At that point, the Blessed One had the thought, “I should make it so that the words of a mantra are heard in this assembly, the articulation of which ensures the well-being of the entire assembly and ensures the long-term availability of the awakening of the realized ones, too.”
EN
The Blessed One then spoke to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “Lord of the Guhyakas, do you remember the words of the mantra that were spoken by me in the abode of the nāga king Apalāla, which I recalled as I was at the supreme point of the seat of awakening and spoke again for the well-being and benefit of the world?”
EN
“Yes, I remember them, Blessed One.”
EN
The Blessed One then said, “Use your inspired eloquence, Lord of the Guhyakas, and speak the words of the mantra.”
EN
Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then rose from his seat. Crouching down in front of the Blessed One, he touched the Blessed One’s feet with his hands, and then he spoke these words of the mantra as follows:
EN
ahula | hulavati | hularaṇa | aguha | ca ca ca ca ca |niṣuraṇa | kṣuta kṣata | kṣaya kṣaya | akṣayasama | śamanikara | hahula huvati | khilavati | kina abhiṣiti | nissaraṇi | jajājajāmati | avaṭā | nivaṭā | varta varta anusariṇi | bhuta anusmṛti ho | manuṣa anusmṛti ho | deva anusmṛti ho | nāganāṃ | yakṣānāṃ | gandharvāṇāṃ | kinnarāṇāṃ | mahoragāṇāṃ | svastir bhavantu | sarvasattvānāṃ | vikirantu mahāparavat | saṃvyathatāṃ dhāraṇi | garjatu samudravega iti | |
EN
When he had set forth this teaching of the words of the mantra, all the divine abodes quaked. The entire earth quaked, too, and the great ocean roiled. The whole assembly trembled and fell down at the feet of the Blessed One. The Blessed One then touched that galaxy of a thousand worlds with one foot. Just as the Blessed One was about to touch the ground, however, the whole assembly seated nearby cried out, “Blessed One, keep us safe! Sublime One, protect us! We are in danger! We are in great danger! We are trembling!”
EN
The Blessed One said, “Have no fear, friends, have no fear. This is the impact of these words of the mantra, which have been authorized by the empowering authority of the Realized One: the great earth quakes; the great ocean roils. Even if you were in the sky, you would quake.”
EN
The Blessed One then taught the Dharma at length so that eighty thousand beings in the courtyard of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, conceived the aspiration for awakening and an immeasurable number of beings took up the basic moral precepts.
EN
Vajrasena, son of the Lord of the Guhyakas, then covered the Blessed One with a net of jewels and inquired of the Blessed One, “How is it, Blessed One, that bodhisattvas become unshakable in their resolve for unsurpassable and perfect awakening?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Noble son, bodhisattvas of great courage who have ten qualities become unshakable in their resolve for unsurpassable and perfect awakening. What are these ten qualities? They are great love without anger; great compassion without weariness; heroic effort that brings to completion everything one has begun; concentration that is brought into contact with emptiness; wisdom that is perceived with one’s own eyes; all-encompassing expertise; knowledge that cleanses the three times; vision of the truths that is not obscured by any smudges; being endowed with emptiness, which is the finest of all qualities; and having set out upon the path of what is entirely pure just as it is. Young one, bodhisattvas who have these ten qualities become unshakable in their resolve for unsurpassable and perfect awakening.”
EN
Vajrasena, son of the Lord of the Guhyakas, then spoke again to the Blessed One: “How is it, Blessed One, that bodhisattvas can avoid feeling fear, fright, or terror when they hear about the inconceivable qualities of a buddha?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, bodhisattvas who have eight qualities do not become fearful, frightened, or terrified when they hear about the inconceivable qualities of a buddha. What are these eight qualities? They are steadiness due to one’s wisdom, steadiness due to one’s knowledge, being held firmly by companions in what is good, having lofty aspirations, letting go of things that have the characteristics of a magical illusion, having an interest in the idea that things are impermanent, having a mind that is equal to space, and knowing that all things have the characteristic of being involved in a magical creation. Young one, bodhisattvas who have these eight qualities do not become fearful, frightened, or terrified when they hear about the inconceivable qualities of a buddha.”
EN
“With what qualities should bodhisattvas be equipped, Blessed One, so that they gain the power to do everything that should be done?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, bodhisattvas equipped with four qualities gain the power to do everything that should be done. What are these four? They have thoroughly cultivated and become equipped with the five supernormal faculties without any impairment. They are equipped with the four states of meditation that are fully pervaded by the gateway to liberation. They are equipped with the four dwellings of Brahmā, which transcend even the highest Brahmā world. They are masters of wisdom and skill in means, which apply to every situation. Young one, bodhisattvas equipped with these four qualities gain the power to do everything that should be done.”
EN
“What are the gateways of the bodhisattvas, Blessed One?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, there are four gateways of the bodhisattvas. What are these four gateways? They are as follows: the gateway of knowledge, which comprehends the spiritual faculties of beings; the gateway of wisdom, which teaches the fine analysis of words; the gateway of powerful memory and the formulas that support it, which enables a thorough grasp of all languages; and the gateway of the special modes of knowledge, which teaches the inexhaustible Dharma. Young one, these are the four gateways of the bodhisattvas.”
EN
“What are the powers of the bodhisattvas, Blessed One?’
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, there are nine powers of the bodhisattvas. What are these nine powers? They are the power of profound contemplation so that one may do the work of compassion; the power of heroic courage so that one may become impossible to turn back from awakening; the power of learning so that one may develop great wisdom; the power of ardent devotion so that one may fulfill the goal of liberation; the power of cultivation so that one may become free; the power of patience in order to protect the mind; the power of the aspiration for awakening in order to gain power over Māra; the power of great compassion so that one may bring beings to maturity; and the power of acceptance of the fact that things do not arise so that one may gain full possession of the ten powers of the realized ones. Young one, these are the nine powers of the bodhisattvas.”
EN
When this teaching had been given, the sons of the Lord of the Guhyakas gained acceptance of the fact that things do not arise, and once they had gained acceptance of this fact they implored the Blessed One, “Use your empowering authority, Blessed One, to ensure that this formulation of the Dharma continues to exist and be circulated for a long time in the abode of the Lord of the Guhyakas. Ensure that those beings who are worthy recipients of it will continue to hear of it, that it will spread widely throughout Jambudvīpa, and that by no means will it disappear after the complete cessation of the Realized One.”
EN
Thinking of what the sons of the Lord of the Guhyakas had requested of him, the Blessed One said to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, “So that the way of the true Dharma continues to exist for a long time and the māras and proponents of other doctrines are defeated in accordance with the Dharma, I request you, Lord of the Guhyakas, to speak the words of the mantra that you called to mind and then expressed and intoned in order to protect the Bodhisattva when he was seated at the supreme point of the seat of awakening and to defeat the māras when the armies of Māra had come there.”
EN
Understanding the Blessed One’s request, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then rose from his seat, arranged his cloak over one shoulder , knelt down on his right knee, and bowing toward the Blessed One with his arms outstretched, palms together in a gesture of salutation, he spoke the words of the mantra:
The recitation of the words of the mantra Shook even the king of mountains; It made the earth quake, too, And it also made the king of waters roil.
EN
The recitation of the words of the mantra Defeated the proponents of other doctrines, Brought together the exponents of the Dharma, And safeguarded the treasury of the Dharma.
EN
When they heard the words of the mantra The groups of gods were overjoyed, And each one of them stated the wish, “May the true Dharma last a long time.”
EN
As the cosmos of a billion worlds shook, The assembly, too, began to tremble. They touched the feet of the Lord of Men, To whom they had gone for protection.
EN
They had gone to the one without fear, The Teacher, who had spoken thus, Whose authority empowered this discourse, Ensuring that the true Dharma would last long.
EN
The Blessed One then spent seven days in the abode of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and for seven days he fulfilled the wishes of limitless beings. As many different wishes as the beings had in that assembly in the capital city of Aḍagavatī, he fulfilled them all.
EN
Then the Blessed One left the abode of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and, surrounded by the host of bodhisattvas and accompanied by the host of disciples, he flew freely through the vault of the sky like the king of swans, as a host of gods paid homage to him; a host of goddesses praised him; yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, and garuḍas surrounded him; and Śakra, Brahmā, and the Lokapālas offered him praise. The rays of light they emitted made a latticework of light, as musical instruments were played, it rained down showers of flowers, and all the domains trembled. All this was due to the great majestic power of the Buddha, the great superhuman power of the Buddha, the great transformative power of the Buddha, the great miraculous display of the Buddha, the great glory of the Buddha, the great vital energy of the Buddha, the great demeanor of the Buddha, and the great child’s play of the Buddha.
EN
With Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, following as his attendant, the Blessed One returned to the hill, Vulture Peak.
At that point, the Blessed One had the thought, “I should make it so that the words of a mantra are heard in this assembly, the articulation of which ensures the well-being of the entire assembly and ensures the long-term availability of the awakening of the realized ones, too.”
EN
The Blessed One then spoke to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “Lord of the Guhyakas, do you remember the words of the mantra that were spoken by me in the abode of the nāga king Apalāla, which I recalled as I was at the supreme point of the seat of awakening and spoke again for the well-being and benefit of the world?”
EN
“Yes, I remember them, Blessed One.”
EN
The Blessed One then said, “Use your inspired eloquence, Lord of the Guhyakas, and speak the words of the mantra.”
EN
Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then rose from his seat. Crouching down in front of the Blessed One, he touched the Blessed One’s feet with his hands, and then he spoke these words of the mantra as follows:
EN
ahula | hulavati | hularaṇa | aguha | ca ca ca ca ca |niṣuraṇa | kṣuta kṣata | kṣaya kṣaya | akṣayasama | śamanikara | hahula huvati | khilavati | kina abhiṣiti | nissaraṇi | jajājajāmati | avaṭā | nivaṭā | varta varta anusariṇi | bhuta anusmṛti ho | manuṣa anusmṛti ho | deva anusmṛti ho | nāganāṃ | yakṣānāṃ | gandharvāṇāṃ | kinnarāṇāṃ | mahoragāṇāṃ | svastir bhavantu | sarvasattvānāṃ | vikirantu mahāparavat | saṃvyathatāṃ dhāraṇi | garjatu samudravega iti | |
EN
When he had set forth this teaching of the words of the mantra, all the divine abodes quaked. The entire earth quaked, too, and the great ocean roiled. The whole assembly trembled and fell down at the feet of the Blessed One. The Blessed One then touched that galaxy of a thousand worlds with one foot. Just as the Blessed One was about to touch the ground, however, the whole assembly seated nearby cried out, “Blessed One, keep us safe! Sublime One, protect us! We are in danger! We are in great danger! We are trembling!”
EN
The Blessed One said, “Have no fear, friends, have no fear. This is the impact of these words of the mantra, which have been authorized by the empowering authority of the Realized One: the great earth quakes; the great ocean roils. Even if you were in the sky, you would quake.”
EN
The Blessed One then taught the Dharma at length so that eighty thousand beings in the courtyard of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, conceived the aspiration for awakening and an immeasurable number of beings took up the basic moral precepts.
EN
Vajrasena, son of the Lord of the Guhyakas, then covered the Blessed One with a net of jewels and inquired of the Blessed One, “How is it, Blessed One, that bodhisattvas become unshakable in their resolve for unsurpassable and perfect awakening?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Noble son, bodhisattvas of great courage who have ten qualities become unshakable in their resolve for unsurpassable and perfect awakening. What are these ten qualities? They are great love without anger; great compassion without weariness; heroic effort that brings to completion everything one has begun; concentration that is brought into contact with emptiness; wisdom that is perceived with one’s own eyes; all-encompassing expertise; knowledge that cleanses the three times; vision of the truths that is not obscured by any smudges; being endowed with emptiness, which is the finest of all qualities; and having set out upon the path of what is entirely pure just as it is. Young one, bodhisattvas who have these ten qualities become unshakable in their resolve for unsurpassable and perfect awakening.”
EN
Vajrasena, son of the Lord of the Guhyakas, then spoke again to the Blessed One: “How is it, Blessed One, that bodhisattvas can avoid feeling fear, fright, or terror when they hear about the inconceivable qualities of a buddha?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, bodhisattvas who have eight qualities do not become fearful, frightened, or terrified when they hear about the inconceivable qualities of a buddha. What are these eight qualities? They are steadiness due to one’s wisdom, steadiness due to one’s knowledge, being held firmly by companions in what is good, having lofty aspirations, letting go of things that have the characteristics of a magical illusion, having an interest in the idea that things are impermanent, having a mind that is equal to space, and knowing that all things have the characteristic of being involved in a magical creation. Young one, bodhisattvas who have these eight qualities do not become fearful, frightened, or terrified when they hear about the inconceivable qualities of a buddha.”
EN
“With what qualities should bodhisattvas be equipped, Blessed One, so that they gain the power to do everything that should be done?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, bodhisattvas equipped with four qualities gain the power to do everything that should be done. What are these four? They have thoroughly cultivated and become equipped with the five supernormal faculties without any impairment. They are equipped with the four states of meditation that are fully pervaded by the gateway to liberation. They are equipped with the four dwellings of Brahmā, which transcend even the highest Brahmā world. They are masters of wisdom and skill in means, which apply to every situation. Young one, bodhisattvas equipped with these four qualities gain the power to do everything that should be done.”
EN
“What are the gateways of the bodhisattvas, Blessed One?”
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, there are four gateways of the bodhisattvas. What are these four gateways? They are as follows: the gateway of knowledge, which comprehends the spiritual faculties of beings; the gateway of wisdom, which teaches the fine analysis of words; the gateway of powerful memory and the formulas that support it, which enables a thorough grasp of all languages; and the gateway of the special modes of knowledge, which teaches the inexhaustible Dharma. Young one, these are the four gateways of the bodhisattvas.”
EN
“What are the powers of the bodhisattvas, Blessed One?’
EN
The Blessed One answered, “Young one, there are nine powers of the bodhisattvas. What are these nine powers? They are the power of profound contemplation so that one may do the work of compassion; the power of heroic courage so that one may become impossible to turn back from awakening; the power of learning so that one may develop great wisdom; the power of ardent devotion so that one may fulfill the goal of liberation; the power of cultivation so that one may become free; the power of patience in order to protect the mind; the power of the aspiration for awakening in order to gain power over Māra; the power of great compassion so that one may bring beings to maturity; and the power of acceptance of the fact that things do not arise so that one may gain full possession of the ten powers of the realized ones. Young one, these are the nine powers of the bodhisattvas.”
EN
When this teaching had been given, the sons of the Lord of the Guhyakas gained acceptance of the fact that things do not arise, and once they had gained acceptance of this fact they implored the Blessed One, “Use your empowering authority, Blessed One, to ensure that this formulation of the Dharma continues to exist and be circulated for a long time in the abode of the Lord of the Guhyakas. Ensure that those beings who are worthy recipients of it will continue to hear of it, that it will spread widely throughout Jambudvīpa, and that by no means will it disappear after the complete cessation of the Realized One.”
EN
Thinking of what the sons of the Lord of the Guhyakas had requested of him, the Blessed One said to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, “So that the way of the true Dharma continues to exist for a long time and the māras and proponents of other doctrines are defeated in accordance with the Dharma, I request you, Lord of the Guhyakas, to speak the words of the mantra that you called to mind and then expressed and intoned in order to protect the Bodhisattva when he was seated at the supreme point of the seat of awakening and to defeat the māras when the armies of Māra had come there.”
EN
Understanding the Blessed One’s request, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then rose from his seat, arranged his cloak over one shoulder , knelt down on his right knee, and bowing toward the Blessed One with his arms outstretched, palms together in a gesture of salutation, he spoke the words of the mantra:
The recitation of the words of the mantra Shook even the king of mountains; It made the earth quake, too, And it also made the king of waters roil.
EN
The recitation of the words of the mantra Defeated the proponents of other doctrines, Brought together the exponents of the Dharma, And safeguarded the treasury of the Dharma.
EN
When they heard the words of the mantra The groups of gods were overjoyed, And each one of them stated the wish, “May the true Dharma last a long time.”
EN
As the cosmos of a billion worlds shook, The assembly, too, began to tremble. They touched the feet of the Lord of Men, To whom they had gone for protection.
EN
They had gone to the one without fear, The Teacher, who had spoken thus, Whose authority empowered this discourse, Ensuring that the true Dharma would last long.
EN
The Blessed One then spent seven days in the abode of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and for seven days he fulfilled the wishes of limitless beings. As many different wishes as the beings had in that assembly in the capital city of Aḍagavatī, he fulfilled them all.
EN
Then the Blessed One left the abode of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and, surrounded by the host of bodhisattvas and accompanied by the host of disciples, he flew freely through the vault of the sky like the king of swans, as a host of gods paid homage to him; a host of goddesses praised him; yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, and garuḍas surrounded him; and Śakra, Brahmā, and the Lokapālas offered him praise. The rays of light they emitted made a latticework of light, as musical instruments were played, it rained down showers of flowers, and all the domains trembled. All this was due to the great majestic power of the Buddha, the great superhuman power of the Buddha, the great transformative power of the Buddha, the great miraculous display of the Buddha, the great glory of the Buddha, the great vital energy of the Buddha, the great demeanor of the Buddha, and the great child’s play of the Buddha.
EN
With Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, following as his attendant, the Blessed One returned to the hill, Vulture Peak.
Sutraya