大寶積經

Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, again said to Bodhisattva Śāntamati: “What is the secret essence of the Tathagata’s mind?

The Tathagata’s mind is pure. How is this known?

All devas are born through a single consciousness and wisdom, and live for eighty-four thousand kalpas. Moreover, the spiritual consciousness of the devas does not change into another consciousness; even when their minds attain concentration, they again receive a lifespan. When they die from that body, they take birth in another body according to their formative karma.

Thus, Śāntamati, from the time the Tathagata first attained Buddhahood until the day of his nirvana, throughout that interval the Tathagata has no doubt and does not turn back. His mind does not deliberate or pursue conditions. His mind is not unstable, does not unite with anything, is not scattered or confused, does not shift or depart, does not grasp or become still, does not miss the proper time, is not deluded, does not seek principles, is not darkened, does not arise, rejoice, fear, remain, or pass away; it does not conceive, look forward, seek conceptions, or perish.

His mind does not look, know, or abide anywhere. His mind does not examine the minds of others. His eyes do not see, his ears do not hear, his nose does not smell, his tongue does not taste, and his body does not touch.

His mind does not conceive or recollect. His mental faculty does not rely upon beautiful forms, pleasing sounds, fragrant odors, delicious flavors, or smooth and delicate tangible objects. His mind does not follow dharmas, has nowhere in which it delights, yet is not without delight.

His mind is neither within nor without, neither enters dharmas nor transcends wisdom. His mind does not contemplate the past, future, or present. The Tathagata’s mind is a sacred mind, pure and lofty.

It creates neither meritorious nor sinful karma. Its unobstructed wisdom concerning all dharmas manifests universally. The Buddha’s pure mind does not perceive the minds of others as impure.

What it perceives is likewise without any act of viewing. Even where there is viewing, there are no false conceptions and no heedlessness. Seeing what is observed, it does not pursue it; though it perceives completely, there is nothing perceived.

The Tathagata’s seeing is not seeing with the physical eye, the divine eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye, or the Buddha eye. He does not cause the divine ear to hear, does not cause the minds of others to be examined, does not recollect and know past events through miscellaneous recollections, does not produce transformations by relying upon supernormal powers, and does not rely upon possessions.

All afflictions have been exhausted. He unites with no dharma, encounters no obstruction, seeks no auspicious sign, performs no karmic action, and forever engages in no conditioned clinging.

The Tathagata’s wisdom shines as though nonexistent, yet clearly knows every mental activity of all sentient beings. The ten powers of wisdom, the four kinds of fearless wisdom, and the eighteen distinctive qualities are likewise free from any activity of advancing or retreating. Having relinquished mind, thought, and consciousness, he never departs from the Tathagata’s samadhi of right concentration. He performs all Buddha-activities without attachment, like empty space.

Śāntamati, the Tathagata, the Most True One, creates an emanated image of a Tathagata. That emanated Tathagata has no mind, thought, or consciousness and no bodily, verbal, or mental karma, yet all his displayed actions are perfectly true, and according to the occasion he can perform Buddha-activities. The emanated Tathagata neither conceives nor seeks to recollect.

Śāntamati, the mind of enlightenment is likewise no different from the emanated Tathagata. What that emanation appears to think, it does not think. It has no body, speech, or mind, no causal conditions of advancing or retreating; whatever the eyes see performs Buddha-activities, yet nothing exists there.

What is called transformation has nothing that it does; all dharmas are like transformations.

The Tathagata understood them to be like transformations and attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Having attained perfect enlightenment, the Tathagata’s wisdom does not abide in the five skandhas or the twelve ayatanas, nor in the eighteen dhatus. It abides neither within nor without; it is neither wholesome nor unwholesome, neither of this world nor beyond the world, neither afflicted nor unafflicted.

It is not weary of the turmoil and disputes of defilements, nor does it abide in the unconditioned, in the enumerable or the innumerable. It does not abide in the three times of past, future, and present. Though moving back and forth, it does not abide in conditioned phenomena as something observed, nor does it abide in the unconditioned.

The Tathagata’s wisdom abides nowhere in this manner.

The Tathagata, the Most True One, manifests benevolent wisdom toward the utmost nature of all sentient beings, harming none and rescuing those in peril.

Śāntamati, you should know that wherever the Tathagata’s secret essence enters and proclaims its teachings, there is nowhere it does not fully penetrate.

Furthermore, the secret essence of the Tathagata is immeasurable; its secret teaching can never be exhausted.”

When Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, spoke this chapter on the Tathagata’s secret essence, an immeasurable number of worlds shook in six ways. A great light illuminated the ten directions, revealing immeasurable Buddha-lands in those directions. Various flowers rained from the heavens, and musical instruments sounded without being struck. Immeasurable numbers of people aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. Countless bodhisattvas attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. Limitless numbers of people attained the patient acceptance of concordance with the Dharma. Countless bodhisattvas attained the position of being bound to only one more birth.

To make an offering to the Dharma, those bodhisattvas together scattered flowers over Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces.

The scattered flowers transformed into flower canopies. Through the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, they circled the Buddha and Vajrapāṇi three times and covered the entire assembly.

Those precious flower canopies then remained in empty space directly above the Buddha.

From those jewels came an incomparable voice, saying:

“Most Revered World-Honored One! The bodhisattvas of the Auspicious Kalpa have sent us to make offerings to the Great Sage and to Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, presenting this Dharma offering because he has proclaimed the inconceivable secret essence taught by the Tathagata, the Most True One. All this has been accomplished through the Tathagata’s awesome spiritual power.”

When the entire assembly heard these words, they rejoiced greatly. They joined their palms and bowed at the feet of Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, then respectfully said: “World-Honored One! We have gained excellent benefit and great joy from seeing Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, and hearing the inconceivable secret teaching of the Tathagata.

If sentient beings hear the essential meaning of this scripture and accept it with faith and delight, then because they are near the practice of the Path they will have no doubt and will never hesitate to enter the Tathagata’s instruction. Such people should be regarded as irreversible; they will reach unsurpassed true and perfect enlightenment.”

The Buddha then praised Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces: “Excellent, excellent! Well have you spoken these words.”

The Buddha further told Bodhisattva Śāntamati: “The Tathagata’s merits are wondrous and perfectly true, complete with the four fearless wisdoms, precisely as Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, has praised.

Whoever hears this Dharma without alarm or fear and understands its meaning—if that person can receive, retain, study, read, and recite it, and extensively explain it to others—will before long receive the prediction of unsurpassed bodhi.”

At that time, the ground in the midst of the assembly at that bodhimanda, directly before the World-Honored One, split open to a depth of six million eight hundred thousand yojanas. A jet of water as wide as a wheel’s rim naturally spouted into the sky, reaching the Brahma Heaven and showering throughout the great trichiliocosm.

The Buddha asked Bodhisattva Śāntamati: “Do you see this great jet of water spouting into the sky and showering throughout the great trichiliocosm?”

“World-Honored One, I have seen it. May the God of gods compassionately explain what auspicious sign this is.”

“Śāntamati, you should know that the earth has no conception and no intention of splitting open, yet the water naturally spouts forth.

Dharma teachers are likewise. If they receive and retain this scripture and practice exactly according to it, they will split apart the sixty-two kinds of wrong views and attain wisdom and eloquence.

For the sake of sentient beings, those true beings will skillfully expound the true Dharma and bring joy and delight to the assembly.

Furthermore, Śāntamati, those who understand a scripture such as this will all escape the perils of the three evil destinies.”

Śāriputra then came forward and said: “World-Honored One! The assemblies of bodhisattvas of the Auspicious Kalpa are now cultivating the pure practice of brahmacarya in the worlds of the Buddhas throughout the ten directions. After those bodhisattvas attain Buddhahood, will this Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, hold a vajra in his hand and attend behind each of them?”

The Buddha said: “Enough, Śāriputra! This matter is inconceivable. If devas and humans hear these words, they may become confused about the deeds of bodhisattvas or may be unable to believe.”

Śāriputra said: “World-Honored One! Those still in training who have planted roots of goodness will believe and delight in it. We will all accept the Tathagata’s teaching.”

The Buddha said: “Śāriputra! Do you see Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, standing in attendance behind the Buddha?”

Śāriputra replied: “Yes, I see him.”

The Buddha taught: “Because of the supernormal power of his original vow, he stands in attendance in this manner.

When the assemblies of bodhisattvas in the Auspicious Kalpa attain Buddhahood, Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, will always stand in attendance, just as he attends me. Because of his former vow, he possesses such sovereign supernormal power.

Śāriputra, suppose all sentient beings in the great trichiliocosm were to attain Buddhahood in the future and each required an attendant. When each attained Buddhahood, he would hold a vajra and manifest himself standing behind every one of them.

Although he produces so many transformations, the awesome virtue and supernormal power of this true being suffer no diminution.

Śāriputra, do you now see Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, constantly standing in attendance behind Bodhisattva Maitreya?”

Śāriputra replied: “World-Honored One, I see him. Through the Buddha’s sacred instruction, I have heard what I had never heard before.”

The Buddha said: “Śāriputra, he constantly attends Bodhisattva Maitreya, though you do not see him.

Bodhisattvas coming from other directions, along with Śakra, Brahma, and the Four Heavenly Kings, see Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, standing behind Bodhisattva Maitreya and attending the bodhisattvas of the Auspicious Kalpa.

Bodhisattva Maitreya and the bodhisattvas of the Auspicious Kalpa manifest hundreds of thousands of millions of assemblies of bodhisattvas to reveal the teaching and liberate sentient beings. Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, stands behind every one of those emanated bodhisattvas.

This true being, Vajrapāṇi of the Secret Traces, possesses inconceivable awesome virtue. His supernormal transformations are so exalted, and his six superknowledges and wisdom are immeasurable.”

Bodhisattva Śāntamati then said to Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces: “Would you be pleased to explain how the Tathagata had to practice austerities, adorn the bodhi tree, subdue the armies of Māra, turn the Dharma wheel, and establish the noble truths?”

Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, said: “Śāntamati, the Tathagata’s merits cannot be measured. Even if one lived for an entire kalpa and spoke of those merits, one could not exhaust them.

Now, through the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, I shall briefly explain their essentials.

Śāntamati, the bodhisattva did not practice austerities for only one purpose.

Wishing to rescue followers of heterodox and external paths, he manifested appropriate bodily conduct and deportment, thereby liberating sentient beings who held the wrong views of external paths.

The bodhisattva manifested the most excellent, honored, and foremost body. He diligently performed austerities that none could equal, displaying deportment and observances that no heterodox follower of an external path could match. For those heterodox followers, the bodhisattva explained immeasurable meanings in a single phrase.

At times he manifested ascending above; at times he appeared to circle back and forth around the sun and moon; at times he displayed supernormal powers and flew to the hermitages of seers; at times he appeared as a national preceptor or householder, as a Noble Emperor, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Śakra, Brahmā, a wheel-turning sage-king, or as an ascetic lying upon thorns. At times he appeared lying upon grass, chaff, or the ground; at times he manifested frightening or unfrightening sleeping places; at times he appeared eating fruit and wearing ragged garments, or lying in muddy water.

At times he appeared wearing red robes or living and walking with groups of naked ascetics. At times he appeared eating only coarse grain, beans, sesame, radishes, tubers, vegetables, thorns, leaves, flowers, fruit, or jujubes. At times he ate once a day or twice a day; at times he appeared to eat continually; at times once every seven days, once every fifteen days, or once a month.

At times he consumed one drop of ghee, one drop of oil, one drop of honey, one drop of water, or one drop of milk. At times he appeared not to eat; at times to remain constantly standing or constantly sitting. He manifested numerous other modes of conduct that cannot all be recounted.

These were the austerities manifested by the bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva manifested the practice of austerities for a full six years. He did not perform only a single austerity but fully displayed all these kinds, while diligently cultivating an effort that surpassed even those austerities.

Sentient beings could not see all the Tathagata’s deportment and conduct, nor could they know the bodhisattva’s deeds.

Only sentient beings who practiced the Path and were fit to be liberated could see the bodhisattva’s deportment and conduct.

No deed of the bodhisattva was in vain.

Through fully and diligently practicing these austerities, the bodhisattva instructed and transformed six hundred million people, and thirty million devas and humans all entered the Path.

At that time the bodhisattva performed subtle and wondrous deeds. Though born while seated upon a high platform in a jeweled pavilion, free from every calamity and ultimately secure, and though he constantly abided in samadhi and right concentration, he nevertheless manifested six years of austerities. Afterward, the bodhisattva was again seen rising and walking.

At that time devas who sought the joy of the Dharma and did not cherish worldly things remained beside the bodhisattva, desiring nothing else but to hear the Mahayana Dharma.

At that time there was a bodhisattva named Dharma Seed who delighted in the Mahayana and entered great compassion.

There was also a Dharma scripture called Entry into the Inconceivable Dharma Gate, also called Universal Gathering. It subdued all heterodoxies and every kind of Māra, and brought complete peace amid suffering and adversity.

Śāntamati, after diligently practicing austerities for a full six years, the bodhisattva manifested the deportment of vigorous effort. He left his seat and went to the bank of the Nairañjanā River.

In conformity with the ways of the world, the bodhisattva deliberately went to the Nairañjanā River to bathe and cleanse himself. He then left the river and stood alone elsewhere.

At that time a maiden named Migā, also called Auspicious Sound, milked one thousand cows and gave their milk to one hundred cows to drink. She then milked those one hundred cows and gave their milk to ten cows to drink. She milked those ten cows and gave their milk to one cow to drink. She milked this last cow and used its milk to cook milk porridge. The boiling milk porridge leapt several tens of fathoms into the air. The maiden Migā was amazed. A brahmin declared: “Only one who is about to attain Buddhahood is worthy to eat this milk porridge.”

The maiden Migā brought the milk porridge to the bodhisattva.

Sixty thousand devas, nāgas, gandharvas, and others also brought wondrous, sweet, and delicious foods and came together to the bodhisattva.

The entire great assembly addressed the bodhisattva:

“Please have compassion and accept our offerings.”

The bodhisattva then accepted and ate the milk porridge offered by Migā Auspicious Sound. He also accepted the foods of the sixty thousand devas and spirits, manifesting the act of eating them all.

Each person who offered food to the bodhisattva saw the bodhisattva accept and eat only that person’s own offering and did not see him accept anyone else’s.

Each thought: “The bodhisattva has singled me out in his thoughts and accepted and eaten what I offered. He will attain unsurpassed bodhi and become a perfectly enlightened one.” They all rejoiced greatly, aroused the mind of enlightenment, and attained irreversibility.

This is called accepting offered food. To instruct and transform sentient beings, he manifested the diligent practice of austerities for six years.

Śāntamati, in this way the bodhisattva followed worldly custom, accepted offerings, and ate. Once his body and strength were full, peaceful, and harmonious, he went beneath the tree.

An earth spirit named Deva Son of the Good Earth told the other deva sons and the earth-dwelling spirits to hold the ground firm and prevent it from shaking.

After arriving beneath the tree, the bodhisattva swept and cleansed the place.

The great trichiliocosm suddenly became pure. Flowers were scattered, incense was burned, and fragrant water was sprinkled upon the ground.

The Kalūṭika Deva left his celestial palace carrying flowers. When he saw the bodhisattva from empty space, he rejoiced and rained down various flowers.

The Four Heavenly Kings and their retinues flew to the four directions and covered the entire great trichiliocosm with nets of purple-gold to make offerings.

Throughout the great trichiliocosm, the heavenly kings and the celestial retinues of the Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Paranirmitavaśavartin heavens spread jeweled curtains and offered pearls and luminous jewels.

The devas, nāgas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas used their supernormal powers to arrange and adorn the entire desire realm.

At that time a Great Brahmā King named Awesome Spiritual Sovereignty, lord of the great trichiliocosm, came to the bodhi tree. That Great Brahmā King told the Brahmā devas: “You should know that this great bodhisattva has cultivated right conduct in the presence of past Buddhas, planted roots of merit, bowed and taken refuge in countless Buddhas, established great vows and a firm aspiration, perfected the bodhisattva practices, cultivated the paramitas, penetrated the capacities and natures of all sentient beings, comprehended all the Tathagata’s secret essentials, and established the unsurpassed Dharma of the Path.

He is the great guide who rescues sentient beings and proclaims the scriptures, the great king of physicians who cures the illnesses of sentient beings. Wearing the crown of liberation, he becomes a great Dharma king; with luminous wisdom he expounds the unsurpassed noble truths. He is not bound by the eight worldly conditions, just as a lotus flower is unstained by mud.

He retains all dharmas without forgetting any, like rivers and seas. His wisdom is immeasurable, and he is unmoving like Mount Sumeru. He washes his mind clean as water washes away dust.

He is never arrogant but always humble, like the moon-jewel that dispels darkness and every impurity. He has mastery over all dharmas and accumulates roots of merit. Just as Brahmā is foremost among the devas, he has come beneath the tree to subdue the armies of Māra.

He will attain unsurpassed true and perfect enlightenment and become the supremely enlightened one, complete with the Buddhas’ ten powers of wisdom, four fearlessnesses, and sixteen distinctive qualities. He will turn the great wheel of Dharma, utter the lion’s roar that fills all realms, and bestow the gift of Dharma to moisten and purify the eye of the Path for all sentient beings. He gathers all dharmas, vanquishes the ninety-six kinds of external paths, fulfills his original vows, and clearly sees the realms of the Buddhas throughout the ten directions.

The Great Sage possesses sovereign and awesome virtue.

You Brahmā devas should humble yourselves and reverently honor the bodhisattva.”

The Great Brahmā King then spoke these verses before the assembly of Brahmā devas:

“With conduct true, upright, and pure,

He realizes the subtle unsurpassed Dharma;

He has compassion for the world,

And compassion also for the devas.

The God among gods,

Most honored among devas and humans,

The Great Sage now abides

Beneath the bodhi tree.

He will subdue the Māra king

And all Māra’s retinue,

Attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment,

And realize wisdom of all modes.

Having perfected supreme enlightenment,

He will turn the wheel of true Dharma,

Like the roar of a great lion,

Delighting the hearts of sentient beings.”

Vajrapāṇi, the Adamantine Mighty One of the Secret Traces, said to Śāntamati: “As the bodhisattva was about to sit beneath the tree, light shone from the thousand-spoked wheel marks on the soles of his feet and illuminated the entire great trichiliocosm. The sufferings of all beings in the hells and in the realms of hungry ghosts and animals ceased.

That light reached the Black Ear Hell. Illuminated by the bodhisattva’s light, the beings in the great Black Ear Hell rejoiced and exulted. The king and his retinue there all carried flowers, incense, banners, canopies, and musical instruments, flew into empty space, transformed into precious clouds, and rained down moon-bright jewels and sandalwood incense. Then, through their supernormal transformations, they came to the bodhisattva, bowed their heads at his feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, and together presented their offerings.

The bodhisattva’s light reached the dwelling of the Nāga King Kālin. The nāga king rejoiced, left his palace, came beneath the bodhi tree, and stood to the bodhisattva’s right.

At that time a man named Auspicious Peace saw the bodhisattva from afar. He immediately found fine grass, fragrant and soft like celestial cloth, carried it to the bodhisattva, bowed his head at the bodhisattva’s feet, and circumambulated him seven times to the right. Because Auspicious Peace offered the grass to the bodhisattva, he would arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. Why was this? His original vow caused it to be so.

Śāntamati, I recall that ninety-one kalpas ago, when Buddha Vipaśyin appeared in the world complete with the ten epithets, there were one thousand bhikshus cultivating pure conduct. Buddha Vipaśyin predicted that they would become supremely enlightened ones during the Auspicious Kalpa.

In that Dharma assembly was an elder named Resolute Aspiration. Hearing the prediction, he thought: “During the Auspicious Kalpa, when those bodhisattvas are about to attain Buddhahood, I shall offer fine grass so that their lion thrones may be spread out, adorned, pure, peaceful, and soft. Through this I shall arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi.”

Śāntamati, that former Elder Resolute Aspiration is now Auspicious Peace. Because of his original vow, he offered the fine grass and aroused the mind of enlightenment. In the future he will attain Buddhahood with the name Tathagata Jewel-Pure Lion, the Most True One.

When the bodhisattva accepted the grass and spread it beneath the bodhi tree, the tree spirit and ten thousand celestial maidens all brought bags filled with celestial flowers and incense, together with banners and canopies. They bowed, made offerings, and welcomed the bodhisattva.

Śāntamati, as soon as the bodhisattva had finished spreading his seat, eighty-four thousand deva sons saw him prepare his seat. Rejoicing in their hearts, they arranged eighty-four thousand lion thrones. Those lion thrones were magnificently adorned, lofty and vast, fashioned from various jewels and spread with celestial cloth. All the deva sons invited the bodhisattva to sit upon the lion throne each had prepared.

The bodhisattva then transformed his body so that he sat upon all eighty-four thousand lion thrones.

The deva sons neither saw nor knew one another. Each saw and knew only that the bodhisattva sat upon his own lion throne in order to attain supreme perfect enlightenment. They therefore rejoiced greatly, aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, and reached the stage of irreversibility.

Śāntamati, at that time the bodhisattva used his awesome spiritual power to make the Māra king aware of him.

The Māra king immediately came with his retinue of countless hundreds of thousands of millions of ghosts and spirits. All wore armor and carried weapons, displaying their supernormal power and might. They surrounded the bodhisattva for a distance of 3,360,000 miles.

Māra King Pāpīyān and his retinue of ghosts and spirits all had different appearances. Their heads and faces were unlike one another, and their cries and speech all differed. They manifested innumerable forms, fully armed, and presented an exceedingly terrifying sight. They did not accord with benevolence or righteousness but committed grievous evils. They did not follow virtue but devoted themselves to brutality, roaring and screaming so loudly that all three realms shook. If ordinary people who had not abandoned desire had heard those sounds, blood would have gushed from their noses and mouths, or they would have died of fright.

At that time the bodhisattva felt not the slightest fear or apprehension, but instead aroused loving-kindness and compassion. Those terrifying sounds naturally vanished, and no one knew where they had gone.

Why was this?

Because the bodhisattva’s mind was pure. Although he heard those sounds, he fully understood that they were originally hollow and nonexistent. When he saw Māra’s hosts approaching, the light from his body shone even more brilliantly. The bodhisattva told Māra King Pāpīyān:

“Enough, Pāpīyān! Do not display these useless scenes. Do not give rise to a venomous, angry mind and thereby bring calamity upon yourself, leaving yourself forever without peace.

Today Pāpīyān has given rise to the intention to harm the bodhisattva, but the bodhisattva possesses vast loving-kindness, great courage, inexhaustible compassion, and boundless benevolence, and he subdues those who are evil and rebellious.

Pāpīyān wishes to disturb the bodhisattva, yet the bodhisattva’s mind is originally pure and the impurities of defilement have been eliminated. Not only will Pāpīyān fail to harm the bodhisattva; he will instead assist the bodhisattva’s accomplishment.

Pāpīyān wishes to compare a firefly’s flame with the sunlight, to have a tiny creature frighten a lion, to topple a great ancient tree with a thin little foot, and to compare water in an ox’s hoofprint with the great ocean.

Pāpīyān should abandon his deluded and resentful mind, transform his savage retinue into companions in the Dharma of the Path, forsake what is contrary to Dharma, and return to the noble path.”

Seeing the bodhisattva’s lofty and awesome virtue and hearing his compassionate voice, Māra King Pāpīyān rejoiced, revered him, and turned toward the true path.

Śāntamati, the bodhisattva then thought: “For incalculable kalpas I have accumulated merit and perfected causal practices. Life after life I have upheld the Dharma and cultivated the Path. Out of compassion for sentient beings afflicted by calamity and suffering in the three realms, I cultivated benevolent wisdom. Who could dare destroy this? Only the great earth can bear witness.”

From within his kāṣāya robe, the bodhisattva extended his purple-gold hand and touched his entire body. Never abandoning great compassion and wishing to liberate sentient beings, he raised his right hand toward the ten directions.

Immediately the entire great trichiliocosm shook in six ways, and a spontaneous sound arose. That spontaneous sound resounded through the Buddha-lands of the ten directions.

Māra King Pāpīyān and his retinue, who were in empty space, heard that sound. They all reproached themselves for their errors and delighted in wholesome Dharma.

The bodhisattva then bestowed fearlessness through great compassion and loving sympathy. Māra and the ghosts and spirits turned toward the bodhisattva and naturally fell from empty space. Their minds took refuge, they resolved to protect the Dharma, and then they disappeared.

Thus the bodhisattva, out of compassion for the Māras, ghosts, and spirits, emitted a great light. They all escaped fear and returned to their celestial palaces.

When the bodhisattva manifested the subjugation of the Māra king and his retinue, eight thousand billion million ghosts and spirits aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi; ninety-two billion nayutas of people attained irreversibility; and eighty-four thousand deva sons, because they had planted roots of merit, attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

Śāntamati, through this manifestation of subduing Māra’s hosts, countless devas and humans gained great benefit. Nevertheless, the bodhisattva’s mind made no distinctions, and for him there was no affliction from Māra, for he had forever abandoned every harmful transgression. Devas and worldly beings each saw the bodhisattva according to their own roots of goodness.

Some saw the bodhisattva seated upon a lion throne of jeweled lotus flowers; some saw him upon the ground; some in empty space; some beneath the tree; and some in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, seated beneath a jeweled tree. Some saw him seated upon a lion throne seven fathoms high; some upon a lion throne ten miles high, twenty miles high, or forty miles high. Some devas and humans saw the bodhisattva seated upon a lion throne forty-two thousand yojanas high beneath a bodhi tree eighty-four thousand yojanas high.

Śāntamati, the bodhisattva’s realm is immeasurable and inconceivable; therefore, the bodhimanda was extraordinarily sublime. Sentient beings whose capacities and natures had matured could see the bodhisattva’s practices, while those whose capacities and natures were distracted and disturbed neither perceived nor knew them.

When the bodhisattva had first perfected and fulfilled the Buddha’s Path, he remained for seven days and nights in the joy of the Dharma, gazing at the bodhi tree without blinking.

At that time hundreds of thousands of millions of devas came to praise him and make offerings. They set out jade tables and presented food. Seeing that the Tathagata had attained Buddhahood, they all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi.

Each of the Four Great Heavenly Kings brought a bowl and presented it to the Tathagata.

Just as this great trichiliocosm contains ten billion regions, and each region has Four Great Heavenly Kings, all the forty billion Great Heavenly Kings brought bowls and presented them, and the Tathagata accepted every one.

Through the Tathagata’s awesome spiritual power, the Great Heavenly Kings did not see one another. Each thought: “The Buddha has accepted my bowl and will use it to hold food.” Therefore, each Great Heavenly King rejoiced in his heart, aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, and reached irreversibility.

The elders Trapusa and Bhallika, together with five hundred merchants, were traveling in carts past the bodhimanda.

Wishing to liberate them, the Buddha manifested his awesome spiritual power, and the horses and carts of the merchants’ caravan naturally stopped and could go no farther.

The elders and merchants were all amazed and did not know the reason.

Devas in empty space told them: “A Buddha has appeared in the world. You should go and make offerings.”

Hearing this instruction from empty space, the elders and the merchants rejoiced and all brought honeyed balls and clarified butter to offer to the Buddha.

At the same time, eighty-four thousand devas also offered food to the Buddha.

The Buddha accepted everything.

Those humans and devas had previously made this vow: “When the Tathagata attains enlightenment, I shall be the first to offer him food.”

Wishing to fulfill their original vows, the Buddha used his awesome spiritual power so that they neither saw nor knew one another. Each saw only himself making an offering. Therefore, they all rejoiced greatly and attained irreversibility from unsurpassed bodhi.”