Toh 126Kinh Đại Thừa Bậc Thánh "Như Cát Vàng" — Toh 126 (Suvarṇavālukopamā)

Summary

This sūtra presents a short dialogue between Ānanda and
the Buddha on the theme of limitlessness. In response to
Ānanda’s persistent inquiries, the Buddha uses analogies to
illustrate both the limitlessness of the miraculous
abilities acquired by realized beings, and the limitless
multiplicity of the world systems in which bodhisattvas and
buddhas are to be found.

The Buddha then concludes his teaching with a further
analogy—referenced in the sūtra’s title—to illustrate that
although buddhas and bodhisattvas are innumerable, it is
nevertheless extremely rare and precious to find a buddha
within any given world system, or to find bodhisattvas who
engage sincerely in bodhisattva conduct. To encounter such
beings, he says, is as rare as finding a single grain of
gold dust among all the sands of the ocean, or all the sands
of the mighty river Gaṅgā.

Acknowledgements

A draft translation by Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and
Chodrungma Kunga Chodron of the Sakya Pandita Translation
Team was revised, introduced, and edited by George
FitzHerbert and finalized by members of the 84000 editorial
team.

The translation was completed under the patronage and
supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction,
and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter
was in charge of the digital publication process.

Introduction

The short Mahāyāna sūtra known as Like Gold Dust
presents a
dialogue in which Ānanda questions the Buddha on the
theme of limitlessness.

In response to Ānanda’s persistent inquiries,
the Buddha illustrates, by means of analogy, both
the limitlessness of the miraculous abilities
acquired by realized beings, and the limitless
multiplicity of the world systems in which
bodhisattvas and buddhas are found. The analogy he
uses to illustrate miraculous abilities is the
extraordinary speed with which his disciple
Mahāmaudgalyāyana can travel across world systems.
As a starting point for trying to imagine such
speed, the Buddha offers a vivid description of a
fine chariot racing through water so fast that the
water does not even touch the rims of its wheels.
This, he goes on to explain, is but a vanishingly
small fraction of the speed with which
Mahāmaudgalyāyana can traverse world
systems.

The analogy is then extended to illustrate the
limitless number of worlds in which there are
buddhas and bodhisattvas. If one were to travel in
each of the ten directions at this lightning speed
for seven days and seven nights without stopping,
and then enclose the enormous area thus delimited
within a fence, and create in it a single gargantuan
city, then the number of mustard seeds it would take
to completely fill such a city from top to bottom
would barely begin to approach the number of world
systems in which bodhisattvas are striving at
various stages of the journey to awakening.

The Buddha then concludes his teaching with a
further analogy—referenced in the sūtra’s title—to
illustrate that although buddhas and bodhisattvas
are innumerable, it is nevertheless extremely rare
and precious to find a buddha within any given world
system, or to find a world system in which
bodhisattvas engage sincerely in bodhisattva
conduct. To encounter such things, he says, is as
rare as finding a single grain of gold dust among
all the sands of the ocean, or all the sands of the
mighty river Gaṅgā.

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

Like Gold Dust

Homage to all
buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was
staying in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park, along with a great saṅgha of 1,250
monks and many thousands of bodhisattvas.

Venerable Ānanda then asked the Blessed One a
second time, “Blessed One, are thus-gone, worthy,
perfectly complete buddhas limitless? Blessed One,
do thus-gone, worthy, perfectly complete buddhas
possess limitless good qualities?”

Ānanda replied, “Please tell us, Blessed One.
With what miraculous powers does Mahāmaudgalyāyana
travel in the cardinal and intermediate directions?
Well-Gone One, please teach us.”

“Ānanda, I will illustrate it for you by means
of an analogy,” said the Blessed One. “Why? Because,
Ānanda, learned people reach understanding through
analogies. Ānanda, take the analogy of a pool
measuring eight thousand leagues. It is so filled
with water that a crow can drink from it, it is of
equal depth on all sides, and it is covered with
lotus leaves. Over this pool someone then rides an
iron chariot pulled by fine horses that are stronger
than the wind. They race with such power, force, and
speed that the wooden rims of the wheels do not even
touch the water, nor do the horses’ hooves touch the
water, and the lotus leaves are not crushed by the
horses’ hooves, not even slightly. Ānanda, if a
poisonous snake were to appear from that pool and
coil itself around the chariot eight times before
the chariot had left the lake, well, Ānanda, in the
time it took to coil itself just once around that
chariot, you can give eight kinds of Dharma teaching
and make them understood. But in the time it takes
you, Ānanda, to utter one word, Mahāmaudgalyāyana
can give eight kinds of Dharma teaching and make
them understood. However, Ānanda, in the time it takes
Mahāmaudgalyāyana to utter one word, the elder
Śāradvatīputra can give eight kinds of Dharma
teaching and make them understood. Similarly, in the time
it takes the elder Śāradvatīputra to utter one word,
a pratyekabuddha can give innumerable kinds of
Dharma teaching. And in the time it takes a pratyekabuddha to utter
one word, a bodhisattva can give unutterably and
inconceivably innumerable kinds of Dharma teaching
and make them understood. Well, Ānanda, in
the time it takes a bodhisattva to utter just one
word, the elder Mahāmaudgalyāyana can traverse
eighty thousand world systems.

“Ānanda, imagine if one who has developed such a
miraculous ability traveled in this way in the
eastern direction for seven days and nights without
rest, through however many world systems there may
be; and then, in the same way, traveled to the south, to the
west, and to the north; and likewise for seven days
and nights without rest to the southeast, to the
southwest, to the northwest, the northeast, and
likewise in the upward and downward directions.
Then, imagine someone enclosed all of those world
systems in the ten directions within a fence, and,
having leveled the ground and cleared it of rocks, stones, gravel, and
debris, made it into a single city, and filled it
right to the top with mustard seeds. Well, Ānanda, I
see beings embarked upon
awakening in world systems even more numerous than
the number of mustard seeds in that city. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas engaging in bodhisattva conduct. In
world systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas taking birth among the gods of the
Heaven of Joy. In world systems even more numerous
than that, I see bodhisattvas seated among the gods
of the Heaven of Joy. In world systems even more
numerous than that, I see bodhisattvas dying among
the gods of the Heaven of Joy. In world systems even
more numerous than that, I see bodhisattvas entering
their mothers’ wombs. In world systems even more
numerous than that, I see bodhisattvas emerging from
their mothers’ wombs. In world systems even more
numerous than that, I see bodhisattvas engaged in
child’s play. In world systems even more numerous
than that, I see bodhisattvas abandoning their
kingdoms and going forth as renunciants. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas demonstrating the practice of
austerities. In world systems even more numerous
than that, I see bodhisattvas proceeding towards the
seat of awakening. In world systems even more
numerous than that, I see bodhisattvas gazing upon
the seat of awakening. In world systems even more
numerous than that, I see bodhisattvas
circumambulating the seat of awakening three times
with the utmost devotion and respect. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas seated at the seat of awakening. In
world systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas seated before the Bodhi tree. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas who will completely realize
unsurpassed and perfectly complete awakening. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see
bodhisattvas who have completely realized
unsurpassed and perfectly complete awakening. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see blessed
buddhas turning the wheel of Dharma. In world
systems even more numerous than that, I see blessed
buddhas displaying the great parinirvāṇa.

“All of these are merely those bodhisattvas with
fitting names and fitting family lineages, which is
not to mention those great bodhisattvas, in
whichever world systems, with different names and
different family lineages, who are renouncing, who
are proceeding toward the seat of awakening, who are
gazing upon the seat of awakening, who are
circumambulating the seat of awakening, who are
seated at the seat of awakening, who are seated
before the Bodhi tree, who are completely awakened
and have turned the wheel of Dharma, and who are
displaying the great parinirvāṇa.”

The Blessed One replied, “To draw an analogy
Ānanda, in those world systems that I have spoken
of, the appearance of blessed buddhas, and
bodhisattvas who engage in bodhisattva conduct, is
as rare, Ānanda, as gold dust among the sands of the
great ocean or the sands of the river Gaṅgā. Ānanda,
the appearance of blessed buddhas in any world
system, and world systems in which bodhisattvas
engage in bodhisattva conduct, are as rare as this.
Ānanda, world systems in which blessed buddhas
appear, and in which bodhisattvas engage in
bodhisattva conduct, are as uncommon as someone
finding a single grain of gold among all the sands
of the great ocean or the sands of the river Gaṅgā.”

Colophon

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan

’phags pa gser gyi bye ma lta bu zhes bya ba theg
pa chen po’i mdo (Āryasuvarṇavālukopamānāmamahāyānasūtra).
Toh 126, Degé Kangyur vol. 54 (mdo sde, tha), folios
293.a–296.a.

’phags pa gser gyi bye ma lta bu zhes bya ba theg
pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur
ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i
bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe
bsdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau
of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108
volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun
khang (China Tibetology Publishing House),
2006–9, vol. 54, pp. 761–69.

Western Languages

Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park
jetavanam anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ
rgyal bu rgyal byed kyi tshal mgon med zas sbyin gyi kun dga’ ra ba
རྒྱལ་བུ་རྒྱལ་བྱེད་ཀྱི་ཚལ་མགོན་མེད་ཟས་སྦྱིན་གྱི་ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བ།