Toh 157The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Questions of the Kinnara King Druma”

Summary

The Questions of the Kinnara King Druma,
initiated by the questions of the bodhisattva Divyamauli, consists of a series
of teachings by the kinnara king Druma, given within a rich narrative framework
in which music plays a central role in teaching the Dharma. This sūtra presents
a variety of well-known Great Vehicle Buddhist themes, but special attention is
given to the six bodhisattva perfections and the perfection of skillful means,
as well as to the doctrine of emptiness that is discussed throughout the
text.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart
translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction.
Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and
edited the text. The translators would like to thank Paul Harrison for reading
the translation and offering many helpful suggestions.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The generous sponsorship of Sharon Xu and Michael Pan, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

The Questions of the Kinnara King
Druma
is a scripture that belongs to the general sūtra
section of the Tibetan Kangyur. The sūtra presents a series of teachings
focusing on the doctrine of emptiness and the bodhisattvas’ perfections,
presented in a rich narrative framework in which Druma, the king of the
kinnaras, is the protagonist. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both
Buddhist and Hindu literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half
human, half animal (usually half bird). They are also usually depicted as
highly skilled celestial musicians. King Druma is himself a well-known
figure in canonical Sanskrit sources, where he frequently appears, albeit
mostly in minor roles, offering musical worship to the Buddha. For example,
King Druma appears in such a role in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra (Toh 113) where he is one of four kinnara kings (the other
three are Mahādharma, Sudharma, and Dharmadhara) attending the Buddha’s
teaching. He is also included in the Samādhirājasūtra (Toh 127) where he arrives with his queens to make an
offering of his music to the Buddha.

The title of this text is actually somewhat misleading since the
questions that bring forth the sūtra’s doctrinal content are not in fact
posed by Druma, but instead by the bodhisattva Divyamauli, who is the
primary interlocutor throughout this sūtra. As such Druma assumes the role
of the teacher who over the course of the text displays a profound
understanding of the doctrine of emptiness. The Buddha accordingly commends
him for his grasp of the truth and extols Druma as a great bodhisattva whose
level of realization far surpasses that of any hearer or solitary buddha.
Toward the end of the teaching, the Buddha also prophesies Druma’s future
awakening in great detail.

Music plays a central role throughout this sūtra. As Paul Harrison
has noted, music is presented in several episodes as a metaphor for the
ungraspable nature of reality—emptiness—as it serves as the basis for
Druma’s teachings to Divyamauli and the rest of the assembly.
In one remarkable episode, the power of Druma’s music is such that even the
accomplished elders among the monks lose control of their bodies and start
to dance helplessly to the tune of Druma’s lute, while only those who have
reached the bodhisattva levels are able to remain seated.

The sūtra elaborates on a variety of general themes associated
with the Great Vehicle. As well as the doctrine of emptiness, discussed at
various points in the text, it gives special attention to the six
perfections and in particular to the mastery of skillful means. It also
contains a lengthy teaching on the ways in which women can be reborn with a
male body—something that, according to several Great Vehicle sūtras, is a
prerequisite for attaining awakening as a buddha.

In terms of traditional scholarship, several citations from this
sūtra appear in the Caryāmelāpakapradīpa,
an influential work attributed to the “tantric” Āryadeva. The sūtra is also briefly cited in the Subhāṣitasaṃgraha, an anonymous anthology of
tantric works. While no Sanskrit manuscript of The Questions of the Kinnara King Druma appears to be extant,
we do have translations of this sūtra in both Chinese and Tibetan. Two
Chinese translations are available: one produced by Lokakṣema (T.624) and
the other by Kumārajīva (T.625). Lokakṣema was born around 147 ce in Gandhāra and is one of the earliest known
translators to have produced Chinese translations of the Great Vehicle
Buddhist sūtras from Sanskrit. The date of his translation is unknown, but
Harrison suggests that it must have been completed while he was residing in
the Han capital of Luoyang during the years 170–190 ce. Lokakṣema’s version is therefore of great historical
importance since it represents one of the earliest literary sources for the
Great Vehicle available to us today. The second Chinese translation was produced by the
renowned translator Kumārajīva (334–413 ce), who
completed the translation in the early fifth century, toward the end of his
life, as he resided in the then Chinese capital of Chang’an. According to
Harrison, the two Chinese versions are very similar, and they do not differ
substantially in content from the Tibetan.

The Tibetan translation was completed in the early translation
period and is listed in the early ninth-century Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalogue. According to the
colophon to the Tibetan translation, the sūtra was translated into Tibetan
by the prolific translators Kawa Paltsek (ska ba
dpal brtsegs) and Palkyi Lhünpo (dpal gyi lhun po), both of whom participated in numerous
translation projects in Tibet during the early translation period when the
majority of Indian sūtras were translated into Tibetan (late eighth to early
ninth century). Kawa Paltsek was also one of the initial seven Tibetans to
be ordained during the founding of the first Tibetan monastery of Samyé
(bsam yas). He translated numerous
canonical texts, both sūtra and tantra, and became one of the most active
translators of his time. Some Tibetan translators, including Palkyi Lhünpo,
are known to have translated certain Indian texts without the help of Indian
teachers, and this may well have been the case with
The Questions of the Kinnara King Druma, as
no Indian scholars are mentioned in the colophon.

Our translation work benefited greatly from the work of Paul
Harrison (1992), who published a full critical edition of the Tibetan text
based on nine available witnesses—Stok Palace MS, London, Tokyo MS, Degé,
Lithang, Peking, and Narthang, as well as the Phukdrak MS independent
Kangyur and extant portions of a Dunhuang manuscript. In his work, the different
versions of the text are grouped under two recensions, representing the
Thempangma (them spangs ma) and Tshalpa
(tshal pa) lines and respectively
referred to as “Recension A” and “Recension B.” Stok Palace MS, London, and
Tokyo MS are grouped under Recension A and Degé, Lithang, Peking, and
Narthang under Recension B.
According to Harrison’s findings, the Phukdrak MS version of the text mostly
agrees with the texts of the Thempangma line while the Dunhuang manuscript
mostly corresponds with those of the Tshalpa line. He observes that these
groups of versions belong to distinct “recensions” in that they reflect
major “recensional variation”—significant editorial changes such as
extensive alterations to the wording of the text and systematic substitution
of different terminology—and not just “transmissional variation.” Those
groups of texts are indeed quite different in ways that cannot be accounted
for by scribal error or casual emendation. Harrison
subsequently discovered while sifting through the damaged and disheveled
Tabo Kangyur that about 13% of this text is preserved there too. Upon
collating this with his existing edition, he observed that it is not a
Thempangma copy, “but bears a version derived independently from the
revision process which produced Recension A of the text, which on the whole
it reproduces with remarkable fidelity.”

Harrison’s critical edition is a reconstruction of Recension A,
which he takes to be “a fair but possibly later reflection of the fully
revised translation produced at the beginning of the ninth century.”
He argues that the texts included in Recension A seem closer to standard
revised translations than the texts included in Recension B, since they
accord more with the Mahāvyutpatti. Yet his
conclusion, in the light of his analysis of the available witnesses of the
text, is that “no representative…, no matter how venerable, may be given
priority or regarded as invariably the ‘best text.’ This means that variants
between genuine witnesses … must be isolated and assessed on a case-by-case
basis.”

For this translation into English, which is, as far as we are
aware, the first translation into any European language, we relied on the
Degé blockprint, the Comparative Edition (dpe
bsdur ma), and Paul Harrison’s edition. The Degé is the most
widely circulating Kangyur. It primarily belongs to the Tshalpa line but
also incorporates readings from the Thempangma Kangyurs. Since it mostly
reproduces Recension B, it often accords with the earliest witness, the
Dunhuang manuscript. It therefore preserves earlier readings, much less
altered by the great revisions of the imperial period, than those in
Recension A, which reflect those revisions. We concluded that reading the
Degé text in close consultation with Harrison’s edition was a reasonable way
to approach the translation of this text and to gain a fairly robust picture
of the transmissional and recensional issues associated with it. We have
revised the sigla used in Harrison’s edition (1992) to match those used in
the University of Vienna’s Resources for Kanjur and Tanjur Studies, which were
derived in large part from Harrison and Eimer (1997).

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

The Questions of the Kinnara King Druma

Homage to
all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time: The Blessed One was residing on
Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of sixty-two thousand
monks, and with seventy-two thousand bodhisattva great beings who had
gathered from the worlds of the ten directions. All of them had developed
the higher perceptions. They had attained recollection, unobstructed
eloquence, and absorption. They were perfectly mindful, intelligent,
realized, devoted, humble, and modest. Their motivation was firm and
indivisible like vajra. They perfectly applied themselves to all the
qualities of buddhahood, and they had developed the most noble motivation.
Without ever themselves forsaking the mind set on awakening, they caused
others to adopt that same attitude. They were generous, self-controlled,
restrained, gentle, and patient. Everything that was pleasant they would
give away, and knew how to dedicate these acts. Their bodies, speech, and
minds were adorned with the ornament of discipline. They had an impartial
attitude toward all beings and they had donned the powerful armors of
patience and gentleness. They had exercised diligence for countless billions
of eons, and they reveled in the wisdom of the concentrations, liberations,
absorptions, attainments, and higher knowledges. They were experts in the
wisdom and insight of unobstructed eloquence with respect to the
distinctions of all words. Their minds were unshakeable like Mount Sumeru.
Like
earth, water, fire, wind, and mountains they were free of attachment and
anger. They were abiding in great love and their splendor was unobstructed.
They were abiding in great compassion and always diligent in caring for all
beings. They were abiding in great joy and were delighted by the joy of
Dharma. They were abiding in great equanimity and had reached nondual
cognition.

They had completely transcended the eight worldly concerns—gain,
loss, fame, disgrace, praise, blame, pleasure, and suffering. They had
utterly defeated all the multitudes of wicked opponents and conquered the
hostile forces of Māra and the afflictions. Their presence was as rare as
the sight of the uḍumbara flower and, without being asked, they acted as
virtuous friends for all sentient beings, always accompanying them until
nirvāṇa. They uttered the great
lion’s roar, resounding with the profound Dharma of the Buddha as well as
with fearlessness. They were marked by the seal of the thus-gone ones. They
taught clearly without any disturbance and their
actions accorded with their words. They were diligent in the Dharma-way of
suchness, and their light eclipsed the light of the sun and the moon. Their
voices resounded throughout the ten directions, they contemplated all buddha
qualities, and they upheld the treasury of the Dharma jewel. Their
minds were focused on keeping the lineage of the Three Jewels unbroken. They
were skilled in traveling to an infinity of buddha realms. They had the
intelligence that is grounded in the discernment of all distinctions. To see
and hear them was so beneficial that it was overwhelming. They constantly
exerted themselves to bring sentient beings to maturity and they had reached
the highest level of mastering insight and methods. They taught the Dharma
to all sentient beings in the appropriate manner, knowing those who were of
the highest faculties and those who were not. They were skilled in
observing the conduct of all sentient beings and they were naturally skilled
in the pursuits and imputations of all beings. Due to their great
fearlessness, they were dauntless, and they were utterly at peace from old
age, sickness, death, and the afflictions. They had created roots of virtue
in relation to a boundless number of billions of buddhas. They had gathered
the accumulation of merit that completes the excellent major and minor
marks, and they had also gathered the accumulation of wisdom.

They were inclined toward all the qualities of emptiness, the
absence of marks, and the absence of wishes. They were free from
aspiration. They
were confident in the insight that all beings and phenomena are like
illusions, mirages, dreams, reflections of the moon in water, optical
illusions, echoes, and space. They were experts in the wisdom that teaches
in the words of all languages, and they had achieved the four correct
knowledges related to phenomena, meaning, language, and eloquence. They had
actualized the power of supramundane insight, obtained the ten powers that
possess great might, and developed the perceptions of the physical eye, the
divine eye, the insight eye, the Dharma eye, and the buddha eye. They were
experts in the wisdom that engages in all the ways of gathering the
accumulations related to the branches of the path. They knew the procedures
for developing the understanding of the bodhisattvas’ scriptural collection.
They turned the irreversible Dharma wheel. They had reached the
absorption of the seal of characteristics. They were experts
in the wisdom related to the absorption of the vajra
circle. They had manifested the absorption that
controls all phenomena. They held the torch of the supreme
Dharma Jewel. They perceived the mindstreams of all beings and were experts
in seeing their thoughts. They were attending to all
beings through the activity of awakened wisdom and they were adorned with
all the precious qualities replete with the most supreme of all aspects.
Even if their praises were proclaimed for all the eons, this task would
never come to an end.

Among the seventy-two thousand bodhisattvas were the bodhisattva
great beings Priyaṃkara, Source of Joy, Ratnapāṇi, Ratnakusuma, Ratnaketu,
Priyadarśana, Delightful to Behold, Ruciramati, Pleasing and Delightful,
Dharaṇīdhara, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Great Glory, Mārajit,
Mandāravagandha, Vāyu, Joy of Truth, View of Equality,
Meruśikharadhara, Merukūṭa, Meruvara, Jālinīprabha, Jayamati, Soothing
Birth, Jagatīṃdhara, Worshiped by the King of Gods, Uttaramati, Asaṅgacitta,
Dawn Intellect, Protector of Men, Boundless Precious Treasure, Prabhāketu,
Prabhāśrī, Pradīparāja, Bodhimati, Adorned with
Light, Manifold Flowers, Devarāja, Divine
Perception,
Subāhu, Sucintitacintin,
Feet Consecrated with Wheels, Trampling with Unmoving Feet, Trampling with
Vajra Feet, Subjugating the Three Worlds under One’s Feet, Joyful Eloquence,
Swift Eloquence, Anācchedyapratibhāna, Blessed Eloquence, Gentle Sounds,
Provider of All Beings’ Satisfaction, Brahmaghoṣa, Bhadrapāla,
Ratnākara, Susārthavāha, Naradatta, Varuṇa, Maitreya,
Mañjughoṣa, and Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.

Also present were Śakra, Brahmā, and the protectors of the world,
as well as gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras,
mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans. They had all come from all parts of this
great trichiliocosm and gathered in the assembly to behold the Blessed One,
pay homage to him, revere him, and listen to the Dharma.

At that time, the bodhisattva great being Divyamauli was part of
that retinue. When he saw that great assembly of bodhisattvas, he stood up,
draped his shawl over one shoulder, prostrated to the feet of the Blessed
One, circumambulated him three times, and knelt on his right knee. Bowing
down with his palms joined together in the direction of the Blessed One, he
uttered these verses of praise:

“You have transcended the world and serve as a lamp for its
inhabitants.

Wise One, you accomplish the benefit of the world,

You have reached illumination, and you eliminate the stains of
afflictions;

Illuminator of the world, I pay homage to you!

“You delight in generosity, you possess the ten supreme powers,

You are gentle and restrained, and you have reached the culmination of
discipline.

Blessed One, you are worshiped by gods, humans, and nāgas,

And you have perfected discipline; I pay homage to you!

“You possess the supreme marks and accomplish the benefit of many
beings.

Your aura of light has the color of gold,

You are endowed with a sacred physical form adorned with the marks of
virtue,

And you are peerless in the three realms; I pay homage to you!

“You who have reached the other shore, you have vanquished hosts of
enemies,

And you unflaggingly defeat your opponents.

You are an expert in sentient beings’ mental activity,

And you possess supreme compassion; I pay homage to you!

“King of the worthy ones, you have cleared away the dust of the
afflictions,

And you abide by right livelihood, spiritual observances, and discipline.

Foremost among gods, you are free from stains

And defeat hostile forces; I pay homage to you!

“Well-Gone One, like a supreme jewel, you bring joy.

You always reside in isolated places and enjoy solitude.

Unsullied by stains, faults, and ignorance,

Your mind is equal to space; I pay homage to you!

“You have crossed the four rivers and proclaim the discourse on the four
truths,

You give away your eyes, and you reveal the nectar-like Dharma
discourses.

With your feet marked by wheels, you roam throughout the three worlds

To accomplish the benefit of beings; I pay homage to you!

“Powerful One, you are worshiped by gods and humans.

Protector, you defeat Māra, the lord of the gods.

You are revered by hosts
of humans, gods, and nāgas.

Sublime and foremost among humans, I pay homage to you!

“Always delighted by the sacred Dharma that contains the truth,

You love all beings with an impartial mind.

Ruler of humans, you constantly abide by the Dharma

And you have perfected all excellent qualities; I pay homage to you!

“You speak in pure and delightful tones

And your voice is soft like the voice of Brahmā.

Having perfected all the elements of
speech,

You convey the truth in a melodious way; I pay homage to you!

“Wise One, you are expert in the entry to the liberations—

The profound emptiness, the absence of marks, and the absence of
wishes

That are difficult to perceive and extremely hard to realize—

And you are delighted by the path of
liberation; I pay homage to you!

“Blessed One, you are expert in causality.

Forever free from the views of the two extremes,

You only describe the ripened effects of actions,

And you are liberated from the darkness of views; I pay homage to
you!

“You expound on phenomena that are always void—

That do not come from or go anywhere—

Phenomena that are free of ‘mine,’ like mirages and illusions.

You who teach the way of the virtuous Dharma, I pay homage to you!

“That which arises is unborn—it does not arise anywhere.

It arises and disintegrates, without vanishing anywhere.

The abiding mode of phenomena abides in the natural ground;

I pay homage to the Victor who does not abide anywhere!

“Your teachings always accord with the way things are,

And you continuously dwell within suchness, without wavering.

Your body, like Mount Sumeru, a victory banner, and a vajra,

Is unshakeable like the Supreme Mountain; I pay homage to you!

“Wise One, your body is disengaged, your mind impartial,

And your infinite fame pervades the three worlds.

Supreme being, moon of the world, please agree

To answer questions posed to you!”

After the bodhisattva great being Divyamauli had praised the
Blessed One with these fitting verses of praise, he said, “Blessed One,
should I be granted the opportunity, I would like to ask a few questions of
the Blessed One, the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha.”

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, ask whatever you wish of the
Thus-Gone One, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha. I will answer your
questions and bring satisfaction to your mind.”

The bodhisattva great being Divyamauli said, “Excellent!” and,
heeding the Blessed One’s instructions, put his questions to the Blessed
One.

“Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas become adorned with various
types of eloquence? How do bodhisattvas become experts in the knowledge that
is free of doubts with respect to the profound Dharma? How do bodhisattvas
become experts in knowing which sentient beings are of the highest faculties
and which are not? How do bodhisattvas become experts in teaching the Dharma
in accordance with each being individually? How do bodhisattvas become
experts in knowing the mental activity of all beings? How do bodhisattvas act
without forgetting the knowledge of how causes, deeds, and actions
ripen? How do bodhisattvas become adorned with the ornament of generosity?
How do bodhisattvas become adorned with the ornament of discipline? How do
bodhisattvas become adorned with the ornament of patience? How do
bodhisattvas become adorned with the ornament of diligence? How do
bodhisattvas become adorned with the ornament of concentration? How do
bodhisattvas become adorned with the ornament of insight? How do
bodhisattvas become experts in the path of purity? How do the higher
perceptions of bodhisattvas remain free of decline? How do bodhisattvas
become victorious in battle? How do bodhisattvas remain on the far shore
after having crossed over? How do bodhisattvas display and imitate the
conduct of hearers, solitary buddhas, and all beings while remaining without
concepts? How do bodhisattvas set their sights on saṃsāra without remaining
in nirvāṇa? How do bodhisattvas consider various elements without parting from the realm of phenomena? How do
bodhisattvas not give up being of benefit even when they appear to be
engaging in harmful actions? How do bodhisattvas possess wealth due to merit
and how are they without wealth due to skillful means? How do bodhisattvas
enter the gate without attributes through the gateway of the syllable
a? How do
bodhisattvas actualize all buddha qualities? How do bodhisattvas gain
certainty about the Dharma and discern its distinctions? How do bodhisattvas
act in accord with the world while remaining untainted by afflictions? How
do bodhisattvas come to possess the might of the Dharma that is invisible to
others? How are bodhisattvas never without meeting the thus-gone ones? How
do bodhisattvas remain composed and undisturbed? How do bodhisattvas become
teachers without grasping at the teachings? How do bodhisattvas become the
teachers of all beings? How do bodhisattvas turn the Dharma wheel of all the
buddhas? How do bodhisattvas obtain consecration into all buddha
qualities?”

When the bodhisattva great being Divyamauli had asked those
questions, the Blessed One expressed his approval to him: “Excellent, noble
son, excellent! You act for the benefit and happiness of many beings; out of
love for the world, you intend to benefit a vast number of beings and to
bring assistance and happiness to gods and humans. Noble son, you have asked
these questions to the Thus-Gone One to ensure that this Great Vehicle
endures for a long time, because you care for the sentient beings of the
present and future. Your intention is excellent! Noble son, listen carefully
and pay attention. I shall now explain this.”

The bodhisattva great being Divyamauli said, “Excellent!” and
listened as the Blessed One had directed. The Blessed One then said:

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
adorned with various types of eloquence. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾
illuminating all beings unimpededly and giving them all precious and
pleasant goods without regrets, ⁽²⁾ not opposing the words of other Dharma
preachers but rejoicing in their teachings and giving them their approval
with joy, delight, trust, and enthusiasm, ⁽³⁾ being delighted when listening
to the Dharma, discussing it, or when they are requested to assist with the
stūpa of a well-gone one or to stay the night there, and ⁽⁴⁾ giving the gift
of the Dharma with the motivation of the mind of awakening, free from
concern for material things. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four
qualities, they will be adorned with various types of eloquence.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
experts in the knowledge that is free of doubts with respect to the profound
Dharma. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ being in accord with dependent
origination, ⁽²⁾ realizing the nature of all beings as they realize their
own nature, ⁽³⁾ understanding that all formations do not come from and do
not go anywhere, and ⁽⁴⁾ being confident that all phenomena are marked by
the seal of space. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities,
they will be experts in the knowledge that is free of doubts with respect to
the profound Dharma.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
experts in knowing which beings are of the highest faculties and which are
not. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ being well trained in the gateway to
the realm of phenomena, ⁽²⁾ having actualized the gateway to the absence of
obscuration, ⁽³⁾ knowing how to sport in the higher perceptions, and ⁽⁴⁾
having pliable minds and perfect absorption. Noble son, if bodhisattvas
possess those four qualities, they will be experts in knowing which beings
are of the highest faculties and which are not.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
experts in teaching the Dharma in accordance with each being individually.
What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ knowing the four correct knowledges, ⁽²⁾
knowing how to guide beings, ⁽³⁾ knowing the distinctions of the Dharma, and
⁽⁴⁾ knowing how to train the minds of all beings by having trained their own
minds. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will be
experts in teaching the Dharma in accordance with each being
individually.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
experts in knowing the mental activity of all beings. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ being guided by
insight, ⁽²⁾ being endowed with wisdom free of attachment, ⁽³⁾ having
eliminated all obscurations by applying methods, and ⁽⁴⁾ having thoroughly
trained minds. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they
will be experts in knowing the mental activity of all beings.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will act
without forgetting the knowledge of how causes, deeds, and actions ripen.
What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ not being a proponent of nihilism, ⁽²⁾ not
being a proponent of eternalism, ⁽³⁾ correctly knowing the effects of
causes, deeds, and actions, and ⁽⁴⁾ recognizing the true nature of phenomena
and describing phenomena as phenomena without imputing any notions of ‘I’
and ‘mine.’ By engaging in activities in that way, bodhisattvas will not
disregard the effects of causes, deeds, and actions. Noble son, if
bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will act without forgetting the
knowledge of how causes, deeds, and actions ripen.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
adorned with the ornament of generosity. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾
being adorned with the major marks, ⁽²⁾ being ornamented by the excellent
minor marks, ⁽³⁾ having an appearance that others never get tired of looking
at, and ⁽⁴⁾ receiving jewels in their hands and thereby possessing
inexhaustible wealth. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four
qualities, they will be adorned with the ornament of generosity.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
adorned with the ornament of discipline. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾
becoming universal monarchs and being adorned with the mind set on
awakening, ⁽²⁾ becoming Śakra, lord of the gods, and being adorned with the
mind set on awakening, ⁽³⁾ becoming Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, and
being adorned with the mind set on awakening, and ⁽⁴⁾ taking birth as gods
or humans after having cut off the entrances to all the lower realms, and
being adorned with the mind of awakening. Noble son, you should know that if
bodhisattvas possess those four qualities they will be adorned with the
ornament of discipline.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
adorned with the ornament of patience. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾
having pleasing voices and speech like that of Brahmā, ⁽²⁾ having voices
like the song of kalaviṅka birds, or like music, ⁽³⁾ being pleasing and delightful to many beings when seen,
and ⁽⁴⁾ being firmly committed to virtue. Noble son, you should know that,
if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will be adorned with the
ornament of patience.

“Noble son, you should know that, if bodhisattvas possess four
qualities, they will be adorned with the ornament of diligence. What are
those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ being firmly committed to virtuous qualities
through contentment that is grounded in commitment, ⁽²⁾ achieving vajra bodies
that cannot be subdued by others, ⁽³⁾ acting as virtuous friends for all
beings without being asked, out of a desire to help, and ⁽⁴⁾ never becoming
weary or sated while accumulating a wealth of learning. Noble son, you
should know that, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will be
adorned with the ornament of diligence.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
adorned with the ornament of concentration. What are those four? They are
⁽¹⁾ not being agitated, ⁽²⁾ not being stupefied, ⁽³⁾ not talking nonsense,
and ⁽⁴⁾ never forsaking the insightful mind. Noble son, if bodhisattvas
possess those four qualities, they will be adorned with the ornament of
concentration.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
adorned with the ornament of insight. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ not
being proponents of a self, a sentient being, a life principle, an
individuality, a soul, or a person, ⁽²⁾ possessing unobstructed eloquence,
⁽³⁾ being expert in knowing how to teach the distinctions of all words, and
⁽⁴⁾ being free from doubts and hesitations with respect to all Dharma
teachings. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they
will be adorned with the ornament of insight.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
experts in the path of purity. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ producing
love that manifests in order to be a refuge for all sentient beings, ⁽²⁾
producing great compassion that manifests in order to ripen all beings, ⁽³⁾
producing joy that manifests due to being delighted with all phenomena, and
⁽⁴⁾ producing equanimity that manifests for the sake of the wisdom of the
thus-gone ones. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those
four qualities, they will be experts in the path of purity.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, their higher
perceptions will remain free of decline. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾
possessing the knowledge that subsumes the four concentrations, ⁽²⁾ knowing
the way to accomplish the four formless attainments, ⁽³⁾ knowing how to
control their minds, and ⁽⁴⁾ being able to travel to countless buddha realms
to behold buddhas. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities,
their higher perceptions will remain free of decline.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
victorious in battle. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ being peaceful
inwardly, ⁽²⁾ not letting their minds wander outwardly, ⁽³⁾ understanding
all phenomena to be like illusions, and ⁽⁴⁾ being endowed with the power of
wisdom, not the power of afflictions. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess
those four qualities, they will be victorious in battles.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
remain on the far shore after having crossed over. What are those four? They
are ⁽¹⁾ understanding the river of desire but not manifesting the freedom
from attachment, ⁽²⁾ understanding the river of existence but taking birth
intentionally, ⁽³⁾ understanding the river of views but not forsaking those
who are bound by the fetters of views, and ⁽⁴⁾ understanding the river of
ignorance but acting in harmony with dependent origination. Noble son, if
bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will remain on the far shore
after having crossed over.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
display and imitate the conduct of hearers, solitary buddhas, and all beings
while remaining without concepts. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ having
accomplished the illusory absorption, ⁽²⁾ having ascertained that all
phenomena are characterized by involvement in fabrication, ⁽³⁾ knowing how
to sport by means of the five higher perceptions, and ⁽⁴⁾ being skilled in
manifesting mental bodies. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four
qualities, they will display and imitate the conduct of hearers, solitary
buddhas, and all beings while remaining without concepts.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will set
their sights on saṃsāra without remaining in nirvāṇa. What are those four?
They are ⁽¹⁾ being endowed with the blessings of the buddhas, ⁽²⁾ the
attitude of great compassion, ⁽³⁾ skill in means, and ⁽⁴⁾ not forsaking past
promises. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will
set their sights on saṃsāra without remaining in nirvāṇa.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
attend to the various elements without parting from the realm of phenomena.
What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ understanding that phenomena lack
intrinsic existence since sentient beings lack intrinsic existence, ⁽²⁾
understanding that sentient beings lack intrinsic existence since phenomena
lack intrinsic existence, ⁽³⁾ being confident that buddha qualities lack
intrinsic existence since sentient beings lack intrinsic existence, and ⁽⁴⁾
being free from doubts and hesitation about the fact that sentient beings
lack intrinsic existence. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four
qualities, they will attend to the various elements without parting from the
realm of phenomena.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will not
give up being of benefit even when they appear to be engaging in harmful
actions. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ having their thoughts directed
toward nirvāṇa, ⁽²⁾ having their deeds directed toward
saṃsāra, ⁽³⁾ having their minds directed toward the perfection of all buddha
qualities, and ⁽⁴⁾ manifesting in the domains of the hearers and solitary
buddhas. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will
not give up being of benefit even when they appear to be engaging in harmful
actions.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
possess wealth due to merit and be without wealth due to skillful means.
What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ manifesting as universal monarchs due to
their merit, or as Śakra, or Brahmā, in order to tame beings that are
attracted to greatness, ⁽²⁾ manifesting as destitute and lowly beings to
tame ordinary beings, ⁽³⁾ giving away all of their possessions upon seeing
beggars and thus becoming poor, and ⁽⁴⁾ manifesting an inexhaustible amount
of wealth through their merit upon seeing someone very rich. Noble son, if
bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will possess wealth due to
merit and be without wealth due to skillful means.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will enter
the gate without attributes through the gateway of the syllable a. What are those four? They
are ⁽¹⁾ refining the understanding that ‘all formations are impermanent,’
⁽²⁾ having reached the understanding that ‘all formations have always been
suffering,’ ⁽³⁾ refining the view that ‘all phenomena are selfless,’ and ⁽⁴⁾
gaining the wisdom that ‘nirvāṇa has always been peaceful.’ Noble son, if
bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will enter the gate without
attributes through the gateway of the syllable a.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
actualize all buddha qualities. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ possessing
the pure eye of insight, ⁽²⁾ having obtained illumination through
the Dharma eye, ⁽³⁾ having actualized the buddha eye, and ⁽⁴⁾ having been
consecrated into all buddha qualities. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess
those four qualities, they will actualize all buddha qualities.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will gain
certainty about the Dharma and discern its distinctions. What are those
four? They are ⁽¹⁾ being unobscured with respect to the four correct
knowledges, ⁽²⁾ understanding how to set forth the four truths, ⁽³⁾
understanding that the reliances are valid, and ⁽⁴⁾ knowing recollection
free from distraction. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four
qualities, they will gain certainty about the Dharma and discern its
distinctions.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will act
in accord with the world while remaining untainted by afflictions. What are
those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ directly perceiving mundane phenomena, ⁽²⁾
liberating beings from the world, ⁽³⁾ abandoning attachment and aggression,
and ⁽⁴⁾ being naturally devoid of afflictions by virtue of their original
purity and luminosity. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four
qualities, they will act in accord with the world while remaining untainted
by all its afflictions.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
possess the might of the Dharma that is invisible to others. What are those
four? They are ⁽¹⁾ the might of the mind, ⁽²⁾ the might of insight, ⁽³⁾ the
might of wisdom, and ⁽⁴⁾ the might of methods. Noble son, if bodhisattvas
possess those four qualities, they will possess the might of the Dharma that
is invisible to others.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will never
be without meeting the thus-gone ones. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾
encouraging sentient beings to meet the buddhas, ⁽²⁾ encouraging sentient
beings to listen to the Dharma, ⁽³⁾ encouraging sentient beings to arouse
the mind set on awakening, and ⁽⁴⁾ never parting from the absorption in
which one calls to mind the buddhas. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess
those four qualities, they will never be without meeting the thus-gone
ones.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
remain composed and undisturbed. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ having
actualized the vision of liberated wisdom through the noble supramundane
insight, ⁽²⁾ knowing all phenomena as they truly are by thoroughly
investigating the truth, ⁽³⁾ being skilled in severing all the fetters of
habitual tendencies, and ⁽⁴⁾ not being disturbed by afflictions. Noble son,
if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will remain composed and
undisturbed.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
teachers without grasping at the teachings. What are those four? They are
⁽¹⁾ providing excellent beneficial things to all beings, ⁽²⁾ ripening beings
in a constant and undeceiving manner, ⁽³⁾ not being attached to their own
happiness, and ⁽⁴⁾ pursuing wisdom for the sake of all beings—not for
themselves alone. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities,
they will be teachers without grasping at the teachings.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be
the teachers of all beings. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ accomplishing
the benefit of others while disregarding their own benefit, ⁽²⁾ giving the
joy of the Dharma to others while disregarding their own happiness, ⁽³⁾
untiringly teaching the Dharma just as they have heard it, and ⁽⁴⁾
sustaining themselves with the nourishment of the Dharma—not with material
goods. Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will be
the teachers of all beings.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will turn
the Dharma wheel of all the buddhas. What are those four? They are ⁽¹⁾ the
ability of perfect recall, ⁽²⁾ possessing uninterrupted eloquence, ⁽³⁾
having knowledge of all beings’ thoughts, and ⁽⁴⁾ leading them on the path
to nirvāṇa while teaching the indestructible Dharma. Noble son, if
bodhisattvas possess those four qualities, they will turn the Dharma wheel
of all the buddhas.

“Noble son, if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will
obtain consecration into all buddha qualities. What are those four? They are
⁽¹⁾ having completely transcended all forms of conduct, ⁽²⁾ having reached
acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena and never regressing from
bodhisattva conduct, ⁽³⁾ intentionally displaying life, death, and rebirth
while being marked by the seal of irreversibility, and ⁽⁴⁾ dedicating
themselves to the seal of the thus-gone ones and being skilled in
progressing from one bodhisattva level to the next after reaching
emancipation on the ten bodhisattva levels. Noble son, if bodhisattvas
possess those four qualities, they will obtain consecration into all buddha
qualities.”

When the Blessed One had explained this Dharma teaching on fourfold
accomplishments, this great trichiliocosm shook in six
ways, a bright light pervaded the universe, and billions of gods living in
the sky started to sing divine songs. They caused a rain of divine mandārava
flowers to fall and exclaimed, “Oh! The unsurpassed and perfect awakening of
the blessed buddhas that has been described in this Dharma teaching on
fourfold accomplishments was achieved countless billions of eons ago by the
Blessed One! Blessed
One, those sentient beings who hear this Dharma teaching on fourfold
accomplishments, develop interest upon hearing it, and then retain it, carry
it, read it, comprehend it, and teach it to others without parting from the
mind of awakening will not be endowed with trifling roots of virtue. Just as
the Thus-Gone One, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha proclaimed the lion’s
roar today, they will proclaim the lion’s roar within the worlds of gods,
humans, and demigods. Blessed One, we are very fortunate to have heard this
Dharma teaching on fourfold accomplishments!”

When the Blessed One had explained this Dharma teaching on fourfold
accomplishments, eighty-four thousand gods and humans gave rise to the mind
set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and twelve thousand bodhisattvas
reached acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena.

Then, the bodhisattva great being Divyamauli asked the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, what are the qualities that will be possessed by the
bodhisattvas who retain a sūtra like this one after the Thus-Gone One’s
passing,
and who teach it at length to others?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “the bodhisattvas who retain
such a sūtra after the Thus-Gone One’s passing, and who teach it in a vast
way to others, will possess eight qualities. What are those eight? ⁽¹⁾ Their
intent with respect to perfect awakening will be definitive—they will
possess a perfect attitude. ⁽²⁾ They will be devoid of anger toward any
being—they will cultivate the practice of great love. ⁽³⁾ They will abide by
the activity of ripening beings—they will abide by great compassion. ⁽⁴⁾
They will wish for the Dharma and exert themselves in its pursuit. ⁽⁵⁾ They
will be insatiable in their pursuit of learning and their level of erudition
will become as vast as an ocean. ⁽⁶⁾ They will uphold the sacred Dharma even
at the cost of their bodies and lives. ⁽⁷⁾ They will gather the accumulation
of merit and their roots of virtue will be firm. ⁽⁸⁾ They will be blessed by
the power of the buddhas such that they become perfected in their
aspirations, and, within the entourage, they will know no fear and they will
defeat all demons and opponents. Noble son, the bodhisattvas who uphold such
a sūtra after the Thus-Gone One’s passing, and who fully teach it to others,
will be endowed with those eight qualities.”

Then, through the power of the Buddha, this great trichiliocosm
shook in six ways, all the higher and lower regions, the black mountains,
and all springs, lakes, ponds, and oceans disappeared, and this entire earth
became flat like the palm of the hand. Still, all the beings living in the
water remained unharmed. Also, throughout this great trichiliocosm all the
trees that had withered centuries before started to bloom and bear various
fruits. These trees then bent in the direction of the Blessed One and paid
homage to him. All of the other trees also started to bloom and bear various
fruits, before bending in the direction of the Blessed One and paying homage
to him. Bright, lovely, colorful, fragrant, and delightful lotuses the size
of chariot wheels sprang up from the earth, and a dazzling light illuminated
this great trichiliocosm. Without anyone being seen or anything being
played, divine music and singing were heard from the sky. Colorful divine
flowers that emanated the most delicious fragrances, which had never been
experienced before, now appeared on the majestic Himavat mountains as well
as on the majestic Mount Gandhamādana, and their sweet fragrances spread
throughout this great trichiliocosm. A great rain of flowers then fell from
the majestic Himavat mountains and from the majestic Mount Gandhamādana onto
the retinue of the Blessed One, covering the earth up to their knees. Rains
of various types of flowers fell from the blooming trees and the sounds of
music and song resounded all around. A parasol made of all kinds of precious
gems and measuring about a million leagues covered the sky. Pearl garlands
and lattices formed by different types of small precious bells were hanging
from that bejeweled parasol. The small bells rang out with the most
delightful,
enthralling, and enrapturing sounds that pervade this great
trichiliocosm.

At that moment, Venerable Śāriputra asked the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, whose coming is augured by these delightful and pleasurable signs that
manifest on such a vast scale and adorn this great trichiliocosm so
richly?”

“Śāriputra,” replied the Blessed One, “these are the signs of the
arrival of Druma, the king of the kinnaras. He is coming from Mount
Gandhamādana with a retinue of many thousands of kinnaras, a retinue of many
thousands of gandharvas, and a retinue of many thousands of gods.”

As soon as the Blessed One had said those words, the kinnara king
Druma arrived at the place where the Blessed One was residing. He was
accompanied by eighty-four thousand musicians and singers and surrounded by
a retinue of several hundred thousand. From the sky above a stream of
flowers rained down. When he arrived, he prostrated with his retinue at the
feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and sat in front
of him. In the presence of the Blessed One and accompanied by the
eighty-four thousand musicians, the kinnara king Druma then began to play
his lute. Its body was made of beryl and it had trim and veneer made of gold
from the Jambū River. It was adorned
with gold, jewels, and many precious substances, and purified through the
ripening of his previous actions. As soon as the kinnara king Druma started
to play, the tunes of his lute resounded throughout this great
trichiliocosm. The tunes from his lute outclassed all the divine music from
the strings and songs of the gods of the desire realm, to the point that
these could no longer be heard. Then, impelled by the tunes of that
lute, the gods of the desire realm put down their divine instruments and
came to the place where the Blessed One was residing. As soon as the kinnara
king Druma started to play his lute, all the trees, and the majestic
mountains Sumeru, Himavat, Gandhamādana, Mucilinda, and Mahāmucilinda, the
black mountains, and all blades of grass, branches, medicinal plants, and
forests of this great trichiliocosm started to vibrate, shudder, and reel;
wobble, rock, and sway; and quiver, tremble, and quake. Just as someone
intoxicated by liquor staggers, reels, and wobbles, all those trees and
mountains started to bend, bow, and twist.

With the exception of the bodhisattvas who had reached the level of
irreversibility, as soon as the kinnara king Druma started to play his beryl
lute, all those who had gathered in the assembly surrounding the Blessed
One—the dispassionate monks, nuns, male lay practitioners, and female lay
practitioners, as well as the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods,
garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, Śakra, Brahmā, the protectors of the
world, humans, nonhumans, worthy ones absorbed in the eight liberations, and
the entire retinue—became overwhelmed upon hearing the tunes emitted by that
lute. They stood up and started to shake, shiver, and tremble; they bent,
bowed, and twisted; and they danced, swayed, and whirled. Even all the great
hearers could not remain in their seats. They trembled, shook, acted wildly,
and
danced around like small children.

The bodhisattva Divyamauli said to all those great hearers,
“Venerable ones, great hearers, you are free from afflictions, you are
absorbed in the eight liberations, and you have seen the four truths. Why
can you no longer control your bodies? Venerable ones, you are dancing
around like small children!”

“Noble son,” replied the great hearers, “as the kinnara king Druma
picked up his lute and started playing it, the music and songs made it
impossible for us to remain in our seats; we began to shake, shiver, and
tremble, and we were unable to control our minds.”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli then said to the elder Mahākāśyapa,
“Venerable Mahākāśyapa, you have reached old age and are frail, you are
content and have few desires, you uphold the ascetic practices, and you are
the focus of worship for the world with its gods, humans, and demigods. Why
can you no longer control your body? You are an elder, but you dance around
like a small child!”

“Noble son,” said the elder Mahākāśyapa, “when a violent wind is
blowing during a hurricane, all the plants, forests, and mountains become
powerless and weak; they cannot remain in place and quiver, tremble, shake,
and wobble against their will. Noble son, in the same way, upon hearing the
tunes emitted by the lute of the kinnara king Druma, we became unable to
control ourselves, just like great mountains shaken by a violent hurricane.
Why is that so? Because such are the extraordinary qualities of the
aspiration, merit, and wisdom of this sublime being. They outclass the merit,
wisdom, and magnificence of the hearers.”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli continued, “Venerable Mahākāśyapa, the
tunes emitted by this lute are unable to affect and shake the splendor, the
magnificence, and the power of the bodhisattvas who have reached the level
of irreversibility. Therefore, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, why would one not give
rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening? Notice how the
power and magnificence of those who possess limited wisdom is outclassed by
the tunes of that lute, and how the power and magnificence of the followers
of the Great Vehicle cannot be outclassed.”

At that moment, when the kinnara king Druma played his lute,
through the power of the Buddha and the blessings of his previous
aspirations, these verses manifested from his lute and the other eighty-four
thousand instruments:

“All inferior, middling, and supreme phenomena

Are the same—detached, peaceful,

Empty, unchanging, and undisturbed;

They are primordially pure, like the stainless sky.

“All sentient beings of the present and the past

Are the same—they are nonbeings.

The words of beings expressed in language, too,

Are just like Dharma words—they are nonexistent.

“All the realms are the same—they are nonrealms

Just like space, they manifest as sameness.

They are beyond increase, inexhaustible, unborn,

Empty, and immaculate like space.

“All buddhas are the same—they are nonbuddhas.

The realm of phenomena is definitely unadulterated;

Discipline, insight, wisdom, and liberation are equal,

And their single characteristic is sameness—the absence of
characteristics.

“All afflictions are nonafflictions—they are liberated.

Ideas, thoughts, conceptuality, and discursiveness

Move neither internally nor externally,

And notions are derived from the knot of mistaken perception.

“The expression realm of phenomena is imputed
conceptually,

And that expression is beyond sameness and difference.

Those who have realized the nature of name-and-form

Always remain free of attachment when they act within the world.

“The numerous Dharma teachings

Taught by the countless well-gone ones of the past

Are primordially detached from exhaustion, dispersion, and
disintegration;

They do not go anywhere, or in any direction.

“These phenomena originate from words,

And words are perishable—they have the property of coming to an end.

Those who understand the exhaustible nature of words

Do not generate concepts about any phenomena.

“All mindstreams are the same—they are nonmindstreams,

Since they are not attached to various natures.

Since they know the endless phenomena of mind and mental states,

The noble ones understand the sameness of phenomena.

“Everything finite and infinite is interrupted and eliminated,

And beginning, end, and middle are the same.

Their knowledge is of sameness since it is detached from the three
times,

And that knowledge is beyond limits.

“Beings are constantly attached to name-and-form

And tainted by the views of what is finite and infinite.

Those who understand that they originate from causes and conditions

Do not conceptualize them in terms of self and other.

“That which arises from the self is always nonarisen,

And all phenomena are beyond emergence.

Those who understand what arises and what is beyond arising

Have reached acceptance and are in harmony with sameness.

“All phenomena always have the nature of selflessness—

They are empty like clouds, lightning, and space.

Oneself and other beings are always intrinsically empty;

This is the entrance into the seal of dhāraṇī.

“The single characteristic of phenomena is to be devoid of
characteristics.

Those who teach infinite Dharma teachings

After having realized the three gateways to liberation

Do not conceptualize the Dharma in any way.

“Inferior, middling, and supreme Dharma teachings

Originate from words,

But they explain their meanings

Without conceiving of any words.

“They do not engage in a duality of meaning and words—

The meaning of nonduality is always beyond words.

Those who understand that this limit is void

Will eliminate its very beginning.

“Those who eliminate the very beginning

Engage with conditioned things for the sake of beings.

Understanding that the limit of reality is always limitless,

Their love and compassion are immaculate.

“Those whose love and compassion are immaculate

Experience the sameness of suffering and happiness.

Not excited, not puffed up, and steadfast,

Those supreme beings understand the ultimate conduct.

“This Dharma way is peaceful and detached.

When it is explained, it generates joy,

Yet it is never increasing or decreasing.

Its true reality is beyond self-grasping—it is peace.

“The words here in the sky are beyond apprehension—

No one speaks them but still they are heard.

The one who speaks and the ones who are spoken to—

What potent fictions they all are!”

As these verses were manifested, their elucidations caused one
hundred thousand bodhisattvas to reach acceptance of the unborn nature of
phenomena.

Then, the bodhisattva Divyamauli asked the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, where do these verses come from?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “Ask the kinnara king Druma.
He will answer your question.”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli then asked the kinnara king Druma, “Lord
of the kinnaras, where did these manifested verses appear from?”

The kinnara king Druma replied, “They come from where the words
pronounced by all beings come from.”

“Lord of the kinnaras, where do the words pronounced by all beings
come from?”

“Noble son, the words pronounced by all beings come from
space.”

“Lord of the kinnaras, is it not the case that the words pronounced
by all beings come from within themselves?”

“Noble son, what do you think? Do the words pronounced by all
beings come from within their bodies, or do they come from their minds?”

“Lord of the kinnaras, they come neither from their bodies nor from
their minds, since their bodies are made of inanimate matter that cannot
perform actions—like grass, clay, walls, trees, or optical illusions—and
since their minds are formless, indemonstrable, unimpeded, and imperceptible
like illusions.”

“Noble son, apart from their bodies and minds, where else could
these words come from?”

“Lord of the kinnaras, it is said that the words of beings come
from mental engagement.”

“If there were no space, where would sounds come from?”

“Lord of the kinnaras, apart from space, where else could sounds
come from?”

“Noble son, you should understand through what we have said here
that all sounds come from space. The essential nature of space is sound; it
ceases as soon as it is perceived, and once it ceases, it remains within the
essential nature of space. It is therefore said that all phenomena are the
same as space. Even though they are surely beyond perception and impossible
to know, they are expressed through words and verbal expressions, and those
expressions are designations. Those who understand verbal expressions in
this way are not attached to anything; those who are not attached do not
generate conceptual elaboration; those who do not generate conceptual
elaboration do not transmigrate; those who do not circle around are
unbreakable; those who are unbreakable do not take birth; those who are not
born do not perish; those who do not perish are pure; those who are pure are
immaculate; those who are immaculate are stainless; those who are stainless
are clear; and clarity is the nature of the mind. The nature of the mind is
penetration; penetration overcomes all marks; and those who overcome all
marks are said to enter into faultlessness. The bodhisattvas who enter into
faultlessness reach acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. They are
therefore referred to as ‘bodhisattvas who have entered into faultlessness
and reached acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena.’

“Those who have reached acceptance of the unborn nature of
phenomena have reached acceptance with respect to everything, with respect
to both emptiness and persons. Why is that so? Because emptiness is not
different from persons; persons themselves are emptiness. They have reached
acceptance with respect to both marks and the absence of marks. Why is that
so? Because the essential nature of marks is the absence of marks. They have
reached acceptance with respect to both wishes and the absence of wishes.
Why is that so? Because the characteristic of the essential nature of wishes
is the absence of wishes. They have reached acceptance with respect to
beings’ inherent transcendence of suffering as well their process of death
and rebirth. Why is that so? Because death and rebirth have the essential
nature of being illusions. Noble son, the bodhisattvas who have reached
acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena in this way are without
cessation and are not in conflict with any phenomenon. Their acceptance with
respect to the self encompasses all sentient beings, and it also encompasses
all phenomena, since it is beyond coming and going. They correctly know that
all phenomena abide within the realm of phenomena and that the same goes for
all beings. That attainment whereby nothing is
attained is referred to in conventional terms as ‘gaining acceptance of the
unborn nature of phenomena.’ This acceptance of the unborn nature of
phenomena cannot be expressed, described, or demonstrated. Why is that so?
Because its meaning is inexpressible, beyond words, and indescribable. Noble
son, this teaching in which the inexpressible meaning is nevertheless
expressed demonstrates the greatness of the Thus-Gone One!”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli then said to the Blessed One, “Oh,
Blessed One, the kinnara king Druma’s eloquence in teaching the acceptance
of the profound Dharma is amazing! So is his level of experience and
perception of this vast domain, and his profound acceptance while teaching
the Dharma! Blessed One, in relation to how many thus-gone ones, worthy
ones, perfect buddhas did the kinnara king Druma create roots of virtue to
develop such eloquence?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “are you able to count all
the stars present in as many universes as there are grains of sand in the
Ganges? Similarly, all the perfect buddhas in relation to whom the kinnara
king Druma created roots of virtue, and all the thus-gone ones, the worthy
ones, the perfect buddhas in whose presence he practiced pure conduct in his
pursuit of unsurpassed and perfect awakening are uncountable. This is the
reason why he has developed such eloquence.”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli then said to the kinnara king Druma,
“Lord of the kinnaras, will you awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood
due to the numerous roots of virtue you have accumulated in relation to all
those many thus-gone ones, worthy ones, perfect buddhas?”

“Noble son,” replied the kinnara king Druma, “when bodhisattvas are
creating roots of virtue, there are twelve activities they never tire of.
What are those twelve? They never tire of ⁽¹⁾ worshiping and venerating the
thus-gone ones, ⁽²⁾ listening to the Dharma, ⁽³⁾
upholding the sacred Dharma, ⁽⁴⁾ teaching the Dharma at length, ⁽⁵⁾ bringing
sentient beings to maturity, ⁽⁶⁾ producing roots of virtue, ⁽⁷⁾ living in
the wilderness, ⁽⁸⁾ mastering all the perfections, ⁽⁹⁾ purifying and
ripening wisdom, ⁽¹⁰⁾ contemplating the Dharma and correctly putting it into
practice, ⁽¹¹⁾ pursuing the accumulations of merit and wisdom, and ⁽¹²⁾
accomplishing all the factors of awakening. Noble son, when bodhisattvas are
creating roots of virtue, those are the twelve activities they never tire
of. It is therefore said that bodhisattvas never grow tired of gathering the
accumulation of virtue.”

The kinnara king Druma then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One,
there is a bodhisattva absorption known as the source of
wealth. I have heard that if bodhisattvas rely on this
absorption they will attain all extraordinary, precious qualities. Blessed
One, so that those bodhisattvas may hear about that absorption and attain
all those extraordinary, precious qualities, could the Thus-Gone One please
explain to us this bodhisattva absorption of the source of
wealth?”

“Lord of the kinnaras,” replied the Blessed One, “listen carefully
and keep this in mind. I will explain to you the bodhisattva absorption of
the source of wealth.”

The kinnara king Druma agreed to this and listened as the Blessed
One had directed.

The Blessed One then said, “Lord of the kinnaras, bodhisattvas
engage in eighty precious attitudes to avoid interrupting the continuity of
the Buddha Jewel, to avoid interrupting the continuity of the Dharma Jewel,
and to avoid interrupting the continuity of the Saṅgha Jewel. What are those
eighty? They are ⁽¹⁾ never forgetting the precious mind of omniscience, ⁽²⁾
never abandoning the precious attitude of good motivation, ⁽³⁾ never giving
up the attitude of being inclined toward all precious virtues, ⁽⁴⁾ never
giving up the attitude of wanting to engage in all precious virtues, ⁽⁵⁾ never giving up the
precious attitude of keeping one’s commitments, ⁽⁶⁾ the precious attitude of
giving away all of one’s possessions and dedicating this toward awakening
without hoping for karmic reward, ⁽⁷⁾ the precious attitude that ornaments
the body by abandoning the three roots of nonvirtue, ⁽⁸⁾ the precious
attitude that ornaments speech by abandoning the four faults of speech, ⁽⁹⁾
the precious attitude that ornaments the mind by getting rid of
covetousness, ill will, and wrong views, ⁽¹⁰⁾ the precious attitude that
ornaments discipline by maintaining uncorrupted, faultless, unadulterated,
and pure discipline, ⁽¹¹⁾ the precious attitude of nonaggression based on
being impartial toward all beings, ⁽¹²⁾ the precious attitude of patience
and gentleness consisting of not taking offense when harmed by others, ⁽¹³⁾
the precious attitude of pursuing the branches of awakening without concern
for life and limb, ⁽¹⁴⁾ the precious attitude of being free from attachment
and aversion by being without thoughts of high and low, ⁽¹⁵⁾ the precious
attitude of dauntlessly donning the armor of stable diligence, ⁽¹⁶⁾ the
precious attitude of relentlessly engaging in all endeavors, ⁽¹⁷⁾ the
precious attitude of gathering the accumulations on the path of awakening
and never forsaking mindfulness, intelligence, realization, humility, and
devotion,
⁽¹⁸⁾ the precious attitude of giving rise to concentrations, liberations,
absorptions, and attainments by gaining control over one’s mind, ⁽¹⁹⁾ the
precious attitude of pursuing the Dharma by gathering the sacred Dharma,
⁽²⁰⁾ the precious attitude of upholding learning through fearlessness and
eloquence, ⁽²¹⁾ the precious attitude of teaching the Dharma without concern
for material gains on account of not desiring any negative actions, ⁽²²⁾ the
precious attitude of teaching the Dharma without holding back due to having
a mind free from attachment, ⁽²³⁾ the precious attitude of focusing the mind
correctly due to having a strong determination, ⁽²⁴⁾ the precious attitude
of exerting oneself in the Dharma in the way one has heard it, ⁽²⁵⁾ the
precious attitude of discriminating with insight due to not being led astray
by others, ⁽²⁶⁾ the precious attitude of great love due to one’s love
embracing all beings, ⁽²⁷⁾ the precious attitude of great compassion due to
caring for all beings, ⁽²⁸⁾ the precious attitude of great joy due to
feeling joy, devotion, and faith toward the Dharma, ⁽²⁹⁾ the precious
attitude of great equanimity because one ascertains all phenomena, ⁽³⁰⁾ the
precious attitude of not getting weary in saṃsāra because one accumulates
roots of virtue, ⁽³¹⁾ the precious attitude of ripening all beings while not
being attached to one’s own happiness, ⁽³²⁾ the precious attitude of
attracting disciples by upholding the Dharma, ⁽³³⁾ the precious attitude of
having higher perceptions because of manifesting in many ways, ⁽³⁴⁾ the
precious attitude of serving and attending to a virtuous friend in order to
listen to Dharma teachings one has not heard before, ⁽³⁵⁾ the precious
attitude of abandoning unwholesome friends because of accumulating all roots
of virtue, ⁽³⁶⁾ the precious attitude of behaving in an equal manner toward
all beings because of understanding that they are not different from
oneself, ⁽³⁷⁾ the precious attitude of understanding the diseases of all
beings’ afflictions due to knowing the thoughts of all beings, ⁽³⁸⁾ the
precious attitude of pursuing all the medicines of the Dharma in order to
pacify the diseases of all beings’ afflictions, ⁽³⁹⁾ the precious attitude
of not expressing contempt for those who have not trained to actualize the
greatness of wisdom, ⁽⁴⁰⁾ the precious attitude of being devoid of
pride because one is respectful toward all beings, ⁽⁴¹⁾ the precious
attitude of being honest and truthful that stems from being
unpretentious, ⁽⁴²⁾ the precious attitude of
taking pleasure in the Dharma by working to ensure that the sacred Dharma
remains for a long time, ⁽⁴³⁾
the precious attitude of upholding the sacred Dharma because of feeling
gratitude toward all the buddhas, ⁽⁴⁴⁾ the precious attitude of being
grateful and repaying the kindness of others because of being a reliable
friend, ⁽⁴⁵⁾ the precious attitude of not hoping for help in return for help
given due to being independent, ⁽⁴⁶⁾ the precious attitude of enjoying the
wilderness on account of guarding one’s wholesome qualities, ⁽⁴⁷⁾ the
precious attitude of constantly going forth because performed actions are
not wasted, ⁽⁴⁸⁾ the precious attitude of delighting in the mainstays of the
noble ones because of maintaining one’s vows, ⁽⁴⁹⁾ the precious attitude of
engaging in all the ascetic practices and keeping few possessions on account
of pleasing all beings, ⁽⁵⁰⁾ the precious attitude of having few desires and
being content due to being insatiable with regard to insight, ⁽⁵¹⁾ the
precious attitude of remaining detached from pleasure because one is
physically and mentally disengaged, ⁽⁵²⁾ the precious attitude of being insatiable with
regard to accumulating merit, based on the wish to perfect the excellent
major and minor marks, ⁽⁵³⁾ the precious attitude of pursuing the
accumulation of wisdom in order to eliminate the doubts of all beings, ⁽⁵⁴⁾
the precious attitude of recollecting the buddhas in order to never be
separated from their presence, ⁽⁵⁵⁾ the precious attitude of recollecting
the Dharma in order to never be separated from hearing its teachings, ⁽⁵⁶⁾
the precious attitude of recollecting the Saṅgha in order to join the
irreversible Saṅgha, ⁽⁵⁷⁾ the precious attitude of recollecting discipline
in order to not waver from the mind set on awakening, ⁽⁵⁸⁾ the precious
attitude of recollecting generosity by abandoning all afflictions, ⁽⁵⁹⁾ the
precious attitude of recollecting the gods in order to remember the
bodhisattvas with only one birth remaining, ⁽⁶⁰⁾ the precious attitude of
recollecting the bodhisattvas in order to emulate them, ⁽⁶¹⁾ the precious
attitude of the correct knowledge of the meaning based on understanding all
meanings, ⁽⁶²⁾ the precious attitude of the correct knowledge of phenomena
based on the unadulterated realm of phenomena, ⁽⁶³⁾ the precious attitude of
the correct knowledge of language based on understanding all expressions of
beings, ⁽⁶⁴⁾ the precious attitude of the correct knowledge of eloquence
based on understanding the nature of words and syllables, ⁽⁶⁵⁾ the precious
attitude of relying on wisdom, based on understanding that consciousness is
illusory, ⁽⁶⁶⁾ the precious attitude of relying on the discourses of
definitive meaning, since the functions and effects of the discourses of
provisional meaning may be in contradiction, ⁽⁶⁷⁾ the precious attitude of
relying on the nature of reality by contemplating the nature of the person,
⁽⁶⁸⁾ the precious attitude of discerning that all formations are impermanent
and suffering because one fears being attached to the three realms, ⁽⁶⁹⁾ the
precious attitude of discerning that all phenomena are selfless because all
sentient beings are selfless, ⁽⁷⁰⁾ the precious attitude of discerning the
desire realm to be impure because one has transcended it, ⁽⁷¹⁾ the precious
attitude of discerning that nirvāṇa is peace since it is calm and tranquil,
⁽⁷²⁾ the precious attitude of trusting in the gateways to
liberation—emptiness, the absence of marks, and the absence of
wishes—because of dedicating oneself to the gateway of deathlessness, ⁽⁷³⁾
the precious attitude of trusting in the unborn and nonarisen nature of all
phenomena because one has gained acceptance of the unborn nature of
phenomena, ⁽⁷⁴⁾ the precious attitude of perceiving all phenomena to be like
illusions, mirages, reflections of the moon in water, optical illusions, and
dreams because one does not cling to any views, ⁽⁷⁵⁾ the precious attitude
of being in accord with dependent origination because of being free from the
views of eternalism and nihilism, ⁽⁷⁶⁾ the precious attitude of
eliminating all extreme views because of being free from duality, ⁽⁷⁷⁾ the
precious attitude of entering the Dharma gateway of nonduality because of
understanding the single vehicle, ⁽⁷⁸⁾ the precious attitude of turning away
from all forms of conduct because one enters faultlessness, ⁽⁷⁹⁾ the
precious attitude of discerning that all phenomena are truly beyond faults
since they are sameness, and ⁽⁸⁰⁾ the precious attitude of accomplishing all
the factors of awakening, since all buddha qualities are unborn. Those are
the eighty precious qualities.

“Lord of the kinnaras, engaging in those eighty attitudes,
developing them, and persevering in them is known as the absorption of
the source of wealth. Those attitudes constitute
the practice of that absorption. Once bodhisattvas achieve this absorption
of the source of wealth, there is no mundane or
supramundane wealth that they do not gain control over. Lord of the
kinnaras, what is meant by mundane and
supramundane wealth?

“Lord of the kinnaras, mundane wealth refers
to the greatness of gods and humans, such as that of Śakra, Brahmā, the
protectors of the world, universal monarchs, merchants, householders, and
brahmins and kṣatriyas that are like great sāl trees. Although the
bodhisattvas achieve the greatness of gods and humans, they do not become
excited or careless. Instead, they remain careful and so they accomplish the
qualities that lead to awakening. This is what is meant by mundane
wealth.

“What is meant by supramundane wealth? It is
the precious Dharma that transcends the world. What is the precious Dharma
that transcends the world? It is the Dharma that liberates from the world.
What is the Dharma that liberates from the world? It is the noble
supramundane insight—the insight that liberates from the world. This
precious insight subsumes all qualities that transcend the world; it is the
most important among all supramundane qualities. For example, lord of the
kinnaras, the most important body of water is the great ocean, the most
important mountain is the majestic Mount Sumeru, the most important
celestial body is the moon, the most important source of light is the sun,
the most important wild animal is the lion, the most important person is the
king, the most important god in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three is Śakra, and
the most important being within the Brahmā realms is the Great Brahmā.
Similarly, lord of the kinnaras, the most important of all supramundane
qualities is insight, and it is therefore referred to as the king
of all qualities.

“Insight is the path that frees from non-Buddhist views and thus
leads to happy states of existence. It is the lamp that clears away the
darkness of afflictions, the hero that brings victory in battle, the doctor
that dispenses medicine, the teacher that imparts the knowledge of all
sciences, the arrow that pierces all phenomena, the sword that severs all
afflictions, and the plough that cuts through the thicket of the
afflictions. Since it is sameness, it is beyond contradiction. Since it
pacifies conflict, it is beyond dispute. Since it is beyond arising, it is
beyond cessation. Since it is the ultimate understanding of the true
meaning, it is undisturbed. Since it employs mindfulness, it remembers. It
sees the sameness of the true relinquishments. It gives rise to the bases of
miraculous display. It guards the strengths. Due to its powers, it cannot be
suppressed. It contemplates the branches of awakening. It shows the path. It
brings the peace of tranquility. It knows special insight. It illumines
because it is free from obscuration. With the light of Dharma it dispels
darkness. Since it is free from stains, it is immaculate. Since it is free
from disrespect, it is devoid of arrogance. Since it transcends the path of
fear, it produces knowledge. Since it transcends inside and outside, it is
devoid of object. Since it is devoid of the formulation of views, it is liberating emptiness. Since
it pacifies conceptuality, it is characterized by the absence of marks.
Since it transcends the three realms, it has the characteristic of the
absence of wishes. Since it is devoid of characteristics, it is the single
characteristic. Since it is unequaled, it has the characteristic of space.
Since it is beyond the work of Māra, it has conquered the movement of
thoughts and conceptuality. It is nonconceptual generosity, nonabiding
discipline, nondwelling patience, diligence beyond acceptance and rejection,
concentration free from imputation, and the gateway to the
imperceptible. It is directed toward everything. It is skillful. It is fully
committed to the selflessness of all beings. It accumulates roots of virtue.
It is beyond deeds and free from activity.

“Lord of the kinnaras, this is the precious insight. This is the
precious insight achieved by the bodhisattvas who have reached the
absorption of the source of wealth. When this insight
is achieved, all wealth is subsumed within it. For example, lord of the
kinnaras, the great ocean is the gateway for all rivers and it contains and
gathers all jewels; it is the source of all of them. Similarly, lord of the
kinnaras, the bodhisattvas who attain this absorption of the
source of wealth become the gateways for all wealth; they
contain the entire Dharma Jewel and subsume all other wealth. The Three
Jewels—the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and the Saṅgha Jewel—originate
from that absorption of the source of wealth. It is
therefore said that the absorption of the source of
wealth contains all wealth.”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, has the kinnara king Druma achieved this absorption of the
source of jewels?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “you should ask the kinnara
king Druma and he will tell you.”

The bodhisattva Divyamauli then asked the kinnara king Druma, “Lord
of the kinnaras, have you achieved this absorption of the source
of jewels?”

The kinnara king Druma replied, “Noble son, this absorption does
not concern something that can be attained or apprehended. It cannot be
attained by anyone. This absorption cannot be categorized as form, feeling,
perception, formation, or consciousness. This absorption does not have a
physical form. This absorption cannot be apprehended by the eye, the ear,
the nose, the tongue, the body, or the mind. It does not have the
characteristics of arising, ceasing, and enduring. It does not have the
characteristic of being interrupted. It does not have a singular
characteristic or several characteristics. It is not characterized or
noncharacterized, but neither is it beyond characteristics. It is
inexpressible. This absorption cannot be understood, realized, or
comprehended. Why is that so? Because, if this absorption was understood,
realized, or comprehended, it would become a basis of investigation
and it would not be an absorption.

“Noble son, absorption refers to the sameness
of all phenomena. The sameness of all phenomena is the same with respect to
myself and all beings. Therefore, noble son, this absorption and all beings
are the same. Why is that so? Because all sentient beings are empty, and
this absorption has the characteristic of emptiness; all sentient beings are
without marks, and this absorption has the characteristic of the absence of
marks; all sentient beings are without wishes, and this absorption has the
characteristic of the absence of wishes; all sentient beings are disengaged,
and this absorption has the characteristic of disengagement; all sentient
beings are selfless, and this absorption has the characteristic of
selflessness. It cannot be reached through body, speech, or mind. It is
taught in the well-spoken Dharma-Vinaya that those who seek to reach,
connect, and unite with the Dharma are proud.”

At that moment, the bodhisattva Divyamauli exclaimed, “Blessed One,
the careful conduct of the kinnara king Druma and his eloquence concerning
the Dharma are amazing!”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “this way of displaying all
activities while not being tainted by any of them is the level of
bodhisattvas who are adept in skill and insight. Noble son, through the
tunes of his lute, and through the songs, instruments, and drums, the
kinnara king Druma has ripened seventy million kinnaras toward unsurpassed
and perfect awakening, along with three hundred million gandharvas and four
hundred million mahoragas. He has also ripened eighty-four thousand beings
from his own retinue toward awakening. Whenever bodhisattvas who possess
such wisdom of insight and skill have a following of some magnitude,
countless beings are ripened. Noble son, a fire cannot blaze without
kindling. Likewise, when bodhisattva great beings remain in solitude, the
ripening of beings cannot blaze. Noble son, a fire blazes when it is fueled
by substances to burn. Likewise, when bodhisattva great beings reside among
ordinary beings, the ripening of those beings will blaze. Noble son, through
this analogy, you should understand that bodhisattvas ripen countless beings
in proportion to the magnitude of the territory and the following they
command.”

When the Blessed One had said those words, the bodhisattva
Divyamauli asked him, “Blessed One, how does the kinnara king Druma ripen
beings through the tunes of those lutes, songs, instruments, and drums?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “when the kinnara king Druma
plays his lute, accompanied by music and song, to the kinnaras, gandharvas,
mahoragas, and those who are inspired by the sound of music, those kinnaras,
gandharvas, and mahoragas become delighted and thrilled. As they become
delighted, inspired, and thrilled, the sounds coming from the lute, the
instruments, and the songs ring out with the words ‘Buddha,’ ‘Dharma,’ and
‘Saṅgha.’
The words of the joy associated with the mind set on awakening and the
generation of the mind directed toward omniscience also appear, as do the
words generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, insight,
love, compassion, joy, equanimity, the applications of mindfulness, the
relinquishments, the bases of miraculous display, the strengths, the powers,
the branches of awakening, the path, tranquility, special insight, the
concentrations, the liberations, the absorptions, the attainments,
impermanence, suffering, selflessness, emptiness, the absence of marks, the
absence of wishes, the absence of formation, the absence of arising, the
absence of origination, insubstantiality, the Dharma teachings of the
bodhisattvas’ scriptural collection, the dhāraṇīs, the vajra words, the
purification of the three spheres, and the turning of the irreversible
Dharma wheel.

“Noble son, these sounds of the Dharma and these names of
absorptions manifest in that way from the sounds of the lute, and those
instruments and songs, which ripen those beings. Noble son,
such are the amazing and marvelous qualities that bodhisattva great beings
possess.”

When the Blessed One had proclaimed the praises of the kinnara
king Druma’s qualities, through the power of the Buddha divine mandārava
flowers materialized in the hands of the entire assembly, who then tossed
them toward the kinnara king Druma. Then, in accordance with the blessings,
the kinnara king Druma caught the flowers in his right hand and tossed them
toward the Blessed One without letting a single one of them fall to the
ground. As soon as he threw those flowers, through the power of the Buddha a
parasol made of precious flowers covered this entire chiliocosm. Billions of
pearl garlands hung from it, and myriads of light rays radiated from each
pearl in those pearl garlands. Various lovely, colorful,
fragrant, and delightful lotuses appeared on the tip of every light ray, and
on top of each of those lotuses thus-gone ones displaying the same physical
form as the Blessed One Śākyamuni appeared, sitting cross-legged.

All those blessed buddhas gave their approval to the kinnara king
Druma. They said, “Sublime being, you have ripened many beings. Although you
are free from all domains, you manifest in all of them to ripen sentient
beings. Although you are free from saṃsāra, you intentionally display
rebirth within existence. Although you have reached faultless nirvāṇa, you
partake in the three realms. Such bodhisattva activities are
excellent, excellent!”

The kinnara king Druma then formed the resolve, “I will manifest
other bejeweled parasols to cover the heads of all those thus-gone
ones!”

At that moment, the kinnara king Druma entered the absorption
called the array of bejeweled parasols. As soon as he
had entered this absorption, bejeweled parasols manifested right above the
head of each thus-gone one. Bejeweled parasols also appeared in the right
hands of each member of the assembly, and they used them to shelter those
blessed buddhas.

The kinnara king Druma then thought, “I will invite the Blessed
One, the thus-gone one, the Buddha Śākyamuni, with his saṅgha of hearers and
his saṅgha of bodhisattvas, for a meal. I will supplicate the Blessed One
and his retinue to come to my land at the majestic Mount Gandhamādana, to
enjoy my abode and benefit countless gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas,
demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. They will enthusiastically
venerate and serve the Blessed One, and they will thereby gain long-term
benefit, welfare, success, happiness, and bodhisattva accomplishment.”

The kinnara king Druma prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One,
joined the palms of his hands, and said, “Blessed One, out of love for me and in
order to increase the roots of virtue of countless beings, I supplicate the
Thus-Gone One, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha to agree to remain for
seven days in my abode on the slope of Mount Gandhamādana with his saṅgha of
bodhisattvas and his saṅgha of hearers. Blessed One, we would be delighted
to venerate and serve the Thus-Gone One and his retinue!”

Out of love for the kinnara king Druma, the Blessed One agreed to
remain for seven days on the slope of Mount Gandhamādana with his assemblies
of bodhisattvas and hearers. When the kinnara king Druma saw that the
Blessed One had accepted his request, he became satisfied, cheerful,
thrilled, and elated. With joy and happiness filling his mind, he and his
subjects and servants prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One, and
circumambulated him three times. They worshiped the Blessed One with musical
melodies and then left the assembly, departing for the majestic Mount
Gandhamādana.

Then, as an act of worship for the Blessed One, the kinnara king
Druma decorated his home with all sorts of ornaments. He adorned the five
hundred leagues of his vast courtyard with blue beryl stones and with
lotuses made of gold from the Jambū River, and he beautified it with a
variety of other precious substances. In that courtyard, he arranged on
foundations made of precious substances many hundreds of thousands of seats
on which a hundred thousand divine fabrics were spread. He also prepared a
lion throne for the Blessed One, which was twelve leagues high. It was
adorned with all types of precious substances and was surrounded by jeweled
stands that supported parasols, banners, and flags. It was perfumed with the
finest incense, covered by a canopy, decorated with many silken streamers,
and strewn with divine flowers. In the four directions around this lion
throne, he emanated four groups of splendid precious trees. He then
assembled all his subjects and uttered these verses:

“Just like an uḍumbara flower,

It is extremely rare for a Buddha to appear.

That foremost of humans has now come;

Worship the Protector with reverence!

“Give up pride, haughtiness, dishonesty,

Envy, stinginess, deceit,

And all forms of agitation,

And worship the Teacher with reverence!

“Gather all the extraordinary flowers

You can find in this divine land

Of Gandhamādana

And offer them to the supreme among humans!

“To worship the supreme being,

Perfume Gandhamādana

With extraordinary, sweet-smelling fragrances,

And with yellow sandalwood!

“Kinnaras, worship the foremost of humans

With delight and faith,

Always playing and dancing,

And offering many delightful melodies of song and music!

“Carry a lot of magnificent divine parasols, flags,

Banners, Dharma robes, and canopies

To welcome the Thus-Gone One—

Peerless and so difficult to behold!

“By worshiping the Buddha, you will be reborn

Into the happy states of existence,

As Śakra, the protectors of the world, Brahmā, the lord Īśvara,

Or great rulers of gods and humans.

“By worshiping the foremost of humans you will be blessed

With good looks and complexion, and with fame and praise;

You will enjoy retinues, material possessions, ruling power,

And you will speak with pleasant and persuasive words.

“Those who wish to experience here

The conditioned pleasures of gods and humans,

And those who wish to be filled with happiness

Should worship this protector of the world!

“Those who wish for the awakening of the solitary buddhas

And the hearers, or for the sacred and supreme vehicle,

And those who wish to defeat the hordes of Māra

Should worship this supreme being!”

After the kinnara king Druma had instructed all his servants and
subjects in that way, they gathered flowers, fragrant substances, garlands,
and ointments, and prepared delicious food. Then, they gathered on the
southern slope of the majestic Mount Gandhamādana and started playing music
and singing songs. In poetry accompanied by singing and the playing of
lutes, they invoked the Blessed One with these melodious verses:

“Benefactor, provider of happiness and joy, Blessed One—

With a smiling face immaculate like the moon,

Supreme being, sublime practitioner worshiped by gods and humans—

Well-Gone One, it is time for you to arrive here!

“Possessor of the might of the ten powers, conqueror of all hostile
armies,

Vanquisher of hosts of enemies, benefactor of beings,

Undisturbed and unsullied, you have abandoned all stains and
harshness;

Benefactor, it is time for you to arrive here!

“You observe the ascetic practices, purify stains, and eliminate all
doubts,

And you are mindful, intelligent, generous, resolute, realized, and
wise.

King of beings, you are forever beyond existence and have abandoned
existence,

Yet you benefit others, please them, and have a joyful mind.

“You outshine the beautiful light of the sun, the moon, jewels, and
lightning,

As well as the light emitted by Śakra, Brahmā, and all the gods of the
three realms.

Sage, your splendorous and bright light benefits others,

And so, Victorious One, you are radiant with your brilliant light. .

“With your divine voice, nāga voice, and kinnara songs,

You pacify the blazing afflictions again and again.

Your Brahmā voice—supreme and deep—

Pacifies all afflictions by extinguishing their fire.

“Even doctors who roam throughout the ten directions

Could not pacify the afflictions wherever they occur.

Yet when you, unsurpassed king of doctors, proclaim your words,

All afflictions are pacified and all forms of happiness are granted.

“Your light is extraordinary, your power is supreme and peerless,

Your faultless and undeluded speech tames all enemies,

You clear away the darkness of our blurred vision and cause it to become
spotless;

Benefactor free from enemies, it is time for you to arrive here!

“Your generosity, composure, and excellent conduct are unequaled;

Your practice of discipline is unshakeable—you delight in discipline and
austerities.

Your mind has embraced patience, composure, and virtue,

And your cheerful words eliminate the joy of your enemies; we supplicate
you to arrive!

“You enjoy the powers, strengths, and path, and revel in concentrations
and higher perceptions.

Your mind is firmly established in mindfulness, wisdom, realization, and
resolution.

Your mind is delighted and you shine with the brightest light.

You who possess such excellent qualities; it is time for you to
arrive!

“You have mastered love, compassion, joy, and equanimity,

Overcome the darkness of faults, and eliminated all latent
tendencies.

You are trained in the path of purity and you dwell on the path of the
victorious ones;

Well-Gone One who brings joy, it is time for you to arrive!”

When the Blessed One heard the kinnara king Druma’s verses
announcing that it was mealtime, he said to his saṅgha of monks, “Monks, the
kinnara king Druma has requested us to come. So, take your alms bowls and
your Dharma robes, and appoint a caretaker to stay in the temple for seven
days.”

At this moment, the bodhisattva Divyamauli formed the resolve, “I
will emanate a mansion in which the Blessed One and his assemblies of
bodhisattvas and hearers can reside. I can then lift up this storied
mansion, which contains bejeweled lion thrones, with my right hand and carry
it through the sky to the majestic Mount Gandhamādana!”

In that instant, the bodhisattva Divyamauli entered into a state of
absorption. As soon as he had entered this absorption, a beautiful and magnificent
storied mansion appeared in front of the Blessed One. It measured ten
leagues, and it was square, built with four pillars, perfectly proportioned,
and symmetrical. Inside the mansion, seats made of majestic lotus flowers
were arranged. The mansion also had a lion throne for the Blessed One, made
of precious lotuses and the height of seven men. When the bodhisattva
Divyamauli had manifested this storied mansion and the lion throne, he said
to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, out of love for me, please take your place
in this storied mansion with these bodhisattvas and great hearers, and sit
on this lion throne that I have manifested. Blessed One, I will then take
this storied mansion in my right hand and transport it to the majestic Mount
Gandhamādana.”

Out of love for the bodhisattva Divyamauli, the Blessed One
entered the storied mansion with those bodhisattvas and great hearers, and
they all sat on the thrones that had been arranged for them. The bodhisattva
Divyamauli then placed the storied mansion in the palm of his right hand and
carried it through the sky by means of his miraculous powers. When the gods of the desire realm and the gods of the
form realm saw the miraculous display of the bodhisattva Divyamauli, they
became pleased, cheerful, thrilled, and elated. Once joy and happiness had
filled their minds, as an act of worship for the Blessed One and the
bodhisattva great being Divyamauli, they carried flowers, incense, perfumes,
garlands, and ointments, played instruments and drums, and venerated the
Blessed One, who resided in the storied mansion as it traversed the sky.

When they arrived at the majestic Mount Gandhamādana, the kinnara
king Druma saw the Blessed One residing in the storied mansion as it
approached in the sky. Surrounded by eighty-four thousand kinnaras and
gandharvas, he came to welcome the Blessed One carrying flowers, incense,
perfumes, garlands, and ointments, playing instruments and drums, and
singing songs. Then, with his subjects and retinues, the kinnara king Druma
prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One and offered him the flowers,
incense, perfumes, garlands, and ointments they were carrying, while playing
instruments and drums and singing songs.

Knowing that the time had come, the Blessed One then proceeded,
together with the bodhisattvas, the great hearers, Śakra, Brahmā, the
protectors of the world, and the other gods, to the courtyard that had been
arranged by the kinnara king Druma, where he sat on the lion throne that had
been prepared for him. All the groups of bodhisattvas and hearers also sat
down on their respective seats.

The kinnara king Druma said to Śakra, Brahmā, the protectors of the
world, the gods of the desire realm, and the gods of the form realm, “My
friends, please join the Thus-Gone One for the midday meal. All of you, come
here!”

Then, the kinnara king Druma and his queens, children, subjects,
retinues, and servants personally offered a rich feast of the most delicious
and flavorful foods and beverages to the Blessed One, his saṅgha of
bodhisattvas, his saṅgha of monks, and the rest of the assembly; they fed them to their
full satisfaction. After they were satiated, the Blessed One put his alms
bowl aside and washed his hands. When they saw this, the king, the subjects,
and the servants all sat down in front of the Blessed One to listen to the
Dharma, each on their respective seats.

The Blessed One then gave a Dharma discourse to the kinnara king
Druma and the whole assembly. It captivated, inspired, and delighted them.
This is the Dharma discourse that he gave:

“Lord of the kinnaras, there are thirty-two ways in which the
bodhisattva great beings’ perfection of generosity is pure. What are those
thirty-two? Lord of the kinnaras, they are as follows: ⁽¹⁾ Bodhisattvas
practice generosity after giving rise to the mind set on awakening. ⁽²⁾ They
practice generosity with an attitude of having abandoned the Lower Vehicle.
⁽³⁾ They practice generosity with an attitude free from aversion to being
asked. ⁽⁴⁾ They practice generosity while perceiving the recipients of their
gifts as worthy of their generosity. ⁽⁵⁾ They practice generosity while
perceiving the recipients of their gifts as virtuous friends. ⁽⁶⁾ They
practice generosity after having abandoned the stains of inner afflictions.
⁽⁷⁾ They practice generosity with a joyful attitude that is free from
grasping but endowed with faith and delight. ⁽⁸⁾ They practice generosity by
delighting in open-handed munificence. ⁽⁹⁾ They practice generosity with
an attitude that is drawn to the vast approach and never becomes
discouraged. ⁽¹⁰⁾ They practice generosity without fixating on any
recipient. ⁽¹¹⁾ They practice
generosity without hoping for karmic ripening. ⁽¹²⁾ They practice generosity
without hoping for reward. ⁽¹³⁾ They practice generosity with an attitude
that pursues the buddha qualities. ⁽¹⁴⁾ They practice generosity and
dedicate it to omniscient wisdom. ⁽¹⁵⁾ They practice generosity with an
attitude that is not troubled. ⁽¹⁶⁾ They practice generosity while being
guided by the means of attracting disciples. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They practice generosity
in order to ripen sentient beings. ⁽¹⁸⁾ They practice generosity while
thinking, ‘May I uphold the Dharma.’ ⁽¹⁹⁾ They practice generosity while
thinking, ‘May I act in harmony with the words of the thus-gone ones.’ ⁽²⁰⁾
They practice generosity while thinking, ‘May I annihilate the armies of
Māra.’ ⁽²¹⁾ They practice generosity while thinking, ‘May I traverse the
path of awakening.’ ⁽²²⁾ They practice generosity while thinking, ‘May I
engage in the actions of a sublime being.’ ⁽²³⁾ They practice generosity
while thinking, ‘May I abandon the path of the pretas.’ ⁽²⁴⁾ They practice
generosity while thinking, ‘May this be the cause for me to give away all my
possessions.’ ⁽²⁵⁾ They practice generosity while thinking, ‘May I embrace
the accomplishment of having great wealth.’ ⁽²⁶⁾ They practice generosity
while thinking, ‘May I abide with joy in the Dharma.’ ⁽²⁷⁾ They practice
generosity while thinking, ‘May it not be rare for me to meet virtuous
friends.’ ⁽²⁸⁾ They practice generosity while thinking, ‘May I develop the
eye which is devoid of hostility toward all beings.’ ⁽²⁹⁾
They practice generosity while thinking, ‘Through this generosity, may I
achieve unsurpassed and perfect awakening.’ ⁽³⁰⁾ They practice generosity
while thinking, ‘May I train in the excellent generosity of the other
bodhisattvas.’ ⁽³¹⁾ They practice generosity while thinking, ‘May I acquire
the collection of the excellent major and minor marks.’ ⁽³²⁾ They practice
generosity while thinking, ‘May I purify the buddha realms and actualize all
buddha qualities.’ Lord of the kinnaras, those are the thirty-two ways in
which the bodhisattvas’ perfection of generosity is pure.

“Lord of the kinnaras, there are thirty-two ways in which the
bodhisattva great beings’ perfection of discipline is pure. What are
those thirty-two ways? They are as follows: ⁽¹⁾ They are free from desire,
anger, and ignorance, and therefore adhere to a pure physical discipline.
⁽²⁾ They have a nature that never wishes to disappoint their lord, the
Buddha, and so they adhere to a pure verbal discipline. ⁽³⁾ They are devoid
of covetousness, ill will, and wrong views, and therefore adhere to a pure
mental discipline. ⁽⁴⁾ They experience the excellence of gods and humans and
therefore adhere to the pure discipline of the path of the ten virtuous
actions. ⁽⁵⁾ They do not teach any limited levels and therefore adhere to
the discipline of the mind of awakening and the discipline consisting in not
forgetting that attitude. ⁽⁶⁾ They are free from transgression and
dishonesty and therefore adhere to the pure discipline of a good motivation.
⁽⁷⁾ They attract all ordinary beings and therefore adhere to a discipline
that is praised by noble beings. ⁽⁸⁾ They adhere to a discipline supported
by love by being equally directed toward all beings. ⁽⁹⁾ They protect all
beings and therefore adhere to a discipline that embraces great compassion.
⁽¹⁰⁾ Due to the power of their commitments, they adhere to a discipline that
perfectly upholds their training.
⁽¹¹⁾ They shun even the smallest unwholesome actions and therefore adhere to
a discipline of genuine humility and modesty. ⁽¹²⁾ They are relentless and
therefore adhere to a faultless discipline. ⁽¹³⁾ Their conduct is utterly
pure and so they adhere to a spotless discipline. ⁽¹⁴⁾ They travel to other
buddha realms and therefore adhere to a discipline of mastering many
personal attributes. ⁽¹⁵⁾ They are known by wise beings and therefore adhere
to a discipline that is praised. ⁽¹⁶⁾ They adhere to a discipline that
liberates from all the paths leading to the lower realms. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They adhere
to a discipline that is grounded in all the sources of happiness. ⁽¹⁸⁾ They
perfect the discipline of the buddhas and therefore adhere to a discipline
that is approved by the buddhas. ⁽¹⁹⁾ They maintain their commitments firmly
and therefore adhere to a discipline that is not lax. ⁽²⁰⁾ They reflect on
their own minds and so they adhere to a discipline that does not praise
oneself or criticize others. ⁽²¹⁾ They are devoid of afflictions and
therefore adhere to the discipline of compassionate reflection. ⁽²²⁾ They
adhere to a discipline that engages in all the factors of awakening. ⁽²³⁾
They adhere to a discipline that takes pleasure in bringing joy to others.
⁽²⁴⁾ They are devoid of desire and attachment and therefore adhere to a
discipline that brings contentment. ⁽²⁵⁾ They act with utmost determination
and therefore adhere to a discipline that generates immense accomplishments.
⁽²⁶⁾ They have no consideration for the household and therefore adhere to a
discipline that is dedicated to the renunciant life. ⁽²⁷⁾ They are delighted
by the pleasure grove of
Dharma and therefore adhere to the discipline of enjoying wilderness. ⁽²⁸⁾
They rely on the mainstays of the noble ones and therefore adhere to a
discipline that is based on contentment and few desires. ⁽²⁹⁾ They are free
from all unwholesome desire and therefore adhere to a discipline that
genuinely engages in the ascetic practices. ⁽³⁰⁾ They experience the
nonexistence of beings and therefore adhere to a discipline free from
apprehension. ⁽³¹⁾ They have abandoned the views of eternalism and nihilism
and therefore adhere to a discipline that eliminates all wrongs views and
ignorance. ⁽³²⁾ They do not contradict dependent origination and therefore
adhere to a discipline that accords with awakening. Lord of the kinnaras,
those are the thirty-two ways in which the bodhisattvas’ perfection of
discipline is pure.

“Lord of the kinnaras, there are thirty-two ways in which the
bodhisattvas’ perfection of patience is pure. What are those thirty-two?
They are as follows: ⁽¹⁾ They observe patience without concern for their
bodies. ⁽²⁾ They observe patience without being attached to their lives. ⁽³⁾
They observe patience with a mind devoid of anger. ⁽⁴⁾ They observe patience
by accepting slander. ⁽⁵⁾ They observe patience by giving rise to compassion
toward beings that are weak. ⁽⁶⁾ They observe patience without contempt for
those who are not trained. ⁽⁷⁾ They observe patience by not reacting to
those who cause them harm, even though they may have the power to do so.
⁽⁸⁾
They observe patience by remaining undisturbed and free from ill will, even
when all the major and minor parts of their body are cut off. ⁽⁹⁾ They
observe patience by not being harsh toward others. ⁽¹⁰⁾ They observe
patience by not returning the abuse when they are scolded. ⁽¹¹⁾ They observe
patience with a pure attitude. ⁽¹²⁾ They observe patience with a pure
intention. ⁽¹³⁾ They observe patience with an unshakeable mind. ⁽¹⁴⁾ They
observe patience by protecting the minds of others. ⁽¹⁵⁾ They observe
patience by providing all beings with beneficial things. ⁽¹⁶⁾ They observe
patience with a compassionate mind. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They observe patience without
pride. ⁽¹⁸⁾ They observe patience without contempt for anyone but with
respect for all sentient beings. ⁽¹⁹⁾ They observe patience without being
consumed by the fire of afflictions. ⁽²⁰⁾ They observe patience with a
peaceful mind. ⁽²¹⁾ They observe patience with reflection. ⁽²²⁾ They observe
patience by investigating their own confusion. ⁽²³⁾ They observe patience
without considering the confused faults of others. ⁽²⁴⁾ They observe
patience by training in the recollection of the Buddha. ⁽²⁵⁾ They observe
patience by directing their minds toward the Dharma. ⁽²⁶⁾ They observe
patience with faith. ⁽²⁷⁾ They observe patience with a mind free from
torment. ⁽²⁸⁾ They observe patience with a smile and without frowning. ⁽²⁹⁾
They observe patience by speaking honestly. ⁽³⁰⁾ They observe patience
without being frightened by the three gateways to liberation. ⁽³¹⁾ They
observe patience with conviction in the absence of birth and origination.
⁽³²⁾ They observe patience after having reached acceptance of the unborn
nature of phenomena. Lord of the kinnaras, those are the thirty-two ways in
which the bodhisattvas’ perfection of patience is pure.

“Lord of the kinnaras, there are thirty-two ways in which the
bodhisattvas’ perfection of diligence is pure. What are those thirty-two?
Lord of the kinnaras, they are as follows: ⁽¹⁾ Bodhisattvas engender diligence to
perpetuate the family of the Buddha. ⁽²⁾ They engender diligence to
perpetuate the family of the Dharma. ⁽³⁾ They engender diligence to
perpetuate the family of the Saṅgha. ⁽⁴⁾ They engender diligence to ripen
countless sentient beings. ⁽⁵⁾ They engender diligence to embrace limitless
saṃsāra. ⁽⁶⁾ They engender diligence to worship and revere countless
buddhas. ⁽⁷⁾ They engender diligence to gather infinite roots of virtue. ⁽⁸⁾
They engender diligence to acquire infinite learning. ⁽⁹⁾ They engender
diligence to speak to all beings using the right words. ⁽¹⁰⁾ They engender
diligence to eliminate the distress of all beings. ⁽¹¹⁾ They engender diligence to
enthusiastically assist all sentient beings. ⁽¹²⁾ They engender diligence to
never abandon any being. ⁽¹³⁾ They engender diligence to induct all beings
into the training of discipline. ⁽¹⁴⁾ They engender diligence so that the
power of their patience and the gentleness of their nature never diminish.
⁽¹⁵⁾ They engender diligence to give rise to all forms of concentrations,
liberations, absorptions, and attainments. ⁽¹⁶⁾ They engender diligence to
perfect supreme insight devoid of attachment. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They engender diligence
to perfect the four pure abodes—love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. ⁽¹⁸⁾
They engender diligence to generate effort related to all the higher
perceptions. ⁽¹⁹⁾ They engender diligence to attain their own buddha realms
in which the qualities of all the buddha realms are arrayed. ⁽²⁰⁾ They
engender diligence to defeat all demonic forces. ⁽²¹⁾ They engender
diligence to suppress opposition with great and stable strength. ⁽²²⁾ They
engender diligence to overcome all opponents in accordance with the Dharma.
⁽²³⁾ They engender diligence to perfect the ten powers, the fearlessnesses,
and the other buddha qualities. ⁽²⁴⁾ They engender diligence to actualize
the ornaments of body, speech, and mind. ⁽²⁵⁾ They engender diligence to
master all activities and to never let go of their efforts. ⁽²⁶⁾ They
engender diligence to never become disheartened. ⁽²⁷⁾ They engender
diligence to remain unaffected by all the afflictions. ⁽²⁸⁾ They engender
diligence to free those who have not crossed over, to liberate those who are
not liberated, to provide relief to those who have not found relief, and to
cause those who have not passed beyond suffering to pass beyond suffering.
⁽²⁹⁾ They engender diligence to gather the marks of a hundred forms of
merit. ⁽³⁰⁾ They engender diligence to uphold the sacred Dharma of all the
buddhas. ⁽³¹⁾ They engender diligence to travel miraculously to an infinite
number of buddha realms and to behold those buddhas. ⁽³²⁾ They engender
diligence to disengage their minds and bodies and to reach the freedom and
omniscient wisdom that come from disengagement—this is subsumed in the
absence of adoption and rejection, the absence of lifting and placing, and
the absence of birth and origination. Lord of the kinnaras, those are the
thirty-two ways in which the bodhisattvas’ perfection of diligence is
pure.

“Lord of the kinnaras, there are thirty-two ways in which the
bodhisattvas’ perfection of concentration is pure. What are those
thirty-two? They are ⁽¹⁾ the purity of mindfulness, ⁽²⁾ the purity of
intelligence, ⁽³⁾ the purity of realization, ⁽⁴⁾ the purity of modesty, ⁽⁵⁾
the purity of humility, ⁽⁶⁾ the purity of trust, ⁽⁷⁾ the purity of
dedication, ⁽⁸⁾ the purity consisting in not forgetting about the mind set
on awakening, ⁽⁹⁾ the purity of hidden faculties, ⁽¹⁰⁾ the purity of nonabiding, ⁽¹¹⁾
the purity of the absence of attachment, ⁽¹²⁾ the purity of the generation
of higher perception, ⁽¹³⁾ the purity of a flexible mind, ⁽¹⁴⁾ the purity of
physical isolation, ⁽¹⁵⁾ the purity consisting in knowing phenomena to be
like echoes, ⁽¹⁶⁾ the purity of inner peace, ⁽¹⁷⁾ the purity consisting in
not wandering outside, ⁽¹⁸⁾ the purity of abandoning apprehending views,
⁽¹⁹⁾ the purity of understanding the absence of self, sentient being, life
principle, individuality, and person, and of not dwelling in the three
realms, ⁽²⁰⁾ the purity of the gateway of the branches of awakening, ⁽²¹⁾
the purity of the compassion that cares for sentient beings, ⁽²²⁾ the purity
of unobstructed vision induced by the attainment
of insight, ⁽²³⁾ the purity of not being in conflict with the principles of
causes, effects, and karmic ripening, ⁽²⁴⁾ the purity of acceptance that
considers the Dharma, ⁽²⁵⁾ the purity of the proper discernment of
phenomena, ⁽²⁶⁾ the purity of the development of skill in means, ⁽²⁷⁾ the
purity of the accomplishment of the essence of awakening, ⁽²⁸⁾ the purity of
the absence of association with the hearers and solitary buddhas, ⁽²⁹⁾ the
purity of the accomplishment of unwavering concentration, ⁽³⁰⁾ the purity of
the absence of distraction with respect to the attainment of the absorption of the buddhas, ⁽³¹⁾ the purity of
the perception of the mental states and conduct of all beings, and ⁽³²⁾ the
purity consisting in knowing which sentient beings are of higher faculties
and which are not, and in teaching the Dharma to them accordingly. Lord of
the kinnaras, those are the thirty-two ways in which the bodhisattvas’
perfection of concentration is pure.

“Lord of the kinnaras, there are thirty-two ways in which the
bodhisattvas’ perfection of insight is pure. What are those thirty-two? ⁽¹⁾ They
have erudition acquired through insatiability in the pursuit of learning.
⁽²⁾ They are experts in the knowledge that investigates phenomena with
proper focus. ⁽³⁾ They understand the way to accomplish the Dharma in order
to actualize awakening. ⁽⁴⁾ They know liberation through expertise in the
aggregates. ⁽⁵⁾ They have expert knowledge of the realm of phenomena. ⁽⁶⁾
They have expert knowledge of the sense sources. ⁽⁷⁾ They are experts in
dependent origination as an attribute of emptiness, because of comprehending
causes and actions. ⁽⁸⁾ They have expert knowledge of the truth. ⁽⁹⁾ They
have knowledge that understands the faultless state without falling into it.
⁽¹⁰⁾ They have knowledge that does not conceptualize birth, due to taking
intentional rebirth. ⁽¹¹⁾ They understand that phenomena are primordially
pure and thus unborn. ⁽¹²⁾ They understand that mistaken views generate
karmic ripening and that all beings are therefore selfless. ⁽¹³⁾ They
understand that all phenomena are one, due to the limit free from desire.
⁽¹⁴⁾ They understand that all universes are one, because they are identical
to space. ⁽¹⁵⁾ They understand that all buddhas are one, because they are
immersed in the inconceivable realm of phenomena. ⁽¹⁶⁾ They understand how
to teach the distinctions of Dharma terms through expertise in the knowledge
of letters. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They have extensive knowledge of the Dharma supported by
unobstructed eloquence in order to satisfy all beings through excellent
explanations. ⁽¹⁸⁾ They have the knowledge of perfect recall by retaining
all that has been heard. ⁽¹⁹⁾ They have knowledge that comprehends all
demonic activities by ripening demonic forces into awakening. ⁽²⁰⁾ They have
knowledge that understands that all phenomena are illusions by understanding
that they are illusory manifestations. ⁽²¹⁾ They have insight that shows all
phenomena to be similar to dreams, mirages, reflections of the moon in
water, optical illusions, and echoes, in terms of their lack of
establishment. ⁽²²⁾ They have insight that comprehends all the mental
activities of sentient beings through pure knowledge. ⁽²³⁾ They have expertise in
the knowledge that investigates saṃsāra and nirvāṇa because of their higher
training. ⁽²⁴⁾ They have insight into the three gateways to
liberation—emptiness, the absence of marks, and the absence of wishes. ⁽²⁵⁾
They understand that all phenomena are naturally at peace, calm, and
tranquil, since they are primordially beyond meeting. ⁽²⁶⁾ They have attained the unobstructed
vision of all phenomena by eliminating the darkness of ignorance and
stupidity. ⁽²⁷⁾ They possess the light of insight by understanding that no
phenomena come from or go anywhere, and they teach all beings the Dharma
that leads to liberation. ⁽²⁸⁾ They display the process of the death and
rebirth of beings by understanding action and activities. ⁽²⁹⁾ They have
attained the four correct knowledges through expertise in meaning,
phenomena, language, and eloquence, and they continuously and exclusively
instruct in that way. ⁽³⁰⁾ They teach the meaningful Dharma that causes one
to transcend suffering while being composed, calm, liberated, collected, and
learned. ⁽³¹⁾ Upon seeing that emancipation results from insight, they
uphold the sacred Dharma and thereby receive the blessings of the blessed
buddhas to protect all Dharma cities. ⁽³²⁾ They are genuinely committed to
the level of the irreversible bodhisattvas, and they eventually attain the
level of prophecy by ascertaining the way things are. Lord of the kinnaras,
those are the thirty-two ways in which the bodhisattvas’ perfection of
insight is pure.

“Lord of the kinnaras, you should know that bodhisattvas are
skilled in means if they possess thirty-two features. What are those thirty-two? They are as follows: ⁽¹⁾
Bodhisattvas look after beings by not eliminating themselves. ⁽²⁾ They abide
by great merit in order to ripen all beings. ⁽³⁾ They do not search for
worthy recipients of generosity since all beings are worthy recipients of
generosity. ⁽⁴⁾ They do not hanker after grandeur so that they can ripen
destitute beings. ⁽⁵⁾ They manifest as mutes and stutterers to cause all
beings to control their speech. ⁽⁶⁾ They assume the forms of women in order
to ripen women and girls. ⁽⁷⁾ They assume the physical forms of children to
ripen children. ⁽⁸⁾ They assume all types of physical forms to ripen others
in the appropriate manner. ⁽⁹⁾ Even though they are not insane, they display
that state to ripen insane beings. ⁽¹⁰⁾ They assume the physical forms of
madmen and disturbed beings to teach the Dharma to those who have such
propensities. ⁽¹¹⁾ They forsake the aggregate of discipline, accumulated
over a hundred years, to ripen beings. ⁽¹²⁾ They display all forms of
pleasure, delight, and enjoyment to cause others to adopt the Dharma. ⁽¹³⁾
They assume the physical forms of beings earning their livelihood through
unsuitable and crooked means to ripen beings who have such propensities.
⁽¹⁴⁾ When the wives of merchants, householders, or kings have no children
and experience the painful torment and suffering of wanting a child, the
bodhisattvas accept being born as their child in order to cause them to
develop faith in virtue and to ripen them. ⁽¹⁵⁾ In order to distribute food,
beverages, wealth, and other goods to destitute beings wandering in the
wilderness, they manifest as merchants leading many travelers, place great
treasures in front of them, and teach them the Dharma after having offered
them vast amounts of wealth. ⁽¹⁶⁾ They eliminate the torments of those who
experience the pain of suffering before teaching them the Dharma through
their miraculous powers. ⁽¹⁷⁾ They manifest great
treasures in front of those who have lost their wealth before teaching them
the Dharma to purify their livelihood. ⁽¹⁸⁾ They manifest as renunciates among
the non-Buddhist carakas and parivrājakas to make them adopt the teachings
of the Buddha. ⁽¹⁹⁾ They appear within brothels or harems where they display
attractive female bodies to ripen those who are caught by the hook of lust.
⁽²⁰⁾ To ripen others with the Dharma in accordance with their individual
inclinations, they manifest within great gatherings and large groups where
they beautify whole areas with the music of their drums, kettle drums,
flutes, and conch shells; they then display various crafts within those
gatherings and teach others the Dharma through the sounds of those musical
tunes. ⁽²¹⁾ Through the power of their higher perceptions and out of great
love, they offer food and beverages to travelers who suffer from a lack of
food and beverages; then they teach them the Dharma once they are relieved
from hunger and thirst. ⁽²²⁾ They manifest as blind people among those who
are born blind and, through their miraculous powers, they offer food and beverages to such destitute blind
people, and cause them to recover their eyesight so that they can see their
physical forms; then they teach them the Dharma in a way that they will
definitely reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening. ⁽²³⁾ They intentionally
manifest as thieves to ripen hundreds of beings who have engaged in various
types of evil activities and who have been incarcerated in the royal
prisons; when they are identified as rogues, they enter a prison where,
through their miraculous powers, they wash and
anoint the bodies of the prisoners, dress them in fine clothes, and offer
them food and beverages until they are fully satiated; then they release
them from their tight shackles and teach them the Dharma in a way that they
will definitely reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening. ⁽²⁴⁾ To ripen beings who
are led to the place of their execution at the king’s command, and who are
tormented by suffering and the fear of dying, bodhisattva great beings
miraculously emanate manifestations that free such condemned prisoners who
are being led to their execution from their shackles; they then teach the
Dharma to those beings who have been relieved from fear and whose lives have
just been saved, in a way that they will definitely reach unsurpassed and
perfect awakening. ⁽²⁵⁾ Bodhisattva great beings skillfully remain wherever
beings are involved in quarrels, disputes, fights, and conflicts about
possessions, wealth, fields, household materials, male servants, female
servants, workers, or soldiers; through their miraculous powers they settle the conflicts by giving away their
possessions, wealth, and precious materials and, once the different parties
have been thus reconciled, they cause them to embrace unsurpassed and
perfect awakening. ⁽²⁶⁾ Even though the major and minor parts of
bodhisattvas’ bodies are fully functional, they skillfully manifest with
impaired abilities, in order to ripen sentient beings. ⁽²⁷⁾ Even though the
bodhisattvas’ conduct is perfect, they manifest all kinds of disturbed forms
of conduct to ripen sentient beings. ⁽²⁸⁾ Bodhisattvas adept in skillful
means manifest themselves as non-Buddhists, and to attract non-Buddhists in
faraway lands, who live in demonic domains under the influence of demons, to
the teachings of the Buddha, they proclaim the praises of the Three Jewels
in front of them. ⁽²⁹⁾ To skillfully ripen others, bodhisattvas give up the
concentrations, liberations, absorptions, and attainments, and intentionally
take rebirth within the desire realm; they describe the suffering of birth
to those who wish for nirvāṇa, and they teach about nirvāṇa to cause
those who have attained disengagement to cultivate the highest path. ⁽³⁰⁾
Bodhisattvas skillfully display the bodies of buddhas to those who aspire to
reach nirvāṇa but who have not yet entered the faultless state. ⁽³¹⁾ To
cause beings who have faith in the Buddha and whose minds are settled to
embrace the mind set on awakening, they teach them how to attain
understanding of this conditioning factor. Lord of the kinnaras, you should
know that bodhisattva great beings are skilled in means through those
thirty-two features.”

When the Blessed One had taught this section on the purity of
engaging in the perfections and skill in means, the retinue of the kinnara
king Druma and ninety-eight thousand beings including gods, nāgas, yakṣas,
and gandharvas gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect
awakening. Among the retinue of the Blessed One, eighteen thousand
bodhisattvas reached acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. The
kinnara king Druma reached the absorption called the lamp of
insight.

With this Dharma discourse, the Blessed One had pleased,
captivated, and inspired the kinnara king Druma. Through this instruction,
the king became satisfied, cheerful, thrilled, and elated. With joy and
happiness filling his mind, he clothed the Blessed One in a priceless piece
of seamless fabric. He also clad each member of the saṅgha of bodhisattvas
and each member of the saṅgha of hearers with cloths of inestimable value,
and offered all his dwelling places for the enjoyment of the Blessed One.
Then, eight thousand sons of the kinnara king Druma offered shade to the
Blessed One with an array of precious lotuses and eight thousand precious
parasols.
In that very moment, through the power of the Buddha, all those parasols
merged to form a single precious parasol in the sky, about a thousand
leagues above the courtyard, right over the Blessed One’s head.

When the eight thousand sons of the kinnara king Druma saw this
great miraculous display manifested by the Blessed One, they became
satisfied, cheerful, thrilled, and elated. With joy and happiness filling
their minds, they gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect
awakening with determination and supplicated the Blessed One: “Blessed One,
Thus-Gone One, Worthy One, Perfect Buddha, please tell us about the
qualities that mature into awakening so that, upon hearing about them, we
may accomplish the factors of awakening!”

Aware of the good motivation of the sons of the kinnara king Druma,
the Blessed One rose up to a height of seven palm trees and remained seated
cross-legged in the air. His body shone with light, illuminating this entire
great trichiliocosm with a bright light. All the various musical instruments
of the kinnaras, the gandharvas, the mahoragas, and the gods of the desire
realm then started to resound with the most delightful music, without anyone
playing them. The sound of music also rang out from all the fragrant,
flowering, and blooming trees growing on the majestic Mount Gandhamādana.
Next, myriads of light rays shone from all the pores of the Blessed One’s
skin, and lotus flowers the size of chariot wheels manifested on the tip of
each light ray. At the heart of each lotus flower bodhisattvas appeared,
displaying pure bodies adorned with the thirty-two marks of great beings.
Then, through the power of the Buddha, all the musical instruments resounded
with questions in the form of verses, each of which was clearly answered by
the bodhisattvas, who replied in chorus, also in verse.

First, the instruments asked:

“Once the bodhisattvas have engendered

The mind set on unsurpassed awakening,

How do they avoid forgetting it

Until the seat of awakening is reached?”

Then, the bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They do not forget the mind set on awakening

Because they are endowed with great compassion

And perfect motivation

Directed toward all sentient beings.”

Then, the instruments asked:

“How is their motivation?

How are their actions?

How do they go about cultivating

Great compassion?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Their good motivation is unwavering,

Their actions are uncontrived,

And their compassion is such

That it establishes them at the gateway to nirvāṇa.”

The instruments asked:

“How is their generosity?

How do they give without regret?

How do they dedicate their generosity to awakening

Without aspiring to any reward?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They have no regard for material things;

Thus, they give without regret.

They follow the path of awakening,

And thus do not hope for any ripening.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they maintain discipline

Without thinking about their discipline?

How do they ripen those with corrupted discipline

Into the unsurpassed Great Vehicle?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They observe the discipline of the mind set on awakening.

Due to emptiness they are free from concepts.

They ripen those with malicious dispositions

By generating great love.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they bear the insults

And intimidations of sentient beings?

How do they not have ill will,

But instead, become delighted?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They do not become angry

When they hear others speaking ill of them.

Instead, they think, ‘I will be the healer

Of all beings’ afflictions!’ ”

The instruments asked:

“How is their diligence?

How do they subdue their opponents?

How do they practice bodhisattva conduct

Without being disheartened?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They subdue their opponents and engender diligence

By guarding the Dharma and sentient beings.

They never become disheartened

Because they have reached stability through their roots of virtue.”

The instruments asked:

“How are they endowed with mindfulness?

How do they master wisdom?

How are they absorbed in concentration

Without being attached to those states?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They embody mindfulness through the absence of distraction,

They embody wisdom by remaining free from pretense,

They are skillfully absorbed in concentration,

And are therefore not attached to those states.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they embody insight?

How do they become skilled and fearless

With regard to the right view

And the analysis of phenomena?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Their insight unfolds through learning,

And the right view is attained on that basis.

Through the gift of the Dharma they gain certainty

And proper realization.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they become erudite

By pursuing learning?

How do they achieve greatness

As they teach what they have learned?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They gain erudition

By pursuing learning with respect.

They achieve greatness

By offering the Dharma without concern for material things.”

The instruments asked:

“How is their love?

What is their compassion like?

How is their joy?

What is their equanimity like?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Their love is an impartial attitude and outlook,

Their compassion liberates others,

Their joy delights in buddha qualities,

And their equanimity abandons duality.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they behold buddhas

And how do their minds become faithful?

How do doubts not arise in them

After they hear the Dharma?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They behold the guides

Because they have cultivated the recollection of the buddhas.

They have no doubts upon hearing the Dharma

Because they are free from hesitation and their thoughts are pure.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they accumulate merit?

How do they accumulate wisdom?

How do they exert themselves

In tranquility and special insight?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They accumulate merit by being insatiable,

They accumulate wisdom through inquiries,

They cultivate tranquility with a peaceful mind,

And they develop insight by understanding the Dharma.”

The instruments asked:

“What is their domain?

What is their basis?

What is their abode?

What is their occupation?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Their domain is emptiness,

Their basis is the path of the perfections,

Their abode is the four concentrations,

And their occupation is the liberation of beings.”

The instruments asked:

“What is demonic activity for them?

What is awakened activity for them?

What kind of activity is involved

In their pursuit of awakening?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Demonic activity is the Lower Vehicle,

Awakened activity is the Great Vehicle,

And the abandonment of all unwholesome deeds

Is how they pursue awakening.”

The instruments asked:

“Who are the friends they attend to?

Who are unwholesome friends for them?

How do they follow the proper path

Without adhering to wrong views?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Those who show the path to awakening

Are friends who always confer happiness.

Those who turn one away from the mind of awakening

Are understood to be unwholesome friends.”

The instruments asked:

“What is the right view

When embarking on the path?

How does their understanding of engagement

Prevent that view from being undermined?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Engaging in deeds and activities

Is the right view,

And understanding the wrong types of engagement

Prevents that view from being undermined.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they guard the sacred Dharma

And ripen beings?

Through which method

Do they accomplish awakening?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They guard the Dharma with diligence,

They ripen beings through the means of attraction,

And they accomplish awakening

By abandoning the two extremes.”

The instruments asked:

“What is their path of knowledge like?

What comes from pride?

How do they speak gently?

And how are they always well disposed?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Action based on knowledge is without conflict.

Conflict comes from pride.

Through their gentle speech and respectful attitude,

They are well disposed.”

The instruments asked:

“What is their path like?

What is the wrong path like?

How do they establish beings

On the path to unsurpassed awakening?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Their path is the six perfections,

The Lower Vehicle is the wrong path for them,

And they lead sentient beings on the path

Through the trainings in insight and method.”

The instruments asked:

“In what way are they wealthy?

What have they gained?

What is their treasure?

How do they bring satisfaction to beings?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They always possess the seven riches,

They have gained the acquisition of the Dharma,

And their treasure is recall.

With such gains they satisfy others.”

The instruments asked:

“Who are their parents?

Who are their kinsmen?

Who are their servants?

What adorns those wise ones?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Their mother is insight, their father is method,

Their kinsmen are the factors of awakening,

And their servants are virtuous actions;

These are what adorn those wise ones.”

The instruments asked:

“After having realized selflessness,

How does their love extend to all beings?

In what way are selflessness and love

Equal for them?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Those who understand emptiness

Realize selflessness.

Understanding the emptiness of beings—

That is their supreme love.”

The instruments asked:

“If formations are intrinsically

Beyond coming and going,

How can it make sense to speak of

Actions and their ripening?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Ultimately, everything is

Beyond coming and going.

But on the relative level it is taught

That one should enter the path and that karmic ripening exists.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they understand suchness

By realizing that emptiness, the absence of marks,

And the abandonment of wishes

Have a single characteristic?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“Emptiness is the absence of marks—

It is free from pursuing any marks.

It has a single characteristic and a single meaning

That reveals the gateway to liberation.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they realize emptiness

That leads to nirvāṇa?

How do they consider beings?

And how do they ripen them?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They realize emptiness through insight,

They consider beings through methods,

And they ripen them through compassion;

That is what leads to nirvāṇa.”

The instruments asked:

“Phenomena are intrinsically

Beyond birth and origination;

What causes them to be reborn in saṃsāra

After having understood this supreme way?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“The absence of birth and origination

Is the domain of insight.

Taking rebirth intentionally

Is the way of method.”

The instruments asked:

“How do they take pleasure in giving?

In what way have they reached the state of irreversibility?

In what way have they developed perfect acceptance?

How have they reached certainty?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“They take pleasure in giving while resting in equanimity,

They do not turn away from the realm of phenomena,

They have reached acceptance of the unborn,

And they have reached certainty by understanding the Dharma.”

The instruments asked:

“What is the seat of awakening?

What is the characteristic of perfect awakening?

What is meant by the perfect buddhas?

In what way are the thus-gone ones liberated?”

The bodhisattva manifestations replied:

“The quintessence of awakening is space—

Awakening has the characteristic of space.

The buddhas are known as thus-gone ones,

Since they are completely free of ignorance and have arrived at
suchness.”

When they heard those verses, the sons of the kinnara king attained
acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena. Then, having attained that
acceptance, they covered the Blessed One in their respective garments and
ornaments and said, “Blessed One, why has the Buddha manifested to us in the
form of those verses we just heard? Blessed One, the music and song gave voice to
these questions that expressed doubt and, as the bodhisattva manifestations
answered each of them, they dispelled all the doubts of the assembly,
causing a boundless illumination of the Dharma to arise in us. This is
amazing! Blessed One, what has caused these tunes to be emanated from those
instruments? And whose blessings produced the answers of those bodhisattva
manifestations?”

“Good people,” replied the Blessed One, “you should regard all of
these as the blessings of the Buddha. Good people, if the sound of the Dharma
can emanate even from the sky through the blessings of the Thus-Gone One,
why would the sound of the Dharma not be emanated from instruments? Good
people, in this way the blessings of the Thus-Gone One are
inconceivable.”

The sons of the kinnara king then exclaimed, “Blessed One, may all
sentient beings receive the inconceivable blessings of the Buddha!”

Then, eighty-four thousand kinnarī queens of the kinnara king Druma
came to the place where the Blessed One was residing, carrying with them
necklaces made of multicolored pearls. When they arrived, they prostrated to
the feet of the Blessed One and adorned him with the pearl necklaces they
were carrying. As soon as they had made their offerings, those necklaces
transformed, through the power of the Buddha, into eighty-four thousand
pavilions made of pearl, in the sky above the Blessed One’s head. All the
mansions were square, supported by four pillars, well proportioned, and
symmetrical. Inside those pavilions, thrones studded with jewels set on
bases made of precious substances appeared, and many layers of divine
fabrics were spread upon them. Thus-gone ones adorned with the thirty-two
major marks of great beings sat upon these thrones.

When they saw the magical display of the Blessed One, the
eighty-four thousand kinnarīs became pleased, cheerful, thrilled, and
elated. With joy and happiness filling their minds, they gave rise, from the
bottom of their hearts, to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect
awakening. Then, filled with joy, delight, and faith, they offered, with one
voice, these pleasing verses of praise to the Blessed One:

“Unsurpassed Worthy One with supreme speech,

Your realization is unequaled and inconceivable,

And you master the truth, the Dharma, and the Vinaya;

Supreme being, we prostrate to you!

“You have conquered the afflictions of desire, anger, and ignorance,

You enjoy staying in the wilderness, and you are free from fear;

Revealer of precious treasures and jewels,

Blessed One, king of kings, we prostrate to you!

“There are no stains and no afflictions in you.

Ruler of the earth, subjugator of enemies,

Like a lotus you are untainted by the three worlds;

Well-Gone One with supreme realization, we prostrate to you!

“Among beings you are like their eyes,

You outshine the light of the sun and the moon,

And you manifest as the ruler in a family of universal monarchs;

You who possess the mark of the wheel, we prostrate to you!

“You are never attached to name-and-form,

And you are a protector, a support, a refuge, and a helping friend.

You are peerless—who could surpass you?

You with an endless voice, we prostrate to you!

“You are never attached to gain and loss,

You outshine all worldly concerns,

And you liberate beings from the ties and webs of attachment and
craving;

Blessed One, protector of the world, we
prostrate to you!

“Your controlled mind is always composed,

All your afflictions have been consumed, you abide in the ten powers,

And you generously provide for beings who have no possessions;

Worthy of our gifts, we prostrate to you!

“Sublime and supreme teacher, you shine with the light of the marks,

You have abandoned the mistaken paths,

And you speak with a gentle, smooth, and delightful voice;

You who have risen above the three worlds, we prostrate to you!

“Foremost among humans, you are free from the torments of suffering,

You miraculously travel to millions of pure fields,

And you steer the boat that leads beings to freedom;

Blessed One, supporter of beings, we prostrate to you!

“Blessed One, you instruct those who are diligent,

And you illuminate those who are caught in attachment and clinging,

Those who have developed the six higher perceptions, and the wise
hearers;

You who reach out to the six classes of beings, we prostrate to you!

“You who have the color of gold, we prostrate to you!

You who are tranquil and whose senses are under control, we prostrate to
you!

You with a face resembling the autumn moon, we prostrate to you!

Foremost among humans with excellent qualities, we prostrate to you!

“All your afflictions have been consumed, you know no fear,

And you liberate all beings from the four rivers that are so difficult to
escape.

Blessed One, you are disciplined and your senses are under control;

With this homage, we go for refuge in you!

“Lord, you perform generosity on an inconceivable scale.

When someone asks for charity, it fills you with delight.

Blessed One, generous hero who extends

The highest form of generosity toward others, we prostrate to you!

“Proud, haughty, arrogant, and ignorant beings

Who act in opposition to the principle of causes, conditions, and
actions

Are brought onto the unsurpassed noble path

By you, Great Guide.

“You subjugate karma and afflictions

By realizing the intrinsically empty nature of the aggregates.

Great leader, you eliminate the doubts of beings;

Blessed One who speaks in a timely way, we prostrate to you!

“Delighted by the true Dharma, your mind is composed

And you have mastered and perfected all qualities.

You are an unsurpassed, supreme leader;

Blessed One, great captain, we prostrate to you!

“You are free from pretense and deceit

And possess the great power that subjugates the hordes of Māra.

Supreme human, you can tell the correct path from the incorrect,

And, like a strong wind, you are not attached to anything.

“You have cleared away
all torment and reached perfection.

Sage, you possess an inexhaustible treasury.

While you practiced bodhisattva conduct, you worshiped

As many supreme beings as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.

“Your power and attainment are unwavering and
inconceivable,

You are free from the defect of attachment, and you have reached dry
land.

Where you dwell, you are attended by victors;

That is why we prostrate to you, foremost among humans!

“You have conquered birth, old age, sickness, and death,

And you perceive countless millions of past lives.

Blessed One, the light shining from the parasol of your wisdom

Tears the web of great fear asunder.

“Great leader, you understand that phenomena are like dreams,

Your hands and feet are adorned with auspicious marks,

And fresh grass grows due to your auspiciousness;

Blessed One with auspicious deeds, we prostrate to you!

“Lord, you have perfected the power of the dhāraṇīs,

And you provide the gift of Dharma without concern for material
things.

Sage, you beat the drum of Dharma;

Dharma Lord, Blessed One, we prostrate to you!

“Great teacher, you were born to the king of the Śākya clan,

You are calm and tranquil,

And you watch over the three worlds;

Well-Gone One with a peaceful mind, we prostrate to you!

“Although Māra and his armies came to the tree of awakening

Brandishing sharp swords,

Not a single hair of your body moved;

Blessed One who is like Mount Sumeru, we prostrate to you!

“Sublime human, you have perfected patience,

And you accepted all the harm that was done to your bodies in the
past.

You are a hero who has overcome further lives, birth, and death;

Blessed One who preaches patience, we prostrate to you!

“Well-Gone One, your power and attainment are
unwavering,

You are an expert in distinguishing the correct from the incorrect, you
are fearless,

And you have established many beings in the state of awakening;

Victorious One who dwells in the Dharma, we prostrate to you!

“You know that conditioned phenomena are feeble and lack substance,

And that everything that arises disappears before long.

Your insight is more exalted than anything in the three worlds

And you have perfected wisdom; we prostrate to you!

“Through the Three Jewels, you bring satisfaction

To beings who are blind, afflicted, and defenseless,

And you scare away Māra and his armies;

Blessed One, protector, we prostrate to you!

“You have cultivated the powers, the concentrations, and the
strengths,

And you have defeated Māra and his armies.

You have cultivated the strengths and are foremost within all
existence;

Sage, we prostrate to you!

“You reveal the roots of faith and the extensive Dharma,

You are free from attachment to unequaled awakening,

And you speak of happiness, knowing it to be like a shadow;

Blessed One who is like a parasol, we prostrate to you!

“Great leader, understanding phenomena to be like dreams,

You turn the dreamlike noble wheel.

Understanding conditioned things to be truly like dreams,

You remind a multitude of beings.

“Your supreme tongue is pure and stainless.

With your tongue you can cover your face—

It is like a lotus with a hundred petals;

We prostrate to you whose tongue is immaculate!

“You are not attached to any of the three worlds,

You do not teach beings through the defect of desire,

You are free from attachment and slander,

And you encourage beings to devote themselves to supreme awakening.

“You have defeated the enemies: afflictions and negative deeds.

You are dispassionate, and free from attachment and stinginess.

Sublime human, you shine like gold,

And your name and fame resound everywhere.

“Expert in the discernment of realms and faculties,

You are the eyes of beings as you reside in this world.

Trained as you are in the sciences, letters, and semantics,

You manifest a bridge to cross the four rivers.

“You who offered the gift of a priceless elephant,

Great leader, liberator of humans and gods,

Your qualities are infinite;

Protector, we join our hands toward you.

“If offering a speck of dust to the foremost among humans

Causes one to become a king over Jambudvīpa in the Sahā world,

What need is there to mention going for refuge

By joining one’s hands with a mind filled with faith?

“The aggregates are empty, feeble, and insubstantial—

They are empty, like illusions or reflections of the moon in water.

Gautama, you know their true nature;

Expert in the aggregates and the elements, we prostrate to you!

“You have untied the tight knot in the rope of craving,

Which is known as the web of existence.

The web that binds beings to existence—

Well-Gone One, the light of your wisdom tears it apart.

“Your speech is like the voice of Brahmā—

It is free from falsehood, immutable, and undeceiving.

As we hear your perfect speech,

We join our hands and go for refuge in you.

“When you touched this earth with the palm of your hand,

The earth and its forests shook in six ways,

Yet no one was hurt in this process.

You who conquer the enemy, Māra’s hordes; we prostrate to you!

“Great king of the gods, Wise One,

When those who pursue your Dharma

Hear your Dharma teachings,

They bow down at your feet!”

After the queens of the kinnara king had praised the Blessed One
with these verses, they supplicated him: “Blessed One, we are pursuing
unsurpassed and perfect awakening, but we are unable to awaken to
unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood with our female bodies. Blessed One,
please tell us about the qualities that will enable us to leave behind these
female bodies, acquire male bodies, and awaken to unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood!”

“Sisters,” replied the Blessed One, “listen carefully and pay
attention. I shall now explain to you how to leave behind your female
bodies, acquire male bodies, and swiftly awaken to unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood.” The queens of the kinnara king agreed to this and listened as
the Blessed One had directed.

The Blessed One then said, “Sisters, if women possess this one
quality, they will leave behind their female bodies, acquire male bodies,
and
swiftly awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. What is this one quality? It is giving rise to the mind
set on awakening with good motivation, giving rise to the mind set on
omniscience, giving rise to the unequaled attitude, giving rise to the
attitude that is more exalted than anything in the three worlds, giving rise
to the attitude that does not forget all the roots of virtue. Sisters, if
women possess this one quality, they will leave behind their female bodies
and acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess two qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those two
qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ the absence of envy and ⁽²⁾ the absence of
stinginess. Sisters, if women possess those two qualities, they will leave
behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess three qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those
three qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ the purity of the three commitments related to
the body, ⁽²⁾ the purity of the four commitments related to speech, and ⁽³⁾
the purity of the three commitments related to the mind. Sisters, if women
possess those three qualities, they will leave behind their female bodies
and acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess four qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those
four qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ practicing generosity without hypocrisy, ⁽²⁾
upholding the precepts without hypocrisy, ⁽³⁾ adhering to one’s discipline
without hypocrisy, and ⁽⁴⁾ listening to the Dharma without hypocrisy.
Sisters, if women possess those four qualities, they will leave behind their
female bodies and acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess five qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are
those five qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ striving for the Dharma, ⁽²⁾ considering
the Dharma correctly upon hearing it, ⁽³⁾ wholeheartedly loathing the female
body, ⁽⁴⁾ continuously forming the wish to attain a male body, and ⁽⁵⁾
acting in accordance with one’s words. Sisters, if women possess those five
qualities, they will leave behind their female bodies and acquire male
bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess six qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those six
qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ sincerity, ⁽²⁾ gentleness, ⁽³⁾ integrity, ⁽⁴⁾
honesty, ⁽⁵⁾ uprightness, and ⁽⁶⁾ genuineness. Sisters, if women possess
those six qualities, they will leave behind their female bodies and acquire
male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess seven qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those
seven qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ recollecting the Buddha in order to achieve
the body of a buddha, ⁽²⁾ recollecting the Dharma in order to receive the
Dharma of the buddhas, ⁽³⁾ recollecting the Saṅgha in order to gather an
irreversible saṅgha, ⁽⁴⁾ recollecting discipline in order to purify
aspiration prayers, ⁽⁵⁾ recollecting generosity in order to abandon all
afflictions, ⁽⁶⁾ recollecting the gods in order to purify the mind set on
awakening, and ⁽⁷⁾ focusing on all beings in order to liberate them.
Sisters, if women possess those seven qualities, they will leave behind
their female bodies and acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess eight qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those
eight qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ not craving food, ⁽²⁾ not craving beverages,
⁽³⁾ not
craving flowers, perfumes, garlands, ointments, and powders, ⁽⁴⁾ not craving
walks in parks, ⁽⁵⁾ not craving frivolity and romance, ⁽⁶⁾ not craving
songs, dance, and music, ⁽⁷⁾ not craving pleasures and games, and ⁽⁸⁾ not
craving the pleasures associated with the ear and sound, nose and smell,
tongue and taste, and body and tactile objects. Sisters, if women possess
those eight qualities, they will leave behind their female bodies and
acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess nine qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those
nine qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ not holding a nihilist view, ⁽²⁾ not holding an
eternalist view, ⁽³⁾ not propounding the view of a self, ⁽⁴⁾ not propounding
the view of a sentient being, ⁽⁵⁾ not propounding the view of a life
principle, ⁽⁶⁾ not propounding the view of a person, ⁽⁷⁾ not adhering to the
view of arising, ⁽⁸⁾ not adhering to the view of disintegration, and ⁽⁹⁾
being skilled in engaging with causes and conditions. Sisters, if women
possess those nine qualities, they will leave behind their female bodies and
acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, if women possess ten qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies. What are those ten
qualities? They are ⁽¹⁾ abiding with love for all sentient beings, ⁽²⁾ not
coveting others’ possessions, ⁽³⁾ thinking in the same way as men, ⁽⁴⁾ not
lying even at the cost of their lives, ⁽⁵⁾ not pronouncing slanderous words,
⁽⁶⁾ not using harsh words, ⁽⁷⁾ not engaging in idle conversations, ⁽⁸⁾ not
being envious of others’ pleasures and games, ⁽⁹⁾ not arousing the latent
tendencies of ill will, and ⁽¹⁰⁾ adhering to the right view without hoping
for any ripening effect. Sisters, if women possess those ten qualities, they
will leave behind their female bodies and acquire male bodies.

“Furthermore, sisters, women should be devoted to the profound by
considering forms to be like foam, and not becoming excited or maddened by
them. They should consider feelings to be like water bubbles, and not give
rise to attachment toward pleasant feelings, aversion toward unpleasant
feelings, or ignorance toward feelings that are neither pleasant nor
unpleasant. They should consider perceptions to be like mirages and not
entertain any notions of women and men. They should consider formations to
be like plantain trees and, realizing that they all lack substance, not
fixate upon them or become attached to any of them. They should consider
consciousness to be illusory and, realizing that the mind, the mental
faculty, and awareness are like illusory displays, not develop attachment,
anger, or ignorance in relation to any phenomenon. They should consider that
the body is made of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind. The body is a collection of
parts, just like grass, trees, clods of earth, walls, or optical illusions,
and it is therefore devoid of a self, a sentient being, a life principle, an
individual, and a person. Rather, the body manifests through causes, deeds,
and actions, as guided by delusion. Furthermore, women should correctly
contemplate how the eyes are balls of flesh produced by the ingestion of
food, and that they are essentially empty and naturally detached. In the
same way, they should correctly perceive that the ears, the nose, the
tongue, the body, and the mental faculty are essentially empty and naturally
detached. Women should also relate to the body as they would to a
reflection, to speech as they would to an echo, and to the mind as they
would to an illusion. Sisters, if women possess those qualities, they will
leave behind their female bodies, acquire male bodies, and swiftly awaken to
unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.”

When they heard this Dharma teaching from the Blessed One,
describing how to leave behind their female bodies, all the queens of the
kinnara king became satisfied, cheerful, thrilled, and elated. With joy and
happiness filling their minds, they prostrated to the feet of the Blessed
One and offered him these appropriate verses of praise:

“You are stainless and immaculate, you have eliminated all
defilements,

You are flawless and pure, you shine with great majesty,

Your eyes are like lotus petals, your mind is magnificent,

And your face is radiant like the stainless moon; we prostrate to
you!

“You generate joy and peace, you have eliminated all afflictions,

You manifest joy, you are always delighted by the wilderness,

You are a source of jewels, and you possess a precious treasure

As well as the highest qualities; we prostrate to you!

“You have reached the other shore and conquered all enemies.

Like a lotus flower, you give a thousand supreme discourses.

You bestow the supreme path and reveal the sacred meaning;

Provider of supreme joy, we prostrate to you!

“You have crossed the four rivers, you proclaim the discourse on the four
truths,

You confer vision on those who live on this earth,

And you possess the mark of the supreme thousand-spoked wheel;

Flawless benefactor, we prostrate to you!

“Sublime Powerful One, you have cleared away the dirt of the
afflictions.

Protector, you provide supreme assistance to beings

And you have destroyed the powerless armies of Māra;

Blessed One endowed with the ten powers, we prostrate to you!

“Peerless One, you have severed the thicket of craving

And your unbiased mind perceives gain and loss as equal.

You are the shining lamp that brings an end to worldly existence;

Ocean-like being, we prostrate to you!

“You are composed, you possess the ten great and sacred powers,

You practice generosity, and you always take pleasure in giving.

You have perfected the qualities of control and tranquility,

And cleared away the dirt of the afflictions; we prostrate to you!

“Possessor of the supreme marks, you confer the sacred Dharma upon all
beings.

Great leader of beings, most sublime god,

You are truly delighted by love, the powers, and patience;

Well-Gone One worthy of praise, we prostrate to you!

“Like a lamp or the stainless moon,

You have eliminated the stains of outer and inner afflictions.

You have abandoned all afflictions, you are a treasure of qualities and
merit,

And your mind is peaceful and tranquil; we prostrate to you!

“You induce faith and bring peace to spiritual practitioners.

Great teacher, you liberate from the six sense sources,

And your mindfulness of the six recollections is pure;

Victorious One, king of spiritual practitioners, we prostrate to you!

“Your aura of light has the color of gold,

And your sacred, harmonious voice is pure.

Blessed One, holy person, sublime being,

Pacifier of the three realms, we prostrate to you!

“You have reached the other shore through your unobscured insight.

You always engage in austerities and disciplined conduct,

And your words always accord with the way things are;

Holder of the lamp that clears away darkness, we prostrate to you!

“Well-Gone One, Illustrious One with inexhaustible qualities,

You reveal the abiding mode of suchness

And your qualities are proclaimed, perceived, and renowned;

Provider of supreme joy, we prostrate to you!

“You are praiseworthy, and your disciplined conduct and austerities are
exalted,

Yet you eliminate arrogance, pride, and haughtiness;

Source of wisdom with immaculate supreme intelligence,

Perfect being, we prostrate to you!

“Compassionate One with the voice like Brahmā or the kalaviṅka bird,

You clear away the stains of desire and dispute;

Wise expert regarding the aggregates, Well-Gone One,

Possessor of the highest qualities, we prostrate to you!

“You display qualities that are praised and worshiped,

Your smiling face is radiant like the moon, and you truthfully teach

The profound, which is hard to perceive and extremely hard to
realize;

Subduer of Māra’s power, we prostrate to you!

“Great leader, your mind is composed and controlled,

You are praised by everyone, and you dwell on the path of sameness.

Lord with supreme and truthful speech,

Well-Gone One with an unbiased mind, we prostrate to you!

“You reveal the path with your smooth and pleasant voice,

You have defeated the many hordes of Māra,

And you are free from pride, conceit, and hypocrisy;

Lord, king of spiritual practitioners, we prostrate to you!

“You are delighted by the powers, strength, diligence, and
concentration,

And you are permanently free from the defects of desire and obscured
vision.

Well-Gone One, you have entered the immovable state;

Possessor of the ten supreme powers, we prostrate to you!

“Your hands and feet are connected by immaculate webbing

And you have transcended birth, old age, and death.

Conqueror, you are victorious over all beings

And your mind is equal to the sky; we prostrate to you!”

The eighty-four thousand queens of the kinnara king Druma then
prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One, who saw their good motivation and
smiled. In accord with the nature of the blessed buddhas, when the Blessed
One smiled, light rays radiated from his mouth in various colors—blue,
yellow, red, white, violet, crystalline, and silver—and spread throughout an
infinite number of universes, rising up to the abodes of Brahmā and
eclipsing the light of the sun and the moon. The light rays then came back
toward the Blessed One and circumambulated him three times, before vanishing
into the top of his head.

At that moment, venerable Ānanda stood up, draped his shawl over
one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and bowed down respectfully and
reverentially with his palms joined together in the direction of the Blessed
One. With these verses, he then asked the Blessed One about the meaning of
his smile:

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you whose face is stainless like the moon.

I ask you who radiates pure majesty.

I ask you who has the color of gold.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who has a sublime physical appearance.

I ask you who benefits beings.

I ask you who is worshiped by gods and men.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who is delighted by generosity and control.

I ask you who has pure discipline.

I ask you who possesses the power of patience and confers this power upon
others.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who possesses the power and strength of diligence.

I ask you who is delighted by concentration and higher perception.

I ask you whose insight is equal to space.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who always has a loving heart.

I ask you who is always compassionate.

I ask you who is delighted by joy and equanimity.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who brings an end to the three realms.

I ask you who possesses the three spotless eyes.

I ask you who teaches the ambrosia of the Dharma.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who eradicates demonic influences.

I ask you who subdues the evil hordes.

I ask you who sees the sacred truth.

“Well-Gone One, why do you smile?

I ask you who possesses the ten sacred powers.

I ask you who eliminates all doubts.

I ask you who is adorned with a thousand qualities.”

After venerable Ānanda had uttered those verses, the Blessed One
asked him, “Ānanda, did you see how the queens of the kinnara king Druma
have generated roots of merit in relation to me? Did you see how they
sincerely gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening,
and how they prostrated to my feet in order to leave behind their female
bodies and acquire male bodies?”

“Yes, Blessed One, I saw this.”

“Ānanda, by sincerely creating those roots of virtue, these
eighty-four thousand kinnara queens will, after they die, leave their female
bodies behind, acquire male bodies, and be reborn with the general fortune
of the gods of the Heaven of Joy. Once they are born there, they will,
together with the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, propagate the perfect
awakening of the blessed buddhas. When Maitreya achieves the awakening of a
thus-gone one, they will serve him and propagate his sacred Dharma. Then,
one after the other, they will serve all the thus-gone ones of this
excellent eon and propagate and uphold their sacred Dharma. They will
gradually perfect all the factors of awakening that are to be accomplished.
Then, when the kinnara king Druma awakens to unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood, they will be reborn in his buddha realm, and he will prophesy
their unsurpassed and perfect awakening.”

Then, the kinnara king Druma said, “Blessed One, Thus-Gone One, you
have performed the deeds of a buddha for us. You have closed all the paths
leading to the lower realms and cleared all the paths leading to the happy
destinies. You have placed us on the path to awakening. You have revealed to
us the treasure of the Dharma. You have established us at the level of
wisdom. You have caused all our roots of virtue to blaze forth. You have
taught us the different aspects of the perfections. You have taught us
skillful means. You have granted us the opportunity to embrace the mind set
on awakening. You have generated joy in us by proclaiming the Dharma. You
have encouraged us to develop joy, faith, and delight. You have inspired us
to rejoice in the acceptance of the profound Dharma. You have established us on
the level of irreversibility. We will always remember the kindness of the
Blessed One; we will never forget it! Blessed One, even with our own flesh
and blood, let alone anything else, we would never be able to repay the
Thus-Gone One’s kindness.”

At that moment, some bodhisattvas present in the assembly wondered,
“How long will it take the kinnara king Druma to awaken to unsurpassed and
perfect buddhahood? What will his name be? How large will his saṅgha of
bodhisattvas be? What will his wealth and possessions be like? What will his
array of beings and the array of qualities of his buddha realm be like?”

Knowing the thoughts of those bodhisattvas, the Blessed One smiled
and many hundreds of thousands of multicolored light rays radiated from his
mouth, illuminating as many buddha realms in each of the ten directions as
there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Those light rays allayed all the
suffering of all the beings in the lower realms and inspired the world with
its gods, humans, and demigods. The light rays then came back toward to the
Blessed One and circumambulated him a thousand times, before vanishing into
the top of his head. When he saw that smile of the Blessed One, which he had
never seen before, venerable Ānanda stood up, joined his palms together, and
prostrated to the Blessed One’s feet. He circumambulated him three times and
knelt on his right knee in front of him. Then, bowing down with his palms
joined together in the direction of the Blessed One, he uttered these
verses:

“The radiance of the Well-Gone One’s smile, which we have witnessed
today,

Has spread throughout countless millions of vast buddha realms in the ten
directions,

As numerous as the countless grains of sand in the Ganges;

I have never seen such a smile before!

“The radiance of the Lord of Humans

Has eclipsed the brilliance of Brahmā, the protectors of the world,

Gems, fire, the sun, and the moon.

Please explain to us the reason behind this smile!

“Great hero, for whom did you emit this light

That pacifies the three lower realms and perfects the branches of
awakening?

Dharma Lord, please eliminate our doubts!

Please remove all our uncertainty!

“As the entire assembly joyfully reflects on this,

For whom did you smile today?”

After he had offered those verses of praise to the Blessed One,
venerable Ānanda circumambulated him and sat down at his seat. The Blessed
One surveyed the ten directions with his elephant’s gaze and then said to
venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, did you see the manner, the greatness, and the
way in which the kinnara king Druma worshiped the Thus-Gone One?”

“Yes, Blessed One, I saw it. Well-Gone One, I saw it.”

“Ānanda, the kinnara king Druma will awaken to unsurpassed and
perfect buddhahood after sixty-eight billion eons, during the eon called
Ratnākara, in the universe called Candravimalā. He will appear in the world
as the Thus-Gone One, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha called
Guṇarājaprabhāsa. He will be learned and virtuous, a well-gone one, a
knower of the world, a charioteer who guides beings, an unsurpassed being, a
teacher of gods and humans, and a blessed buddha. Ānanda, that universe
called Candravimalā will be smooth like the palm of the hand
and made of white beryl. It will shine like the moon and be stainless,
immaculate, and devoid of any discoloration. This thus-gone one’s saṅgha of
bodhisattvas will be immeasurable, and all those bodhisattva great beings
will without exception have reached the state of irreversibility and the
inconceivable level of liberation. Those bodhisattvas will enjoy floating
mansions in the sky, and while residing there they will be able to see the
image of the Blessed One, the Thus-Gone One Guṇarājaprabhāsa reflected in
the ground made of white beryl. As soon as they see his image, they will
remember that all phenomena are similar to reflections, and whenever doubts
about the Dharma arise in their minds, they will pose questions to that
reflection of the Thus-Gone One. Their questions will then be answered by
that thus-gone one, thus satisfying their minds. Upon hearing the Dharma,
those bodhisattvas will reach acceptance of the unborn nature of phenomena.
Ānanda, in that universe there will be no villages, cities, towns,
provinces, countries, or royal palaces—all beings will live in such mansions
in the sky. In that buddha realm, even the word woman
will not be heard—all beings will be born miraculously from the hearts of
lotus flowers. Even the word food will not be
heard—everyone will feed on the joys derived from concentration and the
Dharma. Everyone will be firmly established within the Great Vehicle and
nowhere else. No one will adhere to wrong discipline, wrong views, wrong behavior, or
wrong livelihood. Everyone will be determined and strive for buddha
qualities. In that buddha realm there will be no demons or gods of the
demonic class, and there will be no non-Buddhist proponents such as carakas
and parivrājakas, no one who clings to conceptual views, and no opposing
factions. All beings will be marked by the seal of emptiness—the profound
domain. In that universe, with the exception of their mere names and titles,
there will be no difference between gods and humans; everyone will share the
same experience.

“Ānanda, the Blessed One, the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the
perfect Buddha Guṇarājaprabhāsa will remain for ten intermediate eons, to
bring benefit and happiness to many gods and humans. When the Blessed one,
the Thus-Gone One Guṇarājaprabhāsa eventually decides to pass into nirvāṇa,
he will prophesy, ‘After me, the bodhisattva great being Uttaptavīrya will
awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. He will be a thus-gone one, a
worthy one, a perfect buddha called Mahāvyūha. He will be learned and
virtuous, a well-gone one, a knower of the world, a charioteer who guides
beings, an unsurpassed being, a teacher of gods and humans, and a blessed
buddha.’ After making this prophecy about the bodhisattva Uttaptavīrya he
will then pass into nirvāṇa. Ānanda, during these intermediate eons,
beings will never be separated from the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and
the Saṅgha Jewel; this intermediate eon will therefore be called
Ratnasaṃpad.”

When the kinnara king Druma heard the prophecy of the Blessed One,
he became satisfied, cheerful, thrilled, and elated. With joy and happiness
filling his mind, through the force of this bodhisattva’s joy and delight,
he rose up into the air to a height of seven palm trees. Then, in order to
increase the faith of the entire retinue and to generate roots of virtue, he
uttered these verses through the power of the Buddha and his own insightful
eloquence:

“All phenomena are void and stainless—

They have the essential nature of space.

Those who understand this sacred key point

Will become the foremost children of the Sage.

“Just like dreams, all phenomena are completely beyond perception—

They are nonexistent, beyond apprehension, unreal, and empty.

Those who know that all phenomena are like dreams

Will not experience weariness in relation to conditioned things.

“The appearances of magically created

Horses, elephants, chariots, soldiers, and mounts

Are ultimately devoid of substance.

In the same way, the aggregates are insubstantial, like illusions.

“The Victor has said that forms have the nature of foam,

Feelings are similar to water bubbles,

Perceptions are like mirages,

And formations are hollow, like plantain trees.

“Likewise, he has said that the mental consciousness of the three
realms

Is unreal, like a magical illusion.

Those who know that forms are intrinsically empty

Will never experience weariness in relation to conditioned things.

“Those who know that the four elements are
similar to the realm of phenomena,

That the sense sources are like empty cities,

And that phenomena are unreal and empty

Are in possession of the Dharma treasure of the victorious ones.

“Those who, in order to completely tame themselves,

Engage in generosity, self-control, discipline, and pure training,

Those who always cultivate infinite patience with a noble attitude

And pursue emptiness with flawless diligence,

“Those who constantly remain in the state of concentration

And develop insight free from attachment

Without generating concepts—

They will gain mastery over the perfections.

“Impartial love based on selflessness,

Superior space-like compassion,

And joy and equanimity derived from peace:

That is the path of purity—it is always peaceful.

“The Guide has taught the extraordinary four means of attracting
disciples

In order to gain students.

Those who are free from grasping and conceptualization

Will perfect those means of attraction.

“Sentient beings are devoid of self, sentient being,

Life principle, individuality, and person,

And the six senses are empty and completely pacified;

Those who understand this are bodhisattvas.

“Sentient beings and bodhisattvas are nonexistent.

Sentient beings who understand that there is no self,

And who are free from thinking, duality, attachment,

And concepts, are glorious bodhisattvas.

“Like illusions, phenomena lack substance—

They do not come from or go anywhere.

The victorious ones see the mode of the realm of phenomena—

They are buddhas who are identical to suchness.

“Although phenomena are neither existent nor nonexistent,

They arise based on causes.

Thus, they are like lightning that vanishes in the sky as soon as it
appears;

One should understand that the thicket of the mind is also like that.

“The formless mind moves among conditioned things

Just as wind circulates through space without being caught on
anything.

Those who understand the pure nature of the mind

Will not develop formless afflictions.

“The body is made of inanimate matter and has no master,

Like walls, grass, leaves, stones, or wood.

Those who understand its nature in this way

Will not dwell on the qualities of the body.

“Like the wind, words can never be apprehended.

Sounds are void,

Like echoes resounding in mountains or caves;

Those who understand this will not be attached to any sounds.

“I remain here in the sky without falling—

It is not possible to fall out of space.

Those who meditate on the space-like nature of phenomena

Realize that beings share the same mode in being nonexistent.

“Even though burned for many hundreds of eons,

Space could never be consumed by fire;

Those who understand that all phenomena are like space

Will travel to hundreds of buddha realms during eons of fire.

“Those who know the space-like characteristic

Of all mountains, such as Mount Sumeru, the surrounding mountains,

And all the mountainous regions,

Will miraculously travel to millions of buddha realms.

“The heroes who comprehend that the four elements—

Earth, water, fire, and wind—

Are just like open space

Will travel through the sky to countless millions of realms.

“Even if one tried to describe their full scope for a hundred eons,

Using all the words and languages found in the three realms—

Anything fine, crude, and in-between—

It would not appear as the nature of what has been before; it is beyond
movement.

“Although being self-arisen is not the supreme mark,

It is distinguished in its nature by being a mental phenomenon.

Because thoughts and the mind are the same in being void,

And because all victors are equal in qualities, they are the same.

“The illustrious ones who understand the sameness of awakening

After having practiced bodhisattva conduct in their past lives

And gathered hundreds of thousands of virtues

Will receive a prophecy.

“All phenomena are pristine in their own domain;

Being infinite, they are the same as the domain of the victors.

Beings with excellent qualities who understand this sameness

Will receive a prophecy.

“Although I am beyond form, feeling, perception,

Formation, and consciousness,

I received a prophecy because I understand awakening—

I did not receive it because of my aggregates and elements.

“Acceptance is primordially peaceful—

It is not momentary and finite.

The Victor predicted that those who attain the peerless acceptance of the
unborn

Will become rulers of men.

“The nature of all phenomena and the self are the same—

The self is selfless and intrinsically empty.

Emptiness has the essential nature of space,

And awakening always has the nature of space.

“Since it is yet to be exhausted, exhaustion cannot be known;

Since the inexhaustible is exhausted, it will not be exhausted.

Through the gateway of exhaustion, all phenomena are unborn;

Thus the Buddha predicted those endowed with acceptance.”

“Being signless, there is no foundation for foundational engagements.

Ultimately, what is unconditioned is free from time.

It is uncreated, impervious to activity, and nonarisen;

The Victor prophesies in such a way.

“If I thought, ‘I will be prophesied,’

I would connect with the Dharma path in an uneven manner.

Not connecting with the Dharma by means of thinking and mind

Is the exalted way of connecting with the Dharma—the way of sameness and
equality.

“You are all sitting on the ground,

While I remain here in the middle of the sky.

Understand that the earth and the sky are the same,

Give up attachment to the three realms, and develop wisdom!”

After he had uttered those verses, the kinnara king Druma
descended from the sky, joined his palms together, prostrated to the Blessed
One, and said, “Blessed One, the Buddha has appeared for my sake. Why did he
do so? Because I have never engaged in bodhisattva conduct meaninglessly in
the past, and since I have not broken faith with my previous roots of merit,
the Blessed One has prophesied my unsurpassed and perfect awakening to
fulfill all my aspirations.”

At that moment, some bodhisattvas present in the assembly
wondered, “Under which thus-gone one, worthy one, perfect buddha did the
kinnara king Druma first give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and
perfect awakening?”

Knowing the thought that had arisen in the minds of those
bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva Divyamauli asked the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, what is the name of the thus-gone one under whom the kinnara king Druma
first gave rise to the mind set on awakening?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “In the past, countless eons
ago, so long ago that the amount of time cannot be measured or conceived,
during the eon called Viprasanna, a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a perfect
buddha appeared in the world, in the universe called Śubhā. He was learned
and virtuous, a well-gone one, a knower of the world, a charioteer who
guides beings, an unsurpassed being, a teacher of gods and humans, and a
blessed buddha known as Ratnaskandha. Noble son, at that time, the saṅgha of
bodhisattvas of the Thus-Gone One, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha
Ratnaskandha counted six hundred million members. They were all diligent,
they had all reached acceptance, all of them had attained irreversible
progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and their lifespan
stretched over six hundred million years. That universe, Śubhā, was made of
beryl and adorned with all possible types of ornaments. Just as in the
divine abode of the Heaven of Joy, that realm had all the most sublime
features, and all houses, possessions, pleasures, food, and beverages
manifested just by thinking of them. In that buddha realm, everyone without
exception was settled within the Great Vehicle and nowhere else.

“Noble son, at that time, a universal monarch called Nimiṃdhara,
who ruled over the four continents and was endowed with the seven precious
attributes, appeared in the world. He had forty thousand queens, and one
thousand sons that were all brave, courageous, and possessed the most
handsome physiques and the power to overcome their opponents. Noble son, the
king Nimiṃdhara worshiped the Thus-Gone One Ratnaskandha in a boundless
manner, revering him and his six hundred million bodhisattvas for ten
million years with offerings of beautiful Dharma robes, food, bedding,
medicine, provisions, and every other type of pleasing article. Supported by
those roots of virtue, he gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and
perfect awakening together with his forty thousand women, one thousand sons, and
eighty-four thousand other beings. Then, they venerated the Blessed One, the
Thus-Gone One Ratnaskandha, for ten million years. Later on, when his eldest
son named Vratapariśuddha was enthroned, he relinquished his kingdom, shaved
his head and cut his beard, put on the saffron-colored Dharma robes, and
with trust went forth from the household into homelessness under that
blessed one’s teaching. Then, as each prince following in the line of
succession became enthroned, the elder sons followed the example of their
father and went forth, one after the other. Noble son, such was the length
of the Thus-Gone One’s lifespan. After all those princes had gone forth
under that thus-gone one, they enthroned the youngest son named Karuṇāmati
to govern the kingdom leniently in accordance with the Dharma, without using
any weapons. Noble son, in that way, the king Nimiṃdhara and his sons went forth under
the teachings of that blessed one and, during the beginning, the middle, and
the end of their lives, they always upheld the sacred Dharma of the
Thus-Gone One Ratnaskandha.

“Noble son, at that time, the kinnara king Druma was born as the
king Nimiṃdhara—that universal monarch ruling over the four continents.
Noble son, do not be skeptical, do not have any hesitation or doubts about
that fact, thinking that this was someone else. All those princes are now
practicing bodhisattva conduct in the ten directions. Noble son, the kinnara
king Druma thus gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect
awakening under the Blessed One, the Thus-Gone One Ratnaskandha. From the
moment he gave rise to the mind set upon unsurpassed and perfect awakening
up until today, he has met buddhas, listened to the Dharma, and revered the
Saṅgha without interruption. For this reason, since he has swiftly and
genuinely accomplished the accumulations for perfect awakening, I have
prophesied today that, in the future, he will become the Thus-Gone One, the
worthy one, the perfect Buddha called Guṇarājaprabhāsa.”

At that moment, the bodhisattva great being Divyamauli exclaimed,
“Blessed One, you possess the unimpeded wisdom of the thus-gone ones, the
worthy ones, the perfect buddhas. Although those roots of virtue were formed
a long time ago, you perceive this through your unobscured wisdom. This is
amazing!”

“Thus it is, noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “as you have
said, the Thus-Gone One, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha possesses
unimpeded wisdom vision. Why is that so? Because, noble son, the Thus-Gone
One clearly knows the exhaustion, cessation, separation, and transformation
of the past mindstreams of all
beings; he knows from which causes their mindstreams emerged and the absence
of causes through which they became exhausted, as well as all their
virtuous, nonvirtuous, specified, and unspecified mental states with all
their features, foundations, and circumstances. The Thus-Gone One clearly
knows the present mindstreams of all beings and all the virtuous,
nonvirtuous, specified, and unspecified mental states that arise in them; he
knows the sequence of all those mental states with all their features,
foundations, and circumstances. The Thus-Gone One clearly knows the future
mindstreams of all sentient beings and all the virtuous, nonvirtuous,
specified, and unspecified mental states that will arise in them; he knows
the sequence of all those mental states with all their features,
foundations, and circumstances. Noble son, this is how the Thus-Gone One,
the worthy one, the perfect Buddha possesses unimpeded wisdom vision.”

When this teaching on the unimpeded wisdom of the Thus-Gone One
was expounded, three hundred thousand beings gave rise to the mind set on
unsurpassed and perfect awakening.

Then, after the kinnara king Druma had revered the Blessed One and
his saṅghas of bodhisattvas and hearers for seven days by offering them all
types of pleasing articles, he offered his own home and courtyard to
the Blessed One for his use and said, “Blessed One, please always come and
stay in this place out of love for me! By doing so, you will assist and
bring happiness to many beings, you will show your love for the world, you
will benefit a huge number of beings, and you will bring benefit and
happiness to the kinnaras, the gandharvas, and the mahoragas.”

Then, the son of the kinnara king Druma called Vimalanetra offered
a net of precious gems to the Blessed One and made this request: “Blessed
One, although we, the kinnaras, are on the path to unsurpassed and perfect
awakening, we remain strongly attached to our music and the tunes of our
instruments, as well as to song and dance, and we carelessly enjoy and
frolic with flowers, perfumes, incense, ointments, and powders. Blessed One,
please grant us the instruction on the gateway of the seal of the precious
Dharma, so that we may develop carefulness and accomplish the factors of
awakening!”

The Blessed One replied to the kinnara prince Vimalanetra, “Good
man, I will bless you so that, from now on, sixty-four factors that will
ripen you for awakening will manifest from the tunes of your instruments and
your songs. What are those sixty-four? They are ⁽¹⁾ the sound of
impermanence, ⁽²⁾ the sound of suffering, ⁽³⁾ the sound of selflessness, ⁽⁴⁾
the sound of peace, ⁽⁵⁾ the sound of the absence of formation, ⁽⁶⁾ the sound
of detachment, ⁽⁷⁾ the sound of the absence of arising, ⁽⁸⁾ the sound of
insubstantiality, ⁽⁹⁾ the sound of the absence of origination, ⁽¹⁰⁾ the
sound of the absence of abiding, ⁽¹¹⁾ the sound of reality, ⁽¹²⁾ the sound
of the limit of reality, ⁽¹³⁾ the sound of the realm of phenomena, ⁽¹⁴⁾ the
sound of the absence of a sentient being, ⁽¹⁵⁾ the sound of the absence of a
life principle, ⁽¹⁶⁾ the sound of the absence of a person, ⁽¹⁷⁾ the sound of
generosity, ⁽¹⁸⁾ the sound of discipline, ⁽¹⁹⁾ the sound of patience, ⁽²⁰⁾
the sound of diligence, ⁽²¹⁾ the sound of concentration, ⁽²²⁾ the sound of
insight, ⁽²³⁾ the sound of love, ⁽²⁴⁾ the sound of compassion, ⁽²⁵⁾ the
sound of joy, ⁽²⁶⁾ the sound of equanimity, ⁽²⁷⁾ the sound of the absence of
coming, ⁽²⁸⁾ the sound of the absence of going, ⁽²⁹⁾ the sound of the
absence of movement, ⁽³⁰⁾ the sound of groundlessness, ⁽³¹⁾ the sound of
baselessness, ⁽³²⁾ the sound of emptiness, ⁽³³⁾ the sound of the absence of
marks, ⁽³⁴⁾ the sound of the absence of wishes, ⁽³⁵⁾ the sound of the
freedom from desire, ⁽³⁶⁾ the sound of the absence of manifestation, ⁽³⁷⁾
the sound of reliance, ⁽³⁸⁾ the sound of nonreliance, ⁽³⁹⁾ the sound of the
Buddha, ⁽⁴⁰⁾ the sound of the Dharma, ⁽⁴¹⁾ the sound of the Saṅgha, ⁽⁴²⁾ the
sound of boundless awakening, ⁽⁴³⁾ the sound of the applications of
mindfulness, ⁽⁴⁴⁾ the sound of the true relinquishments, ⁽⁴⁵⁾ the sound of
the bases of miraculous display, ⁽⁴⁶⁾ the sound of the strengths, ⁽⁴⁷⁾ the
sound of the powers, ⁽⁴⁸⁾ the sound of the branches of awakening, ⁽⁴⁹⁾ the
sound of the path, ⁽⁵⁰⁾ the sound of tranquility, ⁽⁵¹⁾ the sound of special
insight, ⁽⁵²⁾ the sound of methods, ⁽⁵³⁾ the sound of the means to attract
disciples, ⁽⁵⁴⁾ the sound of the maturation of beings, ⁽⁵⁵⁾ the sound of the
subjugation of Māra, ⁽⁵⁶⁾ the sound of the embrace of the sacred Dharma,
⁽⁵⁷⁾ the sound of all phenomena being like illusions, dreams, reflections,
reflections of the moon in water, and echoes, ⁽⁵⁸⁾ the sound of the
unadulterated realm of phenomena, ⁽⁵⁹⁾ the sound of not being weary with
saṃsāra, ⁽⁶⁰⁾ the sound of manifestation, ⁽⁶¹⁾ the sound of the accumulation
of all roots of virtue, ⁽⁶²⁾ the sound of foam, water bubbles, mirages,
plantain trees, illusion, and insubstantiality, ⁽⁶³⁾ the sound of actions
that accord with one’s words, and ⁽⁶⁴⁾ the sound of accomplishing the
Dharma. Good man, those are the sounds that will manifest from the
instruments and songs through the power of the Buddha, causing you to
carefully accomplish the factors of awakening.”

Amazed, the entire retinue prostrated to the Blessed One and
exclaimed, “Blessed One, the way the blessed buddhas grant their blessings
toward awakening, the way they teach the Dharma, and the way the Thus-Gone
One looks after the bodhisattvas is amazing!”

“Very well said, my friends,” replied the Blessed One, “the
Thus-Gone One looks after the bodhisattvas. Why is that so? Because, by
looking after the bodhisattvas, he looks after all beings. Friends, when the
Thus-Gone One looks after the bodhisattvas, that accomplishes the benefit of
all beings. It is for the sake of all beings that bodhisattvas put on the
great armor with which they can lead a countless and limitless number of
beings away from cyclic existence to the transcendence of suffering.
Friends, in this manner you should understand that, whether I am still alive
or have passed beyond suffering, those who look after the bodhisattvas are
looking after all beings. Friends, those who serve the bodhisattvas by
offering them Dharma robes, alms, bedding, medicine, and provisions serve
all beings. Friends, those who provide pleasing articles to the bodhisattvas
provide pleasing articles to all beings. Why is that? Friends, it is because
even the mere breathing of bodhisattvas is done out of great
compassion for all beings. They look after all beings for the sake of their
benefit and happiness.”