The White Lotus of Compassion
Conclusion

“Noble son, I, with my buddha eyes, see in the ten directions as many bhagavat buddhas passing into parinirvāṇa as there are particles in a buddha realm. It was I who first brought them all to the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and made them enter and remain in it.

“Thus, [F.284.a] I see innumerable, uncountable bhagavat buddhas who reside, live, and remain in the eastern direction, teaching the Dharma, having turned the Dharma wheel that possesses the Dharma. It was I who first brought them, too, to the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and made them enter and remain in it. I was the one who made them first obtain, enter, and remain in the six perfections.

“I can say the same for the south, the west, and the north, below, and above.

“Noble son, I see in the eastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond 9,100,000 buddha realms, a realm called Saṃpuṣpita. The tathāgata named Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. I was the one who made that bhagavat develop for the first time the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and first obtain, enter, and remain in it. I was the one who made him for the first time obtain, enter, and remain in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom.

“In the same way I see, in the eastern direction, the buddha realm called Abhirati, in which there is the tathāgata named Akṣobhya; and the buddha realm Jambūnada, in which there is the tathāgata named Sūryagarbha; and the buddha realm Ratīśvara, in which there is the tathāgata named Ratīśvara­ghoṣa­jyoti; and the buddha realm Sūryapratiṣṭhita, in which there is the tathāgata named Jñānabhāskara; and the buddha realm Jayavaiśraya, in which there is the tathāgata named Nāganinardita; and the buddha realm Saṃjīvana, in which there is the tathāgata named Vajrakīrti; [F.284.b] and the buddha realm Svaraja, in which there is the tathāgata named Vyāghraraśmi; and the buddha realm Aratīya, in which there is the tathāgata named Saurabhyā Kiṃśukā;444 and the buddha realm Vairaprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Kīrtīśvararāja; and the buddha realm Meruprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Acintyarāja; and the buddha realm Saṃvara,445 in which there is the tathāgata named Jyotiśrīgarbha;446 and the buddha realm Kusumaprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Prabhāketu; and the buddha realm Kṣamottara, in which there is the tathāgata named Meru­svara­sandarśana­meru; and the buddha realm Dharaṇāvatī, in which there is the tathāgata named Jñānabimba; and the buddha realm Kusumavicitra, in which there is the tathāgata named Vimalanetra.

“Noble son, I see with my buddha eyes those bhagavat buddhas and countless, innumerable others who reside, live, and remain, teaching the Dharma in the eastern direction. In the past, when they had not developed the aspiration for enlightenment, I was the one who made them for the first time obtain the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and to obtain, enter, and remain in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom. First, I brought them before bhagavat buddhas, who resided, lived, and remained in those places, and there, for the first time, they obtained the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Then, at that time, in the Saṃpuṣpita realm, the seat on which the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja sat shook. The bodhisattvas who were present there saw the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja’s seat shake. [F.285.a] They asked the Tathāgata, “Bhagavat, what was the cause and what were the circumstances that made the Bhagavat’s seat shake, which we have never seen happen before?”

The Tathāgata said to them, “Noble sons, in the western direction from this buddha realm, beyond 9,100,000 buddha realms, there is the Sahā realm. The tathāgata named Śākyamuni resides, lives, and remains there. He is now teaching the Dharma to his fourfold assembly, beginning with an account of the past. In the past, that tathāgata, when he was a bodhisattva and performing bodhisattva conduct in order to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, made me aspire for the first time to the highest, most complete enlightenment. That tathāgata, who made me aspire for the first time to the highest, most complete enlightenment, also made me for the first time obtain, enter, and remain in the perfection of generosity, and so on, up to and including the perfection of wisdom. That tathāgata, when he was a bodhisattva and performing bodhisattva conduct in order to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment, brought me for the first time before a buddha, a bhagavat, who was present, existed, and lived there, and for the first time I received the prophecy of my attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. That kalyāṇamitra of mine, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, resides, lives, and remains in the Sahā realm. He is teaching the Dharma to his fourfold assembly, beginning with an account of the past. It is because of that tathāgata’s blessing that my seat shook.

“Noble sons, who among you wishes to go to the Sahā buddha realm to ask the Tathāgata Śākyamuni this question of mine: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ” [F.285.b]

Those bodhisattvas then said to the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, this morning bodhisattvas who had miraculous powers, the full attainment of all bodhisattva447 qualities, and had seen a great light, through their miraculous powers came from their buddha realms here to this buddha realm, Saṃpuṣpita. Therefore, for a moment, the ground shook and a rain of flowers fell.”

And those bodhisattva mahāsattvas448 said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we are going to the Sahā buddha realm in order to pay homage to and honor the tathāgata arhat samyaksam­buddha Śākyamuni and to listen to the Dharma teaching on the dhāraṇī entranceway that is the form of omniscience.”

Then hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas, through their own miraculous powers, rose up above that buddha realm, but they did not make an effort to go anywhere. They said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we do not know the direction of the Sahā buddha realm of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

The Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja then extended his hand and illuminated 9,100,000 buddha realms. He illuminated as far as this buddha realm, Sahā. Because of this the bodhisattvas could see this entire Sahā buddha realm filled with bodhisattvas and the sky filled with devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and asuras. When they had seen that, [F.286.a] those bodhisattvas said to the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have seen that the entire Sahā buddha realm is filled with bodhisattvas, so that there isn’t even a space that’s only wide enough for a staff that hasn’t been filled by a bodhisattva. [B15] We also saw the Tathāgata Śākyamuni teaching the Dharma and looking at us.”

The Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja said to the bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is one who sees everything. Noble sons, in the Sahā buddha realm every being, whether he lives on the ground or lives in the sky, is thinking, ‘The Tathāgata Śākyamuni is looking at me with his whole mind, and he is teaching the Dharma to me alone.’ Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, who has one shape and color, teaches in all shapes and colors. Noble sons, in that buddha realm those who have faith in Brahmā see the Tathāgata Śākyamuni as Brahmā and hear the Dharma being taught with the great Lord Brahmā’s voice. And it is the same for those who have faith in Māra, those who have faith in Sūrya, those who have faith in Candra, those who have faith in Vaiśravaṇa, those who have faith in Virūḍhaka, those who have faith in Virūpākṣa, those who have faith in Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and so on, up until those who have faith in Maheśvara [F.286.b] seeing the Tathāgata Śākyamuni as having Maheśvara’s form, color, and shape, and hearing the Dharma being taught with Maheśvara’s words and voice. Beings who have 84,000 different kinds of colors, shapes, faiths, forms, and languages see the Tathāgata Śākyamuni in that way and listen to the Dharma from him.”

Then the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja said to two bodhisattvas among his assembly, the bodhisattva Rahagarjita and a second bodhisattva named Jyotiraśmi, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm and with these words of mine ask the Tathāgata Śākyamuni about his health: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease? Are you comfortable?’ ”

The bodhisattvas said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have seen that in the entire Sahā buddha realm the ground and the sky are filled with bodhisattvas. There is no room on the ground nor in the sky for even a few beings, so where would we sit?”

The Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja said, “Noble sons, don’t say that there’s no room in the Sahā buddha realm. Why? Because the Tathāgata Śākyamuni provides a vast amount of room through the inconceivable qualities of buddhahood. Through his previous prayers, he teaches the Dharma, beginning with refuge in the Three Jewels and the teaching of the three yānas. He teaches the vows of the three trainings; he teaches the three doorways to liberation; he guides beings from the three lower existences; and he brings them onto the three peaceful paths. [F.287.a] Therefore the Tathāgata’s compassion and the entry into his teaching are vast.

“Noble sons, one time, not long after the Tathāgata Śākyamuni attained complete buddhahood, while contemplating the beings who were to be guided, he stayed in the hollow of a Sal tree that was the home of a yakṣa named Indrākṣa in the middle of a rugged, rocky mountain. For seven days he remained cross-legged, experiencing the joy and bliss of liberation. The Tathāgata’s body filled the tree hollow; there wasn’t even a four-finger-width space that was not filled by the Tathāgata’s body.

“When seven days had passed, twelve hundred million bodhisattva mahāsattvas came from the ten directions to the Sahā realm and sat on the side of the mountain in order to pay homage to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, attend upon him, and listen to his Dharma teaching.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni performed a miraculous transformation for that assembly. The tree hollow became vast and wide. When the twelve hundred million449 bodhisattvas entered the tree hollow, they saw it as vastly spacious.450 Each bodhisattva manifested a variety of bodhisattva miracles so as to make offerings to the Tathāgata. Then each bodhisattva manifested a seat made of seven jewels and sat upon it to listen to the Dharma.

“Noble sons, when those bodhisattvas had heard the Dharma from the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, [F.287.b] they bowed their heads three times to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s feet and returned to their own buddha realms. As soon as those bodhisattvas departed, the tree hollow became just as it was before. The Tathāgata Śākyamuni can create that kind of vast space.

“In that four-continent world, there was a Śakra named Kauśika, whose life was nearing its end, and he was afraid of being reborn as an animal. Accompanied by 84,000 deities of the Trāyastriṃśa paradise, he went to the tree hollow where the Bhagavat was. When they arrived, they sat beside the tree hollow that was the home of the yakṣa Indrākṣa. Kauśika, through the power of the Bhagavat, thought, ‘I should make a request to the gandharva Pañcaśikha. When the gandharva Pañcaśikha sings beautiful praises to the Bhagavat, the Bhagavat comes out from his dhyānas and samādhis.’

“Then Śakra Kauśika made that request to the gandharva Pañcaśikha, and the gandharva Pañcaśikha picked up his lute and, through the power of the Bhagavat, in music and song he praised the Bhagavat with five hundred eulogies. Noble sons, when the gandharva Pañcaśikha began to praise the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, on hearing the song, entered the samādhi called the crest ornament that illuminates beautiful songs.451 Through that samādhi, powerful yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, [F.288.a] gandharvas, all the desire-realm devas, and all the form-realm devas in the Sahā realm came to that place. Those who liked to listen to music heard music, those who liked listening to beautiful praises heard praises, and in the presence of the Bhagavat they felt powerful happiness, joy, delight, and veneration and respect for the teacher. Those who liked listening to flute music heard a flute.

“The Tathāgata Śākyamuni then arose from that samādhi and looked out from the tree hollow. Śakra approached the Bhagavat and asked, ‘Bhagavat, where shall I sit?’

“The Tathāgata Śākyamuni said, ‘As many yakṣas as have come may all sit in here.’ Then the tree hollow became so vast that as many yakṣas as there are grains of sand in twelve Ganges Rivers entered and sat inside. In that way the Tathāgata Śākyamuni gave a Dharma teaching to the assembly. Those in the assembly who were followers of the Śrāvakayāna heard teachings on the Śrāvakayāna, and from among them 990,000,000 attained the result of becoming a stream enterer. Those in the assembly who followed the yāna of the highest, most complete enlightenment heard only the Mahāyāna teachings. Eighteen hundred million of them, such as the gandharva Pañcaśikha, attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment. Among those who had not yet developed an aspiration for any of the three yānas, [F.288.b] some developed an aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment; some developed an aspiration for the Pratyekabuddhayāna; and some developed an aspiration for the Śrāvakayāna.

“Śakra Kauśika was freed from his fear, his life was extended for a thousand years, and he attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni can provide that kind of vast space. The collection of praises of that tathāgata is similarly vast; no one can measure or calculate the extent of the collection of praises of that tathāgata. That tathāgata’s skill in methods for ripening beings is also vast; no one can grasp the extent of that tathāgata’s skill in methods.

“Noble sons, that tathāgata’s body is also vast; no one can see the crown of his head or discover the end of that tathāgata’s body. If all the beings in the Sahā buddha realm were to enter the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s body, those beings would be able to wander around within it. Even if those beings were to go in and out of just one pore on the Tathāgata’s body, not one, even those with divine sight, would perceive the extent of that one pore, whether it was expanded or contracted. That is how vast the body of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni also has a [F.289.a] vast buddha realm. For example, if as many buddha realms in the ten directions as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River were to be as filled with beings as the Sahā buddha realm is, and all those beings were to enter the Sahā realm, they would be able to move around in it.452 Why is that? It is because that is what the Tathāgata prayed for when he first developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“Noble sons, never mind realms equal to the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River‍—noble sons, if buddha realms as numerous as the number of grains of sand in a thousand Ganges Rivers were to be filled with beings in the way that the Sahā buddha realm is, and all those beings were to enter Sahā, they would be able to wander around in different directions.

“Noble sons, such was that tathāgata’s prayer for the attainment of wisdom when he first developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. Thus the Tathāgata Śākyamuni possesses a vast buddha realm. Due to these four qualities that have been described, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is superior to all other tathāgatas.

“Noble sons, take these flowers, which have the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and go to the Sahā buddha realm, which I can see in the west. There inquire after his health, by repeating these words of mine to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ”

Then the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja [F.289.b] picked up the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, gave them to the bodhisattva Rahagarjita and the bodhisattva Jyotiraśmi, and said, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm through my miraculous power.”

Then twenty thousand beings said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we also, through the power of the Tathāgata, will go to the Sahā realm in order to see, pay homage to, and attend upon the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

“Noble sons, go as you wish,” replied the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja.

Then, through the miraculous power of the Tathāgata Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja, the two bodhisattvas, Rahagarjita and Jyotiraśmi, together with twenty thousand other bodhisattvas, rose from the realm Saṃpuṣpita and in one instant of the mind arrived in the Sahā buddha realm and were upon Vulture Peak Mountain.

They placed their palms together and, facing the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, they said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the eastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond 9,100,000 buddha realms, there is a realm called Saṃpuṣpita in which dwells the tathāgata named Vimalateja­guṇa­rāja. That tathāgata has praised the qualities of the Tathāgata to his assembly of bodhisattvas, saying, ‘In the Sahā realm there dwells the tathāgata named Śākyamuni. In the past, when that tathāgata was a bodhisattva practicing bodhisattva conduct, [F.290.a] he was the very first to make me obtain, enter into, and remain in the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. It is through his words that I developed the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment. It was that tathāgata who brought me to the perfection of generosity…’ ”

And they continued, as previously described, up to the superiority of his four qualities. They said, “That tathāgata has sent to you these flowers, which have the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and inquires after your health, asking, ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ”

In the same way, in the buddha realm Abhirati, the seat on which the Tathāgata Akṣobhya sat shook. The bodhisattvas who were assembled there saw the Tathāgata Akṣobhya’s seat shake. They questioned the Tathāgata, and so on, as has been previously described, and it was the same for all the others.

Then, at that time, there came to this Sahā buddha realm countless, innumerable bodhisattvas from the eastern direction as emissaries of the tathāgatas, carrying the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon. They came so as to inquire about the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s health, make offerings to him, pay homage to him, serve him, and listen to Dharma teachings from him.

As soon as the Bhagavat had concluded describing the names of the bhagavat buddhas, and their buddha realms in the eastern direction, the Bhagavat commenced upon describing those in the southern direction.

“Noble son, I see in the southern direction from this buddha realm, beyond as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, a realm called Sarvaśokāpagata. [F.290.b] The tathāgata named Aśokaśrī resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. I was the one who made that bhagavat gain for the first time the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment, and so on, as previously described.

“In the same way, I see, in the southern direction, the buddha realm Jambūprabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Dharmeśvaravinardi; and the buddha realm Merupratiṣṭhita, in which there is the tathāgata named Gatīśvarasālendra; and the buddha realm Guṇendraniryūha, in which there is the tathāgata named Siṃha­vijṛmbhita­rāja; and the buddha realm Maṇimūlavyūha, in which there is the tathāgata named Nārāyaṇa­vijita­garbha; and the buddha realm Muktāprabhasaṃcaya, in which there is the tathāgata named Ratna­guṇa­vijṛmbhita­saṃcaya; and the buddha realm Devasoma, in which there is the tathāgata named Jyotigarbha; and the buddha realm Candanamūla, in which there is the tathāgata named Nakṣatra­vidhāna­kīrti; and the buddha realm Viśiṣṭagandha, in which there is the tathāgata named Puṇyabala­sāla­rāja; and the buddha realm Suvidita, in which there is the tathāgata named Manojñaghoṣa­svara­vinardita; and the buddha realm Duraṇya, in which there is the tathāgata named Sālajaya­bindu­rājā; and the buddha realm Nardaścoca, in which there is the tathāgata named Tejeśvaraprabhāsa; and the buddha realm Abhigarjita, in which there is the tathāgata named Sumanojñasvaranir­ghoṣa; [F.291.a] and the buddha realm Ratnavisabha, in which there is the tathāgata named Ratnatalanāgendra; and the buddha realm Palāmaratna­vṛkṣa­ratna, in which there is the tathāgata named Dharma­megha­nirghoṣeśvarasaumya.”

In the same way, the seats of countless, innumerable bhagavat buddhas in the south shook. Those bhagavat buddhas praised the Tathāgata Śākyamuni and described his renown and fame.

At that time, there came to this Sahā buddha realm countless, innumerable bodhisattvas from the southern direction, as emissaries of the tathāgatas, carrying the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon. They came so as to inquire about the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s health, and so on, as previously described, and to listen to Dharma teachings from him.

The Bhagavat said, “Noble sons, I see in the western direction from this buddha realm, beyond 970 trillion buddha realms, a realm called Upaśāntamati. The tathāgata named Ratnagiri resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. I was the one who made that bhagavat gain for the first time the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment…,” and so on, as previously described.

In the western buddha realms there was the tathāgata named Vararaśmikośa, the tathāgata named Svarajñakośa, the tathāgata named Haritālakīrti, the tathāgata named Samantagarbha, the tathāgata named Brahmakusuma, the tathāgata named Karadharavikrama, the tathāgata named Dharmaveśapradīpa, the tathāgata named Asamantara­meru­svara­vighuṣṭa­rāja, and the tathāgata named Brahmendraghoṣa, and so on. [F.291.b] The Tathāgata Śākyamuni gave the names of countless, innumerable bhagavat buddhas in the western direction, and their seats shook. Then at that time, there came to this Sahā buddha realm countless, innumerable bodhisattvas from the western direction, as emissaries of the tathāgatas, carrying flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and so on, as previously described, in order to listen to Dharma teaching.

In the same way as it has been described, so it was for the north, above, below, the southeast, the southwest, the northwest, and the northeast.

Then the Tathāgata Śākyamuni said, “Noble son, in the northeastern direction from this buddha realm, beyond 980 trillion buddha realms, there is a realm called Vijaya. The tathāgata named Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja resides, lives, and remains there, teaching the Dharma. When I was a bodhisattva and performing bodhisattva conduct for attaining the highest, most complete enlightenment, I was the one who first made him acquire the aspiration for the highest, most complete enlightenment and acquire the six perfections. I was the first to bring him before a buddha, a bhagavat, who was present, existed, and lived there, and for the first time, he received the prophecy of his attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

When the Tathāgata Śākyamuni said his name, at that time the Tathāgata Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja’s seat shook, and so on, as previously described, and beings with 84,000 different colors, shapes, faiths, forms, and languages saw the Tathāgata Śākyamuni in that way and listened to Dharma teachings from him. [F.292.a]

Within the Tathāgata Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja’s assembly there were two bodhisattvas, one named Vigopaśikhara and one named Saṃrocanabuddha.

The Tathāgata Vigatasaṃtāpobhavavaiśravaṇasālarāja said to the two bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm with these words of mine and ask the tathāgata Śākyamuni about his health: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease? Are you comfortable?’ ”

The two bodhisattvas said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we have seen that in the entire Sahā buddha realm the ground and the sky are filled with beings. There is no room, either on the ground or in the sky, for even a few beings, so where would we sit?”

“Noble sons,” replied the Tathāgata, “don’t say that there is no room in the Sahā buddha realm. Why? Because, noble sons, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni provides a vast amount of room through the inconceivable qualities of buddhahood. Through his previous prayers, he teaches the Dharma, beginning with refuge in the Three Jewels and the teaching of the three yānas. He teaches the vows of the three trainings, he teaches the three doorways to liberation, he guides beings from the three lower existences, and he brings them onto the three paths to peace. Therefore, the Tathāgata’s compassion and the entry into his teaching are vast.453 [F.292.b]

“Noble sons, at one time, not long after the Tathāgata Śākyamuni attained complete buddhahood, while observing which beings were to be guided, he stayed in the hollow of a Sal tree that was the home of a yakṣa named Indrākṣa,454 in the middle of a rugged, rocky mountain. For seven days he remained cross-legged, experiencing the joy and bliss of liberation. The Tathāgata’s body filled the tree hollow; there wasn’t even a four-finger-width space that was not filled by the Tathāgata’s body.

“When seven days had passed, twelve hundred million bodhisattva mahāsattvas came from the ten directions to the Sahā realm and sat on the side of the mountain in order to pay homage to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, attend upon him, and listen to his Dharma teaching.” He continued, as previously described, up until: “Due to these four qualities that have been described, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni is superior to all other tathāgatas.”

“Noble sons, take these flowers, which have the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and go to the Sahā buddha realm, which I can see in the southwest. There inquire after his health by repeating these words of mine to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni: ‘Are you well? Are you at ease?’ ”

Then the Tathāgata Vigata­saṃtāpodbhava­vaiśravaṇasāla­rāja picked up the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, gave them to the bodhisattva Vigopaśikhara and the bodhisattva [F.293.a] Saṃrocanabuddha, and said to them, “Noble sons, go to the Sahā realm through my miraculous power.”

Twenty thousand beings then said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, we also, through the power of the Tathāgata, will go to the Sahā realm in order to see, pay homage to, and attend upon the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

“Noble sons, go as you wish to,” replied the Tathāgata.

Then, through the miraculous power of that tathāgata, those two bodhisattvas together with twenty thousand other bodhisattvas rose from the realm Vijaya and in one instant of the mind arrived in this Sahā buddha realm and were upon Vulture Peak Mountain.

They placed their palms together and, facing the bhagavat, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, they said, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, in the northeastern direction from this buddha realm…,” and so on, as previously described, up to and including giving him the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, and they inquired after his health, asking, “Are you well? Are you at ease?”

The seat of the Tathāgata Māra­bhavana­vidhvaṃsana shook. The bodhisattvas who were assembled there saw the Tathāgata Māra­bhavana­vidhvaṃsana’s seat shake. They asked the Tathāgata about it, and so on, as previously described. [F.293.b]

At that time, similarly, the tathāgatas Sālendrarāja, Vikramaraśmi, Padmottara, Candana, Merurāja, Sāgara, Sārajyoti, and Jñānavikrama, and countless, innumerable bhagavat buddhas in the northeastern direction, sent bodhisattvas, carrying flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon, to inquire after the health of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, make offerings to him, pay homage to him, serve him, and listen to his Dharma teaching, and they arrived in this Sahā buddha realm.

At that moment, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, through his miraculous power, transformed the bodies of every being who had gathered in the Sahā buddha realm to become a yojana in height, and the entire Sahā buddha realm became filled with such beings. Those beings filled all the ground and sky in this buddha realm. There wasn’t even a space the size of a collyrium stick that had not been filled by these beings. All those beings could only see the Tathāgata Śākyamuni. They could not see any empty space left and could not even see each other. [F.294.a]

Their eyes did not perceive Mount Sumeru, Cakravāḍa, Mahācakravāḍa, or other mountains. They did not perceive the in-between worlds, did not perceive the palaces of deities, and did not perceive the disk of gold below or the earth above it.

The Bhagavat then entered the confidence in the elimination of phenomena samādhi, which pervades space. Through that samādhi, all the flowers that had the stainless beauty of the color of the moon entered the Bhagavat’s pores. All the beings who were in the Sahā realm saw this. Their minds and mental events became devoid of the mental engagement that sees forms, and all they perceived455 were the pores of the Bhagavat. There they saw parks, like the parks in the realm of Sukhāvatī, which were filled with all kinds of precious trees, and they saw trees adorned by all kinds of leaves, flowers, fruits, cloths, clothing, parasols, victory banners, flags, armlets, and strings of pearls.

Those beings thought, “We want to go into that park to see it.”

All the beings in the Sahā realm, apart from those in the hells, those in Yama’s realm, the animals, and those in the formless realm, entered into the Tathāgata’s body through his pores.

The Bhagavat then concluded his miracle and came out from his meditation, and the beings could again see each other. They wondered, “Where is the Tathāgata Śākyamuni?” [F.294.b]

The bodhisattva Maitreya said, “O beings, discern carefully that we have all entered the body of the Tathāgata!”

Each of those beings then directly perceived the inside and outside of the Tathāgata’s body. They wondered, “How did we enter and assemble inside the Tathāgata’s body?456 Through where did we enter the Tathāgata’s body? Who made us enter?”

The bodhisattva Maitreya then proclaimed to the entire assembly, “Listen! This is a miraculous transformation performed by the Tathāgata. He is the teacher who will teach us the Dharma in order to benefit us, and so we should give him all our attention.”

Then the entire assembly placed their palms together and bowed.

The Bhagavat taught them the Dharma of all the ways of happiness. What are all the ways of happiness? They are getting across the swamp of saṃsāra, entering the eightfold noble path, and accomplishing omniscience and self-arisen wisdom. In this there are ten aspects of developing the aspiration for entering dhyāna. They are (1) possessing the aspiration for great compassion for beings; (2) developing that which brings benefit;457 (3) the acquisition of a great ship to take across those beings who have not crossed over; (4) wearing the armor of liberating those not liberated so as to liberate them from untrue, deluded views; [F.295.a] (5) wearing the armor of not being frightened by the lion’s great roar so as to examine the selflessness of all phenomena; (6) wearing the armor of going to all realms so as to understand that all phenomena are like mirages, dreams, and illusions; (7) wearing the armor of adorning the realms with light so as to have an accumulation of good conduct; (8) wearing the armor of accomplishing the ten strengths of a tathāgata in order to complete all the perfections; (9) wearing the armor of attaining the four confidences so as to practice what you have taught; and (10) wearing the armor of attaining all of the eighteen distinct qualities of the Buddha so as to put into practice, without falsehood, the Dharma received by the bodhisattvas.

Those are the ten aspects of the practice of entering the Dharma doorways of the way of happiness.

There is also the practice of the way of realizing the Dharma doorway of the fearlessnesses: attention to the selflessness of all phenomena458 and the realization of nonarising and noncessation, the level of irreversibility, which cuts through proceeding and turning back, and has no permanence, no raising up, and no setting down.

When the Tathāgata gave this Dharma teaching the beings that were inside his body, who were as numerous as the grains of sand in 800 million Ganges Rivers, attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment.

All the countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were there attained various kinds of retention and acceptance. Then they all came out of the Tathāgata’s pores, were astonished, and bowed down their heads to the Bhagavat’s feet. Then they returned to their own buddha realms in the ten directions in order to make known459 the domain of the Tathāgata’s speech and the extent of his body.

Countless, innumerable bodhisattvas went to the east. Those in the eastern direction who had not left the buddha realms and had not [F.295.b] heard the multitude of praises of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni there listened to the various syllables, words, and meanings of the praises. They heard the Dharma that had been received from the Tathāgata Śākyamuni.460 The bodhisattvas described how it was seen that, without the body of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni becoming greater or smaller, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s body became filled with bodhisattvas and śrāvakas; how countless, innumerable bodhisattvas and śrāvakas entered and exited just one of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s pores; and how it was the same for a second pore, and so on, up to and including and how it was the same for all his pores.

The same was described in all the ten directions.

The entire assembly, who had entered into the body of the Bhagavat and come out through the pores of the Bhagavat’s body, bowed their heads at the Bhagavat’s feet, circumambulated him three times, sat before the Bhagavat, and praised him with the recitation of various sounds, syllables, words, and meanings.

The devas who were inhabitants of the desire realm and the devas who were inhabitants of the form realm sent down a rain of offerings of various incenses, flowers, and perfumes; they also played divine music and offered divine parasols, victory banners, flags, clothing, cloth, and ornaments to the Bhagavat.

A bodhisattva named Vaiśāradya­samuddhāraṇi, with palms placed together, bowed to the Bhagavat and asked him, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, what is the name of this sūtra of great prophecy?”

The Bhagavat said, “It is called The Dhāraṇī Entranceway That Is the Form of Omniscience. It is called Numerous Buddhas. [F.296.a] It is called The Great Gathering. It is called The Prophecies to the Bodhisattvas. It is called Liberation on the Path of Fearlessness. It is called Entering the Understanding of Samādhi. It is called Revealing All Buddha Realms. It is called Like an Ocean. It is called Innumerable. It is called The White Lotus of Compassion.”

Then Vaiśāradya­samuddhāraṇi asked, “Bhadanta Bhagavat, how much merit is created by a noble son or noble daughter who listens to this Dharma teaching, obtains it, keeps it, reads it, expounds it aloud to others at length, writes it out, or has others write it out, even if it is just one verse?”

“I have described this merit before, so now I shall describe it in brief,” replied the Bhagavat. “Whoever listens to this Dharma teaching, obtains it, keeps it, reads it, or expounds it aloud to others, either at length or even just one verse, and the one who in the future, during the last five hundred years of the Dharma, writes it out and keeps it, will generate vast merit. Even the merit accumulated by a bodhisattva who has practiced the six perfections for ten great eons cannot equal it. Why is that? It calms anger in the minds of all in the world, including the realms of the devas, the realm of Māra, the realm of Brahmā, the mendicants and brahmins, and the yakṣas, nāgas, gandharvas, mahoragas, pretas, piśācas, kinnaras, and asuras.

“It ends all illnesses, fighting, conflict, argument, and disputes. It stops untimely wind, rain, death, and illness; it ends all famine; it brings happiness; it brings good harvests; [F.296.b] it brings complete health; it makes those who are afraid free from fear and happy; it ends the kleśas; it increases good roots; it liberates from the three lower existences; it teaches the path of the three yānas; it brings the attainment of samādhi, retention, and acceptance; it sustains all beings; it causes sitting on the vajra throne; it causes the defeat of the four māras; it brings buddhahood through the factors for enlightenment; it causes the turning of the wheel of the Dharma; it gives the power of the factors for enlightenment to those beings who do not have the seven noble riches; and it brings a great following and entrance into the city of fearlessness. That is why I have given this Dharma teaching.

“Into whose hands shall I entrust this Dharma teaching? Who will protect this Dharma teaching in the last five hundred years of the Dharma? Who will expound it so that those who are not on the level of the Dharma, and the bhikṣus who have lost their correct conduct, will hear it? Will there be anyone who will completely eliminate the sadness461 of those who have the attachment of attachment to that which is not the Dharma, who are overwhelmed by powerful desires, who are in bondage to false Dharma, and who are completely unripened beings?”

That entire assembly understood the intention in the Bhagavat’s mind. Seated among that assembly was a yakṣa ṛṣi named Merupuṇya. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya took the yakṣa ṛṣi Merupuṇya and brought him before the Bhagavat.

The Bhagavat said to him, “Great ṛṣi, you keep this Dharma teaching! [F.297.a] During the last five hundred years of the Dharma, when the irreversible bodhisattvas have gone to other worlds, recite it aloud so people can hear it, and make them develop the aspiration for irreversibility.”462

“Bhadanta Bhagavat, I will do so,” replied Merupuṇya. “Bhadanta Bhagavat, because of the prayers I made in the past I have been, Bhadanta Bhagavat, a yakṣa ṛṣi for more than eighty-four great eons, during which time I have practiced the bodhisattva conduct that leads to the highest, most complete enlightenment. I have established innumerable beings in the four brahmavihāras and brought them to the level of irreversibility. I will myself ripen those beings who, during the last five hundred years of the Dharma, keep this Dharma teaching, even those who keep just a four-line verse from it.”

That is what the Bhagavat taught. The entire assembly, and the whole world with its devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the Buddha’s words.