Then the youth Candraprabha rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee with palms placed together, he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
The Bhagavān addressed the youth Candraprabha, saying, “Young man, the Tathāgata will always give you that opportunity. Ask whatever question you wish of the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
As the Bhagavān had given him the opportunity, the young man Candraprabha asked the Bhagavān, “The Bhagavān says, ‘samādhi, samādhi.’ What kind of Dharma does this word designate?”
“[1] It is the absence of arising. [2] It is the absence of continuation. [3] It is the knowledge of continuation. [4] It is putting down the burden. [5] It is the wisdom of the tathāgatas. [6] It is having the preeminence of a buddha. [7] It is the healing of desire, the pacifying of anger, and the elimination of ignorance.
“[8] It is engaging in what should be engaged in. [9] It is rejecting that which should not be engaged in. [10] It is the aspiration to good qualities. [11] It is the wish to be free from saṃsāra.
“[12] It is practicing with a higher motivation. [13] It is remaining awake. [14] It is not abandoning renunciation. [15] It is maintaining good qualities.
“[16] It is not relying on rebirth. [17] It is not accumulating karma. [18] It is not paying attention to the internal āyatanas. [19] It is not engaging with the external āyatanas.
“[20] It is not praising oneself. [21] It is not criticizing others. [22] It is having no attachment to family. [23] It is not placing one’s trust in ordinary people.
“[24] It is the natural result of correct conduct. [25] It is that which is difficult to approach. [26] It is great majesty. [27] It is self-knowledge.
“[28] It is the absence of inconstancy. [29] It is maintaining perfect behavior. [30] It is the absence of malice. [31] It is the absence of aggression. [32] It is not harming others. [33] It is taking care of companions. [34] It is guarding secret mantras.
“[38] It is not remaining anywhere in the three realms. [39] It is the patience that accords with the emptiness of all phenomena. [40] It is the aspiration to omniscient wisdom.
“That, young man, is what is meant by ‘samādhi.’ Young man, practicing those qualities and not practicing their opposite is what is meant by ‘samādhi.’ ”
Then the Bhagavān taught the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and at that time gave a detailed teaching by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha.
“I have opened the door to the elixir. I have explained what the nature of phenomena is. I have taught what births are. I have explained nirvāṇa and its benefits. {1}
“Always avoid sinful companions, Be in the company of good companions, Dwell in the forest, avoiding crowds, And always meditate with a loving mind. {2}
“Always protect pure conduct, Gain the prosperity of renunciation, Be familiar with generosity and wisdom, And this samādhi will not be difficult to attain. {3}
“This is not the level of the numerous śrāvakas. When you have attained this level of peace, You will have the direct perception of the Sugata’s Dharma And you will attain the inconceivable buddha qualities. {4}
“When you see wise people who are worthy vessels, Bring them to the aspiration for enlightenment, Establish them in the highest knowledge, And then this king of samādhis will not be difficult to attain. {5}
“This samādhi is not difficult to attain For those who understand the natural results That come to those who become envious of wealth And to those who seek and enjoy it. {6}
“The meditation of this king of samādhis, emptiness, Is at the summit of pure conduct. The continuous meditation on the nature of phenomena Is unknown to the foolish who practice incorrectly. {7}
“Those who long for this samādhi of peace Will never have fear arise in their mind. Those who are on this level of peace Will always see the supreme men. {8}
“Whoever brings to mind the image of the Tathāgata’s body, Their senses will be at peace and their mind at peace. Their minds, free of error, will always be at rest. What they have heard and what they know will be like an ocean. {9}
“Remaining in this samādhi, Wherever the bodhisattvas tread They will see ten thousand million buddhas And even more, as numerous as the Ganges sands. {10}
“Anyone aiming to take the measure Of the Buddha’s Dharma will go insane. One cannot measure that which is immeasurable; The qualities of the guides in their entirety are inconceivable. {11}
“There is no being in the ten directions Who can equal the Lord of the World, let alone be greater. You should long for and attain the wisdom of the buddhas, Who possess all the qualities of omniscience. {12}
“The Lord of the World is completely beautiful, With a body that is the color of gold. Bodhisattvas will rest in meditation When their mind is focused upon that image. {13}
“The wise who understand the composite and noncomposite Have ceased conceptualizing attributes. They remain in that meditation of the absence of attributes And know the emptiness of all phenomena. {14}
“Those who remain in the dharmakāya Know that all things are nothing. Those who have ceased conceptualizing things Do not see the Lord of Jinas as a rūpakāya. {15}
“I proclaim to you and make it known to you That to the extent that a person contemplates this, To that extent their mind will be fixed upon it, Through that contemplation that dwells upon it. {16}
“Those who remember in that way the appearance And immeasurable wisdom of the Lord of Sages, They will have their mind completely focused upon him Through constant meditation on that recollection. {17}
“When walking, sitting, or standing, They desire the wisdom of the best of beings, And pray for enlightenment, wishing to become A jina who is unsurpassable in this world. {18}
“They will know the buddhas and see the buddhas; They will realize the nature of the buddhas. Remaining in this samādhi, They will pay homage to the buddhas who have great might. {19}
“With serene body, speech, and mind, They constantly recite praises to the buddhas. In that way, through the mind’s continuum of meditation, Day and night they see the Lord of the World. {20}
“When the time comes that they are sick and unwell And experience the suffering of dying, They will not lose their recollection of the Buddha, And it will not be stolen away by the experience of suffering. {21}
“Having analyzed with wisdom in that way, They know all present, past, and future phenomena to be empty. They remain in that nature of phenomena And perform bodhisattva conduct without being disheartened. {22}
“Therefore, having heard these benefits, You should long for unequaled enlightenment. It is difficult to see the sublime Sugata, So do not have cause for regret in the future. {23}
“I have taught this excellent Dharma But if you do not practice it well You will be like a sick man holding a bag of medicine— That alone will not cure his illness. {24}
“Therefore, the wise and the realized Are always aspiring to this samādhi. And if they practice correct conduct, learning, and generosity It will not be difficult for them to attain this samādhi.” {25}
Then the youth Candraprabha rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee with palms placed together, he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
The Bhagavān addressed the youth Candraprabha, saying, “Young man, the Tathāgata will always give you that opportunity. Ask whatever question you wish of the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”
As the Bhagavān had given him the opportunity, the young man Candraprabha asked the Bhagavān, “The Bhagavān says, ‘samādhi, samādhi.’ What kind of Dharma does this word designate?”
“[1] It is the absence of arising. [2] It is the absence of continuation. [3] It is the knowledge of continuation. [4] It is putting down the burden. [5] It is the wisdom of the tathāgatas. [6] It is having the preeminence of a buddha. [7] It is the healing of desire, the pacifying of anger, and the elimination of ignorance.
“[8] It is engaging in what should be engaged in. [9] It is rejecting that which should not be engaged in. [10] It is the aspiration to good qualities. [11] It is the wish to be free from saṃsāra.
“[12] It is practicing with a higher motivation. [13] It is remaining awake. [14] It is not abandoning renunciation. [15] It is maintaining good qualities.
“[16] It is not relying on rebirth. [17] It is not accumulating karma. [18] It is not paying attention to the internal āyatanas. [19] It is not engaging with the external āyatanas.
“[20] It is not praising oneself. [21] It is not criticizing others. [22] It is having no attachment to family. [23] It is not placing one’s trust in ordinary people.
“[24] It is the natural result of correct conduct. [25] It is that which is difficult to approach. [26] It is great majesty. [27] It is self-knowledge.
“[28] It is the absence of inconstancy. [29] It is maintaining perfect behavior. [30] It is the absence of malice. [31] It is the absence of aggression. [32] It is not harming others. [33] It is taking care of companions. [34] It is guarding secret mantras.
“[38] It is not remaining anywhere in the three realms. [39] It is the patience that accords with the emptiness of all phenomena. [40] It is the aspiration to omniscient wisdom.
“That, young man, is what is meant by ‘samādhi.’ Young man, practicing those qualities and not practicing their opposite is what is meant by ‘samādhi.’ ”
Then the Bhagavān taught the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, and at that time gave a detailed teaching by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha.
“I have opened the door to the elixir. I have explained what the nature of phenomena is. I have taught what births are. I have explained nirvāṇa and its benefits. {1}
“Always avoid sinful companions, Be in the company of good companions, Dwell in the forest, avoiding crowds, And always meditate with a loving mind. {2}
“Always protect pure conduct, Gain the prosperity of renunciation, Be familiar with generosity and wisdom, And this samādhi will not be difficult to attain. {3}
“This is not the level of the numerous śrāvakas. When you have attained this level of peace, You will have the direct perception of the Sugata’s Dharma And you will attain the inconceivable buddha qualities. {4}
“When you see wise people who are worthy vessels, Bring them to the aspiration for enlightenment, Establish them in the highest knowledge, And then this king of samādhis will not be difficult to attain. {5}
“This samādhi is not difficult to attain For those who understand the natural results That come to those who become envious of wealth And to those who seek and enjoy it. {6}
“The meditation of this king of samādhis, emptiness, Is at the summit of pure conduct. The continuous meditation on the nature of phenomena Is unknown to the foolish who practice incorrectly. {7}
“Those who long for this samādhi of peace Will never have fear arise in their mind. Those who are on this level of peace Will always see the supreme men. {8}
“Whoever brings to mind the image of the Tathāgata’s body, Their senses will be at peace and their mind at peace. Their minds, free of error, will always be at rest. What they have heard and what they know will be like an ocean. {9}
“Remaining in this samādhi, Wherever the bodhisattvas tread They will see ten thousand million buddhas And even more, as numerous as the Ganges sands. {10}
“Anyone aiming to take the measure Of the Buddha’s Dharma will go insane. One cannot measure that which is immeasurable; The qualities of the guides in their entirety are inconceivable. {11}
“There is no being in the ten directions Who can equal the Lord of the World, let alone be greater. You should long for and attain the wisdom of the buddhas, Who possess all the qualities of omniscience. {12}
“The Lord of the World is completely beautiful, With a body that is the color of gold. Bodhisattvas will rest in meditation When their mind is focused upon that image. {13}
“The wise who understand the composite and noncomposite Have ceased conceptualizing attributes. They remain in that meditation of the absence of attributes And know the emptiness of all phenomena. {14}
“Those who remain in the dharmakāya Know that all things are nothing. Those who have ceased conceptualizing things Do not see the Lord of Jinas as a rūpakāya. {15}
“I proclaim to you and make it known to you That to the extent that a person contemplates this, To that extent their mind will be fixed upon it, Through that contemplation that dwells upon it. {16}
“Those who remember in that way the appearance And immeasurable wisdom of the Lord of Sages, They will have their mind completely focused upon him Through constant meditation on that recollection. {17}
“When walking, sitting, or standing, They desire the wisdom of the best of beings, And pray for enlightenment, wishing to become A jina who is unsurpassable in this world. {18}
“They will know the buddhas and see the buddhas; They will realize the nature of the buddhas. Remaining in this samādhi, They will pay homage to the buddhas who have great might. {19}
“With serene body, speech, and mind, They constantly recite praises to the buddhas. In that way, through the mind’s continuum of meditation, Day and night they see the Lord of the World. {20}
“When the time comes that they are sick and unwell And experience the suffering of dying, They will not lose their recollection of the Buddha, And it will not be stolen away by the experience of suffering. {21}
“Having analyzed with wisdom in that way, They know all present, past, and future phenomena to be empty. They remain in that nature of phenomena And perform bodhisattva conduct without being disheartened. {22}
“Therefore, having heard these benefits, You should long for unequaled enlightenment. It is difficult to see the sublime Sugata, So do not have cause for regret in the future. {23}
“I have taught this excellent Dharma But if you do not practice it well You will be like a sick man holding a bag of medicine— That alone will not cure his illness. {24}
“Therefore, the wise and the realized Are always aspiring to this samādhi. And if they practice correct conduct, learning, and generosity It will not be difficult for them to attain this samādhi.” {25}
Sutraya