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 6
The King of Samādhis Sūtra 6
- Language
- English
6.1
They will quickly attain this samādhi.” {28}
Then the Bhagavān, through many verses, taught extensively to the youth Candraprabha the samādhi entranceway accomplished by many buddhas in the past.⁶⁶⁴
“After inconceivable, countless eons
Following these buddhas,
There was a buddha named Narendraghoṣa,
To whom humans and devas made offerings. {29}
“Tathāgata Narendraghoṣa
Lived for seventy-six thousand years,
And three billion śrāvakas
Gathered for his first assembly. {30}
“At that time he had a shining saṅgha
Of those who had the six higher cognitions, the three knowledges,
Subdued senses, great powers, great miracles,
The cessation of outflows, and who were in their last bodies. {31}
“There was a saṅgha of bodhisattvas
Who numbered eight thousand quintillion.
They had profound understanding, fearlessness,⁶⁶⁵
Great powers, and great miracles. {32}
“They had attained the higher cognitions, eloquence,
And they had realized emptiness in everything.
They miraculously went to millions of realms
And to even more, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. {33}
“They came into the presence of that jina
And addressed questions to that supreme human.
They were accomplished in the sūtras and skilled in definitions.
They were shining and moved upon the earth. {34}
“They performed bodhisattva conduct for the benefit of beings.
They were powerful sons of the Sugata.
They performed no bad actions through desire,
And toward them even the devas developed aspirations. {35}
“They had no longings and were detached from the realms of existence.
They were in meditation, the field of experience of remaining in dhyāna.
They had certainty in the true meaning, and were fearless.
They maintained celibacy and were free of defilement. {36}
“They had the confident eloquence of unceasing speech.
They were skilled in the meaning of the words and the teaching of definitions.
They were the sons of the Buddha who taught everywhere,
And they perfectly possessed good karma. {37}
“They maintained superior conduct throughout an infinity of eons;
6.2
They were always praised and extolled by the guides.
They taught the words and meaning of liberation.
They had perfectly pure conduct free of kleśas. {38}
“They were as unstained as a lotus by water.
They were liberated from the three realms, and were vigilant.
They were unstained by the eight worldly concerns.
They had pure bodies and pure actions. {39}
“They had contentment, great power, and few desires.
They were free of grasping and were established in buddha qualities.
They were a refuge and friend for all classes of beings.
They considered practice, not words, as the essence. {40}
“Wherever they dwelt, there they taught others.
They were adopted by all the buddhas.
They were trustworthy holders of the treasure of the jinas.
They were terrified of the entire three realms.⁶⁶⁶ {41}
“Their minds were at peace, they always had the conduct of protectors,
And they were blessed by the guides of the world.
They taught ten thousand million sūtras,
And the buddhas praised their teachings. {42}
“They had forsaken all worldly words.⁶⁶⁷
They aspired to emptiness and taught the ultimate.
They were like an ocean of good qualities; there was no end to their being praised.
Their learning was vast; they were wise and endowed with knowledge. {43}
“If a young man were to recite their praises
Continuously for many millions of eons
He would have only uttered a small amount,
Like a drop of water from an ocean. {44}
“At that time Narendraghoṣa
Taught this samādhi of peace, which is difficult to see.
This universe of a thousand million worlds
Was filled with devas and nāgas. {45}
“When he taught this samādhi of peace
The ground shook in six ways.
Devas and humans as numerous as the Ganges sands
Became irreversible within the buddha’s wisdom. {46}
“There was a human king, a sovereign
Named Śirībala, who was very powerful.
He had five hundred sons
Who were handsome and attractive to the sight. {47}
“The king had a harem
Of eighty thousand million women.
The king had daughters
6.3
Who numbered a full four hundred billion. {48}
“He took the eight poṣadha vows
On the full moon day of the Kārtika month,
And with the eighty thousand million others
He came before the Lord of the World. {49}
“The king bowed down to the feet of the supreme human
And sat down before the Jina.
The supreme human knew the king’s aspiration
And he taught this samādhi. {50}
“When the king had heard this samādhi
He abandoned his kingdom as if it were spittle.
He renounced his beloved family and kinsmen
And entered homelessness in that jina’s teaching. {51}
“His five hundred sons entered homelessness,
And also his harem and his daughters,
And also his other relatives,
Numbering seventy-five quintillion. {52}
“Having entered homelessness along with his children and wives,
He kept to the station of acquiring alms food⁶⁶⁸
And steadfastly wandered in this way for eight years.
While remaining⁶⁶⁹ in wandering his life came to an end. {53}
“His life having ended, that preeminent king,⁶⁷⁰
Being always perfectly focused on a samādhi mind,
Was reborn into a king’s family,
Appearing miraculously, unstained by a womb. {54}
“Dṛḍhabala was his father’s name.
And his mother’s name was Mahāmatī.
As soon as he was born, the prince asked,
‘Is the Lord of the World present? {55}
“ ‘The Lord of the World, who knows my mind,
Taught to me the samādhi of peace.
It has no causal factors, is free of causal factors,
And is the one teaching for beings in existence. {56}
“ ‘It is the seal of the nature of all phenomena.
It is the transmission of a quintillion sūtras.
It is the unsurpassable wealth of the bodhisattvas.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {57}
“ ‘It is the purity of the body, the purity of speech,
The purity of the mind, and the purity of view.
It transcends all objects of the mind.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {58}
“ ‘The result of this Dharma teaching is imperishable.
It is the meditation of the supreme eightfold path.
It is the sharp wisdom of the congregation of the tathāgatas.
6.4
It is entering truth and constant knowledge of the Dharma.⁶⁷¹ {59}
“ ‘It is understanding the skandhas, the equality of the dhātus,
And the complete elimination of the āyatanas.
It is the direct perception of birthlessness.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {60}
“ ‘It is discernment, the wisdom that enters peace.⁶⁷²
It is the knowledge of the different categories of all letters.
It is transcending focusing upon the material.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {61}
“ ‘It is the comprehension of all sounds, and the attainment of joy.
It is the enjoyment of praising the sugatas.
It is the kindness and honesty that is the way of the āryas.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {62}
“ ‘It is being pleasant and never frowning.
It is being friendly and gentle with a smiling face.
It is being first to speak on seeing beings.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {63}
“ ‘It is being without laziness and respecting the gurus.
It is being reverential, paying homage, and being pleasant to see.
It is being content with whatever arises, and virtuous.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {64}
“ ‘It is having a pure livelihood and dwelling in solitary places.⁶⁷³
It is maintaining the disciplines of mendicancy with no loss of mindfulness.
It is being adept in the āyatanas and in the dhātus.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {65}
“ ‘It is skill in the āyatanas, and the knowledge of the higher cognitions;
It is the elimination of the kleśas, and the level of self-subjugation.
It is the termination⁶⁷⁴ of all the multitudes of mantras.⁶⁷⁵
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {66}
“ ‘It transcends all the states of being in existence.
It is remembering previous lives and having no doubt in the Dharma.
It is aspiring to the Dharma and seeking to hear it.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi?⁶⁷⁶ {67}
“ ‘It is a special attainment, being always engaged in meditation.
It is the knowledge of downfalls and remaining in emancipation.⁶⁷⁷
It is the elimination of propensities through remaining in that emancipation.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi?⁶⁷⁸ {68}
“ ‘It is the attainment of the perfection of sharp wisdom.
It is being as unwavering and unshakable as a mountain.
It is the dhāraṇī entranceway that has the characteristic of irreversibility.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {69}
“ ‘It is always longing for good qualities.
6.5
It is always⁶⁷⁹ avoiding bad qualities.
It is never going to the side of the kleśas.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {70}
“ ‘The one who is wise in mastering⁶⁸⁰ all training,
The one who has mastered remaining in samādhi,
The one who inspires beings through knowing their thoughts
Teaches the Dharma for the supreme enlightenment of buddhahood. {71}
“ ‘It is unique knowledge, the knowledge of births.
It is infinite knowledge, completely perfect knowledge.
It is the knowledge of the transition between all existences.
Does the Jina teach this samādhi? {72}
“ ‘Abandoning home, aspiring to mendicancy,
Finding no joy in the three realms, having no grasping,
And rejoicing in controlling the mind:
The supreme human teaches that Dharma. {73}
“ ‘Having no attachment for phenomena,
Always grasping the supreme Dharma,
And having a stable aspiration for the ripening of karma:
The supreme human teaches that Dharma. {74}
“ ‘Skill in the vinaya, knowledge of the ripening of karma,
The pacification of conflict and quarrels,
Freedom from discord, the level that is free of quarrels:
The supreme human teaches that Dharma. {75}
“ ‘Having complete patience, never having anger,
Always having skill and certainty in the Dharma,
Distinguishing between words and having the insight of wisdom:
Having developed compassion, he teaches that Dharma. {76}
“ ‘He has taught the knowledge of the past, knowledge of the future,
The equality of the three times in the teaching of the sugatas,
And the cessation of the three aspects of an action:
That is what the Jina, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches. {77}
“ ‘The mind’s perfect stability and one-pointedness,
The body’s perfect stability as on the level of the āryas,
And at all times guarding the conduct of a mendicant:
That is the Dharma that the sage, the preeminent human, teaches. {78}
“ ‘A pleasing sense of modesty and self-respect,
Speaking appropriate words, knowledge of the world,
The origination of phenomena, and the nature of beings:
He teaches that Dharma of the supreme, perfect enlightenment. {79}
“ ‘Benefiting and having a sense of modesty,
Abhorring the wickedness of the mind,
6.6
Never abandoning the mendicant’s discipline, and begging for alms:
That is the Dharma that the supreme human teaches. {80}
“ ‘Always maintaining a sense of modesty and self-respect,
Speaking reverently to the guru and rising to greet him,
Having overcome pride from the beginning:
That is what the Jina, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches. {81}
“ ‘That which arises from the mind is the goodness of the mind;
There is wisdom’s discrimination, and thus realization,
And the region of ignorance is always avoided:
He teaches that Dharma of supreme, perfect enlightenment. {82}
“ ‘There is understanding of the mind, the knowledge of words,
Being established in definitions, with certainty of meanings,
And all that is meaningless⁶⁸¹ is always avoided:
That is what the Jina, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches. {83}
“ ‘Always associating with good persons
And always avoiding bad persons,
And always being attracted to and delighting in the Jina:
That is the supreme Dharma that the Jina teaches. {84}
“ ‘The description of designations and appellations,⁶⁸²
The continual avoidance of the suffering of saṃsāra,
And indifference to whether there is gain or no gain:
That is the supreme Dharma that the Jina teaches. {85}
“ ‘There is no amazement if honors are gained,
There is equanimity when there are no honors,
And there is never pride when there are praises:
This is nature of the teaching that benefits the world. {86}
“ ‘All abuse and disgrace is endured,
There is no association with any householder,
And there is no mingling with homeless mendicants:⁶⁸³
That is what the Jina, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches. {87}
“ ‘Remaining in the Buddha’s scope of conduct,
Rejecting all that is not that conduct,
And having perfect conduct and a well-controlled mind:
That is the way of the Dharma that the Sugata teaches. {88}
“ ‘Always rejecting the dharma of the foolish,
Rejecting all that disgraces the family of the Buddha,
Always protecting the teaching of the Buddha:
That is what the Jina, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches. {89}
“ ‘Speaking little, pleasantly, and articulately,
Speaking good and gentle words to others,
Subjugating adversaries through the Dharma:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {90}
“ ‘Arriving at the right time, and not the wrong time,
6.7
Never depending on any ordinary being,
Not being saddened on encountering suffering:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {91}
“ ‘When seeing the poor, bringing them wealth;
When seeing those with bad conduct, feeling compassion;
Always teaching those things that are beneficial:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {92}
“ ‘Benefiting beings through the Dharma,
Always giving away worldly material things,
Never accumulating, never amassing:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {93}
“ ‘Praising correct conduct and condemning bad conduct,
Being free of dishonesty and relying on those with correct conduct,
Giving away one’s possessions and not relying on wealth:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {94}
“ ‘Providing for the guru with a higher motivation,
Doing all that he has told one to do,
Never ceasing from serving the dharmabhāṇaka:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {95}
“ ‘Always being respectful and delighted,
Remaining continually in a peaceful view,
Always being sure of one’s past conduct:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {96}
“ ‘Always following those with correct conduct,
With skillful methods shunning⁶⁸⁴ concepts,
Repelling identification and the characteristics of things:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {97}
“ ‘Being skilled in the words produced within the sūtras,
Having certainty in the words that teach the truth,
The manifestation of the wisdom of liberation:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {98}
“ ‘Speaking words that are never contradictory,
Skillful in the certainty of what is taught,⁶⁸⁵
And using words that will not be doubted:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching.⁶⁸⁶ {i}
“ ‘Always relying on the Dharma of emptiness,
Maintaining fearlessly the power of correct conduct,
And applying equality through remaining in samādhi:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {99}
“ ‘Not wishing to attain intellectual knowledge,
Keeping the mind free from hypocrisy,
And rejecting the creation of any view:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {100}
6.8
“ ‘Supreme confidence in speech and sublime retention,
The limitless radiance of wisdom,
And correct eloquence with the power of mantra:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {101}
“ ‘Meditation on the path through this doorway of correct conduct,⁶⁸⁷
Excellent practice, instruction, and conduct,⁶⁸⁸
And teaching that follows practicing the teaching:⁶⁸⁹
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {102}
“ ‘The appropriate patience that is praised by the buddhas,
The maintenance of patience that avoids bad actions,
And eliminating ignorance by being established in knowledge:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {103}
“ ‘The level of yoga⁶⁹⁰ that is based upon wisdom,
The mastery of yoga through entering enlightenment,
The continual reliance on good beings:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {104}
“ ‘It is the constant avoidance of unrestrained practitioners,⁶⁹¹
It is the level of buddhahood taught by tathāgatas,
And it is rejoiced in by all who are wise:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {105}
“ ‘It is rejected by the foolish and ignorant.
It is not the level⁶⁹² of the numerous śrāvakas,⁶⁹³
And it is always obtained by the bodhisattvas:
That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. {106}
“ ‘It is realized⁶⁹⁴ by the tathāgatas.
It is offered to and honored by the devas.
It is rejoiced in by a hundred billion Brahmās.
Is the Jina teaching this samādhi? {107}
“ ‘Thousands of nāgas always pay homage to it,
And so do garuḍas, yakṣas, and kinnaras.
It is the supreme enlightenment taught by the Jina.
Is the Jina teaching this samādhi? {108}
“ ‘It is always obtained by those who are wise.
It is the perfect attainment of the best, supreme wealth.
It is the supreme nonmaterial medicine of wisdom.
Is the Jina teaching this samādhi? {109}
“ ‘It is wisdom’s treasure of unceasing eloquence.
Ten million sūtras are contained within it.
It is accurate knowledge, the complete knowledge of the three realms.
Is the Jina teaching this samādhi? {110}
“ ‘It is a boat that crosses to the other shore,
It is a ship that crosses a great river,
6.9
And it increases fame and garlands of praises
For those to whom this samādhi of peace is taught. {111}
“ ‘Those who teach this samādhi of peace
Are praised by all the tathāgatas,
Extolled by the chiefs among humans,
And unceasingly commended by bodhisattvas. {112}
“ ‘It is the teaching of love to end bad actions.
It is the level of compassion’s equanimity.
It is the comfort of the greatly famed ones⁶⁹⁵
For the ones to whom this samādhi is taught. {113}
“ ‘It is the practice of the teaching of the lion’s roar.
It originates from the supreme wisdom of buddhahood.
It is the seal of the nature of all phenomena.
This is the samādhi taught by the guides. {114}
“ ‘It brings the attainment of omniscient wisdom,
It is the conduct of those established in enlightenment,
And it also terrifies the army of the māras.
This is the samādhi of peace taught by the Jina. {115}
“ ‘This knowledge⁶⁹⁶ is the protection that is based in the Dharma.
It is the supreme protection in the midst of enemies.
It is the subjugation of adversaries through the Dharma:
This is the samādhi of peace taught by the Jina.⁶⁹⁷ {116}
“ ‘This is the teaching of the level of eloquence.
It is the strengths, the liberations, and likewise the powers,
And it is the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha:
That is the practice of this samādhi, this peace. {117}
“ ‘It is seeking the ten strengths,
It is the omen of the coming of buddha wisdom,
It is the buddhadharma taught by the supreme being,
And it is the teaching that compassionately benefits the world. {118}
“ ‘It is possessed by the sons of the buddhas.
It is the path taught for those who seek enlightenment.
It is rejoiced in by the offspring of the sugatas
When they hear this samādhi of peace that is difficult to see. {119}
“ ‘It is the complete wisdom of buddhahood.
It is what the wise bodhisattva seeks.
One with a pure mind, clear and unblemished,⁶⁹⁸
Practices the peace of this samādhi. {120}
“ ‘One who has a pure body like that of the jinas,
Who has the knowledge of liberation, the vision of liberation,
And who is never afflicted by the bondage of desire,
Practices this excellent samādhi. {121}
6.10
“ ‘One who is not on the level of anger and is free of ignorance,
In whom wisdom has arisen⁶⁹⁹ and who seeks liberation,⁷⁰⁰
In whom knowledge has developed and ignorance is destroyed,
Practices the peace of this samādhi. {122}
“ ‘This samādhi of peace is taught to the meditator
For whom liberation is central, and is fulfilled by this teaching.
The one with the sight of the faultless buddhas
Practices the peace of this samādhi. {123}
“ ‘The clairvoyance that reveals many realms,
The miraculous powers that reveal infinite buddhas,
And dhāraṇī is also not difficult to attain
For the one who practices this samādhi. {124}
“ ‘The senses are pacified in this state of enlightenment.
There is the revelation of infinite blessings,
And subtle, vast, and pure wisdom
For the one who practices this samādhi. {125}
“ ‘For the one who has not heard this samādhi of peace,
Practice without self-restraint will bring no realization,
And as all the words will have been subverted,
No understanding will be possible from speech. {126}
“ ‘This is known by wise bodhisattvas
Just as taught by the Lord of Dharma.
There is faultless realization of peace
For the one who practices this samādhi. {127}
“ ‘For the one who practices this samādhi
With diligent application, having possession of it,
Constantly serving it, and perfectly keeping it,
There will be cessation of suffering and the end of rebirth. {128}
“ ‘It has been taught that all phenomena are birthless,
As are all the existences of beings.
Is the Jina teaching this samādhi
Of the greatly famous, supremely wise buddhas?’ {129}
“A full eighty-eight trillion beings
Heard these verses recited by the prince,
Attained the patience that corresponded to those words,
And were established in irreversible progress toward buddha wisdom. {130}
“Dṛḍhabala said to the prince,
‘The Lord of the World is still present.
I have a question for you, my son:
Where did you hear of this samādhi?’ {131}
“The prince said to the king, ‘Listen!
6.11
During one eon I have seen
A quintillion buddhas, honored them all,
And asked them for this samādhi of peace. {132}
“ ‘And for another ninety-four⁷⁰¹ eons,
And for a thousand quintillion eons,
I remember all my births wherever they were,
And I was never born from a womb. {133}
“ ‘Then I meditated upon this samādhi.
I listened correctly to the teaching of those jinas.
Having heard it I had longing for what had been described.
Free from uncertainty I embraced enlightenment. {134}
“ ‘I questioned whatever bhikṣus
Had understood this samādhi.
I venerated them respectfully
As if they were benefactors of the world. {135}
“ ‘When I received even one verse from them
I practiced that teaching properly
And considered them to be teachers,
Venerating them with the respect shown to buddhas. {136}
“ ‘Whenever someone questioned me
About my understanding of this samādhi,
Even in dreams I had no doubts
That I would become a jina, a guide of the world. {137}
“ ‘I respectfully attended
To senior, middle, and junior bhikṣus.
With that respect my renown increased,
As did my merit, fame, and qualities.⁷⁰² {138}
“ ‘I had no desire for conflict or quarrels.
At that time, I had few desires.
Those who do bad actions are reborn in certain existences.
Those who do good actions are reborn in other existences. {139}
“ ‘One hears unpleasant words from those
Who, without restraint, act inappropriately.
At that time I became the lord of my own actions.
The karma that is created is never lost. {140}
“ ‘I did not at that time become absorbed in anger.
I maintained the power of patience, which is praised by the buddhas.
The guides have always praised patience;
Attaining enlightenment is not difficult for those who practice patience. {141}
“ ‘I continually had correct conduct
And established others in correct conduct.
I always spoke the praises of correct conduct,
6.12
And what I spoke at that time was praiseworthy. {142}
“ ‘I was always speaking the praises of solitude.
I always maintained correct conduct.
I established others in the poṣadha vows
And I introduced them to enlightenment. {143}
“ ‘I established them in celibacy,
I introduced them to the meaning of the Dharma,
And I awoke them to the path to enlightenment,
For which they had endless devotion.⁷⁰³ {144}
“ ‘I remember an eon in the past
When there was the jina Svarāṅgaghoṣa.⁷⁰⁴
I took a vow in his presence
To have the power of patience at all times. {145}
“ ‘I remained faithful to that vow
For eight hundred and forty million years.
Although Māra reviled and abused me,
My mind remained unshakable. {146}
“ ‘Māra put me to the test,
And discovered my love and patience to be enduring.
And with faith⁷⁰⁵ he bowed down to my feet,
And I established five hundred beings on the path to supreme enlightenment. {147}
“ ‘At all times I was free of avarice
And always praised generosity.
I became wealthy, possessing many riches
And was a benefactor in times of famine. {148}
“ ‘I pay homage to any monks
Who possess this samādhi,
Who recite it and teach it.
They all become supreme men. {149}
“ ‘Because of that unsurpassable karma
I saw many buddhas, many lords of the world.
I entered into homelessness in the teachings of those jinas
And I always became a wise dharmabhāṇaka. {150}
“ ‘I was always engaged in the discipline of a mendicant.
I always remained in the solitude of forests.
I never gave the appearance of spirituality in order to obtain food.
I was content with whatever I obtained. {151}
“ ‘At all times I was free of envy.
I had no attachment to a family.
Attachment to family causes envy.
Without envy I remained in the pleasant forests. {152}
“ ‘At all times I had loving-kindness.
6.13
When I was abused I did not become angry.
As I was always kind, the garland of fame
Of my compassion spread in the four directions. {153}
“ ‘I was always content, with few desires.
I was dedicated to mendicancy in solitary places.
I never abandoned begging for alms.
I remained unwaveringly committed to mendicancy. {154}
“ ‘I always had faith and belief.
I always had great belief in the Buddha’s teaching.
I obtained many benefits from having belief.
I became attractive with faultless faculties. {155}
“ ‘I practiced whatever I taught.
I always valued practice above all else.
As I valued practice above all else,
Devas and nāgas believed in me and honored me. {156}
“ ‘There are also numerous other qualities,
Other than these that I have described.
They should always be trained in by the wise ones
Who wish for the enlightenment of buddhahood. {157}
“ ‘I remember the greatest number of hardships
That I practiced through numerous eons,⁷⁰⁶
So numerous⁷⁰⁷ I am unable to describe them.⁷⁰⁸
I will now go⁷⁰⁹ into the presence of the Sugata.’ {158}
“That wise bodhisattva with sharp wisdom
At that moment attained the five higher cognitions.
Through miraculous power he came before the Jina,
Accompanied by eight hundred million beings. {159}
“Dṛḍhabala was extremely pleased,
And, accompanied by one billion six hundred million beings,
He came into the presence of the Buddha,
Bowed down to his feet, and sat before him. {160}
“Knowing the aspiration of that king,
The Lord of humans taught this samādhi.
When the king had heard that samādhi
He renounced his kingdom and entered homelessness. {161}
“Homeless, he meditated on this samādhi,
And he recited it and taught it.
After sixty eons had passed
He became a jina named Padmottara. {162}
“The one billion six hundred million beings
Who had come with the king into the presence of the Jina
Also heard this samādhi,
6.14
And with the highest joy they entered homelessness. {163}
“Homeless, they possessed this samādhi,
And recited it and taught it.
After six trillion eons had passed
They all reached supreme enlightenment in the same eon. {164}
“They all had the name Anantajñānanottara.
They were buddhas to whom devas and humans made offerings.
Each of those supreme humans liberated as many beings
As there are grains of sand in the Ganges. {165}
“I was King Śirībala.⁷¹⁰
The practitioners of this supreme bodhisattva conduct,
Those who were my five hundred sons,
Are these guardians of the Dharma. {166}
“The one who was my mother
Was Māyādevī⁷¹¹ in this time.
My four hundred billion daughters
All entered nirvāṇa. ⁷¹² {166b}
“The king who was named Dṛḍhabala,
The powerful cakravartin with many treasures,
Became King Śuddhodana⁷¹³ in this age,
And has been my father in various lifetimes.⁷¹⁴ {166c}
“Thus have I for ten billion eons
Exercised diligence that is free of laziness.
The pure yearning for this samādhi
Brings the accomplishment of supreme enlightenment. {167}
“Therefore, young man, those bodhisattvas
Who wish to meditate⁷¹⁵ on this samādhi
Should exercise diligence, regardless of risks to their lives,
And always follow, young man, my example.” {168}
Chapter 18
The Entrustment of the Samādhi
The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way know that there are four beneficial qualities possessed by bodhisattva mahāsattvas who obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, and make it widely known to others.
“What are those four beneficial qualities? They will be unsurpassable in merit, they will be undefeatable by opponents, they will have unlimited wisdom, and they will have unending confidence of speech.
Young man, you should know⁷¹⁶ that bodhisattva mahāsattvas
6.15
who obtain this samādhi, study it, keep it, read it out loud, disseminate it, teach it, chant it, and make it widely known to others will possess these four beneficial qualities.”
The Bhagavān then recited these verses:
“Throughout time they will be
Unsurpassable in merit
Through attaining this samādhi of peace.
That is the range of activity of all the buddhas. {1}
“Throughout time these heroes
Will be protected by merit,
Practicing supreme, pure,
Unique bodhisattva conduct. {2}
“There will be no adversary
Whatsoever who can harm them.
They will, throughout time,
Be in the care of the buddhas. {3}
“Throughout time their wisdom
Will be immeasurable.
Their confidence will be eternal
Through their possessing this state of peace. {4}
“They will have an eternally unsurpassable accumulation of merit.
They will have most excellent bodhisattva conduct.
They will not be attacked by adversaries,
Having come into possession of this samādhi of supreme peace. {5}
“They will have vast and sharp wisdom
And thus will have eternal confidence and pure sight.
Those wise ones will always have
The power of memory and the power of retention. {6}
“The meaningful words that they teach
Will be most beautiful to the minds of the wise.
Many beings with wisdom will know
This supreme peaceful samādhi that is taught. {7}
“They will obtain perfect, excellent Dharma robes,
Bedding, invitations, and hard and soft food.
The ones who possess this supreme samādhi of peace
Will be very youthful and handsome. {8}
“They will see many buddhas, lords of worlds,
And make unequaled offerings to those guides.
In seeking this supreme samādhi of peace
They will encounter no impediment. {9}
“They will be in the presence of the lords of worlds
And made happy by hundreds of beautiful verses.
6.16
Having gained this supreme samādhi of peace
They will never experience decline. {10}
“A Lord of the World will be present before them
With the beautiful primary and secondary signs of the body.
Having gained this supreme samādhi of peace
There will be no decline in their wisdom. {11}
“They will never be disheartened.
They will always be wealthy and never poor.
Having gained this supreme samādhi of peace
There will be no attachment in their mind. {12}
“They will never have an unfavorable existence.
They will be world rulers, cakravartin kings.
Having gained this supreme samādhi of peace
Their kingdoms will always be happy. {13}
“They will have vast wisdom free of uncertainty
Through unceasing teachings for hundreds of eons.
Having heard this samādhi, this level of peace,
Constant, they will follow whatever has been taught. {14}
“Though one were to describe the benefits of the ten strengths
Throughout countless, endless millions of eons,
One would not have spoken of even a fraction of them.
It would be like taking a drop of water from the ocean.” {15}
At that time the young man, with great joy,
Stood up and paid homage with his palms together.
Joyfully standing before the one with the ten strengths
He uttered these inspired words: {16}
“Inconceivable great hero,
Lord of the World, illuminator,
These benefits have been taught to me
By you, the Lord of humans. {17}
“Compassionate one who wishes to bring benefit,
Great hero, pray tell me,
Who, in the future,
Will listen to this samādhi?” {18}
The one with a voice like the avadavat’s song,
The Teacher who had taught this to him,
The Bhagavān, who had unimpeded wisdom,
Answered him with these words: {19}
“Listen, young man, and I will explain
That which is the highest practice.
Those who follow the Dharma
Will be the ones who listens to this sūtra. {20}
“They will make offerings to the lords of humans;
They will seek the wisdom of buddhahood.
Developing a loving mind,
They will listen to this sūtra. {21}
6.17
“Those who have the qualities of mendicancy⁷¹⁷
And the qualities of austerity,⁷¹⁸
And who maintain this practice,
Will be ones who listen to this sūtra. {22}
“They will not listen to this sūtra
When it is in the hands of those whose acts are evil,
Nor of those who have lost their correct conduct
Regarding the teaching of the lords of worlds. {23}
“They will hear it when in the hands
Of the celibates, the heroes,
Those who have a mind free of craving
And who have been consecrated by the buddhas. {24}
“In future times they will hear
This sūtra when it is in the hands
Of those who have served the buddhas,
The lords of the world, in the past. {25}
“Those who in previous lifetimes
Have been tīrthikas
Will experience no joy
When they hear this sūtra. {26}
“Those who have entered homelessness
In my teaching in order to have a livelihood
Will be under the power of gain and honor,
And they will criticize each other. {27}
“Many bhikṣus with unrestrained senses,
Who covet the wives of others,
Who wish for gain and have poor conduct,
Will have no faith in this sūtra. {28}
“Those who do not intend to attain
Merit for buddhahood or to attain dhyāna,
And who maintain the conception of a self,
Will have no faith in this sūtra. {29}
“In future times there will be those
Who are intent on the result of worldly dhyānas.
They will eat the alms food of arhats
And criticize the enlightenment of buddhahood. {30}
“One who rejects this sūtra
Will have greater bad karma
Than someone who destroys
All the caityas in this Jambudvīpa. {31}
“One who rejects this sūtra
Will have greater bad karma
Than someone who kills as many arhats
As there are grains of sand in the Ganges. {32}
“Who among you has the fortitude
To teach this sūtra
In the dreadful future time
When the Dharma is ruined?”⁷¹⁹ {33}
The young man stood up, weeping,
And at that time spoke to the Jina.
This heart-born son of the Buddha
Roared thus this lion’s roar: {34}
6.18
“In the dreadful time in future
When the Buddha has passed away,
Without concern for my life or body
I will spread this sūtra widely. {35}
“I will endure
The false talk of fools
And, Guide, I will undergo
Their abuse and threats. {36}
“I shall cleanse myself of whatever bad actions
I have done in the past
And any maliciousness
Toward other bodhisattvas.” {37}
The Buddha, who was the color of gold,
Placed his hand upon Candraprabha’s head.
The Tathāgata, who had a gentle voice,
The Teacher, then said to him, {38}
“I give you my blessing.
Young man, in the future
There will be no obstacle to your celibacy
Nor will there be to your life.” {39}
Eight hundred dharmabhāṇakas
Who were present stood up and said,
“In future times we also
Will be holders of this sūtra.” {40}
Eight hundred million
Devas, nāgas, and yakṣas stood up,
And another six trillion,
And said to the guide of the world, {41}
“Guide, in future times
We will protect
These bhikṣus who
Stood up today.” {42}
When this sūtra was taught,
Through the blessing of the Teacher,
Buddha realms shook, in numbers
Equal to the Ganges sands. {43}
The Lord of the World sent
To all those shaken buddha realms
Emanations of the Buddha
Who taught the Dharma there. {44}
In each of those realms
Countless millions of beings
Were established in the wisdom of buddhahood
When they had heard that Dharma. {45}
In those buddha realms
Nine hundred million devas⁷²⁰
Developed the aspiration to enlightenment
And scattered flowers on the Buddha. {46}
The Lord of men prophesied that
After eight hundred million eons
They would all, within the same eon,
Become guides of the world.⁷²¹ {47}
Bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs,
Upāsakas and upāsikās—
6.19
Seven hundred and sixty million beings—
All heard this sūtra. {48}
The Lord of humans⁷²² prophesied
That they would see as many guides of the world
As there are grains of sand in the Ganges
While practicing bodhisattva conduct. {49}
“They will make offerings to them all,
Seeking the wisdom of enlightenment,
And here and there they will hear
This unsurpassable sūtra. {50}
“They will make unsurpassable offerings
To Buddha Maitreya.
They will possess the highest Dharma
And they will go to Sukhāvatī. {52}⁷²³
“There they will make offerings
To the stainless buddha,
The Tathāgata Amitāyus,
For the sake of supreme enlightenment. {53}
“Having heard this unsurpassable sūtra
They will not go in future
To the lower existences
For seventy-three⁷²⁴ countless eons. {54}
“Those who in future times
Listen to this unsurpassable sūtra,
And keep it and read it,⁷²⁵
Will all be honoring⁷²⁶ me. {55}
“I make this declaration⁷²⁷
To all those who are standing before me.
I bestow this enlightenment gained⁷²⁸ with difficulty.” {56}
Chapter 19
The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha
The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas, having heard the inconceivable and measureless benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, through wishing not to be fearful, wishing not to be terrified, and not to be gripped by terror, will become learned in the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in seeking the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Do not be fearful, do not be terrified, and do not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.”
6.20
The youth Candraprabha placed his palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavān, and asked him, “Bhagavān, in this way how do bodhisattva mahāsattvas aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, become wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, become wise in seeking the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, and not be fearful, not be terrified, and not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha?”
The Bhagavān replied to the youth Candraprabha, “Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas who listen to and hear this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and obtain it, understand it, keep it, read it out loud, disseminate it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others, will become wise in the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. They will aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, they will become wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, and will not be fearful, will not be terrified, and will not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.”⁷²⁹
“After the youth Candraprabha had been taught by the Bhagavān these words on accomplishing the benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, he again heard from the Bhagavān countless, innumerable verses⁷³⁰ describing the benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena; and it was at that time that the youth Candraprabha attained this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena.⁷³¹
Innumerable, countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas attained the great, higher cognitions.
6.21
Countless beings also developed the motivation that is directed toward great compassion.
This universe of a thousand million worlds shook in six ways. It trembled, trembled strongly, and trembled intensely; it quivered, quivered strongly, and quivered intensely; it shook, shook strongly, and shook intensely; it shuddered, shuddered strongly, and shuddered intensely; it quaked, quaked strongly, and quaked intensely; the east sank and the west rose, the west sank and the east rose, the north sank and the south rose, the south sank and the north rose, the perimeter sank and the center rose, and the center sank and the perimeter rose. An immeasurable radiance shone in the universe. There fell a great rain of divine incense. Devas and their sons gathered in order to listen to the Dharma. High in the sky they heard the innumerable verses on the benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena. All the devas and their sons felt pleased, delighted, thrilled, joyous, happy, and glad, and they emitted cries of joy⁷³² and laughter. They let fall a great rain of divine flowers of various kinds. They played many thousands of trillions of divine musical instruments. And they proclaimed the following words together as one voice:
“Aho!⁷³³ We have obtained something that is excellent to obtain. We have heard the innumerable verses on the benefits of the qualities from the Bhagavān. Bhagavān, just as the bodhisattva mahāsattva, the youth Candraprabha, attained this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, we also, Bhagavān, will all together at the same time attain this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena.”
6.22
At the time when the Bhagavān was teaching the Dharma on Vulture Peak Mountain to the assembly that was like an ocean, the gandharva⁷³⁴ Pañcaśikha, in order to honor and serve him, descended from the sky accompanied by the sound of five hundred musical instruments, and remained before the Bhagavān.
The gandharva Pañcaśikha thought, “Just as I⁷³⁵ render service and honor in Sudharma before the devas of Trāyastriṃśa and Śakra, the lord of the devas, by singing them songs, in that same way I shall sing in order to make an offering to the god of gods, the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
Then the gandharva Pañcaśikha stood up before the Bhagavān holding a lute, the body of which was made of beryl. He was accompanied by the music⁷³⁶ of five hundred other gandharvas⁷³⁷ holding musical instruments.
The Bhagavān thought, “I shall perform a miracle so that the youth Candraprabha will attain skill in the realization of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha, so that he will not waver from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and so that I may manifest the gandharva Pañcaśikha’s skill in singing and playing the lute.”
Then the Bhagavān performed that miracle, and through the power of the Buddha the five hundred instruments were played excellently. From that excellent playing there came the sound of the inconceivable meaning, which was united⁷³⁸ with the true nature. And these verses of the realization of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha were sung:⁷³⁹
“Within the breadth of one hair there are as many buddhas
As the number of grains of sand in the Ganges.
And those jinas have as many buddha realms, too,
Each one separate and with distinct characteristics. {1}
“Within the breadth of one hair there are the five kinds of beings:
The beings in hell, those who are animals,
6.23
Those in the realm of Yama, the devas, and humans,
Without overlapping or being squeezed.⁷⁴⁰ {2}
“Within that space there are the lakes and oceans,
All rivers, and similarly ponds and springs,
Without overlapping or being squeezed.
In that way the Buddha’s Dharma is inconceivable. {3}
“Within that space there are numerous mountains:
Cakravāla, Meru, and Sumeru,
Mucilinda and Mahāmucilinda,
Vindhya, Gṛdhrakūṭa, and Himavat. {4}
“Within that space there are the terrible hells,
The horrible Tāpana and Pratāpana.
Those who have fallen into those hells
Experience the sensation of suffering. {5}
“Within that space there are divine palaces,
Twelve⁷⁴¹ yojanas in size and beautiful.⁷⁴²
Within them there are many thousands of devas⁷⁴³
Who experience bliss in divine pleasures. {6}
“Within that space there are the births of buddhas.
There is illumination from the teaching of those who know the world.
Those⁷⁴⁴ who have not trained in pure conduct
And who have no wisdom will not see them. {7}
“Within that space they hear the words,
‘The Dharma has ceased, the Guide has passed away.’
Within that space there are some who hear,
‘The Guide lives and he teaches the Dharma.’ {8}
“Within that space there are some who perceive
That they live for countless years.
Within that space there are those whose time is ending.
They hear the words, ‘You have not long to live.’ {9}
“Within that space there are some who have the perception,
Believing what their mind perceives,
Of seeing and making offerings to sugatas⁷⁴⁵ and pleasing the buddhas.
Yet there is no arising and no making of offerings. {10}
“A man dreams he is in a house
Experiencing the bliss of sensory pleasures.
When he awakes he does not see those pleasures.⁷⁴⁶
He knows that it was a dream. {11}
“In that way, what is seen, heard, thought, or known,⁷⁴⁷
All of this is unreal, like a dream.
The one who has attained the samādhi
Will know this nature of phenomena. {12}
“For people such as this there is no pleasure or displeasure.
They are always perfectly happy in the world.
6.24
Those who delight in vast forests
Become perfectly happy mendicants. {13}
“Those who have no thought of ‘mine,’
Those who have abandoned all attachments,
Wander in the world like rhinoceroses
And roam like the wind through the air. {14}
“Meditation on the path, the development of wisdom,
The emptiness and selflessness of all phenomena:
He who meditates on these Dharmas
Will have unending confidence. {15}
“The people in the world whose minds have no attachment,
They are perfectly happy in this world.
Their minds are always like the wind,
Knowing no attachment to pleasure or displeasure. {16}
“It is suffering to be with that which is unpleasant;
It is suffering to be separated from that which is pleasant.
Finally abandoning both of these,
Those happy people delight in the Dharma. {17}
“The one who has attachment on hearing this Dharma,
And animosity on hearing that which is not Dharma,
Goes astray through conceit and pride,
And overpowered by pride, experiences suffering. {18}
“Those who remain in equanimity
Are always free of arrogance and depression.
When faced with the pleasant and the unpleasant
They always have a liberated mind. {19}
“Those who maintain perfectly pure correct conduct,
Who remain always in inconceivable dhyāna
And delight in the peace of the forests,
Will never know the arising of doubts. {20}
“Those who engage in that which is unreal,
The fools who are always enjoying sensory pleasures
Like vultures attracted to a corpse,
They always fall under the power of Namuci.”⁷⁴⁸ {21}
When these verses had been created through the sound of the lutes,⁷⁴⁹ the youth Candraprabha attained skill in the realization of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha; the gandharva Pañcaśikha attained the patience that was in accord with that sound; countless beings, both devas and humans, developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment;
6.25
and countless beings were benefitted.
Chapter 20
Indraketudhvajarāja
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this Dharma teaching of entering great compassion and wish to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood quickly should rely upon all roots of merit, training, qualities, and completely pure conduct.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma will, young man, develop great compassion for beings and will develop the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this Dharma teaching of entering great compassion and wish to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood quickly should be diligent, without regard for life or body, and should continuously seek kalyāṇamitras who teach this Dharma teaching of entering great compassion, and unwaveringly serve them, rely upon them, and honor them.
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who with a higher motivation seek kalyāṇamitras should hear from them the Dharma teaching of entering great compassion, and should obtain it, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation,
6.26
promulgate it, and make it widely known to others. They should, with joy and veneration, perceive as the Teacher the person from whom they hear this Dharma teaching on entering great compassion.
“Young man, when bodhisattva mahāsattvas search for kalyāṇamitras, and respect them and serve them without weariness, at that time, young man, those bodhisattva mahāsattvas easily attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and they obtain this Dharma teaching on easily entering great compassion.
“Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas should constantly seek for kalyāṇamitras as if their head or clothing were on fire, and unwaveringly attend upon them, serve them, and venerate them.
“Why is that? Young man, for bodhisattva mahāsattvas the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, not even to speak of this Dharma teaching on entering great compassion, depends upon kalyāṇamitras.
“Therefore, young man, you should always practice by thinking, ‘I will not weary of seeking kalyāṇamitras, venerating them, and serving them.’ ”
Thereupon the Bhagavān, in order to make clear this Dharma teaching on entering great compassion, gave the youth Candraprabha the teaching that had been given in the past in detail in the form of the following verses:⁷⁵⁰
“Many incalculable, innumerable,
Inconceivable millions of eons in the past,
There was the highest of humans,
The Guide named Indraketudhvajarāja. {1}
“He taught this samādhi of peace
In which there is no human, soul, or person:
‘All phenomena are like the moon on water,
Illusions, bubbles, mirages, and lightning. {2}
“ ‘There is no human, no descendant of Manu, to be found
First 26 of 28 passages. Read on