The Stem Array · Gaṇḍavyūha

“Why is that? Noble one, the aspiration to enlightenment is like the seed of all the Dharma of the buddhas. It is like a field because it increases the good qualities of all beings. It is like the earth because it supports all worlds. It is like water because it cleans away the stains of the kleśas. It is like air because all worlds lack solidity. It is like fire because it burns all the grass of grasping views. It is like the sun because it illuminates all the abodes of beings. It is like the moon because it enlarges the disk of white qualities. It is like a lamp because it brings the light of the Dharma. It is like eyes because it enables one to see those who have no equal. It is like a path because it leads to the city of omniscience. It is like a fording place because it shuns teachers who are bad fords. It is like a carriage because all bodhisattvas are situated in it. It is like a door because it enables entry through the gateway to all bodhisattva conduct. It is like a divine palace because it enables one to dwell in the mansion of samādhi. It is like a park because it enables one to experience the joy of the Dharma. It is like a shelter because it protects all beings. It is like a support because it brings benefit to all worlds. It is like a foundation because it enables the practice of all bodhisattva conduct. It is like a father because it protects all bodhisattvas. It is like a mother of all great bodhisattvas.²⁰⁵⁰ It is like a nanny because it looks after others thoroughly. It is like a king because it outshines the minds of all training and trained śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas. It is like a lord because it is superior to all other prayers. It is like a great ocean because it gathers into itself all good qualities. It is like great Meru²⁰⁵¹ because it has the same motivation toward all beings. It is like the Cakravāla mountain range because it supports the whole world. It is like the Himalayas because it multiplies the herbs of wisdom. It is like Gandhamādana Mountain because from it comes all the aroma of good qualities. It is like the sky because of the vast expanse of good qualities. It is like a lotus because it is unstained by all worldly concerns. It is like an elephant because the mind is disciplined and tamed. It is like a thoroughbred stallion because it is free of all wildness. It is like a charioteer because it is the vanguard that protects the Mahāyāna. It is like a physician because it cures the illness of the kleśas. It is like the Pātāla worlds because it causes all bad qualities to vanish. It is like a vajra because it penetrates definitively into all Dharmas. It is like a censer because it creates the lovely aroma of good qualities. It is like an excellent flower because all the world delights to see it. It is like Himalayan sandalwood because it cools the fever of the kleśas.²⁰⁵² It is like black agarwood because it pervades the realm of phenomena. It is like the beautiful king of medicines because it defeats all the illnesses of the kleśas. It is like a medicine for extraction, because it perfectly removes all the splinters that are predispositions. It is like Indra because it is sovereign over all the faculties. It is like Vaiśravaṇa because it dispels all poverty. It is like splendor because it adorns with all good qualities. It is like jewelry because it beautifies all bodhisattvas. It is like the inferno at the kalpa’s end because it burns away all evil. It is like the great king of medicine that has no root, because it increases all the buddha qualities. It is like a nāga’s jewel because it eliminates all the poisons of the kleśas. It is like the water-purifying jewel because it dispels all pollution. It is like the king of wish-fulfilling jewels because it accomplishes all goals. It is like the miraculous vase because it fulfills all wishes. It is like a wish-fulfilling tree because it sends down a rain of the jewelry of all good qualities. It is like goose-quality²⁰⁵³ clothing because it is unblended with any of the faults of saṃsāra. It is like cotton cloth because it is naturally bright. It is like a plow because it purifies²⁰⁵⁴ the field of the aspirations of beings. It is like an arrow because it pierces the armor of the view of the reality of destructible aggregations. It is like a spear because it vanquishes the enemy that is the kleśas. It is like armor because it protects from incorrect mental activity. It is like a sword because it decapitates the kleśas. It is like a sword’s blade because it cuts through the armor of pride, conceit, and arrogance. It is like an arrowhead because it pierces the armor of predispositions. It is like a military standard because it overthrows the banner of pride. It is like a cutting tool because it brings down the tree of ignorance. It is like an axe because it cuts down the tree of suffering. It is like a weapon because it protects from all harm. It is like hands because it guards the body of the perfections. It is like feet because it is situated in all qualities.²⁰⁵⁵ It is like an eye physician because it removes the cataracts of ignorance. It is like tweezers because it removes the splinters of the view of the destructible aggregation as real. It is like a sickle because it clears away the thorns of predispositions. It is like a friend because it frees you from the bondage of saṃsāra. It is like a jewel because it dispels all harm. It is like a text because it enables you to know the path of the arising of bodhisattva conduct. It is like a treasure because of its inexhaustible merit. It is like a spring because of its unceasing wisdom. It is like the surface of a mirror because it reveals the image of the face of all the Dharma. It is like a white lotus because it is unstained. It is like a great river because in it there is the unceasing flow of the perfections and the methods of gathering pupils. It is like a great king of the nāgas because it causes rain to fall from the clouds of the Dharma. It is like the power of life because it possesses the great compassion of all bodhisattvas. It is like amrita because it enables one to go to the realm of deathlessness. It is like an all-encompassing net of snares²⁰⁵⁶ because it seizes and draws in all beings who are to be guided. It is like a fishhook because it pulls out those wandering in the river of saṃsāra.²⁰⁵⁷ It is like a small casket of perfume because it possesses the lovely aroma of all good qualities. It is like healing medicine²⁰⁵⁸ because it brings perfect health. It is like an antidote to poison because it eliminates the poison of delight in desires. It is like a mantra and dhāraṇī because it purifies all the poisons of error. It is like the circle of the wind because it scatters all the grasses of obscurations and obstacles. It is like an island of jewels because it is the source of all the precious Dharma of the aspects of enlightenment. It is like a family because it is the origin of all good qualities. It is like a source because it is the gateway to the birth of all the phenomena of good qualities. It is like a market because it is the conduct of all the bodhisattva merchants. It is like the element of water because it washes away all the stains of karma, kleśas, and obscurations. It is like a honeycomb because it completes the accumulation of omniscience. It is like a road because it enables all bodhisattvas to reach the palace of omniscience. It is like a vessel because it holds all good qualities. It is like rain because it clears away all the floating dust of the kleśas. It is like a dwelling because it reveals the state in which all bodhisattvas are established. It is like a magnet because it does not become attached to the liberation of the śrāvakas. It is like beryl because it is naturally stainless. It is like sapphire because it overshadows and outshines the knowledge of all śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas and all worldly knowledge. It is like the dawn²⁰⁵⁹ drum because it wakes beings from the sleep of the kleśas. It is like clear water because it is not polluted. It is like jewelry made of Jambu River gold, because it overshadows²⁰⁶⁰ all accumulations of roots of merit through composite activity.²⁰⁶¹ It is like the great king of mountains because it is higher than the three worlds. It is like a refuge because it does not turn away those seeking refuge. It is like meaning because it overcomes what is meaningless. It is like wealth²⁰⁶² because it gladdens the heart. It is like charitable offerings because it brings satisfaction to all beings. It is like a senior person²⁰⁶³ because it is chief and principal in the minds of all beings. It is like a treasure²⁰⁶⁴ because it holds all the Dharma of the buddhas. It is like a confluence because all bodhisattva prayer and conduct gather in it. It is like a herder because it protects all worlds. It is like a guard because it repels all evil. It is like Indra’s net of illusions because it draws in the asuras of the kleśas. It is like Varuṇa’s²⁰⁶⁵ noose because it draws in those to be guided. It is like Indra’s fire because it incinerates²⁰⁶⁶ all propensities, predispositions, and kleśas. It is like a caitya for the world and its humans, devas, and asuras.

“Noble one, the aspiration to enlightenment has these qualities and countless other special qualities.

“Noble one, in brief, see that however many Dharmas of the buddhas and however many qualities of the buddhas there are, they are all qualities of the aspiration to enlightenment and all perfectly present within it.

“Why is that? It is because the field of activity of all bodhisattvas arises from it. Even all the buddhas of the past, present, and future arise from it.

“Therefore, noble one, this aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment, through being held with the motivation for omniscience and a higher motivation, has a perfection of limitless qualities.

“Noble one, it is like this: Just as the five fears will not occur if you possess the potion called fearlessness, which means you will not be burned by fire, will not be harmed by fire, will not be cut by weapons, will not be swept away by water, and will not suffocate in smoke, in the same way, the bodhisattva who possesses the potion of the motivation toward omniscience will not be burned by the fire of desire, will not be harmed by the poison of sensory perceptions, will not be cut by the weapons of the kleśas, will not be swept away by the river of existence, and will not be suffocated by the smoke of conceptualization.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the potion called never lost²⁰⁶⁷ there is never any fear of harm from others, in the same way, no fear of harm from saṃsāra will arise in the bodhisattva who possesses the potion that is the wisdom of the aspiration to enlightenment.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the potion called maghī²⁰⁶⁸ the mere smell of it causes snakes to flee, in the same way, the mere smell of the qualities of the bodhisattva who possesses the potion of the aspiration to enlightenment causes all the snakes of the kleśas to flee.

“Noble one, just as someone who possesses the potion called invincible²⁰⁶⁹ cannot be defeated by an entire field of enemies, in the same way, the bodhisattva who possesses the potion of an invincible aspiration to omniscience cannot be defeated by an entire field of māras and adversaries.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the potion called elimination²⁰⁷⁰ all splinters will be removed, in the same way, the bodhisattva who possesses the extracting potion of the aspiration to enlightenment removes all the splinters of desire, anger, and ignorance.²⁰⁷¹

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the great king of potions called beauty²⁰⁷² all illnesses are dispelled, in the same way, for the bodhisattva who possesses the great king of potions, the beauty of the aspiration to enlightenment, all the illnesses of the kleśas and ignorance will be dispelled.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the great tree potion called connection²⁰⁷³ all wounds are healed the instant they are touched by the bark, and wherever bark is peeled from it the bark regrows, in the same way, when the tree of connection to omniscience, which grows from the seed of the aspiration to enlightenment, is seen by noble ones with faith, their wounds of karma and kleśas will be instantly healed.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the kind of great potion called without a root²⁰⁷⁴ all the branches of the trees in Jambudvīpa increase through its power, in the same way, through the power of the great potion without a root, which is the aspiration to enlightenment, the Dharma trees of all the training and trained śrāvakas, the pratyeka­buddhas, and the bodhisattvas will increase.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the potion called attainment of joy²⁰⁷⁵ the body and mind of whoever wears it will become healthy, in the same way the attainment of joy potion of the aspiration to omniscience creates a healthy body and mind for all bodhisattvas.

“Noble one, just as possessing the potion called attainment of memory²⁰⁷⁶ purifies the mind’s memory, in the same way, the attainment of memory potion of the aspiration to omniscience purifies for bodhisattvas the unobscured memory of all the Dharma of the buddhas.

“Noble one, just as when someone possesses the potion called great lotus²⁰⁷⁷ their lifespan is extended to a kalpa by consuming it, in the same way, the bodhisattva who consumes the great lotus potion of the aspiration to enlightenment attains the perfection of power over lifetimes of countless kalpas.

“Noble one, just as someone who possesses the potion called invisibility²⁰⁷⁸ cannot be seen by humans or nonhumans while carrying it, in the same way, the bodhisattva whose activity possesses and blends with the invisibility potion of the aspiration to enlightenment is invisible in the scope of perception of the māras.

“Noble one, if the accumulation of all jewels,²⁰⁷⁹ which is the name of the great king of precious jewels within the great ocean, does not leave for another world realm, then even all the incinerating fires at the end of a kalpa will be unable to dry up the great ocean, even to the depth of a palm tree. In the same way, for the bodhisattvas who have within their thoughts and the continuum of their minds that great king of precious jewels, the accumulation of all jewels, there will be no situation and no time when even one of all their roots of merit that have been dedicated to omniscience will be lost. It would be impossible, as all the roots of merit dedicated to the development of the aspiration to omniscience will never dry up.

“Noble one, there is the great precious jewel called the gathering of all light.²⁰⁸⁰ If that is worn at the throat, it will outshine all other precious jewelry. In the same way, if the gathering of all light great precious jewel of the aspiration to enlightenment is worn by a bodhisattva as an adorning aspiration, it will outshine all the precious jewelry that is the development of the aspirations to become a śrāvaka or a pratyeka­buddha.

“Noble one, there is the great precious jewel called pure water.²⁰⁸¹ If it is placed in water, it becomes clear of all mud and pollution. In the same way, the great precious pure water jewel of the aspiration to enlightenment clears away the mud and pollution of the kleśas.

“Noble one, there is the great precious jewel called being with water.²⁰⁸² A fisherman who wears it will not drown in the water. In the same way, the bodhisattva who wears the great precious being with water jewel of the aspiration to omniscience will not drown in all the oceans of saṃsāra.

“Noble one, there is the great precious jewel called nāga jewel armor.²⁰⁸³ If fishermen and all those who make their living from the water hold it in their hands, they will not be attacked by snakes even if they enter all abodes of the nāgas. In the same way, the bodhisattva who wears the great precious nāga jewel armor of the aspiration to omniscience, even if entering all the abodes of the realm of desire, will not be impaired.

“Noble one, Śakra, the king of the devas, who wears the great precious jewel called attached to Śakra,²⁰⁸⁴ outshines the host of devas. In the same way, the bodhisattva who wears as a crown of prayer the great precious attached to Śakra jewel of the aspiration to omniscience outshines all the three realms.

“Noble one, a human who wears the great precious jewel called the king of wish fulfillment²⁰⁸⁵ has no fear of poverty. In the same way, the bodhisattva who wears the great precious king of wish fulfillment jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience has no fear concerning necessities and livelihood.

“Noble one, if one faces the great precious jewel called beautified by the sun²⁰⁸⁶ toward the sun, fire will arise. In the same way, if the light rays of wisdom strike the great precious beautified by the sun jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, it will emit the fire of wisdom.

“Noble one, if moonlight strikes the great precious jewel called beautified by the moon,²⁰⁸⁷ it will emit a flow of water. In the same way, if the light rays of the dedication of roots of merit strike the great precious beautified by the moon jewel of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment, it will emit a flow of the water of the prayers of all roots of merit.

“Noble one, the great nāga kings who wear the great precious jewel called the king of wish fulfillment²⁰⁸⁸ as a crest adornment have no fear of harm from others. In the same way, the bodhisattvas who wear the great precious king of wish fulfillment jewel of the great compassion of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment have no fear of harm from lower existences, the bad existences.

“Noble one, the great precious jewel called the excellent²⁰⁸⁹ array of beings²⁰⁹⁰ fulfills the wishes of all beings without ever ceasing to do so. In the same way, the great precious excellent array of beings jewel of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment fulfills the wishes of all beings and the prayers of bodhisattvas without ever ceasing to do so.

“Noble one, the great precious jewel of a cakravartin dispels all darkness wherever it is present, illuminating even those dwelling in the middle of the harem quarters.²⁰⁹¹ In the same way, the great, precious cakravartin jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience dispels all darkness of ignorance within all the classes of beings, spreading the great light of wisdom even to those dwelling in the desire realm.

“Noble one, whatever is struck by the light of the great precious sapphire jewel is transformed into the color of the great precious sapphire jewel. In the same way, in whatever Dharma the great precious sapphire jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience is practiced, whatever it is directed toward, and whatever root of merit is dedicated by the development of the aspiration to omniscience, they all become transformed into the color of the great precious sapphire jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience.

“Noble one, even though the precious beryl jewel remains for a hundred thousand years among impurities, it will not become associated with their unpleasant smell. Its bright nature remains in that way clear and unstained.²⁰⁹² In the same way, even though the precious beryl jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience remains for a hundred thousand years within all desire realms, it will not become afflicted by any of the faults of the desire realm. The bright nature of the realm of the Dharma will remain pure in that way.²⁰⁹³

“Noble one, the great precious jewel called stainless pure light²⁰⁹⁴ outshines all sources of jewels. In the same way, the great precious stainless pure light jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience outshines the source of the jewels of the qualities of ordinary beings, of training and trained śrāvakas, and of pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, a single great precious jewel called the arising of fire²⁰⁹⁵ can dispel all darkness. In the same way, a single great precious arising of fire jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience that is endowed with vipaśyanā will, through its correct mentation, dispel all the darkness of ignorance.

“Noble one, when a priceless precious jewel taken from the great ocean by a ship comes into the hands of a merchant and he goes into the city, it outshines even a hundred thousand pieces of glass jewelry. In the same way, although the priceless great precious jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience is within the great ocean of saṃsāra, it is brought onto the ship of prayer. Bodhisattvas who have the higher aspiration from having developed for the first time the aspiration for enlightenment, even though they have not reached the city of omniscience, when they enter the city of liberation, they outshine all the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas, who are like jewelry made of glass.

“Noble one, there is the great precious jewel called the king of power.²⁰⁹⁶ Even though it is located in Jambudvīpa, it manifests the reflections of the divine palaces that are the disks of the sun and moon, which are forty thousand yojanas distant. In the same way, the great precious king of power jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, even while in saṃsāra, manifests the reflections of the sun and moon of the great wisdom of the tathāgatas who move through their range of activity, which is the sky that is the realm of phenomena, and the reflections of all the fields of perception of the buddhas.

“Noble one, for as long²⁰⁹⁷ as the disks of the sun and moon shine, for that long, all the wealth, grain, jewels, gold, silver, flowers, perfumes, garlands, clothes, and possessions there can be cannot all together reach the value of the great precious jewel called the king of power. In the same way, for as long as the wisdom of omniscience illuminates the realm of phenomena in the three times, for that long all the roots of merit, whether defiled or undefiled, of all devas, humans, śrāvakas, and pratyeka­buddhas cannot all together reach the value of the great, precious king of power jewel of the aspiration to enlightenment.

“Noble one, there is the great precious jewel called the excellence²⁰⁹⁸ of the ocean’s display,²⁰⁹⁹ which reveals the entire display of the ocean. In the same way, the great precious excellence of the ocean’s display jewel of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment reveals all the displays of the ocean of the scope of omniscient wisdom.

“Noble one, except for the great precious jewel called the king of wish-fulfillment,²¹⁰⁰ there is nothing that is superior to divine Jambu River gold. In the same way, except for the great precious king of wish-fulfillment jewel of omniscient wisdom, there is nothing that is superior to the divine Jambu River gold of the aspiration to enlightenment.

“Noble one, a snake tamer who has the accomplishment of the hosts of nāgas has power over nāgas and snakes. In the same way, the snake-tamer bodhisattva who has the accomplishment of the hosts of nāgas, which is the practice of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, has power over all the nāgas and snakes of the kleśas.

“Noble one, a hero with weapons is difficult for the host of enemies to harm. In the same way, all bodhisattvas who have the weapons of the development of the aspiration to omniscience cannot be harmed by all the hosts of enemies who are the kleśas.

“Noble one, one dharaṇa of divine uragasāra sandalwood powder will fill a thousand worlds with a lovely aroma, so that even jewels that could fill a billion-world universe would not reach the value of one karṣa of divine uragasāra sandalwood powder. In the same way, a single instance of the superior aspiration that is the divine uragasāra sandalwood of the development of the aspiration to omniscience will pervade the entire realm of phenomena with the lovely aroma of good qualities, and therefore it outshines the aspirations of all training śrāvakas and accomplished śrāvakas and of pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, precious Himalayan sandalwood will pacify all torment and cool the entire body. In the same way, the precious Himalayan sandalwood of the development of the aspiration to omniscience will dispel all the torment from the conceptualization, desire, anger, and ignorance of the kleśas and will refresh the body of wisdom.

“Noble one, all who approach Sumeru, the king of mountains, become the same color as its golden color. In the same way, whoever approaches the development of the aspiration to omniscience will become the same color as the color of omniscience.

“Noble one, the kind of lovely aroma that comes from the bark of the divine coral tree and orchid tree is not found among the gardenia, royal jasmine, jasmine, and the other flowers of Jambudvīpa. In the same way, there is the bodhisattva aroma that comes from the qualities and wisdom that are the bark of the tree of prayer grown from the seed that is the development of the aspiration to omniscience. This is not found among all those who have lesser roots of merit, among the śrāvakas and the pratyeka­buddhas who are the gardenia, royal jasmine, and jasmine flowers, and who have immaculate correct conduct, samādhis, wisdoms, liberations, and the sight of the wisdom of liberation.

“Noble one, know that when a divine coral tree and orchid tree blossom, they become the source of many thousands of flowers. In the same way, when the divine orchid tree of the development of the aspiration to omniscience has the blossoms of the roots of merit, know that it becomes the source of both the stained and immaculate flowers of enlightenment of countless devas and humans.

“Noble one, the kind of lovely aroma that arises in one day from cloth or oil perfumed by the flower of a divine orchid tree does not come in a hundred thousand days from cloth or oil perfumed by magnolia or jasmine flowers. In the same way, the lovely aroma of the qualities and wisdom of the bodhisattva who has meditated in one lifetime on the continuum of the aspiration to omniscience spreads into the presence of all the buddhas in the ten directions. That kind of lovely aroma does not arise from the immaculate roots of merit and knowledge of the Dharma in the minds of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas who have meditated for a hundred thousand kalpas.

“Noble one, there is the species of tree called the coconut, which originates in the Udyataka Sea. From its roots to its flowers and fruit²¹⁰¹ it has always, at all times, nourished beings. In the same way, the bodhisattva, who has arisen from great compassion and prayer as the roots, since the first development of the aspiration to omniscience until the conclusion of dwelling in the Dharma always, at all times, nourishes the world with its devas.

“Noble one, there is the kind of mercury called golden light,²¹⁰² one pala of which can transform a thousand palas of iron into gold, but those thousand palas of iron do not eliminate that pala of mercury or transform it into iron. In the same way, one element of the mercury²¹⁰³ of the development of the aspiration to omniscience in the grasp of the wisdom of the dedication of roots of merit will eliminate all the iron of the obscurations of karma and kleśas and create the color of the omniscient wisdom of all phenomena, but all the iron of the obscurations of karma and kleśas cannot eliminate that single element of the mercury²¹⁰⁴ of the development of the aspiration to omniscience or transform it into kleśas.

“Noble one, however small a fire one has, just by encountering the right conditions it will give rise to flames. In the same way, however small the fire of the development of the aspiration to omniscience one has, just by its encountering the right conditions of the accumulations with a vast focus, the light of wisdom will spread and thereby increase.

“Noble one, one lamp can light a hundred thousand lamps, and there is no end and no limit to the lamps it can light. In the same way, one lamp of the development of the aspiration to omniscience can light the many lamps of the development of the aspiration to omniscience of all the past, present, and future tathāgatas, but there is no end and no limit to the lamps of the development of the aspiration to omniscience that can come from that single lamp flame of the development of the aspiration to omniscience.

“Noble one, when one lamp is placed inside a house or at a window, it instantly illuminates, dispelling darkness that has accumulated there even for a thousand years. In the same way, the lamp²¹⁰⁵ of a single development of aspiration to omniscience, as soon as it enters the darkness of ignorance in the dark home of the thoughts of a being, brings the light of wisdom and dispels all the darkness and obscuration of karma and kleśas that have accumulated throughout countless hundreds of thousands of kalpas.

“Noble one, as long as a lamp has a wick,²¹⁰⁶ the lamp will illuminate, and for as long as there is an accumulation of oil, for that long it will burn. In the same way, as long as the lamp of the development of the aspiration to omniscience has the special wick of bodhisattva prayer, it will illuminate the realm of phenomena. For as long as there is the accumulation of the oil of the conduct of great compassion, for that long it will burn by guiding beings, purifying realms, and accomplishing the body²¹⁰⁷ of a buddha. [B20]

“Noble one, the adornment made of divine Jambu River gold that is worn on the head of Vaśavartin, the king of devas, cannot be surpassed by any of the devas within the desire realm. In the same way, the irreversible bodhisattvas have the adornment made of divine Jambu River gold that is the development of the aspiration to omniscience, which is being established in practice and good qualities and is the great prayer that is worn upon their heads. It cannot be surpassed by any of the various kinds of foolish beings, by the training śrāvakas and accomplished śrāvakas, or by pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, the roar of the lion, the king of beasts, gladdens the newly born lion cubs and drives away other animals.²¹⁰⁸ In the same way, from the tathāgata individual who is a great lion comes the roar that describes the development of the aspiration to enlightenment so that the lion cubs, who are the beginner bodhisattvas, are gladdened by the Dharma²¹⁰⁹ of the Buddha, and all beings who are dependent on the objects of sensory perception are driven away.

“Noble one, the sound from the lute strings made from the gut of a lion causes other lute strings to snap. In the same way, the sound that describes good qualities that come from the strings made from the gut of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment of the lion that is the Buddha with a body of the perfections causes all the lute strings of delight in desires to snap.²¹¹⁰ It also brings to a stop all the talk of the conduct and qualities of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, if one drop of the milk of a lion is dropped into an ocean of the milk of cows, buffalo, and goats, all those milks will separate from it and not absorb it. In the same way, if one drop of the milk of the development of the aspiration to omniscience from a lion who is an individual who is a tathāgata is dropped into an ocean of the milk of the kleśas²¹¹¹ that has accumulated throughout hundreds of thousands of kalpas, they will all cease, and, also, the liberations of the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas will not remain and will not conjoin with it.

“Noble one, the avadavat chick has an especially powerful song even while still inside the egg, while none of the flocks of birds that live in the Himalayas have such strength and power in their song. In the same way, the beginner bodhisattva who is the avadavat chick inside the egg of saṃsāra has the especially powerful song of great compassion and the aspiration to enlightenment, which none of the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas have.

“Noble one, not long after a great garuḍa’s chick is born, it possesses the power and strength of the wind from its wings, and it has the quality of pure eyes that no other kind of bird has, even when fully grown. In the same way, the great garuḍa’s chick that is a bodhisattva who has developed motivation for the first time, who is born from the family and lineage of the great garuḍa who is the tathāgata, possesses the power and strength of the wind from the wings of the development of the aspiration to omniscience and has the quality of the pure eyes of great compassion and higher motivation, which are not to be found among the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas who appear during a full hundred thousand kalpas.

“Noble one, the arrowhead shot from the hands of a great man will pierce armor no matter how thick. In the same way, there is no armor of predispositions that cannot be pierced by the arrowhead of the development of the aspiration to omniscience when it is shot from the hands of a bodhisattva with firm diligence.

“Noble one, when a great strongman is filled with wrath, for as long as there are bulges on his forehead there will be no one in Jambudvīpa who can defeat him. In the same way, for as long as there are the bulges of the development of the aspiration to omniscience on the face of a bodhisattva strongman with the fierce higher motivation of great compassion, then no māras in all world realms and no māra activity can defeat him.

“Noble one, a student training under a master archer has not gained mastery of the method of archery but has a training in the art and methods and particulars of archery that is not found among those who have no knowledge of archery. In the same way, the bodhisattva with a beginner’s knowledge has not gained the mastery of the level of omniscience, but whatever special wisdom of prayer and power of conduct they have is not to be found among any beings who have not²¹¹² developed the aspiration to omniscience, among the training śrāvakas and accomplished śrāvakas, or among the pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, in learning the art of archery, first there is the preliminary of learning the stance. In the same way, in the bodhisattva training for the level of omniscience, in order to comprehend all the Dharma of the buddhas, one must first be established in the preliminary stance of the higher motivation of the development of the aspiration to omniscience.

“Noble one, all the illusory manifestations and objects of perceptions created by a conjurer are accomplished through first focusing on the accomplishment of the magical power of a mantra. In the same way, the entire field of perception of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, which is the manifestation of all bodhisattva miracles and objects of perception, is accomplished through first developing the aspiration to omniscience.

“Noble one, all the magic mantras and spells have no form, and there is nothing to be shown, and yet through the development of an aspiration, conjured illusions and forms of all kinds manifest. In the same way, the development of the aspiration to omniscience has no form, and there is nothing to be shown, and yet just through having the power of aspiration in the realm of phenomena there is the accomplishment of the manifestation of the display of qualities throughout the entire realm of phenomena.

“Noble one, when a cat merely looks at a mouse it runs away. In the same way, the bodhisattva, just through engaging in the higher motivation of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, causes all karma and kleśas to run away.

“Noble one, when a person wears jewelry made of Jambu River gold, it outshines all other adornments. In the same way, when the bodhisattva wears the jewelry made of Jambu River gold, which is the development of the aspiration to enlightenment, it outshines all the jewelry of the qualities of all śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, however small an element of the king of lodestones may be, it destroys all hard iron chains. In the same way, however small the element of a sincere development of the aspiration to omniscience, it destroys the iron chains of wrong views, ignorance, and craving.

“Noble one, wherever one places an element of lodestone, ordinary iron will disperse, will not remain, and will not gather. In the same way, wherever the element of the development of the aspiration to omniscience is present among karma, kleśas, and the liberations of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas, those karma, kleśas, and the liberations of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas will disperse, will not remain, and will not gather.

“Noble one, a fisherman who eats just a fragment of the fat of a makara will become freed from fear of all water creatures, and the bite of the makara will not harm his body. In the same way, bodhisattvas who with a higher motivation eat only a part of the aspiration to enlightenment will become free from fear of the kleśas, and even though they come into the presence of all śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas and remain there, they will not be harmed by falling into the wrong path for manifesting the final conclusion.

“Noble one, a person who drinks amrita will not die as the result of any harm from others. In the same way, the bodhisattva who drinks the amrita of the development of the aspiration to omniscience will not die on the level of any śrāvaka or pratyeka­buddha and will not cease the continuous bodhisattva prayers of great compassion.

“Noble one, a person who has the magical accomplishment of collyrium can be active within all human habitations but will be seen by no one. In the same way, the bodhisattva who relies²¹¹³ on the wisdom and prayer of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment, although active in all the realms of the māras, will not be seen by any māra.

“Noble one, a person who is supported by a great king has no fear of ordinary people. In the same way, the bodhisattva who is supported by the great king of the Dharma, which is the development of the aspiration to enlightenment, has no fear of any obscurations, obstacles, or lower realms.

“Noble one, if something lives in a hole in the ground and that gap in the earth is saturated with water, it has no fear of fire. In the same way, the bodhisattva whose mind is saturated by the roots of merit of the aspiration to enlightenment has no fear of the fire of the wisdom of liberation of the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, a person who is supported by a hero has no fear of any enemy. In the same way, the bodhisattva who is supported by the hero that is the development of the aspiration to omniscience has no fear of the enemy that is bad conduct.

“Noble one, Śakra, the lord of the devas, wielding the weapon of the vajra, defeats the entire host of asuras. In the same way, the bodhisattva who wields the vajra weapon of the higher motivation that is dependent on the development of the aspiration to omniscience defeats the entire host of the asuras who are māras and adversaries.

“Noble one, a person who drinks the elixir of life will have a very long life, will not become weak, and will not grow old. In the same way, the bodhisattva who drinks the accumulated life-elixir of the development of the aspiration to omniscience will continue in saṃsāra for countless kalpas without ever wearying or becoming stained by the defects of saṃsāra.

“Noble one, in all preparations of herbal medicines, one first needs water, and then they will not turn bad. In the same way, in practicing an accumulation of all bodhisattva conduct and prayer, one first needs to have the development of the aspiration to omniscience, and then they will not turn bad.

“Noble one, in all accomplishment of human goals, there must first be the faculty of life. In the same way, the bodhisattva must first have the aspiration to enlightenment in order to acquire all the Dharmas of the buddhas.

“Noble one, a person who is deprived of the faculty of life has no power to perform any action and cannot be brought to life even by parents and a host of relatives. In the same way, bodhisattvas who are separate from the development of the aspiration to omniscience will have no power to attain the wisdom of the buddhas, and all beings cannot bring them to life with the qualities of omniscience.

“Noble one, the great ocean cannot be poisoned by any poisons. In the same way, the great ocean of the development of the aspiration to omniscience cannot be poisoned by any of the poisons of karma, kleśas, or the aspirations to enlightenment of the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, the light of all the stars cannot overwhelm the disk of the sun. In the same way, the sun disk of the development of the aspiration to omniscience cannot be overwhelmed by the immaculate qualities of all śrāvaka and pratyeka­buddha stars.

“Noble one, not long after a prince has been born, he outshines the highest ministers who are his seniors through being of noble birth and sovereignty. In the same way, not long after bodhisattvas have developed the aspiration for enlightenment, through being born in the family of the Dharma kings, the tathāgatas, even though they are beginners, through the sovereignty of the great compassion of the aspiration to enlightenment, they outshine all the śrāvakas who are their seniors in having practiced celibacy for a long time.

“Noble one, all ministers have to pay homage to a prince, however young he is and however senior to him they are, and yet the prince does not disrespect the senior ministers. In the same way, however senior the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas may be, however long they have been practicing celibacy, they should bow down to a beginner bodhisattva. Also, the bodhisattvas should not disrespect the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, even though a prince is not needed by anyone,²¹¹⁴ because he has the royal title and because of the nobility of his family, none of the king’s ministers is his equal. In the same way, even though beginner bodhisattvas are oppressed by result-causing karma and kleśas, they have the title of having developed the aspiration to omniscience and have the nobility and greatness of the family of the buddhas, and therefore none of the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas who have reached complete attainment are their equals.

“Noble one, a completely pure, precious jewel will appear impure to someone who has the visual defect of cataracts. In the same way, the nature of the jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience is pure, but it appears impure to those whose eyes of faith have the defect of the cataracts of ignorance.

“Noble one, when all mantras and elixirs have been gathered together and prepared, they heal the illness of beings through being touched or seen, or through being in their presence. In the same way, the body of the prayer and wisdom of the aspiration to enlightenment is created from all the mantras and elixirs of the accumulation of roots of merit and of wisdom and method. Hearing, seeing, being in the presence of, or thinking of someone who possesses that aspiration to enlightenment heals the illness of the kleśas of beings.

“Noble one, clothing that has the characteristic of duck feathers²¹¹⁵ is unstained by the defect of mud. In the same way, the aspiration to enlightenment that is the clothing that has the characteristic of duck feathers is not afflicted by the defect of the mud of the kleśas of saṃsāra.

“Noble one, a wooden figure that has its head shaft will not fall apart but be able to perform all functions. In the same way, if in the head of the body of the wisdom of the prayer²¹¹⁶ for omniscience there is the shaft of the prayer for the development of the aspiration to enlightenment, it will have the power for all bodhisattva activities, and because the body is created from the wisdom of the prayer for omniscience, it will not fall apart.

“Noble one, a machine that does not have a shaft, even though it possesses wooden limbs, will not have the power for necessary actions. In the same way, if bodhisattvas do not possess the higher motivation of the aspiration to omniscience, even though they have the accumulation of the limbs of enlightenment, they will not have the power to accomplish the Dharma of the buddhas.

“Noble one, a cakravartin has the precious black agarwood called essence of the elephant. As soon as that incense is lit, all four branches of the cakravartin’s army rise up into the sky. In the same way, all the bodhisattva’s roots of merit, which are the agarwood incense of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, rise above all the three realms and fully accomplish the noncomposite field of activity that is the sky of the wisdom of the tathāgatas.

“Noble one, diamonds do not come from inferior jewel mines but from diamond mines or from gold mines. In the same way, the development of the aspiration to omniscience is like a diamond. It does not arise in the jewel mines of the lesser roots of merit of the aspirations of beings, but from the diamond mines of the great compassion that protects beings or from the great gold mines of the higher focus on the omniscient wisdom.

“Noble one, the class of trees called without a root ultimately has no visible roots, and yet the trees are seen to be covered like a net with branches, leaves, foliage, and flowers. In the same way, there are ultimately no visible roots of merit of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, and yet in all existences in all worlds there appear the extensive flowers of its merit, wisdom, and higher cognitions, as a net of great prayers.

“Noble one, if a diamond is placed in a poor container, it does not appear to be beautiful, and a vessel with cracks or holes cannot contain it, only a vessel in perfect condition. In the same way, the great diamond of the development of the aspiration to omniscience will not have beauty in the vessels of beings who have weak aspiration, are miserly, have bad conduct, are malevolent, are lazy, have disrupted mindfulness, or have wrong understanding. It cannot be contained within beings who are vessels with unstable minds and who follow erroneous higher motivations, but only in the precious vessels of a bodhisattva’s higher motivation.

“Noble one, a diamond can pierce all other jewels. In the same way, the diamond of the development of the aspiration to omniscience can pierce and comprehend all the precious Dharmas of the buddhas.

“Noble one, a diamond can cut through and overcome all stones. In the same way, the diamond of the development of the aspiration to omniscience can cut through and overcome the stone of false views.

“Noble one, even if a diamond is broken, it is superior to all other jewels and outshines ornaments of gold. In the same way, even if the diamond jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience becomes broken through one’s following erroneous thoughts, it still outshines the golden adornments that are the qualities of all śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, even if a diamond is broken, it will dispel all poverty. In the same way, even if the diamond jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience becomes broken through not being practiced, it can still dispel the poverty that is saṃsāra.

“Noble one, however small a diamond element may be, it still has the characteristic of being able to cut all jewels and stones. In the same way, however minor the engagement in the diamond element of the development of the aspiration to omniscience, it still has the characteristic of destroying all ignorance.

“Noble one, a diamond jewel does not come into the hands of lesser people. In the same way, the diamond jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience does not come into the hands of devas and humans who have inferior aspiration and poor roots of merit.

“Noble one, a person who is not skilled in examining jewels will not know the qualities of a diamond jewel and therefore will not experience its qualities. In the same way, a person whose understanding is confused is not skilled in the qualities of the great diamond jewel of the development of the aspiration to omniscience and therefore will not experience its qualities.

“Noble one, a diamond cannot be dissolved.²¹¹⁷ In the same way, the diamond of the aspiration to enlightenment, which is the cause of omniscience, cannot be dissolved.

“Noble one, the great diamond weapon can only be held by someone who has the superior powerful strength and might of the great Nārāyaṇa, and not by another strongman. In the same way, the great diamond weapon of the development of the aspiration to omniscience can only be acquired by a great bodhisattva whose limitless roots of merit are made firm by the power of the cause of omniscience, which has superior powerful strength and might like that of the great Nārāyaṇa. Otherwise, it cannot be held by any other strongmen, who are the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas.

“Noble one, a diamond can pierce what no other weapon can pierce, without itself being damaged. In the same way, wherever the weapons of the prayers and wisdom of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas are ineffective in ripening and guiding beings, or in associating with the suffering that is experienced during the kalpas of the three times, there the bodhisattva who wields the great diamond weapon of the development of the aspiration to omniscience is effective without weariness of mind, and without it being unendurable, and without being adversely affected by it.

“Noble one, a diamond can only be contained in a ground made of diamond and not in any other place. In the same way, only the strong diamond ground of the development of the aspiration to omniscience can contain the diamond of the accumulations of the prayers that arise from a bodhisattva, so that śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas cannot possess it.

“Noble one, the container of the great ocean is the diamond ground that is solid and without fissures so that water cannot leak through the cracks.²¹¹⁸ In the same way, the roots of merit of a bodhisattva that rest on the uncracked ground of dedication of the diamond of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment will never be exhausted throughout all existences.

“Noble one, the great earth that rests on a foundation of diamond will never be destroyed and will never degenerate. In the same way, the bodhisattva prayers that are based upon the solid diamond ground of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment will never be destroyed and will never degenerate.

“Noble one, a diamond will not rot if immersed in water. In the same way, the diamond of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment will not become rotten even if it remains for a kalpa in the water of all karma and kleśas.

“Noble one, a diamond will not be burned or scorched by the heat of fire. In the same way, the diamond of the development of the aspiration to omniscience will not be burned by the heat of the fire of the sufferings of all saṃsāra and will not be scorched by the burning fire of all the kleśas.

“Noble one, when a tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha sits on the bodhimaṇḍa, overcomes the māras, and attains omniscient buddhahood, no place can be its location other than the ground that is the diamond center of a world realm of a billion worlds. In the same way, all the strength, power, and might of the bodhisattvas’ roots of merit from their prayers for the attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment, their entry into patience, their attainment of the bhūmis, their completion of the roots of merit, their receiving their prophecy, their reliance²¹¹⁹ on all the accumulations of the bodhisattva path, their making offerings to all the tathāgatas, and their holding all the great clouds of the Dharma can only be located on the solid diamond center of the wisdom of all the prayers for the development of the aspiration to omniscience, and other beings will not be able to possess it.

“Noble one, the development of the aspiration to omniscience has those qualities and countless others; it possesses an indescribable extent of indescribable special qualities. Any being who develops the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment possesses the phenomena of such qualities and will possess them going forward.

“Therefore, noble one, you have gained an excellent attainment in developing the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment, and in order to attain these qualities you have sought bodhisattva conduct.

“Noble one, you asked, ‘How does one perform bodhisattva conduct? How does one practice it?’

“Noble one, go inside the great kūṭāgāra called Vairocana­vyūhālaṃkāra­garbha and look! You will then know how a bodhisattva should train in bodhisattva conduct and, having trained, what kinds of qualities will be accomplished.”

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, circumambulated the bodhisattva Maitreya, keeping him to his right, and then said, “Ārya, open the door of the kūṭāgāra. I am going to enter.”

The bodhisattva Maitreya came in front of the door of the Vairocana­vyūhālaṃkāra­garbha kūṭāgāra. With his right hand he snapped his fingers, and with that sound the door opened.

He said, “Noble son, enter the kūṭāgāra.”

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, was greatly amazed, and he entered the kūṭāgāra. The instant he entered, the door closed by itself. He saw that the kūṭāgāra was vast and immense, many hundreds of thousands of yojanas wide; as high as the surface of the sky; in all directions as vast as space; adorned by countless parasols, banners, and flags; adorned by countless jewels; adorned by countless hung strings of pearls; adorned by countless hung strings of jewels; adorned by countless hung strings of red pearls; adorned by countless hung strings of lion pearls; adorned by countless lion banners; adorned by countless moons and half moons; adorned by countless hung silk streamers of various colors; adorned by countless silk flags of various colors; adorned by the lights of countless nets²¹²⁰ of strings of jewels; adorned by countless nets of gold strings; adorned by countless streamers of jewels; adorned by countless cords of gold beautified by jewels; adorned by countless bells with beautiful sounds; adorned by countless strings of precious tiny bells that made beautiful sounds when moved; adorned by rains of countless divine flowers; adorned by countless hung streams of divine garlands; adorned by countless censers from which flowed the aroma of incense sticks;²¹²¹ adorned by countless raindrops of gold dust; adorned by countless nets of upper balconies; adorned by countless windows; adorned by countless toraṇas; adorned by countless pinnacles; adorned by countless mirrors; adorned by countless precious cornices; adorned by countless precious panels; adorned by countless pillars; adorned by countless clouds of precious cloths; adorned by countless precious tree trunks; adorned by countless precious platforms; adorned by countless precious pathways; adorned by countless precious canopies; adorned by countless precious floors of various kinds; adorned by countless precious kūṭāgāra adornments; adorned by countless precious thrones; adorned by countless precious statues of females; adorned by countless walkways overhung with precious streamers; adorned by countless beautifully arranged pillars of banana trees made of Jambu River gold; adorned by countless statues made of all precious materials; adorned by countless statues of bodhisattvas; adorned by countless flocks of various birds singing beautiful songs; adorned by countless precious lotuses; adorned by countless precious supporting columns; adorned by countless pools; adorned by countless white lotuses; adorned by countless stairways; adorned by countless arrangements of daises;²¹²² adorned by countless various kinds of precious ground; adorned by countless lights of great precious jewels; adorned by countless arrangements of all jewels; and adorned by countless perfect qualities and excellences.

He saw within the kūṭāgāra another hundred thousand with this kind of an array of adornments—adorned by countless precious parasols, banners, and flags, and so on, adorned by countless perfect excellent qualities.

He saw that all those kūṭāgāras were in that way vast, immense, and immeasurable; were treasuries of space; and had been completely, beautifully adorned.

He saw that these kūṭāgāras were perfectly arranged so that in a single perception they appeared in the manner of reflections that were separate from one another, not mingled with one another, and distinct from one another, and so that they appeared with all of them without exception being perceived in a single perception.

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, having seen in that way the inconceivable field of perception and miraculous manifestations of the Vairocana­vyūhālaṃkāra­garbha kūṭāgāra, had great delight, and his enthusiasm and aspiration increased by an immeasurable power of joy, which saturated his mind and body; his mind was clarified of all conceptualizations; his mind dispelled all obscurations; he was freed from all ignorance; he entered the direction of the absence of delusion;²¹²³ he had hearing that perceived with the unimpeded memory of all sounds; he had mentation that was free of all confusion; he had the power of understanding that followed the way of unobscured liberation; he had eyesight that reached all perceptions without obscuration; and with the accomplishment of paying homage with his body while facing all directions he paid homage by prostrating with the full length of his all-pervading body.

As soon as Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, bowed down he perceived that he had entered all those kūṭāgāras through the power of the bodhisattva Maitreya’s blessing. He saw the many different and various miraculous manifestations and inconceivable objects of perception inside those kūṭāgāras. Inside some kūṭāgāras he perceived and comprehended where the bodhisattva Maitreya first developed the prayer for the highest, complete enlightenment: his birth into a family, what name he had, what roots of merit he was inspired to, which kalyāṇamitras inspired him, his lifespan, the name of the kalpa, and under which tathāgata in a realm with what kinds of displays and in what kind of assembly he made which particular prayers.

He also perceived himself, during the entire lifetime of that tathāgata and of those beings, to be at the feet of that tathāgata in that time, and he saw all those activities.

In some kūṭāgāras he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya at the time that he first attained the samādhi of love.

In some, he saw where he practiced conduct; in some, where he completed the perfections; in some, where he entered the state of patience; in some, where he ascended the bhūmis; in some, where he gained the displays of buddha realms; in some, where he obtained the teaching of tathāgatas; in some, where he attained the patience of the birthlessness of phenomena; and in some, where he received the prophecy of his highest, complete enlightenment, and everything about what kind of prophecy he received, who gave the prophecy, and the length of time that was prophesied.

In some kūṭāgāras he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya being a cakravartin establishing beings on the path of the ten good actions.

In some, he saw him being a lord of the world, benefiting the world and gathering beings through all kinds of happiness; in some, being a Śakra, turning beings away from delighting in sensory pleasures; in some, being a Brahmā, describing to beings dhyāna and immeasurable joy; in some, being a Suyāma deva lord, describing limitless qualities to beings; in some, being a Saṃtuṣita deva lord, describing the qualities of a bodhisattva with one life remaining; in some, being a Sunirmita deva lord, manifesting the array of emanations of all bodhisattvas to his retinue; in some, being a Vaśavartin deva lord, displaying to the devas power over all phenomena; in some, being a Māra, teaching to devas the impermanence of all good fortune; and in some, being born in the dwelling of the lord of the asuras, teaching the Dharma to his retinue of asuras in order that they forsake all pride, arrogance, and conceit, enter the great ocean of wisdom,²¹²⁴ and attain the illusory powers²¹²⁵ of the wisdom of the Dharma.

In some kūṭāgāras he saw the realm of Yama, in which the light of the bodhisattva Maitreya illuminated all the beings in the hells, so that all the sufferings of the hells ceased for the beings who had been reborn in the hells.

In some kūṭāgāras he saw the realm of the pretas, in which the bodhisattva Maitreya created much food and drink for the beings who had been reborn in the preta realms, ending their hunger and thirst.

In some kūṭāgāras he saw the worlds of animals, in which through taking birth in their various kinds of physical existences he guided those beings who had been reborn as animals.

In some kūṭāgāras he saw him in the deva retinues of the realms of the Mahārājas, where he taught the Dharma to the world lords; in some, he was in the retinue of a Śakra deva lord; in some, in the retinue of a Suyāma deva king; in some, in the retinue of a Saṃtuṣita deva king; in some, in the retinue of a Sunirmita deva king; in some, in the retinue of a Vaśavartin deva king; in some, in the retinue of a Māra; and in some kūṭāgāras he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya teaching the Dharma in the retinue of a Brahmā lord.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya teaching the Dharma in the retinues of great nāgas and mahoragas; in some, in the retinues of yakṣas and rākṣasas; in some, in the retinues of gandharvas and kinnaras; in some, in the retinues of the lords of the asuras and dānavas; in some, in the retinues of great lords of the garuḍas; in some, in the retinues of humans; in some, in the retinues of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans; in some, in the retinues of śrāvakas; in some, in the retinues of pratyeka­buddhas; and in some, in the retinues of bodhisattvas.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya teaching the Dharma to beginner bodhisattvas who had developed the aspiration to enlightenment for the first time; in some, to those who were engaged in bodhisattva conduct; in some, to those who had attained patience and were irreversible; and in some, to those who were in their last lifetime and had been consecrated by the buddhas.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw him describing the particular qualities of a bhūmi to bodhisattvas who were on the first bhūmi, and in some he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya discussing all the particular qualities of the bhūmis with bodhisattvas on all ten bhūmis; in some, he had the completion of all the perfections; in some, he had infinite²¹²⁶ entries into all trainings; in some, he had vast entries through the gateways of all samādhis; in some, he had profound liberations; in some he had pervaded the peaceful scope of dhyāna, samādhi, samāpatti, and higher cognitions; in some, he entered the bodhisattva’s conduct, guidance, and methods; and in some he had a vast accomplishment of prayers.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya accompanying bodhisattvas who followed the same kind of conduct and spoke in unison²¹²⁷ about engaging, in order to benefit beings, in the various specific kinds of arts and treatises that bring benefit, happiness, and wealth to all beings.

In some, he saw him speaking in unison²¹²⁸ with bodhisattvas with one lifetime remaining about entering the gateway of the wisdom consecration of all the buddhas.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya dedicated to walking²¹²⁹ for many hundreds of thousands of years.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw the bodhisattva Maitreya dedicated to chanting the teachings; in some, he was dedicated to examining the gateways of the Dharma; in some, he was dedicated to discussing the Dharma; in some, he was dedicated to writing out the Dharma; in some, he was resting in meditation on love; in some, he was resting in meditation on all dhyānas and immeasurables; in some, he was resting in meditation on all the āyatana meditation states and liberations; and in some, he was resting in meditation in the samādhi of the method for accomplishing the higher cognitions of a bodhisattva.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw many bodhisattvas resting in the bodhisattva samādhi of emanations, and he saw many clouds of all emanations coming from all the pores of all their bodies.

From some of them, he saw many clouds of devas arising from all their bodies and pores. From some of them, he saw many clouds of nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Śakras, Brahmās, world lords, and cakravartins arising from all their bodies and pores; from some of them, many clouds of kings of realms from all their bodies and pores; from some of them, many clouds of young princes from all their bodies and pores; from some of them, many clouds of head merchants, ministers, and householders from all their bodies and pores; from some of them, many clouds of śrāvakas, pratyeka­buddhas, and bodhisattvas from all their bodies and pores; from some of them, many clouds of the bodies of tathāgatas from all their bodies and pores; and from some of them, measureless clouds of emanated beings arising from all their bodies and pores.

From some of them, he heard various Dharma gateways coming from all their bodies and pores, which means he heard the many sounds of entering all Dharma doors such as the door of praising the qualities of bodhisattvas; the door of the perfection of generosity; the doors of the perfections of conduct, patience, diligence, dhyāna, wisdom, method, prayer, strength, and knowledge; the doors of the methods of gathering pupils, the dhyānas, the immeasurables, the samādhis, the samāpattis, the higher cognitions, gnosis, the retentions, the eloquences, the truths, the discernments, śamatha, vipaśyanā, and liberation; and the doors of dependent origination, elimination, the bases of miraculous powers, the powers, the strengths, the aspects of enlightenment, the paths, the teaching of the Śrāvakayāna, the teaching of the Pratyeka­buddhayāna, the teaching of the Mahāyāna, the bhūmis, patience, conduct, and prayer.

In some kūṭāgāras, he saw the gathered assemblies of followers of tathāgatas. He saw the various different births of those tathāgatas, their different families, their countless different lifetimes,²¹³⁰ their different realms, their different kalpas, their different teachings of the Dharma, their different gateways of emanations,²¹³¹ the different durations of their Dharmas, and so on, up to all the different forms of their assemblies of followers without exception.

He saw in the center of the Vairocana­vyūhālaṃkāra­garbha kūṭāgāra one kūṭāgāra that was greater and vaster than the others and was adorned with adornments that were greatly superior to all the adornments, without exception, of all the other kūṭāgāras.

He saw within that kūṭāgāra a billion-world world realm. He saw in that billion-world world realm the billion four-continent worlds and a billion Jambudvīpas and a billion Tuṣita paradises.

He saw within those Jambudvīpas the bodhisattva Maitreya being born from within a lotus; being taken up by Śakra and Brahmā, walking seven steps, gazing into the ten directions, and emitting the lion’s roar; manifesting all the stages of youth; being within the harem; going to the park; turning toward omniscience; setting forth and entering homelessness; manifesting the practice of asceticism; eating food; going to the bodhimaṇḍa; engaging in subjugating the māras; attaining the enlightenment of buddhahood; gazing without closing the eyes at the Bodhi tree; being supplicated by Mahābrahmā; turning the wheel of the Dharma; and passing away to divine abodes, which was done through various different manifestations of the range of attainments of buddhahood, followed by turning the wheel of the Dharma in different ways, names, and forms, with various different lifespans, with various different assemblies of followers, with various different manifestations of pure buddha realms, with various different conduct and prayers, with various methods for presenting and teaching the Dharma and for ripening beings, and with various different manifestations of the distribution of relics and the power of the duration of the teachings.

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, perceived himself to be at the feet of them all.

Through the blessing of the unfailing memory, all the steadfast knowledge of all those assemblies of followers, all those manifestations of activities, and all those different lifespans remained within his level of comprehending knowledge.

From all the nets of strings of bells and jingle bells, and from the music and songs and all other perceived sounds, he heard the inconceivable thunder from the clouds of the Dharma being emitted.

He heard from them all the sounds of all the Dharma just as it had been previously taught: From some he heard the different kinds of aspiration to enlightenment; from some, the different kinds of conduct and prayer of the perfections; from some, the different kinds of countless bhūmis; from some, the different kinds of miraculous manifestation from inconceivable higher cognitions; from some, the different kinds of various offerings to the tathāgatas; from some, the different kinds of displays of buddha realms; and from some, the different kinds of measureless clouds of the Dharma of the tathāgatas.

From some, he heard the words concerning entering into omniscience: that in a world realm of such and such a name, a bodhisattva with such and such a name hears such and such a Dharma gateway, is inspired by such and such a kalyāṇamitra, and at the feet of such and such a tathāgata hears that in a kalpa with a certain name he will be present in a certain realm, in a certain circle of followers, and having generated certain roots of merit and having heard of certain buddha qualities will develop a certain aspiration, and through a certain kind of prayer will develop the aspiration to enlightenment and will practice bodhisattva conduct for a certain number of kalpas, and will then attain the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood, when he will have a certain name and a certain lifespan and have a certain perfection of qualities and arrays of a buddha realm, and through certain specific prayers will guide beings in a certain way and will gather a certain following of śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas, and when he has passed into nirvāṇa his Dharma will remain for a certain number of kalpas, and he will thus benefit beings in that way.

From some, he heard that in a world realm of such and such a name, a bodhisattva with such and such a name practices the perfection of generosity, making a hundred gifts in a certain way of that which it is hard to give away; that a bodhisattva with such and such a name maintains correct conduct, meditates on patience, engages in diligence, rests in dhyāna, or practices the analysis of wisdom; that a bodhisattva with such and such a name gives away his kingdom in order to search for the Dharma; that he gives away his jewels, gives away his children, gives away his wives, gives away his hands and feet, gives away his head, and jumps into fire; that a bodhisattva with such and such a name holds the teaching of a tathāgata, recites the Dharma, makes a gift of the Dharma, makes an offering of the Dharma, raises the banner of the Dharma, beats the drum of the Dharma, blows the conch of the Dharma, sends down a rain of the Dharma, holds the teaching of a tathāgata, adorns the caitya of the Tathāgata, adorns the image of the Tathāgata, gathers the articles that will bring happiness to beings, and guards the treasure of the Dharma.

From some, he heard that in a world realm of such and such a name, there resided, lived, and remained a tathāgata with such and such a name, teaching the Dharma through a consecration with a certain name, to a certain assembly, in a certain buddha realm, in a certain kalpa, with a certain lifespan, with certain Dharma teachings, guiding beings in a certain way, and having attained buddhahood through certain prayers.