings in the worlds of the ten directions. To mature sentient beings everywhere thus is "rare"; yet it may be called "not rare" — why? Because the good skillful means has been attained. The so-called good skillful means is "the way that accords with capacity," which is pure practice. The wonder is in this "rare and yet not rare": in the eyes of sentient beings it is wondrous and hard to attain; but on the Buddha's part it is accomplished by letting things run their course (the good skillful means once attained, it is as everyday as home life), taken as nothing wondrous.

Turning the Dharma and the Dharma's passing, attaining the path and nirvāṇa — everywhere skillful means arise, while the true dharma-realm does not move.

Setting forth the "cause of universal maturing": in "a single instant," the Buddha can, here manifest the turning of the Dharma-wheel, there manifest the passing-away of the true Dharma, in one place manifest the attaining of awakening, in another place manifest the entering of nirvāṇa — in the same instant, differently manifested in the eight directions, only because sentient beings' capacities differ. Yet the marvel is the last line: setting skillful means in motion everywhere thus, yet upon the uncontaminated dharma-realm never once moving. What moves is the manifesting in accord with capacity; what does not move is the dharma-realm rested upon — again "the aspect moves while the substance does not move" (of one vein with the earlier "resting on space the works are unbroken").

Raising no discriminating thought, maturing the past, future, and present, everywhere converting sentient beings, ever manifesting the three gateways.

Setting forth the "cause of spontaneous maturing": the Buddhas never raise such a thought as — "I have delivered, I shall deliver, I now deliver sentient beings." Why? Because of non-discrimination (the Buddha, in delivering beings, keeps no thought of a deliverer and a delivered). Though effortless, yet at all times, with roots of good, he matures sentient beings throughout the worlds of the ten directions by the "three gateways" (the teaching-gateways of the three vehicles). The wonder is that "raising no discriminating thought" and yet "maturing past, future, and present": to convert without mind is precisely to convert to the very end — keep one thought of "I am delivering beings," and one falls into effort; without this one thought, the converting pervades the three times.

As the sun's light of itself illumines, breaks the dark and ripens the hundred grains, so too the Dharma-sun's light extinguishes affliction and matures sentient beings.

Illustrating by simile the sense of "spontaneous": like the sun's orb, spending no toil, of itself giving forth light, everywhere breaking the dark and ripening the hundred grains; the Buddha too is so — though effortless, with the light of the "Dharma-sun" he everywhere extinguishes affliction and matures sentient beings. "Effortlessly accomplishing a great work" — the sun is the best model: when did the sun ever set the mind to illumine someone, to ripen someone? It illumines everywhere of itself, and the hundred grains ripen of themselves.

One lamp lights the many lamps, the great gathering of brightness inexhaustible; one matured converts many to maturity, the converting too inexhaustible.

The "cause of maturing in continuation" uses the lamp simile: one lamp goes to light the many lamps, kindling them into a great gathering of lamps, immeasurable and numberless, yet the brightness of that one lamp is not diminished by being shared out. The Buddha too is so: one Buddha matures sentient beings, converting many to maturity, forming a great gathering of sentient beings, yet the power of that converting is without end. The wonder is in "one lamp inexhaustible": plainly transmitted everywhere, yet undiminished in itself — the Buddha's virtue shared out to immeasurable sentient beings, yet its own substance unimpaired.

The vast sea takes in the many streams, without surfeit and without overflow; the Buddha-realm gathers in the many goods, neither filled nor increased.

The "cause of maturing without surfeit" uses the sea simile: the vast sea broadly takes in the hundred rivers, with neither "surfeit" (never sated with more) nor "overflow" (never brimming with fullness), because it can receive and hold. The Buddha-realm too is so: ever gathering in immeasurable pure roots of good, yet "neither filled nor increased" (never, by gathering in much, becoming "full" or "increased"), because the Buddha's virtue is rare, not to be measured by fullness or increase from the start. The sea takes in the hundred rivers and does not overflow; the Buddha gathers in the many goods and is not filled — its measure so vast that there is no "fullness" to speak of.

9. The Purity of the Buddhas' Dharma-Realm: From Nature, Cause, Work, and Position, Looking Again at This Pure Realm

This short section, following on from the uncontaminated dharma-realm above, changes the angle and, from the four senses of nature, cause, work, and position, points out "the purity of the dharma-realm" once more, leading into the three bodies of the following text.

The two obstructions now forever removed, the dharma of suchness attains purity; over things and the wisdom that cognizes them, sovereign and inexhaustible too.

The "nature" sense of the dharma-realm: the characteristic of purity — the two obstructions of affliction and of the cognitive are both forever exhausted (the dharma of suchness attains purity); the characteristic of sovereignty — over both "things" and "the wisdom that takes them as object" it attains sovereignty, forever inexhaustible. Nature is just its native aspect of "pure and sovereign."

The wisdom of suchness in all modes, the cause of cultivating the pure dharma-realm; benefiting and gladdening, converting sentient beings — this fruit too is inexhaustible.

The "cause" sense of the dharma-realm: to make the dharma-realm pure, one cultivates at all times "the wisdom of the gateway of suchness in all modes" as the cause; to convert sentient beings, one bestows at all times the two fruits of "benefit and gladness" upon sentient beings, ever inexhaustible. Cultivating the wisdom of suchness is the cause, benefiting and gladdening sentient beings is the fruit — cause and fruit both "inexhaustible."

Setting in motion body, speech, and mind, the three works ever converting; the two gateways and the two gatherings, the skillful means all complete.

The "work" sense of the dharma-realm: setting in motion the three works of body, speech, and mind, at all times converting sentient beings; with the "two gateways" (the gateway of concentration, the gateway of dhāraṇī) and the "two gatherings" (the gathering of merit, the gathering of wisdom) as skillful means, all made complete. Work is just its function of "the three works converting beings, the two gateways and two gatherings as its instruments."

The self-nature and the Dharma-enjoyment and the transformation — the difference of positions; this by the purity of the dharma-realm, so the Buddhas have spoken.

The "position" sense of the dharma-realm: the self-nature body, the enjoyment body (受用身), and the emanation body — this is the difference of "positions"; and that these three positions can be established is entirely by "the purity of the dharma-realm" — were the dharma-realm not pure, these positions of the three bodies would not stand. This verse is a bridge: from "the purity of the dharma-realm" it directly draws out the "three bodies" below — the three bodies are precisely the three positional differences of the pure dharma-realm.

10. The Three Bodies of the Buddhas: Dharma, Enjoyment, and Transformation — One Root and Two Dependents

Following on from the "position" sense above, this section expounds specifically the "three bodies." First it establishes the three bodies and discerns their support and characteristic, then expounds the twofold benefit, the constancy, and the equality of the three bodies.

The self-nature body and the enjoyment body and the emanation body — joined, the three bodies; it should be known that the first body is the support of the other two.

Every Buddha has three bodies: the self-nature body (自性身, established by the "characteristic of the transformation of the basis" — the very substance of the pure dharma-realm); the enjoyment body (食身, which in the great assembly performs the "Dharma-food," nourishing the holy multitude with Dharma); and the emanation body (化身, which performs the benefit of the sentient beings to be converted). The one line that matters: the self-nature body is the support of the enjoyment body and the emanation body — it is the "root." One root (the self-nature body) and two branches (enjoyment and emanation); the two bodies both arise from the self-nature body.

The enjoyment body, in the various realms, has differences of enjoyment: the lands, the names, the bodies, the works — all being different.

Speaking of the "enjoyment body" alone: in all worlds, its retinues, buddha-fields, names, bodies, and works — these matters of enjoyment are each and all different. Why must the enjoyment body "have differences"? Because it is manifested for the bodhisattvas on the grounds to enjoy the bliss of Dharma, and so differs with realm and with multitude.

The equal, subtle body, joined with the enjoyment body: it should be known that the enjoyment body is the cause of the emanation body.

Ordering the relation of the three bodies one layer more: "equal" refers to the self-nature body (all Buddhas equal and without distinction); "subtle" (this body being hard to know); "the enjoyment body (食身) joined with the equal body" (arising in dependence on the self-nature body); and the enjoyment body is in turn the cause of the emanation body (in accord with the enjoyment desired, it manifests everything, and the emanation body comes forth from this). A single chain of dependent arising: self-nature body (equal) → enjoyment body → emanation body.

The emanation-Buddha's immeasurable emanations — therefore it is named the emanation body; the two bodies and the two benefits accomplished, established in all modes.

Speaking of the "emanation body" alone: the emanation-Buddha at all times emanates immeasurable differing forms, and so it is named the "emanation body." Further pointing out the "two bodies and two benefits": the "two bodies" are the enjoyment body and the emanation body; the "two benefits" are self-benefit and others'-benefit — the enjoyment body has "the accomplishing of self-benefit" for its characteristic, the emanation body has "the accomplishing of others'-benefit" for its characteristic; the two benefits both accomplished in all modes, the two bodies of enjoyment and emanation are accordingly established.

The crafts and the taking of birth, the attaining of the path and the final nirvāṇa — displaying these great skillful means, causing others to attain liberation.

The "others'-benefit" characteristic of the emanation body, spread out to view: the emanation body at all times converts sentient beings, now manifesting crafts (skills and arts), now manifesting the taking of birth, now manifesting the attaining of awakening, now manifesting the final nirvāṇa — displaying all manner of great skillful means, all causing sentient beings to attain liberation. Śākyamuni's manifesting of a whole lifetime (descent to birth, attaining the path, nirvāṇa) is precisely the look of this "emanation body's others'-benefit."

It should be known that the Buddha's three bodies gather in every Buddha-body, the support of self-benefit and others'-benefit — all manifested as the three bodies.

Gathering it in one line: these three bodies gather in every one of all the Buddhas' bodies, for they manifest the support of "self-benefit and others'-benefit" entire — though Buddha-bodies be myriad, they go not beyond these three.

By reason of the basis, the mind, and the work, the three Buddhas are alike equal; by self-nature, by the unbroken, by the continuous, the three Buddhas are alike ever-abiding.

Last, the "equality" and the "ever-abiding" of the three bodies. Equality: by reason of the "basis," the self-nature body is equal (the dharma-realm without distinction); by reason of the "mind," the enjoyment body is equal (the Buddha-mind without distinction); by reason of the "work," the emanation body is equal (one and the same performing). Ever-abiding: by reason of "essential constancy," the self-nature body is ever-abiding (uncontaminated to the very last); by reason of "unbroken constancy," the enjoyment body is ever-abiding (the teaching of Dharma without cease); by reason of "continuous constancy," the emanation body is ever-abiding (though hidden here, it appears again there). The wonder is the "ever-abiding" of the emanation body: the emanation body plainly has arising and ceasing — how too is it "ever-abiding"? — because of "continuous constancy": hidden in this place, it appears again in that, like lamp succeeding lamp, the brightness unbroken. Each of the three bodies has its own "constancy," and joined they make the Buddha's constant presence. This verse weighs heavily with the ancient masters: Taehyŏn, in his Record of Study on the Cheng Weishi Lun, in treating the constancy of the Buddha-body, cites in full "the self-nature the unbroken and the continuous — the three Buddhas alike ever-abiding" as clear proof 〔the Record's citation gives its last two graphs as "in the hall," a variant of transmission〕 — the sense of the Buddha-body's ever-abiding, the ancient masters took this very verse of this chapter for its ground.

11. The Wisdom of the Buddhas: Transforming the Eight Consciousnesses into the Four Wisdoms, Gathering the Four Wisdoms to Furnish the Three Bodies (the Eye of the Whole Chapter)

Having reached this point, the Buddha's body has been expounded, and the prose commentary says: "The bodies of the Buddhas being now expounded, next are expounded the wisdoms of the Buddhas." — this is the very pupil of the eye that Li Baiyao's preface singled out: transforming consciousness into wisdom, the four wisdoms and the three bodies. What the "wisdom" of Buddhahood is, how it is "turned" out of the ordinary being's eight consciousnesses, and how it is matched, in turn, with the three bodies above.

The chapter explicitly says that the eighth, seventh, sixth, and first five consciousnesses are “turned in sequence and attained” as the four wisdoms. This verse does not itself decide that consciousness and wisdom are one identical substance or that the wisdom-nature of the eight consciousnesses is innately complete. The exposition therefore reports the sequence without using ice-and-water or cloud-and-sun images to prove identity or innateness.

〔cross-text borrowed simile〕The Ratnagotravibhāga offers the images of true gold in filth and a gold image wrapped in rags. They may be compared as an account of removing defilement and revealing gold, but they belong to another treatise and are not evidence that this chapter teaches identity of consciousness and wisdom or innate wisdom.

The general statement: the eight consciousnesses turned into the four wisdoms

The four wisdoms — the mirror unmoving — the support of the three wisdoms; the eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth consciousnesses, being turned in sequence, are attained.

Every Buddha has four kinds of wisdom: first, the mirror wisdom (鏡智, that is, the great perfect mirror wisdom); second, the equality wisdom (平等智, the wisdom of the equal nature); third, the observing wisdom (觀智, the wisdom of wondrous observing); fourth, the accomplishing wisdom (作事智, the wisdom that accomplishes what is to be done).

• "The mirror unmoving, the support of the three wisdoms" — the mirror wisdom has "unmoving" for its characteristic, and ever serves as the support of the other three wisdoms. Why? Because those three wisdoms are "moving" (arising in function in accord with capacities and conditions), while the mirror wisdom is suchness-like and unmoving, the root of the other three.
• “The eighth, seventh, sixth, and first five consciousnesses, being turned in sequence, are attained” — the chapter pairs them in order: turning the eighth store consciousness attains mirror wisdom; turning the seventh manas attains equality wisdom; turning the sixth mind-consciousness attains observing wisdom; turning the first five attains accomplishing wisdom. The exposition reports this pairing without adding that affliction itself is awakening.

The mirror wisdom: turning the eighth consciousness, whence the myriad images appear

The mirror wisdom takes objects without division, continuous and ever unbroken, not deluded as to all that is known, yet the characteristics appear not before it.

This displays "turning the eighth consciousness to attain the mirror wisdom," and expounds line by line its four qualities: it takes objects without division (taking all objects without cutting them into portions, illumining with one even flavour); continuous and ever unbroken (proceeding at all times, never once cut off); not deluded as to all that is known (the obstruction to all objects forever cut, nothing not comprehended); the characteristics appear not before it (it illumines all objects yet departs from coarse manifest characteristic-aspects, illumining without grasping).

The mirror wisdom is the cause of all wisdoms, called the great store of wisdom; the other bodies and the other wisdoms — their images appear arising from this.

This displays the "function" of the mirror wisdom, pointing out its root position among the four wisdoms: the equality wisdom and the rest, all the other wisdoms, have the mirror wisdom in all their modes for their cause, and so the mirror wisdom is like a "great treasure-store" — the myriad virtues come forth from within it. Not the wisdoms only: even the Buddha's "other bodies" (the enjoyment body and the rest) and "other wisdoms" (the equality wisdom and the rest) — their images too arise from within this mirror wisdom. Herein lies the source of the name "mirror wisdom": precisely because the images of the myriad bodies and myriad wisdoms all arise from it, like images in a mirror — manifesting all while its own substance does not move — the Buddha names this wisdom the "mirror wisdom." One may gather all four qualities of the prior verse onto this one mirror: the mirror illumines things without choosing great or small, without cutting them into blocks — this is "taking objects without division"; the mirror is ever bright and unextinguished — this is "continuous and ever unbroken"; the mirror illumines all, every fine hair fully shown — this is "not deluded as to all that is known"; the mirror manifests images yet does not stick to the images, not welcoming the coming image nor detaining the going — this is "the characteristics appear not before it." A single mirror, and the four senses are complete in it.

This virtue of the mirror — "manifesting all while its own substance does not move" — the various scriptures have each their saying of it, that may be read across with this wisdom. The Laṅkāvatāra Scripture says: "As a bright mirror all at once manifests all the imageless form-images" — a single mirror manifests the myriad forms all at once, yet chooses out no sequence and detains no characteristic-aspect, precisely that one flavour of "the characteristics appear not before it" and yet "taking objects without division." The Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna speaks of the mirror-virtue of the "substance of awakening" more finely still, listing it as four mirrors, of which it says the "truly-real, not-empty" mirror: "all the objects of the world manifest within it, neither coming forth nor entering, neither lost nor destroyed, ever abiding as the one mind" — the myriad objects manifest within the mirror, yet the mirror does not "enter" because an image comes, does not "lose" because an image goes, and so the mirror-substance does not turn with the images. That the mirror wisdom is the support of the myriad wisdoms, the "great treasure-store," lies just in these eight graphs, "neither coming forth nor entering, neither lost nor destroyed" — illumining without sticking, manifesting without moving.

The equality wisdom: turning the seventh consciousness, self-grasping turned into great compassion

The wisdom of the equality of sentient beings, cultivated pure, realizing awakening, abiding not in nirvāṇa, because there is no final end.

This displays "turning the seventh consciousness to attain the equality wisdom." The seventh, the manas, is that consciousness which ever grasps the eighth as a "self" — the old nest of self-grasping; turned over, it becomes precisely the wisdom "equal toward all sentient beings." At the very moment when the realization of dharma is present, one attains the wisdom that regards all sentient beings as equal; and cultivating to the utmost purity, one realizes unsurpassed awakening. And "abiding not in nirvāṇa" — because sentient beings are without end, and the work of delivering beings has no terminus; and just because there is no terminus, the Buddha does not abide in nirvāṇa, but ever delivers beings within birth-and-death. Abiding not in nirvāṇa is not that one cannot attain nirvāṇa; it is that the compassionate heart is too great to be willing to rest alone. This one turning may be felt through two images: the manas grasping a "self" is like raising a wall between oneself and others — within the wall is "self," outside the wall is "other"; the wall once torn down, inner and outer become one stretch, and looking again at sentient beings, they are not two from oneself — this is "equality"; with no more partition of inner and outer, sentient beings' joy and pain become as one's own joy and pain, and great compassion wells up of itself, not to be dammed. Again, it is like a loving mother who, though she herself have already climbed to the safe shore, seeing her child still trapped in peril, could by no means rest alone, but must wade in time and again to save it — the Buddha's "abiding not in nirvāṇa" is just such a compassionate heart.

Great loving-kindness and great compassion, these two ever without break; if sentient beings but have faith, the Buddha's image at once appears.

This displays the "function" of the equality wisdom: great loving-kindness and great compassion are ever unbroken, the Buddhas at all times following and guarding sentient beings. "So long as sentient beings but have faith, the Buddha's form appears before them" — the Buddha manifests in accord with what sentient beings have faith in: some see the Tathāgata blue in colour, some see him yellow, each in accord with his faith and answering thereto. Here the prose commentary gathers a line that matters: the foregoing two wisdoms, the mirror wisdom and the equality wisdom, these "prior two wisdoms," are the Dharma-body.

The observing wisdom: turning the sixth consciousness, discrimination turned into wondrous observing

The observing wisdom, as to the known and the cognizer, is at all times without obstruction; this wisdom is like a great store, the support of the dhāraṇīs and samādhis.

This displays "turning the sixth consciousness to attain the observing wisdom." The sixth mind-consciousness is originally the consciousness most given to discriminating and reckoning; turned over, it becomes precisely "wondrous observing" — the force of discrimination is no longer put to false grasping, but becomes unobstructed and skillful observing illumination. The observing wisdom, as to all that is known, all objects, is ever without obstruction, like a great treasure-store, the support of all "dhāraṇī gateways" (総持 — the power to gather and hold in memory all the meanings of the Dharma) and all "samādhi gateways" (all manner of right concentration); because these two classes of gateway both arise from the observing wisdom.

Ever in the great assembly, manifesting all manner of things, able to cut off the nets of doubt, for it rains down the great rain of Dharma.

This displays the "function" of the observing wisdom: the observing wisdom is ever in the great assembly of the Dharma-gathering, manifesting all manner of things, able to cut off entirely sentient beings' nets of doubt and to send down the great rain of Dharma — teaching Dharma and delivering beings, resolving doubt and loosening perplexity, is precisely the office of the wisdom of wondrous observing. The prose commentary gathers another line, matching it to a body: this observing wisdom is the "enjoyment body" (the body of enjoyment).

The accomplishing wisdom: turning the prior five consciousnesses, becoming all manner of transformative works

The accomplishing wisdom, in the various realms, sets in motion all manner of transformative works, immeasurable and inconceivable, for the sake of benefiting the flock of beings.

This displays "turning the prior five consciousnesses to attain the accomplishing wisdom." The prior five consciousnesses are originally the consciousnesses that discriminate the five sense-objects; turned over, they become the wisdom that can, in all worlds, set in motion all manner of transformative works — setting in motion all manner of transformative works, immeasurable and boundless, inconceivable, and all these works are for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings. The prose commentary gathers a line, matching it to a body: this accomplishing wisdom is the "emanation body."

The four wisdoms furnishing the three bodies: gathering the four wisdoms to accomplish the three bodies

Having reached this point, the four wisdoms have each been expounded severally, and along with each wisdom the prose commentary has pointed out the body it accomplishes. Gathering them together is precisely what the preface calls "gathering the four wisdoms to furnish the three bodies": the mirror wisdom and the equality wisdom → the Dharma-body (the prior two wisdoms are the Dharma-body); the observing wisdom → the enjoyment body; the accomplishing wisdom → the emanation body.

Gathering-and-holding, and the even mind; the opening of the Dharma, and the accomplishing of works — thus, by reason of the four senses, the four wisdoms arise in sequence.

The last verse gathers the arising of the four wisdoms into a single sequence, four senses matched to four wisdoms in orderly array: "gathering-and-holding" (the total gathering-in of the Dharma heard — this is the mirror wisdom); "the even mind" (attaining, toward all sentient beings, the equality of self and other — this is the equality wisdom); "the opening of the Dharma" (setting forth the true Dharma, resolving doubt and teaching Dharma — this is the observing wisdom); "the accomplishing of works" (setting in motion all manner of transformative works — this is the accomplishing wisdom) — by reason of these four senses, the four wisdoms arise in sequence. One root (the mirror wisdom) and three functions (equality, observing, accomplishing), gathered into three bodies, and the wisdom and the body of Buddhahood are thereupon complete and whole.

〔exposition-borrowed simile〕For an initial reading, one moon over a thousand rivers may illustrate the relation of “one” and “three”: the single moon figures the Dharma-body, its light the enjoyment body, and its reflections in many waters the emanation body. This is only an expository aid. It is not a simile cited by the treatise and does not independently prove the doctrine of the three bodies; the doctrinal ground remains the verse and prose commentary quoted above.

〔One matter to make plain, left for those minded to inquire deeply: "the four wisdoms matched to the three bodies" — the present treatise, in this chapter, matches them thus (the mirror wisdom and the equality wisdom as the Dharma-body, the observing wisdom as the enjoyment body, the accomplishing wisdom as the emanation body). By the later Cien lineage (Kuiji's Forest of Meanings, the Cheng Weishi Lun), the matching is somewhat different — there it is "the wisdom of the equal nature and the wisdom of wondrous observing as the enjoyment body, the great perfect mirror wisdom as the self-nature body." This is a stretch of shift, within the lineage, in the account of matching the bodies, from the early (the Ornament) to the culmination (the Cheng Weishi Lun). Both accounts the ancient masters transmit together; this exposition expounds according to the present treatise and this chapter, and that difference the 〈Textual Apparatus〉 records side by side without adjudicating — the scholar may inquire for himself.〕

12. The Buddhas Neither One nor Many: Is the Buddha One, or Many

The four wisdoms being expounded, the prose commentary incidentally resolves a question that easily catches one up: is the Buddha, after all, "one" or "many"? — the answer: not one, nor yet many.

Difference of nature, and the not-in-vain, the all and the beginningless too; without distinction, therefore not one; on the same support, therefore not many.

The Buddha is "not one" (not one alone) on the strength of five senses: difference of nature (the natures of the boundless Buddhas are each distinct; were there but one Buddha, there would yet be bodhisattvas "to attain awakening in time to come" — a contradiction); the not-in-vain (were the gathering of merit and wisdom in vain and without real effect, then other bodhisattvas ought not to attain awakening; the two gatherings being not in vain, one may see there is more than one Buddha); the all (were there but one Buddha, that Buddha could not benefit all sentient beings; the Buddha having accomplished all sentient beings' becoming Buddhas, one may see there is more than one); the beginningless (were there but a single first Buddha, he should have become a Buddha without having gathered the two gatherings — which does not hold); without distinction (were there another Buddha who became a Buddha without gathering the two gatherings — which does not hold). The Buddha is "not many" (not a scatter of many substances) on the strength of one sense: the same support — the Dharma-body of all the Buddhas rests upon one and the same uncontaminated realm. In a word: seen from "each Buddha having his own ground of the cause," the Buddhas are more than one; seen from "the Dharma-body resting on one and the same uncontaminated realm," the Buddhas are yet not a set of many unrelated ones. Not one, not many, is precisely the Buddha's true state.

13. The Skillful Means of Entering Buddhahood: How One May Walk into This Fruit of Buddhahood

Buddhahood (body, wisdom, realm) being now clear, the most urgent question comes: how may the ordinary being enter this fruit of Buddhahood? This section gives "the skillful means of entering Buddhahood" — four verses, pressing out, layer by layer, a single road of "non-discrimination."

If discrimination ever is, the real is forever not; if discrimination is forever not, the real ever is.

First it establishes an iron rule of the one waxing as the other wanes: "discrimination" (false reckoning) and "the real" (suchness) are irreconcilably opposed — if discrimination ever abides, the real can never be attained; if discrimination is exhausted, the real is ever present. To enter the fruit of Buddhahood, one must first see clearly: what stands before the real is precisely this "discrimination."

Would one cultivate the supreme cultivation, one sees not any cultivation; would one attain the supreme attainment, one sees not any attainment.

A layer deeper: what is "the supreme cultivation"? — seeing no "cultivation" to be cultivated (the characteristic-less of cultivation); what is "the supreme attainment"? — seeing no "attainment" to be attained (the characteristic-less of attainment). Keep one characteristic of "I am cultivating, I have attained," and one falls into discrimination, and it is no longer the supreme. The supreme cultivation-and-realization is precisely cultivating without a characteristic of cultivation, attaining without a characteristic of attainment.

With reverence and over long time, contemplating the Buddha's never-before-had dharmas, and by reason of this to attain Buddhahood swiftly — this is far from the Buddha's awakening.

The next verse sounds an alarm: there is a bodhisattva who conceives the utmost reverence for the Buddha, and over long time diligently contemplates the Buddha's never-before-had dharmas, yet, by reason of this contemplating mind and this diligence, raises the one thought "I shall swiftly attain unsurpassed awakening" — such a bodhisattva is on the contrary very far from the Buddha's awakening. Why? Because he has "conceit" (a hidden self-conceit of "I shall swiftly attain"). This one line strikes right at the heart of the matter: even a good like "revering the Buddha, diligent over long time," once it carries the self-characteristic of "I shall swiftly attain," becomes an obstruction that puts one far from the Buddha — one may see how hard "discrimination and self-conceit" are to remove.

Contemplating dharmas as only discrimination — this sense, as known before — the bodhisattva without discrimination, of him it is said he swiftly becomes a Buddha.

The last verse gives the right road: if a bodhisattva contemplates "all dharmas as only discrimination" (the sense as known before), and further contemplates "that discriminating mind too as without discrimination," he attains entry into "the position of the forbearance of the unarisen," and by this it is said he attains awakening. A single road: first contemplate dharmas as only discrimination (breaking the grasped-object), then contemplate discrimination too as without discrimination (breaking the grasping-subject); grasped and grasping both dissolved, and this is the right skillful means of "swiftly becoming a Buddha." The prior verse: "would one attain swiftly, one is on the contrary far"; this verse: "without discrimination, one is on the contrary swift" — front and back illumining each other, the whole eye of "the skillful means of entering Buddhahood" lies in these three words, "without discrimination."

14. The Buddhas' Common Deed: Bodhisattvas Are Each Distinct; Once Entered the Buddha-Substance, They Are of One Flavour

Once one has entered the fruit of Buddhahood, what is the relation among the Buddhas? — this section, with an excellent river-and-sea simile, expounds that the Buddhas are "of one substance and function."

It should be known that the various river-waters have their separate supports and separate deeds, the water little, the creatures' enjoyment little, because they have not yet entered the great sea. All having entered the great sea, one support and one deed, the water great, the creatures' enjoyment great, and ever, moreover, without end. So too the various separate understandings, separate intents and separate works, the understanding little, the benefit little, because they have not yet entered the Buddha-substance. All having entered the Buddha-substance, one understanding and one intent, the understanding great, the benefit great, the utmost gathering too without end.

The simile falls into two halves, matched with the utmost neatness: before entering the sea — the rivers each have their own riverbed (separate supports), each perform their own deeds (separate deeds), the water scant, and the creatures within the water enjoying scantly too, because "they have not yet entered the great sea together." The bodhisattvas are likewise: before entering the Buddha-substance, understanding is severally distinct (separate understandings), intent is severally distinct (separate intents), works are severally distinct (separate works), understanding little and benefiting sentient beings little. Once entered the sea — the many waters share one seabed (one support), one sea-substance, the water becomes one, the deeds too become one, the water vast, the water-creatures' enjoyment great, and ever, moreover, without end. The bodhisattvas are likewise: once entered the Buddha-substance together, they share one intent (one intent), one understanding (one understanding), works become one, benefit vast, reaching even to pervade the whole gathering of all sentient beings without end. The wonder is in this "the hundred streams entering the sea are then of one flavour": the Buddhas are not a set of many substances each holding their own quarter; they are, having entered one Buddha-substance together, of "one understanding and one intent" — so the "not many" said earlier has its ground precisely here. The many waters entering the sea are no more parted into this and that; the many bodhisattvas entering the Buddha-substance are of one and the same sea of wisdom.

Conclusion: Urging Toward and Longing to Seek — Such a Fruit of Buddhahood, the Wise Should Go and Seek

At the very last of the chapter, the prose commentary closes with a single verse urging the arousing of the mind of awakening — turning the fruit of Buddhahood, which the foregoing has expounded to the full, into one line: "you too should go and seek it."

The peerless, perfect white dharmas, the cause of sentient beings' benefit and gladness, the blissful abode, the inexhaustible store — the wise should seek and arouse.

Gathering the three faces of the fruit of Buddhahood into three lines: the peerless, perfect white dharmas (the Buddha's accomplishing of self-benefit — the myriad virtues complete, beyond compare); the cause of sentient beings' benefit and gladness (the Buddha's accomplishing of others'-benefit — the root of all sentient beings' benefit and gladness); the blissful abode, the inexhaustible store (the Buddha's roots of good, without fault and unsurpassed, an "inexhaustible store of bliss" not to be drawn dry). And so the last line urges outright: the person of wisdom should arouse the great mind of awakening in order to seek this most excellent fruit of buddhahood. The foregoing chapter discusses the cause, fruit, body, wisdom, realm, and works of buddhahood, and its final "the wise should seek and arouse" closes by exhorting seeking and arousal, not by claiming that the reader already possesses the perfected fruit. "The Awakening Chapter is completed"; its concluding address to the learner is to arouse the mind for the sake of seeking buddhahood.

Conclusion: The Single Thread of the Whole Chapter

Take this chapter joined together, and the Awakening Chapter is a complete picture of Buddhahood, section clasping section:

First it expounds the completeness of cause and fruit (hardship, good, time, and obstruction all exhausted, as the great chest opened and the jewels appearing) → then the Buddha-body free of the two extremes (the white dharmas as body, like a treasury and like a cloud) → then the unsurpassed refuge (saving from the three defilements, surpassing in cause and great, the last place of return for sentient beings) → then the Tathāgata's transformation of the basis (cutting the two obstructions, attaining the two paths, unmoving as the king of mountains; the Buddha-substance pervading sentient beings as space pervades forms, pervading yet unseen as the water-vessel broken and the moon appearing not, coming forth and passing away as the mass of fire) → then the works effortless (the wish-fulfilling jewel and the heavenly drum, accomplished without mind) → then the profundity of the uncontaminated dharma-realm (profound in characteristic, place, and work; the eight works as eight suns; the speaking of it as painting upon space; sentient beings are named the Tathāgata-womb) → then the transformations of the Buddhas (transformation most surpassing, most profound; the eight particular-turning transformations, all resting on the undefiled) → then maturing sentient beings (in sequence, universally, spontaneously, in continuation, without surfeit; as the sun ripening the grains, one lamp lighting the many lamps, the vast sea taking in the streams) → then the purity of the dharma-realm (the four senses of nature, cause, work, and position) → then the three bodies of the Buddhas (Dharma, enjoyment, and emanation, one root and two dependents, equal and ever-abiding) → then the wisdom of the Buddhas (transforming the eight consciousnesses into the four wisdoms, gathering the four wisdoms to furnish the three bodies — this is the eye of the chapter) → then the Buddha neither one nor many (by difference of cause not one, by the same support not many) → then the skillful means of entering Buddhahood (non-discrimination is the swift becoming of a Buddha) → then the Buddhas' common deed (entering the Buddha-substance as the hundred streams enter the sea, of one flavour) → ending in urging toward and longing to seek (the wise should arouse the mind of awakening).

This continues the fruit of transformation of the basis taught at the end of the "five positions" in the Chapter on Reality. The present chapter pairs the eight consciousnesses with the four wisdoms through "the eighth, seventh, sixth, and five consciousnesses are attained in sequence through transformation," and then relates the four wisdoms to the three bodies. The verse does not decide that what precedes and follows is one identical consciousness-substance, and this exposition does not add "their very substance is" as its conclusion. The translation preface calls this "set out in fullness as the scriptures and treatises had never done before" and "heard as never heard, seen as never seen": the chapter lays out buddhahood from cause to fruit, body to wisdom, and realm to works, with the section on transforming consciousness into wisdom and the four wisdoms and three bodies as its particular eye.