佛說菩薩行方便境界神通變化經

Lower Fascicle

Furthermore, Great King, the śramaṇa Gautama has accomplished the eighteen exclusive qualities. Great King, what are the eighteen exclusive qualities? Great King, they are these: the Buddha, the Tathagata, is free from error.

His mouth utters no words that ought not to be spoken. He never loses right mindfulness. He has no disparate perceptions.

His mind is never unconcentrated. There is never a time when he lacks self-awareness. His relinquishment of desire is limitless.

He always advances and never retreats. His right mindfulness never changes. All his bodily actions are undertaken under the guidance of wisdom.

All his verbal actions are likewise performed under the guidance of wisdom. All his mental actions are likewise performed under the guidance of wisdom. He sees the past with complete clarity.

He sees the future with complete clarity. He sees the present clearly and without obstruction. Great King, these are called the eighteen exclusive qualities accomplished by the Tathagata.

Therefore, no one can surpass him. Thus it is said in verse:

The World-Honored One never errs;

His mouth always speaks upright words.

His mindfulness can never be lost;

Therefore, none is above him.

He has no disparate perceptions;

He knows at once that his mind is undisturbed.

At no time does he allow them to arise;

None surpasses his omniscience.

His desires continually diminish;

His wholesome deeds never cease.

His mindfulness is never lost;

Those things can never arise.

His wisdom never diminishes;

His understanding is without limit.

His comprehension of meaning never ceases;

His wisdom knows no sorrow.

All bodily actions,

Verbal actions, and mental actions—

All arise from his own mastery;

His self-knowledge can never be lost.

He knows all that lies in the past;

His wisdom is unobstructed.

The future is likewise no hindrance;

In the present, nothing obstructs him.

Such are the virtues

Of the śramaṇa Gautama.

There is nothing further beyond them;

I cannot fully express them.

At that time, King Pañcāla Caṇḍapradyota, having heard of the inconceivable virtues of the Tathagata, was deeply imbued with understanding and joyfully praised and revered him. Then, in the presence of Satyaka Nirgranthaputra, he gained great joy, gained inconceivable perceptions, gained mindfulness of the World-Honored One, and gained the perception of a good spiritual friend. He further gained the perception of awakening, the perception of having crossed beyond all views and knowledge, the perception of requesting instruction, mindful recollection, and the inconceivable perception of a bodhisattva's liberation.

After such perceptions had arisen in his mind, he offered Satyaka Nirgranthaputra hundreds of thousands of precious pearl necklaces and various priceless garments, and then exclaimed:

Excellent! Excellent! Satyaka Nirgranthaputra has skillfully taught the Dharma in proper sequence. He further said: Everything spoken by Satyaka accords with wisdom. All such teaching of the Dharma leads to omniscience. Such teaching of the Dharma is intended to bring release from birth and death.

It should be known that such teaching of the Dharma causes all fetters to cease. Through such teaching of the Dharma, jealousy is destroyed. Such teaching of the Dharma is like the beating of a great drum. Such teaching of the Dharma can demolish the demons of great arrogance, lofty as mountains. Such teaching of the Dharma dries up the ocean of craving. Such teaching of the Dharma is like a light illuminating the path of delusion. Such teaching of the Dharma instructs and transforms sentient beings so that they do not lose right mindfulness.

After the king had spoken these words, Satyaka Nirgranthaputra replied to the Great King as follows:

There is no deportment of a bodhisattva that cannot subdue sentient beings, and no teaching of the Dharma that runs contrary to the Mahayana. There is no such thing that is not for the increase of omniscience, not for the elimination of the fetters, not for crossing the ocean of birth and death, not for reaching nirvana, not for drawing near to bodhisattvas, or not for perfecting benefit for oneself, benefit for others, and the fulfillment of others.

Great King, if even a single perception newly arises, it ultimately brings benefit for oneself and benefit for others to fulfillment. After Satyaka Nirgranthaputra had spoken these words, King Pañcāla Caṇḍapradyota cut off his doubts and attained indestructible faith. The other sixteen princes also gave rise to joyful reverence and faith. Eight thousand devas attained a samadhi called Adornment of the Buddha's Conduct. Within the royal palace, thirteen thousand Nirgranthas who were seated there aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect awakening. They all removed their outer garments and offered them to Nirgranthaputra, and then said:

Today we have gained great benefit, for we have seen Satyaka, the great good man, and have also heard this exposition in accordance with the Dharma. They further said: Satyaka, this is truly perfect. If you wish to see the World-Honored One, the Tathagata is now dwelling in our garden.

Satyaka replied: Let us all go there together.

At that time, the Great King, together with all his retinue, ministers, and people, showed the utmost reverence. Outside the city, the Great King proclaimed loudly:

Except for those guilty of killing, let all the men and women, boys and girls within the city, upon hearing the king's command, bathe and cleanse themselves, perfume their hair and bodies with fragrances and flowers, then leave the city, proceed toward the garden, and await the king.

At that time, King Caṇḍapradyota, together with Satyaka Nirgranthaputra, the great ministers, princes, soldiers, women of the inner palace, and the people, mounted their horses and proceeded in procession. The Great King possessed awe-inspiring virtue and great spiritual power. The king displayed transformations and was filled with joy.

He caused jeweled canopies, banners, and parasols to be raised, while hundreds of thousands of musical instruments accompanied singing and dancing. Flutes and pipes produced many wondrous and exquisite sounds. Hundreds of elephants and horses led the procession.

The elephant carriages and horse-drawn carriages were adorned with gold and silver of every kind. Surrounded by 9.8 billion people, they proceeded toward the World-Honored One. Upon arriving, they bowed at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, and then stood gazing directly at him.

Satyaka Nirgranthaputra and his retinue likewise bowed at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him to the right many times, and then stood still with palms joined, gazing unwaveringly at the Buddha. At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra saw Satyaka Nirgranthaputra come before the Buddha and gaze upon him without moving his eyes. Having seen this, he thought:

For what reason has Satyaka Nirgranthaputra come here? Having thought thus, he asked Satyaka Nirgranthaputra:

Satyaka, for what reason have you come before the Tathagata?

Satyaka Nirgranthaputra replied: I have come because I wish to see the Tathagata and hear him teach the Dharma.

The Venerable Śāriputra said: I do not see the Buddha, nor do I hear the Dharma. The Venerable One continued: I do not now seek the Tathagata by means of any dharma whatsoever.

Why is this so?

He continued: To see form as not seeing—this is to see the Tathagata. When one sees that feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness likewise have no designation, only then does one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing earth, water, wind, or fire can one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing a self can one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing a sentient being, a living being, or one who is nurtured can one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing a person can one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing anything attained by a self or anything possessed by a self can one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing any characteristic can one see the Tathagata.

Venerable Sariputra continued: Only by not seeing any marks whatsoever can one see the Tathagata. Only by not seeing attachment can one see the Tathagata. Only by seeing that there is not a single thing can one see the Tathagata.

To see one’s own intrinsic nature is to see the Tathagata. Only by seeing the eye and forms as free from desire can one see the Tathagata. Only by seeing that what the ear hears is devoid of words can one see the Tathagata.

Only by seeing that fragrances perceived by the nose do not combine can one see the Tathagata. Only by seeing that flavors perceived by the tongue are no more can one see the Tathagata. Only by seeing that bodily contact is devoid of sensation can one see the Tathagata.

Only when one sees that the mind no longer discriminates does one see the Tathagata.

Venerable Sariputra said: Sacaka! Such is the way to see the Tathagata. How, then, is the Tathagata seen?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra, when there is no manner of seeing whatsoever, that is seeing the Tathagata. Nor is it through any nature that one sees the Tathagata. It is neither marked nor unmarked, neither a dharma nor a non-dharma, neither real nor unreal, neither a realm nor a non-realm. It is neither thought nor non-thought, neither discrimination nor non-discrimination. It is neither conditioned nor unconditioned, neither a thing nor not a thing. It neither gathers nor disperses. It is neither form, feeling, perception, formation, nor consciousness. It is neither grasping nor non-grasping. In this way, one can see the Tathagata.

Venerable Sariputra said: Sacaka! Through such matters the Tathagata can be seen. Good man! What are the things through which the Tathagata can be seen?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! I do not see the Tathagata by means of form, nor do I see the Tathagata apart from form. Nor do I cause form to perish in order to see the Tathagata. Feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are likewise. I do not see the Tathagata by means of consciousness. I do not see the Tathagata apart from consciousness. Nor do I destroy consciousness in order to see the Tathagata. I do not see the Tathagata by discriminating the present. I do not see the Tathagata by discriminating former lives. I do not see the Tathagata by discriminating the realm of the dead. I do not see the Tathagata by discriminating realms. Thus have I seen the Tathagata.

I see that all speech is not speech, and thereby I see the Tathagata. My seeing is neither seeing nor non-seeing. It is neither existent nor nonexistent, neither discrimination nor non-discrimination.

It neither reflects nor disputes, neither afflicts nor arises, neither grasps nor relinquishes, and engages in no conceptual proliferation. It neither produces thought nor fails to produce thought. It neither creates things nor fails to create things.

It is neither active nor inactive. It neither sees that there is activity nor sees that there is no activity. It neither sees that there is no realm nor fails to see that there is no realm.

It is neither speech nor the absence of speech. This is seeing the Tathagata. To be free from all words, discussions, and sounds is to see the Tathagata.

Yet nothing whatsoever is seen. Venerable Sariputra! As the bodhisattvas see the Tathagata, so too do I see the Tathagata.

Venerable Sariputra said: I too see the Tathagata in this way. Why, then, do you wish to hear the Dharma taught?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! If I hear the Tathagata teach the Dharma, from that Dharma perception or non-perception will arise.

Why is this so?

Venerable Sariputra! The bodhisattvas all give rise to dharmas through those words, yet they neither cling to them nor give rise to thoughts concerning them.

Why is this so?

Because they are free from the dharma of thought.

Venerable Sariputra said: Sacaka! Did you not come to the Tathagata because you wished to hear the Dharma?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! I came to the Tathagata neither seeking the Dharma nor not seeking the Dharma.

Why is this so?

Venerable Sariputra! One who seeks the Dharma, in truth, does not seek any dharma whatsoever. Venerable Sariputra! One who seeks the Dharma does not seek it before the Buddha, does not seek it in the Dharma, and does not seek it before the Sangha. One does not seek it through arduous effort. One does not seek it through loss of faith. One does not seek it for the sake of cultivating the path. One does not seek it through the extinction of understanding. One does not seek it by transcending the desire realm, the form realm, or the formless realm. One does not seek samsara. One does not seek nirvana. Venerable Sariputra! You should know that I did not come to the Tathagata seeking any dharma whatsoever.

Venerable Sariputra asked: For what cause and condition do you speak such words?

Sacaka replied: The nature of the dharmadhatu has neither causes and conditions nor the absence of causes and conditions; nor can it be apprehended.

Venerable Sariputra said: Along which path are you now wandering in cyclic existence?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! If there were any path, then there would be a self that wanders along it. If there were any arising, then I would arise. If there were any departure, then I would die. Venerable Sariputra! All dharmas neither come nor pass away.

Venerable Sariputra said: Sacaka! As the Buddha has taught: “Bhiksus! There are birth, aging, sickness, and death.”

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! All sentient beings rely upon paths or dwell in conceit. To destroy that reliance, the Tathagata, the Blessed One, taught in this way. In the Buddha-Dharma and the nature of the Tathagata, there is no such birth, aging, sickness, or death.

Venerable Sariputra replied: Excellent! Excellent, Sacaka! Are you now speaking about the Mahayana or explaining the meaning of discrimination?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! I now wish to understand what that meaning is. Why is it called discrimination?

Venerable Sariputra said: Good man! I did not say that I now wished to hear it. Good man! I am the one expounding it. What is the meaning of this? What is being discriminated?

Sacaka replied: Venerable Sariputra! Meaning is that for which there are no words to be spoken. If there are words, there is discrimination.

Meaning is also that which cannot be spoken at all. If there are words, there is discrimination. Meaning is also that for which not a single word is spoken; if there are words, there is discrimination.

Meaning is also without movement or stillness, without conceptual proliferation, without discrimination, and without adornment. It is devoid of things and devoid of anything conceived by me. It is not forceful, cannot be grasped, and cannot be seen.

It cannot abide anywhere and is far removed from all words concerning an abiding place. Furthermore, a discriminator is one whose many thoughts come and go within the minds of others. It is also said that discrimination exists because of names.

A discriminator is one who says that a dharma is pleasing or displeasing. Venerable Sariputra! This is a concise explanation of the meaning of discrimination.

At that time, the Blessed One praised the Nirgrantha: Excellent! Excellent, good man! As I have said, when this Dharma was taught, three thousand devas attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. Upon hearing this discourse, twenty thousand sentient beings aroused the aspiration for the path to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

At that time, Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana addressed the Buddha, saying:

Revered Blessed One! Is this good man Sacaka a transformed being who has assumed the guise and clothing of a Nirgrantha?

The Buddha told Venerable Maudgalyayana:

Hear this matter: All devas and humans are deluded, with the sole exception of the great bodhisattvas. Maudgalyayana, listen as I now speak. Saccaka the Nirgrantha has assumed many kinds of dignified forms and has also performed a measure of the work of teaching and transforming sentient beings.

Maudgalyayana! Although Saccaka now wears the robes of a non-Buddhist ascetic, he has taught and transformed as many sentient beings as Mount Sumeru. He has now again brought forth the aspiration for unsurpassed, true and perfect enlightenment.

Wearing such robes, he manifests throughout the four continents and causes innumerable sentient beings to bring forth the aspiration for unsurpassed, true and perfect enlightenment. Assuming the appearance of a non-Buddhist renunciant, he has delivered sentient beings as numerous as the sands of eighty-four Ganges Rivers and caused them to bring forth the aspiration for the unsurpassed path. Assuming the form of a sravaka, he has manifested to teach sentient beings as numerous as the sands of ten Ganges Rivers.

After they had passed through the sravaka vehicle, he manifested again and taught them to bring forth the aspiration to seek the unsurpassed path. Assuming the form of a pratyekabuddha, he taught and transformed innumerable sentient beings. When wearing the robes of a bodhisattva, he likewise taught and transformed innumerable sentient beings.

At times he manifested the body of Sakra, the body of Brahma, the body of a wheel-turning king, or the body of a world-protector. He also manifested the body of a kinnara, an asura, a garuda, or a mahoraga. He further manifested a human body or a nonhuman body; the body of a man or a woman; the body of a boy or a girl; the body of a deva, or one reborn among the devas as a celestial seer.

He also assumed the youthful appearance of a brahmin. He further became a bhiksu, a bhiksuni, an upasaka, or an upasika.

Maudgalyayana! In so many ways has the good man Saccaka taught and transformed sentient beings.

At that time Maudgalyayana addressed the Buddha, saying:

“World-Honored One! How many Tathagatas has Saccaka the Nirgrantha served and made offerings to, that he has attained such qualities?”

The Buddha told Maudgalyayana:

“If space had a boundary, one might be able to fathom how Saccaka the Nirgrantha attained such qualities. It is because he has made many different kinds of offerings to the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, that he has attained them.

“Maudgalyayana! If the boundaries of earth, water, wind, and fire, and the boundary of the realm of sentient beings could be found, one might be able to fathom how the good man Saccaka attained such qualities. It is because he has served and made offerings to the Tathagatas that he has attained them.”

At that time Mahakasyapa, hearing these things about the good man Saccaka, said: “This good man has made offerings to many Buddhas, and through such merit has accomplished these qualities. Why, then, has he not attained the unsurpassed path?”

Saccaka replied: “Venerable Kasyapa! If bodhi exists, then there is one who awakens to bodhi. I am now awakening to it.”

Venerable Kasyapa heard Saccaka say that bodhisattva-mahasattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges had vowed to attain perfect enlightenment and awaken to the unsurpassed path; they awakened to it in the past, awaken to it now, and will awaken to it in the future.

Saccaka replied: “Venerable Kasyapa! Such things are said because sentient beings are arrogant. In the ultimate truth, there is neither bodhi nor anyone who awakens to bodhi.

“Why is this so?

“Venerable Kasyapa! Bodhi is unconditioned and transcends all enumeration. Bodhi has no form or characteristic and cannot be seen.

Bodhi is neither blue, yellow, red, white, purple, nor brown; it has no form or characteristic. It has no root and no shape; it transcends all characteristics. It has no abiding place and is apart from every abiding place.

It does not exist and is apart from all existence. It is without characteristics and apart from all characteristics. It is beyond speech, and verbal karma is no more.

It is neither seen nor gathered, nor is it any object whatsoever. It is neither dark nor bright; it has neither shape nor substance. It cannot be spoken, nor can it be expressed.

It is not contacted, known, or heard; it has neither sound nor phrase. It is neither fettered nor bound, neither released nor defiled; it is without anger, delusion, or any phenomenon whatsoever. It is neither a provisional designation, nor is it not a provisional designation.

Venerable Kasyapa! In the nature of bodhi, is there then anyone who possesses bodhi? There is no body by which to awaken.

Nor within bodhi is there a mind that awakens.

“Why is this so?

“Venerable Kasyapa! This body is deluded and devoid of wisdom, like grass and trees pressed down by an earthen wall; therefore, it cannot awaken. Moreover, the bodhi-mind has no form and cannot be seen; therefore, it cannot awaken to bodhi. Nor is there any sentient being who can awaken to bodhi. Venerable Kasyapa! The nature of all dharmas is likewise. How, then, can one speak of not attaining the unsurpassed path?”

At that time the bodhisattvas, the assembly of great sravakas, the upasakas, the upasikas, Sakra, Brahma, and the world-protectors thought thus and then addressed the Buddha: “If you clearly know the doubts in our minds, we pray that you resolve them and cause them to vanish. It has now been said that at some future time the good man Saccaka will attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. What will that world be called? After he realizes bodhi, what will his name be? How long will his lifespan be? How great will his assembly be?”

At that time the World-Honored One knew the thoughts of the bodhisattvas, sravakas, upasakas, upasikas, Brahmas, and world-protectors, and therefore told Manjusri: “After the passing of the Bhadra Kalpa and immeasurable kalpas thereafter, that good man Saccaka will attain Buddhahood. He will be called Tathagata King of the Characteristics of True Meaning, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened. That Buddha’s world will be called Excellent Contemplation, and the kalpa will be called Destruction of Thorns.

“Manjusri! That world of Excellent Contemplation will be magnificent and delightful. It will be adorned with seven kinds of precious substances, which will encircle that land many thousands of times.

Its walls will also be made of the seven precious substances. There will be hundreds of thousands of moats and pools, each containing seven kinds of fragrance and perpetually filled with water. There will also be hundreds of thousands of elevated terraces, all fashioned from seven kinds of vaidurya.

Hundreds of thousands of myriads of Jambunada-gold nets will adorn that land. There will also be hundreds of thousands of mani-jewel platforms. Railings will be adorned with hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of lion mani jewels.

Seats will be adorned with hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of lion-shaped banners and canopies made of mani jewels. Hundreds of thousands of myriads of great jeweled banners will illuminate everything. Hundreds of thousands of myriads of precious bells will emit wondrous sounds that fill the sky.

There will also be hundreds of thousands of myriads of nets made of precious pearls, gold, and silver. There will be hundreds of thousands of different kinds of banners and canopies.

“Manjusri! Such will be the world of Excellent Contemplation. Its ground will be level, and precious trees will encircle it.

Soft grasses will grow there, all bending toward the right. Their color will resemble that of the Nandivardhana peacock and their texture will be like celestial robes. Such grasses will cover the entire world of Excellent Contemplation.

Hundreds of thousands of gardens will adorn that land. Each garden will in turn be surrounded and adorned by hundreds of thousands of groves. It will also be surrounded and adorned by hundreds of thousands of myriads of jeweled ponds.

At the bottom of each pond will be eight kinds of angular mani jewels. Jambunada-gold trees will stand above the ponds, whose bottoms will be covered entirely with golden sand. Their waters will possess the eight virtues, and precious flowers will surround them.

Swans will swim, dance, and sing there.

Mañjuśrī! That world named Good Contemplation is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of myriads of countries, cities, towns, villages, and settlements. Each such great city is adorned with hundreds of thousands of surrounding cities; the towns, villages, and settlements are likewise. In all those countries, cities, towns, villages, and settlements, men and women are present in abundance.

Mañjuśrī! In that world named Good Contemplation there is a continent among the four continents under heaven named Delightful to Behold, which is most extraordinary. That place is truly magnificent, prosperous, and joyful, and its men and women are numerous. There, the Tathagata King of the Mark of True Intent, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One, is to be born.

Mañjuśrī! That Tathagata King of the Mark of True Intent will be born into a brahmin lineage. His mother will be named Valiant, just as My mother is now named Māyā.

His father will be named Brahmavāsu, just as My father is named Śuddhodana. He will have a son named Universal Renown, just as I have a son named Rāhula. He will have a wife named Great Intent, just as I have a wife named Yaśodharā.

He will also have an aunt named Great Renown, just as I have an aunt named Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī. That Buddha, the Blessed One, will have a disciple named Constantly Conforming in Conduct, just as I have a disciple named Chanda. That Buddha-Tathagata will have a great horse named Great Strength.

When King of the Mark of True Intent renounces the household life, it will be just as I now have a horse named Kaṇṭhaka. That Buddha-Tathagata will have a bodhimaṇḍa named Courage in the Dharma. At that bodhimaṇḍa, the Buddha-Tathagata will attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

Eight billion bodhi trees will surround it in magnificent array.

Mañjuśrī! At that time, that Buddha will encounter neither Māra nor Māra's hosts. Mañjuśrī!

After that future Buddha, King of the Mark of True Intent, attains the unsurpassed true path, the beings of that Buddha-world will bring flowers, incense, and many kinds of music, and together with the people there they will come to the bodhimaṇḍa named Courage in the Dharma. Even the hosts of the Akaniṣṭha heaven will assemble there. Nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas will all gather there.

Great bodhisattvas from the east, west, south, and north will also come. Mañjuśrī! After King of the Mark of True Intent has realized bodhi, he will teach before that great assembly this sutra entitled “The Bodhisattva's Practice of Skillful Means, the Realm of Spiritual Powers, Transformations, and Manifestations,” surrounded by a great many other scriptures.

Mañjuśrī! When the Tathagata King of the Mark of True Intent has taught this sutra, beings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges will attain irreversibility from anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

Mañjuśrī! That Tathagata King of the Mark of True Intent will not teach the Dharma of the three vehicles, because in that Buddha-world there will be no śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. There will be only the One Vehicle by which beings are guided when they are born into that world.

Mañjuśrī! At the first Dharma assembly held by that Tathagata, the Blessed One, King of the Mark of True Intent, bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges will attain irreversibility. At the second Dharma assembly, eight billion nayutas of bodhisattvas will attain the stage of one more birth.

At the third Dharma assembly, six billion bimbara—approximately ten million—bodhisattvas will attain it. From then onward, innumerable bodhisattvas will abide in irreversibility and attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

Mañjuśrī! After that Buddha King of the Mark of True Intent attains the path, his lifespan will be sixty intermediate kalpas. After the Buddha enters nirvana, the true Dharma will remain in the world for eight billion hundreds of thousands of nayutas of years.

That Buddha's śarīra relics will also be widely distributed everywhere, in a quantity equal to the number of beings mentioned above. Mañjuśrī! When that Buddha manifests his passing into nirvana, he will enter cessation while retaining the appearance of a bodhisattva.

Afterward, the bodhisattva Great Mark will cultivate the path and attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening under the name Tathagata Great Adornment, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One. At that time, doubts arose in the minds of the great assembly: “Who is the bodhisattva Great Mark who will later attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening under the name Tathagata Great Adornment, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One?” The Blessed One knew the thoughts of the great assembly and immediately told Mañjuśrī: “He is the good man Satyaka seated before Me, who has the form of a young non-Buddhist novice.

His true name is True Joy, and he is foremost among all the other youths. He will attain Buddhahood under the name Tathagata Great Adornment, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One. His Buddha-world will be as magnificently adorned as that of the Tathagata King of the Mark of True Intent, without the slightest difference.” When the great assembly heard of that Buddha's magnificent qualities, six billion hundreds of thousands of nayutas of bodhisattvas in the assembly all formed the aspiration to be born in that Buddha-world.

They addressed the Buddha, saying:

“Revered Blessed One! When the Buddha King of the Mark of True Intent attains Buddhahood, we shall be born in that Buddha-world.” The Blessed One then bestowed a prediction that they would be born in that land.

Eight billion Nirgranthas also proclaimed in unison:

“Revered Blessed One! We too wish to be born in that Buddha's land.” The Buddha bestowed predictions upon all of them that they would be born in that land.

From the sky, nine billion hundreds of thousands of nayutas of devas and divine youths spoke these words:

“Revered Blessed One! When the Buddha King of the Mark of True Intent attains Buddhahood, we shall be born there, enter that world of Good Contemplation, and behold its magnificent qualities.” After the Buddha bestowed predictions upon them, all those divine youths would likewise be born in that world of Good Contemplation and attend upon that Buddha.

When those divine youths made the vow to be born in the world of Good Contemplation and attain the unsurpassed path, each of them had a different name, yet all shared the same lifespan. Immediately, the trichiliocosm shook in six ways. Hundreds of thousands of nayutas of precious lotus flowers naturally sprang from the earth.

Their petals were made of Jambūnada gold, their calyxes of vaiḍūrya maṇi, their leaves of mother-of-pearl, and their stalks of beryl. Within those lotus flowers, bodhisattvas manifested seated in full lotus posture, adorned with the excellent marks, reverently bowing to the Buddha. They then offered the Buddha many jeweled necklaces, parasols, and canopies.

They all said: “In other Buddha-worlds, we were stirred when we heard this inconceivable sutra concerning the bodhisattva's qualities. Therefore, we have come here to behold the Blessed One, bow our heads in homage, and circumambulate Him to the right. We have also come to see the good man Satyaka and the great assembly.” They further addressed the Buddha: “Throughout inconceivably many Buddha-lands, innumerable beings attain the unsurpassed path as soon as they hear this sutra.” At that time, the Blessed One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke these verses:

Hear Me proclaim this meaning;

Single-mindedly, let your thoughts not stray.

The Tathagata speaks no falsehood;

The Tamer speaks no other way.

When Satyaka becomes a Buddha,

Many billions of kalpas hence,

He will be called King of the Mark of True Intent;

His kalpa will be pure and undefiled.

There will be no lust or the like,

Nor will there be any transgression;

Neither will there be delusion,

And in that kalpa there will be no attachment.

The world will be named Pure Contemplation,

Adorned with many colors;

Humans and devas will delight to see and hear,

As the Tamer abides within the world.

Gazing forth from precious terraces,

They will behold manifold purity and adornment;

Surrounded by Jambūnada gold,

They will hear pleasing, melodious sounds.

Jeweled lion banners will appear,

Fashioned from precious gems of many hues;

The walls and ramparts will all be jeweled,

And there the devas will possess blessed virtue.

There will be ponds and lakes,

All of them magnificently adorned,

Filled throughout with blue and white lotuses.

Waters of eight flavors fill it all.

There are the Four Heavenly Kings,

Whose name is Pleasing to Behold.

That Sugata will be born there

Into a brahmin lineage.

His mother will be named Valiant,

His father, Brahma Ma Ba Tu,

And his son, Changing Name and Renown,

Like my son Rahula.

The queen of that king

Will be called Great Intention,

Like my wife Yasodhara.

His maternal aunt will be named Great Renown,

Like my aunt today,

Who is called Gautami.

His attendant will be named Concordant Conduct

And will serve as the Buddha’s attendant,

Remaining with that Buddha,

Just as Chanda remains with me.

That king’s precious horse

Will be named Great Strength

And will carry the Buddha forth into homelessness,

Just as the horse Kanthaka did.

That Tathagata’s place of enlightenment

Will be called Dharma Valor.

Eighty kotis of hundreds of thousands

Of jeweled trees will surround it.

The Buddha will sit there;

None will equal True Intention.

Perfect, unsurpassed enlightenment

He will realize beneath that tree.

No evil mara will trouble him,

And ultimately there will be no mara of karma.

None will cause harm in that Buddha-land,

Nor will there be any ordinary beings.

The beings dwelling there

Will possess the merit of humans and devas.

Jeweled flowers and instrumental music

Will resound with the words of the World-Honored One.

The Tamer, knowing the assembly

And knowing that their minds are pure,

Will then proclaim this supreme sutra,

Surrounded by kotis of other sutras.

After they have heard this sutra,

The World-Honored One will teach the Dharma.

Many kotis of beings, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Will never regress from the Buddha’s wisdom.

There will be none who hear an inferior vehicle,

Nor will there be any pratyekabuddhas;

There will be only bodhisattvas

Throughout that Buddha’s world.

At the World-Honored One’s first assembly,

There will be as many as the sands of the Ganges,

Oceans of merit who never regress;

The bodhisattvas, too, will be exceedingly numerous.

At the second, there will be eighty nayutas,

All destined for only one more birth.

At the third, there will be sixty bimbara,

All bodhisattvas bringing abundant benefit.

For a full sixty-four kalpas

Will be the lifespan of that Sugata.

When the Tamer enters nirvana,

The true Dharma will spread far and wide

For eighty kotis of thousands of years;

The Dharma will abide for nayutas.

His relics will be present everywhere

For the sake of taming sentient beings.

After the World-Honored One has passed into extinction,

The bodhisattva named Mark, who received his prediction,

Will then become a Tamer there,

Named Great Adornment.

Within that adorned land,

He will benefit sentient beings

And lead the world to awaken

To the unsurpassed path of nirvana.

What I see and hear is unsurpassed;

I know what occurs throughout immeasurable kalpas,

How much more the events of the present.

My knowledge of all things is unobstructed.

Therefore, believe the words I speak;

The Tathagata speaks no falsehood.

The teachings that I impart

Are received from the words I have spoken.

Having heard the Sugata speak,

The great assembly gave rise to joy

And vowed to be born in that land.

Those who are born there,

After hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma,

Will give rise to minds that never weary.

I now point out this excellent path

For the universal liberation of sentient beings;

Therefore, I proclaim this king of sutras.

The great earth shook in six ways.

Within the flowers were bodhisattvas,

Who joined their palms and bowed to the Tamer:

‘Excellent indeed! He liberates ordinary beings

And skillfully teaches the Dharma without cease.

I hear the Dharma spoken by the Buddha;

In the distant future, it too will be this Dharma.’

At that time, the entire great assembly, united in mind, rejoiced, acclaimed the teaching, and gladly accepted and upheld it. They retained only one robe each and offered all the rest to the Buddha, saying:

“World-Honored One, when you appeared in the world, you first turned the Dharma wheel and taught the Dharma at Varanasi. Now, likewise, you turn the great Dharma wheel. We pray that the World-Honored One will ensure that we are never separated from such precious Dharma teachings. May we also never abandon this condition of ordinary beings.”

At that moment, many kinds of celestial music arose in the sky, and blue, yellow, red, and white lotus flowers rained down before the Buddha’s feet. Celestial robes belonging to the devas revolved by themselves in the sky, and a proclamation was heard:

“O ordinary beings! In future ages, you will accomplish inconceivable merit. Therefore, whoever accepts, upholds, reads, and recites this sutra will obtain immense benefit and should propagate it widely.”

After these words had been spoken, Manjusri addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, if these good men and good women copy this sutra, accept, uphold, read, and recite it, benefit others through it, and cause it to be propagated continually, what merit will they obtain?”

After he had asked this question, the Buddha replied:

“Manjusri, suppose that within this trichiliocosm there are sentient beings, from those possessing form to those without form, from those possessing perception to those without perception, including sentient beings in other worlds—all of whom only a Buddha could fully know—and that someone enabled all those who had not yet obtained a human body to obtain one. After attaining unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, those good men and good women respectfully made offerings to, honored, venerated, and bowed to all those Buddhas, bringing them peace and security and sustaining their lives for one kalpa.

“Manjusri, what do you think? Through these causes and conditions, would those good men and good women obtain abundant merit?”

Manjusri replied:

“World-Honored One, it would be exceedingly abundant. Sugata, it would be exceedingly abundant—so vast that it could neither be measured nor calculated.”

The Buddha said:

“Manjusri, the merit of a good man or good woman who copies this sutra, accepts, upholds, reads, and recites it, benefits others through it, and propagates it widely is as abundant as that of those good men and good women who make offerings to all the Buddhas.”

Manjusri replied:

“World-Honored One, this is truly rare. For the benefit of the entire world, you have taught this sutra. When would be the best time for this sutra to be circulated throughout Jambudvipa?”

The Buddha said:

“Manjusri, after I enter nirvana, when my relics are distributed, eight kings will place my relics in precious caskets. After dividing them into eight portions, those kings will each return to their own kingdoms and erect precious stupas. King Ajatasatru will receive the eighth portion of my relics, solemnly make offerings of incense and flowers, and construct a stupa outside the city of Rajagrha. That place will be peaceful, and many kinds of wondrous incense and flowers will be present there. He will prepare banners and jeweled canopies, scatter hundreds of kinds of flowers, arrange hundreds of lanterns, and enshrine the relics there, awaiting the time when King Asoka has this sutra written upon sheets of gold.

“At that time, Sariputra, one hundred years after I enter nirvana, there will be a king named Asoka. Born into the ksatriya lineage, he will rule Jambudvipa with sovereign authority and become a wheel-turning monarch over the four continents. At that time, the king will cultivate mindfulness of the teachings I have proclaimed and attain purity of mind within the Buddha-Dharma.

“At that time, there will be a bhiksu named Indayasama who has attained great supernormal powers and possesses great majestic virtue. He will preserve the true Dharma and uphold the Vaipulya sutras. Born into a royal lineage, he will have renounced the household life and will freely enter and leave King Asoka’s palace.

Manjusri, after King Asoka has widely distributed my relics, many capable generals and eminent persons will assist him. Adorned with great royal majesty and virtue, he will bring abundant flowers, incense, powdered incense, and many kinds of instrumental music to the city of Rajagrha to perform offerings. He will excavate the precious relic casket from beneath the ground and conduct numerous offering ceremonies for seven days.

He will make offerings of every kind of flower, incense, powdered incense, and instrumental music. After completing the offerings, he will arrange for the relics to be welcomed and received according to the different kinds of people and the various places. Thus, day after day and hour after hour, this will continue until eighty-four thousand great stupas have been established.

At that time, the Dharma Master Indayasama will bring forth this sutra from that precious casket and enshrine it in the northern region, where many people dwell. Yet many people will still not know of this sutra; not many will explain it; many will not yet accept and uphold it; and very few will uphold this sutra.”

Mañjuśrī! This sutra has remained enclosed within that precious casket. Why is this? Because there has been no one to receive and uphold it! There has been no one who recognized that precious treasure. Mañjuśrī! Know that this sutra is exceedingly difficult to explain and difficult to believe; it is difficult to understand completely. It is exceedingly difficult for ordinary beings to give rise to faith in it, and few ordinary beings are able to uphold and recite it.

Mañjuśrī! After fifty generations, if there should again be someone who hears this scripture, explains it, and reveres it, then, Mañjuśrī, you should harbor no doubt, but should know that this person has made offerings to a great many Buddhas and cultivated wholesome practices, and therefore has now obtained this Mahayana sutra. Such a person is truly a vessel of the Dharma. If anyone copies, receives, upholds, reads, and recites this sutra, and causes its benefits to increase, that being should know that they will encounter Buddha Tathagatas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. They will attend upon and make offerings to them, circumambulate them clockwise in reverence, and will either see me in that land as this sutra is being taught or behold the great assembly.

At that time, the Buddha told Ānanda:

“For the sake of bringing benefit, you should receive, uphold, read, and recite this sutra. Take care not to teach this sutra before inferior persons who do not clearly understand its source. Why is this? Ānanda! This is the merit and virtue of the Tathagata. This is the secret of the Tathagata. This is the utterance of the Tathagata. These are entirely pure, unmixed Dharmas. This is the seal of the Tathagata. This is the supreme treasure of the Tathagata.

“Ānanda! You should remain steadfast in the face of those who speak falsely. Apart from my eldest sons, none can preserve the treasury of the Dharma and safeguard my treasury of the Dharma for all beings.”

The Venerable Ānanda said:

“I shall uphold this sutra! Blessed One, what is the name of this sutra? How should it be received and upheld?”

The Buddha told Ānanda:

“This sutra is called the ‘Sutra of the Bodhisattva’s Practice of Skillful Means, the Realm of Spiritual Powers, and Miraculous Transformations.’ It is also called ‘The Secret Abode of the Tathagata.’ It is also called ‘The Tathagata’s Teaching of the Pure and Unadulterated Dharma.’ It is further called ‘The Tathagata’s Teaching of the One Vehicle.’ It is also called ‘The Questions of Mañjuśrī.’ It is also called ‘Satyaka’s Prediction.’ It is also called ‘The Chapter on Satyaka.’ Receive and uphold it accordingly.”

After the Tathagata had finished teaching this sutra, three thousand nayutas of beings who had not yet generated the aspiration for the unsurpassed path immediately generated that aspiration. Sixty thousand bodhisattvas attained the patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas. Immeasurable beings became firmly established on the unsurpassed path.

When the Buddha had taught this sutra, the Venerable Ānanda was filled with joy and delight. The youthful Mañjuśrī, together with all the bodhisattvas, bhikshus, bhikshunis, upāsakas, upāsikās, Śakra, Brahmā, the guardian deities of the world, and the people of the world, having heard what the Buddha taught, rejoiced, believed, and accepted it.

(The Buddha’s Teaching of the Sutra of the Bodhisattva’s Practice of Skillful Means — End of the Final Fascicle)