Toh 557 — The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3)

Chapter 1: The Introduction

B1F.1.b I pay homage to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and noble śrāvakas in the past, future, and present.

Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata

Also, at that time, there dwelled in the great city of Rājagṛha F.3.a a bodhisattva mahāsattva by the name of Ruciraketu. He had served past jinas, had developed roots of merit, and had attended 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. What are those two? Forsaking killing and giving food.’ The Bhagavat Śākyamuni has forsaken killing and has correctly adopted 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 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 this, with his attention focused upon the Buddha, his house became immense, vast, and made of blue beryl. It was adorned by many divine jewels, its color transformed by the Tathāgata,^[13] 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^[14] were overspread with layers^[15] of precious, divine cloth decorated with divine jewels.^[16]

Upon those^[17] thrones appeared divine lotus flowers, their colors transformed by the Tathāgata,^[18] 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.F.3.b To the west appeared the Tathāgata Amitāyus. 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 spread throughout the trichiliocosm world realm,^[19] 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. Through the power of the Buddha, all beings in this trichiliocosm world realm gained divine happiness. The blind saw forms with their eyes; the deaf heard sounds with their ears; the insane gained their sanity; those with distracted minds became undistracted; the naked became clothed; the hungry had their stomachs filled; the thirsty had their thirst quenched; 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^[20] 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. F.4.a 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 son, do not think, ‘The Bhagavat Śākyamuni has such a short lifespan.’ Why is that? Noble son, except for the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddhas, we do not see anyone in 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 length of 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 lifespan of the Bhagavat Śākyamuni to that complete assembly:

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.^[24] On hearing these words concerning the great nirvāṇa of the Tathāgata, he immediately wept,^[25] 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 all beings, 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 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.5.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.^[26]

“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!^[27]

“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, 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, was filled with joy, delighted, elated, pleased, and happy—he was pervaded by great happiness and delight.

When this teaching on the lifespan of the tathāgatas was taught, innumerable, countless beings developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and those tathāgatas vanished. F.6.b

Chapter 3: The Dream

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu then went to sleep and in a dream saw a golden drum^[33] that was shining brightly 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 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.

Chapter 4: The Confession^[34]

Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas

B2 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 6: Emptiness

F.13.b Then the Bhagavat recited these verses:

Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, and with their upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee and, with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable^[128] Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, is taught by all the tathāgatas; it is viewed by all the tathāgatas; it is thought of^[129] 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^[130] of famines to an end; it brings the calamity^[131] of disease to an end; it dispels all planetary influences;^[132] it brings perfect peace; it ends misery and troubles; 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, F.15.b 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.^[133]

“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—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 calamities, a thousand calamities—that have appeared in that land will cease. F.16.a

“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.^[134]

“Venerable Bhagavat, if a human king^[135] were to make happy, through whatever brings happiness, the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras,^[136] 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.

“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.”

Then the Bhagavat congratulated the Four Mahārājas, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Mahārājas! Excellent, excellent, you Mahārājas! F.16.b

“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, 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, saved them from attack,^[137] and brought them peace and well-being.

“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, F.17.a 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, and 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 listens 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,^[138] and bring them peace and well-being. F.17.b

“We will guard the royal courts,^[139] 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, 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 a domain where this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, is present, then, venerable Bhagavat, F.18.a 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.^[140] We will cause them hundreds of various calamities and create obstacles for them. In that way, the army of the enemy 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^[141] 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,^[142] 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. F.18.b May they not be harmful to each other’s aggregation of wealth. May they not attack each other. 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, and the sun 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 listens to this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, F.19.a 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.^[143] 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, 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, F.19.b “Venerable Bhagavat,^[144] 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;^[145] 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.

“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. F.20.a 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. He should think he will attain a great benefit.^[146] 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^[147] and leave the royal palace to go to welcome the dharmabhāṇaka.^[148]

“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, F.20.b 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 divinely human royal families with 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; 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 this my royal palace. Today the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni will take his meal in this 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.F.21.a 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. 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^[149] 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, F.21.b 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. 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, The Sublime Golden Light, 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, there will appear from the various aromas 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, F.22.a 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, 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, the lord of Sahā; of Śakra, the lord of the devas; of the great goddess Sarasvatī; of the great goddess Dṛḍhā; of the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya^[150] 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.^[151] 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, F.22.b a billion Cakravāḍa and Mahācakravāḍa kings of mountains, a billion four-continent world realms, a billion Mahārājakāyikas, a billion Trāyastriṃśas, 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 world realms in these billion world realms, in the same way, as soon as the king makes an offering of 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. 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 many 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.23.a

“Mahārājas, as soon as those miracles occur, many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas,^[152] 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, not to mention someone who obtains it, possesses it, explains it,^[153] 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.’ B3

“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^[154] of disciplines and ascetic practices that are superior to all the three worlds and transcend all beings. F.23.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,^[155] is supremely profound, and has the twelve forms.^[156]

“ ‘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 of saṃsāra.

“ ‘Good man, you will please many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas.’ ”^[157]

When the Bhagavat had said that, the Four Mahārājas said to him,F.24.a “Venerable Bhagavat, when we 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 this 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,^[158] 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 Saṃjñeya; 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.

“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,^[159] who has accomplished goodness, and who makes the vast gift of the unsurpassable Dharma. F.24.b 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,^[160] 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.

“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. F.25.a All the beings who dwell in that domain will become belligerent, quarrelsome, contentious,^[161] 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. The moon will pass through the sky as if it is the sun. 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^[162] 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; 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, F.25.b 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 than, 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.

“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 hundreds of thousands of 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.26.a 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,^[163] 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^[164]Lord King^[165] of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. F.26.b

“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.”

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.^[166] 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. F.27.a

“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, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa 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.

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

The Bhagavat then spoke these verses to the Four Mahārājas: F.27.b

The Four Maharajas, 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.”

Chapter 8: Sarasvatī

F.28.b 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 wisdom. If any line of verse or syllables of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is left out or forgotten, I will bring all definitions, lines of verse, and syllables to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.^[174]

“So that^[175] 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;^[176] 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;^[177] so that they may become learned^[178] in all treatises; and so that they may attain^[179] perfection^[180] in a variety of arts, I will bestow the power of retention so that they will not forget.

“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, F.29.a 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 | sukṛte^[184] kṛtaka­malanīlajina­karate^[185] haṃkarāte^[186] indrajali^[187] śakaddre vaśaddre^[188] avarta­kasike^[189] nakutra kukavilakavimalamati śīlamati^[190] sandhi­dhudhuma­mavati śiśiri satyasthite^[191] svāhā |^[192]

syād yathedaṃ^[194] arake nayane hile mile gile khikhile svāhā |^[195]

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

tadyathā | sugaṭe vigaṭe vigatāvati svāhā |^[196]

tadyathā^[197] | śame viṣame svāhā | sagaṭe vigaṭe svāhā | sukhatinate svāhā | sāgara­saṃbhūtāya svāhā | skandhamatāya svāhā | nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā | aparājita­vīryāya svāhā | himavat­saṃbhūtāya svāhā | animilavaktrāya svāhā | namo bhagavate brāhmaṇe | namaḥ sarasvatyai devyai | sidhyantu mantrapadā daṃ brahma anumanyatu svāhā |^[198]

“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,^[199] 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 lifespan will be benefited and they will abandon saṃsāra, will progress irreversibly to the highest, most complete enlightenment, and 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:

syād yathedaṃ^[204] | mure cire | avaje avajavate^[205] | higule^[206] migule^[207] | pigalavati^[208] maguśe^[209] marici samati daśamati agrimagri tara citara^[210] capati^[211] cicirī śirimiri marici praṇaye^[212] lokajyeṣṭhe^[213] lokapriye^[214] siddhiprite^[215] vimamukhiśucikharī^[216] apratihate^[217] apratehata^[218] buddhe namuci namuci mahādevī^[219] pratigṛhnanamaskaraṃ^[220]| ^[221]

“May I^[222] have unimpeded understanding. May I accomplish the knowledge^[223] of treatises, verses, tantras, piṭakas, poetry, and so on.

tadyathā | mahāprabhavā^[224] hili hili mili mili |^[225]

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

karaṭe keyūre keyūravati^[226] hili mili hili mili hili hili |^[227]

“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^[228] hili mili, hili mili |^[229] May I be victorious! I pay homage to the Bhagavatī, the great goddess Sarasvatī! May I accomplish the mantra words! svāhā |

Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, praised the goddess Sarasvatī with these verses:

Chapter 9: 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^[234] 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, F.31.a 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 disappear, and 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 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 a future time 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,^[235] 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. Those beings are endowed with all requisites.^[236]F.31.b Through the power of the great goddess Śrī, they make offerings to that tathāgata. They make offerings of perfumes, flowers, and incense.^[237] They recite the name ‘the great goddess Śrī’^[238] three times and offer him perfume, incense, and flowers.^[239] 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.

“The great goddess Śrī^[240] dwells in a palace called Suvarṇadhvaja^[241] that is made of the seven precious materials in the sublime park called Puṇya­kusuma­prabha in the environs of the palace of Alakāvati. Any person who wishes to increase their accumulation of grain should clean their house well, wash well, wear clean white clothes, wear clothes that have been perfumed, bow down to the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī, and say his name three times. Then the great goddess Śrī^[242] 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. F.32.a

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

“ ‘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 bodhisattvas such as Maitreya.

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

“ ‘This vidyāmantra will bring me wealth:

syād yathedam^[243] pratipūrṇavare samanta­vedanagate^[244] mahākāryapratiprāpaṇe sattvārtha­samatānuprapūre ayāna^[245]dharmatā^[246] mahābhogine^[247] mahāmaitre upasaṃhihe^[248] saṃgṛhīte^[249] samarthānupālane^[250] |

“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^[251] without transgressions but only roots of merit. In order for themselves and others to perfect omniscient wisdom, morning and afternoon make offerings of flowers and incense to all 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^[252] 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 utensils; they will become happy through all that brings happiness. F.32.b

“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 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth^[253]

“I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin.

“I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin^[254]

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Jambu Golden Victory Banner Golden Appearance.^[255]

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­prabhagarbha.^[256]

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Radiance of a Hundred Suns’ Illuminating Essence.^[257]

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa.

“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 bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva Golden Essence.^[258]

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita.

“I pay homage to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata.

“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 Amitāyus in the west.

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

“Whoever possesses, reads, or learns these names of the tathāgatas and the names of the bodhisattvas from this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will remember their past lives.” F.33.a

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, region, wilderness, mountain cave,^[259] or royal residence—wherever, Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is taught at length^[260]—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 distilled nectar 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 it, 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.33.b 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 lifespan, strength, complexion, 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, this will cause all of Jambudvīpa to have peace, good harvests, increase, and joy. It will become filled with human beings. All 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 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.

“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 resplendence and supreme strength. Our bodies will develop strength, diligence, and great power. F.34.a Our bodies will gain magnificence, glory, and splendor.

Venerable Bhagavat, I, the earth goddess Dṛḍhā, will be satiated by this distilled nectar of the Dharma. I will attain great magnificence, strength, diligence, power, and speed.^[261] 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,^[262] 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, 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. F.34.b 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 just one four-line verse or even a single line of verse, and those other beings hear it—or even if they teach others only the name 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, all those places will become very resplendent. 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.” F.35.a

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 then 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.^[263]

“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^[264] 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. 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, I, the earth goddess Dṛḍhā, will be present in the ground below the Dharma seat that is the Dharma seat upon which the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu is seated. 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 F.35.b will in a future time attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood and become completely free of the suffering of the hells, the lives of animals, and the world of Yama.”

Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya^[265]

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,^[266] 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,^[267] or royal residence.

“I will make my body invisible and will guard that dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu. I will defend him, 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, F.36.a or even just hears and retains the name of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, I will defend them all, take care of them, protect them, save them from punishment, 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 named the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya?^[268] 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^[269] of Dharmas, venerable Bhagavat, I have direct knowledge of all Dharmas.

“Venerable Bhagavat, in all Dharmas my illumination by wisdom is inconceivable, my clarity^[270] 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. F.36.b

“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, of birth as animals, or of the world of Yama.”

Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas

B4 I pay homage to the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī. F.37.a

I pay homage to Śākyamuni, who lights the lamp of the Dharma, the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha whose body is adorned by many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of qualities.

I pay homage to the great goddess Śrī, who has a perfection of immeasurable grains and a fortune of qualities.

I pay homage to the great goddess Sarasvatī, in whom is the unity of measureless qualities of wisdom.

“Then, at that time,^[271] King Balendraketu^[272] said to his son, King Ruciraketu, soon after he was enthroned^[273] and when he was the new sovereign, ‘Soon after I was enthroned, I received from my father, King Varendraketu,^[274] the treatise on kingship called The Commitment of the Lord of Devas. For twenty thousand years I ruled in accordance with this treatise on kingship, 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 this treatise on kingship, The Commitment of the Lord of Devas?’

“Then, at that time, in that time, noble goddess, King Balendraketu^[275] taught extensively, through these verses, the treatise on kingship, The Commitment of the Lord of Devas, to his son King Ruciraketu:

Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava

Chapter 14: 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:

Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas

When the Bhagavat had said that, the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā asked him, “Venerable Bhagavat, 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. F.45.a He will appear in that world as the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct,^[326] 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^[327] will appear as the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha by the name of Suvarṇa­jambudhvajakāñca­nābha in the world realm called Virajadhvajā.

“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 Radiance of a Hundred Golden Lights.

“All of that was the Bhagavat’s prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. F.45.b

“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,^[328] 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 to countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas for countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. 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. F.46.a They had given away food, drink, steeds, clothes, beds, seats, houses, divine palaces, parks, pleasure groves,^[329] 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, 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. F.46.b

“Noble goddess, when they heard the prophecy of the enlightenment of these three excellent beings, as soon as they heard it, they gained reverence^[330] 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 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 16: Ending Illness

“Noble goddess, 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 F.47.a 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, 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. F.47.b 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, 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. F.48.b 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 went to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son. 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 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

B5 “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,^[337] 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.

“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 the wilderness. In that 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 wilderness where they were going. Ten thousand fish lived in that great lake. He saw that many hundreds^[338] of the fish had no water, F.49.b 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.^[339] 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 wilderness, 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 wilderness.^[340] At that time, a wicked being,^[341]F.50.a in order to obtain those ten thousand fish, had caused the river to flow over a great cliff^[342] 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 to one side, and told his story: ‘I had eliminated illness in all the villages, towns, and market towns within Your Majesty’s domain.^[343] 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 the great river Jalāgamā flowed. They filled those bags with water, loaded them onto the elephants, and hurried back to the lake in the wilderness. When they 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. F.50.b

“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 one of these elephants, ride as quickly as you can to our^[344] home, and say to your grandfather, the head merchant, “O grandfather, Jalavāhana has said, ‘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. Arriving 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.^[345] 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 F.51.a 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, 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 aging and 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 F.51.b 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: ‘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. F.52.a 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, ‘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. F.52.b 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^[346] power that those good signs appeared last night. 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. F.53.a

“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. 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, trust, and supreme joy, they have received their prophecies and names.^[347]

“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 18: 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,^[348] with the light rays of a hundred various, stainless, and vast qualities shining on the earth^[349] and in the paradises, with the vision of unimpeded wisdom, and the power to suppress adversaries,^[350] accompanied by a thousand bhikṣus, was traveling and passing through the Pañcala^[351] 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. F.53.b 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,^[355] 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 it some golden caskets covered with jewels and pearls that shone^[356] with a golden light. Having seen that, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are golden caskets.’ F.54.a

“ ‘Open all these seven caskets!”^[357] said the Bhagavat.

“He thus opened them all, and he saw in them bones that were the color of snow and 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:

“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. F.54.b

“ ‘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.

“ ‘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 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 is said to be the food of tigers, black bears, brown bears,^[361] and lions,”^[362] 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?” F.55.a

“ ‘ “Oh! To give up one’s body would be a difficult thing to do!” said Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘ “For us,” said Mahāsattva, “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.

“ ‘As they went away, the young prince^[364] 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.^[365] 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.^[366]

“ ‘ “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.”^[367]

“ ‘With a heart that was filled with perfect 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 F.55.b 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.”

“ ‘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 licked^[368] 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. 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,^[369] 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, “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.”^[370]

“ ‘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 heartbroken she-camel,^[372] 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^[373] heard it, they swooned.^[374] 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 and queen’s bodies with a balm made of water and Malaya Mountain sandalwood.

“ ‘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 and 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, F.57.b 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, 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 19: 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: F.60.b

Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas^[386]

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu rose from his seat and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and then praised the Bhagavat through these verses:

Chapter 21: 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^[395]—the noble goddess Śrī and all the rest of the entire assembly of goddesses—and Vaiśravaṇa 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.

ye dharmahetuprabhavā hetun teśān tathāgato hy avadat eśāñ ca yo nirodhā evaṃ vādī mahāśramanaḥ svāhā^[397]