I pay homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was within the profound, completely pure realm of the Dharma that is the field of activity of all the buddhas, dwelling at Vulture Peak Mountain at Rājagṛha together with a saṅgha of ten thousand times ninety-eight thousand great bhikṣus who were all without exception arhats, all of whom were purified like the king of elephants, all of whose defilements had ceased, all of whom were without kleśas, all of whom had liberated minds, all of whom had completely liberated wisdom, all of whom had done what had to be done, all of whom had put down their burden, all of whom had attained the goal, all of whom had ended engagement with existence, all of whom had attained supreme sublime power, all of whom maintained pure correct conduct, all of whom were adorned by skill in method and wisdom, all of whom possessed the eight liberations, and all of whom had reached the farther shore.

Their names were Venerable Ājñātakauṇḍinya, Venerable Aśvajit, Venerable Vāṣpa, Venerable Mahānāman, Venerable Bhadrika, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, Venerable Uruvilvakāśyapa, Venerable Gayākāśyapa, Venerable Nadīkāśyapa, Venerable Śāriputra, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and so on, who were all, apart from Venerable Ānanda, a great saṅgha of śrāvakas, who had arisen from their afternoon samādhi and come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

A quintillion bodhisattva mahāsattvas had also gathered there. They all had great, brilliant, powerful might, like the great king of the nāgas; had great fame; had nobility; had pure generosity and correct conduct; gave pure offerings and service; had for countless kalpas practiced patience, diligence, and meditation that transcended all; remained perfectly in mindfulness; had opened the door to wisdom; delighted in yoga, methods, and powers; possessed the higher cognitions and the power of mental retention; possessed unceasing eloquence; had eliminated all kleśas; had cut through the bondage of the kleśas; would soon possess omniscient wisdom; had defeated Māra and Māra’s armies; beat the drum of the Dharma; defeated all tīrthikas and brought them to correct thought; turned the wheel of the Dharma; liberated devas and humans; accomplished the adornment of the buddha realms in the ten directions; benefited beings in the six existences; always had a mind of great love and great compassion; had great invincible strength; went to all buddha realms and made offerings; did not pass into nirvāṇa; had made the great prayer of unceasing commitment until the end of all future kalpas; had developed pure, very profound causes in the presence of many buddhas; had attained quiescence with regard to the birthlessness of the phenomena of the three times; had transcended the field of activity of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; were skilled in engaging in benefiting the world; taught extensively the array of the Dharma taught with implied meanings by the great teachers; were skilled in the profound, pure characteristics of emptiness; and had completely eliminated doubts.

Among them were those named the bodhisattva Turning Wheel of Unobscured Dharma, the bodhisattva Wheel of Dharma Thoroughly Encircling Mind Generation, the bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva Aparikheda, the bodhisattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvararāja, the bodhisattva Fearless Ornament King, the bodhisattva King of Mount Sumeru, the bodhisattva Profound Ocean King, the bodhisattva Ratnadhvaja, the bodhisattva Great Precious Victory Banner, the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, the bodhisattva Precious Hand Blessing, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva Ratibala, the bodhisattva Dharmabala, the bodhisattva Great Brilliant Ornament, the bodhisattva Great Golden Radiance Ornament, the bodhisattva Viśuddhaśīla, the bodhisattva Always Concentrated, the bodhisattva Viśuddhaprajñā, the bodhisattva Ascetic Effort, the bodhisattva Sky-Like Thought, the bodhisattva Great Prayer Completely Unending, the bodhisattva Giving Medicine, the bodhisattva Dispeller of the Affliction’s Disease, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, the bodhisattva Noble Joy, the bodhisattva Previously Prophesized Attainment, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Pure Light, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Dharma Protector, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Joy, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Limitless Renown, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lion’s Roar, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Expounder Great King’s Sound, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Good Fortune, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Precious Qualities, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Solar Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Moon’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Star Light, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Fire Light, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lightning Flash, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Thunder, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Wisdom Rain Thoroughly Equal, the bodhisattva King of Great Cloud’s Rain Thoroughly Purified, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Flower Tree King, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Sweet Scent of Blue Lotus, the bodhisattva Precious Cloud Sandalwood Body Completely Cool, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Eradicating Darkness, and the bodhisattva Great Cloud Eradicating Deceptive Views. That entourage of bodhisattva mahāsattvas had in the afternoon arisen from their individual afternoon samādhis and come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

Also gathered there were eight hundred thousand times a hundred thousand Licchavī youths. Among them were those named Kumāra Lion’s Radiance, Kumāra Siṃhamati, Kumāra Dharmadatta, Kumāra Power Bestower, Kumāra Mahāprabha, Kumāra Great Glorious One, Kumāra Protected by the Buddha, Kumāra Protected by the Dharma, Kumāra Protected by the Saṅgha, Kumāra Protected by Vajras, Kumāra Protected by the Sky, Kumāra Sky Uttering Sound, Kumāra Ratnagarbha, and Kumāra Essence of Supreme Auspiciousness. They were supreme among all those youths residing in the highest enlightenment, each having found faith in the Mahāyāna. In the afternoon they had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.

Also gathered there were 42,000 devas. The chief among these devas were named Deva Priyadarśana, Deva Pramudita, Deva Sūryaprabha, Deva Moon’s Uṣṇīṣa, Deva Spatial Intellect Completely Pure, Deva Abandoned Affliction, and Deva Maṅgala. They had made the prayer of great commitment to protect the Mahāyāna Dharma, and all those lineage holders who prevented the Dharma from ceasing in the afternoon had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

Also gathered there were 28,000 nāga kings. The chief among these nāga kings were named Nāga King Padma, Nāga King Elapatra, Nāga King Mahābala, Nāga King Mahāghoṣa, Nāga King Small Waves, Nāga King Holder of Water’s Cause, Nāga King Golden Face, and Nāga King Wish-Fulfilling. They delighted in protecting, holding, and receiving the Mahāyāna Dharma; they aspired to, rejoiced in, and protected and sustained very profound contemplation. In the afternoon they had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

Also gathered there were an entourage of 36,000 yakṣas. The principal ones among them, led by King Virūpākṣa, were Yakṣa Amra, Yakṣa Holder of Amra, Yakṣa Lotus Radiance, Yakṣa Lotus Face, Yakṣa Bhṛkuti, Yakṣa Frightful Direct Teacher, Yakṣa Bhūmikampa, and Yakṣa Swallower of Foods, all of whom were the chief among those yakṣas. They had developed a mind of faith in the Dharma of the Tathāgata; they had developed an unflagging motivation to protect and guard the Dharma. In the afternoon they had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

Also gathered there was an entourage of 49,000 garuḍas. The principal one among them was the garuḍa king Gandhahastiprabhāvarāja. There was also an entourage of gandharvas; an entourage of asuras; an entourage of kinnaras; an entourage of kumbhāṇḍas; an entourage of mahoragas; the devas of mountains, forests, rivers, and seas; ṛṣis and the kings of all great lands; the royal courts, queens, attendants, boys, girls, devas, and other people who had developed faith, and so on—all had gathered together and arrived there, and all had the commitment to read, recite, possess, keep, write out, and promulgate, maintain, and protect this unsurpassable Mahāyāna Dharma. In the afternoon they had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and then sat to one side.

In that way, all those śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, nāgas, yakṣas, and so on had gathered, each having developed the motivation to venerate and serve; with palms together in homage and with unblinking eyes, they gazed without wavering upon the Bhagavat and aspired to hear the Dharma.

Then the Bhagavat, during that afternoon, arose from samādhi, looked upon the assembly of followers, and recited these verses:

“The Sublime Golden Light, the noble Dharma That is the king of all the sūtras, The field of activity of all the buddhas, Is very difficult to hear and listen to.

“Through my teaching this sublime sūtra Today to you, this assembly, The buddhas in the four directions Will bestow their blessing:

“The Buddha Akṣobhya in the east, The Buddha Ratnaketu in the south, The Buddha Amitābha in the west, And the Buddha Dundubhisvara in the north.

“Through teaching today this supreme Dharma All bad karma will come to an end, Because this sublime auspicious confession Overcomes all bad karma.

“It will defeat all suffering; It will bestow every happiness. It is adorned by the root of wisdom, By omniscience, and by every splendor.

“Those beings who have impaired faculties, Who have been seized by misfortune, Who have been forsaken by the devas,

“Who are hated by family and friends, Who are separated from family and companions, Who are in conflict with others, Who are harmed by loss of wealth,

“Who are harmed by the planets and constellations, Who are attacked by dreadful sorcery, Who are oppressed by extremely dreadful Misery, kleśas, and karma,

“Who see bad omens in their dreams, And are extremely disturbed by misery Should wash their bodies clean And wear new, clean clothes.

“This king of sublime sūtras Is the profound field of the buddhas, And they should listen with a mind of veneration To the one who reads, recites, and possesses it.

“Then, through the blessing of the sūtra, All bad dreams and bad omens will be defeated. All suffering will be repelled And come to a complete end.

“The Four Mahārājas who guard the world, And their ministers and courts And many millions of yakṣas, Will respectfully come to their aid.

“The great goddess Sarasvatī And Dweller of Nairañjana, Hārītī, the mother of spirits, And Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth;

“The lords of Brahmās, Śakra, The nāga kings, the kinnaras, And the kings of the garuḍas, Together with an entourage of asuras—

“All of those who have great power, Leading all their entourages, Will be always present, day and night, Guarding that individual.

“I am going to teach this sūtra, Which is the profound field of the buddhas. The intent of the buddhas, the teaching that is spoken, Is difficult to encounter in a million eons.

“Anyone who hears this sūtra And teaches it extensively to others, Anyone who rejoices in this sūtra And who sets out offerings to it,

“Such individuals as those Will be continuously offered to Throughout countless eons By devas, nāgas, humans, and so on.

“Because of its immeasurable merit, Greater than the amount of sand grains in the Ganges, Whoever reads this sūtra Will obtain those qualities.

“The bhagavats in the ten directions And the bodhisattvas with profound activity Will thoroughly protect holders of this sūtra And free them from suffering and obstacles.

“Those who make offerings to this sūtra Should, as before, wash their bodies And offer food, flowers, and perfume And have a loving, compassionate mind.

“Those who wish to listen to the sūtra Should make their minds pure and stainless, And if they constantly generate joy, Many good qualities will arise.

“Those who listen to this sūtra With veneration in their minds Will have an excellent human rebirth And will be free of suffering and obstacles.

“It is through the ripening of good roots That they hear this sūtra, Which is praised by the buddhas, And hear the Dharma of purification through regret.”