Dunhuang Document

Those who have already abandoned fear are beyond the reach of the five desires. It is only because your habitual tendencies original: "結習"; also known as vasanas, these are deep-seated mental impressions or "scents" left by past actions are not yet exhausted that the flowers stick to your body. For those whose habitual tendencies are exhausted, the flowers do not stick.

Shariputra said to the Heavenly Maiden: "How long have you stayed in this room?"

She answered: "I have stayed in this room as long as the Venerable One’s liberationoriginal: "解脱"; vimoksha, the state of being free from the cycle of suffering."

Shariputra said: "Has it been that long, then?"

The Maiden said: "Is the Venerable One’s liberation a matter of 'how long'?"

Shariputra remained silent and did not answer.

The Maiden asked: "Why does one of such senior years and great wisdom remain silent?"

He answered: "Liberation is beyond words and speech; therefore, I do not know what to say."

The Maiden said: "Speech and letters are themselves the marks of liberation. Why? Because liberation is neither internal, nor external, nor somewhere in between. Letters and words are also neither internal, nor external, nor in between. Therefore, Shariputra, one does not find liberation by abandoning words. Why? Because all phenomena are themselves the marks of liberation."

Shariputra asked: "Is liberation then not the abandonment of lust, anger, and folly?"

The Maiden said: "The Buddha spoke of 'abandoning lust, anger, and folly' for those who possess overweening prideoriginal: "增上慢"; adhimāna, a form of spiritual arrogance where one believes they have attained a level of enlightenment they have not yet reached. If one is free from such pride, the Buddha teaches that the very nature of lust, anger, and folly is itself liberation."

Shariputra said: "Excellent, excellent! Heavenly Maiden, what have you attained, or what have you realized, that gives you such eloquence?"

The Maiden said: "It is precisely because I have nothing attained and nothing realized that I am so eloquent. Why? Because anyone who claims to have 'attainment' or 'realization' is, in the eyes of the Buddha's Law, someone with overweening pride."

Shariputra asked the Maiden: "Among the Three Vehiclesoriginal: "三乘"; the three paths to enlightenment: the Shravaka (hearer), the Pratyekabuddha (solitary realizer), and the Mahayana (the Great Vehicle of the Bodhisattva), which do you seek?"

The Maiden replied: "When I transform living beings through the Law of the Shravakaoriginal: "聲聞"; 'voice-hearers' who seek personal nirvana, I am a Shravaka. When I transform them through the Law of causes and conditions, I am a Pratyekabuddhaoriginal: "辟支佛"; one who attains enlightenment alone through understanding the chain of causation. When I transform them through the Law of Great Compassion, I am a follower of the Great Vehicle (Mahayana). Shariputra, just as someone entering a grove of Champakaoriginal: "瞻蔔"; a fragrant yellow flowering tree flowers smells only the Champaka and no other scent, so too, anyone who enters this room hears only the fragrance of the Buddha’s merits and finds no joy in hearing the merits of the Shravaka or Pratyekabuddha."

"Shariputra, those gods like Indra and Brahma, the four Heavenly Kings, and the dragons and spirits who enter this room and hear this Great Man Refers to Vimalakirti explain the Right Law, all leave with a heart delighting in the fragrance of the Buddha’s merits and aspire to enlightenment. Shariputra, I have stayed in this room for twelve years, and never once have I heard the teachings of the Shravaka or Pratyekabuddha. I hear only the inconceivable Law of the Buddhas and the Great Kindness and Compassion of the Bodhisattvas."

"Shariputra, this room constantly manifests eight marvelous and unprecedented things. What are the eight?"

"First, this room is always illuminated by a golden light, day and night without change; it does not rely on the sun or moon for its brilliance."

"Second, those who enter this room are no longer troubled by the stains of affliction."

"Third, this room is constantly visited by Indra, Brahma, the four Heavenly Kings, and Bodhisattvas from other worlds."

"Fourth, in this room, the Six Perfectionsoriginal: "六波羅蜜"; the virtues practiced by Bodhisattvas: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom and the Law of Non-Retrogression are constantly taught."

"Fifth, this room always resonates with the most sublime music of gods and men, and from its strings come forth the sounds of countless teachings."

"Sixth, this room contains four great treasuries filled with countless jewels to rescue the poor and exhausted, remaining inexhaustible no matter how much is taken."

"Seventh, when this Great Man Vimalakirti thinks of them, Shakyamuni BuddhaThe historical Buddha, Amitabha BuddhaThe Buddha of Infinite Light, Akshobhya BuddhaThe 'Immovable' Buddha, and countless other Buddhas of the ten directions—such as Treasure-Virtue, Treasure-Flame, Treasure-Moon, Treasure-Adornment, Difficult-to-Conquer, Lion-Sound, and All-Benefited—all come here to broadly teach the secret and essential treasuries of the Buddhas’ Law, returning home only after they have spoken."

"Eighth, all the adorned palaces of the gods and the Pure Lands of all Buddhas appear within this room."

"Who, having seen such inconceivable things, would ever again find joy in the Shravaka’s way?"

Shariputra asked: "Why do you not transform out of your female body?" In ancient Indian and Chinese contexts, the female body was often viewed as having more spiritual obstacles than the male body; Shariputra is testing her or speaking from a traditionalist viewpoint

The Maiden replied: "For these twelve years, I have searched for the 'mark of a woman,' and I have not been able to find it. What then is there to transform? It is like a magician who creates a phantom woman. If someone were to ask, 'Why do you not transform out of your female body?', would that be a sensible question?"

Shariputra said: "No. A phantom has no fixed form, so what would there be to transform?"

The Maiden said: "All phenomena are exactly like that—they have no fixed form. So why do you ask, 'Why do you not transform your female body?'"

At that moment, the Heavenly Maiden used her supernatural powers to change Shariputra so that he looked exactly like the Maiden, while she transformed herself to look exactly like Shariputra. Then she asked: "Why do you not transform out of your female body?"

Shariputra, now in the form of the Heavenly Maiden, answered: "I do not know why I have now turned into a woman!"

The Maiden said: "Shariputra, if you could transform out of this female body, then all women could also transform. Just as Shariputra is not a woman but appears in a female body, so it is with all women—though they appear as women, they are not."