The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara (1)
Chapter Five: Prophecy
Toh 153
Degé Kangyur, vol. 58 (mdo sde, pha), folios 116.a–198.a
- Jinamitra
- Prajñāvarman
- Yeshé Dé
Imprint
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2021
Current version v 1.0.10 (2023)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara begins with a miracle that portends the coming of the Nāga King Sāgara to Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha. The nāga king engages in a lengthy dialogue with the Buddha on various topics pertaining to the distinction between relative and ultimate reality, all of which emphasize the primacy of insight into emptiness. The Buddha thereafter journeys to King Sāgara’s palace in the ocean and reveals details of the king’s past lives in order to introduce the inexhaustible casket dhāraṇī. In the nāga king’s palace in the ocean, he gives teachings on various topics and acts as peacemaker, addressing the ongoing conflicts between the gods and asuras and between the nāgas and garuḍas. Upon returning to Vulture Peak, the Buddha engages in dialogue with King Ajātaśatru and provides Nāga King Sāgara’s prophecy.
Acknowledgements
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Timothy Hinkle, who also wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor checked the translation against the Tibetan and edited the text.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Kelvin Lee, Doris Lim, Chang Chen Hsien, Lim Cheng Cheng, Ng Ah Chon and family, Lee Hoi Lang and family, the late Lim Kim Heng, and the late Low Lily, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Text Body
The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara
Chapter Five: Prophecy
Venerable Śāriputra then said to the Blessed One, [F.154.b] “Blessed One, if even beings born into the nāga realms can develop the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening in this fashion, it is astounding that some people are incapable of developing the mind set on awakening.”
The Blessed One responded, “Śāriputra, these twelve thousand nāgas went forth in the Thus-Gone One Kāśyapa’s body of teachings. They heard the message on the mind set on awakening from that thus-gone one. Not only did they hear it, but the Thus-Gone One gave them his approval. The Great Vehicle is inconceivable, and yet he expressed his approval. Still, they were distracted by nonvirtue in the following way: in order to keep a family household or a household that gives to beggars, they failed to practice discipline. As they let their discipline become impaired, once they died, they were reborn in the nāga realm. Through the cause, contributing condition, and roots of virtue of them hearing the message of the Great Vehicle and the Blessed One expressing his approval, they now hear the Great Vehicle message from me. Having heard teachings on the inexhaustible casket dhāraṇī, they are developing the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Śāriputra, just consider this difference of intention.
“I will now give them their prophecy of unsurpassed and perfect awakening: after countless eons of serving countless thus-gone ones, they will truly accomplish the Dharma that accords with awakening. Then, during the Joyful Eon in the world called Immaculate Heart, they will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will all become thus-gone ones with four appropriate names: Superior Wisdom, [F.155.a] Superior Merit, Superior Dharma, and Superior Insight. They will all appear during a single eon, just as now a thousand buddhas are set to appear during this Fortunate Eon.”
Then Nāga King Sāgara said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when I was living in the ocean at the beginning of the eon, when the Blessed Thus-Gone One Krakucchanda appeared in the world, there were only a few adult nāgas and young male and female nāgas in that ocean. Even I had a meager retinue. Now,36 Blessed One, the adult nāgas and young male and female nāgas in the ocean are limitless. Their limit cannot be calculated numerically. Blessed One, what is the cause and contributing condition for this?”
The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, those who go forth in the well-spoken Dharma and Vinaya and do not perfect their discipline—who do not perfect it but rather let their activities, livelihood, and discipline degenerate, though they still have a morally upright view—are not reborn as hell beings. Once they die, they will be reborn in the nāga realms. Nāga Lord, 980 million householders and monastics let the activities, livelihood, and discipline received from the Thus-Gone One Krakucchanda’s teachings degenerate. Once they died, they were reborn in the nāga realms. Also, 640 million householders and monastics who went forth in the Thus-Gone One Kanakamuni’s teachings subsequently let their discipline become corrupt. Thus, when they died, they were reborn in the nāga realms. [F.155.b] Likewise, 800 million householders and monastics let their activities, livelihood, and discipline that they received from the Thus-Gone One Kāśyapa degenerate. Thus, once they died, they were reborn in the nāga realms. Nāga King, presently 999 million householders and monastics who have gone forth in my teachings have subsequently gotten involved in various debates, struggles, and distractions and let their activities, livelihood, and discipline degenerate. When they die, they will also be reborn in the nāga realms.
“Nāga Lord, such are the causes. Such are the conditions. Therefore, the population of adult nāgas and young male and female nāgas is presently limitless in this way. Still, Nāga Lord, in the latter days after I have passed into parinirvāṇa, evil monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen will let their discipline degenerate and therefore be reborn in the nāga realms. Some among them will fall to the state of hell beings.”
Nāga King Sāgara asked, “Blessed One, what is notable about the actions of those who have gone forth who let their discipline degenerate and either have been or will be reborn in the nāga realms?”
The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, the behavior of those who have gone forth who let their discipline degenerate and either have been or will be reborn in the nāga realms is extremely impure. But, because they have trust in the Thus-Gone One’s teachings, they have the motivation such that when they pass on from the nāga realm they will be reborn among the gods and humans due to the power of that pure motivation. They will have the inclination to enter the vehicles within the teachings of those thus-gone ones who become buddhas in this Fortunate Eon. [F.156.a] All of them, except for those who have entered the Great Vehicle, will pass into parinirvāṇa during this Fortunate Eon.
“Nāga Lord, consider thus the uniqueness of the cause, which is the greatness of the Thus-Gone One’s teachings and the benefits of renunciation. Due to this cause, these beings will abandon all nonvirtuous qualities and become extraordinary.”
Then Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara, said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is incredible how meaningful it is to see and hear the blessed buddhas. In this way, if such worthy beings who have a karmic connection arouse the mind focused on the Buddha even one time and do not let that thought spoil, it will become a cause for obtaining parinirvāṇa. Blessed One, I will also seek unsurpassed and perfect awakening by arousing the intention to see and hear in the same way. Until I reach the seat of awakening, may my bodhisattva conduct be meaningful. May I not become deluded. May I not become deluded about virtue or about great love and compassion. In all my lifetimes, may I never be separated from seeing the buddhas, hearing the Dharma, serving the saṅgha of noble beings, and ripening beings.”
The Blessed One then offered his approval to Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara, “Good sir, it is excellent that you have developed an attitude of supporting all beings. Even if the blessed ones were to describe them for seven years, seven months, [F.156.b] and seven days, they would be unable to describe the ripening of the roots of virtue of developing the mind set on awakening with this kind of pure motivation and great compassion. So, the roots of virtue that you have accumulated should be understood as being that limitless.”
The Blessed One smiled when he recognized the pure motivation of Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara. It is in the nature of the blessed buddhas that whenever they smile, in that very moment, blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, and silver-colored light streams from the mouths of those blessed ones. This light pervades limitless worlds with bright light, rising as high as the Brahmā world and eclipsing even the splendor and brightness of the sun and moon. The light then returns and encircles the blessed ones three times before it dissolves into a blessed one’s crown.
Then Venerable Ānanda 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 the Blessed One the meaning of his smile in verse:
The Blessed One asked Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, did you see Glorious Splendor, son of the Nāga King, standing before me while through his pure motivation he developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening?”
“Yes, Blessed One, I did see it.”
The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, in eight hundred countless eons, during the eon Total Vision, Glorious Splendor will become the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin, appearing in the world Totally Pure and Stable. Ānanda, Glorious Splendor has engaged in the meaningful conduct of bodhisattvas and pleased limitless blessed buddhas. Venerating them, he went forth and engaged in pure conduct. He ripened limitless beings through the three vehicles. Ānanda, Totally Pure and Stable, the world of the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin, [F.157.b] will be wealthy, extensive, blissful, and pleasant, and it will have good harvests. It will have a huge population and be filled with gods and humans. The humans there will be similar to the gods of the Heaven Free from Strife in their provisions and enjoyments. The lifespan of this thus-gone one will reach ten thousand years. His saṅgha of hearers will be six hundred million strong. His saṅgha of bodhisattvas will number one million two hundred thousand.
“Ānanda, as soon as the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin enters these beings’ field of vision, they will achieve the meditative absorption features of love. Ānanda, as soon as beings see the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin, they will be tamed. Regarding this, anyone on the vehicle of hearers will, upon seeing him for the first time, become a stream enterer. Upon seeing him for the second time, they will achieve the fruit of a once-returner. Upon seeing him for the third time, they will achieve the fruit of a non-returner. Upon seeing him for the fourth time, they will achieve the state of a worthy one. Anyone on the vehicle of bodhisattvas will, upon purely seeing him for the first time, attain the acceptance that phenomena are unborn.
“Ānanda, no beings in the world Totally Pure and Stable will ever let their discipline, view, activity, or livelihood degenerate. They will all become certain about what is correct. No beings who die will be reborn in the lower realms; instead they will all be reborn among the humans and gods or into pure buddha realms.” [F.158.a]
When Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara, heard this prophecy himself, he was satisfied, happy, delighted, joyful, and at ease. Presenting a net of pearls adorned with hundreds of thousands of precious gems to the body of the Thus-Gone One, he pressed his ten fingers and palms together and praised the Blessed One directly with these fitting verses:
When Glorious Splendor, son of the Nāga King Sāgara, spoke these consummate verses, ten thousand beings developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. They announced, “When the Blessed Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin attains awakening, may we meet this blessed one and be reborn in the world Totally Pure and Stable. May we uphold the sublime Dharma of that thus-gone one, venerate him, and serve him. Following that blessed one, may we also fully awaken.”
The Blessed One then gave the prophecy that all of them would be reborn in the buddha realm of the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin.
Colophon
It was translated, proofed, and finalized by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Prajñāvarman and the editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé and others.
Bibliography
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