Their wisdom is like the immense ocean, and their samadhi is like the king of mountains. The radiance of their wisdom surpasses that of the sun and the moon, as they master the pure ways. They are like the snow mountain because they sparkle with merits that are equal in purity; like the great earth because they do not discriminate between purity and impurity, good and evil; like the pure water because they wash away afflictions, like filth; like the fire-king because they burn way afflictions, like firewood; like the powerful wind because they travel across worlds unhindered; like the open sky because they are not attached to anything; like the lotus flower because they live in the world untainted; like the Mahayana because they carry sentient beings out of their cycle of birth and death; like the thick clouds because they rumble the great Dharma thunder to awaken those asleep; like the torrential rain because they pour down sweet nectar to water sentient beings; like the vajra mountain because they cannot be moved by maras or non-Buddhists; like the Brahma-kings because they are foremost in upholding virtuous dharmas; like the banyan tree because they shelter all; like the udumbara flower because they are rare to encounter; like the golden-winged garuda because they subdue adherents of the wrong views; like the soaring birds because they do not accumulate things; like the ox-king because they are invincible; like the elephant-king because they are skilled tamers; like the lion-king because they are fearless.
Let’s first put this part of the Sutra into vernacular Chinese.
The Buddha says, “Their wisdom is like the immense ocean, and their samadhi is like the king of mountains. The radiance of their wisdom surpasses that of the sun and the moon, as they master the pure ways. They are like the snow mountain because they sparkle with merits that are equal in purity; like the great earth because they do not discriminate between purity and impurity, good and evil; like the pure water because they wash away afflictions, like filth; like the firing mountain because they burn way afflictions, like firewood; like the powerful wind because they travel across worlds unhindered; like the open sky because they are not attached to anything: like the lotus flower because they live in the world untainted; like the Mahayana because they carry sentient beings out of their cycle of birth and death; like the thick clouds because they rumble the great Dharma thunder to awaken those asleep; like the torrential rain because they pour down sweet nectar to water sentient beings; like the vajra mountain because they cannot be moved by maras or non-Buddhists; like the Brahma-kings because they are foremost in upholding virtuous dharmas and having the best retribution; like the banyan tree because they shelter all; like the udumbara flower because they are rare to encounter; like the golden-winged garuda because they subdue adherents of the wrong views; like the soaring birds because they do not accumulate things; like the ox-king because they are invincible; like the elephant-king because they are skilled tamers; like the lion-king because they are fearless.”
In this part of Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha is effusive in his praise for the Bodhisattvas of the West Pure Land with a series of parallelism. They are likened to the king of mountains, the snow mountain, the great earth, the pure water, the firing mountain, the powerful wind, the open sky, the lotus flower, the Mahayana, the thick clouds, the torrential rain, the vajra mountain, the Brahma-kings, the banyan tree, the udumbara flower, the golden-winged garuda, the soaring birds, the ox-king, the elephant-king, the lion-king. These analogies display virtues and merits of Bodhisattvas in the West Pure Land. Not only Shakyamuni Buddha highly praises them, but also Buddhas from ten quarters admire their actions to benefit themselves and benefit others.
Ok, let’s continue to look at the Scripture.
They are like the vast sky because their lovingkindness is given equally. They annihilate the mind of jealousy, not wanting to overtake others. They delight in seeking the Dharma, never satiated. They widely expound the Dharma, never tiring. banner. They invoke the sun of wisdom to shine and dispel the darkness of delusion. They live by the six elements of harmony and respect. They always give the Dharma as alms. They make boldly energetic progress, never feeling weak or discouraged. They serve as the world-illuminating lamp and as the supreme fortune field. They serve as the guiding teacher who teaches all equally without likes or dislikes. They delight in only the true Way without elation or dejection. They pull out the thorns of desire to give comfort to sentient beings. Their merit is so outstanding that no one fails to respect them.
Let’s first put this part of the Sutra into vernacular Chinese.
The Buddha says, “they are like the vast sky because their lovingkindness and compassion are given equally. They annihilate the mind of jealousy, not wanting to overtake others. They delight in seeking the Dharma, never satiated. They widely expound the Dharma, never tiring. They beat the Dharma drum and erect the Dharma banner. They invoke the sun of wisdom to shine and dispel the darkness of delusion. They live by the six elements of harmony and respect. They always give the Dharma as alms. They make boldly energetic progress, never feeling weak or discouraged. They serve as the world-illuminating lamp and as the supreme fortune field. They serve as the guiding teacher who teaches all equally without likes or dislikes. They delight in only the true Way without elation or dejection. They pull out the thorns of desire to give comfort to sentient beings. Their merit is so outstanding that no one fails to respect them.”
In the above part of the Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha continues to praise the actions of the Bodhisattvas in the West Pure Land to benefit themselves as well as benefit others.
We will summarize into several aspects to elaborate on.
1. These Bodhisattvas are like the vast sky because their loving kindness and compassion are given equally.
They annihilate the mind of jealousy, not envious of others surpassing themselves. In our world, jealousy is simply a matter of degree that exists in every one’s heart. People with strong jealousy cannot tolerate others’ excellence. Those with slight jealousy cares about whether they can occupy the most important position in the hearts of those they like. If the one they like praises others, they immediately fall into jealousy. Young people falling in love with each other would think of jealousy as a constituent element of true love. In fact, people with strong jealousy look upon others’ happiness and joy as the source of their pains and afflictions, signifying their ignorance and lack of wisdom. Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land are broadminded, respecting all dharmas as illusions and treating them equally. They annihilate the mind of jealousy, not wanting to overtake others. They truly rejoice in the achievements and happiness of others. It is a perfect quality of Bodhisattvas to be without jealousy. It can enable Bodhisattvas to become fellow-endeavorers and encouragers of all practitioners, obtaining immeasurable happiness in good thoughts and deeds of all sentient beings and enjoying every bit of progress of sentient beings.
2. Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land delight in seeking the Dharma, never satiated.
Obstructed by defilements of passions due to a lack of concentration, making it difficult for us to love something wholeheartedly. It is also difficult for human beings not to get tired in the learning process. They easily feel conceited and self-satisfied by even small achievements. Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land would not behave in this way. They are not bound by boundless treasures and exquisite wonders of the Pure Land, but devote themselves to seeking the Dharma assiduously, never satiated.
3. Bodhisattvas in the West Pure Land widely expound the Dharma, never tiring.
Bodhisattvas who initially embark upon practicing in our world would also like to expound the Dharma, however, they lack in the inner qualities and wisdom of the Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land and they have not fully understood Dharma, so what they teach is a kind of blind guidance. So, if anyone feels a sense of mission to promote Buddhism, they must pay attention to the virtues and merits of Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land we discuss earlier in this part of the Sutra. Otherwise, they may mislead themselves as well as others.
4. Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land are endowed with boundless wisdom, awesome supernatural powers, loving-kindness and compassion. They regard expounding Dharma as their sole mission to dispel the darkness of ignorance and delusion of sentient beings.
Bodhisattvas in our world are possessed of the brilliant talents, they will have many choices to spend their time. They have their own hobbies and habits. Some enjoy hiking; some like swimming; guqin-playing (a traditional Chinese musical instrument), game of go, calligraphy and painting and some enjoy incense and tea ceremonies. They would seldom consider promoting Buddhism and endeavoring to awaken sentient beings as their sole purpose of life.
But Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land no longer rejoice in or worry about anything other than expounding the Dharma to benefit sentient beings. Of course, they have the right view of emptiness, so they know there are no sentient beings to be delivered. The reason why they regard promoting Buddhism and delivering all sentient beings as their only mission in the state of extreme happiness is that they have great compassion.
5. They pull out the thorns of desire to give comfort to sentient beings. Their merit is so outstanding that no one fails to respect them.
In the human path, if a bodhisattva tries to pull out the thorns of human desire, he may be cursed, beaten or grudged against, because although sentient beings in our world are not able to extricate themselves from the thorns of desire, they do not want others to pull them out either. Even if one is willing to listen to the teachings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, he still has the reluctance to uproot the thorns of desire both mentally and physically.
Buddha says we have been lost in delusions for a very long period of time impossible of calculation. Ingrained habits and desires cannot be cast off overnight. Bodhisattvas need a lot of convenient skillful means to help sentient beings go through the gradual purification. Otherwise, it is very likely for them to become the enemy in the eyes of sentient beings. In cases like that, it becomes a real possibility that they not only fail to liberate sentient beings, but provoke their erroneous views of Buddhism. These sentient beings may even slander Buddhism, forming resisting causes and negative oral karma. Therefore, the Sutra tells us that harmony and respect. They always give the Dharma as alms.
What then is “the six elements of harmony and respect”? They refer to doctrinal unity in views and explanations, moral unity in observing the commandments, mental unity in faith, economic unity in community of goods, completely chatur-samgraha-vastu, the four qualities making for amicable association, namely,
- Dana (giving what others like, in order to lead them to love and receive the truth), Aghayapradana (the bestowing of confidence or courage);
- Priyavachana (the affectionate and loving speech in order to lead others to love and receive the truth) , and rejoicing words in others’ good deeds, words for advancement (words that point out the causes of human afflictions and facilitate the liberation from distress and transformation from delusion to enlightenment);
- Arthakritya, which means that Bodhisattvas shall conduct themselves in body, mouth and mind in a way profitable to others in order to lead others to love, receive and benefit from Buddhism;
- Samanarthata, which means Bodhisattvas shall live and work together with sentient beings in the same environment to affect and guide gently in order to benefit others from Buddhism.
That is why Bodhisattva will manifest in the body of any form and speak Dharma for them. Besides that Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva carry out this work according to the roots of sentient beings, He performs Samanarthata to make sentient beings feel that they are equal to bodhisattvas, without a distancing strangeness or a sense of fear. Moreover, Samanarthata makes sentient beings ready to speak out their inner complications without a defensive mentality towards the Bodhisattvas. want to form a good connection with Bodhisattvas for future salvation.
Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land have no evil thoughts and deeds, no worries or pain, and no hurting or being hurt in their hearts. They have various supernatural powers to know the intentions of others. They do not need to cultivate “the six elements of harmony and respect” for their own liberation, instead they practice for the universal salvation of all beings in the ten directions. supreme bodhi, their power of vows and their inner qualities, saying that their merit and wisdom are extraordinary, respect of sentient beings from worlds in the ten directions. afflictions and playfully demonstrate their transcendental powers.