Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was within the profound, completely pure Dharma realm that is the sublime field of activity of the tathāgatas, dwelling at Vulture Peak Mountain at Rājagṛha, together with a saṅgha of ninety-eight thousand great bhikṣus. All of them were great arhats, perfectly tamed like the king of elephants. Their defilements had ceased, they were devoid of kleśas, their minds were completely liberated, their wisdom was completely liberated, they had done what had to be done, they had put down their burdens, they had attained their goals, they had cut through engagement with existence, they had attained supreme and sublime power, they had perfectly maintained pure conduct, they were arrayed with methods and wisdom, they had manifested the eight liberations, and they had reached the farther shore.
Their names were Venerable Kauṇḍinya, Venerable Aśvajit, Venerable Vāṣpa, Venerable Mahānāman, Venerable Bhadrika, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, Venerable Uruvilvakāśyapa, Venerable Gayākāśyapa, Venerable Nadīkāśyapa, Venerable Śāriputra, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and Ānanda. These and the other great śrāvakas had each risen in the afternoon from resting inwardly and had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side.
A trillion bodhisattva mahāsattvas were also gathered there. They were renowned because of being endowed with great brilliance and glory like the great kings of the nāgas. They aspired to always maintain generosity and pure conduct; they had practiced patience and diligence for countless eons; they manifested the mindfulness that transcends all dhyānas; they had opened the door to wisdom; they had accomplished skill in methods; they enjoyed sublime sensory powers and had acquired clairvoyance; they had attained the great power of mental retention; they had unceasing eloquence; they had eliminated all kleśas and afflictions; they had quickly attained omniscient wisdom and defeated Māra and the hosts of adversaries; through beating the drum of the Dharma they subdued all tīrthikas and caused them to develop clear minds; through turning the wheel of the Dharma they liberated devas and humans; they adorned all the buddha realms in the ten directions; they brought benefit to those who dwelled in the six existences; they had consummate great wisdom; they were endowed with great patience; they were endowed with love; they maintained the motivation of great compassion; they had enduring great might; they served all the buddhas; they did not pass into nirvāṇa, but instead maintained the great commitment to remain until the future’s end; they had developed pure causes in the presence of many buddhas; they had attained patience toward the quality of birthlessness of the phenomena of the three times; they had completely transcended the field of activity of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; with great skill in methods they were skilled in explaining the implied meaning of the profound Dharma taught by the great teachers, the guides of the world; and they had cut through all doubts through the direct perception of emptiness.
Among them were the bodhisattva Anāvaraṇadharmacakravarta, the bodhisattva Aspiring to Always Turn the Dharma Wheel, the bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptadhura, the bodhisattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvararāja, the bodhisattva King Fearless Powerful Array, the bodhisattva King of Supreme Mount Meru, the bodhisattva Great Ocean Profound King, the bodhisattva Ratnaketu, the bodhisattva Mahāratnaketu, the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, the bodhisattva Lord with Jeweled Hands, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva Ratibala, the bodhisattva Great Dharma Power, the bodhisattva Extremely Radiant Array, the bodhisattva Great Golden Radiant Array, the bodhisattva Pure Ethics, the bodhisattva Always Concentrated, the bodhisattva Extremely Pure Intelligence, the bodhisattva Firm Effort, the bodhisattva Ākāśavat, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptamahāpraṇidhāna, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyadatta, the bodhisattva Curing Affliction, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, the bodhisattva Joyful High King, the bodhisattva Prophesied Attainment, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Completely Pure Radiance, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Dharma Holder, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Joy, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Limitless Revealer, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lion’s Roar, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Supreme Bull’s Sound, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Good Fortune, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Precious Glory, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Sun’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Moon’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Starlight, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Firelight, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lightning, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Thunder, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Constant Wisdom Rain, the bodhisattva Great Cloud King Completely Pure Rain, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Flower Tree King, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Utpala Scent, the bodhisattva Precious Cloud Sandalwood Cool Body, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Clearing Darkness, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Clearing Obscured Vision, and so on—countless, numberless bodhisattva mahāsattvas, who, during that afternoon, had arisen from resting internally and come into the presence of the Bhagavat. They bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.
There were also 580,000 Licchavī youths. Among them were Kumāra Lion’s Light, Kumāra Siṃhamati, Kumāra Dharmadatta, Kumāra Powerful Bestower, Kumāra Mahāprabha, Kumāra Great Glory, Kumāra Buddhapālita, Kumāra Dharmapāla, Kumāra Sustaining the Saṅgha, Kumāra Vajra Guard, Kumāra Ākāśapāla, Kumāra Ākāśaghoṣa, Kumāra Ratnagarbha, Kumāra Supreme Auspicious Essence, and so on. They were pleasantly established in the highest, most complete enlightenment and had perfect aspiration for the Mahāyāna. During that 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.
There were also 42,000 devas. Among them were Deva Beautiful to See, Deva Pramudita, Deva Sūryaprabha, Deva Moon Crest, Deva Clear Insight, Deva Ākāśaviśuddhaprajña, Deva Remover of Affliction, Deva Maṅgala, and so on. They had made the vast prayer to guard the Mahāyāna Dharma, to hold the true Dharma, and to prevent its discontinuation. During that 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.
There were also 28,000 nāga kings. Among them were Nāga King Padma, Nāga King Elapatra, Nāga King Mahābala, Nāga King Mahāghoṣa, Nāga King Alpormika, Nāga King River Holder, Nāga King Golden Face, Nāga King Manasvī, and so on. They had all aspired to possess and hold the Mahāyāna and had developed the motivation to spread and protect it. During that afternoon, each of them 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.
There was also the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa with 36,000 yakṣas. Among them were Yakṣa Amra, Yakṣa Amradhara, Yakṣa Essence of Lotus Radiance, Yakṣa Lotus Face, Yakṣa Bhṛkuṭi, Yakṣa Manifesting Great Fear, Yakṣa Bhūmikampa, Yakṣa Annaharaṇa, and so on. All those yakṣas had faith in the Dharma of the Tathāgata and were dedicated to guarding it. During that afternoon, all of them came 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.
There were also gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, kumbhāṇḍas, and mahoragas; divine ṛṣis of mountains, forests, rivers, and seas; great kings and their retinues, queens, attendants, sons, noblemen, and noblewomen; and devas, humans, and so on. They had all prayed to read, recite, possess and hold, question, spread, guard, and protect this unsurpassable Mahāyāna Dharma. During that afternoon all of them 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.
In that way, those śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, asuras, garuḍas, and so on—all those eight classes of beings—had gathered like clouds. With one-pointed minds, with palms together in homage, and with unblinking eyes, they gazed at the Bhagavat’s face, and wishing that he would teach the Dharma, they supplicated him.
“Who are hated by their spouses and other people, Who are tormented by family and servants, Who are in conflict with others, And who are oppressed by loss of wealth;
“Those who are miserable, tired, and ruined, Who are frightened and in distress, Who are oppressed by planets and lunar asterisms, And who are afflicted by dreadful demons;
“The lords of Brahmā devas, lords of the devas; The greatly powerful lords of the nāgas; And the lords of the kinnaras, the lords of the asuras, And similarly the lords of the garuḍas
“I will elucidate this sūtra, Which is the profound field of the buddhas, Which is the secret of all buddhas, And which is difficult to obtain in a million eons.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was within the profound, completely pure Dharma realm that is the sublime field of activity of the tathāgatas, dwelling at Vulture Peak Mountain at Rājagṛha, together with a saṅgha of ninety-eight thousand great bhikṣus. All of them were great arhats, perfectly tamed like the king of elephants. Their defilements had ceased, they were devoid of kleśas, their minds were completely liberated, their wisdom was completely liberated, they had done what had to be done, they had put down their burdens, they had attained their goals, they had cut through engagement with existence, they had attained supreme and sublime power, they had perfectly maintained pure conduct, they were arrayed with methods and wisdom, they had manifested the eight liberations, and they had reached the farther shore.
Their names were Venerable Kauṇḍinya, Venerable Aśvajit, Venerable Vāṣpa, Venerable Mahānāman, Venerable Bhadrika, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, Venerable Uruvilvakāśyapa, Venerable Gayākāśyapa, Venerable Nadīkāśyapa, Venerable Śāriputra, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and Ānanda. These and the other great śrāvakas had each risen in the afternoon from resting inwardly and had come into the presence of the Bhagavat, bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, and sat to one side.
A trillion bodhisattva mahāsattvas were also gathered there. They were renowned because of being endowed with great brilliance and glory like the great kings of the nāgas. They aspired to always maintain generosity and pure conduct; they had practiced patience and diligence for countless eons; they manifested the mindfulness that transcends all dhyānas; they had opened the door to wisdom; they had accomplished skill in methods; they enjoyed sublime sensory powers and had acquired clairvoyance; they had attained the great power of mental retention; they had unceasing eloquence; they had eliminated all kleśas and afflictions; they had quickly attained omniscient wisdom and defeated Māra and the hosts of adversaries; through beating the drum of the Dharma they subdued all tīrthikas and caused them to develop clear minds; through turning the wheel of the Dharma they liberated devas and humans; they adorned all the buddha realms in the ten directions; they brought benefit to those who dwelled in the six existences; they had consummate great wisdom; they were endowed with great patience; they were endowed with love; they maintained the motivation of great compassion; they had enduring great might; they served all the buddhas; they did not pass into nirvāṇa, but instead maintained the great commitment to remain until the future’s end; they had developed pure causes in the presence of many buddhas; they had attained patience toward the quality of birthlessness of the phenomena of the three times; they had completely transcended the field of activity of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; with great skill in methods they were skilled in explaining the implied meaning of the profound Dharma taught by the great teachers, the guides of the world; and they had cut through all doubts through the direct perception of emptiness.
Among them were the bodhisattva Anāvaraṇadharmacakravarta, the bodhisattva Aspiring to Always Turn the Dharma Wheel, the bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptadhura, the bodhisattva Maitreya, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Dharaṇīśvararāja, the bodhisattva King Fearless Powerful Array, the bodhisattva King of Supreme Mount Meru, the bodhisattva Great Ocean Profound King, the bodhisattva Ratnaketu, the bodhisattva Mahāratnaketu, the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, the bodhisattva Lord with Jeweled Hands, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva Ratibala, the bodhisattva Great Dharma Power, the bodhisattva Extremely Radiant Array, the bodhisattva Great Golden Radiant Array, the bodhisattva Pure Ethics, the bodhisattva Always Concentrated, the bodhisattva Extremely Pure Intelligence, the bodhisattva Firm Effort, the bodhisattva Ākāśavat, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptamahāpraṇidhāna, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyadatta, the bodhisattva Curing Affliction, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, the bodhisattva Joyful High King, the bodhisattva Prophesied Attainment, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Completely Pure Radiance, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Dharma Holder, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Joy, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Renowned Limitless Revealer, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lion’s Roar, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Supreme Bull’s Sound, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Good Fortune, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Precious Glory, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Sun’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Moon’s Essence, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Starlight, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Firelight, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Lightning, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Thunder, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Constant Wisdom Rain, the bodhisattva Great Cloud King Completely Pure Rain, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Flower Tree King, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Utpala Scent, the bodhisattva Precious Cloud Sandalwood Cool Body, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Clearing Darkness, the bodhisattva Great Cloud Clearing Obscured Vision, and so on—countless, numberless bodhisattva mahāsattvas, who, during that afternoon, had arisen from resting internally and come into the presence of the Bhagavat. They bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to their right, and sat to one side.
There were also 580,000 Licchavī youths. Among them were Kumāra Lion’s Light, Kumāra Siṃhamati, Kumāra Dharmadatta, Kumāra Powerful Bestower, Kumāra Mahāprabha, Kumāra Great Glory, Kumāra Buddhapālita, Kumāra Dharmapāla, Kumāra Sustaining the Saṅgha, Kumāra Vajra Guard, Kumāra Ākāśapāla, Kumāra Ākāśaghoṣa, Kumāra Ratnagarbha, Kumāra Supreme Auspicious Essence, and so on. They were pleasantly established in the highest, most complete enlightenment and had perfect aspiration for the Mahāyāna. During that 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.
There were also 42,000 devas. Among them were Deva Beautiful to See, Deva Pramudita, Deva Sūryaprabha, Deva Moon Crest, Deva Clear Insight, Deva Ākāśaviśuddhaprajña, Deva Remover of Affliction, Deva Maṅgala, and so on. They had made the vast prayer to guard the Mahāyāna Dharma, to hold the true Dharma, and to prevent its discontinuation. During that 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.
There were also 28,000 nāga kings. Among them were Nāga King Padma, Nāga King Elapatra, Nāga King Mahābala, Nāga King Mahāghoṣa, Nāga King Alpormika, Nāga King River Holder, Nāga King Golden Face, Nāga King Manasvī, and so on. They had all aspired to possess and hold the Mahāyāna and had developed the motivation to spread and protect it. During that afternoon, each of them 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.
There was also the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa with 36,000 yakṣas. Among them were Yakṣa Amra, Yakṣa Amradhara, Yakṣa Essence of Lotus Radiance, Yakṣa Lotus Face, Yakṣa Bhṛkuṭi, Yakṣa Manifesting Great Fear, Yakṣa Bhūmikampa, Yakṣa Annaharaṇa, and so on. All those yakṣas had faith in the Dharma of the Tathāgata and were dedicated to guarding it. During that afternoon, all of them came 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.
There were also gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, kumbhāṇḍas, and mahoragas; divine ṛṣis of mountains, forests, rivers, and seas; great kings and their retinues, queens, attendants, sons, noblemen, and noblewomen; and devas, humans, and so on. They had all prayed to read, recite, possess and hold, question, spread, guard, and protect this unsurpassable Mahāyāna Dharma. During that afternoon all of them 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.
In that way, those śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, devas, humans, asuras, garuḍas, and so on—all those eight classes of beings—had gathered like clouds. With one-pointed minds, with palms together in homage, and with unblinking eyes, they gazed at the Bhagavat’s face, and wishing that he would teach the Dharma, they supplicated him.
“Who are hated by their spouses and other people, Who are tormented by family and servants, Who are in conflict with others, And who are oppressed by loss of wealth;
“Those who are miserable, tired, and ruined, Who are frightened and in distress, Who are oppressed by planets and lunar asterisms, And who are afflicted by dreadful demons;
“The lords of Brahmā devas, lords of the devas; The greatly powerful lords of the nāgas; And the lords of the kinnaras, the lords of the asuras, And similarly the lords of the garuḍas
“I will elucidate this sūtra, Which is the profound field of the buddhas, Which is the secret of all buddhas, And which is difficult to obtain in a million eons.
Sutraya