The Play in Full
Perfect and Complete Awakening

Monks, once the Bodhisattva had destroyed his demonic opponents, vanquished his enemies, triumphed in the face of battle, and raised high the parasols, standards, and banners of conquest, he settled into the first meditative concentration. That state is free from desires, free of factors connected with evil deeds and nonvirtues, accompanied by thought and analysis, and imbued with the joy and pleasure born of discernment.

When he had brought about the cessation of thought and analysis, he became perfectly quiet in and of himself, and therefore his mind became concentrated. Through this he settled into the second meditative concentration, which is free of thought and analysis and is imbued with the joy and pleasure born of meditative absorption.

Through disenchantment with joy, he remained impartial, maintained mindfulness and introspection, and experienced physical pleasure. He thus settled into the third meditative concentration, which is unconnected with joy. The noble ones call such a person [344] the impartial one dwelling on pleasure that is imbued with mindfulness.

Through relinquishing pleasure at that moment, and having formerly relinquished pain in the past, both mental pleasure and displeasure vanished. Thus he settled into the fourth meditative concentration, which is perfectly pristine impartiality and mindfulness, unconnected with pleasure or pain.

While the Bodhisattva’s mind‍—purified and cleansed, lucid, free of basic and subsidiary afflictions, gentle, adaptable, and immovable‍—was immersed in this way, in the early station of the night he produced the intent to actualize the knowledge that sees wisdom with the divine eye, and so he directed his mind toward that purpose.

The Bodhisattva, with the pristine divine eye beyond that of humans, looked at sentient beings. He saw them dying and being born, in all their beauty and ugliness, in favorable and unfavorable circumstances, degenerating or advancing precisely in accordance with their actions. With this understanding he thought: [F.165.b]

“Alas! Sentient beings engage in negative physical, verbal, and mental conduct. Harboring wrong views, they revile the noble ones. As they engage in the actions associated with wrong views, once their bodies collapse and they die, they fall into bad migrations and are born among the hell realms. Yet other sentient beings engage in positive physical, verbal, and mental conduct. Harboring the correct view, they do not revile noble ones. Since they engage in the actions associated with the correct view, once their bodies collapse and they die, they are born into pleasant existences in the god realms.”

In this manner, with his pristine divine eye beyond that of humans, the Bodhisattva saw sentient beings dying and being born, in all their beauty and ugliness, in favorable and unfavorable circumstances, degenerating and advancing, respectively, precisely in accordance with their actions. Monks, this was indeed how, during the first station of the night, the Bodhisattva actualized knowledge, removed darkness, and lit the light. [345]

Then, while his mind‍—purified and cleansed, lucid, free of basic and subsidiary afflictions, supple, flexible, and immovable‍—was immersed in this way, in the middle station of the night the Bodhisattva produced the intent to actualize the knowledge that sees the wisdom of recollecting past lives, and so he directed his mind toward that purpose.

In this way he recollected the previous lives of himself and other sentient beings, starting with one, two, three, four, and five lifetimes, then ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty more lifetimes, then one hundred lifetimes, one thousand lifetimes, one hundred thousand lifetimes, then many hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, ten million lifetimes, a billion lifetimes, ten billion lifetimes, a trillion lifetimes, [F.166.a] and a quadrillion lifetimes, then several billion, several tens of billions, several trillions, and several quadrillions of lifetimes, all the way up to the lifetimes in an eon of destruction, an eon of formation, an eon of both destruction and formation, and several eons of both destruction and formation. He remembered the former lives of himself and others in the greatest detail, thinking,

“In that place I had this name, this surname, this family, this caste, this diet, this lifespan, stayed for this duration, and experienced these kinds of pleasure and pain. After falling from there, I was born here. After falling from there, I was born here…”

Then, while his mind‍—purified and cleansed, lucid, free of basic and subsidiary afflictions, supple, flexible, and immovable‍—was immersed in this way, during the final station of the night, just at the break of dawn, right at the time of night when the morning drum is beaten, the Bodhisattva produced the intent to actualize the knowledge that brings suffering and its origin to an end and realizes the insight that exhausts defilements, and so he directed his mind to that purpose.

He thought, [346] “How miserable is this world! It is anguished by birth, old age, sickness, death, departure, and rebirth, but it does not know how to remove itself from this massive heap of pure anguish, marked foremost by old age, sickness, and death. Alas! If only beings understood how to extinguish this massive heap of pure anguish marked foremost by old age, sickness, and death.”

Then the Bodhisattva continued to think, [F.166.b] “What is the prerequisite for old age and dying to take place? And what is the causal condition of aging and death?” It then occurred to him, “Aging and death happen when there is birth. Birth is the causal condition of old age and death.”

Then the Bodhisattva thought again, “What is the prerequisite for birth to take place? What is the causal condition of birth?” It then occurred to him, “Birth happens when there is existence. Existence is the causal condition of birth.”

Then the Bodhisattva wondered, “What is the prerequisite for existence to emerge? What is the causal condition of existence?” It then occurred to the Bodhisattva, “Existence occurs when there is clinging. Clinging is the causal condition of existence.”

Then the Bodhisattva wondered, “What is the prerequisite for clinging to occur? What is the causal condition of clinging?” It then occurred to him, “Clinging occurs when there is craving. Craving is the causal condition of clinging.”

Then the Bodhisattva thought, “What is the prerequisite for craving to take place? What is the causal condition of craving?” It then occurred to him, “Craving occurs when there is feeling. Feeling is the causal condition of craving.”

The Bodhisattva then wondered, “What is the prerequisite for feeling to take place? What is the causal condition of feeling?” It then occurred to him, “Feeling happens when there is contact. Contact is the causal condition of feeling.” [347]

Then the Bodhisattva thought, “What is the prerequisite for contact to occur? What is the causal condition of contact?” It then occurred to him, “Contact happens when the six sense fields are present. The six sense fields are the causal condition of contact.”

Then the Bodhisattva wondered, “What is the prerequisite for the six sense fields to emerge? What is the causal condition of the six sense fields?” It then occurred to him, “The six sense fields emerge when there is name and form. Name and form is the causal condition of the six sense fields.”

The Bodhisattva then thought, “What is the prerequisite for name and form to come into being? [F.167.a] What is the causal condition of name and form?” It then occurred to him, “Name and form come into being when there is consciousness. Consciousness is the causal condition of name and form.”

Then the Bodhisattva wondered, “What is the prerequisite for consciousness to form? What is the causal condition of consciousness?” It then occurred to him, “Consciousness emerges when there are formations. Formations are the causal condition of consciousness.”

The Bodhisattva then pondered, “What is the prerequisite for formations to form? What is the causal condition for formations?” It then occurred to him, “Formations come into being when there is ignorance. Ignorance is the causal condition of formations.”

Then, monks, the thought occurred to the Bodhisattva, “Ignorance provides the causal condition for formations. Formations provide the causal condition for consciousness. Consciousness provides the causal condition for name and form. Name and form provides the causal condition for the six sense fields. The six sense fields provide the causal condition for contact. Contact provides the causal condition for feeling. Feeling provides the causal condition for craving. Craving provides the causal condition for clinging. Clinging provides the causal condition for existence. Existence provides the causal condition for birth. Birth provides the causal condition for old age and death, lamentation, pain, despair, and torment. Such is how this massive heap of pure anguish comes into being.” [348]

Monks, through considering and ruminating over these factors, which had never before been heard, there dawned in the Bodhisattva wisdom, vision, knowledge, intelligence, prudence, and insight, and a light began to shine.

Then the Bodhisattva thought, “What must be absent for old age and death not to occur? What must be prevented to eliminate old age and death?” It then occurred to him, “When there is no birth, old age and death do not happen. Old age and death are prevented by preventing birth.” [F.167.b]

Then the Bodhisattva pondered, “What must be absent for birth not to happen? What must be prevented to eliminate birth?” The thought then occurred to him, “When there is no existence, birth does not take place. Birth is eliminated by preventing existence.”

The Bodhisattva then considered, “What must be absent to avoid everything down to formations to manifest? What must be prevented to eliminate formations?” It then occurred to him, “When there is no ignorance, formations do not form. Preventing ignorance prevents formations. By preventing formations, consciousness is prevented, and so on, until birth is prevented, thus putting an end to old age and death, anguish, lamentation, pain, despair, and torment. Such is how this massive heap of pure anguish is brought to an end.”

Monks, through considering and ruminating over these factors that had never before been heard, there dawned in the Bodhisattva wisdom, vision, knowledge, intelligence, prudence, and insight, and a light began to shine.

Monks, on that occasion I accurately understood four truths. I understood: (1) the defiled is suffering, (2) the source of the defiled, (3) how the defiled is brought to cessation, and (4) the path that leads to the cessation of the defiled. I accurately understood the defilement of desire, the defilement of craving, the defilement of ignorance, and the defilement of beliefs. I understood where exactly these defilements come to an end without leaving any residue, [349] and where exactly these defilements vanish and disappear without leaving any residue.

I accurately understood the identity of ignorance, the source of ignorance, the cessation of ignorance, and the path leading to its cessation. I understood where exactly all ignorance without exception vanishes and disappears. And further I accurately understood the precise identity of formations, the source of formations, the cessation of formations, and the path leading to their cessation. [F.168.a] I accurately understood the precise identity of consciousness, the source of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, and the path leading to its cessation.

I accurately understood the precise identity of name and form, the source of name and form, the cessation of name and form, and the path leading to its cessation. I accurately understood the precise identity of the six sense fields, the source of the six sense fields, the cessation of the six sense fields, and the path leading to their cessation.

I accurately understood the precise identity of contact, the source of contact, the cessation of contact, and the path leading to its cessation. I accurately understood the precise identity of feeling, the source of feeling, the cessation of feeling, and the path leading to its cessation. I accurately understood the precise identity of craving, the source of craving, the cessation of craving, and the path leading to its cessation.

I accurately understood the precise identity of clinging, the source of clinging, the cessation of clinging, and the path leading to its cessation. I accurately understood the precise identity of existence, the source of existence, the cessation of existence, and the path leading to its cessation. I accurately understood the precise identity of birth, the source of birth, the cessation of birth, and the path leading to its cessation.

I accurately understood the precise identity of old age, the source of old age, the cessation of old age, and the path leading to its cessation. [350] I accurately understood the precise identity of death, the source of death, the cessation of death, and the path leading to its cessation. I accurately understood precisely how this massive heap of pure suffering, with its anguish, lamentation, pain, despair, and torment comes into being and how it ceases. [F.168.b] I accurately understood the precise identity of suffering, the source of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to its cessation.

Thus, monks, sure enough, during the final station of night, just at the break of dawn, right at the time for the beating of the morning drum, the Bodhisattva‍—the being, the good being, the supreme being, the great being, the ox among men, the elephant among men, the lion among men, the bull among men, the hero among men, the champion among men, the adept among men, the lotus among men, the white lotus among men, the supreme beast of burden among men, the unexcelled charioteer among men‍—reached unexcelled, perfect and complete awakening, attaining the threefold knowledge. He did so through knowledge that consists of one-pointed insight into everything that might be known, understood, attained, realized, and actualized via the wisdom of the noble ones.

Monks, then the gods said, “Friends, let us scatter flowers! The Blessed One has reached perfect awakening!”

But just then, some gods who had seen buddhas before came together and told the others, “Friends, since perfect and complete buddhas of the past all produced and manifested a sign, do not toss flowers until the Blessed One has made a sign.”

Monks, the Thus-Gone One knew that the gods were in doubt, so he ascended into the sky to the height of seven palm trees, and while seated there he uttered this phrase of exultation:

The gods thus strewed the Thus-Gone One with celestial flowers, [F.169.a] piling them up to his knees.

Monks, when the Thus-Gone One reached complete awakening in this manner, a thick darkness was lifted, craving was purified, beliefs were eradicated, the afflictions were rattled, the splinter was removed, the knot was untied, the flag of pride was brought down, the flag of righteousness was lifted, latent formations were uprooted, the suchness of phenomena became known, the absolute was comprehended, the realm of phenomena was understood, the nature of sentient beings was ascertained, those oriented toward reality were approved of, those oriented toward mistakenness were disapproved of, the indeterminate were accepted, the faculties of sentient beings were seen in all their variety, the conduct of sentient beings was understood, the cure for the illnesses of sentient beings was comprehended, and the medicinal concoction of immortality was employed. He became the king of physicians, who would liberate beings from all suffering and establish them in the bliss of nirvāṇa; he took his seat on the magnificent royal throne of the thus-gone ones, the essence of the thus-gone ones. He discovered the means to complete liberation and entered the city of omniscience, where he mingled perfectly with all buddhas and became inseparable from the comprehension of the realm of phenomena.

Monks, the Thus-Gone One abided on the seat of awakening for the first seven days, reflecting, “Here I have brought an end to the suffering of birth, old age, and death, which has been happening since time immemorial.” [B15]

Monks, indeed, the very moment that the Bodhisattva attained omniscience, all beings throughout all the worlds in the ten directions instantly became ecstatic. All the worlds were flooded with bright light, including even the dark spaces between them that were riddled with evil. [F.169.b] [352]

All the worlds throughout the ten directions shook in six ways: they quivered, trembled, and quaked, wobbled, rocked, and swayed; they vibrated, shuddered, and reeled, rattled, shook, and convulsed; they clattered, rattled, and clanged, boomed, thundered, and roared.

All the buddhas offered congratulations to the Thus-Gone One for reaching perfect and complete awakening and conferred upon him religious gifts. With these religious gifts, this trichiliocosm became covered with a jewel parasol, and from that jewel parasol issued forth a network of light rays, which illuminated the immeasurable and innumerable worlds throughout the ten directions.

Then the bodhisattvas and gods throughout the ten directions uttered an expression of joy:

“An adept among beings, a lotus on the lake of wisdom, has appeared. Untainted by mundane concerns, he will cause a cloud of great compassion to mass, which will shower throughout the realm of phenomena. The gentle rain of Dharma, medicine to living beings, will cause all the seeds of the roots of virtue to sprout, bring growth to the saplings of faith, and yield the fruits of liberation.”

On this topic, it is said:

Then the goddesses of the desire realm perceived that the Thus-Gone One on the seat of awakening had attained higher knowledge, fulfilled his purpose, and become victorious in battle. He had vanquished the demonic opponents, raised parasols, standards, and flags, and become a hero, a supreme victor, a man, a great man, a supreme physician, and a great remover of thorns. Like a lion, he was fearless and without worry. Like an elephant, he was gentle. Since he had relinquished the three stains, he was stainless. He was knowledgeable, since he had actualized the threefold knowledge. He had reached the other shore, since he had crossed the four rivers. He was of royal caste since he upheld the single jewel parasol, a priest of the three worlds since he had abandoned evil actions, a mendicant since he has cracked open the eggshell of ignorance, an ascetic since he had perfectly transcended all attachment, a gentleman since he had eradicated afflictions, a hero since he did not let the banner fall, a powerhouse since he was endowed with the ten powers, a jewel mine since he was replete with all the gems of the Dharma.

Knowing this, the goddesses approached the seat of awakening and praised the Thus-Gone One with these verses:

Monks, even while the Thus-Gone One reached perfect and complete awakening seated on his lion’s throne at the trunk of the tree of awakening, he simultaneously manifested such innumerable displays of awakened playful activity that they would not be easy to reveal even in an eon. [F.171.b]

On this topic, it is said: