The Lotus Sūtra 7.17

7.17

「華德！妙音菩薩摩訶薩，成就大神通智慧之力，其事如是。」

decreased, nor his power of transformation or his wisdom. This bodhisattva illuminates the sahā world with his great wisdom and causes every sentient being to attain what should be known. He does exactly the same in all the worlds of the ten directions, which are equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. If he is able to save them in the form of a śrāvaka, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a śrāvaka. If he is able to save them in the form of a pratyekabuddha, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a pratyekabuddha. If he is able to save them in the form of a bodhisattva, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a bodhisattva. If he is able to save them in the form of a buddha, he teaches the Dharma by changing himself into the form of a buddha. Thus he transforms himself in various ways according to the capacities of those who are to be saved. If he is able to save them by means of parinirvāṇa, he manifests parinirvāṇa to them. O Padmaśrī! Bodhisattva Mahāsattva

Gadgadasvara has achieved his transcendent powers and the power of wisdom in just such a manner.”

Thereupon, Bodhisattva Padmaśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: “O Bhagavat! Deep are the roots of good merit that this Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara has planted! O Bhagavat! In what samādhi did this bodhisattva dwell, such that he was able to appear in various places in this way, and bring sentient beings to the path?”

The Buddha answered Bodhisattva Padmaśrī, saying: “O son of a virtuous family! That samādhi was called sarvarūpasaṃdarśana. Dwelling in this samādhi, Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara has benefited innumerable sentient beings in this way.”

When this chapter “Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara,” was being taught, those eighty-four thousand people who had come with Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara attained the samādhi called sarvarūpasaṃdarśana. Innumerable bodhisattvas in this sahā world also attained this samādhi and dhāraṇī. Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Gadgadasvara paid homage to the Buddha Śākyamuni and the stupa of the Buddha Prabhūtaratna and returned to his own world.

Those worlds through which he traveled quaked in six ways and it rained jeweled lotus flowers. Hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of variegated music was heard. Having returned to his own world, he approached the Buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, surrounded by eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas, and said to him: “O Bhagavat! I have been to the sahā world and benefited the sentient beings. Having seen the Buddha Śākyamuni and the stupa of the Buddha Prabhūtaratna, I paid homage to them and made them offerings. Having seen Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the Prince of the Dharma, Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bodhisattva Vīryabalavegaprāpta, and Bodhisattva Pradānaśūra, I caused these eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas to attain the samādhi called sarvarūpasaṃdarśana.”

When this chapter, “The Coming and Going of Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara,” was taught, forty-two thousand sons of the devas attained the acceptance of the nonorigination of all dharmas; and Bodhisattva Padmaśrī attained