འཕགས་པ་ནམ་མཁའ་སྙང་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 10

10

a core of emerald, and flower anthers made of the light of Brahmā’s precious stone. Its width was about one krośa. Myriad kinds of lotus anther seats emerged in front and around it. On the lotus, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha appeared, sitting cross-legged. On his crown there was a precious jewel. Similarly, many myriads of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, servants of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha, appeared. Sitting on their respective lotus anther seats, they were absorbed in the meditative concentration of valiant progress. Each was adorned with an Indranīla jewel.

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja:

“All bodhisattvas of great renown
Respectfully pay homage
First, when they arrive,
And only then do they take their seats.

“When this great being arrived
And made his grand displays,
He appeared sitting on his seat
Without having prostrated to the Buddha.”

Bhaiṣajyarāja replied:

“We see that this great being
Dwells excellently in the Buddhadharma.
Since he does not dwell in discursive thought,
We do not see him as a sentient being.”

Bodhisattva Maitreya said:

“Since he abides in final reality,
We do not see him as a sentient being.
If that is so, to what purpose has he made this great display?
I am afflicted by doubts: please explain further!”

To this, Bhaiṣajyarāja replied:

“Immature beings do not understand ultimate reality;
Their experience is a complete mental construction.
This is a hero’s method
That brings these sentient beings to maturity.
By means of ultimate reality
Suffering beings will be completely freed.
To this end,