Venerable Śāriputra then spoke to the Blessed One: “Throughout the ten directions, Blessed One, bodhisattvas of this Fortunate Eon are leading the holy life in the presence of blessed buddhas. Is there a Lord of the Guhyakas standing behind all these bodhisattvas?”

The Blessed One responded, “Enough, Śāriputra, such activity is inconceivable. The world including its gods would fall into confusion about the conduct of the bodhisattvas. Nevertheless, Śāriputra, those who have faith will be embraced by companions in what is good and will not worry about this subject at all.”

“Blessed One, please explain this. I would trust the Realized One.”

“Śāriputra, do you see my constant companion, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas?” asked the Blessed One.

“I can see him, Blessed One, through the majestic power of the Buddha. I have never seen him before.”

“In precisely the same way, Śāriputra, this Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, stands behind each and every bodhisattva of this Fortunate Eon. Through his former vow and the power of his supernormal faculties, he appears in the likeness of Vajrapāṇi everywhere. As many beings as there are throughout this cosmos of a billion worlds, Śāriputra, behind each and every one of those beings Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, could appear in the likeness of Vajrapāṇi, and his appearance would not thereby exhaust his knowledge and empowerment. Śāriputra, do you see Vajrapāṇi standing behind the bodhisattva Maitreya?”

“Blessed One, I see him now. He wasn’t visible to me at first.”

“He is always truly standing behind him; you simply do not see him. By contrast, the bodhisattvas, śakras, brahmās, and lokapālas who come from other worlds see Vajrapāṇi always standing behind the bodhisattva Maitreya, with a vajra in his hand. At this moment and time, Śāriputra, the bodhisattva Maitreya, and all the other bodhisattvas of this Fortunate Eon, magically create hundreds of thousands of millions and billions of magically created forms, and behind each and every one of them, too, stands Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas. All of this is the empowering authority of that Lord of the Guhyakas alone. What is more, Śāriputra, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, also stands behind the magically created forms that are magically created by the Realized One, and this, too, is due to his very own empowering authority. In this manner, Śāriputra, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, is endowed with inconceivable power, empowering authority, supernormal faculties, and knowledge.”