འཕགས་པ་ཟ་མ་ཏག་བཀད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 1
The Basket’s Display 1
- Language
- English
1.1
Part One
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was staying, with a great saṅgha of 1,250 bhikṣus and a multitude of bodhisattvas, in Śrāvastī, in Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.
Eight hundred million¹⁹ bodhisattva mahāsattvas had gathered there, such as Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajramati, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Jñānadarśana, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrasena, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Guhyagupta,²⁰ Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ākaśagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sūryagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Anikṣiptadhura, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ratnapāṇi, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvaśūra,
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Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyasena, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sāgaramati, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Dharmadhara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Pṛthivīvaralocana, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Āśvāsahasta, and Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Maitreya.
The thirty-two classes of devas had also gathered there, the principal ones being Maheśvara and Nārāyaṇa. Śakra, who is the lord of the devas, Brahmā, who is the lord of the Sahā universe, Candra, Āditya, Vāyu, Varuṇa, and other deities were also assembled there.²¹
Many hundreds of thousands of nāga kings had also gathered there in that retinue. Nāga King Utpala, Nāga King Elapatra, Nāga King Timiṃgira, Nāga King Gavāṃpati, Nāga King Śataśīrṣa, Nāga King Hullura,²² Nāga King Vahūdaka,²³ Nāga King Takṣaka, Nāga King Gośīrṣa, Nāga King Mṛgaśīrṣa, Nāga Kings Nanda and Upananda, Nāga King Vātsīputra, Nāga King Sāgara, Nāga King Anavatapta, and many hundreds of thousands of other nāga kings were gathered there.
Many hundreds of thousands of gandharva kings had also assembled there. Gandharva King Dundubhisvara, Gandharva King Manojñasvara,
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Gandharva King Sahasrabhuja, Gandharva King Sahāpati,²⁴ Gandharva King Śarīraprahlādana, Gandharva King Nirnāditabhūrya, Gandharva King Alaṃkārabhūṣita, Gandharva King Kumāradarśana, Gandharva King Subāhuyukta, Gandharva King Dharmapriya, and many hundreds of thousands of gandharva kings were gathered there in that retinue.
Also gathered in that retinue were many hundreds of thousands of kinnara kings. Kinnara King Sumukha, Kinnara King Ratnakirītī, Kinnara King Svārimukha, Kinnara King Prahasita,²⁵ Kinnara King Cakravyūha, Kinnara King Puṣpāvakīrṇa, Kinnara King Maṇi, Kinnara King Pralambodara, Kinnara King Dṛdhavīrya, Kinnara King Suyodhana, Kinnara King Śatamukha, Kinnara King Druma,²⁶ and many hundreds of thousands of other kinnara kings were gathered there.
Many hundreds of thousands of apsarases had gathered there. The apsaras named Tilottamā, the apsaras named Suvyūhā, the apsaras named Suvarṇamekhalā, the apsaras named Vibhūṣutā, the apsaras named Karṇadhārā, the apsaras named Amṛtabindu, the apsaras named Pariśobhitakāyā, the apsaras named Maṇiprasthanā, the apsaras named Cuḍakā, the apsaras named Mṛdukā, the apsaras named Pañcabhūryābhimukhā, the apsaras named Ratikarā, the apsaras named Kañcanamālā, the apsaras named Nīlotpalā, the apsaras named Dharmābhimukhā, the apsaras named Sakrīḍā,
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the apsaras named Kṛtsnākarā, the apsaras named Suvyūhamati, the apsaras named Keyūradharā, the apsaras named Dānaṃdadā, the apsaras named Śaśī, and many hundreds of thousands²⁷ of other apsarases were gathered there.
Many hundreds of thousands²⁸ of female nāgas were gathered there. The female nāga named Vibhūṣaṇadharā, the female nāga named Acilillanā,²⁹ the female nāga named Trijaṭā, the female nāga named Svātimukhā,³⁰ the female nāga named Jayaśrī, the female nāga named Vijayaśrī, the female nāga named Mucilindā,³¹ the female nāga named Vidyullocanā, the female nāga named Vidyutprabhā,³² the female nāga named Svātigiri, the female nāga named Śataparivārā, the female nāga named Mahauṣadhi, the female nāga named Jalabindu,³³ the female nāga named Ekaśīrṣā, the female nāga named Śatavāhāna,³⁴ the female nāga named Śatabāhu, the female nāga named Grasatī, the female nāga named Anākṛtsnagatā,³⁵ the female nāga named Subhūṣaṇā,³⁶ the female nāga named Pāṇḍarameghā,³⁷ the female nāga named Rathābhiruḍhā,³⁸ the female nāga named Tyāgānugatā,³⁹ the female nāga named Anāgatā,⁴⁰ the female nāga named Abhinnaparivārā, the female nāga named Pulindā,⁴¹ the female nāga named Sāgarakukṣi, the female nāga named Chatramukhā, the female nāga named Dharmapīṭhā, the female nāga named Mukhakarā,⁴² the female nāga named Vīryā, the female nāga named Sāgaragambhīrā, the female nāga named Meruśrī, and many hundreds of thousands of other female nāgas were gathered there.
Many hundreds of thousands of female gandharvas had also gathered there. The female gandharva named Priyamukhā, the female gandharva named Priyaṃdadā,
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the female gandharva named Anādarśakā, the female gandharva named Vajraśrī, the female gandharva named Vajramālā, the female gandharva named Sumālinī, the female gandharva named Vanaspati, the female gandharva named Śatapuṣpā, the female gandharva named Mukulitā, the female gandharva named Ratnamālā, the female gandharva named Muditapuṣpā,⁴³ the female gandharva named Sukukṣi, the female gandharva named Rājaśrī, the female gandharva named Dundubhi, the female gandharva named Śubhamālā, the female gandharva named Vibhūṣitālaṃkārā, the female gandharva named Abhinamitā, the female gandharva named Dharmakāṅkṣiṇī, the female gandharva named Dharmaṃdadā,⁴⁴ the female gandharva named Audumbarā,⁴⁵ the female gandharva named Śatākārā, the female gandharva named Padmaśriyā,⁴⁶ the female gandharva named Padmāvatī,⁴⁷ the female gandharva named Padmālaṃkārā,⁴⁸ the female gandharva named Pariśobhitakāyā, the female gandharva named Vilāsendragāminī,⁴⁹ the female gandharva named Pṛthivīṃdadā, the female gandharva named Phalaṃdadā,⁵⁰ the female gandharva named Siṃhagāminī, the female gandharva named Kumudapuṣpā, the female gandharva named Manoramā, the female gandharva named Dānaṃdadā, the female gandharva named Devavacanā,⁵¹ the female gandharva named Kṣāntipriyā, the female gandharva named Nirvāṇapriyā, the female gandharva named Ratnāṅkurā, the female gandharva named Indraśrī, the female gandharva named Indramaghaśrī, the female gandharva named Prajāpatinivāsinī, the female gandharva named Mṛgarājinī, the female gandharva named Sphurantaśrī, the female gandharva named Jvalantaśikharā, the female gandharva named Rāgaparimuktā,
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the female gandharva named Dveṣaparimuktā, the female gandharva named Mohaparimuktā, the female gandharva named Sujanaparivārā, the female gandharva named Ratnapīṭhā, the female gandharva named Āgamanagamanā, the female gandharva named Agniprabhā, the female gandharva named Candrabimbaprabhā, the female gandharva named Sūryalocanā, the female gandharva named Suvarṇāvabhāsā,⁵² and many hundreds of thousands⁵³ of other female gandharvas.
Many hundreds of thousands⁵⁴ of female kinnaras had gathered there. The female kinnara named Manasā, the female kinnara named Mānasī, the female kinnara named Vāyuvegā, the female kinnara named Varuṇavegā, the female kinnara named Ākāśaplavā,⁵⁵ the female kinnara named Vegajavā, the female kinnara named Lakṣmīṃdadā, the female kinnara named Sudaṃṣṭrā, the female kinnara named Acalaśriyā,⁵⁶ the female kinnara named Dhātupriyā, the female kinnara named Jvalantapriyā,⁵⁷ the female kinnara named Suśriyā,⁵⁸ the female kinnara named Ratnakāraṇḍakā, the female kinnara named Avalokitalakṣmī, the female kinnara named Kuṭilā, the female kinnara named Vajramuṣṭi, the female kinnara named Kapilā, the female kinnara named Subhūṣaṇabhūṣitā, the female kinnara named Vistīrṇalalāṭā, the female kinnara named Sujanaparisevitā, the female kinnara named Sahāpatī,⁵⁹
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the female kinnara named Ākāśarakṣitā, the female kinnara named Vyūharājendrā, the female kinnara named Maṇicūḍā, the female kinnara named Maṇidhāriṇī, the female kinnara named Maṇirocanī, the female kinnara named Vidvajjanaparisevitā, the female kinnara named Śatākārā,⁶⁰ the female kinnara named Āyurdadā, the female kinnara named Tathāgatakośaparipālitā, the female kinnara named Dharmadhātuparirakṣiṇī, the female kinnara named Satataparigrahadharmakāṅkṣiṇī, the female kinnara named Sadānukāladarśinī, the female kinnara named Nūpurottamā, the female kinnara named Lakṣaṇottamā,⁶¹ the female kinnara named Āśvāsanī, the female kinnara named Vimokṣakarā, the female kinnara named Sadānuvṛtti, the female kinnara named Saṃvegadhāriṇī, the female kinnara named Khaṅgajvalanā, the female kinnara named Pṛthivyupasaṃkramaṇā, the female kinnara named Surendramālā, the female kinnara named Surendrā, the female kinnara named Asurendrā, the female kinnara named Munīndrā, the female kinnara named Gotrakṣānti, the female kinnara named Tyāgānugatā,⁶² the female kinnara named Bahvāśrayā, the female kinnara named Śatāyudhā, the female kinnara named Vibhūṣitālaṃkārā, the female kinnara named Manoharā, and many hundreds of thousands⁶³ of other female kinnaras were gathered there.
Many hundreds of thousands⁶⁴ of upāsakas and upāsikās had gathered there.
Many hundreds of thousands⁶⁵ of tīrthika mendicant renunciants⁶⁶ had also gathered there.
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At the time of this great gathering, light rays shone in the great Avīci hell. Having shone there, they came to the Jetavana Monastery, where they became adornments for the monastery: pillars adorned with divine, precious jewels; multistoried buildings that were covered with gold; buildings with doors made of gold and silver; buildings with steps made of gold and silver; and upper stories made of gold and silver, the silver upper stories having gold pillars adorned with divine jewels and the gold upper stories having silver pillars adorned with divine jewels.
In the gardens around Jetavana, there appeared various kinds of wish-fulfilling trees. They had trunks of gold and leaves of silver and were bedecked with a variety of adornments, with beautiful monastic robes,⁶⁷ with Kaśika cloth, with hundreds of thousands of pearl necklaces, and with hundreds of thousands of crowns, earrings, braided ribbons, armlets, and anklets.
Outside the monastery there appeared hundreds of trees, which, like the wish-fulfilling trees, were made from precious metals and were bedecked with precious bracelets.
Within the Jetavana Monastery, there appeared stairs made from diamonds and entrance chambers hung with pearls and silks.⁶⁸
Many bathing pools also appeared. Some were completely filled with water that had the eight qualities.⁶⁹ Some were completely filled with a variety of flowers: they were completely filled with blue lotuses, red lotuses, night lotuses, white lotuses,⁷⁰ tiger claw flowers and great tiger claw flowers,⁷¹ and udumbara flowers.
Moreover, there were a variety of tree blossoms: magnolia,
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ashoka, oleander, trumpet flower, mountain ebony, jasmine, and other beautiful tree blossoms.
The Jetavana Monastery appeared completely beautified.
From within that assembly Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin arose from his seat, bared one shoulder, and kneeling on his right knee and facing the Bhagavat, placed his palms together and inquired of the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I have perceived a great, wonderful marvel. Bhagavat, where did these great light rays come from? Who has this power?”
The Bhagavat replied, “Noble son, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva⁷² Avalokiteśvara entered the great Avīci hell. When he had completely liberated the beings there, he went to the city of the pretas. It was he who emanated these light rays.”⁷³
Then Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, as the great Avīci hell is without respite, how did Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara enter it? In the great Avīci hell a wall encloses a ground made of burning iron, which has become one raging flame in the shape of a reed basket. Within this Avīci hell there is a pot from which comes the sound of wailing. Many hundreds of thousands of tens of millions of hundreds of millions of beings have been thrown into that pot. Just as green or black mung beans are massed together in a water-filled vessel, rising and sinking as they are cooked,
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that is how the beings in the great Avīci hell undergo physical suffering. Bhagavat, how did Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara enter the great Avīci hell?”
The Bhagavat answered him, “Noble son, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara entered the great Avīci hell just as a cakravartin king enters a grove made of divine jewels. Noble son, it had no effect upon his body. As he approached the Avīci hell, it cooled. The beings that were Yama’s guards were in a state of agitation and extremely terrified. They wondered,⁷⁴ ‘Why has an inauspicious sign appeared in this Avīci hell?’ When the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara entered the Avīci hell, lotus flowers the size of cartwheels appeared, the pot burst open, and the inferno of fire transformed into a pool. On seeing these inauspicious signs appear in Avīci hell, Yama’s guardians became dismayed.
“Then Yama’s guardians gathered their swords, clubs,⁷⁵ short spears, long spears, maces, discuses, tridents, and so on, and, taking all their Avīci utensils,⁷⁶ went to the Dharmarāja Yamarāja. When they arrived, they told him, ‘Divine One, know first that our place of work is completely destroyed.’
“Dharmarāja Yamarāja asked them, ‘Why is your place of work completely destroyed?’
“Yama’s guardians answered, ‘Divine One,⁷⁷ know first that an inauspicious omen appeared in this Avīci hell, all of which became peaceful⁷⁸ and cool. There entered a handsome being, with his hair in a topknot, his body beautified by divine adornments, with an extremely loving mind, and resembling a golden statue.⁷⁹
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That is the kind of being that arrived. The moment he arrived, lotus flowers the size of cartwheels appeared, the pot burst open, and the inferno of fire was transformed into a pool.’
“Yamarāja wondered, ‘What deity has manifested this power? Is this a special result that has occurred through the blessing of the deity Maheśvara, Nārāyaṇa, or some other deity? Have they descended to this level? Or has a powerful rākṣasa been born who rivals great Rāvaṇa?’⁸⁰
“He looked with his divine sight into the heavens, wondering whose blessing this could be. Then he looked back into the Avīci hell and saw Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara there.
“Yamarāja went to Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, bowed down his head to his feet, and made this special praise:
“ ‘I pay homage to Avalokiteśvara, Maheśvara, lover of lotuses, giver of the supreme boon, who has power; who illuminates the world;⁸¹ who brings relief; who has a hundred thousand arms; who has a hundred thousand times ten million eyes; who has eleven heads; who reaches Vaḍavāmukha; who delights in the Dharma; who completely frees all beings; who brings relief to turtles, crocodiles, and fish; who creates the greatest mass of wisdom; who brings joy; who is a splendor of jewels; who is sublime; who extinguishes Avīci; who is adorned by the splendor of wisdom; who delights in wisdom; who is the one to whom all devas make offerings, pay homage, and show reverence; who brings freedom from fear; who teaches the six perfections; who illuminates like the sun;⁸²
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who creates the lamp of Dharma; whose perfectly supreme form is whatever form is pleasing; who has the form of a gandharva; who has a form like a mountain of gold; who is deep like the vast ocean; who has attained the ultimate yoga; who shows his own face; who has many hundreds of thousands of samādhis; who brings true pleasure; who has a beautified body; who manifests as the supreme rishi;⁸³ who brings freedom from the terrors of bondage in stocks and manacles; who is free from all existences; who has many retinues; who creates abundance;⁸⁴ who is a precious wish-fulfilling jewel; who teaches the path to nirvāṇa; who brings the city of the pretas to an end; who is a parasol for beings; who liberates beings from illness; who has a sacred thread made of the nāga kings Nanda and Upananda;⁸⁵ who reveals the beneficial lasso; who has hundreds of mantras; who terrifies Vajrapāṇi; who terrifies the three worlds; who frightens yakṣas, rākṣasas, bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas,⁸⁶ vetālas, ḍākinīs, kūṣmāṇḍas, and apasmāras; who has eyes like blue lotuses; who has profound wisdom;⁸⁷ who is the lord of knowledge; who brings freedom from all afflictions; who accumulates various paths to enlightenment; who has entered sacred liberation; who has paths to enlightenment accumulated within his body; who completely liberates pretas; and who has hundreds of thousands of samādhis as numerous as atoms.’
“In that way, Yamarāja praised Avalokiteśvara with a particularly sacred praise. Then Yamarāja circumambulated him three times and departed.”
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Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, did Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara leave?”
The Bhagavat replied, “Noble son, he left the Avīci hell and went to the city of the pretas. Many hundreds of thousands of pretas came running toward him. They were like burned tree trunks; they were like standing skeletons; they were covered with hair; they had stomachs the size of mountains and mouths the size of a needle’s eye.
“As Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara arrived at the city of the pretas, it cooled and the vajra hail ceased. The staff-wielding guard at the gates, who had thick calves and red eyes, became kind and said, ‘I should not be performing this duty.’
“Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s mind was filled with compassion on seeing these beings, and he emitted ten rivers from his ten fingers; he emitted ten rivers from his ten toes; and he emitted great rivers from all his pores. When the pretas tasted the water, their throats widened, their bodies became whole, and they were completely satisfied by the supreme flavor of divine food.
“Then they contemplated human existence.⁸⁸ They thought about saṃsāric existence in this way: ‘Oh! The humans in Jambudvīpa are happy. They can perfectly enjoy cool shade. Happy are those humans in Jambudvīpa who are always supporting their parents and honoring them.
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Happy are those good humans who always rely on a kalyāṇamitra. Those who continuously learn the Mahāyāna are good contemplative beings. Those who follow the eightfold path are good beings. Those who beat the dharmagaṇḍī are good beings. Those who repair dilapidated and ruined monasteries are good beings. Those who repair dilapidated, ruined, ancient stūpas are good beings. Those who are dedicated to the sacred representations and the dharmabhāṇakas are good beings. Those who have seen the activities of a tathāgata are good beings; those who have seen the activities of a pratyekabuddha are good beings; those who have seen the activities of a bodhisattva are good beings.’
“At that time there appeared the sound of the precious king of the Mahāyāna sūtras, The Sūtra of the Basket’s Display; wisdom, like a thunderbolt, destroyed the view of the aggregates as a self,⁸⁹ which is like a mountain with twenty peaks; and the pretas were all reborn in the realm of Sukhāvatī as bodhisattvas named Ākāṅkṣitamukha.
“Avalokiteśvara, having completely liberated those beings, departed from the city of the pretas.”⁹⁰
Then Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin asked the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, did Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara leave?”
The Bhagavat replied, “Noble son, each day he completely ripens a million trillion beings. Noble son, not even the tathāgatas have Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s prowess.”
Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin asked him, “Bhagavat, how is that so?”
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The Bhagavat answered, “Noble son, there appeared in this world the Tathāgata, the arhat, the samyaksaṃbuddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the Bhagavat Vipaśyin.
“At that time, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, I was a merchant named Sugandhamukha, and I heard Tathāgata Vipaśyin describe the qualities of Avalokiteśvara.”
Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin asked the Bhagavat, “What were the qualities of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara that you heard the tathāgata describe?”
The Bhagavat said, “Āditya and Candra came from his eyes, Maheśvara came from his forehead, Brahmā came from his shoulders, Nārāyaṇa came from his heart, Devi Sarasvatī came from his canines, Vāyu came from his mouth, Dharaṇī came from his feet, and Varuṇa came from his stomach.
“When those deities had come from Avalokiteśvara’s body, that bhagavat told the deity Maheśvara, ‘Maheśvara, in the kaliyuga, when beings have bad natures, you will be declared to be the primal deity who is the creator, the maker. All those beings will be excluded from the path to enlightenment. They will say to ordinary beings:
“ ‘It is said: the sky is his liṅga,
The earth is his seat.
He is the foundation of all beings.
The liṅga is so called because they dissolve into it.’⁹¹
“Noble son, those are the words I heard Tathāgata Vipaśyin say.
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“In a later time, there appeared in this world the Tathāgata, the arhat, the samyaksaṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the Bhagavat Śikhin.
“At that time, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, I was Bodhisattva Dānaśūra, and I heard from him the description of the qualities of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.”
Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin asked the Bhagavat, “What were the qualities of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara that you heard the tathāgata describe?”
The Bhagavat said, “When all the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and humans had gathered together, the bhagavat Śikhin looked at the great gathering and began to speak of the Dharma within that assembly. At that time, light rays of various colors emanated from the mouth of Bhagavat Śikhin. They were blue, yellow, red, white, orange, and the color of crystal and of silver. They shone on all worlds in the ten directions, then returned and entered the mouth of the bhagavat.
“From within that assembly Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi arose from his seat, bared one shoulder, and kneeling on his right knee and facing Bhagavat Śikhin, placed his palms together and addressed these words to him:
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‘Bhagavat, why did this sign appear?’
“Bhagavat Śikhin replied, ‘Noble son, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara is coming from the realm of Sukhāvatī. I manifest this kind of sign when he is coming. When Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara comes, a profusion of wish-granting trees appears, a profusion of mango trees appears, star jasmine flowers and magnolia trees appear, ponds covered with flowers appear, and precious trees appear. There is a rain of various flowers,⁹² a rain of precious stones—jewels, pearls, diamonds, beryl, conch, crystal, and coral—and there is a rain of divine cloth. In the vicinity of the monastery the seven jewels of a cakravartin appear—the precious wheel, the precious horse, the precious elephant, the precious jewel,⁹³ the precious wife, the precious householder, and the precious counselor—and the ground appears to be made of gold. When Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara comes from the realm of Sukhāvatī, the entire world shakes six times.’
“Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi asked Bhagavat Śikhin, ‘Bhagavat, what are these omens of?’
“Bhagavat Śikhin answered, ‘Noble son, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara is arriving, and that is why these omens appear.’
“As the earth shook and it rained beautiful lotuses,
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Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara came to Bhagavat Śikhin. He was holding lotus flowers, each with a thousand petals and a golden stem. He bowed down his head to the bhagavat’s feet and offered the lotuses to him. He said, ‘Tathāgata Amitābha sends these flowers to you. The Tathagāta asks if you are in health, if you are at ease, and if all is well.’⁹⁴
“Bhagavat Śikhin took the lotuses and placed them on his left. He then spoke of the qualities of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara. ‘How did you, Avalokiteśvara, accomplish your task among the pretas, the beings in the Avīci hell, the beings in Kālasūtra and Raurava, the beings in Hāhava, Tāpana, the great hell Pretāyana, the great hell Agnighaṭa, the great hell Śālmali,⁹⁵ the great hell Śītodaka, and others?’⁹⁶
“Avalokiteśvara replied, ‘The beings in those great hells are my task. I will completely ripen those beings, and then I will bring them to the highest complete enlightenment.’
“Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, having given this answer, bowed his head to the bhagavat’s feet, departed alone,⁹⁷ and disappeared into the sky as a blazing mass of fire.
“Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi asked Bhagavat Śikhin, ‘Bhagavat, if I may ask for an answer to a question, how much merit has Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara accumulated?’
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“Bhagavat Śikhin replied, ‘If someone were for a deva’s eon to serve tathāgatas, arhats, and samyaksaṃbuddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges with robes, food, bowls, bedding, seats,⁹⁸ necessary medicine, and utensils, the merit that would be produced through those tathāgatas would be the same as that of the tip of one hair on the body of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.
“ ‘Noble son, it is like this. As a comparison, if it were to rain day and night on the four great continents for a twelve-month year, I could count each drop, but, noble son, I cannot calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit.
“ ‘Noble son, it is like this. As a comparison, the ocean is 84,000 yojanas deep and has an immeasurable expanse, but I can count each drop all the way down to Vaḍavāmukha. However, noble son, I cannot calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit.
“ ‘Noble son, it is like this. As a comparison, I can count every hair on all the four-legged creatures in the four great continents, such as lions, tigers, bears, hyenas, deer, camels, jackals,⁹⁹ and so on, and oxen, donkeys, cattle, elephants, horses, buffalo, and cats, but, noble son, I cannot calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit.
“ ‘Noble son, it is like this. As a comparison, if stūpas¹⁰⁰ for tathāgatas, arhats, and samyaksaṃbuddhas as numerous as atoms were made in divine gold and precious stones,
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and in one day the relics were placed in them all, I can calculate the accumulation of that merit, but I cannot calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit.
“ ‘Noble son, it is like this. As a comparison, I can count the number of leaves in a forest of agarwood trees, but I cannot calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit.
“ ‘Noble son, it is like this. As a comparison, if all the women, men, boys, and girls in the four great continents were to gain the result of becoming stream entrants, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas, their merit would only be, as said before, equal to the merit of the tip of one hair on the body of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.’
“Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi asked Bhagavat Śikhin, ‘Bhagavat, I have never seen nor heard of tathāgatas having the kind of accumulation of merit that Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has, let alone bodhisattvas.’
“Bhagavat Śikhin said, ‘Noble son, even if all who are tathāgatas, arhats, and samyaksaṃbuddhas like me were gathered in one place and provided for an eon with robes, food, bowls, bedding, seats, necessary medicine, and utensils, those tathāgatas, arhats, and samyaksaṃbuddhas
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would still not be able to calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit. So, noble son, it is needless to say that I cannot do so all by myself in this world.
“‘Those who remember Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s name will have happiness in this world. They will be completely freed from the sufferings of aging, death, and illness. They will be freed from the unavoidable sufferings of saṃsāra. Like white and pale yellow birds, like kings of geese moving with the speed of the wind, they will go to the realm of Sukhāvatī. They will hear the Dharma by listening to Tathāgata Amitābha teach. The sufferings of saṃsāra will not afflict their bodies. They will not become old or die. They will have no desire, anger, or stupidity. Their bodies will feel no hunger or thirst. They will not know the suffering of being inside a womb. Completely inspired by the taste of the Dharma, they will be reborn within a lotus and will remain in that realm until Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s powerful commitment is fulfilled and all beings have been brought to liberation.’
“Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi asked Bhagavat Śikhin, ‘Bhagavat, when will that powerful commitment be fulfilled?’
“Bhagavat Śikhin replied, ‘He completely ripens the many beings who circle in saṃsāra, teaches them the path to enlightenment, and teaches the Dharma in whatever form a being can be taught through. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a tathāgata to beings who are to be taught by a tathāgata.
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He teaches the Dharma in the form of a pratyekabuddha to beings who are to be taught by a pratyekabuddha. He teaches the Dharma in the form of an arhat to beings who are to be taught by an arhat. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a bodhisattva to beings who are to be taught by a bodhisattva. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Maheśvara to beings who are to be taught by Maheśvara. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Nārāyaṇa to beings who are to be taught by Nārāyaṇa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Brahmā to beings who are to be taught by Brahmā. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Śakra to beings who are to be taught by Śakra. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Āditya to beings who are to be taught by Āditya. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Candra to beings who are to be taught by Candra. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Agni to beings who are to be taught by Agni. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Varuṇa to beings who are to be taught by Varuṇa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Vāyu to beings who are to be taught by Vāyu. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a nāga to beings who are to be taught by a nāga. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Vighnapati to beings who are to be taught by Vighnapati. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a yakṣa to beings who are to be taught by a yakṣa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Vaiśravaṇa to beings who are to be taught by Vaiśravaṇa.¹⁰¹ He teaches the Dharma in the form of a king to beings who are to be taught by a king. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a paṇḍita to beings who are to be taught by a paṇḍita. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a king’s soldier to beings who are to be taught by a king’s soldier.
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He teaches the Dharma in the form of parents to beings who are to be taught by their parents. He teaches the Dharma in whatever particular form a being should be taught through. That, noble son, is how Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara completely ripens beings and teaches them the Dharma of nirvāṇa.’
“Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi said to Bhagavat Śikhin, ‘Bhagavat, this is extraordinarily marvelous. I have never seen nor heard of such a thing before. Not even the tathāgatas have what Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has.’
“Bhagavat Śikhin said, ‘Noble son, in this Jambudvīpa there is a cave named Vajrakukṣi in which a hundred thousand million times ten million asuras live. Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the asuras there in the form of an asura. He teaches them the precious king of the Mahāyāna sūtras, The Sūtra of the Basket’s Display. He says to the listening asuras,¹⁰² “You must listen.”
“ ‘Then all other asuras, with loving minds and peaceful minds, with palms placed together, come to listen to this Dharma teaching from Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara:
“ ‘ “Those who turn their minds to this king of the sūtras will have happiness in this world. Hearing it will purify them of the five actions with immediate results on death. At the time of death, twelve tathāgatas will come and reassure them, saying, ‘Noble son, do not be afraid. You have heard the precious king of the Mahāyāna sūtras, The Sūtra of the Basket’s Display. You have prepared various paths for going to Sukhāvatī.
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You have prepared various parasols, various crowns, various earrings, and various necklaces.’ When that kind of omen appears, at death they will go without impediment to Sukhāvatī.”
“ ‘Ratnapāṇi, in that way, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma of nirvāṇa to the asuras and shows them the entranceway to nirvāṇa.’
“Then Bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi bowed his head to Bhagavat Śikhin’s feet and departed.”
At this point, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin said to the Bhagavat, “It is very difficult, Bhagavat, to hear the manifold description of Avalokiteśvara’s qualities.”
The Bhagavat told him, “Noble son, there will be a description of Avalokiteśvara’s qualities after he has left Vajrakukṣi and come to the land of iron. Listen to it at that time. Before that there is this teaching:¹⁰³
“In a later time, there was the Tathāgata, the arhat, the samyaksaṃbuddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the Bhagavat Viśvabhū.
“At that time, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, I was a rishi who taught patience and lived in a cliff among the mountains where people did not go. At that time, I heard Tathāgata Viśvabhū describe the qualities of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.
“Avalokiteśvara had gone to the land of gold and taught the eightfold noble path, the Dharma that teaches nirvāṇa, to the upside-down beings¹⁰⁴ who lived there.
“He then left the land of gold and went to the land of silver. Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara said to the four-legged beings who lived there, ‘You must listen with perfect, pure thought to this Dharma teaching on contemplating nirvāṇa, on turning the mind to nirvāṇa.’ Then Avalokiteśvara taught them the Dharma.
“Those beings sat before Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara and requested him,
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‘Show the path to blind beings! Be a protector and refuge to beings who have no protector! Be a father and mother to those who do not have a father and mother! Be a lamp for the darkness of the three lower existences! Be aware of us and show us, with great compassion, the path to liberation.¹⁰⁵ The beings who have obtained and always remember your name are happy; they are free from this kind of suffering that we experience.’
“At this, the precious king of the Mahāyāna sūtras, The Sūtra of the Basket’s Display, issued forth into the ears of those beings. When they heard it, they reached an irreversible level and were established in the highest happiness.
“Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara then left for another land, which was made of iron, where he approached the asura king Bali.¹⁰⁶
“When the asura king Bali saw Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara approaching from the distance, he went toward Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, accompanied by his queens, his retinue, and many asuras such as Kubja and Vāmanaka¹⁰⁷ with their retinues. Bali bowed down at his feet and said these words:
“ ‘On this day, my life has borne fruit.
On this day, my wishes have been fulfilled.
On this day, my wishes have been fulfilled,
For actually seeing you has brought me happiness for all my lifetimes.’
“Bali offered a bejeweled throne to Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara and implored him, ‘Bhagavat, look with compassion upon those who like to perform bad actions, who lust after the wives of others,
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་ཟ་མ་ཏོག་བཀོད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan