Toh 185Nhập Cảnh Giới Bất Khả Tư Nghì của Đức Tính và Trí Tuệ Chư Như Lai

Summary

In the Introduction to the Domain of the Inconceivable Qualities and Wisdom of the Tathāgatas, the bodhisattva
Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin expounds at length on how the awakened activity of the buddhas spontaneously unfolds in a limitless variety of ways to
benefit beings, in all their diversity, throughout the universe. He also describes the inestimable benefits a bodhisattva derives from following a
virtuous spiritual friend.

Acknowledgements

Translated by Karen Liljenberg and Ulrich Pagel. Karen Liljenberg wrote the introduction to the translation.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The generous sponsorship of Make and Wang Xiao Juan (馬珂和王曉娟), which helped make the work on this translation
possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

Introduction to the Domain of the Inconceivable Qualities and Wisdom of the Tathāgatas consists of a discourse
between two bodhisattvas in which the bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin addresses the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī in the Buddha’s inspiring presence.
The sūtra thus belongs to the class of scriptures classified in the Tibetan tradition as “imparted with permission” by the Buddha.

Two main themes stand out in the text. The first, as intimated by the title, is the universality, omniscience, and unlimited powers of the
spontaneous and nonconceptual activity and manifestations that the buddhas display for the sake of all beings. The second central theme is the
benefits that a bodhisattva derives from following a spiritual friend, who acts as a mentor or teacher on the spiritual path.
Many sūtras elaborate on the subject of the awakened qualities of the buddhas, but the strong emphasis this sūtra places on the importance of a
spiritual friend is unusual.

The sūtra states that a bodhisattva who is accepted by a spiritual friend also attains a number of dhāraṇīs (Tib. gzungs); these are formulae linked to
the powers of scriptural memorization and recitation, or in a more magical vein, consisting in incantations chanted for worldly or spiritual gain.
The list of these dhāraṇīs is closely related to that found in the Mahāvyutpatti, an authoritative Tibetan-Sanskrit lexicon of the ninth century. The sūtra also incorporates, near its
beginning, a passage describing the qualities of the Buddha that is also found in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra (Toh
106). Further on, there is a list of various states of samādhi, or meditative
absorption, ascribed here to bodhisattvas. Similar lists also appear in the Akṣayamatinirdeśa (Toh 175), the Bodhisattvapiṭaka (Toh 56), the Ratnamegha (Toh 231), the Gaṇḍavyūha (Toh 44), and other sūtras, as well as in the Mahāvyutpatti.

This sūtra seems to have been well known to Buddhist scholars in India. The text is quoted both in Nāgarjūna’s
Sūtrasamuccaya
(Toh 3934) and in the Ratnagotravibhāgavyākhyā (Toh
4025). If the Sūtrasamuccaya is
indeed the work of the Nāgarjūna (150 to 250 ce)
who is identified as the author of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Toh 3824), this would suggest that our sūtra was
already in circulation in the second or third century ce.

Peter Skilling has recently noted the sūtra’s connection with a vast family of Buddhāvataṃsaka texts that
once circulated in India, and that were only later identified as a unitary collection in Tibet and China. To this we may add further textual and thematic evidence for including the
sūtra in the Buddhāvataṃsaka family. An important piece of textual evidence is its reference to the Samantabhadracaryāpraṇidhāna (
Aspiration Prayer for the Conduct of
Samantabhadra
), a text that forms
the final part of the Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra (Toh 44-45), which is itself an important component text in the Buddhāvataṃsaka family. Thematically, our sūtra’s multiple descriptions of
the wondrous displays of buddhas’ bodies throughout all world-systems in accord with beings’ dispositions, and especially the buddhas’ displays of
manifold bodies in one body, or one body in manifold bodies, draw upon tropes that are central to the Buddhāvataṃsaka corpus. Another thematic feature of this text that links it with this corpus is the central place that the dharmadhātu occupies in its descriptions of the bodhisattvas’ qualities.

Introduction to the Domain of the Inconceivable Qualities and Wisdom of the Tathāgatas, is found in the
General Sūtra Section (Tib. mdo sde) of the Kangyur. According to the colophon, it was translated
by the Indian pandit Jñānagarbha and the renowned Tibetan translator Yeshé Dé, who flourished in the late eighth to the early ninth centuries. It
is also included in the Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalog, confirming that it was translated into Tibetan by the
early ninth century.

Apart from several recently-discovered fragments, no Sanskrit
original of the text has survived. Three Chinese versions are known: probably the earliest (Taishō 303) by an unknown translator; another (Taishō
302) by the Gandharan monk Jñānagupta, carried out between 585 and 601; and a third translation (Taishō 304) by the Khotanese monk Śikṣānanda, in
700.

This translation was prepared from the Degé (sde dge) block print in consultation with the
Comparative Kangyur (dpe bsdur ma).

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

Introduction to the Domain of the Inconceivable Qualities and Wisdom of the Tathāgatas

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the region of Magadha, on the seat of awakening in the Dharma Discernment
hermitage in the mansion of Samantaprabha, which was a great store of accumulated meritorious attributes, delightful, and free of flaws, and had a
vast number of qualities.

The Blessed One had fully realized the equality of all phenomena. He possessed a mind with excellent comprehension and was not duplicitous
in conduct. He was completely absorbed in the teaching of signlessness. He lived in the state of buddhahood, and had attained equality with all
buddhas. He had attained flawless understanding, and possessed irreversible qualities. Not captivated by worldly spheres of activity, he engaged
in vast, never-ending, and inconceivable buddha activity. He had realized the holy truth of signlessness. He had mastered the equality of the
three times. He was endowed with a body that pervaded all the realms of the world. He held resolute knowledge about all phenomena, and was
familiar with all forms of conduct. He was certain in his knowledge of the Dharma. He had an unimaginable body, and had internalized the wisdom
held by all bodhisattvas. He had realized the nondual, excellent state of a buddha, and had perfected the wisdom that brings about the unique
liberation of a tathāgata. Having penetrated all-pervading buddha equality, he
possessed the excellent dharmadhātu and reached the furthest reaches of space. In possession of a
body that ceaselessly turns the wheel of the Dharma for eons until the end of time, he took a seat on a lion throne made of lotus flowers in the
company of a saṅgha of six million two hundred thousand monks.

These included the Venerable Śāriputra, as well as Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Aniruddha, Subhūti, Kātyāyana, Mahākapphiṇa,
Citra, Nanda,
Nadī-Kāśyapa, Gayā-Kāśyapa, UruvilvāKāśyapa, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, Gavāṃpati, Cūḍāpanthaka, Vasumallaputra, Khadiravanika, Cunda,
Mahākauṣṭhila, Rāhula, Ānanda, and so on. Altogether there were six million two hundred thousand monks, all of whom were absorbed in a single
teaching and established in the sphere of conduct of the noble ones.

They all were established in the true, quintessential nature of all phenomena. They abided without support or foundation in the sphere of
space. They had cast aside the deeply ingrained obscuration of the afflictive emotions. They possessed the knowledge of how to enter into the
spheres of conduct and wisdom of the omniscient ones. They engaged in the conduct of the bodhisattvas. They were established in a method that
revealed the dharmadhātu of all the tathāgatas. They were immersed in the single Dharma method.
They had approached omniscience. They were unswerving on the path of omniscience;
their minds never turned away from omniscience. Their minds were established in understanding and wisdom. They had perfected the wisdom and
insight of omniscience. Their methods and conduct had become steadfast.

The Buddha was also accompanied by sixty-two thousand nuns, including Mahāprajāpatī and Yaśodharā. They, too, had amassed virtuous
qualities and were approaching the wisdom of omniscience. They were established in a method that revealed omniscience. They had realized the
nonsubstantiality of all phenomena. They were established in the signlessness of all phenomena. They understood the true nature of all phenomena.
They were convinced that all phenomena are unproduced, unceasing, and beyond oppositional factors. They were established in inconceivable
liberation and meditative absorption. They manifested, spontaneously and nonconceptually, in shapes, bodies, colors, and modes of conduct that
were perfectly suited to all the sentient beings to be trained.

The Buddha was also accompanied by a large retinue of bodhisattvas that consisted of as many bodhisattva mahāsattvas as there are atoms in
the indescribably many billions of buddhafields.

They included the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Samantabhadra, Universal Guide, Universal Emanation, Universal Insight, Samantanetra,
Samantaprabha, Samantāloka, Samantaraśmi, and Samantaketu, as well as the
bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabuddhi; the bodhisattvas Great Strength, Great Strength Holder, Great Emanation, Great Emanation King, Great
Diligence Hero, Great Energy Hero, Great Poise, Great Powerful Poise, Great Lord of the Feast, and Great Musth Elephant; the bodhisattva
mahāsattvas Mahācandra, Sucandra, Guṇacandra, Ratnacandra, All-Illumining Moon, Stainless-Dharma Moon, Illuminating Moon, Famous Moon, and
Brilliant Moon, as well as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Pūrṇacandra; the bodhisattvas Brahmaghoṣa, Famous Melody of Brahmā, Melodious Song of the
Earth, Dharmadhātu Melody, Melody That Conquers All the Throngs of Māras, Great Dharma-Drum Melody, Universally Understood Melody, Thought-Free
Nonconceptual Melody, and Earth Melody, as well as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Melody That Eclipses All Types of Song; the bodhisattva mahāsattvas
Samantagarbha, Universal Stainless Essence, Guṇagarbha, Vairocanagarbha, Ratnagarbha, Candragarbha, Sūryagarbha, Jyotigarbha, Padmaśrīgarbha,
Vajragarbha, Sumati, Mahāmati, Viśeṣamati, Vidhuṣṭhamati, Mahārājamati, Gurumati, Improving Intellect, Anantamati, Vipulamati, Buddhamati, and Akṣayamati, as well as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Sāgaramati, Sthiramati,
Vajramati, and Intellect Perceiving the Buddha; the bodhisattvas Merupradīpa, Mahāpradīpa, Torchlight of Dharma, Light Pervading All Directions,
Universal Light, Light Dispelling All Darkness, Light That Shines on All Beings, Sole Lamp of the World, and Candrapradīpa, as well as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sūryapradīpa; the bodhisattvas Youthful Mañjuśrī, Youthful
Jewel-Holder, Youthful Precious Seal-holder, Youthful Sky-Treasury, Youth Who Turns the Dharma Wheel Upon Generating the Mind of Awakening, Youth
of Latticed Light, Youthful Clearer, Youth Who Renounces All, Youthful Glorious Essence, Youthful Lion, Youthful Moonlight, Youthful Moonbeam,
Youthful Supreme Intelligence, Youthful Ornament, Padmapāṇi, Vajrapāṇi, Sūryaprabha, Ratna, Vidyut, Sūrya, Candra, All-Outshining Light of Brahmā,
Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, and Intelligence that Conquers All Suffering and Darkness, as well as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Intelligence that
Renounces All Objects; the bodhisattvas Heroic Cleanliness, Heroic Purity, Heroic Aggregates, Heroic Faculties, Heroic Constituents, Heroic
Emptiness, Heroic Signlessness, Heroic Wishlessness, Heroic Birthlessness, Heroic
Ceaselessness, Heroic Nondisappearance, Heroic Nonarrival, Heroic Without Birth or Death, Heroic Nonarising, Heroic Clear-Light Nature, Heroic in
the Three Worlds, Heroic Limitlessness, Heroic in All World Systems, Heroic in All Phenomena, Heroic Liberation, Heroic Absorption,
Heroic in Every Meditative State, Heroic Clairvoyance, Heroic Awareness, Heroic in the Mental Deeds of All Sentient Beings, Heroic at the Limit of
Reality, Heroic Tathāgata, and Heroic Sameness, as well as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Heroic Dharmadhātu; the bodhisattvas Unstained by the Realm
of Māras, Mārajit, Great Conqueror of Māra, Ratnacūḍa, Emitter of a Thousand Light Rays, Hard Renunciation, Durdharṣa, Hard to Realize, Intellect
Hard to Approach, Sears the Lower Realms, Bhadrapāla, Ratnākara, Susārthavāha, Nārada, Varuṇadeva, Candradeva, Vimaladatta, and Vimalakīrti, as
well as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya; and other such bodhisattva mahāsattvas, assembled from the various world systems, as many as there
are atoms in the indescribably many billions of buddhafields. All were only one birth away from awakening.

In bringing all the dispositions of sentient beings to maturity, all were skilled in analysis, means, methods, and discipline, as well as
in establishing them in the bodhisattva teaching. All had accessed the boundless knowledge of the method of analysis of infinite world systems.
All were skilled in examining and analyzing the sphere of conduct of the level beyond suffering. They had cut through mental constructs and
attachment to conduct, and were skilled in integrating all the aspects of sentient experience. All were skilled in entering the method of the
Dharma that is beyond center or periphery. All were skilled in the nonobjectifying examination and discrimination of the never-ending maturation
of actions in all sentient beings. All were skilled in examining and analyzing all the constituent thoughts, predispositions, faculties,
intentions, and activities of sentient beings.

All were skilled in correctly retaining and pondering the knowledge of the transmitted meanings, words, and letters imparted by all the
tathāgatas of the past, present, and future. All employed both worldly and transcendent methods of Dharma, as well as that which is without center
or periphery. All were skilled in analyzing conditioned, unconditioned, phased, and gradual methods. They were established all at once and
instantaneously as the maṇḍala of wisdom of all the tathāgatas of the past, present, and future. All were skilled in exhibiting—in a single,
instantaneous moment of thought—death, becoming, birth, renunciation, the practice
of austerities, approach to the seat of awakening, victory over Māra, the attainment of perfect awakening, the turning of the wheel of Dharma, and
entry into mahāparinirvāṇa. Once they had generated the mind of awakening for the sake of all
sentient beings, they were inseparable from awakening to buddhahood. By penetrating the mind-frame of a single sentient being, they were able to
understand the mind-frames of each and every sentient being. They possessed the body of a bodhisattva that never strayed from the level of
self-originated wisdom. Due to their omniscience, their attainment was irreversible. Without disrupting the
bodhisattvas’ power of application, they were established in a method understanding the absence of application.

All were skilled in bestowing blessings through persistent involvement over countless ages in the deeds of a single sentient being. They
bestowed blessings through continuously turning the wheel of the Dharma, and were skilled at inducing in all beings a temperament suitable for
instruction. They had entered the pure state of all the tathāgatas of the past, present, and future, and possessed the quality of the powers of
conduct and
aspiration.

They possessed the special intention of the Aspiration Prayer for the Conduct of
Samantabhadra. All were skilled in approaching and appealing to all the
buddhas of the present. All were skilled in holding on to the Dharma methods of all the tathāgatas. All followed in the unbroken lineage of all
the buddhas. They all made buddhas appear in world systems that were without
buddhas. They all purified world systems polluted by defilements. All had severed the chain of karmic obscurations faced by all bodhisattvas and
entered the unveiled dharmadhātu. All possessed qualities as immeasurable as the sphere of space.
They all maintained equality as they entered the dharmadhātu. They maintained equality at the
limit of reality and in the dharmadhātu. They were dedicated to maturation in accordance with the
action that brought it about. They were dedicated to the result in accordance with the causes that brought it about. They understood that all
phenomena are equal, like the raised designs on a seal. They knew that phenomena, which appear like illusions and reflections, are in a state of
equality. They knew that the auditory perceptions of all phenomena resemble echoes. They were established in liberation and inconceivable
absorptions. They disported themselves in the absorption of heroic progress.

They possessed dhāraṇīs
that accomplish the perfect hues of the limitless bodies of the buddhas. They were able to
display all the world systems on just a single hair. They were able to display in all ten directions—on just a single hair—death, becoming, birth,
renunciation, the practice of austerities, approach to the seat of awakening,
victory over Māra, the attainment of perfect awakening, the turning of the wheel of Dharma, and entry into mahāparinirvāṇa.

They knew how to fill the celestial expanse of all the world systems in the ten directions by simply sitting in cross-legged posture. All
were skilled in displaying the adornments of all the buddhafields in one buddhafield. All were skilled in displaying the adornments arranged in
one buddhafield in all the buddhafields. All were skilled in displaying, in the retinue of a single tathāgata, all the retinues of all tathāgatas
in all the vast world systems of the ten directions. All were skilled in displaying, in the retinues of all tathāgatas of all world systems of the
ten directions, the retinue of a single tathāgata. All were skilled in demonstrating that all phenomena are without limit or center. All were
skilled in displaying the bodies of all sentient beings within their own bodies. All were skilled in displaying the bodies of all the buddhas
within a single buddha body. All were skilled in displaying the body of a single buddha within the bodies of all the buddhas. All were skilled in
displaying all the world systems of the ten directions within their own bodies. All were skilled in displaying the bodies of the sentient beings
of the three times within the body of a single sentient being.

All were skilled in displaying the future and the present in the past, and the past and the present in the future, as well as the past and
the future in the present. All were skilled in resting in absorption with a single
body, but manifesting based on boundless, countless bodies. All were skilled in resting in absorption in boundless, countless bodies, but
displaying manifestations based on a single body.

All were skilled in displaying full awakening commensurate with the bodies of all sentient beings. All were skilled in displaying the body
of a single sentient being in the bodies of all sentient beings. All were skilled in displaying the bodies of all sentient beings in the body of a
single sentient being. All were skilled in displaying a buddha body in the bodies of all sentient beings. All were skilled in displaying the
emergence of the bodies of sentient beings from a buddha body. All were skilled in displaying the bodies of sentient beings as the dharmakāya. All were skilled in displaying the adornments arranged in all buddhafields within a single
buddhafield. All were skilled in displaying the adornments arranged in a single buddhafield within all buddhafields. All were skilled in
displaying the dharmakāya as the body of sentient beings. All were skilled in displaying all the
world systems of the ten directions condensed in a single pore. All were skilled in demonstrating in their complete and perfect awakening the
basis of all the buddhas’ powerful former resolve to attain complete and perfect awakening. All were skilled in demonstrating unsurpassed,
complete, and perfect awakening perfectly suited to maturing sentient beings to be trained within all the infinite world systems of the ten
directions. All were skilled in displaying, in a single world system, for the
entire number of eons, a body that ceaselessly engages in bodhisattva conduct.

All were skilled in displaying, with the single cultivation of the mind of awakening, the venues for engaging in
behavior, deeds, and spontaneous and nonconceptual conduct perfectly suited to maturing all the sentient beings to be trained within each of the
infinite world systems of the entire universe in the ten directions including those born from an egg or womb, born from heat and moisture, and
born miraculously; those with and without corporeality, those with and without perception; those with two, four, or more legs; and gods, nāgas,
yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Brahmā, Śakra, world guardians, humans, and nonhumans. All were skilled in entering into
each minute particle in countless, inconceivable, matchless, vast, boundless, and indescribable world systems, without harming a single sentient
being. All were skilled in blessing countless, inconceivable, matchless, vast, boundless, and indescribable eons, in just a single moment. All
were skilled in blessing a single moment, during countless, inconceivable, matchless, vast, boundless, and indescribably many eons. All were skilled in displaying, spontaneously and nonconceptually, bodily hues and
modes of conduct that bring sentient beings to maturation. These bodhisattvas-mahāsattvas, and all the others, possessed vast and countless
qualities.

Then countless, inconceivable, matchless, vast, boundless, and indescribably many gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas,
kinnaras, and mahoragas, as well as Brahmā, Śakra, and the world guardians, assembled from all the various buddhafields. Furthermore, from this
world system, the many millions of gods belonging to the league of the Four Great Kings, each with his own vast
retinue, approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. Many millions
accompanying Śakra, many millions with the divine king of the Suyāmā Heaven, many millions with the divine king of Tuṣita, many millions with the
divine king of Nirmāṇarati, and many millions with the divine king of Paranirmitavaśavartin—each divine king with his own vast retinue
approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma.

Many millions of gods belonging to the league of Māra, such as Sārthavāha and so on, approached the Blessed One in order to behold him,
pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. One million
eight hundred thousand rākṣasa spirits, three million eight hundred thousand demon spirits, eight million asura spirits, and six million
five hundred thousand knowledge-mantra practitioners, as well as nine million nine hundred thousand sages, all in possession of the five
supernormal knowledges, approached the Blessed One. The great kings of the wind known as Vairambhaka and Great Vairambhaka with their myriad
retinues, a hundred million Brahmās, a hundred million Great Brahmās, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Lesser Light, a hundred million gods
of the Heaven of Immeasurable Light, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Radiant Light, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Lesser Virtue,
a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Immeasurable Virtue, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Vast Virtue, a hundred million gods of the
Heaven Without Clouds, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Large Fruit, a hundred million gods of the Heaven Born from Merit, a hundred
million gods of the Heaven of Those of Exquisite Appearance, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Acute Perception, a hundred million gods of
the Heaven of Unsurpassed, a hundred million gods of the Heaven of Sorrowless, and a hundred million gods of Akaniṣṭha—they all, with
each Great Brahmā in possession of his own vast retinue, approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make
offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma.

They included Devaputra Maheśvara, one of the hundred million gods of the pure heavens, and his retinue, who all approached the Blessed One in order to behold him,
pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. One hundred million nāga lords, a hundred million yakṣa lords, a
hundred million gandharva lords, a hundred million asura lords, a hundred million garuḍa lords, a hundred million kinnara lords, and a hundred
million mahoraga lords, each with his own vast retinue—they all approached the
Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. Limitless, countless numbers
of human and nonhuman beings also approached the Blessed One in order to see him, pay homage, make offerings, venerate him, and listen to the
Dharma. Myriad millions of male and female lay disciples also approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him, worship him,
make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma.

All the gods of the grasses, branches, medicinal herbs, and forests, as well as all the gods of the mountains, including Meru and Great
Meru, Mucilinda and Great Mucilinda, Himavat, and Cakravāḍa and Great Cakravāḍa, along with their holy sites, also approached the Blessed One in order to
behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. In addition, all the gods of the seas and oceans,
rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, springs and waterfalls, along with their holy sites, approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay
homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. All the gods of the villages, cities, towns, districts, provinces,
royal precincts, and surroundings,
together with their own holy sites, approached the Blessed One in order to behold
him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. All the gods of the holy sites of the nāgas, yakṣas,
gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, with each positioned in his or her own holy site, approached the Blessed One in order to
behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. By the power of the Blessed One, no sentient being
was harmed or kept in the dark. The divinities of a hundred million moons, a hundred million suns, and a hundred million oceans, each with his or
her own vast retinue, approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the
Dharma. In addition, the great nāga king Anavatapta, along with his retinue, approached the Blessed One in order to behold him, pay homage to him,
worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. All the beings who had been born as animals also approached the Blessed One in order
to behold him, pay homage to him, worship him, make offerings to him, and listen to the Dharma. All the beings who had been born as animals
unanimously aspired toward the Mahāyāna; they dedicated themselves to the Mahāyāna, and sought to attain the wisdom of omniscience.

At that time the Blessed One’s bodily hue, form, luster, and radiance outshone his entire retinue. He was luminous, glowing, and bright
. For example, just as the sun emits countless, myriad rays that surpass all
glowworms in their luminosity, glow, and brightness, in the same way the luminosity, glow, and brightness of the Blessed One surpasses Śakra,
Brahmā, and all the guardians of the world. Or, as another analogy, just as the full moon, when it emerges from behind the surrounding clouds,
surpasses all the constellations of stars in luminosity, glow, and brightness, in the same way the Blessed One overawes and surpasses Śakra,
Brahmā, and all the world guardians in his luminosity, glow, and brightness. Like Mount Meru, the king of mountains, he is resplendent,
imperturbable, unchanging, and steadfast in his luminosity, glow, and brightness.

Then Youthful Mañjuśrī said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, “O Son of the Jina, in this way the Tathāgata abides
here in an unperturbed, unchanging, and steadfast manner.”

Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin replied to Youthful Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, some within this very retinue observe that the Tathāgata takes
religious vows and leaves household life behind. Others observe him taking religious vows and living in austerity. Some within this very retinue
observe him going to the seat of awakening. Others observe that he resides on the seat of awakening. Some within this very retinue observe him
surrounded by and overcoming a vast, immeasurable circle of evil spirits. Others
observe the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Śakra, and Brahmā, as well as all the innumerable, countless
world guardians, rejoicing and proclaiming: ‘Victory! Victory to you, O great guide!’ Some observe how, after he achieved full awakening, Śakra
petitioned him. Others observe how Brahmā petitioned him. Some of this retinue observe that the guardians petitioned the Blessed One.

“Some observe the Blessed One teaching them a discourse on generosity. Others of this very retinue observe the Blessed One teaching a
discourse on moral conduct, and still others observe the Blessed One teaching a discourse on patience, diligence, concentration, or insight. Some
observe the Blessed One teaching them a discourse on skillful means, or on miraculous powers, resolve, or wisdom.

“Some observe the Blessed One teaching them a discourse on the Śrāvakayāna, others observe him teaching a discourse on the
Pratyekabuddhayāna, and others observe him teaching a discourse on the Mahāyāna.

“Some observe the Blessed One teaching them the factors that cause sentient beings to be born in the hell realms, others observe him
teaching on factors that cause birth among the animals, others observe him teaching on factors that cause birth among the hungry ghosts, others on
factors that cause birth in the realm of the Lord of Death, and others still on
factors that cause birth among the gods in the league of the Four Great Kings. Some observe the Blessed One
teaching on factors that cause birth in the abode of the Thirty-Three Gods. Some observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that
cause birth in the Yāma abode. Some observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that cause birth in Tuṣita, or in Nirmāṇarati, or in
Paranirmitavaśavartin, or in the abode of Māras, or in the abode of Brahmā. Similarly, some observe the Blessed One
teaching on factors that cause birth in the abode of Brahmā’s High Priests, on birth in the

abode of Brahmā’s Entourage, and on birth in the abodes of Lesser Light, Immeasurable Light, Radiant
Light, Lesser Virtue, Immeasurable Virtue, and Vast Virtue. Some observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that cause birth in the abodes of
Without Clouds, Born from Merit, Large Fruit, Unsurpassed, Sorrowless, Exquisite Appearance, and Acute Perception, and on birth in
Akaniṣṭha. Some observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that cause birth in the abodes of Infinity of Space, Infinity of
Consciousness, Nothingness, and birth in the abode of Neither-Perception-nor-Nonperception.

“Mañjuśrī, some within this retinue observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that cause birth as human beings. Some observe the Blessed
One teaching on factors that cause becoming a universal monarch. Some observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that give rise to monarchs of
one, two, or three continents. And some observe the Blessed One teaching on factors that give rise to a monarch of the chiliocosm, dichiliocosm,
and trichiliocosm and their worlds as numerous as grains of sand in the Ganges.

“Mañjuśrī, some within this retinue observe the Tathāgata’s body as exceeding six feet tall; others as much as a mile, or as much as two
miles; and still others as much as a league. Others observe the Tathāgata’s body
as exceeding two leagues, and others as much as ten leagues. Some within this retinue observe the Tathāgata’s body as being a thousand leagues
tall. Others observe the Tathāgata’s body as ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty thousand leagues tall. Some observe the Tathāgata’s body as
being a hundred thousand leagues, one million, two million, three million, four million, or five million leagues tall. Some observe the
Tathāgata’s body as being one hundred eighty-four thousand leagues tall. Within this very retinue, some observe the Tathāgata’s body as being
countless hundreds of thousands of leagues tall.

“Some within this retinue see the Tathāgata’s body as golden in color. Others observe that it is the color of a precious beryl jewel,
others as the color of a great jewel of sapphire, others as the color of a great azure gem, others as the color of a jewel of starlight, others as
the color of a jewel of precious ruby, others as the color of the precious jewel held by Śakra, others as the color of a precious, shining
diamond, others as the color of a precious jewel that shines like all the gods, others as the color of a precious jewel that shines like the sun
and moon, others as the color of a precious water-purifying gem, others as the color of a precious crystal jewel, others as the color of a
precious wish-fulfilling jewel, others as the color of a precious jewel that includes all lights, others as the color of a precious jewel the
color of the maned lion, the king of beasts, others as the color of a jewel at the
apex of a lion victory-banner, and others see it as precious gems that radiate light rays of the jeweled array of all the pristine domains of the
oceans. Mañjuśrī, some within this retinue see the Blessed One as the color of a precious wish-fulfilling jewel.

“Mañjuśrī, whatever colors, conduct, and forms will train sentient beings, they are precisely the colors, conduct, and forms of the
Tathāgata that sentient beings see. Mañjuśrī, whatever Dharma teachings will mature sentient beings, they are precisely the teachings that
sentient beings observe the Tathāgata teaching. Mañjuśrī, whatever conduct will lead sentient beings toward, and instruct them in, the teaching of
the Tathāgata, this is precisely the conduct that sentient beings understand the Tathāgata to engage in.

“Mañjuśrī, imagine that the countless, unimaginable, incomparable, immeasurable, limitless, indescribably ineffable world systems of the
east were filled with gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Brahmā, Śakra, world guardians, humans and nonhumans;
and if, just like in the east, the countless, unimaginable, peerless, immeasurable, limitless, indescribably ineffable world systems of the south, the west, and the north, and similarly the southeast and southwest, and
similarly the northwest and northeast, as well as those above and below, were filled with gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas,
kinnaras, mahoragas, Brahmā, Śakra, world guardians, humans, and nonhumans—like fields full of reeds or sugarcane, or fields full of sesame. If,
Mañjuśrī, those sentient beings were to be instructed by seeing the Tathāgata, they would perceive themselves seated six feet in front of the
Tathāgata.

“Mañjuśrī, whatever colors, conduct, and location will instruct those sentient beings, they are precisely the colors, conduct, and
location in which those sentient beings see the Tathāgata as present before them. Mañjuśrī, whatever Dharma teaching will develop sentient beings,
this is precisely the Dharma that they hear taught. Mañjuśrī, whatever deeds will cause sentient beings to engage with the teaching of the
Tathāgata are precisely the deeds in which the Tathāgata engages. All the deeds of the Tathāgata are spontaneously and nonconceptually
accomplished.

“Mañjuśrī, it is as follows: Although all sentient beings in the world observe the disk of the waxing moon when it appears before them at
midnight, the moon-disk does not consciously think, ‘I shall appear before these sentient beings so that they may wonder, “Why am I aware of the
moon?”’ It does not consciously think this, Mañjuśrī, and yet the moon, because of its unique qualities, spontaneously and nonconceptually acts in
such a way.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha may stand in the midst of countless, inconceivable,
unrivaled, vast, boundless, and indescribably many retinues, and everyone sees the
Tathāgata present before them, yet when he does so, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not think, ‘I shall stand before these sentient beings so that
that they may know that the Tathāgata is in front of them.’ He does not consciously think that. Yet whatever manner will instruct these sentient
beings, this is the manner in which they observe the Tathāgata before them. It is so because of his unique qualities.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, it is because of the ripening of action—inferior, middling, or superior—of sentient beings that their mental
impulses—inferior, medium, or superior—will arise. The impulses do not think—they are not conscious—and yet these impulses spontaneously and
nonconceptually engage in action: inferior, medium, or superior.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, because of the ripening of the actions of sentient
beings—inferior, medium, or superior—is seen by them as an inferior, middling, or superior Tathāgata. Even though, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does
not think or conceptualize, still the Tathāgata’s deeds spontaneously occur in this manner.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, there exists a form of the gem beryl that changes colors if it is placed on different colored cloth. If, Mañjuśrī,
the beryl is placed on a yellow cloth, the beryl turns yellow. If placed on a red cloth, it turns red. If placed on a blue cloth, it turns blue.
Thus, it assumes precisely the color of whatever cloth onto which it is placed.
Yet, Mañjuśrī, the beryl does not think or conceptualize. Rather, such activity occurs spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, the Tathāgata assumes different hues because sentient beings are different. If, Mañjuśrī, sentient beings are best
instructed by seeing the Tathāgata’s body as golden in color, then they see the Tathāgata’s body as golden. If sentient beings are best instructed
through a color similar to that of a gem of beryl, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a gem of beryl. If sentient beings are best
instructed by a color resembling a pearl, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a pearl. If sentient beings are best instructed by a color
resembling a sapphire, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a sapphire. Mañjuśrī, if sentient beings are best instructed by a color
resembling a special sapphire, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a special sapphire. If sentient beings are best instructed by a color
resembling a jewel that captures all lights, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a jewel that captures all lights. If sentient beings
are best instructed by a color resembling a wish-fulfilling jewel, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a wish-fulfilling jewel. If
sentient beings are best instructed by a color resembling a precious gem that shines with light rays of the jeweled array of all the pristine
domains of the oceans, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a precious gem that shines with light rays of the jeweled array of all the
pristine domains of the oceans. If sentient beings are best instructed by a color
resembling a jewel the color of the maned lion, the king of beasts, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a jewel the color of the maned
lion, the king of beasts. If sentient beings are best instructed by a color resembling a jewel peak of a lion victory-banner, they see the
Tathāgata’s body as the color of a jewel peak of a lion victory-banner. Mañjuśrī, if sentient beings are best instructed by a color resembling a
jeweled flash of lightning, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a jeweled flash of lightning. If sentient beings are best instructed by
a color resembling a precious water-purifying jewel, they see the Tathāgata’s body as the color of a precious water-purifying jewel.

“In the same way, if sentient beings are best instructed by seeing the Tathāgata’s body in the form of Śakra or Brahmā or a worldly
guardian, they see the Tathāgata’s body in the form of Śakra or Brahmā or a worldly guardian.

“And so on—if sentient beings are best instructed through the form of one born as a denizen of hell, as an animal, as a hungry ghost, and
so forth, up to one born in the world of the Lord of Death, they see the Tathāgata’s body in the form of a denizen of hell, as an animal, or a
hungry ghost, and so forth, up to the form of one born in the world of the Lord of Death.

“Through whatever form, body, appearance, and conduct sentient beings are best instructed—up to birth in the formless realm—they see the
Tathāgata in such a form, body, appearance, and conduct.

“In the same way, although they see Tathāgata in whatever form, body, appearance, and conduct will best instruct them, that is to say, as
sentient beings born from an egg or womb, born from heat or moisture, or born
miraculously; and born with form or without form, with or without conception, or with neither conception nor nonconception, the tathāgatas do not
think or conceptualize:

‘While these sentient beings see me as golden in hue, may they not see me as the color of gem of beryl. While these sentient beings see me
as the color of a gem of beryl, may they not see me as the color of a sapphire. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a pink
sapphire, may they not see me as the color of a blue sapphire. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a blue sapphire, may they not
see me as the color of a jewel that captures all lights. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a jewel that captures all lights, may
they not see me as the color of a wish-fulfilling jewel. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a wish-fulfilling jewel, may they not
see me as the color of a precious gem that shines with light rays of the jeweled array of all the pristine domains of the oceans. While these
sentient beings see me as the color of a precious gem that shines with light rays of the jeweled array of all the pristine domains of the oceans,
may they not see me as the color of a precious jewel the color of the maned lion, the king of beasts. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a precious jewel the color of the maned lion, the king of
beasts, may they not see me as the color of a precious jewel peak of a lion victory-banner. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a
precious jewel peak of a lion victory-banner, may they not see me as the color of a precious jewel held by Śakra. While these sentient beings see
me as the color of a precious jewel held by Śakra, may they not see me as the color of a shining diamond. While these sentient beings see me as
the color of a shining diamond, may they not see me as the color of a precious jewel that shines like all the gods. While these sentient beings
see me as the color of a precious jewel that shines like all the gods, may they not see me as the color of a precious jewel that shines like
sunlight and moonlight. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a precious jewel that shines like sunlight and moonlight, may they not
see me as the color of a precious jewel that shines like a flash of lightning. While these sentient beings see me as the color of a precious jewel
that shines like a flash of lightning, may they not see me as the color of a sovereign wish-fulfilling jewel.’

“Likewise, you should also apply this to the sentient beings born in every form of life.

“Mañjuśrī, even though the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize, this is how their activity unfolds, spontaneously and
nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, wherever a sovereign wish-fulfilling jewel appears, no iron or implements made of iron can exist. Even so,
Mañjuśrī, the sovereign wish-fulfilling jewel does not think or conceptualize, ‘Wherever I appear, let no iron or implements made of iron exist!’
And yet, this is how its action occurs, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, in whatever buddhafield a tathāgata appears, there the tenets of carakas, parivrājakas, nirgranthas, and so forth cannot exist. No instance of wrong view can occur in such a
buddhafield. No disputes can erupt there. The five offences with immediate consequences cannot transpire there. The paths of the ten nonvirtuous
actions cannot transpire there. No royal edicts or rejection of cherished doctrines can occur there.

“The light of the sun and moon does not shine there. The lights of Śakra, Brahmā, and the world guardians, as well as the lights of all
the gods, do not shine there. The lights of gems, fire, and lightning do not shine there. There, split seconds, seconds, months, fortnights, and
years do not elapse. Mañjuśrī, only the blessing of the tathāgatas exist there in order to mature sentient beings. Mañjuśrī, even though the
tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize, this is how their activity unfolds—spontaneously and nonconceptually—on account of sentient beings.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, all that is touched by the light of a precious blue sapphire jewel becomes the color of the blue sapphire, and
even though the precious blue sapphire jewel does not think or conceptualize, this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and
nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, everyone who is touched by the light that is mentally formulated and focused by the tathāgatas turns the
‘color’ of omniscience. Even though the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize, Mañjuśrī, this is how their activity
unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, a large precious jewel of polished lapis lazuli, whether it adorns the head, neck, arm, or leg, remains vivid,
shining, and bright, regardless of the way it always faces. Although the adornments remain vivid, shining, and bright on account
of the power of the precious jewel of polished lapis lazuli, the lapis lazuli gem
does not think or conceptualize. Rather, this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the actions of the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, no matter what code of conduct he engages
in, be it the conduct of a śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, or tathāgata; or whether it be the conduct of a caraka, parivrājaka, or a
nirgrantha; or be it the conduct of the animals, hungry ghosts, or those living in the world of the Lord of Death; or be it the conduct of a
flesh-eating demon, kumbhāṇḍa, or rākṣasa, or the conduct of a god, nāga, or yakṣa—in whatever conduct he engages, it will be vivid, shining, and
bright. His conduct is beautifully vivid, shining, and bright due to the power of the Tathāgata himself. Even though the tathāgatas do not think
or conceptualize, Mañjuśrī, this is how their activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, seeds, grasses, large trees, medicinal herbs, and entire forests all germinate, grow, and flourish once they are
planted in the ground and rely on it for nourishment. Even though, Mañjuśrī, the ground does not think or conceptualize, this is how its activity
unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, all the roots of virtue of sentient beings germinate, grow, and flourish once they are implanted in the
Tathāgata and rely on the Tathāgata for nourishment. Even though the Tathāgata does not think or conceptualize, this is how his activity
unfolds—spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, consider a great cloud that covers the whole of the earth, and then rains down a heavy downpour on the different
types of seeds, grasses, large trees,
medicinal herbs, and entire forests. This flow of water, all of the same flavor,
makes the different types of seeds, grasses, large trees, medicinal herbs, and forests germinate. As it falls in different places, the water
assumes different flavors and colors. Even though, Mañjuśrī, the cloud does not think or conceptualize, this is how its activity unfolds,
spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha pervades all the vast realms of the ten directions with
the cloud of his buddha body. He pours down a great rain of Dharma onto the accumulated roots of virtue, prayers, noble intentions, different
aspirations, and dispositions of sentient beings. Mañjuśrī, although that Dharma rain is of equal flavor, through the rain of different types of
teachings that pours down on those established in different accumulations of roots of virtue, in diverse aspirations, intentions, and interests,
and in multiple dispositions, he generates roots of merit in accordance with those beings’ abilities and strengths.

“Even so, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not think or conceptualize, with the thought, ‘For these sentient beings, I shall produce the roots
of virtue that lead to the wisdom of a śrāvaka; for those sentient beings I shall produce the roots of virtue that lead to the wisdom of a
pratyekabuddha. For these sentient beings I shall produce the roots of virtue that lead to the wisdom of a buddha. For those sentient beings I
shall produce the roots of virtue that lead to birth in the heavenly abode of the Four Great Kings. And for these sentient beings I
shall produce the roots of virtue that lead to birth in the heavenly abode of the Thirty-Three Gods. And so on, likewise, I shall
produce the roots of virtue of those born in the abode of Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Paranirmitavaśavartin; as well as those of Brahmā and Brahmā’s Attendants, those of Lesser Light, Immeasurable Light, and
Radiant Light; those of Lesser Virtue, Immeasurable Virtue, and Vast Virtue; those of Without Clouds, Born from Merit, and Large Fruit; and those
of the pure realms Unsurpassed, Sorrowless, Exquisite Appearance, Acute Perception, and Akaniṣṭha. I shall produce the roots of
virtue of the gods born in the league of Māra.’

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not think or conceptualize, with the thought, ‘For these sentient beings I shall produce the various roots
of virtue that lead to birth as a king; for these sentient beings I shall produce the various roots of virtue that lead to human birth; for these
sentient beings I shall produce the various roots of virtue that lead to birth as a powerful deity.’

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not think or conceptualize in that way. Nevertheless, the activity of the Tathāgata unfolds—spontaneously
and nonconceptually—in accordance with the aspirations, noble intentions, interests, and roots of virtue that sentient beings have
accumulated.

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata is impartial toward everything; he does not conceptualize while in a state of equanimity. For example, Mañjuśrī,
as soon as the sun rises, it emits countless myriads of light rays, and thus dispels the world’s thick clouds of darkness. But the sun does not
think or conceptualize; this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, as soon as the sun-likeTathāgata rises, he emits countless myriads of wisdom light-rays, and thus dispels the darkness that engenders wrong views in sentient beings; then it is only the
blessing of the Tathāgata that turns the world toward the correct view, in order to develop sentient beings.

“Mañjuśrī, even though the Tathāgata does not think or conceptualize, with the thought, ‘I am dispelling the wrong views of sentient
beings,’ or ‘I shall dispel them,’ this, Mañjuśrī, is how the activity of the Tathāgata unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not conceptualize; he is impartial and evenhanded in all matters. For example, Mañjuśrī, on account of the
power of a magician, magical trickery displays various actions and different types of bodies; however, Mañjuśrī, the magical illusion is
ineffable, unproduced, unceasing, unwritten, soundless, objectless, insubstantial, inconceivable, without characteristics, nondual, without any
activity, equal to the dharmadhātu, and beyond oppositional factors. Yet, Mañjuśrī, on account of
the magician’s power, his magical emanations display different types of action, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, although the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha assumes a variety of physical bodies, hues,
activities, behaviors, and deeds within saṃsāra for the sake of sentient beings, he is still ineffable, unproduced, unceasing, unwritten,
soundless, objectless, insubstantial, inconceivable, without characteristics, nondual, without any activity, equal to the dharmadhātu, and beyond oppositional factors, and he transcends the three realms of existence. Yet,
Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, for the sake of sentient beings, displays—spontaneously and nonconceptually—his many different deeds.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, although there is only one sun, due to the
influence of the sovereign Mount Meru, sentient beings see it in many different aspects on the four continents. Some perceive it to be rising, and
others to have already risen. Some perceive it to be just warming up, and others to be hot. Some perceive midnight, and others noon. Some observe
the sun at the first watch at dawn, while others observe the sun only in the afternoon. Some are only aware of the sun once it disappears, while
others only know it at dawn. Even though the sun is a single orb, sentient beings on the four continents perceive it to be different things. The
orb of the sun does not think or conceptualize, but due to Mount Meru, it displays its various actions—spontaneously and nonconceptually—in the
world systems of the four continents.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, on account of the power of sentient beings, is known by
some within his retinue as a fully awakened Tathāgata, while others know him to have passed into nirvāṇa; still others know him as the Blessed
One, the complete and perfect Buddha.

“Within that very retinue, some know that the Blessed One has passed into nirvāṇa. Others know that ten years have elapsed since the
Tathāgata, Blessed One, attained perfect awakening. Still others know that ten years have elapsed since the Tathāgata passed into nirvāṇa. Some
know the essence of the teaching of the Blessed One, while others know the Blessed One’s teaching in a state of decline. Some know that ten,
twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years have elapsed since the Blessed One taught
the Dharma. Some know that ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years have elapsed since the Blessed One passed into nirvāṇa. Some know that a
hundred or a thousand years have elapsed since the Blessed One attained perfect awakening. Others know that a hundred or a thousand years have
elapsed since the Blessed One passed into nirvāṇa. Some know that ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty thousand years have elapsed since the
Blessed One attained perfect awakening. Others know that ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty thousand years have elapsed since the Blessed One
passed into nirvāṇa. Some know that ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty hundred thousand million eons have elapsed since the Blessed One attained
perfect awakening, while others know that ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty hundred thousand million eons have elapsed since the Blessed One
passed into nirvāṇa.

“Mañjuśrī, within this retinue, some gods and men know that inexpressibly, indescribably many eons have elapsed since the Blessed One,
Śākyamuni, attained perfect awakening. Mañjuśrī, within this retinue, some gods and men know that inexpressibly, indescribably many eons have
elapsed since the Blessed One, Śākyamuni, passed into nirvāṇa.

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not think or conceptualize. Even so, Mañjuśrī, for the sake of sentient beings, the Tathāgata’s deeds unfold
in this way, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, when stormy winds arise in this world, the
grasses, large trees, medicinal herbs, forests, and every leafy thing waver, vibrate, and judder; tremble, quiver, and quake; and clamor, roar,
and howl. While they are agitated, disturbed, and shaken, some leaves fall down in the east and are blown aloft in the west, but some fall down in
the west and are blown aloft in the east. The edges of some leaves fall while their centers rise. Some leaves fall down in the north but are blown
aloft in the south.

“The grasses, large trees, forests, and leaves do not think or conceptualize. Yet, even so, Mañjuśrī, due to the power of the stormy wind,
they display many different actions. In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha does not think or
conceptualize. Even so, for the sake of sentient beings, there arise, perpetually and instantaneously in the vast, countless world systems of the
ten directions, innumerable venues for his entry into physical bodies, hues, modes of conduct, training, and
tasks.

“Mañjuśrī, for as long as sentient beings focus their minds on the Tathāgata, for that long they interrupt or reverse the process of their
rebirth in hell, among animals and hungry ghosts, and in the realm of the Lord of Death.

“Thus, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, possesses innumerable qualities. Even bodhisattva mahāsattvas, who
abide in inconceivable states of absorption and liberation, cannot comprehend, in a hundred billion eons, the scope of the qualities attributable to just a single tathāgata.

“Mañjuśrī, among those who claim to possess the five supernormal knowledges, a small number of non-Buddhist sages who are free from desire
behold, with the divine eye, more sentient beings than the gods and humans of the trichiliocosm in a place no bigger than a chariot wheel.

“Mañjuśrī, the many sentient beings of the trichiliocosm beheld with the divine eye in a place no bigger than a chariot wheel by a small
number of non-Buddhist sages who are free from desire, among those who claim to possess the five supernormal knowledges, are fewer in number than
the many sentient beings beheld with the divine eye in a place no bigger than a chariot wheel by the śrāvaka disciples of the Tathāgata, the
arhats whose defilements are exhausted, and who meditate on the eight aspects of liberation.

“Mañjuśrī, the many sentient beings of the trichiliocosm beheld with the divine eye in a place no bigger than a chariot-wheel by the
śrāvaka disciples of the Tathāgata, the arhats whose defilements are exhausted, and who meditate on the eight aspects of liberation, are fewer in
number than the many sentient beings beheld with the divine eye in a place no bigger than a chariot wheel by the pratyekabuddhas.

“Mañjuśrī, the many sentient beings of the trichiliocosm that the pratyekabuddhas behold with the divine eye are fewer in number than the
many sentient beings beheld with the divine eye in a place no bigger than a chariot wheel by the bodhisattvas, who abide in inconceivable
liberation and absorption.

“Mañjuśrī, the many sentient beings of the trichiliocosm that the bodhisattvas, who abide in inconceivable liberation and absorption,
behold with the divine eye are innumerably fewer than the sentient beings beheld
with the divine eye in a place no bigger than a chariot wheel by the Tathāgata.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, it is not easy, even for the bodhisattvas, who abide in inconceivable liberation and absorption, over as many
eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, to quantify, conceive of, or enumerate the past, present, and future mental contents and events of
each sentient being that dwells in every place no bigger than a chariot-wheel throughout the infinite worlds of the ten directions.

“Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, spontaneously knows—at once, in one instant, and in just one moment—the
past, present, and future minds and mental factors of sentient beings.

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata knows—through his spontaneously present wisdom, in a nonconceptual way, at once, in one instant, and in just one
moment—exactly and correctly how the past, present, and future causes, aims, and conditions of the mind and mental factors, as well as the venues
for engaging in the conduct, training, and tasks, of all those sentient beings living within all the worlds of the ten directions will come
about.

“Mañjuśrī, he also knows—through his spontaneously present wisdom, in a nonconceptual way, at once, in one instant, and in just one
moment—how those sentient beings may be trained for unsurpassed, complete, and perfect awakening.

“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata also knows—through his spontaneously present wisdom, in a nonconceptual way, all at once, instantaneously, and
in just one moment—the defilements, as numerous as grains of sand in the Ganges, of the state of ignorance of each sentient being.

“Mañjuśrī, he also knows—through his spontaneously present wisdom, in a nonconceptual way, all at once, instantaneously, and in just one
moment—the causes, aims, and conditions through which those defilements arise, and through knowledge of what skillful means these beings’
defilements may be trained.

“Thus, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect buddhas, possess inconceivable wisdom. For example, Mañjuśrī, the moon, due
to the power of the sun, shows the world its form, color, brilliance, and light, to the fullest, intermediate, and least extent; but the moon
itself does not wax or wane. Nevertheless, the maturation of the actions of sentient beings causes the counting of days, calculated in seconds and
half-seconds; this is how it occurs. Mañjuśrī, the moon-disk does not think or conceptualize; this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and
nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, sentient beings with the highest, intermediate, and lowest mental capacities, in all the vast world systems
of the ten directions, see the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect buddha-forms, buddha-hues, buddha-brilliance, and buddha-light at their
highest, intermediate, and lowest levels. Mañjuśrī, sentient beings see the tathāgatas in accordance with their roots of virtue, conduct, and
aspirations, as well as the strength of their resolution; however, Mañjuśrī, there are no highest, intermediate, or lowest levels among the
tathāgatas.

“Mañjuśrī, the reason for this is that the thus-gone, blessed, complete
and perfect buddhas, are the dharmakāya: they are completely nonoriginated, nonarisen, and
nonceasing. Nevertheless, Mañjuśrī, due to their highest, intermediate, or lowest mental capacities, sentient beings perceive tathāgatas at a
high, intermediate, or low level. Mañjuśrī, the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize, but this is how their activity unfolds, spontaneously
and nonconceptually.

“Mañjuśrī, to the sentient beings of this trichiliocosm—born in the realms of the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas,
kinnaras, mahoragas, Brahmā, Śakra, world guardians, humans, nonhumans, and so on, down to the abode of animals—the
tathāgatas both eat and do not eat food, both see and do not see, are both empty and not empty, are both stern and not stern, and are both tangible and
intangible. This is how all their activity unfolds through the power of the buddhas, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, everyone who sees, touches, and is affected by a precious sapphire jewel will turn the color of the precious
sapphire jewel, but the precious sapphire jewel does not think or conceptualize.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, all those sentient beings who at least see the tathāgatas in painted forms or statues, who touch them, or who
are even aware of their influence will assume inconceivable, perfect forms and hues. But the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, if anyone sees the royal elixir tree called Well-Seen, irrespective of his malevolent or
benign intentions, his eyes will become pure. If anyone hears the sound it makes
when stirred by the wind, irrespective of his malevolent or benign intentions, his ears will become pure. If anyone smells its scent, irrespective
of his malevolent or benign intentions, his nose will become pure. If anyone tastes its flavor, irrespective of his malevolent or benign
intentions, his sense of taste will become pure. If anyone touches it with his body, irrespective of his malevolent or benign intentions, his body
will be purified. Mañjuśrī, the royal elixir tree called Well-Seen does not think or conceptualize; still, this is how its
activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, irrespective of his malevolent or benign intentions, if anyone so much as beholds the tathāgatas in painted
forms or statues, their eyes will become pure through that root of virtue. Even down to those born in the abode of animals,
irrespective of their malevolent or benign intentions, if anyone hears the words buddha, or tathāgata,
or protector of the world, his sense of hearing will become pure through that root of virtue. If anyone catches the scent of
their qualities, irrespective of his malevolent or benign intentions, his nose will become pure through that root of virtue. If anyone tastes the
flavor of their teaching, irrespective of his malevolent or benign intentions, his tongue will become pure through that root of virtue. If anyone makes physical contact with them, irrespective of his malevolent or
benign intentions, his body will become pure through that root of virtue.

“Mañjuśrī, the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize. But because they possess unique qualities, this is how their activity unfolds,
spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, when sentient beings who are in pain or poisoned hear the sound of a drum smeared with the ointment of the royal
elixir tree called Separation, all their pains are relieved and their poisons become nontoxic. Mañjuśrī, the royal elixir
tree called Separation does not think or conceptualize. Still, due to sentient beings’ accumulations of causes and conditions
and the ripening of their actions, this is how the activity of the royal elixir tree called Separation unfolds, spontaneously
and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, as soon as sentient beings hear the name of the tathāgatas, the pains of their wrong views are relieved, and
the poisons of their desire, anger, and ignorance become nontoxic.

“Mañjuśrī, the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize. Still, because they possess unique qualities, this is how their activity
unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“Mañjuśrī, the atomic particles of the trichiliocosm are fewer than the myriad deeds the Blessed One, Śākyamuni, performed in order to
train sentient beings in as many world systems of the ten directions as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and as there are individual atomic
particles in those world systems, by means of the four ways of collecting merit, while having previously trained in the conduct of a
bodhisattva.

“Mañjuśrī, the particles, as numerous as grains of sand in the Ganges, of
the world systems of the ten directions are fewer than the ceaseless, spontaneous, nonconceptual deeds the Blessed One, Śākyamuni, performed that
have already developed, are developing, and will train for unexcelled, complete, and perfect awakening, sentient beings as numerous as the
limitless atomic particles in the boundless world systems of the ten directions.

“Mañjuśrī, this is why the activity of the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, performed in order to develop sentient
beings, is inconceivable.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, due to the sun, the moon appears to wax, wane, and vanish, even though the moon does not wax, wane, or vanish. So
even though it works in this way, Mañjuśrī, due to the blessing of the tathāgatas for the sake of calculating the number of days, seconds,
split-seconds, fortnights, months, and years, in line with the ripening of past virtuous actions of sentient beings, the moon itself does not
wane, vanish, or wax. And yet, Mañjuśrī, due to the ripening of past virtuous actions of sentient beings, together with the sun, this is the way
in which the activity of the moon unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha—in order to break the pride, conceit, and arrogance of
sentient beings who have previously accumulated roots of virtue, in order to ripen their previously accumulated roots of virtue, and in order to guide them to the teaching of the Tathāgata—displays the decline
and disappearance of the authentic Dharma of the Tathāgata.

“Mañjuśrī, even though the authentic Dharma of the Tathāgata vanishes, declines, and increases due to sentient beings, this is how,
nonetheless, Mañjuśrī, the activity of the Tathāgata unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, the various forms of action of all sentient beings are based on, take place in, and unfold in space, but space
itself is unproduced, unceasing, noncomposite, unwritten, soundless, ineffable, inexpressible, nondual, and without oppositional factors. Yet this
is how the various activities unfold, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“In the same way, Mañjuśrī, dwelling upon the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, and based on the thus-gone, blessed,
complete and perfect Buddha, all the activity of all sentient beings unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“But, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata is unproduced and unceasing; the Tathāgata, Mañjuśrī, noncomposite, beyond words, soundless, ineffable,
inexpressible, nondual, and beyond oppositional factors. Nonetheless, because of the power of his past roots of virtue, conduct, and aspiration,
and through his blessing, his various Dharma deeds unfold among sentient beings, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who are dedicated to the Mahāyāna—through even a single act of focusing on buddhahood—cause countless,
innumerable sentient beings in each of the particles of the atoms of the countless, innumerable world systems of the ten directions to realize supreme wisdom. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to
become śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the abode of Brahmā. They cause
countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain rebirth in the god realm of Paranirmitavaśavartin. They cause countless, innumerable sentient
beings to attain rebirth in the god realm of Nirmāṇarati. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain rebirth in the god realm of
Tuṣita. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain rebirth in the divine Yāma abode. They cause countless,
innumerable sentient beings to attain rebirth in the abode of the Thirty-Three Gods. They cause countless, innumerable sentient
beings to attain rebirth in the abode of the Four Great Kings.

“They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of the divine king, Śakra. They cause countless, innumerable
sentient beings to attain the status of a universal monarch. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of a universal
monarch of great might. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of a nāga lord. They cause countless, innumerable
sentient beings to attain the status of a yakṣa lord. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of a gandharva lord.
They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of an asura lord. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to
attain the status of a kinnara lord. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of a mahoraga lord. They cause
countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain the status of a human king. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain human
birth. They cause countless, innumerable sentient beings to attain noble
birth.

“Therefore, what need is there to mention prayers, incense offerings, flower offerings, or other kinds of offerings? What need to mention
listening to, reading, or memorizing even so little as a single verse? What need to mention receiving many kinds of authentic teachings?
Therefore, through the completely incalculable activity of the Buddha, bodhisattvas render an even greater service.

“Mañjuśrī, it would be easier for a bodhisattva to be reborn in hell, among animals, or in the realm of the Lord of Death, for a single eon, a hundred
eons, or vast, innumerable eons, than for a bodhisattva not to have served the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.

“Mañjuśrī, failure to serve the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha means here any of the following: at the least, inappropriate mental activities
that spring from sexual intercourse with one’s wife; anger, ridicule or scorn toward a bodhisattva; renunciation or abandonment of the Dharma; disrespect toward a bodhisattva; failure to show reverence
toward a spiritual friend; neglect of the spiritual development of sentient beings; failure to show respect toward one’s teacher, or toward those
worthy of offerings, a preceptor, a parent, an ordained person, a holy brahmin, or someone on the right path; failure to bow down, ostentation, or
haughtiness toward Dharma teachers, toward those who have realized the special doctrine and who teach the vast doctrine, toward those engaged in
the Mahāyāna, who know what is to be done on the path to nirvāṇa, and toward those
who have become masters of dhāraṇī and sūtra collections; lack of respect toward the Dharma and
Dharma teachers, and failure to venerate and revere them, or, if a vast range of doctrine is disseminated, thinking it inappropriate that certain
people have faith in it; failure, then, to offer approbation to an exponent of that Dharma, failure to study it, and harboring doubt about the
doctrine; to be proud of oneself; to withhold praise of those individuals who are praiseworthy, speaking harshly of them; to feel disapproval
about the qualities and praises of others; through hatred of individuals, to develop hatred of the Dharma and give up the Dharma; to lead others
into arguments; to wish for an elevated seat and look for ways to acquire one; to eagerly perform rites that should be conducted by others;
failure to honor or welcome senior monks who have long maintained pure conduct, and to scowl at them; to persist in a harsh attitude and seek out
quarrels and faults in others; to develop pride, and then not visit or attend to those who are learned; failure to honor them, or pay them
respects, or ask them what is virtuous or nonvirtuous, or what should or should not be done, or what action is meaningful and beneficial and
brings happiness in the long term; and to have no regard for emancipation, or excessive engagement in debates.

“That is how, Mañjuśrī, one fails to serve the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend will attain dhāraṇīs that confer empowerment. He will attain the dhāraṇī of the
immaculately shining clear light of the essence of the sublime oceanic assembly.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend will ripen in this life the actions which would cause him to live
for countless, innumerable, vast eons in hell, among animals and hungry ghosts, and in the realm of the Lord of Death. Through any of these eight
obstacles—brain fever, plague, pain in the ribcage; civil, foreign, or famine-induced strife; and physical or mental injury—he will also become
purified in one lifetime, and even be purified simply through his dreams.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend will surpass in a single morning the roots of virtue developed
through generosity, offerings, and receiving precepts from countless myriads of buddhas. Thus, revering a spiritual friend is inconceivably
excellent.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend discovers ten treasures. What ten? They are as follows: the treasure
of the enumeration of all the qualities of the buddhas; the treasure of the realization of all the teachings of the buddhas; the treasure of the
display of retention of all the teachings of the buddhas; the treasure of instructing others in the correct knowledge of every one of the
teachings of the buddhas; the treasure that brings about realization of expertise in the ineffable principles of all the teachings of the buddhas;
the treasure of seeing in actuality all the manifestations and magical emanations of the buddhas; the treasure of the skill to accomplish equanimity toward all the teachings of the buddhas; the treasure of
never being bereft of the sight of all the buddhas; the treasure of skillful, perfect entry into inconceivable, apparitional eons; and the
treasure of attaining joy, delight, and steadfast devotion for all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend attains ten powers. What ten? They are as follows: power over
lifespan, in order to be blessed with a life lasting inexpressible, ineffable eons; power over the mind, in order to access wisdom that realizes
countless, limitless states of absorption; power over resources, in order to display all world systems and demonstrate the blessings of adorning
them with many ornamentations; power over birth, in order to demonstrate rebirth in every world system; power over action, in order to demonstrate
the blessing of the ripening of actions at the proper time; power over devotion, in order to display the blessing of filling all world systems
with buddhas; power over aspiration, in order to become completely and perfectly awakened in a period, in a life, and in a buddhafield where one
wishes to become awakened; power over miraculous powers, in order to display magical emanations and manifestation in all buddhafields; power over
the Dharma, in order to open the door to infinitely many teachings; and power over wisdom, in order to display the ten powers of the tathāgatas,
the four kinds of fearlessness, and the thirty-two major and eighty minor physical
marks, as well as perfect awakening.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend, even if he placed world systems as immeasurable as the ten
directions of space into an area only the width of a single hair, would cause no harm or hindrance to any sentient being; and afterward, things
would be exactly as they were before. He could bless countless, immeasurable, unimaginable, unmatched eons in a single instant, and bless a single
instant for countless, immeasurable, unimaginable eons; and in each eon that is destroyed by fire, water, or wind, his blessing means that, no
matter what, no sentient beings are deprived of resources, and no physical harm or mental distress comes to them; and he even knows the manner in
which such deeds will develop sentient beings.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend, if he so wishes, displays—through each of his boundless bodies in
the buddha-realm within each of the atomic particles in each world belonging to the world systems up to the boundless realms of the buddhas in each of the ten directions—descent from Tuṣita, birth, departure from
home, practice of austerities, arrival at the seat of awakening, vanquishment of the forces of evil, attainment of complete and perfect awakening,
turning the wheel of the Dharma by request, and finally, entry into mahāparinirvāṇa.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend, if he so wishes, places boundless buddhafields of the buddha realms
in each atomic particle of each of the world systems of the ten directions; he displays the arrayed qualities of the adornments of all the
buddhafields of the ten directions in a single buddhafield. He displays the arrayed qualities of the adornments of a single buddhafield in every
buddhafield. He appears and dwells within the retinues of all the tathāgatas in all buddhafields, and afterward does not stir from them.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend, if he so wishes, displays the bodies of all sentient beings of all
the world systems of the ten directions in the body of a single sentient being; he displays the body of a single sentient being in the bodies of
all sentient beings, but without mixing up their bodies. Displaying deeds such as not causing harm to any sentient being, he spontaneously and
nonconceptually brings about their maturation, too. He places all the buddhas of all the infinite world systems in a single buddha, and places a
single tathāgata in all the tathāgatas of the boundless buddha realms. While doing so, he never mixes up the tathāgatas, spontaneously and
nonconceptually displaying such deeds. Resting in meditative equipoise in a single body, he appears in countless, immeasurable bodies; resting in
equipoise in countless, immeasurable bodies, he appears in a single body.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend has the dharmadhātu
as his sphere of activity, but also manifests activity in the realms of sentient beings. He takes delight in the sphere of activity of the
buddhas, but also manifests in the sphere of activity of Māra. He has nirvāṇa as
his sphere of activity, but also manifests in the sphere of activity of saṃsāra. The wisdom of omniscience is his sphere of activity, but he also
manifests in the bodhisattvas’ sphere of activity. Calmness is his sphere of activity, but he also manifests in discordant, turbulent, and
tumultuous spheres of activity and trains sentient beings who live there.

“His sphere of activity encompasses that which should not be adopted as well as that which should not be rejected; that which has no
elaboration and that which is not elaborated; that which is without characteristic as well as that which is immaterial; and that which cannot be
known as well as that which is equal to space. He also manifests among all sentient beings whose sphere of activity encompasses elaboration,
characteristics, and conceptualization. While his sphere of activity displays the powers, he also manifests in the sphere of
activity of good forms. While his sphere of activity is the antidote, by virtue of the nonorigination and noncessation of all phenomena, he also
manifests in the sphere of activity that matures sentient beings. While his sphere of activity is wisdom, liberation, the supernormal knowledges,
knowledge, and emancipation, he also appears in order to mature the sentient beings of all the vast world systems of the ten directions—the gods,
nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Brahmā, Śakra, and world guardians; rākṣasas, evil spirits, hungry ghosts,
flesh-eating demons, ghouls, zombies, and demon zombies; those born in hell, as animals, or in the realm of the Lord of Death; those born from an
egg or womb, born from heat or moisture, or born miraculously; and those with form or without form, and with or without perception, up to the formless abode of Neither-Perception-nor-Nonperception.

He has attained the sphere of activity of tathāgata conduct, complete and perfect awakening, and all the attainments of a buddha; yet he
also displays the rites and conduct of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend can place the sounds of all sentient beings into the sound of a
single sentient being, and the sound of a single sentient being into the sounds of all sentient beings; and yet, the sounds will not become mixed
up, and no sentient being’s sound will lose clarity.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend blesses his own body as the elements of earth, water, fire, and
wind, in all the vast world systems of the ten directions, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend displays an inanimate body in the body of a sentient being, without
mixing it up with the sentient being’s body. He displays a sentient being’s body in an inanimate body, without mixing it up with the inanimate
body. He displays the body of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha in the body of a buddha, without demeaning the buddha’s body. He displays the body of
a buddha in the body of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha without aggrandizing the body of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha. He displays a body of
complete and perfect awakening in the body of a practitioner, without even interrupting his or her practice. He displays the body of a
practitioner in a body of complete and perfect awakening, without even compromising the body of perfect awakening. He displays nirvāṇa as an ornament of saṃsāra, without
developing any attachment toward nirvāṇa. He displays saṃsāra within nirvāṇa; but because he is forever beyond suffering, he does not have to
attain nirvāṇa.

“While remaining in meditative equipoise, he nevertheless displays every kind of activity, such as coming, going, standing, and lying
down. While exhibiting every kind of conduct, he does not disturb his meditative absorption. While appearing to listen to the Dharma in the
presence of a single tathāgata, he nonetheless listens to the Dharma in the maṇḍalas of the retinues of all tathāgatas in all the vast world
systems of the ten directions, by means of various perfect forms, bodies, and hues. He does not enter distinct states of absorption while he
receives and retains the Dharma; and while reciting and comprehending it, he never ceases listening to the Dharma that those buddhas teach. While
bringing about the maturation of sentient beings by means of various perfect forms, bodies, and hues in all the vast world systems of the ten
directions, he never acts through different bodies, or stirs from his resting place. Although he displays every type of activity in all the vast
world systems of the ten directions, he does not enter different states of absorption. While accomplishing, in a single moment of consciousness,
countless, immeasurable, myriad states of absorption, he does not engage in different states of absorption.

“Mañjuśrī, as a consequence of that infinite variety, bodhisattvas who rest in inconceivable liberation and absorption achieve entry into
states of absorption for eons as vast as buddhafields, and there is no limit to those who have accomplished access into the states of absorption
of the bodhisattvas.

“Mañjuśrī, all those excellent bodhisattva absorptions occur thanks to a
spiritual friend. In the same way, Mañjuśrī, all introductions to the ineffable dhāraṇī—boundless, immeasurable, innumerable, inconceivable, peerless, incalculable, and inestimable—as well as the excellent retention
of dhāraṇīs, derive from a spiritual friend. This also applies to the powers, the kinds of
fearlessness, and the excellent, unique qualities of the buddhas, which are boundless, immeasurable, innumerable, inconceivable, peerless,
incalculable, inestimable, and indescribable.

“In brief, Mañjuśrī, this is how all the bodhisattvas’ vast accomplishments in buddha qualities and all the marvels of buddha qualities
spring from a spiritual friend.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend accomplishes his goal of displaying to sentient beings how to enter
the vast dharmadhātu; his goal of making all beings understand how to establish the many
different kinds of adornments of all the world systems; his goal of producing emanations in all world systems; his goal of establishing the body
of a tathāgata in a bodhisattva body, and establishing the body of a bodhisattva in a tathāgata body; his goal of establishing the sphere of space
in the sphere of the world, and establishing the sphere of the world in the sphere of space; his goal of establishing saṃsāra in nirvāṇa, and
establishing nirvāṇa in saṃsāra; his goal of expounding all the teachings of the buddhas in a single living language; his goal of magically
projecting the display of boundless faces and bodies in a single body, while bringing forth all the body’s developmental stages; his goal of filling the dharmadhātu with a single body; and his goal that nonconceptual awakening is accomplished by each single sentient being in each and
every single moment of mind by means of the limitless gateways.

“Mañjuśrī, these and others are the many immeasurable, innumerable, and inconceivable goals that bodhisattvas achieve.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend favors and enters every world system in a single world system. He
favors and enters a single world system in every world system. He favors and enters all the world systems pervaded by a single lotus throne and
the body of a single tathāgata. He favors and enters all world systems as the display of the nature of space. He favors and enters all world
systems as the ornaments of the buddhas. He favors and enters all world systems pervaded by bodhisattva bodies. He favors and enters all world
systems set in a space only the width of a hair. He favors and enters all world systems located in, or endowed with, a single body. He favors and
enters all world systems totally pervaded by the bodhi tree and the seat of awakening of a single tathāgata. He makes himself understood with a
single language in all world systems, while using the terms spoken in the various realms of sentient beings, and so resolutely effects their
contentment. He favors and enters the disposition and bodies of all sentient beings. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient beings,
inhabiting and endowed with the body of a single being. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient beings, having turned into a bodhisattva. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient beings, having turned
into a tathāgata. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient beings, relying on the body of a single being. He favors and enters all the
realms of sentient beings as a vessel for the Buddha’s teachings. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient beings, displaying Śakra,
Brahmā, and the world guardians, manifesting whatever forms, bodies, hues, and marks he wishes. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient
beings displaying the forms, bodies, hues, marks, and conduct of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient
beings, displaying the blessing of their adornment with the qualities of a bodhisattva. He favors and enters all the realms of sentient beings,
revealing the other displays of the forms of the tathāgatas, including the major and minor marks, as well as their various forms, bodies, hues,
conduct, and deeds.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend, while not stirring from the realm of desire, enters the
concentrations of the form and formless realms, liberation, absorption, and the attainments. As a result of these, he is unborn. Even though he
enters into the knowledge of the path of the śrāvakas, the power of his great compassion is never disrupted. Even though he is skilled in
knowledge and view of the path of the pratyekabuddhas, the power of his great compassion is never disrupted.

“Even while he is surrounded by many attendants, he also possesses a large pure retinue of gods and men. Even though he possesses a
hundred thousand celestial nymphs singing melodies and a hundred thousand cymbals sounding forth, he never abandons the absorptions, concentrations, and attainments that are part of the path of a bodhisattva.
Even though he dwells in the midst of every human pleasure, love, merriment, and allure, as well as all the distractions of greedy sentient
beings, he never abandons, even during a single moment of thinking, the equanimity of the mind of awakening.

“Even though he is not of the world, and is completely uncorrupted by any worldly matters, he makes a show of training in the path that
transcends the world, and develops sentient beings bound by their actions and passions. Even though he abides on the path and partakes of the view
and proper knowledge of the path, in order to develop sentient beings who have fallen onto bad paths, he shows himself on a bad path, without
perceiving that path to be essential, or considering it to be pure.

“The purpose of his physical, verbal, and mental actions is not unwholesome; he always maintains correct moral discipline and, even
though he exercises the perfect discipline of a tathāgata, in order to develop sentient beings who have disregarded discipline, he may appear as
someone whose experience is that of a childish, ordinary, common person. Even though he has accumulated a store of merit and wisdom, and dedicates
himself to a bodhisattva’s rebirth, he displays rebirth among hell beings and animals, and in the realm of the Lord of Death, and in needy and
impoverished households, in order to develop sentient beings born in the lower realms. But he himself has not really fallen into those realms.

“Because he dwells in the unimpeded wisdom and courage of the Buddha’s teaching, he is learned in wisdom that does not depend on others.
He is established in the blessings bestowed by all the tathāgatas. His physical
body is unified with the body of all the buddhas. He has realized the manifestations of Dharma methods and way of thinking that are not common to
all sentient beings. He is equally established in all vehicles. He has proceeded into the domain of activity of all the buddhas, and is
universally praiseworthy. All those in the realms of sentient beings gaze at his face. He is the preceptor of all beings. He delights in
meditative absorption that is like the profound and constant tides of the ocean. Although he has attained the dhāraṇī that accomplishes the perfect, limitless bodies and hues of the buddhas, he never ceases to
search for the Dharma. Although he is the highest teacher in the worlds of gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, he makes a show of kneeling and
placing his palms together to receive teachings from preceptors and teachers, and appears to attend to all those worthy of respect.

“Since he has embarked on the path of the bodhisattva, the very skillful means that will develop or improve sentient beings are the
skillful means by which he teaches them. He has collected every root of virtue and reached the pinnacle of every bodhisattva activity. He is
empowered by all the tathāgatas, attains supreme, sacred mastery of and
sovereignty over the Dharma, and is encircled by a vast, immaculate Dharma diadem. Through all the world systems, he ceaselessly displays the body
of a tathāgata and he is blessed to ceaselessly turn the wheel of the Dharma. And he is endowed with a physical form to enter into every world
system. He is further endowed with the truly supreme sovereignty over all teachings. And he has attained all bodhisattva empowerments. He possesses knowledge of how to display rebirth in all the realms of living
beings. Even though he belongs to the same domain as all the tathāgatas of the past, present, and future, he never interrupts his bodhisattva
activity. The strength of his bodhisattva motivation never weakens. He is never far from the blessings of bodhisattva activity and also never
abandons the essential nature of a bodhisattva. He never departs from the bodhisattva aims, or turns back from the bodhisattva path. He never
becomes discouraged in his bodhisattva duties.

“Mañjuśrī, for the bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend, all phenomena are said to be without acceptance or rejection,
neither raised up nor put down; illusions and mirages, dreams, optical illusions, reflections, and the moon in water; emptiness, signlessness, and
wishlessness; and devoid of conditioning, inexpressible, indescribable, inexplicable, suchness, the limit of reality, imperishable, equality,
without differentiation, and nondual. They are apprehended this way because all phenomena are without oppositional factors.

“Here, the expression all phenomena refers to what is ‘apprehended this way’ because one clings to conceptions; this
is apprehension. Why is this? Because to apprehend mind where there is no mind is an erroneous conception, and when the mind has succumbed to
error, it becomes demented. When the mind is demented, it becomes distorted. From mind being distorted, mind grows terrified. From mind being
terrified, the mind of awakening grows weaker. For this reason, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva should use his mind to closely scrutinize his mind.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend attains ten powers. What ten? They are the powers with respect to
lifespan, mind, resources, activities, rebirth, devotion, aspiration, miraculous powers, and Dharma, along with the power over wisdom.

“He also attains ten miraculous displays. What ten? They are the miraculous displays of sentient beings, buddhafields, qualities, bodies,
aspirations, spheres of activity, wisdom, supernormal knowledges, and miraculous magical displays along with the miraculous display of powers.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend understands the aspirations within all the realms of sentient beings
and understands the differences between the buddha realms. He also understands the different types of questions among all the viewpoints. He also
knows all the lineages of those without upper garments and nihilists living
among the worldly realms. He is skilled in understanding countless explanations of the sameness or difference of all phenomena. He understands
that all action is bound up with change. He understands the different conceptions belonging to the different existent worlds that have succumbed
to error due to erroneous conceptions. He understands the single state of emancipation as the culmination of understanding that all phenomena
undergo change. He understands the entire dharmadhātu as graced by the miraculous display of the
tathāgatas. He knows all beings of the three times. And he brings forth the wisdom that exists within the unbroken lineage of all the buddhas.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend
surpasses in a single morning all the roots of virtue produced through making offerings to, through worshiping, and through receiving instructions
from countless, innumerably many buddhas. Mañjuśrī, the qualities that a spiritual friend possesses are that inconceivable.

“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who have been accepted by a spiritual friend awaken to complete and perfect awakening. They enter, in the three
times, into each atomic particle in each world system of the vast, boundless world systems of the ten directions and bless them for eons until the
end of time, teaching in them the Dharma that engages with the past, present, and future. Mañjuśrī, this is so because the thus-gone, blessed,
complete and perfect buddhas, are permanent, stable, and unchanging.

“Mañjuśrī, the thinking of bodhisattvas who have been accepted by a spiritual friend is free from error. Mañjuśrī, sentient beings whose
minds misconstrue things, on account of mistaken ideas, are obsessed with declaring ‘these are the Buddha’s teachings’ or ‘these are not the
Buddha’s teachings,’ and thus reject the Dharma. They also commit various kinds of nonvirtuous actions. Mañjuśrī, the teachings of the Buddha
neither arise nor cease. The teachings of the Buddha, Mañjuśrī, are unproduced, unceasing, unwritten, soundless, nondual, and without oppositional
factors. They transcend language because they are without oppositional factors. Mañjuśrī, the statements ‘these are the Buddha’s teachings’ and
‘these are not the Buddha’s teachings’ are both limited positions. Anything that
is limited, Mañjuśrī, is not the Buddha’s teaching. Mañjuśrī, the essence of the Buddha’s teaching is that it is unlimited. Mañjuśrī, this
unlimited essence is unproduced and unceasing. Mañjuśrī, that which is unproduced and unceasing is devoid of both limit and nonlimit. It is
unwritten, soundless, and transcends language. It cannot be designated, is nondual, and is without oppositional factors. Mañjuśrī, that which is
without oppositional factors is unproduced and unceasing. That which is unproduced and unceasing is the word of the Buddha. That is so, Mañjuśrī,
because the Tathāgata is the dharmakāya: totally unproduced, nonarising, and unceasing. Although
there are, indeed, no words for this, sentient beings see the tathāgatas on account of the blessings generated by their previous roots of virtue,
their conduct, and the strength of their aspirations.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, as soon as a precious water-purifying gem is placed into water, it purifies it of all mud and mire.
Mañjuśrī, even though the precious water-purifying gem does not think or conceptualize, this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and
nonconceptually. Similarly, Mañjuśrī, as soon as a tathāgata arises, he purifies all the mud and mire of the passions of all sentient beings in
the vast world systems of the ten directions. Even though the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize, this is how their activity unfolds,
spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, a potter’s wheel that is driven fast and forcefully by a potter creates various containers. Even though,
Mañjuśrī, the potter’s wheel does not think or conceptualize, this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually. Similarly,
Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, actualizes in
sentient beings a variety of roots of virtue, through the force of the blessing of their previous roots of virtue, conduct, and aspirations. Even
though the tathāgatas do not think or conceptualize, this is how their activity unfolds—spontaneously and nonconceptually—because they possess the
unique qualities of the buddhas.

“Mañjuśrī, the deeds of sentient beings who offer food to the Tathāgata and those who do not offer food, of those who behold him and
those who do not behold him, of those who praise him and those who do not praise him, of those who revile him and those who do not revile him, and
of those who make humble requests to him and those who do not make humble requests, through the Buddha’s blessings, are all actions that unfolds
spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“Mañjuśrī, all the supreme tathāgatas have appeared because a spiritual friend has accepted them.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend attains the dhāraṇī
that accomplishes the perfect, limitless bodies and hues of the buddhas. The attainment of this dhāraṇī causes buddha bodies to pervade all the world systems of the ten directions. In each world system, too, he
displays a body of perfect awakening. Spontaneously and nonconceptually, he turns the wheel of the Dharma countless times, and bestows countless
different teachings, without ever stirring from his place of rest. Therefore, Mañjuśrī, spiritual friends possess inconceivable qualities.

“Consequently, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva should rely on spiritual friends and behave toward them, serve them, and honor them as he would a
tathāgata.

“Mañjuśrī, he should abandon nonvirtuous friends as he would a blazing rock shelter on a cliff. That is so, Mañjuśrī, because the mind
and conceptions of a bodhisattva become aberrant if he relies on a nonvirtuous friend. When his mind is aberrant, it becomes deluded. When it is
deluded, it becomes confused. When it is confused, it becomes afraid. When his mind is afraid, he forsakes the mind of awakening. When he
squanders the mind of awakening, he gives up on the deity. When he gives up on the deity, the gods declare him to be no longer praiseworthy. Also, the nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas,
kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, on up to the buddhas, declare him to be no longer praiseworthy. Consequently, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva
should rely on, serve, and honor virtuous spiritual friends.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, the medicine called refuge removes, at the very least, all the ailments of those born in the
abode of animals, irrespective of their dispositions, devout or wicked. The medicine called refuge does not
think or conceptualize, but because it possesses unique properties, this is how its activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“Similarly, Mañjuśrī, those born in the abode of animals who see a painted image or statue of a tathāgata, irrespective of
their dispositions, devout or wicked, will at the very least be liberated from all the ailments of the disturbing emotions. These tathāgatas do not think or
conceptualize, but because they possess unique qualities, this is how their activity unfolds, spontaneously and nonconceptually.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, the sun’s disk rises up from the great ocean to
dwell in the expanse of the sky. It then emits countless rays of light, making itself visible in every hamlet, village, town, district, province,
and royal palace, to dispel the darkness there. It dries up all the mud and mire, and opens all lotus flowers. It also causes all grasses, trees,
and medicinal herbs, as well as entire forests, to grow. It ripens all medicinal herbs. It bathes all the areas within in its range, and every
stream, pond, and lake receives its light simultaneously, yet it does not stir from its dwelling place. During all this, Mañjuśrī, the sun does
not think or conceptualize. But because it possesses unique qualities, this is how its activity continually unfolds, spontaneously and
nonconceptually.

“Similarly, Mañjuśrī, the thus-gone, blessed, complete and perfect Buddha, too, rises up from the ocean of saṃsāra and dwells in the
sphere of activity of the space of the dharmadhātu. He then issues countless light rays of
wisdom, rendering himself visible throughout the vast world systems of the ten directions, and dispelling the darkness, distorted views, and
blurred sight of ignorant sentient beings. He dries up all the mire and mud of their passions. He rouses the realms of sentient beings from their
long sleep of error. He causes all the roots of virtue of all sentient beings to grow. He brings to maturity all the amassed roots of virtue of
all sentient beings. He puts in place every opportunity for roots of virtue; and although all his deeds take place simultaneously, he does not
stir from his dwelling place. During all of this, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not reflect or conceptualize. But because he possesses unique qualities, this is how his activity unfolds, spontaneously
and nonconceptually.

“Thus, Mañjuśrī, acceptance by a spiritual friend is the basis of the tathāgatas’ spontaneous and nonconceptual maturation of sentient
beings.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has been accepted by a spiritual friend becomes skilled in the discrimination and analysis of phenomena. He
analyzes phenomena in the following way: The eyes are not the cause of the objectification of form, nor is form the cause of the objectification
of the eyes. Consciousness arises, as the actual cause and condition of perception, but this consciousness arises neither from the eyes nor from
form; and once arisen, this consciousness dissolves, and does not remain. The ears, nose, tongue, and body are just the same. In addition, the
mental faculty is not the cause of the objectification of mental phenomena, nor are mental phenomena the cause of the objectification of the
mental faculty. Consciousness arises, as the actual cause and condition of perception, but this consciousness arises neither from the mental
faculty nor from phenomena; and once arisen, this mental consciousness dissolves, and does not remain.

“Similarly, roots of virtue are not a condition for awakening, nor is awakening a condition for roots of virtue. Yet, because roots of
virtue are also interpreted as a condition for awakening, those who generate the mind of awakening produce them. But once these roots have
developed, they dissolve, and do not remain. Hence, a mind that has formed roots of virtue and a mind that has dedicated them toward awakening are
not correlated.

“For example, fire comes from nowhere and goes nowhere, and yet, due to causes and conditions, it burns. Similarly, Mañjuśrī, the blazing
fire of a bodhisattva’s wisdom comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. Yet, the bodhisattva’s blazing fire of wisdom depends on his roots of virtue.
Because he possesses such knowledge, he quickly attains unsurpassed, complete, and
perfect awakening. Therefore, Mañjuśrī, spiritual friends possess an immeasurable ocean of qualities.

“Mañjuśrī, some sons and daughters of noble families continuously offer food with a hundred flavors and divine clothing every single day
to as many blessed buddhas, along with bodhisattvas and śrāvakas, as there are particles in all the world systems of the ten directions. They make
such offerings for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Once those tathāgatas have attained parinirvāṇa, they again build a stūpa for each tathāgata in each world
system in all the vast world systems of the ten directions. Each stūpa, as numerous as the atoms
in all the world systems of the ten directions, is made of Jambu River gold and embellished with lightning lamps, surrounded by terraces of
precious jewels that reflect all lights. Each is beautified with strings of gems, pearls, and jewels, with parasols, victory banners, and flags
raised, adorned with latticed canopies of jingling bells, anointed with the perfume of dragon-heart sandalwood, and festooned with nets of
powerful sovereign gems. These stūpas are then strewn with divine garments, billowing parasols, victory banners, and flags; and clouds of
blossoms, incense, powerful sovereign gems, and precious wish-fulfilling jewels pervade the entire billionfold universe. For as many eons as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges, the stūpas are bedecked in this fashion and receive daily offerings. Countless, innumerable other sentient
beings may also set out the same offerings. But compared to that, Mañjuśrī, the devotion of any other son or daughter of noble family to this Dharma discourse that explains the domain of the inconceivable qualities
and wisdom of the tathāgatas naturally generates inestimably greater merit.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who has devotion toward this dharma discourse accomplishes countless, innumerable perfections. He conquers
countless, innumerable stages of realization. He causes countless, innumerable eons to collapse. He is aware of countless, innumerable playful
manifestations of the buddhas. He demolishes countless, innumerable mountains of arrogance. He overturns countless, innumerable victory banners of
envy and avarice. He causes countless, innumerable streams of saṃsāra to dry up. He traverses countless, innumerable oceans of rebirth. He cuts
through countless, innumerable snares of Māra. He constantly surpasses the moon and sun, Śakra and Brahmā, and the world guardians in his
splendor. He journeys from buddhafield to buddhafield. He is a refuge for beings born in hell and among animals, and for those born as hungry
ghosts and in the realm of the Lord of Death. He meets with the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

arrayed
. He attains the arising jewel absorption. He attains the absorption called
causes joy. He attains the absorption called lotus array. He attains the sky treasury
absorption. He attains the absorption called follows all
worlds. He attains the holy Dharma white lotus absorption. He attains the absorption called controls
objects. He attains the greatly posing absorption. He attains the absorption that controls mind and
aspects. He attains the absorption of the posing lion. He attains the absorption of the lamp of the
sun. He attains the absorption of the
boundless spiral
. He attains the absorption
following intense movement. He attains the absorption of the vajra maṇḍala. He attains the absorption of the
vajra banner. He attains the vajra like absorption. He attains the absorption of the vajra
navel. He attains the earth embracing absorption. He attains the absorption of the lamp of
Meru. He attains the absorption of the banner of Meru. He attains the jewel treasure
absorption. He attains the mind controlling absorption. He attains the absorption that controls the
minds of all sentient beings. He attains the absorption of emancipation in the domain of all conduct. He
attains the profound and secret union absorption. He attains the absorption of confidence in the appearance of
variety. He attains the not seeing with sight absorption. He attains the absorption that sees the
aspects of all things. He attains the absorption of manifold display. He attains the absorption of
certainty produced from all kinds of supernormal knowledge. He attains the absorption that conquers the throng
of māras. He attains the absorption that displays all forms. He attains the absorption of the
particularities of all forms. He attains the absorption
that eliminates the body. He attains the absorption that engages in all actions. He attains the
insight lamp absorption. He attains the absorption that visibly manifests awakening. He attains the
absorption that teaches the precious analytic knowledge. He attains the absorption that enters into all aspects of
qualities. He attains the absorption of the definitive teaching about mastery over all phenomena. He attains
the absorption of the magical display that ascertains perfect calm. He attains the absorption of heroic
progress. He attains the absorption of the profound and heroic ocean tide. He attains these and countless
other such absorptions.

“He attains the dhāraṇī that accomplishes the perfect, limitless bodies and
hues of the buddhas. He attains the dhāraṇī endowed with wisdom. He attains the dhāraṇī of a very
clear voice. He attains the dhāraṇī of the inexhaustible casket. He attains the dhāraṇī of the
boundless spiral. He attains the dhāraṇī of the ocean symbol. He attains the dhāraṇī of the
lotus bouquet. He attains the dhāraṇī that enters the door of no desire. He attains the dhāraṇī that
enters into ascertainment of correct discriminating knowledge. He attains the dhāraṇī graced with the adornment
of buddhahood. He attains the dhāraṇī that accomplishes the perfect, limitless bodies and hues of the buddhas.
He attains these and countless myriad other such dhāraṇīs.

“He attains distinction in his engagement with all phenomena. He attains independent knowledge of all phenomena. He attains certainty about all phenomena. He attains countless thousands of buddha emanations. He
attains understanding of the actions specific to each and every sentient being.

“For example, Mañjuśrī, the sovereign Mount Meru surpasses all other mountains, and is then vividly present, shining, and resplendent.
Similarly, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva with devotion toward this Dharma discourse surpasses all roots of virtue of all sentient beings, and is then
vividly present, shining, and resplendent.”

Then Youthful Mañjuśrī said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, “O son of the Jina, are there convictions through
which a bodhisattva acquires distinction that allows him to attain these and other special qualities?”

The bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin replied to Youthful Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, there are five convictions through which a bodhisattva
acquires distinction that allows him to attain these special qualities, as well as countless others. The five are as follows: the conviction that
all phenomena are without oppositional factors, unarisen, without cessation, and inexpressible; the conviction that, at any one moment in time,
without interruption, continually, there are more spontaneous, nonconceptual introductions that serve as a foundation to introduce one to the
conduct and activity of the tathāgatas than there are atomic particles in the world; the conviction in the deeds of the blessed Śākyamuni, who
developed sentient beings as set out in the narrative of the son of Siṃhadāsa, and realized complete
awakening as many eons ago as there are grains of sand in the Ganges; the conviction that all the bodhisattva deeds of the blessed Śākyamuni, from
the time of the prophecy of Dīpaṃkara up to the attainment of awakening,
throughout eons as vast as the domains of the buddhas, were revealed once he was a complete and perfect buddha; and the conviction that the
maturation of sentient beings through the Buddha’s teachings, for eons as vast as the domains of the buddhas, is the task of the blessed Śākyamuni
after he achieved perfect awakening.

“Mañjuśrī, these are the five convictions through which a bodhisattva attains these and countless other special qualities.

“Mañjuśrī, some sons or daughters of noble family may offer, every day, celestial food of a hundred flavors and celestial garments to as
many arhats endowed with the six supernormal knowledges, who meditate on the eight aspects of liberation, as there are particles in
all the world systems. But, Mañjuśrī, if some other sons or daughters of noble family give food for one day to a single pratyekabuddha, they
create immeasurably greater merit than making such offerings to arhats for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.

“Mañjuśrī, some sons or daughters of noble family may build, in each world system, as many temples as there are particles in all the
world systems of the ten directions: the abodes of countless thousands of pratyekabuddhas. These temples may be made of Jambu River gold,
embellished with lightning lamps, surrounded by terraces of precious jewels that reflect all lights, and beautified with strings of gems, pearls,
and jewels, along with parasols, victory banners and raised flags. They may be adorned with latticed canopies of tinkling bells, anointed with the
perfume of snake-essence sandalwood, covered with powerful sovereign gems, overlaid with many nets of brilliantly sparkling precious-jewel
ornaments of authentic marine gems. They may be floored with planks of precious ‘lion’s mane’ wood,
adorned with gateways, pediments, and windows made from tips of the gem called
‘lion victory-banner,’ and decorated with many silken fringes. They may offer celestial food of a hundred flavors and
celestial garments to those pratyekabuddhas every day.

“However, Mañjuśrī, if some other sons or daughters of noble family were to hear the words buddha, world
protector, tathāgata, or omniscient one, they would create immeasurably greater merit
than making such offerings for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. This being so, I need hardly mention that the sight of the
painted form or a statue of a tathāgata’s body creates immeasurably greater merit still. Needless to say, whoever offers him a lamp, parasol,
incense, flowers, or music, or makes various other kinds of offering, creates immeasurably greater merit still. Not to mention that whoever keeps
one precept for a single day for that tathāgata’s sake creates immeasurably greater merit still.

“Mañjuśrī, some sons or daughters of noble family may offer, every day, celestial food of a hundred flavors and celestial garments to as
many tathāgatas, along with their bodhisattvas and śrāvakas, as there are particles in all the world systems of the ten directions, for as many
eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Once those blessed buddhas have entered into parinirvāṇa, they may build a stūpa for each of those tathāgatas, as many as the particles in all the world systems of the ten
directions, as large as the four continents, endowed with all the supreme aspects,
and perfect in every good quality. These stūpas may all be made of Jambu River gold, embellished with lightning lamps, surrounded by terraces of
precious jewels that reflect all lights, and beautified with strings of gems, pearls, and jewels, along with parasols, victory banners, and raised
flags. They may be adorned with latticed canopies of tinkling bells, anointed with the perfume of snake-essence sandalwood, and covered with a net
of regal gems.

“Those stūpas may be entirely strewn every day with celestial garments pervading the entire trichiliocosm, billowing parasols, victory
banners, and flags, along with clouds of blossoms, incense, and precious jewels, and accompanied by wafts of music, multitudes of ornaments, and
masses of lion victory-banner moon-pinnacles, as well as reverberations of melodies from celestial cymbals and drums.

“However, Mañjuśrī, in comparison to a devotee of this Dharma discourse, if any son or daughter of noble family with devotion for this
Dharma discourse that explains the domain of the inconceivable qualities and wisdom of the tathāgatas were to give merely a mouthful of barley
meal to a single being born as low as in the abode of animals, this in itself would generate inestimably greater merit still.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who is devoted to this sūtra may make offerings to the tathāgatas as set out in this sūtra. By comparison, if
another bodhisattva who is devoted to this sūtra, upon seeing a bodhisattva with devotion for this same sūtra, were to think, ‘This bodhisattva is
devoted to this sūtra,’ and then feel glad and joyful, prostrating in devotion
before him, and assisting him to the best of his ability as appropriate, he would create, through this very attitude, immeasurably greater merit,
which would bring about the attainment of the wisdom of a buddha.

“Consequently, Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva who desires the wisdom of a buddha should, in order to hear this Dharma discourse, traverse as
many worlds filled with fire as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.

“Mañjuśrī, compared to a bodhisattva who practices the five perfections for many millions of eons, if another bodhisattva were to think
and believe, ‘The Tathāgata is eternal,’ he would create immeasurably greater merit still.

“Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva may offer, every day, celestial food having a hundred flavors and celestial garments to as many tathāgatas as
there are particles in all the world systems of the ten directions, for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. But, Mañjuśrī,
compared to that, if another bodhisattva were to marvel at a bodhisattva who has devotion for this Dharma discourse that explains the domain of
the inconceivable qualities and wisdom of the tathāgatas, and sincerely think, ‘It is excellent that you have devotion for this Dharma discourse;
you are worthy to receive homage from everyone in the world, including the gods,’ and were then to say of this thought ‘It is good,’ and request,
‘Please turn the wheel of the Dharma that enters into the secret topics of all the tathāgatas,’ Mañjuśrī, such a bodhisattva would develop
immeasurably greater merit. The merit from the former generosity does not come
close to a hundredth part of this formation of merit, or a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a millionth, a hundred millionth, a billionth, a
hundred billionth, or even a zillionth part—it is overwhelmingly greater in quantity, scope, number, and comparisons, and as a cause.”

After the bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin had said this, with the Blessed One’s permission, the bodhisattva Youthful Mañjuśrī,
together with those other bodhisattvas and great śrāvakas, as well as the whole world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and
praised the words of the Blessed One.

This concludes the Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “Introduction to the Domain of the Inconceivable Qualities and Wisdom
of the Tathāgatas.”

Colophon

Translated and finalized by the Indian preceptor Jñānagarbha and the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé.

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Source Texts

Referenced Canonical Texts

Sanskrit Texts and Secondary Literature

arising jewel

rin po che ’byung ba
རིན་པོ་ཆེ་འབྱུང་བ།

arrayed

rnam par bkod pa
རྣམ་པར་བཀོད་པ།

certainty produced from all kinds of supernormal knowledge

mngon par shes pa thams cad las nges par skyes pa
མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལས་ངེས་པར་སྐྱེས་པ།

confidence in the appearance of variety

sna tshogs snang ba’i spobs pa
སྣ་ཚོགས་སྣང་བའི་སྤོབས་པ།

conquers the throng of māras

bdud kyi dkyil ’khor rnam par ’joms pa
བདུད་ཀྱི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་རྣམ་པར་འཇོམས་པ།

controls mind and aspects

rnam pa dang sems la dbang byed pa
རྣམ་པ་དང་སེམས་ལ་དབང་བྱེད་པ།

controls objects

yul la dbang byed pa
ཡུལ་ལ་དབང་བྱེད་པ།

controls the minds of all sentient beings

sems can thams cad kyi sems la dbang byed pa
སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་སེམས་ལ་དབང་བྱེད་པ།

dhāraṇī endowed with wisdom
endowed with wisdom

ye shes dang ldan pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs
ཡེ་ཤེས་དང་ལྡན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī graced with the adornment of buddhahood
graced with the adornment of buddhahood

sangs rgyas kyi rgyan gyis byin gyis brlabs pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs
སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་རྒྱན་གྱིས་བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī of the boundless spiral
boundless spiral

mtha’ yas ’khyil pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs
མཐའ་ཡས་འཁྱིལ་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī of the inexhaustible casket
inexhaustible casket

mi zad pa’i za ma tog zhes bya ba’i gzungs
མི་ཟད་པའི་ཟ་མ་ཏོག་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī of the lotus bouquet
lotus bouquet

pad ma bkod pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs
པད་མ་བཀོད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī that accomplishes the perfect, limitless bodies and hues of the buddhas
accomplishes the perfect, limitless bodies and hues of the buddhas

sangs rgyas kyi sku dang kha dog mtha’ yas pa yongs su ’grub pa sgrub pa’i gzungs
སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་སྐུ་དང་ཁ་དོག་མཐའ་ཡས་པ་ཡོངས་སུ་འགྲུབ་པ་སྒྲུབ་པའི་གཟུངས།
sangs rgyas kyi sku dang kha dog mtha’ yas pa yongs su ’grub pa grub pa’i gzungs
སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་སྐུ་དང་ཁ་དོག་མཐའ་ཡས་པ་ཡོངས་སུ་འགྲུབ་པ་གྲུབ་པའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī that enters into ascertainment of correct discriminating knowledge
enters into ascertainment of correct discriminating knowledge

so so yang dag par rig pa rnam par nges pa la ’jug pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs
སོ་སོ་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ་རྣམ་པར་ངེས་པ་ལ་འཇུག་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī that enters the door of no desire
enters the door of no desire

chags pa med pa’i sgor ’jug pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs
ཆགས་པ་མེད་པའི་སྒོར་འཇུག་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་གཟུངས།

dhāraṇī of the immaculately shining clear light of the essence of the sublime oceanic assembly
immaculately shining clear light of the essence of the sublime oceanic assembly

rgya mtsho dam pa’i snying po dri ma med par snang ba ’od gsal ba’i gzungs
རྒྱ་མཚོ་དམ་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པར་སྣང་བ་འོད་གསལ་བའི་གཟུངས།

displays all forms

gzugs thams cad kun tu ston pa
གཟུགས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀུན་ཏུ་སྟོན་པ།

earth embracing

sa ’dzin
ས་འཛིན།

eliminates the body

lus rnam par ’jig pa
ལུས་རྣམ་པར་འཇིག་པ།

emancipation in the domain of all conduct

spyod pa thams cad kyi yul la nges par ’byung ba
སྤྱོད་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་ཡུལ་ལ་ངེས་པར་འབྱུང་བ།

engages in all actions

spyod pa thams cad la ’jug pa
སྤྱོད་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་འཇུག་པ།

enters into all aspects of qualities

yon tan gyi rnam pa thams cad la ’jug pa
ཡོན་ཏན་གྱི་རྣམ་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་འཇུག་པ།

following intense movement

rab tu g.yo ba’i rjes su song ba
རབ་ཏུ་གཡོ་བའི་རྗེས་སུ་སོང་བ།

follows all worlds

’jig rten thams cad kyi rjes su song ba
འཇིག་རྟེན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རྗེས་སུ་སོང་བ།

greatly posing

cher bsgyings
ཆེར་བསྒྱིངས།

holy Dharma white lotus

dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po
དམ་པའི་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོ།

jewel treasure

rin po che’i mdzod
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་མཛོད།

lotus array

pad ma bkod pa
པད་མ་བཀོད་པ།

manifold display

rnam par rol pa
རྣམ་པར་རོལ་པ།

mind controlling

sems la dbang byed pa
སེམས་ལ་དབང་བྱེད་པ།

not seeing with sight

ltar mi mthong ba
ལྟར་མི་མཐོང་བ།

profound and secret union

sbyor ba zab cing gsang ba
སྦྱོར་བ་ཟབ་ཅིང་གསང་བ།

sees the aspects of all things

chos thams cad la rnam par lta ba
ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་རྣམ་པར་ལྟ་བ།

six supernormal knowledges

mngon par shes pa drug
མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ་དྲུག

sky treasury

nam mkha’ mdzod
ནམ་མཁའ་མཛོད།

teaches the precious analytic knowledge

so so yang dag par rig pa rin po che bstan pa
སོ་སོ་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་བསྟན་པ།

banner of Meru

lhun po rgyal mtshan
ལྷུན་པོ་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

boundless spiral

mtha’ yas ’khyil pa
མཐའ་ཡས་འཁྱིལ་པ།

definitive teaching about mastery over all phenomena

chos thams cad ’dul bar rnam par nges par bstan pa
ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་འདུལ་བར་རྣམ་པར་ངེས་པར་བསྟན་པ།

lamp of Meru

lhun po sgron ma
ལྷུན་པོ་སྒྲོན་མ།

magical display that ascertains perfect calm

rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul
རབ་ཏུ་ཞི་བ་རྣམ་པར་ངེས་པའི་ཆོ་འཕྲུལ།

particularities of all forms

gzugs thams cad kyi khyad par
གཟུགས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་ཁྱད་པར།

profound and heroic ocean tide

zab cing brtan pa’i rgya mtsho’i chu’i dus rlabs
ཟབ་ཅིང་བརྟན་པའི་རྒྱ་མཚོའི་ཆུའི་དུས་རླབས།

vajra banner

rdo rje’i rgyal mtshan
རྡོ་རྗེའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

vajra maṇḍala

rdo rje’i dkyil ’khor
རྡོ་རྗེའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར།

vajra navel

rdo rje lte ba
རྡོ་རྗེ་ལྟེ་བ།

visibly manifests awakening

mngon sum du byang chub snang ba
མངོན་སུམ་དུ་བྱང་ཆུབ་སྣང་བ།

All-Illumining Moon

kun tu snang ba’i zla ba
ཀུན་ཏུ་སྣང་བའི་ཟླ་བ།

Brilliant Moon

’od zer rab tu gtong ba’i zla ba
འོད་ཟེར་རབ་ཏུ་གཏོང་བའི་ཟླ་བ།

Dharmadhātu Melody

chos kyi dbyings kyi sgra dbyangs
ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས་ཀྱི་སྒྲ་དབྱངས།

Earth Melody

sa steng sgra dbyangs
ས་སྟེང་སྒྲ་དབྱངས།

Emitter of a Thousand Light Rays

’od zer stong gi ’od ’phro
འོད་ཟེར་སྟོང་གི་འོད་འཕྲོ།

Famous Melody of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i dbang pos bsgrags pa’i dbyangs
ཚངས་པའི་དབང་པོས་བསྒྲགས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Famous Moon

rnam par bsgrags pa’i zla ba
རྣམ་པར་བསྒྲགས་པའི་ཟླ་བ།

Great Conqueror of Māra

bdud las rgyal chen po
བདུད་ལས་རྒྱལ་ཆེན་པོ།

Great Dharma-Drum Melody

chos kyi rnga chen sgra dbyangs
ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྔ་ཆེན་སྒྲ་དབྱངས།

Great Diligence Hero

brtson ’grus chen pos rnam par gnon
བརྩོན་འགྲུས་ཆེན་པོས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Great Emanation

rnam par ’phrul pa chen po
རྣམ་པར་འཕྲུལ་པ་ཆེན་པོ།

Great Emanation King

rnam par ’phrul pa chen po’i rgyal po
རྣམ་པར་འཕྲུལ་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Great Energy Hero

rtsal chen dpa’ ba
རྩལ་ཆེན་དཔའ་བ།

Great Lord of the Feast

tshogs kyi dbang po chen po
ཚོགས་ཀྱི་དབང་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།

Great Meru

lhun po chen po
ལྷུན་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།

Great Musth Elephant

spos kyi bal glang glang po che chen po
སྤོས་ཀྱི་བལ་གླང་གླང་པོ་ཆེ་ཆེན་པོ།

Great Poise

cher bsgyings
ཆེར་བསྒྱིངས།

Great Powerful Poise

bsgyings pa chen po’i stobs
བསྒྱིངས་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་སྟོབས།

Great Strength

shugs chen
ཤུགས་ཆེན།

Great Strength Holder

shugs chen ’dzin
ཤུགས་ཆེན་འཛིན།

Hard Renunciation

mngon par ’byung dka’
མངོན་པར་འབྱུང་དཀའ།

Hard to Realize

rtogs dka’
རྟོགས་དཀའ།

Heroic Absorption

ting nge ’dzin
ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།

Heroic Aggregates

phung po rnam par gnon
ཕུང་པོ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic at the Limit of Reality

yang dag pa’i mtha’ rnam par gnon
ཡང་དག་པའི་མཐའ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Awareness

rig pa rnam par gnon
རིག་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Ceaselessness

’gag pa med pa rnam par gnon
འགག་པ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Clairvoyance

mngon par shes pa rnam par gnon
མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Cleanliness

rdul med rnam par gnon
རྡུལ་མེད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Clear-Light Nature

rang bzhin ’od gsal rnam par gnon
རང་བཞིན་འོད་གསལ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Constituents

khams rnam par gnon
ཁམས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Dharmadhātu

chos dbyings rnam par gnon
ཆོས་དབྱིངས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Emptiness

stong pa nyid rnam par gnon
སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Faculties

skye mched rnam par gnon
སྐྱེ་མཆེད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic in All Phenomena

chos thams cad rnam par gnon
ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic in All World Systems

’jig rten gyi khams thams cad rnam par gnon
འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས་ཐམས་ཅད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic in Every Meditative State

snyoms par ’jug pa thams cad rnam par gnon
སྙོམས་པར་འཇུག་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic in the Mental Deeds of All Sentient Beings

sems can thams cad kyi sems kyi spyod pa rnam par gnon
སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་སེམས་ཀྱི་སྤྱོད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic in the Three Worlds

’jig rten gsum rnam par gnon
འཇིག་རྟེན་གསུམ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Liberation

rnam par thar pa rnam par gnon
རྣམ་པར་ཐར་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Limitlessness

mtha’ yas rnam par gnon
མཐའ་ཡས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Birthlessness

skye ba med pa rnam par gnon
སྐྱེ་བ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Nonarising

mi skye ba rnam par gnon
མི་སྐྱེ་བ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Nonarrival

’ong ba med pa rnam par gnon pa
འོང་བ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན་པ།

Heroic Nondisappearance

’gro ba med pa rnam par gnon
འགྲོ་བ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Purity

rnam dag rnam par gnon
རྣམ་དག་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Sameness

mnyam pa nyid rnam par gnon
མཉམ་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Signlessness

mtshan ma med pa rnam par gnon
མཚན་མ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Tathāgata

de bzhin gshegs pas rnam par gnon
དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Wishlessness

smon pa med pa rnam par gnon
སྨོན་པ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Heroic Without Birth or Death

’chi ’pho med pa rnam par gnon
འཆི་འཕོ་མེད་པ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན།

Illuminating Moon

rnam par snang byed zla ba
རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བྱེད་ཟླ་བ།

Improving Intellect

phel ba’i blo gros
ཕེལ་བའི་བློ་གྲོས།

Intellect Hard to Approach

bsnyen par dka’ ba’i blo
བསྙེན་པར་དཀའ་བའི་བློ།

Intellect Perceiving the Buddha

sangs rgyas mngon sum blo gros
སངས་རྒྱས་མངོན་སུམ་བློ་གྲོས།

Intelligence That Conquers All Suffering and Darkness

mya ngan dang mun pa thams cad ’joms pa’i blo gros
མྱ་ངན་དང་མུན་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་འཇོམས་པའི་བློ་གྲོས།

Intelligence That Renounces All Objects

yul thams cad las nges par ’byung ba’i blo gros
ཡུལ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལས་ངེས་པར་འབྱུང་བའི་བློ་གྲོས།

Light Dispelling All Darkness

mun pa thams cad sel ba’i mar me
མུན་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་སེལ་བའི་མར་མེ།

Light Pervading All Directions

phyogs thams cad du khyab pa’i mar me
ཕྱོགས་ཐམས་ཅད་དུ་ཁྱབ་པའི་མར་མེ།

Light That Shines on All Beings

’gro ba thams cad la snang ba’i mar me
འགྲོ་བ་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་སྣང་བའི་མར་མེ།

Mārajit

bdud las rgyal
བདུད་ལས་རྒྱལ།

Melodious Song of the Earth

sa’i sgra dbyangs
སའི་སྒྲ་དབྱངས།

Melody That Conquers All the Throngs of Māras

bdud kyi dkyil ’khor thams cad rnam par ’joms pa’i dbyangs
བདུད་ཀྱི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་ཐམས་ཅད་རྣམ་པར་འཇོམས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Melody That Eclipses All Types of Song

dbyangs kyi yan lag thams cad zil gyis gnon pa’i dbyangs
དབྱངས་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག་ཐམས་ཅད་ཟིལ་གྱིས་གནོན་པའི་དབྱངས།

Sears the Lower Realms

ngan ’gro skem
ངན་འགྲོ་སྐེམ།

Sole Lamp of the World

gcig tu snang ba’i mar me
གཅིག་ཏུ་སྣང་བའི་མར་མེ།

Stainless-Dharma Moon

chos dri ma med pa’i zla ba
ཆོས་དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་ཟླ་བ།

Thought-Free Nonconceptual Melody

mi rtog rnam par mi rtog dbyangs
མི་རྟོག་རྣམ་པར་མི་རྟོག་དབྱངས།

Torchlight of Dharma

chos kyi sgron ma’i mar me
ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྒྲོན་མའི་མར་མེ།

Universal Emanation

kun tu sprul pa
ཀུན་ཏུ་སྤྲུལ་པ།

Universal Guide

kun nas ’dren pa
ཀུན་ནས་འདྲེན་པ།

Universal Insight

kun tu shes rab
ཀུན་ཏུ་ཤེས་རབ།

Universal Light

kun tu mar me
ཀུན་ཏུ་མར་མེ།

Universal Stainless Essence

kun tu dri ma med pa’i snying po
ཀུན་ཏུ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་སྙིང་པོ།

Universally Understood Melody

kun tu go bar byed pa’i dbyangs
ཀུན་ཏུ་གོ་བར་བྱེད་པའི་དབྱངས།

Unstained by the Realm of Māras

bdud yul mi gos
བདུད་ཡུལ་མི་གོས།

Youth of Latticed Light

dra ba can gyi ’od gzhon nur gyur pa
དྲ་བ་ཅན་གྱི་འོད་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youth Who Turns the Dharma Wheel Upon Generating the Mind of Awakening

sems bskyed ma thag tu chos kyi ’khor lo bskor ba gzhon nur gyur pa
སེམས་བསྐྱེད་མ་ཐག་ཏུ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་བསྐོར་བ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Clearer

rnam par sel ba gzhon nur gyur pa
རྣམ་པར་སེལ་བ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Jewel-Holder

lag na rin chen gzhon nur gyur pa
ལག་ན་རིན་ཆེན་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Lion

seng ge gzhon nur gyur pa
སེང་གེ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Ornament

rgyan bkod pa gzhon nur gyur pa
རྒྱན་བཀོད་པ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Precious Seal-Holder

lag na phyag rgya rin chen gzhon nur gyur pa
ལག་ན་ཕྱག་རྒྱ་རིན་ཆེན་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Sky-Treasury

nam mkha’ mdzod gzhon nur gyur pa
ནམ་མཁའ་མཛོད་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Youthful Supreme Intelligence

mchog gi blo gros gzhon nur gyur pa
མཆོག་གི་བློ་གྲོས་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།

Great Cakravāḍa

khor yug chen po
ཁོར་ཡུག་ཆེན་པོ།

Mount Himavat
Himavat

gangs ri
གངས་རི།

abode of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i gnas
ཚངས་པའི་གནས།

abode of Māras

bdud kyi gnas
བདུད་ཀྱི་གནས།

abode of the Four Great Kings

rgyal chen bzhi’i gnas
རྒྱལ་ཆེན་བཞིའི་གནས།