Toh 269The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “Dispelling the Darkness of the Ten Directions”

Summary

As the Buddha approaches Kapilavastu, he is met by the Śākya youth
Shining Countenance setting out from the city in his chariot. Shining
Countenance requests the Buddha to teach him a rite of protection from harm, and
the Buddha describes ten buddhas, each dwelling in a distant world system in one
of the ten directions. When departing from the city in one of the directions, he
explains, keeping the respective buddha in mind will ensure freedom from fear
and harm while traveling and success in the journey’s purpose. After receiving
this teaching, Shining Countenance and the others in the assembly are able to
see those ten buddhas and their realms directly before them, and the Buddha
prophesies their eventual awakening. The Buddha further explains that to read,
teach, write down, and keep this sūtra will bring protection to all; it is
consequently often chanted at the beginning of undertakings, especially travel,
to overcome obstacles and bring success.

Acknowledgements

This was translated from Tibetan into English by Venerable Khenpo Kalsang
Gyaltsen and Ani Kunga Chodron of the Sakya Pandita Translation Group, Tsechen
Kunchab Ling Division.

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

Introduction

In Dispelling the Darkness of the Ten
Directions, the Śākya youth Shining Countenance, setting out
from the city of Kapilavastu in his chariot, encounters the Buddha, who is
approaching the city. When Shining Countenance requests the Buddha to teach
him a rite of protection from harm, the Buddha proceeds to describe ten
buddhas, each dwelling in a distant world system in one of the ten
directions, explaining to the youth that if he keeps in mind whichever of
those thus-gone ones is appropriate when departing from the city in their
respective direction, he will be free from fear and harm when traveling and
accomplish his purpose. After the Buddha gives this teaching, Shining
Countenance and the others in the assembly are able to see those ten buddhas
and their realms directly before their eyes, and at the prompting of
Śāriputra, the Buddha prophesies their eventual awakening. The Buddha
further explains that someone who merely reads, teaches, or writes down and
keeps this teaching with them will similarly be free from fear and harm and
will pass away peacefully at the end of their life. The god Śakra further
pledges to protect those who uphold this teaching, and the Buddha states
that doing so constitutes truly honoring, venerating, and making offerings
to the Thus-Gone One.

This popular sūtra is often chanted at the beginning of
undertakings, especially travel, to overcome obstacles and bring success,
and as a means of invoking the buddhas’ blessings to bring about conditions
to accomplish one’s goals. It is also kept as a blessing in dwellings or in
a special place among one’s possessions when on a journey. Over the
centuries, based on this sūtra, other Buddhist texts with similar names
involving dispelling the darkness of the ten directions have been written.
These texts also offer the protection of the blessing of the buddhas,
although the specific names of the buddhas in the various directions
sometimes differ, and other versions include other holy beings such as
bodhisattvas and goddesses.

Though a Sanskrit version of this sūtra is no longer extant,
translations of it are also included in the Chinese,
Korean,
and Mongolian Buddhist canons. The colophon to the Tibetan
translation found in the Kangyur states that it was initially translated by
the Indian preceptor Viśuddhasiṃha and the Tibetan translator Bandé Tsang
Devendrarakṣita, who was probably the same as Tsang Lekdrup (gtsang legs grub), one of the first seven
Tibetans to be ordained by Śāntarakṣita (725–788 ce) at the newly established Samyé Monastery in the mid-eighth
century. In addition, it was revised by Lui Gyaltsen (klu’i rgyal mtshan), the famous
translator of the first period of the propagation of the Dharma in Tibet
(seventh–ninth centuries) who also participated in the eighth-century
revision of the work of the earliest translators.
This sūtra is listed in Denkarma (812 ce) and
Phangthangma catalogs,
further evidence that it was translated no later than the early ninth
century.

The translation offered here is based on the version found in the
Degé Kangyur. The variant readings recorded in the Comparative Edition
(dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace
Kangyurs were also consulted. The few variations between the versions of the
Kangyur that impacted our translation have been recorded in the
endnotes.

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

Dispelling the Darkness of the Ten Directions

Homage
to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling among the
Śākyas at Nyagrodha Park in Kapilavastu, together with a great assembly of
1,250 monks and a great retinue of bodhisattvas including Maitreya and
Mañjuśrī.

In the morning the Blessed One put on his lower robe and, taking up
his alms bowl and upper dharma robe, surrounded and escorted by an assembly
of monks, traveled to the great city of Kapilavastu to receive alms.

At that time, a Śākya youth known as Shining Countenance was setting
out from the great city of Kapilavastu in a chariot to attend to some
affairs. Even from a great distance, the Śākya youth Shining Countenance saw
the Blessed One approach. Seeing him, he dismounted from the chariot and
went to where the Blessed One was, bowed with palms joined in the direction
of the Blessed One, and bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet. He then
circumambulated the Blessed One three times, and with palms joined sat before the
Blessed One.

The Śākya youth Shining Countenance then made this request of the
Blessed One: “Blessed One, here in this city both my father and mother,
while they are asleep or awake, might be harmed by nonhuman beings. Blessed
One, I, too, when traveling to other lands, might be harmed by bandits or
wild animals. Therefore, may the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha, out of compassion for me and by any means, protect me so
that human and nonhuman beings and those in the animal realm do not harm me.
Please teach a rite of protection.”

The Blessed One replied to the Śākya youth Shining Countenance,
“Young man, listen carefully then and keep this in mind. I will instruct
you.”

“Blessed One, please do so,” requested the Śākya youth Shining
Countenance, and he listened to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said, “Young man, in the eastern direction, eighty
thousand buddha fields beyond this buddha field, there is a world system
known as Shaking All Defilements. There the thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect buddha known as Follower presently resides, alive and well. Young
man, when you set out in the eastern direction to attend to some affairs,
pay homage to that thus-gone one, remembering and honoring him. If you bring
this clearly to mind and then depart, you will have no fear. If you hold
this in your mind without distraction during that time, you will accomplish
the purpose for which you embarked.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke the following verse:

“Thoroughly honoring the lord,

The completely perfect Buddha, the great sage,

If you maintain this clearly and then depart,

You will have no fear.

“Young man, in the southern direction, ninety thousand buddha fields
beyond this buddha field, there is a world system known as Dispelling the
Mass of Dense Darkness. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect
buddha known as King Who Is Superior Due to Freedom from Fear and Timidity
in Any Activity Since First Generating the Mind of Awakening presently
resides, alive and well. Young man, when you set out in the southern
direction to attend to some affairs, at that time, pay homage to that
thus-gone one, remembering and honoring him. If you bring this clearly to
mind and then depart while remaining undistracted, free of thoughts of home
and so forth, you will accomplish the purpose for which you embarked, and
you will not fear anything.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke the following verse:

“Freed from obsession

With thoughts of home,

When you travel south

You will experience no fear.

“Young man, in the western direction, as many buddha fields beyond
this buddha field as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, there is
a world system known as Reaching One’s Goal. There, the thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect buddha known as Subjugator of Resentment and Conceit
presently resides, alive and well. Young man, when you set out in the
western direction to attend to some affairs, at that time, pay homage to that
thus-gone one, remembering and honoring him. If you bring this clearly to
mind and then depart without defilements, undistracted, and with
mindfulness, you will not fear anything.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“There are no phenomena that arise,

Nor are there any that cease.

Those who understand phenomena thus

Have no fear whatsoever.

“Young man, in the northern direction, ten billion buddha fields
beyond this buddha field, there is a world system known as Possessing a
Buddha’s Eloquence. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddha
known as Overpowering with the Light of an Array of the Reflections of
Jewels presently resides, alive and well. Young man, when you set out in the
northern direction to attend to some affairs, at that time, pay homage to
that thus-gone one, remembering and honoring him. If you bring this clearly
to mind and then depart while remaining undistracted, you will accomplish
the purpose for which you embarked, and you will not fear anything.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Always make the mind equal

Toward all sentient beings.

If you do not disrespect any sentient being,

You will experience no fear.

“Young man, in the northeastern direction, eighty thousand buddha
fields beyond this buddha field, there is a world system known as Conquered
the Legions of Māra. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddha
known as Māras and Doubt Conquered and Subdued presently resides, alive and
well. That thus-gone one, by merely sitting under the Bodhi tree, made it so all
the gods of the māra class that exist in that trichiliocosm would not
regress from unsurpassed, completely perfect awakening. Young man, such was
the heroic effort of that thus-gone one in sitting beneath the Bodhi tree.
Young man, when you set out in the northeastern direction to attend to some
affairs, at that time, pay homage to that thus-gone one, remembering and
honoring him. If you bring this clearly to mind and then depart without
distraction, you will accomplish the purpose for which you embarked, and you
will not fear anything.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“If you travel while keeping in mind

The Buddha who defeated the māras

With his very first thought,

You will have no fear.

“Young man, in the southeastern direction, twenty thousand buddha
fields beyond this buddha field, there is a world system known as Ever
Radiant. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddha known as
Glory of the Arising of the Irreversible Wheel Since First Generating the
Mind of Awakening presently resides, alive and well. Young man, that
thus-gone one, from the moment of generating the first thought of awakening
until attaining buddhahood, continually performed acts of generosity,
guarded his moral discipline, assiduously practiced patience, exerted
himself in diligence, established concentration, and practiced wisdom. Young man, such was the
heroic effort of that thus-gone one. Young man, when you set out in the
southeastern direction to attend to some affairs, prostrate with your five
limbs and then depart from your home. Later you will not
experience any regret and will not fear anything. If you remain
undistracted, you will accomplish the purpose for which you embarked.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Prostrate with the five limbs,

Then depart from home.

You will travel

Without being overpowered by bandits.

“Young man, in the southwestern direction, thirty thousand buddha
fields beyond this buddha field, there is a world system known as Covered by
a Golden Net. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddha known
as Superior Illumination of a Jeweled Canopy presently resides, alive and
well. Young man, when you set out in the southwestern direction to attend to
some affairs, at that time, pay homage to that thus-gone one, remembering
and honoring him. If you bring this clearly to mind and then depart while
remaining undistracted, you will not fear anything, and you will accomplish
the purpose for which you embarked.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Having paid homage to the perfect Buddha,

Strew some flower petals.

When you travel to the southwest,

You will not experience fear.

“Young man, in the northwestern direction, as many buddha fields
beyond this buddha field as there are grains of sand in six Ganges Rivers,
there is a world system known as Purified, Steadfast, and Exalted. There,
the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddha known as Tamer of
Bodhisattvas presently resides, alive and well. Young man, that thus-gone
one’s buddha field is without impurity, without sexual intercourse, without
women,
without thorns, pebbles, and gravel, and without the five degenerations.
Young man, when you set out in the northwestern direction to attend to some
affairs, having first correctly observed pure conduct, depart from home with
an undistracted mind. Young man, you will accomplish the purpose for which
you embarked, and you will not fear anything.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Having first correctly observed pure conduct,

Depart from home.

Wherever you travel,

You will not be overpowered by bandits.

“Young man, in the direction of the zenith, as many buddha fields
beyond this buddha field as there are grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers,
there is a world system known as Possessing Nonreferential Application of
Mind. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddha known as
Exalted King of Meditative Concentration Fearless and Free from Darkness
presently resides, alive and well. Young man, pay homage to that thus-gone
one, remembering and honoring him. If, whether sitting or standing, you
pervade all beings with loving-kindness and then perfect and maintain it,
you will not fear anything.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Keeping the mind undistracted,

Always remember that victorious one;

Always develop the mind of loving-kindness,

And you will not experience fear.

“Young man, in the direction of the nadir, ninety-two thousand
buddha fields beyond this buddha field, there is a world system known as
Adorned with All Qualities. There, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect
buddha known as Cutting Doubt and Shaking the Defilements Since First Generating the Mind
of Awakening presently resides, alive and well. Young man, at the
commencement of all actions and during all activities, whether you are
standing, sitting, or moving about, pay homage to that thus-gone one, keep
him in mind, and establish the mind of loving-kindness for beings and the
beneficent mind. Young man, you will not experience fear, and all your needs
will be effortlessly accomplished.”

Then, at that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“In every activity, day and night,

Remember that buddha

And do not relinquish the mind of awakening,

And you will experience no fear.

“Young man, apprehend well the names of those thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect buddhas. Keep them well and comprehend them well, and you
will not experience any of those fears, anxieties, and terrors.” Thus spoke
the Blessed One to the youth.

The Śākya youth Shining Countenance then said to the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, I will apprehend the names of those thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect buddhas. For me, Blessed One, there is no darkness
whatsoever in those world systems. Blessed One, I see those world systems
and those thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect buddhas, just as I now see
the Thus-Gone One teaching the Dharma to the assemblies.”

Then, from among that gathering, the Śākya youth Shining Countenance
and the others, the great host of beings, looked upon the Blessed One, paid homage,
made offerings, and attended upon him. Each of the thousand living
beings who had assembled there to
listen to this Dharma discourse then rose from their seats, draped their
upper robes over one shoulder, knelt on their right knees, bowed toward the
Blessed One with palms joined, and spoke these words to the Blessed One:
“Blessed One, because the Thus-Gone One taught this Dharma discourse for our
benefit, for us, Blessed One, those directions and those world systems
appear without darkness. Blessed One, those world systems and those blessed
buddhas appear just like the Thus-Gone One teaching the Dharma right
now.”

Then, by the power of the Buddha, the venerable Śāriputra rose from
his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee,
bowed toward the Blessed One with palms joined, and spoke these words to the
Blessed One: “Blessed One, when you taught this Dharma discourse to those
noble sons and daughters, having heard the names of those blessed buddhas,
their eyes were purified, and they saw all the world systems in the ten
directions and all those blessed buddhas. Blessed One, what is the merit by
which they saw that and by which their eyes were purified? Will there still
be fruit when they transmigrate to another life? Or will there not be?”

“Śāriputra,” replied the Blessed One, “noble sons and daughters who
have correctly entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle and whose eyes have been
purified in this way will become exceedingly pure in
accordance with their lack of obscurations. Śāriputra, do you see all
thousand of these living beings? Each and every one of them, Śāriputra,
because of the root of virtue of apprehending the names of these buddhas,
will attain the life of a universal emperor as many times as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges River. In their last life and last body, all
these beings will perfect all the accumulations of awakening. In a single
eon, every one of them will truly and completely awaken to unsurpassed,
completely perfect awakening, all with the name of the thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Ornamented with Pure Eyes.”

As soon as the Blessed One had given his prophecy to those noble
sons and daughters, the trichiliocosm shook in six ways: it quaked, quaked
deeply, and quaked violently; it shook, shook deeply, and shook violently;
and it clamored, clamored deeply, and clamored violently.

Even the gods who move above the earth proclaimed, “Friends! It is
amazing that by merely apprehending the names of these thus-gone ones these
noble sons and daughters will have taken hold of unsurpassed, completely
perfect awakening and become thus-gone ones who have understood everything
through knowing all phenomena just as they are. Who would not then develop
faith in the Buddha?”

Having heard the cry of the gods who move above the earth, the gods
belonging to the class of the Four Great Kings, those of the Heaven of the
Thirty-Three, those of the Heaven Free from Strife, those of the Heaven of
Joy, those of the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, those of the māra
class who reside in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations, those of
the Brahmā Heaven, those of the Heaven of the High Priests of Brahmā, and
those of the Heaven of Great Brahmā, up to the gods of the Unexcelled Heaven,
were delighted and overjoyed. Having become joyful and happy, they cried,
“Friends! It is amazing that in this way, by merely apprehending the names
of these thus-gone ones, these noble sons and daughters will have taken hold
of unsurpassed, completely perfect awakening and become thus-gone ones who
have understood everything through knowing all phenomena just as they are.
Who would not then develop faith in the Buddha?”

The Blessed One then said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, any
noble sons or daughters having correctly entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle who
hear this Dharma discourse and then remember it, uphold it, read it, master
it, correctly teach it widely to others, or even so much as write it down
and keep it with them—those noble sons or daughters are blessed by the
Buddha. Regard them as having served previous victorious ones. Regard them
as those who will not fear death. They will not die in a state of distress.
They will not die from the harms of others. Trust that they will not
experience fear of water, bandits, poison, or weapons.”

Then Śakra, lord of the gods, the protector of the bodhisattva great
beings, having heard such a prophecy as this, in order to maintain this
Dharma discourse, went to where the Blessed One was, surrounded and escorted
by a full thousand gods. After bowing his head to the feet of the Blessed
One and circumambulating the Blessed One three times, he strewed divine sandalwood
powder, divine mandārava flowers, and great mandārava flowers toward the
Blessed One and all the thousand living beings who had been prophesied by
the Blessed One to attain unsurpassed, completely perfect awakening in the
future. Then, with his palms joined, he sat to one side and spoke these
words:

“Blessed One, I will protect any noble sons and daughters who
remember this Dharma discourse and who uphold it, read it, and master it.
Blessed One, whether those noble sons and daughters are in a house, in a
monastery, under a tree, in an empty house, in the remote wilderness, on a
path, or astray of a path, whether they are asleep or awakened from sleep, I
will protect them so that they will not perish from the harms of
others.”

The Blessed One then said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, even if
some noble sons and daughters were to offer robes, alms, accommodations,
medicines for illness, and other necessities throughout the entire life of
the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha who presently dwells here,
alive and well, that alone, Ānanda, would not be paying respect to the
Thus-Gone One. It would not be honoring him, it would not be venerating him,
and it would not be offering to him. If any noble sons and daughters who
have correctly entered the Bodhisattva Vehicle hear this Dharma discourse
and then remember it, uphold it, read it, master it, correctly teach it
widely to others, or even so much as write it down and keep it with them, by
merely that, Ānanda—through that supreme paying of respect to the
Thus-Gone One, that supreme honoring of him, that supreme veneration of him,
and that supreme offering to him—it is paying respect to him, honoring him,
venerating him, and offering to him.”

Then the venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, draped his upper robe
over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, bowed toward the Blessed One
with palms joined, and spoke these words to the Blessed One: “Blessed One,
what is the name of this Dharma discourse? How should we remember it?”

The Blessed One then replied to the venerable Ānanda, “In this case,
Ānanda, remember this Dharma discourse as Dispelling
the Darkness of the Ten Directions. Remember it also as Reciting the Names of the Thus-Gone Ones, as
Realization of Insubstantiality, and as
Realization of the Lack of
Characteristics.”

The Blessed One having spoken thus, the venerable Ānanda, the
venerable Śāriputra, the Śākya youth Shining Countenance, all thousand
living beings, the lord of gods Śakra, those monks and bodhisattvas, and the
world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the
words of the Blessed One.

This completes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “Dispelling the Darkness of the Ten Directions.”

Colophon

Translated by the Indian preceptor Viśuddhasiṃha and the translator
Bandé Tsang Devendrarakṣita. Edited and finalized by the chief editor and
translator Bandé Lui Gyaltsen.

Notes

Bibliography

King Who Is Superior Due to Freedom from
Fear and Timidity in Any Activity Since First Generating the Mind of
Awakening
dang po bskyed pa yid la
mdzad pa rnam grangs bsnyengs pa dang bag tsha ba dang bral bas
mngon par ’phags pa’i rgyal po
དང་པོ་བསྐྱེད་པ་ཡིད་ལ་མཛད་པ་རྣམ་གྲངས་བསྙེངས་པ་དང་བག་ཚ་བ་དང་བྲལ་བས་མངོན་པར་འཕགས་པའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།