“With uninterrupted absorption in the formation of diligence, he never loses his diligence. Therefore he is the One Who Does Not Lose His Diligence, Having One-Pointed Absorption in the Formation of Diligence.
“He never loses his mindfulness, and therefore he is the One Who Never Loses His Mindfulness.
“He never loses his liberation, and therefore he is the One Who Never Loses His Liberation.
“He has attained stainless freedom, and therefore he is the One Who Has Attained Stainless Freedom.
“He is continuously skilled in inspiring the activities of sentient beings, and therefore he is the One Who Is Continuously Skilled in Inspiring the Activities of Sentient Beings.
“He is skilled in teaching the Dharma to others according to their capabilities, and therefore he is the One Who Is Skilled in Teaching the Dharma to Others according to Their Capabilities.
“He has perfected the sacred environment of all aspects of melodious speech, and therefore he is the One Who Has Perfected the Sacred Environment of All Aspects of Melodious Speech.
“He is the one whose voice resounds like the voice of Brahmā. He is the one with the voice of a cuckoo bird. He is the one with a voice like a great drum. He is the one with the voice like the resounding of the earth. He is the one with the rumbling voice of a thundercloud of the nāga king Sāgara.
“He is the one with a voice like the roar of a lion or a bull. He is the one with a voice that satisfies, because it is in accord with the languages of all sentient beings. He is the one with a voice that delights the circle of his audience without impediment or obstruction. He is the one with a single voice that is understood in all languages.
“He is the one who is honored by the lord of the Brahma realm. He is the one who is respected by the lord of the gods. He is the one to whom the lord of the nāgas bows. He is the one upon whose face the lord of the yakṣas gazes. He is the one who the lord of the gandharvas praises in song. He is the one who is gazed upon by the lord of the demons, who beholds him with bright and unblinking eyes. He is the one to whom the lord of the demigods bows. He is the one who is unharmed by the gaze of the lord of the garuḍas. He is the one who is praised by the lord of the kinnaras. He is the one who the lord of the mahoragas longs to see. He is the one who is venerated by the lord of the humans. [436]
“He is the one who is supported by large gatherings of worthy ones. He is the one who instructs the bodhisattvas, who inspires them, and delights them. He is the one who teaches the Dharma free from worldliness. He is a venerable teacher of the Dharma who never mistakes any words or syllables. He teaches the Dharma in a timely manner.
“Maitreya, this turning of the wheel of Dharma is merely a brief teaching that praises just a few of the qualities of the Thus-Gone One. Maitreya, to list them in an elaborate manner, the Thus-Gone One would need an eon or more. And still that would not be enough to list them all.”
At that time the Blessed One spoke these verses:
“The wheel of Dharma has been turned,
Which is profound, hard to behold, and subtle.
It is not understood by the extremists,
Nor by the demons.
“The wheel of Dharma has been turned,
Which is without an all-ground and beyond concepts,
Unborn and without origination,
Unique and empty of inherent nature.
“The Buddha has turned the wheel
That teaches the Dharma of equality,
Without anything to accept and reject,
Causeless and without characteristics.
“The Protector of the World
Has turned the wheel that is like
An illusion, a mirage,
A dream, an echo, or a moon reflected in water.
“It leads beyond conditioned phenomena;
It is not nihilistic and neither is it permanent,
But cuts through all views—
So is the wheel of Dharma described.
“It is an infinitely vast teaching,
Ever equal to space,
Luminous and nonconceptual—
So is the wheel of Dharma described.
“It is free from existence and nonexistence,
Beyond self and no self,
A teaching that is naturally unborn—
That is what we call the wheel of Dharma. [437]
“In the truth of suchness,
It is the final end, yet it is without an end,
This nondual teaching of the Dharma—
That is what we call the wheel of Dharma.
“The eye is essentially empty,
So are the ear and the nose.
The tongue, the body, and also the mind
Are empty and inert.
“Such a wheel is the wheel of Dharma
That has now been turned.
He awakens unawakened beings;
That’s why he is called the Awakened One.
“By myself have I realized this nature—
The nature defined as Dharma—
Without instructions from others,
And so I am the self-arisen possessor of the wisdom eye.
“The one who masters all Dharmas
Is called a lord of Dharma.
The one who knows the genuine Dharma from the incorrect,
That is what we call a guide.
“As many beings as there are to be trained,
That many limitless beings I train.
I have perfected my training,
And so I am called the Perfect Guide.
“All beings that have strayed from the path,
I show the supreme path.
I guide them to the other shore,
And therefore I am the Guide.
“Since I know the way to magnetize,
I gather beings at my side.
Since I save beings from the wasteland of cyclic existence,
I am their leader.
“I master all phenomena,
And so I am the Victorious One, the master of Dharma.
Since I turn the wheel of Dharma,
I am known as a king of Dharma.
“I am the generous giver of the Dharma, the Teacher,
The unexcelled Lord of the Dharma.
My offering was well performed and the goal accomplished;
My aim is fulfilled and goodness accomplished.
“I am the one who consoles and gives comfort,
The hero who has conquered disturbing emotions.
I am victorious in all battles,
A liberated one who liberates beings. [438]
“With great wisdom I am the skillful doctor,
A great healer of the wounds of disturbing emotions.
For all those afflicted with disturbing emotions,
I am the remover of pain.
“All the signs are complete,
And all the marks of goodness adorn me.
Yet, with this body, excellent in every way,
I adapt to the ways of the worldly ones.
“I am powerful with the ten powers,
Confident with the four confidences,
And possessor of the eighteen unique qualities—
The great sage who turns the wheel of Dharma of the Supreme Vehicle.
“This brief explanation
Will set in motion the wheel of Dharma.
This praise of the qualities of the Thus-Gone One
Has listed just but a few.
This concludes the twenty-sixth chapter, on turning the wheel of Dharma.