Chapter 13 Completed: The Dhrani of Non-Attachment

THE EXTENSIVE ST!A "# $"%DEN %I$HT:

THE &' CHA(TE! VE!SI"N
CHA(TE! THI!TEEN:
THE DH)!ANI "# N"N-ATTACH*ENT
The Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror then gave this teaching to the
Venerable Shradvatiputra:
Shradvatiputra, it is like this: this section of harma kno!n as the Dhrani of
Non-Attachment is the mother of the bodhisattvas !ho meditate on all harmas,
it is the preliminar" conduct of the bodhisattvas, and is thoroughl" retained b"
the bodhisattvas#$
%e spoke those !ords, and the Venerable Shradvatiputra replied to the
Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror as follo!s:
&hagavan, as for 'hrani', if it does not abide in an ob(ective )eld, and indeed
does not abide in a spatial direction, then &hagavan, !hat is the meaning of the
!ord of hrani !hich is said 'Dhrani, Dhrani'*+
%e spoke those !ords, and the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror
replied to the Venerable Shradvatiputra in the follo!ing !ords:
Shradvatiputra, (ust as "ou abide in the ,aha"ana, have interest in the
,aha"ana, and perform altruistic acts for the ,aha"ana, Shradvatiputra, in (ust
this !a", although it is indeed taught, as "ou said, that 'hrani' is a
phenomenon that does not abide in an ob(ective )eld, that also does not abide in
a spatial direction, and that is also not a phenomenon, that is also not a non-
phenomenon, that is also not in the past, that is also not in the future, that is also
not in the present, that is also not a substantial entit", that is also not a non-
substantial entit", that has also not arisen from conditions, that has also not
arisen from a lack of conditions, that has also not arisen from a life form, that has
also not arisen from that !hich is not a life form, that is also not a production of
an" phenomenon, and is also not a cessation, for the bene)t of the bodhisattvas,
it is (ust like this: namel", it is like the qualities of the &uddha, the ethical conduct
of the &uddha, the practices of the &uddha, the intent of the &uddha, and the
arising of the &uddha# .t is like this#*
*This section of harma called the Dhrani of Non-Attachment is the appropriate
path to accomplishment, and it is that !hich points out the abode of po!er#
.ndeed it is, indeed it is#$
%e spoke those !ords, and the Venerable Shradvatiputra then spoke the
follo!ing !ords to the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror:
&hagavan, it is like this: /lease besto! the harma section on the
hrani through the attainment of !hich one never turns a!a" from the
une0celled perfectl" complete enlightenment of the bodhisattva !herever one
sta"s, one holds commitments correctl", one perfectl" d!ells !ith teachers
learned in the unsupported nature of phenomena, and one abides intensel" on
the path# Sugata, please e0plain it1*
Thus he spoke, and the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror replied in the
follo!ing !ords to the Venerable Shradvatiputra:
Shradvatiputra, !ell done1 2ell done1 Shradvatiputra, it is (ust like that# A
bodhisattva !ho attains hrani should be called the &uddha himself#
Shradvatiputra, !hoever renders service to a bodhisattva !ho attains hrani,
treats them as a guru, honors them, and make o3erings to them, b" that the"
render service to the &uddha#$
Shradvatiputra, since !hoever listens to this hrani, upholds this hrani,
and venerates it !ill never be separate from the a!akening mind of bodhichitta,
it is precisel" in that !a" that the" !ill make o3erings to the &uddha#$
Shradvatiputra, as for this hrani, it is this:
TAD+ATH), SANDH)!ANI -TDH)!ANI, S-SA* (!ATISHTITE, S-N)*A,
S-(!ATISHTITE, VI.A+A /A%A, SATT+A(!ATI.0), S-)!"HA, .0)NA(!ATI,
-T(ADANI, A/AN)(ANI, A/HISHI0CHANI, A/HI/+)H)!A, SH-/HA/ATI,
S-NIH SH!ITA, (AH-$-*/HA, A/HI(AD) SV)H)
Shradvatiputra, if an" bodhisattva d!ells intensel" on the !ords of this Dhrani
of Non-Attachment, and, b" retaining it, upholds it !ell, then for an eon, or for
more than an eon, or for a thousand eons, and even for one hundred thousand
eons, their aspirations !ill not be e0hausted# ,oreover, the bod" of that one !ill
not be harmed b" !eapons, !ill not be poisoned, and !ill not be harmed b"
snakes#$
2h" is that so+ Shradvatiputra, this Dhrani of Non-Attachment is the mother
of the &uddhas of the past, the mother of the &uddhas of the future, and the
mother of the &uddhas of the present# Such it is: .t is the section of harma
called the Dhrani of Non-Attachment#$
Shradvatiputra, if one !ere to )ll the ten uncountable !orlds of the
trichiliocosm !ith the seven precious substances, make o3erings of them to the
&uddha &hagavans, and for incalculable eons attend to them e0cellentl" !ith
clothes and food, b" comparison, an" sentient being !ho retains merel" a single
!ord of this harma section of the Dhrani of Non-Attachment !ill generate far
greater merit#$
*2h" is this so+ Venerable Shradvatiputra, it is because this harma teaching of
the Dhrani of Non-Attachment is the mother of all &uddhas#$
456, T%7 S6V757.89 :.98 64 S;T5AS, T%7 S<&=.,7 86=79 =.8%T,
T%.S 2AS T%7 T%.5T779T% C%A/T75,
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Translated b" the Sugatagarbha Translation 8roup#