The Tathagatha Unimaginable state sutra

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The full title is Smile
Great, Upright and Broad Tathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra
Or
Maha-Vaipulya Tathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra
(Da Fang Guang Ru Lai Bu Si Yi Jing Jie Jing)

(Tripitaka No. 301)

Translated during the Tang Dynasty by Kustana Tripitaka Master Siksananda

(CONTENTS)

Thus I have heard. At one time the Buddha achieved Samyak-sambuddha(Correct Peerless Enlightenment) under the Bodhi-tree in Magadha state. The Bodhi-tree's name is Ahsipah, its root was deep in soil, its bole was tall and straight and had no lump, it was like a sandalwood column. Whenever birds come, they had to fly back because they could not fly over the tree. The tree's skin was fine and glossy, with interlaced various colors, just like damasks. The tree was branchy and the crown of it was bushy and verdant.

Around the tree, there were many beautiful and lovely flowers blooming and emanating fragrance. They were much more beautiful than all other flowers except Kovidars and Parijatas.

Around the tree, there were also many shorter trees. This Bodhi-tree, the king of trees, was splendid and handsome. It was like the Sumeru Mountain, which is the king of all mountains. It was so tall that even people outside 1 Yojana could see it. Its fragrance flows all around and its halo shines all around. People who saw it far away at night would suspect that it's a huge group of fire. The area under the tree was capacious, flat and majestic, like the happy garden, with prosperous fragrant grass. It was like the neck of the peacock king, beautiful and fragrance, people would not be tire of watching it.

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"For example, in this congregation, the great Bodhisattvas as many as atomies of ten Buddha-Worlds, are staying together in this area of 12 yojanas in Magadha state, but do not squeeze each other. Likewise, Each of those atomies contains infinite Buddha-Worlds. Those Buddha-Worlds, some are upward, some are downward, some are face to face, some are back to back, some are side by side, some are interpenetrating, and they do not obstruct each other. "

"For example, people in dream see many things at a same place, because they are not real, they do not obstruct each other. Likewise, all the universes are shown by the heart(Alaya). Living beings may see kalpa-fire, or see the fire burned out everything; may see the world is made by wind, may see clean or dirty things, may see the world with no Buddha. Each of them sees different scenes, all because of the karma of their own heart."

"For example, driven by hunger and thirst, the hungry ghosts go to the Ganges-river. When they arrive, some of them may see water, some of them may see that the river is filled up with dusts, purulence, blood, dung, and other dirty things."

"Likewise, all living beings, each affected by his own karmas, may see the Buddha's land is clean or dirty;
May see the Buddha is living, or the Buddha is in Nirvana;
May see the Buddha is teaching public at the Way-place;
May hear about the foremost truth, or hear the praise for generosity and charity.
May see the Buddha is walking or standing still;
May see the Buddha is sitting or taking food;
May see the Buddha is 1 time or 7 times or 1 yojana times taller then normal people, or even hundreds, thousands yojana times taller;
May see that the majestic light of Buddha looks like the rising sun or the full moon;
May be born in a period that the Buddha has been in Nirvana long before because of the hindrances of karma;
May be unable to hear the names of Buddhas, just like those hungry ghosts, see no water in Ganges-river but only various dunghills;
May see many Buddhas come from their own pure-land, with great and dignified Bodhisattva-bodies, enter into this congregation or a world, while other living beings only see that the kalpa-fire is burning;
Maybe a world is full of living beings and all of them can see Buddhas;
May see the Tathagata collect all worlds and put them into one Buddha-World, or store one Buddha-World into all worlds.
Just like some people with eye-diseases, they stay at a same place but see different scenes, and those scenes do not interfere each other. They cannot see the reality all because of their eye-diseases.
Likewise, the Dharma-Nature of everything is unimpeded, but because of various minds and relationships, living beings are defiladed and unable to know the truth."

"Buddha-Son, now I am going to tell you in brief the method of staying in this Samadhi. Just like the Buddha, the Bhagavat who is staying in this Samadhi, by one infinitesimal thought, he universally permeates through infinite Buddha-Lands inside the hair-tips that spread over all universes. For all atomies of those Buddha-Lands, each of them contains worlds as many as all atomies of the Dharma-Realm. In order to profit all living beings, kshana by kshana, he universally permeates through all worlds, reveals the expedient means, majesties, and activities of the Buddhas as many as atomies of ten Buddha-Worlds, in such a way, unto the time point that all living beings have consummated Bodhi, the Buddha-Works never interrupt. Also, for one Buddha, two Buddhas, three Buddhas... up to all Buddhas of the ten directions, the great mighty and virtuous powers shown by each of them are just like that."

Had heard the teaching, the Virtue Store Bodhisattva immediately acquired this Samadhi on his seat. Suddenly, he sees those infinite Buddhas and knows all the mighty, virtue and expedient means of them. With the power of this Samadhi, he can also rescue living beings in the same way. At the same time, each of the Hundreds Ganges-river-sands Bodhisattvas in the congregation had acquired various Samadhis, ksanti(forbearance)s, and different Bhumi(stage)s.

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Then the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, who manifests himself being the Correct-Awakening One(Buddha)s universally in all pure-worlds of the ten directions and are enlightening living beings, told the Virtue Store Bodhisattva: "Buddha-Son, to acquire this Samadhi, one should firstly cultivating blessings and develop his virtuous roots. Such as, to constantly offer and sustain Buddhas, Dharmas, Sanghas, and parents; to rescue and teach all the penniless, anguished, helpless, homeless, and pitiful living beings, and never abandon them. Do not be selfish even for the body and flesh of oneself."

"Why? Because the one who offers and sustains Buddhas will gain great felicities and virtues, will quickly attain Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi, will make all living beings restful and pleased. The one who supports Dharmas will have his wisdom increased, will prove the Dharma of absoluteness, will be able to fully realize the true nature of all dharmas. The one who offers and sustains Sanghas will gain innumerable accumulation(sambhara)s of felicities and wisdoms, will achieve the Buddhahood quickly."

"One should also offer and sustain his parents, teachers, all the people who had helped him, and all the people that he had relied on. He should think of repaying them doubly. Why? Because the one who remembers kindness of others will not lose his virtuous roots even if he is in the cycle of birth and death; and the unthankful one will lose his virtuous roots and do much villainy."

"Thus, all Tathagatas praise the appreciation of kindness, criticize the unthankful ones, and constantly take pity on and relieve the suffering living beings. By that, Bodhisattvas never lose their immeasurable virtuous roots. If one can diligently nurtures meritorious virtues, constantly be thankful, and takes pity on living beings, then the Bodhi is already in his hand."