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དམ་པའ་ཆས་པད་མ་དཀར་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 4

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma 4

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English

4.2

There is no difference in their clay. It is only because of the substances placed within them that they are said to be different kinds of bowls.

“Kāśyapa, in that way there is this one yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, and there is no second or third yāna.”

Then Brother Mahākāśyapa asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, when beings with different aspirations depart from the three realms, do they have the one nirvāṇa or is there a second or third nirvāṇa?”

“Kāśyapa,” replied the Bhagavān, “nirvāṇa is the realization of the equality of all phenomena, and therefore there is the one nirvāṇa, and there is no second or third nirvāṇa.

“Kāśyapa, some wise beings will understand the meaning through the teaching of a parable, and therefore I shall teach you a parable.

“Kāśyapa, it is like this: A man who is blind from birth says, ‘There are no forms with good color or bad color. There is no one who sees forms with good color or bad color. There are no sun and moon. There are no stars. There are no planets. There is no one who sees planets.’

“Then some other people say in front of that born-blind man, ‘There are good colors and bad colors. There are those who see forms with good color or bad color. There are a sun and moon. There are stars. There are planets. There are those who see planets.’

“The born-blind man does not have faith in those people, and does not believe what they have said.

“A physician who knows every illness sees the blind man and thinks, ‘That man has an illness because of his past bad karma. Every illness is one of four²⁶¹ kinds: caused by air, caused by bile, caused by phlegm, or caused by their combination.’

4.3

“Then the physician thinks again and again as to what method would cure the man of his illness. He thinks, ‘The medicines that are available here will not be able to cure him, but there are four kinds of herbs on the king of mountains, the Himalayas.’ What are these four? First there is the one named endowed with all colors and tastes,²⁶² the second is called freedom from all illness,²⁶³ the third is called elimination of all poisons,²⁶⁴ and the fourth is called bestowing happiness anywhere.²⁶⁵ Those are the four herbs.

“Then the physician, feeling compassion for the born-blind man, contemplates by what method he would be able to go to the king of mountain ranges, the Himalayas. He goes there and, searching for them, he climbs up, climbs down, and traverses their slopes. Searching in that way he finds the four herbs. After finding them, some he gives after grinding them with his teeth, some he gives after crushing them, some he gives after mixing them with other substances and then cooking them, some he gives after mixing them with other substances uncooked, some he gives after piercing a point on the body with a needle, some he gives after burning them with fire, and some he gives after mixing them with each other, and also mixing them with food, drink, and so on. Through the application of these methods the born-blind man gains sight.

“When he has gained sight he sees outside and inside, far and near, the light of the moon, the sunlight, the stars, the planets, and all forms. He says, ‘Oh, I was so stupid before in not believing what was taught to me, not accepting what was said. Now I can see everything! I am freed from blindness!’

“At that time there are rishis who have the five higher knowledges: divine sight, divine hearing, the knowledge of others’ minds, memory of previous lives, and mastery of miraculous powers. They say to the man, ‘Oh, all you obtained is your sight. If you have no other knowledge, why are you proud? You have no wisdom.

4.4

You have no sagacity.’

“They also say to him, ‘You know, when you are sitting inside a house, you do not see the forms that are outside. You do not know the kind thoughts or malicious thoughts of beings. You do not know, do not hear, the sounds of people speaking, or the sounds of drums, conches, and so on, which are five yojanas away. You are not able to travel one krośa without taking a step with your feet. You are not able to remember the activity of being conceived and growing in your mother’s womb. So how can you be sagacious? How can you say that you see everything? Oh, you think that light is darkness. You think that darkness is light!’

“Then that man says to the rishis, ‘Through what method and through what good actions can I attain such wisdom as that, and through your benevolence attain these qualities?’

“ ‘If you wish for those you must dwell in a solitary place,’ say the rishis to that man, ‘or, staying in a cave, you should contemplate the Dharma. You should forsake all the afflictions of the mind. If in this way you have the qualities of a mendicant, you will attain higher knowledge.’

“That man then adopts that goal and entering homelessness he resides in solitude. With a one-pointed mind he abandons craving for this world and attains the five higher knowledges. Having obtained the five higher knowledges, he thinks, ‘I did not attain any qualities whatsoever through the other actions I had performed in the past. Now I can go wherever I think of. In the past, I had little wisdom and little insight. I was blind.’

“Kāśyapa, I have made this parable so that its meaning can be understood. Its meaning should be seen in this way:

“Kāśyapa, the blind man represents the beings who dwell in the saṃsāra of the five²⁶⁶ kinds of existences. Those who do not know the good Dharma generate the black darkness of the kleśas and have the blindness of ignorance. Those who are blind with ignorance accumulate formations.

4.5

Through the factor of formation there is name-and-form, and so on until the arising of a great mass of sheer suffering. In that way they are blinded by ignorance. The Tathāgata has compassion for the beings in saṃsāra, and although he has transcended the three realms he has love for them like that of a father for his only son. With great compassion he goes to the three realms. The Bhagavān looks with eyes of wisdom upon the beings who are afflicted and wandering in the cycle of saṃsāra and do not know how to leave saṃsāra. Seeing them he knows, ‘These beings, because of their previous good actions, have little anger and great desire, while these have little desire and great anger; some have little wisdom, some are wise; and some are ripened and pure, and some hold wrong views.’ The Tathāgata, using a skillful method, teaches three yānas to those beings.

“The rishis with the five higher knowledges and pure vision are the bodhisattvas who have developed the aspiration for enlightenment, attained receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena, and attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

“The great physician should be seen to be the Tathāgata.

“The born-blind man should be seen to be beings who are blinded by ignorance.

“Air, bile, and phlegm should be seen as desire, anger, ignorance, and the sixty-two fabricated views.

“The four kinds of herbs should be seen as (1) the doorway of emptiness, (2) the doorway of the absence of attributes, (3) the doorway of the absence of aspiration, and (4) nirvāṇa.

“The herbs are given in such and such a way so as to cure such and such an illness, and in that way through meditation on the doorways to liberation—emptiness, the absence of attributes,

4.6

and the absence of aspiration—they bring an end to ignorance. Because of the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of formation, and so on until there is the cessation of the great mass of sheer suffering. And thus their minds neither dwell on virtue nor on sin.

“The born-blind man who gains sight should be seen as those who follow the Śrāvakayāna and the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna. They cut through the bondage of saṃsāra’s kleśas. Freed from the bondage of the kleśas, they are liberated from the six existences of the three realms. Therefore, those following the Śrāvakayāna think and say, ‘There is no other Dharma for attaining complete buddhahood and I have attained nirvāṇa.’ Then the Tathāgata teaches them the Dharma, saying, ‘How can one who has not attained the entire Dharma have nirvāṇa?’ and he then leads them to the attainment of enlightenment. Having gained realization they see the world of the three realms in the ten directions as empty, like an emanation, like an illusion, like a dream, a mirage, and an echo. They see that all phenomena are unborn and unceasing, without bondage or liberation, without darkness and without light.

“The ones who thus see and hear these profound dharmas see, without seeing, the different thoughts and aspirations of beings that fill the entire three realms.”

Then the Bhagavān, teaching this in greater detail, recited these verses:

“The light of the sun and moon
Shines equally upon humans,
Both those with qualities and the sinful,
Without increase or diminution. {45}

“The wisdom light of the Tathāgata
Shines equally like the sun and moon,
And it guides all beings
Without diminution or excess. {46}

4.7

“A potter makes clay pots
Equally from the same clay
But they become pots
For molasses, milk, ghee, or water. {47}

“Some are for impurities
And others for curds,
Though the potter makes the pots
By using the same clay. {48}

“A pot is characterized in accordance
With the substance that is contained within it.
In the same way there is no difference between beings
But there are those who become tathāgatas because of their aspirations. {49}

“They describe separate yānas
But the Buddhayāna is the definitive one.²⁶⁷
If there is no knowledge of the circle of saṃsāra
There can be no knowledge of nirvāṇa. {50}

“The one who knows emptiness
And that phenomena are without self
Truly knows the enlightenment
Of the bhagavāns, of the buddhas. {51}

“Someone who is classified as having
Medium wisdom is said to be a pratyekajina.
Someone who is lacking²⁶⁸ the knowledge of emptiness
Is proclaimed to be a śrāvaka. {52}

“The one who comprehends all phenomena
Is said to be a perfectly enlightened buddha.²⁶⁹ {53}

“Someone who is born blind says,
Not having ever seen
The sun, moon, planets, or stars,
‘There are no forms whatsoever.’ {54}

“A great physician has great compassion
For the one who is born blind,
And goes to the Himalayas,
Ascending, descending, and traversing them. {55}

“From the mountains he finds herbs
Of four kinds such as the one called
Endowed with all colors and tastes,²⁷⁰
And he blends them together. {56}

“Some he grinds with his teeth,
And others he crushes, or moreover
Inserts them into a limb with a needle’s point,
Thereby using them on the born-blind man. {57}

“The blind man gains his sight and sees the sun,
The moon, the planets, and the stars,
And then he thinks that in the past
He had spoken out of ignorance. {58}

“In that way, beings have great²⁷¹ ignorance
Like the born-blind man, and continue in saṃsāra.
Because they do not know the cycle of dependent origination
Their path is the river of suffering.²⁷² {59}

“The supreme all-knowing one,²⁷³

4.8

The Tathāgata, the great physician,
Who has the nature of compassion,
Appears in the world that is stupefied by ignorance. {60}

“That Teacher, skillful in methods,
Teaches the good Dharma.
To those in the highest yāna he teaches
The supreme enlightenment of buddhahood. {61}

“The Guide expounds the medium
To those who have medium wisdom,
And also describes another enlightenment
To those who are frightened of saṃsāra. {62}

“Śrāvakas²⁷⁴ who have freed themselves
From the three realms understand in this way:
‘I have gained the attainment
Of peace, of stainless nirvāṇa. {63}

“ ‘I have understood the entire Dharma
And thereby attained immortal nirvāṇa.’²⁷⁵ {64}

“Then the great rishis have
Great compassion for the once-blind man,
And they say, ‘You are a fool!
Do not think, “I am wise!” {65}

“ ‘When you are staying
In the interior of a house,
You, who are an ignoramus,
Do not know what is outside. {66}

“ ‘How can you, ignoramus, say you have knowledge
When still, while you are inside,
You do not know what is done
Or not done on the outside? {67}

“ ‘You are not even able to hear
The sounds that are made
Merely five yojanas distant,
Let alone any further. {68}

“ ‘You are not able to know
What malicious thoughts others have
Or what kind thoughts they have,
So how can you be proud? {69}

“ ‘You are not able to go even one krośa
Without having to take a step.
You have immediately forgotten
Whatever happened in your mother’s womb. {70}

“ ‘Someone who is called omniscient
Is someone who has the five higher knowledges.
You are stupid and know nothing,
And yet you say, “I am omniscient.” {71}

“ ‘If you wish to be omniscient,
You must attain higher knowledge.
In order to accomplish higher knowledge
You must contemplate in solitude
The pure Dharma, and then through that
You will accomplish higher knowledge.’²⁷⁶ {72}

“Having that as his goal he enters solitude
And contemplates with perfect concentration.
He attains the five higher knowledges,
And soon possesses those qualities. {73}

4.9

“In that way, all the śrāvakas
Believe they have attained nirvāṇa.
The Jina teaches to them,
‘This is not nirvāṇa, it is a rest. {74}

“ ‘This way of teaching
Is the method of the buddhas.
There is no other nirvāṇa
Than omniscience—strive to attain it! {75}

“ ‘The infinite wisdom of the three times,
And the excellent six perfections;
Emptiness, the absence of attributes,
And the elimination of aspiration; {76}

“ ‘The aspiration to enlightenment,
And the other dharmas that lead to nirvāṇa;²⁷⁷ {77}

“ ‘The four brahmavihāras, the methods of attracting disciples,
And whatever else has been taught,
Has been taught by the supreme rishis
For the purpose of guiding beings. {78}

“ ‘The one who knows that phenomena
Have the nature of dreams and illusions,
Are without an essence like a plantain tree
And are the same as echoes, {79}

“ ‘That one knows the nature
Of the entire three realms,
Has no bondage, is liberated,
And knows nirvāṇa. {80}

“ ‘All phenomena are empty and equal,
And their nature is without diversity or differentiation.
If that is not perceived,
There is no insight into any phenomenon. {81}

“ ‘The one with great wisdom sees
The entire dharmakāya.
There are no three yānas at all;
There is only the single yāna. {82}

“ ‘All phenomena are the same;
All are the same, always the same.
Knowing that, one knows
Nirvāṇa, deathlessness, and peace.’ ” {83}

Chapter 6

The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas

When the Bhagavān had finished reciting those verses, he announced to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Oh bhikṣus! I declare to you,²⁷⁸ I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka bhikṣu of mine, Kāśyapa, will serve three hundred billion buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them.²⁷⁹ He will hold the Dharma of those buddha bhagavāns.

4.10

In his last life, in an eon named Mahāvyūha, in a world named Avabhāsaprāptā, he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct,²⁸⁰ the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Raśmiprabhāsa. His lifespan will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons. His buddha realm will be pure and clean, without stones, pebbles, or gravel, without chasms or cliffs, without drains or cesspools.²⁸¹ It will be flat, pleasant, beautiful, delightful, made of beryl, adorned by jewel trees, divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords,²⁸² and filled with flowers. There will be many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas there. There will be countless hundred thousand quintillions of śrāvakas there. The evil Māra and his followers will not appear there. Even if Māra and Māra’s followers were to appear there they would become dedicated to maintaining the Dharma taught by the bhagavān tathāgata Raśmiprabhāsa.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“Bhikṣus, I see with my buddha’s eyes
That this sthavira, Kāśyapa, will become a buddha
In a future time, after countless eons
Of making offerings to supreme humans. {1}

“This Kāśyapa will see
A full three hundred billion jinas.
Bhikṣus,²⁸³ for the wisdom of buddhahood
He will practice celibacy during that time. {2}

4.11

“He will make offerings to those supreme humans
And will accomplish the highest wisdom.
In his last lifetime he will become
A lord of the world, an unequaled great rishi. {3}

“His realm will be most perfect,
Excellent, pure, and beautiful,
Pleasing in appearance, constantly delightful,
And adorned by cords of gold. {4}

“It will be divided like a checkerboard and in each square
There will be a variety of trees made of jewels
And the aroma of a spreading, pleasing incense
Will be in this realm, O bhikṣus. {5}

“It will be adorned by many flowers;
It will be beautified by a variety of flowers.
There will be no chasms or cliffs.
It will be flat, excellent, and beautiful. {6}

“There will be many billions of bodhisattvas there
With very disciplined minds and great miraculous powers.
There will be many thousands who will hold
The extensive sūtras of the Protector. {7}

“There will be śrāvakas of the Dharma King
Who are in their last lives, without defilements.
One could never be able to know their number
Even if one were to count with divine knowledge for eons. {8}

“He will live for twelve intermediate eons.
His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons,
And the outer form of his Dharma for twenty intermediate eons.
It is thus that Raśmiprabhāsa will appear.” {9}

Then Brother Sthavira Mahā­maudgalyāyana, Brother Subhūti, and Brother Mahākātyāyana, with trembling bodies and unblinking eyes, stared at the Bhagavān, and all three of them in their minds recited these verses:

“Great hero, Arhat!
Śākya Lion! Supreme human!
Through your love for us
Speak the Buddha’s words. {10}

“Supreme human, knowing
That there is for us this definite opportunity,
Jina, sprinkle amrita upon us
And give to us a prophecy. {11}

“Just as when, during a famine,

4.12

Someone who finds good food
Shows what they have, and says,
‘I have found food!’ {12}

“Likewise, while contemplating the lower yāna
We are longing in that same way—
Like beings during a famine—
For the attainment of the Buddha’s wisdom. {13}

“The great Muni, the perfect Buddha,
Has not yet given us his prophecy.
This is like not being able to enjoy the food
That has been placed in our hands. {14}

“Hero, though we thus long
To hear your unsurpassable words,
When we have received the prophecy
Then we will have attained nirvāṇa. {15}

“Great hero, compassionate one
Whose wish is to bring benefit, give us the prophecy!
Great Muni, may there be an end
To the poverty of our minds.” {16}

At this, the Bhagavān, knowing in his own mind the thoughts that were in the minds of those great śrāvakas, those sthaviras, said to that complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, this great śrāvaka of mine, the sthavira Subhūti, will serve three hundred thousand million buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. And he will practice celibacy throughout that time and attain enlightenment. Having completed these activities, in his last life he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct,²⁸⁴ the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Śaśiketu. His buddha realm will be named Ratnasaṃbhava. The eon will be named Ratnāvabhāsa. The realm will be level, delightful, made of crystal, adorned by jewel trees, without chasms or cliffs, without drains or cesspools,²⁸⁵

4.13

and filled with beautiful flowers. People will live within enjoyable kūṭāgāras. There will be many śrāvakas there. It will not be possible to know an end of counting them. There will be many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas there. The lifespan of that bhagavān will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons. That bhagavān will be constantly teaching the Dharma while being suspended in midair, guiding many hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas and hundreds of thousands of śrāvakas.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“Listen to me, bhikṣus! I declare to you today,
And I make it known to you today
That this sthavira, Subhūti, my śrāvaka,
Will in a future time become a buddha. {17}

“He will see a full three hundred billion buddhas,
Those with great power,
And for the sake of the wisdom of buddhahood
He will practice appropriate conduct during that time. {18}

“In his last lifetime, this hero
Will have a body with the thirty-two signs.
He will be a great rishi like a golden pillar,
With compassion and benefit for the world. {19}

“His excellent realm will be beautiful,
Pleasant, and attractive for a multitude of beings.
He will live there as a friend for the world
And will liberate quintillions of beings. {20}

“There will be many bodhisattvas with great power
Who will turn the irreversible wheel.
They will have sharp faculties in the Jina’s teachings
And will be beautifying that buddha realm. {21}

“He will have many, countless śrāvakas,
Whose number will be beyond measure,
With the six higher knowledges, the three insights, great miracles,
And established in the eight liberations. {22}

4.14

“He will have inconceivable miraculous powers
And he will teach this highest enlightenment.
Devas and humans as numerous as the Ganges sands
Will constantly place their hands together in homage to him. {23}

“He will remain for twelve intermediate eons.
His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons.
The outer form of the supreme human’s Dharma
Will remain for another twenty intermediate eons.” {24}

Next, the Bhagavān said to that complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, I declare to you,²⁸⁶ I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka of mine, the sthavira Mahākātyāyana, will serve eighty thousand million buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. When those tathāgatas have passed into nirvāṇa, he will make stūpas for those tathāgatas. They will be made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emerald, and white coral. They will be a thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in circumference. He will make offerings to those stūpas of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, and banners of victory. Moreover, beyond that and further beyond, he will serve in that way two hundred million buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. Then in his last life he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Jāmbūnada­prabhāsa. His buddha realm will be completely pure, level, delightful, attractive, beautiful,

4.15

made of crystal, adorned by jewel trees, divided by cords of gold, and filled with beautiful flowers. There will be no hells, animals, realm of Yama, or asura realm. It will be filled there with many devas and humans, beautified by many hundred thousands of śrāvakas, and adorned by many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas. The lifespan of that bhagavān will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“Bhikṣus, all of you listen to me today,
To these infallible words that I speak.
This śrāvaka of mine, sthavira Kātyāyana,
Will make offerings to the guides. {25}

“When the guides of the world pass into nirvāṇa
He will create many stūpas for them.
He will honor them in many ways
And make offerings to them of incense and flowers. {26}

“When he has attained his last lifetime
He will become a jina in a completely pure realm.
He will completely perfect this wisdom
And will teach ten thousand million beings. {27}

“He will be honored by the world and its devas.
He will be a powerful, illuminating buddha.
His name will be Jāmbūnadābhāsa,
And he will liberate millions of devas and humans. {28}

“In that realm there will be innumerable,
Countless multitudes of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas.
They will all eliminate becoming and ceasing,
And beautify the teaching of the Buddha.” {29}

Lastly, the Bhagavān said to that complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, I declare to you,²⁸⁷ I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka of mine, the sthavira Mahā­maudgalyāyana, will serve twenty-eight thousand buddhas,

4.16

will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. When those tathāgatas have passed into nirvāṇa, he will make stūpas for those tathāgatas. They will be made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emerald, and white coral. They will be a thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in circumference. He will make offerings to those stūpas of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, and banners of victory. Moreover, beyond that and further beyond, he will serve in that way two million quintillion buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. Then in his last life, he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Tamāla­patra­candana­gandha. His buddha realm will be named Manobhirāma. The name of the eon will be Ratiprapūrṇa. His buddha realm will be completely pure, level, delightful, attractive, beautiful, made of crystal, adorned by jewel trees, strewn with flower petals, and filled with many devas and humans. Hundreds of thousands of rishis will dwell there, who are śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. His lifespan will be twenty-four intermediate eons.

4.17

His Dharma will remain for forty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further forty intermediate eons.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“This my śrāvaka, Maudgalyagotra,
Having departed from this human body,
Will see twenty thousand jinas, protectors,
And moreover another eight thousand. {30}

“He will during that time practice celibacy,
Seeking this wisdom of buddhahood.
He will in that time serve in many ways
Those guides, those supreme humans. {31}

“For a thousand million eons he will hold
The stainless Dharma they have taught.
When those sugatas have passed into nirvāṇa
He will make offerings to their stūpas. {32}

“He will make beautiful stūpas of precious materials
Together with victory banners for those supreme jinas.
He will offer flowers, incense, and music
To those compassionate benefiters of the world. {33}

“Then when he is in his last lifetime,
In a realm that is beautiful and delightful,
He will become a compassionate benefiter of the world
Who has the name Tamāla­patra­candana­gandha. {34}

“The lifespan of that sugata will be
A full twenty thousand intermediate eons.
He will constantly be giving the teaching
Of this way to buddhahood to humans and devas. {35}

“Then there will be many śrāvakas of that jina,
As numerous as the sands of ten billion Ganges,
Who in the teaching of that sugata will attain
The six higher knowledges, the three insights, and great miracles. {36}

“There will be many irreversible bodhisattvas,
Many thousands of them there
Who will mindfully engage in diligence
And be dedicated to the teaching of that sugata. {37}

“Even when that jina²⁸⁸ has passed into nirvāṇa
His Dharma will remain during the time
Of a full forty intermediate eons
And its outer form will remain for the same length of time. {38}

“These five²⁸⁹ śrāvakas of mine with great miraculous powers,
Whose highest enlightenment I have prophesied,

4.18

Will in a future time be self-arisen jinas,
So their conduct you should hear from me.” {39}

Chapter 7

The Past

“Bhikṣus, in the past, in a time gone by, beyond and even further beyond the most countless, innumerable, incalculable, unquantifiable, inconceivable asaṃkhyeya eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Mahārūpa, in a world named Saṃbhavā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

“Bhikṣus, how long has it been since that tathāgata appeared? Bhikṣus, it is like this: A man crushes all the earth of the worlds in this realm of a billion worlds into powder. Then that man takes a single smallest particle of dust from those worlds and goes beyond a thousand worlds in the eastern direction and puts it down. Then that man takes a second²⁹⁰ smallest particle of dust, and passing beyond an even further thousand worlds puts down that second²⁹¹ smallest particle of dust. In that way the man removes the entire element of earth into the eastern direction.

“Bhikṣus, what do you think? Is it possible to calculate the end, the furthest extent of those worlds?”

“Bhagavān, it’s impossible.” they answered. “Sugata, it’s impossible.”

“Bhikṣus,” continued the Bhagavān, “a mathematician, a great mathematician could calculate the number of the worlds in which particles were placed and the number of those in which a particle was not placed.

4.19

However, they could not through their enumeration know the number of the hundred thousands of quintillion of eons that have passed since the bhagavān tathāgata Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū passed into nirvāṇa.

“Bhikṣus, there has been such an inconceivable, such an immeasurable length of time since that tathāgata passed into nirvāṇa, but through possessing the power of the vision of a tathāgata’s wisdom, I remember that nirvāṇa as if it were yesterday or today.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“I remember that many eons ago in the past,
At that time there was a supreme human,
A great muni named Abhi­jñā­jñānābhi­bhū,
A supreme jina who appeared in the world. {1}

“If someone were to make into the smallest particles of dust
All the worlds in a realm of a billion worlds,
And were to take from there a single smallest particle,
And having traversed a thousand worlds put it down, {2}

“And then were they similarly to deposit a second and a third,
And were they to move all the dust in that way
So that this world realm would become vacant
And all that dust would have been taken away, {3}

“Those smallest particles of dust
In those worlds would be uncountable.
If all those dust particles that had been created
Were each to represent a hundred eons, {4}

“Even the many countless millions of eons
That all those dust particles represent
Could not convey how many eons have come to an end
Since that sugata passed into nirvāṇa. {5}

“That is how long since that guide’s nirvāṇa,
And since his śrāvakas and bodhisattvas thrived.
I remember, through the wisdom of the Tathāgata,
Exactly what occurred as if it were today or yesterday. {6}

“Bhikṣus, such is my wisdom,
The limitless wisdom of the Tathāgata.
With my subtle and immaculate memory

4.20

I know many hundreds of eons. {7}

“Bhikṣus, the lifespan of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū was fifty-four hundred thousand quintillion eons. Before that bhagavān attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he went to the sublime, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa. He conquered and defeated the entire army of Māra. Having defeated and conquered it, he thought, ‘I shall attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’

“While those qualities had not yet manifested, he sat on the Bodhimaṇḍa at the foot of the Bodhi tree for an entire intermediate eon. He sat there for a second intermediate eon but still did not attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. During a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth, and a tenth intermediate eon he sat on the Bodhimaṇḍa at the foot of the Bodhi tree, with legs always crossed, never standing up, with his mind unwavering and his body motionless, but even so, during that time those qualities did not manifest for him.

“Bhikṣus, the devas of Trāyastriṃśa erected for that bhagavān, who had come to the sublime, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa, a great lion throne, which was five hundred yojanas high, for the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. As soon as that bhagavān sat on the Bodhimaṇḍa, the Brahmakāyika devas sent down a rain of flowers up to ten yojanas around the Bodhimaṇḍa, and from the sky a breeze would come that removed all the withering flowers. In that way a rain of flowers fell and fell continuously on the Bhagavān sitting on the Bodhimaṇḍa.

4.21

They fell on that bhagavān throughout the entire ten intermediate eons. That rainfall of flowers continued to fall until the nirvāṇa of that bhagavān, being tossed down upon that bhagavān.

“The devas of the paradises of the four mahārājas, in order to honor the Bhagavān seated at the sublime, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa, played the divine drums of paradise and played them throughout the entire ten intermediate eons. The delightful divine music continued until the time of the great nirvāṇa of the Bhagavān.

“Bhikṣus, after ten intermediate eons had passed, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. When the Bhagavān was young he had had sixteen sons of his own, and they immediately knew that he had attained buddhahood. The eldest of those sons was named Jñānākara.

“Bhikṣus, each of these sixteen young princes enjoyed delightful, captivating, and beautiful amusements of many kinds.

“Bhikṣus, when the sixteen young princes knew that the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū had attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, they abandoned their many different kinds of delightful amusements and, encircled and accompanied by their weeping²⁹² mothers and wet nurses, and encircled and accompanied by their grandfather,²⁹³ who was the cakravartin king Mahākośa,

4.22

the king’s ministers, and many hundred thousands of quintillions of beings, they went to the Bodhimaṇḍa where the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū was seated, in order to serve him, venerate him, honor him, make offerings to him, praise him, and respect him.

“When they arrived there, they bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān three times, and with hands together in homage, in front of the Bhagavān they fittingly praised him with these verses:

“ ‘You have the six great higher knowledges, you are unsurpassable,
And you have perfected yourself for endless eons,
In order to bring liberation to all beings.
You have fulfilled here your excellent intention. {8}

“ ‘You have endured hardship for ten intermediate eons,
Practicing being seated upon one seat.
You have never moved your body,
Hands, or feet, or gone anywhere. {9}

“ ‘Your mind is at peace and perfectly stilled,
You are never agitated or disturbed,
You never have any distraction,
You remain in perfect, immaculate peace. {10}

“ ‘You have attained this supreme enlightenment
Through goodness, bliss, happiness, and harmlessness.
In that way, this is our good fortune;
Lord of Men, Lion, we increase our virtue. {11}

“ ‘All these suffering beings have no protector;
Their eyes gouged out, they are deprived of happiness.
They do not know the path that will end suffering,
And do not have the diligence to attain liberation. {12}

“ ‘For a long time they have been increasing lower existences,
And factors depriving them of divine rebirths.
They never hear the words of the Jina
And the entire world is in the darkness of ignorance. {13}

4.23

“ ‘Knower of the World, you have attained today
The state of sublime, immaculate peace.
We and the world are in your care.
Protector, we go to you for refuge.’ {14}

“Bhikṣus, those sixteen children, young princes, with these verses fittingly praised the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū. They then said, ‘Bhagavān, we request you to teach the Dharma for the benefit and welfare of devas and humans and of the great multitudes of beings. Sugata, we request you to teach the Dharma!’ They thus requested the bhagavān to turn the wheel of the Dharma, and they made a further request through these verses:

“ ‘You with the signs of a hundred merits,
Unequaled guide, great rishi, teach the Dharma!
You have attained the superior, highest wisdom.
Teach it to this world and its devas— {15}

“ ‘Liberate us and these beings!
Teach the wisdom of the tathāgatas
So that we and these beings
Will attain this highest enlightenment. {16}

“ ‘You fully comprehend conduct and wisdom;
You know previous motivations and merit
And the aspirations of all beings.
Turn the supreme, unsurpassable wheel!’ {17}

“Bhikṣus, when the bhagavān , the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds in each of the ten directions shook and were filled with a great light.

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