金光明最勝王經

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: KING SUSHAMBHAVA

At that time, after the Blessed One had expounded to the great assembly the correct treatise on the Dharma of kingship, he again addressed the assembly:

“You should listen attentively! I shall now tell you of the causes and conditions under which I honored the Dharma in the distant past.”

The Buddha then spoke these verses:

In the past, I was once a wheel-turning king;

I relinquished this great earth and the vast seas,

With the four continents filled to overflowing with precious treasures,

And offered them all to the Buddhas.

Long ago, throughout immeasurable kalpas,

In seeking the pure body of true Dharma,

I relinquished every cherished possession,

Even my own life, without the slightest regret.

Again, in an inconceivably distant past kalpa,

There was a Perfectly and Completely Awakened One named Ratnashikhin.

After that Tathagata entered nirvana,

A king named Sushambhava appeared in the world.

He governed the four continents as a wheel-turning king,

And all lands to the shores of the great oceans submitted to him.

There was a city named Melodious Sound,

In which that wheel-turning king resided.

One night, in a dream, he heard the Blessed One, endowed with merit and wisdom,

And saw a Dharma master named Ratnasamucchaya,

Seated majestically upon a throne like the orb of the sun,

Expounding the wondrous scripture of Golden Light.

Then the king awoke from his dream,

And great joy arose throughout his entire body.

At daybreak, he departed from the royal palace

And went to where the bhikshu Sangha dwelt.

Having reverently made offerings to the noble assembly,

He immediately asked those gathered there:

“Is there a renowned Dharma master named Ratnasamucchaya,

Who transforms sentient beings and has perfected merit?”

At that time, Dharma Master Ratnasamucchaya

Was dwelling within a chamber,

Mindfully reciting and retaining the wondrous sutra,

His body upright and unmoving, his mind serene and joyful.

A bhikshu guided the king

To the dwelling place of Ratnasamucchaya.

He saw him sitting upright within the chamber,

His entire body radiant with wondrous marks.

The bhikshu said to the king, “This is the renowned Ratnasamucchaya,

Who is able to uphold the most profound practices of the Buddha.

They are set forth in the wondrous Golden Light,

The foremost king among all sutras.”

The king immediately bowed to Ratnasamucchaya,

And, reverently joining his palms, entreated him:

“I pray that you, majestic as the full moon,

Will expound the wondrous Dharma of Golden Light!”

Dharma Master Ratnasamucchaya accepted the king’s request

And promised to expound the Sutra of Golden Light.

Throughout the entire trichiliocosm,

The devas and the great assemblies all rejoiced.

The king selected a spacious and pure place,

And adorned it with rare and wondrous treasures.

He sprinkled the dust with the finest fragrant water

And scattered many kinds of flowers everywhere.

He erected a lofty throne in the most excellent place,

Adorning it with banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies.

Powdered incense, fragrant ointments, and every kind of fragrance

Spread their rich perfume throughout the whole place.

Asuras, kimnaras, devas, nagas,

Mahoragas, yakshas, and others—

The devas unceasingly rained down mandarava flowers,

And all came to make offerings before that lofty throne.

There also came countless thousands of kotis of devas,

All delighting in hearing the true Dharma.

The Dharma master rose from his former seat,

Bathed, purified himself, and put on fresh robes.

He went to the Dharma throne before the great assembly,

Joined his palms with steadfast resolve, and bowed reverently.

The lords of the devas and the heavenly maidens

Together scattered mandarava flowers,

While hundreds of thousands of inconceivable celestial instruments

Hovered in the sky, resounding with wondrous music.

Then Dharma Master Ratnasamucchaya

Ascended the lofty throne and sat in the full-lotus posture.

He recollected countless kotis of Great Compassionate Honored Ones

In all the lands of the ten directions.

And toward all suffering sentient beings everywhere,

He aroused thoughts of impartial loving-kindness and compassion.

Then, for the sake of his patron, King Sushambhava,

He expounded the wondrous Golden Light.

When the king had heard the Dharma thus expounded,

He joined his palms single-mindedly and proclaimed his rejoicing.

Hearing this rare Dharma, tears streamed from his eyes,

And immense joy filled his body and mind.

Then King Sushambhava, lord of the realm,

Wishing to make offerings to that sutra,

Raised a wish-fulfilling mani jewel in his hand

And made this vow for the sake of all beings:

“May there now fall throughout Jambudvipa

A rain of necklaces made of the seven treasures,

So that all who are poor and lack possessions

May obtain happiness and peace according to their wishes.”

At once, a rain of the seven treasures fell everywhere,

And all within the four continents became prosperous and abundant.

According to their needs, they had jeweled necklaces to adorn their bodies,

And lacked neither clothing, food, nor drink.

Then King Sushambhava, lord of the realm,

Seeing precious treasures rain upon the four continents,

Offered them to the bhikshu Sangha

That upheld the teachings bequeathed by Buddha Ratnashikhin.

You should know that King Sushambhava of the past

Was I myself, Shakyamuni.

For in former times I relinquished the great earth,

Together with the four continents filled with precious treasures.

Dharma Master Ratnasamucchaya in that former age

Expounded the wondrous Dharma for King Sushambhava.

Because he revealed and expounded this King of Sutras,

He has now attained Buddhahood in the east as Akshobhya.

Because I once heard this King of Sutras,

Joined my palms single-mindedly, and proclaimed my rejoicing,

And gave the seven treasures, my merit became immeasurable,

And I attained the supreme vajra body.

It is adorned with the marks of golden radiance and a hundred merits,

And all who behold it rejoice.

There is no sentient being who does not cherish it;

Countless kotis of devas do likewise.

In the past, I was a wheel-turning king

Throughout ninety-nine koti kalpas.

I was also a human king in lesser kingdoms

Throughout immeasurable kalpas of adornment.

I was Shakra throughout immeasurable kalpas,

And I was also once the Great Brahma King.

I made offerings to the Great Compassionate Honored Ones endowed with the Ten Powers,

In numbers that could never be exhausted.

In the past, because I rejoiced well upon hearing the sutra,

I accumulated a mass of merit beyond measure.

Through that merit, I attained bodhi

And realized the Dharma body of true and wondrous wisdom.

At that time, after the great assembly had heard the Buddha speak these words, they praised this unprecedented teaching and all vowed to uphold the Sutra of Golden Light and circulate it without interruption.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: PROTECTION BY DEVAS AND YAKSHAS

At that time, the Blessed One addressed the goddess Mahashri:

“If sons or daughters of good family endowed with pure faith wish to present vast, wondrous, and inconceivable offerings to the Buddhas of the past, future, and present, and wish to understand clearly the most profound practices of the Buddhas of the three times, they should resolutely and wholeheartedly go wherever this sutra is found—whether in a city, town, village, mountain, marshland, or elsewhere—and extensively expound and disseminate it for sentient beings. Those who hear this Dharma should cast aside distracted thoughts, listen attentively, and apply their minds!”

Then, for the sake of that goddess and the great assembly, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

If one wishes to make

Inconceivable offerings to the Buddhas,

And also wishes to understand the profound domains

Of all the Blessed Ones,

Then, upon hearing that someone is expounding

The Supreme Golden Light,

One should go to that place,

To the dwelling place of the sutra.

This sutra is difficult to conceive,

And the merit it produces

Is boundless as the vast, dry ocean;

It liberates all sentient beings.

I behold this King of Sutras:

Excellent at the beginning, middle, and end,

So deep and vast that no

Analogy can equal it.

Even the sands of the Ganges,

The dust of the great earth, the waters of the seas,

The stones of all mountains, and empty space itself

Could not illustrate even a small part of it.

Those who wish to enter the profound Dharma realm

Should first listen to this sutra.

The caitya of the Dharma nature abides,

Profound and firmly established.

Within that caitya,

They behold me, the Buddha Muni,

Expounding this scripture

In a wondrous and delightful voice.

Throughout inconceivable numbers

Of koti kalpas,

They will be born among devas and humans

And constantly enjoy supreme, wondrous bliss.

Those who hear the Sutra of Golden Light

Should give rise to this thought:

“I have obtained an inconceivable,

Boundless accumulation of merit.”

Even if a great mass of fire

Extended for a hundred yojanas,

For the sake of hearing this King of Sutras,

They would pass straight through it without lamenting their suffering.

Having reached that dwelling place

And heard such a sutra,

They can extinguish sinful karma

And dispel evil dreams.

Inauspicious stars, strange portents,

Poisons, wicked spirits, and the like—

When this sutra is heard,

All such evils immediately depart.

One should prepare a lofty and excellent throne,

Pure and wondrous like a lotus flower,

Upon which the Dharma master

Seated like a great dragon.

Having settled upon that seat,

He expounds this most profound Sutra.

Those who transcribe and uphold its recitation,

And explain the Sutra’s meaning for others—

After the Dharma master leaves this seat

And goes to another place,

There still remain upon the former seat

Extraordinary signs of spiritual powers:

Some behold the image of the Dharma master

Still remaining upon the lofty seat;

Or at times they behold the Blessed One,

Together with the bodhisattvas.

Or there appears an image of Samantabhadra,

Or one resembling Manjushri.

Or they behold the Lord Maitreya

Manifesting upon the lofty seat;

Or they behold rare and wondrous signs,

As well as images of devas...

After briefly beholding these majestic forms,

They suddenly vanish once again.

All auspicious things are accomplished,

Whatever is undertaken accords with one’s wishes,

And all merit is brought to perfection.

Thus spoke the Blessed One.

This Sutra bears the name “Supreme,”

And can extinguish all afflictions.

It scatters the foes of other kingdoms,

And ever brings victory in battle.

All evil dreams cease,

And every poisonous harm is dispelled.

The sinful deeds of the three karmic activities

Are extinguished by the power of this Sutra.

Throughout Jambudvipa,

Its renown becomes abundant.

All existing enmities and bonds of resentment

Are mutually abandoned and dissolved.

Even should hostile enemies approach,

Upon hearing its name, they immediately retreat.

When the winds of war stir up the fires of battle,

Both armies give rise to joyful hearts.

Lord Brahma, Lord Shakra,

The Four Heavenly Kings, Protectors of the World,

The great general Samjnaya,

And the yaksha Vajra,

The dragon king Anavatapta,

And Sagara as well,

The kinnara music deities,

The asuras and the lord of the garudas,

The goddess Mahasarasvati,

Together with the goddess Mahashri...

These foremost devas,

Leaders of the heavenly hosts,

Constantly make offerings to the Buddhas

And to the inconceivable treasure of the Dharma.

They ever give rise to joyful hearts

And reverence this Sutra.

Those hosts of devas...

All reflect together,

Surveying everywhere those who cultivate merit,

And then say in unison:

“We should regard these sentient beings

As possessing great merit and virtue.

Through the power of their diligence and roots of virtue,

We devas shall come to them.

To hear this most profound Sutra,

We come here with reverent hearts,

Making Dharma offerings at the caitya

And honoring the true Dharma.

Out of compassion for the multitude of beings,

We shall bring them great benefit.

Toward this most profound scripture,

They can become vessels of the Dharma treasure.

Those who enter this Dharma gateway

Immediately accord with the Dharma and Dharma-nature.

Therefore, they should wholeheartedly listen to and receive

This Golden Light Sutra.

Such persons formerly made offerings

To countless hundreds of thousands of Buddhas.

Through the roots of virtue from those offerings,

They are able to hear this scripture.”

Thus, all the heavenly kings,

The goddess Mahasarasvati,

The goddess Shri,

Together with the hosts of the Four Heavenly Kings,

And countless yaksha spirits

Possessing spiritual powers and valor,

All dwell throughout the four directions

And constantly come to protect them.

The Sun, the Moon, the deva Shakra,

The spirits of wind, water, and fire,

Visvas, Nara, and Mahaskandha,

King Yama and Mahasarasvati...

All the protectors of the world,

Endowed with valor and awesome spiritual power,

Protect those who uphold the Sutra,

Never leaving them by day or night.

The mighty yaksha king,

Narayana and Ishvara,

Led by Samjnaya,

The twenty-eight yakshas,

And hundreds of thousands of other yakshas

Possessing great strength and spiritual powers,

Whenever danger and terror arise,

Constantly come to protect those persons.

The yaksha king Vajra,

Together with his five hundred attendants,

The yaksha lord Ratnaraja,

And King Manibhadra,

Kumbhira and Atavaka,

Pindola and the Golden-Hued One (Kapila)—

Each of these yaksha kings

Has five hundred kinsmen.

When they see one who hears this Sutra,

They all come together to offer protection.

The gandharva Citrasena,

Jinaraja and Jinarsabha,

Manikanta and Nilakanta,

Together with King Varsadhipati,

Mahagrasa and Mahakala,

Suvarnakesin,

Pancika and Chagarapada,

Pranali and Dharmapala,

As well as the Monkey King Markada,

Suciloma, Suryamitra,

And Ratnakesa—all come to protect them.

Mahapranali, Nakula,

Candana and Kamasresta,

Nagayasas and Hemavanta,

As well as the mountain Satagiri...

All possess great spiritual powers,

Are heroic, and are endowed with great strength.

When they behold one who upholds the Sutra,

They all come to offer protection.

Anavatapta,

As well as Sagara,

Mucilinda, Erapata,

Nanda, and Upananda—

Amid hundreds of thousands of dragons,

They are endowed with spiritual powers and awesome virtue.

Together they protect those who uphold the Sutra,

Never leaving them by day or night.

Vali, Rahu,

Vemacitra,

Samvara,

Kharaskanda, and Prahlada,

Together with the asura kings

And countless heavenly hosts,

Possessing great strength and heroic might,

All come to protect those persons.

The mother-goddess Hariti,

With her host of five hundred yakshas,

Whether those persons are awake or asleep, by day or night,

Constantly comes to protect them.

Canda, Candalika,

The yakshini Candika,

Danti, Kutadanta,

And Sarvasattvojaharini—

Such hosts of spirits,

Possessing spiritual powers and great strength,

Constantly protect those who uphold the Sutra,

Never leaving them by day or night.

The foremost goddess Sarasvati,

With countless goddesses,

The foremost goddess Shri,

Together with all her attendants,

And the great earth goddess,

The spirits of gardens, forests, and fruits,

The spirits of trees and rivers,

And the spirits of caityas...

All such devas and spirits

Give rise to great joy in their hearts.

They all go forth to protect

Those who read, recite, and uphold the Sutra.

When they see one who upholds the Sutra,

They increase that person’s lifespan, complexion, and strength,

Merit, virtue, and majestic radiance,

Adorning that person with wondrous marks.

Portents and calamities appearing among the stars,

The sufferings and hardships that person would endure,

Evil dreams and scant good fortune...

They cause all these to be extinguished.

That great earth goddess,

Firm and possessing awesome might,

Through the power of this Sutra,

Always fills the earth with nourishing essence.

The fertile richness of the soil extends

For more than one hundred yojanas.

The earth goddess causes the essence above

To permeate and moisten the great earth.

This earth is sixty-eight

Kotis of yojanas thick,

Down to the boundary of vajra;

The earth’s essence rises throughout it.

Through hearing this King of Sutras,

Abundant merit is obtained,

And all the heavenly hosts

Receive the Sutra’s benefits.

It further causes all the heavenly hosts

To possess radiant awesome power,

To be joyful and ever at peace,

And to be freed from all signs of decline.

In southern Jambudvipa,

The spirits of grain and forest fruits,

Through the awesome power of this Sutra,

Always gain joyful hearts.

The crops of every season all ripen;

Beautiful flowers bloom everywhere;

Fruits grow in profusion,

Filling the entire land.

All fruit-bearing trees

And every garden and forest

Produce beautiful blossoms

Ever fragrant with rich perfume.

All grasses and trees

Put forth beautiful flowers

And bear sweet, delicious fruit,

Abundantly spreading wherever they grow.

In southern Jambudvipa,

Immeasurably many dragon maidens

Give rise to great joy in their hearts

And enter the ponds together.

They plant pundarika flowers

And padma flowers;

Blue and white lotuses alike

Spread throughout the ponds.

Through the awesome power of this Sutra,

The sky becomes clear and pure;

Clouds and mist are entirely dispelled,

And all darkness becomes luminous.

The sun, with its thousand rays,

Shines stainless, bright, and pure.

Through the power of this King of Sutras,

Its light radiates throughout the four continents.

The power and awesome virtue of this Sutra

Support the divine prince of the sun;

His palace hall is fashioned entirely

From the gold of Jambudvipa.

As soon as the divine prince of the sun rises,

He beholds this continent with joy

And constantly casts forth great light,

Illuminating it everywhere.

Throughout that great earth,

Wherever there are lotus ponds,

When the sunlight reaches them at the proper time,

Not one flower fails to bloom.

In that continent of Jambudvipa,

All medicinal fruits and cultivated fields

Are caused to ripen fully,

Filling the entire land.

Through the awesome power of this Sutra

The radiance of sun and moon

And stars will not depart from their courses;

Wind and rain will come in due season.

Throughout Jambudvipa,

All lands will flourish and prosper.

Wherever this Sutra is found,

That place will surpass all other regions.

Wherever this Golden Light,

This sacred scripture, circulates,

And people expound or recite it,

They will receive all the blessings described above.

At that time, the goddess

Mahasri and all the devas and others, having heard the Buddha’s words, greatly rejoiced. They single-mindedly protected this King of Sutras and those who received and upheld it, causing those people to be free from sorrow and affliction and always to enjoy peace and happiness.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: PREDICTION (Vyakarana)

At that time, after the Tathagata had extensively taught the Dharma to the great assembly, he wished to bestow predictions of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment upon the bodhisattva Ruciraketu and his two sons, Rupyaketu and Rupyaprabha. Ten thousand sons of the devas, headed by Jvalanantarataja, all came from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three to the Buddha’s presence. They bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, withdrew, sat to one side, and listened to the Buddha teach the Dharma. The Buddha then said to the bodhisattva Ruciraketu:

“In a future age, after immeasurable and innumerable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of kalpas have passed, you will attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment in the world called Golden Light. You will be known as the Tathagata King of the Golden Jeweled Mountain, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One, and will appear in the world.

After that Tathagata enters parinirvana and his entire Dharma teaching has also vanished, your elder son, named Rupyaketu, will succeed to the place of Buddhahood in that realm. At that time, the world will be renamed Pure Banner, and he will become a Buddha known as the Tathagata Light of the Golden Banner, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.

After that Tathagata enters parinirvana and his entire Dharma teaching has also vanished, your younger son, Rupyaprabha, will then succeed to the place of Buddhahood. In that same realm, he will become a Buddha known as the Tathagata Golden Light, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.”

At that time, when the ten thousand sons of the devas heard that the three Great Beings had received predictions, and also heard this King of Sutras, the Most Excellent, joy arose in their hearts, which became pure and undefiled like empty space. The Tathagata then knew that the roots of virtue of these ten thousand sons of the devas had matured, and so he bestowed upon them predictions of great enlightenment, saying:

“Sons of the devas, in future ages, after immeasurable and innumerable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of kalpas have passed, you will attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment in the world called Most Excellent Indra Lofty Banner. You will all belong to the same lineage and bear the same name, Pure-Eyed Fragrant Utpalapadmas Mountain, each endowed with the ten epithets. Thus, in succession, ten thousand Buddhas will appear in the world.”

At that time, the deity of the bodhi tree addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, these ten thousand sons of the devas came from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three to the Buddha’s presence in order to hear the Dharma. Why did the Tathagata immediately bestow upon them predictions that they would attain Buddhahood? Blessed One, I have never heard that these sons of the devas fully cultivated the six paramitas, practiced difficult and painful deeds, or relinquished their hands, feet, heads, eyes, marrow, brains, relatives, wives, children, elephants, horses, carriages, male and female servants, attendants, palaces, gardens, forests, gold, silver, vaidurya, mother-of-pearl, agate, coral, amber, jade, conch-shell gems, food, drink, clothing, bedding, medicines, and so forth.

Nor have I heard that, like immeasurable hundreds of thousands of other bodhisattvas, they used such offerings to make offerings to innumerable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of Buddhas of the past. Such bodhisattvas must all pass through immeasurable and boundless numbers of kalpas before they can receive predictions of enlightenment. Blessed One, through what causes and conditions have these sons of the devas received this prediction?

What supreme practices did they cultivate? What roots of virtue did they plant, that they came from that heavenly realm, listened to the Dharma for only a short time, and immediately received predictions? I pray that the Blessed One will explain this to me and sever the net of my doubts.”

The Buddha said:

“Virtuous goddess, deity of the tree, it is exactly as you have said! They have all cultivated diligently and arduously through causes and conditions of sublime and wondrous roots of virtue, and only then did they receive these predictions. These sons of the devas abandoned the pleasures of the five desires in their exquisite heavenly palaces and came to hear this Sutra of Golden Light.

Having heard the Dharma, they developed earnestness and reverence for this Sutra, and their minds became pure as vaidurya, without any blemish. They also heard the predictions bestowed upon these three great bodhisattvas. Moreover, this came about through the causes and conditions of vows they made long ago in the past to cultivate right conduct.

Therefore, today I bestow predictions upon them all that, in future ages, they will attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment!”

Having heard the Buddha’s words, the deity of the tree rejoiced and faithfully accepted them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: CURING ILLNESS (Vyadhiprasamana)

The Buddha said to the deity of the bodhi tree:

– O divine maiden! Listen, listen, and carefully reflect upon this! Today, for your sake, I shall speak of the causes, conditions, and original vows of those ten thousand divine sons. O divine maiden! In the past, immeasurable and inconceivable asamkhya kalpas ago, a Buddha appeared in the world, named Jeweled Topknot Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. O divine maiden! After that Blessed One entered parinirvana and the true Dharma had perished, during the age of the Semblance Dharma there was a king named Light of Divine Sovereignty, who always governed and transformed his people according to the true Dharma, as though he were their father and mother. In that kingdom there was an elder named Water-Bearer, who was skilled in understanding medicinal prescriptions and had marvelous mastery of the eight branches of medicine. Whenever the four great elements in sentient beings became unbalanced, he was able to save and heal them. O divine maiden! At that time, the elder Water-Bearer had only one son, named Flowing Water. He was handsome and upright in appearance, pleasing for everyone to behold. Endowed by nature with intelligence, he was well versed in all treatises, writing, painting, calculation, and seals; there was nothing he did not comprehend. Within the kingdom, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings were afflicted by an epidemic and oppressed by every kind of suffering, so that they had not the slightest joy. O divine maiden! At that time, the elder’s son Flowing Water saw immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings enduring the sufferings of illness. Great compassion arose in him, and he thought: “Immeasurable sentient beings are oppressed by extreme suffering. Although my father, the elder, is skilled in medicinal prescriptions and has marvelous mastery of the eight branches of medicine, being able to treat all illnesses caused by the increase or decrease of the four great elements, he has grown feeble, old, and infirm. He can walk only with assistance and is no longer able to travel to cities, towns, and villages to relieve those suffering from illness. Now immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings are afflicted by grave illnesses, and no one is able to save them. I must now go to my father, the great physician, and ask him to teach me the secret methods of medicinal prescriptions for treating illness. Once I have fully understood them, I shall travel to the cities, towns, and villages and cure the sentient beings of their various illnesses, so that they may forever enjoy peace and happiness!” Having thought thus, the elder’s son went at once to his father, bowed his head at his feet, joined his palms respectfully, withdrew to one side, and spoke these verses to make his request of his father:

Compassionate father, take pity upon me;

I wish to save all living beings.

I now ask about the methods of medicine;

I pray that you explain them to me!

How does the body decline,

And how do the great elements increase or diminish?

At what times do sentient beings

Become subject to illness?

How should food and drink be taken

So that one may enjoy well-being,

And so that the inner fire of the body

Does not weaken or diminish?

Sentient beings have four kinds of illness:

Wind disorder, yellow-heat disorder,

Combined disorder, and phlegmatic fluid disorder.

How are they to be treated?

When does wind disorder arise?

When does heat disorder break out?

When is phlegmatic fluid stirred?

When does combined disorder arise?

When the elder heard his son speak, he replied in verse:

I shall now follow the ancient sages’

Methods for treating illness,

And explain them to you in due order.

Listen, and save all living beings!

Three months constitute spring;

Three months are called summer;

Three months are called the autumn season;

Three months are called the winter season.

Thus, within a single year,

It is explained as four divisions of three months each.

Each pair of months forms one season;

Thus one year has six seasons.

The first and second months are the season of flowers;

The third and fourth are called the hot season;

The fifth and sixth are the rainy season;

The seventh and eighth are called the autumn season;

The ninth and tenth are the cold season;

The final two months are the season of ice and snow.

Having clearly understood this,

Administer medicine without error!

According to these seasons, one should

Regulate one’s food and drink;

They will then be digested after entering the belly,

And no illness will be able to arise.

If the seasonal influences change,

The four great elements undergo alteration.

If medicine is not taken at such a time,

The suffering of illness will certainly arise.

A physician should understand the four seasons

And also know these six seasons;

He should clearly understand the seven constituents of the body,

So that neither food nor medicine is wrongly prescribed:

They are chyle, fat, bone,

Blood, flesh, brain, and marrow.

When illness has entered within,

He must know whether it can be cured.

Illness has four distinct kinds:

Wind, heat, phlegmatic fluid,

And also combined disorder.

One should know when they arise:

In spring, phlegmatic fluid is stirred;

In summer, wind disorder arises;

In autumn, yellow heat increases;

In winter, all three arise.

In spring, eat pungent and warming foods;

In summer, hot, salty, and sour foods;

In autumn, cool, sweet, and rich foods;

In winter, sour, rich, and sweet foods.

Throughout these four seasons,

When taking medicine, food, and drink,

If one follows these prescribed flavors,

No illness will arise anywhere.

Because of phlegmatic fluid, illness follows eating;

Through blazing heat, the food is digested;

After digestion, wind arises.

To diagnose illness, one must understand these well.

Having understood the source of an illness,

Administer medicine according to the illness.

If the symptoms are unusual,

One must first treat the root of the illness.

Oils and fats treat wind disorder;

For heat disorder, purgatives and cooling remedies are beneficial;

For phlegmatic fluid disorder, promptly induce vomiting;

Combined disorder requires all three kinds of medicine.

When phlegmatic fluid, heat, and wind are all present,

This is called combined disorder.

Although one may know how the illness arose,

One should still examine the patient’s underlying constitution.

Having examined and understood it in this way,

Administer medicine at the appropriate time.

One who makes no error regarding medicine, drink, or food

Is called a skilled physician.

One must thoroughly understand the eight branches of medicine,

Which encompass all methods of healing.

If one clearly and expertly comprehends these,

One can cure the illnesses of sentient beings.

They are needling, lancing wounds,

Illnesses of the body and those caused by spirits and ghosts,

Poisoning, ailments of children,

And methods for prolonging life and increasing strength.

First observe the complexion and physical form,

Speech, and disposition;

Then inquire about dreams in the night,

To discern the distinguishing signs of wind, heat, and phlegmatic fluid.

One whose head has little hair and whose body is withered,

And whose mind does not remain settled,

Who speaks much and dreams of flying,

Is a person of wind constitution.

One whose hair turns white while still young,

Who perspires profusely and is often angry,

Who dreams of fire and is intelligent,

Is a person of heat constitution.

One whose mind is stable and body well-balanced,

Who is contemplative and whose head is moist,

And who dreams of white objects and water,

Should be known as having a phlegmatic constitution.

A person of combined constitution possesses

Two or all three of these kinds.

Whichever one is disproportionately increased

Should be recognized as that person’s constitution.

Having understood the underlying constitution,

Diagnose the illness and administer medicine.

Only after examining and finding no signs of death

Is the person one who can be saved.

When the sense faculties perceive things invertedly,

The patient rejects the physician,

And friends give rise to resentment and anger,

These should be known as signs of death.

The left eye changes to a whitish color,

The bridge of the nose becomes crooked, and the tongue turns black;

The rims of the ears appear different from before,

And the lower lip continually droops.

The single medicine haritaki

Fully possesses all six flavors.

It can dispel every illness

And is the fearless king among medicines.

Three kinds of roots and three kinds of fruits

Are readily obtainable among medicines.

Sugar, honey, ghee, and milk

Can easily treat every illness.

As for other medicinal substances,

They should be added according to the illness.

First give rise to a mind of loving compassion;

Do not seek wealth or profit.

I have now explained to you

The essentials required for healing.

Use these to save sentient beings,

And you will attain boundless fruits.

O divine maiden!

At that time, the elder’s son Jalavahana earnestly asked his father about the essentials of the eight medical arts, the increase and decrease of the four great elements, the variations of the seasons, and the methods of administering medicine. Having thoroughly understood and mastered these matters, he thought that he was capable and possessed sufficient ability to save, cure, and treat all illnesses. He then went throughout the cities, towns, villages, and settlements.

Wherever there were hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of sentient beings suffering from illness, he went to them and skillfully comforted and reassured them, saying: “I am a physician! I am a physician! I am well versed in medicinal remedies!

Today I shall treat all your illnesses and cause every one of them to be completely cured.” O goddess! At that time, when the people heard the elder’s son speak these skillful words of comfort and reassurance and promise to treat their illnesses, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings afflicted with extremely grave illnesses became joyful in body and mind upon hearing these words and experienced what they had never experienced before.

Through these causes and conditions, all their painful illnesses were eliminated, their strength was fully restored, and they recovered their former health. O goddess! At that time, there were also immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings whose painful illnesses were profound, severe, and difficult to cure.

Together they went to the elder’s son and once again requested treatment for their illnesses. The elder’s son then gave them wondrous medicines to take, and through his beneficence they were all cured of their illnesses. O goddess!

Within that kingdom, the elder’s son cured and eliminated the painful illnesses of hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of sentient beings.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE ELDER’S SON JALAVAHANA

(Jalavàhanasya-matsya-vaineya)

At that time, the Buddha said to the Bodhi Tree Deity:

– O goddess! At that time, in the distant past, the merchant’s son Jalavahana, within the realm of King Sureshvaraprabha, treated all the painful illnesses of sentient beings, restoring them to health and enabling them to enjoy peaceful happiness. Because the sentient beings were cured of their illnesses, they cultivated abundant merit and virtue and practiced generosity extensively. Rejoicing, they went together to the merchant’s son, all giving rise to reverence and saying: “Excellent! Excellent! Great merchant’s son, you are well able to increase deeds of merit! You have increased our well-being and longevity! You are truly a great and powerful King of Physicians, a compassionate bodhisattva, wondrously skilled in medicine and capable of treating the innumerable painful illnesses of sentient beings!” In this way, they extolled and praised him throughout all the cities and towns. O goddess! The merchant’s son had a wife named Jalambugarbha and two sons, one named Jalambara and the other named Jalagarbha. At that time, Jalavahana took his two sons and traveled successively through cities, towns, and villages. Passing through a dangerous place in a desolate marsh, he saw carnivorous birds and beasts, such as wolves, jackals, hawks, and others, all running or flying in the same direction. The merchant’s son thought: “For what reason are these birds and beasts flying and running in the same direction? I should follow them and observe.” He followed them and saw a great pond named Atavisambhava, whose water was nearly exhausted. There were many fish in this pond, and when Jalavahana saw them, great compassion arose within him. A tree deity manifested half of his body and said: “Excellent! Excellent, good man! Since your name Jalavahana truly accords with its meaning, you should have compassion for these fish and give them water! There are two reasons for the name Jalavahana: first, one can cause water to flow; second, one can provide water. You must now act in accordance with your name!” Jalavahana then asked the tree deity: “How many fish are there?” The tree deity replied: “Exactly ten thousand!” O goddess! When the merchant’s son heard this number, his heart became all the more sorrowful. The great pond was scorched by the sun, and very little water remained. Those ten thousand fish, soon to enter the gateway of death, writhed and twisted their bodies. When they saw the merchant, hope arose in their hearts, and they followed him with their gaze, never taking their eyes from him. Seeing this, the merchant’s son ran in all four directions seeking a stream of water, but in the end he could find none. Looking to one side, he saw a great tree. He immediately climbed it and cut off branches and leaves to provide shade. He then searched ceaselessly for the source from which the pond’s water came, and eventually saw a great river named Jalagama. On the bank of this river were fishermen who, in order to catch fish, had diverted the water at a steep and dangerous place upstream, preventing it from flowing down into the pond. The place where the water had been diverted was extremely difficult to repair. The merchant’s son thought: “Even if a hundred thousand people worked along this high and precipitous mountainside for three months, they still might not complete the task. How, then, could I alone have sufficient strength to accomplish it?” The merchant’s son quickly returned to his former city and went before the great king. Bowing his head at the king’s feet, he withdrew to one side, stood with palms joined in reverence, and said: “I have treated the people throughout Your Majesty’s realm for all manner of illnesses and brought them well-being. While traveling onward, I reached that desolate marsh and saw a pond named Atavisambhava. Its water is nearly dried up, and ten thousand fish, scorched by the sun, will soon die. I beseech Your Majesty, out of compassion and loving concern, to lend me twenty great elephants to carry water there and save the lives of those fish, just as I have restored the lives of the sick!” The great king then ordered a chief minister to provide the physician-king with great elephants without delay. Having received the royal command, the chief minister said to the merchant’s son: “Excellent! Excellent, Great Being! You may now go personally to the elephant stable and choose twenty great elephants as you wish, so that you may benefit sentient beings and bring them peace and happiness.” Jalavahana and his two sons then took twenty great elephants. They also borrowed many leather bags from a wine merchant’s house and went to the place where the water had been diverted. They filled the leather bags with water, had the elephants carry them to the pond, and poured the water into it. The pond was soon filled once again, just as before. O goddess! The merchant’s son walked around all four banks of the pond, observing it. The fish likewise followed him as he walked along the shore. The merchant’s son thought again: “Why are these fish following me? Surely they are tormented by the fire of hunger and are following me in search of food. I must now give them food!” The merchant’s son Jalavahana then told his sons: “Choose the strongest elephant and quickly return home. Tell my father, the elder, to gather all the food in the house—including the portions belonging to your grandparents, your mother and yourselves, and the male and female servants—and bring it all here at once!” The two sons obeyed their father’s instruction, mounted the strongest elephant, and quickly returned home. They went before their grandfather and related everything as described above. They gathered all the food in the house, placed it upon the elephant’s back, and quickly returned to their father at the pond’s bank. When Jalavahana saw his sons arrive, he rejoiced in body and mind. He took the food and scattered it throughout the pond. After the fish had eaten, they were all fully satisfied. He then thought: “By giving food today, I have enabled these fish to preserve their lives. May I, in future lives, bestow the food of Dharma and thereby rescue and abundantly sustain beings without limit!” He reflected further: “Previously, in a secluded forest, I saw a bhikshu reciting a Mahayana sutra and teaching the exceedingly profound essential Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination. The sutra also said that if, as death approaches, a sentient being hears the name of the Tathagata Ratnashikhin, that being will immediately be reborn in the heavens. I should now explain the exceedingly profound twelve links of dependent origination to these ten thousand fish, and I shall also proclaim the name of the Tathagata Ratnashikhin. However, in Jambudvipa there are two kinds of people: those who have profound faith in the Mahayana, and those who disbelieve in and revile the Mahayana. Nevertheless, I should foster and increase faith in these fish!” The merchant’s son further thought: “I shall enter the pond and expound the profound and wondrous Dharma to all the fish!” Having thought this, he entered the water and proclaimed: “Homage to the past Tathagata Ratnashikhin, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One! In the past, while cultivating the bodhisattva practices, this Buddha made the vow: ‘When any sentient being in the worlds of the ten directions approaches death and hears my name, after death that being shall be reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three!’” Jalavahana then expounded to the fish in the pond this exceedingly profound and wondrous Dharma: “Because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises!”

This is called: 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 sense entrances; conditioned by the six sense entrances 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; conditioned by birth arise aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress!

When this ceases, that ceases! This is called: with the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name and form cease; with the cessation of name and form, the six ayatanas cease; with the cessation of the six ayatanas, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, grasping ceases; with the cessation of grasping, existence ceases; with the cessation of existence, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, aging and death cease; and with the cessation of aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress cease.

Thus this entire mass of unmitigated suffering is completely extinguished.” Having spoken this Dharma, he further recited for the fish the Dharani Associated with the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination:

Đát điệt tha - Tỳ chiết nỉ - Tỳ chiết nỉ - Tỳ chiết nỉ - Tăng tắc chỉ nỉ - Tăng tắc chỉ nỉ - Tăng tắc chỉ nỉ - Tỳ nhỉ nỉ - Tỳ nhỉ nỉ - Tỳ nhỉ nỉ - Tá ha - Đát điệt tha - Na nhị nỉ na nhị nỉ - Na nhị nỉ - Sát trỉ nỉ - Sát trỉ nỉ - Sát trỉ nỉ - Táp bát lí thiết nỉ - Táp bát lí thiết nỉ - Táp bát lí thiết nỉ - Tá ha - Đát điệt tha - Bệ đạt nỉ bệ đạt nỉ - Bệ đạt nỉ - Thất lí sắt nỉ nỉ - Thất lí sắt nỉ nỉ - Thất lí sắt nỉ nỉ - Ổ ba địa nỉ - Ổ ba địa nỉ - Ổ ba địa nỉ - Tá ha - Đát điệt tha - Bà tỳ nỉ - Bà tỳ nỉ - Bà tỳ nỉ - Xà để nỉ - Xà để nỉ - Xà để nỉ - Xà ma nỉ nỉ - Xà ma nỉ nỉ - Xà ma nỉ nỉ - Tá ha (Tadyathà vicani vicani vicani sam‘scani sam‘scani sam‘scani bhi‘sini bhi‘sini bhi‘sini svàhà, tadyathà nàmini nàmini nàmini svàhà, ‘satini‘satini‘satini svàhà, spr‘sani spr‘sani spr‘sani svàhà,

tadyathà vedani vedani vedani svàhà, trsni trsni trsni upàdhini upàdhini upàdhini svàhà, tadyathà bhavini bhavini bhavini svàhà, tadyathà jatini jatini jatini svàhà, jammanini jammanini jammanini svàhà).

At that time, when the Blessed One related to the great assembly the former causes and conditions of the merchant’s son, the human and heavenly assemblies praised this as unprecedented. The Four Great Heavenly Kings, each in his own abode, spoke in unison, though with different voices:

Excellent! Venerable Shakyamuni,

Who proclaims the wondrous Dharma and luminous mantra;

All evils are removed and merit arises,

In accord with the twelve links.

We now recite this mantra, praying

To protect and uphold such Dharma.

Should anyone give rise to opposition

And fail to follow it well,

His head shall split into seven pieces,

Like the blossom of the lan fragrance (Anjaka-mànjalicti).

Before the Buddha,

Together we recite this mantra:

Đát điệt tha - Tứ li mê - Yết đệ kiện - Đà lí - Chiên trà lí địa lệ - Tao phạt lệ - Thạch tứ phạt lệ - Bổ la bố lệ củ củ mạt để - Kỳ la mạt để - Đạt địa mục khế - Cũ lỗ ba - Mẫu lỗ bà - Cụ trà mẫu lỗ kiện đề - Đỗ lỗ đỗ lỗ - Tỳ lệ - Y nê tất tất nê đạp - Côn đạt đạp côn - Ổ tất đát lí - Ô suất tra la phạt để - Át lạt ta phạt để - Bát đổ ma phạt để - Câu tô ma phạt để - Tá ha (Tadyatha hirini gate gandàri dhiri jamvare ‘shibhare pure pure gugumati khiramati dadhimukhi laurubha murubha kucamurukante duru duru duru virya aidhisi dadheve dadhave ustri ustravati arsaprahati padmavati kusumavate [usumavati] ‘svàhà)

The Buddha said:

“Goddess, good woman! At that time, after the merchant’s son Jalavahana and his two sons had given water and food to the fish in that pond and expounded the Dharma to them, they all returned home together. Later, on the occasion of a gathering with musical entertainment, the merchant’s son Jalavahana became intoxicated with wine and lay down.

The ten thousand fish died at the same time and were reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. They gave rise to this thought: ‘Through what causes and conditions of wholesome karma have we been born in this heavenly realm?’ They then said to one another: ‘Previously, in Jambudvipa, we had fallen among animals and together assumed the bodies of fish. The merchant’s son Jalavahana gave us water and food; he also expounded to us the extremely profound Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination and the Dharani, and proclaimed the name of the Tathagata Ratnashikhin.

Through these causes and conditions, we have been born in this heavenly realm. Therefore, today we should all go to the merchant’s son and repay his kindness with offerings!’

“At that time, the ten thousand devas immediately disappeared from the heavenly realm and appeared at the residence of the Great King of Physicians in Jambudvipa. The merchant’s son was sleeping peacefully atop a lofty pavilion. Together the ten thousand devas placed ten thousand pearl necklaces beside his face; they placed another ten thousand necklaces at his feet, another ten thousand at his right side, and another ten thousand at his left side.

They then rained down mandarava and great mandarava flowers until these reached knee-deep. Light shone everywhere, and all manner of heavenly music produced wondrous sounds, awakening everyone who slept in Jambudvipa. The merchant’s son Jalavahana also awoke.

Having completed their offerings, the ten thousand devas flew away through the sky. Throughout the realm of King Sureshvaraprabha, exquisite heavenly lotuses rained down everywhere. Those devas then went to their former dwelling, the pond in the desolate marsh, and rained down all kinds of heavenly flowers.

They then disappeared from that place and returned to their heavenly palaces, where they freely enjoyed the pleasures of the five desires.

“Early the next morning, King Sureshvaraprabha asked his ministers: ‘What causes and conditions last night brought forth such a rare and auspicious sign so suddenly, together with the emission of a great light?’ A minister replied: ‘Great King, you should know that a multitude of devas rained down forty thousand pearl necklaces in the house of the merchant’s son Jalavahana, as well as heavenly mandarava flowers that reached knee-deep!’ The king told the minister: ‘Go to the merchant’s house and summon his son to me!’ Having received the royal command, the minister immediately went to that house and, proclaiming the king’s order, summoned the merchant’s son.

“The merchant’s son then went before the king. The king said: ‘For what reason did such a rare and auspicious sign manifest last night?’ The merchant’s son replied: ‘As I understand it, this must certainly correspond to the fish in that pond. As stated in the sutras, after their lives ended, they were reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. They came to repay my kindness and therefore manifested such an extraordinary and rare sign.’ The king said: ‘How can this be known?’ Jalavahana replied: ‘Your Majesty should send an envoy together with my two sons to that pond to verify whether the matter is true or false and whether those ten thousand fish are dead or still alive!’

“The king followed his words and immediately dispatched an envoy and the merchant’s sons to the shore of that pond. They saw many mandarava flowers in the pond, gathered into a great mass, and all the fish were dead. Having seen this, they hurried back and reported everything to the king. Upon hearing it, the king’s heart filled with joy, and he praised it as an unprecedented event.

At that time, the Buddha told the bodhi-tree goddess:

— O virtuous goddess, you should now know that the merchant’s son Jalavāhana of former times was none other than I myself; the merchant Jaladhara was none other than Ruciraketu; those two sons—the elder, Jalaṁbara, was Suvarṇadhvaja, and the younger, Jalagarbha, was Rajataprabha; King Tejaḥprabheśvara was the bodhi-tree deity; and the ten thousand fish were those ten thousand devas. In the past, I used water to save the fish and gave them food until they were fully satisfied.

For their sake, I expounded the profound teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination together with this corresponding dharani, and I also proclaimed to them the name of the Buddha Ratnaśikhin. Through these roots of virtue, they were reborn in the heavens, and today they have come to my presence, joyfully to hear the Dharma. I shall bestow upon each of them the prediction of unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening, and proclaim their names.

O virtuous goddess! Thus, in former times, while I remained within samsara, revolving among the various states of existence, I worked extensively for the benefit of immeasurable sentient beings, causing them all, in due order, to attain unsurpassed awakening and bestowing predictions upon them. All of you should diligently seek liberation and must not be heedless!

At that time, after hearing these words, the entire assembly gained complete understanding. Realizing that only by rescuing and protecting all beings with great loving-kindness and compassion, and by diligently cultivating ascetic practices, could unsurpassed bodhi be attained, they all brought forth profound resolve, faithfully accepted the teaching, and rejoiced.