CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: GIVING UP THE BODY
At that time, the spirit of the Bodhi Tree at the site of enlightenment again addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! I have heard that in past lives, while the World-Honored One was cultivating the bodhisattva path, you fully endured immeasurable hundreds of thousands of austerities and relinquished your life, blood, flesh, bones, and marrow. I pray that the World-Honored One will speak briefly about the causes and conditions of those former austerities, for the benefit of sentient beings, so that they may experience every joy.”
The World-Honored One then manifested his spiritual powers. Through the power of this manifestation, the great earth quaked in six ways. Within the great assembly hall, a stupa made of the seven treasures emerged from the earth, covered above by nets fashioned from all kinds of jewels. When the great assembly saw this, they regarded it as exceedingly rare.
The World-Honored One then rose, bowed before the stupa, reverently circumambulated it, and returned to his former seat. The spirit of the Bodhi Tree at the site of enlightenment addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! The Tathagata, the Hero of the World, appears in the world and is always revered by all. Among sentient beings, you are the Supreme and Most Honored One. For what cause and condition did you bow before this stupa?”
The Buddha said:
“Good heavenly maiden! When I formerly cultivated the bodhisattva path, the relics of my body were enshrined in this stupa. Through that body, I was enabled swiftly to attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”
The Buddha then told the Venerable Ananda:
“You may open the stupa, take out the relics within, and display them to this great assembly. These relics are indeed imbued with the immeasurable merit of the six paramitas.”
Having heard the Buddha’s instruction, Ananda went to the stupa, bowed, made offerings, and opened its door. Seeing within it a casket made of the seven treasures, he opened the casket with his hands and saw that the relics inside were wondrously pinkish white. He addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! The relics within are pinkish white!”
The Buddha told Ananda:
“Bring them to me! These are the true bodily relics of the Great Being!”
Ananda then carried the precious casket back to the Buddha and presented it to him. The Buddha told the entire great assembly:
“You may now pay homage to these relics! These relics have been cultivated and imbued with morality, concentration, and wisdom. They are exceedingly difficult to encounter and are the supreme field of merit!”
After hearing these words, the great assembly was filled with joy. They rose, joined their palms reverently, and bowed before the relics of the Great Bodhisattva Being. Wishing to cut through the net of doubt for the great assembly, the World-Honored One then explained the causes and conditions of these relics:
“Ananda! In a past age there was a king named Maharatha who practiced wholesome Dharma, governed his country well, and had no enemies. He had three sons, each handsome and wondrous in appearance, extraordinary in form, and foremost in majestic virtue. The eldest prince was named Mahapranada, the second was named Mahadeva, and the youngest was named Mahasattva.
“These three princes went in succession to visit and enjoy the gardens and forests. Gradually they came to a great bamboo grove, where they halted their carriage and rested. The eldest prince said, ‘Today my heart is deeply afraid! May no harm befall us in this forest.’ The second prince said, ‘Today I do not begrudge my own body; my heart is sorrowful only because I am separated from those I love.’ The third prince said, ‘Today I feel neither fear nor distress. The tranquil mountains are praised by sages. This secluded and peaceful place can enable practitioners to dwell at ease and enjoy happiness.’
“After saying this, the princes continued forward and saw a tigress that had given birth seven days earlier, surrounded on all sides by her seven cubs. They were tormented by extreme hunger and thirst, haggard, emaciated, feeble, and near death. On seeing the tigers, the eldest prince said, ‘How strange! This tigress gave birth seven days ago and is surrounded by seven cubs, yet she has found no food. If driven by hunger, she will surely turn and devour her own cubs!’
“The third prince asked, ‘What does this tiger ordinarily eat?’
“The eldest prince replied, ‘This tiger eats only freshly warm blood and flesh.’
“The third prince said, ‘Brothers, who can provide food for this tiger?’
“The second prince said, ‘This tiger is desperately hungry, emaciated, feeble, destitute, and does not have long to live! She cannot wait while someone goes elsewhere to seek food for her. Even if food were found elsewhere, it would surely not save her life. Who could refrain from cherishing his own life for this tiger’s sake?’
“The eldest prince said, ‘Of all things difficult to relinquish, nothing surpasses one’s own life!’
“The third prince said, ‘Because we are attached and miserly today, we cannot relinquish this life. Because our wisdom is so slight, we become frightened at this matter. But when Great Beings wish to benefit others and give rise to great compassion for sentient beings, relinquishing their lives is not difficult for them!’
“The princes were deeply distressed. They stood there for a long while, never taking their eyes from the animals. After observing them, they departed.
“The third prince then thought, ‘The time has now come for me to relinquish this body! Why? Since beginningless time, I have abandoned this body many times, yet always without purpose. I have constantly cherished and protected houses and other things, and have furnished this body, according to the occasion and without deficiency, with clothing, food and drink, bedding, medicines, elephants, horses, and carriages. Yet this body knows no gratitude and instead produces hostility and harm. In the end, it cannot escape impermanence and decay.
“‘Moreover, this body is unstable and brings no benefit. It is as hateful as a thief and like going into a latrine! Today I must cause this body to perform a supreme deed and become a great bridge across the ocean of birth and death.
“‘Furthermore, by relinquishing this body, I relinquish immeasurable illnesses, cancers, suppurating sores, and hundreds of thousands of fears. This body produces only urine and excrement. It is no more enduring than foam upon water. It is impure, a dwelling for many kinds of worms. It is unclean, bound together by sinews, smeared with blood, while skin, bones, marrow, and brain are joined together and mutually sustained. When observed in this way, it is utterly repulsive!
“‘Therefore, I must now abandon it to seek unsurpassed, quiescent nirvana; forever leave behind the sorrows, afflictions, impermanence, and change; bring birth and death to an end; be free from every defilement; fully accomplish immeasurable meditative concentrations, wisdom, and merit; and attain the wondrous Dharma body adorned with a hundred merits and praised by all Buddhas. Having realized such an unsurpassed Dharma body, I shall bestow immeasurable Dharma bliss upon sentient beings!’
“The prince, courageous and capable of making this great vow, perfumed and cultivated his mind with great compassion. Concerned that his two frightened elder brothers might obstruct him and create difficulties, he said to them, ‘Brothers, you may now return with the retinue to the resting place.’
“Prince Mahasattva then returned to the tigress, removed his clothes, hung them on a bamboo branch, and made this vow: ‘For the benefit of all sentient beings; to realize the supreme, unsurpassed path; through unwavering great compassion, to relinquish what is difficult to relinquish; to seek the praise of bodhi-wisdom; to liberate sentient beings in the three realms of existence; and to extinguish the fear of birth and death and every kind of afflictive torment....’
“After making this vow, the prince cast down his body and lay before the starving tigress. Yet because of the power of the prince’s great compassion, the tiger could do nothing. The prince then thought, ‘This tigress is emaciated and feeble, without strength, and cannot eat the blood and flesh of my body.’
“He rose and searched for a knife, but although he searched everywhere, he could not find one. He then pierced his neck with a dry bamboo stalk, causing blood to flow, and threw himself from a high mountain before the tiger.
“At that moment, the great earth quaked in six ways. The sun lost its radiance, as though seized and obscured by Rahu, king of the asuras. The heavens rained down many kinds of flowers and wondrous fragrances. Other devas in the sky saw this deed, rejoiced, marveled at what had never occurred before, and praised him:
“‘Excellent! Excellent, Great Being! You are truly one who practices great compassion. For the sake of sentient beings, you have relinquished what is difficult to relinquish! Among all who train in this way, you are foremost in courage! You have gained the praise of the Buddhas and will constantly delight in their dwelling place. Before long, you will attain pure nirvana, free from affliction and torment!’
“When the tigress saw the blood flowing and staining the prince’s body, she licked the blood and ate his flesh, leaving only his bones.
“The eldest prince then saw the earth quake violently and spoke this verse to the second prince:
The great earth trembles,And the vast ocean too;The sun has lost its brilliance,As though covered and obscured.
From the sky above,Fragrant flowers rain down;Surely our younger brotherHas relinquished his cherished body.
“The second prince then spoke this verse:
That tiger gave birth,Seven days ago;Seven cubs surround her,Without food or drink.
Her strength is failing,And her life is nearly gone;Our compassionate younger brotherKnew the tiger’s desperate plight.
Fearing she could not endureAnd would turn to eat her cubs,I fear our brother gave his bodyTo save that tiger’s life.
“The hearts of the two princes were filled with grief and fear. Weeping and lamenting, their faces haggard, they returned together to the tiger’s dwelling. They saw their younger brother’s clothes hanging from a bamboo branch, while his bones, hair, and nails lay scattered in every direction and blood covered and stained the ground.
“Upon seeing this, the two brothers fainted, losing all control of themselves, and fell upon the bones. After a long while they revived, arose, raised their hands, cried to heaven, and wept:
“‘Our younger brother was still a child, yet his abilities surpassed those of others, and he was especially beloved by our parents. Suddenly he gave his body as food to a starving tiger. When we return to the palace, what shall we answer if our parents ask us? We would rather remain here and die together in this place! We cannot bear to look upon these bones, hair, and nails! How can our hearts endure leaving them and returning to see our parents, wives, children, relatives, friends, and acquaintances?’
“The two princes, grieving, wailing, and anguished, gradually departed. The attendants who had accompanied the youngest prince scattered in all directions, saying to one another, ‘Where is our lord today?’
“At that time, while asleep, the queen dreamed that her breasts were cut off and her teeth fell out. She held three young doves, but a hawk devoured one of them. When the great earth quaked, the queen awoke in terror. Her heart was overwhelmed with grief and fear, and she spoke this verse:
Why today doThe great earth and watersAll quake and tremble,While nothing remains in place?
The sun has lost its brilliance,As though covered and obscured;My heart is filled with sorrow,And my eyelids twitch.
The signs that IHave seen todaySurely foretell calamity,Suffering, and misfortune.
“When the queen had spoken this verse, an attendant outside who had heard the news about the prince became terrified and entered to report to her: ‘Outside, I heard the attendants searching for the prince, but they do not know where he is.’
“On hearing this, the queen was overcome by great anguish. Tears filled her eyes as she went to the great king and reported, ‘A messenger has informed me that my beloved youngest child is missing!’
“When the great king heard this, he too fainted. Choked with anguish, he wiped away his tears and said, ‘How could I lose today the one so cherished in my heart?’
“At that time, wishing to restate this meaning, the World-Honored One spoke these verses:
In former times,Throughout immeasurable kalpas,I relinquished my cherished bodyTo seek the path of bodhi.
At times I was a king,And at times a prince;I relinquished what is difficult to relinquishIn order to seek bodhi.
I recall a former lifeWhen there was a great king;That king was namedMaharatha.
A son of that kingDelighted in giving;That son was namedMahasattva.
He also had two brothers:The eldest was namedMahapranada,And the second, Mahadeva.
The three went togetherTo a solitary mountainAnd saw a tigress newly delivered,Starving and without food.
The supreme Great BeingGave rise to great compassion:‘I shall now relinquishMy cherished body.
‘This tiger, perhaps drivenAnd tormented by hunger,May turn and devourThe cubs to which she gave birth.’
I climbed a high mountainAnd cast myself before the tiger,So that the tiger cubsMight preserve their lives.
At that time, the vast earthAnd the great mountainsAll trembled and quaked,Terrifying the forest beasts.
Tigers, wolves, and lionsScattered and fled;The entire world grew dark,Without any light.
At that time, the two brothersWere in the bamboo grove,Their hearts filled with anguish,Grieving and weeping.
Searching little by little,They came to the tiger’s dwelling;They saw the tigress and her cubs,Their mouths stained with blood.
They also saw hair,Teeth, nails, and bonesScattered everywhere,While blood covered the ground.
When the two elder princesBeheld this sight,Their hearts were stricken with grief,And they collapsed upon the earth.
They took ashes and dustAnd smeared them upon their bodies;Losing right mindfulness,Their minds became distraught.
When the attendantsSaw what had occurred,They too were overcome with griefAnd wailed aloud.
Together they sprinkledCold water upon one another;Only afterward did they reviveAnd rise again.
At the very time the princeWas relinquishing his body,In the inner palace,The queen and palace women,
Together with five hundred kinswomen,Were enjoying themselves.At that time, milk suddenlyFlowed from the queen’s breasts.
Every part of her bodyAched as though pierced by needles;Her heart became sorrowful,As if she had lost her beloved child.
The queen thenHastened to the king,And in a faint, low voice,Weeping sorrowfully, she said:
‘Great King, today,Please listen carefully!The raging fire of anxietyHas now come to burn me.
‘Milk flowed at onceFrom both my breasts;My entire body suffers intensely,As though pricked by needles.
‘I have seen suchInauspicious omens;I fear I shall no longer seeMy beloved child!
‘I now offer my lifeTo the Great King;I pray that you swiftly send someoneTo seek my beloved child.
‘I dreamed that I heldThree little doves;Of them, the youngestWas especially dear to me.
‘A hawk flew downAnd seized my beloved one.After dreaming this,I was overwhelmed by anguish.
‘Now I am stricken with griefAnd fear his life cannot be saved!Please send someone swiftlyTo search for my child!’
After saying these words,The queen immediately faintedAnd fell upon the ground.
On hearing this, the kingWas again overwhelmed by anguish,For he could not beholdHis beloved child.
At that time, the ministersAnd all the royal relativesGathered togetherOn both sides of the king.
They cried and lamented,Their voices shaking heaven and earth.The people thenWithin the city
Heard those cries,And ran out in astonishment,Saying to one another:‘Is the prince still alive,
‘Or has he died?That Great BeingAlways spoke gentlyAnd was beloved by all;
‘Now it is difficult to behold him!Many people have thereforeEntered the forest to search;Before long, the truth will be known.’
Thus were theyFilled with terror,Grieving and wailing so loudlyThat the earth spirits were shaken.
The Great King thenRose and sprinkled waterUpon his wife;After a long time, she revived.
Regaining mindfulness and awareness,She softly asked the king:‘Is my child dead or alive?What is his condition now?’
The queen thenThought of that child;Her anguish redoubled,And her heart found no relief:
‘Alas, my child,So handsome in form,How could you suddenlyAbandon me and die?
‘Why did this body of mineNot die before you,And so be sparedAll this anguish?
‘My good child, wondrous in appearance,Like a pure lotus flower,Who has harmed your bodyAnd caused us to be parted?
‘Could it be that an enemyFrom my former life,Relying upon old karmic conditions,Has killed my child?
‘My child’s faceWas pure as the full moon;Yet suddenly, in a single morning,He encountered this calamity!
‘I would rather have my bodyCrushed to dustThan allow my childTo lose his life!
‘The dream I sawForewarned me,Causing me unexpectedlyTo endure this suffering.
‘As I dreamed,All my teeth fell out,And from both breasts at onceMilk flowed by itself.
‘Surely this meansI have lost my beloved child.I dreamed of three young birds;A hawk carried one away.
‘Of my three children,Surely one has been lost.’The Great King thenTold his queen:
‘Now I shall immediately sendMinisters and messengersTo travel everywhere, east and west,And search for our child.
‘You must notGrieve excessively!’Having thus comforted the queen,The Great King
Prepared his carriageAnd departed from the palace,His heart filled with sorrow,Oppressed by anguish.
Though surrounded by the multitude,His face was haggard;He immediately left the cityTo search for his beloved son.
There were alsoImmeasurable multitudes of peopleWhose grief-stricken cries shook the earthAs they followed behind the king.
When the Great KingHad left the city,He gazed in the four directions,Searching for his son.
Affliction confused his heart;He did not know where the prince was.At last, he saw in the distanceA messenger returning,
His head covered with dust,His clothes stained with blood,His body smeared with ashes and filth,Approaching with sorrowful cries.
When the Great King,Maharatha,Saw that messenger,His anguish redoubled.
He raised his hands and cried out,Lifting his face and weeping.The messenger sent out firstHad now returned.
Coming before the king,He spoke these words:‘May the king not grieve;Your sons are still there.
‘They will arrive shortly,And the king will see them!’A moment later,Another person arrived.
Seeing the king stricken with grief,His face haggardAnd the clothes upon his bodyStained with dust, he said:
‘May the Great King know!One son has been lost;Although the other two remain,They are distressed and suffering.
‘The third princeSaw a tigress that had newly given birth,Starving for seven days,And feared she would eat her cubs.
‘Seeing the tiger thus,He gave rise to great compassionAnd made a great vowTo liberate sentient beings
‘And in a future ageTo realize bodhi!He climbed to a high placeAnd cast his body before the tiger.
‘Driven by hunger,The tiger rose and ate him.All his blood and fleshWere entirely consumed;
‘Only his bones remained,Scattered upon the ground.’When the Great KingHeard his minister speak,
His grief grew still more intense;He fainted and fell,While the raging fire of sorrowBurned throughout his body.
His ministers and relativesWere likewise afflicted.They sprinkled the king with cold water;After a long time, he revived,
Raised his hands again,Cried to heaven, and wept.Another great ministerCame and reported to the king:
‘In that forestI saw the two princes,Tormented by anguish,Grieving and wailing.
‘Their spirits broken and minds dazed,They cast themselves upon the ground.I immediately found waterAnd sprinkled it upon their bodies.
‘Only after waiting a long timeDid they revive.They looked in the four directionsAs though fierce flames blazed everywhere.
‘They were helped to their feet,But fell to the earth again;Raising their hands in anguish,They cried to heaven and wept,
‘Then suddenly began to praiseTheir younger brother’s merit.’At that time, the Great King,Separated from his beloved son,
Was dazed at heart,And his strength deserted him.He wept in anguishAnd thought:
‘My youngest child,My beloved son,Has been swiftly devouredBy the great demon of impermanence!
‘Although my other two sonsStill remain,They are being consumedBy the fire of grief.
‘Perhaps because of thisThey too may lose their lives.I must swiftly goTo that place in the forest,
‘Meet my sons,And hurry them back to the palace.The queen who follows behind meIs oppressed by bitter anguish;
‘Her heart is shattered,And she may lose her life.If she sees her two sons,Her heart may be consoled,
‘And her remaining lifeMay be preserved.’The Great King then,With his renowned elephant carriage
And all his attendants,Went to that forest.While still upon the road,He saw his two sons,
Crying to heaven and clawing the earth,Calling their brother’s name.The king immediately went forwardAnd embraced his two sons.
Crying and lamenting,He returned with them along the road,Urging both sonsTo go attend and comfort their mother.
The Buddha told the tree spirit:‘You should knowThat Prince Mahasattva,Who gave his body to the tiger,
‘Was none other thanMy present body!The Great KingMaharatha
‘Was my present father,King Suddhodana!The queen of that timeWas the present Maya!
‘The eldest princeWas the present Maitreya!The second princeWas the present Devadatta!
‘The mother tiger of that timeWas the present Gopi;The seven tiger cubsWere Sariputra,
‘Maudgalyayana,
And the five bhiksus!’
“At that time, Great King Maharatha and his queen wailed and wept. They removed their royal garments and the jeweled necklaces from their bodies and, together with the great multitude, went to the bamboo grove. There they gathered the prince’s relics and immediately erected a stupa made of the seven treasures at that very place.
“When Prince Mahasattva was about to relinquish his life, he made this vow: ‘May my relics, throughout countless kalpas in future ages, always perform the Buddha’s work for sentient beings!’
“When this sutra was taught, immeasurable asamkhyeyas of devas and humans aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.
“Tree spirit! This is the former cause and condition for my bowing before the stupa!”
Then, through the Buddha’s spiritual power, the stupa made of the seven treasures immediately disappeared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: PRAISE OF THE BUDDHA
Translated from Chinese by Tripitaka Dharma Master Dharmaksema of the Northern Liang dynasty.
At that time, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of bodhisattvas departed from this world and went to the land of the Tathagata King of the Mountain of the Golden Jeweled Canopy. Having arrived in that realm, they prostrated themselves with their five limbs touching the ground and paid homage to the Buddha. They withdrew and stood to one side, faced the Buddha with palms joined, and praised him in unison:
The World-Honored One’s bodyIs wondrously golden in hue;Its radiance shines brilliantly,Like the King of Golden Mountains.
His pure and supple bodyIs like a golden lotus.Immeasurable wondrous marksAdorn his person.
The secondary characteristics accord with his form,And splendor beautifies his body;Pure and unequaled,He is like a purple-golden mountain.
Perfect and stainless,He is like the full moon;His voice is lucid and clear,Wondrous as the voice of Brahma,
Like the lion’s roar,And like the peal of thunder.His six kinds of tonesAre wondrous and pure.
Like the songs of the kalavinkaAnd the peacock,He is stainless and immaculate,Fully endowed with majestic virtue.
The excellent marks born of a hundred meritsAdorn his body;His radiance shines afarWithout boundary.
Quiescent in wisdom and superknowledges,He is free from every habitual attachment.The World-Honored One has accomplishedImmeasurable merit,
Vast as the oceanAnd lofty as jeweled Mount Sumeru.For the sake of sentient beings,He gives rise to compassionate concern,
And in future lives as wellBestows happiness upon them.The words of the World-Honored OneAre foremost in profound meaning;
They can cause sentient beingsTo attain peaceful quiescence.They can give sentient beingsImmeasurable joy.
He can expound the wondrous Dharma,The unsurpassed ambrosia;He can open the unsurpassedDharma gate of ambrosia.
He can enter every refugeWhere there is no suffering or affliction,And can cause sentient beingsAll to attain liberation.
He crosses the immeasurableOcean of suffering in the three realmsAnd abides securely upon the right path,Free from every sorrow and pain.
The Tathagata, the World-Honored One,His wisdom and merit,His heart of great loving-kindness and compassion,His diligence and skillful means—
All these are immeasurableAnd cannot be fully recounted!Today, we are unableTo express them through analogy.
Though devas and humansPondered and measured for immeasurable kalpas,They could not comprehendThe World-Honored One’s wisdom and merit;
Of that immeasurable ocean,They would not know even a single drop.I now praiseThe World-Honored One’s merit,
Yet of a hundred thousand kotis of parts,I cannot describe even one.May whatever merit is gatheredBe dedicated to sentient beings,
So that they may realize
The unsurpassed path.
Bodhisattva Ruciraketu, who was present in this assembly, then rose, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke these words of praise:
World-Honored One of a hundred merits,With wondrous excellent marks;Thousands of virtuesAdorn your body.
Your pure form shines afar;One never tires of beholding the Buddha.Like the light of the sun,It pervades the whole sky.
Your blazing radianceIs immeasurable and boundless,Like innumerableGreat heaps of precious jewels.
That light has five colors:White, red, blue, and rose,Like vaidurya and crystal,And like liquid gold.
Its splendor illuminatesAnd penetrates all mountains;It shines throughImmeasurable Buddha realms.
It can extinguish the sufferingsOf immeasurable sentient beingsAnd further bestow upon themSupreme and wondrous happiness.
Your faculties are pure,Wondrous and foremost;Sentient beings gaze upon youWithout ever being satisfied.
Your soft, blue-black hairIs like the neck of a peacock,Like swarms of royal beesGathering upon a lotus.
Pure great compassionAnd the adornment of merit,Immeasurable samadhis,And great loving-kindness as well—
All the merits described aboveHave gathered togetherTo form wondrous beauty and excellent marksAdorning the Buddha’s body.
Every kind of meritAssists in the accomplishment of bodhi.The Tathagata is ableTo tame sentient beings,
Causing their hearts to become gentleAnd enabling them to experience joy.Adorned in every wayWith profound and wondrous merit,
You are also praisedBy the Buddhas of the ten directions.Your light shines in every direction,Reaching the furthest bounds,
Like the sun and moonIlluminating the entire sky.Your merit is fully accomplished,Like Mount Sumeru.
You manifest everywhereThroughout all worlds.Your white and even teethAre like pure conch-shell jewels.
Your virtue is like the sun,Shining in the midst of space.The tuft between your eyebrowsCurls gracefully to the right,
Emitting brilliant lightLike a vaidurya jewel;Its wondrous colorIs like the sun in the sky.
At that time, the spirit of the Bodhi Tree at the site of enlightenment also offered this praise:
Homage to the pure,Unsurpassed Perfectly Enlightened One!The extremely profound, wondrous DharmaIs comprehended according to one’s aspirations.
Far removed from every pathOf Dharma and non-Dharma,Alone you transcended themAnd attained perfect Buddhahood.
Knowing existence and nonexistence,You know their original nature to be pure.Rare indeed! Rare indeed!Is the World-Honored One’s merit.
Rare indeed! Rare indeed!Is the ocean of the World-Honored One!Rare indeed! Rare indeed!Like Mount Sumeru!
Rare indeed! Rare indeed!Are the Buddha’s boundless practices!Rare indeed! Rare indeed!The Buddha appears in the world
Like an udumbara flowerThat appears but once!Rare indeed! Rare indeed!Is his immeasurable great compassion!
Buddha Sakyamuni,The sun of the world,Wishing to benefitSentient beings,
Proclaimed the scripture,The wondrous treasure described above.Excellent is the Buddha,Whose faculties are quiescent,
Who enters and ranges withinThe great city of excellent quiescence.Stainless and pure,In extremely profound samadhi,
He enters and reachesThe sphere in which the Buddhas practice.The bodies of all sravakasAre empty and quiescent.
The sphere of practice of the World-Honored One,
The Honored One Perfect in Wisdom and Merit, is also empty.
Thus all
Immeasurable dharmas,
When their fundamental nature and characteristics are sought,Are likewise quiescent and empty.The nature and characteristicsOf all sentient beings are also empty.
Because their minds are foolish and deluded,They cannot comprehend this.I constantly recollect the BuddhaAnd delight in seeing the World-Honored One.
I constantly make this vow:Never to be apart from the Buddha-sun.Upon the ground, I alwaysKneel long with joined palms,
My heart filled with longing,Wishing to behold the Buddha.I constantly cultivateSupreme great compassion;
I weep with tears streaming down,Wishing to see the Buddha.I constantly look upward with longing,Wishing to behold the Buddha.
Because of this,The fire of anxiety blazes fiercely.I pray that the World-Honored OneWill give me the Dharma water,
Cool and clear with compassion,To extinguish this fire.The World-Honored One has pity,And his compassion is immeasurable;
May this body of mineAlways behold the Buddha.The Buddha constantly protectsAll humans and devas.
Therefore, I nowThirst and yearn to see him.The bodies of the sravakasAre like empty space,
Like flames, illusions, and echoes,Like the moon in water.The nature of sentient beingsIs like what is seen in a dream.
The sphere of the World-Honored OneIs like pure vaidurya;He enters the sphere of true Dharma,The unsurpassed ambrosia.
He can bestow upon sentient beingsImmeasurable happiness.The Tathagata’s sphere of practiceIs wondrous and extremely profound;
No sentient beingCan comprehend it.Sages possessing the five superknowledges,All pratyekabuddhas,
And all sravakasCannot comprehend it either.I harbor no doubtConcerning the World-Honored One’s sphere of practice;
May the Buddha compassionatelyManifest his body for me!The World-Honored One thenEmerged from samadhi
And with a wondrous voiceSpoke these words of praise:‘Excellent! Excellent,Good tree-spirit maiden!
‘You have now skillfully spoken
These words of praise!’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: ENTRUSTMENT
Translated from Chinese by Jnanagupta of the Sui dynasty.
At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the assembly of great bodhisattvas:
“Great Beings! Who among you can protect this accumulation that brought the Tathagatas to the accomplishment of bodhi over asamkhyeyas of kalpas? After my parinirvana, who will cause this Dharma text to be widely revealed, so that the true Dharma may long abide in the world?”
Within that assembly of bodhisattvas, sixty kotis of bodhisattvas and sixty kotis of heavenly maidens spoke in unison:
“World-Honored One! We have the power to protect this great accumulation that brought the Tathagatas to the accomplishment of bodhi over asamkhyeyas of kalpas! After the World-Honored One’s parinirvana, we shall cause this Dharma to be widely revealed!”
The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:
The Buddha’s words are true,Securely abiding in true Dharma;Because the Buddhas abide in truth,This sutra shall long endure.
Great compassion is its armor,And great loving-kindness its secure abode;Through the Buddhas’ power of loving-kindness,This sutra shall long endure.
The accumulation of merit is its armor,From which the accumulation of wisdom arises;Because these accumulations unite,This sutra shall long endure.
All maras are subdued,And all false doctrines shattered;Once all views have been severed,This sutra shall long endure.
The heavenly kings who protect the world,The asuras and Brahmas,The gandharvas, devas, and nagasHave undertaken to sustain it.
All heavenly maidensDwelling on earth and in space,Because the Buddhas sustain them,Have proclaimed and practiced this Dharma.
Because it accords with pure conduct,It is adorned with the four truths;Because the four maras are exhausted,This treasury shall long endure.
Even if one colored empty space,Or transformed form into non-form,No one could cause the sustaining powerOf the World-Honored One to be shaken!
The Four Great Heavenly Kings then spoke these verses in unison:
We shall protectThis sutra in such a manner;Our retinues and childrenWill also skillfully protect it.
If anyone upholds this sutraAnd thereby creates conditions for bodhi,We shall remain close to that personAnd protect all four directions!
Sakra, Lord of the Devas, then faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
I know the kindness of the Buddhas,And the Teacher has accomplished the path;In this supreme scriptureThe arising of Buddhahood is taught.
To repay the kindnessOf those Buddhas, I must protect it;I shall protect this sutraAnd also those who uphold it.
Then the great Brahma king, lord of the Saha world, faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
All concentrations and immeasurable states,The Vehicles and liberations,All arise from this sutra,In which the arising of Buddhahood is taught.
I shall relinquish the bliss of the Brahma realmAnd go wherever this sutra circulates;There I shall listen to and receive itAnd protect it as stated above.
Then the heavenly prince Santusita faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
Those who abide in bodhiWill dwell in Tusita;Now that the Buddha has taught this sutra,If anyone must preserve it,
World-Honored One, I shall uphold it!I shall relinquish my heavenly reward,Descend to dwell in Jambudvipa,And proclaim the practice of this Dharma!
Then the merchant chief Maraputra faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
When the karma of Mara is purified,One no longer follows Mara;If one upholds this sutra,The true meaning of the sutra,
We shall protectThis sutra in such a manner.I shall now widely reveal itAnd arouse aspiration and diligence!
Then Marapapiman faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
I shall not create obstaclesFor those sentient beings;If anyone preserves this scripture,I shall subdue the afflictions.
Mara shall find no opportunity;Therefore, it should be said to the hosts of Maras:‘This sutra is protected by the Buddha;We too must guard it!’
Then the heavenly prince Sudeva faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
If the bodhi of the BuddhasIs taught in this sutra,Whoever upholds this scriptureThereby makes offerings to the Honored Ones.
I shall uphold this sutraAnd proclaim it to kotis of devas,Teaching and guiding them toward bodhi;They should hear and revere it!
Then Bodhisattva Maitreya faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
Without being invited, I go as a friendTo those who abide in bodhi;To protect these Dharmas,They can relinquish even their own bodies.
Therefore, when I go to Tusita,I shall widely reveal such a sutra,For this scripture is sustainedBy the Buddha.
Then the Elder Mahakasyapa faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
Our wisdom is slight;The sravaka vehicle has been taught to us.According to our abilities and powers,We shall uphold the Dharma taught by the Teacher.
If anyone upholds this sutra,I shall gather that person in,And according to my ability to discourse,Bestow upon that person wholesome words.
Then the Venerable Ananda faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:
Many thousands of sutrasI have heard from the Teacher’s own mouth;Yet such a scripture as thisI had never heard before.
Now that I have encountered this sutraAnd received it face to face,I shall widely reveal itFor those who seek bodhi!
When the Buddha taught this sutra, the heavenly maiden Bodhi Tree Excellent Quiescence, the heavenly maidens including the Goddess of Great Eloquence, the heavenly maidens including the Goddess of Merit, the other heavenly maidens, and the celestial assemblies led by Sakra, King Brahma, Vaisravana, and others; the heavenly kings and their great celestial hosts; the gandharvas, asuras, and others; and all the world greatly rejoiced in the Buddha’s words.
The Buddha Sakyamuni then emerged from samadhi and manifested great spiritual power. With his right hand, he stroked the crowns of the great bodhisattvas, the heavenly kings, the naga kings, the generals of the twenty-eight divisions of the Sanci spirits, and the others, saying:
“Throughout immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, I cultivated this wondrous scripture, the Golden Light Sutra. You must receive, uphold, read, recite, and widely proclaim this Dharma! You must also ensure that this sutra is not cut off within Jambudvipa.
“If, in a future age, good men or good women receive, uphold, read, and recite this scripture, you devas must always protect them! Know that in future ages, throughout immeasurable hundreds of thousands of lives, such people will be born among humans and devas and constantly enjoy happiness. In future ages, they will encounter the Buddhas and swiftly attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”
The great bodhisattvas, devas, nagas, the generals of the twenty-eight divisions of the Sanci spirits, and the others immediately rose, went before the Buddha, prostrated themselves with their five limbs touching the ground, and said in unison:
“Just as the World-Honored One has instructed, we shall fully practice and obey!”
Three times they declared, “Just as the World-Honored One has instructed, we shall fully practice and obey!”
Then the General Sanci addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! If, in a future age, anyone receives and upholds this sutra, whether copying it personally or causing another to copy it, I and the spirits of these twenty-eight divisions shall always conceal our forms, accompany that person as guards, protect the one who teaches this Dharma, eliminate every evil circumstance, and enable that person to dwell in peace! May that person have no anxiety!”
At that time, the Buddha Sakyamuni manifested great spiritual power, and immeasurable worlds throughout the ten directions all quaked in six ways. All the Buddhas rejoiced greatly. For the sake of entrusting this sutra, they praised those who protected the Dharma and manifested immeasurable spiritual powers.
Then immeasurable, boundless asamkhyeyas of great bodhisattvas, including the bodhisattvas Ruciraketu, Golden Light Treasury, Ever-Sorrowful, and Dharmodgata; the Four Heavenly Kings; ten thousand heavenly princes; the spirit of the Bodhi Tree at the site of enlightenment; the earth spirit Drdha; and all the devas, humans, asuras, and others in the world heard the Buddha’s words. They all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, leaped with joy, paid homage, and departed.
