Sutra of Innumerable Meaning in Verse

Chapter one Virtues

Bodhisattvas are

Wise beings with great compassion.

Their minds are tranquil,

Ever abiding in meditation,

Peaceful, free of desires, and

Immune from any kind of

Delusion or wrong thoughts.

Theirs is a mind of translucent purity,

with vast, profound vows.

They hold these vows unwaveringly

For countless eons of time.

Having attained great wisdom,

They penetrate all laws

And come to understand

All the innumerable teachings.

They can differentiate

The real aspect of things

From apparent differences:

In form, phenomena have

apparent differences:

Long or short, large or small.

With the power of eloquence,

Bodhisattvas teach the truth

Like dew falling,

which keeps the dust of desire

from being stirred up;

Like a cool breeze that quells

The fever of worldly troubles.

The Bodhisattvas

Bring refreshing coolness,

And cleanse away ignorance.

They pour the water of Dharma

to moisten the dry land

Of living beings minds,

Sow seeds of goodness

To develop the fields of merit,

And inspire all to seek enlightenment.

With boundless compassion,

They work to relieve suffering beings.

Bodhisattvas are

Living beings true friends,

Mentors and guides.

They enable living beings to

Cultivate a great field of blessings.

Without being asked,

They offer guidance to living beings.

They are living being’s place of

security and happiness.

They are the relief, protection,

And support for living beings.

At anytime, anywhere, they

Serve as mentors and guides.

They serve as Eyes for the blind

And set right the minds of

The wayward and deluded.

Bodhisattvas are great healers.

They can discern illnesses,

Give correct diagnosis,

And prescribe the appropriate medicine.

They are ship captains who

Carry living beings across

The river of endless rebirth

To the shore of Nirvana.

They give what is hard to give -

Their wealth, family,

Power and status.

There is nothing they can not give,

Even giving their eyes,

Marrow and other parts of their body.

They uphold the Buddha's

Precepts of purity, and never break them,

Even at the cost of their life.

They never become angry,

Even when harmed,

Cursed or insulted.

In spite of long exertion,

They never become tired.

Their mind abides in Dharma

Day and night.

Practicing all the teachings,

They gain wisdom

And come to understand

the minds of all living beings.

At the stage of Buddhahood,

their minds are firm and unwavering.

They abide in their vows

of purifying this world.

Chapter 2: Preaching

There is a doctrine called

Innumerable meanings.

It enables people to

Gain enlightenment quickly.

The doctrine tells of

One timeless truth:

The fundamental nature

Of all things it is but one.

Yet out of delusion,

We discriminate falsely.

Thus we cycle endlessly

in great suffering.

Hence, the Buddha expounded

This great truth

Which shall expel

All doubts and confusion.

Out of true compassion,

The Buddha expounds this doctrine

Which all need to learn.

Understand it, we will

Understand all laws

and hence enable all

To gain great benefit.

This sutra is like a seed.

One grows into millions.

These millions of seeds

Each produce millions

until the number is

Immeasurable, countless.

One truth unfolds into

innumerable meanings.

The innumerable meanings

Come from but one truth.

Hearing it and grasping its essence,

One will understand

all laws, all phenomena.

Bodhisattva’s Hearts

Remain on this truth. So,

The compassion they have

Is real and authentic.

They dedicate themselves,

to relieve suffering.

After this, they

guide people to the Truth.

This Sutra enables all to

gain happiness.

It is protected by

All Buddhas across time.

No demon or heretic

Can break into it,

nor can any wrong view

Destroy it.

The sutra tells of the

real aspect of things

Ever changing, being born,

Continuing, decaying, gone.

This fundamental law

has always operated.

Deep and profound is

This supreme teaching,

A compassionate teaching

That can end suffering.

Grasping the fundamental,

One realizes Enlightenment

And can bring great

Benefit to all beings.

People have differing

Propensities and desires.

So, the Buddha had to

Preach differently and

Tactfully adapt methods

To guide people to the truth.

Different as people are,

all have the Buddha nature.

The Buddha's teachings are like water

Which can wash away filth.

Be it from a well or pond,

River, brook or sea,

The water can cleanse away filth.

Such too is the power of

The Buddha’s teachings.

Though varying, all water

Is fundamentally the same.

So too is the Dharma.

Just as all water

Can wash away filth,

All Dharma can

Wash away inner impurity.

The Buddha taught

the Four Noble Truths

So all can come to see

The truth behind all things.

All are ever-changing,

Never at stasis.

Though but one teaching,

Each understands his own.

The four phases of change

Are fundamental to all.

Supreme is

This teaching of the Buddha.

One truth, many meanings.

Many meanings, one truth.

This truth preached,

many become transformed.

Deep and profound

Is this supreme teaching:

The doctrine of Innumerable Meanings.

This supreme teaching,

Innumerable Meanings:

All must

Practice it, hold to it

This holy doctrine of

Innumerable Meanings.

Chapter 3: Ten Merits

The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings

Comes from the abode of the Buddhas.

It goes

To transform the mind

Of all beings

And dwells

Where the bodhisattva way

Is practiced.

Those who practice it

Gain Ten Merit-Powers.

To attain

Inconceivable merit powers

Begins first with having faith.

First, this sutra

Enables the unawakened

To aspire to enlightenment.

It makes the merciless

Become kind.

It makes he who likes to kill

Have compassion.

It makes the jealous

Have joy toward others.

It makes the attached

Be able to let go.

It makes the stingy

Become willing to give.

It makes the arrogant

Willing to follow precepts.

It makes

He who has an angry mind

Have forbearance.

It makes the indolent

Become diligent.

It turns

a distracted mind into

A mind of meditation.

It turns an ignorant mind

Into a mind of wisdom.

He who doesn't help others

Will be inspired to save others.

He who commits the ten evils

Will take up

The ten wholesome ways.

He who creates bad karma

Will aspire not to do so.

He who wavers becomes

Firm in his aspiration.

He who has inner defilement’s

Will strive for undefilement.

He who has afflictions

will strive to rid afflictions.

The second inconceivable merit power:

One law unfolds into

a million meanings.

Each meaning unfolds into

a million more,

Resulting in

Innumerable meanings.

Understand one principle,

All principles become clear.

One law encapsulates

All laws, all principles.

Diligently studying

One teaching of the sutra,

One can come to understand

Innumerable principles.

The third inconceivable merit-power

Is the capacity and Vow

of delivering living beings.

Following the teaching of this sutra,

Affliction becomes as if nonexistent.

One is not seized by fear

Toward life and death.

Like a ferryman

Who is seriously ill,

Having compassion for all,

He still delivers living beings

In his solid boat

To the shore of Nirvana.

The fourth inconceivable merit-power:

The practitioner will be

Protected by all Buddhas.

Though he

Cannot yet save himself,

He can still save others

As he keeps close to

The good and the wise.

He is like a young prince,

Who though young and

Not yet able to rule,

Is still revered

And has influence,

And is guided by

The king and queen.

The fifth inconceivable merit-power:

By reading, reciting,

Keeping the sutra in mind

Continually,

For an extended period,

He is able to gain

People’s trust and joy.

Though still bound by

Delusion and mundane ways,

He can carry out

The way of the Bodhisattvas,

Just as a baby dragon

Of seven days old

Can raise clouds

And make rainfall.

The sixth inconceivable Merit-power:

Though still with delusions,

Yet by keeping this sutra,

He can help others to

end all kinds of suffering

So that they transcend all,

just like the Buddha.

Though he himself

Is still swayed by delusions

The wisdom he practices can

Help others cut off delusions.

He is like a young prince who

Can still govern the kingdom

By following the King's edicts.

The seventh inconceivable Merit-power

Is displaying the power

Of the six paramitas.

He spreads love

With great compassion

And works to

Relieve people of suffering.

Through this practice,

His delusion is cut off.

He gains the ability to

Teach at peoples levels

And rise to the

Seventh bodhisattva stage

Where he now

Possesses wisdom.

The eight inconceivable merit power:

Skilled in tactful means,

He can inspire the misguided.

These misguided can

Be made to cultivate diligently,

And he enables them

To stay firm on the path.

For those who do not believe

In karmic retribution,

He guides them to

Understand the law.

By firmly upholding precepts

And by practicing giving,

He purifies this world.

The ninth inconceivable merit-power

Is the attainment of the

Ninth bodhisattva stage.

He obtains the eloquence to

Purify living beings’ minds

And can instantly destroy

Sins committed in the past.

He will perfect all paramitas,

Retain all teachings,

And work diligently to

Relieve all from suffering

And spread goodness

Throughout the world.

Following the teaching of this sutra

And deepening the practice of it,

He gains the Tenth

Inconceivable merit-power.

Fulfilling vows made

While still a mundane being,

he develops many good roots

And brings benefit to all.

He nurtures the withering

With the water of Dharma,

And gives medicine of

The law to all living beings.

His compassion extends to

All beings and he benefits all.

He reaches the tenth,

the highest bodhisattva stage.

Before long, he shall achieve

Perfect Enlightenment

And attain Buddhahood.