[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Buddhist Sanskrit literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit) › [Mahāyāna sūtras](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra) › [Samādhirājasūtra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja) › [འཕགས་པ་ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རང་བཞིན་མཉམ་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་སྤྲོས་པ་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo) › [The King of Samadhis Sutra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000) › 2 # འཕགས་པ་ཆས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱ་རང་བཞན་མཉམ་པ་ཉད་རྣམ་པར་སྤྲས་པ་ཏང་ང་འཛན་གྱ་རྒྱལ་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 2 The King of Samādhis Sūtra 2 - **Language:** English ### [2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.2) rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee with palms placed together, he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.” The Bhagavān addressed the youth Candraprabha, saying, “Young man, the Tathāgata will always give you that opportunity. Ask whatever question you wish of the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.” As the Bhagavān had given him the opportunity, the young man Candraprabha asked the Bhagavān,²⁴⁹ “The Bhagavān says, ‘samādhi, samādhi.’ What kind of Dharma does this word designate?” The Bhagavān replied to Candraprabha, “Young man, when I say ‘samādhi, samādhi,’ it means the profound realization of the mind. “\[1\] It is the absence of arising.²⁵⁰ \[2\] It is the absence of continuation.²⁵¹ \[3\] It is the knowledge of continuation.²⁵² \[4\] It is putting down²⁵³ the burden.²⁵⁴ \[5\] It is the wisdom of the tathāgatas. \[6\] It is having the preeminence of a buddha. \[7\] It is the healing of desire, the pacifying of anger,²⁵⁵ and the elimination of ignorance. ²⁵⁶ “\[8\] It is engaging in what should be engaged in. \[9\] It is rejecting that which should not be engaged in. \[10\] It is the aspiration to good qualities.²⁵⁷ \[11\] It is the wish to be free from saṃsāra. “\[12\] It is practicing with a higher motivation. \[13\] It is remaining awake.²⁵⁸ \[14\] It is not abandoning renunciation.²⁵⁹ \[15\] It is maintaining good qualities. “\[16\] It is not relying on rebirth.²⁶⁰ \[17\] It is not accumulating karma. \[18\] It is not paying attention to the internal āyatanas.²⁶¹ \[19\] It is not engaging with the external āyatanas. “\[20\] It is not praising oneself. \[21\] It is not criticizing others. \[22\] It is having no attachment to family. \[23\] It is not placing one’s trust in ordinary people. ²⁶² “\[24\] It is the natural result of correct conduct. ### [2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.3) \[25\] It is that which is difficult to approach. \[26\] It is great majesty.²⁶³ \[27\] It is self-knowledge. “\[28\] It is the absence of inconstancy. \[29\] It is maintaining perfect behavior. \[30\] It is the absence of malice. \[31\] It is the absence of aggression. \[32\] It is not harming others. \[33\] It is taking care of companions. ²⁶⁴ \[34\] It is guarding secret mantras. “\[35\] It is being nonviolent.²⁶⁵ \[36\] It is not being harmful to those with correct conduct. \[37\] It is speaking gently. “\[38\] It is not remaining anywhere in the three realms. \[39\] It is the patience that accords with the emptiness of all phenomena.²⁶⁶ \[40\] It is the aspiration to omniscient wisdom.²⁶⁷ “That, young man, is what is meant by ‘samādhi.’ Young man, practicing those qualities and not practicing their opposite is what is meant by ‘samādhi.’ ” Then the Bhagavān taught the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and at that time gave a detailed teaching by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha.²⁶⁸ “I have opened the door to the elixir. I have explained what the nature of phenomena is. I have taught what births are. I have explained nirvāṇa and its benefits. {1} “Always avoid sinful companions, Be in the company of good companions, Dwell in the forest, avoiding crowds, And always meditate with a loving mind. {2} “Always protect pure conduct, Gain the prosperity of renunciation, Be familiar with generosity and wisdom, And this samādhi will not be difficult to attain. {3} “This is not the level of the numerous śrāvakas. When you have attained²⁶⁹ this level of peace, You will have the direct perception of the Sugata’s Dharma And you will attain the inconceivable buddha qualities. {4} “When you see wise people who are worthy vessels, Bring them to the aspiration for enlightenment, Establish them in the highest knowledge, And then this king of samādhis will not be difficult to attain. {5} “This samādhi is not difficult to attain For those who understand the natural results That come²⁷⁰ to those who become envious of wealth²⁷¹ And to those who seek and enjoy it.²⁷² {6} ### [2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.4) “The meditation of this king of samādhis, emptiness, Is at the summit of pure conduct. The continuous meditation on the nature of phenomena Is unknown to the foolish who practice incorrectly. {7} “Those who long for this samādhi of peace Will never have fear arise in their mind.²⁷³ Those who are on this level of peace Will always see the supreme men.²⁷⁴ {8} “Whoever brings to mind the image of the Tathāgata’s body, Their senses will be at peace and their mind at peace. Their minds, free of error, will always be at rest. What they have heard and what they know will be like an ocean. {9} “Remaining in this samādhi, Wherever the bodhisattvas tread They will see ten thousand million buddhas And even more, as numerous as the Ganges sands. {10} “Anyone aiming to take the measure Of the Buddha’s Dharma will go insane. One cannot measure that which is immeasurable; The qualities of the guides in their entirety are inconceivable. {11} “There is no being in the ten directions Who can equal the Lord of the World, let alone be greater. You should long for and attain the wisdom of the buddhas, Who possess all the qualities of omniscience. {12} “The Lord of the World is completely beautiful, With a body that is the color of gold. Bodhisattvas will rest in meditation When their mind is focused upon that image. {13} “The wise who understand the composite and noncomposite²⁷⁵ Have ceased conceptualizing attributes.²⁷⁶ They remain in that meditation of the absence of attributes And know the emptiness of all phenomena. {14} “Those who remain in the dharmakāya Know that all things are nothing. Those who have ceased conceptualizing things²⁷⁷ Do not see the Lord of Jinas as a rūpakāya. {15} “I proclaim to you and make it known to you That to the extent that a person contemplates this, To that extent their mind will be fixed upon it, Through that contemplation that dwells upon it. {16} “Those who remember in that way the appearance And immeasurable wisdom of the Lord of Sages, ### [2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.5) They will have their mind completely focused upon him Through constant meditation on that recollection. {17} “When walking, sitting, or standing, They desire the wisdom of the best of beings, And pray for enlightenment, wishing to become A jina who is unsurpassable in this world. {18} “They will know the buddhas and see the buddhas; They will realize the nature of the buddhas. Remaining in this samādhi, They will pay homage to the buddhas who have great might.²⁷⁸ {19} “With serene body, speech, and mind, They constantly recite praises to the buddhas. In that way, through the mind’s continuum of meditation, Day and night they see the Lord of the World. {20} “When the time comes that they are sick and unwell And experience the suffering of dying, They will not lose their recollection of the Buddha, And it will not be stolen away by the experience of suffering.²⁷⁹ {21} “Having analyzed with wisdom in that way, They know all present, past, and future phenomena²⁸⁰ to be empty. They remain in that nature of phenomena And perform bodhisattva conduct without being disheartened. {22} “Therefore, having heard these benefits, You should long for unequaled enlightenment. It is difficult to see the sublime Sugata, So do not have cause for regret in the future. {23} “I have taught this excellent Dharma But if you do not practice it well You will be like a sick man holding a bag²⁸¹ of medicine— That alone will not cure his illness.²⁸² {24} “Therefore, the wise and the realized Are always aspiring to this samādhi. And if they practice correct conduct, learning, and generosity It will not be difficult for them to attain this samādhi.” {25} Chapter 5 Ghoṣadatta Then the Bhagavān again addressed the youth Candraprabha, saying, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should think that they are like someone whose hair and clothes are on fire, and they should cast off father, mother, ### [2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.6) son, daughter, family, kinsmen, relatives, kindred, wife, and so on, as if they were fire, throw away all the pleasures of a kingdom as if they were a lump of phlegm, turn toward solitude, and depart from home. “Why is that? Young man, attaining the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood will not be difficult for a bodhisattva mahāsattva who turns toward solitude and departs from home, let alone one who has this samādhi. “Therefore, young man, you should always train in having this thought: ‘I shall cast off friends, children, family, kinsmen, relatives, kindred, wife, and so on, as if they were fire, throw away all the pleasures of a kingdom as if they were a lump of phlegm, turn toward solitude, and depart from home.’ “Therefore, young man, you should understand this through the following teaching, too:²⁸³ “Young man, in the past, countless, vast, immeasurable, inconceivable, innumerable, asaṃkhyeya eons ago,²⁸⁴ at that time and in those days,²⁸⁵ there appeared in the world the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, who was perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, and a bhagavān. “Young man, at that time and in those days, in the first assembly of the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta’s śrāvakas, there were eight hundred million who were arhats. In the second assembly there were seven hundred million arhats. In the third assembly of śrāvakas there were six hundred million arhats. ### [2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.7) There were also countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possessed the Dharma. “Young man, at that time and in those days, during the time of the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, the lifespan was forty thousand years. This Jambudvīpa continent had wealth, increase, happiness, excellent harvests, joy, and was filled with a great multitude of human beings. “In this Jambudvīpa there were two kings named Dṛḍhabala and Mahābala. One ruled the half of Jambudvīpa that had wealth, increase, happiness, excellent harvests, joy, and was filled with a great multitude of human beings. The other ruled the other half. “Young man, at that time, the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta appeared in the kingdom of King Mahābala. “Young man, for a hundred thousand years King Mahābala provided the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, and the saṅgha of bhikṣus with faultless, proper clothing, alms, medicine if they were ill, and monastic utensils for their use. “Young man, at that time, the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, and the saṅgha of bhikṣus received greatly renowned gifts and honors. “Brahmins and householders who had faith also bestowed great gifts and honors on the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, and the saṅgha of bhikṣus. “Those brahmins and householders did this by following the example of King Mahābala, ### [2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.8) dedicating themselves to bestowing great gifts and honors by making offerings of worldly material goods to the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, and the saṅgha of bhikṣus. “Young man, the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta thought, ‘Alas! These beings who have adopted correct conduct and the poṣadha vows have come before the Tathāgata, have honored the Tathāgata, practice celibacy, have entered the homeless life, and have become fully ordained bhikṣus—they will go into decline. They are concerned about the happiness of their future lives. “ ‘Why is that? It is because in their future lives their happiness will be from these offerings of worldly material things. The realms of the higher existences are the goal of these beings. They are concerned with this life. They are concerned with their ²⁸⁶ next life. They do not accumulate²⁸⁷ roots of merit for the final ultimate goal.’²⁸⁸ “Young man, what are the roots of merit for the ultimate goal? They are pure conduct and celibacy going toward the ultimate goal and reaching the ultimate goal. “Bhagavān Ghoṣadatta thought, ‘I must teach those beings the Dharma so that they will make the unsurpassable offering of the Dharma and the practice of the Dharma as their offering to the Tathāgata.’²⁸⁹ “Then, young man, at that time the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, with the intention of creating revulsion toward saṃsāra,²⁹⁰ recited these verses to King Mahābala, the brahmins, and the laypeople: “ ‘The service of someone making a gift to another Is not a cause for holding each other in high esteem. The wise ones who are free of negative propensities, The buddhas, they do not praise that service. {1} “ ‘Those who teach the Dharma for the benefit of beings, They are those who accomplish great service. Then there will form an unbreakable bond of friendship, Which not even ten million māras will be able to break. {2} ### [2.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.9) “ ‘The service of those who keep to worldly material things Will all be for the benefit of the present life. The immaterial service of the Dharma Leads to the greatest benefit for humans. {3} “ ‘Those who have a nonmaterialistic motivation And teach the nonmaterial Dharma, Those individuals who gain nonmaterial joy, They will quickly attain buddhahood. {4} “ ‘Those who are addicted to their desires, Who crave for children and wives, Who are addicted to their revolting homes, Will not attain unsurpassable, highest enlightenment. {5} “ ‘Supreme enlightenment will not be difficult to attain For those who avoid desire as if it were a pit of fire, Who abandon craving for children and wives, And, frightened and terrified, leave their homes. {6} “ ‘There have been no buddhas in the past, Nor will there be any in the future or now in the present, Who attain the highest, most supreme enlightenment While living inside their homes. {7} “ ‘Casting away a kingdom like a lump of phlegm, Longing for solitude and living in the forests, Eliminating the kleśas and defeating the māras, They will realize stainless, noncomposite enlightenment. {8} “ ‘People who, with a disenchanted mind, Leave their homes, they are superior To those who serve, for many millions of eons, Heroic buddhas as numerous as the Ganges sands. {9} “ ‘People who leave their homes and practice the Dharma, Without serving the supreme humans, the jinas, With food, drink, and Dharma robes, With flowers, incense, and ointments— {10} “ ‘Those who, longing for enlightenment, Disillusioned with the composite, and for the benefit of beings, Take seven steps in the direction of the forests— They will have the superior merit.’ {11} “Young man, King Mahābala heard what the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta said about leaving one’s home. Having heard this, he thought, ‘I have understood the Bhagavān’s teaching to mean that he does not praise the perfection of generosity, ### [2.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.10) but gives the highest, ultimate praise to the perfection of conduct.²⁹¹ The Bhagavān has praised perfect purity, perfect celibacy, and perfect nirvāṇa.’ “He thought, ‘It is not easy to practice the unsurpassable Dharma and attain its goal while living in a home. I would decline in my practice of the unsurpassable Dharma. I shall cut off my hair and beard, wear the orange robes, and leave home for homelessness.’ “Then, young man, King Mahābala, accompanied by eighty thousand²⁹² brahmins and laypeople, came before the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Ghoṣadatta, bowed down to his feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān three times, and sat to one side. “Young man, the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, knowing the higher motivation of King Mahābala, taught this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena. “Young man, on hearing this, King Mahābala was pleased, delighted, joyful, inspired, and happy. He shaved off his hair and beard, put on the orange robes, and with faith left home for homelessness. Having entered homelessness he learned this samādhi, and having learned it he understood it. He dedicated himself to the practice of keeping it, reading it, and meditating on it. Through that root of merit, he did not fall into the lower existences for a hundred million eons. He served two hundred million buddhas and heard this samādhi from all those tathāgatas. He learned this samādhi, and having learned it he understood it. ### [2.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.11) He dedicated himself to the practice of keeping it, reading it, and meditating on it. “Subsequently, through those roots of merit, after a hundred million eons had passed, and then another hundred thousand eons, he attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. He became the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha named Jñānaśūra.²⁹³ He benefited countless beings, and afterward he passed away into perfect nirvāṇa. “Young man, the eighty thousand people who with King Mahābala came into the presence of the Bhagavān, the Tathāgata Ghoṣadatta all heard this samādhi also and were delighted, rejoicing, and joyful. Happy and joyful, they cut off their hair and beards, wore the orange robes, and with genuine faith they left home for homelessness. Having entered homelessness they learned this samādhi, and having learned it they understood it. They dedicated themselves to the practice of keeping it, reading it, and meditating on it. Through that root of merit, they did not fall into the lower existences for a hundred million eons. During all those eons, they served ten million buddhas and heard this samādhi from all those tathāgatas. They maintained this samādhi and comprehended it. They dedicated themselves to the practice of keeping it, reading it, and meditating on it. “Through their previous roots of merit, after two hundred million eons had passed and a further hundred thousand eons, they attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. They all became bhagavāns, tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas named Dṛḍhaśūra. They benefited countless beings, and afterward they passed away into perfect nirvāṇa. ### [2.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.12) “Therefore, young man, because of this teaching, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas cherish in this way this samādhi. They know that it is composed of the unsurpassable wisdom of omniscience.” Then, at that time, the Bhagavān gave a detailed teaching by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha. “I remember, countless eons ago In the past, a supreme human, a great sage Who benefited beings appeared in the world, And he was known by the name Ghoṣadatta. {12} “The first assembly of his students Numbered eight hundred million.²⁹⁴ The second was seven hundred million. The third was six hundred million arhats. {13} “All had eliminated defilements and were without kleśas. All had attained the perfection of miraculous powers. The lifespan was forty thousand years And the realm was perfectly pure and beautiful. {14} “The bodhisattvas of that protector Were consecrated to immeasurably benefit others. They were well established through their powers and levels. They were near to buddhahood beneath the sacred tree.²⁹⁵ {15} “In this Jambudvīpa there were kings Named Dṛḍhabala and Mahābala. One king ruled half the world, The other was king over the other half. {16} “The Buddha, to whom humans and devas made offerings, Had appeared within the domain of King Mahābala. The king gained faith in the Sugata And attended him for a thousand years. {17} “Many other beings, following his example, Also honored the Tathāgata With worldly goods and not through the Dharma.²⁹⁶ They gave many things to the śrāvakas also. {18} “The highest of beings had this thought: ‘I shall teach the Dharma to these who desire the Dharma So that they will all give up desire And enter into homelessness in my teaching.’ {19} “The highest of humans taught in verses The practice of following the Dharma of the sugatas, ### [2.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.13) The endless suffering and harm of living in a home, And that practicing the Dharma is offering to the Dharma. {20} “When the king, the sovereign, had heard those verses, That ruler of men contemplated entering solitude. He thought that all who dwell at home Are unable to make the supreme offering to the Dharma. {21} “He cast away the kingdom like a lump of phlegm And together with eighty thousand persons He came into the presence of the Jina, Bowed to his feet, and sat before him. {22} “The Jina, knowing what they intended, Taught this samādhi of peace that is difficult to see. Happy, inspired, and joyful, they were satisfied. Pleased and delighted, they entered homelessness. {23} “Homeless, they possessed this samādhi. They kept it, read it, and understood it. For two hundred million eons They did not fall into the lower existences. {24} “Because of those roots of merit,²⁹⁷ They all saw ten thousand million buddhas And in the teaching of those jinas They entered homelessness and meditated on this samādhi. {25} “In later times they became buddhas With infinite diligence, all named Dṛḍhaśūra. They benefited many millions of beings And after, like an extinguished flame, attained nirvāṇa. {26} “The one who previously had been King Mahābala Appeared in the world as Buddha Jñānaśūra. He brought many billions of beings To enlightenment, and then attained nirvāṇa. {27} “Therefore you who, in later times, hear and possess This sūtra that has been taught by the buddhas: If you possess this treasure of the Dharma You will quickly become a supreme human.” {28} Chapter 6 Cultivating the Samādhi The Bhagavān now said to the youth Candraprabha,²⁹⁸ “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should cultivate this samādhi. “Young man, what is the cultivation of this samādhi? ### [2.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.14) Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a compassionate mind are dedicated to making offerings to the tathāgatas, whether living or passed into nirvāṇa, of Dharma robes, alms, seat and bedding, medicines for when ill, and of monastic utensils, and of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, aromatic powders, clothing, parasols, banners, and flags, and of music and musical instruments. They dedicate that root of merit to the attainment of samādhi. They do not make offerings to a tathāgata with the hope for anything at all—not with the hope for anything they desire, nor with the hope for any enjoyment, nor with the hope for a higher existence, nor with the hope for followers—but do so with the Dharma in mind. They do not even, with that wish, perceive the Tathāgata as the dharmakāya, let alone perceiving him as the rūpakāya. “Young man, it is in that way that an offering is made to the tathāgatas. It is done without seeing the tathāgatas, without focusing on the self, and without any desire for the ripening of karma. Young man, if an offering made to a tathāgata is purified of those three aspects of the action, this samādhi will be attained and the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood will be quickly reached.” At this point the Bhagavān gave a detailed teaching on the cultivation of the samādhi by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha. “Through offering incense to infinite wisdom Beings will have an infinite aroma. In ten million eons they will not go to the lower realms, And no bad smells will come from them. {1} “For ten million eons they will practice bodhisattva conduct And make offerings to ten thousand million buddhas. The aroma of wisdom will arise so that they Will become buddhas with the aroma of supreme conduct. {2} “If any beings know that the incense they offer, Those to whom they offer it, And the minds that offer incense ### [2.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.15) do not exist, The ‘concordant patience’ they have is of lesser kind. {3} “But if a person maintains a patience that is great,²⁹⁹ Even were they cut up, for ten million eons, Into tiny pieces as numerous as the Ganges sands, Their mind will never regress. {4} “Why is this termed ‘patience’? And why is it called ‘concordant’? For what reason is it said to be ‘nonregressive’? And why are they called ‘bodhisattvas’? {5} “Their patience being for the selfless nature of phenomena, Those who perceive selflessness have no kleśas. They know that all phenomena are like space. That, therefore, is what is termed ‘patience.’ {6} “They train in accord with all the jinas. Those wise ones do not practice non-Dharma. They do not doubt the Buddha’s Dharma. That is the patience that is ‘concordant.’ {7} “Even if all the māras in the world transformed Into buddhas and said to such practitioners, ‘Enlightenment is too difficult! So become a śrāvaka!’ They would not believe those words and would not regress. {8} “If they know of the incorrect view of beings They say, ‘This is not the path to deathlessness!’³⁰⁰ So that they reject the wrong path and are brought to the true path.³⁰¹ That is the reason why they are called bodhisattvas.³⁰² {9} “They remain upon the path of concordant patience And are awake through the knowledge of selflessness. Even in a dream they do not believe In humans, persons, souls, or beings. {10} “Even if as many millions of māras as there are Ganges sands Came before them in the forms of buddhas, And said to them that there is a soul within the body, They would reply that it was not so and say, ‘You are not buddhas.’³⁰³ {11} “Through wisdom I know that the skandhas are empty. Because I know that, I am unaccompanied by kleśas. In my conduct I use mere words But within this world remain within nirvāṇa, {12} “Just as when a man has a son born to him And gives him a name, saying, ‘This is his name!’ But that name cannot be found anywhere. And that name did not come from anywhere. {13} “In that way the name ‘bodhisattva’ is given, ### [2.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.16) But if one seeks for this ‘bodhisattva’ That name will not be found anywhere. One who knows that is a bodhisattva. {14} “The bodhisattvas do not believe in the existence of a self Any more than that a fire can burn in the middle of the ocean. Since they have developed the aspiration for enlightenment They have not had the view that there is a soul within.³⁰⁴ {15} “There is no birth and there is no death For beings, humans,³⁰⁵ the descendants of Manu. Phenomena have an empty nature, like illusions; The tīrthikas are unable to know that. {16} “Also those who crave for food, Who desire and cling to alms bowls and robes, Who are arrogant and are haughty, They cannot understand the Buddha’s enlightenment. {17} “The lazy who are overcome by sleepiness and dullness, Who have stubborn minds,³⁰⁶ and are shameless, Who have no faith in the Buddha, They are unable to understand³⁰⁷ sublime enlightenment. {18} “The ordinary beings with incorrect behavior, Those who do not have faith in the Dharma, Who have no respect toward celibates, They are unable to understand enlightenment. {19} “Those with correct behavior, who have modesty and self-respect, Who delight in the Dharma and the buddhas, Who show great respect to the practitioners of celibacy, They will attain the supreme, highest enlightenment. {20} “Those whose conduct is performed with mindfulness, Who sit upon their cushion with joy and delight, With dhyāna as food and samādhi for drink, They will attain the supreme, highest enlightenment. {21} “Those who understand selflessness all day long, Who are mindful of emptiness as they walk, Who bear the beautiful aromatic flowers of the aspects of enlightenment, Those dedicated ones will attain supreme enlightenment. {22} “They who are skilled in bodhisattva conduct Are not on the level of other beings, Of śrāvakas, or of pratyekabuddhas. Who would not aspire to that realization? {23} “If I were to have a lifespan that continued For as many millions of eons as there are sands in the Ganges, I would not even be able to finish reciting the praises Of as little of the Buddha’s wisdom as a tiny pore. {24} “Therefore, having heard the benefits ### [2.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.17) That have been taught by the unsurpassable Jina, You should quickly become instructed in this samādhi. And then the attainment of supreme enlightenment will not be difficult.” {25} Chapter 7 The Attainment of Patience Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience. They should know the first patience. They should know the second patience. They should know the third patience. They should become skilled in the differences between the three kinds of patience and skilled in the differences between the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience. “Why is that? Young man, when bodhisattva mahāsattvas become skilled in the differences between the three kinds of patience and become skilled in the differences between the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience, then at that time, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas will quickly attain this samādhi, and will quickly attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood should learn this Dharma teaching on gaining the three kinds of patience. When they have learned it they should teach it widely to others. That will be of benefit to many beings, it will bring happiness to many beings, it will be a kindness to the world, it will bring fulfillment to a multitude of beings, and bring benefit and happiness to humans and devas.”³⁰⁸ Then the Bhagavān taught this Dharma discourse on gaining the three kinds of patience by chanting the following verses to the youth Candraprabha. “Those who do not argue Or speak unbeneficial words But always bring benefit and maintain the Dharma, Such people are explained as having the first patience. {1} ### [2.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.18) “Knowing that all phenomena are like illusions, Not having a conceptual field of experience, And not falling from the level of increasing wisdom Are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {2} “Being skilled in all the paths of the sūtras, Being wise and attracted to the Buddha’s words, And having the infinite awareness of the sugatas’ wisdom Are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {3} “Whatever Dharma taught by the Buddha they hear, They have no doubt about the Buddha’s teachings But aspire to the Dharma of all the jinas. These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {4} “They know the particular sūtra with the definitive meaning, Such as the Sugata’s teaching on emptiness. They know that all the Dharmas that teach Of beings, individuals, and persons are provisional truth. {5} “In this world there are many tīrthikas, But they feel no anger toward them. They are firmly established in compassion for them. These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {6} “The retentions³⁰⁹ become apparent to them And they have no doubts concerning their appearance. What they speak is in accord with the truth. These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {7} “The four elements of air and water, Fire and earth may change into something else, But they will never turn away from the enlightenment of buddhahood. These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {8} “Whatever skills there are in the world, The bodhisattvas learn them all, And no one sees anyone higher than them. These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {9} “They are unwavering through the power of śamatha, And through vipaśyanā they are like a mountain. Even all beings together would be unable to disturb them. These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {10} “In meditation they stand and talk; Remaining in meditation they walk. In meditation they master the perfections. These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {11} “In meditation they attain the five higher knowledges. Teaching the Dharma they go to a hundred realms. They do not lose their miraculous powers. ### [2.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.19) These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {12} “They remain in that kind of samādhi of peace. They attain certainty of the mind, And in their meditation there is no ‘being.’ These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {13} “With buddha wisdom they teach the Dharma To all of the beings who are in the world, And they are able to remember all that they have taught. These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {14} “They see the lords of the worlds in all directions: East, south, west, and north, Above, below, and in the intermediate directions. These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {15} “They have a body that is the color of gold And emanate countless manifestations, Teaching the Dharma to many millions of beings. These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {16} “Each such bodhisattva appears throughout This buddha realm of Jambudvīpa And is renowned also among the devas and asuras. These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {17} “The bodhisattvas train in accordance With the field of activity of the buddhas And the conduct of the sugatas. These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {18} “If the beings that are in this world Were to recite the praises of the bodhisattvas And they were to take great joy in that Then they would not be trained in the Buddha’s wisdom. {19} “If all the beings that are in this world Were to speak badly to the bodhisattvas, And if they were to become angry toward them, Then they would still not be trained in the Buddha’s wisdom. {20} “If they gain wealth it does not make them happy; If they do not gain wealth it does not make them unhappy. Their minds always remain like a mountain. These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {21} “These three patiences are taught to be the patience regarding what is spoken, The patience that is beneficial for contemplation and meditation, And the patience, from listening to the Dharma, regarding birthlessness. These trainings are the path to enlightenment.³¹⁰ {22} “When the bodhisattvas attain These three unsurpassable patiences, They see the supreme humans, the sugatas,³¹¹ And they give them the prophecy of their stainless enlightenment. {23} ### [2.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.20) “When they have received that prophecy The earth shakes in six ways, The realm is illuminated by light, And millions of devas send down a rain of flowers. {24} “When they have received that prophecy Countless quintillions of beings Develop the aspiration to enlightenment, Thinking, ‘We also shall become jinas, worthy of offerings.’³¹² {25} “When the bodhisattvas attain These three unsurpassable patiences They are not born, they do not die, They do not pass away, and are not reborn. {26} “When the bodhisattvas attain These three unsurpassable patiences They do not see beings born or dying, But see all phenomena as remaining in the true nature. {27} “In this way they know that they are untrue, That phenomena are like illusions, that they are naturally empty. Emptiness is not born and does not die.³¹³ All these phenomena are by nature empty. {28} “Whenever someone shows them respect, Attending to them, honoring them, and making offerings, They take no pleasure in it, For they know that phenomena have an empty nature. {29} “Toward beings who revile, threaten, or beat them, They feel no anger, nor pride. They only feel constant love for them, Wishing for those beings to be liberated. {30} “Even when beaten and cut with sticks and stones, Those wise ones will feel no anger, Remaining in the patience of selflessness, And not having unyielding anger or pride. {31} “In this way they know the lack of reality, That phenomena are like illusions, with an empty nature. They remain in that knowledge of phenomena And are venerated by this world and its devas. {32} “Even toward beings holding weapons Who cut into pieces their body and limbs, They would have no anger, And their love and compassion would not diminish. {33} “Toward such beings, while they are cutting up their body and limbs, This is what arises in their mind: ‘Until I can bring these beings to enlightenment I will not pass into the peace of nirvāṇa.’ {34} ### [2.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.21) “The bodhisattvas of great renown Continuously meditate throughout millions of eons With that kind of unsurpassable power of patience, Resting in the equanimity of the patience of selflessness. {35} “For even more eons, as many as Ganges sand grains, They do not accomplish benefit through the knowledge of a buddha. They do not reach enlightenment, Let alone the wisdom of the tathāgatas. {36} “Even if one were to speak for countless hundreds of eons, It would be difficult to conclude the praises, The endless descriptions, of the greatly renowned ones Who are established in the patience of selflessness. {37} “Therefore, the one who desires supreme, unsurpassable enlightenment, The accumulated wisdom of buddhahood, Should meditate on the patience praised by the jinas, And then supreme enlightenment will not be difficult to attain.” {38} Chapter 8 Buddha Abhāva­samudgata Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena. “Young man, what is being skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena? Bodhisattva mahāsattvas know that all phenomena have no existence, have no essence, have no attributes, have no characteristics, have no origin, have no cessation, have no words, are empty, are primordial peace, and are pure by nature. “Young man, when bodhisattva mahāsattvas ### [2.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.22) know that all phenomena have no existence, have no essence, have no attributes, have no characteristics, have no birth, have no cessation, have no words, are empty, are primordial peace, and are pure by nature, then at that time, young man, those bodhisattva mahāsattvas have become skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena. “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have become skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena do not have desire for any form, sound, smell, taste, or touch. They do not become angry. They are never ignorant. “Why is that? It is because they do not see phenomena; there is no object to perceive. They do not see the phenomena of desire, the desire, or the desirer; that which angers, the anger, or one who is angry; nor that of which one is ignorant, the ignorance, or the one who is ignorant, and therefore there is no such object to perceive. “Because there is nothing to be seen and there is no object to perceive, they have no attachment to anything in the three realms and they will quickly attain this samādhi, and quickly attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. “On this topic, it has been said: “All phenomena have no existence; They are all devoid of attributes and without characteristics, Without birth and without cessation. That is how you should³¹⁴ perfectly understand phenomena. “Everything is without existence, without words, Empty, peaceful, and primordially stainless. The one who knows phenomena, Young man, that one is called a buddha. “Therefore, the revealed nature of equality Is that all phenomena in essence have no nature. Whoever desires the mother of the sugatas Will attain this mother of the jinas. “Therefore, young man, that is what you should understand through this Dharma teaching.³¹⁵ “Young man, in the past, countless, vast, immeasurable, inconceivable, unfathomable, asaṃkhyeya eons ago, at that time, in that time, there appeared in the world the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Abhāva­samudgata, who was perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata, ### [2.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.23) a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, and a bhagavān. “Young man, what do you think? Why was that tathāgata named Abhāva­samudgata?³¹⁶ “Young man, as soon as he was born he rose in the air up to the height of seven palm trees, took seven steps, and said these words: ‘All phenomena have arisen from nonexistence. From nonexistence have all phenomena arisen.’ “Young man, the sound of those words was heard in all the worlds in the trichiliocosm. It resounded and was heard by everyone from the devas on the earth up to those in Brahmā’s paradise. ‘Oh, as soon as this tathāgata was born, he rose in the air up to the height of seven palm trees, took seven steps and said the word nonexistence. Therefore he will be Abhāva­samudgata (Arisen from Nonexistence).’ Thus it was that the name Abhāva­samudgata arose, and that he was given the name Abhāva­samudgata. “When that bhagavān attained enlightenment, the words ‘arisen from nonexistence’ sounded from the leaves of all the trees, from all the grass,³¹⁷ bushes, and forests,³¹⁸ and from the summits of all the mountains. “Every sound in that world was heard as the words ‘arisen from nonexistence.’ “Young man, at the time, attending the teachings of the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Abhāva­samudgata, there was a young prince by the name of Mahā­karuṇā­cintin, who had an excellent body and was handsome and good-looking. “Young man, the prince went to the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Abhāva­samudgata and bowed his head to the Bhagavān’s feet. He circumambulated the Bhagavān three times and then sat down. ### [2.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.24) Then the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Abhāva­samudgata, knowing the higher motivation of Prince Mahā­karuṇā­cintin, taught him this samādhi. When he had heard this he had complete faith in it. With complete faith he shaved off his hair and beard, put on the orange robes, and with such faith left home for homelessness. Having entered homelessness he learned this samādhi. He learned it, kept it, read it, understood it, and dedicated himself to the practice of meditation on it. Through that root of merit, he did not fall into the lower existences for two hundred million eons. He served two hundred million buddhas, and he heard this samādhi from all those tathāgatas. Having heard it, he learned it and understood it. He kept it, read it, propagated it, and repeatedly meditated on it with unadulterated meditation, remaining dedicated to that practice of meditation. “Through those roots of merit, after twenty eons had passed he appeared in the world as the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Suvicintitārtha. He ripened countless beings and benefited countless beings, and afterward, like an extinguished flame, he passed away into perfect nirvāṇa. “Therefore, young man, this samādhi of that Dharma teaching should be cherished by bodhisattva mahāsattvas. It should be known to cause the unsurpassable perfect wisdom of buddhahood.” Then at that time the Bhagavān gave a detailed teaching on the preceding chapter by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha: “I remember that countless eons ago In the past, there appeared a supreme human, One who benefited the world, a great rishi, And his name was Abhāva­samudgata. {1} “As soon as he was born he rose into the air ### [2.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2.25) And taught the nonexistence of all phenomena. He was at that time given a corresponding name And his words were heard throughout the trichiliocosm. {2} “All the devas, they all called out, ‘He will be a jina named Abhāva! As soon as he was born he took seven steps And the Jina taught the nonexistence of phenomena.’ {3} “When the sage became a buddha, a Dharma king, Who taught the nature of all phenomena, From plants, trees, bushes, mountains,³¹⁹ and rocks There came the words ‘phenomena have no existence.’ {4} “All the sounds there were in the world Became the words ‘all are nonexistent.’ In that way there sounded The words of the Guide of the World. {5} “At that time there was a prince Whose name had always been Karuṇāvicintin. He had an excellent form and was handsome. He came into the presence of that jina. {6} “He bowed to the feet of the sage, that great being, And respectfully circumambulated him. In order to hear the stainless, unsurpassable Dharma He sat there with a devout mind. {7} “The heroic³²⁰ Jina, knowing his aspiration, Gave the teaching of this samādhi. Having listened to this stainless samādhi He quickly entered homelessness in the supreme Jina’s teaching. {8} “Having entered homelessness he possessed, Read, and understood this samādhi. For a full two hundred million eons He did not descend to an unfortunate existence. {9} “Through the good karma that he had made He pleased two hundred million buddhas, And in the presence of those jinas He cultivated this samādhi. {10} “He afterward became a buddha in the world Who was always known as Sucintitārtha. He benefited many millions of beings And afterward attained nirvāṇa,³²¹ like an extinguished flame.³²² {11} Chapter 9 The Patience of the Profound Dharma Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, ## Translations (1) - [Popular Quotations from the King of Samādhi Sūtra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-pearcey.p3) — Adam Pearcey 2004, English ## Linked texts (1) - [འཕགས་པ་ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རང་བཞིན་མཉམ་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་སྤྲོས་པ་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo.2.1-2) — Classical Tibetan --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.samadhiraja*bo~en-84000.2) · Pramāṇa