འཕགས་པ་རྒྱ་ཆར་རལ་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 13
The Play in Full 13
- Language
- English
13.2
Who is that beautiful person?” Then the Bodhisattva emanated other bodhisattvas in front of everyone. The forms of these bodhisattvas then sang this verse:
“He is someone free from attachment, anger, stains and their habitual tendencies.
Light shines from his body in the ten directions, outshining all other lights.
For many eons he increased the accumulations of merit, absorption, and wisdom;
Śākyamuni, the most illustrious of great sages, now beautifies all places.”
In the southern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Ratnacchattrakūṭasaṃdarśana, who resided in the world Ratnavyūhā of the Thus-Gone One Ratnārcis’ buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he sheltered the entire area with a single jewel parasol.
Indra, Brahmā, and the world protectors now said to each other, “How come this jewel parasol appeared? Whose karmic result is this?” At that point, this verse was heard from the jewel parasol:
“He who donated trillions of jewels, fragrant substances, and parasols
To those without an equal who abide, their minds full of loving kindness, in the state of passing beyond suffering,
Is the benefactor endowed with the best marks, with strength like Nārāyaṇa.
This offering is for him, the master of good qualities, who has gone to the Bodhi tree!”
In the western direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Indrajālin, who resided in the Campakavarṇā world of the Thus-Gone One Puṣpāvali Vanarāji Kusumitābhijña’s buddha realm.
13.3
Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he sheltered the entire area with a single jewel canopy.
The gods in all directions, together with the nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas, said to each other, “Who created this display of light?” At that point, this verse was heard from the jewel canopy:
“He is a jewel mine, a jewel banner, and a delight to the three worlds;
He is the best of gems, renowned as a jewel, who delights in the true Dharma.
He has the diligence by which he will never be cut off from the Three Jewels;
This is to venerate the One Who Is About to Attain Supreme Awakening.”
In the northern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Vyūharāja, who resided in the Sūryāvartā world of the Thus-Gone One Candrasūryajihmīkaraprabha’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he revealed within the courtyard the complete displays of qualities of all buddha realms contained in all the worlds in the ten directions.
Seeing this, some bodhisattvas asked each other, “Who created such displays?” At that point, this verse was heard from each of the displays:
“The enormity of his merit and wisdom has purified his body;
His disciplined action, austerities, and truthful Dharma have purified his speech;
His conscientiousness, devotion, love, and compassion have purified his mind.
This is to venerate him, the Leader of the Śākyas, who has gone to the king of trees.”
13.4
In the southeastern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Guṇamati, who resided in the Guṇākarā world of the Thus-Gone One Guṇarājaprabhāsa’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he miraculously emanated within the sacred area a multistoried palace endowed with all perfect qualities.
The members of Guṇamati’s retinue asked, “Who has created such a display?” The multistoried palace then resounded with this verse:
“It is merely a trace of his qualities
That the gods, demigods, yakṣas, and mahoragas will ever possess.
With such traits he was born into a royal family of many qualities.
Now this Ocean of Qualities sits under the branches of the Bodhi tree.”
Then, in the southwestern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being Ratnasambhava, who resided in the Ratnasambhava world of the Thus-Gone One Ratnayaṣti’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he emanated within the sacred area a limitless and boundless number of pavilions made of precious stones. Then from these celestial pavilions, this verse was heard:
“He who has renounced the ocean and the land along with all precious objects,
Who abandoned his palace with its fine oval windows and terraces, and also his harnessed carriages,
Ornate pavilions, exquisite flowers and garlands, parks, wellsprings, and assembly halls,
Giving up his feet, hands, head, and eyes—he now sits at the seat of awakening.”
Then, in the northwestern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Meghakūṭābhigarjitasvara, who resided in the Meghavatī world of the Thus-Gone One Megharāja’s buddha realm.
13.5
Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he manifested a cloud of gum benjamin and aloeswood above the sacred area and caused a rain of sandalwood dust to fall. The cloud then resounded with this verse:
“He, shining with the light of confidence in knowledge, spreads the cloud of Dharma all throughout the three realms;
He, free from attachment, makes the sacred Dharma—the nectar that takes beings beyond suffering—fall like rain.
He will cut the fettering vines of attachment and negative emotions, along with their habitual tendencies,
And blossoming forth with concentration, miracles, powers, and strengths, he will grant to beings a fount of faith.”
Then, in the northeastern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Hemajālālaṃkṛta, who resided in the Hemajālapratichannā world of the Thus-Gone One Ratnacchatrābhyudgatāvabhāsa’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he emanated appearances of bodhisattvas, each adorned with the thirty-two marks, on each of the palaces and pavilions. Each of these manifestations of bodhisattvas held up flower garlands from both the human and divine realms. They all bowed to the Bodhisattva and, as they offered the flower garlands, they sang this verse:
“Who praised a million buddhas
And respectfully developed great faith?
Who speaks with a beautiful voice, like the melody of Brahmā?
To him, who now has arrived at the seat of awakening, I bow.”
13.6
In the quarter down below, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Ratnagarbha, who resided in the Samantavilokitā world of the Thus-Gone One Samantadarśin’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he displayed lotuses made of gold from the Jambū River within the beryl maṇḍala. At the center of the lotuses, one could see the upper body of many women, in perfect shape and appearance and adorned with various jewelry. In their hands they proffered many types of jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, armbands, gold threads, and pearl necklaces. As they offered these along with flower garlands and silken tassels, they bowed in the direction of the seat of awakening and the Bodhisattva, and sang this verse:
“He always bowed to the buddhas, the hearers,
The solitary buddhas, and his masters.
Disciplined, mindful, joyful, and without pride,
To him, who is full of qualities, you should bow down!”
In the quarter above, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Gagaṇagañja, who resided in the Varagaṇā world of the Thus-Gone One Gaṇendra’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he stood in the middle of the sky and brought down a rain of objects never before seen or heard of in any of the buddha realms in the ten directions. It rained down many types of flowers, incense, perfumes, flower garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, ornaments, parasols, banners, streamers, banners of victory,
13.7
jewels, precious stones, gold, silver, pearls, horses, elephants, chariots, infantrymen, carriages, flowering trees, leaves, fruits, boys, girls, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Indra, Brahmā, the world protectors, humans, and nonhumans. Everyone felt full of joy and happiness, and no one made anyone afraid or caused anyone harm.
This can also be expressed in verse:
In brief, the offspring of the victorious ones from the ten directions
Arrive to pay homage to the benefactor who has attained awakening.
You will hear only an approximate account of the displays of these bodhisattvas,
The bodhisattvas possessed of strength and beauty.
Some offer a million necklaces;
They arrive in the sky, loud like thunder.
Some display flowers and palaces in the expanse of space;
They arrive with jewel diadems adorning their hair.
Some proclaim emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness;
As they arrive on the ground, they roar like lions.
Some scatter beautiful flowers never seen before;
As they arrive, they roar like bulls.
Some reveal their bodies in a thousand colors;
As they arrive in space, they cry like peacocks.
Some proclaim the garlands of qualities of the son of the Well-Gone Ones;
As they arrive in space, they are like the full moon.
Some, like the sun, send forth rays of light;
As they arrive, they make all the abodes of Māra appear dark.
Some who have gathered the accumulation of merit
Arrive at the seat of awakening, bright as rainbows.
Some scatter a lattice of precious stones from the sky,
Shining like the beautiful new moon.
13.8
They throw māndārava flowers and garlands of campaka flowers
Toward the Bodhisattva as he sits at the foot of the king of trees.
Some arrive, making the earth shake with their two feet;
The shaking ground amuses the people.
Some proffer the central mountain on the palms of their hands
As they remain in midair, scattering flowers from baskets.
Some bring the four oceans on top of their heads;
As they arrive, they scatter and sprinkle perfume on the ground.
Some hold up various jewel staffs;
As they arrive, they point out the Bodhisattva from afar.
Some, like Brahmā, have peaceful forms;
Their peaceful minds rest calmly and their concentration is firm.
As they arrive, the pores of their bodies resonate with the beautiful sounds
Of limitless love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Some arrive like the god Indra;
They come surrounded by millions of gods.
At the Bodhi tree they join their palms
And scatter jewels like the ones possessed by Indra.
Some arrive like the guardians of the four directions,
Surrounded by gandharvas, rākṣasas, and kinnaras.
Like lightning, they bring down a rain of luminous flowers,
And praise the heroic one with the voice of gandharvas and kinnaras.
Some arrive with heavenly trees in bloom,
With fruits, flowers, and perfect scents.
Among the leaves, the upper bodies of the buddhas’ offspring are visible;
They bow to the center of the world and scatter flowers.
Some arrive proffering ponds with blooming lotuses;
They bring blue and white lotuses that have opened.
At the center of each of the flowers, there are beings endowed with the thirty-two marks,
Who praise the learned Bodhisattva and his undefiled mind.
Some arrive in bodies as big as the central mountain.
Standing in midair, they cast off their bodies;
Immediately they transform into fresh flower garlands,
And cover the realms of the victorious ones in all the trichiliocosm.
Some arrive with eyes blazing like the fire at the end of an eon,
13.9
Showing the dissolution and the creation.
From their bodies many Dharma gates are heard,
Causing millions of beings to abandon craving.
Some arrive with lips as beautiful as the bimba fruit;
Their perfect mouths speak with voices like the kinnaras.
They appear like maidens, well adorned with necklaces;
The gods who view them cannot get enough.
Some arrive with indestructible, vajra-like bodies;
They wade through the waters below.
Some arrive with their faces like the sun or the full moon;
Their rays of light and luster conquer the faults of disturbing emotions.
Some arrive adorned with precious stones, holding jewels in their hands;
With these gems they cover billions of realms.
In order to benefit, delight, and satisfy many sentient beings,
They bring down a rain of scented and perfect jewel flowers.
Some arrive with the treasury of the precious great dhāraṇīs;
From the pores in their skin, hundreds of thousands of sūtras are heard.
With their confidence, intelligence, and exalted minds,
They cause realization in all proud and haughty beings.
Some arrive holding the central mountain like a drum;
Beating it, they fill the sky with sweet voices.
Their sound goes out to millions of realms everywhere:
“The Teacher is poised to awaken today, and subsequently to attain immortality!”
Chapter 21
Conquering Māra
Monks, in order to venerate the Bodhisattva, the other bodhisattvas manifested many such displays at the seat of awakening. The Bodhisattva himself, however, caused all the displays that ornamented all the seats of awakening of the past, present, and future buddhas in all the buddha realms in the ten directions to become visible right there at the seat of awakening.
Monks, as the Bodhisattva now sat at the seat of awakening, he thought to himself, “Māra is the supreme lord who holds sway over the desire realm, the most powerful and evil demon.
13.10
There is no way that I could attain unsurpassed and complete awakening without his knowledge. So I will now arouse that evil Māra. Once I have conquered him, all the gods in the desire realm will also be restrained. Moreover, there are some gods in Māra’s retinue who have previously created some basic goodness. When they witness my lion-like display, they will direct their minds toward unsurpassed and complete awakening.”
Monks, as soon as the Bodhisattva had this thought, a light known as the light which conquers all demonic congregations was emitted from the hair between his eyebrows. The light illuminated all demonic abodes in the entire great trichiliocosm, making them dark by comparison and causing them to shake. In fact the entire great trichiliocosm was bathed in an immense light.
From this light a voice called out to Māra, the evil one:
“Here is a pure being who has acted well for many eons.
As Śuddhodana’s son he abandoned his kingdom;
He appeared as a benefactor seeking immortality.
He has arrived at the Bodhi tree, so you should now make an effort!
“Himself having crossed, he causes others to cross;
Himself liberated, he also liberates others.
Having found relief, he gives relief to others;
Having passed beyond suffering, he will cause others to transcend suffering.
“He will empty the three lower realms totally,
And fill the city of gods and humans.
He, the Benefactor, will attain immortality,
And bestow absorptions, higher knowledge, immortality, and happiness.
“He will empty your city, O evil kinsman;
With your army powerless, you will be without an army and without allies.
When the Self-Arisen One, by his nature, pours down the rain of Dharma,
You will not know what to do or where to go.”
Monks, Māra, the evil one, was aroused by these verses and had a dream with thirty-two omens.
13.11
What are these thirty-two? They are as follows:
1. He saw his abode being filled with darkness.
2. The abode was filled with dust, and rough with scattered pebbles.
3. Startled with fear and terror, he fled in the ten directions.
4. He lost his diadem and his earrings fell off.
5. His lips, throat, and mouth dried out.
6. His heart was beating fast.
7. The leaves, flowers, and fruits in his parks withered.
8. His lotus ponds were emptied of water and dried out.
9. All birds, such as swans, cranes, peacocks, cuckoos, kunālas, the two-headed pheasants, and so forth, had broken wings.
10. All his musical instruments—such as his drum, conch, clay drum, hand drum, tambour, lute, harp, cymbals, and tambourines—broke, fell into pieces, then into shreds, and fell on the ground.
11. His beloved kinfolk and retinue abandoned him, their faces cast down, while he stood aside and brooded.
12. His chief queen, Māriṇī, fell from her bed onto the ground and started beating her head with her fists.
13. Those among his sons who were the most diligent, powerful, glorious, and intelligent prostrated to the Bodhisattva, who was sitting at the supremely sacred seat of awakening.
14. His daughters wailed and cried out, “Oh no, father, oh no, father!”
15. He was dressed in stained clothes.
16. With his head covered in dust and his face colorless and pale, he beheld himself as devoid of any vital force.
17. His palace with its corridors, skylights, and porticoes became covered in dust and crumbled down.
13.12
18. All his generals from the realms of the yakṣas, rākṣasas, kumbhāṇḍas, and gandharvas placed their hands on their heads and fled while crying and wailing.
19. Whatever divine regents there are among the gods in the desire realm—Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, Vaiśravaṇa, Śakra, Suyāma, Santuṣita, Sunirmāṇarati, Vaśavartin, and so forth—Māra, the evil one, saw all of them eagerly listening to the Bodhisattva with their faces turned toward him.
20. In the midst of battle, his sword could not be pulled from its sheath, and he himself was unwell and wailing.
21. His retinue abandoned him.
22. His vases full of auspicious items fell into a hole.
23. The priest Nārada pronounced a curse.
24. The gatekeeper Ānandita cried out in distress.
25. The canopy of the sky became covered in darkness.
26. The goddess Śrī, who lives in the desire realm, began to weep.
27. His faculties became ineffectual.
28. He lost his allies.
29. His lattices of jewels and pearls became silent, fell apart, tore, and fell down.
30. His whole dwelling swayed.
31. The trees and the turrets of his buildings tore and fell over.
32. The entire army of Māra was felled in a confrontation.
Monks, such were the thirty-two omens in the dream of Māra, the evil one.
When Māra awoke from this dream, he was so terrified that he gathered all his family members. When he saw that they had gathered along with his armies, his retinue, his generals, and his gatekeepers, he addressed them with these verses:
When Māra saw these omens, he became worried.
He summoned the demon captain Siṃhahanu
And his sons and his retinue.
The evil kinsman then conferred with all of them:
13.13
“Today I heard these verses sung from the sky:
‘A being was born among the Śākyas adorned with perfect marks.
He practiced severe austerities for six years, and now has arrived at the Bodhi tree.’
You must make great effort!
“If the Bodhisattva becomes awakened, all by himself
He will awaken billions of beings.
When he attains immortality and reaches the cool state,
He will empty all our abodes.
“Come on! Let us advance with a great army!
We shall destroy that monk, alone at the king of trees.
Quick, mobilize the four army divisions!
If you wish to please me, do not delay this.
“Although the world may be full of worthy ones and solitary buddhas,
My force will remain unharmed when they pass beyond suffering.
Yet if he alone becomes a victorious one and a Dharma king,
He would never allow the line of uncountable victorious ones to be broken.”
Monks, at that point the son of Māra, the evil one, who was named Sārthavāha, addressed his father in these verses:
“Father, why is your face so sad and pale?
Your heart is thumping and your every limb is shaking.
Come now, tell me quick, what did you hear or witness?
Let us discover the truth and devise a plan.”
With his pride vanished, Māra said:
“Son, listen to me. I had a bad dream, extremely terrifying.
If I were to tell everything now to the audience here,
You would faint and fall to the ground.”
Sārthavāha said:
“When the time for battle has arrived, victory is of no bad consequence;
However, for the one who is killed, there is detriment.
If your dream conveys an omen of this kind,
It may be best to give up and not go to war, which would bring humiliation.”
Māra replied:
“One with a determined mind will win in battle;
If we rely on firmness and correct action, victory will be ours.
When he sees me and my retinue,
He will be powerless but to rise and bow to my feet.”
Sārthavāha said:
13.14
“An army may be vast, but if it is weak,
A single powerful hero may win the battle.
Even if the universe were filled with fireflies,
They could be destroyed and eclipsed by a single sun.
“Moreover:
He who is proud and ignorant does not have much acumen;
If he is opposed to a shrewd person, he will not be able to think effectively.”
Monks, Māra, the evil one, did not pay heed to Sārthavāha’s warning. Instead, he gathered all four divisions of his great and powerful army. It was a terrifying army, so brave in battle that it would make anyone’s hair stand on end. Such an army had never been seen before, or even heard of, in the realms of gods and humans. The soldiers were able to transform their faces in a trillion ways. On their arms and legs slithered hundreds of thousands of snakes, and in their hands they brandished swords, bows, arrows, darts, lances, axes, tridents, clubs, staffs, bludgeons, lassos, cudgels, discuses, vajras, and spears. Their bodies were covered in finest cuirasses and armor.
Some had their heads, hands, or feet turned backward, or their eyes facing backward. Their heads, eyes, and faces were ablaze. Their bellies, hands, and feet were deformed, and their faces brimmed with vehement ardor. Their mouths, with protruding ugly fangs, appeared contorted in the extreme, and their thick and broad tongues, rough like a turtle’s neck or a straw mat, dangled from their mouths.
Like the eyes of a black snake, which are flush with poison, their eyes were blazing red, as if on fire. Some of them were vomiting poisonous snakes, while others, like garuḍas emerging from the ocean, grasped these poisonous snakes in their hands and ate them. Some ate human flesh and drank blood, chewing on human arms, legs, heads, and livers, and slurping entrails, feces, and vomit. Their terrifying bodies had many colors, such as brown, blue, red, black, and blazing yellow.
Some had ugly hollow eyes, like wells. Others had eyes that were gouged out, eyes that were ablaze, or disfigured eye sockets.
13.15
Some had ugly eyes, rolling and blazing. Some carried flaming mountains in their hands while playfully riding on other mountains as their mount. Others ran toward the Bodhisattva, carrying trees that had been uprooted.
Some had ears like goats, demons, elephants, or pigs, or hanging ears. Others had no ears at all. Some had swollen bellies and weak bodies, with their bones sticking out. They had broken noses, bellies like barrels, and feet round as balls. Their skin, flesh, and blood had dried out, and their ears, noses, hands, feet, eyes, or heads were cut.
Some were so thirsty for blood that they would cut each other’s heads off. They would make snappy, ugly, terrifying, and rough sounds of “Phut phut, picut, phulu phulu!” Others would call, “Let’s get rid of him! Grab that mendicant Gautama along with his tree! Let’s make sure that he is caught, cut, slashed, tied, held, harassed, cut in pieces, gotten rid of, and destroyed!”
They were disfigured and caused terror with their awful faces of foxes, jackals, pigs, donkeys, oxen, elephants, horses, camels, wild asses, buffaloes, rabbits, yaks, rhinos, and the eight-legged lion beast. Some had animal bodies like lions, tigers, wild boars, bears, monkeys, elephants, cats, goats, sheep, snakes, mongooses, fish, crocodiles, alligators, tortoises, ravens, vultures, owls, and garuḍas.
Some had misshapen forms. Some had just one head,
13.16
but others had two or more, some had even up to one hundred thousand. Some had no head at all. Some had just one arm while others had up to one hundred thousand. Others had no arms. Some had just one leg while others had up to one hundred thousand. Others had no legs at all. Some had poisonous snakes emerging from their bodily apertures—ears, mouths, noses, eyes, and belly buttons. They threatened the Bodhisattva as they danced around and brandished their many weapons, such as swords, bows, arrows, darts, tridents, axes, discuses, spears, lances, vajras, javelins, and other sharp weapons.
Some of them wore garlands of human fingers that they had cut off and strung together. Others wore on their heads bones, hands, and skulls, which they had strung into garlands, and some had their bodies covered in poisonous snakes. Some were holding skulls and rode on elephants, horses, camels, donkeys, and buffaloes. Some had their heads pointing down and feet up. Some had needle-like hair on their heads. Others had hair like oxen, donkeys, boars, mongooses, goats, sheep, cats, monkeys, wolves, or jackals.
They were vomiting poisonous snakes, spitting out lumps of iron, spewing fire, and producing a rain of flaming iron and copper. They sent rains with thunder, released bolts of lightning, caused a rain of hot iron sands, gathered black clouds, and made storms arise. They sent rains consisting of masses of arrows, bringing darkness and causing swishing sounds as they ran toward the Bodhisattva.
Some of the soldiers swung their lassos, destroyed great mountains, stirred the vast oceans, jumped over tall mountains, and shook Meru, the king of mountains. In this way they came running, throwing their limbs in the air and rocking their bodies.
13.17
They cried out loudly in laughter, slapped and beat their chests, and disheveled their hair. Their faces were yellow, their bodies blue, their heads flaming with the hair streaming upward. Running around impetuously, darting here and there with eyes like a fox, they tried to frighten the Bodhisattva.
Old women approached the Bodhisattva and called out to him, “Oh no, son! Oh no, my son! Get up! Quick, get up and flee!” Awful forms of demonesses, flesh eaters, and hungry spirits—one-eyed, limping, and with hunger in their eyes—ran toward the Bodhisattva with outstretched hands, distorted faces, and terrifying cries. They were fearful and horrifying.
Such an army of demons formed a big gathering, stretching eighty leagues on every side. Just like this single army, so too the armies of hundreds of zillions of evil demons, residing in the great trichiliocosm, spread themselves around the Bodhisattva in horizontal and upward directions.
On this topic, it is said:
Forms of yakṣas, kumbhāṇḍas, and mahoragas,
As well as rākṣasas, hungry spirits, and flesh eaters,
In any form that the world finds ugly and fierce,
All have been magically manifested there by these rogues.
They have one, two, three heads,
Up to a thousand faces.
One, two, three arms,
Up to a thousand arms.
There are also many with one, two, three legs,
Even some with a thousand legs.
Some have a blue face and a yellow body;
Others have a yellow face and a blue body.
Their heads and bodies do not match;
Such is the army of soldiers approaching.
They have faces like tigers, snakes, and hogs,¹¹
Elephants, horses, donkeys, and camels,
Monkeys, lions, or bears.
Such are the faces of the approaching army.
Many terrifying malevolent spirits approach,
With wild matted hair, sheep heads, crooked bones, and goiters;
13.18
Their bodies are drenched with human blood.
Such are the malevolent spirits that approach.
Their legs are like the legs of an antelope;
Their eyeballs look like those of monkeys;
Their fangs look like elephant tusks.
Such are the faces of the approaching army.
The shape of their bodies is that of a crocodile;
Their two eyeballs are ablaze;
Their ears are like those of a goat.
Such are the faces of the approaching army.
Some hold up a staff in their hands,
Others brandish hammers, clubs, and tridents,
While some hold Mount Meru in their hands.
These are the terrifying forms of the approaching malevolent spirits.
They hold up sickles, brandish discuses, roll their eyes,
Lift great mountaintops in their hands,
And bring down storms and rains of rock and meteor.
These are the terrifying malevolent spirits approaching.
They blow hurricanes, bring down rainstorms,
Shoot off billions of lightning bolts,
Roar with thunder, and sway trees.
Yet the leaves on the Bodhi tree remain still.
The rain pours down in torrents;
Rivers overflow and flood the land.
So many terrifying things have appeared
That even inanimate trees fall over.
As they witness these terrible forms,
All of them ugly and misshapen.
Yet the One Who Has Qualities, Marks, and Splendor
Keeps his mind unshaken, like Mount Meru.
He sees all phenomena as illusion,
Like a dream, and like clouds.
Since he sees them in this manner that accords with the Dharma,
He meditates steadfastly, established in the Dharma.
Whoever thinks of “me” and “mine”
And clings to objects and the body,
Should be afraid and terrified,
Since they are in the clutches of ignorance.
The Son of the Śākyas has realized the essential truth
That all phenomena arise in dependence and lack reality.
With a mind like the sky, he is just fine,
Unperturbed by the spectacle of the army of rogues.
Monks, among the one thousand sons of Māra, the evil one,
13.19
there were some, such as Sārthavāha, who began to feel devotion toward me, the Bodhisattva. They all assembled on the right side of Māra, the evil one, while those who supported Māra took a stand on his left side.
Now Māra asked his sons, “What type of army should we use to subdue the Bodhisattva?”
Standing to his right, Māra’s son Sārthavāha spoke this verse to his father:
“Would you want to wake up the leader of the nāgas?
Would you want to wake up the leader of the elephants?
Would you want to wake up the king of the animals?
That is like wanting to disturb the leader of men from his ease.”
Standing to his left, Māra’s son Durmati replied:
“Even at the mere sight of us, people’s hearts burst,
And so does the solid core of great trees.
Struck by my stare, what power would this monk have?
Or struck by death, what power would he have to live in this world?”
From the right side, Madhuranirghoṣa spoke:
“What solid core do trees have for that matter?
You say ‘I will break him by staring,’ but can you do that, people?
Even if you could destroy Mount Meru with your stare,
You could not even open your eyes in his presence.
“Moreover:
To cross the ocean using one’s hands
And to drink its water is impossible for people.
Yet looking directly at the Bodhisattva’s stainless face
Would be even harder than that.”
From the left side, Śatabāhu said:
“My body has one hundred arms,
And with just one of them I can shoot off one hundred arrows.
O father, I will break the body of this monk!
Be happy and go now without delay.”
From the right side, Subuddhi said:
“If it is advantageous to have one hundred arms,
Why do bodily hairs not become arms?
You may hold a spear in each of your hands
And use them all, yet that will bring you nothing.
“Why is that?
Because of his love, the body of this sage
13.20
Is inaccessible to poison, weapons, and fire.
Since the love that he feels transcends the world,
When you shoot your weapons, they turn into flowers.
“And moreover:
All the powerful ones in the sky, the earth, and the waters,
Whether humans or guhyakas, may hold up their swords and axes.
But when they go to the leader of men, who has the power of forbearance,
They all change from very strong, to strong, to weak.”
On the left side, someone named Ugratejas called out:
“Invisible, I will enter his beautiful body
And then I will burn it,
Just like a low forest fire
Would burn a dry, hollow tree.”
On the right side, Sunetra replied:
“You may burn the entire Mount Meru
And enter, invisible, into the earth,
But his vajra mind cannot possibly be burned
By the likes of you, even if you were equal in number to the grains of sand in the Ganges.
“Moreover:
It can happen that all mountains quake,
And it may be that the oceans dry up.
It is also possible that the sun and moon will fall from the sky,
And it may be that the earth will one day melt away.
“Yet it is impossible that the one who has set out
To benefit the world with a firm resolve
Should rise from the foot of the great tree
Before he attains awakening.”
From the left side, Dīrghabāhugarvita said:
“Right here before you,
I could use my bare hands
To grind to dust
The sun, the moon, and the stars.
“I could, with playful ease,
Get hold of all the water in the four oceans.
Father, I will get hold of this monk
And throw him to the end of the oceans.
“Father, may this army stand firm!
Do not be aggrieved!
I will uproot the Bodhi tree
And scatter it everywhere with my hands.”
From the right side, Prasādapratilabdha said:
“You may proudly assume
That you can crush with your hands
All gods, demigods, and gandharvas,
Along with the earth, the mountains, and the oceans.
“Yet even thousands of beings like you,
As many as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,
Would be unable to move a single hair
On that wise Bodhisattva.”
From the left side, Bhayaṃkara said:
“Father, for one who is set in the midst of a great army,
What is the use of excessive fear?
13.21
He does not have an army. Where are his allies?
Why do you fear him?”
From the right side, Ekāgramati said:
“In the universe, the sun and the moon have no army,
And the universal monarch and the lion have no army.
Likewise this Bodhisattva has no army,
Yet he is capable of destroying Namuci single-handedly.”
From the left side, Avatāraprekṣin said:
“He has no lances or spears, no clubs or swords,
No horses, elephants, chariots, or foot soldiers.
That single arrogant monk, sitting there—
Father, I will kill him today, please have no worries.”
From the right side, Puṅyālaṃkāra said:
“His body is unshakable and indestructible like Nārāyaṇa’s;
He wears an armor of forbearance and wields the sword of unbendable diligence;
The threefold liberation is his steed, and knowledge is his bow.
Father, through the force of his merit, the Bodhisattva will conquer Māra’s army.”
From the left side, Anivartin said:
“The fire burning on the plains does not shy away from burning the grass;
The arrow shot skillfully cannot be stopped by a learned one;
The bolt of lightning shooting across the sky does not return.
I will not rest until I have conquered the son of the Śākyas.”
From the right side, Dharmakāma said:
“When meeting wet grass, the fire retreats;
When the arrow hits a mountain peak, it rebounds;
The bolt of lightning, having hit the ground, sinks down.
Until the Bodhisattva obtains peaceful immortality, he will not retreat.”
“And why?
Father, even if one could draw pictures in the empty sky,
Or gather the minds of all sentient beings, as many as there are, into one,
Or, my father, bind the sun, the moon, and the wind with a noose,
One could still not move the Bodhisattva from the seat of awakening.”
From the left side, Anupaśānta said:
“With the great poison of my gaze, I can burn Mount Meru
And turn the waters in the great oceans to ashes.
So, father, look at the seat of awakening and that monk
As I now turn both of them to ashes with my gaze.”
From the right side, Siddhārtha said:
“You may be able to fill the world with poison
And put ablaze the great trichiliocosm,
Yet by a mere glance from the One Who Is the Source of All Good Qualities,
13.22
Your poison will lose its toxicity.
“In the three realms, there are fierce poisons
In the form of attachment, anger, and delusion.
Yet none of them can be found in his body, nor in his mind,
Just as mud and dust cannot be found in the heavens.
“His body, speech, and mind are pristine,¹²
And he is filled with love for sentient beings.
No weapon or poison will be able to harm him,
So, father, please, let us all turn back.”
From the left side, Ratilola said:
“I will play thousands of instruments
And send forth billions of well-adorned divine girls
Who will get him excited and lead him to our exquisite harem.
I will provide sexual pleasure and bring him under your control.”
From the right side, Dharmarati said:
“He only delights in the pleasures of the Dharma,
The bliss of concentration and the significance of immortality,
And the joy of liberating sentient beings and the happiness of a loving mind.
He does not delight in the pleasures of passion.”
From the left side, Vātajava said:
“I can at once swallow the sun and the moon
And the wind blowing through the sky.
Father, I will catch that mendicant this very day
And blow him away like a handful of husk.”
From the right side, Māra’s son named Acalamati said:
“Even if all gods and humans became
As swift and strong as you are
And gathered in a single place,
They would be unable to harm this peerless being.”
From the left side, Brahmamati said:
“If there was such a fierce crowd of our men,
He could do nothing to wound your pride.
Since all tasks are accomplished by teams,
How could he harm you just on his own?”
From the right side, Siṃhamati said:
“Lions have never been seen sitting on the ground in a row;
Those with a poisonous gaze do not team up.
Those splendorous beings that have courage because of being true,
Those supreme leaders of beings also do not congregate together.”
From the left side, Sarvacaṇḍāla said:
“Father, you have not heard such heated voices before
As those your sons are calling out with now.
13.23
Mustering diligence, speed, and power,
Let’s quickly go and destroy that monk!”
From the right side, Siṃhanādin said:
“In the midst of the jungle, when the lion is not there,
Many jackals bark.
Yet when they hear the lion’s frightening roar,
They flee in panic in all directions.
“In the same way, these ignorant sons of Māra,
As long as they have not heard the voice of the perfect man,
Raise their voices, opinionated and impudent,
While the lion of men remains silent.”
From the left side, Duścintitacintin said:
“Whatever I wish for is quickly accomplished,
So why does he not look at us with circumspection?
He must be either deluded or ignorant
Since he does not rise up quickly and flee.”
From the right side, Sucintitārtha said:
“He is neither a fool nor a weakling;
You yourselves are the fools, so extremely careless.
You have no idea about his valor;
The power of his insight will conquer you all.
“Even with the strength of demonic sons
Equal in number to the grains of sand in the river Ganges,
You would not be able to bend a single hair on his head,
So how much less could you kill him?
“Do not corrupt your minds;
Instead you should respect him with devotion.
He is about to become king of the three realms;
Turn back and do not make war.”
In this way a thousand of Māra’s sons, both good and bad, each further addressed Māra, the evil one, in verses. At the end, Bhadrasena, the general of Māra, spoke these verses to him:
“All those who normally follow you, such as Śakra,
The guardians, the hordes of half kinnaras,
The leaders of the demigods, and the leaders of the garuḍas,
Now they all join their palms and bow to the Bodhisattva.
“So what need is there to mention those who do not follow you,
Brahmā and the luminous gods,
And the gods of the pure realms—
13.24
They, too, all bow to him.
“Even those of your sons who are wise,
Who are powerful and smart,
Venerate the Bodhisattva
In accord with his essence.
“This army of yakṣas and other beings,
Which extends for eighty leagues,
Is seen in full by the All-Seeing One,
With a clear mind and without hatred.
“Since he is neither taken aback nor stirred
When seeing this wild and fierce army,
So hideous and frightening,
His victory is certain now.
“Wherever this army is found,
The cries of the jackal and the owl are heard.
When the calls of the crow and the donkey ring out,
It is wise to quickly retreat.
“Please look toward the seat of awakening!
Clever curlews, swans, cuckoos, and peacocks
Are circumambulating the Bodhisattva.
It is certain that today the victory will be his.
“Wherever this army is found,
Dust and soot rain from the sky.
Yet at the seat of awakening, a rain of flowers falls,
So heed my words and turn back!
“Wherever this army is found,
The ground is uneven and filled with thorns and prickles.
Yet at the seat of awakening, the ground is stainless like gold,
So it is better for the wise to retreat.
“The past nightmares
Will now come true. If you do not retreat,
He will reduce this army to dust,
Just as countries are destroyed by the sages.
“When the supreme, masterful sage
Became angry with King Brahmadatta,
He burned the Daṇḍaka Forest
So that for many years no grass would grow.
“Whatever sages there are who practice disciplined conduct
And practice austerities,
He is supreme among them,
For he does not harm any living being.
“Have you not heard before
That the one whose body blazes with all the marks
And who walks away from his home
Will conquer disturbing emotions and attain awakening?
“The sons of the victors manifest such great powers
As an act of worship,
For isn’t the Supreme Being
A worthy recipient of the best of offering rites?
“Since the immaculate hair between his eyebrows
Beautifies a trillion realms
And outshines all of us,
He will surely conquer Māra’s army.
“Since the gods at the peak of existence
Are unable to see the crown of his head,
13.25
So, surely, without being taught by others,
He will attain omniscience.
“Since Mount Meru and the surrounding ranges,
The sun, the moon, Śakra, Brahmā,
All the trees, and the best of mountains
All prostrate to the seat of awakening,
“It is certain that the one with the power of merit,
The powers of knowledge and wisdom,
And the powers of forbearance and diligence,
Will render Māra’s factions powerless.
“Like an elephant stepping on a fresh clay pot,
Or a lion fighting a fox,
Or the sun effacing a firefly,
The Well-Gone One will obliterate our army.”
Upon hearing these words, another son of Māra became enraged and, with bloodshot eyes, he said:
“Your praise for this lone person
Is without any bounds.
What could that single man be capable of?
Can’t you see this great and terrifying army?”
Then from the right side, the son of Māra called Mārapramardaka said:
“It is not necessary to help the sun in this world,
Nor the lion or the universal monarch.
The Bodhisattva sitting with resolve for awakening
Surely does not need any helpers.”
At that point, in order to weaken the strength of the demons, the Bodhisattva turned his face, which resembled a blooming lotus with one hundred petals, toward them. Upon seeing the Bodhisattva’s face, Māra took flight. But while fleeing, he had the thought that his army could withstand the sight of the Bodhisattva’s face, and he once again turned back.
Assisted by his followers, he now began to hurl various weapons upon the Bodhisattva. However, even when they threw mountains as big as the central mountain at the Bodhisattva, the mountains all turned into flower canopies and celestial palaces. Those with poisonous gazes, those with poisonous snakes, and those with poisonous breath shot flames of fire at the Bodhisattva. Yet this circle of fire just turned into what seemed to be the Bodhisattva’s halo of light.
The Bodhisattva now touched his right hand to his head. Māra perceived that the Bodhisattva was brandishing a sword in his hand, and so he fled toward the south. However, thinking that it could not be true after all, he again returned.
13.26
When he came back, the demons began to hurl all sorts of terrifying weapons at the Bodhisattva. They threw swords, arrows, darts, lances, axes, clubs, javelins, bludgeons, discuses, vajras, hammers, uprooted trees, rocks, lassos, and iron balls. However, as soon as the demons released the weapons, the weapons turned into garlands and canopies of flowers, and a cooling rain of flower petals fell on the ground. The flower garlands hung as adornments on the Bodhi tree.
When Māra, the evil one, witnessed the Bodhisattva’s power and the displays that he performed, his mind was disturbed with jealousy and avarice. He called out to the Bodhisattva, “Listen, young prince, get up! Get up and relish your kingship—your virtue lies precisely in doing that! On what grounds could you ever attain liberation?”
The Bodhisattva answered Māra, the evil one, with words that were firm, profound, vast, gentle, and sweet:
“You, evil one! Through just a single unstinting act of giving, you have become lord of the desire realm. I, on the other hand, have performed trillions of unstinting acts of giving. I have cut off my hands, legs, eyes, and my head, and given them to beggars. With the intention to liberate sentient beings, I have often given beggars my house, wealth, grains, beds, clothes, and parks.”
Māra, the evil one, replied with this verse:
“Previously I made a wholesome act of giving;
It was an unstinting act, and you are my witness.
But you have no witness to your acts,
So there is no point in speaking of them, and instead you will be conquered.”
The Bodhisattva replied, “Evil one, the earth here is my witness.”
He then embraced Māra, the evil one, and his demonic retinue with thoughts of love and compassion. Like a lion, he was without fear, fright, anxiety, timidity,
13.27
disturbance, and perturbation. He had no goose bumps, which indicate fear. He now let his right hand slide over his entire body and then gracefully tapped on the earth—the hand that had the contours of a conch, a victory banner, a fish, a vase, a swastika, an iron hook, and a wheel. The hand’s fingers were connected by a web. Its nails were exquisite and copper colored. Soft and supple, it looked perfectly youthful. All this was the result of limitless eons of gathering the accumulations of basic goodness. He then spoke this verse:
“This earth supports all beings;
She is impartial and unbiased toward all, whether moving or still.
She is my witness that I speak no lies;
So may she bear my witness.”
As soon as the Bodhisattva touched this great earth, it shook in six different ways. It quivered, trembled, and quaked, and it boomed, thundered, and roared. Just as a Magadhan brass cauldron, when struck with a wooden log, chimes and reverberates, so did this great earth sound and reverberate when struck by the Bodhisattva with his hand.
Then the earth goddess in this great trichiliocosm who is called Sthāvarā, along with her retinue of one billion earth goddesses, began to shake the entire great earth. Not far from where the Bodhisattva was sitting, she broke through the earth’s surface and revealed her upper body, adorned with all sorts of jewels. She bowed toward the Bodhisattva, joined her palms, and said to him, “You are right. Great Being, you are right. It is just as you say. We bear witness to this. But still, my Lord, you alone are the supreme witness in the worlds of gods and humans and the supreme authority.”
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་རྒྱ་ཆེར་རོལ་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan