僧伽羅剎所集經

At that time, how did the Blessed One distinguish the citadel of birth?

This is called the ending of birth, with no further birth: abandoning the moat, crossing beyond the bank of blood, and passing all the fences. Craving and desire arise from ignorance and firmly clinging attachment. Ignorance is the citadel of shamelessness and lack of moral dread, enclosing the traces of the past without any breach. The five hindrances are gates that obstruct sentient beings; the many kinds of craving and desire fill the course of anger, surrounded by countless multitudes of various kinds. They raise the banner of conceit and blow the conch of darkness, running east and west, their bodies entangled by various wrong views and subjected to their own compulsions. Thus should one contemplate truly.

Sentient beings possess exceedingly wondrous parks in which their minds delight. They wish to reach those places, or they go to places of hunger and thirst, seeking what they desire and engaging in the work of merchants. Having passed beyond one realm, they proceed to another, seeking liberation through gain and support. In future lives there are consequences: heat and cold, fierce sunshine, wind, and rain. Encountering these adversities, there are birth, aging, sickness, and death, together with all such suffering and affliction. Bound to samsara, beings proceed toward every form of existence, like a boat running east and west. When these matters are contemplated in this way, doubt cannot enter; there is neither collusion nor contention.

At that time the Blessed One employed samadhi contemplation. Possessing such power, difficult to obstruct, he reached that realm and utterly extinguished every domain of death. All became wholesome and beneficial, free from conditioned activity.

He then spoke this verse:

"Where birth and perceptions arise,

Within a moat filled with blood,

Its echoes resound through the three times;

Then the Blessed One beheld it.

Having crossed beyond every peril,

Like a deep and bottomless sea,

Enclosed tightly by the citadel of ignorance,

He destroyed it through skillful wisdom."

At that time, how did the Blessed One subdue the maras?

—He bathed in the pool of the Eight Liberations and practiced wholesome conduct, remaining unattached. Gradually he approached the gateway of liberation, awakened to unsurpassed goodness, and through verbal teachings and other means abided together in contentment. His renown spread afar.

He wore the garment of moral shame and dread and made emptiness, wishlessness, and signlessness his jeweled crown. Fully endowed with the power of patience, his countenance was always harmonious and joyful, his face full and radiant. He revealed the Noble Eightfold Path.

Many kinds of fragrance perfumed his numerous garments. He had long known the fetters to be defilements. He mounted the vehicle of moral discipline, with right view at the fore and merits surrounding him, and guided that vehicle with the power of wisdom.

His mindfulness was focused and unmoving. Through goodness he awakened sentient beings; those in the three realms who heard his teachings all followed their original practices. He made restraint of mind his armor, held the banner of Dharma in his hand, brandished the sword of wisdom, made wholesome thought his fly whisk, and with the ten powers and the fearlessnesses blew the conch of Dharma.

Through the power of spiritual accomplishment, he exercised mastery throughout the three-thousandfold world. He skillfully distinguished the Seven Noble Treasures and possessed inexhaustible fourfold eloquence. Whenever the fetters arose, he could extinguish them. His charitable gifts, undertakings, and wealth were hundreds of thousands and tens of thousands of times beyond reckoning. Like a great elephant adorning its body, he gathered in sentient beings and established them in wholesome karma. Employing the Lion's Exertion Samadhi, his mind knew no timidity as he opened the gates of Dharma.

Some displayed terrifying forms and others displayed valiant forms, though inwardly they harbored no anger, having acquired great treasure. Like rakshasas baring fangs and brandishing claws, they assumed such forms without regard for their retinues. Some appeared as foxes; some as hosts of maras; some with a lion's head and tiger's body; some as seven-segmented serpents; some stood erect, intent on killing, with the flames of anger blazing fiercely; some carried mountains on their backs and spewed fire, performing countless transformations; some appeared as dogs filled with conceit; some had one body and two heads; some thrust out their tongues and glared; some had long bodies and short necks; some took the form of garuda birds and held knives and clubs; some held wheels or pestles;

and some roared like lions, intent on killing people.

They performed such strange transformations. Some appeared as buffaloes with long-haired tails or in the forms of kumbhandas, holding great flames in their hands and wearing armor. Their red eyes emitted streams of light into the great flames, and they sought every means to kill one another. Those rakshasas all had two wings and beat various drums, filling the sky with countless sounds. Some wore bells around their necks like the bibs of ghosts. Some appeared as youths holding iron wheels. There were many vicious forms and a great multitude of strange shapes. Like a sea deity holding the sun and moon in his hands, the Blessed One subdued those hostile enemies with the sword of wisdom.

At that time he spoke this verse:

—"With all fetters ended, there is no fear;

They transform into forms of every kind.

Though they assume such diverse forms,

He holds the sword of wisdom in his hand.

He forever dwells in happiness,

Amid boundlessly varied colors.

These too arise from karma previously created;

He then subdues them all."

At that time they asked the Blessed One, "What is meant by crossing beyond the river of ashes?"

—Crossing beyond the river of ashes means eliminating expectation and anger. One contemplates the river of ashes as wholly impure and abandons every perception. Through this, every kind is forever extinguished without remainder, and all is observed with subtle clarity. When beings cannot cross the sea of samsara and the gathering is difficult to ferry over, this is entirely due to karma created in former lives. The mind has delighted in the two kinds of grass, jia-she and jiu-she, and drifted with the current. One must cut off expectation and remove the tree of sorrow on the bank of fine grass.

Thus, the karma created by the body is like a dense forest, with all manner of weeping and hundreds of thousands of kinds of unwholesome conduct already performed. Holding stones in one's hands is likewise an unwholesome deed. Like creatures in the sea that again seek a place of happiness, beings are whirled about by desire and return to inflict harm. The domain of anger blazes fiercely; their eyes resemble red copper. Though the mind cultivates purity, perceptions of desire abound and form the river of ashes and its perilous pits. Forms, fragrances, flavors, and smooth tangible objects are all tainted swords and spears strewn across the ground. There is great darkness without illumination. Because beings rise and sink with that current, it is called a river.

At that time the Blessed One addressed the bodhisattvas. Throughout immeasurable samsara, they all wished to depart far from it and therefore aroused this thought: "This river of ashes is exceedingly perilous. Thorns cover the ground, and it is utterly dark, without any light. You are drifting with such a current."

"At this very moment, I must sever the river's current." Having made this vow, they then sought skillful means, using the Dharma eye as the standard for the world. They further developed skillful means together and jointly observed the precepts, whereby the ground became peaceful. Using the Four Noble Truths, they contemplated the four directions and distinguished them clearly.

Through undefiled right view, they saw the bank of samsara upon the rocky mountain. Having seated themselves upon the bank of samsara, they attained right action and right effort, delighted in samadhi, and thoroughly distinguished the Noble Eightfold Path. Wishing to reach the other shore, they relied upon the power of spiritual accomplishment and the five faculties and remained unafraid.

Through nirvana they abided there in liberation and meditative samadhi. Even the flourishing flowers did not depart from the unconditioned; they awakened, knew, and discerned.

At that time the Blessed One taught the sutras. He used the seals of Dipankara Buddha, Sarvapuspa Anuttara Buddha, and Vipasyin Buddha (Kasyapa Buddha), and, having been born into their lineage, was able to teach the Dharma above.

He then spoke this verse:

—"Possessing immeasurable power,

The river of ashes is deep and bottomless.

Then, through the Blessed One's power,

They reached a place of peace and security.

Yet still they harbored fear;

Fools delighted in that man.

He rescued those who were drowning

And taught people the essential meaning."

(At that time, the bodhisattva), as a great merchant, had fulfilled his vows. His disposition was gentle and harmonious. Relying upon various merits, he adorned his own person and taught beings according to what was timely and appropriate.

For the sake of sentient beings, he examined the roots of the fetters and attained the wisdom to subdue those evil fetters. Following what was wholesome at the proper time, he perfected wisdom, skillfully discerned the faculties, and understood the ever-subtle Dharma. He skillfully relied upon and drew near to the wise, perfected reverence and patience, and skillfully expounded the meaning of the supreme Dharma.

He possessed eloquence in explaining the meaning of the Dharma and brought it to excellent perfection. He perfected the ultimate wisdom of the noble ones and perfected eloquence concerning the Dharma. What is called eloquence concerning meaning is the ability to distinguish completely the body of names, the body of phrases, and the body of syllables, together with their many kinds of sounds.

His eloquence in matters and skillfulness concerning meaning were such that the body of names, the body of phrases, and the body of syllables all tended toward what is wholesome. His resonant eloquence surpassed these three kinds of eloquence and accorded with the samadhi of liberation. He turned toward the path, skillfully knew the minds of others, and perfected wisdom. Whatever he transmitted or determined could not be shaken. When first questioned about a meaning, he expounded the Dharma without obstruction and caused minds to turn toward the path of omniscience. He perfected all these qualities; his transmission and determinations were perfected, his knowledge of impossibilities was perfected, and he skillfully approached all dharmas.

Then he spoke this verse:

– “Though precious wisdom may appear,

None in purity equals the Buddha.

He long ago abandoned thoughts of past and future,

To rescue beings from worldly karma.

He also expounds the various meanings with eloquence;

His merit likewise has no equal.

He brings peace and establishes pure wisdom,

Opening the ambrosia-gate for the world.”

How, then, did the Blessed One expound the Dharma?

– According to what had previously been requested, he fulfilled every need. He expounded the meaning of the virtue of liberation truthfully and without deception, fully endowed with the savor of the Dharma. In accordance with the proper time, he gradually bestowed the corresponding meanings, distinguishing every intermediate point. The beginning and end accorded with one another, and he explained the many kinds of realization and moral discipline as he wished, in harmony with those before him. His intent was courageous regarding the meanings of all dharmas. He possessed wisdom capable of transformations and genuine fruits of realization. He distinguished the dhatu of Dharma without limit. Such was the Dharma arising from omniscience. Yet he did not rely upon it, but cast off all expectation. Awakened to the practices and activities of the Dharma, he did not praise himself. He expounded the Dharma for sentient beings, curing their illnesses from root to branch. Having perfected the three resolves and harboring no expectation, he embraced all people and was praised as unprecedented. Gods and humans made offerings to him and revered him as he stood in serene composure. He then spoke this verse:

– “As you have forever extinguished all dharmas,

You skillfully proclaim the steadfast practice.

That is the savor of ambrosia,

Healing and cleansing every defilement.

Your mouth proclaims the most excellent words;

Your wisdom is entirely immeasurable.

You are unstained by dust and impurity,

And free from every evil affliction.”

He was without impurity and had eliminated delusion. His mind and disposition were pure. Through relinquishing external things, he perfected the Buddha-eye.

His mind was unattached and without sores. Because the delusions of mind and thought had ceased, he did not repeat former faults. All were entirely equal; his mind was unmoved, and he attained the supreme meaning.

Though practicing austerities in one body, he formed no conception of the many bodies. Among the sravakas, even if he heard sounds with the divine ear, he did not grasp them. While dwelling in the world, he knew the minds and wisdom of others and did not grow weary of conditioned practices.

For the sake of sentient beings, he personally knew the events of innumerable former lives, just as one now takes delight in every visible object. Even when contemplating forms with the divine eye, his perceptions remained unmoved. The fetters had been extinguished, clearly revealing them to be meaningless.

Because his vows were earnest, he entertained no expectation. They had ceased, and he was pure. That wisdom did not abide fixedly; the sphere of consciousness and desire had been exhausted.

He had realized the meaning of parinirvana, yet remained among the multitudes of the world, inwardly confident. Then he spoke this verse:

– “His mind is free from delusion;

The Buddha has awakened to the karma of mind.

He expounds the Dharma to those who listen,

And wanders through parks and groves.

Quiescent and free from all formations—

Therefore, I take refuge in him.

Pure and undefiled,

And in all secluded places of training.”

Then the Blessed One declared:

– “This is a field of merit.” Because one relies upon this field of merit, hope may arise. Just as, with reference to barley, there is a barley field, and with reference to rice, there is a rice field, so too is the Buddha, the Blessed One: because beings rely upon him as a field of merit, he is called a field of merit. Thus he is named the Field of Merit. Hundreds of thousands of perfected practices constitute this field of merit. The root of wisdom had arisen; he had contemplated all karma and reached the other shore. On that basis he expounded the Dharma. He did not avoid the perception of cessation, nor did he entertain thoughts of self and other. He eliminated the views of annihilation and other such views. In right concentration, he formed no conception concerning right view and right concentration. He spoke subtle and wondrous words. His bodily actions and the rest were wholesome and never evil. His voice likewise was undefiled. He was fully accomplished and his body was without affliction. Right view arose, right speech was perfected, and right livelihood was perfected. Because he delighted in moral discipline, he was at all times utterly sublime, unsurpassed, and supremely exalted within the assembly.

Then he spoke this verse:

– “Merit is the foremost field,

Though fools do not contemplate it.

Those who wisely honor and cherish it

Now dwell in peace and security.

Purified through countless kalpas,

One must live among those who are blind.

By receiving offerings, one can extinguish faults,

And afterward dwell in peace and security.”

It was said: “Your appearance in the world is exceedingly rare! Like the udumbara flower, you are extraordinarily wondrous. Because you bear all the sufferings of sentient beings, you are praised as unprecedented.” Appearing in the world, he undertook such toil. His appearance in the world was so rare and extraordinarily wondrous that no one equaled him. The Great Path arose, without reliance even upon pratyekabuddhas or others.

Although he was thus born, he did not remain confined to one place. Just as the sun, when it appears, does not choose among ponds and lakes but shines everywhere, so, through the illumination of such great wisdom, the field of merit became utterly pure. His birth thus brought increasing benefit to the multitude of gods. The One of Wholesome Conduct had attained such qualities. He appeared in the world to benefit sentient beings and broadly revealed his instructions. The obscuring darkness of ignorance was eliminated without remainder. He wished to reveal the path of liberation from birth and death, upon which all beings relied. Just as those sentient beings possessed their various forms and kinds, all were adorned accordingly.

At that time, those sentient beings were thoroughly permeated and nourished. The foremost assembly attained accomplishment and accorded with liberation; by following the traces of the path, all evils ceased. Mindful of the various kinds of sentient beings, he expounded the savor of the Dharma for them. He built bridges to ferry sentient beings across.

Then he spoke this verse:

– “If there are any sentient beings

Who all give rise to joyful minds,

The foremost, subtle merit

Leads directly to the path of nirvana.

Contemplating the virtues of the Tathagata,

They immediately transcend the world.

Rejoicing together with their retinues,

In serene stillness they attain liberation.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed this liberation. With regard to sensual craving and the various things that obstruct the mind, because he was not associated with them, it was called liberation. In his vigor, too, there was no indolence.

Arising from the foundation, he constantly cultivated purity without blemish. His merit was immeasurable, and he never lost the realm of liberation. Even when discerning causes and conditions, he did not give rise to conceptualizations of dharmas.

His aspirations were fulfilled, and he had no jealous mind. He had forever eradicated all defilements and transcended all bonds of sensory objects. Through wisdom, he neither dwelt in samsara nor abandoned samsara.

His discerning wisdom of liberation was like the autumn moon illuminating the darkness and causing everything to become manifest; like a stream of water moistening the trees, causing them to blossom in due season; and like swiftly flowing water upon whose surface foam arises and turns with the current, so that the stream is filled with foam all the way to its end. The Blessed One was likewise: he had realized nirvana without remainder and was liberated from the swirling current.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– The Buddha can extinguish all evils,

Dispel darkness, and reveal the light;

For him, day and night are no different,

For he has attained the Dharma of liberation.

Liberation is exceedingly wondrous,

Like the bright moon amid the stars;

Ever abiding and unmoving,

His wisdom illuminates the world.

At that time, the Blessed One possessed this knowledge of exhaustion:

– I have known the discerning knowledge of exhaustion. The origin of suffering has been eliminated; realization has been fully attained, and the path has been cultivated. As has been praised, the actions undertaken were for curing the ailments of lust, anger, and arrogance, investigating them to their very roots and using the knowledge of exhaustion to eradicate sensual desire. This is the knowledge of nirvana, true to reality and not false. Suppose a person is afflicted by various sufferings and cannot escape them, yet is also unable to treat the root of the present illness. He then reflects upon the subtlety of this realm. In lives such as these, all must cultivate the practice of removing the obstructing skandhas and completely severing the fetters. It is like a strong person afflicted by various deep-seated illnesses that he cannot endure; before devising a skillful means, he is unable to treat them. When there are afflictions of lust, anger, and delusion such as these, the knowledge of exhaustion must be employed, thereby causing that person immediately to attain joy. It is like a person who is constantly afraid of a dangerous place, where various illnesses, sufferings, and afflictions prevail. He sees a bathing pool, pure and free from dust and defilement. Cool breezes blow along both banks of the pool, while fish and dragons sport within it. Looking down into the water, he can see all the way to the bottom. The sky is clear and pure, without even a wisp of cloud, yet a breeze is blowing. Utpala and kumuda flowers are all in full bloom in the pool; branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits all arise from the water, and various wondrous trees grow there. Whoever sees it gives rise to a joyful mind. That person bathes in the pool and removes all his suffering and affliction. He is neither hungry nor thirsty, but attains joy; his task is accomplished. A gentle breeze wafts over that bathing pool, and while observing it, he may sit or lie down in the pool. The Blessed One was likewise. Whatever lust, anger, and delusion had produced, he had completely eliminated. At the source of samsara, he manifested such a bathing pool. Thus, for sentient beings born within the three realms, he utterly uprooted suffering and affliction and made a bridge to convey them across, so that they might all attain accomplishment. He further employed right view—the impartial view—like that cool bathing pool... His samadhi was pure, and his equipoise had never been disturbed. Like the fish and dragons... he had attained liberation. His countenance was beyond compare, like the utpala and kumuda flowers, upon which one could gaze endlessly without weariness. His wisdom was like a dense cloud. He did not harbor mundane samadhi in his mind, and the great assembly surrounded him. Whoever bathes in that bathing pool attains immeasurable joy and delight. If that person bathes in the bathing pool of the Dharma or drinks its water, all lust, anger, and delusion are completely removed without remainder. There are no calamities, nor any hunger or thirst. Thus is the Dharma accomplished.

Furthermore, through this Dharma, he bestowed wisdom upon sentient beings and brought them to nirvana. Their task was accomplished, and they were without fear. They reached the secure place of liberation, their minds filled with joy, and were led to the realm of nirvana without remainder.

He further instructed sentient beings to practice wholesome dharmas together.

At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, sat firmly and did not move.

He then spoke this verse:

– “The work performed by day and night

Ultimately brings joy;

How much more for one who forever abides in the world—

With the knowledge of exhaustion, suffering is no more.

Wishing sentient beings to be secure,

Free from every kind of suffering,

And from calamities that constantly oppress them,

He leads them from desire to the path.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed the knowledge of non-arising. What is called the knowledge of non-arising is this: “I have known suffering completely. Suffering has ended, and its origin can no longer be eliminated; its origin has ended.

Realization has been attained, and there is no further realization to accomplish. The path has been cultivated, and there is no further path to cultivate.” Therefore, it is called the knowledge of non-arising. Thus, the knowledge of non-arising possesses great merit.

When great matters arise, it can eradicate them from root to branch. It is like sowing seeds and watering them at the proper time. Because they receive sufficient water, the seedlings gradually grow and flourish in due season, while weeds do not arise.

The Blessed One was likewise. The seeds of consciousness were burned by the fire of wisdom; each and every one was brought into accord. The source of samsara was removed.

The station of consciousness free from desire did not abide permanently, and all formations had ceased. For a defiled mind to arise in the interval was impossible. Once the mind had done what was to be done, it acted no more.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– “Whoever gives rise to the knowledge of non-arising

Clearly knows the source of suffering.

That wisdom is not timid or weak;

He sits upright at the seat of awakening.

All Buddhas protect and uphold him;

He transcends suffering, affliction, and calamity.

Pure and without blemish,

His mind neither arises nor ceases.”

At that time, the Blessed One universally established the observance of the precepts. He taught the people of cities, fortresses, and villages to receive and fully uphold the prohibitory precepts. Whoever violated them was not in accord with the precepts; whoever extinguished the evil mind was in accord with the discipline and with the ten wholesome courses of action.

He caused sentient beings to become pure and to possess equal merit. Having perfected such virtues, those within the assembly possessed this merit and were free from all confused thoughts. Among them were people who diligently and vigorously cultivated the practice.

According to their former vows, he enabled them to attain the result; those who were not joyful, he caused to become joyful. Those who created merit before the Buddhas and attained joy were further instructed to cultivate the practice.

The noble, world-transcending Sangha exists to subdue non-Buddhist teachings through the merit of liberation and to bring security to those who know shame. Through dignified conduct and ritual propriety, they exhaust all outflows in the present Dharma and sever them at the root. They also completely eliminate the other outflows, so that these never arise again, and they accord with the path.

After he had taught the Dharma in this way, he caused the pure conduct to endure for a long time and brought security to devas and humans. These instructions were all to be received, upheld, read, and recited. The bhikshus were to keep far away from whatever constituted an offense.

After he had spoken these instructions, they were to guard them with utmost care, like a peacock guarding its plumage or an ox guarding its tail.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– “The Tathagata established the prohibitory precepts;

To uphold and practice them is the foremost joy.

Whoever lives within the precepts

Should never violate these precepts.

For the sake of the Dharma, he teaches and transmits them,

Like one wearing a celestial crown.

Attaining the intent of this samadhi,

One is like the ocean that never crosses its shore.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed such supreme and wondrous qualities: firm and free from defects or outflows. Those who gazed upon him could neither obstruct nor harm him. His cranial protuberance was shaped like a rounded canopy; nothing could compare with it, and no one could see its summit. No one else could possess such a mark. His eyebrows and hair were wondrous, well formed and distinctly arranged. His hair was fine, and its color was exceedingly exquisite.

At that time, this verse was spoken:

– “Shakra, Brahma, and worldly beings

Behold you above them all.

Because you were never arrogant,

Through this karmic recompense,

All came to behold your birth,

Yet none could see your crown.

You became the Lion of the Shakyas

And thus attained the mark atop the crown.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed wondrous hair. The strands growing beautifully upon his crown were each soft and fine, neither uneven nor disordered, all equal and curling to the right like spirals. All auspicious marks were perfectly established.

Its color and form were exceedingly soft and exquisite, emitting a wondrous radiance whose pervasive brilliance was beyond compare. It was like lotus fibers and silken filaments, exceedingly soft and delicate, such that one could neither tread upon them nor damage them. Whoever had eyes and beheld them obtained merit, peace, and supreme well-being.

They were perfumed by every fine fragrance and represented the perfection of all practices. He possessed such marks because he had fully cultivated every practice and attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

At that time, this verse was spoken:

– “Soft and neither long nor short,

Your countenance is pure.

Every fragrance wafts afar,

Carried gently by the breeze.

Your hair is deep blue-green,

Like the bright moon on a clear night.

Its fragrance is known as soon as it is sensed,

Like red sandalwood.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed such a forehead, firm as vajra and perfectly even, without a single wrinkle. It was broad and well proportioned. All who saw it rejoiced and never grew weary of gazing upon it. That forehead bore not a single blemish and was neither pale nor dark. Its fullness resulted from his flawless karmic deeds. All who saw it rejoiced and conceived no thought of harm. His eyes were pure and without defect, and everyone who beheld them received blessings. Because the hundreds of thousands of deeds he performed were all brought to fulfillment, he later attained the forehead of the Tathagata.

At that time, this verse was spoken:

“Exceedingly wondrous and pure,

The Buddha’s forehead is inconceivable.

The teachings spoken by him

Are pure as empty space.

Freed from every evil deed,

It shines like an elephant’s tusk.

The Tathagata’s forehead is supremely beautiful;

All who see it rejoice.”

At that time, the Tathagata possessed a radiant mark between his eyebrows, shining at the center of his countenance and as soft and fine as the color of cow’s milk. It resembled pure white gauze, the whiteness of snow, the sun just rising, and the flower of the Kumuda. Its color was peerlessly white, like the autumn moon, exceedingly clear and bright.

That hair curled to the right and was neither too high nor too low; nothing could obstruct it. Whoever saw that mark was free from every illness. It was as long as a forearm...

Its color was exceedingly wondrous and inconceivable. After it emitted light, the radiance returned to the place from which it had issued. This arose from the practices of his past lives and was as wondrous as his countenance when he taught the Dharma amid the great assembly.

At that time, this verse was spoken:

“A hundred practices produced its many qualities;

It is an excellent field of merit.

Neither coarse nor overly fine,

Its length equals a forearm.

The Tathagata’s mark between the eyebrows

Resembles Mount Anming.

Sovereign and unhindered among all dharmas,

Such is the perfectly rounded mark upon his face.

Its color was produced through his practices;

He has extinguished the defilements of mind.

The Tathagata’s mark between the eyebrows

Is the karmic fruit of his former practices.

Curling beautifully toward the right,

It clearly beholds the three times.

Pure and without blemish,

It is foremost among mountains

And causes sentient beings to become pure.

The mark between his eyebrows surpasses all beauty;

Nothing surpasses liberation,

And sentient beings alike become pure.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed eyes of such purity, like a hundred-petaled flower whose petals were each distinct. There was no dark place they did not illuminate. They resembled in color the Utpala-Shyamavandala flower suspended in empty space.

His eyelashes were perfectly white, resembling those of the king of hawks and differing from them in no way. Their whiteness was beyond compare and supreme. When he gazed in the four directions, he saw everything clearly.

Within that range, he perceived and distinguished every kind of visible form in those realms. He was without desire or cruelty, without anger and without anything associated with anger. He contemplated the wholesome deeds and activities within those realms, and he also discerned every wondrous matter therein.

His mind was neither fearful nor alarmed. Through cultivating loving-kindness and compassion, his gaze was never perverse. Toward all sentient beings he also cultivated a joyful mind without ever growing weary.

Because he preserved all wholesome dharmas, discerning each one individually, his vision pervaded every realm. Such was his knowledge and contemplation, free from evil and never indolent. At that time, this verse was spoken:

“His luminous eyes are exceedingly wondrous,

Formed from a hundred kinds of merit.

Wholesome dharmas are exceedingly sublime;

His countenance resembles that of a heavenly king.

The marks of Dharma are also complete,

Like a brightly polished mirror.

Sentient beings all gazed upon him;

Thereafter he attained perfect enlightenment.

Nothing could obstruct him;

Then at last he became the Tathagata.

He was also free from suffering and distress,

For the nectar of immortality appeared.

He was also free from painful affliction,

And manifested his countenance among them.

Though gazing upon it continually, none grew weary,

As he proclaimed the Dharma of the deathless nectar.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed a wondrous nose such as this, produced through countless hundreds of thousands of kalpas. He brought forth all these forms of wisdom and distinguished each one. Within samsara, he had uprooted the thorn of craving.

Wishing to cross to the other shore and to sever every thorn of sensual craving, he diligently practiced austerities for the sake of worldly beings. Thus he gave alms to others or delivered them through moral discipline. All this was because he had formerly fulfilled every meaningful practice, unalloyed and pure, healing every sore.

His nose resembled a mass of gold in color and shone with supreme radiance. Wishing to reach the other shore, he cherished it within his heart and was entirely free from deceit. He skillfully revealed all the essential practices he had cultivated.

At that time, this verse was spoken:

– “Wondrous and unalloyed,

Resembling the parrot bird,

It stands at the center of your face;

The Tathagata’s nose is supreme.

Your nose is beautiful in this way;

Therefore, I take refuge in you.

All sentient beings honor and revere it,

For it resembles the Laitinda flower.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed teeth such as these: unbroken, even, and straight, neither high nor low. They resembled the color of a conch shell and the whiteness of snow, and were also like the Kumudara flower. Their wondrous color was utterly pure, and they embodied the perfection of pure conduct. They emitted a brilliant radiance and were wholly free from every evil deed. Like vajra, they were firm and could neither be obstructed nor damaged. The Tathagata had forty teeth, with four molars in the upper and lower jaws. Upon the upper teeth appeared the mark of a wheel with a thousand spokes. At that time, this verse was spoken:

– “The Tathagata’s teeth are straight,

Neither broken nor fallen out.

Beautiful in color and never changing,

Forty square teeth are complete.

He teaches the Dharma with utmost subtlety;

His clear eyes are truly wondrous,

Endowed with all the virtues of the Shakya lord.”

At that time, the Blessed One possessed a broad and long tongue such as this: Because He had never spoken falsely, it was of a beautiful color and indestructible, like the asoka tree (the sorrowless flower), resembling a lotus petal, exceedingly soft, smooth, and supple. He also never spoke harsh or frivolous words. He had eliminated the afflictions of lust, anger, and delusion, and therefore was born in an auspicious and excellent state, joyful and delightful, with the moral precepts perfected.

Whatever He said was intended to bring deliverance to those who heard it. Through the Dharma-wisdom, He rescued the destitute, and He had been liberated from the seductive flavors of lust, anger, and delusion. All this was brought about by His past practices.

When the Tathagata extended His tongue, it covered His entire face—a most extraordinary sign. Then these verses were spoken:

– “Created from a hundred merits,

His teeth and lips are straight and even.

He tastes every flavor

And discerns them all.

The Tathagata’s tongue is foremost,

Ever proclaiming the ambrosial Dharma.

Whether food is savory or otherwise,

Each flavor follows in orderly sequence.”

At that time, the Tathagata’s teachings were such as these: He spoke concerning the conditioned and defiled, wholesome conduct, and sounds free from coarseness. His words and virtues were complete, and His merits immeasurable. He taught conditioned things that are permanent and impermanent; His resolute nature knew no timidity, His profundity was bottomless, and His countenance was supremely beautiful.

The teachings He uttered never gave rise to affliction. Each meaning corresponded with the causes and conditions manifested in the present. He skillfully distinguished the Dharma, making distinctions according to the proper time, and taught sentient beings without any anger.

He adorned His own person, took delight in bringing false thoughts to rest, made offerings to the wise, and praised those of renown, always adapting to the particular characteristics and kinds of sentient beings, just as wild geese delight in deep pools and ponds. If sentient beings encountered hundreds of thousands of sufferings and afflictions, He rescued them all, causing them to rejoice. He ferried sentient beings amid birth, old age, sickness, and death to the other shore.

He entertained no expectation of obtaining the supreme practice; His mind was free of every bondage. He manifested wholesome practices and attained the practice never known before. He crossed the sea by boat without fear, transcended all birth and death, and was praised as one of meditative virtue.

His merit was wondrous and subtle. When His lifespan ended, His mind reached the realm of nirvana. He attained the ambrosial Dharma, extinguished every root of birth and death, and clearly revealed what is wholesome and what is evil.

Those who heard Him harbored no fear, for His radiance could not be obstructed. Then these verses were spoken:

– Taking the Dharma as the charioteer who guides the way,

Taking patience as His strength,

He is fully nourished by the taste of ambrosia.

Partaking of this ambrosial flavor,

He makes offerings in service to all Buddhas.

Just as when flowers bloom,

Those who were blind and could not see the road

Are delivered from birth and death.

At that time, the resonance of the Blessed One’s voice was such as this: Whatever He proclaimed through His virtues was free from coarseness, like the exceedingly wondrous call of the kalavinka bird. His voice traveled throughout the four directions, and all people gradually heard His teachings. He possessed such power in relation to sentient beings that every listener could hear that pure voice. All these qualities were brought about by His past practices; His voice resembled the Brahma sound and the cry of the ai-luan bird.

At that time, listeners heard five kinds of profound and boundless sounds. He used His teachings to subdue non-Buddhist paths, just as a dragon changes its former habits. In the past, His form had been supremely wondrous and free from timidity in this manner: Anyone who observed Him with the eyes could know this.

He had no attachment or craving, and His concentrated mind corresponded with the flavor of the Dharma. His mind continually remained concentrated, without weariness or opposition, and did not correspond with anger. This was the karmic fruit of the merits produced by His deeds.

Therefore, it is said: “Those who delight in the life of a śramana possess such a mind. Based upon this mind, there are five such kinds.” I once heard the sound of flowing water, and after hearing it my heart rejoiced. How much more so now, on hearing the teachings of the Tathagata, which forever benefit wholesome roots!

Hearing the resonance of His voice, one rejoices, and this forever benefits liberation.”

Then these verses were spoken:

– His voice is truly gentle and harmonious;

The supreme among the virtuous come to listen.

When sentient beings hear His voice,

They are able to recognize Him.

With pure minds, they are ever delighted;

His merits are boundless and immeasurable.

They arose from four practices,

Surpassing five hundred peacocks.

At that time, the Blessed One’s face was exceedingly pure and free from blemish, perfectly dignified and unequaled. His eyes were beautiful and one never tired of gazing upon them; His earlobes hung low, and His lips were rosy red. His complexion resembled pure celestial gold.

His teeth were exquisitely white and unsurpassed, even and complete, without a single blemish or sore. He was also free from sorrow and every affliction. All who saw Him rejoiced, and His merit could not be measured.

His foremost fragrance had been created in previous lives. He was like the utterly full moon, clear and immaculate, supremely honored and foremost. When He sat in the full lotus posture, He expounded the Dharma to the great assembly, and those seated either before or behind Him could all see His face.

When He arose from meditative concentration, He first expounded the Dharma to the great assembly. Then these verses were spoken:

– All are filled with joy

Because they behold the Tathagata.

They obtain the foremost joyful benefit

During the months of bright moonlight.

Those who wish to behold the Tathagata’s form

See Him like the perfectly full moon.

Nothing equals the Tathagata;

All share in the Tathagata’s joy.

At that time, the crown of the Blessed One’s head was such as this: It was beautiful, firm, dignified, and unequaled, neither high nor low, but proportionate to His body, and foremost in appearance. He resembled Narayana, the invincible strongman of the world with eight arms. That place was of the color of pure gold. His marks were exceedingly wondrous and subtle, and His excellent form was supremely beautiful, entirely without obstruction.

Then these verses were spoken:

– Perfectly rounded and most wondrous,

Such is the crown of the Tathagata’s head.

No one is able to harm Him.

All sentient beings of the three realms

Successively take His practices as their conditions.

None equals this scion of the Sakya clan.

They direct their aspiration toward the Tathagata

And praise the virtue of the Tathagata.

At that time, the arms of the Blessed One were such as these: They were beautiful and unequaled, like Mount Sumeru. His shoulders were also exquisitely beautiful and incomparable, neither high nor low, exceedingly soft, delicate, and refined, like the king of sala trees. They were soft and delicate, and no one could harm them; like campaka flowers, they were soft, delicate, refined, and free from coarseness. Upon His arms grew fine blue-black hairs, soft and delicate, each curling toward the right. They were extremely soft, delicate, and wondrous; all who saw them rejoiced. When He extended His hand, He subdued the hosts of Mara, with the earth deities bearing witness.

Then these verses were spoken:

– Like the The-gia-cuu tree,

Like a vajra pestle,

He is the guiding teacher of the three realms,

And His intent is boundless and immeasurable.

He subdues all the hosts of Mara;

Therefore, I take refuge in the Buddha.

For the sake of the Dharma, He shines forth;

I take refuge in the Supremely Victorious One.

At that time, the Blessed One’s hands were as follows: exceedingly soft and delicate, incomparable, incapable of being harmed by anyone, without any blemish, full and rounded like the summit of a lofty mountain. Upon His hands was the mark of a wheel with a thousand spokes; between His fingers were thin webs joining them together; and His fingernails were exceedingly white and pure, shining like the sun. They were like utpala flowers all in full bloom, with soft and delicate petals.

Whenever He taught the Dharma, the beings who came to listen were all delivered and liberated without exception. His words were always timely and accorded with the four practices. Light issued from Him and shone everywhere.

Opening His hands with loving-kindness and compassion, He immediately sought out those drawn toward the light, and all attained deliverance. He skillfully distinguished the capacities of beings, leading them far away from evil and toward goodness, and taught them the Dharma. Wherever they were born, they attained loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, wishing to abandon evil conduct and cultivate all wholesome practices.

He taught beings: “All is suffering. Do not follow defilements; you must become disenchanted with the calamities of birth and death.” He inspired hope in pure beings and wished them to cast off delusion. When He sat in meditation, all the hosts of Mara came to His presence.

They harnessed various vehicles and rode mules, donkeys, camels, elephants, horses, buffaloes, cattle, wild beasts, lions, dogs, pigs, and goats. Some assumed horses’ heads or various other forms. Carrying blades, bearing bows, grasping arrows, or ringing bells and beating drums, they manifested every kind of demonic appearance, intending to harm the Buddha.

At that time, the Blessed One pressed His toe against the earth. Mountains, great forests, cities and fortifications, ravines, streams, bathing pools, and all their various sources became filled with precious treasures that appeared within those pools; some bowls were filled with gold. If a strong person struck such a bowl, it immediately emitted a sound. With His hand, He set in motion the wondrous wheel of Dharma, which was unequaled.

Then the hosts of Mara bowed before the Buddha and spoke this verse:

– His karma is foremost in purity;

The Tathagata’s hands are wondrous.

His hands turn the wheel of Dharma,

Yet no abiding place is seen.

When He turns the wheel of Dharma,

Through the turning of this Dharma wheel,

He turns the unsurpassed wheel of Dharma,

Most beautiful and unequaled.

The Dharma wheel remains in one place,

Yet no one turning the Dharma is seen.

In accordance with beings’ needs,

Sentient beings attain peace and happiness.

At that time, the bodily form of the Blessed One was as follows: truly well-proportioned and upright, without defect, perfected in the precepts, with a chest like that of a lion and surrounded by merit and virtue. His upper and lower body were symmetrical, with the color of an utpala flower, and were not subject to decay. When He practiced profound walking meditation, He turned toward the right.

He was neither tall nor short, but exceedingly gentle and wondrous. Every hair upon His skin curled toward the right, wondrous beyond measure and unequaled, like the sweet fragrance of the campaka flower. He was neither young nor old, and there was nothing with which He was not in accord.

He was never associated with anger. His faculties were complete, and His vajra body, exceedingly firm and wondrous, was truly rare in the world. He was neither slow nor hurried and skillfully distinguished the capacities of beings.

Whoever saw Him gave rise to a joyful heart and never tired of gazing upon Him. His body was seven cubits tall, perfectly rounded and radiant, like Mount An Minh. Amid the great assembly, He resembled the king of elephants among a herd of elephants and was foremost of all, like King Narayana, whom nothing could harm.

Then this verse was spoken:

– Having cultivated for a hundred kalpas,

He has now attained this physical form.

Having extinguished lust, anger, and delusion,

I therefore now bow my head in homage.

If lust, anger, and delusion should arise,

On beholding the Buddha’s countenance now—

Exalted among humankind,

Surpassing all other people—

All evils are forever ended.

May He afterward cause me to become like the Buddha;

They are immediately extinguished,

And my body is freed from suffering and affliction.

At that time, the upper abdomen of the Blessed One was as follows: the upper and lower portions were even, finely formed, wondrous, and unequaled. No part was uneven; it inspired joy in those who beheld it and harmonized with His body. Then this verse was spoken:

– His pure and beautiful upper abdomen—

Should anyone behold it,

Bearing wondrously soft and delicate hair,

He will no longer undergo birth among the various kinds of beings.

It is foremost and unequaled,

Free from every defilement.

As He stands, golden light shines forth;

Contemplate this most wondrous form.

At that time, the lower abdomen of the Blessed One was as follows: rounded and gradually rising toward the upper abdomen, fine in appearance and proportionate to His body, like the belly of a deer, with an auspicious, pure, and unequaled radiance. Then this verse was spoken:

– The Tathagata’s abdomen is wondrous;

Behold all its marks.

Know that He is thus;

Later He will enter nirvana.

His beautiful form is unequaled,

Each feature difficult to conceive.

He is praised by the world;

Therefore, I take refuge and bow in homage.

At that time, the feet of the Blessed One were as follows: He walked in peace and stood firmly, without moving or swaying, exceedingly wondrous. His feet had long, smooth toes and were endowed with the marks of a hundred merits. Only after He had practiced austerities did He attain such feet. He proceeded to the place of enlightenment, wishing for the sake of the world to deliver and liberate its people. Whoever heard His voice found it like the voice of a Dragon King, while His benevolent eyes remained unwavering. His merit exceeded a hundred thousand times the merit accumulated by a samyaksambuddha. His wondrous jeweled necklaces emitted incomparable light. Since time immemorial He had possessed such merit and virtue; therefore, I bow and speak this verse:

– Whoever is mindful of Him cannot be harmed;

I also bow to the crown of the Tathagata’s head.

If anyone possesses faith,

Pure, immaculate, smooth, and delicate,

And bows beneath the Blessed One’s feet,

The Tathagata will liberate that being.

Such a person is supremely excellent;

Therefore, I take refuge in Him.

At that time, the Buddha possessed the mark of the wheel in this manner: it was perfectly round, without any impurity, roughness, or defect, and was extremely profound. The wheel had a thousand spokes and was exceedingly gentle and harmonious. His body was complete, His faculties lacked nothing, and He accomplished great deeds for the benefit of the four quarters. The marks of a wheel-turning sage-king are: 1/ His realm is complete. 2/ His mind is free from timidity. 3/ He is like an asura who covers the moon with his hand, causing its light to disappear. 4/ When he turns the wheel of Dharma, a great radiance immediately appears, just as in spring there is no dust and no clouds obscure the sky.

At that time, at midnight, when there were no binding afflictions—the moon’s sickness—the moon released a great stream of light. It was also thus: a wheel-turning sage-king originally lacked the marks of the Tathagata. Then this verse was spoken:

– People in the world live for a hundred years

And possess this wheel-turning mark.

It is also like Mount An Minh,

Attained through planting blessings.

It reaches the palace of Sakra,

And all the devas offer praise.

If anyone understands this,

All will become single-minded.

His limbs and nature are exceedingly firm;

The sun has already shone forth.

Those who continually let the opportunity pass

Are like lotuses in full bloom.

He is foremost and unequaled;

The Tathagata has completed His cultivation

And proclaims that He has now arrived.

The Tathagata should turn the wheel.

Seeing even a little of this,

One knows that no one surpasses the Buddha.

He emits rays of light everywhere

And universally delivers all sentient beings.

At that time, the Blessed One traveled in this manner: when He raised His right foot and set it upon the ground, the movement was neither slow nor swift. He walked straight ahead without haste, exactly like the king of elephants advancing with steady steps. The Blessed One’s body did not sway, resembling the heavenly Narayana, the mighty champion of the heavens.

At that time, toward those who were tall, the Blessed One caused them to see him as shorter; toward those who were humble and lowly, he caused them to see him as taller. The homes of those whose houses were small naturally became spacious. The body of the Tathagata never stooped, because in former lives he had no arrogance. Musical instruments sounded by themselves without being played, and all insects were at peace, all because in former lives he had cultivated loving-kindness.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– He possesses great spiritual wonders;

His dwelling acquires a beautiful appearance.

Because he abandoned arrogance,

And the subtle craving of sensual desire,

The Fearless One possesses this virtue,

Destroying those who are obstinate and violent.

Supremely Awakened, awakened by himself,

His dwelling and lifespan are karmic fruits of his practices.

At that time, the footprints of the Blessed One were as follows: they bore the mark of a wheel with a thousand spokes, appearing exceedingly wondrous. His faculties were complete, his appearance exquisitely beautiful and peerless; he was foremost among humankind and inspired immense joy. All these qualities arose from the merit he had created over hundreds of thousands of kalpas.

He had no coarse or base thoughts, having eliminated lust, anger, and delusion. His deeds had never involved deceit or any evil; they were not associated with delusion, nor did he engage in deluded conduct. Such was his renown.

His disposition was upright; he acted without seeking anything, harbored no doubt, and his conceptual mind had already ceased. He had eliminated hope and expectation; his conduct was free of deficiencies and defilements. His mind made no distinction between this and that; his merit pervaded everywhere.

He had fully accomplished the ten powers and eliminated every calamity.

At that time, this verse was spoken:

– The Supreme One possesses this virtue,

Distinguishing the karma of every stage of practice.

The wheel appears upon the ground;

Therefore, take refuge in the Buddha.

All the practices he has performed

Shine like the sun.

The mind has carefully observed them,

Like footprints impressed upon the earth.

At that time, the Blessed One had such a smile: because he had established such causes and conditions and had formerly practiced loving-kindness toward all sentient beings, such a smile now appeared. When the Blessed One smiled, it possessed supreme gentleness, exquisite subtlety, and purity. All whose ears heard him were filled with joy. When they saw the Buddha smile, it was free from dust and defilement, pure and without blemish, because he had cultivated the practice of never uttering false speech. Like the Utpala and Campaka flowers with their many fragrances, he scattered ambrosia. His words emitted many kinds of light, supremely subtle and wondrous, which the mind could discern.

At that time, the body of the Blessed One was the color of pure gold, resembling three ranges of lofty mountains encircling one another. He appeared in the Akanistha Heaven. In that celestial palace, those endowed with faith reverently followed the Tathagata’s instructions without ever transgressing them. They gradually transmitted them to one another and therefore rejoiced in the Tathagata.

At that time, the Blessed One had formerly cultivated such practices. He then spoke this verse:

– Colors of blue and yellow

Emerge from the Tathagata’s body.

The mark between the Tathagata’s brows

Reaches as far as Akanistha.

His mouth proclaims the radiant precepts;

Devas and humans all make offerings.

The three causes and conditions are unequaled,

And return again to the Tathagata.

At that time, the Blessed One possessed the following radiance: it had been produced entirely by his former practices, and therefore this light shone behind his body. The light was exceedingly wondrous and wholesome, the foremost liberation. His body radiated light, and all who saw it rejoiced. It emitted many kinds of light, and his body was adorned with jeweled necklaces. Neither the obscuring dust of Rahu nor the asuras could obstruct him. He had been liberated from the five fetters and had eliminated ignorance.

At that time, the Blessed One manifested ambrosia, enabling sentient beings who encountered its flavor naturally to attain spiritual powers that were inconceivable. He then spoke this verse:

– His body is well liberated;

The possessor of the ten powers radiates light.

The Tathagata possesses spiritual powers;

His radiance surpasses the sun.

No one can obstruct him;

The foolish cannot see him.

He manifests for all sentient beings;

I bow before his radiance.

At that time, the Blessed One wore his robe in this manner: neither too high nor too low, but appropriately according to the occasion, in order to eradicate the weeds of defilement, the root of birth and death. He did not wear robes for pleasure. Wherever he went, all rejoiced. Because this was truly so, his robes were radiant. Venerable Nanda and the other bhiksus beside the Blessed One wore their sanghati robes, yet no one could cause the Tathagata’s robe to become soiled. Venerable Nanda then praised this as unprecedented and approached the Blessed One, wishing to understand how the Dharma robe should be worn. The Blessed One said:

– What do you think, Nanda? If the Tathagata did not continually appear in the world, how could the defilements of lust, anger, and delusion be removed from sentient beings, brought forever to an end without remainder, and instruction then given according to their capacities? Because he has accomplished such merit, even a violent gale cannot make his robe flutter, nor can dust and defilement stain it.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– The robe worn by the Tathagata

Is like a lotus unstained by mud.

Even if a violent gale should rise,

Seeking to move the Tathagata’s robe,

It would itself cover his entire body;

This robe is also thus.

Though its force is exceedingly fierce,

Who can surpass the One Possessing the Ten Powers?

At that time, the Blessed One went for alms among noble and wealthy households in this manner: he did not discriminate against the lowly but begged alms equally from all. He did not engage in wrong livelihood. He did not eat by lowering his gaze, nor did he observe the stars or cast fortunes. He did not eat by raising his gaze, nor did he accept offerings and direct donors to go elsewhere to provide food. He did not look toward the four directions in search of food. He did not obtain food through spells or deceptions, nor through plowing and cultivation. He went for alms in order to aid sentient beings, without expectation and without attachment to food and drink.

At that time, when the Blessed One ate, it was not for pleasure or out of attachment. Contemplating karma in this way, he accepted the food offered by the faithful. He was neither attached nor possessed of lust, anger, or delusion.

He was not confused, having eliminated the confused mind and abandoned the mind of attachment. He was not associated with an attached mind, but aimed to relinquish craving and desire so that they could no longer obstruct him. He always cherished the faithful donors, took meditation as his food, and entertained no conception of self.

He had completely abandoned suffering and clearly perceived what was contrary to righteousness. This body would certainly come to an end. He had relinquished the three things and was pure, without lust, anger, or delusion.

How, then, did he now eat? It was to reveal clearly that this body is unstable and therefore is a place where illness is sustained. If, for example, the body lacked fire, its warmth, then this body would have to be relinquished.

Without giving rise to confused perceptions, he scattered ambrosia and cultivated the holy life so that old ailments would cease and no new ailments would arise. Therefore, the Blessed One accepted the food offered by the faithful so that they might obtain karmic rewards, wishing their bodies to be at peace and the world to be protected.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– He goes begging for alms from house to house;

He dwells within parks and groves.

He does not choose between fine and coarse food;

The multitudes cannot obstruct him.

He wishes them to attain the true Dharma,

Like a bee drawing nectar from flowers—the food of the six flavors.

He gives rise to no thought of praise or blame,

Having abandoned the mind greedy for food.

At that time, the Blessed One had the following resting places: within mountain caves, seated in open places, in parks and groves, beside springs, and where flowers and fruit grew luxuriantly. Such delight was incomparable. In places where no one dwelled, seeking liberation, he made his abode. He was liberated from all evils and entirely unobstructed. In places where no human foot had trodden, he had no fear. He had abandoned attachment to form and always delighted in tranquil solitude. He taught the Dharma to sentient beings, as extensively explained in the sutras.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– Trees bring forth flowers and fruit;

Discernment delights in tranquil solitude.

There one seeks liberation,

While dwelling in a secluded place.

In parks and groves, mandara flowers

And blue blossoms bloom profusely.

Therefore, he dwells in such a place,

Without sound and without confused perceptions.

At that time, the Blessed One spread grass upon the ground. It was free from dust and defilement, without attachment to adornment, exceedingly fine, soft, smooth, well-grown, and wondrous. Whoever beheld his form never tired of gazing upon it. All observed that it was neither high nor low; contemplating in this way, they relied upon one another in succession. Name-and-form and the six sense bases appeared in him without end. Sometimes he spread grass upon the ground, constantly subduing the multitude. Therefore, he spread grass as a seat without any perception of sensual desire; though he used grass as a cushion, there were no fetters, and all was entirely pure.

The Buddhas of former times had created merit, yet they neither appropriated nor clung to it. Having attained realization, they dedicated it all. Nor did they cause harm by making beings produce the grass of the fetters.

It was orderly and unwrinkled. Though relying upon sentient beings, they were not obstructed by the skandhas or hindrances. Having attained samadhi and penetrative knowledge, the Blessed One lay down with his right side touching the ground.

He rested only briefly, then rose, practiced walking meditation, and cultivated the Path. Because of the samadhi free from discursive awareness, he lay with his right side against the ground. Wishing to subdue hostile foes, he sat upon the lion throne.

Wearing garments of fine silk in five colors, he manifested a form that was not that of a true sramana; yet, unattached to visible form, he cultivated the holy life, relied upon sentient beings, and sought liberation of mind.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– Sentient beings lack wholesome roots,

Yet their minds have formed wholesome conduct.

Excellent is the meaning of the great Dharma;

Now, before the assembly of the Tathagata,

Through the merit in which they rejoice,

Their minds are originally self-aware.

No one surpasses him,

Who uses grass to eliminate craving and desire.

Why is the Blessed One said to know the faculties clearly?

– In former times, he developed the faculties in this manner, in correspondence with their dispositions. For the sake of the Path, these faculties arose to subdue delusion and inversion, and to turn the faculties with the current, in correspondence with birth and death. These faculties give rise to impure conduct and depend upon various other conditions. These faculties cling to the world and are also defiled by sensual pleasures. These faculties give rise to various powers, and all the fetters blaze fiercely. These faculties drive the body onward in continual wandering, never allowing it to rest. These faculties do not accomplish the great purpose. These faculties are deluded and pass through the various realms of experience. These faculties resemble sharp swords that injure one’s own body. These faculties produce suffering and affliction; they resemble sores from which the fetters discharge. These faculties resemble sickness and possess no strength. They are never weary or content but continually seek without ceasing. These faculties never rest but constantly give rise to the fetters. These faculties resemble poison and cannot sever the root of suffering. These faculties do not heed instruction and are associated with every evil. These faculties are not concealed but are bound by the swords of the realms of experience. These faculties are unguarded, and their dispositions are unfulfilled. These faculties are mindless and revolve according to the realms of experience. Because these faculties are uncultivated, the fire of desire continually burns as it follows the realms of experience. These faculties bear many sufferings and afflictions, roaming through different realms of experience and causing the entire body and mind to suffer.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– The faculties, amid the realms of experience,

Cause the mind to burn continually.

Excellent is the Tathagata’s teaching:

There are no evil faculties.

Like a glowing lump of iron,

They are controlled by evil.

He leads them to a place of peace and security—

How much more should realms of experience be present?

How does the Blessed One know the mind?

– The mind arises, develops, and increases in dependence upon the realms of experience. That mind is filled with confused perceptions and lacks concentration. This mind resembles a tempest. This mind never wearies of evil conditions and therefore brings calamity upon itself. This mind travels far, like a dream. This mind clings to the realms of experience like a monkey. This mind naturally produces every kind of attachment, like the wings of a peacock that continually looks back at its own reflection. This mind ranges far and wide, pondering wealth and undertakings. This mind gives rise to various obstructions, like a wild horse that never knows fatigue. This mind is difficult to control and races after the realms of experience. This mind resembles a king who always acts according to his own wishes.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– Foremost and exceedingly profound and wondrous,

The yakshas and gandharvas

Have fallen into heedlessness;

The world is without light.

The mind and wisdom are immeasurable;

Throughout the three times, beings are not self-aware.

This thought arose spontaneously:

“I shall become the light of Dharma.”

How, then, did the Blessed One scatter awakening throughout the world?

– This world has nothing upon which to rely, yet it clings to the body. In this life, the mind has no refuge and clings to the realms of experience; the karma of this life relies upon the various wrong views in just this way. This life has arisen naturally through what has been created. In this life, beings fall onto false paths and wander through evil destinies. In this life, they dwell upon evil paths like monkeys. This life has no illumination, being covered by the five skandhas. This life is blind and dark, without the eye of wisdom. This life is afflicted by hunger and thirst, tormented by the thirst of craving, and never knows satisfaction. This life is consumed by fire and bound by the various fetters. This life has little sweetness, like a bee drawing nectar from flowers. This life cannot be relied upon and will lead to ruin. This life is a distant journey, traveled in a carriage. This life is bound and must abide within birth and death. This life leads to manifold sufferings and afflictions: birth, aging, sickness, and death. This life is not wondrous and will certainly fall into decay. This life has no protector and is oppressed by anguish. This life was not made by a self and must certainly be abandoned. This life is a mechanism whose parts turn and depend upon one another for their existence. In this life, all kinds of actions lead to evil destinations. This life is like a transformation that manifests visible forms. This life is without benefit and gives rise to those who fall into ruin. Because actions in this life are heedless, it cannot be relied upon. This life is difficult to awaken to and possesses no realm of its own.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– Sentient beings are afflicted by suffering;

With wisdom, they seek the Path.

Gradually, they obtain benefit,

Though this life will certainly fall into decay.

Seeing that the world is unreal,

And contemplating what one draws near to,

Those who wish to secure their lives and bodies

Should know that quiescent cessation is bliss.

How, in this life, does one cross beyond the muddy path?

– Just as a lotus seed in water, at that time, produces a shoot that gradually grows, so too is it here: the five states all perish, and consciousness proceeds to a place of rebirth. Fashioned and surrounded by conditioned activities, formed through wind and fire, and watered by the waters of conceit, it dies, yet in the interval a shoot arises again. Just as a plant’s shoot arises, so too is it here. Because a shoot arises, there is neither annihilation nor eternal permanence. Just as a person first observes the shoots in a field, so too is it here. Because those beings are bound, there is neither annihilation nor eternal existence. Just as the earth is blown upon by the wind, so too is it here: the solid four great elements undergo various afflictions. So too is it here; therefore, all things occur naturally. Just as a lotus naturally produces a shoot without being destroyed. Therefore, not everything arises naturally; there is a single meaning of perfuming. Just as the external four great elements are blown upon by the wind, yet do not again create these four great elements, so too is it here. Therefore, one must relinquish and depart from all dharmas. It is just as with the activities of sentient beings. Everywhere it is thus. Therefore, this dharma resembles both the shoot and the seed. So too is it here: the marks of a great person cannot be destroyed. Thus, the nature that has been formed is like a lotus seed producing a shoot. Therefore, those countless things likewise possess no truly existent arising. Just as that shoot, when it arises, does not come from anywhere, everywhere it is thus. Therefore, there is neither coming nor going, just as when it goes, it has no place in which to rest. So too is it here; therefore, there is no abiding place. Just as that shoot grows and gradually blossoms, so too is it here: it is neither high nor low, like a lotus shoot gradually growing. So too is it here: once the shoot has been formed in the womb, it gradually grows. Just as the fresh green leaves of a lotus are truly lovely, so too is it here: the activities that have been formed are truly worthy of esteem. Just as when it takes nourishment, so too is it here: when a person approaches maturity, hair, body hair, nails, teeth, and the five faculties must all be relinquished; the six sense faculties deteriorate, and the mental faculty becomes scattered, so that this body is cast off. It is like that flower, which will certainly mature. Under the sunlight, its color and fragrance are exceedingly subtle and wondrous; the queen bee wanders about it and takes the greatest delight. So too is it here: when one is first born, the four great elements are like sunlight shining forth; the fetus takes form and acquires sensation, together with others of its kind. Therefore, conceit and all the rest depend upon one another and are cherished exceedingly. Amid hunger and thirst, birth and death, what is called desire is regarded as happiness. Such are the inverted perceptions of the foolish. So too is it here: throughout all seasons, there is no escape from aging and death. Just as that season is powerless when struck by the hot wind, and everything must be relinquished and left far behind—the flowers and fruits must all fall away, there is no longer any object of dependence, there are no bees, there is no beauty, and nothing remains that inspires affection—so too is it here. Gradually declining in this life, one loses all strength. Whoever remains alive undergoes deterioration both inwardly and outwardly, no longer possessing the strength of robust youth. All must die: there are no branches, no teeth or hair; one neither sees nor hears, perceives neither fragrance nor flavor, possesses no smoothness, and has no sensation. The body decays, all dispositions of conceit are utterly exhausted, there is no flavor to which one may cling, and the mind has no ardor. One has passed beyond beauty: the skin is mottled, the face wrinkled, and the strength of robust youth is gone. With the arrival of such old age, one no longer delights in deteriorating forms. Men and women suffer harm because of their attachments. Like a dry and rotten tree, there is no longer any fragrance or flavor; each and every part must disintegrate and separate. So too is it here: when the life faculty has ended, one must be carried to the burial ground. Just as that lotus seed, after maturing, produces another shoot, so too is this characteristic: one continually assumes renewed existence. It is like beings’ perceptions of those withered flowers and branches.

Then these verses were spoken:

– Therefore, existence must be abandoned,

As with birth within the womb.

If one wishes to seek the living shoot,

And wishes to reach the other shore,

One must also contemplate this flower,

And diligently seek quiescent extinction.

Knowing happiness, emptiness, and nonexistence,

One should seek them of one’s own accord.

What did the Blessed One mean when he spoke of that ocean?

– The foremost meaning is to ferry beings to the other shore. He reflects upon immeasurable, ever-increasing merit; he is pure and stainless, possesses great wisdom and liberation, and harbors no resentment. Foremost in attaining liberation, through skillful investigation and contemplation he never parts from wholesome roots. His renown spreads afar, his wisdom pervades everywhere, and his many fragrances diffuse into the distance, like a flourishing tree. Through the seven factors of awakening, he skillfully discerns impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self. Having crossed over through wisdom, he is replete with a hundred blessings. He constantly enters samadhi and has no distracted mind. He encourages and assists beings, causing them to arouse wholesome intentions, and is able to accomplish every kind of samadhi. He is supreme among trainees and those beyond training. He spreads the true Dharma without ever growing weary, transforms and liberates impartially, and speaks words that are true, gentle, pure, and stainless. Free from lust, anger, and delusion, he possesses foremost merit within the great assembly. He diffuses loving-kindness toward all, bringing peace, happiness, and repose, and teaches the spheres of realization. He constantly remains mindful of reverence, and his merit is inexhaustible. Over the course of ninety-one kalpas, the Blessed One gradually perfected these virtues and awakened to the profound nature of all karma. Wishing all living beings to partake of a single flavor, he teaches the Dharma at the proper time and always accords with sentient beings. Possessing the jewels of the ten powers and replete with every kind of treasure, he relies upon the four fearlessnesses. Amid the four great elements, for the sake of all beings, he makes no distinction between high and low. He has ferried the world across by means of the Dharma-mind, without any thought of increase or decrease.

Then these verses were spoken:

– Therefore, one should seek deliverance

Across the immeasurable ocean of the Tathagata.

He has crossed over to the other shore

Because suffering and happiness exist.

Earnestly devoted to the Teacher,

Therefore, I bow to the Buddha.

His meritorious virtues and blessings are immeasurable;

One should seek the place of peace and security.

Why is the Tathagata likened to a boat?

– Thus, he skillfully brought about certain fruition; gathered the assemblies without opposition; perfected all practices; and forever brought all evils to an end. He guarded his body with the precepts, the foremost ambrosia. He entertained neither the view of annihilation nor the perception of eternal existence. Having abided in quiescence and reached the other shore, he always delighted in patience and never gave rise to anger. He discerned the five faculties with right view and entertained no divergent thought. He perfected the various purities and the liberations of emptiness, wishlessness, and signlessness; the three samadhis were complete. He always cherished a sense of shame and moral dread and no longer had any doubt. He cultivated the four immeasurables—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—the formless samadhis, and all the practices, discerning them all without limit. He contemplated the impurity of exposed decay; his eye of wisdom was foremost and always present before him. Whenever thoughts of sensual desire arose, he perceived them all as impure and constantly remained mindful of detachment. Manifesting and spreading forth the vajra samadhi, he possessed immeasurable skillful means and wished to deliver sentient beings. His precious factors of awakening corresponded with the wisdom of cultivating the path of liberation. Free from the calamities of birth, aging, sickness, and death, he nevertheless again entered a womb because he wished to deliver sentient beings. His meritorious practices throughout the three periods of time were complete, incapable of being obstructed or destroyed, and he delighted in none of the affairs of the world. Contemplating all characteristics, he aspired to relinquish and depart from them. His mind, thus neither increasing nor diminishing, was able to liberate all sentient beings. Taking the Ten Powers as a boat and raft, he forever ferried sentient beings across and brought them to the other shore. He always maintained this contemplation, not for the sake of his own person. He was the foremost among the shravakas, entering samadhi and contemplating universally, performing many contemplations, attending upon and making offerings of banners, pennants, canopies, and flowers. He took the three samadhis—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness—as the Buddha’s seal; anointed his body with cooling sandalwood; and contemplated penetratingly by means of the five superknowledges. Various fragrances spread everywhere. He took the four fearlessnesses as conches and was fully equipped with frames and drums, all without damage. Contemplating impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self, he wished to escape the ocean of birth and death. He subdued the maras and caused them to be shattered, reaching the ultimate unconditioned state. Discerning the characteristics of dharmas, he accepted nothing and ferried nothing across. He extinguished the sphere of consciousness, no longer experienced suffering or pleasure, and reached nirvana. Riding the vehicle of merit for the fourfold assembly, he rejoiced and leapt with unrestrained delight. With the boat and raft of wholesome body, speech, and mind, together with the Ten Powers, he conveyed sentient beings so that all reached the place of all-embracing ambrosia—nirvana.

Then he spoke this verse:

– Through ascetic practice for countless kalpas,

He skillfully reached the place of peace and security.

With a joyful heart,

He brought everything to completion.

He fashioned a boat and raft of merit

To rescue beings throughout the three periods of time,

Swiftly crossing beyond the shore of birth and death;

Only complete extinction is bliss.

At that time, the Tathagata was like such a sun: his meditative practice was replete with the four immeasurables—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—and was without damage. He committed no defiled deeds and skillfully guarded all the precepts. His renown spread everywhere, and all sentient beings revered him.

He caused them to delight in quiescence and made their minds joyful. Throughout countless hundreds of thousands of kalpas, he cultivated suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, revealing the ultimate truth. With the radiance of steadfast wisdom, he dispelled the darkness of ignorance and eliminated every suffering.

As he journeyed among sentient beings, he fully accomplished the Ten Powers and the fearlessnesses. His resolve was valiant, and throughout the three-thousandfold world he destroyed all evils. He compassionately sheltered those unable to cross over, and his wisdom could not be destroyed.

At that time, the Blessed One appeared among such people like a radiant sun. Complete in the undefiled practices, he mounted the Great Vehicle and guided it fearlessly, like wind filling a sail. Mindful of the vehicle that accorded with the assemblies, he appeared before them.

Through equipoise, or Right Concentration, he enabled all the assemblies to possess the samadhi of equipoise, or Right Concentration, and contemplated every class of sentient being. He completely sheltered and assisted sentient beings throughout the three periods of time, and they all followed his teachings. He was free of desire, anger, delusion, and pride and had relinquished all fetters.

Devas and humans brought flowers as offerings to him. Free from the five hindrances, he scattered the wealth of faith among all the assemblies, causing them all to awaken and know. He was without dust or defilement, and the fetters posed no obstruction.

In this way, the Blessed One became a radiant sun:

Then he spoke this verse:

– Having perfected the hundred wisdoms,

He manifests light throughout the three periods of time.

Through practices over countless hundreds of kalpas,

He has crossed beyond this shore.

Perfect in relation to sentient beings,

I bow to the Radiant One.

He extinguishes ignorance and darkness;

I bow to the Sun of Wisdom.

Why does the Tathagata resemble a lotus flower?

– Because he was formed from the foremost merit and virtue. Within the three realms, through faith he attained liberation. His pure, impartial wisdom pervaded sentient beings everywhere. Through the power of diligence, he reached the other shore and dispersed the clouds and mists. Through the joy of meditation, he attained deliverance. Mindful of liberation and free from all perceptions, through contemplation he brought every defiled calamity to an end and entertained no divergent intention. Replete with right view, he accomplished everything and clearly understood everything. The fragrance of his morality and concentration perfumed the four directions, and with pure radiance he destroyed the darkness of every class of sentient being. Just as bees distinguish however many kinds of nectar they gather, he clearly understood the three modes of existence and was liberated from them all. Sentient beings all placed their hopes in him. Through various skillful means, he wished to bring them peace and security, contemplating them profoundly without weariness. None of his faculties was deficient or impaired. He ended the calamities of lust, anger, and delusion within the minds of sentient beings, causing them to blaze no more, and made them utterly pure, gentle, and liberated.

Then he spoke this verse:

– Having arisen in purity,

He is replete with immeasurable merit and virtue.

Those who wish to attain the bliss of quiescence

Should skillfully awaken all beings.

Worthy in himself of praise,

His form is wondrous and foremost,

Supreme among humankind;

I now bow my head in homage.

An offering flower beyond compare,

Most wondrous and foremost,

Through him sentient beings attain purity;

Thus he is called Ever-Pure in Being.

In harmony with the world,

His wholesome fragrance is exceedingly wondrous.

Praised by the people of the world,

He is the Unattached Great Rishi.

At that time, the Omniscient One had such a cloud of mist: throughout ninety-one kalpas, he had cultivated contemplation of impurity; his spiritual power had brought all under mastery; his words were without contradiction; he had completely purified all sensual desires and was free from sorrow. With respect to the various samadhis, he had reached the other shore. With a mind of great loving-kindness and compassion, he enabled sentient beings to attain merit, perfected the hundred blessings, and led them to quiescence.

With the contemplative mind, he contemplated sentient beings. Toward the multitudes of people, asuras, ghosts, and spirits, he practiced loving-kindness throughout the three periods of time, enabling them all to become pure and refreshed, to attain the gateway of liberation, and to reach the place of liberation. Furthermore, with the light of wisdom he cleansed sentient beings and made them pure; even men and women thereby obtained wholesome benefit.

Wherever he journeyed, he attained the practices of patience, realized the extremely profound Dharma, thoroughly understood the dharmas of sentient beings, and planted roots of goodness. Sentient beings hungered and thirsted for the sweet flavor of amrita; concerned that they might not attain deliverance, he caused them to awaken through the Dharma of cultivation: all conditioned formations are impermanent, suffering, and empty; all dharmas are non-self; nirvana is the foremost bliss.

He impartially liberated them from suffering and pleasure, skillfully distinguished and fully understood languages, praised wholesome Dharma among the assemblies, and planted the root of liberation. Lust, anger, delusion, and arrogance were all abandoned. With a vajra-like, fearless mind, he delivered sentient beings from calamity, hardship, and suffering.

Among the various assemblies, the Omniscient One caused them to cherish all beings and give everything without attachment. Therefore, with palms joined, I bow down to the Lord of Amrita.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– Merit manifests radiant light

Therefore, give rise to a joyful mind.

Having attained fearlessness,

He has subdued those outside.

The peerless cloud of the ten powers

Proclaims amrita to dispel thirst.

This is the cloud of omniscience;

Therefore, drink the amrita.

At that time, the Blessed One had such a flame: what he aspired to practice was this—all classes of sentient beings sought joy, liberation, and attainment of the four immeasurable minds. What they sought, they attained through deliverance. He fully possessed the Ultimate Meaning and its corresponding wisdom; his samadhi pervaded everything, and he possessed such spiritual power.

He had mastery of the various names and expressions, fully possessed the powers of the faculties and profound samadhi attainments, and wielded such power. Over hundreds of thousands of innumerable kinds of faculties, dhatus, and all these dharmas, he attained mastery. As the Most Honored One of the three periods of time, through the awesome spiritual power of the ten powers, he attained fearlessness.

This was the foremost liberation, the foremost light, and the foremost empty quiescence. Possessing such virtue, he scattered the profound Dharma. He instructed sentient beings to practice the virtue of patience, transcend anger, speak gentle words that harmed no one, and extinguish all fetters.

Among those in training and those beyond training, and within the fourfold assembly, he had cultivated well. He taught that the recompense of suffering is thus. His merit was truly immeasurable; he perfected wisdom, proceeded toward the gateway of nirvana, received offerings, was honored above all, and refreshed sentient beings.

Therefore, with palms joined, I bow down to the Buddha’s flame.

At that time, he then spoke this verse:

– Able to burn up grasses and trees,

The Buddha’s flame is the most sublime.

The Buddha’s flame has extinguished all,

For it possesses precious merit.

The supreme flame is boundless;

Therefore, I bow down before it.

No longer producing suffering or pleasure,

It spreads throughout the world.

At that time, the Blessed One had this most gentle and pliant garden, perfected in the precepts. Within it there were none of the five hindrances, nor were there rocks, sand, or impurities, nor were there mountains. He had mastery over all roots of the Dharma; his great loving-kindness and compassion were pure and undefiled.

He himself experienced the utmost joy and had reached the other shore in all things. Possessing such contemplation of merit, his practices had matured, his deeds possessed great power, and he had perfected the foundations of goodness. He was also unwavering in patience with regard to the Dharma, free from doubt, and endowed with impartial vision.

He fully possessed the Noble Eightfold Path and received every offering; his hundreds of innumerable practices could not be completely recounted. He possessed the precepts, samadhi, and the ten powers in full and was free from doubt. Liberated from the hindrances, he was pure.

Having made his vows, his fruits, branches, and leaves flourished luxuriantly. Amid the assembly, fruits arose, and hundreds of thousands of groves of samadhi all grew luxuriant. He possessed impartial vision and held no wrong views.

Through the formless meditations, his body itself experienced joy. Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity constantly sheltered sentient beings. In their midst, he discerned the seven factors of awakening, the mind of cessation, and the first fruit; moral shame and moral dread surrounded him.

Constantly mindful of generosity and seeking the essential means of escape, he produced this cool and refreshing cloud. With strength, he uprooted the fetters; possessing such courage, he sought liberation. His merit was indestructible, and wholesome dharmas converged in him.

He removed lust, delusion, and anger for sentient beings and attained fearlessness. Like Ajnata Kaundinya, Sariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Kasyapa, Katyayaniputra, Aniruddha, Nandi, Kimbila, Nanda, and Revata, within the garden of the sravakas he was king of the sravakas, with merit unequaled. He was a pure bathing pool, scattering every goodness, and was praised throughout the three periods of time.

Therefore, with palms joined, I bow down before him.

At that time, he then spoke this verse:

– Skillfully sheltering the three periods of time,

The flowers of awakening adorn his body.

King among the assembly of sravakas,

One should seek the place of peace.

For the sprouts of sentient beings,

He brings the fruit of liberation to perfection.

Undefiled, he gives rise to merit

And shall attain the place of peace.

At that time, the Blessed One possessed such “emptiness”: because his mind was unified, vast, and boundless, it was called emptiness. Having severed all sensual desires, he abided nowhere. Through the fruit of wisdom, everything was thoroughly permeated.

There were no bonds and no hindrances. Through the right attainment of samadhi, he crossed beyond all defilements. Skillfully attaining the essential means of escape, he took the pure moon of liberation as his auspicious light.

Through immeasurable merit and single-minded intention, he generated karmic activity and cultivated purity throughout one lifetime. His mind was always joyful, and the eye of wisdom was pure; therefore, his realm was pure. Because he had severed all fetters, he was unattached.

Because he had attained great loving-kindness, everything was without fixed location. Because the mind discerned, all things were brought to perfection. Because he received offerings, he was unstained by the fetters.

Because he relied upon this mind, neither purity nor impurity defiled his own mind. Because he relied upon the assembly of sravakas, various birds gathered there. Because serenity and insight were complete, its subtle wonder was inexhaustible.

Because of the grove of samadhi, the stars revolved around it. Because he used the true Dharma to subdue external adversaries, it was difficult to fathom. He always contemplated in this way, like one who has attained the fivefold joy, brought his own karma to consummation, and was certainly no longer subject to doubt that could cause him to retreat from his dwelling place.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– Mindfulness of cherished joy and gladness;

Whatever forms there may be,

All attain impartiality of mind,

Having reached the other shore.

There are no defilements,

And all can be clearly distinguished.

Though wishing to obtain praise,

There is no mind of delighted attachment.

At that time, the Blessed One possessed a wheel such as this: His mindfulness was steadfast, and his faculties, powers, and factors of awakening were complete, without any deficiency or defilement, each being perfectly adorned. The Four Bases of Spiritual Power were foremost; the Four Right Efforts well adorned his body; and his speech skillfully proclaimed and spread the teaching. Through the Seven Factors of Awakening and right view, he attained liberation.

Through calm and insight, he was free from discursive craving. Having mastered that samadhi, he attained fearlessness. Because he uttered the lion’s roar, he was no longer afraid.

His eloquence was unobstructed, and he attained the joy of faith. His diligence was free from any thought of indolence. Having transcended every realm of Mara, he was without sensual craving.

His merits were complete, and he extinguished the evil destinies. The wondrous fruits of the Three Vehicles were skillfully and supremely accomplished. He destroyed the hosts of Mara; the three cravings ceased forever; and all seeking, anxiety, suffering, and affliction ended forever and existed no more.

Nor did he have craving for existence, the hindrance of sloth and torpor, or the blemishes of the six defilements. Whatever depended upon the body he had entirely relinquished. He eliminated doubt and was without delusion.

Though possessing initial and sustained application of thought, he had no arrogance. Whatever arose according to circumstances was not inverted. He forever eliminated wrong views, possessed awe-inspiring power and joy, eradicated the fetters, and subdued the hosts of Mara.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– All people make offerings to him;

He protects those who are alone and powerless.

His Dharma wheel is beyond compare;

Thus has he attained this renown.

He delivers all sentient beings,

Turning the Dharma wheel before Mara.

Devas and humans alike praise him:

He is the foremost one.

At that time, by what kind of vajra did the Blessed One subdue the maras?

– At that time, the Blessed One mounted the vehicle of the precepts and donned the armor of vast vows. He possessed the powers of patience and used a great cloud as a pure parasol. Free from the fetters, he upheld freedom from desire and maintained right view. Through the Four Dhyanas, he was purified and liberated from craving and self-conceit. His right concentration and right speech were both purified, and his spiritual powers were adorned by discerning wisdom. By guarding his mind in single-pointed concentration, his liberation became steadfast. He was without lust, anger, or delusion, and used the factors of awakening and liberation as a radiant torch. All was complete; he was free from the three cravings and had crossed beyond every fetter. His power could not be destroyed. He reached the ocean of nirvana, where there are none of the calamities of the mundane world. With vajra wisdom and the activity of wisdom, he eradicated the evil destinies. Possessing the Ten Powers, liberation, and the Four Fearlessnesses, he subdued what he had formerly cultivated, and his practice was indestructible. Every kind of form and appearance was fully perfected; he destroyed the hosts of Mara and was without attachment.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– The various terrifying truths—

He subdued all the hosts of Mara.

Sentient beings possessed of perception

Rely upon the practice of this samadhi.

With a vajra mind of diligence,

And all other dust and defilements,

He completely severed every fetter;

Therefore, bow before the Muni.

At that time, why did the Blessed One cause the Dharma rain to fall?

– It was to turn the deathless Dharma wheel and praise this Dharma amid the eight assemblies. For a hundred kalpas, he had sought wholesome conduct in order to practice, attaining such a steadfast wheel of loving-kindness and such pure Dharma. With the steadfastness of the noble ones, he abided in renunciation and contemplation. Possessing great awe-inspiring spiritual power and being free from attachment, through the power of patience and wisdom he attained the steadfast gateways of liberation. Possessing such skillful means, he attained wondrous qualities in the east and west. He possessed abundant treasures and sat beneath a tree of surpassing beauty, while devas filled the sky. Seated there, he contemplated the eastern direction.

At that time, the Buddha was truly wondrous. In their midst there was such joy, and flowers were scattered in praise. As he contemplated, the assemblies of asuras heard of his virtue, as did the seers, who said:

– In the past, the Buddha fashioned a truly beautiful garland of lotus flowers and praised Dipankara Buddha and Vipasyin Buddha. Amid those great assemblies, his mind attained supreme mastery.

At that time, the Blessed One Sakyamuni, the Omniscient One, brought joy to the assemblies of devas. All of this was accomplished by the Buddha. He was like a wheel-turning sage-king who had mastery over his realm.

The Blessed One was likewise: within the undefiled Dharma, he had attained mastery, just as a wheel-turning sage-king has mastery over his realm. When sentient beings contended with one another, he was able to bring their disputes to an end. The Buddha, the Blessed One, was likewise: whenever any beings among the assembly of sravakas harbored doubts concerning the true Dharma, he enabled them to eliminate those doubts completely.

Just as a wheel-turning sage-king can distribute his precious treasures in generosity, the Buddha was likewise: to sentient beings who lacked the noble treasures, he bestowed the Seven Noble Treasures. Just as a wheel-turning sage-king guides sentient beings and shows them the true Dharma, the Blessed One was likewise: he showed sentient beings the path to nirvana. Just as, when a wheel-turning sage-king appears in the world, all sentient beings confined in prisons are released, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was likewise: when he appeared in the world, sentient beings imprisoned within birth and death were all liberated.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

– The Dharma King is foremost;

He has compassion for sentient beings.

Therefore, one should honor and revere him;

Such are his merits.

None is more precious than the Buddha;

The Buddha protects the three realms.

He delivers those not yet delivered

And awakens those not yet awakened.

At that time, what kind of city did the Blessed One possess?

– It was the wisdom of calm and insight of the four kinds of noble ones. With the ground of morality and concentration and the wholesome characteristics of unconditioned practice, he made wisdom the city walls, samadhi the means of driving away hostile armies, the gateways of liberation the city gates, and right view the crossroads and pathways. He made mindfulness the surrounding walls, equanimous tranquility of mind the moat, the Five Faculties the houses, and dhyana the living chambers. He made moral shame and dread of wrongdoing his own protection and the guides along the road. Through spiritual powers, he traveled without obstruction. He adorned himself with the flowers of the factors of awakening, made the true fruit his practice, and delighted in the foremost state of the noble ones. He dwelt in great peace and happiness, instructed sentient beings, and enabled them all to attain deliverance.

The Venerable Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, together with innumerable assemblies of those possessing wholesome perceptions, constantly traveled and taught. They were replete with goodness and had accomplished what was to be awakened to. They bathed in that pool and used morality as fragrant ointment for their bodies. They took the Three Samadhis—emptiness, wishlessness, and signlessness—as food, and the flavor of the Dharma as their evening drink. They were fully endowed with the seven treasures.

At that time, the Blessed One was surrounded by a great assembly of those still in training and those beyond training. He wished to enable them to reach nirvana and the state of fearlessness, to attain non-retrogression and freedom from desire, and to be fearless among sentient beings. They were fully endowed with the powers of the Dharma, had accomplished the skandhas and ayatanas, and were unattached to dust and defilement.

At that time, he spoke this verse:

He had brought all evils to an end;

The great seer established the precepts,

Causing sentient beings to become pure.

What the One Possessing the Ten Powers taught

Was his city wall for sentient beings.

Ever fearing birth, old age, and illness,

They do not reach the state of nirvana;

All this is due to the suffering of sentient beings.

SUTRAS COMPILED BY THE BHIKSU SANGHARAKSA

(End of the Middle Fascicle)