The Stem Array · Gaṇḍavyūha

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, left the presence of Sutejomaṇḍala­rati­śrī, the Lumbinī Forest goddess, and went to the location of the great city of Kapilavastu.

While meditating on, comprehending, increasing, practicing, purifying,¹⁷⁴⁵ contemplating, and examining the bodhisattva liberation called the miraculous manifestations at the birth of bodhisattvas throughout all the perceptions of countless kalpas, he came to the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas called the Illuminating Light of the Realm of the Dharma.

When he arrived there, he was greeted by Aśokaśrī, the goddess of the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas, together with ten thousand house goddesses.

She said to Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, “We welcome you, great being who has the prowess of great wisdom and knowledge; whose mind has attained the meditation of inconceivable bodhisattva liberation; whose field of activity is the vast divine palace of the Dharma; who enters the city of the Dharma; who is continuously engaged in guiding beings through infinite bodhisattva methods; who has attained the illumination of the ocean of qualities of the tathāgatas; who has the manifest knowledge and illuminating eloquence for guiding all beings; who has the motivation to manifest the conduct of¹⁷⁴⁶ a corresponding body and language¹⁷⁴⁷ that knows the conduct of all beings; who prays to increase the power of an ocean of joy in the minds of all beings; and who follows the path to the comprehension of the Dharma of all the tathāgatas.

“I see that you have the field of activity of profound behavior with a steady¹⁷⁴⁸ gaze, and that therefore you are someone who will soon attain the unsurpassable pure adornments of the body, speech, and mind of the tathāgatas and will act in this world with a body adorned by the signs and features of a great being and with a mind adorned by the light of knowledge of the ten strengths.

“I see that you have diligence and prowess, and that therefore you are someone who soon will have the vision of the tathāgatas of the three times; will hold the clouds of Dharmas of all the tathāgatas; will experience the joy of the divine palace of the four qualities of bodhisattva dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, and samāpattis; and will enter the profound liberation of the buddhas.

“In that way, you go before kalyāṇamitras, gaze upon them, honor them, receive their teaching without error, and are dedicated to the practice of its qualities that is unwearied, irreversible, and never disheartened. You are unaffected by any hindrance, obstacle, or obscuration whatsoever. Neither Māra nor the māra class of deities are present before you, and therefore you will soon bring happiness to all beings.”

The head merchant’s son, Sudhana, said to Aśokaśrī, the goddess of the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas, “Goddess, I gain the highest delight in ending the torment of the kleśas for all beings. I gain the highest delight in repelling dreadful¹⁷⁴⁹ karma for all beings, in bringing happiness to all beings, and in making all beings practice faultless actions. Bodhisattvas become very unhappy when beings engage in the unhappiness of various kinds of karma and kleśas, which disturbs their minds and causes them to fall into the lower existences. Even if those beings remain in happier existences, they experience physical and mental sufferings and various kinds of unhappiness and remain in a state of sorrow.

“Goddess, it is like if a very loving father who has a beloved, beautiful son sees the limbs and smaller parts of his son’s body being cut off. Because he is so loving, he becomes extremely unhappy and sorrowful.

“Goddess, in the same way, when a bodhisattva who is engaged in bodhisattva conduct sees beings falling into the three lower existences through the power of their karma and kleśas, the bodhisattva becomes extremely unhappy and sorrowful.

“The bodhisattvas are happy, glad, joyful, delighted, and pleased when beings are reborn into happy existences when their bodies are destroyed, or when they experience physical and mental happiness in a divine or human existence as the result of their having adopted good physical, vocal, and mental conduct.

“Goddess, the bodhisattvas do not aspire to, and are not dedicated to, omniscience for their own sake or in order to experience the various joys and pleasures of saṃsāra. It is not from dedication to the various different kinds of joys within the desire realm. It is not through the power of mistaken perception, motivation, or views. It is not through the power of involvement, bondage, predispositions, or being overwhelmed. It is not through the power of the view of craving. It is not through the increase of a mind that conceives of the joys of crowds and the gatherings of various beings. It is not through attachment to the experiences of the joy and bliss of dhyāna. It is not going around and around in the continuity of saṃsāra while being obscured by various obscurations.

“Goddess, the bodhisattvas have great compassion for beings who are in the ocean of saṃsāra and who are tormented by immeasurable sufferings. They make great prayers to gather to themselves all beings. Through the power of having made those prayers with great compassion, they are dedicated to ripening and guiding beings, and they appear carrying out bodhisattva conduct in saṃsāra. In order to eliminate all the obscurations of beings, they seek the unobscured wisdom of omniscience and make prayers to serve and make offerings to all the tathāgatas. Through the power of their prayers to serve and make offerings to all the tathāgatas, they are never disheartened in their practice of bodhisattva conduct. When they are practicing bodhisattva conduct and see a realm that is completely defiled, they make the prayer to purify all buddha realms. When they are purifying defiled realms and see the various āyatanas of all beings, they make the prayer to purify the Dharma body that is undifferentiated and unsurpassable. When they see the defiled bodies, speech, and minds of beings, they make the prayer to purify the bodies, speech, and minds that adorn all beings. When they see the incomplete āyatanas and impure minds of beings, they purify the minds and conduct of all beings and are never disheartened in carrying out bodhisattva conduct.

“Goddess, in that way, with minds that are never disheartened, the bodhisattvas carry out vast bodhisattva conduct without end or middle. With that kind of conduct they are adornments of the world because they create the good fortune of devas and humans. They are like parents because they establish beings in the aspiration for enlightenment. They are like nurses because they bring beings onto the bodhisattva path. They are like connate deities, who are deities that always accompany a being because they protect beings from the terror of the abyss of the lower existences. They are like great ferrymen because they free beings from the ocean of saṃsāra. They are refuges because they repel all the terrors of the māras and kleśas. They are shelters because they bring beings to a state of complete tranquility.¹⁷⁵⁰ They are bathing places because they bring beings into the ocean of all buddhas. They are protectors because they escort beings to the island of the jewels of the Dharma. They are flowers because their minds have blossomed with all the qualities of buddhahood. They are adornments because they radiate the light of merit and wisdom. They bring the highest delight and happiness because they are beautiful. They are excellent to meet because they are dedicated to faultless actions. They are completely good because they possess bodies that are complete in having all aspects of excellent limbs. They have charming forms because the sight of them is without anything disagreeable. They bring light because they radiate the light rays of wisdom. They bring illumination because they hold the torch of the Dharma. They bring clarity because they purify the motivation for enlightenment. They are generals because they repel the activities of the māras. They are suns because they radiate a net of the light rays of wisdom. They are moons because they rise as moons of realization in the sky of the Dharma.¹⁷⁵¹ They are clouds because they send down rain from great clouds of Dharma onto all beings.

“Goddess, the bodhisattvas who practice in that way are a delight for all beings.”

Then Aśokaśrī, the goddess of the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas, together with ten thousand goddesses of the home, sent down onto Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, a rain of flowers, garlands, incense, powders, ointments, and precious jewelry that transcended divine materials. Encircling him and following him as he entered the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas, they praised him with these verses:

In that way, Aśokaśrī, the goddess of the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas, praised in verse Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, while following him out of a yearning for the Dharma.

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, went into the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas called the Illuminating Light of the Realm of the Dharma. When he had entered, wishing to find the Śākya maiden Gopā, he looked everywhere.

He saw the Śākya maiden Gopā in the center of the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas called the Illuminating Light of the Realm of the Dharma. She was seated upon a precious throne that had in its center a lotus with a form that illuminated all the abodes of bodhisattvas, and she was encircled by an entourage of eighty-four thousand women of royal families, who all had equally the roots of merit from the past practice of bodhisattva conduct; who in the past had attracted gatherings of beings through acts of generosity; who had a way of speaking with pleasant and gentle words; who cared for beings through causing them to focus on the goal of omniscience; who cared for beings in accord with the realizations of the buddhas and the bodhisattvas; who with all actions inspired by great compassion cared for beings as if they were their sons and daughters; who with great love followed and purified their spouses; and who in the past ripened beings through the inconceivable skillful methods of bodhisattvas.

Those eighty-four thousand women followed the way of the perfections of bodhisattvas who were progressing irreversibly toward the highest, complete enlightenment. They followed the bodhisattva training without expectation of reward from others. They had minds free from all attachment. They were disillusioned by all the delights of saṃsāra. They had purified without impediment all the ways in the realm of the Dharma. They had the power of the motivation directed toward omniscience. They were free from the net of obscurations and obstacles. They had transcended all the paths of attachment. They were active through emanations of their Dharma bodies. They were focused on ripening and guiding all worlds. They had minds in which a stainless ocean of merit had arisen. They had become what they were because of their completely good bodhisattva prayers and conduct. They had increased the vast power of the strengths of bodhisattvas. And their minds had become illuminating like the disk of the sun.

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, bowed his head to the feet of the Śākya maiden and then stood before her, his hands placed together in homage, and said, “Āryā, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas continue within saṃsāra without being stained by saṃsāra; how they realize the equal nature of all phenomena but do not dwell on the level of the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas; how they attain the illumination of the Dharma of the buddhas and yet continue with their bodhisattva conduct; how they dwell on the level of a bodhisattva but teach the scope of knowledge of the tathāgatas; how they transcend all worldly existences but are active within all worldly existences; how they accomplish a body of the Dharma but also accomplish form bodies of infinite colors; how they attain the Dharma body that has no characteristics but manifest bodies with the colors and shapes of all beings; and how they realize that all Dharmas cannot be described but teach the Dharma to all beings, describing them with all ways of speaking and definitions. They know that all beings¹⁷⁵³ are without existence, but they do not turn away from the ways of guiding the realm of beings; they comprehend that all phenomena are unborn and unceasing, but they do not abandon engaging in making offerings to and venerating all the tathāgatas; and they realize that there is no karma and ripening within all phenomena, but they do not turn away from engagement in accomplishing good actions.”

Gopā, the Śākya maiden, said to Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, “Noble one, it is excellent, excellent, that you intended to ask in that way about the nature of bodhisattva conduct. Those questions are also the words of the completely good prayer and conduct.

“Therefore, noble one, listen carefully and remember, for I will teach through the blessing of the Buddha.

“Noble one, the bodhisattvas who have ten qualities such as these fulfill the bodhisattva conduct that is like the appearance of magical illusions and gives rise to the light of wisdom.

“What are these ten? They are (1) reliance on sublime kalyāṇamitras; (2) the attainment of a vast aspiration; (3) a pure, sublime, virtuous motivation; (4) a mind supported by a vast ocean of merit and wisdom; (5) being able to hear great teachings of the Dharma that has originated and arisen from the buddhas; (6) the attainment of aspiration toward the tathāgatas of the three times; (7) the comprehension of the equality of all the fields of bodhisattva conduct; (8) the attainment of the blessing of all the tathāgatas; (9) the natural, pure, higher motivation of great compassion; and (10) that attainment of the strong power of the motivation to end the continuation of all the cycles of saṃsāra.

“Noble one, the bodhisattvas who have those ten qualities fulfill the bodhisattva conduct that is like the appearance of magical illusions and gives rise to the light of wisdom.¹⁷⁵⁴

“Noble one, the bodhisattvas with nonregressing diligence who have obtained those ten qualities, in order to accomplish an inexhaustible way and practice an extremely vast meditation, serve the kalyāṇamitras and please them in ten ways.

“What are these ten ways? They are (1) having no concern for one’s own life and body, (2) having no interest in the requisites of saṃsāra, (3) having the comprehension of the equality of all phenomena, (4) having an irrevocable prayer for omniscience, (5) observing all the ways of the realm of the Dharma, (6) having a mind that rises above the entire ocean of existences, (7) having no dependence or location within the space of the locationless Dharma, (8) having all the unobscured prayers of a bodhisattva, (9) pervading the entire ocean of realms, and (10) having the purified unobscured field of the knowledge of a bodhisattva.

“Noble one, the bodhisattvas who have those ten qualities serve and please the kalyāṇamitras.”

Then the Śākya maiden Gopā, in order to teach the meaning of that, through the blessing of the buddhas looked into the ten directions and recited these verses:

Those are the verses that Gopā, the Śākya maiden, recited. She then said to Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, “Noble one, I have attained the bodhisattva liberation called the range of the view of all the ways of the ocean of the samādhis of the bodhisattvas.”

Sudhana asked, “Āryā, what is this bodhisattva liberation called the range of the view of all the ways of the ocean of the samādhis of the bodhisattvas like?”

Gopā answered, “Noble one, when I rest within this bodhisattva liberation, I see and comprehend as many kalpas in this world realm as there are atoms in countless buddha realms. I know all the existences of beings who are within that kalpa. I also know all the gateways into death and rebirth of those beings. I know all their entrances into becoming, all their acquisition of created karma, and all the various ripenings of their karma. I know all the karma acquired through good actions. I know all the karma that is bad, that brings emancipation, that does not bring emancipation, that is definite, and that is indefinite; I know the definitely false, the latent, the nonlatent, the perfection of roots of merit, the loss of roots of merit, the retention of roots of merit, the retention of roots of demerit, the retention of roots of merit and demerit, the acquisition of good qualities, and the acquisition of bad qualities.

“I know and comprehend all the buddha bhagavats who appear in those kalpas as numerous as the atoms in countless buddha realms. I know and comprehend the ocean of their names. I know the ocean of the first developments of the aspiration to enlightenment by those buddha bhagavats. I know the ocean of their ways of undertaking the attainment of omniscience. I know the creation of their entire ocean of prayers. I know the ocean of their going into the presence of past buddhas. I know the ocean of their engagements in offering to and serving past buddhas. I know the ocean of their perfecting bodhisattva conduct in the past. I know the ocean of their displays of setting forth. I know the ocean of the ripening and guiding of beings by those buddha bhagavats. I know the ocean of their attainment of buddhahood. I know miraculous manifestation and supremacy in turning the wheel of the Dharma. I know the entire ocean of the miracles of those buddhas. I know the categories of the assemblies of followers of those buddha bhagavats. I know all the śrāvakas present among those followers and their ways of setting forth. I know their past roots of merit. I know their various meditations on the path. I know the categories of their pure, perfect attainment of wisdom. I know all the beings that those tathāgatas established in the enlightenment of the pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the past roots of merit of those pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the realization of pratyeka­buddha enlightenment by those pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the entrances to the liberation of the play of the peaceful conduct of those pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the various miraculous manifestations of those pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the beings that are ripened by those pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the Dharma teachings that are taught by those pratyeka­buddhas. I know all the infinite samādhis of the pratyeka­buddhas that they practice and the various entrances to liberations that they play in. I know all the parinirvāṇas of those buddha bhagavats. I know the entire ocean of the assemblies of bodhisattva followers of those buddha bhagavats. I know the first development of roots of merit by those bodhisattvas. I know their first development of the aspiration to enlightenment. I know their different prayers. I know the different forms of their accomplishment of the displays of setting forth through bodhisattva conduct. I know the different forms of their pure accumulation of the aspect of the path of the perfections. I know the different forms of their display of practicing the bodhisattva path. I know the different forms of their accumulations of ascending the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the different forms of the strong powers of ascending the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the different forms of the fields of samādhis that have the power to cause one to progress¹⁷⁵⁵ through the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the miraculous displays on ascending the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the conduct on ascending the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know being established on the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the continuous meditation on the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the ways of purification on the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know dwelling on the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the characteristics of the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the powers of the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the wisdoms that cause ascent through the bodhisattva bhūmis. I know the wisdom that gathers together the bodhisattva bhūmis.¹⁷⁵⁶ I know the wisdom that ripens the bodhisattva bhūmis.¹⁷⁵⁷ I know the established states of bodhisattvas. I know the vast field of conduct of bodhisattvas. I know the miraculous displays¹⁷⁵⁸ of the conduct of bodhisattvas. I know the oceans of the samādhis of bodhisattvas. I know the oceans of the liberations of bodhisattvas. I know the attainment by bodhisattvas of various samādhis in each instant of mind. I know their attainments of the ways of the illumination of omniscience. I know the clouds of light from the lightning of omniscience. I know the ways of the attainment of the patience of bodhisattvas. I know the prowess of immersion in omniscience. I know the proceeding to oceans of realms by bodhisattvas. I know their entry into an ocean of the ways of the Dharma. I know the different characteristics of an ocean of beings. I know the miraculous manifestations of all the ways of the conduct¹⁷⁵⁹ of bodhisattvas. I know the oceans of the various ways of their prayers. I know the different forms of the ocean of their various miraculous manifestations.

“Noble one, in the same way that I know and comprehend the ocean of various kalpas in this Sahā realm in the past and in the present, I also know the ocean of the continuous succession of future kalpas.

“In the same way that I know the ocean of kalpas of the entire succession of world realms that are contained within the Sahā world realm, I also know the ocean of kalpas of the entire succession of world realms contained within the atoms of the Sahā world realm.

“In the same way that I know the ocean of kalpas of the entire succession of world realms contained within the atoms of the Sahā world realm, I also know the ocean of kalpas of all the world realms that surround the Sahā world realm in the ten directions.

“In the same way that I know the ocean of kalpas of all the world realms that surround the Sahā world realm in the ten directions, I also know the ocean of kalpas of all the successive world realms present in all the world realms that surround the Sahā world realm in the ten directions.

“In the same way that I know the ocean of kalpas of all the successive world realms present in the world realms that surround the Sahā world realm in the ten directions, I also know the ocean of kalpas of all the world realms contained within the family of the Prabhāsa­vairocana world realms in all the ten directions.¹⁷⁶⁰

“In the same way that I know the ocean of kalpas of all the world realms contained within the family of the Prabhāsa­vairocana world realms in all the ten directions, I also know the ocean of kalpas of all the successive world realms present in all the world realms that surround in the ten directions the family of the Prabhāsa­vairocana world realms.

“In the same way that I know the ocean of kalpas of all the successive world realms present in all the world realms that surround in the ten directions the family of the Prabhāsa­vairocana world realms, I also know the ocean of kalpas in the vast extent of the world realms contained in this ocean of world realms, Kusuma­tala­garbha­vyūhālaṃkāra.

“In the same way, I know the ocean of kalpas in the ways of the world realms, in the circles of the world realms, in the field of the world realms, in the categories of the world realms, in the rivers of the world realms, in the vortexes of the world realms, in the revolving of the world realms, in the Sumerus of the world realms, in the arising of the world realms, in the lotuses of the world realms, in the trees of the world realms, in the toraṇas¹⁷⁶¹ of the world realms, and in the naming of the world realms.

“In the same way that I know the Kusuma­tala­garbha­vyūhālaṃkāra ocean of world realms, I also know and remember the ocean of prayers made in the past by the Bhagavat Vairocana in the endless, limitless ocean of world realms in the ten directions throughout the extent of the realm of phenomena, up to the ends of space. I also know and comprehend the oceans of his past activities. I know and comprehend the oceans of his past accomplishments. I also know and comprehend his continuing in bodhisattva conduct during kalpas without end or middle. I also know and comprehend his ways of purifying realms. I also know and comprehend the ways of his methods for ripening beings. I also know and comprehend his miraculous manifestations of going to the past tathāgatas and serving them. I also know and comprehend his engagement in venerating and making offerings to the past tathāgatas. I also know and comprehend his ways of obtaining the Dharma teachings of the past tathāgatas. I also know and comprehend the ways of his attainment of bodhisattva samādhis. I also know and comprehend the ways of his practicing the ocean of the qualities of the past tathāgatas. I also know and comprehend the oceans of his ways of the perfection of generosity. I also know and comprehend the ways of his accomplishment of the pure field of disciplines and the correct conduct of bodhisattvas. I also know and comprehend the ways of his attainment of bodhisattva patience. I also know and comprehend the ocean of his powerful bodhisattva diligence. I also know and comprehend the ocean of his perfecting the aspects of dhyāna. I also know and comprehend the ocean of his ways of purifying the field of wisdom. I also know and comprehend his ways of methods in manifesting the images of his body through births in all the world realms. I also know and comprehend his ways of purifying the field of the completely good conduct and prayer. I also know and comprehend his spreading through the ocean of realms. I also know and comprehend the ocean of his ways of purifying all buddha realms. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the illumination of wisdom from all the tathāgatas. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the miraculous manifestations of reaching¹⁷⁶² the enlightenment of all buddhas. I also know and comprehend his ways of attaining the illumination of the wisdom of all the tathāgatas. I also know and comprehend the ocean of his ways of comprehending the realization of omniscience. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the miraculous manifestation of the attainment of complete buddhahood. I also know and comprehend the ways of displaying and the power of supremacy in turning the wheel of the Dharma. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the field of saṃsāra. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the past roots of merit of all bodhisattvas in the field of saṃsāra. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of initial prayers. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of the methods for ripening and guiding beings. I also know and comprehend the Bhagavat’s ripening of an ocean of beings when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct in the past. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of methods that increase the roots of merit of those beings in each instant of their minds. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of the attainment of samādhi. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of the attainment of the power of mental retention. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of the pure field of the wisdom of eloquence. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of the miraculous manifestations of ascending all the bodhisattva bhūmis. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of accomplishing the net of conduct. I also know and comprehend the ocean of the ways of the wisdom that enters the direction of final accomplishment. I also know and comprehend the ocean of his miraculous manifestations of the powers, strengths, aspects of enlightenment, dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, and samāpattis.

“In the same way that I realize, know, and comprehend the ocean of the Bhagavat Vairocana’s buddha and bodhisattva conduct throughout the entire realm of phenomena, I also realize, know, and comprehend the ocean of buddha and bodhisattva conduct of all the tathāgatas and their entry into the infinite illusory net of wisdom, their pervasion of the infinite realm of phenomena, their teaching of infinite entrances, and their teaching through entering into remaining until the last of future kalpas, which appear distinctly within the ocean of the world realms of the ten directions, throughout the realm of phenomena up to the ends of space.

“Why is that? Noble one, it is because this purview is that of the bodhisattva liberation called the range of the view of all the ways of the ocean of the samādhis of the bodhisattvas. When I am resting in that, I know the minds and conduct of all beings.

“I know the accumulation of good actions of all beings. I know the defilement and the purification of all beings. I know the various kinds of karma of all beings. I know the entrances to samādhi of all śrāvakas. I know the levels of samādhi of all śrāvakas. I know and comprehend the miraculous manifestation through the peace of the liberations of all pratyeka­buddhas. I know the ways of the ocean of samādhis of all bodhisattvas. I know the ways of the ocean of the liberations of all bodhisattvas. I know the entry into the ocean of the liberations of all the tathāgatas.”

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, asked the Śākya maiden Gopā, “Āryā, how long has it been since you attained this bodhisattva liberation called the range of the view of all the ways of the ocean of the samādhis of the bodhisattvas?”

She answered, “Noble one, in the past, in times gone by, beyond as many kalpas as there are atoms in a hundred buddha realms, there was a world realm called Abhayaṃkarā. In that world there was a kalpa called Gatipravara. In the center of that world realm there was a four-continent world called Kṣemāvatī. In the center of the Jambudvīpa of that four-continent world there was the royal capital called Druma­meru­śrī, the principal city from among eighty-four thousand¹⁷⁶³ cities. In the royal capital Druma­meru­śrī and each of the eighty-four thousand towns, the ground was made of blue beryl. Walls made of the seven precious materials encircled them. And they were each encircled by seven moats that were filled with scented water and had bottoms covered in gold dust and surfaces covered with blue lotuses, red lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotuses that were the size of wagon wheels, shone with light rays of various colors, and had all-pervading lovely aromas. There were rows of seven promenades made of the seven precious materials and seven rows of palm trees. They were encircled by seven successive planted forests of trees made of the seven precious materials. Above there was a canopy of a net of gold.¹⁷⁶⁴ The ground was beautifully adorned by various jewels arranged in checkerboard patterns.¹⁷⁶⁵ Groups of siddhas wandered around. From flocks of noble birds came the beautiful sound of their melodious songs. The towns were beautified by a trillion parks. They had abundant good fortune, and they were filled with crowds of hundreds of thousands of joyful men and women. Pleasant, delightful breezes blew, and rains of many flowers continuously fell. A hundred thousand kings dwelled among them. When all the precious trees, adornments of gold, and so on in the great towns were moved by the wind, there came from them the many sounds of music, and harmonious¹⁷⁶⁶ voices arose saying these happy words: ‘Bathe! Drink! Eat! Practice the Dharma! Develop the aspiration for enlightenment! Attain the power of the level of irreversibility! Be happy!’

“In the royal city of Druma­meru­śrī there was the king of the realm whose name was Dhanapati. He had a harem of eighty-four thousand queens and five hundred ministers. King Dhanapati had five hundred sons, and they were all courageous and heroic, with perfect bodies, victorious over opponents, handsome, attractive, and with a magnificent, supreme, beautiful color.

“King Dhanapati’s principal queen was Padma­śrī­garbha­saṃbhavā, who was the foremost among the eighty-four thousand wives. Her son was Tejodhipati. He had an excellent body and was handsome and attractive. He was beautified by the thirty-two physical signs of a great being in the following way:

1. “The soles of Prince Tejodhipati’s feet were well placed. When he took steps on the great earth, he stepped evenly. When he raised a foot, it was raised evenly, and when he placed his foot down, the entire sole of the foot touched the great earth evenly.

2. “On the soles of his feet and the palms of his hands there was a thousand-spoked wheel, with hubs and rims, complete in all aspects, beautiful, and attractive.

3. “The upper part of both his feet¹⁷⁶⁷ was very prominent; the upper surface of his feet had a clear and very beautiful color, a color better and brighter than excellent flowers.

4. “His toes and fingers were connected by a web; they were very beautiful, distinct, and with no holes or suppurations, like those of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the king of geese.

5. His heels were wide; they were pure, bright, and shining with the lights of all jewels.

6. His toes and fingers were long; they were rounded, with evenly spaced joints and wide, and the toes came down evenly onto the ground and lifted off evenly from the ground.

7. The soles of his feet and the palms of his hands were more pleasant to the touch than down. Whether it was a man or a woman, a boy or a girl who touched them, they were delighted and were made content and happy by perfect bliss.

8. “His calves were like those of the female blackbuck, gradually tapering, very beautiful and well formed. Like the female blackbuck, monarch among deer, no one could run after him and catch him, and he never became tired and fatigued when running.

9. “The young prince Tejodhipati had the seven prominences. These seven were his two feet, which were prominent, rounded, excellent, wide, with joints not visible, beautiful, and attractive, and similarly his two hands, his two shoulders, and the nape of his neck.

10. “His penis was retracted into his body. As his penis was retracted into his body, it was not visible but completely hidden and obscured, like that of an elephant or a stallion. Therefore, it was unstained and could not be seen by a woman or a man, a boy or a girl, someone who was old, middle-aged, or young,¹⁷⁶⁸ or a guru or a guru’s disciple,¹⁷⁶⁹ unless he was using it or wished to show it or was having sexual intercourse.

11. “The young prince Tejodhipati’s torso was like that of a lion. His body gradually widened so that his torso was broad and perfect, more beautiful and excellently shaped than that of the king of the animals.

12. “He had wide shoulders. He had a very broad body, a perfectly proportional body, a perfectly symmetrical body, a body that was not too bulky, a body that was not too thin, a body that was not feeble,¹⁷⁷⁰ a body that was not stooped, and a body that shone brighter than a polished slab of jewels.

13. “He had large shoulders; his shoulders were muscular, and his arms¹⁷⁷¹ beautifully filled out.

14. “He had also attained the sign of a great being of his arms being very long. Even without bending, while standing up straight, his hands could touch and rub his kneecaps.

15. “He had also attained the sign of a great being of his body being tall and straight. It was perfect in all its aspects and was properly formed. His body was supple.¹⁷⁷² His body was very heavy. His body was very bright. His body was very pleasing to the eyes.

16. “He had also attained the sign of a great being’s conch-like throat. His neck was not short. All the channels of taste¹⁷⁷³ in the area of the throat and the area of the mouth were balanced and complete.

17. “He had also attained the sign of a great being’s lion-like cheeks and jaws. His jaws were very firm. His face was very wide, his face was excellent and pure, and his mouth was wide.

18. “He also possessed the sign of a great being’s forty even teeth. There were no missing teeth. When he ate food, with one chew there was no food that remained unmasticated, not even a single grain of rice.

19. “He had attained even, gapless rows of teeth; there were no gaps, and they remained perfectly even and constantly beautiful, whatever occurred. The food he ate would not discolor his teeth,¹⁷⁷⁴ stick to his teeth, adhere to his teeth, cause his teeth to rot, cause abscesses,¹⁷⁷⁵ or get stuck between his teeth.¹⁷⁷⁶

20. “He had also attained the great being’s sign of even teeth. His teeth were even and not irregular, there was no deficiency in teeth, no extra teeth, no taller teeth, no smaller teeth, and no compacted teeth; the teeth were equal in height and breadth, and there were no broken teeth.

21. “The youth’s eyeteeth were very white; his eyeteeth were without defects, his eyeteeth were bright, his eyeteeth were pure, and his eyeteeth were strong.

22. “He had also attained the great being’s sign of a wide tongue. His tongue was wide, fine, very smooth, flexible, beautiful, versatile, could cover his entire face, and spoke without impediment true and beneficial meanings, consonants, words, and definitions.

23. “The prince had the voice of Brahmā. He had a beautiful voice that spoke with an activity of speech that had all the beautiful sounds of drumming, songs, musical instruments, speech, and conversation, which brought joy and inspired the world. He had a voice that was superior even to Brahmā’s, yet it was not beyond and inaccessible to his circle of followers but harmonized with everyone’s minds.

24. “The prince had distinctly deep black¹⁷⁷⁷ eyes. He had clear eyes, pure eyes, bright eyes, serene¹⁷⁷⁸ eyes, beautiful eyes, delightful eyes, attractive eyes, and smiling eyes.

25. “The prince had eyelashes like a cow’s eyelashes. He had sensory faculties of the eyes that were like pure ruby jewels, sameness of the whites of the eyes, identical whites of the eyes, excellent whites of the eyes, wide whites of the eyes, complete whites of the eyes, and constant whites of the eyes.

26. “In between his eyebrows an ūrṇā hair had grown. It was soft and pliable, delicate, as pleasant to the touch as cotton wool, clear, bright, the color of snow, and like ice, and it had the shining light of a halo of white light rays.

27. “There was an uṣṇīṣa formed on the crown of his head. It was well formed, perfectly round, central, an adornment of the hair, resembling a precious lotus with a trillion petals, perfectly symmetrical, and cherished as a priceless crest adornment.

28. “The prince had very smooth skin. His body was free of dust, stains, sweat, cracks, wrinkles, flabbiness, shriveling, sagging, and looseness.¹⁷⁷⁹

29. “The prince was golden in color; he was the color of Jambu River gold, had a halo a fathom wide, and was beautifully adorned by a halo of light that shone like gold.

30. “That youth had arising from each pore a darkness-dispelling brightness of aromatic light rays that arose from all his pores and adorned his body. From each pore grew perfectly a body hair that was the color of blue beryl and curled to the right, peacefully present on the body, perfectly arranged, perfectly present, perfectly established. The youth’s body hairs curled upward; his body hairs did not turn downward, his body hairs were irreversible, and his body hairs were unmixed.

31. “The youth had attained the great being’s sign of having hair the color of blue sapphire:¹⁷⁸⁰ his hair was deep blue like the color of a shining blue¹⁷⁸¹ precious jewel. It was soft, shiny, perfectly curving, curling to the right, and with good roots; it did not stand up, never tangled, was never in disarray, and always remained with the same even appearance.

32. “The young prince had attained the great being’s sign of being like the overspreading width of a banyan tree. He was perfectly upright, completely good, and utterly beautiful. He was a lovely sight, and one could never have enough of gazing upon him. Whether from the back, the left, or the right; whether he was walking, sitting, standing, or lying down; whether he was talking or silent, he was a lovely sight, and one could never have enough of gazing upon him.

“Noble one, Prince Tejodhipati had a body completely adorned by these thirty-two signs of a great being.

“Noble one, he was a sight that was comforting to all beings, he was a sight that fulfilled all intentions, and he was a sight that brought delight to all beings. This was how he had been born.

“Noble one, at one time,¹⁷⁸² Prince Tejodhipati, having obtained permission from his father, was going, accompanied by twenty thousand maidens, to the park of the royal capital of Druma­meru­śrī, which was called Gandhāṅkura­prabha­megha, in order to see that good place. He delighted a crowd of men and women with the display of the miraculous manifestations from the splendor of his merit and his glorious good fortune.

“He mounted a chariot made of Jambu River gold. It had four great wheels of precious diamonds. It had an axle that was a powerful vajra. Its excellent shafts were made from the best sandalwood. It had well-arranged poles made of a variety of perfumed kings of jewels. It was decorated by a variety of flowers made from all jewels. It was covered by nets of strings of all jewels. In its center was a precious lion throne on which was a display of a network¹⁷⁸³ of sublime jewels. Five hundred maidens held its tasseled cords. Yoked to the carriage were a thousand thoroughbred stallions that could run as fast as the wind moves freely through the air. It had a succession of beautiful great parasols.¹⁷⁸⁴ It had an awning made from white beryl kings of jewels. It shone with pure immeasurable light. It was beautified by the adornment of the entire variety of inconceivable, wonderful jewels. It was adorned with every kind of beauty. It had a great precious parasol¹⁷⁸⁵ that was held aloft by a pole of blue beryls, the kings of jewels. It was encircled by many hundreds of thousands of beings. The beautiful, melodious sound of music arose from hundreds of thousands of musical instruments. A great rain of flowers fell. A divine, beautiful aroma spread from a quintillion censers. That was the way he went to the park.

“As he proceeded, at that time, the road became eight vehicles wide, without any unevenness, and without pebbles or gravel. The ground was made from the elements of gold, silver, and the various kinds of jewels. It was bestrewn with gold dust. It was covered with the scattered petals of flowers made of every kind of jewel. On both sides were rows of jewel trees on bases made of all kinds of jewels. Above there was a network of strings of precious bells and jingle bells. It was covered by a variety of precious canopies. It was perfectly adorned by a beautiful display of countless hundreds of thousands of erected precious banners, flags, and hanging streamers.

“On both sides, it was adorned by an arrangement of rows of precious platforms.

“On some platforms, a variety of precious bowls filled with a variety of jewels had been arranged for the crowds of petitioners.

“On some platforms, all kinds of precious adornments had been placed for those who requested adornments.

“On some platforms, wish-fulfilling jewels had been set out in order to fulfill the wishes of all beings.

“On some platforms, many vessels containing food and drink with flavors of various kinds had been set out so as to provide whatever was desired.

“On some platforms, divine food with the most perfect flavors, colors, aromas, tastes, and pleasant textures had been provided.

“On some platforms, divine fruits of every kind with a variety of flavors had been heaped up.

“On some platforms were set out trillions of divine, precious clothes for those who desired clothes to enjoy in accordance with their wishes. They were not woven on a loom, had various kinds of beauty and all kinds of excellent colors, were adorned with various designs, and were very noble, worthy, fine, and perfectly smooth.

“On some platforms were arranged all kinds of divine aromatic substances, with various colors and aromas, for those who wished to perfume themselves to enjoy in accordance with their wishes.

“On some platforms, heaps of various artifacts had been arranged for beings to enjoy in accordance with their wishes.

“On some platforms were arranged beautiful, charming, attractive women with a variety of pleasing appearances, their bodies beautified by being dressed in a variety of beautiful clothes, beautifully adorned by every kind of jewelry, perfumed by a variety of scents, and skilled in the female crafts and arts.

“At that time, in the royal capital Druma­meru­śrī, there was the preeminent courtesan¹⁷⁸⁶ called Sudarśanā, who was worthy to be enjoyed by the king. She had a daughter named Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī, who was beautiful, with a lovely body, attractive, not too tall and not too short, not too plump and not too thin, not too white and not too dark, and with deep black hair, deep black eyes, a beautiful face, and a voice like Brahmā’s; who spoke gently and pleasantly, was wise, and was skilled in all the arts; and who knew all treatises, was diligent, was not lazy, was respectful, was gracious, had a kind mind, was not aggressive, was so attractive that one never tired of gazing upon her, had little desire, anger, or ignorance, had a sense of decorum and modesty, was honest and gentle, and had no deceit or trickery.

“She mounted a precious carriage with her mother and accompanied by many girls, and they came out from Druma­meru­śrī. At the king’s command, they sought out the young prince Tejodhipati so as to sing before him.

“When Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī saw Prince Tejodhipati, her mind was shaken by overwhelming desire. The beauty of Prince Tejodhipati was so great she helplessly followed him.

“She said to her mother Sudarśanā, ‘Mother, know this: I will die if I am not given to this Prince Tejodhipati! The suffering will bring me to death!’

Sudarśanā replied, ‘My daughter, don’t have such an aspiration! This youth has the signs of a cakravartin. When his father Dhanapati is no longer with us, he will rule a cakravartin’s kingdom. When he has become a cakravartin, he will have a precious queen who will come flying through the air. My daughter, we are courtesans who bring pleasure to the entire world. We do not and cannot remain throughout our lifetime serving only one being. King Dhanapati commanded us to come before the young prince Tejodhipati only to show our respect! That kind of status would be too difficult to attain.’

“At that time, in that world there appeared a tathāgata, an arhat, a samyak­saṃbuddha, one with wisdom and conduct,¹⁷⁸⁷ a sugata, one who knows the world’s beings, an unsurpassable guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat, who was named Sūrya­gātra­pravara.

“His bodhimaṇḍa, called Dharma­meghodgata­prabhā, was near to the Gandhāṅkura­prabha­megha Park. It had been seven days since the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara had attained complete buddhahood there. The girl, while in her carriage, nodded off to sleep and saw him in a dream. When she woke up, a goddess, who in past times had been a relative, declared to her, ‘Girl, the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara is present in the Dharma­meghodgata­prabhā bodhimaṇḍa, after his first seven days since attaining complete buddhahood. He is encircled by an assembly of bodhisattvas, and before him are gathered assemblies of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Brahmakāyika deities, Ābhāsvara deities, and Akaniṣṭha deities. Also gathered there to gaze upon the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara are all goddesses of the earth, goddesses of water, goddesses of fire, goddesses of the air, goddesses of the oceans, goddesses of the rivers, goddesses of the mountains, goddesses of the night, goddesses of the dawn, goddesses of the forests, goddesses of the trees, goddesses of herbs, goddesses of harvests, goddesses of towns, goddesses of footpaths, goddesses of the bodhimaṇḍas, goddesses of the body’s light rays, goddesses of classes of beings, goddesses of the sky, and goddesses from all directions.’

“When Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī had seen the Tathāgata and heard of the qualities of the Tathāgata, she attained a state of serenity. When the opportunity came, she recited these verses before Prince Tejodhipati:

“Then Prince Tejodhipati asked Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī, ‘Girl, who are you? Who is your guardian? I cannot take as my own a woman who belongs to another.’ Then at that time he recited these verses:

“Then Sudarśanā, the preeminent courtesan, who was the mother of the girl Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī, said to the young prince Tejodhipati, ‘Prince, this daughter of mine had a miraculous birth; she was born from inside a lotus. She has not until now been outside of her home.’ Then at that time she recited these verses:

“Then Prince Tejodhipati came to Gandhāṅkura­prabha­megha, and, in the presence of Sudarśanā, the preeminent courtesan, who was the mother of Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī, he said to Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī, ‘Girl, I have undertaken to attain the highest, complete enlightenment. Therefore, I have to gather an immeasurable accumulation of omniscience. Throughout kalpas with no end or middle I must practice bodhisattva conduct and complete all the perfections. I must make offerings to the tathāgatas until the very last of future kalpas. I will obtain the teachings of all the buddhas. I will purify all buddha realms. I will not be separated from the families of all tathāgatas. I will ripen all the families¹⁸⁰⁶ of beings. I will dispel the suffering of saṃsāra for all beings. I will bring beings to a bliss that is beyond all limits. I will purify the eyes of wisdom of all beings. I will be dedicated to the accomplishments of all bodhisattvas. I will rest in the equanimity of all bodhisattvas. I will accomplish the bhūmis of all bodhisattvas. I will purify the realms of all beings. I will give away all my wealth so as to eliminate the poverty of all beings.

“ ‘While I am practicing the perfection of generosity until the last future kalpa, I will satisfy beings with the gift of food and drink, and through the gift of all kinds of artifacts I must bring satisfaction to all assemblies of supplicants.

“ ‘While I am in that way practicing the dedication to giving away everything, there will be nothing internal or external that I will not give away. Therefore, I will have to give away even my sons, daughters, and wives. I will have to give away my eyes, head, legs, arms, and the greater and smaller parts of my body.

“ ‘At that time, you would become an obstacle to my generosity of giving to others. You would become unhappy when I give away our beautiful sons. You would experience much physical and mental suffering. When I give away everything, you would become miserly. When I cut off the greater and smaller parts of my body and give them to supplicants, you would become unhappy. There will also come a time when I would abandon you and enter homelessness within the teaching of a tathāgata. At that time you would become unhappy.’

“Then, at that time, Prince Tejodhipati recited these verses to the girl Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī:

“Then the girl Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī said to Prince Tejodhipati, ‘Prince, may it be just as you have said, and I will do whatever you want. I will enjoy whatever you wish. Wherever you wish to go, I will follow you everywhere.¹⁸⁰⁸ I will always be in your presence, I will be dedicated to your goals, I will act in harmony with you, and I will practice sincerely; my conduct will be engaged in practicing that which accords with you.’

“Then the girl Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī recited these verses to Prince Tejodhipati:

“Then Prince Tejodhipati, on hearing the name of the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara, developed a powerful great aspiration and joy on having gained the opportunity to see that buddha. He scattered five hundred jewels on the girl Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī, gave her his crest jewel called glorious shining light,¹⁸¹⁷ and covered her with precious clothing the color of fire and adorned her with excellent precious jewels.

“Though she was honored in that way, she did not delight or rejoice in it or become overjoyed, but with her hands together in homage remained gazing with her eyes fixed upon the face of Prince Tejodhipati.

“Then Sudarśanā, the preeminent courtesan, recited these verses to Prince Tejodhipati:

“Then Prince Tejodhipati, accompanied by the girl Sucalita­rati­prabhāsa­śrī and her entourage, and by his entourage of twenty thousand maidens, left Gandhāṅkura­śikhara­prabha­meghā Park and went to the Dharmodgata­prabhāsa bodhimaṇḍa, where the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara, was, in order to gaze upon the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara, bow down to him, make offerings to him, and honor him.

“They rode as far as the gateway and then proceeded on foot to come into the presence of the Bhagavat, the Tathāgata Sūrya­gātra­pravara.

“Prince Tejodhipati saw from afar that the Tathāgata Arhat Samyak­saṃbuddha Sūrya­gātra­pravara was attractive, handsome, with pacified senses, with a pacified mind, with restrained senses, as tamed as an elephant, and as clear, undefiled, and serene¹⁸²² as a lake.