Toh 112 — The White Lotus of Compassion

Chapter 1

Turning the Wheel of the Dharma

B1F.129.aHomage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time:^[1] the Bhagavat was residing at Rājagṛha, on Vulture Peak Mountain, accompanied by a great saṅgha of 62,000 bhikṣus who, with the exception of one individual—which is to say, Venerable Ānanda—were all arhats whose outflows had ceased, who were without kleśas, who were self-controlled, who had liberated minds, who had completely liberated wisdom, who were noble beings,^[2] who were great elephants, who had done what had to be done, who had accomplished what had to be accomplished, who had put down their burden, who had reached their goals, who had ended the fetters to existence, who had liberated their minds through true knowledge, and who had attained all the perfect, highest, most complete powers of the mind.^[3]

Also present were eighty million irreversible bodhisattva mahāsattvas, such as Maitreya, who were established in retention, acceptance, samādhi, and emptiness.

Also present was Brahmā, the lord of Sahā, with many hundreds of thousands of Brahmā-realm devas.

Also present was Para­nirmitavaśavartin with eighty million Para­nirmitavaśavartin devas.

Also present was Sunirmita with seventy million Nirmāṇarata devas.

Also present was Saṃtuṣita with sixty million Saṃtuṣita devas.

Also present was Suyāma with 70,200,000 Yāma^[4] devas.

Also present was Śakra, lord of the devas, with eighty million Trāyastriṃśa devas.

Also present was the mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa with a hundred thousand yakṣas.

Also present was the mahārāja Virūpākṣa with a hundred thousand nāgas.

Also present was the mahārāja Virūḍhaka F.129.b with a hundred thousand kumbhāṇḍas.

Also present was the mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra with a hundred thousand gandharvas.

Also present were a thousand nāga kings, such as the nāga kings Nanda and Upananda.

They and others had all entered the Mahāyāna, practiced the six perfections, and perceived, understood, and comprehended the Dharma of the four errors.^[5] They were all gathered around and they looked upon the one before them who teaches the Dharma in order that the four noble truths will be realized, and so that bodhisattva mahāsattvas will attain the various samādhis, the level of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas will be transcended, and through samādhi the highest, most complete enlightenment will be attained.^[6]

At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Amoghadarśin, the bodhisattva Varuṇa, the bodhisattva Siṃhamati, the bodhisattva Vairocanamati, and ten thousand other bodhisattvas rose from their seats together, removed their robes from one shoulder, knelt on their right knees, bowed with their hands placed together, and, facing southeast and looking in that direction with great joy and delight, said these words: “Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksam­buddha Padmottara, you attained complete buddhahood and soon after manifested great miraculous powers, caused the good karma of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings to ripen, and established them in irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. That is a marvel! We pay homage to you! We pay homage to you!”

Then the bodhisattva Ratnavairocana rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, F.130.a placed his hands together, bowed in the direction of the Bhagavat, and inquired of the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, why did the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Amoghadarśin, the bodhisattva Varuṇa, the bodhisattva Siṃhamati, the bodhisattva Vairocanamati, and ten thousand other bodhisattvas rise from their seats together, remove their robes from one shoulder, kneel on their right knees, bow with their hands placed together, and, facing southeast and looking in that direction with great joy and delight, say these words: ‘Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksam­buddha Padmottara, you attained complete buddhahood and soon after manifested great miraculous powers, caused the good karma of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings to ripen, and established them in irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. That is a marvel! We pay homage to you! We pay homage to you!’?

“How long was the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara on the path? How long has it been since he attained the highest, most complete enlightenment, becoming a complete buddha? What is the name of the realm in which the Tathāgata Padmottara resides? In what way is that realm adorned by an array of qualities? For what reason did the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara perform that kind of great miracle? What is the reason why some bodhisattvas can see the bhagavat buddhas who reside in other innumerable realms in the ten directions, F.130.b and can see the miracles of those buddha bhagavats, while we cannot see them?”

The bodhisattva Ratnavairocana said those words, and then the Bhagavat addressed him in return: “Noble son, excellent! Excellent! Noble son, it is excellent that you have made this request. In order to ripen the good karma of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings, you have asked about the Tathāgata Padmottara’s manifestation of the miracle of attaining enlightenment and the qualities of his buddha realm. You have asked this because of the virtue of your confidence. Noble son, listen carefully and pay attention, for I will explain it to you.”

“Bhagavat, I will do so,” said the bodhisattva Ratnavairocana. As he listened to the Bhagavat, the Bhagavat recounted to the bodhisattva Ratnavairocana the following description.

“Noble son, in the southeast, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in a hundred thousand million trillion Ganges Rivers, there is a realm by the name of Padmā, which is adorned with a variety of good qualities, scattered with a variety of flowers, pervaded by a variety of fragrances, adorned with precious trees, and filled with precious lotuses.^[7] Its ground is made of blue beryl. It is filled with bodhisattvas and pervaded by the sound of the Dharma. The ground made of beryl is as soft and pleasant to the touch as down. A foot stepping on it sinks to the depth of four finger-widths, and when the foot is raised, the ground rises back up four finger-widths. Varieties of lotuses cover the ground.

“The trees there are made of the seven jewels and are seven yojanas in height. F.131.a They are hung with divine orange cloth, and they emit beautiful, divine music. On those trees there are a variety of birds that sing the beautiful words of the powers, strengths, and factors of enlightenment. When the leaves of those trees touch each other, they create music of the five tempos, which surpasses that of the deva realms. Each of those trees has a pervasive fragrance, which surpasses that of the deva realms and spreads over a hundred thousand^[8] yojanas, and each of those trees is hung with divine adornments.

“In between those trees are kūṭāgāras made of the seven jewels, which are each five hundred yojanas high and a hundred yojanas wide.^[9] Around all these kūṭāgāras, in each of the four directions, there is an ornamental arch. Between these ornamental arches and the kūṭāgāras, there are pools that are eighty-eight yojanas long and fifty yojanas wide. On the four sides of those pools there are steps made of the seven jewels. Those ponds are covered with blue lotuses and red lotuses.^[10] Each flower is one yojana across. Bodhisattva mahāsattvas are born from the pericarps of those flowers. They appear on the pericarps of those lotuses in the first watch^[11] of the night. They spend the night sitting cross-legged, experiencing the joy and bliss of liberation. When the night turns to dawn, there come cool,^[12] fragrant, gentle breezes, the touch of which is delightful, and which cause the closed flowers to open and the bodhisattvas to emerge from their meditation. Leaving behind the joy and bliss of liberation, they come down from the pericarps and enter the kūṭāgāras, where they sit cross-legged on seats made of the seven jewels F.131.b and listen to the Dharma.

“Surrounding the trees and kūṭāgāras are mountains made of Jambu River gold. They are each twenty yojanas high and three yojanas wide. Between those mountains, many hundreds of thousands of moonstones, sunstones, sapphires, and jyotīrasas are visible. When the light of the Buddha Padmottara strikes the mountains and jewels, the light of that buddha and the light of the jewels becomes a continuous great radiance throughout the Padmā realm. The light of a sun or moon is unknown, but when the lotuses close and the birdsong diminishes, that is called night, and the opposite is day.

“On top of the mountains are kūṭāgāras of blue beryl, which are sixty yojanas high and twenty yojanas wide. In each of the four directions from the kūṭāgāras there are ornamental archways made of the seven jewels. Within the kūṭāgāras, there are thrones made of the seven jewels, upon which bodhisattvas in their last lifetime sit and listen to the Dharma.

“Noble son, in the Padmā realm there is the excellent presence of a Bodhi tree called Indra, which is three thousand yojanas high with a trunk five hundred yojanas wide. Its branches, leaves, and petals are a thousand yojanas wide.

“At the foot of this Bodhi tree there is a silver lotus stalk, which is five hundred yojanas high. It has a hundred thousand million gold petals, five yojanas in height. All the pericarps have emerald stamens, and the pericarps, which are made of the seven jewels, are ten yojanas high and seven yojanas wide.^[13] It is upon this that the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara attained the highest, most complete enlightenment, becoming a complete buddha. F.132.a

“Encircling that buddha’s lotus seat are other lotuses, upon which sit bodhisattvas who see the miracles of the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara.”

The bodhisattva Ratnavairocana then asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, what kind of miracles did the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara manifest?”

The Bhagavat replied to the bodhisattva Ratnavairocana, “Noble son,^[14] in the last watch of the night, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara attained the highest, most complete enlightenment, becoming a complete buddha, and at dawn he performed a miracle. He transformed himself to the height of the Brahmā realm and his uṣṇīṣa radiated a hundred thousand million trillion light rays.^[15] Those light rays illuminated the upper region’s realms, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. At that time, the bodhisattvas who dwelt in the upper regions looked downward. They did not perceive Sumeru or the Cakravāḍa, Mahācakravāḍa, or Kāla mountain ranges. In those worlds, the bodhisattvas who had received prophecy, who had attained samādhi, who had attained retention, who had attained acceptance, and who had completely transcended the levels of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas,^[16] and those bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were in their final lifetime, were illuminated, placed their palms together in reverence, and saw the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara’s F.132.b body, which was perfectly adorned by the thirty-two signs and eighty excellent features of a great being.

“They also saw the assembly of bodhisattvas and the array of good qualities of that buddha realm, the world known as Padmā. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas became perfectly joyous and happy when they saw that. Countless bodhisattvas, from realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, through their miraculous powers left their buddha realms and came to the Padmā realm in order to make offerings to, pay homage to, and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara.

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Padmottara, while sitting, standing, and walking, extended his tongue from his mouth and covered that entire world of four continents with his tongue. Then the bodhisattvas who were in meditation arose from their samādhi and applied themselves to making offerings to the Tathāgata and the entire assembly.^[17]

“Noble son, when the Tathāgata Padmottara ceased manifesting the miraculous power of his tongue, he emitted six thousand trillion light rays from each pore of his entire body. This vast radiance reached realms in all the ten directions as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. There were bodhisattva mahāsattvas in those realms who received prophecies and attained samādhi. F.133.a Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, through their miraculous powers, departed from their own buddha realms^[18] and came to the Padmā realm in order to see, pay homage to, and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara.

“Noble son, when the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara concluded his miraculous manifestations, in order to benefit many beings, for the sake of the happiness of many beings, from compassion for the world, in order to bring benefit and happiness^[19] to devas and humans, and in order to perfectly complete the purpose of the Mahāyāna, he turned the righteous wheel of the Dharma called the Irreversible Wheel for the entire assembly of bodhisattvas.”

Chapter 2

The Dhāraṇī Entranceway

Then the bodhisattva Ratnavairocana asked the Bhagavat, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, how does one distinguish day and night in the Padmā realm? What kinds of sounds are heard there? What kind of mental states do the bodhisattvas there have? What kind of dwelling do they dwell in?”

“Noble son,” answered the Bhagavat, “the Padmā realm is continuously illuminated by the Buddha’s light. The time there that is known as night is when the flowers close, the songs of the birds diminish, and the Bhagavat and the bodhisattvas enjoy meditation and experience liberation’s joy and bliss. The time that is known as day is when the flowers are opened by a breeze, the birds sing beautifully, a rain of flowers falls, and supremely fragrant, pleasant, gentle breezes, the touch of which is delightful, blow in the four directions. The Bhagavat arises from his samādhi, the bodhisattvas F.133.b arise from their samādhis,^[20] and the Bhagavat Padmottara teaches the bodhisattva mahāsattvas the bodhisattva piṭaka, which transcends completely what is spoken of to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

“Noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas are never separated from the word Buddha, the word Dharma, or the word Saṅgha. They are never separated from the word fearlessness, the word nonformation, the word nonbecoming, the words no cessation, the word pacified, the words very pacified, the words truly pacified, the words great kindness, the words great compassion, the words unoriginated phenomena, the words attaining the level of consecration, or the words buddhas and bodhisattvas. The bodhisattvas continually hear words such as these.

“Noble son, moreover, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have been born and will be born in the Padmā world are all endowed with the thirty-two signs of a great being, have hundred-yojana-wide^[21] auras, and until enlightenment will have no downfalls.

“All those bodhisattvas have loving minds, affectionate minds,^[22] unpolluted minds, tamed minds, patient minds, settled minds, clear minds, imperturbable minds, pure minds, virtuous minds, Dharma-loving minds, minds that pacify the kleśas in all beings, minds as vast as the earth, minds that do not enjoy worldly conversation, minds that enjoy transcendent conversation, F.134.a minds that strive for all virtuous qualities, minds that are sincerely, continuously dedicated, minds that have complete peace with regard to illness, aging, and death, minds that have incinerated all kleśas, minds that have pacified all involvements, and minds that are not proud of all their qualities.

“They possess the power of intention, the power of engagement, the power of motive,^[23] the power of prayer, the power of rising above the worthless, the power of comprehension, the power of good roots, the power of samādhi, the power of learning, the power of giving, the power of correct conduct, the power of patience, the power of diligence, the power of meditation, the power of wisdom, the power of śamatha, the power of vipaśyanā, the power of clairvoyance, the power of mindfulness, the power of enlightenment, the power of courage,^[24] the power of destroying all māras, the power of overcoming all the might of the māras, the power of defeating all promulgators of false doctrines through the Dharma, and the power of overcoming all kleśas.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas^[25] who have been born and will be born in the Padmā world have served many hundreds of thousands of buddhas and thus have planted good roots.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas^[26] who have been born and will be born in the buddha realm of the Padmā world consume meditation as food, Dharma as food, and inhaled aromas^[27] as food, just like the deities in the Brahmā paradise. Food eaten through the mouth is unknown there. F.134.b

“Even the word nonvirtue does not exist there at all. Even the word female does not exist there at all; there isn’t even that term. Even the word suffering does not exist there at all. Even the words virtue and nonvirtue^[28] do not exist there at all.

“And in the same way^[29] the words kleśa, attachment, darkness, bad smell,^[30]mental fatigue, and physical fatigue, and the words hells, animal birth, and Yama’s world do not exist there. The words unfortunate rebirths do not exist there.

“There are no thorns, dark places, stones, or pebbles; there is no fire, no moon, no sun, no stars, and no great oceans; and there are no Sumeru or Cakravāḍa mountains, no in-between worlds, no Kāla mountains, no Mīḍhapāṣāṇa, and no Pāṃśu mountains. There aren’t the words clouds or rain, or the word storm; the words unfortunate existences don’t exist at all.

“Moreover, the Padmā realm is always illuminated by the vast radiance of the light from the Buddha, the light from the bodhisattvas, the light from merit, and the light from jewels.

“There are the birds that are called saphala, each of which, with their own pleasing and gentle song,^[31] sings of the powers, the strengths, and the aspects of enlightenment.”

Then the bodhisattva Ratnavairocana asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, how vast is the Padmā realm? How long after his swift attainment of the enlightenment of buddhahood will Padmottara reside, live, and remain there, teaching the Dharma? F.135.a When he has passed into parinirvāṇa, how long will his Dharma remain? How long will those bodhisattvas who have been born and will be born in the buddha realm of the Padmā world remain there? Are those bodhisattvas deprived of seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and serving the Saṅgha, or not? What was the name of the Padmā realm previously? How long after the setting of the sun of the previous jina did the Tathāgata Padmottara attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood? Why is it that some see the manifestations of buddhas, the miracles of buddhas, and the bhagavat buddhas performing miracles in other buddha realms in the ten directions, while others do not?”

“Noble son,” answered the Bhagavat, “it is like this: Sumeru, the king of mountains, is 168,000^[32] yojanas high and 84,000 yojanas wide. If a diligent, powerful man came to Sumeru, the king of mountains, and with the power of his samādhi broke it into pieces the size of mustard seeds, then those pieces would be uncountable. No one but a being with omniscient wisdom could count those pieces of Sumeru that are the size of mustard seeds. That number of those pieces is the number of how many four-continent worlds there are.

“It is like this: just as the world of Sukhāvatī is completely filled with bodhisattvas, in the same way the buddha realm Padmā is completely filled with bodhisattvas.

“Noble son, the tathāgata F.135.b arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara will have a lifespan of thirty intermediate eons, during which he will reside, live, and remain there, teaching the Dharma.

“Noble son, after the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara has passed into parinirvāṇa, the sacred Dharma will remain for ten intermediate eons. The lifespan of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have been born and will be born in the Padmā realm is forty intermediate eons.

“Noble son, previously the Padmā realm was called Candanā. It was not completely pure, nor filled with pure beings, as the present Padmā world is.

“Noble son, in the Candanā world there dwelt the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct,^[33] the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the bhagavat buddha named Candrottama. He taught the Dharma for thirty intermediate eons. When the time came for him to pass into parinirvāṇa, some bodhisattvas, through the power of their prayers, departed to other buddha realms. The bodhisattvas who remained thought,^[34] ‘The tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama will pass into parinirvāṇa in the middle watch of this night. After the Bhagavat has passed into parinirvāṇa, his sacred Dharma will remain for ten intermediate eons. After it has come to an end, who will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood?’

“At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra, because of his prayers in the past, received this prophecy from the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama: F.136.a ‘Noble son, when I have passed into parinirvāṇa, the Dharma will remain for ten intermediate eons, and then my Dharma will come to an end in the middle^[35] period of the night. In the last period of that night, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, and so on, the bhagavat buddha named Padmottara.’

“At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas came to the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama. When they had come before the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama, through the power of samādhi, with manifold bodhisattva miracles, all those bodhisattvas made offerings to the Tathāgata Candrottama, circumambulated him three times, and then said to the Bhagavat, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, we will remain,^[36] with our minds in a state of cessation, for those ten intermediate eons.’

“Then, noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra, ‘You must acquire, noble son, the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. All the past^[37] tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddhas have taught it to the bodhisattvas they have consecrated to be their regents. Also, the present bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in the worlds in the ten directions F.136.b teach it to the bodhisattvas whom they consecrate to be their regents. Also, those who will be buddhas in the future will teach it to the bodhisattvas whom they consecrate to be their regents. Therefore, you too should acquire the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience.^[38] It is thus:^[39]

jalijalini mahājalini phutke butke sammade mahāsammade devāṃ aṭi caṭi ṭake ṭharaṭhakke amimakasi hilicilitili ruruke mahāruruke jaye durjaye jayamati śānte śāntanirghoṣaṇi amūle ale amūlaparichinne mārasainya vitrāsane mukte mukta­pari­śuddhe abhīte bhayamocane bhāradroharaṇā dānta vidyāvidyā varuttame nigrahaṃ paravādināṃ dharma­vādināmanu­grahaṃ ārakṣā dharma­vādināṃ caturṇāṃ smṛtyupa­sthānānām adhimukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

buddha­kāśaye amama nimama avevi arthe arthani stīraṇe lokādhimukte sandadha paribhāvane caturṇāmāryavaṃśānāṃ adhimukti­pada­prakāśanapadā |

bhāṣīthe bhāṣaṇe dhāre dhārayati gupte śubhe śubhaprade tatphale agraphale ’niṣphale nilaha samukta amukta nirmukte atravita vimuktavati vilaphala ayukta iviti diviti ratitula tulamaṃ ahiṃsāma ititāva atvānatvāna sarvaloka anaka livindha abhūsare hatamatte veśāgravate aphala kaphala trayāṇām ārakṣitānāṃ adhimuktipadamidaṃ |

jaḍataḥ ani­haravavatavyo idaṃ phalaṃ niyoma­phalaṃ samudānāya vibhuṣa paśya sāmantra anumanto akumanto chedāvane mantrastā daśabala vigrahasthā isusthita sunikhama tīkṣṇamati āloko atitṛṣṇā adimati F.137.a pratyutpanna­buddha­pūrva­prahāre caturṇāṃ samyakprahāṇānāṃ adhi­mukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

anye manye mane mamane vire virate śame śamitā viśānte mukte nirakṣame same samasame kṣaye akṣaye ajiti śānte samiṣṭhe dhāraṇī ālokāvabhāse ratna­vrate raśmyavate jñāna­vate meruvate kṣayanidarśane loka­pradīpani­darśane caturṇāṃ prati­saṃvidāmadhi­mukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

cakṣa ābhāsanidarśane jñānā­lokanidarśanaṃ ca prabhāsane sarvendriya bhūmātikrante sarvasarve vamāṃ sarve prāthavā kṣayaṃ kare gokāha vadane lokānudarśana vibhū caturṇāṃ ṛddhipādānām adhi­mukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idam |

acale buddhe dṛdhapracale sattve gṛhna siddhi kaṃpati nisiddha smahiddhe parekasire some caṇḍe datve acale acale apare vicivale nipare pracacale prasare anayan prabhyāse kaṃkame prabhāvini same nijase grakrame nayute indriyāṇāṃ balānām adhi­mukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

puṣpe supuṣpe druma­pari­hāre abhayarucire cekaratke akṣayamastu ninile mamale pañcaśiśire lokasya vijñāne naya­saṃgṛhīte ca yukte succendena saptānāṃ bodhyaṅgānāṃ adhi­mukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

cakravajre maitra samāpade krānte kete karuṇa rudīkṣayi prītirūpe kṣamasaṃpanne arake varate kharo khare amūle mūle sādhane caturṇāṃ vaiśāradyānām adhi­mukti­pada­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

vartte cakre cakradhare varacakre vare prare hile hile dhare ārūpāvate huhure yathā jibhaṃga niṃbare yathāgne yathāparaṃ cariniśe yathā bhayaririśi satyanirhāra jaracavila vīryanirhāra cure mārganirhāra samādhinirhāra prajñānirhāra vimuktinirhāra F.137.b vimuktijñānadarśananirhāra nakṣatranirhāra candra­nirhāra sūrya­nirhāra padāśca­turuttara­tathāgatena adbhutaṃ niradbhutaṃ saṃbuddhaṃ abuddha ihabuddhaṃ tatra­buddhaṃ nihaṃgamapare alaha dalaha paṇḍare paṇḍare tatrāntalu māṃgagharaṇi pūṭani saṃpūṭani gata­praṃgamanuniruva nāśani nāśabandhani cicchini cicchidra mayova hidiṃgamā vare mare hanane bharaṃ bhare bhinde bhire bhire ruṣare śaraṇe darane pravartte varaṇāḍaye vidranvumā varakhumā brahma­cāriṇa indravani dhidhirāyani maheśvaralalani mamasume alamini ekākṣaraci vaṃcani carasti ābhicaṇḍāla sūre sarvasurā āvarasurā punakanitāṃ paṇḍitāṃ āyinakaṇḍi jabhāme gandhare atra runimakare bhirohiṇī siddhamatte vilokamate buddhādhiṣṭhite dhāraṇīmukhe daśānāṃ balānām adhi­mukti­prakāśanapadam­idaṃ |

As soon as the Bhagavat recited the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, that great billion-world universe shook intensely in six ways: it shook, shook strongly, and shook intensely; it shuddered, shuddered intensely, and shuddered fiercely; it quivered, quivered intensely, and quivered fiercely; it trembled, trembled intensely, and trembled fiercely; it quaked, quaked intensely, and quaked fiercely; it bent upward, bent downward, and bent deeply downward. And a light appeared so that the worlds in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in countless Ganges Rivers, were filled with vast light. At that time, the Sumeru, Cakravāḍa, and Mahācakravāḍa mountains were not to be seen. The countless worlds in the ten directions appeared to be as flat as the palm of one’s hand. F.138.a

Also, through the power of the Tathāgata, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who resided in countless worlds in the ten directions, who had attained samādhi, dhāraṇī, and acceptance, vanished from their own realms^[40] and arrived in the presence of the Bhagavat on Vulture Peak Mountain. They bowed their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet and, through various manifold bodhisattva miracles, made offerings to the Bhagavat. They then seated themselves there in order to hear this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience.

Also, countless devas, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, kumbhāṇḍas, and piśācas came to Vulture Peak Mountain to the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet, and sat to one side in order to hear this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. All the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were gathered there saw the Padmā buddha realm and the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Padmottara encircled by an assembly^[41] of bodhisattvas. As soon as the Bhagavat had recited this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, bodhisattva mahāsattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in seventy-two Ganges Rivers obtained this dhāraṇī.

The bodhisattvas who had obtained the dhāraṇī saw the bhagavat buddhas who dwelt in countless worlds in the ten directions and saw the array of the qualities of those buddha realms. F.138.b They were amazed, and, through the power of samādhi and bodhisattva miracles, made offerings to the Buddha and then were seated.

The Bhagavat said to them, “Noble sons, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who meditate upon the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience will attain 84,000^[42] dhāraṇī entranceways; they will attain 72,000 further dhāraṇī entranceways; and they will attain 60,000 samādhi entranceways.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have attained this dhāraṇī entranceway will attain great kindness and great compassion. Bodhisattva mahāsattvas contemplate the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment and attain omniscience solely in order to obtain this samādhi.^[43] It contains the entirety of all the Buddha’s teachings. All the bhagavat buddhas, through having understood this dhāraṇī in its essence, teach the Dharma to beings and do not pass into parinirvāṇa too soon.

“Noble sons, see how the power of this dhāraṇī, the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, caused the great earth to shake and a great light to shine, a light that spread a vast radiance throughout endless, infinite buddha realms, and how that light caused endless, infinite bodhisattvas to come from endless, infinite buddha realms in order to hear the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. B2

“The endless, infinite devas of the desire realm and form realm, and the nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, humans, and nonhumans within this Sahā universe who listen to the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, as soon as they have obtained the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, F.139.a will be irreversible in their progress to complete enlightenment.

“Those who write it out will always see the Buddha, listen to the Dharma, and serve the Saṅgha until complete parinirvāṇa. The bodhisattvas who chant the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience will eliminate without remainder their primary karma,^[44] and in the next life they will ascend to the first bhūmi.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who meditate on the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience will completely eliminate even the five actions with immediate results at death if they have committed and accumulated them, and in the next life they will ascend to the first bhūmi. If they have not committed the actions with immediate results at death, then in that lifetime they will completely eliminate all other karma and in the next life will ascend to the first bhūmi.

“Even if someone does not meditate on this dhāraṇī or chant this dhāraṇī, but only listens to it and binds a turban^[45] onto the Dharma reciter, then the bhagavat buddhas residing, living, and remaining in other realms, who are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, will declare ‘excellent!’ and those bhagavat buddhas will prophesy his attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. Not long after, that bodhisattva will be consecrated as their regent,^[46] and he will be only one lifetime away from attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment. In the same way, those who make an offering of incense to the Dharma reciter^[47] will before long obtain the incense of the highest, most complete enlightenment. If they offer a flower to the Dharma reciter, F.139.b they will obtain the unsurpassable flowers of wisdom. If they offer cooked rice, food,^[48] and drink to the Dharma reciter, they will attain the unsurpassable nourishment of the tathāgatas. If the bodhisattvas clothe the Dharma reciter, they will attain the unsurpassable complexion of a tathāgata. If they adorn the Dharma reciter with jewels, they will obtain before long the jewels of the Dharma of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment.

“Noble sons, the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience has this kind of great benefit for bodhisattva mahāsattvas. Why is that? It is because the entire bodhisattva piṭaka is taught in it. Bodhisattva mahāsattvas gain unimpeded eloquence through this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience and attain the four attractive qualities.

“Noble sons, when the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama taught^[49] the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra, the earth shook, and a great light shone in the world. That great light illuminated countless buddha realms in the ten directions, and all uneven land appeared to be as flat as the palm of the hand. All the bodhisattva mahāsattvas gathered there saw the bhagavat buddhas who were in countless buddha realms in the ten directions.

“Countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas came from countless buddha realms in the ten directions to the Candanā realm to honor and pay homage to the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama F.140.a and to hear this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience.

“Noble sons, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama addressed^[50] the bodhisattvas, saying, ‘Noble sons, I perceive that the bodhisattvas who have one lifetime remaining will spend these ten intermediate eons with their minds at rest in cessation. During these ten intermediate eons, the other bodhisattva mahāsattvas will listen to this bodhisattva piṭaka, the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, from the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra. They will listen to the Dharma for ten intermediate eons, trusting the countless bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in countless buddha realms in the ten directions. That complete trust will generate good roots, and they will make offerings to the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama through various kinds of bodhisattva miracles.’

“The bodhisattvas asked the Bhagavat, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat,^[51] after these ten intermediate eons have passed, will the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra turn the unsurpassable Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma?’

“Candrottama^[52] said to them, ‘Noble sons, it will be so, it will be so. When these ten intermediate eons have passed, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. F.140.b Following the night that he attains the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he will turn the unsurpassable Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma. For ten intermediate eons he will teach the bodhisattvas the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas will listen to that Dharma and will generate good roots through hearing it. After the bodhisattva Gaganamudra has attained the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he will turn the irreversible supreme wheel, the Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma, and he will establish many hundreds of millions of trillions of bodhisattvas in irreversibility. For ten intermediate eons those bodhisattvas will listen to him teaching this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. When they have heard that Dharma, they will have only one remaining lifetime. The bodhisattvas who have listened for an eon will at that time enter^[53] the tenth^[54] bhūmi and have irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. At that time, they will have the ultimate attainment of this dhāraṇī.’

“After the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama had spoken those words to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas, he manifested the various miracles that are the domain of the buddhas. He showed the nārāyaṇa samādhi to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra and then transformed his body into diamond and showed him the array of light samādhi. F.141.a

“Then for ten intermediate eons, he turned the wheel of the Dharma for the bodhisattvas, teaching them the Dharma of this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. He revealed and made clear the adorning signs and indications of the buddhas in all the buddha realms. He taught the samādhi called circle of vajras. He taught the Dharma to the bodhisattvas by perfectly turning the wheel of the Dharma on the seat of enlightenment. He taught them the garland of wheels samādhi. He turned the wheel of the Dharma for many hundreds of thousands of tens of millions of thousands of millions of beings and through the wheel of the Dharma established them in irreversibility.

“Knowing this, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra and an innumerable saṅgha of bodhisattvas made offerings to the Bhagavat. Then they each entered their own kūṭāgāra and remained there through the night when the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Candrottama passed into parinirvāṇa, into the state of nirvāṇa without any remaining aggregates. When that night was over, the bodhisattvas made offerings to the Bhagavat’s body, and then each entered their own kūṭāgāra. The other bodhisattvas all returned to their own buddha realms. The bodhisattvas who had but one life remaining stayed in the samādhi of cessation for ten intermediate eons.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gaganamudra taught the Dharma for the bodhisattva mahāsattvas, and those bodhisattva mahāsattvas generated good roots during those ten intermediate eons.^[55] In the night, he attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood F.141.b and the next day he turned the wheel of the Dharma and manifested great miracles. He established many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings in the highest, most complete enlightenment.^[56] Also when he taught the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience, eight hundred thousand trillion bodhisattvas attained the forbearance that comes from realizing the birthlessness of phenomena; 920,000,000 beings were established in irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment; 72,000,000,000 bodhisattvas obtained this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience; and countless devas and humans developed the motivation to attain complete enlightenment.”

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ratnavairocana^[57] asked the Bhagavat, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, which qualities must bodhisattva mahāsattvas possess in order to obtain this dhāraṇī?”

“Noble son,” replied the Bhagavat, “bodhisattva mahāsattvas will obtain this dhāraṇī if they possess four qualities. What are these four? The bodhisattva mahāsattvas remain within four noble traditions. What are these four? The bodhisattva mahāsattvas remain in this first noble tradition: the bodhisattva mahāsattvas should be pleased and satisfied with any kind of robes. They praise being content with any kind of robes; they do not act inappropriately for the sake of robes; they are not saddened if they have not acquired clothing; and if they obtain clothing, they wear it without desire, without clinging, without longing, without becoming fettered, without becoming infatuated, and without covetousness. F.142.a They acquire it without covetousness. They wear it while seeing the defects of saṃsāra and with the knowledge of going forth into homelessness.

“As it is in the noble tradition for robes, so it is for alms, and it is the same noble tradition for beds and seats. The fourth noble tradition is that the bodhisattva mahāsattvas are pleased and satisfied with any kind of necessities and any medicine; they praise being satisfied with any kind of necessities and any medicine; they do not act inappropriately for the sake of necessities or for the sake of medicines; they are not saddened if they have not acquired necessities and have not acquired medicines; and if they obtain necessities and obtain medicines they utilize them without desire, without clinging, without longing, without becoming fettered, without becoming infatuated, and without covetousness. They acquire them without covetousness. They utilize them while seeing the defects of saṃsāra and with the knowledge of going forth into homelessness. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas remain in these four noble traditions. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess those four qualities will obtain this dhāraṇī and meditate on it.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas will also obtain this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience if they possess five other qualities. What are these five? The bodhisattva mahāsattvas remain in possession of correct conduct; they are restrained by the prātimokṣa vows; they have perfect rules of conduct and range of conduct; they see the danger in the tiniest particle of blameworthy actions; they adopt and train in the precepts; and when they see others who are devoid of correct conduct, they cause them to possess a perfectly correct conduct, training them, guiding them, and establishing them in that. F.142.b The bodhisattva mahāsattvas are endowed with that first quality.

“Also, when the bodhisattva mahāsattvas make beings who are attached to a wrong view abandon that wrong view, they cause them to possess a correct view, training them, guiding them, and establishing them in that. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas are endowed with that second quality.

“Also, when the bodhisattva mahāsattvas make beings who are attached to wrong conduct abandon their wrong conduct, they cause them to possess perfect conduct, training them, guiding them, and establishing them in that. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas are endowed with that third quality.

“Also, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas cause beings who have a defective aspiration to possess a perfect aspiration, training them, guiding them, and establishing them in that. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas are endowed with that fourth quality.

“Also, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas make those who are following the Śrāvakayāna and the Pratyekabuddhayāna realize the highest, most complete enlightenment, training them, guiding them, and establishing them in that. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas are endowed with that fifth quality.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess those five qualities will obtain this dhāraṇī.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas will also obtain this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience if they possess six other qualities. What are these six?

(1) “The bodhisattva mahāsattvas themselves are learned, possess learning, and accumulate learning, and thereby their articulate teaching of the Dharma, of celibacy, is virtuous in the beginning, virtuous in the middle, and virtuous in the end; it has good meaning, has good words, is unalloyed, is complete, is pure, and is immaculate. F.143.a They learn and possess many such Dharma teachings, recite them, mentally examine them, and understand them through contemplating them. They, who are thus very learned, make others with little learning very learned, training them, guiding them, and establishing them in that. They are endowed with that first quality.

(2) “Also, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas are without envy and miserliness, and they make those beings overpowered by envy and miserliness become free of envy and have perfect generosity, and they train them, guide them, and establish them in that.^[58] The bodhisattva mahāsattvas possess that second quality.

(3) “Also, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas do not harm beings; (4) they free beings from fear, freeing from calamities those beings afflicted by various calamities; (5) they are not fakes, not just talk, not frauds, and not deceivers; and (6) they frequently dwell in emptiness. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess those six qualities will obtain this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have those qualities should perform this Dravidian mantra,^[59] either in brief or in full, three times each day for seven years. They should bow down the five points of their body to the ground, maintain mindfulness of the body, and while dwelling in emptiness recite the Dravidian mantra. Then, when they stand up, they should be mindful of the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in the surrounding worlds in the ten directions. After seven years of continuous mindfulness of the buddhas, F.143.b the bodhisattva mahāsattvas will attain this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have attained this dhāraṇī will see, with the eye of wisdom, all the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, remain, and also manifest miracles within buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River in the ten directions, in that way attaining the noble eye of wisdom. They will also see the bhagavat buddhas smiling. They will attain 84,000 dhāraṇī entranceways. They will also attain 72,000 samādhi entranceways. They will also attain 60,000 Dharma entranceways.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who are established in this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience will attain great kindness, and they will attain great compassion. Even if the bodhisattvas who obtain this dhāraṇī have committed the five actions with immediate results at death, that karma will be diminished in the next lifetime and will be totally eliminated in three lifetimes, and they will enter the tenth bhūmi. If the bodhisattvas have not committed the five actions with immediate results at death, all their other karma^[60] will be completely diminished, in their next life they will enter the tenth bhūmi, they will soon attain the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, and they will attain the wisdom of an omniscient one.

“Therefore, noble son, this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience is very important for the bodhisattva mahāsattvas. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas continually see the miraculous manifestation of the bhagavat buddhas smiling. They will make offerings to buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, F.144.a who are in realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. They will listen to the Dharma from these buddhas. They will attain samādhi, dhāraṇī, and acceptance, and they will return to this buddha realm. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas will have that range of miraculous powers.

“Noble son, this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience of bodhisattva mahāsattvas will completely diminish karma and increase virtue. Therefore, it has great benefit.

“Noble son, those who hear the name of the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience and hear the name of the Tathāgata Candrottama will diminish all their karmic obscurations and will definitely attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Then some bodhisattvas said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have heard and obtained this dhāraṇī from the bhagavat buddhas of the past who resided, lived, and remained in buddha realms in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in two Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in four Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in five Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in six Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in seven Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “…as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers.”

Some others said, “We have heard and obtained this dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience from samyaksam­buddhas of the past who resided, lived, and remained in buddha realms in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in nine Ganges Rivers.”

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya said, F.144.b “As many eons ago as there are grains of sand in ten Ganges Rivers, during an eon called Saṃtāraṇa, there was a buddha realm called Sarvālaṅkāra­vibhūṣita, in which there was a buddha named Sālendrarāja, a tathāgata, an arhat, a samyaksam­buddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat. He was encircled by a saṅgha of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of bhikṣus and was similarly encircled by countless bodhisattvas. He taught this dhāraṇī, which is the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. From him I heard this dhāraṇī, meditated on it, and fully realized it.^[61]

“Throughout innumerable, truly innumerable, countless, truly countless eons, I made offerings through countless bodhisattva miracles to the samyaksam­buddhas, the bhagavat buddhas who resided, lived, and remained in the past. With each buddha I planted^[62] innumerable, countless, indeterminable,^[63] measureless^[64] good roots and acquired an accumulation of merit. Because of those numerous good roots, I received prophecies from many thousands of buddhas. It is because of my specific prayers that in terms of time, I have continued to circle in saṃsāra for a long time. That is why I circle in saṃsāra and have not attained the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the past. Now the Bhagavat has consecrated me as his regent for the highest, most complete enlightenment, binding the turban of liberation upon my head of wisdom.” F.145.a

Then the Bhagavat said to the bodhisattva Maitreya, “It was thus, Maitreya. You received from the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Sālendrarāja this dhāraṇī, which is the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience. Maitreya, your hopes have been perfectly fulfilled. Maitreya, if you had desired it, you could have attained the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood within ten eons. Maitreya, you have the power to quickly enter the state of nirvāṇa without any remaining aggregates, which is the unsurpassable accumulation of wisdom. But, Maitreya, you have preferred to remain in saṃsāra for such a long time because of the power of your prayer with regard to time. Therefore, Maitreya, I have now made you my heir. The tathāgatas of the past have also made you their heir.”

Then the Bhagavat regarded the whole saṅgha. He regarded the gathering of bodhisattvas, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, humans, and nonhumans. At that time, he recited these mantra words:

dānta­bhūmiḥ damatha­bhūmiḥ smṛti­bhūmiḥ prajñā­bhūmirvaiśāradya­bhūmiḥ prati­saṃvid­bhūmi­ranutkṣepa­bhūmiḥ samatāpari­kṣayopekṣa­bhūmirjātikṣaya­bhūmirmanuja vinmujaḥ malanmujaḥ visāgraḥ daśāvate veśataḥ teraṇa vesalagra śamuśavataḥ vimati vimati yopahira regamata vasisakrama iticāravate mekhemudra daharavate prajñākṣābubu dahakramitā sadoṣavantaḥ elaya tilaya ahusuṭā F.145.b amundhamaṃ arthavati muruvati tehīnadvivā akaneti bakanate samake visābhaṭe iṭe iṭabale atra tatra kuruṣaṃ laruṣaṃ latatha katha sarvantaḥ sarvatarvaḥ aniruddhaḥ dihakhaṭambiphala bahuphala śataphala śīṣṭavate ||

The Bhagavat recited to the devas these words of aspiration, which have the power to produce a result. When he recited them, six trillion devas saw the truth.

agraphalam lalaha laha nilaṃhare vacatakhyā idaṃphalaṃ niyāmaphalaṃ namudaya vibhūkha prajñācakra sunirvṛticakra jñānīcakra ||

These words of aspiration caused a hundred million devas to develop the aspiration for complete enlightenment, and they became irreversible.

paśye somato anumato akumato akumati chedavakai mantrastha daśabala vipravastha iśasthita atimati tīkṣṇamati āloko sterituṣṇa ||

These words of aspiration caused 64,000 nāgas to develop the aspiration for complete enlightenment, and they became irreversible.

aprabhā samadanā ahadyo bhagavadyo karaṇyākṣa siddhamati samantakṣau alabale piṭakaro mahābale ojadaro dharaṇe migalekṣe udākṣa kudākṣa kukākṣa viroyo virūpamukha akṣihasta saṃkṣibala asurovina asuropramardane ||

These words of aspiration caused 220,000,000 yakṣas to develop the aspiration for complete enlightenment, and they became irreversible.

arthe pilile tinithe saṃtīrthe katitene nakeme nanamaste ubherabhe mudame madame matime saniha śūre dhāraṇīya sendra sadeva sanāga sayakṣāsuradevā F.146.a nāga nirukti parivāra niruktalāni smṛti prajñā parivāramati pratilābhī gati­dhṛtiparivāra gati­dhṛtilābhīḥ pūrvakeṣu hiteṣu caritavantaḥ abhi­skāmavantaḥ śūravantaḥ ciravīryavantaḥ bhītavantaḥ sitabhāge mārgamudra diśāpakarṣaṇi kṣaparahu oharaṇo devaracatu suramudra yakṣamudra rākṣasamudra vedivedime tape tattape uṣṇāname prakhādye nanava dhāraṇīya āviśa diśāśodhane vākyaśuddhe jihvāśuddhe vāciparikarmaḥ prajñā buddhi smṛti mati gati dhṛti gaṇana pratisaraṇabuddhiḥ jayacakre śūnyacakre vyaya ||

These words of aspiration caused 56,000 asuras to develop the aspiration for complete enlightenment, and they became irreversible.

Then the Bhagavat addressed the bodhisattva named Vaiśāradya­samavasaraṇa: “Noble son, it is difficult to encounter a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha’s appearance in the world. It is also difficult to find these mantra words that are imbued with correct conduct, samādhi, wisdom, liberation, and the vision of the wisdom of liberation.

“Noble son, the tathāgatas, in order to benefit beings and to accomplish the qualities of a bodhisattva, previously engaged in bodhisattva conduct. They possessed generosity, restraint, self-control, patience, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom.^[65] They served many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddhas. Some performed acts of generosity, some maintained correct conduct, some led a celibate life, some practiced meditation, some engaged in diligence, some meditated on patience, F.146.b some accomplished samādhi, and some cultivated wisdom. They performed many countless, various, different good actions. It is in that way that I, too, have now attained unsurpassable wisdom.

“Noble son, the tathāgatas previously followed the conduct of a bodhisattva for many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of eons. They refrained from lying, slander, harsh speech, and idle talk. They cultivated virtuous speech of many different kinds. Therefore, they have now obtained long tongues. Noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddhas do not speak in any other way.”

Then the Bhagavat performed a miraculous deed for his retinue. He performed the miraculous deed of resting in the gathering^[66] of all merit samādhi and extending his tongue from his mouth and covering his face with it. That tongue radiated 600,000,000 light rays. Those light rays filled the worlds of this billion-world universe with a bright radiance. Those light rays illuminated the hells, animals, Yama worlds, devas, and humans. Those light rays blew as cool breezes onto the beings in hell, whose bodies were being burned by blazing fires. The instant those breezes touched them, there arose for them a sensation of bliss. Before each being in hell there appeared an emanation of the Buddha, with a body adorned by the thirty-two signs and glorious with the eighty excellent features of a great being. F.147.a When the beings in hell saw them, they were endowed with bliss, their bodies were refreshed by seeing the Buddha, and on seeing the Buddha they thought, “It is through the power of this being that I have gained this experience of bliss,” and they had affection, delight, and respect for the appearance of the Bhagavat.

The Bhagavat said to them, “O beings! Say these words: ‘Homage to the Buddha, homage to the Dharma, homage to the Saṅgha,’ and you will always have this kind of bliss.”

Those hell beings then placed their palms together and recited, “Homage to the Buddha! Homage to the Dharma! Homage to the Saṅgha!”

Because of that virtuous root and pure motivation, those hell beings departed that life, some to be born among devas and some among humans.

The light rays came as warm winds to those who had been born within the cold hells, and so on, as just described, up until those who had been born among humans. In the same way, when the light rays touched the pretas,^[67] whose bodies were burning with hunger and thirst, they extinguished the fire of hunger and thirst, and the pretas experienced bliss.

An emanation of the Buddha, whose body was adorned by the thirty-two signs and glorious with the eighty excellent features of a great being, appeared before each preta. When the pretas saw them, they were happy and satisfied. They thought, “It is through the power of this being that I have obtained this experience of bliss” and they had affection, delight, and respect for the appearance of the Bhagavat.

The Bhagavat said to them, “You beings here!^[68] Recite these words: ‘Homage to the Buddha, homage to the Dharma, homage to the Saṅgha,’ and you will always have this kind of bliss.

Then those pretas placed their palms together and recited, “Homage to the Buddha! Homage to the Dharma! Homage to the Saṅgha!”^[69]F.147.b

Because of that root of virtue, those preta beings departed that life, some to be born among devas and some among humans. The Bhagavat also instructed the animals in that way. He also instructed the humans in that way. Devas and humans beyond number came to the Bhagavat, bowed their heads to his feet, and sat down to hear the Dharma. At that time, numberless assemblies of devas and humans developed the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, and countless bodhisattvas there attained samādhi, acceptance, and dhāraṇī.

Chapter 3

Generosity

When the Bhagavat had concluded his miraculous manifestation, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Śāntimati asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, by what cause and circumstances are the pure buddha realms of other buddhas unpolluted, free from the five degeneracies, and have the array of the various qualities of a buddha realm? All the bodhisattva mahāsattvas there have a perfection of the various kinds of good qualities and possess the various kinds of happiness. Even the words śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha are unknown there, let alone the word rebirth.

“Bhadanta Bhagavat, by what cause and circumstances has the Bhagavat appeared in a buddha realm that is inferior and troubled?^[70] Why did you attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and introduce the three yānas, teaching the Dharma to the fourfold assembly, during the degeneration of lifespan, degeneration of time, degeneration of beings, degeneration of view, and degeneration through the kleśas? F.148.a Why did the Bhagavat not obtain a pure buddha realm free from the five degeneracies?”

“Noble son,” answered the Bhagavat, “it is through the power of prayer that bodhisattvas obtain pure buddha realms and through the power of prayer that they obtain impure buddha realms. Noble son, bodhisattva mahāsattvas obtain impure buddha realms because of their great compassion. Why is that? I have now been born into this inferior buddha realm^[71] because of the prayer that I made. Listen well and correctly, and remember, for I am going to explain it to you.”

“I will do so, Bhagavat,” said the bodhisattva Śāntimati.

The Bhagavat then spoke these words: “Noble son, in the past, countless eons ago, as many as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, in this buddha realm there was a great eon called Dhāraṇa. During that great eon, within this buddha realm of four continents there was a king named Araṇemin who was a cakravartin sovereign over four continents.

“Araṇemin’s court priest was a brahmin named Samudrareṇu. To him was born a son who possessed the thirty-two signs of a great being, was beautified by the eighty excellent features of a great being, had the signs of a hundred merits, and had an aura that was a fathom^[72] wide and round like a banyan tree. One never tired of gazing upon him.

“As soon as he was born, a hundred thousand devas made offerings to him, and then he was given the name Samudragarbha. At a certain time, he renounced worldly life, shaved off his hair and mustache, and donned saffron robes. He attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. F.148.b He became the tathāgata named Ratnagarbha. That bhagavat turned the wheel of the Dharma and led many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings to the results of rebirth in higher realms and liberation.

“At one time, with many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of śrāvakas accompanying and attending him, he went to villages, cities, towns, districts, countries, and kings’ palaces. Going from one town to another, he eventually came to the city where the cakravartin king lived. There the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha sat together with many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of śrāvakas outside the city in a nearby park called Jambūvana.

“King Araṇemin heard that the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha had come to his land and was residing in Jambūvana Park together with many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of śrāvakas and thought, ‘I will go there now, and when I have arrived there, I will pay my respects to the Tathāgata, venerate him, and honor him.’

“Then King Araṇemin, with a king’s great wealth and with a king’s great power,^[73] accompanied and attended by many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of individuals, left the city and went toward Jambūvana Park. He traveled by carriage for as far as there was ground for a carriage to travel on, and then he continued on foot and entered the parkland.

“He went toward the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, bowed his head to the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha’s feet, circumambulated him three times, and then sat to one side. F.149.a When he was seated to one side, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha taught King Araṇemin by speaking about the Dharma, which inspired him, encouraged him, and delighted him. After he taught him the Dharma in many ways and inspired him, encouraged him, and delighted him, he became silent. B3

“Then King Araṇemin rose from his seat, bared one shoulder, bowed with palms together toward the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, and touched his feet.^[74] He then said these words to the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha: ‘May the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus give their permission that for three months I may provide the Bhagavat and his bhikṣus with robes, food,^[75] beds, seats, medicine, and necessities.’

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha gave his permission to King Araṇemin by remaining silent. King Araṇemin understood from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha’s silence that he had given his permission, bowed his head to the Bhagavat’s feet, circumambulated him three times, and then departed from the Bhagavat’s presence. Then King Araṇemin summoned the local kings, ministers, high officials, lesser ministers,^[76] and representatives of the city dwellers, countryside dwellers, and hired laborers. He said to them, ‘Leaders of men, know this! F.149.b For the next three months I will provide all necessities for the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. I will respectfully offer to the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus all my pleasures and enjoyments, honors, amusements, and queens. You too should respectfully offer to the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus all your own individual pleasures and enjoyments, honors, amusements, and wives.’

“They made offerings in that way. Also, the precious householder^[77] created a parkland entirely of Jambu River gold. In that parkland, he created for the Tathāgata a kūṭāgāra made from the seven jewels. He also had an enclosing wall^[78] made of the seven jewels built in the four directions. He also adorned the entire parkland with trees made of the seven jewels. Those trees were ornamented with cloth of various kinds, a variety of calico cloth, a variety of parasols, a variety of strings of pearls, ornaments of various kinds, a variety of adornments of jewels, and various incenses. Those trees were also adorned with flowers and fruits made of every kind of jewel.

“That entire parkland was adorned with jewels of many kinds. Seats of calico, linen, and various kinds of cloth were arranged and scattered with a variety of flowers. A precious wheel, the height of a man, shone outside the kūṭāgāra, in front of the Tathāgata. Also, a completely white, precious seven-limbed^[79] elephant stood near the Bhagavat, holding a precious tree above him. F.150.a That tree was adorned with the seven jewels, various strings of pearls, various ornaments, and various garlands of flowers, and was hung with various silks and various lengths of calico.

“King Araṇemin’s principal queen^[80] stood before the Bhagavat, sprinkling the Bhagavat with gośīrṣa and uragasāra sandalwood powder. King Araṇemin himself placed a shining, precious jewel before the Bhagavat. Then the radiance of that precious jewel continuously and constantly filled the entire parkland^[81] with a vast radiance. The Buddha’s light itself constantly illuminated all the worlds of this billion-world universe. A footstool of gośīrṣa sandalwood was provided for each śrāvaka. Behind each śrāvaka there was a white king of elephants, as previously described. There were also precious wheels, the height of a man, placed in the same way that one had been placed for the Bhagavat.^[82] A woman adorned with every kind of jewelry stood in front of each śrāvaka sprinkling gośīrṣa and uragasāra^[83] sandalwood powders, and in front of each śrāvaka a beryl jewel was placed.

“Various kinds of music resounded everywhere within the parkland’s walls. The precious minister and fourfold army^[84] were stationed outside all around the walls of the parkland.

“Noble son, King Araṇemin came from the city every day to see the Bhagavat and to honor the Bhagavat. He traveled by carriage for as far as there was ground for a carriage to travel on, F.150.b and then he got down and, continuing on foot, entered the park. After he had entered, he approached the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. When he reached the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha, he bowed his head to his feet, circumambulated him three times, and then personally offered water for the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha to rinse his hands. He personally prepared with his own hands numerous offerings of food to the Tathāgata. When he had prepared this food with his own hands, had satisfied the Bhagavat, and had seen that the bhagavat had eaten,^[85] put down his bowl, and washed his hands, then King Araṇemin himself held a fan and fanned the Bhagavat.

“A thousand princes and a thousand minor kings also carried out that service for each śrāvaka, and then, holding fans, they fanned the śrāvakas. As soon as the meal ended, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings entered the park in order to listen to the Dharma. Many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas sent down a rain of flowers from the middle of the sky, played divine music, and presented divine parasols, cloth, and adornments.

“Four million^[86] yakṣas in blue clothing brought staffs of gośīrṣa sandalwood from a sandalwood forest and stood guard in order to protect the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus.

“At night, King Araṇemin himself lit many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of lamps before the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus.

“Then, noble son, King Araṇemin stood before the Bhagavat with a lamp placed upon his head, a lamp on each shoulder, one in each hand, and one on each foot. Throughout the night these lamps burned before the Bhagavat. F.151.a Through the power of the Bhagavat the king experienced no physical fatigue but felt physical bliss, just as when a bhikṣu in the meditation of the third dhyāna has no physical or mental fatigue. He honored the Bhagavat in that way for three months.

“During those three months, the thousand princes, the 84,000 minor kings, and a hundred thousand million trillion beings honored each śrāvaka in the same way that the king did.

“During those three months, the principal queen, Glorious Goddess,^[87] honored the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha with incense and flowers in the same way that King Araṇemin had honored him. Also in the same way, during those three months, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of maidens honored each śrāvaka with flowers and incense.^[88]

“Then, noble son, after the three months had passed, King Araṇemin offered 84,000 adornments made from Jambu River gold to the Bhagavat. He also offered 84,000 wheels of gold, beginning with the precious wheel, to the Bhagavat. He offered 84,000 white elephants, beginning with the precious elephant, to the Bhagavat. He offered 84,000 horses, beginning with the precious horse, to the Bhagavat. He offered 84,000 jewels, beginning with the precious jewel, to the Bhagavat. In order to honor the Bhagavat he also offered to him 84,000 princes, beginning with the precious householder. In order to honor the Bhagavat he also offered to him 84,000 minor^[89] kings, beginning with the precious minister. In order to provide for the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, he offered to them 84,000 towns, beginning with the town of the queen’s retinue.^[90]F.151.b He offered to the Bhagavat 84,000 precious wish-fulfilling trees, 84,000 heaps of precious flowers, 84,000 parasols made of the seven jewels, 84,000 rolls of cloth and adornments worthy for a king, and 84,000 strings of jewels; he offered ornaments for seats, the head, the eyes, and the ears; and gold chains, strings of pearls, unguents,^[91] bedclothes, footstools, vessels,bherī drums,^[92] musical instruments, conches, bells, victory banners, consecration vases, and lamps. He also made an offering to the Bhagavat of various birds made of precious materials, various animals made of precious materials, and 84,000 fans. He also offered to the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha 84,000 medicinal elixirs.

“Then he said these words: ‘Bhagavat, I am one who has many duties and many tasks. Forgive me, Bhagavat. May you remain in our park. May the Bhagavat always be pleased in this park. May we again come here to look at the Bhagavat, bow down to him, and honor him.’

“King Araṇemin’s thousand sons also touched the Bhagavat’s feet and each of them made this supplication to the Bhagavat: ‘We ask for the Bhagavat to give his permission that each of us for three months may honor with all things the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus.’

“The Bhagavat gave the princes his permission by remaining silent. King Araṇemin understood that he had given his permission, and he bowed his head to the feet of the Bhagavat and to the saṅgha of bhikṣus. F.152.a He circumambulated them three times and then left the presence of the Bhagavat.

“Then the crown prince Animiṣa honored the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus for three months in the same way that King Araṇemin had done. Thus, day after day, the thousand princes headed by Animiṣa came to see the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and to listen to the Dharma.^[93]

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha’s father, the brahmin named Samudrareṇu, wandered throughout all of Jambudvīpa and begged for alms from men, women, boys, and girls. When he had received these alms, all those people living in Jambudvīpa were established in the Three Refuges and afterward developed the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. Because of the brahmin Samudrareṇu wandering in this way, there was no human being in Jambudvīpa who had not become a follower of the brahmin Samudrareṇu, who had not been led to the Three Refuges, who had not developed the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, and who had not been established in and made to truly believe in the highest wisdom. Many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings were led to the Three Refuges, and in this way were made to believe in—and were guided to, brought to, and led to—the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“The crown prince Animiṣa honored the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus for three months just as King Araṇemin had done. F.152.b For three months he offered the Bhagavat 84,000 precious wheels, all with gold spokes.^[94] He offered him—with the exception of the precious elephant, horse, jewel, wife, householder, and minister—84,000 elephants and 84,000 horses, and similarly 84,000 sunstone gems, boys, girls, wish-fulfilling trees, heaps of flowers, parasols, articles of clothing, flower garlands, adornments, precious thrones, ornaments for the head, ornaments for the eyes, earrings, chains of gold, pearl necklaces, unguents,^[95] bedclothes, seats, footstools, vessels, bherī drums, musical instruments, conches, paṭaha drums,^[96] victory banners, ornate vases, gardens, lamps, various birds made of precious materials, various deer made of precious materials, medicinal elixirs, and so on. He also offered the same to the saṅgha of bhikṣus.

“Then the crown prince Animiṣa took his leave from the Bhagavat and the saṅgha of bhikṣus. Thus, the crown prince Animiṣa honored the Bhagavat and the saṅgha of bhikṣus just as King Araṇemin had honored them, and his offerings were no less than the king’s.

“In the same way, the prince Indragaṇa also gave all his wealth and honored the Bhagavat and the saṅgha of bhikṣus for three months. Also in the same way, the princes Anaṅgaṇa, Abhaya,Ambara, Aśaja,^[97] Middha,^[98] Miṣa, Mārdava, Paṅgagaṇa, Mādhvava, Mānava, Great Principal, Mājava, Arava, Ājñava, Mukhava, Arthabahu, Alindra, Nerava,F.153.a Reṇaja, Candranemin, Sūryanemin, Indranemin, Vajranemin, Kṣāntinemin, Sthānanemin, Javanemin, Raṇemin, Rāhu, Rāhubala, Rāhucitra, Dāmacitra, Rājadhāna, Rāgabhrama, Rāndhava, Rakṣaka, Kāya, Śayama, Yatrava, Syajala, Yārmatha,^[99] Yadhvaja, Yamāna, Yasyana,^[100] Namajyoti, and Asaṅga did the same. Each of the thousand sons of King Araṇemin for three months honored the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha and his countless saṅgha of bhikṣus with offerings of food, beds, seats, medicines, and necessities. When they honored him, as the crown prince had done, they each made a vast offering of 84,000 golden wheels,and so on, up to and including 84,000 medicinal elixirs, to the Bhagavat and the saṅgha of bhikṣus. Having performed that great act of generosity,^[101] some of them prayed to become Śakra, some to become Brahmā, some to become a cakravartin, some to have great wealth, and some to be in the Śrāvakayāna.

^[102] They then prayed for two hundred and fifty years and took their leave from the Bhagavat and the saṅgha of bhikṣus.

“At that time, the chief court priest Samudrareṇu arrived, and he saw the princes honoring the Bhagavat.^[103] Having seen that, he requested to provide the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha^[104] and his saṅgha with all their robes, food, beds, seats, medicines, and necessities for seven years. F.153.b The Bhagavat gave his consent to his father, the chief court priest, by remaining silent. Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu honored the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus with every perfect service,^[105] just as King Araṇemin had done.

“Then, noble son, at another time, this thought arose in the mind of brahmin Samudrareṇu: ‘I have caused many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings to become fixed upon the highest, most complete enlightenment, but I do not know what kind of prayer King Araṇemin made. Did he wish for a divine kingdom or a human kingdom,^[106] for the way of the śrāvaka or the way of the pratyekabuddha, or for the highest, most complete enlightenment? If I am to be a samyaksam­buddha with the highest, most complete enlightenment, so that I may bring across beings who have not crossed over; liberate beings who have not been liberated from birth, old age, sickness, death, misery, lamenting, suffering, unhappiness, and troubles; and bring to nirvāṇa those who have not reached nirvāṇa, then may a deva, a nāga, a yakṣa, a buddha, a śrāvaka, or a brahmin tell me in a dream whether the king wished for the splendor of the devas, the splendor of humans, the state of a śrāvaka, the level of a pratyekabuddha, or the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the chief court priest, saw a vision in a dream. In the vision he saw in the ten directions the bhagavat buddhas in buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. F.154.a Those bhagavat buddhas gave the brahmin lotuses with gold petals, silver stems, beryl pericarps, and emerald anthers. Upon those lotuses were sun disks. Upon those sun disks stood parasols made of the seven jewels. Each sun disk emitted 600,000,000 light rays. All those light rays entered the brahmin’s mouth. He saw his own body become a thousand yojanas high, and completely clear like a completely clear mirror. He saw that within his body there were hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of bodhisattvas sitting cross-legged in meditation. He saw those suns arranged as a garland upon his head. He saw that the parasols reached as high in the sky as the realm of Brahmā. He saw a variety of lotuses all around him. He heard divine music, which transcended human music, emanating from those lotuses.

“He then saw King Araṇemin running. His body was red^[107] with blood, he had a boar’s face, and he was devouring many creatures. When he had finished eating them, he sat at the foot of a castor-oil tree. Then various animals gathered and ate the king until there was nothing left but scattered bones.

“Again and again, he appeared with a boar’s face and a body red with blood. He devoured many creatures, sat at the foot of a castor-oil tree,^[108] and was eaten by various animals until there was nothing left but scattered bones.

“He also saw the princes, some with boar faces, some with elephant faces, some with buffalo faces, some with lion faces, F.154.b some with jackal faces, some with fox faces, some with dog faces, and some with monkey faces. Their bodies soaked with blood, they ate many animals, sat at the foot of a castor-oil tree, and were then eaten by many animals until there was nothing left but scattered bones.

“He saw them again and again, eating animals in those bodies. He saw other princes, adorned with jasmine flowers, riding in buffalo-drawn carts, heading south on a bad road. Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world also came there and said to the brahmin, ‘O brahmin, you should first offer one of these lotuses that are around you to the king and then give one to each of the princes, then to the minor kings, and then to the rest to the people.’

“Hearing this, the brahmin said, ‘I will do as the devas command.’ As the brahmin was distributing the lotuses, he woke up. Remembering the dream, he rose from his bed and thought, ‘The cakravartin and the princes made inferior prayers. They are attracted to the pleasures of saṃsāra. They have inferior aspirations. Those princes I saw in my dream who were adorned with jasmine flowers, riding in buffalo carts, and going down a bad road facing south are those who aspire to the Śrāvakayāna. I had a great vision. I saw the bhagavat buddhas in the ten directions.^[109] That is a sign of my having caused all the hundred thousand million trillion beings who live in Jambudvīpa to acquire, enter into, and remain in the three activities that create merit.^[110]F.155.a The bhagavat buddhas in the other buddha realms in the ten directions bestowed lotuses upon me. That is a sign that I have wandered throughout Jambudvīpa and caused countless beings to acquire, train in, and enter the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. And it is a sign that for seven years I provided the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus with all necessities. The bhagavat buddhas bestowed parasols upon me. That is a sign that I made a prayer for the highest, most complete enlightenment. I also dreamt that I saw suns upon the lotuses; I saw their light rays enter my mouth. I saw my body become vast; I saw a garland of suns; I saw hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions^[111] of bodhisattvas sitting cross-legged and meditating inside me. I saw Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world, who instructed me to distribute the lotuses, and I dreamt that I distributed the lotuses.

I will describe this dream to the Bhagavat Buddha and ask the Tathāgata what the causes and circumstances for my dream were.’

“Then, when that night was over, the brahmin Samudrareṇu prepared food and went early^[112] to where the Bhagavat was. He personally washed the hands of the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. After he had washed their hands, with his own hands he served and satisfied the Bhagavat with much food and drink. F.155.b After he had served and satisfied him, he served and satisfied the saṅgha of bhikṣus many times. After he had repeatedly served and satisfied them, seeing that the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus had eaten, washed their hands, and put down their alms bowls, he sat on a low seat before the Bhagavat in order to hear the Dharma.

“Then King Araṇemin, accompanied by his thousand sons and many thousands of beings, came into the presence of the Bhagavat. He traveled by carriage as far as there was ground for a carriage to travel on, continued on foot, and entered the parkland. After entering the park, he approached the Bhagavat, bowed his head to the feet of the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, and then sat before the Bhagavat to hear the Dharma.

“Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu described his dreams to the Bhagavat. The Bhagavat said, ‘You had a great vision in which you saw bhagavat buddhas in buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, who gave you lotuses. You saw brightly shining suns on those lotuses and saw their light rays entering your mouth. Brahmin, for two hundred and fifty years you wandered through Jambudvīpa. During that wandering you caused innumerable beings to acquire and remain in the three activities that create merit, and you caused them to acquire, enter into, and remain in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and to commence upon this Mahāyāna. That is why the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in realms in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, F.156.a gave you lotuses with gold petals, silver stems, beryl pericarps, and emerald anthers, with suns upon those lotuses. They were prophesying to you, brahmin, your highest, most complete enlightenment. That dream was its omen. Brahmin, in your dream you saw the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in realms in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, give you parasols made of the seven jewels, and those parasols reached as high into the sky as the Brahmā realm.

“ ‘Brahmin, that dream was an omen that on the night when you attain complete enlightenment and become a buddha, a verse praising your fame^[113] will be chanted in realms in the ten directions that are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and the crown of your head will rise as far as the realm of Brahmā so that no one will be able to see it.^[114]

“ ‘Brahmin, you saw a garland of sun disks bound around your head. That dream was an omen that the countless beings you have caused to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment will, brahmin, attain complete enlightenment and become buddhas in worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. F.156.b Those buddhas whom you caused to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment will praise you again and again, saying, “That tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha was the one who first caused us to aspire to the attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment, which is why we have now attained the highest, most complete enlightenment and become buddhas. He is our kalyāṇamitra.” They will praise you, and those bhagavat buddhas will send bodhisattvas to make offerings to you. Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas will make offerings to you through the various miraculous powers of a bodhisattva. They will then listen to the Dharma from you. They will attain various kinds of samādhi, dhāraṇī, and acceptance. Then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas will return to their own buddha realms, where they will constantly chant your praises.

“ ‘Brahmin, in your dream you saw hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of^[115] bodhisattvas inside your body, sitting cross-legged on lotuses and meditating in dhyāna. Brahmin, that dream was an omen that you will cause many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions^[116] of beings to aspire to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment and will establish them in irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. Brahmin, after you have passed into parinirvāṇa, when eons as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm have passed, they will become bhagavat buddhas with Dharma kingdoms in other buddha realms in the ten directions. F.157.a They will say, “Countless eons ago, there was a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha of such a name, and that tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha caused us to believe in, guided us to, led us to the highest, most complete enlightenment, and brought us to a state of irreversibility. Because of that we have now attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.”

“ ‘Brahmin, in your dream you saw someone with a blood-soaked body and a boar’s face, and so on, up to and including someone with a dog’s face, devouring many different kinds of animals. Then they sat at the foot of a vile castor-oil tree and were eaten by many animals until there was nothing left but scattered bones. Then they again appeared with blood-soaked bodies, and so on, up to and including someone with a dog’s face, devouring many different kinds of animals. Then they sat at the foot of a vile castor-oil tree and were eaten by many animals.

“ ‘Brahmin, this is an omen that the many deluded beings whom you have caused to adopt, and continue in, the three activities that create merit—generosity, self-control, and restraint—crave that which will result in the suffering of dying and leaving the paradises. They crave that which will result in the human suffering of aging, sickness, death, encountering what they do not want, and being separated from what they want. They crave that which will result in the suffering of hunger and thirst among the pretas. They crave that which will result in the suffering of dullness, stupidity, being beheaded, and so on among the animals. They crave that which will result in the suffering of being burned, cut, killed, bound, and so on^[117] in the hells.

“ ‘Those whom you have established in the three activities that create merit crave to be deva kings among devas, and rulers of a continent among humans. F.157.b All beings will subsist on them; they will be the source of food and subsistence for all beings. Those deluded individuals will experience those sufferings for a long time in saṃsāra.

“ ‘Brahmin, you saw in a dream some people with their heads adorned with garlands of flowers riding in a buffalo-drawn carriage taking the wrong road facing south. Brahmin, that was an omen that those beings are individuals who are followers of the Śrāvakayāna.’

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu then said these words to King Araṇemin: ‘Great king, it is difficult to gain a human birth, it is difficult to obtain the perfect opportunity,^[118] and the appearance of the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddhas in this world is as rare as a fig-tree flower.^[119] It is difficult to acquire the aspiration for the virtuous Dharma. It is difficult to have the right prayers. Great king, having a deva kingdom is a cause of suffering. Having a human kingdom that is an entire continent is also a cause of suffering. Having a kingdom that is two continents, three continents, or four continents is also a cause of suffering. Great king, they cause experiences of suffering for a long time in saṃsāra. Great king, divine wealth and human wealth are unstable and unreliable like the force of the wind. Fools, though they can never attain satisfaction from sensory pleasures, which are like the reflection of the moon on water,F.158.a are intoxicated by pleasure and crave the splendor of devas and humans. Again and again, these fools experience the suffering of the hells, an animal’s suffering of stupidity, a preta’s suffering of hunger and thirst, a human’s suffering of being separated from loved ones, the suffering of dying and passing away among the devas, the suffering of being within a womb, the suffering of beheading each other, and the suffering of devouring each other. These wandering fools have to experience those kinds of suffering. Why? It is because they have no kalyāṇamitra, they do not make the right prayers, and they do not make the effort to attain that which has not been attained, realize that which has not been realized, and manifest that which has not been made manifest.

These stupid fools tire of the aspiration for enlightenment—which ends suffering—but do not tire of saṃsāra—which brings suffering again and again—and they have no wish to leave it.

“ ‘Great king, consider how saṃsāra is the container of all sufferings. Great king, you have honored the teachings of the Bhagavat, planted good roots, gained faith in the Three Jewels, made offerings to the Bhagavat in order to have great wealth, and maintained correct conduct in order to have rebirth in the higher realms. You have gained great wisdom through listening to the Dharma from the Bhagavat. Now, you should make offerings so as to develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.’ F.158.b

“The king replied, ‘Enough, brahmin. I do not desire the highest, most complete enlightenment. I am someone who is engaged in saṃsāra, and that is why, great brahmin, I have made offerings, kept correct conduct, and listened to the Dharma. Brahmin, the highest, most complete enlightenment is too difficult to attain.’^[120]

“The brahmin Samudrareṇu then addressed the king a second time: ‘Great king, the path to enlightenment is true, and therefore accomplished through sincere prayers of aspiration. The path is complete and extremely clear because it has no obscurations. The path is perfectly pure and honest because of higher motivation. The path is unshakable and pure because the kleśas are cleared away. The path is vast because of the absence of obscurations. The path is concentrated because of contemplation. The path is without fear because there are no bad actions on it. The path is very prosperous^[121] because of the perfection of generosity. The path is calm^[122] because of the perfection of discipline. The path is self-reliant because of the perfection of patience. The path has a foundation of determination because of the perfection of diligence. The path is unpolluted because of the perfection of meditation. The path is perfectly known because of the perfection of wisdom. The path is perfectly lucid because of great kindness.^[123] The path has the realization of the knowledge of natures because of great compassion. The path is perpetually blissful^[124] because of great rejoicing in the welfare of others. The path is in harmony with the true nature^[125] because of great^[126] impartiality. The path is free of thorns because there are no thoughts of desire, maliciousness, or aggression.

The path is easy to follow because there is no mind of anger. The path is devoid of deception because of the cognizance of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The path defeats māras and opponents because of clearly perceiving the aggregates, the elements, and the sensory bases.F.159.a The path is free from māras because it is free from all kleśas. The path is a vast mind because it is free from the thoughts of a śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha. The path has fortitude because of blessings from all the tathāgatas. The path is the accomplishment of the great jewel because it is in accord with the jewel of omniscience. The path is always revealed because the wisdom of the Bhagavat is without impediment. The path is the teaching and practice of wholesome roots because of being in the care of a kalyāṇamitra.^[127] The path has no high or low because it has eliminated attachment and aversion. The path has conquered passion^[128] because there is no malice, harshness, or anger. The path leads^[129] to happy existences because it is free from all nonvirtues. Great king, this path to enlightenment is the attainment of happiness because it concludes in nirvāṇa. Therefore, great king, develop the aspiration for enlightenment.’

“The king said, ‘Brahmin, this tathāgata appeared in a world where beings live for 80,000 years. The Tathāgata is not able to put an end to all misfortunes. The beings who plant good roots will experience their result. There are beings^[130] who have accomplished samādhi, dhāraṇī, and acceptance, who have excellent good roots, and who will not regress from enlightenment. There are those who have planted good roots and experience the splendor of devas and humans. Each being wanders according to his or her good or bad karma. Therefore, what is a being who is trained by the Bhagavat if in this way he does not end the suffering of even one being? The body^[131] of the Bhagavat is simply just a field, F.159.b and he cannot free from suffering those beings who have not planted good roots.

“ ‘In developing the aspiration for enlightenment and practicing bodhisattva conduct, I will train beings and accomplish the deeds of a buddha through accumulating great wisdom and entering inconceivably vast numbers of Dharma entranceways. However, my aspiration for enlightenment will not be dedicated solely to an afflicted buddha realm like this. I will only develop the aspiration for enlightenment and practice bodhisattva conduct if the buddha realm that I obtain, where I reach the highest, most complete enlightenment, will be a buddha realm in which I can end all the sufferings of the beings who are born there.’

“Then, noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha manifested a miracle. At that time, he rested in the samādhi that is called a mirror’s array. When in that way the Bhagavat Buddha rested in the mirror’s array samādhi, light shone from his body. That light illuminated realms in the ten directions that were as numerous as the particles in a thousand buddha realms. In some of those realms, the bhagavat buddhas had passed into parinirvāṇa; in some they were preparing to pass into parinirvāṇa; in some they were bodhisattva mahāsattvas sitting at the foot of the Bodhi tree; in some they were defeating the māras; in some they were turning the wheel of the Dharma soon after attaining complete buddhahood; in some they were teaching the Dharma soon after turning the wheel of the Dharma; some buddha realms were filled with buddhas and bodhisattvas; F.160.a in some, there were no śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas; in some, there were śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; some buddha realms were devoid of buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas; some buddha realms were afflicted with the five degeneracies; some were pure buddha realms free of the five degeneracies; in some there were supreme beings; in some there were inferior beings; in some the beings had long lives; in some they had short lives; some buddha realms were being destroyed by fire, some by water, and some by air; some were being created; and some had been created and were present. All these were made visible by the vast, pervading light.

“When the entire assembly had seen the qualities of the buddha realms, the brahmin Samudrareṇu said to the king, ‘Great king, look at the qualities arrayed in the buddha realms! Great king, develop the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment! Great king, choose the kind of buddha realm you wish to have!’

“King Araṇemin placed his palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and spoke to the Bhagavat, making a long supplication that began, ‘Bhagavat, through what karma do bodhisattva mahāsattvas acquire a pure buddha realm?’^[132] and ended with, ‘What causes beings to have pure thoughts, and what will cause beings to have a long life?’^[133]

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Great king, it is through the power of prayer that bodhisattva mahāsattvas acquire a pure buddha realm, free from the five degeneracies, and it is through prayer that they acquire an impure buddha realm.’ F.160.b

“The king said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I shall return to the city and will single-mindedly think about the prayer. I will pray for a buddha realm that is free of the five degeneracies; I will direct those of good conduct there.’

“ ‘Do as you deem fit, great king,’ replied the Bhagavat.

“Noble son, King Araṇemin then bowed his head to the feet of the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and circumambulated them three times. He then departed from the presence of the Bhagavat, entered the city, and went into his home, where single-mindedly he sat in seclusion and contemplated the array of qualities of a buddha realm. B4

“Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu said to the crown prince Animiṣa, ‘Develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, practice good actions through the three ways of creating merit, and dedicate all the merit you achieve to the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“The crown prince Animiṣa said, ‘Upādhyāya, I will also go to my home and alone in solitude will contemplate the array of qualities of a buddha realm. If I develop the aspiration for enlightenment, I will come again to the Bhagavat and make a dedication of the motivation to enlightenment.’

“Then the crown prince also bowed his head to the feet of the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and circumambulated them three times. He departed from the presence of the Bhagavat and entered the city and went into his home, where he stayed alone in solitude and contemplated the array of qualities in a buddha realm.

“Then, noble son, the court priest, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, called the second prince and said to him, ‘Prince, you should develop the aspiration for enlightenment,’ F.161.aand so on, continuing until all the thousand princes had been inspired to aspire to enlightenment.

“He also caused the 84,000 minor kings and 900,000,000 other beings to aspire to enlightenment. They all said, ‘We will each go to our own home and remain there alone in solitude, contemplating the array of qualities of a buddha realm.’

“After they had said that, they all returned to their own homes where they remained alone in solitude for seven years, contemplating their prayers for an array of qualities of a buddha realm.

“Then, noble son, at another time, the thought arose in the mind of the brahmin Samudrareṇu, ‘I have caused many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment and for seven years I have made offerings^[134] of service^[135] to the Bhagavat Buddha and his innumerable saṅgha of bhikṣus. If my wish for the highest, most complete enlightenment is fulfilled and if this prayer is accomplished, then may I cause devas, asuras, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and kumbhāṇḍas to partake in this great offering.’

“Then, noble son, the court priest, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, wished to see the mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa. And then the mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa came, encircled by many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas in attendance, to where the brahmin Samudrareṇu was. Vaiśravaṇa approached and asked him, ‘Brahmin, what is it you wish from me?’

“The brahmin asked, ‘Who are you?’

“Vaiśravaṇa said, ‘Great brahmin, you have heard of Vaiśravaṇa, F.161.b the lord of the yakṣas. I am he. Therefore, brahmin, what is your command? What do you wish me to do?’

“The brahmin said, ‘Listen, lord of yakṣas, you too should be eager to take part in these vast offerings.’^[136]

“ ‘Brahmin, it shall be as you wish,’ he replied.

“The brahmin said, ‘Mahārāja, you should use these words of mine to make the yakṣas aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment,’ and he instructed him to say, ‘If you yakṣas wish for the highest, most complete enlightenment, you should go to the other side of the ocean and bring gośīrṣa sandalwood and uragasāra sandalwood, and some of you should bring incense for the Bhagavat, and some various kinds of flowers. Then I will offer them to the Bhagavat each day.’

“ ‘Brahmin, it will be so,’ Vaiśravaṇa replied^[137] to the brahmin and vanished from that place.

“Then the mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa beat a big drum summoning the yakṣas and rākṣasas, and he said to them, ‘Friends, know that in this Jambudvīpa, the brahmin named Samudrareṇu, the chief court priest of King Araṇemin, is for seven years serving with all offerings the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. You should rejoice in that root of merit, and with that root of merit you should develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“At that time, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of yakṣas and rākṣasas placed their palms together and said, ‘We rejoice in the accumulation of merit from the continuous merit and continuous good actions through the brahmin Samudrareṇu, for seven years honoring with all requisites the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. F.162.a Through that root of merit may we attain complete and perfect enlightenment.’

“The mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa said to them, ‘Now listen. Because you wish for good actions and wish for merit, you should fetch gośīrṣa sandalwood and uragasāra sandalwood from the other side of the ocean so that the brahmin Samudrareṇu may provide food for seven years to the Bhagavat and his saṅgha.’

“Then 92,000 yakṣas said with one voice, ‘Friends, we shall fetch gośīrṣa sandalwood and uragasāra sandalwood from the other side of the ocean so that the brahmin Samudrareṇu may provide food for seven years to the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus.’

“ ‘We shall fetch incense,’ said 46,000 yakṣas. ‘We shall fetch a variety of flowers,’ said 52,000 yakṣas. ‘We shall obtain the power of a variety of life-sustaining herbs for the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and put that power into whatever food and drink is prepared,’ said 20,000 yakṣas. ‘Friends, we shall prepare the food for the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus,’ said 70,000 yakṣas.

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu then wished to see the mahārāja Virūḍhaka. Then the mahārāja Virūḍhaka came to where the brahmin Samudrareṇu and so on was, up to and including many hundreds of thousands of kumbhāṇḍas, who developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. In the same way, the mahārājas Virūpākṣa and Dhṛtarāṣṭra and many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of nāgas and gandharvas developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. F.162.b Then, through the power of the Buddha, the guardians of a second world of four continents came to the brahmin Samudrareṇu, and the brahmin Samudrareṇu caused them to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment. They returned and directed their own retinues to the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“This continued until a billion Vaiśravaṇas,^[138] a billion Virūḍhakas, a billion Virūpākṣas, a billion Dhṛtarāṣṭras, and all their retinues had been directed to the highest, most complete enlightenment. Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu thought, ‘If I am to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, if my wish is to be fulfilled, and if my prayer is to be fulfilled, may the devas who carry out my wishes share in the merit of this great offering.^[139] May they truly aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment. If through this merit I am to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, may Śakra, the lord of the devas, come here to see me today. And may the deva Suyāma, the deva Saṃtuṣita, the deva Sunirmita, and the deva Para­nirmitavaśavartin come here to see me.’

“Noble son, as soon as the brahmin Samudrareṇu developed that aspiration, Śakra, lord of devas, and the devas Suyāma, F.163.a Saṃtuṣita, Sunirmita, and Para­nirmitavaśavartin came to see the brahmin.

“The brahmin asked, ‘Who are you?’

“The five kings of the devas each told him his name and his class of deities and asked, ‘O brahmin, what is your command? What preparations should we make for this great offering?’

“The brahmin said, ‘For the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, you should adorn the entire Jambūvana Park with precious, divine kūṭāgāras that are superior to all others, and with precious trees, wish-fulfilling trees, incense trees, flower trees, fruit trees, divine food, divine cloth, divine cushions, divine mats, divine precious bowls, divine ornaments, parasols, victory banners, flags, streamers, and the sound of divine music.’

“The five kings of the devas said, ‘Friend, we shall do so,’ and obeying the brahmin, they left and returned to their paradises. They summoned the devas Veṭaka, Āvetuka, Rohiṇa, Korabha, and Nanda,^[140] and said to them, ‘Friends, go down today to Jambudvīpa and adorn the Jambūvana Park with a variety of special adornments and seats and various mats, just like the deva world is adorned. Friends, build a precious kūṭāgāra there for the Bhagavat. Build a kūṭāgāra with a precious spire just like this palace.’ F.163.b

“Those five devas obeyed the deva kings and descended to Jambudvīpa. In one night, for the Bhagavat, they completely adorned the entire Jambūvana Park with every kind of adornment, from precious trees to victory banners. They also built a kūṭāgāra with a precious spire for the Bhagavat that was just like the palace of Śakra, lord of devas. When they had completely adorned Jambūvana with every kind of divine adornment, they returned to the presence of the deva kings and said to them, ‘Friends, know this. The entire Jambūvana Park has been completely and perfectly adorned with divine adornments, just as this deva world is excellently adorned. We have built for the Bhagavat a kūṭāgāra made from all precious materials and with a precious spire, just like the palace of Śakra, the lord of the devas. Friends, there is now not even the slightest difference between the deva world and the Jambūvana Park in Jambudvīpa.’

“Then the five kings of the devas, Śakra, Suyāma, Saṃtuṣita, Sunirmita, and Para­nirmitavaśavartin, descended to Jambudvīpa, came to the brahmin Samudrareṇu, and said to him, ‘Brahmin, we have adorned Jambūvana for the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. What else can we do?’

“The brahmin Samudrareṇu said to the five deva kings, ‘You five deva kings each rule over a class of devas. Therefore, as you have that power, you deva kings should today gather together your retinues of devas and say to them, “Go to Jambudvīpa in order to see, pay homage to, and honor the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus F.164.a and listen to the Dharma from the Bhagavat.” ’

“Then the five deva kings each returned to his own particular realm. Śakra, lord of devas, assembled the Trāyastriṃśa devas and said to them, ‘Honorable ones, know this! In Jambudvīpa there is the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the chief court priest of King Araṇemin, who for seven years is honoring and serving with all offerings the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. At the brahmin Samudrareṇu’s instruction, we have adorned the entire parkland for the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. You, too, should rejoice in that root of merit and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“At that time, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of Trāyastriṃśa devas placed their palms together and said, ‘Friends, we rejoice in that accumulation of merit, and we dedicate the merit that comes from that rejoicing to the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“The deva Suyāma summoned the Yāma devas to assemble and said the same to them. The devas Saṃtuṣita and Sunirmita also summoned their devas to assemble, and so on, up to and including Para­nirmitavaśavartin summoning the Para­nirmitavaśavartin devas, and many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas placed their palms together and said, ‘Honorable ones, we rejoice in that accumulation of merit, and we dedicate it all to the highest, most complete enlightenment. Honorable ones, we will therefore descend to Jambudvīpa and go to see the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus to pay homage to them, honor them, F.164.b and listen to the Dharma.’

“That night, the five deva kings descended from their realms to Jambudvīpa, accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas—male and female, boys and girls. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and listened to the Dharma from the Bhagavat. The devas who were in the middle of the sky released a rain of divine blue lotuses, red lotuses, water lilies, white lotuses, jasmine flowers, gardenias, mountain ebony flowers, magnolias, coral tree flowers, and great coral tree flowers onto the Bhagavat and played divine music.

“Noble son, this thought arose in the brahmin Samudrareṇu’s mind: ‘If my aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment is to be completely fulfilled, then may my prayer that even asuras will be made to believe in enlightenment be fulfilled.’

“Noble son, as soon as he thought that, the five lords of the asuras came to the brahmin. After they arrived, they were instructed by the brahmin, and many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of asuras—male and female, boys and girls—developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and came to the Bhagavat to listen to the Dharma.

“At that time, the māra named Pūrṇa also came, and many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of male and female and boy and girl māras developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and came to the Bhagavat to listen to the Dharma.

“Noble son, in the same way, the brahmin Samudrareṇu wished that the great Brahmā, who was named Ketapuri, would come. F.165.a Then that great Brahmā came and received the brahmin’s instructions. Then many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas in the Brahmā realm developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment; they descended from the Brahmā realm in order to see the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and to pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma from the Bhagavat.

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu then wished to see the Śakra, Suyāma, Saṃtuṣita, Sunirmita, and Para­nirmitavaśavartin devas who were in a second four-continent world. Through the power of the Bhagavat those five deva kings came to the brahmin. The brahmin instructed them, they returned to their own deva realms, and they instructed their devas with the brahmin’s words.

“As a result, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of Trāyastriṃśa devas—male and female, boys and girls—developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. The five deva kings then came with that Śakra to this four-continent world to see the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma from the Bhagavat.

“In the same way, the devas Suyāma, Saṃtuṣita, Sunirmita, and Para­nirmitavaśavartin instructed their devas—up to and including the Para­nirmitavaśavartin devas—and as a result, these devas developed the aspiration for enlightenment. Many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas—male and female, boys and girls—who had developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment came to this four-continent world to see the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma from the Bhagavat. F.165.b

“It was the same with the lords of the asuras, Māra, and Brahmā from the second four-continent world.

“It was the same with Śakra, Suyāma, Saṃtuṣita, Sunirmita, Para­nirmitavaśavartin, the lords of the asuras, Māra, and Brahmā from the third four-continent world, from the fourth, and from the fifth. Through the power of the Bhagavat, they came with their followers to this four-continent world to listen to the Dharma.

“In the same way, a billion Śakras, a billion Suyāmas, a billion Saṃtuṣitas, a billion Sunirmitas, a billion Para­nirmitavaśavartins, a billion asura lords, a billion Māras, and a billion Brahmās in the billion worlds of this billion-world universe came through the power of the Bhagavat to this four-continent world. Each great Brahmā was accompanied by a following of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of Brahmā-realm devas and their retinues, who had developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. They came to see the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, to pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma from the Bhagavat. And also it was so for all the other deva lords. At that time, there was nowhere in the billion-world universe where this had not occurred.

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu then thought, ‘If my aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment is to be fulfilled, then just as the billion Vaiśravaṇas and so on, up to and including the billion great Brahmās, complied with my request, may the Bhagavat also comply with my request. May he perform a great miracle and bring to an end the suffering of all humans, all animals, those in the realm of Yama, F.166.a and all hell beings in this billion-world universe. May he bring them bliss, and may he make an emanated buddha appear before each one to make them aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha knew the thought that had arisen in the brahmin Samudrareṇu’s mind. The Bhagavat entered the samādhi called splendor, and countless light rays shone from each of his pores. Those light rays spread throughout the billion-world universe. Some light rays went to the hells, where they became warm breezes that blew on the beings in the cold hells, and cool breezes that blew on the beings in the hot hells. The light rays caused the beings in hell to cease experiencing the suffering of hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and instead to experience bliss.

“In front of each being in hell there was an emanated buddha adorned with the thirty-two signs and eighty excellent features of a great being. When those beings in hell experienced bliss they wondered, ‘What has caused our suffering to cease and bliss to arise?’ When they saw the body of the Bhagavat adorned with the thirty-two signs and eighty excellent features of a great being, F.166.b they said, ‘It is through the power of this embodiment of great compassion that we have become blissful.’

“Glad and joyful, they gazed at the Bhagavat with complete trust. The Bhagavat said to them, ‘Beings, you should recite the words “homage to the Buddha!” and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. If you do so, you will never experience suffering but will always have this kind of bliss.’

“They said, ‘May our good roots from reciting “homage to the Buddha” and developing the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment cause our karmic obscurations to cease!’ Then some of them passed away and had fortunate human rebirths.

“The light rays became cold winds that blew on those who were burning in the fires of the hot hells. When the light rays touched those beings,^[141] they were freed from the sufferings of hunger and thirst. Some of them passed away and were reborn as humans.

“The same happened in the animal realm and the same happened for humans. That light then returned to the Bhagavat, circled him three times, and was absorbed into his uṣṇīṣa. The countless devas, humans, yakṣas, rākṣasas, nāgas, and asuras who saw this were established in irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. Countless beings attained samādhi, dhāraṇī, and acceptance. The humans in Jambudvīpa heard that devas had adorned with divine adornments and banners the Jambūvana Park in the king’s palace in the beautiful city in honor of the Bhagavat F.167.a and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. They said, ‘We should go there to see it and to see the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and his saṅgha of bhikṣus. When we are there, we should listen to the Dharma from the Bhagavat.’

“At that time, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of human men, women, girls, and boys came each day to the delightful city because they desired to see Jambūvana, and to see, pay homage to, and honor the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, and to hear the Dharma from the Bhagavat.

“That parkland had twenty thousand gates made of the seven jewels, and at each of the parkland’s gates five hundred precious seats had been arranged. At each of those places, five hundred brahmin youths were seated, and those young brahmins would tell whoever came to enter that parkland that they should take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and they instructed them to focus on and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Those who were dwelling nearby and afar entered the parkland in order to see and pay homage to the Bhagavat, to see the saṅgha of bhikṣus, and to hear the Dharma from the Bhagavat. For seven years, in that way, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the principal court priest, instructed countless devas to develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and he trained, guided, and established them in it. He also instructed countless nāgas, asuras, yakṣas, rākṣasas, kumbhāṇḍas, gandharvas, pretas, piśācas, hell beings, and animals to develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and he trained, guided, and established them in it. F.167.b

“After seven years had passed, the brahmin Samudrareṇu wished to offer, with the exception of the divine precious wheel, 84,000 wheels, and, with the exception of the precious elephant, 84,000 elephants adorned by the seven jewels, and so on, up to and including 84,000 chariots.

“King Araṇemin, during those seven years, had no interest in desire, interest in anger, interest in stupidity, interest in kingdoms, interest in wealth, interest in sons, interest in daughters, interest in food, interest in drink, interest in clothes, interest in incense, interest in carriages, interest in sleep, interest in himself, or interest in others. For seven years he did not lie down on his side. He had no conception of night, no conception of day, no conception of form, no conception of sound, no conception of smell, no conception of taste, and no conception of touch. For seven years he had no physical fatigue. He was always and continuously seeing the arrays of buddha-realm qualities in worlds in the ten directions that were as numerous as the particles in a thousand buddha realms. His eyes did not perceive Sumeru. His eyes did not perceive other mountains, the Cakravāḍa and Mahācakravāḍa mountains, the regions between the worlds, the sun and the moon, or the palaces of the devas. As he beheld those completely pure buddha realms, he gazed upon and prayed in his mind for the arrays of qualities of those completely pure buddha realms.

“King Araṇemin F.168.a remained for seven years in a state of bliss, seeing the array of qualities of the buddha realms, and praying in his mind for the array of qualities of a completely pure buddha realm. In the same way, the crown prince Animiṣa, Nimi,^[142] Indragaṇa, all the thousand princes, the 84,000 minor kings, and 920,000,000 other beings also stayed in solitary retreat for seven years. They saw in each of the ten directions realms as numerous as the particles in a thousand buddha realms. For seven years they had no attraction to desire or anger, no attraction toward stupidity, and so on, up to and including having no fatigue.

“They were constantly, continuously seeing in each of the ten directions the arrays of qualities of buddha realms as numerous as the particles in a thousand buddha realms. Their eyes did not perceive Sumeru. Their eyes did not perceive other mountains and so on, up to and including not perceiving the palaces of the devas. As they beheld those completely pure buddha realms, they thus prayed in their minds for those arrays of qualities of completely pure buddha realms. They all spent seven years delighting in those qualities.

“Some contemplated the arrays of qualities of pure buddha realms. Some contemplated the arrays of qualities of impure buddha realms.

“When the brahmin Samudrareṇu knew that the seven years had passed and were over, he wished to make an offering of the seven kinds of jewels. Therefore, he placed his palms together, bowed toward the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha, and said to the Bhagavat, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, F.168.b I have caused King Araṇemin to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment. He is in his own home, on retreat, alone in solitude, and no one is allowed to enter. In the same way, I have caused the 84,000 minor kings and 920,000,000 other beings to acquire, enter, and remain in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. They went to their own homes where they are on retreat, alone in solitude, and no one is allowed to enter. I request the Bhagavat to have King Araṇemin and all those whom I have caused to aspire to enlightenment to leave their retreats and come here so that they can develop unwavering aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and receive from the Bhagavat the prophecies of their names, families, and buddha realms.’

“Then, noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha entered the samādhi called accomplishment of intelligence.^[143] As he rested in that samādhi, blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, and silver^[144] light rays came from his mouth. Each light ray manifested F.169.a as the deity Brahmā in front of each of those who were on retreat, saying, ‘Friends, get up. The brahmin Samudrareṇu has completed his seven years of offerings. The Bhagavat is going to leave and go elsewhere. Friends, go to see, pay homage to, and serve the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus.’

“Exhorted by those light rays, they left their retreats. The light rays also exhorted King Araṇemin, who also left his retreat to see the Bhagavat. As he did so, the devas in the sky played bherī,^[145]mṛḍaṅga,^[146]paṭaha,^[147] and other drums.

“In order to see the Bhagavat, and so on, up to and including honoring him, King Araṇemin mounted his carriage and, accompanied and attended by the thousand princes, the 84,000 minor kings, and the 920,000,000 other beings, he began his journey to the Bhagavat. He traveled by carriage for as far as there was ground for a carriage to travel on, and then he descended from the carriage. After descending from the carriage, he entered the park on foot. He bowed his head to the feet of the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus and then sat to one side along with many millions of beings.

“Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu said to King Araṇemin, ‘Great king, rejoice that you have served the Bhagavat and his innumerable saṅgha of bhikṣus with every service for three months, and presented them with a variety of valuables and 84,000 cities. F.169.b You should dedicate to the highest, most complete enlightenment that entire aggregation of merit accompanied by rejoicing and the aggregation of merit accompanied by relinquishment.’

“The brahmin Samudrareṇu made the thousand princes aspire in that way, and the 84,000 minor kings and the 920,000,000 other beings also aspired to and became dedicated to attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment through their accumulation of merit accompanied by rejoicing. The Bhagavat said, ‘You should rejoice in having made this gift, and you should recite the following:^[148]

Chapter 4

The Prophecies to the Bodhisattvas

“Then, noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha thought, ‘The brahmin Samudrareṇu has made many millions of beings aspire to, be fixed upon, and be dedicated to the highest, most complete enlightenment and has brought them to an irreversible level. I shall give them prophecies, telling them what their buddha realms will be.’

“Then the Bhagavat entered the samādhi called never forgetting bodhicitta, and he smiled. That smile illuminated countless buddha realms with a vast radiance. He showed the array of qualities of those buddha realms to King Araṇemin and the many millions of beings. F.170.a At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in countless buddha realms in the ten directions saw that radiance, and through the power of the Buddha, they came to this world in order to see, pay homage to, and honor the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus.

“They made offerings to the Bhagavat with their various bodhisattva emanations, and they bowed their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet, honored him, and seated themselves before him because they wished to listen to the prayers and prophecies of the bodhisattvas.

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the chief court priest, said to King Araṇemin, ‘Great king, you should first choose your buddha realm’s array of qualities.’

“Then King Araṇemin placed his palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and said, ‘Bhagavat, I have enlightenment as my goal. I have honored the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of countless bhikṣus for three months with various offerings. I have dedicated the good roots from this toward the attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. Bhagavat, for these seven years I have contemplated the arrays of qualities in buddha realms. Bhagavat, in the buddha realm where I will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, may there be no hells, animals, or Yama’s realm. May the beings who die there not take rebirth in the lower existences. May all the beings there have a golden color.F.170.b May there be no difference between the devas and humans there. May all the beings there remember their past lives. May all those beings have the kind of divine sight by which they can see the hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddhas who remain, stay, live, and teach the Dharma in other realms. May all those beings have the kind of divine hearing by which they can hear the hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddhas teaching the Dharma. May all those beings there have knowledge of the minds of others, by which they can know the mental activities of beings dwelling in many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddha realms. May all those beings have skill in accomplishing miracles by which they can, with one aspiration, be in hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddha realms. May the beings who are in that realm have no attachment, not even attachment to their own bodies. May all those beings be on the level of irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. May the beings there be born spontaneously. May there not be the designation of female there.

May the lifespan of the beings there have no end except through the power of their prayers. May those beings not even know the word nonvirtuous. May there be no bad smell in that buddha realm. May that buddha realm be permeated by the aroma of the Bhagavat that surpasses that of the devas.^[150] May all the beings there be adorned by the thirty-two signs of a great being. May all those beings be in their last lifetime unless they pray otherwise. May all the beings there, through the power of the Buddha, be able in one morning to pay honor to an incalculable number of buddhas, accomplish their wish to make offerings to those buddhas through a variety of bodhisattva manifestations,F.171.a and then return to my realm in that same morning. May all those beings converse about the Buddha’s piṭaka.B5 May those beings have the power of Nārāyaṇa. May no being, even one with divine sight, be able to ascertain the extent of the qualities that adorn that buddha realm. May all the beings there possess knowledge and confidence.^[151] May the body of each bodhisattva be a thousand yojanas tall. May that buddha realm be radiant. May its environs have an array of qualities beyond enumeration. May any being who is born there be celibate until enlightenment. May all beings there be worthy of homage from the world and its devas. May there be no deficiency in their faculties. May the beings there, as soon as they are born, attain noble joy and happiness that transcends that of the devas. May all the beings there be endowed with good roots. May all the beings there be clothed in new saffron robes. May the beings there attain the samādhi of complete discernment the moment they are born.

May they, through attaining that samādhi, go to countless buddha realms, honor the buddhas, and, until they attain enlightenment, be able to see all the buddhas. May the bodhisattvas who are born there see precious trees among the array of buddha-realm qualities, which are just as they wish the array of buddha-realm qualities to be.F.171.b May those beings attain samādhi as soon as they are born there, and through attaining that samādhi always see the bhagavat buddhas, who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in innumerable buddha realms in the ten directions. May all the beings who are born there have the clothing, divine palaces, adornments, jewelry, colors, and form of the Para­nirmitavaśavartin devas. In that buddha realm may there be no dust, no stones, and no Kāla mountains, Cakravāḍa mountains, Mahācakravāḍa mountains, Sumeru, or great oceans. May there be the complete absence of the words^[152]obscuration,obstacle, and kleśa; the complete absence of the words hells,animals, and realm of Yama; and the complete absence of the words unfavorable birth and the word suffering, and may there not be the words neither suffering nor happiness.^[153]

“ ‘Bhagavat, that is the kind of buddha realm that is my goal. Bhadanta Bhagavat, I will remain a bodhisattva undergoing hardships until I can create a pure buddha realm that has those kinds of qualities. Bhadanta Bhagavat, during that time I will make that kind of human effort and afterward I will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. May I have a Bodhi tree that is ten thousand yojanas high, and when I sit there, may I, through a single instant of aspiration, attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. May my aura be without limit,^[154] illuminating hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddha realms.F.172.a May the length of my life be beyond measure, a hundred thousand million trillion eons long, so that, except for one with omniscient wisdom, no one will be able to measure it. May my bodhisattva saṅgha be so immeasurable that only someone with omniscient wisdom would be able to measure it, and may it be devoid of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. When I attain enlightenment may bhagavat buddhas in other limitless, uncountable buddha realms speak, recite, listen to, and repeat my praises. When I attain enlightenment, except for those who have perpetrated the actions with immediate results at death or who reject the true Dharma, if beings in other limitless, uncountable buddha realms, on hearing my name, dedicate their good roots to buddha realms,^[155] may they be reborn in my buddha realm. When I have attained enlightenment, may beings^[156] in countless other worlds develop the motivation for enlightenment and, with the wish to be reborn in my realm, create good roots in those realms. Then at the time when they are dying, may I appear before them encircled by an assembly of bodhisattvas, and when they see me, may they feel joy and delight toward me, and may their karmic obscurations^[157] be eliminated.

Then, when they have died, may they be born in my buddha realm. May the bodhisattvas there wish to hear Dharma teachings that they have never heard before directly from me, and may they hear exactly what they wish to hear.F.172.b When I attain enlightenment, may the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of innumerable buddha realms who hear my name attain irreversible progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment; may they attain the first patience and likewise the second;^[158] and may they attain the samādhis and dhāraṇīs that they wish to attain.

“ ‘Even after I have passed into parinirvāṇa, for countless eons may bodhisattvas in countless buddha realms on hearing my name attain great joy, perfect joy, and supreme joy,^[159] and may they be amazed, pay homage to me, and glorify and praise me. When I become a bodhisattva may I accomplish the deeds of a buddha, and afterward may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. When I have attained complete enlightenment, may the bodhisattvas who have complete faith in me attain the first patience, the second, and the third;^[160] attain the samādhi, dhāraṇī, and patience that they wish to; and tend to them until enlightenment.

“ ‘When I attain enlightenment, may women in countless buddha realms who hear my name have great joy, perfect joy, and supreme joy, have delight, and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and from then until enlightenment may they never again become a woman. Even after I have passed into parinirvāṇa, may countless women throughout countless eons who hear my name have great joy, perfect joy, and supreme joy, F.173.a have delight, and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and from then until enlightenment never again become a woman.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I wish for that kind of buddha realm and those kinds of beings with pure thoughts. Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in such a buddha realm.’

“Then, noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha congratulated King Araṇemin, saying, ‘Excellent, great king, excellent! Great king, your prayer to acquire a pure buddha realm is profound.

“ ‘Great king, look! In the west, beyond a trillion buddha realms, there is a world known as Indrasuvirājitā. The tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Indra­ghoṣeśvara­rāja is present, exists, and lives there, teaching the Dharma to pure beings.

“ ‘In that pure realm there are not even the words śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha. Only the Mahāyāna is taught there. There, all beings are spontaneously born. There is not even the word woman there. Great king, all the qualities that are in that buddha realm are just like the entire array of immeasurable buddha-realm qualities that you have prayed for, and the disciples there are beings with immeasurably pure motivation.

“ ‘Great king, after the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha F.173.b Indra­ghoṣeśvara­rāja has passed into parinirvāṇa, his Dharma will come to an end, and after sixty intermediate eons have passed, that realm will be named Meruprabhā. In that realm will appear the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Acintyamatiguṇa­rāja. The array of qualities in Meruprabhā, the realm of the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Acintyamatiguṇa­rāja, will be the same as the array of qualities in the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Indra­ghoṣeśvara­rāja’s buddha realm.

“ ‘The tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Acintyamatiguṇa­rāja’s lifespan will be sixty intermediate eons. When the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Acintyamatiguṇa­rāja passes into parinirvāṇa, his Dharma will remain for sixteen intermediate eons. One thousand intermediate eons after his Dharma has come to an end, that realm will have the name Virati. In that realm will appear the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Raśmi. His lifespan will be the same as the former buddha, and his realm will be the same. After he has passed into parinirvāṇa and his Dharma has come to an end, that realm will have the name Aparā. That realm will have the same array of buddha-realm qualities, and in it will appear the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Ratneśvaraghoṣa. He will reside, live, and remain for five^[161] intermediate eons and teach the Dharma. When he has passed into parinirvāṇa, his Dharma will remain for seven intermediate eons, and F.174.a when that Dharma has come to an end, there will successively occur what has been previously described. In that way, I see countless, innumerable tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddhas appear and pass into parinirvāṇa in that realm without that realm being destroyed and recreated.

“ ‘In the future, after one incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River,^[162] and during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, that realm will have the name Sukhāvatī. Great king, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood there. You will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Amitāyus.’

“King Araṇemin asked, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, from where will the bodhisattva mahāsattvas come, who will be the first in that realm to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood because of me?’

“ ‘Great king,’ replied the Bhagavat, ‘it will be these bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have come^[163] from innumerable, inconceivable, limitless realms in the ten directions to pay homage to me, honor me, and listen to the Dharma from me.

“ ‘Noble son, these bodhisattvas who are present before me have been prophesied by buddhas in the past to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, and buddhas in the present have also prophesied that they will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. They are the ones who will be the first to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in your buddha realm. Great king, each of these bodhisattvas has performed great service^[164] to many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddhas, generating good roots and F.174.b cultivating wisdom. Great king, it is these noble sons who will first attain buddhahood in your buddha realm.’

“King Araṇemin said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, it is the brahmin Samudrareṇu who has caused me and my retinue to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment. When will he attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood?’

“ ‘Great king,’ replied the Bhagavat, ‘the brahmin Samudrareṇu has great compassion. You will hear his lion’s roar.’

“The king said, ‘If the Bhagavat’s prophecy and my prayer are to be fulfilled, then when I make homage with the five parts of my body at the Bhagavat’s feet, may realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River shake and shudder, and may the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in those buddha realms give me their prophecy.’

“Then, noble son, King Araṇemin bowed down the five parts of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. When the king’s head touched the ground, buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River shook, shook strongly, shuddered, shuddered strongly, quaked, and quaked strongly, and then buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River made this prophecy:

“ ‘In the Dhāraṇa eon, in the Saṃtīraṇa buddha realm, in which the lifespan of beings will be 80,000 years, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha made this prophecy to King Araṇemin: “After an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, there will be an immeasurably pure realm called F.175.a Sukhāvatī in which King Araṇemin will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Amitāyus, who will illuminate as many worlds in the ten directions as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.” ’

“The Bhagavat said:

“Then, noble son, King Araṇemin was joyful and happy, and he experienced supreme joy and bliss. He then withdrew and sat to one side nearby in order to listen to the Dharma.

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu summoned King Araṇemin’s crown prince, Animiṣa. Animiṣa asked the same questions as the king. He said, ‘Bhagavat, I have seen^[165] the lower existences where beings experience extremely intense, unendurable suffering. I have seen the upper realms, where beings have minds filled with kleśas and fall into the lower realms. I have seen all beings associating with bad friends F.175.b in the darkness of a famine of the Dharma, devoid of good roots, possessed^[166] by evil views, and following evil paths.

“ ‘Bhagavat, by voice^[167] I shall make these beings become aware. I will dedicate all good roots to the highest, most complete enlightenment. When I am performing bodhisattva conduct, may beings think of me and say my name when they are afflicted by suffering, frightened by terrors, in the darkness of the Dharma’s absence, despairing, weak, or with no protector, no refuge, and no resort, and may I never attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood unless I can hear them with my divine hearing, see them with my divine sight, and free them from their suffering.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, when for a long time I practice bodhisattva conduct through this particular long-lasting prayer for the benefit of beings, may my wishes be fulfilled. Bhadanta Bhagavat, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, King Araṇemin will become a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha in the Sukhāvatī realm. When he has become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Amitāyus, he will accomplish the deeds of a buddha for the pure beings in that completely pure realm. The Tathāgata Amitāyus will perform the deeds of a buddha for countless eons. When he has completed the deeds of a buddha, he will enter the state of nirvāṇa without any remaining aggregates.

“ ‘After he has entered parinirvāṇa, I will practice the conduct of a bodhisattva for as long as his Dharma remains. As a bodhisattva, I will perform the deeds of a buddha. After the dusk when the Dharma of Samyaksam­buddha Amitāyus comes to an end, may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood at the following dawn. F.176.a

“ ‘Bhagavat, I request that you prophesy my highest, most complete enlightenment. Similarly, there are the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in the ten directions, in worlds as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and I request that those bhagavat buddhas also prophesy my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Those were the words of his request. Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha gave this prophecy to the crown prince Animiṣa: ‘Noble son, because the lower realms have been viewed by you, the higher realms have been viewed by you, and you have developed the compassion to free beings from suffering and to pacify their kleśas, it is for that reason, noble son, that you will be called Avalokiteśvara.^[168]

“ ‘You, Avalokiteśvara, will free many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings from suffering. Noble son, being a bodhisattva, you will accomplish the deeds of a buddha. Noble son, after the Tathāgata Amitābha has passed into nirvāṇa, his Dharma will come to an end at dusk one day in the latter part of the second incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. The following dawn you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood while sitting on a vajra seat, at a Bodhi tree, in a manifold array. You will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Saman­taraśmya­bhyudgataśrīkūṭa­rāja. Your lifespan will be ninety-six hundred thousand million trillion^[169] eons. After you have passed into parinirvāṇa your Dharma will continue for 630,000,000^[170] eons.’ F.176.b

“Avalokiteśvara asked, ‘Bhagavat, if these wishes of mine are to be fulfilled, then when I bow down to the Bhagavat’s feet, may the bhagavat buddhas, who reside, live, and remain within worlds in the ten directions that are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, give me their prophecy. May the ground shake in worlds in the ten directions that are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River; may there come music that has the five tempos from the stones and treetops of all mountains; and may all beings have minds free of desire.’

“When the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, the same happened as just described. The ground in buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River shook strongly, and those bhagavat buddhas gave their prophecy. There came the sound of music from the from the stones and treetops^[171] of all mountains, and all beings were in a mental state free from desire.

“The Bhagavat said:

“Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the chief court priest, summoned the second prince, who was named Nimi, and said to him, ‘Noble son, F.177.a you should in the same way rejoice in this great act of generosity. You should dedicate the good actions that you have accomplished toward omniscience for the sake of all beings and develop the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Then Prince Nimi sat before the Bhagavat and said, ‘Bhagavat, I have served with all offerings the Bhagavat and his immeasurable saṅgha of bhikṣus. The aggregate of merit that comes from rejoicing in having done this, and whatever aggregate of merit there is from the good activity of my body, speech, and mind, I dedicate it all to the highest, most complete enlightenment. May I not reach enlightenment in this afflicted buddha realm. Prince Avalokiteśvara will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the realm Sarva­ratna­saṃnicaya while seated under a Bodhi tree that is adorned with an array of many jewels and will become the Tathāgata Saman­taraśmya­bhyudgataśrīkūṭa­rāja. I shall request him to teach the Dharma. I will practice the conduct of a bodhisattva for as long as that tathāgata teaches the Dharma. When that tathāgata has passed away and his Dharma has ceased to exist, I will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. My buddha realm will have an array of qualities that will be the same as the entire array of qualities of the Tathāgata Saman­taraśmya­bhyudgataśrīkūṭa­rāja’s realm. I will accomplish the deeds of a buddha in the same way, and in the same way I will pass into parinirvāṇa. F.177.b After I have passed into nirvāṇa may the Dharma remain for a long time.’

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Noble son, you wish to attain great power.^[172] Noble son, you will attain the same power^[173] that I have attained. Noble son, in that buddha realm you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will be the tathāgata named Supra­tiṣṭhita­guṇa­maṇikūṭa­rāja. Noble son, you will obtain that great power and therefore, noble son, may you become Mahāsthāmaprāpta.’^[174]

“He said, ‘Bhagavat, if these wishes of mine are to be fulfilled, for that reason, when I bow down the five parts of my body to the Bhagavat’s feet, may the bhagavat buddhas in the ten directions, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, give me their prophecy, and may there be a rain of jasmine flowers.’

“Noble son, when that worthy being, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, bowed down the five parts of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, the bhagavat buddhas in the ten directions, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, gave their prophecy. The great earth shook in six ways, and there was a rain of jasmine flowers.

“The Bhagavat said:

“Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu summoned the third prince, who was named Indragaṇa, and spoke to him as he had to the others. F.178.a

“Prince Indragaṇa, with palms together, said to the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, ‘Bhagavat, the entire aggregate of merit that comes from rejoicing in having served with all offerings the Bhagavat and his saṅgha of bhikṣus, and the good activity of my body, speech, and mind, I dedicate to the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘May I not attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in an afflicted buddha realm, and may I not attain it quickly. While I am performing bodhisattva conduct, until I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, may I see the bhagavat buddhas in other endless, infinite realms in the ten directions. May I see with divine sight, in buddha realms as numerous as the particles in buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, bhagavat buddhas teaching the Dharma whom I first caused to acquire, enter, and remain in the aspiration for enlightenment, and whom I caused to acquire, enter, and remain in the practice of the perfections and the conduct of a bodhisattva.^[175]

“ ‘While I thus perform bodhisattva conduct, may I accomplish the deeds of a buddha. While I am performing bodhisattva conduct may I purify the motivations of beings so that those beings who will be born in my buddha realm will be, for example, like Brahmā devas. F.178.b May I purify an array of buddha-realm qualities so that it will be as if as many billion-world universes as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River have become one buddha realm. May that buddha realm’s surrounding walls, which reach as high as the summit of existence, be made of many jewels, and be adorned with a variety of jewels. May the entire ground in that buddha realm be made of beryl; may there be no dust, stones, or gravel; and may it be free of any dirt.

“ ‘May there not be even the word woman. May the beings there be born spontaneously. May the beings there have no wish for nourishment through mouthfuls of food. May the beings there be nourished by joy and nourished by the Dharma. In that buddha realm may there not be the words śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha. May that buddha realm be filled^[176] only with bodhisattvas^[177] who are free of obduracy, stains, anger, and hypocrisy, and who remain in pure celibacy. May all the bodhisattvas there have shaved heads and wear saffron-colored robes.

“ ‘As soon as they are born there, may they have great auras of light. May there appear in their hands^[178] precious alms bowls filled with various flavors. As soon as those appear, may they think, “This food we have is not for us. We should go to other worlds and offer this food to the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain there. We should also give it to the buddhas’ śrāvakas and to beings in suffering. We should also go to the realm of the F.179.a pretas and give this food to the beings there whose bodies are aflame with hunger and thirst.” As soon as those bodhisattva mahāsattvas have that aspiration, may they obtain the samādhi called inconceivable activity. When they have attained that samādhi, may they go without any hindrance to the countless, innumerable buddha realms in the ten directions, and offer the food to the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain there and to the śrāvakas and to other beings. May they offer the food with joy, teach the Dharma, and that same morning return to their own buddha realm.

“ ‘May it be the same for the offering of precious clothing, up to their return that same morning to their own buddha realm where they dress each other in monastic robes.

“ ‘May the bodhisattvas first share all the pleasures and enjoyments they find in that buddha realm with the bhagavat buddhas, the śrāvakas, and other beings, and only afterward enjoy them themselves. May that buddha realm be free of the eight unfavorable states. May there not be the word suffering there. May there not be the word training there. May there not be the word transgression there.

“ ‘May there be an accumulation of hundreds of thousands of jewels in that buddha realm. May it be beautified by jewels and appear to be made of jewels. May there be present there all the jewels in the ten directions that have never been seen before and never been heard of before, and whose names would take ten million years to recite. F.179.b May a bodhisattva see the buddha realm as being made of gold if he wishes it to be made of gold, and may it continue to be made of gold for him; may another bodhisattva see it as being made of silver if he wishes it to be made of silver, without causing the realm made of gold to vanish. In the same way, may a bodhisattva see the realm as being made of crystal, or made of beryl, or made of emerald, or made of red pearls, or made of white coral, or made of whatever precious material he wishes.

“ ‘May a bodhisattva see the buddha realm as being made of agarwood, made of tagar leaves, made of bay leaves, made of gośīrṣa sandalwood, or made of uragasāra sandalwood, just as he wishes. May he see it as being exactly how he wishes, without one seeing what another aspires for, but with everyone’s aspirations fulfilled.

“ ‘May there be no sun or moon in that buddha realm, but may the bodhisattvas born there emit their own light. May there be whatever kind of light is wished for even to the extent of reaching a hundred thousand million trillion buddha realms. Other than the opening of the flowers, may there not even be the words night and day in that buddha realm. May there be no heat, cold, illness, weakness,^[179] old age, or death in that buddha realm. If a bodhisattva wishes to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, may he go to a Tuṣita paradise, end his life there, and then attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in another world.^[180]F.180.a

“ ‘May there be no death in that buddha realm. May the Tathāgata’s parinirvāṇa take place high in the sky when he attains the ultimate nirvāṇa. May whatever enjoyment or pleasure a bodhisattva wishes for occur. May there come from the middle of the sky the sound of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of musical instruments throughout the buddha realm. May there be no words of desire within that music, but the words perfections, Buddha, Dharma, Saṅgha, and Dharma teachings from the bodhisattva piṭaka. May the bodhisattvas hear the words that they wish to hear.

“ ‘Bhagavat, when I am performing bodhisattva conduct may I see the array of qualities in the buddha realms of innumerable, uncountable hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of buddhas, and may those adornments, signs, omens, places, wonders, and wishes be in my^[181] buddha realm, and may it have none of the array of qualities of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas or of buddha realms that have the five degeneracies.

“ ‘May there be no hell beings, animals, or pretas in that buddha realm. May there be no Sumeru, Cakravāḍa, or Mahācakravāḍa mountains, no stones or dust. May there be no great oceans. May that buddha realm be filled with various divine, wonderful trees, without any trees made of wood. May it be filled with divine coral tree flowers and great coral tree flowers. F.180.b May there be no unpleasant smells there.^[182] May that buddha realm be filled by a vast, extensive variety of incenses.

“ ‘May all the bodhisattvas there be in their last life before buddhahood. May every being there when they pass away be reborn solely in Tuṣita paradises. When they pass away from there, may they attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I will continue performing the conduct of a bodhisattva until I attain that power. I shall establish that kind of buddha realm. I shall establish a buddha realm that is filled with the kind of beings who have pure thoughts, bodhisattvas with one lifetime remaining.

“ ‘May there be no bodhisattvas there whom I did not cause to aspire to enlightenment and to practice the perfections for the first time. May all the bodhisattvas whom I have caused to aspire to enlightenment and practice the perfections for the first time be born there. May I pacify completely the sufferings of all those who are contained within that buddha realm.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, after I have become a bodhisattva and accomplished those heroic actions, may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in that buddha realm.

“ ‘May my Bodhi tree, Sapta­ratna­vicitrasan­darśana,^[183] be the size of ten thousand four-continent worlds, and may its circumference be that of ten billion-world universes. F.181.a May the aroma and light of that Bodhi tree spread throughout the entire buddha realm.

“ ‘At the foot of that tree may there be my vajra seat, adorned by various jewels, named Praśamak­ṣamasuvicitra­jñāna­gandha­samavasaraṇa,^[184] the size of five four-continent worlds and 84,000 yojanas high.

“ ‘May I sit cross-legged upon the vajra seat at the foot of the Bodhi tree and in an instant attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. May I remain seated, and not uncross my legs nor get up from under the Bodhi tree until I pass into parinirvāṇa. While I remain seated upon the vajra seat at the foot of the Bodhi tree, may I emanate buddhas and bodhisattvas who go to countless other buddha realms. May each buddha teach the Dharma to beings in the morning and in that morning make countless beings aspire to, be dedicated to, and progress irreversibly toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. Thus, may my bodhisattva emanations accomplish bodhisattva activities.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may my body be visible in countless other realms in the ten directions. May all those beings who see my body adorned by signs all definitely attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. Until they attain enlightenment and nirvāṇa, may those beings never be apart from the bhagavat buddhas F.181.b and never have deficient faculties.

“ ‘May all the bodhisattvas there who wish to see me, as soon as they think of me,^[185] whether they are going, returning, walking, sitting, or standing, see me at the foot of the Bodhi tree. May all those bodhisattvas who have doubts about the Dharma instantly be freed from them upon seeing me. Freed from doubt, may they understand even the meaning of Dharma teachings that they have not received.

“ ‘May my lifespan be immeasurable, so that only those with omniscient wisdom can measure it, and may the bodhisattvas who will be there be innumerable. From the instant that I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood until the instant I pass into the great nirvāṇa, may the bodhisattvas in that buddha realm all have shaved heads and wear saffron robes. May there not be one being in that buddha realm with long hair and white clothes, but may all wear the monastic color and remain monastic.’

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Worthy being, that is excellent, excellent. You are wise, learned,^[186] and intelligent. Your prayer is excellent. You have surpassing qualities. You have surpassing wisdom. Noble son, because you have created this kind of supreme, auspicious intention^[187] for the sake of all beings and have conceived of this supreme array of the qualities of a buddha realm, you will be named Mañjuśrī. F.182.a

“ ‘Mañjuśrī, in the future, when two incalculable eons have passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in two Ganges Rivers,^[188] and there is a third such incalculable eon, there will be a world realm in the southern direction that is called Śuddhavi­rajaḥ­saṃnicaya in which the Sahā world realm will be included, and there will appear a buddha realm with those kinds of qualities.

“ ‘Mañjuśrī, there you will attain the complete enlightenment of complete buddhahood, and you will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Samantadarśin.

“ ‘Your retinue of bodhisattvas will also be pure in that way. The prayers that you have made as a bodhisattva will all be accomplished. Therefore, you will be a bodhisattva who has generated good roots with many millions of buddhas. Mañjuśrī, you will therefore be like a medicine for beings.^[189] You will have a completely purified motivation, your kleśas will be defeated, and your good qualities will have developed.’

“Mañjuśrī said, ‘Bhagavat, if these wishes of mine are to be fulfilled, may the bhagavat buddhas, who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma to beings in realms in the ten directions that are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, give me their prophecy, and may the countless, F.182.b innumerable buddha realms shake. May all beings have happiness that is like that of a bodhisattva resting in meditation at the apex of the second dhyāna. May there fall a rain of divine coral tree flowers from countless, innumerable buddha realms. May these words sound from the coral tree flowers: the word Buddha, the word Dharma, the word Saṅgha, the word perfections, and the words strengths and fearlessnesses. May these signs appear when I bow the five parts of my body to the feet of the Bhagavat.’

“When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta bowed down his head to the feet of the Bhagavat, the countless, innumerable buddha realms instantaneously shook; there fell a rain of divine coral tree flowers; and all beings gained the happiness that he had prayed for. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were listening to Dharma teachings from the bhagavat buddhas asked them by what cause and circumstances these signs appeared, and the bhagavat buddhas gave the prophecy of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta’s attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“The Bhagavat said:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu summoned the fourth prince, who was named Anaṅgaṇa, and like Mañjuśrī he made a prayer.

“The Bhagavat said to him, ‘Excellent, excellent! Noble son, when you become a bodhisattva, you will destroy a mountain of kleśas in innumerable, countless beings. You will perform the deeds of a buddha and will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Therefore, noble son, you shall be named Vajraccheda­prajñā­vabhāsaśrī.^[190]

“ ‘Vajraccheda­prajñā­vabhāsaśrī, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, there will be in the eastern direction, beyond buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in ten Ganges Rivers, a realm called Animiṣa.

“ ‘Noble son, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood there, and you will be the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Samantabhadra, who has wisdom and virtuous conduct,^[191] who is a sugata, a knower of the world, a guide who tames beings, an unsurpassable teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, and a bhagavat. Your buddha realm will have the manifold array of qualities that you have prayed for.’

“Noble son, as soon as the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha prophesied to the bodhisattva Vajraccheda­prajñā­vabhāsaśrī his attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment, F.183.b there came from the center of the sky the sound of many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas saying ‘Excellent!’ and it rained powders of gośīrṣa sandalwood, uragasāra sandalwood, agarwood, valerian,^[192] and bay leaf.

“He said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if these wishes of mine are to be fulfilled in this way, then when I bow down the five parts of my body to the feet of the Bhagavat, may realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River be pervaded by divine, wonderful, vast, extensive incense. May all the beings who have been born in those realms, whether as hell-beings, animals, those in Yāma’s land, devas, or humans, experience that scent, and when my head is touching the ground, may their physical illness, physical suffering, mental illness, and mental suffering quickly cease.’

“Noble son, when Vajraccheda­prajñā­vabhāsaśrī bowed down the five parts of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, at that moment, realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River were pervaded by divine, wonderful, vast, extensive incense, and the physical illness, physical suffering, mental illness, and mental suffering of all beings quickly eased and ended.^[193]

“The Bhagavat said:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu summoned the fifth prince, who was named Abhaya, and he prayed as the others had.

“He said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, my buddha realm will not be like this afflicted buddha realm, F.184.a but one in which there are no hells, there are no animals, and there is no land of Yama; one where the ground is made of blue beryl; and one that is vast just like the array of buddha-realm qualities in the Padmā world realm, which I shall describe. That is where I shall attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’

“Then Prince Abhaya placed lotuses in front of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if these wishes of mine are to be fulfilled in this way, then through the power of the Bhagavat may I attain the vision array samādhi, and thereby may the Bhagavat see before him, in worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, a rainfall of lotus flowers that are the size of chariot wheels and as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and may I^[195] also see them.’

“As soon as he said those words, through the power of the Buddha, he attained the vision array samādhi, and in worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River there fell a rain of lotus flowers the size of chariot wheels and as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. Prince Abhaya saw this and was overjoyed and blissful.

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Noble son, you have made an excellent prayer. You have acquired an excellent buddha realm, you have also attained samādhi very quickly, and through the power of true words there has fallen a rain of lotuses.’

“The prince said, ‘If my hopes for the highest, most complete enlightenment are to be fulfilled, F.184.b may these lotuses be suspended in the sky, and when they have floated in the sky, may they then fall like rain.’

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Noble son, very quickly the sky was sealed with the lotuses. Therefore, noble son, your name will be Gaganamudra.^[196] Gaganamudra, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in the southeastern direction beyond as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in a hundred thousand Ganges Rivers, there will be the world realm known as Padmā. There you will become enlightened and become a buddha. You will become the tathāgata named Padmottara, an arhat samyaksam­buddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, a guide who tames beings, an unsurpassable teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat. You will have an innumerable retinue composed entirely of bodhisattvas. Your lifespan will be immeasurable. Your buddha realm will have the entire array of qualities that you have prayed for.’

“The bodhisattva Gaganamudra bowed down his head to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha.

“The Bhagavat said:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu spoke to the sixth prince, who was named Ambara, who made a prayer as the bodhisattva Gaganamudra did. He said, ‘My buddha realm will not be like this afflicted buddha realm…’ and so on.

“Then he said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be fulfilled, F.185.a then in the skies of all the worlds in the ten directions, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, may there appear parasols made of the seven jewels, covered with nets of gold, and adorned with bells made of the seven jewels. From the parasols, the bells, and the nets, may these words sound: the word Buddha, the word Dharma, the word Saṅgha, the word perfections, the word strengths, the word clairvoyance, and the word confidence. May all beings hear those words. When they have heard them, may they develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and may the aspiration of those beings who have previously aspired to the highest, most complete enlightenment be irreversible.’

“As soon as he said that, those words sounded from the sky in all the worlds in the ten directions, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and so on, as before. Through the power of the Bhagavat he perceived this himself and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if my aspirations are to be completely fulfilled as I have prayed for, then may I in the presence of the Bhagavat attain the illumination by wisdom samādhi, and may that accomplish my good qualities. When I have obtained that samādhi may the Bhagavat give me his prophecy.’

“Through the power of the Bhagavat he attained the illumination by wisdom samādhi. The Bhagavat said, ‘Worthy being, excellent! Excellent! You have made a vast prayer. F.185.b Through the effect of this merit, noble son, worlds^[197] in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River have become buddha realms inspired by hundreds of thousands of beautiful words. Therefore, you should be known as Vegavairocana.^[198] Vegavairocana, in a future time, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, there will be, in the eastern direction, beyond as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, a world realm called Ādityasomā. There you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will become the tathāgata named Dharma­vaśavartīśvara­rāja, an arhat samyaksam­buddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, a guide who tames beings, an unsurpassable teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat.’

“The bodhisattva Vegavairocana bowed down the five parts of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. The Bhagavat said:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu spoke to the seventh prince, who was named Aṅgaja,^[201] and it proceeded as before. Prince Aṅgaja said, ‘May I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood not in a buddha realm like this afflicted buddha realm, but in one in which there are no hells, no animals, no world of Yama, no females, no beings inside wombs, no Sumeru, no Cakravāḍa, no Mahācakravāḍa, no soil,^[202] no rocks, no mountains, no uneven ground, no pebbles, F.186.a no gravel, no thorns, no thickets, no wooden trees, and no oceans. May there be no sun and moon, no stars, no day and night, and no darkness. May the beings there have no feces, urine, spittle, or snot; may they have no sweat and no odor; may they have no physical fatigue and no mental fatigue. May there be no dusty ground.^[203] May the entire ground be made of emerald; may it be adorned by hundreds of thousands of jewels. May it be strewn with coral trees and great coral tree flowers. May that buddha realm be adorned by a variety of precious trees; may those precious trees be adorned by nets of jewels; and may those precious trees be adorned with a variety of precious cotton cloths, a variety of precious clothing, a variety of precious beads, a variety of precious hanging ornaments, a variety of flower garlands, a variety of musical instruments, a variety of precious vessels, and a variety of flowers.^[204]

“ ‘May the only indication of night be when the flowers close and the sound of music ceases. May bodhisattvas be born from within the closed flowers. May the bodhisattvas, resting in meditation, attain the samādhi called an array of visions. Through attaining that samādhi may they see the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in other realms in the ten directions as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. F.186.b In that instant may they attain the pure divine hearing so that they hear the Dharma teaching of the bhagavat buddhas in the other realms in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘May all beings, as soon as they are born there, remember their former lives and remember eons as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. May all those beings, as soon as they are born, obtain divine sight so that they see the arrays of qualities of buddha realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, everywhere in the ten directions. May all those beings, as soon as they are born, be skilled in knowing the minds of others, so that in one instant they know the mental activity of beings within buddha realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and until their enlightenment and parinirvāṇa may all those beings honor that samādhi.

“ ‘In the morning may there come from the four directions very aromatic, delightful, soft, blissfully cool breezes that cause the flowers to open. May the bodhisattvas arise from their samādhi and get up from the anthers of the flowers. May they have the miraculous power to, in one instant of mind, go to pay homage to the bhagavat buddhas who in every direction reside, live, and remain in realms that are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and then return. F.187.a May they then be seated cross-legged upon the anthers of coral tree flowers and great coral tree flowers and gaze at the Tathāgata with minds made blissful by the Dharma.

“ ‘In all directions, wherever they go, whether they are seated there or returning, may they see me. Whatever equivocation, uncertainty, or doubt about the Dharma arises among those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, may they be freed from it just by seeing me. Whatever Dharma teaching those bodhisattva mahāsattvas wish for, may they receive that Dharma teaching simply by looking at me. May those beings have no ownership and no attachments, to the extent that they have no preoccupation even with their own bodies and lives. May all those bodhisattvas be irreversible.

“ ‘May there not even be the word bad there. In that buddha realm, may there not even be the word training, and so on, as before, and may there be no mention of removing faults. May all those beings have the thirty-two signs of a great being. May they all have the power of Nārāyaṇa. May not a single being have impaired faculties during the time before their enlightenment and nirvāṇa. May all the beings there be born with shaved heads and wearing new saffron-colored robes. May they attain the samādhi of complete discernment and never lose it until enlightenment. May all the beings there be accompanied by good roots. F.187.b

“ ‘In that buddha realm may beings have no knowledge of the suffering of illness and aging. When their lifespan is over, may they all enter nirvāṇa sitting cross-legged. May fire rise from their bodies and burn up their bodies. May a breeze from the four directions carry their relics to a thousand buddha realms, where they will appear as precious jewels that are like the bright precious jewel of a cakravartin king. May any being who sees the light of those precious jewels, or sees the precious jewels themselves, or touches them, until they reach enlightenment and nirvāṇa, never experience the suffering of hells, animals, or Yama’s world. When beings pass away, may they be born where the bhagavat buddhas reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma to beings. When those beings have been born there may they hear the Dharma from the bhagavat buddhas and develop the aspiration for enlightenment. As soon as they have developed that aspiration, may they never turn back from the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘In my buddha realm may there be no beings who die while not in a state of meditation, while experiencing suffering, or not free from the malicious intent to kill one another.^[205] Subsequently, may they never be reborn into an unfavorable existence. May they never be reborn in a realm devoid of a buddha.^[206] Until they reach enlightenment may they never be unable to see a buddha. May they never be unable to hear the Dharma or serve the saṅgha. F.188.a

“ ‘May all beings in my buddha realm be free of obstinacy, anger, hypocrisy, envy, and selfishness. May śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas be absent. May the buddha realm be filled with pure bodhisattvas. May the beings who are born there be agreeable, gentle, forgiving, good, peaceful, and meditative.

“ ‘May my buddha realm be radiant. May my buddha realm have a great array of qualities. May it be seen in the worlds in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and may its aroma pervade them.

“ ‘May the beings there always have happiness. May the word suffering never be heard there.

“ ‘I will carry out the conduct of a bodhisattva such that I, as a bodhisattva, will establish a pure buddha realm endowed with this kind of array of a buddha realm’s qualities, and I will fill that buddha realm with such beings who have pure minds. Subsequently, in that buddha realm I will become a buddha with the highest, most complete enlightenment. When I attain enlightenment, may I have limitless radiance. May my body, which will be adorned by the signs of a great being, be visible in as many realms in the ten directions as there are particles in a thousand buddha realms. When the beings there see me, may their desires cease. F.188.b May all their anger, ignorance, envy, pride, hypocrisy, kleśas, and subsidiary kleśas cease completely. May they all develop the aspiration for enlightenment. Through seeing me may they attain whatever samādhis and dhāraṇīs they were seeking. When the beings reborn in the cold hells see me, may they experience bliss, a bliss that is like that of a bhikṣu in the meditation of the second dhyāna. When they see me, may they have perfect physical and mental bliss and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. When they die in those hells, may they be reborn in my buddha realm and not turn back from the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘When beings born in the world of the pretas see me, may the same happen to them and may they never turn back from the highest, most complete enlightenment. May it be the same for those who have been born as animals. May my light be twice as bright for those born as devas.

“ ‘May I have a measureless lifespan, which no one, except for the omniscient, will be able to comprehend. When I attain enlightenment, may the bhagavat buddhas in incalculable, countless, innumerable worlds in the ten directions praise me. When the beings in those worlds hear these praises of me, F.189.a may they dedicate all their good roots to rebirth in my buddha realm. May they be reborn in my buddha realm when they die, unless they have committed the actions with immediate results at death, or abandoned the Dharma, or maligned a higher being.^[207]

“ ‘When I attain enlightenment, may beings in countless, innumerable worlds hear my name and wish to be reborn in my buddha realm. When they are dying, may I, encircled by a great retinue, resting in the freedom from darkness samādhi, satisfy those beings with excellent teaching and end their suffering. Through their faith in me may they attain a samādhi free of thought, may they realize the acceptance of phenomena^[208] that delights the mind, and, when they die, may they be reborn in my buddha realm.

“ ‘When beings in other realms are dying—those who are devoid of the seven riches who do not aspire to the three yānas, who do not aspire to the good fortune of devas and humans, who do not aspire to acquiring virtue, who do not aspire to the three methods of accumulating merit, who are attached to desires and what is not Dharma, who are overwhelmed by overpowering greed, who are under the sway of a wrong Dharma—then at that time may I, accompanied by a great retinue, appear through the brightness samādhi and teach them the Dharma. May I show them my buddha realm. F.189.b May I cause them to aspire to enlightenment. May those beings feel the greatest joy and faith toward me and develop the aspiration for enlightenment. May all their sensations of suffering cease. May they attain the lamp of the sun samādhi and eliminate their ignorance. When they die, may they be reborn in my buddha realm.’

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Excellent, worthy being, excellent! The prayer you made is magnificent.’

“Then Prince Aṅgaja declared, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this prayer of mine is to be fulfilled, may there fall a rain of uragasāra sandalwood powder in other buddha realms in the ten directions as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. May all the beings who smell that scent develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. May I attain the samādhi called sublime splendor and see that happen myself.’

“Then, noble son, he developed the sublime splendor samādhi, and he saw that it rained uragasāra sandalwood powder in other realms in the ten directions, as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and saw that countless beings in each of the ten directions placed their palms together and developed the aspiration for enlightenment.

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Noble son, a rain of incense quickly fell, and countless beings have been inspired toward enlightenment. Therefore, noble son, you should be known as Siṃhagandha.^[209]

“ ‘Siṃhagandha, after one incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, F.190.a at the start of the second eon, there will be in the eastern direction,^[210] beyond as many buddha realms as there are particles in buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in forty-two Ganges Rivers, a world realm called Nīlagandha­prabhāsavi­raja. You, Siṃhagandha, will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood there. You will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Prabhāsavirajaḥ­samucchraya­gandheśvara­rāja.’

“Then, noble son, the bodhisattva Siṃhagandha bowed down the five parts of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha.

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said to him:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu spoke to the eighth prince, who was named Amigha,^[211] and it proceeded as before. Prince Amigha said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, as a bodhisattva I will perform the conduct of a bodhisattva in the afflicted buddha realm such that I will purify ten thousand afflicted buddha realms and so that they become like the buddha realm Nīlagandha­prabhāsavi­raja.^[212] I will cause them to be filled with bodhisattvas set out on the Mahāyāna who have planted the appropriate good roots and have pure motivation. Subsequently, I will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Bhadanta Bhagavat, F.190.b I shall accomplish such bodhisattva conduct that no other bodhisattvas have ever performed.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, during these seven years that I have been in solitude I have contemplated the pure qualities of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the pure qualities of the buddha realms. I have developed, attained, and meditated in eleven thousand bodhisattva samādhis, such as the vision array samādhi. Bhadanta Bhagavat, this has been my bodhisattva activity now that I am a bodhisattva.

“ ‘May I see and enter the endless, limitless world realms in the ten directions where bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma for the welfare and happiness of beings, and the buddha realms called Dhvajāgrākeyūra, which transcend the three times and are filled with jinas. May I, through that samādhi, see the bhagavat buddhas, as numerous as particles, surrounded by assemblies of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. May I, through the power of the unattached samādhi,^[213] pay homage to each one of them with bodies as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. May each one of my bodies offer each of them manifold unsurpassable jewels and flowers, manifold unsurpassable incenses, garlands, powders, ointments, and music, all in unsurpassable arrays. May I perform this in each buddha realm for eons as numerous as the grains of sand in the ocean.

“ ‘May I, through the manifesting all bodies^[214] samādhi, see, in an instant, F.191.a the fields of buddha activity of every buddha, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I, through the source of qualities samādhi, praise each buddha with unsurpassable praises as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I, through the unclosing eyes samādhi, in one instant of mind see all the buddha realms filled with victorious ones upon a single particle.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I, through the free from conflict samādhi, in one instant of mind see all the past, present, and future bodhisattvas in all the buddha realms and the arrays of qualities of the buddha realms.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I, through the heroic samādhi, enter the hells, take on the form of an inhabitant of hell, teach the Dharma to the beings in hell, and inspire them toward enlightenment. May the beings there develop the aspiration for enlightenment. Then, after passing away, may they be reborn as human beings and wherever buddha bhagavats may be, may they hear the Dharma from those buddha bhagavats, and may they be brought to the level of irreversibility.

“ ‘May I emanate bodies that resemble animals, pretas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, nāgas, kinnaras, mahoragas, piśācas, pūtanas, and kaṭapūtanas, and, similarly, caṇḍālas, merchants, and courtesans, Bhagavat, F.191.b in accord with the families that beings are born in, in accord with the bodies they have obtained, in accord with the happiness or suffering that they experience because of their karma, in accord with their skills in crafts, and in accord with the work that they do. May I manifest being diligent in those crafts and that work, and through using appropriate words may I please those beings and teach them the Dharma. May I make them aspire to, be intent upon, and be set upon the highest, most complete enlightenment. And may I establish them in irreversible progress toward the highest, complete most enlightenment.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I engage in the conduct of a bodhisattva until I purify, by any means whatsoever, the continuums of the minds of all beings in ten thousand buddha realms in the ten directions, so that there will be no^[215] karma and kleśas, without exception, in the mental continuums of those beings, and there will not be even a few beings whose paths of mental continuums are conceptualized via the four māras.^[216] For that purpose, may I purify those ten thousand buddha realms^[217] so that they have the same array of qualities as Nīlagandha­prabhāsavi­raja, the realm of the Tathāgata Prabhāsavirajaḥ­samucchraya­gandheśvara­rāja. May my buddha realm and my retinue thus be just as the bodhisattva Siṃhagandha prayed for.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, may all the suffering of beings in the buddha realms in the ten directions be appeased. May they all have gentle minds. May they all have flexible minds. May they see the buddhas present in their own four-continent worlds. May manifold jewels, flowers, incenses, garlands, ointments, powders, F.192.a parasols, victory banners, and flags appear to all those beings, which they will offer to the buddhas, and may those beings develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Bhagavat, may I see this myself through the power of the array of visions samādhi.’

“As soon as he said those words, he saw what he had prayed for. The Bhagavat said, ‘It is excellent, noble son, excellent that you, noble son, will purify ten thousand buddha realms—your own and everywhere around it—and that you will purify the continuum of minds of countless, numberless beings. Thus you will equal the zeal of making countless, numberless offerings to countless, numberless bhagavat buddhas. Therefore, noble son, you should be named Samantabhadra.’

“ ‘Samantabhadra, in the future, when countless eons, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, have passed, and a second series of countless eons has begun, in the northern direction from here, beyond as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers, there will be a world realm called Jñāna­tāpasuviśuddha­guṇā. You, Samantabhadra, will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect enlightenment there. You will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Jñāna­vajra­vijṛmbhiteśvara­ketu.’

“Then, noble son, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra bowed down his head to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha.

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said:

“Then, noble son, ten thousand lazy beings said in one voice, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, we shall become tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddhas in the pure buddha realms which, with completely pure motivation, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, while performing the conduct of a bodhisattva, will purify. May we thus complete the six perfections and be reborn in a buddha realm there.’

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha thus predicted of those ten thousand beings, ‘When the bodhisattva Samantabhadra attains the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the surrounding realms.^[218] You will become tathāgatas in groups of thousands that have the same names:

“ ‘One thousand will be tathāgatas called Jvāla­kuṇḍeśvara­ghoṣa.

“ ‘Another thousand will be called Saṃvṛtīśvaraghoṣa.

“ ‘Another thousand will be called Suvimala­ghoṣeśvara­rāja.

“ ‘Another thousand will be called Prahī­ṇabhaya­ghoṣeśvara­rāja.

“ ‘Another thousand will be called Vimala­ghoṣa­tejeśvara­rāja.

“ ‘Five hundred others will all have the same name; they will be called Sūryaghoṣa.”

“ ‘Another 2,500^[219] will have these names: Vigata­bhaya­kīrti­rāja, Vigataraśmi, Vigataraśmighoṣa, Kīrtīśvaraghoṣa, Vipara­dharmakīrti­ghoṣa, Garbha­kīrti­rāja, Ratna­dhvaja, Jyotīśvara, Uttapta­muni­jñāneśvara, Ketacīvara­saṃbhṛta­rāja, Acintyamati­jñāna­garbha,F.193.a Jñānamerudhvaja, Jñānasāgara­rāja, Mahā­vīrya­ghoṣeśvara, Meruśrīkalpa, Jñāna­virajavega, Kimīśvarabīja, Jñāna­suvimala­garjiteśvara, Abhi­bhūta­guṇa­sāgara­rāja, Jñāna­saṃbhavabala­rāja, Viraja­vīreśvara­rāja, Muni­śrīkūṭavega­saṃkusuma, Śrīkūṭa­jñāna­buddhi, Vajrasiṃha, Śīla­prabhāsvara, Bhadrottama, Anantaraśmi, Siṃhanandi, Akṣayajñānakūṭa, Ratnāvabhāsa, Jñānavimala, Jñānapravāḍa, Siṃhakīrti, Abhijñāguṇarāja, Dharmasumanāvarṣin, Prabhākara, Abhyudgatameru, Dharma­samudgata­rāja­vimala,Gandheśvara, Vimalanetra, Mahāprasandaya, Asaṅgabalarāja, Svajñānapuṇyabala, Jñānacīvara, Vaśavartin, Asaṅgahiteṣin, Jñānasaṃbhava, Mahāmeru, Balagarbha, Guṇākara, Latākusumadhvaja, Guṇaprabhāsa, Viguṇamoharāja, Vajrottama, Dharmaketu, Ghoṣendrarāja, Svagupta, Vajradhvaja, Ratneśvara, Abhyudgatadhvaja, Śailakalpa, Ratimegha, Dharma­kārisāla­rāja, Samantaguptasāgara­rāja, Jñānasaṃnicaya, Jñānārci, Kusumagaṇi, Gajendreśvara, Udumbarapuṣpa, Kāñcanadhvaja, Dharmadhvaja, Vinarditarāja, Candana, Supra­tiṣṭhitasthāma­vikrama, Dhvajāgrapradīpa, Jñānakrama, Sāgaradhvaja,F.193.b Vyayadharmakīrti, Māravinardita, Guṇārci, Jñānaprabha, Jñānapradīpa, Kṣemarāja, Jñānaghoṣa, Dhvajasaṃgraha, Vajrapradīpa, Vyūharāja, Jayasaṃkhya, Supratiṣṭhita, Maticandrarāja, Kramavinardita­rāja, Sālendrasiṃha­vigraha, Nārāyaṇa­vijita­garbha, Ratna­guṇa­saṃnicaya,Jyotigarbha, Nakṣatra­vibhavakīrti, Puṇyabala­sāla­rāja, Manojñaghoṣa,^[220] Brahmottara, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

“ ‘Another thousand will be named Gandha­padma­vijitakīrti­rāja, Raśmimaṇḍala­jyotiprabhāsa­rāja, Gandha­padmottaravega, Ananta­guṇa­sāgarajñānottara, Jambūcchāya, Guṇaśailadhvaja, Siṃhaketu, Nāga­vivarjitakusumateja­rāja, Sugandha­bīja­nairātma, and Amṛtaguṇatejarāja.^[221]

“ ‘Another thousand will be tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddhas called Visṛṣṭa­dharma­rāja and Nāgendravi­mukti­buddha­loka­sāgaralocanaśaila.^[222]

“ ‘At the same time, on the same day, they will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the different world realms. Their lifespans will be ten intermediate eons.’

“Those ten thousand beings bowed down to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu spoke to the ninth prince, who was named Anagha,^[224] and it proceeded as before. The prince said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I shall perform bodhisattva conduct in such a way that bhagavat buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, who reside, live, and remain in realms in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, will be the witnesses for my performance of bodhisattva conduct.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, from the time I develop the aspiration for enlightenment in your presence until I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, may I never regret performing bodhisattva conduct. Until I reach enlightenment may my commitment be firm, and may I carry out whatever I say I will. May I never disturb the minds of other beings. May the motivation for the path of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas never arise to me. May a mind or mental event of desiring sense pleasures never arise. May dullness and sleepiness never arise. May restlessness never arise. May remorse never arise. May doubt never arise. May I never take life, take what has not been given, fail to maintain celibacy, lie, slander, speak harshly, speak meaninglessly,^[225] be avaricious, be malicious, hold wrong views, be miserly,^[226] or be disrespectful to or contradict the Dharma. Until I reach enlightenment, as I perform bodhisattva conduct, may I never have those qualities. Until I reach enlightenment, even when I am just taking a step,F.194.b may my mind and mental events always be engaged in remembering the Buddha. Until I reach enlightenment, may I never be bereft of seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and serving the Saṅgha. May I become ordained in all my lifetimes. May I in all my lifetimes wear sewn-together rags, wear the three Dharma robes, dwell at the foot of a tree, sleep sitting upright,^[227] live in the wilderness, beg for alms,^[228] have few desires, be content, teach the Dharma, speak appropriately, and be endowed with limitless eloquence.

May I never commit a root downfall. May I never subjugate opponents with words that are lies. May I never give a Dharma teaching concerning emptiness to a female. May I never teach the Dharma to a female with my mind focused on emptiness.^[229] May I never teach the Dharma gesturing with my hands. May I always perceive bodhisattvas who have set out on the Mahāyāna as my teachers. Whenever I listen to the Dharma from a Dharma reciter, may I perceive him to be my teacher and, having honored him, may I serve, honor, respect, and make offerings to that Dharma reciter as I would a tathāgata, to the extent that I would serve that Dharma reciter even with my own flesh. May I give to others without a thought of whether they are a worthy or unworthy recipient. May I never have a mind or mental event of miserliness when making the gift of the Dharma. May I protect those beings who are dedicated to enlightenment by giving my life. May I free beings in distress from their distress with whatever wealth I have gained through my diligence, my strength, and my prayers.F.195.a May I never criticize those with the signs of ordination, those with the signs of lay life, those who have committed downfalls, or those who have not committed downfalls. May I always perceive acquisitions, honors, and praise as being like fire, poison, and weapons.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if these prayers of mine, made in your presence, are to be perfectly fulfilled from now until I reach enlightenment, then may there appear on both my hands precious divine wheels, each with a thousand spokes, a hub, and a rim, and each as bright as the luster of the sun.’

“As soon as Prince Anagha said those words, there appeared upon both his hands such wheels as he had wished for. Then he said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if my wishes are to be fulfilled from now until I reach enlightenment, then may these wheels go to the empty buddha realms that have the five degeneracies. With a sound as loud as the movements of the nāga kings Nanda and Upananda, may they spread, throughout each entire buddha realm, the Dharma discourse on the domain of buddhas, who engage in prophecies to bodhisattvas, mindfulness, unforgetfulness, wisdom, vision, and meditation on emptiness. And may this Dharma discourse come to appear in the auditory faculties of all the beings born there. And, as soon as it is heard, may the desire of those beings cease, and may their anger, ignorance, pride, envy, and miserliness cease. With their minds focused on recollecting all the buddhas, may they give rise to the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Noble son, Prince Anagha F.195.b sent forth those two precious wheels, moving as fast as bhagavat buddhas can.^[230] In such manner those two precious wheels went to countless, limitless buddha realms in the ten directions that had the five degeneracies, and to the beings there spread the Dharma discourse on the domain of buddhas, who engage in prophecies to bodhisattvas, mindfulness, unforgetfulness, wisdom, vision, and meditation on emptiness. And this Dharma discourse came to appear in the auditory faculties of those beings, and for all of them any mind or mental events of desire, and so on, up to and including miserliness, ceased. With their minds on the domain of wisdom of the buddhas, they gave rise to the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and within an instant the wheels returned and stood in front of Prince Anagha.

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said to Prince Anagha, ‘Excellent, excellent, noble son, you have made a very splendid prayer. And you have sent these precious divine wheels to buddha realms that are empty and have the five degeneracies, and you have established many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings in unpolluted states of mind and have made them focus upon enlightenment. Therefore, noble son, you will be known as Akṣobhya. You, Akṣobhya, will become a guide for the world. You, Akṣobhya, shall obtain the arrays of buddha-realm qualities such as you wish.’

“Akṣobhya said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I wish for such an array of buddha-realm qualities: May all the ground be made of gold. May it be as flat as the palm of the hand, scattered with precious divine jewels, free of pebbles and gravel, free of pillars of rock, boulders, and mountains, and as soft and pleasant to the touch as down; F.196.a may it sink when you tread on it, and rise when you lift your feet. May hells, animal births, the world of Yama, and the preta realm not be known there. In that buddha realm may there be nothing that smells bad. May that buddha realm be pervaded by incense that transcends that of the devas, and may that buddha realm be filled with divine coral trees and great coral tree flowers.

“ ‘May the beings there never age, fall ill, or die. May they never be afraid of each other. May they never injure each other. May those beings never die prematurely or die with regret. May they never die while not in meditation. May the beings there be focused upon the constant recollection of the Buddha. May they not be reborn in the lower realms. May they not be reborn in buddha realms that are empty and with the five degeneracies. Until they attain enlightenment and parinirvāṇa may they never be deprived of the sight of the Buddha. May they never be deprived of hearing the Dharma and serving the Saṅgha. May the beings there have little desire, little anger, and little delusion. May all who are there adopt and follow the path of the ten good actions. May the beings in that buddha realm not be workers in crafts. May they have no portents for lower rebirth. May there be no way for the māras to enter the beings there. May the beings there not have a bad color.^[231] May the beings there neither be lords nor servants. May the beings there have no possessiveness and no acquisitiveness.F.196.b May the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas there never ejaculate, even while dreaming. May all the beings there long for the Dharma and seek the Dharma. In that buddha realm may there not be a single being who has a mistaken view and may there be no tīrthikas. May the beings there never be fatigued in body and never fatigued in mind. May all the beings there possess the five clairvoyances. May all the beings there never be oppressed by thirst or hunger. May whatever food they desire appear before them in precious bowls, just as for the devas in the realm of sense pleasure.

May they have no feces, urine, spittle, snot, tears, or sweat.

“ ‘May there be no cold and no heat. May there be a pleasant scent. May soft breezes waft there. May those breezes bring fragrances of the devas or humans when they wish for it and of the kind they wish for. One person may wish for a cool breeze and another for a warm breeze. Some may want a breeze that has the scent of the blue lotus, some may want a breeze with the scent of uragasāra sandalwood, some may want a breeze with the scent of benzoin, some may want a breeze with the scent of valerian, some may want a breeze with the scent of aloeswood, and some may wish for a breeze such as has never been wished for before, and it will be created just as their minds imagined it. In that way may that world realm be free of the five degeneracies. F.197.a

“ ‘May the beings there have kūṭāgāras made of the seven jewels, and whenever people stay within those kūṭāgāras, may there appear couches that are made of the seven jewels and covered with cotton cushions, as soft to the touch as down. Whenever the beings there are going to bathe, may pools appear around those kūṭāgāras, filled with water that has the eight good qualities. May there be rows of jasmine trees and palm trees that are adorned. May those trees be adorned with various kinds of flowers, fruits, scents, cloths, parasols, strings of pearls, and ornaments. May the beings there pick from those wish-fulfilling trees whatever clothing and adornments they wish for and wear them. In this way, may they select and put on everything, from the flowers up to the ornaments.

“ ‘May my Bodhi tree be made of the seven jewels and be a thousand yojanas high, with a trunk that is one yojana wide, and with branches that spread for a thousand yojanas. When that Bodhi tree is stirred by the breezes, may it emit the words perfections, clairvoyances, powers, strengths, and factors of enlightenment, their sound being more gentle and pleasant than that of the devas. May the beings who hear those words each attain mindfulness, with a mind free from desire.

“ ‘May the women in that buddha realm be endowed with all good qualities, just as the apsaras among the gods of Tuṣita. May the women there have no bad smell, never be double-tongued, and never be filled with envy or miserliness. May the men F.197.b there not engage in sexual intercourse with the women. When a sexual desire arises in a man there, when he goes to a woman and looks at her with desire, may his desire cease in that instant, and feeling very contrite may he walk away and obtain a samādhi that is pure and unsullied. Through that samādhi may he be liberated from the nooses of the māras and never again give rise to a mind of desire. When a woman there looks at a man with sexual desire, may she become pregnant just by looking, and may the desire of both the man and woman cease completely just by looking. May the boy or girl in their wombs experience physical and mental bliss, just like the Trāyastriṃśa devas are delighted and joyful and experience physical and mental bliss. May the boys and girls in the wombs in that buddha realm experience such bliss for seven days and nights. May the pregnant woman experience such bliss as that of a bhikṣu in the meditation of the second dhyāna. May those beings be unstained by the stains and impurities of the womb. On the seventh day, may they be born, bestowed with the most excellent fragrances and the most excellent pleasant cushions. May the mother not experience any suffering, and may both mother and child enter and bathe in the pools. And may that woman attain such mindfulness that she attains the samādhi that is free from desire and pure. May that samādhi free them from all desire,^[232] and may they always remain in samādhi. May whoever has created and accumulated karma in previous lives that will result in experiencing female existences for many tens of millions of eons F.198.a have all those female existences entirely come to an end through the accomplishment of that samādhi, and may they never again acquire a female existence throughout the time until their parinirvāṇa.

“ ‘May those beings who have accumulated the karma that will result in experiencing for countless eons the suffering of being born from a womb hear my name when I have attained enlightenment, have faith in me, and, after passing away, be reborn in my buddha realm, without being born from a womb. May the entirety of all that karma come completely to an end. May those beings never again be born from a womb throughout the time until they reach enlightenment.

“ ‘May those beings who have planted good roots completely annihilate their karma and not be reborn into a womb.^[233] In my buddha realm may women and beings who are in wombs have perfect happiness in that buddha realm.^[234]

“ ‘When the jasmine and palm trees are stirred by the breezes, may they emit a beautiful sound; may they emit the words impermanent, suffering, not self, and empty. Through those words, may the people there attain the samādhi called endowed with a lamp.^[235] Through that samādhi, may those beings understand the profound teachings that illuminate emptiness. In that buddha realm may there be no words connected with desire.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, seated at the foot of the Bodhi tree, may I instantly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. When I have attained enlightenment, in that buddha realm, except for when flowers close, may there be no light from a sun and moon. May I radiate such light F.198.b that I can see with divine sight the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in measureless, countless other buddha realms.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may I teach the Dharma with such a voice that I may fill the entire billion-world buddha realm, and may all the beings that are there attain the constant recollection of the Buddha. Whether they are going somewhere, walking, sitting,^[236] or returning, may they always see me. Whatever doubts about such teachings they may have, may their doubts be dispelled merely upon seeing me, merely upon beholding me.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may the beings in the measureless, countless buddha realms in the ten directions—whether they are following the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or the unsurpassable yāna—hear my name or praise. Then, when they pass away, may they be reborn in my buddha realm. There, may they hear the Dharma from me and may those who follow the Śrāvakayāna become arhats who have attained meditative absorption in the eight liberations.^[237] May the bodhisattvas who follow the Mahāyāna hear the Dharma from me and attain profound samādhi, acceptance, and dhāraṇī. May they become irreversible from attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment. May my saṅgha of śrāvakas be so immeasurable that no one except for a tathāgata can know its extent.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, wherever I go, wherever the soles of my feet touch the ground, may there appear golden thousand-petaled lotuses. F.199.a May those lotuses go to empty buddha realms and there emit a voice expressing my praise. When the beings there hear my name, praise, and fame, may they become pleased, delighted, and filled with joy. Having developed faith, may those beings desire to be reborn in my buddha realm. May they dedicate their good roots toward that, and when they pass away, may they be reborn in my buddha realm.

“ ‘May my saṅgha of śrāvakas be free of the impurities of mendicants, may it be free of the faults of mendicants, may it be free of the dishonesty of mendicants, and may it be free of the deceit of mendicants. May my followers be dedicated to the Dharma, not dedicated to material things, and not dedicated to gain and esteem, and may they delight in impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no self, and be diligent. May the assembly be attentive to the Dharma and dedicated to the saṅgha.

“ ‘May those bodhisattvas who have become irreversible attain recollection that can persist into the future. Even when they have been reborn, may the words they speak be related to the perfection of wisdom. Until they attain enlightenment may they never forget the teachings.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may I live for ten thousand great eons. And when I have passed into parinirvāṇa, may the good Dharma remain for a thousand eons.’

“The Bhagavat said to him, ‘Well done, well done, good man! The buddha realm that you have chosen will be completely pure! In the future, Akṣobhya, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, F.199.b in the east, a thousand buddha realms from here, you will be in a realm that will be called Abhirati, which will be endowed with the array of qualities according to the prayers you have made. There you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Thus you will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Akṣobhya.’^[238]

“Akṣobhya said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, may the beings everywhere in all the world realms—who have taken possession of aggregates, sensory elements, and sensory bases, who are comprised as beings—all have loving minds, minds without enmity, and minds without impurity. May they experience physical bliss. May they be bestowed with mental and physical bliss like that of tenth-level bodhisattvas in the lotus samādhi, who have the purity of having relinquished thinking. When I bow down the five points of my body to the feet of the Bhagavat, may the entire earth become the color of gold.’

“Noble son, when he bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, all beings were bestowed with the bliss he had prayed for, and at that time the entire earth was seen to be gold in color.

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said:

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu then spoke to the tenth prince, who was named Himaṇi,^[241] and it proceeded as before. Prince Himaṇi made the same kind of prayers that Akṣobhya had. Then he said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, may all beings see the Buddha in their minds, may there appear the fragrance of uragasāra sandalwood in their hands, and may they dedicate that fragrance to the body of the Buddha.’

“The Bhagavat said, ‘Excellent, excellent, noble son! Exalted are the prayers you have made! Noble son, because you made all beings hold uragasāra sandalwood in their hands and caused their thoughts to be focused upon the Buddha, you will have the name Gandhahasti.^[242] Gandhahasti, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, after the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Akṣobhya has passed into parinirvāṇa, and seven days after his good Dharma has disappeared, you, Gandhahasti, will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in that world realm. There you will be the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Suvarṇapuṣpa.’

“Gandhahasti said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, when I bow down the five points of my body to the feet of the Bhagavat, may a rain of magnolia flowers fall over the entire park.’ F.200.b

“Noble son, when the bodhisattva Gandhahasti bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, a rain of magnolia flowers did fall over the entire park, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said:

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu then spoke to the eleventh prince, who was named Siṃha, and it proceeded as before. Prince Siṃha made prayers like those of Gandhahasti, and then offered the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha a precious victory banner.

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘Worthy being, excellent! Excellent! You should be named Ratnaketu!^[245] Ratnaketu, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, after the Tathāgata Suvarṇapuṣpa has passed into parinirvāṇa in the Abhirati world realm and his good Dharma has disappeared, that buddha realm will be known as Jayasoma. There you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and you will become the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Nāga­vinarditeśvara­ghoṣa. Your buddha realm will have the same array of qualities as those of the Tathāgata Akṣobhya’s buddha realm.’

“Ratnaketu said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, then when I bow down to the feet of the Bhagavat, F.201.a may all beings acquire the mindfulness of the bodhisattvas who have set out toward great enlightenment, who have compassionately set out toward complete enlightenment for the sake of all beings, and who will not turn back.’

“Noble son, when the bodhisattva Ratnaketu thus bowed down to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, all beings acquired such mindfulness, that is, all beings were caused to have compassionate minds.

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said to the bodhisattva Ratnaketu:

“Then, in the same way, five hundred princes, preceded by Mārdava, made prayers of aspiration and obtained arrays of qualities of a buddha realm just as the bodhisattva Gaganamudra had prayed and obtained arrays of qualities of a buddha realm. The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha gave prophecies of the highest, complete enlightenment to them all, saying that at such a time, in this or that world realm, they would reach the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Another four hundred princes chose the array of buddha-realm qualities that Vajraccheda­prajñā­vabhāsaśrī had prayed for, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha gave prophecies to them all too, saying that in this or that world realm, they would reach the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Another ninety princes chose buddha realms like those Samantabhadra had prayed for. F.201.b Also, each of the 84,000 minor kings all made their own specific prayers of aspiration. Each one chose an array of buddha-realm qualities, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha gave prophecies to them all too, saying that at such-and-such a time, in this or that world realm, they would reach the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“In that same way, 920,000,000^[246] beings each made their own specific prayers of aspiration and chose an array of buddha-realm qualities, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha prophesied to them all too, saying that at such-and-such a time, in this or that world, they would reach the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Noble son, among the eighty sons of the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the brothers of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, the oldest was a brahmin youth named Samudreśvarabhuvi. The brahmin Samudrareṇu said to the brahmin youth Samudreśvarabhuvi, ‘Young brahmin, you too should choose a pure array of buddha-realm qualities.’

“The young brahmin Samudreśvarabhuvi answered, ‘Father, you should be first^[247] to make that lion’s roar.’

“ ‘Son,’ said Samudrareṇu, ‘you make an aspirational prayer, and I will make an aspirational prayer after you.’

“Then he asked, ‘Father, do you think I should choose a pure buddha realm or an impure buddha realm?’

“The royal priest replied, ‘Young brahmin, the bodhisattvas who have great compassion choose an afflicted buddha realm; F.202.a they decide to guide beings with afflicted thoughts and mistaken views. As for you, you should decide for yourself.’

“Noble son, the young brahmin Samudreśvarabhuvi went to where the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha was, sat before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, and said these words: ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I wish to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment when beings live for eighty thousand years. Bhagavat, may the beings in the buddha realm where I attain complete enlightenment be like beings in this present time who have little desire, little anger, little ignorance, sorrowful thoughts, and who see the dangers and faults in saṃsāra. May they take ordination from me. May I teach the Dharma to those beings by the three yānas. Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, then I pray that the Bhagavat give me the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘Young brahmin, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, there will be the Utpalasaṃtīraṇa eon in which there will be a four-continent world called Baliṣṭhā.^[248] In this buddha realm, where beings live for eighty thousand years, you will attain enlightenment and you will become the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Ratnakūṭa.’

“He said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, F.202.b then may there be a rainfall of red pearls over this entire park, and may all the trees emit music with the five tempos.’

“Noble son, when the young brahmin Samudreśvarabhuvi bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, there was a rainfall of red pearls over the entire park, and all the trees emitted music with the five tempos.

“The Tāthagata Ratnagarbha said:

“The brahmin’s second son was named Saṃbhava, who spoke just as Samudreśvarabhuvi. The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘Young brahmin, in the Utpalasaṃtīraṇa eon in the four-continent world realm called Baliṣṭhā, when beings live for eighty thousand years, you will become the tāthagata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Vairocanakusuma.’

“In the same way, the third son spoke. The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha prophesied, ‘When beings live for two thousand years, you will become the tāthagata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Jyotigandha.’

“In the same way he prophesied the tathāgatas Sumana, Śailarāja, Saṃvṛtalocana,Brahmottara,Jambūcchāya,Pūrṇa, Uttara, Ratnaśaila,Samudragarbha,Nārāyaṇa,Śikhin,Kanakamuni, Munīndra, Kauṇḍinya, Siṃhavikrama, Jñānadhvaja,F.203.a Buddhaśrava, Aparājita, Vikasitojjaya,^[249] Hiteṣin, Prajñāvabhāsa, Mahendra, Śāntaprajñākara,Nanda, Nyagrodharāja, Kanakalocana, Sahita, Sūryanandi, Ratnaśikhin, Sunetra, Brahma, Sunda,^[250] Brahmarṣabha, Praṇāda, Dharmacandra, Arthadarśin, Yaśonandin,^[251] Yaśottara, Abhirūpa, Sugandha, Catura, Pravaralocana, Sunijasta, Sārthavrata, Sumanoratha, Varaprajña, Kanakadhvaja, Sunetra,^[252] Devaśuddha,Śuddhodana, Sudarśana,^[253] Virūḍhadhvaja,Virūpākṣa, Brahmasvara, Śrīsaṃbhava, Śrīmahāviraja, Maṇibhadra, Mārīci, Śākyamuni, Ghoṣeśvara, Satyasaṃbhava, Śreṣṭha, Saṃbhavapuṣpa, Sukusuma,Akṣobhya, Sūryagarbha, Ratīśvara, Nāgadanta,^[254] Vajraprabhāsa, Kīrtirāja, Vyāghraraśmi, Sanetya­jñāna­saṃbhava, Gandheśvara,^[255] Sālendra, Nārāyaṇagarbha,^[256] and Jyotigarbha.

“Noble son, the youngest of the royal priest’s sons, who was named Vigatabhayasaṃtāpa, sat before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, you have prophesied that all of these seventy-nine young brahmins will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the second eon, the developed era of Utpalasaṃtīraṇa. F.203.b Bhadanta Bhagavat, I will also develop the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. May I be the very last to reach supreme enlightenment in the Utpalasaṃtīraṇa eon when it is coming to an end. Whatever is the lifespan of those seventy-nine buddhas, when I attain enlightenment, may I have a lifespan that is equal to the sum of all theirs. May I alone have as many disciples as they all will have had, and may I give as many Dharma teachings through the three yānas as they all will. Having attained enlightenment, may I alone have in my saṅghas of disciples as many as all will have. And when I have attained the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood as the eon is coming to an end, may I firmly establish in the three yānas all those beings who attained a human body during that Utpalasaṃtīraṇa eon when the seventy-nine other buddhas appeared. Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, then may the Bhadanta Bhagavat prophesy my highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Noble son, then the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha congratulated Vigatabhayasaṃtāpa, saying, ‘Well done, well done, good man! You have come forth as a compassionate benefactor for countless beings. Young brahmin, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, when the Utpalasaṃtīraṇa eon is coming to an end, you will be the last to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. F.204.a You will become the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Vigata­raja­samudgatābhyudgata­rāja.^[257] The lifespans of all seventy-nine buddhas together are equal to half an eon, and so you alone will live for half an eon. Likewise, all those prayers of yours will be accomplished according to your aspiration.’

“Vigatabhayasaṃtāpa said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if my wish is to be completely fulfilled, when I bow down the five points of my body to the Bhagavat’s feet, may a rain of very fragrant blue flowers fall on this entire buddha realm. May the elements of all the beings who smell their fragrance become clear and unconflicted, and may all their illnesses become pacified.’

“Noble son, when the young brahmin Vigatabhayasaṃtāpa bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, a rain of blue flowers fell on this entire buddha realm, and the elements of all the beings who smelled their fragrance became balanced and in harmony, and all the beings there were without illness or injury.

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said:

“Noble son, thirty million disciples of the brahmin were sitting at the gate of the park. F.204.b They were giving refuge in the Three Jewels to those beings who arrived there and inspiring them to attain enlightenment.

“Noble son, then the brahmin Samudrareṇu addressed those disciples: ‘Dear young brahmins, you should develop the motivation to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, and you should choose the array of buddha-realm qualities that you desire. In the presence of the Bhagavat you should make the aspirational prayers that you wish to make.’

“Then the brahmin youth named Radiant Bull^[258] asked, ‘Through which path, through which accumulation, through which conduct, and through which mindfulness is enlightenment attained?’

“ ‘Young brahmin,’ replied the royal priest, ‘the bodhisattva who follows the path to enlightenment accomplishes it through four inexhaustible treasures. What are these four? They are the inexhaustible accumulation of merit, the inexhaustible accumulation of knowledge, the inexhaustible accumulation of wisdom, and the inexhaustible accumulation of the true accomplishment of all Dharma teachings. Noble son, such is the path.

“ ‘And, young brahmin, the Tathāgata has taught that the bodhisattva practice of accumulation is called gathering the pure accumulations: The accumulation of generosity is to give completely the Dharma entranceways and thereby ripen those beings who are to be guided.^[259] The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of correct conduct completely fulfills their aspirational prayers. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of patience completely perfects for them the major and secondary physical signs. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of diligence enables them to accomplish all that is necessary. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of meditation elevates their minds.^[260] The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of wisdom F.205.a gives them the complete knowledge of all kleśas. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of learning makes them have unimpeded eloquence. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of merit enables them to care for all beings. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of knowledge gives them unimpeded knowledge.^[261] The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of śamatha makes their minds workable. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of vipaśyanā liberates them from uncertainty. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of kindness makes their minds free of hostility. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of compassion causes them to never weary of guiding beings.

The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of rejoicing causes them to delight in the joy of the Dharma. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of equanimity causes them to forsake attachment and aversion. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of listening to the Dharma causes the elimination of their obscurations. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of renunciation causes them to relinquish all possessiveness. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of dwelling in solitude prevents wasting the good actions they have done. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of meditating on the increase of goodness creates all good roots. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of recollection causes the attainment of the power of mental retention. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of intelligence distinguishes between the aspects of the mind. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of aspiration brings realization of meaning. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of mindfulness F.205.b develops attention to the body, sensation, mind, and phenomena. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of correct elimination perfects meditation on good qualities. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the bases of miraculous powers creates lightness of body and mind. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of powers accomplishes the fulfillment of vows. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of strengths accomplishes the defeat of all the kleśas. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the factors for enlightenment accomplishes the comprehension of the nature of phenomena. The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the six essential matters accomplishes the purification of those they are guiding. This, young brahmin, is the Dharma entranceway for transcending saṃsāra called gathering the pure accumulations.’

“The young brahmin Radiant Bull said, ‘The Bhagavat has taught that the accumulation of generosity leads to having great wealth and a great retinue, that correct conduct leads to rebirth in higher existences, that listening to the Dharma leads to having great wisdom, and the Bhagavat has taught that faith, right livelihood, and meditation leads to transcendence from saṃsāra.’

“ ‘Young brahmin,’ replied the royal priest, ‘those who, taking pleasure in saṃsāra, practice generosity, should do as has been taught: Young brahmin, those noble sons or noble daughters who have entered the path to enlightenment should practice generosity with a tamed mind; with a stable mind they should maintain correct conduct, with an unpolluted mind they should strive to listen to the Dharma, and with a mind of great compassion they should practice meditation. They should search for the other teachings as well in order to accomplish the accumulations of wisdom, knowledge, and method.’ F.206.a

“ ‘This, young brahmin, is the path to enlightenment. Through such accumulation, enlightenment is attained. Young brahmin, such is meditation, such is mindfulness, such is the conduct of the path to enlightenment. Young brahmin, develop the aspiration for enlightenment. Young brahmin, the path to enlightenment is pure, because should you make an aspirational prayer with sincerity, it will be fulfilled. Young brahmin, the path to enlightenment is serene, because of the purity of thoughts. Young brahmin, the path to enlightenment is upright, because it is completely clear of deception and because it removes the kleśas. Young brahmin, the path to enlightenment is secure, because its consummation is unsurpassable nirvāṇa. Young brahmin, make an aspirational prayer and choose a buddha realm’s array of qualities that is either pure or impure, as you desire.’

“Then, noble son, the young brahmin Radiant Bull knelt on his right knee before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I too will develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. May I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this afflicted buddha realm for the sake of beings with little desire, with little anger, with little ignorance, whose minds are not confused, whose minds are without enmity, whose minds are without envy and greed, whose minds are without wrong views, whose minds are established in correct views, whose minds are virtuous, whose minds are dedicated to virtue, whose minds have shunned the paths to the three lower existences, whose minds are dedicated to the paths of the three higher existences, F.206.b who accumulate good roots through the three activities that create merit, and whose minds are dedicated to the three yānas. Bhadanta Bhagavat, if my wishes are to be completely fulfilled, may the lords of elephants appear on my two hands.’

“As soon as he said those words, through the power of the Bhagavat, white seven-limbed^[262] lords of elephants appeared on his two hands. He saw them and said to them, ‘Go up^[263] into the sky above this entire buddha realm and awaken all beings from this buddha realm with rain that is perfectly fragrant and is formed of water with the eight excellent qualities. May the beings whose bodies are touched by its drops or who smell its fragrance be freed from the five obscurations, that is, may they be freed from the obscuration of taking pleasure in desire and may they be freed from the obscurations of malice, lethargy and sleepiness,^[264] agitation and regret, and doubt.’

“As soon as he said those words, the elephants quickly flew up into the sky as fast as a strong man can bend his arm and straighten it. Thus those lords of elephants accomplished what they had been told to do, and then returned and stood in front of him.

“Noble son, the young brahmin Radiant Bull was overjoyed, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said to him, ‘Noble son, in the future, during a second such incalculable eon, F.207.a in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, in the eon named Rutaprabhāsa, in these four continents there will be a buddha realm called Rutasañcaya, where you will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Ratna­cchatrābhyudgata­raśmi.’

“Then, noble son, the bodhisattva Radiant Bull bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said:

“In the same way, a thousand young Veda-reciting brahmins and thirty million other young brahmins prayed to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment in this buddha realm, and the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha gave a prophecy to each of them. The last of these were the buddhas Vipaśyin, Śikhin, and Viśvabhu.^[265]

“Among the young brahmins who had received prophecies, the eldest of the thousand Veda-reciting brahmins, who was honored by many as a guru, was named Vāyuviṣṇu. He prayed, ‘May I reach the highest, most complete enlightenment in a buddha realm that has the five degeneracies. May I teach the Dharma to beings who have strong desire, strong anger, and strong ignorance.’

“The young brahmin Jyotipāla asked, ‘Oh, what purpose does the upādhyāya Vāyuviṣṇu see in praying for a buddha realm that has the five degeneracies?’

The royal priest answered, ‘A bodhisattva who has great compassion attains enlightenment in a buddha realm F.207.b that has the five degeneracies. He benefits beings who have no refuge, beings who have no helper, beings who are oppressed by the kleśas, and beings who encounter calamity because of their views. He becomes their refuge and helper—he frees beings from the ocean of birth, he establishes them in correct views, and he satisfies them with the taste of the nectar of nirvāṇa. The one who prays for a buddha realm that has the five degeneracies is thus seen to be a bodhisattva with great compassion.’

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘Vāyuviṣṇu, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, there will be in the eastern direction, beyond as many buddha realms as there are particles in a buddha realm, a realm called Kaṣāyadhvaja. There, worthy being, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Śālendrarāja.’

“Vāyuviṣṇu said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, when I bow down the five points of my body to the feet of the Bhagavat, may the Bhagavat’s feet, adorned by a hundred signs of merit, be placed upon the crown of my head.’

“Noble son, when the brahmin Vāyuviṣṇu’s head touched the Bhagavat’s feet, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha placed his two feet upon the crown of the bodhisattva Vāyuviṣṇu’s head and said: F.208.a

“Then, noble son, the young brahmin Jyotipāla knelt on his right knee before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I too will develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. May I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this buddha realm at a time when beings have an equal amount of desire, anger, and ignorance, have minds that are not set on either the good or bad, and live for forty thousand years.’

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘After an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, this world realm will be called Sahā. Why will this world realm be called Sahā? It is because its inhabitants will have to endure desire, they will have to endure anger, they will have to endure ignorance, they will have to endure the bondage of the kleśas. That is why this world realm will be called Sahā. In the world realm called Sahā there will be a great eon called Bhadra.^[266] Why is it called Bhadra? Because in the great Bhadraka eon a thousand bhagavat samyaksam­buddhas with great compassion will appear among the beings who act through desire, anger, and ignorance. Worthy being, when the great Bhadraka eon has come and beings live for forty thousand years, you will be the first of all those who will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Krakucchanda.^[267]F.208.b You will teach the Dharma through the three yānas, you will liberate countless beings who are being swept away by the river of saṃsāra, and you will bring them to the far shore of nirvāṇa.’

“Noble son, the bodhisattva Jyotipāla then bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, stood up, and sat to one side.

“Noble son, then the second young brahmin, Tumburu, sat before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I become a buddha after the Tathāgata Krakucchanda, at a time when the beings in that world can live for thirty thousand years.’

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘Young brahmin, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, in the buddha realm called Sahā, when the Bhadraka eon has come, following after the Tathāgata Krakucchanda, at a time when beings can live for thirty thousand years, you will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Kanakamuni, renowned throughout the world.’

“When the brahmin Tumburu heard the Bhagavat’s prophecy, he bowed down his head to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, circumambulated him, and stood before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. He scattered flowers over the Bhagavat, and with his palms together he praised the Bhagavat with verses:

“Noble son, the young brahmin Viśvagupta then set a seat made of the seven jewels before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, an arranged seat that had the value of a hundred thousand silver coins, and on that seat he placed a golden mendicant’s bowl filled with the seven jewels, a gold vase, and a staff made of the seven jewels. He presented this to the Buddha and the saṅgha of bhikṣus and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the future, after as many incalculable eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River have passed, during a second series of as many incalculable eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during the Bhadraka eon, when the lifespan is diminishing, when the signs of the kaliyuga have appeared, and when beings have strong desire, anger, and ignorance and are completely overcome by pride, envy, and greed; when beings have wrong views, rely on bad friends, have minds completely overcome by roots of nonvirtue, have minds completely bereft of roots of virtue, have minds lacking the correct view, and have unvirtuous minds through incorrect livelihoods; and when the Tathāgata Kanakamuni has passed into parinirvāṇa, and his Dharma has ceased to exist, and the world has become blind, and there is no guide, and beings live for twenty thousand years—F.209.b then at that time may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and appear among those beings as a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, perfectly endowed with wisdom and virtuous conduct.’

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said to the brahmin Viśvagupta, ‘Excellent, brahmin, excellent! Worthy being, you have prayed to become a buddha when the signs of the kaliyuga have appeared, when beings live for twenty thousand years, and when the world has become blind and has no guide. This means that you have great realization and that you are endowed with wisdom. Therefore, noble son, you should have the name Vidvagañja­karuṇāśraya. Vidvagañja­karuṇāśraya, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, in the Sahā realm, when the Bhadraka eon has come, when beings live for twenty thousand years, you will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Kāśyapa.’

“Then, noble son, the bodhisattva Vidvagañja­karuṇāśraya bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and stood to one side. He scattered flowers, flower garlands, incense, and powders over the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and praised him with these verses:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu encouraged the fourth young brahmin, Vimalavaiśāyana. Noble son, F.210.a the young brahmin Vimalavaiśāyana then stood in front of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I also aspire to enlightenment in the Bhadraka eon—only not in the kaliyuga.

“ ‘When the Tathāgata Kāśyapa has passed into parinirvāṇa, when the lifespan of people is ten thousand years, when beings no longer have thoughts of generosity, control, or vows, when they are devoid of the seven riches, when they perceive bad friends as teachers, when they are not interested in engaging in the three acts that create merit, when they are devoid of the three good types of conduct, when they are dedicated to the three pleasures, when they have minds disturbed by the darkness of the kleśas, when they are not interested in the three yānas—at that time, no one is able to bring about the conduct of a bodhisattva. What to say when the lifespan is a thousand years, and then when those beings have a lifespan of only a hundred years—at that time, beings will not even know the words root of merit, let alone the practice of roots of virtue. At that time, when the world is comprised of the five degeneracies, when the lifespan is diminishing to a hundred years, when the intermediate eon of weapons has set in, may I descend from the gods and bring protection to beings. May I enjoin them to good actions, having abandoned bad actions. May I establish beings in the ten good courses of action. May I help purify the kleśas of beings by means of the good courses of action. May I enjoin them to the three yānas.^[268] May I help them abandon the five degeneracies. When beings live for eighty thousand years, F.210.b may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. May I teach the Dharma to beings with little desire, anger, stupidity, ignorance, envy, and greed, and may I enjoin them to the three yānas.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is to be completely fulfilled, may the Bhagavat give me the prophecy of my highest, most complete enlightenment. Bhadanta Bhagavat, when I receive such prophecy,^[269] I will not be dedicated to the śrāvaka level nor to the level of a pratyekabuddha, by which yānas I would swiftly be liberated from saṃsāra.’

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha said, ‘Young brahmin, there are these four kinds of laziness for bodhisattvas. Some bodhisattvas who have such laziness while wishing to remain in saṃsāra for a long time experience the suffering of the precipice of views and the dungeon of saṃsāra, and they do not quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. What are those four? They are when bodhisattvas have inferior practice, inferior companions, inferior generosity, and inferior prayer. How is it that bodhisattvas have inferior practice, and so on? It is having incorrect conduct and not guarding body, speech, and mind. It is being in the company of those of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha yānas. It is not being able to give away everything, not being able to give away to everyone; it is acts of generosity made out of a desire for the prosperity and happiness of devas and humans. It is not taking up, with a higher motivation, the array of qualities of a buddha realm, F.211.a but taking up prayers without being focused on guiding beings. The lazy bodhisattvas who have those four qualities experience suffering for a long time in the dungeon of saṃsāra and do not quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘Bodhisattvas who possess four qualities quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment. What are those four qualities? They are the possession of correct conduct and guarding body, speech, and mind; remaining in the company of those who have entered the Mahāyāna; having the ability to give away everything, to give away to everyone, and performing acts of generosity through the compassionate motivation of wishing to free beings from suffering; and with an altruistic motivation choosing the arrays of qualities of a buddha realm and making prayers while focused on guiding beings. Bodhisattvas who have those four qualities quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘There are four qualities upon which the path of the bodhisattvas depends. What are those four? They are diligence in the perfections, practicing the methods for gathering beings, accomplishing the brahmavihāras, and displaying the clairvoyances.

“ ‘There are four qualities of which the bodhisattvas should never have enough. What are those four? The bodhisattvas should never have enough of accomplishing acts of generosity; they should never have enough of listening to the Dharma; they should never have enough of meditation; and they should never have enough of gathering beings.

“ ‘There are four inexhaustible treasures that the bodhisattvas should completely perfect. What are those four? The bodhisattvas should completely perfect the inexhaustible treasure of faith, F.211.b of the teaching of the Dharma, of dedication, and of caring for poor beings.

“ ‘There are the four purities of bodhisattvas because there is no self. What are those four? They are the purity of correct conduct because there is no being; the purity of samādhi because there is no soul; the purity of wisdom because there is no individual; and the purity of knowledge through the vision of the knowledge of liberation.^[270] Those are the four qualities that should be perfected by the bodhisattvas.

“ ‘Through these, bodhisattvas quickly attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and they turn the wheel of space, the inconceivable wheel,^[271] the unequaled wheel, the inexpressible wheel, the liberating wheel, the penetrating wheel, and the unturning wheel.

“ ‘Vimalavaiśāyana, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, not long after the Bhadraka eon has begun, there will be a time when the five degeneracies have ceased and the lifespan of beings increases to eighty thousand years. At that time, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will become the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Maitreya.’

“The young brahmin Vimalavaiśāyana bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, stood to one side, and, with flowers, flower garlands, and powders, made offerings to the Bhagavat and praised him with this verse:

“The brahmin royal priest Samudrareṇu caused all of the thousand young Veda-reciting brahmins to aspire to enlightenment. Just as Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, Kāśyapa, and Maitreya were prophesied, in the same way Siṃha, Pradyota, and so on were all set to the highest, most complete enlightenment by the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha in this Bhadraka eon when a further 999^[272] of the young Veda-reciting brahmins prayed to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this Bhadraka eon.

“The royal priest then encouraged the youngest among them, who had not yet made his prayer, saying, ‘Dear Mahābalavegadhārin, why are you thinking about this for so long? You must develop great compassion for beings.’ And with these verses he instructed him:

“Then, noble son, the brahmin youth Mahābalavegadhārin said, ‘Upādhyāya, I do not seek the splendor of joy in saṃsāra. I do not seek the Śrāvakayāna or the Pratyekabuddhayāna. I seek the highest yāna. Dear upādhyāya, wait a short while to listen to my lion’s roar.’

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu left him and summoned his five young brahmin attendants and said to them, ‘O boys, develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment!’

“They said, ‘We do not have anything to offer to the Buddha and the saṅgha of bhikṣus, so how can we who have not planted good roots develop the aspiration for enlightenment?’

“Then, noble son, the chief royal priest, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, gave adornments with the colors of the seven jewels to the first attendant named Karabhuja. F.213.a To the second attendant, Sthālabhuja, he gave a pair of earrings made of the seven jewels. To the third attendant, Jalabhuja, he gave a seat made of the seven jewels. To the fourth attendant, Vegabhuja, he gave a staff made of the seven jewels. To the fifth attendant, Sārabhuja, he gave a vase made entirely of gold. He said, ‘Go, youths, and offer these things to the Buddha and the saṅgha of bhikṣus and develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“The five attendants then went before the Bhagavat and offered the things they had brought to the Buddha and the saṅgha of bhikṣus and said these words: ‘Bhagavat, we pray that you give us your prophecy of our attainment of the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the Bhadraka eon.’

“Noble son, it continued as before until the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha prophesied enlightenment to the young brahmin Karabhuja, saying that in the Bhadraka eon he would become the Tathāgata Dṛḍhasvara. Then he prophesied to the others that, after Karabhuja, Sthālabhuja would become the Tathāgata Sukhendriyamati; after him Jalabhuja would become the Tathāgata Sārthavādi; after him Vegabhuja would become the Tathāgata Priyaprasanna; and after him Sārabhuja would become the Tathāgata Haripatracūḍa.^[273]

“As soon as those five brahmin youths were given the prophecies of their enlightenment in the Bhadraka eon, the royal priest again said to the brahmin youth Mahābalavegadhārin, ‘Mahābalavegadhārin, F.213.b choose the arrays of buddha-realm qualities, and in the presence of the Bhagavat make the aspiration that you wish. Nurture beings with the elixir of the Dharma, and perform your bodhisattva conduct with unwavering diligence. Don’t think about this over and over for a long time!’ And he took him by the hand and brought him before the Bhagavat.

“Then, noble son, the brahmin youth Mahābalavegadhārin sat before the Bhagavat and asked, ‘Bhagavat, in the future, how many sun-like sages will rise in the Bhadraka eon?’

“The Tathāgata Ratnagarbha answered, ‘Brahmin youth, in that Bhadraka eon there will rise 1,004 sun-like sages.’

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat,’ declared the brahmin youth, ‘until the last of those sun-like jinas pass into parinirvāṇa in the great Bhadraka eon, after the brahmin youth named Sārabhuja^[274] has attained the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and become the tathāgata named Haripatracūḍa—until then, I will for that long perform the conduct of a bodhisattva, gathering the various accumulations of observances, ascetic conduct, generosity, discipline, vows, listening, diligence, patience, rejoicing, merit, and wisdom. Immediately after each of those of the Bhadraka eon has attained complete enlightenment, may I offer them their first alms. May I make offerings to their relics when they have passed into parinirvāṇa. May I be one who upholds their good Dharma. May I make beings who do not have correct conduct enter into and maintain perfect good conduct. F.214.a May I make beings who do not have the view gain the correct view and be established in it. In the same way, may I establish those without aspiration in the correct aspiration. In the same way, may I establish those without rules of conduct in the rules of conduct, and may I show the various kinds of virtuous conduct to beings. When the good Dharma of those buddhas, those bhagavats, has ceased to exist, may I soon afterward become a guide in the good Dharma, a holder of the good Dharma, a source of the good Dharma, and shine as a lamp of the good Dharma in the world.

“ ‘During the time of the intermediate eon of weapons, may I cause beings to abandon killing and establish them in the correct view. May I establish beings in the ten good actions, lead them from the bad path, and establish them in the correct path. May I destroy the darkness of bad conduct. May I show the radiance of good conduct. May I destroy the degeneracies of the times, of life, of view, and of the kleśas in the world.

“ ‘During the time of the intermediate eon of famine, may I enjoin beings to the perfection of generosity and so on until I encourage and introduce them to the perfection of wisdom. May I bring beings to the six perfections and bring to an end everywhere the darkness of famine, conflict, impurity, war, enmity, argument, and dispute. May I extinguish the fire of the kleśas within beings. F.214.b

“ ‘During the time of the intermediate eon of disease, may I establish beings in the six conducive qualities.^[275] May I bring them to the four qualities that gather beings. May I destroy the darkness of the illness of beings. May I end the kleśas within beings. In this way, in the Bhadraka eon, may I free all beings from such sufferings in the Sahā buddha realm.

“ ‘May I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood after the 1,004 bhagavat buddhas in the great Bhadraka eon have arisen and passed into nirvāṇa and the entire way of the Dharma has entirely disappeared. When I have attained enlightenment, may I have a lifespan equivalent to that of all 1,004 buddha bhagavats of the Bhadraka eon. May my saṅgha of śrāvakas be as numerous as all their śrāvaka saṅghas. May I train as many beings as were trained by all 1,004 buddhas in the Bhadraka eon. Upon attaining enlightenment, may I free from the swamp of saṃsāra, and bring into the house of fearlessness in the city of nirvāṇa, all the śrāvakas of those buddhas who were mistaken in their training, who fell off the precipice of views, who were disrespectful to the bhagavat buddhas, who had angry minds, who were mistaken concerning the Dharma and the saṅgha, who had desiring minds, who maligned higher beings, and who committed the actions with immediate results at death. F.215.a

“ ‘May the great Bhadraka eon not come to an end until I have passed into nirvāṇa and the good Dharma has come to an end. May the Bhadraka eon come to an end when my Dharma has come to an end. May the thirty-two signs and the eighty excellent features of a great being—of a tathāgata—adorn each of the countless, innumerable bodies of my rebirths. May those tathāgata bodies go to countless, innumerable empty buddha realms in the ten directions, and may each of those buddha bodies cause innumerable, countless beings to possess the three yānas and guide them and establish them in those. May those tathāgata bodies in those buddha realms protect beings as previously described until their intermediate eon comes to an end.

“ ‘Afterward, may I become a wish-fulfilling jewel and go to the buddha realms where beings have no jewels, and may I cause a rain of jewels to fall and reveal treasures to them. May I become a timely incense rain of gośīrṣa sandalwood and uragasāra sandalwood in those buddha realms where beings are devoid of good conduct and are afflicted by illness, and may those rains heal beings of the illness of the kleśas, the illness of views, and physical illness. F.215.b May those beings dedicate themselves to the activities that create merit and go to the higher realms.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I protect beings in that way while performing bodhisattva conduct. When I have attained enlightenment, may I accomplish such buddha activity. And when I have passed into parinirvāṇa, may I protect beings in endless, infinite buddha realms in that way.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if this wish of mine is not fulfilled, if I do not become a medicine for beings, then I will have deceived the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma to beings in infinite, endless realms in the ten directions; may the Bhagavat not prophesy my highest, most complete enlightenment. Bhagavat, when the many tens of millions of beings who are intent upon and have been prophesied to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment have become buddha bhagavats, may I turn away from them.^[276] And when for the sake of enlightenment I go round and round in saṃsāra, may my ears not hear the words Buddha, Dharma, Saṅgha, good actions, or practicing the virtuous qualities. If this wish of mine is not to be fulfilled and I do not become a medicine for beings, may I remain forever in Avīci.’

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha congratulated the brahmin youth Mahābalavegadhārin: F.216.a ‘Excellent, worthy being, excellent! Worthy being, you will be a medicine for beings, and you will free them from suffering. Therefore, worthy being, you should be known as Bhaiṣajya­rāja­jyotirvi­mala. Bhaiṣajya­rāja­jyotirvi­mala, in the future, when countless eons as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River have passed, and a second series of countless eons as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River has begun, in the Bhadraka eon, you will offer alms to the 1,004 buddhas soon after they attain buddhahood, just as you have prayed. After the Tathāgata Haripatracūḍabhadra has passed into parinirvāṇa and his Dharma has ceased to exist, you will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. You will be the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, named Roca. Your lifespan will be half an eon. You alone will have a saṅgha of śrāvakas as numerous as the śrāvaka saṅghas of all the 1,004 buddhas of the Bhadraka eon, and you will guide that many beings. After you have passed into parinirvāṇa, your Dharma will not cease for as long as the Bhadraka eon has not come to an end. During that time, you will appear in the form of buddhas in other buddha realms, and with a rain of incense you will heal beings of the illness of the kleśas, the illness of views, and physical illnesses. Those beings will be established in the three activities that create merit, and they will go to the higher realms.’ B9

“Then, noble son, F.216.b the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajya­rāja­jyotirvi­mala said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if these wishes of mine are to be fulfilled, then may the Bhagavat’s hand, which bears signs of merit, be placed upon the crown of my head.’

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha placed his hand, which bore the signs of a hundred merits, upon the crown of the head of the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajya­rāja­jyotirvi­mala and rested it there.

“Then, noble son, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajya­rāja­jyotirvi­mala had joy and happiness; he rejoiced and was joyful. He bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, got up, and stood to one side.

“The brahmin Samudrareṇu covered him with a silken robe and said, ‘Excellent, worthy being, excellent! You have made a splendid prayer. From now on you do not need to serve and honor me but are free to do as you wish.’

“Then, noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu thought, ‘I have made many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings go toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. I see that in this entire assembly, all these mahāsattvas have made various vast prayers in which they have chosen perfectly pure buddha realms. Apart from Vāyuviṣṇu, all the bodhisattvas have avoided a kaliyuga. Therefore, I shall make a firm resolve to take care of the beings in a kaliyuga with the elixir of the Dharma.^[277] I shall sound the lion’s roar of such a prayer,^[278] such that the entire assembly of bodhisattvas will be astonished. This entire assembly and the devas, gandharvas, F.217.a humans, and asuras of this world will place their hands together, pay homage to me, and make offerings to me. And this buddha bhagavat will say to me, “Excellent!” and will give me his prophecy. In the same way, the buddha bhagavats who reside, live, and remain in the ten directions, teaching the Dharma to beings, will say “Excellent!” about my lion’s roar. They will prophesy my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment and send emissaries to me. This entire assembly will hear and see those emissaries, and in the future, they will be bodhisattvas who have great compassion. They will aspire to enlightenment and pray to be in such an afflicted buddha realm during the time of a great kaliyuga. They will protect those beings who are in a Dharma famine and are carried away by a flood of kleśas and illness. Those bodhisattvas will carry out the deeds of a buddha and teach the Dharma to beings.

“ ‘Once I have passed into nirvāṇa, countless buddha bhagavats in infinite, countless buddha realms in the ten directions will for inconceivable hundreds of millions of trillions of eons utter praises and proclaim the glory and fame of my passing into parinirvāṇa. They will describe the nature of my prayer in front of bodhisattvas, and when those bodhisattvas hear my prayer that is pervaded and blessed by great compassion, they will be completely astonished. F.217.b Then they too will develop great compassion toward beings. Then they too will adopt the same kind of prayer that I have adopted. They too will attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in such an afflicted buddha realm. They will rescue beings swept away by the four great rivers and train them through the three yānas and establish them on the path to nirvāṇa. I shall sound a lion’s roar with such a prayer.’

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the principal royal priest, having created a prayer pervaded by great compassion, removed his Dharma robe from one shoulder, and went to where the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha was. At that time, many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of devas played hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of instruments in the middle of the sky, a rain of flowers fell, and they all exclaimed in one voice:

“ ‘Excellent, worthy being, excellent! Go before the Bhagavat and make your supreme prayer! With the water of wisdom, you will end the suffering of beings in a world disturbed by the kleśas!’

“The entire assembly placed their palms together, and facing him said in one voice, ‘Excellent, worthy being, excellent! Supremely wise one, you who are our benefactor, you who have a supreme mind, make your unwavering prayer—we wish to hear it!’

“When the royal priest came before the Bhagavat and knelt upon the ground, the billion-world universe, this entire Saṃtīraṇa^[279] buddha realm, F.218.a shook, shook intensely, quivered, quivered intensely, quaked, quaked intensely, shuddered, and shuddered intensely. There was the sound of music without any musical instruments being played. All the animals and birds made beautiful and gentle sounds, and the trees emitted flowers. All the beings who dwelt and lived upon the earth in the worlds of the billion-world universe, whether they aspired to enlightenment or not—except for beings in the hells and in the world of Yama—developed altruistic minds, good minds, minds without enmity, minds that are not impure, loving minds, and amazed minds. Those beings who lived in the sky engaged with rejoicing minds in offering flowers, flower garlands, incense, the sound of music, precious parasols, victory banners, flags, clothing, and cotton so as to listen to the brahmin’s gentle and beautiful prayer. Similarly, devas as far up as the Akaniṣṭha paradise descended to Jambudvīpa, stood in the middle of the sky, and engaged in making offerings of divine incense, and so on, up to and including cotton, in order to hear the brahmin’s prayer.

“The brahmin placed his palms together and praised the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha with these verses:

“Noble son, when the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the principal royal priest, had praised the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha with these verses, the entire assembly F.219.a with its devas, gandharvas, and humans commended him.

“The royal priest said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I have caused many millions of beings to focus upon the highest, most complete enlightenment. Each of them has chosen an excellent buddha realm and has chosen well-trained beings with pure motivations who have planted roots of virtue and who are easy to train. And the Tathāgata has prophesied to these 1,004 young Veda-reciting brahmins, beginning with Jyotipāla, that they will attain enlightenment in the Bhadraka eon. Those worthy beings will, through the three yānas, train beings who have desire, anger, and pride. However, they have avoided those who have the degeneracies of the kaliyuga when the obscuration of the kleśas is strong.

“ ‘Therefore, Bhadanta Bhagavat,^[286] they have abandoned those who have committed the actions with immediate results at death, those who have rejected the good Dharma, those who have maligned higher beings, those who have wrong views, those who do not have the seven noble jewels, those who do not respect their fathers, those who do not respect their mothers, those who do not respect monks, those who do not respect brahmins, those who do what should not be done, those who do that which is not meritorious, those who do not see the next world as frightening, those who are not interested in the three excellent types of conduct^[287] and therefore strive for the glory and wealth of devas and humans, those who are engaged in the three bad activities, those who are without the ten good courses of action, those who have been abandoned by all kalyāṇamitras, F.219.b those who have been cast aside by all scholars, those who have entered the dungeon of existence, those who are swept away by the current, those who have sunk into hell’s caustic river, those who have sunk into the swamp of saṃsāra, those who are not free from the darkness of ignorance, those who have not rejected bad actions, those who are discarded within empty buddha realms, those who are accompanied by all bad roots, those who have been defeated by a bad path, and those beings who are in great despair.

“ ‘At that time, in the Bhadraka eon, in the Sahā buddha realm, humans will have a lifespan of ten years. All of these humans have been cast aside and abandoned by wise, worthy beings. Therefore, at that time they have no savior, no refuge, and no resort in the whirlpool^[288] of existence and the wheel^[289] of saṃsāra. They have abandoned those beings who are containers of suffering, and they have chosen for themselves excellent buddha realms where they will have as disciples those who are well-trained, have pure motivations, have planted roots of virtue, are diligent, and have served many buddhas. Is that not so, Bhadanta Bhagavat?’

“ ‘Brahmin, it is so,’ replied the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. ‘Beings make prayers according to their dispositions and they have chosen the arrays of qualities of their buddha realm, and I have prophesied them therein.’

“The brahmin said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, my heart is shaking like the leaves of the Flame of the Forest tree, my mind is anguished, and my entire body becomes weary, if, Bhadanta Bhagavat, beings, who are the object of my compassion, were to be abandoned by bodhisattvas at that time, having been hurled into the darkness of the great kaliyuga, forsaken by all. F.220.a

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the future, after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, in the great Bhadraka eon, there will be a time when the lifespan of beings is a thousand years. Until then, may I not become disheartened by saṃsāra while performing bodhisattva conduct for a long time. May I, through the power of samādhi, search out those who can be ripened for a long time and take care of those who can be trained. While practicing the six perfections, may I take care of those who can be trained.

“ ‘I have heard the Bhagavat say, “The perfection of generosity is to give up the characteristics of things.” I will practice that kind of generosity. In my future lifetimes, when there are countless beings coming with requests, may I give away to them in this way: may I give them food and drink to eat, enjoy, drink, and lick,^[290] clothes, beds, seats, accommodations, garlands, incense, perfumes, medicine, parasols, victory banners, flags, wealth, grain, elephants, horses, chariots, gold, silver, cowries,^[291] jewels, pearls, beryl, conch,^[292] crystal, coral, silver artifacts, and gold artifacts.^[293] May I give all kinds of gifts again and again. May I give to beings with perfect joy and a compassionate mind, without hoping to gain a result from my generosity. F.220.b May I give this mass of gifts in order to ripen beings and in order to nurture beings who can be trained.

“ ‘When beings come who ask for the most difficult gifts, may I give away my male servants, my female servants, my villages, my towns, my kingdoms, my wife, my sons, my daughters, my hands, my feet, my ears, my nose, my eyes, my tongue, my skin, my blood, my bones, my body, my life, and my head to those who ask for those gifts. May I make these gifts to beings with perfect joy and a compassionate mind, without hoping to gain any result, in order to nurture those who can be trained. I will perform the perfection of generosity in such a way that never before has a being given away such gifts and ever after no bodhisattva would give away such gifts in their performance of bodhisattva conduct for attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment. In those countless, innumerable lifetimes during hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of eons, may I practice the perfection of generosity in my performance of bodhisattva conduct for attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment. May I establish subsequent bodhisattvas who have great compassion in the qualities of the way of generosity.

“ ‘As you have previously said, “The perfection of discipline is to end the war of the kleśas.” In that way, in performing the bodhisattva conduct that leads to attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment, may I perform the arduous conduct of uninterrupted precepts and observances of various kinds.

“ ‘As you have previously said, “The perfection of patience is to observe oneself and not be impatient about anything.” F.221.a May I cultivate patience in that way.

“ ‘As you have previously said, “The perfection of diligence is to never regress from the supreme conduct of dedication to the meditation that is devoid of formations and the peace that is all that is unformed.”

“ ‘As you have previously said, “The perfection of meditation is the practice of emptiness in order to eliminate being in error concerning all formations.”

“ ‘The perfection of wisdom is forbearance that comes from the realization that phenomena are unborn. You have described a bodhisattva’s conduct of the power, might, and strength of unwavering resolution throughout innumerable, countless hundreds of millions of trillions of eons, but there has been no bodhisattva, performing bodhisattva conduct for the sake of the highest, most complete buddhahood, who has practiced the perfection of wisdom with that power, might, and strength of unwavering resolution. Nor in the future will there be a bodhisattva, performing bodhisattva conduct for the sake of the highest, most complete buddhahood, who will practice the perfection of wisdom with that power, might, and strength of unwavering resolution. Therefore, may I do that and establish future bodhisattvas, who have great compassion, in the qualities of that way.

“ ‘Through this first development of the aspiration for enlightenment, may I cause future bodhisattvas to accomplish great compassion. May I, in order to amaze bodhisattvas, practice generosity without being conceited, until my ultimate parinirvāṇa. May I have good conduct without being dependent, patience without being conceited, diligence without making effort, meditation without being fixed, and wisdom without being dualistic. May I practice the perfections through the power, might, and strength of unwavering resolution, without desiring a result for myself, F.221.b but for the sake of beings who do not have the seven riches of the noble ones, who have been discarded in all the empty buddha realms, who have rejected the good Dharma, who have maligned noble beings, who have wrong views, who are accompanied by all bad roots, who are in great despair, and who have been ruined by bad paths.

“ ‘May I for ten great eons endure the sufferings of the Avīci hell for the sake of each of those beings so as to plant the seeds of good roots within their minds. In the same way may I endure the suffering of animals, pretas, poor yakṣas, and poor humans. Just as I will plant the seeds of the good roots within the mental continuum of being, may I do that for all beings. May I care for those who are to be guided, who are like empty oblivion or have burning mental continuums.^[294]

“ ‘May I not have as my goal the happiness of life as a deva throughout eons, except for my last existence, when, with one rebirth remaining, I will dwell in Tuṣita paradise so that I may subsequently attain enlightenment at buddhahood. May I, for that long time within saṃsāra, serve and honor bhagavat buddhas, as numerous as the particles within a buddha realm, and to each buddha make various offerings as numerous as the particles within a buddha realm. May I acquire from each buddha good qualities as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. May I inspire as many beings as there are particles in a buddha realm to attain enlightenment. F.222.a

“ ‘In the same way, may I inspire, according to their predilections, those who follow the Śrāvakayāna and those who follow the Pratyekabuddhayāna. Even if a buddha has not appeared in the world, may I through the special discipline of a ṛṣi enjoin beings to the ten good courses of action. May I enjoin them to samādhi and the clairvoyances. May I, by taking on the form of Maheśvara, enjoin to good actions beings who are attached to their views and devoted to Maheśvara. May I, through taking on the form of Brahmā and so on, enjoin to good qualities those beings who are devoted to Brahmā, or Nārāyaṇa, or Candra, or Sūrya. In the same way, may I enjoin garuḍa birds to good conduct by taking on the form of a garuḍa, and so on, up to and including taking on the form of Śakra, until I satisfy hungry beings with my own flesh and blood, and may I save beings in suffering with my own body and life.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I perform bodhisattva conduct with extremely powerful energy for a long time for the sake of those beings whose mental continuums are burning and who are devoid of good roots, and during that time may I, for the benefit of beings in saṃsāra, receive all kinds of intense and terrible suffering. After an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, in the Sahā buddha realm, when the great Bhadraka eon has come, F.222.b when the brahmin youth Jyotipāla has attained the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and has become the Tathāgata Krakucchanda, at that time may I see with the noble eye of wisdom the bhagavat buddhas who, having turned the Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma, reside, live, and remain in world realms in the ten directions as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘May I first inspire toward the highest, most complete enlightenment those beings whose mental continuums are burning, who possess bad roots, who are devoid of the seven jewels, who are discarded within empty buddha realms, who have committed the actions with immediate results at death, who have rejected the good Dharma, who have been ruined on a bad path, and who are in great despair, and may I cause them to enter into and be established in the path to the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘May I first inspire those beings to practice the perfection of generosity, inspire them to practice the other perfections up to the perfection of wisdom, and inspire them to train in that path, to enter it, and to be established in it.

“ ‘May I cause the seeds of the good roots of those beings to lead to the highest nirvāṇa. May they be completely freed from the lower existences. May they be guided to the accumulation of wisdom and merit. May they enter^[295] the buddha realms where the bhagavat buddhas reside, live, and remain, and may they receive the prophecies of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. May they obtain samādhi, dhāraṇī, and acceptance. May they ascend through the bhūmis. May I inspire them to choose a prayer for an array of buddha-realm qualities and inspire them to enter the training. F.223.a May they obtain the arrays of buddha-realm qualities that they have wished for.

“ ‘When the Bhadraka eon has come, when the sunlike jina Krakucchanda has arisen, may I see the buddhas and bhagavats who reside, live, and remain in buddha realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm,^[296] teaching the Dharma to beings. At that time, soon after the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Krakucchanda has attained complete enlightenment, may I come before him. May I make various offerings to him. May I address him with a query. May I enter the homeless life. May I apply myself to good conduct, listening to the teachings, and meditation. May I become a perfect teacher of the Dharma.

“ ‘At that time, may I teach the Dharma to those beings whose mental continuums are burning, who possess bad roots, who have entered onto the path of wrong views, who have committed the actions with immediate results at death, who have been ruined on a bad path, and who are in great despair. And may I perfectly nurture those to be trained. When the sun of that jina has set, may I effortlessly accomplish the deeds of a buddha. Until the lifespan of beings has diminished to a hundred years, may I inspire beings to engage in the three kinds of activity that generate merit. When that time has come, may I go to the deva realm and there teach the Dharma to the devas and perfectly nurture those to be trained.

“ ‘When the lifespan of beings is 120 years, they will become intoxicated by pride in happiness, power, family, and body, and they will become greedy. F.223.b Thrown into the darkness of the five degeneracies, beings will have powerful desire, powerful anger, powerful ignorance, powerful pride, powerful bad actions, envy, and greed. They will delight in unrighteous pleasures. They will seek unrighteous enjoyments. They will have wrong views. They will have mistaken vision. They will not have the seven noble riches. They will not respect their fathers. They will not respect their mothers. They will not respect monks. They will not respect brahmins. They will do that which should not be done. They will do that which is not meritorious. They will not be afraid of the next world. They will not apply themselves to the three activities that create merit. They will not be attracted to the three yānas. They will not apply themselves to the three excellent types of conduct. They will apply themselves to the three wicked types of conduct. They will not apply themselves to the path of the ten good actions. They will apply themselves to the path of the ten bad actions. They will be harmed by the four errors. They will remain within the four adversities. They will be under the power of the four māras. They will be swept away by the four rivers. They will be under the power of the five obscurations.

‘They will be intoxicated by pride in the six powers. They will practice the eight wrong things. They will experience the despair of desire. They will arouse their propensities. They will not seek the glory and excellence of rebirth as a deva or human. They will have mistaken views. They will be ruined on a wrong path. They will commit the actions with immediate results at death. They will reject the good Dharma. They will malign noble beings. They will be without any good roots. Their speech will be like the cawing of crows. They will be ungrateful. They will have lost their memory. They will abuse good actions. Their wisdom will be confused. They will have little learning. They will have bad conduct. They will have hypocrisy. They will have greed. They will speak unpleasantly to each other. They will disrespect each other. They will be lazy. They will have imperfect senses. They will be pathetic. They will not have clothes. They will be in the care of bad friends. They will have lost the essence of their thoughts and memories.^[297] They will be afflicted by various illnesses. F.224.a They will be tormented. They will have bad complexions. They will be hideous. They will be shameless. They will feel no guilt. They will be afraid of each other. They will be beings who, holding eternalist views as praiseworthy, commit many bad actions of body, speech, and mind each morning.

“ ‘At that time, beings will have minds that are attached to the five aggregates. They will have minds that yearn for the five sensory pleasures. They will have minds that have anger, minds that have malice, minds that have enmity, minds that wish to harm, minds that are foul, minds that are rough, minds that are disturbed, minds that are untamed, minds that are hostile, minds that are wild, minds that are attached to that which is not righteous, minds that are not stable, minds that seek to speak badly of each other, minds that are argumentative, minds that have the wish to kill each other, minds that have completely abandoned the Dharma, minds without diligence, minds that speak badly of the teachings, minds that give rise to wickedness, minds that do not seek peaceful nirvāṇa, minds that are not fit to be made offerings to, minds that bring forth all kinds of bonds and bondage, minds that put their trust into illness, aging, and death, minds that are governed by every kind of bondage, minds that possess all the obscurations, minds that overthrow the victory banner of the Dharma, minds that raise up the victory banner of wrong views, minds that wish to disgrace each other, minds that wish to eat each other, minds under the sway of hurting each other, minds that take up anger, and minds that wish to torment^[298] each other. They will have minds that are insatiable toward sense pleasures, F.224.b minds that are envious of all acquisitions, minds that are ungrateful, minds that desire the wives of others, minds that wish to harm out of malice, and minds that do not pray.

“ ‘And these are the words that they will hear from each other: the word hell, the word animal, the words Yama’s world, the word illness, the word aging, the word death, the word kill, the word inopportune, the words eternal enemy, the word stocks, the word chains, the word fetters, the word prison, the word punishment, the word harm, the word disgrace, the word scolding, the word blaming, the word burglary, the words dividing groups, the word robbery, the words enemy’s army, the word famine, the word sexual misconduct, the word lying, the words bad omen, the word slander, the words harsh speech, the words empty speech, the words envy and greed, the words seizing and owning, the words egotism and possessiveness, the words liked and disliked, the words desired and undesired, the words separated from what is liked, the words buying and selling, the words enslaving each other and injuring, the words being in a womb, the words bad smell, the word cold, the word hot, the words thirsty and hungry, the words feeling tired and exhausted, the word plowing, the words wearied by the work of various crafts, and the words afflicted by various illnesses. These are the words that those beings hear from each other.

“ ‘At that time, the Sahā world realm will be filled with such beings who are completely devoid of good roots, who are completely devoid of kalyāṇamitras, and who have wicked minds. F.225.a And those beings will have been abandoned by omniscient ones to empty buddha realms. Those beings will be bereft of food, drink, self-control, restraint, the performance of good actions, and the eightfold noble path. Comfortable with bad actions, they will go from darkness to darkness. At that time in the Bhadraka eon, because of excessive karma, those beings will be born to live for 120 years. Because of the karma of those beings, the Sahā buddha realm will be inferior. It will be devoid of any beings who have planted good roots. The earth will be saline, and the ground will have rocks, gravel, and dust and be uneven with mountains. It will be filled with nasty flies, mosquitoes, venomous snakes, and vicious animals and birds. There will be untimely dust storms. There will be untimely fierce rains mixed with distasteful salt.

“ ‘In this way, the ground will yield crops, herbs, grass, trees, leaves, flowers, fruit, grain, and juices^[299] that are bad food and drink for beings to enjoy and subsist on, being foul, harsh, rough, and poisonous. Consuming them, those beings will become even rougher and more malevolent, angry, ferocious, harsh, avaricious, abusive, disrespectful to each other, and, afflicted by terror, they will have a greater wish to slaughter and to kill. They will eat meat, consume blood, wear the skin of animals, carry weapons, and slaughter animals. They will be proud and envious of appearance, family, F.225.b lineage, power, learning, writing, horse riding, archery, weapons, and retinues. People will apply themselves to various kinds of spurious asceticism and vows.

“ ‘At that time, so as to ripen good roots in beings who can be trained, may I descend from the abode of Tuṣita and acquire the womb of a queen in an eminent, powerful, royal family of a cakravartin family lineage.

“ ‘At that time, may I shine a wonderful light throughout the entire Sahā buddha realm. May that wonderful light shine as far above as the Akaniṣṭha paradise and as far below as the golden disk. At that time, may all beings in the Sahā buddha realm—whether born in the hells, in an animal birth, in Yama’s world, or as devas or humans—all see, touch, and know that light. May they contemplate saṃsāra, become frightened of suffering, and long for nirvāṇa to the extent that they develop the aspiration to bring their kleśas to an end. May I cause them to plant this first seed of the supreme path.

“ ‘May I reside in my mother’s womb for ten months having settled my mind in meditation and teaching at the end of the eon by means of the single entrance to the Dharma that shows all samādhis to be proficient in the way of all dharmas. When I have attained buddhahood, may I liberate beings who are weary of saṃsāra. During my ten months in the womb, may those beings see me sitting cross-legged, with my mind resting in the samādhi of showing the jewel essence. F.226.a

“ ‘When ten months have passed, through the samādhi of having the accumulation of all merit, may the entire Sahā buddha realm shake in six ways. May it shake in six ways as far above as the Akaniṣṭha paradise and as far below as the golden disk. At that time, may I wake up the beings in the Sahā buddha realm, from those born in the hells up to those born as humans. B10

“ ‘When I emerge from the right side of my mother’s belly,^[300] may I furthermore shine a wonderful light throughout the entire Sahā buddha realm. At that time may I inspire beings throughout the Sahā buddha realm. May I plant the seed of nirvāṇa within the minds of beings who have not yet planted any good roots. May I cause the seedling of samādhi to grow for those beings in whose minds the seed of nirvāṇa has been planted.

“ ‘When I touch the ground with the soles of my feet, at that time may the entire ground in the Sahā buddha realm quiver, quake, and shake in six ways, as far down as the golden disk.

“ ‘Then, at that time, may I wake up all the beings of the four kinds of birth, the beings in the five kinds of existences, those that live in water, those that live on the ground, and those that live in the air.

“ ‘May I cause the seedling of samādhi to grow in the minds of beings in whom it has not yet arisen. May I establish as irreversible, by means of the three yānas, those in whom the seedling of samādhi is stable. As soon as I am born, may all the F.226.b great brahmās, māras, śakras, candras, sūryas, world protectors, great nāga kings, asura lords, those born miraculously, those with miraculous powers,^[301] yakṣas, rākṣasas, nāgas, and asuras in that Sahā buddha realm come to me in order to make offerings. As soon as I am born, may I take seven steps. Through the samādhi of having the accumulation of all merit, may I teach the Dharma in such a way that all my disciples gain appreciation of the three yānas.

“ ‘May I guide those beings among my followers who are in the Śrāvakayāna and in their last existence. May those beings there who are in the Pratyekabuddhayāna attain the acceptance called flowers of the sun. May all those beings there who are in the highest Mahāyāna attain the samādhi of the wild ocean of vajra holders, and through that samādhi may they pass beyond the three bhūmis.^[302]

“ ‘When I wish to be washed, may the most distinguished great nāga kings that are there wash me. And may all the beings who see me being washed realize such qualities by way of the three yānas as previously described.

“ ‘May I, through the samādhi of the accumulation of all merit, teach the Dharma to those beings in such a way that they see me ascending into a chariot, and—to go into detail—see my youthful games, various skills, works,^[303] and my capability in studies; enjoying the five sensory pleasures in the women’s apartments; becoming disquieted; departing at midnight; F.227.a abandoning jewelry and adornments; constantly searching for red and orange clothes; seeking orange clothes; and going toward the Bodhi tree. And may they thereby develop a strong attraction to the three yānas. May the beings there who are of the Pratyekabuddhayāna all attain the acceptance called flowers of the sun. May those in whom the seed of the Mahāyāna has been planted all attain the samādhi of the wild ocean of vajra holders^[304] and pass beyond the three bhūmis through that samādhi.

“ ‘May I gather together grass and arrange a seat on the vajra throne at the root of the Bodhi tree, and sit down upon it cross-legged, holding my body upright, and with my exhalation and inhalation stilling, may I meditate on the dhyāna that pervades space. May I emerge from that dhyāna once each day, and, having risen from it, may I eat half a sesame seed and give the other half to a beggar.

“ ‘While I am undergoing such hardship for a long time, may all the devas in the Sahā buddha realm, from as far above as the Akaniṣṭha paradise, come there and make offerings to me. May they all be witnesses to my hardship. Bhadanta Bhagavat, may I bring to an end the kleśas in the minds of those in whom the seed of the Śrāvakayāna has been planted, and may they become my disciples F.227.b who are in their last existence; and may it also be for those in the Pratyekabuddhayāna as previously described.

“ ‘In the same way, may nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, pretas, piśācas, kumbhāṇḍas, and ṛṣis with the five clairvoyances come to make offerings to me, and may they all be witnesses to my hardships. And may it be as previously described for those in the Śrāvakayāna and so on.

“ ‘May nonhumans tell the other tīrthikas who reside in the four continents practicing spurious asceticism and vows of hardship, “You are not practicing hardship like the bodhisattva in his last life who is undergoing hardship in this region; through meditating he has immobilized the mental activity in his heart, he has becalmed the activity of the body, he has stilled the activity of speech, his exhalations and inhalations have ceased, and each day when he arises from meditation he eats half a sesame seed for food. That kind of hardship is very powerful, will have a great result, and is vast. He will soon attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. If you don’t believe it, come and see for yourselves!”

“ ‘May they abandon their hardship and come to see my hardship, and for those in whose minds there is the seed or seedling of the Śrāvakayāna, and so on, may it be as previously described. Among humans may kings, respected men, townsmen, and the people of the land, the mendicants who have left home, and the householders come to see my hardships, and may it be for those in the Śrāvakayāna as previously described, and so on.

“ ‘May the women who come to see me F.228.a have that life be their last as a woman, and may it be for those in the Śrāvakayāna as previously described, and so on. May the animals and birds that see my hardship have that life be their last as an animal, and may the animals and birds in whom is planted the seed of the Śrāvakayāna become my disciples who are in their last existence; and may it also be for those in the Pratyekabuddhayāna as previously described. And the same is to be said about the various tiny creatures and about the pretas.

“ ‘During the time in which I practice hardship sitting cross-legged for a long time, may many hundreds of millions of trillions of beings witness my hardship and be astonished, and may I plant countless, numberless seeds of liberation within their minds.

“ ‘May I practice a hardship that has never before been practiced by anyone numbered among beings, whether tīrthikas, those in the Śrāvakayāna, those in the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or those in the highest yāna, the Mahāyāna. And afterward may there never be anyone numbered among beings and those who are tīrthikas who can equal the hardship I will have practiced.

“ ‘Before I have attained complete enlightenment, with the strength of a human may I defeat Māra and his army. May I be victorious over the Māra of the kleśas, who is determined by my remaining karmic results, and may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

“ ‘May I establish arhathood in the mind of one being, F.228.b and may I do so with a second being and a third, and in the same way teach the Dharma to a fourth being and establish arhathood in his mind.

“ ‘May I for the sake of just one being manifest many hundreds of thousands of miracles and thereby establish the true view in his mind. May I utter many thousands of words and meanings of the Dharma. May I establish beings in the results that they are capable of. May I destroy, with the thunderbolt of wisdom, the mountains^[305] of kleśas that are in the minds of beings. May I teach them the Dharma by establishing them in the three yānas. May I walk many hundreds of yojanas on foot for the sake of just one being in order to teach him the Dharma and establish him on the level of fearlessness.

“ ‘May no one be prevented from taking ordination in my order. May those who have lost their memory, those who have confused minds, the talkative with arrogant minds, those with corrupted minds, those with little intelligence, those whose minds are disturbed by many kleśas, and women receive ordination^[306] in my order. May my followers be fourfold: bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās. May there be many beings who spread my teaching.^[307] May the devas see the truth. May yakṣas, nāgas, and asuras keep the noble eightfold upoṣadha vows. And may even beings that are born as animals maintain celibacy.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, when I attain enlightenment, there will be those who with malevolence and aggression will attack me with weapons, fire, spears, or various other implements; F.229.a there will be those who will abuse me with harsh, rough speech, who will criticize me, and who will dishonor me in the principal and intermediate directions; and there will be those who give me poisoned food and drink. While I still have those kinds of karmic results remaining, may I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may I teach the Dharma with a voice that sounds like the drum of Brahmā’s voice, cultivated through good conduct, learning, samādhi, great compassion, and meditation, to those beings who previously, with enmity, used deadly implements against me, spoke harshly to me, struck me in various ways, gave me poisoned food and drink, and caused me to bleed. May I thereby cause their minds to develop faith and may I enjoin them to good action. May those beings confess their karmic obscuration and from then on keep vows. May those beings have no karmic obscuration that prevents higher existences, and may they have the result of liberation, freedom from desire, and the cessation of pollutions. May my karmic results completely cease there, be finished, and be brought to an end.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, when I have attained enlightenment, each day may I emanate buddhas as numerous as my pores, their bodies adorned by the thirty-two signs and eighty excellent features of a great being, and may I send those emanated buddhas to empty buddha realms, to buddha realms that are not empty, and to buddha realms with the five degeneracies.

“ ‘In those buddha realms there will be beings who have committed the actions with immediate results at death, who reject the Dharma, who malign higher beings, and so on, down to and including those who are involved in nonvirtue. Also, there will be beings who have set out in the Śrāvakayāna, or have set out in the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or have set out in the Mahāyāna, whose practice of the training is imperfect or ruined, who have committed the root downfalls, whose minds are burning, who have lost the way of good actions, who are going through the jungle of saṃsāra, who are ruined on a bad path, and who are in great despair. Each day may each buddha emanation F.229.b teach the Dharma to such beings among the hundreds of millions of trillions of beings.

“ ‘May I teach the Dharma in the form of Maheśvara to those beings who have faith in Maheśvara. May they praise me in the Sahā buddha realm, and may I inspire the beings there to make aspirational prayers. And may those beings who hear the praises of me wish to be reborn in my buddha realm and make an aspirational prayer.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if I do not appear before those beings when they die, teaching the Dharma and inspiring confidence, may I not attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. If those beings go to the lower existences when they die and are not reborn as humans in my buddha realm, may my entire Dharma vanish, may I never reappear again, and may I be incapable of accomplishing all the deeds of a buddha. F.230.a Likewise, if beings who have faith in Nārāyaṇa fall into the lower existences when they die, may I be unable to accomplish all the deeds of a buddha.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may the beings in all buddha realms who have committed the actions with immediate results at death, who are ruined on a bad path, and who are in great despair be reborn in my buddha realm when they die. Those beings will have the following indications: they will have a color that is like soil, they will have faces like piśācas, they will have poor memories, they will smell bad, they will have poor conduct, they will have short lives, they will be afflicted by many illnesses, and they will lose the possessions they own. For the sake of those beings who are in the four continents in the Sahā world realm at that time, may I manifest to all those beings everywhere in the four continents my descent from the Tuṣita paradise into my mother’s womb, and then my birth. May I manifest the youthful games, the mastery of crafts and works, undergoing hardship, subjugating Māra, attaining the complete enlightenment of buddhahood, turning the wheel of the Dharma, and the entire activity of a buddha to all those beings everywhere in the four continents. And may I then manifest passing into parinirvāṇa and the distribution of my relics.

“ ‘When I have attained enlightenment, may I teach the Dharma by speaking a single utterance, and may those beings who are of the Śrāvakayāna understand the Dharma that is taught to be the piṭaka that gives the Śrāvakayāna teaching, may those who are of the Pratyekabuddhayāna understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the Pratyekabuddhayāna teaching, and may those who are of the unsurpassable Mahāyāna understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the unsurpassable Mahāyāna teaching.

“ ‘May the beings who have no accumulation of merit F.230.b understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on generosity. May the beings who are devoid of merit and aspire to the happiness of the higher existences understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on good conduct. May the beings who are afraid of each other, who have polluted minds, and who have minds of anger understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on kindness. May those beings who kill understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on compassion. May the beings who are overcome by envy and greed understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on rejoicing. May those whose minds are intoxicated by the intoxication of forms and the formless understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on equanimity.

“ ‘May those whose minds are intoxicated by the intoxication of desire for the desired understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on unpleasantness.^[308] May those beings who follow the Mahāyāna, whose minds are agitated, understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation. May the beings who have poor wisdom understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on dependent origination. May those with little learning understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on not forgetting what one has learned and not losing one’s memory.

“ ‘May those who are in difficulties due to wrong views understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on emptiness. May those who are afflicted by the engagement of conceptualization understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on featurelessness. May those who are afflicted by the impurity of being without aspiration understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on aspirationlessness.

“ ‘May those whose motivation is impure understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on pure motivation. May those who are afflicted by inconstant conduct understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on never forgetting the aspiration for enlightenment. F.231.a May those who are afflicted by the heat of practicing forbearance^[309] understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on noncontrivance. By the thorough training in higher motivation, may the beings who are afflicted understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on baselessness.

“ ‘Similarly, may those whose minds are afflicted understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on a virtuous mind. May those whose minds are forgetful of virtue understand it to be giving the teaching on illumination. May those who are dedicated to the actions of Māra understand it to be giving the teaching on emptiness. May those who are engaged in attacking others^[310] understand it to be giving the teaching on being elevated. May those whose minds are tormented by the various kleśas understand it to be giving the teaching on being free of them. May those who have entered an uneven path understand it to be giving the teaching on turning back from it. May those whose minds are curious about the Mahāyāna understand it to be giving the teaching on reversal. May the bodhisattvas who are weary of saṃsāra understand it to be giving the teaching on delight. May those who have not come to know of good actions, the bhūmis, and knowledge understand it to be giving the teaching on not being ignorant of them.

“ ‘May those who are content with one another’s good roots^[311] understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on listening to the Dharma. May those whose minds are not in harmony with each other understand it to be giving the teaching on the unimpeded light rays.^[312] May those who are engaged in difficult actions understand it to be giving the teaching on engaging in what is to be done. May those who have a fear of assemblies understand it to be giving the teaching on the emblem of the lion.^[313] May those whose minds are overcome by the four māras understand it to be giving the teaching on heroism. May those beings for whom the buddha realms are not illuminated understand it to be giving the teaching on the array of light.^[314] May those who have attachment and aversion understand it to be giving the teaching on the mass of a mountain. May those who are overwhelmed by the radiance of the Buddha’s Dharma understand it to be giving the teaching on the victory banner’s crest ornament.^[315] May those who do not have great wisdom understand it to be giving the teaching on the falling meteor.

^[316] May those who are in the darkness of ignorance F.231.b understand it to be giving the teaching on the lamp of the sun.^[317]

“ ‘May those who are engaged in the interpretation of the word termination understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the source of qualities.^[318] May those who long for the self, which is like a lump of foam, understand it to be giving the teaching on Nārāyaṇa.^[319] May those whose minds are fickle understand it to be giving the teaching on endowed with the essence.^[320] May those who are looked down upon^[321] understand it to be giving the teaching on the victory banner of Mount Meru.^[322] May those who have broken their previous promises understand it to be giving the teaching on possession of the essence. May those who have lost their clairvoyance understand it to be giving the teaching on the vajra words. May those who long for the essence of enlightenment understand it to be giving the teaching on the vajra essence. May those who aspire to all Dharma teachings understand it to be giving the teaching on the resemblance to a vajra.^[323]

“ ‘May those who do not understand the conduct of beings understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the possession of virtuous conduct.^[324] May those who do not know of the higher and lower powers understand it to be giving the teaching on the lamp of wisdom. May those who do not comprehend each other’s words understand it to be giving the teaching on entering sound.^[325] May those who have not^[326] attained the dharmakāya understand it to be giving the teaching on the meditation on dharmakāya.^[327] May those who are bereft of seeing the Tathāgata understand it to be giving the teaching on having unblinking eyes. May those who are exposed to all objects of perception understand it to be giving the teaching on solitude. May those who aspire to turning the wheel of the Dharma understand it to be giving the teaching on the stainless wheel.^[328] May those who have followed the knowledge that there is no cause understand it to be giving the teaching that accords with reliance on knowledge. May those who have an eternalist view of this single buddha realm understand it to be giving the teaching on the collection of good actions.

May those who have planted the seeds for the signs and indications understand it to be giving the teaching on being adorned by them. May those who are incapable of differentiating between words and sounds understand it to be giving the teaching on elucidation.

“ ‘May those who aspire to the wisdom of omniscience understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the undisturbed nature of phenomena. May those who are revolving in the phenomena of the present F.232.a understand it to be giving the teaching on stability. May those who do not understand the nature of phenomena understand it to be giving the teaching on clairvoyances. May those who let their wisdom decline understand it to be giving the teaching on constancy. May those who have gone astray from the path understand it to be giving the teaching on immutability. May those who long for the knowledge that is like space understand it to be giving the teaching on nothingness.

“ ‘May those who have completed the perfections understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the foundation that is completely pure. May those who have not perfected the activities that gather beings understand it to be giving the teaching on having been well gathered. May those who are seeking the brahmavihāras understand it to be giving the teaching on equal application. May those who have not perfected the precious factors for enlightenment understand it to be giving the teaching on steadfast dedication to liberation. May those who have forgotten the wisdom that was well taught^[329] understand it to be giving the teaching on the symbol of the ocean. May those who are astonished by the forbearance that comes from realizing the birthlessness of phenomena understand it to be giving the teaching that there is no mind. May those who have forgotten the Dharma they have heard understand it to be giving the teaching on there being no loss of what one has heard. May those who are displeased by each other’s good advice understand it to be giving the teaching on having no clouded vision.

“ ‘May those who have not^[330] gained faith in the Three Jewels understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the increase^[331] of merit. May those who are not satisfied by a rainfall of Dharma entranceways understand it to be giving the teaching on the rainclouds of the Dharma. May those who hold the view that the Three Jewels have ceased to exist understand it to be giving the teaching the display of jewels. May those who engage in activities bereft of knowledge understand it to be giving the teaching on the incomparable. May those who are bound by all the fetters understand it to be giving the teaching on the entrance into the sky. May those who think that the Dharma teachings are all the same understand it to be giving the teaching on the seal of wisdom. May those who have not completed the qualities of a tathāgata understand it to be giving the teaching on that which is not^[332] directly perceived by mundane knowledge. May those who have not^[333] served previous buddhas well F.232.b understand it to be giving the teaching on definitive miracles. May those who have taught one Dharma entranceway at the end of the eon understand it to be giving the teaching on the way of all Dharma teachings. May those who have^[334] conviction in all the sūtras understand it to be giving the teaching on the sameness of the nature of all phenomena. May those who have forsaken the six conducive qualities^[335] understand it to be giving the teaching on the way of all phenomena.

“ ‘May those who are committed to the motivation to attain liberation understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on the play of clairvoyances. May those who consider entering into the secret of the tathāgatas understand it to be giving the teaching on nondependence on others. May those who are not engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva understand it to be speaking about the attainment of wisdom. May those who have the outlook of longing for family understand it to be giving the teaching on following everyone. May those who have not completed the conduct of the bodhisattva understand it to be giving the teaching on consecration. May those who have not completed the ten strengths of a tathāgata understand it to be giving the teaching on invincibility. May those who have not attained the four fearlessnesses understand it to be giving the teaching on inexhaustibility. May those who have not attained the distinct qualities of a buddha understand it to be giving the teaching on inviolability. May those whose listening and seeing are not unfailing understand it to be giving the teaching on prayer. May those who through discontinuity do not understand all the Dharma entranceways of the Buddha understand it to be giving the teaching on the stainless ocean. May those whose omniscient wisdom is incomplete understand it to be giving the teaching on the complete buddhahood of a buddha. May those who have not attained that which is intended by all the tathāgatas understand the Dharma that is taught to be giving the teaching on reaching the furthest limit.

“ ‘May I, through speaking one word to the countless, innumerable bodhisattvas who are not deceitful, who are not deceptive, who are upright and are of an upright nature, and who have truly entered the Mahāyāna,F.233.a establish in their minds these qualities of 84,000 doors of the Dharma, 84,000 doors of samādhis, and 75,000 doors of dhāraṇīs. Through that, may the bodhisattva mahāsattvas become armored with the great armor. May they rise higher through inconceivably special prayers. May they become adorned with the vision of inconceivable knowledge and the sublime qualities of enlightenment. This means may their bodies become adorned with the signs and indications of great beings. May they become adorned with excellent speech so that through such speech they satisfy beings in accord with their dispositions. May they become adorned with learning for the sake of wordless samādhi. May they become adorned with recollection so that they will have mental retention that is never lost. May they become adorned with a virtuous mind and adorned with nirvāṇa so that they have a definite understanding of wrong paths. May they become adorned with motivation so that they have firm vows. May they become adorned with application so that they carry out their vows. May they become adorned with altruistic motivation so that they ascend from level to level. May they become adorned with generosity so that they give away everything. May they become adorned with good conduct so that they are stainless in what was well listened to and understood. May they become adorned with patience so that they have no hostility toward any being. May they become adorned with diligence so that they gather all the accumulations. May they become adorned with meditation so that they enjoy all meditation states and the clairvoyances.

May they become adorned with wisdom so that they understand completely the latencies of kleśas. May they become adorned with kindness so they take care of all beings. May they become adorned with compassion so that they never abandon beings.F.233.b May they become adorned with rejoicing so that they never have doubts about any teachings. May they become adorned with impartiality so that they make no distinction between superior and inferior. May they become adorned with clairvoyance so that they enjoy all clairvoyances.

“ ‘May they become adorned with merit so that they obtain in their hands the jewel of unending enjoyments. May they become adorned with knowledge so that they fully understand the workings of the minds of all beings. May they become adorned with intelligence so that they are skilled in making all beings understand the Dharma. May they become adorned with light so that they attain the light of the eyes of wisdom. May they become adorned with analytical knowledge so that they gain the analytical knowledges of meanings, Dharma teachings, definitions, and eloquence. May they become adorned with fearlessness so that they are not overcome by opposing disputers or any māras. May they become adorned with qualities so that they attain the qualities of the buddhas. May they become adorned by the Dharma so that they teach the Dharma to beings with continuous and unimpeded eloquence.

“ ‘May they become adorned with light so that they are in the brightness of the Dharma of all the buddhas. May they become adorned with radiance so that they are in the brightness of all buddha realms. May they become adorned with the miraculous power of foretelling so that they make faultless prophecies. May they become adorned with the miraculous power of instruction so that they bestow the appropriate instruction. May they become adorned with the miracle of miraculous powers so that they attain the highest perfection in the four bases of miraculous powers. May they become adorned with the blessing of all the tathāgatas so that they enter the secret of all the tathāgatas. May they become adorned with sovereignty in the Dharma so that they attain the wisdom that is not dependent on others. May they become adorned with the essence of the practice of all good qualities so that they always practice what they preach and so will never be defeated by anything. F.234.a

“ ‘Thus, may I, by saying one word to the countless, innumerable beings who have entered the Mahāyāna, bring them satisfaction through great good actions, purification, and accumulation. Thereby, may those bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the wisdom of all dharmas, which is not dependent on others. May they become endowed with the great radiance of the Dharma. May they quickly attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, those beings in other world realms who have committed the actions that have an immediate result at death, those who have made the error of the root downfalls, and those whose minds are burning—whether they are of the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or the unsurpassable Mahāyāna—may they through the power of prayer be reborn in my buddha realm.

“ ‘May I teach extensively the thoughts and words of the 84,000 Dharma teachings to those beings who are endowed with bad roots, who are rough, who wish to commit bad actions, who have fierce, uncontrollable natures, who have perverse minds, and who are miserly. May I teach extensively the 84,000 Dharma teachings to beings who are lazy. May I teach extensively the Dharma of the six perfections to those beings who follow the unsurpassable Mahāyāna. May I extensively teach the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom.

“ ‘May I establish in taking refuge those beings who are of the Śrāvakayāna or of the Pratyekabuddhayāna, those beings who have not planted good roots, those who are not interested in śāstras, and may I afterward bring them to the practice of the six perfections. May I cause those who have a love for violence to give up killing. F.234.b May I cause those who are overcome by powerful desire to give up taking what has not been given. May I cause those who have a passion for unrighteous pleasures to give up sexual misconduct. May I cause those who tell each other lies to give up lying. May I cause those who enjoy being intoxicated to give up enjoying intoxicating alcoholic drinks. May I cause those beings who commit the five errors to give up the five errors and be established in the upāsaka vows.

“ ‘May I cause those beings who take no delight in good qualities to keep the correct conduct of the eight vows day and night. May I bring into the well-proclaimed Dharma and Vinaya those beings who take delight in even limited good roots and establish them in the vows of ordination, the ten bases of the training, and the practice of celibacy. May I bring those beings who seek good qualities to the accomplishment of good qualities, and may I establish them in the complete observance of celibacy. May I teach the Dharma through many various kinds of meanings, sentences, words, and miracles for the sake of beings who have committed the actions that have an immediate result at death, and so on, up to and including those who are miserly. May I teach impermanence, suffering, no self, emptiness, the aggregates, sensory elements, and sensory bases, and may I establish beings in the good, in the tranquil, in the auspicious, in the peaceful, in the city of fearlessness, in nirvāṇa.

“ ‘In that way, may I teach the Dharma to the fourfold assembly of bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, F.235.a upāsakas, and upāsikās. May I show the science of debating in accordance with the Dharma to those who wish to debate. May I assign duties to those who do not take pleasure in virtuous qualities. May I give the condensed teaching of emptiness and the path of liberation through meditation to those who delight in daily recitation. May I walk many hundreds of thousands of yojanas for the sake of each single being. May I exert myself unwearyingly through many various kinds of meanings, sentences, words, methods, and miracles, until I establish them in nirvāṇa.

“ ‘May I cast aside through the power of samādhi a fifth of this life’s activities. At the time of parinirvāṇa, may I divide my body into pieces the size of mustard seeds. May I afterward make myself pass into parinirvāṇa out of compassion for beings. When I have passed into parinirvāṇa, may my good Dharma remain for one thousand years. May the outer appearance of the good Dharma remain for another five hundred years.

“ ‘After I have passed into parinirvāṇa, if beings delight in making offerings to my relics, either with jewels or music, even if they say just once the name of the buddhas, or do one prostration or one circumambulation, or place their hands together in homage once, or make an offering of just one flower, may they all attain irreversibility through the three yānas according to their dispositions.

“ ‘After I have passed into parinirvāṇa, those beings who adopt even one basis of training in my teachings and who undertake and abide by it just as I have taught it, and so on—even down toF.235.b those who comprehend just one four-line verse, recite it, and teach it to others, or even those who listen to it and have faith in it, or make an offering to the Dharma reciter of just one flower or one prostration—may they all attain irreversibility through the three yānas according to their dispositions.

“ ‘When the Dharma has ceased to exist, when the torch of the Dharma has gone out, when the victory banner of the Dharma has fallen, may my relics sink down as far as the golden disk and remain there. When jewels have become scarce in the Sahā buddha realm, may my relics become beryl jewels called ketumati^[336] that are as bright as fire.^[337] May they rise upward until they reach the Akaniṣṭha paradise, and from there may they fall as a rain of various flowers—coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, night-flowering jasmine, mañjuśaka, mahāmañjuśaka, roca, mahāroca, mānapūrṇā, and candravimalā—with a hundred petals, with a thousand petals, with a hundred thousand petals,^[338] completely bright, completely aromatic, very beautiful, always with seed, bringing joy to the eyes and heart, as bright as stars, the color of stars, with infinite scent, and with infinite radiance.^[339] May there be a great rain of such flowers.

“ ‘May that rain of flowers emit the sound of various words, such as the word Buddha, the word Dharma, the word Saṅgha, the words the upāsaka vows, the words the observance of the noble eightfold upoṣadha, the words the ten vows that are the training foundations of monastic ordination, F.236.a the word generosity, the words good conduct, the words the complete brahmacarya, the words complete monastic ordination with full celibacy, the word instruction, the word reading, the word memorizing, the word withdrawal, the words complete attention, the word unpleasant, the words mindfulness of breathing, the words the state of neither perception nor nonperception, the words the state of nothingness, the words the state of infinite consciousness, the words the state of infinite space, the words the state of subjugation, the words the state of totality, the words śamatha and vipaśyanā, the word emptiness, the word fixedless, the word signless, the words dependent origination, and the words the entire piṭaka of the śrāvakas. May it emit the words the entire piṭaka of the pratyekabuddhas. May those flowers disseminate the words of the entire teaching of the Mahāyāna and the six^[340] perfections.

“ ‘May all the devas in the form realm hear those words. May they each remember the good roots they have created in their past lives. May those great beings not turn away from all the good qualities, but descend from that paradise and enjoin all the humans in the Sahā world realm to the path of the ten good actions and establish them therein. F.236.b

“ ‘In the same way, may the devas who are inhabitants of the desire realm hear those words. May they end all their mental activities of craving, indulgence in pleasures, and enjoyment of delights. May they all remember the good roots they have planted in their past lives. May they descend from the deva realms and encourage all the humans in the Sahā world realm to the ten good courses of action and establish them therein.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, may those flowers in the air transform into various precious materials: a precious rain of silver, cowries, gold, gems, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, golden objects and silver objects, emeralds, and rightward-spiraling conch shells that fall over the entire Sahā buddha realm. May conflict, fighting, dispute, famine, disease, enemy armies, harsh speech, unkindness, and poison completely cease to exist everywhere throughout the Sahā buddha realm. May there be happiness, no disease, no conflict, no fighting, no dispute,^[341] no being held in bondage, and abundant food everywhere throughout the entire Sahā buddha realm. And when those beings see those precious things, touch them, enjoy them, or use them, may they all attain irreversibility in the three yānas. Then may my relics again descend to the golden disk and remain there. B11

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the same way, during the intermediate eon of weapons, may my relics become precious sapphire jewels, and may they ascend to the Akaniṣṭha paradise. May they fall as a rain of various flowers: coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, night-flowering jasmine, and so on, as previously described, up to and including all with infinite radiance. May that rain of flowers emit pleasant words: the word Buddha, the word Dharma, the word Saṅgha, and so on, as previously described. F.237.a Then may my relics again descend to the golden disk and remain there.

“ ‘In the same way, during the intermediate eon of famine, may those relics ascend to the Akaniṣṭha paradise and then fall as a rain of flowers, and so on, as previously described.

“ ‘In the same way, may what has been described occur during the intermediate eon of illness. May I manifest these relics after my passing into parinirvāṇa in the great Bhadraka eon so that innumerable disciples will be established in irreversibility through the three yānas.

“ ‘In the same way, until as many great eons as there are particles in five buddha realms have passed, may my relics establish beings in irreversibility through the three yānas.

“ ‘May those beings whom I first encourage, guide, and establish in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, when I am a bodhisattva performing the bodhisattva conduct for attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment, and whom I encourage, guide, and establish in the practice of the six perfections, become, after as many eons as there are grains of sand in a thousand Ganges Rivers have passed, bhagavat buddhas in this and that world—in numberless, countless worlds in the ten directions.^[342]

“ ‘Also, after I have attained enlightenment, may I encourage, guide, and establish beings in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and upon passing into parinirvāṇa, through the manifestation of my relics may those who develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment F.237.b become bodhisattva mahāsattvas, and after as many eons as there are grains of sand in a thousand Ganges Rivers have passed, attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in numberless, countless worlds in the ten directions. May they then praise me and declare and proclaim, “A long time ago, when there was the Bhadraka eon, there was the fourth sun-like jina, the tathāgata, whose name was…” and so on. “He was the one who first encouraged, guided, and established us in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. We had minds that were burning, we were engaged in planting bad roots, we had committed actions with immediate result at death, and we had wrong views. He encouraged, guided, and established us in the six perfections. Because of that we are now omniscient ones who turn the Dharma wheel that possesses all aspects of the Dharma. We reverse the wheel of becoming and bring many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings to the result of the higher existences and liberation.”

“ ‘When those who are seeking enlightenment hear from those tathāgatas those praises of me and of my fame and renown, may they ask those tathāgatas, “With what purpose in mind did that bhagavat, that tathāgata, pray, ‘May I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood during a kaliyuga at the time of the five degeneracies’?”

“ ‘May those tathāgatas then describe to F.238.a those noble sons or noble daughters who are seeking enlightenment how I first developed my aspiration with great compassion, and describe the qualities of my buddha realm and my prayer.

“ ‘Then may the noble sons or noble daughters who seek enlightenment be astonished. Then may they too develop a vast aspiration. May they have a similar great compassion for beings. May they pray that during a kaliyuga in a buddha realm when the kleśas are powerful and the five degeneracies are powerful that they will have as disciples those who have committed actions with immediate result at death, and so on, up to and including those who have committed bad actions.

“ ‘May those buddhas, those bhagavats, also prophesy to those noble sons or noble daughters who seek enlightenment and have prayed to be in a kaliyuga when the five degeneracies and the kleśas are powerful, that for those noble sons or noble daughters who seek enlightenment and have great compassion it will be exactly as they have wished.

“ ‘May other bhagavat buddhas also say to noble sons or noble daughters who seek enlightenment, “A long time ago, there was a sun-like jina whose name was…” and so on. “After he passed into parinirvāṇa, his relics manifested various kind of miracles and manifold transformations for the sake of beings in suffering. It was the transformation of those relics that first inspired us toward the highest, most complete enlightenment and to first develop the aspiration for enlightenment, to plant good roots in order to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, and to dedicate ourselves to these perfections.” May they in that way teach in detail what occurred with my relics as was previously described.’ F.238.b

“Then the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the principal royal priest, in the presence of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and for the sake of all beings, including devas, gandharvas, and humans, made those five hundred prayers with great compassion. Then he said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if my aspirations are to be completely fulfilled, such that I will be there in a future time in the Bhadraka eon, during the kaliyuga when there are powerful kleśas, strife, and degeneracies, and beings are in the darkness of the suffering from wrong views, are without guides, are without a leader, have committed the actions with immediate results at death, and so on, as previously described—if I am able to accomplish the entirety of such activity of a buddha as I have prayed for, then I will not abandon my prayer for enlightenment and I will not dedicate my good roots for another realm. Bhadanta Bhagavat, such is my resolve.

“ ‘And through these good roots, I do not pray for the Pratyekabuddhayāna. I do not pray for the Śrāvakayāna. I do not pray to be a king among devas or humans. I do not pray for lordship in the deva or human worlds. I do not pray for the enjoyment of the five sensory pleasures. I do not pray to be reborn as a deva. I do not pray to be reborn as a gandharva, asura, yakṣa, rākṣasa, nāga, or garuḍa. I do not dedicate my good roots to this.

“ ‘Bhagavat, you have said, “Generosity leads to great wealth. Correct conduct leads to rebirth in higher existences. Listening to the Dharma leads to great wisdom. Meditation leads to liberation.” F.239.a Bhagavat, you have also said, “The intentions and aspirations of beings who have merit will be fulfilled through dedicating their good roots.”

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I have acquired the merit that comes from generosity, from good conduct, from listening, and from meditation. If my aspirations are to be completely fulfilled as I have prayed for, then I dedicate all those good roots to the beings in hell, to those beings who experience severe and fierce suffering in the Avīci hell. Through these good roots, may they rise from those hells and attain a human existence in this buddha realm. May they accomplish the Dharma and Vinaya as taught by the Tathāgata, and being at the highest level, may they enter parinirvāṇa.

“ ‘If those beings will not have their karmic results eliminated, then may I die now and be reborn in a great hell. May I have as many bodies as there are particles comprising a buddha realm.^[343] May each body be the size of Sumeru, the king of mountains. May each of those bodies be able to experience the same intense suffering as my current body can.^[344] May each of my bodies, as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, experience the powerful, fierce, harsh injuries that a being in hell experiences.

“ ‘At present, in the buddha realms in the ten directions, F.239.b which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, there are beings who have committed the actions that have immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including beings who have created the karma for going to the Avīci hell. In the future, during the passing of as many great eons as there are particles in a buddha realm, there will be beings who will be born into the buddha realms in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and they will be seized and hurled by that karma that has an immediate result at death. For the sake of all those beings, may I, as the result of their karma, reside in and experience the great Avīci hell, and through that may those beings never be reborn in hell. May all those beings please the bhagavat buddhas. May they transcend saṃsāra. May they enter the city of nirvāṇa. And then, after that long time has passed, may I be released from hell.

“ ‘In the buddha realms in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, there are beings who are similarly seized and hurled by karma, are bound to that experience, and are going to be reborn in the Pratāpana hell, and so on, as previously described. In the same way there are those who are going to be reborn in the Saṃtāpana, Mahāraurava, Saṃghāta, Kālasūtra, and Saṃjīvana hells. In the same way there are those who are going to be reborn as various animals, there are those who are going to be reborn in the world of Yama, there are those who are going to be reborn as poor yakṣas, and there are those who are going to be reborn as kumbhāṇḍas, piśācas, asuras, and garuḍas. There will be beings subject to karma in the same way in other worlds in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm. F.240.a

“ ‘In the same way, there will be those born as humans who will be either deaf or blind, without a tongue, without arms, without legs, or with no memory, or who will eat filth. May I, as I have previously described, be reborn in the Avīci hell for the sake of all those beings.

“ ‘If my aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment is not fulfilled, then may I suffer, as previously described, the various kinds of sufferings of hell beings, animals, pretas, yakṣas, asuras, rākṣasas, and so on, up to and including humans, for as long as beings in saṃsāra possess aggregates, sensory elements, and sensory bases.

“ ‘If my previously described aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment is completely fulfilled, then may the bhagavat buddhas be my witnesses. May the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in other countless, innumerable worlds in the ten directions, also be my witnesses, and have this knowledge of me.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, give me your prophecy of the highest, most complete enlightenment, that I may become, in the Bhadraka eon, at the time when beings live for 120 years, a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, endowed with wisdom and virtuous conduct, and so on, up to and including a buddha, and a bhagavat, so that I be able to accomplish such activity of a buddha as I have promised.’ F.240.b

“At that time, the entire assembly—apart from the Tathāgata—and the world with its devas, humans, and asuras, on the ground or in the sky, shed tears and bowed down the five points of their bodies to Samudrareṇu’s feet and said, ‘Excellent, excellent, you who have great compassion! Your mindfulness is profound, your great compassion for beings is profound, and the great prayer you have made is profound. With your exceptional motivation, with great compassion for all beings, you have taken as your disciples those who were hidden from view, those who have committed many actions that have immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including those who have engaged in bad roots. We know through the prayer that you made when you first developed the aspiration to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood that you will become a medicine, a refuge, and a protector for beings. You have prayed to free beings from suffering—may your wishes be completely fulfilled! And may the Bhagavat give you the prophecy of your highest, complete enlightenment!’

“King Amṛtaśuddha^[345] also wept and bowed down the five points of his body to the brahmin’s feet and said:

“In the same way, Avalokiteśvara said:

“In the same way, Mahāsthāmaprāpta said:

“In the same way, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī said:

“In the same way, the bodhisattva Gaganamudra said:

“Also, the bodhisattva Vajraccheda­prajñā­vabhāsaśrī said:

“The bodhisattva Vegavairocana said:

“Siṃhagandha said:

“The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said:

“Akṣobhya said:

“Gandhahasti said:

“Ratnaketu said:

“Vigatabhayasaṃtāpa said:

“Utpalahasta said:

“Jñānakīrti said:

“Dharaṇīmudra said:

“Utpalacandra said:

“Vimalendra said:

“Mahābalavegadhārin said:

“Jyotipāla said:

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Balasandarśana, weeping, bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the brahmin, and with his palms placed together he said:

“Noble son, the entire assembly with its devas, gandharvas, and humans bowed down the five points of their bodies to the feet of the brahmin, F.242.a and with palms placed together they stood and praised him with verses that contained various words and meanings.

“Noble son, when the brahmin Samudrareṇu knelt on his right knee before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, at that moment the earth shook strongly, and in the buddha realms in the ten directions, as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, the ground shook, shook strongly, shook intensely; shuddered, shuddered strongly, shuddered intensely; quaked, quaked strongly, quaked intensely; and rumbled, rumbled strongly, and rumbled intensely. There also shone a great light, and there fell a rain of various flowers—coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, and so on, up to and including flowers with infinite radiance.

“In the ten directions, in world realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, there were bhagavat buddhas, who resided, lived, and remained, teaching the Dharma to beings in pure buddha realms and in impure buddha realms. There were also bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were sitting in the presence of those bhagavat buddhas in order to listen to the Dharma. Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas saw the ground shake, and they asked the bhagavat buddhas, ‘Bhagavat, for what reason did the great earth shake, a light shine, and a great rain of flowers fall?’

“At that time, in the eastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, there was a world realm called Ratnavicayā. F.242.b In the Ratnavicayā buddha realm there resided, lived, and remained a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Ratnacandra, and, surrounded and attended by countless, innumerable bodhisattvas, he taught the Dharma with a talk on the Mahāyāna.

“In that buddha realm there were the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Ratnaketu and Candraketu. Those two bodhisattvas bowed down with palms together toward the Tathāgata Ratnacandra and asked, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, why did the great earth shake, a light shine, and a great rain of flowers fall?’

“The Tathāgata Ratnacandra answered, ‘There is, noble sons, in the western direction from this buddha realm, beyond as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, a world realm called Saṃtīraṇa. In the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa there resides, lives, and remains the tathāgata, and so on, up to and including the bhagavat buddha, Ratnagarbha, and he prophesies the highest, most complete enlightenment to many tens of millions of bodhisattvas while he gives them the Dharma discourse on the array of prayers that demonstrate the range of bodhisattva activity, the range of samādhis, and the array of dhāraṇī entrances. Present there is a certain bodhisattva mahāsattva, Mahākāruṇika. He has uttered a prayer that is suffused with^[349] great compassion.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas there who have been given prophecies of their highest, most complete enlightenment prayed to bring many tens of millions of beings to enlightenment, have chosen the qualities of their buddha realms, and have prayed for the kinds of beings who will be the disciples they train. F.243.a

“ ‘Among them all, that one great bodhisattva who is endowed with great compassion has outshone the entire assembly, for he will take as his disciples those in a buddha realm that has the five degeneracies during the kaliyuga of obscuring kleśas. Those disciples will have minds that are burning and will have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including having engaged in creating bad roots.

“ ‘The entire assembly, and the world with its devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, have turned from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and are engaged in making offerings afterward to Mahākāruṇika. They have bowed down the five points of their bodies, placed their palms together, and praised him. That mahāsattva has knelt down before that bhagavat, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, to listen to his prophecy. When that mahāsattva knelt on his right knee before that bhagavat, the bhagavat smiled, and in the worlds in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, the ground shook and a rain of flowers fell. He performed these miracles so as to awaken the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in all those buddha realms, to reveal the activity of the compassionate bodhisattva’s prayer, so that bodhisattva mahāsattvas would come from those buddha realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and so that the bodhisattva mahāsattvas would be given the Dharma discourse on the fearless conduct that reveals the entrance to samādhi.’ F.243.b

“Noble son, the two bodhisattvas asked the Tathāgata Ratnacandra, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, this bodhisattva mahāsattva who has great compassion, who has chosen a world with the five degeneracies in the time of the kaliyuga in which kleśas and conflicts are strong, and who has chosen as his disciples those whose minds are burning, who have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including those who are engaged in bad roots, how long has it been since he developed the aspiration for enlightenment? How long has he been practicing the conduct of enlightenment?’

“ ‘Noble sons,’ said the Tathāgata Ratnacandra, ‘that bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika has now, for the first time, developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Noble sons, you should go to the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa in order to see, pay homage to, and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha, and listen to him give the Dharma discourse on the fearless conduct that reveals the entrance to samādhi. You should address^[350] the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika with these words of mine: “Worthy being, the Tathāgata Ratnacandra addresses you. He has sent you these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance, and he congratulates you.

“ ‘Good man, you, who are called Mahākāruṇika, have developed the first aspiration for enlightenment that expresses great compassion in such a way that the sound of your name has filled the buddha realms among the world realms in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm. Therefore, everywhere you have acquired the name Mahākāruṇika.

“ ‘Therefore, you, good man, F.244.a through your compassionate words, will excellently raise again and again the victory banner of kindness toward future bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

“ ‘Therefore, good man, during countless future eons, as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, word of your fame and renown will furthermore fill world realms in the ten directions as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘You have made many hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment and caused them to enter into and be established in that aspiration. You have brought them before^[351] the Bhagavat and established them in irreversibility from the highest enlightenment. Some will, through prayer, choose an array of buddha-realm qualities, and afterward will receive the prophecy. Those whom you have directed toward enlightenment will attain buddhahood in world realms in the ten directions as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm, after as many innumerable eons have passed as there are particles in a buddha realm, and they will turn the wheel of the Dharma and speak their praise of you. Therefore, it is for those three reasons, worthy being, that we should say, “Well done!” ’

“At that time 920,000,000 bodhisattvas said in one voice, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, we will also go to the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa in order to pay homage to and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha, and to see that worthy being to whom the Tathāgata sends a message of threefold congratulations and gives these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance.’ F.244.b

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnacandra said, ‘Noble sons, knowing that the time has come, you should go there and receive from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha the Dharma discourse on the fearless conduct that reveals the entrance to samādhi.’

“Then, noble son, Ratnaketu and Candraketu received from the Tathāgata Ratnacandra the flowers that were as stainless as the moon’s radiance, and together with the 920,000,000 bodhisattvas they stood up in the world realm Ratnavicayā and like lightning disappeared from that assembly of bodhisattvas in the buddha realm Ratnavicayā and arrived at the Jambūvana Park in the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa. They went to where the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha was, approached him, bowed their heads down to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, and made offerings to him through their various miraculous bodhisattva powers. They saw the brahmin in the presence of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and saw the entire assembly of bodhisattvas with palms placed together, praising him. The two bodhisattvas thought, ‘This must be the one with great compassion to whom the Tathāgata Ratnacandra has sent these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance.’

“Then the two bodhisattvas turned from the Bhagavat, offered the flowers to the brahmin, and said, ‘Worthy being, the Tathāgata Ratnacandra has sent you these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance, and he has sent you his congratulations, worthy being,’ and so on, as previously described. F.245.a

“In the same way, bodhisattva mahāsattvas from countless, innumerable buddha realms in the eastern direction came to the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa carrying flowers that were as stainless as the moon’s radiance. They too brought the flowers to the brahmin and gave the message of threefold congratulation, as previously described.

“In the same way, in the southern direction from this buddha realm, beyond ninety-seven hundred million trillion buddha realms, there was the Niryūhavijṛṃbhita realm. In the Niryūhavijṛṃbhita realm there resided, lived, and remained a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Siṃha­vijṛmbhiteśvara­rāja, and he taught the Dharma with a pure talk on the Mahāyāna to pure bodhisattva mahāsattvas. In that assembly there were two bodhisattva mahāsattvas, one named Jñānavajraketu and the other named Siṃhavajraketu. Those two bodhisattva mahāsattvas asked the Tathāgata Siṃha­vijṛmbhiteśvara­rāja, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, what is the cause, what is the reason of the occurrence of a great earthquake and of the great rain of flowers?’ and so on, as previously described, until the point where countless, innumerable hundreds of millions of trillions of bodhisattva mahāsattvas came from countless, innumerable buddha realms in the southern direction and arrived in the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa, and so on, as previously described.

“At that time, in the western direction from this buddha realm, F.245.b beyond ninety-one hundred million trillion buddha realms, there was a buddha realm called Jayāvatī. A tathāgata named Jitendriya­viśāla­netra resided, lived, and remained there, and he taught the Dharma of the three yānas to a fourfold assembly. Present there was a bodhisattva mahāsattva named Bhadravairocana and a second bodhisattva mahāsattva named Siṃhavijṛmbhita.^[352] Those two worthy beings asked the Tathāgata Jitendriya­viśāla­netra, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, why was there this great earthquake and this great rain of flowers?’ and so on, as previously described.

“Also, at that time, in the northern direction from this buddha realm, beyond ninety trillion myriads of buddha realms, there was a world realm called Kāṣāya.^[353] A tathāgata, and so on, up to and including a bhagavat buddha, named Lokeśvararāja resided, lived, and remained there, and he taught the Dharma that was purely on the Mahāyāna to pure bodhisattvas who had entered the Mahāyāna. Present there were two bodhisattva mahāsattvas, one named Acalasthāvara and the other named Prajñādhara. They both asked the Tathāgata Lokeśvararāja, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, what was the cause and what was the reason that there was a great earthquake and a great rain of flowers?’ and so on, as previously described.

“Also, at that time, in the downward direction from this buddha realm, beyond ninety-eight hundred million trillion buddha realms, there was a world realm called Vigatatamondhakārā. A tathāgata named Vigata­bhaya­paryutthāna­ghoṣa resided, lived, and remained there, F.246.a and he taught the Dharma of the three yānas to a fourfold assembly. In that buddha realm there were two bodhisattva mahāsattvas, one named Arajavairocana and the other named Svargavairocana, and so on, as previously described.

“Also, at that time, in the upward direction from this buddha realm, beyond two hundred thousand buddha realms, there was a world realm called the Saṃkusumitā. A tathāgata, and so on, up to and including a bhagavat buddha, named Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana resided, lived, and remained there, and he taught the Dharma of the three yānas to a fourfold assembly. In that buddha realm there were two bodhisattva mahāsattvas, one named svaviṣayasṃkopitaviṣaya and the other named Dhāraṇī­saṃpraharṣaṇa­vikopita. Those two worthy beings asked the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, what was the cause and what was the reason that there occurred a great earthquake in the world and a great rain of flowers?’

“The Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana answered, ‘There is, noble sons, in the downward direction from this buddha realm, beyond two hundred thousand buddha realms, a world realm called Saṃtīraṇa. A tathāgata, and so on, up to and including a bhagavat buddha, named Ratnagarbha resides, lives, and remains there, and he has taught the Dharma, giving the Dharma discourse on the array of prayers that demonstrate the range of bodhisattva activity, the range of samādhis, and the array of dhāraṇī entrances, and he prophesies the highest, most complete enlightenment to many tens of millions of bodhisattvas. F.246.b Present there is one bodhisattva mahāsattva, Mahākāruṇika. He has made such a prayer that his speech was suffused with^[354] great compassion. The bodhisattvas there who have been given prophecies of their highest, most complete enlightenment, have prayed to bring many tens of millions of beings to enlightenment, have chosen the qualities of their buddha realms, and have prayed for the kinds of beings who will be the disciples they train.

“ ‘Among them all, that one bodhisattva endowed with great compassion has outshone the entire assembly, for he will take as his disciples those who are in a buddha realm that has the five degeneracies during the kaliyuga of obscuring kleśas. Those disciples will have minds that are burning and will have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including possessing bad roots.

“ ‘That entire assembly, and the world with its devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, have turned from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and are engaged in making offerings to that one with great compassion. They have bowed down the five points of their bodies, placed their palms together, and praised him. That mahāsattva has knelt down before the Bhagavat Tathāgata Ratnagarbha to listen to his prophecy. When that mahāsattva knelt on his right knee before that bhagavat, that bhagavat smiled and in the worlds in the ten directions numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, the ground shook and a rain of flowers fell. F.247.a He performed this miracle so as to awaken the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in all those buddha realms, to reveal the activity of the compassionate bodhisattva’s prayer, so that bodhisattva mahāsattvas would come from those buddha realms as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, and so that the bodhisattva mahāsattvas would be given the Dharma discourse on the fearless conduct that reveals the entrance to samādhi.’ B12

“Noble son, those two bodhisattva mahāsattvas, Svaviṣaya­saṃkopita­viṣaya and Dhāraṇī­saṃpraharṣaṇa­vikopita, asked the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, this bodhisattva mahāsattva, who has great compassion, who has chosen a world with the five degeneracies in the time of the kaliyuga in which kleśas and conflicts are strong, and who has chosen as his disciples those whose minds are burning, who have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including those who possess bad roots, how long has it been since he developed the aspiration for enlightenment? How long has he been practicing the conduct of enlightenment?’

“ ‘Noble sons,’ said the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana, ‘that bodhisattva mahāsattva who has great compassion has now, for the first time, developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Noble sons, F.247.b you should go to the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa in order to see, pay homage to, and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha, and to listen to him give the Dharma discourse on the fearless conduct that reveals the entrance to samādhi. You should address the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika in this way: “The Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana addresses you, worthy being, and he has sent you these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance, and he congratulates you. Worthy being, in this way you have developed for the first time the aspiration for enlightenment and have spoken with great compassion in such a way that the buddha realms in the ten directions as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm were filled with your words, and you have acquired the name Mahākāruṇika.

“ ‘Worthy being, through your compassionate words, you will excellently raise again and again the victory banner of kindness toward future bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

“ ‘Worthy being, throughout countless future eons as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm, word of your fame and renown will fill the buddha realms in the ten directions as numerous as the particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘Good man, you have made many countless hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of beings aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment and made them enter into and be established in that aspiration. You have brought them before^[355] the Bhagavat and established them in irreversibility from the highest enlightenment. Some of them, through a prayer in the presence of the Bhagavat, have chosen the array of qualities of a buddha realm, and will bathe those beings whom they will train with the light rays of their compassion. F.248.a Those whom you have directed toward enlightenment and who have not received a prophecy will in the future receive a prophecy. They will all attain buddhahood in buddha realms in the ten directions as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm, after as many innumerable eons have passed as there are particles in a buddha field, and they will turn the wheel of the Dharma and speak their praise of you. Therefore, it is for those three reasons, worthy being, that we should say, “Well done!” ’

“At that time many tens of millions of bodhisattvas said in one voice, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, we also will go to the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa in order to pay homage to and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha, and to see and praise that worthy being, the one to whom the Tathāgata sends a message of threefold congratulations and gives the flowers that are as stainless as the moon’s radiance.’

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana said, ‘Noble sons, knowing that the time has come, you should go there and receive from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha the Dharma discourse on the fearless conduct that reveals the entrance to samādhi.’

“Noble son, then the bodhisattvas Svaviṣaya­saṃkopita­viṣaya and Dhāraṇī­saṃpraharṣaṇa­vikopita received from the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana the flowers that are as stainless as the moon’s radiance, and together with many tens of millions of bodhisattvas F.248.b they were dispatched from the buddha realm Saṃkusumitā, and in an instant they came and arrived at this buddha realm’s Jambūvana Park and went to where the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha was.

“At that time, the entire buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa became filled with noble sons who were bodhisattvas of the Mahāyāna, followers of the Pratyekabuddhayāna, followers of the Śrāvakayāna, devas, and so on, up to and including mahoragas. Just as a thicket of sugarcane, or a thicket of reeds, or a field of sesame plants, or a field of rice is completely filled, in that same way the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa was at that time filled by noble sons of the Mahāyāna, and so on, up to and including mahoragas.

“The bodhisattvas bowed their heads down to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, and they made offerings to him through the power of various samādhis and the miraculous powers of a bodhisattva. Then they saw the entire assembly, with palms placed together, praising the brahmin who was in the presence of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. The bodhisattvas thought, ‘This must be the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika to whom the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana has sent these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance.’

“The bodhisattvas turned from the Bhagavat, offered the flowers that are as stainless as the moon’s radiance to the brahmin, and said, ‘Worthy being, the Tathāgata Prasphulitakusuma­vairocana has sent you these flowers, which are as stainless as the moon’s radiance, and, worthy being, he conveys his congratulations!’ F.249.a And they continued as previously described in conveying the threefold congratulations.

“And those flowers that rained down in buddha realms that were empty filled those buddha realms with various good words: the word Buddha, the word Dharma, the word Saṅgha, the word light, the word perfection, the word strength, the word confidence, the word clairvoyance, the word uncontrived, the word nonorigination, the word noncessation, the word calmed, the word pacified, the word stilled, the words great kindness, the words great compassion, the words dharmas are without arising, the words the attainment of the level of consecration, and the words a talk on the Mahāyāna.

“Those words from that great rainfall of flowers entirely filled those buddha realms. There were bodhisattva mahāsattvas with great miraculous powers, great might, and the power of profound dharmas who, through the power of prayer, had gone to those empty buddha realms in order to ripen completely the beings there who were to be trained. On hearing those words, through the might of the Buddha, the power of prayer, and the strength of samādhi, those bodhisattvas with miraculous speed, as fast as a strong man extends his arm, left those empty buddha realms and came to the Saṃtīraṇa buddha realm. Those bodhisattvas made offerings through various bodhisattva miracles to the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and to the entire assembly. F.249.b Then, in order to listen to the Dharma, they sat wherever they could.

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the principal royal priest, offered the flowers that are as stainless as the moon’s radiance to the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, I request that you give me the prophecy of my highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha then entered the samādhi called the lamp of lightning. Through that samādhi the entirety of the buddha realm Saṃtīraṇa was transformed into the seven jewels. The mountains, trees, grass, wood, and entire ground appeared to be made of the seven jewels.

“All the beings who were gathered there transformed according to the aspect of virtue their minds were engaged in: the bodies of some became yellow, some became white, some became crimson, some became red, some became black, and some became gray. The bodies of some appeared to be made of air, some of fire, and some of space. Some appeared to be mirages; some appeared to be made of water;^[356] some appeared to be mountains; some appeared to be Brahmās; some appeared to be Śakras; some appeared to be flowers; some appeared to be garuḍas; some appeared to be lions; some appeared to be suns; some appeared to be moons; some appeared to be stars; some appeared to be vultures; and some appeared to have the bodies of jackals. Those beings all appeared in the form of the aspect of virtue in which their minds were engaged as they sat there to listen to the Dharma, and, noble son, those beings perceived the body of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha to be the same as they perceived their own to be.

“Noble son, the brahmin Samudrareṇu, the principal royal priest, F.250.a saw before him the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha seated on the pericarp of a thousand-petaled lotus made of the seven jewels. Noble son, all those beings who were seated, who were standing, who were on the ground, or who were in the air, each saw the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha in their own way. They thought, ‘I am seated right in front of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, whose mind knows everything, and he is teaching the Dharma to me alone.’

“Noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha said to the brahmin Samudrareṇu, ‘Excellent, excellent, great brahmin of great compassion! You are a compassionate benefactor for countless beings! You appear in the world like the sun!

“ ‘It is like this, brahmin—suppose there were a field of flowers, complete with a variety of colors, a variety of fragrances, a variety of textures, a variety of petals, a variety of stalks, a variety of roots, and a variety of medicinal ingredients. Some flowers shine and illuminate a hundred yojanas with their color and scent, some two hundred yojanas, and some three hundred yojanas, and similarly some flowers shine and illuminate with their color and scent the entire world realm of four continents.

“ ‘And when beings who are blind smell that scent of flowers there, they become able to see, the deaf are able to hear, and so on, up to and including those deficient in limbs regain all their limbs. The beings who are afflicted by the 404 kinds of illness become cured of them all when they smell that scent. F.250.b Those beings who are intoxicated, unconscious, insane, paralyzed, drowsy, distracted, or who have lost their memory regain all their memory when they smell the scent of those flowers.

“ ‘And in the middle of that field^[357] of flowers there has appeared a white lotus, firm and solid, made of diamond, with a beryl stalk, gold leaves, an emerald pericarp, and red pearl filaments, that is 84,000 yojanas tall and 100,000 yojanas wide. And the white lotus’s color shines and its scent spreads throughout world realms in the ten directions as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm.

“ ‘Brahmin, in world realms in the ten directions as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm, there are beings who have physical difficulties, who are afflicted by illness, who are deficient in limbs, who are intoxicated, unconscious, insane, or sleepy, who have lost their memory, and who have distracted minds. When those beings see the light of that white lotus and smell its scent, all their illnesses cease, and they regain their memory.

“ ‘And when the white lotus’s light illuminates or its scent reaches the undestroyed corpses of beings who have recently died in the buddha realms, their corpses come back to life and get up again. And when they see their friends and relatives, they all enter a park and there enjoy the five sensory pleasures. Those who then pass away are reborn in the pure abode of Brahmā. They then live there for a long time—with an immeasurable lifespan— F.251.a [F.251.b]^[358] and do not pass away from there to be reborn anywhere else.

“ ‘Brahmin, this Mahāyāna assembly is like that field of flowers. Just as, at the time of sunrise, the flowers open up, blossom, radiate, and illuminate—some a hundred yojanas high, some a thousand yojanas high—and they cure many beings of various illnesses, in the same way, the worthy being, the Tathāgata, the sun-like Buddha has appeared in the world.

“ ‘Just as those flowers are opened by the light rays of the sunrise, and they shine, radiate, and illuminate, and beings who are afflicted by various illnesses are cured, in the same way, worthy being, I have appeared in the world, bathed beings in the light rays of compassion, opening them, bringing beings again and again to the practice of the three activities that generate merit.

“ ‘You have encouraged countless, innumerable beings to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment, and you have made them practice it and remain in it. You have brought them to me, and in my presence they have all chosen buddha realms. Some have chosen pure buddha realms. Some have chosen impure buddha realms, and I have prophesied that it will be as they have prayed for.

“ ‘Some worthy beings have in my presence chosen pure realms and chosen beings who have pure motivation, have planted good roots, and are easy to train to be their disciples. Therefore, those bodhisattvas are not called mahāsattvas. They do not have the activity of a great, excellent person. Great compassion does not enter their minds and mental activities. F.252.a [F.252.b]^[359] Those bodhisattvas do not seek enlightenment out of compassion for all beings. The bodhisattvas who have chosen pure realms have cast aside compassion. The bodhisattvas who wish for buddha realms that are bereft of followers of the Śrāvakayāna and of the Pratyekabuddhayāna are not excellent in wisdom and motivation. They pray to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in a buddha realm without śrāvakas, without pratyekabuddhas, where beings have planted good roots, where there are no women, where there are no hells, where there are no animals, and where there is no world of Yama. They pray to teach only the Mahāyāna to bodhisattvas who have entered the Mahāyāna, and for there to be no śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. They pray to live for a long time after enlightenment. They pray that they will teach the Dharma for a long time, for many eons, to those who have pure motivation, who have planted good roots, and who are easy to train. The bodhisattvas who pray in that way are not excellent in wisdom and motivation. Those bodhisattvas are not said to be mahāsattvas.’

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha extended his hand, and his five fingers emitted light rays of various colors, of many colors—of many hundreds of thousands of colors. Those countless, innumerable light rays went into the ten directions and illuminated the buddha realms. There was a world realm called Aṅguṣṭhā. There, in the Aṅguṣṭhā world realm, the lifespan of the people was ten years, they had bad complexion, they were ugly, F.253.a they had bad roots, and their height was that of a thumb. There was a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha named Jyotīrasa. He was one cubit in height; among the people who were one thumb in size, he was seven thumbs in size. That tathāgata resided, lived, and remained there, teaching the Dharma of the three yānas to the fourfold assembly.

“Noble son, the entire assembly saw that buddha realm, those people, and that tathāgata, and the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha said, ‘The Tathāgata Jyotīrasa first developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment countless, innumerable eons ago in front of the Tathāgata Ratna­cchatrābhyudgatāva­bhāsa. He guided many millions of trillions of beings to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment and made them enter and remain in it. Those beings also made prayers in front of the Tathāgata Ratna­cchatrābhyudgatāva­bhāsa, in accordance with their own wishes. Some chose the array of qualities of a pure buddha realm. Some chose an impure buddha realm that has the five degeneracies.

“ ‘There, that mahāsattva encouraged me to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment and made me enter and remain in it. There, in front of the Tathāgata Ratna­cchatrābhyudgatāva­bhāsa, I made the prayer to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in a buddha realm that has the array of qualities of the five degeneracies. F.253.b That tathāgata congratulated me and gave me the prophecy of the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘The worthy being who was the kalyāṇamitra who made me aspire to enlightenment made a prayer in which he chose a world where the five degeneracies are powerful, in an afflicted buddha realm during a kaliyuga, and he chose as his disciples those whose minds are burning, who have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, who are engaged in bad roots, and who are in despair within the wilderness of saṃsāra. The bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in the various, countless, innumerable worlds in the ten directions sent their emissaries to convey their congratulations and gave him the name Mahā­karuṇā­vairocana­saumya. My kalyāṇamitra and benefactor, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahā­karuṇā­vairocana­saumya, is now in the world realm Aṅguṣṭhā, where not long ago he attained complete enlightenment among the thumb-sized people. Being a cubit in height among those thumb-sized people, that tathāgata has turned the Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma for those people who have a lifespan of ten years.

“ ‘When he attained enlightenment, the buddha bhagavats whom he first encouraged to aspire to the highest, most complete enlightenment and made enter and remain in that aspiration, who then dwelled, lived, and remained in countless, innumerable buddha realms in the ten directions, sent him emissaries to make offerings to him. F.254.a The buddha bhagavats whom he first introduced to the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom, and whom he caused to enter and remain in the perfection of wisdom, remembering what he had done, sent flowers to that tathāgata.

“ ‘Brahmin, see how those bhagavat buddhas carry out the deeds of a buddha in pure buddha realms where beings have long lives and pure motivation and live happily. See how the Tathāgata Jyotīrasa made a special prayer and chose to attain buddhahood in a very bad buddha realm with the five degeneracies, in which he would perfectly accomplish the activity of a buddha, teach the Dharma without leaving aside śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, have a short life, and be among beings who have planted bad roots and committed the bad actions with immediate results at death.

“ ‘Likewise, worthy being, you have outshone this entire assembly of bodhisattvas and you have made the most outstanding prayer in which you chose a very bad buddha realm with the five degeneracies. You have done so for your disciples, beings who have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including those who have created bad roots.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas chose pure buddha realms that have no hells, no animals, no śrāvakas, and no pratyekabuddhas, and they chose disciples who have planted good roots, have pure motivation, and are well disciplined. Those beings are said to be like the flowers. Those who accomplish the activity of a buddha among beings who have planted good roots and are well disciplined are not bodhisattva^[360] mahāsattvas like the white lotus.

“ ‘Brahmin, there are four cases of laziness of bodhisattvas. What are these four? Praying for a pure buddha realm; praying to accomplish the activity of a buddha among beings with pure thoughts; F.254.b praying that after enlightenment they will not teach the Śrāvakayāna or the Pratyekabuddhayāna; and praying that after enlightenment they will have a long life. These are the four cases of laziness of bodhisattvas. Thereby they are said to be bodhisattvas who are like flowers, not like the white lotus; they are not said to be mahāsattvas. An example of this, brahmin, is this assembly of bodhisattvas—except for Vāyuviṣṇu, because he chose an impure buddha realm and chose beings disturbed by the kleśas who are guidable—as well as some noble sons of the Bhadraka eon.

“ ‘There are four cases of applied diligence of bodhisattva mahāsattvas. What are these four? Praying for an impure buddha realm; praying to accomplish the activity of a buddha among beings with impure thoughts; praying that after enlightenment they will teach the Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna; and praying that after enlightenment they will not have a very long or a very short but a medium-length life. These are the four cases of applied diligence of bodhisattva mahāsattvas. Thereby those bodhisattvas are said to be like the white lotus and not like flowers; those bodhisattvas are said to be mahāsattvas. An example of this is you, brahmin, who now amid countless, innumerable bodhisattvas have received an excellent prophecy in front of a tathāgata; you have appeared as a white lotus of compassion because of the power of your prayer.

“ ‘When you spoke with great compassion, choosing as your disciples those who have committed the bad actions with immediate results at death, and so on, up to and including those who engaged in bad roots, and when you chose a buddha realm in which the five degeneracies are strong, F.255.a the bhagavat buddhas in the ten directions, as numerous as the number of particles in a buddha realm, congratulated you, worthy being, and sent emissaries to you and gave you the name Mahākāruṇika. This entire assembly engaged in making offerings to you.

“ ‘You, Mahākāruṇika—after an incalculable eon has passed, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, during a second such incalculable eon, in which there are as many years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River; in the great Bhadraka eon; in the Sahā realm, when the lifespan of beings is 120 years; in a buddha realm with much old age, death, and so forth; in a world of darkness; in a world filled with beings without a guide, who have not planted good roots, who are lost on a bad path, who are in great despair, who have committed the acts with immediate results at death, who malign the noble ones, who reject the good Dharma, who have committed the root downfalls, and so on, as previously described—will be a tathāgata who has wisdom and virtuous conduct, and so on, up to and including a buddha bhagavat, who has reversed the wheel of existence, who has turned the wheel of the Dharma, who has repelled the māra of power and the māra of kleśas, whose fame will resound through the endless, infinite buddha realms in the ten directions, and around whom there will be a great gathering of disciples, that is, of 1,250 bhikṣus. And just as you prayed, you will completely accomplish such all-encompassing activity of a buddha during a period of forty-five years.

“ ‘Just as this great king Amṛtaśuddha^[361] will become Amitābha and accomplish the activity of a buddha over countless eons, at that time, Mahākāruṇika, F.255.b in the great Bhadraka eon, in the Sahā realm, when the lifespan of beings is 120 years, you will be a tathāgata named Śākyamuni and in forty-five years will accomplish such complete activity of a buddha. Worthy being, when you have passed into the highest parinirvāṇa, your good Dharma will remain for a thousand years. Worthy being, when your good Dharma has come to an end, the relics from your body will, just as you have prayed, accomplish such manifold activity of a buddha. Just as you yourself have prayed, you will thus guide beings for a long time, as previously described.’

“Noble son, at that time Brahmā Ketapuri^[362] said, ‘Worthy being, while you perform bodhisattva conduct throughout countless eons, may I attend upon you as a permanent attendant, as an assistant who is kindly at your service. When you are in your last life, may I be your father.^[363] Worthy being, when you have attained enlightenment, may I be your supreme patron, and may you give me the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Also at that time there was a sea goddess named Vinītabuddhi who said, ‘While you perform bodhisattva conduct throughout countless eons, and so on, up to and including when you are in your last life, may I be your mother.^[364] Mahākāruṇika, when you have attained enlightenment, may you give me the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“There was a goddess named Varuṇa­cāritra­nakṣatrā^[365] who said, ‘While you perform bodhisattva conduct throughout countless eons, and so on, up to and including when you are in your last life, may I be your wet nurse.^[366] Mahākāruṇika, when you have attained enlightenment, F.256.a may you give me the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“A śakra^[367] named Sanema and another śakra named Pāracintin both said, ‘Dear Mahākāruṇika, may we too, and so on, up to and including when you have attained enlightenment, be your disciples, one with wisdom and one with miraculous powers.’^[368]

“Also, another śakra named Cāritra­caraṇa­sudarśayūthika said, ‘Mahākāruṇika, may I, and so on, up to and including when you are in your last life, be your son.’^[369]

“Also, a mountain goddess named Saurabhyākiṃśukā said, ‘Mahākāruṇika, may I be your wife in those lifetimes,^[370] and when you have attained enlightenment, may you give me the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Also, a lord of the asuras named Kaduścara said, ‘Mahākāruṇika, while you, worthy being, perform bodhisattva conduct throughout countless eons, may I attend upon you as a servant, as an assistant who is kindly at your service. When you are in your last life, may I be your attendant.^[371] Worthy being, when you have attained enlightenment, may I supplicate you to turn the Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma teaching. When you have taught the Dharma, may I be the first to practice it and attain a result. May I drink the elixir of the Dharma. May I obtain the medicine^[372] of deathlessness. May I attain arhathood in order to eliminate all kleśas.’

“In the same way, devas, nāgas, and asuras as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River prayed to become followers of Mahākāruṇika and were established as his disciples. F.256.b

“There was an ājīvika named Saṃjñāvikaraṇa­bhīṣma^[373] who said, ‘Dear great brahmin, I will be an assistant who provides much service. Throughout countless eons may I always be your kinsman who supports your fruitful conduct. May I always come before you in order to ask for things. May I ask you for your bed, your seat, your clothing, your elephant, your horse, your chariot, your village, your town, your city, your family, your son, your daughter, your flesh, your blood, your skin, your bones, your hands, your legs, your tongue, your ears, your nose, your eyes, and your head. Great brahmin, may I thus be an assistant to you in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including an assistant to you in the perfection of wisdom. Great brahmin, may I thus be an assistant to you in the six perfections as you perform bodhisattva conduct. When you have attained enlightenment, may I be your disciple. May I learn the 80,000 collections of Dharma teachings. May I subsequently become one who teaches the Dharma. And may you give me the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Noble son, the brahmin Mahākāruṇika heard that, and he bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, called over the ājīvika Saṃjñāvikaraṇa­bhīṣma, and said to him, ‘Worthy being, it is excellent, excellent that you will be my assistant for unsurpassable conduct. For countless, innumerable thousands of trillions of lifetimes, whenever you come to me to ask for something, may I give it to you with a serene mind, and may you never accrue demerit.’

“Noble son, the bodhisattva F.257.a mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika then said in front of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, during countless, innumerable hundreds of millions of trillions of eons, while I am practicing in order to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, if a beggar comes before me and asks me for food, whether with pleasant words, harsh words, offensive words, or clear words, Bhadanta Bhagavat, if I become angry with that beggar for even an instant, or if I give through the desire to acquire the results of generosity, then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in countless, innumerable realms in the ten directions, teaching the Dharma—may I then not attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Bhadanta Bhagavat, if I give a gift without a serene mind^[374] to a petitioner, the recipient will lose his trust. May there be no impediment to good qualities. If there is only a hair tip’s worth of impediment, then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas. If there is even a hair tip’s worth of impediment to the recipient’s good qualities, then may I be destined for the Avīci hell.

“ ‘As it is for food, so it is for clothes, and so forth, until those beggars who ask for my head, whether they ask for my head with pleasant words, harsh words, offensive words, or clear words. If, F.257.b Bhadanta Bhagavat, I become angry with that beggar for even an instant of mind, if I give rise to a mind that is not serene, or if I give my head away with the desire for the ripened results of generosity, I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas, and so may I then become destined for the Avīci hell. As it is for the abandonment of generosity, so it should be said for the abandonment of good conduct, and so on, up to and including the abandonment of wisdom.’

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha congratulated the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika: ‘Worthy being, it is excellent, excellent that you, worthy being, have made this prayer with a mind based on great compassion!’

“Noble son, the entire assembly, and the world with its devas, gandharvas, humans, and asuras, placed their palms together and congratulated him: ‘Worthy being, it is excellent, excellent that you, worthy being, have made a prayer with a mind based on great compassion! You will bring contentment to beings through the six conducive qualities!’

“Noble son, just as the bodhisattva ājīvika Saṃjñāvikaraṇa­bhīṣma had prayed to be a recipient of Mahākāruṇika’s generosity, 84,000 other beings made the same prayer.

“Noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika heard the 84,000 beings make the same prayer that the ājīvika Saṃjñāvikaraṇa­bhīṣma had made. Then Mahākāruṇika, with great joy and happiness, placed his palms together and, looking at the entire assembly, F.258.a said with great joy, ‘Aho! It is wonderful that, at the time when there is a famine of the Dharma—when it has ceased to be, when there is the conflict of great kleśas, in the kaliyuga when the five degeneracies are prevalent, when the world has no guide—that I will be a leader, a maker of light, a lamp, one who shows the way to those who are uncared for, to those who are in the dark, and that, through having developed my aspiration for enlightenment for the first time in this way, I have gained companions in the unsurpassable conduct of enlightenment, who in my future lives will take my head, who will take my eyes, ears, nose, tongue, hands, legs, skin, bones, blood, and so on, up to and including food.’

“Noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika sat before the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha and said, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, in my future lives, during countless, innumerable trillions of eons, until I reach enlightenment, during that time, whenever someone comes before me asking either for food or for drink, and so on, up to and including my head,^[375] may they receive it. Even if it is only as much as a hair tip’s worth, may they receive it from my hand, until enlightenment. And if, Bhadanta Bhagavat, after having attained the highest, most complete enlightenment, I do not liberate those beings from saṃsāra, or I do not give them prophecies through the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or the Mahāyāna, then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas who now reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma, in the realms in the ten directions. F.258.b May I then not attain the complete enlightenment of unsurpassable, perfect buddhahood.’

“Noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha congratulated the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika: ‘Worthy being, it is excellent, excellent that your prayer for the conduct of enlightenment is such! It is just like the prayer for bodhisattva conduct made by the Tathāgata Meruśikhariṃdhara,^[376] when he first developed the aspiration for enlightenment in the presence of the Tathāgata Lokeśvarajyotiṣa, and just as he had prayed, he performed such bodhisattva conduct. After far more eons than there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, that worthy being attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the eastern direction from here, beyond a trillion buddha realms, in the world realm Jvālapratisaṃkhyā, where the lifespan is a hundred years. He became a tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including a bhagavat buddha, named Jñāna­kusumavi­raja­samucchraya­bodhīśvara. He accomplished the activity of a buddha for forty-five years and then entered the state of nirvāṇa without any remaining aggregates.

“ ‘Mahākāruṇika, after Jñāna­kusumavi­raja­samucchraya­bodhīśvara passed into parinirvāṇa, the true Dharma remained for a thousand years. The true Dharma then having come to an end, the external image of the Dharma remained for a thousand years. Mahākāruṇika, after the Tathāgata Jñāna­kusumavi­raja­samucchraya­bodhīśvara passed into parinirvāṇa, when the true Dharma and the external image of the Dharma remained, there were bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs who had incorrect conduct, bad qualities, and adverse conduct; F.259.a who shamelessly stole wealth from stūpas; who appropriated offerings to the Dharma; who mixed with shameless people; and who appropriated the clothing, food, beds, seats, medicine, and necessities from the saṅghas in the four directions or from their own saṅgha as an individual’s property, either for their own use or to give them to householders.

“ ‘However, Mahākāruṇika, everyone had been successively prophesied through the three yānas by the Tathāgata Jñāna­kusumavi­raja­samucchraya­bodhīśvara. Mahākāruṇika, all those who wore the red or orange robes in that bhagavat’s order had been prophesied to progress irreversibly in the three yānas. Even those bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who had previously committed the root downfalls were prophesied to be irreversible along the three yānas, because of the ripening of the good roots of perceiving that tathāgata as their teacher.’

“Furthermore, noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika said in front of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, my prayer is like this: For as long as I am practicing the conduct that leads to the highest enlightenment, may I enjoin beings to the perfection of generosity, make them enter it and be established in it, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom. May I enjoin them to good actions even as small as a hair tip. F.259.b If, as I am practicing the conduct of enlightenment, I do not establish those beings in the irreversible stage along the three yānas—even just a single being—then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in countless, innumerable realms in the ten directions, teaching the Dharma. May I then not attain the complete enlightenment of unsurpassable, perfect buddhahood.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, when I have attained unsurpassable wisdom, those beings who are clothed in the red or orange^[377] robes in my teaching, if they have committed root downfalls, have adopted bad views, or are mistaken about the Three Jewels and have committed transgressions, when they even for an instant have perceived me as their teacher or respected me, or respected the Dharma or the saṅgha,^[378] then, Bhadanta Bhagavat, if I do not give them the prophecy of irreversibility through the three yānas—even if I were to leave out a single being—then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas. May I then not attain the complete enlightenment of unsurpassable, perfect buddhahood.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, when I have attained enlightenment, may devas and humans respect, worship, honor, and make offerings to my red and orange robes. When they see orange robes about my neck, may they attain irreversibility in the three yānas. May those beings, even poor yakṣas or the beings in Yama’s realm,^[379] who have no food or drink, who are hungry and thirsty, F.260.a who long for even just four finger-widths of an orange dharma robe, all obtain excellent food and drink and have their wishes fulfilled.

“ ‘May those beings who are frequently hostile and vengeful toward each other and go to war with each other—whether devas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, nāgas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, kumbhāṇḍas, piśācas, or humans—become compassionate, gentle, forgiving, and skillful when they remember my orange Dharma robes.

“ ‘When beings who, in the midst of battles, arguments, wars, and fighting, obtain a piece of an orange robe in order to protect it, make offerings to it, and honor it, may those beings always be victorious, may they never make a mistake and never be injured, and may they have the good fortune to be freed from battles, arguments, wars, and fighting.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, if my red and orange robes do not have these five noble qualities, then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas. May I then not be able to accomplish the entire activity of a buddha, may I forget the Dharma, and may I not be able to overcome opposing tīrthikas.

“ ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, those beings who, after I have attained complete enlightenment F.260.b and until my passing into parinirvāṇa, pay homage to me, saying the words “Homage to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni,” will have all their karmic obscurations extinguished, and in the end will enter parinirvāṇa through the unsurpassable parinirvāṇa of the Buddha.’

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha extended his right hand, stroked the head of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika with the palm of his hand, and said, ‘Excellent, worthy being, excellent! This prayer of yours is virtuous, good, and well considered! Thus, worthy being, through those five noble qualities, your red and orange robes will be of sustenance to beings!’

“Dear noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika was filled with joy to receive that prophecy and congratulations, and because of his faith, because of being covered by the meritorious, long fingers of the Tathāgata, because of the touch of the soft, youthful palm of his hand, he became transformed into a youth with the appearance of a twenty-year-old.

“Moreover, noble son, the entire assembly, along with the devas, gandharvas, humans, and asuras, applied themselves to making offerings to the bodhisattva mahāsattva^[380] Mahākāruṇika. They made offerings of flowers and music to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika, praised him with various eulogies and verses, and remained there with palms placed together in homage.”

Chapter 5

The Practice of Generosity

“Noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika bowed down the five points of his body to the feet of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. He then sat down in front of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha F.261.a and respectfully addressed this question to the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha: ‘Bhadanta Bhagavat, you have taught the path of bodhisattvas, the Dharma discourse on the entranceway instruction to samādhi and the entranceway to the purity of accumulations. Bhadanta Bhagavat, how much have you taught of the path of bodhisattvas, the Dharma discourse on the entranceway instruction to samādhi and the entranceway to the purity of accumulations? Bhadanta Bhagavat, what is the complete extent of the teaching on samādhi entranceways and the Dharma discourse on pure accumulations? Bhadanta Bhagavat, how should a noble son or noble daughter remain within your teaching? In what way should they be adorned by the teaching on samādhi entranceways?’

“Then, noble son, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika, ‘Excellent, Mahākāruṇika, excellent! Your questions are good, your eloquence is virtuous. Mahākāruṇika, that you wish to ask the Tathāgata about this subject greatly benefits and is useful for countless, innumerable beings.^[381] Therefore, Mahākāruṇika, listen well and remember, for I shall explain.

“ ‘Mahākāruṇika, for bodhisattva mahāsattvas there is the samādhi called heroic course. The bodhisattva who remains in that samādhi is one who enters all samādhis.F.261.b There is the samādhi called jewel seal, whereby all samādhis are sealed. There is the samādhi called lion’s play, abiding in which one can play with all samādhis. There is the samādhi called good moon, through which one illuminates all samādhis. There is the samādhi called crest of the moon’s victory banner, through which one holds the victory banner of all samādhis. There is the samādhi called elevated above all phenomena, through which one realizes all samādhis.^[382] There is the samādhi called beholding the seal, through which one beholds the crown of the head of all samādhis. There is the vanishing into the essence of phenomena samādhi, through which the bodhisattva rests in the essence of phenomena. There is the crest of the victory banner of certainty samādhi, through which one holds the victory banner of all samādhis. There is the vajra samādhi, through which one does not distinguish between any samādhis. There is the seal of entering the Dharma samādhi, through which one seals all Dharma teachings. There is the being well-established as the king of samādhis samādhi, through which one becomes established as the king of all samādhis. There is the radiating light rays samādhi, through which one radiates light rays onto all samādhis. There is the diligence of strength samādhi, through which there is strength and diligence in all samādhis. There is the fully ascended samādhi, through which one ascends in all samādhis. There is the revealing the meaning of words samādhi, through which one enters into the words for all samādhis. There is the entering appellations samādhi, through which one enters into the names for all samādhis.

There is the looking into the directions samādhi, through which one looks into all samādhis.F.262.a There is the differentiating all phenomena samādhi, through which one penetrates the differentiation of all phenomena. There is the retaining the seal samādhi, through which one possesses the seals of all samādhis. There is the separation from all phenomena samādhi, through which one enters the true nature of that separation within all samādhis. There is the never forgetting samādhi, through which one never forgets any samādhis. There is the not wavering from any Dharma samādhi, through which one remains unwavering within all samādhis. There is the seal of the ocean gathering all phenomena samādhi, through which all samādhis are united and gathered. There is the absence of conceit concerning any phenomena samādhi, through which one has no conceit concerning the arising and entry into any samādhi. There is the pervasion of space samādhi, through which one pervades, like space, all samādhis.^[383] There is the uninterrupted continuity of all phenomena samādhi, through which there is the uninterrupted continuity of all samādhis. There is the vajra maṇḍala samādhi, through which one possesses the maṇḍala of all samādhis. There is the one flavor of all phenomena samādhi, through which one has the vital essence of all samādhis. There is the victory of jewels^[384] samādhi, through which there is the elimination of all afflictions concerning requisites.

There is the birthlessness of all phenomena samādhi, which reveals the birthlessness and noncessation of all phenomena. There is the illumination samādhi, through which there is the appearance, brightening, and illumination of all samādhis. There is the noncessation of all phenomena samādhi, which divides all samādhis. There is the no seeking samādhi, through which one never seeks the qualities of samādhi in all samādhis.F.262.b There is the no dependence upon a basis^[385] samādhi, through which one never sees the presence of phenomena within all samādhis. There is the same as space samādhi, through which one sees that all samādhis have no essence and have the nature of space. There is the no mind samādhi, through which there is the elimination of mind and mental events in all samādhis. There is the limitless form samādhi, through which all forms are illuminated. There is the stainless lamp samādhi, through which there is the brightness of a lamp in all samādhis. There is the infinity of all phenomena samādhi, through which there is revealed infinite wisdom in all samādhis. There is the lightning flash samādhi, through which there is revealed infinite knowledge^[386] of all samādhis. There is the illuminating all samādhi, through which is revealed the entrance to illumination in all samādhis. There is the entirety of elements samādhi, through which there is revealed the way to know infinite samādhis. There is the samādhi of sublime purity^[387] samādhi, through which there is the attainment of emptiness among the qualities of samādhis.

There is the brightness of Meru samādhi, through which is revealed the nullity in all phenomena. There is the stainless light samādhi, through which stains are eliminated from all samādhis. There is the distinguishing all phenomena samādhi, which reveals the uniqueness of all samādhis. There is the giving joy samādhi, through which there is the attainment of joy in all samādhis. There is the enjoyment of the nature of all phenomena samādhi, which reveals the absence of an object of a perceived nature in all samādhis. There is the lightning flash samādhi, which reveals the imperishability^[388] of all samādhis.F.263.a There is the purity of being undistracted by all phenomena samādhi, which reveals the spotless knowledge of all samādhis. There is the imperishable samādhi, which reveals that all samādhis are neither perishable nor imperishable. There is the purity of the inconceivability of all phenomena samādhi, which reveals all phenomena to be like illusions. There is the radiant samādhi, through which wisdom shines in all samādhis. There is the unending samādhi, which reveals all samādhis to never perish or cease. There is the unwavering samādhi, through which one does not waver, does not shake, and does not dissipate in the midst of all phenomena. There is the increase samādhi, through which one sees the increase of what is known within all meditative states and all samādhis. There is the lamp of the sun samādhi, which opens the doorways of light rays in all samādhis. There is the stainless moon samādhi, which illuminates all samādhis. There is the pure light samādhi, through which there is the attainment of the four kinds of knowledge within each samādhi.

There is the both action and nonaction samādhi, through which one does the activity that is both action and nonaction^[389] and one also truly sees the summit^[390] of wisdom. There is the vajra-like samādhi, through which one differentiates all phenomena, but without seeing that which is differentiated. There is the stable mind samādhi, through which the mind does not waver, does not shake, does not cause appearances, is unharmed, and in which one does not think, “This is the mind.” There is the complete light samādhi, through which one sees light in all samādhis. There is the perfect stability samādhi, through which one remains in perfect stability in all samādhis.F.263.b There is the heap of jewels samādhi, through which one sees a radiance^[391] like that of a heap of jewels in all samādhis. There is the excellent seal of phenomena samādhi, which seals all samādhis, and because of the equality of all phenomena, one does not see any phenomenon that does not have that equality. There is the eliminating joy samādhi, which eliminates joy toward all phenomena. There is the lamp of the Dharma samādhi, through which unequaled words^[392] for all phenomena are attained. There is the devoid of letters samādhi, through which there is no conception of a single letter regarding all phenomena. There is the cutting through fixation samādhi, through which fixation on all phenomena is cut through.

There is the changeless samādhi, through which there is no conception of change regarding all phenomena. There is the pure nature samādhi, through which there is no conception of benefiting in phenomena. There is the moving without location samādhi, through which there is no conception of a location regarding all phenomena. There is the absence of darkness samādhi, through which, without seeing the practice of any samādhi, darkness is completely transcended. There is the aggregation of all good qualities samādhi, through which one abandons accumulation regarding phenomena. There is the stability without mind samādhi, through which there is no conception of mind regarding all phenomena. There is the aspects of enlightenment samādhi, through which there is the realization of all phenomena. There is the emanation of mindfulness samādhi, through which there is the attainment of countless types of confidence in relation to all phenomena. There is the pure knowledge of what is done samādhi, through which there is the realization of equality and inequality in all phenomena.F.264.a There is the summit of wisdom samādhi, through which there is the transcendence of all three realms. There is the cutting through by knowledge samādhi, through which one sees the cutting through of all phenomena. There is the emanation of wisdom samādhi, through which there is the attainment of the emanation of the forms of all phenomena. There is the absence of location samādhi, through which one sees that there is no location within all phenomena. There is the single arrangement samādhi, through which one does not see any phenomenon as dual. There is the bringing about the aspects samādhi, through which one sees the bringing about of the aspects of all phenomena. There is the elimination of the entire foundation of existence samādhi, through which one enters the wisdom that has insight into all phenomena, without any acquisition of whatever has been entered into.

^[393] There is the engaging in signs and sounds samādhi, through which one penetrates into all signs and sounds. There is the freedom from the syllables of speech samādhi, through which one sees all phenomena as free from syllables. There is the possession of the lamp of wisdom samādhi, through which one shines with radiance and illuminates all samādhis. There is the arising of the qualities of supreme wisdom samādhi, which reveals the quality of purity in all phenomena. There is the characteristic of non-cognition samādhi, through which one sees all phenomena without cognizing them. There is the total supremacy samādhi, through which there is supremacy in every way regarding all phenomena and all samādhis. There is the complete elimination of all suffering samādhi,F.264.b through which one does not perceive dependency regarding all phenomena. There is the unceasing activity samādhi, through which one does not perceive cessation regarding all phenomena. There is the foundation of retention samādhi, through which one retains all samādhis and all phenomena and there is no perception of right and wrong. There is the abatement of the prevention of cessation samādhi, through which one does not perceive that which is favorable or contrary in all phenomena. There is the stainless light samādhi, through which one does not perceive freedom from the stains of the composite in all samādhis. There is the acquisition of essence samādhi, through which one does not perceive the absence of essence in all phenomena. There is the stainless full moon samādhi, through which one is completely full of qualities in all samādhis. There is the great arrangement samādhi, through which one has a great arrangement in all samādhis. There is the division of all lights samādhi, through which wisdom illuminates all phenomena. There is the equal illumination of samādhis samādhi, through which there is the attainment of one-pointedness in all samādhis.

There is the gathering of all absence of kleśas and possession of kleśas samādhi^[394], through which there is no kleśa toward any phenomenon. There is the abode of air samādhi, through which no basis is created regarding all phenomena. There is the abiding in the true nature without mind samādhi, through which there is no deviation from the true nature in all phenomena. There is the elimination of all faults of the body samādhi, through which there is no perception of an existing body regarding all phenomena. There is the destruction of all faults of the speech that becomes like space samādhi, through which the bodhisattva does not perceive the activity of speech regarding all phenomena.F.265.a The bodhisattva who remains in the liberation and stainlessness in space-like nonattachment samādhi attains space-like nonattachment toward all phenomena.^[395]

“ ‘Those are the entrances to samādhis that I taught to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have entered the Mahāyāna.

“ ‘What is the Dharma teaching that includes the entranceways to the pure accumulations of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas?

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of generosity results in the ripening of all beings.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of correct conduct results in the fulfillment of all prayers.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of patience results in the fulfillment of the signs and indications of a great being.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of diligence results in the fulfillment of all necessary activities.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of meditation results in having a noble mind.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of wisdom results in the full comprehension of all kleśas.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of learning results in unimpeded confident eloquence.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of merit results in taking care of all beings.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of knowledge results in having unimpeded knowledge.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of śamatha results in having a capable mind.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of vipaśyanā results in being free of doubt.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of kindness results in having a mind without hostility.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of compassion F.265.b results in never being weary in ripening beings.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of rejoicing results in delight and rejoicing in those who like the Dharma.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of impartiality results in the abandonment of preference and aversion.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of listening to the Dharma results in the abandonment of obscurations.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of renunciation results in letting go of all possessions.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of living in solitude results in not losing the good karma that has been created.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of recollection results in the attainment of retention.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of comprehension results in discernment through the intellect.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of realization results in the realization of meaning.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the application of mindfulness results in awareness of the body, sensations, mind, and phenomena.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of right abandonment results in the abandonment of all negative qualities and the cultivation of all good qualities.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the bases of miraculous powers results in being light in body and mind.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the powers results in the perfection of the powers of all beings.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the strengths results in the defeat of all the kleśas.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the factors for enlightenment results in the realization of the nature of phenomena.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the path results in the transcendence from all bad paths. F.266.a

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of truth results in moving away from all bad qualities and attaining rebirth in the higher existences.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of analytical knowledge results in cutting through the doubts of all beings.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of recourses results in having knowledge that is not dependent on others.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of kalyāṇamitras results in being a entranceway to all virtues.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of intention results in not breaking one’s promises to the entire world.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of application results in carrying through all accumulations.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of resolute motivation results in reaching excellence.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of seclusion results in the practice of the Dharma as has been heard.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of the activities that gather beings results in the ripening of all beings.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of maintaining the good Dharma results in the lineage of the Three Jewels being unbroken.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of skillfulness in knowing the practices of dedication results in the purification of a buddha realm.

“ ‘The bodhisattvas’ accumulation of skillful methods results in fulfilling the wisdom of an omniscient one.

“ ‘That, noble son, is the Dharma teaching that includes the entrances to the pure accumulations of the bodhisattvas.’

“Then, noble son, the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha looked at the assembly of bodhisattvas and addressed the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika, F.266.b saying, ‘Mahākāruṇika, what is the nature of the adornment of fearlessness that adorns a bodhisattva mahāsattva who perfects patience? The efforts of the bodhisattva mahāsattva who sees the ultimate truth are fixed upon what is beneficial and are without fixation upon the entire three realms or upon any being. That quality of a practitioner is called the great fearlessness. When one has a mind for which space and one’s hand are the same amidst all phenomena, that, Mahākāruṇika, is the fearlessness of a bodhisattva.

“ ‘How is patience perfected? When one does not perceive even the slightest quality to be understood or realized, yet one is dedicated to the qualities that are not yet ripened: both kindness and selflessness; both compassion and insubstantiality, rejoicing and remorse;^[396] both impartiality and personlessness, generosity and a tamed mind; both correct conduct and a pacified mind; both patience and a patient mind; both diligence and a mind in solitude; both meditation and a contemplative mind; both wisdom and an expansive mind, a mind that rests in mindfulness and has no mindfulness or attentiveness; both complete renunciation and a mind with neither arising nor cessation; both the bases of miraculous powers and a mind that does not go toward phenomena;^[397] both faith and an unimpeded mind; both memory and a self-arising mind;^[398] both samādhi and a mind in samādhi; both the faculty of wisdom and a mind that transcends the sense faculties; both strength and an invincible mind; both the factors for enlightenment and a mind that discerns through the intellect; both the path and a mind in meditation;F.267.a both śamatha and a stilled mind; both vipaśyanā and a mind free of perplexity; both meditation on the noble truths and a mind that meditates on complete comprehension; both being focused on the Buddha and a mind free of darkness;^[399] both being focused on the Dharma and a mind that is the same as the essence of phenomena; both being focused on the Saṅgha and a nondependent mind; both the ripening of beings and a mind that is primordially pure; both the possession of the Dharma and a mind inseparable from the essence of phenomena; both the purification of a realm and a mind that is equal to space; both the perfection of the features of a great being and a mind without features; both the attainment of patience and a mind without perception; both the level of irreversibility and a mind of engagement and reversal; both a mind adorned by the essence of enlightenment and a mind that has the essence of the three realms; both a mind that defeats the māras that come from all beings and a mind that takes care of all beings; both enlightenment and a mind that realizes the equality of all phenomena; both turning the wheel of the Dharma and a mind without the turning of all phenomena; and both manifestation of passing into great parinirvāṇa and a mind that knows the nature of saṃsāra.’ ”

When this Dharma teaching was being given, 6,400,000 bodhisattvas attained the forbearance that comes from realizing the birthlessness of phenomena. They had come from the ten directions to Vulture Peak Mountain, into the presence of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, in order to listen to that ancient instruction on the entrance to the samādhis and the Dharma teaching on the entrances to the pure accumulations. F.267.b

Then the Tathāgata Śākyamuni said, “Noble son, when the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha gave this Dharma teaching, bodhisattva mahāsattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in forty-eight Ganges Rivers attained the forbearance that comes from realizing the birthlessness of phenomena. As many bodhisattva mahāsattvas as there are particles in a world of four continents attained the level of irreversibility. Bodhisattva mahāsattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River perfected all the instructions on entrances to the samādhis and the Dharma teaching on pure accumulations, and realized pure wisdom.

“Noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika, filled with joy and faith, and having become like a twenty-year-old youth, stood behind the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha as his attendant.

“Noble son, they were accompanied by King Amṛtaśuddha, his thousand sons, the eighty thousand minor kings, and 920,000,000 other beings. They all renounced saṃsāra, took ordination, and dedicated themselves to correct conduct, listening to the Dharma, meditation, and gentleness.

“Noble son, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika received, read, and comprehended from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha the successive 84,000 Dharma teachings of the Śrāvakayāna. He received, read, and comprehended the 90,000 Dharma teachings of the Pratyekabuddhayāna. In the same way he received, read, and comprehended the Dharma teachings of the unsurpassable Mahāyāna: F.268.a the hundred thousand teachings on mindfulness of the body, the hundred thousand teachings on mindfulness of sensations, the hundred thousand teachings on mindfulness of the mind’s thoughts, the hundred thousand teachings on mindfulness of phenomena, the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of the sensory elements, the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of the sensory bases, the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of abandoning the fetter of desire, the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of abandoning the fetter of anger, the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of the dependent origination of abandoning the fetter of ignorance, and the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of samādhi and liberation. In the same way, he received, read, and comprehended the hundred thousand teachings on the aggregation of the strengths, the fearlessnesses, and the Buddha’s distinct qualities, until he had received, read, and comprehended a million Dharma teachings from the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha.

“Noble son, at a later time, the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Ratnagarbha passed into parinirvāṇa, into the state of nirvāṇa with no remainder. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika made offerings to him of countless, innumerable varieties of music, flowers, incense powder, flower garlands, incense, perfumes, parasols, victory banners, flags, and jewels. F.268.b He bathed the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha with a variety of scented waters. He erected a stūpa for his relics that was made of the seven jewels and was five^[400] yojanas tall and half a yojana wide. Then for seven days he made offerings to it of countless, innumerable varieties of precious music, flowers, flower garlands, incense, perfumes, parasols, victory banners, flags, and jewels. He made countless, innumerable beings there obtain, enter, and remain in the three yānas.

“When those seven days had passed, together with 84,000 beings he left the lay life, shaved off his hair and beard, put on the orange robes, and with true faith took ordination, leaving the householder’s life for the homeless life. He made the teachings of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha, who had passed into parinirvāṇa, shine. For ten thousand years he maintained the Dharma and made countless, innumerable beings there obtain, enter, and remain in the three yānas. He also made them take refuge in the Three Jewels, take the upāsaka vows, take the novice vows, and obtain and remain in the vows of the celibate bhikṣu. He guided many hundreds of millions of trillions of beings to the clairvoyances and the mastery of miracles. He brought them to the state of pure conduct; he made them understand that the aggregates are enemies. He made them understand that the sensory bases are like an empty village. He made them perceive the knowledge of the composite, that all phenomena are dependently arisen. He made them see that all phenomena are like illusions, mirages, and the moon’s reflection on water. He made them see the knowledge of birthlessness, noncessation, no transition, cessation, tranquility, peace, stillness, the supremely accomplished cessation, and nirvāṇa. He guided them onto the eightfold noble path, and then he passed away. F.269.a

“Those beings made the funeral offerings, as previously described, to the relics of the great mendicant, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahākāruṇika. Just as the funeral offerings are made to the relics of a cakravartin king, those beings at that time made offerings to the relics of the great mendicant Mahākāruṇika.

“On the day that the great mendicant Mahākāruṇika passed away, the Dharma of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha also came to an end. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas, in accordance with their prayers, took rebirths in other realms. Some, through the power of their prayers, were reborn in Tuṣita, some were reborn among humans, some were reborn among the nāgas, some were reborn among the asuras, and some, through the power of their prayers, were reborn as various animals.

“Noble son, the great mendicant Mahākāruṇika, having passed away, through the power of his prayers was reborn in a realm called Saṃkarṣana, ten thousand buddha realms to the south of this buddha realm. There humans had a lifespan of eighty years, and they were all engaged in cultivating bad roots, they were savage, their hands were stained with blood, they were addicted to evil deeds, they were cruel to all beings, they had no respect for their mothers, they had no respect for their fathers, and they were not afraid of the next world. The great mendicant Mahākāruṇika, through the power of his prayer, was reborn in Saṃkarṣana into a caṇḍāla family. His body was very tall, he was very strong, he was very powerful, he had a powerful memory, he was very eloquent, and he was very fast. With the unwavering power of his strength he would seize people and say to them, ‘O beings, F.269.b if you give up killing, give up taking what has not been given, give up sexual misconduct, and so on, up to and including giving up wrong views, I will let you live, and I will also give you the necessities for life. If you don’t give them up, I will take your life from you and leave.’

“Those beings would then put their palms together and say, ‘We will obey your words, lord, and will give up, for the rest of our lives, killing, taking what has not been given, and so on, up to and including having wrong views.’

“The strong caṇḍāla went and spoke to the king and his ministers, saying, ‘I need necessities for life: food and drink, that which can be eaten and that which can be drunk, a bed, incense, cowries, gold, gems, pearls, beryls, conch, crystal, coral, silver, and golden objects. So, give me many necessities for life.’

“For as long as that strong caṇḍāla lived, he brought beings onto the path of the ten good actions, and the lifespan of those humans increased to five hundred years. Then when the king passed away, the king’s ministers gave the royal consecration to that strong caṇḍāla, establishing him as the king, and he was known as King Puṇyabala.

“Then, noble son, King Puṇyabala ruled that kingdom, and not long afterward, through his unwavering diligence, he came to rule a second kingdom, and soon King Puṇyabala became a cakravartin who ruled over the whole of Jambudvīpa. Not long after, King Puṇyabala had the entirety of the four continents as his kingdom and then made beings give up killing, F.270.a follow that conduct, and remain in it. Similarly, he made beings give up taking what has not been given, and so on, up to and including having wrong views, and he established them in the correct view. He also brought beings to the three yānas, in accordance with their aspirations, and made them enter and remain in them.

“Then King Puṇyabala established all the beings in Jambudvīpa in the path of the ten good actions and had them follow the three yānas, and his fame spread throughout all of Jambudvīpa. He made a proclamation that said, ‘Anyone who wants food, and so on, up to and including jewels, come here! I will give you everything!’

“Later, all the beings in Jambudvīpa came to petition King Puṇyabala. King Puṇyabala commenced to make a variety of gifts to them. Then an ājīvika named Pāṃśughoṣa came before him and said, ‘Great king, if you are giving away a variety of gifts in a great act of generosity, if you are intent upon the highest, most complete enlightenment, and if you, great king, fulfill my wishes, then, great king, you will be a jina who is a lamp for this world.’

“ ‘What is it you want?’ asked the king.

“ ‘Great king,’ answered the ājīvika Pāṃśughoṣa, ‘I wish to possess a spell so that through a ritual I can defeat great asuras in battle. This is why I stand before you and address you: I need the skin and the eyes of a living human being.’

“Then, noble son, King Puṇyabala thought, F.270.b ‘I have become a powerful cakravartin; I have brought countless beings onto the path of the ten good actions. I have also brought them into the three yānas, and I have performed an immeasurable act of generosity. This person is my kalyāṇamitra. I shall give him the essence of my essenceless body.’^[401]

“The king said, ‘Rejoice, for I shall give you my ordinary physical eyes. Through this may I obtain the unsurpassable Dharma eyes. I shall with delight give you this skin of mine, and through that may I attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Then, noble son, King Puṇyabala pulled out his eyes with his right hand and gave them to the ājīvika. With his face covered with blood he said, ‘Listen to me, you powerful devas and yakṣas, you kinnaras,^[402] you asuras and bhūtas, you who live in the air and on the ground, and you humans who have come here. Through the good karma of dedicating this act of generosity to the attainment of enlightenment, may I attain the state of peace, liberate beings, and bring them from the terrifying ocean of saṃsāra to the unsurpassable peace of nirvāṇa.’

“He also said, ‘If I am to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, then may my life not end, may I not lose consciousness, and may I not fall down until this ājīvika’s spells have been effective.’

“Noble son, the king said, ‘Take my skin,’ and Ājīvika Pāṃśughoṣa took a sharp knife F.271.a and flayed the skin from the king’s living body, took it, and practiced his spell. For seven days King Puṇyabala remained alive, did not lose consciousness, did not experience any suffering, and did not feel regret for even a moment.

“Noble son, who do you think was at that time, in that period, the one named Mahākāruṇika? Do not look elsewhere. I was that Mahākāruṇika, the father of the Tathāgata Ratnagarbha. That was the time when I first developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Through my first development of that aspiration, I made many beings adopt, enter, and remain in having the highest, most complete enlightenment as their goal. That was my first heroism, my first heroic act.

“When I died, through the power of my prayers I was reborn in Saṃkarṣana into a caṇḍāla family. While I was a member of the caṇḍāla class, I made beings practice good actions. Because of my strength and courage, I became a powerful cakravartin. I brought all fighting, strife, and impurity throughout Jambudvīpa to an end, and extended the lifespan of the people. At that time, I made a gift of my body for the first time. That was my second heroism, my second heroic act.

“I gave away my own eyes, I gave away my own skin, and when I passed away, through the power of my prayers I was reborn in a caṇḍāla family in the second continent of the Saṃkarṣana buddha realm. Then it was as previously described, and through the power of my unwavering diligence I brought beings to the practice of good actions, and so on, up to and including becoming a powerful cakravartin. I brought to an end fighting, strife, impurity, vengeance, and discord, F.271.b and lengthened the lifespans of the people.

“There I gave away the tongue and ears from my own body. I displayed this kind of heroism throughout all the continents in the entire billion-world universe that was the Saṃkarṣana buddha realm.

“Through connection with my prayers and my courageous, unwavering diligence, and through the power of my prayers, I brought beings in impure buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River to the practice of good actions and made them obtain, enter, and remain in the three yānas. I brought to an end fighting, strife, impurity, the kleśas, vengeance, and discord, demonstrating that kind of great fortitude.

“Noble son, other bhagavat buddhas have pure realms. This is because when those buddhas, those bhagavats, previously practiced the conduct that leads to the highest, most complete enlightenment, they did not instigate others to the downfalls, and they did not show fear to others, and they did not bring beings into the Śrāvakayāna or Pratyekabuddhayāna. That is why the buddha realms that are the fulfillment of the intentions of those buddhas and bhagavats are completely pure. In those buddha realms there aren’t even the words downfall or following training, no harsh speech is heard, and there aren’t even the words bad action. Instead, those buddha realms are filled by the sound of the words of the Dharma and sounds that are not unpleasant. There the beings do just as they wish. The terms Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna do not even appear there.

“Throughout great eons as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, in empty buddha realms with the five degeneracies, I have made beings come to, enter into, and remain in abstention from killing, F.272.a and made them come to, enter into, and remain in the three yānas. Through the power of that karma, I now teach the Dharma of the three yānas in an afflicted buddha realm that is filled with the words bad actions and is filled with beings who possess bad roots. I have adopted a buddha realm that accords with the prayers that I have made in the past. I have practiced the conduct that leads to enlightenment with the strength, diligence, and effort that accords with the beings whom I have chosen to be my disciples. I have obtained a buddha realm that accords with the prayers I have made and the seeds I have planted. B14

“Noble son, I will describe to you in brief my perfection of generosity. No bodhisattva in the past has accomplished acts of generosity like the acts of generosity that I have accomplished while practicing bodhisattva activity, and no bodhisattva in the future will accomplish acts of generosity like the acts of generosity that I have accomplished while practicing bodhisattva activity.

“There are, besides, eight worthy beings.^[403] There has been the worthy being named Dharaṇidatta who attained the highest, most complete enlightenment, becoming completely enlightened in the southern realm called Sarvaghoṣa. He became the tathāgata named Saṃkaramardārci, taught beings whose lifespan was a hundred years, and on the seventh day passed into parinirvāṇa.

“In the same way, the bodhisattva named Vīryasaṃcodana attained the highest, most complete enlightenment in the eastern realm called Ajayavatī, F.272.b and for beings whose lifespan was a hundred years he accomplished the deeds of a buddha for more eons than there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. Since that tathāgata^[404] passed into nirvāṇa, into unsurpassable nirvāṇa, the relics of that greatly compassionate one still continue to accomplish the deeds of a buddha in empty buddha realms that have the five degeneracies.

“In the same way, the bodhisattva named Sārakusumita practiced the conduct of a bodhisattva with unwavering diligence and samādhi and with the power of generosity. After as many great eons as there are grains of sand in ten Ganges Rivers, that worthy being attained the highest, most complete enlightenment in a buddha realm that had the five degeneracies, which was in the northern direction and had the name Sahetusaṃskarṣana. He became the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Sahetu­kṛṣṇa­vidhvaṃsana­rāja.

“The worthy being, the bodhisattva Prajñārciḥ­saṃkopita­daṣṭa, after one great eon had passed attained the highest, most complete enlightenment in a buddha realm that had the five degeneracies, that was in the western direction, that had the name Bhairavatī, and where the lifespan of beings was a hundred years. He became the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Sūrya­garbhārci­vimalendra.

“As for Saṃrocana, after truly countless eons have passed, in the great eon Tīvrakaluṣa­saṃkṣobhana, F.273.a there will be a buddha realm in the upward direction that has the five degeneracies and the name Kṣāravarcani­kuñjitā. This Saṃrocana, through the power of his prayers, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment in the realm Kṣāravarcani­kuñjitā, among beings whose lifespan is fifty years. He will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Acintyarocana. Through the power of his former prayers, he will accomplish all the deeds of a buddha for ten years and then pass into nirvāṇa. On that day, the Dharma of that tathāgata will also come to an end, and for ten years that buddha realm will be empty.

“After that, the bodhisattva Prahasitabāhu, through the power of his prayers, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment in that buddha realm Kṣāravarcani­kuñjitā^[405] at the time when beings have a lifespan of thirty years. He will become the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha, and so on, up to and including the buddha bhagavat, named Vairocanadharma. Through the power of his former prayers, he will accomplish all the deeds of a buddha in ten years and then pass into nirvāṇa, into the state of nirvāṇa without any remaining aggregates. His Dharma will remain for seven years.”

Those two worthy beings,^[406] having received these prophecies and tasted the flavor of the highest, most complete enlightenment, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat. Their joy, happiness, and delight caused them to rise in the air to the height of seven palm trees, and remaining there, with palms placed together, they sang in unison these verses to the Bhagavat: F.273.b

The Bhagavat said, “Noble sons, those two noble sons have developed the aspiration for enlightenment. They are Saṃrocana and Prahasitabāhu. The other four are Dharaṇidatta, Vīryasaṃcodana, Sārakusumita, and Prajñārciḥ­saṃkopita­daṣṭa. Listen, for I made these six worthy beings first aspire to enlightenment.

“Noble sons, in times gone by, in the past—countless, innumerable eons ago—in that age, at that time, this buddha realm was called Arajamerujugupsita. In that great eon, when the lifespan of beings was a hundred years, in the time of the outer image of the Dharma of the Tathāgata Gandhapadma, I, noble sons, at that time became a powerful cakravartin named Durdhana who was victorious over Jambudvīpa. F.274.a I had a thousand sons, and I made them aspire to the highest enlightenment. They later left home and took ordination in the teaching of the Tathāgata Gandhapadma, and they made the teaching of the Tathāgata Gandhapadma shine brightly. There were six sons who did not take ordination and who did not wish to develop the aspiration for enlightenment. I commanded them repeatedly, saying, ‘What are you thinking that makes you not take ordination or develop the aspiration for enlightenment?’ They replied, ‘We will not take ordination. What is the reason? It is because in the age of degeneracy, when there is only the outer image of the Dharma, those who take ordination will not be able to maintain the entire array of good conduct. They will be devoid of the seven riches, sink in the swamp of saṃsāra, and occasionally obtain the splendor of devas and humans, but otherwise they will always wander in the three lower existences. They will not be able to truly maintain the training of the Buddha. Therefore, we will not take ordination.’

“Then I asked them, ‘Why aren’t you going to develop the aspiration for enlightenment?’

“They answered, ‘If you gave us the entirety of Jambudvīpa, then we would make the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Noble son, when I heard that I was filled with joy and thought, ‘I have made all the people in Jambudvīpa take refuge in the Three Jewels and keep the eight upoṣadha vows. F.274.b I will divide Jambudvīpa into six parts and give them to my six sons and then have them make the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Then I will leave home and become ordained.’

“In that way, I divided Jambudvīpa into six parts and gave them to my six sons, and I left home and became ordained.

“Then those kings of Jambudvīpa became hostile toward each other, and there was war, strife, discord, disease, enemy armies, chaos, and quarrels. As a result, throughout Jambudvīpa there was famine, harvests were failing, rain did not fall, no leaves, flowers, or fruits grew on trees, even herbs and grass would not grow, and the animals and birds were in distress, burning with hunger and thirst.

“At that time, I thought, ‘If I now give up this body, I will be able to satisfy beings with my flesh and blood.’

“Then I left my abode, went to the center of the land, climbed Mount Dagapāla, and made this prayer:

“When I made that prayer, the three realms shook, the ground quaked, Meru quivered, and the devas wept. Then I threw myself off the top of Mount Dagapāla. Through the power of my prayer, F.275.a my body became the size of the mountain, and it had many hundreds of thousands of heads. It was a hundred yojanas wide and a hundred yojanas high. Humans, animals, and birds came to feed on its flesh and blood. Noble son, when those beings fed on my body, each day it would grow larger to become a hundred thousand yojanas wide and a hundred thousand yojanas high, and upon it appeared many hundreds of thousands of human heads with hair, ears, eyes, lips, and teeth. And there appeared many hundreds of thousands of mouths with tongues. Those mouths spoke with human voices, saying, ‘O beings, satisfy your desires! Oh, eat the flesh, drink the blood, take the eyes, take the ears, noses, hair, lips, teeth, and tongues. Whatever you want, whoever wants it, however much you want, may this body satisfy you. May your wishes be completely fulfilled, and may you develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, or for the Śrāvakayāna, or the Pratyekabuddhayāna. May your enjoyment of consuming this never end. This will not be a gift to you dependent on your faith, and may your lives not quickly come to an end.’

“Some worthy beings then developed the aspiration for the Śrāvakayāna, some developed the aspiration for the Pratyekabuddhayāna, and some developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Some developed the aspiration for rebirth as a deva or human. They ate my flesh, and they drank my blood. Some took away my eyes, some my ears, some my noses, some my lips, and some my teeth. Through the power of my prayer F.275.b my flesh did not diminish and did not come to an end but kept on growing. For ten thousand years my body satisfied all humans, yakṣas, animals, and birds. During those ten thousand years I gave away as many eyes as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. I gave away as much blood as there is water in the four oceans.^[409] I gave away as much flesh as would make a thousand Sumerus. I gave away as many tongues as would make the Cakravāḍa Mountain. I gave away as many ears as would make Mount Meru and Yugandhara. I gave away as many noses as would make vast Sumeru. I gave away as many teeth as would make this Vulture Peak Mountain. I gave away as much skin as would cover the entire ground of the Sahā buddha realm. Noble son, see how for ten thousand years—in one lifetime—I made immeasurable, incalculable, innumerable gifts of my body and in that way satisfied countless, innumerable, incalculable beings, without even an instant of regret.

“At that time, I prayed in this way: ‘If I am to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, then may this wish of mine be fulfilled: Just as I have satisfied all the beings in one continent with my body, may I have that kind of body in this buddha realm, Arajamerujugupsita, for as many thousands of years as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. Just as I have done in one continent for ten thousand years, may I in all continents satisfy beings with my flesh, blood, skin, eyes, ears, nose, lips, tongue, and hair, and make them enter the three yānas. F.276.a May I satisfy all humans, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and animals, the particular yakṣas who eat flesh and drink blood, and even the beings in Yama’s realm. Just as I have satisfied all beings in one buddha realm, may I have that kind of body in the buddha realms in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and for as many great eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, may I satisfy beings in each buddha realm with my life and body, with my flesh, blood, skin, eyes, ears, nose, lips, and tongue. If I do not give away my body in order to satisfy beings, or if the aspiration of my prayer is not fulfilled in that way, then I will have broken my promise to the bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in other buddha realms in the ten directions. May I then not attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. While I am in saṃsāra may I then not hear the word Buddha, the word Dharma, the word Saṅgha, the word perfections, the words defeating Māra’s army, or the word fearlessness—in saṃsāra may I not even hear the word good, and may I forever dwell in the great Avīci Hell.’

“That is the prayer that I made. Just as I gave away my body in that way in each of the continents in this buddha realm and satisfied beings with my flesh and blood, F.276.b in the same way I gave away my body in the buddha realms in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and satisfied beings with my flesh and blood.

“Noble son, during that time, the eyes that I continually gave away would reach from Jambudvīpa as high as the Trāyastriṃśa paradise. Observe the Tathāgata’s perfection of generosity through giving away his body! Noble son, that is a brief account of the Tathāgata’s perfection of generosity through giving away his body.

“Noble son, after that, when countless eons had passed, this buddha realm had the name Candravidyuta and had the five degeneracies. I was a powerful cakravartin named Pradīpapradyota in this Jambudvīpa. As previously described, I brought all the beings in Jambudvīpa to the practice of the ten good actions. Afterward, I went to a park to look at the land. There I saw a man whose hands had been tightly bound behind his back. When I saw him, I asked the ministers, ‘What did this man do?’

“The ministers said to me, ‘Your Majesty,^[410] this man has committed a crime against you. Each year this man should give a sixth of his hay and corn to Your Majesty. This man has not paid the tax as all your other working subjects who dwell in Your Majesty’s villages, towns, countryside, and mountains have.’

“I ordered them, ‘Set that man free, and do not forcibly collect wealth and grain from anyone!’

“They said, ‘Your Majesty, no one will voluntarily give it. F.277.a Your Majesty, the food and drink that you eat and enjoy each day, and that which is eaten and enjoyed by the queen’s attendants, and by the queen and by Your Majesty’s sons and daughters, all comes from what is collected from others. No one will voluntarily give it.’

“Then I was deeply saddened and thought, ‘To whom shall I give my dominion over the entire kingdom of Jambudvīpa?’ I made my five hundred sons aspire for enlightenment and I divided Jambudvīpa into five hundred parts. Then I went to a forest of ascetic practice, and, having gone forth as a ṛṣi, I lived the holy life. In the forest, which was not far from the great southern ocean, I ate the plants and fruits of the forest, and sat meditating in dhyāna at the foot of a fig tree until I attained the five clairvoyances.

“Then, at that time, five hundred merchants of Jambudvīpa set out onto the great ocean, where they discovered heaps of jewels. The head merchant, a fortunate and discerning man named Candra, found a wish-fulfilling jewel. When they were departing from the island of jewels, taking with them the vast heap of jewels and the wish-fulfilling jewel, the ocean became stormy, the nāgas who dwelt in it became angry, and the devas who lived on that island wailed. A bodhisattva ṛṣi named Āśvasta had been born there through the power of his previous prayers, and that mahāsattva successfully and safely rescued those merchants from the great ocean. Then a certain malevolent rākṣasa who was an enemy of the head merchant, seeking an opportunity to destroy him, followed after the merchants. He caused extremely fierce wind and rain that lasted for seven days. F.277.b The merchants lost their way, became very frightened, and loudly wailed, cried out, and lamented, praying to deities, to Śiva and Varuṇa, and crying out to their parents and beloved children. With my divine hearing I heard them, so I went to the merchants and reassured them, saying, ‘I have arrived! Don’t be afraid! I will show you the way! I will take you safely and successfully to Jambudvīpa.’

“At that time I soaked a length of cotton in sesame oil, wound it around my hand, set it alight, and spoke these words of truth: ‘If I, in order to help and benefit beings, have for twenty-six years dwelt in a forest, practicing the four brahmavihāras, and eating the plants and fruits of the forest, and if I have ripened the minds of 84,000 nāgas and yakṣas, bringing them to irreversible progress to the highest, most complete enlightenment, then through that truth, through those true words, and through the ripening of those good roots, may my hand burn so that these merchants will find their way, and safely and successfully reach Jambudvīpa.’

“I spoke those words of truth and for seven days and nights my hand burned, and I brought those merchants to Jambudvīpa. Then I prayed, ‘If I am to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, then when there is a time of scarcity of jewels in Jambudvīpa, may this wish of mine be fulfilled. May I become a head merchant in Jambudvīpa, find a wish-fulfilling jewel seven times, and cause a rain of various jewels to fall on all the continents in this buddha realm. F.278.a In the same way, may I cause a rain of various jewels, as previously described, to fall on the empty buddha realms with the five degeneracies in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River.’

“My aspiration was fulfilled, and I became a head merchant throughout as many great eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River and caused a rain of jewels to fall on empty buddha realms with the five degeneracies, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. In each continent I caused a rain of various jewels to fall seven times. In that way I fulfilled the wishes of countless, innumerable beings through those jewels, and brought them into the three yānas. Noble son, observe the qualities of the ripening of the good root of the Tathāgata’s act of giving away jewels!

“Moreover, noble son, after countless eons had passed, there was the eon Saṃtoṣaṇa, in which this buddha realm was called Timira. It had the five degeneracies, and when the lifespan of beings was five thousand years, through the power of my prayers, I became in this Jambudvīpa a Veda-reciting brahmin named Sūryamālagandha. At that time, most beings held the view of eternalism, were hostile, attacked each other, and engaged in disputes. Through the power of my strength in defeating opponents, I taught them the Dharma that the aggregates were the enemies, and I taught them to examine the sensory bases that are like an empty village, arising and ceasing in accordance with dependent origination, and to focus on mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation. I made them dedicate the good roots from developing the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. F.278.b I myself had attained the five clairvoyances, and at that time I instructed and taught countless, innumerable beings who thereby obtained the five clairvoyances themselves. In the same way countless, innumerable beings gave up fighting, quarreling, and enmity and went to stay in the forests, where they ate the plants and fruit of the forest, meditated in dhyāna, and remained in the brahmavihāras day and night.

“Then at the time when the eon was close to ending, those venerable ones spread throughout Jambudvīpa, and conflict, fighting, wars, enmity, and quarreling ceased completely. Untimely wind and rains ceased. Excellent harvests^[411] grew from fertile^[412] soil. There were only the misfortunes of various illnesses caused by the bad nature of the age.

“At that time, I thought, ‘I have not been able to soothe the illnesses of beings.’ It then occurred to me, ‘I should bring together Śakra, great Brahmā, the guardians of the world, and other ṛṣis among the devas, nāgas, śakras, and humans, and have them produce a treatise on medical treatments for the sake of beings.’ I then traveled miraculously and informed Śakra, great Brahmā, the guardians of the world, as well as the ṛṣis among the devas, nāgas, śakras, and humans. They gathered at a place named Viḍacaraka Summit on Ekaviḍapati Mountain and revealed a treatise on the warding off and restraining of bhūtas, on protection, and on the alleviation of wind, bile, and phlegm. By applying it I cured countless, innumerable beings of their illnesses.⁠^[413]F.279.a

“Then I prayed that in a single day I would make the wisdom of countless, innumerable beings shine, bring them into the three yānas, close their doorways to the lower existences, put them on the road to the higher existences, and cure and free them from various illnesses. In that way, I gave the light of wisdom to countless beings and established them in happiness. Noble son, through the ripening of my good roots, this prayer was fulfilled. In a single day I shut the doors to lower existence for countless, innumerable beings and put them on the road to higher existence. In order to devise a system of medical treatments⁠^[414] and to benefit begins, a gathering of devas, ṛṣis, and yakṣas⁠^[415] assembled on Viḍacaraka Summit in the divine realm and revealed the expertise for eliminating the diseases of beings. In that same way, I performed these heroic acts in all of the continents in the buddha realm Timira and established beings on the path to the higher existences. I gathered together devas, nāgas, yakṣas, humans, and ṛṣis for the purpose of revealing various subjects of knowledge for the benefit of beings.

“Just as I had done in the buddha realm Timira, I performed these heroic acts in buddha realms with the five degeneracies in the ten directions, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and brought those beings into the three yānas, established them on the path to the higher existences, taught the various subjects of knowledge, and freed them from all illness. In that way, noble son, my unsurpassable aspiration was fulfilled.

“Just as I had prayed to perform through unsurpassable wisdom heroic deeds in all the continents in the buddha realm Timira, F.279.b I also performed them in empty buddha realms that had the five degeneracies in the ten directions, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. I performed those heroic deeds in all the continents in each of those buddha realms, just as I had prayed to do. Noble son, in that way I accomplished what I had prayed for. Observe, noble son, the special wisdom of bodhisattva conduct, and this seed of the good roots of the Tathāgata’s three excellent activities.

“In the same way, at a later time,^[416] after many countless eons had passed, when the five degeneracies were increasing in the great eon Saṃśrayasa, this buddha realm had the name Vijitaghoṣa.^[417] To the east, beyond fifty worlds of four continents, there was a Jambudvīpa called Vaḍa.^[418] I took birth there in order to ripen beings. I became a cakravartin named Ambara who ruled over the four continents. There I made beings obtain, enter, and remain in the path of the ten good actions. I made them obtain, enter, and remain in the three yānas. I gave away everything, giving to all. Petitioners came before me asking for all kinds of precious things, such as gold coins,^[419]and so on, up to and including sapphires, deep blue sapphires, jyotīrasas, and bluestones. Those petitioners received the many precious things they asked for.

“At that time, I asked my ministers, ‘Where did these jewels come from?’ They answered, ‘They are treasures revealed to us by nāga kings. These jewels are revealed in this world when the treasures are revealed, but however many petitioners come before Your Majesty, do not tell them anything about this.’

“At that time, I prayed, ‘If I am going to attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in a world that has the five degeneracies, F.280.a in which there is a great deal of fighting and argument and where the lifespan is a hundred years, then may the aspiration of this prayer of mine be fulfilled. May I be reborn in this buddha realm as a nāga king who reveals treasures.^[420] May I take rebirth seven times in each of the continents in this buddha realm, Vijitaghoṣa.^[421] In each lifetime may I reveal and give away hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of treasures filled with various precious things. Each treasure will be a thousand yojanas across and filled with various precious things such as gold coins, and so on, up to and including sapphires, deep blue sapphires, jyotīrasas, and bluestones. May I reveal these and give them to beings. Just as I perform that heroic deed in this buddha realm, may I take rebirth seven times in each continent within the buddha realms in the ten directions that have the five degeneracies, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and so on, as previously described.’

“Noble son, when I made that prayer, a hundred thousand trillion^[422] devas appeared in the middle of the sky and sent down a rain of flowers and said, ‘Excellent, Sarvaṃdada,^[423] excellent! Your aspiration will be fulfilled exactly as you have prayed.’ The populace heard that the devas in the middle of the sky gave King Ambara the name Sarvaṃdada, and having heard that they thought, ‘We should now ask him for gifts that are hard to give, F.280.b and if he gives them, then he should have this name Sarvaṃdada, but if he does not give them, then he should not have the name Sarvaṃdada.’^[424]

“Those beings then commenced to ask King Ambara for his harem, for Her Majesty, his principal queen, and for his sons and daughters. King Ambara gave them away with delight.

“Then they thought, ‘His giving away his queen was not difficult, so we should ask King Ambara for his limbs and the smaller parts^[425] of his body. If he gives them, then he will be Sarvaṃdada, but if he does not give them, then he will not be Sarvaṃdada.’ A young brahmin named Jyotīrasa then came before King Ambara and said, ‘Sarvaṃdada, give me your kingdom!’ When King Ambara heard this, his mind was filled with joy, and he himself washed the brahmin, bound the turban on his head, and consecrated him as the king. Leaving behind his kingship, and having given away the entirety of Jambudvīpa, he prayed, ‘May I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood because I have given away the entirety of Jambudvīpa! If this wish of mine is to be fulfilled, then may the one I have now made the king of all Jambudvīpa command the whole of Jambudvīpa, have a long life, and be a cakravartin for a long time. When I attain the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, may he be my regent and receive the prophecy of his attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Then a brahmin named Roca asked me for my feet, F.281.a and with delight I took a sharp sword, cut off my own feet, and gave them to him. I made the prayer, ‘May I obtain the feet of unsurpassable correct conduct.’

“A brahmin named Drāṣṭāva asked me for both my eyes. I pulled out both eyes and gave them to him and, as before, made a prayer for the attainment of the five unsurpassable eyes.^[426]

“Not long after, a brahmin named Saracchighoṣa asked me for both of my ears. I cut off both of my ears and gave them to him and prayed for the unsurpassable ears.

“An ājīvika named Saṃjīvana asked me for my genitalia. I cut them off, gave them to him, and prayed for the unsurpassable great being’s feature of a penis concealed within the abdomen.

“Others asked me for my flesh and blood, and I gave it to them and prayed for the sign of a golden complexion.

“Also, a mendicant named Kṣīrasa asked me for both my hands. I cut off my left hand with my right hand and then had my right hand cut off. I gave them to him and prayed for the unsurpassable hands of faith.

“When my limbs and the smaller parts of my body were cut off, covered with blood, I prayed, ‘If through this generosity my aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment will be fulfilled, may I definitely have someone who will take this body.’

“Then the people, the minor kings, and the ministers, who had no compassion, no nobility, and no gratitude, said, ‘He has been stupid and foolish. He has cut off his limbs and lost all his power over the kingdom. What use is this lump of flesh to us?’ F.281.b

“Then they took me outside the city and threw me into a charnel ground. There, flies and mosquitoes arrived and sucked my blood. Dogs, jackals, and vultures arrived and devoured my flesh.

“With my mind filled with delight, I prayed, ‘When I gave away all my power over the kingdom, and gave away my body, my limbs, and my small parts, I did not have a moment’s regret or anger. Therefore, may my aspiration be fulfilled. May my body remain as a mountain of flesh and may any being that eats flesh and drinks blood, eat my flesh and drink my blood.’

“Through the power of my prayer, for as long as beings ate my flesh and drank my blood, my body increased in size, until it eventually became a hundred thousand yojanas in height and five thousand yojanas wide. For a thousand years I satisfied beings with my flesh and blood. No matter how many tongues I grew, they were eaten by animals and birds, but through the power of my prayer I always grew more. If they were heaped together, they would be the size of this Vulture Peak Mountain. I prayed to attain the unsurpassable sign of a very long tongue.

“Then when I died, through the power of my prayer I was reborn in the Jambudvīpa called Rūḍhavaḍa^[427] among the nāgas and I became a nāga king named Nidhisaṃdarśana. On the night I was born among the nāgas, on that very night, I revealed hundreds of millions of trillions of treasures, declaring, ‘O beings! In this place a treasure has appeared! It is filled with various precious things: gold coins, and so on, up to and including bluestones. F.282.a O beings, take it. When you have taken it, obtain the path of the ten good actions. Develop the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Develop the aspiration for the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or the Buddhayāna.^[428] Go and take however many jewels you need.’

“In that Jambudvīpa called Rūḍhavaḍa, through the power of my previous prayer I was reborn as a nāga seven times. For seventy-seven times one hundred thousand million trillion years I revealed and gave away countless, innumerable treasures.

“In that same way, I brought countless, innumerable beings into the three yānas and established them on the path of the ten good actions. I satisfied them with a variety of jewels and prayed to obtain the unsurpassable thirty-two signs of a great being.

“In the same way I was reborn seven times in a second continent and performed those heroic deeds. In the same way, I was reborn in a third continent, and so on, until I had done the same heroic deeds in all the continents in the realm Vijitaghoṣa.

“In the same way, as previously described, I was reborn as a nāga seven times in each continent within the buddha realms in the ten directions that have the five degeneracies, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and each time, for seventy-seven hundred million trillion years, I revealed and gave away countless, innumerable treasures to beings.

“Observe, noble son, the Tathāgata’s bodhisattva conduct. The Tathāgata’s practice of bodhisattva conduct with powerful strength and diligence in seeking to attain the thirty-two signs of a great being is such that there has never before been a bodhisattva who practiced bodhisattva conduct with such powerful strength and diligence; F.282.b there isn’t one now, nor will there be in the future such a bodhisattva who practices bodhisattva conduct with the force of such powerful strength and diligence in order to attain the highest enlightenment—that is, apart from the previously mentioned eight bodhisattvas.

“Many countless eons after that time, during a bad age, in the great Utpala eon, this buddha realm had the name Pravāḍodupānā. It was empty and had the five degeneracies. In that world of four continents I was born as a Śakra named Savirocana.

“I saw that the beings in that Jambudvīpa believed in and practiced bad actions. I transformed myself into the form of an extremely fierce yakṣa, descended to Jambudvīpa, and came before them. When they saw me, they were terrified and asked, ‘What do you want? We will give it to you!’

“I said, ‘I need food.’

“ ‘What kind of food?’ they asked.

“I said, ‘I kill and eat people. But I don’t eat people who have given up killing for the rest of their lives and those who have renounced bad views. I don’t eat those who have developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment or those who have developed the aspiration for the Śrāvakayāna and the Pratyekabuddhayāna.’

“Then I emanated beings, whom I ate. When the beings saw me do so, they were terrified and renounced for the rest of their lives killing, taking what has not been given, and so on, up to and including bad views. Some developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment; some developed the aspiration for the Śrāvakayāna; and some developed the aspiration for the Pratyekabuddhayāna. F.283.a I established all the beings in the four continents on the path of the ten good actions and the three yānas.

“I prayed, ‘If my aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment will be fulfilled, then may this prayer of mine be fulfilled. Just as I have brought the beings of these four continents onto the path of good actions, so may I terrify, when they see me, all beings in all the four-continent worlds in this buddha realm and may I place those beings on the path of the ten good actions and bring them into the three yānas. In the same way, may I place on the path of the ten good actions and bring into the three yānas all the beings within the empty buddha realms with the five degeneracies in the ten directions, which are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River.’

“Noble son, that aspiration and prayer was fulfilled. In the form of a yakṣa I guided all the humans^[429] in the Pravāḍodupānā^[430] realm into good qualities. In the same way, in the form of a yakṣa I established all beings within the empty buddha realms in the ten directions, which have the five degeneracies and are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, in the practice of the path of good actions.

“In that way, I threatened many beings and established them in the practice of good actions. Through the power of that karma, when I sought the complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and sat at the foot of the Bodhi tree in Vajrāsana, evil Māra with his great army came to prevent me from attaining enlightenment.

“Noble son, that is a brief description of my attainment of the perfection of generosity while I was practicing the conduct of a bodhisattva. During that time, I also attained profound acceptance, profound retention, profound samādhi, F.283.b and the five mundane clairvoyances. I also accomplished such great heroic deeds.

“Similarly, I made countless, innumerable beings obtain, enter, and remain in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Similarly, I made countless, innumerable beings obtain, enter, and remain in the Pratyekabuddhayāna.

“Similarly, I made countless, innumerable beings obtain, enter, and remain in the Śrāvakayāna.

“While I was practicing the conduct of a bodhisattva I attended upon as many bhagavat buddhas as there are particles in a buddha realm. From each buddha I obtained as many qualities as there are drops of water in the ocean, I made offerings to countless pratyekabuddhas, and I made offerings to countless śrāvakas of tathāgatas. Similarly, I made offerings to fathers, mothers, and ṛṣis who had the five clairvoyances. When in the past I practiced the conduct of a bodhisattva, with compassion I satisfied beings with my own flesh and blood, and in the present, I satisfy beings through the Dharma teachings.”

Chapter 6

Conclusion

“Noble son, I, with my buddha eyes, see in the ten directions as many bhagavat buddhas passing into parinirvāṇa as there are particles in a buddha realm. It was I who first brought them all to the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and made them enter and remain in it.

“Thus, F.284.a I see innumerable, uncountable bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in the eastern direction, teaching the Dharma, having turned the Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma. It was I who first brought them, too, to the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and made them enter and remain in it. I was the one who made them first obtain, enter, and remain in the six perfections.

“I can say the same for the south, the west, and the north, below, and above.

“Noble son, I see in the eastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond 9,100,000 buddha realms, a realm called Saṃpuṣpita. The tathāgata named Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. I was the one who made that bhagavat develop for the first time the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and first obtain, enter, and remain in it. I was the one who made him for the first time obtain, enter, and remain in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom.

“In the same way I see, in the eastern direction, the buddha realm called Abhirati, in which there is the tathāgata named Akṣobhya; and the buddha realm Jambūnada, in which there is the tathāgata named Sūryagarbha; and the buddha realm Ratīśvara, in which there is the tathāgata named Ratīśvara­ghoṣa­jyoti; and the buddha realm Sūryapratiṣṭhita, in which there is the tathāgata named Jñānabhāskara; and the buddha realm Jayavaiśraya, in which there is the tathāgata named Nāganinardita; and the buddha realm Saṃjīvana, in which there is the tathāgata named Vajrakīrti; F.284.b and the buddha realm Svaraja, in which there is the tathāgata named Vyāghraraśmi; and the buddha realm Aratīya, in which there is the tathāgata named Saurabhyā Kiṃśukā;^[431] and the buddha realm Vairaprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Kīrtīśvararāja; and the buddha realm Meruprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Acintyarāja; and the buddha realm Saṃvara,^[432] in which there is the tathāgata named Jyotiśrīgarbha;^[433] and the buddha realm Kusumaprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Prabhāketu; and the buddha realm Kṣamottara, in which there is the tathāgata named Meru­svara­sandarśana­meru; and the buddha realm Dharaṇāvatī, in which there is the tathāgata named Jñānabimba; and the buddha realm Kusumavicitra, in which there is the tathāgata named Vimalanetra.

“Noble son, I see with my buddha eyes those bhagavat buddhas and countless, innumerable others who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in the eastern direction. In the past, when they had not developed the aspiration for enlightenment, I was the one who made them for the first time obtain the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and to obtain, enter, and remain in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom. First, I brought them before bhagavat buddhas, who resided, lived, and remained in those places, and there, for the first time, they obtained the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Then, at that time, in the Saṃpuṣpita realm, the seat on which the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja sat shook. The bodhisattvas who were present there saw the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja’s seat shake. F.285.a They asked the Tathāgata, “Bhagavat, what was the cause and what were the circumstances that made the Bhagavat’s seat shake, which we have never seen happen before?”

The Tathāgata said to them, “Noble sons, in the western direction from this buddha realm, beyond 9,100,000 buddha realms, there is the Sahā realm. The tathāgata named Śākyamuni resides, lives, and remains there. He is now teaching the Dharma to his fourfold assembly, beginning with an account of the past. In the past, that tathāgata, when he was a bodhisattva and performing bodhisattva conduct in order to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, made me aspire for the first time to the highest, most complete enlightenment. That tathāgata, who made me aspire for the first time to the highest, most complete enlightenment, also made me for the first time obtain, enter, and remain in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom. That tathāgata, when he was a bodhisattva and performing bodhisattva conduct in order to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, brought me for the first time before a buddha, a bhagavat, who was present, existed, and lived there, and for the first time I received the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. That kalyāṇamitra of mine, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, resides, lives, and remains in the Sahā realm. He is teaching the Dharma to his fourfold assembly, beginning with an account of the past. It is because of that tathāgata’s blessing that my seat shook.

“Noble sons, who among you wishes to go to the Sahā buddha realm to ask the Tathāgata Śākyamuni this question of mine: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ” F.285.b

Those bodhisattvas then said to the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, this morning bodhisattvas who had miraculous powers, the full attainment of all bodhisattva^[434] qualities, and had seen a great light, through their miraculous powers came from their buddha realms here to this buddha realm, Saṃpuṣpita. Therefore, for a moment, the ground shook and a rain of flowers fell.”

And those bodhisattva mahāsattvas^[435] said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we are going to the Sahā buddha realm in order to pay homage to and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Śākyamuni and to listen to the Dharma teaching on the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience.”

Then hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas, through their own miraculous powers, rose up above that buddha realm, but they did not make an effort to go anywhere. They said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we do not know the direction of the Sahā buddha realm of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

The Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja then extended his hand and illuminated 9,100,000 buddha realms. He illuminated as far as this buddha realm, Sahā. Because of this the bodhisattvas could see this entire Sahā buddha realm filled with bodhisattvas and the sky filled with devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and asuras. When they had seen that, F.286.a those bodhisattvas said to the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have seen that the entire Sahā buddha realm is filled with bodhisattvas, so that there isn’t even a space that’s only wide enough for a staff that hasn’t been filled by a bodhisattva. B15 We also saw the Tathāgata Śākyamuni teaching the Dharma and looking at us.”

The Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja said to the bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is one who sees everything. Noble sons, in the Sahā buddha realm every being, whether he lives on the ground or lives in the sky, is thinking, ‘The Tathāgata Śākyamuni is looking at me with his whole mind, and he is teaching the Dharma to me alone.’ Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, who has one shape and color, teaches in all shapes and colors. Noble sons, in that buddha realm those who have faith in Brahmā see the Tathāgata Śākyamuni as Brahmā and hear the Dharma being taught with the great Lord Brahmā’s voice. And it is the same for those who have faith in Māra, those who have faith in Sūrya, those who have faith in Candra, those who have faith in Vaiśravaṇa, those who have faith in Virūḍhaka, those who have faith in Virūpākṣa, those who have faith in Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and so on, up until those who have faith in Maheśvara F.286.b seeing the Tathāgata Śākyamuni as having Maheśvara’s form, color, and shape, and hearing the Dharma being taught with Maheśvara’s words and voice. Beings who have 84,000 different kinds of colors, shapes, faiths, forms, and languages see the Tathāgata Śākyamuni in that way and listen to the Dharma from him.”

Then the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja said to two bodhisattvas among his assembly, the bodhisattva Rahagarjita and a second bodhisattva named Jyotiraśmi, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm and with these words of mine ask the Tathāgata Śākyamuni about his health: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease? Are you comfortable?’ ”

The bodhisattvas said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have seen that in the entire Sahā buddha realm the ground and the sky are filled with bodhisattvas. There is no room on the ground nor in the sky for even a few beings, so where would we sit?”

The Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja said, “Noble sons, don’t say that there’s no room in the Sahā buddha realm. Why? Because the Tathāgata Śākyamuni provides a vast amount of room through the inconceivable qualities of buddhahood. Through his previous prayers, he teaches the Dharma, beginning with refuge in the Three Jewels and the teaching of the three yānas. He teaches the vows of the three trainings; he teaches the three doorways to liberation; he guides beings from the three lower existences; and he brings them onto the three peaceful paths. F.287.a Therefore the Tathāgata’s compassion and the entry into his teaching are vast.

“Noble sons, one time, not long after the Tathāgata Śākyamuni attained complete buddhahood, while contemplating the beings who were to be guided, he stayed in the hollow of a Sal tree that was the home of a yakṣa named Indrākṣa in the middle of a rugged, rocky mountain. For seven days he remained cross-legged, experiencing the joy and bliss of liberation. The Tathāgata’s body filled the tree hollow; there wasn’t even a four-finger-width space that was not filled by the Tathāgata’s body.

“When seven days had passed, twelve hundred million bodhisattva mahāsattvas came from the ten directions to the Sahā realm and sat on the side of the mountain in order to pay homage to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, attend upon him, and listen to his Dharma teaching.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni performed a miraculous transformation for that assembly. The tree hollow became vast and wide. When the twelve hundred million^[436] bodhisattvas entered the tree hollow, they saw it as vastly spacious.^[437] Each bodhisattva manifested a variety of bodhisattva miracles so as to make offerings to the Tathāgata. Then each bodhisattva manifested a seat made of seven jewels and sat upon it to listen to the Dharma.

“Noble sons, when those bodhisattvas had heard the Dharma from the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, F.287.b they bowed their heads three times to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s feet and returned to their own buddha realms. As soon as those bodhisattvas departed, the tree hollow became just as it was before. The Tathāgata Śākyamuni can create that kind of vast space.

“In that four-continent world, there was a Śakra named Kauśika, whose life was nearing its end, and he was afraid of being reborn as an animal. Accompanied by 84,000 deities of the Trāyastriṃśa paradise, he went to the tree hollow where the Bhagavat was. When they arrived, they sat beside the tree hollow that was the home of the yakṣa Indrākṣa. Kauśika, through the power of the Bhagavat, thought, ‘I should make a request to the gandharva Pañcaśikha. When the gandharva Pañcaśikha sings beautiful praises to the Bhagavat, the Bhagavat comes out from his dhyānas and samādhis.’

“Then Śakra Kauśika made that request to the gandharva Pañcaśikha, and the gandharva Pañcaśikha picked up his lute and, through the power of the Bhagavat, in music and song he praised the Bhagavat with five hundred eulogies. Noble sons, when the gandharva Pañcaśikha began to praise the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, on hearing the song, entered the samādhi called the crest ornament that illuminates beautiful songs.^[438] Through that samādhi, powerful yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, F.288.a gandharvas, all the desire-realm devas, and all the form-realm devas in the Sahā realm came to that place. Those who liked to listen to music heard music, those who liked listening to beautiful praises heard praises, and in the presence of the Bhagavat they felt powerful happiness, joy, delight, and veneration and respect for the teacher. Those who liked listening to flute music heard a flute.

“The Tathāgata Śākyamuni then arose from that samādhi and looked out from the tree hollow. Śakra approached the Bhagavat and asked, ‘Bhagavat, where shall I sit?’

“The Tathāgata Śākyamuni said, ‘As many yakṣas as have come may all sit in here.’ Then the tree hollow became so vast that as many yakṣas as there are grains of sand in twelve Ganges Rivers entered and sat inside. In that way the Tathāgata Śākyamuni gave a Dharma teaching to the assembly. Those in the assembly who were followers of the Śrāvakayāna heard teachings on the Śrāvakayāna, and from among them 990,000,000 attained the result of becoming a stream enterer. Those in the assembly who followed the yāna of the highest, most complete enlightenment heard only the Mahāyāna teachings. Eighteen hundred million of them, such as the gandharva Pañcaśikha, attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment. Among those who had not yet developed an aspiration for any of the three yānas, F.288.b some developed an aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment; some developed an aspiration for the Pratyekabuddhayāna; and some developed an aspiration for the Śrāvakayāna.

“Śakra Kauśika was freed from his fear, his life was extended for a thousand years, and he attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni can provide that kind of vast space. The collection of praises of that tathāgata is similarly vast; no one can measure or calculate the extent of the collection of praises of that tathāgata. That tathāgata’s skill in methods for ripening beings is also vast; no one can grasp the extent of that tathāgata’s skill in methods.

“Noble sons, that tathāgata’s body is also vast; no one can see the crown of his head or discover the end of that tathāgata’s body. If all the beings in the Sahā buddha realm were to enter the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s body, those beings would be able to wander around within it. Even if those beings were to go in and out of just one pore on the Tathāgata’s body, not one, even those with divine sight, would perceive the extent of that one pore, whether it was expanded or contracted. That is how vast the body of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni also has a F.289.a vast buddha realm. For example, if as many buddha realms in the ten directions as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River were to be as filled with beings as the Sahā buddha realm is, and all those beings were to enter the Sahā realm, they would be able to move around in it.^[439] Why is that? It is because that is what the Tathāgata prayed for when he first developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Noble sons, never mind realms equal to the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River—noble sons, if buddha realms as numerous as the number of grains of sand in a thousand Ganges Rivers were to be filled with beings in the way that the Sahā buddha realm is, and all those beings were to enter Sahā, they would be able to wander around in different directions.

“Noble sons, such was that tathāgata’s prayer for the attainment of wisdom when he first developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Thus the Tathāgata Śākyamuni possesses a vast buddha realm. Due to these four qualities that have been described, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is superior to all other tathāgatas.

“Noble sons, take these flowers, which have the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and go to the Sahā buddha realm, which I can see in the west. There inquire after his health, by repeating these words of mine to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ”

Then the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja F.289.b picked up the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, gave them to the bodhisattva Rahagarjita and the bodhisattva Jyotiraśmi, and said, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm through my miraculous power.”

Then twenty thousand beings said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we also, through the power of the Tathāgata, will go to the Sahā realm in order to see, pay homage to, and attend upon the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

“Noble sons, go as you wish,” replied the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja.

Then, through the miraculous power of the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja, the two bodhisattvas, Rahagarjita and Jyotiraśmi, together with twenty thousand other bodhisattvas, rose from the realm Saṃpuṣpita and in one instant of the mind arrived in the Sahā buddha realm and were upon Vulture Peak Mountain.

They placed their palms together and, facing the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, they said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the eastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond 9,100,000 buddha realms, there is a realm called Saṃpuṣpita in which dwells the tathāgata named Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja. That tathāgata has praised the qualities of the Tathāgata to his assembly of bodhisattvas, saying, ‘In the Sahā realm there dwells the tathāgata named Śākyamuni. In the past, when that tathāgata was a bodhisattva practicing bodhisattva conduct, F.290.a he was the very first to make me obtain, enter into, and remain in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. It is through his words that I developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. It was that tathāgata who brought me to the perfection of generosity…’ ”

And they continued, as previously described, up to the superiority of his four qualities. They said, “That tathāgata has sent to you these flowers, which have the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and inquires after your health, asking, ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ”

In the same way, in the buddha realm Abhirati, the seat on which the Tathāgata Akṣobhya sat shook. The bodhisattvas who were assembled there saw the Tathāgata Akṣobhya’s seat shake. They questioned the Tathāgata, and so on, as has been previously described, and it was the same for all the others.

Then, at that time, there came to this Sahā buddha realm countless, innumerable bodhisattvas from the eastern direction as emissaries of the tathāgatas, carrying the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon. They came so as to inquire about the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s health, make offerings to him, pay homage to him, serve him, and listen to Dharma teachings from him.

As soon as the Bhagavat had concluded describing the names of the bhagavat buddhas, and their buddha realms in the eastern direction, the Bhagavat commenced upon describing those in the southern direction.

“Noble son, I see in the southern direction from this buddha realm, beyond as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, a realm called Sarvaśokāpagata. F.290.b The tathāgata named Aśokaśrī resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. I was the one who made that bhagavat gain for the first time the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and so on, as previously described.

“In the same way, I see, in the southern direction, the buddha realm Jambūprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Dharmeśvaravinardi; and the buddha realm Merupratiṣṭhita, in which there is the tathāgata named Gatīśvarasālendra; and the buddha realm Guṇendraniryūha, in which there is the tathāgata named Siṃha­vijṛmbhita­rāja; and the buddha realm Maṇimūlavyūha, in which there is the tathāgata named Nārāyaṇa­vijita­garbha; and the buddha realm Muktāprabhasaṃcaya, in which there is the tathāgata named Ratna­guṇa­vijṛmbhita­saṃcaya; and the buddha realm Devasoma, in which there is the tathāgata named Jyotigarbha; and the buddha realm Candanamūla, in which there is the tathāgata named Nakṣatra­vidhāna­kīrti; and the buddha realm Viśiṣṭagandha, in which there is the tathāgata named Puṇyabala­sāla­rāja; and the buddha realm Suvidita, in which there is the tathāgata named Manojñaghoṣa­svara­vinardita; and the buddha realm Duraṇya, in which there is the tathāgata named Sālajaya­bindu­rājā; and the buddha realm Nardaścoca, in which there is the tathāgata named Tejeśvaraprabhāsa; and the buddha realm Abhigarjita, in which there is the tathāgata named Sumanojñasvaranir­ghoṣa; F.291.a and the buddha realm Ratnavisabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Ratnatalanāgendra; and the buddha realm Palāmaratna­vṛkṣa­ratna, in which there is the tathāgata named Dharma­megha­nirghoṣeśvarasaumya.”

In the same way, the seats of countless, innumerable bhagavat buddhas in the south shook. Those bhagavat buddhas praised the Tathāgata Śākyamuni and described his renown and fame.

At that time, there came to this Sahā buddha realm countless, innumerable bodhisattvas from the southern direction, as emissaries of the tathāgatas, carrying the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon. They came so as to inquire about the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s health, and so on, as previously described, and to listen to Dharma teachings from him.

The Bhagavat said, “Noble sons, I see in the western direction from this buddha realm, beyond 970 trillion buddha realms, a realm called Upaśāntamati. The tathāgata named Ratnagiri resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. I was the one who made that bhagavat gain for the first time the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment…,” and so on, as previously described.

In the western buddha realms there was the tathāgata named Vararaśmikośa, the tathāgata named Svarajñakośa, the tathāgata named Haritālakīrti, the tathāgata named Samantagarbha, the tathāgata named Brahmakusuma, the tathāgata named Karadharavikrama, the tathāgata named Dharmaveśapradīpa, the tathāgata named Asamantara­meru­svara­vighuṣṭa­rāja, and the tathāgata named Brahmendraghoṣa, and so on. F.291.b The Tathāgata Śākyamuni gave the names of countless, innumerable bhagavat buddhas in the western direction, and their seats shook. Then at that time, there came to this Sahā buddha realm countless, innumerable bodhisattvas from the western direction, as emissaries of the tathāgatas, carrying flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and so on, as previously described, in order to listen to Dharma teaching.

In the same way as it has been described, so it was for the north, above, below, the southeast, the southwest, the northwest, and the northeast.

Then the Tathāgata Śākyamuni said, “Noble son, in the northeastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond 980 trillion buddha realms, there is a realm called Vijaya. The tathāgata named Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. When I was a bodhisattva and performing bodhisattva conduct for attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment, I was the one who first made him acquire the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and acquire the six perfections. I was the first to bring him before a buddha, a bhagavat, who was present, existed, and lived there, and for the first time, he received the prophecy of his attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

When the Tathāgata Śākyamuni said his name, at that time the Tathāgata Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja’s seat shook, and so on, as previously described, and beings with 84,000 different colors, shapes, faiths, forms, and languages saw the Tathāgata Śākyamuni in that way and listened to Dharma teachings from him. F.292.a

Within the Tathāgata Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja’s assembly there were two bodhisattvas, one named Vigopaśikhara and one named Saṃrocanabuddha.

The Tathāgata Vigatasaṃtāpobhavavaiśravaṇasālarāja said to the two bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm with these words of mine and ask the tathāgata Śākyamuni about his health: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease? Are you comfortable?’ ”

The two bodhisattvas said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have seen that in the entire Sahā buddha realm the ground and the sky are filled with beings. There is no room, either on the ground or in the sky, for even a few beings, so where would we sit?”

“Noble sons,” replied the Tathāgata, “don’t say that there is no room in the Sahā buddha realm. Why? Because, noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni provides a vast amount of room through the inconceivable qualities of buddhahood. Through his previous prayers, he teaches the Dharma, beginning with refuge in the Three Jewels and the teaching of the three yānas. He teaches the vows of the three trainings, he teaches the three doorways to liberation, he guides beings from the three lower existences, and he brings them onto the three paths to peace. Therefore, the Tathāgata’s compassion and the entry into his teaching are vast.^[440]F.292.b

“Noble sons, at one time, not long after the Tathāgata Śākyamuni attained complete buddhahood, while observing which beings were to be guided, he stayed in the hollow of a Sal tree that was the home of a yakṣa named Indrākṣa,^[441] in the middle of a rugged, rocky mountain. For seven days he remained cross-legged, experiencing the joy and bliss of liberation. The Tathāgata’s body filled the tree hollow; there wasn’t even a four-finger-width space that was not filled by the Tathāgata’s body.

“When seven days had passed, twelve hundred million bodhisattva mahāsattvas came from the ten directions to the Sahā realm and sat on the side of the mountain in order to pay homage to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, attend upon him, and listen to his Dharma teaching.” He continued, as previously described, up until: “Due to these four qualities that have been described, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is superior to all other tathāgatas.”

“Noble sons, take these flowers, which have the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and go to the Sahā buddha realm, which I can see in the southwest. There inquire after his health by repeating these words of mine to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ”

Then the Tathāgata Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja picked up the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, gave them to the bodhisattva Vigopaśikhara and the bodhisattva F.293.a Saṃrocanabuddha, and said to them, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm through my miraculous power.”

Twenty thousand beings then said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we also, through the power of the Tathāgata, will go to the Sahā realm in order to see, pay homage to, and attend upon the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

“Noble sons, go as you wish to,” replied the Tathāgata.

Then, through the miraculous power of that tathāgata, those two bodhisattvas together with twenty thousand other bodhisattvas rose from the realm Vijaya and in one instant of the mind arrived in this Sahā buddha realm and were upon Vulture Peak Mountain.

They placed their palms together and, facing the bhagavat, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, they said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the northeastern direction from this buddha realm…,” and so on, as previously described, up to and including giving him the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and they inquired after his health, asking, “Are you well? Are you at ease?”

The seat of the Tathāgata Māra­bhavana­vidhvaṃsana shook. The bodhisattvas who were assembled there saw the Tathāgata Māra­bhavana­vidhvaṃsana’s seat shake. They asked the Tathāgata about it, and so on, as previously described. F.293.b

At that time, similarly, the tathāgatas Sālendrarāja, Vikramaraśmi, Padmottara, Candana, Merurāja, Sāgara, Sārajyoti, and Jñānavikrama, and countless, innumerable bhagavat buddhas in the northeastern direction, sent bodhisattvas, carrying flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, to inquire after the health of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, make offerings to him, pay homage to him, serve him, and listen to his Dharma teaching, and they arrived in this Sahā buddha realm.

At that moment, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, through his miraculous power, transformed the bodies of every being who had gathered in the Sahā buddha realm to become a yojana in height, and the entire Sahā buddha realm became filled with such beings. Those beings filled all the ground and sky in this buddha realm. There wasn’t even a space the size of a collyrium stick that had not been filled by these beings. All those beings could only see the Tathāgata Śākyamuni. They could not see any empty space left and could not even see each other. F.294.a

Their eyes did not perceive Mount Sumeru, Cakravāḍa, Mahācakravāḍa, or other mountains. They did not perceive the in-between worlds, did not perceive the palaces of deities, and did not perceive the disk of gold below or the earth above it.

The Bhagavat then entered the confidence in the elimination of phenomena samādhi, which pervades space. Through that samādhi, all the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon entered the Bhagavat’s pores. All the beings who were in the Sahā realm saw this. Their minds and mental events became devoid of the mental engagement that sees forms, and all they perceived^[442] were the pores of the Bhagavat. There they saw parks, like the parks in the realm of Sukhāvatī, which were filled with all kinds of precious trees, and they saw trees adorned by all kinds of leaves, flowers, fruits, cloths, clothing, parasols, victory banners, flags, armlets, and strings of pearls.

Those beings thought, “We want to go into that park to see it.”

All the beings in the Sahā realm, apart from those in the hells, those in Yama’s realm, the animals, and those in the formless realm, entered into the Tathāgata’s body through his pores.

The Bhagavat then concluded his miracle and came out from his meditation, and the beings could again see each other. They wondered, “Where is the Tathāgata Śākyamuni?” F.294.b

The bodhisattva Maitreya said, “O beings, discern carefully that we have all entered the body of the Tathāgata!”

Each of those beings then directly perceived the inside and outside of the Tathāgata’s body. They wondered, “How did we enter and assemble inside the Tathāgata’s body?^[443] Through where did we enter the Tathāgata’s body? Who made us enter?”

The bodhisattva Maitreya then proclaimed to the entire assembly, “Listen! This is a miraculous transformation performed by the Tathāgata. He is the teacher who will teach us the Dharma in order to benefit us, and so we should give him all our attention.”

Then the entire assembly placed their palms together and bowed.

The Bhagavat taught them the Dharma of all the ways of happiness. What are all the ways of happiness? They are getting across the swamp of saṃsāra, entering the eightfold noble path, and accomplishing omniscience and self-arisen wisdom. In this there are ten aspects of developing the aspiration for entering dhyāna. They are (1) possessing the aspiration for great compassion for beings; (2) developing that which brings benefit;^[444] (3) the acquisition of a great ship to take across those beings who have not crossed over; (4) wearing the armor of liberating those not liberated so as to liberate them from untrue, deluded views; F.295.a (5) wearing the armor of not being frightened by the lion’s great roar so as to examine the selflessness of all phenomena; (6) wearing the armor of going to all realms so as to understand that all phenomena are like mirages, dreams, and illusions; (7) wearing the armor of adorning the realms with light so as to have an accumulation of good conduct; (8) wearing the armor of accomplishing the ten strengths of a tathāgata in order to complete all the perfections; (9) wearing the armor of attaining the four confidences so as to practice what you have taught; and (10) wearing the armor of attaining all of the eighteen distinct qualities of the Buddha so as to put into practice, without falsehood, the Dharma received by the bodhisattvas.

Those are the ten aspects of the practice of entering the Dharma doorways of the way of happiness.

There is also the practice of the way of realizing the Dharma doorway of the fearlessnesses: attention to the selflessness of all phenomena^[445] and the realization of nonarising and noncessation, the level of irreversibility, which cuts through proceeding and turning back, and has no permanence, no raising up, and no setting down.

When the Tathāgata gave this Dharma teaching the beings that were inside his body, who were as numerous as the grains of sand in 800 million Ganges Rivers, attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment.

All the countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were there attained various kinds of retention and acceptance. Then they all came out of the Tathāgata’s pores, were astonished, and bowed down their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet. Then they returned to their own buddha realms in the ten directions in order to make known^[446] the domain of the Tathāgata’s speech and the extent of his body.

Countless, innumerable bodhisattvas went to the east. Those in the eastern direction who had not left the buddha realms and had not F.295.b heard the multitude of praises of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni there listened to the various syllables, words, and meanings of the praises. They heard the Dharma that had been received from the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.^[447] The bodhisattvas described how it was seen that, without the body of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni becoming greater or smaller, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s body became filled with bodhisattvas and śrāvakas; how countless, innumerable bodhisattvas and śrāvakas entered and exited just one of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s pores; and how it was the same for a second pore, and so on, up to and including and how it was the same for all his pores.

The same was described in all the ten directions.

The entire assembly, who had entered into the body of the Bhagavat and come out through the pores of the Bhagavat’s body, bowed their heads at the Bhagavat’s feet, circumambulated him three times, sat before the Bhagavat, and praised him with the recitation of various sounds, syllables, words, and meanings.

The devas who were inhabitants of the desire realm and the devas who were inhabitants of the form realm sent down a rain of offerings of various incenses, flowers, and perfumes; they also played divine music and offered divine parasols, victory banners, flags, clothing, cloth, and ornaments to the Bhagavat.

A bodhisattva named Vaiśāradya­samuddhāraṇi, with palms placed together, bowed to the Bhagavat and asked him, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, what is the name of this sūtra of great prophecy?”

The Bhagavat said, “It is called The Dhāraṇī Entranceway That Is the Form of Omniscience. It is called Numerous Buddhas. F.296.a It is called The Great Gathering. It is called The Prophecies to the Bodhisattvas. It is called Liberation on the Path of Fearlessness. It is called Entering the Understanding of Samādhi. It is called Revealing All Buddha Realms. It is called Like an Ocean. It is called Innumerable. It is called The White Lotus of Compassion.”

Then Vaiśāradya­samuddhāraṇi asked, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, how much merit is created by a noble son or noble daughter who listens to this Dharma teaching, obtains it, keeps it, reads it, expounds it aloud to others at length, writes it out, or has others write it out, even if it is just one verse?”

“I have described this merit before, so now I shall describe it in brief,” replied the Bhagavat. “Whoever listens to this Dharma teaching, obtains it, keeps it, reads it, or expounds it aloud to others, either at length or even just one verse, and the one who in the future, during the last five hundred years of the Dharma, writes it out and keeps it, will generate vast merit. Even the merit accumulated by a bodhisattva who has practiced the six perfections for ten great eons cannot equal it. Why is that? It calms anger in the minds of all in the world, including the realms of the devas, the realm of Māra, the realm of Brahmā, the mendicants and brahmins, and the yakṣas, nāgas, gandharvas, mahoragas, pretas, piśācas, kinnaras, and asuras.

“It ends all illnesses, fighting, conflict, argument, and disputes. It stops untimely wind, rain, death, and illness; it ends all famine; it brings happiness; it brings good harvests; F.296.b it brings complete health; it makes those who are afraid free from fear and happy; it ends the kleśas; it increases good roots; it liberates from the three lower existences; it teaches the path of the three yānas; it brings the attainment of samādhi, retention, and acceptance; it sustains all beings; it causes sitting on the vajra throne; it causes the defeat of the four māras; it brings buddhahood through the factors for enlightenment; it causes the turning of the wheel of the Dharma; it gives the power of the factors for enlightenment to those beings who do not have the seven noble riches; and it brings a great following and entrance into the city of fearlessness. That is why I have given this Dharma teaching.

“Into whose hands shall I entrust this Dharma teaching? Who will protect this Dharma teaching in the last five hundred years of the Dharma? Who will expound it so that those who are not on the level of the Dharma, and the bhikṣus who have lost their correct conduct, will hear it? Will there be anyone who will completely eliminate the sadness^[448] of those who have the attachment of attachment to that which is not the Dharma, who are overwhelmed by powerful desires, who are in bondage to false Dharma, and who are completely unripened beings?”

That entire assembly understood the intention in the Bhagavat’s mind. Seated among that assembly was a yakṣa ṛṣi named Merupuṇya. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya took the yakṣa ṛṣi Merupuṇya and brought him before the Bhagavat.

The Bhagavat said to him, “Great ṛṣi, you keep this Dharma teaching! F.297.a During the last five hundred years of the Dharma, when the irreversible bodhisattvas have gone to other worlds, recite it aloud so people can hear it, and make them develop the aspiration for irreversibility.”^[449]

“Bhadanta Bhagavat, I will do so,” replied Merupuṇya. “Bhadanta Bhagavat, because of the prayers I made in the past I have been, Bhadanta Bhagavat, a yakṣa ṛṣi for more than eighty-four great eons, during which time I have practiced the bodhisattva conduct that leads to the highest, most complete enlightenment. I have established innumerable beings in the four brahmavihāras and brought them to the level of irreversibility. I will myself ripen those beings who, during the last five hundred years of the Dharma, keep this Dharma teaching, even those who keep just a four-line verse from it.”

That is what the Bhagavat taught. The entire assembly, and the whole world with its devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the Buddha’s words.