Toh 556 — The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2)

Chapter 1: The Introduction

B1F.151.bI pay homage to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and noble śrāvakas of the past, future, and present.

Thus did I hear at one time.^[1] The Bhagavat was within the profound, completely pure Dharma realm that is the sublime field of activity of the tathāgatas, dwelling at Vulture Peak Mountain at Rājagṛha, together with a saṅgha of ninety-eight thousand^[2] great bhikṣus. All of them were great arhats, perfectly tamed like the king of elephants. Their defilements had ceased, they were devoid of kleśas, their minds were completely liberated, their wisdom was completely liberated, they had done what had to be done, they had put down their burdens, they had attained their goals, they had cut through engagement with existence, they had attained supreme and sublime power, they had perfectly maintained pure conduct, they were arrayed with methods and wisdom, they had manifested the eight liberations, and they had reached the farther shore.

Their names were Venerable Kauṇḍinya, Venerable Aśvajit, Venerable Vāṣpa, Venerable Mahānāman, Venerable Bhadrika, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, Venerable Uruvilva­kāśyapa, Venerable Gayākāśyapa, Venerable Nadīkāśyapa, Venerable Śāriputra, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and Ānanda. These and the other great śrāvakas had each risen in the afternoon from resting inwardly and had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side. F.152.a

A trillion^[3] bodhisattva mahāsattvas were also gathered there. They were renowned because of being endowed with great brilliance and glory like the great kings of the nāgas. They aspired to always maintain generosity and pure conduct; they had practiced patience and diligence for countless eons; they manifested the mindfulness that transcends all dhyānas; they had opened the door to wisdom; they had accomplished skill in methods; they enjoyed sublime sensory powers and had acquired clairvoyance; they had attained the great power of mental retention; they had unceasing eloquence; they had eliminated all kleśas and afflictions; they had quickly attained omniscient wisdom and defeated Māra and the hosts of adversaries; through beating the drum of the Dharma they subdued all tīrthikas and caused them to develop clear minds; through turning the wheel of the Dharma they liberated devas and humans; they adorned all the buddha realms in the ten directions; they brought benefit to those who dwelled in the six existences; they had consummate great wisdom; they were endowed with great patience; they were endowed with love; they maintained the motivation of great compassion; they had enduring great might; they served all the buddhas; they did not pass into nirvāṇa, but instead maintained the great commitment to remain until the future’s end; they had developed pure causes in the presence of many buddhas; they had attained patience toward the quality of birthlessness of the phenomena of the three times; they had completely transcended the field of activity of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; with great skill in methods they were skilled in explaining the implied meaning of the profound Dharma taught by the great teachers, the guides of the world; and they had cut through all doubts through the direct perception of emptiness.

Among them were the bodhisattva Anāvaraṇa­dharma­cakra­varta,F.152.b the bodhisattva Aspiring to Always Turn the Dharma Wheel, the bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptadhura, the bodhisattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvararāja, the bodhisattva King Fearless Powerful Array, the bodhisattva King of Supreme Mount Meru, the bodhisattva Great Ocean Profound King, the bodhisattva Ratnaketu, the bodhisattva Mahāratnaketu, the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, the bodhisattva Lord with Jeweled Hands, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva Ratibala, the bodhisattva Great Dharma Power,^[4] the bodhisattva Extremely Radiant Array, the bodhisattva Great Golden Radiant Array, the bodhisattva Pure Ethics, the bodhisattva Always Concentrated, the bodhisattva Extremely Pure Intelligence,^[5] the bodhisattva Firm Effort,^[6] the bodhisattva Ākāśavat, the bodhisattva Anikṣipta­mahā­praṇidhāna, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyadatta, the bodhisattva Curing Affliction, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, the bodhisattva Joyful High King,^[7] the bodhisattva Prophesied Attainment, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Completely Pure Radiance, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Dharma Holder,^[8] the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Joy, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Limitless Revealer,^[9] the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lion’s Roar, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Supreme Bull’s Sound,F.153.a the bodhisattva Great Cloud Good Fortune, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Precious Glory,^[10] the bodhisattva Great Cloud Sun’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Moon’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Starlight, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Firelight, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lightning, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Thunder, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Constant Wisdom Rain,^[11] the bodhisattva Great Cloud King Completely Pure Rain, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Flower Tree King, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Utpala Scent, the bodhisattva Precious Cloud Sandalwood Cool Body, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Clearing Darkness, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Clearing Obscured Vision, and so on—countless, numberless bodhisattva mahāsattvas, who, during that afternoon, had arisen from resting internally and come into the presence of the Bhagavat.

They bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.

There were also 580,000 Licchavī youths.^[12] Among them were Kumāra Lion’s Light, Kumāra Siṃhamati, Kumāra Dharmadatta, Kumāra Powerful Bestower, Kumāra Mahāprabha, Kumāra Great Glory, Kumāra Buddhapālita, Kumāra Dharmapāla, Kumāra Sustaining the Saṅgha, Kumāra Vajra Guard, Kumāra Ākāśapāla, Kumāra Ākāśaghoṣa, Kumāra Ratnagarbha, Kumāra Supreme Auspicious Essence, and so on. They were pleasantly established in the highest, most complete enlightenment and had perfect aspiration for the Mahāyāna. During that afternoon they had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side. F.153.b

There were also 42,000 devas. Among them were Deva Beautiful to See, Deva Pramudita, Deva Sūryaprabha, Deva Moon Crest, Deva Clear Insight, Deva Ākāśa­viśuddha­prajña, Deva Remover of Affliction,^[13] Deva Maṅgala, and so on. They had made the vast prayer to guard the Mahāyāna Dharma, to hold the true Dharma, and to prevent its discontinuation. During that afternoon they had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

There were also 28,000 nāga kings. Among them were Nāga King Padma, Nāga King Elapatra, Nāga King Mahābala, Nāga King Mahāghoṣa, Nāga King Alpormika, Nāga King River Holder, Nāga King Golden Face, Nāga King Manasvī, and so on. They had all aspired to possess and hold the Mahāyāna and had developed the motivation to spread and protect it. During that afternoon, each of them had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.

There was also the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa with 36,000 yakṣas. Among them were Yakṣa Amra, Yakṣa Amradhara, Yakṣa Essence of Lotus Radiance, Yakṣa Lotus Face, Yakṣa Bhṛkuṭi, Yakṣa Manifesting Great Fear, Yakṣa Bhūmikampa, Yakṣa Annaharaṇa, and so on. F.154.a All those yakṣas had faith in the Dharma of the Tathāgata and were dedicated to guarding it. During that afternoon, all of them came into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.

There were also 49,000 garuḍas, such as the garuḍa king Powerful King of Elephants.

There were also gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, kumbhāṇḍas, and mahoragas; divine ṛṣis of mountains, forests, rivers, and seas; great kings and their retinues, queens, attendants, sons, noblemen, and noblewomen; and devas, humans, and so on. They had all prayed to read, recite, possess and hold, question,^[14] spread, guard, and protect this unsurpassable Mahāyāna Dharma. During that afternoon all of them had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.

In that way, those śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, asuras, garuḍas, and so on—all those eight classes of beings—had gathered like clouds. With one-pointed minds, with palms together in homage, and with unblinking eyes, they gazed at the Bhagavat’s face, and wishing that he would teach the Dharma, they supplicated him.

Then, during the afternoon, the Bhagavat arose from samādhi, looked upon the multitude that had assembled, and recited these verses:

Chapter 2: The Teaching of the Lifespan of the Tathāgata

Also, at that time, there dwelled in the great city of Rājagṛha a bodhisattva mahāsattva by the name of Ruciraketu. He had served past jinas, had developed roots of merit, and had attended^[26] upon many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas. He thought, “Through what causes and what conditions does the Bhagavat Śākyamuni have such a short lifespan of eighty years?”

Then he thought, “The Bhagavat has said, ‘There are two causes and two conditions for a long life. F.155.b What are those two? Forsaking killing and giving food.’ The Bhagavat Śākyamuni has forsaken killing and has correctly adopted^[27] the path of the ten good actions for countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. He has given external and internal substances as food to beings, even to the extent^[28] of satisfying hungry beings with his own body, blood, bones, and limbs, to say nothing of every other kind of food.”

When that sublime being’s mind had thought that, with his attention focused upon the Buddha, his house became immense, vast, and made of blue beryl. It was adorned with many divine jewels, its color transformed by the Tathāgata,^[29] and it was pervaded by a perfume that transcended the divine.

In the four directions of that house there appeared four thrones made of divine jewels. The thrones were overspread with layers^[30] of precious, divine cloth decorated with divine jewels.^[31]

Upon those^[32] thrones appeared divine lotus flowers, their colors transformed by the Tathāgata,^[33] and adorned by many jewels. Upon those lotuses there appeared the four buddha bhagavats. To the east appeared the Tathāgata Akṣobhya. To the south appeared the Tathāgata Ratnaketu. To the west appeared the Tathāgata Amitābha. To the north appeared the Tathāgata Dundubhisvara. At the moment when those buddha bhagavats appeared upon those lion thrones, the great city of Rājagṛha was filled by a great illuminating light. That light spread throughout the trichiliocosm world realm, throughout as many world realms in the ten directions as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. A rain of flowers fell. There came the sound of divine music.F.156.a Through the power of the Buddha, all beings in this trichiliocosm world realm gained divine happiness. Those who had incomplete faculties gained all their faculties. The blind saw forms with their eyes; the deaf heard sounds with their ears; the insane gained their sanity; those with distracted^[34] minds became undistracted; the naked became clothed; the hungry had their stomachs filled; the thirsty found drink;^[35] beings afflicted by illness were healed; and those with impaired physical faculties became possessed of complete faculties.

In those worlds there appeared vast, astonishing, wonderful qualities.

The bodhisattva^[36] Ruciraketu was amazed to see those buddha bhagavats, and, filled with joy, delighted, elated, pleased, and happy, with his palms together in homage, he bowed toward those buddha bhagavats. Mindful of those buddha bhagavats and mindful of the qualities of the Buddha Bhagavat Śākyamuni, he had doubts concerning the lifespan of the Bhagavat Śākyamuni. In his mind was the thought, “Why is it that the Bhagavat Śākyamuni has this short lifespan of eighty years?”

Those buddha bhagavats were aware of and understood these thoughts and said to the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, “Noble one, do not think, ‘The Bhagavat Śākyamuni has such a short lifespan.’ Why is that? Noble one, except for the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas, F.156.b we do not see anyone within the world with its devas, with its Māra, with its Brahmā, with its many beings who are mendicants and brahmins, and with its devas, humans, and asuras who has the ability to know the Bhagavat Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s lifespan to its future limit.”

As soon as those buddha bhagavats described the Tathāgata’s lifespan, at that moment, through the power of the buddhas, the devas in the desire realm, the devas in the form realm, the nāgas, the yakṣas, the gandharvas, the asuras, the garuḍas, the kinnaras, the mahoragas, and the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of assembled bodhisattvas arrived in the house of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

Those tathāgatas then recited verses that taught in brief the length of the lifespan of the Bhagavat Śākyamuni to that complete assembly:

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, having heard that teaching on the lifespan of Bhagavat Śākyamuni, asked those bhagavats, “Why is it that the Bhagavat Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, manifests such a short lifespan?”

The bhagavats said to the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, “The Bhagavat Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, has been born at a time when beings could live for a hundred years in a world that has the five degenerations. Therefore, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni has manifested a short lifespan in order to benefit beings with inferior aspiration, beings with little roots of merit and faith, and ordinary foolish beings who have the view that there is a being, the view that there is a soul, the view that there is a spirit, the view that there is an individual, erroneous views, the belief in ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ the views of eternalism and nihilism, and so on. It is also to inspire the true view in tīrthikas so that they will quickly attain the highest enlightenment.

“Moreover, noble one, the Tathāgata, by manifesting passing into nirvāṇa, causes beings to perceive him as rare and difficult to meet; causes them to perceive misery, suffering, and so on; and inspires them to quickly obtain, possess, read, comprehend, and teach widely to others these sūtras that have been taught by the Buddha Bhagavat, and to not malign them. F.157.b That is why the Tathāgata manifests a short lifespan. If the Tathāgata were always present and did not pass into nirvāṇa, beings would have no reverence—they would not perceive him as being difficult to meet, and they would not obtain, possess, read, comprehend, and teach widely to others these sūtras that have been taught by the Tathāgata. Why is that? Because they would believe that the Bhagavat would always remain in the world.

“As an analogy, noble one, someone who sees that his parents have many precious jewels would not perceive that wealth as being rare or wonderful. Why is that? It is because he perceives that his parents’ wealth will always be present. In the same way, if the Bhagavat never passed into nirvāṇa, he would not be perceived as rare and difficult to meet.

“Moreover, noble one, as another analogy, if someone who had poor parents, who had no wealth, went to the dwelling of a king or great minister and saw their vast, numerous treasuries, wealth, jewels and so on, he would perceive them as rare and difficult to obtain, and he would dedicate himself to accomplishing the methods for seeking wealth, because he would wish to leave poverty behind and to accomplish happiness and prosperity.

“In the same way, noble one, if the Tathāgata is seen to pass into nirvāṇa, there will be the perception of how rare and difficult he is to meet, and the perception of misery and suffering. The Bhagavat Tathāgata only appears a few times in countless eons, just as a fig tree flower hardly ever appears, just a few times, so that beings will perceive him as rare and difficult to meet, and they will have veneration for him, perceive the sūtras he teaches to be the truth, F.158.a and perceive them as something to be possessed and not to be maligned.

“Therefore, noble one, because of those causes and conditions, the Tathāgata does not remain long in the world but quickly passes into nirvāṇa. It is through such a perfection of skillful methods that the tathāgatas ripen beings.”

Then those four tathāgatas vanished.

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, the countless hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas, and the countless trillions of beings went together to Vulture Peak Mountain. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, and seated themselves.

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu described what had occurred, and those four tathāgatas came to where the Bhagavat Śākyamuni was dwelling on Vulture Peak Mountain, sat upon the thrones in their own directions, and addressed their entourages of bodhisattvas: “Noble ones, go and ask the Bhagavat Śākyamuni, ‘Are you unharmed, unafraid, undisturbed, and feeling happy?’ Also make this request to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Śākyamuni: ‘If you were to teach this very profound lord of sūtras, The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light, for the benefit of beings, to dispel the distress of famine, and to bring happiness to all, that would be excellent and would bring joy!’ ”

The bodhisattvas who were their attendants went toward the Bhagavat Śākyamuni, and, having approached him, bowed their heads down to his feet, and they made the request that the four tathāgatas had instructed. F.158.b

Then the Bhagavat Śākyamuni, the tathāgata, the arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, said, “Well done!” to those bodhisattvas. “Well done! Well done!”

At that time, because the four tathāgatas had invoked him to teach this sublime Dharma in order to bring benefit and happiness to all beings, the Bhagavat recited these verses:

At that time, in that assembly, there was the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, who, together with countless thousands of brahmins, had made offerings to the Bhagavat.^[41] On hearing these words concerning the great nirvāṇa of the Tathāgata, he immediately wept, bowed down to the feet of the Bhagavat, and said to the Bhagavat, “If you have love for all beings, if you have great compassion, if you wish to benefit them, if you are a mother and father for all beings, if you are unequaled, if you are like the moon radiating light, if you are like a risen sun of great wisdom and knowledge, and if you look upon all beings as you do upon Rāhula, then I pray that you grant me something sacred.”

The Bhagavat remained silent.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, there arose confident eloquence in a Licchavī youth who was in that assembly, whose name was Sarva­sattva­priya­darśana. He asked the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, “Great brahmin, why do you ask the Bhagavat for something sacred? I will give you something sacred.” F.159.a

“Licchavī youth,” said the brahmin, “I wish for a relic of the Bhagavat the size of a mustard seed in order to make offerings to the Bhagavat. It is known that if one makes offerings to a relic the size of a mustard seed that one has received as a share of the ashes that are the relics of the Bhagavat, one will become the sole lord of the devas of Trāyastriṃśa.^[42]

“O Licchavī youth, it is difficult for śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to know The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light. It is difficult for them to comprehend it. The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light, which has those characteristics and qualities, is going to be spoken, so listen!^[43]

“O Licchavī youth, The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light is thus difficult to know and difficult to understand. Therefore, it is appropriate that we brahmins from an outlying island should keep a relic the size of a mustard seed in a casket, for by possessing it, beings will soon become lords of Trāyastriṃśa.

“O Licchavī youth, don’t you want to request a relic the size of a mustard seed from the Tathāgata, place the relic in a casket, and possess it so that beings will become lords of Trāyastriṃśa?

“O Licchavī youth, that is the sublime thing that I have requested.”

Then Sarva­sattva­priya­darśana, the Licchavī youth, recited these verses to the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa:

On hearing those verses, the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, replied to the Licchavī youth Sarva­sattva­priya­darśana with these verses:

Then thirty-two thousand devas, having heard that profound teaching on the lifespan of the Tathāgata, all developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. With joyful mental thoughts and with one voice,^[50] they recited these verses:

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, having heard the teaching on the lifespan of the Bhagavat Śākyamuni from both those buddha bhagavats and those excellent individuals, arose from his seat, and with his palms together in homage, bowed F.160.b and said, “Bhagavat, if in that way the buddha bhagavats do not pass into nirvāṇa and do not leave relics in the world, why is it that in the sūtras it is taught that the buddhas pass into nirvāṇa and leave their relics in the world so that if devas and humans have veneration and respect toward the relics of past buddhas that have been left in the world, and if the world with its devas and humans makes offerings to them, they will attain immeasurable benefit? And why is it said here that there are no relics, Bhagavat? I pray that with compassion you will explain^[51] and teach this.”

The Bhagavat then said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ruciraketu and the rest of the gathered assembly, “Know that when it is said that the bhagavats pass into nirvāṇa and leave relics in the world that this is a teaching with an implied meaning.

“Noble ones, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas know through these ten qualities that the Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksaṃbuddha correctly and truly teaches that there is a great passing into nirvāṇa.

“What are these ten?

“First, nirvāṇa means that the tathāgatas have completely eliminated the obscuration of the kleśas and the obscuration of knowledge.

“Second, nirvāṇa means that the tathāgatas know that there is no self in the individual and no self in phenomena.

“Third, nirvāṇa means that there is a transformation of the body and of qualities.

“Fourth, nirvāṇa means that there is a spontaneous guidance of beings.

“Fifth, nirvāṇa means that there is sameness in the Dharma body because there is no differentiation of characteristics through the truth becoming manifest. F.161.a

“Sixth, nirvāṇa means that there is no duality between the nature of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.

“Seventh, nirvāṇa means that purity is manifested through the realization of the essence of phenomena.

“Eighth, nirvāṇa means that there has been the skillful accomplishment of all phenomena being devoid of birth and devoid of destruction.

“Ninth, nirvāṇa means that there is the attainment of the wisdom of the equality of the true nature, the realm of phenomena, and the ultimate conclusion.

“Tenth, nirvāṇa means that there is the knowledge that there is no difference between the nature of all phenomena and the nature of nirvāṇa.

“Also, noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas know through these ten qualities that the Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksaṃbuddha correctly and truly teaches that there is a great passing into nirvāṇa.

“What are these ten?

“First, aspiration and desire are the basis of the kleśas; whatever one aspires to creates desire. The buddha bhagavats are free of aspiration and desire, and this is called nirvāṇa.

“Second, the tathāgatas are free of all aspiration and desire; they do not acquire any phenomena and therefore have no possessions, no going, no coming, and nothing to be acquired. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Third, that absence of going and coming and acquisition is the Dharma body, which has no birth and no cessation; this absence of birth and cessation is called nirvāṇa.

“Fourth, that absence of birth and cessation is indescribable by words and transcends the scope of words. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Fifth, there is the attainment of a transference from one state of existence to another merely through the phenomena of birth and cessation, without there being a self or an individual. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa. F.161.b

“Sixth, the buddha bhagavats directly see that the kleśas and the proximate kleśas are incidental and that the true nature, which has no coming or going, remains. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Seventh, that which is valid is true, and everything else is false. That which is true is valid, and that validity is the nature of a tathāgata. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Eighth, the ultimate conclusion is free of complication; a tathāgata alone manifests that ultimate conclusion, and this ceasing of complication is called nirvāṇa.

“Ninth, birthlessness is truth, and birth is falsity; therefore, foolish ordinary beings sink into the swamp of saṃsāra, while the body of a tathāgata is the truth without any invalidity. This is called nirvāṇa.

“Tenth, invalid phenomena are born from conditions; the phenomenon that is the valid truth is not created by conditions, and the Dharma body of a tathāgata is valid and is truth. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Also, noble one, a bodhisattva mahāsattva will realize the way of validity and truth of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas through ten qualities, and therefore they are called the great nirvāṇa.

“What are these ten?

“First, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts of generosity and its results because they know that there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in generosity or the results of generosity; therefore; this is called nirvāṇa.

“Second, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts of correct conduct and its results because they know that there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in correct conduct or the results of correct conduct; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa. F.162.a

“Third, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts of patience and its results because they know that there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in patience or the results of patience; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Fourth, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts of diligence and its results because they know that there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in diligence or the results of diligence; therefore; that is called nirvāṇa.

“Fifth, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts of meditation and its results because they know that there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in meditation or the results of meditation; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Sixth, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts of wisdom and its results because they know that there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine’ in wisdom or the results of wisdom; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Seventh, the tathāgatas have rejected incorrect concepts concerning beings, the absence of beings, and the absence of an intrinsic nature in all phenomena because they know these; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Eighth, the tathāgatas know that someone whose nature is characterized by craving is engaged in seeking.^[52] Through the power of being engaged in seeking^[53] there will be the experience of various sufferings. The tathāgatas have eliminated fixation on ‘me’ and ‘mine’ and have no seeking; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Ninth, all composite phenomena have a number and measure, but noncomposite phenomena are devoid of all number and measure. The buddhas have rejected composite phenomena and manifested noncomposite qualities, and so they have no number or measure; therefore, this is called nirvāṇa. F.162.b

“Tenth, the tathāgatas know that the nature of all beings and phenomena is empty, and they know there is nothing that exists that is other than that emptiness, and that the nature of that emptiness is the true Dharma body. Therefore, this is called nirvāṇa.

“Noble one, it is through those ten qualities that there is what is called nirvāṇa.

“Also, noble one, the fact that the tathāgatas do not pass into nirvāṇa is not the only marvel. There are ten other qualities that are called marvelous. They are the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“What are these ten?

“First, saṃsāra has defects; nirvāṇa is peace and withdrawal. Through knowing that saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are the same, they do not remain in saṃsāra and do not dwell in nirvāṇa. Not wearying of benefiting beings is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Second, even though the tathāgatas see the incorrect conduct of foolish ordinary beings and that they are overcome by various kleśas, they do not think, ‘I will liberate these beings.’ Instead, through the power of their previous compassion and roots of merit, without thoughts concerning the individual faculties, natures, wishes, or aspirations of beings, they spontaneously benefit and teach them throughout the endless future. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Third, even though the tathāgatas do not think, ‘I will benefit beings by teaching them extensively through the twelve forms of the teaching,’ through the power of their previous compassion and roots of merit they teach them extensively throughout the endless future. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Fourth, even though the tathāgatas do not think, ‘I will go to the villages, towns, and outlying areas of towns F.163.a to obtain alms from the homes of the kings, ministers, brahmins, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, and so on,’ through the power of previous habituation to conduct of body, speech, and mind, they spontaneously go to receive alms and accomplish the goal of benefiting others. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Fifth, the bodies of the tathāgatas have no hunger or thirst, no feces or urine, and no physical weakness; and, although they appear to receive alms, they do not consume them, and have no such thought, but in order to benefit beings they appear to consume alms. That is the spontaneous conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Sixth, even though the tathāgatas do not think, ‘I will teach the Dharma according to the higher, medium, and lesser capabilities of these beings,’ they teach the Dharma, knowing without thought what the individual capabilities and capacities are. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Seventh, the tathāgatas do not think, ‘These beings have no reverence and always speak badly, using harsh words, and so I will not speak with them.’ And they do not think, ‘These beings are always reverential toward me, praise me, and speak pleasantly to me, and so I will speak with them.’ Instead, they regard them all equally with compassion. That nonduality is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Eighth, the buddha bhagavats do not have the kleśas of love and hate, pride, desire, avarice, and so on, but instead they always praise delighting in solitude, avoiding all crowds, and having little desire. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas. F.163.b

“Ninth, the tathāgatas have no knowledge or comprehension of any phenomena whatsoever, but instead they have wisdom that is like a mirror in which everything manifests. Even though the tathāgatas therefore have no thoughts, they nevertheless see the actions and conduct of beings and engage with them in accord with their aspirations, employ methods to lead them, and liberate them from saṃsāra. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Tenth, the tathāgatas do not delight in seeing beings becoming wealthy and prospering, and they do not become distressed when they see beings deteriorating and worsening. Nevertheless, the tathāgatas protect with unimpeded compassion those beings they see accomplishing correct conduct, and although they see beings with incorrect conduct, they protect and care for them with a great compassion that is without attachment. That is the conduct of the tathāgatas.

“Noble one, understand the infinite manifestation of the valid conduct of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas and the quality of valid truth of their nirvāṇas. When, in other times, it is said, ‘They pass into nirvāṇa and leave relics in the world,’ view that as the manifestation of a skillful method. Consider that it is through the power of the compassion and good roots of the tathāgatas that beings are able to make offerings to relics and revere them.

“Someone who makes an offering to the relics and reveres them will, in a future time, become free of the eight unfavorable states, will meet the tathāgatas, will have a kalyāṇamitra, will not abandon the enlightenment mind, will increase their merit immeasurably, will quickly transcend saṃsāra, and will not be overcome by the bondage of saṃsāra. That is sublime conduct and therefore you should earnestly accomplish it without distraction.” F.164.a

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu, having heard from the Bhagavat the meaning of the Bhagavat’s not passing into nirvāṇa and his teaching of profound deeds,^[54] placed his palms together in homage and bowed down to him. He said, “Having on this day been taught that the Tathāgata, the Great Teacher, does not pass into nirvāṇa and that he creates great benefit for beings through leaving relics in the world, I am joyful, delighted, and amazed in body and mind.”

When this teaching on the lifespan of the tathāgatas was given, all those innumerable, countless beings developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. The tathāgatas vanished. The bodhisattva Ruciraketu rose from his seat, bowed down to the Bhagavat’s feet, and returned to sit in his place.

Chapter 3: The Differentiation of the Three Bodies

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha rose from his seat among that assembly and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, placed his palms together in homage, and bowed to the Bhagavat’s feet. He made offerings of flowers made of gold and jewels, precious banners, and sublime parasols, and asked the Bhagavat, “How can the bodhisattva mahāsattvas correctly accomplish the very profound intention of the tathāgatas?”

The Bhagavat replied, “Noble one, listen and remember! I will reveal to you its meaning. F.164.b Noble one, all tathāgatas have three kinds of bodies. What are these three? They are the emanation body, the perfect enjoyment body, and the Dharma body. Through the spontaneous accomplishment of three such bodies, they possess the highest, most complete enlightenment. Whoever manifests that has emerged from saṃsāra.

“How should bodhisattvas understand the emanation body? Noble one, in the past when they were purifying the bhūmis, the tathāgatas practiced all kinds of Dharma for the sake of all beings. Through purifying their conduct in that way, they reached the ultimate conclusion of their practice. Through the strength of that practice, they attained great power. Through the might of that great power, they directly perceive the aspirations of beings, their conduct, and their natures, and without engaging in time but always being on time, they manifest various kinds of bodies that are in accord with certain locations that accord with certain times, which accord with certain types of conduct, and accord with certain Dharma teachings. Those are what are called emanation bodies.

“Noble one, how should bodhisattvas understand the enjoyment body? All the tathāgatas, in order to enable bodhisattvas to have unimpeded attainment,^[55] in order to teach the ultimate truth so that they would know the one taste of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, in order to dispel the view of belief in a self, and in order to make terrified beings become happy, in accord with truth and with the wisdom of the true nature—which are the cause of the infinite qualities of the buddhas—and through the power of past prayers, they manifest bodies that are beautified by the thirty-two signs and eighty features of a great being, with auras of light around their bodies. Those are called the enjoyment bodies.

“Noble one, how should bodhisattva mahāsattvas understand the Dharma body? Solely remaining in the true nature and in valid wisdom, in order to be free of all the kleśa obscurations and to have a perfection of good qualities, F.165.a is what is called the Dharma body.

“The first two bodies are merely designations, while the Dharma body is true and the basis for those two other bodies. Why is that? It is because there are no other qualities of buddhahood separate from the Dharma body, the true nature, and nonconceptual wisdom. The tathāgatas have reached the ultimate conclusion because of consummate wisdom and the elimination of all kleśas. Thereby, they have attained the purity of buddhahood, and so they possess all the buddha qualities of the true nature and valid wisdom.

“Moreover, noble one, all buddhas have reached the ultimate conclusion of benefiting themselves and others: the benefit for themselves is accomplished through the true nature of phenomena, and benefit for others is accomplished through the wisdom of the true nature. Because they have attained the power to benefit themselves and others, there is a spontaneous accomplishment of infinite deeds. Therefore, they specifically reveal the endless, countless kinds of qualities of all the buddhas.

“As an analogy, noble one, on the basis of a conceptual mind there are manifested many kleśas, many actions, and many results; in the same way, on the basis of the true nature of phenomena and the wisdom of the true nature, there are manifested the various kinds of qualities of the buddhas, the various kinds of qualities of the pratyekabuddhas, and the various kinds of qualities of the śrāvakas.

“On the basis of the true nature of phenomena and the wisdom of the true nature, there is the attainment of the perfect power of the qualities of buddhahood, which are sublime and impossible to comprehend. As an analogy, painting and adorning the sky is impossible to comprehend; in the same way, the accomplishment of the qualities of buddhahood on the basis of the true nature of phenomena and the wisdom of the true nature is impossible to comprehend.

“Noble one, how is it that there is the attainment of the possession of activity when there is no possession of conceptualization in the true nature of phenomena and in the wisdom of the true nature? F.165.b

“As an analogy, noble one, although the tathāgatas pass into nirvāṇa, it is through the attainment of the possession of prayer that they accomplish all the various kinds of activities. In that same way, the true nature and the wisdom of the true nature possess the accomplishment of all benefits.

“Moreover, through the power of their previous prayers, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who are resting in samādhi arise from that meditation and accomplish all benefits and activities. In that way, both the true nature and the wisdom of the true nature have the accomplishment, without conceptualization, of all benefits.

“As an analogy, noble one, the sun and moon have no thoughts, water and mirrors have no thoughts, and light has no thoughts, yet through the combination of these three, there appear reflections. In the same way, there are no thoughts in the true nature of phenomena and the wisdom of the true nature, yet through the power of prayer, like the reflections of the sun and moon, there arise for worthy beings, through causes and conditions, the enjoyment bodies and the emanation bodies.

“Also, noble one, there is the analogy of countless, innumerable waters and mirrors, in which appear the different characteristics of empty^[56] reflections because of light, even though empty^[57] means ‘devoid of characteristics.’

“In the same way, noble one, through the power of prayers both the enjoyment and the emanation bodies manifest the reflections of the Dharma body to followers. Even though they appear with a variety of characteristics, there are no different characteristics in the state of the Dharma body.

“Noble one, in those two bodies the buddha bhagavats have what is called nirvāṇa with residual bodies. It is in relation to the Dharma body that the term nirvāṇa without a residual body is used. Why is that? It is because the Dharma body is the final cessation of all phenomena. It is taught that the buddha bhagavats remain in nirvāṇa without location because of the totality of the three bodies. F.166.a

“Because there is no buddhahood other than the Dharma body, it is taught that the two other bodies are not nirvāṇa. Why are the two bodies said not to be nirvāṇa? Those two bodies have no true validity; they are merely designations. They arise and cease with each instant and are not constantly present. Because they arise again and again, they are not definitive. That is not what the Dharma body is like.

“Therefore, those two bodies are not nirvāṇa. The Dharma body is also not located within nirvāṇa because the Dharma body and those two bodies are not dual. Therefore, because of these three bodies it is taught that there is nirvāṇa without location.^[58]

“Noble one, foolish ordinary beings are in bondage and have obscurations because of three characteristics and as a result are far from the three bodies. What are these three? They are the characteristic of the imputed, the characteristic of the dependent, and the characteristic of the ultimately real. As long as those characteristics are not understood, have not ceased, and are not purified, the three bodies are not attained. When those characteristics are understood, cease, and are purified, the buddha bhagavats have all three bodies.

“Noble one, foolish ordinary beings are far from the three bodies because they have not freed themselves from the three consciousnesses. What are those three? They are the consciousness that engages with things, the mentation that resides on the basis, and the basis consciousness. Through following the path of purification, the engaging consciousness is purified. Through following the path of elimination, the mentation that resides on the basis is purified. Through the path of supreme victory, the basis consciousness is purified. When the engaging consciousness is purified, the emanation body is manifested. When the mentation that resides on the basis is purified, the enjoyment body is manifested. F.166.b When the basis consciousness is purified, the Dharma body is attained. In that way, there is what is called the spontaneous accomplishment of the three bodies by all the tathāgatas.

“Noble one, the emanation bodies of all buddhas have the same buddha conduct, the enjoyment bodies of all the buddhas have the same intention, and the Dharma body of all the buddhas is the same body.

“Noble one, because the emanation body manifests various characteristics in various forms in accord with the minds of ordinary beings, it is said to be multiple. Because the enjoyment body has a single characteristic and because its assemblies have a single aspiration, it is said to be possessing a single characteristic. Because the Dharma body has transcended the variety of characteristics and is not within the field of experience of those who perceive characteristics, it is said to be neither single nor diverse.

“Noble one, the emanation body appears on the basis of the enjoyment body. The enjoyment body appears on the basis of the Dharma body. The Dharma body is true and is not based on anything.

“Noble one, there is a classification that teaches that those three bodies are permanent, and there is a classification that teaches that they are impermanent.

“The emanation body is said to be permanent because, through skillful methods in all forms, in accordance with perceptions, it continuously turns the wheel of the Dharma. It is said to be impermanent because, as it is not the basis, the perfection of great deeds does not manifest.

“The enjoyment body is said to be permanent because throughout beginningless time it has the accumulation and possession of the unique qualities of the buddhas, and there is no end to its conduct because there is no end to beings. It is said to be impermanent because, as it is not the basis, the perfection of great deeds does not manifest.

“The Dharma body is said to be permanent because it is not a composite phenomenon, it does not have diverse characteristics, it is the root and basis, and it is like space. F.167.a

“Noble one, there is no other wisdom that is superior to nonconceptual wisdom. There is no field of activity that is superior to that of the true nature of phenomena. There is the true nature of phenomena and the true nature of wisdom, and the true nature of those two true natures is not one and not different. Therefore, the Dharma body is pure wisdom and pure elimination, and because of those two, the Dharma body is the perfection of purity.

“Moreover, noble one, there are four ways to categorize these three bodies: that which is the emanation body but not the enjoyment body; that which is the enjoyment body but not the emanation body; that which is both the emanation body and the enjoyment body; and that which is neither the emanation body nor the enjoyment body.

“What is the emanation body but not the enjoyment body? The emanation body is when the tathāgatas, even though they have passed into nirvāṇa, through the power of their prayers benefit beings in accordance with their worthiness.

“What is the enjoyment body and not the emanation body? That is a body that is seen on^[59] the bhūmis.

“What is both the emanation body and the enjoyment body? That is the body of nirvāṇa with a residue.

“What is neither the emanation body nor the enjoyment body? That is the Dharma body.

“Noble one, the Dharma body is the direct perception of the nonduality of phenomena. What is nonduality?^[60] In the Dharma body, there are no characteristics, nor any basis for characteristics; there is no existence and there is no nonexistence; there is no singularity and no differences; there is no number and there is nothing to be enumerated; and there is no light and there is no darkness.

“In that way, in the wisdom of the true nature there is no perception of characteristics or any basis for characteristics; F.167.b there is no perception of existence or nonexistence; there is no perception of singularity or differences; there is no perception of number or absence of number; and there is no perception of light or darkness.

“In that way there is an inseparability of the pure field of activity and pure wisdom, there is no gap between them, and they are the basis of cessation and the path. Therefore, a Dharma body manifests the various deeds of a tathāgata.

“Noble one, the cause, condition, field of activity, location, and result and basis of this body are impossible to calculate. If that meaning is known, that body is the Mahāyāna. That is the nature of the tathāgatas. That is the essence of the tathāgatas. On the basis of that body, there is the first development of aspiration, there is the arising of the mind that trains on the bhūmis, and there is the manifestation of the mind that does not regress, the mind that has one life remaining, the arising of the vajra-like samādhi, the view of the tathāgatas, and the arising of all the countless, innumerable Dharma teachings of the tathāgatas. On the basis of the Dharma body there is also the arising of countless great samādhis. Also, all great wisdom arises on the basis of this Dharma body. Therefore, the two bodies arise on the basis of samādhi and wisdom. This Dharma body, because it depends upon its own nature, is called eternal. It is called self. As it depends upon great samādhi, it is called bliss. As it depends upon great wisdom, it is called purity. Therefore, a tathāgata has attained and always remains in bliss and purity.

“On the basis of great samādhi there manifest all samādhis, such as the heroic samādhi; all mindfulnesses such as the mindfulness of phenomena; and all the qualities of the buddhas, F.168.a such as great love, great compassion, all retentions, all higher cognitions, all powers, and the possession of all the qualities of equality.

“On the basis of great wisdom there manifest the hundred and eighty unique qualities, such as the ten strengths, the four fearlessnesses, the four discernments, and so on—all the wonders, and all inconceivable qualities.

“As an analogy, on the basis of a precious wish-fulfilling jewel appear all the countless, innumerable jewels of various kinds. In a similar way, on the basis of the great samādhi and great wisdom manifest various countless, innumerable sublime qualities of all the buddhas.

“Noble one, in that way the Dharma body, samādhi, and wisdom transcend all characteristics, are unstained by characteristics, are nonconceptual, and are neither eternal nor destructible. This is called the accomplishment of the path of the Middle Way. Although the Dharma body appears to have thoughts, in essence it is without thought. Although there is a threefold enumeration, there are no three entities. There is no increase or diminution. It is like an illusion or a dream; there is no object and no subject. The true nature, the essence of the Dharma, is the basis of liberation. It completely transcends Yama’s scope of activity. It has crossed over the darkness of saṃsāra. All beings are unable to accomplish it, unable to reach it. It is the state for all buddhas and bodhisattvas to dwell in.

“As an analogy, noble one, if someone who wanted gold searched for it and found a nugget of gold, he would grind it, extract the essence, smelt it, and purify it so that it became pure. Then he would make it into various kinds of jewelry, such as gold rings, F.168.b but the nature of the gold would never change.

“Also, noble one, if any noble men or noble women who wished to practice worldly good actions saw a tathāgata and the tathāgata’s assembly, they would approach and they would say, ‘Bhagavat, what is a good action and what is a bad action? What is true accomplishment through which one attains pure conduct?’ They would ask such questions of that buddha bhagavat and his assembly. Then they would think, ‘These noble men and noble women aspire to hear the Dharma, they wish for purification, so I will teach them the Dharma.’

“Then, when they heard it, and remembered it correctly, they would develop a determined motivation, and through the power of their diligence they would dispel the obscuration of idleness and all sinful, bad qualities. They would follow with reverence all the fields of training and dispel all dullness and agitation of the mind. Thereby they would enter the first bhūmi.

“Through the mind of the first bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures being dedicated to benefiting many beings, and thereby they would enter the second bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate obscuration by the kleśas, and thereby they would enter the third bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures purifying the mind, and thereby they would enter the fourth bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures skillful methods, and thereby they would enter the fifth bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures perceiving ultimate and relative truth, and thereby they would enter the sixth bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures perceiving characteristics and conduct, and thereby they would enter the seventh bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures the nonperception of the cessation of characteristics, and thereby they would enter the eighth bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures the nonperception of the arising of characteristics, and thereby they would enter the ninth bhūmi. On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures the six higher cognitions, and thereby they would enter the tenth bhūmi. F.169.a On that bhūmi they would eliminate that which obscures knowledge, and thereby would eliminate the basis-consciousness and enter the bhūmi of the tathāgatas.

“Because the bhūmi of the tathāgatas has three purities it is called the perfectly pure. What are those three? Being pure of kleśas, being pure of suffering, and being pure of characteristics. This is like when good gold has been smelted and treated so that it is purified, is subsequently unstained by dirt and impurities, and its natural purity has appeared. It is not that the pure substance of gold had not existed.

“As an analogy, when turbid water becomes clear, then on becoming clear, the nature of water is revealed; it’s not that the water was not present. In that same way, the Dharma body has eliminated the aggregation of kleśas and suffering, and has eliminated all negative tendencies without exception, so that the pure nature of buddhahood appears, yet it does not become nothingness.

“As another analogy, the element of space becomes pure when the sky is not obscured by smoke, clouds, dust, or mist, but it’s not that space was not present. In the same way, the Dharma body is pure when all the kleśas have ceased, F.169.b but it’s not that the Dharma body was not present.

“Also, as a further analogy, someone in a dream who is swept away by a great river uses their body, legs, and arms, and with physical and mental effort reaches the far shore. On waking from that dream, the river and its banks are seen to not have separate existences, but it is not that the mind that dreamed them was not present.

“The mind is purified when thoughts of saṃsāra cease, but it is not that buddhahood was not present. In the same way, when no thoughts arise in the Dharma realm, that is called purity, but it is not that the true bodies of the buddhas were not present.

“Also, noble one, through the Dharma body being purified of the kleśa obscurations, the enjoyment body appears. Through being purified of karma obscurations, the emanation body appears. Through being purified of that which obscures wisdom, the Dharma body appears. As an analogy, from the empty sky there appears lightning; from lightning there appears light. In the same way, the enjoyment body appears from the Dharma body, and the emanation body appears from the enjoyment body. The Dharma body appears because of its pure nature. The enjoyment body appears because of pure wisdom. The emanation body appears because of pure samādhi.

“The purity of those three is the true nature of the Dharma body—the true nature that is not anything else, the true nature of one taste, the true nature of liberation, the true nature of infinity—and therefore there is no difference in the bodies of the buddhas.

“The noble men or noble women who say, ‘The Tathāgata is our great teacher,’ and have that aspiration, know with certainty that the Tathāgata’s bodies are nondual.

“Therefore, noble one, the superior ones, through dispelling invalid thoughts in all fields of activity, will have the accomplishment of nonduality and nonconceptualization in those phenomena, and as they accomplish that correctly through the way of nonduality, they will purify themselves of all obscurations.

“To the extent that they are purified of obscurations, to that extent they will attain the true nature and the pure wisdom of the true nature.

“To the extent that there is the Dharma realm, the true nature and true wisdom become pure. To that extent there will be the possession and completion of all perfected powers. There will also be purification from all obscurations, F.170.a and because there is purification from all obscurations, the truth, true wisdom, and the characteristics of truth will be seen, and that is called validity, and the superior vision, and seeing buddhas in the truly correct way. Why is that? Because the true nature of phenomena is seen correctly, so that the buddhas also see all the tathāgatas. Why is that? Because such ārya individuals as the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas who have renounced the three realms and seek the ultimate conclusion are unable to see that true nature. Because they do not see it, childlike ordinary beings become polluted by error and, through having incorrect thoughts, are unable to know it.

“As an analogy, just as a weak rabbit is unable to leap over an ocean, the knowledge of foolish ordinary beings is incapable of knowing the true nature. However, it is the realm of activity of the tathāgatas who have attained, without conceptualization, great power over all phenomena and possess profound, pure wisdom. They are not the same as others. Therefore, the buddha bhagavats, having endured hardships for countless, innumerable eons without care for their body or life, have attained the bodies that are sublime and supreme, are unsurpassable and inconceivable, are beyond the scope of words and speech, are complete peace, and are free from all fears.

“Noble one, the one who knows and sees the true nature of phenomena has no birth, aging, sickness, and death, and therefore lives for a long time, does not sleep, has no hunger, has no thirst, and has a mind that remains always in samādhi without distraction or conceptual elaboration. Whoever develops an aspiration to have conceptual discourse^[61] with the Tathāgata will not see the Tathāgata. F.170.b Whatever is taught by the tathāgatas is beneficial. Whoever hears this sūtra will never encounter wild beasts, malevolent spirits,^[62] or vicious people. There is no end to the ripening of results from listening to this Dharma.

“The tathāgatas are not neutral and do not think, ‘I will know all realms.’ The tathāgatas do not have different viewpoints for saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. They do not give unexamined teachings. The buddha bhagavats carry out all four kinds of physical actions with wisdom. They have compassion for all phenomena. They care for the happiness and benefit of all beings.

“Noble one, someone who hears and believes in this Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light will never fall into an existence as a hell being, an animal, a preta, or an asura, but will always be reborn into existence as a deva or a human. They will not have a low birth, and they will always honor the buddha bhagavats; they will listen to and possess the Dharma, and they will be reborn into pure buddha realms. Why is that? It is because they have heard this extremely profound Dharma.

“Those noble men and noble women are known by a tathāgata to be irreversibly progressing to the highest, most complete enlightenment and they are given that prophecy.

“The noble men and noble women who hear just once this profound, sublime Dharma will not defame the Tathāgata, will not denigrate the Dharma, and will not malign the superior beings, but they will develop the roots of merit of all beings that have not been developed, they will increase the roots of merit that have been developed, they will ripen those beings, and they will teach perfect conduct to as many beings are there are in world realms.”

Then the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, F.171.a Śakra, Brahmā, the Four Mahārājas, and all the other devas rose from their seats, and with their robes over one shoulder, placed their palms together, and with great veneration bowed down their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet. Then they said to the Bhagavat, “There will come these four kinds of beneficial qualities in those places and lands where this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is taught. What are those four?

“First, in those lands there will be no harm from an increase of the king’s enemies and their forces; all illness will also be dispelled, and there will be long lives, good fortune, and happiness, and the true Dharma will be taught.

“Second, the queens, attendants, princes, princesses, and ministers will be in harmony, they will not quarrel, they will avoid livelihoods through lies and deception, and they will be authorized and honored by the king.

“Third, mendicants, brahmins, and so on will practice the Dharma, will have no illness, will be happy, will have no premature deaths, and they will accomplish and possess all aggregations of merit.

“Fourth, at all times there will be no adversity from the four elements, they will be continually guarded and protected by devas, they will all equally have love and compassion, they will not cause harm and will have no malice, and beings will go for refuge to the Three Jewels and will pray to have the conduct of bodhisattvas.

“Bhagavat, so that we may cause this sūtra to continually spread, we will go to the locations of the individuals who possess this sūtra and will benefit them.”

The Bhagavat said to them, “Well done! Well done! Noble ones, in order that this lord and king of sūtras will thus remain for a long time in the world, dedicate yourselves to its spread and increase!”

Chapter 4: The Confession in a Dream

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu then went to sleep and in a dream saw a golden drum^[63] that was shining like the disk of the sun. In all directions there were countless, innumerable buddha bhagavats seated upon precious beryl thrones at the foot of precious wish-fulfilling trees, encircled by assemblies of many hundreds of thousands. Looking straight ahead, they were teaching the Dharma.

Then he saw a person who appeared to be a brahmin beating that drum, and he heard a teaching in verse come from the drumbeats.

As soon as the bodhisattva Ruciraketu awoke from his sleep, he remembered the verses that were taught. Having remembered them, when the night was over, he left the city of Rājagṛha, and together with many thousands of people he went to Vulture Peak Mountain and into the presence of the Bhagavat. He bowed down to the feet of the Bhagavat and circumambulated the Bhagavat three times, keeping him to his right, and then sat down to one side.

Seated to one side, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, with his palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and recited the teaching in verse that he had heard from the sound of the drum in his dream.

At that time, the Bhagavat, having listened to those verses, said to the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, “Well done! Well done! Noble one, know that all those who hear these praises of the true qualities of the tathāgatas, and the confession of bad actions that came from a golden drum in your dream, possess a vast aggregation of merit. They will benefit many beings, will bring them the satisfaction of happiness, and will be purified of all obscurations. All of these who possess this kind of special conduct have heard those verses because they have previously, in past times, praised the tathāgatas, made vast prayers, and received the blessing of the tathāgatas.”

The entire gathered assembly then praised the words of the Bhagavat.

Chapter 5: The End of the Continuum of Creating Karma

Then the Bhagavat dwelled in correct analysis, and as soon as he rested in that extremely profound, supreme samādhi, from the pores of his body there came many hundreds of thousands of light rays of various colors and all buddha realms were illuminated within that light. F.177.a Their number could not be exemplified or measured even by the number of sand grains in all the Ganges Rivers in the ten directions.

In the world realms with the five degenerations that were illuminated by those light rays, they immediately brought happiness upon touching those who had fallen into existences as hell beings, as animals, and as pretas through following the path of the ten bad actions, committing the five actions with immediate result upon death, maligning the Three Jewels, having disrespect for gurus and family, and dishonoring ācāryas and brahmins. Whoever saw those light rays, through the power of that light became happy, delighted, and attained a perfectly excellent color and form. Adorned by perfect physical signs, and the accumulations of merit and wisdom, they saw the tathāgatas.

The gathered assembly of Śakra, the lord of devas, the Ganges goddess, and so on, were inspired by that wondrous light and went to where the Bhagavat was. When they arrived, they circumambulated the Bhagavat three times and then sat in their various places.^[109]

Then Venerable Śāriputra rose from his seat and with his upper robe over one shoulder, he knelt on his right knee, placed his palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and inquired of the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, how should a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or who has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or who has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who is seeking the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, confess their individual karmic obscurations?” F.177.b

After Venerable Śāriputra had asked that, the Bhagavat said these words to him: “Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or who has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or who has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, should three times each day and three times each night, with the upper robe over one shoulder, kneel on the right knee, place their palms together in homage, and say these words:

“ ‘For the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the benefit and healing and happiness of the multitudes of beings, devas and humans, I pay homage to the buddha bhagavats who in this present time have attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood in worlds in the ten directions, those buddha bhagavats who conscientiously turn the wheel of the Dharma, teach the wheel of the Dharma, possess the way of the Dharma, give the gift of the Dharma, light the lamp of the Dharma, send down the rain of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, beat the great drum of the Dharma, blow the conch of the Dharma, raise the central pillar of the Dharma, and bring satisfaction to all beings with the gift of the Dharma. B3

“ ‘I pay homage with my head, voice, and mind to those who are the object of offering, the object of homage, and the object of respect, and who are wise, who are attentive, who are witnesses, who are valid, who have wisdom, and who have vision.

“ ‘While I have been circling in beginningless and endless saṃsāra, F.178.a tormented by desire, tormented by anger, and tormented by stupidity, I have accumulated karmic obstructions with my body, speech, and mind. I have not acknowledged the Buddha, I have not acknowledged the Dharma, and I have not acknowledged the Saṅgha. I have not acknowledged what are good actions and what are bad ones. With malicious intent, I have caused a tathāgata to bleed, I have forsaken the Dharma, I have caused a division of the Saṅgha, I have slain a bhikṣu arhat, I have slain my parents, and I have followed the path of the ten bad actions—the three physical, the four verbal, and the three mental. I have made others commit them, I have rejoiced in their accomplishment, and I have spoken harshly to certain beings. I have maligned. I have cheated with weights. I have cheated with measures. I have made my parents unhappy. I have stolen the wealth of individuals, of stūpas, of saṅghas, and of the saṅghas of bhikṣus in the four directions. I have transgressed the vinaya and the foundations of the training. I have disobeyed the upādhyāyas and the ācāryas. I have been unpleasant to those who have entered the Śrāvakayāna, entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, entered the Mahāyāna, and every other being—I have reviled and beaten them with a mind that is obstinate, angry, envious, and miserly. I have spoken harsh words to buddha bhagavats, have said that the sublime Dharma is not the Dharma, and have said that that which is not the Dharma is the sublime Dharma.

“ ‘All of this I individually confess in the presence of the buddha bhagavats, who are wise, who are attentive, who are witnesses, who are valid, who have wisdom, and who have vision. I repent them, I do not conceal them, and I will not repeat them.

“ ‘Whatever karmic obscurations obscure me—those that will cause me to be in the hell realms, in the life of an animal, or in the land of the pretas; to be among the hosts of asuras; to not be able to please the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; and to be born in other unfortunate existences—that karma will ripen in this body and will not be experienced by anyone else. I confess each one in the presence of the buddha bhagavats, who are wise, who are attentive, who are witnesses, F.178.b who are valid, who have wisdom, and who have vision. I repent them, I do not conceal them, and I will not repeat them.

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the past, in practicing for enlightenment, confessed each of their karmic obscurations, repenting them and not concealing them, in the same way I confess each one of my karmic obscurations, repent them, do not conceal them, and will not repeat them.

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in the future, in practicing for enlightenment, will confess each of their karmic obscurations, repent them, and not conceal them, in the same way I confess each one of my karmic obscurations, repent them, do not conceal them, and will not repeat them.

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in the ten directions in the present, in practicing for enlightenment, confess each of their karmic obscurations, repent them, and do not conceal them, in the same way I confess each one of my karmic obscurations, repent them, do not conceal them, and will not repeat them.

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the past, the future, and the present, F.179.a in practicing for enlightenment, confess each of their karmic obscurations, repent them, and do not conceal them, in the same way I confess each one of my karmic obscurations, repent them, do not conceal them, and will not repeat them.’

“Thus, Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who wishes to attain purity and absence of obscuration in all Dharmas should in that way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to be reborn like a great sal tree among the kṣatriyas, rich, with great wealth—with great possessions, with gold, with herds, with many requisites, very happy, and riding in a great carriage—should also in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to be reborn like a great sal tree among the brahmins, in a family that is rich, with great wealth—great possessions, gold, herds, many requisites, very happy, and riding in a great carriage—should also in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to be reborn into the same way of life as that of the devas of the Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to be reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa, with their same quality of life, should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“In the same way, those who wish to be reborn into the same way of life as that of the devas of Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmita­vaśavartin, F.179.b Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, Brahma­pariṣadya,^[110]Mahābrahmā, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Asaṃjñasattva,^[111] Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, Avṛha, Atapa,^[112] or Akaniṣṭha should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to be reborn among the devas who have arrived in the state of infinite space, the state of infinite consciousness, the state of nothingness, or the state of neither perception nor nonperception, with their condition of life, should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to reach the result of a stream entrant, the result of a once-returner, the result of a non-returner, or to manifest arhathood should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to have the three knowledges, or the six higher cognitions, or the strengths, or the powers, or the final goal of the śrāvakas, or fame as a very powerful śrāvaka, or to manifest the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha, should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Those who wish to accomplish omniscient wisdom, completely pure wisdom, inconceivable wisdom, unequaled wisdom, F.180.a and the wisdom of complete buddhahood should in this way confess their individual karmic obscurations, not conceal them, and state that they will not repeat them.

“Why is that? Śāriputra, the Tathāgata has taught, ‘All phenomena originate through dependence.’ Because of certain causes and conditions, there is creation or cessation. Those qualities that transcend this have no cessation or end, and they also do not have the slightest karmic obscuration. They arise from the absence of anything that is composite. Why is that? Śāriputra, the Tathāgata has taught, ‘All phenomena are empty, have no being, have no soul, have no individuality, are unborn, are unceasing, and are noncomposite.’

“Śāriputra, all phenomena do not^[113] arise from self or have a self. Śāriputra, the engagement by a noble son or noble daughter in the nature of the ultimate Dharma of no being is called the end of the continuity of karmic obscuration, and that, Śāriputra, is the confession.”

Venerable Śāriputra then asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, how should a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who is seeking the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, rejoice in the roots of merit?”

After Venerable Śāriputra had asked that, the Bhagavat said to him, F.180.b “Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who is seeking the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, should three times each day and three times each night, with the upper robe over one shoulder, kneel on the right knee, place their palms together in homage, and say these words:

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in whatever merit has arisen from the generosity of beings in the ten directions, from their good conduct, and from the merit that has arisen from their meditation. I rejoice in that merit with a joy that is sublime, preeminent, superior, complete, perfect, excellent, the highest, unsurpassable, superlative, unequaled, and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in whatever merit is arising from the generosity of beings in the ten directions, from their good conduct, and from the merit that is arising from their meditation. I rejoice in that merit with a joy that is … and so on, until and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in whatever merit will arise from the generosity of beings in the ten directions, from their good conduct, and from the merit that will arise from their meditation. I rejoice in that merit with joy that is … and so on, until and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in all the roots of merit possessed by those bodhisattvas who have first developed the enlightenment mind, in all the accumulations of merit of bodhisattvas that have been produced during a hundred eons, F.181.a in all the accumulations of merit of bodhisattvas who have attained patience toward the birthlessness of phenomena, in all the accumulations of merit of those who have become irreversible, and in all the accumulations of merit of bodhisattvas who have one life remaining. I rejoice in them with joy that is … and so on, until and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in all the good roots from possessing the six perfections that were produced by the bodhisattva mahāsattvas during their past bodhisattva practice. I rejoice in them with a joy that is sublime, preeminent, superior, complete, perfect, excellent, the highest, unsurpassable, superlative, unequaled, and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in all the accumulations of merit from possessing the six perfections that will be produced by the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in their bodhisattva practice in the future. I rejoice in them with a joy that is sublime, preeminent, superior, complete, perfect, excellent, the highest, unsurpassable, superlative, unequaled, and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in all the roots of merit from possessing the six perfections that are being produced by the bodhisattva mahāsattvas in their bodhisattva practice in the present. I rejoice in them with a joy that is sublime, F.181.b preeminent, superior, complete, perfect, excellent, the highest, unsurpassable, superlative, unequaled, and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in the conscientious conduct of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas of the past, who for the sake of benefit^[114] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas and humans, attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood; turned the wheel of the Dharma; taught the wheel of the Dharma; possessed the way of the Dharma; gave the gift of the Dharma; lit the lamp of the Dharma; sent down the rain of the Dharma; beat the drum of the Dharma; beat the great drum of the Dharma; blew the conch of the Dharma; raised the central pillar of the Dharma; and brought satisfaction to all beings with the gift of the Dharma, through which roots of merit were generated by beings who entered the Śrāvakayāna, beings who entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, F.182.a beings who entered the Bodhisattvayāna, or any other beings. I rejoice in them with a joy that is … and so on, until and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in the conscientious conduct of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas of the future, who for the sake of benefit^[115] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas and humans, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood; turn the wheel of the Dharma; teach the wheel of the Dharma; possess the way of the Dharma; give the gift of the Dharma; light the lamp of the Dharma; send down the rain of the Dharma; beat the drum of the Dharma; beat the great drum of the Dharma; blow the conch of the Dharma; raise the central pillar of the Dharma; and bring satisfaction to all beings with the gift of the Dharma, through which roots of merit will be generated by beings who have entered the Śrāvakayāna, beings who have entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, beings who have entered the Bodhisattvayāna, or any other beings. I rejoice in them with a joy that is … and so on, until and that has no equal.

“ ‘I rejoice with the greatest joy in the conscientious conduct of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas of the present time in the worlds of the ten directions who, for the sake of benefit^[116] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas and humans, have attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood; turn the wheel of the Dharma; teach the wheel of the Dharma; possess the way of the Dharma; give the gift of the Dharma; light the lamp of the Dharma; send down the rain of the Dharma; beat the drum of the Dharma; beat the great drum of the Dharma; blow the conch of the Dharma; raise the central pillar of the Dharma; and bring satisfaction to all beings with the gift of the Dharma, through which the roots of merit are generated by beings who have entered the Śrāvakayāna, beings who have entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, beings who have entered the Bodhisattvayāna or any other beings. I rejoice in them with a joy that is … and so on, until and that has no equal.’

“Śāriputra, this is rejoicing’s aggregation of merit. If a noble son or noble daughter rejoices with this merit from rejoicing, they will generate many incalculable, measureless aggregations of merit.

“Śāriputra, if the beings in not only this trichiliocosm world realm, but in as many world realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, F.182.b were all arhats whose defilements had ceased, and if a noble son or noble daughter were to serve them for as long as they lived, with clothing, food, medicines when ill, and other requisites, even then someone who rejoices through this rejoicing would create immeasurably, incalculably greater merit.

“Therefore, Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood should rejoice with this kind of rejoicing. A woman who wishes to attain a male’s organs, who wishes to exchange her female organs for them, should rejoice with this kind of rejoicing.”

When the Bhagavat had said that, Venerable Śāriputra replied to him, “Bhagavat, I pray that you teach the accumulation of supplications that illuminates the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the future and gives rise to aspiration in the bodhisattvas of the present.”

When Venerable Śāriputra had said that, the Bhagavat replied to him, “Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, should three times each day and three times each night, with the upper robe over one shoulder, kneel on the right knee, place their palms together in homage, and say these words:

“ ‘I pay homage to the buddha bhagavats, who in this present time in the worlds of the ten directions have attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. F.183.a

“ ‘Through my paying homage to those buddha bhagavats, and requesting them to turn the wheel of the Dharma, I pray that those buddha bhagavats, for the sake of benefit^[117] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas, and humans, turn the wheel of the Dharma. I pray that they teach the wheel of the Dharma. I pray that they possess the way of the Dharma. I pray that they give the gift of the Dharma. I pray that they light the lamp of the Dharma. I pray that they send down the rain of the Dharma. I pray that they let fall the rain of the Dharma. I pray that they beat the drum of the Dharma. I pray that they beat the great drum of the Dharma. I pray that they blow the conch of the Dharma. I pray that they raise the central pillar of the Dharma.’

“Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, should three times each day and three times each night, with the upper robe over one shoulder, kneel on the right knee, place palms together in homage, and say these words:

“ ‘I pay homage to the buddha bhagavats, who in this present time in the worlds of the ten directions are giving up their composite life.

“ ‘Through my paying homage to those buddha bhagavats, and requesting them to turn the wheel of the Dharma, I pray that those buddha bhagavats, for the sake of benefit for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas, and humans, turn the wheel of the Dharma, light the lamp of the Dharma, F.183.b send down the rain of the Dharma, let fall the rain of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, beat the great drum of the Dharma, blow the conch of the Dharma, raise the central pillar of the Dharma, increase the lamp of the Dharma, and satisfy all beings with the gift of the Dharma.

“ ‘I also dedicate this accumulation of supplications to the highest, most complete enlightenment. I dedicate this in such a way that it is dedicated to the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Śāriputra, this is the accumulation of supplications. If a noble son or noble daughter were to supplicate with this accumulation of supplications, they would create immeasurably, incalculably greater merit.

“Śāriputra, if a noble son or noble daughter were to make an offering to the tathāgatas of the entire trichiliocosm world realm filled with the seven jewels, someone who supplicates the tathāgatas to turn the wheel of the Dharma would create immeasurably, incalculably greater merit than that.

“Śāriputra, let alone this trichiliocosm world realm—Śāriputra, if a noble son or noble daughter were to make an offering to the tathāgatas of as many trichiliocosm world realms filled with the seven jewels as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, still, someone who supplicates the tathāgatas to turn the wheel of the Dharma would create immeasurably, incalculably greater merit than that.

“Why is that? Śāriputra, when in the past I was practicing bodhisattva conduct, I supplicated the tathāgatas to turn the wheel of the Dharma. It is because of that root of merit that Śakra, the lord of the devas, F.184.a and Brahmā, the lord of Sahā, supplicated me to turn the wheel of the Dharma, saying, ‘Bhagavat, we pray that you turn the wheel of the Dharma for the sake of benefit^[118] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas and humans.’

“Śāriputra, when in the past I was practicing bodhisattva conduct, I prayed that the tathāgatas remain for a long time. It is because of that root of merit that I have attained the four confidences, the ten strengths of the tathāgatas, the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha, the four discernments, great love, great compassion, and complete nirvāṇa, and that my Dharma will remain for a long time.”

When the Bhagavat had said that, Venerable Śāriputra asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, how should a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, dedicate their roots of merit in order to gain omniscience?”

When Venerable Śāriputra had asked that, the Bhagavat said to him, “Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who has entered the Śrāvakayāna, or has entered the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or has entered the Mahāyāna, or any other being who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, F.184.b should three times each day and three times each night say these words:

“ ‘Whatever good roots I have created while circling in beginningless and endless saṃsāra—whatever good roots I have from giving even a handful of food to the Buddha, to the Dharma, to the Saṅgha, or even to those reborn as an animal, or to any other being; whatever good roots I have from confession, from supplication, from taking refuge, or from possessing the basis of the training; whatever good roots I have from individual confessions; whatever merit I have from rejoicing; and whatever good roots I have from supplication—I gather them all into one, and with a mind that is tamed, liberated, and without grasping, I bestow all of that together on all beings.

“ ‘Just as the buddha bhagavats, with the unimpeded wisdom of buddhahood, know their giving of the roots of merit to all beings, I give the roots of merit in the same way.

“ ‘May all beings have jewels in their hands. May they attain the treasury of space, enjoyment that knows no end, merit that knows no end, Dharma that knows no end, knowledge that knows no end, eloquence that knows no end, the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, and omniscient wisdom.

“ ‘I combine into one and unify whatever merit arises from my bestowing the roots of merit on all beings, and I dedicate it to the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“ ‘Through this root of merit may I and all beings attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood and may we attain omniscient wisdom. F.185.a

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the past, practicing for the sake of enlightenment, dedicated their roots of merit for the sake of omniscience, in that same way I also dedicate my roots of merit for the sake of omniscience.

“ ‘Through this root of merit may I and all beings attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood and may we attain omniscient wisdom.

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the future, practicing for the sake of enlightenment, will dedicate their roots of merit for the sake of omniscience, in that same way I also will dedicate my roots of merit for the sake of omniscience.

“ ‘Through this root of merit may I and all beings attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood and may we attain omniscient wisdom.

“ ‘Just as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the present, practicing for the sake of enlightenment, dedicate their roots of merit for the sake of omniscience, in that same way I also dedicate my roots of merit for the sake of omniscience.

“ ‘Through this root of merit may I and all beings attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, F.185.b and may we attain omniscient wisdom.

Just as the Bhagavat Tathāgata Śākyamuni sat upon the Bodhimaṇḍa; remained in the inconceivable, stainless, and extremely difficult samādhi of buddhahood; defeated evil Māra, and at dawn obtained the amṛta of wisdom that in an instant had all knowledge, had the view, had realization, had complete enlightenment, and had gained the buddhahood of the path to deathlessness, in that same way may I and all beings attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. May we attain omniscient wisdom.

“ ‘Just as the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas including the Bhagavat Tathāgata Amitābha,^[119] Varaprabha, Virtue of Light, Puṇyaprabha, Akṣobhya, Siṃha,^[120] Śatakiraṇa, Exalted Light Rays, Net of Light, Ratnārci, Prabhājvala, King of Illumination, Vibhūṣita, Ratnaketu,^[121] Dharmadhvaja, and Varāṅga, and other buddha bhagavats who attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, turned the wheel of the Dharma for the sake of benefit^[122] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas and humans, in the same way may I and all beings attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood F.186.a and turn the wheel of the Dharma for the sake of benefit^[123] for many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of multitudes of beings, devas and humans.’

“Śāriputra, that is the accumulation of dedication. The previous accumulations of merit cannot approach the vastness of this accumulation of dedication and cannot even serve as an analogy for it.

“Śāriputra, a noble son or noble daughter who obtains this sūtra, learns it, possesses it, reads it, and teaches it widely to others will develop an even greater, incalculable, measureless accumulation of merit.

“Śāriputra, if all the past and future beings that are in a trichiliocosm world realm were to attain human bodies, and having gained human bodies, without distinction between past and future, were to each attain enlightenment, and if a noble son or noble daughter were to serve them throughout their lives with robes, food, bedding, medicine when ill, and requisites in order to honor them and revere them; and if they were to spend a heap of jewels the size of Sumeru each time they attended them; and if, when they had passed into nirvāṇa, they were to create stūpas for them ten yojanas high and made of the seven precious materials—gold, silver, pearls, beryl, crystal, white coral, and red pearls—and then make offerings to them with parasols, banners, flags, and streamers, then, Śāriputra, what do you think? Would that noble son or noble daughter generate much merit upon that basis?”

“Bhagavat, there would be much,” replied Śāriputra. F.186.b “Sugata, there would be much.”

“Śāriputra,” continued the Bhagavat, “a noble son or noble daughter who possesses this sūtra, learns it, recites it, reads it, teaches it to many people, and prays for the highest, most complete enlightenment will generate even greater merit. The previous accumulations of merit cannot approach the vastness of this accumulation of merit; they cannot even serve as an analogy for it.

“Why is that? Śāriputra, it is because a noble son or noble daughter who is established in this practice requests the buddha bhagavats in the world realms in the ten directions to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, I have taught that the giving of the Dharma is the supreme act of generosity.”

Then ten thousand beings within that assembly rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knees, placed their palms together in homage, and bowed toward the Bhagavat. They said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, we will possess this sūtra. We will teach it widely to others. We will maintain its practice. Why is that? Bhagavat, it is because we are intent upon attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood through that kind of virtuous Dharma.”

Then Śakra, the lord of the devas, cast coral tree flowers over the Bhagavat and this Dharma teaching. Having scattered them, he said, “Bhagavat, this is a greatly cherished Dharma teaching that creates the roots of merit for bodhisattvas and ends the continuity of the obscuration of karma.” F.187.a

“It is like that, Kauśika, it is like that,” said the Bhagavat. “Why is that? Lord of devas, I remember that innumerable eons beyond innumerable eons in the past, there appeared in the world a tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, one with wisdom and pure conduct,^[124] a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat named Great Mass of Light.

“Lord of devas, the lifespan of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Great Mass of Light was six hundred million years. His first assembly of śrāvakas numbered a trillion,^[125] and they were all arhats whose defilements had ceased. His second assembly of śrāvakas numbered ninety-eight trillion, and they were all arhats whose defilements had ceased. His third assembly of śrāvakas numbered ninety-nine trillion, and they were all arhats whose defilements had ceased.

“Lord of devas, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Great Mass of Light was active in order to benefit beings of the world with its devas, with its Brahmā, and with its mendicants and brahmins.

“Lord of devas, at that time, the female Gaṅgadevī entered the gathered assembly of his followers, and present there she obtained from the Tathāgata Great Mass of Light this Dharma teaching. She learned it and, having acquired it, taught it to many beings and set forth toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. When she passed away, she left behind a female body and obtained a male’s faculties F.187.b and was always thereafter reborn among devas or humans, became a cakravartin king eighty-four thousand times, and then became the Tathāgata Ratnārci.

“Kauśika, even now I see him teaching the Dharma in the east beyond^[126] a trillion buddha realms.

“Kauśika, anyone who hears the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnārci will definitely pass into nirvāṇa. Any woman who hears the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnārci, or perceives him at the time of death, will have been in her last female existence.^[127]

“Noble one, many kinds of benefits arise from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. It increases the good qualities of enlightenment, and it ends all continuities of karmic obscuration. Also, there are four benefits that arise in the location and environs where a bhikṣu, bhikṣuṇī, upāsaka, or upāsikā explains and teaches this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. What are those four? (1) In that land the king will be healthy and free from all harm; (2) he will have a long life and be free of obstacles; (3) he will not be defeated by the armies of adversaries or enemies; and (4) he will enjoy happiness and spread the Dharma. This is because that human king will be guarded by Śakra, Brahmā, the four world guardians, the lords of the yakṣas, and so on.”

Then the Bhagavat addressed the assembly of devas, asking, “Noble ones, is it so?”

Śakra, Brahmā, and the rest of the innumerable assembly each said in answer, F.188.a “It is so. Bhagavat, in whatever land this lord of sūtras is read, recited, and taught, we will go to that king and that land, and there we will continuously guard them and remain with them. And we will prevent there being any opposing enemies, harm, obstacles, illness, misery, and so on. We will cause there to be long life, happiness, good fortune, and the fulfillment of all wishes so that there will be continuous happiness. We will make that king’s army courageous and heroic.”

When they had said that, the Bhagavat exclaimed, “Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Noble ones, accomplish what you have said you will do! Through the king acting in accord with the Dharma, his subjects also will, like the king, act in accord with the Dharma. Your power and color will become perfect, and through that sublime benefit, your residences, entourages, and so on will become radiant.”

Śakra, Brahmā, and the others then said that they would fulfill the instructions of the Bhagavat.

Then the Bhagavat said, “There are four benefits that will arise for the king’s ministers in the location and environs where this lord of sūtras is taught and promulgated. What are those four? (1) They will respect each other and be friendly to each other; (2) they will have the authorization of the king and be held in esteem by mendicants, brahmins, minor kings, and so on; (3) dedicated to the Dharma and not seeking gain and fame, they will nevertheless have great fame that spreads through every direction and they will be praised by all; and (4) they will enjoy long life and happiness. Those are the four. F.188.b

“Moreover, there are four benefits that will arise for the mendicants and brahmins in the land where this sublime Dharma is taught. What are the four? (1) They will not lack robes, alms, bedding, medicine, and so on; (2) they will be happy in wishing to read and recite; (3) they will be happy dwelling in mountains, forests, and so on; and (4) whatever intention they have in mind will be perfectly fulfilled.

“Moreover, the people in the land where this sūtra is recited will be healthy, have increasing happiness, and they will quickly acquire wealth, requisites, precious materials, and so on. Their merit will increase, and so on, so that they will have such benefits.”

Then that assembly of Śakra, Brahmā, the Four Mahārājas, and the rest said, “Bhagavat, for as long as this sūtra that teaches a profound meaning remains in this world, for that long the qualities of the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment will remain. When this sūtra no longer remains, then the Dharma will cease to exist.”

“It is so,” said the Bhagavat. “Therefore, noble ones, recite correctly; possess, contemplate, and practice at least one word, or one verse, or one chapter, or the entirety of this Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light and teach it widely to all for the sake of the long-lasting welfare, benefit, and happiness of many beings.”

When he had said that, they praised the words of the Bhagavat.

Chapter 6: The Purification of the Bhūmis

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva F.189.a Akṣayamati^[128] rose from his seat and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, placed his palms together in homage, and bowed toward the Bhagavat. He offered the Bhagavat parasols of various jewels and flowers and baskets of flowers, and then he said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, you have said repeatedly ‘the enlightenment mind, the enlightenment mind.’ Bhagavat, to what extent does a bodhisattva have an enlightenment mind? Bhagavat, what is an enlightenment mind? Bhagavat, if a bodhisattva has no aspiration or focus, has not focused, and will not focus on enlightenment because enlightenment is indescribable, and because aspiration has no form, cannot be shown, is immaterial and imperceivable, then how, Bhagavat, should the meaning of those Dharma teachings be understood?”

“Noble one,” replied the Bhagavat, “enlightenment should not be focused upon as an epithet, a designation, or a term. Enlightenment is indescribable; aspiration has no form, cannot be shown, is immaterial and imperceivable, and a bodhisattva has no focus. Why is that? Enlightenment is indescribable. Just as enlightenment is, that is what the aspiration is like. Just as the aspiration is, that is what enlightenment is like. Just as enlightenment and aspiration are, that is what the bodhisattvas are like. Just as the bodhisattvas are, that is what all past, future, and present phenomena are like.

“That is why, noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas gain the name bodhisattvas. F.189.b The aspiration that follows all Dharmas is called the enlightenment mind. Enlightenment is not the past, the future, or the present, and the mind is the same. Because there is no focus on any phenomenon, there is nothing to be found in this. There is no enlightenment. There is no designation as enlightenment. There are no beings. There are no designations as beings. There are no śrāvakas. There are no designations as śrāvakas. There are no pratyekabuddhas. There are no designations as pratyekabuddhas. There are no bodhisattvas. There are no designations as bodhisattvas. There are no buddhas. There are no designations as buddhas. There are no composite phenomena. There are no designations as composite phenomena. There is no noncomposite. There is no designation as noncomposite.

“However, noble one, the development of the first noble aspiration is like Sumeru; it is truly high because of all the roots of merit. Its cause is the perfection of generosity.

“The second development of aspiration is like the earth in being the location of all activities in the Dharma. Its cause is the perfection of correct conduct.

“The third development of aspiration is like the maned lion, the king of animals, because it has no terror, no anxiety, and no fear. Its cause is the perfection of patience.

“The fourth development of aspiration is like the might, strength, force, diligence, and courage of Nārāyaṇa, because it is irreversible. Its cause is the perfection of diligence.

“The fifth development of aspiration is like someone who is truly noble through their various good actions because they are never satisfied with their merit. Its cause is the perfection of meditation.

“The sixth development of aspiration is like the bright disk of the sun because it dispels deep darkness. Its cause is the perfection of wisdom. F.190.a

“The seventh development of aspiration is like a head merchant who is wealthy with great treasure because it is a perfect adornment; it brings freedom from the wilderness of saṃsāra and fulfills all wishes. Its cause is the perfection of skill in methods.

“The eighth development of aspiration is like the pure disk of the full moon, because it completes purification from all obscurations. Its cause is the perfection of prayer.

“The ninth development of aspiration is like the fulfillment of all wishes, because it is the domain of all the displays of the qualities of the pure buddha realms. Its cause is the perfection of strength.

“The tenth development of aspiration is like space because it has the way of the characteristics of a cakravartin due to having attained the consecration of mastery over all qualities, wisdom, and Dharmas. Its cause is the perfection of knowledge.

“Noble one, those are a bodhisattva’s ten developments of aspiration. Through having these one is called a bodhisattva, but ultimately, there is no enlightenment, there is no bodhisattva, and there is no aspiration of enlightenment.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of generosity of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary of the power of faith; (2) the preliminary of contemplation; (3) the preliminary of superior aspiration; (4) the preliminary of the perfections; (5) the preliminary of great love; (6) the preliminary of great compassion; (7) the preliminary of being a support for beings; (8) the preliminary of the methods of gathering beings; (9) the preliminary of desiring the Dharma of the buddhas; and (10) the preliminary of wishing for omniscient wisdom. F.190.b

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of generosity of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of correct conduct of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary of pure physical conduct; (2) the preliminary of pure vocal conduct; (3) the preliminary of pure mental conduct; (4) the preliminary of nonviolence; (5) the preliminary of avoiding the lower existences; (6) the preliminary of avoiding the unfortunate states; (7) the preliminary of transcending the level of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; (8) the preliminary of establishing the qualities of buddhahood; (9) the preliminary of complete aspiration; and (10) the preliminary of complete prayer.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of correct conduct of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of patience of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary of forsaking desire; (2) the preliminary of forsaking anger; (3) the preliminary of having no concern for one’s body; (4) the preliminary of not being concerned with one’s life; (5) the preliminary of aspiration; (6) the preliminary of ripening beings; (7) the preliminary of the strength of love; (8) the preliminary of patience for profound Dharma; (9) the preliminary of aspiration for that which is vast; and (10) the preliminary of dispelling ignorance.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of patience of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of diligence of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are F.191.a (1) the preliminary that is thinking of what is to be done for all beings; (2) the preliminary that is rejoicing in the accomplishment of a virtuous body, speech, and mind; (3) the preliminary that is never being disheartened; (4) the preliminary that is the activity of attaining the level of irreversibility; (5) the preliminary that is correct effort; (6) the preliminary that is mindfulness; (7) the preliminary that is subjugating the enemy, which is the kleśas; (8) the preliminary that is being detached from all phenomena; (9) the preliminary that is the activity of ripening beings; and (10) the preliminary that is the accomplishment of omniscient knowledge.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of diligence of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of meditation of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary that is maintaining good qualities; (2) the preliminary that is samādhi; (3) the preliminary that is samāpatti; (4) the preliminary that is complete enlightenment; (5) the preliminary that is dhyāna and liberations; (6) the preliminary that is the faculty of samādhi; (7) the preliminary that is the strength of samādhi; (8) the preliminary that is forsaking the kleśas of all beings; (9) the preliminary that is completing the aggregation of samādhis; and (10) the preliminary that is guarding the Dharma.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of meditation of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of wisdom of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary that is being skilled in the skandhas; (2) the preliminary that is being skilled in the dhātus; (3) the preliminary that is being skilled in the āyatanas; (4) the preliminary that is being skilled in dependent origination; (5) the preliminary that is being skilled in the truths; F.191.b (6) the preliminary that is dispelling all wrong views; (7) the preliminary that is the faculty of wisdom; (8) the preliminary that is patience toward the quality of birthlessness; (9) the preliminary that is completing all the qualities of buddhahood; and (10) the preliminary that is seeing unobscured wisdom.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of wisdom of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of the skill in methods of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary that is engaging with the motivations and conduct of beings; (2) the preliminary that is becoming a support for beings; (3) the preliminary that is great love and compassion; (4) the preliminary that is the ripening of beings; (5) the preliminary that is engagement in all the qualities of buddhahood; (6) the preliminary that is seeing special wisdom; (7) the preliminary that is the purification of the perfections; (8) the preliminary that is the contemplation of things exactly as they are; (9) the preliminary that is the accomplishment of the strength of the mind; and (10) the preliminary that is the attainment of the level of irreversibility.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of skill in methods of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of prayer of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed mental conduct of all beings; (2) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed kleśas of all beings; (3) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed faculties of all beings; (4) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed motivations and aspirations of all beings; F.192.a (5) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed motivations, higher motivations, and aspirations of all beings; (6) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements in the separate world realms and the three realms; (7) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed motivations and propensities of all beings; (8) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the massed deaths and rebirths of all beings; (9) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the movements of the display of the three aggregations of all beings; and (10) the preliminary that is the knowledge of ripening beings who have untiring faculties.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of prayer of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of strength of a bodhisattva. What are the ten? They are (1) the preliminary that is the primordial nonorigination of all phenomena; (2) the preliminary that is the primordial nonexistence of the characteristics of all phenomena; (3) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the primordial birthlessness of all phenomena; (4) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the primordial nonexistence of all phenomena; (5) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the primordial nonformation of all phenomena; (6) the preliminary that is the knowledge that all phenomena do not enter; (7) the preliminary that is the knowledge that all phenomena do not turn back; (8) the preliminary that is the knowledge that all phenomena have the nature of nothingness; (9) the preliminary that is the knowledge that the beginning, middle, and end of all phenomena are the same; and (10) the preliminary that is the absence of concepts or thoughts engaging with the true nature of all phenomena.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of strength of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, there are ten qualities that are preliminaries to the perfection of knowledge of a bodhisattva. F.192.b What are these ten? They are (1) the preliminary that is the analysis that differentiates all phenomena; (2) the preliminary that is the completion of all good qualities; (3) the preliminary that is an immeasurable gathering of the accumulation of enlightenment; (4) the preliminary that is possessing a vast accumulation of merit and wisdom; (5) the preliminary that is the realization of vast great compassion; (6) the preliminary that is the knowledge that all phenomena do not enter; (7) the preliminary that is the knowledge of the levels of categories of the world realms; (8) the preliminary that is comprehending the realms of beings and the conduct motivated by the kleśas; (9) the preliminary that is the mental activity of comprehending and following the range of activity of the tathāgatas; and (10) the preliminary that is the higher perception and complete knowledge of the ten strengths, the fearlessnesses, and the unique qualities of a buddha.

“Noble one, those are the ten qualities that are the preliminaries for the perfection of knowledge of the bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, what is the meaning of perfection? The fulfillment of special conduct: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of vast and profound wisdom: that is the meaning of perfection. The absence of attachment to the composite and noncomposite: that is the meaning of perfection. The correct realization of the faults of saṃsāra: that is the meaning of perfection. Comprehending unwise beings: that is the meaning of perfection. Teaching the treasure of the Dharma that knows no cessation: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of unobscured liberation: that is the meaning of perfection. Knowing the realms of beings: that is the meaning of perfection. The realization of the sameness of generosity: that is the meaning of perfection.F.193.a The fulfillment of the sameness of correct conduct: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of the sameness of patience: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of the sameness of diligence: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of the sameness of meditation: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of skill in knowing the perfection of wisdom: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of special conduct: that is the meaning of perfection. Having perfect knowledge of all phenomena: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of patience toward the quality of birthlessness: that is the meaning of perfection. The attainment of the level of irreversibility: that is the meaning of perfection. The purification of a buddha realm: that is the meaning of perfection. Ripening completely all beings: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of the wisdom of buddhahood at a Bodhimaṇḍa: that is the meaning of perfection. The subjugation of all māras: that is the meaning of perfection.

Liberating and manifesting the nonduality of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa: that is the meaning of perfection. Reaching the perfection of qualities: that is the meaning of perfection. The eradication of adversaries: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of the ten strengths, the fearlessnesses, and the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of special conduct: that is the meaning of perfection. The fulfillment of all the qualities of buddhahood: that is the meaning of perfection. Complete enlightenment as the highest, most complete enlightenment: that is the meaning of perfection. Turning the wheel of the Dharma in twelve ways: that is the meaning of perfection.F.193.b

“Noble one, the omen of the first bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing that the trichiliocosm world realm becomes filled with a hundred thousand quintillion treasures.

“The omen of the second bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing that the trichiliocosm world realm becomes like the palm of the hand and is perfectly adorned by many hundred thousand quintillions of jewels.

“The omen of the third bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing oneself as a warrior holding weapons, wearing strong armor, and subjugating one’s foes.

“The omen of the fourth bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing four circles of wind from the four directions scattering various flowers over the great circle of the all-possessing earth.

“The omen of the fifth bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing a woman adorned in every kind of jewelry placing a garland of magnolia flowers on one’s head.

“The omen of the sixth bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing a pool with four stairways, at the bottom of which is gold sand. The pool is filled with water that is not muddied, but clear, and it possesses the eight good qualities. Its water is adorned with blue lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotuses, and one uses it for one’s own pleasure.

“The omen of the seventh bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing the chasm of the hells to one’s right and left and returning from that unwounded and unharmed. F.194.a

“The omen of the eighth bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing that one carries upon both shoulders lions, the kings of beasts, crowned with their manes, terrifying all the smaller beasts.

“The omen of the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing oneself as a cakravartin king encircled by many hundred thousand quintillions of people, as one is looking straight ahead with a white parasol adorned with various jewels held above one’s head.

“The omen of the tenth bodhisattva bhūmi of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is seeing the body of a tathāgata who is looking straight ahead and teaching the Dharma, and who is the color of gold with a fathom-wide aura, encircled by many hundred thousand quintillions of Brahmās.

“Noble one, those ten are the omens of the ten bodhisattva bhūmis of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

“Noble one, why is the first bhūmi called Perfect Joy? The first bhūmi is called Perfect Joy because at the beginning, a mind that transcends the world, which had not previously been attained, is made manifest, and as the aspiration to a great goal has been fulfilled, there is a great joy that arises.

“The second bhūmi is called Stainless because it is purified of even the slightest stains of downfalls and of all faults in conduct.

“The third bhūmi is called Shining because there is the shining light of measureless wisdom and the wisdom of samādhi, which cannot be undermined, cannot be outshone by anything, and remains in the power of retention that holds what has been heard.

“The fourth bhūmi is called Blazing because the fire of wisdom incinerates all kleśas, and the blazing light of meditation on the qualities of the aspects of enlightenment increases. F.194.b

“The fifth bhūmi is called Difficult Training because the method of meditation and the supreme wisdom are difficult to master, and the kleśas that are difficult to subjugate through the paths of seeing and meditation have been subjugated.

“The sixth bhūmi is called Manifested because there is the manifestation of the absence of obstruction from composite phenomena, and the manifestation of all featureless mentation.

“The seventh bhūmi is called Gone Far because there is a long, continuous meditation in liberated samādhi, because of there being no obstacles to stainless qualities and because of featureless mentation.

“The eighth bhūmi is called Unwavering because, through attainment of the mastery of featureless mentation, the kleśas are unable to cause instability.

“The ninth bhūmi is called Perfect Understanding because, through the mastery of teaching the Dharma in all its aspects, there are no transgressions and there is the attainment of unimpeded, vast understanding.

“The tenth bhūmi is called Cloud of Dharma because the Dharma body is like the sky covered by the clouds of great wisdom.

“Noble one, the first bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of attachment to the features of phenomena and individuals, and the ignorance of being terrified by the torments of saṃsāra and the lower realms.

“The second bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of the delusion of subtle downfalls, and the ignorance that gives rise to various kinds of actions and conduct.

“The third bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of wishing to attain what has not been attained, and ignorance concerning attaining the supreme, sublime power of retention.

“The fourth bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of craving for the delight of resting in meditation, and the ignorance of craving for pure Dharma.

“The fifth bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of being saddened by saṃsāra, and the ignorance of exerting oneself for nirvāṇa. F.195.a

“The sixth bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of perceiving the movement of the composite, and the ignorance of perceiving evident features.

“The seventh bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of manifest subtle features, and the ignorance of featureless mentation.

“The eighth bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of exertion toward featurelessness, and the ignorance of attaining power over the grasping of features.

“The ninth bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of not being skilled in whatever Dharma is taught as being limitless, with limitless words and letters, and the ignorance of not having attained the power of eloquence.

“The tenth bhūmi is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of not having attained the power of great higher cognitions, and the ignorance of not being skilled in subtle, secret meanings and actions.

“The bhūmi of buddhahood is obscured by these two kinds of ignorance: the ignorance of the obscuration of knowledge and the ignorance of the negative propensities of extremely subtle kleśas.

“Noble one, the bodhisattva who is on the first bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of generosity.

“The bodhisattva who is on the second bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of correct conduct.

“The bodhisattva who is on the third bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of patience.

“The bodhisattva who is on the fourth bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of diligence.

“The bodhisattva who is on the fifth bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of meditation.

“The bodhisattva who is on the sixth bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of wisdom.

“The bodhisattva who is on the seventh bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of skill in methods.

“The bodhisattva who is on the eighth bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of prayer.

“The bodhisattva who is on the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of strength.

“The bodhisattva who is on the tenth bodhisattva bhūmi has ascended to the perfection of knowledge. F.195.b

“Noble one, the first development of aspiration of a bodhisattva mahāsattva is obtained and arises through the samādhi that is a superior jewel.

“The second development of aspiration is obtained and arises through the samādhi that has no location.

“The third development of aspiration is obtained and arises through samādhi that is unwavering.

“The fourth development of aspiration is obtained and arises through samādhi that is irreversible.

“The fifth development of aspiration is obtained and arises through the samādhi of precious flowers.

“The sixth development of aspiration is obtained and arises through the samādhi of the brilliance of sunlight.

“The seventh development of aspiration is obtained and arises through the samādhi that accomplishes all goals.

“The eighth development of aspiration is obtained and arises through the samādhi of the directly perceived presence of the present buddhas.

“The ninth development of aspiration is obtained and developed through the samādhi of the lamp of wisdom.

“The tenth development of aspiration is obtained and arises through the samādhi that is heroic.

“Noble one, on the first bodhisattva bhūmi of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas there arises and is obtained the dhāraṇī called consecration:

tadyathā | pūrṇamno rathe duhu duhu duhu yāvat sūryāvabhāsatā yāvat candra daudatte dāvād arakṣamān daṇạparihāram kuru svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in a Ganges River will protect the bodhisattvas on the first bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all fears, which means freed from vicious beasts such as tigers and lions; F.196.a freed from all pretas, humans, nonhumans, and so on; and freed from enemies, robbers, the planets, the kleśas, and the five kinds of obscurations, and they will remember the first bhūmi.

“Noble one, on the second bodhisattva mahāsattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called invincibility arises and is obtained:

tadyathā | uttoli ciriciri uttorā toranaṃ śānto śānto attoli hulu hulu svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in two Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the second bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors, which means freed from vicious beasts, vicious pretas, human and nonhuman attacks, opposing enemies, the planets, the kleśas, suffering, and the five kinds of obscurations, and they will remember the second bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the third bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called firm presence will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | daṇṭhike vaṇṭhike karaṭhī kauraṭhi kaiyūre tantili svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the third bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—vicious beasts, vicious demons, attacks from humans and nonhumans and so on, the planets, opposing enemies, various kinds of suffering, and the five kinds of obscurations—and F.196.b they will remember the third bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the fourth bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called unsubjugated will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | śiriśiri dimi dimini dari darini śiri śiriṇi viśalā viśālā paśa paśani bandhniye svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in four Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the fourth bhūmi.

“Whoever possesses and recites this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the fourth bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the fifth bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called the array of various qualities will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | hari hariṇi ciri ciriṇi karimāṇi saṅkarimāṇi sambāsani jambhani stambhani mohani svamūkke svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in five Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the fifth bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the fifth bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the sixth bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called the lamp of the field of wisdom will arise and be obtained: F.197.a

tadyathā | vitori vitori mariṇi kali kali vidho hanati lulu lulu culu culu toluva toluva śaśa śaccha variśa svasti sarva satvānāṃ siddhyantu mama mantravādāni svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in six Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the sixth bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the sixth bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the seventh bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called superiority will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | jaha jaharu jaha jaha jaharu vailuke amṛteghaṇe puruśaṇe vairutike varubatte vidhi hike vinda vilini amṛlutike bhaijuyu bhaijuyu svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in seven Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the seventh bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the seventh bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the eighth bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called unpolluted thought will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | sari F.197.b śari śiriṇi mitemite kari kari heru heru curu curu bandhani svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the eighth bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the eighth bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the ninth bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called infinite adornment will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | haricaṇḍalike kulamābhate toraśipata patasi śiri śiri gaśiri gaviśiri svasti sarvasatvānāṃ svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in nine Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the ninth bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the ninth bhūmi.

“Noble one, for the bodhisattva mahāsattva who is on the tenth bodhisattva bhūmi, the dhāraṇī called the unceasing casket will arise and be obtained:

tadyathā | siddhe susiddhe mocani mokṣani mukte vimukte amale vimale damale māṅgale hiraṇyagarbhe ratnagarbhe samantabhadre sarvārtha sādhana manasi mahāmanasi adbhute atyadbhute araje F.198.a viraje ucyute amṛte araje viraje brahme brahma sārwpūraṇi pūraṇa manorathe svāhā |

“Noble one, this dhāraṇī is recited so that more buddha bhagavats than there are grains of sand in ten Ganges Rivers will protect the bodhisattvas on the tenth bhūmi.

“Those who recite and possess this dhāraṇī mantra will be freed from all terrors—fierce beasts, malevolent pretas, humans and nonhumans and so on, opposing enemies, the torments of various kinds of suffering, the planets, and the five kinds of obscurations—and they will remember the tenth bhūmi.”

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva by the name of Unobstructed Appearance of the Light of a Lion’s Ornament, having heard the Bhagavat teach those dhāraṇīs, rose from his seat and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, placed his palms together in homage, bowed down to the Bhagavat’s two feet, and praised him with these verses:

Then Maheśvara, the king of the Brahmā devas, rose from his seat and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, placed his palms together in homage, bowed down to the Bhagavat’s two feet, and said to the Bhagavat, “This Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, is very rare; it is beyond evaluation. It is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end; it has a good meaning; it has good words; it is unmixed and perfect; and it makes perfect all the Buddhadharma. Whoever possesses and holds it is someone who fulfills the deeds of the buddha bhagavats.”

“Noble one, it is as you have said,” replied the Bhagavat. “Noble one, whoever listens to this sūtra will progress irreversibly to the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Why is that? F.199.a Noble one, it ripens the supreme roots of merit of the bodhisattvas who are irreversibly upon the bhūmis, it is the sublime seal of the Dharma, and it is the king of all sūtras. Therefore, it should be listened to, obtained, read, and recited.

“Noble one, beings who have not planted roots of merit, who have not ripened their roots of merit, and who have not served many buddhas will not be able to hear this sublime Dharma.

“Noble one, just by hearing this Dharma teaching, noble sons or noble daughters will have a higher motivation and will never be apart from seeing the buddhas. They will never be apart from hearing the sublime Dharma. They will never be apart from honoring the saṅgha. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī of the accomplishment of the unceasing seal of the ocean. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī of engaging in the motivations, conduct, and languages of beings. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī of the shining crest of the sun. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī of accomplishing the suppression of all that arises. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī that is as hard as a vajra and destroys mountains. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī that enters into the teaching of the inexpressible meaning. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī that engages in all languages. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī that applies the seal of the accomplishment of the stainless domain of space. They will never be apart from the dhāraṇī that accomplishes the complete, infinite body of a buddha.

“Son of the devas, through obtaining these dhāraṇīs, the bodhisattvas emanate buddha bodies into the buddha realms in the ten directions and teach the Dharma. F.199.b They will not deviate from the true nature, with no going and no coming. They will ripen beings without having a perception of beings. They will teach the Dharma without deviating from the sameness of all words. Although they manifest death and birth, they do not pass away, and have no birth. Because they have no thoughts toward all phenomena, that which is composite does not go anywhere and does not come from anywhere.”

When this Dharma teaching was given, three thousand bodhisattvas attained patience toward the quality of birthlessness; innumerable bodhisattvas became irreversible from the enlightenment mind; innumerable bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs attained the pure Dharma eyes for the Dharma; and innumerable beings developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.

Then, at that time, the Bhagavat recited this verse:

That gathered assembly then rose from their seats, bowed their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet, and said, “Bhagavat, we will go to where someone is reading, reciting, or teaching this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and we will form the assembly for that Dharma teacher and will benefit him, bestow happiness upon him, and make him physically and mentally happy. We will, with single-pointed minds, make offerings to him, and we will satisfy with happiness the assembly that listens to him. In the land of that king there will be no suffering because of fear of invading enemies, violence, or the anxiety of famine. The people will multiply and spread. F.200.a Why is that? We will make offerings as to a stūpa, with parasols, banners, flowers, incense, and ornaments, to this place where the Dharma is taught. We will always protect it so that it will not deteriorate.”

Then the Bhagavat said to that gathered assembly, “Noble ones, be diligent in accomplishing this sublime sūtra, and this sublime Dharma will remain for a long time in this world.”

Chapter 7: A Praise of All the Realms of the Past, Future, and Present Samyaksaṃbuddhas

Then the Bhagavat said to the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, “Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, there was a king by the name of Suvarṇabhujendra. Through this praise of all the tathāgatas, The Source of Lotus Flowers, he praised the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present.

Chapter 8: The Dhāraṇī Called Golden

Then the Bhagavat said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sukhavihāra within that assembly, “Noble one, any noble man or noble woman who wishes to make an offering to all the buddhas of the past, the future, and the present should carry and possess this dhāraṇī that is called golden. Why is that? It is because this dhāraṇī is the mother of the past, future, and present buddha bhagavats. One who possesses this dhāraṇī will greatly increase their accumulation of merit. Those who planted roots of merit with countless bhagavats of the past will possess and hold this dhāraṇī. Those who have pure, faultless conduct without deterioration F.202.b will be able to enter this extremely profound Dharma teaching.”

Then the Bhagavat said, “This is the rite for practicing the dhāraṇī-mantra: Recite these names of past buddha bhagavats and bodhisattvas and with a one-pointed mind, pay homage to them, and then recite the mantra:

“I pay homage to all the buddhas in the ten directions,

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

“I pay homage to all the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and āryas.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Śākyamuni.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Akṣobhya in the east.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnaketu in the south.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Amitābha in the west.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Dundubhisvara in the north.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Viśālaśrī above.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Varaprabha below.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnagarbha.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Samantaprabha.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Samantāvabhāsa.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Supreme Incense Heap.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Excellent Lotus.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Equally Seeing.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnaśikhin.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Highest Jewels.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Ratnaprabha.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Courageous Established Intention.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Completely Pure Moonlight Sign Renowned King.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Radiant Flower Display.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Aṃśurāja.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Renowned King Virtuous Stainless Light. F.203.a

“I pay homage to the Buddha Avalokiteśvarābhaya.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Abhayakīrti.

“I pay homage to the Buddha Supreme King.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sumati.

“Having paid homage to them, recite this dhāraṇī:

namo ratnatrayāya | tadyathā | kuṭi kuṭini imirito koṣaṇi imiriṇi irī svāha |

Then the Bhagavat said to the bodhisattva Sukhavihāra, “This dhāraṇī is the mother of the buddhas in the three times. Therefore, any noble man or noble woman who carries and possesses this dhāraṇī will increase their accumulation of merit immeasurably, incalculably. They will have revered, made offerings to, served, and praised countless buddhas. Those buddhas will give them the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Sukhavihāra, those who carry this dhāraṇī-mantra will attain the fulfillment of their wishes, such as clothes, alms, F.203.b jewels, becoming learned and wise, becoming healthy, and having a long life, and their merit will increase greatly. Whatever they wish for will all be accomplished.

“Sukhavihāra, if this mantra is carried and possessed until the attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment, one will always be in the company of the bodhisattva Golden City Mountain, the bodhisattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Sāgara, the bodhisattva Samantāvalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Mahāpiṅgala, and so on. Those bodhisattvas will protect them.

“Sukhavihāra, know that this is the rite for accomplishing this dhāraṇī. For the first repetition, one should perform a propitiation by repeating it ten thousand and eight times. Then one should make a maṇḍala inside a solitary building and, on the sixteenth day of the month, wash, put on new clothes, and make offerings with parasols, flowers, various kinds of food, and so on, placing them inside the maṇḍala. At the beginning, as previously described, one should recite the names of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and then pay homage with veneration and confess bad actions. One should then kneel with the right knee on the ground, repeat that mantra a thousand and eight times, and then sit up straight and think about what one wishes for. Then, before the sun rises, eat one pure meal within the maṇḍala. When someone comes out from that maṇḍala after fifteen days have passed, they will have inconceivable power, merit, and majesty, and all their wishes will be fulfilled.

“If their wishes are not fulfilled, they should reenter that maṇḍala F.204.a and then their wishes will be fulfilled. From then on, they should always remember this.”

Chapter 9: Emptiness

Then the Bhagavat, having taught that dhāraṇī, in order to benefit and bring happiness to that gathered assembly of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, devas, humans, and so on, and in order to teach the characteristics of the ultimate truth, emptiness, recited these verses:

Chapter 10: Fulfilling Wishes on the Basis of Emptiness

On hearing that very profound Dharma teaching, the goddess Ratnārcī was delighted and overjoyed. She rose from her seat, and, with her upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on her right knee, placed her palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and in order to ask how to practice this profound teaching, spoke these verses to the Bhagavat:

Then the noble goddess said to the Bhagavat:

The Bhagavat then said to the noble goddess:

The noble goddess asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, how does one practice equanimity by performing enlightened conduct while dwelling in the Dharma realm?”

“Goddess,” replied the Bhagavat, “the five skandhas are said to be the Dharma realm, and the Dharma realm is the five skandhas. However, one cannot say it is the five skandhas and one cannot say it is not the five skandhas. If the Dharma realm itself were the five skandhas, that would be nihilism. If one were to state that it is other than the five skandhas, that would be eternalism. It is devoid of both characteristics. It does not dwell in either of the two extremes. It cannot be viewed; it transcends being an object of view. It has no name or feature. That is what is called the Dharma realm.

“Family goddess, why are the five skandhas called the Dharma realm? The five skandhas are not produced through causes and conditions. If they were produced by causes and conditions, they would be either that which has been produced that is being produced, or that which is not produced that is being produced. If they were a production of what has already been produced, it is logical that causes and conditions would not be needed. If they were that which is not produced that is being produced, then there would be no perceivable production. Why is that? Unproduced phenomena are not existent, and therefore they have no names and no features. They cannot be evaluated, measured, or described through examples. They are not produced by causes and conditions.

“Noble goddess, a drumbeat originates through dependence on wood, skin, and a hand, but the drumbeat’s past is empty, its future is empty, and its present is empty. That drumbeat does not originate from the wood, and it does not originate from the skin or the hand. F.206.b It is not produced by the three times. Therefore, it is not produced. That which is not produced does not cease. That which does not cease does not come from anywhere. That which does not come from anywhere does not go anywhere. That which does not go anywhere is neither eternal nor nothingness. It is neither one nor separate. Why is that? If the five skandhas were one with the Dharma realm, they would not be different from the Dharma realm. Then childlike, ordinary beings would perceive the ultimate truth and attain the sublime bliss of nirvāṇa. But it is not like that, so they are not one.

“If they were separate from the Dharma realm then the conduct of the buddhas and bodhisattvas would have their same characteristics and they would not become liberated from the bondage of the kleśas and they would not attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.

“Why is that? It is because the āryas have the single nature of the composite and noncomposite, and therefore they are not different. Therefore, the five skandhas are neither existent nor nonexistent. They are neither produced by causes and conditions, nor not produced by causes and conditions. Words cannot reach this. It has no name or features. It has no cause or condition. It cannot be taught through examples. It is devoid of a beginning or an end. It is naturally empty. This is what the āryas know, but it is not within the field of experience of others. Therefore, the Dharma realm is taught through the five skandhas.

“Moreover, noble goddess, any noble son or noble daughter who wishes for the highest, most complete enlightenment, in which the ultimate and the relative are not anything other than each other, that is difficult to comprehend. The nature of the fields of experience of āryas and lower beings are not one, nor are they different. F.207.a Therefore the conduct of enlightenment should be practiced based on the Dharma realm, without eliminating the relative, and without being apart from the ultimate.”

When the Bhagavat said that, the noble goddess was delighted and happy. She rose from her seat, and, with her upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on her right knee, placed her palms together, bowed down her head in homage, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I will train in the bodhisattva conduct that the Bhagavat has taught.”

Then Mahābrahmā, the lord of Sahā, who was among that gathered assembly, asked the noble goddess Ratnārcī, “Goddess, how are you going to master through practice this bodhisattva conduct that is difficult to accomplish?”

The noble goddess replied to Mahābrahmā, “Great Brahmarāja, the meaning that the Bhagavat has taught is very profound, so that no ordinary being can know its meaning. It is the field of experience of āryas, and therefore it is supremely subtle and difficult to know. I will attain a state of bliss through relying on this Dharma. If those words are true then may all the countless, innumerable, numberless beings in this world realm of the five degenerations become golden in color, F.207.b possess the thirty-two signs, and be neither male nor female, while seated upon precious lotuses and enjoying limitless bliss. May there fall a rain of supreme divine flowers and may there be the spontaneously arising offering of music that resounds from divine musical instruments without their being played.”

As soon as she had said that, all the beings present throughout the world realm of the five degenerations became golden in color, had the signs of a great being, were neither male nor female, were seated on precious lotuses, and enjoyed limitless bliss. It was just as in the palace of the Paranirmita­vaśavartin deities. There were no lower existences. The world realm was beautified by a variety of precious trees. It was covered by lotuses made of the seven precious materials. There fell a rain of the seven precious materials and divine flowers, and the beings remained, enjoying divine music of various kinds.

The noble goddess Cittaratnārcī also transformed from having a female body to having the body of Brahmā.

Brahmarāja asked the bodhisattva Cittaratnārcī, “Venerable one, how did you practice bodhisattva conduct?”

The bodhisattva Cittaratnārcī replied, “Great Brahmarāja, I practiced enlightened conduct like a moon on water would practice enlightened conduct. I practiced enlightened conduct like a dream would practice enlightened conduct. I practiced enlightened conduct like a mirage would practice enlightened conduct. I practiced enlightened conduct like an echo would practice enlightened conduct.”

When Mahābrahmā heard that, he asked the bodhisattva, “Venerable one, based on what meaning did you say those words?”

The goddess replied, “Brahmarāja, any phenomenon has no existing characteristic of reality, because they are created through causes and conditions.”

“If that is so,” said Brahmarāja, “then it would be logical that all ordinary beings would attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.”

“Sir, why do you say that?” asked the goddess. “Although childlike beings are one thing and the wise are another, although enlightenment is one thing and nonenlightenment another, although liberation is one thing and nonliberation another,^[182]F.208.a still, Brahmarāja, they are all the same and not separate in the Dharma realm. They remain and are fixed as truly inseparable; there is no gap between them, and they have no increase or decrease.

“O Brahmarāja! It is like a conjurer, or a conjurer’s pupil, who is skilled and trained in manifesting illusions, and who, at a crossroads, gathers into one place earth, sand, wood, plants, leaves, and so on, and creates magical illusions of various kinds, such as herds of horses and elephants, soldiers and chariots, and so on, and a heap of the seven precious materials, and various other kinds of treasure. When the childlike, stupid, and ignorant see them, they do not know that they are illusions, and they think, ‘The horses, elephants, and so on that I see and hear are real, and anything else is a lie!’ Even afterward they don’t investigate it.

“Those who are wise and knowing are not like that. They know that they are magical illusions, so when they see and hear them, they think, ‘These horses, elephants, and so on that I see are not real. It is a magical illusion that deceives the eyes of beings. These horses, elephants, treasuries, and so on are nothing but appearances in that place.’ They believe that what they see and hear are not real, and afterward, when they examine them in detail, they know that they were false and deceptive phenomena.

“Therefore, the wise^[183] realize the nature of unreality of all these phenomena. They think, ‘Whatever is seen and heard is merely a correct meaning known on the basis of representations and the terminology of words merely on a relative level, F.208.b but ultimately it is not like that.’

“Mahābrahmā, childlike, ordinary beings who have not attained the world-transcending wisdom eyes of the āryas do not know the inexpressible nature of phenomena. Therefore, however they examine what they see or hear, whether composite or noncomposite phenomena, they become attached to it as real, and they are unable to know the ultimate, inexpressible true nature of phenomena.

“Whatever the āryas see or hear, and whatever the power and activity of the composite and noncomposite phenomena may be, they do not become attached to them as real. The composite phenomena are not real and the noncomposite phenomena are not real. They are simply characteristics and names of the composite and noncomposite as a result of an examination of them by invalid thought. They have no real nature, but the āryas teach that true meaning by relying on relative terminology.

“In the same way, Mahābrahmā, the āryas see, with their superior knowledge and superior vision, the inexpressible true nature of phenomena, and they see the composite and noncomposite phenomena in the same way. Yet, on the relative level, they teach others by relying on various names and terms.”

Then Mahābrahmā asked the bodhisattva Ratnārcī, “How many beings are able to realize and know this kind of profound Dharma?”

“Mahābrahmā,” replied Ratnārcī, “this profound Dharma is known by the minds and mental events of numerous illusory beings. That is how many.”

“Those illusory beings are nonexistent by nature,” said Brahmarāja, “so from where do their minds and mental events arise?” F.209.a

“Those who truly know that the Dharma realm is neither existent nor nonexistent are able to know the meaning of that profundity,” replied Ratnārcī.

Mahābrahmā then said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, this bodhisattva Ratnārcī is inconceivable. She is wise in this profound Dharma teaching.”

“It is like that, Mahābrahmā, it is just as you have said,” replied the Bhagavat. “Diligently practice what this bodhisattva Ratnārcī has taught, and you will attain the patience toward the quality of birthlessness.”

Then Mahābrahmā, the king of devas, and also his entourage of Brahmās, rose from their seats and with their robes over one shoulder, and with palms together, they bowed down their heads to the bodhisattva Ratnārcī’s feet. They said, “On this day we have met such a great being as you and have heard this sublime Dharma. It is a wonder!”

The Bhagavat then said to Brahmarāja, “In the future, this Cittaratnārcī will become a tathāgata, an arhat, a samyaksaṃbuddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable being, a guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat, by the name of Essence of Illustrious Precious Radiance.”

When he said this, thirty million^[184] bodhisattvas attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment. Eighty million^[185] devas F.209.b and countless, innumerable kings, ministers, and so on became free of dust and attained pure Dharma eyes for the dust-free Dharma.

At that time, in that vast assembly, five hundred thousand^[186] bhikṣus, whose minds were irreversible from the practice of bodhisattva conduct and from the enlightenment mind, and who had heard the Dharma teaching of the bodhisattva Ratnārcī, developed continuous stability in their aspiration for enlightenment, and perfected supreme, inconceivable prayers. In developing the aspiration for enlightenment, each one took off his robes and offered them to the bodhisattva and they made this highest, supreme aspiration: “We dedicate all the roots of merit we have accumulated to the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

The Bhagavat said, “Mahābrahmā, those bhikṣus, on the basis of that merit, will practice diligently as they have said, and after ninety great eons have passed, there will arise the knowledge that transcends saṃsāra.”

Then the Bhagavat prophesied to that multitude of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, after thirty asaṃkhyeya eons have passed you will become unsurpassable buddhas during an eon by the name of Difficult to Conquer King of Radiance^[187] in a realm by the name of Vimalaprabhā. You will all attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood simultaneously and you will all have the same name—King Array of Pure Prayers^[188]—and you will have the complete ten features of qualities.

“Moreover, Mahābrahmā, whoever listens to and possesses this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will possess great power and majesty. F.210.a

“If someone without method were to practice the six perfections for eighty^[189] great eons, and a noble man or noble woman were to write a volume of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and every half-month one-pointedly read and recited it, the previous accumulation of merit would not be even a hundredth of this accumulation of merit. It could not even be used to enumerate it or be an analogy for it.

“Therefore, Mahābrahmā, always keep it in mind, practice it diligently, retain it, and teach it widely to others.

“Why is that? In the past when I was practicing the path of a bodhisattva, just as a warrior in battle has no concern for his life or body, in the same way I obtained, possessed, read, recited, and taught widely to others this king that is the lord of sūtras.

“Mahābrahmā, while a cakravartin is in the world, his seven jewels do not cease to exist, but if the king is no longer present, then the seven jewels will also vanish at that same time.

“Mahābrahmā, in that same way, while this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is in the world, all of the unsurpassable, precious Dharma will not cease to be. When this king of sūtras ceases to be, then the rest will also vanish. Therefore, with a one-pointed mind, listen to, obtain, read, and teach widely to others this king of sūtras and have them write it out—without concern for life and body, ignoring tiredness and exhaustion, practice the perfection of diligence. This is supreme among all merit and therefore my followers similarly should diligently train and be dedicated in that way.” F.210.b

Then great Brahmarāja and the rest, the innumerable Brahmā entourage, the deva lord Śakra, the Four Mahārājas, and also the yakṣa lords, and so on, rose from their seats. With their robes over one shoulder, kneeling on their right knees, and with palms together, they bowed and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat we will protect and spread this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. When it is being taught, we will dispel hindrances and obstacles. We will create goodness, perfect complexion and strength, unimpeded eloquence, happiness in body and mind, and also make the assemblies experience happiness. In the land where such teachers dwell, if there is famine, fear of enemies, or harm from nonhumans, we, the entourage of devas, will protect them so that they will be blissful and happy, and no harm will occur. That is the power that we devas have. If anyone makes an offering to or honors this sūtra, we will make offerings to them and honor them as if they were the same as the buddha bhagavat.”

Then the Bhagavat said, “Excellent!” to great Mahābrahmā, the king of devas, and the rest—the Brahmā entourage, the Four Mahārājas, the yakṣa lords, and so on: “Excellent! Excellent! Noble ones, you have heard the profound, sublime Dharma. Through your aspiration to guard and protect this lord of sūtras and the various holders of the sūtra, you will attain measureless, special merit, so that you will quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.” F.211.a

When the Bhagavat had said that, Brahmarāja and the others praised the Bhagavat’s words.

Chapter 11: The Four Mahārājas Look Upon Devas and Humans

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knees and, with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable^[190] Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is taught by all tathāgatas; it is viewed by all the tathāgatas; it is thought of^[191] by all the tathāgatas; it is possessed by all the assemblies of bodhisattvas; it is paid homage to by all the hosts of devas; it is offered to by all the hosts of devas; it is praised by all the hosts of the lords of devas; it is offered to, praised, and honored by all the protectors of the world; it illuminates all the divine mansions; it brings supreme happiness to all beings; it extinguishes all the suffering in the hells, in the lives of animals, and in the realm of Yama; it brings fears to an end; it repels all the armies of enemies; it brings the calamity^[192] of famines to an end; it brings the calamity^[193] of disease to an end; it dispels all planetary influences;^[194] it brings perfect peace; it ends misery and troubles;F.211.b and it brings to an end various kinds of calamities—it overcomes a hundred thousand calamities.

“Venerable Bhagavat, if you extensively elucidate this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light through hearing the Dharma, through the liquid of the amṛta of the Dharma, then the divine bodies of we Four Mahārājas and our armies and attendants will increase in their great magnificence; diligence, strength, and power will arise in our bodies; and magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will enter our bodies.

“Venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas possess the Dharma, teach the Dharma, and are Dharma kings.

“Venerable Bhagavat, through the Dharma we are the kings of devas, nāgas, asuras, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. We repel the terrible hosts of cruel bhūtas who steal the vitality of others.^[195]

“Venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas, and the twenty-eight great generals of the yakṣas and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, are continually looking at all of Jambudvīpa with our pure divine vision, which transcends that of humans, and we defend it and protect it.

“Venerable Bhagavat, for that reason we Four Mahārājas are given the name world protectors.

“Venerable Bhagavat, wherever in this Jambudvīpa a country is defeated by an enemy army—or is stricken by the calamity of famine, or the calamity of disease, or a hundred various calamities, a thousand calamities, or a hundred thousand calamities— F.212.a then, venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas will inspire the bhikṣus who possess this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”

“Venerable Bhagavat, when we Four Mahārājas inspire dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus through miracles and blessings, they will teach this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light in whatever land they are in, and all the various calamities—a hundred calamites, a thousand calamities—that have appeared in that land will cease.

“Venerable Bhagavat, in whatever lands there are dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus who possess this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then in those lands The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will be heard.

“Venerable Bhagavat, when a human king listens to and hears this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, he will guard those bhikṣus who possess this lord of sūtras from all adversaries; he will defend them, keep them in his care, and protect them.

“Venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas will guard all the beings who dwell in the domain of that human king; we will guard them, defend them, keep them in our care, protect them, and bring them peace and well-being.^[196]

“Venerable Bhagavat, if a human king^[197] were to make happy, through whatever brings happiness, the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras,^[198] then, venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas will, through the requisites for happiness, bring the perfection of happiness and requisites to the beings who dwell in all the dominions of those human kings. F.212.b

“Venerable Bhagavat, when human kings honor, revere, attend upon, and make offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras, then, venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas will cause all kings to greatly honor, revere, attend upon, and make offerings to those human kings, and they will be praised in all their dominions.”

Chapter 12: The Four Mahārājas Protecting the Land^[199]

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the Four Mahārājas, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Mahārājas! Excellent, excellent, you Mahārājas!

“It is thus: you have served past jinas, have generated roots of merit, have honored many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas, have possessed the Dharma, have taught the Dharma, have been kings of the Dharma, ^[200] and have been kings of devas and humans through the Dharma.

“It is thus: for a long time, you have had the motivation to benefit all beings; you have had the motivation of happiness and love; you have had the superior motivation of wishing to bring benefit and happiness to all beings; you have prevented that which is not beneficial; and you have been dedicated to accomplishing every happiness for all beings.

“You Four Mahārājas have guarded the kings who have been dedicated to honoring and making offerings to The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and defended them, kept them in your care, protected them,^[201] and brought them peace and well-being. F.213.a

“Therefore, you Four Mahārājas, with your army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will guard the way of the Dharma of the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present. You will protect it and keep it in your care.

“Therefore, you Four Mahārājas, with your army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will be victorious in the battle between the devas and asuras. You will defeat the asuras. In this way, The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light subjugates all opposing armies. For that reason, you should guard the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras. You should defend them, keep them in your care, protect them, and bring them peace and well-being.”

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, they knelt on their right knee and, with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable Bhagavat, in the future, when this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is performed in any village, town, market town, district, kingdom, or royal capital; when it is performed in the domain of any human king; and when, venerable Bhagavat, any human king who acts as a king in accordance with the commitment of the lord of devas and with this treatise on kingship, F.213.b always listens to, worships, and makes offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord king of sūtras, and always listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then at that time, through the liquid amṛta of this Dharma, through the water of the river of listening to the Dharma, the divine bodies of we Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundred thousands of yakṣas, will increase in their great magnificence, and we will have great diligence, power, and strength. Our magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will also increase.

“Venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas, with our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will now and in future times be present in these very bodies in any village, town, market town, district, kingdom, or royal capital where this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is performed.

“We will guard the human kings who listen to, worship, and make offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. We will defend them, keep them in our care, protect them, save them from attack,^[202] and bring them peace and well-being.

“We will guard the royal courts,^[203] the kingdoms, and their dominions. We will defend them, keep them in our care, protect them, save them from attack, and bring them peace and well-being. We will free those dominions from all fear, harm, and disturbances, F.214.a and we will repel the armies of enemies.

“If a human king who listens to, worships, and makes offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light has a neighboring enemy king, and if, venerable Bhagavat, that king thinks, ‘I will go with my fourfold army to that domain to destroy it,’ then, venerable Bhagavat, at that time, in that time, through the power of the magnificence of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, that neighboring enemy king will enter into battle with other kings, who will enter his domain and bring ruin to his domain. They will bring dreadful ruin to that king. Bad planetary influences and diseases will also appear in his domain. There will be hundreds of various kinds of difficulties in his domain.

“Venerable Bhagavat, if a neighboring enemy king goes to that king’s domain there will be hundreds of various kinds of calamities and hundreds of various kinds of tribulations.

“Venerable Bhagavat, if a neighboring enemy king gathers together his fourfold army and leaves his domain as an invading army and with those four divisions of his army enters another domain in order to destroy that domain in which this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is present, then, venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas, with our army, attendants, and countless hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, in these very bodies, will go there and we will drive back the enemy army that is en route. We will cause them hundreds of various calamities and create obstacles for them. F.214.b Thus the enemy army will not even be able to enter that domain let alone cause its destruction.”

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the Four Mahārājas, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Mahārājas! Excellent, excellent, you Mahārājas! You have accomplished this for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of asaṃkhyeya eons, and for the sake of the highest, most complete enlightenment you should guard, defend, keep in your care, protect, save from attack, and bring peace and well-being to a human king who listens to, worships, and makes offerings^[204] to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.

“You should also guard, defend, keep in your care, protect, save from attack, and bring peace and well-being to their royal courts,^[205] cities, kingdoms, and dominions. You should also free those dominions from all fear, harm, and disturbances. You should repel the armies of enemies.

“You should be eager for there to be no fighting, no quarreling, no contention, and no disputes among the human kings who dwell throughout all of Jambudvīpa.

“In this Jambudvīpa of yours, you Four Mahārājas and your army and attendants, may the eighty-four thousand kings in the eighty-four thousand cities each delight in their own domains. May they each delight in their own sovereignty. May they not be harmful to each other’s aggregation of wealth. May they not attack each other. F.215.a May the kings be happy with the sovereignty that they have obtained through their own accumulation of karma in the past. May they not destroy each other’s dominion. May they not cause harm to each other in order to destroy each other’s dominion.

“When the eighty-four thousand kings in the eighty-four thousand cities in this Jambudvīpa are loving toward each other; when they have loving and altruistic minds; when they have no fighting, no quarreling, no contention, and no disputes among them and are each happy with their own domains, because of that, you Four Mahārājas, your army and attendants, and this Jambudvīpa will flourish. It will have good harvests. It will be delightful. It will be filled with many people. It will have fertile earth. The cycles of periods of time, months, fortnights, and years will be fortuitous. Both day and night, the planets, the lunar asterisms, the moon, the sun, and the day and night will move harmoniously. The rain will fall on the earth at the appropriate times. The beings who dwell in Jambudvīpa will have all wealth and grain. They will have numerous possessions, without miserliness. They will be generous. They will follow the path of the ten good actions. Most will be reborn in the higher blissful realms. The mansions of the devas will be filled with devas and their children.

“Mahārājas, where there is a human king who listens to, worships, and makes offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light; and honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light; and who, out of kindness to you Four Mahārājas, your army and attendants, and your many hundred thousands of yakṣas, always listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light., F.215.b then through the water of the river of listening to the Dharma, the liquid amṛta of this Dharma, your divine bodies will be refreshed, and your divine bodies will increase in their great magnificence, and you will develop diligence, power, and strength. Your magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will also increase.

“Those human kings will have also made inconceivably vast offerings to me, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni. Those human kings will also have made offerings of all inconceivably vast, immense requisites to many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of past, future, and present tathāgatas. Therefore, a great guardianship will be created for those human kings. Those human kings will be guarded, defended, cared for, protected, saved from attacks, and endowed with peace and well-being. There will be a great guardianship created for all their queens, their princes, their harems, and their entire court.^[206] They will be guarded, defended, cared for, protected, saved from attacks, and endowed with peace and well-being. All the deities who dwell in the royal court will have greater magnificence, greater strength, and inconceivable bliss and happiness. They will experience various kinds of pleasure. The cities and the kingdom will also be guarded, defended, unharmed, F.216.a without enemies, and not oppressed, harmed, or disturbed by enemy armies.”

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat,^[207] the human king who wishes to listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and who wishes to have a great guardianship for himself; who wishes for a great guardianship for all his queens, their princes and princesses, and the harem; who wishes to bring the highest, superior, inconceivable great peace and well-being to his entire court; ^[208] who wishes to increase his great sovereignty inconceivably in his lifetime; who wishes to possess inconceivable kingship; who wishes to possess an incalculable accumulation of merit; who wishes for his entire domain to be completely guarded; who wishes for it to be protected; who wishes for there to be no harm to his domain; and who wishes for there to be no enemies, no oppression from enemy armies, no disease, and no disturbances—venerable Bhagavat, that human king, with an undistracted mind, with veneration and service, should listen respectfully to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. F.216.b

“In order to listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, that human king should enter a superior royal palace. Having entered, he should sprinkle perfume and scatter a variety of flower petals in the royal palace. Where the perfume has been sprinkled, he should set up a high Dharma throne, well adorned with a variety of adornments. He should adorn that place well with a variety of parasols, banners, and flags. That human king should wash his body. He should put on new, perfectly clean clothes and adorn himself with various kinds of jewelry. He should set out for himself a low seat, and seated on that he should not have the arrogant conceit of a king.

“He should have no attachment to the power of kingship. With a mind devoid of all arrogance, pride, and conceit, he should listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. He should also perceive the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu as a teacher.

“That human king, at that time, in that time, should regard his principal queen, princes, princesses, and harem in a pleasing and beneficial way. He should speak to his principal queen, princes, princesses, and harem with pleasant words. He should have various offerings assembled for listening to the Dharma. He should be delighted by inconceivable, unequaled joy. He should be blissful with inconceivable joy and happiness. He should have delighted senses. F.217.a He should think he will attain a great benefit.^[209] He should be delighted with a great delight. He should welcome the dharmabhāṇaka with great pleasure.”

After they had spoken, the Bhagavat said to the Four Mahārājas, “Mahārājas, at that time, in that time, that human king should wear clothes that are all white, beautiful, and new. He should adorn himself well with various adornments and jewelry. He should hold a white parasol. With great royal power and a great royal display, he should hold various auspicious articles^[210] and leave the royal palace to go to welcome the dharmabhāṇaka.^[211]

“Why is that? It is because however many steps the human king takes, that number of hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons in saṃsāra is eliminated, and he will become a cakravartin king that number of hundreds of thousands of quintillions of times. However many steps he takes, in that lifetime his great sovereignty will increase inconceivably that number of times. He will attain as his abode for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons a vast and immense divine aerial palace made of the seven precious materials. He will obtain hundreds of thousands of human royal families and a vastness that is a divine vastness. In all his lifetimes, he will have great sovereignty; he will have a long life; he will live for a long time; he will have eloquence; he will be an excellent speaker; he will be famous; he will be widely renowned; he will be worthy of praise; he will benefit the world and its devas and asuras; he will attain the vast, vast happiness of devas and humans; he will have great might; he will possess the power of the strength of a great champion; F.217.b he will be handsome and attractive; he will possess a perfectly developed, excellent color; in all his lifetimes he will meet a tathāgata; he will obtain a kalyāṇamitra; and he will possess an incalculable aggregation of merit.

“Mahārājas, seeing the benefit of such qualities, the human king should go a yojana to greet the dharmabhāṇaka—he should go a hundred yojanas, a thousand yojanas, to greet him. He should conceive of that dharmabhāṇaka as the Teacher. He should think, ‘Today, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni will enter my royal palace. Today, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni will take his meal in my royal palace. Today, I will hear the Dharma of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni, which is contrary to all worlds. Today, through hearing the Dharma, I will progress irreversibly toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. Today I have pleased many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas. Today I have made an immense, vast, inconceivably great offering to the buddha bhagavats of the past, the future, and the present. Today I have brought to an end all the suffering in the hells, in rebirth as animals, and in the land of Yama. Today I have planted the roots of merit that are the seed for attaining many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of the bodies of a king and a lord of the Brahmā devas. Today I have planted the roots of merit that are the seed for attaining many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of the bodies of a Śakra.F.218.a Today I have planted the roots of merit that are the seed for attaining many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of the bodies of a cakravartin king. Today I have attained liberation^[212] from saṃsāra for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. Today I have obtained an immense, vast, unsurpassable, inconceivable aggregation of merit. Today I have created a great guardianship for all in my harem. Today I have brought the highest, superior, perfect, inconceivable peace and well-being to this royal palace.

Today I have guarded this entire domain. It will be defended, unharmed, without enemies, and without the oppression of invading armies, disease, and disturbances.’

“Mahārājas, if the king who with this reverence for the Dharma honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and dedicates the best part to you Four Mahārājas, your army, your attendants, the host of devas, and the many hundred thousands of yakṣas, then he will manifest the merit, he will manifest the good karma, and in that life his great sovereignty will increase incalculably. In that life he will possess the incalculable great magnificence of a king, and he will be adorned by splendor, good fortune, and magnificence. F.218.b All his opponents will be eliminated, in accord with the Dharma, together with all his enemies.”

When the Bhagavat had said that, the Four Mahārājas said to him, “Venerable Bhagavat, if there is a human king with such a reverence for the Dharma as that—one who honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess the Lord King of Sūtras, and who, for our sake, purifies and cleans the royal palace, and sprinkles it well with various perfumes—then he will be listening to the Dharma together with us, the Four Mahārājas. If he gives a little share of his roots of merit to us and all devas, then, venerable Bhagavat, as soon as the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu comes to his seat, that king, for the sake of us, the Four Mahārājas, should spread the aroma of various scents.

“Venerable Bhagavat, as soon as he perfumes with various scents, in order to make an offering to The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, from the various aromas there will appear vines of various perfumes and incenses. In that instant, that moment, that fraction of a second, in the sky above each of our palaces, the palaces of the Four Mahārājas, there will be present a parasol composed of the vines of various perfumes and incenses and there will spread a vast aroma. There will appear a golden light that will illuminate our palaces.

“Venerable Bhagavat, the vines of various perfumes and incenses, F.219.a in that instant, that moment, that fraction of a second, will appear as parasols composed of vines of various perfumes and incenses present in the sky above the palaces of Brahmā, lord of Sahā; of Śakra, lord of the devas; of the great goddess Sarasvatī; of the great goddess Dṛḍhā; of the great goddess Śrī; of the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya^[213] and the other twenty-eight great yakṣa generals; of the great deity Maheśvara; of the great yakṣa general Vajrapāṇi; of the great yakṣa general Māṇibhadra; of Hārītī with her entourage of five hundred children; of the nāga king Anavatapta; and of the nāga king Sāgara.^[214] A vast aroma will spread, and a golden light will appear inside those palaces and that light will illuminate everything.”

When the Four Mahārājas had said that, the Bhagavat said to them, “Mahārājas, parasols comprised of vines of various perfumes and incenses will be present not only in the sky above the palaces of each of you Four Mahārājas. Why is that? As soon as the human king perfumes with those aromas as an offering to The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, there will arise from the censer in his hands vines of perfumes and incense. In that instant, in that moment, in that fraction of a second, throughout all the world realms in the trichiliocosm—where there are a billion moons, a billion suns, a billion great oceans, a billion Sumeru kings of mountains, a billion Cakravāḍa and Mahācakravāḍa kings of mountains, a billion four-continent world realms, a billion Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyikas, a billion Trāyastriṃśas, F.219.b and so on, up to a billion paradises of the state of neither perception nor nonperception—throughout all those world realms in the billion world realms, there will be parasols composed of those vines of incenses and perfumes in the sky above the palaces of the hosts of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. A vast aroma will spread, and a golden light will appear inside those divine palaces and that light will illuminate everything.

“Mahārājas, just as parasols composed of vines of incenses and perfumes are present above all the divine palaces in the trichiliocosm world realm, in the same way, as soon as the king makes an offering by perfuming with scent The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then through the power of the magnificence of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light there will appear vines of perfume and incense, and in that instant, in that moment, in that fraction of a second, parasols composed of vines of incenses and perfumes will be present in the sky above the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas, as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, who are in the hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, that are in the many world realms in the ten directions. They will perfume many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas with an extremely vast variety of perfumes and incenses. They will shine with a golden light that will illuminate many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River. F.220.a

“Mahārājas, as soon as those miracles occur, many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas,^[215] as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, will regard that dharmabhāṇaka, and they will congratulate him, saying, ‘Well done, well done, good man! It is excellent, excellent, that you, good man, wish to teach extensively the way of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, which has such a profound meaning, which has such a profound illumination, and which possesses inconceivable qualities. Any being who merely listens to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will have merit that is not insignificant, let alone someone who obtains it, possesses it, explains it,^[216] reads it, learns it, and teaches it extensively to an assembly. Why is that? Good man, it is because on hearing this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas, as soon as they hear it, become irreversible in their progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment.’

“Then, at that time, in that time, the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas in many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, in the same words, in one voice, as one speech, will say to the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu who is seated on the Dharma throne, ‘Good man, in a future time you will go to the Bodhimaṇḍa.

“ ‘Good man, when you have gone to the supreme, sublime Bodhimaṇḍa, you will sit at the foot of the king of trees, and you will manifest performing with determination many hundreds of thousands of quintillions^[217] of disciplines and ascetic practices that are superior to all the three worlds and transcend all beings. F.220.b

“ ‘Good man, you will perfectly adorn the Bodhimaṇḍa.

“ ‘Good man, you will protect all the world realms of a billion worlds.

“ ‘Good man, at the foot of the king of trees you will be victorious over the innumerable armies of Māra, who have terrifying forms, terrifying presence, hideous manifestations, and various hideous forms.

“ ‘Good man, having gone to the supreme, sublime Bodhimaṇḍa, you will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of complete buddhahood that is beyond analogy and is complete peace, spotless, and profound.

“ ‘Good man, you will be seated upon the central, eternal vajra seat. You will turn the Dharma wheel that is praised by all the jinas, that is supremely profound, and has the twelve forms.^[218]

“ ‘Good man, you will beat the unsurpassable great drum of the Dharma.

“ ‘Good man, you will blow the unsurpassable conch of the Dharma.

“ ‘Good man, you will raise the great banner of the Dharma.

“ ‘Good man, you will light the unsurpassable lamp of the Dharma.

“ ‘Good man, you will send down the unsurpassable rain of the Dharma.

“ ‘Good man, you will be victorious over many thousands of kleśa enemies.

“ ‘Good man, you will free many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of beings from the terrifying ocean of great terrors.

“ ‘Good man, you will free many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of beings from the wheel^[219] of saṃsāra.

“ ‘Good man, you will please many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas.’ ”^[220]F.221.a

When the Bhagavat had said that, the Four Mahārājas said to him, “Venerable Bhagavat, when see a human king who has developed roots of merit with a hundred thousand buddhas, who possesses an incalculable aggregation of merit, and who sees these qualities that arise in this life and the future from The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then, venerable Bhagavat, out of kindness for him, when we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, are invoked by the vines of various perfumes and incenses at each of our dwellings, we will immediately, in order to listen to the Dharma, make our bodies invisible and will go to the king’s palace,^[221] which has been well swept, excellently sprinkled with various perfumes, and excellently adorned with various decorations. Brahmā, the lord of Sahā; Śakra, the lord of the devas; the great goddess Sarasvatī; the great goddess Śrī; the great goddess Dṛḍhā; the great yakṣa general Saṃjaya; the twenty-eight great yakṣa generals; the deity Maheśvara; the great yakṣa general Vajrapāṇi; the great yakṣa general Māṇibhadra; Hārītī with her entourage of five hundred children; the nāga king Anavatapta; the nāga king Sāgara; and many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of devas, with their bodies invisible, will come to the human king’s palace, which has been adorned with various decorations. In order to listen to the Dharma, they will come to the dharmabhāṇaka’s high Dharma throne, which has been perfectly adorned with various adornments and set up on a floor that has been scattered with flowers.F.221.b

“Venerable Bhagavat, we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, all in unison, as soon as we have been satiated by the liquid amṛta of the Dharma, will become guardians of that human king, the human king who is aided by a kalyāṇamitra,^[222] who has accomplished goodness, and who makes the vast gift of the unsurpassable Dharma. We will defend him, keep him in our care, protect him, and bring him peace and well-being. We will guard, defend, keep in our care, protect, and bring peace and well-being to that royal palace,^[223] that city, and that domain. We will save them from attack. We will free those in that domain from all fear, harm, disease, and disturbances.

“Venerable Bhagavat, when someone is a human king and in that human king’s domain there appears The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then, venerable Bhagavat, if that human king does not honor, venerate, worship, and make offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, are not satiated by hearing this Dharma and by the liquid amṛta of the Dharma, and are not worshiped—then the brilliance of our bodies will not increase. Our diligence, power, and might will not develop, and magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will not increase within our bodies.

“Venerable Bhagavat, we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will abandon that domain. F.222.a

“Venerable Bhagavat, if we abandon that domain, all the devas who dwell in that domain will also abandon it.

“Venerable Bhagavat, if the devas abandon that domain, there will various kinds of troubles in that domain. There will be terrible troubles for the king. All the beings who dwell in that domain will become belligerent, quarrelsome, contentious,^[224] and disputatious. Various malign planetary influences and illnesses will occur. Shooting stars will fall from every direction. The planets and lunar asterisms will be in disharmony with each other. The moon will pass through the sky as if it is the sun. The sun and the moon will appear together. Though the moon and sun will be in the sky, eclipses will continually obscure them. From time to time there will be swirling rainbow colors^[225] in the sky. The ground will shake. Cavities in the ground will emit sounds. A fierce wind will arise in the domain. A fierce rain will fall. There will be the calamity of famine. The country will be defeated by an enemy army and ruined. The beings there will suffer many troubles. That domain will experience unhappiness.

“Venerable Bhagavat, if we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, along with that domain’s devas and nāgas, abandon that domain, there will be hundreds of such calamities, thousands of such various calamities.

“Venerable Bhagavat, if there is a human king who wishes to be well guarded; F.222.b who wishes to experience the various joys of a king for a long time; who wishes to enjoy for a long time the pleasures of being a king; who wishes to make all the beings who dwell in his domain happy; who wishes to defeat all the armies of his adversaries; who wishes to protect his entire domain for a long time; who wishes to be a Dharma king; and who wishes to free his domain from all fear, harm, disease, and disturbances, then, venerable Bhagavat, that human king should listen with conviction to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. He should honor, venerate, worship, and make offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. We, the Four Mahārājas, and our army and attendants should become satisfied by this accumulation of the roots of merit through listening to the Dharma and by this liquid amṛta of the Dharma. The great brilliance of these divine bodies of ours should be increased.

“Why is that? Venerable Bhagavat, the human king should listen with conviction to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.

“Venerable Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is much greater, far superior to, all the various worldly and nonworldly treatises taught by the lord of Brahmās; all the various treatises taught by Śakra, the lord of the devas; and all the various worldly and nonworldly treatises taught for the benefit of beings by ṛṣis who possessed the five higher cognitions. F.223.a

“Venerable Bhagavat, a tathāgata is much greater than, far superior to, a hundred thousand Lords of the Brahmās, the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of Śakras, and all the hundred thousand quintillions of ṛṣis endowed with the five higher cognitions, and he teaches extensively this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light in order to benefit beings.

The bhagavat arhat samyaksaṃbuddha has the blessing of the power of great compassion, which is far superior to that of a hundred thousand quintillion lords of the Brahmās; he has a tathāgata’s unsurpassable wisdom, which is far superior to the divine knowledge of a hundred thousand quintillion Śakras; and he has a blessing that is far superior to that of all the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of ṛṣis who have the various forms of the five higher cognitions. The bhagavat arhat samyaksaṃbuddha teaches this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light extensively in this Jambudvīpa for the sake of all beings so that the kings of humans who dwell throughout Jambudvīpa will have sovereignty; so that all beings will become happy; so that all domains will be guarded and defended;F.223.b so that there will be no harm or enemies in all dominions; so that the armies of adversaries will be defeated and will retreat; so that there will be no disease or disturbances; so that human kings will light the great lamp of the Dharma and illuminate their own domains; so that the mansions of the devas will be filled with devas and their children; so that we, the Four Mahārājas, and our armies, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, and all the hosts of devas that dwell in Jambudvīpa, will be satiated and worshiped; so that our divine bodies will increase in great magnificence; so that diligence, might, and great strength develop in our bodies; so that there will be good harvests; so that there will be happiness throughout all Jambudvīpa, which will become filled with beings and people; so that all beings who dwell in Jambudvīpa will be happy, experiencing various kinds of happiness; so that all beings will experience the vast, vast happiness of devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons; and so that they will be in the company of buddha bhagavats and in a future time will all attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Whatever worldly or nonworldly kingly duties,^[226] treatises on kingship, or kingly deeds throughout Jambudvīpa bring happiness to all beings, they are all taught, described, and explained by the bhagavat arhat tathāgata samyaksaṃbuddha in this^[227]Lord King^[228] of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.

“Venerable Bhagavat, because of that cause and condition, a human king should reverently listen with conviction to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, reverently worship it, and reverently make offerings to it.” F.224.a

When the Four Mahārājas had said that, the Bhagavat said to them, “Therefore, you Four Mahārājas, with your army and attendants, should with great enthusiasm guard the kings who with conviction listen to, worship, and make offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.

“Mahārājas, you should cause the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord king of sūtras to possess buddha activity.^[229] They will perform buddha activity in this world with its devas, humans, and asuras. They will extensively and correctly teach this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.

“You, the Four Mahārājas, should ensure that the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras are guarded, are unharmed, have no illness, have no disturbances, and are happy.

“Guard, defend, take in your care, protect, and bring peace and well-being to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who will teach this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light.”

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa,^[230] rose from his seat and said, “Bhagavat, I have the dhāraṇī called the precious wish-fulfilling jewel. F.224.b Any being who aspires to obtain it will have immeasurable merit. I will constantly guard and defend them, dispel all their suffering, and establish them in happiness. They will also generate the accumulations of wisdom and merit. Those who wish to possess this dhāraṇī-mantra should first recite this mantra in order to protect their bodies:

namo vaiśravaṇāya mahārājāya | tadyathā | rara rara kuno kuno khuno khuno ruṇo ruṇo saba saba kara kara mahāvikaraṃ mahāvikaraṃ mahākāla mahārāja rakṣa rakṣatu^[231] mām sarvasatvānāñ ca svāhā |^[232]

“Bhagavat, by reciting this mantra and applying it seven times to a white cord, each time untying a knot—and after doing that seven times, tying it onto the upper arm—your goal will be certainly be achieved.^[233]

“Then, in a solitary house, wash yourself and wear clean clothes. Make an offering of incense that is a mixture of equal amounts of bdellium, sandalwood, camphor,^[234] frankincense, agarwood,^[235] valerian, and so on, and invoke Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa by repeating this mantra:

namo vaiśravaṇāya mahādhanadāya caṇḍeśvarāya ākarṣa aparājita caṇḍeśvara paramakāruṇika saravasatvāhitacintā^[236] mama dhanavardho parameśvara^[237] svayaṃ ākarṣaya svāhā |^[238]

“After repeating that mantra seven times, repeat the root mantra. Before repeating this mantra, bow down to the Three Jewels and Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa. If you repeat this mantra so that Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa will fulfill the aspirations of all beings and bestow wealth, thereby bringing happiness to all beings, then those beings will attain the happiness they wish for.”

Then Vaiśravaṇa, the lord of devas, recited in the presence of the Bhagavat this essence mantra called the precious wish-fulfilling jewel:

namo ratnarayāya | namo vaiśravaṇāya mahārājāya | tadyathā | simi simi sumu sumu caṇḍa caṇḍa cara cara, sara sara kara kara kili kili kuru kuru muru muru curu curu sandhāya ātmanām F.225.a nitatyan antardhātu svāhā | namo vaiśravanāya svāhā | dhanadāya svāhā | manorathaparipūrāya^[239] svāhā |^[240]

“After repeating this mantra a thousand times, in a solitary house make a small circle of cow dung and offer whatever food you have. Continually release the smoke of burning excellent incense and single-mindedly repeat the essence mantra night and day, just loudly enough for you yourself to hear it.

“Then Jinarṣabha,^[241] the son of Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, will come to you in the form of a youth and ask you, ‘Why are you praying to my father?’ Answer, ‘I am praying for wealth in order to make offerings to the Three Jewels; therefore, bestow it on me.’

“Then Jinarṣabha will supplicate his father, saying, ‘Father, there is an excellent being who is praying for wealth in order to make offerings to the Three Jewels, but because he is lacking in wealth, he is making a supplication to you.’ Then the father will say, ‘You go to him quickly and give him a hundred kārṣāpaṇas every day.’

“If the mantra practitioners see such a sign, they should know that their goal is accomplished, and they should burn the incense alone in a solitary place. When it is time to sleep, they should arrange a box of incense as a pillow to sleep on. From then on, whatever wealth is found in that box each morning should be used for offerings to the Three Jewels, such as flowers, incense, and food, and should be all used up in acts of generosity to the poor and needy. Think of all beings with love and compassion. If you have thoughts of anger and violence, it will cause degeneration. Therefore, always be on guard that an angry mind does not arise.

“Also, someone who has this mantra should every day always be thinking of the deva king Vaiśravaṇa, and his sons, daughters, and entourage, and praise them and extol them. F.225.b That person will then always follow the path of the ten good actions, augment the power and merit of the deities, increase good actions, and also attain the highest enlightenment.

“Those deities, seeing this being done, will be overjoyed and delighted, and they will come and guard and defend that individual.

“Those mantra holders will also remain with an immeasurable lifespan, will avoid the three lower existences, and will have no obstacles or hindrances. They will obtain this precious wish-fulfilling jewel and other treasures, will gain miraculous powers, and will accomplish all their wishes. If they wish to have wealth that will be accomplished just as wished for. They will know the languages of all birds and wild animals.

“Bhagavat, if those mantra practitioners wish to see me, then on the eighth or fifteenth day of the month they should paint an image of the Buddha with colors mixed with a binding medium^[242] and decorated with various adornments. Such artists should take the eight vows. They should paint an image of the great goddess Śrī on the Buddha’s left. On the Buddha’s right he should paint myself, King Vaiśravaṇa, with my children and entourage, and it should be displayed in that place.

“Make offerings constantly, day and night, of various flowers, many scents, excellent lights, and various kinds of delicious food.

“Keep your mind undistracted by repeating this mantra. Repeat this mantra that invites Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa:

namaḥ śrīkaṇṭhāya buddhāya | namo vaiśravaṇāya, yakṣarājāya mahārājāya atirājāya | namaḥ śrī mahādeviyai | tadyathā | tara tara turu turu vara vara, F.226.a suśuddho suśuddho hana hana maṇikanaka vajravaidūrya muktika alaṃkṛta^[243] sarirāya sarvasatvānāṃ^[244] hitakāma vaiśravaṇa śriyadevīprabhāya ehi ehi māvilamba ghūrṇa ghūrṇa parasya parasya dadāhi mama amukanāsya |^[245] darśanakāmasya darśanaṃ mama mana pralahadāya svāhā |

“Bhagavat, when I see someone repeating this mantra and making vast offerings, I give rise to thoughts of affection and rejoicing, and take on the form of a young child, or an old man, or a bhikṣu. Holding the precious wish-fulfilling jewel in a bowl of gold in my hands, I will enter the circle and show veneration with my body, speak one name of the Buddha, and will say to the one who is reciting the mantra, ‘Whatever you practice will all be accomplished.’

“Whether they wish to enter the solitude of a forest, wish to obtain precious jewels, wish to be attractive to many people, wish to acquire wealth such as gold and silver, wish for accomplishment through the practice of another mantra, or wish to have miraculous powers,^[246] the higher cognitions, a long life, or rasāyana, and so on, all will be accomplished as wished for.

“I have today mentioned only such few things, but every other desire will be accomplished as wished for. They will possess unceasing precious treasures and immeasurable merit.

“To illustrate, it is possible that the sun and moon might fall onto the earth, or there might be a time when this great earth transforms into something else, but these words of truth will always be infallible so that constant happiness and the joys and riches that are wished for will be obtained. F.226.b

“Moreover, Bhagavat, if it is someone who possesses this king of sūtras, keeps it, or reads and recites it, or practices this mantra, they will quickly attain accomplishment with little difficulty.

“Bhagavat, today I have taught this mantra for the sake of beings who are afflicted by the suffering of poverty and need; in one lifetime they will possess a perfection of wealth and supreme happiness.

“I will also guard them, defend them, and follow them so that there will be no harm or violence toward them.

“Moreover, I will illuminate with light as far as a hundred steps all around an individual who possesses and promulgates this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and recites the mantra. My entourage of a thousand yakṣas will be constantly assigned and entrusted to be his servants and entrusted to accomplish whatever he wishes.

“I pray for the Bhagavat to view my words of truth to be infallible.”

Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa having spoken that mantra, the Bhagavat congratulated him, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you, Mahārāja, have spoken this mantra in order to tear open all the nets of the suffering of all beings afflicted by craving, and to make them wealthy and happy, and that you moreover have taught this mantra in order to promulgate this sūtra widely in the world.”^[247]

Then the Four Mahārājas rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee, bowed with palms together, and paid homage by placing the Buddha’s two feet on their heads.

At that time, they directly praised the Bhagavat with these appropriate verses:

The Bhagavat then spoke these verses to the Four Mahārājas:

The Four Mahārājas, F.228.a on hearing these verses from the Bhagavat, were astonished, amazed, and overjoyed. Through the power of the Dharma, they briefly wept and shed tears. Their bodies shook and their limbs trembled, and they felt joy, bliss, and happiness. They scattered divine coral tree flowers toward the Bhagavat.

When they had scattered them, they rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee, and with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable Bhagavat, we, the Four Mahārājas, each with five hundred yakṣas, will always follow behind the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu in order to guard and protect that dharmabhāṇaka.^[255]

“If he forgets some of the meanings of the words in this sūtra, we will make his memory a supreme, never-forgetting power of mental retention, with the Dharma teaching complete. The beings in those places where these lords of the sūtra reside will prosper and never decline.”

Then, when the Bhagavat was giving this Dharma teaching to those gathered in that assembly, those beings attained wisdom, eloquence, and an immeasurable accumulation of merit, so that they possessed happiness devoid of defilements. They became wise in all texts, completely rejected saṃsāra, and quickly attained irreversible progress toward enlightenment.

Chapter 13: The Dhāraṇī of Nonattachment

Then the Bhagavat said to Venerable Śāradvatīputra,^[256] “Śāradvatīputra, it is thus: this Dharma teaching called The Dhāraṇī of Nonattachment is the mother of the bodhisattvas who meditate on all phenomena. It is the past practice of bodhisattvas and it is held by the bodhisattvas.”

Venerable Śāradvatīputra asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, if a dhāraṇī is not located in an object and not located in a direction, then, Bhagavat, what is the meaning of the word dhāraṇī?”

The Bhagavat replied to Venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Śāradvatīputra, you are within the Mahāyāna, have faith in the Mahāyāna, and are adept in the Mahāyāna. Śāradvatīputra, it is just you who have taught that a dhāraṇī is not located in an object and not located in a direction. It is not a phenomenon. It is not a nonphenomenon. It is not past, it is not future, and it is not present. It is not a thing, and it is not nothing. It does not originate from a condition, and it does not originate from the absence of a condition. It does not originate from a being, and it does not originate from the absence of a being.^[257] It is not the production of any phenomenon, and it is not their cessation.

“Nevertheless, it is excellent, excellent, that, for the benefit of bodhisattvas, there is the teaching on the topic of the knowledge and power of the path of practicing the Dharma teaching of The Dhāraṇī of Nonattachment, which is composed of the qualities of the buddhas, the correct conduct of the buddhas, the training of the buddhas, the intention of the buddhas, and the occurrence of the buddhas.” F.229.a

Then Venerable Śāradvatīputra said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I pray that you give the Dharma teaching of the dhāraṇī. A bodhisattva who has obtained the dhāraṇī, wherever they dwell, will be irreversible from the highest, most complete enlightenment; their commitments will be genuine, they will be ācāryas with an eloquence that has the nature of being a nondependent phenomenon, and they will remain perfectly upon the path. I pray for the Sugata to teach it.”

The Bhagavat said to Śāradvatīputra, “Excellent, excellent, Śāradvatīputra! It is so. The bodhisattva who has obtained this dhāraṇī should be called a buddha. Śāradvatīputra, whoever honors, venerates, serves, and makes offerings to a bodhisattva who has obtained this dhāraṇī will be someone who has honored a buddha.

“Śāradvatīputra, anyone who hears this dhāraṇī, anyone who possesses this dhāraṇī, and anyone who aspires to this dhāraṇī will become inseparable from the enlightenment mind, the same as if they had made offerings to a buddha.

“Śāradvatīputra, this is the dhāraṇī:

tadyathā | sandhāraṇi utdhāraṇi susaṃpratiṣṭhite sunāma supratiṣṭhite vijayabala, sattyapratijñā suāroha jñānapratiutpādani avanāvani abhiṣiñcani abhivyāhāra^[258] śubhavati suniḥśrita^[259] bahuguṃbha abhivadā svāhā |

“Śāradvatīputra, any bodhisattva who is firmly established in the words of this dhāraṇī of nonattachment perfectly retains them and possesses them, and so their prayer will not be exhausted for an eon, for longer than an eon,^[260] for a thousand eons, or for a hundred thousand eons. F.229.b Their body will not be harmed by weapons or poisons, and they will not be bitten by snakes.

“Why is that? Śāradvatīputra, it is because this unbounded dhāraṇī is the mother of the buddhas of the past, the mother of the buddhas of the future, and the mother of the buddhas of the present, and that is this Dharma teaching called The Dhāraṇī of Nonattachment.

“Śāradvatīputra, if someone were to fill ten asaṃkhyeya trichiliocosm world realms with the seven jewels and make an offering of them to the buddha bhagavats, and if they were to provide the requisites of clothing and food of various kinds for asaṃkhyeya eons, the merit that comes from someone who possesses just one word of this dhāraṇī would still be far greater.

“Why is that? Śāradvatīputra, it is because this Dharma teaching of the unbounded dhāraṇī is the mother of the tathāgatas.”^[261]

Chapter 14: The Wish-fulfilling Jewel Dhāraṇī

Then the Bhagavat, in the midst of the great assembly, said to Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, there is that which repels all lightning, which has been taught by the samyaksaṃbuddhas of the past. Following them, I also will now teach it, so you should retain it!

“Ānanda, to the east there is the lightning called Āgata, to the south there is the lightning called Hundredth Moment, to the west there is the lightning called Waning Light, and to the north there is the lightning called Satamapati.

“Ānanda, someone who knows the name of each lightning and knows the direction where it is situated F.230.a will know that all danger from lightning will not occur. When they write down the names of the lightning, wherever they dwell there will be no lightning that strikes.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavat recited these words of a Dravidian mantra:

tadyathā | nimi nimi nimindhari, illuminator of the three worlds who holds a trident in his hands, protect me, protect me from all lightning in this place! svāhā |^[262]

Also at that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara was present in that assembly. Being present, he said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I also, for this Dharma teaching, will recite the words of a Dravidian mantra:

tadyathā | kate vikate nikate pratyarthike pratyamitre śuddhe mukte vimale prabhāsvare aṇḍare paṇḍare śvete paṇḍaravāsini harikaṇḍari piṃgala^[263] akṣi dadhi mukhi. Protect me, protect me from all premature death. Through the magnificence of Ārya Avalokiteśvara may I never see any premature death! svāhā |^[264]

Then Vajrapāṇi, the lord of secrets, placed his palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I also will recite the words of a dhāraṇī for this Dharma teaching:

tadyathā | muni muni muni nadhari muni mati mati sumati mahāmati hā hā hā hā. Vajrapāṇi has said, ‘You have no bad karma, so do not be afraid!’ svāhā |^[265]

“Bhagavat, whoever keeps in their heart this invincible protection of mine, or writes it out, will always be continually protected from all danger. I will save them from all premature death.” F.230.b

Then Mahābrahmā, the lord of Sahā, said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I also, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of beings, will recite the words of a mantra for this Dharma teaching:

tadyathā | hili mili cili svāhā brahmapūre svāha brahmasvare svāha brahmabhisugarbhe puṣpasaṃstare svāhā |

“Bhagavat, this protection of mine is called Brahmā’s punishment, and it will protect from all premature death and bring to an end all bad karma.”

Then Śakra, the lord of devas, with his palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I also will recite the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra for this Dharma teaching:

tadyathā | nivarāni banddha mādantema titi titi gaurī gandhari caṇḍāli mātaṅgi^[266] parṇale^[267] hinamadhyamadhariṇi malani dalamdade^[268] cakrāvākrī^[269] śavari savari svāhā |

“Venerable Bhagavat, this vidyāmantra of mine, which is called hurled-down vajra flames,^[270] frees from all dangers, all fear and terror, and protects from all premature death.”

Then Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, Mahārāja Virūpākṣa, and Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa bowed toward the Bhagavat, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, we also, in order to bring benefit to many beings, in order to bring happiness to many beings, F.231.a and because of compassion for the world, will recite the words of a mantra for this Dharma teaching:

tadyathā | puṣpe supuṣpe dhumaparihāre āryapraśaste^[271] śānti nirmukte maṅgalya^[272] hiraṇyagarbhe stute stavite svāhā |

“Venerable Bhagavat, this protection of ours, of we Four Mahārājas, which is called the absence of danger, makes those in danger become safe, protects life, and saves from all premature death.”

Then the nāga king Sāgara, the nāga king Vidyutprabha, the nāga king Anavatapta, the nāga king Lightning Tongue, and the nāga king Royal Light, with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, our great protection, which is called the wish-fulfilling jewel, repels all lightning, prevents all premature death, neutralizes poisons, and causes danger from enemies, conjured spirits, zombies, and inauspiciousness to cease.

“Bhagavat, regard us with compassion and accept this, so that we may leave this existence as nāgas and forsake miserliness. Why is that? Bhagavat we nāgas are miserly, and our minds are encircled by miserliness.

tadyathā | āryaje^[273] amare amṛte akṣaye abhiye puṇyai paryavate^[274] sarvapāpaṃ praśamāniye svāha āryapuṇyasopākiye^[275] svāhā |

“Venerable Bhagavat, if any man or woman recites the words of this mantra with their tongue or writes it out, then they will know that there is no danger from lightning and there will be no premature death caused by poison from plants, poison from animal bites, F.231.b poison from treasures, or any other category of poison. May I go from all dangers and all harm to become perfectly happy!”

The Bhagavat then congratulated Śakra, Brahmā, the world protectors, and the nāga lords, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you elegant men have taught the words of the Dravidian mantras in order to enter and possess completely this Dharma teaching, for the sake of benefit for many beings and happiness for many beings. It will protect in every direction those who are asleep, those who are intoxicated, and even those who are completely intoxicated.”

Then the Bhagavat said to the great assembly, “Well done! Well done! All of these dhāraṇī-mantras have great power, so that all the things wished for in the minds of beings will be perfectly obtained, exactly as they have wanted. They will bring a vast benefit as long as the mind is one-pointed. Do not have any doubt!”

When the Bhagavat had spoken, the world, with its bhikṣus, Śakra, Brahmā, world protectors, nāga lords, devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, was overjoyed and praised the words of the Bhagavat.

Chapter 15: The Goddess Sarasvatī

Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, with her robe over one shoulder, kneeling with her right knee on the ground and her palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Sarasvatī, will bring eloquence to the words of those dharmabhāṇakas so that their words will be beautified. I will also bestow on them the power of mental retention. I will establish them in giving definitions. I will illuminate those dharmabhāṇakas with the great light of knowledge.^[276] If any line of verse or syllables of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is left out, or forgotten, F.232.a I will bring all definitions, lines of verse, and syllables to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.

“So that^[277] this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light may remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and not quickly vanish; so that beings can accomplish roots of merit with a hundred thousand buddha bhagavats; so that many beings on hearing this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light may develop inconceivably sharp wisdom; so that they may gain an inconceivable aggregation of wisdom;^[278] so that they may attain good fortune in this life; so that they may have benefit in life and possess an immeasurable aggregation of merit; so that they may seek a variety of methods;^[279] so that they may become learned^[280] in all treatises; and so that they may attain^[281] perfection^[282] in a variety of arts, I will bestow the power of retention so that they will not forget.^[283]

“I will teach the rite of cleansing with mantras and medicines for the benefit of the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus and the beings who listen to the Dharma, so that harm from the planets, lunar asterisms, birth, and death; all the harms from fighting, pollution, riots, chaos, nightmares, and misleaders; and the harms from all evil spirits and vetālas will cease.

“These are the herbs and medicines through which the wise can cleanse themselves:

tadyathā | sute kṛte^[287] kamatali nalejanakarate^[288] haṅkarate^[289] indrajalini^[290] śaṃkaradri^[291] paśaddre^[292] avartakaseke^[293] nakutra kukavilakavimalamati śīlamati^[294] sandhidhudhumamavati śiśiri satyasthite^[295] svāhā |^[296]

syād yathedaṃ^[298] arake nayane hile mile gile khikhile svāhā |^[299]

“Engage in the peaceful activity of cleansing by reciting this mantra while washing the body of the Bhagavat:

tadyathā | sugaṭe vigaṭe vigatāvati svāhā |^[300]

tadyathā |^[301] śame viṣame svāhā | sagaṭe vigaṭe svāhā | sukhatinate svāhā | F.233.a sāgarasaṃbhūtāya svāhā | skandhamatāya svāhā | nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā | aparājitavīryāya svāhā | himavatsaṃbhūtāya svāhā | animilavaktrāya svāhā | namo bhagavate brāhmaṇe | namaḥ sarasvatyai devyai sidhyantu mantrapadā daṃ brahma anumanyatu svāhā |^[302]

“I will be there, because of this washing ritual, in order to guard the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu and those who listen to the Dharma and those who write it out.

“Together with a host of devas,^[303] I will end all illness in those villages, towns, marketplaces, and monasteries.

“I will end harm from planetary afflictions, fighting, and pollution; harm from the stars of one’s birth; and all harm from nightmares, troublesome demons, and all evil spirits and vetālas for the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras, so that their lifespans will be benefited, they will abandon saṃsāra, they will progress irreversibly to the highest, most complete enlightenment, and they will quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.”

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the great goddess Sarasvatī, saying, “Well done, well done, great goddess Sarasvatī! You act to bring benefit to many beings, and happiness to many beings. It is excellent, excellent that you have given this teaching of mantras and medicines.”

The great goddess Sarasvatī bowed down to the Bhagavat’s feet and sat to one side.

Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, called upon the goddess Sarasvatī:

Sarasvatī spoke these mantra words:

syād yathedaṃ^[307] mure cire avaje avajavate higule^[308] migule^[309] pigalavati^[310] maguśe^[311] marici samati daśamati agrimagri tara citara^[312] capati^[313] cicirī śirimiri marici praṇaye^[314] lokajyeṣṭhe^[315] lokapriye^[316] siddhiprite^[317] vimamukhiśucikharī^[318] apratihate^[319] apratehata buddhe^[320] namuci namuci mahādevī^[321] pratigṛhnanamaskaraṃ^[322] |^[323]

“May I^[324] have unimpeded understanding. May I accomplish the knowledge^[325] of treatises, verses, tantras,^[326] piṭakas, poetry, and so on.

tadyathā | mahāprabhavā^[327] hili hili mili mili |^[328]

“May I be victorious through the power of the Bhagavatī, the goddess Sarasvatī.

karaṭe keyūre keyūravati^[329] hili mili hili mili hili hili |^[330]

“I summon the great goddess through the truth of the Buddha, the truth of the Dharma, the truth of the Saṅgha, the truth of Indra, and the truth of Varuṇa. I invoke the great goddess through the truth and true words of all who speak truth in the world.

tadyathā | hili hili^[331] hili mili hili mili |^[332] May I be victorious! I pay homage to the Bhagavatī, the great goddess Sarasvatī! May I accomplish the mantra words! svāhā |

^[333]Then Sarasvatī said to the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, F.234.a “Great being, it is excellent, excellent, that you give all beings excellent eloquence, miracles, higher cognitions, great wisdom, and so on, benefiting them and causing them to quickly attain enlightenment.”

She then recited these verses in order to teach the rite of possessing this sūtra:

The Kauṇḍinya brahmin, on hearing that teaching, felt immeasurable joy and delight, and he said to that gathered assembly:

^[340]Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, praised the goddess Sarasvatī with these verses: F.236.a

The Bhagavat then congratulated the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, saying, “It is excellent, excellent, that you, for the sake of the benefit and happiness of beings, have recited this praise to the goddess Sarasvatī and received sublime accomplishment so that you will possess immeasurable merit.”

Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, having prayed to the great goddess Sarasvatī with words of praise and eulogy, said to the assembly, “If you wish to invite the goddess Sarasvatī, be protected by her compassion, have unimpeded eloquence in this life, possess what you have heard, have great wisdom, be skilled in all treatises, and accomplish clear and unimpeded in the adornments of composition, then with a respectful motivation^[345] and a reverential mind recite these words in order to invite the goddess Sarasvatī:

“I pay homage to the bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and all āryas of the past, future, and present.

“I rejoice in the speech of the bhagavats in the ten directions who remain in valid true speech, who are without deception, and who speak the teaching of the truth in accord with individual capacities and correctly teach the truth constantly for countless millions of eons.

“I bow my body and pay homage to all the bhagavats who, in speaking the truth, spread their vast, long tongues, so that they completely cover their faces, Jambudvīpa, the Four Mahārājas,^[346] a chiliocosm, a dichiliocosm, a trichiliocosm, and all the countless world realms in the ten directions, dispelling all affliction from the defilements. F.237.a

“May I possess such a sublime sign of the tongue and limitless eloquence.

After the Kauṇḍinya brahmin said those words to the goddess Sarasvatī, the goddess said to that great being, “Well done! Any noble man or noble woman who praises with those verses and possesses and keeps those mantra words, and goes for refuge to the Three Jewels, and with a focused, aspiring mind practices in accordance with the rite for their desired goal, F.238.b this will not be a waste. Moreover, if they possess, keep, read, and recite this extremely subtle and profound Sublime Golden Light, the king that is the lord of sūtras, then all their aspirations will be quickly accomplished, unless this is done with a distracted mind.”

At that time, the brahmin, his mind filled with admiration and overjoyed, placed his palms together in acceptance.

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the goddess Sarasvatī, saying, “Goddess, it is excellent, excellent, that you protect and spread this sublime Dharma and that you teach this kind of Dharma to all the beings who possess this sūtra, so that happiness, merit, and limitless eloquence increase, and that you cause those who have developed the aspiration to quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Chapter 16: The Great Goddess Śrī

Then the great goddess Śrī said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Śrī, will also, in whatever way, bring a perfection of requisites to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus so that they will gain freedom from deprivation; will have a resolute^[350] mind; will day and night have happiness of mind; will learn, understand, and correctly recite all the different words and letters in this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light so that, for the sake of those beings who have planted good roots with hundreds of thousands of buddhas, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden LightF.239.a will remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and will not disappear, and so that beings will experience the happiness of devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, and so that there will be no famine and instead excellent harvests. Beings will become happy through being endowed with every kind of happiness. They will be in the company of tathāgatas, and in some future time they will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. This will end all the suffering in the hells, in the lives of animals, and in the world of Yama. Robes, food, bedding, medicine while ill, requisites, and other necessities will be brought to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.

“I,^[351] the great goddess Śrī, developed good roots with the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsaśrī. In the present, wherever I direct my mind, wherever I look, wherever I go, many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of beings become happy; they become endowed with every kind of happiness. They do not lack food, drink, wealth, grain, cowries, gold, jewels, pearls, beryl, conchs, crystals, coral, silver, unwrought gold, or other requisites. F.239.b Those beings are endowed with all requisites.^[352] Through the power of the great goddess Śrī, they make offerings to that tathāgata. They make offerings of perfumes, flowers, and incense.^[353] They recite the name ‘the great goddess Śrī’^[354] three times, and offer him perfume, incense, and flowers.^[355] They also offer him a variety of flavors, and then their great accumulations of grain increase. It is said concerning this:

“I, the great goddess Śrī, will direct my mind toward those beings who say the name of The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light and I will create a great splendor for them.”

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the great goddess Śrī, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you, goddess, through remembering your past actions make offerings to the tathāgata to benefit countless beings, bring them the benefit of happiness, and possess the inexhaustible merit from spreading this sūtra.”

Chapter 17: The Increase of Wealth by the Great Goddess Śrī

Then the great goddess Śrī said these words to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, not far from here to the north, in the environs of Alakāvati, the palace of Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, there is a sublime pleasure grove by the name of Puṇya­kusuma­prabha, in which there is a mansion made of the seven precious materials which is called Padmottara­suvarṇa­dhvaja,^[357] which is where I live.

“Any person who wishes to increase their accumulation of grain F.240.a should clean their house well, wash well, wear clean white clothes, wear clothes that have been perfumed, bow down to the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnakusumaguṇasāgaravaiḍūrya-kanakagirivarṇabhadrasuvarṇaprabhāsaśrī, and say his name three times. Then the great goddess Śrī^[358] will make an offering with her own hands. Flowers, incense, and perfume should also be offered. Various kinds of flavors should also be offered. The name of The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light should be recited three times and words of truth recited. Also, offerings should be made to the great goddess Śrī. When flowers and incense are offered, and various kinds of flavors are offered, at that time, through the power of this Lord King of Sūtras, the great goddess Śrī will turn her mind toward that house and its great accumulation of grain will increase.

“Those who wish to invoke the great goddess Śrī should remember these vidyāmantras:

“ ‘I pay homage to all the buddhas of the past, the future, and the present.

“ ‘I pay homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Tip of Brilliant, Precious, Pure Fire.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Jambu Golden Victory Banner That is Golden in Appearance.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­prabhā­garbha.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Radiance of a Hundred Suns’ Illuminating Essence.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa. F.240.b

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­puṣpa­jvala­raśmi­ketu.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Mahāpradīpa.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Ratnaketu.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Akṣobhya in the east.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Ratnaketu in the south.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Amitābha in the west.

“ ‘I pay homage to the Tathāgata Dundubhisvara in the north.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Maitreya.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Golden Essence.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata.

“ ‘I pay homage to the bodhisattva Supratiṣṭha.’

“Having paid homage to them, I will practice this mantra.

“ ‘This vidyāmantra will bring me wealth:

syād yathedam^[359] pratipūrṇavare samantavedanagate^[360] mahākāryapratiprāpaṇe sattvārtha^[361]samatānuprapūre ayānadharmitāmahābhogine^[362] mahāmaitre^[363] upasaṃhihe^[364] saṃgṛhīte^[365] samarthānupālane^[366] svāhā |

“These are words with an infallible meaning. That single-sentence mantra has the nature of an empowerment bestowed upon the crown of the head and bestows the valid accomplishment of the true nature.

“The practice for beings of middling capacity is to possess and recite this, while keeping the eight vows for seven years^[367] without transgressions but only roots of merit. F.241.a In order for themselves and others to perfect omniscient wisdom, each morning and afternoon they should make offerings of flowers and incense to all the buddhas and pray, ‘May I fulfill this wish of mine, may I fulfill it quickly.’

“In a temple or in a solitary place, clean the building and make a circle of dung. Offer perfume and incense. Arrange a clean seat, scatter flower petals on the ground and then sit on it.

“Then, in that instant, the great goddess Śrī will come and reside there. From then on, that house, village, town, market town, temple, or place of solitude will never be disturbed and never be in need. Everyone will obtain cowries, gold, jewels, wealth, grain, and all requisites; they will become happy through all that brings happiness.

“Whatever good actions have been done, give the supreme part to the great goddess Śrī, and because of that she will remain with you for as long as you live and will never abandon you. All your aspirations will be completely fulfilled.”

Chapter 18: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth

Then Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth, said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, wherever this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is taught, in the present or in future times, whether in a village, town, market town, F.241.b region, wilderness, mountain cave,^[368] or royal residence—wherever, venerable Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is taught at length^[369]—I, Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth, will come to that place.

“Wherever a Dharma throne is arranged for the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu, and wherever the dharmabhāṇaka, upon that throne, extensively teaches this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, venerable Bhagavat, I, Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth, will come to that place. With my body invisible, I will go beneath that Dharma throne, and with my highest limb, my head, I will support that dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu under the soles of his feet.

“I also will listen to the Dharma and be satiated by this amṛta liquid of the Dharma. I will honor him; I will make offerings to him. Having been satiated, having honored him, and being delighted, I will increase the fertility of this sixty-eight-thousand-yojana-wide aggregation of the earth down to its vajra foundation. I will honor it and perfect it. On its surface I will saturate this disk of the earth, as far as the ocean, with the oil of the earth’s fertility. I will cause this great earth to be resplendent. Then, in this Jambudvīpa, the grass, bushes, herbs, and forests will grow with perfect resplendence. F.242.a All parks, forests, trees, leaves, flowers, fruits, and harvests of various kinds will be resplendent, aromatic, lustrous, delicious, beautiful, and huge.

“When beings consume them as various kinds of drink and food, their lifespans, strength, complexions, and faculties will increase. Being endowed with such majesty, strength, complexion, and form, they will accomplish many hundreds of thousands of the various different things necessary on this earth. They will be dedicated to that and make an effort in that. They will accomplish actions that create strength.

“Venerable Bhagavat, that will cause all of Jambudvīpa to have peace, good harvests, increase, and joy. It will become filled with human beings. All the beings in Jambudvīpa will become happy and experience various kinds of joy. Those beings will possess majesty, strength, and excellent color and form.

“For the sake of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās should approach the Dharma seat of those who possess this lord and king of the sūtras. Having approached it with a perfectly trusting mind, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of all beings, they should supplicate the dharmabhāṇaka so that this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will be taught extensively. F.242.b

“Why should they do that? Venerable Bhagavat, if this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is taught, I, the earth goddess Dṛḍhā, with my servants, will have supreme magnificence and supreme strength. Our bodies will develop perfect strength, diligence, and great power. Our bodies will gain magnificence, glory, and splendor.

“Venerable Bhagavat, I, the earth goddess Dṛḍhā, will be satiated by this amṛta liquid of the Dharma. I will attain great magnificence, strength, diligence, power, and speed.^[370] The great fertility of earth will increase in this Jambudvīpa’s seven thousand yojanas. The great earth will become magnificent.

“Venerable Bhagavat, the beings who dwell upon the earth will increase, expand, and become vast. They will also become widespread, and just as the beings who are upon the earth will become widespread, they will also experience a variety of enjoyments. They will experience happiness. They will all enjoy various kinds of food and drink, remain in various kinds of happiness with the entire variety of pleasurable requisites that are present upon the earth, appear from the earth, and are dependent upon the earth, such as clothes, beds, seats, dwellings, houses, divine palaces, parks, rivers, pools, springs, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs.

“Venerable Bhagavat, because of this, all those beings will be repaying my kindness. There is no doubt that this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light should be respected, F.243.a listened to, honored, venerated, revered, and offered to.

“Venerable Bhagavat, when those beings leave their individual families and individual homes in order to go to the dharmabhāṇaka; and having gone there have listened to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light; and having heard it returned to their own individual families, homes, villages, and market towns, they will say to those who live in their own home, ‘We have heard a profound Dharma today. We have obtained an inconceivable accumulation of merit today. By listening to that Dharma, we have pleased many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas. By listening to that Dharma today, we have been completely freed from rebirth in the hells, as animals, in the world of Yama, and in the realm of the pretas. By listening to this Dharma today, we have obtained rebirth in the future as devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of lifetimes.’

“When they are in their own homes, if they tell even one example from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light to those other beings, or just one chapter from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, or one history, or even the name of one bodhisattva, or the name of one tathāgata, or even just one four-line verse, or even a single line of verse, and those other beings hear it—or even if they teach others the name only of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light—then, venerable Bhagavat, wherever those different beings in different places speak about, or listen to, or talk to one another about these various kinds of causes from the sūtra, then, venerable Bhagavat, F.243.b all those places will become very magnificent. They will become very lustrous. In those various places, for all those beings, the various fertilities of the earth and all requisites will increase, augment, and expand, and all those beings will be happy. They will have great wealth and great enjoyments. They will aspire to generosity, and they will have true faith in the Three Jewels.”

When she had spoken, the Bhagavat said to Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth, “Goddess of the earth, if any being listens to even one line from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, when they pass away from this human world, they will be reborn as a deva in the Trāyastriṃśa paradise or among another class of devas.^[371]

“Goddess of the earth, anyone who, in order to make offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, beautifully adorns those places, even with just one parasol or one flag or by draping one cloth, then, goddess of the earth, they will dwell in those constantly adorned places, divine aerial palaces made of the seven jewels in the seven paradises^[372] of the desire realm that are perfectly adorned by all adornments. When those beings pass away from this human realm, they will be reborn in those aerial palaces made of the seven jewels, and at that time, goddess of the earth, they will be reborn seven times in each of those aerial palaces made of the seven jewels. F.244.a They will experience the inconceivable bliss of the devas.”

When the Bhagavat had spoken, the earth goddess Dṛḍhā said to the Bhagavat, “Therefore, venerable Bhagavat, when the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu is seated on the Dharma seat, I, the earth goddess Dṛḍhā, will be present in the ground below that Dharma seat. For the sake of those beings who have planted good roots with hundreds of thousands of buddhas, I will make my body invisible and will support that dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu’s feet with my highest limb, my head, so that this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and will not disappear soon; so that beings will hear this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light and will experience the happiness of devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons; and so that they will be in the company of tathāgatas and will, in a future time, attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood and will become completely free of the suffering of the hells, the lives of animals, and the world of Yama.”^[373]

Then the earth goddess Dṛḍhā said, “Bhagavat, I have a mantra essence. It will bring benefit and happiness to all devas and humans. If someone wishes to see me directly; wishes for precious jewels, treasures, and so on; F.244.b wishes for a long life without illness through excellent herbs; or wishes to be free of all adversaries and opponents, they should make a circle in a solitary place, wash, wear new clothes, and sit on an arrangement of straw. In front of an image that contains relics or in front of a stūpa that contains relics, make an offering of flowers, incense, and various kinds of food. On the eighth day during the time of the lunar asterism Puṣya, invite me by repeating this dhāraṇī-mantra single-mindedly.

“The mantra is:

tadyathā | cili cili curu curu kuru kuru kuṭu kuṭu toṭu toṭu vaha vaha variṣe variṣe svāhā |

“Bhagavat, I will come to anyone among the four classes of followers who repeats these mantra words a hundred and eight times in order to invite me.

“Moreover, Bhagavat, anyone who seeks to meet me and speak to me, should do the same as in the previous rite and repeat this mantra:

tadyathā | añcani kyalikṣani śiśidhari haha hihi kuruvare svāhā |

“Bhagavat, I will come to the one who repeats the words of this mantra and then repeats the previous mantra, and I will definitely fulfill their wishes.

“Whoever wishes to repeat this mantra, in order to protect their body, should first repeat this mantra:

tadyathā | śiri śiri vāśakati tati kuṭṭi pūta pūderi pūderi^[374] tiṭe pati kukuṭi kapacili svāhā |

“Bhagavat, when practicing this dhāraṇī-mantra one should apply the mantra to a cord of five colors, tying a knot with each repetition. Having repeated the mantra in that way twenty-one times, tie the cord on to the left upper arm and this will dispel all danger and the body will be protected. F.245.a If this mantra is repeated with an undistracted mind, all wishes will be accomplished. These words of mine are infallible. I pray that the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and the Saṅgha Jewel look upon me and regard me.”

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the earth goddess Dṛḍhā, saying, “It is excellent, excellent, that through your words of truth you have protected this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light along with the dharmabhāṇakas. Therefore, you also possess an inconceivable accumulation of merit.”

Chapter 19: Saṃjñeya, the Lord of Yakṣas

Then the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya, accompanied by twenty-eight yakṣa generals, rose from his seat and with his robe over one shoulder, kneeling with his right knee on the ground and with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, wherever this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light appears, in the present or in future times, whether in a village, town, market town, region, wilderness, mountain cave,^[375] or royal residence, Bhagavat, I, the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya, accompanied by twenty-eight yakṣa generals, will come to that village, town, market town, region, wilderness, mountain cave,^[376] or royal residence.

“I will make my body invisible and will guard that dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu. I will defend him, F.245.b take care of him, protect him, save him from punishment, and bring him peace and well-being.

“All men, women, boys, or girls who listen to the Dharma, whoever hears and retains even one four-line verse from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, or even one line, or even the name of one bodhisattva from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, or the name of one tathāgata, or even hears and retains just the name of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, I will defend them all, take care of them, protect them,^[377] save them from punishment,^[378] and bring them peace and well-being. I will defend, take care of, protect, save from punishment, and bring peace and well-being to all those families, those homes, those villages, those towns, those market towns, those wildernesses, and those royal residences.

“Venerable Bhagavat, why am I called the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya?^[379] Venerable Bhagavat, it is because I know all Dharmas, I understand all Dharmas, I comprehend all Dharmas. Whatever the number of Dharmas, the nature of the Dharmas, or the classes^[380] of Dharmas, venerable Bhagavat, I have direct knowledge of all Dharmas.

“Venerable Bhagavat, F.246.a in all Dharmas my illumination by wisdom is inconceivable, my clarity^[381] of wisdom is inconceivable, my activity of wisdom is inconceivable, and my accumulation of wisdom is inconceivable.

“Venerable Bhagavat, in all Dharmas my engagement in the field of wisdom is inconceivable.

“Venerable Bhagavat, it is because of my correct knowledge, my correct examination, my correct view, and my correct comprehension of all Dharmas that I am named the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya.

“Venerable Bhagavat, I will bring eloquence to the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu in order to beautify his words. I will bring brilliance to his pores and develop in his body great power, strength, and diligence; I will make the illumination of his wisdom inconceivable; and I will make his memory comprehensive and make him greatly enthusiastic, so that the dharmabhāṇaka’s body will not become fatigued, his body’s faculties will be blissful, he will feel great joy, and so that for the sake of those beings who have planted good roots with hundreds of thousands of buddhas, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and will not soon vanish, and so that beings will hear this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light and will attain an inconceivable accumulation of wisdom, will possess an accumulation of merit, and in the future will experience inconceivable happiness among devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, will be in the company of tathāgatas, will in a future time attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood, and will cease to experience the suffering of the hells, F.246.b of birth as animals, or of the world of Yama.”^[382]

Saṃjñeya, the great yakṣa general, then said, “Bhagavat I have a dhāraṇī-mantra and through compassion and for the benefit of beings I will recite this mantra in the presence of the Bhagavat.

“The mantra is:

namo buddhāya | namo dharmāya | namaḥ saṃghāya | namo brahmāya | nama indrāya | namaś caturnāṃ mahārājānāṃ | tadyathā | hili hili mili mili gauri mahāgauri gandhari mahāgandhari drimiḍi mahādrimiḍi daṇḍakhukhunti haha haha hihi hihi huhu huhu halodhame gudhame caca caca cici cici cucu cucu caṇḍeśvara śikhara śikhara atiṣṭhāhe^[383] bhagavān saṃvidjñāya^[384] svāhā |

“I will bestow on anyone who possesses and keeps this vidyāmantra all the requisites of life, alms, clothing, flowers, fruits, wealth, jewels, and so on.

“Anyone who wishes for requisites such as sons and daughters, male and female slaves, gold, silver, jewels, adornments, and so on, I will bestow them according to their individual wishes.

“Because this mantra possesses great power and majesty when it is repeated, I will quickly come there and accomplish anything without impediment.

“In the rite for practicing this mantra, first paint an image of Saṃjñeya, the great general of the yakṣas, F.247.a four or five hands^[385] in height, holding an axe in his hands. In front of that, make a square maṇḍala and in its four corners place four vases filled with liquid honey or molasses, and make offerings with ointments, powders, burning incense, and flower garlands. Alternatively, dig a fire-offering pit in front of the maṇḍala and in a fire that has no smoke burn a mixture of butter and mustard seeds, making a fire offering with each repetition of the mantra. In that way, make a burnt offering a hundred and eight times. I will reveal my body there and ask the mantra practitioner,^[386] ‘What is it that you want? Tell me what it is that you desire!’ and I will give them whatever they desire. If someone wishes for gold or silver, or wishes to search for treasure, or wishes to be a divine ṛṣi, it will be accomplished and they will attain the ability to fly in the sky and moreover all the higher cognitions, such as divine sight and knowing the minds of others. They will gain as wished for power over all beings and they will end the continuum of all the kleśas and will attain liberation.”

The Bhagavat then congratulated Saṃjñeya, the great general of the yakṣas, saying, “It is excellent, excellent, that you have inconceivably increased your merit by speaking these mantra words in order to bring benefit and happiness to all beings and to protect this sublime Dharma.”

Chapter 20: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas

Then Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth, who was seated within that great assembly, rose from her seat, bowed down her head to the Bhagavat’s feet, and then, with her palms placed together, said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, if in any land there is a human king who does not practice the true Dharma, F.247.b he will not remain long ruling that land or bringing happiness to many beings through a prestigious reign.

“Bhagavat, I pray that because you are compassionate you will, with a treatise on kingship, teach how to rule over a land. Through hearing such a Dharma, human kings will be able to remain for a long time in sublime sovereignty, protecting the world, and all the people in that land will become completely happy.”

Then the Bhagavat, in the midst of that great assembly, said to the goddess of the earth, “Goddess of the earth, for that reason listen very well. In the past, in a time gone by, there was a king by the name of Balendraketu,^[387] who had a son by the name of Ruciraketu. Not long after Ruciraketu’s royal consecration, Balendraketu said to him, ‘I received from my father, the supreme king Pinnacle of Lords,^[388] the treatise on kingship called The Commitment of the Lord of Devas. I have, up until now, ruled for twenty thousand years in accordance with the treatise on kingship called The Commitment of the Lord of Devas. Up until now, I have not been known to follow any ways that are not the Dharma for even an instant. So, son, what is the treatise on kingship called The Commitment of the Lord of Devas?’

“Then, at that time, in that time, noble goddess, King Balendraketu taught extensively, through these verses, the treatise on kingship, The Commitment of the Lord of Devas, to his son King Ruciraketu:

Chapter 21: Susaṃbhava

Then at that time, the Bhagavat recited these verses:

Chapter 22: The Protection Given by Yakṣas

“Great goddess Śrī, any noble man or noble woman who has faith and wishes to make an inconceivably, extremely vast and great offering of requisites to the past, future, and present buddha bhagavats, and wishes to know the profound field of activity of the past, future, and present buddhas, whether in a temple or in a wilderness, in whatever place The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is being correctly taught, in that place they should, with an undoubting and undistracted mind, pay attention and listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”

Then the Bhagavat, in order to describe this extensively to the assembly, recited these verses: F.252.b

Chapter 23: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas

When the Bhagavat had said that, the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā^[448] asked him, “Venerable Bhagavat, F.255.b through what cause and what condition, and through what accomplishment and accumulation of planting good roots, have Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and these other ten thousand devas now come from the Trāyastriṃśa paradise, having heard the prophecy to these three sublime beings?

“It was thus: this excellent being, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, in a future time, after many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of asaṃkhyeyas of eons have passed, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood in the world realm Suvarṇaprabhā. He will appear in that world as the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct,^[449] the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa.

“When the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa has passed into nirvāṇa and his Dharma has come to an end and his teachings have completely come to an end, at that time, this boy by the name of Rūpyaketu^[450] will appear as the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha by the name of Suvarṇa­jambu­dhvaja­kāñcanābha in the world realm called Virajadhvajā. F.256.a

“When the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Suvarṇa­jambu­dhvaja­kāñcanābha has passed into nirvāṇa and his Dharma has come to an end and his teachings have completely come to an end, then this boy, by the name of Rūpyaprabha, will be the successor of that tathāgata, attaining the highest enlightenment of complete buddhahood in the world realm called Immaculate Banner, appearing as the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Essence of the Radiance of a Hundred Golden Lights.

“All of that was the Bhagavat’s prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Then the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā said to the Bhagavat,^[451] “Venerable Bhagavat, Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of those ten thousand devas have not had such a great, extensive bodhisattva conduct as that.

“It is not said that they have previously practiced the six perfections.

“It is not said that they have previously given away their arms, legs, eyes, the supreme limb of the head, or their beloved sons, wives, and daughters.

“It is not said that they have previously given away wealth, grain, cowries, gold, silver, jewels, pearls, beryl, conchs, crystals, coral, silver, or gold nuggets.

“It is not said that they have previously given away food, drink, steeds, clothes, beds, seats,^[452] houses, divine palaces, parks, ponds, or pools.

“It is not said that they have previously given away elephants, oxen, stallions, male servants, or female servants.

“Countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas have, before they received from buddha bhagavats their names as tathāgatas, made countless hundreds of thousands of various offerings and all requisites^[453] to countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas for countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. F.256.b They had given away all the things that could be given away. They had given away their arms, legs, eyes, the supreme limb of the head, and their beloved sons, wives, and daughters. They had given away wealth, grain, cowries, gold, silver, jewels, pearls, beryl, conchs, crystals, coral, silver, and gold nuggets. They had given away food, drink, steeds, clothes, beds, seats, houses, divine palaces, parks, pleasure groves,^[454] ponds, pools, elephants, oxen, stallions, male servants, and female servants. They had successively completed all the six perfections and, having successively completed all the six perfections, they experienced many hundreds of thousands of kinds of happiness.

“Venerable Bhagavat, through what cause and what condition, through what manner of developing good roots, have Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas who have come here to hear the Dharma from the Bhagavat been prophesied to successively appear, Bhagavat, in a future time, after many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of asaṃkhyeya eons, in a world realm called Śālendra­dhvajāgravatī, in the same family, in the same clan, and with the same name to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, as ten thousand buddhas by the name of Prasanna­vadanotpala­gandha­kūṭa, F.257.a becoming tathāgatas, arhats, samyaksaṃbuddhas, with wisdom and virtuous conduct, sugatas, knowers of the world’s beings, unsurpassable guides who tame beings, teachers of devas and humans, buddhas, and bhagavats?”

When she had asked that, the Bhagavat said, “Noble goddess, Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas do have a development of good roots, do have a cause, and do have deeds that they have accomplished and accumulated, through which they have come here from the paradise of Trāyastriṃśa in order to hear the Dharma.

“Noble goddess, when they heard the prophecy of the enlightenment of these three excellent beings, as soon as they heard it, they gained reverence^[455] for, delight in, and trust in this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and just through that they had minds that were as completely pure as stainless beryl. They had profound, completely clear minds like pure, extremely vast, and expansive space. They possessed an immeasurable accumulation of merit.

“Noble goddess, Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas, in just that way, as soon as they heard this king that is The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, gained reverence for and trust in it. In just that way, they had minds that were as completely pure as stainless beryl, and therefore they attained the level of prophecy.

“Noble goddess, it is through this accumulation of good roots and through the power of previous prayers that Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas have now obtained the prophecy of their highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Chapter 24: Ending All Illness

“Noble goddess, what were those past prayers? In the past, in a time gone by—an inconceivable, vast number, more innumerable than an asaṃkhyeya of eons ago—at that time, in that time, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Ratnaśikhin appeared in the world.

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, after the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin had passed into nirvāṇa and the Dharma had vanished and there was just the outer appearance of the Dharma, there was King Sureśvaraprabha, who followed the Dharma, who was a Dharma king, who ruled the kingdom through the Dharma and not through that which was not the Dharma, and who was like a father and mother to the beings who dwelled there.

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha, there was a head merchant by the name of Jaṭiṃdhara. He was a doctor, a physician, perfectly skilled in the humors, and was endowed with all eight branches of the Āyurveda tradition.

“O noble goddess, at that time, in that time, the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara had a son named Jalavāhana, who had an excellent body; was attractive and handsome; had a perfect, well-developed, excellent complexion; was learned in various treatises; had the understanding of all treatises; and was perfectly trained in letters, numbers, finger-counting, and calculations.

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, F.258.a many hundreds of thousands of beings living in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha were afflicted by various illnesses, tormented by various illnesses, and were experiencing severe, terrible, unendurable, unpleasant sensations of suffering.

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, there arose in Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, great compassion for those many hundreds of thousands of beings who were afflicted by various illnesses and tormented by various illnesses. He thought, ‘Those beings are experiencing severe, terrible, unendurable, unpleasant sensations of suffering, and my father, this head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara, who is a doctor, a physician, perfectly skilled in the humors, and endowed with all eight branches of the Āyurveda tradition, has become old, decrepit, and feeble. He has reached an advanced age, walks leaning on a stick, and is unable to go to the villages, the towns, the market towns, the countryside, the realm, or the royal capital. Therefore, in order to free those many hundreds of thousands of beings from the afflictions of various illnesses and the torments of various illnesses, I will go to my father, Jaṭiṃdhara, and question him so as to become skilled in the humors in order to heal illness. Having questioned him so as to become skilled in the humors, I will go to the villages, towns, market towns, countryside, realm, and royal capital. When I go there, I will free the many hundreds of thousands of beings from illness.’

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went to his father, Jaṭiṃdhara, and having come to him, he bowed down his head in homage at his father’s feet, and with his palms together he sat to one side. When he had seated himself to one side, F.258.b Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, recited these verses to his father, Jaṭiṃdhara, questioning him about skill in the humors:

“Then the head merchant, Jaṭiṃdhara, taught his son Jalavāhana skill in the humors by reciting these verses:

“Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, through just this inquiry into skill in the humors became learned in all the eight branches of the Āyurveda.

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son went throughout all the villages, towns, market towns, countryside, realm, and the royal capital in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha, and he said, ‘I will be a doctor for you many hundreds of thousands of beings who are afflicted by various illnesses and tormented by various illnesses. I promise to be your doctor and I will free you from your various illnesses and bring you relief.’

“Noble goddess, when all those many hundreds of thousands of beings heard those words spoken by Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, they immediately felt great joy. They found relief and had inconceivable joy, happiness, and delight.

“At that time, in that time, those many hundreds of thousands of beings who were afflicted by various illnesses and tormented by various illnesses were completely freed from their illness and became healthy. When they became healthy, they had the same power, strength and vigor as before.

“At that time, in that time, all those who were afflicted with severe illnesses among the many hundreds of thousands of beings that were afflicted by various illnesses and tormented by various illnesses F.259.b went to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, and Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, cured all those beings of all their illnesses by using whatever medical treatments he had given the many hundreds of thousands of beings that were afflicted by various illnesses and tormented by various illnesses. They became free of illness, or their illness was diminished and they became healthy, and they had the same power, strength, and vigor as before.

“Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, freed from their various illnesses the many hundreds of thousands of beings who were afflicted by various illnesses and tormented by various illnesses throughout all the villages, towns, market towns, countryside, realm, and the royal capital in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha.”

Chapter 25: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

“And so, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had cured the illnesses in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha, so that there were few illnesses and people had the enthusiasm and physical strength they had previously possessed. All the beings in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha were happy, enjoyed amusements, performed acts of generosity, and created merit. They praised Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saying, ‘May Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, be victorious! May he be victorious! He is the king of healing,^[462] who heals the illnesses of all beings. He is the visible presence of a bodhisattva, and he knows all the eight branches of the Āyurveda.’

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had a wife by the name of Jalāmbujagarbhā. F.260.a

“Noble goddess, the wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā, had two sons. The name of one was Jalāmbara and the name of the other was Jalagarbha.

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, traveled with his two sons successively through the villages, towns, market towns, countryside, realm, and the royal capital.

“Noble goddess, at another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went into an empty^[463] wilderness. In that empty^[464] wilderness he saw carnivores—dogs, jackals, crows, and other birds—that were hurrying toward a lake in that wilderness, and he wondered, ‘Why are these carnivores—dogs, jackals, and so on, up to birds—hurrying in that direction?’ Then he also thought, ‘I will go in the direction that the dogs, jackals, crows, and other birds are rushing.’

“Noble goddess, then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went along in that way until he eventually came to the lake in the empty^[465] wilderness where they were going. Ten thousand fish lived in that great lake. He saw that many hundreds of the fish had no water and he felt great compassion for them. Then he saw emerging from a tree the upper half of the body of a goddess. The goddess said to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ‘Excellent, noble son, excellent. Why is that? Because your name is Jalavāhana you must give water to these fish. You are called Jalavāhana for two reasons, because you bring water and because you give water.^[466] Therefore act in accordance with your name!’

“Jalavāhana asked the goddess, ‘Goddess, how many of these fish are there?’

“The goddess replied, ‘A full ten thousand fish.’

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, developed an even greater motivation of compassion.

“Noble goddess, at that time, there was just a little water left in that great lake in the empty^[467] wilderness, F.260.b and those ten thousand fish were close to death, deprived of water, and rushing and darting around.

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ran in all four directions. In whatever direction Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went, those ten thousand fish looked piteously in that direction at Jalavāhana.

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, again ran in all four directions but did not find water, so then he looked into the four directions and saw many trees that were not very far away. He climbed those trees and cut off branches. Carrying those tree branches, he went back to the great lake, and there he created a very cool shade for those ten thousand fish.

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went searching for the river that flowed into that lake. Wherever he ran in the four directions, he did not find the river that flowed into the lake. He hurriedly followed a dried-up riverbed. There was a great river called Jalāgamā, and it was the waters of that river that had flowed into that lake in the empty^[468] wilderness.^[469] At that time, a wicked being,^[470] in order to obtain those ten thousand fish, had caused the river to flow into a great ravine^[471] in that area so that subsequently there would be no water flowing to the fish. When Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saw that, he thought, ‘Not even a thousand people could make the course of this river flow to that lake, so how would I alone be able to?’ He then returned.

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, hurriedly went to King Sureśvaraprabha. Having reached him, he bowed down his head to the feet of King Sureśvaraprabha, seated himself in one direction, and told his story: ‘I had eliminated illness in all the villages, towns, and market towns within Your Majesty’s domain.^[472]F.261.a In a certain place, there is a lake called Aṭavīsaṃbhavā, in which live ten thousand fish. They lack water and are being tormented by the sun. Just as I did for human beings, I wish to save the lives of those who have been born as animals. Therefore, Your Majesty, I request twenty elephants from you.’

“King Sureśvaraprabha gave his ministers the command: ‘Give the great king of doctors twenty elephants!’

“The ministers said to him, ‘Great being! Go to the elephant pen, take away twenty elephants, and bring benefit and happiness to beings!’

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, with his sons Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, led away twenty elephants and obtained from the elephant keepers one hundred ox-leather bags, and then they returned, going to where great river Jalāgamā flowed. They filled those bags with water, loaded them onto the elephants, and hurried back to the lake in the empty wilderness. When they had arrived there, they took down the water from the elephants, and from all four directions they filled the lake with water. As Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, walked in the four directions, wherever he went, the ten thousand fish sped there.

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, wondered, ‘Why are the ten thousand fish speeding to wherever I am?’ He also thought, ‘These ten thousand fish are definitely tormented by the fire of hunger and are begging me for food, so I will give them food.’

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to his son Jalāmbara, ‘Mount the fastest of all these elephants ride as quickly as you can to our^[473] home, and say to your grandfather, the head merchant, “O grandfather, Jalavāhana has said, F.261.b ‘Put together as one all the food that my parents, brothers, sisters, male servants, female servants, and workmen have at home, and send it to me quickly in the hands of Jalāmbara riding the elephant!’ ” ’

“Then the boy Jalāmbara, riding that elephant, rode and galloped as quickly as he could and came to his home. When he had arrived there, he told his story in detail. Then the boy Jalāmbara loaded onto the elephant all that combined food that he had been told to obtain, and he rode that elephant to the lake in the empty wilderness.

“Jalavāhana was delighted to see his son Jalāmbara, received the food from his son, divided it, and scattered it in the lake, satisfying those ten thousand fish.

“He thought, ‘At another time, in a solitary place, I heard from a bhikṣu reading the Mahāyāna that someone who hears the name of the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin at the time of death will be reborn in a happy existence in a higher world.^[474] So I will teach the fish the profound Dharma of dependent origination and also recite the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin.’

“At that time, the beings in Jambudvīpa had two views. Some had faith in the Mahāyāna and some disparaged it.

“Then, at that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, stood in the lake up to his knees and recited: ‘Homage to the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. Previously, when the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin was practicing bodhisattva conduct, he made this prayer: “May anyone in the ten directions who hears my name at the time of their death, F.262.a after their passing be reborn with the good fortune of becoming devas in Trāyastriṃśa.” ’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, taught this Dharma to those who had been reborn as animals: ‘Because this exists, that is produced; because this is born, that is born. In that way, because of the factor of ignorance, there is formation; because of the factor of formation, there is consciousness; because of the factor of consciousness, there is name and form; because of the factor of name and form, there are the six āyatanas; because of the factor of the six āyatanas, there is contact; because of the factor of contact, there is sensation; because of the factor of sensation, there is craving; because of the factor of craving, there is grasping; because of the factor of grasping, there is becoming; because of the factor of becoming, there is birth; because of the factor of birth, there is old age, death, misery, lamenting, suffering, unhappiness, and distress. In that way there is produced this great mass of nothing but suffering.

“ ‘Thus, through the cessation of ignorance, formation ceases, and so on, until in that way this great mass of nothing but suffering ceases.’

“Noble goddess, in that way, at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, recited those words of the Dharma to those who had been reborn as animals. Then, together with his sons, Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, he returned to his home.

“At another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ate a great feast and became intoxicated from alcohol, and then went to sleep in his bed. At that time, in that time, there appeared a great omen. When that night had passed, it was time for the ten thousand fish to die, and they were reborn with the good fortune of becoming devas in Trāyastriṃśa. As soon as they were born there, this manner of thought arose in their minds: F.262.b ‘Through what good karma as a cause have we been reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa?’ Then they thought, ‘We were ten thousand fish in Jambudvīpa. We had been reborn as animals, but Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, satisfied us with much water and the most excellent food, and then he taught us the profound Dharma of dependent origination and recited the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. It is through that good quality as a cause and as a condition that we have been reborn here among the Trāyastriṃśa devas. We must go to where Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, is and, after arriving there, make offerings to him.’

“Then those ten thousand devas vanished from among the Trāyastriṃśa devas and arrived at the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.

“At that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was sleeping on his bed, and those devas placed ten thousand pearl necklaces above his head. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces in front of his feet. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces to his right. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces to his left. They also sent down a great rain of coral tree flowers that came up to the knees. They also played divine music that woke up everyone in Jambudvīpa. Then those ten thousand devas went up into the sky and sent down a rain of coral tree flowers here and there throughout the domain of King Sureśvaraprabha. Then they went to the great lake in the empty wilderness and sent down a great rain of coral tree flowers onto that great lake. Then they vanished from there and returned to their paradise where they delighted and amused themselves with the five sensory pleasures, enjoyed pleasures, and experienced splendor and good fortune.

“In Jambudvīpa, at dawn, King Sureśvaraprabha saw that these signs had occurred, and he asked his astrologers and prime ministers, F.263.a ‘Why did these signs appear last night?’

“They answered, ‘Your Majesty should know this: a rain of forty thousand pearl necklaces and also a rain of divine coral tree flowers fell in the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.’

“King Sureśvaraprabha said to his ministers, ‘You go and summon Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, with pleasant words.’

“Then the astrologers and prime ministers went to the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, and having arrived they said to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ‘King Sureśvaraprabha is summoning you.’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went with the prime ministers to King Sureśvaraprabha.

“King Sureśvaraprabha said to him, ‘Jalavāhana, such kinds of signs appeared last night. Do you know why there were those signs?’

“Then, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to King Sureśvaraprabha, ‘Your Majesty, I know that the time of death definitely came for those ten thousand fish.’

“The king asked, ‘How do you know that, Jalavāhana?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said Jalavāhana. ‘I will send Jalāmbara to that lake to see whether those ten thousand fish are dead or alive.’

“ ‘Do that!’ commanded the king.

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to his son Jalāmbara, ‘Son, go to see whether the ten thousand fish in the lake in the empty wilderness have died or not.’

“Then the son, Jalāmbara, went as quickly as he could to that great lake in the empty wilderness and saw that the time of death had come for those ten thousand fish and that a great rain of coral tree flowers had fallen there. He returned and said to his father, ‘Their time of death had come.’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, having heard those words, went to King Sureśvaraprabha and told him in detail what had occurred: ‘The time of death had come to all those ten thousand fish, and they were reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa. It is through their and my^[475] power that those good signs appeared last night. F.263.b There also fell a rain of forty thousand strings of pearls and divine coral tree flowers in my home.’

“Then the king was happy, pleased, and overjoyed.”

The Bhagavat then said to the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, “Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, King Sureśvaraprabha was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time the Śākya Daṇḍapāṇi was King Sureśvaraprabha.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time King Śuddhodana was the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time I was Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, his wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā, was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time the Śākya maiden Gopā was his wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā.

“Rāhula was at that time the son Jalāmbara, and Ānanda was at that time the son Jalagarbha.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the ten thousand fish were anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas were those ten thousand fish that I satisfied with water and excellent food, to whom I taught the profound Dharma of dependent origination, and to whom I recited the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. F.264.a It is because of that good action as a cause that they arrived here and that I have given them the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. Because they listened to the Dharma reverently with complete delight, complete trust, and complete joy,^[476] they have received their prophecies and names.^[477]

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the tree goddess was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time you were that tree goddess.

“Noble goddess, know through this teaching that while I continued in saṃsāra, I ripened many beings for enlightenment, and they have all obtained prophecies of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Chapter 26: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress

“Moreover, noble goddess, bodhisattvas give away their bodies in order to benefit others. What is that like?

“The Bhagavat,^[478] with the light rays of a hundred various, stainless, and vast qualities shining on the earth^[479] and in the paradises, with the vision of unimpeded wisdom, and the power to suppress adversaries,^[480] accompanied by a thousand bhikṣus, was traveling and passing through the Pañcāla^[481] land and came to a forest.

“There he saw a place of soft pasture, green and blue, with its surface adorned by a variety of aromatic flowers. When he saw that, the Bhagavat said to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, this area is beautiful; it has the signs of a place for me to speak, so now prepare a seat for the Tathāgata.’

“In accordance with the Bhagavat’s instruction, he prepared a seat. When it was prepared, he said to the Bhagavat:

“The Bhagavat then sat on the seat and said to the bhikṣus, ‘Bhikṣus, do you want to see the bones of a bodhisattva who did that which was difficult to do?’

“The bhikṣus said to the Bhagavat:

“The Bhagavat then stamped on the ground’s surface with the sole of his foot, which was as soft as a newly blossomed lotus flower and had marked upon it the design of a wheel with a thousand spokes. As soon as he had pressed down on the earth, it shook in six ways and a stūpa made of silver and gold emerged from it.

“The Bhagavat then said to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, open this stūpa!’

“Venerable Ānanda, obeying the Bhagavat, opened the stūpa and saw inside some golden caskets covered with jewels and pearls that shone^[485] with a golden light. Having seen that, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are golden caskets.’

“ ‘Open all these seven caskets!’^[486] said the Bhagavat.

“He thus opened them all, and he saw in them bones that were the color of snow and white water lilies. Having seen them, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are bones.’

“ ‘Ānanda, bring the bones of the great being!’ said the Bhagavat.

“Venerable Ānanda picked up those bones and gave them to the Buddha Bhagavat. The Bhagavat took the bones, held them in front of the saṅgha, and said:^[487]F.265.a

“The Bhagavat then said to the bhikṣus, ‘Bhikṣus, pay homage to the bones of a bodhisattva that are suffused with good conduct and good qualities, that are supremely difficult to see, and that are a field of merit.’

“Those bhikṣus placed their palms together and with aspiration paid homage to the bones.

“Then Venerable Ānanda, with palms together, said to the Bhagavat, ‘The Bhagavat Tathāgata is higher than all worlds and is to be paid homage by all beings, so why does the Tathāgata pay homage to these bones?’

“The Bhagavat replied to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, it is through these bones that I quickly attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Ānanda, in the past, in a time gone by, there was a king by the name of Mahāratha, who had many troops and vehicles, and unimpeded power, and who had subjugated his adversaries. He had three sons who were like young gods—Mahāpraṇāda, Mahādeva, and Mahāsattva.

“ ‘At a certain point the king, in order to amuse himself, went to a park; the boys, attracted to the qualities of that park, and desiring flowers, ran back and forth, and came to twelve great, dense forests, which the princes entered. The princes dismissed their attendants, who then went here and there, while the princes entered the twelve great, dense forests in the protected park. F.265.b

“ ‘Mahāpraṇāda said to his two younger brothers, “I am oppressed by the fear in my heart that we could be killed by wild beasts. Let’s go back!”

“ ‘Mahādeva said, “I am not afraid, but in my heart there is the thought of being separated from beloved people.”

“ ‘Mahāsattva said:

“ ‘As the young princes were wandering in the midst of those twelve great, dense forests, they saw a tigress who had given birth six or^[491] seven days before, encircled by her five cubs. She was so hungry and thirsty and exhausted that her body was completely weakened.

“ ‘When they saw her, Mahāpraṇāda said, “Alas, this afflicted creature has given birth to cubs some six or seven days ago. Now that she has not found food, she will eat her own cubs, or will die of hunger.”

“ ‘ “What does this tormented one eat?” asked Mahāsattva.

“ ‘ “Fresh meat and warm blood are said to be the food of tigers, black bears, brown bears,^[492] and lions,”^[493] answered Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘Mahādeva said, “She has a body that is tormented by hunger and thirst, and she has only a little life left. She is so weakened she will not be able to seek for food and drink in this place. Who would give up their own body to save her life?”

“ ‘ “Oh! To give up one’s body would be a difficult thing to do!” said Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘Mahāsattva said, “For us, who have small minds and are attached to life and body it would be difficult to do, but for supreme beings who give their bodies to others, who are dedicated to benefiting others it would not be difficult. F.266.a

“ ‘As they went away, the young prince^[495] was very unhappy and kept looking back at the tigress, staring at her from afar.

“ ‘Mahāsattva thought, “The time has come for me to give away my body. Why is that?

“ ‘ “It is in all respects impure and therefore cannot be kept alive, so I should use it for something better. Therefore, I will become like a great ship that crosses the ocean of births and deaths.^[496] It has no essence; it is like foam. It is filled with worms and is a waste. It has a hundred growths that are like boils. It is filled with urine and feces, and I will give it away.^[497]

“ ‘ “I will obtain the Dharma body that is without misery, changeless, never ruined, stainless, completely filled with such qualities as meditation, filled with a hundred qualities, and free of all impurities.”^[498]

“ ‘With a heart that was filled with perfect great^[499] compassion, and self-controlled in that way, he said, “You two go on. I have something of my own to do and will go back into the twelve dense forests,” and he sent them both away.

“ ‘The young prince then returned into the great forest and went to the location of the tigress. He hung his clothes on a branch, and prayed, “I wish to attain the unequaled peace of enlightenment in order to benefit beings. With unchanging, wise compassion I make a gift of the body, which others find hard to give away. May I attain the faultless, priceless enlightenment that bodhisattvas seek. May I free the three worlds from the terrifying ocean of existence.” F.266.b

“ ‘Mahāsattva then laid himself down before the tigress, but the tigress did nothing to the loving bodhisattva.

“ ‘The bodhisattva thought, “Oh! She is too weak to do anything!” and got up. With the wisdom of compassion, he sought a weapon. He could not find a weapon anywhere, so he took the branch of a bamboo that was a hundred years old and hard, cut his throat with it, and fell before the tigress.

“ ‘As soon as the bodhisattva fell, the earth shook six times like a ship in the middle of water being shaken by the wind. The sun also was eclipsed, and the beauty of its light rays vanished. There also fell a rain of flowers mixed with divine incense and powders.

“ ‘Then a deva with a marveling mind praised the bodhisattva:

“ ‘The tigress saw^[500] the bodhisattva’s body soaked in blood, and soon there was nothing left of the body but bones without flesh or blood.

“ ‘Then Mahāpraṇāda, thinking about the earthquake, said to Mahādeva:

“ ‘Mahādeva said:

“ ‘Then those two young princes, oppressed by sadness, their eyes filled with tears, returned along their path and reached the tigress. F.267.a They saw all their brother’s clothes were hung upon a bamboo branch, his bones were torn apart and separated, his blood had muddied the ground, and his hair was scattered here and there.

“ ‘When they saw that, they fainted, falling on his bones, where they lay for a while until they revived, stood up, stretched out their arms, and emitted cries of despair.

“ ‘Then the two young princes, weeping and crying out pitifully in many ways, returned.

“ ‘The attendants of the young princes had gone in search of them, running around in all directions, and when they saw one another they asked, “Where is the boy? Where is the boy?”

“ ‘At that time, the queen was sleeping in her bed, and in a dream she became separated from a loved one in this way: her breasts were both cut off, her teeth fell out, and she saw a hawk carry off one of three frightened dove chicks. Then the queen, alarmed by the earth shaking, woke up at that moment and became deep in thought:

“ ‘As she was thinking in this way, a servant, deeply distressed,^[501] came and said to the queen, “Your Majesty, the attendants of the princes say that they are searching for the boys, that the lords are lost!”

“ ‘The moment the queen heard that her heartbeat quivered, and her eyes and face streamed with tears. She went to the king and said, “Your Majesty, I have heard that our beloved sons are lost!”

“ ‘The king’s heart quivered also, and he was very distressed and cried, F.267.b “Alas! I have lost my beloved sons!”

“ ‘Then the king, in order to reassure the queen, said, “I will diligently search for the boys, so do not distress yourself, Your Majesty.”^[502]

“ ‘He then went in search of the boys, with many people busily engaged in it. Before long, the king saw the two princes coming in the distance. When he saw them, he cried out, “Those are the boys coming, but not all of them are there! Oh! It seems we have lost a son!” In suffering, he said:

“ ‘Then the queen, oppressed by misery like a heart-broken she-camel,^[504] emitted dreadful cries.

“ ‘Then the two princes arrived, and the king questioned them. He asked the two youths, “Where is your youngest brother?”

“ ‘They were so devastated by misery, their eyes filled with tears, and their palates, lips, mouths, and teeth having become dry, that they could not say anything.

“ ‘The queen asked:

“ ‘The two youths then related in detail what had occurred, and as soon as the king and queen^[505] heard it, they swooned.^[506] When they recovered from their swoon, they cried piteously and went to that place.

“ ‘When the king and queen saw those bones with no flesh, blood, or entrails remaining and the hair scattered here and there, they collapsed as if blown over by a wind.

“ ‘When the principal attendants and ministers saw that, they soothed the king’s and queen’s bodies with a balm made of water and Malaya Mountain sandalwood. F.268.a

“ ‘After a long time had passed, they recovered consciousness, and the king stood and cried out piteously:

“ ‘The queen also, when she had recovered from her faint, loosened her hair, beat her breast with both hands, writhed on the ground like a fish on dry land, and cried out piteously like a female buffalo or a female camel that has lost her offspring:

“ ‘Then the king and queen, crying out pitifully many times, cast off their jewelry and together with a great crowd of beings made offerings to the boy’s bones, and then they placed the bones in this spot.

“ ‘Ānanda, if you think that at that time, in that time, the prince called Mahāsattva was anyone else, do not have that view. Why is that? At that time, I was the prince called Mahāsattva.

“ ‘Ānanda, even at that time, when I was not completely freed from desire, anger, and ignorance, I helped every being, such as those in the hells, be freed from suffering, F.268.b let alone now when I am a samyaksaṃbuddha who is free of all faults.

“ ‘In that way, for the sake of each being I would gladly remain in hell for eons and liberate that being from saṃsāra. Those who are dedicated to beings accomplish numerous different kinds of difficult actions so as to benefit all beings.’

“The Bhagavat then spoke these verses:

“ ‘Then King Mahāratha and the queen, wailing pitifully many times, removed their jewelry and, together with a great gathering of people, made offerings to the bones of their son. The bones of Mahāsattva they placed in this area, and they constructed this stūpa of seven precious materials.

“ ‘This Mahāsattva, having given his body to the tigress, prayed, “Through this gift of my body, may I afterward, in a future time, after countless eons have passed, accomplish the deeds of a buddha for beings.” ’

“When this teaching was given, countless, innumerable beings, including humans and devas, developed the aspiration to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“This was the cause and condition for the appearance of that stūpa. Then, through the blessing of the Buddha, the stūpa went back down into the ground.”

Chapter 27: Praise by All Bodhisattvas

Then those hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas went to where the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa was. When they arrived, they bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa and arranged themselves to one side. Having arranged themselves to one side, those hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas placed their palms together and praised the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa with these verses:

Chapter 28: The Praise of All Tathāgatas

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu rose from his seat, and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, F.272.a knelt on his right knee with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and then praised the Bhagavat with these verses:

Chapter 29: The Conclusion

Then the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā praised the Bhagavat with these verses:

The Bhagavat then rose from his seat and with the voice of Brahmā said, “Noble goddess, well done! Well done!”

When the Bhagavat had spoken, the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, the noble goddess Sarasvatī, and all the other goddesses^[528]—the noble goddess Śrī and all the rest of the entire assembly of goddesses—and Vaiśravana and all the other kings of devas, and the assembly that had all the different kinds of disciples, and the world with its devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Bhagavat.