Chapter X - The Buddha Accumulation Of Fragrances

1. At this point Śāriputra thought to himself, “It is almost noon. What will all these bodhisattvas eat?”

Then Vimalakīrti, knowing his thoughts, said, “The Buddha has explained the eight emancipations. You, sir, have accepted them as your practice. How can you mix up the desire for food and [that of] listening to the Dharma? If you wish to eat, then just wait a moment. I will provide you with an unprecedented meal.”

2. Then Vimalakīrti entered into samādhi and, using his powers of numinous penetration, manifested to the great congregations that in the upper direction, past buddha lands as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, there was a country called Host of Fragrances, with a buddha named Accumulation of Fragrances, who currently exists in that world. In comparison with the world-systems of the other buddhas thoughout the ten directions, the fragrances [experienced by] the humans and gods of that country are supreme. In that land, the names “śrāvaka "and “pratyekabuddha "do not exist—there is only the great congregation of pure bodhisattvas, for whom the Buddha explains the Dharma. In that world all the buildings are made of fragrance. In doing walking meditation on that fragrant earth, the gardens are all fragrant. The fragrance of the food there circulates throughout the immeasurable worlds in the ten directions.

At the time, that Buddha and the bodhisattvas [in that country] were just sitting together to eat. The gods in attendance [in Vimalakīrti’s assembly] all exclaimed at the ornament of fragrance, and they all generated the intention to achieve anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, making offerings to that buddha and the bodhisattvas.

Everyone in the great congregations [in Vimalakīrti’s room] saw this.

3. At that time, Vimalakīrti asked the congregation of bodhisattvas, “Sirs, who is able to go get food from that buddha?”

Through the influence of Mañjuśrī’s awesome numinous power, they all remained silent.

Vimalakīrti said, “Sir, are you not ashamed for this great congregation?”

Mañjuśrī said, “As the Buddha has said, one should not belittle those of no learning.”

4. At this Vimalakīrti, without rising from his seat, created by transformation a bodhisattva whose [thirty-two primary] characteristics and [eighty subsidiary] marks were radiantly bright, whose glorious presence was particularly excellent, surpassing all in the assembly. [Vimalakīrti] announced to him, “Go to the world in the upper direction where, separated from here by buddha lands as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, there is a country named Host of Fragrances. The buddha [of that country], named Accumulation of Fragrances, is just sitting down to eat with the bodhisattvas. Go there, and say as I tell you: ‘Vimalakīrti bows his head to the feet of the World-honored One, and with great respect he inquires immeasurable times as to whether you might have some slight illness, some slight vexation, and whether your energies are at peace. He wishes to obtain the leftovers of the World-honored One’s meal, which would be given to accomplish the Buddha’s work in the sahā world.

“‘It will cause those who delight in inferior dharmas to disseminate the great path, and it will also cause the Tathāgata’s (i.e., Buddha Accumulation of Fragrances) reputation to be universally known.’”

5. Then the conjured bodhisattva ascended to the upper direction in front of the assembly. The entire congregation saw him arrive at that Host of Fragrances world and worship at that Buddha’s feet. They also heard him say,

“Vimalakīrti bows his head to the feet of the World-honored One, and with great respect he inquires immeasurable times as to whether you might have some slight illness, some slight vexation, and whether your energies are at peace. He wishes to obtain the leftovers of the World-honored One’s meal, which would be given to accomplish the Buddha’s work in the sahā world.

“It will cause those who delight in inferior dharmas to disseminate the great path, and it will also cause the Tathāgata’s reputation to be universally known.”

6. When the great beings there saw the conjured bodhisattva, they exclaimed that it was unprecedented. “Where has this superior person come from? Where is the sahā world? What does he mean, ‘those who delight in inferior dharmas’?”

So did they question the Buddha [Accumulation of Fragrances], and that buddha said, “In the lower direction, separated from here by buddha lands as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, is a world named sahā. The buddha there is named Śākyamuni, who exists at present in an evil age of the five corruptions. He extensively disseminates the teaching of the path in order to enlighten those who delight in inferior dharmas. One of his bodhisattvas is named Vimalakīrti, who resides in the inconceivable emancipation and explains the Dharma for the bodhisattvas [of the sahā world]. Therefore, he has sent this conjured [bodhisattva] here to praise my name and extol this land, so that those bodhisattvas will increase their merit.”

7. The bodhisattvas there said, “How was he able to create this conjured [bodhisattva]? How great are his powers of merit, fearlessness, and the bases of numinous [power]?”

That Buddha said, “[Vimalakīrti’s powers are] extremely great. He sends transformations to all the ten directions, where they carry out the Buddha’s work and benefit sentient beings.”

8. Then Accumulation of Fragrances Tathāgata gave his bowl with its host of fragrances and filled with fragrant food to the conjured bodhisattva.

The nine million bodhisattvas there then all spoke in unison, “We wish to proceed to the sahā world to make offerings to Śākyamuni Buddha. We also wish to see Vimalakīrti and the other bodhisattva congregations.”

The Buddha said, “You may go.

“However, withdraw the fragrance of your bodies, so as not to cause the sentient beings there to generate thoughts of deluded attachment. Also, you should forsake your original forms, so as not to cause those seeking to become bodhisattvas in that country to be ashamed of themselves. In addition, you must not harbor feelings of belittlement or thoughts of the hindrances [present in that world]. Why? The countries of the ten directions are all like space (i.e., devoid of fixed reality). Furthermore, [you should realize] that the buddhas do not completely manifest their pure lands solely in order to convert those who delight in inferior dharmas.”

9. Then, by means of the Buddha’s awesome numinous [penetrations] and Vimalakīrti’s power, the conjured bodhisattva took the bowl and food and, accompanied by those nine million bodhisattvas, suddenly disappeared from that world. In an instant, they arrived at Vimalakīrti’s house.

10. Vimalakīrti then created by transformation nine million lion seats, excellently ornamented as before, and the bodhisattvas all sat upon them.

The conjured bodhisattva gave the bowl full of fragrant food to Vimalakīrti.

The fragrance of the food wafted through Vaiśāli and the [whole] trimegachiliocosm.

When the brahmans and retired scholars of Vaiśāli smelled this fragrance, their bodies and minds were joyful, and they exclaimed at the unprecedented [event]. At this, Moon Canopy, the leader of the elders, followed by eighty-four thousand people, came and entered Vimalakīrti’s house.

Seeing that the room contained so many lion seats, which were so tall and broad, with excellent ornamentation, in great joy they all worshiped the congregation of bodhisattvas and great disciples, then stood to one side. The earth spirits, sky spirits, and gods of the desire and form realms, smelling this fragrance, also entered Vimalakīrti’s house.

11. Then Vimalakīrti said to Śāriputra and the other great śrāvakas, “Sirs, you may eat the Tathāgata’s food of the flavor of sweet dew, which is perfumed with the limitless intention of great compassion, and which will not be diminished by its consumption.”

12. Another śrāvaka wondered, “There is not much of this food, yet everyone in the great assembly is supposed to eat!”

The conjured bodhisattva said, “Do not measure the limitless blessings and sagacity of the Tathāgata with the small merit and small wisdom of a śrāvaka! Even were the four seas to dry up, this food would not be exhausted. Even if everyone ate as much as [Mount] Sumeru for an entire kalpa, we would never be able to exhaust it. Why? That which is left over from the meal of someone who fully possesses the merits of morality, meditation, wisdom, sagacity, emancipation, and the vision and hearing of emancipation can never be exhausted.”

13. At this, the bowl of food satisfied all within the assembly, yet was unchanged and undepleted. The bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, gods, and humans who ate this food became physically peaceful and happy, as if they were all bodhisattvas who take pleasure in ornamenting their [buddha] countries. Also, their pores all exuded wondrous fragrances, just like the fragrances of the trees of the Host of Fragrances country.

14. Vimalakīrti then asked the bodhisattvas from the Host of Fragrances [world], “How does Accumulation of Fragrances Tathāgata explain the Dharma?”

Those bodhisattvas said, “In our land the Tathāgata explains [the Dharma] without words. He simply uses the host of fragrances to make the gods and humans enter into the practice of the Vinaya. The bodhisattvas each sit beneath fragrant trees, smelling such wondrous fragrances, from which they attain the ‘samādhi of the repository of all virtues.’ Those who attain this samādhi all become replete in the merits of the bodhisattva.”

15. Those bodhisattvas asked Vimalakīrti, “Now, how does the World-honored One Śākyamuni explain the Dharma here?”

Vimalakīrti said, “The sentient beings of this land are obdurate and difficult to convert, and so the Buddha disciplines them by means of stern language.

“He says, ‘These are the hells, these are the animals, and these are the hungry ghosts. These are the places of difficulty, and these are the places where the foolish are born.

“‘These are licentious practices of the body, and these are the retributions for licentious practices of the body. These are licentious practices of the mouth, and these are the retributions for licentious practices of the mouth. These are licentious practices of the mind, and these are the retributions for licentious practices of the mind.

“‘This is to kill sentient beings, and this is the retribution for killing sentient beings. This is to take what is not given, and this is the retribution for taking what is not given. This is licentiousness, and this is the retribution for licentiousness. This is false speech, and this is the retribution for false speech.

This is slander, and this is the retribution for slander. This is defamation, and this is the retribution for defamation. This is meaningless speech, and this is the retribution for meaningless speech.

“‘These are desire and jealousy, and this is the retribution for desire and jealousy. These are anger and vexation, and this is the retribution for anger and vexation. These are heterodox views, and this is the retribution for heterodox views. This is parsimony, and this is the retribution for parsimony. This is immorality (lit., “breaking the precepts”), and this is the retribution for immorality. This is anger, and this is the retribution for anger. This is laziness, and this is the retribution for laziness. This is perturbation, and this is the retribution for perturbation. This is stupidity, and this is the retribution for stupidity.

“‘This is to be bound by the precepts, this is to maintain the precepts, and this is to transgress the precepts. This is what you should do, and this is what you should not do. These are hindrances, and these are not hindrances. These are transgressions, and these are not transgressions (lit., “transcend transgression”). This is pure, and this is defiled. This is to have flaws, and this is to be flawless. This is the wrong path, and this is the correct path. This is the conditioned, and this is the unconditioned. This is worldly, and this is nirvana.’

“Since the minds of people so difficult to convert are like monkeys, one must use several types of Dharma to control their minds, so that they can be disciplined. It is like elephants and horses who are stubborn and uncontrollable, who can only be disciplined by making them suffer to the bone. Because the sentient beings [of this world] are obdurate like this, [Śākyamuni] uses all sorts of painfully strict language to get [sentient beings] to enter into the Vinaya.”

16. When those bodhisattvas heard this explanation, they all said, “How unprecedented! Thus the World-honored One Śākyamuni Buddha conceals his immeasurable autonomous powers and uses that which is enjoyed by the poverty-stricken to save sentient beings. The bodhisattvas here are also able to labor and be humble, and it is with immeasurable great compassion that they have been born in this buddha land.”

Vimalakīrti said, “The bodhisattvas of this land are resolute in their compassion for the sentient beings here. Truly, it is as you have said. Thus in a single lifetime they benefit more sentient beings than you do in that country (i.e., the Host of Fragrances world) in a hundred thousand kalpas of practice. Why?

17. “This sahā world has ten excellent dharmas (i.e., features) that are lacking in the other pure lands. What are these ten?

i) “The poor are attracted by charity,
ii) “the transgressors are attracted by pure precepts,
iii) “the angry are attracted by forbearance,
iv) “the lazy are attracted by exertion,
v) “the perturbed are attracted by meditation,
vi) “the foolish are attracted by wisdom,
vii) “those who experience the eight difficulties are saved by explanation of how to eliminate difficulties,
viii) “those who take pleasure in the Hinayana are saved by the teaching of the Mahayana,
ix) “those without merit may be saved by the various good roots, and
x) “[the liberation of] sentient beings is constantly being accomplished by means of the four attractions.

“These are the ten.”

18. Those bodhisattvas said, “How many dharmas do bodhisattvas have to accomplish in their flawless practice in this world to be born in a pure land?”

Vimalakīrti said, “Bodhisattvas accomplish eight dharmas in their flawless practice in this world so as to be born in a pure land. What are the eight?

i) “They benefit sentient beings without seeking recompense,
ii) “they experience various sufferings in place of all sentient beings,
iii) “they donate all the merit from their actions to others,
iv) “in humility and non-interference they are even-minded toward all sentient beings,
v) “they view [other] bodhisattvas as if they were buddhas,
vi) “they hear and do not doubt sutras they have not heard before,
vii) “they do not become refractory toward śrāvakas, and
viii) “they are not jealous of the offerings [received by] others and do not become haughty over benefit to themselves.

“In these [eight dharmas] they discipline their minds, always reflecting on their own errors and not proclaiming the shortcomings of others, yet always singlemindedly seeking the various merits. These are the eight dhar-mas.”

When Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī explained this Dharma to the great congregation, a hundred thousand gods and humans all generated the intention to achieve anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and ten thousand bodhisattvas attained the forbearance of the nonarising of dharmas.