Chapter 8 - Vaineya-dharma-upadeśa

Vaineyadharmopadeśaḥ Aṣṭamaṃ Prakaraṇam
(Chapter Eight named Vaineyadharmopadeśaḥ)

Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ratnapāṇi said to the Bhagavat,

‘Bhagavat, I have never seen nor heard of Tathāgatas having the kind of accumulation of merit that Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has, let alone Bodhisattvas’

Bhagavat said,

‘Noble son, even if all who are Tathāgatas, arhats, and samyaksaṃbuddhas like me were assembled in one place and provided for an eon with robes, food, bowls, bedding, seats, necessary medicine, and utensils, those, Tathāgatas, arhats, and samyaksaṃbuddhas would still not be able to calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit, so, noble son, it is needless to say that I cannot do so all by myself in this world. Noble son, those who remember Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s name will have happiness in this world. They will be completely freed from the sufferings of aging, death, and illness. They will be freed from the unavoidable sufferings of saṃsāra. Like white and pale yellow birds, like kings of geese moving with the speed of the wind, they will go to the realm of Sukhāvatī. They will hear the dharma by listening to Tathāgata Amitābha teach. The sufferings of saṃsāra will not afflict their bodies. They will not become old or die. They will have no desire, anger, or stupidity. Their bodies will feel no hunger or thirst. They will not know the suffering of being inside a womb. Completely inspired by the taste of the dharma, they will be reborn within a lotus and will remain in that realm until Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s powerful commitment is fulfilled and all beings have been brought to liberation.

Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi asked Bhagavat,

‘Bhagavat, when will that power commitment be fulfilled? When will be ferried all sentient beings and liberated all of them?’

Bhagavat said,

‘He completely ripens the many beings who circle in saṃsāra, teaches them the path to enlightenment, and teaches the dharma in whatever from a being can be taught through. He teaches the dharma in the form of a Tathāgata to beings who are to be taught by a Tathāgata. He teaches the dharma in the form of a pratyekabuddha to beings who are to be taught by a pratyekabuddha. He teaches the dharma in the form of an arhat to beings who are to be taught by an arhat. He teaches the dharma in the form of a Bodhisattva to beings who are to be taught by a Bodhisattva. He teaches the dharma in the form of Maheśvara to beings who are to be taught by Maheśvara. He teaches the dharma in the form of Nārāyaṇa to beings who are to be taught by Nārāyaṇa. He teaches the dharma in the form of Brahmā to beings who are to be taught by Brahmā. He teaches the dharma in the form of Indra to beings who are to be taught by Indra. He teaches the dharma in the form of Āditya to beings who are to be taught by Āditya. He teaches the dharma in the form of candra to beings who are to be taught by Candra. He teaches the dharma in the form of Agni to beings who are to be taught by Agni. He teaches the dharma in the form of varuṇa to beings who are to be taught by varuṇa. He teaches the dharma in the form of Vāyu to beings who are to be taught by Vāyu. He teaches the dharma in the form of a Nāga to beings who are to be taught by a Nāga. He teaches the dharma in the form of Vighnapati to beings who are to be taught by Vighnapati. He teaches the dharma in the form of a yakṣa to beings who are to be taught by a yakṣa. He teaches the dharma in the form of Vaiśravaṇa to beings who are to be taught by Vaiśravaṇa. He teaches the dharma in the form of a king to beings who are to be taught by a king. He teaches the dharma in the form of a king’s soldier to beings who are to be taught by a king’s soldier. He teaches the dharma in the form of parents to beings who are to be taught by their parents. He teaches the dharma in whatever particular form a being should be taught through. That, noble son, is how Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara completely ripens beings and teaches them the dharma of nirvāṇa.’

End of the Chapter Eight named vaineyadharmopadeśaḥ.