དཔལ་གྱ་སྡའ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ 33

33

“When the city’s inhabitants, hundreds and thousands of people, saw the bodhisattva’s body cut, they were tormented by intense grief. With a single voice they cried out in their grief, ‘Alas, seeing the lord killed is painful!’

“Some rolled on the ground, others flailed their arms and wailed. The voices of some became hoarse from passionate sobbing. They were unable to clearly voice their words, yet still they screamed and beat their chests. Others remained silent, their minds mournful and unsettled, thinking, ‘Impermanence is powerful indeed!’

“Śakra, lord of the gods, was convinced that the bodhisattva’s resolve to attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening was as immovable as Mount Sumeru. He marveled at how the bodhisattva had given so completely. The hairs on his body stood on end. He was filled with joy and witnessed something outstanding. Marveling at this, he opened his eyes, and together with the other four gods, he dissolved his brahmin semblance, and he and the four gods appeared in their own forms. Śakra then spoke to the bodhisattva: ‘Great King! I am no brahmin, I am Śakra, lord of the gods. Well done, Great King, well done! How amazing, your diligence! How amazing, your uncontrived resolve! How amazing that you gave your body so completely, without clinging! How amazing, your compassion toward sentient beings and love for them! Your joy in giving! Well done, well done! Great King, even though you were overwhelmed by intense suffering, you did not change your mind about giving away your body. Great King, I have a question for you: what was the reason you underwent such hardship and such a prolonged trial?’

“ ‘Kauśika,’ replied the bodhisattva, ‘by giving away my body, I wish to attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening. I wish to liberate sentient beings from saṃsāra.’

“Śakra then asked, ‘Great King, as your body was deteriorating, as you offered your body, as you gave it away completely, did you have any regrets? Did your mental state change at all?’