འོད་ཟེར་ཀུན་དུ་བཀྱེ་བ་བསྟན་པ།
The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light
Raśmisamantamuktanirdeśa
འཕགས་པ་འོད་ཟེར་ཀུན་དུ་བཀྱེ་བ་བསྟན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa ’od zer kun du bkye ba bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light”
Āryaraśmisamantamuktanirdeśanāmamahāyānasūtra
Toh 55
Degé Kangyur, vol. 40 (dkon brtsegs, kha), folios 195.b–255.b
Imprint
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2022
Current version v 1.0.9 (2023)
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Table of Contents
Summary
Initiated by the questions of the bodhisattva Candraprabhakumārabhūta, The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light consists of a series of teachings related to the lights emitted by awakened beings as manifestations of their spiritual achievements. Amid the display of his miraculous powers, the Buddha describes the specific qualities with which each of those lights is associated, and he repeatedly emphasizes the fact that such lights are a natural expression of the insight into the emptiness of all phenomena. The sūtra is also concerned with general themes such as the qualities required by followers of the Great Vehicle and the practice of generosity.
Acknowledgements
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Joie Chen subsequently compared the translation against the Chinese text (Taishō 310) and made further edits to the translation.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of 晓培, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Introduction
The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light is the eleventh among the forty-nine sūtras included in the Heap of Jewels (Ratnakūṭa) section in the Degé Kangyur. The sūtra presents a series of teachings, composed mainly in verse, that focus on the nature of the lights emitted by awakened beings. Questioned by the bodhisattva Candraprabhakumārabhūta, the Buddha reveals the specific spiritual achievements underlying his manifestation of light rays, and the way those lights manifest to ripen beings with varying spiritual inclinations. As the Buddha displays the magnificence of his miraculous powers to the assemblies in attendance, he repeatedly emphasizes the fact that the lights displayed by the buddhas spontaneously emerge from insight into the emptiness of all phenomena and from the absence of clinging to marks that results from this realization. Besides the doctrine of emptiness, which is expounded at length throughout the text, this discourse also introduces two dhāraṇīs and discusses general themes associated with the Great Vehicle, such as the qualities required to progress on the path, and the importance of the practice of generosity.
The sūtra also presents two brief accounts of previous lives of Candraprabhakumārabhūta—the primary interlocutor of the Buddha—related to past occasions on which he received similar instructions on the lights emitted by awakened beings. In these narratives, he is respectively portrayed as a devoted king who worshiped a past buddha and as a young boy who witnessed the Buddha Dīpaṅkara prophesying the future awakening of the Buddha Śākyamuni. Candraprabhakumārabhūta is often portrayed by Tibetans as a past incarnation of Gampopa (sgam po pa, 1079–1153), the famous physician who established the Kagyü (bka’ brgyud) school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is mentioned in several Great Vehicle sūtras—notably the Samādhirājasūtra1 and the Mahākaruṇāpuṇḍarīkasūtra (Toh 111)—where the Buddha narrates his past lives and makes prophecies about his future lives. Some biographers of Gampopa also cite the Heap of Jewels in this context, and one of them, Norbu Gyenpa (nor bu rgyan pa, 1589–1633), specifically mentions The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light in his biography.2
We have not been able to locate any specific citation from this discourse within the commentarial works of Indian scholars, and to our knowledge this discourse has also not received much attention in modern scholarship. The only exception to this appears to be Garma C.C. Chang’s partial translation from the Chinese in his anthology of translations from the Heap of Jewels collection.3 Only a few of the texts contained in the Heap of Jewels are extant in Sanskrit, and The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light is unfortunately not among them. The Tibetan translation, which we have here rendered into English based on the Degé block print, the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma), and the Stok Palace manuscript, was completed in the early translation period and is listed in the early ninth-century Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalog under the alternative title The Noble Accomplishment of Light (’phags pa ’od zer bsgrub pa)4. It is also found under the same title in the Phangthangma ('phang thang ma) catalog, where it is also said to be "incomplete" (sgyur 'phro).5 However, just as with several other sūtras in the Heap of Jewels section, this text might have been translated from Chinese, rather than Sanskrit.6
The Chinese canon contains a single translation of this discourse (Taishō 310[11]),7 which was produced during the early eighth century ᴄᴇ by Bodhiruci (d. 713), a renowned Indian translator who traveled to China and was responsible for the translation of many Sanskrit texts into Chinese, including several from the Heap of Jewels. In general, the sūtra does not bear the marks of being a translation from Chinese to Tibetan (such as the unique vocabulary and style only found in such translations). However, as it is notably missing the standard colophon that usually follows Tibetan translations from the Sanskrit, it is possible that the text does represent an original translation from the Chinese, one that was subsequently passed through editorial codification to bring it into conformity with the standard lexicon and register of the majority of translations from the Sanskrit. For the present translation, we have compared our translation against the entire Chinese text and mentioned significant differences in the notes to the translation. As for whether the Tibetan translation was produced from Chinese or Sanskrit sources, we have been unable to resolve this question conclusively, but future research will hopefully shed more light on the textual history of this sūtra.
Text Body
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light
The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light
The Translation
[F.195.b] [B1]
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in Rājagṛha at Vulture Peak, together with a great saṅgha of five hundred monks who had all attained great independence, eight hundred billion bodhisattva great beings with only one birth remaining and led by Maitreya, and four hundred billion bodhisattva great beings led by Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.
Present in the retinue at that time was Candraprabhakumārabhūta.9 He had been seated in the assembly, but he now rose from his seat, arranged his shawl over one shoulder,10 knelt on his right knee, and prostrated at the feet of the Blessed One. With his palms respectfully joined together, he asked, “Blessed One, which activities did the Thus-Gone One previously perform to achieve his definitive light, magnetizing light, motivating light, manifesting light, multicolored light, single-colored light, narrow light, vast light, pure light, utterly pure light, stainless light, utterly stainless light, immaculate light, gradually expanding light, bright light, utterly bright light, boundless light, utterly boundless light, [F.196.a] immeasurable light, utterly immeasurable light, unfathomable light, utterly unfathomable light, swift light, utterly swift light, nonabiding light, groundless light, blazing light, illuminating light, inspiring light, light that leads to perfection, unimpeded light, unwavering light, straight light, light that dwells within the infinite, light displaying the marks of form, light displaying the various marks of form, light displaying the immeasurable marks of form, light displaying the characteristics of blue, yellow, red, and white colors, light displaying the characteristics of violet color, light displaying the characteristics of crystalline color, light displaying the characteristics of the sky’s color,11 and other such lights? Each of those various lights is manifested mixed with light rays of five colors, and each of those blue, yellow, red, and white lights are manifested mixed with an infinite number of multicolored light rays.”
The Blessed One12 replied to Candraprabhakumārabhūta13 in verse:
“I have achieved those various lights
Since I have abandoned delusion
Through the causes and conditions
Of inconceivable virtuous actions.
“Furthermore, I dwell on the path of the buddhas
Through a variety of practices,
And I manifest those mixed lights
Through the insight of emptiness and nonaction.
“Although external phenomena
Are empty and selfless,
Beyond actions and thoughts,
They appear with various particular characteristics. [F.196.b]
“The inner body is also
Empty, selfless, and beyond action,14
And yet all kinds of sounds
Manifest from it.
“In the same way, I fulfill the wishes of beings
In accordance with their inclinations,
By manifesting lights of countless colors
Through the power of nonaction.
“Sometimes a single light ray
Produces two colors,
Each displaying
Higher, middle, and lower beams.
“Sometimes a single light ray
Produces three colors,
Each displaying
Higher, middle, and lower beams.
“Sometimes a single light ray
Produces four colors,
Each displaying
Higher, middle, and lower beams.
“Sometimes five colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of pure actions.
“Sometimes six colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of skillful means.
“Sometimes seven colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of virtuous actions.
“Sometimes eight colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of wholesome qualities.
“Sometimes nine colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of the accumulations.
“Sometimes ten colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of generosity.
“Sometimes twenty colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of having guarded discipline.
“Sometimes thirty colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of patience.
“Sometimes forty colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams; [F.197.a]
This is the result of diligence.
“Sometimes fifty colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of concentration.
“Sometimes sixty colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of insight.
“Sometimes seventy colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of love.
“Sometimes eighty colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of compassion.
“Sometimes ninety colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of joy.
“Sometimes a hundred colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of equanimity.
“Sometimes a thousand colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of the display of qualities.15
“Sometimes ten thousand colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of the accumulation of merit.
“Sometimes ten million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of trust.
“Sometimes twenty million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of rejoicing.
“Sometimes thirty million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of pliancy.
“Sometimes forty million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of reverence toward the Buddha.
“Sometimes fifty million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of reverence toward the Dharma. [F.197.b]
“Sometimes sixty million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of reverence toward the Saṅgha.
“Sometimes seventy million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of respect for discipline.
“Sometimes eighty million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of respect for concentration.
“Sometimes ninety million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of affection toward everyone.
“Sometimes a hundred million colors manifest
From a single light ray,
Each displaying higher, middle, and lower beams;
This is the result of carefulness.16
“Furthermore, many light rays radiate
From a single pore;17
I should now tell you the names
Of those various lights.
“I have a light
Called illumination of pure clouds;
It arose from the accumulation
Of boundless roots of virtue.
“In the past, out of sympathy for all beings
Afflicted by various forms of diseases,
I gave them many kinds of medicine and restored their health;
I achieved that light through such causes and conditions.
“I have another light
Called pure eye;
It arose by offering
Lamps to the buddhas.
“I have another light
Called pure ear;
It arose by offering them
Melodious tunes.
“I have another light
Called pure nose;
It arose by offering them
Perfumed water.
“I have another light
Called pure tongue;
It arose by offering them
Delicacies.
“I have another light
Called pure body;
It arose by offering them
Clothing.
“I have another light
Called pure form;
It arose by painting
The forms of the buddhas.
“I have another light
Called pure sound;
It arose by continuously
Praising the Dharma.
“I have another light
Called pure scent;
It arose by continuously
Revering the Saṅgha.
“I have another light
Called pure taste;
It arose by practicing generosity
In accordance with beings’ wishes.
“I have another light
Called pure touch;
It arose by offering
Perfumed ointments.
“I have another light
Called pure phenomena;
It arose by embracing
All phenomena.
“I have another light
Called pure earth;
It arose by sweeping the ground
For the Buddha and the Saṅgha.
“I have another light
Called pure water;
It arose by offering
Springs and wells.
“I have another light
Called pure air;
It arose through the offering
Made by holding fans.
“I have another light
Called pure element;
It arose by continuously
Cultivating love.
“I have another light
Called pure truth;
It arose by permanently
Giving up lying.
“I have another light [F.198.b]
Called pure sound;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the buddhas.
“I have another light
Called pure eloquence;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of retention.
“I have another light
Called harmony;
It arose by settling
Conflicts.
“I have another light
Called blue color;
It arose by offering
Blue lotuses.
“I have another light
Called yellow color;
It arose by offering
Magnolias.
“I have another light
Called red color;
It arose by offering
Pearls.
“I have another light
Called supreme qualities;
It arose by adorning the buddhas
With many types of colors.
“I have another light
Called elephant splendor;
It arose by offering
Elephant flags.
“I have another light
Called king of lions;
It arose by offering
Lion flags.
“I have another light
Called king of bulls;
It arose by offering
Bull flags.
“I have another light
Called pure moon;
It arose by sweeping
The stūpas of buddhas.
“I have another light
Called understanding women;
It arose by abandoning
The features of women.
“I have another light
Called understanding men;
It arose by abandoning
The features of men.
“I have another light
Called vajra strength;
It arose through
Pure knowledge of actions.
“I have another light
Called revealing emptiness;
It arose by teaching
Karmic ripening to the world.
“I have another light
Called true realization;
It arose by abandoning
Wrong views.
“I have another light
Called revealing the Buddha’s words;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the realm of phenomena.
“I have another light
Called abandonment of faults;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of devotion.22
“I have another light
Called illuminating array;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of offering lamps.
“I have another light
Called abandonment of craving;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of absorption and insight.
“I have another light
Called abandonment of habitual patterns;
It arose by abandoning
The knowledge of the past.
“I have another light
Called abandonment of attachment;
It arose by praising
The unborn wisdom.
“I have another light
Called abandonment of transmigration;23
It arose by praising
The wisdom of the exhaustion of defilements.
“I have another light
Called abandonment of dwelling place; [F.199.b]
It arose by praising
The knowledge of suffering.
“I have another light
Called miraculous display of the Buddha;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of miraculous power.24
“I have another light
Called revealing the nonexistence of name-and-form;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the bases of miraculous power.
“I have another light
Called devotion to virtuous friends;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the nature of realization.
“I have another light
Called past limit of the eye;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the past limit of the eye.
“I have another light
Called limit of the exhaustion of the eye;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the exhaustion of the eye.25
“I have another light
Called limit of existence;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the absence of existence.
“I have another light
Called absence of disintegration;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the absence of cessation.26
“I have another light
Called absence of limits;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the absence of limits.
“I have another light
Called absence of marks;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the unconditioned.27
“I have another light
Called unchanging;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the absence of distinction.
“I have another light
Called absence of engagement;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the absence of clinging.
“I have another light
Called absence of origination;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the unborn.
“I have another light
Called absence of birth;
It arose by proclaiming
The praises of the lack of origination.
“I have a light called taming demons
Whose brilliance terrorizes demons.
I have a light called banner of merit;
Those who remember its name will abandon harm.
“I have a light called powerful banner;
Those who remember its name will be free from enmity.
I have a light called peaceful banner;
Those who remember its name will rid themselves of attachment.
“I have a light called banner of concentration;
Those who remember its name will abandon improper conduct.
I have a light called illustrious banner;
Those who remember its name will become famous.29
“I have a light called delightful banner;
Those who remember its name will not suffer from torments.
I have a light called pure restraint;
Those who remember its name will abandon improper discipline.
“I have a light called banner of supreme perfume;
Those who remember its name will be free from impurity.
I have a light called profound Dharma;
Those who remember its name will be free from doubts.
“I have a light called Mount Sumeru;
Those who remember its name will be unshakable.
I have a light called secret conduct;
Those who remember its name will be free from clinging.
“I have a light called liberated conduct;
Those who remember its name will be free from bondage.
I have a light called excellent control;
Those who remember its name will be pliant and gentle.
“I have a light called unmoving;
Those who remember its name will abandon attachment and clinging.
I have a light called total restraint;32
Those who remember its name will observe perfect discipline.
“I have a light called actions of manifold virtues;
Those who remember its name will not be sullied.
I have a light called numerous benefits;
Those who hear its name will rid themselves of negativities.
“I have a light called vision of supreme knowledge;
Those who hear its name will not be deluded.
I have a light called seeking to benefit; [F.200.b]
Those who hear its name will be free from anger.
“I have a light called pleasing the mind;
Those who hear its name will experience happiness.
I have a light called absence of torment;
Those who remember its name will realize emptiness.
“I have a light called absence of essential nature;33
Those who remember its name will transcend concepts.
I have a light called absence of reliance;
Those who remember its name will be unshakable.
“I have a light called freedom from delusion;
Those who remember its name will be free from hesitation.
I have a light called baseless;
Those who remember its name will rid themselves of the darkness of ignorance.
“I have a light called absence of delusion;
Those who remember its name will be free from verbal expression.
I have a light called absence of going;
Those who remember its name will foresee the future.
“I have a light called total limit;
Those who remember its name will know the past.
I have a light called unequaled;
Those who remember its name will realize the absence of defilement.
“I have a light called noble attainment;
Those who remember its name will know what is supreme.
I have a light called stainless;
Those who remember its name will abandon clinging.
“I have a light called abandonment of dust;
Those who remember its name will be free from darkness.
I have a light called absence of craving;
Those who remember its name will give up their reliances.36
“I have a light called supreme victory;37
Those who remember its name will overcome the proponents of opposing views.
I have a light called youthful;
Those who remember its name will accomplish the six actions.
“I have a light called supreme nobility;
Those who remember its name will gain unimpeded insight.
I have a light called swift;
Those who remember its name will become the most accomplished monks.
“I have a light called possessing marks;
Those who remember its name will realize the profound Dharma.
I have a light called absence of marks; [F.201.a]
Those who remember its name will rid themselves of pride.
“I have a light called unborn;
Those who remember its name will reach the absence of attainment.
I have a light called recollecting the Buddha
That is praised by the thus-gone ones.
“By practicing various activities in the presence of many buddhas,
I have attained such a light.
The light rays emanating from the bodies of buddhas
Equal in number all the myriads of particles of dust
“Present in all the countless millions of buddha realms
As numerous as all the grains of sand present in the ocean.
Each of those light rays, as numerous as all those particles,
Is surrounded by many attendants.
“Those light rays manifest as the pure bodies of the thus-gone ones
In all the realms where there is no buddha,
To teach the utterly profound Dharma
And thereby establish beings in the state of forbearance.
“I have a light called Buddha
That causes beings to abide on the path of the buddhas.
I have a light called Dharma
Whose illumination is immaculate and stainless.
“I have a light called Saṅgha
That is praised by the thus-gone ones.
I have a light called purity
That is exalted and hard to find.
“Through their virtuous qualities, those manifold light rays
Tame each of the beings born with corresponding fortunes,
Ripening all those countless millions of retinues
Into awakening.
“I have a light called insight,
And others called discipline, love,
compassion, joy, lamp,
perfumed ointment, and music.
“Those light rays are named
According to their respective activity [F.201.b]
And were perfected by attracting
Countless beings.
“I have a light called foremost39
That is praised by the thus-gone ones
And was perfected
By continuously revering the teachings of the Buddha.
“From all his pores, the Buddha emits light rays40
As numerous as the beings he beholds,
And each of those light rays
Is surrounded by many attendants.
“As he emits those light rays,
The Buddha ripens sentient beings
In accordance with
Their individual inclinations.
“Whoever rejoices and feels inspired
Upon hearing this teaching on those lights
Must already have heard this discourse
From many buddhas in the past.
“I have a light called exalted41
That has eight hundred million attendants;
I achieved this light by offering
One verse of praise to the buddhas in the past.
“I have a light called absence of sorrow
That has eight hundred billion attendants;
I achieved this light by recalling
A single teaching of a thus-gone one.
“I have a light called utmost purity
That has eight hundred million attendants;
I achieved this light
By mastering a single absorption.
“When he first reached awakening,
The assembly that had gathered around him
And to whom he taught the Dharma
Counted eight hundred billion members.
“At that time, in the lands of the great Jambudvīpa,
There was a king called Devoted to Words.42
He had five hundred sons who were handsome,
Beautiful, and pleasant to behold.
“Their father, the king,
Was a majestic and powerful man
Who had sincere faith
In the Three Jewels. [F.202.a]
“Out of reverence,
The king offered to that blessed one
All the most magnificent gardens
That were in his possession.
“All the walkways
That crossed those gardens
Were lined with
Eight hundred million trees:
“Those many trees blossomed during both summer and winter;
Their branches, fruits, and flowers shone with brilliant colors.
The sweetest fragrances arose from them
And perfumed the body of the Thus-Gone One.
“All the monks had a golden color.
They were all sitting in front of those trees.
They had all attained retention
Through great exertion.
“At that time, out of sympathy
For the king, his sons, and the numerous assemblies,
The Thus-Gone One44 taught them
The sūtra on the definitive lights.
“When he heard that sūtra,
The king, overwhelmed with joy,
Proclaimed the praises of the Thus-Gone One
In countless verses.
“That great king also offered the Blessed One
Eight hundred million magnificent bejeweled parasols,
Each of them decorated around its edge
By garlands of wish-fulfilling gems.45
“Every one of them had the value
Of eight hundred million coins made of pure gold from the Jambu River.
Each of those bejeweled parasols was adorned
With tassels made of eight hundred million wish-fulfilling gems.46
“Shining with brilliant colors,
Those wish-fulfilling gems emitted light continuously,
So that there was no distinction
Between day and night.
“Each of those light rays
Illuminated a hundred leagues,
And their light shone brilliantly, [F.202.b]
Eclipsing the sun and the moon.
“The four sides of the precious parasols were ornamented
With lions and eight hundred million jewel tassels,
As well as eight hundred million garlands
Made of precious golden threads.
“Those sublime bejeweled parasols
Were also adorned
With lattices of precious pearls
That intermingled in various ways.
“Those parasols completely covered the gardens,
And they were themselves surmounted by countless lotus parasols47
Formed by various kinds of flowers
Such as jasmine, atimuktaka—also known as mucilinda—
“Udumbara, and blue lotus flowers.
All those parasols were beautified with precious lattices,
And cloths made of golden threads
That formed a covering canopy above.
“Furthermore, eight hundred million bejeweled thrones
Built with sandalwood, supported by legs made of pure gold,
And decorated with eight hundred million
Cushions made of the finest silk48 were set forth.
“At that time, all types of sentient beings—
Up to those residing at the summit of existence—
Had gathered in that place to hear this discourse
From the Thus-Gone One.
“When they heard this discourse,
Were overwhelmed with joy.
“They proclaimed the praises of the Thus-Gone One
In eight thousand verses,49
And all of them made the aspiration
To reach great awakening.
“At that moment, the Thus-Gone One
Knew their thoughts
And prophesied their awakening in these words:
‘In the future, you will accomplish buddhahood.’51
“At that time, upon hearing this discourse that reveals the lights in full,
Also became overwhelmed with joy, gave rise to the mind set on awakening,
And received this prophecy: ‘In the future, you will accomplish buddhahood.’52
“At that time, upon hearing this discourse,
All the eight hundred million nāgas who had gathered there
Also gave rise to the mind set on awakening
And received a prophecy.
“At that time, upon hearing this discourse,
All the eight hundred million garuḍa kings who had gathered there
Observed the five vows
And also received that prophecy.
“At that time, upon hearing this discourse,
All the eight hundred million gandharva kings who had gathered there
Played a hundred thousand musical instruments, making delightful sounds
As offerings to the Blessed One, and also received that prophecy.
“At that time, upon hearing this discourse,
All the hundred million yakṣa kings developed intense faith
In the pure wisdom of the Buddha,
And all of them also received the prophecy of their awakening.
“Candraprabha, you should know that, at that time,
You were the king Devoted to Words,
Who worshiped that blessed one53 with those various offerings;
Do not think that this was someone else.
“You have already heard that sūtra in the past,
And this is the reason why today,
In this place, you once again
Request to hear it.
“Those who teach this discourse in the future
Will be the guardians of my Dharma;
Like leaders guiding many travelers,55
They will be known as guardians of the precious treasure.
“Beings who are honest, pliant, and gentle,
Who continuously strive to serve the buddhas,
Who meditate on selflessness, cultivate love, and develop patience
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who constantly has a nonvirtuous attitude,
Who insatiably hankers after personal gains,
And who has no interest in being disengaged
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who worships the thus-gone ones,
Who properly understands the profound and sacred Dharma,
And who trusts in the genuine wisdom of the buddhas
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is distracted and faithless,
Who repeatedly takes the lives of others, who is hard to tame,
And who is enslaved by all the objects of desire
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always inclined to stay in the wilderness,
Who resides alone with a peaceful mind,
And who is without attachment to gains and friends
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who follows unwholesome friends,
Who destroys their own and others’ virtues,
And who lets their discipline and absorption become greatly corrupted
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone with pure aspirations
Who always examines phenomena with insight
And is guarded by virtuous friends
Will be interested in this discourse. [F.204.a]
“Someone who is strongly attached to the family household,
Who seeks others’ favors by giving flowers and fruits,
And who is dishonest and cunning58
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who always recollects the Buddha’s kindness,
Who yearns for the highest roots of virtue,
And who sincerely59 dedicates their acts to awakening
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who lusts for women and girls60
And always aspires to frolic with women
Who are adorned in all kinds of splendid garments
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone with a deep mindset who has left all dwellings,
Who is not sullied by objects of desire,
And who does not deceive others for the sake of food and drink
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who says to everyone
That it is not a fault to indulge in desires
And who denigrates the buddhas of the three times
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone with constant and firm trust
Who pursues the Dharma persistently
And never becomes weary or disrespectful while doing so
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who craves women,
Who constantly keeps objects of his lust in mind
Without cultivating insight or benefiting others extensively,
Will not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who lives in mountains or forests
And is purified by cultivating insight
Without any desire for the most basic necessities
Will be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always deluded and fails to understand
The past and future limits of the eye
Is bound by the demon of ignorance
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always free from delusion and understands
The past and future limits of the eye
Is liberated from demonic bondage
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always deluded and fails to comprehend
The existence and nonexistence of the eye’s limit
Is bound by the demon of ignorance
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse. [F.204.b]
“Someone who is always free from delusion and understands
The limits of existence and nonexistence of the eye
Is liberated from demonic bondage
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always deluded and does not comprehend
The eye’s characteristics of abiding and disintegration61
Is bound by the demon of ignorance
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always free from delusion and comprehends
The eye’s characteristics of abiding and disintegration
Is liberated from demonic bondage
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Know that the same applies
To the essential nature of the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, textures, mental phenomena,
Earth, water, fire, and air.
“It also applies to matter, sentient beings, suffering,
The aggregates, the elements, worldly arising, untrue words,
Desire, anger, ignorance, pride, craving, pretense,
Vanity, miserliness, envy, deceit, aggression, and so forth.
“Someone who is always deluded and does not comprehend
The limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Falls into the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always free from delusion and comprehends
The limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Is free from the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always deluded and does not comprehend
The disintegration of the eye
Falls into the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always free from delusion and comprehends
The disintegration of the eye
Is free from the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always deluded and does not comprehend
The disengagement of the eye
Falls into the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always free from delusion and comprehends
The disengagement of the eye
Is free from the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always deluded and does not comprehend
The absence of coming and going of the eye
Falls into the experience of worldly beings [F.205.a]
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is always free from delusion and comprehends
The absence of coming and going of the eye
Is free from the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who does not realize the selflessness of the eye
And is always deluded about the essential nature of its exhaustion
Falls into the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who realizes the selflessness of the eye
And always understands the essential nature of its exhaustion
Is free from the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who does not realize the selflessness of the eye
And is always deluded about the objects of the practice of patience
Falls into the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who realizes the selflessness of the eye
And always understands what objects to accept
Is free from the experience of worldly beings
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who does not realize
The essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Is unable to accomplish nonabiding discipline
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who realizes
The essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Is able to accomplish nonabiding discipline
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who does not realize
The essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Is unable to accomplish undefiled discipline
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who realizes
The essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Is able to accomplish undefiled discipline
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who does not realize
The essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Is unable to accomplish undefiled insight
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who realizes
The essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Is able to accomplish undefiled insight
And will therefore be interested in this discourse. [F.205.b]
“Someone who does not realize the essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Will always be deluded about the eye’s emptiness;
That person will not give rise to the all-retaining wisdom
And will therefore not be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who realizes the essence of the eye’s exhaustion
Will always realize the emptiness of the eye;
That person will give rise to the all-retaining wisdom
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“When someone who realizes the essential nature of the eye’s exhaustion
Accomplishes the all-retaining wisdom,
They accomplish the unsurpassed wisdom free of attachment
And will therefore be interested in this discourse.
“Someone who is not interested in this discourse
And always deluded about the essential nature of the eye’s exhaustion
Will regress from the state of absorption
And thus find it hard to attain unsurpassed wisdom.
“Someone who is strongly interested in this discourse
And realizes the essential nature of the eye’s exhaustion
Will accomplish the state of absorption62
And thus not find it hard to actualize unsurpassed wisdom.
“Someone who realizes the essential nature of the eye’s exhaustion
And clearly understands the characteristic of selflessness
Will always gain trust and freedom from doubts
Upon hearing this Dharma teaching.
“Someone free from laziness who diligently contemplates,
Day and night, the essential nature of the eye’s exhaustion
Will accomplish retention and eloquence
And continuously teach this discourse.
“The qualities derived from contemplating this discourse
Are more exalted than those
Derived from worshiping all the buddhas
By building a hundred thousand stūpas.
“The qualities derived from hearing this discourse
Are more exalted than those
Derived from worshiping the thus-gone ones’ relics
By playing a hundred thousand musical instruments.
“The merit created by honoring this discourse
Is more exalted than the merit
Created by honoring all the sentient beings beheld by the Buddha’s eyes
For countless millions of eons, as if they were thus-gone ones. [F.206.a]
“Someone who memorizes a single four-line verse
From this discourse and teaches it to others
Should be revered
As the most compassionate Victor.
“For a hundred thousand eons in the past,
When I was circling in the three realms,
I served countless buddhas
For the sake of this discourse.
“To master this discourse,
At times I lit countless hundreds of thousands of lamps—
Each of their wicks measuring about a league—
And offered those to the great guides.
“I sometimes worshiped the stūpas of thus-gone ones
With different types of offerings
Such as garlands of magnolias, jasmine, and aśoka flowers,
And banners and parasols.
“In that way, for all those
Hundreds of thousands of eons,
My mind was always free of miserliness
For the sake of this discourse.68 [B2]
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I observed completely pure discipline;
I constantly cultivated absorption and insight
And practiced generosity toward sentient beings.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I never harmed anyone—
Even the vicious ones who threatened me—
Out of my love for them.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I gave satisfaction
To all those who came to ask for favors,
By fulfilling all their wishes.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I ornamented mansions
With garlands of jewels
And offered those to the buddhas.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse, [F.206.b]
I worshiped buddhas
By offering them a variety of jewels
And wish-fulfilling gems.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I always remembered the gracious ones
And venerated every single verse
That I heard from them.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I revered those who were disciplined
And always showed respect for them,
Even when I was walking.
“When I was circling in saṃsāra in the past,
For the sake of this discourse69
I always expressed my gratitude
To those who extended even the slightest favor.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I did not seek personal gain and I did not deprecate the Dharma.
Instead, I developed sympathy
For my relatives and friends, and for all beings.70
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I became learned and eloquent.
I did not cling to phenomena
And had no miserliness regarding the household of friends.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
Whenever a nonvirtuous thought arose in me,
I would never let it develop
But immediately confessed it.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
When I was born as a prince,
I faithfully dedicated and offered to the buddhas
All my gems, perfumed ointments, and fragrant powders.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
Out of sympathy for prisoners,
I took upon myself, as a physical bail,
The many sufferings they experienced.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I renounced the five sense pleasures
And always took the precepts
At the six times of the month.71
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I always cultivated patience
And never gave rise to desirous miserliness,
Even with respect to my wives.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I enriched all destitute beings
By offering them wealth,
So that they could experience happiness.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I always attracted everyone—
Mendicants, brahmins,
And all the various other types of beings.
“In the past, for the sake of this discourse,
I gave generously to those in need,
Always acting as a great benefactor
To benefit all beings. [F.207.a]
“I sometimes fulfilled
The wishes of sentient beings
By giving them flowers and fruits,
Without sending anyone away.72
“When I was practicing generosity in the past,
I constantly maintained an impartial attitude.
Therefore, with a sense of modesty,
I respectfully practiced generosity toward everyone—
“Those endowed with the qualities of discipline,
Those who observed improper discipline, those who had no sense of shame,
And those who had achieved great miraculous power,
As well as all other ordinary beings.
“Since I did not distinguish between high and low
When I was practicing generosity in the past,
I dedicated myself one pointedly to this discourse
Without pursuing afflicted states.
“At times, in some lands,
I annihilated all opposing forces
And subjugated all the nāgas
So that they showered rains in timely ways.
“Candraprabha, you should know that, in the pursuit of this discourse,
I have undergone austerities for countless lifetimes;73
Even if these were described for a hundred thousand eons,
This task would never come to an end.
“Abide by such a conviction and,
In the future, during the final period,
Give rise to genuine recollection
And expound this discourse!
“I clearly see the future
With my buddha eyes;
I know precisely all the various actions
That will occur.
“I also know all the monks who,
In the pursuit of unsurpassed wisdom,
Will teach this discourse with minds filled with faith,
As well as all the directions in which this teaching will take place.74
“I also know all the thoughts and methods of those who,
In the future, during the final period,
Will be interested in this discourse
Upon hearing it.
“I know all the inferior beings
Who will not hear this discourse
And who will therefore denigrate
The teachings of the Dharma.
“I will give a prophecy to all the monks and nuns
Who cry out of heartfelt longing
When they hear this discourse,
And they will behold the supreme victors. [F.207.b]
“Candraprabha, you should know that,
Through my awakened miraculous power,
I know the purity and the impurity of beings’ minds,
And even all their inclinations.75
“I know all the qualities of sentient beings,
Such as those who are always dedicated to peace and isolation,
Dwell in absorptions without any attachment to saṃsāra,
And have permanently abandoned even its habitual patterns.
“I know which sentient beings will, in the future,
Adhere to untrue teachings,
And which ones
Will be devoted to the Buddha.
“Beings who are attached to worldly pleasures
Will not properly grow the seed of the buddhas’ awakening;
Due to such causes and conditions,
Their practices will deteriorate.76
“Candraprabha, those who realize the seed of awakening
Are certain to obtain pure, boundless lights.
Thus, regard each of the causes and conditions related to such lights distinctly;
You should perceive them all through the power of insight.
“Those who abandon unwholesome friends,
Who rely on virtuous friends,
And who guard the purity of their discipline
Will accomplish the lights of the buddhas.
“Guard your senses,
Abandon shamelessness and indecency,
Cultivate virtuous qualities,
And protect sentient beings!
“Stop being involved in conflicts,
Realize emptiness,
And develop erudition and eloquence
Without hankering for personal gain!
“Regard all personal achievements as being like fecal filth
And do not let the purity of your mind
Be defiled by the stains of selfish gains; [F.208.a]
Pursue liberation and you will achieve the unsurpassed goal!
“Accomplish the path of the buddhas,
Regard the Buddha and reality as being similar,
Always set ablaze the great torch of the Dharma,
And illuminate all the worlds!
“Let your mind be unshakable
Like the king of mountains,
And eagerly cultivate patience toward everyone,
Even when you are insulted or beaten!
“Act as a genuine virtuous friend
For the sake of sentient beings,
Abandon all forms of inferior attitude,
And always accomplish pure actions!
“Let your mind be stable,
Teach the unsurpassed Dharma,
And bestow this sacred discourse
On the kindhearted!
“Those who pursue unsurpassed wisdom
Are not afraid of saṃsāra;
Having abandoned negative deeds,
They will gain the most supreme benefits.77
“As an analogy, Candraprabha, you should know
That experts can skillfully handle fire,
To produce various flavors without being burned,
While unskilled dilettantes burn their palms when handling fire.78
“Moreover, the disturbed and crazed mind
Of someone who has been poisoned
Can be cured by the heat of fire.
It is similar for the wise:
“Based on the mind, they see that the mind is empty.
Therefore, although they abide within saṃsāra,
They see—based on the eye—that the eye is empty,
And so they do not cling to the eye.
“Those who understand in that way
Can dwell on the eyes without causing affliction;
If they see that the eye is empty, they will achieve genuine wisdom,
And light rays will therefore manifest.
“If they see that the eye is empty,
They will permanently abandon79 desire.
Due to this absence of desire,
Light rays will manifest.
“What is explained here with respect to desire also applies
To all the other afflictions up to anger,
Ignorance, clinging to “I,” pretense,80
Aggression, miserliness, envy,
“Shamelessness, impatience,
Haughtiness, arrogance, [F.208.b]
Pride, deceit,
Carelessness, dishonesty, and so forth.
“Those who obtain genuine wisdom
Realize the eye to be peace.
Therefore, light rays will manifest
Through this realization.
“Those who have achieved genuine wisdom
Are settled in the way of the buddhas,
And light rays will manifest
On this basis.
“Those who have achieved genuine wisdom
Are settled in the methods of the buddhas,
And light rays will manifest
On this basis.
“I have never heard of or seen
Anyone who has permanently abandoned the obscurations
And accomplished the manifestation of light rays
Without achieving genuine wisdom.
“Those who, after realizing genuine wisdom,
Permanently rid themselves of the harm of the obscurations
And observe this conduct
Will achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who pursue the conduct of the victors
And worship the thus-gone ones
After having trained in this discourse
Will achieve genuine wisdom and skillful means.81
“Those who have achieved genuine wisdom82
Should worship the buddhas
To perfect the emanation of light rays
Like fruits in the palms of their hands.
“For those who are deluded
About the selflessness of the eye,
The qualities of spiritual training will decline;
Those persons will not achieve the emanation of light rays.
“It is those who realize
The selflessness of the eye
Who accomplish the qualities of virtuous practice;
Such persons will achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who realize the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will also realize the limit of the arising of the ear.
Realizing the limit of the arising of the ear
Is known as the quality of great virtuous practice.
“Those who do not understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also not understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Not achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who understand the ultimate essence of the eye
Will also understand the limit of the arising of the eye; [F.209.a]
Those persons will therefore
Achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who do not properly understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also not properly understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Not achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who properly understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also properly understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who do not directly understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also not directly understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Not achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who directly understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also directly understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who do not properly understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also not fully understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Not achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who properly understand the limit of the eye’s natural state
Will also directly understand the limit of the arising of the eye;
Those persons will therefore
Achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who do not properly understand the purity of the eye’s natural state
Will not properly understand the purity of the ear’s natural state;
Those persons will therefore
Not achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Those who properly understand the purity of the eye’s natural state
Will properly realize the purity of the ear’s natural state;
Those persons will therefore
Achieve the emanation of light rays.
“Know that this also applies
To the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes,
Textures, and mental phenomena.
“It also applies to the elements of earth, water, fire, and air,
The world, suffering,
Words, names, and so forth.” [F.209.b]
Then the Blessed One said to Candraprabhakumārabhūta, “Noble son, sentient beings dedicated to the Great Vehicle who wish to perfect this emanation of light rays must accomplish eighty types of accumulation of roots of virtue. What are those eighty?83 (1) Protecting and recollecting sentient beings, (2) being free of ill will, (3) guarding the purity of one’s discipline without letting it become corrupted, (4) being completely impartial, (5) being free of deceit, (6) being free of miserliness, (7) being free of envy, (8) being free of lustful thoughts, (9) being free of deceitful thoughts, (10) trusting the sacred discourses of the Great Vehicle, (11) being free of attachment and craving regarding power and arrogance,84 (12) having complete strength of patience, (13) never turning away from one’s aspirations, (14) having a completely pure motivation, (15) staying in the wilderness, (16) not associating with retinues, (17) not being thrilled about personal gains, (18) not being excited about fame, (19) dwelling firmly in the concentrations, (20) displaying the absorption of light rays, (21) sincerely revering those who observe discipline,85 (22) manifesting the noblest attitude toward those who practice pure conduct, (23) venerating the preceptors and teachers out of respect for the Dharma, (24) understanding the meaning of the sūtras, (25) being expert in teaching, (26) not telling lies, (27) maintaining pure motivation, (28) exerting oneself to create roots of virtue, (29) constantly practicing generosity,86 (30) fully understanding the activities of Māra, (31) guarding one’s senses firmly, (32) investigating the words, (33) being expert in the ultimate truth, (34) realizing the individual characteristics of the bodhisattva levels, (35) pursuing inexhaustible form,87 (36) being unconcerned88 about one’s body and life, (37) teaching to the four retinues, [F.210.a] (38) completely interrupting worldly concerns, (39) abandoning the wrong view that denies future existence, (40) abstaining from teaching those who are untrained and show signs of dishonesty, (41) teaching those who wish to train,89 to the best of one’s ability and with discernment, (42) not proclaiming the praises of song and music, (43) not proclaiming the praises of ornaments and provisions, (44) correctly engaging in the truths, (45) possessing excellent erudition, (46) giving up drowsiness,90 (47) exerting oneself in the pursuit of the genuine Dharma, (48) revering the buddhas, (49) giving rise to the mind set on awakening, (50) giving up worldly activities, (51) exerting oneself in the precepts, (52) relying on extraordinary friends out of thirst for the Dharma, (53) untiringly pursuing roots of virtue, (54) being highly interested in monastic ordination, (55) guarding and upholding the Dharma of the buddhas, (56) not engaging in negative actions, (57) having no doubts about the teachings, (58) being skilled in teaching through analogies, (59) revealing and disclosing secrets, (60) tirelessly pursuing great awakening, (61) not forgetting the sūtras one has received, (62) not giving up one’s training, (63) defeating the proponents of opposing views, (64) pursuing the path of renunciation, (65) accomplishing countless activities, (66) gaining certainty about the wisdom of the Dharma, (67) clearly perceiving the principle of causes and results,91 (68) continuously remaining in saṃsāra,92 (69) not being attached to the three realms, (70) giving up pride, (71) teaching the presentation of the antidotes to those who have strong conviction, (72) fully understanding the particular instances of future karmic ripening, (73) properly knowing the past limit, (74) not being dependent on others, [F.210.b] (75) diligently accomplishing the practices of abandonment, and (76) perfecting the arrays of the buddhas’ major and minor marks—those are the eighty types of accumulation.
“Furthermore, Candraprabhakumāra,93 those eighty qualities can be included within five qualities. What are those five? (1) Knowing saṃsāra, (2) knowing nirvāṇa, (3) knowing the exhaustion of afflictions, (4) knowing what is supreme, and (5) knowing the fruition of merit.
“Candraprabhakumāra,94 those five qualities can further be included within two qualities. What are those two? (1) Being adorned with a pure mind and (2) being adorned with a pure appearance.
“Candraprabhakumāra,95 those two qualities can further be included within a single quality. What is this quality? Accomplishing the unimpeded liberation of the thus-gone ones.96
“Furthermore, Candraprabhakumāra, there is another set of eighty qualities, through which one perfects the unimpeded liberation of the thus-gone ones.97 What are those eighty? (1) Being endowed with the accumulation of generosity, (2) being endowed with vast insight, (3) accomplishing pure discipline, (4) being free from the torment of the afflictions, (5) overcoming pride, (6) speaking with soft words, (7) knowing a variety of topics, (8) knowing those who are virtuous friends, (9) dedicating oneself to the Great Vehicle, (10) donning the armor of diligence, (11) taming sentient beings through one’s behavior, (12) eliminating the doubts of those who have fallen into afflicted states, (13) disparaging nonvirtue98 and accomplishing wholesome qualities, (14) not associating with nonvirtuous friends, (15) tirelessly creating roots of virtue, (16) giving rise to the mind set on awakening, [F.211.a] (17) engendering diligence,99 (18) clearly understanding the character of Māra, (19) realizing the truths, (20) worshiping only what is genuine, (21) eliminating doubts,100 (22) constantly wishing to make sentient beings pass beyond suffering, (23) not clinging to existence, (24) expanding the scope of one’s mind, (25) teaching about shortcomings to beings who engage in nonvirtue, (26) completely abandoning desire, anger, and ignorance, (27) not pursuing sense pleasures, (28) ripening sentient beings, (29) building stūpas of thus-gone ones,101 (30) developing one’s reverence toward noble beings, (31) associating with and serving those who are grounded in the Great Vehicle, (32) not praising those who follow the Lower Vehicle, (33) staying far away from those who follow the vehicle of the hearers, (34) overcoming opponents, (35) preparing vast offerings and offering them to the blessed buddhas with a noble attitude, (36) achieving unimpeded wisdom, (37) being endowed with perfect eloquence, (38) teaching the authentic Dharma through a variety of analogies, (39) not contradicting the empty essence, (40) not succumbing to laziness while pursuing the Dharma, (41) teaching the profound meaning, (42) possessing the great power of retention, (43) teaching the Dharma but not clinging to it, (44) propagating the Dharma on a vast scale, (45) insatiably guiding beings, (46) perfecting one’s modes of conduct, (47) being endowed with great majesty,102 (48) being endowed with unimpeded eloquence, (49) being endowed with excellent erudition, (50) not proclaiming the praises of nonvirtuous people, (51) accomplishing virtuous actions, (52) comprehending the aggregates, (53) completely giving up views, (54) realizing the essential nature of causes, (55) transcending the domain of experience, [F.211.b] (56) giving up improper domains, (57) developing intense faith, (58) dwelling on the genuine path, (59) delighting in the Great Vehicle, (60) attracting beings impartially, (61) not being attached to selflessness, (62) not becoming weary about saṃsāra, (63) being dedicated to seeking nirvāṇa, (64) staying in the wilderness because of having few desires, (65) never succumbing to laziness while collecting alms, (66) being content with whatever one gets, (67) giving up shamelessness and indecency, (68) serving the buddhas, (69) staying in the presence of virtuous friends, (70) staying away from those who are not of the same ilk, (71) being sympathetic toward ordinary beings, (72) acting in conformity with sentient beings’ way of behaving, (73) having great faith in the buddhas, (74) abandoning those who are improper vessels, (75) not giving teachings to inappropriate beings, (76) not teaching those who do not ask for it, (77) teaching in a variety of ways to those who ask for it, (78) being disinterested with respect to food, (79) giving continuously and impartially, and (80) giving without holding anything back103— Kumāra, those are the eighty qualities through which one achieves the unimpeded liberation of the thus-gone ones.”104
When he heard that teaching, Candraprabhakumārabhūta became overjoyed and spoke these verses of praise in the presence of the Blessed One:105
“Since the Thus-Gone One knows
The limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
He displays pure wisdom
And is therefore endowed with pure and perfect lights.
“Since the Blessed One
Has benefited sentient beings in the past,
He has perfected pure speech,
And he therefore benefits an infinity of worlds.
“Since the Thus-Gone One knows
The emptiness of the eye,
He has perfected all-comprehending wisdom,
And therefore displays the Thus-Gone One’s infinite lights.
“The Buddha knows the characteristics of the eye,
And those particularities are endless;
Thus, since the names of wisdom are infinite,106
The lights displayed by the Thus-Gone One are infinite.
“Since the Buddha knows
The gateways of the particular words,
He realizes that the eye is empty and beyond words,
And he therefore displays infinite lights.
“Those who contemplate the selflessness of the eye
Will realize that the Buddha speaks the truth,
And they will therefore display the certainty
Of the Thus-Gone One’s lights.107
“Since the Blessed One
Has perfected the most sublime miraculous powers,
He understands the boundless disintegration of the eye,
And he therefore benefits all the worlds.
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Knows the boundless arising of the eye;
May I too, before long,
Know the arising of the eye as the Blessed One108 does!
“In the same way, his knowledge encompasses
The ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, textures, mental phenomena,
Worldly arising, words, names, and so forth.
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent perfection of generosity;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the perfection of generosity!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent perfection of discipline;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the perfection of discipline! [F.212.b]
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent perfection of patience;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the perfection of patience!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent perfection of diligence;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the perfection of diligence!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent perfection of concentration;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the perfection of concentration!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent perfection of insight;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the perfection of insight!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has attained the excellent and perfect Dharma body;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Attain the perfect Dharma body!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with excellent, pure, and infinite forms;109
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with pure forms!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with an excellent, pure, and limitless mind;110
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with a pure mind!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the most excellent and infinite qualities;111
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with supreme qualities!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with the excellent and boundless physical marks;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with the physical marks!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Is endowed with pure and infinite voices;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with pure voices!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings, [F.213.a]
Has reached excellent and boundless great miraculous power;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Be endowed with great miraculous power!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Remains in the three realms to guide sentient beings;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Guide sentient beings!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite activities of saṃsāra;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the activities of saṃsāra!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of desire;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of desire!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of anger;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of anger!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of ignorance;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of ignorance!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of desire and anger;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of desire and anger!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of anger and ignorance;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of anger and delusion!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of desire and ignorance;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of desire and delusion!
“The great compassionate one, foremost among human beings,
Has transcended the infinite modes of the joint afflictions;
May I too, before long, in the same way as the Blessed One,
Transcend the modes of the joint afflictions!
“Since he has transcended desire, [F.213.b]
The Guide benefits the entire world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he has transcended anger,
The Guide benefits all the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he has transcended ignorance,
The Guide benefits all the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he has transcended desire and anger,
The Guide benefits all the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he has transcended anger and ignorance,
The Guide benefits all the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he has transcended desire and ignorance,
The Guide benefits all the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he has transcended desire, anger, and ignorance,
The Guide benefits all the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
To benefit the world just as the Blessed One does!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One guides all the many gods;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become a teacher to lead both gods and humans!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One guides all the many groups of nāgas;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become a teacher to lead both gods and humans!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One guides all the numerous yakṣas;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become a teacher to lead both gods and humans!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom, [F.214.a]
The Thus-Gone One guides all gandharvas and the countless kumbhāṇḍas
Along with their retinues; may I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become a teacher to lead both gods and humans!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the true nature of phenomena;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about that truth!
“Since he knows the limit of the exhaustion of suffering,
The Thus-Gone One benefits all beings;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the exhaustion of suffering!
“Since he knows the limit of the exhaustion of causes,
The Thus-Gone One benefits all beings;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the exhaustion of causes!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the activities of the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the activities of the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows what is possible and impossible in the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the karmic actions and effects of the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the various natures of the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One knows the actions that lead to all destinations;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!112
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the various inclinations of worldly beings;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world! [F.214.b]
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One knows all the modes of the faculties;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the practices of concentration;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the practices of liberation;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the practices of equipoise;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the practices of attainment;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he clearly understands saṃsāra,
The Thus-Gone One knows that saṃsāra arises from the cause of the afflictions;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he clearly knows everything,
The Thus-Gone One is peerless when it comes to benefitting the world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he dwells within states of absorption,
The Thus-Gone One manifests the wisdom of unique methods;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One knows the infinite deeds of previous lives;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the countless deaths and rebirths;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world! [F.215.a]
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows all the exhaustions of the afflictions;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One has awakened to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One has completely abandoned all afflictions and their habitual patterns;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!113
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the qualities of escaping saṃsāra;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he clearly knows the meaning of the Dharma,
The Thus-Gone One makes countless beings understand;114
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“The Thus-Gone One clearly knows that, by nature,
Phenomena are like illusions, dreams, and mirages;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“The Thus-Gone One clearly knows
The words and expressions of the whole world;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he is endowed with supreme eloquence,
The Thus-Gone One teaches the profound, sacred Dharma;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since his body, speech, and mind are calm,
The Thus-Gone One always acts based on wisdom;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world!
“Since he clearly knows the three times,
The Thus-Gone One is free from clinging, attachment, and impediment;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And benefit all the world! [F.215.b]
“Since he has accomplished discipline, absorption, and insight,
The Thus-Gone One will never regress from those;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the most compassionate being in the three realms!
“Since he has accomplished the liberations,115
The Thus-Gone One’s liberated wisdom and realization are irreversible;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the most compassionate being in the three realms!
“Since he has accomplished tranquility and insight,116
The Thus-Gone One is unequaled within the worlds of gods and humans;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the most compassionate being in the three realms!
“Since he is endowed with supreme wisdom,
The Thus-Gone One does not cling to worldly concerns;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the most compassionate being in the three realms!
“Since he knows the world,
The Thus-Gone One clearly sees all the various destinies;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts117 about those destinies!
“Since he knows the limits of arising and exhaustion,
The Thus-Gone One is free from delusion about them;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the nature of arising and exhaustion!
“Since he knows the limit of complete peace,
The Thus-Gone One is free from delusion about it;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about that complete peace!
“Since he knows the limit of saṃsāra,
The Thus-Gone One is free from delusion about it;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about saṃsāra!
“Since he knows the past and future limits,
The Thus-Gone One has attained self-taught wisdom;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the past and future limits!
“Since he knows the past and future limits,
The Thus-Gone One does not cling to permanence or discontinuation of the eye;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the past and future limits!
“Since he knows the limits of arising and exhaustion,
The Thus-Gone One does not cling to permanence or discontinuation of the eye;
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And be free from doubts about the nature of arising and exhaustion!
“Those who do not understand the past and future limits
Generate clinging toward objects of desire;
Since the Thus-Gone One clearly knows these,
He does not cling to objects of desire.
“Those who do not understand the limits of existence and nonexistence
Generate clinging toward objects of desire;
Since the Thus-Gone One clearly knows these,
He does not cling to objects of desire.
“Those who do not understand exhaustion and non-exhaustion
Generate clinging toward objects of desire;
Since the Thus-Gone One clearly knows these,
He does not cling to objects of desire.
“Those who do not understand engagement and nonengagement
Generate clinging toward objects of desire;
Since the Thus-Gone One clearly knows these,
He does not cling to objects of desire.
“The same applies to anger, ignorance, aggression,
Pretense, deceit, envy, pride, haughtiness,
Generosity, discipline, patience,
Diligence, concentration, and insight.”
Aware of Candraprabhakumārabhūta’s thoughts, the Blessed One smiled and emitted golden light rays that illuminated countless buddha realms119 and accomplished the benefit of beings within the worldly realms. Then those light rays circumambulated the Blessed One120 three times and vanished into the top of the Thus-Gone One’s head.
At that moment, the bodhisattva Maitreya stood up, draped his shawl over one shoulder,121 knelt on his right knee, and prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One. With his palms respectfully joined together, [F.216.b] he praised the Blessed One and posed some questions with these verses:
“You roar like thunder and like a lion,
Your voice resembles the song of the kalaviṅka bird,
And you beat the great Dharma drums.
Why do you smile?
“You shine more brightly than a thousand suns,
Your voice is immaculate,
And you possess the most amazing qualities.
Why did you emit light?
“You are adorned with generosity, discipline, patience,
Diligence, concentration, and insight.
You have mastered all those perfections.122
Why did you emit light?
“Thus-Gone One, your voice is soft,
You have permanently abandoned harsh words,
And you heal the diseases of sentient beings.
Why did you emit light?
“Great compassionate one, leader of human beings,
You realize that the eye is always empty and void,
And you teach the Dharma to sentient beings
With your pure Brahmā voice.
“The same applies to the ear, the nose, the tongue,
The body, the mind, words, names, and so forth,
Up to the origin,123 cessation,
The path, wisdom, and patience.
“Great compassionate one, leader of human beings,
You realize that the limits of the arising and exhaustion of the eye
And complete peace, as well as saṃsāra,
Are empty and void.
“The same applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures,
Up to words and names.
“You also teach that dependently arisen phenomena
Are beyond permanence and discontinuation,
And that they are not produced by themselves or by others,
But that they originate from numerous conditions.
“At times, you describe the basis of suffering
Using various explanations.
At times, you praise the light of the buddhas
According to a variety of meanings.
“At times, you teach about the disengagement of phenomena
Using countless words.
At times, you reveal the nonexistence
Of a person, a life principle, a self, and a sentient being.
“Countless buddhas of the past
Have also taught this Dharma
Through hundreds of thousands
Of inconceivable verses.
“The Thus-Gone One teaches [F.217.a]
About qualities, the Dharma, and the natural state,
But he is beyond expressions and things expressed.
Therefore, the Dharma that he expresses is also nonexistent.
“Likewise, all the asuras
Will develop sincere interest,
And countless humans
Will cut through the web of doubt.
“They will realize the nature of desire,
Eradicate anger and ignorance,
And completely abandon
The entire mass of suffering.
“Suffering comes from the proliferation
Of craving, pride,
Ignorance, deceit, and envy;
Ultimately, all those categories are pure.125
“Since the Thus-Gone One clearly knows
The many terms related to every single Dharma teaching,
He delivers countless
Hundreds of thousands of teachings.
“Since he has properly trained in the Dharma
Under countless buddhas,
The words he expresses to teach
Every single Dharma topic are endless.
“Since the Thus-Gone One knows
The many categories of phenomena,
He clearly understands the distinctions pertaining
To initial, intermediate, and concluding statements.
“Since he has learned
All the varieties of different words,
He clearly knows how to teach
The excellent, supreme meanings.
“Since such a completely pure voice
Originates from a collection of causes and conditions,
It does not depend on the tongue alone,
Or on the body and the mind alone.
“The earth has shaken in six ways,
And retinues have gathered from the ten directions.
When they gaze upon the Blessed One, their palms joined,
May their doubts be cleared away!
“The Thus-Gone One realizes
That the limits of the exhaustion and arising of the eye
Are always intrinsically empty and void,
Beyond coming and going.
“He dwells within the very limit of reality,
Beyond abiding and fixation.
Blessed One, your eye is unimpeded,
So I ask you this today:
“Since the Thus-Gone One realizes
That the past and future limits of the eye,
Its exhaustion and its non-exhaustion, as well as saṃsāra, [F.217.b]
Are intrinsically empty and void,
“He brings delight to worldly beings
By revealing the meanings of the Dharma.
Why does the sage, who is endowed
With that melodious voice, smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that the past and future limits,
As well as the eye, are empty and void,
And you are free from concepts and words.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you know that the eye is beyond measure,
And that the various verbal expressions
Are always empty and void by nature.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you clearly know that the limits of exhaustion and arising,
As well as the eye itself, are empty and void,
And you have completely
Abandoned all afflictions.
“You have obtained the wisdom
Of the buddhas’ awakening,
And you have an excellent and supreme renown.
Why do you smile?126
“Blessed One, since you have trained for a long time,
You teach the inconceivable.
You realize the emptiness of the eye,
And you are always stainless and immaculate.
“You know all the countless thoughts
Through a single realization.
As your light rays illuminate the worlds,
What do these omens portend?127
“Great Sage, manifest Buddha,
Exalted leader of human beings,
Since you have eliminated all afflictions,
Your mind is always peaceful and disengaged.
“Thus-Gone One, with your supreme wisdom
You know the limit of the exhaustion of the eye.
Due to what causes and conditions
Do you smile today?
“The same applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
The six sense objects, and the four great elements,
Up to words and names.
“Blessed One, you realize that the eye is selfless,
That the ear is impermanent,
And that the nose is empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that the tongue is selfless,
That the body is impermanent,
And that the mind is empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that forms are selfless,
That sounds are impermanent,
And that scents are empty.
Why do you smile? [F.218.a]
“Blessed One, you realize that tastes are selfless,
That touch is impermanent,
And that mental phenomena are empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that earth is selfless,
That water is impermanent,
And that fire is empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that air is selfless,
Essences are impermanent,
And material things are empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that the world is selfless,
That suffering is impermanent,
And that the aggregates are empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that the elements are selfless,
That the world is impermanent,
And that arising is empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that sounds are selfless,
That names are impermanent,
And that the path is empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that wisdom is selfless,
That disengagement is impermanent,
And that sentient beings are empty.
Why do you smile?
“Blessed One, you realize that any nature lacks inherent nature,
That the self is devoid of self,
And that inclinations are empty.
Why do you smile?
“You see that saṃsāra is selfless,
You know what is permanent and impermanent,
And you realize that nirvāṇa is empty.
Why do you smile?
“Thus-Gone One, your mind is free,
Your renown pervades the entirety of the three realms,
And you are worshiped by all beings,
“The Thus-Gone One realizes
That the limits of the exhaustion
And arising of the eye are void.
Why does he smile?
“All the countless heirs of the buddhas
Have gathered in this retinue.
They were born from the Buddha’s speech
And emanated from the Dharma.
“They have come into the presence of the Blessed One
And respectfully join their palms.
For those who have gathered in this assembly,
I ask you to declare the causes and conditions of this light. [F.218.b]
“Since the Thus-Gone One realizes
That the eye is empty and selfless,
He truly surpasses
All householder practitioners.
“The Thus-Gone One knows
The lack of difference and the sameness of phenomena.
Blessed One, you know this through your insight—128
You do not perceive this through your miraculous powers.
“Blessed One, you realize that the eye is selfless,
That its essence is empty, and that it does not come from or go anywhere—
Your immaculate wisdom is immeasurable.
Why do you smile? [B3]
“Thus-Gone One, your births are totally exhausted,
And you protect all the worlds through your great compassion.
Dharma lord, supreme leader of human beings,
Please tell us why you smile!
“Countless great bodhisattvas
And hosts of majestic gods
Are holding sublime parasols in the sky,
And this great earth has shaken.
“You bring delight impartially to those
Who have accomplished virtuous qualities
For a long time under the thus-gone ones of the past.
Great compassionate leader, please tell us why you smile!
“Those who have worshiped buddhas in the past
Are filled with joy when they hear this teaching.
Great guide, supreme leader of human beings,
Please tell us why you smile!
“Blessed One, you please beings through your manifold teachings,
Your melodious voice resembles the songs of the swan—the king of birds—129
And countless delightful words manifest spontaneously from your mouth.
Please tell us why you emitted light!
“The praises of your agreeable speech are proclaimed
In countless millions of verses,
And you are endowed with the supreme voice of the black Indian cuckoo.130
Please tell us why you emitted light!
“The deep thunder roar by which you teach the Dharma
Resounds throughout countless hundreds of thousands of worlds.
Through your compassion you teach using both harsh and sweet words.
Why did you emit golden light?
“You realize that the occurrence of the eye
Is always empty and void, beyond coming and going,
And groundless, like a mirage or a water bubble.
What are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Know that the same applies
To the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, textures, and mental phenomena,
Up to words, names, and so forth.
“Your body is permanent like vajra and indestructible.
It is endowed with a hundred thousand perfect and supreme marks,
And you move your body without any fetters.
Please tell us—what are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Your calves are round,132 your heels are broad,
And like a lion your abdomen does not bulge—
Your navel is deep, and your waist is broad.
Please tell us—what are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Your golden body is pure, stainless, and immaculate,
And each hair on your body is deep black,
Perfumed, and curls to the right.
Please tell us—what are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Your sublime body, perfect and permanently enduring,
Is like the king of trees, the banyan fig.
It is adorned with all qualities,
And your melodious voice pleases your retinues.
“Your shoulders are round, your upper arms are thick and beautiful,133
Your crown protuberance is perfect and coiled clockwise,
You move throughout countless hundreds of thousands of realms,
And you point out to sentient beings the mistaken and the correct paths.
“The fragrance of blue lotus flowers exudes from your mouth,
And your body is pervaded by the scent of sandalwood.
Since you have cultivated love extensively in the past,
Your pure intent is uninterrupted.
“Thus-Gone One, the soles of your feet are even,
And although they touch the ground, they remain unsullied by dust.136
Walking like a lion and an elephant,
You have transcended the entire world.
“You are beautified by the marks of thousand-spoked wheels,
And your sublime light shines brilliantly.
Since you benefit beings through your virtue, [F.219.b]
Whoever sees you is filled with faith.
“Each of your fingers emits a hundred thousand light rays
That illuminate countless buddha realms.
Since you have accomplished so many virtuous practices in the past,
You have achieved those various arrays of excellent marks.
“Your form body is perfect and unequaled,
The marks that beautify your face are magnificent,
And you benefit the world137 through your miraculous powers.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Like a stallion,140 your genitals are hidden and stainless;
The palms of your hands are even and broad,
And your arms reach past your knees.
Amazing and magnificent lion of human beings, please tell us why you smile!
“Innumerable brilliant, soothing, and brightly colored light rays
Radiate from your body.141
Your pure mind is uninterrupted,
And you reveal countless discourses.
“Such qualities will not be accomplished
By those who uphold eternalist or nihilist views.
Only those who have abandoned extreme views
Will swiftly attain the pure body of the blessed ones.142
“Your speech resounds like divine drums and roaring thunder;
It is melodious and clear like the songs of the kalandaka bird143
And endowed with a hundred thousand tunes of divine songs.
Please tell us why you emitted lights!
“Great Guide, by teaching the Dharma through a single teaching,
You interrupt the practices of those who adhere to improper discipline.
Whatever melodious words come from the Thus-Gone One’s mouth
Are profound and amazing!
“Leader of human beings, the light rays emitted from between your eyebrows
Illuminate a hundred thousand buddha realms,
Your sublime eyes have a deep black color,
And the mark of your crown protuberance cannot be seen by the celestial gods.
“Thus-Gone One, your body of perfect qualities
Shines with countless excellent and magnificent colors
And emits the most amazing pure light rays.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Great compassionate one, supreme victor, leader of human beings,
You know the pure intentions of sentient beings,
And you have achieved supreme, unimpeded eloquence.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Since the Thus-Gone One has reached the other shore,
He is perfectly endowed with the three knowledges and the six higher perceptions,
And he displays innumerable pure light rays.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Blessed One, during countless eons in the past,
You worshiped a hundred thousand blessed ones,
And the fruition of such causes is inexhaustible.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Blessed One, since for countless eons in the past
You have dwelled within supreme states of absorption,
You have realized the limits of the arising and exhaustion of the eye.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Great guide, you clearly know
The past, the future, and the present—
Your immaculate wisdom is unimpeded and inconceivable,
Please tell us why you smile!”
At that moment, in front of the numerous retinues, the Blessed One extended his golden hand, placed it on Candraprabhakumārabhūta’s head, and spoke these verses:
“Kumāra, listen carefully!
I now entrust to you
This teaching on awakening—
The sūtra on the manifestation of lights.
“In the future, during the final period
Of the degenerate times,
When the Dharma is about to vanish,
You must reveal it and expound it to sentient beings!
“With my buddha eye, I see and know
All those who, in the future, during the final period,145
Will be interested in this excellent, profound, and sacred sūtra,
As well as all those who will not be interested in it.
“Sentient beings who pursue
The path of awakening
Should constantly recollect the Buddha
And keep this discourse in mind.
“Those whose faith has disappeared,
Who are attracted to distraction,
And who delight in sleeping both day and night
Will not be interested in this discourse. [F.220.b]
“Even if they become renunciants
Under my teachings,
Interest in the qualities of nirvāṇa
Will not arise in them.
“Those fools will squander the gifts of faith,
And even if they hear repeatedly
About the defects associated with conditioned phenomena,
They will cling to worldly concerns, and fear will not arise in them.
“Those fools
Will deprecate the wise ones,
And even if they wear the Dharma robes,
They will be devoid of even the slightest trace of insight.
“Since they will not know the true words
Well-spoken by the Sage,
And even if they hear them, they will not believe in them,
Do not stay in the company of such fools!
“Even if they hear these magnificent teachings,
Joy and devotion will not arise in their minds.
I reproach such individuals;
Though they have a human body, they waste it in meaningless pursuits.
“Those whose minds become filled with joy and devotion
When they hear these profound teachings
Have already met buddhas in the past.
There is thus no doubt that they will reach unsurpassed awakening.
“Fools who are inferior due to their unwholesome views
And sever the life force of insight will forsake awakening;
Therefore, abandon such nonvirtuous friends
And instead attend to the wise ones and revere them!
“All the innumerable defects in all the worlds,
And all sentient beings sinking in the three lower realms,
Originate from the causes and conditions of ignorance and delusion;
Therefore, those who follow their afflictions will not gain freedom.
“Since they forsake the true Dharma
And practice what is contrary to the Dharma,
You should abandon
Those inferior, deluded beings!
“Like a charioteer146 breaking
The axle of his steering wheels,
Sentient beings who engage in nonvirtuous actions
Will be reborn in the hell realms.
“Abusive words always come back to harm
Those who pronounce them, [F.221.a]
Just like a sharp axe that strikes the body
Of the one who wields it.
“Karmic ripening is experienced without fail,
In accordance with the causes and conditions of the actions performed.147
Those who do not understand this will attend to worldly sages,
Thinking they are virtuous friends.
“Then, thinking that those who meditate on emptiness
Realize the unconditioned, they will develop nihilist views;
They will say that the body becomes like a broken pot
And that the mind also ceases to be.
“They will mostly be drawn
To idle gossip,148
And, strongly attached to it,
They will gain no benefits whatsoever.
“The harm caused by poisonous snakes
Will never cause many beings to fall into the lower realms,
But when a fool teaches the Dharma he destroys roots of virtue,
Which causes countless beings to fall into the hell realms.
“You who have gathered in this assembly should consider
That Candraprabhakumāra, who is present here today,
Has worshiped and venerated countless blessed buddhas in the past—
As many as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.
“Since he has pursued unsurpassed wisdom
By meditating in a steadfast manner,
His mind does not dwell
On any of the realms of existence.
“Since he knows that the limit of the arising of the eye
Is always pure,
He has abandoned concepts,
And he is utterly free from clinging.
“He will teach this unsurpassed sūtra
On the manifestation of lights
In order to benefit
Countless sentient beings.
“Since fools are unable to train in this teaching,
They regard genuine spiritual practices as faulty.149
Therefore, stay far away from such fools;
Do not assist them, and do not train in their teachings!
“Since fools are attracted to dispute,
They are unable to earnestly adopt behavior that is free from conflict.
Such beings are utterly devoid of an appropriate mindset,
So do not serve them or proclaim their praise! [F.221.b]
“Since fools are lazy and indolent by nature,
They constantly engage in physical, verbal, and mental nonvirtuous actions;
They therefore completely lack
Pure discipline, insight, and erudition.
“They always think about the objects of their desires,
And they are drawn to distractions;
Regard the families, blood lines,
And bodies of such fools as inferior!
“They are filled with aggression, they do not listen to advice,
And their faces are repulsive;
Even if they are born in virtuous locations,
Their bodies will be vile.
“Since they cling to the notion of self, they are deluded about the true meaning.
Since they lack intelligence, they are unable to understand the diversity of words.
Even if they hear teachings about intrinsic emptiness,
They are not interested in them.
“The thus-gone ones, the blessed ones
Have long ago abandoned all worldly verbal constructs.
Ordinary beings cling and are attached to those,
And so, for as long as they live, they fail to gain understanding and realization.
“Though they might proclaim the praises of discipline,
They do not practice pure conduct.
Though their mouths might teach the Dharma,
Their bodies engage in practices that are contrary to it.
“Though they might teach the Vinaya,
They always behave in ways that are contrary to it.
The Buddha has instructed his disciples
To wear the saffron-colored robes.
“Still, even if those who observe improper discipline
Put on such robes,
It only causes the strength of pride and carelessness
To grow in their minds.150
“When they eat the food that is donated to them with faith,
It is like swallowing burning iron.
In that way, after renouncing their households,
They do not experience sense pleasures,
“Nor do they gain the supreme happiness
Associated with the Dharma of the buddhas.
In this way, they aspire for a variety of experiences
And do not abandon the two extremes.
“None of their interests are pure,
And even when such fools are in a large retinue,
They are like foxes
That have entered a pack of lions.
“Even if you give
Teachings related to peace,
They do not understand or realize
The meaning of suchness and emptiness.
“Even when they take hold of impure objects,
They joyfully hold on to them
As if they were wish-fulfilling gems,
And their minds never let go of them.
“Though such vile beings
Might renounce their households,
Guard their behavior, put on Dharma robes,
And carry alms bowls,
“These are all merely superficial displays,
And so they utterly lack true insight.
Even if they shave their facial hairs,
They do not renounce harmful attitudes.
“Since they follow teachings contrary to virtuous practice
And fall into mistaken views,
The path leading to disengagement and nirvāṇa
Is completely ruined for them.152
“They will not achieve the fruition
Resulting from engaging in virtuous practice,
And so their ignorance and other afflictions
Will not diminish in the slightest.
“While roaming in the cities,
They sing the praise of disengagement.
Due to their lack of intelligence,
Those fools do not understand the genuine path.
“All their aspirations are nonvirtuous;
Even if they stay in the wilderness,
It is not to accomplish the true causes of nirvāṇa,
But out of desire for personal gain.
“Fond of drowsiness and sleep,
They are concerned about their physical well-being
And constantly long
For ways to accomplish that goal.
“Even if they stay in the wilderness for many years,
They adhere to mistaken views,
And so they stray from the path leading to nirvāṇa,
Never obtaining the results of the paths of virtuous practice.
“Since they regress from the genuine view153
And transgress pure discipline,
They always crave fine clothes to adorn their bodies,
And for the happiness of sensual pleasures.
“When they enter cities,
They bear the marks of pride
And do not guard their physical actions,
And so they do not observe pure conduct.
“At times, when they enter cities and roam about,
They boast about their characteristics in these words:
‘You should know that the caves in the wilderness are my home. [F.222.b]
My eyes downcast, I glance upward slowly, walking and stopping serenely.’
“Since they do indeed look like worthy ones,
All the householders say to one another,
‘This monk who stays in the wilderness
Is truly a noble being!’
“At other times, when visitors come to see them
While they stay in the forest, they brag in words such as these:
‘In these jungles I wander day and night’
Or ‘This mat of fresh grass is where I sit.’
“At other times, when they go to cities and enter homes,
They eagerly ask with deception, ‘Are you well?’
Before engaging in frivolous mundane conversations
Related to various topics such as kings and thieves.
“At other times, driven by attachment,
They boast about their own qualities
In various ways
In the presence of women.
“They say, ‘I am a great field of merit for the entire world;
I have renounced my kingdom and become a renunciant,
And now I meditate on the path.
My queen and my children154 have been reborn in the higher realms.’
“Upon hearing those words,
The women are filled with immense respect;
They collect clothes, food, and beverages, which they offer with the words,
‘Venerable, look upon us with compassion—please come to us directly!’155
“Since such people are attached to delicious meals
And do not know their defects,
They are at the mercy of Māra,
Like turtles caught in nets.
“Even while staying in the wilderness,
They are conceited about their achievements,
And they continue to despise and deprecate
Those monks who are diligent.
“Since they repeatedly give rise to attachment
Out of the delusion related to gain and fame,
And since they constantly engage in deceitful actions to sustain themselves,
They repeatedly increase their physical and verbal unwholesome actions.
“For those who completely abandon those faults
On the basis of my teachings
And practice with zeal and conscientiousness,
It will not be difficult to hear156 this teaching.
“For those who are unshaken by worldly concerns
Such as gain, loss, praise, criticism,
Suffering, and happiness,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who perceive the body as filth,
The aggregates as wounds,
And food as poison for the wounds,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who do not become haughty
But put on the attire of modesty
Even when they receive fine clothes,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who are not conceited about their appearance and strength,
Who are not attached to food
But merely eat to sustain their lives,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who know that the objects of craving are empty
And therefore neither indulge in nor reject pleasures
But always act with the understanding of emptiness and disengagement,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those living alone in the mountains—more than a league away—
Who, while absorbed in equipoise,
Realize the selflessness of conditioned phenomena,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who accomplish the path of the pure eye
By realizing the characteristics of the limits
Of the exhaustion, arising, and cognition of the eye,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“The same also applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures,
Up to words and names.
“You should know that,
In the future,
All the countless monks will be
Either diligent or lazy in those ways.
“You should know that, in those ways,
They will either be virtuous or nonvirtuous friends,
Accomplished or unaccomplished,
Trusting or untrusting.
“You should know that, in those ways, they will be
Either virtuous or nonvirtuous friends
Who accomplish or do not accomplish
The path of the eye’s exhaustion.157
“You should know that, in those ways,
Some will be strongly interested in awakening,
Only to lose interest later,
After one, two, or three months have passed.
“Still, even if the interest
Born upon hearing this teaching [F.223.b]
Declines in some,
They will revive their faith later on.
“Some will not abandon their carelessness
When they hear this teaching;
Instead, they will think,
‘This discourse is not the Buddha’s words!’
“After hearing this teaching,
Some will be caught by Māra;
Even if faith has initially arisen in them,
They will abandon it later on.
“Those who are not interested in the Dharma will pursue falsehood, fame, and gain;
Although they might sing the praises of the lights
Of dhāraṇīs, absorption, and complete comprehension
As they roam through cities and towns, they will not gain true realization.
“Devoid of mindfulness and insight,
Their whole life will be wasted in meaningless pursuits;
And so fall into the Hell of Unceasing Torment, never to be reborn in the higher realms.
“Someone who hears this discourse
And memorizes a single four-line verse from it
Is more exalted than someone who builds
A thousand stūpas in every single moment.
“Someone who hears this discourse
And memorizes160 a single four-line verse from it
Is more exalted than someone who offers
A hundred thousand flower garlands to the stūpas of the buddhas.
“Someone who contemplates this discourse
For just a single moment
Is more exalted than someone who builds
As many bejeweled stūpas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.
“Someone who contemplates this discourse
For just a single moment
Is more exalted than someone who venerates
Ten million buddha realms by tossing flowers.
“Someone who contemplates this discourse
For just a single moment
Is more exalted than someone who offers
Ten million Dharma robes to the buddhas.
“The buddha eye is pure and superior—
There is nothing that it does not know and see.
Those who are dedicated to this discourse
Will achieve the buddha eye.
“He prophesied that I would become a buddha
Named Śākyamuni,
And that I would teach this discourse
While sitting at the seat of awakening.
“You were a young boy at that time.
When you heard this prophecy,
You became overjoyed and filled with faith. [F.224.a]
With your palms joined, you made this aspiration:
“ ‘When this brahmin child becomes a perfect buddha,
May I become his assistant.
After he passes into nirvāṇa,
May I uphold and guard his collection of teachings!’
“When the Buddha Dīpaṅkara
Taught this discourse on the manifestation of lights,
Both the brahmin son and the young boy
Listened to it carefully and kept it in mind.
“In the past, I once offered blue lotus flowers to that buddha.
You were present at that time, and you made the aspiration
To uphold this discourse during the final period of my teachings
And to propagate it on a vast scale.
“Those who, upon hearing this teaching,
Do not give rise to aversion but hold it,
Keep it in mind, read it, and recite it
Are sublime beings!
“In the future, you should uphold
This teaching that is difficult to hear,
Teach it extensively, and reveal its meaning
To sentient beings!
“In the past,
When the true Dharma was about to disappear,
I also taught this discourse on the manifestation of lights
Extensively to sentient beings.
“Because fools do not accomplish it with determination,
They deprecate it.
Still, when I hear their words,
I do not become angry.
“Instead, I always cultivate patience
And benefit the world.
Since the strength of my patience is perfect,
I am adorned with the major and minor marks.
“Kumāra, you should regard the excellent
And perfect body of the Buddha,
As well as his pure and sublime golden color,
As the outcome of the strength of his patience.
“Countless realms shake
When my feet touch the earth,
Yet no sentient being loses balance;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my patience.
“The hundred thousand light rays
Emitted from each pore of my hair
Illuminate all directions;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“All the members of my retinues
Have developed gentle minds,
And they revere the Thus-Gone One;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“All the praises of the Buddha’s qualities
Proclaimed within my great assemblies
With a hundred thousand musical tunes, [F.224.b]
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“A hundred thousand malevolent
And frightening nāga kings
Become pleased when they see the Buddha;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Thus-gone ones residing
In countless hundreds of thousands of realms
Are praising my qualities;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Hundreds of thousands of mahoragas
And kaṭapūtanas gather together164
And worship me by tossing flowers;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Sixty billion beings
Including the yakṣa kings
Come to worship me;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
And kaṭapūtanas168 gather together
And worship me with offerings of flowers and perfumes;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Kumāra, you should see
That whoever is touched by the Buddha’s light rays
Becomes freed from suffering and obtains happiness;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Samudra and a hundred thousand
Gods of the wind fill the sky
And worship me by showering perfumed rains;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“A hundred thousand divine retinues
Worship me by tossing divine flowers,
Abandon their cravings, and attend to the buddhas;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“You also advertise the Buddha’s miraculous power,
Generosity, and discipline,
Causing everyone to hear about them;
Regard this as the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.169
“Everyone gains understanding
Through the words related to the aggregates,
The elements, and the four truths;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Through my miraculous powers, [F.225.a]
The words related to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
And utter peace, as well as the limit of its arising,
Are heard from the sky.
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘The eye arises from causes and conditions;
It does not come from or go anywhere.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘The buddhas are born from
The realization of the eye’s peace.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the limit of the exhaustion of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the limit of the eye is utter peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the limit of the arising of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the transformation of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the arising of the eye is peace,170
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the disengagement of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“The same applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, and textures,
Up to words, names, and so forth.
“By extension, this explanation also applies
To desire, anger, ignorance,
Aggression, pretense, envy, deceit,
Arrogance, pride, and so forth.”
When he heard this unique and extraordinary teaching, Candraprabhakumārabhūta was overjoyed. With his palms joined, he said, “Blessed One, if I were to invite the Thus-Gone One and his large retinue for lunch tomorrow, would he consider me with affection and consent to come for the lunch that I will prepare?”171