Dunhuang Document

The Bodhisattvas who had attained supernatural powers immediately transformed their bodies to forty-two thousand yojanasoriginal: "由旬"; an ancient Indian measure of distance, roughly 7 to 9 miles, signifying a cosmic scale in height and sat upon the lion-thrones. However, the newly resolved Bodhisattvas and the Great Disciples were all unable to climb up onto them.

Vimalakīrti then spoke to Shariputra: "Please, take your seat on the lion-throne."

Shariputra replied, "Layman, these seats are so high and vast that I cannot climb them."

Vimalakīrti said, "Shariputra, you must first pay your respects to the TathāgataAn honorific for a Buddha, meaning "One who has thus come" or "One who has thus gone" King of the Sumeru Lamp; only then can you sit."

Thereupon, the newly resolved Bodhisattvas and the Great Disciples all paid their respects to the Tathāgata King of the Sumeru Lamp, and were then able to sit upon the lion-thrones.

Shariputra remarked, "Layman, this is unprecedented! That such a small room could accommodate these high and vast seats without any obstruction to the city of Vaishalioriginal: "毘耶離"; the city where Vimalakīrti lived, nor to the villages and towns of the world, nor to the palaces of the heavenly kings and spirits."

Vimalakīrti said, "Shariputra, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have a liberation called the Inconceivable. If a Bodhisattva dwells in this liberation, they can take the immense height and breadth of Mount SumeruThe central mountain of the world in Buddhist cosmology, considered the axis of the universe and place it inside a single mustard seed. The seed neither increases in size nor does the mountain decrease; Mount Sumeru remains exactly as it was. Yet, the heavenly beings inhabiting the mountain do not even realize they have entered a seed—only those who are meant to be liberated can see Mount Sumeru inside the mustard seed. This is called the Inconceivable Dharma-door of Liberation.

"Furthermore, they can take the waters of the four great oceans and place them into a single pore of their skin. The fish, tortoises, and other aquatic creatures are not disturbed, and the oceans remain as they were. The dragons, spirits, and asurasoriginal: "阿脩羅"; semi-divine beings or 'titans' often depicted as being in conflict with the gods do not even notice where they have entered, nor are any living beings harmed.

"Again, Shariputra, a Bodhisattva dwelling in the Inconceivable Liberation can pick up the entire universe—the three-thousand-fold world systemoriginal: "三千大千世界" (Trichiliocosm); a vast cosmic structure containing a billion worlds—like a potter’s wheel, hold it in their right palm, and hurl it beyond worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. The beings within it do not realize where they are going. Then, the Bodhisattva brings it back to its original place without anyone feeling they have moved, and the world remains as it was.

"Moreover, Shariputra, if there are beings who would be saved by staying a long time in the world, the Bodhisattva can stretch seven days to seem like an entire kalpaoriginal: "劫"; an immense period of time, a cosmic age. If there are beings who find the world unbearable and would be saved by a short stay, the Bodhisattva can compress a kalpa into seven days.

"Again, Shariputra, a Bodhisattva dwelling in the Inconceivable Liberation can take the magnificent decorations of all the Buddha-lands and reveal them within a single country. A Bodhisattva can pick up all the beings of a Buddha-land in their right palm and fly to the ten directions to show them everything without ever leaving their original place.

"Furthermore, Shariputra, all the offerings made to the Buddhas by beings throughout the universe can be seen through a single pore of the Bodhisattva's skin. All the suns, moons, and stars of the universe can be seen within a single pore.

"Again, Shariputra, the Bodhisattva can inhale all the winds of the universe into their mouth without harming their own body or breaking the trees of the world. When the universe is being consumed by fire at the end of a cosmic age, the Bodhisattva can take all those flames into their stomach; the fire continues to burn, but it does not harm them.

"They can reach down past worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, pick up a Buddha-land from below, and lift it up past worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges to the top of the universe—as easily as one might pick up a date leaf with the point of a needle—without causing any disturbance.

"Again, Shariputra, a Bodhisattva in this liberation can use their supernatural powers to appear as a Buddha, or a Pratyekabuddhaoriginal: "辟支佛"; a 'solitary realizer' who attains enlightenment on their own without a teacher, or a disciple, or as a heavenly king like Indra or Brahma.

"And all the various sounds of the universe—high, middle, or low—the Bodhisattva can transform into the voice of the Buddha, preaching the truth of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self. The various teachings of all the Buddhas in the ten directions can be heard within those sounds.

"Shariputra, I have only briefly described the power of the Bodhisattva’s Inconceivable Liberation. To describe it fully would take more than an entire kalpa."

At that time, the great disciple Mahākāśyapa, hearing this teaching, marveled at its novelty and said to Shariputra: "It is as if someone displayed beautiful colors and shapes before a blind person; they simply cannot see them. So it is with all us disciples: hearing this Inconceivable Dharma-door of Liberation, we cannot truly understand it. Who, having heard this, would not resolve to attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment? Why must we be the ones to forever lose this power?"