Venerable Śāriputra then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if even beings born into the nāga realms can develop the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening in this fashion, it is astounding that some people are incapable of developing the mind set on awakening.”

The Blessed One responded, “Śāriputra, these twelve thousand nāgas went forth in the Thus-Gone One Kāśyapa’s body of teachings. They heard the message on the mind set on awakening from that thus-gone one. Not only did they hear it, but the Thus-Gone One gave them his approval. The Great Vehicle is inconceivable, and yet he expressed his approval. Still, they were distracted by nonvirtue in the following way: in order to keep a family household or a household that gives to beggars, they failed to practice discipline. As they let their discipline become impaired, once they died, they were reborn in the nāga realm. Through the cause, contributing condition, and roots of virtue of them hearing the message of the Great Vehicle and the Blessed One expressing his approval, they now hear the Great Vehicle message from me. Having heard teachings on the inexhaustible casket dhāraṇī, they are developing the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Śāriputra, just consider this difference of intention.

“I will now give them their prophecy of unsurpassed and perfect awakening: after countless eons of serving countless thus-gone ones, they will truly accomplish the Dharma that accords with awakening. Then, during the Joyful Eon in the world called Immaculate Heart, they will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will all become thus-gone ones with four appropriate names: Superior Wisdom, Superior Merit, Superior Dharma, and Superior Insight. They will all appear during a single eon, just as now a thousand buddhas are set to appear during this Fortunate Eon.”

Then Nāga King Sāgara said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when I was living in the ocean at the beginning of the eon, when the Blessed Thus-Gone One Krakucchanda appeared in the world, there were only a few adult nāgas and young male and female nāgas in that ocean. Even I had a meager retinue. Now, Blessed One, the adult nāgas and young male and female nāgas in the ocean are limitless. Their limit cannot be calculated numerically. Blessed One, what is the cause and contributing condition for this?”

The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, those who go forth in the well-spoken Dharma and Vinaya and do not perfect their discipline—who do not perfect it but rather let their activities, livelihood, and discipline degenerate, though they still have a morally upright view—are not reborn as hell beings. Once they die, they will be reborn in the nāga realms. Nāga Lord, 980 million householders and monastics let the activities, livelihood, and discipline received from the Thus-Gone One Krakucchanda’s teachings degenerate. Once they died, they were reborn in the nāga realms. Also, 640 million householders and monastics who went forth in the Thus-Gone One Kanakamuni’s teachings subsequently let their discipline become corrupt. Thus, when they died, they were reborn in the nāga realms. Likewise, 800 million householders and monastics let their activities, livelihood, and discipline that they received from the Thus-Gone One Kāśyapa degenerate. Thus, once they died, they were reborn in the nāga realms. Nāga King, presently 999 million householders and monastics who have gone forth in my teachings have subsequently gotten involved in various debates, struggles, and distractions and let their activities, livelihood, and discipline degenerate. When they die, they will also be reborn in the nāga realms.

“Nāga Lord, such are the causes. Such are the conditions. Therefore, the population of adult nāgas and young male and female nāgas is presently limitless in this way. Still, Nāga Lord, in the latter days after I have passed into parinirvāṇa, evil monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen will let their discipline degenerate and therefore be reborn in the nāga realms. Some among them will fall to the state of hell beings.”

Nāga King Sāgara asked, “Blessed One, what is notable about the actions of those who have gone forth who let their discipline degenerate and either have been or will be reborn in the nāga realms?”

The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, the behavior of those who have gone forth who let their discipline degenerate and either have been or will be reborn in the nāga realms is extremely impure. But, because they have trust in the Thus-Gone One’s teachings, they have the motivation such that when they pass on from the nāga realm they will be reborn among the gods and humans due to the power of that pure motivation. They will have the inclination to enter the vehicles within the teachings of those thus-gone ones who become buddhas in this Fortunate Eon. All of them, except for those who have entered the Great Vehicle, will pass into parinirvāṇa during this Fortunate Eon.

“Nāga Lord, consider thus the uniqueness of the cause, which is the greatness of the Thus-Gone One’s teachings and the benefits of renunciation. Due to this cause, these beings will abandon all nonvirtuous qualities and become extraordinary.”

Then Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara, said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is incredible how meaningful it is to see and hear the blessed buddhas. In this way, if such worthy beings who have a karmic connection arouse the mind focused on the Buddha even one time and do not let that thought spoil, it will become a cause for obtaining parinirvāṇa. Blessed One, I will also seek unsurpassed and perfect awakening by arousing the intention to see and hear in the same way. Until I reach the seat of awakening, may my bodhisattva conduct be meaningful. May I not become deluded. May I not become deluded about virtue or about great love and compassion. In all my lifetimes, may I never be separated from seeing the buddhas, hearing the Dharma, serving the saṅgha of noble beings, and ripening beings.”

The Blessed One then offered his approval to Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara, “Good sir, it is excellent that you have developed an attitude of supporting all beings. Even if the blessed ones were to describe them for seven years, seven months, and seven days, they would be unable to describe the ripening of the roots of virtue of developing the mind set on awakening with this kind of pure motivation and great compassion. So, the roots of virtue that you have accumulated should be understood as being that limitless.”

The Blessed One smiled when he recognized the pure motivation of Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara. It is in the nature of the blessed buddhas that whenever they smile, in that very moment, blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, and silver-colored light streams from the mouths of those blessed ones. This light pervades limitless worlds with bright light, rising as high as the Brahmā world and eclipsing even the splendor and brightness of the sun and moon. The light then returns and encircles the blessed ones three times before it dissolves into a blessed one’s crown.

Then Venerable Ānanda stood up, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together he bowed toward the Blessed One and asked the Blessed One the meaning of his smile in verse:

“O Well-Gone One whose body is adorned with myriad merits And possesses the thirty-two supreme marks— Your face is pure and immaculate like the moon. Why have you shown your smile?

“O Blessed One, you are immaculate, devoid of the three stains. Without affliction, your lotus eyes are utterly pure. You are venerated by gods, asuras, and nāgas. Why have you shown your smile?

“O Blessed One, your teeth are even, straight, and brilliantly white. You master the ten powers, and your mouth has the most pleasant breath. O surmounter of aging and death, Why have you shown your smile?

“O protector whose mind is immaculate like the sphere of space, With your heart you see enemies in equality. Your mind is unmoving like a mountain. Blessed One, please elucidate the meaning of your smile!

“O Blessed One, you speak with Brahmā’s voice, Which is pleasing and delightful like the sound Of a kinnara, a cuckoo, or a drum. Please speak to the means of your smile!

“O guide, possessing the unimpeded mind, You know the actions, the hopes, and even the faculties of beings Throughout the three times. Why have you shown your smile?

“O Blessed One, king of physicians, You heal the diseases of humans, gods, and nāgas. O Blessed One, teacher of lasting bliss, Why have you shown your smile?

“O qualified one, bestow your instruction upon me! Billions of gods and humans are here, listening. Hearing, their minds will be totally gladdened, And the intention of the omniscient one will be enacted.”

The Blessed One asked Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, did you see Glorious Splendor, son of the Nāga King, standing before me while through his pure motivation he developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening?”

“Yes, Blessed One, I did see it.”

The Blessed One said, “Ānanda, in eight hundred countless eons, during the eon Total Vision, Glorious Splendor will become the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin, appearing in the world Totally Pure and Stable. Ānanda, Glorious Splendor has engaged in the meaningful conduct of bodhisattvas and pleased limitless blessed buddhas. Venerating them, he went forth and engaged in pure conduct. He ripened limitless beings through the three vehicles. Ānanda, Totally Pure and Stable, the world of the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin, will be wealthy, extensive, blissful, and pleasant, and it will have good harvests. It will have a huge population and be filled with gods and humans. The humans there will be similar to the gods of the Heaven Free from Strife in their provisions and enjoyments. The lifespan of this thus-gone one will reach ten thousand years. His saṅgha of hearers will be six hundred million strong. His saṅgha of bodhisattvas will number one million two hundred thousand.

“Ānanda, as soon as the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin enters these beings’ field of vision, they will achieve the meditative absorption features of love. Ānanda, as soon as beings see the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin, they will be tamed. Regarding this, anyone on the vehicle of hearers will, upon seeing him for the first time, become a stream enterer. Upon seeing him for the second time, they will achieve the fruit of a once-returner. Upon seeing him for the third time, they will achieve the fruit of a non-returner. Upon seeing him for the fourth time, they will achieve the state of a worthy one. Anyone on the vehicle of bodhisattvas will, upon purely seeing him for the first time, attain the acceptance that phenomena are unborn.

“Ānanda, no beings in the world Totally Pure and Stable will ever let their discipline, view, activity, or livelihood degenerate. They will all become certain about what is correct. No beings who die will be reborn in the lower realms; instead they will all be reborn among the humans and gods or into pure buddha realms.”

When Glorious Splendor, the son of the Nāga King Sāgara, heard this prophecy himself, he was satisfied, happy, delighted, joyful, and at ease. Presenting a net of pearls adorned with hundreds of thousands of precious gems to the body of the Thus-Gone One, he pressed his ten fingers and palms together and praised the Blessed One directly with these fitting verses:

“Lord of Humans, your face shines like immaculate moonlight. Infinite splendor, venerated by the gods and humans, Incomparable strength, infinite power— I bow my head to you, immeasurable wisdom!

“O immeasurable wisdom that benefits all, Whose insight, likewise, is unfathomable, With discipline immaculate, firm, and pure— I prostrate to you, Lord of Humans, who are like the sphere of space!

“Engaging in practices for countless infinite eons, You attained the wisdom of buddhahood. Thereby, you know the behavior of beings And likewise their faculties and thoughts.

“O Blessed One, your form is incomparable in the world, And beings therefore never grow satisfied in beholding you. Their afflictions are prevented from arising, And in that moment all are quelled.

“The calls of the kalaviṅka and cuckoo, the music of the kinnaras, And likewise the sounds of Brahmā and the asuras— Any such pleasing sound heard in the ten directions Is outclassed by the single voice of the Well-Gone One.

“It’s possible the moon could fall from the sky. It’s possible the ocean could dry up and Mount Meru be reduced to dust. It’s possible the sky could fall to the earth and shatter into a hundred pieces. But nothing, on the other hand, could happen to the Victor’s voice.

“Observing the conduct of truth, the Teacher has Granted me prophecy guided by awakened wisdom. I have no doubt, hesitation, or skepticism about whether I will become a self-arisen victor, the embodiment of qualities.

“One could finely decorate the ten directions with countless billions of jewels And offer them to the guides. But the merit of this would not equal even a fraction Of that of arousing the mind set on awakening just once.

“Those who develop the supreme mind set on awakening Elevate their veneration of the buddhas to the highest degree. One who does not interrupt this mode of the guides Will repay the kindness of the ten powers.”

When Glorious Splendor, son of the Nāga King Sāgara, spoke these consummate verses, ten thousand beings developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. They announced, “When the Blessed Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin attains awakening, may we meet this blessed one and be reborn in the world Totally Pure and Stable. May we uphold the sublime Dharma of that thus-gone one, venerate him, and serve him. Following that blessed one, may we also fully awaken.”

The Blessed One then gave the prophecy that all of them would be reborn in the buddha realm of the Thus-Gone One Amoghadarśin.