In this sūtra, the Buddha Śākyamuni explains the connection between the bodhisattvas’ aspirations and the virtues of their future buddha realms. He describes the various qualities that help bodhisattvas bring their aspirations to fulfillment. After bodhisattvas arrive from all directions to hear his teachings on the virtues of the buddha realms, the Buddha Śākyamuni recounts the story of how Mañjuśrī first engendered the mind set on awakening. Finally, the Buddha reveals the extraordinary nature of Mañjuśrī’s bodhisattva aspirations, and how they will contribute to the exceptional qualities of his future buddha realm.
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Timothy Hinkle 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.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Jimmy Liao, Victor (Ong Hui Hong), Lorreta, Michael, Sharon Nikita, and Sammy Zhang, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
The Array of Virtues of Mañjuśrī’s Buddha Realm is a sūtra that belongs to the Heap of Jewels (Skt. Ratnakūṭa; Tib. dkon brtsegs) section of the Kangyur. The sūtra begins in the city of Rājagṛha. This city was formerly the capital city of the kingdom of Magadha, which was located in the present-day Indian state of Bihar. There, we are told, the Buddha Śākyamuni is residing, surrounded by an enormous assembly of monks, bodhisattvas, and various divine beings. During the course of the sūtra, the Buddha teaches in response to the queries of a variety of Dharma seekers, including King Ajātaśatru, the ruler of Magadha. Later in the sūtra, the Buddha returns to Vulture Peak Mountain and teaches based on questions posed by several of his senior disciples, such as Śāriputra and Maitreya. Before beginning, the Buddha also inspires bodhisattvas living in various other buddha realms to come to this world to hear his teachings. Once these bodhisattvas have gathered, the bodhisattva Maitreya poses a series of questions pertaining to bodhisattva practice, the development of buddha realms, and the attainment of awakening. In response, the Buddha Śākyamuni identifies many qualities that bodhisattvas must develop to ensure the successful manifestation of their future buddha realms, as well as the benefits of those qualities for the bodhisattvas themselves. In the process, the Buddha explains how the extent of the qualities in a buddha realm is determined by the scope of a bodhisattva’s mind set on awakening and by aspirations. Many bodhisattvas are inspired by this and pledge to develop buddha realms abundant with such qualities.
The second half of the sūtra centers around Mañjuśrī’s career as a bodhisattva and his future buddha realm. Here the Buddha describes Mañjuśrī’s past lives and reveals details about his future attainment of awakening as the Buddha Samantadarśin and the features of his buddha realm. Throughout these teachings on Mañjuśrī’s spiritual qualities and awakened activity, Mañjuśrī himself emphatically denies the existence of such achievements by reference to the nonexistence of all phenomena, including his spiritual journey, and even his own nonexistence. The depictions of his bodhisattva career and the resulting buddha realm in a distant future are thus placed explicitly within the Great Vehicle teachings on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. These teachings inspire the bodhisattva assembly to manifest similar buddha realms. The Buddha then reveals that there are four bodhisattvas, currently living in other realms, who can rival Mañjuśrī’s bodhisattva conduct. These four bodhisattvas arrive at Vulture Peak Mountain, after which their visit evolves into a shared explication among many bodhisattvas on what is known as the Dharma teaching on the single principle. This is a theme that also appears in other Great Vehicle sūtras as a synonym for sameness or suchness. Finally, as is customary in sūtra literature, the events conclude with many beings achieving significant spiritual attainments.
The Sanskrit original of this text is unfortunately no longer extant;1 however, the text was translated into Chinese no less than three times over a period of more than four centuries. The first of the Chinese translations was produced in 290
The Tibetan translation was produced along with the other texts in the Heap of Jewels collection. The translators are listed as the Indian scholars Śīlendrabodhi and Jinamitra along with the Tibetan translator Yeshé Dé, who all lived during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Therefore, the Tibetan translation that we have rendered into English here would have been completed during the early translation period, which is also attested by the text’s inclusion in the early ninth-century Denkarma (Tib. ldan dkar ma) inventory of translations into Tibetan.6 In Tibet, the sūtra also appears to have enjoyed a certain popularity among philosophical commentators, as its verses are often quoted in commentarial literature, mostly on the importance of forming aspirations for spiritual accomplishment. This English translation from the Tibetan has been produced based on the Degé block print, with reference to the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma).
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing on Vulture Peak Mountain by Rājagṛha with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks, along with 84,000 bodhisattvas such as Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, Apāyajaha, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, all of whom were progressing irreversibly toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Also present were 720 million gods, all of whom had entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle. These gods included Śakra, lord of the gods; Brahmā, lord of the world Enduring; and 42,000 Brahmā gods who had also entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle. The assembly also included the four lords of the asuras: Vemacitrin, Balin, Kharaskandha, and Prahlāda, each of whom was accompanied by hundreds of thousands of servants. They were joined by 62,000 nāga kings, including Nanda, Upananda, Varuṇa, Sāgara, Manasvin, Aparājita, Bhūbhṛt, Anavatapta, Giri, Mārtaṇḍa, and Candrottarya.[F.249.a] Also present were the Four Great Kings, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, and Vaiśravaṇa, each of whom was accompanied by hundreds of thousands of servants. The assembly also included the yakṣa kings Kumbhīra, Āṭavaka, Sūciroma, Sumana, Sumati, Surūpa, Colorful, Akṣobhya, and hundreds of thousands of other yakṣas.
At that time the Blessed One had been staying in the city of Rājagṛha, where he was venerated and attended to by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and the fourfold assembly, who all served, honored, and worshiped him. He received a rich supply of food, drinks, savories, garments, delicacies, bedding, and medicines. One morning, the Blessed One donned his upper and lower robes and picked up his offering bowl. Together with his great saṅgha of monks, and surrounded and preceded by trillions of gods, he caused a shower of blue, red, and white lotuses to rain down. This occurred due to the great strength, playful ability, magical capacity, and miraculous power of the Buddha. Then, accompanied by the music of hundreds of thousands of instruments, he went to the palace of King Ajātaśatru in the city of Rājagṛha to collect alms. As he set out, trillions of light rays shone forth. At that point, the Blessed One performed a miracle in that wherever he placed his feet, a lotus the size of a cart wheel sprang up, with golden petals, a silver stem, beryl anthers, and a central cluster of fine gems.[F.249.b] In the center of each lotus appeared the forms of bodhisattvas sitting in crossed-legged posture. Such was the miracle that he performed.
These bodhisattva manifestations and their lotuses then circled the city of Rājagṛha seven times and proclaimed the following verses:
The city of Rājagṛha’s many billions of citizens were so inspired by these verses that all men, women, boys, and girls proffered flowers, incense, garlands, ointments, powders, and the scented powders of golden and silver flowers. They hoisted parasols, banners, and flags, and they took up large drums, conches, terracotta drums, gongs, one-stringed lutes, lutes, flutes, bells, cymbals, bamboo vīṇas, and tambouras. Bearing all this, they thought about the Thus-Gone One and held him in mind. With their minds dwelling on the Buddha, they were happy and joyful as they stood waiting.
Then the Blessed One arrived in the city of Rājagṛha.[F.250.b] The moment his right foot touched its threshold, the entire city shook six times. Hundreds of thousands of divine and human instruments played without being struck, and a rain of divine flowers fell. The blind could see, the deaf could hear, the insane regained their senses, the inattentive became concentrated, the naked received clothes, the hungry received food, and the poor obtained wealth. At that moment, no one was tormented by attachment, aggression, ignorance, jealousy, stinginess, rage, or pride. At that moment, everyone was filled with love and altruism, and they regarded one another as parents.
It was like this:
When the Blessed One entered the city of Rājagṛha, an influential merchant by the name Destroyer of Nonvirtue, who was a householder bodhisattva, was present in the city. From afar he saw the Blessed One approaching. The Blessed One was beautiful and joyful, with peaceful faculties and a peaceful mind. He was thoroughly gentle and tranquil, and had reached the perfection of gentleness and tranquility. He was restrained and collected, like an elephant. Like a lake, he was clear, limpid, and lucid. His body was adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being and the eighty excellent minor marks, and his whole appearance was exquisite, excellent, and perfect.
Seeing the Blessed One, the bodhisattva was overcome by faith. Moved by faith, he went before the Blessed One, bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and stood to one side. He then joined his palms, bowed to the Blessed One, and asked, “Blessed One, what qualities do bodhisattva great beings require to swiftly and fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, to purify their buddha realms, and to acquire the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms, just as they desire?”
Then, out of love for the bodhisattva Destroyer of Nonvirtue,[F.251.b] and in order to train this large assembly of beings, the Blessed One took a seat in one part of the city. Seeing the Blessed One there, hundreds of thousands of beings arrived. In the sky above, trillions of gods joined their palms in respect and honor, bowed toward the Blessed One, and arranged themselves there.
The Blessed One then responded to the bodhisattva Destroyer of Nonvirtue, “Noble son, if bodhisattva great beings have one quality, they will swiftly and fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, purify their buddha realms, and acquire the arrays of virtues of their buddha realms, just as they desire. What is this one quality? Noble son, it is for bodhisattva great beings to develop the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, out of compassion and pure motivation toward all beings. In this context, what is the pure motivation that is to be mastered? Noble son, pure motivation is arousing the mind set on awakening and avoiding all nonvirtues. What is to be avoided? It is attachment, aggression, ignorance, and craving for the features of the household life. Renouncing these things, bodhisattvas have no desire for gain, honor, or praise, and they abide in the accomplishment of going forth. What is the accomplishment of going forth? It is realizing all phenomena just as they are. What is realizing all phenomena just as they are? Noble son, all phenomena refers to the aggregates, elements, and sense sources, as well as conditioned and unconditioned phenomena. How are the five aggregates understood? They are understood to be illusory, void, empty, unobservable, unborn, and unceasing.[F.252.a] They are understood in this way to the degree that one does not see them as being real. When there is no seeing, no knowing, no assuming, no thinking, and no conceptualizing them to be real, all concepts are pacified—and this is what is called understanding the aggregates. Understanding the aggregates is understanding all phenomena. Noble son, this is the accomplishment of going forth.
“Bodhisattva great beings who have entered this practice will not abandon beings. Why not? To the degree that one understands phenomena, one can teach all beings and yet not apprehend beings or phenomena. Noble son, if bodhisattva great beings possess this one quality, they will swiftly and fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, purify their buddha realms, and acquire the arrays of virtues of their buddha realms, just as they desire.”
When the Blessed One taught this Dharma door of accomplishing the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms, the bodhisattva Destroyer of Nonvirtue gained the patient acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Filled with joy and happiness, he rose into the sky to the height of seven palm trees. Moreover, two thousand beings in the assembly developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and fourteen thousand gods and humans purified the Dharma eye, which sees phenomena free from dust and stains.
Then the Blessed One smiled. It is the nature of things that when a blessed buddha smiles, variegated light streams forth from his mouth in blue, yellow, red, white, violet, crystalline, and silver colors. It then pervades and illuminates countless, limitless worlds[F.252.b] before returning. The light then circles the Blessed One three times and disappears into the crown of his head.
At this point Venerable Ānanda arose, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together, he bowed toward the Blessed One and spoke the following verses:
The Blessed One then asked Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, do you see the bodhisattva great being Destroyer of Nonvirtue seated in the sky above at a height of seven palm trees?”[F.253.a]
Ānanda answered, “Blessed One, I do. Well-Gone One, I do.”
The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, in six million two hundred thousand countless eons, the bodhisattva great being Destroyer of Nonvirtue will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. In the eon Free from Plagues, he will appear in this great trichiliocosm as the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Lord of Peace and Gentleness. Ānanda, to draw an analogy, the array of virtues and the abundance of hearers and bodhisattvas in the buddha realm of the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Lord of Peace and Gentleness will be just like those of the Thus-Gone One Akṣobhya’s realm, Abhirati—no more, no less.”
With these words, the Blessed One departed and eventually arrived at King Ajātaśatru’s palace, where he took the seat that had been prepared for him as the saṅgha of monks arranged themselves on their respective seats. When King Ajātaśatru saw that the Blessed One and the saṅgha of monks were seated, he personally provided them with many fine foods, drinks, and savories until they were satisfied. Once he saw that the Thus-Gone One had finished his meal, placed his alms bowl down, and cleaned his hands, he offered the Blessed One a measure of priceless fabric, whereupon he prostrated to the Blessed One and the saṅgha of monks. He then took an appropriate seat, sitting to one side.[F.253.b] Seated there, King Ajātaśatru asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, from where do malice, anger, aggression, and hypocrisy arise? From where is unknowing born? How does unknowing cease?”
The Blessed One responded to King Ajātaśatru, “Your Majesty, malice, anger, aggression, and hypocrisy arise with the presence of self-clinging and possessiveness. When in a state of self-clinging and possessiveness, one recognizes neither positive qualities nor flaws. This is termed unknowing. However, with respect to a person who fully understands self-clinging and possessiveness just as they are, one cannot speak of knowing or unknowing. Your Majesty, you should therefore train to avoid labeling any formations as either going or coming from anywhere. Your Majesty, for one who neither goes anywhere nor comes from anywhere, all phenomena are devoid of coming and going. For one in whom there is no coming or going, there is no birth or cessation. For one in whom there is no birth or cessation, there is no knowing. Just as it is with knowing, so it is with unknowing. Why is this? Because there is no knowledge of any phenomenon that is either emancipated or not emancipated. When there is no knowledge of any phenomenon that is either emancipated or not emancipated, one is said to have wisdom.”
King Ajātaśatru then exclaimed to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is remarkable how well the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha teaches. Blessed One, even if I were to pass away right now, I would not have to take birth again.”
Because the Blessed One had taught King Ajātaśatru the Dharma and caused him to uphold it,[F.254.a] the king was uplifted and delighted. The Blessed One now arose and took his leave to attend the afternoon assembly for giving the gift of Dharma. As the Blessed One never ate after midday, he set down his alms bowl and Dharma robes. Then he washed his feet and retired to his dwelling to meditate.
Later in the afternoon, after the Blessed One had arisen from his meditation, he went to Vulture Peak, the king of mountains. There he sat upon the seat that had been prepared for him, in order to teach the Dharma. Venerable Śāriputra and the other great hearers likewise arose from their meditations and went to where the Blessed One was seated on Vulture Peak, the king of mountains. They bowed their heads at his feet, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side. Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta also arose from his meditation and came before the Blessed One, surrounded and preceded by forty-two thousand gods, all of whom had entered the Great Vehicle. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being Maitreya also came before the Blessed One, surrounded and preceded by one thousand other bodhisattvas. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being Powerful Lion Roar also came before the Blessed One, surrounded and preceded by five hundred other bodhisattvas. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side.[F.254.b] King Ajātaśatru also went to the Blessed One’s location on Vulture Peak Mountain, surrounded and preceded by the four divisions of his army. They also bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. Finally, billions of citizens of the city of Rājagṛha also arrived at the Blessed One’s location on Vulture Peak Mountain. They also bowed their heads at his feet and sat to one side.
Then, through the power of the Buddha, Venerable Śāriputra arose, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together, he bowed toward the Blessed One and requested, “Blessed One, given that while in the middle of the city of Rājagṛha, the Blessed One taught a sūtra in response to a request by the bodhisattva great being Destroyer of Nonvirtue to teach on the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms of bodhisattva great beings, Blessed One, I too request you to teach the Dharma regarding the accomplishment of the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms of bodhisattva great beings. How do bodhisattva great beings practicing this no longer regress from the path to unsurpassed and perfect awakening? How do they master omniscience? How do they defeat the hordes of Māra? How do they defeat non-Buddhists? How do they avoid being overwhelmed by the afflictions? How do they refine the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms? How do they perfect their aspirations? How do they avoid the decline of insight? How do they arrive at the level of buddhahood?[F.255.a] How do they avoid the levels of hearers and solitary buddhas? How do they practice the six perfections? How do they turn the wheel of Dharma while they are still bodhisattvas who have not yet attained omniscience? How do they benefit countless, innumerable beings? Blessed One, all the noble sons and daughters gathered in this assembly are passionate about awakening and would be gladdened and overjoyed to hear such teachings directly from the Blessed One. Being so gladdened and overjoyed, they will earnestly accomplish what they have heard.”
The Blessed One then thought, “This setting is not beautiful enough for me to give such a Dharma teaching. Therefore, I shall perform a miracle whereby I emit trillions of light rays in each of the ten directions. Each light ray will then illuminate trillions of buddha realms. The sun and moon in those buddha realms will become invisible, eclipsed by that light, and they will no longer appear to the eye. Likewise, the gods’ lights will no longer be visible, nor will the lights of the nāgas, yakṣas, jewels, lightning, fire, stars, or other beings. In countless, limitless worlds throughout the ten directions, this light will instantly illuminate all the surrounding mountains, greater surrounding mountains, Mucilinda Mountains, Greater Mucilinda Mountains, Mount Merus, Black Mountain, and all the others in the Black Mountain range, as well as all buildings, forests, and jungles. I must perform such a miracle.”
Then, as the Blessed One emitted such lights, he spoke in a clear8 voice[F.255.b] that was heard in countless, limitless worlds throughout the ten directions.
At that time, in a world called Totally Illuminated, located to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms numbering eighty-four times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named King of Splendor, who is still present, alive, and teaching the Dharma. In that place, not even the categories of hearers or solitary buddhas were known, for that buddha realm was populated exclusively with bodhisattva great beings. Each assembly of bodhisattvas in that buddha realm contained a billion nonregressing bodhisattva great beings.
There was a bodhisattva great being in that buddha realm named Elevated Dharma. This bodhisattva was called Elevated Dharma because he ascended into the sky to the height of seven palm trees as the blessed Thus-Gone One King of Splendor was teaching the Dharma, surrounded by his bodhisattva saṅgha. As his body disappeared, he gave a Dharma teaching on the vajra dhāraṇī words called the bodhisattva basket. The other bodhisattvas then thought, “All phenomena are mere sounds! Why is this? Even though this noble son’s body does not appear, his voice resounds; and he speaks, yet his physical body is invisible. So, form must be of the same nature as sound—and all phenomena must also be of the same nature as form.” Understanding this, countless bodhisattvas gained patient acceptance. This is how the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma received his name.
When the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma witnessed the great burst of illumination and heard the clear voice,[F.256.a] he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One King of Splendor. He bowed his head at the feet of that blessed one and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma then asked that blessed one, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination that has manifested in the world, and this booming sound of a clear voice? Blessed One, I have never before seen such a light.”
The thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha King of Splendor answered the bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the west, past buddha realms numbering eighty-four times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present and alive. That thus-gone one is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurably many countless trillions of worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the Dharma, all the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice.”
The bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma then announced to the blessed Thus-Gone One King of Splendor, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor[F.256.b] the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni and to see his bodhisattva saṅgha and hear the Dharma.”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son, if you know that the moment is ripe, then go!”
As quickly as an athlete can extend and contract his arm, the bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma, surrounded and preceded by sixty-three million bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived in the Enduring world.
The bodhisattva Elevated Dharma then entered into the bodhisattva absorption called adorned with every ornament. As soon as the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma entered into that absorption, the entire trichiliocosm was filled with a great mass of flowers deep enough to cover the knees. The sound of hundreds of thousands of instruments resounded, and the trichiliocosm was beautifully adorned by the raising of parasols, banners, and flags, and scented with the finest incense, such that it was no different from the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations in terms of its divine enjoyments. Once the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma displayed these miracles, he and the other bodhisattvas approached and arrived before the Blessed One Śākyamuni. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side on the seats of lotus flowers that had appeared in accordance with their aspirations.
Also at that moment, in a buddha realm called Stainless, located to the south, past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-six times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Displaying Leonine Power.[F.257.a] He is also presently there, where he is alive and well and teaches the Dharma, surrounded by a boundless saṅgha of bodhisattvas. There were no hearers or solitary buddhas in that buddha realm.
In that buddha realm lived a bodhisattva great being named Ratnapāṇi. Why was this bodhisattva called Ratnapāṇi? Whenever this noble son wanted to teach the Dharma to beings in other buddha realms, he would stretch out his right hand and sweep it over as many buddha realms as he wished, whereby from his hand, the precious sounds of “Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha” would resound; the precious sounds of “generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight” would resound; the precious sounds of “love, compassion, joy, and equanimity” would resound. These and trillions of different precious sounds of other aspects of the Dharma would resound. That is why this noble son was called Ratnapāṇi.
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi had witnessed the great burst of illumination, and he had heard the clear voice, so he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power. He bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. Sitting there, the bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi then asked the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination that has manifested in the world, as well as this booming sound of a clear voice?”[F.257.b]
That blessed one answered, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the north, past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-six times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. That thus-gone one is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurably many countless worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the sacred Dharma, all the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice. Also, noble son, the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni intends to give the Dharma teaching called the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms. A limitless number of bodhisattvas there will acquire those arrays of virtues of the buddha realms.”
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi proclaimed to the Blessed One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and to see the gathering of bodhisattvas and hear his Dharma teachings.”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son, it may not be suitable for you to go there. Why not? That world is filled with suffering, since one encounters beings who are immersed in attachment, aggression, and ignorance.”[F.258.a]
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi replied to the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, what greater purpose does the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni see such that, Blessed One, he takes responsibility for a degenerate buddha realm although there are other pure buddha realms?”
That blessed one answered, “Noble son, long ago, that thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha aspired that no matter the cost, he would fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and teach the Dharma among degenerate beings. Noble son, the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni possesses great compassion to such a degree.”
The bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi declared to the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni. Why? By developing such great compassion, and by embracing such a degenerate buddha realm, the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni is engaged in hardship. Such a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha does not easily appear. It is rare to be able to meet one.”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son—well, if you know that the time is ripe, then go! Noble son, set out for that buddha realm. But be careful with whom you speak,9[F.258.b] for the bodhisattvas born in that buddha realm are difficult to associate with, and the other beings are fierce and angry.”
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi replied to the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, I could speak with those beings in that buddha realm who are attached or aggressive. However, Blessed One, given that I have neither attachment nor aggression, why would I speak with them? Blessed One, I am eager to be patient. Even if, in future eons, beings should scold or ridicule me and intimidate or beat me, flinging earth or weapons at me, I would not become malicious toward anyone.”
The blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power then addressed his retinue of bodhisattvas, “Noble children, if any of you are eager to master patience like the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, you should accompany this noble son to the Enduring world.”
The moment that blessed one said this, ninety-two thousand bodhisattvas in his assembly proclaimed with one voice, “Blessed One, we are eager to master patience like the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi! We shall go to the Enduring world.” Then, with a single intention, the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, surrounded and preceded by those ninety-two thousand bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived here in this buddha realm.
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi then wondered,[F.259.a] “What kind of miracle shall I perform to go before the Blessed Śākyamuni and bring immeasurable beings happiness?” The bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi then held his right hand over this great trichiliocosm, and from it arose food for those who wanted food, drink for those who wanted drink, and likewise mounts, clothing, gold, silver, beryl, pearl, conch, crystal, and coral for all who wanted these things. Beings who desired and yearned for the Dharma heard the Dharma from his hand, whereby limitless beings understood the Dharma. Beings who were afflicted by or suffered from any number of diseases regained perfect health. Such were the miracles he performed. Once the bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi had displayed such miracles, he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni together with the bodhisattvas. Arriving there, they bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side, on seats of lotus flowers that had appeared in accordance with their aspirations.
Also at that moment, in a buddha realm called Maṇigarbha, located to the west past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-two times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone one named King Jewel Mound, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. The buddha realm of that thus-gone one was composed solely of fine beryl.[F.259.b] The classifications of the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas did not exist there, for that buddha realm was populated exclusively with bodhisattvas. Furthermore, whether these bodhisattvas came or went, stood or sat, stayed still or moved about, they beheld the blessed Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound reflected in the ground of beryl. Like a face reflected on the surface of a highly polished mirror, the bodhisattvas saw this thus-gone one reflected in the ground of beryl. Not only did they see him, but they could also ask him about the Dharma, and that thus-gone one would teach them. Hearing the Dharma, they gained patient acceptance. Because of this blessed one’s previous aspirations, a large precious gem was present in the middle of the hair coil between his eyebrows. The light of this gem illuminated the entire buddha realm such that except for the opening and closing of flowers there was no other way to distinguish between day and night, as the sun and moon were not evident, nor were there any other distinctions between day and night.
In the Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound’s buddha realm, there was a bodhisattva great being named Intelligent Aspiration. The bodhisattva great being Intelligent Aspiration also witnessed the great burst of illumination and heard the clear voice, and so he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound. Arriving there, he bowed his head at the feet of that blessed one and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being[F.260.a] Intelligent Aspiration then asked the blessed Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination that has manifested in the world and this booming sound of a clear voice?”
That blessed one answered, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the east, past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-two times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. That thus-gone one is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurable countless trillions of worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the Dharma, all the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice.”
The bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration then proclaimed to that blessed one, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, as well as to see his gathering of bodhisattvas and hear his Dharma teachings.”
That blessed one replied, “Noble son, if you know that the moment is ripe, then go!”
With a single thought, the bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration, surrounded and preceded by forty-two trillion bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived in the Enduring world.
The bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration then wondered, “What kind of miracle[F.260.b] shall I perform to go before the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni?” So the bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration then caused all hell beings and animals and all beings in the realm of the Lord of Death within this great trichiliocosm to experience the greatest happiness. For the hell beings, he extinguished the fires of the hells. He eliminated the hunger and thirst of all hungry ghosts, animals, and beings in the realm of the Lord of Death, who were tormented by hunger and thirst. He brought them the greatest happiness, analogous to the bliss experienced by a monk who is immersed in the attainment of the third concentration. At the very moment this happiness arose in these beings, all the torments caused by attachment, anger, ignorance, rage, pride, hypocrisy, spite, jealousy, stinginess, deceit, aggression, and malice ceased. At that moment, an attitude of love and altruism arose in all these beings, and they all perceived one another as parents. Such were the miracles that he performed, and such was the absorption in which he was immersed.
Once the bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration had displayed such miracles, he accompanied the other bodhisattva great beings approaching the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni. Arriving there, they bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side on seats of lotus flowers that had appeared in accordance with their aspirations.[F.261.a][B2]
Also at that moment, in a buddha realm called Eternally Decorated, located to the north, past buddha realms numbering sixty-three times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone one, worthy, and perfect buddha named King of All Śāla Trees, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. There were no white-clad householders in that buddha realm, for it was populated exclusively with saffron-clad bodhisattvas. There, women were unheard of, and the womb was also unknown. The bodhisattvas there were born miraculously, clad in saffron robes and sitting in cross-legged posture. That blessed one was giving the Dharma teaching known as the seal of the buddha family to the bodhisattvas.
What is the seal of the buddha family? It refers to initially developing the mind set on awakening, and subsequently perfecting the bodhisattva trainings, engaging with the bodhisattva basket, studying the main subject of the dhāraṇīs, being undistracted, practicing giving, pursuing emptiness, accomplishing signlessness, seeking wishlessness, being naturally free from attachment, understanding the aggregates and the elements as well as the sense bases, sustaining the continuity of one’s intended actions, desiring the wisdom of the buddhas and trusting it, realizing all phenomena yet not having any concepts about phenomena, and severing the continuity of thoughts so that they disappear. These are called the seal of the buddha family.
In this buddha realm, there was also a bodhisattva great being named King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs.[F.261.b] This noble son had formed the unique aspiration that any being who beheld this bodhisattva great being would become adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being. The bodhisattva King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs also witnessed the great burst of illumination and heard the clear voice, and so he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees. Arriving there, he bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs then asked the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination and this booming sound of a clear voice that have manifested in the world?”
The blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees answered the noble son, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the south, past buddha realms numbering sixty-three thousand times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. Noble son, the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurably many countless trillions of worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the Dharma, all of the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice.”
“Blessed One, why is that world called Enduring?”[F.262.a]
The Blessed One answered, “Noble son, the beings in that world endure in their attachment, endure in their aggression, endure in their ignorance, and endure in their suffering. Therefore, that world is called Enduring.”
“Blessed One, is there anyone there who is not engaged in ridicule, abuse, intimidation, and violence? Are there any who have dispelled the attitudes of attachment, aggression, and ignorance?”
“Noble son, the beings in that world who have such qualities are few. Noble son, most beings there are malicious, hostile, and aggressive. They are all caught up in attachment, aggression, and ignorance.”
“Blessed One, this name Enduring does not seem appropriate. As long as it is possible for these beings to become patient, then Blessed One, just because they are so impatient at present, it is not appropriate to call it Enduring.”
“Noble son, in that buddha realm, there are noble sons and daughters who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, who attended to the victors of the past, developed roots of virtue, served many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, and are patient, disciplined, and gentle. Even if they were ridiculed, intimidated, or attacked with weapons by all beings, they would endure it and not be overcome by attachment, aggression, or ignorance. Noble son, that world is named Enduring after these sublime beings.
“Even when evil people lie about the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni, that blessed one remains compassionately patient and accepting. The same applies to those who are filled with hate and rage, who are sinking into the hells or the animal realm,[F.262.b] who make the lower realms their domain, and who fail to respect the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, as well as all degenerate beings who delight in jealousy and who ridicule and slander that blessed one, doing him harm and insulting him. With a mind that is broad like the earth, he is without attachment or anger. Thus, even when people honor him, he does not become self-important. And if they fail to honor him, it does not bother him. Even if people ridicule and scold him, he does not think about it or conceptualize it, and he remains unfazed. He does not become disturbed, agitated, or saddened by it. Therefore, that world is called Enduring.”
The bodhisattva great being King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs remarked to the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees, “Blessed One, I am very fortunate that I was not born among such degenerate beings in that world!”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son, you must not say that. Why not? Noble son, in the northeastern direction there is a world called Thousandfold Adornment. In that buddha realm, the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha King Maheśvara is still present, alive and well. Noble son, the beings in that buddha realm are extremely happy. The happiness of those beings is analogous to the bliss experienced by a monk absorbed in cessation. Noble son, compared to spending billions of years practicing pure conduct in Thousandfold Adornment, you would generate far greater merit by arousing, for just an instant, a loving attitude for all beings in the Enduring world. That being so, what need we say of living purely day and night?”[F.263.a]
The bodhisattva great being King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs then declared to the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and to see the gathering of bodhisattvas and hear his Dharma.”
That blessed one then said, “Noble son, if you know that the moment is ripe, then go!”
With a single thought, the bodhisattva King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs, surrounded by one hundred million bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived in the Enduring world.
In this sūtra, the Buddha Śākyamuni explains the connection between the bodhisattvas’ aspirations and the virtues of their future buddha realms. He describes the various qualities that help bodhisattvas bring their aspirations to fulfillment. After bodhisattvas arrive from all directions to hear his teachings on the virtues of the buddha realms, the Buddha Śākyamuni recounts the story of how Mañjuśrī first engendered the mind set on awakening. Finally, the Buddha reveals the extraordinary nature of Mañjuśrī’s bodhisattva aspirations, and how they will contribute to the exceptional qualities of his future buddha realm.
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Timothy Hinkle 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.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Jimmy Liao, Victor (Ong Hui Hong), Lorreta, Michael, Sharon Nikita, and Sammy Zhang, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
The Array of Virtues of Mañjuśrī’s Buddha Realm is a sūtra that belongs to the Heap of Jewels (Skt. Ratnakūṭa; Tib. dkon brtsegs) section of the Kangyur. The sūtra begins in the city of Rājagṛha. This city was formerly the capital city of the kingdom of Magadha, which was located in the present-day Indian state of Bihar. There, we are told, the Buddha Śākyamuni is residing, surrounded by an enormous assembly of monks, bodhisattvas, and various divine beings. During the course of the sūtra, the Buddha teaches in response to the queries of a variety of Dharma seekers, including King Ajātaśatru, the ruler of Magadha. Later in the sūtra, the Buddha returns to Vulture Peak Mountain and teaches based on questions posed by several of his senior disciples, such as Śāriputra and Maitreya. Before beginning, the Buddha also inspires bodhisattvas living in various other buddha realms to come to this world to hear his teachings. Once these bodhisattvas have gathered, the bodhisattva Maitreya poses a series of questions pertaining to bodhisattva practice, the development of buddha realms, and the attainment of awakening. In response, the Buddha Śākyamuni identifies many qualities that bodhisattvas must develop to ensure the successful manifestation of their future buddha realms, as well as the benefits of those qualities for the bodhisattvas themselves. In the process, the Buddha explains how the extent of the qualities in a buddha realm is determined by the scope of a bodhisattva’s mind set on awakening and by aspirations. Many bodhisattvas are inspired by this and pledge to develop buddha realms abundant with such qualities.
The second half of the sūtra centers around Mañjuśrī’s career as a bodhisattva and his future buddha realm. Here the Buddha describes Mañjuśrī’s past lives and reveals details about his future attainment of awakening as the Buddha Samantadarśin and the features of his buddha realm. Throughout these teachings on Mañjuśrī’s spiritual qualities and awakened activity, Mañjuśrī himself emphatically denies the existence of such achievements by reference to the nonexistence of all phenomena, including his spiritual journey, and even his own nonexistence. The depictions of his bodhisattva career and the resulting buddha realm in a distant future are thus placed explicitly within the Great Vehicle teachings on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. These teachings inspire the bodhisattva assembly to manifest similar buddha realms. The Buddha then reveals that there are four bodhisattvas, currently living in other realms, who can rival Mañjuśrī’s bodhisattva conduct. These four bodhisattvas arrive at Vulture Peak Mountain, after which their visit evolves into a shared explication among many bodhisattvas on what is known as the Dharma teaching on the single principle. This is a theme that also appears in other Great Vehicle sūtras as a synonym for sameness or suchness. Finally, as is customary in sūtra literature, the events conclude with many beings achieving significant spiritual attainments.
The Sanskrit original of this text is unfortunately no longer extant;1 however, the text was translated into Chinese no less than three times over a period of more than four centuries. The first of the Chinese translations was produced in 290
The Tibetan translation was produced along with the other texts in the Heap of Jewels collection. The translators are listed as the Indian scholars Śīlendrabodhi and Jinamitra along with the Tibetan translator Yeshé Dé, who all lived during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Therefore, the Tibetan translation that we have rendered into English here would have been completed during the early translation period, which is also attested by the text’s inclusion in the early ninth-century Denkarma (Tib. ldan dkar ma) inventory of translations into Tibetan.6 In Tibet, the sūtra also appears to have enjoyed a certain popularity among philosophical commentators, as its verses are often quoted in commentarial literature, mostly on the importance of forming aspirations for spiritual accomplishment. This English translation from the Tibetan has been produced based on the Degé block print, with reference to the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma).
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing on Vulture Peak Mountain by Rājagṛha with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks, along with 84,000 bodhisattvas such as Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, Apāyajaha, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, all of whom were progressing irreversibly toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Also present were 720 million gods, all of whom had entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle. These gods included Śakra, lord of the gods; Brahmā, lord of the world Enduring; and 42,000 Brahmā gods who had also entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle. The assembly also included the four lords of the asuras: Vemacitrin, Balin, Kharaskandha, and Prahlāda, each of whom was accompanied by hundreds of thousands of servants. They were joined by 62,000 nāga kings, including Nanda, Upananda, Varuṇa, Sāgara, Manasvin, Aparājita, Bhūbhṛt, Anavatapta, Giri, Mārtaṇḍa, and Candrottarya.[F.249.a] Also present were the Four Great Kings, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, and Vaiśravaṇa, each of whom was accompanied by hundreds of thousands of servants. The assembly also included the yakṣa kings Kumbhīra, Āṭavaka, Sūciroma, Sumana, Sumati, Surūpa, Colorful, Akṣobhya, and hundreds of thousands of other yakṣas.
At that time the Blessed One had been staying in the city of Rājagṛha, where he was venerated and attended to by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and the fourfold assembly, who all served, honored, and worshiped him. He received a rich supply of food, drinks, savories, garments, delicacies, bedding, and medicines. One morning, the Blessed One donned his upper and lower robes and picked up his offering bowl. Together with his great saṅgha of monks, and surrounded and preceded by trillions of gods, he caused a shower of blue, red, and white lotuses to rain down. This occurred due to the great strength, playful ability, magical capacity, and miraculous power of the Buddha. Then, accompanied by the music of hundreds of thousands of instruments, he went to the palace of King Ajātaśatru in the city of Rājagṛha to collect alms. As he set out, trillions of light rays shone forth. At that point, the Blessed One performed a miracle in that wherever he placed his feet, a lotus the size of a cart wheel sprang up, with golden petals, a silver stem, beryl anthers, and a central cluster of fine gems.[F.249.b] In the center of each lotus appeared the forms of bodhisattvas sitting in crossed-legged posture. Such was the miracle that he performed.
These bodhisattva manifestations and their lotuses then circled the city of Rājagṛha seven times and proclaimed the following verses:
The city of Rājagṛha’s many billions of citizens were so inspired by these verses that all men, women, boys, and girls proffered flowers, incense, garlands, ointments, powders, and the scented powders of golden and silver flowers. They hoisted parasols, banners, and flags, and they took up large drums, conches, terracotta drums, gongs, one-stringed lutes, lutes, flutes, bells, cymbals, bamboo vīṇas, and tambouras. Bearing all this, they thought about the Thus-Gone One and held him in mind. With their minds dwelling on the Buddha, they were happy and joyful as they stood waiting.
Then the Blessed One arrived in the city of Rājagṛha.[F.250.b] The moment his right foot touched its threshold, the entire city shook six times. Hundreds of thousands of divine and human instruments played without being struck, and a rain of divine flowers fell. The blind could see, the deaf could hear, the insane regained their senses, the inattentive became concentrated, the naked received clothes, the hungry received food, and the poor obtained wealth. At that moment, no one was tormented by attachment, aggression, ignorance, jealousy, stinginess, rage, or pride. At that moment, everyone was filled with love and altruism, and they regarded one another as parents.
It was like this:
When the Blessed One entered the city of Rājagṛha, an influential merchant by the name Destroyer of Nonvirtue, who was a householder bodhisattva, was present in the city. From afar he saw the Blessed One approaching. The Blessed One was beautiful and joyful, with peaceful faculties and a peaceful mind. He was thoroughly gentle and tranquil, and had reached the perfection of gentleness and tranquility. He was restrained and collected, like an elephant. Like a lake, he was clear, limpid, and lucid. His body was adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being and the eighty excellent minor marks, and his whole appearance was exquisite, excellent, and perfect.
Seeing the Blessed One, the bodhisattva was overcome by faith. Moved by faith, he went before the Blessed One, bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and stood to one side. He then joined his palms, bowed to the Blessed One, and asked, “Blessed One, what qualities do bodhisattva great beings require to swiftly and fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, to purify their buddha realms, and to acquire the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms, just as they desire?”
Then, out of love for the bodhisattva Destroyer of Nonvirtue,[F.251.b] and in order to train this large assembly of beings, the Blessed One took a seat in one part of the city. Seeing the Blessed One there, hundreds of thousands of beings arrived. In the sky above, trillions of gods joined their palms in respect and honor, bowed toward the Blessed One, and arranged themselves there.
The Blessed One then responded to the bodhisattva Destroyer of Nonvirtue, “Noble son, if bodhisattva great beings have one quality, they will swiftly and fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, purify their buddha realms, and acquire the arrays of virtues of their buddha realms, just as they desire. What is this one quality? Noble son, it is for bodhisattva great beings to develop the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, out of compassion and pure motivation toward all beings. In this context, what is the pure motivation that is to be mastered? Noble son, pure motivation is arousing the mind set on awakening and avoiding all nonvirtues. What is to be avoided? It is attachment, aggression, ignorance, and craving for the features of the household life. Renouncing these things, bodhisattvas have no desire for gain, honor, or praise, and they abide in the accomplishment of going forth. What is the accomplishment of going forth? It is realizing all phenomena just as they are. What is realizing all phenomena just as they are? Noble son, all phenomena refers to the aggregates, elements, and sense sources, as well as conditioned and unconditioned phenomena. How are the five aggregates understood? They are understood to be illusory, void, empty, unobservable, unborn, and unceasing.[F.252.a] They are understood in this way to the degree that one does not see them as being real. When there is no seeing, no knowing, no assuming, no thinking, and no conceptualizing them to be real, all concepts are pacified—and this is what is called understanding the aggregates. Understanding the aggregates is understanding all phenomena. Noble son, this is the accomplishment of going forth.
“Bodhisattva great beings who have entered this practice will not abandon beings. Why not? To the degree that one understands phenomena, one can teach all beings and yet not apprehend beings or phenomena. Noble son, if bodhisattva great beings possess this one quality, they will swiftly and fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, purify their buddha realms, and acquire the arrays of virtues of their buddha realms, just as they desire.”
When the Blessed One taught this Dharma door of accomplishing the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms, the bodhisattva Destroyer of Nonvirtue gained the patient acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Filled with joy and happiness, he rose into the sky to the height of seven palm trees. Moreover, two thousand beings in the assembly developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and fourteen thousand gods and humans purified the Dharma eye, which sees phenomena free from dust and stains.
Then the Blessed One smiled. It is the nature of things that when a blessed buddha smiles, variegated light streams forth from his mouth in blue, yellow, red, white, violet, crystalline, and silver colors. It then pervades and illuminates countless, limitless worlds[F.252.b] before returning. The light then circles the Blessed One three times and disappears into the crown of his head.
At this point Venerable Ānanda arose, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together, he bowed toward the Blessed One and spoke the following verses:
The Blessed One then asked Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, do you see the bodhisattva great being Destroyer of Nonvirtue seated in the sky above at a height of seven palm trees?”[F.253.a]
Ānanda answered, “Blessed One, I do. Well-Gone One, I do.”
The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, in six million two hundred thousand countless eons, the bodhisattva great being Destroyer of Nonvirtue will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. In the eon Free from Plagues, he will appear in this great trichiliocosm as the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Lord of Peace and Gentleness. Ānanda, to draw an analogy, the array of virtues and the abundance of hearers and bodhisattvas in the buddha realm of the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Lord of Peace and Gentleness will be just like those of the Thus-Gone One Akṣobhya’s realm, Abhirati—no more, no less.”
With these words, the Blessed One departed and eventually arrived at King Ajātaśatru’s palace, where he took the seat that had been prepared for him as the saṅgha of monks arranged themselves on their respective seats. When King Ajātaśatru saw that the Blessed One and the saṅgha of monks were seated, he personally provided them with many fine foods, drinks, and savories until they were satisfied. Once he saw that the Thus-Gone One had finished his meal, placed his alms bowl down, and cleaned his hands, he offered the Blessed One a measure of priceless fabric, whereupon he prostrated to the Blessed One and the saṅgha of monks. He then took an appropriate seat, sitting to one side.[F.253.b] Seated there, King Ajātaśatru asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, from where do malice, anger, aggression, and hypocrisy arise? From where is unknowing born? How does unknowing cease?”
The Blessed One responded to King Ajātaśatru, “Your Majesty, malice, anger, aggression, and hypocrisy arise with the presence of self-clinging and possessiveness. When in a state of self-clinging and possessiveness, one recognizes neither positive qualities nor flaws. This is termed unknowing. However, with respect to a person who fully understands self-clinging and possessiveness just as they are, one cannot speak of knowing or unknowing. Your Majesty, you should therefore train to avoid labeling any formations as either going or coming from anywhere. Your Majesty, for one who neither goes anywhere nor comes from anywhere, all phenomena are devoid of coming and going. For one in whom there is no coming or going, there is no birth or cessation. For one in whom there is no birth or cessation, there is no knowing. Just as it is with knowing, so it is with unknowing. Why is this? Because there is no knowledge of any phenomenon that is either emancipated or not emancipated. When there is no knowledge of any phenomenon that is either emancipated or not emancipated, one is said to have wisdom.”
King Ajātaśatru then exclaimed to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is remarkable how well the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha teaches. Blessed One, even if I were to pass away right now, I would not have to take birth again.”
Because the Blessed One had taught King Ajātaśatru the Dharma and caused him to uphold it,[F.254.a] the king was uplifted and delighted. The Blessed One now arose and took his leave to attend the afternoon assembly for giving the gift of Dharma. As the Blessed One never ate after midday, he set down his alms bowl and Dharma robes. Then he washed his feet and retired to his dwelling to meditate.
Later in the afternoon, after the Blessed One had arisen from his meditation, he went to Vulture Peak, the king of mountains. There he sat upon the seat that had been prepared for him, in order to teach the Dharma. Venerable Śāriputra and the other great hearers likewise arose from their meditations and went to where the Blessed One was seated on Vulture Peak, the king of mountains. They bowed their heads at his feet, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side. Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta also arose from his meditation and came before the Blessed One, surrounded and preceded by forty-two thousand gods, all of whom had entered the Great Vehicle. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being Maitreya also came before the Blessed One, surrounded and preceded by one thousand other bodhisattvas. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being Powerful Lion Roar also came before the Blessed One, surrounded and preceded by five hundred other bodhisattvas. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side.[F.254.b] King Ajātaśatru also went to the Blessed One’s location on Vulture Peak Mountain, surrounded and preceded by the four divisions of his army. They also bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. Finally, billions of citizens of the city of Rājagṛha also arrived at the Blessed One’s location on Vulture Peak Mountain. They also bowed their heads at his feet and sat to one side.
Then, through the power of the Buddha, Venerable Śāriputra arose, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together, he bowed toward the Blessed One and requested, “Blessed One, given that while in the middle of the city of Rājagṛha, the Blessed One taught a sūtra in response to a request by the bodhisattva great being Destroyer of Nonvirtue to teach on the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms of bodhisattva great beings, Blessed One, I too request you to teach the Dharma regarding the accomplishment of the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms of bodhisattva great beings. How do bodhisattva great beings practicing this no longer regress from the path to unsurpassed and perfect awakening? How do they master omniscience? How do they defeat the hordes of Māra? How do they defeat non-Buddhists? How do they avoid being overwhelmed by the afflictions? How do they refine the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms? How do they perfect their aspirations? How do they avoid the decline of insight? How do they arrive at the level of buddhahood?[F.255.a] How do they avoid the levels of hearers and solitary buddhas? How do they practice the six perfections? How do they turn the wheel of Dharma while they are still bodhisattvas who have not yet attained omniscience? How do they benefit countless, innumerable beings? Blessed One, all the noble sons and daughters gathered in this assembly are passionate about awakening and would be gladdened and overjoyed to hear such teachings directly from the Blessed One. Being so gladdened and overjoyed, they will earnestly accomplish what they have heard.”
The Blessed One then thought, “This setting is not beautiful enough for me to give such a Dharma teaching. Therefore, I shall perform a miracle whereby I emit trillions of light rays in each of the ten directions. Each light ray will then illuminate trillions of buddha realms. The sun and moon in those buddha realms will become invisible, eclipsed by that light, and they will no longer appear to the eye. Likewise, the gods’ lights will no longer be visible, nor will the lights of the nāgas, yakṣas, jewels, lightning, fire, stars, or other beings. In countless, limitless worlds throughout the ten directions, this light will instantly illuminate all the surrounding mountains, greater surrounding mountains, Mucilinda Mountains, Greater Mucilinda Mountains, Mount Merus, Black Mountain, and all the others in the Black Mountain range, as well as all buildings, forests, and jungles. I must perform such a miracle.”
Then, as the Blessed One emitted such lights, he spoke in a clear8 voice[F.255.b] that was heard in countless, limitless worlds throughout the ten directions.
At that time, in a world called Totally Illuminated, located to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms numbering eighty-four times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named King of Splendor, who is still present, alive, and teaching the Dharma. In that place, not even the categories of hearers or solitary buddhas were known, for that buddha realm was populated exclusively with bodhisattva great beings. Each assembly of bodhisattvas in that buddha realm contained a billion nonregressing bodhisattva great beings.
There was a bodhisattva great being in that buddha realm named Elevated Dharma. This bodhisattva was called Elevated Dharma because he ascended into the sky to the height of seven palm trees as the blessed Thus-Gone One King of Splendor was teaching the Dharma, surrounded by his bodhisattva saṅgha. As his body disappeared, he gave a Dharma teaching on the vajra dhāraṇī words called the bodhisattva basket. The other bodhisattvas then thought, “All phenomena are mere sounds! Why is this? Even though this noble son’s body does not appear, his voice resounds; and he speaks, yet his physical body is invisible. So, form must be of the same nature as sound—and all phenomena must also be of the same nature as form.” Understanding this, countless bodhisattvas gained patient acceptance. This is how the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma received his name.
When the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma witnessed the great burst of illumination and heard the clear voice,[F.256.a] he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One King of Splendor. He bowed his head at the feet of that blessed one and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma then asked that blessed one, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination that has manifested in the world, and this booming sound of a clear voice? Blessed One, I have never before seen such a light.”
The thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha King of Splendor answered the bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the west, past buddha realms numbering eighty-four times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present and alive. That thus-gone one is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurably many countless trillions of worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the Dharma, all the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice.”
The bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma then announced to the blessed Thus-Gone One King of Splendor, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor[F.256.b] the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni and to see his bodhisattva saṅgha and hear the Dharma.”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son, if you know that the moment is ripe, then go!”
As quickly as an athlete can extend and contract his arm, the bodhisattva great being Elevated Dharma, surrounded and preceded by sixty-three million bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived in the Enduring world.
The bodhisattva Elevated Dharma then entered into the bodhisattva absorption called adorned with every ornament. As soon as the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma entered into that absorption, the entire trichiliocosm was filled with a great mass of flowers deep enough to cover the knees. The sound of hundreds of thousands of instruments resounded, and the trichiliocosm was beautifully adorned by the raising of parasols, banners, and flags, and scented with the finest incense, such that it was no different from the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations in terms of its divine enjoyments. Once the bodhisattva Elevated Dharma displayed these miracles, he and the other bodhisattvas approached and arrived before the Blessed One Śākyamuni. They bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side on the seats of lotus flowers that had appeared in accordance with their aspirations.
Also at that moment, in a buddha realm called Stainless, located to the south, past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-six times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Displaying Leonine Power.[F.257.a] He is also presently there, where he is alive and well and teaches the Dharma, surrounded by a boundless saṅgha of bodhisattvas. There were no hearers or solitary buddhas in that buddha realm.
In that buddha realm lived a bodhisattva great being named Ratnapāṇi. Why was this bodhisattva called Ratnapāṇi? Whenever this noble son wanted to teach the Dharma to beings in other buddha realms, he would stretch out his right hand and sweep it over as many buddha realms as he wished, whereby from his hand, the precious sounds of “Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha” would resound; the precious sounds of “generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight” would resound; the precious sounds of “love, compassion, joy, and equanimity” would resound. These and trillions of different precious sounds of other aspects of the Dharma would resound. That is why this noble son was called Ratnapāṇi.
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi had witnessed the great burst of illumination, and he had heard the clear voice, so he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power. He bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. Sitting there, the bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi then asked the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination that has manifested in the world, as well as this booming sound of a clear voice?”[F.257.b]
That blessed one answered, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the north, past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-six times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. That thus-gone one is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurably many countless worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the sacred Dharma, all the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice. Also, noble son, the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni intends to give the Dharma teaching called the arrays of virtues of the buddha realms. A limitless number of bodhisattvas there will acquire those arrays of virtues of the buddha realms.”
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi proclaimed to the Blessed One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and to see the gathering of bodhisattvas and hear his Dharma teachings.”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son, it may not be suitable for you to go there. Why not? That world is filled with suffering, since one encounters beings who are immersed in attachment, aggression, and ignorance.”[F.258.a]
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi replied to the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, what greater purpose does the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni see such that, Blessed One, he takes responsibility for a degenerate buddha realm although there are other pure buddha realms?”
That blessed one answered, “Noble son, long ago, that thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha aspired that no matter the cost, he would fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and teach the Dharma among degenerate beings. Noble son, the Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni possesses great compassion to such a degree.”
The bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi declared to the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni. Why? By developing such great compassion, and by embracing such a degenerate buddha realm, the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni is engaged in hardship. Such a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha does not easily appear. It is rare to be able to meet one.”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son—well, if you know that the time is ripe, then go! Noble son, set out for that buddha realm. But be careful with whom you speak,9[F.258.b] for the bodhisattvas born in that buddha realm are difficult to associate with, and the other beings are fierce and angry.”
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi replied to the blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power, “Blessed One, I could speak with those beings in that buddha realm who are attached or aggressive. However, Blessed One, given that I have neither attachment nor aggression, why would I speak with them? Blessed One, I am eager to be patient. Even if, in future eons, beings should scold or ridicule me and intimidate or beat me, flinging earth or weapons at me, I would not become malicious toward anyone.”
The blessed Thus-Gone One Displaying Leonine Power then addressed his retinue of bodhisattvas, “Noble children, if any of you are eager to master patience like the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, you should accompany this noble son to the Enduring world.”
The moment that blessed one said this, ninety-two thousand bodhisattvas in his assembly proclaimed with one voice, “Blessed One, we are eager to master patience like the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi! We shall go to the Enduring world.” Then, with a single intention, the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, surrounded and preceded by those ninety-two thousand bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived here in this buddha realm.
The bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi then wondered,[F.259.a] “What kind of miracle shall I perform to go before the Blessed Śākyamuni and bring immeasurable beings happiness?” The bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi then held his right hand over this great trichiliocosm, and from it arose food for those who wanted food, drink for those who wanted drink, and likewise mounts, clothing, gold, silver, beryl, pearl, conch, crystal, and coral for all who wanted these things. Beings who desired and yearned for the Dharma heard the Dharma from his hand, whereby limitless beings understood the Dharma. Beings who were afflicted by or suffered from any number of diseases regained perfect health. Such were the miracles he performed. Once the bodhisattva great being Ratnapāṇi had displayed such miracles, he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni together with the bodhisattvas. Arriving there, they bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side, on seats of lotus flowers that had appeared in accordance with their aspirations.
Also at that moment, in a buddha realm called Maṇigarbha, located to the west past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-two times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone one named King Jewel Mound, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. The buddha realm of that thus-gone one was composed solely of fine beryl.[F.259.b] The classifications of the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas did not exist there, for that buddha realm was populated exclusively with bodhisattvas. Furthermore, whether these bodhisattvas came or went, stood or sat, stayed still or moved about, they beheld the blessed Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound reflected in the ground of beryl. Like a face reflected on the surface of a highly polished mirror, the bodhisattvas saw this thus-gone one reflected in the ground of beryl. Not only did they see him, but they could also ask him about the Dharma, and that thus-gone one would teach them. Hearing the Dharma, they gained patient acceptance. Because of this blessed one’s previous aspirations, a large precious gem was present in the middle of the hair coil between his eyebrows. The light of this gem illuminated the entire buddha realm such that except for the opening and closing of flowers there was no other way to distinguish between day and night, as the sun and moon were not evident, nor were there any other distinctions between day and night.
In the Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound’s buddha realm, there was a bodhisattva great being named Intelligent Aspiration. The bodhisattva great being Intelligent Aspiration also witnessed the great burst of illumination and heard the clear voice, and so he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound. Arriving there, he bowed his head at the feet of that blessed one and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being[F.260.a] Intelligent Aspiration then asked the blessed Thus-Gone One King Jewel Mound, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination that has manifested in the world and this booming sound of a clear voice?”
That blessed one answered, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the east, past trillions of buddha realms numbering ninety-two times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. That thus-gone one is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurable countless trillions of worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the Dharma, all the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice.”
The bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration then proclaimed to that blessed one, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, as well as to see his gathering of bodhisattvas and hear his Dharma teachings.”
That blessed one replied, “Noble son, if you know that the moment is ripe, then go!”
With a single thought, the bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration, surrounded and preceded by forty-two trillion bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived in the Enduring world.
The bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration then wondered, “What kind of miracle[F.260.b] shall I perform to go before the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni?” So the bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration then caused all hell beings and animals and all beings in the realm of the Lord of Death within this great trichiliocosm to experience the greatest happiness. For the hell beings, he extinguished the fires of the hells. He eliminated the hunger and thirst of all hungry ghosts, animals, and beings in the realm of the Lord of Death, who were tormented by hunger and thirst. He brought them the greatest happiness, analogous to the bliss experienced by a monk who is immersed in the attainment of the third concentration. At the very moment this happiness arose in these beings, all the torments caused by attachment, anger, ignorance, rage, pride, hypocrisy, spite, jealousy, stinginess, deceit, aggression, and malice ceased. At that moment, an attitude of love and altruism arose in all these beings, and they all perceived one another as parents. Such were the miracles that he performed, and such was the absorption in which he was immersed.
Once the bodhisattva Intelligent Aspiration had displayed such miracles, he accompanied the other bodhisattva great beings approaching the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni. Arriving there, they bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side on seats of lotus flowers that had appeared in accordance with their aspirations.[F.261.a][B2]
Also at that moment, in a buddha realm called Eternally Decorated, located to the north, past buddha realms numbering sixty-three times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a thus-gone one, worthy, and perfect buddha named King of All Śāla Trees, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. There were no white-clad householders in that buddha realm, for it was populated exclusively with saffron-clad bodhisattvas. There, women were unheard of, and the womb was also unknown. The bodhisattvas there were born miraculously, clad in saffron robes and sitting in cross-legged posture. That blessed one was giving the Dharma teaching known as the seal of the buddha family to the bodhisattvas.
What is the seal of the buddha family? It refers to initially developing the mind set on awakening, and subsequently perfecting the bodhisattva trainings, engaging with the bodhisattva basket, studying the main subject of the dhāraṇīs, being undistracted, practicing giving, pursuing emptiness, accomplishing signlessness, seeking wishlessness, being naturally free from attachment, understanding the aggregates and the elements as well as the sense bases, sustaining the continuity of one’s intended actions, desiring the wisdom of the buddhas and trusting it, realizing all phenomena yet not having any concepts about phenomena, and severing the continuity of thoughts so that they disappear. These are called the seal of the buddha family.
In this buddha realm, there was also a bodhisattva great being named King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs.[F.261.b] This noble son had formed the unique aspiration that any being who beheld this bodhisattva great being would become adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being. The bodhisattva King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs also witnessed the great burst of illumination and heard the clear voice, and so he went before the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees. Arriving there, he bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side. The bodhisattva great being King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs then asked the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees, “Blessed One, what are the causes and conditions of this great illumination and this booming sound of a clear voice that have manifested in the world?”
The blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees answered the noble son, “Noble son, in a buddha realm called Enduring, located to the south, past buddha realms numbering sixty-three thousand times the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, there is a thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha named Śākyamuni, who is still present, alive and well and teaching the Dharma. Noble son, the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni is gathering bodhisattvas from immeasurably many countless trillions of worlds throughout the ten directions. In order to proclaim the Dharma, all of the pores of his body emit this light and the sound of his clear voice.”
“Blessed One, why is that world called Enduring?”[F.262.a]
The Blessed One answered, “Noble son, the beings in that world endure in their attachment, endure in their aggression, endure in their ignorance, and endure in their suffering. Therefore, that world is called Enduring.”
“Blessed One, is there anyone there who is not engaged in ridicule, abuse, intimidation, and violence? Are there any who have dispelled the attitudes of attachment, aggression, and ignorance?”
“Noble son, the beings in that world who have such qualities are few. Noble son, most beings there are malicious, hostile, and aggressive. They are all caught up in attachment, aggression, and ignorance.”
“Blessed One, this name Enduring does not seem appropriate. As long as it is possible for these beings to become patient, then Blessed One, just because they are so impatient at present, it is not appropriate to call it Enduring.”
“Noble son, in that buddha realm, there are noble sons and daughters who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, who attended to the victors of the past, developed roots of virtue, served many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, and are patient, disciplined, and gentle. Even if they were ridiculed, intimidated, or attacked with weapons by all beings, they would endure it and not be overcome by attachment, aggression, or ignorance. Noble son, that world is named Enduring after these sublime beings.
“Even when evil people lie about the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni, that blessed one remains compassionately patient and accepting. The same applies to those who are filled with hate and rage, who are sinking into the hells or the animal realm,[F.262.b] who make the lower realms their domain, and who fail to respect the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, as well as all degenerate beings who delight in jealousy and who ridicule and slander that blessed one, doing him harm and insulting him. With a mind that is broad like the earth, he is without attachment or anger. Thus, even when people honor him, he does not become self-important. And if they fail to honor him, it does not bother him. Even if people ridicule and scold him, he does not think about it or conceptualize it, and he remains unfazed. He does not become disturbed, agitated, or saddened by it. Therefore, that world is called Enduring.”
The bodhisattva great being King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs remarked to the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees, “Blessed One, I am very fortunate that I was not born among such degenerate beings in that world!”
That blessed one responded, “Noble son, you must not say that. Why not? Noble son, in the northeastern direction there is a world called Thousandfold Adornment. In that buddha realm, the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha King Maheśvara is still present, alive and well. Noble son, the beings in that buddha realm are extremely happy. The happiness of those beings is analogous to the bliss experienced by a monk absorbed in cessation. Noble son, compared to spending billions of years practicing pure conduct in Thousandfold Adornment, you would generate far greater merit by arousing, for just an instant, a loving attitude for all beings in the Enduring world. That being so, what need we say of living purely day and night?”[F.263.a]
The bodhisattva great being King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs then declared to the blessed Thus-Gone One King of All Śāla Trees, “Blessed One, I am going to the Enduring world to behold, venerate, and honor the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and to see the gathering of bodhisattvas and hear his Dharma.”
That blessed one then said, “Noble son, if you know that the moment is ripe, then go!”
With a single thought, the bodhisattva King of the Star Mound Adorned with Signs, surrounded by one hundred million bodhisattvas, disappeared from that buddha realm and arrived in the Enduring world.
Three brief passages from this text are, however, cited in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Toh 3940), which survives in Sanskrit.
The Denkarma catalog is dated to c. 812
Translated according to Peking Yongle, Peking Kangxi, Narthang, and Lhasa (Zhol): rga. Degé: dga’.
Translated according to Peking Yongle, Peking Kangxi, Narthang, and Lhasa (Zhol): zhe sa. Degé: rje sa.
Translation tentative. Translation according to Narthang and Lhasa (Zhol): kun ’ged. Degé: kun dged.
This refers to the preceding list comprising nature, suchness, essence, emptiness, voidness of form, and reality.
We have translated this part of the sentence rather loosely in order for this paragraph to make sense. The Tibetan only says, “With the exception of a single thus-gone one” (de bzhin shegs pa gcig ma gtogs pa ni).
The buddha realm of the Buddha Akṣobhya.
The fivefold basic grouping of the components out of which the world and the personal self are formed: form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
The king in Rājagṛha during the Buddha’s era.
A king in King of Thunderous Voice’s buddha realm.
A bodhisattva.
A yakṣa king; also a buddha.
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.
Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.
The buddha associated with longevity.
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
A nāga king; a member of the Buddha’s retinue.
A nāga king; a member of the Buddha’s retinue.
A bodhisattva in the retinue of the Buddha.
A hypothetical buddha.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
A yakṣa king.
A bodhisattva.
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.
One of the bodhisattvas in the retinue of the Buddha.
A lord of the asuras; a member of the Buddha’s retinue.
A nāga king; a member of the Buddha’s retinue.
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).
A collection of the Great Vehicle teachings.
A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).
A nāga king; a member of the Buddha’s retinue.
A yakṣa king.
A bodhisattva.
A householder bodhisattva.
Literally “retention,” or “that which retains, contains, or encapsulates,” this term refers to mnemonic formulas, or codes possessed by advanced bodhisattvas that contain a quintessence of their attainments, as well as the Dharma teachings that express them and guide beings toward their realization. The term can also refer to a statement or incantation meant to protect or bring about a particular result.
One of the Four Great Kings, he presides over the eastern quarter and rules over the gandharvas.
A bodhisattva.
A buddha from the south.
A buddha who lives in the direction below in a buddha realm called Earth Melody.
The buddha realm of Earth Deity.
A set of circumstances that do not provide the freedom to practice the Buddhist path: being born in the realms of (1) the hells, (2) pretas, (3) animals, and (4) long-lived gods; in the human realm among (5) barbarians or (6) people with wrong views and (7) in places where the Buddhist teachings do not exist; and (8) without adequate faculties to understand the teachings where they do exist.
One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen elements (eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and physical objects, and mind and mental objects, to which the six consciousnesses are added). It can also refer to the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, or the six elements when space and consciousness are included with those four.
The buddha realm of Fully Illuminated Oceanic King of Many Hundreds of Virtues.
A bodhisattva from King of Splendor’s buddha realm.
The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings.
The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.
A bodhisattva.
The buddha realm of King of All Śāla Trees.
A bodhisattva.
The buddha realm of King of Thunderous Voice.
Traditionally there are thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening.
Five types of degeneration pertaining to lifespan, affliction, beings, time, and views.
Factors involved in the perpetuation of conditioned existence; in the scheme of the twelve links of dependent origination, formations constitute the second link.
Taking what is impermanent to be permanent, what is painful to be delightful, what is impure to be pure, and what is no self to be a self.
Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahārājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).
Male and female monastics and males and females holding lay vows.
A buddha who lives in the east in a buddha realm called Elevated by Abiding in Aspiration.
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”
’jam dpal gyi sangs rgyas kyi zhing gi yon tan bkod pa (Mañjuśrībuddhakṣetraguṇavyūha). Toh 59, Degé Kangyur vol. 41 (mdo sde, ga), folios 248.b–297.a.
’jam dpal gyi sangs rgyas kyi zhing gi yon tan bkod pa. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 47, 775–941.
Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.
pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag [Denkarma]. Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Chang, Garma C. C., trans. “The Prediction of Mañjuśrī's Attainment of Enlightenment.” In A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras: Selections from the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, 164–88. University Park and London: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1983.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
