“You remember past lives Based on the placement of the lunar mansions in the sky. Wise one, leader of the three realms, Clear-minded one, glorious being,
“As an example of your love and compassion, And in accordance with your affection for everyone, Please liberate all the nāgas from this place! Your discipline and observances
“Are unmatched in the three realms. You bring satisfaction to all the nāgas. You are the master of all sages, And you are worthy to be worshiped by the humans.
“Most glorious of all beings, Please quickly liberate the nāgas And all those groups of gods, nāgas, and yakṣas Who attend upon you!”
EN
With a wish to induce strong faith in the Three Jewels, the sage Jyotīrasa then uttered these appropriate and sweet-sounding words to all those groups of nāgas:
EN
“I do not possess such qualities! I am not the sage Uṣṭra. I do not have the power To liberate you from this place.
EN
“You should look for the other sage, Who for many eons Has undergone austerities and hardships. He will be able to liberate you.
EN
“That sage has always been diligent and practiced generosity. He is wise and has benefited sentient beings Through offerings of elephants, horses, Chariots, sons, wives, and wealth.
EN
“In the past, he has often given away His limbs, head, ears, eyes, skin, blood, Sons, male and female servants, Food, beverages, bedding, and meals.
EN
“He will liberate you through his love and compassion. He is unmatched in the three realms, And he revels in concentration. That sage is named Uṣṭra.
EN
“He is loving and has given rise to the mind set on awakening. He has mastered the Vedas in the past, And he has liberated many sentient beings Tormented by suffering.
EN
“For the sake of even a single being, He has patiently endured the destinies Of hell beings and pretas during eons in past lives. He is a buddha who has appeared in the world.
EN
“The one who has liberated all those tormented beings From their sufferings is Uṣṭra. Due to his firm diligence and compassion, When Uṣṭra was born within saṃsāra
EN
“To benefit sentient beings, He was born as a prince, the son of Śuddhodana, In the family of Ikṣvāku. As soon as he was born,
EN
“Happiness was felt in the three realms, The world became splendorous, And beings were filled with happiness. All the kings of the gods, nāgas, bhūtas, and yakṣas
EN
“Arrived from all directions to worship the prince. He walked seven steps, And this entire earth with its mountains and oceans started to shake. The son of the Śākyas said,
EN
“ ‘I will liberate beings from the torments Caused by old age, sickness, suffering, and death, And I will establish them on the dry shore, Where they will experience peace and happiness and be free from sorrow.’
EN
“The gods and nāgas tossed Flowers, perfumed substances, and precious gems, And the different groups of bhūtas Praised the prince in these words:
EN
“ ‘For many eons in the past, You have joyfully engaged In discipline, generosity, and concentration, And you have patiently endured suffering for the sake of all beings.
EN
“ ‘Among all your lives, This birth is your last one. Since you have pacified all suffering, You will soon awaken to buddhahood.’
EN
“He donned the saffron robes And became peerless. After renouncing sixty thousand women, He practiced intense austerities for six years.
EN
“Alone, he overcame The cunning Māra and his army, Reached the boundless, supreme peace of awakening, And realized the ultimate path devoid of sorrow.
EN
“His love, wisdom, and compassion Are unmatched among all sentient beings, And his impartial love Extends to all beings.
EN
“He does not harm anyone But liberates everyone From their suffering. He frees them from the bondage of their prisons.
EN
“He resides in Magadha, Where he teaches the Dharma among beings. Supplicate him And behold him with love!
EN
“Go meet this supreme sage— He will liberate you From all the sufferings of migration. I will also go there myself.
EN
“Those among you who wish For supreme joy and happiness Will no longer be afraid of the garuḍas But will enjoy permanent happiness and freedom from suffering!
EN
“The cunning Māra is harming you Within this prison. Remember everything That I have told you!”
EN
At that moment, all the male, female, boy, and girl nāgas and great nāgas who had gathered at the sacred site of wise sages joined their palms and exclaimed, “We prostrate to the one who is more exalted than the entire world, who has mastered all phenomena, who clears away the suffering of all sentient beings, who bestows all forms of happiness, who generates all kinds of joy, who has perfected all types of insight, who is always loving and filled with compassion, who accomplishes all activities, who reveals all the paths, who teaches the genuine vision, and who is worshiped by the gods and the nāgas! Worthy One of the three realms who deserves everyone’s worship, we have all been thrown into this prison of suffering—please liberate us from this place! We must stay together with those nāgas.”
EN
The Blessed One then restored the body of all those nāgas to their previous condition, but they were still unable to leave that place. They all said to the sage Jyotīrasa, “That thus-gone one is genuine—he always seeks the happiness of all beings, and he does not want to harm anyone! We want to take refuge in him and stay close to him. Please enable us to leave this place quickly! Please liberate us from this bondage of the māras!”
EN
The sage Jyotīrasa replied, “In order to reverse the wheel of saṃsāra for the bodhisattva great beings, to purify the path of awakening, to teach the principle of cause and effect to sentient beings, […] and to cause them to achieve the buddha eye, the Thus-Gone One—the omniscient sage who is the outcome of great compassion aimed at providing welfare and happiness to all beings—has revealed the supreme abodes that focus on what has only rarely occurred and that, in common with the hearers, focus on sentient beings. For the bodhisattva great beings who attend to teachers, he also taught the sublime states that focus on that which arises from causes and on intellectual analysis. Right now, in countless buddha realms as numerous as all the smallest grains of sand in the Ganges, the Thus-Gone One is using the water of the Dharma to cleanse those bodhisattva great beings who master the six perfections of the unsurpassed vehicle as well as all other beings. He does this in order to free them from the ocean of saṃsāra, to subjugate the four māras, and to ensure that the lineage of the Three Jewels remains uninterrupted. The Thus-Gone One does not observe the realm of sentient beings who are afflicted by a multitude of conceptual afflictions. He is devoid of arising, movement, basis, characteristics, marks, attachment, determination, substance, darkness, light, apprehension, illumination, activity, and distinction. […] He is devoid of wishes with respect to all the aggregates, the elements, the sense sources, and the great elements, as well as craving with respect to the nature of the eye that is devoid of a subject of experience up to craving with respect to the nature of the mind that is devoid of a subject of experience. He is devoid of formation and engagement. He liberates beings through the realm of phenomena, the limit of reality, the absence of cessation, the unadulterated suchness, the realm of phenomena devoid of engagement, the ultimate emptiness, and the nonregressing sameness of all phenomena. He is endowed with the conduct of perpetual wisdom, and he apprehends what is genuine. Right now, this thus-gone one teaches the sublime states devoid of reference point to the bodhisattva great beings who have fully trained in the practices of the six perfections, whose minds are equal to space, who have reached the sameness of unattached wisdom, and who have truly overcome the afflictions associated with the latent tendencies of all views.”
EN
Oh! As this teaching was being given by the sage Jyotīrasa, the nāga king Sāgara and the nāga kings Body-Piercing Needle, Harsh to the Moon, and Precious Protector remembered the roots of virtue and aspirations related to the bodhisattva conduct they had accumulated in the past, and they achieved recall endowed with insight and composure.
EN
At that time, eighty-four other nāgas also remembered the roots of virtue and aspirations related to the bodhisattva conduct they had accumulated in the past, and they achieved the absorption that does not forget the mind of awakening. They said to the bodhisattva Jyotīrasa, “Please take our message to supplicate the compassionate Thus-Gone One, who has developed great compassion such that he can free us from the bondages of the māras in this place!”
EN
“I shall do so!” replied the bodhisattva great being Jyotīrasa, and he miraculously left that place in the appearance of a sage and with a retinue of many thousands of sages.
“You remember past lives Based on the placement of the lunar mansions in the sky. Wise one, leader of the three realms, Clear-minded one, glorious being,
“As an example of your love and compassion, And in accordance with your affection for everyone, Please liberate all the nāgas from this place! Your discipline and observances
“Are unmatched in the three realms. You bring satisfaction to all the nāgas. You are the master of all sages, And you are worthy to be worshiped by the humans.
“Most glorious of all beings, Please quickly liberate the nāgas And all those groups of gods, nāgas, and yakṣas Who attend upon you!”
EN
With a wish to induce strong faith in the Three Jewels, the sage Jyotīrasa then uttered these appropriate and sweet-sounding words to all those groups of nāgas:
EN
“I do not possess such qualities! I am not the sage Uṣṭra. I do not have the power To liberate you from this place.
EN
“You should look for the other sage, Who for many eons Has undergone austerities and hardships. He will be able to liberate you.
EN
“That sage has always been diligent and practiced generosity. He is wise and has benefited sentient beings Through offerings of elephants, horses, Chariots, sons, wives, and wealth.
EN
“In the past, he has often given away His limbs, head, ears, eyes, skin, blood, Sons, male and female servants, Food, beverages, bedding, and meals.
EN
“He will liberate you through his love and compassion. He is unmatched in the three realms, And he revels in concentration. That sage is named Uṣṭra.
EN
“He is loving and has given rise to the mind set on awakening. He has mastered the Vedas in the past, And he has liberated many sentient beings Tormented by suffering.
EN
“For the sake of even a single being, He has patiently endured the destinies Of hell beings and pretas during eons in past lives. He is a buddha who has appeared in the world.
EN
“The one who has liberated all those tormented beings From their sufferings is Uṣṭra. Due to his firm diligence and compassion, When Uṣṭra was born within saṃsāra
EN
“To benefit sentient beings, He was born as a prince, the son of Śuddhodana, In the family of Ikṣvāku. As soon as he was born,
EN
“Happiness was felt in the three realms, The world became splendorous, And beings were filled with happiness. All the kings of the gods, nāgas, bhūtas, and yakṣas
EN
“Arrived from all directions to worship the prince. He walked seven steps, And this entire earth with its mountains and oceans started to shake. The son of the Śākyas said,
EN
“ ‘I will liberate beings from the torments Caused by old age, sickness, suffering, and death, And I will establish them on the dry shore, Where they will experience peace and happiness and be free from sorrow.’
EN
“The gods and nāgas tossed Flowers, perfumed substances, and precious gems, And the different groups of bhūtas Praised the prince in these words:
EN
“ ‘For many eons in the past, You have joyfully engaged In discipline, generosity, and concentration, And you have patiently endured suffering for the sake of all beings.
EN
“ ‘Among all your lives, This birth is your last one. Since you have pacified all suffering, You will soon awaken to buddhahood.’
EN
“He donned the saffron robes And became peerless. After renouncing sixty thousand women, He practiced intense austerities for six years.
EN
“Alone, he overcame The cunning Māra and his army, Reached the boundless, supreme peace of awakening, And realized the ultimate path devoid of sorrow.
EN
“His love, wisdom, and compassion Are unmatched among all sentient beings, And his impartial love Extends to all beings.
EN
“He does not harm anyone But liberates everyone From their suffering. He frees them from the bondage of their prisons.
EN
“He resides in Magadha, Where he teaches the Dharma among beings. Supplicate him And behold him with love!
EN
“Go meet this supreme sage— He will liberate you From all the sufferings of migration. I will also go there myself.
EN
“Those among you who wish For supreme joy and happiness Will no longer be afraid of the garuḍas But will enjoy permanent happiness and freedom from suffering!
EN
“The cunning Māra is harming you Within this prison. Remember everything That I have told you!”
EN
At that moment, all the male, female, boy, and girl nāgas and great nāgas who had gathered at the sacred site of wise sages joined their palms and exclaimed, “We prostrate to the one who is more exalted than the entire world, who has mastered all phenomena, who clears away the suffering of all sentient beings, who bestows all forms of happiness, who generates all kinds of joy, who has perfected all types of insight, who is always loving and filled with compassion, who accomplishes all activities, who reveals all the paths, who teaches the genuine vision, and who is worshiped by the gods and the nāgas! Worthy One of the three realms who deserves everyone’s worship, we have all been thrown into this prison of suffering—please liberate us from this place! We must stay together with those nāgas.”
EN
The Blessed One then restored the body of all those nāgas to their previous condition, but they were still unable to leave that place. They all said to the sage Jyotīrasa, “That thus-gone one is genuine—he always seeks the happiness of all beings, and he does not want to harm anyone! We want to take refuge in him and stay close to him. Please enable us to leave this place quickly! Please liberate us from this bondage of the māras!”
EN
The sage Jyotīrasa replied, “In order to reverse the wheel of saṃsāra for the bodhisattva great beings, to purify the path of awakening, to teach the principle of cause and effect to sentient beings, […] and to cause them to achieve the buddha eye, the Thus-Gone One—the omniscient sage who is the outcome of great compassion aimed at providing welfare and happiness to all beings—has revealed the supreme abodes that focus on what has only rarely occurred and that, in common with the hearers, focus on sentient beings. For the bodhisattva great beings who attend to teachers, he also taught the sublime states that focus on that which arises from causes and on intellectual analysis. Right now, in countless buddha realms as numerous as all the smallest grains of sand in the Ganges, the Thus-Gone One is using the water of the Dharma to cleanse those bodhisattva great beings who master the six perfections of the unsurpassed vehicle as well as all other beings. He does this in order to free them from the ocean of saṃsāra, to subjugate the four māras, and to ensure that the lineage of the Three Jewels remains uninterrupted. The Thus-Gone One does not observe the realm of sentient beings who are afflicted by a multitude of conceptual afflictions. He is devoid of arising, movement, basis, characteristics, marks, attachment, determination, substance, darkness, light, apprehension, illumination, activity, and distinction. […] He is devoid of wishes with respect to all the aggregates, the elements, the sense sources, and the great elements, as well as craving with respect to the nature of the eye that is devoid of a subject of experience up to craving with respect to the nature of the mind that is devoid of a subject of experience. He is devoid of formation and engagement. He liberates beings through the realm of phenomena, the limit of reality, the absence of cessation, the unadulterated suchness, the realm of phenomena devoid of engagement, the ultimate emptiness, and the nonregressing sameness of all phenomena. He is endowed with the conduct of perpetual wisdom, and he apprehends what is genuine. Right now, this thus-gone one teaches the sublime states devoid of reference point to the bodhisattva great beings who have fully trained in the practices of the six perfections, whose minds are equal to space, who have reached the sameness of unattached wisdom, and who have truly overcome the afflictions associated with the latent tendencies of all views.”
EN
Oh! As this teaching was being given by the sage Jyotīrasa, the nāga king Sāgara and the nāga kings Body-Piercing Needle, Harsh to the Moon, and Precious Protector remembered the roots of virtue and aspirations related to the bodhisattva conduct they had accumulated in the past, and they achieved recall endowed with insight and composure.
EN
At that time, eighty-four other nāgas also remembered the roots of virtue and aspirations related to the bodhisattva conduct they had accumulated in the past, and they achieved the absorption that does not forget the mind of awakening. They said to the bodhisattva Jyotīrasa, “Please take our message to supplicate the compassionate Thus-Gone One, who has developed great compassion such that he can free us from the bondages of the māras in this place!”
EN
“I shall do so!” replied the bodhisattva great being Jyotīrasa, and he miraculously left that place in the appearance of a sage and with a retinue of many thousands of sages.
Sutraya