大佛頂如來放光悉怛多般怛羅大神力都攝一切呪王陀羅尼經大威德最勝金輪三昧呪品 1.4

1.4

At that time the gods, dwelling in the empty sky, scattered flowers as offerings, and with various kinds of music praised the Buddha's divine power, complete with all-knowledge, which subdued the tīrthikas. The fourfold assembly rejoiced, and all gave rise to the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. At that time, Ānanda, having observed what was in the minds of the great assembly, calmly arose from the assembly, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms toward the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and said: "Excellent! How extraordinary, teacher of gods and humans of great power and reverence! How unexpected today that you subdued the tīrthikas and caused all sentient beings to take refuge in the correct Dharma! World-Honoured One, we śrāvakas are truly foolish and deluded; we take pleasure in much learning, yet we do not seek liberation from the defiled mind. Having received the Buddha's compassionate instruction, we may properly practice again. We have heard it with our bodies and minds, yet we cannot stabilize (settle) ourselves. We now wish to gather the mind; how are we to subdue it? We only pray that the World-Honoured One will explain extensively for us so that we may attain the non-retrogressing stage and cause all sentient beings everywhere to hear the essentials of the Dharma." At that time the World-Honoured One, with the power of complete and perfect enlightenment, praised Ānanda, saying: "Excellent, excellent! You are able, on behalf of the entire assembly of humans and gods, to ask the Tathāgata about gathering the mind. Listen attentively and receive it well; reflect upon it with care. I shall first speak to you of entering samādhi. If there are practitioners who seek all-knowledge, they must first observe the four kinds of moral conduct clearly and purely. Just as the Tathāgata's frost naturally prevents all branches and leaves from sprouting, so too the three [actions] of mind and four of speech give rise to immeasurable causes and conditions; thereafter, you must know the twelve links of dependent origination. Ānanda! With these four matters and the twelve links of dependent origination, if one does not harbor negligence in mind and does not crave forms, sounds, scents, tastes, or tangibles, how could any demonic phenomena arise? Ānanda! If there are practitioners who are unable to eliminate the karmic hindrances and sins of habitual karmic tendencies from past lives, you should teach such persons to repent with single-minded focus to eliminate the karmic hindrances of their previous lives. Before the buddhas, bodhisattvas, devas, and nāgas, they should bow their heads in utmost sincerity, [entrust] their lives to the buddhas of the ten directions, and beseech their compassionate protection. With humility, reverence, benevolence, and forbearance, they should make vows and dedicate merit. They should entreat the buddhas to remain long in the world and turn the great wheel of the Dharma to deliver the hosts of humans and gods. With a mind free of distraction, single-mindedly practicing the method of samādhi, day and night with diligent effort without wearying or relinquishing, they should seek the pure and supreme fruit of great nirvāṇa. Even that courtesan, who had no intention to practice, eternally threw off her lustful mind by the power of concentration." Thereupon Ānanda, pitying all sentient beings submerged in the sea of suffering across the six destinies without any who awaken, wishing to serve as their basis of reliance, addressed the Buddha again, saying: "World-Honoured One! Having received the Tathāgata's unsurpassed and compassionate instruction, my mind has already awakened; today I shall cultivate and realize the path of the adept (aśaikṣa). My only concern is that during the Final Dharma age, when beginner practitioners establish a bodhimaṇḍa, upon what teaching must they rely to attain liberation? How should they perform the sīmābandha so as to subdue the demonic hosts and cause all devas, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits to protect the pure procedures of the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, at present?" Thereupon Ānanda inquired in verse, saying: