大方廣佛華嚴經

There is a supreme samadhi called Peace and Bliss,

Able universally to rescue all beings;

It emits great, inconceivable light,

Causing all who behold it to be subdued.

The light emitted is called Good Manifestation;

If anyone encounters this light,

They certainly gain benefit, never in vain,

And thereby attain unsurpassed wisdom.

Previously, before all Buddhas, the bodhisattva

Manifested the Dharma, the Sangha, and the right path,

And also manifested Buddha stupas and images;

Therefore this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Radiant Illumination,

Outshining all the brilliance of the devas;

All obscuring darkness is dispelled,

Universally benefiting sentient beings.

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to offer bright lamps to the Buddhas;

Through offering bright lamps to the Buddhas,

They become the Unsurpassed Lamp of the World.

They light lamps of oil and clarified butter,

And also every kind of brilliant torch,

And the finest fragrant jeweled candles;

By offering these to the Buddhas, this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Deliverance;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to arouse the mind of great vows

To liberate beings from the ocean of desire.

They can then cross the four currents

And reach the city of sorrowless liberation.

At roads that cross great rivers,

They build bridges, ferries, boats, and rafts;

They censure the conditioned and praise quiescence;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Extinguishing Craving;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to abandon the objects of the five desires

And contemplate the wondrous flavor of the Dharma of liberation.

If they can abandon the objects of the five desires

And contemplate the wondrous flavor of the Dharma of liberation,

They can use the ambrosia of the Buddha-Dharma

To extinguish the world's thirst of craving.

They give ponds, wells, and flowing springs,

Single-mindedly seeking the unsurpassed path of bodhi;

They censure the five desires and praise meditation;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Joy;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to cherish the Buddha's bodhi

And resolve to realize the path without a teacher.

They fashion images of the compassionate Tathagata,

Adorned with excellent marks and seated upon lotus thrones;

They constantly praise the most excellent virtues;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Loving Delight;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing their hearts to love and revere the Buddhas,

To love and revere the honored Dharma, and to love and revere the Sangha.

If their minds constantly love and revere the Buddhas,

Love and revere the Dharma, and love and revere the Sangha,

Then within the assemblies of the Tathagatas

They attain the profound, unsurpassed patience regarding dharmas.

They awaken immeasurable numbers of beings,

Causing them to recollect the Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,

And teaching them to arouse the mind of sovereign virtue;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Accumulation of Merit;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to practice abundant giving

And dedicate it to seeking the unsurpassed path.

They establish limitless great assemblies of giving,

Fully satisfying all who come to seek,

Never allowing their hearts to feel any lack;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Complete Wisdom;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them, within one dharma and in a single thought,

To understand immeasurable Dharma gates.

They analyze dharmas for sentient beings,

Even to the definitive comprehension of their true meaning;

They skillfully explain the meaning of the Dharma without omission;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Lamp of Wisdom;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to know that the nature of beings is empty and quiescent

And that all dharmas have never come into being.

They expound all dharmas as empty and without a master,

Like illusions, mirages, the moon in water,

Dreams, reflections, and images;

Thereby this light was attained.

He emits a light called Sovereignty in the Dharma;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to attain inexhaustible dharanis

That retain all the Dharmas of the Buddhas.

They respectfully make offerings to those who uphold the Dharma

And provide for and attend upon the noble sages;

They bestow the true Dharma upon sentient beings;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Able to Give;

This light awakens the stingy and covetous,

Causing them to know that wealth and possessions are impermanent,

And always to delight in giving with unattached minds.

Their hard-to-subdue stinginess is subdued;

They know that possessions are like dreams and floating clouds,

And increase their pure mind of generosity;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Dispelling Heat;

This light awakens those who violate the precepts,

Causing them to receive and uphold the pure precepts

And resolve to realize the path without a teacher.

They exhort beings to receive and uphold the precepts,

Purifying all ten wholesome paths of karma,

And cause them to direct their minds toward bodhi;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Adornment of Patience;

This light awakens those filled with anger,

Causing them to abandon anger and eliminate conceit,

And always to delight in gentleness and patient forbearance.

Though violent and evil beings are difficult to endure,

For the sake of bodhi their minds remain unmoved;

They always delight in the true Dharma and praise the virtue of patience;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Courageous Vigor;

This light awakens the indolent,

Causing them always to show the Three Jewels

Respect and make offerings without weariness.

If they always show the Three Jewels

Respect and make offerings without weariness,

They can transcend the dominion of the four maras

And swiftly attain unsurpassed bodhi.

They exhort and transform beings, causing them to be diligent,

Always zealously making offerings to the Three Jewels;

When the Dharma is about to perish, they devotedly protect it;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Quiescence;

This light awakens those whose minds are distracted,

Causing them to abandon greed, anger, and delusion;

Their minds become unwavering and attain right concentration.

They abandon all evil spiritual friends,

Meaningless discussions, and defiled practices;

They praise meditation and the practice of quiescence;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Adornment of Wisdom;

This light awakens the foolish and deluded,

Causing them to realize principle and understand dependent origination,

And to comprehend fully the six faculties and wisdom.

If they can realize principle and understand dependent origination,

And comprehend fully the six faculties and wisdom,

They attain the Dharma samadhi called Lamp of the Sun,

Their wisdom shines brightly, and they achieve Buddhahood.

They can relinquish external possessions and their own bodies;

For the path of bodhi, they seek the true Dharma,

And after hearing it, diligently teach it to beings;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Buddha-Wisdom;

This light awakens all sentient beings,

Causing them to see boundless, immeasurable Buddhas,

Each seated upon a jeweled lotus throne.

They praise the Buddhas' awesome virtue and liberation,

Extol the Buddhas' boundless sovereignty,

And reveal the Buddhas' powers and spiritual penetrations;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Fearlessness;

This light shines upon those who are afraid,

Those seized by ghosts and spirits, and those harmed by poisons,

Causing all such afflictions swiftly to disappear.

They can bestow fearlessness upon sentient beings;

Whenever they encounter those who cause harm, they restrain them,

And they relieve the solitary, destitute, and afflicted;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Peace and Security;

This light shines upon the sick,

Causing all their pain and suffering to cease

And enabling them to attain the bliss of right concentration.

They give excellent medicines to cure illnesses,

Wondrous jewels of longevity, and fragrant ointments for the body,

As well as clarified butter, oil, milk, and honey for food;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Seeing the Buddha;

This light awakens those approaching death,

Causing them, according to their recollection, to behold the Tathagata

And, when their lives end, to be born in a Buddha-land.

Seeing those near death, they exhort them to recollect the Buddha,

And point out Buddha images for them to contemplate,

Causing them to feel the deepest reverence for the Buddha;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Delight in the Dharma;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them always to cherish the true Dharma,

To listen attentively, expound it, and transcribe it.

When the Dharma is about to perish, they can expound it,

Fulfilling the wishes of those who seek the Dharma;

They cherish the true Dharma and diligently cultivate it;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Wondrous Sound;

This light awakens all bodhisattvas,

Causing people to hear all sounds throughout the three realms

As the voice of the Buddha.

With mighty voices they praise the Buddha,

Giving drums, bells, and other musical instruments,

So that the Buddha's voice may be heard throughout the world;

Thereby this light was attained.

He emits a light called Bestowing Ambrosia;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to abandon every heedless practice

And cultivate all virtues to perfection.

They teach that conditioned dharmas afford no security

And are filled throughout with immeasurable suffering;

They constantly delight in praising the bliss of quiescent cessation;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Supreme Excellence;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them universally to listen in the presence of Buddhas

To the exalted Dharma of morality, concentration, and wisdom.

They always delight in praising all Buddhas'

Supreme morality, supreme concentration, and supreme wisdom;

This is done to seek the unsurpassed path;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Jeweled Adornment;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing them to attain inexhaustible treasuries of jewels

With which to make offerings to the Tathagatas.

They offer every kind of supremely wondrous jewel

To the Buddhas and their stupas,

And also give them to the poor and needy;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Fragrant Adornment;

This light awakens all beings,

Causing those who hear the Dharma to rejoice,

Certain that they will accomplish the virtues of Buddhahood.

They anoint the ground with precious, excellent fragrances

As offerings to all the Supremely Honored Ones,

And use them when building stupas and Buddha images;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Variegated Adornment;

Jeweled banners, pennants, and canopies beyond measure,

Burning incense, scattered flowers, and music

Fill cities and towns, both within and without.

They offer those wondrous musical performances,

Together with exquisite incense, flowers, pennants, and canopies,

And all kinds of adornments to the Buddhas;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Majestic Purity,

Causing the whole surface of the earth to become level;

They adorn Buddha stupas and their precincts;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Great Cloud,

Able to raise clouds of fragrance and fragrant water;

The fragrant water sprinkles stupas and courtyards;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Adornments,

Causing those without clothing to obtain excellent garments;

They give fine ornaments for adorning the body;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Supreme Flavor,

Causing the hungry to obtain delicious food;

They give every kind of delectable nourishment;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Great Wealth,

Causing the destitute to obtain precious treasures;

They offer inexhaustible possessions to the Three Jewels;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of the Eye,

Able to cause the blind to see;

They offer lamps to the Buddhas and Buddha stupas;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of the Ear,

Able to cause the deaf to hear clearly;

They perform music as offerings to the Buddhas and Buddha stupas;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of the Nose,

Causing all to smell fragrances never smelled before;

They offer incense to the Buddhas and Buddha stupas;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of the Tongue,

Enabling them to praise the Buddha with excellent speech

And forever eliminating coarse and evil words;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of the Body,

Causing those deficient in the five faculties to become complete;

They bow bodily to the Buddhas and Buddha stupas;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of the Mind,

Causing the forgetful to attain right mindfulness;

They cultivate samadhi and attain sovereignty;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of Form,

Causing beings to behold the Buddha's inconceivable form;

They adorn stupas with wondrous forms and colors;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of Sound,

Causing beings to know that the nature of sound is originally empty and quiescent;

They contemplate sound as dependently arisen, like an echo;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of Fragrance,

Causing all foul and impure things to become fragrant and clean;

They wash stupas and bodhi trees with fragrant water;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of Flavor,

Able to eliminate every poison in food and drink;

They constantly make offerings to the Buddhas, the Sangha, and their parents;

Thereby this light was attained.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of Touch,

Able to make all roughness soft and gentle;

Knives, spears, swords, and halberds falling from above

Are all transformed into beautiful flower garlands.

Because formerly, along roads,

They spread fragrances, scattered flowers, and laid out garments,

Welcoming and escorting the Buddhas as they passed over them,

They now attain this light.

Again, he emits a light called Purity of Dharmas,

Able to cause every pore

To expound inconceivable wondrous Dharma;

All who hear this Dharma rejoice and understand.

What arises through causes and conditions is originally unborn;

The Buddha's Dharma-body is not a body;

The Dharma-nature eternally abides like empty space;

By teaching these meanings, this light was attained.

The gates of light described above

Are as limitless as the sands of the Ganges;

All issue from the pores of the Great Sage,

Each light having a distinct function.

Just as one pore emits lights

As innumerable as the sands of the Ganges,

So too do all the pores;

This is the power of the Great Sage's samadhi.

According to his former practices, he attained these lights;

According to beings' past affinities in cultivating together,

He now emits such lights;

This is the sovereign wisdom of the Great Sage.

Those who formerly shared freely in meritorious deeds,

Those who cherished them and rejoiced in them,

And those who rejoiced upon seeing others practice them,

Are all now seen within these lights.

If anyone personally cultivates meritorious deeds

And makes offerings to immeasurable Buddhas,

Constantly aspiring to the virtues of Buddhahood,

They are awakened by these lights.

As one born blind does not see the sun,

It is not that the sun fails to rise;

Those with clear eyes all see it distinctly

And each performs the work appropriate to their station.

The bodhisattva's light is also thus:

Those with wisdom behold it all,

But ordinary beings of wrong belief, foolish and deluded,

Cannot see this light.

Palaces and carriages of mani jewels,

Beautiful treasures, and fragrant, lustrous ointments—

Those possessing merit naturally have them all,

But those without merit cannot dwell there.

The bodhisattva's light is also thus:

It shines upon all those of profound wisdom,

But ordinary fools of wrong belief and shallow understanding

Cannot behold that light.

If anyone hears of the distinctions among these lights

And can give rise to deep and pure faith,

They forever sever all nets of doubt

And swiftly become an unsurpassed banner of virtue.

There is a supreme samadhi capable of manifesting

Sovereign retinues arrayed in adornments;

In all lands throughout the ten directions,

No assemblies of Buddha-children can equal them.

There is a wondrous lotus adorned with light,

As vast as a great trichiliocosm;

His body sits upright throughout the lotus;

This is the spiritual power of samadhi.

Again, there are beautiful lotuses surrounding it,

Numerous as the dust motes in ten lands;

Assemblies of Buddha-children sit upon those flowers,

Abiding in the awesome spiritual power of samadhi.

Having accomplished wholesome causes and conditions in past lives

And fully cultivated the virtues of Buddhahood,

These beings surround the bodhisattva,

Joining their palms and gazing without weariness.

As the moon amid the constellations,

So is the bodhisattva within the assembly;

Such are the bodhisattva's practices and Dharma

Upon entering the awesome spiritual power of samadhi.

As this manifestation occurs in one direction,

Surrounded by assemblies of Buddha-children,

So does it occur in every direction,

Through abiding in the awesome spiritual power of samadhi.

There is a supreme samadhi called Net of Directions;

Abiding in it, the bodhisattva reveals extensively,

Manifesting bodies throughout every direction,

Sometimes entering concentration, sometimes emerging from it.

He may enter right concentration in the east,

Then enter right concentration in the west,

And afterward emerge from concentration in the east.

Or he may enter right concentration in one direction,

Then emerge from it in another.

Thus entering and emerging throughout the ten directions—

This is called the bodhisattva's power of samadhi.

Throughout all lands to the farthest reaches of the east,

Before immeasurable Buddha-Tathagatas,

He manifests, drawing near to every Buddha,

And abides in unmoving, quiescent samadhi.

Yet in the worlds of the west,

Wherever all the Buddhas dwell,

He manifests emerging from samadhi

And prepares immeasurable offerings.

Throughout all lands to the farthest reaches of the west,

Before immeasurable Buddha-Tathagatas,

He manifests, drawing near to every Buddha,

And abides in unmoving, quiescent samadhi.

Yet in the worlds of the east,

Wherever all the Buddhas dwell,

He manifests emerging from samadhi

And prepares immeasurable offerings.

Thus, throughout the worlds of the ten directions,

The bodhisattva enters everywhere without omission,

Sometimes entering unmoving, quiescent samadhi,

Sometimes manifesting reverence and offerings to the Buddhas.

Within the eye faculty he enters right concentration,

And from the object of form he emerges from concentration,

Revealing the inconceivable nature of form,

Which no deva or human can comprehend.

Within the object of form he enters right concentration,

And from the eye emerges, his mind undisturbed;

He teaches that the eye is unborn and unarisen,

Its nature empty, quiescent, and without action.

Within the ear faculty he enters right concentration,

And from the object of sound he emerges from concentration,

Distinguishing every voice and language,

Which devas and humans cannot comprehend.

Within the object of sound he enters right concentration,

And from the ear emerges, his mind undisturbed;

He teaches that the ear is unborn and unarisen,

Its nature empty, quiescent, and without action.

Within the nose faculty he enters right concentration,

And from the object of fragrance he emerges from concentration,

Universally obtaining every supremely wondrous fragrance,

Which devas and humans cannot comprehend.

Within the object of fragrance he enters right concentration,

And from the nose emerges, his mind undisturbed;

He teaches that the nose is unborn and unarisen,

Its nature empty, quiescent, and without action.

Within the tongue faculty he enters right concentration,

And from the object of flavor he emerges from concentration,

Universally obtaining all supreme flavors,

Which devas and humans cannot comprehend.

Within the object of flavor he enters right concentration,

And from the tongue emerges, his mind undisturbed;

He teaches that the tongue is unborn and unarisen,

Its nature empty, quiescent, and without action.

Within the body faculty he enters right concentration,

And from the object of touch he emerges from concentration,

Skillfully distinguishing every kind of contact,

Which devas and humans cannot comprehend.

Within the object of touch he enters right concentration,

And from the body emerges, his mind undisturbed;

He teaches that the body is unborn and unarisen,

Its nature empty, quiescent, and without action.

Within the mind faculty he enters right concentration,

And from the object of dharmas he emerges from concentration,

Distinguishing all characteristics of dharmas,

Which devas and humans cannot comprehend.

Within the object of dharmas he enters right concentration,

And from the mind emerges, his mind undisturbed;

He teaches that the mind is unborn and unarisen,

Its nature empty, quiescent, and without action.

Within the body of a youth he enters right concentration,

And from the body of one in the prime of life he emerges;

Within the body of one in the prime of life he enters right concentration,

And from the body of an elder he emerges.

Within the body of an elder he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a virtuous woman he emerges.

Within the body of a virtuous woman he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a virtuous man he emerges.

Within the body of a virtuous man he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a bhiksuni he emerges;

Within the body of a bhiksuni he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a bhiksu he emerges.

Within the body of a bhiksu he enters right concentration,

And from the bodies of trainees and those beyond training he emerges;

Within the bodies of trainees and those beyond training he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a pratyekabuddha he emerges.

Within the body of a pratyekabuddha he enters right concentration,

And manifesting the body of a Tathagata, he emerges;

Within the body of a Tathagata he enters right concentration,

And from the bodies of devas he emerges.

Within the bodies of devas he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a great naga he emerges;

Within the body of a great naga he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a yaksa he emerges.

Within the body of a yaksa he enters right concentration,

And from the body of a ghost or spirit he emerges;

Within the body of a ghost or spirit he enters right concentration,

And from a single pore he emerges.

Within a single pore he enters right concentration,

And from all pores he emerges;

Within all pores he enters right concentration,

And from the tip of a single hair he emerges.

Within the tip of a single hair he enters right concentration,

And from a single mote of dust he emerges;

Within a single mote of dust he enters right concentration,

And from all motes of dust he emerges.

Within all motes of dust he enters right concentration,

And from the vajra ground he emerges;

Within the vajra ground he enters right concentration,

And from a mani tree he emerges.

Within a mani tree he enters right concentration,

And from the Buddha's light he emerges;

Within the Buddha's light he enters right concentration,

And from rivers and seas he emerges.

Within rivers and seas he enters right concentration,

And from a great fire he emerges;

Within a great fire he enters right concentration,

And from the wind he emerges, his mind undisturbed.

Within the great element of wind he enters right concentration,

And from the great element of earth he emerges;

Within the great element of earth he enters right concentration,

And from a heavenly palace he emerges.

Within a heavenly palace he enters right concentration,

And from empty space he emerges, his mind undisturbed.

This is called the stage of immeasurable virtues,

Whose sovereign samadhi is difficult to conceive.

Even if all Tathagatas of the ten directions

Spoke for immeasurable kalpas, they could not exhaust it;

Though all Tathagatas spoke together,

The karmic retribution of sentient beings is inconceivable.

The transformations of nagas, the Buddha's sovereignty,

And the spiritual powers of bodhisattvas are also inconceivable.

Though one wishes to reveal them through analogies,

Ultimately no analogy can adequately compare;

Yet those of penetrating wisdom

Understand the meaning by means of analogies.

Sravakas abiding in the eight liberations

Are sovereign in all their transformations:

They can manifest many bodies from one body

And merge many bodies again into one;

In empty space they enter the fire concentration,

And walk, stand, lie down, and sit in midair;

From the upper body they spout water and from below pour forth fire,

Or from the upper body pour forth fire and from below spout water.

All this occurs within a single thought,

Their gates of sovereignty being boundless and immeasurable.

Though sravakas lack great loving-kindness and compassion

And do not seek Buddhahood for the sake of sentient beings,

They can still manifest immeasurable spiritual powers;

How much more can the mighty Buddha-bodhisattvas!

As the sun and moon in empty space

Cast reflections throughout the ten directions,

Appearing in the waters of ponds, lakes, marshes, basins, and bowls,

As well as in rivers and great seas,

So too do the forms of bodhisattvas

Manifest inconceivably throughout the ten directions.

All this occurs through the sovereign power of samadhi;

Only the Tathagata can know it directly.

As clear water reflects the images of weapons,

Each distinct kind appearing without confusion—

Swords, halberds, bows, and arrows of many kinds,

Helmets, armor, and vehicles of every sort—

According to however many distinct forms there are,

The clear water distinctly reflects them all,

Yet the water itself makes no distinctions;

The bodhisattva's samadhi is also thus.

In the ocean is a deity named Good Voice,

Whose voice accords with every creature in the sea;

Every language is distinctly manifested,

Causing all beings to rejoice.

Though this sea deity possesses greed, anger, and delusion,

It can still skillfully understand every sound;

How much more can the sovereign power of complete retention

Cause all beings to rejoice!

There was a woman named Eloquence,

Born after her parents prayed to the devas;

Anyone who abandons evil and delights in truth

Gains wondrous eloquence upon entering her body.

Though that woman possesses desire, anger, and delusion,

She can still grant eloquence to those who follow her;

How much more can a bodhisattva replete with wisdom

Bestow benefit upon all beings!

As an illusionist skilled in magical arts

Can manifest many kinds of things,

And in an instant make days, months, and years appear,

Together with prosperous, peaceful, and joyful cities,

Though the magician possesses greed, anger, and delusion,

He can still conjure worldly delights;

How much more can the powers of meditation and liberation

Cause all beings to rejoice!

When the devas and asuras wage war,

The defeated asuras all flee;

Their weapons, vehicles, and armies

Disappear at once and cannot be found.

Though asuras possess greed, anger, and delusion,

They can still perform inconceivable transformations;

How much more immeasurable is the sovereign manifestation

Of those possessing spiritual powers and fearlessness!

Sakra, Lord of the Devas, has a king of elephants;

When it knows that the Heavenly Lord wishes to travel,

It transforms itself to have thirty-two heads,

Each complete with six white tusks.

Upon each tusk are seven ponds,

Each filled with fragrant, pure water;

Within each pond of fragrant, pure water

Are seven exceedingly beautiful lotuses.

Upon every beautiful lotus

Are seven celestial maidens

Skilled in playing strings, singing, and performing music,

Who delight together with the Heavenly Lord.

At other times the elephant abandons its original form

And transforms its body to resemble a deva,

Its deportment in walking and standing like that of a true deva;

Such is its power of spiritual transformation.

Though the elephant king possesses greed, anger, and delusion,

It can still manifest such spiritual powers;

How much more can one replete with wisdom and skillful means

Attain sovereignty within samadhi!

As an asura transforms its bodily form,

Its feet standing upon the vajra floor at the ocean's bottom,

The deepest sea reaching only halfway up its body,

While its head rises level with Mount Sumeru's summit;

Though the asura possesses greed, anger, and delusion,

It can still manifest such vast spiritual powers;

How much more can the Lamp Illuminating the World, who subdues Mara,

Exercise sovereign awesome spiritual power!

When the devas and asuras wage war,

The spiritual power of the Heavenly Lord is inconceivable;

According to the number of those who come to battle,

He manifests an equal number of bodies to fight them.

Each asura thinks:

“Sakra, Lord of the Devas, has come to fight me;

He will certainly seize me and bind my hands and feet.”

Thus they all become anxious.

Sakra manifests a body with a thousand eyes,

Holding a vajra in his hand that pours forth flames;

Clad in armor and bearing a staff, he is awesome and majestic,

And the asuras flee in fear when they behold him.

Through only a small measure of merit,

The Heavenly Lord can still vanquish mighty enemies;

How much more sovereign is one of great compassion who rescues all,

Replete with every virtue!

In the Trayastrimsa Heaven there is a celestial drum,

Produced by the karmic retribution of the devas.

When it knows that the devas delight in heedlessness,

This voice naturally resounds through the sky:

“All five desires are impermanent,

Like bubbles upon water, false in nature;

The realms are like dreams and mirages,

Like the moon in water and floating clouds.

“Heedlessness is an enemy and a torment;

It is the path of birth and death, devoid of coolness.

Whoever becomes intoxicated by heedlessness

Falls into the great fish's mouth of samsara.

“All roots of suffering in the world

Are dreaded and rejected by every noble one.

The five desires destroy all virtues;

You should delight in the true Dharma.”

Hearing the drum, the devas of the Thirty-three

Lead one another to the Hall of Excellent Dharma;

There the Heavenly Lord expounds wondrous Dharma to them,

Causing all to accord with the path and eliminate craving.

Though the drum's sound is formless and invisible,

It can still benefit the assemblies of devas;

How much more can the Greatly Compassionate One, manifesting a form-body,

Deliver all sentient beings!

When the devas and asuras wage war,

Through the superior power of the devas' merit,

The celestial drum resounds and tells the devas:

“You should not be afraid!”

When the devas hear the sound of this drum,

All their fear vanishes and their power increases;

At that time the asuras become terrified,

And all their troops and generals retreat in flight.

The wondrous ambrosial concentration is like the celestial drum:

It constantly sounds the voice that subdues Mara and brings quiescence;

With great compassion it pities and rescues all,

Causing sentient beings everywhere to end their afflictions.

The Heavenly Lord responds universally to the celestial maidens

With ninety-two nayutas of bodies,

Causing every celestial maiden to think,

“The Heavenly King delights with me alone.”

As he responds universally to the celestial maidens,

So too does he within the Hall of Excellent Dharma;

In a single thought he can manifest spiritual powers,

Appearing before them all to expound the Dharma.

Though the Heavenly Lord possesses greed, anger, and delusion,

He can still cause all his retinue to rejoice;

How much more can one possessing great spiritual powers and skillful means

Cause all beings to rejoice!

The Great Heavenly King Paranirmitavasavartin

Exercises sovereignty within the desire realm;

Using afflictions, karma, and suffering as a net and cage,

He binds all ordinary beings.

Though that Heavenly King possesses greed, anger, and delusion,

He can still exercise sovereignty over sentient beings;

How much more can one complete in the ten powers of wisdom

Cause all beings to practice together!

The Great Brahma King of a great trichiliocosm

Can manifest a body seated before

All the dwelling places of the Brahma devas,

Proclaiming everywhere the wondrous Brahma voice.

Though that Great Brahma King remains within the world,

His meditation and spiritual powers are still at will;

How much more can the unsurpassed world-transcending one

Exercise sovereignty in meditation and liberation!

Mahesvara possesses sovereign knowledge;

When the great ocean's naga king sends rain,

He can distinguish and count every drop,

Clearly knowing them within a single thought.

How could one who diligently trained for immeasurable kalpas

And attained the wisdom of unsurpassed bodhi

Fail, within a single thought,

To know universally the minds of all sentient beings!

The karmic retribution of sentient beings is inconceivable:

Through the power of great winds, worlds arise,

With vast oceans, great mountains, celestial palaces,

Precious things, lights, and myriad kinds of phenomena.

The wind can also raise clouds and great rain,

And can disperse masses of clouds;

It can ripen the five kinds of grain

And bring peace and happiness to sentient beings.

The great wind has not studied the paramitas,

Nor has it studied the Buddhas' virtues,

Yet it can accomplish inconceivable deeds;

How much more can one replete with all practices and vows!

The various voices of men and women,

The sounds of all birds and beasts,

The roar of oceans, the flowing of rivers, and the crash of thunder

Can all accord beautifully with the minds of sentient beings.

How much more can one who knows that the nature of sound is like an echo,

And who has attained wondrous, unobstructed eloquence,

Universally respond to sentient beings by expounding the Dharma

And thereby cause them all to rejoice!

The ocean possesses a rare and extraordinary quality:

It equally receives the impressions of all phenomena;

Treasures, worldly things, and myriad streams

Are all contained within it without opposition.

The stage of inexhaustible meditation and liberation

Is likewise an equal seal;

Merit, wisdom, and every wondrous practice

Are cultivated universally, without weariness or satisfaction.

When the great ocean's Naga King disports himself,

He exercises sovereignty in every place;

He raises clouds that cover all four continents,

Those clouds adorned with various colors.

Over the sixth heaven, Paranirmitavasavartin,

The clouds are the color of pure gold;

Over the Nirmanarati Heaven, they are the color of red pearls;

Over the Tusita Heaven, the color of frost and snow;

Over the Yama Heaven, the color of vaidurya;

Over the Trayastrimsa Heaven, the color of agate;

Over the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the color of crystal;

Over the surface of the great ocean, the color of vajra;

In the realm of the kimnaras, the color of wondrous fragrance;

In the dwelling places of the nagas, the color of lotuses;

In the dwelling places of the yaksas, the color of white geese;

Among the asuras, the color of mountain rock;

Over Uttarakuru, the color of flaming gold;

Over Jambudvipa, the color of blue jewels;

Over the other two continents, adorned with mixed colors—

They respond according to the preferences of the beings there.

Furthermore, over the Paranirmitavasavartin Heaven,

The lightning in the clouds shines like sunlight;

Over the Nirmanarati Heaven, like moonlight;

Over the Tusita Heaven, like Jambu River gold;

Over the Yama Heaven, the color of snowy shells;

Over the Trayastrimsa Heaven, it shines like golden fire;

Over the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the color of various jewels;

Over the great ocean, the color of red pearls;

In the realm of the kimnaras, the color of vaidurya;

Where the Naga Kings dwell, the color of jeweled treasuries;

Where the yaksas dwell, the color of crystal;

Among the asuras, the color of agate;

Over Uttarakuru, the color of fire-jewels;

Over Jambudvipa, the color of indranila;

Over the other two continents, adorned with mixed colors—

The lightning is colored just as the clouds are.

Over Paranirmitavasavartin, thunder sounds like the Brahma voice;

Over the Nirmanarati Heaven, like a great drum;

Over the Tusita Heaven, like a proclamation of the true Dharma;

Over the Yama Heaven, like the voices of celestial maidens;

Over the Heaven of the Thirty-three,

Like the voices of kimnaras;

Over the realm of the world-protecting Four Heavenly Kings,

Like the voices of gandharvas;

Over the ocean, like two mountains colliding;

Among the kimnaras, like flutes and pipes;

Within the city of the Naga Kings, like the kalavinka bird;

Where the yaksas dwell, like the voices of naga maidens;

Among the asuras, like a celestial drum;

Among humankind, like the ocean tide.

Over the Paranirmitavasavartin Heaven rains wondrous fragrance,

Adorned with every kind of variegated flower;

Over the Nirmanarati Heaven rain tala flowers,

Mandarava flowers, and showers of fragrance;

Over the Tusita Heaven rain mani jewels,

Complete with every jeweled adornment,

Hair jewels shining like moonlight,

And supreme garments the color of pure gold;

Over the Yama Heaven rain banners, pennants, and canopies,

Flower garlands, fragrant ointments, and ornaments,

Supreme garments the color of red pearls,

And all kinds of excellent musical instruments;

Over the Trayastrimsa Heaven rain wish-fulfilling jewels,

Hard black aloeswood, agarwood, and sandalwood,

Turmeric, kela, tama, and other fragrances,

With beautiful flowers and fragrant water showering together.

Within the City of the Wisdom King rain delicious foods,

Complete in color, fragrance, and flavor, increasing strength;

There also rain immeasurable wondrous treasures—

All of these are produced by the Naga King.

Furthermore, within the great ocean,

Rain pours unceasingly like the axle of a cart;

There also rain inexhaustible treasuries of great jewels

And every kind of ornament.

In the land of the kimnaras rain necklaces,

Lotus-colored garments and jewels,

Mallika and varsika fragrances,

And every kind of musical instrument in abundance.

Within the cities of the nagas rain red pearls;

Within the cities of the yaksas rain radiant mani jewels;

Among the asuras rain knives and clubs

That subdue and eliminate all enemies.

Over Uttarakuru rain necklaces

And immeasurable supreme flowers;

Over Purvavideha and Aparagodaniya, the other two continents,

Rain every kind of ornament.

Over Jambudvipa rains pure water,

Moistening every place always at the proper time,

Nourishing flowering and fruiting trees and medicinal herbs,

And ripening all crops and seedlings.

Thus the immeasurable wondrous adornments,

The various clouds, lightning, thunder, and rain,

Are all produced freely by the Naga King,

Yet his body neither moves nor discriminates.

Though the Naga King dwells within the worldly ocean,

He can still manifest such inconceivable power;

How much more can one who has entered the ocean of Dharma and virtue

Manifest great spiritual transformations!

No analogy can equal

The liberation gates of the bodhisattvas.

I now provisionally employ these analogies

To explain briefly the bodhisattvas' sovereign power.

Foremost wisdom, vast wisdom,

True wisdom, boundless wisdom,

Supreme wisdom, and supremely excellent wisdom—

Such Dharma gates have now been taught.

This Dharma is rare and most extraordinary;

If anyone, having heard it, can receive it,

Can believe, accept, praise, and proclaim it,

Such a deed is exceedingly difficult.

Among all ordinary beings in the world,

It is exceedingly difficult to find one who believes this Dharma;

Only one who diligently cultivates sovereign, pure merit

And possesses wholesome causes from the past can believe it.

Among the beings in all worlds,

Few wish to seek the Sravaka Vehicle;

Those who seek the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle are even fewer;

Those who turn toward the Great Vehicle are exceedingly hard to find.

Turning toward the Great Vehicle is still relatively easy;

Believing this Dharma is more difficult still.

How much more so is upholding and reciting it, teaching it to others,

Practicing in accordance with the Dharma, and understanding its truth!

Suppose someone were to bear a great trichiliocosm

Upon their head for a kalpa without moving their body;

What that person did would not yet be difficult—

It is believing this Dharma that is truly difficult.

Suppose someone held ten lands in their hands

And stood in midair for a full ten kalpas;

What that person did would not yet be difficult—

It is believing this Dharma that is truly difficult.

Suppose one gave to assemblies numerous as the dust motes in ten lands

Whatever they desired for an entire kalpa;

That person's merit would not yet be supreme—

The one who believes this Dharma is truly supreme.

Suppose one reverently served and made offerings for an entire kalpa

To Buddhas numerous as the dust motes in ten lands;

If another can recite and uphold this chapter of scripture,

The latter's merit is more supreme than the former's.

When the bodhisattva Chief in Goodness had finished speaking these verses, the worlds of the ten directions quaked in six ways, the palaces of Mara vanished, and the evil destinies ceased. All the Buddhas of the ten directions appeared before him, together extended their right hands to stroke the crown of his head, and praised him with one voice: “Excellent! You have skillfully taught this Dharma. All those who diligently advance rejoice in accord.”