The Great Flower Garland Scripture of the Buddha's Expanded Mahayana
Teachings, Chapter 21 "The Ten Practices"

Translated upon Imperial Command
by Tripitaka Master Siksananda from Khotan

Provisional Translation by the
Buddhist Text Translation Society

At that time, Forest of Merit and Virtue Bodhisattva received the Buddha's spiritual power and entered into the Bodhisattvas' Skillful Contemplation Samadhi. After entering this samadhi, in each of the Ten Directions from beyond worlds as many as fine particles in ten thousand Buddhalands, were Buddhas as many as fine particles in ten thousand Buddhalands, all of whom were named Forest of Merit and Virtue. All of them appeared before him and spoke these words to Forest of Merit and Virtue Bodhisattva:

"Good indeed! Disciple of the Buddha, that you can enter this Skillful Contemplation Samadhi.

Good man! This is conferred upon you by all of these Buddhas in each of the Ten Directions in number like fine particles in ten thousand Buddhalands who bear the same name. It is also due to the power of the past vows of Vairochana Tathagata and his awesome spiritual strength, as well as to the power of the assembled Bodhisattvas' roots of goodness that you can enter this samadhi and proclaim the Dharma, in order to increase and to grow in the Buddhas' wisdom; in order to deeply enter the Dharma Realm; in order to understand the realm of living beings; in order to gain unobstructed entry; in order to be unhindered in cultivation; in order to obtain measureless expedients; in order to gather together the nature of all wisdom; in order to enlighten to all dharmas; in order to know all faculties; and in order to uphold and speak all dharmas, that is to say, in order to begin the ten kinds of practices of all Bodhisattvas.

Good man, you should receive the Buddha's awesome spiritual power and proclaim this Dharma." At that time all of the Buddhas immediately gave Forest of Merit and Virtue Bodhisattva unobstructed wisdom, unattached wisdom, uninterrupted wisdom, teacherless wisdom , undeluded wisdom, unchanging wisdom, unerring wisdom, limitless wisdom, unsurpassed wisdom, unflagging wisdom, and unalienable wisdom. And why? Because the Dharma of this samadhi's strength is that way. At that time, each of the Buddhas extended his right hand and rubbed the crown of Forest of Merit and Virtue Bodhisattva's head.

Then Forest of Merit and Virtue Bodhisattva immediately arose from his samadhi and said to all the Bodhisattvas, "Disciples of the Buddha! The Bodhisattvas' practices are inconceivable. They are equal with the Dharma Realm and the realm of empty space.

And why? Because all Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas learn from all Buddhas of the three periods of time and then cultivate." "Disciples of the Buddha! What are the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva' s practices? Disciples of the Buddha! The Bodhisattva, Mahasattva has ten kinds of practices that have been proclaimed by all Buddhas of the three periods of time.

What are the ten? The first is the practice of happiness; the second is the practice of benefiting; the third is the practice of non-opposition; the fourth is the practice of perseverance; the fifth is the practice of freedom from confusion; the sixth is the practice of wholesome manifestation; the seventh is the practice of nonattachment; the eighth is the practice of difficult attainment; the ninth is the practice of wholesome Dharma; the tenth is the practice of truth. These are the ten."

Practice One

"Disciples of the Buddha! What is the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva's Practice of Happiness?

Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva is a great benefactor. He can graciously give away all things with an equanimous mind, free of stinginess and regret. He doesn't expect a reward, nor does he seek reputation and fame. He is not greedy for material benefits. He gives only to save and protect living beings, to take all living beings into his care, and to benefit all living beings. He gives in order to emulate the past practices of all Buddhas, to recollect the past practices of all Buddhas, to delight in the past practices of all Buddhas, to purify the past practices of all Buddhas, to further develop the past practices of all Buddhas, to uphold the past practices of all Buddhas, to reveal the past practices of all Buddhas, to proclaim the past practices of all Buddhas, and to cause all living beings to leave suffering and attain bliss."

"Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva cultivates this practice he brings happiness and joy to all beings. Wherever there is poverty he uses the power of his vows to be reborn there as a wealthy and noble person possessing inexhaustible riches and treasures. Suppose then, in thought after thought, there are limitless, numberless living beings who come to the Bodhisattva and say, 'Humane One, we are poor and without sustenance. We are starving, emaciated, and in dire straits. We are close to death. We only wish you would give us the flesh of your own body to eat so that we might continue to live.'

At that time, the Bodhisattva promptly gives it to them, making them happy and satisfied. And even though measureless hundreds of thousands of living beings come to beg from him in this way, the Bodhisattva never once retreats in fear, but only increases his kindness and compassion. Because of this, living beings all come to beg from him, and when the Bodhisattva sees them he becomes even more joyful. He thinks, 'I am obtaining a good opportunity. These living beings are a field of blessings. They are my good friends. Without being asked, they are coming to teach me how to enter the Buddhadharma. I should now cultivate and study in this way and not oppose the wishes of all these living beings.'

He further reflects, 'I vow that all the roots of goodness I have already planted, am now planting, and will plant will bring me to obtain an immense body so that I can use its flesh to fill and satisfy all the starving living beings in all worlds. If there is even a single, tiny living being who hasn't eaten his fill, I vow not to give up my life. The flesh I cut off this body will also be inexhaustible. With these roots of goodness, I vow to attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi and realize Mahanirvana. I vow that all living beings who eat my flesh will also attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, obtain level-equal wisdom, perfect all Buddhadharmas, and extensively do the Buddhas' deeds up to and including entering Nirvana without Remainder. If there is a single living being whose heart is not satisfied, I will not realize Annuttarasamyaksambodhi.'

The Bodhisattva in this way benefits living beings and has no concept of self, no concept of living beings, no concept of existence, and no concept of a life; he doesn't have the various kinds of concepts--no concept of pudgala, no concept (of himself) as a person, no concept of manavaka, no concept of a doer or of a receiver. He only contemplates the Dharma Realm, the realm of living beings, the dharma of boundlessness, the dharma of emptiness, the dharma of nonexistence, the dharma of marklessness, the dharma of being without substance, the dharma of having no location, the dharma of nonreliance, and the dharma of nondoing. When he contemplates in this way, he doesn't see himself, nor does he see anything given, nor any receiver. He doesn't see a field of blessings, nor karma, nor retribution, nor fruition. He doesn't see a great fruition; he doesn't see a small fruition.

Then the Bodhisattva contemplates how all the bodies received by living beings of the past, present, and future soon perish, and he reflects, 'How remarkable that living beings are so foolish and ignorant. Amid birth and death they receive countless weak and fragile bodies that quickly decay and perish: they may have already perished, are now perishing, or are about to perish, and yet no one is able to use their unstable body to seek a stable body. I should study all that the Buddhas have studied, attain to all-wisdom, and understand all dharmas. I should proclaim the equality of the three periods of time for all living beings and accord with the tranquility of the indestructible Dharma nature. I should help them find eternal peace and happiness.'

Disciples of the Buddha, this is the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva's first Practice of Happiness."

Practice Two

Disciples of the Buddha! What is the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva's Practice of Benefiting?

This Bodhisattva protects and upholds the pure precepts.

Towards sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations of touch, his mind is unattached.

He also instructs living beings in this way.

He doesn't seek power, social status, wealth, appearance, or a king's throne.

He is completely unattached to all such things.

He only firmly upholds the pure precepts.

He has this thought, 'I am holding the pure precepts. I should forsake and leave behind all bonds and fetters, greedy seeking, annoying afflictions, all oppressive hardships, slander, confusion, and turbidity, and obtain the unbiased Proper Dharma that the Buddhas praise.'

Disciples of the Buddha, suppose that one day, while the Bodhisattva is maintaining pure precepts in this manner, numberless trillions of nayutas of thoroughly malevolent demons come to the Bodhisattva, each bringing measureless, numberless, trillions of nayutas of goddesses, all of whom are skillfulin taking liberties with the Five Desires.

They are glamorous and beautiful,and able to seduce a man's heart.

They carry many kinds of extraordinarily valuable curios, in order to disturb the Bodhisattva's will for the Way.

At that time, the Bodhisattva thinks like this:
'The Five Desires are dharmas that obstruct the Way, even to the point of preventing supreme enlightenment. Therefore I will not give rise to a single thought of desire. I will keep my mind as pure as the Buddha's. I would use desire only as an expedient to teach and transform living beings; even so, I would never forsake the mind for All Wisdom.'

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva would never allow his own desires to trouble a single living being.

He would rather give up his life than ever act in a way that disturbs another living being.

Ever since the Bodhisattva had a vision of the Buddha, his mind has never produced a single thought of desire, how much the less would he ever follow and actually act on desire.

Such a thing would be impossible. At that time, the Bodhisattva has this thought only:

'All living beings throughout the long night constantly think about the Five Desires,
pursue the Five Desires, and covet the Five Desires.

Their minds are fixated on and infatuated with the Five Desires, yet mixing with them cannot bring self-mastery and freedom.

I should now cause all these demons, goddesses, and all living beings to dwell in unsurpassed precepts.

Once they dwell in pure precepts, their minds will not retreat from All Wisdom and they will obtainAnuttarasamyaksambodhi and finally enter Nirvana without Remainder.

And why?

Because this is the work that I should do. I should follow all Buddhas and
learn to cultivate in this way. Having learned this, I will abandon all bad conduct and the ignorance of calculating for myself.

I will rely on wisdom to enter theDharma of all Buddhas and then proclaim it for all living beings so they get rid of all delusion.

Nevertheless, I know there is no delusion apart from living beings, and there are no living beings apart from delusion.

Living beings are not within delusion, delusion is not within living beings.

Also, delusion is not living beings,and living beings are not delusion. Delusion is not an internal dharma; delusion is not an external dharma.

Living beings are not an internal dharma; living beings are not an external dharma.

All dharmas are false and unreal. They arise quickly and then just as quickly disappear. They are ephemeral, like dreams, shadows, illusions, and transformations.

They deceive ordinary ignorant people. One who understands this can immediately awaken to all
practices, penetrate birth and death, as well as Nirvana, and realize the Buddha's Bodhi.

He can save himself and save others. He can liberate himself and liberate others.

He can conquer himself and cause others to be tamed.

He can attain tranquility himself and help others to attain tranquility.

He can be secure himself and enable others to be secure.

He can leave defilement and lead others to leave defilement.

He can purify himself and purify others.

He can enter Nirvana and lead others to enter Nirvana.

He can find happiness and make others happy. Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva thinks moreover, 'I should follow all Thus Come Ones and leave behind all worldly practices,perfect all Buddhadharmas, dwell in the place of unsurpassed equality, contemplate living beings equally,
and clearly understand all states.

I should avoid all errors, cut off all discriminations, renounce all attachments, skillfully make my escape, and hold my mind to constantly dwell in unsurpassed, inexpressible, independent, steadfast, measureless, boundless, inexhaustible, formless, most profound wisdom.'

Disciples of the Buddha, this is the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva's second Practice of Benefiting.

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