金光明最勝王經

CHAPTER 7: THE LOTUS ANALOGY HYMN OF PRAISE

The Buddha again said to the bodhi-tree goddess: “O heavenly maiden! In his dream, Ruciraketu saw a golden drum and heard it emit sounds praising the virtues of the Buddha, the Blessed One, and proclaiming the Dharma of repentance. Because of this cause and condition, I shall relate an event. Heavenly maiden, listen attentively and remember it well. Long ago, there was a king named Suvarnabhujendra who often used the Lotus Analogy verses to praise all the Tathagatas of the ten directions throughout the three periods of time. The verses were as follows:

All Buddhas throughout the three periods,

Abiding in lands throughout the ten directions,

I now bow before you with utmost sincerity

And single-mindedly praise the Supremely Honored Ones.

The Muni, the Blessed One, is perfectly pure;

His body shines brilliantly like pure gold.

His voice is foremost among all voices,

Resounding like thunder, like Great Brahma.

His lustrous hair is the color of queen bees,

Each lock curling, dark blue and violet.

His teeth are white, even, and close-set like pearls,

Straight, glossy, and radiant.

His eyes are clear and dignified,

Like supremely beautiful blue-lotus petals.

His tongue is broad, long, and supple,

Like a red lotus blooming in a pond.

Between his brows is a white tuft of hair,

Curling to the right and crystalline in hue.

His eyebrows are fine and long like crescent moons,

Glossy black, resembling the color of bees.

His nose is high, long, and straight like a bar of gold,

Bright, pure, flawless, and perfect.

Whenever exquisite fragrances arise in the world,

He perceives at once the place from which they spread.

The Buddha’s wondrous body is the color of pure gold;

Every hair upon it is likewise so,

Dark blue, soft, and curling to the right—

Marvelous, radiant, pure, and inconceivable.

At the moment of his birth, he emitted light

That illuminated all worlds throughout the ten directions,

Enabling every being in the three realms

To end all suffering and attain peace and joy.

Hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals,

Devas, humans, and asuras—

He caused beings in these six destinies to cast off suffering

And gain immeasurable peace and joy.

The radiance of his body shines everywhere,

Brilliant as gold and beyond compare.

His face is full and round like the bright moon;

His lips are lovely and crimson like the bimba fruit.[1]

He walks majestically like a lion;

His entire body shines like the morning sun.

His slender arms extend beyond his knees,

Like branches of the sala tree[2] hanging down from above.

His aureole extends a fathom, blazing brilliantly,

Like a thousand suns shining without limit,

Reaching throughout all Buddha lands

And delivering every being according to conditions.

His pure and incomparable net of light

Illuminates hundreds of thousands of lands,

Pervading the ten directions without obstruction,

Dispelling every form of darkness.

The light of loving-kindness bestows peace and joy;

His radiant body resembles a mountain of gold.

It illuminates hundreds of thousands of lands,

And beings who behold it are freed from suffering.

The Buddha’s body is perfected through immeasurable merit

And adorned with every virtue.

Solely honored, he has transcended the three realms;

Foremost in the world, he is beyond compare.

All Buddhas of the past,

All Buddhas of the future and present,

Throughout the lands of the ten directions,

As numerous as dust motes upon the vast earth—

I now employ my three karmic faculties with utmost sincerity,

Bowing to and taking refuge in the Buddhas of the three periods.

I praise the Ones whose virtues are vast as the ocean

And reverently offer exquisite incense and flowers.

Even if a thousand tongues arose in my mouth

And throughout immeasurable kalpas I employed every word,

I still could not fully express the virtues of the Buddhas,

For they are exceedingly vast, profound, and inconceivable.

Even if a thousand tongues arose in my mouth,

I still could never completely praise

Even a fraction of the virtues of one Blessed One,

Much less the boundless Buddhas and their virtues.

Even if the ocean waters rose and overflowed everywhere,

Reaching Bhavagra,[3] the heaven at the summit of the Form Realm,

The number of their drops could still be calculated,

But the virtues of the Blessed One could never be measured.

I now employ my three karmic faculties with utmost sincerity

And bow to the Buddhas whose virtues are boundless.

Whatever supreme and inconceivable merit I obtain,

I dedicate it so that beings may swiftly attain Buddhahood.

After that king had praised the Tathagatas,

His faith grew deeper and he made vast vows:

“Throughout innumerable kalpas in the future,

May I always behold a golden drum in my dreams

And hear its voice proclaim the Dharma of repentance

And praise the Buddhas’ virtues through the lotus analogy.

May I realize non-arising and attain perfect awakening.

The appearance of a Buddha in the world is exceedingly rare;

Even throughout hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, one is difficult to encounter.

At night, may I always hear that drum in dreams;

By day, may I accordingly bow and repent, removing my transgressions.

I vow to cultivate the six paramitas,

Delivering beings from the ocean of suffering,

And thereafter attain unsurpassed awakening

In an inconceivably pure Buddha land.

Having offered the golden drum to the Tathagata

And praised the virtues of the Tathagata,

Through this cause may I encounter Shakyamuni Buddha

And receive a prediction of succeeding the Most Honored One.

My sons, Suvarnabhujendra and Suvarnaprabha,

Were once my virtuous spiritual friends.

Life after life, may they be born into my family

And together receive predictions of perfect awakening.

For beings whom no one can rescue,

Endlessly revolving in the ocean of suffering,

May I become their refuge in the future

And enable them all to attain peace and joy.

I vow to eliminate the suffering of the three realms

And let beings be born in joyful lands according to their wishes.

In the future, I shall resolutely cultivate the path of awakening,

Just as past Buddhas brought it to perfection.

Through the merit of practicing the Golden Light repentance Dharma,

May the ocean of suffering dry up and transgressions vanish;

May afflictions and karmic obstructions all be extinguished,

And may pure bodhi swiftly be perfected.

The vast ocean of merit and wisdom is boundless,

Pure and undefiled, profound and bottomless.

I vow to attain this ocean of virtues

And swiftly accomplish unsurpassed perfect awakening.

Through the power of the Golden Light repentance Dharma,

May my radiance become pure and clear.

When this light of merit is perfected,

May I always use wisdom to illuminate everywhere.

May the radiance of my body resemble that of the Tathagata,

And may my merit and wisdom also equal his;

May I be foremost and most honored in the world,

With sovereign might beyond compare.

I vow to cross the ocean of suffering with outflows[4]

And roam at ease upon the joyful ocean without outflows.[5]

May the ocean of merit in this life become full,

And may the ocean of wisdom be perfected in the future.

May my land transcend the three realms,

Its supreme virtues truly boundless.

May those who have affinities be born there together

And swiftly perfect pure wisdom.”

Ruciraketu, you should know:

That king Suvarnabhujendra,

Who once made these vows,

Was none other than I today.

His two sons of former times,

Suvarnabhujendra and Suvarnaprabha,

Are now Rupyadhvaja and Prabhadhvaja,

To whom I shall grant predictions.

When the assembly heard the Buddha’s teaching,

They all awakened the mind of bodhi,

Vowing now and in the future

To cultivate this Dharma of repentance.

CHAPTER 8: THE SUVARNAPRABHASA DHARANI

At that time, the Blessed One addressed the great bodhisattva Supratishthita, who was present in the assembly:

“O good man! If any man or woman wishes personally to behold the Buddhas of the past, present, and future and respectfully make offerings to them, that person should recite the Suvarnaprabhasa mantra. This mantra is the mother of the Buddhas throughout the three periods. Those who uphold it not only acquire immense merit but also receive all the roots of virtue planted before immeasurable Buddhas of the past. They neither violate nor impair the pure precepts and will certainly penetrate deeply into the Dharma-nature.”

The Buddha then taught the method of recitation: one should first recite the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas and single-mindedly bow reverently before them; only afterward should one recite the mantra.

– I single-mindedly bow to the Buddhas of the ten directions.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva-mahasattvas.

– I single-mindedly bow to the shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and the entire Sangha of sages and saints.

– I single-mindedly bow to Shakyamuni Buddha, the Teacher of the Saha world.

– I single-mindedly bow to Akshobhya Buddha, the Teacher of the eastern direction.

– I single-mindedly bow to Ratnadhvaja Buddha, the Teacher of the southern direction.

– I single-mindedly bow to Amitabha Buddha, the Teacher of the western direction.

– I single-mindedly bow to Celestial Drum-Sound King Buddha, the Teacher of the northern direction.

– I single-mindedly bow to Vast Assemblage of Virtues Buddha, the Teacher of the direction above.

– I single-mindedly bow to Radiant Virtue Buddha, the Teacher of the direction below.

– I single-mindedly bow to Ratnagarbha Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Universal Light Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Universal Radiance Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Accumulated Fragrance Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Supreme Lotus Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Impartial Vision Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Jeweled Topknot Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Supreme Jewel Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Jeweled Light Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Stainless Radiance Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Eloquence-Adorned Contemplation Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to King of the Marks Praised as Pure Moonlight Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Flower-Adorned Light Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to King of Radiance Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to King Praised as Virtuous Light and Stainlessness Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Fearless Sovereign King of Contemplation Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Fearless Renown Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to Supreme King Buddha.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Kshitigarbha King.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Akashagarbha.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Manjushri.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Vajrapani.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Akshayamati.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Maitreya.

– I single-mindedly bow to the great bodhisattva Sumati.

Namo rat na, tra da da, ta da da tha, cun te, cun te, cu sha le, cu sa le, ich chi li, mi li ti, sva ha.

The Buddha further taught the bodhisattva Supratishthita: “This mantra is the mother of the Buddhas throughout the three periods. Whoever upholds and recites it produces immeasurable, boundless merit and thereby reveres, makes offerings to, honors, and praises the Buddhas. All the Buddhas grant such people predictions of unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening.

Those who uphold and recite this mantra will have all their wishes fulfilled, including food and drink, clothing and bedding, money and treasures, intelligence and broad learning, freedom from illness, longevity, and abundant merit. Although those who uphold this mantra have not yet attained unsurpassed bodhi, they will nevertheless dwell together with the bodhisattvas Golden City Mountain, Maitreya, Great Ocean, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Great Pingala, receiving their aid and protection.

“Those who uphold and recite this mantra must practice according to the following method. First, as a preliminary practice, they should recite it eighteen thousand times. They should then establish and adorn a place of practice within a secluded chamber.

On the first day of the month, the practitioner should bathe, put on clean robes, burn incense, scatter flowers, and sincerely offer food and drink. Next, the practitioner should enter the place of practice and proclaim and bow to the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas listed above; sincerely repent of previously created karmic transgressions; kneel on the right knee and recite this mantra one thousand eight hundred times; then sit in the full-lotus posture and contemplate the original vows previously made.

Each day, the practitioner should eat only one meal before sunrise and must use pure, dark-colored food. Only after fifteen days may the practitioner leave the place of practice. By practicing in this manner, the majestic power and merit of that person will be inconceivable, and all vows will be completely fulfilled.

If the practitioner’s wishes have not yet been fulfilled, the practitioner should enter the place of practice and continue cultivating. Even if the wishes have been fulfilled, the practitioner must still continually concentrate upon upholding and reciting the mantra without neglecting it.”

CHAPTER 9: A FURTHER EXPLANATION OF EMPTINESS

After proclaiming and teaching the method of practicing the Suvarnaprabhasa mantra, the Blessed One, wishing to help the great bodhisattvas and the assemblies of devas and humans awaken to the profound and genuine ultimate truth,[6] restated the meaning of emptiness in verse:

In other profound and wondrous sutras,

I have already taught the subtle Dharma of emptiness.

Today, again within this sutra,

I shall briefly teach the inconceivable Dharma of emptiness.

These teachings, profound and vast,

Cannot readily be understood by ignorant ordinary beings.

Therefore, today I shall explain them once more,

Helping them awaken to this wondrous Dharma.

The greatly compassionate ones cherish sentient beings

And skillfully employ expedient means as causes and conditions.

Today, within this great assembly,

I explain the meaning of emptiness so that all may comprehend it.

Know that this body resembles a deserted village,

Where six thieves[7] lodge without knowing one another.

Each of the six sense objects[8] relies upon one of the six thieves,

Yet they likewise do not recognize one another.

The eyes constantly gaze upon forms;

The ears continually pursue sounds.

The nose always smells unusual fragrances;

The tongue forever delights in tasting sweet and delicious flavors.

The body enjoys contact with soft and smooth objects;

The mind tirelessly discriminates among dharmas.

Thus the six faculties arise in response to their objects,

Each cognizing according to its own sphere.

Consciousness is illusory and unreal;

Depending upon faculties and objects, it falsely craves and seeks.

Like a traveler hurrying through a deserted village,

The six thieves likewise depend upon the faculties.

The mind races everywhere and turns with the faculties;

Lodging in the faculties and meeting objects, it discerns all things.

It clings to forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and touches,

And ceaselessly searches and reflects upon dharmas.

According to conditions, consciousness pervades the six faculties,

Like a bird moving unobstructed through the sky.

Consciousness takes the faculties as its dwelling place,

And only then discriminates external objects.

This body is neither a knower nor an agent;[9]

Its substance is unstable and arises through conditions.

It is entirely born of false discrimination

And moved by the winds of karma like an automaton.

Earth, water, fire, and wind constitute the body,

Producing different results[10] according to causes and conditions.

Though dwelling together in one place, they oppose each other,

Like four venomous snakes confined within one box.

These four snakes of the four great elements differ in nature;

Although dwelling together, each rises and sinks.

Whether ascending or descending within the body,

In the end, they all decay and disperse.

Among these four venomous snakes, the four great elements,

The two snakes of earth and water are heavy and descend;

The natures of wind and fire are light and rise.

Because they oppose one another, illness arises.

Mind-consciousness takes lodging in this body

And creates a great many evil karmas,

Leading to the realms of devas and humans or the three evil destinies;

One is reborn according to the karma one has created.

With a body come illness, aging, and death.

During illness, urine flows uncontrollably;

After death, the body putrefies—a truly dreadful sight—

Like a rotten log cast into a deep forest.

You should contemplate the body in this way;

Why then cling to a self or a sentient being?

All dharmas are impermanent,

Arising through the power of ignorance.

These great elements are all false;

Originally unreal, their essence is unborn.

Thus it is said that the nature of the four elements is empty;

Know that they are merely conventional names without true existence.

The intrinsic nature of ignorance is itself empty;

Through the conjunction of conditions, it provisionally exists.

Because beings remain unawakened at all times,

I therefore say that they are ignorant.

Conditioned by formations, consciousness gives rise to name-and-form;

The six ayatanas, contact, and feeling then arise.

Conditioned by craving, grasping, and becoming arise birth, aging, and death;

Sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and anguish always follow.

Suffering arises from evil karma binding sentient beings,

Compelling them to revolve endlessly in samsara.

From the beginning it has not existed; its essence is always empty,

Yet discrimination arises through improper reasoning.

I have severed all afflictions

Because right wisdom is constantly present.

Realizing that the house of the five skandhas is entirely empty,

I seek to realize bodhi within true reality.

I open the great citadel of supreme ambrosia

And reveal that wondrous vessel.

Having attained ambrosia, the flavor of true reality,

I then distribute it among sentient beings.

I sound the supremely excellent great Dharma drum;

I blow the immeasurable great Dharma conch;

I light the brilliantly blazing great Dharma lamp;

I pour down the great and abundant rain of Dharma.

Subduing afflictions and hostile enmities,

I raise the boundless great banner of Dharma.

I ferry the deluded multitudes across the ocean of birth and death;

I have closed the three evil paths.

The fierce fire of affliction burns sentient beings,

Who have no refuge and no one to rescue them.

I bestow cooling ambrosia upon them,

Entirely extinguishing the burning of body and mind.

Throughout immeasurable kalpas until now,

I have revered and made offerings to the Tathagatas,

Firmly upheld the precepts while aspiring toward bodhi,

And sought to realize the Dharma-body, the realm of peace and joy.

I gave my eyes, ears, and limbs,

My wife and children, servants, and wealth,

Together with adornments, without regret;

Whoever came seeking, I gave to them all.

I also perfectly cultivated the other five perfections,

Fulfilled the Ten Bhumi, and realized bodhi.

Therefore, people honor me as the Omniscient One;

Truly, no one can fathom me.

Suppose all kinds of vegetation were gathered together—

Rice, sesame, bamboo, reeds, grasses,

And every ancient tree in the mountains and forests

Throughout the earth of the trichiliocosm—

Then cut, ground, and pulverized into dust

And piled in a great heap filling space;

It would be exceedingly difficult to determine how many particles there were.

Suppose all the sand and gravel

Throughout the lands of the ten directions

Within this trichiliocosm

Were likewise ground into dust;

Its quantity would also be difficult to calculate.

Suppose the wisdom of all sentient beings

Throughout the entire world were given to one person,

And there were immeasurably many such wise people;

They could perhaps determine the number of those particles.

Yet regarding the wisdom of the Shakya Sage,

Even if all those wise people calculated together

Throughout as many kalpas as there are kotis,

They still could not fathom even one part of it.

Upon hearing the Buddha further explain this profound and wondrous emptiness, immeasurable sentient beings comprehended that the essential nature of the four great elements and five skandhas is empty and that the six faculties and six objects arise falsely and bind beings. They therefore vowed to end samsara and cultivate the Dharma of renunciation. Their hearts filled with joy, they reverently accepted and practiced the Buddha’s teaching.

CHAPTER 10: RELYING ON EMPTINESS TO FULFILL VOWS

At that time, in the midst of the great assembly, the heavenly maiden Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes heard the Blessed One teach the profound Dharma. Greatly delighted, she immediately rose, arranged her robe according to the Dharma, placed her right knee on the ground, joined her palms reverently, and addressed the Buddha: “O Blessed One! We beseech you to teach us the profound and wondrous method of cultivation.” The heavenly maiden then spoke in verse:

O Illuminator of the world,

Compassionate Honored One among bipeds,

Please permit me to ask

About the Dharma cultivated by bodhisattvas!

The Buddha said: “Heavenly maiden!

Whatever doubts you may have,

Ask freely according to your wishes;

I shall explain them to you!”

The heavenly maiden said:

“Revered Blessed One!

How does a bodhisattva

Cultivate the right practice of bodhi,

Transcending birth and death and nirvana

To benefit both self and others?”

The Buddha then taught: “O heavenly maiden! One cultivates the Dharma of bodhi by relying upon the dharmadhatu and practicing equality. What does it mean to cultivate the Dharma of bodhi by relying upon the dharmadhatu and practicing equality?

It means that the dharmadhatu is manifested through the five skandhas, and the dharmadhatu itself is the five skandhas. The five skandhas are inexpressible, and what is not the five skandhas is also inexpressible. Why is this so?

If the dharmadhatu were the five skandhas, one would fall into the view of annihilation. If the dharmadhatu were apart from the five skandhas, one would fall into the view of permanence. Being free from both views, not clinging to either extreme, it cannot be perceived and transcends perception; it is without name and without characteristic.

This is how the dharmadhatu is explained.

“What does it mean that the five skandhas manifest the dharmadhatu? It means that the five skandhas do not arise from causes and conditions. If they arose from causes and conditions, would what is already arisen arise, or would what has not yet arisen arise?

If one says that what is already arisen arises, what need would there be for causes and conditions? If one says that what has not yet arisen arises, it could not arise. Why?

Before arising, dharmas do not yet exist; they have neither name nor characteristic, cannot be conceived or illustrated by analogy, and are not produced by causes and conditions. It is like the sound of a drum, which occurs only through wood, hide, drumstick, and hand. Such a drum sound does not exist in the past, future, or present.

The drum sound is not born from the wood, the hide, the drumstick, or the hand. It is not born from the three periods and therefore has no arising. If it does not arise, it does not cease.

If it does not cease, it has no place of arising. If it has no place of arising, it also has no destination. If it has no destination, it is neither permanent nor annihilated.

If it is neither permanent nor annihilated, it is neither one nor different. Why? If it were one, it would be identical with the dharmadhatu.

Ordinary beings should then perceive ultimate truth and attain the unsurpassed peace and joy of nirvana. Because this is not so, it is not one. If it were different, the deeds of all Tathagatas and bodhisattvas would constitute attachment; they would not yet be liberated, would remain bound by afflictions, and thus would not have attained unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening.

Why? Because although the Buddhas act, there is no action; they share the nature of true reality and therefore are not different.

“Thus, one should know that the five skandhas neither exist nor do not exist; they neither arise from causes and conditions nor arise without causes and conditions. This is the sphere of noble ones, not that of ordinary beings or followers of the two vehicles. It cannot be expressed in words, has no name or form, is truly not a cause and does not belong to conditions, cannot be illustrated by analogy, is utterly pure, and has always been empty in itself.

Therefore, the five skandhas manifest the dharmadhatu. Whoever wishes to seek unsurpassed perfect awakening must realize that bodhi is neither ultimate nor conventional and is inconceivable; that the essences of ordinary beings and noble ones are neither one nor different; and that one neither departs from the conventional nor abandons the ultimate. One thus cultivates bodhi by relying upon the dharmadhatu.”

Upon hearing the Blessed One’s instruction, the heavenly maiden was filled with joy. She hurriedly rose, bared her right shoulder, placed her right knee on the ground, reverently joined her palms, single-mindedly bowed to the Blessed One, and said: “O Blessed One! According to your teaching, we should cultivate the right practice of bodhi.”

At that time, the Great Brahma Heavenly King, lord of the Saha world, asked the heavenly maiden before the assembly: “This practice of bodhi is extremely difficult to cultivate. Why do you now say that you have gained complete mastery of the practice of bodhi?”

The heavenly maiden replied: “O Great Brahma! As the Buddha has taught, this practice is profound, and ordinary beings cannot understand its meaning. It is the sphere of the noble ones, wondrous and difficult to comprehend.

If today, through this Dharma, I abide in peace and joy, then may immeasurable, innumerable, and boundless sentient beings in this evil world of the five defilements all possess golden bodies endowed with the thirty-two marks, being neither male nor female, seated upon jeweled lotus thrones and enjoying immeasurable bliss. May beautiful flowers rain from the heavens, may celestial instruments sound spontaneously without being played, and may every kind of offering be complete.” As soon as the heavenly maiden had spoken, the bodies of all sentient beings in the world of the five defilements became the color of pure gold and were endowed with the marks of a great person.

They were neither male nor female, sat upon jeweled lotus thrones, and experienced immeasurable bliss. The world resembled the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Creations,[12] having no evil destinies. Rows of jeweled trees appeared, and lotuses made of the seven treasures filled the world.

Devas played music and rained down flowers of the seven treasures, and the heavenly maiden Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes suddenly transformed her female body into the body of a Brahma deity.

The Great Brahma Heavenly King asked the heavenly maiden: “O heavenly maiden! How should one cultivate the bodhisattva practice?”

The heavenly maiden replied: “O Great Brahma King! As one would cultivate bodhi like the moon reflected in water, so do I cultivate the practice of bodhi. As one would cultivate the practice of bodhi within a dream, so do I cultivate it. As one would cultivate the practice of bodhi like a mirage, so do I cultivate it. And as one would cultivate the practice of bodhi like an echo from a deep valley, so do I cultivate it.”

The Brahma King then asked: “Upon what basis do you speak in this way?” The heavenly maiden replied: “O Great Brahma King! All dharmas have no true existence; all are formed through causes and conditions.” The Brahma King further asked: “If this is so, then all ordinary beings should attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening!” The heavenly maiden replied: “Why does the worthy one speak this way? Do you suppose that ignorance differs from wisdom? That bodhi differs from non-bodhi? That liberation differs from non-liberation? All such dharmas are equal and truly without distinction. The true suchness of the dharmadhatu is neither one nor different, neither both one and different, nor neither one nor different. It neither increases nor decreases, yet you form attachments to it.

“It is like a master illusionist and his disciple, both highly skilled in their art. At a crossroads, they gather earth, sand, grass, and wood and perform an illusion, causing spectators to see elephants, horses, chariots, soldiers, the seven treasures, and storehouses. Foolish people refuse to reflect and do not recognize that these are merely illusions.

As soon as they see and hear them, they consider the elephants, horses, chariots, and so forth to be real and regard all other scenes as false. Even afterward, they refuse to reconsider. The wise are different.

Knowing these things to be illusions, they reflect as soon as they see or hear them: ‘These elephants, horses, and other things we see have no true existence. They are merely illusions that deceive the eyes. They are provisionally called elephants, horses, storehouses, and so forth, but in reality they possess only names and no actual substance.

Therefore, we should not hastily regard the scenes we have just seen and heard as real. By carefully examining them, we shall know that all are false.’ Thus, wise people know that dharmas have no real substance. They merely conform to what worldly people see and hear and employ conventional names to describe events.

Yet according to ultimate truth, things are not so; provisional words are used only to reveal the true meaning.

“O Great Brahma King! Ordinary, distinctively born beings[13] have not yet acquired the transcendent noble eye of wisdom and do not understand that the true suchness of all dharmas is inexpressible. Therefore, when they see or hear dharmas changing or not changing, they conceive them accordingly and cling to them as real.

Regarding the ultimate truth, they do not comprehend that the true suchness of dharmas is inexpressible. Noble ones, however, when seeing all dharmas change or not change, reflect according to their ability without clinging to their true existence. They fully understand that all changing and unchanging dharmas are unreal and that the characteristics of change and non-change are measured only through deluded conception.

Everything is merely a provisional name and has no real substance. These noble ones conform to worldly convention and teach the Dharma so as to help others understand this true meaning.

“O Great Brahma King! With noble knowledge and vision, the noble ones penetrate the inexpressible true suchness of dharmas. Changing and unchanging dharmas are likewise inexpressible. Yet, wishing to enable everyone to realize and understand this, the noble ones employ only worldly speech.”

The Brahma King further asked the bodhisattva Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes: “How many sentient beings understand this profound and wondrous true Dharma?” The bodhisattva replied: “The primary minds and mental factors of illusory people understand this Dharma.” The Brahma King said: “Illusory people have no bodies; from where could primary minds and mental factors arise?” The bodhisattva replied: “Any sentient being who penetrates the dharmadhatu as neither existent nor nonexistent will clearly understand this profound meaning.”

The Brahma Heavenly King then addressed the Buddha: “O Blessed One! This bodhisattva Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes is truly exalted and inconceivable, having comprehended such profound meaning.” The Buddha said: “So it is, so it is! Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes has taught you to awaken the aspiration to study and cultivate the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.”

The Great Brahma Heavenly King and the Brahma deities in the assembly rose, bared their right shoulders, reverently joined their palms, and bowed to the bodhisattva Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes, saying: “Today, we have been fortunate to encounter the mahasattva and hear her proclaim the true Dharma. This is exceedingly rare!”

The Buddha said: “O Great Brahma King! In the future, Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes will attain Buddhahood with the name Tathagata Auspicious Treasury of Jeweled Flame, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.”

When the Buddha had finished teaching this chapter of the sutra, three hundred billion bodhisattvas became irreversible from unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening, while eight hundred billion heavenly beings and immeasurable, innumerable kings, officials, and common people became free of defilement and attained the pure Dharma-eye.

At that time, within the assembly were five billion bhikshus cultivating the bodhisattva practice who were on the verge of retreating from the mind of bodhi. When they heard the bodhisattva Wondrous Jeweled Light That Fulfills Wishes teach this Dharma, their resolve became steadfast and inconceivable. They fulfilled their original vows, awakened the mind of bodhi, removed their exceedingly precious outer robes and offered them to the bodhisattva. They then generated the supreme courageous aspiration and vowed: “We vow never to retreat from bodhi and to dedicate these roots of virtue to unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening.” Relying upon this merit and cultivating according to the teaching for ninety great kalpas, these bhikshus would attain awakening and escape birth and death.

The Blessed One then granted them this prediction: “O bhikshus! After three asamkhya kalpas, during a kalpa named King of Invincible Light, in the land of Stainless Light, you will simultaneously attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening. Together you will accomplish the path of Buddhahood, all bearing the same name: Adornment of Vows Ornamenting the World Buddha, each endowed with the ten epithets.”

“O Great Brahma King! Whoever hears accurately and practices the Golden Light Sutra correctly will acquire tremendous power. Suppose a person without skillful means cultivated the six perfections throughout hundreds of thousands of great kalpas.[14] That person’s merit would not equal even one hundredth, or one immeasurably small fraction, of the merit of one who copies this sutra and then single-mindedly reads and recites it every half-month.

Therefore, today I instruct you to study, remember, uphold, and explain it to others. Why is this so? I recall that in the distant past, while cultivating the bodhisattva path, I was like a warrior entering battle: I upheld, read, recited, explained, and propagated this supreme sutra without sparing my life.

When a wheel-turning king still reigns, the seven treasures remain; when his life ends, the seven treasures disappear. In the same way, while the Golden Light Sutra remains in the world, the treasure of the Dharma remains. If this sutra disappears, the unsurpassed Dharma-treasure will also become concealed.

Therefore, listen single-mindedly, generate the perfection of diligence, uphold and recite this sutra, explain it to others, encourage them to copy it, and do not fear toil or fatigue, even to the point of not sparing your own lives. By doing so, you will acquire merit foremost among all merits. As my disciples, you should diligently cultivate and study in this manner!”

The Great Brahma Heavenly King, together with immeasurable heavenly assemblies of the Brahma realm, Shakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the yakshas, rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, knelt, joined their palms, and reverently said: “O Blessed One! We vow to protect, preserve, and propagate this Golden Light Sutra. If a Dharma teacher explaining this sutra encounters adversity, we shall remove it and enable the teacher to possess abundant blessings, an imposing appearance, full strength, unobstructed eloquence, ease in body and mind, and a joyful audience.

If this nation encounters famine, banditry, warfare, or harm from nonhuman beings, the entire celestial assembly will protect it together, enabling the people to live securely and prosperously, free from calamity. All this will occur through our power. If anyone makes offerings to this sutra, we shall also revere and make offerings to that person as though to a Buddha.”

The Buddha praised them: “Excellent, excellent! Having heard this profound and wondrous Dharma, you have resolved to protect and uphold this sutra. You will certainly acquire immeasurable, boundless merit and swiftly attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect bodhi.” Hearing this teaching of the Buddha, the Great Brahma Heavenly King and the assembly rejoiced exceedingly, bowed with utmost sincerity, and reverently accepted it.

CHAPTER 11: THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS OBSERVE

DEVAS AND HUMANS

At that time, the four kings—Vaishravana Heavenly King, Dhrtarashtra Heavenly King, Virudhaka Heavenly King, and Virupaksha Heavenly King—rose together from their seats in the assembly, bared their right shoulders, knelt, joined their palms, reverently bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and said: “O Blessed One! This Golden Light Sutra of the Supreme King is remembered and contemplated by the Buddhas, revered by bodhisattvas, worshiped by devas and nagas, cherished by celestial assemblies, constantly praised by the heavenly protectors of the world, and upheld by shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.

This sutra illuminates the palaces of the heavens and bestows supreme joy upon sentient beings. It ends suffering in the destinies of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals; eliminates every fear; repels every enemy; brings abundant harvests in times of famine; restores health in times of illness; and eliminates all calamities and hundreds of thousands of sufferings.

“O Blessed One! Since this Golden Light Sutra possesses the power to confer such peace and benefit, we beseech the Blessed One to expound this sutra here within the assembly so that we and our retinues may receive the flavor of the unsurpassed ambrosia of Dharma, causing our vitality to become full, our majestic radiance to increase, our diligence and courage to grow, and our spiritual powers to develop.

“O Blessed One! We heavenly kings cultivate the true Dharma, always proclaim the true Dharma, and constantly use the true Dharma to teach and transform the world. We cause devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kumbhandas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and kings always to employ the true Dharma in teaching the people, preventing evil and expelling every merciless spirit that drains the vital essence of humans.

“O Blessed One! For this reason, we are called Protectors of the World. Furthermore, on this continent of Jambudvipa, if any country is invaded by enemies, ravaged by famine and epidemic disease, or afflicted by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of calamities, we shall reverently make offerings to the Golden Light Sutra. If a bhikshu who is a Dharma teacher upholds and recites this sutra, the Four Heavenly Kings will come together to that place, awaken him, and exhort him to teach. Through the awakening power of spiritual abilities, that Dharma teacher will travel to the afflicted country and extensively proclaim the Golden Light Sutra. Through the power of the sutra, hundreds of thousands of disasters will all be eliminated.

“O Blessed One! Whenever a bhikshu who is a Dharma teacher and upholds this sutra arrives in a country, this sutra itself has also arrived in that country. At that time, the king should go to the bhikshu’s dwelling and listen to his exposition. Having heard it, the king should rejoice, revere and make offerings to the bhikshu Dharma teacher, and protect him wholeheartedly from harm, thereby enabling him to teach conveniently and benefit everyone.

“O Blessed One! For the sake of this king of sutras, we shall single-mindedly protect that country’s king and people so that they remain free from calamity and always dwell in peace. If any bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, or upasikas uphold this sutra, the king should provide them with all necessities and allow them to lack nothing. We shall then enable that king and country always to remain secure and free from calamity. If the king makes offerings to, reveres, honors, and respects those who uphold and recite this sutra, we shall cause the kings of other countries to praise, revere, and hold him in the highest esteem.”

After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, the great assembly rejoiced exceedingly and reverently accepted and upheld it.

Notes:

[1] Bimba: the fruit of the bimba tree, called “mutual longing” in Chinese translation. The fruit is bright red.

[2] Sala: a tall tree of the dipterocarp family that grows in tropical regions such as India. It reaches approximately thirty-two meters in height. Its leaves are oval with pointed tips, approximately sixteen to twenty-five centimeters long and ten to sixteen centimeters wide; its flowers are small and pale yellow. Its trunk provides strong timber suitable for construction; its resin may be used in place of pine resin, and oil can be pressed from its fruit.

[3] Bhavagra: the ninth heaven belonging to the fourth dhyana of the Form Realm, the highest summit of the visible world. Bhavagra may also refer to the fourth heaven of the Formless Realm, the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, because this heaven is the summit and highest point of the three realms.

[4] With outflows: “outflow” means leakage and is another name for the afflictions, because afflictions continually flow through the six faculties of sentient beings, causing them to wander in the deluded world without end.

[5] Without outflows: no longer having the leakage of afflictions; pure and unconditioned.

[6] Ultimate truth: the profound and wondrous truth that transcends all dharmas.

[7] Six thieves: the six sense objects—form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas. Because the six objects use the six faculties as intermediaries to plunder all wholesome dharmas, they are compared to thieves.

[8] Six faculties: the six sense faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

[9] Knower and agent: the knower is the subject that knows; the agent is the subject that acts.

[10] Different result: a ripened result, namely, a karmic consequence that takes form at a later time.

[11] Five skandhas: the five factors constituting all conditioned dharmas—the skandhas of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.

[12] Mastery over Others’ Creations: the sixth of the six heavens of the Desire Realm. Beings in this heaven take as their own pleasure the desirable objects magically produced by beings in lower heavens; therefore, it is called Mastery over Others’ Creations.

[13] Ordinary, distinctively born beings: ordinary beings who revolve through the three realms and receive many different kinds of karmic results. Alternatively, “distinctively born being” is another term for an ordinary being.

[14] Great kalpa: one cycle of formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness, equivalent to eighty periods of increase and decrease. In the older translation system, it equals four intermediate kalpas; in the newer translation system, it equals eighty intermediate kalpas.