འཕགས་པ་ད་བཞན་གཤགས་པའ་གསང་བ་བསམ་གྱས་མ་ཁྱབ་པ་བསྟན་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 9
The Secrets of the Realized Ones 9
- Language
- English
9.2
who grasp on to the true Dharma.”
“This formulation of the Dharma has been empowered by all the buddhas, noble son,” the Lord of the Guhyakas replied. “For what reason do I say so? The syllables through which this formulation of the Dharma has been communicated are not real; they are not exhausted, and they do not disappear. Moreover, the meaning that is expressed through these syllables, too, cannot be made to disappear. The true Dharma of the Realized One is not something that can be made to disappear, Śāntamati, because, indeed, it has not arisen in the first place, and what does not arise, does not cease.
“With this in mind, the Blessed One has said that whether the realized ones arise or they do not arise, this is what truly remains: the true nature of things wherein things are just as they are in the realm of reality. In this way, dependent arising is not impeded, and what does not impede dependent arising is the true Dharma. And the true Dharma is forever and not something that disappears—for this reason it is called the true Dharma.”
“Lord of the Guhyakas, those who prepare themselves to grasp the true Dharma, for what do they prepare themselves?” asked Śāntamati.
“Those who prepare themselves to grasp the true Dharma prepare themselves not to oppose anything. What is the reason for this? It is because the true Dharma is precisely what does not oppose anything.”
“How could there be an opposition to the Dharma?”
“From an opposition to syllables, there is an opposition to the Dharma, and the Dharma should not be opposed. Those who are not oppositional in this respect, they grasp the true Dharma completely.”
“Is it possible, Lord of the Guhyakas, that a formulation could be opposed by the entire world, and yet it grasps the true Dharma?”
“Yes, it is possible, Śāntamati. What is the reason for this? The world is strongly attached to views, Śāntamati,
9.3
and so one who affirms emptiness is, for this reason, opposed by the whole world. The world affirms permanence, happiness, beauty, ‘I,’ and ‘mine,’ and so one who affirms impermanence, suffering, repulsiveness, ‘not-self,’ and ‘not-mine’ is, for this reason, opposed by the whole world. The world goes with the current, and so one who goes against the current is, for this reason, opposed by the whole world. The world puts the weight on this lifetime, and so one who puts the weight on a future lifetime is, for this reason, opposed by the whole world. The world is strongly attached to the aggregates, the elements, and the sense spheres, and so one who teaches the Dharma to be completely unattached to all things is, for this reason, opposed by the whole world. In this manner, Śāntamati, the one who is opposed by the whole world grasps the true Dharma.”
“Do you grasp the true Dharma, Lord of the Guhyakas?”
“I grasp it, noble son, but I do not grasp an ‘I,’ or a being, or a thing.”
“How then do you grasp it?”
“I grasp it as something separate from and free of an ‘I,’ as something separate from and free of a being, and as something separate from and free of a thing, and as something not separate from and not free of an ‘I,’ a being, or a thing. I grasp it as something separate from and free of a past, a present, and a future, and as something not separate from and not free of a past, a present, and a future. I grasp it as something separate from and free of an awakened one, and as something not separate from and not free of an awakened one. I grasp it as something separate from and free of a domain, and as something not separate from and not free of a domain. I grasp it as something separate from and free of the Dharma, and as something not separate from and not free of the Dharma.”
At that point, the Blessed One congratulated Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “Excellent, my good man, excellent!
9.4
This is what it means to grasp the true Dharma. Moreover, Lord of the Guhyakas, those who grasp the true Dharma do not grasp anything or cling to anything, they do not grasp on to or act upon any vain imaginings of a mental image of a being, and they do not form an idea or form a concept of any figment of the imagination.”
There was also a god named Bhadrarāja sitting in the assembly at that time, and he said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, calming is the word of the Buddha, and, Blessed One, what makes it the word of the Buddha is that it is the word of one who is calmed. So, one who is calmed possesses the word of the Buddha. In this regard, Blessed One, those who see all objects of cognition as being calmed are those who are calmed themselves. Being calmed themselves, they are not set on fire, they do not burn, and they are not consumed by fire. Those who are calmed, quiet, and at peace retain the true Dharma of the Realized One in their minds, and they retain it in their minds in such a way that they do not hold on to or let go of anything.”²⁶⁶
When the god had expressed this point, a thousand monks became liberated in their minds, and the Dharma eyes of a thousand gods were purified.
The bodhisattva Śāntamati then asked the god Bhadrarāja, “Divine one, who possesses this inspired eloquence?”
“This is the inspired eloquence of those who have eliminated any lingering traces of past actions, those who have gone beyond the range of language, those who are indescribable from the standpoint of ultimate truth, and those to whom nothing is stuck.”
“Divine one, how is this inspired eloquence born?”
“It is born by reason of the fact that there is no inspired eloquence and there is an absence of inspired eloquence. Why do I say this? ‘No inspired eloquence’ is a way of saying that there is no link to rebirth, while ‘an absence of inspired eloquence’ is a way of saying that there is an absence of the proliferation of vain imagining.
“Furthermore, noble son, since you ask who possesses this inspired eloquence, it is the inspired eloquence of one for whom consciousness does not arise in regard to the imputation of a body,²⁶⁷
9.5
and one for whom consciousness is not established in regard to the imputation of a self; it is the inspired eloquence of one for whom the imputation of a mind is not taken up as an object of cognition, and who dwells in a state in which things are unobscured; it is the inspired eloquence of one for whom knowledge does not arise with regard to anything, and one for whom nothing is especially known by means of knowledge; and it is the inspired eloquence of one who stands still,²⁶⁸ does not exert any effort, but crosses the flood. It is the inspired eloquence of someone who is born, while being one who is not born, and who enters nirvāṇa, while being one for whom there is no cessation.”
Then the bodhisattva Śāntamati said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, the inspired eloquence of the god Bhadrarāja is marvelous!”
The Blessed One said, “Śāntamati, the god Bhadrarāja has come here from Abhiratī, the buddha domain of the realized one Akṣobhya, in order to hear the teaching from Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, of this formulation of the Dharma, ‘The Secret of the Realized One.’ Śāntamati, the god Bhadrarāja has acquired a powerful mnemonic formula called accessing the aspects of the Dharma. If he wished, he could teach for hundreds of thousands of eons with his inspired eloquence unimpeded, and still his inspired eloquence would not be exhausted.”
Chapter 24: The Inexhaustible Nature of the Analogies in Praise of the Virtues of Powerful Memory and the Formulas That Support It
The bodhisattva Śāntamati then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what kind of powerful mnemonic formula is the one called accessing the aspects of the Dharma?”
“Śāntamati,” the Blessed One answered, “accessing the aspects of the Dharma is the knowledge that accesses the imperishable in syllables.²⁶⁹ Śāntamati, all things have the syllable ā as their point of entry.²⁷⁰ All things have the syllable ā as their gateway; they are created from the syllable ā; they reach their end in the syllable ā. The syllable ā does the action in verbal action,
9.6
but the syllable ā does not know; it does not ascertain, and yet it is the point of entry to all things. This is why the powerful mnemonic formula is called accessing the aspects of the Dharma.
“Access means in this case that nothing, Śāntamati, not even an atom, has entered or exited. The syllables, Śāntamati, do not come from somewhere and enter an interior space inside the body; also, the syllables neither take up residence within an interior space inside the body, nor do the syllables come out and then go in some direction. The syllables also do not stimulate one another. The syllables also do not form an idea of right or wrong.²⁷¹ The syllables are not pronounced, nor are they not pronounced. They do not waste away, and they do not grow. No one can produce these syllables, and no one can extinguish them. No one can create the syllables, and no one can destroy them.
“Just as there is a count of syllables, Śāntamati, in the same way there is a count of thoughts. Just as there is a count of thoughts, in the same way there is a count of all things. Just as there is a count of all things, in the same way there is no count. What is the reason for this? It is because one does not reach a count of the Dharma. Therefore, there is no count that is the count of the Dharma. Just as the Dharma does not reach a count, in precisely the same way is the access to its aspects.²⁷² A point of entry that is not born from the very beginning is an entry into what does not arise, and there is no entry into what is not born and is not arisen. For so it is that this entrance is not a point of entry, and, Śāntamati, it is not possible to interrupt the inspired eloquence of one who has entered into such a count. This is because a count that is uninterrupted has thereby reached the true nature of things; a count that is not exhausted has thereby reached the true nature of things.²⁷³
“Just as one teaches a thing, in exactly the same way those things are put into words and arise in the mind. With precisely the same method one uses to access the aspects of the Dharma, one accesses the aspects of beings. By accessing the aspects of beings, one teaches the Dharma in accordance with beings’ level of dedication.
9.7
“Bodhisattvas who have acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it, Śāntamati, are stainless in thought. They are pure in motivation. They are transparent in practice. They are superior in ambition. They are firmly established in good conduct. They are superior in wisdom. They are rock-solid in keeping their promises. They are not liable to be disturbed by the māras. They are unmatched by rival teachers. They are not liable to be oppressed by the afflictions. They are unassailable by adversaries.²⁷⁴
“They have strength in their bodies. Their minds are not depressed. Their inspired eloquence is inexhaustible. There is no end to their teachings. There is no limit to their explanations. They have no doubt about their knowledge.²⁷⁵ Their intellects are difficult to plumb. Their teachings of the truths are deep. What they have learned is comparable to the ocean. They are the same as Mount Meru in concentration. They are the same as the lion among assemblies. They are the same as the lotus among things of the world. They are the same as the earth in being a support for all beings. They are the same as water in removing the thirst of the afflictions. They are the same as fire in that they bring all beings to maturity.²⁷⁶ They are the same as the moon in that they are even-minded toward all beings. They are the same as the sun in that they disperse the darkness of the afflictions.
“They are the same as the valiant warrior in that they kill the enemy of the afflictions. They are the same as the bull elephant in that their minds are well trained.²⁷⁷ They are the same as the clouds in that they produce the thunder of the Dharma. They are the same as rain in showering the Dharma. They are the same as the doctor in that they alleviate the afflictions, which are the sickness of beings. They are the same as the king in that they create a kingdom of the Dharma. They are the same as the Lokapālas in protecting the Dharma for the world. They are the same as Śakra in that they are the overseer of gods and men.
9.8
They are the same as Brahmā in that they obtain offspring by having gained control over their own minds.²⁷⁸
“They are like birds in that they wander without a home. They are the same as forest-dwelling creatures like monkeys and deer in that they are filled with the fear of society. They are the same as a mother in that they mitigate all the bad actions of all beings. They are the same as a father in that they offer training in all practical crafts and trades. They are the same as Vaiśravaṇa in that they distribute all the jewels of the Dharma.
“They are adorned with merits. They are decorated with the distinctive features of a great being. They are beautified by the secondary marks. They are worthy of the world’s regard. They are worthy of holding the gaze. They are not destitute, being endowed with the seven riches. They are remembered by the buddhas. They are worthy of praise by those with practical knowledge. They are irreproachable by all learned persons. They are well protected by the gods. They are well received by nāgas and yakṣas.
“They become sovereign lord over the teachings of the Dharma. They become master of the supernormal faculties. They have reached an understanding of beings’ motivations. They have gained access to the spiritual faculties of beings. They have an insatiable hunger for the teachings of the Dharma. They take no interest in profit and recognition. They do not selfishly hoard the teachings of the Dharma. They do not take part in amusements, because of the purity of their moral conduct.²⁷⁹ They do no violence, because of the purity of their patience.²⁸⁰ They are highly accomplished in their professions, because of the purity of their heroic effort. They are well bred, because of the purity of their meditation. Their intellects have stunning clarity, because of the purity of their wisdom. They surpass Brahmā in regard to the immeasurable states. They are transcendent in regard to the meditative states, concentrations, and absorptions. They are supreme among those on the path of awakening. They are endowed with virtue in all its aspects, because they have obtained the level of consecration.
9.9
“So it is, Śāntamati, that the description of the virtues of a bodhisattva who has acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it is immeasurable. Even if the Realized One were to set aside all other activities and give a description in praise of the virtues of a bodhisattva who has acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it, he would not arrive at the end of it, Śāntamati, even after hundreds of thousands of years.”
At that point, the bodhisattva Śāntamati said to the god Bhadrarāja, “The profit is well earned by you, friend, such that the Realized One gives this immeasurable praise of you.”
The god Bhadrarāja responded to the bodhisattva Śāntamati, “From the perspective of ultimate truth, noble son, there is no real thing here whatsoever that receives this praise. In fact, noble son, it is not possible to arrive at the end of the form of the virtues of something that has no color, form, or shape at all.²⁸¹ Indeed, it is possible to praise the form of something only if it has form, color, and shape.”²⁸²
The god Bhadrarāja then said to the Blessed One, “All things are not grasped, Blessed One; they are not ‘mine’; they are not property, they are not offered by anyone, they are not snatched away by anyone. Moreover, a constant effort should be made in this regard to do the correct practice, and then these things will appear before the minds of those who make a constant effort and do the correct practice.
“Just as this great earth is situated upon a mass of water, Blessed One, so that if any person digs a well, even a small one, it fills with water, but if one doesn’t dig the well, then one won’t get any water, in precisely the same way, Blessed One, one who makes a constant effort for all-pervading knowledge reaches that knowledge, and one who does not make a constant effort assuredly does not reach that knowledge. It is for this reason then, Blessed One, that those who are intent upon awakening
9.10
should make a constant, perpetual effort to cultivate this knowledge, and they should do so with heroic effort, and as a result these things will appear before their eyes.
“Just as someone who is blind from birth, Blessed One, does not see the forms there to be known, in the same way, beings who are blinded by the afflictions, Blessed One, do not see the things there to be known.
“Just as someone with the eyes to see does not see without a light, Blessed One, in the same way, others, even those who possess the divine eye, Blessed One, do not see or even take any interest without the instructions of a companion in the good.
“Just as someone who possesses the divine eye has no need for light, Blessed One, in the same way, one who has done the preparatory work, Blessed One, has no need for more instructions.
“Just as a being who has gone into the womb is not seen and does not see, Blessed One, but still develops, in the same way, a bodhisattva who has set out on the path with heroic effort does not see awakening at that time, Blessed One, but still develops the qualities of a buddha.
“Just as a tree that has grown on the snowy king of mountains does not splinter or wither before its time, Blessed One, in precisely the same way the knowledge that has grown in a noble one while engaged in the practice of the Dharma does not splinter or wane.
“Just as when a wheel-turning king arises to become sovereign lord of the four continents, Blessed One, then the seven jewels also arise for him,²⁸³ in the same way, when one conceives the aspiration for awakening, Blessed One, then the seven jewels of the Dharma arise—namely, generosity, moral conduct, patience, heroic effort, meditation, wisdom, and skill in means.
“Just as when the wheel-turning king travels throughout the four continents of the world, Blessed One,
9.11
there is no variation in the love he has for beings, in the same way, when a bodhisattva draws beings with the four means of drawing others to oneself,²⁸⁴ Blessed One, the bodhisattva has no variation toward beings.
“Just as when a wheel-turning king sits in council, Blessed One, there is no discord or dispute, in the same way, when a bodhisattva sits down to have a similar discussion of the Dharma, Blessed One, there is no discord or dispute in the discussion.
“Just as when the cosmos of a billion worlds takes shape, Blessed One, then Mount Meru, the king of mountains, is the first thing to take shape, as well as the great ocean, in the same way, when a bodhisattva conceives the aspiration for awakening for the first time, Blessed One, then ambition and great compassion are the first things to take shape.
“Just as when the sun rises, Blessed One, then rays of light fall first upon the tall mountains, in the same way, when the light of knowledge arises, Blessed One, then those beings who have put energy into developing the roots of virtue experience the light of knowledge.
“Just as the earth receives all the seeds of all the grasses, shrubs, plants, and trees of the forest, Blessed One, and the earth gives life to all of them equally, in the same way, the bodhisattva who has acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it, Blessed One, gives detached thought to all beings by giving them the motivation for the Dharma.”²⁸⁵
The Blessed One then congratulated the god Bhadrarāja: “Excellent, divine one, excellent! By laying out this set of analogies, you have expressed this teaching well.
9.12
“Indeed, divine one, there are as many teachings that lay out analogies for the bodhisattva who has acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it as there are grasses and trees; as many as there are names, words, and sounds, the meanings of which are established by convention; as many as there are forms and colors;²⁸⁶ as many as there are ways beings think and behave; as many as there are creations of name and form;²⁸⁷ as many as there are daily concerns of beings;²⁸⁸ and as many as there are foods and drinks that beings enjoy.
“Moreover, divine one, there is nothing said by a bodhisattva who has acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it that is not the word of the Buddha. There is no manifestation of form, no manifestation of sound, smell, taste, tactile sensation, or mental object that such a bodhisattva does not manifest. Such a bodhisattva’s inspired eloquence does not depend at all upon the hearsay of others. The teaching of such a bodhisattva does not depend on someone else’s point of view. With regard to all engagements, such a bodhisattva does not become exhausted, has no limitations, and is capable of going everywhere. The mind of such a bodhisattva does not stay in one place,²⁸⁹ the body of such a bodhisattva has no heaviness, and the thoughts of such a bodhisattva are not of discouragement. Even when teaching in front of hundreds of thousands of buddhas, such a bodhisattva is undaunted. For, indeed, empowered by the empowering authority of the buddhas, this bodhisattva has obtained inspired eloquence, knowledge, wisdom, and a powerful memory and the formulas that support it.
“This bodhisattva teaches, but remains undaunted, does not hide, and does not turn back. For, indeed, the bodhisattva adheres to three forms of detachment: detachment from self, detachment from beings, and detachment from things. The bodhisattva adheres to three forms of purity: the purity of the realm of reality, the purity of the way things are, and the purity of the true end. The bodhisattva adheres to the three imperishables:
9.13
the imperishable nature of things, the imperishable nature of syllables, and the imperishable nature of teachings.
“This bodhisattva acquires three kinds of empowerment: the empowerment in inspired eloquence, the empowerment in the meaning of the Dharma, and the empowerment in the use of the Dharma.²⁹⁰ This bodhisattva obtains three kinds of joy: the joy of knowledge, the joy of wisdom, and the joy of removing doubt. This bodhisattva obtains three types of swiftness: the swiftness of mindfulness, the swiftness of intelligence, and the swiftness of understanding.”
While this teaching on a powerful memory and the formulas that support it was being taught,²⁹¹ eight hundred bodhisattvas attained a powerful memory and the formulas that support it.
Chapter 25: Entrusting the True Dharma
Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, empower this formulation of the Dharma so that it may be circulated in the latter time.”²⁹²
The Blessed One replied, “Lord of the Guhyakas, do you remember the words that protect the form of the Dharma,²⁹³ which were heard by me in the presence of the realized one Ratnacandra, so that I would take possession of the true Dharma?”
“I remember them, Blessed One.”
“If that is so, Lord of the Guhyakas,” said the Blessed One, “then speak those words that protect the form of the Dharma here in the assembly so that this formulation of the Dharma lasts for a long time. Then this formulation of the Dharma will, indeed, last for a long time.”
Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then paid homage to all the buddhas of the ten directions and spoke the words of the mantra:
9.14
tadyathā | jaya jayamati | jaya śatru | ale | amale | alulite | mame | mamamati | nāmasandhi | udtame | udtamati | udtaraṇi | are aramaṇi | ariśamaṇi | amūle | amūla | abadṭiti | mūlaanugate | adte | madte | maṭite | aṭi | maṭite | khurukhuru | sandhidharmaanugate | dharmadakṣe | dharmapraveśe | saresaresare | abedhe | bedasandhi | ehi | ehini | etadaanugame | defeating the māras | crushing the rival ascetics | bewildering those who hate the Dharma | blowing away the afflictions | shining light on the ways of the Dharma | protecting the discourses of the Dharma | entering nirvāṇa | grasping on to those who make beings ready for awakening | establishing an assembly | giving the body to those who have heard the Dharma | gaining the attention of those who have gone the right way | gaining the sight of those who have obtained what is right | manifesting the words of the mantra | gathering the interstices of the mantra | knowledge declaring | continuation | not liable to oppression | may the true nature of the teaching not perish | |²⁹⁴
The very next moment after Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, spoke these words of the mantra, this cosmos of a billion worlds shook. The māras in this cosmos of a billion worlds approached the Blessed One, along with their armies and their retinues, their bodies bent over in a crouch and their arms outstretched, palms together in a gesture of salutation, and they said this to the Blessed One:
“We will attend upon and serve the preacher of the Dharma from whose mouth the words of this mantra issue, Blessed One. This world with its gods cannot endure the splendor of the words of this mantra, Blessed One.
9.15
We will keep this formulation of the Dharma safe, Blessed One, and we will hold back anyone else who looks for a way to penetrate it.”²⁹⁵
Then, at that moment, after thoroughly surveying the four directions with the gaze of a bull elephant, the Blessed One spoke the words of this mantra:
jaye | durjaye | jayamati | śame | śatrunirghatani | amūle | mūlaparichinne | mārasainyavitrāsani | mugte mugtavati | śuddhe | abhede | bhayamocani | bharoharaṇe | tad te vidye | vidyavaraudtame | repelling the proponents of other doctrines | gathering the proponents of the Dharma | protecting the treasury of the Dharma | this incantation revealed by the buddhas | ama | amame | mamacchede | arthe arthanistāraṇe | words summoning the four Lokapālas are spoken | dhire | dhiravati | gubte | śubhe śubhavati | same | the summoning here of Śakra, Lord of the Gods, will be done | maitre somavati | kṣāntikṛpakāruṇaudahṛde | prītiupekṣasamapante | the summoning here of Brahmā too will be done | araṭe | viraṭe | kha khe | amūle | mūlaśodhani | for the purpose of repelling Māra | these words of the mantra are spoken | this well-spoken sūtra | empowered by the lord of men | will be practiced in the time | in which it will be known | these mantras that were spoken | have made the earth shake | and assembled all the māras | who have spoken this speech | we will protect | those preachers of the Dharma | into whose hands will go | this sūtra in the latter time | |²⁹⁶
The Blessed One then spoke to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “Know, Lord of the Guhyakas, that this formulation of the Dharma has been empowered by the Realized One alone. It is not possible for anyone to disturb this empowerment. Why is that? Lord of the Guhyakas, I remember
9.16
that a realized one named Ratnacandra arose in the past during an eon called Aninditā in a world called Aninditā.²⁹⁷ At that time, there were two monks in the dispensation of that blessed buddha, and they were preachers of the Dharma with great superhuman power, great exalted status, and great majestic power. Their names were Prajñodgata and Satyadatta.
“These two preachers of the Dharma retained the words of the mantra from that blessed one and for half an eon they followed to perfection the wheel of Dharma that had been turned by that blessed one, during which time all the billions of māras in that cosmos of a billion worlds were brought to maturity and propelled toward awakening.”
At this point, the bodhisattva Śāntamati asked the Blessed One, “Does the realized one Ratnacandra remain, Blessed One, or has he already passed into complete cessation?”
“The realized one Ratnacandra remains in Aninditā, which is more than ten trillion buddha domains to the east, Śāntamati,” the Blessed One answered. “The lifespan of that realized one is ten thousand eons. Moreover, noble son, the māras in that realized one’s buddha domain were wrathful and wicked, and they were tamed, well and truly tamed, by the words of this mantra, and all of them were brought to maturity for the sake of their awakening.
“What is more, noble son, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and I led the holy life in the dispensation of the realized one Ratnacandra, and we became adepts for the sake of awakening. I was the one named Prajñodgata, and the Lord of the Guhyakas was the one named Satyadatta.
9.17
For so it is, Śāntamati, that together we have served with care an immeasurable number of buddhas, honored them, respected them, and worshiped them. For so it is, too, Śāntamati, that these highly effective mantras are employed in order to defeat the māras and to take hold of the true Dharma.”
At that point, the Blessed One surveyed the whole assembly and spoke thus: “Who among you, friends, has the courage to support and take hold of this awakening, accomplished over an incalculable length of time, so that it does not disappear when the Realized One has entered complete cessation?”²⁹⁸
Then, in order to take hold of the true Dharma, twelve thousand bodhisattvas from within the assembly rose to their feet, and they knelt down on their right knees, and bowing down to the Blessed One with their palms joined together in a gesture of salutation, they spoke this verse:
“We will remember this sūtra,
Taught by the Lord of the World,
With no expectation of reward,
Surrendering even our bodies or lives.”
Then five thousand gods, including Bhadrarāja, joined their palms together in a gesture of salutation and said this to the Blessed One: “We will support the Realized One’s awakening, Blessed One.” Then they spoke this verse:
“We will remember this sūtra,
This profound teaching of the Buddha,
Out of a compassion made steady
For the sake of all beings.”
Then Śakra, Lord of the Gods, Brahmā Śikhin, and the Great King Vaiśravaṇa spoke this verse:
“Our aspiration conceived for the highest,
We, too, will remember this sūtra,
Teacher, which is the same as medicine
That brings one freedom from all illness.”
Then Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, said this to the Blessed One: “I, too, Blessed One, will remember the unsurpassable and perfect awakening of the Realized One, accomplished over an incalculable eon.” He then spoke a verse, too:
9.18
“When the Dharma was wordless,
The Lord of Men, with compassion,
Expressed it with words,
Words I will remember.”
The Blessed One then said to Brahmā Śikhin, “There are three forms of worship and service to the Realized One that cannot be surpassed, Brahmā, unsurpassable acts of worship that generate immeasurable merit. What are these three? They are conceiving the aspiration for unsurpassable and perfect awakening, remembering the Dharma of the realized ones, and bringing one’s conduct into alignment with the Dharma precisely as one has learned it. Brahmā, these are the three forms of worship and service to the Realized One that cannot be surpassed. Even if the Realized One remained for an eon, Brahmā, and he spent the entire eon describing the outcomes of the merit generated by those three forms of worship, he still would not complete the description. Therefore, Brahmā, one who wishes to worship the Realized One with worship and service that cannot be surpassed should perform worship using these three forms of worship.
“If one remembers a single four-line verse from the true Dharma of a single realized one, then, Brahmā, the awakening of the realized ones of the past, present, and future will be retained. The reason for this, Brahmā, is that the awakening of the realized ones is something that arises from the Dharma. Therefore, one should perform worship with the Dharma, and not with material objects. Worship with the true Dharma is said to be supreme among all acts of worship. It is said to be the true form; it is said to be the best.
“Brahmā, I remember once upon a time in the past I was born in the palace of a king. At that time I was a young prince named Matimat, and I remembered two verses that I heard in a dream while I was asleep. When I awoke, the thought occurred to me, ‘I have found a great treasure,’ and I blurted out the words ‘I have found a great treasure!’ My parents said, ‘How could a child have found a treasure?’
9.19
Then I spoke these two verses to my parents:
“ ‘What the world considers to be great treasures
Can be lost, O King, to thieves, fire, water, and trickery.
Yet, the treasure of hearing the realized ones
Is not lost, even over many millions of eons.
“ ‘Constant watchfulness is, indeed, the root of the deathless.
So, too, the aspiration for awakening in one working to benefit beings.
So, too, is the mind, isolated and free, of one who pays careful attention,
While renunciation is the root of all happiness.’²⁹⁹
“I heard these two verses in a dream, Brahmā, and with these two verses, Brahmā, I brought eight thousand beings to maturity for the sake of their awakening, and I put forty-two thousand beings on a path to the good places of rebirth. In precisely this manner, Brahmā, you should understand that one obtains a great treasure if one is intent upon learning, and being intent upon it, one practices it correctly, and having become established in its practice, one benefits others.
“There are two things, Brahmā, that are of great use on the Great Vehicle: first, not having anger toward any and all beings, and second, not becoming complacent in the search for learning. Those are the two things.
“Therefore, Brahmā, ensure that the guiding principles of the Dharma remain unbroken. Request all the realized ones of this Fortunate Eon to teach the Dharma, Brahmā, and remember the true Dharma. When there are such pure beings as those who will arise to become the other blessed buddhas of this Fortunate Eon, Brahmā, you may become indifferent to it. However, during a time such as this one in which beings have afflictions, Brahmā, there will be a great many who hold on to the true Dharma in one aspect or for a single day. In the purified buddha domains, it would not be so, even for hundreds of thousands of eons. Therefore, Brahmā, you should put forth heroic effort so that the true Dharma is remembered in this time of evil.”
At this point, the Blessed One spoke to Venerable Ānanda: “Ānanda,
9.20
you must hold on to this teaching, this great mnemonic formula of the nāgas, The Chapter of Vajrapāṇi, The Secret of the Realized Ones, and remember it, recite it, and teach it in full to others. Ānanda, I entrust this formulation of the Dharma to you. Do not explain the secret and inconceivable qualities of the realized ones to common folk, Ānanda, for those beings who are attached to inferior things will be bewildered by it. Ānanda, this formulation of the Dharma is something to which it is quite difficult to become devoted and something that is quite difficult to understand. Only those beings who are well bred and well prepared are worthy recipients of these things. They will have no fear when they hear this series of guiding principles of the Dharma.”
When this had been said, Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: “I have received this formulation of the Dharma, Blessed One, through the majestic power of the Buddha. Through whose majestic power shall I become capable of retaining it? Please explain this.”
“Ānanda,” the Blessed One answered, “do you see these mahāsattvas who have arisen in order to take hold of the true Dharma?”
“I see them, Blessed One.”
“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “if you were to teach this formulation of the Dharma to all those beings, it would only be to their benefit.”
“Blessed One, what is the name of this formulation of the Dharma? As what should it be remembered?”
“To that end, Ānanda,” the Blessed One answered, “remember this formulation of the Dharma as The Chapter of Vajrapāṇi. Remember it also as The Chapter of the Teaching of the Secrets of the Realized Ones. Remember it also as The Teaching of the Inconceivable Qualities of the Buddhas. Remember it also as The Arising of Immeasurable Merit. Ānanda, if an individual who has been born into the Vehicle of the Bodhisattvas were to remember well this formulation of the Dharma and teach it in full to others with no expectation of reward,
9.21
then this individual would gain far more merit than an individual could hope to gain as a result of giving a gift that fills the world with precious jewels from the surface of the ground of the buddha domains up to the highest point of existence, a sight that is seen with the eye of a buddha. That is why this formulation of the Dharma is called both The Chapter of the Teaching of the Secrets of the Realized Ones and The Arising of Immeasurable Merit.”
When this chapter on the entrusting of the true Dharma had been taught, ten billion beings conceived the aspiration for unsurpassable and perfect awakening, ninety-six thousand bodhisattvas gained the state of acceptance, eighty-four thousand beings attained the pure eye of Dharma in regard to all things, and one thousand six hundred monks were liberated in mind, while an immeasurable number of buddha domains throughout the ten directions shook, and hundreds of thousands of gods played musical instruments and rained down showers of flowers, while proclaiming, “May this formulation of the Dharma remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa!”
This is what the Blessed One said, and Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, the bodhisattva Śāntamati, the god Bhadrarāja, King Ajātaśatru, and the bodhisattvas, the monks, Venerable Ānanda, and the whole world with its gods, human beings, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced at what the Blessed One had said.
Colophon
Translated, edited, corrected according to the revised terminology, and finalized by the Indian scholars Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and Munivarman, along with the chief editor and translator monk, Bandé Yeshé Dé.