The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
Chapter 6

At that time the thus-gone Akṣobhya set out from the world in the east called Abhirati in the company of an infinite number of bodhisattva great beings. Through the power and mastery of miracles particular to a buddha, he arrived instantaneously in the buddha field that includes the central world with its four continents, where the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Śākyamuni was staying. Having arrived, he sat upon a lotus seat that appeared just as needed. The bodhisattva great beings [F.237.a] from his retinue also sat upon lotus seats that appeared through their own magical power.

Headed by Akṣobhya, infinite numbers of the blessed buddhas living in buddha fields as numerous as atoms also arrived. They arrived in a split second, in the same buddha field that includes the central world with its four continents where the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Śākyamuni was staying. Each and every one of these thus-gone ones was accompanied by an infinite number of bodhisattva great beings and hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of hearers. Having arrived, they sat down upon lotus seats that appeared just as needed.

At the same time, the thus-gone Ratnadhvaja came from the south…342 and he sat upon a seat of lotus filaments.

In the same way {TK161} there came from the north {K122} the thus-gone Dundubhisvara. Having arrived, he sat upon a seat of lotus filaments.

At the same time, the thus-gone Amitāyus came from the west. Having arrived…343 he sat upon a seat of lotus filaments.

Simultaneously, the thus-gone Vairocana came from below. Having arrived…344 he sat upon a seat of lotus filaments.

The thus-gone Jñānaraśmirāja came from above, accompanied by infinite and uncountable hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of bodhisattva great beings, just like specks of dust, hailing from the buddha fields above as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Gaṅgā. Through his mastery of miracles particular to a buddha, he started off, and within a single instant of thought he arrived in the buddha field that includes the central world with its four continents, where the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Śākyamuni was staying. Having arrived, he sat upon a lotus throne345 that appeared just as needed. The bodhisattva great beings all sat upon lotus seats that miraculously appeared through their own [F.237.b] mastery of magical power according to their individual stores of merit.

Some of the bodhisattvas who had thus gathered from the ten directions around the thus-gone Śākyamuni rained down gold from the Jambu River in an act of worship of the blessed thus-gone ones. Some circumambulated clockwise the entire buddha field. Some stood with folded hands in front of the blessed buddhas, eager to hear the Dharma. And some directed their minds and abided by modes of virtue particular to themselves.346

Candraprapha, the princely youth, folded his hands and, drawing on his own magical power and the power of the blessed buddhas, {TK162} filled up the entire buddha field with the words that he sang: {K123}

Subsequently, infinite and uncountable numbers of bodhisattva great beings implored with a single voice, “O most compassionate blessed buddhas! Please remain on your lotus seats and teach now this dhāraṇī that is suffused with the utmost loving kindness and acceptance, is composed with great skill,353 and contains all Dharma teachings‍—the one that removes fear; enables escape from all the domains of Māra;354 topples the banner of Māra, and raises the banner of the Dharma; obliterates all afflictions; {K124} defeats all enemies, severs all doubts, brings one to omniscient wisdom, frees one from all fears,355 offers complete and matchless protection; ensures no loss of memory, intelligence, demeanor, or steadfastness356 with regard to all the qualities of the bodhisattvas; shows the complete array of conduct, skillful means, and wisdom; brings one to the sense bases, blessings, absorption, dhāraṇī, and acceptance that support perfect happiness; fosters proficiency in conventional knowledge,357…358 and contains the essence of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

“Please teach us this dhāraṇī in order to bring beings into contact with charismatic splendor, health, enjoyments, strength,359 good reputation, happiness, and a comfortable life; to increase eloquence and the powers of recollection and make us able to remember what has been heard without any loss of detail; to defeat all enemies; {TK164} to ensure good harvests;360 to bring the power to retain what has been learned and become a receptacle of mindfulness; and to help accomplish the right conduct and attain awakening.

“Please, O blessed buddhas, teach this dhāraṇī to us now so that this Dharma method will be upheld and remain for a long time and so that the lineage of the Three Jewels does not perish. Teach it to show the complete path [F.238.b] to unsurpassable awakening. Teach it to show the indivisibility of the ultimate reality, space, and suchness and the indivisibility of darkness, light, the observable, the unobservable, near, far, thought, concept, beings, the vital principle, individual soul, and person.361 Teach it to show that all phenomena are insubstantial, undifferentiable from the ultimate reality, and equal in their characteristic of not being born, arising, or ceasing. And teach it to show the indivisibility of the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness.

“May all the blessed buddhas here recite for us this dhāraṇī, promulgated as the collection of all the Dharma teachings that constitute the path, so that, immediately upon hearing it, innumerable {K125} hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of beings directly realize the nature of the Three Jewels. May they then work as spiritual friends for each other’s benefit. May an infinite number of beings develop the wish to attain unsurpassable, perfect awakening, reach the stage of a non-returner, and each obtain a prophecy of attaining buddhahood.”

Thus addressed, all the blessed buddhas, now assuming responsibility for the delivery of the Dharma, fell silent and remained seated on their seats of lotus filaments. They entered an absorption that manifests equanimity according to the former aspirations of a buddha. {TK165} All the beings in all these buddha fields gained mindfulness, faith, inspiration, and devotion that served to quell all forms of suffering and to gather all roots of virtue. By merely beholding the blessed buddhas, the attachment, aggression, delusion, wrong views, pride, arrogance, haughtiness, personalistic false views, doubt, acquisition, craving for existence, and faults in the substratum comprising the minds and mental states of all the beings in all these buddha fields were all quelled. Each and every one of these beings had this perception: [F.239.a] “It is just me alone that is here to hear the Dharma before the Thus-Gone One. There is no one else! The entirety of the Blessed One’s mind is directed toward me. He is teaching me the Dharma in order to alleviate all forms of sickness. No one else has requested the Thus-Gone One so as to hear the Dharma.” This perception was possible because the buddhas entered an absorption that manifests impartiality according to the former aspirations of a buddha.362

Whatever beings dwelled at that time in this entire buddha field, {K126} all of them, their senses alert, folded their hands and said in one voice:

“Please teach us the Dharma, O blessed buddhas! Teach us the Dharma, venerable well-gone ones! We will apply ourselves to the teachings of the blessed buddhas with earnestness.” {TK166}

At this point, the thus-gone Śākyamuni, in order to worship the other blessed buddhas, flooded this entire buddha field, through his blessings, with an exquisite and particularly powerful fragrance, far exceeding that of the already present array of aromas. And he placed in the hands of363 all the beings that were in all the buddha fields various jewels, flowers, chaplets, scented oils, parasols, banners, flags, ornaments, and embellishments, so that they could themselves worship the remaining364 blessed buddhas.

He then said, “I beg your attention, O blessed buddhas in the other buddha fields in the ten directions. Please come to my buddha field so we may have a discussion. I made the aspiration in the past to awaken fully and completely to unsurpassed and perfect awakening in this world debased by the five degenerations, to take responsibility for liberating365 {K127} all beings from the weariness366 caused by heat, cold, and hot winds; for liberating, out of compassion, all the beings who have lost their sanity, lost their way, or, veiled by the dark veil of ignorance, been thrown into [F.239.b] the darkness of afflictions;367 and for all the beings who are on their way to being reborn in the three miserable realms, who fall into bad company and are deprived of good company, who spurn the wise, who commit the five acts of immediate retribution, who reject the sacred Dharma, who revile the noble ones, and who have no compassion in their hearts. I do this with the diligence, power, and effort that arise out of great compassion.

Traveling on foot, I visit villages, towns, cities, countries, and capital cities. To benefit beings, I consume {TK167} small quantities of harsh and disagreeable food, tasteless and utterly disgusting. To develop their roots of virtue, I wear coarse rags for robes, unpleasant to the touch, made from scraps of cotton and hemp salvaged from garbage dumps.368 I live in places such as mountain wildernesses, forest thickets, deserted towns, or charnel grounds. I make my bedding from hemp, sticks, and leaves‍—rough, stale-smelling, and unpleasant to the touch.369 Donning the armor370 of skillful means, great compassion, and diligence, I engage beings in conversation in various ways. With kṣatriyas, I talk about the might of the king, with brahmins about the Vedas and astrology, {K128} with ministers about the administration of the country. I talk with physicians about the efficacy of mineral and herbal remedies, with merchants about buying and selling merchandise, and with householders about responsibilities pertaining to the affairs of the house. I talk with women about beauty, jewelry, pregnancy, and avoiding petty competition. With monks I discuss the delights of acceptance, good character, and the three types of activity.371

“In order to bring beings to maturity, I set on the path of attainment those who have not yet reached it. I help those not yet realized to attain realization, those who have not had a direct experience to have it, [F.240.a] and those who are not yet liberated to become so. I relieve a variety of sufferings. I travel the country in order to bring beings to maturity.

“At such times, these beings curse and abuse me. Filled with envy,372 they falsely accuse me of indulging in sex.373 They harass me with hypocritical gossip and women’s tales‍—treacherous, wicked, untrue, and mean. They throw dirt upon me. They boldly approach374 me to slay me with weapons, poison, and fire, {TK168} raining upon me discuses, javelins, arrows, swords, spears, axes, and rocks. In order to kill me, they set upon me elephants, venomous snakes, lions, tigers, bulls, buffaloes, wolves,375 and athletes. They fill up my houses, monasteries, and temples376 with filth and foul odors.377 When my hearers enter a town {K129} to beg alms, these ignoble beings rudely follow them in the streets, dancing and singing. They employ many hundreds of thousands of stratagems to kill me, striving to obliterate my doctrine, extinguish the torch showing the way to the Dharma, bring down the banner of the Dharma, break the boat of the Dharma, and scatter my Dharma offerings.

“Now, may all of you, O blessed buddhas, look at the Dharma methods of the blessed buddhas of the past.378 Please consider how they had gathered together in this buddha field afflicted by the five degenerations in order to ensure the long continuity of the Dharma methods; to crush the entire force and the dominion of Māra; to prevent the interruption of the continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels; to increase beings’ roots of virtue; to suppress the proclamations of all the hostile preachers of other doctrines;379 to pacify discord, [F.240.b] quarrels, famine, disease, invasions by foreign powers, enslavement, wars, disputes, unseasonable cold and hot spells, storms, torrential rains, hurricanes, the defects of body, speech, and mind, and wrong views; to propitiate all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas,380 {TK169} and human and nonhuman beings; to protect every house, village, town, city, and kingdom; to dispel all the wickedness, poison, evil spirits, blind infatuation, bad dreams, and bad omens;381 {K130} to provide beings with all the grain, medicine, fruits, flowers, and extracts that they need for livelihood; to engage the kṣatriyas, brahmins, vaiśyas, and śūdras in virtuous conduct; to generate the mind of awakening; to encourage the practice of the six perfections; to increase the wisdom, skillful means, powers of recollection, mental resourcefulness, demeanor, contemplation, devotion, valor, stability,382 and eloquence particular to the bodhisattva great beings; and to reach the other shore of wisdom that brings the reprieve of the final bodhisattva level.

“These thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas of the past taught, blessed, and rejoiced in each other’s giving of this Dharma discourse and exposition of the dhāraṇī-seal, including its verbal formula, which is called the terminator of birth based on the essential nature of phenomena in their vajra-like indivisibility. So now, in exactly the same way, all of you, O blessed buddhas, who live and spend your time in the ten directions but have now come together for the sake of inquiry to this buddha field of mine afflicted by the five degenerations, who are now seated here all together, may all of you give, bless, and rejoice in each other’s offering of this Dharma discourse and exposition of the dhāraṇī-seal, including its verbal formula, which is called the terminator of birth based on the essential nature of phenomena in their vajra-like indivisibility.

“Please do this in order to ensure the long continuity of this Dharma method, to crush the entire force [F.241.a] and dominion of Māra,…383 and to reach the other shore of unobstructed384 wisdom. Do this out of regard for my wish {TK170} that this sacred Dharma method will continue in this buddha field for a long time, will not be violated by any of the followers of other systems, and will not suffer annihilation,385 and also to ensure the continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels,386 and provide sustenance to all beings by means of the nectar of Dharma.” {K131}

The blessed buddhas replied, “Yes, of course! We will certainly carry out our duties as buddhas and take charge of the Dharma situation in this buddha field. To ensure that this Dharma method continues for a long time, to crush the entire force and the dominion of Māra,…387 and to reach the other shore of unobstructed388 wisdom, we will give this Dharma discourse and exposition of the dhāraṇī-seal, including its verbal formula, which is called the terminator of birth based on the essential nature of phenomena in their vajra-like indivisibility. All the beings who are in this buddha field, please listen! This dhāraṇī-seal is:

Immediately, all the beings present in all the buddha fields thrice exclaimed, “Homage to all the buddhas!389 Homage! Homage to all the buddhas!” and then further marveled, [F.242.a] “How wonderful is this gathering of sages! How wonderful is this gathering of bodhisattva great beings and great hearers! How extraordinarily wonderful is this exposition of the dhāraṇī-seal, including its verbal formula, which is called the terminator of birth based on the essential nature of phenomena in their vajra-like indivisibility! It shows how to master all the instructions of the Teacher, the Dharma methods, and the tradition of the Three Jewels. It destroys the army and the dominion of Māra and cuts his noose. It defeats all enemies. It raises up the banner of the Dharma. It protects the Dharma followers…390 and it completely fills the entire domain of the Buddha.391 This Dharma discourse and exposition of the dhāraṇī-seal, including its verbal formula, which is called the terminator of birth based on the essential nature of phenomena in their vajra-like indivisibility, has presently been spoken by all the blessed buddhas in order to seal the hearts {TK176} of all beings and thus refine their five great elements, their conditioned intellect, and their six sense bases, until they attain the ultimate, final nirvāṇa.”

While this dhāraṇī formula was being recited, {K136} a great number of bodhisattva great beings, thirty times392 as many as there are grains of sand in the Gaṅgā, obtained the absorption and the acceptance that are engendered by this dhāraṇī.

On this occasion, the princely youth Candraprabha rose up from his seat and, looking around with folded hands, spoke as follows, filling the entire buddha field with his voice thanks to the blessing of the buddhas and his own magical power:

In reply, the youthful bodhisattva great beings, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā, said with one voice, “We, too, uphold and bless this dhāraṇī. If any noble sons or daughters, any monks or nuns, or any male or female lay practitioners should teach this dhāraṇī, having for this purpose bathed, donned clean clothes, and ascended a lion throne that is soft and pleasant to the touch; inside a well-constructed pavilion covered in various flowers; perfumed with various fragrances; stocked up with refreshments of various tastes; fitted with cloth, soft fabrics, and adornments of various kinds; and provided with parasols, banners, and flags, no one would be able to disturb their thoughts, bodily humors, bodies, or minds [F.243.a] or give them breathing trouble or headaches. This could not possibly happen.394

“No one would be able to inflict upon them any disease of the body,395 tongue, teeth, bones, throat, arms, back, internal organs, abdomen, pelvis, thighs, or shanks. Nor would anyone be able to interfere with their voice. {K138} If any Dharma teachers should be suffering, due to their previous accumulation of unskillful actions, from any disturbance of the humors or a loss of voice, all of them will be completely pacified when they recite this dhāraṇī. After the negative action is purified, they will become well.

“Also, the students of the Dharma who will attend their teaching will not be affected by any disturbance of the humors or a loss of voice. For those who hear this dhāraṇī, even if they had long been affected by any disturbance of the humors or a loss of voice due to their previous accumulation of unskillful actions, all of this will be cleared away.” {TK179}

At this point, Candraprabha, the princely youth, bowed with folded hands in the direction of the blessed buddhas and the surrounding bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā, and said, “Please, O blessed buddhas, listen to and give your support for this dhāraṇī:

This dhāraṇī was applauded by all of the bodhisattva great beings and great hearers who were present in all the buddha fields, as well as other beings of great splendor‍—Śakra, [F.243.b] Brahmā, the world protectors, and the lords of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas.

The blessed buddhas said, “This dhāraṇī possesses great force and power; it subdues all enemies and completely removes fear, disease, bad dreams, and bad omens…396 and takes beings to the other shore of unobscured wisdom. The dhāraṇī just uttered is the outcome of the supreme wisdom that comes from the accumulations of great merit and wisdom.”

At that time, the great brahmā, Bhūteśvara by name, was seated before the blessed Amitāyus. Through his mastery of magical powers particular to a great brahmā, he took on a female form endowed with all the characteristics of supreme beauty and adorned with clothing, {TK181} ornaments, flowers, fragrances, and scented oils that exceeded in greatness even the celestial realms.

Bhūteśvara, this great brahmā, now rose from his seat and said, with folded hands, “Please bless me, O blessed buddhas, with the maṇḍala of sound that conveys words397 and can magically deliver exegetical instructions, so that I can reach with my voice this entire buddha field and no obstacle will arise for me in this respect. {K140} Please bless me so that I can protect Dharma teachers and students through the articulation of mantra words. If any god or a male or female nāga, nāga elder, nāga with an entourage, or nāga offspring;… or a male or female piśāca, piśāca elder, [F.244.a] piśāca with an entourage, or piśāca offspring; or any human or nonhuman being should watch out for and seek an opportunity to attack a Dharma teacher or a Dharma student or approach them with an evil or hostile intent, or should disturb, harm, or remove so much as a single hair from their bodies‍—if any such evil being should steal their vital energy or even breathe upon them or look at them, even momentarily, with an evil intent, I will instantly restrain or punish these māras…398 or human and nonhuman beings, and {TK182} I will crush, confuse,399 and curse them.

“So please, O blessed buddhas, empower me with the maṇḍala of sound that conveys words, so that I will be able to penetrate with my voice the entire buddha field. Which of you will help me with this?”

The blessed buddhas remained silent, thus granting their consent. {K141}

A śakra by the name of Śikhindhara, whose body was adorned with the light of ornaments made of gold from the river Jambu, sat there for a moment before addressing Bhūteśvara the brahmā as follows: “You should not sit in front of the thus-gone Amitāyus, sister. Do not act in a casual manner and disturb the blessed one. Why so?

“The thus-gone ones have discovered the path of suchness based on discriminating all forms, letters, and words. A thus-gone one, O sister, is not in conflict with suchness. Rather, he is one with it, being the same as space, which, like him, is characterized by the absence of mental imputations and the cessation of the three predispositions.400 Just as space has no ideas or concepts with regard to the predispositions, so also a thus-gone one [F.244.b] does not cogitate {TK183} about sensual enjoyments, form ideas or concepts about them, dwell on them, or get attached to them. He thus does not conceptualize about or falsely identify beings, a vital principle, an individual soul, a person, aggregates, elements, or sense bases. Why then do you, sister, ruminate about the body of the Thus-Gone One?”401

“You should consider things carefully, O lord of gods, before you say them,” counseled the thus-gone Amitāyus, “otherwise you may incur undesirable results lasting a long period of time. In this case, this truly great person has performed great service to many buddhas and has cultivated his roots of virtue in the presence of the blessed buddhas. He magically transformed himself into a well-adorned woman in order to worship the Thus-Gone One, so do not address him as a woman.”

The śakra Śikhindhara then said to the brahmā Bhūteśvara, “Show your compassion for me and forgive me, O noble son! May I not incur the undesirable results that the thus-gone Amitāyus has spoken of.” {K142}

Now the bodhisattva Kautūhalika inquired, “O Blessed One, had the śakra Śikhindhara not confessed his words, what kind of ripened result would he have incurred?”

“Noble son,” replied the thus-gone Amitāyus, “if he had not confessed, he would have been reborn eighty-four thousand times as a woman completely suffused with sensuality. Therefore, one should guard one’s speech. The maṇḍala of sound that conveys words, O noble son, has now been made available to you through the blessing of the thus-gone ones. Express your eloquence.”

Bhūteśvara, the brahmā, now with the blessing {TK184} of the buddhas, directed his gaze in each of the ten directions and beseeched with folded hands, “Listen to me, O blessed buddhas, bodhisattva [F.245.a] great beings, great hearers, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas! Grant your approval that my wish may come true, namely that this Dharma method will endure for a long time and that no harm will come to the Dharma teachers and students who are established in the proper conduct.402 Grant your approval that, during the degenerate time, no māras… or human and nonhuman beings will be able to do any harm to them.”

At this point, the brahmā Bhūteśvara, in order to restrain and reverse their aggressive intentions and take the pledge403 from the evil-minded beings, uttered a loud cry that filled the entire world sphere, and the lords of brahmās declared in one voice, {K143} “We too offer our support for the dhāraṇī. We will ourselves uphold and teach it during the degenerate period. We will protect the sacred Dharma and also protect the Dharma teachers and students that follow the proper conduct.404 Please recite it, honorable one! We declare our support for this dhāraṇī in front of the blessed buddhas, the bodhisattva great beings, and the great hearers.”

Bhūteśvara, the brahmā, again beseeched, “Give me your blessing, O holy buddhas, bodhisattva great beings, and great hearers! The dhāraṇī is:

“As sealed in the formula:

Immediately, all the brahmā lords…407 and piśācas applauded and said, “These mantra words possess in excess the ability to crush the great trichiliocosm with their force and power.408 This noose will affix itself to all spirits who harbor ill will, so how could they survive?”

Bhūteśvara the brahmā said, “Those spirits who have wicked minds; who are devoid of compassion and ungrateful; who wish to harass beings or are followers of Māra; who seek opportunities to harm the head-anointed kṣatriya kings that have faith in the Buddha’s teaching; who approach, seeking an opportunity to harm, the chief queens, royal sons and daughters, women of the harem, ministers, military commanders, or other members of the royal court that have faith in the Buddha’s teaching; who approach, seeking an opportunity to harm, the men and women, sons and daughters, male and female lay practitioners, Dharma teachers and students, monks and nuns, practitioners who engage in meditation and recitation of prayers {K145} or in the service of their superiors‍—if any such spirits should disturb the aforementioned even for a single moment of mental activity or disturb, harm, or remove even a single hair from their bodies; or if they should steal their vital energy or even breathe upon them; or if they should thus seek, their minds full of malice, an opportunity to cause harm, such māras… and human and nonhuman beings, with their bodies rotting and smelly, will have their heads burst into seven pieces, eyes gouged out,409 and hearts desiccated. They will contract leprosy, oozing pus and stinking, and will completely lose their magical power. [F.246.a] The earth will develop crevasses {TK187} beneath them, which they will fall into. The winds will toss them in the four directions, and they will wander aimlessly, with their bodies covered in dust, mentally disturbed. Those who roam the earth will plunge into the crevasses in the ground eighty-four thousand leagues below the surface and will spend the remainder of their lives there. Aquatic beings that are wicked, have no faith in the teachings of the Buddha, and do harm to the kṣatriya kings who do have this faith,…410 or to those who engage in the service of their superiors‍—they also will have their heads burst into seven pieces… and will spend the remainder of their lives there,411 should they transgress against these mantras.

“Furthermore, in whatever realm this Dharma discourse‍—the dhāraṇī-seal that cannot be conquered by the hosts of Māra‍—is disseminated, there we will {K146} eagerly apply ourselves to the cause of guarding, protecting, and preserving that realm, and we will protect412 all the beings there who yearn for the Dharma.413 We shall expel all, from hostile yakṣas to hostile kaṭapūtanas; avert the discord, quarrels, famine, invasions by foreign powers, and the unseasonable rains, storms, cold and hot spells, and disease in that land; ensure the happiness, social harmony, good harvests, and all that accords with roots of virtue; and ensure the health, renown, material gain, and honor of the teachers and students of the Dharma.”

Also at that moment, a bodhisattva great being known as Voice of Mahābrahmā, who dwelled on the tenth bhūmi, was present. He was attended by all the brahmās, māras, śakras, and so forth, {TK188} as well as Vaiśravaṇa, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Maheśvara, [F.246.b] Nārāyaṇa, and the lords of the gods and asuras. He had the finest and most radiant complexion and the most exquisite ornamentation. In the guise of a woman, with female characteristics and deportment, he was seated before the thus-gone Śākyamuni. As an act of venerating the blessed buddhas, he proffered a wish-fulfilling jewel in his hands. The bodhisattva great being Voice of Mahābrahmā stared at the thus-gone Śākyamuni with unblinking eyes. He stared at him like he was the only thing in existence‍—something indescribable and unidentifiable.

The thus-gone Śākyamuni then asked Voice of Mahābrahmā, “Listen, why are you staring at me with unblinking eyes, as if I were the only thing in existence‍—something indescribable and unidentifiable? Is there any phenomenon that can be called ‘a buddha’ or ‘unidentifiable’? Likewise, the verbal elements in the statement ‘the afflictions of attachment, aggression, or delusion exist’ are merely conditional characteristics. The condition for such characteristics is ignorance. Due to the condition of ignorance, formations proliferate until cessation.”

“Blessed One,” responded Voice of Mahābrahmā, “if all these do not exist, why do you speak to me of ignorance? Blessed One, if there were no ignorance, from what would the twelve links of existence arise? Can we say they come from space {TK189} when space itself does not exist?”

“Noble son, that is correct,” answered the Blessed One, “for all the qualities of buddhahood are like space. Just as space is immaterial, is without characteristics, is neither darkness nor light, is neither thought nor concept, cannot be created or described, is unidentifiable, has no component parts, and has nothing to do with entities, likewise, O noble son, the qualities of buddhahood are [F.247.a] deemed to be the ultimate reality because they are suchness. Because they involve no increase or decrease, the qualities of buddhahood are neither high nor low. Because they have no component parts, the qualities of buddhahood are indescribable. Because they do not move and cannot be placed anywhere, the qualities of buddhahood are not material or entities, and they have no characteristics. Because they transcend verbal description, the qualities of buddhahood are not superimposed, for it is from false conceptualization that the links of existence arise.”

When he gave this teaching, eighty-four thousand beings developed the mind directed toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening.

Then Māra, the evil one, demanded, “If the qualities of buddhahood are indescribable non-entities, like space, then why do you harm me in this way‍—oppressing me with wisdom, diligence, means, and courage? Why do you destroy my Māra domain? Why do you lead beings from my Māra domain? Why do you instruct them in the nature of illusion, which neither comes nor goes nor is identifiable in any way? When you guide beings in these trainings, no conduct that produces the afflictions can be seen in them. {TK190} For what reason are you assembling all these countless, infinite blessed buddhas, bodhisattva great beings, great hearers, great brahmās, śakras, four world protectors, maheśvaras, and gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas who have magical might and power, thus filling all the buddha fields, to go against me? Anyone who hears of this cruel act will be immediately struck with a splitting headache; their bodies will decompose [F.247.b] and begin to stink. Such is the mantra that you have spoken.”

At that moment, sixty-eight thousand māras, a countless infinitude of their retainers, and all the hostile yakṣas, rākṣasas, kumbhāṇḍas, and piśācas all declared with one voice, “As soon as we heard it, we too got headaches. Our bodies started decomposing, began to stink, and we suffered terribly.”

“Evil ones, remember what happened in the past!” countered the thus-gone Śākyamuni. “When I was sitting at the seat of awakening, you filled the area and the sky around me out to eighty leagues with the hordes of Māra, intent on killing me. And since that time you still send billions of māras and their retainers to kill me. Therefore, I have amassed a countless infinitude of blessed buddhas, bodhisattvas, and so forth, as well as human and nonhuman beings, in order to tame, pacify, and end your torment. I have done so in order to tame, pacify, and end all the suffering of other māras, and so forth, as well as human and nonhuman beings. I have done this to instruct them in the nature of illusion, which neither comes nor goes nor is identifiable in any way. I have done so to dry up the river of saṃsāra in which all beings die and are reborn, and to help them reach the expanse of nirvāṇa without any remainder of the aggregates. {TK191}

“Evil ones, you should develop the mind directed toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening right now! If you do so, you will immediately be freed from this unbearably painful headache, and ultimately you will actualize the qualities of buddhahood, which have the nature of space. You will even gain the superior domain of the buddhas, which far exceeds that of the māras.”

The sixty-four thousand māras, the countless infinitude of their retainers, and the hostile yakṣas, and so forth, as well as the hostile kaṭapūtanas, all declared with one voice, [F.248.a] “When we develop the mind directed toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening, we shall actualize the qualities of buddhahood, which have the nature of space, and win the domain of the buddhas as well, superior above all.”

“Even if I were to have a headache until the end of time,” insisted Māra, the evil one, “I would never let such cunning make me develop the mind directed toward awakening.”

Voice of Mahābrahmā then declared, “I will also joyfully uphold all the Dharma teachings that have been taught before all the blessed buddhas here in this buddha field. I will uphold the teachings of the thus-gone Śākyamuni in this buddha field rife with the five degenerations, holding them as the most important. I will make this teaching‍—this Dharma method‍—shine until Śākyamuni’s own sun sets. I will bring the Dharma discourse of this dhāraṇī, which cannot be defeated by the hosts of Māra, {TK192} to all lands where it has not previously spread. And wherever it appears, I will ensure that it flourishes. I will defend all the noble sons and daughters in all the towns, villages, cities, and countries. I will protect them. I will turn away all harm. I will lead them to virtue and what is meaningful.

“Wherever the Dharma discourse of this dhāraṇī, which cannot be defeated by the hosts of Māra, is at least written down, or where there is a lion throne set for Dharma teachers who desire to teach it authentically, people should recite the following mantra at the outset. This mantra will summon me, and I will come to that place with my retinue. We will defend and safeguard those Dharma teachers and students. The mantra is:

“Blessed One, Dharma teachers everywhere should remember this mantra at the start of their teachings. If I hear them with my divine ears of incredible purity and fail to come, I will have deceived all the thus-gone ones of the past, present, and future, and may I therefore not fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. Therefore, Blessed One, I will go there and place {TK193} the feet of those Dharma teachers at the crown of my head. Because the eloquence of those Dharma teachers is fitting, I will support them.414 I will dispel all the sicknesses of those Dharma teachers and students. I will dispel their bad views and actions and all their doubts. Blessed One, wherever this Dharma teaching is taught, upheld, or mastered, I will travel there with my retinue and quell all discord, quarrels, famine, disease, fears, invasion by foreign powers, drought, unseasonable winds, heatwaves, and bad views and actions, as well as all fear of humans, nonhumans, and charnel grounds. Then I will dispel all that is inauspicious, bad dreams, evil omens, hostility, cruelty, meanness, bad tastes, snow, heat, foul odors, and things that are unpleasant to touch and poisonous. I will dispel the harm caused by heat and famine. I will dispel the fear of elephants, lions, tigers, buffaloes, wolves, poisonous snakes, thieves, rogues, humans, and nonhumans. There I will amass all sorts of wealth, grain, herbs, flowers, fruits, juices, [F.249.a] food, drink, clothing, and bedding for the beings’ use and enjoyment. In whatever land this Dharma teaching is held, upheld, read, mastered, or taught, there we will dispel violence toward each individual being. I will bring about what is beneficial, pleasant, and mentally satisfying for the beings’ use and enjoyment. {TK194} I will encourage beings to also desire the Dharma and engage in virtuous actions. I make these aspirations before all the blessed buddhas! All of you blessed buddhas, please be compassionate toward me! May the blessed buddhas bestow the mastery that functions to fulfill all that one wishes for in order to realize this power.”

At that moment, Śākyamuni and all the blessed buddhas directed their compassion to Voice of Mahābrahmā and said, “Voice of Mahābrahmā, because of this aspiration you shall obtain the great power to summon śakras, brahmās, all the world protectors, and the other gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and asuras who appreciate the Dharma. We shall give this mantra to Voice of Mahābrahmā.”

Then the blessed buddhas made the aspiration, “May accomplishment come to Voice of Mahābrahmā. The mantra is:

The thus-gone Śākyamuni said, “Noble son, [F.249.b] this dhāraṇī can summon and inspire all māras, śakras, brahmās, and world protectors, as well as the other gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, and human and nonhuman beings of great splendor. It is upheld and blessed by all the buddhas. Due to its blessings you will be able to master such great powers.”

“Blessed One,” replied Voice of Mahābrahmā, “I will guard this Dharma method in the guise of a woman. I will also protect women. Blessed One, should a woman desire sons, I will fulfill her wishes if she upholds this Dharma teaching by keeping it, reading it, mastering it, or writing it down. In that way any woman can be protected, for if she holds, reads,… or listens to this Dharma teaching then, even if she experiences desire, she will not be attached to the womb. When a woman who is free from all negative and apprehensive conduct and behavior reads this Dharma teaching, all her wishes will be fulfilled, and she will be filled with all forms of abundant happiness. I offer these two precious gems to all the blessed buddhas in order to guard this Dharma teaching and fulfill the wishes of all.”

“Noble son, thus it is,” responded the Blessed One. “You will thus guard and protect it.” {TK196}