Toh 8The Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

Summary

The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand
Lines is the longest of all the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras and fills no
fewer than twelve volumes of the Degé Kangyur. Like the other two long sūtras,
it is a detailed record of the teaching on the perfection of wisdom that the
Buddha Śākyamuni gave on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha, setting out all aspects of
the path to enlightenment that bodhisattvas must know and put into practice, yet
without taking them as having even the slightest true existence. Each point is
emphasized by the exhaustive way that, in this version of the teaching, the
Buddha repeats each of his many profound statements for every one of the items
in the sets of dharmas that comprise deluded experience, the path, and the
qualities of enlightenment.

The provisional version published here currently contains the
first twenty-eight of the seventy-two chapters of the sūtra, and represents
a little under eight of the twelve volumes. Subsequent batches of chapters will be
added as their translation and editing is completed.

Acknowledgements

The text was translated by Gareth Sparham, partly based on the
translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five
Thousand Lines by the late Gyurme Dorje and the Padmakara
Translation Group. Geshe Lobsang Gyaltsen, 80th Abbot of Drepung Gomang
monastery, and Geshe Kalsang Damdul, former Director of the Institute of
Buddhist Dialectics, kindly provided learned advice.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich and John Canti edited
the translation, John Canti wrote the provisional introduction, and Ven. Konchog
Norbu copyedited the text. Celso Wilkinson, André Rodrigues, and Sameer Dhingra
were in charge of the digital publication process.

The translation of this text has been made possible through the
generous sponsorship of those who offered leadership gifts to inaugurate our
campaign, The Perfection of Wisdom for All. In chronological order of
contributions received, these include:

Yan Xiu, Yan Li, Li Yifeng, and Wang Issa; Thirty, Twenty, Jamyang
Sun, and Manju Sun; Anonymous; Ye Kong and family, Chen Hua, and Yizhen Kong;
Wang Jing and family; Joseph Tse, Patricia Tse, and family; Zhou Tianyu, Chen
Yiqin, Zhou Xun, Zhuo Yue, Chen Kun, Sheng Ye, and family, Zhao Xuan, Huang
Feng, Lei Xia, Kamay Kan, Huang Xuan, Liu Xin Qi, Le Fei, Li Cui Zhi, Wang Shu
Chang, Li Su Fang, Feng Bo Wen, Wang Zi Wen, Ye Wei Wei, Guo Wan Huai, and Zhang
Nan; Ang Wei Khai and Ang Chui Jin; Jube, Sharma, Leo, Tong, Mike, Ming,
Caiping, Lekka, Shanti, Nian Zu, Zi Yi, Dorje, Guang Zu, Kunga, and Zi Chao;
Anonymous, Anonymous; An Zhang, Hannah Zhang, Lucas Zhang, and Aiden Zhang;
Jinglan Chi and family; Anonymous; Dakki; Kelvin Lee and Doris Lim.

We also acknowledge and express our deep gratitude to the 6,145 donors
who supported the translation and publication of this text through contributions
made throughout the campaign period.

Introduction

Overview

The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred
Thousand Lines is the longest of the three so-called “long”
Perfection of Wisdom, or Prajñāpāramitā, sūtras. Indeed, not only is it the
very longest of all Buddhist texts, but it is among the longest single works
of literature in any language or culture. In the Degé Kangyur it fills
twelve volumes, and comprises fourteen percent of the whole collection by
number of pages.

With an evident similarity in structure, order, and content to the
other two long Prajñāpāramitā sūtras (in twenty-five thousand and eighteen
thousand lines), it is a detailed record—in fact the most detailed extant
record—of what is traditionally said to have been a single teaching on the perfection of wisdom that the Buddha Śākyamuni
gave on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha, setting out all aspects of the path to
enlightenment that bodhisattvas must know and put into practice, yet without
taking them as having even the slightest true existence.

Traditional histories include all six “mother” versions of the
Prajñāpāramitā sūtras among the complete
records of this single episode of teaching, and some even enumerate still
longer versions not propagated in the human realm, such as a sūtra for the
gods in ten million lines, and one for the gandharvas in one billion lines.
Indeed, the present sūtra in one hundred thousand lines is itself said to
have been retrieved from the nāga realm by Nāgārjuna.

The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred
Thousand Lines therefore has a unique status among scriptures in
the Tibetan canon. Its vast length, and its many extended sequences of
repeated formulations modulated by changes to a single term alone, make it
difficult to study as a doctrinal textbook, but it is revered as the fullest
possible expression of the Buddha’s definitive teachings on the nature of
phenomena, the path, and the awakened state. To read it, recite it aloud, or
even to be in the physical presence of its volumes is seen as having a
powerful force and blessing.

Yet its importance is more than just symbolic. Although the
shorter forms of the Perfection of Wisdom teachings are—relatively, at
least—easier to study, The Perfection of Wisdom in One
Hundred Thousand Lines remains the scripture that most fully
embodies the Buddha’s pronouncements on this all-important theme, and the
uncompromising detail of its statements makes their meaning unmistakably
clear.

The sūtra exists in the three principal languages of Mahāyāna
Buddhism, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan, with the Sanskrit and Tibetan
texts being most closely aligned. The Tibetan translation was made in
several successive stages in the early, imperial translation period of the
late eighth and early ninth century, and traditional histories document in
some detail the translators, manuscripts, sponsors, and locations of the
early translations.

It is analyzed and explained by Indian scholars in a number of
commentaries that were also translated into Tibetan, and by a small number
of indigenous Tibetan commentarial works. Little specific, detailed attention has been paid to it by Western authors,
and until now it has not been translated in full into English or any other
Western language.

This provisional introduction, which will be updated progressively
over the next months and years as further sections of the translation are
added, focuses mostly on the history, source texts, and features of The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand
Lines in particular. Readers will find more information and
references regarding the Prajñāpāramitā literature in general, its different
texts, the long sūtras as a group sharing essentially the same structure and
content, their history and evolution, and the protagonists and their
doctrinal statements, in the introductions to
The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand
Lines and The Perfection of Wisdom in
Eighteen Thousand Lines, as well as in the description of the
Degé Kangyur’s Perfection of Wisdom section.

History and Sources

History of the Long Perfection of Wisdom

Sūtras

From a historical perspective, a group of “long Prajñāpāramitā
sūtras,” including texts that exist variably in Sanskrit, Chinese, and
Tibetan, appears to have been one distinctive genre that took form from
the early Prakrit literature on the perfection of wisdom that first
appeared in writing in the first centuries bce and ce. Modern scholars have
disagreed about which of the geographically dispersed Buddhist
communities of the time may have first given rise to this literature,
some favoring its origin among the
Mahāsāṅghikas of Andhra in the south of India, while others point to
evidence of its early flourishing in the northwest regions such as
Gandhāra. Whichever may be the case, a birch-bark scroll from the
northwest, in the Gāndhārī language, written in Kharoṣṭhī script, and
found in Bajaur (a district of present-day Pakistan near the Afghan
border), has been radiocarbon-dated to the first century ᴄᴇ and is
currently the oldest known Prajñāpāramitā manuscript. It is
fragmentary and cannot be matched to any extant recension of the
complete sūtras, or identified as belonging to the “long sūtra” group.
If anything, it may be most closely related to The
Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, and thus
supports the hypothesis that another group of sūtras similar to the
Eight Thousand may be older in form
than both the longer sūtras and the shorter ones, which evolved from
texts of the Eight Thousand subfamily via
processes respectively of expansion and contraction.

The earliest surviving manuscript that can be identified as a
“long” (Mahāprajñāpāramitā) version is
another birch-bark scroll, this one found along with a large number of
other texts in Gilgit in 1931. It is in Sanskrit and can be dated by
details of its script to the sixth or seventh century ᴄᴇ. Although it was thought at first by Edward
Conze to be a hybrid
consisting of parts of The Perfection of Wisdom in
Twenty-Five Thousand Lines and parts of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines, it is
now taken as one among the many coexisting versions of the “long” sūtra
series. As the most complete of the Gilgit
Prajñāpāramitā manuscripts, it is a very important source; the others
are incomplete fragments. Another, similar Sanskrit manuscript of a
generic “long” version was found in Dunhuang.

It is important to bear in mind that the naming of the
different versions by the number of lines they contain is likely to have been a
later development, applied as a means of classifying the profusion of
circulating texts of different lengths. It was already in use by the
time these texts were first translated into Tibetan in the late eighth
and early ninth centuries, but it is not a feature of the oldest Chinese
translations. The earliest evidence of this nomenclature appears to be
in the Chinese literature, in the record of a lecture by the
sixth-century translator Bodhiruci, and its widespread adoption in the centuries
that followed may have served to limit further profusion and even reduce
the variety of different texts by fixing their number. Those texts in
different languages that can be seen as belonging to the “long” sūtra
group (as distinct from the mid-length Perfection
of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines and the many short
versions of the sūtra, each of which followed their own evolutionary
path), differentiated as they are by greater or lesser degrees of
expansion of the lists of dharmas, show complex patterns of textual
proximity that do not necessarily follow the numerical denominations
that were retrospectively applied to them. Indeed, these numerical
titles may obscure rather than clarify the recensional affinities.

Source Texts of The

Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

With that important reservation, there are three recensions
within the overall group of “long” Perfection of Wisdom sūtras that can
nevertheless justifiably be labeled The Perfection
of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines:

– a seventh-century Chinese translation;

– the present late eighth- or early ninth-century

Tibetan translation; and

– the version preserved in Sanskrit in the form of

several Nepalese manuscripts, none of which are more than a few
centuries old.

The Tibetan and Sanskrit recensions are quite similar to each
other, while the Chinese differs from both in a number of respects.

Chinese

The Chinese translation was made by Xuanzang in the
mid-seventh century from the massive collection of material he had
brought from his travels in India. It takes the form of the first of
the sixteen sections or “assemblies” that represent historically
independent texts and make up the voluminous compilation of
perfection of wisdom works he translated as The
Large Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra (Taishō 220).

Just how the extant Sanskrit and Tibetan versions differ
compared to this single comparable Chinese translation has not been
fully documented, but the differences are not to be ignored. The
Sanskrit original from which Xuanzang translated this section is
said to have been 132,600 ślokas in length, and thus possibly even longer than
the Sanskrit texts that were translated into Tibetan and have also
survived in the Nepalese tradition. Moreover, the sections of
Xuanzang’s compilation, despite being explicitly differentiated, are
presented together as in some sense comprising a single work, and it
is thought that this arrangement was not Xuanzang’s own invention
but may have been a feature of his Sanskrit source texts.

Nevertheless, it is practical, and a close approximation,
to consider the first section as identifiable with the texts known
in Sanskrit and Tibetan as The Perfection of
Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.

The second and third sections of Xuanzang’s Chinese
translation correspond in similar respects to the Twenty-Five Thousand Line and Eighteen Thousand Line sūtras as found in
both Sanskrit and Tibetan (for the Twenty-Five
Thousand Line) and in Tibetan alone (for the Eighteen Thousand Line). It is also
significant that the first and second sections, despite their
differences in the degree of compression, are strikingly similar to
each other in language, content, and order, but less closely related
to the third. The same pattern of similarities and differences
exists between the Hundred Thousand,
Twenty-Five Thousand, and Eighteen Thousand Line sūtras in Tibetan
and (for the first two) Sanskrit.

A final point to be made concerning the Chinese
translation is that the relatively late appearance in China of this
equivalent of the Hundred Thousand, the
longest of the long sūtras, almost five centuries after the first
translation of the equivalent of the Eight
Thousand and four centuries after the first appearance
of the equivalent of the Twenty-Five
Thousand, provides supporting evidence for the notion
that—for the long sūtras—a process of expansion from shorter to
longer versions, rather than contraction from longer to shorter, may
provide the better account of their evolution.

Sanskrit

Early Gāndhārī and Sanskrit manuscripts of generic
Prajñāpāramitā sūtras are mentioned above (

1.9–10). Specifically of
this Hundred Thousand Line version of
the long sūtras, however, no Sanskrit manuscript has survived that
can be dated as early as the Chinese and Tibetan translations. But
there are Nepalese Sanskrit manuscripts of more recent date that,
from their content, must be closely related to the Sanskrit original
from which the Tibetan translation was made. Some of them may even
be copied descendants of a Sanskrit manuscript in the temple of
Phamthing that Tibetan histories say was consulted by Ngok Loden
Sherab in the eleventh century to correct the earlier Tibetan
translation (see below).

Nepalese manuscripts of varying dates are presently to be
found not only in Nepal but also in Kolkata, Cambridge, New Delhi,
Paris, and Tokyo. A critical edition of the first twelve chapters
was published in three installments by Ghoṣa between 1902 and 1914,
and more recently has been extended by Kimura in four further
volumes, published between 2009 and 2014.

The Sanskrit manuscripts of the Hundred Thousand and Twenty-Five
Thousand resemble each other closely in terms of
language, terminology, content, and order, as is the case with their
Tibetan translations, and like them differ mainly in the degree of
expansion of the different groups of dharmas. The Sanskrit of the
Hundred Thousand matches the
Tibetan translation in content closely.

Tibetan

For anyone interested in how the early Tibetan
translations of canonical works in general were carried out, it is a
disappointing fact that much of the detailed information about the
process was either not recorded or has been lost. However, in the
case of The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred
Thousand Lines—thanks to the unique status of this
monumental scripture—traditional historical accounts include far more detail of the successive
versions that led to the Tibetan translation preserved in the
Kangyurs we have today than is the case for any other work.

A succession of Tibetan translations were made from
Sanskrit in the late eighth and early ninth centuries. There are
specific terms for these imperial-period manuscript versions of the
Hundred Thousand: Labum (bla ’bum) and Lagyur (bla
’gyur), meaning, respectively, a Hundred Thousand (Tibetan ’bum), or a translation (’gyur), that is
commissioned or owned by one who is “foremost” or “paramount”
(bla), i.e. the
emperor.

As a terse summary in his list of canonical translations,
Butön’s fourteenth-century History of the
Dharma states that “it is well known that there were six
versions attributed to the translators Nyang Khampa Gocha, Vairotsana, Che Khyidruk, Zhang Yeshe Dé, and
others.” Other accounts mention only four versions, while
being in broad agreement on the rough outline of how the Tibetan
translations evolved over time.

Much fuller details than Butön sets out are provided by
other histories, including a historical survey that opens the
commentary on this text by the great prajñāpāramitā commentator
Rongtönpa (rong ston shes bya kun
rig, 1367–1449); the lineage
records of Minling Terchen Gyurmé Dorjé (smin gling gter chen ’gyur med rdo rje, 1646–1714); a
survey of the prajñāpāramitā literature in a commentary to the
Heart Sūtra by Alaksha Tendar
(a lag sha bstan dar,
1758–1839); and an account in the encyclopedic Treasury of Knowledge by Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé (kong sprul blo gros mtha’ yas,
1813–99). The catalog of
the Degé Kangyur, and particularly the historical
section of the detailed Narthang Kangyur catalog, written by the
fifth Olkha Lelung Jedrung, Lobsang Trinlé (’ol kha / dga’ sle lung blo bzang ’phrin
las, 1697–1740), are also very informative.
Rongtönpa’s work is the earliest of these histories and most of the
others may have drawn from it, or perhaps from other even earlier
accounts. The information to be
gleaned from these different works is not always consistent, and
sometimes conflicting. Here is a tentative synopsis:

– The earliest translation was one made by Khampa

Gocha, who had been sent with offerings of gold to India by
King Tri Songdetsen to bring back
the sūtra; his four-part translation
was called The Translation from
Memory (thugs
’gyur) because Khampa Gocha had memorized the
text while in India—some accounts
say he had attained the dhāraṇī of perfect recall—and only
wrote the Tibetan translation when he was back in Tibet. The
king, as an offering of merit to the queen who had died, had
a copy of that translation written in ink made from his own
blood,
using goat’s milk as a binder; this version was therefore
called The Red Manuscript
(reg zig dmar po) or
The Red Goat Manuscript
(ra gzigs dmar po) and
also had four parts. In later times it was taken to Lhasa
and is said to have been housed in the brick caitya near the
Trulnang temple. It is not clear whether the above names and
descriptions refer to a single manuscript or to two
different ones of the same translation, but in any case this
version, abridged and condensed as it is into four volumes,
is also called The Short Imperial
Translation (bla ’gyur
chung ngu).

– Since the king did not have full confidence in

– Later, Pagor Vairotsana, at the instigation of

Mutik Tsenpo (also known as Senalek), compared the Sanskrit
text with the translation in The Iron
Fasteners, revised it, and filled out the
abridgements of the earlier version by adding the missing
repetitions and lengthening some lines. He wrote out a new
six-volume manuscript, which was called The Medium-Length Imperial Translation (bla ’gyur ’bring po).
According to Rongtönpa, it was also known as The Snowy One Promised by the King
(rgyal po’i thugs dam par kha
ba can), from the name of (or on) the binding
boards, and both Rongtönpa and the Narthang catalog add,
too, that it was called The
Bats (pha wang
can) because there was a bats’ nest near the
place in Samyé where it was kept. Kongtrul says that it was
still in Samyé Chimphu in his time (i.e., the mid-nineteenth
century). Other authors, including Situ Panchen in the Degé
catalog and Kongtrul, say that this is the version called
The Deerskin Case Hundred
Thousand (’bum sha sgro
can), and the Narthang catalog explains in some
detail how all the fascicles came to be stored as scrolls in
a deerskin. However, the Narthang catalog says that the same
name was also applied, for similar reasons, to the next
revision; this may explain the apparent inconsistencies
between authors in regard to this particular moniker.

– Later still, in the reign of Mutik Tsenpo’s

son Tri Ralpachan, in the period when a number of Indian
scholars were working with Tibetan translators in Tibet on
the translation and revision of many texts and the great
language revision edicts were drawn up, Surendrabodhi, Kawa
Paltsek, Chokro Lui Gyaltsen, and others made an extensive
revision of the translation in six parts (according to
Rongtönpa) or sixteen (according to the Narthang catalog,
Tendar, and Kongtrul), which was called The Long Imperial Translation (bla ’gyur chen mo). Rongtönpa
calls this version The Deerskin Case
Hundred Thousand (’bum
sha sgro can) rather than the preceding one but,
as mentioned above, the Narthang catalog explains how both
versions were kept in deerskin wrappers and the name can
therefore refer to either one or the other.

– At a point in this sequence that remains to be

determined and is not mentioned in any of these accounts,
but lies probably in the late eighth or early ninth century
period, as many as eight copies of the whole text were made
by scribes in Dunhuang. They were probably commissioned by
or on the behalf of one of the kings (probably Tri
Ralpachen). Pages from these copies, as well as rejected
pages subsequently used for writing practice, make up a
large proportion (along with manuscripts of The Aparimitāyurjnāna Sūtra
) of
the manuscripts found in Dunhuang.

– The Narthang catalog then summarizes the six

early manuscripts, and gives them yet more monikers:

– At this point in the story there seems to have

been a proliferation of further Hundred
Thousands produced as copies of one or another
of these six, perhaps resulting from a royal prerogative on
sponsoring them coming to an end. Rongtönpa provides a
detailed list of seventeen named Hundred Thousands and the places they were
kept, including the
earliest ones he had already described, culminating in one
made by Chang Dorje Tsultrim (lcang or cang rdo
rje tshul khrims) of Ru Tsam (ru ’tshams), who produced
the seventeenth from a detailed comparison of the other
sixteen. Rongtönpa goes on to classify the seventeen into
groups according to the short, medium-length, or long
Labum from which
they were copied. The Narthang catalog has less
detail but correspondingly mentions nineteen Hundred Thousands, including those
of the subsequent period that could be produced not just by
the kings but by subjects. It also points to the importance
of the same significant figure, Chang Dorje Tsultrim, who
soon afterward compared all nineteen and made a “highly
corrected version.” Proliferating from that version, the
catalog says, about sixty copies were made, and indeed
Rongtönpa proceeds to list a large number of these and their
locations to a total of sixty-five.

– In the later translation period, in the late

eleventh century, Ngok Lotsāwa, according to the Degé
catalog and others, having consulted the Indian manuscripts
to be found in Tibet and the Iron
Fasteners translation, revised and corrected the
above-mentioned Long Imperial
Translation by comparing it against a Sanskrit
manuscript in the Phamthing temple in Pharphing, Nepal.
These catalog accounts also
mention that the corrections included the addition of the
names of three meditative absorptions that had been missing
in earlier versions. It is Ngok’s revised
translation that, according to most Kangyur catalogs, is
preserved in the Kangyur. However, although Rongtönpa places
Ngok’s version in fifth and last place among the most
significant, major translations, it is difficult to be entirely certain
where to place it in time relative to the other revisions
and simple copies that he also details, mentioned
above.

– The Narthang catalog, indeed, seems to place

less importance on Ngok’s revisions and mentions his version
only in passing. Rather, it attributes the final
establishment of a fully correct version, a “later
descendant of the Imperial Hundred
Thousands” (bla ’bum
gyi bu phyi), to a Yarlung Jowo Chöjé (yar klung jo bo chos
rje).
The catalog also gives more extensive detail than any other
of the differences between versions and the corrections made
to establish the definitive version, including the varying
numbers of meditative absorptions but also some of the
sections and passages that had been missed in earlier
manuscripts.

The translation preserved in most Kangyurs is thus the
result of this long process of evolution. It is commonly divided
into twelve volumes, but the Narthang catalog mentions other numbers
of volumes into which different manuscripts were divided, and
Rongtönpa, saying that there was even one version in thirty volumes,
sets out schemes with the details of which bampo (fascicles) were
included in which volume for several different volume arrangements:
twelve (as in the Degé and many other Kangyurs), fourteen (as in the
Berlin and Qianlong Kangyurs), and sixteen (as in the Choné,
Phukdrak, Lithang, London, Stok Palace, Ulaanbaatar, and some of the
peripheral Kangyurs).

The Degé catalog, describing the translation as being the
eleventh-century one that resulted from Ngok Lotsāwa’s revision of
previous Tibetan translations against the Sanskrit manuscript of
Phamthing, also specifies that the text has seventy-two chapters. It
mentions the traditional legend according to which the four final
chapters that conclude the Twenty-Five Thousand
Line sūtra—the questions of Maitreya, the story of
Sadāprarudita and Dharmodgata, and the entrusting of the text—are
missing from the Hundred Thousand
because when Nāgārjuna brought the sūtra from the realm of the
nāgas, the nāga king had withheld those four chapters to ensure that
Nāgārjuna would return. There is, the catalog says, a tradition of
appending those four chapters, copied from the other sūtras.
Although the Degé Kangyur does not follow that tradition, the
Narthang, Lhasa, Namgyal, Hemis, and Shey Kangyurs do, and thus have
seventy-five or seventy-six chapters.

The text in the Degé Kangyur is comprised of 301 bam po (fascicles), with
between twenty-two and twenty-seven in each volume. The bam po numbers begin
again with each volume, unlike most other Kangyurs where they are
numbered consecutively throughout the text. Kangyurs in which the
extra final chapters have been added have three more bam po, bringing their
total to 304.

The Tibetan text in the Degé Kangyur, interestingly,
preserves the old orthography of a subscript ya, “ma yata” (ma ya btags), i.e. the subscript
ya under the
letter ma in
certain words, and of the “dadrak” (da
drag), i.e. da as a second suffix in certain words ending in
na, ra, or la. Spellings such as
myi and
myed for
mi and med, rkyend for rkyen, tshuld for tshul, and smyind for smin are widespread,
although in the first volume particularly some of these archaic
spellings have been inconsistently revised. In most other Kangyurs
these spellings are absent, but the Urga, Namgyal Collection, and
Gondlha Kangyurs have also preserved them. Indeed, in the Namgyal
Collection version of the sūtra, these archaic features are
considerably less revised and spellings such as pha rold tu phyind pa
(“the perfection of wisdom”) and rab
’byord (“Subhūti”) are preserved.

Colophons

Given the complex process by which many translators
contributed to the extant translation, it is perhaps not surprising
that in the Degé and in the majority of other Kangyurs, there is no
translators’ colophon. In some Kangyurs, however, the text does have
a colophon, and these fall into two groups:

– The Narthang and Lhasa Kangyurs both have a

colophon naming “the Indian upādhyāyas Jinamitra and
Surendrabodhi, the chief editor and lotsāwa Bandé Yeshé Dé,
and others” as responsible for the translation, editing, and
establishment of the text. Note that these two Kangyurs are
among the few that add the final four chapters from the
Twenty-Five Thousand
instead of ending it with the seventy-second chapter, as
mentioned above; yet the Namgyal and Shey Kangyurs, which
also have the added chapters, have no colophon.

– The Stok Palace Kangyur and the Bhutanese

Kangyurs of mostly Themphangma affiliation—Chizhi,
Dongkarla, Neyphug, Phajoding Ogmin, and Tashiyangtse—have a
quite different colophon, in which no translators are
mentioned but reference is made to some of the earlier
translations. A tentative rendering of this colophon would
be:

“This is the golden Hundred
Thousand called Not Mixed with
Wrongs in twelve sections, and is based on the
corrected, limit-defining Black Hundred
Thousand of Gyan-gong, which itself had resulted
from being proofed and edited sixteen times after being compared
against the early limit-defining, abridged manuscripts in Samyé
and Lhasa, and so forth, and which, since the great lotsāwa, the
omniscient Butön Rinchen Drup, had confirmed it as the
prototype, was used as master copy for the Hundred Thousand produced by the great scholar
Rinchen Gyaltsen.”

Structure and Content Compared to Those of the

Other Long Perfection of Wisdom Sūtras

This sūtra is structured in almost exactly the same way as The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand
Lines (Toh 9), with the same chapter sequence and divisions, and
in Tibetan the same terminology and phraseology, to the extent that it would
be difficult not to conclude that the Tibetan translations of both were
produced by the same translators. Indeed, the Sanskrit source texts of the
two sūtras must have been very similar, too—as far as can be judged, for the
Sanskrit of the Twenty-Five Thousand matches
not the Kangyur “many-chapter” version, Toh 9, but the Tengyur
“eight-chapter” version, Toh 3790.

The Hundred Thousand and Twenty-Five Thousand are far more similar to each
other in language and chapter structure than they are to the third of the
long Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, the Eighteen
Thousand (Toh 10), which has considerably more chapter divisions
and different phraseology. Nevertheless, all three sūtras follow an almost
identical sequence of themes, interlocutors, and doctrinal statements.

The Hundred Thousand as preserved in
most Kangyurs, however, has only seventy-two chapters as compared to the
seventy-six of the Twenty-Five Thousand. This
is because the final four chapters of the latter, comprising the questions
of Maitreya, the story of Sadāprarudita and Dharmodgata, and the entrusting
of the sūtra, are not present in this text. As noted above, they are
traditionally seen as “missing” because the nāgas withheld them from
Nāgārjuna as he was leaving to take the sūtra back with him to the human
realm. The story of Sadāprarudita and Dharmodgata is indeed present not only
in the Twenty-Five Thousand but also in the
Eighteen Thousand and Eight Thousand Line sūtras, so it is not unreasonable to see it
as “missing.” On the other hand, the chapter on the questions of Maitreya is
only present in the Twenty-Five Thousand and
Eighteen Thousand, and has been seen by
some commentators as possibly a later addition, with evidence of a somewhat
different doctrinal foundation.

Apart from these differences at the very end of the text, all the
other chapter breaks here in the Hundred
Thousand correspond precisely to those in the Twenty-Five Thousand, except that chapter 57 in
the Twenty-Five Thousand corresponds to two
chapters, 57 and 58, here in the Hundred
Thousand. The chapter numbering thereafter, across the two
sūtras, is consequently offset by one, so that the final chapter 72, here in
the Hundred Thousand, corresponds to chapter 71
in the Twenty-Five Thousand.

Most of the seventy-two chapters have no specific chapter titles,
but ten do have titles, and these are all identical to those of the
corresponding chapters in the Twenty-Five
Thousand. Two chapters that have titles in the Twenty-Five Thousand, however (26 and 27), have no
titles in the Hundred Thousand.

Apart from these relatively minor structural discrepancies, the
most striking differences between the three long sūtras are, of course, in
length. This is almost entirely due not to any thematic differences—even
fine-grained ones—but to the different degree to which each doctrinal
statement is unpacked. In all three texts the Buddha, or one of his
interlocutors, makes statements about groups of phenomena (dharmas) that may be
constituents of the deluded perceptions of beings
in saṃsāra, elements of the path, or features of the awakening to which the
path leads. Depending on whether each statement is repeated only for a
category of such dharmas, for subgroups of dharmas within that category, or
in full for each individual dharma in every group, the three sūtras are
characterized, respectively, by relatively small, somewhat larger, or
extremely large numbers of repetitions. The substance of the statements
themselves, and their order, are the same in all three texts.

The Commentaries

1. Those Based on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra

The majority of Indian Prajñāpāramitā commentaries are
concerned either with interpreting the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras in the
light of Asaṅga-Maitreya’s Abhisamayālaṃkāra, or with explaining that somewhat cryptic
and condensed treatise itself. Indeed, the six “mother” sūtras are so
called because they all contain all eight main topics, or abhisamayas (“clear
realizations”), forming the principal structure of the treatise, that
important and influential key to the Prajñāpāramitā texts that has so
dominated its study since it first appeared in the fourth century.

The version of the long sūtras closest to the original but
hypothetical sūtra explained to Asaṅga by Maitreya is probably the
Twenty-Five Thousand, but (as pointed
out above) in the fourth century the long sūtras had probably not yet
crystallized into the stable, length-denominated versions we have
inherited today. Commentaries based on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra at first focused on the Twenty-Five Thousand, even though the close
correspondence of the Hundred Thousand to
the Twenty-Five Thousand means that the
insights of those commentaries could also, mostly,
be applied to the Hundred Thousand.

Nevertheless, a commentary eventually was written that focused
on applying the Abhisamayālaṃkāra to
the Hundred Thousand as well as to the
other two long sūtras. It is
The
Teaching on the Eight Clear Realizations as the Common Meaning
of the Sūtras in One Hundred Thousand Lines, Twenty-Five
Thousand Lines, and Eight Thousand Lines
(Prajñāpāramitāmātṛkāśatasāhasrikābṛhacchāsanapañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāmadhyaśāsanāṣṭādaśasāhasrikālaghuśāsanāṣṭasamānārthaśāsana,
Toh 3789), attributed to the eleventh-century scholar Smṛtijñānakīrti,
who spent the last part of his life in Tibet. This commentary, however, is
not held in high regard, has not been much used, and may possibly not
even be Smṛtijñānakīrti’s work.

Later, another commentary was written that focused entirely on
interpreting the Hundred Thousand in terms
of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. It is
An Explanation of The One Hundred
Thousand Lines
(stong
phrag brgya pa’i rnam par bshad pa, Toh 3802), attributed to
the Kashmiri scholar Dharmaśrī, who was invited to Western Tibet by the
tenth-century king Lha Lama Yeshe Ö. However, this commentary, too, may
be incorrectly attributed and is also not well considered.

While the meaning, structure, and many other details of the
Hundred Thousand can of course be
elucidated through study of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra and its general commentaries, the
unreliable status of these two particular commentarial works has made of
them an unsuitable way of using the Abhisamayālaṃkāra as the key to this particular, longest
version of all of the sūtras.

2. The Two Bṛhaṭṭīkā Commentaries

A quite different approach to the study of the Hundred Thousand is taken by the two
commentaries known under a variety of titles and monikers, including the
“long explanations” (bṛhaṭṭīkā, rgya
cher bshad pa) and “destroyers of harm” (gnod ’joms). Neither makes reference to the Abhisamayālaṃkāra.

The first of the two, probably written earlier, comments on
and explains all three of the long sūtras, while the second concentrates
only on the Hundred Thousand.

Both these commentaries divide the sūtra into its main
divisions by means of two structural principles: the “three approaches”
or “gateways” (sgo
gsum), and the “eleven discourses”
or “formulations” (rnam grangs bcu
gcig). More will be said about these below. But as well as
providing these helpful structural principles, both commentaries explain
the meaning and importance of each text passage by passage in
considerable detail, and in ways that are relatively easy to understand
compared with the more opaque explanations based on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra.

3. Tibetan Commentaries

Although there was an early translation of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra, from what little we can
surmise it seems that in the early, imperial period the study of the
Perfection of Wisdom sūtras was mainly influenced by the Bṛhaṭṭīkā approach. The full impact of the
Abhisamayālaṃkāra came later
through the Kadampa masters in the lineage of Atiśa and Rinchen Zangpo,
and particularly after the founding of the monastery of Sangpu Ne’utok
(gsang phu ne’u thog) monastery
with Ngok Loden Sherab’s new translation of the text in the eleventh
century. The two main traditions of Prajñāpāramitā studies were founded
by Ngok’s two main disciples. One started with Dré Sherab Bar (’bre shes rab ’bar) and passed through
Ar Changchub Yeshe (ar byang chub ye
shes), Butön, Rinchen Namgyal (rin chen rnam rgyal), and Yaktön Sangyé Pal (g.yag bston sangs rgyas dpal) to the
great commentator and scholar Rongtönpa. The other started with
Drolungpa Lodrö Jungné (gro lung pa blo gros
’byung gnas) and passed through Chapa Chökyi Sengé
(pha pa chos kyi seng ge).

The Abhisamayālaṃkāra has
remained the central pillar of Prajñāpāramitā scholasticism in Tibet,
and of the many commentaries and treatises written on the literature by
scholars from both these lineages and their successors down to the
present day, the large majority focused on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. Even when one of the sūtras provided the
focus of such works, it was almost always either the Twenty-Five Thousand or the Eight Thousand.

There are nevertheless three notable commentaries centered on
the Hundred Thousand: one by Dolpopa Sherab
Gyaltsen (dol po pa shes rab rgyal
mtshan) in the fourteenth century; the
one (mentioned above) by Rongtönpa in the fifteenth century; and one by
Karma Chakmé (kar ma chags med) in the seventeenth century.

Translations and Studies in Western

Languages

Few Western scholars have explored the Prajñāpāramitā literature.
The Russian scholar Eugène Obermiller (1901–35) was one of the first to edit
and translate Sanskrit and Tibetan Prajñāpāramitā texts, but had a
tragically short life beset by a severe handicap.

The great pioneer of the Prajñāpāramitā literature in the West was
the Anglo-German scholar Edward Conze (1904–79), and he has been the only
translator (until now) courageous enough to tackle the sheer immensity of
this sūtra, from the Sanskrit of which—partly, as he used as his sources the
two other long sūtras, too—he produced The Large Sūtra
on Perfect Wisdom in 1975. Rather than a full translation, it is
a one-volume abridgement of the content of the three long sūtras, structured
using the more numerous chapter breaks and titles of the Eighteen Thousand, and arranged (indeed sometimes
rearranged) according to the divisions and subdivisions drawn from the
Abhisamayālaṃkāra, which are found as
headings and subheadings throughout the translation.

Conze had forthright views on most topics, and his perspective on
the Prajñāpāramitā literature was one that overwhelmingly emphasized the
doctrinal content over its literary qualities. In his preface to another of
his translations, that of the Eight Thousand,
he says:

“A literal, word by word translation of the Prajñāpāramitā is
tiresome to read, and practically unintelligible to anyone who does not
have the Sanskrit original before him. If ever there was a case where
the letter kills the spirit, it is here. The Sūtra itself was meant to
be memorized, the translation is meant to be read. Lengthy repetitions,
stereotyped phrases, and the piling up of synonyms were of great
assistance to memory, but they irritate and distract the modern reader,
and obscure from him the meaning of the text.”

Whether one agrees with this view or not, the result is that his
combined translation of the long sūtras forms a useful and practical guide
to the content of these works, yet is far from representing in English the
full range of qualities that are to be found in the Sanskrit and Tibetan
texts themselves.

The outstanding work of the late Stefano Zacchetti, mainly from
Chinese and Sanskrit sources, certainly deserves mention. A recent set of
volumes by Karl Brunnhölzl has also been a welcome addition to the available
material in English, providing a wealth of detailed information and
translated commentaries, mostly centered on works related to the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. Our own translator Gareth
Sparham, a decade before embarking on his recent work for 84000 on the
sūtras themselves, published an important four-volume translation of the
Abhisamayālaṃkāra with the commentaries
of Haribhadra and Vimuktisena.

The Content of This Update of the

Ongoing English Translation

We are presenting here the first and second installments of the ongoing
translation into English of The Perfection of Wisdom in
One Hundred Thousand Lines. The twenty-eight chapters
translated in this installment together make up a little under two thirds of the text as a whole,
bringing us close to the end of the eighth of the
twelve volumes in the Degé Kangyur.

The group of chapters now published here also covers some
distinct portions of the text in terms of its overall semantic structure, as
seen from some of the traditional perspectives mentioned above.

First of all, chapter 1, in all the commentaries, is the setting
of the scene for the teachings (nidāna, gleng
gzhi), describing the place, the time, the Buddha as teacher,
his audience, and indicating what sort of teaching will be given. Most
commentaries explain the opening passages in considerable detail, especially
the lists of qualities of the śrāvaka disciples and bodhisattvas. Much of
the chapter is then taken up by a long description of how the Buddha
emanates lights that benefit beings throughout the universe and announce the
teaching in other buddhafields.

The explanations of the perfection of wisdom itself begin with
chapter 2.

From the Abhisamayālaṃkāra Perspective

The Abhisamayālaṃkāra divides
the subject matter of the long sūtras into eight topics, or “clear
realizations” (abhisamaya, mngon
par rtogs pa): (1) all-aspect omniscience, (2) knowledge of the aspects of the path, (3) knowledge of all
the dharmas, (4) clear realization of all aspects, (5) culminating clear
realization, (6) serial clear realization, (7) instantaneous clear
realization, and (8) the fruitional buddha body of reality.

The first thirteen chapters correspond to the
Buddha’s teaching on the first of these eight principal topics, i.e.,
the understanding of all-aspect omniscience. The reason all-aspect
omniscience—which refers to the omniscient, awakened understanding of a
fully enlightened buddha—is placed as the first of the eight clear
realizations is that bodhisattvas must understand it before practicing
it, and as the fruitional body taught in detail in the last part of the
sūtra, this all-aspect omniscience is the very goal or object of
bodhicitta, the
mind set on full awakening. To practice the perfection of wisdom one
must aim at the fullest awakening of buddhahood and not any of the
lesser degrees of realization, such as those of śrāvakas and
pratyekabuddhas.

Of the next batch of chapters published in translation here, chapters fourteen
through the first part of twenty-seven cover the second of the eight topics, the
understanding of the knowledge of the aspects of the path. This
refers to the understanding, progressively developed by
bodhisattvas, of the paths to be followed by all types of beings. This therefore includes
the paths of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas as well as the various levels and aspects of
the path that is followed by bodhisattvas on the Great Vehicle itself. There are descriptions
of all these paths and their differences, as well as important sections on the benefits of
worship, on relics of the Buddha, on merit, dedication, and praise, and on the purity of all dharmas.

The rest of chapter twenty-seven (from

onward)
together with chapter twenty-eight—the last of the chapters translated in the most recent installment—cover
the third of the eight “clear realization” topics, the understanding of the knowledge of all the dharmas.
The point established and emphasized in this section—although it is also a key theme
throughout the perfection of wisdom sūtras—is that śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas (in
particular, but also bodhisattvas in training), in order to overcome ordinary, deluded perceptions,
make use of powerful notions including the identification of all the dharmas of defilement and purification
that they discern as such. However, these are themselves all constructs and notions that,
from the perspective of the perfection of wisdom,
can represent a range of attachments, from gross to very subtle.

From the Perspective of the Bṛhaṭṭīkā Commentaries

A. According to the three approaches
(sgo gsum)—the
brief, intermediate, and detailed teachings, destined respectively for
those whose faculties allow them to understand terse, middling, or
extensive explanations—the first twenty-eight chapters now published here include the brief
and intermediate teachings fully, along with a portion of the detailed teaching, as follows.

“Here, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who
want to fully awaken to all phenomena in all their aspects
should persevere in the perfection of wisdom.” (

)

(2) The intermediate teaching
follows immediately and continues through the discussions
between Śāriputra, Subhūti, and the Buddha to the end of chapter
13. The Buddha responds to Śāriputra’s question about what the
brief teaching means in terms of the four topics into which it
can be subdivided: what a bodhisattva great being is, what it is
to attain consummate buddhahood with respect to all phenomena in
all their aspects, what “persevering” means, and what the
perfection of wisdom is. Four practices are taught—armor-like,
engagement, accumulation, and deliverance—and then, in some
detail, eight aspects related to the “persevering.” The last of
these eight is a discussion, starting with chapter 8, that
arrives at an authoritative conclusion, including twenty-eight
or twenty-nine questions, further dialogue between Subhūti and
Śāriputra, and in chapters 11, 12, and 13 a long discussion of
the Great Vehicle, its attributes, and its results. This entire
intermediate teaching is sometimes referred to as “the chapter
of Subhūti,” which is also the chapter title this text gives to
the last chapter in this section, the thirteenth; that chapter
title may be intended to cover the entire group of chapters 3
through 12, too. The intermediate teaching is centered on
all-aspect omniscience, and by teaching nonconceptual perfection
of wisdom it focuses on ultimate truth.

(3) The detailed teaching is
covered by almost all the rest of the text, from chapter 14 to the end of
chapter 72. It contains a long series of points to be explained and is
divided into two parts:

(a) The first part begins with the questions put to
Subhūti by Śakra, lord of the gods. The first ten of the chapters that comprise
this first part, 14 through 23, in which Śakra figures prominently, are
probably intended to be covered by the title “Śakra” given in the chapter
colophon of chapter 23, and among many important points they explain are
how a bodhisattva’s knowledge encompasses that of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas,
and the benefits, protections, and vast merit conferred by appreciating, honoring,
and knowing the perfection of wisdom. Subsequent chapters cover a range of
topics: the dedication of merit in chapter 24, the qualities of accomlishment in chapter 25,
the hells in chapter 26, the purity of all dharmas in chapters 27 and 28, and
in the later part of chapter 28 an account of how subtle attachments can arise
and how they are relinquished. Only in the next batch of chapters to be published
will this first part of the detailed teaching be completed; it will
continue with a range of topics up to how a bodhisattva’s progress to
awakening becomes irreversible, in chapter 40.

(b) The second part, from chapters 41 onward, will comprise the discussions
prompted by two hundred and seventy-seven questions put by Subhūti.

B. The eleven discourses

(rnam grangs bcu gcig) mentioned
in some commentaries that detail the interlocutor concerned are somewhat
difficult to discern clearly as they are are not explicitly
correlated with particular locations in the texts. Following the mentions in the
two Bṛhaṭṭīkā commentaries (Toh
3807 and 3808) and Sparham, we may nevertheless
speculatively identify some of them in the present text as follows:

(1) to Śāriputra, from the beginning of chapter 2 as
far as

;

(2) by Subhūti, the rest of chapter 2 to the end of chapter
13;

(3) to Śakra, chapter 14, but possibly including several
subsequent chapters as well;

(4) to Subhūti, difficult to identify;

(5) to Maitreya, the first part of chapter 24;

(6) to Subhūti, perhaps the rest of chapter 24 from

;

(7) to Śakra, perhaps chapter 25 to

;

(8) to Subhūti, perhaps starting in chapter 25 at

, but very likely chapters 41 to
72;

(9) to Maitreya, possibly representing the “Maitreya Chapter,” chapter 72 in
The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines,
in which case it is not to be found in this text.

(10) to Subhūti, again difficult to identify with any
certainty; and

(11) the narrative of Sadāprarudita and Dharmodgata and
entrustment of the sūtra to Ānanda, chapters 73 to 76 in
The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines but, as above,
not to be found in this text.

It is possible that this list of eleven discourses is not intended to follow a sequential
order in all instances. In any case, further study on this approach to the sūtras
would be desirable.

Sources and Features of the Translation

This translation has been made with the Tibetan of the Degé
Kangyur as its primary reference, taking account of significant variants in
other Kangyurs. The Sanskrit of the Nepalese manuscripts as edited by Ghoṣa
(for chapters 1–12) and Kimura (for subsequent chapters), has been closely
consulted, as well as the Sanskrit of relevant passages in the Gilgit
manuscript.

The two Bṛhaṭṭīkā commentaries
(Toh 3807 and 3808) have provided valuable clarification on many points, and
a parallel English translation is in progress of the “shorter” Bṛhaṭṭīkā (The Long
Commentary on The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand
Lines, Toh 3807).

Since the language of the source texts of the Hundred Thousand is so close to that of the source texts of the
Twenty-Five Thousand, the translator has
endeavored wherever possible to retain the terminology and language of the
English translation of the Twenty-Five
Thousand. Our ongoing research and study of these texts nevertheless
necessitates changes in some passages, and the attentive reader of the two
sūtras will no doubt detect differences between
them other than simply the degree of repetition. In the coming months and
years, as well as adding further chapters to this first installment, we will
be continuing to edit both translations to ensure the closest possible
consistency between them, while also bearing in mind that the rendering of
two different perspectives on the same term or passage is more likely to
clarify and broaden the reader’s understanding than to muddy it.

The uses to which this English publication will be put remain to
be discovered. This is a full and complete translation of the text in the
sense that all the extensive repetitions for each individual item of the
groups of dharmas that characterize the sūtra have been translated in full.
As a result, even this first group of chapters, let alone the entire text,
is already of monumental length; much of it is not, at first sight, easy to
read. The literary qualities and sonority of the Tibetan and Sanskrit may be
difficult to convey fully, but as one lets the relentless waves of
deconstructive statements batter the solid shore of one’s beliefs, one can
appreciate that any simplified synopsis of the text’s main points can only
fail to convey what it is really about.

Those of us at 84000 who have spent time with the text—translating
and editing it, marking it up for electronic publication, processing its
glossaries and cross-references—cannot help but feel a certain awe in its
very presence.

The Translation

The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand

Lines

Chapter 1: The Context

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed
One
was residing on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha, with a large monastic gathering
comprising some five thousand monks. All of them were arhats who had
attained the cessation of contaminants, free of afflicted mental states,
fully controlled, their minds thoroughly liberated, their wisdom well
liberated, thoroughbreds, mighty elephants, their tasks accomplished, their
work completed, their burdens relinquished, their own objectives fulfilled,
the fetters binding them to the rebirth process completely severed, their
minds thoroughly liberated through perfect instruction, supreme in their perfection of all mental powers, with the exception of just one person—the venerable Ānanda, a trainee who had
entered the stream. Also present were some five hundred nuns—Yaśodharā and
Mahāprajāpatī and so on— and a great many laymen and laywomen,
all of whom had seen the Dharma.

There, too, were innumerable, inestimable bodhisattva great beings,
all of whom had attained the dhāraṇīs and attained the meditative
stabilities, acting in accord with emptiness, their perceptual range being
one of signlessness, their aspirations free from deliberation. They had
attained forbearance for the sameness of all phenomena, possessed inspired
eloquence that was unimpeded, had comprehended the inexhaustible teachings
according to their exact knowledge, and used miraculous displays through
their great extrasensory powers.
With their extrasensory powers never failing, and with engaging speech,
without indolence but with perseverance, without regard for their bodies or
their lives, their conduct unpretentious, without fawning, and without
thoughts of ulterior fame, profit, or respect, free from self-interest they
taught the Dharma. They had realized and integrated the sublime acceptance
of the profound dharmas, had acquired the great fearlessnesses, were without
discouragement, and they had gone completely beyond all the works of Māra.
Having interrupted the continuity of karmic obscurations, they had overcome
karma, the afflicted mental states, and hostile forces, and in the face of all
challenges had remained undefeated. They were difficult for all śrāvakas and
pratyekabuddhas to understand, and through their realization were skilled in
analyzing and teaching the Dharma. They had energetically applied themselves
to their aspirations over countless eons. Smiling and speaking first in
welcome, their faces without frowns of anger, with their sweet, gentle words they were
skilled in addressing others in melodic verse. As their inspired eloquence
flowed uninterrupted, they possessed the fearlessness that overwhelmed
endless assemblies. They were skilled in emancipation by means of the
transcendental knowledge from having taught for endless tens of millions of
eons.
They had comprehended that all phenomena are like an illusion, a mirage, a
reflection of the moon in water, a dream, an echo, an optical aberration,
empty space, a castle in the sky, a reflection, and a magical display.
Without discouragement, they were skilled in comprehending the mental
attitudes, subtle knowledge,
conduct, and interests of all beings. Their attitude toward all beings was
free of any animosity, and their tolerance was immense. They were skilled in
the transcendental knowledge that brings the sameness of all phenomena to be
understood, and because they were possessed of profound reality their depth
was hard to estimate. They had fully attained power over their own minds,
and they had entirely attained power over all phenomena. They were liberated
from all karma, afflicted mental states, and obscurations of view. They were
skilled in teaching in dependence on the audience, and had engaged in all the inexhaustible
modes of dependent origination, were free from all views, latent
impulses,
and obsessions, and had abandoned all fetters. They were skilled in bringing
peace from all actions and afflicted mental states, skilled in the transcendental knowledge
that brings realization of the truth, constantly and uninterruptedly
considering all phenomena to resemble an echo, fearless in their measureless
teachings of the ways of the Dharma, and skilled
in bringing forth comprehension of the true nature itself. Their progress was
governed by their aspirational vow to establish infinite buddhafields.
Constantly and uninterruptedly they actualized the meditative stability of
recollecting the buddhas who reside in countless world systems;
they were skilled in going everywhere buddhas arise and skilled in requesting the innumerable buddhas to
teach. They were skilled in bringing about peace from
the afflicted mental states that are generated through the diverse false
views of beings, and skilled in bringing forth realization of the
transcendental knowledge that revels in the miraculous production of a
hundred thousand meditative stabilities. Every one of them had qualities of which
a full description would be incomplete even if infinite eons were spent on
it.

Among them were the following: the bodhisattva great being
Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattva great being Ratnākara, the
bodhisattva great being Ratnagarbha, the bodhisattva great being Ratnadatta,
the bodhisattva great being Susārthavāha, the bodhisattva great being Naradatta, the
bodhisattva great being Guhagupta, the bodhisattva great being Varuṇadeva,
the bodhisattva great being Indradatta, the bodhisattva great being
Bhadrabala, the bodhisattva great being Uttaramati, the bodhisattva
great being Viśeṣamati, the bodhisattva great being Vardhamānamati, the
bodhisattva great being Anantamati, the bodhisattva great being
Amoghadarśin, the bodhisattva great being Anāvaraṇamati, the bodhisattva
great being Susaṃprasthita, the bodhisattva great being
Suvikrāntavikrāmin, the bodhisattva great being Anantavīrya, the
bodhisattva great being Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva great being
Nityaprayukta, the bodhisattva great being Anikṣiptadhura, the bodhisattva
great being Sūryagarbha, the bodhisattva great being Candragarbha, the
bodhisattva great being Anupamamati, the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara, the
bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the bodhisattva great being
Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, the bodhisattva great being Mārabalapramardin, the
bodhisattva great being Vajramati, the bodhisattva great being
Ratnamudrāhasta, the bodhisattva great being Nityotkṣiptahasta, the
bodhisattva great being Mahākaruṇācintin, the bodhisattva great being
Mahāvyūha, the bodhisattva great being Vyūharāja, the
bodhisattva great being Merukūṭa, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, and
many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion others as well.

At that time, the Blessed One himself arranged his seat, the lion
throne, and sat upright with his legs crossed, directing his
mindfulness. Seated there, he was absorbed
in the meditative stability called king of meditative
stabilities, in which all meditative stabilities are
gathered, comprehended, pursued, and subsumed.

The Blessed One, mindful and with full awareness, then arose from that
meditative stability and observed this buddhafield with divine
clairvoyance. Seeing in this manner,
he sent out light from his entire body. Sixty
hundred thousand ten million billion rays of
light issued from each of the two thousand-spoked wheels that were imprinted
on the soles of his feet. Sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of
light issued from each of the ten toes of his two feet. Sixty hundred
thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from each of his two
ankles, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from
each of his two shins, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of
light issued from each of his two knees, sixty hundred thousand ten million
billion rays of light issued from each of his two thighs, sixty hundred
thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from each of his two hips,
sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from his
navel, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from
each of the two sides of his ribs, and sixty hundred thousand ten million
billion rays of light issued from the śrīvatsa at his heart, which is one of the major marks of a
great person. Sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light also
issued from each of his ten fingers, sixty hundred thousand ten million
billion rays of light issued from each of his two arms, sixty hundred
thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from each of his two
shoulders, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light issued
from his neck, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light
issued from each of his four incisors, sixty hundred thousand ten million
billion rays of light issued from each of his forty teeth, sixty hundred
thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from each of his two eyes,
sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from each of
his two ears, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of light
issued from
each of his two nostrils, sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays of
light issued from the hair ringlet between his eyebrows, sixty hundred
thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from his uṣṇīṣa, and sixty hundred
thousand ten million billion rays of light issued from his mouth.

All of those sets of sixty hundred thousand ten million billion rays
of light permeated all the world systems in the great billionfold world
system with a great brightness. The world systems of the eastern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a
great brightness. The world systems of the southern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great
brightness. The world systems of the western direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness.
The world systems of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems of the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The
world systems of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness.
The world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great
brightness. The world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a
great brightness. The world systems in the direction of the nadir, numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great
brightness. The world systems in the direction of the zenith, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great
brightness. All the beings who beheld the light and who were touched by that
light became assured of reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete
enlightenment.

Then again, the Blessed One caused light rays to be diffused from
all his pores, and that light again permeated this great billionfold world system with a
great brightness. The world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great
brightness. The world systems of the southern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness.
The world systems of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world systems of
the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world systems
of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The
world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness.
The world systems in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of
sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. All the beings who
beheld that light and who were touched by that light became assured of
reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

Then again, with the natural light of the tathāgatas the Blessed One
caused this great billionfold world system to be permeated with a great
brightness. The world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness.
The world systems of the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world systems of
the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world systems of
the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world systems
of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The
world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness.
The world systems in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of
sand of the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. The world
systems in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, were permeated with a great brightness. All the beings who
beheld that light and who were touched by that light became assured of
reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

Then the Blessed One extended his tongue from his mouth. Covering
this entire great billionfold world system with his tongue, he smiled, and
from his tongue issued forth many hundred thousand ten million billion
variegated rays of light. On all those rays of light, in their entirety,
appeared manifold lotus flowers, fashioned of diverse gemstones, shining
like gold, with a thousand petals, diverse, beautiful to behold,
captivating, brilliant, scented, soft, and blissful to the touch like
kācalindika. On these
lotuses, furthermore, were seated many embodied tathāgatas, and the Dharma
teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. They departed for the world systems of the eastern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there
the
Dharma teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. They departed for the world systems of the southern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the
Dharma teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. They departed for the world systems of the western direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the
Dharma teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. They departed for the world systems of the northern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the
Dharma teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. They departed for the world systems of the intermediate
northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
and on arriving there the Dharma teaching they taught was this very Dharma
teaching concerning the six perfections. They departed for the world systems
of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the Dharma teaching they taught
was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six perfections. They departed
for the world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the Dharma
teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. They departed for the world systems of the intermediate
northwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
and on arriving there the Dharma teaching they taught was this very Dharma
teaching concerning the six perfections. They departed for the world systems
in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the Dharma teaching they taught was this very
Dharma teaching concerning the six perfections. And they departed for the
world systems in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, and on arriving there the Dharma
teaching they taught was this very Dharma teaching concerning the six
perfections. All the beings who heard those teachings became assured of
reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

Then, while seated on the lion throne, the Blessed One became
absorbed in the meditative stability of the buddhas called the
lion’s play and manifested his miraculous
abilities. By manifesting those miraculous abilities, he caused this great
billionfold world system to shake in six ways. That is to say, it shook,
shuddered, and juddered;
it rocked, reeled, and tottered; it quivered, careened, and convulsed; it
trembled, throbbed, and quaked; it rumbled, roared, and thundered; and it
faltered, lurched, and staggered. As its eastern sides reared up its western
sides plunged down; as its western sides reared up its eastern sides plunged
down; as its southern sides reared up its northern sides plunged down; as
its northern sides reared up its southern sides plunged down; as its edges
reared up its centers plunged down; and as its centers reared up its edges
plunged down. Then, slowly and gradually, it settled down, producing benefit and
happiness for all beings.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in this great
billionfold world system, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama,
the states that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life,
and the degenerations, as many as
there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings there were then reborn
equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn equal in fortune to the
gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma,
Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin realms. Then those gods and
those human beings joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease
recollected their former lives. Having recollected those lives, they then
joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease departed for where there
were blessed ones, and on arriving there paid homage to the blessed ones.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama, the states
that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life, and the
degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings
there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn
equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of
the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin
realms. Then those gods and those human beings joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease recollected their former lives. Having recollected
those lives, they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease
departed for the respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas, arhats,
perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid homage at
their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed toward those
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama, the states
that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life, and the
degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings
there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn
equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of
the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin
realms. Then those gods and those human beings joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease recollected their former lives. Having recollected
those lives, they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease
departed for the respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas, arhats,
perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid homage at
their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed toward those
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama, the states
that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life, and the
degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings
there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn
equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of
the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin
realms. Then those gods and those human beings joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease recollected their former lives. Having recollected
those lives, they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease
departed for the respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas, arhats,
perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid homage at
their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed toward those
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama, the states
that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life, and the
degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings
there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn
equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of
the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin
realms. Then those gods and those human beings joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease recollected their former lives. Having recollected
those lives, they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease
departed for the respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid homage at their feet.
Placing their hands together, they bowed toward those tathāgatas, arhats,
perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama,
the states that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life,
and the degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of
the beings there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they
were reborn equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or
the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or
Paranirmitavaśavartin realms. Then those gods and those human beings
joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease recollected their former
lives. Having recollected those lives, they then joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease departed for the respective buddhafields where the
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving
there paid homage at their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed
toward those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama,
the states that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life,
and the degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of
the beings there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they
were reborn equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or
the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or
Paranirmitavaśavartin realms. Then those gods and those human beings
joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease recollected their former
lives. Having recollected those lives, they then joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease departed for the respective buddhafields
where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on
arriving there paid homage at their feet. Placing their hands together, they
bowed toward those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama,
the states that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life,
and the degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of
the beings there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they
were reborn equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or
the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or
Paranirmitavaśavartin realms. Then those gods and those human beings
joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease recollected their former
lives. Having recollected those lives, they then joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease departed for the respective buddhafields where the
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving
there paid homage at their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed
toward those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama,
the states that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life,
and the degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of
the beings there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they
were reborn equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or
the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or
Paranirmitavaśavartin realms. Then those gods and those human beings
joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease recollected their former
lives. Having
recollected those lives, they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and
with ease departed for the respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas,
arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid
homage at their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed toward those
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama, the states
that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life, and the
degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings
there were then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn
equal in fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of
the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin
realms. Then those gods and those human beings joyfully, with serene
confidence, and with ease recollected their former lives. Having recollected
those lives, they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease
departed for the respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas, arhats,
perfectly complete buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid homage at
their feet. Placing their hands together, they bowed toward those
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

Then, at that time—at that moment, minute, and second—in the world
systems in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, the hells, the animal realms, the world of Yama, the states
that lack freedom, the lower realms, the terrible forms of life, and the
degenerations, as many as there are, were all interrupted. All of the beings
there were
then reborn equal in fortune to human beings; they were reborn equal in
fortune to the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, or the gods of the
Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, or Paranirmitavaśavartin realms.
Then those gods and those human beings joyfully, with serene confidence, and
with ease recollected their former lives. Having recollected those lives,
they then joyfully, with serene confidence, and with ease departed for the
respective buddhafields where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete
buddhas resided, and on arriving there paid homage at their feet. Placing
their hands together, they bowed toward those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas.

Then, at that time, in this great billionfold world system, the
beings who were blind, as many as there were, saw sights with their eyes.
The deaf heard sounds with their ears. The insane came to their senses.
Those who were agitated attained a state of mind without agitation. Those
without clothing obtained clothing. The poor obtained wealth. The hungry
obtained food. The thirsty obtained drink. Those struck with illness were
healed. Those with physical disabilities and with imperfect sense faculties
were restored to full perfection of the body and sense faculties, and
flourished. The weary were refreshed. Those who had not forsaken nonvirtuous
deeds of body, speech, and mind, or nonvirtuous livelihoods, gave up their
nonvirtuous deeds of body, speech, and mind, and nonvirtuous livelihoods.
All beings too became even-minded toward all other beings, considering one
another as just like their father, mother, brother, sister, partner, close
relative, or friend. All beings too acquired the path of the ten virtuous
actions, and they maintained the practice of chastity and purity, without the
stench of immorality and without the notion of nonvirtue. At that time all
beings possessed happiness such that it resembled, by comparison, the
happiness experienced by monks absorbed in the third meditative
concentration. They possessed all such happiness. At that time all beings
possessed wisdom such that they knew, “Excellent is generosity! Excellent is
discipline! Excellent is restraint! Excellent is truth! Excellent is
carefulness! Excellent is loving kindness! Excellent is compassion!
Excellent is nonviolence with respect to all living creatures!” And at that
time the blessed buddhas in other buddhafields cried out cries of delight:
“Ah! It is wonderful that these beings are possessed of wisdom such that
they know, ‘Excellent is generosity! Excellent is discipline! Excellent is
peace! Excellent is restraint! Excellent is truth! Excellent is carefulness!
Excellent is loving kindness! Excellent is compassion! Excellent is the
practice of chastity! Excellent is nonviolence with respect to all living
creatures!’ ”

At that time the Blessed One, seated on this very lion throne,
resembled, as an analogy, the unobscured sun in the clear expanse of space,
or the disk of the full moon. He outshone the great billionfold world system
with its Sumerus and encircling mountain ranges, with its god realms, with
its Indra realms, with its Vaśavartin realms, with its classes of gods and
asuras, with its Brahmās, and with its Śuddhāvāsas. He was adorned with
light, a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and
shining. And while the Blessed One remained seated, outshining this great
billionfold world system, being adorned with light, a lustrous
complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and shining, he
similarly outshone the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with light, a lustrous
complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and shining.
Similarly, he outshone the world systems of the southern direction, numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with light, a
lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and shining.
Similarly, he outshone the world systems of the western direction, numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with light, a
lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and shining.
Similarly, he outshone the world systems of the northern direction, numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with light, a
lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and shining.
Similarly, he outshone the world systems of the intermediate northeastern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned
with light, a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming,
and shining. Similarly, he outshone the world systems of the intermediate
southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
being adorned with light, a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory,
sparkling, gleaming, and shining. Similarly, he outshone the world systems
of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with light, a lustrous complexion,
splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and shining. Similarly, he
outshone the world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with light,
a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and
shining. Similarly, he outshone the world systems in the direction of the
nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned with
light, a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming, and
shining. And similarly, he outshone the world systems in the direction of
the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, being adorned
with light, a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling, gleaming,
and shining.

To illustrate, just as Sumeru, king of mountains, stands outshining
all other dark mountains, adorned, sparkling, gleaming, and shining; just
as, to illustrate, the disk of the moon stands outshining all the stars,
adorned, sparkling, gleaming, and shining; and just as, to illustrate, the
disk of the sun stands outshining all other lights, adorned, sparkling,
gleaming, and shining, so too the Blessed One stood outshining the worlds of
the ten directions with their gods, Indras, Brahmās, and Śuddhāvāsa realms,
adorned with light, a lustrous complexion, splendor, and glory, sparkling,
gleaming, and shining.

Then again, the Blessed One showed, in this great billionfold world
system, his original body, just as it is. All the
gods, as many as there are, of the Śuddhāvāsas, the Ābhāsvara and Brahmakāyika, and the Paranirmitavaśavartin,
Nirmāṇarati, Tuṣita, Yāma, Trayastriṃśa, and Cāturmahārājika realms saw the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha seated on the lion throne. They
were pleased. They were delighted. They were contented and overjoyed, giving
rise to such delight and contentment that they took many divine flowers,
divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, and
divine perfumes; divine blue lotuses, day lotuses, red lotuses, white
lotuses, water lilies, and saugandhaka lilies; divine kesara flowers and
tamāla leaves; divine robes, divine ornaments, divine parasols, divine
victory banners, and divine flags, and set out for the place where the
Blessed One was seated. Going there, they sprinkled, scattered, and showered
down upon the Blessed One those flowers, garlands,
incenses, unguents, powders, and perfumes; blue lotuses, day lotuses, red
lotuses, white lotuses, water lilies, and saugandhaka lilies; kesara flowers
and tamāla leaves; robes, ornaments, divine parasols, victory banners, and
flags of the gods. Those human beings who were disciplined and suitable
recipients of the teachings, as many as there were in this great billionfold
world system, also brought manifold flowers, ones that grow in water and
grow on the plains, and they set out for the place where the Blessed One was
seated. Going there, they offered these to the Blessed One.

Through the sustaining power of the Blessed One, all those flowers,
garlands, incenses, unguents, powders, and so on, and the robes, ornaments,
parasols, victory banners, and flags immediately formed a towering mansion
of flowers and so on, as large as the great billionfold world system, in the
sky above the head of the Blessed One. From that towering mansion, many
tassels made of divine flowers and silk were suspended, draped, and floated
in the air.
This whole great billionfold world system was exquisitely adorned by these tassels
made of flowers and silk, and it was exquisitely adorned, too, by the golden
light of the Blessed One, sparkling, gleaming, and shining. And just like
this great billionfold world system, so too the world systems of the eastern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were pervaded
and illuminated by that light of the Blessed One. The world systems of the
southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were
also pervaded and illuminated by that light of the Blessed One. The world
systems of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and illuminated by that light of the Blessed
One. The world systems of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of
sand of the river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and illuminated by that light of
the Blessed One. The world systems of the intermediate northeastern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were also
pervaded and illuminated by that light of the Blessed One. The world systems
of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and illuminated by that light of the
Blessed One. The world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and
illuminated by that light of the Blessed One. The world systems of the
intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and illuminated by that light of the Blessed
One. The world systems in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains
of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and illuminated by that light
of the Blessed One. And the world systems in the direction of the zenith,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were also pervaded and
illuminated by that light of the Blessed One.

There, the human beings of the Jambudvīpas, beholding the body of
the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is
seated before us, teaching the Dharma.”

And just as the human beings of the Jambudvīpas had that thought, in
the same manner, the human beings of the Godānīyas in the west, on beholding
the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The
Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The human beings of the
Videhas in the east, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him
insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The human beings of the Kurus in the north, on beholding the body
of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is
seated before us, teaching the Dharma.”

The gods of the Cāturmahārājika realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Trayastriṃśa realms, on
beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the
Yāma realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him
insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The gods of the Tuṣita realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Nirmāṇarati realms, on
beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the
Paranirmitavaśavartin realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked
upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching
the Dharma.”

The gods of the Brahmakāyika realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Brahmapurohita realms, on
beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the
Brahmapārṣadya realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon
him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The gods of the Mahābrahmā realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.”

The gods of the Ābha realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata,
looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us,
teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Parīttābha realms, on beholding the
body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the
Apramāṇābha realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him
insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The gods of the Ābhāsvara realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.”

The gods of the Śubha realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Parīttaśubha realms, on
beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the
Apramāṇaśubha realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon
him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.”

The gods of the Vṛhat realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him
insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The gods of the Parīttavṛha realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Apramāṇavṛha realms, on
beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the
Vṛhatphala realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him
insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.”

The gods of the Avṛha realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Atapa realms, on beholding
the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The
Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods of the Sudṛśa
realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably,
thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” The gods
of the Sudarśana realms, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon
him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” The gods of the Akaniṣṭha realms, on beholding the body of the
Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated
before us, teaching the Dharma.”

Similarly, all the human beings and all the gods in the thousandfold
world system, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him
insatiably, thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the
Dharma.” All the human beings and all the gods in the millionfold world
system, on beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably,
thinking, “The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.” All the
human beings and all the gods in the great billionfold world system, on
beholding the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, thinking,
“The Tathāgata is seated before us, teaching the Dharma.”

Then again, while seated on that lion throne, the Blessed One sent
forth light, and again that light illuminated this great billionfold world
system. It also illuminated the world systems of the eastern direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. It also illuminated the
world systems of the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā. It also illuminated the world systems of the western
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. It also
illuminated the world systems of the northern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. It also illuminated the world systems of
the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā. It also illuminated the world systems of the intermediate
southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā.
It also illuminated the world systems of the intermediate southwestern
direction,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. It also illuminated the
world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. It also illuminated the world systems in
the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā. And it also illuminated the world systems in the direction of the
zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with their communities of
śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in these world systems of
the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
those beings dwelling there, as many as there were, also beheld in this
great billionfold world system the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together with the community of
monks and the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the southern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with their communities of
śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in these world systems of
the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
those beings dwelling there, as many as there were, also beheld in this great
billionfold world system the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together with the community of monks and
the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the western direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with their communities of
śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in these world systems of
the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
those beings dwelling there, as many as there were, also beheld in this
great billionfold world system the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together with the community of
monks and the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the northern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with their communities of
śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in these world systems of
the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
those beings dwelling there, as many as there were, also beheld in this
great billionfold world system the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together with the community of
monks and the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the intermediate northeastern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with
their communities of śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in
these world systems of the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, those beings dwelling there, as many
as there were, also beheld in this great billionfold world system the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
residing together with the community of monks and the assembly of
bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the intermediate southeastern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with
their communities of śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in
these world systems of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, those beings dwelling there, as many
as there were, also beheld in this great billionfold world system the
Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together
with the community of monks and the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the intermediate southwestern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with
their communities of śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in
these world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, those beings dwelling there, as many
as there were, also beheld in this great billionfold world system the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
residing together with the community of monks and the assembly of
bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems of the intermediate northwestern
direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with
their communities of śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in
these world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, those beings dwelling there, as many
as there were, also beheld in this great billionfold world system the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
residing together with the community of monks and the assembly of
bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems in the direction of the nadir,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with their
communities of śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in these
world systems in the direction the nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, those beings dwelling there, as many as there were, also
beheld in this great billionfold world system the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together
with the community of monks and the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Through that light all beings, as many as there were in this great
billionfold world system, beheld the many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly
complete buddhas of the world systems in the direction of the zenith,
numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, along with their
communities of śrāvakas and their assemblies of bodhisattvas. And in these
world systems in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, those beings dwelling there, as many as there were, also
beheld in this great billionfold world system the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, residing together
with the community of monks and the assembly of bodhisattvas.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the eastern direction,
more numerous than the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is the world
system called Ratnavatī. There the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha called Ratnākara resides and maintains himself, teaching
this very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in
that world system there was a bodhisattva great being named Samantaraśmi
who, on beholding that great light, the great trembling of the earth, and
the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the
place where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Ratnākara was residing. Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnākara, “Blessed Lord, what
are the causes and what are the conditions for such a great light to
manifest in the world, for the earth to tremble in this manner, and for the
body of a tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Samantaraśmi having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnākara,
replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the western direction, beyond
world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a
world system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He
is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is
his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Samantaraśmi said to the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnākara, “Blessed Lord, I
too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to pay
homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the
dhāraṇīs and exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative
stabilities and absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Ratnākara, then replied, “Go then to
that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you think
it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Ratnākara, gave the bodhisattva great being Samantaraśmi a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and
inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness,
free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Samantaraśmi received from the
Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnākara, those golden
thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten million
billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women, he vanished from that
buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the
blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the eastern
direction, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands,
unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags,
through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’
great power he set out for the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed One
and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Samantaraśmi then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Ratnākara, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from
sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength,
and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Ratnākara, has sent these golden-colored,
thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into the world systems of
the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided. Then those
lotuses fully covered all those world systems, and upon those lotuses many
bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the doctrine that takes these
very six perfections as its point of departure. All the beings who heard
that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching unsurpassed,
perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great beings in the
form of householders, those gone forth , young men,
and young women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, through the
roots of their respective virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the southern direction,
more numerous than the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is the world
system called Sarvaśokāpagata. There the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha called Aśokaśrī resides and maintains himself, teaching this
very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that
world system there was a bodhisattva great being named Vigataśoka who, on
beholding that great light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body
of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place
where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Aśokaśrī, was residing. Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Aśokaśrī, “Blessed Lord, what
are the causes and what are the conditions for such a great light to
manifest in the world, for the earth to tremble in this manner, and for the
body of a tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Vigataśoka having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Aśokaśrī,
replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the northern direction, beyond
world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a
world system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He
is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is
his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Vigataśoka said to the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Aśokaśrī, “Blessed Lord, I
too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to pay
homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva
great beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs
and exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Aśokaśrī, then replied, “Go then to
that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you think
it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Aśokaśrī, gave the bodhisattva great being Vigataśoka a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and
inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness,
free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Vigataśoka received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Aśokaśrī, those
golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten
million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women, he vanished from that
buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the
blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the southern
direction, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands,
unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags,
through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’
great power he set out for the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed One
and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Vigataśoka then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Aśokaśrī, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from
sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength,
and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Aśokaśrī, has sent these golden-colored,
thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into the world systems of
the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided. Then those
lotuses fully covered all those world systems, and upon those lotuses many
bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the doctrine that takes
these very six perfections as its point of departure. All the beings who
heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching
unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great
beings in the form of householders, those gone forth ,
young men, and young women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped
the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
through the roots of their respective virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the western direction,
more numerous than the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is the world
system called Upaśāntā. There the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha called Ratnārcis resides and maintains himself, teaching this very
perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that world
system there was a bodhisattva great being named Cāritramati who, on
beholding that great light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body
of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place
where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Ratnārcis, was residing. Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnārcis, “Blessed Lord, what
are the causes and what are the conditions for such a great light to
manifest in the world, for the earth to tremble in this manner, and for the
body of a tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Cāritramati having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnārcis,
replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the eastern direction, beyond
world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a
world system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He
is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is
his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Cāritramati said to the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnārcis, “Blessed
Lord, I too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to
pay homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and
exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Ratnārcis, then replied, “Go then to
that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you think
it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Ratnārcis, gave the bodhisattva great being Cāritramati a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and
inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness,
free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Cāritramati received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ratnārcis,
those golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand
ten million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone
forth , young men, and young women, he vanished from
that buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all
the blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the eastern
direction, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands,
unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags,
through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’
great power he arrived at the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed One
and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Cāritramati then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Ratnārcis, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from
sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength,
and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Ratnārcis, has sent these golden-colored,
thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into the world systems of
the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided. Then those
lotuses fully covered all those world systems, and upon those lotuses many
bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the doctrine that takes these
very six perfections as its point of departure. All the beings who heard
that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching unsurpassed,
perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great beings in the
form of householders, those gone forth , young men,
and young women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, through the
roots of their respective virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the northern direction,
more numerous than the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is the world
system called Jayā. There the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
called
Jayendra resides and maintains himself, teaching this very perfection of
wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that world system there was
a bodhisattva great being named Jayadatta who, on beholding that great
light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body of the Tathāgata,
looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place where the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Jayendra, was residing.
Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Jayendra, “Blessed Lord, what are the causes and what are
the conditions for such a great light to manifest in the world, for the
earth to tremble in this manner, and for the body of a tathāgata, such as
this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Jayadatta having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Jayendra, replied to
him, “Child of a good family, in the southern direction, beyond world
systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a world
system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He
is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is
his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Jayadatta said to the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Jayendra, “Blessed Lord, I
too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to pay
homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and
exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Jayendra, then replied, “Go then to
that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you think
it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Jayendra, gave the bodhisattva great being Jayadatta a thousand lotus
flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and
inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness,
free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Jayadatta received from the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Jayendra, those golden
thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten
million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women, he vanished from that
buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the
blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the northern
direction, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands,
unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags,
through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’
great power he arrived at the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed One
and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Jayadatta then addressed the Blessed One as follows:
“The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Jayendra,
has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from sickness, free
from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Jayendra, has sent these golden-colored, thousand-petaled
lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into the world systems of
the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
where the
tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided. Then those lotuses
fully covered all those world systems, and upon those lotuses many bodies of
the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the doctrine that takes these very six
perfections as its point of departure. All the beings who heard that
teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching unsurpassed, perfect,
complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great beings in the form of
householders, those gone forth , young men, and young
women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, through the roots of
their respective virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the intermediate
northeastern direction, more numerous than the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, there is the world system called Samādhyalaṅkṛta. There the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha called Samādhihastyuttaraśrī
resides and maintains himself, teaching this very perfection of wisdom to
bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that world system there was a
bodhisattva great being named Vijayavikrāmin who, on beholding that great
light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body of the Tathāgata,
looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place where the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, was
residing. Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,

perfectly complete buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, “Blessed Lord, what are the
causes and what are the conditions for such a great light to manifest in the
world, for the earth to tremble in this manner, and for the body of a
tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Vijayavikrāmin having thus inquired,
the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the
intermediate southwestern direction, beyond world systems numerous as the
grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a world system called Patient
Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha named
Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He is teaching the
perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Vijayavikrāmin said to the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī,
“Blessed Lord, I too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to
behold the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, to pay homage and respect to him, and also to see all those
bodhisattva great beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired
the dhāraṇīs and exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities
and absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, then replied,
“Go then to that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family,
if you think it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, gave the bodhisattva great being
Vijayavikrāmin a thousand lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in
color, each with a thousand petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good
family, strew these over the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni, and inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I
trust you are free from sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have
your physical strength, and are comfortable and well?’ Child of a good
family, you should conduct yourself with care in that buddhafield. If you
ask why, it is because bodhisattva great beings who are born in that world
system are hard to satisfy. So, beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Vijayavikrāmin received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, those golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by
many hundred thousand ten million billion bodhisattvas in the form of
householders, those gone forth , young men, and young
women, he vanished from that buddhafield. After serving, respecting,
honoring, and worshiping all the blessed lord buddhas residing and
maintaining themselves in the intermediate northeastern direction, as many
as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, unguents, powders,
robes,
ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags, through the bodhisattvas’
great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’ great power he arrived at the
place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni
resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed
One and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Vijayavikrāmin then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are
free from sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical
strength, and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata,
arhat, perfectly complete buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī, has sent these
golden-colored, thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed
Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into the world systems of
the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of
the river Gaṅgā, where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas
resided. Then those lotuses fully covered all those world systems, and upon
those lotuses many bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the
doctrine that takes these very six perfections as its point of departure.
All the beings who heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of
reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva
great beings in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women also served, respected,
honored, and worshiped the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni, through the roots of their respective virtuous
actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the intermediate
southeastern direction, more numerous than the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, there is the world system called Bodhimaṇḍalālaṃkārasurucitā. There
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha called Padmottaraśrī resides
and maintains himself, teaching this very perfection of wisdom to
bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that world system there was a
bodhisattva great being named Padmahasta who, on beholding that great light,
the great trembling of the earth, and the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon
him insatiably, and set out for the place where the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmottaraśrī, was residing.
Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Padmottaraśrī, “Blessed Lord, what are the causes and what
are the conditions for such a great light to manifest in the world, for the
earth to tremble in this manner, and for the body of a tathāgata, such as
this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Padmahasta having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, completely perfect Buddha Padmottaraśrī,
replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the intermediate northwestern
direction, beyond world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, there is a world system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata,
arhat, perfectly complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains
himself at present. He is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva
great beings. Such is his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Padmahasta said to the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmottaraśrī, “Blessed
Lord, I too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to
pay homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and
exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Padmottaraśrī, then replied, “Go
then to that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if
you think it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Padmottaraśrī, gave the bodhisattva great being Padmahasta a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand petals, and
instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and inquire of
the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness, free from
all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are comfortable
and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself with care in
that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva great beings who
are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So, beware of harm
there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Padmahasta received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmottaraśrī,
those golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand
ten million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone
forth , young men, and young women, he vanished from
that buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all
the blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the northern
direction, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands,
unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags,
through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’
great power he arrived at the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed
One and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Padmahasta then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Padmottaraśrī, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from
sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength,
and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Padmottaraśrī, has sent these golden-colored,
thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into all the world systems
of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas
resided. Then those lotuses fully covered those world systems, and upon
those lotuses many bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the
doctrine that takes these very six perfections as its point of departure.
All the beings who heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of
reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva
great beings in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women also served, respected,
honored, and worshiped the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni, through the roots of their respective
virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the intermediate
southwestern direction, more numerous than the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, there is the world system called Vigatarajaḥsañcayā. There the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha called
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī resides and maintains himself, teaching this
very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that
world system there was a bodhisattva great being named Sūryaprabhāsa who, on
beholding that great light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body
of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place
where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, was residing. Going there, he inquired of the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, “Blessed Lord, what are the causes and what
are the conditions for such a great light to manifest in the world, for the
earth to tremble in this manner, and for the body of a tathāgata, such as
this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Sūryaprabhāsa having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, replied to him, “Child of a good family, in
the intermediate northeastern direction, beyond world systems numerous as
the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a world system called
Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha named
Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He is teaching the
perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Sūryaprabhāsa said to the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, “Blessed Lord, I too will go to that world
system of Patient Endurance to behold the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to pay homage and respect to him, and
also to see all those bodhisattva great beings, most of whom are crown
princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and exact knowledges, and have
mastered all the meditative stabilities and absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, then
replied, “Go then to that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good
family, if you think it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
Buddha Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī gave the bodhisattva great being
Sūryaprabhāsa a thousand lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in
color, each with a thousand petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good
family, strew these over the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni, and inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I
trust you are free from sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits,
have your physical strength, and are comfortable and well?’ Child of a good
family, you should conduct yourself with care in that buddhafield. If you
ask why, it is because bodhisattva great beings who are born in that world
system are hard to satisfy. So, beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Sūryaprabhāsa received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, those golden thousand-petaled lotuses.
Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten million billion bodhisattvas in the
form of householders, those gone forth , young men,
and young women, he vanished from that buddhafield. After serving,
respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the blessed lord buddhas residing
and maintaining themselves in the intermediate southwestern direction, as
many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, unguents,
powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags, through the
bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’ great power he
arrived at the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed
One and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Sūryaprabhāsa then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you
are free from sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your
physical strength, and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottamaśrī,
has sent these golden-colored, thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to
you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into all the world systems
of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas
resided. Then those lotuses fully covered those world systems, and upon
those lotuses many bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the
doctrine that takes the six perfections as its point of departure. All the
beings who heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching
unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great
beings in the form of householders, those gone forth ,
young men, and young women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped
the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
through the roots of their respective virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the intermediate
northwestern direction, more numerous than the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, there is the world system called Vaśībhūtā. There the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha called Ekacchatra resides and maintains himself,
teaching this very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now
then, in that world system there was a bodhisattva great being named
Ratnottama who, on beholding that great light, the great trembling of the
earth, and the body of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set
out for the place where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Ekacchatra, was residing. Going there, he inquired of the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ekacchatra,
“Blessed Lord, what are the causes and what are the conditions for such a
great light to manifest in the world, for the earth to tremble in this
manner, and for the body of a tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Ratnottama having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ekacchatra,
replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the intermediate southeastern
direction, beyond world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, there is a world system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata,
arhat, perfectly complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains
himself at present. He is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva
great beings. Such is his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Ratnottama said to the Blessed One,
the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ekacchatra, “Blessed Lord, I
too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to pay
homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and
exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Ekacchatra, then replied, “Go then
to that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you
think it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
Buddha Ekacchatra, gave the bodhisattva great being Ratnottama a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and
inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness,
free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Ratnottama received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Ekacchatra,
those
golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten
million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women, he vanished from that
buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the
blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the intermediate
northwestern direction, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes,
incense, garlands, unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory
banners, and flags, through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and
the bodhisattvas’ great power he arrived at the place where the tathāgata,
arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed
One and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Ratnottama then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Ekacchatra, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from
sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength,
and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Ekacchatra, has sent these golden-colored,
thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha

Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into all the world systems
of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand
of the river Gaṅgā, where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas
resided. Then those lotuses fully covered those world systems, and upon
those lotuses many bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the
doctrine that takes these very six perfections as its point of departure.
All the beings who heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of
reaching unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva
great beings in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women also served, respected,
honored, and worshiped the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Śākyamuni, through the roots of their respective virtuous
actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the direction of the
nadir, more numerous than the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is
the world system called Padmā. There the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha called Padmaśrī resides and maintains himself, teaching this
very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that
world system there was a bodhisattva great being named Padmottara who, on
beholding that great light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body
of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place
where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Padmaśrī, was residing. Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmaśrī,
“Blessed Lord, what are the causes and what are the conditions for such a
great light to manifest in the world, for the earth to tremble in this
manner, and for the body of a tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Padmottara having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmaśrī,
replied to him, “Child of a good family, in the direction of the zenith,
beyond world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā,
there is a world system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at
present. He is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great
beings. Such is his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Padmottara said to the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmaśrī, “Blessed
Lord, I too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to
pay homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and
exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Padmaśrī, then replied, “Go then to
that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you think
it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
Buddha Padmaśrī, gave the bodhisattva great being Padmottara a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and
inquire of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness,
free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Padmottara received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Padmaśrī, those
golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten
million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women, he vanished from that
buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the
blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the direction of
the nadir, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands,
unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners, and flags,
through
the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the bodhisattvas’ great power
he arrived at the place where the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed
One and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Padmottara then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Padmaśrī, has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from
sickness, free from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength,
and are comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat,
perfectly complete buddha Padmaśrī, has sent these golden-colored,
thousand-petaled lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into all the world systems
in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided.
Then those lotuses fully covered those world systems, and upon those lotuses
many bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the doctrine that takes
these very six perfections as its point of departure. All the beings who
heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching
unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great
beings in the form of householders, those gone forth ,
young men, and young women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped
the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
through the roots of their respective virtuous actions.

Now then, beyond all the world systems in the direction of the
zenith, more numerous than the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is
the world system called Nandā. There the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha called Nandaśrī resides and maintains himself, teaching this
very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Now then, in that
world system there was a bodhisattva great being named Nandadatta who, on
beholding that great light, the great trembling of the earth, and the body
of the Tathāgata, looked upon him insatiably, and set out for the place
where the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Nandaśrī, was residing. Going there, he inquired of the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Nandaśrī, “Blessed Lord, what
are the causes and what are the conditions for such a great light to
manifest in the world, for the earth to tremble in this manner, and for the
body of a tathāgata, such as this, to be present?”

The bodhisattva great being Nandadatta having thus inquired, the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Nandaśrī
replied to
him, “Child of a good family, in the direction of the nadir, beyond world
systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, there is a world
system called Patient Endurance. There a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha named Śākyamuni resides and maintains himself at present. He
is teaching the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings. Such is
his power.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Nandadatta said to the Blessed
One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Nandaśrī, “Blessed
Lord, I too will go to that world system of Patient Endurance to behold the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, to
pay homage and respect to him, and also to see all those bodhisattva great
beings, most of whom are crown princes who have acquired the dhāraṇīs and
exact knowledges, and have mastered all the meditative stabilities and
absorptions.”

The Blessed One, the Tathāgata Nandaśrī, then replied, “Go then to
that world system of Patient Endurance, child of a good family, if you think
it is timely.”

Then the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete
Buddha Nandaśrī, gave the bodhisattva great being Nandadatta a thousand
lotus flowers, made of diverse jewels, golden in color, each with a thousand
petals, and instructed him, “Child of a good family, strew these over the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni, and inquire
of the Blessed One in my words, ‘I trust you are free from sickness, free
from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ Child of a good family, you should conduct yourself
with care in that buddhafield. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva
great beings who are born in that world system are hard to satisfy. So,
beware of harm there.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Nandadatta received from the
Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Nandaśrī, those
golden thousand-petaled lotuses. Accompanied by many hundred thousand ten
million billion bodhisattvas in the form of householders, those gone forth
, young men, and young women, he vanished from that
buddhafield. After serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping all the
blessed lord buddhas residing and maintaining themselves in the direction of
the zenith, as many as there were, with flowers, perfumes, incense,
garlands, unguents, powders, robes, ornaments, parasols, victory banners,
and flags, through the bodhisattvas’ great miraculous ability and the
bodhisattvas’ great power he arrived at the place where the tathāgata,
arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni resided.

Arriving there, he bowed his head toward the feet of the Blessed
One and took a place to one side. Having taken a place to one side, the
bodhisattva great being Nandadatta then addressed the Blessed One as
follows: “The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Nandaśrī,
has inquired of the Blessed One, ‘I trust you are free from sickness, free
from all harms, in good spirits, have your physical strength, and are
comfortable and well?’ And the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly
complete buddha Nandaśrī, has sent these golden-colored, thousand-petaled
lotuses as an offering to you, Blessed Lord.”

The Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha
Śākyamuni, took those lotuses and scattered them into all the world systems
in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river
Gaṅgā, where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas resided.
Then those lotuses fully covered those world systems, and upon those lotuses
many bodies of the tathāgatas were seated, teaching the doctrine that takes
these very six perfections as its point of departure. All the beings who
heard that teaching of the Dharma also became assured of reaching
unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And those bodhisattva great
beings in the form of householders, those gone forth ,
young men, and young women also served, respected, honored, and worshiped
the Blessed One, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Śākyamuni,
through the roots of their respective virtuous actions.

Thereupon, at that moment, minute, and second, the great
billionfold world system was completely transformed into the nature of
gemstones, replete with scattered flowers, and completely bedecked with
tassels and bundles of silk. Various kinds of incense wafted from various
containers,
and it was completely adorned with wish-fulfilling trees with the tips of
their branches bent down with ornaments and various fruits, and with flower
trees, fruit trees, fragrance trees, garland trees, powder trees, and
incense trees, just like, to illustrate, the world system of
Padmavatī, the buddhafield of the Blessed One, the
tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Samantakusuma, where
Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta resides alongside Susthitamati Devaputra and other
bodhisattva great beings of mighty splendor.

This completes the first chapter, “Introduction,” from The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand
Lines.

Chapter 2: Śāriputra

At that time, when the Blessed One thus understood that the
world—with its gods, demons, and Brahmā deities, with its virtuous ascetics
and brahmin priests, and with its many gods, humans, and asuras—had
assembled, and that those many bodhisattva great beings who were mainly
crown princes had assembled, he said to the venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Here,
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all
phenomena in all their aspects should persevere in the perfection of
wisdom.”

The venerable Śāradvatīputra then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed
Lord, how should bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all
phenomena in all their aspects persevere in the perfection of wisdom?”

The venerable Śāradvatīputra having thus inquired, the Blessed One
said to him, “Śāradvatīputra, here bodhisattva great beings should stay in
the perfection of wisdom without there being any place to stay. That is,
they should perfect the perfection of generosity without there being any
giving up, since
no gift, giver, or recipient is apprehended. They should perfect the
perfection of ethical discipline, since there are no downfalls or
nondownfalls to be committed. They should perfect the perfection of
tolerance, since there is no disturbance. They should perfect the perfection
of perseverance, since there is no weakening of physical or mental effort.
They should perfect the perfection of meditative concentration, since
disturbance and false imagination do not exist. They should perfect the perfection of
wisdom, since no phenomena are apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four applications of mindfulness,
since the applications of mindfulness are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
perfect the four correct exertions, since the correct exertions are not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four supports for miraculous
ability,
since the supports for miraculous ability are not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the five faculties, since the faculties
are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in
the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the five powers, since the powers
are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in
the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the seven branches of
enlightenment, since the branches of enlightenment are not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the noble eightfold path, since the path is not
apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the emptiness meditative stability,
since emptiness is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the signlessness
meditative stability, since signlessness is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
perfect the wishlessness meditative stability, since wishlessness is not
apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four meditative concentrations,
since a meditative concentration is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva
great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four
immeasurable attitudes, since an immeasurable attitude is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the four formless absorptions, since formlessness is
not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the eight liberations, since a
liberation is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the nine serial steps of
meditative absorption, since a serial step is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the five extrasensory powers, since an extrasensory
power is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the nine perceptions. Thus, they
should cultivate the perception of a bloated corpse, since a bloated corpse
is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of a worm-infested
corpse, since a worm-infested corpse is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
cultivate the perception of a putrefied corpse, since a putrefied corpse is
not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in
the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of a bloodied
corpse, since a bloodied corpse is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
cultivate the perception of a black-and-blue corpse, since a black-and-blue
corpse is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding
in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of a chewed-up
corpse, since a chewed-up corpse is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
cultivate the perception of a dismembered corpse, since a dismembered corpse
is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of bones, since bones
are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in
the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of an immolated
corpse, since an immolated corpse is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of the unpleasantness
of food, since unpleasantness is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of the Buddha, since the
Buddha is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding
in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of the Dharma,
since the Dharma is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of the
Saṅgha, since the Saṅgha is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva
great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate
mindfulness of ethical discipline, since ethical discipline is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of giving away, since
giving away is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of the
gods, since the gods are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of
the inhalation and exhalation of breath, since breathing is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of disillusionment, since disillusionment is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of death, since death is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate mindfulness of the body, since a body
is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of impermanence, since
impermanence is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of
suffering, since suffering is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva
great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the
perception of nonself, since nonself is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
cultivate the perception of unattractiveness, since unattractiveness is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception of
death, since death is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception
that there is nothing delightful in the entire world, since there being
nothing delightful is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the perception
that there is nothing reliable in the entire world, since there being
nothing reliable is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the knowledge of suffering, since
suffering is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the knowledge of the
origin, since the origin is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva
great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the
knowledge of the cessation, since the cessation is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should cultivate the knowledge of the path, since the
path is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the knowledge of the extinction of
contaminants, since extinction is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
cultivate the knowledge that contaminants will not arise again, since not
arising is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the knowledge of
phenomena, since phenomena are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva
great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the
knowledge of nonduality, since nonduality is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding
in the perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the knowledge of the
conventional, since the conventional is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
cultivate the knowledge of mastery, since mastery is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should cultivate knowledge in accord with sound, since accord with
sound is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the meditative stability with an
initial mental application and with a sustained mental application, since an initial
mental application and a sustained mental application are not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should cultivate the meditative stability without an initial mental
application but with just a sustained mental application, since being without an
initial mental application but with a sustained mental application is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should cultivate the meditative stability without an
initial mental application and without a sustained mental application, since
being without an initial mental application and without a sustained mental
application is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the faculty of coming to fully
understand what has not been fully understood, since the faculty of coming to fully understand is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the faculty of understanding all, since understanding
all is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in
the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the faculty of knowing that one has
fully understood, since the faculty of knowing that one has fully understood
is not apprehended.

“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the stations of mastery, since a
station of mastery is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the stations of
complete suffusion, since a station of complete suffusion is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four ways to gather a retinue,
since a way to gather a retinue is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva
great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four
presentations, since a presentation is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
perfect the ten levels, since a level is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
perfect the ten modes of conduct, since a mode of conduct is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the ten tolerances, since tolerance is
not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the twenty higher aspirations, since a
higher aspiration is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the wisdom of an
omniscient one, since the wisdom of an omniscient one is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the knowing of stilling and higher insight, since the
knowing of stilling and higher insight is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
perfect the three knowledges, since knowledge is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the four kinds of exact knowledge, since exact
knowledge is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings,
abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four fearlessnesses,
since fearlessness is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the five
undiminished extrasensory powers, since the undiminished is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the six perfections, since a perfection is not
apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the six principles of being liked,
since being liked is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the seven
riches, since riches are not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the eight ways
great persons think, since a way of thinking is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect the nine states of beings, since a state of being is
not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect the ten powers of the tathāgatas, since
a power of a tathāgata is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the eighteen
distinct qualities of the buddhas, since a distinct quality of a buddha is
not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great
beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect great loving
kindness, since great loving kindness is not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, should
perfect great compassion, since great compassion is not apprehended.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of
wisdom, should perfect great empathetic joy, since great empathetic joy is
not apprehended. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the
perfection of wisdom, should perfect great equanimity, since great
equanimity is not apprehended.

“Bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to the wisdom,
furnished with the best of all aspects, of an omniscient one
should persevere in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who
want to perfect knowledge of the aspects of the path should persevere in the
perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to perfect knowledge
of all the dharmas should persevere in the
perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to perfect knowledge of the aspects of all beings’ minds,
their behavior, and their knowledge
should persevere in the perfection of
wisdom.

“Bodhisattva great beings who want to abandon all the
propensities for afflicted mental states that cause linking up
should
persevere in the perfection of wisdom.

“Bodhisattva great beings who want to know the level of śrāvakas
and pratyekabuddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva
great beings who want to transcend the level of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas
should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want
to remain at the level at which progress is irreversible should train in the
perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to dwell in the
six
extrasensory powers should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva
great beings who want to know all beings’ wavering minds and conduct should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva
great beings who want to surpass the transcendental knowledge of all
śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.
Bodhisattva great beings who want to attain the many dhāraṇī gateways and
the gateways of meditative stability should train in the perfection of
wisdom.

“Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass, by a single setting
of the mind on enlightenment, together with rejoicing in them, all those
virtuous roots of all the sons and daughters of good families who are in the
Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles giving gifts should train in the
perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass, by a
single setting of the mind on enlightenment, together with rejoicing in
them, all those virtuous roots of all the sons and daughters of good
families in the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles guarding ethical
discipline should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great
beings who want to surpass, by a single setting of the mind on
enlightenment, together with rejoicing in them, all those virtuous roots of
all the sons and daughters of good families who are in the Śrāvaka and
Pratyekabuddha Vehicles cultivating tolerance should train in the perfection
of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass, by a single setting
of the mind on enlightenment, together with rejoicing in them, all those
virtuous roots of all the sons and daughters of good families who are in the
Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles applying perseverance should train in
the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass, by a
single setting of the mind on enlightenment, together with rejoicing in
them, all those virtuous roots of all the sons and daughters of good
families who are in the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles becoming
absorbed in meditative concentration should train in the perfection of
wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass, by a single setting of
the mind on enlightenment, together with rejoicing in them, all those
virtuous roots of all the sons and daughters of good families who are in the
Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles cultivating the perfection of wisdom
should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want
to surpass, by a single setting of the mind on enlightenment, together with
rejoicing in them, the ethical discipline, meditative stability, wisdom,
liberation, and knowledge and seeing of liberation of all śrāvakas and
pratyekabuddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.

“Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass, by a single setting
of the mind on enlightenment, together with rejoicing in them, the
meditative concentrations, liberations, meditative stabilities, and
meditative absorptions of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas should train in
the perfection of wisdom.

“Bodhisattva great beings who have offered even a small gift for
the benefit of all beings, thinking, ‘How, through dedication by skillful
means to all-aspect omniscience, will it become immeasurable, countless, and
inestimable?’ should train in the perfection of wisdom.
Bodhisattva great beings who have maintained even a little ethical
discipline for the benefit of all beings, thinking, ‘How, through dedication
by skillful means to all-aspect omniscience, will it become immeasurable,
countless, and inestimable?’ should train in the perfection of wisdom.
Bodhisattva great beings who have cultivated even a little tolerance for the
benefit of all beings, thinking, ‘How, through dedication by skillful means
to all-aspect omniscience, will it become immeasurable, countless, and
inestimable?’ should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who
have applied even a little perseverance for the benefit of all beings,
thinking, ‘How, through dedication by skillful means to all-aspect
omniscience, will it become immeasurable, countless, and inestimable?’
should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who have
become absorbed even in a little meditative concentration for the benefit of
all beings, thinking, ‘How, through dedication by skillful means to
all-aspect omniscience, will it become immeasurable, countless, and
inestimable?’ should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great
beings who have cultivated even a little wisdom for the benefit of all
beings, thinking, ‘How, through dedication by skillful means to all-aspect
omniscience, will it become immeasurable, countless, and inestimable?’
should train in the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
dwell in the perfection of generosity and want to perfect the perfection of
generosity should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover,
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to practice the perfection
of ethical discipline and want to perfect the perfection of ethical
discipline should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover,
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to practice the perfection
of tolerance and want to perfect the perfection of tolerance should train in
the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings
who want to practice the perfection of perseverance and want to perfect the
perfection of perseverance should train in the perfection of
wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
abide in the
perfection of meditative concentration and want to perfect the perfection of
meditative concentration should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover,
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to practice the perfection
of wisdom and want to perfect the perfection of wisdom should train in the
perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings have set
their minds on it, thinking, ‘How will I behold the body of the buddhas in
all my lives? How will I be encouraged by the buddhas? How will I be kept in
mind by the buddhas? How will I please the buddhas? How will I be mentored
by the buddhas?’ they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
acquire the body of the buddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.
Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to attain the
thirty-two major marks of a great person should train in the perfection of
wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
attain the eighty minor signs should train in the perfection of wisdom.
Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want throughout all
their lives to recall their succession of former lives should train in the
perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who
want to attain the state where the mind of enlightenment is not given up
should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings who want to attain the state where the conduct of
the bodhisattvas is not spoiled should train in the perfection of wisdom.
Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to forsake all
evil friends and all evil associates should train in the perfection of
wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to serve
and respect all the buddhas and bodhisattvas who are virtuous spiritual
mentors should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings who want to defeat Māra and all the gods belonging
to the māra class should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover,
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to purify all obscurations
should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra,
bodhisattva great beings who want to attain the state where one is
unobscured with respect to all phenomena should train in the perfection of
wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
establish the lineage of the bodhisattvas should train in the perfection of
wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
establish the lineage of the buddhas should train in the perfection of
wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
maintain the lineage of the Three Precious Jewels without interruption
should train in the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
attain the level of a crown prince should train in the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want never
to be separated from all the buddhas and bodhisattvas should train in the
perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who
want to go beyond the level of the bodhisattvas should train in the
perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who
want to swiftly complete the level of the tathāgatas should train in the
perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who would like
to be richly endowed with those virtuous roots and aspects with which they
might serve, respect, honor, and worship the blessed lord buddhas should train in
the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
delight all beings should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover,
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to fulfill the aspirations
of all beings should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover,
Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings think that they should satisfy
all beings with all necessities and enjoyments such as food, drink,
clothing, ornaments, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, powders, bedding,
seats, dwellings, treatments for medical conditions, the requisites, riches,
grains, finery, jewels, gems, beryl, conch shells, quartz, corals, pure
gold, silver, orchards, and kingdoms and so on, they too should train in the
perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
establish all beings, as many as there are in the world systems of all the
directions, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, in the path
of the ten virtuous actions, and who want to establish them in the four
meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the five
extrasensory powers, going for refuge to the Three Jewels, and devotion to
the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha—they should train in the perfection
of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
bring into the Great Vehicle all beings in worlds as vast as the realm of
phenomena and as far-reaching as the element of space,
who want to establish them in the perfection of generosity, who want to
establish them in the perfection of ethical discipline, who want to
establish them in the perfection of tolerance, who want to establish them in
the perfection of perseverance, who want to establish them in the perfection
of meditative concentration, and who want to establish them in the
perfection of wisdom, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to
render even a single virtuous setting of the mind on enlightenment
inexhaustible up until when they are on the seat of enlightenment
should train in the perfection of wisdom.