“Moreover, noble goddess, bodhisattvas give away their bodies in order to benefit others. What is that like?

“The Bhagavat, with the light rays of a hundred various, stainless, and vast qualities shining on the earth and in the paradises, with the vision of unimpeded wisdom, and the power to suppress adversaries, accompanied by a thousand bhikṣus, was traveling and passing through the Pañcala land and came to a forest.

“There he saw a place of soft pasture, green and blue, with its surface adorned by a variety of aromatic flowers. When he saw that, the Bhagavat said to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, this area is beautiful; it has the signs of a place for me to speak, so now prepare a seat for the Tathāgata.’

“In accordance with the Bhagavat’s instruction, he prepared a seat. When it was prepared, he said to the Bhagavat:

“ ‘Excellent, supreme Bhagavat, sublime giver of the supreme to humans, Bringer of liberation from the bondage of existence, your seat is prepared. I pray that you be seated and speak the amṛta of the sublime instructions That bring liberation so as to benefit beings.’

“The Bhagavat then sat on the seat and said to the bhikṣus, ‘Bhikṣus, do you want to see the bones of a bodhisattva who did that which was difficult to do?’

“The bhikṣus said to the Bhagavat:

“ ‘Excellent Ṛṣi, tell us well, for the time has come for us to see The bones of someone dedicated to the benefit of beings, Who had patience, great diligence and delighted in peace and self-control, Who delighted in wisdom and mindfulness and possessed immeasurable qualities.’

“The Bhagavat then stamped on the ground’s surface with the sole of his foot, which was as soft as a newly blossomed lotus flower and had marked upon it the design of a wheel with a thousand spokes. As soon as he had pressed down on the earth, it shook in six ways and a stūpa made of silver and gold emerged from it.

“The Bhagavat then said to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, open this stūpa!’

“Venerable Ānanda, obeying the Bhagavat, opened the stūpa and saw inside it some golden caskets covered with jewels and pearls that shone with a golden light. Having seen that, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are golden caskets.’

“ ‘Open all these seven caskets!” said the Bhagavat.

“He thus opened them all, and he saw in them bones that were the color of snow and water lilies. Having seen them, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are bones.’

“ ‘Ānanda, bring the bones of the great being!’ said the Bhagavat.

“Venerable Ānanda picked up those bones and gave them to the Buddha Bhagavat. The Bhagavat took the bones, held them in front of the saṅgha, and said:

“ ‘These are the bones of someone who possessed the accumulation of supreme qualities, had supreme understanding, And had sublime, supreme self-control, meditative stability, patience, enthusiasm, and renown. Moreover, they created in those with understanding a constant enthusiasm and aspiration for this enlightenment, And they have created a delight for giving in those with perfect understanding.’

“The Bhagavat then said to the bhikṣus, ‘Bhikṣus, pay homage to the bones of a bodhisattva that are suffused with good conduct and good qualities, that are supremely difficult to see, and that are a field of merit.’

“Those bhikṣus placed their palms together and with aspiration paid homage to the bones.

“Then Venerable Ānanda, with palms together, said to the Bhagavat, ‘The Bhagavat Tathāgata is higher than all worlds and is to be paid homage by all beings, so why does the Tathāgata pay homage to these bones?’

“The Bhagavat replied to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, it is through these bones that I quickly attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Ānanda, in the past, in a time gone by, there was a king by the name of Mahāratha, who had many troops and vehicles and unimpeded power, and who had subjugated his adversaries. He had three sons who were like young gods: Mahāpraṇāda, Mahādeva, and Mahāsattva.

“ ‘At a certain point the king, in order to amuse himself, went to a park; the boys, attracted to the qualities of that park, and desiring flowers, ran back and forth and came to twelve great, dense forests, which the princes entered. The princes dismissed their attendants, who then went here and there while the princes entered the twelve great, dense forests in the protected park.

“ ‘Mahāpraṇāda said to his two younger brothers, “I am oppressed by the fear in my heart that we could be killed by wild beasts. Let’s go back!”

“ ‘Mahādeva said, “I am not afraid, but in my heart there is the thought of being separated from beloved people.”

“ ‘Mahāsattva said:

“ ‘ “I have no fear and have no sadness In this solitary forest praised by sages. My heart has become filled with joy, Thinking I will find a vast, excellent purpose.”

“ ‘As the young princes were wandering in the midst of those twelve great, dense forests, they saw a tigress who had given birth seven days before, encircled by her five cubs. She was so hungry and thirsty and exhausted that her body was completely weakened.

“ ‘When they saw her, Mahāpraṇāda said, “Alas, this afflicted creature has given birth to cubs some six or seven days ago. Now that she has not found food, she will eat her own cubs or will die of hunger.”

“ ‘ “What does this tormented one eat?” asked Mahāsattva.

“ ‘ “Fresh meat and warm blood is said to be the food of tigers, black bears, brown bears, and lions,” answered Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘Mahādeva said, “She has a body that is tormented by hunger and thirst, and she has only a little life left. She is so weakened she will not be able to seek for food and drink in this place. Who would give up their own body to save her life?”

“ ‘ “Oh! To give up one’s body would be a difficult thing to do!” said Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘ “For us,” said Mahāsattva, “who have small minds and are attached to life and body, it would be difficult to do, but for supreme beings who give their bodies to others, who are dedicated to benefiting others, it would not be difficult.

“ ‘ “The noble beings who arise from pity and compassion, Thinking they will find a body in paradise or on this earth, With a joyful mind oriented to saving the lives of others Without wavering, would delight in this in a hundred ways.”

“ ‘As they went away, the young prince was very unhappy and kept looking back at the tigress, staring at her from afar.

“ ‘Mahāsattva thought, “The time has come for me to give away my body. Why is that?

“ ‘ “For a long time I have taken care of this body of pus With food, drink, beds, carriages, and other suitable things, But it will naturally fall apart and be destroyed, come to an end, have a bad end. It has never before rid itself of that nature; it has no benefit.

“ ‘ “It is in all respects impure and therefore cannot be kept alive, so I should use it for something better. Therefore, I will become like a great ship that crosses the ocean of births and deaths. It has no essence; it is like foam. It is filled with worms and is a waste. It has a hundred growths that are like boils. It is filled with urine and feces, and I will give it away.

“ ‘ “I will obtain the Dharma body that is without misery, changeless, never ruined, stainless, completely filled with such qualities as meditation, filled with a hundred qualities, and free of all impurities.”

“ ‘With a heart that was filled with perfect compassion, and self-controlled in that way, he said, “You two go on. I have something of my own to do and will go back into the twelve dense forests,” and he sent them both away.

“ ‘The young prince then returned into the great forest and went to the location of the tigress. He hung his clothes on a branch, and prayed, “I wish to attain the unequaled peace of enlightenment in order to benefit beings. With unchanging, wise compassion, I make a gift of the body, which others find hard to give away. May I attain the faultless, priceless enlightenment that bodhisattvas seek. May I free the three worlds from the terrifying ocean of existence.”

“ ‘Mahāsattva then laid himself down before the tigress, but the tigress did nothing to the loving bodhisattva.

“ ‘The bodhisattva thought, “Oh! She is too weak to do anything!” and got up. With the wisdom of compassion, he sought a weapon. He could not find a weapon anywhere, so he took the branch of a bamboo that was a hundred years old and hard, cut his throat with it, and fell before the tigress.

“ ‘As soon as the bodhisattva fell, the earth shook six times like a ship in the middle of water being shaken by the wind. The sun also was eclipsed, and the beauty of its light rays vanished. There also fell a rain of flowers mixed with divine incense and powders.

“ ‘Then a deva with a marveling mind praised the bodhisattva:

“ ‘ “Excellent wise one, you have in this way pervaded all beings with your compassion. You have pleased the lords of humans by giving away your body in this way. You will soon find here, without difficulty and without impediment, a pure peace, The supreme state of peace that is free of the meaning of birth and death.”

“ ‘The tigress licked the bodhisattva’s body soaked in blood, and soon there was nothing left of the body but bones without flesh or blood.

“ ‘Then Mahāpraṇāda, thinking about the earthquake, said to Mahādeva:

“ ‘ “This earth, as far as the oceans and including the oceans, shook; The sun was without light, and there was a rain of flowers. Also, my mind became disturbed, so it seems as if Our younger brother has given away his body.”

“ ‘Mahādeva said:

“ ‘ “I also became worried when he spoke Those words of compassion while gazing upon The starving one tormented by a hundred sufferings, Extremely weak and ready to eat her own cubs.”

“ ‘Then those two young princes, oppressed by sadness, their eyes filled with tears, returned along their path and reached the tigress. They saw all their brother’s clothes were hung upon a bamboo branch, his bones were torn apart and separated, his blood had muddied the ground, and his hair was scattered here and there.

“ ‘When they saw that, they fainted, falling on his bones, where they lay for a while until they revived, stood up, stretched out their arms, and emitted cries of despair.

“ ‘ “Alas! Beloved young brother! The king And also the mother who loves her son Will ask us about our little brother: ‘Where have you left the one with lotus eyes?’

“ ‘ “Alas, it would be better for us two to die In this place, for it will not be good if we live! How will our parents be able to look upon us When Mahāsattva no longer exists?”

“ ‘Then the two young princes, weeping and crying out pitifully in many ways, returned.

“ ‘The attendants of the young princes had gone in search of them, running around in all directions, and when they saw one another they asked, “Where is the boy? Where is the boy?”

“ ‘At that time, the queen was sleeping in her bed, and in a dream she became separated from a loved one in this way: her breasts were both cut off, her teeth fell out, and she saw a hawk carry off one of three frightened dove chicks. Then the queen, alarmed by the earth shaking, woke up at that moment and became deep in thought:

“ ‘ “This support of beings, which is clothed by the oceans, has been completely shaken. The light rays of the sun vanished, which indicates that there will be grief in my heart. My limbs weakened, my eyes rolled, and I dreamed my breasts were cut off. My sons who have gone to play in the forest—is all well with them or not?”

“ ‘As she was thinking in this way, a servant, deeply distressed, came and said to the queen, “Your Majesty, the attendants of the princes say that they are searching for the boys, that the lords are lost!”

“ ‘The moment the queen heard that, her heartbeat quivered, and her eyes and face streamed with tears. She went to the king and said, “Your Majesty, I have heard that our beloved sons are lost!”

“ ‘The king’s heart quivered also, and he was very distressed and cried, “Alas! I have lost my beloved sons!”

“ ‘Then the king, in order to reassure the queen, said, “I will diligently search for the boys, so do not distress yourself, Your Majesty.”

“ ‘He then went in search of the boys, with many people busily engaged in it. Before long, the king saw the two princes coming in the distance. When he saw them, he cried out, “Those are the boys coming, but not all of them are there! Oh! It seems we have lost a son!” In suffering, he said:

“ ‘ “The happiness that humans have on obtaining a child Does not equal the unhappiness from losing a child. Are not those humans in this world happy who die while Their sons are alive, or who have not given birth to children?”

“ ‘Then the queen, oppressed by misery like a heartbroken she-camel, emitted dreadful cries.

“ ‘ “Thus my three boys, with their servants, Entered the flower-filled forest, But my lovely youngest child has not returned! Where is my youngest son, who is like my own heart?”

“ ‘Then the two princes arrived, and the king questioned them. He asked the two youths, “Where is your youngest brother?”

“ ‘They were so devastated by misery, their eyes filled with tears, and their palates, lips, mouths, and teeth having become dry, that they could not say anything.

“ ‘The queen asked:

“ ‘ “Where is my beloved youngest son? This heart of mine is about to break, My body is struck by unendurable pain, And my mind is fainting, so tell me quickly!”

“ ‘The two youths then related in detail what had occurred, and as soon as the king and queen heard it, they swooned. When they recovered from their swoon, they cried piteously and went to that place.

“ ‘When the king and queen saw those bones with no flesh, blood, or entrails remaining and the hair scattered here and there, they collapsed as if blown over by a wind.

“ ‘When the principal attendants and ministers saw that, they soothed the king and queen’s bodies with a balm made of water and Malaya Mountain sandalwood.

“ ‘After a long time had passed, they recovered consciousness, and the king stood and cried out piteously:

“ ‘ “Why has my beautiful, handsome, delightful son Fallen so quickly under the power of the lord of death? Why have I not gone to the lord of death before him? Compared to this, I have never had any suffering.”

“ ‘The queen also, when she had recovered from her faint, loosened her hair and beat her breast with both hands, writhed on the ground like a fish on dry land, and cried out piteously like a female buffalo or a female camel that has lost her offspring:

“ ‘ “Alas! Who would rend and scatter on the earth My beloved, beautiful son, who was like a lotus? What enemy of mine has, on this day, in this place, destroyed My son who had beautiful eyes and a face like the moon?

“ ‘ “Alas! Why has my body not been broken on this day By seeing my perfect son slain on this ground? This heart of mine must truly be made of iron To have not split apart on witnessing this suffering.

“ ‘ “Because in a dream I had today Someone cut off my breasts with a sword And my teeth fell out, I knew something Dreadful had happened to my son.

“ ‘ “I had found three chicks of a dove, And one of them was taken away by a hawk. In that way, from the three boys who were around me, The lord of death has taken one away today.”

“ ‘Then the king and queen, crying out pitifully many times, cast off their jewelry and together with a great crowd of beings made offerings to the boy’s bones, and then they placed the bones in this spot.

“ ‘Ānanda, if you think that at that time, in that time, the prince called Mahāsattva was anyone else, do not have that view. Why is that? At that time, I was the prince called Mahāsattva.

“ ‘Ānanda, even at that time, when I was not completely freed from desire, anger, and ignorance, I helped every being, such as those in the hells, be freed from suffering, let alone now when I am a samyak­saṃbuddha who is free of all faults.

“ ‘In that way, for the sake of each being, I would gladly remain in hell for eons and liberate that being from saṃsāra. Those who are dedicated to beings accomplish numerous different kinds of difficult actions so as to benefit all beings.’

“The Bhagavat then spoke these verses:

“ ‘For many eons, I gave away my body When seeking the highest enlightenment. Whether I was a king or a prince, I gave away my body in that way.

“ ‘I remember my previous lives: There was a king named Mahāratha Who had a son that made the great gift, A sublime one called Mahāsattva.

“ ‘He had two elder brothers Named Mahāpraṇāda and Mahādeva. The group of siblings went into a thick forest Where they saw a tigress tormented by hunger.

“ ‘Compassion for her arose in that excellent being: “This tigress is so tormented by hunger and thirst She will eventually eat her own children. Therefore, I will give her my body.”

“ ‘Mahāsattva, Mahāratha’s son, Seeing the hungry tigress, with compassion So as to save the tiger cubs Leapt from a mountain cliff.

“ ‘The earth and the mountains shook, The multitudes of birds scattered, The herds of deer were frightened, And this world was enveloped in darkness.

“ ‘His older brother Mahāpraṇāda, And likewise Mahādeva, both Looked in that great forest But could not find Mahāsattva.

“ ‘Their hearts pained by intense misery, They roamed within the forest mindlessly, Searching for their younger brother. Faces streaming with tears, they wandered the forest.

“ ‘Those two young princes, Mahāpraṇāda and Mahādeva, Came near the place where The weakened tigress was lying.

“ ‘They saw blood on the mouths Of the tigress and the tiger cubs, And some bones and hair were Scattered there upon the ground.

“ ‘There were a few drops of blood That had fallen onto the ground. Those two princes saw that The earth was bloodstained.

“ ‘They completely fainted away And lay on the ground unconscious, Their bodies covered with dirt, Without awareness, their minds in a swoon.

“ ‘All of their entourage Wept piteously, overcome with misery. They sprinkled water upon them And with arms outstretched, wept.

“ ‘The moment that they had fainted, Their mother, the beloved principal queen, Was happily dwelling in the palace With five hundred other women.

“ ‘From the nipples of both breasts, Her milk came forth as dripping blood. Her entire body and all her limbs Were in pain as if pierced by needles.

“ ‘Her heart became filled with misery, Hit by the arrow of the grief of losing a child. She came before the king, Deeply tormented by misery and in distress.

“ ‘With piteous cries she wept And said to King Mahāratha, “King, lord of men, listen to me. My body is burned by the fire of misery.

“ ‘ “From the nipples of both my breasts The milk has emerged as blood. My body is in pain as if pierced by needles, And my heart feels about to break.

“ ‘ “This seems to be a sign that I will Never again see my beloved sons. Therefore, regard me with compassion— Find my sons and give me my life!

“ ‘ “In a dream that I had today, I found three dove chicks. One of the dove chicks was, To me, the loveliest and prettiest.

“ ‘ “A hawk came, and that hawk Took my dove chick away. A grief like that in the dream Has entered here into my heart.

“ ‘ “My mind is so tormented by sadness It will not be long before I die. Therefore, you who are compassionate, Find my sons and give me my life!”

“ ‘After she had spoken, the principal queen Fainted and lay there on the floor, The faculty of awareness lost, Her mind scattered and unconscious.

“ ‘All of the queen’s retinue also Were weeping with pitiful cries On seeing that the principal queen Had fainted and was lying on the floor.

“ ‘Immediately, the lord of kings, Oppressed by the misery of losing his sons, Dispatched his ministers and court To go in search of the youths.

“ ‘All the people throughout the town Came out of their homes and gathered. Weeping, with tears streaming down their faces, They asked about Mahāsattva on the roads:

“ ‘ “Is he alive or is he dead? Where has Mahāsattva gone? Will we see him today? How joyful to see that delightful being!”

“ ‘They soon heard an unpleasant sound, A dreadful wind of misery in this land— Endless manifestations that emitted no sound, Together with those with ferocious sounds.

“ ‘King Mahāratha, standing up, Oppressed by misery and weeping, Continually sprinkled water on The principal queen lying on the floor.

“ ‘He continued to sprinkle water Until she had regained consciousness. She asked with a despairing mind, “Are my sons alive or dead?”

“ ‘King Mahāratha said To his principal queen, “The ministers and the court Have gone in search of the boys.

“ ‘ “Do not let your mind be in deep despair And have continuous misery in your heart.” Speaking in that way, Mahāratha Comforted the principal queen.

“ ‘The king came out of the palace Oppressed by misery and weeping, Accompanied by his ministers, In despair, his body weakened.

“ ‘Also, many hundreds of people, Running, weeping, with tears streaming, Were coming out of the greatest of cities In order to search for the princes.

“ ‘When they saw the king departing, They all followed after the king. When King Mahāratha came out Of the city, he immediately

“ ‘Looked around with wild eyes Seeking for his beloved sons. He saw a man approaching With head shaved and bloody hands,

“ ‘His body stained with dirt, weeping, With tears streaming down his face. Then there was an unendurable misery Within the heart of Mahāratha.

“ ‘He wept, tears running down his face. Standing with arms outstretched, he wept. Then another minister came quickly, Hurriedly, from the far distance.

“ ‘When he arrived, he said to the king, The lord of men, Mahāratha, “My lord, do not be sad, Your beloved sons are alive.

“ ‘ “Before long they will be here with you, And you will see your beloved, excellent sons!” The king in a moment set out on the road, And then two prime ministers came.

“ ‘Their clothes were dirty and stained And with tears on their faces they said to the king, “Great King, two of your sons are alive But burning from the fire of misery.

“ ‘ “King, one of your excellent sons is missing; Mahāsattva has been seized by impermanence. He saw a tigress that had recently given birth And she was craving to eat her own cubs.

“ ‘ “The youth Mahāsattva had for them A motivation of great compassion. He made a great prayer for enlightenment, Saying, ‘I am going to liberate all beings!

“ ‘ “ ‘May I in the future reach that vast, Profound enlightenment that I long for!’ Mahāsattva leapt from a mountain cliff And was taken by the tigress tormented by hunger.

“ ‘ “In a brief time his body had no flesh; Soon only the bones of the prince remained.” King Mahāratha fell into a faint When he heard these dreadful words.

“ ‘He fell to the ground and lost consciousness, Burned by the unendurable fire of grief. His court and the ministers with piteous cries wept, And though oppressed by misery,

“ ‘They sprinkled water on him, weeping with upraised arms. A third minister said to the king, “Today I saw that the two princes Had fainted in that great forest.

“ ‘ “They were lying on the ground, unconscious, And we sprinkled water upon them Until they recovered and stood up. Ablaze, they looked into the four directions,

“ ‘ “And after briefly standing, they again fell to the ground. With piteous cries they emitted wails, Their arms constantly upraised and in despair, And spoke in praise of their younger brother.”

“ ‘The king was in complete despair; In grief from the loss of his son, his mind was in disarray. Tormented by his grief, he emitted wails, And in his mind the king had this thought:

“ ‘ “My one beloved, beautiful son Mahāsattva has been seized by impermanence, And the other two sons of mine Will lose their lives to the fire of grief.

“ ‘ “Therefore, I must quickly go there To see my two beloved sons. Then I will quickly bring the princes To the royal capital and into the royal palace.

“ ‘ “The heart of their mother, who gave them birth, May break because of the fire of her grief. She will attain peace from seeing her two sons, And then she will not lose her life.”

“ ‘The king, accompanied by his ministers, Riding an elephant, went to see that place. He saw his two sons coming along the road, weeping, With pitiful cries calling the name of their younger brother.

“ ‘The king collected those two sons; Weeping, they went to their home. In that way he was able to quickly, speedily Show the queen her own two sons.

“ ‘In the past, I, Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, Was that excellent Mahāsattva, Who was the son of King Mahāratha That brought happiness to the tigress.

“ ‘The excellent lord of kings, Śuddhodana, Was the king who was named Mahāratha. The queen was the excellent Queen Māyā. Mahāpraṇāda was Maitreya.

“ ‘Similarly, Prince Mahādeva Was Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. The tigress was Mahāprajāpatī, And the tiger cubs were the five bhikṣus.

“ ‘Then King Mahāratha and the queen, wailing pitifully many times, removed their jewelry and, together with a great gathering of people, made offerings to the bones of their son. The bones of Mahāsattva they placed in this area, and they constructed this stūpa of seven precious materials.

“ ‘This Mahāsattva, having given his body to the tigress, prayed, “Through this gift of my body, may I afterward, in a future time, after countless eons have passed, accomplish the deeds of a buddha for beings.” ’

“When this teaching was given, countless, innumerable beings, including humans and devas, developed the aspiration to attain the highest, most complete enlightenment.

“This was the cause and condition for the appearance of that stūpa. Then, through the blessing of the Buddha, the stūpa went back down into the ground.”