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Universal Worthy
Bodhisattva
Universal Worthy (Samantabhadra) Bodhisattva ( Sanskrit: समन्तभद्र ), once translated as Universal Auspicious Bodhisattva, transliterated into Chinese as san man duo ba tuo luo, is one of the four great Bodhisattvas in Chinese Buddhism. He represents the virtue in principles and the virtue in conduct, corresponding to Manjushri Bodhisattva’s virtue in wisdom and virtue of righteousness. They are the right and left assistants of Shakymuni Buddha in the Saha world. Together, they are referred to as the Three Avatamsaka Sages. Lunar calendar Feb 21: Birthday of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva Ten Great Vows In the Chapter of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva’s Great Conduct and Vows from the Avatamsaka Sutra, there are detailed explanations of his ten great vows, and the boundless merit and virtue from reciting, upholding and practicing the vows. The Universal Worthy Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows ultimately guide one to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, rescue all living beings from the suffering in the Saha World, and allow them to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure land. Universal Worthy Bodhisattva is a symbol of Mahayana Buddhism and a role model for walking the Bodhisattva path. Samantabhadra’s vows together with the wisdom of the Manjushri Bodhisattva combine practice and principles to complete Mahayana Buddhism. The ten great vows are: First is to worship and respect all Buddhas; Second is to make praises to the Thus Come One; Third is to extensively practice profoundly the giving of offerings. Fourth is to repent and reform all karmic hindrance; Fifth to rejoice and follow in merit and virtue; Sixth is to request the dharma wheel be turned; Seventh request that the Buddha remains in the world; Eighth is to follow the Buddha’s teaching always; Ninth is to constantly accord with all living beings; Tenth to transfer all merit and virtue universally. Moreover, these ten great vows are endless. The realms of living beings may be bounded. The karma of living beings may diminish, and the affliction of living beings may vanish. Yet, the ten great vows shall never reach an end. Benefit from Hearing the Vows Universal Worthy Bodhisattva told Youth Good Wealth, “If there are good men or good women who take the seven kinds of exquisite jewels that can fill the incalculable number of worlds as many as the number of the tiniest dust motes in the ineffably ineffable number of Buddha-lands of the ten directions, take the supreme peace and happiness of humans and celestials, and offer them all to every living being in the said worlds. The good men or good women also make offerings to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the said worlds. They do so without cessation throughout kalpas as many as the tiniest dust motes in the Buddhalands. All the merit and virtue they will accumulate from the act cannot measure up to one hundredth, one thousandth, or even one upanisandth part of the merit and virtue gained by someone who hears the great vows.” Merit and Virtue from Reciting and Upholding Universal Worthy Bodhisattva told Youth Good Wealth, “Furthermore, if there are people with strong faith recite these great vows and uphold them, or even just write one or four sentences, they will immediately eradicate their evil karma from the Five Unnatural Acts, all the world’s diseases of the body or mind, all kinds of afflictions, and even all the evil karma as numerous as the number of the tiniest dust motes in Buddha-lands. All the demon army, yakshas, rakshasas, kumbhandas , pisacas, bhutas and various kinds of carnivorous evil spirits shall stay far from the faith ones or shall aspire to guard the faithful ones closely and give protection.” Guide to the World of Ultimate Bliss Universal Worthy Bodhisattva told Youth Great Wealth, “Moreover, when the said people are at the last ksana before their death, all their sensory organs will have deteriorated and decayed. All their relatives and retinues will have left them. All their power and influence will have been lost. All their courtiers will have dispersed. Elephants, horses, carriages, jewels, treasures alike within and outside of their palaces will no longer be on their sides. Only the great vows will not desert them, but will always guide them. In one ksana, they will be reborn in the World of Ultimate Bliss. Upon arrival, they will see Amitabha Buddha, attended by Manjushri Bodhisattva, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Bodhisattva, among others. All these Bodhisattvas have resplendently superb bodies with perfect merit and virtues. The said people will see themselves born from a lotus flower, and accept Buddha’s prediction of awakening.” |
In the tales and stories, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva has boundless
conducts and vows, teaching living beings according to their conditions. Historical records show that the ancient
Boddhist sage Shide is the transformation body of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva.
One day, Dhyana Master Feng-gan of the Tiantai Mountain Guoqing Monastery travelled
by Chichen, and heard the cry of a child coming from the bush. He went forward
and found a child about ten years old. The master asked for his name. The boy replied,
“I have no home, no surname, and no first name.” Master Feng-gan pitied the
lonely boy and took him back to Guoqing Monastery. The boy was sent to the storage
room as a tea boy. For he was picked up, he was named Shide (picked up).
As Shide was very clever and quick-witted, he was promoted to be the kitchen manager, and took charge of food offerings and some other tasks. One day, when he saw there was nobody around, he unexpectedly sat in front of a statue and began to eat. He even called the statue names: a small fruit, a burned sprout and a bad seed. The storage room manager Master Lingyi saw him, and scolded him for being disrespectful to the statue. Master Lingyi thought he was probably mentally sick, revoked him his post and ordered him to wash dishes in the kitchen. Shide then often put leftover food in a bamboo tube and gave it to his best friend Hanshan.
One time, the food and fruit of the monastery got pecked by birds, Shide then beat the statue of the mountain god with a stick, and blamed him for being undutiful, not being able to protect the temple properly in vain of all the offerings the god had received. That night, all monks in the temple dreamed of the mountain god saying, “Shide beat me up, scolded me. Master Lingyi went to examine the statue, and found indeed there were actually traces from a beating. He then realized Shide is someone of extraordinary background.
Shide and Hanshan visited each other very often, and many times they taught people Buddha Dharma, but people not only distrusted them but also cursed or even beat the two. Hanshan said to Shide, “People sully me, bully me, insult me, laugh at me, look down upon me, treat me meanly, detest me and lie to me. What should I do in return?” Shide said: “Endure them, allow them, avoid them, be patient with them, respect them, and ignore them. After a few years, take another look at them.”
Later, Shide got a new position to look after cows. One day, it was the time of the month to read precepts. A vinaya master was lecturing on the precepts to the monks in the hall. Shide led the cows to the front of the hall, leaned on the door, clapped his hands and smiled, “You are all gathering here, having such a good time. How is it?” The vinaya master was angry at his impoliteness and shouted at him, “What a crazy servant you are, disturbing my vinaya lecture!” Shide knew he had lost his temper and spoke a verse, “Being free of anger is to uphold precepts. Having a pure mind is to leave home-life. My nature is same as yours. All Dharma have no difference.” The vinaya master grew even angrier seeing Shide’s smiles. The master came down to beat Shide, ordering him to get the cows out.
Shide replied, “I am not going to take care of these cows anymore. They were all manager monks in previous lives, and they all had Dharma names. You don’t believe me? Just wait and see me calling them by their names. He then turned to the cows: “The previous Vinaturnya Master Hongjing come forward.” Right away, one white cow mooed and came forward. He said again, “The previous manager Guangcao come forward.” Another black cow came forward after his call. Shide called once more, “The previous monk on duty Jingben, come forward.” One bull came forward. Finally, Shide pulled along one cow and said, “You did not uphold the precepts in your previous life. You had the face of a human but a heart of an animal. You deserve this punishment. Who else can you you blame for? So great is the Buddha’s strength, yet you did not live up to the Buddha’s grace.”
Since then, the other monks understood that Shide was no ordinary person. They no longer saw him as a lunatic. Later, Chan Master Feng-gan told Governor Qiu that Hanshan and Shide were the transformation bodies of Manjushri Bodhisattva and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. As their true identity were exposed, they left Guoqing Temple together, and were never seen again.
As Shide was very clever and quick-witted, he was promoted to be the kitchen manager, and took charge of food offerings and some other tasks. One day, when he saw there was nobody around, he unexpectedly sat in front of a statue and began to eat. He even called the statue names: a small fruit, a burned sprout and a bad seed. The storage room manager Master Lingyi saw him, and scolded him for being disrespectful to the statue. Master Lingyi thought he was probably mentally sick, revoked him his post and ordered him to wash dishes in the kitchen. Shide then often put leftover food in a bamboo tube and gave it to his best friend Hanshan.
One time, the food and fruit of the monastery got pecked by birds, Shide then beat the statue of the mountain god with a stick, and blamed him for being undutiful, not being able to protect the temple properly in vain of all the offerings the god had received. That night, all monks in the temple dreamed of the mountain god saying, “Shide beat me up, scolded me. Master Lingyi went to examine the statue, and found indeed there were actually traces from a beating. He then realized Shide is someone of extraordinary background.
Shide and Hanshan visited each other very often, and many times they taught people Buddha Dharma, but people not only distrusted them but also cursed or even beat the two. Hanshan said to Shide, “People sully me, bully me, insult me, laugh at me, look down upon me, treat me meanly, detest me and lie to me. What should I do in return?” Shide said: “Endure them, allow them, avoid them, be patient with them, respect them, and ignore them. After a few years, take another look at them.”
Later, Shide got a new position to look after cows. One day, it was the time of the month to read precepts. A vinaya master was lecturing on the precepts to the monks in the hall. Shide led the cows to the front of the hall, leaned on the door, clapped his hands and smiled, “You are all gathering here, having such a good time. How is it?” The vinaya master was angry at his impoliteness and shouted at him, “What a crazy servant you are, disturbing my vinaya lecture!” Shide knew he had lost his temper and spoke a verse, “Being free of anger is to uphold precepts. Having a pure mind is to leave home-life. My nature is same as yours. All Dharma have no difference.” The vinaya master grew even angrier seeing Shide’s smiles. The master came down to beat Shide, ordering him to get the cows out.
Shide replied, “I am not going to take care of these cows anymore. They were all manager monks in previous lives, and they all had Dharma names. You don’t believe me? Just wait and see me calling them by their names. He then turned to the cows: “The previous Vinaturnya Master Hongjing come forward.” Right away, one white cow mooed and came forward. He said again, “The previous manager Guangcao come forward.” Another black cow came forward after his call. Shide called once more, “The previous monk on duty Jingben, come forward.” One bull came forward. Finally, Shide pulled along one cow and said, “You did not uphold the precepts in your previous life. You had the face of a human but a heart of an animal. You deserve this punishment. Who else can you you blame for? So great is the Buddha’s strength, yet you did not live up to the Buddha’s grace.”
Since then, the other monks understood that Shide was no ordinary person. They no longer saw him as a lunatic. Later, Chan Master Feng-gan told Governor Qiu that Hanshan and Shide were the transformation bodies of Manjushri Bodhisattva and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. As their true identity were exposed, they left Guoqing Temple together, and were never seen again.
