After the Lord had left the five hundred householders in a balanced state of mind on his way to the city, he entered the great city of Rājagṛha with perfect grace.

One of the city deities of Rājagṛha was a yakṣa named Kimbhīra. He thought to himself, “In this world, it is extremely rare to encounter anyone who is such a worthy recipient of offerings. We should make offerings to the Lord.”

The yakṣa Kimbhīra then presented the Lord with offerings that looked exquisite, smelled exquisite, tasted exquisite, and felt exquisite, and because of his empathy for Kimbhīra, the Lord accepted his offerings. When Kimbhīra had given his offerings to the Lord, cheers of “Wonderful!” arose from a great crowd of sixty-eight thousand yakṣas surrounding Kimbhīra in the sky.

Kimbhīra then addressed his followers: “As we have now made offerings to the Tathāgata, you should also present offerings to the community of mendicants. This will benefit you, help you, and bring you long-lasting happiness.”

The yakṣas then presented the community of mendicants with offerings, and the mendicants accepted the offerings because of their empathy for the yakṣas.

After he had entered the great city of Rājagṛha and received offerings, the Lord left the city. The Lord was accompanied by many thousands of gods, many thousands of nāgas, many thousands of yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, and many thousands of human and nonhuman beings, and many hundreds, thousands, millions, and billions of beings. After he left the city, the Lord went to a large, spacious clearing and sat down on the seat prepared for him. Kimbhīra worshiped the Lord by sprinkling, overspreading, and showering the Lord with heavenly mandārava flowers, blue, pink, red, and white lotus flowers, and heavenly sandalwood powder. When he had sprinkled, overspread, and showered him with these offerings, he stood in front of him with his hands joined in reverence. The Lord perceived Kimbhīra’s state of mind [MS.14.a] and that of the rest of the large group of yakṣas, and he smiled.

It is in the nature of the buddhas, the lords, that when they smile, multicolored, variegated light issues from their mouths. This light is blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, and silver, and it spreads throughout the world, outshining the radiance of the sun and the moon. It travels from the beings of hell all the way up to the world of the brahmā gods, rising and then returning again, circling the lord clockwise seven times. Some parts of it then dissolve into the crown of the lord’s head, some into his shoulders, and some into his knees. It is in the nature of the buddhas, the lords, that when they make predictions for the beings of hell, this light dissolves into the soles of their feet. When they make predictions for the beings of the animal realm, the light dissolves into their back. When they make predictions for the beings of the spirit world governed by Yama, the light dissolves into their front. When they make predictions for human beings, the light dissolves into their left side. When they make predictions for the gods, the light dissolves into their right side. When they make predictions for śrāvakas, the light dissolves into their knees. When they make predictions for pratyekabuddhas, the light dissolves into their shoulders. When the buddhas, the lords, make predictions that bodhisatvas will attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, the light dissolves into the crown of their head.

The venerable Ānanda saw the Lord smile, and so he placed his robe over one shoulder, knelt down on his right knee, joined his hands in reverence, and addressed the Lord in verse:

“What is the cause of this illumination of the world, This radiance of the protector of the world? For the sake of whom is the smile displayed, It being something that benefits the world?

“Who has sown a seed today That will lead to their awakening as a buddha? For whom was a prediction made today? Who is destined for awakening?

“The heroes, the guides, Do not smile without a reason. Tell us, O sage, what is the purpose of these rays of light? For the sake of whom are they displayed?”

The Lord then replied to the venerable Ānanda in verse:

“Kimbhīra gave offerings to the protector, The guardian of the world, With a mind filled with faith. That is why I smiled.

“When he passes on from this birth as a yakṣa, He will go to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When he passes on from the Thirty-Three, He will go to the realm of the yāma gods.

“From the yāma gods he will go to Tuṣita And delight in its pleasures. After that he will appear among human beings And become a king with supernatural powers.

“He will be a king of the entire world, A chief of men, a lord of the four continents. After leaving the world of men, He will go to the world of the brahmā gods.

“For two hundred million eons He will be revered unceasingly, Born again and again Among gods and human beings.

“Having left his kingdom behind And become a homeless renunciant, The conditions will arise that will lead him to attain awakening, And he will reach sublimity. [MS.14.b]

“Thirty thousand yakṣas, Having shown respect to the Buddha, Will go to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three When they pass on from their lives as yakṣas.

“They will see the Buddha Maitreya, And work toward final sublimity. Who would not honor the teacher Whose teachings lead one to become an arhat?

“Thousands of yakṣas Whose aim is supreme awakening, Because of their roots of virtue, Will never again go to the lower realms.

“Some will turn for guidance To thousands of buddhas And seek the highest awakening For the benefit of all beings.

“Some two or three thousand Will make offerings Of fragrant garlands of flowers And create the conditions for their awakening as buddhas.

“Some ten billion Will show reverence to the guides, Those personifications of perfected purity, And thus come within reach of awakening.

“The son of Kimbhīra, The great magician named Śaila, Then thought to himself, ‘I should become a buddha in this world.

“ ‘I have seen him show reverence to the Buddha And constantly make solemn commitments to him. I, too, should make offerings And turn my mind toward awakening.’

“Because of his roots of virtue, He has managed to put an end to all painful rebirths. When he sees the Buddha Maitreya, He will offer him ten million parasols.

“After offering ten million parasols, He will present ten million garments. After offering ten million garments, He will become a renunciant.

“For a full five hundred years, He will live a life of purity, With supreme awakening For the benefit of all beings as his aim.

“For as many eons As there are grains of sand in the Ganges, He will train himself in practices Such as generosity and morality.

“You should bear this in mind Just as I have taught it to you. You should not only bear these examples in mind But practice them.

“As the old adage says, He will see as many buddhas As there are grains of sand in the Ganges, And he will show reverence to them all.

“O wise ones! O wise ones! You whose minds are unsurpassed! You who are guides for all sentient beings— You never grow weary!

“He will become a buddha, Supreme among all sentient beings, And be as widely esteemed As the king of physicians.

“For seventy million years, He will teach the Dharma to living beings. Then he will reach emancipation And become the best of men.

“Twenty assemblies Of those who have tamed their minds will appear. Eventually, each will include Two hundred million mendicants.

“An immeasurable number of śrāvakas Will hear the teachings of these assemblies; And all who listen Will reach awakening.

“Having worked for the benefit of living beings, The tathāgatas reach emancipation. For a hundred thousand years after that, The sacred teachings will remain.

“For more than five hundred eons, Many buddhas will appear, And in just this single eon, One thousand will appear.

“Men who wish to gain insight Should strive with fervent determination To follow the Buddha’s teachings And become learned in what is essential.

“One should shun what is superficial And always cultivate what is essential. When one has listened for a long time, One’s insight will flourish. [MS.15.a]

“The four essential trainings Of the bodhisatvas, the protectors, Are generosity, morality, learning, and renunciation. These are the best of all paths to awakening.

“The path to awakening should be taught As the highest vehicle, the unsurpassed. The path of the śrāvaka should be taught As the best way of severing doubt.

“I reveal this for those beings Who desire it. It is difficult to encounter the illuminators of the world, Those who can teach the supreme Dharma.”

Śaila, the son of the yakṣa Kimbhīra, then thought to himself, “The Lord will ascend Vulture’s Peak, the king of mountains. I must create a vast, meritorious root of virtue in the presence of the Lord.”

The yakṣa Śaila, Kimbhīra’s son, then addressed his companions: “Friends, listen! The Lord is traveling from the great city of Rājagṛha toward Vulture’s Peak, the king of mountains. Friends! You should make an effort to worship the Lord according to your strength and capability.”

Kimbhīra’s son Śaila, together with his companions, then cleared the path between the great city of Rājagṛha and Vulture’s Peak, the king of mountains, clearing it of rocks, pebbles, roots, and thorns. He made it as spotless as a mirror, and when the whole path was cleared, he sprinkled it with scented water. He then covered the path completely with fabric and scattered flowers to the height of a man. He adorned the path with parasols, banners, and flags, and along its length he burned fragrant incense in exquisite containers. In the space above the path he strung silken streamers, and he filled the air with the tones and sounds of all kinds of instruments. Along the path he spread blue, pink, red, and white lotus flowers to the breadth of an arrow’s shot. He placed golden tiles on the path and laid out a golden lattice of the seven precious substances.

Then, having prepared the path in this fashion, the yakṣa Śaila, Kimbhīra’s son, displayed a material body, which pleased, excited, and delighted the crowd. When he had brought joy to the crowd and put them in good spirits, he approached the Lord in a joyful state of mind, in a happy state of mind, in a gentle state of mind, in a faithful state of mind, in an untroubled state of mind, and in a delighted state of mind, his mind drawn to the Buddha, his mind drawn to the Dharma, his mind drawn to the Saṅgha, and his mind not wavering from awakening, undisturbed, and not indifferent to awakening, with a mind esteemed in all the three worlds, with a loving mind, a compassionate mind, a joyous mind, and a mind of equanimity for all sentient beings, with a mind that was a fitting vessel for all the Buddha’s teachings, a firm mind, a stable mind, an undivided mind, a nondecaying mind, and with an attitude that did not fall to the level of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas but had the motivation to attain all the stages of the bodhisatva path. He approached the Lord and saluted him by bowing the head to his feet, circumambulated him three times clockwise, and then stood to one side. Standing there, the yakṣa Śaila, Kimbhīra’s son, joined his hands and addressed the Lord in verse:

“May these supreme and genuine acts Of worship for the protector of the world Lead me to become a supreme buddha, A teacher of the supreme Dharma.

“Possessing the ten powers And firmly supported by confidence, May I soon bring benefit to living beings Just as you do, O guide!

“May I be endowed with the thirty-two characteristics And eighty minor marks. May I become a light for the world, A radiant protector of the world. [MS.15.b]

“May I turn the wheel of the Dharma With its twelve unsurpassed forms. May I teach the sweet Dharma That benefits all who live.

“May I be able to display miracles In the same manner as the Victorious One So that I may be of benefit To many millions of living beings.

“Like the great heroes yet to come, The protectors of the world, the illuminators, May I teach the path After having realized unsurpassed awakening.

“May I be a resting place, a shelter, A refuge, and an ultimate sanctuary. May I be one who can see For all blind sentient beings.

“May I be a protector for living beings In the five realms. May I liberate them from all suffering, Just like you. O guide, grant liberation!

“The worship I have offered to the greatest of those who walk on two feet, To the boundless light, to the illuminator, Cannot be matched by any acts of worship Performed by powerful gods, nāgas, or asuras.

“By the acts here performed, May I become a lord of the Dharma Possessing the thirty-two supreme characteristics of excellent merit, Like the lord of men, unmatched in this world.”

The Lord then spoke these verses to the yakṣa Śaila:

“Those who show reverence to the teacher, The originator of the supreme teachings— They become the best among beings. For them, awakening will not be hard to reach.

“One who has worshiped the light of the world, The protector of the world, the illuminator— He himself becomes worthy of being worshiped By gods, nāgas, and men.

“He realizes supreme awakening Seated at the foot of the greatest of trees. He conquers the Evil One, And teaches the Dharma to living beings.”

The Lord was then surrounded and honored by many thousands of gods, by many thousands of yakṣas and rākṣasas, by many thousands of gandharvas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, by many thousands of human and nonhuman beings, and by many hundreds, thousands, millions, and billions of beings. By the tremendous power of the buddhas, by the tremendous magical abilities of the buddhas, by the tremendous miraculous abilities of the buddhas, by the tremendous transformative abilities of the buddhas, and by the tremendous splendor of buddhas, he emitted rays of light. The earth shook, flowers rained down, a hundred thousand million billion musical instruments resounded. He placed his feet down on lotus flowers the size of cart wheels, and on the path that had been prepared by the yakṣa Śaila, Kimbhīra’s son, he made his way to Vulture’s Peak, the king of mountains.

When he arrived there, he said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda! Prepare a seat for the Tathāgata, a seat of the Dharma, a choice seat, an excellent seat, a seat that will be celebrated throughout the three worlds, a seat for the Buddha. The Tathāgata will take his seat there and present a sūtra that is praised as being of benefit to all sentient beings. It is called The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and its natural result is the path of the bodhisatva. He will present this sūtra of the Tathāgata to address and to eliminate the doubts of all sentient beings, to eliminate any doubts that sentient beings may have, to help a great many beings, to delight a great many beings, out of compassion for the world, to benefit, to help, and to delight gods and men.”

The venerable Ānanda prepared the Lord’s seat, and six hundred eighty million gods each made an offering of cloth to the Tathāgata, placing it on his seat. The Lord then sat down on the seat that had been prepared for him. When he had sat down, the Lord spoke these verses to the gods:

“Superior, superb, excellent Divine cloth has been presented By the gods to the protector of the world, And here the guide has taken his seat.

“The Buddha has taken his seat. He has thoroughly mastered all the teachings. The sixfold world trembled, And he brought delight to living beings.

“His buddha field With its mountains Is illuminated when the Buddha [MS.16.a] Who works wonders, the guide, Teaches those who long for the Dharma.

“When gods, nāgas, and human beings, Kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, and pūtanas, See him in their turn, Their obscurations are no more.

“A hundred thousand million billion gods Look with delight Upon the Buddha who utters Words so hard to find.

“Once even the king Bimbisāra, Together with his ministers, Came to meet the protector of the world, The perfect Buddha.

“The teacher, seeing those who have assembled— Gods, nāgas, and human beings— Looks in all directions In order to help all living beings.

“Whoever harbors doubts in this world, Ask now the greatest of those who walk on two feet. I, the guide, will eliminate The uncertainties of any who ask.”

Then, beings from the threefold thousand great thousand worlds gathered. Realizing the great opportunity they now had to hear the Dharma, they all bowed. Then, motivated by compassion, they sat down and listened attentively to the teaching.

The Lord then addressed the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana: “Maudgalyāyana, focus your attention on the assembled mendicants. Find out who is not here and have those who are far away appear here.”

At that time, the venerable Mahākāśyapa was staying on the southern slopes of Himavat, the king of mountains. The venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana concentrated his attention, and when he had done so he traveled by means of his magical powers to the place where the venerable Mahākāśyapa was staying. When he arrived there, he said this to the venerable Mahākāśyapa: “Brother Mahākāśyapa! The Lord is teaching the Dharma to an assembly of the whole world, with its gods, with its māras, with its brahmā gods, with its ascetics and brahmins, and with its gods, human beings, and asuras. Come with me, Brother Mahākāśyapa! The Lord has urged you to come, saying, ‘Let there be no hindrances to our Dharma activity!’ ”

When the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana had spoken, the venerable Mahākāśyapa replied to him: “Go on ahead, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana. I will follow after you when you have left.”

The venerable Mahākāśyapa then magically transported himself to Vulture’s Peak, the king of mountains, accompanied by a fourfold entourage. When he arrived there, he saluted the Lord by bowing the head to his feet and sat down in the audience not too far from the Lord.

The venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana traveled to the place where the Lord was by means of his own magical powers, and he saw the venerable Mahākāśyapa there, already seated in the audience to one side, not too far from the Lord. When he saw him, he said, [MS.16.b] “You are indeed blessed with swiftness, Brother Mahākāśyapa, as with your magical powers you can travel from your dwelling place and arrive as quickly as this and be seated in the audience not too far from the Lord.”

When this had been said, the venerable Mahākāśyapa replied to the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana: “The Lord has said that you, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, are the foremost when it comes to magical powers, so why even speak of my magical powers of transformation in this connection?”