The best of those who walk on two feet, The teacher, the perfect Buddha, answered, “I will only teach a portion of the virtues Of those who circumambulate a shrine.
“Those who circumambulate a shrine, Even only a single time, Having gained the opportunity so hard to find, Will be freed from the eight inopportune states.
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have a kind and pure countenance, A good complexion, and be bright too. They will dwell in happiness.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have great wealth and riches. They will not be miserly, but generous, And will take pleasure in giving.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will achieve great prosperity. They will be beautiful and gorgeous, With an attractive and lovely skin tone.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will not be deluded about phenomena, Seeing conditioned things as empty, And will quickly obtain happiness.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be born as a most excellent kṣatriya, Surrounded by a wife and children, And endowed with strength and vigor.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be born as a great landowning brahmin, Endowed with moral discipline and learning, With knowledge of the Vedas and mantras.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be born as a great landowning householder, Having much wealth and many riches, With grain and cattle in abundance.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become lord and sovereign of Jambūdvīpa, A righteous king whose rule extends To the ends of the earth.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become a wheel-turning king, Possessing the seven royal treasures, And roll the wheel according to the Dharma.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will go to higher realms once they pass on from here, Find joy in the Buddha’s teachings, Become yogins, and gain great miraculous powers.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine, After passing on from the divine realms, Will be reborn again among humans, Entering the womb without delusion.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will not become tainted By the impurities and flaws of the womb; They will be like a pure jewel.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will dwell at ease inside their mothers. They will be at ease as they are born; At ease they will suckle their mothers’ breasts.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be supported and nourished by many servants, As well as by their fathers, And always cared for by nurses.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will prosper right from birth, Be dearly beloved of relatives, And especially doted upon by parents.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will not be able to be harmed By piśācas or rākṣasas. They will enjoy unhindered abundance.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have an immaculate body And never be blind or crippled, Through hundreds of eons.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have perfectly clear eyes, Long and shapely, dark, alluring, And also obtain the divine eye.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be steady in body, steady in mind, Steady too in diligence, And have steady, rounded shoulders.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be strong, perfect in shape and form, And their limbs will be well adorned With all auspicious marks.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be the great lord of the gods, Śakra, whose miraculous powers are great, Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be king of the gods in the Heaven Without Strife, Or likewise in the Heavens of Joy, Joyful Emanation, or Controlling Others’ Emanations.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be lord of brahmās In the Brahmā World, Honored by tens of millions of gods.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have wisdom and continually be honored Over tens of billions of eons or, indeed, For millions upon billions of eons.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have clean bodies, clean clothing, And the immaculate Dharma, For tens of millions of eons.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be endowed with strength and vigor, Have no laziness at all, And achieve the greatest accomplishment.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be steady in diligence, steady in power, Steady in skill, be their own master, And swiftly accomplish their goals.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have melodious speech, A fine, pleasant voice, And be free from harm and illness.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will quickly achieve a rebirth In a place I myself have described And have a great urgency there.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will obtain the four applications of mindfulness, The four immeasurable states of mind, And control over the bases of miraculous power.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will obtain the four noble truths, The faculties, the powers, And the fruition of the factors of awakening.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become arhats, ones with great miraculous powers, Possessing the six supernormal faculties, Without defilement, and all their afflictions dispelled.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will release attachment and aversion, Release all enmities, And achieve the awakening of a pratyekabuddha.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become a tathāgata in the world, With a body the color of gold And adorned with the marks.
EN
“Circumambulation is an act of the body. Circumambulation is an act of speech. Circumambulation is an act of the mind. Circumambulation is also the making of a vow. Here, one easily achieves through circumambulation Goals that are difficult to reach.
EN
“Mere words cannot well convey, Even slightly, the virtues of those Who perform a circumambulation At a shrine of the World Protector.”
EN
When asked by Śāriputra, The World Protector explained The virtues of venerating shrines, Out of compassion for beings.
EN
“A hundred horses, a hundred gold pieces, A hundred mule carts, And a hundred mare-drawn carriages Filled with all manner of jewels Do not add up to even a sixteenth of the worth Of a single step of a circumambulation.
EN
“A hundred Kamboja girls Wearing jeweled earrings and bangles, Their upper arms bearing golden armlets, Their necks well adorned with gold necklaces, Do not add up to even a sixteenth of the worth Of a single step of a circumambulation.
EN
“A hundred Himalayan elephants, With huge bodies, broad chests, And trunks like plows, Adorned with gold and jewels, Do not add up to even a sixteenth of the worth Of a single step of a circumambulation.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of gold pieces from the Jambu River Are not equal to a single step Taken with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of nuggets of Jambu River gold Are not equal to a single lump of clay Offered with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of bowls of Jambu River gold Are not equal to a handful of flower petals Scattered with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Tens of millions of bushels of Jambu River gold Are not equal to a flower garland Held up with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of heaps of Jambu River gold Are not equal to scented water Sprinkled with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of grams of Jambu River gold Are not equal to an oil lamp Lit with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of mountains of gold Are not equal to a banner or canopy Raised with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“This is the teaching on the benefits Of making offerings to tathāgatas, Perfect buddhas, peerless caravan leaders, Who are limitless, just like the ocean.
EN
“Whether one makes offerings to a living buddha Or makes them to one who has passed into nirvāṇa, There is no difference in merit If the thought is equally devout.
EN
“In this way, buddhas are inconceivable; A buddha’s qualities are also inconceivable. For those who have faith in the inconceivable, The karmic fruit is also inconceivable.”
The best of those who walk on two feet, The teacher, the perfect Buddha, answered, “I will only teach a portion of the virtues Of those who circumambulate a shrine.
“Those who circumambulate a shrine, Even only a single time, Having gained the opportunity so hard to find, Will be freed from the eight inopportune states.
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have a kind and pure countenance, A good complexion, and be bright too. They will dwell in happiness.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have great wealth and riches. They will not be miserly, but generous, And will take pleasure in giving.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will achieve great prosperity. They will be beautiful and gorgeous, With an attractive and lovely skin tone.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will not be deluded about phenomena, Seeing conditioned things as empty, And will quickly obtain happiness.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be born as a most excellent kṣatriya, Surrounded by a wife and children, And endowed with strength and vigor.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be born as a great landowning brahmin, Endowed with moral discipline and learning, With knowledge of the Vedas and mantras.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be born as a great landowning householder, Having much wealth and many riches, With grain and cattle in abundance.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become lord and sovereign of Jambūdvīpa, A righteous king whose rule extends To the ends of the earth.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become a wheel-turning king, Possessing the seven royal treasures, And roll the wheel according to the Dharma.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will go to higher realms once they pass on from here, Find joy in the Buddha’s teachings, Become yogins, and gain great miraculous powers.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine, After passing on from the divine realms, Will be reborn again among humans, Entering the womb without delusion.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will not become tainted By the impurities and flaws of the womb; They will be like a pure jewel.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will dwell at ease inside their mothers. They will be at ease as they are born; At ease they will suckle their mothers’ breasts.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be supported and nourished by many servants, As well as by their fathers, And always cared for by nurses.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will prosper right from birth, Be dearly beloved of relatives, And especially doted upon by parents.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will not be able to be harmed By piśācas or rākṣasas. They will enjoy unhindered abundance.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have an immaculate body And never be blind or crippled, Through hundreds of eons.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have perfectly clear eyes, Long and shapely, dark, alluring, And also obtain the divine eye.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be steady in body, steady in mind, Steady too in diligence, And have steady, rounded shoulders.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be strong, perfect in shape and form, And their limbs will be well adorned With all auspicious marks.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be the great lord of the gods, Śakra, whose miraculous powers are great, Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be king of the gods in the Heaven Without Strife, Or likewise in the Heavens of Joy, Joyful Emanation, or Controlling Others’ Emanations.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be lord of brahmās In the Brahmā World, Honored by tens of millions of gods.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have wisdom and continually be honored Over tens of billions of eons or, indeed, For millions upon billions of eons.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have clean bodies, clean clothing, And the immaculate Dharma, For tens of millions of eons.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be endowed with strength and vigor, Have no laziness at all, And achieve the greatest accomplishment.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will be steady in diligence, steady in power, Steady in skill, be their own master, And swiftly accomplish their goals.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will have melodious speech, A fine, pleasant voice, And be free from harm and illness.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will quickly achieve a rebirth In a place I myself have described And have a great urgency there.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will obtain the four applications of mindfulness, The four immeasurable states of mind, And control over the bases of miraculous power.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will obtain the four noble truths, The faculties, the powers, And the fruition of the factors of awakening.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become arhats, ones with great miraculous powers, Possessing the six supernormal faculties, Without defilement, and all their afflictions dispelled.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will release attachment and aversion, Release all enmities, And achieve the awakening of a pratyekabuddha.
EN
“Those who circumambulate a shrine Will become a tathāgata in the world, With a body the color of gold And adorned with the marks.
EN
“Circumambulation is an act of the body. Circumambulation is an act of speech. Circumambulation is an act of the mind. Circumambulation is also the making of a vow. Here, one easily achieves through circumambulation Goals that are difficult to reach.
EN
“Mere words cannot well convey, Even slightly, the virtues of those Who perform a circumambulation At a shrine of the World Protector.”
EN
When asked by Śāriputra, The World Protector explained The virtues of venerating shrines, Out of compassion for beings.
EN
“A hundred horses, a hundred gold pieces, A hundred mule carts, And a hundred mare-drawn carriages Filled with all manner of jewels Do not add up to even a sixteenth of the worth Of a single step of a circumambulation.
EN
“A hundred Kamboja girls Wearing jeweled earrings and bangles, Their upper arms bearing golden armlets, Their necks well adorned with gold necklaces, Do not add up to even a sixteenth of the worth Of a single step of a circumambulation.
EN
“A hundred Himalayan elephants, With huge bodies, broad chests, And trunks like plows, Adorned with gold and jewels, Do not add up to even a sixteenth of the worth Of a single step of a circumambulation.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of gold pieces from the Jambu River Are not equal to a single step Taken with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of nuggets of Jambu River gold Are not equal to a single lump of clay Offered with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of bowls of Jambu River gold Are not equal to a handful of flower petals Scattered with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Tens of millions of bushels of Jambu River gold Are not equal to a flower garland Held up with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of heaps of Jambu River gold Are not equal to scented water Sprinkled with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of grams of Jambu River gold Are not equal to an oil lamp Lit with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“Hundreds of thousands of mountains of gold Are not equal to a banner or canopy Raised with a thought of joy by a wise one At shrines of a buddha.
EN
“This is the teaching on the benefits Of making offerings to tathāgatas, Perfect buddhas, peerless caravan leaders, Who are limitless, just like the ocean.
EN
“Whether one makes offerings to a living buddha Or makes them to one who has passed into nirvāṇa, There is no difference in merit If the thought is equally devout.
EN
“In this way, buddhas are inconceivable; A buddha’s qualities are also inconceivable. For those who have faith in the inconceivable, The karmic fruit is also inconceivable.”
Sutraya