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 5
The King of Samādhis Sūtra 5
- Language
- English
5.2
with palms placed together he bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to him,⁵⁶⁶ “Bhagavān, it is marvelous that the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha has taught the equality that is the nature of all phenomena, which is the samādhi that all bodhisattvas train in.
“Bhagavān, it was thus, in this training, that the Bhagavān trained for a long time, and accomplished the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Bhagavān, that gives me confidence to speak.⁵⁶⁷ Sugata, it gives me confidence to speak.”
The Bhagavān said, “Young man, if you think the time has come, be confident to speak.”
Since the Bhagavān had granted the youth Candraprabha this opportunity, Candraprabha spoke the following verses of praise directly to the Bhagavān.
“You saw beings tormented by suffering,⁵⁶⁸
Constantly overpowered by desire and anger,
And developed the aspiration to attain enlightenment:
‘May I become a buddha who liberates beings!’ {1}
“Hero,⁵⁶⁹ for many millions of eons, constantly,
You practiced generosity, self-restraint and self-control,
Patience, correct conduct, and similarly diligence,
And your acts of generosity were vast and infinite. {2}
“Without ever any sadness in your mind
You gave away your legs, arms, and even your life,
And similarly, without attachment you gave away
Gold, silver, sons, wives, and your kingdom. {3}
“Your conduct was stainless and pure.
You made a gift of yourself without ruining your conduct.
You controlled well your body, speech, and mind.
Sugata who has a self-restrained mind, I pay homage to you. {4}
“Delighting in patience, residing on the path of patience,
Even though your body was cut into pieces you were not angered;⁵⁷⁰
Through your meditation on love, milk flowed from you.
Marvelous Sugata, I pay homage to you. {5}
“You possess the strength of the ten strengths.
With wisdom free of attachment you know all phenomena.
5.3
With compassion, Lord of Dharma, you benefit the world.
Through your kindness you wish to benefit beings. {6}
“You know emptiness and that there are no such beings,
And likewise you see that the world’s beings have lost that path.
You have realized that the nature of phenomena is selfless
And that though you bring beings to liberation, there is no such liberation. {7}
“With discrimination you reject all carelessness.
You have conquered the infinite, powerful māras.
Enlightened at buddhahood, you have vast, infinite wisdom.
You teach the supreme Dharma of completely pure peace. {8}
“The sky with its moon and the stars may fall,
The earth with its mountains and towns may be destroyed,
The element of space may change into something else,
But you will never speak an untrue word. {9}
“You have seen the suffering of beings
Who take joy in the perception of objects.
You teach the profound peace, emptiness,
In which there is no perception of objects. {10}
“Great hero, you trained
For countless millions of eons
In the training of nonperception,
And so you are free of error. {11}
“Just as you have trained in the Dharma,
In that way you teach the Dharma.
Yours is not the level of foolish beings,
And neither is it the level of all the tīrthikas. {12}
“Those who have the conception of a self,
They are unwise beings who are in error.
You know that phenomena have no self,
And so you are free of any error. {13}
“You speak the truth, great hero;
You are established in the true Dharma.
Lord, you remain within truth, within veracity,
And you speak words that are true. {14}
“Your conduct has been true,
Just as you have prayed for.
You have the consequence of that true conduct
And you speak words that are true. {15}
“You have perfected true conduct.
You have trained in the summit of truth.
You have truly practiced with a true motivation.
I pay homage to you who have true wisdom. {16}
“There is no equal to your wisdom.
Your words of wisdom illuminate.
You have attained unique wisdom.
I pay homage to you who speak words of wisdom. {17}
“You have meditated on kindness
And become a friend to all beings.
5.4
You are as unshakable as Sumeru.
You are completely stable and unwavering. {18}
“Teacher, your following is vast.
You have attracted these followers.
Sugata who has profound wisdom,
Make your voice resound within this assembly. {19}
“The voice of the Buddha is a lion’s roar.
You walk with the gait of a lion.
You defeat all the tīrthikas
Like a lion defeats jackals. {20}
“Hero who subdues the unsubdued,
The unsubdued are subdued by you.
They become friends who are reliable,
Inseparable, and pleasant to be with. {21}
“You see the beings who are suffering
Because they maintain the view of a self.⁵⁷¹
You teach the Dharma of no-self
In which there is neither like nor dislike. {22}
“The foolish who are untrained
Take up the wrong paths.
You show them the path
That the guides have followed. {23}
“Whoever holds to the concept of a self,
They will remain in suffering.
They do not know selflessness,
Within which there is no suffering. {24}
“You teach the Dharma with words that are without error.
Lord of the World, you make no error.
You are one who speaks words that are never incorrect.
I pay homage to you, who bring freedom from suffering. {25}
“In the sky there are many quintillions
Of devas, nāgas, and yakṣas.
They all feel joy in the Guide
When they hear the meaningful words of the Bhagavān. {26}
“Your words are mild, gentle, and pleasing,
Timely, melodious, appropriate, and beloved.
You have the countless qualities of speech
That benefit and bring liberation to many beings. {27}
“Countless hundreds of thousands of musical instruments
Are all played melodiously and simultaneously,
But the Sugata with one word eclipses them all
With his unique, divine, beloved voice.⁵⁷² {28}
“Avadavats⁵⁷³ and flocks of birds⁵⁷⁴ with beautiful songs,
With their beautiful songs that are pleasing to everyone—
All of the songs of these many flocks of birds⁵⁷⁵
Cannot equal a fraction of the Buddha’s speech. {29}
5.5
“Deva maidens with beautiful voices
And with melodious music and songs,
And the sound of lutes, paṭaha⁵⁷⁶ drums, bherī drums,⁵⁷⁷ and conches,
Cannot equal a fraction of the Buddha’s speech.⁵⁷⁸ {i}
“The songs of cuckoos, parrots, and mynas,
Of cranes, peacocks, and kinnaras—
All these beautiful, melodious sounds
Cannot equal a fraction of the Buddha’s speech.⁵⁷⁹ {30}
“Delightful, melodious, beautiful, enjoyable,
Exquisite, peaceful voices singing praises—
All such voices singing simultaneously
Are not as delightful as the Tathāgata’s perfect speech. {31}
“The light from all luminous beings,
From devas,⁵⁸⁰ humans, kings, and asuras,⁵⁸¹
And from all beings in the three existences,
Are eclipsed by one light ray from the Sugata. {32}
“The Sugata’s body is like a blossomed flower
With the various adornments of all the special signs.
A pure and clear accomplishment of hundreds of merits,
The body of the Jina shines on the entire world. {33}
“The sound of conches and of paṇavas,⁵⁸²
And the sound of bherī drums⁵⁸³ and kimpalas⁵⁸⁴—
All those beautiful and delightful sounds
Cannot equal a hundredth of the Buddha’s voice. {34}
“The sounds of quintillions of musical instruments,
Clear and beautiful voices like those of the devas,⁵⁸⁵
And the delightful voices of male and female devas⁵⁸⁶
Cannot equal a hundredth of the Buddha’s voice.⁵⁸⁷ {35}
“Flocks of a multitude of birds—cranes, peacocks,
Shelducks, cuckoos, geese, and snipe—
May simultaneously sing their songs, but they
Cannot equal a hundredth of the Buddha’s voice.⁵⁸⁸ {36}
“The voices of nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, mahoragas,
Devendra,⁵⁸⁹ Brahmā, and the lords of the devas—
All the lovely and beautiful voices in the three existences
Cannot equal a hundredth of the Buddha’s voice. {37}
“The light of Brahmā and lords of the devas,
The light of the sun and precious jewels,
The many different kinds of light—
All those lights are eclipsed by the brilliance of the Jina’s light.⁵⁹⁰ {38}
“Your body, speech, and mind are perfectly pure.
The purity of your wisdom is unstained by the three existences.
5.6
Lord of men, you have the wealth of qualities, precious qualities.
Self-arisen one, through all your qualities, you are without equal.” {39}
In that way the youth spoke those words with great joy,
Praising the one with ten strengths, the speaker of truth.
He said, “By offering to the measureless,⁵⁹¹ unquantifiable Buddha
May I also become a buddha like Śākyamuni!” {40}
Knowing his perfect conduct, the Sugata,
The Lord of humans, the one with wisdom free of attachment, smiled.
Maitreya, the senior son of the one with ten strengths, asked him,
“For what reason did the Guide smile? {41}
“The earth has shaken in six ways.
The devas and nāgas in the sky are filled with joy.
They are gazing at the Buddha with great delight and happiness.
I pray to the unconquerable Sugata that you elucidate this to them. {42}
“You have a supreme being’s wisdom,
Which is not the level of the Bhagavān’s śrāvakas.
You who have pure wisdom beyond examples, wise one,
Tell⁵⁹² us the entire reason, Jina, why you smiled.⁵⁹³ {43}
“You are the Śākya lion, possessor of the ten strengths, the Guide,
The chief of humans, the one who has reached the perfection of wisdom.⁵⁹⁴
You have eliminated intractable desire, anger, and ignorance.
To you who shine with intense light, I ask this question: {44}
“Seeking the supreme, highest enlightenment,
You, the Guide, practiced for millions of eons
As numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges.
For what reason did you show a smile? {45}
“Seeking the supreme, highest enlightenment,
You, the Teacher, gave away your arms and legs.
You gave away sons, wives, companions, and relations.
Sage, for what reason did you show a smile? {46}
“You gave away horses, elephants, and chariots,⁵⁹⁵
Slaves, jewels, silver, and pearls.⁵⁹⁶
When you practiced the sublime conduct
There were no jewels or wealth that you did not give away. {47}
“You have the supreme wisdom in the three existences.
You know the conduct of all beings.
5.7
You are skilled in knowing their natures, minds, and aspirations.
For what reason did you smile? {48}
“Who made the offering to you, best of men?
For whom has vast merit been created?
Who has gained that excellent conduct?
Sage, for what reason did you smile? {49}
“The earth has shaken in six ways.
Millions of lotuses have appeared on the ground.⁵⁹⁷
They shine and have millions of excellent petals.
They are the color of gold, beautiful and delightful. {50}
“Present here are the heart sons of the Jina
Who show the greatest bodhisattva miracles.
Many⁵⁹⁸ dharmabhāṇakas have gathered here.
Guide, I ask my question for their sake. {51}
“The sound of bherī drums,⁵⁹⁹ conches, and gongs,⁶⁰⁰
Of quintillions of instruments has resounded.
That music was heard coming from the sky,
But compared to that the Sugata’s speech is inconceivable. {52}
“Many flocks of birds have gathered,
Cranes,⁶⁰¹ geese, avadavats,⁶⁰² and cuckoos.
They have sung their perfect, beautiful songs,
But they do not equal a fraction of the Buddha’s speech. {53}
“Who in the past with generosity, self-restraint, and self-control
Has served well for many millions of eons?
Who has made offerings to you, supreme among men?
For what reason did you smile? {54}
“Who in the past, having shown you the greatest veneration,
Asked you, supreme among men, the question,
‘How can I attain the enlightenment of buddhahood?’
For what reason did you smile? {55}
“Those with the ten strengths in the past,
The sugatas of the present and the future,
And you, supreme among men, know all.
Therefore for the benefit of beings I ask this question. {56}
“You know the thoughts in the minds of beings
And all beings’ infinite ways of conduct;
You know the aspirations that humans have.
Therefore I ask this question to you, supreme among men. {57}
“Those who are practicing the supreme conduct,
Who are adept in causes, reasons, and discipline,
They ask, ‘How does one attain the Buddha’s wisdom?’
Therefore, supreme human, I ask this question. {58}
“There are those who meditate on the field of experience of those with the ten strengths:
The subtle Dharma that is difficult to perceive,
5.8
And emptiness and peace that is unequaled and inconceivable.
For their sake, Guide, I ask you this question. {59}
“Those who meditate on love and compassion
For all the countless beings in the world,
Without their having the concept of beings—
Supreme human, for their sake I ask this question. {60}
“Those who have inconceivable, unequaled wisdom,
They are never known to have any grasping.
They have reached the perfection of the mind’s field of activity.
Lord, it is for their sake that I ask this question. {61}
“You have reached the perfection of conduct and wisdom’s qualities.
You have unequaled knowledge of the three times.
You will never make an error.
For what reason did you smile? {62}
“Śāriputra, Aniruddha, and Kolita,
And the other śrāvakas of the Sugata,
Do not have that wisdom.
It is the unsurpassable field of activity of the buddhas. {63}
“You have reached the perfection of power over all phenomena.
You have ascended through the practice of the training.
Guide, you have developed compassion.
You who know the ultimate truth, release your voice! {64}
“You have had, in the past for many millions of eons,
The goal of being the ultimate refuge and protector,
And have inquired, supreme human, with just that intention;
Guide, tell us the result of that today. {65}
“Yakṣas, rākṣasas, kumbhāṇḍas, and guhyakas
Are gazing upon the supreme among humans.
They are all respectful, their palms together in homage,
In order to listen to the elucidation from the great being. {66}
“Many bodhisattvas with miraculous powers
Have come from millions of buddha realms.
These senior sons, born form the minds of the sugatas,
Are all respectfully present, their palms together in homage. {67}
“Gandhahasti with millions of bodhisattvas
Has come into your presence from the east,
From the famous world of Akṣobhya’s realm
For this question, Lion of the Śākyas, supreme human. {68}
“Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta
Have come before you with millions of bodhisattvas
From the supreme realm of Sukhāvatī
5.9
For this question, Lion of the Śākyas, supreme human. {69}
“In the past for many millions of eons
They have served countless sugatas
As numerous as the sand grains in all the oceans,
Seeking this supreme sublime wisdom. {70}
“Mañjughoṣa is present, his palms together in homage.
He has been praised and extolled by all the buddhas.
He has reached the perfection of all good qualities
And is renowned throughout the worlds in all directions. {71}
“They have practiced in millions of buddha realms.
It is very rare to see such beings.
They have the qualities of sons of the buddhas and excellent training,
And are all present, with their palms together respectfully in homage. {72}
“There is no one here other than worthy recipients.
That is what these wise ones⁶⁰³ are like,
The holders of the Dharma treasures of all teachers.
Guide, release your gentle speech.⁶⁰⁴ {73}
“The jinas, the guides, the supreme humans
Have never been seen to smile without a reason.
Grant us your supreme speech, which is like the beat of a drum.
What is the reason that we saw you smile? {74}
“The supreme beings resound like thunder,⁶⁰⁵
Geese, cuckoos, peacocks, and swans,⁶⁰⁶
And they emit the melodious music of the devas.
Liberator of beings, elucidate with your words. {75}
“You develop kindness, you increase joy,
You teach wisdom, you eliminate ignorance,
You realize the meaning, you expand wisdom,
And you have purified for quintillions of eons. {76}
“You have realized the nature of things with certainty,
You have taught the meaning in words that end suffering.
You have routed the teachings of all tīrthikas.
You meditate on emptiness, the absence of being, and the absence of a soul. {77}
“You are adorned by thousands of merits.
You have practiced with hundreds of thousands of buddhas,
Are praised by hundreds of thousands of devas,
And hundreds of thousands of Brahmās pay homage to you. {78}
“Yakṣas, rākṣasas, and kumbhāṇḍas have faith in you.
5.10
You have liberated nāgas, mahoragas, and garuḍas.
You are constantly without any attachment.
Speak the words⁶⁰⁷ that are the result of good actions. {79}
“All the jinas that have passed into nirvāṇa,
Those who will live in the future, and those now present,
You know them all without impediment.
Guide, you are sublime because of all your qualities. {80}
“This earth that supports beings, with its mountains
And oceans, has been shaken in six ways.
The devas have thrown down flowers from the sky.
There has arisen the beautiful aroma of the incense of the devas. {81}
“Desire, anger, and darkness of the mind have been completely eliminated.
Conduct has become completely pure and the mind has become completely pure.
There is delight in complete peace, emptiness, and the absence of attributes.
There is the sound of the lion’s roar, the sound of the compassionate ones. {82}
“You have the confidence of speech, and great renown.
You have perfected wisdom, the wisdom of the jinas.
Compassionate one, there is no one like you in this world.
Tell us, for what reason did you smile? {83}
“The songs of peacocks, cuckoos, and avadavats,
And likewise the beautiful song of the partridge,⁶⁰⁸
All those pleasant sounds simultaneously
Do not equal a fraction of the Sugata’s speech. {84}
“Bherī drums, mṛdaṅgas, and similarly paṇavas;
Conches, flutes, and similarly lutes:
The simultaneous sound of a thousand instruments
Does not equal a fraction of the Sugata’s speech. {85}
“The divine, sublime sound of thousands of instruments
And the beautiful songs of deva maidens,
The excellent songs that bring delightful sounds to the mind,
Do not equal a fraction of the Sugata’s speech. {86}
“With one sound you benefit the world
As it resounds to those with different aspirations,
Each person thinking, ‘The Jina is speaking to me.’
For what reason did you smile? {87}
“The music of the devas and the music of the nāgas,
And also the melodious music of the kinnaras,
Are never able to pacify the kleśas.
The Buddha’s speech always dispels the kleśas. {88}
“You create joy but not joy in desire.
You create love and not a mind of anger.
You create wisdom and not a mind of stupidity.
5.11
The Buddha’s speech eliminates all stains. {89}
“The sound of your voice does not go beyond your followers.
It cuts through everyone’s hundreds of doubts.
It is never too quiet nor too loud.
The Sage’s voice teaches everyone equally and easily. {90}
“This earth with its mountains and forests may perish,
And so may the waters of the ocean.
The moon and the sun may fall to the earth,
But the Jina’s speech will never change. {91}
“Your voice has all the qualities of pure speech.
Your beautiful voice is a gentle lion’s roar.
Compassionate one, you have the voice of Brahmā.
For what reason did you smile? {92}
“You know the minds and conduct
Of all the beings in the world,
Those in the past, the future, and the present.
Tell us the reason why you smiled. {93}
“All of the jinas, the compassionate ones,
They who have reached the perfection of power and wisdom,
The jinas whose faces are like stainless moons,
Have never smiled without a reason. {94}
“If for millions of eons one were to describe your unequaled qualities,
Which are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
One would not be able to describe them fully.
Teach us the reason why you smiled.”⁶⁰⁹ {95}
Chapter 15
The Elucidation of the Buddha’s Smile
At that time the Bhagavān spoke these appropriate verses to Bodhisattva Maitreya:
“This youth, Candraprabha,
Has praised the Buddha with unequaled joy.
He described the unique superior qualities of the buddhas.
All the time he is reciting their praises.⁶¹⁰ {1}
“In this very city of Rājagṛha in the past
He has seen ten thousand million buddhas.
In the presence of all those jinas
He asked about this supreme samādhi of peace. {2}
“He has always been my son,
Practicing this supreme bodhisattva conduct.
He has always had the confidence of speech,
And always he has been practicing celibacy. {3}
5.12
“In the very fearful future times
You, Ajita, will be my witness.⁶¹¹
Always remaining in a state of celibacy,
He will make this samādhi widespread. {4}
“Those who seek entry into this sublime samādhi,
Through that path will attain enlightenment.
He will be adopted by many millions of buddhas
And he will make supreme offerings to those guides. {5}
“I prophesy that, remaining in wisdom,
Candraprabha’s conduct will be exceptional.
In the future times there will be no obstacle
To his celibacy or to his life. {6}
“He will know millions of buddhas as clearly
As five myrobalan plums in the palm of the hand.
And he will make offerings in the future to even more,
As numerous as sand grains in the Ganges. {7}
“Eight hundred million devas and nāgas,
And seven hundred billion yakṣas,
In future times will be zealous
And make offerings to the supreme among humans. {8}
“He will make offerings to the supreme human
And will practice this unsurpassable wisdom.
In a future time he will become a Lord of the World,
A jina by the name of Vimalaprabha.”⁶¹² {9}
The young man was overjoyed
On hearing this prophecy about himself.
Candraprabha floated up to the height of seven palm trees
And remaining in the sky he made this declaration: {10}
“O Jina, you who teach the supreme Dharma,
You have the power of a lord of liberating wisdom.
You remain in the certainty of supreme wisdom
And cannot be defeated by adversaries. {11}
“You have abandoned attachment and reached liberation.
You have no attachment to existence, which is devoid of things.
You have no conceptualization whatsoever.
You have the wisdom of nonattachment toward the three existences. {12}
“You are unstained by any conceptualization.
You are free of all conceptualized views.
You have meditated perfectly on the path that has no location.
You cannot be defeated or hindered⁶¹³ by anyone. {13}
“You have no residence in the three realms.
You are free from the floods⁶¹⁴ and the knots.⁶¹⁵
You have cut through the bondage of the creepers of craving.⁶¹⁶
5.13
You are free of existence and are devoid of existence. {14}
“You know the nonexistence that is the nature of phenomena.
You make understood in words that which cannot be described.
Just as the lion destroys the jackal,
You defeat the unwise tīrthikas. {15}
“I have obtained today the highest treasure,
The treasure of the Dharma taught by the Sugata.
I am freed from falling into any of the lower existences.
I will never have doubts that you are my guide. {16}
“He placed upon my head his hand,
Which was shining, beautiful, the color of gold.
He gave me the consecration to be a supreme leader of humans,
With the world and its devas as witnesses.” {17}
Chapter 16
The Past
The Bhagavān then said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas thus wish to liberate all beings from all the suffering of existence. They wish to establish beings in the noble, unsurpassable bliss and joy of samādhi. Therefore they should hear this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, obtain it, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.
“Why is that? Young man, this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, causes one to transcend all lower existence and be freed from all illness.
“Young man, when bodhisattva mahāsattvas hear this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, obtain it, and meditate on it, then, young man,
5.14
those bodhisattva mahāsattvas liberate all beings from all the sufferings of existence. They will establish them in the noble, unsurpassable bliss and joy of samādhi, this samādhi will be quickly attained, and the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood will be quickly attained.”⁶¹⁷
Thereupon the Bhagavān, in order to teach this meaning to Candraprabha, repeated what he had previously said by explaining it in the following verses.
“I remember that, as I was practicing in the past,
In the teaching of Sugata Siṃhadhvaja
There was a wise bhikṣu, a dharmabhāṇaka
Whose name was Brahmadatta. {1}
“At that time I was Prince Mati.
I was tormented by the pain of an illness.
The dharmabhāṇaka Brahmadatta
Became my teacher at that time. {2}
“More than five hundred physicians
Diligently sought to cure that illness,
But they were unable to cure me of my disease.
Everyone in my family was in suffering. {3}
“The bhikṣu heard about my illness,
And he came to me and asked about it.
Brahmadatta felt great pity for me,
And he taught me this supreme samādhi. {4}
“When I had heard this sublime samādhi
I experienced a noble, nonworldly joy.
I understood the essential nature of phenomena
And at that time I was healed of my disease. {5}
“That wise dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu was Dīpaṃkara
While he was practicing bodhisattva conduct,
And I was Prince Mati, who was freed from illness
Through the wisdom of the samādhi. {6}
“Therefore, young man, in the future
Remember past declines like that.
Tolerate the bad things the foolish will say
And keep and recite⁶¹⁸ this samādhi. {7}
“In future time, there will be many bhikṣus
Who will be covetous,⁶¹⁹ malicious, and without restraint.⁶²⁰
They will enjoy bad actions and be attached to alms bowls and robes,
And they will reject completely this samādhi. {8}
5.15
“They will be unstable, distracted by their senses, and envious,
Attached to families⁶²¹ and desiring gain.
They will always be engaged in familiarity with them
And they will reject completely⁶²² this samādhi. {9}
“They will strike with their hands and feet.
They will always engage in fun and play.
They will embrace each other and hold hands,
And will do other kinds of laypeople’s activities.⁶²³ {10}
“They will have the signs of inappropriate activity.
They will always desire the daughters of others.⁶²⁴
They will be excited and captivated by bodies,
And roam through the villages, towns, and regions. {11}
“They will always be engaged in eating and drinking,
And similarly in dance, song, and music.
They will always be dedicated to buying and selling.
Attached to drinking, they will cast aside their shame. {12}
“They will carry letters, engaging in inappropriate activity,
And likewise discard correct conduct and the pure path.⁶²⁵
They will break the rules through dwelling with families,
And having broken them continue engaging in incorrect conduct. {13}⁶²⁶
“They will be fraudulent with weights and measures,
Always engaging in actions that the buddhas have rejected.
Through doing those actions that are sinful and defiled,
They will have bad karma and will go to the lower realms. {14}
“They will enter homelessness, forsaking home,
Conches, gold and jewels, and great wealth;
But having entered homelessness within the Buddha’s teaching,
They will continually engage in bad actions. {15}
“They will see wealth and grain as essential.
They will be attached to dairy cows,⁶²⁷ cattle, and carriages.
These people who do not follow the training,
Why will they have shaved their heads? {16}
“In the past I practiced bodhisattva conduct,
Which was extremely difficult, for thousands of eons.
I did so seeking this samādhi of peace,
But they will laugh when they hear of it. {17}
“For a long time they will lie and will not be celibate.
Always enjoying what is harmful, they will descend to the lower realms.
They will hold up the banner of celibacy,
But will have bad conduct and what they teach will not be the Dharma. {18}
“They will be divided against each other.
They will yearn for that which is acquired inappropriately.
They will say unpleasant things to each other,
And when they die they will go to the level of the lower existences. {19}
5.16
“It will be hard to find among a hundred, a thousand,⁶²⁸
One who has the power of patience.
Therefore there will be many who are deeply involved in quarreling.
They will explain elaborately, having rejected patience. {20}
“They will say the words, ‘I am a bodhisattva,’
And those words will spread in every direction.
They will become conceited⁶²⁹ through their arrogant, false words,⁶³⁰
But how can there be enlightenment for someone whose conduct has gone astray? {21}
“I have never heard of, nor have I seen,
Someone whose motivation is not pure
And who has no patience for these phenomena,
Attaining enlightenment after discarding the Dharma. {22}
“It is through fear and anxiety they will have abandoned their homes
And held firmly to the homeless life.
But having acute desires they will proceed toward destruction,
Forsaking the way of the supreme humans. {23}⁶³¹
“They will have inferior wisdom and be devoid of good qualities,
And they will always be criticizing the supreme yāna.
They will always be talking about the hundreds of faults
Of that in which they have taken refuge. {24}⁶³²
“Many will have entered homelessness because they had no livelihood.
They will have no wish at all for the enlightenment of buddhahood.
Those foolish ones will maintain the view of a self
And become afraid when they hear of emptiness. {25}
“They will quarrel with each other⁶³³
And develop intractable evil malice.
They will say unpleasant things to each other
And find great joy in having done bad things. {26}
“Those who have correct conduct will have good qualities.
They will always remain loving and be skilled in patience.
They will be perfectly gentle, kind, and controlled—
Yet they will be the ones despised at that time. {27}
“Those who have wicked minds,
Who are dreadful, and accomplish terrible, very low actions,
Those whose conduct is not that of the Dharma and who enjoy fighting:
They will have offerings made to them at that time. {28}
“I declare this, I know this.
Young man, if you have faith in me,
Remember this teaching by the Sugata
And never depend on those others. {29}
“They will have strong desire and strong anger.
They will have strong ignorance and be conceited and arrogant.
They will have unrestrained bodies and unrestrained speech
And unrestrained minds, and will descend to the lower existences. {30}
5.17
“I have recited the praises of those qualities
But the bhikṣus will not practice these qualities.
Enlightenment is not attained by mere words.
For one who is dedicated to practice, enlightenment will not be difficult to attain.” {31}
Chapter 17
The Entranceway to the Samādhi That Is Taught by Many Buddhas
When the Bhagavān had finished speaking, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, who was seated there, in his mind recited this verse to the Bhagavān.⁶³⁴
“I am going, Tathāgata,⁶³⁵ to the king of mountains,
Gṛdhrakūṭa, which is always the residence of the buddhas.
When I have gone there, lamp of the world,⁶³⁶
I will make inconceivable offerings to you.” {i}
The Bhagavān knew the thoughts that were in the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya’s mind, and from his own mind sent this verse to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya:
“Go, Ajita, you who have conquered the māras,⁶³⁷
To the king of mountains where jinas reside.
There you will quickly accomplish
A great unsurpassable benefit for beings.” {ii}
So the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, having received in his mind that verse from the Bhagavān, paid homage to the Bhagavān in his mind and, again in his mind, circumambulated him three times. He then left the assembly and went to Gṛdhrakūṭa, the king of mountains, which has been the residence of countless buddhas, as numerous as the grains of sand in the ocean, and where there is a great caitya.
The moment he arrived there, for the enjoyment of the Bhagavān, he magically transformed the king of mountains to become level and vast, without any tree stumps, thorns, stones, pebbles, or gravel, and with a surrounding wall made of the seven jewels. The ground was composed of countless shining sapphire jewels and was adorned by divine adornments and jewels, all of them beyond compare, and beautified by an array of innumerable, different kinds of jewels. All the area was decorated by the clothing of Tuṣita devas,
5.18
pervaded by the aroma of incense from a variety of censers, adorned by garlands and wreaths, scattered with various flowers; it resounded with the sound of divine music, was filled with erect and fluttering banners and flags, and over it canopies were suspended.
In the center of this area a divine lion throne made from the seven jewels was emanated. It was draped in cloth that was not woven, and covered with divine clothing from Tuṣita that was as soft and pleasant to the touch as down. A central awning hung above, and there were two red cushions placed upon it. It was a yojana wide and a yojana high.
Its beautiful footstool, made of Jambu River gold, transcended that of humans and devas. It was covered with a net of strings of pearls, and it was draped in divine, precious cottons.
Strung upon the lion throne were strings of divine, precious bells from which came clear, beautiful, gentle sounds. In all directions there were great shining jewels. And there was emanated a precious, vast parasol, with a handle made of a great, precious jewel of stainless beryl.
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya now emanated an inconceivable, adorning array of various jewels on Gṛdhrakūṭa, the king of mountains, and in its entire environs. Then, in an instant, he returned to the home of the youth Candraprabha.
Once he was back there, in his mind he paid homage to the Bhagavān, and in his mind circumambulated him three times. He then sat on his seat.
It was said:
He manifested the mountain as a divine, vast place
With excellent, beautiful jewel flagstones—
Inconceivable, divine, formed from the mind—
And he placed in the center a precious lion throne. {iii}
Jinaputra Ajita also manifested
A divine, splendid parasol that emitted delightful sounds
With great shining jewels all around,
And a handle of pure, beautiful beryl. {iv}
Maitreya, the hero, having emanated
A variety of jewels on the mountain,
And a precious seat that was a krośa in size,
5.19
In one instant returned to the house.⁶³⁸ {v}
Then the Bhagavān taught the Dharma to the great assembly that was like an ocean. He inspired them, he filled them with joy, and he guided them. Then he rose from his seat and departed. And with the miraculous power of a buddha he emerged through Rājagṛha’s gate of the hot springs and proceeded toward Gṛdhrakūṭa, the king of mountains. When he arrived he went to the site created by Maitreya, and having arrived there he sat upon the great lion throne that Maitreya had manifested.⁶³⁹
He was encircled by the assembly of bhikṣus, and the saṅgha of bodhisattvas gazed upon him from the front. The devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, rishis, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans paid homage to him. Within the ocean-like assembly, he taught the Dharma.
Then the youth Candraprabha arrived together with a hundred thousand quintillion beings, and many millions of bodhisattva mahāsattvas who had come from other worlds. They were holding flowers, incense, and garlands; playing musical instruments and percussion; holding parasols, banners, and divine flags; and holding great garlands as offerings.
In order to make this offering to the Bhagavān they left the great city of Rājagṛha through the gateway of peace,⁶⁴⁰ and went to Gṛdhrakūṭa, to the Bhagavān. They bowed down their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated him three times, made a great offering to him of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothes, food, parasols, banners, and flags, playing music and percussion, and then they sat down in one place. In order to ask about the Dharma they sat in that place with veneration and with respect while the youth Candraprabha, kneeling on his right knee,
5.20
with palms placed together, bowed toward the Bhagavān⁶⁴¹ and said to him, “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 Bhagavān will always give you the opportunity. Ask whatever question you wish to the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
The Bhagavān having given him this opportunity, the young man Candraprabha asked, “Bhagavān, it is through possessing what qualities that bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena?”
The Bhagavān replied to Candraprabha, “Young man, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas possess four qualities, they will attain the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena.
“What are those four qualities? Young man, one is that bodhisattva mahāsattvas are calm, and pleasant company. They have self-restraint, and have attained a level of self-restraint such that when others abuse them or insult them, they will be patient with the abuse and the insults that are spoken, for it is their nature to have endurance; they have the view of karma, have overcome pride, and their desire is for the Dharma. Young man, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas have this first quality, they will attain this samādhi.⁶⁴²
“Another, young man, is that bodhisattva mahāsattvas have correct conduct. They have pure conduct, conduct that is not impaired, conduct that is free of faults, conduct that is unshakable, conduct that is unstained, conduct that has not declined, conduct that is unattached,
5.21
conduct that is inviolate, conduct that is beyond conceptualization, conduct that is praised by the āryas, and conduct that is praised by the wise. Young man, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas have these two qualities, they will attain this samādhi.⁶⁴³
“Another, young man, is that bodhisattva mahāsattvas are frightened of the three realms. They are terrified of them, saddened by them,⁶⁴⁴ do not value them, take no delight in them,⁶⁴⁵ and have no attachment or clinging to them.⁶⁴⁶ Because they are distressed by the three realms they are dedicated to the thought, ‘I shall deliver other beings from their suffering, to somewhere other than the three realms!’ and they thus proceed to the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have these three qualities will attain this samādhi.⁶⁴⁷
“Moreover, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas have faith.⁶⁴⁸ They insatiably seek the Dharma. They listen to many teachings. They have confidence. They long for the Dharma. They are devoted to the Dharma. They are not devoted to obtaining material gain or honors. They are not devoted to attaining success through knowledge. They think first of what will benefit others, and they teach and explain extensively to others the Dharma that they have received. They have no desire for material gain through their reputation. They think, ‘If these beings can hear this Dharma then they will proceed irreversibly to the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’⁶⁴⁹ Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have these four qualities will attain this samādhi.
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have these four qualities will attain the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and they will quickly attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.
“Young man, the samādhi has been taught through this Dharma discourse by many buddhas, has been commended by many buddhas,
5.22
has been explained by many buddhas, and has been praised⁶⁵⁰ by many buddhas.
“Young man, I have entered homelessness in the presence of many buddha bhagavāns. I heard extensively from them this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena. I obtained it, asked questions about it, preserved it, recited it to others, promoted it, meditated on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgated it,⁶⁵¹ and made it widely known to others.”⁶⁵²
Thereupon the Bhagavān taught extensively in verse what he had previously said about the samādhi doorway taught by many buddhas.
“I remember countless, innumerable eons ago
There was a jina named Svarāṅgaghoṣa.
Tathāgata Svarāṅgaghoṣa
Had a lifespan of six thousand years. {1}
“After him there was a buddha,
A supreme man named Jñāneśvara.
Jñāneśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of twelve thousand years. {2}
“After Jñāneśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Tejeśvara.
Tejeśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of sixty-seven thousand years. {3}
“After Tejeśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Matīśvara.
Matīśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of ten million years. {4}
“After Matīśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Brahmeśvara.
Brahmeśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of fourteen thousand years.⁶⁵³ {5}
“After Brahmeśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Agnīśvara.⁶⁵⁴
Agnīśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of seventy-six thousand years. {6}
“After Agnīśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Brahmānana.
Brahmānana, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of seven days. {7}
“After Brahmānana there was a buddha,
5.23
A jina who was named Gaṇeśvara.
Gaṇeśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of a full ten million years.⁶⁵⁵ {8}
“After Gaṇeśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Ghoṣeśvara.
Ghoṣeśvara, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of ninety million years. {9}
“After Ghoṣeśvara there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Ghoṣānana.
Ghoṣānana, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of a hundred million years. {10}
“After Ghoṣānana there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Candrānana.
Candrānana, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of one day.⁶⁵⁶ {11}
“After Candrānana there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Sūryānana.
Sūryānana, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of eighteen thousand years. {12}
“After Sūryānana there was a buddha,
Another jina who was named Brahmānana.
Brahmānana, highest of humans, [DP.138]
Had a lifespan of twenty thousand years.⁶⁵⁷ {13}
“After Brahmānana there was a buddha,
A jina who was named Brahmaśrava.
Brahmaśrava, highest of humans,
Had a lifespan of eighteen thousand years. {14}
“In one eon these buddhas appeared
Among two hundred guides of the world.
Listen as I shall proclaim the names
Of these invincible tathāgatas:⁶⁵⁸ {15}
“Anantaghoṣa and Vighuṣṭaghoṣa,
Vighuṣṭatejas and Vighuṣṭaśabda,
Svarāvighuṣṭa and Svarārcita,
Svarāṅgaśūra and Svarāṅgaśabda, {16}
“Jñānābala and Jñānaviśeṣaga,
Jñānābhibhū and Jñānasamudgata,
Jñānārcimat and Jñānābhyudgata,
Vighuṣṭajñāna and likewise Jñānaśūra, {17}
“Brahmābala, Brahmavasu, Subrahma,
Brahmādeva⁶⁵⁹ and similarly Brahmaghoṣa,
Brahmeśvara, Brahmanarendranetra,
5.24
Brahmasvarāṅga, Brahmadatta,⁶⁶⁰ {18}
“Tejobala, Tejavati, Sutejas,
Tejeśvara and Tejasamudrata,
Tejovibhu and Tejaviniścita,
Tejasvarendra and Suvighuṣṭatejas, {19}
“Bhīṣmabala, Bhīṣmamati, Subhīṣma,
Bhīṣmānana and Bhīṣmasamudgata,
Bhīṣmārci, Bhīṣmottara, and Bhīṣmaghoṣa—
These jinas were guides of the world. {20}
“Gambhīraghoṣa and Śiridhāraṇa,
Viśuddhaghoṣeśvara, Śuddhaghoṣa,⁶⁶¹
Anantaghoṣa, Suvimuktaghoṣa,
Mārabala⁶⁶² and Māravitrāsana, {21}
“Sunetra, Śuddhānana, Netraśuddha,
Viśuddhanetra and Anantanetra,
Samantanetra and Vighuṣṭanetra,
Netrābhibhu, Netrānindita, {22}
“Dāntottara, Dānta, Sudāntacitta,
Sudānta, Śāntendriya, Śāntamānasa,
Śāntottara, Śāntaśirin, Praśānta,
Śāntīyapāraṃgata and Śāntiśūra, {23}
“Sthitottara, Śānta, Sudāntacitta,
Sudānta, Śāntendriya, Śāntamānasa,
Śāntottara, Śāntaśriyajvalanta,
Śānta, Praśānteśvara, Śāntiśūra,⁶⁶³ {24}
“Gaṇendra, Gaṇamukhya, and Gaṇeśvara,
Gaṇābhibhu, Gaṇivara, Śuddhajñānin,
Mahāgaṇendra and Gaṇendraśūra,
And also Gaṇivarapramocaka, {25}
“Dharmadhvaja and similarly Dharmaketu,
Dharmottara, Dharmasvabhāvodgata,
Dharmabala and Sudharmaśūra,
And Svabhāvadharmottaraniścita. {26}
“Also there were eight hundred million with the same name
Of Svabhāvadharmottaraniścita.
These are the guides that appeared in two eons.
I made offerings to them for the sake of enlightenment. {27}
“Whoever hears the name of those jinas,
Svabhāvadharmottaraniścita,
And having heard it remembers that renowned name,