འཕགས་པ་གླང་ར་ལང་བསྟན་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 24

24

a sanctuary, and a haven. They are worthy of homage by beings living in other worlds. Simply to feel faith upon hearing the names of the Gomasalaganda stūpa, Mount Gośṛṅga, the land of Virtue, Virtuous Castle, and the blessed hermitages will purify grave misdeeds.”

The Blessed One then told venerable Śāriputra and Vaiśravaṇa, “Noble sons, you two go and cut down Sha Mountain and transfer this large lake into the Gyisho River in the north. Thus, without harming any beings living in the water, you must guard and demarcate this land.”

The great hearer Śāriputra and Vaiśravaṇa said in response, “We shall do as you instruct.” Then they flew miraculously through the sky in the direction of Sha Mountain. Śāriputra held in his hand a staff and Vaiśravaṇa held a spear, and with these they cleaved Sha Mountain into two, picked up the pieces, and placed them down in the west. Thus, they created a large riverbank through which the lake with all the animals living therein was diverted into the Gyisho River. In this manner, the Gomasalaganda stūpa, Mount Gośṛṅga, and the land of Khotan were brought into being.

At this point, the Blessed One entrusted the Gomasalaganda stūpa and the other places to the eight bodhisattva great beings such as noble Avalokiteśvara and Maitreya, the twenty thousand bodhisattvas, the sages, the eight great gods such as Vaiśravaṇa and Gṛhadāha, and the remaining retinue of thirty-five thousand five hundred beings. All of the gods also accepted this entrustment. The Blessed One bestowed it accordingly.

When the Blessed One had thus spoken, the entire assembly rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.