chapter 10

Chapter 10: Satisfied with Emptiness

In the assembly there is a goddess called Treasure Light Miraculously Fulfilling Wishes, having listened to what the Tathagata speak, rejoices, from her seat stands up, let bare the right shoulder, kneels down the right knee, holds the palms together respectfully and says, Blessed One, pray that the Blessed One please teach us the methods to cultivate on the profound and miraculous Dharma. She speaks the following verses:

The Lamp of the world!

The One who abides in the two realms (Lưỡng túc tôn)!

The Unsurpassed and Supreme!

I request to learn from you the methods

Of the bodhisattva

On how to correctly cultivate virtues

Please allow me to ask of You

The Compassionate One

The Blessed One says, daughter of the lineage, if you have any questions, just mention it, the Tathagata will explain to you the meaning. The goddess asks the Tathagata:

How do the great bodhisattva

Cultivate the righteous path of Bodhi

Leaving samsara

Together with Nirvana

Benefiting self and others

The Tathagata says, heavenly goddess, do rely on the nature of Dharma to practice Bodhi and cultivate the practice of seeing things as equal (bình đẳng hạnh). What does relying on the nature of Dharma to practice Bodhi and cultivating the practice of seeing things as equal mean? It is noticing and realizing the presence of the nature of Dharma by using the 5 skandals. The nature of Dharma is the 5 skandals. However, the 5 skandals and the nature of Dharma cannot be spoken together (at the same time) or be spoken of as separate. If one says that the nature of Dharma and the 5 skandals are together (nói tức), that is having the views that things are bound to be destroyed (đoạn kiến), if one says that the nature of the Dharma leaves the 5 skandals, that is having the views that things are permanent. One must not abide in either concepts (views), not attached to the two extremities, cannot be seen, and surpass the concept of seeing, without words, without impressions, that is the nature of Dharma

Heavenly goddess, what does it mean when one identifies the nature of Dharma in the place of the 5 skandals? It means considering that the 5 skandals are not born due to conditional (connected) elements. If one says that it is born (initiated) because of various elements, then is it born from that which has been born, or born from that which has not been born (đã sinh mà sinh, hay chưa sinh mà sinh)? If one says that it born from that which has not been born, that birth simply cannot happen. That which has not been born cannot have, without a name, a definition, cannot be expressed by words or calculation, because it is not born (created) from interconnected (mutual) elements (yếu tố tương quan). Heavenly goddess, just like the sound that comes from the drum: The sound is created from the wood, the leather, the stick, the hand beating it, and various other things. That sound does not exist in the past, nor in the future; it also does not exist in the present. Why is that so, because that sound is not made from wood, not made by leather, by the hand stick, not in the three times, that is unborn. Since it is not born, it is not destroyed. Since it is not destroyed, it does not reach anywhere (arrive at), since it does not reach any destination, it is neither permanent nor impermanent, since it is neither permanent nor impermanent it is not one nor separate. If they are one, then it is no different from the nature of Dharma, and if that is so, layperson should have seen the nature of Dharma, and acquires the supremely blissful Nirvana; however, since it is not so, we know that they are not one. If they are different, then what the Tathagatas and bodhisattva are practicing are all attachment (chấp trước) tenaciously clinging to certain things, not yet liberated, not attaining Bodhi; however, to a Saint (Buddha, etc) the changing skandals and the unchanging (phi chuyển biến) nature of Dharma are truly of the same suchness of truth, the true nature/character, as such, they are not separate/different. As such, one should know that the 5 skandals are neither having nor not having; not born by the elements, nor unborn by the elements, and this is what is known to the Saintly mind, not the realm of others; it is also that which cannot be expressed by language, no nouns, no definition, no causes, no circumstances, cannot be explained using an example, the beginning and ending are all empty, they have always been empty. Such is what is called recognizing the nature of Dharma in the presence of the 5 skandals. Heavenly goddess, any son or daughter of the lineage who wishes to attain the supreme Unsurpassed Enlightenment should practice not having the Way and not having the phenomenon (layperson) -(phi chân phi tục), surpassing thought and all manners of thought; the scenes of the layperson and the scenes of the Saint should be neither one nor separate (phàm cảnh thánh cảnh phi nhất phi dị), in summary, do not leave the lay practice, do not leave the Way, that is relying on the nature of the Dharma to practice Bodhi.

The Tathagata having said so, the heavenly goddess rejoices, from her seat stands up, let bare the right shoulder, kneels down the right knee, holds the palms together respectfully and bow down to the feet of the Blessed One, saying, Blessed One, just like what you speak about the practice of Bodhi, I now vow to cultivate the practice accordingly

At this time, the Heavenly Brahma King of the Saha world system, in the assembly asks the heavenly goddess Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes, that practice of Bodhi is very hard to develop, how can you become free and well-versed in that practice? The heavenly goddess says, great Brahma, like what the Tathagata speaks, that place is really profound, sentient beings can hardly understand, that is the realm of the Saints, miraculous and hard to know. However, towards this miraculous Dharma, I am able to joyfully abide in there, if these words of mine are true, may all sentient beings in this world full of the 5 impurities be transformed into the bodies having golden light, endowed with 32 good signs, not having the forms of either male or female, sitting on the jaded Lotus altars, enjoying endless bliss, heavenly flowers rain down on their own accord, heavenly music play on their own, all methods of offering become complete and whole. The Heavenly goddess having spoken just so, the sentient beings in this world full of the 5 impurities are transformed into the bodies of golden light, with the great signs of Saints, no male or female forms, sitting on the jaded Lotus altars, enjoying endless bliss just like the Heaven of the Desire realm, no evil ways, jaded trees are beautifully arranged into rows, lotus blossoms made of the 7 precious substances abound in the world, heavenly flowers made of the 7 precious substances rain down on their own accord, heavenly music play on their own. And the Heavenly goddess Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes transforms her female body into the body of the great Brahma king. At this time, the great Brahma king asks the heavenly goddess Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes, how do you cultivate the Bodhi practice? The Heavenly goddess replies, great Brahma, just like the moon (reflected) in the water cultivates the Bodhi practice, in the same way I cultivate the Bodhi practice, like a dream cultivating the Bodhi practice, in the same way I cultivate the Bodhi practice, like the sunlight waves cultivating the Bodhi practice, in the same way I cultivate the Bodhi practice, like the echoes cultivating the Bodhi practice, in the same way I cultivate the Bodhi practice. The great Brahma having heard just so, asks, great bodhisattva, based on which meaning do you say so? The heavenly goddess says, Great Brahma, there is no real methods, they are all created from interrelated elements. The great Brahma says, then all lay persons are capable of attaining Bodhi! The heavenly goddess says, what do you mean by that? You should know that laypersons consider the wise and the dim-witted as different, Bodhi and non-bodhi are different, liberation and non-liberation are different, however, great Brahma, the great Saints see that all such methods are equal, without difference, knowing that the suchness of the nature of Dharma are not one, not separate (different), there is also no middle ground to attach to, non-increasing, non-decreasing. Great Brahma, just like the magician and his disciples, very skillful in practicing magic tricks, they arrive at a cross-road and use various sand, soil, plants and trees etc. gather them all together to make magic tricks, such that other people see elephants, horses, chariots, etc, they also see heaps of 7 precious substances, and an overabundant treasure stores. The ignorant do not learn to analyze, do not understand magic, as such, whatever he sees or hears, he believes them to be true and real, real horses, real elephants, etc. and only that is real, the rest are fake, after that, he no longer consider anything else. On the other hand, the wise know that the roots of all these phenomenon are magic; as such, whatever he sees or hears, he thinks, what I see are all unreal, it is only the magic confusing the beholders, making us think that there are elephants, horses, yet they only exist in names, not anything real; as such, I should not consider what I see as real; afterwards, the more he analyzes, the more he knows them to be unreal. Thus, the Saint knows that all methods are unreal, only the layperson repeats what they sees ore hears, yet they are in truth not so. And because of this, one speaks of something false to say and consider some meaning that is real, true. Great Brahma king, the sentient beings do not have the eyes of the Saints, do not know that the suchness of the Dharma cannot be spoken of (expressed), as such, when they hear or see the changing of the limited methods and the non-changing of the infinite methods (pháp hữu vi chuyển biến với cái pháp vô vi phi chuyển biến), they consider them as real; in the basis of perception of the Way, they do not understand that the suchness of Dharma cannot be spoken of. On the other hand, the Saints when seeing or hearing of the changing of the limited methods and the non-changing of the infinite methods, depending on the strength of their wisdom, do not maintain or attach to its reality, not considering them to be real; they completely understand that for everything, there is no the changing of the limited methods, nor is there (such thing as) the non-changing of the infinite methods. It is only through ignorance that one sees something as changing or non-changing. Such phenomenon only have names and do not exist. Afterwards, the Saints, relying upon the basis of perception of the lay person, speak to others about the truth of it (which is as such). Great Brahma, the Saints use the insight and understanding of the of the Saints and know that suchness cannot be spoken of, the same goes with changing and non-changing; nevertheless, in order to help others recognize these as they truly are, the Saints speak of many forms in the language of the perception of a lay person. At this time, the great Brahma king asks the bodhisattva Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes, how many sentient beings are capable of understanding such a profound method as this? Bodhisattva says, great Brahma king, there is the cetasika (that which relies on the mind) and cittaraja (perception) of the people created by those magicians which can understand this profound Dharma. The great Brahma says, the illusory man is not really existing, then where do the perception and that which relies on the mind come from? The bodhisattva says, what I speak is meaningful, if one knows that the nature of the Dharma is non-have, non-not have, one knows the profound meaning of this.

The great Brahma king says to the Tathagata, Blessed One, the bodhisattva Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes is truly inconceivable, she understands so thoroughly the extremely profound meaning of the Dharma. The Tathagata says, just so, great Brahma king, just like what you say. The Heavenly goddess Treasure of Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes have long instructed you on generating the thought of practicing the Patience of the unproduced Dharma. The great Brahma king and the Brahmas from their seats stand up, let bare the right shoulder, kneel down the right knee, hold the palms together respectfully and bow down to the feet of the bodhisattva Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes and say, this is truly rare, today, we have come to know the great bodhisattva, able to listen to the meaning of the Dharma that you speak. The Tathagata says to the great Brahma king, this heavenly goddess Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes, in the future time will become a Tathagata, Arahat, Perfect and Complete Buddha, Knower of the World, One who enters into Nirvana, the Unsurpassed, Tamer of beings to be tamed, the Master of Human and Devas, a Buddha called Treasure Auspicious body.

When the Tathagata speaks of this Dharma, there are 3000 countless bodhisattva who attain the position of one who never turns away, 8000 countless deva’s sons and countless kings together with their retinues leave impurities and stains, acquiring the pure Dharma eyes.

At this time, in the assembly there are 50 countless monks who practice the virtues (precepts) of bodhisattva, yet about to regress in the bodhicitta; however, after they have listened to the Dharma that the bodhisattva Treasure Miraculous Light Fulfilling all Wishes spoke, they achieve the inconceivable unwavering state, fulfilling the supreme wish, regenerate the bodhicitta, and undo their garments to offer to the bodhisattva; they reinitiate the supreme ongoing (exerting effort) will power, and pray for all their roots of virtues to be firmly rooted and irreversible, all dedicating these merits to the Unsurpassed Enlightenment.  The Tathagata says to the great Brahma king: these great monks, thanks to the merits and virtue (created) through this act, will cultivate their virtues just as taught, and after 90 great eons, they will become enlightened, and be liberated from samsara. The Tathagata makes a prediction, monks, after 30 countless eons, you will become Buddha, in the age called King of Light that is Difficult to Vanquish, your Buddha field is called Stainless Light. You will all attain enlightenment at the same time, with the same name called Vowing to Decorate Strength King (Nguyện trang nghiêm gián sức vương), with the ten complete titles.

Great Brahma King, this Golden Light Sutra provides great strength and benefits to those who listen and remember (It) correctly. Suppose someone cultivates the 6 paramitas in hundreds of thousands of great eons, and yet does not have the correct perception of emptiness (as the means), on the other hand, if there is any son or daughter of the lineage who copies this Sutra of the Golden Light, and recite it whole-heartedly biweekly, the merit created by the previous one is not equal to 1/100^th the merit of the latter, even calculations, numbers or analogies cannot be used to compare (the two heaps of merits). Great Brahma King, as such, the Tathagata encourages you to cultivate and learn, achieving the state of mindfulness, uphold, and vividly repeat to others. Why is that so, since in the past, when the Tathagata walked on the path of a bodhisattva, like a soldier sallying forth in battle, I do not withhold (spare) my life to circulate this miraculous king of Sutra, accept, keeping it in mind, analyze, recite and explain to others. Great Brahma king, if the Wheel Turning king remains, the 7 precious substances will still remain, but if the Wheel turning king is lost, all 7 precious substances will naturally be lost. Similarly, great Brahma king, if this King of Sutra the Golden light still remains, the Supreme Dharma treasure will remain, if It is lost, the Dharma Treasure will hide itself from view. As such, towards this king of sutra, you should whole-heartedly listen to, accept, keep in mind, analyze and recite to memory, explaining in various ways to others, encouraging them to copy and cultivate by the paramita of exerting effort, not sparing lives, not shaken by fatigue. This is the supreme merit among all merits. As disciples of the Tathagatas, you should diligently cultivate and practice as such. The great Brahma king together with countless brahma, Indra and the Four Heavenly Kings, together with the Yaksas, from their seat stands up, let bare the right shoulder, kneels down the right knee, holds the palms together respectfully and say to the Blessed One, we will together protect and circulate this Sutra of the Golden Light. We vow to protect the priests who speak of this Sutra. We will eliminate all unfortunate incidents, endowing them with all kinds of auspiciousness, making their forms and strength become abundant, having an unhindered flow of eloquence, the mind and body become peaceful and blissful. And we will give the Saints the same kind of benefits. We will also offer our help to the country they live in- if that country is threatened by thirst, hunger, enemies, bandits or demons and gods; so that none can disturb and come to harm that country. If the people live in harmony and peace, having abundant properties, not experiencing any unfortunate events, not threatened with foreign enemies, then they should know that it is thanks to the our might and power (the devas). Whoever makes offering to this Sutra, we will respectfully offer to them just like to the Tathagata, no difference. The Tathagata speaks to the great Brahma king, how benign, Brahmas, the Four heavenly kings, together with the retinues of Yaksa; now that you have heard this profound and miraculous Dharma, and also made a vow to protect this king of Sutra, also protecting those who uphold this Sutra, thanks to this act, you will acquire supreme and infinite merits, you will quickly attain Unsurpassed Enlightenment. The great Brahma, and everyone, having listened to the Tathagata’s words, rejoice and respectfully accept the teaching of the Tathagata