Then the goddess Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, who was within the great assembly, was delighted and overjoyed on hearing that very profound Dharma teaching. She rose from her seat and, with her upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on her right knee, placed her palms together in homage, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, what instruction do you give on a Dharma for the practice of meditation on the ways of profound meaning?”

Then she spoke this verse:

“If I ask the illuminator of the world, The supreme chief of two-legged beings, For the true conduct of bodhisattvas, I pray that with compassion you will bestow it.”

The Bhagavat said to the noble goddess:

“If you have any doubts, Ask about them as you wish, And I will teach their elucidation.”

Then the noble goddess said to the Bhagavat:

“If we practice enlightened conduct In the same way as the bodhisattvas, It will be of benefit to ourselves and others, And we will forsake saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.”

The Bhagavat then said to the noble goddess, “One should practice the Dharma of enlightenment by being based upon the Dharma realm and meditating on the Dharma conduct of sameness. How does one practice the Dharma of enlightenment by being based upon the Dharma realm and meditating on the Dharma conduct of sameness? In this way, the Dharma realm is taught through the five skandhas so that the Dharma realm itself is the five skandhas. However, one cannot say that it is the five skandhas and one cannot say it is not the five skandhas. Why is that? If the Dharma realm is the five skandhas, that would be the nihilist view, and if it is other than the five skandhas that would be the eternalist view. Therefore, the Dharma realm has neither of those two characteristics. It is not present in the two extremes. It cannot be viewed. It transcends being an object of view. It has no name. It is featureless. That is what is called the Dharma realm.

“Noble goddess, how is the Dharma realm taught through the five skandhas? It is like this: The five skandhas are not produced by causes and conditions. Why is that? If they are produced by causes and conditions, then are they produced because they have already been produced, or are they produced because they have not yet been produced? If they have already been produced, what need would there be for causes and conditions? If they are not produced, then there is no production to perceive. Why is that? An unproduced phenomenon has no existence and therefore has no name, has no features, does not cease, and can have no analogy, because it has not been produced by causes and conditions.

“Noble goddess, it is like this: As an example, a drumbeat is dependent on wood. It is dependent on a skin, a stick, a hand, and so on. Therefore, although a drumbeat originates, the past of that which is a drumbeat is empty, its future is empty, and its present origination is empty. The drumbeat does not originate from the wood, it does not originate from the skin, and it does not originate from the stick or the hand. It does not originate from the three times. Therefore, it is not produced. That which is not produced does not cease. That which does not cease does not come from anywhere. That which does not come from anywhere does not go anywhere. That which does not go anywhere is not eternal. It is not nothingness. That which is neither eternal nor nothingness is not one and it is not separate.

“Why is that? If the five skandhas were one, they would not be different from the Dharma realm. If it were like that, then it would be logical that even ordinary beings would see the genuine truth and attain the nirvāṇa that has the highest genuine truth. But this is not so, and therefore it should be known that they are not one.

“If they were separate, then all the composite characteristics of the buddhas and bodhisattvas would include attachment so that they would not become liberated from the bondage of the kleśas and would not attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.

“Why is that? It is because all ārya individuals have realized the essential sameness of the composite and noncomposite, and therefore they are not separate from each other. Thus, one should know that the five skandhas are neither existent nor nonexistent. They are neither produced by causes and conditions nor not produced by causes and conditions.

“This the āryas know, but it is not within the field of experience of others, and therefore it cannot be known through words and terminology. It has no name, no features, no cause, no condition, and no analogy and is devoid of a beginning or end. It is primordially, naturally empty. Therefore, the Dharma realm can be taught through the five skandhas.

“Noble goddess, if any noble man or noble woman who wishes to seek for the highest, most complete enlightenment seeks for it elsewhere than the ultimate and relative, that would be extremely difficult to comprehend and contemplate. The nature of the field of experience of the āryas and of ordinary beings is neither one nor different. Therefore, the conduct of enlightenment should be practiced based upon the Dharma realm without eliminating the relative and without being apart from the ultimate.”

When the Bhagavat had said that, the noble goddess was delighted and happy. She rose from her seat and, with her upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on her right knee, placed her palms together, and with a one-pointed mind bowed down her head and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I shall train today in that practice of the true meaning of enlightenment that the Bhagavat has spoken of.”

Then the great Brahmarāja, the lord of the Sahā world realm, who was present within that vast assembly, said to the noble goddess Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, “This bodhisattva conduct is difficult to accomplish, so how are you going to master it today?”

The noble goddess said to Brahmarāja, “O great Brahmarāja, that which the Bhagavat has taught is truly very profound, so that no ordinary being can know its meaning; it is the field of experience of āryas, and therefore it is sublime and difficult to know. If it is true and not false that I can today attain a state of bliss through relying on this Dharma, then may all the countless, innumerable, numberless beings in this world realm of the five degenerations become golden in color, possess the thirty-two signs, be neither male nor female, be seated upon a precious lotus, and enjoy limitless bliss. May there fall a rain of sublime, divine flowers. May music resound from divine musical instruments without their being played. And may there be a perfection of all articles of offering.”

As soon as the noble goddess had said that, all of the beings in that time of the five degenerations became golden in color with the signs of a great being, were neither male nor female, were seated upon precious lotuses, and enjoyed limitless bliss. It was just as in the palace of the Paranirmita­vaśavartin deities. There were no lower existences. There were arranged rows of precious trees, and the world realm was filled with flowers from the trees that were made of the seven precious materials. Also, there fell a rain of divine flowers of the seven precious materials, and divine music played.

The noble goddess Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light transformed also from having a female body to having the body of a Brahmā deva.

Then the great Brahmarāja asked the bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, “Venerable one, how did you practice bodhisattva conduct?”

The bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light replied, “Great Brahmarāja, if a moon on water were to practice enlightened conduct, that is how I practiced enlightened conduct. If someone in a dream were to practice enlightened conduct, that is how I practiced enlightened conduct. If a mirage were to practice enlightened conduct, that is how I practiced enlightened conduct. If a valley’s echo were to practice enlightened conduct, that is how I practiced enlightened conduct.”

When great Brahmarāja heard that, he asked the bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, “Venerable one, based on what meaning did you say those words?”

The bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light replied, “O Brahmarāja! Although there is not a single phenomenon that does not have the characteristic of the true nature, nevertheless they are created through causes and conditions.”

“If that is so,” said Brahmarāja, “then it would be logical that childlike, ordinary beings would attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.”

“What are you thinking that made you say that?” asked the bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light. “Do you think that ignorant individuals are separate, that wise individuals are separate, that enlightenment is separate, that nonenlightenment is separate, that liberation is separate, and that nonliberation is separate?

“Brahmarāja, phenomena are the same in that way and have no separation. This Dharma realm has no separate nature, and so on, up to attachment having no separate nature. It has no increasing or lessening.

“O Brahmarāja! It is like a conjurer, or a conjurer’s pupil, who is skilled in manifesting illusions, who at a crossroads gathers pebbles, plants, tree leaves, and so on, piles them into a heap, and who then through magic manifests herds of elephants, herds of horses, a mass of chariots and soldiers, and so on, and a heap of the seven precious materials, and various kinds of treasuries that are seen by many people.

“When they are manifested, there are those beings who are stupid and ignorant, who fail to analyze it, who do not realize the source of the illusions, and so when they see and hear them, they think, ‘The herds of elephants, horses, and so on that we can see and hear are real, and anything else is a lie!’ Therefore, they don’t subsequently examine or investigate them.

“Those who are intelligent are not like that. They know what the source of illusions is, so that when they see and hear them, they think, ‘The elephants, horses, and so on that I see do not exist, but they are an optical illusion from magic.’ As they think that they are not real, they do not think that the elephants and so on and the treasuries exist. They think, ‘These are nothing but names without any reality whatsoever.’ Therefore, whatever they see or hear, they do not believe that they are real, and subsequently, when they analyze and contemplate them, they know perfectly that they are not real.

“In that same way, the wise realize that all phenomena have no real essence. In terms of the relative, when in their minds they pay attention to the truthfulness of the things that manifest and are described according to whatever they see and whatever they hear, they know that they are not like that, because they reveal correct meanings that are just designations.

“Brahmarāja, childlike, ordinary beings who have not attained the world-transcending wisdom eyes of the āryas do not know the inexpressible nature of phenomena. Therefore, when they see or hear composite or noncomposite phenomena, they think, ‘This is how it truly is,’ and develop attachment; they do not know that ultimately the nature of phenomena is inexpressible.

“When ārya individuals see or hear composite or noncomposite phenomena, to the extent of their power and ability they do not develop attachment, thinking, ‘These are real.’ Therefore, they think, ‘In everything there are no real composite phenomena or real noncomposite phenomena, and as they are not real, whatever composite or noncomposite characteristics I think of are just names and have no real essence whatsoever.’

“Those ārya individuals know and comprehend that, but because they wish others to understand the true meaning, they correctly teach it in relative terms.

“In the same way, Brahmarāja, those ārya individuals, although they have realized, through their superior knowledge and vision, the inexpressible true nature of phenomena, they teach various relative names and terms in order for others to understand composite and noncomposite phenomena in that way.”

Then Brahmarāja asked the bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, “How many beings will understand this profound true Dharma?”

“O Brahmarāja,” replied Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, “the phenomena of the minds and mental events of many illusory beings will understand this kind of true, profound Dharma.”

Brahmarāja said, “People who are illusory manifestations are nonexistent by nature. From where do their minds and mental events arise?”

“The beings who know that the Dharma realm is not existent and is not nonexistent will know this profound meaning,” replied Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light.

Then Brahmarāja said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, this bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light has inconceivably realized this profound meaning.”

“It is like that. It is like that,” replied the Bhagavat. “Brahmarāja, it is just as you have said. The bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light has taught it, and you have developed the aspiration to meditate on and train in the patience that is because of the birthlessness of phenomena.”

Then the great Brahmarāja, along with a great entourage of Brahmās, rose together from their seats, and with their robes over one shoulder and with palms together in veneration, they bowed down their heads to the bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light’s feet. They said, “This is very rare and marvelous! On this day we have met this great being and have heard the true Dharma.”

Then the Bhagavat said to Brahmarāja, “In the future, this Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light will become a tathāgata, an arhat, a samyaksaṃbuddha, one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable being, a guide who tames beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, a bhagavat, by the name of Essence of the Glorious Blazing Jewel.”

When this chapter was taught, three hundred million bodhisattvas attained irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment. Eight hundred million devas and countless, innumerable kings, ministers, and ordinary people became free of dust and attained pure, stainless Dharma eyes.

At that time, in that vast assembly, five million bhikṣus, who were irreversible from the practice of bodhisattva conduct and from the aspiration to enlightenment and had heard the Dharma teaching of the bodhisattva Wish-Fulfilling Radiating Light, all became stable and perfected supreme, inconceivable prayers. They developed the aspiration for enlightenment, and each one took off their robes and offered them to the bodhisattva and developed the aspiration of supreme diligence. They made this prayer: “We dedicate all the good roots we have accumulated to irreversibility from the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

“Brahmarāja, through that merit, this multitude of bhikṣus will practice exactly what they have been taught, and after ninety great eons have passed, they will comprehend and understand it so that they will truly emerge from saṃsāra.”

The Bhagavat then prophesied to that multitude of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, after thirty asaṃkhyeya eons have passed, you will all attain complete buddhahood during an eon by the name of Difficult to Conquer King of Radiance in a realm by the name of Vimalaprabhā. You will all attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood simultaneously, and you will all have the same name—King Who Is Ornamented by the Arrangement of Prayers—and you will possess ten features.

“Brahmarāja, whoever listens to and possesses this extremely wonderful sūtra—The Sublime Golden Light—will possess majestic power.

“If someone without method were to practice the six perfections for many hundreds of thousands of great eons, and a noble man or noble woman were to write out this Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light and every half-month one-pointedly read and recited it, the previous accumulation of merit would not be even a hundredth of this accumulation of merit. It would not come close to being any number, analogy, or cause of it.

“Therefore, Brahmarāja, today I will give you instruction. I teach that you should maintain mindfulness and teach it widely to others.

“Why is that? In the past, when I was practicing the path of a bodhisattva, just as a warrior entering battle dedicates life and body to it, in the same way I promulgated, kept, read, recited, and correctly taught others this sublime, supreme king of sūtras.

“Brahmarāja, when a cakravartin is in the world, his seven jewels do not cease to exist, but if the king’s life comes to end, the seven jewels will vanish and cease.

“Brahmarāja, in that same way, when this Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is in the world, the unsurpassable, precious Dharma will not cease. If this sūtra ceases to exist, then the Dharma will cease in that region. Therefore, one should, with a one-pointed mind, listen to, obtain, read, and recite this king of sūtras and teach it to others and encourage them to write it out while practicing the perfection of diligence—being completely diligent without concern for life or body. This is supreme among all merits, and therefore my pupils similarly should diligently train in meditation on its practice.”

Then the great Brahmarāja, the innumerable Brahmā entourage, Śakra, the Four Mahārājas, and the yakṣas rose from their seats. With their robes over one shoulder, kneeling on their right knees, and with palms together in veneration, they said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, we will protect and spread this Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light and protect anyone who teaches it. If there is an obstacle, we will eliminate it and cause those teachers to have many virtues, have good color and strength and unimpeded eloquence, make their bodies and minds carefree, and also make their audiences experience happiness. If there is famine, adverse enemies, or harm from nonhumans in the land where they dwell, we and our entourages of devas will protect them and increase the enjoyment of happiness for the people and prevent there being any sudden harm. That is the power that we and our entourages of devas have. If anyone makes an offering to this sūtra, we will honor them and make offerings to them, considering them to be no different from the Buddha.”

Then the Bhagavat said to great Brahmarāja, the Brahmā entourage, and so on, until the Four Mahārājas, the yakṣas, and so on, “Excellent, excellent! You have heard the wonderful, profound Dharma, and through guarding and protecting this sublime, supreme king of sūtras and those who hold the sūtra, you will attain endless superior merit, and you will quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.”

Then Brahmarāja and the others, having heard what the Bhagavat said, were overjoyed and placed it above their heads.