大寶積經

7. THE CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECY BESTOWED UPON THE DRAGON KINGS

At that time the Dragon King Nanda and Upananda and the rest, nine koṭis of dragons, seeing the dragon-maidens make offerings to the Buddha and receive their prophecies, gave rise to a mind of rare wonder, a mind that had never been before, and thought thus: The Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is truly rare and unprecedented. The Tathāgata knows the faculties and the profound faith of all beings; there is not the slightest part of anything that the Tathāgata does not see, does not hear, does not realize.

The True Dharma of the Tathāgata, well proclaimed by the Buddha, is able to cause the great assembly, having heard it, to know it directly; without regard to season, bestowing the Dharma according to capacity, it surely causes them to attain the fruit, causing the wise to gain direct realization in the present. Even women, who are unsteady, fickle, and shallow in wisdom, are still able to understand the profound Dharma spoken by the Buddha—how much more those wise ones who skillfully abide in the Buddha's Dharma as His disciples.

Even women whose desire-mind is intensified, whose anger-mind is intensified, whose delusion-mind is intensified, are still able to know what the Tathāgata proclaims. Because they reflected in this way, toward the Buddha the Dragon Kings Nanda and Upananda and the rest gave rise to a mind of rare wonder, never before known. In order to make offerings to the Buddha, the dragons raised up clouds covering all the world and rained down fragrant water, forming fragrant mud, and that fragrance filled the whole trichiliocosm.

The beings who smelled that fragrance all attained non-retrogression from Unsurpassed Awakening. In the city of Kapilavastu, sixty yojanas across in breadth, they rained down red pearls everywhere, and there were also all manner of priceless treasures covering all around the Nyagrodha Park. Moreover, with dragon-flowers they conjured a beautiful palace, sixty yojanas wide, the whole palace made entirely of the seven jewels.

There were also immeasurable musical instruments sounding together as an offering. That dragon-flower palace of seven jewels conjured nine koṭis of multicolored flower-banners hung throughout the palace; nets of beryl draped over the jeweled pillars; priceless jewels spread across the whole frontage. Those jewels were exceedingly soft and supple, like the soft stone in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three; that stone was the color of beryl, and to the touch it was soft and supple like marvelous, lovely heavenly garments.

Among those maṇi-jewels, some emitted cool, refreshing rays of light; some emitted blue water, golden water, red water, white water; some emitted multicolored water; some emitted cool breezes; some jewels, according to the wish of beings, emitted whatever necessities were needed; some jewels emitted smooth oil; some jewels could serve as bright mirrors reflecting the images of the whole great assembly. All the people coming out of the city of Kapilavastu appeared clearly reflected therein.

The whole great assembly all saw the Buddha and the Śrāvakas manifesting all manner of spiritual penetrations and transformations. By the spiritual power of those maṇi-jewels, from within the palace terraces there issued forth multicolored jeweled canopies, multicolored jeweled banners, multicolored jeweled streamers, multicolored flower-garlands, garlands of incense, garlands of jewels, garlands of pearls, nets of jeweled bells, and there also issued forth multicolored noble horses.

The Dragon King Nanda and the nine koṭis of dragons drove the noble horses forward, walking, and circumambulated the Buddha three times to the right, then with the soft, supple jewels they scattered offerings upon the World-Honored One. The various jewels that issued from beneath the floor of that beautiful palace all flew up into empty space, sheltering the Buddha and the assembly of Śrāvakas. The musical instruments in empty space naturally issued forth marvelous sounds as an offering to the Buddha.

When the nine koṭis of dragons had circumambulated the Buddha, before the Buddha, with palms joined, in silence they recollected the Buddha's merits, gazing upon the Tathāgata, their eyes never leaving Him for a moment; delighting in the Buddha's merits, they grew firmer in their abiding in Unsurpassed Awakening. The dragons silently recollected the Buddha's merits for a short while, then together bowed their heads to the Buddha's feet and with one voice spoke verses in praise, saying:

"Long cultivating the deportment and the marks of a hundred merits,
A compassionate mind free of defilement, His conduct complete,
Casting away the inexhaustible, precious jeweled earth,
The World-Honored One departed from the city of Kapila.

For six long years He practiced austerities;
Yet the Tathāgata did not attain the path of ambrosia.
The mind of the World-Honored One still grew neither weary nor sad,
For He had long cultivated wisdom.

The Tathāgata is truly the teacher of gods and humans;
For the sake of the world He practiced austerities.
The world, hearing of it, cannot even bear it,
How much less could it look upon it with its eyes.

The World-Honored One in the past gave away His head and eyes,
Like a sage storing up the casket of the Bodhi-mind.
Hearing such tidings, we are not joyful,
For we think upon the Buddha's excessive austerities.

As the Buddha of old was the ascetic of patient endurance,
Whose hands and feet were cut off by King Kali,
His ears sliced, his nose shaken off, yet he held no resentment—
We, hearing the tidings, cannot bear it.

As the Buddha placed His body upon the scales,
For the sake of a bird seeking rescue, unwilling to abandon it—
We, hearing the tidings, are likewise not joyful.
The Tathāgata in the past toiled so painfully;

Why are our hearts not joyful?
Because the World-Honored One endured such suffering.
Evil ones did harm to the Tathāgata;
They fell into evil destinies, yet the Buddha still loved them.

Now these dragons have brought forth the mind,
Seeking from the Tathāgata the conduct of Awakening.
As the Buddha proclaims and teaches, all can be done;
We humbly beg the Buddha to speak the path of Awakening.

These multitudes of dragons reverently aspire
Only to seek the place of the deathless and the unborn.
We pray You will speak the Tathāgata's conduct of peace and ease,
Causing all beings to be easily taught and transformed."

The Buddha, seeing the multitude of dragons make offerings and bring forth their vows, knowing that they had profound faith, then manifested a smile. It is the Dharma-nature of all Buddhas that if they manifest the sign of a smile, then from their face they emit immeasurable colored rays of light shining as far as the Brahmā Heaven, which then return and enter the crown of the Buddha's head.

The Venerable Aśvajit, the bhikṣu of Wisdom-Life, spoke verses, addressing the Buddha and asking:

"Excellent, O Śramaṇa, Great Muni!
It is not without cause that You manifest a smile.
World-Honored One, in Your compassion, please explain clearly:
Unsurpassed Perfectly Awakened One, why do You smile?

The great assembly gazes upon You, longing to hear—
The World-Honored One, of immeasurable merit and conduct.
Seeing the smile, doubt arises and the heart is not at ease;
We humbly beg the Dharma King to cut off our doubt.

Who now within the Dharma of Śākya
Has given rise to a mind of reverent faith and rejoicing?
Who has caused, this very day, the demon Pāpīyān
To grow confused and distressed in his mind?

The whole great assembly here, with palms joined together,
All stand gazing upon the Buddha.
We humbly beg the Guide to remove the net of doubt,
And for the assembly to tell the cause of the smile.

The great assembly, having heard, will rejoice in heart,
And come to know the True Dharma the World-Honored One teaches.
The great wisdom of the World-Honored One will gladden the assembly,
Who, conforming to the right teaching, will skillfully abide."

The World-Honored One spoke verses in reply to Aśvajit of Wisdom-Life, saying:

"The wisdom vast and deep, the great Guide,
When He speaks, His Brahmā-voice is complete with the eight qualities.
The Buddha's mind is pure, free of defilement;
Listen attentively as the Buddha tells the causes of the smile.

These Dragon Kings, with hearts of reverent faith,
Have made offerings to the Buddha surpassing all others.
This multitude, for the sake of seeking the Buddha's Awakening,
So as to benefit all the world,

Greatly delighting in quietude, complete in wisdom,
Cultivating the vehicle of bliss with pure mind,
In emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness'—
For immeasurable kalpas they have long cultivated.

The Buddha's mind, impartial, contemplates the world.
As the Buddha has attained the mark of wisdom,
The mind of loving-kindness, compassion, and joy all impartial,
In order to make the world peaceful and secure—

When this multitude attains ambrosia,
There will be no demon enemies, nor any remainder.
Constantly they will expound the Dharma of non-self,
Wholly without any worldly, conventional teaching.

All spirits, demons, and animals—
None there are who do not understand those Buddhas' words.
All, having gained the recollection of the Dharma,
Come to understand the Tathāgata's ambrosial Dharma.

There is no being who hears the Buddha's teaching
And does not give rise to a mind of love and delight.
Loving and delighting in the True Dharma the Buddha speaks,
All without exception attain ambrosia.

At that time, those who are taught and transformed
Will attain liberation from the sickness of birth and death,
And liberation from the suffering of death, sorrow, and grief.
Having heard the Buddha speak, their hearts are without defilement.

Thus does Śākyamuni Buddha
Speak the intent of the dragons, answering the Buddha-son.
According to the firm and resolute mind of the dragons,
For the sake of attaining Unsurpassed Awakening,

The Tathāgata bestows the prophecy upon the dragons.
The great assembly, having heard, all rejoice;
The great assembly, having rejoiced, takes refuge in the Buddha,
And all, without exception, are tranquil in mind."

8. THE CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECY BESTOWED UPON THE KUMBHĀṆḌAS

At that time there were further one koṭi, eight thousand myriads of Kumbhāṇḍas, who saw the Asuras, the Garuḍas, the dragon-maidens, and the Dragon Kings make offerings to the Buddha and receive their prophecies.

They were greatly pleased, exultant and joyful, and gave rise to a mind of rare wonder never before known, thinking: The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, of marvelous and supreme merit and wisdom, receives such rare offerings, yet rejoices not and marvels not, for the wisdom of the Buddha is the most venerable and supreme among all wisdoms. It is like the great ocean, which neither increases nor decreases. Why? Because it is deep and vast. The World-Honored One receives supreme offerings, yet the Buddha's mind neither increases nor decreases. Why? Because toward all dharmas there is nothing of which He is in doubt.

At that time the one koṭi, eight thousand myriads of Kumbhāṇḍas, in order to make offerings, conjured one koṭi, eight thousand myriads of seven-jeweled canopies, hung with garlands of the seven jewels.

They also conjured one koṭi, eight thousand myriads of seven-jeweled chariots, and upon the chariots they further conjured one koṭi, eight thousand myriads of jeweled canopies; those chariots stood one beside another, the jeweled canopies all hung with jeweled tassels, with curtain-nets of red pearls draped over the top. They also conjured Kumbhāṇḍa music played together in offering to the Buddha. They also conjured one koṭi, eight thousand myriads of horses of many jeweled colors, well tamed, to draw those chariots.

The Kumbhāṇḍas all rode in the seven-jeweled chariots and circumambulated the Buddha three times to the right, scattering seven-jeweled flowers upon the Buddha; then they descended from the chariots, came and bowed at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated the Buddha three times, joined their palms, stood to one side, and spoke verses in praise, saying:

The World-Honored One knows the world is like an illusory dream;
Within the illusion, within the dream, receiving the pleasures of desire,
Again like the moon in water and a mirage—
Contemplating thus, there is no remainder.

All gods and humans make offerings to the Buddha—
Jeweled chariots, jeweled canopies, and music,
Flower-garlands and tassels, together with joined palms—
The World-Honored One sees and knows them as a reflection or echo.

We see those who are in anguish,
Bound and oppressed by birth, old age, sickness, and death.
May we know the Buddha's Unsurpassed Awakening,
And speak it so that the hearers attain liberation.

Among beings devoid of wisdom,
May we attain Awakening so as to expound the Dharma,
Expounding the Dharma without defilement,
Becoming the Guide for the assembly, the Path-Leader."

The World-Honored One, knowing that the Kumbhāṇḍas had given rise to deep faith, manifested the sign of a smile.

The Venerable Aśvajit, the bhikṣu of Wisdom-Life, spoke verses, addressing the Buddha and asking:

"The Buddha does not, without cause, manifest a smile,
Nor does He regard all things as rare and wondrous.
The Buddha smiles not over what is rare and wondrous—
Now I pray to hear that cause and condition.

All gods and humans have their doubts,
Seeing from the Buddha's mouth a smile manifest.
We humbly beg You to remove all the nets of doubt,
And expound the smiling of the Buddha.

Who has spoken the True Dharma and gained deep faith?
Who is able, according to the Dharma, to behold the kindly Father?
Who has been praised by the Buddha for presenting offerings?
I pray to hear what the World-Honored One will say.

The whole great assembly stands with palms joined,
Seeking to hear the cause of the Buddha's smile.
May You cut off the doubts of all beings;
World-Honored One, proclaim and bestow upon them the prophecy."

The World-Honored One spoke verses in reply to Aśvajit of Wisdom-Life, saying:

The multitude of Kumbhāṇḍas have made offerings to the Buddha;
In the Dharma of tranquil cessation their minds abide.
That multitude, seeing the Buddha, are not startled or amazed;
They give rise to rare wonder and make their vow.

That multitude today have made offerings to the Buddha;
Their minds have chosen the Dharma of tranquil cessation.
Through deep faith they give rise to great compassion,
Becoming the Guide for those who have lost their way.

Out of pity for beings they make offerings to the Buddha;
For those who have lost their way they give rise to compassion.
Those worthy and wise ones, having done thus,
Are able to cast off the body of a yakṣa and be born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

The King of Heaven always, with a heart of loving-kindness,
In the heavens constantly instructs them.
They possess the dharmas and attain freedom from doubt,
Becoming the kindred of Śakra, Lord of Devas.

They, for immeasurable kalpas as numberless as the sands of the Ganges,
In each and every land practice the conduct of Buddhas,
Donning the armor of the eternal vow, exceedingly firm,
Making offerings to the sovereign Dharma Kings.

When they dwell in those lands practicing,
The people of those lands will surely know they have become Buddhas.
By this skillful means, in ages to come,
Though they liberate beings, their minds are without hindrance.

For the sake of seeking the unsurpassed, peaceful, secure path,
They purify all the lands without hindrance.
In the deeds they perform their minds are unattached;
And toward great Awakening it is likewise.

The cause of the smile has been asked, and the Buddha has answered;
Beings all attain the cutting off of doubt.
The great assembly, free of doubt, all rejoice,
Knowing for certain that those ones make offerings."

9. THE CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECY BESTOWED UPON THE GANDHARVAS

At that time there were further three koṭis, six thousand myriads of the multitude of Gandharvas who saw the Asuras, the Garuḍas, the dragon-maidens, the Dragon Kings, and the Kumbhāṇḍas make offerings to the Buddha and receive their prophecies. They were pleased and satisfied at heart, exultant and joyful, and gave rise to a mind of rare wonder never before known, thinking thus: The Tathāgata is truly rare and unprecedented, proclaiming that the Dharma-realm is without alteration, yet manifesting deeds that increase the roots of goodness.

Though there is no doer, He manifests the performing of karma. The Gandharvas, having understood thus within that Dharma, gave rise to a mind of reverence toward the Tathāgata and brought forth the mind of Unsurpassed Awakening. In their rejoicing, because they wished to make offerings to the Buddha, they conjured three koṭis, six thousand myriads of great elephant-kings, each having six tusks.

Upon each tusk were seven pools of water. In each pool were seven lotus flowers. Each lotus flower had a thousand petals,

Upon each petal were seven jade maidens. In the space of a single lotus petal were seven attendant maidens, adorned with ornaments of heavenly jewels, holding heavenly incense in their hands to make offerings. Upon the head of each great elephant-king they further conjured three koṭis, six thousand myriads of seven-jeweled canopies, and three koṭis, six thousand myriads of curtains of heavenly fabric.

The Gandharvas all sat upon the elephant-kings playing heavenly music, and in empty space they circumambulated the Buddha thirty-six times, scattering heavenly incense, heavenly flowers, and seven-jeweled flowers as offerings to the Buddha; the fragrance of those flowers spread throughout the ten directions. They also rained down heavenly fragrant water over the city of Kapilavastu, sixty yojanas across, causing the whole city to be soaked into fragrant mud, the scent of the fragrant mud filling the whole trichiliocosm; the beings who smelled that scent all became non-retrogressing from Unsurpassed Awakening.

When they played their music, the sound of that music resounded throughout the whole trichiliocosm, and the beings who heard that music all attained non-retrogression from Unsurpassed Awakening. The Gandharvas, upon the elephant-kings, set forth their offerings to the Buddha, causing the jade maidens to play music, sing, and dance. There were also jade maidens who moved their bodies and hands, scattering fragrant powders as offerings to the Buddha.

The Gandharvas, in the air, seated upon the elephant-kings, having circumambulated the Buddha thirty-six times, descended from the elephants, circumambulated the Buddha three times, bowed at the Buddha's feet, joined their palms, stood to one side, and spoke verses in praise, saying:

"The World-Honored One's wisdom is beyond the three realms;
Having emerged Himself, He again delivers others.
None in all the world equals the Buddha,
With marks excellent, His body radiant, exceedingly upright.

Foremost and most marvelous among gods and humans, of boundless renown,
Manifesting in the world inconceivably.
Not seeing a single mark of any other dharma,
Yet He teaches beings to cultivate wholesome karma.

The Dharma of suchness is without alteration or difference;
There is only verbal speech, with no meaning;
There is no function performed and no one who performs it,
Yet the Buddha delivers all the multitude of beings.

Neither coming nor going, nor being born,
The Buddha is able to expound the Dharma in this way.
Though He speaks of all dharmas as empty in their essential nature,
The World-Honored One yet exhorts diligence in practicing the path.

There is not a single dharma able to act of itself;
The radiant one of the world says there is action.
All dharmas of themselves cannot know;
The World-Honored One manifests the doing of all things,

Like a cart assembling many component parts—
The component parts do not know that they themselves act,
Yet the function of that cart is manifestly seen.
The Buddha says all dharmas are likewise.

The dharmas, each and every one, do not teach one another,
Nor do they alter and instruct one another;
All dharmas do not depend upon one another.
Dharmas are fundamentally unborn and likewise unceasing.

The Buddha, therefore, speaks in this way:
By conventional truth, dharmas are not wholly empty.
As the dharmas of conventional truth abide in their essential nature,
Knowing it thus, He speaks for the sake of the multitude.

The World-Honored One speaks of all dharmas in this way;
The deeds of His great compassion are exceedingly rare and special.
The essential nature of dharmas cannot be seen,
Yet the Tathāgata, by skillful means, speaks of the abiding of dharmas.

We vow to become ones of boundless renown,
Great Teachers, complete with the marks of a hundred merits,
Of great joy, benefiting all the worlds—
We vow to become World-Honored Ones, like the Buddha.

We vow that for those in darkness and obstruction,
Those who follow the current of greed and desire,
Those bound by craving and tied to a hundred sufferings,
We will deliver them, like the World-Honored One.

We vow that for those of much suffering,
Those who, not seeing the far shore, are bound,
Those who run like apes and monkeys leaping about,
We will rescue and deliver them, like the World-Honored One.

We vow that for those like the blind,
Those of the six destinies, toiling back and forth,
Those who by themselves destroy the fruits of their own karma,
We will rescue and deliver them, like the World-Honored One."

The Buddha, knowing that the Gandharvas had given rise to deep faith, manifested the sign of a smile.

The Venerable Aśvajit, the bhikṣu of Wisdom-Life, spoke verses, addressing the Buddha and asking:

"Of boundless majestic virtue, You manifest a smile;
The Guide's smile is not without cause.
We pray the Buddha will swiftly speak that cause and condition,
Removing all the doubts of beings.

Now seeing the World-Honored One smile,
The great assembly all give rise to doubt and perplexity.
All vow to hear the meaning of the smile;
We humbly beg, in great compassion, that You cut off our doubt.

Who, toward the Buddha's Dharma, gives rise to reverent faith?
Who has been able to depart from the nets of doubt?
The Buddha knows beings of deep faith;
For gods, humans, and the sages, He manifests a smile.

Who, possessing wisdom, is able to conform,
Bringing forth suchness as the Tathāgata speaks?
Knowing their profound wisdom, liberation, and conduct,
Within the great assembly You manifest a smile.

The whole great assembly is of no divided mind;
They only wish to delight in hearing what the World-Honored One says.
Joining their ten fingers and placing them upon their heads,
Single-mindedly they gaze upon the face of the Tathāgata.

Having departed from defilements, free of sorrow and grief,
The eye of the world is yet present, and so they rejoice.
In order to remove all hearts of doubt and perplexity,
We pray, in great compassion, that You speak the cause of the smile."

The World-Honored One spoke verses in reply to Aśvajit of Wisdom-Life, saying:

"The Buddha manifests a smile for the sake of the world;
Excellent, Aśvajit, that you ask at the right time.
The wholesome roots of the great assembly will grow,
For the Buddha smiles concerning the matter of prophecy.

Aśvajit, listen attentively to the Buddha's words;
The Guide now manifests the cause of His smile.
The Buddha will explain clearly the meaning of the smile;
You should rejoice to hear what the Buddha says.

The Gandharva Kings reverently believe in the Buddha;
Their minds, pure, give rise to rejoicing.
Relying upon the true Dharma, having entered the Dharma,
In the Buddha's True Dharma they give rise to wondrous joy.

All dharmas are of tranquil cessation, at peace and unmoving;
This great assembly inclines toward the true limit.
Like the gandharva-city, they enter thus;
In making offerings to the Buddha none is their equal.

All dharmas thus are without birth,
And all likewise do not utterly perish.
The great assembly contemplate dharmas as illusory;
Not yet fully understanding, they give rise to doubt and perplexity.

Dharmas cannot be spoken, yet by skillful means He speaks them;
The Buddha, for the sake of truth, does thus.
That multitude, having entered the Buddha's True Dharma,
Sat upon the great dragon-elephants and made offerings to the Buddha,

Contemplating Awakening as without birth or cessation.
The Gandharva Kings make offerings to the Buddha,
Pitying beings, those of the foolish and deluded sort;
Therefore they seek the Wisdom of All Modes.

That multitude bring forth the vow to become Buddhas,
Causing the foolish and deluded who have lost their wisdom
To enter the true Dharma and abide securely,
And to be able to seek the deathless, tranquil cessation.

That multitude, having made offerings thus,
Cast off the body of yakṣas, their hearts rejoicing,
And are certain to be reborn in the heavenly palaces,
Ever drawing close to Śakra.

They will meet many koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas,
Making offerings to the Tathāgatas, the Unsurpassed Awakened Ones,
From one Buddha-land to another Buddha-land,
In the places of the Buddhas hearing the Dharma.

That multitude, having cultivated the pure conduct of Buddhas,
The Buddha-lands they attain are likewise pure.
They transform immeasurable multitudes to bring forth the mind of the path,
Causing them to increase the seed of Buddhahood.

Knowing that all worlds are by nature not apart,
They also take that Dharma and teach others,
Causing the multitude to abide in the Wisdom of All Modes,
Abiding in the world for immeasurable nayutas.

Those Buddhas all bear the same title: 'Boundless Wisdom.'
Each and every one of those Buddhas abides in the world,
All for immeasurable nayutas of kalpas,
Expounding the Buddha-path for those who hear.

Thus does Śākyamuni Buddha
Speak of the reward of the Gandharvas' offerings,
And bestow the prophecy upon them, causing them to hear—
The cause of the smile that Aśvajit asked.