大方廣佛華嚴經

Sudhana had entered the bodhisattva liberation called the Profound, Sovereign, Wondrous Voice. Practicing with diligent vigor, he went to the Night Goddess Who Causes All Trees to Blossom.

He saw this Night Goddess within a pavilion amid fragrant jeweled trees, seated upon a lion throne made of wondrous jewels, surrounded by millions of Night Goddesses.

Sudhana bowed at the Night Goddess’s feet, joined his palms respectfully, and said:

“Holy One! I have already awakened the mind of unsurpassed bodhi, but I do not yet know how a bodhisattva studies the bodhisattva conduct or how one attains all-knowledge.

“May you compassionately explain this to me.”

The Night Goddess said:

“Good man! In this Saha world, when the sun sets, lotus blossoms close their petals, and people cease their excursions, I see those beings who wish to return to their dwellings, whether in the mountains, cities, or countryside. I secretly protect them all, enabling them to follow the right roads, reach their destinations, and rest peacefully through the night.

“Good man! If there are young beings who delight in sensual beauty, are proud and heedless, and indulge in the five desires, I manifest for them the signs of aging, sickness, and death, causing them to become frightened and abandon evil. I also praise wholesome roots for them and cause them to cultivate these.

“For the miserly, I praise generosity. For those who break the precepts, I praise pure morality. I teach the practice of great loving-kindness to the angry. I cause those who harm others to practice patience. If people are indolent, I cause them to be diligent. If they are distracted, I cause them to cultivate meditative concentration. If they abide in wrong wisdom, I cause them to study prajna.

“I cause those who delight in the Lesser Vehicle to abide in the Great Vehicle. I cause those attached to the various modes of existence in the three realms to abide in the bodhisattva paramita of vows. If beings are weak in merit and wisdom, bound by karmic fetters, and subject to many impediments, I cause them to abide in the bodhisattva paramita of power. If beings’ minds are dark and devoid of wisdom, I cause them to abide in the bodhisattva paramita of knowledge.

“Good man! I have accomplished the bodhisattva liberation called the Light That Gives Rise to Vast Joy.”

Sudhana asked:

“Holy One! What is the realm of this liberation?”

The Night Goddess said:

“Good man! By entering this liberation, one can know the Tathagata’s skillful wisdom that universally gathers in all beings.

“How does he universally gather them in?

“Good man! Every pleasure enjoyed by all beings comes from the awesome power and virtue of the Tathagata: because they follow the Tathagata’s teachings; because they practice according to the Tathagata’s words; because they study the Tathagata’s conduct; because they receive the sustaining protection of the Tathagata; because they cultivate the path sanctioned by the Tathagata; because they plant the wholesome deeds performed by the Tathagata; because they rely upon the Dharma taught by the Tathagata; because the sunlight of the Tathagata’s wisdom shines upon them; and because they are embraced by the power of the Tathagata’s intrinsically pure karma.

“How do I know this?

“When I enter this liberation called the Light That Gives Rise to Vast Joy, I recollect and clearly behold all the bodhisattva practices cultivated in the past by the Tathagata Vairocana before he attained Complete and Perfect Enlightenment.

“Good man! In the past, when the Blessed One was a bodhisattva, he saw all beings clinging to self and possessions of self, dwelling in the dark house of ignorance, entering the dense forest of views, bound by craving, ruined by anger, confused by delusion, and entangled by miserliness and jealousy. Thus they revolved through birth and death, impoverished and afflicted, unable to encounter any Buddha or bodhisattva. Seeing this, he brought forth great compassion to benefit beings.

“He brought forth the resolve to obtain every kind of wondrous jewel and necessity with which to gather in beings. He brought forth the resolve that all beings should possess abundant necessities without any lack. Regarding all things, he was free from attachment.

Toward all objects, his mind was free from greedy defilement. Toward all possessions, his mind was without reluctance or regret. Toward all rewards, his mind held no expectation.

Toward all glory and splendor, his mind felt no admiration. Amid all causes and conditions, his mind was not confused. He brought forth the resolve to contemplate the true nature of dharmas.

He brought forth the resolve to rescue and protect all beings. He brought forth the resolve to enter deeply into all dharmas. He brought forth the resolve to abide in impartial great loving-kindness toward all beings.

He brought forth the resolve to practice the skillful means of great compassion toward all beings. He brought forth the resolve to make a great canopy of Dharma that would shelter all beings everywhere. He brought forth the resolve to wield the vajra of great wisdom and shatter all beings’ mountains of afflictive obstructions.

He brought forth the resolve to increase the joy and happiness of all beings. He brought forth the resolve that all beings attain ultimate peace and happiness. He brought forth the resolve to rain down every treasure according to the wishes of all beings.

He brought forth the resolve to mature all beings through impartial skillful means. He brought forth the resolve to cause all beings to possess abundant wealth. He brought forth the resolve that all beings ultimately attain the fruit of the wisdom of the ten powers.

“Having brought forth such resolves, he attained the powers of a bodhisattva and manifested great spiritual transformations throughout the dharma realm and the realm of space. Before beings he rained down all the necessities of life, fulfilling their every wish according to their inclinations and causing them all to rejoice, without regret, reluctance, interruption, or cessation.

“Through these skillful means he universally gathered in, taught, and matured beings, causing them all to escape the sufferings and hardships of birth and death, without seeking recompense. He purified the jeweled minds of all beings, causing them to produce the same wholesome roots as all Buddhas and to augment the great ocean of merit and the wisdom of all-knowledge.

“In this way, in every thought, the bodhisattva matures all beings. In every thought, he adorns and purifies all Buddha lands. In every thought, he universally enters the entire dharma realm.

In every thought, he pervades the realm of space. In every thought, he universally enters the three periods of time. In every thought, he accomplishes the wisdom that disciplines all beings.

In every thought, he constantly turns every Dharma wheel. In every thought, he constantly benefits beings through the path of all-knowledge. In every thought, throughout all worlds and before all beings, until the end of future kalpas, he manifests all Buddhas attaining Complete and Perfect Enlightenment.

In every thought, throughout all worlds and all kalpas, he cultivates bodhisattva conduct without giving rise to dualistic perception.

“That is to say, he universally enters all vast oceans of worlds, all world systems, the boundaries of those worlds, the adornments of those worlds, the essential natures of those worlds, the shapes of those worlds, and the arrangements of those worlds.

“Some worlds are defiled but also pure. Some are pure but also defiled. Some are entirely mixed and defiled. Some are entirely pure. Some are small or large, coarse or subtle, upright or slanted, facing downward or facing upward.

“In all such worlds, in every thought he cultivates the various bodhisattva practices, enters the stages of a bodhisattva, and manifests the powers of a bodhisattva. He also manifests all bodies of the Buddhas of the three periods of time, causing beings everywhere to perceive and behold them according to their minds.

“Good man! When the Tathagata Vairocana cultivated bodhisattva conduct in this way, he saw beings who cultivated no merit and possessed no wisdom, who clung to self and possessions of self, were obstructed by ignorance, failed to contemplate correctly, entered various wrong views, did not understand cause and effect, followed the karma of affliction, and fell into the dangerous, profound pit of birth and death, where they underwent immeasurable suffering.

He brought forth great compassion and fully cultivated all the paramita practices. For the sake of beings, he praised steadfast wholesome roots, causing them to abide securely, transcend the poverty and suffering of birth and death, and diligently cultivate the merit and wisdom of the aids to the path. He explained the various gates of cause and effect to them.

He explained that karmic recompense never contradicts its cause. He explained the realizations through which one enters the Dharma. He explained the understandings and inclinations of all beings and all the lands in which they take birth.

He caused them never to sever the lineage of any Buddha, to protect all teachings of the Buddhas, and to abandon every evil. He further praised for them the aids to the path that lead toward all-knowledge, causing beings to rejoice, to practice the gift of Dharma and universally gather in all, to initiate the conduct of all-knowledge, to study and cultivate the paramita path of the great bodhisattvas, to increase their oceans of wholesome roots that accomplish all-knowledge, to possess all noble riches, to enter the Buddha’s gate of sovereign mastery, to embrace immeasurable skillful means, to contemplate and behold the awesome virtue of the Tathagata, and to abide in the wisdom of a bodhisattva.”

Sudhana asked:

“Holy One, how long has it been since you awakened the mind of unsurpassed bodhi?”

The Night Goddess replied:

“Good man! This matter is difficult to believe, difficult to understand, difficult to enter, and difficult to explain. No worldly being or follower of the Two Vehicles can know it, except those who are aided by the spiritual power of the Buddha, gathered in by spiritual friends, endowed with supreme merit, pure in aspiration, without thoughts of inferiority, without defiled thoughts, without deceitful or crooked thoughts, and possessed of the luminous mind of wisdom that shines everywhere; those who awaken the resolve to benefit all beings; whose minds cannot be destroyed by any affliction or demon; who bring forth the determination to accomplish all-knowledge; whose minds do not delight in any pleasure of birth and death;

who can seek all the wondrous bliss of the Buddhas, eliminate all the suffering of beings, cultivate the merit of every Buddha, contemplate the true nature of all dharmas, perfect all pure faith and understanding, cross beyond all the poisonous waters of birth and death, enter every ocean of the Tathagata’s wisdom, resolve to reach the unsurpassed city of Dharma, courageously enter the Tathagata’s realm, swiftly reach the station of the Buddhas, immediately accomplish the power of all-knowledge, and attain ultimate perfection in the ten powers.

Such people can retain, enter, and understand this matter.

“Why is this?

“Because this is the realm of the Tathagata’s wisdom. Even all bodhisattvas cannot know it, much less other beings. Yet now, through the awesome power of the Buddha, I wish to render tractable those beings who are fit to be taught and quickly purify their intentions. I wish to cause beings to cultivate wholesome roots and attain sovereignty of mind. Therefore, in response to your question, I shall explain it.”

At that time, the Night Goddess Who Causes All Trees to Blossom, wishing to restate this meaning, contemplated the realms of the Tathagatas of the three periods of time and spoke these verses:

“Disciple of the Buddha, you have asked

About the Buddha’s realm, profound indeed.

Through dust-mote kalpas in the southern direction,

It could never be fully described.

“Beings covered by greed, anger, delusion,

Pride, affliction, and arrogance

Cannot know

The Buddha’s wondrous Dharma.

“Those who are miserly, jealous,

Deceitful, crooked, and turbid in intent,

Covered by karma and affliction,

Cannot know the Buddha’s realm.

“Those attached to skandhas and ayatanas,

And clinging to the contaminated body,

Whose views and perceptions are inverted,

Cannot know the Buddha’s awakening.

“The Buddha’s realm is still and tranquil,

Intrinsically pure and free from discrimination.

“Those attached to the three realms

Cannot know this Dharma nature.

“Born into the family of the Buddhas,

Protected by all Buddhas,

Those who preserve the treasury of Buddha Dharma—

This is the realm of their wisdom-eye.

“Drawing near to spiritual friends,

Delighting in pure and wholesome Dharma,

Diligently seeking the powers of the Buddhas,

They rejoice upon hearing this Dharma.

“With minds pure and undiscriminating,

Like the vastness of empty space,

Their lamp of wisdom dispels darkness—

This is the realm of such people.

“With minds of great loving-kindness and compassion,

They shelter all worlds everywhere;

They regard all with complete equality—

This is the realm of such people.

“Joyful and unattached in mind,

Able to relinquish everything,

They give impartially to beings—

This is the realm of such people.

“With pure minds free from every evil,

Ultimately without regret,

They follow and practice the Buddhas’ teachings—

This is the realm of such people.

“Clearly knowing the intrinsic nature of dharmas,

Even the various seeds of karma,

Their minds remain unmoved and unconfused—

This is the realm of such people.

“Courageous and diligently vigorous,

Securely abiding in the mind of non-retrogression,

They diligently cultivate all-knowledge—

This is the realm of such people.

“Their minds dwell tranquilly in samadhi,

Ultimately cool and free from feverish distress;

They have cultivated the body of the ocean of all-knowledge—

This is the liberation of those who awaken.

“Skillfully knowing all distinguishing characteristics,

They deeply enter the boundless gates of the dharma realm,

Universally liberating every being without exception—

This is the liberation of the wise.

“Understanding the true nature of beings,

They do not cling to the entire ocean of contaminated existence;

Like reflections appearing everywhere in the water of mind—

This is the liberation of those on the right path.

“Born from the skillful vows and seeds

Of all Buddhas of the three periods of time,

They diligently cultivate through kalpas numerous as lands—

This is the liberation of Samantabhadra.

“They universally enter every gate of the dharma realm

And behold all oceans of lands in the ten directions;

They also see the kalpas therein form and decay,

Yet their minds remain ultimately free from discrimination.

“Within every mote of dust in the dharma realm,

They behold Tathagatas seated beneath bodhi trees,

Accomplishing bodhi and liberating beings—

This is the liberation of the unobstructed eye.

“Throughout measureless oceans of great kalpas,

You have drawn near to and made offerings to spiritual friends,

Seeking the true Dharma for the benefit of beings;

Having heard it, you remember without forgetting.

“Vairocana’s realm is vast,

Measureless, boundless, and inconceivable.

“Relying on the Buddha’s power, I explain it to you,

So that your profound mind may become ever purer.

“Good man! In the distant past, kalpas ago as numerous as the dust motes in an ocean of worlds, there was an ocean of worlds called Universal Radiance, True Gold, Mani Mountain. Within that ocean of worlds, a Buddha appeared whose name was King of Quiescent Awesome Virtue, Wisdom Mountain Universally Illuminating the Dharma Realm.

“Good man! When that Buddha cultivated bodhisattva conduct, he adorned and purified that ocean of worlds. Within it were world systems numerous as the dust motes in a world. Each world system contained worlds numerous as the dust motes in a world. In every world, a Tathagata appeared. Each Tathagata proclaimed sutras numerous as the dust motes in a world. In every sutra, bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes in a Buddha land received predictions of buddhahood. The Tathagatas manifested spiritual powers, taught various Dharma gates, and liberated immeasurable beings.

“Good man! Within the ocean of worlds called Universal Radiance, True Gold, Mani Mountain was a world system called Banner of Universal Adornment.

“Within that world system was a world called Universal Radiance of All Jeweled Colors. Its substance was the King of Mani Jewels That Manifest the Reflections of All Transformation Buddhas, and its shape resembled a celestial walled city. Its lower boundary was made of the King of Mani Jewels That Manifest the Reflections of All Tathagatas’ Sites of Enlightenment, and it rested upon an ocean of all jeweled flowers. That world was a mixture of purity and defilement. Within it were four-continent worlds numerous as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru. At their center was one four-continent world called Banner of All Jeweled Mountains. Each of its four continents measured ten thousand yojanas across in both directions, and each continent contained ten thousand great cities.

“In that Jambudvipa was a royal capital called Cloud-Lamp of Steadfast Wondrous Jeweled Adornment, surrounded by ten thousand scattered great cities.

“At a time when the people of Jambudvipa lived for ten thousand years, there was a king named Perfect Canopy of All Sounds of Dharma. He had five hundred great ministers, sixty thousand court ladies, and seven hundred princes. These princes were all handsome, courageous, strong, and endowed with great might.

“The king’s awesome virtue extended throughout Jambudvipa, and he had no enemies.

“When the kalpa in that world was approaching its end, the five turbidities arose. People’s lives were short, resources were scarce, their bodies were ugly, their sufferings were many and pleasures few. They did not cultivate the ten wholesome deeds but devoted themselves to evil karma. In anger they insulted and humiliated one another, alienated other people’s families, envied others’ happiness, held perverse views, and sought unlawful gain.

“Because of these causes and conditions, the wind and rain came out of season, crops failed, gardens and trees withered, and the people suffered famine and many illnesses. They dispersed in all directions and had nowhere to rely. Thus they all came to dwell around the royal capital, numbering hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis. They cried out loudly, raising their hands, joining their palms, bowing their heads, kneeling, or leaping about, with disheveled hair, tattered clothing, cracked and wrinkled skin, and lifeless faces and eyes. Facing the royal palace together, they pleaded:

“‘Great King! Great King! Today we are destitute, starving, unclothed, sick, and afflicted. We have no refuge and do not know to whom we can appeal. Together we have come to take refuge in the Great King.

“‘The Great King is humane, compassionate, and wise. We hope that the Great King will bestow peace, happiness, and life upon us. May the Great King pity and gather us in. The Great King is our treasury of jewels, our bridge and ferry, our road, our ship, our jeweled island, our wealth and benefit, and our celestial palace.’

“When the king heard the people’s lamentations, he immediately attained countless millions of gates of great compassion. With single-minded contemplation, he uttered ten declarations of great compassion:

“‘First: Alas! Beings have fallen into the bottomless abyss of birth and death. How shall I rescue them and cause them to abide on the ground of all-knowledge?

“‘Second: Alas! Beings are oppressed by afflictions. How shall I rescue and protect them and cause them to abide in every wholesome deed?

“‘Third: Alas! Beings are terrified by birth, aging, sickness, and death. How shall I give them refuge and cause them forever to attain peace and happiness in body and mind?

“‘Fourth: Alas! Beings are constantly oppressed and intimidated by the multitudes of the world. How shall I support and protect them and cause them to abide on the path of all-knowledge?

“‘Fifth: Alas! Beings lack the wisdom-eye and are constantly obscured by the delusion of the view of a self and by doubt. What skillful means shall I use to cause them swiftly to resolve their attachment to views?

“‘Sixth: Alas! Beings are constantly deluded by the darkness of ignorance. How shall I become a bright lamp for them, illuminating the city of all-knowledge?

“‘Seventh: Alas! Beings are constantly defiled and muddied by miserliness, jealousy, deceit, and fraud. How shall I awaken their understanding and cause them to realize the pure Dharma body?

“‘Eighth: Alas! Beings drift and sink endlessly in the great ocean of birth and death. How shall I lift and carry them to the shore of bodhi?

“‘Ninth: Alas! Beings’ faculties are stubborn, hard to discipline and hard to subdue. How shall I tame them and cause them to perfect the spiritual powers of a Buddha?

“‘Tenth: Alas! Beings are like the blind who cannot see the roads. How shall I guide them and cause them to enter the gate of all-knowledge?’

“Having said this, the king ordered a drum to be beaten and this proclamation issued:

“‘The king now gives universally to all beings and will completely fulfill their needs according to whatever they require.’

“The king further ordered every city and settlement in Jambudvipa to open its storehouses for relief. Gold, silver, provisions, clothing, medicines, utensils, beds and seats, houses, jewels, vehicles, silk, brocade, and fine fabrics were all distributed in charity. The king was even willing to give away his palace, wife and children, throne, skin and flesh, hands and feet, lips and teeth, tongue and mouth, nose and ears, head and eyes, heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.

“To the east of the royal capital was a gate called Radiance of Mani Mountain. Outside that city gate was an almsgiving ground, broad, level, open, and supremely adorned, all as a karmic reward of the bodhisattva’s pure deeds.

“Within this assembly of giving was a lion throne. The ground was made of ten kinds of jewels; railings of ten kinds of jewels and ten kinds of jeweled trees surrounded it, and beneath it was a vajra jeweled wheel. Figures of dragons and spirits made from every kind of jewel held precious objects and adorned the assembly ground.

Banners and streamers stood in rows, jeweled nets spread overhead, immeasurable kinds of incense constantly emitted wondrous fragrances, and beautiful jeweled silks were draped everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of musical instruments continually played in harmony. There was also a jeweled canopy that constantly emitted immeasurable jeweled lights, blazing and pure like Jambunada gold.

Jeweled necklaces and bells continually produced wondrous sounds exhorting beings to cultivate wholesome karma.

“At that time, the king sat upon the lion throne. He was handsome and possessed the excellent marks. His Narayana body was indestructible. His nature was virtuous and good. He had sovereign mastery over both material wealth and the wealth of Dharma. His eloquence was unobstructed and his wisdom extraordinary. In governing the kingdom, no one disobeyed his commands.

“At that time, immeasurable and innumerable beings throughout Jambudvipa hastened to this assembly of giving. Seeing the king seated upon the lion throne, they all regarded him as one of great wisdom and great merit, perfect in virtue, conduct, and vows, and a great benefactor.

“When the king saw those who had come to seek assistance, he immediately gave rise to a mind of compassion, a mind of joy, a mind of respect, a mind of spiritual friendship, a vast mind, a continuous mind, a diligent mind, a non-retreating mind, a giving mind, and an all-pervading mind.

“The joy the king felt for a single instant upon seeing those who came to ask was greater than the pleasure experienced over hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas by the king of the Trayastrimsa Heaven, the king of the Yama Heaven, or the king of the Tushita Heaven. It even surpassed the tranquil joy experienced over ineffable kalpas by the king of the Pure Abodes.

“Good man! Suppose a loving and filial person became separated from his parents, spouse, children, brothers, and sisters during a time of turmoil, and then by chance the entire family was reunited. How immeasurable would that person’s joy be!

“The king’s joy upon seeing those who came to ask was just like this.

“Good man! Through spiritual friends, that king increased his understanding and aspiration regarding the Buddha’s bodhi. His faculties matured, his faith became pure, and his joy was perfected.

“Why was this?

“Because the king was a bodhisattva who diligently cultivated practices in pursuit of all-knowledge. He vowed to benefit all beings. He vowed to attain the immeasurable wondrous bliss of bodhi.

He abandoned every unwholesome state of mind. He always delighted in accumulating every wholesome root. He always vowed to rescue and protect all beings.

He always delighted in contemplating the path of wisdom. He always longed to cultivate the Dharma of all-knowledge. He fulfilled the aspirations of all beings.

He entered the great ocean of merit of all Buddhas. He shattered every mountain of demonic karma, delusion, and obstruction. He accorded with the teachings and practices of all Tathagatas.

He practiced the unobstructed path of all-knowledge. He had already entered deeply into the current of all-knowledge, and the streams of all dharmas were constantly present before him. With inexhaustible great vows, he became a Great Man and abided in the Dharma of great beings.

He accumulated the universal treasury of every wholesome quality, relinquished every attachment, and was undefiled by any worldly object. He knew that the nature of all dharmas is like empty space. He regarded those who came to ask as his only child, as his parents, as fields of merit, as difficult to encounter, as benefactors, as secure refuges, as teachers, and as Buddhas.

He did not distinguish their places of origin, choose among their lineages, or discriminate according to their appearance.

“Whatever they desired, the king, with a single mind of impartial, unobstructed loving-kindness and compassion, fully provided to all. To those seeking food he gave food. To those asking for clothing he gave clothing. To those asking for gold and silver he gave gold and silver. Even to those seeking vehicles, fields and gardens, houses, elephants and horses, jewels, banners and canopies, incense and flowers, attendants, and so forth, the king gave everything.

“At this assembly of giving was a merchant’s daughter named Jeweled Radiance, accompanied by sixty maidens. They were handsome and extraordinarily beautiful, delightful for everyone to behold. Their skin was the color of pure gold, their hair and eyes were deep blue, their bodies emitted fragrance, and their mouths produced Brahma tones.

Supremely wondrous jeweled garments adorned their bodies. They always possessed moral shame and dread of wrongdoing, and their right mindfulness was undisturbed. They were perfect in dignified conduct and respected their teachers and elders.

They always remembered and followed profound, wondrous practices. They retained without forgetting every Dharma they heard. Wholesome roots from past lives permeated their minds, which were pure and vast like empty space.

They brought peace and benefit to beings everywhere, always beheld the Buddhas, and sought all-knowledge.

“At that time, the maiden Jeweled Radiance stood not far from the king. Joining her palms and bowing, she thought: ‘How greatly have I benefited! How greatly have I benefited! Today I have encountered a spiritual friend.’

“She regarded the king as a great teacher, a spiritual friend, one endowed with loving-kindness and compassion, and one capable of gathering beings in. Her mind was upright and filled with joy. She immediately removed her necklace, offered it to the king, and made this vow:

“‘This Great King now serves as a refuge for immeasurable, boundless beings lost in darkness. May I become the same in the future.

“‘May I in the future attain, just as this Great King has, the Dharma he knows, the vehicle he follows, the path he cultivates, the excellent physical marks he possesses, the riches he owns, and the boundless, inexhaustible, invincible, and indestructible assemblies he gathers. Wherever this king is born, may I be born there with him.’

“The king knew that she had brought forth this resolve and said:

“‘Maiden! Whatever you wish for, I shall provide. I now relinquish everything I possess so that all beings may be fully satisfied.’

“When she heard the king’s words, Jeweled Radiance rejoiced greatly and her faith became pure. She then spoke these verses in praise of the king:

“‘In the past, before this city

Had the Great King,

There was not the slightest joy;

It was like the realm of hungry ghosts.

“‘Beings killed one another,

Stole, robbed, and engaged in sexual misconduct;

They spoke divisively and falsely,

With harsh and meaningless words.

“‘They coveted others’ possessions,

Were angry and malicious,

Held wrong views, and committed evil;

After death, they fell into evil destinies.

“‘Because these beings

Were obscured by delusion

And dwelt amid inverted views,

The heavens rarely bestowed blessings.

“‘Because rain did not fall in season,

The five grains did not grow;

Grasses and trees mostly withered,

And rivers and streams ran dry.

“‘Before the Great King appeared,

Rivers and ponds all dried up;

Corpses filled the gardens,

Making them look like wastelands.

“‘When the Great King ascended the precious throne,

He broadly rescued the multitudes;

Cooling clouds covered the eight directions,

And rain fell everywhere.

“‘When the Great King governed the people,

He ended all tyranny and evil;

Prisons and punishments were abolished,

And the solitary and destitute found peace.

“‘Formerly, beings

Constantly slaughtered one another,

Drinking blood and eating flesh;

Now they all give rise to loving-kindness.

“‘Formerly, beings

Were destitute and lacked clothing;

They covered their bodies with grass,

Emaciated and ugly like hungry ghosts.

“‘When the Great King began his reign,

Fine grain grew naturally,

And clothing appeared upon trees;

Men and women were all beautiful.

“‘Formerly, greedy people

Unlawfully plundered one another;

Now all are wealthy and abundant,

Like the garden of Lord Sakra.

“‘Formerly, evildoers,

Defiled by lust and desire,

Violated the wives

And maidens of others.

“‘Now, when they see others’ wives and children,

Beautiful and finely adorned,

Their minds remain undefiled,

Like the gods of Contentment.

“‘Formerly, beings

Spoke falsely and without truth,

Using unlawful, useless words

To flatter and curry favor.

“‘Now everyone

Has abandoned evil speech;

Their minds are exceedingly gentle,

And their words are harmonious.

“‘Formerly, beings

Performed many perverse practices,

Joining their palms and bowing reverently

To buffaloes, cattle, pigs, and goats.

“‘Now, following the king’s Dharma,

They suddenly awaken and cast off wrong views;

They clearly know that painful and pleasant rewards

All arise from causes and conditions.

“‘The Great King proclaims wondrous sounds;

All who hear them rejoice.

The voices of Sakra and Brahma

Cannot compare with his.

“‘The Great King’s jeweled canopies

Rise high in the sky,

With shafts of vaidurya

And coverings of mani nets.

“‘Golden bells naturally produce

The Buddha’s exceedingly harmonious voice,

Proclaiming the wondrous Dharma

And dispelling beings’ delusion.

“‘Then they extensively proclaim

The Buddha lands of the ten directions,

And throughout all kalpas,

The Tathagatas and their retinues.

“‘They also explain in sequence

The lands of the ten directions in the past,

And all the Tathagatas

Within those lands.

“‘They further emit wondrous sounds

Throughout Jambudvipa,

Extensively explaining the diverse karma

Of humans and devas.

“‘Beings who hear these sounds

Understand their own karmic conduct;

They abandon evil and diligently cultivate,

Dedicating the merit to the Buddha’s bodhi.

“‘The royal father was Pure Radiance;

The royal mother was Lotus Radiance.

When the five turbidities appeared,

They reigned over the realm.

“‘At that time there was a vast garden

Containing five hundred ponds.

Each pond had a thousand great trees,

And every tree was covered with flowers.

“‘Upon the banks of those ponds

Were halls built with a thousand pillars;

Their railings were magnificently adorned,

And nothing was lacking.

“‘When evil dharmas arose in the latter age,

No rain fell for many years;

Rivers and ponds all dried up,

And grass and trees withered.

“‘Seven days before the king’s birth,

A miraculous sign first appeared;

All who saw it thought,

“A savior of the world will appear.”

“‘Then, in the middle of the night,

The great earth shook in six ways;

One jeweled lotus pond

Shone as brightly as the heavens.

“‘The garden’s five hundred ponds

Filled with water of eight virtues;

Withered trees all sprouted anew,

And their flowers and leaves flourished.

“‘The pond waters overflowed

And spread to every place;

Throughout the whole of Jambudvipa,

There was nowhere they did not moisten.

“‘Medicinal herbs and trees,

A hundred kinds of grain and beans,

Branches, leaves, blossoms, fruits, and seeds—

All grew luxuriantly.

“‘Ditches, channels, hills, and mounds,

Every high and low place—

All these locations

Naturally became level.

“‘Thorns, stones, sand, and gravel,

And every kind of impurity,

All in a single thought

Turned into precious jewels.

“‘When beings saw these things,

They joyfully offered praise;

All said they had gained great benefit,

Like the thirsty drinking sweet water.

“‘Then King Radiance,

Together with measureless attendants,

Went forth in royal carriages

To tour the entire garden.

“‘Among the five hundred ponds

Was one called Jubilant Joy;

Above it stood a Dharma hall,

Where the royal father took his seat.

“‘The former king said to his queen:

“I remember that seven days ago,

In the middle of the night, the earth shook,

And light radiated from this place.”

“‘Then within that pond

A thousand-petaled lotus arose,

Bright as a thousand suns,

Its brilliance reaching Mount Sumeru’s summit.

“‘Its stem was made of vajra,

Its dais of Jambunada gold,

Its petals of precious jewels,

And wondrous fragrance formed its stamens.

“‘The king was born upon that flower,

Sitting upright in full lotus posture,

Adorned with excellent marks,

And revered by celestial spirits.

“‘The former king rejoiced greatly,

Entered the pond, and lifted him up;

He handed him to the queen, saying,

“You should rejoice at gaining this son.”

“‘At once, treasuries of jewels appeared,

Jeweled trees produced wondrous garments,

And celestial music played beautiful melodies,

Filling the sky.

“‘All beings

Gave rise to joy,

Joined their palms, and praised this rarity:

“The savior of the world has appeared.”

“‘The king’s body emitted radiance

That illuminated every place,

Dispersing darkness and curing illness

Throughout the four continents.

“‘Yakshas, pisacas,

Venomous creatures, and evil beasts—

Everything wishing to harm people—

All hid themselves away.

“‘Disgrace and loss,

Disasters and disease—

Every suffering ceased,

And all people rejoiced.

“‘All classes of beings

Regarded one another as parents;

They abandoned evil, brought forth goodness,

And devoted themselves to seeking all-knowledge.

“‘He closed off the evil destinies,

Revealed the paths of humans and devas,

Proclaimed the path of wisdom,

And liberated the multitudes.

“‘On beholding the Great King,

We have gained immense benefit;

He causes the solitary and destitute

All to attain peace and happiness.’

“After the maiden Jeweled Radiance spoke these verses praising King Perfect Canopy of All Sounds of Dharma, she circumambulated him innumerable times, bowed respectfully, joined her palms, and stood to one side.

“The Great King said to the maiden:

“‘Excellent! It is extremely rare that you are able to believe in and recognize the virtues of another.

“‘Maiden! Beings generally cannot believe in or recognize the virtues of others.

“‘Maiden! Beings do not know how to repay kindness. They lack wisdom; their minds are turbid and confused; their natures are not lucid; they fundamentally lack strength of aspiration and retreat from their cultivation. Such people neither believe in nor understand the spiritual powers, wisdom, and virtues of bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

“‘Now you are resolutely seeking bodhi and can recognize the virtues of a bodhisattva in this way. Born here in Jambudvipa, you have brought forth a courageous resolve to gather in all beings, and your efforts will not be in vain. In the future, you too will accomplish such virtues.’

“After praising the maiden, the king personally took priceless jeweled garments and presented them to her and her companions, saying to each one, ‘Put on this garment.’

“The maidens knelt and received the garments with both hands, first placing them upon their heads and then putting them on. Once dressed, they circumambulated the king together.

“From those jeweled garments shone the light of all the constellations.

“Everyone who saw this said that the maidens were as beautiful as bright stars on a clear night.

“Good man! King Perfect Canopy of All Sounds of Dharma in that ancient time was none other than the present Tathagata Vairocana.

“King Radiance of that time is now King Suddhodana.

“Lady Lotus Radiance is now Lady Mahamaya.

“The maiden Jeweled Radiance was none other than I myself.

“The beings whom the king gathered in through the four means of attraction are now the non-retrogressing bodhisattvas in this Dharma assembly. Some abide on the first ground, up to and including the tenth ground. They possess great vows, accumulate the aids to the path, cultivate wondrous practices, perfect their adornments, attain spiritual powers, and abide in liberation. They are now present in this assembly, dwelling within palaces of wondrous Dharma.”

The presiding Night Goddess Who Causes All Trees to Blossom, wishing to restate the meaning of this liberation, spoke these verses for the youth Sudhana:

“I possess a vast eye

That sees throughout the ten directions,

Within all oceans of lands,

The cycles of the five destinies.

“I also see the Buddhas there

Seated beneath bodhi trees,

Their spiritual powers pervading the ten directions,

Teaching Dharma to liberate beings.

“I possess a pure ear

That hears every sound everywhere;

I also hear the Buddhas teach Dharma,

And joyfully believe, accept, and retain it.

“I possess knowledge of others’ minds,

Nondual and unobstructed;

Within a single thought,

I can clearly know every mind.

“I have attained knowledge of past lives

And know all kalpas;

The lives of myself and others

I distinguish with complete clarity.

“Within the span of a single thought, I know

Kalpas numerous as dust motes in oceans of lands,

The Buddhas and bodhisattvas,

And beings within the five destinies.

“I recollect and know how those Buddhas

First brought forth their great vows,

And how they cultivated the various practices

Until each was perfected.

“I also know how those Buddhas

Accomplished the path of bodhi,

And, through various gates of skillful means,

Turned the Dharma wheel for the multitudes.

“I also know how many oceans of vehicles

Those Buddhas possessed,

How long the true Dharma remained,

And how many beings they liberated.

“Throughout immeasurable kalpas,

I have cultivated this Dharma gate.

Now I explain it to you;

Disciple of the Buddha, diligently study it.

“Good man! I know only this bodhisattva liberation called the Light That Gives Rise to Vast Joy. As for the great bodhisattvas, they draw near to and make offerings to all Buddhas; enter the great ocean of vows of all-knowledge; and perfect the oceans of vows of the Buddhas. Attaining courageous wisdom on one bodhisattva ground, they universally enter the ocean of all bodhisattva grounds. Attaining pure vows in one bodhisattva practice, they universally enter the ocean of all bodhisattva practices. Attaining sovereign power in one gate of bodhisattva liberation, they universally enter the ocean of all gates of bodhisattva liberation.

“How could I know or describe the virtues of their conduct?

“Good man! Within this site of enlightenment is a Night Goddess named Great Vow and Power of Diligent Vigor That Rescues and Protects All Beings.

“Go to her and ask: How does a bodhisattva teach and transform beings, causing them to reach unsurpassed bodhi? How does a bodhisattva adorn and purify all Buddha lands? How does a bodhisattva serve all Tathagatas? How does a bodhisattva cultivate all Buddha Dharmas?”

The youth Sudhana bowed at the Night Goddess’s feet, circumambulated her countless times to the right, gazed up at her earnestly, bade farewell, and departed.