The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2)
Chapter 12: The Four Mahārājas Protecting the Land
The preceding chapter, this chapter, and the following chapter form one chapter in Toh 557.
Toh 556
Degé Kangyur, vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 151.b–273.a
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light has held great importance in Buddhism for its instructions on the purification of karma. In particular, much of the sūtra is specifically addressed to monarchs and thus has been significant for rulers—not only in India but also in China, Japan, Mongolia, and elsewhere—who wished to ensure the well-being of their nations through such purification. Reciting and internalizing this sūtra is understood to be efficacious for personal purification and also for the welfare of a state and the world.
In this sūtra, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu has a dream in which a prayer of confession emanates from a shining golden drum. He relates the prayer to the Buddha, and a number of deities then vow to protect it and its adherents. The ruler’s devotion to the sūtra is emphasized as important if the nation is to benefit. Toward the end of the sūtra are two well-known narratives of the Buddha’s previous lives: the account of the physician Jalavāhana, who saves and blesses numerous fish, and that of Prince Mahāsattva, who gives his body to a hungry tigress and her cubs.
This is the second-longest version of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light preserved in the Kangyur. It comprises twenty-nine chapters and was translated into Tibetan primarily from Sanskrit.
Acknowledgements
This text was translated by Peter Alan Roberts, who translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Ling Lung Chen and Wang Chipan were consultants for the Chinese versions of the sūtra. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Tracy Davis was the initial copyeditor. Thanks to Michael Radich for sharing his research on the sūtra.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Xiaolong Diao, Ting Lee Ling, and H. S. Sum Cheuk Shing checked the translation against the Chinese sources. Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text, and Sameer Dhingra was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of E E, May-E, Minda, and Chung-Da Ho.
Text Body
The Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light
[B6]
Then the Bhagavat congratulated the Four Mahārājas, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Mahārājas! Excellent, excellent, you Mahārājas!
“It is thus: you have served past jinas, have generated roots of merit, have honored many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas, have possessed the Dharma, have taught the Dharma, have been kings of the Dharma,221 and have been kings of devas and humans through the Dharma.
“It is thus: for a long time, you have had the motivation to benefit all beings; you have had the motivation of happiness and love; you have had the superior motivation of wishing to bring benefit and happiness to all beings; you have prevented that which is not beneficial; and you have been dedicated to accomplishing every happiness for all beings.
“You Four Mahārājas have guarded the kings who have been dedicated to honoring and making offerings to The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and defended them, kept them in your care, protected them,222 and brought them peace and well-being. [F.213.a]
“Therefore, you Four Mahārājas, with your army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will guard the way of the Dharma of the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present. You will protect it and keep it in your care.
“Therefore, you Four Mahārājas, with your army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will be victorious in the battle between the devas and asuras. You will defeat the asuras. In this way, The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light subjugates all opposing armies. For that reason, you should guard the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras. You should defend them, keep them in your care, protect them, and bring them peace and well-being.”
Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, they knelt on their right knee and, with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable Bhagavat, in the future, when this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is performed in any village, town, market town, district, kingdom, or royal capital; when it is performed in the domain of any human king; and when, venerable Bhagavat, any human king who acts as a king in accordance with the commitment of the lord of devas and with this treatise on kingship, [F.213.b] always listens to, worships, and makes offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord king of sūtras, and always listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then at that time, through the liquid amṛta of this Dharma, through the water of the river of listening to the Dharma, the divine bodies of we Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundred thousands of yakṣas, will increase in their great magnificence, and we will have great diligence, power, and strength. Our magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will also increase.
“Venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas, with our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will now and in future times be present in these very bodies in any village, town, market town, district, kingdom, or royal capital where this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is performed.
“We will guard the human kings who listen to, worship, and make offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. We will defend them, keep them in our care, protect them, save them from attack,223 and bring them peace and well-being.
“We will guard the royal courts,224 the kingdoms, and their dominions. We will defend them, keep them in our care, protect them, save them from attack, and bring them peace and well-being. We will free those dominions from all fear, harm, and disturbances, [F.214.a] and we will repel the armies of enemies.
“If a human king who listens to, worships, and makes offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light has a neighboring enemy king, and if, venerable Bhagavat, that king thinks, ‘I will go with my fourfold army to that domain to destroy it,’ then, venerable Bhagavat, at that time, in that time, through the power of the magnificence of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, that neighboring enemy king will enter into battle with other kings, who will enter his domain and bring ruin to his domain. They will bring dreadful ruin to that king. Bad planetary influences and diseases will also appear in his domain. There will be hundreds of various kinds of difficulties in his domain.
“Venerable Bhagavat, if a neighboring enemy king goes to that king’s domain there will be hundreds of various kinds of calamities and hundreds of various kinds of tribulations.
“Venerable Bhagavat, if a neighboring enemy king gathers together his fourfold army and leaves his domain as an invading army and with those four divisions of his army enters another domain in order to destroy that domain in which this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is present, then, venerable Bhagavat, we Four Mahārājas, with our army, attendants, and countless hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, in these very bodies, will go there and we will drive back the enemy army that is en route. We will cause them hundreds of various calamities and create obstacles for them. [F.214.b] Thus the enemy army will not even be able to enter that domain let alone cause its destruction.”
Then the Bhagavat congratulated the Four Mahārājas, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Mahārājas! Excellent, excellent, you Mahārājas! You have accomplished this for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of asaṃkhyeya eons, and for the sake of the highest, most complete enlightenment you should guard, defend, keep in your care, protect, save from attack, and bring peace and well-being to a human king who listens to, worships, and makes offerings225 to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.
“You should also guard, defend, keep in your care, protect, save from attack, and bring peace and well-being to their royal courts,226 cities, kingdoms, and dominions. You should also free those dominions from all fear, harm, and disturbances. You should repel the armies of enemies.
“You should be eager for there to be no fighting, no quarreling, no contention, and no disputes among the human kings who dwell throughout all of Jambudvīpa.
“In this Jambudvīpa of yours, you Four Mahārājas and your army and attendants, may the eighty-four thousand kings in the eighty-four thousand cities each delight in their own domains. May they each delight in their own sovereignty. May they not be harmful to each other’s aggregation of wealth. May they not attack each other. [F.215.a] May the kings be happy with the sovereignty that they have obtained through their own accumulation of karma in the past. May they not destroy each other’s dominion. May they not cause harm to each other in order to destroy each other’s dominion.
“When the eighty-four thousand kings in the eighty-four thousand cities in this Jambudvīpa are loving toward each other; when they have loving and altruistic minds; when they have no fighting, no quarreling, no contention, and no disputes among them and are each happy with their own domains, because of that, you Four Mahārājas, your army and attendants, and this Jambudvīpa will flourish. It will have good harvests. It will be delightful. It will be filled with many people. It will have fertile earth. The cycles of periods of time, months, fortnights, and years will be fortuitous. Both day and night, the planets, the lunar asterisms, the moon, the sun, and the day and night will move harmoniously. The rain will fall on the earth at the appropriate times. The beings who dwell in Jambudvīpa will have all wealth and grain. They will have numerous possessions, without miserliness. They will be generous. They will follow the path of the ten good actions. Most will be reborn in the higher blissful realms. The mansions of the devas will be filled with devas and their children.
“Mahārājas, where there is a human king who listens to, worships, and makes offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light; and honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light; and who, out of kindness to you Four Mahārājas, your army and attendants, and your many hundred thousands of yakṣas, always listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light., [F.215.b] then through the water of the river of listening to the Dharma, the liquid amṛta of this Dharma, your divine bodies will be refreshed, and your divine bodies will increase in their great magnificence, and you will develop diligence, power, and strength. Your magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will also increase.
“Those human kings will have also made inconceivably vast offerings to me, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni. Those human kings will also have made offerings of all inconceivably vast, immense requisites to many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of past, future, and present tathāgatas. Therefore, a great guardianship will be created for those human kings. Those human kings will be guarded, defended, cared for, protected, saved from attacks, and endowed with peace and well-being. There will be a great guardianship created for all their queens, their princes, their harems, and their entire court.227 They will be guarded, defended, cared for, protected, saved from attacks, and endowed with peace and well-being. All the deities who dwell in the royal court will have greater magnificence, greater strength, and inconceivable bliss and happiness. They will experience various kinds of pleasure. The cities and the kingdom will also be guarded, defended, unharmed, [F.216.a] without enemies, and not oppressed, harmed, or disturbed by enemy armies.”
Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat,228 the human king who wishes to listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and who wishes to have a great guardianship for himself; who wishes for a great guardianship for all his queens, their princes and princesses, and the harem; who wishes to bring the highest, superior, inconceivable great peace and well-being to his entire court;229 who wishes to increase his great sovereignty inconceivably in his lifetime; who wishes to possess inconceivable kingship; who wishes to possess an incalculable accumulation of merit; who wishes for his entire domain to be completely guarded; who wishes for it to be protected; who wishes for there to be no harm to his domain; and who wishes for there to be no enemies, no oppression from enemy armies, no disease, and no disturbances—venerable Bhagavat, that human king, with an undistracted mind, with veneration and service, should listen respectfully to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. [F.216.b]
“In order to listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, that human king should enter a superior royal palace. Having entered, he should sprinkle perfume and scatter a variety of flower petals in the royal palace. Where the perfume has been sprinkled, he should set up a high Dharma throne, well adorned with a variety of adornments. He should adorn that place well with a variety of parasols, banners, and flags. That human king should wash his body. He should put on new, perfectly clean clothes and adorn himself with various kinds of jewelry. He should set out for himself a low seat, and seated on that he should not have the arrogant conceit of a king.
“He should have no attachment to the power of kingship. With a mind devoid of all arrogance, pride, and conceit, he should listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. He should also perceive the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu as a teacher.
“That human king, at that time, in that time, should regard his principal queen, princes, princesses, and harem in a pleasing and beneficial way. He should speak to his principal queen, princes, princesses, and harem with pleasant words. He should have various offerings assembled for listening to the Dharma. He should be delighted by inconceivable, unequaled joy. He should be blissful with inconceivable joy and happiness. He should have delighted senses. [F.217.a] He should think he will attain a great benefit.230 He should be delighted with a great delight. He should welcome the dharmabhāṇaka with great pleasure.”
After they had spoken, the Bhagavat said to the Four Mahārājas, “Mahārājas, at that time, in that time, that human king should wear clothes that are all white, beautiful, and new. He should adorn himself well with various adornments and jewelry. He should hold a white parasol. With great royal power and a great royal display, he should hold various auspicious articles231 and leave the royal palace to go to welcome the dharmabhāṇaka.232
“Why is that? It is because however many steps the human king takes, that number of hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons in saṃsāra is eliminated, and he will become a cakravartin king that number of hundreds of thousands of quintillions of times. However many steps he takes, in that lifetime his great sovereignty will increase inconceivably that number of times. He will attain as his abode for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons a vast and immense divine aerial palace made of the seven precious materials. He will obtain hundreds of thousands of human royal families and a vastness that is a divine vastness. In all his lifetimes, he will have great sovereignty; he will have a long life; he will live for a long time; he will have eloquence; he will be an excellent speaker; he will be famous; he will be widely renowned; he will be worthy of praise; he will benefit the world and its devas and asuras; he will attain the vast, vast happiness of devas and humans; he will have great might; he will possess the power of the strength of a great champion; [F.217.b] he will be handsome and attractive; he will possess a perfectly developed, excellent color; in all his lifetimes he will meet a tathāgata; he will obtain a kalyāṇamitra; and he will possess an incalculable aggregation of merit.
“Mahārājas, seeing the benefit of such qualities, the human king should go a yojana to greet the dharmabhāṇaka—he should go a hundred yojanas, a thousand yojanas, to greet him. He should conceive of that dharmabhāṇaka as the Teacher. He should think, ‘Today, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni will enter my royal palace. Today, the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni will take his meal in my royal palace. Today, I will hear the Dharma of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Śākyamuni, which is contrary to all worlds. Today, through hearing the Dharma, I will progress irreversibly toward the highest, most complete enlightenment. Today I have pleased many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas. Today I have made an immense, vast, inconceivably great offering to the buddha bhagavats of the past, the future, and the present. Today I have brought to an end all the suffering in the hells, in rebirth as animals, and in the land of Yama. Today I have planted the roots of merit that are the seed for attaining many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of the bodies of a king and a lord of the Brahmā devas. Today I have planted the roots of merit that are the seed for attaining many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of the bodies of a Śakra. [F.218.a] Today I have planted the roots of merit that are the seed for attaining many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of the bodies of a cakravartin king. Today I have attained liberation233 from saṃsāra for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. Today I have obtained an immense, vast, unsurpassable, inconceivable aggregation of merit. Today I have created a great guardianship for all in my harem. Today I have brought the highest, superior, perfect, inconceivable peace and well-being to this royal palace. Today I have guarded this entire domain. It will be defended, unharmed, without enemies, and without the oppression of invading armies, disease, and disturbances.’
“Mahārājas, if the king who with this reverence for the Dharma honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and dedicates the best part to you Four Mahārājas, your army, your attendants, the host of devas, and the many hundred thousands of yakṣas, then he will manifest the merit, he will manifest the good karma, and in that life his great sovereignty will increase incalculably. In that life he will possess the incalculable great magnificence of a king, and he will be adorned by splendor, good fortune, and magnificence. [F.218.b] All his opponents will be eliminated, in accord with the Dharma, together with all his enemies.”
When the Bhagavat had said that, the Four Mahārājas said to him, “Venerable Bhagavat, if there is a human king with such a reverence for the Dharma as that—one who honors, venerates, worships, and makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess the Lord King of Sūtras, and who, for our sake, purifies and cleans the royal palace, and sprinkles it well with various perfumes—then he will be listening to the Dharma together with us, the Four Mahārājas. If he gives a little share of his roots of merit to us and all devas, then, venerable Bhagavat, as soon as the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu comes to his seat, that king, for the sake of us, the Four Mahārājas, should spread the aroma of various scents.
“Venerable Bhagavat, as soon as he perfumes with various scents, in order to make an offering to The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, from the various aromas there will appear vines of various perfumes and incenses. In that instant, that moment, that fraction of a second, in the sky above each of our palaces, the palaces of the Four Mahārājas, there will be present a parasol composed of the vines of various perfumes and incenses and there will spread a vast aroma. There will appear a golden light that will illuminate our palaces.
“Venerable Bhagavat, the vines of various perfumes and incenses, [F.219.a] in that instant, that moment, that fraction of a second, will appear as parasols composed of vines of various perfumes and incenses present in the sky above the palaces of Brahmā, lord of Sahā; of Śakra, lord of the devas; of the great goddess Sarasvatī; of the great goddess Dṛḍhā; of the great goddess Śrī; of the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya234 and the other twenty-eight great yakṣa generals; of the great deity Maheśvara; of the great yakṣa general Vajrapāṇi; of the great yakṣa general Māṇibhadra; of Hārītī with her entourage of five hundred children; of the nāga king Anavatapta; and of the nāga king Sāgara.235 A vast aroma will spread, and a golden light will appear inside those palaces and that light will illuminate everything.”
When the Four Mahārājas had said that, the Bhagavat said to them, “Mahārājas, parasols comprised of vines of various perfumes and incenses will be present not only in the sky above the palaces of each of you Four Mahārājas. Why is that? As soon as the human king perfumes with those aromas as an offering to The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, there will arise from the censer in his hands vines of perfumes and incense. In that instant, in that moment, in that fraction of a second, throughout all the world realms in the trichiliocosm—where there are a billion moons, a billion suns, a billion great oceans, a billion Sumeru kings of mountains, a billion Cakravāḍa and Mahācakravāḍa kings of mountains, a billion four-continent world realms, a billion Cāturmahārājakāyikas, a billion Trāyastriṃśas, [F.219.b] and so on, up to a billion paradises of the state of neither perception nor nonperception—throughout all those world realms in the billion world realms, there will be parasols composed of those vines of incenses and perfumes in the sky above the palaces of the hosts of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. A vast aroma will spread, and a golden light will appear inside those divine palaces and that light will illuminate everything.
“Mahārājas, just as parasols composed of vines of incenses and perfumes are present above all the divine palaces in the trichiliocosm world realm, in the same way, as soon as the king makes an offering by perfuming with scent The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then through the power of the magnificence of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light there will appear vines of perfume and incense, and in that instant, in that moment, in that fraction of a second, parasols composed of vines of incenses and perfumes will be present in the sky above the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas, as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, who are in the hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, that are in the many world realms in the ten directions. They will perfume many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas with an extremely vast variety of perfumes and incenses. They will shine with a golden light that will illuminate many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River. [F.220.a]
“Mahārājas, as soon as those miracles occur, many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas,236 as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, will regard that dharmabhāṇaka, and they will congratulate him, saying, ‘Well done, well done, good man! It is excellent, excellent, that you, good man, wish to teach extensively the way of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, which has such a profound meaning, which has such a profound illumination, and which possesses inconceivable qualities. Any being who merely listens to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will have merit that is not insignificant, let alone someone who obtains it, possesses it, explains it,237 reads it, learns it, and teaches it extensively to an assembly. Why is that? Good man, it is because on hearing this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas, as soon as they hear it, become irreversible in their progress toward the highest, most complete enlightenment.’
“Then, at that time, in that time, the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas in many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges River, in the same words, in one voice, as one speech, will say to the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu who is seated on the Dharma throne, ‘Good man, in a future time you will go to the Bodhimaṇḍa.
“ ‘Good man, when you have gone to the supreme, sublime Bodhimaṇḍa, you will sit at the foot of the king of trees, and you will manifest performing with determination many hundreds of thousands of quintillions238 of disciplines and ascetic practices that are superior to all the three worlds and transcend all beings. [F.220.b]
“ ‘Good man, you will perfectly adorn the Bodhimaṇḍa.
“ ‘Good man, you will protect all the world realms of a billion worlds.
“ ‘Good man, at the foot of the king of trees you will be victorious over the innumerable armies of Māra, who have terrifying forms, terrifying presence, hideous manifestations, and various hideous forms.
“ ‘Good man, having gone to the supreme, sublime Bodhimaṇḍa, you will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of complete buddhahood that is beyond analogy and is complete peace, spotless, and profound.
“ ‘Good man, you will be seated upon the central, eternal vajra seat. You will turn the Dharma wheel that is praised by all the jinas, that is supremely profound, and has the twelve forms.239
“ ‘Good man, you will beat the unsurpassable great drum of the Dharma.
“ ‘Good man, you will blow the unsurpassable conch of the Dharma.
“ ‘Good man, you will raise the great banner of the Dharma.
“ ‘Good man, you will light the unsurpassable lamp of the Dharma.
“ ‘Good man, you will send down the unsurpassable rain of the Dharma.
“ ‘Good man, you will free many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of beings from the terrifying ocean of great terrors.
“ ‘Good man, you will free many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of beings from the wheel240 of saṃsāra.
When the Bhagavat had said that, the Four Mahārājas said to him, “Venerable Bhagavat, when see a human king who has developed roots of merit with a hundred thousand buddhas, who possesses an incalculable aggregation of merit, and who sees these qualities that arise in this life and the future from The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then, venerable Bhagavat, out of kindness for him, when we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, are invoked by the vines of various perfumes and incenses at each of our dwellings, we will immediately, in order to listen to the Dharma, make our bodies invisible and will go to the king’s palace,242 which has been well swept, excellently sprinkled with various perfumes, and excellently adorned with various decorations. Brahmā, the lord of Sahā; Śakra, the lord of the devas; the great goddess Sarasvatī; the great goddess Śrī; the great goddess Dṛḍhā; the great yakṣa general Saṃjaya; the twenty-eight great yakṣa generals; the deity Maheśvara; the great yakṣa general Vajrapāṇi; the great yakṣa general Māṇibhadra; Hārītī with her entourage of five hundred children; the nāga king Anavatapta; the nāga king Sāgara; and many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of devas, with their bodies invisible, will come to the human king’s palace, which has been adorned with various decorations. In order to listen to the Dharma, they will come to the dharmabhāṇaka’s high Dharma throne, which has been perfectly adorned with various adornments and set up on a floor that has been scattered with flowers. [F.221.b]
“Venerable Bhagavat, we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, all in unison, as soon as we have been satiated by the liquid amṛta of the Dharma, will become guardians of that human king, the human king who is aided by a kalyāṇamitra,243 who has accomplished goodness, and who makes the vast gift of the unsurpassable Dharma. We will defend him, keep him in our care, protect him, and bring him peace and well-being. We will guard, defend, keep in our care, protect, and bring peace and well-being to that royal palace,244 that city, and that domain. We will save them from attack. We will free those in that domain from all fear, harm, disease, and disturbances.
“Venerable Bhagavat, when someone is a human king and in that human king’s domain there appears The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, then, venerable Bhagavat, if that human king does not honor, venerate, worship, and make offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, are not satiated by hearing this Dharma and by the liquid amṛta of the Dharma, and are not worshiped—then the brilliance of our bodies will not increase. Our diligence, power, and might will not develop, and magnificence, splendor, and good fortune will not increase within our bodies.
“Venerable Bhagavat, we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will abandon that domain. [F.222.a]
“Venerable Bhagavat, if we abandon that domain, all the devas who dwell in that domain will also abandon it.
“Venerable Bhagavat, if the devas abandon that domain, there will various kinds of troubles in that domain. There will be terrible troubles for the king. All the beings who dwell in that domain will become belligerent, quarrelsome, contentious,245 and disputatious. Various malign planetary influences and illnesses will occur. Shooting stars will fall from every direction. The planets and lunar asterisms will be in disharmony with each other. The moon will pass through the sky as if it is the sun. The sun and the moon will appear together. Though the moon and sun will be in the sky, eclipses will continually obscure them. From time to time there will be swirling rainbow colors246 in the sky. The ground will shake. Cavities in the ground will emit sounds. A fierce wind will arise in the domain. A fierce rain will fall. There will be the calamity of famine. The country will be defeated by an enemy army and ruined. The beings there will suffer many troubles. That domain will experience unhappiness.
“Venerable Bhagavat, if we, the Four Mahārājas, and our army, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, along with that domain’s devas and nāgas, abandon that domain, there will be hundreds of such calamities, thousands of such various calamities.
“Venerable Bhagavat, if there is a human king who wishes to be well guarded; [F.222.b] who wishes to experience the various joys of a king for a long time; who wishes to enjoy for a long time the pleasures of being a king; who wishes to make all the beings who dwell in his domain happy; who wishes to defeat all the armies of his adversaries; who wishes to protect his entire domain for a long time; who wishes to be a Dharma king; and who wishes to free his domain from all fear, harm, disease, and disturbances, then, venerable Bhagavat, that human king should listen with conviction to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. He should honor, venerate, worship, and make offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light. We, the Four Mahārājas, and our army and attendants should become satisfied by this accumulation of the roots of merit through listening to the Dharma and by this liquid amṛta of the Dharma. The great brilliance of these divine bodies of ours should be increased.
“Why is that? Venerable Bhagavat, the human king should listen with conviction to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.
“Venerable Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is much greater, far superior to, all the various worldly and nonworldly treatises taught by the lord of Brahmās; all the various treatises taught by Śakra, the lord of the devas; and all the various worldly and nonworldly treatises taught for the benefit of beings by ṛṣis who possessed the five higher cognitions. [F.223.a]
“Venerable Bhagavat, a tathāgata is much greater than, far superior to, a hundred thousand Lords of the Brahmās, the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of Śakras, and all the hundred thousand quintillions of ṛṣis endowed with the five higher cognitions, and he teaches extensively this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light in order to benefit beings.
The bhagavat arhat samyaksaṃbuddha has the blessing of the power of great compassion, which is far superior to that of a hundred thousand quintillion lords of the Brahmās; he has a tathāgata’s unsurpassable wisdom, which is far superior to the divine knowledge of a hundred thousand quintillion Śakras; and he has a blessing that is far superior to that of all the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of ṛṣis who have the various forms of the five higher cognitions. The bhagavat arhat samyaksaṃbuddha teaches this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light extensively in this Jambudvīpa for the sake of all beings so that the kings of humans who dwell throughout Jambudvīpa will have sovereignty; so that all beings will become happy; so that all domains will be guarded and defended; [F.223.b] so that there will be no harm or enemies in all dominions; so that the armies of adversaries will be defeated and will retreat; so that there will be no disease or disturbances; so that human kings will light the great lamp of the Dharma and illuminate their own domains; so that the mansions of the devas will be filled with devas and their children; so that we, the Four Mahārājas, and our armies, attendants, and many hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, and all the hosts of devas that dwell in Jambudvīpa, will be satiated and worshiped; so that our divine bodies will increase in great magnificence; so that diligence, might, and great strength develop in our bodies; so that there will be good harvests; so that there will be happiness throughout all Jambudvīpa, which will become filled with beings and people; so that all beings who dwell in Jambudvīpa will be happy, experiencing various kinds of happiness; so that all beings will experience the vast, vast happiness of devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons; and so that they will be in the company of buddha bhagavats and in a future time will all attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.
“Whatever worldly or nonworldly kingly duties,247 treatises on kingship, or kingly deeds throughout Jambudvīpa bring happiness to all beings, they are all taught, described, and explained by the bhagavat arhat tathāgata samyaksaṃbuddha in this248 Lord King249 of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.
“Venerable Bhagavat, because of that cause and condition, a human king should reverently listen with conviction to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, reverently worship it, and reverently make offerings to it.” [F.224.a]
When the Four Mahārājas had said that, the Bhagavat said to them, “Therefore, you Four Mahārājas, with your army and attendants, should with great enthusiasm guard the kings who with conviction listen to, worship, and make offerings to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.
“Mahārājas, you should cause the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord king of sūtras to possess buddha activity.250 They will perform buddha activity in this world with its devas, humans, and asuras. They will extensively and correctly teach this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.
“You, the Four Mahārājas, should ensure that the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras are guarded, are unharmed, have no illness, have no disturbances, and are happy.
“Guard, defend, take in your care, protect, and bring peace and well-being to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who will teach this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light.”
Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa,251 rose from his seat and said, “Bhagavat, I have the dhāraṇī called the precious wish-fulfilling jewel. [F.224.b] Any being who aspires to obtain it will have immeasurable merit. I will constantly guard and defend them, dispel all their suffering, and establish them in happiness. They will also generate the accumulations of wisdom and merit. Those who wish to possess this dhāraṇī-mantra should first recite this mantra in order to protect their bodies:
namo vaiśravaṇāya mahārājāya | tadyathā | rara rara kuno kuno khuno khuno ruṇo ruṇo saba saba kara kara mahāvikaraṃ mahāvikaraṃ mahākāla mahārāja rakṣa rakṣatu252 mām sarvasatvānāñ ca svāhā |253
“Bhagavat, by reciting this mantra and applying it seven times to a white cord, each time untying a knot—and after doing that seven times, tying it onto the upper arm—your goal will be certainly be achieved.254
“Then, in a solitary house, wash yourself and wear clean clothes. Make an offering of incense that is a mixture of equal amounts of bdellium, sandalwood, camphor,255 frankincense, agarwood,256 valerian, and so on, and invoke Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa by repeating this mantra:
namo vaiśravaṇāya mahādhanadāya caṇḍeśvarāya ākarṣa aparājita caṇḍeśvara paramakāruṇika saravasatvāhitacintā257 mama dhanavardho parameśvara258 svayaṃ ākarṣaya svāhā |259
“After repeating that mantra seven times, repeat the root mantra. Before repeating this mantra, bow down to the Three Jewels and Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa. If you repeat this mantra so that Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa will fulfill the aspirations of all beings and bestow wealth, thereby bringing happiness to all beings, then those beings will attain the happiness they wish for.”
Then Vaiśravaṇa, the lord of devas, recited in the presence of the Bhagavat this essence mantra called the precious wish-fulfilling jewel:
namo ratnarayāya | namo vaiśravaṇāya mahārājāya | tadyathā | simi simi sumu sumu caṇḍa caṇḍa cara cara, sara sara kara kara kili kili kuru kuru muru muru curu curu sandhāya ātmanām [F.225.a] nitatyan antardhātu svāhā | namo vaiśravanāya svāhā | dhanadāya svāhā | manorathaparipūrāya260 svāhā |261
“After repeating this mantra a thousand times, in a solitary house make a small circle of cow dung and offer whatever food you have. Continually release the smoke of burning excellent incense and single-mindedly repeat the essence mantra night and day, just loudly enough for you yourself to hear it.
“Then Jinarṣabha,262 the son of Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, will come to you in the form of a youth and ask you, ‘Why are you praying to my father?’ Answer, ‘I am praying for wealth in order to make offerings to the Three Jewels; therefore, bestow it on me.’
“Then Jinarṣabha will supplicate his father, saying, ‘Father, there is an excellent being who is praying for wealth in order to make offerings to the Three Jewels, but because he is lacking in wealth, he is making a supplication to you.’ Then the father will say, ‘You go to him quickly and give him a hundred kārṣāpaṇas every day.’
“If the mantra practitioners see such a sign, they should know that their goal is accomplished, and they should burn the incense alone in a solitary place. When it is time to sleep, they should arrange a box of incense as a pillow to sleep on. From then on, whatever wealth is found in that box each morning should be used for offerings to the Three Jewels, such as flowers, incense, and food, and should be all used up in acts of generosity to the poor and needy. Think of all beings with love and compassion. If you have thoughts of anger and violence, it will cause degeneration. Therefore, always be on guard that an angry mind does not arise.
“Also, someone who has this mantra should every day always be thinking of the deva king Vaiśravaṇa, and his sons, daughters, and entourage, and praise them and extol them. [F.225.b] That person will then always follow the path of the ten good actions, augment the power and merit of the deities, increase good actions, and also attain the highest enlightenment.
“Those deities, seeing this being done, will be overjoyed and delighted, and they will come and guard and defend that individual.
“Those mantra holders will also remain with an immeasurable lifespan, will avoid the three lower existences, and will have no obstacles or hindrances. They will obtain this precious wish-fulfilling jewel and other treasures, will gain miraculous powers, and will accomplish all their wishes. If they wish to have wealth that will be accomplished just as wished for. They will know the languages of all birds and wild animals.
“Bhagavat, if those mantra practitioners wish to see me, then on the eighth or fifteenth day of the month they should paint an image of the Buddha with colors mixed with a binding medium263 and decorated with various adornments. Such artists should take the eight vows. They should paint an image of the great goddess Śrī on the Buddha’s left. On the Buddha’s right he should paint myself, King Vaiśravaṇa, with my children and entourage, and it should be displayed in that place.
“Make offerings constantly, day and night, of various flowers, many scents, excellent lights, and various kinds of delicious food.
“Keep your mind undistracted by repeating this mantra. Repeat this mantra that invites Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa:
namaḥ śrīkaṇṭhāya buddhāya | namo vaiśravaṇāya, yakṣarājāya mahārājāya atirājāya | namaḥ śrī mahādeviyai | tadyathā | tara tara turu turu vara vara, [F.226.a] suśuddho suśuddho hana hana maṇikanaka vajravaidūrya muktika alaṃkṛta264 sarirāya sarvasatvānāṃ265 hitakāma vaiśravaṇa śriyadevīprabhāya ehi ehi māvilamba ghūrṇa ghūrṇa parasya parasya dadāhi mama amukanāsya |266 darśanakāmasya darśanaṃ mama mana pralahadāya svāhā |
“Bhagavat, when I see someone repeating this mantra and making vast offerings, I give rise to thoughts of affection and rejoicing, and take on the form of a young child, or an old man, or a bhikṣu. Holding the precious wish-fulfilling jewel in a bowl of gold in my hands, I will enter the circle and show veneration with my body, speak one name of the Buddha, and will say to the one who is reciting the mantra, ‘Whatever you practice will all be accomplished.’
“Whether they wish to enter the solitude of a forest, wish to obtain precious jewels, wish to be attractive to many people, wish to acquire wealth such as gold and silver, wish for accomplishment through the practice of another mantra, or wish to have miraculous powers,267 the higher cognitions, a long life, or rasāyana, and so on, all will be accomplished as wished for.
“I have today mentioned only such few things, but every other desire will be accomplished as wished for. They will possess unceasing precious treasures and immeasurable merit.
“To illustrate, it is possible that the sun and moon might fall onto the earth, or there might be a time when this great earth transforms into something else, but these words of truth will always be infallible so that constant happiness and the joys and riches that are wished for will be obtained. [F.226.b]
“Moreover, Bhagavat, if it is someone who possesses this king of sūtras, keeps it, or reads and recites it, or practices this mantra, they will quickly attain accomplishment with little difficulty.
“Bhagavat, today I have taught this mantra for the sake of beings who are afflicted by the suffering of poverty and need; in one lifetime they will possess a perfection of wealth and supreme happiness.
“I will also guard them, defend them, and follow them so that there will be no harm or violence toward them.
“Moreover, I will illuminate with light as far as a hundred steps all around an individual who possesses and promulgates this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, and recites the mantra. My entourage of a thousand yakṣas will be constantly assigned and entrusted to be his servants and entrusted to accomplish whatever he wishes.
Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa having spoken that mantra, the Bhagavat congratulated him, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you, Mahārāja, have spoken this mantra in order to tear open all the nets of the suffering of all beings afflicted by craving, and to make them wealthy and happy, and that you moreover have taught this mantra in order to promulgate this sūtra widely in the world.”268
Then the Four Mahārājas rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee, bowed with palms together, and paid homage by placing the Buddha’s two feet on their heads.
The Bhagavat then spoke these verses to the Four Mahārājas:
The Four Mahārājas, [F.228.a] on hearing these verses from the Bhagavat, were astonished, amazed, and overjoyed. Through the power of the Dharma, they briefly wept and shed tears. Their bodies shook and their limbs trembled, and they felt joy, bliss, and happiness. They scattered divine coral tree flowers toward the Bhagavat.
When they had scattered them, they rose from their seats, and with their upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee, and with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable Bhagavat, we, the Four Mahārājas, each with five hundred yakṣas, will always follow behind the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu in order to guard and protect that dharmabhāṇaka.276
“If he forgets some of the meanings of the words in this sūtra, we will make his memory a supreme, never-forgetting power of mental retention, with the Dharma teaching complete. The beings in those places where these lords of the sūtra reside will prosper and never decline.”
Then, when the Bhagavat was giving this Dharma teaching to those gathered in that assembly, those beings attained wisdom, eloquence, and an immeasurable accumulation of merit, so that they possessed happiness devoid of defilements. They became wise in all texts, completely rejected saṃsāra, and quickly attained irreversible progress toward enlightenment.
This concludes “The Four Mahārājas Protecting the Land,” the twelfth chapter of “The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”
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Paltsek (dpal brtsegs). pho brang stod thang lhan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag. Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 308 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Pramuditākaravarman. gsang ba ’dus pa rgyud kyi rgyal po’i bshad pa zla ba’i ’od zer (Guhyasamājatantrarājaṭīkācandraprabhā). Toh 1852, Degé Tengyur vol. 41 (rgyud, thi), folios 120.a–313.a.
Sahajalalita. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi snying po dang dam tshig la rnam par blta ba zhes bya ba’i gzungs kyi rnam par bshad pa (Samantamukhapraveśaraśmivimaloṣṇīṣaprabhāsasarvatathāgatahṛdayasamayavilokitanāmadhāraṇīvṛtti). Toh 2688, Degé Tengyur vol. 71 (rgyud, thu), folios 269.a–320.b.
Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.
Sthiramati. rgyan dam pa sna tshogs rim par phye ba bkod pa (Paramālaṃkāraviśvapaṭalavyūha). Toh 2661, Degé Tengyur vol. 68 (rgyud, ju), folios 317.a–339.a.
Vairocanarakṣita. bslab pa me tog snye ma (Śikṣākusumamañjarī). Toh 3943, Degé Tengyur vol. 213 (dbu ma, khi), folios 196.a–217.a.
Various authors. bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa [chen po] (Mahāvyutpatti*). Toh 4346, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 1.a–131.a.
Various authors. sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa. Toh 4347, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 131.b–160.a.
Vinayadatta. sgyu ’phrul chen mo’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga bla ma’i zhal snga’i man ngag (Gurūpadeśanāmamahāmāyāmaṇḍalopāyikā). Toh 1645, Degé Tengyur vol. 25 (rgyud, ya), folios 290.a–309.a.
Vitapāda. gsang ba ’dus pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi sgrub pa’i thabs rnam par bshad pa (Guhyasamājamaṇḍalopāyikāṭīkā). Toh 1873, Degé Tengyur vol. 43 (rgyud, ni), folios 178.b–219.a.
Wönch’ük (Wen tsheg). dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa’i mdo rgya cher ’grel pa (Gambhīrasaṁdhinirmocanasūtraṭīkā). Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vol. 220 (mdo ’grel, ti), folios 1.b–291.a; vol. 221 (mdo ’grel, thi), folios 1.b–272.a; and vol. 222 (mdo ’grel, di), folios 1.b–175.a.
Yeshe Dé (ye shes sde). lang kar gshegs pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Laṅkāvatāranāmamahāyānasūtravṛttitathāgatahṛdayālaṃkāra), Toh 4019, Degé Tengyur vol. 224 (mdo ’grel, pi), folios 1.a–310.a.
Other References in Tibetan
Kalzang Dolma (skal bzang sgrol ma). lo tsA ba ’gos chos grub dang khong gi ’gyur rtsom mdo mdzangs blun gyi lo tsA’i thabs rtsal skor la dpyad pa. In krung go’i bod kyi shes rig, vol. 77, pp. 31–53. Beijing: krung go’i bod kyi shes rig dus deb khang, 2007.
Lotsawa Gö Chödrup (lo tsā ba ’gos chos grub). In gangs ljongs skad gnyis smra ba du ma’i ’gyur byang blo gsal dga’ skyed, pp. 17–18. Xining: kan lho bod rigs rang skyong khul rtsom sgyur cu’u, 1983.
Ngawang Lobsang Choden (nga dbang blo bzang chos ldan). ’phags pa gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po’i ’don thabs cho ga (A Rite That Is a Method for Reciting the Noble Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light), s.n. s.l. n.d.
Pema Karpo (pad ma dkar po). gser ’od dam pa nas gsungs pa’i bshags pa. In The Collected Works of Kun-mkhyen padma dkar po, vol. 9 (ta), pp. 519–24. Darjeeling: kargyu sungrab nyamso khang, 1973–74.
Other References in English and Other Languages
Bagchi, S., ed. Suvarṇaprabhāsasūtram. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1967. Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon.
Banerjee, Radha. Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra. London: British Library, 2006. http://idp.bl.uk/downloads/GoldenLight.pdf.
Buswell Jr., Robert E., and Donald Lopez Jr. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press, 2014.
Di, Guan. “The Sanskrit Fragments Preserved in Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Peking University.” Annual Report of the Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2013, vol. XVII (Tokyo Soka University, 2014): 109–18.
Lewis, Todd T. “Contributions to the Study of Popular Buddhism: The Newar Buddhist Festival of Guṃlā Dharma.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 16, no. 2 (Winter 1993): 309–54.
Nanjio Bunyiu, Idzumi Hokei. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra: A Mahāyāna Text Called “The Golden Splendour.” Kyoto: The Eastern Buddhist Society, 1931.
Nobel, Johannes (1937). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Nach den Handschriften und mit Hilfe der tibetischen und chinesischen Übertragungen. Leipzig: Harrassowitz.
Nobel, Johannes (1944). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Die Tibetischen Überstzungen mit einem Wörterbuch. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Nobel, Johannes (1944, 1950). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Die Tibetishcen Überstzungen mit einem Wörterbuch. 2 vols. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Radich, Michael (2014). “On the Sources, Style and Authorship of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvarṇaprabhasa-sūtra T644 Ascribed to Paramārtha (Part 1).” Annual Report of the Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2013, vol. XVII (Tokyo Soka University, 2014): 207–44.
Radich, Michael (2016). “Tibetan Evidence for the Sources of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvarṇa-prabhāsottama-sūtra T 664 A Ascribed to Paramārtha.” Buddhist Studies Review 32.2 (2015): 245–70. Sheffield, UK: Equinox Publishing.
Tanaka, Kimiaki. An Illustrated History of the Mandala From Its Genesis to the Kālacakratantra. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2018.
Tyomkin, E. N. “Unique Sanskrit Fragments of ‘The Sūtra of Golden Light’ in the Manuscript Collection of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies.” In Manuscripta Orientalia vol. 1, no. 1 (July 1995): 29–38. St. Petersburg: Russian Academy of Sciences.
Yuama, Akira. “The Golden Light in Central Asia.” In Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2003 (Tokyo: Soka University, 2004): 3–32.
Translations
Emmerick, R. E. The Sūtra of Golden Light. Oxford: The Pali Text Society, 2004.
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Sutra of Golden Light, 21-Chapter.
Nobel, Johannes. Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra, Das Goldglanz-Sutra, ein Sanskrittext des Mahayana Buddhismus. I-Tsing’s chinesische Version und ihre Übersetzung. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1958.