The Stem Array · Gaṇḍavyūha

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, recited,⁷⁹⁹ promulgated, presented,⁸⁰⁰ investigated, elucidated, reflected on, described, taught, contemplated, bestowed, understood, was immersed in, repeated again and again, realized, propounded, illuminated, and surveyed the teaching of the bhikṣu Sudarśana.

He eventually, with an entourage of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas, arrived at the city of Sumukha in the land called Śramaṇa­maṇḍala.

He searched for the boy Indriyeśvara until the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas in the sky above called down, “Noble one, the boy Indriyeśvara, accompanied by ten thousand other children, is playing in the sand at the conflux of the rivers.”

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, went into the city of Sumukha toward the confluence of the rivers. When he arrived there, he saw the boy Indriyeśvara accompanied by ten thousand children, playing in the sand.

When he saw the boy Indriyeśvara, he approached him, bowed his head to the boy Indriyeśvara’s feet, circumambulated the boy Indriyeśvara many hundreds of thousands of times, keeping him to his right, and then sat down before the boy Indriyeśvara. He placed the palms of his hands together and said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment. How does a bodhisattva train in bodhisattva conduct? In what way does a bodhisattva practice it?

“Ārya, I have heard that you teach and give instructions to bodhisattvas. Therefore, Ārya, teach me how bodhisattvas train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they practice it!”

Indriyeśvara said, “Noble one, Mañjuśrī Kumāra­bhūta has taught me writing, numbers, symbols, and counting so that I entered through the gateway called the wisdom that possesses clairvoyance in all crafts.

“Thus, noble one, I know all writing and terminology in this world; all numbers, calculations, symbols, the knowledge of dice throwing,⁸⁰¹ and the knowledge of the various crafts; physiology; methods to cure poisoning; exorcising śoṣas, apasmāras, bhūtas, pretas, and demons; the knowledge of where to establish villages, towns, marketplaces, cities,⁸⁰² parks, and forest groves for ascetics; the knowledge of the measurements of walls, houses, windows, and kūṭāgāras; the knowledge of how to make various machines and chariots; the knowledge of good and bad omens, omens of danger and safety; the knowledge of the practices of farming and business; the knowledge of the analysis of the signs of the movement and characteristics of the limbs and the minor extensions of the body; the knowledge of the ways of purifying the path of karma that leads to the higher realms or the lower existences; the knowledge of good and bad groups and offerings; the knowledge of the accumulations that lead to the higher existences or to the lower existences; the knowledge of the accumulations that lead to the Śrāvakayāna and Pratyeka­buddhayāna; the knowledge of the accumulations that lead to the level of the tathāgatas; and the knowledge of the processes of application to causes and actions.

“I make all beings enter into those knowledges, settle them in those knowledges, establish them in those knowledges, make them study those knowledges, make them practice those knowledges, make them stable in those knowledges, make them dedicated to those knowledges, make them complete those knowledges, make them accomplished in those knowledges, make them use those knowledges, make them elevate those knowledges, make them increase those knowledges, make those knowledges effective, bring those knowledges to their conclusion, make them purify those knowledges, make those knowledges stainless, make those knowledges shine, make those knowledges bright and clear, and make those knowledges vast.

“Thus, noble one, I know the way of calculations of the bodhisattvas. What is it?

“A hundred thousand times a hundred is ten million.⁸⁰³ Ten million times ten million is an ayuta.⁸⁰⁴ An ayuta times an ayuta is a niyuta.⁸⁰⁵ A niyuta times a niyuta is a bimbara.⁸⁰⁶ A bimbara times a bimbara is a kiṃkara.⁸⁰⁷ A kiṃkara times a kiṃkara is an agara.⁸⁰⁸ An agara times an agara is a pravara.⁸⁰⁹ A pravara times a pravara is a mapara.⁸¹⁰ A mapara times a mapara is an avara.⁸¹¹ An avara times an avara is a tapara.⁸¹² A tapara times a tapara is a sīma.⁸¹³ A sīma times a sīma is a yāma.⁸¹⁴ A yāma times a yāma is a nena.⁸¹⁵ A nena times a nena is an avaga.⁸¹⁶ An avaga times an avaga is one mṛgava.⁸¹⁷ One mṛgava times one mṛgava is one vināha.⁸¹⁸ A vināha times a vināha is one viraga.⁸¹⁹ A viraga times a viraga is one avagama.⁸²⁰ An avagama times an avagama is a vigava.⁸²¹ A vigava times a vigava is a saṃkrama.⁸²² A saṃkrama times a saṃkrama is a visara.⁸²³ A visara times a visara is a vibhaja.⁸²⁴ A vibhaja times a vibhaja is a vijaṅgha.⁸²⁵ A vijaṅgha times a vijaṅgha is a visota.⁸²⁶ A visota times a visota is a vivāha.⁸²⁷ A vivāha times a vivāha is a vibhakta.⁸²⁸ A vibhakta times a vibhakta is a vikhata.⁸²⁹ A vikhata times a vikhata is a tulana.⁸³⁰ A tulana times a tulana is an atula.⁸³¹ An atula times an atula is a varaṇa.⁸³² A varaṇa times a varaṇa is a vivaraṇa.⁸³³ A vivaraṇa times a vivaraṇa is an avana.⁸³⁴ An avana times an avana is a thavana.⁸³⁵ A thavana times a thavana is a viparya.⁸³⁶ A viparya times a viparya is a samarya.⁸³⁷ A samarya times a samarya is a viturṇa.⁸³⁸ A viturṇa times a viturṇa is an hetura.⁸³⁹ A hetura times a hetura is a vicāra.⁸⁴⁰ A vicāra times a vicāra is a visāra.⁸⁴¹ A visāra times a visāra is a vyatyasta.⁸⁴² A vyatyasta times a vyatyasta is an abhyudgata.⁸⁴³ An abhyudgata times an abhyudgata is a viśiṣṭa.⁸⁴⁴ A viśiṣṭa times a viśiṣṭa is a nivala.⁸⁴⁵ A nivala times a nivala is a haribha.⁸⁴⁶ A haribha times a haribha is a vikṣobha.⁸⁴⁷ A vikṣobha times a vikṣobha is a halibha.⁸⁴⁸ A halibha times a halibha is a harisa.⁸⁴⁹ A harisa times a harisa is an aloka.⁸⁵⁰ An aloka times an aloka is a dṛṣṭānta.⁸⁵¹ A dṛṣṭānta times a dṛṣṭānta is a hetuna.⁸⁵² A hetuna times a hetuna is a durbuda.⁸⁵³ A durbuda times a durbuda is a haruṇa.⁸⁵⁴ A haruṇa times a haruṇa is an ela.⁸⁵⁵ An ela times an ela is a dumela.⁸⁵⁶ A dumela times a dumela is a kṣemu.⁸⁵⁷ A kṣemu times a kṣemu is an akṣayamukta.⁸⁵⁸ An akṣayamukta times an akṣayamukta is an elada.⁸⁵⁹ An elada times an elada is a māluda.⁸⁶⁰ A māluda times a māluda is a maṇḍumā.⁸⁶¹ A maṇḍumā times a maṇḍumā is a viṣamatā.⁸⁶² A viṣamatā times a viṣamatā is a samatā.⁸⁶³ A samatā times a samatā is a visada.⁸⁶⁴ A visada times a visada is a pramantā.⁸⁶⁵ A pramantā times a pramantā is a pramātra.⁸⁶⁶ A pramātra times a pramātra is an amātra.⁸⁶⁷ An amātra times an amātra is a bhramātra.⁸⁶⁸ A bhramātra times a bhramātra is a gamātra.⁸⁶⁹ A gamātra times a gamātra is a namātra.⁸⁷⁰ A namātra times a namātra is a hemātra.⁸⁷¹ A hemātra times a hemātra is a vimātra.⁸⁷² A vimātra times a vimātra is a paramātra.⁸⁷³ A paramātra times a paramātra is a śivamātra.⁸⁷⁴ A śivamātra times a śivamātra is an ela.⁸⁷⁵ An ela times an ela is a vela.⁸⁷⁶ A vela times a vela is a tela.⁸⁷⁷ A tela times a tela is a śaila.⁸⁷⁸ A śaila times a śaila is a gela.⁸⁷⁹ A gela times a gela is a śila.⁸⁸⁰ A śila times a śila is a śvela.⁸⁸¹ A śvela times a śvela is a nela.⁸⁸² A nela times a nela is a bhela.⁸⁸³ A bhela times a bhela is a kela .⁸⁸⁴ A kela times a kela is a sela.⁸⁸⁵ A sela times a sela is a pela.⁸⁸⁶ A pela times a pela is a hela.⁸⁸⁷ A hela times a hela is a mela.⁸⁸⁸ A mela times a mela is a saraḍa.⁸⁸⁹ A saraḍa times a saraḍa is a māruta.⁸⁹⁰ A māruta times a māruta is a meruda.⁸⁹¹ A meruda times a meruda is a kheluda.⁸⁹² A kheluda times a kheluda is a māluda.⁸⁹³ A māluda times a māluda is a samula.⁸⁹⁴ A samula times a samula is an ayava.⁸⁹⁵ An ayava times an ayava is a kamala.⁸⁹⁶ A kamala times a kamala is a magava.⁸⁹⁷ A magava times a magava is an atara.⁸⁹⁸ An atara times an atara is a heluya.⁸⁹⁹ A heluya times a heluya is a veluva.⁹⁰⁰ A veluva times a veluva is a kajāva.⁹⁰¹ A kajāva times a kajāva is a havava.⁹⁰² A havava times a havava is a havala.⁹⁰³ A havala times a havala is a vivara.⁹⁰⁴ A vivara times a vivara is a bimba.⁹⁰⁵ A bimba times a bimba is a caraṇa.⁹⁰⁶ A caraṇa times a caraṇa is a carama.⁹⁰⁷ A carama times a carama is a parava.⁹⁰⁸ A parava times a parava is a dhavara.⁹⁰⁹ A dhavara times a dhavara is a dhamana.⁹¹⁰ A dhamana times a dhamana is a pramada.⁹¹¹ A pramada times a pramada is a nigama.⁹¹² A nigama times a nigama is an upavarta.⁹¹³ An upavarta times an upavarta is a nirdeśa.⁹¹⁴ A nirdeśa times a nirdeśa is an akṣaya.⁹¹⁵ An akṣaya times an akṣaya is a saṃbhūta.⁹¹⁶ A saṃbhūta times a saṃbhūta is an amama.⁹¹⁷ An amama times an amama is an avada.⁹¹⁸ An avada times an avada is an utpala.⁹¹⁹ An utpala times an utpala is a padma.⁹²⁰ A padma times a padma is a saṃkhya.⁹²¹ A saṃkhya times a saṃkhya is a gati.⁹²² A gati times a gati is an upagama.⁹²³ An upagama times an upagama is an aupamya.⁹²⁴ An aupamya times an aupamya is an asaṃkhyeya.⁹²⁵ An asaṃkhyeya times an asaṃkhyeya is an asaṃkhyeya­parivarta.⁹²⁶ An asaṃkhyeya­parivarta times an asaṃkhyeya­parivarta is an aparimāṇa.⁹²⁷ An aparimāṇa times an aparimāṇa is an aparimāṇa­parivarta.⁹²⁸ An aparimāṇa­parivarta times an aparimāṇa­parivarta is an aparyanta.⁹²⁹ An aparyanta times an aparyanta is an aparyanta­parivarta.⁹³⁰ An aparyanta­parivarta times an aparyanta­parivarta is an asamanta.⁹³¹ An asamanta times an asamanta is an asamanta­parivarta.⁹³² An asamanta­parivarta times an asamanta­parivarta is an agaṇeya.⁹³³ An agaṇeya times an agaṇeya is an agaṇeya­parivarta.⁹³⁴ An agaṇeya­parivarta times an agaṇeya­parivarta is an atulya.⁹³⁵ An atulya times an atulya is an atulya­parivarta.⁹³⁶ An atulya­parivarta times an atulya­parivarta is an acintya.⁹³⁷ An acintya times an acintya is an acintya­parivarta.⁹³⁸ An acintya­parivarta times an acintya­parivarta is an aparyanta.⁹³⁹ An aparyanta times an aparyanta is an aparyanta­parivarta.⁹⁴⁰ An aparyanta­parivarta times an aparyanta­parivarta is an amāpya.⁹⁴¹ An amāpya times an amāpya is an amāpya­parivarta.⁹⁴² An amāpya­parivarta times an amāpya­parivarta is an anabhilāpya.⁹⁴³ An anabhilāpya times an anabhilāpya is an anabhilāpya­parivarta.⁹⁴⁴ An anabhilāpya­parivarta times an anabhilāpya­parivarta is an anabhilāpyānabhilāpya.⁹⁴⁵ An anabhilāpyānabhilāpya⁹⁴⁶ times an anabhilāpyānabhilāpya is an anabhilāpyānabhilāpya­parivarta.”⁹⁴⁷

In front of Indriyeśvara there was a heap of sand that was many yojanas high. He counted how many grains of sand there were in that heap, beginning with “the number of grains of sand in this mound” and continuing until he said, “there are an anabhilāpyānabhilāpya­parivarta of grains of sand in this heap.” Having taught Sudhana through the teaching that stipulated the number of grains of sand in that heap of sand, he said, “Noble one, this method of counting of the bodhisattvas continues from one world realm to another. With this method of counting of the bodhisattvas, one can calculate the number of the entire extent of world realms in the eastern direction. In the same way, with this method of counting of the bodhisattvas, one can calculate the number of the entire extent of world realms in the southern direction, in the western direction, in the northern direction, in the northeastern direction, in the southeastern direction, in the southwestern direction, in the northwestern direction, in the upward direction, and in the downward direction.

“Noble one, with this method of counting of the bodhisattvas, the entire extent of the succession of the names of world realms in the ten directions are taught; with this method of counting of the bodhisattvas, the entire extent of the succession of the names of world realms in the ten directions is counted.

“Just as the entire extent of the succession of world realms in the ten directions is taught, in the same way the succession of names of kalpas in the ten directions is taught, the succession of the names of buddhas is taught, the succession of the names of Dharmas is taught, the succession of the names of beings is taught, and the succession of the names of actions is taught, so that all these are comprehended.

“With this method of counting of the bodhisattvas, the entirety of however many successions of names that can be taught and that are in the ten directions is comprehended in full.

“With this method of counting of the bodhisattvas, the entirety of however many successions of names that can be taught and that are in the ten directions is counted in full.

“However, noble one, in that way I know only this light of bodhisattva wisdom that is the possession of the clairvoyance of crafts that is the knowledge of all phenomena. How could I know the conduct of the bodhisattvas who engage with the number of all beings, who engage with the number of all the accumulations of Dharmas, who engage with the number of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and who have power over the wheel of the names of all the Dharmas? How could I describe their qualities? How could I reveal⁹⁴⁸ the range of their activity? How could I elucidate the scope of their knowledge? How could I praise their strengths? How could I proclaim their resolute intentions? How could I cast light⁹⁴⁹ on their accumulations? How could I explain their prayers? How could I teach their conduct? How could I speak of their pure perfections? How could I make clear their pure attainments? How could I describe the range⁹⁵⁰ of their samādhis? How could I comprehend the light of their wisdom?

“Depart, noble one. In this southern region there is a town called Samudra­pratiṣṭhāna, where dwells an upāsikā by the name of Prabhūtā. Go to her and ask her, ‘How should a bodhisattva train in bodhisattva conduct? How should a bodhisattva practice it?’ ”

When Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, heard the words of the kalyāṇamitra, the hairs on his body rose, he felt a powerful great happiness, and he had great joy in his mind. He had obtained this rare, wonderful jewel of motivation. He had developed the motivation of intending to benefit many beings. He had the power to encounter the successive appearances of the buddhas. He was dedicated to understanding the pure field of the Dharma. He was dedicated to demonstrating setting forth to liberation in different ways appropriate to all places.⁹⁵¹ He knew the distinct ranges of activity of the buddhas in the levels of the three times. He had a state of mind that had arisen from an inexhaustible ocean of merit. He had the power of the illumination of great wisdom. He had broken open the gate that sealed beings within the city⁹⁵² of the three realms.

Sudhana bowed his head to the feet of the boy Indriyeśvara, circumambulated the boy Indriyeśvara many hundreds of thousands of times, keeping him to his right, and, looking back again and again, departed from the boy Indriyeśvara.