Explanation of the Mahayana Vijñāna Manifestation Sūtra

Original Text: The Buddha saw Bhadrapāla and emitted light from his entire body, illuminating Bhadrapāla. At that moment, Bhadrapāla became fearless. He circumambulated the Buddha three times, prostrated to touch the Buddha's feet, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "O World-Honored One, I beseech you, out of compassion, to instruct me. Now, for the first time in the presence of the Buddha, I have attained pure faith. My heart yearns for the wondrous Dharma and wishes to inquire. Yet, I have long dwelt in the cycle of birth and death, drowning in the suffering of afflictions, with chaotic and scattered thoughts. I lack the karmic support for practices such as precepts. Though my heart is profoundly earnest, I do not know how to transcend this state of ignorance, delusion, and web of doubt, how to cross over and be liberated from birth and death. The World-Honored One is omniscient, seeing all things universally. The appearance of a Buddha is extremely rare, a precious encounter, like a wish-fulfilling jewel that bestows joy upon sentient beings. The Buddha is the great wish-fulfilling jewel. All sentient beings attain great peace and happiness solely through relying upon the Buddha. He is the great parent, the source of goodness for sentient beings. It is through the Buddha, our parent, that we see the right path. I beseech you, out of compassion, to dispel the darkness of doubt and enlighten me."

The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla: "You have doubts; ask freely according to your wish. I shall explain and clarify for you in detail." Then Bhadrapāla, having received the Buddha's permission to ask, concentrated his mind to inquire and stood to one side.

Explanation: After seeing the Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, the Buddha emitted light from his entire body, shining upon Bhadrapāla. The Buddha emitted light with a purpose: to encourage Bhadrapāla to request the Dharma from the Buddha, enabling Bhadrapāla to be fearless so that he could ask questions and request the Dharma in the Buddha's presence. Because after he raised his question, the Buddha, using this as a condition, could then expound a supreme and magnificent Dharma. Sometimes, when the Buddha wished to teach a certain Dharma but no one requested it, lacking cause and condition, the Buddha could not teach. Thus, the World-Honored One would intentionally prompt someone, causing them to generate doubt, leading them to request the Dharma, raise a question, and based on the question they posed, the Buddha would then expound a Buddhist scripture. Having received the Buddha's blessing, Bhadrapāla circumambulated the Buddha three times to the right, expressing reverence and respect for the Buddha. Then, after prostrating to touch the Buddha's feet, he began to ask his question and request the Dharma.

The faith sentient beings have in the Buddha is sometimes impure, sometimes pure. Beginners in the Buddha Dharma have impure faith in the Buddha. How is it impure? They blindly believe in the Buddha, seeking something from the Buddha. They do not yet understand the Buddha's virtues, his great spiritual power and wisdom, or all his meritorious qualities. Therefore, they cannot generate pure faith; their minds still harbor many doubts, so it is not called pure faith. After the Buddha emitted light from his entire body, illuminating Bhadrapāla, Bhadrapāla developed pure faith in the Buddha Dharma. His heart then longed to hear the Buddha expound the wondrous Dharma and wished to inquire about the Buddha Dharma.