大寶積經

22. CHAPTER: THE PROPHECY FOR THE BROAD-FRUIT DEVAS

At that time, eight hundred million devas of the Broad-Fruit Heaven saw that the asuras, up to and including the devas of Universal Purity, had made offerings to the Buddha and received predictions of enlightenment. They were all delighted, joyful, and elated. They entered various Dharma gateways, and from each Dharma gateway attained immeasurable gateways. In all Dharma gateways they attained immeasurable eloquence: uninterrupted eloquence, responsive eloquence, liberating eloquence, unattached eloquence, unobstructed eloquence, subtle eloquence, profoundly deep eloquence, manifold eloquence, wondrous eloquence, and continuous eloquence.

Having fully understood all these forms of eloquence, those devas of the Broad-Fruit Heaven revered, trusted, and honored the Tathagata, and addressed him, saying: “Blessed One, there is a dharani called Immeasurable Gateways. If a bodhisattva cultivates this dharani of immeasurable gateways, that bodhisattva attains uninterrupted eloquence and all the other forms of eloquence, and the mind is not confused amid any sphere of experience. Among all those spheres, there is not a single dharma that is not dharani. When a great bodhisattva attains this dharani, the bodhisattva attains, with respect to all dharmas, dharani-wisdom and unobstructed eloquence.

“When a great bodhisattva abides in this dharani of immeasurable Dharma gateways, the bodhisattva enters the five skandhas, the twelve ayatanas, the eighteen dhatus, the faculties, the Four Truths, the twelve links of dependent origination, sentient beings, non-sentient beings, existence, nonexistence, the apprehension of perception, the non-apprehension of perception, reliance, non-reliance, emptiness, self, characteristics, non-characteristics, aspiration, non-aspiration, the conditioned, and the unconditioned. In all such domains, the bodhisattva attains indestructible eloquence.

“That great bodhisattva enters the five skandhas and attains dharani. That is to say, the form skandha is not an accomplished entity. Why? Because not even the slightest dharma of form can be established. Why? Because the nature of the earth dhatu is not established, and the natures of the water, fire, and wind dhatus are likewise not established. Why? Because the nature of the earth dhatu is separate from inherent nature. A dharma that has no intrinsic nature is said not to be established. The natures of the water, fire, and wind dhatus are themselves separate from inherent nature; because they have no intrinsic nature, they are not established.

“Since form is thus not established, it cannot be said to be past, present, or future. Why? Because form is not an existent dharma and is therefore unobtainable. Since form is unborn, it is unceasing; because it is neither born nor ceases, it is inexpressible.

“It is also said that past forms, present forms, and future forms, when combined, are called the form skandha. Yet the intrinsic nature of form is itself unobtainable; how then could there be past, present, or future? Therefore, the form skandha is inexpressible. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise so.

“Thus, entering the skandhas is entering dharani. Because one enters dharani, the skandhas are unobtainable. Because the skandhas are unobtainable, dharani is also unobtainable. Consequently, entry into dharani is unobtainable. There are only distinct names, distinct functions, and distinct provisional designations; these are merely conventional, merely verbal expressions, and merely conceptual establishments. There is neither skandha nor form, neither entry into form, nor any obtainable intrinsic nature of dharani. Why?

“The skandhas and so forth are not fabricated dharmas. Because they are not fabricated dharmas, there is no aggregation. It is through aggregation that they are provisionally called skandhas, just as in the world many materials are gathered together and provisionally called a city, a house, and so forth.

The nature of those forms is unobtainable, and there is no aggregation. Because there is no aggregation, there is no form and no form skandha. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise so: their natures are unobtainable and there is no aggregation.

Because there is no aggregation, there are no feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, nor any skandhas of feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. Entry into these skandhas should be understood in this way.

“Having entered the eye, who is it that enters? It is suffering that enters. What is the eye? The form produced by the four purified great elements is called the eye. What are the four great elements? They are the purified earth, water, fire, and wind dhatus. The nature of the earth dhatu is itself separate from inherent nature. Since it is separate from inherent nature, its dharma-essence is unobtainable, and it is not established. Likewise, the natures of the water, fire, and wind dhatus are each separate from inherent nature. Because their dharma-essence is unobtainable, they are not established.

“Since the eye ayatana is thus not established, it cannot be said to be past, present, or future. Why? Because the eye ayatana is not a thing. Since it is not a thing, it is neither born nor ceases. If it is neither born nor ceases, it is inexpressible. Thus the eye is neither born nor ceases, and the ayatana is likewise neither born nor ceases. Because they are neither born nor cease, they are also inexpressible.

“One should understand it in this way: there are only distinct names, distinct functions, and distinct provisional designations; these are merely conventional and merely verbal expressions. The name and the essence of the name are themselves separate from inherent nature. Why? Because there is not a single dharma called ‘eye,’ ‘ayatana,’ or ‘suffering.’ Since the name is unobtainable, the eye ayatana is also unobtainable.

“Because the eye is unobtainable, this is entry into dharani. This entry into dharani is also unobtainable. Why? Because its nature is itself separate from inherent nature. It is only a provisional name and function, only a conventional expression and conceptual designation. Therefore, through entering the eye ayatana, one attains dharani. Having attained dharani, one attains eloquence.

“One should understand that the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and forms, sounds, odors, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas are all likewise so.

“Entering the dhatus, one attains the dharani-eye. The essence of the eye is unobtainable, and the essence of the dhatu is unobtainable. Why? Because the eye is separate from the inherent nature of the eye, and the dhatu is separate from the inherent nature of the dhatu. Since its dharma-essence is unobtainable, it is not a thing and is therefore not established. What is not established is neither born nor ceases. Because it is neither born nor ceases, it is not past, present, or future. There are only provisional names and functions, only conventional verbal expressions and conceptual designations.

“The name is separate from the inherent nature of the name, up to and including the designation being separate from the inherent nature of the designation. If a dharma has no inherent nature and is unobtainable, it is not a thing. Since it is not a thing, it is not established. Since it is not established, it is neither born nor ceases. Because it is neither born nor ceases, it is not past, present, or future.

“If it is not encompassed by that name, it is neither characteristic nor perception; neither function nor provisional designation; neither conditioned nor expressible; neither coming nor going; neither something that can be explained to another nor something that can be demonstrated; neither something that can be known nor something that can be comprehended; neither black nor white; neither a dwelling nor an abode. It is separate from dwellings and abodes; it is neither arrival nor something arrived at, neither attainment nor something attained, neither realization nor something realized.

It is neither an ordinary being nor the stage of an ordinary being; neither a shravaka nor the stage of a shravaka; neither a pratyekabuddha nor the stage of a pratyekabuddha; neither a bodhisattva nor the stage of a bodhisattva; neither a Buddha nor the stage of a Buddha; neither a stage nor a non-stage.

“This is suchness itself: not other than suchness, yet not non-suchness; quiescent, without characteristics, with only distinct functions and provisional designations. When one says ‘Tathagata,’ it is only conventionally that the name Tathagata is spoken; in ultimate truth there is no Tathagata. Why? Because that dharma is unobtainable, and no Tathagata exists who enters that dhatu. In this way one should enter the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus, the dharma dhatu, and the mind-consciousness dhatu. All the other dhatus should also be understood in this way.

“One should thus enter the dharma dhatu extensively.

“Blessed One, when the dharma dhatu is described as the skandhas, the original nature of the dharma dhatu is not damaged. When it is described as the ayatanas, the dhatus, the Four Truths, or the twelve links of dependent origination, the original essential nature of the dharma dhatu is likewise not damaged.

“Whatever dharmas are described within the dharma dhatu and whatever names are established for them, none damages the essential nature of the dharma dhatu.

“Blessed One, just as earth receives different names according to the place where it is found without the original nature of the earth dhatu being damaged, so too the dharma dhatu receives different names according to where it is found, yet the original nature of the dharma dhatu is not damaged. The same is true of the water, fire, and wind dhatus.

“Blessed One, just as space has different functions according to the place where it is found without the essential nature of space being damaged, so too the dharma dhatu has different functions and names according to where it is found, yet the essential nature of the dharma dhatu is not damaged.

“Blessed One, entering the faculties is itself entering the dharma dhatu. The faculties spoken of are the faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; the male and female faculties; the life faculty; the faculties of pleasure, pain, joy, sorrow, and equanimity; the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom; and the faculties of intending to know what is not yet known, of knowing, and of having known.

“As for the eye, the essence of the eye is unobtainable. As for the faculty, the essence of the faculty is unobtainable. Why? Because the eye is separate from the inherent nature of the eye. Being separate from inherent nature, it has no dharma-essence. Because a dharma has no intrinsic nature, it is not a thing. Because it is not a thing, it is not established. Because it is not established, it is not born. Because it is not born, it does not cease. Because it is neither born nor ceases, it cannot be said to be past, present, or future. If throughout the three times it is neither born nor ceases, then it is neither the eye nor the eye faculty. How then could it have any function? It should be understood in this way.

“Blessed One, it is like an empty fist, false and deceptive, containing no thing, having only a name and verbal expression. In ultimate truth even an empty fist does not exist. The eye and the eye faculty resemble an empty fist: false, unreal, and displaying an illusory appearance that deceives ordinary beings. They have only names, conceptual designations, and verbal expressions. In ultimate truth, both the eye and the eye faculty are unobtainable.

“Blessed One, it is for this reason that one who has attained omniscience speaks of ‘faculties’ in order to liberate sentient beings. In ultimate truth, because their inherent natures are separate from inherent nature, the essence of all those faculties is empty. Because the essence of these dharmas is empty, their functions are also false, nonexistent, unreal, and deceptive to ordinary beings. Because they are separate from inherent nature, they are neither born nor cease. Because they are neither born nor cease, they cannot be said to be past, present, or future.

“If they do not exist in the three times, they have no name and no characteristic. They cannot be spoken, cannot be explained to others, are neither born nor produced, neither previously known nor later known, neither previously heard nor later heard, neither knowing nor known, neither previously realized nor later realized, neither previously attained nor later attained, neither previously seen nor later seen, and neither previously arrived nor later arrived. Why? Because they do not exist.

“Blessed One, suppose a person dreams of being happy, laughing, talking in sleep, and going about at play. After awakening, that person remembers the pleasures experienced in the dream but cannot find or obtain them. Even while the person was dreaming, those pleasures were not real; how much less so after awakening. Never again can that dream scene be either seen or attained.

“Blessed One, all the faculties are like pleasures experienced in a dream and are truly unobtainable. Therefore, the essential nature of every dharma is unobtainable. Because it is unobtainable, it cannot be said to be past, present, or future. If it is unobtainable throughout the three times, it cannot be expressed. All the faculties should be understood in this way.

“Blessed One, to enter the dharma dhatu is to enter all dharmas, and to enter all dharmas is to enter the dharma dhatu.

“Blessed One, to enter the Dharma of the Four Truths is to enter the dharma dhatu. What are the Four Truths? They are suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

“The Blessed One has also taught that all dharmas are empty: they are neither sentient beings, nor life, nor persons, nor perceptions, nor characteristics. We have no doubt concerning this Dharma.

“Blessed One, because there are no sentient beings, there is also no suffering. Why? Because sentient beings are empty, the truth of suffering is also empty. Why? Because there is no such cause, there is no such result. Because there is no origin, there is also no truth of cessation. Why? Because there is no path that does not cut off the origin.

“Blessed One, the result of the path is the truth of cessation. Since the origin consisting of those afflictions is unobtainable, the cessation that cuts off the afflictions is also unobtainable. Since cessation is unobtainable, the path is also unobtainable. There can never be such a path without its result.

“These Four Noble Truths are merely false and delusive discriminations and do not exist. Because they do not exist, they cannot be said to be past, present, or future. If they are unobtainable throughout the three times, they are neither born nor cease; neither characteristics nor perceptions; neither arrangements nor things arranged; neither indications nor things indicated; neither manifestations nor things manifested; neither utterances nor things uttered; neither words nor things expressed in words; neither speech nor things spoken; neither seeing nor things seen; neither knowing nor things known; neither comprehending nor things comprehended; neither measuring nor things measured; neither penetrating nor things penetrated; neither reaching nor things reached;

neither attaining nor things attained; neither hearing nor things heard; neither beholding nor things beheld; neither confronting nor things confronted; neither realizing nor things realized.

“They are neither white nor black; neither bright nor dark; neither coming nor going; neither shallow nor deep; neither clear nor turbid; neither fearful nor secure; neither bound nor released; neither hated nor loved; neither afflicted nor purified; neither wisdom nor non-wisdom; neither a road nor no road; neither destroyed nor undestroyed; neither accepted nor unaccepted; neither samsara nor non-samsara; neither attained nor unattained; neither sentient beings nor non-sentient beings; neither lifespan nor non-lifespan; neither self nor non-self; neither thing nor non-thing; neither empty nor nonempty; neither characteristics nor non-characteristics; neither aspiration nor non-aspiration; neither reliance nor non-reliance; neither conditioned nor unconditioned;

neither annihilation nor permanence; neither wrong nor right; neither real nor false; neither deluded conception nor freedom from deluded conception; neither a place nor no place; neither a dwelling nor no dwelling; neither knowledge nor non-knowledge; neither relinquishment nor cultivation; neither samsara nor nirvana; neither awakening nor non-awakening; neither the sphere of ordinary beings, nor the sphere of shravakas, nor the sphere of pratyekabuddhas, nor the sphere of bodhisattvas, nor the sphere of Buddhas; neither a sphere nor a non-sphere; neither action nor non-action.

“To enter the truths in this way is to enter the dharma dhatu. Having entered the dharma dhatu, one attains dharani. Having attained dharani, one attains eloquence.

“To enter the twelve links of dependent origination is to enter the dharma dhatu. Conditioned by ignorance are formations; conditioned by formations is consciousness; conditioned by consciousness are name-and-form; conditioned by name-and-form are the six ayatanas; conditioned by the six ayatanas is contact; conditioned by contact is feeling; conditioned by feeling is craving; conditioned by craving is grasping; conditioned by grasping is existence; conditioned by existence is birth; and conditioned by birth are aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress.

Thus arises this entire great mass of manifold suffering. With the cessation of ignorance, formations cease, and so on, until with the cessation of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress cease. Thus this entire great mass of manifold suffering ceases.

“Blessed One, as for ignorance, the essence of ignorance is unobtainable. Why? Because its nature is itself separate from inherent nature.

If a dharma has no intrinsic nature, it is not a thing. Because it is not a thing, it is not established. Because it is not established, it is neither born nor ceases.

Because it is neither born nor ceases, it is not past, present, or future. If it is unobtainable throughout the three times, it has no name, shape, characteristic, perception, or differentiation. There are only distinct names, provisional designations, and functions; these are merely conventional and merely verbal expressions employed to teach all ordinary sentient beings.

In ultimate truth, ignorance is truly unobtainable. Because it is unobtainable, it has no distinct function and cannot be expressed.

“Blessed One, if it is only a distinct name, up to and including only a distinct conceptual designation, then it is not real. It is merely false verbal discrimination, investigation and analysis, not meditative concentration, but only conceptual proliferation. If ignorance has no inherent nature, how could it produce formations?

Since ignorance does not exist, formations also do not arise. Because they do not arise, there is no aging, illness, or death; there is no wandering in samsara, and thus no birth. If there is no birth, how could there be aging and death?

If there is neither birth nor death, then the enlightenment of all Buddhas of the past, present, and future is merely a conventional name, not ultimate truth. It is said that ignorance itself is enlightenment, and the other links are likewise so. Entering the twelve links of dependent origination in this way should be understood as entering the dharma dhatu.

“Blessed One, the Tathagata is unborn, and all dharmas are also unborn; therefore, all dharmas are the Tathagata. The Tathagata is unceasing, and all dharmas are also unceasing; therefore, all dharmas are the Tathagata. The Tathagata is without characteristics, and all dharmas are also without characteristics; therefore, all dharmas are the Tathagata.

“In brief, such absence of characteristics is unobtainable, neither defiled nor pure, neither loved nor hated. The dharma dhatu can neither be comprehended nor known.

“Blessed One, true suchness is the Tathagata, and all dharmas are true suchness; therefore, all dharmas are the Tathagata.

“Blessed One, the limit of reality is the Tathagata, and all dharmas are the limit of reality; therefore, all dharmas are the Tathagata.

“Blessed One, wherever any dharma is found, the Tathagata is present there; and wherever that dharma is found, all dharmas are present there. Therefore, all dharmas are the Tathagata.

“Blessed One, if anyone says that the Tathagata attained unsurpassed enlightenment, that person holds a fixed view. Why? Because the Tathagata is nondual, and enlightenment is also nondual; that which is nondual cannot awaken to nonduality.

“Blessed One, if anyone says that the Tathagata turned the unsurpassed Dharma wheel, that person holds a fixed view. Why? Because the Tathagata neither advances nor retreats.

“Blessed One, if anyone says that the Tathagata liberated immeasurable sentient beings, that person holds a fixed view. Why? Because in reality no sentient beings exist among all dharmas, and therefore there is no one who attains extinction.

“Blessed One, if anyone says that the Tathagata benefited immeasurable sentient beings, that person holds a fixed view. Why? Because the Tathagata does not appear in the world for the sake of either benefiting or not benefiting sentient beings.

“Blessed One, if sentient beings in a future age say that the Tathagata relinquished his lifespan, those sentient beings hold a fixed view. Why? Because within the dharma dhatu there is neither acceptance nor relinquishment.

“Blessed One, if anyone says that the Tathagata entered nirvana without remainder, that person holds a fixed view. Why? Because within the dharma dhatu there is neither samsara nor nirvana.

“Blessed One, if anyone can attain decisive understanding of the Dharma I have spoken, that person will no longer regress from unsurpassed enlightenment.

“Blessed One, even if the dharma dhatu were to change, good men and good women capable of believing this teaching would certainly awaken to unsurpassed enlightenment without ever changing.”

Having personally realized the Dharma they had expounded before the Blessed One, the eight hundred million devas of the Broad-Fruit Heaven bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times, stood to one side with palms joined, and with one voice praised the Buddha in verse:

Such wondrous Dharma is true reality;
The Buddha’s words accord with it without deviation.
The Blessed One, the unsurpassed great Physician,
Purifies the Dharma eyes of sentient beings.

He expounds the eightfold true and proper path
For the attainment of great, unsurpassed enlightenment.
We take refuge in the body of immeasurable merit,
The Supreme Person of unsurpassed wisdom.

He has liberated many hundreds of millions of nayutas
Of beings from the suffering of birth and death in samsara.
We bow to the body of immeasurable merit,
The Supreme Person of unsurpassed wisdom.

He contemplates the five skandhas as entirely empty;
The essence of the skandhas is ultimately unobtainable.
Their essence itself is separate and nonexistent,
Yet it deceives foolish ordinary beings.

Dharmas born of causes and conditions are all impermanent,
All empty and quiescent, free of conditioned grasping.
They are like pleasures enjoyed within a dream,
False deceptions that beguile deluded ordinary beings.

Dharma is free from discrimination, like the Sugata,
And is not an object of ordinary beings’ minds.
It is the wondrous sphere of the Tathagata,
Known clearly only by the Buddha, the Great Sage.

If an unwise person should say,
‘The Buddha realized great, unsurpassed enlightenment,’
Or if another person should say,
‘The Blessed One turned the wondrous Dharma wheel,’

All such people cling to fixed views
And are tightly bound within Mara’s cage.
They do not understand the Dharma of true suchness;
Because they do not know it, they do not know the Buddha.

These eight hundred million Broad-Fruit devas
Have thoroughly understood all dharmas.
Before the Buddha, the great Guide, they expounded them,
Revealing their own inner faith and understanding.

The Blessed One knew that the devas of the Broad-Fruit Heaven possessed profound faith and had decisive, doubt-free understanding of the Buddha-Dharma. Wishing the great assembly to plant roots of virtue, he manifested a smile.

The Venerable Ashvajit addressed the Buddha in verse:

Supremely compassionate Teacher of devas and humans,
Please explain the exceedingly rare cause of your smile.
If the world can hear the Buddha speak,
Its doubts will certainly be entirely dispelled.

Those eight hundred million Broad-Fruit devas
Have each proclaimed their own prediction.
Through what merit will they attain what result?
Please tell of their spiritual powers upon becoming Buddhas.

Expound it in your exceedingly wondrous Brahma voice
So that the doubts of sentient beings may all be dispelled.
When the entire great assembly hears the Buddha speak,
All will be elated and filled with great joy.

The great assembly, palms joined and minds unified,
Stand reverently, gazing with pure faith.
The devas, all children of the Buddha, contemplate
And aspire to great, unsurpassed enlightenment.

Upon hearing the Tathagata’s voice endowed with eight qualities,
Not one of the devas will fail to rejoice.
They will uphold the Tathagata’s teaching
And practice in accordance with the true Dharma as taught.

The Broad-Fruit devas who practice according to Dharma
Will surely accomplish omniscience.
They will liberate the sentient beings of the world
And reveal the essential nature of true suchness.”

The Blessed One replied to the Venerable Ashvajit in verse:

The Tathagata, complete in omniscience,
Contemplates three kinds of causes and conditions.
Having rightly contemplated them, the Blessed One, Honored among Bipeds,
Immediately manifests a smile to the world.

Some delight in abiding in nirvana;
Of limited and shallow wisdom, they seek the shravaka path.
Others delight in solitary tranquility
And seek only the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha.

Still others delight in seeking the great Guide,
To become Buddhas endowed with Narayana’s mighty strength.
Seeing the profound faith of these beings,
The Buddha liberates them according to their aspirations.

The smile manifested for those seeking the shravaka path
Should be known as the lowest kind of smile.
One should know the Buddha’s intermediate smile
Is manifested for those seeking the pratyekabuddha path.

The supreme Guide, who skillfully understands the world,
Manifests a smile to reveal an auspicious sign.
The Buddha knows that sentient beings desire the three vehicles
And aspire to realize the three noble fruits.

When he smiles for those seeking the shravaka path,
The light of the smile enters his feet.
When it is manifested for those seeking pratyekabuddhahood,
Know that the light of the smile enters his navel.

When predicting unsurpassed enlightenment,
The light of the smile enters the Buddha’s crown.
Ashvajit, you should clearly remember
That there are three causes for the manifestation of a smile.

The radiant sign of smiling just manifested by the Buddha
Entered the crown of the Buddha.
Know that this light manifested from his smile
Was entirely for a prediction of unsurpassed awakening.

When a present smile concerns one who seeks Buddhahood,
The emitted ray of light enters the crown.
At times the ray of light stops at the waist
And vanishes after a moment; this concerns a pratyekabuddha.

When the Buddha manifests a smile and emits a ray
That rests briefly at the Buddha’s feet,
That light appears according to the relevant vehicle;
Know that it concerns those of the shravaka path.

Now the Buddha will again explain the reason for smiling;
Ashvajit, listen carefully, for there are three kinds.
The Guide emits rays of light
That emerge and circle the Buddha’s own body.

Some light first remains still and afterward expands,
Gradually circling the Buddha’s body clockwise.
That light completely pervades the Buddha’s body,
Becoming one with his body without distinction.

That light adorns the characteristic marks of the Buddha’s body,
Shining brilliantly like a mass of gold.
When the Muni emits light from his smiling mouth,
Know that this light predicts a buddha-land.

All that light circles clockwise,
Making three circuits around the Tathagata’s body.
Know that this light predicts a lifespan;
The great wisdom appearing in the world manifests this auspicious sign.

The Guide of the world manifests auspicious signs,
Skillfully knowing sentient beings’ profound faith and aspirations.
Now, within the Dharma of the Tathagata,
What you hear will dispel your doubts.

These eight hundred million Broad-Fruit devas,
Now present before the Buddha with profound reverence and faith,
Have extensively proclaimed wondrous gateways of true Dharma;
Each will become a Buddha in a different land.

Their lifespans will be complete and immeasurably long,
And they will abide in the world for nayutas of kalpas.
Therefore, the Tathagata manifests an auspicious sign:
A vast light endowed with five colors.

Because they contemplated liberating sentient beings,
They always diligently cultivated offerings to the Buddhas.
They made offerings to the Blessed Ones in accordance with Dharma and ritual,
Aspiring to great, unsurpassed enlightenment.

In future lives, the Broad-Fruit devas
Will become Buddhas endowed with Narayana’s strength.
Their epithet will be Muni, Mountain of Merit,
And that kalpa will be called Supreme Golden Banner.

Each Tathagata will abide in the world
For an immeasurable number of nayutas of kalpas.
The assemblies gathered by those Sugatas
Will be immeasurable, boundless, and beyond calculation.

When each Guide becomes a Buddha,
The shravaka disciples present there
Will be so numerous that even if the Buddha counted them
Throughout nayutas of kalpas, their number would not be exhausted.

The practices cultivated by those bodhisattvas
Will be no different from those of their original teachers.
After those Tathagatas have entered extinction,
The true Dharma will flourish in the world for a long time.

For as many as twelve nayutas of kalpas,
It will be diligently protected by the Buddha’s children.
While the Dharma of those Buddhas flourishes,
Those who resolve upon unsurpassed enlightenment

It will benefit immeasurable sentient beings;
The teaching of those Buddhas will be exceedingly prosperous.
After hearing the Buddha explain this,
The entire great assembly will attain faith and understanding.

With immeasurable reverence for the Sugata,
They will make offerings to the Teacher of devas and humans in accordance with Dharma.
Therefore, joyfully arouse diligence
As though extinguishing a fire blazing upon your heads.

You will become the unsurpassed Honored One among Bipeds,
A mountain of merit benefiting the world.”