འཕགས་པ་འད་ཟར་ཀན་ད་བཀྱ་བ་བསྟན་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 3
The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light 3
- Language
- English
3.2
“You realize that the occurrence of the eye
Is always empty and void, beyond coming and going,
And groundless, like a mirage or a water bubble.
What are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Know that the same applies
To the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, textures, and mental phenomena,
Up to words, names, and so forth.
“Your body is permanent like vajra and indestructible.
It is endowed with a hundred thousand perfect and supreme marks,
And you move your body without any fetters.
Please tell us—what are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Your calves are round,¹³² your heels are broad,
And like a lion your abdomen does not bulge—
Your navel is deep, and your waist is broad.
Please tell us—what are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Your golden body is pure, stainless, and immaculate,
And each hair on your body is deep black,
Perfumed, and curls to the right.
Please tell us—what are the causes and conditions of your smile?
“Your sublime body, perfect and permanently enduring,
Is like the king of trees, the banyan fig.
It is adorned with all qualities,
And your melodious voice pleases your retinues.
“Your shoulders are round, your upper arms are thick and beautiful,¹³³
Your crown protuberance is perfect and coiled clockwise,
You move throughout countless hundreds of thousands of realms,
And you point out to sentient beings the mistaken and the correct paths.
“Your teeth are white and spotless like conch shells,¹³⁴
Your tongue is long and can cover your whole face,
Your cheeks resemble the jaws of a lion, and your nose is prominent.¹³⁵
All those qualities arise from your skill and your pure mind.
“The fragrance of blue lotus flowers exudes from your mouth,
And your body is pervaded by the scent of sandalwood.
Since you have cultivated love extensively in the past,
Your pure intent is uninterrupted.
“Thus-Gone One, the soles of your feet are even,
And although they touch the ground, they remain unsullied by dust.¹³⁶
Walking like a lion and an elephant,
You have transcended the entire world.
“You are beautified by the marks of thousand-spoked wheels,
And your sublime light shines brilliantly.
Since you benefit beings through your virtue,
3.3
Whoever sees you is filled with faith.
“Each of your fingers emits a hundred thousand light rays
That illuminate countless buddha realms.
Since you have accomplished so many virtuous practices in the past,
You have achieved those various arrays of excellent marks.
“Your form body is perfect and unequaled,
The marks that beautify your face are magnificent,
And you benefit the world¹³⁷ through your miraculous powers.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Your calves are similar to the calves of antelope,
And the shape of your body resembles that of a lion.¹³⁸
You appear within the worlds and illuminate them.¹³⁹
Please tell us why you smile!
“Like a stallion,¹⁴⁰ your genitals are hidden and stainless;
The palms of your hands are even and broad,
And your arms reach past your knees.
Amazing and magnificent lion of human beings, please tell us why you smile!
“Innumerable brilliant, soothing, and brightly colored light rays
Radiate from your body.¹⁴¹
Your pure mind is uninterrupted,
And you reveal countless discourses.
“Such qualities will not be accomplished
By those who uphold eternalist or nihilist views.
Only those who have abandoned extreme views
Will swiftly attain the pure body of the blessed ones.¹⁴²
“Your speech resounds like divine drums and roaring thunder;
It is melodious and clear like the songs of the kalandaka bird¹⁴³
And endowed with a hundred thousand tunes of divine songs.
Please tell us why you emitted lights!
“Great Guide, by teaching the Dharma through a single teaching,
You interrupt the practices of those who adhere to improper discipline.
Whatever melodious words come from the Thus-Gone One’s mouth
Are profound and amazing!
“Leader of human beings, the light rays emitted from between your eyebrows
Illuminate a hundred thousand buddha realms,
Your sublime eyes have a deep black color,
And the mark of your crown protuberance cannot be seen by the celestial gods.
“Your forty teeth,
White like crystal,¹⁴⁴
Are the manifestation of your immeasurable virtuous activities.
Please tell us why you smile!
3.4
“Thus-Gone One, your body of perfect qualities
Shines with countless excellent and magnificent colors
And emits the most amazing pure light rays.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Great compassionate one, supreme victor, leader of human beings,
You know the pure intentions of sentient beings,
And you have achieved supreme, unimpeded eloquence.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Since the Thus-Gone One has reached the other shore,
He is perfectly endowed with the three knowledges and the six higher perceptions,
And he displays innumerable pure light rays.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Blessed One, during countless eons in the past,
You worshiped a hundred thousand blessed ones,
And the fruition of such causes is inexhaustible.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Blessed One, since for countless eons in the past
You have dwelled within supreme states of absorption,
You have realized the limits of the arising and exhaustion of the eye.
Please tell us why you smile!
“Great guide, you clearly know
The past, the future, and the present—
Your immaculate wisdom is unimpeded and inconceivable,
Please tell us why you smile!”
At that moment, in front of the numerous retinues, the Blessed One extended his golden hand, placed it on Candraprabhakumārabhūta’s head, and spoke these verses:
“Kumāra, listen carefully!
I now entrust to you
This teaching on awakening—
The sūtra on the manifestation of lights.
“In the future, during the final period
Of the degenerate times,
When the Dharma is about to vanish,
You must reveal it and expound it to sentient beings!
“With my buddha eye, I see and know
All those who, in the future, during the final period,¹⁴⁵
Will be interested in this excellent, profound, and sacred sūtra,
As well as all those who will not be interested in it.
“Sentient beings who pursue
The path of awakening
Should constantly recollect the Buddha
And keep this discourse in mind.
“Those whose faith has disappeared,
Who are attracted to distraction,
And who delight in sleeping both day and night
Will not be interested in this discourse.
3.5
“Even if they become renunciants
Under my teachings,
Interest in the qualities of nirvāṇa
Will not arise in them.
“Those fools will squander the gifts of faith,
And even if they hear repeatedly
About the defects associated with conditioned phenomena,
They will cling to worldly concerns, and fear will not arise in them.
“Those fools
Will deprecate the wise ones,
And even if they wear the Dharma robes,
They will be devoid of even the slightest trace of insight.
“Since they will not know the true words
Well-spoken by the Sage,
And even if they hear them, they will not believe in them,
Do not stay in the company of such fools!
“Even if they hear these magnificent teachings,
Joy and devotion will not arise in their minds.
I reproach such individuals;
Though they have a human body, they waste it in meaningless pursuits.
“Those whose minds become filled with joy and devotion
When they hear these profound teachings
Have already met buddhas in the past.
There is thus no doubt that they will reach unsurpassed awakening.
“Fools who are inferior due to their unwholesome views
And sever the life force of insight will forsake awakening;
Therefore, abandon such nonvirtuous friends
And instead attend to the wise ones and revere them!
“All the innumerable defects in all the worlds,
And all sentient beings sinking in the three lower realms,
Originate from the causes and conditions of ignorance and delusion;
Therefore, those who follow their afflictions will not gain freedom.
“Since they forsake the true Dharma
And practice what is contrary to the Dharma,
You should abandon
Those inferior, deluded beings!
“Like a charioteer¹⁴⁶ breaking
The axle of his steering wheels,
Sentient beings who engage in nonvirtuous actions
Will be reborn in the hell realms.
“Abusive words always come back to harm
Those who pronounce them,
3.6
Just like a sharp axe that strikes the body
Of the one who wields it.
“Karmic ripening is experienced without fail,
In accordance with the causes and conditions of the actions performed.¹⁴⁷
Those who do not understand this will attend to worldly sages,
Thinking they are virtuous friends.
“Then, thinking that those who meditate on emptiness
Realize the unconditioned, they will develop nihilist views;
They will say that the body becomes like a broken pot
And that the mind also ceases to be.
“They will mostly be drawn
To idle gossip,¹⁴⁸
And, strongly attached to it,
They will gain no benefits whatsoever.
“The harm caused by poisonous snakes
Will never cause many beings to fall into the lower realms,
But when a fool teaches the Dharma he destroys roots of virtue,
Which causes countless beings to fall into the hell realms.
“You who have gathered in this assembly should consider
That Candraprabhakumāra, who is present here today,
Has worshiped and venerated countless blessed buddhas in the past—
As many as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.
“Since he has pursued unsurpassed wisdom
By meditating in a steadfast manner,
His mind does not dwell
On any of the realms of existence.
“Since he knows that the limit of the arising of the eye
Is always pure,
He has abandoned concepts,
And he is utterly free from clinging.
“He will teach this unsurpassed sūtra
On the manifestation of lights
In order to benefit
Countless sentient beings.
“Since fools are unable to train in this teaching,
They regard genuine spiritual practices as faulty.¹⁴⁹
Therefore, stay far away from such fools;
Do not assist them, and do not train in their teachings!
“Since fools are attracted to dispute,
They are unable to earnestly adopt behavior that is free from conflict.
Such beings are utterly devoid of an appropriate mindset,
So do not serve them or proclaim their praise!
3.7
“Since fools are lazy and indolent by nature,
They constantly engage in physical, verbal, and mental nonvirtuous actions;
They therefore completely lack
Pure discipline, insight, and erudition.
“They always think about the objects of their desires,
And they are drawn to distractions;
Regard the families, blood lines,
And bodies of such fools as inferior!
“They are filled with aggression, they do not listen to advice,
And their faces are repulsive;
Even if they are born in virtuous locations,
Their bodies will be vile.
“Since they cling to the notion of self, they are deluded about the true meaning.
Since they lack intelligence, they are unable to understand the diversity of words.
Even if they hear teachings about intrinsic emptiness,
They are not interested in them.
“The thus-gone ones, the blessed ones
Have long ago abandoned all worldly verbal constructs.
Ordinary beings cling and are attached to those,
And so, for as long as they live, they fail to gain understanding and realization.
“Though they might proclaim the praises of discipline,
They do not practice pure conduct.
Though their mouths might teach the Dharma,
Their bodies engage in practices that are contrary to it.
“Though they might teach the Vinaya,
They always behave in ways that are contrary to it.
The Buddha has instructed his disciples
To wear the saffron-colored robes.
“Still, even if those who observe improper discipline
Put on such robes,
It only causes the strength of pride and carelessness
To grow in their minds.¹⁵⁰
“When they eat the food that is donated to them with faith,
It is like swallowing burning iron.
In that way, after renouncing their households,
They do not experience sense pleasures,
“Nor do they gain the supreme happiness
Associated with the Dharma of the buddhas.
In this way, they aspire for a variety of experiences
And do not abandon the two extremes.
“None of their interests are pure,
And even when such fools are in a large retinue,
They are like foxes
That have entered a pack of lions.
“Even if you give
Teachings related to peace,
They do not understand or realize
The meaning of suchness and emptiness.
“Even if their teachings are praised in large retinues,
3.8
This only causes their arrogance to increase;
Since they do not recollect the great teacher,
They lack modesty and humility.¹⁵¹
“Even when they take hold of impure objects,
They joyfully hold on to them
As if they were wish-fulfilling gems,
And their minds never let go of them.
“Though such vile beings
Might renounce their households,
Guard their behavior, put on Dharma robes,
And carry alms bowls,
“These are all merely superficial displays,
And so they utterly lack true insight.
Even if they shave their facial hairs,
They do not renounce harmful attitudes.
“Since they follow teachings contrary to virtuous practice
And fall into mistaken views,
The path leading to disengagement and nirvāṇa
Is completely ruined for them.¹⁵²
“They will not achieve the fruition
Resulting from engaging in virtuous practice,
And so their ignorance and other afflictions
Will not diminish in the slightest.
“While roaming in the cities,
They sing the praise of disengagement.
Due to their lack of intelligence,
Those fools do not understand the genuine path.
“All their aspirations are nonvirtuous;
Even if they stay in the wilderness,
It is not to accomplish the true causes of nirvāṇa,
But out of desire for personal gain.
“Fond of drowsiness and sleep,
They are concerned about their physical well-being
And constantly long
For ways to accomplish that goal.
“Even if they stay in the wilderness for many years,
They adhere to mistaken views,
And so they stray from the path leading to nirvāṇa,
Never obtaining the results of the paths of virtuous practice.
“Since they regress from the genuine view¹⁵³
And transgress pure discipline,
They always crave fine clothes to adorn their bodies,
And for the happiness of sensual pleasures.
“When they enter cities,
They bear the marks of pride
And do not guard their physical actions,
And so they do not observe pure conduct.
“At times, when they enter cities and roam about,
They boast about their characteristics in these words:
‘You should know that the caves in the wilderness are my home.
3.9
My eyes downcast, I glance upward slowly, walking and stopping serenely.’
“Since they do indeed look like worthy ones,
All the householders say to one another,
‘This monk who stays in the wilderness
Is truly a noble being!’
“At other times, when visitors come to see them
While they stay in the forest, they brag in words such as these:
‘In these jungles I wander day and night’
Or ‘This mat of fresh grass is where I sit.’
“At other times, when they go to cities and enter homes,
They eagerly ask with deception, ‘Are you well?’
Before engaging in frivolous mundane conversations
Related to various topics such as kings and thieves.
“At other times, driven by attachment,
They boast about their own qualities
In various ways
In the presence of women.
“They say, ‘I am a great field of merit for the entire world;
I have renounced my kingdom and become a renunciant,
And now I meditate on the path.
My queen and my children¹⁵⁴ have been reborn in the higher realms.’
“Upon hearing those words,
The women are filled with immense respect;
They collect clothes, food, and beverages, which they offer with the words,
‘Venerable, look upon us with compassion—please come to us directly!’¹⁵⁵
“Since such people are attached to delicious meals
And do not know their defects,
They are at the mercy of Māra,
Like turtles caught in nets.
“Even while staying in the wilderness,
They are conceited about their achievements,
And they continue to despise and deprecate
Those monks who are diligent.
“Since they repeatedly give rise to attachment
Out of the delusion related to gain and fame,
And since they constantly engage in deceitful actions to sustain themselves,
They repeatedly increase their physical and verbal unwholesome actions.
“Even if benefactors make offerings to them out of faith,
Their merit will decrease through the power of their laziness.
3.10
Since those fools always long for nonvirtue,
They will never reach the acceptance that accords with emptiness.
“For those who completely abandon those faults
On the basis of my teachings
And practice with zeal and conscientiousness,
It will not be difficult to hear¹⁵⁶ this teaching.
“For those who are unshaken by worldly concerns
Such as gain, loss, praise, criticism,
Suffering, and happiness,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who perceive the body as filth,
The aggregates as wounds,
And food as poison for the wounds,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who do not become haughty
But put on the attire of modesty
Even when they receive fine clothes,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who are not conceited about their appearance and strength,
Who are not attached to food
But merely eat to sustain their lives,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who know that the objects of craving are empty
And therefore neither indulge in nor reject pleasures
But always act with the understanding of emptiness and disengagement,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those living alone in the mountains—more than a league away—
Who, while absorbed in equipoise,
Realize the selflessness of conditioned phenomena,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“For those who accomplish the path of the pure eye
By realizing the characteristics of the limits
Of the exhaustion, arising, and cognition of the eye,
It will not be difficult to receive this teaching.
“The same also applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures,
Up to words and names.
“You should know that,
In the future,
All the countless monks will be
Either diligent or lazy in those ways.
“You should know that, in those ways,
They will either be virtuous or nonvirtuous friends,
Accomplished or unaccomplished,
Trusting or untrusting.
“You should know that, in those ways, they will be
Either virtuous or nonvirtuous friends
Who accomplish or do not accomplish
The path of the eye’s exhaustion.¹⁵⁷
“You should know that, in those ways,
Some will be strongly interested in awakening,
Only to lose interest later,
After one, two, or three months have passed.
“Still, even if the interest
Born upon hearing this teaching
3.11
Declines in some,
They will revive their faith later on.
“Some will not abandon their carelessness
When they hear this teaching;
Instead, they will think,
‘This discourse is not the Buddha’s words!’
“After hearing this teaching,
Some will be caught by Māra;
Even if faith has initially arisen in them,
They will abandon it later on.
“Those who are not interested in the Dharma will pursue falsehood, fame, and gain;
Although they might sing the praises of the lights
Of dhāraṇīs, absorption, and complete comprehension
As they roam through cities and towns, they will not gain true realization.
“Those who are bound by the five sense pleasures
And pursue worldly activities
Will involve themselves in concepts and statements,¹⁵⁸
And so denigrate the training in emptiness.
“Devoid of mindfulness and insight,
Their whole life will be wasted in meaningless pursuits;
The fools who abandon the Dharma of emptiness obstruct their discipline,¹⁵⁹
And so fall into the Hell of Unceasing Torment, never to be reborn in the higher realms.
“Someone who hears this discourse
And memorizes a single four-line verse from it
Is more exalted than someone who builds
A thousand stūpas in every single moment.
“Someone who hears this discourse
And memorizes¹⁶⁰ a single four-line verse from it
Is more exalted than someone who offers
A hundred thousand flower garlands to the stūpas of the buddhas.
“Someone who contemplates this discourse
For just a single moment
Is more exalted than someone who builds
As many bejeweled stūpas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.
“Someone who contemplates this discourse
For just a single moment
Is more exalted than someone who venerates
Ten million buddha realms by tossing flowers.
“Someone who contemplates this discourse
For just a single moment
Is more exalted than someone who offers
Ten million Dharma robes to the buddhas.
“The buddha eye is pure and superior—
There is nothing that it does not know and see.
Those who are dedicated to this discourse
Will achieve the buddha eye.
“Countless eons ago,
The Buddha Dīpaṅkara appeared.
I was at that time the child of a brahmin,¹⁶¹
And I worshiped him by holding up flowers.
“He prophesied that I would become a buddha
Named Śākyamuni,
And that I would teach this discourse
While sitting at the seat of awakening.
“You were a young boy at that time.
When you heard this prophecy,
You became overjoyed and filled with faith.
3.12
With your palms joined, you made this aspiration:
“ ‘When this brahmin child becomes a perfect buddha,
May I become his assistant.
After he passes into nirvāṇa,
May I uphold and guard his collection of teachings!’
“When the Buddha Dīpaṅkara
Taught this discourse on the manifestation of lights,
Both the brahmin son and the young boy
Listened to it carefully and kept it in mind.
“In the past, I once offered blue lotus flowers to that buddha.
You were present at that time, and you made the aspiration
To uphold this discourse during the final period of my teachings
And to propagate it on a vast scale.
“Those who, upon hearing this teaching,
Do not give rise to aversion but hold it,
Keep it in mind, read it, and recite it
Are sublime beings!
“In the future, you should uphold
This teaching that is difficult to hear,
Teach it extensively, and reveal its meaning
To sentient beings!
“In the past,
When the true Dharma was about to disappear,
I also taught this discourse on the manifestation of lights
Extensively to sentient beings.
“Because fools do not accomplish it with determination,
They deprecate it.
Still, when I hear their words,
I do not become angry.
“Instead, I always cultivate patience
And benefit the world.
Since the strength of my patience is perfect,
I am adorned with the major and minor marks.
“Kumāra, you should regard the excellent
And perfect body of the Buddha,
As well as his pure and sublime golden color,
As the outcome of the strength of his patience.
“Countless realms shake
When my feet touch the earth,
Yet no sentient being loses balance;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my patience.
“The hundred thousand light rays
Emitted from each pore of my hair
Illuminate all directions;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Creatures with frightening appearances such as rākṣasas,
As well as ravishing and majestic beings,¹⁶²
All show reverence to me;¹⁶³
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“All the members of my retinues
Have developed gentle minds,
And they revere the Thus-Gone One;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“All the praises of the Buddha’s qualities
Proclaimed within my great assemblies
With a hundred thousand musical tunes,
3.13
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“A hundred thousand malevolent
And frightening nāga kings
Become pleased when they see the Buddha;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Beings such as rākṣasas and yakṣas
Come to me carrying hundreds of thousands
Of flower garlands to worship me;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Thus-gone ones residing
In countless hundreds of thousands of realms
Are praising my qualities;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Hundreds of thousands of mahoragas
And kaṭapūtanas gather together¹⁶⁴
And worship me by tossing flowers;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Sixty billion beings
Including the yakṣa kings
Come to worship me;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“The kings of the nāgas
Such as Manavaka
Also offer me red pearls;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Tumburu¹⁶⁵ and a hundred thousand other devas of music¹⁶⁶
Gather together
And worship me with music;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Hundreds of thousands of mahoragas¹⁶⁷
And kaṭapūtanas¹⁶⁸ gather together
And worship me with offerings of flowers and perfumes;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“The nāga king Gandhāra
Reveals half of his body
And joins his palms respectfully toward me;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“A trillion beings
Such as Anaṅga and Rāhula
Worship me with minds filled with faith;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Kumāra, you should see
That whoever is touched by the Buddha’s light rays
Becomes freed from suffering and obtains happiness;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Samudra and a hundred thousand
Gods of the wind fill the sky
And worship me by showering perfumed rains;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“A hundred thousand divine retinues
Worship me by tossing divine flowers,
Abandon their cravings, and attend to the buddhas;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“You also advertise the Buddha’s miraculous power,
Generosity, and discipline,
Causing everyone to hear about them;
Regard this as the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.¹⁶⁹
“Everyone gains understanding
Through the words related to the aggregates,
The elements, and the four truths;
All this is the outcome of the strength of my supreme patience.
“Through my miraculous powers,
3.14
The words related to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
And utter peace, as well as the limit of its arising,
Are heard from the sky.
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘The eye arises from causes and conditions;
It does not come from or go anywhere.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘The buddhas are born from
The realization of the eye’s peace.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the limit of the exhaustion of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the limit of the eye is utter peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the limit of the arising of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the transformation of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the arising of the eye is peace,¹⁷⁰
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“Through my miraculous powers,
These words will be heard from the sky:
‘Since the disengagement of the eye is peace,
The buddhas are born from this realization.’
“The same applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, and textures,
Up to words, names, and so forth.
“By extension, this explanation also applies
To desire, anger, ignorance,
Aggression, pretense, envy, deceit,
Arrogance, pride, and so forth.”
When he heard this unique and extraordinary teaching, Candraprabhakumārabhūta was overjoyed. With his palms joined, he said, “Blessed One, if I were to invite the Thus-Gone One and his large retinue for lunch tomorrow, would he consider me with affection and consent to come for the lunch that I will prepare?”¹⁷¹
As he said this, the Blessed One perceived Kumāra’s pure motivation,
3.15
and he knew that this would benefit countless sentient beings. So, considering him with affection, he gave his consent by not responding. Candraprabhakumārabhūta then stood up, prostrated at the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and, filled with joy, went back to his home. Together with his retinue, and with the help of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, mahoragas,¹⁷² and other beings, he installed a silken marquee at a crossroads near the city of Rājagṛha. That marquee was very tall and wide, and it covered the whole area. It was decorated with symmetrical golden nets, garlands of precious gems, and lion standards, as well as a billion interwoven golden threads. Heaps of garlands of precious flowers in the most magnificent colors were spread on the floor, and innumerable garlands of other flowers, such as magnolia and rosewood flowers, were hung as ornaments, covering the entire interior of the precious marquee as well as the entire assembly. A throne and seats were arranged inside, and a variety of pure and delightful precious fragrant substances, such as pṛkkā,¹⁷³ dumaca,¹⁷⁴ sandalwood, and saffron, were burned. Different kinds of the most excellent mixed incenses were also prepared as offering substances. Fragrant water was sprinkled in all the lanes of the city, and fresh flowers were spread all over the ground. At that time, innumerable goddesses, female asuras, and daughters of Rāhula¹⁷⁵ were thrilled and came with the desire to accomplish the cause of awakening, adorning that magnificent great city with their presence.
Once Candraprabhakumārabhūta knew that the entire city had been cleaned and decorated and it was time for the noon meal, he addressed the Blessed One,
3.16
“Blessed One, please come to this city in order to heal¹⁷⁶ sentient beings!”
The Blessed One arrived at the city with his many retinues, and as soon as he stepped through the city gate, the ground of that great city and countless billions of universes in the ten directions began to shake. At that moment, those who were blind could see, those who were suffering became happy, those who were deaf could hear, those who were ugly became handsome, those who were poor became wealthy, those who were childless had children, those who had no clothes received clothes, those who had no jewels received jewels, those who had no friends gained friends, and those who had no physical ornaments received all kinds of physical ornaments. Upon seeing the Thus-Gone One, many groups of birds such as swans, cranes, parrots, peacocks, and crows became overjoyed and started to sing the most pleasant and sublime songs, which brought immense delight to those who heard them.
Miraculously, the Thus-Gone One also emanated countless magnolia trees, and many hundreds of thousands of sentient beings worshiped the Blessed One by proffering fresh flowers as well as the most fragrant perfumes and strewing them upon him. Many hundreds of thousands of mighty female asuras carried red pearls and sandalwood powders, which they joyfully tossed at the Thus-Gone One. Many asuras and gods were also present in the sky, sheltering the Thus-Gone One by holding bejeweled parasols adorned with gold and silver above his head. Through his miraculous powers, the Blessed One manifested countless hundreds of thousands of sandalwood trees,
3.17
golden trees, and trees filled with jeweled vessels and cloths. Those trees were adorned with precious gems and with magnificent blooming flowers and leaves; they all manifested as the result of the collective karmic ripening of countless beings’ merit. Whenever the wind blew, the fragrance of their sublime perfumes pervaded innumerable buddha realms. Countless hundreds of thousands of sentient beings also held up flowers at the same time and tossed them upon the Blessed One. Similarly, countless insentient manifestations were also emanated solely through the Thus-Gone One’s miraculous powers. Through his miraculous powers, all beings’ wishes were completely fulfilled in accordance with their individual aspirations.
When the Blessed One arrived in the city, the entire assembly heard extraordinary and inconceivable words of instruction that rang out in the sky, no one knowing where the words came from. In this way, Dharma teachings were uttered in many hundreds of thousands of verses.
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize the limit of the exhaustion of desire to be empty and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize the limit of the arising of desire to be empty and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize the limit of desire to be empty and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize the peace of desire to be empty and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
3.18
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize the cognition of desire¹⁷⁷ to be empty and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize that desire is nonexistent, empty, and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize that desire is unborn, empty, and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who realize the complete cessation of desire to be empty and void
Will realize reality and achieve awakening.”
“The same also applies to anger, ignorance,
Aggression, pretense, miserliness,
Deceit, arrogance, pride, misery,
Suffering, origin, cessation, path,
“Sentient beings, boys, girls, women, men, living creatures,
The six faculties, the six objects, the four great elements,
The world, suffering, the aggregates, the elements,
Worldly arising, words, names, and so forth.”
Through those teachings of the Dharma lord,
All sentient beings were overjoyed,
And, upon hearing them, all the inhabitants of the divine worlds
Formed the wish to follow the vehicle of the Thus-Gone One.
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Since the Blessed One was so dedicated to the strength of generosity,
He reached awakening through the strength of generosity.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Since the Blessed One was so dedicated to pure discipline,
He reached awakening through the strength of pure discipline.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Since the Blessed One was dedicated to pure patience,
He reached awakening through the strength of that patience.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
3.19
“Since the Blessed One was dedicated to pure diligence,
He reached awakening through the strength of that diligence.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Since the Blessed One was dedicated to pure concentration,
He reached awakening through the strength of that concentration.”
When the Blessed One entered the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Since the Blessed One was dedicated to pure insight,
He reached awakening through the strength of that insight.
“The same also applies to the strengths of miraculous powers,
The higher perceptions, the qualities, the knowledge of past lives,
Skill in means, retention, renown,
Faith in karma and in the branches of dependent origination, learning,
“Harmony with emptiness, peace, complete control,
Expertise in the ultimate limit and voidness, fear, delight, altruism,
Love, compassion, joy, equanimity, acceptance, harmlessness,
The realization of emptiness, the absence of marks, and so forth.”
When the noble master endowed with the ten powers—
The divine lord unmatched in terms of qualities and glory—
Came and walked in this sublime city,
He benefitted sentient beings extensively.
Since they had performed virtuous actions in the three realms in the past,
He caused the various virtues of the gods to increase.
All worldly beings revered him and listened to his teachings,
And everyone was filled with joy.
When the Blessed One came and walked in this sublime city,
The vast ground of the city started to shake.
When they saw the completely pure lights emitted by the Blessed One,
Everyone was amazed and thrilled.
Since the Blessed One came to that city and benefitted beings extensively,
The retinues of gods and humans were delighted,
And beings residing on the earth and in the sky praised him by saying,
“The Blessed One brings the highest happiness to the three realms!”
When the Blessed One placed the wheels of his feet on the ground,
Pure light illuminated the place, amazing everyone.¹⁷⁸
The delightful sounds of thoroughbred horses resounded in the city,
And the birds flying in the sky were overjoyed.
Melodious tunes also manifested spontaneously
From the bracelets, anklets, necklaces,
And various other precious ornaments
Of the many faithful maidens, without anyone playing the ornaments.
Everyone conversed joyfully and complimented one another
3.20
With the most agreeable and auspicious words.
Those who were blind, deaf, or with other faculties impaired
Recovered the full ability of their senses.¹⁷⁹
When the Thus-Gone One came to the city,
Gods and humans joyfully offered him flowers,
And melodious tunes resounded everywhere in the sky,
Bringing delight to countless groups of gods.
Beings with impaired memory had their derangements pacified,
And they began to speak pleasantly to one another.
Pregnant women who were distressed and anxious
Were comforted by the magnificence of those lights.
Undefiled Dharma teachings were expounded
To the modest and humble men and women,
Causing all of them to joyfully give rise to a pure mindset
And to prostrate to the feet of the supreme lord.
Some of them pursued the unsurpassed path of the blessed ones,¹⁸⁰
And some pursued the path of the bodhisattvas or the path of the hearers.
When the Blessed One came to the sublime city,
Everyone delighted in gazing at the face of the Blessed One.
Knowing the customs of that land through his wisdom,
The Blessed One benefitted them in accordance with the ways of the world.¹⁸¹
He bestowed the supreme wealth of the Dharma on the bodhisattvas
And gave supreme riches to other sentient beings.
When the Blessed One came to the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Revere the Buddha.”
When the Blessed One came to the city,
These words resounded in the sky:
“Those who crave the limit of the arising of the eye
Revere the Buddha.¹⁸²
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will develop fearless trust in the Buddha;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their faith will be uninterrupted.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will develop fearless trust in the Dharma;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their faith will be uninterrupted.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will develop fearless trust in the Saṅgha;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their faith will be uninterrupted.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will achieve discipline free from clinging;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their faith will be uninterrupted.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
3.21
Will abandon desire that leads to the lower realms;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will interrupt the stream of desire.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will abandon anger that leads to the lower realms;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will interrupt the stream of anger.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will abandon ignorance that leads to the lower realms;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will interrupt the stream of ignorance.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will dwell within awakened wisdom;
Since they perceive the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
The flow of their awakened wisdom will be uninterrupted.
“The same teaching concerning the exhaustion of the eye
Also applies to all the gateways—the limit of the arising of the eye,
Its limit, its cognition, its disengagement, its nonexistence,
Its unborn nature, its peace, and so forth.
“Those who crave the limit of the exhaustion of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the limit of the arising of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the limit of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the cognition of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the disengagement of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the unborn nature of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the nonexistence of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“Those who crave the quiescence of the eye
Will always be free of doubts
And will therefore achieve
The Buddha’s miraculous powers.
“The same also applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures,
Up to words and names.
“Those who generate the boundless arising of the eye
Generate boundless wisdom;
Since wisdom is boundless,
So too is this Dharma teaching.
“Those who know the boundless exhaustion of the eye
Will be unobscured with regard to the eye
3.22
And will therefore achieve
The unimpeded wisdom of the buddhas.
“The same also applies to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures,
Up to words and names.”
When the Blessed One came to the city,
A hundred thousand sentient beings
Heard those words of the Dharma manifested from the sky
And became free of doubts concerning the qualities of the Buddha.
Though desire arose in the minds of some of them,
They were not scared by the Buddha’s wisdom.
Though desire arose in the minds of some of them,
They did not turn away from the Buddha’s qualities.
Though desire arose in the minds of some of them,
They pursued unsurpassed wisdom.
They accomplished the unique qualities
And had no interest in the vehicle of the hearers.
Immature beings might practice concentration,
But since they are attracted to the bliss of concentration,
They will develop manifest pride
And think that they have achieved the fruition of virtuous practice.
Immature beings might practice concentration,
But since they do not understand the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will never reach liberation,
Even if they practice for a hundred thousand eons.
They generate attachment
To all forms of rebirth,
But if they were to understand the emptiness of birth itself,
Their vision would become completely pure.
Some might have accomplished the four concentrations,
But if they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their concentration will never be pure,
Even after a hundred thousand eons.
Even if they have reached the preparatory absorptions,
They will not achieve an understanding of the limit of exhaustion,
And since they have not understood the attainment of exhaustion,
They will always experience defiled attainment.
Those who cling to perception
Lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of perception,
And since they have not understood the exhaustion of perception,
They will always experience defiled perception.
Those who are attached to the world
Lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the world,
And since they have not understood the limit of the exhaustion of the world,
They will always experience a defiled world.
Those who abide by a defiled mind
Lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the mind,
And since they have not understood the exhaustion of the mind,
They will always experience defiled mind.
Those who dwell on defiled phenomena
Lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of phenomena,
And since they have not understood the exhaustion of phenomena,
They will always experience defiled phenomena.
Even if they abide by ascetic practices,
If they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Due to this lack of understanding of the eye’s exhaustion
They will not observe genuine ascetic practices.
Even if they wear the saffron-colored robes,
3.23
If they lack the understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Due to this lack of understanding of the eye’s exhaustion
They will not wear the genuine Dharma robes.
Even if they are born within high-class families,
If they lack the understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Due to this lack of understanding of the eye’s exhaustion
They will not belong to pure families.
Even if they possess numerous retinues,
If they lack the understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will quickly fall into the lower realms,
And their retinues will be unable to protect them.
Even if they are experts in grammar,
If they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Due to this lack of understanding of the eye’s exhaustion
They will not fully grasp the field of grammar.¹⁸³
Even if they are experts in the sciences of craftsmanship,
If they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Due to this lack of understanding of the eye’s exhaustion
They will not be truly competent in crafts.¹⁸⁴
Even if they are experts in many types of inquiries
And can reveal the teachings through a single word,
If they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their explanations will not accord with the true meaning.
Even if they learn under scholars,
If they do not know what is secret and what is not,
And if they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will not comprehend this teaching.
Even if they clearly know a variety of verbal expressions,
Worldly theories, and phenomena,
If they lack an understanding of the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
It will be as if they have fallen into a thick creeping bush.
Even if they are experts in grammar who teach the signs of virtue and nonvirtue
And have mastered letters, words, language, reading, and recitation,
If they have not understood the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will lack an understanding of those topics.¹⁸⁵
Even if they are experts in female anatomy, in skillful words of seduction,
Pleasing and soothing their body, and applying various treatments,
If they have not understood the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
They will lack any real understanding of those skills.¹⁸⁶
Even if they can teach hundreds of scriptural traditions
Without forgetting a single letter,
If they have not understood the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their explanations will be meaningless.
Know that the same applies
To the limit of the arising of the eye,
Its limit, and its cognition,
Up to its utter peace.
The same should also be applied to the ear, the nose,
The tongue, the body, the mind,
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures,
Up to words and names.
Even if they read and recite grammar
While understanding its meaning,
If they have not understood the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their knowledge will always be inferior.
Even if they recite the basis of authoritative speech
And understand secret mantras,
If they have not understood the limit of the exhaustion of the eye,
Their knowledge will always be inferior.¹⁸⁷
Know that the same applies
To the limit of the arising of the eye,
Its limit, and its cognition,
Up to its utter peace.
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་འོད་ཟེར་ཀུན་དུ་བཀྱེ་བ་བསྟན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan