大方廣佛華嚴經

37. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: THE APPEARANCE OF THE TATHAGATA

(Chinese Text: From the Beginning of Fascicle 50 Through the End of Fascicle 52)

At that time, the Blessed One emitted from the white urna between his eyebrows a great radiance called the Appearance of the Tathagata. It was accompanied by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of asamkhyeyas of rays of light. That radiance universally illuminated all worlds throughout the ten directions, extending to the utmost reaches of space and the Dharma-realm.

It circled seven times to the right, revealing the Tathagata’s immeasurable sovereign powers, awakening countless assemblies of bodhisattvas, causing all worlds throughout the ten directions to quake, extinguishing all the sufferings of the evil destinies, outshining all the palaces of Mara, and revealing all Buddhas, the Tathagatas, seated upon their seats of enlightenment, attaining Perfect, Complete Enlightenment, together with all the assemblies at their places of enlightenment.

After accomplishing such deeds, that radiance returned, circled the assembly of bodhisattvas to the right, and entered the crown of Bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue of the Tathagata’s Nature-Arising.

At that time, everyone in the great assembly at this place of enlightenment was delighted in body and mind and rejoiced exceedingly. They thought: “How extraordinary and rare! The Tathagata has now emitted this great radiance and will surely expound an exceedingly profound and great Dharma.”

Bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue of the Tathagata’s Nature-Arising, seated upon his lotus throne, bared his right shoulder, knelt upon his right knee, joined his palms, and single-mindedly faced the Buddha and spoke these verses:

Perfectly Enlightened One, whose virtues and great wisdom appear,

Universally comprehending all realms and reaching the further shore,

Equal to all the Tathagatas of the three times—

Therefore, I now reverently bow before you.

Having ascended the shore of the realm without characteristics,

You nevertheless manifest a body adorned with wondrous marks,

Emitting a thousand immaculate rays of light

That utterly crush and disperse the armies of Mara.

However many worlds there are throughout the ten directions,

You can cause them all to quake without exception,

Yet never cause a single sentient being to fear—

Such is the spiritual power of the Sugata.

Space and the Dharma-realm are equal in nature;

Having attained this state, you abide therein.

All living beings, countless in number,

You enable to end evil and eliminate every fault.

Through diligent and arduous practices for countless kalpas,

You accomplished the supreme path of bodhi.

Your wisdom is unobstructed in every realm,

And your essential nature is identical to that of all Buddhas.

The Guiding Teacher has emitted this radiance,

Causing the worlds throughout the ten directions to quake.

Having displayed immeasurable powers of spiritual transformation,

It then returned and entered my body.

Immeasurable bodhisattvas, well trained

In the definitive Dharma, have all assembled here.

You cause me to give rise to the resolve to inquire into the Dharma;

Therefore, I now entreat the Dharma King.

This present assembly is entirely pure

And well able to liberate all worlds.

With boundless wisdom, free from attachment,

These worthy ones have all gathered here.

The Guiding Teacher, benefactor of the world,

Is immeasurable in both wisdom and vigor.

Now you illuminate the great assembly with your radiance,

Causing me to inquire about the unsurpassed Dharma.

Who, abiding within the realm of the Tathagata,

Can fully and truthfully reveal and expound it?

Who is the Buddha’s Eldest Dharma Son?

Blessed One, Guiding Teacher, please reveal him.

The Tathagata then emitted from his mouth a great radiance called Unobstructed Fearlessness. It was accompanied by hundreds of thousands of kotis of asamkhyeyas of rays of light and universally illuminated all worlds throughout the ten directions, extending to the utmost reaches of space and the Dharma-realm. It circled ten times to the right, revealing the Tathagata’s various sovereign powers, awakening immeasurable assemblies of bodhisattvas, causing all worlds throughout the ten directions to quake, eliminating all the sufferings of the evil destinies, outshining all the palaces of Mara, and revealing all Buddhas, the Tathagatas, seated upon their seats of enlightenment, attaining Perfect, Complete Enlightenment, together with all the assemblies at every place of enlightenment.

After accomplishing such deeds, this great radiance returned, circled the assembly of bodhisattvas to the right, and entered the mouth of the great bodhisattva Samantabhadra. When the great radiance had entered him, the body and lion throne of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra became a hundred times more magnificent than before and a hundred times more magnificent than the bodies and thrones of all the other bodhisattvas, except only for the Tathagata’s lion throne.

Bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue of the Tathagata’s Nature-Arising asked the great bodhisattva Samantabhadra:

“Buddha’s son! The Blessed One has manifested vast spiritual transformations, causing all the bodhisattvas to experience inconceivable joy, which those in the world cannot comprehend. What auspicious sign is this?”

The great bodhisattva Samantabhadra replied:

“Buddha’s son! In the past, whenever I saw the Tathagatas, the Worthy Ones, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened Ones, manifest such vast spiritual transformations, they would then teach the Dharma-gate of the Tathagata’s appearance. As I reflect upon it, the Tathagata has now manifested this sign and will surely teach that Dharma-gate.”

When Bodhisattva Samantabhadra had spoken these words, the entire great earth quaked, and immeasurable radiances of inquiry into the Dharma appeared.

Bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue of the Tathagata’s Nature-Arising asked Bodhisattva Samantabhadra:

“Buddha’s son! How should a great bodhisattva understand the Dharma of the appearance of the Buddhas, the Tathagatas? May the Buddha’s son explain it.

These immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas in the assembly of bodhisattvas have long cultivated pure karma; have perfected mindfulness and wisdom; have reached the ultimate further shore of great adornment; possess all the practices and dignified conduct of the Buddhas; remain rightly mindful of the Buddhas without ever forgetting them; observe all sentient beings with great compassion; definitively and clearly understand the spiritual powers and realms of the great bodhisattvas; have received the empowering spiritual power of the Buddhas; and are able to receive all the Tathagata’s wondrous teachings.

Possessing such immeasurable virtues, they have all assembled here.

“Buddha’s son, in the presence of immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of Buddhas, you have attended upon and made offerings to them. You have accomplished the supreme, wondrous practices of a bodhisattva; attained sovereign mastery of every samadhi-gate; entered the secret domains of all Buddhas; understood the Dharmas of the Buddhas and ended every doubt and delusion; received the empowering spiritual power of the Buddhas; understood the capacities of sentient beings and, in accordance with their inclinations, taught them the true Dharma of liberation; followed the Buddha’s wisdom; and expounded the Buddha-Dharma to the further shore. You possess such immeasurable virtues.

“Excellent, Buddha’s son! Please explain the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One: the characteristics of his body, his speech, his mind, his realms, his practices, his attainment of the Way, his turning of the Dharma wheel, and even his manifestation of entry into great nirvana, as well as the roots of goodness produced by seeing, hearing, and drawing near to him. Buddha’s son, please explain such matters.”

Wishing to elucidate this meaning, Bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue of the Tathagata’s Nature-Arising faced Bodhisattva Samantabhadra and spoke these verses:

Excellent one of great, unobstructed wisdom,

You thoroughly comprehend the boundless, equal realm.

May you explain the meritorious practices of all Buddhas,

So that the great assembly, hearing them, may rejoice.

How do bodhisattvas enter in accord with

The appearance in the world of the Buddhas, the Tathagatas?

What are the realms of their body, speech, and mind?

And what are their practices? Please explain them all.

How do the Buddhas attain Perfect Enlightenment?

How do the Tathagatas turn the Dharma wheel?

How do the Sugatas enter nirvana?

Hearing this, the great assembly will rejoice.

If beings behold the Buddha, the great Dharma King,

And draw near to him, their roots of goodness increase.

Please explain those treasuries of virtue:

What do sentient beings gain upon seeing him?

If anyone hears the Tathagata’s name,

Whether he is present in the world or has entered nirvana,

And gives rise to profound faith in that treasury of merit,

What benefits will they gain? Please proclaim them.

These bodhisattvas all join their palms

And gaze reverently upon the Tathagata, upon you, and upon me.

For these pure beings, please explain

The vast realm of the ocean of virtues.

Please employ causes, conditions, and analogies

To expound the wondrous Dharma and its corresponding meanings.

Having heard it, sentient beings will arouse the great resolve;

Their doubts will end, and their wisdom will be pure as space.

Just as throughout all lands

The Buddhas manifest their adorned bodies,

May you employ wondrous speech, causes, and analogies

To teach the bodhi of the Buddhas in the same way.

Throughout a hundred thousand lands in the ten directions,

For immeasurable kotis of nayutas of kalpas,

Assemblies of bodhisattvas such as those gathered here today

Are everywhere exceedingly difficult to encounter.

All these bodhisattvas are reverent

And thirst for the subtle and wondrous meaning.

With a pure mind, may you fully reveal and expound

The vast Dharma of the Tathagata’s appearance.

Samantabhadra, the great bodhisattva, said to the bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue of the Tathagata’s Nature-Arising and the great assembly of bodhisattvas:

Children of the Buddha! This matter is inconceivable. That is, the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is accomplished through immeasurable dharmas. The Tathagata’s appearance is not accomplished through a single condition or a single undertaking, but only through ten immeasurable hundreds of thousands of countless undertakings. What are the ten?

First, it is accomplished through the immeasurable bodhicitta of the past, which embraced and sustained all sentient beings.

Second, it is accomplished through the immeasurable, pure, and supremely excellent aspirations of the past.

Third, it is accomplished through the immeasurable great loving-kindness and great compassion of the past, which rescued and protected all sentient beings.

Fourth, it is accomplished through the uninterrupted continuation of immeasurable practices and vows in the past.

Fifth, it is accomplished through the insatiable resolve of the past to cultivate immeasurable merit and wisdom.

Sixth, it is accomplished through immeasurable offerings made to all Buddhas and the teaching and transformation of sentient beings in the past.

Seventh, it is accomplished through the immeasurable wisdom, skillful means, and pure paths of the past.

Eighth, it is accomplished through the immeasurable treasury of pure merit and virtue of the past.

Ninth, it is accomplished through the immeasurable adornment of the path of wisdom in the past.

Tenth, it is accomplished through the immeasurable penetration of the Dharma and its meanings in the past.

The Tathagata is accomplished through the fulfillment of immeasurable asamkhyeyas of Dharma gateways such as these.

Children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, this great trichiliocosm. It is not accomplished through a single condition or a single undertaking, but only through immeasurable conditions and immeasurable undertakings. Great clouds spread forth, great rains pour down, and four kinds of wind wheels arise in succession to serve as its support. What are the four?

The first is called Supportive, because it can support the great waters.

The second is called Dispersive, because it can disperse the great waters.

The third is called Establishing, because it establishes all places.

The fourth is called Adorning, because it adorns and distributes everything evenly and skillfully.

All the foregoing arise through the collective karma of sentient beings and the roots of goodness of the bodhisattvas, enabling all sentient beings therein to enjoy and make use of things according to what is appropriate for them.

Only through immeasurable causes and conditions such as these is the great trichiliocosm formed. Such is the nature of dharmas: there is no one who produces it, no one who creates it, no one who knows it, and no one who accomplishes it; nevertheless, the great trichiliocosm is still brought to completion.

In the same way, the appearance of the Tathagata is not accomplished through a single condition or a single undertaking, but only through immeasurable conditions and immeasurable undertakings. In the presence of Buddhas of the past, he listened to and retained the great clouds of Dharma and the great rains of Dharma. Through this, the four great wind wheels of the Tathagata’s wisdom can arise:

The first is the great wind wheel of wisdom called the dharani of mindful retention and non-forgetfulness, because it can retain all the Tathagata’s great clouds of Dharma and great rains of Dharma.

The second is the great wind wheel of wisdom that gives rise to calm abiding and insight, because it can extinguish all afflictions.

The third is the great wind wheel of wisdom of skillful dedication, because it can bring all roots of goodness to fulfillment.

The fourth is the great wind wheel of wisdom that gives rise to undefiled, differentiated adornments, because it purifies the roots of goodness of the sentient beings transformed in the past and brings to fulfillment the power of the Tathagata’s uncontaminated roots of goodness.

Thus the Tathagata attains perfect enlightenment. Such is the nature of dharmas: unborn and uncreated, yet brought to fulfillment.

This is the first characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, that when the great trichiliocosm is about to be formed, great clouds pour down a rain called the Great Deluge. No place in any direction can receive or contain it, except the great trichiliocosm when it is about to be formed.

In the same way, the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, raises great clouds of Dharma and pours down great rains of Dharma, called the accomplishment of the Tathagata’s appearance. Those of the Two Vehicles, whose aspirations are narrow and inferior, can neither receive nor retain them. Only the continuously sustained power of mind of the great bodhisattvas can do so.

This is the second characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, that through the karmic power of sentient beings, great clouds pour down rain. It comes from nowhere and, when it departs, goes nowhere.

In the same way, through the power of the bodhisattvas’ roots of goodness, the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, raises great clouds of Dharma and pours down great rains of Dharma. They likewise come from nowhere and, when they depart, go nowhere.

This is the third characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, great clouds pouring down tremendous rains. None of the sentient beings in the great trichiliocosm can know the number of raindrops. If they attempted to calculate and count them, they would merely become deranged. Only Maheshvara, lord of the great trichiliocosm, by virtue of the roots of goodness he cultivated in the past, knows them all clearly, down to the very last drop.

In the same way, when the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, raises great clouds of Dharma and pours down great rains of Dharma, no sentient being, shravaka, or pratyekabuddha can know them.

If they attempted to conceive or measure them, their minds would become deranged. The sole exceptions are the great bodhisattvas, lords of all worlds, who, through the power of the awakened wisdom they cultivated in the past, clearly know everything, even down to each word and each sentence entering the minds of sentient beings.

This is the fourth characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, that when great clouds pour down rain, there is a great rain cloud called Extinguishing, which can extinguish the calamity of fire. There is a great rain cloud called Arising, which can cause the great waters to arise. There is a great rain cloud called Restraining, which can restrain the great waters. There is a great rain cloud called Accomplishing, which can bring all mani jewels into being. There is a great rain cloud called Discriminating, which can distinguish the three-thousandfold great-thousand world-system.

In the same way, when the Tathagata appears, he raises great clouds of Dharma and pours down great rains of Dharma. There is a great Dharma rain called Extinguishing, which can extinguish all the afflictions of sentient beings. There is a great Dharma rain called Arising, which can cause all the roots of goodness of sentient beings to arise. There is a great Dharma rain called Restraining, which can restrain the delusive views of all sentient beings. There is a great Dharma rain called Accomplishing, which can bring to fulfillment all the Dharma jewels of wisdom. There is a great Dharma jewel called Discriminating, which distinguishes all the inclinations and desires in the minds of sentient beings.

This is the fifth characteristic of the Tathagata’s appearance. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, that great clouds pour down water of a single flavor, yet there are immeasurable differences according to the places upon which the rain falls.

In the same way, when the Tathagata appears, he pours down the Dharma water of great compassion, which has a single flavor, yet there are immeasurable differences in the Dharma taught according to what is appropriate.

This is the sixth characteristic of the Tathagata’s appearance. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddha! Consider, by analogy, that when the great trichiliocosm first begins to form, the palaces of the heavens of the Form Realm are formed first; next, the palaces of the heavens of the Desire Realm are formed; and then the dwelling places of humans and other beings are formed.

In the same way, when the Tathagata appears, he first gives rise to the practices and wisdom of bodhisattvas; next, he gives rise to the practices and wisdom of pratyekabuddhas; next, he gives rise to the practices, wisdom, and roots of goodness of shravakas; and then he gives rise to the conditioned practices, wisdom, and roots of goodness of other sentient beings.

Just as great clouds pour down water of a single flavor, yet various palaces of different kinds arise because of the differences among the roots of goodness of sentient beings,

so too the Tathagata’s Dharma rain of great compassion has a single flavor, yet differs according to the capacities of sentient beings.

This is the seventh characteristic of the Tathagata’s appearance. Great bodhisattvas should understand it in this way.

Furthermore, O children of the Buddha! Just as when a world is first about to form, great waters arise and fill the great trichiliocosm, and an immense lotus called the Precious Adornment of the Merits of the Tathagata’s Appearance is born, covering the entire surface of the waters, its light illuminating all worlds throughout the ten directions. At that time, Maheshvara and the devas of the Pure Abodes see that lotus and immediately know with certainty how many Buddhas will appear in the world during that kalpa.

Then, within it, a wind wheel called Celestial Pure Radiance arises, capable of forming the palaces of the devas of the Form Realm. Another wind wheel, called Adorned with Pure Radiance, is capable of forming the palaces of the devas of the Desire Realm. Another wind wheel, called Firm, Dense, and Indestructible, is capable of forming the great and small Cakravada Mountains and the Vajra Mountains.

Another wind wheel, called Lofty Excellence, is capable of forming Mount Sumeru. Another wind wheel, called Immovable, is capable of forming the ten great mountains: Mount Khadira, Mount of the Rishis, Mount Subduing Mara, Mount Great Subduing Mara, Mount Yugandhara, Mount Nimindhara, Mount Mucilinda, Mount Mahamucilinda, Fragrant Mountain, and Snow Mountain. There is a wind wheel called Securely Established, capable of forming the great earth.

A wind wheel called Adornment arises, capable of forming the palaces of the earth deities, the palaces of the nagas, and the palaces of the gandharvas. A wind wheel called Inexhaustible Treasury arises, capable of forming all the great oceans within the great trichiliocosm. A wind wheel called Treasury of Universal Radiance arises, capable of forming the mani jewels within the great trichiliocosm.

A wind wheel called Firm Root arises, capable of forming all wish-fulfilling trees.

Great clouds pour down rain consisting of a single kind of water, uniform in taste and without distinction. Yet because the roots of goodness of sentient beings are not the same, the wind wheels are not the same. Because the wind wheels differ, the worlds differ.

In the same way, when the Tathagata appears, replete with roots of goodness and merit, he emits the unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called the Inconceivable Wisdom That Perpetuates the Lineage of the Tathagatas. It universally illuminates all worlds throughout the ten directions and bestows upon the bodhisattvas the Tathagata’s prediction through anointment that they will attain perfect enlightenment and appear in the world.

O children of the Buddha! With the Tathagata’s appearance there is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Pure and Free from Defilement, which is capable of bringing forth the Buddha’s uncontaminated and inexhaustible wisdom.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Universal Illumination, which is capable of bringing forth the inconceivable wisdom of the Tathagata that universally enters the dharmadhatu.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Preserving the Buddha’s Lineage, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s immovable power.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Transcendent and Indestructible, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s fearless and indestructible wisdom.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called All Spiritual Powers, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s unique qualities and omniscient wisdom concerning all modes of existence.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Producing Transformations, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s unerring wisdom, causing those who see, hear, or draw near to him to give rise to roots of goodness.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Universal Accord, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s body of wisdom, merit, and virtue, thereby benefiting all sentient beings.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Unfathomable Ultimate Reach, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s wondrous and exceedingly profound wisdom, enlightening beings according to their circumstances and ensuring that the lineage of the Three Jewels is never severed.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Adorned in Myriad Ways, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s body adorned with excellent marks and characteristics, causing all sentient beings to rejoice.

There is also an unsurpassed radiance of great wisdom called Indestructible, which is capable of bringing forth the Tathagata’s supreme and inexhaustible lifespan, equal to the realms of space and the dharmadhatu.

O children of the Buddha! The water of the Tathagata’s single-flavored great compassion is without discrimination. Yet because sentient beings differ in their aspirations, faculties, and dispositions, many distinct kinds of wind wheels arise, enabling the bodhisattvas to accomplish the Dharma of the Tathagata’s appearance.

All Tathagatas share one essential nature, yet from the great wind wheels arise various kinds of radiant wisdom.

O children of the Buddha, you should know that, from the single flavor of liberation, the Tathagata produces immeasurable and inconceivable kinds of merit and virtue. Sentient beings think that these are created by the Tathagata’s spiritual power.

O children of the Buddha! These are not created by the Tathagata’s spiritual power.

O children of the Buddha! It has never been possible for even a single bodhisattva who has not planted roots of goodness in the presence of Buddhas to attain even a small portion of the Tathagata’s wisdom. It is solely through the mighty virtue of the Buddhas that sentient beings are enabled to perfect the merits of a Buddha. Yet the Buddha, the Tathagata, is without discrimination, without creation or destruction; there is no creator, nor is there any dharma that is created.

This is the eighth characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it thus.

Furthermore, O children of the Buddha! Just as, based upon space, four wind wheels arise that are capable of supporting the water wheel: the first is called Securely Established, the second Constantly Abiding, the third Ultimate, and the fourth Firm.

These four wind wheels are capable of supporting the water wheel. The water wheel is capable of supporting the great earth and preventing it from disintegrating.

Therefore, it is said that the earth wheel rests upon the water wheel, the water wheel rests upon the wind wheel, and the wind wheel rests upon space, while space rests upon nothing. Although it rests upon nothing, space is nevertheless capable of enabling the great trichiliocosm to remain securely established.

In the same way, with the Tathagata’s appearance, based upon the radiance of unobstructed wisdom, four kinds of great wind wheels of the Buddha’s wisdom arise, capable of sustaining the roots of goodness of all sentient beings.

The first is the great wind wheel of wisdom that universally gathers in sentient beings and causes them all to rejoice.

The second is the great wind wheel of wisdom that establishes the true Dharma and causes all sentient beings to delight in it.

The third is the great wind wheel of wisdom that preserves the roots of goodness of all sentient beings.

The fourth is the great wind wheel of wisdom that is replete with all skillful means and penetrates the uncontaminated realm.

The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, rescue and protect all sentient beings with great loving-kindness and liberate all sentient beings with great compassion; their great loving-kindness and great compassion universally benefit all. Yet great loving-kindness and great compassion depend upon great skill in means. Skill in means depends upon the Tathagata’s appearance. The Tathagata’s appearance depends upon the radiance of unobstructed wisdom. The radiance of unobstructed wisdom rests upon nothing.

This is the ninth characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it thus.

Furthermore, O children of the Buddha! Just as, once the great trichiliocosm has been formed, it benefits immeasurable sentient beings: aquatic creatures receive benefit from the waters; terrestrial beings receive benefit from the land; beings dwelling in palaces receive benefit from palaces; and beings dwelling in space receive benefit from space.

In the same way, the Tathagata’s appearance benefits immeasurable sentient beings in many ways. Those who see the Buddha and give rise to joy receive the benefit of joy. Those who abide in pure precepts receive the benefit of pure precepts. Those who abide in the various meditative concentrations and immeasurable gateways receive the benefit of the great supramundane spiritual powers of the noble ones. Those who abide in the Dharma gateway of radiance receive the benefit of the indestructibility of cause and effect. Those who abide in the radiance of non-possession receive the benefit of the indestructibility of all dharmas. Therefore, it is said that the Tathagata’s appearance benefits all the immeasurable sentient beings.

This is the tenth characteristic of the appearance of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Great bodhisattvas should understand it thus.

O Buddha’s children! When a great bodhisattva knows the appearance of the Tathagata, he knows it to be immeasurable, because he knows that it is accomplished through immeasurable causes. He knows it to be vast, because he knows that it pervades the ten directions.

He knows it to have neither coming nor going, because he knows that it is free from arising, abiding, and cessation. He knows it to be without action and without anything acted upon, because he knows that it is free from mind, mentation, and consciousness. He knows it to be without a body, because he knows that it is like space.

He knows it to be equal, because he knows that all sentient beings are without self. He knows it to be inexhaustible, because he knows that it pervades all inexhaustible lands. He knows it to be irreversible, because he knows that it remains unbroken to the furthest reaches of the future.

He knows it to be indestructible, because he knows that the Tathagata’s wisdom has no counterpart. He knows it to be nondual, because he knows how to contemplate the conditioned and the unconditioned with equality. He knows that all sentient beings receive benefit, because the dedication of his original vows is sovereign and complete.

The great bodhisattva Samantabhadra, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke these verses:

The Hero of the Ten Powers, supreme and foremost,

Is like space, peerless among the peerless;

His vast domain cannot be measured,

His foremost merit transcends the world.

The merit of the Ten Powers is boundless and immeasurable;

The mind’s thought and reflection cannot reach it.

Even one Dharma gate of the Blessed One

Could not be known by sentient beings through billions of kalpas.

Though the lands of the ten directions were ground into dust,

Perhaps one could calculate and know the number of particles;

But the merit of a single hair of the Buddha

Could not be told through thousands of millions of kalpas.

Suppose one person held a ruler to measure space,

And another followed, counting the lengths measured;

The limits of space could never be found—

The domain of the Tathagata is likewise.

Suppose someone, within a single instant,

Could know the thoughts of sentient beings throughout the three times;

Even through as many kalpas as there are sentient beings,

That person could not know a single thought of the Buddha.

Just as the Dharma-realm pervades everything,

Yet cannot be seen or grasped and brings everything into being,

So too is the domain of the Ten Powers:

It pervades everything, yet is not anything.

True suchness, free from delusion, is forever quiescent,

Neither arising nor ceasing, it pervades everything;

The domain of the Buddha is likewise,

Its essential nature equal, neither increasing nor diminishing.

Like the limit of reality, yet not a limit,

It pervades the three times, yet does not pervade;

The domain of the Tathagata is likewise,

Present throughout the three times, entirely unobstructed.

The Dharma-nature acts not and never changes;

Like space, it is originally pure.

The pure nature of all Buddhas is likewise:

Its original nature is no nature, free from existence and nonexistence.

The Dharma-nature does not abide in verbal discourse;

Forever apart from speech, it is eternally quiescent.

The nature of the domain of the Ten Powers is likewise;

No words or phrases can describe it.

Clearly knowing that the nature of all dharmas is quiescent,

Like a bird flying through the sky and leaving no trace,

Through the power of original vows he manifests physical bodies,

Causing beings to behold the Tathagata’s great spiritual transformations.

Whoever wishes to know the Buddha’s domain

Should purify the mind until it is like space,

Far removed from deluded thoughts and grasping,

And direct the mind toward complete unobstructedness.

Therefore, Buddha’s children, listen well;

With a few analogies I shall clarify the Buddha’s domain.

The merit of the Ten Powers cannot be measured;

To awaken sentient beings, I shall now speak briefly.

The domains manifested by the Guide

Through bodily, verbal, and mental karma,

His turning of the wondrous Dharma wheel and entry into nirvana—

All these roots of goodness I shall now proclaim.

Just as when a world is first established,

It cannot be formed through a single condition,

But through immeasurable skillful means and numerous causes and conditions

This great trichiliocosm is brought into being,

The appearance of the Tathagata is likewise:

Only through immeasurable merit is it accomplished.

Though one might know thoughts as numerous as dust motes in the lands,

The causes giving rise to the Ten Powers cannot be measured.

Just as at the beginning of a kalpa, clouds pour down rain

And give rise to four kinds of great wind wheels;

Through sentient beings’ roots of goodness and the bodhisattvas’ power,

This great trichiliocosm is formed and securely abides.

The Dharma cloud of the Ten Powers is likewise:

It gives rise to wind wheels of wisdom and purifies the mind.

Through the dedications formerly made by sentient beings,

The Guide enables them to attain the unsurpassed fruit.

Suppose a great rain called the Great Deluge were to fall;

No place could contain it,

Except when a world was about to form,

Through pure space and the power of mighty winds.

The appearance of the Tathagata is likewise:

He universally rains the Dharma rain, filling the Dharma-realm.

Those whose aspirations are inferior cannot receive it,

Except those whose minds are pure and vast.

Just as great rain pours down from the sky,

Coming from nowhere and going nowhere,

With neither agent nor recipient,

Yet naturally soaking everything everywhere,

The Dharma rain of the Ten Powers is likewise:

It neither goes nor comes and involves no fabrication.

Through past practices as causes and through the bodhisattvas’ power,

All beings of great resolve hear and receive it.

Just as a great cloud pours down heavy rain,

And no one can count the number of raindrops,

Except Maheshvara Deva,

Whose power and merit enable him to know them all clearly,

The Dharma rain of the Well-Gone One is likewise:

No sentient being can measure it,

Except the Sovereign One of the world,

Who sees it clearly as though viewing it in the palm of his hand.

Just as a great cloud pours down heavy rain,

Able to extinguish, engender, and bring to cessation,

Able to bring all precious treasures into being,

And cause all things in the great trichiliocosm to differ,

The Dharma rain of the Ten Powers is likewise:

It extinguishes evil, engenders goodness, and ends attachment to views;

It enables the treasure of omniscience to be attained,

While the inclinations of sentient beings all differ.

Just as rain of a single flavor falls from the sky,

Yet what receives that rain differs in every place;

The nature of the rain makes no distinctions,

But according to the differences among things, each becomes as it does.

The Tathagata’s Dharma rain is neither one nor different,

Equal, pure, and free from discrimination;

Yet according to the many kinds of beings to be transformed,

Boundless characteristics naturally appear in this way.

Just as when a world is first formed,

The celestial palaces of the Form Realm arise first,

Then the palaces of the Desire Realm, followed by those of humans,

While the palaces of the gandharvas are formed last,

The appearance of the Tathagata is likewise:

First he initiates boundless bodhisattva practices,

Next he liberates pratyekabuddhas who delight in quiescence,

Then the assembly of shravakas, and finally sentient beings.

The devas first behold the portent of the lotus flower

And rejoice, knowing that a Buddha will appear in the world.

Through water and the power of wind, the world arises,

And palaces, mountains, and rivers are all established.

Through the Tathagata’s wholesome power and great radiance,

He skillfully bestows predictions upon the bodhisattvas.

All their wheels of wisdom become entirely pure,

And they are able to reveal all Buddha-Dharmas.

Just as forests of trees exist supported by the earth,

The earth rests upon water without disintegrating,

Water rests upon the wind wheel, and wind rests upon space,

Yet space itself has no support,

All Buddha-Dharmas rest upon compassion;

Compassion, in turn, is established upon skillful means.

Skillful means rests upon knowledge, and knowledge rests upon wisdom;

The body of unobstructed wisdom rests upon nothing.

Just as, once a world has been established,

All sentient beings receive benefit—

Those dwelling on land, in water, and in space,

Whether two-footed or four-footed, all receive benefit—

The appearance of the Dharma King is likewise:

All sentient beings receive his aid.

Those who see, hear, or draw near to him

Are all enabled to extinguish their delusions and afflictions.

The dharmas of the Tathagata’s appearance are boundless;

The deluded world cannot know them.

Wishing to awaken all conscious beings,

I employ analogies for that which admits no analogy.

O Buddha’s children! How should a great bodhisattva behold the body of the Tathagata, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One?

O Buddha’s children! A great bodhisattva should behold the Tathagata’s body in immeasurable places. For great bodhisattvas should not behold the Tathagata in one dharma, one phenomenon, one body, one land, or one sentient being.

It is like space, which reaches everywhere, whether form or formless, yet neither arrives nor fails to arrive, because space has no body.

Likewise, the Tathagata’s body pervades every place, all sentient beings, all dharmas, and all lands, yet neither arrives nor fails to arrive. For the Tathagata’s body is bodiless, yet for the sake of sentient beings he manifests the body of a Buddha.

This is the first characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it in this way.

Furthermore, O Buddha’s children! It is like vast space, which is not form yet can reveal all forms. Nevertheless, space itself is without discrimination and without conceptual elaboration.

The body of the Tathagata is likewise. Because the light of wisdom shines universally, all the wholesome roots arising from the worldly and world-transcending activities of all sentient beings are brought to fulfillment. Yet the body of the Tathagata has neither discrimination nor conceptual proliferation, for since beginningless time all attachments and all conceptual proliferations have been forever extinguished.

This is the second characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddhas! Just as, when the sun rises, immeasurable sentient beings in Jambudvipa receive benefit—darkness is dispelled and light appears; moisture is transformed into dryness; grasses and trees grow; crops ripen; the sky becomes brilliantly clear; lotus flowers open; travelers see the road; and those at home complete their work—because the sun universally emits immeasurable light.

The wisdom-sun of the Tathagata is likewise, universally benefiting sentient beings in immeasurable ways. It extinguishes evil and gives rise to goodness; dispels ignorance and brings forth wisdom; rescues and protects through great loving-kindness; liberates through great compassion; causes their faculties, powers, and factors of awakening to increase; causes deep and steadfast faith to arise; enables them to abandon defiled minds; ensures that the causes and effects of those who see and hear are not in vain; enables them to attain the divine eye and see where beings are reborn after death; makes their unobstructed minds and wholesome roots not be in vain; causes wisdom to shine brightly and the flower of awakening swiftly to bloom;

and causes them to arouse the aspiration and fulfill their original practices.

This is because the vast wisdom-sun body of the Tathagata emits immeasurable light that shines everywhere.

This is the third characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddhas! Just as, when the sun rises, it first illuminates great mountains such as Mount Sumeru, then the Black Mountains, then the high plateaus, and finally the entire great earth. The sun does not think, “I shall first illuminate this place and afterward illuminate that place.” It is only because mountains and land have differing heights that illumination occurs earlier or later.

The Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is likewise. Having accomplished the wisdom-wheel of the boundless Dharma realm, he constantly emits the unobstructed light of wisdom. It first illuminates the great bodhisattvas, then the pratyekabuddhas, then the shravakas, and then sentient beings whose wholesome roots are firmly established, revealing vast wisdom according to the capacity of their minds. Finally, it universally illuminates all sentient beings, even those of wrong determination, thereby creating beneficial causes and conditions for the future and enabling them to mature.

Yet the Tathagata, the Great Wisdom-Sun, does not think, “I shall first illuminate bodhisattvas who practice the great conduct, and only at the very end illuminate sentient beings of wrong determination.” He merely emits the light of impartial wisdom, which shines everywhere without obstruction, hindrance, or discrimination. Children of the Buddhas! Just as the sun and moon appear at the proper times and impartially illuminate great mountains and dark valleys alike.

The wisdom of the Tathagata is likewise, illuminating all without discrimination. Because the faculties, capacities, and inclinations of sentient beings differ, the light of wisdom appears in many different forms.

This is the fourth characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddhas! Just as, when the sun rises, those born blind never see it because they lack the faculty of sight. Although they do not see it, they still benefit from the sunlight. Because of the sun, they know the times and seasons, day and night; make use of various kinds of clothing, food, and drink; and keep their bodies strong and free from illness.

The wisdom-sun of the Tathagata is likewise. Those who lack faith and understanding, who break the precepts, hold wrong views, and sustain their lives through wrong livelihood, do not see the wisdom of the Buddhas because they lack the eye of faith. Although they do not see it, they still receive benefit from the Buddha’s wisdom. Through the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, the bodily sufferings of those sentient beings, as well as the afflictions that would cause future suffering, are extinguished.

Children of the Buddhas! The Tathagata possesses a light called Accumulation of All Merits. He possesses a light called Universal Illumination of All.

He possesses a light called Pure and Sovereign Illumination. He possesses a light called Emission of Great Wondrous Sounds. He possesses a light called Universal Understanding of All Languages, Causing Joy to Arise.

He possesses a light called Revelation of the Realm of Sovereignty, Forever Ending All Doubts. He possesses a light called Unabiding Wisdom, Sovereign and Universally Illuminating. He possesses a light called Sovereign Wisdom, Forever Ending All Conceptual Proliferations.

He possesses a light called Emission of Wondrous Sounds According to What Is Appropriate. He possesses a light called Emission of Sovereign and Pure Sounds that Adorn the Lands and Bring Sentient Beings to Maturity.

Children of the Buddhas! Every pore of the Tathagata emits a thousand kinds of light such as these. Five hundred lights shine universally throughout the directions below, and five hundred lights shine universally throughout the directions above upon the assemblies of bodhisattvas dwelling in the presence of the Buddhas in all lands.

Upon seeing these lights, those bodhisattvas simultaneously attain the realm of the Tathagata: their ten heads, ten eyes, ten ears, ten noses, ten tongues, ten bodies, ten hands, ten feet, ten bhumis, and ten wisdoms all become completely purified. When bodhisattvas who have already accomplished various stages and bhumis see these lights, they become even more purified; all their wholesome roots fully mature, and they advance toward omniscience.

Those abiding in the Two Vehicles extinguish all afflictions. As for other sentient beings born blind, through these lights their bodies become peaceful and joyful, and consequently their minds also become pure, gentle, disciplined, and capable of cultivating mindfulness and wisdom. Sentient beings in the evil destinies—the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the animal realm—all attain happiness and are freed from their sufferings.

When their lives end, they are all reborn in the heavens or among human beings.

Children of the Buddhas! Those sentient beings do not know through what causes and conditions, or through what spiritual power, they have been reborn there. Those who were born blind think, “I am Brahma; I am created by Brahma.” At that time, the Tathagata, abiding in the Samadhi of Universal Sovereignty, emits sixty kinds of wondrous sounds and tells them, “You are neither Brahma nor creations of Brahma, nor were you made by Shakra or the World-Protectors.

All this has come about through the spiritual power of the Tathagata.” Upon hearing these words, those sentient beings immediately come to know their former lives, and they all rejoice greatly. Because their minds are joyful, clouds of udumbara flowers, clouds of incense, clouds of music, clouds of garments, clouds of canopies, clouds of garlands, clouds of banners, clouds of powdered incense, clouds of precious jewels, lion garlands, crescent-shaped pavilions, clouds of songs and praises, and clouds of ornaments naturally appear.

With reverence, they offer them all to the Tathagata. Because those sentient beings have attained the pure eye, the Tathagata bestows upon them the prediction of unsurpassed bodhi.

Children of the Buddhas! In this way, the wisdom-sun of the Tathagata benefits sentient beings born blind, causing their wholesome roots to mature completely.

This is the fifth characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should know it in this way.

Furthermore, children of the Buddhas! The moon possesses four extraordinary and unprecedented qualities:

First, it outshines the light of all the stars.

Second, as time passes, it appears full or waning.

Third, its reflection appears in every vessel of clear water upon the great earth.

Fourth, all who see the moon behold it directly before their eyes, yet the lunar orb has neither discrimination nor conceptual proliferation.

Children of the Buddhas! The body of the Tathagata is likewise, possessing four extraordinary and unprecedented qualities:

First, it outshines all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, whether learners or those beyond learning.

Second, according to what is appropriate, it manifests lifespans of differing lengths, yet the body of the Tathagata neither increases nor decreases.

Third, it manifests its reflection in the pure minds of sentient beings in all worlds whose capacities are fit for bodhi.

Fourth, whenever any sentient being sees the Tathagata, each thinks that the Tathagata has appeared before them alone. The Tathagata teaches the Dharma according to their inclinations, enables them to attain liberation according to their respective stages, and causes those who should be liberated to behold the Buddha’s body. Yet the Tathagata’s body remains free from discrimination and conceptual elaboration. All the benefits it brings are ultimately accomplished.

This is the sixth characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should understand it thus.

Furthermore, disciples of the Buddha! Suppose that the Great Brahma Heaven King, through a slight expedient means, manifests his body throughout the great trichiliocosm. All sentient beings see the Great Brahma King appearing before them. Yet this Great Brahma King neither divides his body nor possesses various bodies.

So too, all Buddha-Tathagatas are free from discrimination and conceptual elaboration; they neither divide their bodies nor possess various bodies. Yet according to the inclinations of all sentient beings, they manifest Buddha-bodies, while never thinking that they are manifesting so many bodies.

This is the seventh characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it thus.

Furthermore, disciples of the Buddha! Suppose there were a king of physicians who thoroughly knew all kinds of medicines and treatises on incantations and could employ every kind of medicine found in Jambudvipa. Moreover, through the power of wholesome roots from previous lives and the expedient power of great vidya-mantras, all sentient beings who saw this king of physicians would be healed.

Knowing that his life was about to end, the king of physicians thought: “After I die, all sentient beings will have no one upon whom to rely. I should now devise an expedient means for their sake.” He then prepared a medicine, applied it to his body, and empowered it through the power of a vidya-mantra. Thus, although he had died, his body neither decomposed, withered, nor dried up.

His movements, gaze, and hearing were no different from when he was alive, and whenever he administered treatment, all were healed.

So too, the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the unsurpassed king of physicians, cultivated and refined the medicine of the Dharma throughout measureless hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas and brought it to perfection. He cultivated and mastered all expedient means, skillful means, and the power of great vidya-mantras, attaining complete perfection and reaching the other shore. He is well able to eradicate all sentient beings’ diseases of affliction and abides for measureless kalpas. The Buddha’s body is pure, free from deliberation and activity, yet all the works of a Buddha never cease. When sentient beings behold it, all their diseases of affliction are extinguished.

This is the eighth characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it thus.

Furthermore, disciples of the Buddha! Suppose that in the great ocean there were a great mani jewel called the Vairocana Treasury That Gathers All Light. If any sentient being were touched by the light of this jewel, that being would become the same color as the precious jewel. Whoever saw this jewel would gain purity of vision. Wherever its light shone, mani jewels called “Peace and Happiness” would rain down, freeing sentient beings from suffering and fulfilling their wishes.

Disciples of the Buddha! The bodies of the Tathagatas are also thus: they are great treasures, great treasuries of wisdom and all virtues. If any sentient being is touched by the light of the Buddha’s body, that being becomes the same color as the Buddha’s body. Whoever sees the Buddha’s body attains the pure Dharma-eye. Wherever the light of the Buddha’s body shines, it frees sentient beings from the suffering of poverty and brings them even to the complete fulfillment of the bliss of a Buddha’s bodhi.

Disciples of the Buddha! The Tathagata’s Dharma-body is free from discrimination and conceptual elaboration, yet it is able to perform great Buddha-work universally for all sentient beings.

This is the ninth characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it thus.

Furthermore, disciples of the Buddha! Suppose that in the great ocean there were a great wish-fulfilling mani jewel king called the Treasury Adorning All Worlds, fully endowed with a million virtues. Wherever this jewel king was present, it would cause sentient beings’ calamities and misfortunes to be eliminated and all their wishes to be fulfilled. Yet sentient beings of little merit could not behold this wish-fulfilling jewel king.

So too, the Tathagata’s body is called That Which Can Cause All Sentient Beings to Rejoice. If anyone sees the Tathagata’s body, hears the Tathagata’s name, or praises the Tathagata’s virtues, these causes will enable that person to be forever liberated from the sufferings and tribulations of birth and death. Even if all sentient beings in all worlds were simultaneously to concentrate their minds and wish to behold the Tathagata, he would enable them all to see him and would fulfill their wishes.

Disciples of the Buddha! Sentient beings of little merit and virtue cannot behold the Tathagata’s body, except when the Buddha’s sovereign spiritual power blesses those who should be trained. If sentient beings, through seeing the Buddha’s body, plant wholesome roots and eventually bring them to maturity, then, because those roots have matured, they are enabled to behold the Tathagata’s body.

This is the tenth characteristic of the Tathagata’s body. Great bodhisattvas should behold it thus: because his immeasurable mind pervades the ten directions; because his conduct is unobstructed like space; because he universally enters the Dharma-realm; because he abides at the boundary of true reality; because he is unborn and undying; because he abides equally throughout the three times; because he has forever transcended all discrimination; because he abides securely in excellent vows until the end of future time; because he purifies and adorns all worlds; and because he adorns each and every Buddha-body.

The great bodhisattva Samantabhadra, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke these verses:

Just as space pervades the ten directions,

Whether form or formless, existent or nonexistent,

The beings, bodies, and lands of the three times—

It pervades them all, without boundary.

So too, the true bodies of all Buddhas

Pervade the entirety of the Dharma-realm.

They can neither be seen nor grasped,

Yet manifest bodies to liberate sentient beings.

Just as space cannot be grasped,

Yet enables all sentient beings to perform their deeds,

Space never thinks: “What am I doing?

How shall I act, and for whom?”

The bodily actions of the Buddhas are also thus:

They enable all beings to cultivate wholesome Dharma.

The Tathagata has never discriminated,

Thinking, “I shall perform those deeds in that place.”

Just as the sun rises over the world,

Its radiance dispelling all darkness,

Mountains, trees, lotus ponds, the earth, and all things—

Every kind of being receives its benefit.

The appearance of all Buddhas is also thus:

They foster wholesome conduct in humans and devas,

Forever dispel the darkness of delusion and bestow wisdom’s light,

And cause beings always to enjoy honor and every happiness.

Just as, when the sun appears,

It first shines upon the highest mountain, then the other peaks,

And afterward upon the highlands and the great earth,

Yet the sun itself makes no distinctions.

The radiance of the Sugata is also thus:

It first illumines bodhisattvas, then pratyekabuddhas,

And afterward shravakas and sentient beings,

Yet the Buddha has never stirred a discriminating thought.

Just as those born blind cannot see the sun,

Yet its light still benefits them,

Enabling them to know the times and receive food and drink,

Forever avoiding calamities and dwelling in bodily ease.

Faithless sentient beings do not see the Buddha,

Yet the Buddha still benefits them.

By hearing his name or even touching his light,

Through these causes they eventually attain bodhi.

Just as the pure moon abides in space,

Outshining the stars and displaying fullness and waning,

Its image appears in every clear body of water,

And each beholder sees it before them.

The Tathagata’s radiance is also thus:

It outshines the Two Vehicles and manifests for long or short durations,

Appearing universally within the minds of humans and devas,

So that each one says, “The Buddha is before me.”

Just as the Brahma King, while dwelling in his palace,

Appears universally throughout the great trichiliocosm,

And all humans and devas are able to behold him,

Though in truth he does not divide his body and go to those places.

The manifestation of the Buddhas’ bodies is also thus:

They pervade all the ten directions.

Their Buddha-bodies are countless and beyond reckoning,

Yet they neither divide their bodies nor discriminate.

Just as a King of Physicians skilled in healing arts—

Whoever beholds him is cured of illness;

Though the King of Physicians dies, medicine applied to his body

Causes it to move and act as when alive.

The unsurpassed King of Physicians is also thus:

Fully endowed with skillful means and omniscience,

Through wondrous practices of the past he manifests the Buddha’s body;

Sentient beings who behold it have their afflictions extinguished.

Just as within the ocean there is a king of jewels,

Radiating everywhere immeasurable kinds of light,

Beings who touch it all assume the jewel’s hue;

Whoever beholds it gains purified eyes.

The unsurpassed King of Physicians is likewise:

All who touch the Buddha’s light assume its hue;

Whoever beholds it attains the five eyes,

Dispels every darkness of delusion, and abides on the Buddha-ground.

Just as the wish-fulfilling mani jewel

Completely fulfills the wishes of all who seek,

Yet beings of meager merit cannot behold it—

It is not that the king of jewels makes distinctions.

The Sugata, King of Jewels, is likewise:

All who seek have their wishes fulfilled according to their aspirations;

Faithless beings do not behold the Buddha—

It is not that the Sugata has forgotten or abandoned them.