“Desire tarnishes the impermanent as permanent; Desire completely destroys happiness with suffering; Desire makes miserable realms your home. Those with deluded minds always rely on desire.
“Due to desire, the quarrelsome become unhappy and evil. They are trapped in contentiousness and disharmony; They are a fertile ground for misconceptions; Their craving increases and happiness vanishes.
“Due to desire, they become very deluded, extremely deluded, and thoroughly deluded; They are constantly oppressed and experience harm; They are thoroughly tormented, very tormented, and entirely tormented; And they engage in evil and squander their virtue.
“Desire is the root of all nonvirtue. Relying on desire is like an impenetrable fog; Relying on desire, one will be intimate With piśācīs, rākṣasīs, and ugly women.
“Due to desire, one even has relations With cattle, donkeys, horses, Pigs, dogs, foxes, camels, elephants, and sheep. Thus, holy beings abandon desire.
“Desire ruins discipline, study, and acts of generosity As well as ascetic practice and religious observance; Due to desire, one is always careless, and faults increase. Therefore, those who wish for liberation always reject women.
“O righteous Surata, what is it you desire? Keeper of religious observances, tell me truthfully! Do you want to become Sūrya, Candra, or Indra, Or Brahmā, or a divine king?”
“What wise person would want to become any of those mighty great beings, Whether it is Sūrya, Candra, or even Śakra, Brahmā, a divine king, or anyone else, Seeing that their frolicking is impermanent and unstable?
“I am resolved, in thought and deed, To obtain that which is birthless, ageless, deathless, And beyond judgments of beauty and ugliness— That is called ‘becoming a buddha who liberates beings.’ ”
“I rejoice in your beneficent words; May you completely accomplish your wishes! Having swiftly subjugated the entire horde of māras, May you attain awakening like the conqueror Śākyasiṃha!”
“What is the use of so much wealth? Like nāgas unsatisfied with what’s in the ocean, Those for whom nothing is ever enough Are unrestrained and thus truly poor.
“When someone has increasingly intense desires, is not contented with his own possessions, Disturbs the kingdom by causing harm, forsakes even himself, Fails to protect the people in his kingdom, and holds in high esteem those of meager quality, Then those intent on the Dharma will think him poor.
“When someone practices loving kindness, is not harsh to sentient beings, Is always content with the bare necessities, has no desire, Is constantly compassionate when he sees the destitute, and does not despise them, Then he is rich, wealthy, and immensely affluent, enjoys the treasures of faith, and so forth.
“Know that when someone possesses immense power over the people here, but does not protect the Dharma; When he knows that lowly people are tormented by suffering, yet punishes them further; When he delights in focusing on what’s in front of him with his mistresses, but has no regard for the world beyond, Then he does not protect the Dharma—he is abjectly poor and the lowest of people!
“Those whose minds are stainless due to their faith, who remain unshakably ethical, Who always know shame and propriety, who uphold learning and enjoy giving, Who have perfected wisdom, are intelligent, and have concern for all beings Never fall into poverty and are worthy of veneration by those intent upon the Dharma.
“Those who are attached to wealth, enjoy pleasures, and are miserly, Who take their own body and life to heart, but never bother with what is essential— Those whose minds are crazed and frantic, like a rampaging elephant, And who are unmindful—Your Majesty, all of them fall into poverty.
“Those who have great devotion to the stainless Three Jewels, Who are always skillful at using what’s essential from their body, life, and wealth— Those who are not covetous, malicious, foolish, or prideful, And those who are adorned with the Dharma—Your Majesty, all of them are wealthy and holy beings.
“Your Majesty, a wildfire is never satisfied with just burning the dry bark in a forest. Your Majesty, the ocean is never satisfied with just the water it receives from rivers. Likewise, the sun and moon are never satisfied with their progressions in the sky. Due to craving, a king is never content with his wealth, and so is brought to ruin.
“Once grass has been incinerated by fire, it will not burn again. Similarly, the wise are never content with their wisdom and so do not blaze with afflictions. Since, like a water drop, a kingdom is unstable and prone to destruction, Who would seek out such a kingdom that is a wellspring of harm and smothers virtue?”
“Because of his compassion toward sentient beings, He does not fall prey to conceit. Because he is ever attentive to sentient beings, He will come hither, even from afar.
He was surrounded by five hundred śrāvakas, Who possessed miraculous powers, And was escorted By twelve hundred bodhisattvas, As well as protectors, gods, nāgas, And the gods Śakra and Brahmā.
Then thousands of other living beings Also made offerings to the Teacher. Making offerings to the perfect Buddha, They mentally prostrated as well, for the sake of awakening.
“With your words, you have certainly eliminated my pride; Therefore, Surata, you are my second teacher! Let me give you my entire kingdom and my armies. Make me your disciple and teach me!
“I have been deceived by my pride for a long time, And have been surrounded and coddled by wicked companions. Since I have heard this Dharma from you, Surata, I will restrain myself and behave in accordance with the Dharma.
“For the sake of wealth I have punished These five hundred householders. From now on I will no longer do this; Let me leave them alone and make them comfortable.
“Let these five hundred who are now free Also develop deep respect for Surata. May they never fatigue, and without distraction, May they aspire for happiness and the state of omniscience!
“Surata, you spoke well when you said, ‘I am not poor. You are poor.’ Whoever now calls Surata ‘poor’ Breaks the king’s command.”
EN
“Although you may want to offer Flowers, incense, perfumes, Food, drink, and jewelry as repayment, These will not suffice, for Surata is delighted by bodhicitta.
EN
“Surata has no desire for food and clothes, Nor for personal gain, nor veneration, nor fame. Surata desires the qualities that arise from bodhicitta; It is bodhicitta that pleases Surata.”
EN
“For the past hundred eons, you have practiced asceticism; You have delighted in the ways of gathering disciples, discipline, and generosity; Your body, speech, and mind are completely pure— Thus, I pay homage to you, the foremost in the three realms!
EN
“You are without callousness, and delight in forbearance and kindness; Your diligence is firm, and your powers perfected; You delight in the dawning of concentration, intelligence, and ethics— Thus, I pay homage to you, who dispels the blemishes of the three stains!
EN
“You delight in eliminating desire, hatred, and delusion; Your mind is peaceful and impartial, yet compassionate; You speak truthfully and know the ultimate— Thus, I pay homage to you, who liberates all three realms!
EN
“You eliminate doubts in those who see you; You eliminate all faults in those who see you; You bring great delight to those who see you— Thus, I go for refuge to you, the Conqueror, with all my heart!
EN
“Even sublime goddesses who are extremely lustful, Upon seeing you, delight in the Dharma. Delighted, they will attain expansive mindfulness. Delighted, they will be free from delighting in lust for beauty.
EN
“You have the supreme, luminous qualities of being perfectly adorned With the ornaments of the thirty-two supreme marks. You are a holy man, whose speech is pure and supreme; I pay homage to you, whose radiance is unparalleled!
EN
“Your beautiful palms are like the gold of the noble Jambu River. The Sage’s chest is like a lion’s, and your posture like an elephant’s. Your eyebrows and nose are elegant; your teeth are even, beautiful, and have no gaps— I bow to you, the great Śākyamuni, who is like the śrīgarbha jewel!
EN
“By the limitless capacities of the merit Acquired from praising the delightful Sugata, A conqueror replete with hundreds of good qualities, May the whole world come to buddhahood together!”
EN
“Listen, Ānanda, and I will explain to you The nature of his efforts to benefit beings, his consistency in religious observances, How his great renown is held in the hearts of many, And the way his conduct is steadfast in the qualities of awakening.
EN
“Whatever good deeds Surata has done, Whether it is his veneration of the conquerors through supreme offerings, Or striving to protect the holy Dharma, They are too numerous to be listed now.
EN
“He is well trained in all the perfections; He has been artful with his extraordinary powers in past lives; He has perfected the divine states of mind; He is well trained in skillful activity.
EN
“Now, he sees well the faults of composite phenomena; Even the complete awakening of the buddhas is evident to him. He is well trained in those skills That bring all sorts of different beings to liberation.
EN
“He is fearless and endowed with intelligence, realization, and mindfulness, As well as eloquence and dhāraṇīs. He has escaped Māra’s hook and the mire of mental afflictions, And he is firmly set in the purview of the buddhas, the ultimate goal.
EN
“He is not tainted by worldly affairs; Like a stone, he is unmoved by lust and the like. He neither gets close to nor distant from anyone; Just like space, he is free of both bondage and liberation.
EN
“He is steadfastly compassionate and indefatigable; He is self-restrained and kind to those who are bewildered. Considering all sentient beings as dear as himself, He does not perceive others’ faults and thus is never quarrelsome.
EN
“He steadfastly practices exactly as he was taught; He conducts himself exactly in accord with the teachings. By following the Dharma, he is well trained in the essence of dharmas. He yearns for emptiness and is free of dualism.
EN
“He has attained the three forbearances and transcends the purview of ordinary beings; He is steadfast in the way and pure qualities of the buddhas. In whatever world he roams, He liberates numerous beings.
EN
“Wherever this child of the buddhas resides, There is never an absence of tathāgatas. Thus, the entire world, including the gods, Pays respect to him in the manner of a buddha.
EN
“After I pass into nirvāṇa during the age of degeneration, Surata will perform a buddha’s deeds. Then, he will return to Abhirati, Akṣobhya’s realm, Where he previously resided.
EN
“Imperturbable, he will benefit living creatures, And seek out the treasures of that buddhafield. For the sake of bringing sentient beings to the maturity of awakening, He will perform good deeds for three countless eons.
EN
“After that, he will become a guardian, a conqueror, Whose name will be Lord King of the World. His world will be equal to The buddhafield of the Tathāgata Akṣobhya.
EN
“That world will be called Elegantly Emanated, And will be endowed with all good qualities. His lifespan will be ten thousand years, And his saṅgha members beyond reckoning.
EN
“He will have few saṅgha members within the Śrāvaka Vehicle, While most will strive for awakening. All will possess the power of gnosis and miraculous powers, And they will be endowed with the liberations and be fearless.
EN
“That world will resound with the continual reverberation Of nothing but their eloquent elucidations of the Dharma. There will be no māras, nor attachment to saṃsāra; They will all be knowledgeable and completely pure.
EN
“After that sugata passes into complete nirvāṇa, His sublime Dharma will be practiced For eighty-four years, During which time his Dharma tradition will have no disharmony.
EN
“Those who are brought to maturity by Surata Will pursue unsurpassable awakening. The sentient beings who are born in that buddhafield Will become free from all faults.”
“Desire tarnishes the impermanent as permanent; Desire completely destroys happiness with suffering; Desire makes miserable realms your home. Those with deluded minds always rely on desire.
“Due to desire, the quarrelsome become unhappy and evil. They are trapped in contentiousness and disharmony; They are a fertile ground for misconceptions; Their craving increases and happiness vanishes.
“Due to desire, they become very deluded, extremely deluded, and thoroughly deluded; They are constantly oppressed and experience harm; They are thoroughly tormented, very tormented, and entirely tormented; And they engage in evil and squander their virtue.
“Desire is the root of all nonvirtue. Relying on desire is like an impenetrable fog; Relying on desire, one will be intimate With piśācīs, rākṣasīs, and ugly women.
“Due to desire, one even has relations With cattle, donkeys, horses, Pigs, dogs, foxes, camels, elephants, and sheep. Thus, holy beings abandon desire.
“Desire ruins discipline, study, and acts of generosity As well as ascetic practice and religious observance; Due to desire, one is always careless, and faults increase. Therefore, those who wish for liberation always reject women.
“O righteous Surata, what is it you desire? Keeper of religious observances, tell me truthfully! Do you want to become Sūrya, Candra, or Indra, Or Brahmā, or a divine king?”
“What wise person would want to become any of those mighty great beings, Whether it is Sūrya, Candra, or even Śakra, Brahmā, a divine king, or anyone else, Seeing that their frolicking is impermanent and unstable?
“I am resolved, in thought and deed, To obtain that which is birthless, ageless, deathless, And beyond judgments of beauty and ugliness— That is called ‘becoming a buddha who liberates beings.’ ”
“I rejoice in your beneficent words; May you completely accomplish your wishes! Having swiftly subjugated the entire horde of māras, May you attain awakening like the conqueror Śākyasiṃha!”
“What is the use of so much wealth? Like nāgas unsatisfied with what’s in the ocean, Those for whom nothing is ever enough Are unrestrained and thus truly poor.
“When someone has increasingly intense desires, is not contented with his own possessions, Disturbs the kingdom by causing harm, forsakes even himself, Fails to protect the people in his kingdom, and holds in high esteem those of meager quality, Then those intent on the Dharma will think him poor.
“When someone practices loving kindness, is not harsh to sentient beings, Is always content with the bare necessities, has no desire, Is constantly compassionate when he sees the destitute, and does not despise them, Then he is rich, wealthy, and immensely affluent, enjoys the treasures of faith, and so forth.
“Know that when someone possesses immense power over the people here, but does not protect the Dharma; When he knows that lowly people are tormented by suffering, yet punishes them further; When he delights in focusing on what’s in front of him with his mistresses, but has no regard for the world beyond, Then he does not protect the Dharma—he is abjectly poor and the lowest of people!
“Those whose minds are stainless due to their faith, who remain unshakably ethical, Who always know shame and propriety, who uphold learning and enjoy giving, Who have perfected wisdom, are intelligent, and have concern for all beings Never fall into poverty and are worthy of veneration by those intent upon the Dharma.
“Those who are attached to wealth, enjoy pleasures, and are miserly, Who take their own body and life to heart, but never bother with what is essential— Those whose minds are crazed and frantic, like a rampaging elephant, And who are unmindful—Your Majesty, all of them fall into poverty.
“Those who have great devotion to the stainless Three Jewels, Who are always skillful at using what’s essential from their body, life, and wealth— Those who are not covetous, malicious, foolish, or prideful, And those who are adorned with the Dharma—Your Majesty, all of them are wealthy and holy beings.
“Your Majesty, a wildfire is never satisfied with just burning the dry bark in a forest. Your Majesty, the ocean is never satisfied with just the water it receives from rivers. Likewise, the sun and moon are never satisfied with their progressions in the sky. Due to craving, a king is never content with his wealth, and so is brought to ruin.
“Once grass has been incinerated by fire, it will not burn again. Similarly, the wise are never content with their wisdom and so do not blaze with afflictions. Since, like a water drop, a kingdom is unstable and prone to destruction, Who would seek out such a kingdom that is a wellspring of harm and smothers virtue?”
“Because of his compassion toward sentient beings, He does not fall prey to conceit. Because he is ever attentive to sentient beings, He will come hither, even from afar.
He was surrounded by five hundred śrāvakas, Who possessed miraculous powers, And was escorted By twelve hundred bodhisattvas, As well as protectors, gods, nāgas, And the gods Śakra and Brahmā.
Then thousands of other living beings Also made offerings to the Teacher. Making offerings to the perfect Buddha, They mentally prostrated as well, for the sake of awakening.
“With your words, you have certainly eliminated my pride; Therefore, Surata, you are my second teacher! Let me give you my entire kingdom and my armies. Make me your disciple and teach me!
“I have been deceived by my pride for a long time, And have been surrounded and coddled by wicked companions. Since I have heard this Dharma from you, Surata, I will restrain myself and behave in accordance with the Dharma.
“For the sake of wealth I have punished These five hundred householders. From now on I will no longer do this; Let me leave them alone and make them comfortable.
“Let these five hundred who are now free Also develop deep respect for Surata. May they never fatigue, and without distraction, May they aspire for happiness and the state of omniscience!
“Surata, you spoke well when you said, ‘I am not poor. You are poor.’ Whoever now calls Surata ‘poor’ Breaks the king’s command.”
EN
“Although you may want to offer Flowers, incense, perfumes, Food, drink, and jewelry as repayment, These will not suffice, for Surata is delighted by bodhicitta.
EN
“Surata has no desire for food and clothes, Nor for personal gain, nor veneration, nor fame. Surata desires the qualities that arise from bodhicitta; It is bodhicitta that pleases Surata.”
EN
“For the past hundred eons, you have practiced asceticism; You have delighted in the ways of gathering disciples, discipline, and generosity; Your body, speech, and mind are completely pure— Thus, I pay homage to you, the foremost in the three realms!
EN
“You are without callousness, and delight in forbearance and kindness; Your diligence is firm, and your powers perfected; You delight in the dawning of concentration, intelligence, and ethics— Thus, I pay homage to you, who dispels the blemishes of the three stains!
EN
“You delight in eliminating desire, hatred, and delusion; Your mind is peaceful and impartial, yet compassionate; You speak truthfully and know the ultimate— Thus, I pay homage to you, who liberates all three realms!
EN
“You eliminate doubts in those who see you; You eliminate all faults in those who see you; You bring great delight to those who see you— Thus, I go for refuge to you, the Conqueror, with all my heart!
EN
“Even sublime goddesses who are extremely lustful, Upon seeing you, delight in the Dharma. Delighted, they will attain expansive mindfulness. Delighted, they will be free from delighting in lust for beauty.
EN
“You have the supreme, luminous qualities of being perfectly adorned With the ornaments of the thirty-two supreme marks. You are a holy man, whose speech is pure and supreme; I pay homage to you, whose radiance is unparalleled!
EN
“Your beautiful palms are like the gold of the noble Jambu River. The Sage’s chest is like a lion’s, and your posture like an elephant’s. Your eyebrows and nose are elegant; your teeth are even, beautiful, and have no gaps— I bow to you, the great Śākyamuni, who is like the śrīgarbha jewel!
EN
“By the limitless capacities of the merit Acquired from praising the delightful Sugata, A conqueror replete with hundreds of good qualities, May the whole world come to buddhahood together!”
EN
“Listen, Ānanda, and I will explain to you The nature of his efforts to benefit beings, his consistency in religious observances, How his great renown is held in the hearts of many, And the way his conduct is steadfast in the qualities of awakening.
EN
“Whatever good deeds Surata has done, Whether it is his veneration of the conquerors through supreme offerings, Or striving to protect the holy Dharma, They are too numerous to be listed now.
EN
“He is well trained in all the perfections; He has been artful with his extraordinary powers in past lives; He has perfected the divine states of mind; He is well trained in skillful activity.
EN
“Now, he sees well the faults of composite phenomena; Even the complete awakening of the buddhas is evident to him. He is well trained in those skills That bring all sorts of different beings to liberation.
EN
“He is fearless and endowed with intelligence, realization, and mindfulness, As well as eloquence and dhāraṇīs. He has escaped Māra’s hook and the mire of mental afflictions, And he is firmly set in the purview of the buddhas, the ultimate goal.
EN
“He is not tainted by worldly affairs; Like a stone, he is unmoved by lust and the like. He neither gets close to nor distant from anyone; Just like space, he is free of both bondage and liberation.
EN
“He is steadfastly compassionate and indefatigable; He is self-restrained and kind to those who are bewildered. Considering all sentient beings as dear as himself, He does not perceive others’ faults and thus is never quarrelsome.
EN
“He steadfastly practices exactly as he was taught; He conducts himself exactly in accord with the teachings. By following the Dharma, he is well trained in the essence of dharmas. He yearns for emptiness and is free of dualism.
EN
“He has attained the three forbearances and transcends the purview of ordinary beings; He is steadfast in the way and pure qualities of the buddhas. In whatever world he roams, He liberates numerous beings.
EN
“Wherever this child of the buddhas resides, There is never an absence of tathāgatas. Thus, the entire world, including the gods, Pays respect to him in the manner of a buddha.
EN
“After I pass into nirvāṇa during the age of degeneration, Surata will perform a buddha’s deeds. Then, he will return to Abhirati, Akṣobhya’s realm, Where he previously resided.
EN
“Imperturbable, he will benefit living creatures, And seek out the treasures of that buddhafield. For the sake of bringing sentient beings to the maturity of awakening, He will perform good deeds for three countless eons.
EN
“After that, he will become a guardian, a conqueror, Whose name will be Lord King of the World. His world will be equal to The buddhafield of the Tathāgata Akṣobhya.
EN
“That world will be called Elegantly Emanated, And will be endowed with all good qualities. His lifespan will be ten thousand years, And his saṅgha members beyond reckoning.
EN
“He will have few saṅgha members within the Śrāvaka Vehicle, While most will strive for awakening. All will possess the power of gnosis and miraculous powers, And they will be endowed with the liberations and be fearless.
EN
“That world will resound with the continual reverberation Of nothing but their eloquent elucidations of the Dharma. There will be no māras, nor attachment to saṃsāra; They will all be knowledgeable and completely pure.
EN
“After that sugata passes into complete nirvāṇa, His sublime Dharma will be practiced For eighty-four years, During which time his Dharma tradition will have no disharmony.
EN
“Those who are brought to maturity by Surata Will pursue unsurpassable awakening. The sentient beings who are born in that buddhafield Will become free from all faults.”
Sutraya