金光明最勝王經

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: GIVING UP THE BODY

At that time, after the Blessed One had explained to the great assembly the past causes and conditions of these ten thousand devas, he further addressed the Bodhi tree goddess and the entire great assembly:

“During a past life, when I was practicing the bodhisattva path, I not only gave water and food to save the lives of those fish, but even relinquished my own cherished body! You may all contemplate such causes and conditions together.”

At that time, the Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One—the Supremely Victorious and Most Honored One in heaven and on earth—whose hundreds of thousands of rays illuminated the worlds throughout the ten directions, who possessed omniscience and whose merit was perfect, went with the bhikshus and the great assembly to the village of Panchala and entered a forest. The ground in that forest was level and free of thorns; beautiful flowers and soft grasses covered it everywhere. The Buddha said to the Venerable Ananda:

“Under this tree, prepare a seat for me.”

Ananda received the instruction, prepared the seat, and then addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, the seat has been prepared. May the Holy One be informed.”

The Blessed One then ascended the seat, sat cross-legged, held his body upright, established right mindfulness, and said to the bhikshus:

“Would you like to see the ancient relics from the time when I practiced austerities as a bodhisattva?”

The bhikshus replied:

“We would be delighted to see them.”

The Blessed One then struck the ground with his hand, adorned with auspicious marks born of a hundred merits. Immediately, the earth quaked in six ways and split open, and a seven-jeweled caitya emerged, adorned above with jeweled nets. Upon seeing this, the great assembly regarded it as exceedingly rare. The Blessed One then rose, paid homage, circumambulated it clockwise, returned to his former seat, and said to Ananda:

“You may open the door of this caitya.”

Ananda opened the door of the stupa and saw a seven-jeweled casket adorned with rare and wondrous ornaments. He said:

“Blessed One, there is a seven-jeweled casket adorned with every kind of jewel!”

The Buddha said:

“Open the casket.”

Obeying the instruction, Ananda opened it and saw relics as white as snowy kha-jewels and as white lotus flowers. He then addressed the Buddha:

“Within the casket are relics of extraordinarily beautiful color!”

The Buddha said:

“Ananda, bring me the bones of this Great Being.”

Ananda took up the bones and respectfully presented them to the Blessed One. Having received them, the Blessed One said to the bhikshus:

“Contemplate the bodily relics left by the bodhisattva who practiced austerities.”

The Buddha then spoke this verse:

The bodhisattva of excellent virtue, endowed with wisdom,

Diligent and courageous, perfected the six paramitas;

For bodhi he constantly practiced without cease,

Unwearied, never forsaking his steadfast resolve.

“Bhikshus, you should all reverently pay homage to the bodhisattva’s former body! These relics are truly imbued with the immeasurable fragrances of morality, concentration, and wisdom. They are a supreme field of merit, exceedingly difficult to encounter!”

The bhikshus and the great assembly all joined their palms with wholehearted reverence, bowed before the relics, and praised this unprecedented event. Ananda first bowed at the Buddha’s feet and then said:

“Blessed One, the Tathagata, the great teacher who has transcended all things and receives the reverence of sentient beings—through what causes and conditions does he pay homage to these bones?”

The Buddha replied:

“Ananda, because of these bones I swiftly attained unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. To repay the kindness of the past, I now pay homage to them.”

The Buddha further said to Ananda:

“I shall now dispel the doubts of you and the great assembly by explaining the past causes and conditions of these relics. Reflect well and listen single-mindedly.”

Ananda replied:

“We would be delighted to hear it! We pray that the Buddha will elucidate it for us.”

“Ananda, in a past age there was a king named Great Chariot. He was immensely wealthy and possessed abundant riches; his treasuries were overflowing, his armies were valiant, and all the people revered him. He constantly governed and transformed his subjects through the true Dharma. His population was numerous, and he had no enemies. The chief queen of the kingdom bore three sons, all upright and handsome in appearance and pleasing to behold. The crown prince was named Mahabala, the second prince was named Mahadeva, and the youngest was named Mahasattva.

“At that time, the great king wished to tour and enjoy the mountains and forests, and the three princes accompanied him. While searching for flowers and fruit, they wandered far from their father. Roaming everywhere, they came to a great bamboo forest. As they rested there, the first prince said: ‘Today, in this forest, my heart is filled with dread! I fear that wild beasts may harm us.’ The second prince said: ‘I do not cling to or cherish my own body; I fear only the suffering of separation from those I love.’ The third prince said to his two elder brothers:

This is the dwelling place of sages and immortals;

I have no fear or sorrow over separation.

My body and mind are filled with joyful delight;

Here I shall attain the most excellent virtues.

“After the princes had each expressed what was in his heart, they continued onward and saw a tigress that had given birth to seven cubs seven days before. Surrounded by her cubs, she was tormented by hunger and thirst; her body was emaciated and weak, and before long she would die. The first prince said: ‘Alas! This tigress gave birth seven days ago. Surrounded by her seven cubs, she has had no opportunity to seek food. Tormented by hunger and thirst, she will surely turn back and devour her own cubs.’ Prince Sattva asked: ‘What does this tigress usually eat?’ The first prince replied:

Tigers, leopards, wolves, and lions

Eat only fresh blood and flesh;

There is no other kind of food

That can sustain their feeble, wasted bodies.

“When the second prince heard these words, he said: ‘This tigress is emaciated and weak, tormented by hunger and thirst, and has but little life remaining. How could we possibly find such difficult-to-obtain food and drink for her? And who could give up his own life to save her from the suffering of hunger?’ The first prince said: ‘Of all things difficult to relinquish, none surpasses one’s own body!’ Prince Sattva said: ‘Today we all remain attached to our own bodies. Moreover, lacking wisdom, we are unable to bring benefit to others. Yet a Great Being endowed with great compassion always forgets himself for the sake of benefiting others and saves living beings.’

“He further thought: ‘This body of mine is of no benefit to the hundreds of thousands of sentient beings. It is empty, cast away, and destined to decay. Why should I not relinquish it today to relieve this suffering from hunger, as readily as spitting out saliva?’

“After the princes had discussed the matter, they all gave rise to loving-kindness and contemplated the tigress with pity and compassion. Their eyes did not leave her even for a moment. They lingered there for a long while and then departed together. At that time, Prince Sattva conceived this thought: ‘Now is precisely the time for me to relinquish my life! Why is this so? Because:

Long have I preserved this body,

Foul and putrid, oozing pus, unworthy of affection;

I have supplied it with necessities, clothing, and food,

With elephants, horses, carriages, and abundant treasures.

The body is impermanent, subject to change and decay;

Its ceaseless demands are hard to satisfy, and it is hard to preserve.

Though constantly sustained, it harbors enmity and harm;

In the end it abandons me, knowing no gratitude.’

Furthermore, this body is impermanent and of no benefit to me. It is as fearsome as a robber and as impure as excrement. Today I shall put this body to the service of a vast deed, making it a great vessel upon the ocean of birth and death, abandoning samsara and attaining liberation.” He further thought: “If I relinquish this body, I shall thereby cast off immeasurable malignant illnesses and hundreds of thousands of terrors!

This body contains only urine and feces; it is as unstable as a bubble upon water, a gathering place for all manner of worms, held together by blood vessels, sinews, bones, and the rest—truly loathsome and repellent! Therefore, I must now relinquish it in quest of the ultimate, unsurpassed nirvana, forever departing from the calamities and sorrows of impermanence and suffering, bringing birth and death to an end, and severing all defiling entanglements.

Through perfect cultivation imbued with the power of concentration and wisdom, adorned with a hundred merits, I shall attain Omniscience and acquire the wondrous Dharma-body praised by all Buddhas. Once I have realized it, I shall bestow immeasurable Dharma-bliss upon all sentient beings.” At that time, the prince aroused heroic resolve and made a vast vow. Through mindfulness of great compassion, his determination to relinquish himself grew ever stronger.

Fearing that his two elder brothers, overcome by apprehension, might remain with him and prevent the fulfillment of his meritorious undertaking, the prince said to them: “My two elder brothers, go on ahead; I shall follow behind!” At that time, Prince Sattva returned to the forest and came to where the tigress lay. He removed his garments, hung them upon a bamboo branch, and then vowed:

For the Dharma-realm and all sentient beings,

I earnestly seek unsurpassed bodhi.

Unwavering, I arouse the mind of great compassion

And shall relinquish this cherished ordinary body.

Bodhi is free from affliction and distress,

The joy of those endowed with wisdom.

The sufferings of beings in the three realms are boundless;

I shall now rescue them and bring them peace and bliss.

Having spoken these words, the prince surrendered his body and lay down before the starving tigress. Yet because of the awe-inspiring power of this bodhisattva’s compassion, the tigress was unable to do anything. Seeing this, the bodhisattva climbed a high mountain and cast himself down to the ground, but the immortals caught the prince, so he suffered no injury.

The prince again thought: “The tigress is now so emaciated and weak that she cannot eat my flesh!” He then rose and searched for a knife, but could find none. He therefore pierced his neck with a dry bamboo stalk until blood flowed, and then drew close beside the tigress. At that moment, the great earth quaked in six ways, like wind surging and waters heaving, sinking and tossing without rest.

The sun lost its brilliance as though obscured by Rahu; darkness covered every direction, and no light remained. Celestial flowers and wondrous fragrant powders rained down, scattering throughout the forest. At that time, celestial beings in the sky witnessed this deed and rejoiced in it, praising it as unprecedented.

Together they exclaimed, “Excellent, Great Being!” They then spoke these verses:

The Great Being, intent on rescue, aroused compassion,

Regarding all sentient beings equally as his children.

Courageous and joyful, without the least reluctance,

He gave up his body to relieve suffering—his merit is inconceivable.

He shall certainly reach the true, wondrous, supreme state,

Forever freed from all bonds of birth and death.

Before long, he shall realize the fruit of bodhi,

Awakening to non-arising in tranquil peace and bliss.

At that time, when the starving tigress saw blood flowing from the bodhisattva’s neck, she licked it and consumed his flesh completely, leaving only his bones. Then the eldest prince saw the earth quake and said to his younger brother:

The rivers, mountains, and earth are all trembling;

Darkness veils every direction, and the sun shines no more.

Celestial flowers fall in profusion throughout the sky;

Surely our brother has relinquished his bodily form.

When the second prince heard his elder brother’s words, he spoke this verse:

I heard Sattva’s compassionate words

When he saw that starving tigress, frail and gaunt.

He feared that hunger would drive her to devour her cubs;

I suspect our brother has already given up his body.

The two princes were overcome by great grief. Weeping and lamenting, they returned together to the tigress. They saw their brother’s garments upon the bamboo branch, and his bones and hair scattered all about, while blood had turned the earth to mud and stained the ground. At the sight, they fainted, unable to control themselves, and fell upon his bones. Only after a long while did they regain consciousness. Raising their hands, they wailed and wept aloud, lamenting together:

Our brother’s countenance was dignified and fair,

And our father and mother cherished him dearly.

Why did we all come forth together to wander,

Yet he relinquished his body and will not return?

When our father and mother question us,

How can we possibly answer them?

Better that we too should lose our lives;

How could we alone preserve our bodies?

The two princes, weeping in grief and anguish, departed. The attendants who had accompanied the youngest prince said to one another: “Where is the prince? We must search for him together!”

At that time, the chief queen of the kingdom was sleeping in a lofty pavilion. In a dream she saw ominous signs: her two breasts were cut off, her teeth fell out, and of three doves she obtained, one was seized by a hawk while the other two were terrified. When the earth quaked, the queen immediately awoke. Her heart filled with sorrow, she spoke these words:

Why does the earth quake today,

Shaking rivers, mountains, trees, and forests alike?

The sun has lost its radiant light, as though concealed;

My eyes twitch, and my breasts throb strangely.

As though pierced by an arrow, my heart is oppressed by grief;

My entire body trembles and cannot find rest.

The omens in my dream were inauspicious;

Surely some extraordinary calamity has occurred.

Milk suddenly flowed from both the queen’s breasts, and she thought that some strange misfortune must certainly have occurred. A maidservant heard people outside saying that they had searched for the prince but had still not found him. Greatly alarmed, she entered the palace and reported to the queen: “Your Majesty, do you know?

Outside, I heard that people have scattered in every direction searching for the prince, but though they have searched everywhere, they cannot find him.” When the queen heard these words, she was overwhelmed by great sorrow. With tears filling her eyes, she went to the great king and said: “Great King! I have heard people outside say that my youngest beloved child is missing!” When the king heard this, he was terrified and turned pale.

Choking with emotion, he said: “Alas! Today I have lost my beloved child.” The king wiped away his tears and comforted the queen, saying: “Virtuous lady, do not grieve! Let us now go together and search for our beloved child!” The king, his great ministers, and the people all left the city together and dispersed in every direction to search.

Before long, a great minister came before the king and reported: “I have heard that the princes are still alive. I beg Your Majesty not to grieve. Only the youngest prince has yet to be found.” When the king heard these words, he sorrowfully lamented: “Alas!

Alas! I have lost my beloved child.

When a child is first born, the joy is but brief;

After the child is lost, the sorrow is great.

If only my child could regain his life,

Even the loss of my own body would cause me no pain.”

When the queen heard this, sorrow clung to her as though she had been struck by an arrow, and she lamented:

My three children, accompanied by their attendants,

All went together to wander in the forest.

My beloved youngest child has not returned;

Surely he has encountered some calamity.

Then a second minister came before the king. The king asked him: “Where is my beloved child?” The second great minister wept in anguish. His throat choked and his tongue grew dry and rigid, so that he could utter no reply. The queen asked:

Where is my youngest child? Tell me quickly!

My entire body burns with feverish anguish.

Dazed and distraught with grief, I have lost my senses;

Do not let my heart now break apart.

The second minister fully reported to the king how the prince had sacrificed his body. When the king and the queen heard this, they could not overcome their grief and sobbing. Looking toward the place where he had sacrificed his body, they ordered the royal carriage to proceed. When they reached the bamboo grove and came to the ground where the bodhisattva had sacrificed his body, they saw his bones scattered everywhere. The king and queen cast themselves upon the ground and fainted, nearly dying, like great trees felled by a violent wind. Their minds became bewildered and disordered, and they knew nothing more. The ministers sprinkled water all over the king and queen. Only after a long while did they revive. Raising their hands, they wailed and lamented:

Alas! My beloved son, of majestic and noble form,

For what cause did suffering and death come first to you? If only I could have died before you in your stead,

I would not have beheld this heart-rending misery.

At that time, the queen recovered somewhat from her stupor. Her hair disheveled, she beat her breast with both hands and rolled upon the ground like a fish cast onto dry land or a cow that had lost its calf. Weeping sorrowfully, she said:

Who has slain my son,

Leaving only his bones upon the ground?

My beloved son is lost;

I cannot overcome my grief.

Alas! Who killed my son

And brought this anguish upon me?

My heart is not adamantine;

Why does it not shatter?

In the dream that I beheld,

My two breasts were severed,

And all my teeth fell out;

Now this suffering has come to pass.

I dreamed of three doves,

And one was suddenly seized by a hawk;

Now I have lost my beloved son—

The evil omen was not in vain!

At that time, the great king, the queen, and their two sons grieved and wailed beyond measure. Wearing no jeweled necklaces, they and all the people gathered together the relics remaining from the bodhisattva's body and, as an offering, placed them within a stupa. Ananda, you should know that these are indeed the relics of that bodhisattva!

Ananda, the Buddha further said, in former times, although I was filled with afflictions such as greed, anger, and delusion, I was nevertheless able, according to circumstances, to rescue beings throughout the five destinies—in the hells, among hungry ghosts, among animals, and elsewhere—and cause them to escape. How much more so today, when all my afflictions have been exhausted, no residual habits remain, I am known as the Teacher of Devas and Humans, and I possess omniscience!

Could I then fail, for the sake of each and every sentient being, to pass through many kalpas in the hells and other realms, bearing every kind of suffering in their stead and enabling them to escape birth and death, affliction, and cyclic existence?

At that time, the Blessed One, wishing to proclaim this meaning once more, spoke these verses:

I remember lives in the past,

Throughout immeasurable, countless kalpas:

At times I was a prince,

At times again a king.

I constantly practiced great giving

And relinquished my cherished body,

Aspiring to escape birth and death

And reach the wondrous seat of bodhi.

Long ago there was a great kingdom

Whose king was named Great Chariot.

His prince was named Courageous Being (Sattva),

Whose heart was unstinting in generosity.

The prince had two elder brothers,

Named Great Chariot and Great Deva.

The three went forth together to roam

And gradually reached a mountain forest.

They saw a tigress tormented by hunger,

And this thought immediately arose:

“This tigress is consumed by the fire of hunger

And has nothing she can eat.”

Seeing this, the great being

Feared that the tigress would devour her cubs.

Without regretting his body, he relinquished it,

Saving the cubs from harm.

The earth and all the mountains

At once trembled and shook.

Rivers and seas surged,

Their waves alarmingly flowing upstream.

Heaven and earth lost their light;

Nothing could be seen in the darkness.

In the wilderness, birds and beasts

Flew and ran, losing their refuges.

When their younger brother did not return,

The two elder brothers became distressed and sorrowful.

Together with their attendants,

They searched throughout the mountain forest.

The brothers conferred together

And returned to the depths of the mountains.

Looking all around, they found nothing,

But saw the tigress still in the forest.

The seven cubs and their mother

Had blood smeared upon their mouths.

Fragments of bone and hair

Lay scattered upon the ground.

They also saw blood flowing,

Spread throughout the wooded place.

When the two brothers saw this,

Great terror arose in their hearts.

They fainted and fell upon the ground,

Unconscious and insensible.

Their bodies were covered with dust;

Their six faculties and awareness vanished.

The attendants of the princes

Wailed, their hearts filled with sorrow.

They sprinkled them with water until they revived;

Then the brothers raised their hands and cried aloud.

When the bodhisattva relinquished his body,

His loving mother in the palace

Was enjoying exquisite music

Together with five hundred ladies-in-waiting.

Suddenly, from both breasts

Of the queen, milk flowed in streams.

Her entire body felt pierced by needles;

In pain, she could find no peace.

The thought that she had lost her son arose,

And the arrow of anxiety wounded her heart.

She immediately informed the great king,

Recounting her painful distress.

Unable to restrain her sorrow and weeping,

She addressed the king in a mournful voice:

“Great King, you should now know

That immense anguish has arisen in me.

Milk suddenly flows from both my breasts,

And I cannot make it cease.

My entire body feels pierced by needles;

Fear and distress seem about to rend my breast.

Earlier I dreamed an evil omen;

Surely I shall lose my beloved son.

I pray, O King, save my life

By learning whether our son lives or has died.

I dreamed of three doves;

The smallest bird was my beloved son.

It was suddenly seized by a hawk;

My grief cannot be fully expressed.

I am now submerged in a sea of anxiety;

Before long, death will come upon me.

I fear that my son has not survived;

I pray you, quickly search for him!

I have also heard people outside saying

That my youngest son cannot be found.

My mind now has no peace;

I pray, O King, have compassion for me!”

When the queen had spoken to the king,

Her whole body collapsed upon the ground.

Her heart overwhelmed with sorrow and pain,

She fainted, insensible and unaware.

When the ladies-in-waiting saw the queen

Lying unconscious upon the ground,

They raised their voices in loud lamentation,

Fearing they had lost their refuge.

When the king heard these words,

He was overwhelmed by anxiety.

He therefore commanded his ministers

To go and search for his beloved son.

They all went outside the city

And searched in every place.

Weeping, they questioned the people:

“Where is the prince now?

Is he dead today, or does he still live?

Who knows the place to which he went?

How may we behold him

So that our anxious grief may be relieved?”

The people all passed on the report,

And everyone said the prince had died.

All who heard it grieved for him;

Their sorrow and lamentation were difficult to quell.

Then King Great Chariot,

Crying sorrowfully, arose

And immediately went to the queen,

Sprinkling water upon her body.

After the water was sprinkled upon her,

The queen revived only after a long while.

Weeping sorrowfully, she asked the king:

“Does my son still live?”

The king said to the queen:

“I have already sent people to search,

Seeking our son in the four directions,

But there is still no news!”

The king again said to the queen:

“Do not give rise to anguish.

For now, compose and comfort yourself;

We should go together to search!”

The king then went with the queen,

Their royal carriage arrayed to proceed.

Their cries and wails were desolate,

And their anxious hearts burned like fire.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens

Also left the city, following their sovereign.

Wishing to find the king's son,

They uttered unceasing cries of grief.

As the king searched for his beloved son,

His eyes looked everywhere in the four directions.

He saw a man coming toward him,

Blood soaking his hair and garments.

His whole body was covered with dust,

And he approached from the opposite direction, weeping sorrowfully.

When the king saw this ominous appearance,

His anguish increased manyfold.

He raised both his hands

And cried in grief without ceasing.

One of the ministers

Hurried to the king's side.

Advancing, he addressed the great king:

“Please, O King, do not grieve.

Although your beloved son

Has not yet been found,

Before long he surely will be!”

The king's anxiety eased,

And he proceeded along the road ahead.

Next he saw another minister approach.

Coming before the king, the minister

Shed tears and reported:

“Your two sons are still alive,

But are tormented by the fire of anxiety.

Your third son

Has been swallowed by impermanence!

He saw a tigress that had recently given birth,

And was about to devour her own cubs.

When Prince Sattva saw her,

Compassion arose in his heart.

Aspiring to attain the unsurpassed path,

He vowed to deliver all sentient beings.

He fixed his mind upon wondrous bodhi,

As vast and profound as the ocean.

He then climbed to the summit of the mountain

And cast down his body before the starving tigress.

The weakened tigress could not eat him,

So he cut his own throat with a bamboo stalk.

The tigress then devoured the prince,

Leaving only his bones!”

The king and queen had

Upon hearing this, they instantly fainted,

Their hearts submerged in grief and fear,

As the fire of affliction blazed fiercely.

The deity brought sandalwood-scented water

And sprinkled it upon the king and queen.

Regaining consciousness, they wailed loudly,

Raising their hands and beating their breasts.

The third minister arrived

And reported to the king:

“I saw the two princes

Lying unconscious in the forest.

I sprinkled them with cold water,

And only then did they revive.

They turned and gazed in every direction,

As though fierce flames surrounded them.

For a moment they rose to their feet,

But, unable to master themselves, cried aloud.

Raising their hands, they lamented bitterly,

Exclaiming, ‘Rare indeed! We praise our younger brother!’”

When the king heard these words,

His sorrow burned still more intensely.

The queen wailed loudly

And cried out at the top of her voice:

“My youngest child, whom I loved above all,

Has been devoured by the demon of impermanence.

Though my other two children still remain,

They too are being consumed by the fire of grief.

I must now hasten to the foot of the mountain

And comfort them, that their lives may be preserved!”

At once they urged their chariot swiftly along the road ahead,

Their minds fixed solely upon the place where their son had given up his body.

On the way, they met their two sons, walking and weeping,

Beating their breasts, grief-stricken and bereft of all composure.

When the parents saw them, they were engulfed in sorrow,

And together they went to the mountain forest where the body had been relinquished.

When they reached the ground where the bodhisattva had given up his body,

They gathered together in lamentation, and immense suffering arose.

With hearts full of love, they removed their jeweled necklaces

And gathered the bones of the bodhisattva’s body.

Together with the assembly, they built a stupa of the seven precious substances,

Where all might jointly pay homage and make offerings.

They placed those relics within a casket,

Then prepared the chariot and sorrowfully returned to the palace city.

The Buddha again told Ananda:

“The former Sattva

Was none other than I myself.

You should harbor no other thought!

The king was King Suddhodana,

And the queen was my mother, Maya.

The eldest prince was Maitreya,

And the second was Manjusri.

The tigress was Mahaprajapati,

And her five cubs were the five bhiksus.

One was Mahamaudgalyayana,

And one was Sariputra.

I have related to you

These former causes and conditions of benefiting others!

Such are the practices of a bodhisattva,

Which must be learned as causes for attaining Buddhahood.

Having made such a vast vow,

I prayed that even the bones remaining from my body

Might benefit living beings in future lives.

This is the place where the body was relinquished,

And this is the stupa made of the seven precious substances.

After immeasurable time had passed,

It sank deep beneath the earth.

Through the power of that former vow,

It arises according to conditions to bring deliverance;

For the benefit of humans and devas,

It has emerged from the earth.”

At that time, when the Blessed One had related these former causes and conditions, immeasurable asamkhyeyas of humans, devas, and members of the great assembly were filled with both compassion and joy. Praising this as unprecedented, they all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. The Buddha again told the tree deity:

“To repay this kindness, I pay homage with reverence!”

When the Buddha withdrew his spiritual power, the stupa once again disappeared into the earth.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:

BODHISATTVAS OF THE TEN DIRECTIONS OFFER PRAISE

At that time, as Sakyamuni Tathagata expounded this sutra, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of assemblies of bodhisattvas from worlds throughout the ten directions each departed from their own lands and came to Vulture Peak. Arriving before the Blessed One, they prostrated themselves with all five limbs upon the ground and paid homage to him. Then, single-mindedly joining their palms, with different mouths but one voice they praised him, saying:

The Buddha’s wondrous body is the color of true gold;

Its radiance shines everywhere like a golden mountain.

Like a lotus flower, pure, supple, and soft,

It is adorned with immeasurable splendor and beauty!

The thirty-two marks adorn it throughout,

And the eighty excellent characteristics are all complete.

Its streaming radiance is beyond compare,

Stainless, like the light of the clear moon.

The Buddha’s voice is lucid and most wondrous,

Resounding like the roar of a lion.

Its eight wondrous qualities respond to beings of every capacity,

Surpassing even the song of the kalavinka bird.

His majestic countenance is adorned with wondrous marks born of a hundred merits;

His perfect radiance is stainless, pure, and clear.

His wisdom is serene and luminous like the great ocean;

His merit is vast like empty space.

His halo fills the worlds of the ten directions,

Universally rescuing sentient beings according to their conditions.

Afflictions, defiling attachments, and all the rest are utterly removed;

He constantly kindles the torch of Dharma without ever ceasing.

Compassionately benefiting all living beings,

He brings them peace and happiness in the present and the future.

He constantly expounds the ultimate truth,

Enabling them to realize true, quiescent nirvana.

The Buddha proclaims the supreme Dharma of amrita,

Bestowing the wondrous meaning of amrita.

He leads beings into the city of the amrita of nirvana,

Where they fully enjoy the amrita bliss of the unconditioned.

Ever within the great ocean of birth and death,

He liberates all living beings from suffering,

Causing them to abide upon the secure path

And always granting them inconceivable joy according to their wishes!

The ocean of the Tathagata’s virtues is exceedingly deep and vast;

No analogy can make it fully known!

He constantly gives rise to great compassion for all,

And never ceases his diligent use of skillful means.

The ocean of the Tathagata’s wisdom has no bounds;

All humans and devas together could not measure it.

Even throughout thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas,

They could not know even the smallest portion of it.

I now praise the Buddha’s merits only briefly—

Merely one drop from the Blessed One’s ocean of virtue!

I dedicate this merit and bestow it upon living beings,

Praying that they may swiftly realize the fruit of bodhi!

At that time, the Blessed One told the bodhisattvas:

“Excellent! Excellent! You have well praised the Buddha’s merits in this way, benefiting sentient beings, widely carrying out the work of the Buddha, extinguishing all offenses, and producing immeasurable merit.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:

BODHISATTVA RUCIRAKETU OFFERS PRAISE

At that time, Bodhisattva Ruciraketu immediately rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt upon his right knee, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke these words of praise:

The Sage’s marks born of a hundred merits are perfect;

Immeasurable virtues adorn his body.

Vast and pure, it delights all who behold it,

Like the radiance of a thousand rising suns.

Its boundless brilliance blazes magnificently,

Like a collection of wondrous jewels, majestic and beautiful.

It shines through the sky like the rising sun,

Its red and white distinct, intermingled with gold.

Like the radiance of a golden mountain shining everywhere,

It can pervade hundreds of thousands of realms.

It can extinguish the immeasurable sufferings of living beings

And bestow boundless, supremely wondrous bliss.

All his marks are complete, majestic, and pure;

Living beings delight in beholding them and never grow weary.

The hair upon his head is soft and dark blue,

Like black bees gathered upon beautiful flowers.

He is purely adorned with great joy and great equanimity;

His great loving-kindness and great compassion are fully complete.

All excellent marks and characteristics adorn him;

The factors of enlightenment have been perfected.

The Tathagata can bestow blessings and benefit,

Causing beings always to attain great peace and happiness.

Completely adorned with every wondrous virtue,

His radiance shines throughout thousands of myriads of realms.

The Tathagata’s luminous marks are utterly perfect,

Like the sun shining throughout the sky.

The Buddha, like Mount Sumeru, is replete with merit

And can manifest everywhere throughout the ten directions.

The Tathagata’s golden mouth is wondrously adorned;

His teeth are white, even, and close-set, surpassing snow and jade.

The Tathagata’s countenance is beyond compare;

The urna between his brows always curls to the right.

Purely radiant and gleaming white, it is like crystal,

Resembling the full moon in the sky.

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Ruciraketu:

“You have praised the inconceivable merits of the Buddha in this way, benefiting all beings and enabling those who do not yet understand to follow and cultivate the teaching.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:

THE BODHI TREE DEITY OFFERS PRAISE

At that time, the Bodhi tree deity also praised the Blessed One in verse:

Homage to the Tathagata of pure wisdom!

Homage to the wisdom that always seeks the true Dharma!

Homage to the wisdom capable of abandoning what is contrary to Dharma!

Homage to the wisdom forever free from discrimination!

Rare indeed is the boundless Blessed One!

Rare and difficult to behold, like the udumbara flower!

Rare, like the king of mountains standing firm amid the ocean!

Rare is the Sugata of immeasurable radiance!

Rare is the Tamer, whose compassionate vows are vast!

Rare is the Sage of the Sakya clan, whose radiance surpasses the sun!

He can proclaim this jewel among sutras,

Compassionately bringing benefit to all living beings.

The Sage is silent and serene, his faculties composed;

He can enter the serene city of nirvana.

He can abide in the gateway of serene samadhi;

He can know the profound realm of serenity.

The Honored One, Perfect in the Twofold Excellence, abides in quiescent emptiness.

The bodies of the shravaka disciples are also empty.

The essential nature of all dharmas is entirely empty;

All sentient beings are empty and quiescent!

I constantly recollect all the World-Honored Ones;

I always delight in beholding all the Buddhas;

I constantly bring forth a heart of earnest devotion,

And ever encounter the suns who are the Buddhas.

I constantly bow before the World-Honored Ones!

May I ever thirst for and look up to them, never relinquishing them in my heart;

Weeping sorrowfully and shedding tears, may my devotion never cease;

May I always serve them without ever growing weary!

I pray that the World-Honored One will arouse his compassionate heart,

So that I may always behold his gentle and gracious countenance!

The Buddha and the assembly of shravakas are pure;

May they always render aid among gods and humans!

The Buddha’s body is originally pure, like empty space,

Like an illusion, a flame, or the moon reflected in water.

May he proclaim the ambrosial Dharma of nirvana,

Which can engender every merit and virtue!

The pure realm of the World-Honored One,

His inconceivable compassion and right conduct,

Cannot be fathomed by shravakas or pratyekabuddhas,

Nor measured even by the great sage bodhisattvas!

I pray that the Tathagata will have compassion for me

And constantly allow me to behold his body of great compassion!

With the three karmic activities untiringly serving the Compassionate Honored One,

May I swiftly transcend birth and death and return to the ultimate reality, the realm of suchness.

At that time, after hearing this praise, the World-Honored One addressed the tree deity in a Brahma voice:

“Excellent! Excellent, virtuous goddess! You have truthfully and without falsehood proclaimed the wondrous attributes of my pure Dharma body, which benefits both oneself and others. By virtue of this merit, you shall swiftly realize unsurpassed bodhi. If all sentient beings who practice together hear this, they will all enter the Dharma gate of the unborn ambrosia.”

CHAPTER THIRTY:

THE PRAISE OF THE GODDESS OF GREAT ELOQUENCE

Then the Goddess of Great Eloquence rose from her seat, respectfully joined her palms, and praised the World-Honored One in forthright words:

“Homage to Shakyamuni Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One! His body is the color of true gold; his throat resembles a conch shell; his face is like the full moon; his eyes are like lotus blossoms; his beautiful red lips resemble the color of crystal; his nose is high, long, and straight, like a bar of gold cut to shape; his teeth are white, even, and closely set, like kundavata flowers; the light of his body universally illuminates like a hundred thousand suns, and its rays shine like Jambu River gold.

His words are never mistaken. He reveals the three gates of liberation and opens the three paths to bodhi. His heart is always pure, and so too are his aspirations.

The place where the Buddha dwells and the sphere of his conduct are also always pure. He is free from improper deportment, and neither in advancing nor stopping does he err. For six years he practiced austerities; three times he turned the Dharma wheel, delivering suffering beings and bringing them to the other shore.

His bodily marks are perfect and complete, like a nyagrodha tree. He cultivated and was permeated by the six paramitas; his three karmic activities are faultless. He possesses omniscience and has perfected the benefit of both himself and others.

His every utterance is for the sake of sentient beings, and he speaks no fabricated falsehood. Among the Shakya clan, he is the Great Lion, steadfast and courageous, endowed with the eight liberations! According to my ability, I now praise but a small portion of the Tathagata’s merit and virtue, like a mosquito drinking water from the great ocean!

I vow to dedicate this merit universally to all sentient beings, that they may forever transcend birth and death and attain the unsurpassed path!”

Then the World-Honored One said to the Goddess of Great Eloquence:

“Excellent! Excellent! You have cultivated for a long time and are endowed with great eloquence. Now you have again expressed your heartfelt praise of me at length. May this cause you swiftly to realize the unsurpassed Dharma gate, with excellent marks perfectly radiant, bringing universal benefit to all.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: ENTRUSTMENT

At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the immeasurable bodhisattvas, gods, humans, and the entire great assembly, saying:

“You should know that throughout immeasurable and innumerable great kalpas I diligently practiced austerities and attained this most profound Dharma, the true cause of bodhi, which I have now expounded for you! Who among you can bring forth a courageous resolve to reverently guard and protect it? After my nirvana, who can extensively proclaim this Dharma gate and circulate it everywhere, thereby enabling the true Dharma to abide in the world for a long time?”

Then, within the assembly, sixty kotis of great bodhisattvas and sixty kotis of the great assembly of gods spoke with different mouths but in a single voice:

“World-Honored One! We all rejoice in the Buddha, the World-Honored One, who throughout immeasurable great kalpas diligently practiced austerities and attained this most profound and wondrous Dharma, the true cause of bodhi. We shall respectfully preserve and protect it, sparing neither body nor life. After the Buddha’s nirvana, we shall extensively proclaim this Dharma gate and circulate it universally, causing the true Dharma to abide in the world for a long time.”

At that time, the great bodhisattvas spoke these verses before the Buddha:

World-Honored One, whose words are true,

Securely abiding in the true Dharma,

By the power of that truth,

We shall preserve and protect this sutra!

Great compassion is our armor and helmet;

In great loving-kindness we securely abide.

By the power of loving-kindness and compassion,

We shall preserve this sutra!

The wealth of Dharma is complete,

Giving rise to the provisions of wisdom.

Because these provisions are complete,

We shall preserve this sutra.

All maras shall be subdued,

And all false doctrines shattered.

The World-Protectors, together with Shakra and Brahma,

And even the asuras,

Nagas, spirits, yakshas, and others,

Shall preserve and protect this sutra.

Those who dwell upon the earth

And those who long abide in empty space,

In obedience to the Buddha’s teaching,

Shall preserve and protect this sutra!

Endowed with the four Brahma-abodes

And adorned by the Four Noble Truths,

Because it subdues the four maras,

We shall preserve and protect this sutra.

Even if empty space became an obstruction,

And obstructions became empty space,

The protection of all the Buddhas

Could never be shaken by anyone!

At that time, when the Four Great Heavenly Kings heard the Buddha proclaim this wondrous Dharma of protection, they all rejoiced and resolved to safeguard the true Dharma. With one voice, they spoke these verses:

As for this sutra, we now,

Together with our male and female retinues,

Shall all single-mindedly protect it,

Causing it to circulate widely.

If anyone upholds this sutra

And cultivates the cause of bodhi,

We shall attend to our duties in the four directions

And protect that person.

Then Lord Shakra respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

The assembly of Buddhas proclaimed this Dharma

In order to repay kindness

And bring benefit to the bodhisattvas,

Thus teaching this sutra in the world.

To those Buddhas

I constantly make offerings in gratitude.

I shall protect such a sutra

And those who uphold it as well.

Then the Tushita god respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

Regarding the sutra thus taught by the Buddha,

If anyone preserves and upholds it,

That person shall abide in the stage of bodhi

And afterward be born in Tushita Heaven.

World-Honored One! I rejoice.

I shall relinquish the supreme heavenly recompense

And descend to Jambudvipa

To proclaim this sutra.

Then the lord of the Saha world, the Brahma Heavenly King, respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

The immeasurable meditative absorptions,

The various vehicles and liberations,

All arise from this sutra;

Therefore, this sutra should be proclaimed.

Wherever this sutra is taught,

I shall forsake the bliss of the Brahma heavens

To hear such a sutra

And shall always protect it.

Then the son of the Mara king, named

Merchant Chief, respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

If anyone accepts and upholds

This sutra concordant with right meaning,

That person shall not follow the deeds of maras

And shall completely eradicate evil mara karma.

We too, with regard to this sutra,

Shall diligently guard and protect it,

Immediately arousing zealous resolve

Wherever it circulates widely!

Then the Mara king respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

If anyone upholds this sutra,

That person can subdue all afflictions.

Beings of this kind

I shall protect and cause to dwell in peace and happiness.

If anyone expounds this sutra,

The maras shall find no opportunity against that person.

Through the power of the Buddha’s spiritual majesty,

I shall protect them.

The god Kumara Manjushri also spoke these verses before the Buddha:

The wondrous bodhi of all the Buddhas

Is taught within this sutra.

If anyone upholds this sutra

This is to make offerings to all Buddhas.

This sutra I shall uphold,

Because of the words spoken by the devas.

Those who listen with reverence

I shall encourage to reach the place of bodhi.

At that time, Bodhisattva Maitreya respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

If I see bodhisattvas steadfastly abiding,

Being uninvited spiritual friends,

Even relinquishing body and life

To protect this King of Sutras,

Having heard this Dharma thus,

I shall go to Tusita Heaven;

Through the Blessed One’s blessing and protection,

I shall expound it widely for humans and devas.

Then the elder Mahakasyapa respectfully joined his palms and spoke these verses:

Within the Sravaka Vehicle, the Buddha

Declared my wisdom excellent.

I shall now, according to my ability,

Protect and uphold this sutra.

If anyone upholds this sutra,

I shall embrace and support that person,

At once bestowing strength and eloquence,

And shall always say, “Excellent!”

Then the venerable Ananda joined his palms toward the Buddha and spoke these verses:

Following the Buddha, I have heard

Immeasurable scriptures,

Yet never have I heard anything like

This profound King of the Dharma.

I have now heard this sutra,

Receiving it here before the Buddha;

For those who delight in bodhi,

I shall widely proclaim it.

At that time, the Blessed One saw that the bodhisattvas and the great assembly of humans and devas had each brought forth the resolve to propagate and protect this scripture, thereby encouraging bodhisattvas to benefit sentient beings extensively. He praised them, saying:

“Excellent! Excellent! You are able to reverently propagate such a wondrous King of Sutras and, even after I enter parinirvana, prevent it from disappearing. This is indeed a true cause of unsurpassed bodhi, and the merit thereby gained could not be fully described even throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. If bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, and other good men and good women make offerings to it with reverence, transcribe and circulate it, and explain it to others, the merit they gain will likewise be the same. Therefore, you must diligently cultivate and practice!”

At that time, the immeasurable and boundless great assembly, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, having heard the Buddha’s words, were all filled with great joy, accepted them with faith, and respectfully put them into practice.

THE SUTRA OF THE SOVEREIGN KING OF GOLDEN LIGHT, THE MOST EXCELLENT

— End of the Tenth Fascicle —

Notes:

1. The Sanskrit manuscript of this sutra is preserved by the Royal Asiatic Society, established by the King of England. When compared with the versions then being translated, it was found to contain many lacunae, including the loss of numerous dharanis. We therefore relied upon the Tibetan translation held by the Library of the University of Religious Studies to collate, compare, and extract the missing material. Among the many copies of the Sutra of Golden Light preserved there were two versions, one of which was actually derived from Master Yijing’s Chinese translation. We endeavored to join these passages together coherently, but slight variations still remain interspersed throughout; readers are asked to take note of this. (According to the Japanese Taisho Revised Tripitaka edition.)

2. For the mantras in this sutra, we relied upon the Taisho Revised Tripitaka and transcribed the Sanskrit using the Latin alphabet. — The Translator