"He may follow the ways of the poor, yet he holds in his hand a jewel of inexhaustible wealth. He may follow the ways of cripples, yet he is beautiful and well adorned with the auspicious signs and marks. He may follow the ways of those of lowly birth, yet, through his accumulation of the stores of merit and wisdom, he is born in the family of the Tathagatas. He may follow the ways of the weak, the ugly, and the wretched, yet he is beautiful to look upon, and his body is like that of Narayana.

"He may manifest to living beings the ways of the sick and the unhappy, yet he has entirely conquered and transcended the fear of death.

"He may follow the ways of the rich, yet he is without acquisitiveness and often reflects upon the notion of impermanence.

He may show himself engaged in dancing with harem girls, yet he cleaves to solitude, having crossed the swamp of desire.

"He follows the ways of the dumb and the incoherent, yet, having acquired the power of incantations, he is adorned with a varied eloquence.

"He follows the ways of the heterodox without ever becoming heterodox. He follows the ways of all the world, yet he reverses all states of existence. He follows the way of liberation without ever abandoning the progress of the world.

"Manjusri, thus does the bodhisattva follow the wrong ways, thereby following the way to the qualities of the Buddha."

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakirti said to the crown prince Manjusri, "Manjusri, what is the 'family of the Tathagatas'?"

Manjusri replied, "Noble sir, the family of the Tathagatas consists of all basic egoism; of ignorance and the thirst for existence; of lust, hate, and folly; of the four misapprehensions, of the five obscurations, of the six media of sense, of the seven abodes of consciousness, of the eight false paths, of the nine causes of irritation, of the paths of ten sins. Such is the family of the Tathagatas. In short, noble sir, the sixty-two kinds of convictions constitute the family of the Tathagatas!"

Vimalakirti: Manjusri, with what in mind do you say so?

Manjusri: Noble sir, one who stays in the fixed determination of the vision of the uncreated is not capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment. However, one who lives among created things, in the mines of passions, without seeing any truth, is indeed capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment.

Noble sir, flowers like the blue lotus, the red lotus, the white lotus, the water lily, and the moon lily do not grow on the dry ground in the wilderness, but do grow in the swamps and mud banks. Just so, the Buddha-qualities do not grow in living beings certainly destined for the uncreated but do grow in those living beings who are like swamps and mud banks of passions. Likewise, as seeds do not grow in the sky but do grow in the earth, so the Buddha-qualities do not grow in those determined for the absolute but do grow in those who conceive the spirit of enlightenment, after having produced a Sumeru-like mountain of egoistic views.

Noble sir, through these considerations one can understand that all passions constitute the family of the Tathagatas. For example, noble sir, without going out into the great ocean, it is impossible to find precious, priceless pearls. Likewise, without going into the ocean of passions, it is impossible to obtain the mind of omniscience.

Then, the elder Mahakasyapa applauded the crown prince Manjusri: "Good! Good Manjusri! This is indeed well spoken! This is right! The passions do indeed constitute the family of the Tathagatas. How can such as we, the disciples, conceive the spirit of enlightenment, or become fully enlightened in regard to the qualities of the Buddha? Only those guilty of the five deadly sins can conceive the spirit of enlightenment and can attain Buddhahood, which is the full accomplishment of the qualities of the Buddha!

"Just as, for example, the five desire objects have no impression or effect on those bereft of faculties, even so all the qualities of the Buddha have no impression or effect on the disciples, who have abandoned all adherences. Thus, the disciples can never appreciate those qualities.

"Therefore, Manjusri, the ordinary individual is grateful to the Tathagata, but the disciples are not grateful. Why? The ordinary individuals, upon learning of the virtues of the Buddha, conceive the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment, in order to insure the uninterrupted continuity of the heritage of the Three Jewels; but the disciples, although they may hear of the qualities, powers, and fearlessnesses of the Buddha until the end of their days, are not capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment."

Thereupon, the bodhisattva Sarvarupasamdarsana, who was present in that assembly, addressed the Licchavi Vimalakirti: "Householder, where are your father and mother, your children, your wife, your servants, your maids, your laborers, and your attendants? Where are your friends, your relatives, and your kinsmen? Where are your servants, your horses, your elephants, your chariots, your bodyguards, and your bearers?"

Thus addressed, the Licchavi Vimalakirti spoke the following verses to the bodhisattva Sarvarupasamdarsana:

Of the true bodhisattvas,

The mother is the transcendence of wisdom,

The father is the skill in liberative technique;

The Leaders are born of such parents.

Their wife is the joy in the Dharma,

Love and compassion are their daughters,

The Dharma and the truth are their sons;

And their home is deep thought on the meaning of voidness.

All the passions are their disciples,

Controlled at will.

Their friends are the aids to enlightenment;

Thereby they realize supreme enlightenment.

Their companions, ever with them,

Are the six transcendences.

Their consorts are the means of unification,

Their music is the teaching of the Dharma.

The incantations make their garden,

Which blossoms with the flowers of the factors of enlightenment,

With trees of the great wealth of the Dharma,

And fruits of the gnosis of liberation.

Their pool consists of the eight liberations,

Filled with the water of concentration,

Covered with the lotuses of the seven impurities -

Who bathes therein becomes immaculate.

Their bearers are the six superknowledges,

Their vehicle is the unexcelled Mahayana,

Their driver is the spirit of enlightenment,

And their path is the eightfold peace.

Their ornaments are the auspicious signs,

And the eighty marks;

Their garland is virtuous aspiration,

And their clothing is good conscience and consideration.

Their wealth is the holy Dharma,

And their business is its teaching,

Their great income is pure practice,

And it is dedicated to the supreme enlightenment.

Their bed consists of the four contemplations,

And its spread is the pure livelihood,

And their awakening consists of gnosis,

Which is constant learning and meditation.

Their food is the ambrosia of the teachings,

And their drink is the juice of liberation.

Their bath is pure aspiration,

And morality their unguent and perfume.

Having conquered the enemy passions,

They are invincible heroes.

Having subdued the four Maras,

They raise their standard on the field of enlightenment.

They manifest birth voluntarily,

Yet they are not born, nor do they originate.

They shine in all the fields of the Buddhas,

Just like the rising sun.

Though they worship Buddhas by the millions,

With every conceivable offering,

They never dwell upon the least difference

Between the Buddhas and themselves.

They journey through all Buddha-fields

In order to bring benefit to living beings,

Yet they see those fields as just like empty space,

Free of any conceptual notions of "living beings."

The fearless bodhisattvas can manifest,

All in a single instant,

The forms, sounds, and manners of behavior

Of all living beings.

Although they recognize the deeds of Maras,

They can get along even with these Maras;

For even such activities may be manifested

By those perfected in liberative technique.

They play with illusory manifestations

In order to develop living beings,

Showing themselves to be old or sick,

And even manifesting their own deaths.

They demonstrate the burning of the earth

In the consuming flames of the world's end,

In order to demonstrate impermanence

To living beings with the notion of permanence.

Invited by hundreds of thousands of living beings,

All in the same country,

They partake of offerings at the homes of all,

And dedicate all for the sake of enlightenment.

They excel in all esoteric sciences,

And in the many different crafts,

And they bring forth the happiness

Of all living beings.

By devoting themselves as monks

To all the strange sects of the world,

They develop all those beings

Who have attached themselves to dogmatic views.

They may become suns or moons,

Indras, Brahmas, or lords of creatures,

They may become fire or water

Or earth or wind.

During the short aeons of maladies,

They become the best holy medicine;

They make beings well and happy,

And bring about their liberation.

During the short aeons of famine,

They become food and drink.

Having first alleviated thirst and hunger,

They teach the Dharma to living beings.

During the short aeons of swords,

They meditate on love,

Introducing to nonviolence

Hundreds of millions of living beings.

In the middle of great battles

They remain impartial to both sides;

For bodhisattvas of great strength

Delight in reconciliation of conflict.

In order to help the living beings,

They voluntarily descend into

The hells which are attached

To all the inconceivable buddha-fields.

They manifest their lives

In all the species of the animal kingdom,

Teaching the Dharma everywhere.

Thus they are called "Leaders."

They display sensual enjoyment to the worldlings,

And trances to the meditative.

They completely conquer the Maras,

And allow them no chance to prevail.

Just as it can be shown that a lotus

Cannot exist in the center of a fire,

So they show the ultimate unreality

Of both pleasures and trances.

They intentionally become courtesans

In order to win men over,

And, having caught them with the hook of desire,

They establish them in the buddha-gnosis.

In order to help living beings,

They always become chieftains,

Captains, priests, and ministers,

Or even prime ministers.

For the sake of the poor,

They become inexhaustible treasures,

Causing those to whom they give their gifts

To conceive the spirit of enlightenment.

They become invincible champions,

For the sake of the proud and the vain,

And, having conquered all their pride,

They start them on the quest for enlightenment.

They always stand at the head

Of those terrified with fright,

And, having bestowed fearlessness upon them,

They develop them toward enlightenment.

They become great holy men,

With the superknowledges and pure continence,

And thus induce living beings to the morality

Of tolerance, gentleness, and discipline.

Here in the world, they fearlessly behold

Those who are masters to be served,

And they become their servants or slaves,

Or serve as their disciples.

Well trained in liberative technique,

They demonstrate all activities,

Whichever possibly may be a means

To make beings delight in the Dharma.

Their practices are infinite;

And their spheres of influence are infinite;

Having perfected an infinite wisdom,

They liberate an infinity of living beings.

Even for the Buddhas themselves,

During a million aeons,

Or even a hundred million aeons,

It would be hard to express all their virtues.

Except for some inferior living beings,

Without any intelligence at all,

Is there anyone with any discernment

Who, having heard this teaching,

Would not wish for the supreme enlightenment?

9. The Dharma-Door of Nonduality

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakirti asked those bodhisattvas, "Good sirs, please explain how the bodhisattvas enter the Dharma-door of nonduality!"

The bodhisattva Dharmavikurvana declared, "Noble sir, production and destruction are two, but what is not produced and does not occur cannot be destroyed. Thus the attainment of the tolerance of the birthlessness of things is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Srigandha declared, "'I' and 'mine' are two. If there is no presumption of a self, there will be no possessiveness. Thus, the absence of presumption is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Srikuta declared, "'Defilement' and 'purification' are two. When there is thorough knowledge of defilement, there will be no conceit about purification. The path leading to the complete conquest of all conceit is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Bhadrajyotis declared, "'Distraction' and 'attention' are two. When there is no distraction, there will be no attention, no mentation, and no mental intensity. Thus, the absence of mental intensity is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Subahu declared, "'Bodhisattva-spirit' and 'disciple-spirit' are two. When both are seen to resemble an illusory spirit, there is no bodhisattva-spirit, nor any disciple-spirit. Thus, the sameness of natures of spirits is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Animisa declared, "'Grasping' and 'nongrasping' are two. What is not grasped is not perceived, and what is not perceived is neither presumed nor repudiated. Thus, the inaction and noninvolvement of all things is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Sunetra declared, "'Uniqueness' and 'characterlessness' are two. Not to presume or construct something is neither to establish its uniqueness nor to establish its characterlessness. To penetrate the equality of these two is to enter nonduality."

The bodhisattva Tisya declared, "'Good' and 'evil' are two. Seeking neither good nor evil, the understanding of the nonduality of the significant and the meaningless is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Simha declared, "'Sinfulness' and 'sinlessness' are two. By means of the diamond-like wisdom that pierces to the quick, not to be bound or liberated is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Simhamati declared, "To say, 'This is impure' and 'This is immaculate' makes for duality. One who, attaining equanimity, forms no conception of impurity or immaculateness, yet is not utterly without conception, has equanimity without any attainment of equanimity - he enters the absence of conceptual knots. Thus, he enters into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Suddhadhimukti declared, "To say, 'This is happiness' and 'That is misery' is dualism. One who is free of all calculations, through the extreme purity of gnosis - his mind is aloof, like empty space; and thus he enters into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Narayana declared, "To say, 'This is mundane' and 'That is transcendental' is dualism. This world has the nature of voidness, so there is neither transcendence nor involvement, neither progress nor standstill. Thus, neither to transcend nor to be involved, neither to go nor to stop - this is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Dantamati declared, "'Life' and 'liberation' are dualistic. Having seen the nature of life, one neither belongs to it nor is one utterly liberated from it. Such understanding is the entrance into nonduality."
The bodhisattva Pratyaksadarsana declared, "'Destructible' and 'indestructible' are dualistic. What is destroyed is ultimately destroyed. What is ultimately destroyed does not become destroyed; hence, it is called 'indestructible.' What is indestructible is instantaneous, and what is instantaneous is indestructible. The experience of such is called 'the entrance into the principle of nonduality.'"

The bodhisattva Parigudha declared, "'Self' and 'selflessness' are dualistic. Since the existence of self cannot be perceived, what is there to be made 'selfless'? Thus, the nondualism of the vision of their nature is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Vidyuddeva declared, "'Knowledge' and 'ignorance' are dualistic. The natures of ignorance and knowledge are the same, for ignorance is undefined, incalculable, and beyond the sphere of thought. The realization of this is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Priyadarsana declared, "Matter itself is void. Voidness does not result from the destruction of matter, but the nature of matter is itself voidness. Therefore, to speak of voidness on the one hand, and of matter, or of sensation, or of intellect, or of motivation, or of consciousness on the other - is entirely dualistic. Consciousness itself is voidness. Voidness does not result from the destruction of consciousness, but the nature of consciousness is itself voidness. Such understanding of the five compulsive aggregates and the knowledge of them as such by means of gnosis is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Prabhaketu declared, "To say that the four main elements are one thing and the etheric space-element another is dualistic. The four main elements are themselves the nature of space. The past itself is also the nature of space. The future itself is also the nature of space. Likewise, the present itself is also the nature of space. The gnosis that penetrates the elements in such a way is the entrance into nonduality."
The bodhisattva Pramati declared, "'Eye' and 'form' are dualistic. To understand the eye correctly, and not to have attachment, aversion, or confusion with regard to form - that is called 'peace.' Similarly, 'ear' and 'sound,' 'nose' and 'smell,' 'tongue' and taste,' 'body' and touch,' and 'mind' and 'phenomena' - all are dualistic. But to know the mind, and to be neither attached, averse, nor confused with regard to phenomena - that is called 'peace.' To live in such peace is to enter into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Aksayamati declared, "The dedication of generosity for the sake of attaining omniscience is dualistic. The nature of generosity is itself omniscience, and the nature of omniscience itself is total dedication. Likewise, it is dualistic to dedicate morality, tolerance, effort, meditation, and wisdom for the sake of omniscience. Omniscience is the nature of wisdom, and total dedication is the nature of omniscience. Thus, the entrance into this principle of uniqueness is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Gambhiramati declared, "It is dualistic to say that voidness is one thing, signlessness another, and wishlessness still another. What is void has no sign. What has no sign has no wish. Where there is no wish there is no process of thought, mind, or consciousness. To see the doors of all liberations in the door of one liberation is the entrance into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Santendriya declared, "It is dualistic to say 'Buddha,' 'Dharma,' and 'Sangha.' The Dharma is itself the nature of the Buddha, the Sangha is itself the nature of the Dharma, and all of them are uncompounded. The uncompounded is infinite space, and the processes of all things are equivalent to infinite space. Adjustment to this is the entrance into nonduality."