At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Your mantras, Mañjuśrī, hold the key to the complete understanding of all the tantras; they possess the secrets of all the vidyās, and, in consequence, they can also cause the ripening of all the results of good qualities accumulated over a long period of time. I will now authoritatively teach the factors of accomplishment, which are as follows:

“As time is not its primary cause, Accomplishment can arise in another life. The governing principle is rather that it arises Subject to previously created causes.

“One who lacks benefits can attain accomplishment Through correctly ascertaining the right means. The means attested as right for all beings Is to resort to you, the divine youth.

“What is here called the right means Is the ritual activity performed in advance. One who is steadfastly engaged in this way Will obtain the supreme accomplishment.

“Ritual activity accomplishes that which has not been accomplished; There is no accomplishment without ritual activity. There must be the activity and its agent— When these are present, accomplishment will be achieved.

“One will obtain the highest level Through applying the right procedure. When the mantra practitioner does not say the mantra, Even what is not the mantra will become a mantra.

“By observing the ritual conduct of silence, One will win complete accomplishment. Through withholding his semen, The practitioner will obtain supreme intelligence.

“When passing away, one will obtain the ‘first destiny’ At the best possible location. As for the condition of one who thus passes away, One will become healthy and will never get old.

“If one desires accomplishment, But the signs indicate that the time is not right, One will not accomplish the mantras, Even if one is Śakra himself.

“Moreover, one’s endeavors are ill-timed If one does not benefit spirits and people. No accomplishment will manifest for such a one, Even if he is a high-minded brahmin.

“If one is lazy, full of cravings, Arrogant, proud, Loose of tongue, And always delights in vulgar company, Is slothful, and indulges in sex, How will he obtain accomplishment?

“Even the most prominent gods, Or the most prominent asuras, Will not be able to accomplish the mantra If they fail to follow the procedure. A rite without the right procedure Only causes the mind to wander.

“If beings recite unsuitable mantras, Violating the right procedure, Such mantras will produce Deluded views in those naive beings.

“These ignorant, senseless beings Will end up in the most miserable state of existence. The mantra holders will subsequently rescue them though, And set them free again.

“In stages, they will obtain accomplishment And a pleasant state of existence. The mantras will thus establish Such reciters in an unshakable state of bliss.

“The tathāgatas have thus taught Mantra recitation that never fails. Even if one has strayed from the right view, One will be the object of their kindness.

“There are spiritual friends, And there are their dear children—ordinary beings. For the latter, accomplishments have been taught Consistent with the three vehicles.

“One should therefore recite the mantra In all earnestness and fully concentrated. If the reciters employ the mantras Apart from the prescribed rituals,

“It will take them a long time Before they are liberated from saṃsāra; A long time will pass before one sees The accomplishment of such mantras.

“If, on the other hand, the mantras are employed according to procedure, One will swiftly obtain accomplishment And will see the results manifesting in full— Such mantras are said to be not without results.

“Such mantras will be accomplished in this very life, With the corresponding results arising accordingly. Without the result-oriented rite there will be no fruition; The rite that does not produce results is useless.

“The rite is called attended by results When the ritual performance produces results. The reciter of such [rites] will, in this life, Attain the deathless state

“[Where] the world is said to be blissful, And [the reciter] is delivered into a tranquil state. Such a follower of the Buddha’s path Will enter there, the great destiny.

“During the inauspicious lowest eon, He will see his own accomplishment. In this very life he will obtain accomplishment That will last beyond the end of this life.

“Until the final liberation there will be peace— This is the unconditioned, auspicious path. It has been explained to the world As the pure, auspicious state.

“The victorious ones taught about buddhahood, Explaining everything in full. At the end of such teaching, and only then, They taught the accomplishment of mantras.

“When the victorious ones are absent, Without manifesting individually, [For such times] the powerful, moon-like sages Taught the mantras to the world.

“It is taught that accomplishment can manifest for beings As a real experience during this life. When the knower of reality is absent, One can attain buddhahood by means of mantras.

“During the final time period, the dark eon, When the knower of reality has departed into the peace [of nirvāṇa], The mantras of those who [merely] desire wealth Will not be accomplished quickly.

“At that time, however, if an adept of the mantra system Performs the ritual according to procedure, He will [swiftly] become accomplished In the doctrine taught by the Sage.

“When a tathāgata is physically present, The supreme accomplishment can be expected [to arise] swiftly. In the intermediate period, The middling accomplishment is said [to arise].

“Toward the end of the eon, The accomplishment is said to be inferior. For the auspicious period of the eon, Which is like flying in the empty sky,

“The guides of the world predicted The accomplishment of all the mantras. At that time, one can accomplish The chief family of the victorious ones.

“During the intermediate period, one can accomplish the Lotus family; Toward the end of the eon, one can accomplish the Vajra family. The mantras that are subject to the power of [former] aspirations Can be accomplished in any time period.

“[The mantras of] Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, Tārā, Bhṛkuṭī, the king of yakṣas, And all the yakṣa-followers of Māṇicara Can, likewise, be accomplished in any period.

“The mantras and other [such tools] that cater to desires Are employed by all the [worldly] deities. These mantras, distinctly branded as worldly, Are accomplished during the dark eon.

“They are disseminated by gods and men; By the dānava lords, yakṣas, rākṣasas, Ṛṣis, garuḍas, piśācas, Bhūtas, gaṇas, and grahas;

“By both human and nonhuman beings Who inhabit the realm of desire; By the powerful beings endowed with merit And by those who fearsomely engage in cruel activities;

“And by Śakra, Brahmā, Rudra, Īśāna, and others. Powerful mantras are taught By Viṣṇu and all the bhūtas.

“These mantras can be accomplished by reciters Toward the end of this lowest eon. At this dreadful time Cruel rites are accomplished.

“However, accomplishment in the enthrallment And the forced summons of spirits who feed on flesh Is seen as useless on earth and is censured In the world beyond.

“For this reason, the victorious lord Recommended for this dreadful time The teachings of Mañjughoṣa, Wholly devoted to the welfare of beings.

“In the form of mantras, He will destroy, at that time, evil beings, If the reciters [of these mantras] have faith in this teaching And worship the Three Jewels.”