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དམ་པའ་ཆས་པད་མ་དཀར་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 7

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma 7

Language
English

7.2

“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas do not practice within any phenomenon whatsoever. They see correctly the specific characteristics of those phenomena. They have no analysis or examination of those phenomena. That, Mañjuśrī, is what is called the practice of bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

“Mañjuśrī, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ field of activity? Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas do not associate with a king, do not associate with, revere, serve, or visit princes, the king’s ministers, or the king’s courtiers. They do not associate with, revere, or serve those other practitioners, mendicants, beggars, and naked ones who are tīrthikas,³⁹⁸ nor those who teach poetry. They do not associate with, revere, serve, or become familiar with those who possess worldly mantras, nor with Lokāyatas. They do not frequent the company of caṇḍālas, swindlers, pig sellers, chicken sellers, deer hunters, fishermen, singers and dancers, musicians,³⁹⁹ or wrestlers. They do not frequent places of entertainment for others. They do not associate with them. Other than that, they teach the Dharma freely to them at those times when they approach them. They do not associate with, revere, serve, or become familiar with the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas and upāsikās who follow the Śrāvakayāna. They do not mingle with them either on their walkways or in their temples. Other than that, they teach the Dharma freely to them at those times when they approach them.

“Mañjuśrī, that is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ field of activity.

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva

7.3

mahāsattva does not constantly teach the Dharma to women while possessing one or another sign of attachment to them. He does not constantly desire to be looking at women. He does not approach families constantly thinking of teaching the Dharma to the women, the girls, and the wives, and does not delight in doing so. He does not teach the Dharma to paṇḍakas and does not become familiar with them, nor delight in them. He does not enter homes alone to procure alms, unless he is recollecting the Tathāgata.

“If he does teach the Dharma to a woman, he does not even teach the Dharma with desire for the Dharma, let alone with desire for the woman. He teaches the Dharma without even revealing his teeth, let alone any obvious facial expression.

“He does not associate with śrāmaṇeras or śrāmaṇerīs, bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs, young men or young women, and does not converse with them.⁴⁰⁰ He is someone who reveres isolation and always remains in isolation.

“Mañjuśrī, that is the first field of activity of bodhisattva mahāsattvas.

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas see the emptiness of all phenomena—phenomena as they are, not as they are not—as they truly are, unwavering, unshakeable, immutable, unchanging, always as they truly are, having the nature of space, beyond definition and terminology, unborn, neither existing nor not existing, not composite, not continuous, spoken of through the word nonexistence, in an unimpeded state, and manifested from erroneous conceptualization.

“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas are always seeing phenomena in that way, and by remaining in that state, they maintain the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ field of activity.

“Mañjuśrī, that is the second field of activity of bodhisattva mahāsattvas.”

7.4

Thereupon the Bhagavān taught on this topic in detail, speaking these verses:

“The bodhisattvas who wish
To give the teaching of this sūtra
With confidence and courage
In the later, terrifying times, {1}

“Should maintain their practice and field of activity:
They should be isolated and pure.
They should always abstain
From association with kings and princes. {2}

“They should have no association either
With those who are the king’s courtiers,
Nor at all with caṇḍālas, swindlers,
Or those who are tīrthikas.⁴⁰¹ {3}

“They should not associate with arrogant bhikṣus,
Who follow vinaya and scripture
And conceive of themselves as arhats.
They should avoid those with poor conduct.

“They should always avoid bhikṣuṇīs
Whose behavior is talking and laughing.
They should also avoid the upāsikās⁴⁰²
Who are evidently dissolute. {5}

“They should avoid association with
Those upāsikās who are seeking
For nirvāṇa within this lifetime.
This is what is called the practice. {6}

“The brave one should always teach
Confidently and freely
Those who come asking for the Dharma
For the sake of supreme enlightenment. {7}

“He should avoid association with
Beings who are women, or paṇḍakas.
He should also avoid families
That have brides and young women. {8}

“He should not delight those women,⁴⁰³
Laughingly asking after their welfare.⁴⁰⁴
He should avoid association
With pig farmers and shepherds.⁴⁰⁵ {9}

“He should avoid association
With those who will kill various creatures
For the sake of pleasure,
And those who sell flesh to eat. {10}

“He should avoid association
With those beings who are keepers of women,
Dancers, wrestlers, musicians,⁴⁰⁶
And other people of that kind. {11}

“He should not frequent courtesans
Or others who provide pleasures;
He should completely avoid
The enjoyments that they provide. {12}

“When the wise one is teaching
The Dharma to a woman,
He should not be alone with her,
Nor should it be an occasion for laughter. {13}

“If he has to enter a village
Repeatedly to obtain alms,

7.5

He should find a companion bhikṣu
Or otherwise should recollect the Buddha. {14}

“I have here taught
The first practice and field of activity
That should be maintained by the wise ones
Who uphold this kind of sūtra. {15}

“When they are not engaged in any phenomenon,
Whether inferior, superior, or middling,
Whether composite or noncomposite,
Whether existent or nonexistent, {16}

“When the stable ones do not entertain the notion of ‘woman,’
And do not have the concept of ‘man,’
Then, because all phenomena are unborn,
Upon seeking them they do not see them. {17}

“This practice that I have described
Is completely that of the bodhisattvas.
Listen to the explanation
Of that which is their field of activity. {18}

“These phenomena are declared nonexistent;
They are all unproduced and unborn.
They remain empty and motionless at all times:
That is what is called the field of activity of the wise. {19}

“Being and not being, existing and not existing:
These are fabrications of erroneous conceptualization.
Unborn phenomena that are also unoriginated
Are misconstrued to be born⁴⁰⁷ and existing. {20}

“With a one-pointed mind, always in meditation,
As completely stable as Mount Sumeru,
Stable in this way, they should view
All these phenomena as being like space. {21}

“They are always the same as space, without an essence,
Motionless and devoid of illusory thoughts.⁴⁰⁸
This is the way phenomena are throughout time.
This is what is called the field of activity of the wise. {22}

“The bhikṣus who after my nirvāṇa
Maintain my way of mendicancy
Should teach this sūtra in the world
And be free of any apprehension. {23}

“The wise ones should at times contemplate,
Enter their room, close the door,
View the nature of phenomena,
Rise up, and teach without apprehension. {24}

“They will be given protection by the kings
And those princes who listen to the Dharma.
Moreover, householders and brahmins
Will all be present as their followers. {25}

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī,

7.6

after I have passed into nirvāṇa, in the later times, in a later era, when the Dharma is being destroyed, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to teach this Dharma teaching will be established in happiness. Thus established in happiness, they will teach the Dharma. When they teach it to others, whether it is from memory or based on a book, they will not be those who are seeking for faults in others, they will not speak ill of other bhikṣu dharmabhāṇakas, they will not say unpleasant things about them, they will not state unpleasant things about them. They will not say unpleasant things about them while mentioning by name bhikṣus of the Śrāvakayāna. They will not speak unpleasant things about them, nor will they have the concept of being their opponent. Why is that? It is because they will be remaining in a state of happiness. They will teach the Dharma to those who come to listen to them beneficially and without envy. They will not quarrel and will not answer questions with an answer from the Śrāvakayāna, but instead they will answer as one would who has attained the enlightenment of the wisdom of buddhahood.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“The wise ones will always remain happy.
Being so, they will teach the Dharma.
In a pure and pleasant place
They will spread out a wide seat. {26}

“They will wear a clean Dharma robe
That has been dyed an excellent color.
They will wrap themselves in a dark monastic cloak
And wear a large, excellent lower robe. {27}

“They will sit upon a seat, with a footstool,
That is covered with various pieces of calico.
They will wash their feet well and then go up onto it,
Having oiled their head and their face. {28}

“Seated upon that Dharma throne,
They will give a variety of teachings
To the single-minded beings who have assembled,
And to the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs. {29}

“Those wise ones who are without envy
Will speak pleasantly on various subjects
To the upāsakas and upāsikās,
And similarly to the kings and princes. {30}

7.7

“At that time when they ask them questions
They will again teach with the appropriate meaning.
Whoever hears the meaning that is taught
In this way will attain enlightenment. {31}

“They will free themselves from all laziness
And they will not give rise to thoughts of fatigue.
The wise ones will dispel all unhappiness
And contemplate their followers with love. {32}

“Day and night, they will meditate on the supreme Dharma
And those wise ones, using a quintillion parables,
Will delight the assembly and make them happy,
And they will never have even the slightest desire. {33}

“They will not think of food and drink,
Eating and drinking, clothes, bed and seat,
Dharma robes, or medicine when ill,
And they will not request anything from their followers. {34}

“Moreover, the wise ones will always think,
‘May I and these beings attain buddhahood!
This Dharma that I teach in order to benefit the world
Has all the requisites for bringing happiness.’ {35}

“The bhikṣus who after my nirvāṇa
Teach this without envy
Will have no suffering, no obstacles,
Will have no misery or be disturbed. {36}

“They will never be afraid,
Will not be beaten or abused;
They will never be chased away
And will be established in the power of patience. {37}

“The wise ones always remain in happiness.
They remain just as I have taught.
They will have many billions of qualities
That could not be described in a hundred eons. {38}

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, in the final age when the Dharma will vanish, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess this sūtra will be without envy, or deceit, or fraud. They will speak no ill of other individuals of the Bodhisattva­yāna. They will not malign them and will not criticize them. They will not inspire regret in the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who follow the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna, or the Bodhisattva­yāna.

7.8

“They will not inspire regret in those who follow the Bodhisattva­yāna by saying, ‘Noble ones, you are far from the highest, complete enlightenment; it will not appear to you. You should remain utterly inattentive, and do not have the power to attain the Tathāgata’s wisdom in complete buddhahood.’

“They will not delight in disputes concerning the Dharma. They will not engage in Dharma disputes. They will not abandon⁴⁰⁹ the power of love for all beings. They will perceive all the tathāgatas as their father. They will perceive all bodhisattvas as teachers. Continuously, with a higher motivation, they will pay reverential homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who are in the worlds in the ten directions. When they teach the Dharma, they will teach the Dharma without omission or addition. When teaching this Dharma teaching, they will teach the Dharma with an equal joy in all the Dharma. Even their slightest joy will be joy in the Dharma through which they bring great benefit.

“Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have this third quality,⁴¹⁰ who teach this Dharma teaching after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, in the final times when the Dharma is coming to an end, will teach this Dharma teaching while remaining in contact with happiness and being free of harm, and will have companions with whom to chant⁴¹¹ the Dharma.

“There will also appear those who listen to this Dharma teaching, and those who listen to this Dharma teaching will have faith in it, have conviction in it, possess it, comprehend it, write it out, cause it to be written out, and, having made it into a text, honor it, revere it, respect it, and make offerings to it.”

That is what the Bhagavān said, and when the Tathāgata had spoken these words, the Teacher added the following verses:

7.9

“The dharmabhāṇakas who wish to teach this sūtra
Should completely eliminate
All deception, arrogance, and similarly calumny,
And also the wise ones should harbor no envy. {39}

“They will never say anything unpleasant to anyone.
They will never engage in disputes over view.
They will never create a cause for doubt, saying,
‘You will not attain the highest wisdom.’ {40}

“They will always be mindful and gentle
And have the patience of a sugata’s child.
They will teach this Dharma again and again
And they will not have the slightest weariness in doing so. {41}

“The bodhisattvas who are in the ten directions
Are active in the world with compassion for beings.
The wise ones will think, ‘They are all my teachers,’
And they will have toward them the respect one has for a guru. {42}

“They will think of the buddhas, the supreme human beings,
And always conceive of the jinas as their father.
They will eliminate all ideas of pride
And at that time there will arise no obstacles. {43}

“Having heard such Dharma as this,
The wise ones will at that time protect it well.
Because they will remain in happiness and meditation
They will be protected by millions of beings. {44}

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, at the time when the Dharma is abandoned, the bodhisattva mahāsattva bhikṣus who wish to possess this Dharma teaching should dwell farther than far away from householders and renunciants. They should dwell there through dwelling in love. They should have compassion for all those beings who are not yet⁴¹² dedicated to enlightenment. They should think, ‘Oh! Those beings who do not listen to the Tathāgata’s skillful method, to his teaching with an implied meaning, and do not know it, do not understand it, do not ask questions about it, have no faith in it, and have no aspiration for it—those beings have extremely corrupt knowledge . Moreover, those beings are not following and have not understood this Dharma teaching.

7.10

I shall attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and then, wherever they are, through my miraculous power I will cause them to be attracted to it, have conviction in it, follow it, and I will completely ripen them.’

“Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have this fourth quality⁴¹³ and teach this Dharma teaching after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa will not be harmed. Bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, kings, princes, the king’s prime ministers, the king’s counselors, the people of the city, the people of the country, the brahmins, and the householders will honor them, respect them, revere them, and make offerings to them. The devas who live in the air and have faith will follow them in order to hear the Dharma. The devas will constantly follow them in order to protect them. Whether they are in a village or in a temple there will come to them day and night those who wish to ask them about the Dharma and they will delight and please them with their answers.

“Why is that? Mañjuśrī, it is because this Dharma teaching has been blessed by all the buddhas. Mañjuśrī, it is because this Dharma teaching is constantly blessed by the past, future, and present tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.

“Mañjuśrī, it is difficult in many worlds to be able to hear the words, the sound, or the name of this Dharma teaching.

“Mañjuśrī, it is like this: A bala­cakra­vartin king obtains his kingdom through his might. The allied kings who are his adversaries go to battle with him.

7.11

The bala­cakra­vartin king has numerous warriors. They go into battle with his enemies. When the king sees his warriors battling, he is delighted, pleased, and overjoyed because of those warriors. Being delighted, pleased, and overjoyed, he gives various gifts to those warriors. He gives them villages and the land of the villages, towns and the land of the towns, clothing, turbans, bracelets, anklets,⁴¹⁴ short necklaces, cords of gold, earrings, medium-length necklaces, long necklaces, cowries, gold, silver, jewels, pearls, beryls, conch, crystal, and corals. He gives them elephants, cavalry, chariots, infantry, male slaves, and female slaves. He gives them carriages and palanquins. However, he does not give his crest jewel to anyone. Why is that? It is because there is only the one jewel that is affixed on his topknot. Mañjuśrī, if the king were to give away his crest jewel, all four divisions⁴¹⁵ of the king’s army would be astonished and amazed.

“Mañjuśrī, it is likewise that the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha creates through the might of his arms and his merit the three realms of a Dharma king within the three realms, which is trampled on by evil Māra. Then the ārya warriors of the Tathāgata battle with Māra.

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, the King of the Dharma, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches hundreds of thousands of sūtras to those battling ārya warriors. In order to make happy the fourfold assembly he gives them the gift of the town of nirvāṇa and the great city of the Dharma, teaching them through nirvāṇa,⁴¹⁶ but not teaching them this kind of Dharma teaching.

7.12

“Mañjuśrī, the bala­cakra­vartin king is amazed by the great strength of the men when the warriors are fighting, and subsequently he does give them his crest jewel, the supreme of all his possessions,⁴¹⁷ which the world does not believe in, and which is amazing.

“Mañjuśrī, just as that king keeps the crest jewel fixed upon his topknot for a long time, in the same way, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, who is the great King of the Dharma, while he is the King of the Dharma sees the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas battling with the Māra of the skandhas or the Māra of the kleśas. When they battle with them, desire, anger, and ignorance cease, they escape from all three realms, and have the great strength of a great being who defeats all the māras. This pleases the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly awakened Buddha, who then teaches those ārya warriors this kind of Dharma teaching, which is contrary to the world, which is not believed in by the world, which has previously not been expounded, which has previously not been taught. The Tathāgata gives to the śrāvakas that which causes all to attain omniscience, which is like the great crest jewel.

“Mañjuśrī, this is the supreme Dharma taught by the tathāgatas. This is the final⁴¹⁸ Dharma teaching of the tathāgatas. Among all Dharma teachings this is the most profound Dharma teaching. It does not accord with the world.

“Mañjuśrī, just as the bala­cakra­vartin king unties the crest jewel he had kept for a long time and gives it to the supreme warriors, likewise today the Tathāgata teaches the secret Dharma teaching of the Tathāgata that has been kept for a long time, which is at the crest of all Dharma teachings, and which is known by the Tathāgata.”

7.13

Thereupon the Bhagavān taught this topic in detail in verse:

“Demonstrating the power of kindness,
Always having compassion for beings,
They should teach this kind of Dharma:
The supreme sūtra praised by the sugatas. {45}

“To those who are householders or renunciants,
And those who are not⁴¹⁹ bodhisattvas in the later age,
He should manifest the power of kindness to them all,
Thinking, ‘Having heard the Dharma they may denounce it.⁴²⁰ {46}

“ ‘I will gain the attainment of enlightenment
And when I am established in buddhahood,⁴²¹
Established in method, I will guide them⁴²²
And make known this supreme enlightenment.’ {47}

“A bala­cakra­vartin king, when pleased,
Gives to his warriors many cowries,⁴²³
And gives them towns and villages,
And elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry. {48}

“Delighted, to some he gives bracelets
And cords of silver and of gold.
He gives to them all kinds of gifts
Such as pearls, jewels, corals, and crystals. {49}

“At a time when there is someone present
Who is astonishing because of his supreme heroism,
Knowing that he has accomplished such wonders,
He removes his topknot jewel and gives it to him. {50}

“In the same way, I, the Buddha, the Dharma King
Have the strength of patience and many treasures of wisdom,
And I teach the Dharma to the entire world
Through caring to benefit and having compassion. {51}

“Seeing those who are in distress,⁴²⁴
I teach thousands of millions of sūtras;
Knowing the heroism⁴²⁵ of those individuals,
Pure beings who have defeated the kleśas, {52}

“The King of Dharma, the great physician,
Gives thousands of millions of teachings.
Knowing beings to have the strength and wisdom,
He teaches this sūtra that is like a crest jewel. {53}

“This is the highest of all my sūtras.
It is the last sūtra that I teach in the world.
I have never taught it, but kept it secret.
Today I will expound it, so listen everyone! {54}

7.14

“When I have passed into nirvāṇa,
Those who rely upon such four qualities as these,
Who aim for the highest, supreme enlightenment
And carry out for me the work that has to be done, {55}

“Will have no misery and no obstacles,
And will not have an ugly color or illness;
They will not be black in color,⁴²⁶
And they will not live in an inferior town. {56}

“Those great rishis will always be pleasant to see
And offerings wil be made to them as if they were tathāgatas.
Even the young devas
Will always be serving as their attendants. {57}

“They will never be harmed by poison or weapons.
Their bodies will not be struck by clods, stones, or sticks.
Whoever speaks ill of them
Will become silent, their mouths closed. {58}

“Whoever possesses this sūtra after my nirvāṇa
Will become a friend for beings.
They will shine with light and travel the earth,
Dispelling darkness for many millions of beings. {59}

“They will see good things in their dreams:
They will see bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs
And likewise myself upon a lion throne
Teaching many kinds of Dharma. {60}

“They will also in their dreams teach many kinds
Of Dharma to devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and asuras⁴²⁷
As numerous as the Ganges sands,
All with hands placed together in homage. {61}

“In their dreams they will see the Tathāgata,
The Lord with a beautiful voice and the color of gold,
Teaching the Dharma to many millions of beings,
Radiating thousands of light rays. {62}

“There they will place their hands together in homage
And they will praise the Muni, the supreme human.
And the Jina, the great physician, will teach
The supreme Dharma to the fourfold assembly. {63}

“Hearing that, they will be overjoyed,
And delighted, they will make offerings.
They will quickly reach irreversible wisdom
And attain the power of retention in their dreams. {64}

“The Lord of the World will know their thoughts
And give them the prophecy of becoming a supreme being,
Saying, ‘Noble one, here, in a future time

7.15

You will reach the highest peace and wisdom. {65}

“ ‘Your realm will be extremely vast.
Your fourfold assembly will be like mine.
Its members will be reverential with hands together in homage,
And they will listen to the immaculate Dharma.’ {66}

“They will also see my body while
Meditating on the Dharma in the mountains.
By meditating on the Dharma they will reach the true nature.
They will attain samādhi and will see the Jina. {67}

“In their dreams they will see the body
With the color of gold, possessing the signs of hundreds of merits,
Will listen to the Dharma, and, having heard it, teach an assembly.
Those are the kinds of dreams that they will dream. {68}

“In their dreams they will forsake a kingdom,
And their harem, and likewise crowds of kinsmen;
Forsaking all desires they will enter homelessness
And they will go to where the Bodhimaṇḍa is. {69}

“Wishing to attain enlightenment, they will sit
On a lion throne at the foot of a tree.
And when seven days have passed in that way
They will attain the wisdom of the tathāgatas. {70}

“Having attained enlightenment they will stand up
And they will turn the immaculate wheel
And teach the Dharma to the fourfold assembly
For countless billions of eons. {71}

“Through teaching there the immaculate Dharma,
Many millions of beings will attain nirvāṇa,
The nirvāṇa that is the end of causes, like an extinguished lamp.
They will dream those kinds of dreams. {72}

“Whoever in the future times teaches
The supreme sūtra that I have taught well
Will have many, endless benefits.
Mañjughoṣa, it will always be like that for them.” {73}

Chapter 14

The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground

Then the bodhisattvas who had arrived from other world realms, who were as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, stood up in the circle of the assembly, bowed to the Bhagavān with hands together in homage, and said these words:

“Bhagavān, if the Bhagavān will permit us,

7.16

after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we too will teach this Dharma teaching in the Sahā world realm. We will read it, write it, and make offerings to it. We shall be dedicated to this Dharma teaching. Bhagavān, teach well this Dharma teaching to us.”

The Bhagavān then asked all those bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, why would you need to do this? In this Sahā world realm there are my thousands of bodhisattvas who are as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers. Each one of those bodhisattvas has, as followers, thousands of bodhisattvas who are themselves as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers, and each of those bodhisattvas has that many followers, too. In the future times, after I have passed into nirvāṇa, they will possess this Dharma teaching and they will teach it.”

As soon as the Bhagavān had uttered those words, this entire Sahā world realm cracked apart completely, was rent with fissures, and there came out from within those fissures the bodhisattvas who lived in the Sahā world realm, the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas, with their golden bodies and their thirty-two signs of a great being, who dwelled in the element of space beneath the great earth. They had heard the Bhagavān’s words, and came out from under the ground. Each one of these bodhisattvas had a following of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers, in groups, great groups, along with the teachers of those groups.

Thus it was that there appeared from out of the ground of this Sahā world realm bodhisattva mahāsattvas in groups, great groups, along with the teachers of those groups—hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers,

7.17

let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in forty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in thirty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in twenty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in ten Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in five Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in one Ganges River, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in half a Ganges River, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in a quarter of a Ganges River, or in a sixth, or in an eighth, or in a twentieth, or in a fiftieth, or in a hundredth, or in a thousandth, or in a ten millionth, or in a billionth, or in a trillionth, or in a quintillionth, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with many quintillions of bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with ten million bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a hundred thousand bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a thousand bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with five hundred bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas

7.18

with four hundred or three hundred or two hundred bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a hundred bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with fifty bodhisattva followers, and likewise, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with forty bodhisattva followers, or thirty, or twenty, or ten, or five, or four, or three, or two, and let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with one bodhisattva follower.

Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were beyond number, calculation, simile, or comparison emerged from the ground of the Sahā world realm. When they had emerged they went toward the precious stūpa suspended in the air within which the bhagavān tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, and the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni were sitting together upon a lion throne. When they arrived there, they bowed their heads to the feet of both tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.

They bowed down and paid homage to the emanations of the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni, the bodies of the tathāgatas who had gathered from the other world realms in the ten directions, the bhagavāns who were seated on lion thrones at the foot of trees made of various precious materials.

They circumambulated those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas hundreds of thousands of times and they praised them with many kinds of bodhisattva praises, and then they stood to one side with their hands together in homage and they paid homage to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni

7.19

and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna.

At that time those bodhisattva mahāsattvas who had emerged from the ground paid homage to the tathāgatas and praised them with various bodhisattva praises for fifty intermediate eons. During those fifty intermediate eons Bhagavān Śākyamuni remained silent, and the fourfold assembly also remained silent for those fifty intermediate eons.

The Bhagavān now brought about a miracle, such that through that miracle the fourfold assembly thought those eons were just one afternoon. They saw this Sahā world realm became the size of a hundred thousand world realms and filled with bodhisattvas.

There were four bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were the principal ones among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas. They were the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Vi­śiṣṭa­cāritra, the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Anantacāritra, the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Vi­śuddha­cāritra, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Su­pratiṣṭhita­cāritra. Those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas were the principal figures among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas.

Those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas now stood before that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas, and in front of the Bhagavān, with hands placed together in homage, they inquired of the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, do you have few troubles, do you have little illness, are you happy? Bhagavān, are the beings in your care of good character?

7.20

Do they have good understanding? Are they easy to guide? Are they easy to purify? Are they not a cause of sadness for the Bhagavān?”

Those four bodhisattvas then spoke these verses to the Bhagavān:

“Lord of the World, who shines with light,
Are you dwelling in happiness?
Are you free from illness?⁴²⁸
Is your sinless body well? {1}

“Are the beings in your care of good character?
Are they easy to guide and easy to purify?
Do they not cause you sadness
When the Lord of the World teaches?” {2}

In reply, the Bhagavān answered those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were the principal figures among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, it is like this: I dwell in happiness; I have little harm, little illness. The beings in my care are of good character, have good understanding, are easily guided, and are easily purified. They do not cause me sadness while they are being purified. Why is that? Noble ones, it is because these beings of mine have trained during the time of previous perfectly enlightened buddhas. Noble ones, they become devoted just on seeing me and hearing me, and they enter and remain in the wisdom of the buddhas, except for those who are engaged in the practice of the level of the śrāvakas.⁴²⁹ But I have also now brought them into the wisdom of the buddhas, and caused them to hear the ultimate truth.”

At this those bodhisattva mahāsattvas responded with these verses:

“Excellent! Excellent, great hero!
We are overjoyed
That the beings⁴³⁰ under your care have good character,
Are easy to guide, easy to purify, {3}

“And, Guide, that those who listen
To this your profound wisdom,
Give rise to devotion on hearing it
And become those who are guided.” {4}

The Bhagavān said to those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were the principal figures among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas,

7.21

“Excellent, noble ones, excellent! Noble ones, your praise of the Tathāgata is excellent, excellent!”

At that moment, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and hundreds of thousands of quintillions of other bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, thought, “A great gathering of bodhisattvas, a great aggregation of bodhisattvas has emerged from the ground, and standing before the Bhagavān has honored, revered, and pleased the Bhagavān.⁴³¹ This is something we have never seen and never heard of before. Where did these bodhisattva mahāsattvas come from?”

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was aware of his own doubt and uncertainty and knew in his own mind the thoughts that were in the minds of hundreds of thousands of quintillions of other bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers. He placed his hands together in homage, and to the Bhagavān he expressed these thoughts in verses:

“Supreme human, tell us
About these many hundreds of thousands
Of quintillions of infinite bodhisattvas
Who have never appeared before. {5}

“They who have great miraculous powers,
From where did they come, and how?
They who have massive bodies,
Where did they come from? {6}

“All of these steadfast ones,
Great rishis who have mindfulness
And have extremely beautiful bodies,
Where did they come from? {7}

“Lord of the World, there have arrived
These wise bodhisattvas, each of whom
Has an incalculable following
As numerous as the sands of the Ganges. {8}

“The followers of the bodhisattvas,
Who are renowned and are as numerous
As the sands of sixty complete Ganges Rivers,
Have all become fixed upon enlightenment. {9}

“The number of such heroes as these,
These protectors and their followers,

7.22

Is the number of sand grains
In sixty Ganges Rivers. {10}

“And there are even more than that:
Others with endless followers
As numerous as the grains of sand
in fifty, in forty, in thirty, {11}

“And in twenty Ganges Rivers.
There are such numbers of assemblies of followers,
And there are even more than that,
As numerous as sands in ten and five Ganges Rivers. {12}

“The assemblies of each of those protectors
Those sons of the buddhas—
Guide, assemblies such as these,
Where have they come from? {13}

“In the assemblies of the bodhisattvas
There are accompanying students
Who are as numerous as the sands
In four, three, or two Ganges, {14}

“And there are others far more numerous.
There is no end to their numbers.
It would not be possible to count them
Even in ten thousand million eons. {15}

“There are also retinues
Of the bodhisattvas, heroes, protectors,
That equal a half, a third, a tenth,
Or a twentieth of the Ganges sands. {16}

“And there are others far more numerous,
And if one were to count them one by one
One would not be able to calculate the number of them
Even in a thousand million eons. {17}

“And there are others far more numerous,
With assemblies that are numerous:
A hundred trillion, and ten million,
And also those that are five million. {18}

“There are also great rishis
Who are bodhisattvas with great wisdom.
They are beyond number,
And all are present showing reverence. {19}

“Their followers number a thousand,
Or similarly a hundred, or fifty—
One could not count them all
Even in a thousand million eons. {20}

“The followers of those heroes
Also number twenty, or ten, or five,
Or similarly four, or three, or two—
One cannot count them all. {21}

“There are those who travel alone,
Who find peace on their own.
They who have come here on this day,
They also are beyond enumeration. {22}

“If someone were to count them for eons
As numerous as the Ganges sands
Using a stick held in their hand,

7.23

They would still not come to an end. {23}

“All of these great beings,
Protectors with dedication,
These bodhisattva heroes,
Where did they come from? {24}

“Who has taught them the Dharma?
Who has brought them to enlightenment?
Whose teaching do they delight in?
Whose⁴³² teachings do they hold? {25}

“This entire ground having broken open,
Throughout all the four directions
There have emerged those with great wisdom
Who are sagacious, and have miraculous powers. {26}

“Muni, this world realm
Has been completely broken apart
And in that way have emerged
These fearless bodhisattvas. {27}

“What has occurred here
We have never seen before.
Guide of the World, tell us
The name of that realm. {28}

“We have been again and again
Throughout the ten directions,
But we have never seen
Such bodhisattvas as these. {29}

“We have never before seen
A single one of these offspring of yours.
But today we have suddenly seen them.
Muni, tell us of their activities. {30}

“Tens of thousands
Of trillions of bodhisattvas,
All filled with astonishment,
Are looking at the supreme human. {31}

“Immeasurable one, devoid of the skandhas,⁴³³
Great hero, we ask you to reveal to us,
Courageous one, from where have come
These bodhisattvas who have no fear?” {32}

At that time, the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni’s emanations as other tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who had arrived from a hundred thousand quintillion world realms were teaching beings in other worlds.⁴³⁴ They were sitting cross-legged on lion thrones made of precious materials at the foot of trees made of precious materials in all eight directions from the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni. The followers of those tathāgatas also saw a great gathering of bodhisattva mahāsattvas,

7.24

a great aggregation of bodhisattvas emerge from the ground, and remain suspended in the sky. They were astonished and amazed. They asked their own tathāgatas, “Bhagavān, from where did these countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas come?”

Each of those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas said to their own followers, “Noble ones, wait a little while, because the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, whose highest, complete enlightenment has been prophesied by Bhagavān Śākyamuni, has asked Bhagavān Śākyamuni that same question. Buddha Śākyamuni is going to answer, so you should listen to him.”

The Bhagavān then said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, this question you have asked me concerning this vast subject is excellent, Ajita, excellent!”

The Bhagavān now turned to the entire assembly of bodhisattvas and announced to them, “Noble ones, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha is going to teach the Tathāgata’s wisdom insight, the Tathāgata’s leadership, the Tathāgata’s activity, the Tathāgata’s displays, the Tathāgata’s expanding power, and the Tathāgata’s heroism.⁴³⁵ Therefore, noble ones, this entire assembly of bodhisattvas should be attentive, focused, and stable.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān pronounced these verses:

“All you noble ones, be attentive:
I am going to speak infallible⁴³⁶ words.
Wise ones, do not become disheartened.
The wisdom of the tathāgatas is inconceivable. {33}

7.25

“You should all be stable and mindful.
You should all remain in a state of concentration.
Listen to a Dharma that has not appeared before
And which is a marvel of the tathāgatas. {34}

“I shall establish you well in this.
None of you should have any doubt.
I, the Guide, speak infallibly.⁴³⁷
My wisdom remains forever incalculable. {35}

“The Sugata has realized profound dharmas,
Which are unexaminable and unquantifiable.
I am going to teach⁴³⁸ those dharmas;
Listen to me as to what they are and how they are.” {36}

Having pronounced those verses, Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, I declare to you, I proclaim to you,⁴³⁹ Ajita, as for these innumerable, numberless, inconceivable, unequaled, uncountable bodhisattvas whom you have never seen before, who emerged from the ground, after I had attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this Sahā world realm, Ajita, I inspired and developed⁴⁴⁰ all these bodhisattva mahāsattvas toward the highest, complete enlightenment. Noble ones, I ripened them for this bodhisattva Dharma, established them in it, and caused them to follow it, remain in it, and understand it.

“Ajita, these bodhisattva mahāsattvas live in this Sahā world realm by occupying the realm of space below, where they are engaged in reciting and receiving the teachings, and correctly contemplating them.

“These noble ones do not delight in the activities of society, they delight in the absence of society. Their diligence does not weaken, they apply themselves with diligence. Ajita, these noble ones delight in solitude and find pleasure in solitude. These noble ones do not live by relying upon either devas or humans. These noble ones delight in activities that are devoid of worldly gatherings, delight in the pleasure of the Dharma, and are dedicated to the wisdom of buddhahood.”

The Bhagavān then spoke these verses:

7.26

“These bodhisattvas are innumerable.
They are countless and beyond measure.
They possess miracles, wisdom, and learning,
And for many millions of eons have practiced with knowledge. {37}

“I have ripened them all for enlightenment
And they dwell within my own realm.
All of these I have ripened—
These bodhisattvas are my offspring. {38}

“They all are dedicated to solitude
And reject the level of worldly gatherings.
They follow the example of my supreme conduct;
These children of mine practice free from worldly gatherings. {39}

“They dwell in space as their habitation.
These heroes live below this realm.
They perfect this supreme enlightenment,
Attentively dedicated day and night. {40}

“They are all mindful and practice diligently,
And established in the immeasurable strength of wisdom.
All of these luminous offspring of mine
Are teaching the Dharma fearlessly. {41}

“After I attained this highest enlightenment
At the foot of a tree by the city of Gayā,⁴⁴¹
I turned the unsurpassable wheel of the Dharma
And I ripened all to this supreme enlightenment. {42}

“You should all have faith when you hear
These immaculate words of mine.
I have, in that way, ripened all of these
Since I attained supreme enlightenment.” {43}

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and the many hundred thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas were then astonished and amazed. How could the Buddha in a moment—in such a short time—inspire and ripen for the highest, complete enlightenment all these countless bodhisattvas?

So the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya inquired of the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, when the Tathāgata was a young man, you left the Śākya town of Kapilavastu for homelessness. You went to the supreme Bodhimaṇḍa that is not very far from the city of Gayā. You attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

7.27

Bhagavān, since that time until today more than forty years have passed. Bhagavān, how could the Tathāgata in such a short time as this accomplish such countless tathāgata activities as these? How did you attain the preeminence of a tathāgata, and the heroism of a tathāgata?⁴⁴² Bhagavān, you have inspired and ripened for the highest, complete enlightenment this great gathering of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, this great aggregation of bodhisattvas, in just that amount of time. Bhagavān, one would not be able to count this great gathering of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, this great aggregation of bodhisattvas, even in a hundred thousand quintillion eons. Bhagavān, such innumerable, countless bodhisattvas have practiced celibacy for a long time, creating roots of merit under many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, and perfecting themselves over many hundreds of thousands of eons.

“Bhagavān, it is as if there were a young man, a lad of twenty-five years of age, with black hair, in the first phase of his adulthood, who revealed that he has sons that are a hundred years old. He says, ‘These noble ones are my sons; they are my sons,’ and they say, ‘This man is our father.’ Bhagavān, what they say would not be believed. It would be difficult for the world to believe them.

“Bhagavān, similarly, it is not very long since you, Tathāgata, attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. These countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas have practiced celibacy for many hundreds of thousands of eons; they have gained certainty in the wisdom of buddhahood during a long period of time; they are skilled in resting in hundreds of thousands of samādhis;

7.28

they have developed the great higher knowledges; they are wise in the level of buddhahood; they are skilled in teaching the dharmas of the Tathāgata; they are an amazement and wonder in this world; and they have attained great diligence, strength, and might.

“The Bhagavān has said of them, ‘I am the one who first established them on the level of being a bodhisattva; I am the one who has ripened and developed them. It is through my attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood that I have accomplished all this diligence and heroism.’

“Bhagavān, we will have faith in whatever the Tathāgata says, thinking, ‘The Tathāgata speaks infallibly. The Tathāgata knows the truth.’ However, Bhagavān, those newly following in the Bodhisattva­yāna will have doubts. After the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, they will hear this Dharma teaching and they will not believe it, will not have faith in it, and will not be attracted to it. Therefore, Bhagavān, they will accrue the karma of rejecting the Dharma.

“Therefore, Bhagavān, explain the meaning of this well, so that we will not have any kind of doubt in this Dharma, and so that in the future time, when noble men and noble women who are on the Bodhisattva­yāna hear it, they will not doubt it.”

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then addressed these verses to the Bhagavān:

“You were born in Kapilāhvaya,
But then you renounced the residence of the Śākyas,
And attained enlightenment by the city of Gayā.
Lord of the World, it has not been long since then. {44}

“These fearless ones and many others in this great crowd
Have practiced for millions of eons.
They are unwaveringly established in miraculous powers.
Excellently learned, they have realized the power of wisdom. {45}

“Like lotuses on water that are unstained,

7.29

Today they have arrived when the earth split apart.
They all stand respectfully with hands together in homage,
These mindful offspring of the Lord of the World. {46}

“How can the bodhisattvas believe
In such a marvel of yours as this?
Tell us so that doubts will be overcome.
Teach the meaning of this exactly as it is. {47}

“It is as if there were a person,
A youth, a young lad with black hair
Who was born just over twenty years before,
Who introduces hundred-year-old men as his sons. {48}

“They are wrinkled, with white hair, and they say,
‘This is the one who has fathered us.’
Lord of the World, it would be difficult to believe
That such men as those could be the youth’s sons. {49}

“In the same way, the Bhagavān is like that young man,
While these numerous bodhisattvas who have knowledge,
And are mindful, fearless, and endowed with wisdom,
Have trained excellently for billions of eons. {50}

“They have stability, skill in wisdom,
Are all good looking and beautiful,
Have certainty in the Dharma, are fearless,
And are praised⁴⁴³ by the guides of the worlds. {51}

“They travel around unimpeded like the wind.
They dwell constantly in the realm of space.
These progeny of the Sugata are diligent
In seeking this enlightenment of buddhahood. {52}

“We do not give rise to any doubts whatsoever,
We who hear these words directly from the Lord of the World,
But after the Guide of the World has entered nirvāṇa
How will beings be able to believe in this? {53}

“Bodhisattvas will go to the lower realms
Through having doubts about this matter.
Bhagavān, elucidate for us
In what way you ripened these bodhisattvas.” {54}

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