The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara (1)
Chapter One: The Setting

[F.116.a]

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagṛha at Vulture Peak Mountain with a great saṅgha of eight thousand monks and with twelve thousand bodhisattvas with higher knowledge that had gathered from the worlds of the ten directions by means of their higher knowledge. Those bodhisattvas possessed all the greatest attributes. They knew the dhāraṇīs and the discourses. They delighted all beings with their eloquence. They were skilled in teaching the wisdom of the higher knowledges. They had traveled to the sublime far shore of all the perfections. They were skilled in the knowledge of the bodhisattvas’ absorptions and attainments. They were praised, commended, and lauded by all buddhas. They were skilled in the knowledge of traveling to all buddha realms through their miraculous powers. They were skilled in the knowledge of terrifying the māras. They were skilled in the knowledge of all phenomena just as they are. They were skilled in the knowledge of beings’ supreme and ordinary faculties. They were skilled in the knowledge of accomplishing the factors of awakening. They were skilled in the knowledge of correctly accomplishing the acts of venerating all the buddhas. They were unstained by any worldly phenomena and were adorned with all the ornaments of body, speech, and mind. They had donned the armor consisting of delight in great love and compassion. They could be diligent over the course of countless eons without becoming discouraged. They roared the great lion’s roar. They were not overcome by any of the arguments of their adversaries. They had been marked by the seal of the irreversible Dharma. They had been crowned with all the qualities of buddhahood. [F.116.b]

They included the bodhisattva great beings Meru, Sumeru, Mahāmeru, Scaling the Peak of Meru, King of the Meru Lamp, Merukūṭa, Merudhvaja, Merurāja, King Who Rules the Peak of Meru, Thunder, Drumbeat, Ratnākara, Ratnaketu, Jewel Peak, Ratnaśrī, Ratnasambhava, Ratnaprabha, Jeweled Staff Holder, Jewel Peak,10 Holder of the Precious Seal, Ratnajāla, Ratnavyūha, Ratnaprabha,11 Ratnadvīpa, Ratnadīpa, Ratnapāṇi, Nanda, Inspiring Love for the Dharma, Vyūharāja, Adorned with a Mark, Light That Creates Language, Pure Light of Language, Ratnacūḍa, Amassed Divinity, Ratnakūṭa, Sahasraraśmi, Agnijihva, Star Lover, Candra­prabha, Saha­cittotpāda­dharma­cakra­pravartin, and Pure Golden Light, and the bodhisattva great being Eternal Giver of Freedom from Fear. They also included all the bodhisattva great beings of the Fortunate Eon such as Maitreya, sixty incomparable bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī, and sixteen excellent men such as Bhadrapāla.

Also present there were classes of gods including the Four Great Kings, the gods of the Thirty-Three such as the divine ruler Śakra, the gods of the Heaven Free from Strife such as the divine king Suyāma, the gods of the Heaven of Joy such as the divine king Saṃtuṣita, the gods of the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations such as the divine king Sunirmāṇarati, the gods of the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations such as the divine king Vaśavartin, the māra gods such as the god Sārthavāha, [F.117.a] the gods of the High Priests of the Brahmā Realm such as Subrahmā, the gods of the Great Brahmā class such as Brahmā who is lord of the Sahā world, the gods of the Luminous Heaven such as the divine king Ābhāsvara, the gods of the Heaven of Perfected Virtue such as the divine king Śubhakṛtsna, the gods of the Heaven of Great Fruition such as the divine king Bṛhatphala, the gods of the Pure Land such as the divine king Maheśvara, the gods of the Highest Heaven such as the divine king Vimalaprabhāsa, sixty thousand lords of the asuras such as the lord of the asuras Rāhu, forty-two thousand kinnaras such as the lord of the kinnaras Druma, thirty-two thousand lords of the gandharvas such as the lord of the gandharvas Mālādhara, seventy-two thousand nāga lords such as the king of the nāgas Anavatapta, and four thousand garuḍas who rule the birds, as well as thousands of other majestic gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas.

Surrounded and revered by these thousands of members of the assembly, the Blessed One gazed straight ahead as he taught the Dharma. He sat upon a richly adorned lion throne, which had been arranged by all the gods, in such a manner that he resembled Mount Meru, the king of mountains rising above the ocean. Outshining the world and its gods, the Blessed One was dazzling, radiant, and brilliant as he sat there surrounded by the assembly of monks.

Then a jeweled parasol set with all lustrous gems and richly adorned with all kinds of jewels appeared in the sky above the Blessed One, who was seated amidst the gathered assembly. The jeweled parasol covered the entirety of this four-continent world system. [F.117.b] Hanging from it were hundreds of thousands of strands of multicolored pearls including white, red, crystal, golden, moon-colored, lotus-colored, and sky-colored pearls. As the strands of pearls glowed with light, a rain of flowers fell from the light rays. The flowers had hundreds of thousands of hues and were fragrant, beautiful, and captivating. They rained down over everyone in the assembly until they covered their knees. Thunder cracked in the sky. A rain of powdered aloe, red sandalwood, and yellow sandalwood also fell.

Then through the power of the Buddha, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana stood up, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together, he bowed toward the Blessed One and asked, “Blessed One, whose arrival does such a miracle‍—never seen or heard of before‍—portend?”

The Blessed One answered Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, “Maudgalyāyana, this portends that Nāga King Sāgara is coming to see the Thus-Gone One.”

Before long, Nāga King Sāgara arrived, surrounded and venerated by 840 million male and 720 million female nāgas. They came toward the Blessed One bearing flowers, fragrances, incense, flower garlands, lotions, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, and pennants. They were playing instruments, chanting, and singing thousands of melodies. [F.118.a] They bowed to the feet of the Blessed One and venerated him with their flowers, fragrances, incense, flower garlands, lotions, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, pennants, instruments,12 and singing. At this point, he and his retinue of queens and relatives praised the Blessed One with these fitting verses:

Once Nāga King Sāgara had thus praised the Blessed One with these fitting verses, he said to the Blessed One, “If, to clarify my questions, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect and complete Buddha would permit me, I would like to ask him about a few issues.”

The Blessed One replied to Nāga King Sāgara, [F.119.a] “Nāga Lord, ask the Blessed One whatever you desire. May my answers please you.”

Given the opportunity to have his questions answered by the Blessed One, Nāga King Sāgara then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas eliminate rebirth in the lower realms and painful transmigrations? How do they transcend the eight unfavorable conditions? How do they take human and divine births? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas attain an unceasing vision of the buddhas? How do they continuously meet spiritual friends? How do they always find agreeable places to stay? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas have faith and abundant joy?14 How do they rely on the ripening of karma? How do they instruct by means of all virtuous qualities, having abandoned all nonvirtuous qualities? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas take interest in the Dharma, desire it, and find great delight in it? How are they insatiable in the pursuit of learning?15 How are they exalted in their accomplishment of learning? Blessed One, how are bodhisattvas inspired to go forth? How do they travel through jungles and forests? How are they inspired by those of noble lineage, ascetic practices, and having few possessions? How do they perfect the qualities of going forth? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas adhere to the profound Dharma? How do they eliminate the views of eternalism and nihilism? How do they engage with causal and conditioned phenomena? How do they become free from all sorts of views? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas play by means of the wisdom of the higher knowledges and see with unobscured wisdom? Blessed One, [F.119.b] how do bodhisattvas comprehend the conduct, intentions, and actions of beings? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas bring about ripening? How are they skilled in retention, recitation, and explanation? Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas defeat opposition from māras? How do they live free of fear and anxiety, and how do they live the bodhisattva way of life? How do bodhisattvas genuinely pursue the irreversible Dharma? How do they reach acceptance and obtain prophecy?”

The Blessed One responded to Nāga King Sāgara, “Nāga Lord, excellent, excellent. It is excellent that you, Nāga Lord, thought to ask the Thus-Gone One about these subjects. Nāga Lord, listen well, bear what I say in mind, and I will answer.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they genuinely eliminate rebirth in the lower realms and painful transmigrations. What are these four? They are being free of anger toward any being, taking up and carefully observing the path of the ten virtues, not criticizing others or mentioning their faults, and focusing on their own errors rather than those of others. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will genuinely eliminate rebirth in the lower realms and painful transmigrations.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will abandon all unfavorable conditions. What are these four? They are to constantly sing the praises of the Three Jewels‍—the [F.120.a] Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and the Saṅgha Jewel, to never distract anyone dedicated to the Dharma, to never cause others to feel regret, and to dispel the regret of beings mired in regret. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will abandon all unfree states.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will take human and divine births. What are these four? They are never giving up the mind set on awakening and proclaiming it to others, never giving up genuine training in discipline or letting it decline, keeping the intention concerning aspiration pure, and developing great compassion for beings in order to ripen them. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will take human and divine births.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess eight qualities, they will never lose their vision of the buddhas. What are these eight? They are focusing on the recollection of the buddha, serving and venerating the thus-gone ones, constantly singing the praises of the thus-gone ones, commissioning images of the thus-gone ones, encouraging beings to see the thus-gone ones, making the aspiration to be born in any buddha realm where one has heard that a thus-gone one lives, being courageous and inspired toward vastness, and yearning for the wisdom of buddhahood.16 Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these eight qualities, they will never lose sight of the buddhas.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will meet spiritual friends. What are these four? They are serving one’s spiritual friend without deceit [F.120.b] or pretense; cherishing, respecting, and serving the Dharma; being open to advice, easily satisfied, and gentle; and being humble and deferential. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will meet spiritual friends.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess three qualities, they will find agreeable places to stay. What are these three? They are having a tender and honest mind, eliminating jealousy and stinginess, and being pleased to support others’ gain, service, and happiness. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these three qualities, they will find agreeable places to stay.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess five qualities, they will have faith. What are these five? They are the strength of interest, the strength of the accumulation of merit, the strength of understanding the ripening of karma, the strength of not giving up the mind set on awakening, and the strength of being grounded in reality. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these five qualities, they will have faith.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess two qualities, they will become exceedingly joyful. What are the two? They are the strength of causes and the strength of engagement. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these two qualities, they will become exceedingly joyful.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess three qualities, they will be supported by the ripening of karma. What are these three? They are aspiring to selflessness, the strength of patience, and diligently pursuing proper action. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these three qualities, they will be supported by the ripening of karma.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess two qualities, [F.121.a] they will be ripe with all virtuous qualities, having abandoned all nonvirtuous qualities. What are these two? They are to offer a dedication that comprises the three parts,17 and to maintain carefulness. Alternatively, the two are having a virtuous nature and not hoping for a particular ripening. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these two qualities, they will be ripe with all virtuous qualities, having abandoned all nonvirtuous qualities.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess five qualities, they will take interest in the Dharma. What are these five? They are being disinterested in form, being disinterested in sound, being disinterested in scent, being disinterested in taste, and being disinterested in touch. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these five qualities, they will take interest in the Dharma. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess an alternate set of five qualities, they will take interest in the Dharma. What are these five? They are being interested in the Dharma rather than in one’s body, being interested in qualities rather than in one’s life, being interested in insight rather than in touch, being interested in virtue rather than in feeling, and being interested in protecting beings rather than in one’s own happiness. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these qualities, they will take interest in the Dharma.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess six qualities, they will desire the Dharma. What are these six? They are desiring the qualities of renunciation rather than desiring to merely adopt the token robes; desiring to hear the Dharma rather than desiring to listen to the persuasions of the Lokāyatas; desiring Dharma teachings rather than desiring worldly goods; discerning the Dharma [F.121.b] rather than focusing on inappropriate matters; desiring to accomplish the Dharma rather than desiring to study words, etymologies, and definitions; and desiring to hear about the qualities of buddhahood rather than desiring to hear about the qualities of the hearers and solitary buddhas. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these six qualities, they will desire the Dharma.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess eight qualities, they will find great delight in the Dharma. What are these eight? They are delighting in discussion of the mind set on awakening rather than discussion of the Lesser Vehicle; delighting in discussion of the means of attracting disciples rather than in discussion of what is mistaken; delighting in discussion of the Dharma tradition rather than in materialistic discussions; delighting in discussion of the Buddha’s greatness rather than in discussion of the end of saṃsāra; delighting in discussion of the profound and difficult subject of dependent origination rather than in discussion of the belief in the view of self; delighting in discussions of the selfless nature of phenomena and in pure conditions rather than in discussion of the beliefs in nihilism, eternalism, self, being, life force, person, or individuality; delighting in genuine and accurate discussion of emptiness, the absence of marks, and the absence of wishes, rather than in discussion of views involving reference points; and delighting in discussion concerned with renunciation and the display of the ornaments in the buddha realms rather than in discussion that causes indifference to peace. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these eight qualities, they will find great delight in the Dharma.

“Nāga Lord, bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning if they are to see five essential points. What are these five? Bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning in order to see correctly with the genesis of insight through learning. [F.122.a] Bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning in order to see correctly with the elimination of regret and doubt through learning. Bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning in order to see correctly with the growth of the understanding of pollution and purification through learning. Bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning in order to see correctly with the elimination of afflictions in all beings through learning and thereby the elimination of all afflictions. Bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning in order to see correctly with the growth of fearlessness through learning and thereby the termination of all beings’ anxieties. Moreover, bodhisattvas must be insatiable in the pursuit of learning in order to see two essential points. What are these two? They are the dawning of the correct view of noble beings and the attainment of unfettered recollection.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess ten qualities, they will become exalted in terms of their accomplishment of learning. What are these ten? They are having few desires for and being content with gain and honor, having no concern for their body and life force in their pursuits, being mindful and aware in their actions, thinking very carefully about exactly what they have learned, minimizing activities by having no worldly diversions, not sleeping at the beginning or end of the night through being diligent in their practice, respecting and serving their master, relying on the spiritual teacher with humility and modesty, caring for beings with great compassion, honoring noble beings in order to perfect positive qualities, and protecting with knowledge the world and its gods. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these ten qualities, [F.122.b] they will become exalted in terms of their accomplishment of learning.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas truly see these five benefits, they will be inspired to go forth. What are these five? They are thinking that the actions one has committed will not go to waste, that one is influenced by the habitual patterns one has formed, that everything that is grasped for should be abandoned, that one will not be disparaged by the blessed buddhas, and that‍—even after having become liberated‍—one will still teach the Dharma in order to release from their shackles all beings who are fettered by the shackles of the afflictions. These are the five.

“There is another set of five benefits. What are these five? They are knowing that going forth accords with discipline because it ripens beings with impaired discipline, that it accords with learning because it ripens beings without learning, that it accords with absorption because it ripens distracted beings, that it accords with insight because it ripens beings with mistaken insight, and that it accords with the wisdom of liberation because it establishes beings on the path to the bliss of nirvāṇa. These are the five.

“There is another set of five benefits. What are these five? They are knowing that going forth defeats pride because it enables one to understand the five aggregates; that it eliminates the habitual tendency of craving because one can abandon origination; that it pacifies, fully pacifies, and deeply pacifies because one can actualize cessation; that it is an entrance to the path because one can cultivate the eightfold path of the noble ones; and that it penetrates the truth because one can establish beings in the truths. These are the five.

“Nāga Lord, [F.123.a] if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will travel through jungles and forests and stay in dwellings in the hinterlands. What are these four? They are not caring for their body and life force, caring for all virtuous qualities, wishing to develop the higher knowledges, and pleasing gods and humans with their gentle comportment. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will travel through jungles and forests and stay in dwellings in the hinterlands.

“Alternatively, Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas see a different set of four essential points, they will travel through jungles and forests and stay in dwellings in the hinterlands. What are these four? The first is the thought, ‘The forest and jungle are praised by the buddhas and, if one lives in the forest, one can focus with great compassion on freeing all beings. I have previously been part of society, but now I will no longer live in just one place.’ The second is the thought, ‘I am gathering the ornaments of the seat of awakening, rather than the afflictions.’ The third is the thought, ‘I must study with myriad well-trained bodhisattvas.’ The fourth is the thought, ‘Once I have accomplished all manner of positive qualities through living in the forest, I will travel to villages, towns, cities, lands, countries, and capitals preaching the Dharma to beings.’ Nāga Lord, if they have these four, they will travel through jungles and forests and stay in dwellings in the hinterlands.

“Nāga Lord, three things are the best and greatest qualities and comforts of bodhisattvas who are of noble lineage, who observe ascetic practices, and who have few possessions. What are these three? They are having no social activities due to being unconcerned with friends and enemies; living a humble, independent, and simple life due to having a free spirit and going wherever they please; [F.123.b] and swiftly developing absorption due to considering all beings to be the same. These are the three.

“There is an alternate set of three: not being hypocritical or pretentious toward others, not getting attached to or angry toward others, and having no concern for household when staying somewhere to practice. Nāga Lord, these three things are the best and greatest qualities and comforts of bodhisattvas who are of noble lineage, who observe ascetic practices, and who have few possessions.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have eight qualities, they will perfect their qualities of renunciation. What are these eight? They are being satisfied with the noble lineage; observing ascetic practices; having few possessions; learnedness; having a preference for deep contemplation of one’s own thoughts; having no delusion about the bodhisattva attitude;18 being diligent in the practice of cultivating the applications of mindfulness, absorption, and insight; and ensuring all one’s endeavors come down to the essential practice. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these eight qualities, they will perfect their qualities of renunciation.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have ten qualities, they will adhere to the profound Dharma. What are these ten? Through the intrinsic nature of the self, they are aligned with the intrinsic nature of phenomena; through the purity of the self, they are connected with the purity of all phenomena; through the absence of self, they are dedicated to the absence of self in phenomena; through the emptiness of self, they are certain about the emptiness of all phenomena; through the voidness of self, they enter the voidness of all phenomena; through the quelling of self, they discern the quelling of all phenomena; through the actual nature of the self, they fathom the actual nature of all phenomena; through the profundity of self, [F.124.a] they reflect on the profundity of all phenomena; through the materiality of the self, they consider the materiality of all phenomena; and through the ungraspability of the self, they understand the ungraspability of all phenomena. These are the ten.

“Nāga Lord, there is an alternate set of ten qualities through which bodhisattvas will adhere to the profound Dharma. What are these ten? They know all phenomena to be like illusions given that they are characterized by involvement with illusory creation. They know all phenomena to be like dreams given that one sees them as arisen from error. They know all phenomena to be like a mirage given that they are wrongly perceived. They know all phenomena to be like visual distortions given that they are based in causes and conditions. They know all phenomena to be like the moon in water because they never transfer from one state to another. They know all phenomena to be like echoes given that they cannot be found in any location or direction and thus do not have an essential nature. They know all phenomena to be like clouds and flashes of lightning given that they do not last for even a moment. They know that all phenomena are like rainbows given that they are not affected by attachment, aggression, and stupidity. They know all phenomena to be naturally pure given that they are not affected by adventitious subsidiary afflictions. They know all phenomena to be like space given that they are beyond birth, destruction, or persisting. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these ten qualities, they will adhere to the profound Dharma.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have two qualities, they will not fall into the view of nihilism. What are these two? They are knowledge of karma and knowledge of the way to accomplish all the qualities of buddhahood. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these two qualities, they will not fall [F.124.b] into the view of nihilism.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have two qualities, they will not fall into the view of eternalism. What are these two? They are knowledge of impermanent phenomena and knowledge that discerns that once phenomena have arisen, they will dissolve and dissipate, and thus not persist. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these two qualities, they will not fall into the view of eternalism.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have four qualities, they will be learned in dependent origination. They understand the process that leads from the origination of ignorance to the origination of aging and death. They understand the process that leads from the cessation of ignorance to the cessation of aging and death. They do not fall into the view of nihilism. And they do not subscribe to the view of eternalism. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these four qualities, they will be skilled in understanding dependent origination.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have four qualities, they will not harbor any metaphysical views. What are these four? Knowing emptiness, they will not harbor views about self or beings. Knowing the absence of marks, they will not harbor views about a life force and a person. Knowing the absence of wishes, they will not harbor views about emergence and destruction. Knowing dependent origination, they will not harbor views of nihilism or eternalism. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these four qualities, they will not harbor metaphysical views.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have six qualities, they will display higher knowledge. What are these six? Regarding all beings without anger brings about the purity of divine vision; patiently accepting malicious words brings about the purity of divine hearing; eliminating the mind’s pollutions brings about the purity of knowing the minds of others; [F.125.a] giving the roots of virtue one has created in the past to all beings brings about the purity of recollecting previous lives; being agreeable, offering advice, and practicing what one preaches brings about the purity of knowing how to perform miracles; and not being stingy with sharing the teachings brings about the purity of knowing the exhaustion of the defilements. These are the six.

“Alternatively, Nāga Lord, offering lamps brings about the purity of divine vision; playing cymbals and drums and singing songs brings about the purity of divine hearing; generosity devoid of pollution brings about the purity of clairvoyance; helping others recollect and aspire toward virtuous qualities brings about the purity of the recollection of past lives; eliminating obscuration and regret brings about the purity of knowing how to perform miracles; and giving the Dharma brings about the purity of knowing the exhaustion of the defilements.

“Alternatively, Nāga Lord, gazing at the Thus-Gone One brings about the purity of divine vision; listening to the sublime Dharma brings about the purity of divine hearing; engaging the mind in accurate analysis brings about the purity of clairvoyance; recollecting the Saṅgha brings about the purity of the recollection of past lives; intense fervor brings about the purity of knowing how to perform miracles; accomplishing the Dharma brings about the purity of knowing the exhaustion of the defilements.

“In this context, how do they engage in play by means of these higher knowledges? Nāga Lord, in this regard, the divine vision of bodhisattvas surpasses and is more clear, elevated, great, and pure than the divine vision of the hearers and solitary buddhas, the divine vision of the five higher knowledges of non-Buddhist sages, and the divine vision [F.125.b] of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and human and nonhuman beings. Other than the object of the Thus-Gone One’s vision, there is no appearance of being, form, or phenomena that is not realized, seen, or known by this divine eye of theirs.

“Nāga Lord, the divine hearing of bodhisattvas surpasses and is clearer, more elevated, greater, and purer than the divine ear of the same list of beings from hearers and solitary buddhas to human and nonhuman beings. Other than the Thus-Gone One’s field of hearing, there is no sound whatsoever that is not heard by this divine ear. It is able to determine all the sounds of the past and future.

“In this way, Nāga Lord, bodhisattvas truly and accurately know all the mental movements, mental apprehending, mental marks, mental inquiries, mental causes, mental perspectives, mental results, mental certainties, mental analyses, mental images, mental attachments, mental aggressions, mental distractions, mental grasping, mental quietudes, mental excitements, mental invigorations, and mental states of all beings, as well as their past, future, and present states of mind and how their minds persist. In short, they know their every state of mind and are thus able to engage in Dharma discussions with them. [F.126.a] With their recollection of past lives, they are capable of truly and accurately knowing and remembering the deaths and transmigrations of themselves and others, extending into the most distant reaches of the past, and of accurately describing the precise forms and venues for these lives. They display all kinds of actions without being subject to the accumulation of karma, even with respect to miraculous actions. Nāga Lord, such are bodhisattvas’ higher knowledges. The fulfillment of all aims through exercising mastery over their own minds is their play. This is how buddhas make a display of passing entirely beyond suffering, without passing entirely beyond suffering in such a way that they pass entirely beyond suffering permanently.

“What then is the higher knowledge that engenders a bodhisattva’s ability to manifest the knowledge of the exhaustion of the defilements? Without being attached to the liberation of the hearers and solitary buddhas, they specifically focus on the liberation of the wisdom of awakened wisdom and thereby know the natural exhaustion of the defilements. However, they do not actualize that knowledge; instead, they remain in the stream of saṃsāra only to bring about the exhaustion of the defilements for all beings. This is the bodhisattvas’ sixth higher knowledge.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have four qualities, they will see wisdom without obscuration. What are these four? They should possess the five forms of higher knowledge that are suffused by omniscient wisdom, the four correct discriminations that are suffused by great love and great compassion, the four formless attainments that are suffused by means and insight, and the thirty-seven factors of awakening that are suffused by emptiness, the absence of marks, and the absence of wishes. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these four qualities, [F.126.b] they will see with unobscured wisdom.

“Nāga Lord, what, in this context, does it mean to see with unobscured wisdom? It means acknowledging all the afflictions while truly defeating all the afflictions and their attendant habitual tendencies, acknowledging saṃsāra while attaining nirvāṇa, acknowledging the states of hearers and solitary buddhas while attaining the seat of awakening, and emulating the behavior of beings while knowing it to be void. This is what it means to see with unobscured wisdom.

“Alternatively, seeing with unobscured wisdom can mean conforming to all kinds of conditioned actions while attaining the unconditioned, seeing the pacification of conditioned phenomena while attaining the unconditioned. Nāga Lord, even when bodhisattvas operate within the conditioned, they are not obstructed by their knowledge of the unconditioned. Even though they attain the unconditioned, they are not obscured by unconditioned phenomena. Wisdom that is not obscured in these ways is known as the bodhisattva’s seeing with unobscured wisdom.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have four qualities, they will understand the conduct, intentions, and manner of all beings. What are these four? They are knowledge that accords with the world, knowledge of being skilled in the meditative attainments, intention that is pliable in knowledge and thought, and the means to master the mind. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these four qualities, they will understand the conduct, intentions, and manner of all beings.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have five qualities, they will be capable of ripening beings. What are these five? They are being unremitting by disregarding one’s own happiness, [F.127.a] giving happiness to beings by being consistent in one’s endeavors, being deeply compassionate, acting in harmony with the behavior of beings, and bringing out the highest qualities. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these five qualities, they will be capable of ripening beings.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have six qualities, they will be skilled in retention, recitation, and explanation. What are these six? They are attaining recollection, practicing with mindfulness and awareness, appropriately engaging with the truth, knowing the mind’s pursuits, achieving unobstructed eloquence, and being skilled in the knowledge that teaches intentional statements. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these six qualities, they will be skilled in retention, recitation, and explanation.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have eight qualities, they will defeat opposition from māras. What are these eight? They are freedom from being afflicted by personalistic false views through knowing the illusory nature of the five aggregates, the experience of emptiness, taking rebirth intentionally in order to ripen beings while knowing all conditioned things to be unborn, being eternally wary of the three realms while having a firm diligence that never gives up the mind set on awakening, pursuing omniscient wisdom without lapsing into premeditated performance,19 gathering the accumulation of merit while considering beings, gathering the accumulation of wisdom while trusting in the characteristic of impermanence, and avoiding attachment to the knowledge of the hearers and solitary buddhas. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas [F.127.b] have these eight qualities, they will defeat opposition from māras.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have ten qualities, they will give up fear and anxiety and live the bodhisattva way of life. What are these ten? They are being consistently generous and becoming beautifully adorned with marks; maintaining discipline and closing off the lower realms; donning the armor of patience and not letting the faculties decline; being stable in diligence and being insatiable in the accumulation of roots of virtue; practicing concentration and having a refined mind; having insight and eliminating the afflictions; being skilled in means and being knowledgeable about dedication; attaining the correct discriminations and thus being skilled in meaning, qualities, expression, and eloquence; achieving recollection and thus being skilled in cutting through the doubts of beings; and being blessed by the buddhas and upholding the Dharma. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these ten qualities, they will give up fear and anxiety and live the bodhisattva way of life.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have eight qualities, they will apply themselves to the irreversible Dharma. What are these eight? They are practicing what one preaches, analyzing one’s own error and not being concerned with others’ confusion, not criticizing others even when one’s life is at stake, not thinking of oneself as high even if one becomes rich and honored and not thinking of oneself as lowly if one is not rich and honored, giving generously while developing the intention to be the patron of all beings, not being tightfisted in teaching the Dharma but instead having a spirit of sharing, delighting in happiness and avoiding jealousy and stinginess, [F.128.a] and giving up everything‍—whether beautiful or ugly‍—without regret. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these eight qualities, they will genuinely pursue the irreversible Dharma.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have five qualities, they will never turn back from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. What are these five? They are being skilled in means by mastering all the perfections, being learned in the nature of all phenomena while adhering to the profound Dharma, being unimpaired in the higher knowledges while having knowledge of the workings of the faculties of all beings, acting without attachment while gaining true understanding, and acting according to20 dependent origination and exhausting21 all defilements even though one has accomplished the state beyond defilement. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these five qualities, they will never turn back from unsurpassed and perfect awakening.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have three qualities, they will attain acceptance. What are these three? They are selflessness in order to purify sentient beings, disengagement in order to purify phenomena, and nonattachment in order to purify wisdom. These are the three. Another three are the fact of being unending so that the past may be purified, the fact of being unborn so that the future may be purified, and the fact of persistence so that the phenomena of the present may be purified. These are the three.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas possess an alternate set of three qualities, they will reach acceptance. What are they? They are stability in merit in order to purify the body, limitless wisdom in order to purify the speech, and a focus on absorption in order to purify the mind. [F.128.b] Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these three qualities, they will reach acceptance.

“Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have four qualities, they will be prophesied by the blessed buddhas. What are these four? They are mastering all qualities with pure motivation, mastering conduct with an awareness of what is good, being able to arouse the strength of wisdom to respond to the wishes of beings, and understanding that phenomena are innately unborn and unarisen because they do not exist at all. Nāga Lord, if bodhisattvas have these four qualities, they will be prophesied by the blessed buddhas.”

When this teaching was given, one trillion two hundred billion gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Seventy-two thousand bodhisattvas reached acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Fourteen thousand monks purified the stainless and immaculate Dharma eye that sees phenomena. The minds of eight thousand nuns were freed from defilements without any further appropriation. Five thousand gods were freed from attachment. The worlds of the great trichiliocosm quaked in six ways, and the world was filled with a bright light as flowers rained from the sky.

Then in the sky above, the gods played hundreds of thousands of instruments and proclaimed, “Amazing! The Thus-Gone One has turned the second turning of the Dharma wheel with this Dharma teaching. The turning of this Dharma teaching is similar to the turning of the Dharma wheel in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī. [F.129.a] Why is this? Because this Dharma teaching is given for the benefit of countless beings. Moreover, since everyone who has simply heard this Dharma teaching has attained considerable roots of virtue, what need is there to mention those who will also recollect it? They will be fortunate enough to attain human rebirths. They will behold the Thus-Gone One. They will hear this Dharma teaching. All those who have heard this expression of the Dharma and developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening have blocked all the lower realms. They have opened the doorways to rebirth among the humans and gods. Let it be known that they will inevitably pass beyond suffering.”

The Blessed One then expressed his agreement with these gods, saying, “Friends, excellent, excellent. You have chosen your words well. Any being that appreciates the words taught in this sūtra will be blessed by22 the buddhas and tamed by the Great Vehicle. Such beings will gain the understanding of the wisdom of buddhahood and will be stamped with the seal of irreversibility. If beings who delight in this Dharma teaching will attain nothing less than the wisdom of the thus-gone ones, what need is there to speak of those who hear it praised, receive it, and practice it authentically? [B2]