“Long ago in the limitless cycle of existence, Maudgalyāyana, long before even the far distant past there was an impressive sage named Hiraṇyavatī who possessed magical powers and the five superknowledges. He had attained knowledge of past existences. He gained accomplishment in any absorption in which he rested, and thereby was able to recall the identities of his former selves. In one particular past life he was a universal monarch named Mahāprabha, endowed with the seven royal treasures. From a sage named Intense Splendor, who possessed the five superknowledges, he learned that those who kill follow a course to the lower realms, that those who forsake killing follow a course to the higher realms, and that those who bring an end to the afflictions follow a course to omniscience.

“Hearing these teachings, he wondered, ‘What knowledge will allow me to understand the migrations of all beings? It would be so excellent and outstanding if I could know the paths that lead to all destinations.’ He also wondered, ‘What are the causes of the knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations?’ Thinking further, he realized, ‘The causes that create the paths that lead to all destinations lie in the formation of karma. But what are the causes that lead to the formation of karma? The causes that lead to the formation of karma are the afflictions of desire, anger, and ignorance. But what are the causes of desire, anger, and ignorance? The causes leading to karma and the afflictions lie in distorted mental engagement. Distorted mental engagement produces afflictions, which in turn lead to the formation of physical, verbal, and mental karma. Prompted by distorted mental engagement, the six sense faculties are formed, on the basis of which more afflictions come about. Then again afflictions lead to the formation of karma, and that karma ripens into further formation of the six sense faculties. This immense amount of past suffering is what is not understood. What have sentient beings failed in and what is it they do not correctly understand? What knowledge will lead to the end of suffering and how can it be achieved?’ To this he told himself, ‘One who has no afflictions will understand correctly. Without afflictions then, no karma will be created. When no karma is created, the six sense faculties will not be formed. When no karma is created, that is nirvāṇa. To be distorted is cyclic existence, while to be undistorted is nirvāṇa. What is undertaken by distortion is undone through being undistorted. By distortion one revolves in the wheel of cyclic existence, while by being undistorted one turns the wheel of Dharma. One is bound by distortion and freed by being undistorted. Whoever understands this becomes free from the paths of cyclic existence, eradicates their associated suffering, and achieves the path of nirvāṇa.’

“Once Mahāprabha attained knowledge of the six sense faculties as the ripening of all karma, he entered among the multitudes of beings. Due to his roots of virtue he then came to understand all of the topics of knowledge. First he practiced all types of craftsmanship. Then, as a way of taking care of all sentient beings, he taught the science of medicine to treat their physical ailments. Having formed the wish that sentient beings stay healthy, in order for them to acquire some resources, he next taught them conventional modes of prudent conduct. Then he taught them archery so that they might gain further wealth and protect it. After that he taught them astrology so that their goals would be accomplished. Finally, he taught them to understand how to become liberated so that they might overcome suffering and gain happiness. Thus he taught a variety of skills and crafts to eliminate sentient beings’ suffering.

“Maudgalyāyana, in case you may think that at that time the sage named Hiraṇyavatī was anyone else, do not think so. In those days I was the sage Hiraṇyavatī. Endeavoring to help all sentient beings, I taught them knowledge of every type of skill and vocation.”

The Blessed One then uttered these verses:

“At that time, as Hiraṇyavatī the sage, I was a strict ascetic. In order to help sentient beings, I taught them various vocations.

“First medicine, Then archery, Astrology, the removal of sorrow, And the characteristics of each.

“Then also the past, the present, As well as the future; What has been, what is now, And what is still to come;

“And language arts, communication, Farming, the ripening of elements, And forestry— All these types of supreme knowledge

“I taught sentient beings to help them, And to provide for their well-being. Out of my wish to benefit them, I helped them to know the three times.

“Long ago in the limitless cycle of existence, Maudgalyāyana, long before even the distant past there appeared in this world one named Lord Samudradeva. Nearby him there lived a sage named Vikrāntagāmin who lived off fruits. One day Vikrāntagāmin the sage went off into the forest looking for fruit. In the forest he found a fruit tree replete with an abundance of fruit. At the base of the tree, though, was a poisonous snake. It could propel venom with its breath and, once airborne, the poison would incinerate everything within its field of vision. When the sage approached, the poisonous snake was fast asleep, but he thought, ‘If this poisonous snake were to wake up, it would torch everything in sight. I’ll use my magical powers to cast it into the pond that keeps the world’s poisonous snakes.’ And so with his magical powers he hurled the poisonous snake into the pond. As soon as it landed in the pond of poisonous snakes it died and the other snakes devoured it. Then the sage Vikrāntagāmin said to his students, ‘Young brahmins, the more afflictions there are being formed and produced at present, the greater the suffering that is being assumed. Just look here. I can see that this poisonous snake died in the pond of venomous snakes. This poisonous snake was in fact formerly a human. He did nothing to counteract his faults, and so he incurred the fault of hatred, which escalated and now he suffers from that very same fault.’

“Therefore, Maudgalyāyana, one must counteract one’s present faults. All the misfortune that sentient beings fall into happens because they have done nothing to counteract their afflictions in the present. All the suffering they underwent in the past happened because of doing nothing to counteract those present afflictions. In just the same way, mendicants and brahmins have gone through suffering in the past. Those sentient beings who experienced happiness in the past did so as a result of the contemporaneous positivity they fostered in the past. Whatever happiness sentient beings will experience in the future—it is all due to fostering positivity in the present that one experiences happiness in the future. Whatever suffering sentient beings undergo in the present, it all occurs because they do nothing to counteract their present afflictions. Whatever happiness sentient beings experience in the present, it all occurs because they counteract their present afflictions. Therefore, Maudgalyāyana, one must train in eliminating one’s present afflictions. Maudgalyāyana, those noble sons and daughters who are well grounded in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas should train in this way. Whatever happiness sentient beings experienced in the past, it all occurred due to the good qualities they fostered in that moment. Whatever happiness sentient beings will experience in the future, it will occur due to the good qualities they foster in that moment. And just the same, whatever happiness sentient beings experience in the present, it is all caused by the good qualities they foster in the present. Even right now in the present, they immediately experience happiness.

“Accordingly, the cause of present suffering lies in the cause of the present. Thus, one must understand and analyze anything that functions as such a cause. Through the thorough comprehension of non-virtue we arrive at what is called the imputed cause, while proper mental engagement with virtue is known as the enacted cause. These make up the causes of cyclic existence and nirvāṇa. Bodhisattvas must counteract the causes of cyclic existence and foster the causes of nirvāṇa.

“Maudgalyāyana, I formed numerous roots of virtue for the purpose of understanding the paths that lead to all destinations. Long ago in the limitless cycle of existence, Maudgalyāyana, long before even the distant past there was a magician named Gatherer of Myriad Creations who was well versed in magical creations. He exhibited a variety of magical creations in front of large audiences, whether it was the forms of elephants, horses, bulls, or persons. There was no one who caught on to his tricks.

“What do you think, Maudgalyāyana? In case you may think that at that time the magician was anyone else, Maudgalyāyana, do not think so. In those days I was the magician. In those days I performed numerous magical illusions for sentient beings, just like now I teach beings that everything is like a magical illusion. Just as a magician performs a variety of magical illusions, I cause the perception of others to realize the paths that lead to all destinations, and in their perception I make them train on the path to nirvāṇa. Therefore, Maudgalyāyana, bodhisattvas should train in such perceptions.

“Maudgalyāyana, I created innumerable roots of virtue in order to gain knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations. Long ago in the limitless cycle of existence, Maudgalyāyana, long before even the distant past there appeared in the world one named Sandalwood Heir who had served past victors, and who had limitless faith in as well as limitless fondness for the Thus-Gone One. He saw that in order to attain the buddhas’ wisdom, the paths that lead to all destinations must cease. He thought to himself, ‘Complete awakening to buddhahood does not take place through the knowledge of the noble ones, nor can it happen on the basis of any other knowledge. What is the reason for this? It is because such knowledge grasps to something as being real, whether that grasping is to the path, or to nirvāṇa. Complete awakening to buddhahood can only take place when there is no longer the slightest bit of grasping to anything as real. Thus, one must not fixate on knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations. It is like the analogy of traveling in a boat: once you reach the other shore, you leave the boat behind. In the same way, after attaining complete awakening, you must leave behind the knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations. As we must, without clinging, regard all phenomena as lacking a concrete essence, so too we must, without any observation, give up knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations. In this sense we should regard the teachings as like a boat.’

“What do you think, Maudgalyāyana? In case you may think that at that time Sandalwood Heir was anyone else, Maudgalyāyana, do not think so. In those days I was Sandalwood Heir. Thus, Maudgalyāyana, bodhisattvas should have no observation of anything.

“Maudgalyāyana, I created countless roots of virtue for the sake of gaining knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations. Long ago, Maudgalyāyana, long before even the distant past there was a gandharva named Realized by All Beings. He was incredibly skilled at the lute—in fact just by plucking one string of his lute he could make it sound like a flute, a lute, a nakula, a beautiful voice, cymbals, a drum, or the sound of ten million other instruments. He was similarly skilled in lyrical composition and embellishment, not to mention at playing the lute itself. He performed before large audiences, and no matter what he played, the audience loved it. His lute never malfunctioned, and he was able to delight his audience with every song he played. As much of an expert as he had become in the art of lute-playing, he found himself going off to a solitary place and reflecting, ‘Alas! How beguiled these beings are by the sound of my lute! And yet they fail to understand that such a sound is transient. Those who understand appearances and realize all that can be seen are called “noble ones.” Just to come to a correct understanding of this on a relative level is to achieve acceptance that phenomena are unborn.’ Achieving such acceptance himself, he went on to lead untold hundreds of billions of beings to the irreversible stage.

“Maudgalyāyana, in case you may think that at that time the gandharva named Realized by All Beings was anyone else, do not think so. Why? Because in those days I was the gandharva named Realized by All Beings. Therefore, Maudgalyāyana, bodhisattva great beings should think as follows: ‘Alas, the sound of a lute is entirely transitory. As it arises, it does not come from anywhere nor, as it ceases, does it go anywhere. While on a relative level it can be said to begin and end, fundamentally it is not anything that can be apprehended. Anything whose nature is to originate and cease, such cessation is said to be merely on a relative level.’ One should become skilled in the practice of engagement. Those bodhisattvas who are skilled in the practice of engagement will never fall from the path of omniscience.

“Maudgalyāyana, when I was training in the practices of a bodhisattva, I created countless roots of virtue for the sake of gaining knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of the paths that lead to all destinations. Long ago in the limitless cycle of existence, Maudgalyāyana, long before even the distant past there was a king named Unfathomable Banner. In that era, the world had six hundred million cities. The world was forty thousand leagues wide and flat as the palm of a hand, and there were many trees but none of them had thorns. It had everything that this present Sahā world does, except that it was free of any defects. At that time there appeared in the world a thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Defeater of Darkness; he was learned and venerable, a well-gone one, a knower of the world, a steersman who guided beings, unexcelled, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, a blessed one. The thus-gone Defeater of Darkness lived to be six hundred trillion years old. It happened that at that time in his buddhafield, every sentient being that was born suffered sickness and ailments. Besides those beings who remained healthy, and those who eventually died of natural causes at the end of their human life, the others died along with their physical aggregates and were reborn with the same fortune as the gods of Making Use of Others’ Emanations. Due to their aspirations, moreover, the majority of those beings were irreversible from unexcelled and perfect awakening. Those who so desired traveled to various realms, only one life away from fully awakening to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“Meanwhile, King Unfathomable Banner had heard that a thus-gone had appeared in the world, and so went to visit him. Once he arrived, he bowed at the Blessed One’s feet. He then invited the Blessed One together with his retinue, the community of monks, to have every type of service and happiness. His mind overtaken by great compassion, he was fully committed to the cause of awakening. Maudgalyāyana, in case you may think that at that time King Unfathomable Banner was anyone else, do not think so. In those days I was King Unfathomable Banner.”