འཕགས་པ་སངས་རྒྱས་བརྒྱད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 3

3

rose from his seat. He draped his upper robe over one shoulder and placed his right knee on the ground. Next, having bowed with palms pressed together in the direction of the Bhagavān, he addressed the Bhagavān with these words:

“Bhagavān, from the eastern direction there have arisen eight lotuses with golden stalks, silver petals, beryl anthers, and centers formed from emeralds. On top of every lotus center is a square throne raised by lions. The thrones rest on four bases and they are radiant, lovely to behold, fragrant, and delightful. They are fringed with silk tassels, permeated with the aroma of incense from a censer, well adorned with various precious jewels, ringing with many lattices of small bells, and covered by canopies of myriad precious gems.

“On every lion throne appears the body of a seated thus-gone one. All these thus-gone ones are beautiful, delightful to behold, having calm senses and calm minds. They have attained supreme self-discipline and tranquility. They have attained true self-discipline and tranquility. Their faculties are guarded and restrained, just like a well-tamed elephant. They are pure, unclouded, and clear, just like a lake. Their bodies are adorned by the thirty-two marks of a great being. Their golden-hued bodies outshine the brilliance of the sun and the moon. They display many hundreds of thousands of ways of conduct. They have a complexion that one’s gaze can never tire of. What are the causes and what are the conditions for this?”

The Bhagavān replied to Venerable Śāriputra: “Śāriputra, listen very well and keep this in mind. I will explain.”

Venerable Śāriputra said, “Bhagavān, I shall do so.” Then he listened to the Bhagavān.

The Bhagavān said, “Śāriputra,