འཕགས་པ་གསར་འད་དམ་པ་མཆག་ཏ་རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བའ་མད་སྡའ་རྒྱལ་པ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 9
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) 9
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9.2
said, “You and all others, listen well, for I will teach you the past causes and conditions for the true practice of the Dharma.”
He then recited these verses:
“When in the past I was a cakravartin king,
I gave away the great earth with its oceans.
I offered all the four continents
Filled with jewels to the tathāgatas.
“Throughout countless eons, all of them,
Because I sought the pure, true Dharma body,
My cherished wealth and even my own body and life
I gave away, with a mind that was without miserliness.
“Moreover, an inconceivable number of eons ago,
There was Ratnaśikhin, who had true wisdom.¹⁰⁶⁴
After that tathāgata had passed into nirvāṇa,
A king named Susaṃbhava appeared in the world.
“He became a cakravartin and subjugated the four continents.
He became the protector of all as far as the oceans.
The name of his city was Sublime Sounds.¹⁰⁶⁵
At the time when the cakravartin king was dwelling there,
“He heard the merit and wisdom of the Buddha in a dream,
And he saw the dharmabhāṇaka named Built of Jewels,
As beautiful as the disk of the sun, seated on a throne
And teaching The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.
“When the king awoke from his dream,
He felt great joy that spread through his entire body,
And at dawn he came out of the royal palace
And went into the presence of the bhikṣu saṅgha.
“He reverently made offerings to that assembly of āryas,
And he asked this question of that great assembly:
‘Is there a dharmabhāṇaka by the name of Built of Jewels
Who has a perfection of qualities and who guides beings?’
“At that time, the great dharmabhāṇaka Built of Jewels
Was staying in perfect solitude in a dwelling,¹⁰⁶⁶
Maintaining mindfulness and teaching this sūtra,
Honest and sincere, in physical and mental bliss.¹⁰⁶⁷
“At that time, a bhikṣu led the way and the king
Came to the dwelling of Built of Jewels.
9.3
He saw him inside the dwelling, sitting upright,
His body permeated by light and perfect signs.
“The bhikṣu told the king, ‘This is Built of Jewels,
And the supreme king of the sūtras is this:
The extremely wonderful Sublime Golden Light,
Which has the profound range of activity of the buddhas.’
“The king bowed down to Built of Jewels.
With palms together in reverence, he said,
‘I request you, whose face is as beautiful as the full moon,
To teach this Dharma of The Sublime Golden Light.’
“When Built of Jewels had heard the words of the king,
He gave the teaching of Sublime Golden Light.
All the devas and humans throughout the entirety
Of the world realms of the trichiliocosm were overjoyed.
“The king adorned with supreme wonderful jewels
A place that was a vast and clean location,
And he sprinkled it with excellent scented water
And scattered there a display of a variety of flowers.
“In that perfect location he placed a high throne
And beautified it with flags and a canopy.
And he perfumed everywhere with
Various powders, ointments, and incenses.
“Devas, nāgas, asuras, kinnaras,
Mahoragas, and yakṣas rained down
Divine¹⁰⁶⁸ coral tree flowers, and then they all
Came to the supreme throne and made offerings to it.
“Another ten thousand million¹⁰⁶⁹ devas,
Wishing to hear the Dharma, all gathered there,
And when the dharmabhāṇaka first rose from his seat,
They all made offerings to him of divine flowers.
“At that time, the dharmabhāṇaka Built of Jewels
Thoroughly washed his body and put on clean robes,
And then he came before the throne in that great assembly
And single-mindedly, with palms together, bowed to it with reverence.
“The deva lords, the assembled devas, and the devīs
Also all scattered coral tree flowers,
And with countless hundreds of thousands of divine musical instruments,
They emitted the sound of beautiful music while residing in the sky.
“At that time, the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu Built of Jewels
Sat on the throne, cross-legged,
And contemplated in his mind the trillion
Lords of great love in the realms in the ten directions.
9.4
“Maintaining a loving mind equally toward
All the beings there were who were in suffering,
For the sake of the supplicant, King Susaṃbhava,¹⁰⁷⁰
He taught The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.
“When the king had heard such a Dharma,
With palms together, single-mindedly he rejoiced.
Hearing the wonderful Dharma, he shed tears and wept,
And his body and mind were pervaded by great joy.
“At that time, the lord of the realm, King Susaṃbhava,
Wishing to make an offering to this sūtra,
Held in his hands a wish-fulfilling jewel,
And for the sake of all beings, he made this prayer:
“ ‘May there fall a rain of strings of jewels¹⁰⁷¹
That pervades the entirety of Jambudvīpa,
And may everyone who is lacking in wealth and necessities
All attain the happiness that they wish for.’
“Then there fell a rain of the seven jewels,
Bringing satisfaction and contentment throughout the four continents
So that no one lacked jewelry for their bodies,
Or clothes, food, drink, or whatever they desired.
“At that time, the lord of the realm, King Susaṃbhava,
Saw the rain of jewels fall onto the four continents,
And he offered it all to the saṅgha of bhikṣus
Who followed the teaching of the Buddha Ratnaśikhin.
“Know that I, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni,
Was Susaṃbhava, that king in the past.
In the past I have offered up many great earths
And filled the four continents with jewels.
“That great Dharma master in the past, Built of Jewels,
Who taught that wonderful Dharma to Susaṃbhava,
Became the eastern buddha Akṣobhya
Because of teaching that king of sūtras.
“I have attained this supreme vajra body because of
The merit from having listened to this king of sūtras,
With palms together, having single-mindedly rejoiced
And having offered up the seven kinds of jewels.
“It is beautified by golden light and the signs of a hundred merits.
It brings supreme joy to everyone who sees it.
9.5
It is beloved by everyone, by all beings,
And also by all the many millions of devas.
“Also, in the past, I became a cakravartin king
For nine hundred and ninety million¹⁰⁷² eons,
And have been the king of smaller kingdoms.¹⁰⁷³
Moreover, for countless hundreds of thousands of eons
“I have also been Śakras, who were the lords of the devas,¹⁰⁷⁴
And I have been great Brahmā kings,
And it would be difficult to know the full number of times
That I made offering to the lords of great love in the ten directions.
“It would be difficult to know the extent of the accumulation of merit from
My good action of having in the past listened to and rejoiced in this sūtra.
It is through the power of that merit that I realized enlightenment
And attained the sublime true wisdom of the Dharma body.”
Then that great assembly, having heard the words of that teaching, greatly marveled at it, and they all aspired to continuously promulgate and practice The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.
Chapter 22: Protection and Care from Devas and Yakṣas
Then the Bhagavat said to the great goddess Śrī, “Any noble man or noble woman who has a trusting mind and faith and wishes to make an inconceivable, vast, and great offering of requisites to the past, future, and present buddhas, and wishes to know and realize the profound field of activity of the buddhas of the three times, whether dwelling in a town, in a market town, or on a mountain, should without doubt and single-mindedly teach extensively and promulgate this king of sūtras there. Those who listen to the Dharma should avoid distraction and be single-minded.”
The Bhagavat then recited these verses¹⁰⁷⁵ to the goddess and the great assembly:
9.6
“Someone who wishes to make an
Inconceivable offering to many buddhas
And wishes to know the profound
Field of activity of all the tathāgatas,
“If they see that someone is
Teaching this Sublime Golden Light,
They should go to that place
And come before that person.
“This sūtra is inconceivable
And gives rise¹⁰⁷⁶ to an ocean of qualities,
And it liberates all beings
From the endless ocean of suffering.
“I have looked upon this sūtra,
And it is good in its beginning, middle, and end.
It is very profound and beyond evaluation.
There is no analogy that is equal to it.
“The Ganges sands and the great earth’s particles,
The water in the oceans and the sky,
And even all the mountains and rocks
Cannot serve as even a fraction of an analogy for it.
“If someone wishes to enter the Dharma realm,
They should first listen to this sūtra.
A stūpa that is the nature of the Dharma
Is a profound and extremely blissful location.
“And they will see me,
Śākyamuni, inside this stūpa,
Teaching this sūtra with a
Sublime, beautiful voice.
“They will then be reborn as devas and humans
And will experience perfect happiness
For an incalculable number
Of many millions of eons.
“They should think this thought:
‘Through listening to this sūtra,¹⁰⁷⁷
I have attained an inconceivable
Accumulation of merit.’
“If there is a great mass of fire
That is a hundred yojanas across,
They should, in order to listen to this sūtra,
Traverse it without hesitation.
“When they have arrived at that place
And have heard such a sūtra as this,
They will be purified of their bad karma,
And bad dreams will be dispelled.
“The malevolent planets and lunar asterisms,
Bad omens, spirits from sorcery, evil demons,
And so on, will all forsake their evil actions
At the time when this sūtra is heard.
“Perfectly adorn an excellent high throne
That is perfectly clean and resembles a lotus.
The dharmabhāṇaka should ascend it,
Like a great seated nāga.
9.7
“When he is seated there comfortably,
He should give the teaching of this sūtra.
He should have it written out, read it out loud,
And give the teaching of its meaning.
“When the dharmabhāṇaka has left that seat,
Even if he has gone to another land
There will be many miraculous signs
That will appear from that high throne.
“Sometimes the dharmabhāṇaka’s form
Will be seen sitting on that high throne.
Sometimes it will be the Buddha Bhagavat
Or a bodhisattva who is seen.
“Sometimes it will be the form of Samantabhadra.
Sometimes it will resemble Mañjuśrī.
Sometimes Lord Maitreya
Will be seen upon that high throne.
“Sometimes marvelous signs,
The forms of many devas,
Will be seen for just a moment
And then will instantly disappear.
“This will perfect many good fortunes;
All deeds will be successful, as wished for;
Good qualities will be perfected—
That is what the Bhagavat has said.
“There will be supreme victory and renown.
Many kleśas will come to an end.
Opposing enemies will be completely dispelled,
And there will always be victory in battle.
“There will not be any bad dreams.
Many poisons and harms will cease to be.
Whichever of the three bad actions is done,
They will be purified by the power of the sūtra.
“There will be fame that will spread
Throughout the entirety of this Jambudvīpa.
All the enemies that hold grievances
Will direct their grievances toward each other.¹⁰⁷⁸
“Even if there is an enemy that comes,
Just through hearing its name they will be repelled.
The two parties will become happy
And not rely on waving weapons.
“The Brahmā king¹⁰⁷⁹ and Śakra,
The world guardians, the Four Mahārājas,
The yakṣa Vajrapāṇi, and
The great general Saṃjñeya;
“The king of nāgas, Anavatapta;
The king of nāgas,¹⁰⁸⁰ Sāgara;
The kinnaras and devas of music;¹⁰⁸¹
The asuras and the lord of the garuḍas;¹⁰⁸²
“The great goddess Sarasvatī
And the great goddess Śrī¹⁰⁸³—
9.8
Those and the other lords of devas,
Leading their own deva assemblies,
“Will make offerings to the buddhas,
And with minds that are always joyful,
They will render homage to the sūtra,
To this inconceivable jewel of the Dharma.
“These and many other devas
Will all gather together,
Look at those who accomplish merit,
And then they will say to one another:
“ ‘Regard these beings well!
They have great merit and qualities!
Through the power of their diligence in good roots,
They will be reborn with us in our paradises.
“ ‘With veneration they have gone there
To listen to this profound sūtra.
They make offerings to the stūpa of the Dharma
In order to pay homage to the true Dharma.
“ ‘They have compassion for all beings
And therefore create a great benefit for them,
Thus creating vessels for the Dharma jewel
That is comprised of these profound sūtras.
“ ‘Those who enter this Dharma gate
Will have entered into the nature of the Dharma.
They will listen with a one-pointed mind
To this Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.
“ ‘As those individuals have made offerings
To countless hundreds of thousands of buddhas,
It is through the power of those good roots
That they are listening to this sūtra.
“ ‘In this way, the lords of devas,
And the goddess Sarasvatī,
And the goddess Śrī,
And the devas of the Four Mahārājas,¹⁰⁸⁴
“ ‘And countless retinues of yakṣas
Who have courage and miraculous powers
Will always come from each of the
Four directions and give protection.
“ ‘Sūrya, Soma, Śakra, the lord of devas,¹⁰⁸⁵
Vāyu, Varuṇa, and Agni,¹⁰⁸⁶
Viṣṇu, and Skanda,
And Yama and the goddess Sarasvatī,¹⁰⁸⁷
“ ‘The world guardians, and so on,
All those who have splendor and magnificence
Protect those who keep the sūtra,
And so are never apart from them day or night.¹⁰⁸⁸
“ ‘The mighty lords of the yakṣas,
Nārāyaṇa and Maheśvara,
Lord Saṃjñeya, and all the others;
The twenty-eight yakṣas;
9.9
“ ‘And also the hundred thousand yakṣas
Who have miraculous powers and great might
Will always come to places of danger
And give protection to those individuals.
“ ‘Vajrapāṇi, the king of yakṣas,
With a retinue of five hundred
And a great assembly of bodhisattvas
Will always come and give protection to them.
“ ‘Maṇirāja,¹⁰⁸⁹ the lord of yakṣas,
And similarly, King Complete Excellence,
Aṭāvika, Kubera,
Piṅgala, and Kapila—
“ ‘These and other yakṣa kings,
Together with retinues of five hundred yakṣas,
Will all come and give their protection.¹⁰⁹⁰
“ ‘Citrasena and Gandharva,
Jinarāja and Jinarṣabha,
Maṇikaṇṭha and Nīlakaṇṭha,
Varṣādhipati, all those,
“ ‘And Supremely Victorious and Mahākāla,¹⁰⁹¹
And similarly also Svarṇakeśin,¹⁰⁹²
Pāñcika, and Chagalapāda,
And similarly also Mahābhāga,
“ ‘Praṇālin¹⁰⁹³ and Dharma Protector,
King of the Monkeys,¹⁰⁹⁴
Sūciroma and Sūryamitra,¹⁰⁹⁵
And also Ratnakeśa will give protection.
“ ‘Great Pranili and Nakula,
Candana and Kāmaśreṣṭha,
Nārāyaṇa and Haimavata,
And similarly also Sātāgirista—
“ ‘All of them have great miraculous powers,
Are very courageous and mighty.
If they see someone who keeps this sūtra,
They will all come and give their protection.
“ ‘Anavatapta, the nāga king,
The king of nāgas Sāgara,¹⁰⁹⁶
Elapatra and Mucilinda,
And Nanda and Upananda,
“ ‘These among a hundred thousand nāgas
Possessing miraculous powers and majesty
Give their protection to keepers of the sūtra
And are therefore always present day and night.
“ ‘Bali and Rāhu,
Vemacitra and Saṃvara,
Kharaskandha and Great Hollow,
And similarly also Prahlādana,
“ ‘And all the other asura kings,
A countless assembly of devas
With great might and supreme courage,
Will all come and give their protection.¹⁰⁹⁷
“ ‘Hārītī, the mother of spirits,
With her retinue of five hundred yakṣas,
9.10
Will always come and give their protection
Whether the person is asleep or awake.
“ ‘Caṇḍā and Caṇḍālikā,
And also the yakṣiṇī Caṇḍikā,¹⁰⁹⁸
Great Conch ¹⁰⁹⁹ and Kūṭadantī,
And Thief of All Beings’ Complexion¹¹⁰⁰—
“ ‘The multitudes of those kinds of deities,
All with great might and miraculous power,
Always protect the holders of this sūtra
And are never apart from them day and night.
“ ‘The great lady Sarasvatī
And innumerable goddesses;
The lady, the goddess Śrī,
And her numerous entourage;
“ ‘The goddess of this great earth;
The goddesses of harvests, parks,¹¹⁰¹ and forests;
The goddesses of trees, rivers, and winds;¹¹⁰²
And the goddesses of caityas, and so on—
“ ‘These and all other goddesses,
With great joy arising in their minds,
Will all come and give their protection
To those who are holders¹¹⁰³ of this sūtra.
“ ‘If they see holders of this sūtra, they will
Increase their life, color, and strength
And will adorn them, day and night,
With magnificence and good qualities.
“ ‘They will also bring to an end
All bad signs from planets and lunar asterisms,
The occurrence of ruin and disasters,
And seeing bad omens in dreams.
“ ‘Also, the goddess of this great earth,
Who has enduring majesty and might,
Will always be satisfied by the Dharma’s flavor
Through the power of this sūtra.
“ ‘Even if the earth’s fertility has sunk
As far as a hundred yojanas,
She¹¹⁰⁴ will cause the earth’s fertility to ascend
And bring enrichment to this great earth.¹¹⁰⁵
“ ‘The fertility of the earth will rise
From sixty-eight hundred thousand¹¹⁰⁶
Yojanas deep in the earth,
From as far as its vajra foundation.
“ ‘Through the power of hearing this king of sūtras,
A great accumulation of merit is obtained,
And everyone in the vast assemblies
Of the devas will obtain the benefit.
“ ‘Moreover, the multitudes of devas
Will be endowed with might and light.
They will always be happy with perfect joy
And will eliminate all signs of degeneration.
9.11
“ ‘The goddesses¹¹⁰⁷ of fruits, harvests, and forests
That are within this Jambudvīpa
Will constantly be joyful in mind
Through the blessing¹¹⁰⁸ of this sūtra.
“ ‘All the harvests will be excellent,
And everywhere sublime flowers
And all grains will multiply
So that this great earth will flourish.
“ ‘The multitudes of fruit trees
And all the many parks and forests¹¹⁰⁹
Will all have perfect flowers,¹¹¹⁰
And lovely aromas will be always pervading.
“ ‘The multitude of plants and the trees
Will grow excellent flowers
And grow delicious fruits;
Everywhere will be filled with them.
“ ‘Throughout this Jambudvīpa,
All the innumerable nāga maidens
Will experience minds filled with joy;
They will enter everywhere,
“ ‘And all the ponds will be filled with
The growth of many kinds of flowers,
And similarly with white lotuses
And with both blue and red lotuses.
“ ‘Through the blessing of this sūtra,
The sky will be clear and unobscured.
Clouds and mists will be completely dispelled,
And all darkness will be illuminated.
“ ‘A thousand rays of sunlight will radiate
So that an unblemished pure light,
Through the power of this king of sūtras,
Will brighten the entire circle of the four continents.
“ ‘Through the blessing of this sūtra,
All the devas will together
Create a divine palace
Made of Jambū River gold.
“ ‘When the sun and moon first arise,¹¹¹¹
When they see this continent, they will be overjoyed,
And they will completely illuminate it
With a constant great light.
“ ‘Of all of the lotus ponds
There are on this great earth,
There is none that will not blossom
When they are brightened by the sun.
“ ‘Within this Jambudvīpa,
All harvests, fruits, and herbs
Will ripen and be excellent
And will fill the entire great earth.
“ ‘Through the blessing of this sūtra,
The lunar asterisms will not pass beyond
The locations of the light of the moon and sun,
9.12
And the winds will blow and the rains fall at the right times.
“ ‘Throughout all of this Jambudvīpa,
Excellent harvests will grow in the lands
Wherever this sūtra is present.
It will be superior to other places.¹¹¹²
“ ‘Whoever promulgates and recites
This Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light
Will obtain superior merit,
As will the places where it is taught.’ ”
Then the great goddess Śrī and the multitude of other devas, having heard the words spoken by the Bhagavat, were all overjoyed, and they all aspired to single-mindedly protect completely those who hold this king of sūtras so that they will not be afflicted by misery and will always gain happiness.
Chapter 23: The Prophecy
After the Tathāgata had taught the Dharma extensively in the midst of the great assembly, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu and his two sons, Rūpyaketu and Rūpyaprabha, requested the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.
At that time, ten thousand devas, chief among them Jvalanāntaratejorāja, descended together from the Trāyastriṃśa paradise. They came before the Bhagavat, bowed their heads to his feet in homage, seated themselves to one side, and listened to the Dharma that was taught by the Bhagavat.
The Bhagavat then said to the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, “You, in a future time after countless, innumerable hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons have passed, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in the world realm Suvarṇaprabhā.
9.13
“You will appear in the world as a tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, one who knows the world’s beings, an unsurpassable guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat, who has the name King of the Mountain of Gold and Jewels.
“After that tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa and the Dharma he taught has vanished, at that time this older son, Rūpyaketu, will become that tathāgata’s regent in that same world. At that time, his name will be changed to Completely Pure Pinnacle, and he will attain perfect buddhahood and become a tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, one who knows the world’s beings, an unsurpassable guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat, who has the name Light of Golden Ornaments.
“At that time, when that tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa and the Dharma he taught has vanished, this younger son, Rūpyaprabha, will become that tathāgata’s regent, and in that world he will attain perfect buddhahood and become a tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, one who knows the world’s beings, an unsurpassable guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat, who has the name Suvarṇaprabha.”
That was the prophecy. Those ten thousand devas also heard the prophecy for those three great beings then.
9.14
When they heard in this way this sublime, supreme king of sūtras, their minds became overjoyed, and pure and stainless, like space.
Then the Bhagavat, knowing in his mind the ripening of the good roots of those ten thousand devas, prophesied their great enlightenment, saying, “Devas, after many countless, innumerable hundreds of thousands of quintillions of future eons have passed, you will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in a world realm by the name of Śālendradhvajāgravatī.¹¹¹³ You will be in the same family,¹¹¹⁴ in the same clan, and have the same name. You will all have a perfect name with ten components: Prasannavadanotpalagandhakūṭa.¹¹¹⁵ In this way, you will successively appear in the world as ten thousand buddhas.”
Then the goddess of the Bodhi tree said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, these ten thousand devas came from the Trāyastriṃśa paradise to listen to the Dharma and came before the Bhagavat. For what reason has the Tathāgata given them the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood? I have not heard that these devas have meditated excellently on the six perfections and undergone hardships, or have given away their hands, feet, heads, eyes, legs,¹¹¹⁶ brains,¹¹¹⁷ servants, children, wives, elephants, oxen,¹¹¹⁸ horses, carriages, male slaves, female slaves, messengers, homes, parks, forests, gold, silver, beryls, white corals, emeralds, red corals, crystals,¹¹¹⁹ conches, food, drink, clothes, beds, or medicine for illness.
9.15
Countless hundreds of thousands of other bodhisattvas have offered many offerings of requisites to countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of past buddhas, and in this way each of those bodhisattvas has obtained the prophecy of their enlightenment only after innumerable endless eons have passed.
“Bhagavat, through what causes and conditions, through what supreme conduct, and through planting what good roots have these deities come from their paradise and through hearing the Dharma for a short time obtained their prophecies? I request the Bhagavat to explain this to me and cut through the net of my doubts.”
The Bhagavat said to the goddess of the Bodhi tree, “Noble goddess, it is as you have said. All of these have obtained the prophecy after accomplishing the causes and conditions of excellent good roots and undergoing hardships with dedication and diligence. This multitude of devas has forsaken the five sensory pleasures in their perfect, sublime divine palaces and has come to listen to this Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light, so that when they heard the Dharma their minds developed reverence for this sūtra. They became unstained by faults, like completely pure beryls. Moreover, they heard that which was the prophecy for these three bodhisattva mahāsattvas. Moreover, in the past, they have for a long time accomplished true conduct, and they made a great commitment, and because of those causes and conditions I have prophesied their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood in a future time.”
The goddess of the Bodhi tree, having heard the Bhagavat’s words, became overjoyed and had conviction in them.
9.16
Chapter 24: Completely Curing Illness
The Bhagavat said to the goddess of the Bodhi tree, “Noble goddess, listen well and retain this perfectly in your mind. Today I will teach you the past prayers of these ten thousand devas that were causes and conditions.
“Noble goddess, in the past, in a time gone by, an uncountable, innumerable, inconceivable number of eons ago, at that time the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Ratnaśikhin appeared in the world.
“Noble goddess, at that time, after that bhagavat had passed into nirvāṇa, when the true Dharma had vanished and there was merely the outer appearance of the Dharma, there was a king by the name of Sureśvaraprabha who constantly governed¹¹²⁰ the people in accord with the true Dharma, as if he were their father and mother.
“At that time, in the king’s land there was a head merchant¹¹²¹ by the name of Jaladhara,¹¹²² who was greatly learned in medicine and perfectly knew all eight branches of the Āyurveda.¹¹²³ He healed beings, saving them from all the sufferings that arise from disharmony among the four great elements.
“Noble goddess, at that time the head merchant Jaladhara had a son named Jalavāhana, who was attractive and handsome and who an entire multitude longed to look at. He had a naturally swift mind and understood the treatises, and there was nothing he did not know about letters, drawing, calculations,¹¹²⁴ and numbers.
“At that time, countless hundreds of thousands of beings in that king’s land were tormented by the various kinds of the suffering of illness, so that there was not even the slightest happiness in their minds.
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“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saw those countless hundreds of thousands of beings experiencing the suffering of illness, and great compassion arose in his mind. He thought, ‘These countless beings are afflicted by terrible suffering, and my father, the head merchant,¹¹²⁵ is greatly skilled in medical treatments. He knows all eight branches of the Āyurveda perfectly and is able to cure the various illnesses that arise from the augmenting and diminishing of the four great elements. But because he is old, decrepit, and physically feeble and diminished, he walks by leaning on a stick, and therefore he is unable to go to the villages, towns, and market towns and save the people from the suffering of illness, and he is unable to save countless hundreds of thousands of beings who are afflicted by very grave illnesses. Therefore, today I will go before my father, the great physician, and ask him for the secret medical treatments that will heal illness. Then, when I know them, I will go to the villages, towns, and market towns to save people from various illnesses and let them experience happiness for a long time.’¹¹²⁶
“Having thought that, the head merchant’s son then went to his father, bowed his head in homage at his father’s feet, and with his palms together in reverence, he sat to one side. Sitting in a particular place, he addressed questions to his father through these verses:
“ ‘I am asking for the medical treatments
In order to bring a cure to beings,
So look kindly upon me, beloved father,
As I request that you teach me the instructions.¹¹²⁷
“ ‘In what way, when the body deteriorates,¹¹²⁸
Do the great elements increase and diminish?
And also what are the periods of time
When numerous illnesses occur?
“ ‘What food and drink is required
In order to experience health
So that the power of heat in the body
Does not decline and is not harmed?
“ ‘The illnesses of beings are of four kinds:
They are the illnesses of air, bile,
Phlegm, and their combination.
In what way can those be healed?
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“ ‘At what times does air illness arise?
At what times does bile illness arise?
At what times does phlegm illness arise?
At what times does combination illness arise?’
“On hearing the supplication of the head merchant’s son, the father recited these verses:¹¹²⁹
“ ‘Today, on the basis of the medical
Treatments of the ancient ṛṣis,
I will teach you in the appropriate stages.
Listen well and then cure beings.¹¹³⁰
“ ‘Three months are the season of spring,
Three months are called summer,
Three months belong to autumn,
And three months are called winter.
“ ‘Regarding these in terms of one year,
They are known to be in groups of three.
If they are categorized into groups of two,
Then there are six within one year.
“ ‘The first two are the season of flowers,
The third and fourth are the season of heat,
The fifth and sixth are the season of rain,
The seventh and eighth are the season of autumn,
“ ‘The ninth and tenth are the season of cold,
And the last two are the season of snow.
In that way, know their differences
And give medicine that is not contrary.¹¹³¹
“ ‘If the right food and drink is provided
In accordance with these seasons,
It will be quickly digested in the stomach,
And many illnesses will not occur.
“ ‘When there are changes in the seasons,
The four great elements change around
And there can be no healing medicine,
And the suffering of illness will definitely occur.
“ ‘The doctor should know the four seasons
And also should know the six periods of time,
And, knowing the seven elements of the body,
Should provide food and medicine that is appropriate.
“ ‘When an illness is located within
An element of taste, within blood,
Flesh, bones, marrow, and brains,
Know whether it can be healed or not.
“ ‘There are four kinds of illness:
Those of air and bile and phlegm,
And also those of their combination.
Know the times when they are active.
“ ‘In the season of spring, it is phlegm that moves.
In summer, it is the illness of air that occurs.
In the season of autumn, it is bile that augments.
In winter, all three occur simultaneously.
“ ‘And in the spring,¹¹³² the food should be bitter, astringent, and pungent;¹¹³³
In summer,¹¹³⁴ it should be oily, pungent,¹¹³⁵ salty, and sour;
In autumn, it should be cold and sweet and oily;
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In winter, astringent, sour, oily, and sweet.
“ ‘If someone consumes accordingly
Whatever medicine, food, or drink
Should be consumed in these four seasons,
Then many illnesses will not occur.
“ ‘After eating, there is the power of phlegm.
It is during digestion that there is the activity of bile.
Following digestion, there arises the power of air.
You should know the illnesses in relation to such times.
“ ‘When the root of an illness is known,
Provide the corresponding medicine for that illness.
Illnesses have particular, individual forms,
But you should know their roots in the past.
“ ‘For air illnesses, give that which has oil.
For bile illnesses, laxatives are good.
For phlegm illnesses, use emetics.
For an aggregation, all three treatments are needed.
“ ‘That which has air, bile, and phlegm
Is what is known as an aggregation.
The time when the illness occurs is known,
But the nature of the illness needs to be known.
“ ‘Reaching a diagnosis by examining in that way,
Give the medical treatment that accords with the time.
If the food, drink, and medicine are not inimical,
Then that is what is called a skilled doctor.
“ ‘If the eight branches of Āyurveda are known,
That will include all medical treatments.
When these have been elucidated,
The illnesses of beings will be healed.
“ ‘They are bloodletting, wounds,
Body ailments, and demons;
Virulent poisons and children;
And life lengthening and virility.
“ ‘First, the person’s complexion,
Speech, and nature are examined.
Afterward they are asked about their dreams,
And then it will be known whether it is air, bile, or phlegm.
“ ‘If a person’s hair is thin and in poor condition,
And the nature of their mind is unstable,
If they talk a lot and have dreams of flying,
Then their nature is that of air.
“ ‘If they have white hair while young
And have a great deal of perspiration,¹¹³⁶
Have a clear mind, and have dreams of fire,
Then their nature is that of bile.
“ ‘If the mind is stable and the body straight and even;
They are concerned with details and have shiny, greasy hair;
And if they see water and white substances in their dreams,
Then know that this is the nature of phlegm.
“ ‘As for having the nature of combination,
Some have two and some have three,
But know that their nature will be
Whichever one aspect is dominant.
“ ‘When you have understood what is their nature,
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Then give the medical treatment that accords with the illness.
If there are no signs of dying,
That is a person who can be healed.
“ ‘Know the signs of death to be
The faculties perceiving incorrectly,
Maligning gurus and doctors,
And being angry with family.
“ ‘The eyes crossing, the complexion becoming pale,
The tongue becoming black, the nostrils distorting,
The auricles of the ears becoming darkened,¹¹³⁷
And the lower lip drooping are signs of death.
“ ‘The myrobalan in one form
Has the six aspects of taste.
It dispels every illness, and so it
Is the faultless king of all medicine.
“ ‘The three fruits¹¹³⁸ and the three pungencies¹¹³⁹
Are the easiest to find among medicines.
Molasses, honey, milk, and butter:
These are able to heal many illnesses.
“ ‘Other medicines than those
Should be increased based on the illness.
First, develop a compassionate motivation
Without any concern for wealth and gain.
“ ‘I have taught you the treasured
Subject of healing illness.
If through this you heal beings,
An infinite result will be attained.’¹¹⁴⁰
“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, having learned the meaning of the eight branches of the Āyurveda directly from his father, and having heard and perfectly learned the augmentation and diminishing of the four great elements, the adverse seasons, and the practices of medical treatments, had the knowledge that enabled him to heal many illnesses, so he went throughout this and that village, town, and market town.
“In order to gladden with excellent words the many hundreds of thousands of beings who came to him suffering with illness, he said to them, ‘I am a doctor! I am a doctor! And because I am very skilled in medical treatment, today I will heal all of you of your many illnesses.’
“Noble goddess, at that time, many hundreds of thousands of beings
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were gladdened by the excellent words spoken by the head merchant’s son, and they allowed him to cure them. Then the countless hundreds of thousands of beings who were afflicted by grave illnesses became joyous and delighted on hearing those words; they heard a wonderful marvel. Therefore, through those causes and conditions, all the suffering from illness was healed and ended; their declined strength was restored, and they were healed to become as they were before their illness.
“Moreover, noble goddess, at that time, countless hundreds of thousands of beings suffering from extremely serious and incurable illnesses came together to the head merchant’s son and supplicated him to heal them, and at that time through wonderful medical treatments he cured them all.
“Noble goddess, at that time, that head merchant’s son healed many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of beings afflicted by the suffering of illness throughout that kingdom.”
Chapter 25: Jalavāhana, the Head Merchant’s Son
Then the Bhagavat said to the goddess of the Bodhi tree, “Noble goddess, at that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had previously cured beings of all the suffering of illness in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha, so that they had recovered and regained the health they had previously possessed. At that time, the many beings who had been cured of their illnesses accumulated many meritorious actions and accomplished vast acts of generosity, and they themselves prospered. Therefore, they all went together to the head merchant’s son, and with veneration they said, ‘Son of the great head merchant, it is excellent, excellent that you developed extremely excellent merit and benefited us and enabled us to live happily. You are a king of healing with great power and a bodhisattva with love and compassion. As you are completely skilled in medical treatments, you perfectly cured countless beings of the suffering of illness!’ In that way, they praised him throughout all the villages and towns.
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“Noble goddess, at that time, the head merchant’s son and his wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā,¹¹⁴¹ had two sons. The name of one was Jalāmbara and the name of the other was Jalagarbha.
“Jalavāhana then took his two sons and, having passed through the villages, towns, and market towns, eventually passed through a very desolate wilderness. There he saw jackals, wolves, foxes, baboons, vultures, and many other wild beasts that eat flesh and drink blood, running and flying in one direction. The head merchant’s son wondered, ‘What can be the reason these wild animals are running and flying in one direction? I will follow them for a while to discover why.’
“He followed them and reached a great lake called Aṭavīsaṃbhavā, which had almost dried up completely. In that lake there were many fish.
“When he saw them, great compassion arose in his mind. At that time, a tree goddess revealed the upper half of her body and said, ‘Excellent, excellent! Noble one, you have a meaningful name—Jalavāhana—and can sympathize with these fish, and therefore you will give them water. This is because of two causes and circumstances: your name, Jalavāhana, means bringing water and giving water.¹¹⁴² Today, you should act in accordance with your name!’
“Then Jalavāhana asked the tree goddess, ‘How many fish are there?’
“The tree goddess answered, ‘Their number is a full ten thousand.’
“Noble goddess, when the head merchant’s son heard from the goddess how many fish there were, he developed an even greater motivation of compassion.
“At that time, the sun was beating down on the great lake and there was only a little water left, so that those ten thousand fish were at death’s door, their bodies writhing around. Seeing the head merchant’s son,¹¹⁴³ with hope in their minds and ever-staring eyes, they followed him, looking at him.
9.23
“When the head merchant’s son saw that, he ran in all four directions hoping to find water but did not find any. However, in one direction he looked he saw a great tree.¹¹⁴⁴ He climbed it, cut off branches and leaves, and created a shade for the fish.
“Moreover, he searched for the source of the water that fed this lake and saw a great river called Jalāgamā. At that time, there were many fishermen on the banks of that river, and in order to obtain those fish they had stopped the river from flowing onward in a place upstream where there was a great precipice. It would be so difficult to correct where the river had been diverted that he thought, ‘This is such a great, deep precipice, not even a hundred thousand men working for three months would be able to cut through it,¹¹⁴⁵ so it goes without saying that I could not do so on my own.’
“Then the head merchant’s son quickly returned to his town and went before King Sureśvaraprabha,¹¹⁴⁶ bowed down his head to his feet, seated himself to one side, and, with his palms together in reverence, said, ‘I healed the various illnesses of the subjects in the great king’s domain such that they were all happy, and while proceeding throughout the land, I came to a wilderness. There I saw a lake called Aṭavīsaṃbhavā, the water of which had almost completely disappeared, and in it were ten thousand fish that would soon die from being dried up by the sun. Great king! Look upon me with love, compassion, and kindness and bestow upon me for a while twenty elephants for carrying water. Just as I saved the lives of many ill people, so I¹¹⁴⁷ will save the lives of those fish.’
“The great king then commanded the prime minister, ‘Quickly provide this king of doctors with elephants!’
“At that time, the prime minister, obeying the king’s command, said to the head merchant’s son, ‘O great being!
9.24
Go to the elephant pen yourself, choose the twenty elephants that you want, and take them and bring benefit to beings so that they will gain happiness.’
“Then Jalavāhana, with his two sons, took away twenty elephants, borrowed many bags¹¹⁴⁸ from a tavern,¹¹⁴⁹ went to where the river was interrupted, filled the bags with water, loaded them onto the elephants, brought them to the lake, and emptied them into the lake, so that it became full and vast as before.
“Noble goddess, at that time, the head merchant’s son walked around the four sides of the lake, looking at it, and many fish followed him, milling around at the shore. Then the head merchant’s son thought, ‘Why are these fish following me? No doubt it is because they are tormented by the fire of hunger and are begging me for food, so I shall give it to them.’
“Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, then said to his sons,¹¹⁵⁰ ‘Take the strongest elephant and quickly go home and tell my father, the head merchant, to gather together everything there is to eat in the house—that which is intended for my parents and that which is intended for my wife, children, male servants, and female servants—and bring it to me.’
“Then the two sons, obeying their father, rode the strongest elephant, hurried home, went before their grandfather, and said in detail what they had been told to say, obtained everything that was edible in the house, quickly loaded it onto the elephant, and hurriedly went back to their father beside the lake.
“When Jalavāhana saw them coming, his body and mind were filled with happiness, delight, and joy. He took the food and scattered it throughout the lake. The fish obtained the food, and they were all filled and satiated.
“Then he thought, ‘I have given the fish food and saved their lives. In the future, may I give the food of the Dharma and satisfy an infinite number of beings!’
9.25
“He also thought, ‘In the past, in a solitary forest, I saw and listened to¹¹⁵¹ a bhikṣu who was reading from a Mahāyāna sūtra that was teaching the profound Dharma of the twelve phases of dependent origination. Moreover, he also taught from that sūtra that anyone who hears the name of the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin at the time of their death will be reborn in a higher existence. Therefore, today I will teach the fish the profound Dharma of dependent origination, and I will also recite the name of the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin. There are two kinds of beings in this Jambudvīpa: those who have complete faith in the Mahāyāna, and those who do not believe in it and disparage it, and so I will increase those who in their minds have belief in it.’¹¹⁵²
“At that moment, the head merchant’s son thought, ‘I will enter this lake and I will teach the extremely wonderful profound Dharma to these many fish!’ Having thought that, he entered the water.
“He recited, ‘I pay homage to the past Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksaṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable being, the guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the Bhagavat Ratnaśikhin! Previously, when this tathāgata was practicing bodhisattva conduct, he made this commitment: “May anyone in the world realms in the ten directions who hears my name at the time of their death, after passing away, be reborn as a deva in Trāyastriṃśa.” ’
“Jalavāhana then taught those fish the wonderful, profound Dharma with these words: ‘Because this exists, that exists; because this is produced, that is produced. Thus, because of the factor of ignorance, there is formation; because of the factor of formation, there is consciousness;
9.26
because of the factor of consciousness, there are name and form; because of the factor of name and form, there are the six āyatanas; because of the factor of the six āyatanas, there is contact; because of the factor of contact, there is sensation; because of the factor of sensation, there is craving; because of the factor of craving, there is grasping; because of the factor of grasping, there is becoming; because of the factor of becoming, there is birth; because of the factor of birth, there is old age, death, misery, lamentation, suffering,¹¹⁵³ and distress. In that way is produced this great mass of nothing but suffering.¹¹⁵⁴
“ ‘If this ceases, then that ceases. Thus, through the cessation of ignorance, formation ceases; through the cessation of formation, consciousness ceases; through the cessation of consciousness, name and form cease; through the cessation of name and form, the six āyatanas cease; through the cessation of the six āyatanas, contact ceases; through the cessation of contact, sensation ceases; through the cessation of sensation, craving ceases; through the cessation of craving, grasping ceases; through the cessation of grasping, becoming ceases; through the cessation of becoming, birth ceases; through the cessation of birth, old age and death cease; through the cessation of old age and death, misery, lamentation, suffering, and distress cease. In that way, this great mass of nothing but suffering will cease.’
“Having taught this Dharma, he then also taught the dhāraṇī that is the same as the twelve phases of dependent origination:¹¹⁵⁵
tadyathā | vicani vicani vicani saṃścani saṃścani saṃścani bhiśini bhiśini bhiśini, svāhā | tadyathā | nimini nimini nimini śadhini śadhini śadhini sapraśini sapraśini sapraśini svāhā | tadyathā | vetrani vetrani vetrani triśinini triśinini triśinini upadhini upadhini upadhini svāhā | tadyathā | bhavini bhavini bhavini satini satini satini samanini samanini samanini svāhā |
At that time, when the Bhagavat
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taught the past causes of the head merchant’s son to the great assembly, the assembly of devas and humans was greatly amazed and praised him.¹¹⁵⁶
Then the Four Mahārājas, each from his individual place, said in one voice:
“Excellent! Śākya Lord of Munis, you have
Eliminated bad karma and increased merit
By teaching the Dharma of the vidyāmantra
That is the same as the twelve phases.
“We also, if a mantra is recited,
Will give protection to the Dharma,
And if someone acts contrary to it
And does not follow it well,
“That person’s head will burst into seven parts
Like the top of a basil plant.¹¹⁵⁷
We will recite the vidyāmantra
Once in the presence of the Bhagavat.
tadhyathā hirimigāte gandhari candhari dharijebhare śihibhari pure pure gugumti khiramati dhadhimukhi laurubha murubhi kucumurugandhe turu turu turu vīrye adhisiddhi davabbye dhadavabye uste ustabaddhe anle badhe padumabaddhe asumabaddhe svāhā |¹¹⁵⁸
The Bhagavat continued, “Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, and his two sons, having given water and food to the fish and taught them the Dharma, returned to their home.
“At another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, held a feast, and after various entertainments, intoxicated from alcohol, he fell asleep. At that time, the ten thousand fish all passed away at the same moment and were reborn as devas in Trāyastriṃśa. They wondered, ‘Through what good karma as a cause and condition have we been reborn in this paradise?’ and then they said to each other, ‘We had fallen into an animal rebirth in Jambudvīpa and had obtained the bodies of fish, but Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, gave us water and food, and moreover he taught us the profound Dharma and the dhāraṇī of the twelve phases of dependent origination. He also recited the name of the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin, and it is through those causes and conditions that we have been reborn in this paradise.
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Therefore, we should go to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, and make offerings to him to repay his kindness.’
“Those ten thousand devas then vanished from that paradise and arrived beside the king of healing in Jambudvīpa.
“At that time, the head merchant’s son was sleeping happily upon a high roof, and those ten thousand devas placed ten thousand pearl necklaces above his head.¹¹⁵⁹ They also placed a hundred thousand¹¹⁶⁰ pearl necklaces in front of his feet. They also placed a hundred thousand¹¹⁶¹ pearl necklaces to his right. They also placed a hundred thousand¹¹⁶² pearl necklaces to his left. They sent down a rain of coral tree flowers and great coral tree flowers to a depth that would reach the knees and radiate everywhere. The melodious sounds of various kinds of divine music resounded, and everyone who was asleep in Jambudvīpa woke up. Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was also awoken from his sleep. Then those ten thousand devas, having made their offerings, flew into the sky and departed.
“They let fall a rain of excellent lotuses here and there throughout the domain of King Sureśvaraprabha. Then they returned to their previous abode, to the lake in the wilderness, and sent down a rain of various kinds of divine flowers, and then they vanished and returned to paradise, where they enjoyed the bliss of whatever sensory pleasures they delighted in and wished for.
“At daybreak, King Sureśvaraprabha asked his prime ministers, ‘What is the cause and condition whereby last night there appeared such wonderful signs and there shone a great light?’
“Those prime ministers answered, ‘Great king, know this: at the mansion of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, a great host of devas sent down forty thousand pearl necklaces and also a rain of divine coral tree flowers to a depth that covers the knees.”
“The king commanded the ministers, saying, ‘Go to the head merchant’s home and summon his son.’
“The prime ministers obeyed the king’s command
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