Chapter Four: On Long Life
The Buddha said to all the bhiksus: "If you have any doubt about the moral precepts, you
are free to ask questions. I shall now explain and fully satisfy you. I have already practised
the Way and clearly attained the true nature of the All-Void of all things. O Bhiksus! Only
the Tathagata has practised the true nature of the All-Void of all things." He also said to the
bhiksus: "If you have any doubts, ask me, all of you!" Then the bhiksus said to the Buddha: "O
World-Honoured One! With the wisdom that we have, we can put no questions to the Tathagata,
the Alms-deserving and All-Enlightened One. Why not? The world of the Tathagata cannot be
known by us. All samadhis cannot be thought of. Whatever is said is not within the compass
of our comprehension. So, with what wisdom we have, there can be no posing of questions to
the Tathagata. O World-Honoured One! There is a man, for example, who is 120 years old.
Suffering from a long illness, he is in bed and cannot get up. His vitality has gone, so that he
cannot live long. There is a rich man there who is on his way to far-off places on business. He
gives this man a hundred pounds of gold and says: "I intend to go on a journey and entrust
this treasure to you. After 10 or 20 years, I shall come back, when my business is concluded.
When I am home again, give this back to me." The sick old man receives it. And he has none to
succeed him. After some time, the illness develops and he dies, and what was entrusted to him
cannot be found. The person who entrusted the treasure to him comes back from his journey,
looks around, but cannot find the man. One like this, being ignorant, cannot think and weigh
the good and bad of entrusting a thing to the hands of another person. So, on coming back, he
does not know where to look. Thus the treasure gets lost. O World-honoured One! It is the
same with us sravakas. We hear the kind admonition of the Tathagata, but we cannot hold it
long. It is as with the old man who is entrusted with treasure. We are ignorant now and do not
know what to ask regarding the precepts." The Buddha said to the bhiksus: "If you question
me now, it will benefit all beings. That is why I say that you should ask about any doubts you
may have." Then, all the bhiksus said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! Imagine, for
example: there is a man here of 25, full of vitality and right and proper. He has many treasures,
such as gold, silver, beryl, etc. He has his parents, wife, children, relatives, and all his family.
Then a man comes and hands over a treasure to him, saying: "I have things to do and am about
to go on a long journey. My business concluded, I shall be back. When I am back home, return
this to me." After this, the young man guards the treasure well, as though it were his own. The
[young] man falls ill and says: "All this gold was entrusted to my care. When the man gets back
home, give this to him. " One who is wise knows how to act and weigh things. His business
concluded, the man returns, and what he had entrusted [to the other] is all safe, with nothing
lost. The same with the World-Honoured One. If the treasure is entrusted to Ananda and the
bhiksus, it cannot survive long. Why not? Because all sravakas and Mahakasyapa must pass
away and the situation will inevitably be like that of the old man who receives the entrusted
goods of the other person. Because of this, all the unsurpassed Buddhist teachings must be
entrusted to the hands of all Bodhisattvas. They discuss well and the treasure will live long
and flourish for infinite thousands of ages and benefit all beings enormously. This is like the
case of the man in the prime of his life who receives the entrusted goods of the other person.
Because of this, all Bodhisattvas can well pose questions. What wealth we have may be likened
to a mosquito or sawfly. How can we question the Tathagata on the depths of the teaching?"
At this, all the sravakas sank into silence.
Then, the Buddha, praised all the bhiksus and said: "It is good, it is good that you have
all attained the unleakable [undefiled, asrava-free] mind of the arhat. I also thought of this once
myself. Because of these two circumstances [i.e. that the sravakas cannot and the Bodhisattvas
can pose questions], I entrust the Mahayana to all the Bodhisattvas and allow this Wonderful
Dharma to live long". Then the Buddha said to all the congregation: "O all good men and
women! You cannot calculate the length of my life. No unhindered speech of a Bodhisattva can
34 The Mahayana Mapaharinirvana Sutra
fully express this. You may, if you will, ask me about the precepts or how to take refuge. You
may do this a second or third time."
At that time, among those congregated, there was a Bodhisattva-mahasattva of the stage
of the boyhood abode [ie. on the 9th of the 10 Bodhisattva levels]. He had been born into a
Brahmin family in a hamlet called Tara. His family name was Mahakasyapa. By the divine
power of the Buddha, he rose from his seat, bared his right elbow [shoulder] and walked around
the Buddha 100 thousand times, and placing his right knee on the ground and folding his hands,
said to the Buddha: "OWorld-Honoured One! I would now like to ask something of the Buddha.
If you will allow me, I desire to speak." The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "The Tathagata, the
Alms-deserving and All-Enlightened One allows you to say anything. I shall expound for you,
clarify your doubt, and gladden you." Then Bodhisattva Kasyapa again said to the Buddha:
"O World-Honoured One! The Tathagata, pitying me, gives me permission. I now shall ask.
But the wisdom that I have is petty, like that of a mosquito or sawfly. You, Tathagata-World-
Honoured One, are exalted in personal virtue and are surrounded by a retinue as fragrant as
sandalwood and as difficult to subdue and as invincible as a lion. The Tathagata’s person is
like a true diamond. You shine like beryl. All [about you] is true and difficult to break and is
surrounded by a great sea of Wisdom. All the Bodhisattva-mahasattvas congregated here are
perfect in infinite and boundless depths of virtue. They are like gandhahastins. How can I put
questions before such a congregation? Only now, guarded by the Buddha’s divine power and
by dint of the great dignity of moral virtue of the people congregated here, shall I put some
questions to you." He spoke in a gatha:
"How do we gain long life, the Adamantine and Invincible body?
How do we gain great strength?
How by this sutra do we ultimately attain the other shore?
We beseech you to open the undisclosed door and,
For the sake of beings, teach us widely.
How can we, for the sake of the masses,
Become an expansive refuge and, although not arhats, be equal to arhats?
How can we, for the sake of beings,
Foresee Papiyas’ [i.e. Mara, the Devil’s] disturbances?
How can one clearly distinguish
Between what the Tathagata says and what the Papiyas says?
How does the All-Best-Trainer become pleased in heart
And speak about “Paramartha-satya” [the Truth of the Supreme Reality],
Become full in right good, and speak about the four inversions?
How do you do good? O Great Rishi! Please tell us now.
How do Bodhisattvas fathom the unfathomable nature?
How do they understand the significations of the full letter and the half letter1?
How can we simultaneously practise two holy actions
Such as the sarasa and karanda that go together?
How can one be like the sun and moon,
Like the evening star and Jupiter?
How can one, not yet aspiring, be called a Bodhisattva?
How can all beings gain fearlessness,
1 i.e. the word as a composite, made from joining the Sanskrit alphabets and possessing meaning, and the
alphabetical letters and phonetic symbols in the case of Sanskrit
Chapter Four: On Long Life 35
Like Jambunada gold, in which no flaw can ever be detected?
How can one, though living in a defiled land,
Not be defiled like the lotus flower?
How do we live amidst illusions and
Not get tainted and not attacked by diseases,
As in the case of a doctor who, curing all diseases,
Does not himself get stricken by disease?
How can one be a sea-captain,
Foundering yet [still] amidst the sea of birth and death?
How can one abandon birth and death, as the serpent does its old skin?
How can one meditate on the Three Treasures
And be like the tree in the heavens that answers well one’s wishes?
How can one speak about the three Vehicles2 and the Natureless?
How can one talk of Bliss, being not yet blessed with Bliss?
How can all Bodhisattvas be indestructible ones?
How can one be the eyes and guide for a person born blind?
How can one gain a multifarious head [mind rich in knowledge]
We beseech you, O Great Rishi! Please explain [this] to us!
How can you who turn the wheel of Dharma
Expand like the moon at the beginning of the month?
How do you show yourself again and gain Nirvana at the end?
How can you, the brave, step forward
And show to man, heaven and Mara the Way?
How does one know “Dharmata” [essence of Reality]
And become blessed with Dharma?
How do all Bodhisattvas make away with all illnesses?
How do they expound to all beings the undisclosed teachings?
How do they expound the Ultimate and the non-Ultimate?
If doubts [can be] done away with, why not definitely explain?
How can one attain the highest and unsurpassed Way?
I now beseech the Tathagata, for the sake of the Bodhisattvas,
To expound the deepest and most wonderful teachings.
Everything has the nature of peace and bliss.
Expound in detail for us, please, O Great Rishi World-Honoured One!
O Great Refuge! O Two-Footed-Honoured One,
The Wonderful-One-of-All-Medicines!
I now desire to enquire all about things,
But I lack Wisdom; even all the Bodhisattvas
Who make utmost effort may not know
Such depths as of the world of all Buddhas."
2 of sravaka, pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva
36 The Mahayana Mapaharinirvana Sutra
Then, praising Bodhisattva Kasyapa, the Buddha said: "Well said, well said, O good
man! You have not yet arrived at All-Knowledge, but I am he who has attained it. You now ask
about the deepest depths of the undisclosed doctrine. Now, O good man! I, sitting under the
Bodhi Tree, first attained right Enlightenment. At that time, in all Buddha-lands as numerous
as the sands of countless asamkhyas of Ganges, there were Bodhisattvas. They too asked of me
the meaning of this deepest doctrine. And what they said and the virtue thereof were thus,
the same, not different. Asking thus, great benefits accrue to all beings." Then Bodhisattva
Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! The power of my wisdom does not
extend thus far as to put such deep questions to the Tathagata. O World-Honoured One! This
is like a mosquito or sawfly that cannot fly over a great sea or fly round in the high heavens.
The same with me. I have no power to ask the Tathagata about this great sea of Wisdom or the
meaning of the great depths of space-like extension of “Dharmata”. O World-Honoured One!
This is like a king who hands over to the hands of the officer in charge of treasures a bright gem
that was housed in the knot of his hair, and the officer, on receiving it, increases the guard. The
same is the case with me. Having received the depths of the Tathagata’s Mahayana teaching, I
shall guard it all the more carefully. Why? This is but to make me attain the great depths of
Wisdom."
Then the Buddha said to Kasyapa: "O good man! Listen clearly, listen clearly! I shall
now tell you the cause of the Tathagata’s longevity of life. The Bodhisattva, through this action,
gains long life. For this reason, listen with your best attention. Having listened, speak of it to
others. O good man! Having thus practised, I attained unsurpassed Bodhi. I, for all beings’
sake, now speak of this. O good man! As an example: a prince transgresses against state law
and is chained up in prison. The king pities him and, riding on a palanquin, goes himself to
the prison because he loves the prince. The same with the Bodhisattva. If he desires to have
a long life, he should guard and protect beings and view them as one would one’s only son,
and abide in great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity. Also, he
should impart the precept of non-harming to them and teach them to practise all good things.
Also, he must let all beings abide peacefully in the five moral precepts and the ten good deeds.
Furthermore, he will get into such realms as hell, hungry preta, animal, and asura, and free
all these beings from where they are suffering, emancipate those not yet emancipated, pass
over those who have not yet gained the other shore, give Nirvana to those who have not yet
attained it, and console all who live in fear. Acting thus, the Bodhisattva gains longevity of
life and unmolested [unlimited] freedom in knowing. And when the end comes, he gains life in
the high heavens." Then Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One!
You say that the Bodhisattva-mahasattva regards all beings just as one views one’s only son.
The thought is too deep, and I cannot fathom it. O World-Honoured One! You say that the
Bodhisattva views beings with an all-equal mind and views them as he would look upon his
only son. But things are not so. Why not? Amongst the Buddhists, there are those who break
the moral precepts, those who commit deadly sins, and those who transgress against Wonderful
Dharma. How can it be that he [the Buddha] can have the same [attitude of] mind towards
them as towards his only son?" The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "It is so, it is so! I view all beings
as I view my own Rahula."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! Once, on the 15th
of the month, on the day of posadha, among the congregated who were strict and pure in
the moral precepts, there was a boy who did not quite seriously observe the three actions of
body, mouth and mind. He hid himself in a dark place and secretly listened to what was said.
Guhyapada, receiving the divine power of the Buddha, crushed this boy into dust with a vajra3.
O World-Honoured One! Guhyapada acted so badly that the boy’s life was taken. How could
you look upon all beings as you do your own Rahula?" The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Do
not speak thus! This boy was none but a transformed [illusory, projected] one, not a true one.
3 Sharpened bar, a double-headed weapon, or a diamond
Chapter Four: On Long Life 37
This was but to repress breaking of the precepts and transgression against Buddha-Dharma,
and to remould beings. Even the vajra and also Guhyapada were transformed existences. O
Kasyapa! There are in the world those who slander Wonderful Dharma, icchantikas, those who
harm others, those who abide in twisted views, those who purposely act contrary to the moral
precepts. I pity all and have loving thought, just as one has towards one’s only son, as in the
case of Rahula. O good man! To illustrate: when the officers of the royal court break state
law, the king punishes according to the rules relating to the sins committed and does not leave
the officers unpunished. The Tathagata does not act thus. He makes those who violate the
precepts undergo such procedures as being driven out, reprimanded, put under surveillance,
impeached or banished for non-confirming of the sins committed, for non-repentance, and for
non-forsaking of twisted views. The reason, O good man, why the Tathagata imposes the
suppressive moral precepts on those who slander Dharma arises from the fact that he desires
to show those who transgress that karmic consequences ensue for what one has done. O good
man! Know that the Tathagata desires to bestow on evil beings what need not be feared. He
emits one, two, or five beams, so that those who encounter this light will be rid of all evil acts.
Now, the Tathagata has so many uncountable means of such power. O good man! If you desire
to see Dharma which cannot be seen, I will now explain to you all about what you can see.
When I have entered Nirvana, a bhiksu who is perfect in the deportment of a bhiksu and who
observes Wonderful Dharma may come across one who transgresses. If this bhiksu drives away,
reproaches, impeaches, or remoulds such an evil-doer, he will be blessed with weal which one
cannot measure or tell of. O good man! To illustrate: there is a tyrant king who does evil things
and happens to suffer very seriously from illness. The king of a neighbouring state, hearing of
this, mobilises the army to overthrow the state. At this, the king, having no power to resist the
attack, repents and tries to do good. And the weal of the king of this neighbouring state will
be uncountable. The same with the precept-observing bhiksu. If he drives away or reproaches
those who act against Dharma and makes them do good, an incalculable [amount of] weal will
be his. O good man! As an illustration: in the fields and around the houses where a rich man
dwells grow many poisonous tree. Seeing this, he fells all of them and there is no more of them.
Or white hair appears on the head of a young man. He feels ashamed of it, cuts it off and does
not allow his hair to grow long. The same is the case with a precept-upholding bhiksu. If he
sees any person who breaks the precepts and transgresses against Wonderful Dharma, he should
drive away, reproach or impeach such a person. If a good bhiksu, seeing one who transgresses
against Dharma, does not drive away, reproach or impeach such a person, know that this bhiksu
is the enemy of the Buddhist teaching. If he drives away, reproaches or impeaches such a one,
he is my disciple, a true disciple."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said again to the Buddha; "O World-Honoured One! You may say
that you look upon all beings equally and treat them as you would an only son such as Rahula.
This is not so. O World-honoured One! A person may try to harm you with a sword. Or
there may be someone who tries to paint the Buddha’s body with sandalwood paste. If it is
is the case that you view both persons with the same eye, how could you cure moral offences?
If it is the case that this cures moral offences, this does not make sense." The Buddha said to
Kasyapa: "An illustration, O good man! The king, minister and prime minister may desire to
bring up their sons who are right-set in countenance and sharp in intellect. One of those fathers
takes one, two, three, four such sons and hands them over to a strict teacher and says to him:
"Please teach my sons deportment, good behaviour, the arts, writing and reckoning. These my
four sons will study under your guidance. Even if three of my sons die of goading, teach the
last with whatever means you may think fit. I may lose the three, but I shall not be vexed." O
Kasyapa! Are the father and the teacher responsible for killing?" "No, O World-Honoured One!
Why not? Because a loving mind was at the bottom [of their actions]. What there is [here]
is accomplishment, but not an evil mind. Such teaching will be met with good, to a limitless
extent." "O good man! The same is the case with the Tathagata. He views those who transgress
38 The Mahayana Mapaharinirvana Sutra
Dharma as he views his only son. The Tathagata now entrusts unsurpassed Wonderful Dharma
to the hands of kings, ministers, prime ministers, bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas.
All of these kings and the four classes of the Buddhist Sangha will encourage those who practise
the Buddhist teaching and enable them increasingly to observe the moral precepts, practise
meditation and wisdom. If there are any who miscarry these three phases [aspects] of Dharma
and if there are those who are indolent and who break the moral precepts, the kings, ministers,
and the four classes of the Buddhist Sangha will work hard and remould such people. O good
man! Should all these kings and the four classes of the Buddhist Sangha be blamed or not?"
"No, indeed, O World-Honoured One!" "O good man! These kings and the four classes of the
Buddhist Sangha are not to be blamed. How could it be that the Tathagata is to be blamed?
O good man! The Tathagata well observes such impartiality, looking upon all people as one
would one’s only son. Such a one who practises the Way is called one who practises the all-equal
mind of a Bodhisattva and one who possesses a mind that loves an only son. O good man! The
Bodhisattva, practising thus, gains a long life and is now able to see what took place in the
past." Bodhisattva Kasyapa said again to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! You say that
a Bodhisattva, practising impartiality, can well view beings just as one views one’s only son and
that such a person gains a long life. But you should not say this. Why not? One who knows
Dharma indeed speaks well of filial duty. But back home, he beats his parents with tiles and
gravel, [in defiance of] the fact that one’s parents are the best field of weal, where much weal
comes about, such as is the most difficult of difficult to encounter. Where the person should be
making offerings, he performs evil. There is a distinction between what this person knows and
what he does. What the Tathagata says is also like this. The Bodhisattva practises impartiality
and views beings as an only son, and he gains a long life, can look into the past, and live eternally
and there cannot be any change. Now, why is it that the World-Honoured One is like a person
with the shortest life in the world? Does not the Tathagata entertain hatred against all beings?
O World-Honoured One! What evil acts did you perform in the past? How many evil acts did
you commit, so as to gain the shortest life, which does not even extend to 100 years?" The
Buddha said to Kasyapa: "O good man! Under what circumstances do you bring across your
lips all such rough-hewn words against the Tathagata? The life of the Tathagata is the longest
and most superior of longest lives. His eternal Dharma is the unsurpassed of all eternal things."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said again to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! How did you, the
Tathagata, gain eternal life?" The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Kasyapa: "O good man! There
are eight great rivers, which are 1) Ganges, 2) Yamuna, 3) Sarabhu, 4) Ajitavati, 5) Mahi, 6)
Indus, 7) Pasu, and 8) Sita. All these eight rivers and other small rivers drain into the great
ocean. O Kasyapa! All the great rivers of life of all people, heaven, earth and sky drain into
the Tathagata’s sea of life. Hence, the length of life of the Tathagata is incalculable. Also, next,
O Kasyapa! As an illustration: it is like the case of Lake Anavatapta, which gives rise to four
rivers. The same with the Tathagata. He gives rise to all long life-spans (emphasis added). O
Kasyapa! As an example: of all eternal things, that of space is the foremost. The same is the
case with the Tathagata. He is the foremost of all eternal things. O Kasyapa! This is as in
the case of sarpirmanda [most delicious and efficacious medicine], the first of all medicines. The
same is the case with the Tathagata. He is the one possessed of the longest life." Bodhisattva
Kasyapa said again to the Buddha: "If the life of the Tathagata is thus, you mast live for a
kalpa or [just] less than a kalpa and be delivering sermons in the way the great rain falls." "O
Kasyapa! Do not entertain the thought of extinction regarding the Tathagata. O Kasyapa!
There may be amongst the bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, or even among the tirthikas
a person who possesses the five divine powers or the unmolested [unlimited] power of a rishi. He
may live a kalpa or less than a kalpa; he may be able to fly through the air, and be unmolested
[unconstrained] whether he is reclining or sitting. He emits fire from the left side of his body or
water from his right side. His body emits smoke and flames like a fire ball. If he desires to live
long, he can do as he wills. He can freely lengthen or shorten his life. With such divine power,
he has such freedom of power. And how could this not be possible with the Tathagata, who
Chapter Four: On Long Life 39
possesses unmolested [unlimited] power in all things? How could it not be that he can live for
half a kalpa, a kalpa, 100 kalpas, 100 thousand kalpas, or innumerable kalpas? On account of
this, know that “the Tathagata is an eternal and unchanging existence”. The Tathagata’s body
is a transformed body and not one supported by various kinds of food. In order to pass beings
to the other shore, he manifests himself amidst poisonous trees. Hence he manifests himself
discarding his carnal body and entering Nirvana. Know, O Kasyapa, that the Buddha is an
eternal and unchanging existence. O all of you! Practise the Way in this Paramartha-satya
[Truth of the Transcendent Reality], make effort, and practise the Way with one mind; having
practised the Way, expound it widely to others."
Then Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! What difference
exists between supramundane Dharma and the mundane? You say that the Buddha is an
existence eternal and unchanging. If so, in worldly life, too, we have Brahma who is eternal, and
also Isvara who is eternal, and no changing is there. The eternal nature of Self too is eternal;
even a mote is also said to be eternal. If the Tathagata is an eternal existence, why does the
Tathagata not always show [himself] in this way? If it is that you do not exist thus, what
difference could we see? Why? Because Brahma, the mote existence, and prakriti [primordial
matter] also do not manifest thus."
The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "A rich man has many cows, whose colours vary; nonetheless,
they are all of one group. They are entrusted to the hands of a cowherd, who takes them to
watery or grassy land. Solely sarpirmanda is sought, not fresh milk or cream. The cattleman,
having milked the cows, takes the milk himself. When the rich man dies, the cows are stolen
by robbers. They get the cows, but having no women, they themselves milk the cows. The
robbers say to one another: "The rich man fed these cows for sarpirmanda, not for fresh milk
or cream. What should we do? Now, sarpirmanda is the best of all tastes in the world. We
have no utensils and no place to keep it safe in." They also say to one another: "We have a bag
made of hide. We shall keep it in that. Although we have a thing to keep the milk in, we do
not know how to churn it. It is hard to obtain what we could drink. How could we gain fresh
butter?" At that, the robbers, because sarpirmanda was what they were after, added water to
the milk. But because they added too much water, the fresh milk, cream, and sarpirmanda were
all lost. The same with common mortals. There are good teachings. But all are the residues
of the Wonderful Dharma of the Tathagata. How? The Tathagata enters Nirvana. Later we
steal what was left behind, i.e. the precepts, samadhi, and Wisdom. This is like the robbers
stealing the cows. All common mortals obtain the precepts, samadhi, and Wisdom, but they
have no means of working them out [perfecting them, implementing them]. Hence they never
gain the eternal precepts, the eternal samadhi, the eternal Wisdom, and emancipation. This is
like the robbers’ not having the means to work out [bring forth what they want], thus losing the
sarpirmanda; or it is like the robbers’ adding water when they meant to gain sarpirmanda. The
same with common mortals. Referring to emancipation, beings say that Self, being, life, man,
Brahma, Isvara, prakriti, the precepts, samadhi, Wisdom, emancipation, or Thoughtless-nonthoughtlessness
Heaven [naivasamjnana- samjnayatana] or Nirvana is Nirvana. This, however
[i.e. just saying this] does not give one emancipation or Nirvana. This is like the robbers’ failing
to gain sarpirmanda. Common mortals do small-scale pure actions and make offerings to their
parents. Then they gain rebirth in heaven and attain small-scale bliss. This is like the milk to
which the robbers added water. And common mortals do not themselves know the fact that one
gets born in heaven by small-scale pure actions and making offerings to one’s parents. Also, they
do not know the moral precepts, samadhi, Wisdom and taking refuge in the Three Treasures.
Not knowing [all this], they talk about Eternity, Bliss, Self, and Purity. Though they talk, they
do not know what these are. Hence, after taking birth in this life, the Tathagata talks about
Eternity, Bliss, Self, and Purity. A chakravartin [world’s greatest, just ruler] appears in the
world. By the power of virtue, all the robbers pull back, and there is no loss of any cows. Then
the chakravartin entrusts the cows to the hands of a cowherd who knows the way. This person
40 The Mahayana Mapaharinirvana Sutra
works out the means well and obtains sarpirmanda. Due to the sarpirmanda, there is no illness
or pain for any being. It is like this. When the chakravartin of the wheel of Dharma appears
in the world, all beings abandon these, because they cannot talk about the precepts, samadhi,
and Wisdom. This is like the pulling back of the robbers. Then the Tathagata indeed speaks of
secular and supramundane things. For the benefit of beings, he lets the Bodhisattva talk as the
occasion arises. The Bodhisattva-mahasattva, on gaining sarpirmanda, lets all the innumerable
beings gain the unsurpassed manna of Dharma. The Eternity, Bliss, Self, and Purity of the
Tathagata thus come about [appear, are realised]. The Tathagata is one who is eternal and
unchanging. This is not in the manner in which common mortals and the ignorant of the world
say that Brahma is eternal. This eternality is always with the Tathagata and not with whatever
else. O Kasyapa! All good men and good women should always carefully practise the Way of
the two-lettered Buddha, who is eternal4. O Kasyapa! Any good man or good woman who
practises the Way of the two-lettered, such a one accords with what I do and gets born where
I go. If any person practises the two letters and sees it as extinction, know that the Tathagata
enters Parinirvana to [in the eyes of] such a one. O good man! Nirvana is the “Dharmata” [True
Essence] of all Buddhas."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "What might the “Dharmata” of the Tathagata
mean? O World-Honoured One! I now desire to know about “Dharmata”. Have pity and
expound this to me extensively. Now, “Dharmata” means "abandoning one’s body". To abandon
means "not to possess". If not possessed, how can the body exist? If the body exists, how can
we say that there is “Dharmata” in the body? If the body possesses “Dharmata”, how can the
body exist? How can I know of this?" The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "O good man! Do not
speak thus - that extinction is “Dharmata”. Now, “Dharmata” knows no extinction. O good
man! This is as with the no-thought heaven [the fourth dhyana heaven of the rupadhatu - Realm
of Form], where there is no thought of matter, though matter is perfectly equipped [provided].
One might ask: "How, then, can devas live there, please and amuse themselves, and have peace,
and how do they think, see, and ask?" O good man! The world of the Tathagata is not one
which sravakas and pratyekabuddhas can know. Do not so explicate and say that the body of
the Tathagata is extinction. O good man! The Tathagata and extinction are matters for the
world of Buddhas. It is not within sravakas’ and pratyekabuddhas’ reach of knowing. O good
man! Do not entertain such thoughts as where the Tathagata lives, where he works, where he
is to be seen, where he enjoys himself. O good man! Such, too, are things which do not come
within the compass of your knowing. Everything regarding the Dharma-Body of all Buddhas
and everything regarding the various expedients are beyond the range of [worldly] knowing.
"Also, next, O good man! Practise the teaching of the Buddha, Dharma and the life
of the Sangha, and abide in the thought of the Eternal. These three things do not contradict
one another. There is no form of the non-eternal [there], no change. Any person practising
these three as things which differ fails in the Three Refuges which are pure. This we should
know. This is to say that such a person lacks a place to abide in. No precept is fully learned;
no fruit can come about of sravakas or pratyekabuddhas. Anyone who abides in the thought of
the Eternal in this All-Wonderfulness has a place to take refuge in. O good man! It is like the
shadow accompanying a tree. The same is the case with the Tathagata. As there is the Eternal,
there is a refuge that can be taken. It is not non-eternal. If it is said that the Tathagata is
non-eternal, he cannot be a refuge for all the heavens and people of the world."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! It is, for example,
like the case of a tree in the darkness, where there is no shadow." "O Kasyapa! Do not say that
there is a tree and that it has no shadow. It is merely that the fleshly eye cannot see it. The same
with the Tathagata. His nature is eternal; it does not change. One cannot see [it] without the
eye of Wisdom. This is as in the case where no tree-shadow appears in the darkness. Common
4 i.e. in Chinese, “Nyo-rai” - consisting of two syllables or characters - means "Tathagata", "One come
from Thusness"
Chapter Four: On Long Life 41
mortals, after the death of the Buddha, may well say: "The Tathagata is non-eternal." This is
the same. If one says that the Tathagata is other than Dharma and Sangha, there cannot be
the Three Refuges. This is as in the case in which, as your parents are different from each other,
there is the non-eternal." Bodhisattva Kasyapa said again to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured
One! Henceforth, I, for the first time, shall, with the Eternalism of the Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha, enlighten parents for ages, down to seven generations. It is wonderful indeed! O World-
Honoured One! I shall now learn the All-Wonderfulness of the Tathagata, Dharma and Sangha.
Having satisfied myself, I shall expound this widely to all others. If they do not have faith in
the teaching, I will know that they have long practised the non-Eternal. To such as these I shall
be like frost and hail."
Then the Buddha praised Bodhisattva Kasyapa and said: "Well said, well said! You now
indeed protect and uphold Wonderful Dharma. Such protection of Dharma is no cheating of
people. By the good act of not cheating [deceiving] others, one obtains a long life and becomes
well able to read one’s past lives."