The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, so it is. Because the aggregate of form is profound, it is profound. Because the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental forces, and cognition are profound, it is profound. Because emptiness is profound, it is profound. Because the element of space is profound, it is profound.”
Ānanda said, “Though I have heard eighty-four thousand articles of Dharma from the Tathāgata, I never heard one like the present Dharma discourse.”
Ānanda said, “Blessed One, I beg you to magically bless this Dharma discourse so that in a later time and later period, during the last five hundred years when the noble Dharma is coming to an end, it will perform Buddha activities for many sentient beings.”
The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, I have already blessed this Dharma discourse. I, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, have also blessed those Dharma teachers who will teach it. Ānanda, those who write this Dharma discourse will not suffer eye disease. Their tongues, noses, teeth, hands, and feet will not become diseased. Their brains will not be diseased, nor will their ears. Their bodies will not deteriorate, nor will they smell bad. They will not be killed by harmful enemies. [F.61.a] They will be protected by all humans and non-human deities, and when they do die they will, avoiding other entanglements, be born in the happy realms among the gods.”
Ānanda said, “Blessed One, why did Māra not cause obstacles when you explained this Dharma? Owing to what conditions did that not occur?”
Ānanda said, “If in that very place where the Tathāgata dwells this Dharma discourse also exists, how great would my error be if I went to see the Tathāgata and, after going there, I first bowed to that Tathāgata and later to this Dharma discourse?”
The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, if you set this Dharma discourse to one side and bowed to me, that would be a fault. Ānanda, moreover, though I am the elder brother of the world with its gods, the chief, the best, and the superior, Ānanda, I attained the perfect awakening of buddhahood after I heard this Dharma discourse.”
Ānanda said, “Blessed One, from which tathāgata did you hear the teaching of the precious absorption of the dhāraṇī of the jewel torch? Who was higher than the Tathāgata?” [F.61.b]
The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, no one is higher than me in the worlds of men, gods, and gandharvas. Yet when I was practicing the conduct of a bodhisattva, I learned from the blessed one, the tathāgata Layered Essence of Endless Gnosis, out of a vast matrix of many light rays radiating from wonderful inconceivable lights. Ānanda, after experiencing thousands and millions of ascetic hardships, I heard this Dharma discourse. At that time, that tathāgata made a prophecy about me. Therefore, Ānanda, first bow to this Dharma discourse and later pay homage to me.”
Indra, Brahmā, and the guardian deities of the world then spoke unanimously: “How wonderful is the Dharma! How wonderful is the Dharma! How wonderful are the magical powers of the Dharma teachings! If sentient beings who so much as hear the name of this Dharma discourse should be honored, it goes without saying that those who memorize, read, study, and teach it in detail to others should be honored all the more. They should be called tathāgatas.”
The Blessed One replied to Indra, Brahmā, and the guardian deities of the world, “Friends, your words are well spoken. Excellent, excellent!”
The Blessed One now used the miraculous faculty of his tongue and, making his voice heard throughout the realm of the whole billionfold world system, said to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, “Those sentient beings who do not listen to this Dharma discourse are like blind people who do not see the light of the sun, like people who do not know how a transaction is made, and like poor people who look to others for support. [F.62.a] In order to ensure that sentient beings do not become far removed from such a mass of precious teachings in the way I have illustrated with these similes, would it please you, son of a good family, if I were to make a request of you for the sake of this Dharma discourse and for the benefit of sentient beings?”
Then the bodhisattva Samantabhadra rose from his seat and covered one shoulder with his robe. Bowing with folded hands toward the Blessed One, he wept.
As soon as the bodhisattva Samantabhadra rose from his Dharma mat, the entire billionfold world system shook in six ways, it shook strongly and shook violently; it quaked, quaked strongly, and quaked violently; it trembled, trembled strongly, and trembled violently; it was disturbed, strongly disturbed, and violently disturbed; it shuddered, shuddered strongly, and shuddered violently; and it was agitated, strongly agitated, and violently agitated. And in the world a great light shone.
Then the bodhisattva Samantabhadra pressed the fingers of his hands together in homage and wept. He said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I would be delighted. Sugata, I would be delighted. Blessed One, you are all-knowing, you intend the benefit of all sentient beings, and you are endowed with great compassion. Yet on top of that, as I am born from the Tathāgata, why would I not act in accord with the Tathāgata’s word? If the word of the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, is a word of ambrosia, how could I be capable of acting in contradiction to the Tathāgata’s word? Blessed One, I will keep what you say in mind, I will not fail to keep it in mind.”
Then the Blessed One said to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, “O son of the victors, excellent, excellent! [F.62.b] You are the elder son of the tathāgatas; the chief, the best, the superior, and the preeminent one. I have entrusted you with this Dharma discourse. This is my teacher. Therefore, you should guard it. From time to time, show it respect. Place it in a precious container and carry it on your shoulder. In later times and periods, pay no heed to those sinful monks. Son of a good family, these are my instructions to you.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “If it would benefit many sentient beings, I beg the Blessed One to kindly give us an explanation. I beg the Sugata to please give an explanation.”
The Blessed One said, “Samantabhadra, I will explain, so listen! Everyone in this great ocean-like assembly and all of these countless bodhisattva great beings such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara should leave off other thoughts and should heed what sort of people who have gone forth there will be in a later time and period.”
Then the Blessed One said to Samantabhadra, “Samantabhadra, people who have gone forth will vex the holy Dharma, will be attached to homes, attached to material gain, attached to temples, attached to dwellings, and attached to their begging bowls and robes; they will bother homes, and will engage in all sinful doctrines. Samantabhadra, for me to entrust this sūtra for the sake of those ignorant ones would indeed bring this sūtra to its decline.”
Then from all directions came gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas. They said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, we, too, have all assembled and gathered. As long as we live and for as long as the holy Dharma endures, we will protect this Dharma discourse. [F.63.a] We will also guard those future Dharma-teaching monks who will maintain it. We will pay homage to, adore, honor, worship, venerate, and supplicate them.”
Then the Blessed One spoke the following verses of encouragement to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra and ninety-two hundred million other bodhisattvas:
“Hear from me all the explanations of all the qualities,
Of those qualities that are the perfections.
Leave aside pride, conceit, and carelessness,
And listen with a happy and delighted mood!
“Here in
Magadha in the presence of the lord of trees, the Bodhi tree,
It is said that a self-arisen lion of men stayed.
Living in front of that great king of trees.
“That hero was surrounded by sublime men living with him,
Numbering as many as the atoms in the buddhafields in all ten directions.
That lord of humans dwelled in an absorption
“After that lord of humans had realized the meditative states,
To the presence of the king and the sublime beings
Numbering as many as the atoms of ten buddhafields.
“Engaging similarly, from the fields of the ten directions,
All the sons of the victors named Bhadra
Arrived together with those sublime beings
Numbering as many as the atoms in the ten directions.
“Having joined that assembly desiring benefit for the world,
Asked
Mañjuśrī and those possessing infinite fame:
‘What is the conduct of a son of the Buddha? What are his excellent qualities?’
Who knew without error the qualities of awakening
Of the Buddha’s sons that is relied upon by the Victor.
And you, too, should explain the qualities of the Buddha’s sons
[F.63.b]
“
Bhadraśrī said, ‘Listen, sons of the victors:
Among all the qualities possessed by those whose qualities are infinite
The ones of which I can describe even a tiny part
Are as infinitesimally few as a drop in the ocean.
“ ‘If to give rise at the very beginning
To the spontaneous thought that is the basis for awakening
Is something whose good qualities can be praised without limit
So that even “
incomparable” does not suffice to describe it,
“ ‘How much more so the qualities of the transcendent perfections and levels
When they have been practiced for many eons:
For all the victors of the ten directions
The river of their qualities is never brought to an end.
“ ‘Among all the qualities possessed by those whose qualities are infinite,
The ones of which I can describe even a tiny part
Are as infinitesimally few as the tracks a bird leaves behind in the sky,
Or as a single atom compared to the entire earth.
“ ‘The arising of the thought to dwell in those qualities of awakening
Is not without cause, nor is it meaningless;
Rather, the thought arises after one has produced faith and admiration
For the Victor, the Dharma of the Victor, and the Saṅgha.
“ ‘It is not for the sake of desire or for wealth,
Or for one’s own pleasure, fame, and reputation.
That thought of benefitting the world arises
For the sake of quelling all the sufferings of living beings.
“ ‘That thought arises for the sake of perpetually benefiting sentient beings,
To purify the fields and worship the Buddha,
To maintain the Dharma, to gain the awakening of a buddha,
“ ‘Having generated constant faith in all the victors, in the Dharma,
And likewise in the assembly of
āryas,
And with admiration, appreciation, and devotion toward them,
That thought will arise for the sake of worshiping the guru through devotion.
“ ‘After one has felt faith in the Victor and the Dharma of the Victor,
One generates faith in the conduct of the Buddha’s sons.
And after one has felt faith in highest awakening,
The thought of the sublime beings will arise.
“ ‘Through the power of faith, those lords of humans
Worship through unimaginably vast offerings.
And there arises the thought after they have also worshiped
Through inconceivably vast offerings the Dharma and Saṅgha, which are inseparable.
“ ‘Faith is the starting point, the mother of guides.
It guards and increases all good qualities.
[F.64.a]
It removes all doubts and rescues one from the torrents of ailments.
Faith is exemplified by the city of happiness.
“ ‘Faith is unclouded and clarifies the mind.
It removes pride and is the root of devotion.
Faith is treasure, wealth, and the best of pillars.
It is the fundamental gatherer of virtue, like a hand.
“ ‘Faith makes one like to give things up.
Faith makes one delight in the Dharma of the Victor.
Faith makes good qualities into special features of
gnosis.
It reveals the rank of buddhahood and makes one attain it.
“ ‘It makes the faculties sharp and very lucid.
The power of faith is not undermined by others.
It is the foundation for removing the defilements.
Faith also searches out the innate qualities.
“ ‘Faith has no attachment to the doors of attachment.
It removes inopportune things and is the single best opportunity.
It makes one escape from the path of Māra
And reveals the highest path to liberation.
“ ‘Faith is the unspoiled seed of the field of good qualities.
Faith produces the field of awakening.
It increases the good qualities of the special features of
gnosis.
Faith reveals all victors.
“ ‘Through faith, there are different sorts of delight in devotion.
Concerning that, I will gradually explain the practice.
This sort of Dharma teaching is very rare in the world,
Like the king of jewels in the ocean.
“ ‘Those who have faith and devotion toward the Buddha
Will not abandon the rules of moral conduct.
Possessing good qualities,
They will be praised by those endowed with good qualities.
“ ‘Moral conduct reveals the thought of awakening.
It inures one to the good qualities of the level of a
trainee.
Those who do not abandon the rules of moral conduct
Will become worthy of the Victor’s praise.
“ ‘Those who have constant faith and devotion toward the Victor
Will make vast offerings in his honor.
They who make vast offerings
Will have inconceivably great faith in the Buddha.
“ ‘Those who have constant faith in and devotion toward the Dharma
Will be insatiable in desiring to learn the Victor’s Dharma.
Those who are insatiable in desiring to learn Dharma
Will have inconceivably great faith in the Dharma.
“ ‘Those who have constant faith in and devotion toward the Saṅgha
Will not turn back thanks to the power of their faith.
“ ‘Those who do not turn back thanks to the power of their faith
Will have faculties that are sharp and very lucid.
“ ‘Those who have faculties that are sharp and very lucid
Will shun sinful friends.
Those who shun sinful friends
Will be assisted by virtuous friends.
“ ‘Those who will be assisted by virtuous friends
Will accumulate a vast amount of virtue.
Those who accumulate a vast amount of virtue—
Such great beings will possess a powerful cause.
“ ‘Great beings who possess a powerful cause
Will have a great difference in their devotion.
Those who have a great difference in their devotion
Will be magically blessed by all the victors.
“ ‘Those who are magically blessed by all the victors
Will also produce a mind set on awakening.
Those who produce a mind for the sake of awakening
Will exert themselves in the good qualities of a great
seer.
“ ‘Those who exert themselves in the good qualities of a great
seer
Will be born in the high lineage of the buddhas.
Those who have been born in the high lineage of the buddhas
Will be equal to them and thus done with joining or not joining them.
“ ‘Those equal and thus done with joining or not joining
Will have faith and minds that are pure.
Those who have faith and minds that are pure
Will have the highest noble altruism.
“ ‘Those who have the highest noble altruism
Will always practice the perfections.
Those who always practice the perfections
Will enter into this Mahāyāna.
“ ‘Those who enter into this Mahāyāna
Will worship the buddhas through practice.
Those who worship the buddhas through practice
Will have constant mindfulness of the Buddha.
“ ‘Those who have constant mindfulness of the Buddha
Will always see inconceivable buddhas.
Those who always see inconceivable buddhas
Will never have buddhas not residing.
“ ‘Those who never have buddhas not residing
Will never be impaired from the Dharma in the meantime.
[F.65.a]
Those who will never be impaired from the Dharma in the meantime
Will have eloquence that is without obscuration.
“ ‘Those whose eloquence is without obscuration
Those who are
boundless in teaching the Dharma
Will be kind to living beings and desire to benefit them.
“ ‘Those who are kind to living beings and desire to benefit them
Will have a firm root of great compassion.
Those who have a firm root of great compassion
Will have the faculty of joy through delighting in Dharma.
“ ‘Those who have the faculty of joy through delighting in Dharma
Will cast aside the fault of conditioned things.
Those who
tolerate the fault of conditioned things
Will be without pride and conceit and not unrestrained.
“ ‘Those who will be without pride and conceit and not unrestrained
Will always exert themselves for the sake of self and others.
Those who always exert themselves for the sake of self and others
Will not be discouraged by saṃsāra.
“ ‘Those who will not be discouraged by saṃsāra
Will possess the highest of noble diligence.
Those who possess the highest of noble diligence
Will give birth to pure clairvoyance.
“ ‘Those who will give birth to pure clairvoyance
Will understand the many behaviors of living beings.
Those who understand the many behaviors of living beings
Will be skilled in maturing beings.
“ ‘Those who will be skilled in maturing beings
Will be skilled in the
procedure of knowing how to attract beings.
Those who are skilled in the
procedure of knowing how to attract beings
Will exert themselves in the four factors of attraction.
“ ‘Those who exert themselves in the four factors of attraction
Will make the welfare of living beings infinite.
Those who make the welfare of living beings infinite
Will rely upon discriminative wisdom and methods.
“ ‘Those who rely upon discriminative wisdom and methods—
Such heroes dwell on the insuperable path.
Such heroes who dwell on the insuperable path
Will not be harmed by the assemblies of Māra.
“ ‘Those who are not harmed by the assemblies of Māra
Will transcend the path of Māra.
Those who transcend the path of Māra
Attain the forbearance of unborn factors.
[F.65.b]
Those who attain the forbearance of unborn factors
Are lamps of the world and prophesied by the Victor.
“ ‘Such lamps of the world that are prophesied by the Victor
Dwell in the presence of all victors.
Those who dwell in the presence of all victors
Will be skilled in the methods of magical displays of the
secret victors.
“ ‘Those who are skilled in the methods of magical displays of the
secret victors
Will be thought of by all the victors.
Those who are thought of by all the victors
Will be well ornamented by all good qualities.
“ ‘Those who are well ornamented by all good qualities—
Even their bodies will be purified by superior merit.
Those who have bodies that are purified by superior merit
Will glow like golden mountains.
“ ‘Those who glow like golden mountains
Will complete all thirty-two major marks.
Those who complete all thirty-two major marks
Will have bodies ornamented by the minor marks.
“ ‘Those who have bodies ornamented by the minor marks
Will be limitless in their bodily light.
Those who are limitless in their bodily light
Will have unimaginably large arrays of light.
“ ‘Those who have unimaginably large arrays of light
Will even have lotus flowers emerge from the light.
Those for whom lotus flowers emerge from the light
Can project in worlds in all ten directions
As the body of the victor present on a lotus seat
And can discipline sentient beings who dwell in meaningful relations.
“ ‘Those who can project in worlds in all ten directions
As the body of the victor present on a lotus seat
And can discipline sentient beings who dwell in meaningful relations
Will have infinite magical power of clairvoyance.
“ ‘Those who will have infinite magical power of clairvoyance
Will move through inconceivable buddhafields,
Teach inconceivable Dharma teachings,
And satisfy inconceivably many sentient beings.
[F.66.a]
“ ‘Those who will teach inconceivable Dharma teachings
And satisfy inconceivably many sentient beings
Will train the sentient beings in the world according to their individual minds
Thanks to the power of the analytical knowledges.
“ ‘Those who will train the sentient beings in the world according to their individual minds
Thanks to the power of the analytical knowledges
Will constantly, in their body, speech, and mind,
“ ‘Those who are constantly, in their body, speech, and mind,
Will reveal bodily forms in the minds of sentient beings
According to their wishes through the power of former aspirations.
“ ‘Those who reveal bodily forms in the minds of sentient beings
According to their wishes through the power of former aspirations
Will, when they utter words,
Produce inconceivable varieties of melody.
“ ‘Those who, when they utter words,
Produce inconceivable varieties of melody
Will perceive in one moment
The minds of all sentient beings.
“ ‘Those who perceive in one moment
The minds of all sentient beings
Will never die and will not be reborn,
And for them the flux of the defilements will not arise.
“ ‘Those who never die and will not be reborn
And for whom the flux of the defilements does not arise
Will pass through the world, their bodies of
gnosis
Differentiated by the Dharma, their quality being reality.
“ ‘Those who pass through the world, their bodies of
gnosis
Differentiated by the Dharma, their quality being reality,
Will dwell in the ten levels, the ten powers,
“ ‘Those who will dwell in the ten levels, the ten powers,
Will attain the array of being
consecrated and magical displays
And will dwell in the highest absorptions.
“ ‘Those who attain the array of being
consecrated and magical displays
And who dwell in the highest absorptions
Will attain all ways of being
consecrated without exception
From all the victors in the ten directions.
“ ‘Those who attain all ways of being anointed without exception
From all the victors in the ten directions
Will be anointed on their heads by the buddhas of the ten directions
Whose palms are filled with the nectar of immortality.
“ ‘Those who are anointed on their heads by the buddhas of the ten directions
Whose palms are filled with nectar or immortality—
[F.66.b]
Such great beings with firm powers, after pervading everywhere like space,
Will dwell in all directions.
“ ‘Those who have firm powers and, after pervading everywhere like space,
Dwell in all directions—
Will be impossible for the world with its gods to understand.
“ ‘Those
incomparable ones who have spheres of experience that are
Impossible for the world with its gods to understand—
All their efforts, their presence, their renown,
And their eloquence will be meaningful.
“ ‘Those whose efforts, presence, renown,
And eloquence are meaningful—
For such great beings all their acts of charity,
Consisting in deeds of generosity, will be meaningful.
“ ‘By the power of such beings, the Dharma too will endure,
And kindness will not decline.
They will practice meritorious deeds,
And the power of the noble Three Jewels will become supreme.
“ ‘By the power of these beings, the jewels that are in the ocean,
Including the best of jewels, the adamantine vajra,
Will never become depleted or obscured,
Just like water with limitless qualities.
“ ‘Wherever there are lands without buddhas,
They will manifest the complete awakening of buddhahood.
In whatever direction there is likewise no Dharma,
They will manifest a treasure of Dharma,
And they manifest spontaneously in all directions,
Illumining like the moon.
They train sentient beings in a thousand ways.
“ ‘Every moment they manifest the awakening of buddhahood
In all ten directions of the world systems.
They manifest the Valiant One by turning the wheel of Dharma,
By the peace of nirvāṇa, and by leaving behind ample relics.
And the infinite magical displays of the array of buddhas,
Those expert ones train sentient beings
By means of the Three Vehicles.
“ ‘Those who know about fulfilling all wishes
Manifest the bodies of boys, girls, women,
Gods, humans, asuras, nāgas,
Yakṣas, kumbhāṇḍa evil spirits, and mahoragas.
“ ‘By the absorption of the mudrā of the ocean,
Those heroes manifest without omission
[F.67.a]
The physical conduct,
signs, behaviors,
And language systems of living beings.
Through inconceivable pure land arrays
They worship all the victors of the ten directions.
“ ‘Those who through inconceivable pure land arrays
Worship all the victors of the ten directions
Manifest inconceivable arrays of light
And the inconceivable
gnosis of explaining things to sentient beings.
“ ‘Those who manifest inconceivable arrays of light
And inconceivable
gnosis of explaining things to sentient beings
Manifest magical manifestations of body and speech
And inconceivable manifestations of mind.
“ ‘Those who manifest magical manifestations of body and speech
And inconceivable manifestations of mind
Manifest magical displays of giving and moral conduct
And inconceivable magical displays of patience and vigor.
“ ‘Those who manifest magical displays of giving and moral conduct
And inconceivable magical displays of patience and vigor
Produce inconceivable magical displays of concentration
And inconceivable magical displays of discriminating wisdom, means, and clairvoyance.
Their magical displays of all good qualities will also be infinite.
“ ‘Through a meditative absorption that manifests
minute atoms,
They achieve that for all atoms,
And display in a single atom inconceivably many buddhafields;
But even so, that single atom does not increase.
“ ‘Within a single atom, they display buddhafields with buddhas,
And some of those fields lack buddhas.
They also display a few flower clusters of purified defilements
And fields that are vast and limited or extensive in scope.
Some seem to be standing upside down,
And some appear like a conjuring trick.
“ ‘Just as the buddhafields are displayed in a single atom,
So they appear in all of them.
Such is the magical display of the absorption of the
seers.
Such is their liberation of limitless renown.
“ ‘They make manifest for all victors the absorption,
The magical display of offerings to the victors.
Filling the palms of their hands with the billionfold world systems,
[F.67.b]
They worship the sublime beings.
“ ‘As many garlands of flowers as there are in all ten directions,
And as many precious fragrances, scented powders, and jewels—
All those they emit from the palms of their hands to worship the victors
Who dwell at the foot of the tree of awakening.
“ ‘As many precious silk textiles, scented powders, jewels,
Victory banners, flags, varieties of the best parasols,
And gold-ornamented jewel canopies as there are—
All of these are showered down from the palms of their hands.
“ ‘And showering down from the palms of their hands
Infinite necessities in the ten directions,
Which are worthy of being offered to the great
seers,
They worship the victors who dwell beneath the tree of awakening.
“ ‘All of the music that exists in the ten directions—
Played on drums, clay pot drums, lutes, vīṇās,
Small and large cymbals, or flutes—
They sound forth from the palms of their hands.
“ ‘They also utter from the palms of their hands
The various praises of the true qualities
And various formulations of eulogistic verses.
“ ‘Radiating from their right hands
Light rays that gather through the power of meritorious acts,
They release a shower of scented water over all the buddhafields
And worship the lamps of the world.
“ ‘They worship the victors from their hands
Through numerous light rays with arrays and beautiful lights
And draped with inconceivable ornamental garlands of lotuses,
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of flowers,
Flower canopies, and light rays in the shape of flowers,
And having strewn about various flowers,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of incense,
Incense canopies, and light rays in the shape of incense,
And having strewn about various kinds of incense,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of fragrances,
Canopies of fragrant substances, and light rays in the shape of fragrant substances,
And having strewn about various kinds of fragrances,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of garlands,
[F.68.a]
Garland canopies, and light rays in the shape of garlands,
And having strewn about various garlands,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of textiles,
Textile canopies, and light rays in the shape of textiles,
And having strewn about various textiles,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of parasols,
Parasol canopies, and light rays in the shape of parasols,
And having strewn about various parasols,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of jewels,
Jewel canopies, and light rays in the shape of jewels,
And having strewn about various jewels,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of lotuses,
Lotus canopies, and light rays in the shape of lotuses,
And having strewn about various lotuses,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘Emanating multitudes of necklaces,
Necklace canopies, and light rays in the shape of necklaces,
And having strewn about various necklaces,
Those great beings worship the Victor.
“ ‘They will emanate light in the shape of the best of victory banners,
And using banners that are white, yellow, red,
And blue, and with numerous banners of various shapes,
They ornament the buddhafields of the Victor.
“ ‘And with parasols equipped with various nets of jewels,
They have
hung flags of silken strings,
And with chains of large and small bells that sound with the voice of the Victor,
They attach those to the head of the Tathāgata.
“ ‘And those infinite offerings from their hands—
Just as they offer to a single victor,
So they offer to all victors without exception.
Such is the magical display of the absorption of
seers.
“ ‘By virtue of the
gnosis that attracts living beings,
And by achieving the magical displays and highest absorptions,
They train sentient beings through a thousand methods,
Which is the medium of all duties and respectful service.
[F.68.b]
“ ‘Some train others by means of worshiping the tathāgatas,
By means of making inconceivably great gifts,
By means of purified qualities and complete moral conduct,
And by means of inexhaustible, undisturbed patience.
“ ‘Some train others by means of striving in ascetic hardships of discipline,
By means of remaining tranquilly in meditative concentration,
By means of discriminating wisdom that discerns the meaning,
And by means of the methods that embody all forms of conduct.
By means of desiring to benefit others through the four attracting things,
By means of accumulating merit and
gnosis,
“ ‘Some train others by means of the powers and the path of the faculties,
And by means of the magical displays of the highest vehicle.
“ ‘Some train others by means of impermanence and suffering,
Some by means of selflessness and the absence of a life spirit,
By means of no desire through conceiving of the unpleasant,
And by means of the absorption of peace and cessation.
“ ‘However many avenues of behavior there are for sentient beings,
They will have entered that many avenues of the Dharma.
Sentient beings of the world are trained in line with their thoughts.
“ ‘Those who thus train sentient beings of the world in line with their thoughts
Such are their magical displays of absorption.
“ ‘They train sentient beings by stabilizing their minds
Through the highest absorption joyful display,
Which conforms with the maturing of all living beings,
“ ‘Where crops fail in the world, and provisions
And things that cause happiness become very scarce,
There they act for all in line with their thoughts;
Giving gifts, they achieve the welfare of living beings.
“ ‘By renouncing the best quality and best tasting food and drink,
Fine garments and clothing, various valuables,
The wealth of the kingdom, and selfish disappointments,
They train those living beings who highly value generosity.
“ ‘Those firm ones train sentient beings by manifesting bodies
Adorned with the highest signs,
Ornamented by the best clothing and jewel ornaments,
[F.69.a]
Adorned with flower garlands, and anointed with fragrance.
“ ‘To those who deeply enjoy what they see,
Those most intelligent ones
Manifest supreme bodies, excellent bodies, and the best of bodies,
And thus they train sentient beings who highly value bodies.
“ ‘They accordingly teach Dharma according to all inclinations,
Such as teaching by means of the sweet call of a kalaviṅka bird,
Or teaching a cuckoo bird through the call of a swan,
Or by means of a drum, or the voice of
Brahmā, or the voice of a kinnara.
“ ‘They train the sentient beings of the world according to each one’s inclination
By means of different kinds of Dharma,
Namely, by means of the eighty-four thousand articles of Dharma
That were taught by the victors for the welfare of living beings.
“ ‘They even make happiness the friend of suffering,
And they make their own aim the friend of harmfulness.
By thus making friends in all activities,
They train sentient beings by means of friends.
“ ‘They
tolerate, for the sake of friends,
Suffering, harm, and the faults of conditioned things,
And for the welfare and happiness of all living beings
They undertake harm for the sake of friends.
“ ‘In places where there is no going forth, no Dharma,
They give up the wealth of their kingdoms
And, with peaceful minds, go forth without any fixed abode.
“ ‘In order to free all living beings
From the states of home, bondage, and existence,
They will live in renunciation, clearly teaching
emancipation,
Without remaining stuck in any desired pleasure.
“ ‘They explain the ten conducts
And work for the welfare of living beings
By teaching in detail the Dharma practices of sublime beings
And all the practices of
seers.
“ ‘In realms where sentient beings possess infinite lives
And live happily with few defilements,
They will manifest their own uncontrollable deaths,
Afflicted by old age and illness.
“ ‘They will train sentient beings by manifesting worlds
In which desire burns, anger burns,
And in which old age, sickness, and death all blaze.
[F.69.b]
“ ‘By means of the ten powers of the Buddha, the four diligences,
And the eighteen special qualities,
They express the great nature of the Buddha
And achieve the welfare of beings through the qualities of a buddha.
“ ‘By issuing proclamations via magical displays
Through the power of the blessing of forms,
They demonstrate everywhere the wonders of the Tathāgata
And train sentient beings through the wonders of magical displays.
“ ‘Through a wide variety of methods,
They wander the world and work for the welfare of living creatures.
Unattached to the world like lotus flowers in water,
They wander, gladdening and inspiring those they meet.
“ ‘As poets, they compose poems of the victors;
They are dancers, drummers, strongmen, and musicians;
They bear lassos that are garlands of beautiful ornaments and they dance,
And they manifest the many bodily forms of a magician.
“ ‘As town dwellers they will rule as headmen.
Similarly, they will become caravan leaders, traders, or householders.
They will also become kings, minsters, courtiers, messengers,
Or doctors and knowers of worldly sciences.
“ ‘In remote places, they will become great wish-granting trees
That grant medicines, inexhaustible treasures,
And wish-granting jewels,
And they will show the correct path to those who are lost while traveling.
“ ‘Having appeared in the world, they learn quickly,
And they will explain the world to all those sentient beings
Who do not know the ways of work
Such as agriculture, commerce, and the various arts and crafts.
“ ‘Any engagements that are nonviolent and harmless
And that make beings happy are praised by the wise.
Are described in detail by these
seers.
“ ‘Those most expert ones describe in detail
The highest conduct of
seers,
Which is admired by the whole world along with the gods,
And all the supreme austerities among the ascetic disciplines.
“ ‘They manifest themselves as expert teachers of the
tīrthikas,
The ascetics, gautamas, those observing silence,
And naked, ascetic śramaṇas who practice wearing no clothing.
“ ‘They also become teachers to those who practice
Of those who follow the behavior of dogs and oxen, of those who live like deer,
And of the thirty kinds of
tīrthika adepts.
“ ‘To those who delight in engaging in their knowledge of gods
And who wander in sacred
tīrtha ablution places,
After partaking of roots, fruits, and water
The supreme worthy ones teach the inconceivable Dharma.
“ ‘They also become teachers to those who practice
Staying in small tents, solitary wanderers
Who sleep on thorny grass and in the dust,
And those who live lying on beds of pounding sticks.
“ ‘They strive to understand the motivation and inclinations
Of all the outsider
tīrthikas there are, no matter how numerous,
And use the unbearable difficulty of achieving those harsh austerities
To train those
tīrthikas to abandon their misery.
“ ‘Having understood the agitation caused in the world by views,
“ ‘And for some, using the words of rākṣasa, bhūta, and piśāca evil spirits,
And gandharvas, kumbhāṇḍas, and mahoragas,
And the words of kinnaras, asuras, and garuḍas,
They reveal the truth and lead them to liberation.
Of all the Dharma teachings of the Victor, without exception.
[F.70.b]
Their magical display of meditative absorptions is like this. [B4]
“ ‘As they accomplish with regard to all beings
The absorption of beings’ highest bliss,
They emanate inconceivable light rays,
And emanating light rays, they train sentient beings.
“ ‘They radiate light rays that are beautiful to behold.
However many sentient beings may perceive such light rays,
They are beautiful to behold and not fruitless
Because they are the cause of supreme insuperable
gnosis.
“ ‘Displaying the buddhas to all humans,
Displaying the Dharma as well and not displaying it,
And displaying for their worship the images of the Victors,
Light rays beautiful to behold will thus be perfected.
“ ‘Sending forth what are called illuminating light rays
That eclipse even the light rays of the gods,
Illuminating all particles and darkness,
These lights that bring benefit to the world illuminate everything.
“ ‘Those sentient beings inspired by that light
All hold lamps for the sake of worshiping the Victor.
Because they hold lamps for the sake of worshiping the Victor,
They will become victors who are lights of the world.
“ ‘Offering to the victors lamps that burn mustard seed oil and that burn butter,
And torches of grass, wood, reeds, or bamboo,
And precious lanterns of fragrance and
elixir,
They thus attain the status of illuminators.
“ ‘They emanate light rays called liberators,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light
Gird themselves with armor for the sake of liberating sentient beings
From the ocean of existence with its extensive craving.
“ ‘Those who gird themselves with armor for the sake of liberating sentient beings
From the ocean of existence with its extensive craving
Will free beings from the four rivers.
They are shown the city of the bliss of nirvāṇa.
“ ‘Having made numerous ford landings and bridges,
They provide boats to rescue those on river routes.
By praising the peace of eradicating conditioned things,
They thus achieve liberating light rays.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that quench thirst,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light
Shun thirst for the sense objects
And strive to acquire a taste for savoring the Dharma.
[F.71.a]
“ ‘By shunning thirst for sense objects
And striving to attain a taste for savoring the Dharma,
They will become buddhas who shower down rains of nectar of immortality.
Thus they will quench the craving of the thirst of the world.
“ ‘Ponds, rivers, wells, river banks, and lakes
Are turned into things that advance the attainment of awakening,
And by disparaging lust while praising meditative concentration,
They will achieve the quenching of craving.
“ ‘They emanate gladdening light rays,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light
Will feel very glad and will conceive the thought:
“I will become a self-arisen one for the sake of supreme awakening!”
“ ‘By causing the compassionate one’s body, which is ornamented by marks,
To sit upon a lotus seat,
And by always praising the qualities of the Buddha,
They achieve gladdening light rays.
“ ‘Emanating pleasing light rays,
Sentient beings impelled by that light
Will always please the Buddha,
Always please the Dharma, and always please the Saṅgha.
“ ‘After always pleasing the Buddha,
Always pleasing the Dharma, and always pleasing the Saṅgha,
They attain the Buddha, Dharma, and assembly of the exalted,
Perpetually gain friends, and attain insuperable patience.
“ ‘With an awareness of the Buddha and encouraging many sentient beings
To worship the Dharma and highest assembly,
Through expressing the qualities of the thought of awakening
They will therefore achieve pleasing light rays.
“ ‘They emanate light rays of gathering merit,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light
Will strive to attain the highest awakening
And will give manifold and numerous gifts.
They satisfy the wishes of the recipients,
And through granting the gift of all their wishes,
They achieve light rays of gathering merit.
“ ‘They emanate
light rays endowed with gnosis,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light,
Through the avenue to a single Dharma teaching,
Instantly understand the avenues to numerous Dharmas.
[F.71.b]
“ ‘By causing sentient beings to uphold the opening of the Dharma,
Gnosis that ascertains its meaning will open up.
And by expressing the words and meaning of the Dharma,
They achieve
light rays endowed with gnosis.
“ ‘They emanate light rays of the lamp of discriminating wisdom,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light
Will immerse themselves in teachings on things being empty, without self,
“ ‘And by teaching that phenomena lack an owner, are empty, lack an agent,
And are like a magical illusion or a mirage, like the reflection of the moon in water,
Like a dream, and like a reflection in a mirror,
They will achieve the lamp of discriminating wisdom.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that are miracles of the Dharma,
And sentient beings inspired by that light
Will attain the dhāraṇī of inexhaustible patience
and maintain the treasure house of all tathāgatas.
“ ‘Thoroughly securing benefits for those who maintain the Dharma,
They will protect the
seers by means of Dharma
And protect living beings by means of Dharma,
And they will achieve light rays that are miracles of the Dharma.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with generosity,
And any greedy sentient beings inspired by that light,
By learning that wealth is impermanent and instable,
Will come to always delight in giving things away.
“ ‘All greed-filled sentient beings that are obstinate and difficult to train,
By learning that objects of wealth are like clouds in a dream,
Happily increase their acts of generosity,
And therefore achieve light rays imbued with generosity.
“ ‘They emanate light rays of freedom from pain,
And any sentient beings of impure moral discipline inspired by that light
Will come to observe pure moral discipline,
Conceiving the thought, “I will become a self-arisen one.”
“ ‘By encouraging many sentient beings to observe moral discipline
And to engage in pure paths of virtuous deeds,
And by making them generate the thought of awakening,
They will achieve light rays of freedom from pain.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with arrays of patience,
And any impatient sentient beings inspired by that light
Will avoid anger, malice, and pride,
[F.72.a]
And come to always appreciate patience.
“ ‘Hence they patiently endure harm inflicted by sinful beings,
And, for the sake of awakening, they do not engage in quarrels.
By always expressing praise for the qualities of patience,
They achieve light rays imbued with arrays of patience.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with purification,
And any lazy sentient beings inspired by that light
Will practice suitable exertion
And make offerings with untiring
application to the Three Jewels.
“ ‘Having practiced suitable ways of exertion
For making offerings with untiring
application to the Three Jewels,
They transcend the paths of the four māras
And quickly reach highest awakening.
“ ‘Inspiring many sentient beings to exert diligence,
Having made offerings to the Three Jewels
They therefore achieve light rays imbued with purification.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that pacify,
And the minds of any agitated sentient beings inspired by that light
Will understand and turn toward meditative attainments
Once they are freed from desire, hatred, and confusion.
“ ‘After strictly avoiding association
With those who have faulty dealings with sinful friends,
By praising the virtues of tranquil meditative concentration in solitude,
They achieve light rays that pacify.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with arrays of discriminating wisdom,
And any sentient beings of defective understanding inspired by that light
Will learn, gaining an awareness
Of truth, dependence, ways of
emancipation, and the faculties.
“ ‘After learning, realizing an awareness of
And attaining the absorption of the lamp of the sun,
They will become victors who make discriminating wisdom shine brightly.
“ ‘Giving up the wealth of their kingdoms and selfish disappointments,
Any Dharma they may seek for the sake of awakening,
When they devotedly explain that Dharma,
Will make them attain light rays imbued with arrays of discriminating wisdom.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with buddhas,
And any sentient beings inspired by that light
Will behold those inconceivably many thousands of buddhas
Seated upon their noble lotus seats.
[F.72.b]
“ ‘By describing the great qualities of the buddhas and of their
emancipations,
And the infinite magical powers of a buddha,
And by describing in detail the powers and magical displays of a buddha,
They will then achieve light rays imbued with buddhas.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that grant protection from danger,
And any danger-afflicted sentient beings touched by that light
Will become freed from all dangers such as that of evil spirits or planets causing paralysis,
Or being bound and beaten to death, or being in the initial stages of serious illnesses.
“ ‘Protecting sentient beings by granting protection from danger,
Preventing living beings and animals from being killed,
And protecting those in danger and those seeking refuge,
They achieve light rays that grant protection from danger.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that create all kinds of happiness,
And any ill people touched by that light
Become freed in all respects from the suffering of their illnesses.
They also attain the happiness of meditative concentration and absorption.
“ ‘Giving them curative medicines, roots,
Jewels,
elixirs, fragrances, unguent oils,
Brown sugar, honey, milk, butter,
Mustard seed oil, or food and drink, they attain health.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that display the Buddha,
And any people inspired by those lights who have reached the last moments of life,
Remembering the Buddha, will see the Buddha
And after death will go to realms where buddhas dwell.
“ ‘Remembering the Buddha at the time of death,
The uplifting bodily form of the Victor is revealed,
And expressing at the time of death that the Buddha is sent forth as refuge,
They achieve light rays that display the Buddha.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that expound the Dharma,
And any sentient beings inspired by them
Will cause the Dharma to be read, recited, and written in texts
And will always feel a devotional appreciation of the Dharma.
“ ‘When famines of Dharma occur, they will expound the Dharma
And satisfy the hopes of those searching for Dharma.
By saying “Exert yourselves in Dharma!” they will encourage motivation toward the Dharma.
They achieve the expounding of Dharma.
“ ‘In order to encourage the sons of the Buddha,
They emanate light rays imbued with sweet sounds,
All are heard as the Buddha’s voice.
For the sake of the sound of the Victor’s voice,
And by loudly ringing for all living beings
The cymbals and large bells that are given as gifts,
They achieve light rays that have sweet sounds.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that grant immortality,
And any sentient beings inspired by them
Will avoid all careless behavior
And will devote themselves to cultivating every good quality.
“ ‘By teaching, “Conditioned things are always unpleasant
And are filled with many afflicting sufferings,
While cessation is always pleasant and peaceful,”
They attain light rays that grant immortality.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with special features,
And any sentient beings inspired by them
Hear the special features of the victors’ moral conduct,
The special features of their absorption, and special features of discriminating wisdom.
“ ‘By giving praise for the sake of awakening and by greatly extoling with the words,
“The Great Muni’s royal law is best,
His absorption is best, and his discriminating wisdom is best!”
They thus achieve light rays imbued with special features.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with arrays of jewels,
And any sentient beings inspired by them,
After attaining inexhaustible treasures of jewels,
Will worship the Great
Seer through the best of jewels.
“ ‘They offer jewels of the Victor and stūpas.
By attracting defilement-filled living beings with jewels
And offering jewels to the victors,
They achieve light rays imbued with arrays of jewels.
“ ‘They emanate light rays imbued with distinctive fragrance,
And any sentient beings inspired by them,
Having smelled the pleasant otherworldly fragrance,
Will ascertain the qualities of the Buddha.
“ ‘Having worshiped well the Chief among Humans through offerings,
Using human and divine fragrance and unguent oils,
And fashioning victors’ bodies and stūpas from fragrances,
They achieve light rays imbued with distinctive fragrance.
And with various banners, flags, and superior parasols,
And with cymbals ringing out and filling the air with incense smoke,
The noble palace is decorated by flowers that are strewn about.
“ ‘Welcoming the victors with the ringing of cymbals,
They worship the Buddha with flowers, unguent oils, incense,
Scented powders, banners, flags, and superior parasols.
[F.73.b]
And the lands become as flat and smooth as the palm of one’s hand.
Having purified the locales of stūpas and
seers,
“ ‘They emanate light rays wreathed in clouds,
And the clouds that gather shower down fragrant rain,
And by sprinkling the circumambulation path around a stūpa with scented water,
They achieve light rays wreathed in clouds.
“ ‘They emanate
light rays in the form of flickering arrays,
And they make those lacking clothing possess garments and ornaments.
By giving clothing, raiment, and various necklaces,
They achieve
light rays in the form of flickering arrays.
“ ‘They emanate light rays endowed with food with the best of tastes,
And they cause those who are hungry to attain food with the best of tastes.
By giving them food and drink and various foods with the best of tastes,
They achieve light rays endowed with food with the best of tastes.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that reveal wealth,
And poor people attain treasures of jewels.
They attain light rays that reveal wealth.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify the eyes,
And at that time the blind see various shapes.
By offering lamps to the victors and their stūpas,
They achieve light rays that purify the eyes.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify the ears,
And as a result, those with defective ears will hear many sounds.
By offering cymbals to the victors and their stūpas,
They achieve light rays that purify the ears.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify the nose,
And the audience will smell fragrances never before smelled.
By offering fragrances to the victors and their stūpas,
They will achieve light rays that purify the nose.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify the tongue,
Avoiding unpleasant, coarse sounds
And using soft speech, they achieve light rays that purify the tongue.
“ ‘They emanate
light rays that purify the aspects of form,
And those with defective sense faculties will gain working ones.
Through bowing their bodies to the bodily forms of the victors
And the victors’ stūpas, they achieve a
purified body.
[F.74.a]
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify the mind,
And all mad people will become sane.
By causing the mind to go after the faculty of absorption,
They achieve light rays that purify the mind.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify the body,
And human rulers see inconceivably many buddha bodies.
By painting many pictures of buddhas of various kinds
And by ornamenting stūpas, they achieve light rays that purify the body.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify sounds,
And they understand sounds to be non-sounds, empty.
By teaching sounds to be “like an echo, since they arise through conditions,”
They achieve light rays that purify sounds.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify scents,
And all scents become the best scents of all.
Washing the stūpas of the victors with water scented with the best fragrance,
Such are the lights of the field of awakening.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify tastes,
And foods and drinks, whether poisonous or wholesome, will have the finest of tastes.
All those finest tastes are the light rays that are offered
To the buddhas and
śrāvakas or to their parents.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify touch,
And all rough sensations become smooth and pleasant.
A great shower of sharp weapons such as short spears, tridents, swords, and long arrows
Will become as smooth as a garland of flowers and like lotuses.
“ ‘That is the light from offering
Spreading it out on the ground for the victors to tread upon,
With flowers, unguent oils, soft robes, necklaces, and canopies.
“ ‘They emanate light rays that purify phenomena,
And thus satisfy all the aspirations that have come from hearing
The inconceivable teachings that have issued
From all the hairs of all the victors who work for the benefit of the world.”
“ ‘Their nature has not arisen through conditions.
By teaching, “The body of the victors is the dharmakāya
And its ultimate nature always abides like space,”
They will achieve the purification of phenomena.
“ ‘Such and other avenues of light rays,
Numbering as many as the grains of sand of the river Ganges,
Will appear from a single hair pore of the
seers,
And each will have its specific karmic connection.
[F.74.b]
“ ‘Just as they appear from a single pore,
So light rays numbering as many as the sands of the Ganges
Will shine from every pore without exception.
Such is the magical display of the absorption of the
seer.
“ ‘By whichever qualities any light rays are achieved,
Those are qualities with which one was formerly associated.
Thus, it is from these qualities that the light rays manifest.
Such is the magical display of the
gnosis of the
seer.
“ ‘Thus, those who were previously associated with merit
And whoever subsequently offered their supplications
And whoever thus beheld the light rays and accumulated merit—
It is they who will know such light rays.
“ ‘Whoever performed meritorious acts and gathered virtue,
And whoever worshiped the buddhas
And longed and strove for the qualities of buddhahood—
All were urged and inspired by the light rays.
“ ‘For example, even though a blind person cannot see the sun,
It is not the case that it does not exist; it arises for people in the world.
Those possessing eyes, when they know that the sun is rising,
All engage in their own respective kinds of work.
“ ‘Just so, even though those light rays of sublime beings
Have certainly come into being, they are not seen by those afflicted by error
Or by ordinary people of poor devotion.
Yet they may indeed be seen by those of vast intelligence.
“ ‘For example, rich people do indeed possess
Such things as ornaments, jewels, vehicles, palaces,
Elixirs, unguent oils, and fragrances,
Yet the poor lack such things.
“ ‘Just so, the light rays of sublime beings certainly exist,
Yet though they do exist, they are not seen by those afflicted by error
Or by people of poor devotion.
But those of vast intelligence do see them.
“ ‘Those who, after hearing this discrimination of light rays,
Feel faith, devotion, and appreciation,
Should not doubt or question
Whether they will consequently develop great qualities or not.
“ ‘They realize through an excellent absorption
The magical array of a circle of servants
And project in all ten directions
Peerless personal attendants, bodhisattvas.
“ ‘Having magically caused the light arrays with various lotuses
To become the size of the billionfold universe,
[F.75.a]
They project bodies in seated postures, pervading everywhere;
Such is the magical display of meditative absorptions.
“ ‘Having blessed the other lotuses
Numbering as many as the atoms of ten buddhafields,
Together with the retinues,
They will be completely surrounded by all the sons of buddhas.
They repose either in absorption or not in absorption.
“ ‘Those
seers have matured and transformed those beings,
Having accomplished excellent buddhahood.
Those beings surround the great lotus.
All of them repose there, seated with folded hands, looking ahead.
“ ‘Those that remain in absorption
Represent the ultimate nature of sublime beings,
Having been surrounded by their own disciples
Like the moon surrounded by a constellation of stars.
“ ‘Just as they operate in one direction
And have projected their servants, the bodhisattvas,
So they project in every direction;
Such is the magical display of meditative absorption.
“ ‘Having actualized the ultimate absorption
That prevails as a net pervading every direction,
They project in all ten directions their own bodies,
Some in equipoise and some rising up.
“ ‘In the eastern direction they rest in meditative equipoise,
While in the western direction the hero
rises up.
When in the west, they rest in equipoise,
In the east the great being
rises up.
“ ‘They operate in this manner in the ten directions.
While they rest in equipoise in the other directions,
Those in opposite directions rise up, rich with the quality of
gnosis.
Such is the
seer’s magical display of meditative absorption.
That are in the eastern direction, self-arisen,
Those beings who are in their presence, at their feet,
Appear as dwelling in peaceful absorptions.
“ ‘Having displayed resting in equipoise in that direction,
The hero in all the western buddhafields
rises up
And it appears that much worship is offered
In front of all the victors.
“ ‘Then it appears that in all the buddhafields in the west
[F.75.b]
Without exception, alongside those seated buddhas,
Those attendants who are in their presence
Rest in peaceful absorption.
“ ‘Similarly, having displayed resting in equipoise in that direction,
It appears that the hero in all the eastern buddhafields
rises up,
And it appears that much worship is offered
In front of all the victors
“ ‘Likewise, in the buddhafields in all directions
Stability ensues in every direction without exception,
With some resting in equipoise and some rising up.
And it appears the lamps of the world are being worshipped.
When those inconceivable forms are displayed,
The world with its gods grows befuddled.
And demonstrate that the eye has the
nature of being unborn and unarisen
And is empty and without any doer,
In a way that makes the world with its gods grow befuddled,
He makes his appearance in all sounds and languages.
And demonstrate that the ear has the
nature of being unborn and unarisen
And is empty and without any doer,
In a way that makes the world with its gods grow befuddled,
He makes his appearance as the best of smells.
And demonstrate that the nose has the
nature of being unborn and unarisen
And is empty and without any doer,
In a way that makes the world with its gods grow befuddled,
The great being possesses the supreme tastes.
[F.76.a]
“ ‘They rest in equipoise in these supreme tastes
And demonstrate that the tongue has the
nature of being unborn and unarisen
And is empty and without any doer,
In a way that makes the world, together with its gods, grow befuddled,
He makes his appearance as all sensations that cause pleasure in the world.
And demonstrate that the body has the
nature of being unborn and unarisen
And is empty and without any doer,
While the great being
rises through the path of phenomena.
In a way that makes the world with its gods grow befuddled,
He makes his appearance abiding in phenomena.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise in the path of phenomena
And demonstrate that the mind has the
nature of being unborn and unarisen
And is empty and without any doer,
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the bodies of infants,
While he
rises through those living in the vigor of youth.
They rest in equipoise in the vigor of youth,
While he
rises through bodies old and decrepit.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within bodies old and decrepit,
While he
rises through the bodies of faithful female lay followers.
They rest in equipoise within the bodies of faithful female lay followers,
While he
rises through the bodies of faithful laymen.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the bodies of faithful laymen,
While he
rises through the bodies of fully ordained nuns.
They rest in equipoise within the bodies of fully ordained nuns,
While he
rises through the bodies of learned fully ordained monks.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the bodies of learned fully ordained monks,
While he
rises through the supreme embodiments of buddhas.
[F.76.b]
They rest in equipoise within the supreme embodiments of buddhas,
While he
rises through the form bodies of gods.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the bodies of gods,
While he
rises through the bodies of great-magical-wonder nāgas.
They rest in equipoise within the bodies of great-magical-wonder nāgas,
While he
rises through the bodies of great-magical-wonder yakṣas.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the bodies of great-magical-wonder yakṣas,
While he
rises through the bodies of all bhūta evil spirits.
They rest in equipoise within the bodies of all bhūta evil spirits,
While he
rises through single hair pores.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within single hair pores,
While he
rises through the totality of all existing hair pores.
They rest in equipoise within the totality of all existing hair pores,
While he
rises through the length of a single hair tip.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the length of a single hair tip,
While he
rises through the length of all hair tips.
They rest in equipoise within the length of all hair tips,
While he
rises through single extremely subtle atoms.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within single extremely subtle atoms,
While he
rises through the totality of all extremely fine particles.
They rest in equipoise within the totality of all extremely fine particles,
While he
rises through the vajra bed of the ocean.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the vajra bed of the ocean,
While he
rises through jewel fruits.
They rest in equipoise within jewel fruits,
While he
rises through the paths of the victors’ light rays.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the paths of the victors’ light rays,
While he
rises through the tributary rivers of the ocean.
They rest in equipoise within the tributary rivers of the ocean,
While the great being
rises through the path of fire.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise within the path of fire,
While the mindful one
rises through the path of air.
They rest in equipoise within the path of air,
While the great being
rises through the basis of earth.
“ ‘They rest in equipoise on the basis of earth,
While he
rises through the divine palaces of all gods.
They rest in equipoise within the divine palaces of all gods,
Of those inconceivable accumulated qualities are beyond thought.
All victors, giving explanations for unimaginably many eons,
Would not be able to exhaust them.
“ ‘Their maturing deeds for living beings are inconceivable,
And what has been said of those by all the victors
Include the magical displays of nāgas, magical displays of buddhas,
And the mentally created magical displays of meditative concentration.
“ ‘These may be explained using examples.
Although there are no examples for these things that can compare,
Skillful and knowledgeable people will quickly understand their true sense
If they are taught by means of examples.
From the many he then transformed back into one.
He remained in meditative concentration in the sky and then made himself blaze.
“ ‘From his lower part blazed fire, while from his upper part streamed water.
Then from his upper part blazed fire, while from his lower part streamed water.
He displayed the inconceivable bodily wonder
Of instantaneously walking, standing, lying down, and sitting.
“ ‘Even those who have little compassion
And do not seek awakening though they abandon the world—
When such inconceivable wonders of the body are displayed to them,
Why would they not evince the desire to benefit the beings of the world?
“ ‘The great being displays reflections such as
The sun and moon passing through the sky,
Shorelines of bodies of water in all directions,
Lakes, ponds, tarns, containers,
Jewels, oceans, and tributaries.
“ ‘Likewise, he projects inconceivable bodies
Of heroes in all ten directions.
He has the innate power of a tathāgata.
“ ‘In a clear lake he is seen in the reflections
Of four-platoon armies in all their details.
He is seen as swords, spears, bows, and arrows,
Armor, horses, and chariots.
“ ‘Whatever forms he assumes, whatever places and whatever costumes,
Each and every one is seen within the water.
Yet in the water there is no notion of love and hate.
Such are the manifestations stemming from the absorption of the
seer.
[F.77.b]
“ ‘The goddess of the ocean named
Hrādinī
Who is expert in the ways of intoning the families of languages
Of all the creatures born in the ocean
Is able to satisfy speakers of all languages with her own speech.
“ ‘If even this
Hrādinī, who has attachment, anger, and delusion,
Is expert in the ways of speaking in all those languages,
Then why could those who have gained control over the dhāraṇīs and powers of the Dharma
Not gladden the world with its gods?
That daughter of
Brahmā sprung from his mind,
Who enters the minds of those who delight in truth and vow not to cause harm,
And who influences the avenues of their thoughts and minds and mouths—
“ ‘If even that sweet-voiced goddess, desirous and angry,
Can please the world using her beautiful speech,
Which is an element of voice in harmony with practiced austerities,
Why could those who are rich with the qualities of
gnosis not do so?
“ ‘A magician who is expert in spells
Can project many diverse forms without limit
And can show a day or night passing in a moment, or a month, or a hundred years
And can project an extensive and lovely mansion.
“ ‘If even the desirous and angry magician
Can please the world through magical wonders,
Then why would those who have mastered concentration, clairvoyance, and the
emancipations,
“ ‘When the rulers of the gods and asuras fight,
If the victorious gods defeat the asuras,
The asuras run away in fear, taking with them their parasols,
Mounts, and vehicles, with their army still clad in armor.
“ ‘If even those gods filled with desire and hatred
Project inconceivable bodily wonders,
Then why could those heroes who dwell in the might of powerful magic
Not demonstrate bodily magic?
“ ‘
Erāvaṇa, that vajra-holding elephant
Who became a court member to
Indra and possessed great magical power,
Magically projected thirty-three heads,
And on each head six tusks per mouth.
“ ‘On each of those tusks
He projected seven pools filled with water,
[F.78.a]
And in each pool he projected decorations
Of seven lotuses of various kinds.
“ ‘Playing with each lotus
Were seven divine maidens who were expert in all arts.
They played with the lord of the thirty-three gods,
Who was expert in song and dance.
“ ‘That elephant, magically transforming his body,
Befriended and associated with all the gods.
He brought his way of behavior and conduct into harmony with theirs.
So was the magic of the supreme elephant observed.
“ ‘If even that elephant who possessed attachment and confusion
Could project such a magical projection,
Why could those who have mastered discriminative wisdom
And the power of means not project magic using their hundred absorptions?
“ ‘The god
Rāhu can magically create any bodies he likes.
He projects them, one setting foot on the diamond lode on the ocean’s floor
And another journeying to the middle of the ocean.
He can make his head equal in height to the peak of Mount
Sumeru.
“ ‘If even
Rāhu, filled with attachment, hatred, and confusion,
Could project such wonders,
Then why could the Lamp of the World who overcame Māra
Not project infinite magical forms?
“ ‘The inconceivable magic of
Indra is conspicuous.
When the gods and asura leaders went to war,
Ten million asuras fled, and to each of them
Indra projected himself from his own body.
“ ‘The asura rulers and common ones
All knew that they were in the presence of
Indra,
And the asura rulers went mad, crying:
“I am caught by the vajra-wielder!”
“ ‘Having seen
Indra, who had magically projected a fearsome thousand-eyed form,
Wielding a flaming vajra in his hand,
His body clad in splendid, invincible armor,
“ ‘If he could project such magical projections for the sake of the gods’ victory
Through the power of ordinary merit,
Then why would those buddhas who are the refuge of all living beings without exception,
And who possess inexhaustible merit, not be able to project such bodies?
“ ‘A divine drum that encourages the gods,
Which was acquired through the fruition of the gods’ karmic deeds,
[F.78.b]
Would resound loudly from the sky
When it became aware that the gods were dwelling in carelessness, saying:
“ ‘ “All desires are impermanent and not eternal.
They are base, uncertain, and of a bubble-like nature;
Like an illusion, mirage, or a moon reflected in water—
All of existence is like a cloud in a dream.
“ ‘ “All carelessness is a hateful, pitiful thing.
It is the path of death, not the path of immortality.
Live caught in the mouth of the great crocodile of
Yama.
“ ‘ “Carelessness is the universal supporter of the root of suffering.
All rebirths are disparaged by the exalted ones.
Careless ones are confused about the objects of the senses.
Always rejoice in the power of Dharma!”
“ ‘Encouraged by the words of that drum, the gods of
Indra
Spoke words that were as peaceful as possible and free of passion,
And the drum would utter that Dharma talk to all the gods.
“ ‘Although that drum could not teach in the formless realm,
If its drum sound could thus achieve such a great purpose,
Then why could those living buddhas who completely reveal their bodies
Not achieve a great purpose for all living beings?
“ ‘When the gods and asuras waged war,
The sound of a drum that encouraged the gods
Resounded through the power of the special merit of the gods, saying:
“ ‘Urged on by that drum, the gods rejoiced,
And, freed from fear, they were revitalized.
Then, the asura kings plagued by fear
Turned in fright at that very moment and fled.
“ ‘Similarly, like the drum emitting speech,
Those compassionate ones who have overcome the defilements and māras,
Those refuges of all beings and comrades-in-arms,
Remove defilements through their peaceful sounds.
“ ‘Through
Indra’s magical projection, his ninety-two divine maidens
Give pleasure to all the other gods who are present.
Each one knows how to play with each deity and with
Indra,
[F.79.a]
And all the goddesses do the same.
“ ‘Even though the goddesses appear to stay, pleasing all the other gods,
There they teach Dharma clearly to all the gods.
That is projected by
Indra in a single moment.
“ ‘If even
Indra with his desire, hate, and confusion
Pleases those in his entourage through magical projections,
Why would those who tirelessly apply themselves for the welfare of living beings
Not please the world by virtue of magical projections?
“ ‘
Kālī of the māra deities, ruler of living beings,
Brings all these sentient beings under her power.
Through the
workings of karma and the defilements,
All ordinary beings are caught by that māra.
“ ‘If even that māra who is ridden with desire, hate, and confusion
Can overpower all living beings,
It goes without saying that those who have attained the might of the ten powers could,
And all living creatures do not
dispute it.
Also clearly illuminates all deities dwelling
Within the three-thousand
Brahmā realms
And sounds forth his very pleasant
Brahmā voice.
“ ‘If that god
Brahmā can project magical projections
Then why could those who dwell in the insuperable concentrations and
emancipations that have
Transcended the world not also make magical projections?
“ ‘Look at the magical mental projection of
Maheśvara.
Emanating rain drops wrought from clouds of the ocean,
He counted them all in a single moment,
Not overlooking the appearance of even a few of the drops.
“ ‘That being so, why would they who have attained the
gnosis
Of the highest awakening by practicing discipline for incalculable eons
Not be mentally able to know the minds
Of all living beings without exception?
“ ‘Through the inconceivable karmic fruition of sentient beings
This entire world originated from air.
Its oceans, mountains, divine palaces,
Unearthed jewels, and scattered seeds have all arisen from air.
“ ‘From air clouds have formed and rain has poured.
Yet air also makes the clouds subside.
[F.79.b]
Air also increases harvests in the world;
Air produces benefits for all living beings.
“ ‘Even though that air never studied the perfections
Or learned the Buddha’s teachings,
If it can yield the inconceivable ripening of the world,
Why could those who have attained the supreme not do that?
“ ‘The waters in the thundering clouds of the ocean
Reverberate with sounds pleasing to all sentient beings,
All bird songs, animal cries, and the voices of men,
“ ‘Having thus gained unobscured eloquence
“ ‘This ocean is a wondrous phenomenon:
Since it is as vast as the universe, it is called vast lake.
Water and precious elements come from it without ever being exhausted;
“ ‘In the same way these beings are as vast as the universe:
And discriminative wisdom and
gnosis are never exhausted—
And one never tires of such merit and qualities and the like.
“ ‘When the nāgas of the ocean play,
Immense clouds spread everywhere,
All of them displaying sundry variations,
Including the four continents of this world.
“ ‘The nāgas cause those clouds.
In the ocean, they are like hard, unbreakable diamonds.
In the secret realm of the gandharvas, they are colored like
heron or geese.
“ ‘They project golden light rays in the northern continent,
In this world of
Jambudvīpa, they are like blue mountains.
Where clouds are higher, their colors change accordingly.
The nāgas cause lightning that is colored like the light of the sun to strike.
Among the gods of the
Trāyastriṃśa class, it is like golden light rays.
In the ocean it displays a color resembling red pearls.
In the secret realm of the gandharvas, it is the color of crystal.
“ ‘In the north, lightning strikes with a color like starlight.
Each of the other continents features its own displays.
In this world of
Jambudvīpa, a jewel of the moon blazes forth,
And lightning also emerges in accordance with the clouds’ qualities.
“ ‘Among the gods of the
Trāyastriṃśa class, thunder sounds like the voices of kinnaras.
In the ocean it is like the sound of rumbling mountains.
In the secret realm of the gandharvas, it is the voice of a nāga maiden.
In the realm of humans, it resembles the sound of an ocean flute.
And showers in the form of various flowers rain down.
Resembling the moon, a
sucandra jewel, and unguent oils rain down.
The best of ornaments, the color of great jewels,
Crest ornaments resembling moons, and
Fine cloth resembling a golden hue rain down.
“ ‘Showers of banners, parasols, and diverse flags,
Garlands of flowers, ornaments, unguent oils,
Red pearls, gold, and fine cloth
“ ‘Among the gods of the
Trāyastriṃśa class there are the best wish-fulfilling gems,
Petals of saffron, the divine wood tamāla,
And showers of perfumed water and flowers fall.
Causes showers of delicious and colorful foods with appetizing aromas
For those hungry for strength-restoring food
And causes inconceivable showers of jewels to rain down.
[F.80.b]
“ ‘In the great ocean, for about as long as a yuga,
He continuously and unceasingly lets fall showers of rain,
Great victory banners, inexhaustible treasuries,
And infinite arrays of precious decorations.
White and blue lotuses, fabrics, jewels,
Vārṣikī,
mallikā flowers, scented powder, perfume,
Vīṇās, flutes, lutes, and clay-pot drums.
In the secret realm of gandharvas, it rains jewels with the colors of stars.
bows for subduing enemies, and small axes.
“ ‘In the northern continent, he lets fall a rain of precious royal necklaces,
And fruits of the
karañja and
atimukta trees.
In the other continents, showers of various other things rain down.
“ ‘On this continent of
Jambudvīpa, he lets fall clear, pure rain
In moderate amounts in accord with Dharma.
He rains down flowers, fruits, medicinal herbs, perfume, wood,
And pleasure-producing fruits for people in the world.
“ ‘Thus, even though he creates the inconceivable cloud arrays
And showers with lightning and thunder,
He never moves from his place and has no conceptual thoughts—
Thus, the magical projection of the nāga king defies comprehension.
“ ‘Therefore, if he could project those nāga magical wonders,
All the while dwelling in the waters of the ocean,
Then why would those who are rich with the qualities gained through having entered
The ocean of Dharma not be able to project inconceivable magical displays?
“ ‘Through these trifling statements of comparison,
An explanation of those great ones was made.
Those heroes are completely beyond all comparison.
In this way they hold sway over liberation.
The highest intelligence, vast intelligence,
Unfailing intelligence, and infinite intelligence—
Is explained in this way.
Believes in it and announces it to the world,
Possesses a wonderful, marvelous Dharma teaching.
“ ‘Among those in the world of humans to be gratified,
Whoever has faith in such a Dharma teaching as this
Is rare within the throng of ordinary sentient beings.
[F.81.a]
Whoever has accumulated virtue and done virtuous deeds
Will have faith in this, by way of a karmic cause.
“ ‘In the human world, humans with faith
Are few even for the
śrāvaka vehicle.
While those with faith for the Mahāyāna are still fewer.
“ ‘Those who have entered the Mahāyāna are rare,
And if those with faith in this Dharma are very rare,
It goes without saying that those who engage in it and uphold it are rarer still.
So what need be said of those who practice it?
“ ‘Even if in a later eon someone were to use their head
To lift up the mountains and oceans of the billionfold universe,
Such an undertaking would be nothing compared with
The difficult task of having faith in this Dharma.
“ ‘Though some people might, for an eon, serve sentient beings
As numerous as the atoms of the billionfold universe,
They would still not have merit comparable to
That of having faith in this Dharma.
“ ‘Even if someone were to hold in the palm of his hand a fortress
Made of all the mountains and oceans of ten buddhafields,
That would be nothing compared with
The difficult task of having faith in this Dharma.
“ ‘Though some people might, for an eon, serve with every virtue
Sentient beings as numerous as the atoms of ten buddhafields,
They would still not have merit comparable to
That of having faith in this Dharma.
“ ‘Even greater than serving buddhas
As numerous as the atoms of ten buddhafields
With every kind of happiness for an eon
Is the merit of upholding this chapter of Dharma.’
All realms in all ten directions shook.
All māra realms were outshone,
And with a great sound ringing out, the lower realms became calm.
“All the lords of humans in all ten directions
And extending their hands, laid them
Atop the head of
Bhadraśrī, who possessed infinite qualities.
“Rubbing his head with the palms of their hands,
I rejoice in your excellent expression!’ ”
[F.81.b]
Then the Blessed One, having taught those verses, remained silent.
All the gods in the realm of this world and the humans and non-human demigods said, “The Tathāgata has taught this so well! O, the Tathāgata has turned a second wheel of Dharma! We have never heard this Dharma teaching before. Very few sentient beings will obtain this Dharma discourse. Those sentient beings will not have miserable roots of merit. Those sentient beings have paid respectful service to many buddhas. Those sentient beings will be like sacred stūpas in this world including its gods, its māras, and Brahmā. They will be invulnerable to harm by Māra, by other gods of the māra class, or by monks or by laymen, and likewise not by kings, by ministers, or by householders.”
At this, a clamor and laughter were heard.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, the appearance of such a jewel of the sūtras in the world is hard to find. Nevertheless, through the power of the Tathāgata such a Dharma has appeared in the world, and solely through the power of the Tathāgata, those sentient beings also heard it.”
Then, after the Blessed One had spoken, that full assembly of bodhisattvas, the bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, and the elder Śāradvatīputra, the other great śrāvakas, and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas all rejoiced, and they praised what the Blessed One had said.
This Dharma teaching “The Dhāraṇī of the Jewel Torch” concludes here.
