Toh 503The Noble Great Vehicle Discourse “The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone Ones”

Summary

The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone
Ones opens in Vaiśālī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni is seated with a saṅgha of eight
thousand monks, thirty-six thousand bodhisattvas, and a large gathering of gods, spirit beings, and
humans. As Śākyamuni concludes his teaching, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī rises from his seat and
requests that the Buddha give a Dharma teaching that will benefit all the human and nonhuman beings
who are present in the assembly. Specifically, he asks Śākyamuni to teach them about the previous aspirations of seven buddhas, their buddhafields, and the benefits that those buddhas can bring to beings who
live in the final five hundred years, when the holy Dharma is on the verge of disappearing. Śākyamuni agrees to this request and proceeds to give a detailed account of the previous aspirations of those seven buddhas to
benefit beings who are veiled by karmic obscurations, tormented by illnesses, and plagued by mental
anguish and suffering.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Adam Krug and checked against the Tibetan and
edited by Andreas Doctor and the 84000 editorial team. Benjamin Nourse contributed to the
introduction with his research on the popularity of the Tibetan textual traditions devoted to the
seven thus-gone ones in Tibet and China.

The generous sponsorship of May, George, Likai and Lillian Gu, which helped make the work on
this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the Seven
Thus-Gone Ones opens in Vaiśālī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni is seated with a saṅgha of
eight thousand monks, thirty-six thousand bodhisattvas, and a large gathering of gods, spirit
beings, and humans. As Śākyamuni concludes his teaching, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī rises from his
seat and requests that the Buddha give a Dharma teaching that will benefit all the human and
nonhuman beings who are present in the assembly, and he asks Śākyamuni to teach them about the
previous aspirations of the seven thus-gone ones, their buddhafields, and the benefits that they can
bring to beings who live in the final five hundred years, when the holy Dharma is nearly gone.
Śākyamuni then declares that he will give a detailed account of the previous aspirations of those
seven thus-gone ones to benefit beings who are veiled by karmic obscurations, tormented by
illnesses, and plagued by mental anguish and suffering. The medical applications of the text are
thus made explicit in its introduction, though of course the ends to which the text may be used
surpass its medical applications in curing illness and protecting devotees from demonic possession.

Each of the seven thus-gone ones is said to dwell in the East in his own buddhafield, where
each one lives and teaches the Dharma. The names of the seven thus-gone ones and their buddhafields
are as follows:

1. Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja; Unconquered

2. Kuśalatejonirghoṣarāja; Abounding in Jewels

3. Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsavratasiddhi; Heaped with Jewels and Full of
Perfume

4. Aśokottamaśrī; Without Anguish

5. Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa; Victory Banner of the Dharma

6. Dharmasāgarāgramativikrīḍitābhijñārāja; Standing in an Ocean of
Jewels

7. Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha; Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa

In response to Mañjuśrī’s request, Śākyamuni proceeds to enumerate the aspirations that
each of these thus-gone ones made when they first generated the mind of awakening and the qualities of
the buddhafield that each of them generated upon attaining perfect buddhahood. The material in the
first section (Tib. bam po) of the text contains
the previous aspirations of the first six thus-gone ones, while the material in the second section
of the text opens with a discourse on the previous aspirations of the Thus-Gone One
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha, commonly known as the “Medicine Buddha” (Tib. sangs rgyas sman bla) that is nearly identical to the
shorter sūtra that bears his name and that follows in the Kangyur, Toh 504.

When Śākyamuni’s detailed account of the previous aspirations of the seven thus-gone ones
is complete, Mañjuśrī responds by vowing to proclaim the text in the future and provides a short set
of instructions on how to worship the text. Śākyamuni then turns to his disciple Ānanda and asks if
he has any doubts or reservations about the skillful means of the seven thus-gone ones. Ānanda
assures Śākyamuni that he does not doubt what he has heard, but then suggests that other beings
might. The Buddha then assures Ānanda, and by extension anyone who might read this sūtra, that it is
impossible for anyone who has heard the name Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha to be reborn in the lower
realms.

The text continues with material also found in the shorter sūtra, Toh 504, where we find a set of instructions from the bodhisattva Trāṇamukta on how making
offerings to Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha can interrupt the death process and call a dying person’s
consciousness back to their body. Trāṇamukta outlines a ritual that is performed over a
forty-nine-day period that begins with observing the eightfold purification vows, providing support
for the offering rite to the monastic saṅgha, and contemplating Bhaiṣajyaguru’s name three times
each day and three times each night. Then, presumably, the monastic saṅgha members that one has
supplied with provisions for the offering rite recite the text forty-nine times and offer oil lamps
to seven statues of Bhaiṣajyaguru for a forty-nine-day period. Trāṇamukta notes that kings can also
perform this rite to avert disaster and ensure the happiness of the kingdom. He concludes his
instructions with a brief enumeration of nine types of untimely death, assuring Ānanda that the
problem of untimely death is precisely the reason that Śākyamuni has taught the use of mantras and
medicines. This part of the text concludes with the vow of the twelve great yakṣa generals, who make a commitment to protect anyone
who bears the name of Bhaiṣajyaguru or supports his worship. The vow of the twelve yakṣa generals marks the end of the portion of this text
that corresponds to the material found in the shorter sūtra, Toh 504.

A number of gods in the assembly then begin to wonder how simply hearing the names of these
buddhas, who, after all, live in buddhafields that are inconceivably far away from our own Sahā
world, could really allow beings to develop such good qualities. In response to their skepticism,
Śākyamuni enters into a state of absorption that summons the seven thus-gone ones before the
assembly. Amazed, the gods make offerings to the seven thus-gone ones and set forth their aspiration
that all beings might attain this absorption and be able to actually see them, just as they have.
Mañjuśrī then asks the seven thus-gone ones to teach a dhāraṇī that can overcome illnesses and
protect beings from those with ill intentions, planetary influences, lunar asterisms, death,
enemies, and wild animals, and that can fulfill all beings’ wishes. The seven thus-gone ones recite
their dhāraṇī and provide a description of the recitation ritual and the benefits of performing it.
This is followed by a dhāraṇī given by Vajrapāṇi, Śakra, and the Four Great Kings, as well as
another dhāraṇī pronounced by Vajrapāṇi alone.

Finally, the text concludes with Ānanda asking Śākyamuni what title this discourse should
bear. Śākyamuni responds by providing the following four titles:

1. The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the
Seven Thus-Gone, Worthy, and Perfect Buddhas

2. The Bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi’s Vow

3. Purifying All Karmic Obscurations and Fulfilling All
Hopes

4. The Vows of the Twelve Great Yakṣa
Generals

There is no known Sanskrit edition or manuscript of this version of the sūtra, but a large
portion of the text is almost identical with the shorter sūtra, Toh 504,
which survives in three Sanskrit editions edited and compiled from the cache of Buddhist Sanskrit
manuscripts excavated from a stūpa in Gilgit in the early twentieth century. Gregory Schopen notes
that at least five manuscripts of this text were found among the Gilgit collection, and that there were at least two distinct
recensions of the text circulating in Gilgit during the fifth and sixth centuries. Even earlier evidence of the existence of the
shorter sūtra comes in the form of a Chinese translation very similar to the later versions of the
shorter text, included as the twelfth and final fascicle of a longer work (Taishō 1331) translated
by Śrīmitra in the early fourth century ᴄᴇ. A Chinese
translation of the present, seven tathāgata form of the sūtra (Taishō 451) was made in 707 CE by
Yijing.

Some substantial passages from the Bhaiṣajyagurusūtra in
Sanskrit have also survived as several citations in Śāntideva’s (685–783 ce) Śikṣāsamuccaya,
indicating that the text continued to be well known in the Buddhist heartland of India in the eighth
century ce.

The exact relationship between Toh 503 and Toh 504 remains unclear. In his brief study of traditions associated with Bhaiṣajyaguru,
Leonard Zwilling argues that Toh 504 was enlarged into Toh 503, stating that the vows of the other
six thus-gone ones “by and large, duplicate those of Bhaiṣajyaguru, and their Buddha-fields are
merely named [and] lack any sufficiently distinctive individuating characteristics.” As readers can see for themselves in this translation, this does not
seem to be the case, at least with respect to the Tibetan translation of the text. The aspirations
of each of the seven thus-gone ones differ in both number and content, the descriptions of each of
the buddhafields contain notable differences, and none of the aspirations and buddhafields of the
six buddhas that precede Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha appear to duplicate his aspirations and the
description of his buddhafield. In addition, the role of hearing and reciting the names of these
buddhas receives far greater emphasis in the aspirations of the first six buddhas than it does in
the account of Bhaiṣajyaguru’s twelve aspirations. Judging from the syntax, word choices, and
organization of the presentation of Bhaiṣajyaguru’s aspirations, it is quite possible that Toh 504
was an independent text that was at some point incorporated into Toh 503. However, analyzing the
first section of the text using these same criteria also suggests the possibility that the
aspirations of the first six buddhas in Toh 503 represent a compilation of several independent texts
containing bodhisattva “aspirations.” The text itself hints at its own eclectic origins in its
conclusion, where Śākyamuni provides four separate titles for the work that each refer to separate
sections of the text.

The translators’ colophon to the Tibetan translation of Toh 503 tells
us that the text was translated by three ninth-century Indian preceptors—Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and
Śīlendrabodhi—in conjunction with Bandé Yeshé Dé (mid-eighth to early ninth century), placing the
date for its initial translation into Tibetan in the early ninth century. This date is confirmed by
the text’s appearance in both the Denkarma and Phangthangma royal Tibetan
catalogs of translated works. Although both royal Tibetan catalogs indicate that this text was
originally classified as a sūtra, Butön lists it in different works as both a sūtra and a
tantra, and in all Kangyurs it is placed with the tantras of the
Action (kriyā) class. In the Degé Kangyur the cycle
of four works related to the Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha, with this as the first, is
presented among the Action Tantras related to the principal figure of the tathāgata family (de bzhin gshegs pa’i rigs kyi gtso bo).

Inspired by certain passages in the sūtra that describe the worship of the seven thus-gone
ones, as well as by the sūtra as a whole, a number of commentaries have detailed how one might
actually perform the rites they contain. The earliest examples of these liturgical commentaries in
Tibet are now found in the Tengyur, where they are attributed to one “Bodhisattva,” commonly taken
as the famous Indian abbot and scholar Śāntarakṣita (Tib. zhi
ba ’tsho, eighth century), who composed them for the Tibetan emperor Tri Songdetsen
(Tib. khri srong lde btsan, 742–97). Since that time,
rituals associated with the sūtra have been especially esteemed by political leaders not only in
Tibet but in Mongolia and China as well, probably due to the promises within the text that whoever
offers worship to the seven thus-gone ones will have an abundance of prosperity and health.

The sūtra and the rituals surrounding it became popular at the Yuan court, and members of
the court sponsored the sūtra’s publication in a wood-block edition. Śāntarakṣita’s liturgical adaptations of the sūtra were translated into Chinese by
a disciple of Chögyal Pakpa (Pakpa Lodrö Gyaltsen, ’phags pa
blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235–80), the Sakya hierarch who served as national preceptor
to Qublai Khan. Rituals of
worship based on the sūtra were performed regularly in the Yuan capital Dadu (present-day Beijing).
In the same period, Chim Namkha Drak (Tib. mchims nam mkha’
grags, 1210–85) wrote a short liturgy for the sūtra titled A
Method for Accomplishing the Worship of the Seven Thus-Gone Ones (de bzhin gshegs pa bdun gyi mchod pa ji ltar bsgrub pa’i tshul). These
liturgies continued to be popular over the ensuing centuries, and liturgies were written by
prominent figures within every major school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Two seventeenth-century liturgies based on the sūtra were written by Panchen Lobsang Chökyi
Gyaltsen (Tib. blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan,
1570–1662) and the Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (Tib. ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617–82). Both were used in the
liturgical practices of a number of the new and expanding Gelukpa (Tib. dge lugs pa) institutions that sprang up in the wake of the Gelukpa rise
to political prominence with the founding of the Dalai Lama’s Ganden Podrang government in 1642.
They also became popular among the Qing dynasty elite. Prince Yunli (1697–1738, known in Tibetan as
Kengsé Chinwang), one of the sons of the Kangxi emperor (1654–1722), published the sūtra in Tibetan
and in Mongolian translation in Beijing. The Panchen Lama’s and Dalai Lama’s liturgies were published in several
editions in Beijing and were performed at temples throughout the capital, a practice that continued
through the early twentieth century.

This translation is based on the Tibetan translation from the Tantra Section in the Degé
Kangyur, in consultation with the Tibetan translations in the Stok Palace Kangyur and the
Comparative Kangyur (Tib. dpe bsdur ma). The
section of the text that includes the Tibetan translation of the Bhaiṣajyagurusūtra was also checked against the Sanskrit editions of the Gilgit
manuscripts prepared by Dutt, Vaidya, and Schopen. The names of the seven thus-gone ones are
critical to many of the practices outlined in this work, but unfortunately Sanskrit equivalents are
only attested for two of them: Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha and Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja. The Sanskrit names provided in
this translation for the other five thus-gone ones follow the back-translations provided by Ronald
M. Davidson, Lokesh Candra, and Sushama Lohia.

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Discourse

The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone

Ones

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was wandering through the provinces and
came to Vaiśālī. There in Vaiśālī, at the base of the musical tree, he was
accompanied by a great saṅgha of eight thousand monks and thirty-six thousand bodhisattvas,
including the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva great being Mahāmati, the
bodhisattva great being Maitreya, the bodhisattva great being Pratibhākūṭa, the bodhisattva
great being Amoghavikrāmin, the bodhisattva great being Sudarśana, the bodhisattva great being
Sarvatamondhakāravidhamanamati, the bodhisattva great being Well-Intentioned Thought, the
bodhisattva great being Merukūṭa, the bodhisattva great being Gadgadasvara, the bodhisattva
great being King Who Holds Great Meru’s Peak, and the bodhisattva great being Vajrapāṇi. He was
surrounded and accompanied by all manner of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, kings, ministers, brahmins, kṣatriyas, and householders.

The Blessed One was giving a Dharma teaching that was virtuous at the beginning,
virtuous in the middle, and virtuous at the end, excellent in meaning, and beautiful in
expression. His Dharma talk satisfied beings, made them perfectly happy, and established them in
the awakening of a buddha.

Then the bodhisattva great being and Dharma prince Mañjuśrī rose from his seat,
adjusted his upper robe on one shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, bowed to the
Blessed One with his palms together, and made this request to the Blessed One:

“Blessed One, since many gods, nāgas,
yakṣas, rākṣasas, garuḍas,
kinnaras, mahoragas, ascetics, brahmins, kings, ministers, householders, human,
and nonhuman beings have gathered and are present to hear the Dharma, may the Blessed One have
mercy on us. Please teach the names of those thus-gone ones who, simply by hearing them, cause
all beings to no longer regress on the path to unsurpassed and perfect awakening, who purify
and utterly exhaust all their misdeeds and karmic obscurations, and that cause them to no longer
be crushed by Māra, the wicked one. Please teach the detailed account of the previous aspirations
they made and describe the abodes of their buddhafields with their arrays of good qualities.

“Blessed One, since there is nothing that the thus-gone ones do not see, hear, or know,
they comprehend as many billions of eons as there are grains of sand in the Gaṅgā river just
like the events of today or tomorrow. Since that is the case, and since you explain and
correctly teach how these thus-gone ones first generated the mind of awakening, what their
previous aspirations were, and what the arrays of good qualities are in the buddhafields related
to these thus-gone ones are,
Blessed One, in order to support all beings in the future during the final five hundred years
when the counterfeit holy Dharma has appeared, will the Blessed One please explain the great
skillful means of the thus-gone ones and give a detailed account of their previous
aspirations?”

With a voice as melodious as the cuckoo’s song, the blessed Thus-Gone One complimented
Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, saying, “Very good, Mañjuśrī, very good. Mañjuśrī, you are a compassionate
being. Mañjuśrī, it is good that the boundless compassion you have generated has led you to make
this request to benefit all beings, and so that those gods and humans who are veiled by the
various karmic obscurations, whose bodies are tormented by various illnesses, and who are
oppressed by various types of mental anguish and suffering might be benefited, helped, and
comforted. Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One’s blessing has engendered this eloquent request of yours.
So listen well and keep in mind what I say, Mañjuśrī, and I shall explain.”

“Yes, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.

“Mañjuśrī,” the Blessed One said, “to the east of this buddhafield, past as many buddhafields as there are grains of sand in
the Gaṅgā river, the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja lives
in the world Unconquered, accompanied by billions of bodhisattva attendants. There he lives,
resides, and teaches the Dharma.

“Mañjuśrī, the buddhafield of the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha
Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja is utterly pure. It measures many hundreds of thousands of leagues across. It
is flat like the palm of one’s hand. There are no lower realms of rebirth or cries of suffering.
There is no such thing as the female gender. There are no thorny plants and no steep cliffs.
There are no mountains, boulders, rocks, or pebbles. The ground is soft and pleasing to the
touch. It has a divine fragrance, and its divine jeweled trees are decorated with flowers and
fruit. It is adorned with a jeweled lion throne. The bodhisattvas there have attained the stage
of nonregression. It is beautified by pools ornamented with gold from the Jambū river, gems, and
pearls. Mañjuśrī, all the bodhisattvas in that world take a miraculous birth in which they
emerge from a lotus made of the seven precious substances. Thus, a faithful son or daughter of
good family should aspire to be born in that buddhafield.

“Mañjuśrī, from the moment that the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha
Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja first generated the mind of awakening and while he was practicing
bodhisattva conduct, he continually proclaimed the following eight great aspirations:

“His first great aspiration was, ‘In the future, when I have become a perfect buddha
who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any beings whose bodies
are tormented by various illnesses and who are oppressed by fevers, kṛtyas, kākhordas,
vetālas, and other terrors to have all
their illnesses pacified when they bear my name in mind and recite my name seven times. May they
be free from fevers and the demonic influences of wicked beings for as long as it takes them to
attain awakening, and may all these things be pacified.’

“For his second great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who are blind, deaf, mentally ill, leprous, and affected by acute illness to have fully
functional sense faculties for as long as it takes them to attain awakening when they bear my
name in mind and recite my name seven times. May all their suffering and illnesses cease.’

“For his third great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who are veiled by desire, hatred, and delusion—who commit the five inexpiable acts,
abound in improper behavior, forsake the holy Dharma, commit various sinful and nonvirtuous
actions, and then proceed to the three lower realms and the hell realms where they are born in
the Great Hell and experience intense pain—to purify and exhaust all their obscurations brought
on by actions such as the five inexpiable acts and the like when they bear my name in mind and
mentally recite my name seven times. May they not be reborn in the hell realms and in the lower
realms for as long as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed
and perfect awakening. May they experience the divine happiness of the god realms and the
happiness of the human realm.’

“For his fourth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who are impoverished and who do not have food, drink, clothes, money, grain, bedding,
incense, garlands, ornaments, and belongings to have an abundance of riches, clothes, money, grain,
bedding, incense, garlands, ornaments, and belongings for as long as it takes them to attain
awakening when they bear my name in mind and mentally recite my name seven times.’

“For his fifth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power free any
beings who are bound, beaten, or tortured, and whose bodies are tormented by various types of
weapons from all manner of bondage and beatings for as long as it takes them to attain awakening
when they bear my name in mind and mentally recite my name seven times.’

“For his sixth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who are vulnerable, whose bodies are burned by a blazing fire, who encounter lions,
tigers, bears, hyenas, and poisonous snakes, whose lives are endangered, who are rendered
defenseless by terror, and who weep and wail, to have any fire that might burn their bodies
extinguished. May it render those lions, tigers, bears, hyenas, and poisonous snakes benevolent,
and may it lead those beings to live in peaceful places without fear for as long as it takes
them to attain awakening when they bear my name in mind and mentally recite my name seven
times.’

“For his seventh great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who fight quarrel, argue,
and dispute with one another and who are terrified and anxious, to cease all fighting,
quarreling, arguing, and disputing one another and be loving toward one another for as long as
it takes them to attain awakening when they bear my name in mind and mentally recite my name
seven times.’

“For his eighth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power comfort any
beings who have embarked on a sea voyage, boarded a ship, and traveled out of sight of land, who
value their lives, who have ended up in the middle of a great river or an ocean, and who weep
and wail as they cross great rivers, and may they have nothing to fear as they complete their
journeys for as long as it takes them to attain awakening when they bear my name in mind and
mentally recite my name seven times.’

“Mañjuśrī, those are the eight great aspirations that were proclaimed by the blessed
Thus-Gone One Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja. That is why, Mañjuśrī, even in one hundred years,
no one but the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddhas and the bodhisattvas dwelling on the ten
levels—not even the hearers and solitary buddhas—could describe the aspirations, powerful states
of absorption, actions to ripen beings, bodhisattva conduct, worship and service to the
thus-gone ones, emanations, purification of buddhafields, and bodhisattva attendants that the
blessed Thus-Gone One Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja has brought forth ever since he first
generated the mind of awakening.

“Mañjuśrī, that is why faithful sons and daughters of good family, kings, ministers,
and householders who pursue good qualities should bear the name of that thus-gone one in mind
and recite it in order to be free from all manner of hatred and afflictions. If they are devout
and make offerings to that thus-gone one, all their misdeeds, all their karmic obscurations, and
all their illnesses will be completely pacified. All their hopes will be fulfilled, and they
will not regress on the path to the awakening of a buddha.

“Mañjuśrī, to the east of this buddhafield, past as many
buddhafields as there are grains of sand in seven Gaṅgā rivers, the thus-gone, worthy, and
perfect Buddha Kuśalatejonirghoṣarāja, who is adorned with a precious jewel, a moon, and a
lotus, lives in the world Abounding in Jewels. There he lives,
resides, and teaches the Dharma, teaching only the instructions of the Great Vehicle to
bodhisattvas.

“Mañjuśrī, long ago, when that thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha was practicing
bodhisattva conduct, he made the following eight great aspirations:

“For his first great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, when beings bear in mind and
mentally recite my name, may my power cause any who delight in agricultural work and
commerce, who deviate from virtuous qualities due to their many distractions, who lose their
focus on the mind of awakening, who do not attain freedom from the sufferings of cyclic
existence, and who each experience their own particular saṃsāric sufferings—growing old, getting
sick, dying, experiencing mental anguish, wailing, suffering, and being unhappy and disturbed—to obtain an
abundance of clothing, food, drink, wealth, property, money, grain, riches, and gold, as soon as
they wish for as long as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed
and perfect awakening. May these virtuous qualities allow them to prosper. May their thoughts
never stray from the mind of awakening. May they be liberated from all the suffering of the
three lower rebirths and the hell realms.’

“For that blessed one’s second great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I
have become a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power
cause any beings in this great trichiliocosm that are born from an egg, born from a womb, born
from heat and moisture, or miraculously born, whose bodies are tormented by cold, heat, hunger,
and thirst and afflicted by pain, to hear my name. When they recollect and recite my name, may
they purify the karmic obscurations from their previous lives. May that be their final rebirth.
May they be free from all manner of painful rebirth for as long as it takes to become perfect
buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed and perfect awakening. May they experience the joy of a
god in the god realms.’

“For his third great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
women in this great trichiliocosm whose bodies are full of all sorts of miserable afflictions,
who dislike the condition of
being a woman, and who suffer pain when they give birth, to hear my name. When they recollect and
recite my name, may they bring an end to all these agonies and all their suffering. May that be
their final rebirth. May they be reborn as men for as long as it takes them to attain
awakening.’

“For his fourth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who are threatened by death, enemies, and the wilderness; whose parents, sisters,
friends, and kin each also experience mental anguish; and whose bodies are pierced by the thorn
of suffering and mental anguish, to hear my name. When they hear and recite my name, may all
threats related to death, enemies, and the wilderness be pacified, and may they be free from
mental anguish and suffering for as long as it takes them to attain awakening.’

“For his fifth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who wander in the thick darkness of night engaged in various tasks who are tormented by
various types of evil spirits and who cry out in fear, to no longer experience any such darkness
for as long as it takes them to attain awakening when they bear my name in mind and mentally
recite my name. May all the evil spirits become benevolent, and may they redirect their efforts
toward various forms of worship and service.’

“For his sixth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who have inferior aspirations and who are of little intelligence, have dull memories, and
have lost all recollection of the virtuous qualities, powers, aspects of awakening, absorptions,
and methods of retention, as well as of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, to actualize the
absorptions, mindfulnesses, powers, aspects of awakening, and methods of retention for as long
as it takes them to attain awakening when they bear my name in mind and mentally recite my name. May
they pursue great insight.’

“For his seventh great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, when beings bear my name in
mind and mentally recite my name, may my power cause any who have inferior aspirations,
who develop interest in the vehicle of hearers and solitary buddhas and remain in one of those
vehicles, and who thus turn their backs on unsurpassed and perfect awakening, to not regress on
the path to unsurpassed and perfect awakening for as long as it takes them to become perfect
buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed and perfect awakening. May they turn their backs on the
vehicles of the hearers and solitary buddhas, and may their thoughts never stray from the mind
of awakening.’

“For his eighth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, when Jambudvīpa is set
ablaze at the dissolution of the great eon and is engulfed in ravenous flames, may my power cause
any beings who weep, experience mental anguish, and experience the suffering caused by their previous
nonvirtuous actions, and who have no refuge or protector, to be free from all suffering and mental
anguish. May they be cooled, and when they pass away, may they take miraculous rebirth in my
buddhafield upon a lion throne in the center of a lotus by bearing my name in mind and mentally
reciting my name.’

“Mañjuśrī, those are the eight great aspirations that the Blessed One made long ago,
when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct. Mañjuśrī, the buddhafield of the thus-gone, worthy,
and perfect Buddha Kuśalatejonirghoṣarāja, who is adorned with a precious jewel, a moon, and a
lotus, is even, wide, spacious, and flat like the palm of a hand. It is ornamented with divinely
scented trees. It has a pure and flawless fragrance and is adorned with divinely scented
flowers. The music of celestial instruments and melodious songs fills the air. It is adorned
with webs of tinkling bells made of divine jewels and decorated with a divine jeweled lion
throne. It is ornamented with divine jeweled pools. The ground is soft and smooth, and there are
no mountains, stones, pebbles, or thorns. There is no such thing as the female gender. There are
no derivative afflictions, and everyone is at the level of a nonregressing bodhisattva. All the
bodhisattvas there are miraculously born on a lion throne in the center of a lotus, and their
bodies are all perfectly adorned with divine jeweled clothing and ornaments. In that
buddhafield, all clothing, food, drink, bedding, fragrances, flowers, and garlands, all the
pleasures of a bodhisattva, all the necessities of a living being, and all the wealth consisting of divine jewels
appear as soon as they think of them. That is why that world is called Abounding in Jewels.

“Mañjuśrī, that is why faithful sons and daughters of good family as well as kings and
princes should focus on the name of the blessed Thus-Gone One Kuśalatejonirghoṣarāja, who is
adorned with a precious jewel, a moon, and a lotus, three times each day and three times each
night. They should bear it in mind with the highest devotion and have faith in it. They should
commission a statue of that thus-gone one and make offerings to it with flowers, incense,
perfumes, garlands, ointments, music, and oil lamps. They should maintain the eightfold precepts
and purify themselves for seven days. Then they should sit in a spot that has been purified,
pronounce the aspiration to be born in that buddhafield, and generate an attitude of love and
compassion toward all beings.

“If they do this, the Thus-Gone One will turn their attention toward them and the
bodhisattva great beings will think of them. All their misdeeds and all their karmic
obscurations will be purified. Their thoughts will never stray from the mind of awakening, and
desire, hatred, and delusion will vanish. They will have long lives and be free from illness.
Anything upon which they set their intention will come to pass, and all fighting, quarreling,
arguing, and disputes will cease. When they pass away, all their misdeeds will have been
eliminated, and they will take miraculous rebirth in that buddhafield upon a lion throne in the
center of a lotus. As soon as they are born, they will manifest the absorptions and methods of
retention. Mañjuśrī, such are the many good qualities that incur to one who retains the name of
that blessed thus-gone one.

“Mañjuśrī, to the east of this buddhafield, past as many
buddhafields as there are grains of sand in five Gaṅgā rivers the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect
Buddha Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsavratasiddhi lives in the world Heaped with Jewels and
Full of Perfume. There he lives, resides, and teaches the Dharma accompanied by billions of
bodhisattva attendants.

“Mañjuśrī, long ago, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct, that blessed,
thus-gone, worthy, and perfect buddha proclaimed the following four great aspirations:

“For his first great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who commit
murder, who perform various nonvirtuous acts of killing, who kill various types of living
beings, and who, because they have killed, will have short lifespans, many illnesses, and suffer
untimely deaths by drowning, poison, weaponry, fire, and various diseases hear my name. By
retaining it and making offerings, may they purify those karmic obscurations, may they have long
lives and be free of illness, and may anyone who might have suffered an untimely death not
suffer an untimely death.’

“For his second great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who have
committed various misdeeds and nonvirtuous actions, who have been born in poor households
because they stole another person’s wealth, who are destitute, whose bodies are tormented by
hunger and thirst, and who experience suffering hear my name. By retaining it, may all their
misdeeds be purified for as long
as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed and perfect
awakening. May they be powerful and prosperous, and may they lack nothing.’

“For his third great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who harbor
thoughts of harming one another and who kill and fight one another hear my name and thereby come
to love one another like parents love a child for as
long as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed and perfect
awakening.’

“For his fourth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, after hearing my name, may
my power cause any beings who are veiled by desire, hatred, and delusion—who have faulty ethics
and commit misdeeds, violate the trainings of the thus-gone ones, fall into the three lower
realms, and proceed to the hell realms—to have all their karmic obscurations purified for as
long as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed and perfect
awakening. May they be free from the derivative afflictions, and may they maintain perfect
discipline. May they maintain their vows in body, speech, and mind, and may their thoughts never
stray from the mind of awakening.’ Those, Mañjuśrī, are the four aspirations that the blessed,
thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsavratasiddhi proclaimed
long ago, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct.

“Mañjuśrī, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsavratasiddhi’s
buddhafield is a place where the ground contains various precious fragrances and has the sweet
smell of snake’s delight sandalwood. It is even, spacious, wide, and beautified by fragrant
snake’s delight sandalwood trees hung with divine jewels, decorative pearl garlands, and
precious jewels. There are pools made of divine, precious gems and that are filled with perfumed
water. The trees are festooned and adorned with silk streamers, and precious threads form webs
between them. There are no derivative afflictions and no suffering or unhappiness. There is no
such thing as the female gender. The sound of music, instruments, and songs of bodhisattvas are
heard without anyone playing them. The melody of nature devoid of substance and the melody of
the teachings of the Great Vehicle resound from those instruments, and anyone who hears this no
longer regresses on the path to the awakening of a buddha. Mañjuśrī, such are the skillful means
of that blessed one’s previous aspirations and the fantastic array of good qualities of his
buddhafield.

“The power of the aspirations that the blessed thus-gone
Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsavratasiddhi made before becoming a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening led him to sit at the foot of the Bodhi tree and
see that all beings are veiled by desire, hatred, and delusion. He saw that all beings have
bodies tormented by various diseases, that they are harmed by death, enemies, and the
wilderness, and that they are on the way to becoming hell beings whose lifespans last an entire
eon. So, for their benefit and to set them on the path to the awakening of a buddha, he taught
the following dhāraṇī mantra verses that eliminate all karmic obscurations:

“tadyathā siddhe siddhe susiddhe
mocani mokṣaṇi mukte vimukte amale vimale māṅgalye hiranyagarbhe ratnagarbhe
sarvārthasādhani paramārthasādhani manase mahāmanase adbhute atyadbhute vītabhaye
suvarṇe

brahmaghoṣe brahmādhyuṣite
sarvārtheṣu

When the Blessed One spoke this dhāraṇī mantra, the entire gathering of bodhisattvas,
Śakra, Brahmā, and all the guardians of the world praised the Blessed One saying, “Wonderful!
Blessed One, it is wonderful that you have proclaimed this dhāraṇī mantra verse to show love to
all beings, to clear away all their misdeeds, pacify all their illnesses, and fulfill all their
hopes.”

“My friends,” the Blessed One replied, “If any son or daughter of good family or any
king, prince, or male or female layperson who seeks such good qualities retains these dhāraṇī
verses, recites them, masters them, cultivates faith in them, reflects on an attitude of
compassion toward all beings three times each day and three times each night, makes a pure
offering with flowers, incense, and perfume, and acts according to the eightfold path of noble
beings, all their misdeeds including the five inexpiable acts and the rest will be purified.
When they pass away, they will be born in that world, where they will take miraculous birth upon
a lion throne in the middle of a lotus. All their illnesses and all manner of threats related to
death, enemies, and the wilderness will be pacified. When they die, the Thus-Gone One will turn their attention
toward them, and all their hopes and wishes will be fulfilled.

“Mañjuśrī, to the east of this buddhafield, past as many
buddhafields as there are grains of sand in seven Gaṅgā rivers, the thus-gone, worthy, and
perfect Buddha Aśokottamaśrī lives in the world Without Anguish. There he lives, resides, and
teaches the Dharma. Mañjuśrī, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Aśokottamaśrī’s
buddhafield is even like the palm of one’s hand, wide, and spacious. There is no mental anguish
and there are no lower realms or cries of suffering. There is no such thing as the female
gender. The ground is soft and very smooth. The scent of divine perfume fills the air, and it is
beautified by trees made of divine precious jewels. There are divine pools made of gold from the
Jambū river that are filled with perfumed water. The trees are made of the seven precious
substances and covered with flowers and fruit. This buddhafield is filled with divine music and
the sound of instruments. In short, Mañjuśrī, it is just like the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect
Buddha Amitābha’s buddhafield Sukhāvatī. Mañjuśrī, such is the array of good qualities of the
thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Aśokottamaśrī’s buddhafield.

“Mañjuśrī, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Aśokottamaśrī proclaimed
the following four great aspirations long ago, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct:

“For his first great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who are
anguished, who suffer, who are
unhappy, and who experience a great deal of conflict and various kinds of suffering hear my
name. After they hear and think about my name, may my power quell all of their mental anguish,
suffering, unhappiness, and conflict. May none of them ever experience the suffering of being
separated from what they hold dear, and may they have long lives.’

“For his second great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause the
light that radiates from my body to shine on any beings who commit various misdeeds and
nonvirtuous actions and who are thus reborn in the great hells, or in the Great Avīci Hell where
they are shrouded in thick darkness. May the light touch those hell beings and purify all their
misdeeds as soon as they see it. May they be liberated from the sufferings of the great hells,
and may it bring an end to all their pain. May they experience the joy of the divine and human
realms for as long as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed
and perfect awakening.’

“For his third great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who have
committed misdeeds and nonvirtuous actions in a previous life, who were born into a poor
household of low standing because they stole another person’s property, and who thus do not have
clothing, food, drink, bedding, or jewelry, those who suffer from both cold and heat, those
whose bodies are tormented by hunger and thirst, and those who have poor complexions hear and
recite my name. As a result, may they possess clothing, food, drink, and bedding for as long as
it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed and perfect awakening,
and may their bodies take on
beautiful, divine complexions.’

“For his fourth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who are
tormented and have their vital energy stolen by yakṣas, rākṣasas, bhūtas, and piśācas and thus suffer from the various types of suffering related to illness
hear my name. May my power cause all the yakṣas, rākṣasas, bhūtas, and piśācas who steal beings’ vital energy to be pacified and benevolent toward those
people for as long as it takes them to become perfect buddhas who have manifested unsurpassed
and perfect awakening. May they be liberated from the various types of suffering related to
illness.’ Mañjuśrī, those are the four great aspirations that this blessed one proclaimed.

“Mañjuśrī, those who hear the name of the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect
Buddha Aśokottamaśrī should recite it three times each day and three times each night and
cultivate benevolence toward all beings. All the karmic obscurations of those who make offerings
to that thus-gone one will be purified. They will be free from mental anguish, suffering,
unhappiness, and conflict. They will always be healthy, they will have long lives, and they will
be free from all manner of illnesses. They will never fall into lower rebirths for as long as it
takes them to attain awakening, and they will remember their former rebirths. They will take
miraculous rebirth in that thus-gone one’s buddhafield on a lion throne bedecked with the seven
precious substances in the middle of a lotus, and all the gods will protect them. Mañjuśrī, such
are the many good qualities related to reciting the name of that thus-gone one.

“Mañjuśrī, that blessed one’s buddhafield possesses such an abundant array of good
qualities and his previous bodhisattva aspirations were so vast that except for the thus-gone,
worthy, and perfect buddhas, no one, not even the hearers and solitary buddhas, can express
them.

“Mañjuśrī, to the east of this buddhafield, past as many
buddhafields as there are grains of sand in eight Gaṅgā rivers, the thus-gone, worthy, and
perfect Buddha Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa lives in the world Victory Banner of the Dharma. There he
lives, resides, and teaches the Dharma. Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha
Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa’s buddhafield is utterly pure. It is even, stainless, luminous, and like
blue sapphire. The outer walls, fences, windows, archways, latticework, and turrets are made of
crystal. The ground is adorned with trees made of divine jewels and covered with golden threads
in a checkered pattern. All the jeweled trees are decorated and draped with lattices of tinkling
bells and beautified with divine silk tassels, divine flowers, and perfumes. There are pools
made of the seven precious substances and filled with perfumed water. When the lattices of
tinkling bells stir and shake in the breeze, their pleasant, divine melody brings joy to all
beings. The Dharma sound of the nature devoid of substance fills the air, and the Dharma sound
of the Great Vehicle resounds from the music of divine instruments. The beings who hear this
sound of the Dharma become free from desire, hatred, and delusion and attain the absorption
called not forgetting the mind of awakening. Mañjuśrī, in that world there are no lower
realms, no cries of suffering, and no derivative afflictions, and there is no such thing as the
female gender.

“That Blessed One proclaimed the following four great aspirations long ago, when he was
practicing bodhisattva conduct:

“For his first great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who are born
into a house that maintains wrong views, who have no faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha,
and who are far from focusing on the mind of awakening hear my name. By my power, may their
karmic obscurations be eliminated, and may they adopt the correct view for as long as it takes
them to attain awakening. May they possess unbreakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha,
and may they never regress from focusing on the mind of awakening.’

“For his second great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who have been born in border countries where they have not heard the terms
Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha,
who engage in unwholesome actions because of the nonvirtuous company they keep, and who fall
into the three lower realms after they pass away and lose all their virtuous qualities to hear
my name. When they do, may the sound of the Dharma fill the air like clouds of Dharma or
crashing waves. Upon hearing this, may all the karma of their previous lives be eliminated, and
may their thoughts never stray from the mind of awakening for as long as it takes them to attain
awakening.’

“For his third great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my power cause any
beings who lack clothing, jewelry, perfumes, garlands, ointments, bedding, and medicine, who suffer because of what they lack,
and who perform misdeeds to have clothing, jewelry, perfumes, garlands, ointments, bedding,
medicines, material possessions, and wealth as soon as they think about them, and may they lack
nothing. May none of them lack anything in any way whatsoever for as long as it takes them to
attain liberation.’

“For his fourth great aspiration he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have become a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who quarrel,
fight, argue, and dispute with one another due to the ripening of their karma from a previous
life, who are trained to harm and kill one another, and who strike one another with blades,
arrows, and clubs hear my name and keep it in mind. By my power, when they mentally recite my
name, may the arrows, blades, clubs and the like be repelled and turned back. May all their
enemies become friends, and may no one lose their life. May they be content with their own
material possessions, wealth, and power for as long as it takes them to attain awakening.’
Mañjuśrī, such were the four great aspirations that the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect
Buddha Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa made long ago, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct.

“Mañjuśrī, all who hear the name of the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha
Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa, bear it in mind, cultivate faith in it, and make offerings with utter
devotion will purify all their misdeeds. They will not regress on the path to the awakening of a
buddha, in all their future lifetimes they will remember their past lives, and their thoughts
will never stray from the mind of awakening. They will meet with the thus-gone ones in all their
rebirths, and they will always be healthy and live long lives. When they pass away, they will be
born in that world, and they will never again fall to the lower realms. Wherever they are born,
they will possess clothing, jewelry, perfumes, garlands, ointments, bedding, medicines,
necessities, material possessions, and power as soon as they think of them. Mañjuśrī, such are
the many good qualities associated with bearing in mind and hearing the name of the thus-gone,
worthy, and perfect Buddha Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa.

“Mañjuśrī, to the east of this buddhafield, past as many
buddhafields as there are grains of sand in nine Gaṅgā rivers, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy,
and perfect Buddha Dharmasāgarāgramativikrīḍitābhijñārāja lives in the world Standing in an
Ocean of Jewels. There he lives, resides, and teaches the Dharma.

“Mañjuśrī, long ago, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct, that blessed one
proclaimed the following four great aspirations:

“For his first great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I attain awakening
as a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, wherever there are
beings who work the fields, sow seeds, trade in goods, fight battles, delight in arguing, and
perform misdeeds, may they hear my name. By my power, may they gain an abundance of all manner
of goods as soon as they think of them. May they have no ill intent and may their behavior
always be virtuous.’

“For his second great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I attain awakening
as a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who
have taken the path of the ten nonvirtues and will thus proceed to the hell realms hear my name.
By my power, may they take the path of the ten virtues, and may they not proceed to the hell
realms.’

“For his third great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained
awakening as a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any
beings who have come under another person’s control, who are arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and
sentenced to death, hear my name, and may my light prevent them from being bound and beaten for
as long as it takes them to attain awakening.’

“For the fourth great aspiration when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct, he
proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who have committed various types of
unvirtuous misdeeds that shorten one’s lifespan hear my name at the moment of death. After
hearing my name, may they take rebirth in the joyful, heavenly realms. May they experience the
happiness of divine and human births for as long as it takes them to attain awakening, and may
all the karma of their misdeeds be purified.’ Mañjuśrī, those are the four great aspirations
that the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Dharmasāgarāgramativikrīḍitābhijñārāja
proclaimed long ago, when he
was practicing bodhisattva conduct.

“Mañjuśrī, the array of good qualities of his buddhafield—the world Standing in an
Ocean of Jewels—is just like that in the world Abounding in Jewels. Mañjuśrī, any son or
daughter of good family who hears the names of the seven perfect buddhas, and after hearing them
bears them in mind, reflects upon them after waking in the morning, cultivates faith in them,
makes offerings to them with flowers, incense, perfumes, garlands, ointments, music,
instruments, and drums, writes them in a book and carries it, copies this Dharma discourse,
commissions it to be written, reveres it, hears it from someone else, and performs offerings to
those Dharma teachers using all manner of implements and articles, shall be blessed by all the
buddhas and pursue the path of becoming a perfect buddha for as long as it takes to attain the
awakening of a buddha.”

“Mañjuśrī, to the east of this buddhafield, past as many
buddhafields as there are grains of sand in ten Gaṅgā rivers, lives the blessed Buddha
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha in the world Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa. He is a thus-gone, worthy, and
perfect buddha, someone endowed with knowledge and good conduct, a well-gone one, a knower of
the world, a charioteer who tames people, an unsurpassed being, and a teacher of gods and
humans.

“Mañjuśrī, long ago, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct, the blessed Thus-Gone
One Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha proclaimed the following twelve great aspirations:

“For his first great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my body’s radiance
illuminate innumerable, limitless, and immeasurable worlds, warm them, and make them shine. May
all beings be adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great person and the eighty minor marks,
just as I am.’

“For his second great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my body be like a
precious blue beryl gem—pure inside and out, and radiating a stainless light. May I manifest a
broad and tall body that stands firm, is ablaze with glory and splendor, and is adorned with a
halo of light so bright that it outshines the sun and moon. May my light allow any beings who
are born in the dark spaces between worlds, and those here in the human world who travel to
various places during the dark of night, to proceed joyfully, and may they perform virtuous
deeds.’

“For his third great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may my boundless wisdom and
skillful means furnish immeasurable realms of beings with inexhaustible wealth, and may no one
lack anything.’

“For his fourth great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who have set out on the wrong
path be set upon the path to awakening. May all those who have entered the path of the hearers
and who have entered the path of the solitary buddhas be led to the Great Vehicle.’

“For his fifth great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any beings who are
close to me practice pure conduct. Likewise, may a limitless and boundless number of other
beings hear my name, and may my power cause them to be bound by the three vows and have
uncorrupted discipline. May no one engage in incorrect discipline and proceed to the lower
realms.’

“For his sixth great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may beings who have weak
constitutions, impaired faculties, or poor complexions; who are dumb, lame, hunchbacked, or have
vitiligo; who have only one eye, are blind, deaf, or mentally ill; and whose bodies are
otherwise affected by illness hear my name. When they do, may all their faculties become whole
and their bodies intact.’

“For his seventh great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may beings whose bodies are
afflicted by various types of illnesses, who are vulnerable, who are defenseless, who lack
necessities and medicines, who have no one to care for them, who are poor, and who suffer hear
my name, and may all their illnesses be quelled. May they be healthy and live free from harm for as long as it
takes them to attain awakening.’

“For his eighth great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may any women who are
afflicted by the hundreds of disadvantages of being a woman, who dislike being of the female
gender, and who want to be free from the condition of being a woman, leave behind their female
gender and be born as a man for as long as it takes them to attain awakening.’

“For his ninth great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may I release all beings
from Māra’s bonds. May I establish in the correct view those who are in opposition due to their
divergent, contrasting, and disturbed views. In due order, may I teach them the conduct of a
bodhisattva.’

“For his tenth great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may the power of my merit
free from all manner of harm any beings who are terrified because they fear their king, and who are
bound, beaten, tortured, sentenced to death, persecuted due to many false accusations,
dishonored, and who are pained by bodily, verbal, or mental suffering.’

“For his eleventh great aspiration, he proclaimed, ‘In the future, when I have attained awakening as a
perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may I provide food that is
vibrant, aromatic, and savory to satiate the bodies of any beings who are scorched by the fire of hunger and thirst,
who expend great effort searching for food, and who commit sinful actions. Then, may I make them
even happier with the taste of the Dharma.’

“That Thus-gone One’s twelfth great aspiration was, ‘In the future, when I have
attained awakening as a perfect buddha who has realized unsurpassed and perfect awakening, may
I provide those sentient beings who are naked, have no clothes, are poor, suffering, and who are
miserable day and night due to cold, heat, flies, and biting insects, with clothes that suit
their needs and are dyed in bright colors. May I fulfill all the wishes of beings with whatever
types of jewelry, ornaments, garlands, perfumes, ointments, music, instruments, and drums they
desire.’ Mañjuśrī, those are the twelve great aspirations that the blessed, thus-gone, worthy,
and perfect Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha proclaimed long ago, when he was practicing
bodhisattva conduct.

“Mañjuśrī, the aspirations of the Thus-Gone One Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja and the
array of good qualities of his buddhafield cannot be exhausted over the course of an eon or even
more than an eon. His buddhafield is utterly pure. There are no stones, pebbles, or gravel;
there are no faults related to desire; there are no cries of suffering and the lower realms; and
there is no such thing as the female gender. The foundation, walls, fences, archways,
latticework windows, and turrets are made of blue beryl, and the pillar capitals are made of the seven precious substances. The array of good qualities of
the world Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa is equal to that of the world Sukhāvatī.

“There are two bodhisattva great beings who are foremost among the immeasurable and
innumerable bodhisattvas in that world. The first is named Sūryavairocana and the second is
named Candravairocana. These two maintain the treasury of the holy Dharma of the blessed
Thus-Gone One Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha. Mañjuśrī, that is why a faithful son or daughter of
good family should make the aspiration to be born in that buddhafield.”

The Blessed One continued to address Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta saying, “Mañjuśrī, there are
ordinary beings who do not know about virtue and nonvirtue. They are overcome by greed and do
not understand how generosity and the ripened result of generosity. They are childish and
foolish, lacking the capacity for faith. As they strive to accumulate and maintain wealth, their
minds are not disposed toward generosity and sharing. When it is time to give a gift, they
become dejected as if they were cutting the flesh from their own bodies. Many of those beings do
not even allow themselves to enjoy material wealth,
let alone provide for their parents, wives, sons, and daughters, their male and female servants
and employees, and for beggars.

“When such beings pass away, they are reborn in the hungry ghost realm or as animals.
For those among them who have heard the name of the blessed Thus-Gone One
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha in their previous lives as humans—whether they find themselves in
the world of Yama or in the animal realm—that Thus-gone One’s name will appear there before them. Simply be
recollecting it, after they eventually pass away, they will once again be born in the human
realm. They will remember their former lifetimes, grow anxious out of fear of the lower realms,
and no longer concern themselves with sense pleasures. They will delight in generosity, promote
generosity, and give away everything that they own. Eventually, they will even give their own
head, hands, feet, eyes, flesh, and blood to anyone who asks, let alone other things like
accumulated wealth.

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, there are beings who hold the precepts of the thus-gone ones, yet violate
discipline and engage in wrong views. Those who maintain discipline but do not seek erudition do
not understand the profound meaning of the discourses that the Thus-Gone One has taught. Those
who do become erudite develop excessive pride, and because they are overcome by their pride,
they act with jealousy toward others, and misuse and forsake the holy Dharma. Such foolish
people who side with Māra pursue a bad path themselves and cause many billions of other beings
to fall into the great abyss. Those beings are reborn amidst the horrors of hell.

“For those who have heard the name of the blessed Thus-Gone One
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha in a previous life as a human being, even for those who live in the
hell realms, the power of the Buddha will cause the name of that thus-gone one to appear before
them. Then, when they pass away, they will be reborn in the human realm. They will maintain the
correct view, be diligent, and their minds will be predisposed toward virtue. They will leave
home, go forth in the teaching of the Thus-Gone One, and will finally practice bodhisattva
conduct.

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, there are beings who praise themselves and denigrate others out of
jealousy. Beings who sing their own praises and denigrate others will suffer in the three lower
realms for many thousands of years. After many thousands of years have passed, they will pass
away and be reborn in the animal realm as cows, horses, camels, donkeys, and so forth. They will
be beaten with whips and rods, their bodies will be afflicted by hunger and thirst, and they
will have to carry great loads as they move along the road. Even if they do attain a human
birth, they will always be born into
families of low standing, be servants, and be under another person’s control.

“Those who have heard the name of the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha in a previous life as a human being will be liberated from all
manner of suffering due to that root of virtue. They will be intelligent, learned, bright, prudent, focused on pursuing virtue, and will always find company with a
spiritual teacher. They will cut Māra’s bonds, crush the eggshell of ignorance, and dry up the
river of the afflictions. They will be liberated from birth, old age, death, anguish,
lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and conflict.

“Mañjuśrī, there are also those beings who delight in slander and beings who instigate
fights, arguments, and disputes with one another. Such contentious beings commit various types
of nonvirtuous actions with their body, speech, and mind. They do not wish to benefit one
another and constantly try to harm one another. They summon a forest deity, tree deity, or mountain deity, or
they summon the various spirits in the charnel grounds. They kill beings who have taken birth as
animals and offer them to the yakṣas and
rākṣasas who eat flesh and blood. They
utter the name of their enemy or create an effigy, cast a violent spell at them, and enlist a
kākhorda or vetāla to create obstacles in their life with the hope that they will
destroy their enemy’s body. However, no one can create obstacles for those who have heard the
name of the blessed Thus-Gone One Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha. Such people are loving to one
another, beneficent, free from ill will, and satisfied with their own possessions.

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, among the fourfold assembly of monks, nuns, male lay
practitioners, and female lay practitioners, as well as among other faithful sons or daughters
of good family who observe the eightfold precepts, there are some who maintain the precepts for
one year or three months. If they develop an aspiration, saying, ‘Due to my root of virtue, may
I be reborn in the west in Sukhāvatī, the world where the Thus-Gone One Amitāyus resides,’ they
will hear the name of the blessed Thus-Gone One Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha. Then, at the moment
of death, the eight bodhisattvas will miraculously appear, show them the way, and they will take
miraculous birth there upon brightly colored lotuses.

“Some will be born in the god realms, and after they are born there, their previous
roots of virtue will never be exhausted, and they will not proceed to the lower realms. After
they pass away, they will become universal emperors with dominion over the four continents in
this human realm, and they will
establish many billions of beings on the path of the ten virtuous actions.

“Others will be born in great kṣatriya households, born in great brahmin households,
born in great landowning households, and born in households whose treasuries and storehouses
contain and abundance of riches and grain. They will have excellent physiques, be powerful, have
attendants, be courageous and heroic, and have the strength of a great champion. Any woman who
should hear the Thus-Gone One’s name and bear it in mind should know that it is the last time
she will be of the female gender.”

At that point Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta told the Blessed One, “Blessed One, in the future I
will proclaim the name of the blessed Thus-Gone One Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha in various ways
to those faithful sons and daughters of good family who hold this discourse, recite it, explain
it, teach it correctly and in detail to others, copy it, commission it to be copied, write it in
a book, and venerate it with flowers, incense, garlands, ointments, parasols, and victory
banners. I will proclaim it so that they will even hear that buddha’s name in their dreams.

“They will wrap this discourse with cloths of the five different colors and place it in
a clean area. The Four Great Kings with their retinues and billions of deities will gather
wherever this discourse is located. Those who retain the name of the blessed Thus-Gone One
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha and this discourse on the detailed account of his previous
aspirations will not suffer untimely deaths. No one will be able to steal their vital energy,
and if it has been stolen, they will take it back.”

The Blessed One replied, “It is so, Mañjuśrī. What you say is true. Mañjuśrī, a
faithful son or daughter of good family who makes offerings to that thus-gone one should make a
statue of that thus-gone one and observe the fast associated with the noble eightfold precepts
for seven days and seven nights. They should eat pure food and thoroughly wash their body. They
should wear fine, clean clothes. Then, in a clean area, they should scatter the petals of
various flowers and perfume the area with various fragrances. They should then decorate the
place with various cloths, parasols, and banners. There, they should then cultivate a stainless
mind, an untainted mind, a mind free from ill intent, a benevolent mind, an impartial mind, and
an equanimous mind. They should then play music, instruments, and sing songs as they
circumambulate the statue of that thus-gone one.

“If they contemplate his previous aspirations and teach this discourse, all their
wishes and aspirations will be fulfilled. If they aspire to a long life, they will have a long
life. If they pray for wealth, they will have wealth. If they pray to become a powerful ruler,
they will achieve that with little trouble. If they wish for a son, they will have a son.

“If someone has a bad dream, sees a crow or a bad omen somewhere, or dwells in a
location where the one hundred inauspicious things are present and venerates the blessed Thus-Gone
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha with the various types of offerings, then the bad dreams, bad omens,
and inauspicious things will no longer appear.

“If those who face dangers from fire, dangers from water, dangers from weapons, dangers
from poison, dangers from steep
cliffs, dangers from raging elephants, dangers from lions, dangers from tigers, dangers from
bears, hyenas, and poisonous snakes, and dangers from snakes, scorpions, and spiders have made
offerings to that thus-gone one,
they will be freed from all manner of dangers. Those who face dangers from enemy armies, dangers
from thieves, and dangers from bandits should also make offerings to that thus-gone one.

“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, if any faithful sons or daughters of good family who maintain
taking refuge in the Three Jewels for as long as they live and have no other tutelary deity,
maintain the five precepts, maintain the ten precepts, maintain the four hundred vows and
precepts of a bodhisattva, are monks who have left home and maintain the two hundred and fifty
precepts, or are nuns who maintain the five hundred precepts, should break any one of the
precepts among the vows and precepts they have taken and are anxious and afraid of falling into
the lower realms and then make offerings to the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha,
they should know that they will not suffer rebirth in the three lower realms.

“If any woman giving birth who experiences intense, fierce, and unbearable suffering
makes offerings to the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha, she will immediately be
liberated from that suffering. The child will be born with all its limbs intact, and it will
have a good physique, be handsome, good looking, have sharp faculties, be intelligent, healthy,
and have few difficulties. Nonhuman beings will not be able to steal its vital energy.”

At that point the Blessed One asked venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, do you trust and believe in the good qualities of
the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja that I have described? Are you uncertain,
or do you have any reservations or doubts about this profound buddha domain?”

“Respected Blessed One,” venerable Ānanda replied, “I am not uncertain, nor do I have
any reservations or doubts about the qualities that the Thus-Gone One has described, because the
thus-gone ones have no impure conduct of body, speech, and mind. Blessed One, even such
miraculous and powerful beings as the sun and the moon might fall to the earth, and even Sumeru,
the king of mountains, might move from its base, but the word of the buddhas is never incorrect.
Yet still, respected Blessed One, there are beings who lack the capacity for faith, and when
they hear about this buddha domain of the buddhas, they will
wonder ‘How can such good qualities and benefits come about by merely recollecting the name of
that thus-gone one?’ Because they have no faith, do not believe, and reject this, for a long
time they will suffer injuries, lack medicines, be unhappy, and fall into the lower realms.”

The Blessed One replied, “Ānanda, it is untenable and impossible for someone who has
had the name of that thus-gone one resound in their ear to be reborn in the lower realms.
Ānanda, the domain of the buddhas is difficult to believe. Ānanda, the faith and belief you have should be seen as the power of the Thus-Gone One. This is something that only bodhisattva great beings who are one birth away from
awakening possess—not hearers and solitary buddhas.

“Ānanda, attaining a human life is rare, and faith and devotion toward the Three Jewels
is rare, but hearing the name of that thus-gone one is even more rare. Ānanda, the bodhisattva
conduct of the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha is immeasurable, his skillful means
is immeasurable, and the detailed account of his aspirations is immeasurable. If I wanted to
explain that thus-gone one’s bodhisattva conduct accurately and extensively for an eon or the
remainder of an eon, the eon would come to an end before I could complete that detailed account
of the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja’s previous aspirations.”

At that point, from among the gathering a bodhisattva great being named Trāṇamukta rose
from his seat, adjusted his upper robe on one shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground,
bowed to the Blessed One with his palms together, and said to the Blessed One, “Respected
Blessed One, in the future there will be beings whose bodies are tormented by various types of
illnesses. Their limbs will atrophy due to chronic illness and their lips and throats will be
parched from hunger and thirst. They will be heading for their demise surrounded by weeping
friends, acquaintances, and relatives. They will see darkness in all directions and be led by
Yama’s servants.

“While such a person’s body is still lying there, the consciousness will be brought
before the Dharma King Yama. The god who was born with that person and who
has recorded all of that person’s virtuous and nonvirtuous actions in writing will then present
them to the Dharma King Yama. The Dharma King Yama will then question and interrogate the person
and issue his judgment based on how many of their actions were virtuous or nonvirtuous.

“If the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of those who are
ill take refuge in the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja and perform the
offering in this way to benefit them, their consciousness will turn back and make its way, just
as if they had been dreaming, to the place where they had been. For some the consciousness will
return on the seventh day, for some on the twenty-first, thirty-fifth, or forty-ninth day, and
they will remember what happened to them. The ripening of virtuous and nonvirtuous actions will
now be clear to them, and they will no longer commit unwholesome actions, even at the expense of
their life. Therefore, faithful sons or daughters of good family should make offerings to that
thus-gone one.”

Venerable Ānanda then asked the bodhisattva Trāṇamukta, “Son of good family, how should
one perform such an offering to the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja?”

The bodhisattva Trāṇamukta replied, “Venerable Ānanda, those who want to free someone
from a grave illness should observe the eightfold purification vows for seven days and seven
nights to benefit the sick person. They should make as many offerings as possible to the monastic saṅgha of food, drink, and provisions, and offer service. They should focus on the name of
the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja three times each day and three times each
night. They should recite this discourse forty-nine times, offer oil lamps for forty-nine days,
and make seven statues. They should place seven oil lamps in front of each statue, and each of
the oil lamps should be as large as a chariot wheel to ensure that the oil lamps will not go out
during the forty-nine days. They should make more than forty-nine five-colored flags.

“Respected Ānanda, if anointed kṣatriya kings face a threat of injury, disaster, and
conflict that is related to an illness, their own or an enemy army, a lunar asterism, a lunar
eclipse, a solar eclipse, unseasonable winds and rains, and drought, then those anointed
kṣatriya kings
should be benevolent toward all beings. If they release their prisoners and perform the
aforementioned offering to the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja, the roots of
virtue of those anointed kṣatriya kings and this detailed account of the previous aspiration
prayers of the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja will ensure that the country
will be happy, crops will be good, the winds and rains will come on time, and there will be a
successful harvest. All the beings who live in that country will be healthy and happy and will
abound in supreme joy. The wicked yakṣas,
rākṣasas, bhūtas, and piśācas
in that country will not harm beings. No evil omens will appear, and the lifespans, complexions,
energy, health, and power of those anointed kṣatriya kings will increase.”

Then venerable Ānanda asked the bodhisattva Trāṇamukta, “Son of good family, how is it
that someone’s lifespan may be restored after it has been exhausted?”

“Respected Ānanda,” the bodhisattva Trāṇamukta replied, “have you not heard from the
Thus-Gone One that premature death may be of nine types? It is for this reason that
he has taught the use of mantras and medicines? There are beings who contract an illness, and even though
that illness is not very severe, they either lack both medicine and nurses or the doctors
administer the wrong medicine. This is the first type of untimely death. The second type of
untimely death is when someone is executed as a king’s punishment. The third type of untimely
death is when someone is extremely careless, for nonhuman beings steal the vital energy from
those who live carelessly. The fourth type of untimely death is when someone is burned by fire
and dies. The fifth type of untimely death is when someone dies by drowning. The sixth type of
untimely death is when someone dies upon encountering a ferocious predator such as a lion,
tiger, jackal, or snake. The seventh type of untimely death is when someone falls off a
mountainside into an abyss. The eighth type of untimely death is when someone is killed by
poison, a kākhorda, or a vetāla. The ninth type of untimely death is when
someone cannot find food and drink and dies of hunger and thirst. This is a brief account of the
types of untimely death that the Thus-Gone One has taught, but there are an innumerable and
incalculable number of other kinds of untimely death.”

Each great yakṣa general had seven hundred thousand yakṣa attendants, and they all told
the Blessed One with a single voice, “Blessed One, due to the Buddha’s power, we have heard the
name of the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja, and we will no longer have any
fear of proceeding to the lower realms. All of us together, for as long as we live, take refuge
in the Buddha, we take refuge in the Dharma, and we take refuge in the Saṅgha. We will
diligently work for the benefit, aid, and happiness of all beings. In particular, we will
protect any being who practices this sūtra in villages, towns, provinces, and forests, and who
remembers the name of the blessed Thus-Gone Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja, makes offerings to
him, and serves him. They will be under our protection, they will be under our care, they will
be free from all manner of misfortunes, and we will fulfill their every wish.”

“Very good, very good,” the Blessed One said in response to the great yakṣa generals.
“It is excellent that you great yakṣa generals are so grateful toward the blessed Thus-Gone
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja, and that you are so committed to recollecting him and working
for the benefit of all beings.”

At this point, some of the gods in the assembly who were not very intelligent wondered,
“How can beings who simply hear and bear in mind the name of those thus-gone ones, who live past
as many buddhafields as there are grains of sand in the Gaṅgā river, develop such special
qualities?”

The blessed Thus-Gone Śākyamuni mentally perceived those unintelligent gods’ confusion
and entered into the absorption
called invoking the buddhafields of all the thus-gone ones. As soon as the
Blessed One rested in that absorption, the entire trichiliocosm trembled, and a great rain of
divine sandalwood powder and flowers fell. The seven thus-gone ones themselves came to this Sahā
world and appeared along with the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni, seated on divine lion thrones
that arose due to the roots of virtue of those thus-gone ones’ previous actions. They were
surrounded by all manner of bodhisattvas, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, kings, ministers, brahmins, and householders, and they taught the
Dharma.

All the gods and the entire assembly were amazed and applauded the blessed Thus-Gone
Śākyamuni saying, “Very good, very good!” The entire assembly made offerings directly to the
thus-gone ones with flowers, incense, perfumes, garlands, ointments, ornaments, jewelry, and
divine music that arose due to the merit of their own roots of virtue. They circumambulated them
three times and all the beings there proclaimed an aspiration saying, “Amazing! The buddha realm
of the blessed buddhas, the unique aspirations they made previously, and their skillful means
can perform miracles! May all beings attain this buddha realm absorption!”

Then Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta rose from his seat, placed his palms together, and circumambulated those
thus-gone ones seven times. He then said to the thus-gone ones, “Amazing! The blessing of the
thus-gone ones’ absorption, their skillful means, and their ripening of beings is inconceivable!
Blessed ones, please pronounce a dhāraṇī verse that has been blessed by the thus-gone ones’
previous aspirations so that, in the future, beings with little merit will be protected and
given a refuge from all manner of perilous situations—such as having a body that is tormented by
various illnesses, being threatened by beings with ill intentions, planetary influences, and
lunar asterisms, or by death, enemies, and the wilderness—and so that when they hold, read,
copy, commission a copy, or recite it, the thus-gone ones will turn their attention toward them,
they will see the thus-gone ones, and all their wishes will be fulfilled.”

The blessed buddhas said to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Very good, very good. Mañjuśrī, very
good! Mañjuśrī, your eloquent request, which you have made out of compassion and for the benefit
of all beings, has come about through the blessing of the thus-gone ones. Listen well and pay
attention, and we will explain. Mañjuśrī, there is a dhāraṇī called blue beryl
radiance that produces the thus-gone ones’ power of absorption. When a son or
daughter of good family with a compassionate attitude toward all beings holds
this dhāraṇī, reads it, or makes offerings to it, all their wishes will be fulfilled. The thus-gone ones will turn
their attention toward them, they will see the thus-gone ones, and they will be born in
buddhafields where all their karmic obscurations have been purified away.”

Mañjuśrī asked, “Blessed Ones, what is the dhāraṇī called blue beryl radiance
that produces the thus-gone ones’ power of absorption?”

Then the thus-gone ones proclaimed the following dhāraṇī verse with a single melodious
voice:

“tadyathā ghume ghume imi nimihi
matimati saptatathāgatasamādhyadhiṣṭhite atimate pāle pāpaṃ śodhani sarvapāpaṃ nāśaya mama
budhe buddhottame ume kume buddhakṣetrapariśodhani dhame nidhame meru meru meruśikhare
sarvākālamṛtyunivāraṇī buddhe subuddhe buddhādhiṣṭhāna rakṣantu me sarvadevā same asame
samanvāharantu me sarvabuddhabodhisattvānām śame śame praśamantu me sarva
ityupadravavyādhayaḥ pūraṇi pūraṇi pāraya me sarvāśāya vaiḍūryapratibhāse sarvapāpaṃ kṣayaṃ
kari svāhā.”

When they spoke this dhāraṇī there was a great light, the entire earth trembled, and
miraculous signs appeared. All the beings who were assembled there made offerings of divine
perfumes and incense to the thus-gone ones, spoke the words “Very good, very good!” and
circumambulated them seven times.

Then the blessed buddhas said, “Any son or daughters of good family who holds this dhāraṇī, recites it, or makes offerings
to it, should purify themselves. Then, in a clean area, they should adopt the noble eightfold
precepts and arouse supreme compassion toward all beings. They should then make statues of the
seven thus-gone ones and make offerings to the thus-gone ones with flowers, incense, oil lamps,
perfumes, garlands, music,
banners, and flags, and maintain the noble eightfold precepts for seven days.

“If they then recite these dhāraṇī verses one thousand eight times, the thus-gone ones
will direct their attention toward them, the bodhisattvas will think of them, and the vajra
bearers will protect them. All the gods, Śakra, and all of the brahmā gods, and the Four Great
Kings will protect them. All their karmic obscurations, even down to the five inexpiable acts,
will be purified. They will not contract any illnesses, they will have long lives, and they will
be free from all fears of dying an untimely death. Threats related to death, enemies, and the
wilderness, along with all conflicts, arguments, and disputes, will be pacified. They will not
come under their enemies’ control, and their every wish will be fulfilled.”

Then the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the lord of the gods, Śakra, and the Four Great Kings
bowed to the Blessed One with their hands together and said, “Blessed One, we have heard the
detailed account of these thus-gone ones’ previous aspirations. Blessed One, we have actually
seen these thus-gone ones and made offerings to them. Blessed One, we and our attendants will go
wherever the names of these thus-gone ones and these dhāraṇī verses are practiced. When any son
or daughter of good family holds them, recites them, makes offerings to them, writes them down,
and commissions them to be
written down, we will be there with them. The blessing of these thus-gone ones will protect any
son or daughter of good family and any king or minister who upholds the power of this discourse
and writes it down. We will protect their villages, towns, and
regions, and we will pacify all manner of threats related to death, enemies, and the wilderness,
and all manner of illnesses. Out of our gratitude and love for the thus-gone ones and all
beings, we will prevent all manner of untimely death. We will pacify all manner of quarrels,
arguments, and disputes, and increase beings’ happiness, wealth, power, riches, and harvests.
We will always protect them. Blessed One, a son or daughter of good family should remember that
these are our oaths and vows.

“tadyathā aghu maghu taraghu
mamaghu ghure hā hū he mra mra mra mra dzu dzuri dzuri svāhā.

“You should know that anyone who wears the names of the thus-gone ones and this dhāraṇī
verse, reads them, writes them down, commissions them to be written down, and makes offerings to
them with devotion will never go to the three lower realms. They will never regress on the path
to unsurpassed and perfect awakening. They will be reborn in whatever buddhafields they wish,
see the thus-gone ones, and remember their past lives. They will attain the absorptions and
dhāraṇīs.”

At that point the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi asked the thus-gone ones, “Blessed Buddhas, please grant me your
permission and I shall pronounce secret dhāraṇī verses for the benefit of those sons and
daughters of good family who uphold the power of this discourse.”

The blessed buddhas replied in a single voice, “Bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, very well, very
well. Vajrapāṇi, you have our permission. Please pronounce the secret dhāraṇī verses so that you
may fulfill all your wishes and hopes to benefit those who uphold the power of this
discourse.”

The bodhisattva great being Vajrapāṇi then pronounced the following secret dhāraṇī
verses:

“Homage to the seven perfect
buddhas. Homage to all vajra bearers. tadyathā oṃ vajre vajre
mahāvajre vajrapāśadhāraṇi sama sama samanta apratihatavajre śama śama praśamantu
sarvavyādhayaḥ kuru kuru sarvakarmāṇi samayam anusmara bhagavān vajrapāṇi sarvāśām me
paripūraya svāhā.

“Blessed Ones, I shall fulfill every wish for anyone who bears and recites these names
of the thus-gone ones, the detailed account of their previous aspirations, and this Dharma
discourse. I will accomplish all their aims. If they wish to see me, they should commission this
Dharma discourse to be written down, make seven statues of these thus-gone ones, and create a
bodily representation of the Vajra Bearer. As they pronounce the above dhāraṇī
to those thus-gone ones, they should offer perfumes, incense, oil lamps, garlands, ornaments, songs, instruments, and
drums as they circumambulate them and chant these secret dhāraṇī root verses. They should arouse
a loving attitude and the intention to benefit all beings. They should maintain the noble
eightfold precepts. They should wash themselves three times and change clothes three times.
Then, if they recite the vidyāmantra one
hundred and eight times each day from the eighth until the full moon on the fifteenth day of the
next month, I will grant them a vision in their dreams, instruct them at length, and fulfill all
their hopes.”

The entire retinue of bodhisattvas expressed their approval to the bodhisattva
Vajrapāṇi, saying, “Vajrapāṇi, you have taught these secret dhāraṇī root verses well.
Excellent!”

The thus-gone ones said, “Vajrapāṇi, we bless these secret dhāraṇī root verses so that
they may benefit all beings, help them, and fulfill all their hopes.” Then the blessed buddhas
summoned Śakra, Brahmā, and the world protectors and said, “Friends, since we have entrusted
this great Dharma discourse to you, you must make sure to protect this Dharma discourse—a Dharma
discourse that is the same as the thus-gone ones, that purifies all misdeeds, and that fulfills
all hopes—so that later, during the final five hundred years, it will not fall into the hands of beings with little merit,
who forsake the holy Dharma, and who denigrate the noble ones, and thus quickly disappear.”

“Then venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, adjusted his upper robe on one shoulder,
knelt with his right knee on the ground, bowed to the Blessed One with his palms together, and
asked, “Blessed One, what is the name of this Dharma discourse? How should it be remembered?”

The Blessed One replied, “Ānanda, this Dharma discourse should be remembered as The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone,
Worthy, and Perfect Buddhas. It should also be remembered as The Bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi’s Vow. It should also be remembered as Purifying All Karmic Obscurations and Fulfilling All Hopes. And it
should also be remembered as The Vows of the Twelve Great Yakṣa
Generals.”

When the Blessed One had spoken, Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, the bodhisattvas, Lord of Secrets
Vajrapāṇi, the entire retinue, and the whole world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.

This concludes the Great Vehicle discourse in eight hundred lines entitled The Detailed Account of the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone
Ones.

Colophon

Translated, edited, and finalized according to the new language reform by the Indian
preceptors Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and Śīlendrabodhi, along with the chief editor and translator
Bandé Yeshé Dé.

Notes

Kangyur Sigla

D
Degé

C
Choné

H
Lhasa (Zhol)

J
Lithang

K
Kangxi

N
Narthang

U
Urga

KY

Yongle

S
Stok Palace MS

Sanskrit Text Sigla

V

Bhaiṣajyagurusūtra. Vaidya.

G

Bhaiṣajyagurusūtra. Dutt et. al..

SC

Bhaiṣajyagurusūtra. Schopen.

Bibliography

Sanskrit Sources

Tibetan Sources

Reference Works

Secondary Sources

blue beryl
bai DUr+ya
བཻ་ཌཱུརྱ།
vaiḍūrya
Although vaiḍūrya—particularly in the context of
Bhaiṣajyaguru—has often been translated as lapis lazuli, blue beryl is overall a better
match to the descriptions and references in the Sanskrit and Tibetan literature. The
equivalent Pāli form of vaiḍūrya is veḷuriya. The Prākrit form
verulia is the source for the English word “beryl.” There are white,
yellow, and green beryls (green beryl is generally called “emerald”), but in this case
blue beryl needs to be specified to match traditional descriptions. Vaiḍūrya may
nevertheless have been taken to designate different gems at different times and places
and no single equivalent in English is entirely satisfactory.

A set of eight vows that are typically observed by lay Buddhists for
a single day.

three vows
sdom pa gsum
སྡོམ་པ་གསུམ།
trisaṃvara
There are two common sets of “the three vows.” The first set refers
to the pratimokṣa, bodhicitta, and mantra vows, and this schema was perhaps most famously
promoted in Tibet by the thirteenth-century Tibetan polymath Sakya Paṇḍita. The second
set, which is likely the set of three vows referred to here, consists of 1) the pratimokṣa vows (Tib. so thar gyi sdom pa) of the desire realm; 2)
the dhyāna vows (Tib. sam gtan gyi sdom pa) of the form realm; and
3) the uncontaminated vows (Tib. zag med kyi sdom
pa) maintained by those who have transcended the three realms and are at
the level of a noble being.

Ānanda
kun dga’ bo
ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
ānanda
The Buddha Śākyamuni's attendant who is celebrated for having
recited all the Buddha's teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist
saṅgha, thus preserving the Buddha’s teachings after his parinirvāṇa.

An important translator of the Tibetan imperial period who lived
during the eighth and ninth centuries.

blue beryl radiance that produces the thus-gone ones’ power of absorption
de bzhin gshegs pa’i ting nge ’dzin gyi stobs bskyed pa’i bai
DUr+ya’i ’od
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་སྟོབས་བསྐྱེད་པའི་བཻ་ཌཱུརྱའི་འོད།

The name of a dhāraṇī.

Dharmasāgarāgramativikrīḍitābhijñārāja
chos rgya mtsho mchog gi blos rnam par rol pa mngon par mkhyen pa’i
rgyal po
ཆོས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་མཆོག་གི་བློས་རྣམ་པར་རོལ་པ་མངོན་པར་མཁྱེན་པའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
*Dharmasāgarāgramativikrīḍitābhijñārāja
The thus-gone one residing in the buddhafield Standing in an Ocean
of Jewels.

invoking the buddhafields of all the thus-gone ones
de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi sangs rgyas kyi zhing bskul ba
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཞིང་བསྐུལ་བ།

The name of an absorption.

A bodhisattva.

Purifying All Karmic Obscurations and Fulfilling All Hopes
las kyi sgrub pa thams cad rnam par sbyong zhing re ba thams cad
yongs su skong ba
ལས་ཀྱི་སྒྲུབ་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་རྣམ་པར་སྦྱོང་ཞིང་རེ་བ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཡོངས་སུ་སྐོང་བ།

An alternate title for The Detailed Account of
the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone Ones

An alternate title for The Detailed Account of
the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone Ones

The Vows of the Twelve Great Yakṣa Generals
gnod sbyin gyi sde dpon chen po bcu gnyis kyis dam bcas pa
གནོད་སྦྱིན་གྱི་སྡེ་དཔོན་ཆེན་པོ་བཅུ་གཉིས་ཀྱིས་དམ་བཅས་པ།

An alternate title for The Detailed Account of
the Previous Aspirations of the Seven Thus-Gone Ones

An epithet of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi.

A bodhisattva.

The buddhafield of the Thus-Gone One Kuśalatejonirghoṣarāja.

The buddhafield of the Thus-Gone One
Suvarṇabhadravimalaratnaprabhāsavratasiddhi.

The buddhafield of the Thus-Gone One
Dharmasāgarāgramativikrīḍitābhijñārāja.

The buddhafield of the Thus-Gone One
Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrīrāja.

The buddhafield of the Thus-Gone One Dharmakīrtisāgaraghoṣa.

The buddhafield of the Thus-Gone One Aśokottamaśrī.