Then the Bhagavān said to the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”

The Bhagavān said a second time, and a third time, to those bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak. Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”

At this, the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, with bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya standing in front to them, with hands together in homage, requested, “Bhagavān, explain the meaning to us. Sugata, explain it to us. We will believe what the Tathāgata says.” A second time, the complete assembly of bodhisattvas requested the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, explain the meaning to us. Sugata, explain it to us. We will believe what the Tathāgata says.” A third time, the complete assembly of bodhisattvas requested the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, explain the meaning to us. Sugata, explain it to us. We will believe what the Tathāgata says.”

Then the Bhagavān, knowing that the bodhisattvas had made their request three times, said to those bodhisattvas, “And so, noble ones, listen to what has arisen because of the power of my samādhi.

“Noble ones, the world with its devas, humans, and asuras thinks and believes, ‘Bhagavān Śākyamuni departed from his Śākya clan into mendicancy, went to the preeminent, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa, and attained the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood by the city of Gayā.’ However, noble ones, I attained the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons ago.

“Noble sons, it is like this: If there were a man who picked up one atom from among the atoms of the element of earth in countless fifty hundred thousand quintillion world realms, and he were to carry it in an eastern direction until he had passed countless, fifty hundred thousand quintillion world realms, and were then to deposit that atom there; and if he were to continue on further in that way until the entire element of earth in all those world realms was gone, depositing the atoms in that manner, in that way, into world realms in an eastern direction, then, noble ones, do you think that anyone could conceive of, or calculate, count, or determine the number of those world realms?”

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and the complete assembly of bodhisattvas said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, those world realms are numberless, are innumerable, and are beyond the capacity of the mind. Bhagavān, even all the śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas with their higher wisdom could not conceive of, calculate, or determine their number. Bhagavān, even for us bodhisattvas on the level of irreversibility this subject is beyond the scope of our thoughts. Bhagavān, the number of those world realms would be incalculable.”

The Bhagavān said to those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, “Noble ones, I declare to you, I proclaim to you, noble ones, in those world realms in which that man would deposit atoms, and, noble sons, those in which he did not deposit them, there are not, in all those hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms, noble sons, as many atoms as there are hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons since I attained the highest complete enlightenment of buddhahood. Since I began teaching the Dharma to beings in this Sahā world realm and in another hundred thousand quintillion world realms, noble ones, those other tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas whom I have previously mentioned, beginning with Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara, and the passing into nirvāṇa of those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, were my emanations, noble ones, in order to accomplish the teaching of the Dharma through skillful methods. Moreover, noble ones, the Tathāgata, on seeing the extent of the faculties and diligence of the successive beings of future times, states what will be his name in those times, and states when his passing into nirvāṇa will occur, and in that way he will satisfy beings with various kinds of Dharma teachings.

“Noble ones, the Tathāgata says to beings with various aspirations, few roots of merit, and many kleśas, ‘Bhikṣus, I am young; I renounced my family and it has not been long, bhikṣus, since I have attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’

“Noble ones, even though it has thus been a long time since the Tathāgata attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he says, ‘It has not been long since I attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’ That kind of Dharma was taught solely for the purpose of ripening beings and bringing them into the teaching.

“Noble ones, all those Dharma teachings were taught by the Tathāgata in order to guide beings.

“Noble ones, the words the Tathāgata speaks in order to guide beings, whether spoken by myself or spoken by someone else, whether concerning myself or concerning anyone else—whatever Dharma teachings the Tathāgata has taught, all are the truth that is spoken by the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata does not lie.

“Why is that? The Tathāgata has seen the three realms exactly as they are: there is no birth, no death, no transmigration, no becoming, no saṃsāra, no nirvāṇa, no being, no nonbeing, no existence, no nonexistence, no ‘like this,’ no ‘not like this,’ no ‘untrue,’ and no ‘not untrue.’ The Tathāgata does not see the three realms in the way that ordinary, foolish beings see them. Concerning this, the Tathāgata has the direct perception of phenomena, and there is no phenomenon of which he is oblivious. Therefore, whatever the Tathāgata says is all the truth, without any lies. However, as beings have different kinds of conduct, different kinds of aspirations, and different kinds of perception and conception, in order that they may develop roots of merit, the Tathāgata teaches many kinds of Dharma teachings, with many kinds of goals.

“Noble ones, whatever the Tathāgata has to do, that is what the Tathāgata does. The Tathāgata, who has attained perfect buddhahood a long time ago, has an immeasurable lifespan. He always remains and does not pass into nirvāṇa, but creates the appearance of passing into nirvāṇa in order to benefit his students.

“Noble ones, I still have an entire lifespan of twice times a hundred thousand quintillion eons. Although I will not pass into nirvāṇa, I state that I am going to pass into nirvāṇa. Why is that? Noble ones, it is in order to ripen beings through this Dharma teaching. If I were not to pass into nirvāṇa and were to remain for a long time, because I would be constantly seen, beings would not create roots of merit. They would become destitute, devoid of merit, indulging in desires, blind, and caught in the net of wrong views. Thinking, ‘The Tathāgata remains,’ they would perceive him as easy to meet and would not perceive him as difficult to meet. They would think, ‘The Tathāgata is with us,’ and would not be diligently dedicated to escaping from the three realms. They would not view a tathāgata as being rare.

“Therefore, noble ones, the Tathāgata, using skillful method, states, ‘Bhikṣus, it is very difficult to find the appearance of the tathāgatas.’ Why is that? For those beings, it is possible that they may see a tathāgata after many hundred thousands of quintillions of eons, and it is possible that they will not.

“Noble ones, considering this, I say, ‘Bhikṣus, the appearance of a tathāgata is difficult to find,’ so that conceiving that the appearance of a tathāgata is difficult to find they perceive it as a wonder, and they have the understanding that a tathāgata passes into nirvāṇa. When they do not see the Tathāgata, they will thirst for the sight of him. The roots of merit from the mind being focused upon the Tathāgata will bring good results, benefits, and happiness for a long time. Knowing this, for the sake of those to be guided, the Tathāgata announces that he will pass into nirvāṇa even though he does not pass into nirvāṇa.

“Noble ones, that which the Tathāgata states is a Dharma teaching; he does not speak lies.

“Noble ones, it is as if there were a man who is a physician who is wise, eminent, learned, intelligent, very skilled, and could cure all illnesses, and that man has many sons—ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, or a thousand. That physician goes away to somewhere else, and all his sons take a poisonous drink, or a venomous drink. As a result of that poison or venom, they are tormented and tortured by the sensations of suffering and roll around on the ground. Then their father, the physician, returns from his journey. His sons are in distress from the suffering caused by that poison or venom. Some have deluded perceptions and some do not have deluded perception but all are in distress from suffering. They are happy to see their father and say to him, ‘Father, you have returned happily and safely. Free us from this poison or venom that is destroying our bodies. Save our lives!’

“Their father sees that they are distressed by suffering, that they are tormented and tortured by illness and are rolling around on the ground. He gathers together great herbs with excellent color, aroma, and taste and grinds them on a stone. He tells his sons to drink this mixture, saying, ‘Sons, drink this great medicine that is colorful, aromatic, and tasty Noble ones, if you drink this excellent medicine you will quickly be freed from the poison or venom, and will be happy and healthy.’

“Then the physician’s sons who do not have deluded perception see the color of the medicine, smell its aroma, taste its flavor, and quickly drink it. They become completely free from all illness. His sons who have deluded perception praise their father, saying, ‘Father, you have returned happily and safely. Heal us!’ but they do not drink the medicine. Why is that? Because their perception is deluded, they did not like the color of the medicine, did not like its smell, and did not like its taste. Then the physician thinks, ‘These sons of mine have deluded perception because of the poison or venom and so will not drink the medicine, but they are praising me. I will use a skillful method to make them drink this medicine.’

“Then the physician, wishing to use a skillful method to make his sons drink the medicine, says to them, ‘Noble ones, I am old, advanced in years, and aged. The time of my death is close. Sons, do not be sad. Do not be unhappy. If you need great medicine, take this medicine.’ Having instructed them in this way as a skillful method he goes to another land, and having gone there, sends news to his sick sons that he is dying. Then they become very sad, wail and weep, thinking, ‘Our only father, protector, progenitor, who had compassion for us has died, and so now we have no protector!’ They see that they are without a protector; they see that they have no refuge, and are overcome by sorrow.

“Through becoming overcome by sorrow, those whose perceptions are deluded gain undeluded perception. Then they can perceive the color, aroma, and taste of the medicine’s color, aroma, and taste, and at that time they drink it. Once they have drunk it they become free from their illness. When the physician knows that his sons have been cured he then reveals himself to them.

“Noble ones, what do you think? Should someone who has used such a skillful method be called a liar?”

“No, Bhagavān,” they answered. “No, Sugata.”

“Noble ones,” he continued, “in the same way, although I attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood countless, innumerable hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons ago, I sometimes teach as a skillful method such as this in order to guide beings. In this matter, I am not in any way a liar.”

Then the Bhagavān taught the meaning of this extensively in verses:

“Countless thousands of millions of eons ago, A length of time that is inconceivable, I attained the highest enlightenment And I am always teaching the Dharma. {1}

“I inspired these numerous bodhisattvas And directed them toward the wisdom of buddhahood. Throughout millions of eons I have ripened Endless quintillions of beings. {2}

“I speak skillfully in order to guide beings: I teach them the level of nirvāṇa. In this time I do not pass into nirvāṇa, But will continue to teach the Dharma here. {3}

“In that time I empower myself, And I similarly empower all beings. Foolish humans, whose understanding is false, Do not see me, even though I am present there. {4}

“They see me physically pass into nirvāṇa And they make offerings to my remains. Because they do not see me, they yearn for me And therefore their minds become corrected. {5}

“When they have become gentle, kind, and honest And they forsake even their own bodies, Then they become my saṅgha of śrāvakas And I will reveal myself to them on Vulture Peak. {6}

“There I will say this to my followers: ‘I did not pass into nirvāṇa here; Bhikṣus, that was my skillful method. I appear again and again in the world of the living. {7}

“ ‘I have been before other beings And taught them this highest enlightenment. You could not hear those words of mine, But other than that I did not pass into nirvāṇa. {8}

“ ‘I see the beings who undergo destruction, But I do not reveal my form to them. When they aspire to see me, Then I teach the Dharma to those thirsty ones.’ {9}

“I always have that kind of blessing Throughout countless billions of eons. I do not depart from Vulture Peak, And yet I have millions of other seats. {10}

“While beings see and think That this world realm is burning, At that time this buddha realm of mine Is filled with maruts and humans. {11}

“They have various kinds of delights and joys there, With millions of gardens, mansions, and airborne palaces. It is adorned by mountains made of jewels And by trees covered with blossoms and fruits. {12}

“Above, the devas are beating their great drums And sending down a rain of coral tree flowers. They scatter them over myself and the śrāvakas And other wise ones who are fixed upon enlightenment. {13}

“This realm of mine remains constantly like this While others conceive that it is burning. They see the world as being terrifying And filled with calamities and hundreds of miseries. {14}

“For many millions of years They never hear even the name of the tathāgatas Or the Dharma or my followers. That is the result of their bad karma. {15}

“When gentle and kind beings Are born in this human world, As soon as they are born, through good karma, They will see me teaching the Dharma. {16}

“I never say anything to them Of these my endless activities. It is a long time since they have seen me, And I say it is rare to find the jinas. {17}

“I have the power of wisdom in this way; It is a brilliance that is infinite. My lifespan is that of infinite eons, Which I have gained through my past conduct. {18}

“Wise ones, do not have any doubt about this. You should dismiss every kind of uncertainty. The words that I am speaking are the truth. In my speech there are never any lies. {19}

“Like a physician who is skilled in methods Who, because his sons have deluded perception, While he is alive says that he has died, The wise know that this would not be proclaimed a lie. {20}

“In that way, I am the self-arisen father of the world, The Lord who is a physician for all beings. Knowing that the ignorant fools are deluded, I who have not passed into nirvāṇa manifest passing. {21}

“For what reason? Through constantly seeing me The unwise and ignorant will become lazy. They will be fearlessly careless in following their desires And their recklessness will cause them to fall into lower existences. {22}

“At all times I know their various modes of conduct And I say to them that I am like this or that Because somehow I must bring them to enlightenment, And somehow they must obtain the Buddha’s Dharma.” {23}