"Youthful Mañjuśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how can bodhisattvas become unobscured and purified with respect to all phenomena?”
At this question the Bhagavān replied to Youthful Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who see all phenomena as objects of desire will attain purification from karmic obscurations. Those who see all phenomena as objects of hatred will attain purification from karmic obscurations. Those who see all phenomena as objects of delusion will attain purification from karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who openly delight in the pleasures of the five senses without renouncing or abandoning them, and those who see the Buddha’s teachings as essentially desire will attain purification of karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who pursue enlightenment through the five obscurations, who do not pursue and attain enlightenment, and who do not have obscurations either, will attain purification of all karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who have purified the nine grounds of hostility will attain loving kindness. Those who genuinely discern the development of the ground of their hostility to a particular person, yet do not apprehend a self, or others, or even loving kindness, being free of apprehending all phenomena in this way have supreme loving kindness. Thus, bodhisattvas endowed with patience will attain freedom from obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who sees downfalls as non-downfalls, who sees discipline as non-discipline, who sees affliction as purity, and who sees saṃsāric realms as the sphere of nirvāṇa, will attain purification of karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who sees the realm of desire as the sphere of nirvāṇa, who sees the realm of hatred as the sphere of nirvāṇa, and who sees the realm of delusion as the sphere of nirvāṇa, will attain purification from karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva mahāsattva who truly sees all phenomena as the teachings of the Buddha will attain purification of karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who sees all phenomena as arising from the ground of space will attain purification of karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who does not distinguish between the phenomena of avarice and the phenomena of generosity, who does not distinguish between the phenomena of immoral conduct and the phenomena of moral conduct, who does not distinguish between the phenomena of malice and the phenomena of patience, who does not distinguish between the phenomena of laziness and the phenomena of diligence, who does not distinguish between the phenomena of distraction and the phenomena of meditation, and who does not distinguish between the phenomena of misconstrued wisdom and the phenomena of wisdom will attain purification from karmic obscurations.
“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who is convinced that all afflictions are the Buddhadharma will attain purification of karmic obscurations.”
Youthful Mañjuśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how do the bodhisattvas integrate the teachings of the Buddha into all afflictions?”
The Bhagavān answered, “Mañjuśrī, what do you think? Does a phenomenon engage in afflicted acts with respect to another phenomenon?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Bhagavān, no, it does not.”
The Bhagavān asked, “Mañjuśrī, what do you think? Does a phenomenon engage in pure acts with respect to another phenomenon?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Bhagavān, no, it does not.”
The Bhagavān spoke, “Mañjuśrī, what do you think? How did you attain patient forbearance in seeing all phenomena as non arising?”
Mañjuśrī replied, “Bhagavān, it is with respect to all afflictions that I have attained patient forbearance in seeing all phenomena as non-arising. Why? Bhagavān, since all afflictions arise from the ground of space, I neither seek, nor abandon, nor meditate on, nor manifest, any phenomenon. Bhagavān, childish ordinary beings are neither separate from the teachings of the Buddha, nor have they realized them; and so, Bhagavān, in order to abandon afflictions, I have abandoned these apprehensions of the Buddha’s teachings.”
Then the Bhagavān praised Youthful Mañjuśrī, “Very well done. Mañjuśrī, very well done."
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “Purification of Karmic Obscurations”
Ārya Karmā-varaṇa-viśuddhi Nāma Mahāyāna Sūtra
