An ethereal voice will again fill the air, intoning thus:
“You must now amend both body and mind! The body, by killing, stealing, and behaving licentiously, and the mind, by conceiving various unwholesome things, produce the ten harmful karmic actions as well as the five grievous acts. Moreover, their monkey-like and glue-like attachments to things everywhere thoroughly permeate all of the six sense faculties. All of the karmic actions of these six faculties – their branches, twigs, flowers, and leaves – extend fully throughout the three realms, the twenty-five states of existence, and all places where beings take birth, and they function to facilitate ignorance, aging, death, and others of the twelve factors that cause suffering. You cannot but be immersed in the eight improper practices and the eight conditions in which it is difficult to see a buddha. You must now amend yourself of unwholesome and harmful karmic acts such as these!”
After hearing these words, the practitioner should then inquire of the voice in the air:
“At what place may I now practice the way of self-amendment?”
The ethereal voice will then immediately reply, saying:
“Śākyamuni Buddha is Vairocana27 – the One Who Is Present in All Places. Where this buddha abides is called Perpetual Tranquil Light, where perpetuity is perfectly achieved, where the perfect truth of self is constituted, where perfect purity casts off the aspects of existence, where perfect happiness is no longer a characteristic that occupies body and mind, where phenomena are no longer perceived as having or not having aspects, where likewise there is serene liberation as well as perfect wisdom. As these are features of the ever-abiding Dharma, you must accordingly contemplate the buddhas of the ten directions!”
Thereupon the buddhas of the ten directions will each extend their right hand, gently stroke the practitioner’s head, and speak these words:
“Well done, you of good intent! Well done! Because you internalize and recite the Great Vehicle sutras, the buddhas of the ten directions will expound the method of self-amendment practiced by bodhisattvas: Neither cut off all ties to the impulses of desire, nor live fully in the ocean of such impulses! Contemplate the nonexistence of what is grasped as mind!
“Conceptualizations arise based on error that is mistaken for truth; in this way delusion gives rise to the concept of mind. In the same manner that wind has no foundation in the air, aspects of phenomena are without origination or cessation. What is guilt? What is bliss? As one’s mind – by nature – is emptiness, guilt and bliss have no owner. All phenomena are the same as this – they neither abide nor decay.
“Amend yourself in this way: Contemplate the nonexistence of what is grasped as mind! A phenomenon does not stay fixed in itself. All phenomena conform to liberation, to the truth of the extinguishment of suffering, and to complete tranquility. Grasping things in this way is described as ultimate self-amendment; it is described as fully composing self-amendment; it is described as self-amendment free from aspects of guilt; it is described as destroying the distinction of mind. Those who practice this self-amendment will be as flowing water: pure and clean in body and mind, not staying fixed in themselves. They will be able to discern Universal Sage Bodhisattva, and the buddhas of the ten directions as well, in any moment of concentration.”
With their bright light of great compassion, the World-honored Ones will then expound the truth of formlessness to the practitioner. He or she will hear the explanation of the ultimate principle of emptiness (śūnyatā). There will be neither fear nor alarm in the practitioner’s mind after hearing the explanation and, when the time comes, he or she will be prepared to take up the true status of bodhisattvahood.
The Buddha addressed Ānanda:
“Practicing in this way is called doing self-amendment. This self-amendment is the method of self-amendment of the buddhas and great bodhisattvas in the ten directions.”
The Buddha said to Ānanda:
“When followers of Buddha undertake to amend themselves of unwholesome and harmful karmic acts after the Buddha has passed away, they must resolutely internalize and recite the Great Vehicle sutras. This comprehensive teaching is the buddha eye of the buddhas, it is the means by which buddhas perfect the five kinds of vision, and, from it, the Buddha’s three manifestations arise. This is great evidence of the Dharma, and it attests to the realm of nirvana.28 It is within such a realm that the Buddha’s pure threefold manifestation is able to come forth. This threefold manifestation is a source of benefit for human and heavenly beings, and it is supremely worthy of reverence. It should be known that those who internalize and recite the comprehensive Great Vehicle sutras will be endowed with the Buddha’s merit, and that they will lastingly eliminate unwholesomeness and live in keeping with the Buddha’s wisdom.”
